Thousands of questions were rushing through Prince Blueblood’s mind. Tonight was his night, he could not lose face this way in front of his partisans and his army. The factory had been destroyed, many ponies had confirmed it to him. This cursed mare had perished with it…
Yet, here she was a few inches away from him, with a mocking half-grin stuck on her childish face. A brat barely out of teenage years.
Undoubtedly, she was proud of her novelty effect prepared in advance. She surely wanted to prove she had the skills to organize a secret ambush, tricking him.
So be it. It didn’t change anything to the fact, in reality. He had won.
Once confusion over, Prince Blueblood quickly got together. Whether she was dead or alive did not really matter. What could she do except threatening another defenseless mare, his appointed puppet? As strong as she was, and despite the small menace represented by her disease called Black Blood Infection? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
And, he had a great advantage comparing to her. Yes, she could fly but he was a unicorn. With an averagely difficult spell, he could get rid of her not even staining his hooves – he really hated that, except under very extraordinary circumstances.
He lowered his horn and concentrated. A few red sparks appeared, but died immediately and he was unable to do more.
He did not see Rarity was smiling. She knew exactly what would arrive. She was the only one able to use her magic in this room, she and those who hadn’t drunk the traditional cider, which means ponies around who were not partisans, or soldiers, or parents of the bride.
“Sorry, I think we spiced up your cider a little… Magic neutralizer”, Rainbow Dash brought as a precision, her sword still aiming at Fluttershy’s throat. “You’ll have to fight for real this time.”
Maybe they would not win tonight. Maybe this would be a fight in vain. But anyhow, just for this sole moment of pure jubilation, it would be worth the while. Exclamations from the crowd kept on ravishing her and the Fallen Heir Apparent’s reactions, the way his features hardened and the way he was frowning until his eyebrows met, it was a real delight. And he had not seen everything yet. Because if he thought that was all she had in her pocket, he was wrong. What was going to happen next was the best part.
It was almost expected, the fact Prince Blueblood started to laugh. There was nothing hilarious in this situation, but he was so full of himself, despite the fact his magic was ineffective, that he could not get to envision this trap to be nothing but a last breath of despair. So, he was laughing heartily, like guffawing at the tomfooleries of an ageing clown, with a hint of pity behind the crystalline sounds.
“What do you think you’re doing? You think you’re scaring me? You’re still naïve, uh… Look around you. You’re on your own, dolly.”
“On my own? Who said I was on my own? Militia!”
Hearing this name, all the Masters of Rituals of the room took off their hoods, and right under his stunned eyes, Blueblood saw one by one all the faces he thought he had got rid of, even the bouncing bodyguard, and the Second-in-Command supposed to be crying her deceased brother out. Even Twilight Sparkle, the traitor he had demanded the death of.
Here they all were, alive, accompanied by their best First Class Lieutenants, and behind them quickly arrived the rest of the official organization, dressed in red cloaks, heavily armed, obviously ready to fight to the finish no matter what it would take.
So, that was the way things were. If he had to be honest, he would confess they got him there. His own team had not been prepared, they all had spared themselves in order to attend to the ball, that would probably end in a bloodbath.
Of course, Prince Blueblood refused to be honest. It no longer mattered now, anyway.
For a few seconds, it felt as if time had been suspended. Nothing existed anymore, the wind had ceased to blow, the last flakes of winter lingered in the air and never fell down.
Prince Blueblood and Rainbow Dash looked at each other scornfully, to whom would display the biggest amount of arrogance and extreme self-confidence, blue irises against magenta irises.
Low, she whispered words he immediately understood, even without reading her lips. A very famous litany, forming the pattern of each nation’s officers’ intrigues, from Militias to the Cavalry. Blood by blood, that is the Sacred Law of Equestria.
And then, suddenly, everything sprung back, with more violence and vehemence than before. From her sword, in a neat strike, she cut off one of Fluttershy’s wing, who immediately fell back on the floor, crying, shrieking and bleeding.
Yes, it was unfair since she had been nothing but an unfortunate victim of the circumstances. If she had the choice, Rainbow Dash had rather spare the mare pegasus… but she needed a strong and clear message. No crime could remain unpunished. Fluttershy had her chance to go against the injustice of her own life, yet she had yielded. Because of her, Big Macintosh had died, as well as other Members of the Militia, and Surprise, who until then had never been a fighter, had lost her wing too.
Feelings, she had left them in the castle’s garden, she had abandoned them on Soarin’s lips, who she knew was right behind her.
Compassion was a feeling, and she refused to have it. The rage of the combat was all that guided her right now. To revenge the dead ones, to make sure Equestria’s peace would remain for a few more years…
As soon as Fluttershy had touched the floor, the hostilities had been launched. Members of The Militia and Unavowed Army, they all had dashed at the same time, and the first sword strikes had resounded. But Rainbow Dash had only one goal in mind, and he was sitting in front of her, ordering his troops to fight.
“You’re allowed to kill any pony you want!” she screamed to her own fighters. “But Prince Blueblood is mine!”
He knew he was her main target. That was why he turned to his Main Servant, still sitting by his side. Of course, she was not the best of fighters, but he had every part of her devotion. Undoubtedly, she was going to defend his life with her own if necessary and, thanks to her sacrifice, he would be able to flee somewhere else, in order to find another way to get his dear revenge. There was no way he would fight, since tonight was the night of his glory. He refused to give up on this, even in front of the evidence that said glory was to be postponed, if it happened.
So, he was more than surprised when he saw Rarity turning against him, her horn pointing toward him.
“What are you doing?” he asked her, eyes wide opened.
“Isn’t it obvious? Prince Blueblood… In the name of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, I have to arrest you, on the Cavalry’s orders.”
“With what? You’ve drunk that modified cider as well.”
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t because I am the one who poured the sacred poppy juice in the cider. Haven’t you even wondered how The Militia knew about this little party of yours?”
“You…”
He could not believe it. His most faithful mare, the craft pony of his success, his devotee puppet, always ready to execute his orders, hoping she would win him over. If there was one of his soldiers he thought would never betray him, she was the one. Especially after the promises he had made to her.
“Yes, that was me. Revenge knows no limits. Take all you can if it means achieving your aims. Aren’t these some of your own teachings, my dear King?”
Thanks to her magic, Rarity let appear one of her gem-shaped small blades out of her mane, a technique he had admired so much, to the extent of thinking it would have been enough to defeat the Second-in-Command, Applejack. Now, he regretted he had not chosen as his Main Servant a plain earth pony, easier to knock down, or one of these merciless mercenaries so easy to corrupt with money.
If she really thought she could get him so easily just because she was his Main Servant, she was wrong. Blueblood only did one gesture and one of his soldiers bounced between him and Rarity.
He ran away without turning his back, leaving her on her own now.
Far from losing countenance, the purple-maned unicorn threw one of her blades towards the deserter, and thought she had touched him. She did not want to fight against the others, she wanted to have her revenge. She wanted to see him obliged to show his airs hid nothing but a chicken who, in a real situation of combat, when it came to be face to face with a pony, did not know how to use a sword.
Frowning, she decided to ignore the pack of soldiers too happy to get rid of the troublesome female she represented, and she rushed in, in order to stop Blueblood from fleeing once again.
Of course, she quickly happened to be injured, but it did not really matter. She knew Rainbow Dash was more than determined to be done with him. As for the unfortunate ones who had attacked her, they seemed to forget the essential detail of her favorite spell – as soon as she crumbled on the floor, all the small blades hidden in her mane directly touched their targets.
Lower, the battle raged. Supporters as well as Fluttershy’s parents had taken refuge in an alcove, and watched the fight with fright. None of them had the occasion to see what a real fight looked like.
During the Fratricide War, many families of the aristocracy siding King Sunset Sunrise had hidden away in Canterlot, inside the Royal Palace, cohabiting like they could with the Members of the Court. Some had seen their prosperity collapse, while others, who had given too much credit to the Web in order to survive, had later seen themselves deprived from their wealth and aristocratic titles, as a Royal Punishment – rather merciful compared to the treason which had been made.
Regardless of this, none of those had been prepared to be the witness of what it really was. If they needed a reason to understand that peace was a necessity, they had just found one.
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From the very beginning, Rainbow Dash’s goal had always been the Fallen Heir Apparent. She had thought that, thanks to the aid of his former Main Servant, Rarity, it was going to be very easy, but as soon as the attack had been ordered, she had been assailed by pegasus soldiers who had made their best to make sure she would stay as close to the ground as possible. It had not been very difficult, since she had forced too much upon her barely healed wing in order to aim her sword at Fluttershy’s neck.
Now, the circumstances made her back to back with Twilight, both encircled by a bunch of ponies ready to cut them to pieces – all male.
It would have been easy, for the young unicorn, to use her magic in order to diminish them to a vegetal state or else, but, willing to show The Militia’s superiority on this army of profiteers of all kind, she had decided to fight loyally. It was a risky bet. As Main Quartermaster, the training she had was less in-depth, less precise than the other Member’s, and she had been more trained for defense than for attack.
From the corner of their eyes, they both noticed the damages were rather equal in one clan or the other, and that none really had a target in mind, and only rushed in, killing and injuring whoever was on the way.
The two mares had also fought this way, before being surrounded.
They both knew what was the other’s strongest points. Because of this, not even communicating together, they quickly knew what to do. Rainbow Dash didn’t wait for one pony from the pack to pounce on her, and started the offensives the first, while Twilight protected her by replying.
Their duet worked fine, and when the last assailants were on the floor, not without touching them from time to time, they kept on fighting this way on a few feet, one attacking the white cloaks not really minding in which part of their bodies she buried her sword, while the other one was getting rid of those trying to pounce on her.
Soon, they were separated by the happenstance of the fight, but the way The Militia fought, generally with mutual assistance, was different from The Unavowed Army, more selfish. Maybe that would be what would make them lose, this incapacity to push aside their affinities, but they all wanted to believe the opposite. It had always been their strength. Members of The Militia were there for one another.
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Because she was the Second-in-Command, and a lot said this position was like attacking their Head, just a little less difficult, Applejack also had a certain popularity with the soldiers of the Unavowed Army.
A great number of them tried to kill her, both male and female. Maybe some of them thought her grief was so strong she had not thought about training for tonight’s attack. They did not know…
Her brother’s death was the essence of her rage. Each time she felt like giving up, she thought about Big Macintosh and found back the necessary anger to strike harder, to bury her blade deeper in the limb she reached.
These ponies did not know who they were fighting with, in all likelihood. She had not been chosen as Second-in-Command out of sheer sympathy from her best friend. As much as any other Members of the Head’s Council, she had deserved her position, training with Master Crimson Moon with the others, suffering like the others. If she happened to be here today, it was thanks to her skills.
And the orange mare proved them flawlessly. Those she had confront with until then were the ones out of her league. They were nothing but minions, not even henchponies. Now she understood why Blueblood had always sent the same talented recruits. The others were barely second-rate.
It was what she thought until she was caught by this particularly unrelenting mare pegasus, with an artificial wing like the one Surprise now displayed, with a blue coat like the icing of a cake or maybe a candy. Behind this color full of happiness hid a tenacious warrior, that Applejack was sure she had already seen. Surely one of these aspirants to The Militia who failed their Test by sin of recklessness. They were the most dangerous ones in combats such as this.
For all that, she was not about to give up. Applejack did not hesitate a long time before replying to Lightning Dust’s attack – since she was the mare in question – and they both quickly were crossing swords, without one touching the others.
The mare pegasus was highly motivated, and had no intention of giving up neither. To be able to wound the Second-in-Command would be a glory she would savor with all she had. If she could do it, she was convinced, to kill the Head would then be a piece of cake, and once she would be dead, the battle would be won and Prince Blueblood would give her the position abandoned by this traitor named Rarity, that she had seen turning against him between two killings by the book.
She had not thought, however, that the Second-in-Command would be so strong. Even when Lightning Dust was using her wings, she was able to avoid her, and it took her a lot of agility to escape the sword attacks of her new rival.
If the loyal method did not work, fine… She knew what to do to make sure the situation would be in her advantage. Because there was a revelation the Second-in-Command ignored and that would, for sure, change the deal.
As they once again were neck to neck, sword to sword, looking at each other scornfully with determination and resentment, the mare pegasus unsheathed her ultimate weapon… a verbal one.
“Hey, by the way, hillbilly”, she mocked. “Your beloved brother you cried your eyes out for so many days… Well, I’m the one who killed him. It even was a walk in the park.”
Applejack’s green eyes lit up with a burning flame, something no one had ever seen her going through, since she was known for being tempered and down-to-earth. This bitch had just confessed Big Macintosh’s murder… If she thought this way, she would be easier to attack because of the emotion and shock, she was barking up the wrong apple tree.
Blinded by her fury, she let herself be guided a hundred percent by what was boiling under her skin, to the extent of thinking she understood how Rainbow Dash felt when she was invaded by the Black Blood infection, and she lowered her sword in order to target the heart of the mare who had just let out this awful secret.
Applejack quickly understood her mistake when she saw Lightning Dust flying above her to bury her blade inside her Cutie Mark, not without avoiding her opponent to touch her own hind hoof.
The pain was so strong Applejack felt the bottom of her body giving in, and as much as she wanted to catch back the mare pegasus, it was impossible for her to go back to the attack immediately. Tears of pain and anger sparkled at her eyelashes and she promised herself whatever it costed, she would find her back and make her pay for her brother.
No time to heal herself the right way. She torn a part of her cloak and used it as a tourniquet that she wrapped around her flank. Before going behind Lightning Dust, who had turned around after she had touched her, she knew she would have to push away other opponents, too glad she was injured to try to kill her.
She could catch a glimpse at Caramel and Rainbow Dash intercepting the mare pegasus. Her best friend, and her coltfriend. Though they had promised to have no compassion, they could not let such an action go unpunished.
Despite her own injury, Lightning Dust did not sneak off. It was the Thunder of Revenge in person in front of her. The prestige was even higher than with this boorish hillbilly of a Second-in-Command. If only there had not been the other sidekick with her, it would have been easier.
Of course, she had already met face to face with the Militia’s Head, when she had tried to apply for the organization. But the circumstances were different. There could be no winner or loser during a Warrior Test, and though Rainbow Dash had broken one of her rib warning him she would better think with her mind than with her guts, and to stop striking haphazardly, she remained convinced she had what it took to knock down the Head in no time.
Practice, once again, happened to be more complicated than theory. No matter how many times she tried to touch Rainbow Dash, aiming for her thigh, her Cutie Mark, her throat or even her wings, she always avoided her, and the mare earth pony by her side kept on brushing her with his sword.
Yet, she thought she had touched him when, looking away from their combat as if she had just remembered something important, she looked in the direction of the honor balcony.
Prince Blueblood had run away. There no longer were traces from the former Main Servant, Rarity. No doubt, he wanted to flee and to let the others killing each other on his behalf, never sticking his neck out. There was no way this would happen…
So Lightning Dust’s attack only brushed her hoof, and opened a very small wound that barely caused a tickle of blood when Rainbow Dash, anger at her max, flew at full throttle towards the balcony. For sure, she was the fastest pony in all Equestria…
If she stayed here, with the other stallion after her, the Second-in-Command would catch her back. Even injured, in view of her level of grudge, it was a certainty she would not make things easier for her, and she even took the risk of losing. If there was something Lightning Dust hated, it was losing.
Because he was overwhelmed with other soldiers from the rival clan, Caramel did not see Lightning Dust escape, flying to the doors. He knew Applejack would want to catch her back, and though he dreaded the fact he could lose the mare he loved, he also knew he would never be able to hold his marefriend back. All he could hope now was for her to reappear, victorious and barely wounded.
For now, the result of the combat was not certain. The lost were roughly equal at one side and the other and the first signs of tiredness were starting to show. Anyhow, they all knew, they would fight unceasingly until the last pony would drop. It was about the future of all Equestria. They could not allow themselves to relax in their efforts.