//------------------------------// // Chapter 13: Danny vs Charming Thunder // Story: Equestria Wars Episode XVI: The Crystal Princess // by sonicdash123 //------------------------------// Charming Thunder, Lucina, and Light were on the bridge of the Corvette while they received a transmission from Twilight. "So Danny is really and truly back," she said. "Yes," Charming Thunder said with a nod. "He's even more powerful, but so am I. But he could be better and even more dangerous than before." "When will you be returning to Canterlot?" "About ten minutes at our current speed," Lucina replied. "See you soon." Twilight nods and the transmission ends. Lucina and Light left to check out the crew while Charming Thunder remained on the bridge, but he could help but feel that it wasn't over yet. --------------------- Danny was flying up to the corvette in lightspeed, undetected. He landed on top and sees the main entrance of the ship. Danny's hand ignited in a purple glow and began to enter the Corvette's computer systems before the door opened. Danny returned to his pony form and fell right into the lightspeed before he could lose them from lightspeed. He closed the door and began to hide in the vents while masking his presence. --------------------- The Corvette was halfway to Canterlot now, about five minutes left between them and the capital. Charming Thunder felt uneasy. Perhaps Danny's return had shocked him more than he originally thought. However, he was interrupted when a console began to beep. "What's that?" he asked. An officer looked at it and said, "This doesn't make sense. Our hyperdrive is failing." "I thought the Corvette was undamaged." "We need to get out of light speed or we lay accidentally get stuck in lightspeed," another officer said as he began to take the ship out of light speed. When they did, the ship continued to fly. Charming Thunder went to his comms and contacted engineering, "Engineering, get that hyperdrive repaired immediately." "I regret to inform you that they will be unable to provide it, Charming Thunder." Danny's voice said; making everyone look at the comm. "I can, however, provide you something else." "Sir, he's taken navigation control!" an officer shouted as the ship jerked. "Override him!" Charming Thunder ordered. "Too late for that." a deep voice said in the speakers of the ship. On the consoles, they see the normal color darkened and they see a Decepticon symbol appear all over the monitors "But you are welcome to try." "Unicron," Primus said in Charming Thunder's head. "When I said I would settle the score, I was going to do just that," Danny said on speakers as the ship began to dive towards the surface. "I crippled your military and resources, but I never did pay you back for making Meta and Chrysalis as fugitives, left alone to fend off in the wild. I didn't pay that back, did I Charming? I guess now is as good as a time as any." "Brace for impact!" Charming Thunder shouted, knowing what Danny was going to do. He was going to strand them in the middle of the swamps. The Corvette kept diving until it hit the swamps. Charming was knock out from the crash. --------------------- "-ir?" a distorted voice asked as Charming Thunder heard it and he opened his eyes, his vision was faded and distorted. He could make out only four figures, they were tending to him. "What happened?" Charming Thunder asked. "Danny had the corvette crash in the swamps to leave us stranded here," Lucina explained. "What is the damage?" "Half of the crew was killed in the initial crash," Light added. "Danny had destroyed the long range communications. We are currently in a dangerous swamp, filled with animals of all kind. We are, however, well equipped and ready to fight. We still have a lot of stormtroopers, a few Death Troopers, and a couple of medics. There is also the fact Danny could be in the swamp, just waiting for us." "Then ready the troops to move out." Charming Thunder then got up and followed Light and Lucina to his soldiers. --------------------- Charming Thunder, Lucina, Light, ten stormtroopers, two Death Troopers, five scout troopers, and three medic stormtroopers were walking in the middle of the field. "Something isn't right," Lucina said as she looked around. "I would have thought we would have been attacked by Danny by now." "Danny is no amateur, Lucina," Charming Thunder warned. "He is a brilliant military strategist so I don't honestly expect him to attack us directly." Before anyone could do anything, the earth came up and formed a cage around them all. Charming Thunder managed to escape before he was trapped and sees his family and comrades get trapped before they were surround ray shield to prevent anyone from escaping. "What?" "Now, it is just you and me now," Danny said as he stood a few feet from Charming Thunder in his robot form holding his Dark Star Saber. "Let them go, Danny!" "Not until we prove who is the superior between us." Danny grinned; his sharp teeth showing. "For so long, you have never used your power that was granted to you by Primus. How will we win this war if you don't utilize that power!? He can't be killed if we use our normal powers, he is well beyond that! Only cosmic energy can harm him and all you do is ignore the power granted to you!" Charming Thunder transformed into his new form. He looked at himself and see that he has a chain gun on his back alongside a jetpack. He summoned the Star Saber and looked at Danny "This power is not mine and I never wanted it from the beginning. Sure, it is good, but it just isn't my own power." "Is that pride I'm hearing?" Danny then scowled. "That pride can get you killed!" Danny charged at Charming Thunder and clashed blades, the blue and purple dome energy surrounded them. They kept clashing blades before Danny made Charming go flying with a energy wave from his saber. Charming Thunder was pushed before cancelling the attack. Danny was looking at him before transforming into what looked like giant laser cannon. Danny aimed his particle cannon at Charming Thunder and began to fire. Charming Thunder took cover before activating his jetpack and began to fly overhead and he pulled out his chaingun and began to fire at Danny's position. Danny transformed back to his robot mode before jumping and transforming into his flight mode and he fired his cannon on top of his ship at Charming Thunder, successfully hitting him and forcing him to fall to the ground. Danny transformed back to his robot form and began to fall as he held the Dark Star Saber high. Charming Thunder managed to block the attack but was pushed into the ground as the ground cracked around them. "So you have swallowed your pride to use this power to protect your loved ones!?" Danny kept pushing. "How far are you willing to go if your loved ones are in even greater trouble?" "What is that supposed to mean?" "Start fighting for real! We are not even fighting at full power because you are afraid you will lose yourself to it!" Charming Thunder pushed Danny off and Danny slid a few feet away. "I will not allow myself to fall prey to your schemes!" Danny sighed and shook his head. "Then perhaps this will make you think twice." Before Charming could ask, he sees another Corvette appear over them. At the same time, the Gravestone appeared and it grabbed the Corvette in a tractor beam while destroying their weapons and jamming communications. "What?" Charming Thunder extend the force and found Twilight, Celestia, Luna, Cadence, Flurry Heart, Starlight, and Shining Armor on board that corvette. His eyes widen with fear and looked at Danny. "Let them go!" "Then fight me without restrain!" Danny fired his particle cannon at Charming Thunder. Charming Thunder dodged and began to fly up to the Corvette, only to hit a purple shield dome that kept him inside the swamps. Charming Thunder was knocked down since the dome had shocked him when he touched it. Danny jumped up to Charming Thunder, grabbed him, and threw him to the ground and formed a crater. Charming Thunder laid down in the crater as Danny stood above him with his Dark Star Saber pointed at his neck. He then pulled his blade away as Charming Thunder slowly opened his eyes. "Why, brother? Why, why, why? Why do you fight? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Could it be for love?" Charming Thunder began to slowly get up. "Mephiles is out there and you ruined the balance of both light and dark. Face it Charming Thunder, you can't win." Charming Thunder then got up on his feet and stood tall in the crater. "Why, brother? Why? Why do you persist?" "Because I choose to." Danny got angry and tackled Charming Thunder to the ground. He gave him a few punches before Charming Thunder grabs his fist and pushes him off and out of the crater. Charming Thunder then jumps out of the crater as Danny got up. "I am the king of Equestria. And now I am here to fulfill your wish. The defeat of your father." Danny hurls himself at Charming Thunder; throwing him through a tree and pinned him to the ground smashing his face again and again. Charming Thunder's arms shot out at Danny and smashes him away. Charming Thunder got up with a laugh. "You fight like a young child. Nothing held back. Admirable, but mistaken." Charming Thunder lunges at Danny; grabbing him by the throat and slams him to the ground and gave him a few punches to the face. Danny then grabbed his hand and headbutts Charming Thunder off of him. "You dare taunt me!?" Danny's Dark Star Saber appeared in his hand as Charming Thunder's Star Saber appeared in his hand and they both charged. They then clashed blades. "Can you feel it, Charming? Closing in on you? The fear for your family's life." This statement angered Charming Thunder and made him push Danny back. "I really should thank you after all, brother. It was, after all, it was your life that taught me your purpose in all life. Your purpose is to defeat Mephiles and end this war." Danny pushed Charming Thunder away and Charming Thunder charged at him. Danny fired his particle cannon at him and successfully hits him. He then pins him and points his blade at Charming Thunder's neck. "Go ahead, brother. If you want to kill me, then do it." Danny's eyes widened at the thought. He raised his blade and readied his strike as Charming Thunder closed his eyes. Danny was about to strike at Charming Thunder, but pierced his sword to the ground next to his head instead. Charming Thunder opened his eyes and looked at the blade next to his head. Charming Thunder then looked at Danny who got up and offered his hand to him. He grabbed his hand and got up. They then changed back to normal as Danny took out his communicator to contact the ship holding the corvette. "Release them." The ship did so as the corvette flew away and made its way to the ground. Danny then looked at Charming Thunder. Earth lowered and released Lucina, Light, and the stormtroopers trapped in the earth cage. The stormtroopers aimed their weapons at Danny. Charming Thunder stood in front of his brother and ordered them to stand down. "You won fair and square, brother." Charming Thunder then offered his hoof to Danny. "I welcome you back to the living." Danny smiled and shook his hoof with Charming Thunder as Twilight arrived with some stormtroopers. Twilight was relieved to see him and her daughters alright and rushed over to Charming Thunder with a tight hug. "Come on, brother. Let's go home." Danny nodded as he and the others followed Twilight to the corvette. "We have work to do." THE END