Velar should’ve listened to Starlight Glimmer. He could still hear her desperate plea that he stay behind, echoing through the void through a portal that wasn’t there anymore. Beside him was one of the Alicorns of Equestria. A being so powerful his ancestors had great stories about heroes who had journeyed to the end of the world in order to obtain sacred artifacts blessed by Unity itself. Such a trip was what it took to have any hope of killing even one of them. And yet, through all those years, at least two of them were still alive. And Equestria can make more.
Princess Celestia strode over to her sister, even more terrible in her appearance than Luna. Princess Luna’s eyes had some of the softness of the night, and her mane was at least a window into something familiar. Princess Celestia burned so bright he couldn’t look at her, and so much magic rippled from her head that he could feel something stirring in his own chest. Like an ancient organ, twitching to life after eons of sleep.
Compared to them, Velar felt like a drifting mote of dust on the wind, a transient shimmer that would burn away in the haze. But he didn’t burn, however much their magic made him afraid he would. Celestia did not even speak to him.
Now that he was here, Velar recognized this ship. It was the Aakash, one of the older destroyers in Vengeance’s fleet. He didn’t have the guns of every ship in Accipio memorized, but he was fairly certain the cannons that had punched at least one gaping hole in the Stalwart Stratus hadn’t been on her the last time he’d seen her.
There were at least two dozen armed marines on the deck with them now, wearing modern cloth uniforms and carrying rifles. There were other crew—engineers and technicians trailing bits of scrap iron or toolboxes. But they kept their distance, and never remained in sight for long.
A massive armored figure landed on the deck with such force that the wood actually splintered. Velar could see it singeing around his hooves, charred black by the magic the Voidsteel had captured.
“Princesses of Equestria,” said Giovanni. “I did not think you had the will to fight me honorably. I assumed I would have to bleed your city first. Pity.”
“Laugh if you want, bird,” Luna snapped back. “I notice all four of our ships are still in the air, and you only have the one. One ill-suited for besieging a city. You waste our time with idle threats.”
Giovanni stopped laughing, glowering at them. “There’s nothing idle in my words, Equestrians. You have ruled all this time only because your powers were strange. But I wield a weapon forged by our greatest smiths. They knew this day would come, and they gave us exactly the weapon we would need against you. Your glamour and starstuff will crumble to dust. And when you’re dead, this land will have only the strongest rulers.”
This time it was the Alicorns who laughed. The sound was so bitter that Velar turned to stare. He’d never heard a sound like that from a pony’s mouth before. “You have no idea what you’re wearing,” Princess Celestia eventually said. “You think it was made for fighting ponies? Is that the myth they teach in your monasteries?”
“Irrelevant.” Giovanni stepped forward towards them, lifting a long sword in one claw. It burned like his armor, and marines on all sides scattered out of his way. “Whatever lies you’ve spun about the past don’t matter today. The two of you will soon be dead.”
Velar almost thought he hadn’t been noticed there—but then Giovanni’s eyes fixed on him. He stopped, momentarily taken-aback. “You’re alive?”
He nodded. “What are you doing here alone, Giovanni? I know your family only has the one set of armor, but… shouldn’t Santiago be here with Vengeance’s three sets? The odds would be better that way.”
“Victory will come to the strong,” Giovanni recited. “Because it is deserved. The company you keep is not as mighty as it appears, Velar. You will see. Their powers will not work on me. The metal of this armor will unravel their spells, and each new attack will make me more powerful. I can already feel it now. I could tear this city apart with my claws if I wished! Perhaps I will, when I am finished here. I will let you watch.”
“Your ancestors would be ashamed to see you wearing that,” Princess Luna said. “Those were birds of honor. Birds we were privileged to fight beside. Your ancient forefathers gave their blood to keep the chaos at bay. So many died for the armor you’re wearing—countless lives. Whole wars fought for acres of land. Numberless other creatures swept from Equus, all for us. Is this how you repay their gift? Do you think they’ll be pleased with you when this war is over? If you triumph here today—do you think they would be pleased to see you murdering the children of their friends, and starving in their houses?”
“Be silent!” Giovanni roared, his voice so loud that it shook the ship under his claws. Velar retreated a few steps, behind the alicorns. The ponies were unmoved. “You will lie no more about events you do not understand! I will be certain that neither of you tell another lie again!”
“Our parents were there,” Celestia said, meeting Victory’s eyes. Despite having no armor of her own, she looked unafraid as he closed the distance. “The end of chaos was new when we were fillies, Giovanni. And it was not complete. We saw it return. Our civilization was undone. Carcosa and her gods are all ashes. We will not allow you to do the same to the survivors. Not now that we’re so close. Put down your sword and surrender, Giovanni. You will be treated fairly.”
Velar didn’t have to listen to know how well that demand would go.
“Today the old world crumbles, Equestrians. When the ash of Mons Ignis cools and the fields are green again, we will be ruling them, as we always should have.”
They met in the air, and the terrible impact shook Velar through to his bones. He could make out no details, only blinding light and the glow of magic rising higher and higher from the point where they had met.
Yet one reality rose to the surface in his mind. If that armor really makes him immune to all pony magic, then this fight should be over almost instantly. It’s not ending. Then again, the Alicorns were ancient creatures, who had ruled in person longer than Accipio had existed. Maybe they had other ways of fighting back.
But he wouldn’t have to worry about any of that, because the soldiers were closing in on him. They’d kept their distance before, when he stood beside the powerful Alicorns. A tall bird with lieutenant’s knots gestured meaningfully at Velar with a rifle. He recognized him as a bird named Gibson. “Claws up, Velar. You’re in our custody now.”
“So I am,” he said, raising his claws as he’d been ordered and holding still.
The birds closed in around him, maybe a dozen marines in full uniforms and equipment. Like they were expecting a landing. How defenseless did they think Equestria would be?
Over their heads Velar heard an explosion so loud that snow began tumbling off the side of Canterlot’s mountain, vanishing from sight.
“But I wonder what you’ll do if Giovanni isn’t the one to land?” he asked, as the marines closed the distance around him. “You know that could happen, right? You’ve got four equestrian ships surrounding you as we speak, probably more on the way. Did you see any birds flying away from your bombers?” He hadn’t, which was the point. Those four ships would all have them in their sights. Assuming they could fire their incredible weapons again so soon, they could turn this little ship to ash.
“Good point,” said the lieutenant, though he didn’t sound like he believed it. “You know what, I think that counts as resisting arrest. It’s a shame we had to kill you, Velar. The slaves are still telling stories about you. Maybe they can pray to Unity next, instead of a pretend god.”
Dammit. A dense crowd of birds surrounded him, who had been about to bind his wings and arrest him. But now they stopped, a few raising handguns instead. Further away birds seemed to be gripping their rifles, though they didn’t aim them into a crowd of their friends.
Velar didn’t think anymore—he just acted. His raised claw went to the face of the nearest marine, who dropped his handgun into Velar’s other waiting claw. He dove to the deck as several pistol shots went wild. He felt a brief spike of pain in his wings, but he couldn’t let that slow him down now. Couldn’t even think about it.
There is Unity in all things, Velar thought, dodging behind one of the nearby marines even as he shot straight into the head of another, then took a third down to the ground with him again. Blood and bullets sprayed all around him, and screams for help from more of the soldiers.
It guides the claw of the just. A bird pounced on him, abandoning the pretense of gunfire completely. There were so many enemy soldiers that practically every shot would kill another ally for them. Velar had no such compunctions. He fired the revolver straight up into the bird’s head, then rose at a crouch.
And opens the ears of the brave. Movement behind him, claws digging into wood. Velar dropped into a crouch, letting the figure fling itself over him. He barely even watched, bringing his claw down in a slash at the bird’s throat. Blood sprayed, and he went for the rifle.
There were so many. Further away, birds were aiming their rifles straight into the melee. If they get a clear shot, I’m dead. Velar leapt into the center of the crowd, abandoning the rifle. Someone sunk a claw into his shoulder before he smashed their head into the railing, then rolled off and fired other four shots in the revolver. There were still so many. He could keep fighting for an hour and not kill them all.
Above the Aakash, the sky itself seemed to be shaking apart. He couldn’t try to watch the glowing figures anymore—the battle of the gods would not include him.
Until the instant of union ends, and I return to dust.
“Don’t move,” he felt something press to the back of his head, and his whole body went rigid. The barrel of a gun. “That’s right, Velar. I have you.” It was Gibson, his voice overflowing with pride. “The stories say you’re the best warrior in Virtue. That you once killed a manticore with your claws and a rock. Yet here we are… two dead, maybe? Assuming the medics can’t save them. Pathetic.”
Velar didn’t turn around. His mind raced, searching desperately for a solution. What could he do faster than Gibson could pull the trigger?
“If you want to brag about killing me, you should do it honorably,” he found himself saying. “Twenty of you, one of me. That won’t make for much of a story. Why can’t we have a duel while the gods have theirs?”
“Because you’re an idiot,” Gibson said. “It will only be a story anyway. That’s all honor really is, Velar. It’s a great story. It’s only when birds like you and your father try to take it out into the real world that you get into trouble. But thanks for the advice. I think I’ll tell it that way.”
I’m sorry, father. He’d been an idiot to come here—what help had he thought he could provide to an Alicorn, anyway? Let alone two of them. The battlefield was an unkind teacher. Velar tried to relax, knowing he wouldn’t even hear the sound of the gunshot. At least this would be a quick death.
Then he heard a scream. Something went flying over his head, something that moved so fast it knocked over every soldier in the way and then smashed through the metal railing. “Too bad I’m not honorable either,” Starlight Glimmer said.
There was nothing against the back of Velar’s head anymore. He spun around to see Starlight Glimmer behind him, standing beside a glowing tear in the sky. Her horn flashed, and she was beside him, just in time for the marines from all over the deck to start shooting.
A barrier appeared around them, glowing the same purple as her horn. She smiled sidelong at him, less afraid of the blood than he might’ve expected. “Why are you so determined to get yourself killed?” she asked, wincing as bullets pounded into the glowing barrier.
“I, uh… thought they might need my help.” It sounded even stupider now that he said it, and Starlight seemed to think so too.
“There are lots of ways to help Alicorns, but epic battles in the sky are not one of them.” She gestured behind them. “How about we… back it up, and we let the Stalwart Stratus take care of this place?”
“After you.”