//------------------------------//
// Challenge and showdown pt1 
// Story: The end of suffering 
// by Sawtoothetherium 
//------------------------------//

Vulcan, the wicked and corrupt father of the sibling trinity, sped across the ocean towards land. The heat of his fury burned the ocean as he flew. It scorched the sand of the beach he flew over and left the grasslands barren. He was coming back, he would have his vengeance.





Luna sat meditating and her eyes opened at once in panic. She saw him, he was coming. She rose and dug through her closet until she found what she was looking for. Her armor and weapons. Her armor was like that of the night guard, a light steel breastplate with rectangular iron plated shoulder plates. The armored skirt was made in the same way the shoulder plates were made, only larger. The helmet was a steel cap with three iron plates that wrapped around the head in a skirt like way to leave the face open. Lastly, the faceplate, or the menpo. It was a steel plate that covered the bottom half of her face, such as muzzle and cheeks, and on it was carved an extremely hideous scowl. Her weapons were the daisho (the pair of swords carried by samurai, the katana and wakizashi) as well as a much longer sword, the Nodachi. The Nodachi was the equivalent of the longsword, it was incredibly long and curved, the handle following the curve, and the handle could fit five closed hooves on it instead of three like the katana.

Luna set her arms and armor leather on a stand in the corner of the room, and left to meet with her brother. Luna had agreed to show Antares what training her guard was given. It was less of a guard and more of a military corps, it had several battalions in it and all of them given two years of constant training. Their arsenal consisted of the naginata and daisho, and all of them being experts in their use. Luna found Antares waiting outside of the training ground where he saw the trainees dueling with their wooden training weapons. There were even some three on one to nine on one, but those consisted of the younger trainees against one more experienced one. 

“Impressive.” He said. “I am eager to see what they can do against you.”

“They can do surprisingly well.” Luna said. “I have lost a couple of times to some trainees.”

“Well lets see if any of them can best you now.” He challenged her with a teasing voice.

They had agreed previously that Luna would go up against ten of the more experienced trainees to show Antares what they were capable of. So Luna and Antares walked into the training grounds when the instructor called a stop to the fighting and told all of those present to form a ring and allow Luna to stand in the middle, surrounded by the trainees assigned to fight her. She had her bokken (wooden training sword) and they had their naginata with padded blades to prevent death or serious injury.

“Begin.” Called the instructor.

A lot of things happened at once. All of the trainees rushed foreword swinging their naginata in their own way trying to hit her. Luna rolled at the last second ending up outside of the ring of attackers and struck at two of them before they could react, taking them out of the fight. One naginata swung at her feet and she had to flip over it and just about got hit by a second one that was swung to hit her midair. She had to twist with feline reflexes to dodge it. And she managed to land on her back hooves and swing her bokken to strike at one stallions neck. He ducked the blow and stabbed at her and she had to roll sideways to escape harm, she slashed across his ribs and took him out. Only seven more to go.

The fourth brought his naginata down to chop and was struck across the stomach as a result. Had it been a real fight he would have been gutted. The next stallion threw a hook kick and followed up with a slash. This was difficult for Luna to dodge as jumping away would put her at blades length and leave her no time to respond to the slash. So she spun low and kicked his leg out from under him, before chopping down on him. The next two attacked at once, one stabbing the other slashing downward. Luna twisted away from the stab and sent the stabbing one into his friend who caught the stabber on the shoulder, taking both of them out. Only three left.

Now Luna was on the offensive. She cut one stallions hooves out from under him and cut up across his chest while he was airborne. The next tried to swing at her, she blocked with her bokken pulled him forward while spinning and stabbed his back. The last chopped downward, Luna sidestepped and swung at his neck, stopping just before contact. She had won.





Celestia sat amidst the council chamber when a guard burst into the room. He was covered in sweat and his breathing was heavy and coming in gasps. He tried to say something but it was lost on his exhausted breathing.

“Calm down, take a breath.” Celestia instructed.

After doing just that the guard verbally delivered the message he bore. “There is a strange alicorn flying over the everfree. He looks frightening as ill get out and he looks to be made of burning coals.”

Celestias eyes widened in shock. She was worried about this.

“He was last reported to be heading towards canterlot. They think he will arrive within the hour.”

“Get the troops ready.” Celestia told him. “This stallion is not our friend.”

“Yes your highness.”

Celestia dismissed the court and teleported to Luna’s side to deliver the news.



 

Luna, Celestia and Antares stood outside in the main courtyard while their troops were told to wait inside. Luna stood in her armor with her Nodachi in her right hoof and her daisho at her hip. Celestia had her plate armor on and her broadsword in hoof. Antares stood bare with his claymore in front of him. They waited, and they didn’t have to wait long before Vulcan arrived and landed in front of them. He had his own weapon, which was the Dane axe, but no armor.

“It has been eight thousand years.” He cursed. “And after so long, this will be all the more satisfying.”