//------------------------------// // Incipit Bellum // Story: Homecoming // by seeker9709 //------------------------------// Pain surged through every fiber of her being as she tried to remain upright, and stand against the torrent that struck her from every side, angle, and direction. A scream suddenly sounded, ripping through the air. She didn't have much time to consider the chaos surrounding her, it seemed like her willpower alone was all that kept her upright at the moment. Still she had to wonder, was the scream her own, or just some mind-numbing side effect of the magical cyclone of misery she had become subject too? The sensation was one she had never experienced before. It felt as if her blood was turned to ice, roaring flame, and crystalline shards, and extracted from her body through every pore, only for a crashing wave of magic to force its way into her again. Some was her own, but much of the magical energy was alien to her. It didn't belong to her, yet she was being forced, second by second, to endure a constant torrent of power surging through her in order to fuel another pony's wicked device. Colors flashed in her vision that otherwise may have been an exquisite vision unlike anything one would normally dream of. Such colors are rather dulled when one feels as if their cells are simultaneously about to collapse in on themselves, or tear apart at the same time. Surprisingly, it wasn't early as painful as one would think. While it was doubtless any onlooker would watch in horror at what appeared to be an excruciating experience, Luna had to admit it was not as physically painful as she would have thought. While tremendously, it was not unbearable. Violent and grueling came to mind, but not unbearable. She knew the difference well. Still, to have your magic ripped out, dragged through your every pore until it feels like blood is running down every hair of your body, while a surge of magic stolen from unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi alike is forced INTO your body, perfecting the vicious cycle of being turned into living magical battery, was a unique experience she could certainly say she had never before experienced. It was a test to endure, that was for certain. A numbness surged through her body along side the magics that likewise dominated her functions. Only blinking through the spotlights that clouded her vision was she able to ensure she had remained standing, as her tendons and muscles felt like taffy. A thick, viscous substance filled her mouth as she gasped for air. She couldn't tell whether it was spittle, blood, bile, or some combination of the three. Fighting the urge to swallow the thick substance, her body was rocked and air driven from her lungs as another surge of magic struck her. Spots danced in her vision and her legs quivered, threatening to give out, as another burst of sound filled Luna's ears. "Twilight Sparkle!" Ah, yes, that one definitely was her. It wasn't the volume or her own voice that confirmed it in Luna's mind, but more so the rage that radiated through her body along with the magic at the thought of the purple unicorn. For the first time in several minutes, she felt strength take hold against her bonds, lifting her up slightly in her wide and shaky stance. She may not have been able to move, but Luna would be damned if she would be found kneeling down in this prison of hers. She didn't take kindly to bowing before any creature, let alone upstart unicorns who thought they could play God. Licking her lips, she braced herself as another surge struck her tired and sweat-soaked form. She would not fall today, she had to suffer to the end, endure this hardship. She felt pain she hadn't experienced in hundreds of years, and yet it wouldn't slow her. The moment this suffering ended, she would be off towards the castle, to the Canterlot Gardens. That was Twilight's destination, where Discord's stone prison rested. Raising her head, Luna saw the last sigil Twilight carved into the air, still burning as it hung in the air. The edges were deteriorating slowly, and Luna knew the spell could only last for so long. Such is the cost of hastily done work, but Luna couldn't blame her considering the circumstances Twilight had been under. The mare was resourceful, to say the least. Luna only hoped Celestia and the others could slow the unicorn until Luna was free of her prison. Judging by how quickly the glowing sigil was dissolving, Luna estimated she had between twelve to seventeen minutes until the spell concluded. Of course, it had already been at least two minutes and thirteen seconds since she was subjected to this torment. Or... had it been three minutes and twelve seconds instead? It was hard to tell, after all. Her mind felt like it was being scrambled, and being fueled entirely by rage and willpower did have a tendency to disturb one's clarity. A shudder passed through Luna's body, but the mare was unsure whether it was a sob of pain, or possibly a giggle of slight madness due to her mind struggling to keep up with her wishes. It didn't matter, all that mattered was she got there in time. She couldn't be bothered to selfishly focus on her safety and well being or sanity at the moment, not while a far more selfish and insane mare thought she could break the very laws of reality. It couldn't be risked, allowing Discord free again, no matter her intentions. Luna flexed her muscles once again, allowing another roar of pain and anger to give her strength and gain better foothold against the wave of force that sought to crush her to the ground. Luna had already told Twilight earlier that night that she wasn't strong enough to kill her. Hopefully a third reminder would not be necessary. 'Fools. Everyone one of them.' Light flashed from Twilight's horn, as brilliant blue, magenta, and white arcs of energy surged through the air. Traveling too fast to follow, the lightning struck the front line of Pegasi. Leaping from body to body, the front line of the flyers was instantly halt by the massive discharge of energy. Many froze in the sky, held in place by the rush of electricity that flowed across their armor and through their bones. Pegasi and Thestrals who had flown to close together found themselves stuck in a vicious cycle of pain as lightning jumped between them over and over again as the spell ran it's course. No less than 3 Pegasi and 6 Thestrals fell in the first few seconds of the battle. Twilight paid them no mind as their bodies fell to the ground around her. Fliers were used to dealing with clouds and hazardous weather. While extremely painful, they would survive. Instead she charged forward, moving unnaturally fast towards the ground forces. Time slowed as her hooves collided with the stone, sparks skidding through the air behind her. Lazily drifting for the briefest of moments before the frozen air snuffed them out. Cadence hovered high above, and Shining Armor stood at the forefront of the small army which faced Twilight. “Forward!” His voice came at a crawl, slow to reach her ears as he and the others charged to meet her. Two phalanxes followed closely behind, whilst the remainder brought up the rear. Thestrals and Pegasi dove from the air or circled at high speeds, launching a barrage of missiles as they flew. Pegasi threw small knives or launched feathers made from solid steel from their wing-blades, while the Thestrals fired small crossbows attached at their forelegs. Likewise, the unicorns standing atop the castle walls and parapets unleashed another barrage of spells and concussive blasts in an attempt to slow her. 'Fools' Magic streamed from her hooves as she ran, leaving glowing burn marks in the ground with each step, and charged far faster than her hooves would normally take her. Shining Armor, followed by dozens more ponies, charged to meet her. Meeting his eyes, Twilight dropped her head as twisting magic emanated from her horn, her blades glowing as they cut through the air, following closely behind their mistress. Undeterred, Shining brought his sword up along Twilight’s left side in a fierce swipe. Without even a flash of light, she disappeared in the blink as the space around her collapsed in a wink. A rush of wind alongside his body proved that she had teleported no more than a foot forward and to his left. She surged past her older brother close enough for her short mane to brush against his side, and headed straight for the phalanx on his left. Before Shining Armor could even turn about fully, she had already surged past him towards her first targets. The formation of tower shields dotted with spear heads didn’t slow in their movement as several mages threw out lead binding-chains from both sides of the shields, hoping to pin down the unicorn and weaken her magic. As the dim-grey couplings sailed through the air towards her, she once again blinked out of sight, only to reappear directly in front of the group. Sliding between two spears, she raised one hoof as she charged directly into the path of a massive shield. One Earth-pony stared eye to eye with the mare through the small slit between his shield and the next, an eye of black sclera and a shining white iris met his gaze. Pure energy corkscrewed around her hoof as she let loose a mighty punch, multiplied immensely in speed and strength by magic, striking his shield with the force of 20 earth ponies. In a crash of metal the shield collapsed inwards, and it's wielder was sent flying back dozens of feet. His unfortunate compatriots standing directly behind him fared no better as his heavy form collided with several of his fellow soldiers, and were sent reeling in his wake. The sole unicorn mage who had barely avoided being caught up in the tumult of bodies and armor found himself defenseless as Twilight stared him down. Before he could react, she lunged forward and slammed one hoof into the side of his helmet, ripped the heavy null-chain from his hooves and lashed it like a whip, striking the stallion to the ground instantly. She spun quickly, spinning and whipping the chain as it released from her grasp. It spun erratically through the air towards Shining Armor, the stallion falling backwards to slide underneath the twisting metal before bringing his sword up again to meet his sister. Two of her knives flowed from behind her, catching his sword at the guard and locking them together. Sparks flew from the force of their blades colliding, and Shining grit his teeth as he pushed against his sister’s magic. Twilight leaned foreword, her face inches from his as she growled. “This all could have been avoided!” Two more blades came around her side, slicing through the air as they aimed for chinks in his armor protecting his legs. Shining anticipated the movement, jumping back to avoid the strikes, only to lunge foreword again with even greater zeal. Again she effortlessly caught his blade in hers. "I didn't want it to come to this. But you left me no choice!" She jumped back and launched a powerful blast of energy into his chest, enough to send most ponies sprawling, but he only stumbled for a moment as his armor absorbed most of the impact. “Hmm, Adamantite plating. Not bad.” She remarked, her knives twirling through the air around. "The Armor is strong, nearly unbreakable..." Shining lurched forward and returned with his own blast of magic. Four large orbs of pink energy emerged from his horn and moved erratically towards the smaller mare, while Shining followed close behind with a thrust directly towards her chest. Twilight recognized the orbs as concussion spells. Four of her blades whizzed forward from behind her and sliced through the orbs. As they did, the orbs flashed brightly, before seeming to melt in the air, flowing into the knives that struck them. The blades began to glow and pulse with ethereal pink energy, the same as Shining's magic, and surged towards the stallion. Shining still ran, firing another blast of light in an attempt to knock her of balance as he approached. She seemed to stare right through the approaching light as she ran to meet him, the aura of magic surrounding her dispelling his lesser attack. Gripping the blade firmly between his teeth, he shifted it backwards in preparation to swing, but was caught off guard as Twilight blinked three feet forward and locked his blade against the guard of her dagger. His eyes widened as he realized her strategy. His position was too awkward to have any mobility, and he couldn't draw his sword back without opening his throat to the cutting edge of her weapons. She leaned foreword and simply stated, as if she was lecturing a student, "The flesh, however, is weak." The white scelera of her eyes flashed brighter than a spotlight, blinding Shining Armor instantly, leaving him no choice but to drop his sword and retreat. He took only 2 steps back before the four glowing blades struck his armor on all sides. The pink glow of Shining's magic exploded where magic-enhanced daggers collided, as the magic stored within Twilight's blades released back on it's castor. Though the defensive capabilities of his Adamantite plating were immense, the resulting impact sent Shining Armor flying nearly 20 feet back. He bounced across the ground several times, his armor sending sparks racing across the stone. Mid-tumble, he kicked off with his back legs and sprung back onto his hooves, blinking spots and stars out of his eyes as two more phalanxes rushed past him. Twilight leaped back as a rain of steel feathers and arrows carved into the stone where she had been standing. More than 20 flyers were bearing down on her, only their eyes visible through their protective helmets. Glaring at the sky, her eyes closed momentarily as she took a long, deep breath. When she reopened her eyes, the black and white seemed more intense. The black scleras deeper, and her white pupils glowing with a more unstable and volatile glow. Shadows unfurled from beneath her and wrapped around her body once more. Her mouth opened wide as she screamed. A jarring and monstrous noise not like a ponies scream, but a primal and demonic cacophony of noise like the wails of Tartarus echoed through the night, while black mist surged across the stones and into the air. Instantly, the many flyers froze in the air, some falling towards the ground as pure terror truck them like a physical blow. Shining Armor covered her ears with his hooves, falling to his knees. The sickening noise in his head made him feel like his mind was breaking, unraveling as the noise reverberated in his mind. The artificial darkness lasted only a few seconds, much to Twilight's chagrin, as light burst forth from Cadence once again, and the Panic suddenly vanished. Still flying high in the air, the illusions and terror magic evaporated in the presence of the Princess of Love. Twilight bit her cheek hard enough that the taste of copper filled her mouth as she glared up at her sister-in-law. Massive shadowy limbs like enormous arms sprouted from the ground around Twilight, shooting in the air towards Cadence as the unicorn screamed, "Stay out of my way!" With claws longer than a ponies body, the monstrous limbs flew through the air trying to grab Cadence and subdue the minor-alicorn. Cadence dove and turned quickly in sky, barely dodging as the insidious claws tried to grab her. Just as one claw nearly connected with her torso, it was struck with dozens of magical blasts from the unicorns atop the castle walls. Twilight's focus on the alicorn was pulled away, as she realized more spells were coming her way once more, and nearly a dozen flyers had regained their strength, descending from the sky and attacking from the ground. All 10 daggers flew independently through the air, rising to deflect several flyers who rapidly approached. Three Pegasi and two Thestrals struck one after another, moving swiftly in multiple directions to knock Twilight off balance. The unicorn spun in the midst of them, dodging 3 of the swings, and catching the others on her floating daggers. While her magically enhanced weapons held of the two pegasi, she turned to face the others. She grabbed the hoof the remaining mint-green pegasi, swinging him around so quickly, she felt his shoulder dislocate before he sailed through the air and collided with the shattered gate. She turned and blasted a thestral directly with a concussive blast, instantly knocking her out. Two daggers swung around as she dueled momentarily with a thestral adorned in bladed greaves, before delivering a harsh kick to his chest which drove the wind from his lungs. She gripped him in her magic before he fell, slamming him into the ground once more, before launching him into an on-coming pegasus. She turned to see 3 more approaching phalanxes, and a dozen more Pegasi and Thestrals making beelines towards her. She teleported several feet back, as her horn blazed with light. Aiming towards the ground as swirling energy gathered around her horn, growing in size and magnitude by the second. Just as she prepared to loose it, she heard a voice directly in her ear. ‘Look out Twilight!’ Cadence screamed, jarring the unicorn's attention. Startled, the unicorn jumped to one side just as she released the spell. The blast went wild, striking the ground, and splitting into 3 burrowing shots that rapidly dug just beneath the surface of the ground, the magical blasts tore across the courtyard. Two of them went wild, burrowing past their targets and dissipating as they collided with one of the courtyard walls, while one struck the side of an unlucky phalanx. Two Earth Pony Defenders and one mage were sent sprawling as the wayward spell cleaved through the stone terrace. Three of her daggers flew to protect her from an attack from the pink Alicorn who's voice she heard, but there was no-pony there. "What!?" She gasped in bewilderment, momentarily distracted from her approaching enemies. The thundering hooves, only a few hoof-steps away, brought her back to reality as magic-encased hooves impacted against two tower shields in a suddenly desperate attempt to stop the oncoming attackers. Her legs trembled momentarily against the force of their impact. Had she been even slightly slower, the shields may have crushed her. From between the shields, two spear heads violently cut through the air towards Twilight's unprotected face. Flinching to one side, she felt ice-cold steel slice through her cheek, as another biting sting told her the other spear had sliced long ways through her left ear. Pain flowed through her joints as she still wrestled with the Earth Ponies opposite to her, glaring hatefully into their eyes. The spears withdrew, drawn back in preparation to strike again. Twilight instantly reached towards them with her magic, surrounding the offending weapons in her magic, and wrenching them away. The spears turned in the air, firing towards, and thudding into the armor of two approaching pegasi, knocking them out of the sky. Twilight's horn glowed brighter and brighter, magic surging from her horn like a brilliant flame, aimed right between the two shields. The two earth ponies tried desperately to slam their shields together, only for ten long, curved pieces of metal to interject themselves between the magically reinforced pieces of steel. Five of Twilight's daggers had dug into each shield right where they would have met, pushing against them like a set of sick teeth, and widening the gap they so desperately tried to close. "That hurt." Twilight hissed sharply, the eyes of the ponies at her mercy widened, as she released a beam of pure energy into the phalanx. All 6 of the ponies within were sent sprawling, their armor smoking as they twitched on the ground. Blood began running down Twilight's forehead, and she reached up quickly to wipe the liquid away before it dripped into her eyes. The spear head had carved through the center of her ear, splitting the extremity into two halves which extended halfway down the ear. Her whole body shook with barely controlled rage at the splitting pain, the cut on her cheek was deep as well. Calling her blades to her side once more, she prepared for the next assault when she suddenly felt a weight on her mind. 'Sleep Twilight,' A voice pressed into her mind, instantly causing her eye lids to feel heavier despite the adrenaline which flowed through her veins. 'You should rest.' Twilight glared up at the Princess, still floating high in the air. Cadence's horn glowed teal, and Twilight at once knew it was the source of the pressing she felt. She screamed at the sky, “Stay out of my head!”, unleashing a chain of explosive blasts into the air. Cadence's eyes widened as she dove back, flying from side to side as the air was marred by dozens of fiery blasts. Several other flyers were not so lucky, being knocked through the air and sent crashing to the ground or into the walls of the castle itself. Still, Cadence was persistent and the weight was still pressing on her psyche. Twilight plucked two of her daggers from the sky, gripping them in her hooves as she focused her magic on placing wards to keep Cadence out of her thoughts. Nevertheless, it felt like she was trying to build a wall out of mud, nothing was working. Magic swirled through her body, filling her like a cup about to run over, and yet she couldn't rid herself of Cadence's presence in her mind. She readied herself for the next assault of earth ponies and unicorns. Just before a tower shield collided with her, that voice appeared in her mind once again. ‘Sleep twilight. Go to sleep.’ Cadence’s magical laced voice was calm and soothing, and for a brief moment Twilight’s stance faltered. The unicorn shook her head, preparing to catch another massive wall of shields headed straight for her, until the formation broke apart around her. The two side defenders flanked around her, as 2 ponies shot out from each side of them, and the center shield suddenly spun in the air. The mare holding it was revealed as she spun mid-sprint, gripping the strap of her defensive weapon with both hooves and hurling it towards Twilight like multi-hundred-pound Frisbee. Twilight's eyes widened as she pushed of the ground, time seeming to slow as the massive aegis passed below her. Before she even touched the ground, the mare who threw the shield had set upon her, attacking with nothing more than weighted hoof coverings. The mare drew back one hoof, hoping to catch Twilight mid-air with a punch like a sledgehammer. Moments before contact, Twilight vanished, only to appear several feet above the mare. With her front hooves brought together, she prepared to slam them down onto the mare's helmet, until two heavy lead chains unceremoniously knocked her from the air. The chains wrapped around both of her shoulders, instantly burning against her skin as they drew out portions of her magic. She grit her teeth to keep from crying out in pain, trying to right herself in the air, but the chains held her in place as she fell to the ground. She met the ground quickly, the collision sending stars through her vision. Nevertheless, the chains slackened giving her the opportunity the untangle one leg and quickly rise to her hooves. Before she could move from her position, the remaining chain on her right leg pulled her sharply to the side as another chain wrapped around her left leg. She gasped as she looked to either side of her. The remaining two shield bearers had completely flanked her, standing just behind her on each side, with null-chain carrying mages following behind them. In one sharp motion, the unicorns pulled back on the chains with all the force they could muster and Twilight's front legs were pulled out from under her. Twilight screamed as her legs snapped painfully behind her, leaving her chest fully exposed as she was quickly pulled onto her hind legs. Feeling like her limbs would be torn from their sockets, she glanced forward to see the Earth Pony mare sprinting towards her with a look that brazenly expressed an intent to kill. Twilight's eyes widened, grunting in pain as she tried desperately to gather magic to her horn. The chains squeezed into her flesh, constricting her muscles, and interrupting the flow of magic through her body. Still, sparks gathered as Twilight desperately tried to shield herself from the coming assault. The earth-pony mare, covering the short distance between them in only a few steps, let loose a roaring battle-cry as she swung her heavily plated hoof directly into Twilight's sternum. Multi-colored energy crackled in the air between the two ponies, as an explosion of light and smoke erupted from where the mares had been standing. Both Twilight and the other mare were sent sailing through the air opposite to one another. Twilight didn't even have time to scream, as the air was driven from her lungs and bones crunched beneath the soldiers hooves. Past the gates of the courtyard she rolled, stopping just a few paces shy of the stairs leading to the city below. She tried to stand, but the burning agony which flooded her body only allowed her to rise to her knees. The assault had nearly inverted her rib-cage and she was definitely suffering from some internal bleeding, but a last moment shield had spared her from dire peril. The earth-pony hadn't fared much better. She slammed into the ground at the feet of her comrades, her leg plate shattered by the sudden burst of magic, and blood poured from multiple lacerations across her leg and hoof. Quickly, 2 pegasi grabbed her by her armor straps, and dragged her behind the gathered forces to the medics. Shining Armor stood at the for-front of the guards, casting a sympathetic glance to the mare who had struck a heavy blow to Twilight, before turning his gaze to the crippled form of the latter mare. Blood trailed from her lips and even more so from her scalp, her mane growing thick with the liquid. She looked up to see Shining Armor approaching, flanked by more chain-wielding mages and a number of earth ponies and pegasi. Two Thestrals, guarded closely from behind by others, beat their wings idly as they watched her with golden eyes. Most of the company stood still a short distance away, while the null-chain users and close to ten earth ponies began to move towards her in a semi circle. They moved quickly, but cautiously. They would be on her in seconds if she didn't act soon, but even small movements sent spiking pain through her chest. Twilight looked to where she had stood only moments ago, the space now occupied by her stoic and impassive brother, his face shrouded by his helmet. Two metallic glints beneath his hooves gave her an idea. With a burst of magic from her horn, light wrapped around her damaged ear and glowed beneath the fur on chest. She grit her teeth in an attempt to hold back a gurgling moan of pain as her ear cauterized back into a whole, and the bones in her chest reset with a sickening crack. The noise even elicited a wince from a few nearby ponies, but Twilight paid them no mind. Instead she raised her head and met her brothers eye. 'Sorry, Shining Armor.' She thought, giving him a sympathetic glance. His eyes narrowed beneath his helmet, meeting her gaze with one of apprehension. Reaching out with her magic, she felt the familiar grip of her blades, namely the two beneath her brother. With one motion, she flicked her horn up, and one of the blades buried itself into the underside of his left shoulder. His shoulder, heavily armored as it was, flared with pain as the dagger penetrated an inch into his flesh. Eliciting a yell of pain and surprise, he reared back only for a similarly well placed cut along his back-left leg to cause him to fall to collapse to the side. Instantly the approaching ponies stopped, more than half turning back to where the noise had come from. Before anypony could react, 9 blades surged towards the half that still faced her. Cutting through chinks in armor, weapons fell as their wielders too collapsed in pain and confusion. Those remaining half who had been caught of guard by their captain suddenly falling, turned back towards Twilight only to be assaulted by a rapid-succession chain of spells from the lavender mare. Some found themselves frozen partially by ice spells, knocked back by concussive blasts, or struck by exploding fireballs. In a matter of seconds, sixteen ponies collapsed to the ground as Twilight drew ragged breaths. Before the smoke cleared, she tried to take a step forward, only to break into a fit of hacking coughs as more pain radiated through her. She could feel bone fragments stab against her lungs and throat, threatening to rupture the vital organs. Even with all the magic at her disposal to repair her body, there were somethings that couldn't be healed if they were too damaged. Not in the heat of combat. Not like this. Crimson spittle splattered the ground in front of her as she held one hoof against her chest. The pain was slowly receding but the strain was too heavy for her to move just yet. 'I'm going to need more time.' The healing spell knitting the splinters of her bones together was working quickly, much to her present discomfort. Already ponies were mobilizing towards her, both from the sky and the ground, almost 100 guards rapidly descending on her. Though she was striking down many of their brothers and sisters, they knew she could be injured, and that blow had greatly boosted there morale. 'Come at me from every direction at once, huh? Two can play at that game.' Her horn glowed brightly, and she felt a tug in her gut and from her horn as she mentally reached for the magic flowing beneath the city. Like a diverting water from a river, she felt some magic flow out from the ley lines of her spell-work, burning through the round as the liquid magic melted it's way through the stone. No more than a dozen feet in front of her, the stone began to glow and bubble. Shining Armor, with the aid of 2 others, shakily rose to his hooves despite the pain flaring in his legs. His eyes lifted to see his sister, and then the glowing pools bubbling not far in front of her. His eyes widened as he realized what the liquid was. "Stop, pull back!" He shouted into the night, his voice amplified by magic. As the glowing pools quickly grew in size, some of the guards brought themselves to halt and echoed his order, flying or running back as quick as they could. A brilliant crimson spark silently erupted from Twilight's horn and floated softly in the air despite the maelstrom which filled the night sky. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it shot towards the ground, landing within the glowing circle of stone. And in an instant, the courtyard shattered into 10,000 pieces.