Night Patrol 2 chapter 39
By Foxgear
In the skies above the charred remains of the crystal grass fields flew the ponies of legends, rulers of the Sun and Moon, the pinnacle of pony kind, the Royal Sisters, Celestia, and Luna. To those on the ground, it was as if the gods themselves had come down from the heavens to aid them. The warily and beaten Earth and Pegasus forces cheered with renewed vigor as the Princess flew overhead. In their wake, the Unicorns finally made their arrival to the field. Equestrian white Mages cast healing and support spell on the injured, while the combat mages broke for the frontlines, casting shields of protection to reinforce the defensive line. The bolder mages pushed forward, gaining new footholds for the earth ponies who dug foxholes and trenches at legendary speeds.
The Equestrian Airships, which had been forced to stay back, crept closer offering artillery support while launching smoke bombs to cloud the enemies’ field of vision. At the front of the ship Flagship Centurion, stood General Cobalt Blaze with Spitfire and Castle, the three of them organizing the forward advance.
Forces from the FOB sortied allowing troop rotation. Bulwark and Platinum taking charge of the ground force, while AppleJazz, sporting a new pair of machinal wings soared into the sky, chasing after the Princesses. With her another red pony tagged long, flying on a floating magic square.
“Hey Kid, you don’t mind if I tag along?” Scarlet joked surfing up beside Jazz on her shield.
“Just don’t slow me down ya old Nag,” Jazz snorted, payback heavy on her mind as the two them accelerated to catch up with the Princesses, who are ahead of everypony else.
Far ahead of everypony Celestia and Luna felt nostalgic as the Crystal City drew closer and closer. Though it was dark and bleak, the Crystal Empire still had a beauty all its own. Even the black crystal buildings shimmered like glass, and the splotches of red complimented the black nicely. Sombra had indeed made the place his own. Which is why they’d take much joy in reducing it to rubble like he had done before.
“Brings back memories, huh, sister? Us flying in to take down a tyrant and restore order. Remember those days?” Celestia beamed, a fire burning in her eyes as she adjusted Bulwark’s hammer in her magic. “I remember last time… this time things will be different.”
“My recollection of this place is fresher, the memories not so heralding as yours, more desperation and fleeting hope than anything else.” Luna recounted, remembering the terrible battle of the Crystal Empire. Being here brought it all back. Symphony’s death, the disappearance of Cadenza, Dusk’s transformation, and the end of so many others. Watching the city Symphony had loved being sucked into the black abyss and seeing it now rebuilt in the image of the enemy. It was like Sombra was mocking them.
Luna readied her star blades, spotting a black speck fly over the top of the enemy’s shield. “I think we found our dance partner, sister.”
Celestia narrowed her gaze, her horn flashed with magic as she cast a spell for better sight. “Well, if that’s not a spawn of Sombra, then I might need to start wearing glasses.”
“Indeed,” Luna affirmed taking a look at the pony in question. His similarities to Sombra were striking. Other than his size and the curved greenhorn with splashes of green in his mane, he was a carbon copy. “I suppose we should say hello to the enemy commander first?”
Bringing her hammer forward Celestia enchanted the smashing weapon with fire and reared back, “I’ll be polite and go first!”
The hammer spun, taking on the appearance of a miniature blazing sun arcing across the sky. Celestia’s hair was ablaze as she pulled on the power she displayed at Cadence’s wedding. Luna threw up her dark cloak to protect herself from her sister’s incinerating power. The chicken scratched runes on the Sun Princess’s armor barely keeping the intense heat in check. To properly contain it Sixes would have to forge Celestia’s armor and weapons for her, but he was still en route and more than a few hours behind them. They’d have to make due.
“To all Equestrians, this is Princess Luna, by my order you are to stay away from my sister and I. Less you become a hindrance. My sister is fighting unchained, her power dangerous to foe and ally until the proper equipment can be equipped.”
Satisfied that no pony on their side was going to get in the way, Luna hung back to act as support while Celestia dealt with the front. Her hammer, which came flying back, was sporting a distinctive scar on its smooth iron face.
Sombra’s spawn floated a black cloud with a giant sword aloft in green magic, circling him like a moon around a planet.
“Tsk, nothing against Bulwark’s tastes, but he could have gone for a higher quality hammer.” Celestia griped, playing with the weapon to get a better feel for it. “Agh… I wish I had my Axes.”
“Well you don’t, now you know how I felt when I had to use Symphony’s lances, at least a hammer is similar to your ax.”
Celestia sighed, “I suppose.” She gave the hammer a few more practice swings, egging on their unknown opponent. “Come here, boy! Introduce yourself!” The Sun Princess demanded with the Canterlot voice.
The pony launched his sword like Celestia had done earlier, the weapon surrounded by a whirl of green magic.
(Wind Magic, maybe? Could be poison too or just dark magic.) Celestia analyzed pulling her hammer back and swung like a batter, knocking the sword back to its owner. She grimaced as another dent visibly appeared on the surface of her weapon. Showing the vast difference in quality between them, and that was with her enchanting it.
(I’ll have to buy Bulwark a new sledgehammer after this. I doubt this one will survive.)
“Here, he comes!” Luna warned.
Celestia brought the hammer forward, blocking the sword just in time, and it was a big sword! The blade was nearly as long as her entire body and half the width of her wingspan!
“Speak your name, I, Celestia Solaris, first Daughter of Solaris, challenge you!”
“Scath, Second Son of King Sombra of Maredor and ruler of the Crystal Empire. I hope you’ll be more of a challenge then your soldiers were. I ran into a gaggle of them on the way here, none of them a challenge, they seemed surprised when I shattered that shield they were hiding behind with a single strike.”
(Shield?) Celestia pressed harder, her mind faltering for a moment. Most if not all of her soldiers new some sort of shield magic, it could have been any pony he ran into, but her gut feeling said that it was Shining Armor he was talking about.
“What did you do to them?” Luna barked, her blades rotating and picking up speed. “Answer!”
“Whelps like that aren’t worth my time. I cut through their ranks and left whoever was still alive for my soldiers to clean up. Why bother with them when I sensed you two?”
“Don’t think you’ll get away with that, I, Luna Selene Solaris, will challenge you as well.”
Neither Celestia or Scath objected. They were going through the civil introductions as was the custom of warriors, but this was war, not a formal duel. Besides, he preferred things this way. “Great! You’ll do me the honor of defeating both of you alone then!”
With a guttural roar, Scath pressed and then overpowered Celestia! Pushing with all his might, his black cloud proving to be more effective then Celestia’s wings. The Sun Princess struggled flashed her horn and then disappeared and reappeared to Scath’s right, while he did the same and appeared behind her. Luna intercepted him, one-star blade blocking his sword, while the other went for the neck. With his sword, Scath deflected the one throwing star and teleported out of the path of the second.
Luna retrieved her weapons, frowning when she spotted a nick on the Star blade that bounced off the sword. Wondering just what the great sword was made out of to do this to Nippon Steel.
“Change it up!” Luna ordered shoving Celestia to the back so her sister could use her actual combat talent, Artillery Caster.
“Right! Be careful! Give me room!” Celestia’s horn sparked and flashed, a complex array of magic circles of varying sizes traveled up the length of her horn. Four pony size circled appeared behind her, the circles slowly rotating as inscriptions filled in the space between the lines.
Scath laughed grinning like a mad stallion, not the reaction the two sisters were expecting. No sane pony would see Celestia’s complex multi-layer spell array and laugh excitedly about it.
Wanting to shut him up Luna pounced firing a barrage of hard-hitting magic blasts, each one a three-second charge, Scath used his sword like a baseball bat and swung at the incoming attacks. The attacks exploded, knocking his sword off balance and forcing him to readjust his angle of attack as Luna flew by with her star blades for a close-range strike. Its vexed Luna to find she wasn’t damaging the weapon at all. Barely even a scuff appeared on the polished surface.
(Enchanted steel? Or some rare material?) She dodged Scath’s hack, her dark cloak counterattacking automatically firing black tendrils that wrapped around the great sword and held it in place, while she sent her star blades from either side to sever Scath’s head. The Son of Sombra, let go of his sword, forcing her to bear all its weight. Luna hadn’t expected that and couldn’t compensate the sword pulled her towards the ground like a rock in the water. Runes along the length of the blade began to glow, power pulsed along the surface of the polished black steel, followed by an explosive shockwave that knocked her back. The sword flew free from her grasp and spun upwards, flying back to Scath.
“Celestia!” Luna screamed, expecting Scath to go after her sister, but much to her shock and perhaps shame, he didn’t. The bastard was waiting for Celestia to finish her spell!
“Care to assume me some more Princess Luna? I suspect I have another minute or so before the real show starts.” Scath said casually like he was waiting for a play to begin.
Luna shook with rage, her eyes bleeding black as her dark cloak deepened to a darker shade of black with shining dots like stars appearing against the darkness, giving it the appearance of the void of space.
“You will eat those words you young welp!” Luna spoke in a duality voice, two sharp fangs poked beneath her lip, giving her a vampiric appearance. Her star blades became encased in black as her cloak expanded in size, the edges of the void becoming menacing claws of darkness. “Get down here!”
Scath felt his body become heavy and suddenly was slammed into the ground; a glowing blue magic circle pressed down on top of him. Luna’s black blades began to orbit in front of her, sparks of purple lightning formed a ball crackling of energy.
“Let darkness turn to night and night to darkness, blot out the light of the stars and cast the world in an endless void, Noctis Stella!” The mass of purple plasma flew towards Scath, but his smile never left his face.
“A full chant Gravity based spell! Amazing, no pony can do those these days and look how powerful it is! You're amazing! And pulling on that mysterious dark power! I find that rather attractive.” The runes on Scath’s sword began to glow again, this time a bright white light shined from the blade, changing the black steel to pure white. Luna attack began to shrink growing smaller and smaller before becoming little more than the size of a gold coin and then nothing.
Luna reared back in shock, unable to believe what was right before her. “Impossible. Even an enchanted weapon can’t have that much power, no matter the user.”
“Enchanted? Please as if we’d use something so mundane.” Scath raised his blade again, at the top of the handle Luna caught a glimpse of something. Something that made her eyes widened. There was a piece of an odd-shaped jewel embedded in the guard. A smaller portion of something bigger, something powerful.
“The crystal heart… what did you do to it!”
Scath brandished his sword, his lips curled into a superior smirk as he let the secret of his weapon be known. “We only put it to use. Why leave such a powerful and double-edged weapon lying around, when it can be processed into something more useful? Now, Purify!”
With a swing of his sword, Scath fired a blade of pure white light, Luna out of instinct than sense raised her dark cloak to block. Scath’s attack was so intense that it penetrated the darkness, causing the mantle of the black void to disintegrate before her very eyes. Luna braced herself, but when the light touched her, it merely suppressed the dark power she was borrowing from Nightmare Moon. It actually reminded her of the time Twilight and her friends hit her with the Elements of Harmony, the light was peaceful, warm, and welcoming. It made her entire body want to relax.
“Got ya!” Scath came barreling through the light, his blade now dark as night, he swung, catching Luna entirely by surprise, knocking her straight into the ground! He laughed heartily circling in the sky like a vulture. “Wonderful isn’t? Using both light and dark magic?”
Luna did not reply, she lay in a small crater in the ground, staring out with a drooping eye, her entire body in pain. (How could I have dropped my guard like that? How stupid can I be?) Gritting her teeth, Luna forced herself to stand, spreading her wings for balance as she wavered on three legs, cradling her right foreleg against her body. Sneering with blood seeping between her teeth, she looked up and smiled.
Scath cocked his head at her bizarre action when he suddenly remembered he was righting two Princesses. It seemed like a long time, but only twenty to thirty seconds have passed. He looked up the overcast sky alight with the glowing radiance of four miniature suns that orbited around Celestia.
“Forgotten gods of old, heed thy will, come to me and sacrifice yourselves that I can claim victory, let your charred corpses become the kindling for my foes pyre! Radiant Stargate Cannon!”
The four suns shank dramatically compounding into the size of a child’s ball and scattered in four directions! The first, second, and third sun assaulted the Scath’s barrier, the magic wall shuttered under the intense attack, the Equinox holding it up screamed as they held back the magic, but the heat of the attack was like that of the sun. Those closest to the barrier dried out, their bodies withering to dust in seconds, boiled alive by their own blood, but before blowing away as black specs of ash in the wind. Their deaths were swift, nearly painless. Those behind them were not so lucky. Their fur caught fire, the very air they breathed burned their lungs and left them bleeding from their mouths gasping for air as their eyes shriveled into their socks from the heat. Those in the middle and the very rear of the formation, they felt the heat, some getting third-degree burns that boiled their flesh as their armor turned bright red, some unlucky enough to have the steel plates melt to their bodies.
Yet, even with nearly a thousand dead and many more injured and suffering intense pain. The shield keeping the Equestrian army held.
Scath barely had time to process any of this, too busy dealing with the fourth sun that Celestia had aimed at him. His sword glowed with green magic the blade becoming a star-filled void of darkness, and he swung firing a black blade flew to intercept the sun, and the two spells caved into each other canceling the other out.
He looked for the Princesses, both of them were on the ground, Celestia teleporting Luna to a safe distance. He scoffed and chawed, flying after them.
“He’s giving chase,” Luna said dryly as Celestia cast a quick healing spell on her. Quick was an understatement, the enchantment barely reduced the major headache she had. Could be a concussion. “He’s an arrogant little prick, but he is skilled, though his leadership is lacking. He’s not even attempting to go and reorganize his forces.”
“Hush Luna, let me get you patched up and then we’ll worry about Sombra’s son.” Celestia chided, teleporting away again to keep the distance between them and Scath. It was hard casting heal and teleporting at the same time after using such a taxing spell. “I really thought three would have been enough to take down that shield. I must have roasted a third of their forces, yet it still stands.”
Luna patted Celestia on the neck. “I know you don’t like doing that… reducing ponies to ash or any creature.”
Celestia smiled bitterly. “Yes, well it’s something I’ve done many times already. This is the first time in three hundred years I’ve had to use that spell. Of course, back then, I had your magic too, so it was weaker than back then.”
After teleporting to the west, Luna pushed Celestia away, flying on her own, Scath speeding towards them, no doubt blind with rage. That could work in their favor. “How long until you can cast that spell again?”
“I could cast it right now, but it depends on how much time I get to charge it. Each sun takes about a minute to form and another minute to fully charge them. You think you can hold him off for eight minutes again?”
Luna grimaced, “Probably not. I doubt he’ll be so generous again.” Celestia agreed. “Let’s try hitting him with some smaller spells. Hopefully, our forces under Cobalt’s guidance can break through the shield.”
Celestia glanced towards the sky, tapped her helmet, and smiled. “If we can keep Scath busy for another five minutes, that shield won’t be a problem.”
“Really? They're almost ready?” Luna tapped her helmet as well but kept her face composed as Scath got in range.
Together they dodged, flying in different directions and firing magic bolts at the black stallion. Luna threw her stars catching Scath in the side, while Celestia brought her hammer down on his skull, he blocked, roared and parried her back and swung. The Sun Princess screamed as her shoulder plate was ripped off her body, the piece of scrap metal falling to the ground. Enraged Luna charged in, only to get a stiff kick in the chest plate by Scath. Her breastplate buckled and bent, leaving an indent of his horseshoed boot on the gleaming metal. She coughed blood, feeling a something poking into her barrel.
“Luna!” Celestia yelled as she dueled Scath with her hammer, the two of them exchanging blows while firing off the occasional magic blast at the other.
“I’m fine!” Luna wheezed, unbuckling her chest plate. The whole front of her armor fell free, and she hissed as blood began to freely flow where the piece of her armor had stabbed her.
“I got you covered your majesty!”
A soothing sensation enveloped Luna, Scarlet riding on a fly red square rode up beside her casting a healing spell. Another red blur zipped by; it was AppleJazz with a pull payload of rockets mounted on her new wings.
“AGGGHH!” The red apple girl screamed, firing her hoof blasters and launching every rocket she had at Scath, who threw up a shield to block the barrage. Celestia charged her hammer and knocked Scath towards the ground, barrier and all allowing Jazz to fly free and go reload.
“Pepper him!”
Both Celestia and Luna reared back and unloaded a torrent of magic drill bullets at the Second Son of Sombra. Several counter shots come through the dust cloud, Scarlet throwing up several shields to absorb the damage. There was a green flash, and the Princesses stopped knowing Scath had teleported.
“Be on guard Luna.”
“I know sister,” Luna summoned her dark cloak, spreading it wide to create a pair of wings at blow away the haze surrounding them. Scath became visible, having positioned himself half a mile away to recover. “Still another three minutes.”
Scarlet cocked her head, “Three minutes until what?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Celestia told her, the red unicorn merely shrugging it off.
“Let’s go!” Celestia and Luna charged this time, Scarlet on their heels, but before they even got halfway, a static message came through their gemcoms, they stopped hard, Cobalt’s voice coming over the line.
“Enemy forces are rallying! Another Black stallion showed up, this one blue!”
Noticing the commotion as the two armies engaged in a long-distance standoff with hoof blasters, magic bolts and a high number of other spells peppering the from either side Scath took the chance and teleported back to his lines, where another black stallion, one of his brothers joined him. The two of them began casting a combo spell while the magic cannons behind them charged up.
“Come on! Before it’s too late!” Celestia and Luna teleported over their troops, each of them flaring their magic as they crafted their spells as quickly as possible. There was no time for charging or chanting, two single magic arrays formed behind them as they prepared two of their highest tier spells.
“Radiant Star!”
“Midnight Sonata!”
Against the incoming hail of black fire and purple plasma, Celestia fired a miniature sun to crash into the path of the magic cannons blast, the two attacks mixed in midair becoming a bright gold and purple ball of energy that exploded the middle of the sky. Regretfully, the second magic cannon blast made it through and landed somewhere behind her, but she didn’t dare turn around to see where.
Luna’s spell, Midnight Sonata, had Luna letting lose a very high-pitched music-based attack, the air shook with power as black sound waves crashed into the fireballs fired by the Sombra’s sons. The blaring notes steadily overpowering the mixture of flames.
With either sides attack rendered null, the opposing pair of siblings could only star back at one another, admiring the others strength. Below the armies still raged, but for the four of them, an entirely different battle was taking place.
“You’re as grand as our father proclaimed you to be.” Scath’s brother declared, projecting his voice over the roar of the battle. “I am Schatten, the fourth son. You need not introduce yourselves. Your appearance has been drilled thoroughly into me by my father.”
“Glad to see we left Sombra shaken from our last encounter. How is your father? I imagine he must be an old gelding by now?” Mocked Luna, taking pleasure in the seething looks the brothers pointed at her.
“Not as old as you pair of barren nags.” Scath snapped back.
This time it was the sisters turn to growl. “I’m as fertile as I was a thousand years ago, you young whelps are too inexperienced to even try and court me.”
“Don’t fall for their taunts Luna,” Celestia warned, bringing her hammer forth, while Schatten readied his lance. She wasn’t concerned, though. Tapping her gemcom, Celestia couldn’t help but smirk. “It’s time.”
Luna checked her gemcom, her smile like that certain villainess as a voice came over her gemcom.
“This is Patroller 4444, Shamrock, of the 442nd Platoon, executing the operation. Get ready to see some shit go down!”
“Why are they smiling?” Schatten wondered aloud.
“They’re just drunk on the fight; I know I am! Come on, we can take them.” Scath boasted, ready to go for another round.
Schatten held him back, trapping Scath’s tail with his magic. “Easy brother, haste gets you killed. Besides, something is bothering me. It’s been bothering me since this all started.”
Scath cast recovery on himself while he mulled over his younger brother’s worries. “I’ll bite, what’s bothering you?”
“There are no Rinin.”
Scath cocked his head, “What? Are you blind? You captured one, I killed one. How can you say there are no rinin?
“From what I can tell the ones we’ve faced are the only Rinin any pony on our side as encountered. The one called Fierce Fury, the one that fought Ombre and me, Topaz Slicer, the one named Trifecta that I captured, the huge one in their base that looks like a minotaur, and the one Ombre injured called Gloves. There was at least one more in the metal machine when lured them into the city, but that’s only six. From what we gleaned from Princess Cadence and Twilight Sparkle, there should be hundreds of Rinin, yet we’ve only seen half a dozen of them? There are none on the frontlines? Don’t you find that strange?”
Scath paused, popped his sword on his back and though hard. “I have noticed it was only Pegasus for air support and none appeared with the unicorns either.” He reasoned. His brother was right, something was off. The rinin could have turned the tide at any point. Literally, hundreds of Pegasus and Earth ponies were dead, and the rinin never showed up to help.
“Schatten,” Scath whispered warily. “If we had a force like the Rinin in similar numbers, how would you use them?”
“Brother you’re much more suited…”
Scath snapped, “Don’t brown nose me, I’m no good at this wider picture stuff, answer me. Before the Princesses finish recovering. One of us may need to leave to warn father.”
“A small unit with only a few hundred numbers, but elite in skill and have the qualities of a dragon. I would either use them as shock troopers to break the enemy line or have them flank the enemy position with fast cutting attacks to make an opening for the main force.”
Suddenly the sky cracked with thunder and bodies began to fall from the sky. The brothers were horrified to see it was their sky defenders. Soldiers they placed in the clouds to keep the enemy from flying over the city falling towards the ground. How had they been defeated without notifying any pony?
“Catch them!” One of their officers shouted, lowering the shield slightly to allow those falling to land in friendly territory. Squads scrambled to catch their falling comrades, and it was then Schatten realized their foully.
“No, don’t let them in! Stay away!” He bellowed too late.
A roar, the haunting whinnying roar that their father described in vivid detail, reached their ears. The Equinox falling into their base were suddenly shredded to pieces as Rinin, the ones that had been missing until now, tore through the bodies they had been hiding behind. Their vicious claws piercing the ones who had gone to save their comrades. In mere seconds, one hundred rinin infuriated their lines bringing down a rain of fire upon the weary and beaten Equinox. Their soldiers screamed as the smell of burning flesh filled the air once again. The shield that had stood firm against the might of Celestia fell as those holding it up were slaughtered without mercy.
“All ponies charge!” The Equestrian commanders screamed. The combined force of Unicorn, Earth, and pegasi breached the gap in the lines and slammed into their troops. Close quarters combat quickly ensured, the scattered and confused Equinox easy prey to the organized Equestrians.
“All cannons fire!”
The airships unleashed a full broadside, taking out their magic cannons and firing into the city. Buildings exploded in a fiery blaze the citizens inside the city screamed and panicked.
Scath looked at his little brother and said, “Sorry.”
“Scath what are-!”
Schatten disappeared, teleported away, the second son of Sombra wheeled around readying his sword as seven blasts of magic pelted him. Luna and Celestia charged at him ready for another round.
“You’re much more ruthless then my father let on.” Scath laughed humorlessly.
Celestia smiled motherly at him, which creeped him out, “I can’t take credit for one of my ponies plans. Really it’s almost scary how cunning some ponies can be.”
Scath raised his sword, blocking Celestia’s hammer, only to have to give up ground as Luna flung her star blades. “Why did none of the ponies we captured tell us of this scheme? They had no way to hide it from us!” Scath snapped, hating how desperate things have gotten. He could only hope Schatten could rally the secondary defenses in time.
“I don’t know what magic you used, but you can’t make a pony tell you something they don’t know.” Celestia quipped. Her eyes burned with fury as she readied her hammer. “Now just who do you have in your care?”
“I haven’t been attending our meetings, but I killed the red rinin, Fierce Fury, and I know my brothers have taken several others captive. One male rinin and a few females.”
Celestia powered through, smacking his sword away. “No matter, we’ll have them all back soon enough!”
He dodged and weaved between the two Princess attacks. Mainly focusing on blocking Celestia, but his nerves were fried as Luna’s spinning blades found their mark, leaving deep cuts in the gaps in his armor. Stopping the hammer once more he seethed as the star blades cut up his back once more. He whirled around, firing a scattershot of magic bolts at the Princess of the night, only to get mana blade in the chest!
“GAH!”
Scath twisted his neck to look down at Celestia, her gold glowing horn keep in his right shoulder. A gouge in his armor told him she’d been aiming for his heart, his breastplate just managing to deflect the attack to somewhere less lethal. She had gone in for the kill and was now stuck trying to free her horn. With his magic he held her place, grinning viciously he began to clobber her with his booted hoof.
“CELESTIA!” Luna screamed as he slammed his boot into the Sun Princess face for the fifth time. Her right eye was swollen shut and blood gushed out between her teeth. Most importantly, Celestia’s horn lost its glow, and her hammer fell like a rock to the earth. Her brain to scrambled by pain and blunt force trauma to properly channel magic.
“Let’s break that horn!” Scath aimed at the base of Celestia’s horn digging hard with the toe of his boot. The Sun Princess let out a terrible scream, grit her teeth and twisted her head riming Scath’s wound, hot blood poured on to her face, stinging her eyes as she persisted in her assault.
“This is fun! Like the old days for you isn’t princess?”
“You wouldn’t have survived!” Celestia rebuked.
With a flap of her wings Celestia drove her horn deeper, bottoming out, Scath’s boot bashed her upside the face, but his magic slipped allowing her strike with her booted hoof from below. The toe of her golden boot wedged up between Scath’s helmet and muzzle right into his eye!
“GAGH!” Scath reared back, and Celestia freed her horn just as Luna arrived in a fit of fury, her sister’s eyes blacker than night as she bore her star blades into Scath’s exposed side. Sparks few as the spinning stars ground away at his armor, eventually hitting soft flesh and splattering blood in the air. Scath swung his massive sword wildly as Luna grabbed her and flew them out of there. Three red blasts of magic peppered Scath, Scarlet sitting far back on a low hanging cloud in a sniper position.
Scath wheeled in a panic, trying to gauge the situation with his functioning eye. His depth perception was off, and he couldn’t help but keep trying to check his blind spot leading him to fly in circles. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, he calmed his scattered brain enough to confirm the location of the Princesses while using his sword as a shield on his right side. The sniper fire stopped, and he saw the red unicorn move to regroup with the princesses. Luna was still in fighting shape, but Celestia had to have a concussion and more. Helmets don’t stop one’s brain from bouncing against their skull. If Luna were the same type of sibling he was and from what he’s seen she was, she’d focus on getting Celestia treated. Meaning they would be retreating.
(I should do the same.)
He turned to take his leave. His forces already fighting defensively along the outskirts of the city and regrouping back to their predetermined bases where fresh soldiers and supplies were awaiting them. The buildings would slow the enemy advance as urban warfare kicked in. In the last war, Father learned how dangerous a few traps and soldiers could be.
Urging his cloud forward, Scath suddenly felt weaker. He blindly pawed at his gaping shoulder wound and pressed his hoof against it as best he could. The pain was distracting. Too distracting.
“Oi, laddie! Come git some!”
He never saw the attack, but he knew, Scath knew from the prick in the base of his neck, his attacker was Rinin. The sneaky bastard wormed his claws around his armor and dug into his flesh, grabbed claw full and then ripped it free!
“GAGGHH!” Scath swung his sword in a three-hundred-degree spin. Catching sight of his attacker, it was a Rinin no doubt with splotches of exposed green scales where his midnight blue armor didn’t cover. He also had a green mane and tail and spoke in a thick accent he had never heard before.
“Let me show ya how the Clydesdales ponies fight!”
There was a popping sound, and the Rinin snapped his spine back and stood bipedal in the air like dragons were known to do. He raised his fists, which had green crystals protruding from the scaled knuckles. In one claw he held a flask and took a long swing before tossing the bottle into his saddlebag, swaying slightly. Was he drunk?
“Night Patroller 4444, (HICCIUP) Shamrock! Ready to brawl ya little daoty bassa! Highlander, keep score, Ah’m gonna knock this little wanker fuckers head off!”
Another Rinin, also green, but a darker shade hoovered a ways back with a one more Rinin of a slenderer frame. Scath would have been interested in seeing a female Rinin had Shamrock not already knocked his helmet off.
“Keep ye eyes forward! Don’t go gawkin’ at lass’ in battles! Even one with a nice ass! Not that’s Ah’d let ya get your scabby dick near her, even if ya did beat me down, her big brother would tear ya cock off and feed it to ya!”
“Sham, shut up!” The female Rinin snapped.
“Right, right, alright, time for a good head hurtin’!” Shamrock spat green fire on to his fist and threw a right jab, catching Scath on the nose and followed it up with a left, right, left combo. Scath kicked with his forelegs, but Shamrock simply sidestepped and ducked under the awkward attacks, almost dancing around Scath, laying down a fury of blows. “Amazing, isn’t it! What fightin’ on two legs can do! Learned all this from an emerald dragon in Clydesdale, I did!”
“That’s ten hits.” Highlander drawled sounding board.
“Stop playin’ Shammy!” The female barked in the same thick accent.
“Oi, oi! Let me have ma fun!” Shamrock inhaled, his chest ballooning and glowing with green fire, flames sputtered out between his lips, and he let loose a stream of green flames. The fire breath washed over Scath, but a strange cube shape appeared. The cube vanished, leaving behind nothing as the wind flew the fire away. “Got away, huh.”
“Only because ya were playin’ him!”
“Yes, yes, darling, I know. Come on, let’s go check in with the Princesses. Highlander go organize the squads. Make sure no units to far push into the city by themselves before we have a real plan ready. Just get a foothold. Also, have the earth ponies start making another earth base.”
“Got it, Chief Master Sergeant.”
Shamrock waved him off, “Ah, get our here. (Burp!) Gods, shooting fire burns up alcohol so fast it’s not even funny.”
“Let’s just go report to the Princesses. Keep your mouth shut about you know what too. That’s unverified information anyway.” The female grumbled hotly.
“Ah, yer just bein’ shy!”
“Shut up! How the hell did a bob codger like you get ranked higher than me! Highlander and I do most of the work!”
“Ah, but it’s work I told you to do, thus proving my leadership capabilities.” Shamrock teased as they flew towards Spitfire’s airship. On the deck was the Princesses, Scarlet, Cobalt, and AppleJazz. With the colonel herself all situated around a roundtable and map.
Loudly Shamrock shouted, “Patroller 4444, Chief Master Sergeant Lucky Shamrock reporting in! How ye all doing this day fair maidens?”
Celestia, face swollen but cleaned of blood tried to smile, but only managed a pained wince. “Shamrock how good to see you, your sneak attack was perfect.”
“Can’t take the credit. Commander Topaz was the one who came up with the plan, I was merely the tool.” Shamrock bowed deeply to Celestia before turning to Luna. “Princess Luna, it’s been a while, longer than most others. You might not remember me, I was… I was one of the ones that left to go out into the world. I don’t think we met face to face until now, but I wanted to say… thank you for what you did for us. When I heard what happened, three years after the fact, I came back and joined Night Patrol. It’s a little late, but it’s an honor to serve you.”
Luna smiled and extended her hoof. “Thank you, Shamrock, it’s good to have you. Let us be the best of comrades. You did well bruising Scath’s ego.”
“Ah, if you hadn’t softened the lad up, I would have been useless, but I couldn’t just let him get away smackin’ a lady around could I?”
“You have my thanks again.” Luna patted him on the shoulder before turning her attention to Shamrock’s female companion. “You must be another that left, please introduce yourself, we are all friends here.”
The female rinin pranced nervously before giving up, “…if you insist, Night Patroller 6667, Essex.” Essex removed her full-face helmet a waterfall of braided silky orange hair fell against ash black scales and fur. Everypony was taken aback by the very striking resemblance to a certain other orange-haired and black scaled rinin.
Luna looked to Celestia bewildered, “Is she…? She can’t be… can she really be…?”
“Let’s not worry about it,” Essex said quickly replacing her helmet. “It’s probably just a fluke from the experiments. We have more important things to worry about.”
“Yes, your right, we can discuss this… later,” Luna whispered as they all began to discuss the battle going forward and what’s has happened. Phase two of Topaz’s plan was over. Now the real nightmare began. Step three: Urban Combat.
Last time it had been Luna and the remnants of the Crystal Royal guard and any pony they could find defending against the invading army with everything they had. Sombra no doubtfully learned from their last battle and has more than likely prepared to do the same to them. Ambushes, traps, close-quarters fighting. Taking the city was a disaster waiting to happen.
“Let’s be clear, we don’t have enough to troops to take the entire city, we should focus on storming the castle and killing Sombra and his children, without their leader the army should fall and scatter. Since we're in the icy wastelands, even if some of them manage to survive the weather, their numbers will be few.”
Celestia hummed tapping the table with her toe. “Right now, Sombra’s forces are at their peak. We could go old school and siege the city into starvation. Like you said Luna, it’s a frozen wasteland outside the barrier, their food stores can only be so large and we control most of their farmland. If we could take out their water, then we could cripple them even further. Meanwhile, we could extend the rail and import more supplies and soldiers.”
The group sat in silence going over mulling over both plans, each one good yet flawed in their own ways.
“If I may interject your majesties.” Cobalt said.
The Princesses nodded, “Go ahead, General Cobalt.”
“Thank you, both of your plans are valid, but I think we need to lean towards Princess Luna’s hasty approach. The sooner we win, the better, not just for logistic or moral reasons either. There is one factor that you failed to account for Princess Celestia, and that is that magical shield above our heads keeping that very cold out. We don’t know the means, but the enemy controls the weather around us. We may be nice and warm now, but the enemy could shrink the barrier around their forces and leave us out in the cold. If that were to happen right now or even within the next hour or day, we’d have no choice but to retreat. We’re not equipped or supplied to handle a winter war. We’d burn through our food in a week and finishing the rail will take time. Less you forget your march through the snow.”
The Sun Princess shook her head, her face a mix of emotions of dismay and gratefulness. “And that’s why you’re my General. Thank you, Cobalt. The throbbing pain in my head has left me ill-equipped for strategizing.”
Luna frowned at her beaten and bruised sister. Doctor BlueCross after tending to her was off to the side trying to get a hold of VeeVee in hopes the raspberry-colored Rinin’s healing fire could get Celestia back into fighting shape quicker.
“It wasn’t a bad plan, I failed to overlook the weather barrier as well, which leave me perplexed as to how Sombra is doing it.”
“Isn’t it the crystal heart?” Celestia droned wistfully.
She shook her head, “No. I’m afraid Sombra has broken the heart into pieces. I saw a fragment embedded in Scath’s sword. Doubtless, he has done the same for all his children.”
“That’s not good.” Celestia sighed leaning against the outer wall of the cabin.
“That aside we need a plan of attack, any suggestions?” Luna inquired.
Surprisingly it was Shamrock who stepped forward with an idea. “Why don’t we do what we did when we sieged the Capital of Prance? That worked well enough.”
“Only you would think to do something that barbaric again!” Essex scolded.
“Well, I didn’t come up with the idea! Sixes and Fury did! So, don’t go yellin’ at me!”
“What is it?” Luna demanded, the two rinin to clamped up and looked to Celestia, who stared back. Her sister nodded, and Shamrock took control of the map.
“Back then, we faced the same problem. Prance had split into two factions, and we were backing one of them. Urban warfare was in play with the resistance holding the capital building, making the streets dangerous and run with blood. The capital building was shielded, and the ship's cannons couldn’t pierce through, and anti-flyer flak filled the skies. So, Sixes and Fury come up with a plan to get ground unit with mages to break through the shield.” Shamrock put his claw on the map and made a line straight to Sombra’s castle. “We bombarded a straight line through the city. Really blew it up, caused a firestorm to kick up in the middle of the town, burned a quarter of it to the ground. Anyway, when the fire died down, it left a vast wide-open area for us to march down. There was nothing to use for ambush and with our mages projecting a shield and tanks leading the charge even sniping fire from mages was ineffective. We rolled right up to the front door and disabled the shield and took the capital building.”
The air was tense as Luna stared silently at the map. “Cobalt… will it work?”
“There little question if it will work, but I’d like to make an amendment. Instead of one path, we should do three. We have two Airship left and enough mages to equal another. Though things will go much more smoothly once Princess Celestia can cast artillery magic once again.”
“Won’t that spread our forces to thin?” Spitfire questioned.
“It’s a risk, but I think we can get by with fewer units on the wings if we have Princess Celestia in the center. I’m sure the enemy will focus their forces there, leaving their sides open for us to exploit. Remember, we only need one path to reach the castle. This will also force the enemy to spread out and prevent them from going around the outer edge of the city and attack our rear if we only make one path. On top of that, if one path were to get ahead of the others, it would surely cause them to panic and flood that path with extra forces leaving the others paths with more breathing room.”
The table fell silent again, everypony looking to Luna as only she could approve the plan or not. “Get me estimates of how many cannonballs we’ll need. I doubt we’ll have enough stockpiled on the ships, so we should put in an order with the supply trains to start having the necessary materials brought in through on the rail and then through the sky bases. Try not to overwork the pegasus manning the flying carts.”
A chorus of, “Yes, ma’am!” And everypony sprang into action as Luna went to the railing to look out over the city she just ordered to be destroyed. Already the ships began to move, the cannons going silent as adjustments were made. Scarlet flew down to the ground to reorganize the troops into mixed united. Shamrock joined her. The rinin would need to be divided evenly amongst the three positions.
Luna tapped her gemcom and asked for a sitrep on Sixes and the Monster Squads current position. A static-filled reply told her it would still be some time before they arrived. Which was a shame. They’d need ponies who could take on Sombra’s children, and with Celestia down, she didn’t feel confident in her chances of overcoming Sombra’s spawn on her own.
(Am I chopped liver?) Nightmare Moon grumbled from her unconscious. Adding another annoyance to her list of problems.
(You weren’t much help last time.) Luna retorted, the dark entity going silent, for now.
“Umm… Princess Luna, Princess Celestia, can I speak to you in private?” Spitfire looked nervous. “I have some… sensitive information that I need to tell you.”
“Yes, that’s fine Spitfire,” She replied following the pegasus while helping Celestia into the Captain’s cabin of the ship. Spitfire poured a glass of water for each of them and sat at the desk in the center while she and Celestia sat on the couch.
“What do you need to tell us?”
“Well…” Spitfire when into how Twilight had been captured by one of Sombra’s sons, and then Daring, Topaz apparently going AWOL and the unknown status of Cadence the rest of her team. The only good news was that Spike, Rarity and Pinkie Pie were safe at the FOB. All of them waiting to be evacuated once the way home was confirmed to safe.
Luna had been worried about how Celestia would handle the news of Twilight being captured, but in a shocking twist, her sister was more concerned about Daring?
“Did Daring leave you with anything? Her saddlebags? Anything at all?” Celestia demanded tensely. Her mood turning downright dark when Spitfire shook her head. “Finding Daring is to be at the top of your list Spitfire. The very top.”
Spitfire, who was looking as confused as Luna could only nod. “Yes, of course, but there is one more thing. Daring did this weird thing, I only saw it through my binoculars, but she called forth lightning, and I think she had a horn coming out of her head. Not a real one, like a magical one made of lightning. There was some other weird shit like her and Topaz just straight up disappearing and reappearing, and that was before the horn appeared on her head.”
Celestia muttered something under breath, her expression erratic and tense as both Luna and Spitfire gazed at her, expecting answers. “Sorry, but I don’t know about this mysterious power of Daring’s could be. As for the teleporting, that could have been Topaz, if he tries really hard, he can use his Haste magic to move faster then the eye can see.”
“I see… that’s all I have for now…” Spitfire looked expectantly at the both of them. Chewing her lip nervously.
Ignoring her sister’s strange behavior chalking it up to her concussion, for now, Luna addressed Spitfire. “Is there something else?”
Spitfire stared blankly at her, visibly upset as a rogue tear fell from her eye. “How can you be so cold? I heard it over the coms… That Scath guy, he said he killed Fierce Fury! How can you do be so… so… nonchalant about it! You didn’t even acknowledge it! Did he really mean so little to you two?”
Now it was Luna turn to be perplexed while Celestia let out an inappropriate laugh. Snorting even. That had to be one bad concussion.
“What’s so funny!” Spitfire seethed slamming her hooves down on the face of the desk.
Luna took a long deep breath and used the throw pillow to cover her sister's stupid grinning face, Doctor BlueCross must have given Celestia some drug or something.
“Spitfire, believe me when I say this, Fury isn’t dead.”
“I blew him up once! Cut him half, oh and cut off all his limbs and he’s still alive isn’t he!” Celestia giggled. Confirming she was under the influence of some sort of substance. Probably a painkiller.
“Fierce Fury is not a pony that is easily removed from this mortal coil.” Luna continued, Celestia flailing her legs wildly while Spitfire’s face twisted into bewilderment.
Celestia knocked away the pillow, and boastfully declared, “He’s the Eternal Flame! The Ingis Infernus! He rises from the ashes of defeat stronger than before!”
In dungeons of Sombra’s castle, the blackened bones of Fierce Fury continued to break down into pieces of black dust. In the dark socket of his grinning skeleton, a flame, like that of a candle appeared. The ash of his body filled the air of the dungeon unbeknown to the guards. With one more drafty breeze, the decomposing corpse vanished in a whirlwind.
The guards heard the sound of sand shifting against the cold stone floor and went to check the cell and gasped when they found it empty. Suddenly they began to cough as a storm of ash whirled around them. The micro specks of dust turning glowing red. The tiny flame appeared in their line of vision, and their eyes widened as it sparked.
“Supernova.”
The fine dust exploded engulfing the dungeon in flames and shaking the very foundation of the castle. Amid the smoke and bleached outlines of the two guards stood Fierce Fury, whole once more, returned from the ashes like the phoenix.
Character notes
Patroller 4444, Lucky Shamrock, Rank Chief Master Sergeant.
Left Equestria after being recused from the factory and stayed in Clydesdale for five years. Missing the Nightmare Moon incident and only hearing about it three years after the fact and returned to Equestria in 3 ANM. While in Clydesdale he befriended the Emerald Dragon of the isle, The Clydesdale Dragonlord. Emblem: four fours interlocked together. Doesn’t like to be called Lucky and prefers Sham or Shammy if it’s Essex. His favorite drink is whiskey, followed by ale. Plays the bagpipes.
Patroller 6667, Essex, Rank Master Sergeant.
Also left Equestria at the same time as Shamrock, but for different mysterious reasons. She first went to Nippon and then Europa, before settling in Clydesdale with Shamrock. She returned to Equestria two years after he did, in 5 ANM, with Highlander. She prefers Ale and likes to keep her face covered. When not on duty, she wears a large green bandana around her head to hide her hair. She speaks in a Clydesdale accent when angry or embarrassed.
Patroller 4342, Highlander, Rank Master Sergeant.
Highlander left with Shamrock, but separated and went to the Zebra lands for several years before moving up to Clydesdale. He was Best colt for Shamrock’s wedding and prefers to drink lager in peace at night, usually on the top of hills. Visited the Peaks of Peril on a regular basis.