//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 - One-Sided Battle // Story: My Two Most Faithful Students // by Flaeirye //------------------------------// Standing right outside the giant Southern Earth gate was the head of the unicorn knights, Aura Gleam, with three other companions. One of them wore a light armor embedded with a few gems, while the other two wore a blue robe. Aura Gleam waited for the Southern Earth leader to make an appearance, but the only ones he saw were the guards standing at attention above the stone wall, spears ready and eyes wary for any surprise the unicorns might launch. Instead, Aura Gleam spent time observing the soldiers, their leather equipment and the quality of their weapons. Despite the poor gear, he didn't underestimate these earth ponies. He knew they always had their own tricks waiting. Soon, the chancellor arrived with his secretary as the guards cleared the way for them. He took a few moments observing the unicorn officials, then shifted his gaze to the sun setting behind the vast armies of unicorn soldiers waiting for the command to attack Southern Earth. Any other pony from other towns in this kind of situation would've given in and surrendered before the enemy's might, but not Chancellor Greyhooves. He was never afraid of losing, he never was. “Greetings, you insignificant creatures!" shouted the mage official. "As you can see, winter is approaching soon and we're here to offer you a choice: either hand out all your food stock, or face the wrath of unicorn magic!” "Seriously? You travelled all the way here just to say that?" Ruby scoffed. "Grow your own crops, you lazy maggots!" The mage was about to hurl another insult or two when Aura Gleam raised a hoof to silence his comrade. "Pardon my companion, he never had the patience to wait for your timely arrival." The unicorn stallion took a few steps forward and stared straight at the chancellor. "I am Aura Gleam, head of the High Knights of Unicornia— and the one who is responsible in invading your territory." "Chancellor Greyhooves," the chancellor replied, keeping his introductions short. "What is it that you want? You already raided our farmlands and took our resources for the coming winter! Are those not enough? How long will this going to last before your gluttony ends?" Aura Gleam brushed off his words. "We want nothing. We’re only here to make a simple request: I want you to turn in the unicorn that you're helping." The earth pony guards stirred upon hearing the head knight's demand. The chancellor was puzzled about this unusual request but didn't let it show on his face. "...No unicorn has ever passed through these walls. And if you're done playing games, I suggest you to turn back and order your troops to go home." "How disappointing. We believe that a rogue unicorn has taken refuge inside your village. All I’m asking is that I need your permission to let the few of us search your place without unnecessary violence." Aura Gleam insisted. He basked in the confusion it caused within the earth pony camps. Now that he was done playing nice, he added some short threat. "And if you don't cooperate, there will be— consequences." “And you’re expecting me to believe that kind of request?” The chancellor chuckled a bit. “Go act as much as you want. But you’ll never ever enter my village.” “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear.” "Oh yes you did.” Chancellor Greyhooves repeated once more. “And as I've told you, no unicorns have ever entered this place. You’ll find nothing here other than violence. But if it's a battle you seek, then it's a battle you shall receive!" "...So be it. You brought this upon yourself." Aura Gleam declared. The stallion glanced at his robed companion and gave a nod. He grinned with pleasure — finally, the moment he was waiting for has arrived. His horn glowed a bright blue, and shimmering sparkles from the ground encircled the four ponies. Then, a flash of light enveloped the party — their figures disappearing as soon as the lights faded. That wasn't a good sign. Ruby was puzzled with their words. "What unicorn were they talking about?" "I don't know," Greyhooves replied. He called a trusted guard, careful not to make his voice too loud. "You there. I want you to take your squad and search the entire place. Start with the refugee zone. Find that unicorn and bring him to me. And don't cause a ruckus." "Aye sir!" the squad leader led his unit to follow him below the wall. The lingering doubt never left Ruby's mind. "Do you really think the unicorn might actually be telling the truth?" "I'm not sure." Facing the vast army of unicorns below the wall, he adopted the bravest face he could muster. "No, it doesn't matter. They'll still attack us either way. We just have to be prepared for every scenario." The sun gradually sunk below the horizon, leaving a gradient sky that curtained everything. Everypony on Southern Earth's wall gazed in awe: a million colored sparkles flew towards the twilight sky. And as darkness enveloped the world, their pupils widened to the starriest night they have ever seen. Ruby was confused. "What are those?" The colored stars shone even brighter, almost like they were all falling straight at them. It was then Ruby realized those weren't stars — it was an artillery strike! "Take cover!" shouted the chancellor. It rained gemstones. Everypony ducked for cover. Some got hit in the head and those with shields used them for cover. They all waited for the multicolored storm that showered the entire Southern Earth to pass. Mysteriously, there was no strength behind the rain — it merely fell through the power of gravity alone. The ponies at the refugee had no idea what was going on, hiding in their tents to avoid getting hit. Pudding's pudding recipe was about to be done, only to be interrupted by a very noisy rain. It took her a few moments to understand what she was looking at. It's raining... money? Celeste and Selene took a peek as well and once again saw those colorful stars, along with Cookie and her relatives. Twilight almost reached the Cake's house but had to take cover from the gem rain. I don't like the look of this... Then the rain stopped. Everypony could only gaze at the aftermath of the storm. The citizens took a careful step outside, wondering what the hay just happened. One of the more curious ponies snatched a gem off the ground. Then another, and another, until chaos spread throughout the entire Southern Earth, as the frantic residents looted every single gemstone they could find on the ground. Emerald, sapphires, topazes — many of these gems were almost worth more than their lives! "Did they just... throw their gems at us?" Ruby watched the chaos unfold on the streets with a frown. Something wasn't right, and Greyhooves knew it. Even his troops below the wall gathered gems with the other residents. He turned his gaze back at the horizon and tried to understand the whole situation. "Why didn't they use rocks?" one of the guards asked. The other sentry shrugged. "Maybe they just like flashy attacks?" "Perhaps it's a distraction," suggested Ruby who joined in on their conversation. The chancellor didn't believe the reason could be that simple. No, in the first place, this attack didn't make any sense. How did they even acquire all those gems, and would they waste it on a weak tactic instead of bringing back these riches to their territory? Wait. The only place they could have gathered all these gems was... "Oh no." There was only one horrible conclusion. Ruby and those guards were wrong. This wasn't about giving away gems, flashy attacks or mere distraction — this was much worse. "Everypony, get away from those gems right now!" The guards, trained and disciplined, dropped their gems and stood at attention. The residents, however, weren't that good at following orders as they ignored the chancellor and kept on gathering the gems. The chancellor commanded: "All combatants, hold your ground!" The earth trembled below them. Many of the guards thought it was the unicorns' doing, but Greyhooves knew better. As the earthquake grew stronger, everypony kept their balance by planting their four hooves on the ground and ducking low. Finally, the tremors stopped. But before anyone could sigh in relief— "Gemmmmms," a terrible growl came from below the earth. A bulky creature emerged from the ground, their razor-sharp claws reflecting the silver moonlight from above. Gem hounds! Panic washed over the citizens. They galloped for their lives, dropping their loot as more and more hounds rose up from the solid ground. No amount of gems could replace their lives. The soldiers did their best to hold their ground, but their weapons were no match to the rabid dogs' claws and speed. Greyhooves gritted his teeth. So they used the gems to bring the gem hounds in the city! But all was not over. The unicorns were not the only ones who knew tactics. It was time to outsmart their move. "Station up those towers! Sound the whistle and drive those hounds away!" The soldiers wasted no time and followed the chancellor's orders. He was glad he listened to Ruby's cautious nature and installed those whistles — but in the first place, they were meant for gem hounds outside the wall. The downside was that once they blew the whistles, the hounds would lose their senses and wouldn't return peacefully down the ground. The only way to drive them out of the city was to open the gate, which meant the unicorns would take that chance and charge in. "Let's better hope your idea works, Ruby." He glanced at his long-time friend. "It will, but..." She stared at her enemies below the wall. "I’m sure you have more tricks hiding under that hat of yours." An idea flashed in Ruby's mind. "Of course, the crystal!" "You better hurry," Greyhooves said. "Once those unicorns enter the city, I want us to have a fair chance against them. I'll get the residents to safety." Ruby Quill nodded. If she could just activate those other crystals, she might be able to weaken the unicorns' magical ability and give the earth ponies the much needed edge. He called out two guards to escort her back to the town hall. ---  Twilight picked up the pace. The bell of the town hall rang throughout Southern Earth, as the earth ponies fought with all they had against the gem hounds. A guard raised his wooden shield to block a hound's claw, only for it to shatter on impact. He was knocked back and blown away, flying above the purple pony's head. Twilight stopped for a moment. She wanted to help the injured soldier, but a hound locked in on her without a moment to waste. She stepped back. If only she could use her magic against these hounds! The hound charged towards her — only for an earth pony guard to come crashing down on the dog with his weapon. Twilight drew a sharp breath. She was almost about to charge herself. "You there! Back to your home!" the guard snapped at Twilight. The hound shook its head and regained its consciousness. The earth pony guard stood in a defensive stance. He hoped to defeat this creature. As Twilight retreated, she saw out of the corner of her eye as the hound defeated its opponent so easily with a single swipe of its paw. She galloped as fast as she could. A shadow loomed over her — another hound blocked her path. Twilight dug her hooves into the ground and stopped. The hound growled at her with a maddened look in its eyes. Twilight backed away. Is it time? Should I drop the disguise? Should I— A high-pitched whistle blew from the towers! It struck Twilight's ears, as well as the invading hounds who covered their ears with their paws and whimpered. The sharp noise that struck their ears brought them to a maddened frenzy — they lost their senses and scattered in random directions. The maddened hound obstructing Twilight ran pass her as the sharp ringing siren tortured its ears. The stampede of the retreating creatures smashed the market stands and wooden structures outside. Twilight glanced up to the watchtowers and recalled Cookie's words. Turns out those towers were useful after all. --- Greyhooves stood at the garrisoned gate, watching the plan unfold. It was time to move to the next phase. "Open the gates and drive those hounds out of our city!" "But sir," the stallion guard holding the wooden lever hesitated, "the unicorns—" "Let them come." Greyhooves gave them a stern look. The stallion look at his fellow guards for objections, but they only shrugged. They could only hope the chancellor knew what he was doing. The stallion pulled the lever down, dropping the weights and lifting the gate in a slow crawl. On the other side of the battlefield, Aura Gleam listened to the troubles the earth ponies had with the gem hounds. Standing on an elevated ground, his gaze remained serious while most of the soldiers on his side grinned with confidence as Southern Earth's gate lifted open. "About time," scoffed the mage official. "Took them long enough." "I'm enthralled," said the other robed pony. "They found a way to divert the hounds. It seems they're not as primitive as you've thought, Snow Cross." The mage felt his pride being challenged. He just couldn't accept the fact that earth ponies were just as smart as him. His blue eyes blazed with ego. "Then we'll see if they can withstand my outstanding magic." "Be quiet," the high knight silenced them. "Serene will lead the scanners. Snow Cross, I'm going to need your support once we enter." "As you wish," the light-blue mage answered with a bow. He was disappointed. He'd rather lead a squad to battle than being somepony else's search dog. "Be wary, Captain," warned the yellow mage. "I sense a formidable magical energy coming from the city center." "Is it the unicorn?" "Perhaps." With their plan settled, Aura Gleam looked at his lieutenant. "Are they ready?" "Yes sir," replied the elite unicorn. "Good." Front line troops fell into formation, the catapults they used to launch the gems pulled back. They took a moment, staring at the gate opening as the hounds ran away from the city to escape their torment. When the mass of creatures thinned and opportunity showed itself, the unicorns prepared themselves. "That's the cue." Aura Gleam sent out the signal. "Charge!" shouted the elite unicorn.  The battle began. Thundering of hooves erupted. Masses of armored unicorns galloped towards the gate of Southern Earth. Sentries above the stone wall shot their crossbows at the charging invaders, crossing with magic bolts from the unicorns who fired at the garrisons. Moonlight shone brightly upon the devastating conflict as arrows and magics clashed. --- Greyhooves commanded all the ground units to take their positions at the plaza, his platoons guarding the area close to the entrance. A barricade of wagons, sacks and anything else they could grab stood between them and the charging unicorns. Tension filled the waiting troops as tremors of the grand march could be felt from afar. Unicorns stormed the area. They fought with the earth pony guards, only to be pounded by their powerful hind kicks. The unicorns' support squad used levitations to gain the upper hoof, flinging the guards into the walls of the houses. Frightened residents ran away as invaders breached their home. Guards retreated  into the alleys and streets and led the unicorns to the plaza. Scaffolding pillars stood at both sides of the narrow road as platoons waited for the unicorns' approach. Despite their efforts of trapping them, the unicorns kept flanking the area. The chancellor was the steady rock against the changing tides as he kept the earth ponies organized. When one of the unicorn officials and the soldiers chased down the militia right where he wanted them, they would stop, forcing the wary robed unicorn and their troops to stop as well. Above the unicorns was a wooden platform, hiding large stones above them. The earth ponies bucked the supporting pillars and caused the scaffolding to collapse, crushing the surprised unicorns in smoke and debris. Cheers erupted from the earth pony defenders for their first strategic success. The chancellor planned to strengthen the defense of other areas since the plaza was dealt with. Knowing that some hounds remained in Southern Earth, Greyhooves hoped that Ruby would find a way to make them fight against the unicorns. Either that or her theories about anti-magic crystals worked. But before he could act on his plans— The pile of rubble shook and slid away, revealing the unharmed unicorns inside a sturdy green force field. "Nice try." Serene dispelled the barrier, then levitated some rocks with the other unicorns. "I believe you dropped these." "Cursed magic," Greyhooves spat. --- Outside the town hall, the battle of the two races was at a standstill. The unicorns slowly gained victory as they crept closer to the building, while other squads headed to other areas in search of the warehouse that held the stocks. Huge pillars of smoke rose into the night sky from the burning houses the unicorn mages pillaged. Despite their advantages, the earth ponies still showed their strength and resourcefulness in fighting back, believing there was still hope in winning this battle. And that hope was a certain rose-coated mare rummaging through her desk and papers, looking for a specific tool. She had the crystal with her, but the tool needed to trigger it was lost. It has been months since she postponed her research on magic crystals, after all — who knew if her theories would work? If it was that purple pony's suggestions about amplifying the energy, it could probably work. She only needed a few hours to— The door of her office burst into a million pieces! Magical blasts from beyond the door knocked the two guards with her unconscious. Four unicorns walked through the smoke of the magical attacks, the thud of their hoofsteps echoing in the eerie silence. "She must be somewhere in this room," the blue mage said as he scrutinized the whole room. "I can feel it." Ruby stood still in the middle, observing the unicorns that shamelessly barged inside the office. It was the pony who urged them to surrender a while ago. He lowered his head to scan the floor. What is he searching for? And that gray one, I believe he's the leader of the unicorn knights. Fighting the four of them would be a one-sided battle. If only she could find the device she needed, then it would be a lot easier to fight against these magic-reliant unicorns. "Well, look who it is." The blue mage stood straight to glare the helpless mare. "It's the chancellor's dog." "That makes two of us, huh?" Ruby shot back with a smirk. Aura Gleam glanced at the mare's desk. Feeling the strong magical energy from it, he understood that the rogue unicorn was never here in the town hall all along. He sighed in disappointment. "Idiot, she's not here." "B—but," Cross stammered. Sensing the glowing crystal, his eyes filled with anger from his wounded pride. "What did you do?" Ruby was rightfully confused, looking at what took these unicorns' attention. It seemed like the crystal created some kind of magical disturbance. But what exactly? It definitely didn't nullify their magical powers since there did blast their way in— or did it? She had to take note of this hypothesis. "Where are you hiding her, you feeble minded creature?" the mage asked. "Feeble minded!?" Ruby reeled back in disgust. "You definitely have no respect at all." "Enough. This is a waste of time," Aura commanded the group. "Search every house in this city. They can't be far." They? Ruby thought they were only looking for one unicorn? But who cares. These ponies had the audacity to just barge into her office without scheduling a meeting, and now they were throwing insults at her? This was just not acceptable. She tossed her hat at a wooden pole near the door, causing a chain reaction of furniture to block the exit. "...Y’all ain't going nowhere once you entered this room." "Then this will be your doom!" Snow Cross snapped. He had been waiting for an excuse to lash out, and now the dumb earth pony was handing it to him on a silver platter. He charged magic on the tip of his horn, ready to fire— "Continue your search," Aura Gleam ordered with a voice that rejected any objection. "I'll handle this." "Yeah, run along now, little dog. Your master commands you," Ruby teased. Once again, the mage has been denied a fight. There was nothing he wanted more than to show these ponies their place and shove their words down their throats. But he couldn't disobey the captains orders. There would be consequences. "...As you wish." He bowed, hiding the boiling anger on his face, leaving Aura Gleam and his two soldiers to face the secretariat. This was an easy fight for them. "I assume you know who I am," the High Knight said. "Let me guess, the pony who raided all those undefended earth villages and broke the pact between our races." Ruby took the crystal from her desk and placed it in her pouch. "Then you know you won't stand against me." "Nah," Ruby said with a smile, "I'll take my chances." The mare tapped her hoof twice on the floor, triggering a trapdoor in the floor and swallowed one of the knights. Unfortunately, the unicorn commander wasn't the one caught in it. Within a blink of an eye, she jumped behind her desk for cover against the rain of magical beams. Finding a pause in their attack, Ruby bucked the desk right at the unicorns, smashing the unicorn soldier out of the room. She wiped the dust off her shoulders gaining a bit of confidence. If it's in this enclosed space, I can win!— Weightlessness gripped her. Aura Gleam used his telekinesis to levitate her into the air. The crystals in her pouch glowed bright as the unicorn's magic wrapped around her. And the next thing anyone knew, the magic dissipated and dropped the mare from mid-air to the ground. Aura Gleam was baffled. Looking at those crystals and feeling the energy emitting from it, he was reminded of something back at his hometown. Ruby shook off her fall and stood up, watching her shimmering crystal that rolled away from her. "Huh, I can't believe that worked." She took note of this new discovery. The crystal triggered once it made contact with a magical entity. If she could tinker with it for a bit more it could perhaps affect its surroundings as well. "Your tricks are over." The high knight shot a powerful beam, but the mare dodged it quickly as she could as she tumbled towards the crystal. An explosion erupted from a yellow beam as it shot right pass her, creating a hole in the wall. She took back the crystal. She tossed it high in the air, and bucked it straight at the unicorn in a blinding speed! The gray stallion cast a shield spell, only for it to be dispelled upon impact. It's my chance! Ruby charged towards the stallion and prepared the strongest kicks she could muster. But to her surprise, the knight blocked her every attack with both hooves! Ruby jumped in the air to land a drop kick, only to freeze in mid-air. She was once again enveloped by magic. Aura Gleam slammed her as hard as he could against the floor and the ceiling. The mare fell down showered by the ceiling's debris, fallen all over as her hat landed perfectly on her head. She could barely stand. She looked up at her opponent once more, and the last thing she saw was another yellow beam fired straight at her.