As Red Dawn took down another hollow pony, he looked up and saw Shining Armor on the ground. The hollow helm standing over him started to raise its ax, but Red Dawn tackled it, causing them both to roll downhill. When they stopped tumbling, they got up and readied their weapons.
The hollow helm said in Twilight’s Canterlot voice, “You think Celestia will see you in the way your brother and niece see you? Well, you better think about that again.”
Red Dawn replied, “I know what I did. I lied to her and betrayed her trust. And truth be told, I don’t deserve to be Captain of the Solar Guard. But as the years went by, I got to know her, and I’ve seen her lose so much. I know she wants me, but I have always distanced myself from her when I should have gotten to know her and fall in love with her."
The hollow pony just yelled, “You don’t know anything! You don’t know what all of this destruction is about! You will die here, and Sunset will see Celestia in a different light when the E.U.P. flattens the City with their machines of war!”
As the hollow pony said this to Red Dawn, they swung their weapons at each other. Red Dawn easily dodged the ax swing then he sliced back. The armor swung its ax again and Red Dawn didn’t move fast enough. The ax cut off his shield hoof, which fell down to the ground. He struggled to get up, putting the bulk of his weight on his good front leg. The battle raged on for what seemed like hours. Red Dawn got a few good jabs in with his sword, but the hollow helm cut off both of his hind legs. He fell down again, and this time he did not get up.
He looked up to the hollow helm, expecting the killing blow, but the hollow pony just said, “It’s more satisfying that you can’t walk on your own, so I won’t kill you. I’m going to leave you here. They, however, will not be as nice.” As the hollow pony said this, several skeleton ponies appeared with spears and rusty old swords. Red Dawn knew that he is done for as the skeleton ponies came closer.
Meanwhile, Sunset watched as the portal neared completion. There was one symbol missing. As the hollow pony that was completing the final rune neared the end of his work, Sunset heard a scream that belonged to a pony who was either dying or being killed. Just then, the hollow pony completed the rune and all the runes glowed bright green together. The light became so bright that Red Dawn couldn’t see Sunset. Then, the light died down, and Sunset had vanished altogether.
On the other side, two hollow ponies walked up to Sunset and untied the ropes that bound her. They also took off the net, but they left the prison ring on her horn. They then went to block the only exit to the room, which looked familiar to Sunset. Sunset soon realized it was familiar because she had been here before. She was in the Canterlot hedge maze. A feeling of dread came over Sunset as she looked to where the statue of the alicorn stood. But it was not there. Instead, there were pieces of stone scattered all over the ground. She saw a mountain of shadow with two venom purple eyes looking at her. The shadow mountain began to shrink down soon took the form of a purple alicorn. The alicorn walked up to her. Sunset noticed that this pony was about the same size as she was.
The alicorn said to her, “Hello, Celestia’s prized pupil. My name is Twilight Sparkle, and I wanted to talk to you.”
The battle at the barracks continued even after Sunset was gone. However, the hollow ponies and the skeleton ponies that were not fighting ran away. The hollow helm was still in combat with a Solar guard pegasus. The hollow helm was winning, but then Shining Armor woke up, shaking off the beating he had taken. He saw the fight ,and with a quick healing spell, he got to his feet and picked up his sword. He used his magical aura to levitate several pieces of loose debris, hurling one piece after another at the hollow helm.
Two pieces hit the hollow helm, doing some damage to the armor, but the hollow helm used its ax to destroy the other pieces of debris that had been flung at it. It then tried to run at Shining Armor, but Shining Armor slowed its progress by continuing to throw pieces of debris. The hollow helm finally got close enough to attack Shining Armor, but Shining Armor blocked the ax and threw more pieces of debris at it causing the hollow helm to be pushed back. Then Shining concentrated on two large pieces of debris with the goal of crushing the hollow helm. The debris came to the sides and tried to crush the hollow helm’s armor. “Slam! Slam! Slam!” Shining Armor used the two big pieces of debris to crush the hollow armor several more times before he was finally satisfied that enough damage had been done.
Then he let the debris to fall. The hollow helm was still standing, but barely. The hollow pony wasn’t gone entirely though. The pegasus that was fighting the hollow helm before Shining Armor had intervened went charging at it. The hollow helm managed to grab the pegasus’s leg and it slammed her to the ground.
The pegasus tried to get away from the hollow helm, but it was too late, for the ax came swinging down right in the middle of the pony. cutting him in half.
Shining Armor saw where the magic core was. He acted quickly, charging at the heavily damaged hollow helm and, using his sword, he cut the hollow’s head off. The armor collapsed into a pile of armor, but the black smoke coming up from the armor started to go straight to where the helmet had fallen. Shining Armor got there first and, using a Smith hammer, he destroyed the helmet.
The magic of the hollow helm faded away, leaving behind a crumpled pile of armor and he ax, which had lost its glowing orange runes.
Shining then took off to look for Red Dawn.
Shining Armor and what was left of the Solar Guard had searched for what felt like hours before one of the guards yelled, “Shining, over here!”
Shining Armor ran towards the voice of the guard. As he ran, he saw four other Solar guards, one unicorn, two Earth ponies, and one pegasus standing together. All had removed their helmets and placed them on their chests. At first, Shining Armor was confused at this. Then he saw in the middle of the group a pony he recognized as Red Dawn. But Red Dawn’s body had spears and rusty swords sticking out of it, like a porcupine’s spines. As he got closer, Shining Armor slowed down to a walk. He prepared to do the same thing as the others, removing his helmet. But a bloody hoof stopped him from doing so, and the weak voice of the captain said, “Shining Armor, it is good to see you.”
Shining lied, “It’s good to see you too,”
The captain laughed weakly and continued, “Let’s not fool ourselves. I know that I will die here. But the reason I stopped you from taking off your helmet is because I believe you have earned that promotion you have been asking for. Throughout the year, I have seen you care both about Canterlot and Celestia. So as my final act, I, “cough cough” Red Dawn of the Solar Guard and "cough cough" commanding captain, raise you Shining Armor to captain of the Solar guard "cough cough.”
As he took off his purple helmet and pushed it towards Shining Armor, Red Dawn spoke his last words. “Protect Equestria and beware the snakes.” With that, Red Dawn lost the color in his eyes.
With a heavy heart, Shining Armor used his hoof to close Red Dawn’s eyelids. Turning around, he saw the other four ponies. He said to them, “We’d better get someone to look at the big glowing purple crystal. And as he began walking toward it, the other four followed him, knowing that he was their captain now.
Shining Armor reminisced as he walked, remembering his first day with Red Dawn.
Flashback to ten weeks ago.
Shining Armor stood alongside three other ponies, all wearing leather brown armor that was used for training and never for combat. Each Solar guard had to go through this week of training, and Shining Armor was one of the best, at both magical training and all weapons training. No matter what weapon he used, Shining Armor was a master at using it. But the training was on hold, for the captain had said that Shining Armor and the other three needed to break for lunch. And truth be told, Shining Armor was getting a bit hungry.
His favorite spot was just outside the barracks where he could catch a glimpse of the Princess of Love. He went there for lunch, and when he saw her, Shining looked at her dreamily, gazing at her pink coat, her purple-tipped wings, her long mane.
He was so lost in her loveliness that he didn’t notice when his captain came up next to him.
Red Dawn threw a bucket of cold water on him, and Shining Armor yelled, “Yikes!” and, “Wow! That water is cold! Did you have it in a cooler!”
Red Dawn, controlling his laughter, said, “Nope, I got a unicorn to cool it down, but the fact that I got you of all ponies is the best thing about this!”
Red Dawn then offered a hoof up and Shining accepted it. Red Dawn said, “You should have fun once in a while.”
Shining Armor said, “One day, I will get even. By the way, when are you going to retire so I can get your job?”
They both laughed and Red Dawn said with a grin, “The only way for that to happen is if I go down in the heat of battle.”
Present day
“Well, you got what you wanted, retirement by death.” And Shining Armor shed a tear for his friend.