Night Patrol 2 Chapter 45
By Foxgear
“Erebus, you’re alive!” Zil jumped from the throne and ran to her eldest brother, hugging him tightly while hiding her tears in his coat. “We thought…”
“I’m fine,” He said quietly stroking her hair. “I’m fine. Where’s father?”
“He’s… he’s bedridden.” Zil looked away. “This latest episode is the worst yet, we have him resting under Gleam’s care.”
The eldest son nodded; his eyes closed. “I see.” When he opened them again, he stared at the throne and approached it, climbing onto the decorative seat of authority. All ponies present bowed to him; no words of protest spoken.
“What happened to you, Cien?” Erebus calmly evaluated his little sister's new look and power. Finding the power much more impressive.
“Oh, I just added a new accessory, nothing big.” She spoke coyly, but her gaze darted away, refusing to meet his. “About dad… I’m sorry…”
Erebus waved her off, “He’s not dead yet, but we all know it’s only a matter of time.” He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. “Speaking of death… I’m sure you are all aware of our missing brother.”
They all looked at the missing spot in their order. Scath had yet to return. The more hopeful and naïve among them might believe that their brother was just taking his time or he’d been captured, but they all knew Scath. Getting caught was the last thing he would allow; he was too proud.
That left only one conclusion, he was dead.
None of them could refute it. The five children of Sombra present could all sense it deep in their souls. Zil sniffled, fighting back the tears that refused to obey. She angrily tried to rub the tears away, “I’m sorry… I know this isn’t the time, but I just can’t help it. When I think about him being gone… I think about when he was born, and dad said I had to take care of him because he was my baby brother… I just can’t…”
“I know,” Erebus said quietly. “I know it is the same for me, little sister. It’s ok for you to cry.”
Upon being given permission, Zil wailed throwing herself against Cien, the second daughter hugged her elder sister close as she too wept for their lost brother.
“We’ll make them pay. I promise we will.” Cien whispered into Zil’s ears. “Our enemies' deaths will not be easy ones.”
For nearly ten minutes, the halls of the throne room were filled with the cries of Zil, Cien’s coos, and the brothers’ stoic silence. Zil’s wails began to lessen, she lay limp on the ground resting against Cien. Tears continued to fall from her reddened eyes, but her despair gave way to anger. A burning rage beneath a calm face.
“What are we to do?” Zil asked of her older brother. “How will we make them pay for this?”
Erebus did not reply right away. His eyes burned with the same rage as Zil. A frenzy he as the leader must suppress. So silence hung in the air as the room waited for the eldest son’s declaration. Only to be broken by Ombre, before one could be made.
The third son and fourth eldest among them stormed to the center of the red carpet and glared at his eldest brother.
“What happened out there! It was your and Father’s big plan to surround and eradicate the Equestrians? Was it not? How could this happen! We should be tasting victory, not be forced to swallow the bitterness of defeat or be greaving for our lost brother!”
Erebus’s hackles rose, he stood up, horn flaring wild with magic that made the weak shake to their knees. He marched downed the steps glaring up at his taller younger brother and made Ombre bow his head with his magic, so they were eye to eye.
“I don’t want to hear backtalk from the pony that was supposed to hold the frontlines. Instead, you get your leg cut off! And have spent the last several hours playing with those ragdolls you call wives! It was your failure that led to Scath and Schatten having to step in, wasting their strength far ahead of what we planned. We needed you, and you were lying in bed!”
“I took out several of their higher tier fighters.”
Erebus slapped him. “You took out the lower officers. That was all. Once their commanders stepped in, you were pushed back. Don’t you even dare use the excuse you were tired! If you want to be useful, go stand at the inner gate and hold back anypony that tries to enter because we all know they’re coming!”
“It’s been over six hours…”
“And I’m sure they’re well-rested, reorganized and brimming with morale. Meanwhile, we’re picking from the crumbs of our army, surrounded by iron Airships with the Nippon army at our front and back door.”
“Erebus,” Zil said steely, stepping between the first and third son. “We are all aware of our situation. This isn’t just a miscalculation; we were blinded sided. Father was blindsided. He never expected Celestia would actually call upon an allied nation for something like this. Nor could he expect that allied nation to be Nippon or this well-equipped. It almost makes you think Celestia marched in with an outdated army to throw us off.”
“I don’t know that doesn’t fit the profile dad gave us.” Said Cien creating a projection of all the information their dad drilled into them about the Sun Princess. “He stressed would Celestia rather bare a burden herself, nor would she sacrifice her ‘little’ ponies in a feint that would leave hundreds to thousands of them dead.”
“What about Luna? Historically according to father, she was always considered the more military-minded.” Erebus argued, which made Cien nod and project Luna’s information.
“It’s certainly in the realms of possibility, but based on the information from Twilight Sparkle and Princess Cadence, Luna probably doesn’t have the influence to enact such a plan. Her public image isn’t the best. But we’re avoiding the situation.”
“She’s correct,” Zil wiped away any stray tears, eyes sharp, she created a map of the kingdom. “Our forces are dismantled, we only have a few thousand in the castle, including the civilians taking refuge, in raw numbers terms, we’re done. It’s safe to say that once Twilight Sparkle and… whatever the other mares name is.”
“Daring,” Schatten offered.
“Whatever. Once those two are recused, it’s safe to say those guns that wiped out the city will have no reason not to do the same to the castle. As long as we have those two, we have a shield against those ships. And since no average soldiers are going to be able to beat us...”
“The Princess will have to come and fight us themselves, and any pony they believe is strong enough to defeat us, which from our experience is many more than predicted.” Schatten tapped on the map projection and zoomed into the castle. “We need to fortify key locations. I suggest we move our two shields to the playground. Erebus and Zil should be the ones to guard them. While the rest of us try to wear down or kill invading forces. Also, we should have Gleam and Tundra escape with Skaggi.”
The children of Sombra all looked at the map and pondered their brothers' plan. Schatten was respected for his calculated mind and wit, but Erebus shook his head.
“No, that won’t work. The plan its self is ok, but you're too considerate of father’s wishes. I suggest I say in the throne room. Hopefully, my presence will cause the royal sisters to split from the main force or even from themselves. Cien and Zil should guard the prisoners in the playground. Ombre and Schatten will hold back as many ponies as they can. Skaggi…”
“You can’t mean to use Skaggi! Father will never allow that!” Zil protested.
“We don’t have a choice. Besides, Father can’t complain if I send her to be with him, right?”
“But if…” Zil’s mouth closed tightly, understanding her brother’s plan, they all did. It was apparent why he would want Skaggi to be near their father in his current state. “You understand what you’re saying, right?”
“I am, if we bind ourselves to our father’s way of doing things, we might as well give up now. We will use the one card he refuses to use. The ace in the hole, Skaggi.”
“She’s a double-edged sword, you remember what happened last time?”
“I do, Schatten. This is why what troops we can spare will began evacuating the civilians while we hold the line. We’ll stay as long as we can, but know our objective is to escape and fight another day. Father said it best, as long as our ponies breathe, so does our country, and as long as one of us escapes, so does our family. Naturally, Zil, Cien, I want you two escape. If possible, I’ll send Skaggi to you if things don’t work out.”
The mood of the room lowered, the sisters trying to read between the lines of their brother’s words, but could only arrive at one conclusion.
“You aren’t going to flee? You’re the heir, Erebus.”
“So are you two, besides, as two beautiful maidens will be much easier for you two to find a host nation, then us brutes. Cien, if you decide to write about this, make us sound heroic or something nice. Anything to work in your favor.”
Cien viciously rubbed her eyes to hide her fresh tears, “But I have power now! I know I don’t usually stand up front, but I can’t just stand by!”
He smiled, ruffling her mane. “Just playing your role will be enough.”
“Then, have this!” From her saddlebag, Cien pulled the black Alicorn Amulet and presented it to Erebus. “Use it! I know these things are why Father is at death’s door, but look at me! If your willing to risk it, it does have its benefits.”
Erebus placed the artifact in his pocket dimension. Smiling sadly at his little sister, hugging her for what would likely be the last time. “I’ll save it for the right time.”
The siblings went silent. There was nothing more to say. The door to the throne room opened, and Cuarto, the leader of the outwall defenses, stood at attention in the doorway. His expression was grim.
“The enemy has approached the gates, my lords and ladies. Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and a pony that resembles the white rinin lead the charge. Our numbers are quickly dwindling. The enemy force is almost entirely made up of Rinin.”
Erebus nodded, “Ombre, Schatten.”
“That is not all, sir,” Cuatro interrupted. “We have a report… the orange Rinin that severed Master Ombre’s leg is in the castle with a small team. One of the refugees saw them as they killed several guards.”
Ombre marched toward the Captian, “Take me to where they were last seen. I will deal with them!”
“Ombre!” Erebus shouted, but the third son was having none of it.
“I must do this! This… this is my fault. Because of the battle, I left unfinished.” Ombre looked back at Erebus with pleading eyes. “Please, let me fix my mistake.”
Erebus clicked his tongue, knowing what was the right course of action, yet… “Very well. You may go.”
Ombre bowed deeply, “Thank you, brother.”
The doors to the throne room slammed shut. Zil held her hooves over her mouth, agasp, staring at Erebus. “You know he…”
“I know,” He interrupted. “I know, but I can let him be selfish one last time. Schatten, I’m sorry you will have to fight alone.”
Schatten smiled. “Well, logic maybe have been thrown to the wayside, but I will do my best.” He bowed to Erebus, hugged, Zil, and then Cien. “I hope you live to finish your book, Elder Sister.”
Cien squeezed him hard, “Don’t say things like that, I need you to proofread it.”
“I’ll do it when I get back then.” He said, patting her on the back.
“You better,” Tears fell from Cien’s eyes, she refused to let go of her little brother, forcing him to pry her off with his magic. He gave her one last reassuring smile and vanished via teleport. Cien stared at the lingering blue sparks that disappeared into nothing. “Goodbye… little brother.”
“It’s time for you two to go. Once one-half of the civilians are evacuated, you are allowed to leave. Leave the prisoners behind. Hopefully, that will deter Celestia and Luna from persuing you upon your escape. For now, keep Twilight Sparkle and Daring out of the enemy’s grasp. They are our only defense against those cannons.”
Zil and Cien bowed to Erebus, “We understand. We will… fulfill our role. Good luck to you, brother.” Zil ran over and hugged Erebus with all her might, as did Cien.
Erebus returned the gesture holding both his sisters. “Goodbye.”
With that parting word, he sent the two of them to the playground, Twilight and Daring would be waiting for them there, as well as the civilians. There was a secret tunnel that went from under the castle to the frozen wastelands. He didn’t know how many he could save, but though they were few, they were his ponies.
Resigned to whatever fate awaited him, Erebus took the throne, letting his magic ooze out. Taunting any pony to come and face him.
“We are getting close, Mistress.”
“I told you not to call me that.” Evening ‘Eve’ Shimmer, currently in the body of Vani Lu, lightly hissed at the transformed Rainbow dash. The pegasus’s mare new pure white coat and electric rainbow hair and shining horn stood in stark contrast to the drab gray and black walls of the castle. She was an eyesore in comparison. A fact the rest of the party pointed out several times.
“Can you turn that fucking light bulb off!” Bixin scolded, wiping the blood off his claws. “This is the fifth group of guards that’s spotted us! Need I remind you, I’m the one doing all the grunt work here!”
It was true. Every encounter, Bixin was the one to take down enemies they ran across. They had a party of five, but their balance was terrible. VeeVee was the healer and thus was pushed to the back, Eve/Vani Lu claimed to be caster type, but her spells weren’t useful with so many allies around, Rainbow Dash or Rainbow White, as she referred to herself in her current state, had high physical elemental attacks, but Eve refused to let her kill, and finally Topaz. He could be helping, but VeeVee wanted him to rest, so his wounds had more time to properly heal. Much of his flesh was still new and tender and easy to rip.
Which left the burden of killing to Bixin. At least Rainbow made it easy by stunning them first.
“I could have her turn back to normal, but then we’d have to deal with her… unique personality.” Eve stressed, giving everypony present a second to imagine having to deal with the hotblooded blue pegasus.
“This is fine.”
“Honestly, an upgrade if you think about it tactically.”
“The entire castle would be on our asses in a second.”
Eve bobbed her head, “That’s what I thought. Come, let’s keep moving. White, which way now?”
Rainbow (White) slowly moved her head left to right, her horn pulsing all the while, she then looked up, before her horn pointing to the floor and holding it there. “Tracking target location, Rainbow Black has been moved to a new location. Given the depth, it is likely she is underground.”
“Can you find us a path?”
“Attempting link,” A bolt of white lightning shot from her energy horn and traveled ahead of the group. “Finding pathway… Finding pathway… Pathway found. Please follow me.”
As the group continued on, Bixin kept pace with Topaz, the two males of the group were positioned behind Rainbow as she navigated the halls. In a low voice, he said, “What are your thoughts on Eve? She was in your body, did you glean anything from her?”
“Nothing useful, only that she’s powerful.”
“Thanks for the compliment.” Eve appeared between the two with no sound or sense of presence, not even a flash of magic. She was simply there. “I know I’m not coming off as the most trustworthy pony, but could you tell me to my face, at least?”
“That’s fine with me,” VeeVee said, squeezing in beside Eve, forcing Topaz and Bixin to move away. “So, ‘Eve,’ why did you pick the name Evening Shimmer?”
“What is the importance of her false name? You seem rather familiar with it, VeeVee,” Topaz inquired, racking his brain for the name. “Is Evening Shimmer of historical importance?”
“Is one of the founding ponies of Canterlot Important?”
Her declaration made both rinin stallions freeze in their tracks, drop into defensive stances and bare their fangs at Eve, who stopped ahead of them but did not turn around.
“My, my, what’s put you two in such a buzz? Remember, I’m merely borrowing the name. I’m not Evening Shimmer herself.” Eve said in an even tone. “I don’t know what you're so upset about.”
VeeVee glided around Eve, looking coy as she stared into the other mare’s shining silver eyes. “I think they’re on guard because the founding ponies of Canterlot were Alicorns. Would that not put anypony in a state of unease? I mean, Alicorns are the apex of pony evolution, or so far as we know. Are you saying of your not one of the most powerful races in the world? Furthermore, historically, the Shimmer family has very close ties with Celestia. Several of them have even become her students over the centuries, and many others became famous mages and heroes in their own right.”
Eve’s eyes narrowed, “And just how would you know that?”
“I read it in a book,” VeeVee smirked.
“And I smell roses and dandelions.” She eyed the two rinin behind her, but when the female Rinin began to move, Eve’s gaze shifted back, a cold sweat running down her neck when VeeVee gently clasped her by the throat.
“You’re lucky you’re in that body. Otherwise, I’d show you why you don’t want a medical professional as a torturer.” The raspberry rinin’s face nearly touched hers, and then VeeVee let her go shrugging as if nothing happened. “But I could be wrong, maybe you chose that name out of a hat on the spot, or maybe you have some connection to it. Who knows. Who cares. It’s not like you’re Minerva, Tempest, or Gaia, right?”
Eve flinched away from VeeVee, her face contorted to a deep and confused frown, “Why bring up the Mother of Unicorns, the Mother of the Pegasi and the Mother of the Earth ponies?”
“Oh, I don’t know,” VeeVee said whimsically. “I just thought that if a super-powerful being was still alive from the time of the Great Divide, it would have to be one of the three that caused the destruction of the Alicorn race, right? I guess there are three more that could be, but I can’t quite remember their names, the Alicorns of the celestial plane… Oh, what were their names again? Well, I can’t recall right now. Sorry to disturb our fragile group dynamic, but I’m a curious one. My apologies.”
Topaz and Bixin stopped growling but have yet to relax, leaving the group frozen in the hall.
“Do you need assistance, Mistress?” Asked Rainbow White, nonplus about her master being surrounded by three rinin, her horn did shimmer with a waiting attack.
“I’m fine, White.” Eve turned to the males but kept an eye on VeeVee. “I know you can’t trust me. Especially since I’m talking through your friend’s body, but please believe me. I am not your enemy.” She turned back to VeeVee. “To extend an olive branch, I’ll confess that I am old, but nowhere near old enough to be the ponies you named.”
“Older then Celestia then?” VeeVee quizzed, getting a head shake. “Then younger than Luna?” This time Eve nodded. “I see, but older then Cadence?”
Eve covered her mouth, but failed to keep in her laugh, “By a few centuries, yes.”
“I see.” VeeVee nodded, “Then are you…”
“Get down!”
At that moment, Eve blinked them all out of existence, reappearing in the same spot seconds later after a ball and chain tore through the walls. The spiked metal ball and chain whirled around, breaking down, wall after wall in its path until what had been a narrow corridor was now a wide-open room. Three hallways over stood Ombre, his weapon returned to his side.
“Topaz Slicer, I have unfinished business with you.”
Topaz faced the big black stallion, distancing himself from the group, so Ombre’s focus remained on him. Blue flames waffled off his body, creating a blazing aura of plasma. “Seems so. You got an uneven set of legs, allow me to set that right.”
The Third son snorted, “How humorous.”
“We’ll see who's laughing later.” Topaz’s eyes darted from the Ombre to the group, blinking in a specific pattern to his comrades. Bixin nodded, understanding the code and began to usher the mares to the still intact entryway leading downstairs at the north end of the now wide-open space.
Ombre quickly spotted them. “Where those stairs lead, will do you no good, leave here. I’ll deal with you later, if not me, one of my siblings will.”
The group paid his words no heed and ran for the stairs disappearing from view.
“Let’s settle this, Rinin.”
Topaz crouched low. “Haste.”
The rinin disappeared from sight, Ombre gathered an incredible amount of chain and created a web in front of him. The chain went taut but slackened before he could snag Topaz in his net. The rinin appeared briefly in his vision, between bursts of speed. Ombre circled the chain of his mace around to act as a barrier, continually turning to keep his eye on Topaz.
“Is running all you can do?” He taunted. A fireball was his reply. Ombre enchanted his chain to block the attack, the flames exploded in every direction obscuring his vision. Topaz burst through the fire, claw blazing with blue plasma, Ombre back trotted wrapping the chain around the rinin’s wrist. “I got you!”
Rearing back Ombre slammed Topaz to the floor, the heavy ball coming next to crush his skull, but the crystal-like blade on Topaz’s joints produced foot long blades of plasma. The rinin rolled, cutting the chain to pieces and escaped.
Topaz appeared on the far south end of the wrecked floor, catching his breath as he circled Ombre from a distance. Engulfing his wings in an azure fire, Topaz focused, the plasma protruding from his joint blades lengthed to three feet. The orange rinin crouched and uttered the spell, “Hastaga!”
Spiraling like a vortex Topaz appeared as a whirling orange-blue tornado, ripping up the floor, flinging debris, and crossing the distance between him and Ombre in less than a second. The third Prince awkwardly deflected the rinin with his weapon. Topaz’s energized limbs cut through the chains like butter, and Ombre only survived by dropping to the floor. Gashes and slashes were left on his body as Topaz flew past.
The prince wasn’t done yet. He rolled to his three feet, sending his mace and chain after Topaz, who was still spinning. Ombre could hardly keep up before, but because of the wind whirling around the rinin, he could track him, but unlike before where Topaz flew in a straight line, the rinin could alter his flight path. Topaz slowed curving back toward him and exploded in a burst of speed again. Ombre recalled his weapon and activated the shattered piece of the crystal heart.
“Absolute Protection!” Seven turtle-shell-like shields appeared before him. Topaz shattered the first, the second, the third, the fourth, the fifth, and the sixth with seemingly little effort, but on the seventh, the speed and power of his attack significantly weakened. The rinin continued to spin, his claws merely scratching the magic barrier before he dropped motionless to the floor.
Ombre jumped at the opening, stomping on Topaz with his foreleg and then kicked across the ground like a skipping stone. “Is that all you got? I heard tales of your friends, the Black Rinin can reproduce legendary weapons, the Red Rinin can regenerate! What can you do? Move really fast! How pathetic!”
Topaz didn’t reply too dizzy from being tossed around. Wobblily he stood, swaying on his feet, multiple Ombre’s appearing in his vision. “Dammit.” He tried to focus, to force his brain to get it together, but things didn't work that way.
“Somnium falsum!” A voice sang out, and Topaz’s world went black.
(Was that a spell?) He felt better, but he now stood in a black void, so this wasn’t an ally’s spell. Then he heard it. A deep high pitched cackle that filled the darkness. SHE appeared. The pony he hated more than any other, even the mad doctors.
Nightmare Moon.
“HAHAHA!” She laughed materializing form the darkness and tossed something to the ground. It was green, and it was a pony, it was Emerald Cutter, his sister, lying on the ground with a hole in her chest. “What a fool! Thinking she could defeat me! What a worthless brother you are for not saving her or having the courage to tell her the truth! What a pathetic pony you are Topaz Slicer!”
Hot wet tears fell from Topaz’s eyes, his gums ached with rage, he stared at the one he could never forgive. Heat filled his entire body, orange plasma so bright that it appeared white formed into seven-foot-long mana blades from on his body, four on his leg joints, one on his tail, and two from his ears. Seven mana blades total.
With all his suppressed rage, he roared, “SIEBEN SCHIENDER!”
Topaz Slicer flew at Nightmare Moon, right through her, and came out of the darkness back in the space he’d been fighting Ombre. He struggled to stand, the tender flesh that covered his wounds reopened, he fell to the ground in a bloody mess. He had put everything in that last attack, with little concern about what happened after. On the ground, he craned his neck and spotted the prince. Pieces of him, at least.
Ombre was a pile on the ground. There was no better way to describe it. His body had been hacked to pieces, appearing little more, ground beef. The only thing that served to even identify the Third Son of Sombra was his head, which lay twenty feet from the rest of his body, seemingly spared from being mince meated by decapitation.
“What…I thought…I got her…” To his right, he heard clapping; it was VeeVee. There was something in her claw, but when he blinked, it was gone.
“It’s alright. It’s over now.” She cooed. She said something else, but he couldn’t hear her words. His vision was blinded by her pink fire, and suddenly Topaz felt like he was floating in midair and then crashed onto something soft. A gaggle of startled screams came from all around him. “VeeVee?” He mumbled in a voice to low for anypony else to here. “Where am I?”
Doctor Blue Cross’s face appeared over him. “Where in the hell did you come from Topaz?”
“I don’t know…” He replied weakly. “VeeVee… did something…”
Blue Cross wasn’t listening, though, “Get me bandages and some fresh blood! He’s bleeding out fast! Hurry, hurry!”
In the underground coliseum, also known as the playground, a loud wet CRACK! Followed by a strangled pained scream filled the dry, dusty air. Cien, whip aloft in her magic snapped the handle of the offensive weapon, the long length of woven leather slapped the gashed hide of her victim. One Twilight Sparkle.
The purple unicorn let out a hoarse sob, struggling to stand upright on her hind legs if she didn’t the iron collar chaining her to the wall would choke her. Twilight’s bindings were cruel. The chain was deliberately set too high on purpose, forcing the young unicorn to stand on the tips of her hooves to allow only a hair’s breadth of slack and exposed her belly to her tormentor. The sand beneath her feet regularly gave away, making her loose footing and press the metal band against her throat, all the while Cien casually struck her with the whip. Twilight’s underbelly was awash with bloody lashes, she begged for mercy, but her cries were ignored entirely.
“You stupid, stupid girl. Did you think you could go unpunished for helping your friends escape!” Cien, let loose another CRACK! Striking Twilight across her barrel, just below her throat. “Did you think I would do nothing when you helped the ones who tried to kill my father? Did you! What fairytale do you think you're in?”
CRACK!
“Please… please… stop…I’ll… I’ll be good… I promise.”
Cien’s heckles rose reverberating with disgust. CRACK! CRACK! CRACK! She lashed out three more times with the whip, her strikes unrestrained, causing deep wounds on the purple unicorn.
“You don’t get to play the pathetic maiden after acting like a martyr! Have some principles, you stupid girl!”
“Cien, give her a break, or you’ll kill her,” Zil advised, casting healing on Twilight. The worst of the wounds closed, covered by thin new flesh. “Mind if I take a crack? I’m feeling… moody, and watching her bleed isn’t much fun.”
Cien offered her whip to her sister, “Be my guest.”
“Thanks, but I prefer to get a little more personal.” Zil rejected the whip and trotted up to Twilight. She smiled kindly, gently patting the purple unicorn’s face before slapping her. Blood flew from Twilight’s mouth when Zil’s metal boot connected. “How about this!” Zil dug into Twilight’s wounds with her boot, breaking the new skin and digging into her side with a wet squishing sound.
“AAAGGHHH! STOP! PLEASE STOP!”
“LEAVE HER ALONE YOU CRAZY BITCHES!” Not far away was Daring, chained the same way as Twilight, but has yet to even receive a single wound. She fought against her bonds but got nothing for it as she struggled to keep her airways open. “Stop picking on the filly and come face a real mare!”
The daughters of Sombra exchanged looks before laughing. “No, no, I think this is quite significant torture for you,” Cien said while wiping a tear. “That said, we should let her body rest. It’ll last longer that way. I know how about I show you something neat?”
Walking over to Twilight, Cien roughly grabbed Twilight’s chain with her magic and force the unicorn to face the pegasus, showing off all of the wounds the lavender mare endured so far. While doing so, Twilight’s footing gave way, and she struggled to make a sandhill to stand on. Cien paid her little mind, pretending not to notice.
“Now you see all my hoof work here, really should be put on display, one of my best works yet. Now you might find this interesting, I did, but look at her left shoulder here.” Cien pointed to the indicated spot. The fur on Twilight’s shoulder was black, as was half of her foreleg. The new color traveled down the side of her body, stopping short of swallowing her cutie mark in a pitch-black void. “What do you suppose caused this? What even is this? Makes you wonder, doesn’t it?”
Daring gritted her teeth. “What did you make her do?”
Cien reared back dramatically, “Me? I assure you she did this to herself. Three idiots thought they could control an alicorn amulet and look at what happened to them.” She turned Daring’s head to the remains of Ombre’s escaped wives. They were three piles of black ash with some bones here and there. “See? Nothing but weaklings pretending to be something. Not even worth a footnote of a footnote. But look at little Twily here, beaten, scarred and marked by what I can only surmise is a curse of some sort. Yet still alive. As much as it pains me to admit it, she really is from our fabled Sparkle Clan. We might even be distant, make that very distant, relatives. Far removed cousins at best.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Daring snarled, managing to get some slack in her bonds.
Zil butted in with, “Would this not be proof that Celestia took a member of the Sparkle Clan during her invasion of Maredor so she could have their power on her side?”
“Princess… Celestia… would…never…” Twilight weakly protested, but her words were cut short when Zil kicked her sandhill from under hooves forcing the unicorn to build it back up again, less she hangs herself.
“Don’t interrupt me,” Zil added a back hoof slap for good measure, pulled Twilight up by her hair with her magic, and got right in the young mare’s face. “And what do you know about Celestia? Really what do you know? She was your teacher for all your life, a second mother, right? How long have you known her? Ten years? She’s thousands of years old, more legends have been written and forgotten about the Sun Princess then anypony could possibly remember. Even our father knows only five hundred or so years into her past and that information was pretty spotty to say the least. The point is the Celestia, you know, the kind, caring, teacher, and ruler, is only one of the many masks she wears. I bet she doesn’t even remember her true self and is merely playing the role of Princess because that’s what ponies expect of her or just does it out of a sense of boredom.”
“You… don’t… know her…” Twilight eeked out.
Zil squeezed the purple unicorns face between her hooves, staring deep into her violet eyes, “Do you know her any better? Would your teacher, your precious peace-loving princess, embark on this bloody campaign? Would she expect you to help her with the said campaign, but teach you nothing to aid in such a thing? Admit it. You were a pet project. A fancy to distract herself with if she truly expected something of you, why are you the weakest one here? Why aren’t you Equestria’s number one mage? Why aren’t you prepared to fight a war?”
“I…I…She… probably…” Twilight’s words were drowned out by her tears. Only desperate wailing escaped her mouth.
Cien whispered, “Nice job breaking her mentally, sister.”
Zil brushed off the compliment. “Oh, please, it’s almost too easy.”
As the two Princesses laughed and giggled like school girls Daring bared her teeth at the sobbing unicorn across from her. “Stop your blubbering!” She screamed, causing Twilight to look up at her. “Celestia loves you like her own. You’re the closest pony to her next to her sister, why the fuck would she want you here? You came here on your own, so don’t blame her for your choice! She let you make your own choices, so live them! I didn’t waste the first two years of my career babysitting you from the shadows!”
Twilight’s tears halted, her eyes filled with confusion, “What?”
“Just shut up!” Daring yelled. “Just shut up and listen! My only job was to make sure some noble or foreign leaders or whatever didn’t try to steal or manipulate you. I was to keep you away from the politics of Canterlot, why? Because even though you were her student, Celestia wanted you to have a childhood! Everything she did was for your benefit, but it was your choice to go down the path she laid. It’s your fault, not hers, if you choose to follow down that road. If you want answers, then you have to ask questions! As for the princess herself, she’s changed since the stories these fools were told, and she does wear masks, but not with you. You were the only other pony in years that got see even a small glimpse of the true Celestia, so don’t squander that trust, by believing these fucking whores!”
Twilight’s eyes widen, a faint light shining from them. “Who are you?”
Daring snorted, laughing despite everything, “I go by a lot of names, The Rogue Wonder, Daring Do, A.K Yearling, but the name my mother gave me is, Daring Raider. I’m adventurer, bookseller, and parttime agent for the Princess, but above all. I am her friend. So believe me when I say, we’re getting out here, the Princess will come for you, and when she does, you can talk to her about anything that’s bugging you or confusing you. Just don’t give up, because the sun will rise.”
Cien and Zil broke out into hysterical laughter, “What mashed up foolish speech. Do you really believe the swill coming from your own mouth?”
Daring shrugged, “Partly, but I figure it’s a gotta be getting close to about time.”
“Time for what?” Zil asked suspiciously.
“For my guardian angel to arrive… and…yep… she’s here!”
Before Cien and Zil’s very eyes Daring and Twilight vanished. They frantically looked around for the two mares but found nothing.
“Where did they… ugh!” Zil recoiled as somepony hit her in the face, but her attacker was nowhere to be seen!
“What magic is this?” Cien pulled her sister beside her and unleashed a wave of magic that blasted the entirety of the arena floor. Nothing happened. They waited tensely with growing fear when all at once their prisoners and three other ponies appeared from nothing. A copper rinin, Twilight, and Daring all puking blood.
“Gods, I hate this part!” Daring moaned.
“Rainbow? Is that you?” Twilight gasped surprised by her friend's new appearance.
Eve stepped protectively in front of the group, Rainbow, by her side. Sternly she looked at Daring and said, “Rainbow Series Black, Activation Code-Delta 7, Victor 8.”
Daring’s body went rigged, her eyes whited out as magic poured from her body, a black crackling horn of magic springing from her forehead. “Code acknowledged, Rainbow Black activated, analyzing the situation. The situation is unclear. Please give command.”
“Escape from your bonds and help your sister fight these two.” Eve pointed to Cien and Zil and then to Twilight. “Free her too.”
Daring blinked, “Command acknowledged, beginning combat prep. Marking friendlies, enemies designated. Power at seventy percent, sync at twenty-five, combat time limit, five minutes.”
Now Rainbow’s horn began to flare up, the white and black lightning mixing with one another. “Black’s signal received, Rainbow White entering Combat mode, sync rose to fifty-percent, power seventy-two percent, adjusting combat time duration, combined time, four minutes thirty seconds. Activating Genocide mode-Oscar 4, Kilo 9.”
“Rainbow Black, Code received. Begin.”
“Cien!”
“Oh, just wait and see, Zil!” Cien jeered. “This is getting exciting! These are some strange pony, yeah?”
Black burst into lightning, severed Twilight’s chain and met up with White, the two became a whirling tornado of thunder flying for Zil and Cien. The younger Dark Princess stepped forward, her ethereal violet hair ragging with an unseen breeze as her magic flared. Her curved purple horn shining bright, extending into a mana blade!
“Let’s do this!” Cien charged, her mana blade clashed against the lightning, sending arcs of white and black shooting in every direction. The Rainbow Sisters broke apart, rematerializing. When they did, Daring’s coat was completely black with a sparkling white mane.
“Rainbow Black, power at eighty percent, sync seventy five percent. Combat time, three minutes, forty seconds.” Both her and White’s magic flared to even higher levels. “Activating Double Thunder!”
“Activating Double Thunder!”
Lighting shot from both Rainbow Sister’s horn and merged into a ball of static that shot at Cien. “Enough of this.” Zil stepped in front of her sister, stabbed her rapier into the ground, and created a barrier. “Finish them already, we don’t have time for this.”
“Right, right.” Cien unfurled her whip and lashed out, multi magic tentacles slapped at the sisters. White and Black buzzed around the arena, blasting quick bolts of lightning rapidly, black and white bolts rained down on the Dark Princesses, but Zil’s shield held strong. Black smashed against the barrier, unleashing a massive burst of magic, her and White’s wings transformed into energy and they unleashed four arcing blades of thunder at the sisters.
“Power rising to ninety percent,” White reported, her voice straining. “Sync is at eighty percent, combat time one minute. Mission priority: kill targets. Searching for means to accomplish the mission. Conclusion: Self destruct. Please give code.”
Eve frowned, hanging her head and cursing under breath, “Denied deactivate. Code-Echo 6 Lima 0.”
White and Black spoke in unison. “Code received, Combat mode terminated. Rainbow White and Black, deactivating.” The twin pegasi returned to their standard colors and fell unconscious on the sandy ground. Eve used her magic to move them to Bixin.
“Take care of them for me? I’ll give you a head start.”
“What…” Before he knew it, Bixin and Pegasus sisters blinked out of existence to parts unknown.
“Was that you got?” Cien boasted, twirling her whip with her magic. “Let’s see how you bleed!”
Eve’s eyes shined, the silver rings around her iris burning brighter. “All things begin, and all things end, return to dust, Elapse!”
The length of Cien’s whip suddenly shortened, half of it disappearing without a trace, the cutoff unraveling into a mess of worn strips of leather.
“What the?”
“Get back!” Zil charged her rapier and thrust forward, firing a blast of magic. Eve raised her left claw in response, silver arcs of energy danced between her talons.
“Etagretinsid!” A beam of silver light hit the attack, causing it to vanish, the laser also hit Zil’s left foreleg.
“AGAGAGHHH!” The first princess screamed, Cien craned her head backward, gasping when she saw her sister's leg had vanished. Only a few specks of dust particles lingered where it once was, there was no blood, no wound, it was just gone!
Eve turned her attention to Cien, “You shouldn’t have that, Leats!” She snapped her claws. The Alicorn Amulet in Cien’s chest pulsed and pulled away, nearly tearing free from Cien’s barrel. The second dark princess screamed, and the gem resonated and unleashed a pulse of power that canceled Eve’s spell.
“Shit…” Cursed Eve as a tringle of blood spilled between her teeth. She wiped it away but began to sway, barely catching herself from falling to the ground.
Cien laughed, “Those must be some pretty taxing spells to wear you out already.”
“It’s Reverse chanting,” Zil panted, hobbling beside her sister. “It’s one of the oldest non-unicorn magics in existence. Merely stating a word or phrase backward activates it. The spell's effects vary greatly by the skill of the chanter.”
“Tuhs pu,” Eve said, Zil’s mouth closed tight like it was locked in a vice. The mysterious mare closed her eyes and chanted. “Show me the path forward, so I may not stray, move the stars and break the heaven’s will, Etaf Lliker.”
Cross-like marking appeared on Eve’s irises. Her demure turned sour at what only her eyes could see. “Twenty four… far too many. Dammit…” Eve’s body suddenly trembled, gulping audibly and physically fighting against an uncontrollable urge. She lurched forward, gagging as she vomited a large amount of blood that stained the sands.
“I didn’t think… we were this incompatible…” She wheezed.
“My, my look at that?” Cien stood over Eve, hoof posed to crush her skull. “All that for nothing.” Before she could bring her foot down, Twilight appeared via teleport to stand protectively over Eve.
“I won’t… let you hurt her.” The young mare stumbled out, her entire body trembling as she tried to ignited a mana blade with her horn.
“Aww, that’s so cute and just what I expect from my heroine. I’m so happy you found spine again, Twilly.”
“Don’t call me that!” Twilight spat, jabbing with her mana blade, though it was more like a mana knife. “You don’t have the right to call me that!” Twilight’s voice rose, and so did her power, creating a full-sized blade.
Cien smirked, “Right.” And smacked Twilight across the face. “Next time, stab me if you're going to get in front of me. I know I’m a bit of hypocrite when I say you shouldn’t talk in a fight, but that’s because you’re so much weaker than me.”
“Cien…” Zil snapped sharply.
“Right, right. I’ll just mess up Twilly’s pretty face a bit more.” Cien stomped with her foot, but a raspberry-colored barrier stopped her. “What now?” Cien groaned.
Twilight rolled toward the stairway, a smile graced her lips. “Master… VeeVee.”
VeeVee stood at the base of the stairs, her bone wand in claw, her eyes dilated into narrow slits. Her deadly gaze fell on Cien and Zil. “That girl belongs to me… I mean, she is under my protection.”
“Do you think you can take us with your little toy there?” Cien gave her full attention to VeeVee, but Zil backed away. “Sister? What’s wrong?”
Zil gulped. “Somethings not right about her, Cien!”
VeeVee’s lips curled upward, “How perceptive.” Her wand flashed with a bright pinkish light when it dimmed, Twilight and Eve were both gone and similarly, colored barrier now trapped the Daughters of Sombra in their own playground.
“That was a simultaneous cast with no incantation, Cien! That’s beyond mastery! It’s… it’s… I don’t even know what to call it!”
“Don’t fear, it’s still two on… GAH!” Cien let out a short, pained gasp, the violet Alicorn Amulet flying free from her body and over to VeeVee. She panted hard, pressing her hoof against the wound. “How?”
VeeVee held the jewel between her thumb and index claw. Her mouth curled in a vicious smirk. “Well, well, this must be the work of Fate.” The Alicorn Amulet shined brilliantly, VeeVee’s body became engulfed in a profound purple aura, making her appear as a silhouette. All light disappeared from the arena, leaving behind darkness so thick that nothing could pierce it.
“Cien? Cien, where are you?” Zil brandished her rapier, looking frantically for her sister by the light of horn. At best, she could see an inch in front of her. “Cien!”
“Shhhhh,” The eldest daughter of stiffened. VeeVee’s face appeared in the corner of her vision. The rinin wrapped her foreleg around Zil’s neck and brushed against the Princess, her rough, sharp scales breaking skin easily. “Hush now, quiet now, time to lay your sleepy head..” VeeVee sang in motherly like tone. Zil let out a meek whimper as the light of her horn was extinguished. Shadowing both mares in complete darkness.
SNAP! POP! THUD!
“HOLD THE LINE!”
“ADVANCE! RIP OUT THEIR FUCKING THROATS!”
Outside the inner gate of the Sombra’s castle, a battle raged. A bloody, desperate battle that would decide the fate of the Obsidian Empire. A constant roar filled the air as what few remained of Sombra’s army were dug in deep, their defenses hardened to their fullest. They were the last line.
Thanks to the narrow passages and thick stone walls, the Obsidains could fire from around corners and their keeps with relative safety. Swapping shooters to keep steady barrage upon their enemy.
For the Equestrians, this final push was proving to be just as brutal as the Nippon soldiers were kept at bay by the constant barrage of magic blasts, their mastery of the sword of little use.
“Flamethrower those fucks!” Sixes spat leading a team of Essex and Shamrock through the skies. He and Essex breathed lava on the roof of the keep. The hot molten earth ate through the top of the keep and fell like rain inside. Ponies with their coats on fire, ran outside and were quickly slaughtered. Another team of Rinin swooped in and finished off the keep, rendering it useless. “Keep pushing! Make a path!”
“Yes, sir!”
At another tower, Ruby Blaze, in her dragon form, toppled the keep and engulfed another in flames. The keep on the southwest corner collapsed from the bottom, the top flying off to the outer side of the wall, High Octane came rolling from the base of the tower and broke through thick fortress wall to reek more havoc.
Down in the courtyard, Celestia, Luna, and Kira stood safely behind a magic shield, cast by Hazel Thunder, a hail of green magic bolts flying at them from the inner corridor, which was barred with a massive wort iron gate. Two rinin positioned on both sides of the gate spewed vast streams of fire down the narrow passage. Screamed echoed, and visages of a flaming pony appeared from the darkness, but the defenders held their ground.
“Well, this is getting us nowhere,” Kira stated flatly. She waved over one of her soldiers, whispered in his ear, and sent him off. She then stepped to the side. “I’d suggest you move too.”
The royal sisters followed suit, a Nippon tank rolled into the courtyard, it stuck it’s long barrel through the shield and fired! Sending a HE shell through the metal gate and down the corridor. An explosion followed, with bits of brick flying from the walls.
“Twice more, no need to be skimpy,” Jovily Kira waved her war fan, the crew of the tank fired two more times. Next, she twisted the fan in a pattern, a squad of Nippon samurai charged in with no hesitation. Rushing the enemy position and holding it as reinforcements tried til fill the gap. “Well?” Kira indicated with her head, walking to the inner gate. “Let’s go.”
Leading the way forward, Kira hummed softly to herself, drawing one of the katana’s holstered by her sash. The Great Mother of Nippon’s battle attire differed significantly from the Equestrian royal sisters. Instead of Nippon armor, Night Patrol armor, or any such variant. Kira wore a white battle kimono-like garb. The sleeves covered most of her forelegs, a jade sash wrapped around her waist, and silver yoke rest upon her neck, with eight different colored jewels with Nippon symbols inscribed on them.
The jade tint of Kira’s katana glowed in the dim light of the smoking tunnel, her bright red like shining like rubies. From the smoke an Obisdain charged at her, she swung her sword, making ‘vroom!’ sound as it cut through the air. The attacking pony fell into three pieces, his wounds seared shut. A trio of Nippon soldiers appeared before them.
“Our apologies Lady Kira, some managed to slip through. This is a great dishonor.”
“It happens.” Kira said dismissively, cracking her neck, “I must be getting old, I only managed to cut him three times in a second. How pathetic.” She laughed, sheathing her blade, while stepping over the smoking corpse, to stand in the crossway of the ruined corridor. Three paths laid before them, each one spattered with chunks of their former defenders. Kira tapped her chin before shrugging and stole Luna’s Gemcom. “Fury, could you be dear and come here. We need a guide. Also, Essex and Shamrock if you would join us. I’m sure Sixes can coordinate the outer attack, while we breach inner sanctum, right little brother?”
Sixes gruffly replied over the com, “Drop the little brother thing, but yeah, I’ll be fine. Let me know if you need back up.”
Kira smiled, “I appreciate it, but I have enough ponies worrying about me that I find it annoying.” Her gaze darted to all the Nippon ponies surrounding them. All of them avoided eye contact like children that had stolen a fresh-baked cookie from grandma’s baking pan. She found it adorable. “I appreciate it, though. Come on, everypony, clear a path for Grandma.”
“YEAH!” The Nippon rinin advanced with even more fervor than before.
“Your subjects are rather… fanatic.” Luna commented, which earned her a flick on the nose from Kira, who narrowed her eyes at the Moon Princess.
“Not subjects. Family. If you care to look closer.” Luna took another look at the Nippon Ponies surrounding them. Sure enough, all of them were wearing white and bore Kira symbol somewhere on their person. Course the only one she recognized was Kiri, who stood stoically ahead of them, ready to intercept any enemy attack.
Luna bowed her head to Nippon's ruler, “My apologies.” Kira beamed, patting Luna on the head like she was a child.
“Don’t beat yourself up over it. I’m sure one day, you’ll be surrounded by just as many kids.”
“What are you implying?” Luna sputtered, her entire face heating up.
Kira booped her on the nose. “I imply nothing that you aren’t thinking yourself, Luna.” Kira then whipped her head at the softly snickering Celestia. “As for you, maybe you could stand to loosen up some too. I’ve plenty of worthy males I could loan you for a night or two.”
Celestia turned from white to pink in second. The sun Princess fanned herself while looking away from the grinning Kira. “Well… I may be tempted to take you up on that offer in the later future. Were you always this much of teaser?”
“Well,” Chuckled Kira. “I did learn from the best. Perhaps the student surpassed the master?”
“Maybe she did.” Replied Celestia. “Where’s Fury and the others?”
“We’re right here, took a bit to get Blue Cross of my back. I also had to redraw the map with Trifecta and Smokey Haze. We ready to do this?” Fury asked, leading the way forward. Shamrock and Essex followed behind him, Kiri acting the vanguard.
Thanks to the efforts of the Nippon Shinobi and Kira’s clan, they met little resistance. Traveling through the front interior of the castle with relative ease, facing only minor pocket of enemy defenses. Along the way, Shinobi returned to provide more details to add to the map. Fury knew the throne room was located on the second floor in a grand hall. All routes leading to the upper level, except for one, had been demolished. They could blast through the walls, but that risked bringing the castle down atop of them if they weren’t careful.
“We’re being invited in,” Kira stated as they reached the end of the corridor they were traveling through. The exit opened up to what appeared to be a massive ballroom. The stairs to the next floor located just across the room.
Schatten, the fourth son, stood between them and the door with a small force of soldiers. The fourth Dark Prince twirled his spear and pointed it forward.
“You shall not pass.”
Kira sighed, “That’s all you came up with? Couldn’t you come up with something more original? Really.” She held up her claw, all Nippon Ponies clasped their swords, ready for an all-out fight. Usually, they preferred to fight one on one, the honorable way, but if the Great Mother wanted ponies dead. Honor took a back seat to duty.
“Allow me to handle him personally, I dealt with the last one.” Kiri boasted, stepping ahead of everypony else. “Two heads are better than one after all.”
“Hey, save some glory for us, cousin!” One of Kira’s clan members shouted.
Another, with a silver man and dead fish eyes, stepped up beside the Nippon Prince. “You had your fun, Kiri.”
“Shiroyasha… you don’t usually get this excited.”
“Yeah, but Auntie told me I can’t slack off with the Great Mother awake, so…”
“That’s enough right there! Aye, got business with that bloke!” Shamrock pushed his way to the ground of the back, Essex at his side. “Ya got the other one, I’m laying claim to this one! On my pride as a Clydesdale pony, I can’t be lettin’ a fight go unfinished!” The green rinin rose to two legs, smacking his crystal spike knuckles together. “Aren’t I right, love?”
“Sure, dear,” Drawled Essex. “Look, Kiri, is it? This will be much easier if you just go with the flow. Besides, if things get bad, you can jump in.”
“That would dishonor…”
“Yeah, yeah, honor this and that, I prefer my husband alive.” Essex stepped beside Shamrock. “Which is why you’ll be fighting both of us.”
Schatten grunted at the couple. “Fine with me. Attack!”
Both sides footsoldiers charged. The ballroom floor quickly became slick with blood and screams of the dying with Schatten and the Clydesdale couple clashing in the center.
“Seems these are the remainder of the enemy heavy troops,” Kira commented, observing the battle. Her clan members were having a little tougher time piercing the heavy plate and chainmail of Schatten’s soldiers. Even charging the blades with magic to increase cutting power had little effect as the Heavy Obisdain’s Knights used what low agility they had to avoid deeper life-ending slashes.
Narrowing her gaze, Kira’s vision dulled, the world becoming a mix of grays with red pulses thumping from every heartbeat, giving her a detailed x-ray of everypony in the room. She saw through the thick armor. The Obsidian's organs highlighted red in her vision.
“My Children, pierce behind the shoulder plate, either side is fine.” The Nippon soldiers followed her advice, slipping to their opponents' side and sliding their blades between the gap of their armor. The enhanced swords slid through the chainmail underneath and pieced their opponent’s hearts. Dozen of Heavy Knights fell in seconds. “There are gaps in their flanks, and the bellies aren’t well-armored. Also, there’s a gap on the back of the neck. A strike from a low angle will hit it just fine. The inner thighs are also lightly armored, too.”
With her guidance, the Nippon samurai and Shinobi quickly subdued the Heavy Knights, many of them lay dead or wounded on the ballroom floor. When more than half of them were dispatched, Kira returned her focus to the primary fight.
“I’ve been waiting to see those two in action.” She mused, admiring the Clydesdale ponies.
Shamrock and Essex circled around Schatten from either side, the Clydesdale ponies each taking turns to snap and claw at the Dark Prince. Schatten whirled, twirled, and lashed out with his spear to keep them at bay, only to have to twist back around to push back the other. Every time the green and black Rinin took a bite out of him. With only three legs, the Black stallion found his footing unstable, and the balance of his attacks sloppy.
“RAGH!” Schatten lashed out, whipping his spear at Essex, who effortlessly danced away from the attack, shooting a ball of lava at his feet. He fired a blast of magic at her, and Shamrock jumped on his back, pounding away with his spiked knuckles. The Prince bucked and roared, knocking the green rinin off, only to get a face full of flames. His eyes closed instinctively as he reared back and felt something hot pierce his throat. When Schatten opened his eyes, he found Essex, her claw covered in lava rock, before him.
She broke the black rock and stepped back, looking satisfied with her work. His spear clanged to the ground, Schatten’s head listed from side to side, his body growing cold.
“What… what is this?”
Essex inspected her talons, “I’m not as good as him, but I did learn a thing or two about runes. Did you know lava rock is considered to be cursed in some places?”
“Cursed…” Schatten looked down at the bits of lava rock still in his neck. Slowly they sank into his flesh, entering his bloodstream, what felt like sharp barbs flowed through his vessels, they bludged and then burst! Spraying blood everywhere, spilling down his barrel like a red waterfall. He slumped forward, his body twitching a few more times before going rigged. Shamrock stood over the Prince and stabbed him with his spiked knuckles for good measure.
“Messy as aways, love. Just like our bed after…”
“Oh, shut up!” Essex snapped. Nipping Shamrock on the ear. “You’ll be sleeping on the floor if you dare speak one more word!”
“…”
The sound of clapping echoed behind them, the lovers turned around to see Kira approaching them. The rest of the room silent as all enemy combatants were eliminated. “Very, nice, very nice.” The Nippon Queen congratulated. “Good teamwork, you two. I am very impressed.”
Shamrock rubbed the back of his neck, grinning stupidly. “Ah course, when you're as intimate with your partner as we…”
“Shut the fuck up, right now, our your balls will be bluer then Princess Luna’s coat.”
“That’s a… that’s a really profound blue love.” Shamrock chuckled nervously.
Kira clapped her claws together, bowing to Schatten’s corpse while offering a short prayer. “All humor aside, I admire this pony’s tenacity.” All present bowed their head to the dark prince, and then Kira cut his head off and passed to a cringing Essex. “Here, it’s yours to keep.”
Essex smiled awkwardly. “Thanks… I’ll… I’ll… I don’t know what to do with this.”
“We could put on the wall like the ancient Clydedale ponied did. I mean after we skin it and bleach the head. It would look great over our bed.”
“It’s not going over the bed!” Essex snapped, stuffing Schatten’s head in Shamrock’s saddlebag.
Kira, Celestia, and Luna resumed their march forward. Climbing the stairs, Schatten had defended with his life. The vanguard and Fury ran ahead of them, ready for any more ambushes. Yet as they navigated the halls, they met no more resistance.
“Do you sense that, sister?”
“I do, Luna,” Celestia confirmed.
“What is it?” Asked Kira, bringing the group to a halt.
“Somepony is letting their magic leak out, almost inviting us to come to them,” Celestia explained, narrowing her eyes. “It can only be the First Son, he’s challenging us.”
“Well, we shouldn’t keep him waiting then. Fury, which way?” The red rinin was looking down a hallway going west, a cold draft rolled across the floor, tiny patches of frozen hoofprints making a trail. “What is it, Fury?”
“Some mare I freed said the third and youngest Princess had ice powers. That hall behind me is where her rooms supposed to be, but she clearly went somewhere.” Fury cocked a brow, flashing a predatory grin. “And where would the little princess go in this situation?”
Kira cocked her head, “Well, if she’s as young as you imply, most likely her parent’s room.”
“Sombra,” the royal sisters said simultaneously.
“Exactly,” Kira affirmed with a nod. “Do you two want to go deal with him? I don’t mind having the younger stallion to myself.” Before the sisters could reply, Kira was already walking towards the throne room. “Feel free to catch up when you make up your minds, but honestly, this will be easier if I go in alone.”
Luna and Celestia looked at one another, nodded, and turned down the fridged hallway, Fury and several others going with them.
“Let’s put that old warhorse down, sister.” Luna declared darkly, her voice mixed with that of Nightmare.
“Yes, lets.” Celestia’s voice also had a sinister twinge to it, the white of Sun Princess’s eyes were burnt orange.
Erebus waited on the throne, his eyes closed in concentration. He could feel the presence of the two Princesses. Their magic like a blazing fire in his mind's eye. Once more, he had to keep his rage suppressed as the presence of first Ombre, and then Schatten was snuffed from existence. To add insult to injury, he knew it wasn’t the Princesses that killed his brothers.
No, in their weakened states, they wouldn’t need to bother.
“If only things had gone differently. If we had attacked first, maybe…” With the curse of hindsight, dozens of scenarios played through his head. He could clearly see the flaws in their strategy. “We should have attacked rather than defend. We should…” He inhaled and slowly exhaled to push away those thoughts, they were useless now.
The princesses' presences stopped, putting him on edge. (Why did they stop? Are they simply lost? No, I’m practically telling them where I am. So why?”
The Princesses began to move away, he stood from his throne, (Their heading towards father and Skaggi!)
He accounted for this, but he thought they’d send underlings after his father and sister. What cruel fate was working against him that the royal sisters would go straight for his bedridden father? Erebus jumped off the thrown, running down the red carpet while preparing to teleport.
(My plan can still work, but… no… I’ll grab Skaggi and give her Cien and Zil!) Just as Erebus finished calculating his spell, the doors of the throne room collapsed. Cut cleanly in half, the responsible pony standing in the opening.
“You seem to be in a rush, kid.”
The dust cleared, allowing Erebus to see Kira fully. The elder rinin drew her second sword, the jewels on her yoke glowed and flew free, orbiting her like planets around the sun. Each jewel shooting beams of magic into the Elder. Elegant and elaborate jade-colored marking appeared all over Kira’s body,
“Can you defeat this old nag, I wonder?” Kira challenged, her body growing in size, her six wings sunk into her body, while tuffs of clouds appeared beneath her feet, lifting her off the ground. “The Eight Virtues, that is the name of this artifact. I find it very useful.” She said, jade lighting dancing between her horns.
Erebus went on guard, pulling four black broadswords from his pocket dimension. His last resort weapons picked up from his room. “En garde!”
Kira flicked her head, sending Erebus flying against the wall. “Come on, sunny! Fight!” She egged on. Crossing her swords, she fired an X shaped blast at the Dark Princess and followed up with a barrage of flying slashes, and lightning breath.
Erebus came running out of his hole, one sword now white, embedded with the shard of Crystal's heart and using it as a shield. The other shard he used to enhance another sword and fired a beam of magic at the Elder rinin. One of the floating orbs flew in front of Kira, deflecting the attack.
“RAGH!” Growling Erebus used his other swords to attack, firing a hail of magic blasts, attacking from three different angles. It didn’t matter. Kira didn’t even move. Two of the virtue orbs activated and deflected the attack before they could come close to the rinin.
“Don’t get so angry, it makes you sloppy.” Kira spat lighting on her swords and fired a thunder slash at Erebus, he ducked, rolled and got back up all in one motion, but he left a piece of him behind. Kira laughed jovially as blood poured from Erebus’s missing ear. “That’s a first for me. Usually, I take a limb or the head with that one. Ah… I am rusty. Let me try again.”
Kira’s eye glowed, her vision became tones of gray with the rhythmic pulses of red-emitting from Erebus’s frantically beating heart. “LOCKED ON!” Charging her entire sword with lightning, Kira launched it at the Dark Prince in a careening arc, the sword a spinning blur.
Erebus took off running, firing both at Kira and incoming attack, but his attacks were intercepted by the orbs, and the flying katana maneuvered around his attacks, heading right towards him! He sent of his swords to catch it, but Kira’s blade shattered his to pieces! He crossed the two swords with the crystal shards and used them to block. The Katana wedged between the broadswords, the edge sinking halfway through the black blades. His magic trembled, the force of Kira’s attack pressing down on him.
(I got this! I can do this!) Erebus told himself, only to suddenly lose his footing and drop to the black marble floor like a bag of potatoes. He was at a loss, his body cold and unresponsive. Blood pooled beneath him, he craned his head downward and saw the hoof sized hole in his body. Rolling on his back, Erebus stared at the ceiling, the hilt of Kira’s other sword stuck in the wall in his line of sight.
One of his swords lay not far away, he reached for it with his magic, but Kira’s claw grabbed hold of his horn and twisted his head, throwing off his focus.
“Most unicorns never overcome this weakness. They don’t usually have to worry about somepony grabbing their horns like this. It’s always surprised me that this is all it takes to stun a mage. Unicorn horns are much more sensitive then ponies realize.” Kira continued to fiddle with Erebus’s horn, never giving him a second to focus while she pulled her Katana from the wall. “You should have kept running, standing still gave me a clear shot, though I missed your heart by this much. I can see it actually. Beating slower and slower.”
Erebus tried to speak, but instead of words, only blood came out. With the last of his magic, he opened his pocket dimension and summoned the Black Alicorn Amulet. The jewel was in his grasp, but his spell failed, and it clattered the ground, where Kira picked it up.
Kira inspected the amulet in her claw. “Hmm, I might have been in trouble if you used this. Why didn’t you?”
“BLUGH! COUGH! COUGH! URGH…” Was all that come from Erebus’s mouth.
“Hmm, I don’t speak dying pony, but I’ll take a guess and say it was pride? Or fear? Or maybe both?” Erebus only stared at her with fading eyes, she sheathed her swords, gently stroking his mane. “Well, it doesn’t matter. You were a good son, my enemy, but a good son. Rest now.”
Erebus tried to rise, barely lifting his head, under Kira’s gentle, compassionate strokes he was reminded of his mother in her softer moments. He remembered how she would do the same thing when putting him to bed to relax him. He exhaled, all the tension draining from his body, and that was it.
Erebus, First Son of Sombra, heir to the Obsidian Empire, breathed his last breath. In his final moments, he was comforted by his enemy and killer. He died with a gentle smile. Some would say this was more then he deserved. Yet only one would know.
Checking Erebus’s pulse one last time, Kira confirmed the Dark Princes was indeed dead. She placed the Black Alicorn Amulet in her saddlebag and closed Erebus’s eyes. Clasped her claws and said a soft prayer for the pony.
“To whatever gods are listening, accept this old nag’s apology for snuffing out another youth.” She didn’t know what horrors the young stallion inflicted upon others, but since her own hooves were covered with blood, she chose not to be his judge. “Now, to get back to…”
Kira’s entire body suddenly went cold, she hugged herself tightly, pulling at the helm of her Kimono as her breath billowed like a smokestack. Ice began to cover the entire room around her, Erebus’s body flash-froze in an instant. Not a single degree of heat coming from it.
“What… happened?” She asked through chattering teeth. Stiffly Kira grabbed the shards of the Crystal Heart, the castle shaking and crumbling around her. Cracks formed in the frozen walls, chunks of ice breaking free and shattering across the floor.
From the hole outpoured lava, further confusing her, which only made her mood fouler. “What the hell is happening!” She shouted, running out of the collapsing throne rooms. Her thoughts on two particular ponies. “CELESTIA, LUNA WHAT DID YOU DO!”