//------------------------------// // Desperate Defence // Story: The Infestation of Equiss Prime // by Jest //------------------------------// Twilight grunted, pouring every bit of strength she had into shoving a large chunk of cut stone back into place. With a dull thump, the cube of rock fell, returning to its spot in the road and hiding the kinetic rune that Twilight had placed upon the bottom of it. With that done, Twilight looked down at her handiwork, letting her eyes roam over the mansion’s front lawn and circular driveway. Though not much appeared out of place other than the rows of trees on either side of the driveway being denser than a few minutes earlier, Twilight knew better. Dozens of traps lay spread out over just the frontmost entrance to the home, though far more lay on either side. This was by design, as Twilight knew getting surrounded would be a death sentence due to just how few of them there were and how many their enemies may number. Applejack, Zecora, and Blueblood had been sent to secure their flanks while Twilight handled the main entrance. Trotting back to the front of the home, the unicorn sent a powerful spark of magic over her many hidden surprises. After feeling out each one individually, she fired a series of pulses, activating them and ensuring that they were ready for when their enemies arrived. The driveway is armed, Twilight mentally announced. We are nearly done here, Zecora dutifully noted. Just trapping the last window on the first floor, Applejack added. Ain't no one's gonna be able to sneak up on us now. Good. At least now we’ll hopefully be able to hold long enough for the last group of refugees to get here, Twilight remarked, turning towards the entrance where Blueblood appeared, the stallion strutting out of a plume of pitch black smoke. “Things went well, I hope?” Twilight inquired. The dark templar nodded. “As well as can be expected, I’m afraid. It won't be able to stand up to more than two squads however.” “Let's hope that's all they send,” Twilight replied. Blueblood nodded. “It won't be long before we will be able to test this hypothesis.” The zerg hybrid frowned, her gaze turning to the south, down the road. “I can sense at least one full squad, though there might be more. There is also quite a bit of movement out there.” “I will return to the roof and notify you when they are nearing our position,” Blueblood announced. Before Twilight could even think of uttering a response, he vanished into a twisting mass of smoke that coiled up the side of the structure and vanished. “Showoff,” Applejack muttered, the hydralisk bending down as she slithered through the doorway and onto the front step of the home. “It's a good thing he's so useful,” Twilight pointed out. Quite so, my queen, Zecora agreed. I feared as though the art of the trap would be outside of his wheelhouse as the ponies say. Applejack nodded eagerly. “He laid down quite a bunch of strange hexes that are supposedly some sort of dark templar trick he picked up from a friend.” “Perfect.” Twilight turned and watched as Zecora emerged a second later, the infestor hybrid’s shawl having been discarded, several potions held in her tentacles. Tucking three thick green vials into one of the planters near the door, Zecora trotted up to the others and gazed out over the area that would serve as their battlefield. Are we ready? she asked, seemingly directing the question at the hydralisk. “Well, I don't know about y'all, but I’m about as ready as I can get,” Applejack snorted. “It's the waitin’ that's botherin me.” “You’re not nervous for the fight?” Twilight questioned. The former farm pony shrugged as best as she could. “Not really. It may be only the third time I’ve ever fought anyone, but the longer I spend with ya, the more confident I get. It's like you’re unlockin’ something in my head.” “Odd. Zecora, have you experienced something like that?” Twilight asked, turning to the zebra. Not yet, though I do feel… different. I don't believe as though I have had enough time in your presence, replied the zerg hybrid. Twilight opened her mouth to speak, only to notice a flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye. A second later Blueblood appeared beside her, the templar’s gaze facing south, a grave expression on his face. “Lemme guess, we got company?” Twilight inquired. Blueblood nodded. “We do indeed. A small group of soldiers are on their way as we predicted, however, they have a high templar serving as their leader. The local commander must have recognized one of us and bumped us up the list of priorities.” “That's not good, is it?” Applejack inquired. Twilight shook her head. “It sure isn't. Our defences should hold though. Let's just pray that they only send one group at us.” Let us also pray that this commander has an ego and won't immediately request that Nightmare Moon intervene on her behalf, Zecora added somewhat bitterly. “Yeah, that would be really bad,” agreed Applejack. “Places everyone, here they come,” interrupted Twilight, who erected a quick chin-high wall from the front of one garage to the other, her zerg soldiers already moving in behind it. Blueblood vanished, though Twilight paid him no mind, merely joining Applejack and Zecora at the shimmering magical cover. Firing off another quick spell, Twilight created two rows of spikes in the front of the barrier before making the construct permanent with a third spell. The unicorn silently thanked her brother for at least teaching her something useful before he turned into a prick. A second later a full squad of nine zealots marched into view, a high templar floating above them. Each of the soldiers appeared nearly identical, their appearances having been no doubt magically altered, though at least their genders were apparent. The high templar, had at least some semblance of personality left as the tall slender mare had a flowing fiery mane. She wore blue and gold armor like the others, and her eyes crackled with barely contained psionic fury. Which fixed on Twilight the second the templar appeared from around the corner, her squad of soldiers wordlessly fanning out. Evidently there would be no trading of barbs or grand displays of power as a thorn bolt of psionic lightning signalled their intention perfectly. Ducking behind the barrier, Twilight watched as the attack flew over her head and splashed uselessly against the ground, leaving behind a black scorch mark. Trusting that her companions would know what to do, Twilight used her magic to lift one of the garage doors and grab the vehicle within. Sure enough, by the time Twilight had dragged the carriage out into the open, Applejack had begun firing spines at the closest opponent while Zecora had lined up a glob of orange goo at the high templar. Who disintegrated the projectile with a small flourish of psionic power, causing the attack to explode violently. Her underlings sprinted straight at the wall of magic, obviously not expecting much in the way of resistance. Only for a rather tall, slender zealot to suddenly find himself being shot into the air after the ground beneath him erupted with purple fire. Both sides turned to watch as the soldier flew straight up, vanishing into a cloud which hung low in the night sky. Without a sound the remaining attackers fell back, and their leader flew higher into the air, a bubble of deep blue energy enveloping her. Her soldiers were beginning to gain the same shielding, though it took them longer to summon the required amount of power. Keep the zealots busy. I’ll try to distract their leader, Twilight commanded. Applejack and Zecora did just that, firing spines and blobs of goop at the gathering of zealots. This didn't seem to do much however, as their weak personal shields deflected most of these attacks. One unlucky soldier had not managed to get that far, and after Applejack noticed that he lacked any kind of defence, she focused her fire on him. A dozen dagger-sized spines buried themselves in the unicorn’s tender flesh, punching straight through his armor. The other zealots stopped, turning as one to their fallen comrade before summoning their innate magic at an increased rate. While this happened, their leader was firing bolt after bolt of psionic lightning and growing increasingly irritated as Twilight conjured small shields which blocked each of the other unicorn’s attacks. The high templar wasn't the only one who was on the offensive, however, and between bolts, Twilight used her telekinesis to grab one of the small trees which lay at the center of the circular driveway. Thinking that the strange mare was trying to pull the plant out by the roots, the high templar smirked and began to conjure a much larger amount of psionic energy. Gathering the psionic power between her upraised hooves, the unicorn grinned as thoughts of victory flashed through her mind. Her plan to simply pierce her enemy’s conjured shields were quickly tossed out the window when Twilight hurled the entire tree at her. Unknown to the high templar, Twilight had already cut most of the way through the trunk, enabling her to quickly use them as impromptu projectiles. Forced to choose between defending herself or attacking her enemy, the templar diverted the energy into her shield just in time for the small pine to explode against it. Flickering briefly, the templar’s shield threatened to fall, only to be strengthened with another burst of psionic power. Leaping at this opportunity, Twilight snapped two more trees at the base of their trunks before firing them at the templar like a pair of spears. Dodging one, the templar was forced to take the brunt of the other, her shield once more nearly dissipating as chunks of shattered wood rained down from the heavens. At that point the other soldiers had succeeded in their goal and now sported shields equal in strength to their leader’s. Forming into a wedge formation, the zealots marched slowly and steadily at the three defenders, a single soldier hiding behind in order to feel out the location of any more traps. The zerg hybrid’s attacks did little to slow their advance, and even when they concentrated on a single target, the zealots’ shields held firm. Twilight ground her teeth together as she watched the zealots deactivate a hidden ward which would have impaled the unfortunate soul that had stepped on it. She didn't focus on them for long though, knowing full well that to do so would be a grave mistake. Her opponent, however, didn't flinch from her task, and with a thrust of her hoof, she sent a veritable storm of psionic lightning at the three hybrids. Lightning bolts erupted from all directions, forcing the mares to the ground lest they be caught up in it. This also allowed the zealots to advance unopposed, destroying more and more traps along the way. Cursing under her breath, Twilight did her best to undo the psionic storm raging around them, but after finding herself unable to do so, decided to shift her focus. Grabbing the carriage in her magic, Twilight heaved it as hard as she could, aiming it for the same spot the commander had been levitating a few moments earlier. Trusting that the mare would be too arrogant to even bother shifting her position, the zerg hybrid was relieved and a bit amused when the lightning attack disappeared. Popping out from behind cover, Twilight saw that the high templar had managed to catch the vehicle in her psionic grip, but was struggling to not drop it onto her own soldiers. Smirking to herself, Twilight sent out a bolt of magic at the carriage, activating her second trick and causing the entire thing to explode in flames. Bits of shattered wood rained down over the battlefield, and for a moment the zealots slowed, their focus wavering. With a mental command, Twilight and her forces directed all their attacks at the centermost soldier, the unicorn bringing down her opponent’s shield with a powerful beam of negative energy. A storm of dagger-shaped projectiles brought the attacker to her knees, and a vial of acid melted her face clean off, reducing her screams to a faint gurgle. Their formation crumbling, the remaining zealots broke rank and sprinted the rest of the way, while at the same time their leader emerged from the smoke. Though now without a shield and badly burnt, the templar didn't seem particularly slowed by her injuries as she continued to throw bolt after bolt of psionic energy at the three defenders. In front of them, the zealots surged forward, undeterred by the counter attack of spines and vials that threatened to kill them. Their speed and dexterity was impressive, allowing them to dodge most attacks, though that didn't help them much when it came to traps. One rather unfortunate soul fell into a pit trap and became impaled on several spears, her scream vanishing when the stone reformed above her. Another made the mistake of crossing the small hill at the center of the circular driveway and was grappled by dozens of sharp thorny plants that burst from the ground. The plant was undeterred by the zealot’s mana blades, merely growing another tentacle for each that the soldier cut off. In the end the unicorn found himself crushed beneath the sheer weight of the veins, his entire body getting pulled into the earth and vanishing. As they neared the targets, the zealots split off, each one choosing an enemy, only for another two to make the mistake of focusing on Twilight. Triggering the same trap and causing an explosion of cold to freeze them both solid, a secondary spell activating a moment later and shattering them into a thousand pieces. With only three zealots left, the odds looked even, but with their leader still alive, albeit injured, the zealots still held a slight advantage. One which Twilight was determined to eliminate, and the zerg hybrid teleported away, trusting her subordinates to take care of themselves. The high templar canceled her attack the second she noticed her target was gone, her eyes scanning the rooftops, expecting the strange unicorn to appear there. That didn't happen however, and a second later she felt an immense weight settle onto her back, causing her entire body to lurch towards the ground. Twilight knew this bit of confusion wouldn't last long though, and she followed up her teleport with a powerful punch to the back of the high templar’s head. Now thoroughly discombobulated, the templar plummeted out of the sky, her rider grabbing her about the neck and beginning to squeeze. With a desperate cry, the templar tried to remove her attacker with a burst of psionic power, but she found that Twilight was unusually strong for one of her race and continued to hold firm. Even when the high templar’s legs snapped and her ribs broke, Twilight remained atop of her, squeezing as hard as she could. The templar gasped for breath, thrashing feebly as her eyes bulged and her world began to fade, her focus slipping. Thankfully for her, one of the zealots that had been about to gang up on Applejack turned and sprinted to her aid, driving Twilight back with a powerful jab of her blade. Applejack and Zecora held their own, the hydralisk keeping her enemies at bay with sweeping strikes of her scythe limbs and allowing her to fire off short bursts of spines. Her opponent was too quick for this strategy and easily dodged out of the way of Applejack’s ranged attacks. However, he was not fast enough to get past her other attacks, leaving them in an odd stalemate with neither able to land an attack on the other. Zecora fared slightly better, having landed a glob of orange goo on her own attacker, following it up with a strike of her spiked forelimbs, piercing straight through a chink in the stallion’s leg guard and going right through the limb then out the other side. The zealot didn't even flinch, merely striking with his other mana blade and cutting off one of Zecora’s tentacles. The zebra hybrid let out a garbled yelp of pain before withdrawing her forelimb and stumbling back. Lurching up onto his back legs, the zealot swiped left, then right with his one good hoof, aiming for Zecora’s chitinous face. Though she managed to keep him back, the infestor struggled to land another attack of her own, focusing instead on just keeping her head attached to her body. Meanwhile, Twilight found herself surprised by the ferocity of her enemy’s attack, the female zealot driving forward with a lightning fast series of jabs. Each one was delivered and recoiled in the blink of an eye, getting followed up a second later by another and leaving Twilight with little option than to keep backing up. Lacking any weapons of her own, Twilight focused on her magic, but found that her opponent was pressing too hard and too fast for the unicorn to muster anything complicated. Refocusing instead on just getting some breathing room, Twilight snapped off a quick kinetic blast, knocking away her opponent. Not before the zealot managed to nick Twilight’s shoulder, drawing a spurt of blood and leaving behind a surprisingly deep wound. Pushing through the pain, Twilight shoved with her psionic powers while working a more complicated spell, one that would make short work of her opponent. Though the zealot was able to counter the psionic shove, it gave Twilight enough time to work, and a beam of superheated plasma dropped her attacker. Now missing almost every major organ and sporting a one foot wide hole in her midsection, the zealot fell to the ground. Her eyes flickered briefly, returning to a more natural coloration before they fixed on the fallen high templar lying nearby. Twilight watched as the soldier shakily extended a hoof towards the downed templar, only to fall limp before being able to reach her target. More than a little unnerved by the sudden shift, Twilight was thrown back into the heat of the battle by a scream. Spinning towards Applejack, Twilight gasped as she saw a good portion of one of the hydralisk’s forelimbs go flying through the air. Her blood now boiling, Twilight reached out with her magic and yanked the offending soldier back, causing him to miss the attack which would have seen Applejack decapitated. Twilight was about to follow this up by casting a lightning bolt, but was startled once more when Zecora leapt out of seemingly nowhere. Spiked forelimbs raised, the zebra rammed the blade-like appendages through the pony’s eye sockets, killing him instantly. Forelegs now stuck in her enemy’s skull, Zecora toppled forward, leaving her vulnerable to be attacked from behind. Thankfully Twilight noticed this and conjured a shield, deflecting the incoming blow from a zealot and creating an opening of her own. One which Applejack exploited by firing a barrage of spines into his barrel and continuing to pump him full of projectiles even after he hit the ground. “Enough!” Twilight shouted. Applejack stopped, chest heaving, thick viscous blood pouring from her open wound. Zecora extracted her legs with a sickening squelch, the limbs now covered in a mix of pink and red visera. Ignoring the rather gross scene playing out before her, Twilight ran up to the hydralisk and called upon her innate magic to heal the other creature. Within seconds the bleeding stopped, and not long after the wound closed completely, hiding the formerly exposed muscle and bone. Taking a step back, Twilight quickly looked over Zecora and, after finding that the zebra was relatively uninjured, breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay, sound off. How is everyone?” Twilight asked. Applejack sniffed, using her elbow to wipe the tears which spilled down her face. “B-better now, boss.” Angry, but okay, Zecora muttered, the zebra stumbling back to the entrance where she retrieved a hidden vial of blue liquid which she offered to Applejack. Drink this, it will help you heal. “Thanks, Zecora,” Applejack whispered between sobs. “That hurt a lot.” Twilight winced. “I’m sorry to have dragged you into all of this, Applejack. At least it should grow back relatively quickly.” The hydralisk sniffed hard and nodded. “It’s okay. I thought somethin’ like this might happen. I just didn't think it would happen to me, as silly as that sounds.” “I shall do much worse and if I fail, the eternity engine will not,” exclaimed a garbled voice from somewhere nearby. All eyes turned to the downed high templar, whose eyes blazed with an intense blue light, one hoof gripping tight the zealot which had fallen in her defence while the other was raised and glowing. With only a split second to decide what to do, Twilight threw herself forward, her forehooves raised in an effort to shield her friends. Her daring sacrifice turned out to be unnecessary however, as just before the templar was able to unleash her attack, Blueblood stepped out of the darkness. Hoof raised and a glowing green mana blade ignited, the stallion drove his weapon through the back of the other pony’s head and out through her bottom jaw. Retrieving his hoof, the former noble stumbled back as the high templar’s gathered psionic power exploded in all directions, sending blood and brains everywhere. Now thoroughly disgusted, but relatively alright, Twilight looked around to find that Blueblood was stumbling away, while trying to wipe his face clean of viscera. “Come here, I’ll help you,” she whispered, trotting towards the stallion. Who grunted, his eyes remaining closed. “You think I’d be used to such bloodshed after all this time,” he remarked bitterly. Zecora meanwhile was nervously patting Applejack down, searching for any sign of puncture wounds while the hydralisk tried her best to not look like she had been sobbing a minute earlier. Twilight ignored this all and merely conjured a small ball of water which she dropped on Blueblood’s head. The dark templar jumped, but quickly realized what was going on and began to cleanse his besmirched features. While he did this, Twilight inspected the stallion closely, noticing that his cloak was now even more damaged and his armor was dented in two places. “I assume we had more visitors,” Twilight began. Blueblood grunted. “I’m afraid they weren't quite as nice as this bunch and decided to try and slip in the back without an invitation.” “And our traps?” Twilight asked. “Mostly useless as they only began to move after your little spring went off,” Blueblood murmured, giving his head one final shake. “They levitated their soldiers over most obstacles, but after their leader died, it was a simple matter of picking off the rest.” “How many were there?” Twilight pressed. “Only six zealots and one high templar,” Blueblood remarked, his gaze sweeping over Zecora and Applejack. “I see you three are more or less unharmed.” “We suffered some injuries, but none that are permanent,” Twilight replied. Blueblood shook his head. “I wish I could treat the loss of a limb with the same level of dismissal as you do.” Twilight chuckled. “Yes, well, infestation comes with some perks, you know.” The former noble shuddered. “I will take your word for it.” “Good to see you’re still in one piece,” Applejack remarked, nodding to Blueblood. Who brushed a hoof down his tattered cloak. “They didn't make it easy, I’ll tell you that.” What is the plan, my queen? Zecora inquired. “The traps on the driveway may have been used up, but our flanks should still be at least partially covered,” Twilight offered, glancing at Blueblood expectantly. “Indeed, they should be and I will remain on overwatch, until….” the stallion started, his voice trailing off as his attention shifted towards the row of homes across from them. Twilight followed his gaze, lifting an eyebrow. “What is it?” “Do you hear that?” he whispered. No, but I feel it. Something very large is approaching, Zecora added. “It sounds like… footsteps,” Applejack remarked, the hydralisk rising to her full height as she peered intently at the line of mansions. Soon all four could hear the dull, repeated thumping of something metallic walking towards them. Numerous spells ran through Twilight’s head, the unicorn rapidly attempting to figure out how best to dispatch a metal enemy. That was until she heard the first scream, then all such thoughts vanished, and her gaze settled on the terrified faces of several distant ponies. Ponies which were pouring out of the ruined grounds of the mansion opposite of them, some of whom had suffered burns while others carried those who could no longer run. Most were normal citizens of Canterlot, but there were also a few non-ponies in their midst, though they were in the minority. Fewer still were the dark templar soldiers which accompanied them, all of whom were either carrying wounded or had been injured themselves. The refugees’ eyes were wide with fear, and they seemed to be running mostly on instinct, as they began to scatter after clearing the other mansion’s grounds. “Hey, over here!” Blueblood shouted, running into the street. “Get out of sight. We don't want to startle them. Time is of the essence,” Twilight urged, gesturing towards the open garage door. But that thing is coming, urged Zecora. “I’ll watch, you two be ready,” Twilight retorted. Applejack tugged at the other hybrid’s shoulder. “Come on, Zecora. We can't afford to waste time.” The zebra nodded, following Applejack into the garage with Twilight close behind her. Peeking out around the corner, the unicorn watched as the trickle of refugees funnelled towards Blueblood. The former noble quickly directed them towards the house, sprinting ahead of the group and approaching Twilight. “Something big is following them, it's not far. I’ll guide them towards the castle. Try to hold it back for a minute before joining us,” Blueblood hastily exclaimed. “Right, their injured will slow us down too much otherwise,” Twilight replied. The prince nodded. “Exactly,” he reached out and grabbed the hybrid by the shoulder and squeezed. “Be safe and keep an eye out for a grey earth pony.” Blueblood turned and motioned towards the door. “Everyone inside, follow me!” he shouted. Twilight watched him go before trotting out behind the group of frightened refugees, her hybrids following her a second after the last of the group had entered the mansion. Zecora went about grabbing the last of her potions, while Applejack rose to her full height, scanning the street. Twilight began to draw on as much magic as possible, pulling deep from the now diminished well within her. Magic capable of punching through the thickest armor and breaking down the heaviest of plating flashed through her mind. Only for all that to be thrown out the window the second her opponent strode into view, its massive bulk exploding from what remained of the neighboring mansion. Standing at nearly five meters tall and sporting two bulky cannons as well as four spider-like legs, the great death machine was a true giant. Clad from head to toe in gold and blue armor, the engine strode forward with the confident gait of a predator seeking its prey. Its central torso resembled a great golden coffin which was adorned by a single blue window, no doubt allowing its operator to survey the battlefield. Upon its back was a great crescent moon which peeked out from between its torso and the great rectangular cannons mounted therein. Twilight’s magic nearly sputtered out of her grasp when the enormous weapons spun unexpectedly to the right. Where an older earth pony stallion was sprinting across the road, his chest heaving, sweat pouring down his body. Reworking her magic into a teleportation spell, Twilight had been about to get the innocent male out of the way when the machine’s weapons fired. Two orbs of blue energy tore across the street, leaving twin burn trails in their wake and converging on the lone stallion. Though he tried to dive out of the way, his joints were no longer capable of such sudden movement and he fell short of his target. One moment he was there, the next there was not even dust, the stallion having completely vanished in the rush of blue energy. Unable to change the course of her magic, Twilight grunted with effort, the unicorn targeting a carriage she had seen down the road. The wooden vehicle disappeared in a pop before reappearing a dozen metres above the great machine’s head. Just when it was about to crash into the beast, an enormous blue shield ten times as thick as the one the high templar had erected suddenly appeared around the metal behemoth. Like water around a stone, the carriage burst into a thousand pieces, each one of which landed around the monster in a perfect circle. The barrier didn't flicker or even seem to be damaged, and the great beast merely looked around in apparent confusion. Before setting its sights on Twilight, its twin cannons pointing directly at the pony which stood between it and its targets. “Run!” Twilight commanded, gesturing towards the door. Though the hybrids wanted desperately to disobey the order, it was shouted with such power that they felt compelled to follow it. Their legs moved before their minds could even catch up, and the pair quickly found themselves running towards the hidden tunnel. Now alone, Twilight lit her horn once more, weaving one of the most powerful shield spells she had ever attempted. The creature’s great body began to hum, power building in its torso before being sent towards its cannons. With two dull thwomps, the cannons fired, while at the same time Twilight’s horn popped, releasing an incredibly overcharged spell. A wall of purple magic large enough to cover the entire front half of the mansion sprung into existence just in time to meet the monster’s attacks. Magic collided with energy and for a moment Twilight felt the spell begin to slip out of her grasp. Images of not only her companions, but even the refugees suddenly sprung to mind, prompting the mage to pour the last bit of power she had into the barrier. A mix of electric blue flames, and twisting psionic energy spread out across her shield, dissipating until there was nothing left. Both the machine’s operator and Twilight herself were in awe at what had just occurred, the unicorn looking up from the ground as her joints had given out. Then like a bubble being popped, the tension was gone, and energy began to flow from the torso into the cannons once more. Doing her best to try and mimic what the zealots had done earlier, Twilight poured her psionic power into the spell, weaving the foreign energies together as best as she could. The wall of magic turned a slightly darker hue but otherwise didn't appear much stronger, making Twilight worry about the incoming attack. The orb’s impact nearly knocked Twilight to the ground, though they didn't hit her nearly as hard as the first two had. Emboldened by this success Twilight pushed more of her psionic power into the spell, strengthening it as much as she dared. The next two shots slammed into her barrier with the force of a runaway freight train, and though Twilight felt the strain starting to get to her, she also knew she was getting better at this with each shot. Her surging confidence grew even greater when she noticed that the monster’s twin cannons were beginning to smoke, and one was even starting to warp under the strain. That same confidence waned when she noticed that rather than walking away, the metallic monster was charging straight for her. Pushing herself to the absolute limit, Twilight dumped every bit of magic and psionic energy she dared into the spell before bracing herself for the coming impact. Again there was a moment where it seemed like she might prevail, only for the behemoth to win out, shouldering its way straight through the barrier. Chunks of purple magic fell like shattered glass, while the unicorn’s horn nearly cracked under the shear strain it had been put under. Worse still, the hybrid’s mind felt like it was being split in two, the massive headache threatening to knock Twilight unconscious. The pony held on, rising into a shaky stand as the monster thundered towards her, its legs shattering cobble stone with every step. Raising onto her back hooves, Twilight lifted her forelegs into a boxing stance, ready to offer one last spit in the eye of her enemy. “Come on, then, if you think you’re tough enough,” exclaimed the unicorn. “Sorry, Twilight, but I’m not letting you be a martyr. That's my job,” muttered a voice. “Bwuh?” was all the zerg hybrid managed to utter before being thrown over someone’s back. As the beast crossed the small hill, Twilight passed through the entrance to the mansion, her savior sprinting quickly down the lavish halls. Glancing down, Twilight noticed the familiar tattered cloak and shadowy appearance of the prince himself. She managed a grunt of thanks before falling limp against the other pony, her already damaged mind threatening to slip completely from her grasp. She held on, however, doing her best to track the metal monster as it strode through the structure, its cannons having been reduced to oversized clubs. Its torso pivoted, knocking down a support beam, and threatening to bring down the already damaged building along with it. Another step forward and the walls and ceiling began to come apart just as Blueblood leapt down the stairs leading into the tunnel. Twilight winced as her not insignificant weight bounced off Blueblood’s back, though if the stallion was injured by this, it didn't seem like it. He just kept on running, sprinting down the long dark hallway as wood and plaster filled the hole they had left behind. Twilight did her best to watch their back, but with so much debris pouring through, there was little she could make out. If the behemoth knew what happened, she wasn't sure, all the unicorn knew was that it looked safe and she hoped she was right. With the threat of danger now growing distant, the mare finally allowed herself to slip away, falling completely limp on Blueblood’s back. She awakened minutes later to feel the sun on her face, or what felt like the sun anyway, as the unique heat was strangely familiar to the pony. She could hear voices around her, and though she recognized some, one stood out from the rest. It was kind, gentle, and though quiet, it split through the cacophony of sound like a hot knife through butter. Focusing on it, Twilight pushed through the nausea, confusion, and general haze that hung over her mind. Opening her eyes, Twilight smiled at the alicorn that stood before her, and the odd, straight hedges which surrounded her. Glancing around, Twilight nearly chuckled when she realized where she was, and the cruel irony of it all. “You got a weird sense of humour, Celestia,” Twilight croaked. The light surged, and a gentle hoof grabbed the unicorn’s chin. “Twilight, are you okay? Can you hear me?” she asked, a hint of desperation slipping into her voice. “Yeah, I hear ya. I just gotta take a little nap, is all…” Twilight murmured before slipping away once again.