“Take her,” commanded the dark mage, his words upbeat and overflowing with pure and sick joy.
“Yes, my liege.” Responded a trembling soldier. He adjusted his sword and deathly black armor before motioning to the rest of his concealed troops. The dark unicorn risked a second glance at his master and felt his stomach churn at the sight. In all his years of service, he had never seen the mage so utterly delighted, and it chilled him to his own barren heart.
In a swift wave, the company began to creep forward, gradually closing in on their exposed and completely defenseless prey. Their force was small, but even one of their rank could have taken down any survivors. Silent and invisible among the trees and shadows, they continued to shift. If faced with any force but the one destined to bring them down, their victory would have been unquestionable.
The unicorn captain glanced quickly to his left and right, confirming that they were in fact alone. He then provided a quick wave of his hoof, and the procession slithered in. The wind glided through the trees, parallel to the hungry horde, bringing with it the smell of sweat, armor, and blood. Canterlot trembled beneath the silent night, preparing itself for the final event.
The small platoon approached the edge of the clearing, their triumph only moments away. They had all dreamt of this day when the illusion would lift and the first step to unstoppable victory would be at hand… but it would not be so. The final clouds cleared, and the glory of the moon was exposed in its heavenly glow.
An atrocious battle that could have lasted hours only raged for a fantastic few minutes. The shadows surrounding the mage’s troops suddenly burst to life. Ponies and bat ponies alike dressed in Lunar armor materialized out of thin air, each letting loose a primal battle cry and drawing their finely sharpened weapons. Bodies hit the ground in rapid procession, and a carefully crafted plan was shattered into pieces.
While the intense battle was thrown into its heat, Luna thoroughly searched for her only concern, Magus Tenebrarum. She had no doubt in her mind that he would appear. It was just a question of who would strike first, and Princess Luna was far too wise to allow such a cunning enemy to have the upper hoof. Her glorious wings flapped gently in the calm breeze, cutting through the moonlight and casting a mysterious, yet angelic, shadow. The night felt so calm, almost as if to insult the brawl occurring below.
Luna turned her body in an acute ariel turn, and headed back towards the clearing. He had avoided or foreseen her ruse, that much was apparent. But for how long had he known? As she dipped low above the trees, gradually approaching the ground, she felt a deafening crack rip through the gentle breeze. She knew that cursed magic even from just the sound, and she didn’t have much time.
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“There you are, little one. I have searched far and wide for you, and my master will be most pleased with your capture.” A cloaked unicorn floated from the dark trees, gradually approaching the three battered children. Athena lay motionless, her horn dark and cracked along its side. Dragon Fruit lay next to her, also unconscious; leaving nobel Wagon to stand and fight.
The mystic form laughed without pity, an ear wrenching sound, like that of a nail upon a chalkboard; and directed his gaze towards the insignificant child.
“Dear colt, your loyalty is admirable. But you stand no chance against me.” The mage was only meters away, and closing fast. Wagon stayed in place, shielding his two indisposed friends. His manner never once betrayed his fear, Wagon only snorted at his approaching death, not willing to lose his only family.
“I, unfortunately, will require all of my power to deal with a certain pest, who will be arriving very soon. So, you will move, or I will kill you with one strike from my bare hoof.” The mage continued his march, never once swaying or altering his path. He was a stallion on a mission. A mission worth sacrificing everything.
From beneath his billowing cape, the stallion’s horn began to shine, conjuring dark power from his very soul. His eyes were painted a deep red, matching the eerie glow of his horn. The gentle swaying grass that fell beneath his hooves, were reduced to smoldering ashes.
The mage’s existence was imbalance, and his soul more dark and cold than the deepest and most anathematized cave. An appalling smile formed on his dry lips once again, complimenting his horrific approach. Luna’s interference had been a reality shattering problem, but if he could procure his target, then all else would fall to be nothing.
The sounds of clashing weaponry and desperate cries of agony set the mood, and the trees themselves seemed to inch away from the cloaked figure. Wagon was caught in a cold sweat, fear like he had never experienced threatening to destroy his resolve. He struggled to fight the despair, using everything he had and remained in place. The shivering colt whispered a prayer to Celestia and Luna, pleading for the help he had never received. Wagon would forever remember the next few moments as the most terrifying scene he had ever witnessed.
A bright bullet pulverized the air and slammed into the oncoming mage, sending him at breakneck speed into a far tree, splintering it into thousands of smoldering pieces. Wagon only had a second to gape at the collapsing trunk before his eyes were drawn to his radiant savior.
Princess Luna, Goddess of the Night, and ruler of all Equestria had arrived, iron-clad and in her full glory. Her mane was white and glowing as the moon, gliding violently in her magical aura. Her eyes glistened and burned with the fire and wisdom of a million stars, melting her enemies and drawing reality under her divine control. Luna’s armor was glistening without light, and felt strong without touch. Every jagged edge and smoothed face older than the mountains, and more valuable than any gem. Her helmet swam in her ethereal mane, its single gem pointed towards the heavens. She was a sight to behold, and few enemies had ever lived to remember her majesty.
The Princess lit her horn, and lifted her experienced sword from its scabbard. She felt a pull towards the children, a primal urge pleading that she take care of them first. Luna filed that plea away, she had no time for such distractions. The children would only be safe when this abomination was eradicated.
The dark mage rose from his personal crater, and levitated himself from its deep center. He had taken too long, and now he would pay for it. Using a simple spell, he summoned his own enchanted armor, muscle memory latching it into place. His chances of winning or even surviving this encounter were slim to none, but his master wouldn’t accept defeat either way. His mind wandered to his inevitable successor. She would do well...or suffer the same fate.
“Thou has broken the sacred laws upon which our kingdom was forged! So we shall dispose of you and your treacherous magic, and banish your soul to burn amidst the eternal flames!” Luna’s voice was like thunder, rumbling deep within everypony’s soul, and shaking the very ground upon which they stood. If not for her quickly cast silence shield, all of Canterlot would have awoken.
Without waiting for her enemy to retaliate, Luna launched into battle. She unleashed a trifecta of powerful spells, each accompanied and concealed by a bolt of lightning. The dark mage threw up a shield matrix, but quickly left only an illusion, as he teleported for an offensive. The Princess in her wisdom, foresaw his attack and shot into the air, using her wings to her advantage. The mage, who had landed upon the far side of the field, let loose his own arsenal, each spell more daring than the last.
Luna flew like a ballerina, dodging one with an elegant backflip, leading straight into a twirling dive. She had the ability to absorb his assaults, but she wisely elected to save her magical energy, preparing for her own counterattack. Once his original lineup ended and he had to plan a new assault, Luna took her turn.
From her spotlight in the sky, she fired a wide and powerful entrapment spell, preventing her enemy from teleporting to safety. He attempted to counter it, but his magic was but a raindrop in Luna’s ocean. She landed in a roll, and broke free with her sword at the ready. She cast a final magic inhibitor spell before launching into close combat.
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Wagon watched. He had no words, nor expressions, for the unearthly storm of power that had been unleashed. He stood deathly still in front of his two friends, stuck in time and space.
Wondering about what would happen was pointless. Wagon was traumatized and could not process anything, more or less contemplate the future. He remained a statue, mouth wide, and heart an iron trap. While the two beings fought, the woodland skirmish was drawing to a close.
Crescent Shock pulled her sword back, and watched calmly as her final enemy collapsed. It had been an intense battle. One that she and her team would have won no matter how it was fought, but still, a life-threatening battle was intense nonetheless.
The bat pony twirled around and took stock of the situation. Their trap was executed to perfection, so casualties would hopefully be slim to none. Enemies were all downed, most likely dead, but the Second Wave would make sure.
“Captain, all hostiles have been downed, and we await your orders.” A smaller earth pony recited. He had a few gashes and a couple nasty looking bruises, but nothing that wouldn’t heal over time.
“Very good. Her Majesty is finishing up, so prepare the squadron for departure. The cleanup crew will be arriving, and you know how they feel about interference.” Crescent Shock gave the soldier a playful smile, hoping to put him at ease. He was the youngest of the guard, and fairly new, so she did what she could to help him out.
In a colossal blast, the night drew to a close. The shockwave brought back serenity and peace to the night, and the fearful trees returned to their steady dance. Crescent Shock with a single nod had her troops moving out. Luna wanted to take care of this personally, so no interference could be tolerated. She was tempted to glimpse through the trees and towards the clearing, it had been far too long since she had seen her Queen in full glory… but she had protocols to follow, and an example to set.
With a final sigh, she ruffled her leathery wings, adjusted her armor, and started the long trek home. It was just another annoying protocol. With a diverse squadron performing a stealth strike, they were not permitted to fly. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a wisp of glowing mane, and felt a brief pulse of lunar magic. She took a brief moment to question what was truly happening, and who was so important that a dark magician would sacrifice their life.
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Luna watched her enemy crumple in half, a steaming slice dividing the stallion in two. Their battle had been quite the spectacle, but Luna was never going to lose. If the children hadn’t been present, she could have decimated the entire forest and killed the mage in the process, but alas, the rain falls where it wills.
She turned away from the corpse and strode calmly towards the statue that was Wagon. He trembled before her, and seemed to shrink with every step the Princess took. Luna mentally facehooved. How could she forget so easily?
In a tranquil swell of magic, Luna was transformed into her leisure form. Gone were her white mane and fiery eyes. In their place, was a deep blue mare whose iris’s shone with nothing but compassion and eternal love. Wagon wasn’t sure what to think. He was terrified, but something about the Princess’s calm manner and gentle stride put him at ease.
“Do not fear, young one, I will not harm you nor your innocent friends.” Luna approached Wagon until they were nose to nose. At that point, she lowered herself onto the grassy ground, radiating peace and the promise of safety. Wagon gave a nervous ‘hmm’ before loosening his tight muscles.
“You have all undergone a terrible ordeal, and I cannot fathom your fear. But you are safe now, and no one will harm you anymore.” She quietly reached out her hoof, an invitation for the lime colt. Wagon glanced at her, then at the hoof, he nervously scrunched up his face, and attempted to analyze the situation.
His mind swam with emotion and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't resist the beautiful, calm, and motherly Princess. He accepted her hoof and melted into her warm embrace. Luna tucked the colt underneath her wing, and gently stroked his mane. Silent tears trickled from his tightly shut eyes. He deserved so much better, Luna glanced at the two beaten and unconscious fillies before her, they all did.
Luna felt a huge wave of guilt. How had this happened? A dark cult was problematic but could be expected at some point. But to see the terrible state of the orphans even before tonight… she closed her eyes. Another day, she would revisit these questions, but time was not on her side. After an exasperatingly long hug, Luna decided that it was time to move the children and tend to their wounds. Her healing magic could only do so much.
“Alright, I need to move you and your friends to somewhere safe. They are very injured and I am sure you are far past tired.” Wagon weakly lifted his head and gave a solemn nod. “Very well, let us leave this place.” Luna ignited her horn and surrounded the group in her gentle light. The wind swirled, the trees swayed, and the stars twinkled in the sky, and just like that, they were gone.