“Your Majesty!”
“Yes, what is it?” asked Twilight turning to receive the message from the Night Guard colonel.
“The plaza under the Crystal Castle is filled with ponies. It looks like a crowd of civilians is being corralled in place by others in those helmets. We can’t land there without causing a lot of injuries. What do you want us to do?”
“Do you believe our forces can manage to enter the castle at the main entrance with minimal losses, or do you recommend we abandon this part of the attack and redirect that part of our force between the roof and balcony assaults?”
“I believe we can prevail, your Majesty” he replied, “It is also bright enough for the Royal Guard to be able to play their part too, doubling our numbers.”
“Does the Royal Guard colonel agree?” she asked.
“Yes Ma’am, we have spoken” he replied, “But your chariot won’t be able to land.”
“Very well then; let us proceed” she concurred, then called out to her charioteers, “Thank you Sirs, you have done your job admirably. Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for me to leave.”
With that, she stood up on all four hooves, spread her wings, and briefly relished the wind ruffling her feathers before gently lifting clear of her chariot and beginning to flap with long loping wingbeats. Immediately, she was flanked by the Night Guard colonel on her right and a sharp-eyed thestral lookout on her left, moving in close to be her eyes, although by now, the purple and blue glow of the Crystal Castle was bright enough for her to see safely by.
Shortly, she was joined by the Royal Guard colonel and they double checked the plan before splitting to lead their three respective forces; the Night Guard leading the assault from the roof, the Royal Guard dealing with the ponies in the plaza and entering from the main entrance, while Twilight would be going in through the Royal balcony with a mixture of guards drawn from the different contingents. There would also be a fourth group under the command of a Night Guard lieutenant colonel who would patrol outside to defend against enemy reinforcements should any arrive.
The die was cast.
With a final nod of agreement, the high ranking ponies split off to go their separate ways and assume a position at the head of their respective forces.
Twilight dove down towards the balcony, catching sight of helmeted ponies aiming a variety of bows and crossbows at them, but more immediately, she noticed isolated flashes of colour confirming that unicorns were lighting their horns ready to fire off magic at them too.
She primed her own horn and a transparent magenta hemisphere appeared in front of her, stretching wide enough as to protect the ponies in her group.
Spells smashed into the barrier, each dissipating in a flash of brilliant light, and arrows zinging towards them bounced harmlessly away, their destructive energy spent. Those ponies with crossbows could be seen hurriedly reloading, confirming that they too had fired, but the smaller bolts must have ricocheted off the forcefield unseen. They would not be getting off another shot.
Those with bows did have enough time to loose off another arrow, or maybe even two of they were fast, but they were all as ineffective as the first volley. An instant later, the unicorns and earth ponies on the balcony were overwhelmed by the mixed Equestrian forces intent on suppressing them by any means open to them.
The balcony was such an intimidating open space, when one stood there to address the crowds of ponies below, yet now being swamped with hordes of ponies milling around fighting, it suddenly seemed to be very small indeed, and most ponies could not find room to land, but fought instead from the hover.
Having subdued the defending force’s distance weapons, Twilight's force now fought in the midst of a free-for-all melee with clashing polearms, swords clashing in a continuous cycle of thrust, parry and riposte, and desperate hoof to hoof combat.
If there had been room and the opportunity to do so, the guards would have subdued the helmeted ponies and freed them, but right now, they were too busy fighting for their lives to think of anything beyond survival.
Twilight surged forward flanked by a pair of fearsome Royal guards, tackling any unicorns she could see charging up their horns before they could release their tainted magic onto her and her forces. The more they fought, the more the numbers surged through from inside, until ponies were standing on the bodies of fallen friends and adversaries alike, but still the mind controlled ponies kept up the pressure, obeying their programming to the last.
Twilight forced her way to the doors leading from the balcony and now had her first view inside where she could see more helmeted ponies ready to push forward and reinforce those fighting outside.
An angry magenta aura surged through Twilight’s horn as next thing, a sharp crack tore through the air and a pressure wave bowled through the defending forces, knocking them over like tenpins, presenting the Equestrian force with their opportunity and they seized it, surging forward and capitalising on the element of surprise. This broke the stalemate and Twilight’s forces piled in through the doors like a tsunami, those caught in the way being too stunned to respond as they were swiftly overrun by a tide of charging muscle.
The sight was as spectacular as it was frightening; a very angry fully grown alicorn Princess barrelling down the corridor flanked by two equally determined and heavily armed guards brandishing blood stained weapons and completely filling the passageway, the floor shaking to the drumbeat of their hooves.
Doorways opened up to either side and guards following on behind checked out each of the rooms as she thrust forward, neutralising any threat that could emerge to catch them from behind. Twilight was unflinching in her direction and aim; she knew where the throne room was, and Sombra would be waiting there for her with an evil self-satisfied grin and many more tricks up his sleeve.
Nothing and nopony was going to stop her from getting there and sorting him out.