//------------------------------//
// Chapter Thirteen 
// Story: War For Equestria 
// by Nighthawk154780 
//------------------------------//

Inside the castle, the princesses were trapped inside the throne room fighting off a couple of guards and Celestia flipped a guard over stabbing him in the chest. “Blasted guards!”
A royal guard moved back with his shield listening to transmissions. “My lady. They broke through the perimeter.”
Luna fired a concussive blast at a pony hiding in a corner. “Is it appropriate to say, no shit?”
Celestia rolled her eyes hearing a pony scream but was knocked unconscious from the guard’s shield. “If there’s a plan we need one now!”
More gunfire came from the front and side entrances killing the guard while the two sisters raised a barrier to protect themselves and saw a couple of explosions from the front by Bulk and Comet who joined the group. Bulk galloped overloading a shell glowing red. “Princess Celestia! Princess Luna!”
“General Bulk! My, what a surprise this is.” Celestia said giving a smile.
“Princess. The front line can’t hold much longer.”
Luna nodded, giving a sarcastic remark. “And we can’t fly out of here?”
Bulk nodded. “That’s right.”
Luna facepalmed as Comet raised an eyebrow. “Tunnels. My lady, there are tunnels connected to the castle right?”
Celestia nodded. “There are. We can escape there.” A shot flew past her as Comet fired back with his horn and a couple of earth ponies and unicorns started attacking with swords.
Bulk switched to a minigun configuration on his new weapon, flapping his wings and started firing at the enemy troops. “Best get moving. Now!”
The group slipped away through the halls as several royal guardsmen held their ground and protected the princess hearing the screaming and fighting. They got to the tunnel entrance while Bulk covered fire and Celestia used her magic to open the door. “It’s open. Let’s go!” Bulk turned around, but suddenly screamed falling over as Comet and Celestia turned around. “GENERAL!”
Comet stopped forming a shield. “Watch out!” Magic shot at him as a couple of unicorns were behind cover using their magic to shoot at the group. Their time wasn’t long as Bulk shot them and screamed crawling to cover and heard a couple guards scream in the crowd.
“General. We got to go!” Celestia shouted.
“No, no you go. These tunnels can close, right?”
Celestia shook her head. “Not for a few minutes.”
Bulk screamed a curse and saw the guard trying to hold off the enemy troops coming in. “Time that we don’t have. Ensign. Go, that’s an order.” He pulled out the shell-like canister he put in and attached it to the trigger of his gun.
Luna blinked looking back as Celestia shook her head, “General. Don't be a hero.”
“Princess, they will get through your magic. This is a new kind of warfare. Go. Go now!”
Luna shouted. “Sister, we gotta go!”
Celestia was pushed back by Comet as Bulk roared, pressing his hoof on the shell and gun looking at the guard getting stabbed. “You want her! Come get her!” He began firing the gun at the enemy ponies, screaming curses and was jolting back getting shot at. “COME ON. COME GET SOME…FOR EQUESTRIA!”
Comet got the Princesses a quarter of the way through before hearing and feeling an explosion from Bulk. Celestia stopped, panting for breath and was ready to break down in tears as Luna walked over. “Come sister. We need to keep moving.”
Celestia nodded and ran off feeling scared about the timing she became a ruler.
Meanwhile, Nighthawk and Phoenix were clashing blades along with Penelope who was diving in and scratching Phoenix, rolling and dodging his magical blasts. The two unicorns clashed blades and looked into their eyes. Even with the visors on, Nighthawk could see the flames and pure hate in his father’s eyes.
Phoenix growled pulling Nighthawk off balance and shot him in the chest knocking him back and Penelope screeched landing in between the two and raised her wings roaring and turned to flames.
Nighthawk was panting and removed the helmet all together looking up with blood dripping from his mouth. Phoenix panted, spinning his blade and raised it at Nighthawk who wobbled back up on his hooves and gritted his teeth. Time slowed as Nighthawk felt like he was back at the arena as a cadet. The sun beaming down on his armor. Sweat falling and all he could hear was his once loving father. “Son. You hold the key to the Phoenix Flame.”
“Then why can’t I harness it?”
“You will, Nighthawk. When the time comes, you will harness the flame faster than any pony.”
Nighthawk blinked as a tear fell and a shimmer came to his eyes from Penelope. He looked up, seeing a blade aimed in his direction. “Stay down. Final warning.”
Nighthawk growled and readjusted himself, raising his blade. “I pity the fool who would ever stay the fuck down. Especially to a monster like you!”
“FINE!” Phoenix screamed charging his horn and fired a blast of magic at his own son. Penelope screeched and flew towards Nighthawk, her flames getting brighter as the beam of magic and Penelope clashed into Nighthawk, sending a shockwave throughout the battle ground. Phoenix covered himself with a barrier and raised his visor and guard. 
“I’m sorry son…” He turned around and out of the corner of his eyes he saw a glow and he quickly turned around to see. Phoenix’s eyes widened as if he saw a ghost and there stood Nighthawk with only mere scratches and his armor started shining a flaming red and orange. 
Nighthawk panted, looking at the glow and noticed a symbol of his phoenix cutie mark on his chest plate. He looked up and Phoenix noticed a red and yellow stripe across his right eye and his eyes were glowing a bright red. Nighthawk growled and raised his blade with a red colored aura appearing from his horn. He gave a loud screech of a phoenix, and his blade caught a flame.
Phoenix shook his head feeling like the Tim inning was horrible for Nighthawk to finally harness the phoenix flame. “No…NOOO!!” He screamed as he caught a flame activating his powers and spun the blade charging at Nighthawk.
He blocked the attack as the two threw stronger parries and thrusts before the two flew up into the air and clashed more. Phoenix had enough and kicked Nighthawk into the ground and landed on all fours as Phoenix landed and charged his horn sending a massive blast of magic at him. Nighthawk charged his horn following suit and the two beams collided forming a heated ball of energy in the center and sent a massive shockwave out.
The two were in a tug of war, no matter what this would kill one of them and Nighthawk knew it as he knelt down. He started feeling weak as the energy inched closer to him. He gritted his teeth while Phoenix kept his form. Nighthawk panicked, closing his eyes feeling the heat of the energy come at him. He could hear the many thoughts of his past come to be feeling more angered and he opened his eyes hearing what his father told him in the arena. “He…is…not…worthy!” Nighthawk had enough charging his horn and returned the energy back with all he got and in a fall of silence the energy blew up on Phoenix with everything fading to white.
As the dust settled, Nighthawk was walking around examining the damage and saw his black hat dangling on a beam. He picked it up brushing the dust off and sighed looking up at the ruins of Canterlot castle. Penelope chirped laying on his back, feeling winded from what they did. The pony shook his head and heard Comet shout to him.
“NIGHTHAWK! Let's go brother! Invasion force is pushing towards Ponyville!” Comet flew by and sped off as Nighthawk turned around and shed a tear.
“From now…until I die. I will be back.” Nighthawk put on his hat and galloped off leaving Phoenix Blaze’s blade rammed into the ground.