//------------------------------// // Chapter 9 - War // Story: Quest For Harmony // by destinedjagold //------------------------------// I groaned as consciousness finally blessed me to wakefulness. What the heck was that dream about, anyway? I opened my eyes and saw gloomy gray ceiling made out of...I'm not really sure. "Oh," a familiar voice spoke from my left, "you're awake!" I turned in time to see the purple dragon sighed in relief. He was seating on a stool beside the bed I was lying on. "You wet your bed, by the way." I blinked, I blushed, I jumped up, threw the blanket out of my way, and ran my two hooves to the area where...it...was...wet...? First, he chuckled, and soon, he laughed. He smacked his knee with a paw as I glared at him. "Oh man, you should have seen your face!" and he laughed some more, losing his balance and fell on the concrete floor, laughing and rolling. I shook my head as my frustration towards the baby dragon faded, and was soon replaced by a smile. He reminded me of... His laughing fit faded, and he stood on two feet as a claw wiped the remaining tears on his eyes. Damn, I miss having hands... "Eheheh... S-sorry 'bout that." He chuckled nervously, even though I was smiling at him. I shook my head. "It's no problem." I extend a hoof and patted his head. "How're you, by the way?" I asked, concerned. He shrugged, "I'm fine, thanks to you." He smiled. "How long was I out?" "Maybe a day or less," he shrugged, "and---" Whatever he was about to add was drowned from a powerful explosion that echoed through the room from outside. Curious, we went to the window. Judging from what I could see, we're in the castle's tower. What I was seeing however, I could not believe it... --- Twilight stood on the wall of the castle, where the city's buildings weren't tall enough to obscure her vision. "Keep that force field up!" She shouted to her brother, who was standing on the castle's ground, sending a beam of magic energy from his horn to the powerful purple shield that circled the entire mountain of Unicornia. Outside the barrier were land, flying and magical equines, suited in armor, and were trying their best to kill one another. Unicorns who were on the front lines were doing their best to flank off the earth pony army that were under the pegasi nation, while those behind fired mana energy towards the pegasi who were hovering above and about. The pegasi worked their best to clear the unicorns by manipulating the lightning bolts that they summon through the iron armor they wore, from the gloomy thunderous clouds up above, to their metal armor, and they direct the energy down towards the unicorn army. Lightning bolts and mana blasts were flying and falling all around. Metal and iron struck against each other. Breath and blood left unfortunate equines. A rainbow streak was zooming towards the battlefield from the city of clouds. Cyan-blue coat, and rainbow-colored mane and tail, where both were almost completely covered by her grayish-white armor. She flew to the side of the battlefield. Drawing and placing her thin and light sword on her mouth, she dove towards the unicorn on the back, and cut and sliced those who were unfortunate enough to be on her way. Twilight squinted her eyes as the rainbow-streak flew up and hovered just in front of the shield. "Captain Dash..." she whispered as her nostrils flared. Rainbow Dash withdrew her sword. "Princess Sparkle..." she grinned evilly, and bowed to the purple unicorn before bolting in time to dodge a blue mana beam that was aimed at her. "We're about to lose the battle, Captain Armor," Twilight yelled, as a grin spread across her face, "on the ground, at least." She turned back to the castle in time to see unicorns in large numbers marched and stopped a few feet behind Shining Armor. They wore heavy armor, with extra metallic parts on their back, and a shining gem crafted on the chest-part of their armors. "Phase two: air strike," she licked her lips as the unicorns lit their horns, sending pulse of mana energy to the gemstone. Soon, the extra metal parts on their backs lit up, and extended to both the left and the right, spreading apart like the unicorns' own set of wings. With the mana energy pulsing from the gem, they are now able to control their newly added body part in their mind. Flying up after another of her dive and strike techniques, Rainbow Dash spun to give the princess another one of her signature grins, but what she showed was not even close to a smile. Her features dropped to shock after seeing the purple barrier had a hole, where flying metallic equines flew through it and started blasting mana energy at the pegasi up above and the earth ponies down below. She snapped back in time to avoid two beams that were meant to fry her. She spun and flapped her wings hard to bring herself towards the gloomy clouds. "Do it now!" She yelled with her lungs. Twilight watched the rainbow streak retreating up to the clouds. She smiled and laughed, for finally, victory will be theirs once more. The pegasi were slowly retreating, as well as their earth pony army. The unicorns marched onward, firing and blasting mana beams at their enemies. Rainbow Dash flew through the black blanket, ignoring the electrifying sensation all around her. She knew her armor was not designed to withstand lightning, but it'll be enough to keep her there for only a few short seconds. A loud thunder boomed in the area, and Twilight's eyes grew wide after seeing pegasi ponies dove down from the black clouds. Their fall was being escalated by the large metallic drill that they held pointedly on the earth. Its holes and metallic extensions acted like propellers for the drill to spin fiercely as they fell. Rainbow Dash flew last, hovered above, and grinned at Twilight, earning herself a glare from the purple unicorn. The pegasi burned in their brains the maneuvers, and they will see to it that they'll apply it correctly. As the drills hit the earth, instead of landing flat, the pegasi continued falling down. They then quickly tilted their angle, and soon, they sprung out from the ground, and they were now flying threateningly behind the other side of the purple barrier. The light-armored pegasi drew their blades and started to attack the earth ponies who were screaming and fleeing in panic, while the others flew up towards the castle. Several unicorn soldiers rushed to protect their earth pony citizens, but their numbers were small, for the majority of them were on the battlefield, too far away to even know what was happening behind them. "You think you outsmarted me...?" Twilight hissed as her eyes were locked on the pegasi ponies flying towards the castle with her horn glowing fiercely purple. She sent a blade-like magical wave at them, hitting and slicing them all but one, who managed to spin in time and slashed the purple unicorn, but his attack was blocked by a barrier that protected his target. The pegasus suddenly found himself being enveloped with purple magic, and he was levitating on the air without the aid of his own wings. He grabbed his sword with both his hooves, and threw them directly at the purple unicorn. Twilight reflexively stepped to the side, but the pointed edge of the spinning blade gave her cheek a cut, and blood started to flow out from her wound. Angered, she tilted the pegasus' back on an awkward angle. She saw Rainbow Dash flew and stopped to see what she was doing. The unicorn gave her a wicked grin before totally tilting the pegasus with her magic, cracking the equine's backbones in the process. Rainbow Dash didn't hear the cracking noise, but she flinched, nonetheless, at the sight of her comrade's lifeless body. Twilight quietly mouthed the words "you're next" before dropping the dead pegasus on the ground. Rainbow Dash grunted and flew away in time to dodge the mana beams from the flying unicorns. Their direct attack plan failed. Seeing her allies behind the barrier dead or captured, she had no choice but to retreat. The unicorns had won this battle yet again. "Retreat and regroup!" She shouted a few times as she hovered above their earth pony army. They needed to protect their land and cloud cities if ever the unicorns decide to advance. She took one last glance at the grinning purple unicorn. If there's one thing she hates the more, it was losing, and the most, it was seeing that darn purple unicorn's grin. --- "We won again..." I heard Spike whispered as he slowly walked away from the window. I still could not believe what I just saw. Equestria really is at war. Unicorns against Pegasi, but...why? "I wish this would end..." Spike whispered again. I turned to him, and saw the dragon climbed up the bed. He sat tiredly, eyes locked on the ground. One thing is clear, I need to get out of here. I don't want to be in a world of war. I want to go home, where things are safe, peaceful... I heard a sniffle, and I saw Spike crying quietly. He's crying, and it's...breaking my heart to see him cry... I slowly and quietly walked towards him, sat beside him, and rubbed his back with a hoof. He suddenly threw himself towards me, his tiny arms trying their best to wrap me into an embrace. His sobs and his embrace are making me feel sad as well. I have always sacrificed too much just to avoid seeing my family cry, like Spike is doing now... I hugged him back.