//------------------------------// // A Weapon's Power // Story: The Guardian // by InsaneBatPony //------------------------------// Note: Section 6 & 7 occur simultaneously ________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 Luna rocketed toward Fluttershy's cottage to make sure that she was safe as Celestia had ordered. She stopped and landing while running up to the cottage that had once stood there. The animals were laying this way and that all over the ground and the cottage had been reduced to rubble. "Fluttershy!? Fluttershy?! Where are you?" Luna yelled. "H...H...Here." Luna heard a barely audible whisper. Luna ran over to the rubble and used her magic to lift the pieces of the house off of the helpless Pegasus. As she continued her heart began to sink. The abundance of devastation in this one small area was astonishing to her and now one of the Elements of Harmony was trapped in the rubble of her own home. Luna lifted one last piece of the house and Fluttershy lay below it. Her body was bruised and had a gash trailing from her left ear and over her left eye, which was now bloodshot and had red trails coming from it. Her wings were misshapen and contorted into awkward angles and were nearly stripped bare of their feathers, save for a stray few that remained connected. Luna pulled the broken Pegasus out of the rubble with her magic, being careful not to harm her further. "You'll be okay, you'll be okay. Don't worry." Luna consoled, placing her on the ground. "It...Hurts." Fluttershy said weakly. "I know. I'll try to lessen the pain." Luna said as she began to cast a healing spell to improve her condition as much as possible. Fluttershy's body was enveloped in dark blue aura and Luna could hear the Pegasus' breathing become more rhythmic and not as strained. Fluttershy's eyes closed and she fell into a peaceful sleep. 2 Celestia eyed her ugly opponent, disdain in her eyes. Volos did not move, he was still standing in the middle of the former house. His claws were ready and waiting. Celestia could hear the growling breaths as he eyed her. Celestia could wait no longer and charged Volos with her horn pointed at his heart. "Leave this world, monster!" she yelled as she charged. Volos managed to bend his torso away from the attack and swiped at Celestia's side, catching it with one of the blades on his claw, leaving a small scratch on her side under her wing. Celestia winced as she landed on the ground behind the house. Celestia charged her horn and readied a projectile attack. Before she could release it Volos was already running at her. She jumped and tried to fly away but Volos had caught one of her rear legs and held it with a vice grip. Celestia tried to continue to fly upwards but Volos kept pulling down. "If this keeps up, it's going to tear my leg off." she whispered. She charged downward to take Volos off guard. Volos pulled hard on Celestia, much to her surprise, and managed to get her off balance making her crash into the ground. Volos continued to hang on to her leg and turned his torso to the side and launched his arm over his head. Celestia flew over Volos' head and was thrown a couple meters before she managed to catch herself mid-flight and landed safely on the ground. Volos roared with anger at the display. Celestia launched a quickly charged lightning spell at her strange foe. It struck its mark and Volos staggered back from the force of the attack. The lightning traveled along his body making it glow a bright blue with sparks jumping around his body. Celestia watched as her foe righted himself and stood as though nothing had happened. "That's impossible." she whispered. "That attack has always turned the target to ash. Yet it still stands." Celestia charged another spell, this one a fire ball, and shot it at her foe. She watched as Volos raised his hand and swiped the fireball out of existence, leaving a trail of ash and smoke that followed his swipe's trail. "What are you?" she asked to none, a worried tone in her voice. She stood in shock as Volos moved in for his own attack. Volos got close to Celestia before she was able to react and grabbed her by digging both of his clawed hands into her sides, eliciting a scream of pain from the Alicorn. She began flapping her wings to escape by flying backwards. Volos dug his claws in deeper as Celestia tried to fly away. Volos pulled backwards to counter act her backwards force. Celestia could feel her body being forced towards him and she let out one last mighty flap of her wings. She forced herself back and out of his grip but she could feel that by doing so she had injured herself more. Volos' claws had cut through the muscle and some bone as well. She staggered a little from the pain when she landed. Volos let out a roar and charged at her. Celestia took a step to the side causing her great pain as she did. Celestia put up a magical barrier to protect herself while she tried to heal. Volos reached the gold colored shield and began attacking it. With every blow, Celestia strained to keep up her barrier while she also tried to heal her wounds. Celestia decided to take a great risk and make the barrier weaker so she could channel more magic into her healing. When she did so the shield lost some its sheen and darkened. As a result her wounds were healing faster but she had forgotten to watch her opponent. Volos had backed up and was now running at Celestia at top speed closing the distance in seconds. He leaped into the air and brought his boot down on the shield shattering it instantly. Celestia was stunned for a moment and regained her composure. Volos hit the top of her head with the palm of his hand and forced her head down. He brought up his metal clad knee and smashed it into her face. Celestia's screams of pain could be heard through the shattered bones and blood. Volos back stepped and kicked Celestia in the sternum. She crumpled over and lay on the ground. 3 Captain Dark Heart, the Night Guard, Captain Shining Armour and his three subordinates had finally made it to where Luna was waiting for them. Luna looked up and she became hopeful. "Dark Heart! Fluttershy is severely wounded! I've done what I can but I need you to keep watch over her while go and help Celestia! Captain Shining Armour, can you assist her by using your magic to keep her stable?" "Yes, Princess." Dark Heart responded. "I will do what I can, Princess." he said, galloping over to where Fluttershy was now laying. "All the rest of you, go into town, evacuate everypony. Go around the outer area, avoid Celestia's battle, and enter where ever you can and get as many out as you can!" she ordered. Luna left Fluttershy in their care while she went on to help Celestia and the others went to help the townsfolk. 4 Luna arrived at the scene of her sister's battle. She hovered in midair while Celestia staggered to her feet, clearly in pain. Luna soared over to her side. "Sister! I'm here!" she called as she flew. "Stay back!" Celestia managed to yell through her shattered jaw, turning her face which was mangled, swollen and covered in blood. Luna stopped and hovered once more, staring at Celestia's broken face. "Sister?" "Don't come any closer. I can still fight." Celestia panted. "No way!" Luna said as she set herself down by Celestia's side. "Fine. This thing is very powerful, none of my attacks have worked." "Then I'll try one of my own spells." Luna said charging up her horn. Blue fire sprang in front of her horn and she held it there until it was fully charged. "Midnight Flame!" she yelled, firing the ball of blue flame. The ball of fire traveled quickly. Volos ran right at it. Luna watched in complete amazement that this creature would charge directly at an attack instead of trying to avoid it. The ball of fire struck Volos in the chest. Volos roared in severe pain and was staggered. He fell forward, stumbling around on his feet until he managed to right himself and continue running at the two Princesses. Luna and Celestia charged their horns, ready to combine their power into one spell. Volos reached them first. 5 "Dark Heart, do have those bandages yet?!" Shining Armour yelled. "I'm coming, stop yelling at me!" Dark Heart yelled back while gathering up some makeshift bandages made from some large leaves. She ran back over to where Shining Armour had Fluttershy wrapped in his magic aura, keeping her stable. "Here." she said dropping them on the ground. "Okay, wrap one of those around her torso. We need to keep her from moving her wings." Dark Heart wrapped one of the leaves around Fluttershy's midsection while Shining Armour levitated her in the air. "Good. Now get some sticks and make up a few splints for her broken legs." "Right." Dark Heart ran off to gather the sticks required for the splints. Shining levitated a leaf and wrapped around her bloodied eye and face. "I'm glad you survived thus far, not many ponies could." he whispered. "I'd never forgive myself if one of Twilight's friends died while in my care." "Help...Me...Please." Fluttershy whispered loudly. "I'm here, I'm doing what I can. Don't worry you'll be okay." he reassured while trying to heal what he could little by little. "DARK HEART! HURRY UP!" he yelled. 6 Twilight could hear all the commotion on the other side of town and had chosen to hunker down in her basement with Spike until it had passed. She held Spike tightly in her hooves. He was crying with fear since it all started. "We'll be fine, Spike. There's no need to cry." she said lovingly. Spike only tightened his grip around her waist. She stroked his head until she heard a banging on the door, much louder than normal. She coaxed Spike off of her with much effort and made her way up to the main floor. She opened the door quickly to see a frantic rainbow maned Pegasus outside her door. "Twilight, grab Spike. We need to go!" Rainbow Dash yelled in Twilight's face. Twilight looked behind Rainbow Dash and saw the pandemonium outside. "What's going on? Where is everypony going?" "There are Royal Guards outside evacuating the entire town. It has something to do with all the roaring and that big fire on the other side of town." "Why, what's happening and where is everyponyelse?" Twilight asked. "Ugh, one, I don't know. Two, the four of us were waiting just outside of town, I came to get you. I haven't heard wind of Fluttershy." she said, realizing. "You don't think?" Twilight asked. "I hope not but I need to know!" she said while trying to leave. "Rainbow wait!" Twilight yelled. Rainbow heard her and hovered for a while. "I'll ask a gurdspony about Fluttershy and I'll come find you." Rainbow hesitated. "Alright." she finally answered. Twilight grabbed Spike from the basement quickly and ran outside to find one of the guards. Spike clung to Twilight like a Tick and squeezed hard to keep from falling off. "Twilight what's happening?" he asked worriedly. "I'm trying to find out." she answered. Twilight saw a Nightguard pony and ran up to the black Pegasus. "Sir, what's happening?" "Sorry Miss, no time to explain. I was ordered to evacuate as many as possible while the Princesses deal with the creature." he answered. "The Princesses are here? What creature?!" she asked quickly. Realizing what he had told her he face hoofed. "Miss please you need to leave." he tried. "Fluttershy! Have you seen a yellow Pegasus with a pink mane, three butterflies as a Cutie Mark?" "No, but I saw Captain Dark Heart and Captain Shining Armour giving medical aid to a Pegasus on the edge of town." "Edge of town? That's her! Please I need to see her! Take my friend and get him to safety! Please!" she cried. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that! You need to leave town before..." An explosion rocked the town and a plume of blue fire soared into the air in a tornado. "It's escalated! You need to leave NOW!" he yelled over the commotion. "I'm Shining Armour's sister. Please?!" Twilight tried again. "Miss, that doesn't change anything, you need to go or I'll arrest you for resisting to follow orders handed down from the Princess herself." Twilight stopped and thought quickly. She turned and started running to where the rest of the residence were being evacuated to. "Fluttershy, I'm so sorry." 7 Volos had reached the Princesses before they could combine their power into one spell. He attacked the weakened Celestia first and kicked in one of her front legs breaking it at the joint. She screamed but was silenced by a fist smashing her already broken mouth. The hit sent Celestia to the ground with a thud. He turned his attention towards the Lunar Princess. Luna charged her horn quickly, recklessly forming another ball of her Midnight Flame attack. "Stay BACK!" she screamed as she fired the ball of flame before she lost control. The large ball of flame created a massive explosion and a blue fire tornado. She panted from the exertion and she felt light headed. She looked around but her assailant was nowhere to be seen. She saw on the ground a charred body. She sighed in relief as she realized that it was her attacker. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned her attention to her sister. Luna cast a healing spell on her sister. She could hear the bones of her jaw reforming and snapping into place slowly but surely. Celestia groaned and turned her head from the ground to her younger sister. "Thanks." she managed. "Don't talk, this spell takes time and you’re not helping. You know that." she said, smiling. Celestia smiled and laid her head back down. Luna looked again at the motionless body of her and her sister's attacker. She gasped and saw that her attacker was beginning to stand up. "No! That's not possible!" she screamed, terrified. She watched as it made itself stand at full height. "No...No...No." she stuttered, shaking her head side to side slowly. Volos took a step then another and then another until he was face to face with Luna. He growled at her and stared her right in the eye. He growled again and sheathed the claws on his hands. Luna did not notice the sheathing of his claws and began to hyperventilate. A second later she felt a piercing pain in her body. She slowly looked down to see a blade piercing her chest and blood trailing down the dark blade and dripping to the ground. She looked into the eyes of who she thought was going to be her killer. She frowned and saw something in its strange eyes. Pain. Luna lifted a hoof to his metal cheek and placed it there. She struggled to breath under the pain. "You're not like this. It's over. Stop now, and rest." she whispered, pain gripping her every breath. She watched as his eyes darkened and ceased to glow. Volos fell over, the blade still lodged in Luna's chest. Luna caught him on her shoulder and let him fall to the ground. She pulled herself from the sword, coughing up blood and collapsing onto her knees. "Rest sounds like a good idea to me." she said under her breath as her eyes closed.