//------------------------------//
// The Battle of Fillydelphia, Part Three 
// Story: Sunset Eclipsed 
// by EldritchNexus 
//------------------------------//

Radiant Dawn was directing the unicorn and earth pony guards to round up the remaining Changelings.

"Don't let any of 'em escape." he said. "I don't know what the captain wants to do with them, so try not to kill them until--"

Suddenly, Firefly approached him, clearing her throat.

"Lieutenant Dawn, Silver Shadow's spotted a large Changeling flying through the air, not too far from here." she said. "It appeared to be flying towards the city hall."

"It's Umbriel!" exclaimed Radiant. "Oh, this will be good! I'm gonna go over there, and rip that monster's flank a new one."

"But, sir!" said the pegasus. "We still need a leader, and Captain Star Shield isn't back yet!"

"You're in charge of rounding up these Changelings until I get back." nodded Radiant. "Can you do that, Sergeant Firefly?"

"I'm....a sergeant?" gasped Firefly. "This is just so unexpected. I'm just so honored, sir!"

"Don't get too comfortable with it, though." said Radiant. "It's only temporary. But if you do a good job at handling the creatures while me and Captain Star Shield are away, I might be able to convince him to let you keep it. Now get to work, sarge."

"Yes, lieutenant!" said Firefly with a salute. "One creature round-up coming up, sir!"

Then she took off and flew over the other guards to give them orders. Radiant promptly departed for the city hall, galloping quickly.

In the mayor's office, Sunset Shimmer paced around General Synthe, her horn glowing brightly.

"Alright, general." said Sunset. "Let's cut to the chase. What in Equestria can I do to get Umbriel's goons out of this city?"

"Well, you could try cooking up a protection spell to boot them all out of here." said the Changeling general. " That's how Queen Chrysalis was cast out of Canterlot the last time she tried to attack it. But you probably don't know how to make any on a city-wide scale."

"No...I don't." said Sunset, bowing her head in frustration. "If only I stayed with Princess Celestia longer. I could've sworn that she was about to teach me how to make one of them, but then I got so caught up with..."

That mirror. That accursed mirror! Sunset Shimmer growled angrily.

"You should've brought Shining Armor with you, instead of that old has-been, Star Shield." sneered Synthe.

"Star Shield is a great captain!" Sunset snapped.

"Yes, I'm sure." nodded the Changeling, mockingly. "But when I last checked, unicorns are capable of magic, and not pegasi."

"Ugh!" Sunset groaned, disgusted by the truth. "You've got a point. But my brother's here in town. Maybe he could--wait, I forgot that he's an absolute wreck with complex spells like that! He'd probably wind up setting the entire city on fire if he tried it!"

"Well, he's just as useless in this scenario as Star Shield, then." snarked General Synthe.

Sunset suddenly levitated the Changeling into the ceiling then let him fall hard to the floor. Synthe slowly climbed back to his feet, aching all over. He made a quick check of his body to make sure his life-support wasn't damaged, and then inhaled the air from the breathing-tube.

"Slow down there, unicorn." groaned the general. "I'm only trying to help you here!"

"Well, I'm sick of everypony treating my brother like garbage!" yelled Sunset, who was fuming. "He may not be perfect, but he's the only family I've got!"

"Ah, forgive me." said Synthe, without remorse.

"Look, do you have any ideas at all?" said Sunset, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't look at me. This is your fight. Why don't you figure it out for yourself, genius?"

"How about I just snap you in two with my magic, and call it a day?"

"Because you're not a monster." said Synthe, his scarred mouth twisting into a feral smile. "But in a way, I am."

Without warning, he leaped upon the amber unicorn, and pinned her to the ground. He bent his head down on her, and attempted to bite her flank. However Sunset was able to knock him off with another burst of magic. She teleported right behind the Changeling, back on her feet. She bent her head down in a vigilant manner.

"You know..." she said, lowly. "That really wasn't a nice thing to do."

Synthe turned around, with a wicked grin on his face.

"I'm a Changeling, darling." he said, his voice deepening. "I'm not supposed to be nice."

"That's fine." said Sunset. "I'm not exactly a nice pony, either."

Her horn glowed again, and Synthe was thrown across the room by the mare's telekinesis. He crashed hard into a door, and lay on the floor in a crumpled heap. He began to spit up pale green bile, and choked loudly. Sunset Shimmer approached him, visibly unamused.

"Yes, I sense much love for your brother within you." he groaned. "I am actually impressed by this, considering how you've behaved these past few years. Did I perhaps touch a nerve?"

"I know that your kind is deceitful and treacherous." said Sunset Shimmer. "But what you speak is the truth. I love my brother more than anypony else in Equestria. But no, not like that!"

She stuck her tongue out in disgust at Synthe's perverted snickering.

"And you definitely touched a nerve!" she continued. "If I wasn't trying to be a better pony, I'd kill you right now."

"And why...won't you kill me, Sunset Shimmer?" asked General Synthe, coughing.

"It's because I'm no murderer!" Sunset spat on the covering on his disfigured face. "Look at you! You're a wreck! You look like a fly on a car's windshield if it got put into an emergency room and turned into a cyborg!"

She didn't care if this strange, crippled creature didn't know what she was talking about. She honestly didn't. But it seemed like Synthe didn't care, either.

"I admire your valiance, Sunset Shimmer." he gasped for breath. "...I see a lot of potential for you, should you become a princess. Of course, that's assuming that brutality like this is accepted amongst your peers!"

"Maybe not." said Sunset. "But really, I don't care if I don't become a princess. At the moment, I just want to do what's right. And right now, that's getting back at you Changeling scum for whatever you've done to my family. You obviously had nothing to do with it, but I know that you do know where the one responsible for it is located. So where is Lord Umbriel at this moment?"

"Oh, that fruitcake? That's no secret: He's right behind you!"

Sunset Shimmer gasped, and turned to see the muscular Changeling lord staring her down, with a malicious grin on his face.

"How did you--" she began, before being pushed into a wall by Umbriel's telekinesis.

She slumped against the wall, and felt her eyes rolling dizzily.

"That...was a cheap shot." she droned, clumsily.

"Nothing you wouldn't be accustomed to, though." said Umbriel.

"Go buck yourself in the butt." snarled Sunset, who shook off her dizziness.

"You first." sneered the Changeling lord, whose twisted horn was now illuminating.

Suddenly, the unicorn was lifted into the air, and she felt her hind legs jerking back involuntarily. She felt her back hooves smashing against her backside, and she winced in pain. Sunset Shimmer wound up bucking herself ten times, before suddenly being dropped to the ground. She staggered back up, and responded by blasting Lord Umbriel with a beam of teal magical energy. The Changeling just stood there, relatively unfazed. Sunset's jaw dropped in dismay.

"Did you honestly think I would risked fighting against you if I didn't prepare myself for a unicorn as powerful as you?" he said to her.

"No, you didn't exactly seem the type." glared Sunset Shimmer. "In fact, I could smell your cowardice from a mile away."

"Insolent child!" bellowed Umbriel. "Now you shall die!"

His horn glowed again, and Sunset Shimmer felt her neck tightening. She gasped for breath, but Umbriel's spell was too much for her. She was beginning to see stars, and her vision was on the verge of blacking out. Suddenly, there was a loud crash behind Sunset, and the doors were knocked off their hinges. The familiar mass of a large reddish-orange unicorn stood in the doorway, backed by several smaller ponies. The stallion took a few steps forward, glaring intensely at Lord Umbriel.

"Get...away...from my sister!" growled Radiant Dawn.

"Ah, the elder sibling finally shows his face." laughed Umbriel. "Good! I've always loved family reunions! They're like...all-you-can-eat buffets to us Changelings!"

"You won't be feasting on any more love, Changeling!" snapped Radiant. "You're going to pay for what you did to our parents!"

"Are all you unicorns this stubborn?" queried Umbriel. "I already told your sister that I don't know what happened to your family! In fact, they did more damage to us than I did to them!"

"You still tried to have us all killed, darn it!" shouted Radiant. "And I see you're still trying to kill me and my sister! Hey, what the buckin' hoof are you doing to her?!"

Suddenly, a series of sparks erupted from his horn, and the stallion reared his head into a charging position. He leaped to the side of his sister, and canceled out the strangulation spell that was being applied to her.

"Thanks, Red." choked out Sunset.

"Always glad to help, kiddo." said Radiant, before turning to Lord Umbriel. "It's over now, Umbriel. Your army's been routed. As we speak, the Night Guard's rounding up what remains of your troops, and your creatures have been put out of commission. Even if you kill the two of us, there's still all the ponies in this building you'll have to deal with!"

Lord Umbriel took a look at the ponies standing outside the room, and felt his mouth frothing.

"Drink your fill!" he said.

"Very well." moaned General Synthe, who was struggling to get back up.

"Not you, fool!" said Umbriel. "Ghost, get in here!"

The albino Changeling flew into office through the opened window.

"What...treachery...is this?" strained Synthe.

"I am relieving you of your command for the moment, general." said Umbriel. "Ghost has volunteered to take your place, until you have patched yourself up. This is no treachery to speak of. I simply don't want my most prized champion to die before he can do anything useful."

"But, sir!" said Synthe. "I want to be here, to speak with Sunset Shimmer!"

"You've had your chance, now go!" snapped Umbriel. "I have business to take care of with these two!"

"Yes, my lord." said the Changeling general, reluctantly.

"Now hold still, Synthie." said Ghost, whose horn was now glowing.

In a flash of light, General Synthe was teleported away. Radiant's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Wow, that's the first time I've seen somepony use a teleportation spell on somepony else!" he exclaimed, impressed.

"Isn't it great?" asked Ghost. "I made it myself! In fact, I tested it out on your sister just a little while ago! Don't you remember, dearie?"

"Unfortunately." glared Sunset, before turning to Radiant. "So, which one do you wanna fight first?"

"I'll take Umbriel." said Radiant Dawn. "You take his clown."

"Good! I've always loved rematches!" said Ghost, feigning cheerfulness.

"And I sense an even stronger amount of love and happiness within you, Radiant." said Umbriel. "It will be an honor to drain you dry!"

Radiant Dawn and Sunset Shimmer bent their legs, and charged at the two Changelings, their horns glowing brightly. The ponies outside watched in awe as the two unicorns fought against the Changelings with great intensity. The room shook from the spells being cast between Sunset Shimmer and Ghost, and Radiant Dawn wound up destroying several pieces of furniture during his struggle with Lord Umbriel.

"It's a shame, really." said Umbriel. "You're a unicorn, aren't you?"

"Yeah!" responded Radiant.

"So why don't you use your magic?" asked the Changeling lord. "You're not an earth pony! Start casting some spells, you big oaf!"

"Oh, you want magic?" growled Dawn. "I'll give it to ya!"

Suddenly, his horn glowed brightly, and the mayor's desk was dropped down on Umbriel's back.

"Oh, come on!" complained the mayor, who was watching from outside. "That desk had a mahogany finish, and cost six hundred bits! Did he seriously have to break it?!"

Then Umbriel emerged from under the destroyed desk, his head bleeding green blood.

"Or you know what?" said the mayor, timidly. "I didn't need the desk that badly! Kill that monster, master guardsman! Kill him dead!"

"That's what I'm trying to do, sir!" shouted back Radiant.

Umbriel growled viciously. His horn began to glow brightly, but then it faltered from the head trauma. His eyesight was blotched with red and green from the burst blood vessels in his eyes, but he was able to make out Radiant Dawn galloping towards him, with his head down.

"Oh, for f--" he attempted to curse, when Radiant suddenly bellowed out.

Violently, Radiant Dawn ran Umbriel through with his horn, and held him up over his tall body. He began to shake him up.

"How. Do. You. Like. This?!" shouted Radiant as he did this.

There was several crackling noises coming from within Umbriel's body, as the Changeling began to squirm uncomfortably.

"Please!" he squealed. "Show mercy!"

"Did you show my parents mercy when you attacked them?" demanded Dawn. "Did you show my sister mercy when you tried to throttle her?!"

Ghost was suddenly flung across the room by Sunset's telekinesis, but caught himself in mid-flight before he splattered against the wall. He collapsed exhausted on an overturned sofa.

"Radiant, don't kill him!" said Sunset.

"Why not?" asked Radiant, still snarling at the impaled Changeling. "This guy did something to our parents, and--"

"Because he might know what happened to our parents!" she explained. "If you kill him now, we may never find them! Besides, I don't want you to brutally murder someone like this! You're not a cold-blooded killer, Red. Don't act like you are!"

"Murder, Sunset?" Radiant questioned. "He tried to kill you! He tried to kill me! This is self-defense!"

"Radiant Dawn, put that creature down now!" said Sunset Shimmer with a commanding tone in her voice.

"Okay, okay." said Radiant, turning his head down again. "You're off the hook."

Lord Umbriel slid off the unicorn's horn and dropped to the ground. He began wheezing for air, and wrapping his insectoid wings over the puncture wounds. The brother and sister stood on opposite sides of the wounded Changeling, and stared him down fiercely.

"This...isn't...over!" he snarled at them. "If you think...I'll just give up, you're...sadly...mistaken!"

"Can I kill him now, Sunny?" asked Radiant.

"Not yet, Red." said Sunset. "Umbriel, I want to know what happened to our parents! Tell me, and we'll let you go."

"You two...just aren't ready yet for the truth!" spat the Changeling. "So you think that by defeating me here and now, I'll just open up about everything? You haven't beaten me yet! This was just a setback for me! I'll come back to finish you off! Ghost, send me to my sister!"

"Yes, my lord!" said Ghost, climbing off the sofa.

"Oh, no you--" Sunset shouted, but it was too late.

Ghost's horn glowed, and the injured Umbriel disappeared in a flash of light. Radiant caught sight of the albino Changeling, and tackled him before he could cast the spell on himself.

"Where'd you send him?" said the stallion. "Where did Umbriel go this time?"

"There's really no point, big boy." said the white Changeling. "No matter where he is now, he will have left before you even reach it. That's how we Changelings work! Now, if you'll excuse me..."

There was another flash of light, and Ghost blasted Radiant off of him with a concussive blast of energy. With a third flash, Ghost vanished from the city.

"Sunset, are you okay?" shouted Trixie, who galloped into the room.

"I'm fine, Trixie." replied Sunset Shimmer to her friend.

"Oh, I was so worried about you!" the blue unicorn began sobbing into Sunset's neck.

Sunset gently tried to shrug off the crying mare. Meanwhile, Lightning Dust trotted into the room when she caught sight of Radiant, who was brooding over the spot where Umbriel once laid. She decided to comfort him. She put a wing over his back.

"You okay, big guy?" Lightning asked.

"Yeah." said Radiant, who nodded slowly. "I'm just so...frustrated right now. I failed my family. I failed everyone!"

"Don't be so hard on yourself." said the mare. "You didn't fail everyone. After all, you just saved my best friend. You also saved my hometown. You, sir, are a hero."

"Indeed, he is a hero." said a familiar voice. "As is Sunset Shimmer."

Sunset Shimmer, Radiant Dawn, Trixie, and Lightning Dust turned towards the door. They saw Captain Star Shield standing in the doorway, flanked by Crimson Cloud and Firefly. Radiant stood himself up, nervously expecting his superior to chew him out for running out on his men. But when the captain approached him, he simply put a comforting wing on the unicorn's neck.

"You've done well, lieutenant." he said, giving him a rare smile. "You have averted a great threat by intervening like this. Everypony, look outside, if you would please."

They all went to the opened window, and peered out into the city. Outside, the sun was beginning to rise, and the Changelings and creatures that weren't subdued by the defenders of the city began to flee from Fillydelphia. Throughout the city, the townsponies and guards cheering on their victory over the invaders.

"Lieutenant Dawn and Miss Shimmer." he addressed the unicorn siblings. "This wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the quick thinking and determination of you two. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would be proud of both of you right now."

Lightning Dust and Trixie gave Sunset Shimmer a group hug.

"Way to go, Sunset!" smiled Trixie.

"You rock, girlfriend!" cheered Lightning, blissfully. "That was so awesome of you!"

"Thanks, guys." blushed Sunset. "But I couldn't have done it with my big brother over here."

She turned her head over to Radiant, who was preoccupied by the cheering ponies outside. Lightning Dust glanced between the two unicorns, and squealed.

"Wow, Sunny." she whispered into her friend's ear. "Why didn't you tell me you had such a cool brother? Now I've got to introduce myself to him."

"Be my guest, Lightning." said Sunset Shimmer, with a smile.

Lightning Dust went over to Radiant, and leaned against him.

"So, you're Sunset's brother, huh?" she asked him.

"That's right." nodded the stallion. "The name's Dawn. Radiant Dawn."

"Call me Lightning Dust." replied the pegasus. "So, I was wondering: Are you...taken?"

"What do you mean by that?" asked Radiant.

"Well, I mean do you have a...special somepony?" asked Lightning.

"Not really." said Radiant, who was still looking out the window. "I used to date this gryphon, but it didn't work so well for us."

"Well, honey, I'm sorry to hear that." said Lightning. "So, do ya wanna go somewhere later? I know a place where we can celebrate your and Sunset's victory over that Changeling warlord. Are you two into music or dancing at all?"

"As long as it isn't a square-dance or a hoedown, I'm game for anything." said Sunset, who came over to them.

"Ditto, here." said Radiant.

"No, it won't be anything like that!" said Lightning. "I mean, go out and party! I know this nightclub uptown that plays some killer beats! We could totally swing by there tonight, assuming it didn't get destroyed in the battle, of course."

Sunset found herself smiling. She hadn't been to a dance party in ages. Not since she was in the human world.

"I'd love to go!" she exclaimed, cheerfully.

"Me, too!" said Radiant.

"And I shall send a messenger to inform Princess Luna that this mission was a success." said Captain Star Shield. "I think that I could afford to stay behind to keep an eye on her majesty's student...and of course, keep my potential recruits in line."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Lightning asked.

"You'll see, young one." said the Captain of the Night Guard.