//------------------------------//
// Chapter Thirty-Three 
// Story: The Elements of Harmony and the Savior of Worlds 
// by RK_Striker_JK_5 
//------------------------------//

Tirac's chants grew louder. His gesticulations grew grander and grander. The blackness surrounding the throne grew darker and inkier. And Megan's knife bit deeper and deeper into the mortar around the stone block that encircled her feet. The block itself shifted more and more, held in more by the others surrounding it than the mortar itself. Satisfied with the work, she slid the knife back into its sheath and slowly stood up.
        
When Megan finally reached a vertical position, she double-checked her Peacemakers, making sure each one was fully loaded. She also patted down her bandoleers of extra ammo and checked the thirty-six cartridges. Not much ammo. Remember to aim, Megan. Don't waste shots. A few deep breaths were taken and nerves steadied as much as possible. I can panic later. I can hyperventilate later, after the battle and after all this. Right now, everyone needs you and you need yourself to keep it together.
        
With that, Megan drew herself up to her full height before quickly bending her knees and focusing all of her weight on her feet. The stone block lurched, sliding down with every vertical shove. The stone screeched, whining with every slide.
        
Tirac's head shot around. His blood-red eyes widened in surprise as she sank down. He reached out with a telekinetic hand, but she quickly slipped down to the floor below. He galloped forward, stopping above the small hole in the floor. He reached out, sensing nine Shadowbolts in the floor below him. Wait, weren't there ten on guard below? Bah, no matter! Shadowbolts, retrieve her, he commanded of his minions.
        
A sudden crack from below startled him slightly. And suddenly, he could sense only eight Shadowbolts below.




        
The room was dusty, the few pieces of furniture inside mostly broken down and covered with a thick layer of dust. Ten Shadowbolts, five earth ponies and five unicorns, milled about, their nostrils twitching slightly. Beyond that, though, they did little more than breathe in and out. Their entire will was that of Tirac's; their entire reason for being was his commands.
        
A small shower of dust sprinkled down onto the table, gaining the attention of one of them. It trotted over to the edge of the table and looked up. It cocked its head to the side as a block of stone slid down from the ceiling, dropping down. It stopped for a moment before quickly dislodging itself, plummeting straight down. It – along with Megan – hit the edge of the table opposite the Shadowbolt, sending the top lurching up and hitting him right below the chin.
        
The Shadowbolt's head snapped back with a sickening crunch, its neck broken. The body dropped, dead before it hit the stone floor.
        
The stone block shattered, freeing Megan's feet. She fell back, hitting the table even as it flew up with the impact. She rolled to her right and off of the wooden slab, eyes crossing. Megan grunted as she pushed herself forward onto one knee, her right hand sliding a pistol from its holster and pulling back on the hammer with one smooth motion. She looked around at the four earth ponies and five unicorns staring at her from around the room. Two earth ponies stood behind a stone column, a window behind them. Two unicorns were opposite her, standing in the wider expanse of the room. The other five stood bunched up in front of the door.
        
Megan sucked in a breath. “Okay, I don't want to hurt any of you. Tirac is using you to –” She suddenly ducked as one of the unicorns near the door shot a bolt of magic at her. The bolt shot past her head, striking a wall and blowing out chunks of rock. Megan glanced behind her at the smoking hole in the wall, eyes wide. Her head whipped back and she raised her pistol, aiming it at the unicorn. She squared her shoulders, held her breath and squeezed the trigger.
        
The unicorn's head shot back slightly. Its eyes rolled into the back of its head and it slumped down, a small hole between the eyes. The other Shadowbolts paid its demise no mind, though, their yellow eyes focused on their prey.
        
Megan suddenly turned to the earth ponies near the window. She fired, but one managed to duck behind the column. She bit back a swear, aiming for the other Shadowbolt and firing a pair of shots at it. One missed, but the other hit the left shoulder, sending it stumbling down to one foreleg and whinnying in pain.
        
Even as it fell, Megan suddenly hopped up and onto the table, sliding across it. She landed in a crouch, pulling out the other pistol with her left hand. She swung it to her left, firing a pair of shots at the group near the door, wounding one of them and sending the others scattering. With slow, deliberate motions, she brought the other pistol up, aimed at the first unicorn and fired, catching the still-reacting Shadowbolt right in the head. She swung her arm around to the other, but it fired off a quick bolt of magic at her.
        
Megan fell back, barely dodging the attack, her next shot going into the ceiling. She duck-walked around the table, whipping her right arm about and throwing open the pistol's cylinder. She fired two more shots from the still-loaded weapon at the Shadowbolts near the door, managing to finish off the one she had wounded beforehand. She rolled under the half-collapsed table, holstering one pistol before sliding cartridges out of her bandoleer and quickly reloading.
        
The table suddenly glowed a sickly red and floated up, exposing Megan. The two earth ponies still near the door advanced upon her position, snarling and drooling. Megan gasped and looked over towards the window, spying the lone unicorn standing there as it levitated her cover away. She quickly looked back at the earth ponies opposite and raised her loaded pistol at them. She squinted slightly as she aimed and fired, striking one dead-center in the chest with two bullets and shooting the other one in the knee. It collapsed, squealing in pain.
        
Megan looked around. She spied a chunk of stone, grabbed it and scrambled to her feet. She tossed it at the unicorn, nailing it in the forehead and horn. It cried out in pain, dropping the table and stumbling back into the wall. Blood poured from the wound. Megan, meanwhile, ran around the table, right up to it and the uninjured earth pony standing by it. She finished off the unicorn with a single shot, but the earth pony charged at her, knocking her pistol away and her down to the floor, rolling a few times before stopping.
        
The Shadowbolt glared at her, eyes glowing yellow in the dankness. Megan tried to sit up, but a sharp pain ran through her back and shoulder blades. She bit her lip as she snaked her left arm forward, grabbing the hilt of her knife and pulling it out of its sheath on her boot. She lunged her entire body forward, adrenaline and anxiety canceling out some of the pain but not all of it. She cried out, equal parts agony and anger as she stabbed at the pony, cutting into its chin and neck.
        
Blood spurted from the wounds, gurgling up, spattering over Megan and the floor. The Shadowbolt held a hoof up to its neck as it toppled over, trying in vain to staunch the flow. A small pool formed under it as the convulsing slowed, eventually stopping as the pony's eyes rolled into the back of its head.
        
The two Shadowbolts still alive limped in her direction, their injured legs unable to support their weight. Megan looked at them, gripping her knife so hard her knuckles turned white. “Please, just stand down,” she said. “Just lay down and let me go, all right?”
        
Tirac's voice suddenly echoed from above. “Shadowbolts, do not rest until she is back here! This, I command!”
        
The two staggered into a three-legged gait, keeping off their injured limbs. They whinnied in pain, but continued to advance upon their target.
        
Megan slowly stood up, pulled out her remaining pistol and loaded it with two shots. She walked to the one near the window, raised her arm, ending its misery. She rubbed her eyes at the sudden, unexpected moisture before walking to the pony near the door. Within seconds, the only sound left in the room was Megan's breathing.
        
It was close to a minute before Megan walked back to her discarded pistol, knelt down and picked it up. She opened the cylinder and reloaded it, keeping her eyes fixed on the weapon in her hands.
        
Tirac's voice boomed out once more. “You will not escape this tower, Megan! I shall recapture you and take you for myself!”

Megan finished reloading, checked her weapon and holstered it. She then pulled out her other Peacemaker and repeated the process. “It's a good thing Danny's not here, Tirac,” she remarked, finishing up and turning for the door. “That kind of comment wouldn't go past him without some sort of innuendo.” She stopped at the hole in the ceiling and looked up. “And no. You're not winning here, Tirac. No matter what your grand plans or power or whatever, you will be stopped.”
        
“By who, you? You do not have the Rainbow of Light this time, girl!”
        
“Then come on down and get me, you bastard!” Megan suddenly shouted, throwing her arms out to her side. “I'm right here! Are you too afraid of a human to get your hands dirtier than they already are?!” She pounded on her chest with a fist. “Come on down, if you've got the guts to!”
        
There was silence from above. Megan leaned to her right as she stared up at the hole. She walked around, keeping her eyes on it. “Hello, Tirac? Are you up there? Come on down, I said! Human with only two pistols and a knife against an undead centaur/warlock, that's not the best odds!” She looked back down and scratched her head. “There's got to be something else, something I'm missing here.” Her eyes suddenly widened as she thought back to something Tirac said before.





“I need a body to regain all my powers and leave my... current situation.”




        
“You're not coming after me not because you don't want to, but because you can't come after me!” she exclaimed, snapping her fingers. “The Elements of Harmony did something to you when they freed Luna from you, didn't they? Now you're trapped there in that room!”
        
The ceiling shook, sending down bits of debris. “I am Tirac, lord of darkness! I shall not be caged here! And YOU shall be the vessel of my release, Megan! Even now more Shadowbolts are coming to capture you!”
        
Megan tossed a salute skyward. “Thanks for all the info, Tirac. I'll be sure to put it to good use!” She held her pistol up at the ready position, running for the door leading to the floor below.




        
Tirac stomped over to a window, his entire being twisted by rage bubbling up over the surface. He raised a hand and clenched it into a fist as he focused on one of the beasts under his command. “I shall start the destruction a bit early. Go forth, Ursa Major and Shadowbolts. Wipe Canterlot off the face of Mount Eohippus!”
        
One of the six Ursa Majors standing guard around the ancient castle shifted around, turning to face the capital of Equestria. It leaned forward, dropping to all fours and ambling along. Shadowbolts flew along with it and sped ahead of its path of destruction to their new target. Trees in its path were torn down like toothpicks, not even slowing it down. Pegasi and airships scattered ahead of it, flying out of the way in mad dashes and dives.
        
The Ursa continued along, not even noticing them as it focused on its target, the capital of Equestria.




        
Luna looked up at the sun as it continued its flight across the sky. “I don't suppose there's any way you could slow it down?” she asked her sister.
        
Celestia shook her head. “I preset the course so I wouldn't have to worry about it. Sorry, Luna.” She looked around the small clearing near the Rainbow Bridge. Danny, Molly and Minerva had departed for Ponyville, while Mike stood by her, shifting from foot to foot. The Princess Ponies and Bushwoolies formed a line near the Everfree, Tiffany in the air. Finally, Twilight, Rarity and Pinkie Pie stood near the mouth of the path that led to Ponyville, waiting for their friends. Pinkie and Rarity wore their necklaces, while a crown adorned Twilight's head.
        
The sound of hooves stomping into the well-worn path heralded Applejack's arrival. She charged into the clearing, slowing to a halt. “Ahm here!” she cried out, panting slightly. “Land's sakes I'll be needin' a nice, long nap after today!” She trotted over to Mike. “Mike, yer kids are all safe an' sound in tha schoolhouse with all the other foals.”
        
Mike dropped to one knee and wrapped his armored arms around Applejack, squeezing her head and neck. “Oh, thank you!” he choked out.
        
Applejack squirmed, her face turning blue. “Yer... welcome... air?”
        
Mike threw his arms into the air. “Sorry, sorry!” he said, straightening back up. “But seriously, thank you, Applejack.”
        
Celestia's horn glowed and Applejack's Element of Honesty floated over to her and around her neck. She looked to the sky. “Now hopefully Rainbow Dash will – ” Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy suddenly dropped into the clearing, crashing into the dirt and rolling for a few feet before stopping. “Speak of Discord...”
        
The two disentangled themselves from each other. Rainbow Dash leapt to her hooves and looked around, arching her back and flaring her wings out. “Okay, where is that son of a Diamond Dog?” She hopped into the air and punched the air with her forelegs.
        
Fluttershy, meanwhile, curled up into a shivering ball. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness...” she repeated, legs tucked in and wings wrapped around her head.
        
Twilight, Rarity, Pinkie and Applejack all gathered around the pair. “Are you two all right?” Rarity asked, bending down and examining Fluttershy's shaking form. “Please, darling, we need you!”
        
Fluttershy unfolded her wings and peeked a muzzle out. “GO AWAY! I'M SCARED!” She then covered her head once more.
        
Rarity smoothed her mane down, then placed a hoof on one of Fluttershy's wings. “Yes, we know. We're all scared, Fluttershy. We're all feeling the same thing.” She suddenly raised her head and glared at Dash. “Right?”
        
Dash opened her mouth, but hesitated as Twilight, Applejack and Pinkie joined Rarity in the glare. “Uh... right.”
        
Rarity looked back to Fluttershy. “We're all in this together, Fluttershy. We'll be there for you. Will you be there for us? For Megan?”
        
Applejack spoke up. “We really do need yah, sugarcube. Come on, we know you can do it!”
        
Fluttershy's wings unfolded from over her head. She slowly stood up on trembling legs. “I... I will be there for you, for all of you!” She sucked in a breath. “Could you just do me one teensy, tiny favor, first?”
        
Pinkie Pie bounced around her. “Sure thing, Flutters! Whatever you need we'll get done for you, faster than light!”
        
Fluttershy suddenly grabbed Pinkie with her forelegs and shook her, rattling her head back and forth. “Talk me out of it!”
        
Pinkie's head snapped forward, her eyes rolling about in their head. “I'll take you up on that, after we free Megan and stop that Terrible Tirac from trampling all over Equestria. Okay?”
        
Fluttershy let out a breath and dropped to her hooves. “Well, all right,” she said, kicking at the grass.
        
Celestia floated the Elements of Loyalty and Kindness to their respective wielders. “And now it is time.” She looked up at a black swarm of Shadowbolts gathering. “Even with Princess Sparkle's help, I still don't have my full strength back. And I fear we'll need everything we've got for the Everfree. Princess Ponies, bushwoolies, do what you can, but don't be martyrs.”
        
Sparkle trotted up to Celestia and Luna. “We'll leave ourselves a way out, Celestia. But don't worry too much. This isn't our first time in combat,” she said, winking. “I'll tell you about the time we got in trouble with the Weather Witch.”
        
Luna rolled her eyes. “We've heard that one before, Sparkle.” She suddenly bent her head down and nuzzled the unicorn. “But take care of yourselves.”
        
Sparkle returned the nuzzle, then walked back to the other Princess Ponies. She floated her wand into the air and it glowed brightly. The other four raised their heads, the wands clenched in their teeth dazzlingly bright.
        
Celestia and Luna's horns glowed and their eyes turned bright-white. Their regalia deformed and flowed across their bodies, changing into armor that covered them from muzzle to dock and even along their wings. Luna's was midnight-black, with a subtle shimmer and tiny pinpricks of light dusting it. Celestia's was golden, blinding to enemies but somehow 'only' glowed for friends and family. The armor along her back, loin and hips expanded, forming into a saddle and stirrups.
        
Mike stepped up to Celestia and sketched a bow. “Thank you,” he said. “And... sorry for blowing up like I did earlier.” He looked to the Everfree. “Gotta admit, this is pretty damned scary for me.”
        
Celestia leaned in close. “I don't think it would come as a big surprise to you that I'm scared too. But with all of us together, I know we can prevail.” She knelt down. “Now, if you please? The shining knight needs an appropriate steed, after all,” she said, winking.
        
Mike stifled a laugh. He grabbed onto the saddle's pommel and, with a bit of discrete telekinetic assistance from Celestia, swung his leg over and hoisted himself up. He held up Megan's rifle and thrust it into the air. “Let's go!” he shouted.
        
Celestia reared back and kicked the air. She dropped down to all fours and galloped ahead, Luna right by her side. Twilight and the other Bearers of the Elements of Harmony formed into a tight group right behind the alicorns, Fluttershy in the middle and Dash in the air. Luna and Celestia's horns shot out, carving a path through not only the foliage of the Everfree, but the Shadowbolts as well. Mike had the rifle raised and was firing off bolts of energy from it, reducing any Shadowbolt he aimed at to clouds of ash.
        
The Princess Ponies and bushwoolies watched them as they charged off. Primrose let out a sigh. “May the Herd guide you,” she said around the wand in her mouth.
        
Shadowbolts suddenly emerged from the forest and from above the canopy. Royal Blue swallowed and backed up slightly. “Perhaps the Herd can help us out a little?”
        
Tiffany floated in the air, staring down the Shadowbolts opposite her. She raised a foreleg and waved it at herself. The Shadowbolts all snarled and flew right at her. Tiffany waited a moment before swinging her head back and forth, the tip of her wand flaring to life. A beam shot out from it, carving a deep gash in the fabric of space itself and opening up a rift to somewhere else. The Shadowbolts all gasped. They flared their wings and threw their forelegs out in front of them, but the first wave flew right into the gash. It sealed up, leaving nothing but empty sky for the moment.
        
Royal Blue and Serena slammed their wands onto the ground. Bolts of electricity shot from them, racing along the ground. They struck various Shadowbolts, flowing up their bodies and electrocuting them. Their skin flashed translucent in places, showing their skeletons. Their bodies jerked and spasmed before they dropped to the ground, smoke curling from their bodies.
        
Sparkle, Starburst and Primrose, meanwhile, waved their wands in the air. High winds picked up, howling through the air. They slammed into the Shadowbolts on the ground and in the air, tossing them about and sending them flying back. They crashed into the ground, each other, trees and rocks. More often than not they lay where they landed, letting out moans of pain if still alive.
        
The blob of bushwoolies simply rolled over any Shadowbolt they encountered.
        
More Shadowbolts poured out of the Everfree, galloping over those already dead or dying. The Princess Ponies continued their assault, slowly backing up to the path that led to Ponyville. Tiffany continued slicing the sky open, but the pegasi came in greater numbers and faster waves. “I don't think I can keep this up!” she shouted, floating down to her fellow ponies.
        
Sparkle lowered her wand and looked it over. “They're almost out of the power they drew from the Heart,” she said. She reached out and telekinetically brought Tiffany close to her and the others. “Hang on!” she shouted, her horn glowing. “We're going for a ride!”
        
Primrose's head jerked back and she stared wide-eyed at Sparkle. “What, are you crazy? You're still out of practice!”
        
Royal Blue jabbed a hoof at the bushwoolies as they continued to roll along. “And what about them?”
        
The multi-colored blob rolled along; up and over Shadowbolts without slowing, slashing and battering them with swords and shields. “We'll be fine!” they called out, steering to the Everfree. “Gotta save Megan! Yeah, save Megan and stop Tirac! Yeah, stop Tirac and save Megan!”
       
 “They'll be all right,” Sparkle said.
        
“But will we be?” Royal Blue countered.
        
The unicorn rolled her eyes. Her horn flashed, the magic enveloping all six of them. When the light faded, they were gone.
        
Over two hundred Shadowbolts continued to Ponyville, not knowing what happened to their former targets and not caring.




        
The Friendship Express pulled into an almost empty Ponyville Station. A pair of engineers stood on the platform as the train slowed down and stopped. The car doors opened and the Royal Guard poured out, armor and weapons clattering.
        
Shining Armor and Flash Sentry walked up to them. “What are you two still doing here?” Shining Armor asked. “I thought everyone was being evacuated!”
        
One of the engineers, an earth pony named Iron Engines, spoke up. “Someone had to make sure the station was all right until you pulled in,” she said.
        
Her companion, a rather muscular unicorn named Punched Ticket, continued. “And we had to make sure the tracks were all set on this end, too.” He jabbed a foreleg at a track switch. “We couldn't just leave it and hope Tirac's forces didn't send your train off the rails!”
        
Shining Armor nodded to them. “Thanks. But we're here, so get going! We'll take it from here!” He marched forward as the guardsponies gathered together. A spear and shield floated over to him. “All right, you foals. Listen up! This is it! This is where we hold the line, for Equestria, for the Royal Guard!” He thrust the spear into the air. “Remember your training, remember the months and years of rebuilding, of showing that we are worthy of these uniforms, of the legacy of the Guard! Together, we will drive Tirac's forces back!” He marched off of the platform and pointed the spear tip in the general direction of the Everfree Forest. “Now forward, march!”
        
The ponies all fell into formation and trotted or flew off after him. Flash Sentry flew over and landed next to Shining Armor. “Nice speech,” he said. “We are going to do it. Positive thoughts, Captain.”
        
Shining Armor kept his face forward and expression neutral. “I hope you're right, Flash. But whatever comes, I'm glad you're here.”
        
A chuckle escaped Flash. “Aww, I didn't know you cared! What happens if Cadance hears you?”
        
Shining Armor's mask broke and he half-smiled. His horn glowed and a very faint shield surrounded him and Flash Sentry. “As much as it pains me to say, you're my right-hoof stallion here. They've trained their haunches off, but most of them haven't seen combat.”
        
Flash Sentry nodded, the smile gone. “Talk about trial by fire. This won't be easy.” The smile returned. “But we'll get through. We'll all get through it.”
        
A chuckle escaped Shining Armor. “Since when did you become a motivational speaker?”
        
“Well, there was this minotaur doing a self-help seminar...”




        
Ponyville was quiet, eerily so. Danny, Molly and Minerva moved down Main Street, the only real sounds their movements. Danny let out a slow whistle. “Looks like everyone's inside.” He jabbed a thumb at a building. “I think we'd better get to some cover.”
        
Minerva's eyes darted back and forth. “Okay, where the hell did everyone go? Do they have an evacuation plan for this sort of thing?”
        
Molly looked around. “Considering what we've seen of Ponyville and what I've heard can come out of that damned forest? I'd be surprised if they didn't.” She pointed to Town Hall. “Let's duck inside there for the moment and find out what's going on.”
        
The three turned and started to make their way there, but a sudden ball of bright white light appeared in their path. It quickly disappeared, leaving behind the Princess Ponies. “Oh, my aching horn,” Sparkle mumbled, kneading her forehead with a hoof.
        
Molly dropped to her knees and steadied a wobbling Royal Blue. “What are you doing here?”
        
“And where are the bushwoolies?” Danny asked, rolling up.
        
Royal Blue's crossed eyes uncrossed themselves. “They rolled into the Everfree before we could get to them,” she said. “We took out as many as we could, but there were too many of them and our wands had begun to lose their magic reserve. We were about to be overrun by the Shadowbolts. So Sparkle teleported us out of here, leaving our stomachs behind in the process.”
        
Minerva tilted her head to the side and cupped her free hand around an ear. “Do you hear that?” she asked.
        
Everyone turned as a faint rumbling sounded in the distance. Molly and Danny readied their firearms while Minerva readied her laser pistol. “About how far is it from Ponyville to the Rainbow Bridge?”
        
Shadowbolts suddenly appeared in the distance, on the ground and in the air. They stomped through the edge of the small forest between Ponyville and the Everfree and galloped down a hill while the pegasi flew over, zooming in low.
        
Minerva's eyes widened behind her glasses. “Oh... damn!” She walked forward, raising her laser pistol. The inner face of the lenses lit up and she squeezed the trigger. Bluish beams shot from the emitter, each one striking a Shadowbolt in a vital spot. They tumbled to the ground, ignored by the others and trampled over.
        
Molly walked up to Minerva's side. She raised one of her own pistols, aimed and fired. Several more Shadowbolts jerked and fell to the ground, most merely wounded, however. Molly grit her teeth as she fired the final bullet from the chamber, holstered it and pulled out her other one. She took a step back as she continued firing. “Yeah, I don't think this is gonna work!”
        
Danny rolled over to his sister's side, his face an impassive mask. He held his shotgun up and aimed at the Shadowbolts as they continued charging towards Ponyville. He held his breath and fired, his body rocking from the recoil. He pulled back on the pump handle, ejecting the spent shell and ignoring the mild ache in his arms. He continued firing into the mass of Shadowbolts, aiming for the largest groups. With the final shell in the tube magazine fired he turned the shotgun over and began reloading it, willing his fingers to stop shaking.
        
Minerva glanced over her shoulder at the Princess Ponies, still firing and hitting Shadowbolts. “Any magic left in those wands of yours?”
        
Sparkle shook her head. “Not enough to do any good, I'm afraid.” She closed her eyes and scrunched her face up in concentration. The tip of her horn started to glow. “If you give me a moment, I think I can teleport us all out of here!”
        
Molly's second pistol clicked empty. She swore and pulled out two magazines from her jacket pockets. Fumbling a bit, she ejected the empty ones and reloaded. “Pass, Sparkle. I'm staying until the end.” She finally brought both pistols up and started shooting into the Shadowbolts, yelling at the top of her lungs.
        
Danny rolled his eyes. “Way to waste the shots, sis!” He brought his own Remington up as the Shadowbolts entered Ponyville proper and barreled down the street right at them. “But what a way to go!”
        
Minerva's hands twitched as she directed the lasers at the ever-encroaching enemy. “I don't have anything pithy to say,” she admitted, “but I'll be damned if I'm running now!”
        
Sparkle looked to her fellow Princess Ponies. They all nodded to her. “Then we shall stay, too,” she announced, raising her wand.
        
Suddenly, a red steamroller named Big McIntosh burst through from an alley, tackling the Shadowbolts and tossing them into each other. He brought an armored hoof up, smashing it into muzzles and breaking jaws, cheeks and skulls with sickening crunches. He grabbed one by the head and twisted, breaking the neck with one mighty turn. He grabbed another and spun it about, battering it into those closest and clearing out a small space. He reached down, pulled out an explosive from its bandoleer strap and tossed it in the general direction of the Shadowbolts, arming it with his teeth. It landed, almost unnoticed until it exploded three seconds later, sending out a shower of shrapnel that maimed and killed those closest.
        
The Shadowbolts concentrated on him, swarming over. Big Mac's tail waved about, sending a ten-pound flail flying about and crushing bone and flesh underneath it. He turned to one Shadowbolt, but it suddenly jerked and fell back, a clean hole burned through its skull by a laser bolt.
         
Minerva lowered her laser slightly, then looked to Molly and Danny as they raised their own weapons. “Wait,” she said. “No offense, but I've got somewhat better aim. I'll support Big Mac and you two keep picking off others.” With that she started firing again, slowly walking forward. Shadowbolts around Big Mac began dropping, dead or heavily wounded.
        
And then all hell broke loose.
        
A dozen doors were thrown open and the citizens of Ponyville ran out past Danny, Molly, Minerva and the Princess Ponies, holding improvised weapons and galloping right at the Shadowbolts. Caramel and Blues lowered their helmeted heads and tackled the ones closest, while the Flower Trio wielded cast-iron pans in their mouths and blindly swung them with all their might. Iron Butterfly lashed out with hooves and tail, rendering his opponents unconscious with precise, measured blows. Mayor Mare flowed along, ducking and striking where they least expected it. Lyra’s lyre played, lulling her enemies into a stupor and setting them up for Bon Bon to hit them over the head with a rolling pin. Lotus and Aloe worked as one, taking down their opponents with grace and carefully-delivered pressure strikes. Doctor Whooves and Sparkler used sonic instruments and Venusian Aikido, trying not to kill but incapacitate.
        
The Shadowbolts reared, turning and running back, but smoke bombs suddenly exploded behind them. Spectral images of Nightmare Moon, Discord, the Smooze and other eldritch beings appeared, looming larger than life. From the smoke Zecora emerged, staff balanced over her shoulder. She struck the ground with it and fireworks exploded right in front of them, driving them into each other in blind panic and confusion.
        
Danny opened his mouth, but a faint rumbling from behind caught his attention. He looked back as the Royal Guard, led by Shining Armor and Flash Sentry, came barreling and flying up the street. They flowed around and flew overhead, passing by them and throwing themselves into the fight, spears, swords and guns cutting through the Shadowbolts.
        
Flash Sentry flew to their side, landed and saluted. “Lieutenant Flash Sentry,” he said, saluting. “Sorry we couldn't get here sooner.” He looked to the battle as it began turning into a rout. “Although I'm not sure how much we were really needed.”
        
Danny clumsily returned the salute. “We'll take it,” he said. “And thanks.”
         
Ahead, Shining Armor's horn flared and a shield formed ahead of him. He turned it into an inverse of its usual shape, using it to scoop away Shadowbolts as he ran for Big Mac. “Sergeant Apple!” he yelled as he cleared a path to him.
        
Big Mac kicked in the ribs of a Shadowbolt and looked to Shining Armor. “Captain,” he drawled out. “Mighty nice work,” he said as several Shadowbolts managed to surround them once more.
        
“Thanks,” he replied. He looked over their foes and furrowed his eyebrows. “Looks like we're cut off and there's a building behind us,” he said.
        
Big Mac nodded as he thrashed his flail back and forth. “Yup.”
        
“And it might be a few minutes before we get help, too,” Shining Armor continued. “I say it's, what, twelve to one right now?”
        
Big Mac lowered his head and pawed the ground. “Looks like it to me, Captain. A shame, isn't it?”
        
Shining Armor's horn lit up. “Yeah, it’s just not fair. They never did have a chance.”
       
 “Nope.”