//------------------------------// // Assualt / Harbored Resent // Story: MLDC Next Generation: Love Conquers All! Avarice Takes It All! // by Michael_Ravencroft //------------------------------// Annie had been busy outside, training in the use of her Star Sapphire ring. She had learned to create different constructs since the airship dogfight. The spear was a good weapon for her, she noticed, having a long reach and all, it almost acted like a walking stick. For now though, Annie kept it in the form of a pole. She stood on her hind legs as she twirled the staff around in her hooves, normally ponies would have to work hard at learning how to fight with such a weapon, being a bit unnatural to wield without a minotaur’s hands or a dragon’s claws. But since it was her own construct, the weapon was light and offered no resistance, most of the difficult maneuvers were compensated by the ring, calculating the best angle to make the staff appear where Annie needed it, as well as to adjust the weight. She remembered a time long ago, back when Starburst was still with them. She told Annie all about the time she saw the Royal Guards train in the use of spears, how they twirled and thrust with the weapons, threatening to turn everything that got within their range into a literal nostallion’s land. Star even demonstrated a few of their moves, she admitted, she couldn’t see them very well, only a rapidly moving brown slender object. But it was more about how passionate the young mare was back then, how she spoke with such vigor. The only other time she spoke with such vigor was when Annie was able to pry her out of her shell about dancing. “She was really into dancing, I know she said it was to help her with coordination and balance, but she sounded like she really loved doing that,” said Annie as she thrust with her staff. “Why couldn’t she pursue that instead of this?” “Because a warrior cannot be swayed from the call of the battlefield.” “EEP!” Anthea jumped up and turned around quickly. She let out a relieved sigh when she saw it was Prince Steel standing a few feet away. “Oh, P-Prince Steel…um, how long have you been standing there?” “Long enough to see that your spear technique could use some work.” He replied. “Well…I haven’t ever fought with a weapon till I got my ring. And I just thought that this would be a better weapon for me since without the ring and my magic I’m mainly blind.” The Prince strode up to the unicorn mare, looking down on her with a critical gaze. Anthea felt so small under his gaze, granted he was into his mid-twenties, but he still held the same authority and strength of someone who had trained in battles for many years. Prince Steel then reached behind his back and unsheathed his spear from its holster. He twirled it overhead before slamming the butt of the weapon onto the ground, making Annie flinch from the reverberating impact.   “Then it’s time you learned how to properly wield that weapon.” “Prince Steel?” “If you believe it to be a good weapon for you, then you should know how to use it.” Prince Steel motioned for Anthea to move to his right, which the unicorn mare did without hesitation. The Prince brought his weapon into both hands, getting into a fighting stance. He then twirled his spear around, kicking up a whirlwind from the sheer speed of which he was spinning his weapon. Anthea watched in awe as the weapon blurred from sight, appearing to wrap around his body in a protective zone. Steel stopped spinning and brought the spear in for a one-handed thrust into the empty air before him, stopping the whirlwind with a “whoosh” sound. Keeping the long shaft held firmly against his forearm and lower back, he swung the spear in a wide arc, cutting down whatever invisible enemy laid before him. Steel loosened his grip slightly and passed the spear to his left hand, giving it a twirl and a spin before gripping it with both hands and slashing down with it. Annie continued to watch Prince Steel perform complex moves with his weapon, she was so transfixed with the speed of which he was moving the spear around his body, noticing it was a similar tactic to the feint. Misdirecting her opponent’s perception of where she was going to be and instead moved to where she wanted to at the last second, with the spear, the twirling and spinning acted as intimidation. Nopony in their right mind would want to get in close to that, and the actions themselves made it hard for somepony to actually anticipate how he was going to attack. Prince Steel finished his sequence, returning to the original stance he was in when he started. The minotaur looked to Annie and exited his fighting stance and brought his weapon to rest in his right hand. “The spear is a weapon that can give you a long reach, both keeping your enemy at a safe distance while also being able to attack him. But it can also act defensively as well, any fool who cares for his life will try and keep out of your weapon’s reach, believe me, a quick spin of the spear can give you some breathing room, even if it’s for a few seconds those seconds can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Now, I may not have the time to teach you everything, but at least I can make you a near decent spear wielder amongst your kind.” “Y-You would do that? But…” Steel snorted. “Your concern for your enemy is unneeded in battle, Star Sapphire. They wish to kill you and will do whatever it takes to make sure that happens, true for us all who step hoof on the battlefield. Focus more on those at your back, tis the way of a phalanx.” “Phalanx?” “A tactic long used by minotaur warriors. It shows our complete faith in our comrades, one line defends, the other attacks, that attacking line shifts to defend, while the defenders attack. It can only work if you know the soldier who is at your back will keep it defended, and the soldier after him, and the one after him. If your friends and Princess, these Royal Guards and crew, have your back, then you have a duty to make sure that you put down whatever is a threat to them in front of you. Do you understand what I’m saying?” Annie stood there a moment, digesting Prince Steel’s words. She understood it well, but still, the taking of lives was not something she was comfortable with, Annie doubted she could take it if she killed any more than she already had. “Alright then, follow my movements and copy them, this is a basic attack sequence. Thrust.” Prince Steel entered his attack stance and thrust his spear with both hands. “Strike.” He then slid his right leg forward, while simultaneously bringing the butt of the spear across. “Slash.” Steel swung the spear in a wide arc and then stopped. “Finally, thrust again.” The burly minotaur took one hard step forward and did just that. “And repeat. That’s it, think you can do that?” Annie nervously nodded her head. She got up on her hind legs and summoned her staff again. Thrusting forward, a strike, followed by slash, and ending with a thrust. Annie dropped down on three of her hooves and used the staff as support. “W-Was that any good?” “Your form is good, but we must work on your speed and technique. Experience will cover for the rest. But you are a quick learner, which means you may become at least a decent spear fighter. Now, let’s go again!” “Yes sir!” After getting trained by Prince Steel, Annie got hungry, so she went inside the Avalon. Thankfully, the kitchen and the cabins weren’t damaged and the ship was safe enough to move around in. As she walked down one of the halls, Annie decided to see if the Princess wanted to have lunch. She hadn’t seen her eat lately, and from what she remembered Turquoise’s father, Spike, told them, the Princess would often forget to eat if she wasn’t reminded or brought something before she keeled over in hunger. Annie made her way down the corridor where the Princess was and knocked on the door, strangely, the door creaked open and Annie peeked inside. On Twilight’s desk was a lamp, shining down on some papers. Curious, Annie walked over to the desk and had a look at what was on them. She gazed upon the papers in confusion, they seemed to be diagrams of some sort, detailing the theoretical construction of some kind of device, it almost looked like a helmet, and even some horseshoes that seemed to go with the helmet-like apparatus. “Anthea?” Annie turned around and saw Twilight standing in the doorway, a sandwich held in her telekinetic aura. “Oh, Princess! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to spy on your work! I was just coming to see if you wanted to grab something to eat, but…” Twilight smiled and shook her head. “You’re fine Anthea, actually, I was hoping to show you this someday soon. Guess that day is today.” The alicorn mare strode over to her desk and organized the papers, showing them to Anthea in a more orderly sequence. “This creation was inspired by you.” “Why is that, and what is it?” Annie asked. “Do you remember the day we first met, when my friends and I visited your orphanage?” Annie remembered back to that day, seeing the fabled Elements of Harmony, the six mares responsible for defeating countless menaces that threatened Equestria. She remembered all the foals, Lucky, Amber, and Hot Head included, were scrambling to see them. Annie also recalled speaking to, at the time, Princess Twilight Sparkle, how the purple alicorn mare spoke to her. “I do, I could never forget, you said you felt something special inside me. It was also on that day that Mom adopted me.” “Right. You see, I thought because of your blindness that it might’ve been difficult for you to grasp certain things about magic. But when I started instructing you during my visits to Ponyville, I saw how quickly you grasped each lesson, and how far you excelled in them. I realized then that you had so much potential, which was why I made it my mission to teach you and, when you were ready, to become my protégé. But that also got me thinking, how many more are out there, protégés waiting to be discovered, not given a second look because of some disability. That inevitably led me to create this, a device that can help the blind see.” Annie’s eyes widened at what Twilight had said, a machine that could cure blindness?! “Y-You really found a way to cure blindness?!” “Well…not exactly. It can help the blind to see. I got the idea from seeing bats use echolocation, and the thestral ponies ability to do the same. What this will do is create a solid image of objects with the use of sound waves. I haven’t quite worked out all of it yet, but theoretically, it will take in sounds via the auditory sensors connected to the ears of the pony wearing, those sound waves will paint a three-dimensional image of the object to the receiver’s mind and allow them to see everything up to a certain distance, the horseshoes function in much the same way, collecting sound that travels through the ground and allows them to see it and anything else that the waves hit clearly. Although, unlike your level of blindness, it won’t allow for color, mostly black, white, and some gray, but at least it’ll let them see.” Annie couldn’t believe that the Princess had been working on this, it was truly amazing what the device, when built, could do for ponies like Annie who had it worse than her. “Princess…I don’t know what to say…I can’t believe I inspired you to think of something like this,” said Annie, getting a little choked up. “I was originally going to make a version that worked with your current level of eyesight. Since your mind already knows what color is, it should be just a matter of tweaking some variables so that you can have perfect vision. And…maybe you wouldn’t have to wear that ring anymore.” Annie looked down at her right hoof, to the violet ring that remained fastened to her. Though the idea of parting with the ring did make her feel strangely sad, Annie couldn’t help but feel elated that there would one day be a way for her to see her friends and family without the use of the ring. “I plan to make other such devices. Do you remember the armor your friends are wearing?” Twilight asked. “Yes, you reverse engineered it from…ahem…that griffon’s armor, right?” “Correct, although theirs is just a prototype, it already shows that it can advance combat efficiency, maybe if applied correctly, we can help ponies who have lost their legs or wings, recreate lost limbs that were taken through some tragic event or accident or even if they weren’t born with one at all?!” Annie couldn’t help but admire the way Princess Twilight spoke with such confidence and hope, she could see a twinkle in her eye, something that had been hidden since Starburst’s departure, but the way she was talking about helping other ponies, it brought it back. “Princess…I don’t know what to say…I can’t believe I inspired you to think of something like this,” said Annie, getting a little choked up. Twilight smiled and nuzzled Annie’s cheek in thanks. Just then, the door to Twilight’s room creaked open, revealing Amber Lily. “Princess, Prince Steel wants to have a war council with you to discuss –!” Amber stopped and watched as Twilight and Annie both stared at the earth pony mare, cheeks still touching. The amber colored mare had an impish grin form on her lips at the sight. “Oh my, Princess, Annie, you guys really need to learn to lock the door if you plan on continuing your illicit Teacher-Student love affair.” “Amber Lily!” Twilight cried. “Amber that’s not what’s happening and you know it!” Annie retorted. “Oh and do take it easy on her Princess, I know you’re an ‘experienced mare’ and all, but there are some things that I’m sure she hasn’t learned yet,” said Amber with a wink. Twilight’s face turned a bright shade of red as she went stiff as a statue and tipped over onto the floor. Annie was in a similar position, but now her concern was for the fallen Princess. “Amber look what you did! She’s knocked out!” “Bet’cha she was imagining what I meant.” “AMBER!” “Okay, okay, I’ll go get a bucket of cold water.” Canterlot Castle, Hours Later… Nidra lied on her bed, the orange ring of Avarice settled on the mattress just a foot away from her. She eyed the trinket that fell from the heavens above, a small ring, yet it held the power to decimate an entire country and make a blind mare see again, such power, and it all came from a power source that felt similar to magic, and yet, it was not. Nidra still couldn’t get what the ring said out of her mind, that this ring’s power worked off of avarice, greed. And what’s more, it appeared before her! Sure she could act like a spoiled brat sometimes, that she wasn’t denying, but she never saw herself as a greedy pony. If anything, she was surprised such a ring didn’t appear before a dragon, they were naturally greedy creatures. Claire, Turquoise, and their father, Spike, being the obvious exceptions to that. Even now, as she looked upon it, trapped in its crystalline prison, she could still feel its power. It was tempting, really, such a ring of power. Starburst could defeat entire armies with it, and Annie, well, it could make her see for the first time in her entire life. It’s like these things grant wishes or something! So…does that mean that if I wanted, I could have T…? You won’t know unless you try, think of it, you could become a Princess like no other. Ugh…I don’t want to be one, especially the way things are going now!  True, but with that ring’s power, who could stop you? You could end this war alongside Starburst. Star…me and her, fighting together…it-it does sound nice.  And the one who would be awaiting our return would be Turquoise, impressed by our skill and ability to defend Equestria. You can offer him the kingdom and all the riches within, as well as your undying love and affection, he’d be all over us!  Hmmm…also wouldn’t be too bad a thing. I mean…Ugh, I don’t know! I just want T to fall for me, not because I have some glowing ring from space! I want him to fall for me and me alone! Listen to yourself, “I want, I want”, you sound perfect for the ring’s power. I don’t see why you don’t embrace it. After all, greed is just another form of love, is it not? Nidra shook her head vehemently. NO, it’s not the same at all! Love means you both feel something for each other, wanting to give part of your lives to the one you care about. Greed only possesses, I don’t want to possess T, that’d make him no less special than an item at an auction! Nidra levitated the ring back underneath the bed, it was a foalish hiding place, but right now it was the best place she could think of hiding it. Her alicorn magic wasn’t very strong, so casting things like illusion spells would be too noticeable to a trained eye. So until she could think of a better one, it would remain under there. Nidra decided to go search for T, normally she’d get in a little nap time in, being able to move about during the day can take it out of a half-thestral, which was why she took little naps in between the daylight hours to keep herself from falling asleep fully. But today she wanted to spend these hours with Turquoise. She was glad that her magic was able to give the dracony a peaceful night’s sleep. She wished she could do more, but, she thought, nothing short of having Anthea back was going to ease his worry and angst about her safety. Part of Nidra just wanted Anthea to come back already so he wouldn’t be so sad, but another part, an annoyingly darker part of her, wanted the unicorn mare to stay gone, giving her more time with the one she loved. After some walking, Nidra found herself closer to where Starburst and her family’s wing of the castle was. Her sensitive ears picked up on the distant sounds of voices, and her horn sensed the workings of magic in the air. She followed both towards the courtyard and looked down upon it from the balcony. Down below she saw Turquoise and Nighty, both seemed to be playing some sort of game. “Stand fast evil doer! The Great and Powerful Night Light has come to vanquish you!” Turquoise, after giving a little chuckle, flared his wings and pretended to be the “evil doer”.   “Raaaaaarrrrrr! You, a single unicorn against a mighty dragon?! Ha, don’t make me laugh! I have defeated many a warrior, burned down entire villages, and razed kingdoms to ashes! What do you think you can do to stop me?!” Nidra had to admit, he does that “bad guy” role well. Most likely from watching his cousin play video games. Nighty smirked at Turquoise as he used an illumination spell to light his horn. “I have dedicated my life to following in the hoofsteps of the greatest unicorn wizard to have ever lived, Star Swirl the Bearded! He defeated many monsters and villains, and just like you, you too will share the same fate!” Nidra spied some of the Royal Guards on patrol, one or two eyeing the spectacle wearily. She scoffed in utter annoyance at their paranoia of Turquoise. For Faust’s sake, the stallion was related to Spike the Dragon, husband of Rarity, the Element of Generosity, and surrogate brother to High Princess Twilight Sparkle and High Prince Shining Armor, if that didn’t ease their tension towards him then she supposed nothing short of severe reprimand from her or another royal would keep them from jumping the gun. Nighty then raked his hoof against the dirt a few times, indicating he was preparing to charge. Turquoise extended his claws and did the same, making sure to retract them once he was done. Soon Nighty reared back and galloped for Turquoise. The dracony stallion did the same, his hoofsteps thundered against the ground. Though they were seemingly on a collision course, Turquoise knew what to do, having had plenty of experience playing with his more energetic cousin. Turquoise leaned towards his right just as he felt Nighty’s horn graze his left foreleg. Normally such a thing would hurt somepony, probably leave a bruise since the young unicorn’s horn wasn’t sharp and had a dull point, but Turquoise’s thick scales made such things nearly impossible, the hit registered in his head, but it felt more like a small pebble hitting a wall. Turquoise then went down, sliding on the ground to a complete stop and laid there motionless. Nidra let out a small gasp at the sight of the stallion going down so hard, but reminded herself that Turquoise was made of tougher stuff. She watched as Nighty skidded to a halt just a few feet away from where Turquoise lay. The young colt then ran up to Turquoise’s body and stood atop him triumphantly. “Once again, the Great and Powerful Night Light has saved Equestria from a horrible fate! Evil doesn’t stand a chance whenever I appear, and let that be a lesson!” After grandstanding for a few more seconds, Nighty looked down at his cousin with worry. “Um, Turquoise, are you alright? I didn’t hurt you when I hit you with my horn did I?” No response. “Turquoise?” Turquoise quickly shot his head up and stared directly at Nighty and let out a quick “BOO!” The sudden reaction from the dracony stallion made Nighty jump up in surprise, but thankfully Turquoise was able to catch him before he plopped onto the ground, or his stomach. Both boys laughed, T for scaring Nighty, and Nighty for allowing himself to be scared that easily. Nidra unfurled her bat-like wings and jumped off the balcony, slowly descending to the ground where the colt and stallion were playing. Once her hooves met the ground, she slowly made her way towards them, allowing the two time together. “Seems as if you two are having fun,” said Nidra. Turquoise turned his head in the direction of Nidra’s voice and smiled at her. “Hey Nidra, want to get in on this?” Nidra stopped mid-stride. “Oh…um, I’m not one for playing games…I haven’t done such things since I was foal.” “C’mon, it’d be fun! What do you say Nighty? It make it more exciting to save a Princess in distress,” suggested Turquoise. Nighty looked to Nidra, normally she was an intimidating sight, but right now, she was…well…more approachable than normal. The idea of saving a Princess was fun, and really, Nidra wasn’t bad to look at, she was actually cute when wasn’t scowling or looking down on somepony. “I-I don’t mind if she does, I mean, it would be fun,” said Nighty, blushing slightly. Nidra wasn’t expecting that from Nighty, often times the little colt avoided her or hid behind Star when she approached. But the fact that he wanted her to play with them, it was warming. And, for some reason, she found her cheeks heating up. Ah, see something else you might like? WHAT?!! Nighty?!! No, oh gods no! He’s Star’s little brother for crying out loud! Still, he is kinda cute. Imagine what he’ll look like in ten years, quite the possible stud, no?  Okay one: I am sooooo not even going to consider such a thing. Two: Nighty is more or less like my own little brother!!! Just saying, why should the other fillies get to have him all to themselves? You heard what Star told you about Nighty and fillies, he’s hopelessly chasing after a filly – who just so happens to be T’s cousin and…Huh, now that I think about it, you two have something in common. Ignoring the pondering of the voice, Nidra decided to play around with the stallion and colt. They pretended to be a ragtag group of adventurers, went through the classic “Damsel Princess in Distress” even though Nidra detested being a helpless maiden, it was still fun nonetheless. Hours flew by until it had become lunch time, and only the growling of their stomachs reminded them of how long they had been out. “Well it looks like you guys are having fun out here.” All three ponies turned towards the archway of the courtyard and saw none other than Valiant Heart standing there. Nighty became excited at seeing his older cousin and ran to meet him. Turquoise was about to get up but felt Nidra’s foreleg wrap around his. The dracony stallion looked to the alicorn thestral and noticed that her eyes were downcast, bangs covering her eyes. “Nidra what’s wrong?” T asked. “I don’t want to see him.” Nidra stated. “Why not? It’s just Val.” “Exactly…” “Nidra –” “Hey Turquoise!” Valiant Heart called out as he walked towards them, Nighty right by his side. “I heard you were in Canterlot.” Turquoise stood up and bumped hooves with Valiant Heart. “It’s been a long time since I last saw ya, what, a couple a years ago on Sweet Apple Acres?” “Heh, yeah, more or less…How’s uh…How’s June doing? I haven’t been writing to her as much and…” Turquoise knew what Valiant meant. “She’s fine, worried about you, but fine. She’s still waiting for you to write back, at the very least you should go to Ponyville and visit with her a bit. I’m sure June would be happy to see you again.” “Same here…” Valiant Heart noticed how Nidra wouldn’t look at him, in fact, she was about to leave when Valiant spoke again. “Nidra wait!” “What do you want?” She asked curtly. “I just…I wanted to ask…” “For my forgiveness? Sorry if you wasted a train ride for that, but I don’t.” “Nidra, what’s wrong?” Turquoise asked, taken aback by the harsh tone in her voice. “What’s wrong is I can’t believe he even has the nerve to show his face around here!” Nidra stated, turning around to face the alicorn stallion. The words she spoke wounded Valiant Heart, but at the same time, he didn’t deny them. “Nidra…I know you blame me for Star’s leaving…” “And why shouldn’t I?! Not once did you back her up! Not once did you defend her when they threw her in the dungeons! Star’s mom and dad may’ve not been totally onboard with her being in the Royal Guard, but she looked up to you! Counted on you! If there was one pony – just one – that Star knew she could talk to and know she’d be safe, it was would’ve been you Valiant Heart!” Nidra then got right in Valiant’s face, her yellow eyes gleaming with resentment towards the stallion before her. “But no…in the end, you fight against her, and try to capture her as if she were some common criminal! I thought you two were close! You–!” “NIDRA!” Turquoise interrupted. “That’s enough!” The alicorn thestral was brought out of her anger fueled rant and saw the look on Valiant’s face, but it was Nighty’s frightened look and the way he hid behind Turquoise that really sobered her up to the situation. “I’m going to the kitchen, I’ll…I’ll be waiting for you guys…” Nidra walked off without saying another word. Leaving the two stallions and one colt standing there with all that out in the open. Nighty placed a sympathetic hoof on his older cousin’s right foreleg as he looked up at him. “It’s okay Lance, she didn’t mean that stuff,” said Nighty. “No, Nighty, she’s right…If I hadn’t been so hesitant, had I’d been more supportive of her, all this wouldn’t have happened…I left Canterlot and went back home to get my head straight after everything…but really, I was just running away like a dog with its tail between its legs,” said Valiant. “None of that’s true, what happened was some heavy stuff for everypony, especially you,” said Turquoise. Valiant Heart sighed forlornly. “Doesn’t excuse my actions, or my ability to reign in my troops from killing an innocent bystander who got caught in the crossfire…But that’s why I came back. I heard that Aunt Twilight and Anthea are investigating the Long Road, and looking for Starburst while they’re at it. I can’t just sit around and feel sorry for myself, so I came back. So don’t blame Nidra for being like that, she’s not wrong. And…Nighty…I wouldn’t blame you for hating me either…” The young colt was still unsure of how to feel about everything that had happened to his big sister within the past few months. He knew she was the farthest thing from renegade or criminal, what with how long she had talked about becoming a Royal Guard and protecting Equestria. And there were some ponies who supported her as the Fear Lantern, it wasn’t like she was misusing her strange power, she was using it to defend Equestria. But, given the kind of power it was, Nighty could understand why some of the nobles and even the other royals saw Starburst as somewhat of a threat. But first and foremost Star, no matter how annoying she was, no matter how much they fought, she always defended him. She was his big sister, and despite their fighting, Star had never once forgotten that. Plus, she never looked down on his ambition to become the next Star Swirl, in a way, they were both shooting for slightly impossible things. Nighty knew it would take a lot of training, study, and talent to become like that, but it was the same for Starburst. She believed in him, and, even though he’d never admit to anypony, he believed in her too and hoped she’d become a Royal Guard. But Valiant Heart, he wasn’t to blame, not as far he could tell. Nighty wasn’t there for most of it, but whatever happened to cause his older cousin such sadness, he could tell that he was sorry. All three cousins were best friends, and Valiant was as much a big brother to him as he was to Starburst. “No, I don’t blame you Lance, it’s just a little confusing with everything everypony’s saying…I just want to believe in Star – don’t tell her I said that!” Nighty quickly added. “I won’t,” said Valiant as he ruffled the young colt’s mane, “I won’t.” Turquoise smiled at this, seeing the two family members bond again. But Nidra was another story, he had no idea she harbored such feelings towards Valiant. Turquoise went looking for Nidra, eventually finding her in the place she said she was going to be. The alicorn thestral was busy using her telekinesis to make herself a simple sandwich. She noticed Turquoise enter, nodding towards him while she continued making her meal. “Is Nighty joining us? I didn’t know what he liked exactly so I just went with a standard PBJ, or did I scare him off?” Nidra asked. “No, he was just surprised is all. And…he wasn’t the only one Nidra. Why didn’t you tell me that you felt that way towards Valiant Heart?” Turquoise asked. “It’s not like you could do anything about it T, it’s just how feel and what I know. You can’t tell me that what I said wasn’t true, at least somewhat?!” The dracony stallion couldn’t really find a reason for her not to feel like she does. Star was her best friend next to Prince Illusion, losing her must’ve been harder on her than it was for the others in Ponyville. Turquoise walked around the island counter till he was sitting beside Nidra. He then extended his right wing and enveloped the alicorn thestral in a wing embrace. The suddenness of the embrace made Nidra go stiff as a board as she felt her body being pressed against the bulking frame of Turquoise. “T-Turquoise, w-what are you doing?!” Nidra asked nervously. “You, uh, looked like you could use a hug,” said Turquoise bashfully, “Do you want me to stop?” Nidra shook her head quickly. Was this slightly embarrassing? Yes. But then again, she was being held by the pony she had fallen for since the first day they met, so it wasn’t like she was going to say “Oh yes, please stop because it’s embarrassing for me to be held by the pony I’m madly in love with.” Yeah right. “Nidra, I know you don’t like Val right now –” “I doubt I ever will after what he did.” “Just to be clear, why do you hate him more than Aunt Twilight and Uncle Flash? From the way you described it they’re just as much to blame as Val?” Nidra sighed heavily. “I get parents are supposed to be on their kids’ case. My Mom is the same, so that’s to be expected, but Valiant Heart was her cousin! Her family T! If you can’t count on your family to back you up on something, then what else do you have?! The support of friends is good and it does help, but it’s sometimes not enough! For Star, if Valiant Heart had her back, then…then…I don’t know what, but it wouldn’t be like this!” Turquoise could feel the young mare shudder, hearing a slight sniffle from her. “Have you talked to Illusion about how you feel?” “I-I have…and he also thinks I should forgive him. But I can’t!” “Listen Nidra, when this war is over and Starburst finally comes back, she’s going to need a lot of support. Val’s admitted he was wrong and wants to start being there for her, Star will need her friends too, otherwise, everything she fought for and sacrificed would be for nothing. I’m not asking you to forgive him right away, but, when the time comes, when everypony’s back together. Can you at least try, for me?” Nidra looked up at the kind eyes of the stallion, an honest warm smile beamed down on her as her eyes watered. She then pressed her face up against his foreleg and let some of the tears she held back fall. “I-I’ll try…”                   Mid-Afternoon, Gates of Volkan… Anubis, a proud general of the Jackal Tribe, and leader of the numerous Dire Tribe Diamond Dogs, stood upon the bridge of the Griffon Empire battleship. He watched with evil glee as his Dire Diamond Dogs marched through the canyon as his ship and others made their way to their designated positions. The canyon walls made it nearly impossible for radio or other means of communication to go through, luckily the ships had agreed upon a meet up at one of the wider valley’s, allowing them to coordinate their movements against the Equestrians. The black jackal had reported that the personal, fortress airship of High Princess Twilight dubbed the Avalon was currently scuttled. Leaving the crew, the High Princess, and the Prince of Minotaurus stranded within the gate that led to Saddle Arabia. The Avalon was a formidable airship, but now that it was out of commission, the fleet had little to worry about, other than the rumored pony with another of the strange magic rings. But Anubis was unafraid, yes there was a chance this unknown element could pose a threat, but what did it matter? The opponent was at their mercy, carpet bombing or death by claws and fangs, speared, cut, beheaded or even disemboweled, it was an inevitable outcome. Ponies have bragged about their resilience and strength, but in the end they were soft and weak. Mare, stallion, foal, it mattered not. They were all weak, even the so called “goddesses”, their High Princesses, were not un-killable. The torture that High Princess Twilight Sparkle endured was proof of that, and she was just as capable of fearing for her life as any mortal being. “Once you strip away the title and otherworldly powers, they are just ponies in the end. Nothing more and nothing less.” Anubis spoke. One of the griffons, a female wearing a captain’s uniform, walked up beside the Diamond Dog and looked down at the horde that was running towards their objective. “You’re right about that, still, there’s something to be said about that ‘otherworldly power’. Don’t forget that they also have a Spirit of Chaos on their side.” “Oh Captain Morgana, you aren’t scared are you?” “Pfft, fat chance! No, but I can’t say there haven’t been those of us who haven’t wanted to see the Empire at the top of the food chain for years, me included. So be it Tirek himself, I’ll see it happen.” “Good ambition, it will serve us well in this battle. However swift it might be.” “Ma’am, we’re arriving at the gate entrance, we’ll be in firing range of the Equestrian airship within a few minutes.” A griffon navigator spoke. “Good, all weapons are to be loaded, salvos, cannons, and bombs, I want this to be swift and bloody, understood?!” “YES CAPTAIN!” As the ship approached the archway that led to the valley, many eyes widened at the sight before them. “What in the name of the late emperor is that?!” Half of the valley floor was covered in star sapphire crystals, each one jutting out of the earth in the form of gigantic spikes. The gateways on either side of the Saddle Arabian Gate were completely closed off by a giant wall of violet-pink crystals, while at the center of the gateway rested the Avalon, its bow tilted upwards slightly by a column of crystal. A clear zone, about eighty feet in diameter, gave the ship and anypony near it some breathable fighting room. Despite half of the valley being covered in these monstrous crystals, there was one path that was clear, and it led right to the ship. A narrow passage about two-hundred feet wide, with walls stretching just as high. Unlike the rest, the walls were smooth and the ground was natural dirt, and at the other end of the mile long passage were the three-hundred minotaurs. Each one had their shield placed in front of them, with only small gaps in between a few of the rows. The Royal Guard stood behind the minotaur blockade, ready to fight whatever got through them.  Anthea was there as well, although her role was different. High above, unnoticed by anypony or griffon or Diamond Dog, three doves flew overhead. They weren’t ordinary doves, these doves were made of crystal and light. Their eyes acted as relays to give them an aerial view of the battlefield. Whatever they saw was transmitted to three light-screens that hovered in front of Anthea. She could feel the thundering rumble echo through the ground as a massive army of Dire Diamond Dogs stampeded towards them. Annie wasn’t sure of this plan, but at the moment it was their best shot. The griffons had the numbers, but the Prince had devised a plan where their numbers would mean nothing. He had Annie create the crystals, using them to block any attacks from the side, leaving only the narrow passage for the enemy to charge through. The jagged crystals would prevent any rationally thinking creature from trying to traverse through them or jump over them. The Avalon’s cannons and rockets were all still functional and ready to be unleashed, and with plenty of ammo to go around. The griffon warship continued to advance towards them, along with two frigates leaving the adjacent sides of the gate. The moment they did so, the Avalon unleashed its full fury, firing off round after round of cannon fire in quick succession. Rockets blazed out of their salvos and towards their targets, spraying the sky with a barrage of hellfire. Explosions went off in the distance one right after the other, some of the blasts were direct hits, while others grazed the ships, but it was clear that none of the three griffon ships were expecting the Avalon’s weapons to be functional, and it showed. The warship and two frigates were quickly backpedaling, trying to get back to the cover of the canyon walls and out of the range of the fortress airship’s fire. Down below, the Dire Diamond Dogs snarled and grunted as they ran straight for the jagged crystal spikes, some, thinking they could smash through the fragile looking stone, attempted to charge straight through it. The end result was a few hundred of them being skewered. A few others tried to jump the wall, thinking that it was only that part that was blocking them. While they did jump up at least twenty feet into the air, when they got over they realized too late that what awaited them was more crystal spikes. Soon the Dire Diamond Dogs stopped advancing, hearing the death cries of their fallen as an early warning not to go the way they went. The beasts grew frustrated as they searched for a way to get their prey, they needed blood, they needed carnage, and they needed it now! One of the Dire Diamond Dogs found the narrow entrance and howled loudly to signal to the rest of the pack. It wasn’t long before the rest of them filed through the passage. The walls reverberated with the sound of their thunderous stomps. The minotaurs braced themselves, knowing that what was to come would be the equivalent of a mighty tidal wave. The Dire Diamond Dogs saw the first indication of their enemy, bronze shields blocked the exit of the passage, their simple minds came to one conclusion, “These are in my way! Kill what’s in my way! And kill whatever’s in front of me!” Prince Steel was on the front line with his fellow warriors, gritting his teeth and tensing his muscles for what was about to hit. “HOLD!!!” He ordered. The wave finally crashed against their shields as a torrent of roars, snarls, scraping metal, and gnashing teeth pushed against the mintoaurs’ defensive line. Their hooves dug into the earth as they were slowly pushed back by the multitudes of Dire Diamond Dogs that pushed against them. On the other side, the Royal Guards watched as the three-hundred backed up inch by slow inch as their brethren braced their backs against their shields. Annie watched with growing worry as she saw this unfold, it would be a simple matter of commanding the crystals to lash out and spear all the Dire Diamond Dogs at once, or better yet, crush them. But her heart was already heavy with the lives she had taken, and from what the Prince had told them, these beasts were never given a choice whether to fight or not. They were forcibly bred to be what they are, nothing but mindless killing machines, only capable of following the simplest of orders. “HOLD YOU BASTARDS, HOLD!!!” The minotaur warriors did just as their prince commanded, digging their hooves into the ground and awaiting for the crucial moment. “STEADY…NOW!!!” The minotaurs tensed up and gave out a loud battle cry as they pushed back against the pack, throwing them off and putting a good five feet of distance between them. A few of the Dogs charged for the wall again, but from the gaps in the shield wall, dozens of spears lashed out like cobras, piercing through the armor of the Dire Diamond Dogs and felling them in one blow. Some of them were struck in the heart, lungs, or head, killing them instantly.   “SECOND LINE!!!” The mintoaurs who struck with their spears replaced the ones on defense, recreating the shield wall and advancing towards them. The Dire Diamond Dogs knew nothing of strategy or tactics, only that they needed to kill their enemy. So, with the simple mind of a beast, they charged forward yet again. The wall pushed them back and spears jetted out once again, killing another dozen or more. Again and again the minotaurs repeated this tactic, their impenetrable phalanx maneuver was a sight to behold. It wasn’t normally done with just three-hundred warriors, but thanks to the crystalline walls, they made it work, in this space, it was a deadly attack. The minotaurs continued to cut down more and more droves of the Dire Diamond Dogs, all of them dropping like flies before their might. Eventually they worked their way back to the entrance where the rest of the pack waited. One-hundred of the minotaurs stayed behind to defend the opening, while the remaining two formed a semicircle around that area. Some thrust their spears into the ground and drew their swords, while others held onto them, partnering up with those that had none. The Dire Diamond Dogs attacked again, Prince Steel, using his sword, slashed upwards and carved the beast from its left shoulder to its right side. Another came at him, but one of his soldiers thrust forth with his spear and impaled the Dog before it got to him. Another tried to attack the one that had speared its comrade, but the Prince brought down his blade in an overhead slash, cleaving the mongrel in half as blood sprayed from its corpse. His cape flapped in the crosswinds of the battlefield as he stood fast and cut down three more. His fellow soldiers did well to keep the beasts from advancing. The simple minded creatures had no concept of the real martial training, so were unprepared for the minotaurs’ skill and proficiency with their weapons.   The body count was stacking into the thousands now, with not one of the minotaurs showing signs of fatigue, in fact, they had the creepiest, happiest smiles you could imagine. Their culture was that of a warrior race, and for them, there was no greater thrill, no higher honor, than fighting on the battlefield and dying upon it. Several times did the Griffonian airships try and return fire, each shot either fell short or ended up blowing up their own troops or the hit the crystalline walls. Whenever a shot did get too close for comfort, Anthea would conjure a shield construct, allowing the round exploded harmlessly against it. The body count was rising into the tens of thousands now as the mintoaurs held their ground and the Avalon continued its barrage. Suddenly, Anthea’s sensitive ears picked up something, a high pitched whining sound. The Dire Diamond Dogs all stopped at once, their ears perking up and swiveling in the direction the sound came from. With reluctant looks, they bid a tactical retreat, running in same thunderous fashion that they had arrived. Twilight had stepped out of the ship and joined her Royal Guards, waiting to see what was happening. Prince Steel and his three-hundred slowly made their way back into the narrow passage, keeping their spears and shields forward as they back stepped the whole way. After a couple of minutes, the minotaurs had regrouped with the ponies. Some had gashes and bite marks from the Dire Diamond Dogs, their shields were littered with claw marks, and some of their capes were torn and tattered, but otherwise they were all in good fighting shape. “That was a little too easy,” commented Steel. “You call that easy?! They sent in an army, a warship and two frigates! And you call that easy?!” Amber asked incredulously. “It is when they didn’t press the attack. True we were slaughtering them, and suppressing them with the ships weapons, still…doesn’t feel right.” Annie’s ears perked up as another sound made itself known. “Does anypony else hear a whistling sound?” Everyone in attendance strained their ears to hear what Annie was hearing. Some closed their eyes and focused only on the sound. Soon the whistling came into the audio range of the others, causing Steel and Twilight to look up. The sky was littered with the dozens of glowing embers, nearly covering the entire valley. “MORTAR FIRE!!!” Prince Steel called out. There must’ve been hundreds of thousands of shells about to rain down on the ship and everything within the Gates of Volkan. There was nowhere to run or hide, the shells would decimate everything below and leave nothing but ashes. Over my dead body! Annie summoned the power of her ring and thrust her hoof into the air. A giant dome made of crystal and light formed overhead, covering their half of the valley in a protective shell just as the mortar rounds hit the dome. A cacophony of explosions rang out one after the other, from underneath the dome, it sounded like the stampeding of buffalo over a hard surface. Annie’s ring shined forth as it continued to project the construct, she showed some signs of straining, but Annie believed she could take it. Everyone was amazed that she could create something so big and wide, her shield was big enough to protect all of Canterlot, and the mountain with it. It was then that laughter could be heard coming from Prince Steel as he looked up at the sight, hilarious laughter. “W-What about this do you find amusing Prince Steel?!” Twilight asked. “Did I not say that we would fight them under the shade of an umbrella?! HA, HA, AHA, HA!” It suddenly clicked in the rest of the minotaurs, and it wasn’t long before they joined in on the laughter. Once they thought it over, Lucky and Hot Head laughed, even Annie giggled. What was just a boast was made into reality, and it was just too damn funny not to laugh at it. Twilight smiled a little, seeing the Royal Guards and everyone laughing, even at this particular time, was uplifting. “So, Prince Steel, is this still too easy?” “Actually, this is about right.” One thought ran through everyone’s mind at this moment, seeing how much shelling was going on, and still happening, must’ve meant that the Griffon Empire had sent a great number of their forces into the Long Road. Their battle was far from over.