Episode 15: The Battle of the Crystal Empire Part 2 – The Battle of the Crystal Fields
A legion of ponies, monsters, Diamond Dogs, Everfree beasts, and even Buffalo marched towards the Crystal Empire, the morning sunlight at their backs glinting off their armor. Maulgrim, astride his manticore mount, rode to the head of his forces, with Fido, riding a large Timberwolf, and the Buffalo chief, Thunderhooves, alongside. Together, they took in the sight of the Crystal Empire ablaze, with countless legions of Ganon's soldiers still milling about outside the city. The sight of this ignited a cold fury within all who beheld the sight, but none moreso than Maulgrim himself.
"So the Changelings were right, then," Thunderhooves spoke. "The Crystal Empire was under siege."
Maulgrim looked down at the Buffalo Chief. "Again, I thank you for joining our cause. Especially since the opposing force is even larger than we anticipated."
"Think nothing of it," Thunderhooves answered. "When the Changelings informed us that Equestria was under siege, and that the Princesses were seeking shelter in the Empire, we knew we could not simply stand and watch."
Some of the Equestrians shifted uncomfortably at the sight of the massive force that awaited them, their eyes wide with uncertainty and fear. Seeing this, Maulgrim boomed, "Courage, ponies, courage! Remember, you came here of your own will!"
This reminder seemed to be enough to steel their nerves, and looks of fear were replaced by determined glares.
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Karuna growled as he pushed his way through the monster ranks. "Form ranks, you maggots! Form ranks! Pikes in front, archers behind!"
Recovering from their surprise at these unexpected enemy reinforcements, hordes of Stalfos and Moblin spearmen congregated at the front, with a multitude of archers gathering directly behind them.
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Maulgrim sneered as he saw the enemy prepare themselves for the inevitable charge and wheeled his steed around. "Fido!" he barked. "Take your Dogs down the left flank!"
The Diamond Dog Beta nodded. "Get ready, you mutts!" he called to his brethren.
"Ponies and monsters!" Maulgrim commanded. "Follow the Equestrian banner down the center! Thunderhooves, take your company right, after you pass the wall! Go now, and fear not the darkness!"
Maulgrim rode up and down his assembled forces, all eyes on him. "Arise, my brothers and sisters in arms! Spears shall be shaken! Shields shall be splintered! This shall be a day of swords, of blood, death, and glory! A day that shall pass forever into legend! Each one of you will be remembered for the deeds you will commit on this field of battle! Let all the world see the courage of Equestria, and let our enemies fear it! Ride! Ride with the rising sun! Ride for Equestria!"
The Darknut leader raised his sword high in the air. "Death!" he cried.
"Death!" the Diamond Dogs declared.
"Death!"
"Death!" the Buffalo joined in.
"DEEEAAATH!"
"DEEEEEEEAAAAAAATH!" all the ponies, monsters, Dogs, and Buffalo cheered together, their cries reaching the ears of the beleaguered defenders, who regarded the scene with awe and wonder.
His manticore pawing at the ground in anticipation, Maulgrim lowered his sword and cried, "CHARGE!"
War horns rang again as Maulgrim's forces charged forward to another chorus of "DEATH!"
Maulgrim rode at the head like one of the great heroes of old, and at that moment a beam of sunlight fell upon him, turning his obsidian armor golden, dazzling friend and foe alike. As they approached Ganon's massive army, the enemy spearmen backed up as the archers stepped forward, readying their bows. Yet the charge never faltered, and the allies of Equestria descended ever closer upon their foe.
As soon as they were within range, Karuna yelled, "Fire!"
The archers unleashed a volley of black arrows, which fell like a deadly rain towards the approaching enemy. "Mages!" Maulgrim cried, and at his behest a great shield of energy rose before them, generated by the combined might of the unicorns and Wizzrobes, and the hail of arrows harmlessly bounced off its surface.
Karuna snorted in anger, drawing his sword. "Get back, archers! Pikes, prepare to receive the charge!"
Stalfos and Moblins lowered their spears, planting them against the ground and creating a wall of surefire death.
And yet they still kept coming, fearless and bloodthirsty.
The enemy braced itself.
The two opposing armies were seconds from clashing.
And then…
"Wizzrobes, NOW!" Maulgrim cried.
And without warning, the entire army disappeared in a blinding flash of light. The monsters of Ganon regarded this with utter shock, looking around for any sign of the enemy. Suddenly, another flash of light heralded their arrival, all the way on the opposite side of the mass of enemy troops, where they were completely unprepared.
The enemy had no time to do more than stare in shock at the audacious move before Maulgrim and his allies were upon them. A resounding crash echoed across the fields as the two mighty armies clashed. Whole monster companies disappeared underfoot as the Equestrian reinforcements brazenly charged through rank after rank of enemy forces. Spears were lowered, and countless monsters were skewered on the ends of them. Onward they rode through a sea of bodies into the main body of Ganon's army, until they were pressed about from all sides. And then swords and axes were drawn, and a furious melee ensued. The Battle of the Crystal Fields had begun.
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Crystal Palace…
Ganondorf regarded the scene with barely-restrained rage. His troops, not expecting such a fierce onslaught, were now hard-pressed to hold their own, just when victory had seemed to be theirs. Ganondorf gritted his teeth. It had all been going so well, and yet victory was now slipping from his grasp just as he was about to seize hold of it.
"Impossible," he snarled to himself.
"We are still willing to discuss the terms of surrender," Celestia said from behind him. "But this time, I think we will be the ones to dictate terms."
Ganondorf whirled around, his eyes ablaze with raw fury. "You think this unexpected turn of events will save you?! I don't care if my entire army is wiped out in the process! I will bring you to heel once and for all!"
Celestia and Cadance braced themselves as Ganondorf began bristling with power. "We will see about that, King of Darkness!" Celestia declared.
Cadance drew back her bow and sent a shaft of light at the Dark Lord.
The fight was on.
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Crystal Fields…
Chaos dominated the Crystal Fields as the battle raged. Ganon's monsters struggled to recover from such a fierce onslaught, but they were driven further and further into disarray. The hydra towered over all combatants, its four heads whipping about as it snatched up any enemy monsters it came across, tossing them high into the air. Arrows and spears bounced harmlessly off its tough, scaly hide, and magic attacks did not fare much better, for hydras shared many of the strengths of their distant dragon cousins. It heedlessly lumbered through the swarms of monsters, who desperately tried to escape being trampled underfoot even as they tried to avoid the snapping heads. Manticores snapped with their mighty jaws, swiped with their large claws, and struck with their barbed tails with primal fierceness, even as their Darknut riders slammed their great swords upon the heads of those who managed to weave their way past the manticores' defenses. Cockatrices turned countless helpless monsters into statues that littered the battlefield. Chimeras and cragadiles laid utter waste to the enemy forces, the chimeras too fierce for the monsters to get close to and the cragadiles' rough skin turning virtually all blades. Hordes of Buffalo continued to charge relentlessly through the enemy, their thick skulls and large bodies easily dispersing any defensive pockets the enemy tried to form. Diamond Dogs astride their Timberwolf mounts rode deep into the enemy ranks, decimating all with their clubs, axes, and spears as their mounts howled from the thrill of battle. The ponies tried to stay close to the allied monsters in order to not get overwhelmed by their larger foes as they struck with spear and spell.
And yet the hosts of Ganon were still great, and they were not without their own heavy hitters. Aquamentus screeched in anger as it lumbered into battle, unleashing a stream of fireballs at the brazen enemy. Big Blins and the remaining Hinox charged into the fray, swinging with giant clubs and hammers in a rage of bloodlust. Many of them went straight for the Everfree beasts, intending to even the odds.
Aquamentus soon found itself confronting the wild-eyed hydra, its many heads hissing their challenge. The two reptilian titans lumbered forth and slammed their weighty bulks against one another, each trying to push the other back. The two beasts backed off, and Aquamentus spat a trio of fireballs from its mouth. They slammed into the hydra's chest, but it stumbled only a little, and the multi-headed beast answered with a volley of acid globs from each of its heads, which had more of an effect on Aquamentus's hide. Aquamentus snarled as it felt the acid burn into its skin and rushed at the hydra, and the two monsters collided once again.
Chimeras defended against Big Blins, and the Hinox went after the manticore-riding Darknuts. One Hinox came towards Maulgrim, brandishing its war hammer. His manticore snarled at it, but this did not hinder the juggernaut's approach. The manticore leapt forward and tackled the Hinox, but the monster managed to remain standing as it bellowed, trying to throw the manticore off. Its rough swinging eventually threw Maulgrim off his mount, and he tumbled into the dirt in a daze. Eventually the Hinox succeeded in throwing off the manticore, and before it could recover, the cyclops smashed in its head, silencing it for good. The Hinox then turned towards Maulgrim, who was getting back to his feet. As the Hinox approached, Maulgrim growled, "That was my steed you just killed, brute."
The Hinox swung down at him, but Maulgrim side-stepped and slashed the monster's arm. The Hinox recoiled, snarling in pain and rage. It struck again, sweeping at the Darknut, but this he also dodged by stepping back. The Hinox pressed its attack, but Maulgrim blocked with his shield, though the blow managed to significantly dent it. The Hinox howled with anger as it attempted to grab him. Seeing its hand coming, Maulgrim slashed at it, and the Hinox screamed as its fingers were sliced clean off. Dropping its hammer, the Hinox clutched at its bleeding hand, and thus let its guard down. Maulgrim immediately took advantage of this and plunged his sword into its chest, and the monster fell with a groan.
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Inside the city…
The sound of war horns drew the attention of both Luna and Argorok, both of whom glanced towards the horizon in surprise. Luna's heart swelled with hope and joy at what it meant, and that feeling rippled through all the remaining defenders of the Crystal Empire. After the longest night in the Crystal Empire's history, (considering they were notably absent during the events of Nightmare Moon) reinforcements had arrived to break the siege. Argorok hissed as it looked back down towards Luna, as if debating whether she or these new arrivals were a greater threat. After a few tense seconds, Argorok snarled as it spread out its wings and took to the air, soaring over the city walls towards the Crystal Fields.
Luna breathed a sigh of relief before she quickly rushed to the fallen Helmaroc King's side. "I can heal the worst of your injuries," Luna said to him, the great bird's head straining to look at her, "but you will need more attention from our healers after this. Stay out of the fighting; the tide may have just turned in our favor."
The Helmaroc King said nothing as he allowed Luna to heal his more serious injuries, enough for him to wobble unsteadily to his feet. I will not forget your deed here, Princess of the Night, he spoke into her mind. Now go; your sister has need of you.
Luna nodded in thanks as Helmaroc sought out safety before turning her attention towards the towering spires of the Crystal Palace. All around her, the defenders of the Empire redoubled their efforts, pushing back against Ganon's hordes with renewed determination. With the enemy's attention now split, the Equestrians and their allies began regaining lost ground, retaking streets once thought lost and slowly regaining the walls. Trusting the captains and commanders to lead her troops to victory in her absence, Luna took flight and flew towards the Crystal Palace with all haste.
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Crystal Palace, Throne Room…
The force of Ganondorf's attack sent Cadance hurtling into the wall, leaving a pony-shaped crater where she impacted the surface. Her bow lay broken not far from her as she slumped unconscious to the ground. Celestia inwardly cursed; alicorn though she was, Cadance was not a veteran fighter like her husband or aunts, and Ganondorf had predictably made short work of her. Now it was just the two of them, the Sun Goddess and the Evil King. Ganondorf raised his fist and clenched it, a surge of dark energy pulsating from his fingers.
"One down, two to go," Ganondorf growled. "Know this, fool; the longer you fight, the more pain you will suffer. You cannot defeat me."
Celestia was not in the mood for words; her response was a beam of searing light sent in Ganondorf's direction. Ganondorf thrust his cape outwards, and the light energy exploded harmlessly against him. However, before the dust had even cleared, Celestia was upon him, her lance aimed right for his twisted heart. But Ganondorf had a quick eye, and he swiftly raised his sword to block. A metallic clang echoed throughout the chamber as they locked blades. Both of them gritted their teeth in exertion, their eyes narrowed as they intensely locked eyes. To the Dark Lord's surprise, Celestia actually began pushing him back, his boots skidding on the crystalline floor as Celestia forced him back.
Snarling in anger, Ganondorf expulsed a wave of darkness from his body, knocking Celestia back. However, she raised a shield in time to avoid most of the attack's unpleasant effects, landing elegantly on all fours. Ganondorf raised both hands over his head, charging a massive ball of dark magic. Celestia was quicker, though, and sent a beam of light into Ganondorf's chest. The combined light and dark magic caused a substantial feedback pulse that sent the Gerudo warlord to his knees. But Celestia knew he was far from defeated, and so she pressed her attack, lunging for him as she poured light magic into her spear and aimed it once more at his heart.
"ENOUGH!"
And then she was stopped cold by a hand striking out like a cobra and seizing hold of the shaft of her weapon, turning it away from him, and with his other hand, he clutched her throat, his body positively radiating evil energy. His touch burned like white-hot iron, and Celestia felt him rip her spear out of her grip and toss it aside as he stood, glaring with a mad ferocity that far exceeded that of King Sombra.
"Enough," the Dark Lord growled. "I have lost my patience with you."
Celestia began to charge magic in her horn, but with blinding speed, Ganondorf grabbed her horn with his free hand and poured volumes of dark energy directly into her body through her magical repository, and the resulting pain was unlike anything she had ever felt. A scream tore from her throat, and it made Ganondorf grin.
"Arrogant cur," he scoffed, throwing Celestia to the floor. "You speak to me of what it means to rule?"
Her body wracked with unfathomable agony, Celestia weakly lifted her head as she watched Ganondorf approach.
"You have the gall to proclaim that my rule is false, and yet you are the one who now lies defeated at the seat of your own throne," Ganondorf sneered. "You have no idea what it truly means to rule! Though it only makes sense; I am a king, and you are yet another holier-than-thou princess who thinks wisdom matters more than power. Being King means to become dominant; it is a dictatorship! He who has the power and the iron fist deserves to rule over all else! I am stronger than you in mind as well as in body, thus you are the one who is unworthy of ruling Equestria!"
Her body was broken; pain penetrated every inch of her being, and yet Celestia still had the strength to smile. "Ha…you still don't get it, do you, Ganon?"
She held back a wince of pain as she met Ganondorf's glare with all her remaining willpower.
"Time and again…you have been defeated by those you have…considered beneath you. Have you never taken the time to ponder why?"
"What does it matter?" Ganondorf retorted. "I have beaten you."
Celestia weakly chuckled. "Yes…but I am not the one you should be worried about."
Ganondorf sneered. "Are you, perhaps, referring to that fool of a sorcerer and that group of peasants he calls friends? None of them are a match for me, even with the Elements of Harmony."
"The Elements…have not faced a power like yours before…that much is true. But it does not mean that your power is greater."
"Do not speak to me of your laughable devotion to those silly trinkets! The power of friendship pales before the power of the gods!"
At this, Celestia laughed. Through all her pain, she laughed in his face, caring not at all what consequences it might bring. "And that is why you've lost every time, King of Darkness, and why you're going to lose again. Because you do not, cannot, understand. I've learned a bit about your history, and I know the secret to your failures."
"And what, pray tell, is that?" Ganondorf growled, his patience waning.
"You have no friends. No one to rely on but yourself. You think that you are all that you need. You sit in your halls, with a bloody crown upon your head, content in your power and isolation. And yet a mere peasant boy has, time after time, risen up and deposed you despite all the power you brought to bear against him. Do you know why that is? Because he always has friends to back him up. You…do not. You don't have anyone watching your back when the going gets tough. No one to heal you when you're wounded, no one to give you courage when your heart is seized with fear, no one to give you the strength to keep going when all seems lost. You have nothing worth fighting for, and that is why you will never win. It is by accepting friendship into your heart that one can truly discover their inner power, and with it, Vaati, my student Twilight, and her fellow Element Bearers will defeat you when the time comes."
"They are nothing without their Elements!" Ganondorf roared. "They may be gathering the others, but I still have the greatest of them in my possession! They will have to face me if they want it back, and they will die long before they can reach it!"
Celestia's smile never wavered. "They won't need them."
And with that, Celestia finally faded from consciousness, the last of her strength giving out. She had said her piece. Ganondorf stood there in stunned disbelief; how could she have the nerve to berate him so even in defeat?! "Enough of this," he growled, stalking towards Celestia's limp form, his sword hovering over her neck. "Now you die!"
However, he was suddenly interrupted by a burst of dark energy slamming into his back, knocking him off his feet. Ganondorf quickly recovered, and turned to look upon his assailant.
Princess Luna stood in the middle of the throne room, and she did not fail to recognize that she now found herself in a strangely-familiar situation. Her sister sprawled on the floor in defeat, a conquering dark king hovering over her body, and she alone now stood against him in the halls of the Crystal Palace. Looking into his eyes, she even imagined a purple haze momentarily trailing out of them before she shook off the memory. The sight of her sister and niece bruised and bloodied made her blood boil even further, and now it was in danger of spilling over. But she knew now; she hated it, but she knew, that there was only one way she could face Ganon on equal footing. And after all she had seen and done, this was the only logical conclusion.
"I know that it is not entirely by your own will that you have committed these malicious acts," Luna said. "But you will still pay for all that you've done, King of Darkness! Every life you've taken, every home you've destroyed, and the pain you inflicted on my own flesh and blood…you are going to feel all of it in the bite of this blade."
Ganondorf grinned. "So the last remaining Princess has joined the fight! Excellent; now I don't have to hunt you down. But I have already bested your elder. You think you stand any more of a chance against my power?"
"Your power?" Luna repeated, a dangerous edge in her voice. "You claim to know the true meaning of power? You think that you own the darkness? I'll tell you the same thing I told the last evil king I faced down in this very throne room a thousand years ago. I was born into it, Ganon; you merely adopted it. I've stood unyielding against the power you represent each and every night in all the years I have ruled alongside my sister, and if you think I will yield now, you are mistaken."
Ganondorf's eyes narrowed, but even he could sense that something was off about Luna. He did not recall her eyes being slit like a cat's a moment ago.
"You should have heeded my sister's words, for she spoke the truth," Luna said, meeting Ganondorf's wicked glare unflinchingly. "You do not truly understand power, for you have used it only to terrify and dominate, not to inspire or protect. You have not used your power well, and thus you have allowed yourself to grow weak."
"I've had enough of this silly talk!" Ganondorf snapped. "You know not of what you speak! I am the bearer of the Triforce of Power! I am the chosen of the Goddess of Power herself! I understand it far better than any of you!"
"You stole that power!" Luna shouted. "You were not chosen! As always, the thief believes that everything he steals is his by right. Pathetic."
"You dare…" Ganondorf snarled.
"Yes, I dare," Luna interrupted without skipping a beat. "I dare because I am not afraid of you."
Ganondorf took one step back as a change overcame Luna. Her body seemed to grow taller, more slender. Her blue pelt darkened to an ebony black. Her mane and tail seemed to grow more wild and untamed, becoming more like a starry mist than the nightscape her hair had once been. Her sword morphed into a large scythe with a white crescent moon-shaped blade. Volumes of power radiated from the transformed alicorn's body as she glared daggers into the King of Darkness.
Ganondorf felt her power and glared back suspiciously. "Such power…what are you?"
A dainty, pitiless chuckle. "Your worst nightmare," Nightmare Moon intoned in all her treacherous glory.
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Crystal Fields…
Slowly but surely, the tide had begun to turn against the forces of Ganon. Though both sides fought hard, throwing everything they had at one another, it was clear that Maulgrim's forces were more organized and were taking advantage of the enemy's disarray. As more and more enemy monsters fell to magic, sword, axe, and spear, it seemed that victory was near at hand. Ganon's forces were soon pushed almost entirely out of the city, and the defenders then began pouring out of the city and joining the battle in the fields.
It was at this last that Argorok came swooping out of the sky, searching for victims. Unable to tell who was the commander of the enemy forces, the armored dragon decided to turn its attention towards the first pony it saw, and dove down at its target. Octavia had just dispatched an attacking Miniblin when she heard the telltale thrum of beating wings heading straight towards her. She looked up to see Argorok descending upon her, its mouth opening wide. She was no unicorn or pegasus; there was no way she could escape what was to come. As those gleaming white teeth fell upon her, all she could do was stare with a look of fear, and finally resignation.
And then those jaws snapped down upon her, and she was lifted off the ground high into the air. Argorok thrashed its neck from side to side, enjoying the taste of pony flesh before it threw its victim upon the ground. And a short distance away, Vinyl Scratch watched it all transpire with an expression of open-mouthed horror. Octavia, lying in a pool of her own blood, feebly twitched as Argorok landed on the ground, stalking towards her, eager to devour. Octavia weakly raised a hoof in a futile attempt to defend herself as Argorok's head leered over her, its mouth opening wide to devour her.
And then somepony stepped between the mortally wounded cellist and the hungry dragon, a pony Octavia recognized instantly.
"I will kill you if you touch her again," Vinyl growled, her eyes wide with anger, sorrow, and hatred.
Argorok breathed smoke through its nostrils as it glared at her with unseen eyes. Then, to everyone's surprise, it spoke, its voice a deep rasp. "Come not between a dragon and his prey, lest he devour thee in turn."
"Do your worst, you bastard. I won't let you touch her again!"
Argorok roared, beating its wings against the air as it took flight, sending a putrid rush of air at the white unicorn, who didn't waver for a moment. The dragon dove down at her, claws outstretched. However, Vinyl leapt aside, and as Argorok passed her by, she seized hold of the bejeweled end of its tail. Argorok cried out as it felt itself kinetically slammed against the hard ground with enough force to knock off several pieces of its black armor. As the dragon struggled to right itself, Vinyl noticed something strange on its back: a glowing blue orb situated between its wings, partially obscured by armor. Vinyl wasted no time in firing a magical beam that knocked off the last bit of armor protecting what she realized was Argorok's weak point.
Argorok howled with rage as it whirled around, only for Vinyl to hit it squarely in the face with another beam. Forcing itself to ignore it, for it was not causing Argorok more than minor discomfort, the dragon arched its head back and sent a sweltering-hot wave of fire out of its mouth towards Vinyl. The unicorn vanished behind the stream of flames, and Argorok kept it up for several moments just to be sure. Finally the dragon let up, but when the flames died down, Vinyl was nowhere to be found. Knowing that there should at least have been a charred corpse, Argorok whipped its head around, searching for her. It did not think to look up until it was too late.
With a cry, Vinyl reappeared in the air with her spear in hoof and landed upon the startled dragon's back. Argorok had to time to do more than hiss in surprise before Vinyl plunged her spear with every inch of force she could muster, into the crystal on its back. Argorok threw its head back and screeched in unfathomable agony. Vinyl jumped off and landed on the ground on all fours as the dragon rose into the air, flames pouring freely out of its mouth as it thrashed about mid-air, succumbing to its final death-throes. And with one last dying shriek, Argorok exploded into black mist, which was blown away by the winds of the north.
With the battle around her almost decided, Vinyl ignored all else as she quickly rushed to Octavia's side and knelt down, lifting her old friend's limp head in her arms.
"T-Tavi…?" Vinyl whimpered.
Octavia's eyes slowly opened, and she smiled, even as a sliver of blood trickled down her chin. "Vinyl…I'm glad you're with me. Here…a-at my end."
Vinyl shook her head. "No…no, I'm going to save you!"
Octavia's breathing became labored. "Y-you already…did." Her smile fell. "Vinyl…my body is broken. My passing is nigh. You…must let m-me go."
Tears fell from Vinyl's face. "No…" she whispered. "Tavi, y-you can't leave me…!"
Octavia's eyelids slowly drooped. "Vinyl…I want you to promise me something."
Vinyl's heart constricted as she realized she could not deny what was coming. "A-anything, Tavi."
Octavia smiled. "Promise me that…no matter what happens, you'll keep on living enough for the both of us. Do not let your grief eat away at you until nothing remains. You have to let me go."
Vinyl said nothing, stroking Octavia's hair.
"Promise me, Vinyl…"
Vinyl sniffed and nodded. "I promise."
Octavia's eyes widened a little as she looked into Vinyl's own, and her lip quivered. "Vinyl…" she uttered, and with a final gasp, Octavia stilled and moved no more, her eyes no longer seeing.
Vinyl simply stared into her friend's empty eyes, knowing that she would never again hear her complain about her music choices, or whine about her tendency to clean dishes using wubs, or berate her about being out late at night partying as she helped her get her drunken flank into bed. Octavia was gone.
Vinyl buried her face in Octavia's chest and released a long, mournful wail, heedless of the battle around her.
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Elsewhere, Maulgrim was fending off the blows of an Iron Knuckle, making sure to stay out of range of that obscenely-huge axe. The animated suit of Gerudo armor swung its weapon down, and the Darknut dodged. With its weapon stuck in the dirt, Maulgrim swiftly cut down the Iron Knuckle. With his newest foe undone, Maulgrim looked all around.
Victory was at hand.
The hydra had successfully defeated Aquamentus, the majority of the Big Blins and Hinox had fallen, and with Argorok also destroyed, Ganon's forces were in a full rout. Somewhere in the remaining hordes, the Moblin chieftain Karuna desperately sounded the retreat. Horns blew as Ganon's remaining servants turned and fled the field, their enemies nipping at their heels until they had retreated far into the blizzard far beyond the Crystal Empire's boundaries.
And then the Darknut saw something that made him grin.
"About time they showed up."
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Crystal Palace…
Ganondorf took a second to appreciate his new foe. She was exhibiting an aura of terror not unlike his very own. Yes, though she did not know it, she truly was the greatest of the two sisters. The Dark Lord scoffed. "How amusing. You think you're the only one who can change their body to increase their power? Allow me to demonstrate."
As he said this, Ganondorf hunched forward, and with a flash of terrible light, grew over three times his size. His skin changed from Gerudo skin to sickly blue fur. His muscles expanded and pulsed as pure power coursed through his veins. His head quickly lost any human features, all of which were quickly overtaken by the features of a slavering boar with pupil-less red eyes. His sword vanished, replaced by a black trident of impressive size that he held in his left hand. Standing at his full height, Ganon towered over Nightmare Moon, but her glare didn't waver for a moment.
"Perhaps I was wrong about you," Ganon said. "Perhaps you do have some understanding of power after all. A being such as yourself could be a high-level subordinate to me. I'll give you one chance; join me or die."
Nightmare Moon rolled her eyes and heaved a dramatic sigh. "And here I was thinking you were going to offer me to be your queen, as if I haven't heard that one before. I think I'll pass, either way."
Ganon smirked. "Somehow, I knew you'd say that. Very well, then; die!"
Ganon brought the Trident down upon Nightmare Moon's head, only to find that she had blocked the attack with her scythe with practiced ease.
"I think you will find that I am not as easily conquered as my dear sister!" she grinned savagely.
Ganon roared as he tried to smash Nightmare Moon with his fist. Laughing, Nightmare Moon merely enveloped herself in her miasma-like mane, becoming incorporeal. Ganon snarled as the starry miasma encircled him, stifling him with her presence. But Ganon would not be denied; with another mighty roar of anger, he sent out a blast of dark energy that drove back the nightmare mist, forcing Nightmare Moon back into her physical form. As soon as she had, Ganon threw his Trident at her like a boomerang. He had expected her to attempt to dodge it; instead, she deflected it with her scythe, sending it crashing into the wall. Nightmare Moon then went on the attack, aiming for Ganon's head. But with a snap of the giant Moblin's finger, the trident reappeared in his hands, and he parried her attack, forcing her back again.
Ganon began spinning the Trident over his head, causing a multitude of fireballs to circle over him. Suddenly the fireballs became bats of flame, which all flew at Nightmare Moon, who coolly dispelled them with a quick slice of her weapon. She then answered this attack with a dark energy disk flung from her scythe, which Ganon blocked in turn. It seemed then that both foes realized that they would not be able to best one another through use of spellcraft, for they tightened their grips on their respective weapons before they clashed once more, pushing against one another with all their strength. Despite the enormous difference in size, they were pretty evenly matched, coming to a stand-still in the middle of the throne room. Nightmare Moon began flapping her wings, and again, Ganon found himself slowly being pushed back. He had grossly underestimated the physical strength of these equines.
Determined not to be overcome, Ganon abruptly phased out of view, teleporting over to the other side of the throne room. With nothing left to hold her in place, Nightmare Moon's own momentum was used against her, and she crashed headfirst into the crystal throne, shattering it to bits. Ganon laughed at this, reveling in the mayhem. But Nightmare Moon was far from a laughing mood, and she rose proud and erect from the rubble, her eyes glowing solid white. White magic circles pulsated around her, from which flew a salvo of energy swords. However, Ganon teleported again, coming to another section of the room, the blades passing him harmlessly by. He raised the Trident in the air, and a torrent of lightning ran up the shaft. Snarling, he pointed it at Nightmare Moon, sending a massive bolt of thunder magic her way. Nightmare Moon raised a shield which dispersed the electricity all around the makeshift arena, leaving countless scorch marks on the walls. Ganon let up his assault and saw Nightmare Moon lower her shield right before she became a blur of motion almost too quick for the eye to catch.
Ganon prepared for another attack, but was interrupted by a multitude of magical discharges slamming into his body from random directions as Nightmare Moon zipped around the room at blinding speeds. Bellowing with rage, Ganon slammed his fist into the ground, the resulting shockwave knocking Nightmare Moon out of her spell, sending her crashing to the floor. Ganon took immediate advantage of this and slammed the Trident down upon her stunned form, and an explosion rocked the palace. Nightmare Moon found herself falling through the floor of the throne room into the next floor down, her body smoking from the magical energies that had assaulted her. Momentarily dazed, she heard the sound of Ganon's laughter above her and immediately came to her senses.
Ganon clearly was not expecting her to get back up, because when she blasted her way through the floor, all he could do was gawk as she struck him full-force with a powerful beam of dark magic right in his ugly face. The impact threw Ganon off his cloven hooves onto his back with a shuddering crash. Growling, the King of Darkness slowly rose to his feet. "Urgh…that attack should have defeated you! How are you still standing?!" he demanded, wiping his cheek.
Nightmare Moon sneered. "As I said earlier, I am not as easily conquered as my sister, who always blanched at the idea of giving in to her dark side once in a while. You'll have to do a lot more than that to best me!"
Ganon's body bristled with dark magic. "Don't mind if I do!"
Again, Ganon threw his Trident, but as Nightmare Moon moved to deflect it, Ganon teleported once more as the Trident came towards the alicorn. Nightmare Moon struck it, but instead of it flying away, it began attacking her as though wielded by an invisible hand. Then Ganon reappeared right behind her, and she whipped her head around in time to see his massive fist crash into her face, sending her careening down the throne room, sliding across the floor until she was in the hallway outside the throne room. Not taking any chances, Ganon charged towards her.
But Nightmare Moon was not down. Not yet. Just as Ganon was almost upon her, she teleported out of his path right before the Trident smashed into where she had just been, blasting another hole in the floor. Ganon stood, realizing his prey had escaped death yet again. "Where are you, you coward?!" he boomed.
"Behind you," he heard a voice whisper in his ear.
Ganon turned and shot an energy blast out of his trident, only to hit thin air. "Show yourself!" Ganon roared.
"Hmm, where could the best princess be hiding?" Nightmare Moon's voice crooned from all around him. "Maybe here…" Now her voice sounded like it was coming from Ganon's right. "Or here…" Now it came from his left. "It matters not," she spoke from all around. "I am Nightmare Moon; I am everywhere!"
Ganon gritted his teeth; the fool was toying with him! Without moving a muscle, Ganon silently reached out with the Triforce of Power, seeking out his loathsome quarry. And with a start, he realized right where she was. With a speed that belied his immense size, Ganon whirled around and thrust his Trident outward, and with a gasp of pained surprise, Nightmare Moon found herself impaled through her chest, just when she had been about to strike at his unprotected back. Ganon grinned as he held her in the air.
"It's over, you fool," he declared. "Die now, and curse in vain!"
With a swipe of his Trident, he flung Nightmare Moon back into the throne room, where she tumbled to a stop and moved no further. Ganon stalked back into the throne room, his heavy footsteps shaking the foundations. His eyes were on Nightmare Moon as he approached. "I told you, worm," he snarled. "You cannot defeat me. Only the Hero of Legend wielding the Blade of Evil's Bane has the power to defeat me, and since neither of them exist in this world, there is nothing, no one, that can stop my takeover of this pitiful world! You would have been better off simply kneeling before me in the first place, yet now you lie here, dying! You could have avoided this, but no, you simply had to…"
"Shut up, will you?!"
Ganon was shocked into silence at the unexpected interruption of his tirade. "W-what…?"
Nightmare Moon had gotten back to her feet, looking none the worse for wear. "You talk too much, that's what."
Ganon gritted his teeth as he tried to hold back a scream of frustration, to little avail. "WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE TO KILL YOU?!"
"Go on and keep stabbing me if you want," Nightmare Moon laughed. "You might get somewhere after the three hundredth time. Now, if you're finished, I believe it's my turn."
And then Luna unleashed a massive beam of moonlit energy, and Ganon took the full brunt of the attack, flying into the far wall where the ruins of the crystal throne now stood. Ganon slumped to the ground and fell to his knees, panting heavily as he leaned on his Trident for support. He couldn't believe it; she was actually putting up enough of a fight that she was wearing him out! None but the Legendary Hero himself had ever managed to get this far in single combat with the Dark Lord, and the thought of the fact that it was a magical talking horse administering such a beatdown caused him more consternation than he was willing to put up with.
"You've humiliated me for the last time, you stupid pack animal!" Ganon roared, throwing a massive energy ball at the moon goddess.
Nightmare Moon struck it with her scythe, sending it back at Ganon, who deflected it back at her, and a tense game of Dead Man's Volley ensued. Ganon was very experienced with this deadly exchange, but Nightmare Moon had a keen eye and quick reflexes, easily able to keep up with the Evil King. In order to up the ante, Ganon took a risk and sent a second ball hurtling towards her just as she deflected the first one back at him. With the Dead Man's Volley now having taken an even deadlier new turn, both opponents were hard-pressed to keep up the exchange without missing a single beat. And ultimately, it was Ganon who made the mistake first, striking too soon and not hitting the ball in time. With a bellow of pain and rage, Ganon fell to the ground as his body burned with pain from both the energy balls striking their owner rather than the intended target.
As the Dark Lord lay on the ground, his mind raced. It…cannot be! Am…Am I losing?!
The great demon boar violently shook his head. No! I will not let it end like this!
With a grunt of exertion, Ganon threw himself to his feet and raised his Trident high in the air, charging a new attack. Nightmare Moon braced herself as dozens of green lightning bolts lanced out from the tip of the Trident, shooting in random directions. Nightmare Moon raised another shield to defend against them, but it seemed Ganon had been expecting this, for instead of blocking the lightning bolts, they shattered the shield like glass and struck Nightmare Moon all over, sending her to her knees with a pained cry. Ganon levelled the tip of his Trident at her head, and a beam of dark energy slammed into her, pushing her across the floor as it left a smoldering gouge of molten crystal. It seemed Nightmare Moon still had some fight in her, for another beam of magic exploded from the smoke and dust, but Ganon blocked it with a swish of his cape before following up with a blast of lightning that he kept up for a good minute, relishing the scream of agony that escaped Nightmare Moon's throat. When he finally let up his assault, he warily looked down, ready to attack again just in case, but upon closer inspection, Ganon's grin returned.
Nightmare Moon had been defeated. Unable to overcome Ganon, the nightmare side of Luna retreated back into the depths of her inner being as the bruised and battered princess returned to normal, utterly defeated. However, as Ganon stepped towards her, he stumbled, weariness overcoming him. He hadn't used such power in a long time, and though he had emerged the victor, he had been heavily weakened in the fight. But there was no one left to oppose him now, so it was of no consequence. Ganon used his Trident as a cane as he approached Luna's still form.
"What a waste of power," he sneered. "It is time you learned your place, once and for all!"
Luna blearily opened one eye to see Ganon's blurry form towering over her as he raised his Trident over his head. And then it came down. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light, and a thunderous roar, and Luna knew no more.