//------------------------------// // The Battle into Canterlot // Story: A World Without a Rainboom // by Mocha Star //------------------------------// Shining armor charged to the base of Canterlot mountain with sixty of his best soldiers, ready to infiltrate the city and make certain every citizen was safe indoors as soon as he had prepared his troops moments after the group entered the throne room. “Soldiers,” he started shouting as the platoon began the ascent, “we may not live, we may not die. But no matter what, we fight for our entire world with this battle!” He paused to let the cheering die down before continuing. “Section one, you’re to split off into four teams and make certain ponies along the main route into the castle are indoors and out of the way. The rest are with me. Pegasi, stay just above us, scouts take to the air and keeps your communication stones ready; keep an eye out for any ambush and enemy troop movements. “Today the sun rises.” He grinned as his troops agreed with hushed enthusiasm. Even with his concerns, he was proud of the army he’d formed and the ponies he led. He looked to the city above them, mere minutes away from the last turn to the city entrance; they began to quicken their pace. Home. It’s right there, the place I lived for my whole life before all this. “Home! It’s right there, troops. Let’s take it back!” Shining armor shouted as they entered a gallop. The pegasi took to the air, scouts taking their positions high in the sky, and the select ponies scattering to clear the streets of civilians. The charge into the city was eventful, ponies scattered to their homes or nearest safe place out of the way as the soldiers charged ahead. “Command, this is General Shining Armor. Detonate the charges.” “Yes sir,” was the firm answer he received through his communication gem in his ear. As he was galloping he glanced ahead to the castle. I’m so sorry for what’s about to happen. If there’s a higher power than Celestia, please help and forgive us all. A moment later a dull but steady boom echoed over the city, followed by two more from other directions. He winced as he remembered the estimation given to him by his advisors. One hundred souls, lost to this monstrous whore. I will skewer her with her own horn over this, he growled lowly as they passed Donut Joe’s. Dozens of ponies and zebra cowered inside, looking around in fear. A screeching crow echoed from their north west, followed by another to their west. Dozens more followed. “Prepare for anything, the first attack may be inbound.” Looking to his left and right he steeled himself. The soldiers around him were determined, stoically scanning for threats. Another series of craws echoed throughout the city, more and in unison this time. Fliers were in the skies, all around the city as far as they could see. “General, this is command. Prepare for a surprise.” What the tartarus does that mean? A gryphon flew into a glide over the group. A pack of pegasi charged at the gryphon only to be intercepted by others who flanked what appeared to be the leader. “I am commander Linder, we, all gryphons, are ready to fight with you.” A chill went through Shining Armor, a combination of relief and pride. “I’m general Shining Armor,” he stated loudly to get the attention of the gryphons, “let’s do this.” With a wicked grin Linder crowed twice and arced upwards into the darkness. Several other gryphons replaced her about the ponies in their charge, their rear talons sharpened and the tips of their beaks honed to a point. Some nervous glances were shared between the galloping troops but they stayed the charge. A low crow in the distance caused the gryphons to tense and their claws to open. The group above the ponies took a higher flight over the rooftops. A moment later dozens of Nightmare Moon’s pegasi in armor charged through the gryphons, blood spattered some of the ponies as they charged. Several shut their eyes and screamed, turning blindly into a turn that took them out of the battle, running into homes or panicking down alleys to hide. “Stay in formation, prepare to fight!” Zebra in black armor stood in formation several blocks ahead of the ponies, blocking the entrance to the castle by three blocks. “Don’t stop, they can’t stop us, we fight for the sun!” With a rally cry the ponies charged forth, their eyes narrowed and looking at the Zebra standing in place, staffs by their sides held by a foreleg. A shout in their native language and they brought their staffs to a forward position, their expressions neutral. With a flick of their head all their helmets flew, in unison, into the air above them. In an impressive act of perfect harmony the zebra all forward flipped, swinging and striking the helmets with their staffs sending them flying toward their foes. Several ponies yelled in pain as the helmets struck them in their poorly armored legs, breaking them, or in their helmets in just the right place to make them fall, tumbling, and being trampled by the others that refused to stop their charge. In formation again, three deep and holding their staffs, standing stoically, the zebra waited with the patience of a statue. Six gryphons tore into the area from behind them, grasping four of them in one motion while two were lacerated deeply by the gryphon talons. Finally, the zebra resolve broke, they turned and formed defensive circles, staffs at the ready aimed at the skies, they began to fight and shout at the gryphons circling them. Without stopping the ponies passed by the zebra, several falling to heavy blows and trips, a couple got up to rejoin their allies only to be struck several times in the legs, taking them out of the battle. “Stay on! We can make it, once we’re inside the castle- Oh buck me, scramble!” Shining armour shouted as a purple dragon, as large as a ponyville house, with green scales only on its underbelly landed just inside the castle walls. Placing its claws against the top of the walls it looked down at the scrambling ponies in armor and inhaled deeply. With a low growl green smoke began to leave its muzzle before a pillar of green flame spat out from its razor sharp toothed maw, racing across the streets and brushing against the buildings outside the walls. “Scatter and get to cover,” Shining shouted taking cover down an alley with several others while watching in constrained horror as a whole squad was caught in the flames, turning their flesh and bodies to ash, leaving charred skeletons in the fire's wake. "Private Sun Struck, get out of there," Shining shouted as he cleared the street. Without a word the dragon inhaled and swept the area again, the heat was enough to make even the temperature enchantments on their armor feel like they were standing in front of an open furnace. The unfortunate private was frozen in terror, releasing his bladder in fear, as the flame approached and washed over him, sending him to the same fate as his friends. “What’s the plan?” Shining asked openly. “It’s a bucking dragon, we run?” “How about something that doesn’t end in our defeat and the certain death of every creature across the globe?” “General, perhaps we can deal with it?” Shining armor turned to the soldier who was talking. “Who’s the wise- Wait, I remember you, you’re that corporal from the meeting.” “Yes sir, you never came to visit,” the stallion said with a smirk. “Indeed, but formalities will have to wait, what’s your name, colt?” “Actually,” he relied with sharp toothy grin. A green flame encircled his body eating away the pony fur and revealing a tough black carapace. “Changeling,” a soldier screamed lowering herself into a fighting stance only to be singed by passing dragonfire that licked down the alley at just the wrong angle. She scrambled away as she and others checked her for injuries. “Not the time, if the changelings are here then they’d better be on our side,” Shining glared at the changeling. “Indeed, sir. I am here under your command, as are dozens of others. We’re not here to fight you, we’re here to win, just like you. No ponies will be harmed in exchange for recognition in this battle that we helped, agreed?” Shining didn’t hesitate to nod in agreement as another green flame licked inside the alley. “Celestia damnit, doesn’t that thing ever run outta fire?” “We’ll take over for this one,” the changeling said as its body was coated with green flame. A small red dragon whelp stood in its place. With a salute it scurried out of the alley quickly and toward the wall, quickly climbing it without its path leaving a mark. A moment later several dozen other small dragons appeared and climbed up the walls, ignored by the adult dragon. With a loud roar of pain the purple dragon spun, its tail smashing through the outer walls it was guarding as the smaller dragons ran around it. Without a touch, motion, or physical attack the larger dragon fell to the ground, staring ahead into a void of its own mind. “Units, resume entry into the castle, do not attack our allies, repeat. Do not attack our allies.” The ponies and several gryphon came out of hiding as well as three injured zebra that were holding injured ponies on their backs. With a look to each other the soldiers looked to each other, new allies, then the fallen dragon. A nervous chuckle formed among the reforming ranks as they cautiously walked around the fallen dragon. Shining walked to a changeling who turned to him, reverted to its normal form, then its eyes glowed bright green. “Shining Armor, general of the Equine armies, I hope to meet you in the flesh, as it were,” a proud female voice chuckled from the small creature. “Who and what are you?” “I am queen of the changelings, you’ll know my name soon enough. We have a bargain, and I know you ponies always keep your word. Until next we meet.” “Wait,” Shining said sternly, “what’d you do? How do you take down a dragon without a strike?” A toothy grin from the changeling sent a primeval tremble to his rear legs. “We drained it of the one thing it can’t protect.” “And what is that?” “All in due time, general. All in die time.” The changeling’s eyes returned to a bright blue and it stumbled before turning back to the others, facing the dragon. They all reverted to their real forms and laid in place, seemingly exhausted. Great, a new ally or enemy for Equestria? I can’t wait to find out. Trotting quickly into the courtyard to his troops Shining sighed. “Form up and ready yourselves, this is our turn,” he said with growing confidence. The entrance was guarded by more than fifty ponies in full enchanted combat armor, holding spears in their magic and forelegs and pegasi with sharpened wingblades hovered above the doorway. A grey alicorn wearing a chestplate swooped in from above and behind what was left of Shinings platoon, throwing the bodies of three dead gryphons into their ranks, before landing between the opposing sides. “General, I’ve heard so many things about you. Certainly none of your dashing looks,” she flirted, folding her wings and raising her horn high. “If you’re allied with that nag then I have no business with you.” Her expression fell to a mean sneer, canine fangs showed in her mouth, polished and coated silver to intimidate any who challenged her. Shining glared at her. “I wonder what your teeth look like as a necklace.” She took a reactive step back. Alicorn or not, she was still once a simple mare. “W-what? H-how dare you? To speak to me that way?” “You’re not even a challenge to us, leave this battle and join your dam as she gives birth to her own demise.” The sky filled with fireworks suddenly, startling all the ponies, except Shining Armor. He took the opportunity to lower his horn and charge at the surprised and distracted alicorn, powering a blast he was saving for Nightmare Moon he struck her in the chest an instant before ramming her with his shoulder. Sound was moot below the exploding display of colors that filled the sky. She appeared to scream as her chestplate shattered, green and black magic sparkled from it as it broke to the ground, dissipating as she was shoulder checked. Flying with his momentum into the first few ranks of her troops guarding the entrance garnered the attention of Shining’s troops who took the opportunity to charge into the castle. Using spells and swift attacks the Night Guards were quickly dispensed of, the rest running in terror away, deeper into the castle as the two squads reformed and surrounded the grey alicorn. She was lying on her side, slowly she raised her head and rolled to her belly before looking to the general. He glared at her, she winced before opening her wings and taking flight out the door, her pegasi in pursuit to fight another battle. Turning, Shining took to a gallop up the stairs and to the throne room, readying his spell again, ready to kill his first pony, for the good of the world. With few obstacles and scattering what few loyalist ponies were left they made it to the throne room only to be stopped by the enchantments on the doors. “Mages, dispel these barriers, we need to get in there and help my sister!” The last several unicorns in the squads that remained began to cast any spells they could to get the door open. Damnit. Hurry, I have to get in there. Stay strong Twiley, your BBBFF is almost there.”