//------------------------------// // Massacre in the Moonlight // Story: The Nightmare Wars // by GigaBowser //------------------------------// Chapter 9 - Massacre in the Moonlight It didn't take long for the fighting to begin. It was admittedly sudden. For one cycle I had total control over the land with only a few small rebellious troublemakers to deal with, and the next cycle I found myself facing an army. Truly, it was almost as comparable as night and day. In the short time following what had come to be known as 'hour zero', a somewhat abstract reference to the attempted eclipse that had gone so wrong, my enemy made its presence known. As I sat in Canterlot, more and more messengers returned and delivered the news that battles had erupted. In most major cities around the nation, the Night Guard suddenly found themselves facing an organized and somewhat formidable group of ponies. Featheraklion, Palermino, Galvalon and more. What they spoke of did not please me. In addition to many of the cities' residents taking up arms as if they were part of a militia, cities across the land were receiving support from ponies wearing golden armour. At first I scoffed at the notion, but after a quick teleport to Galvalon I could see that it was true. The Night Guard was fighting against ponies wearing the branding of the Solaris Guard. I didn't understand what I was seeing because it should have been impossible. I had destroyed the Solaris Guard. The only idea that made any sense was that normal citizens had somehow gotten their hooves on Solaris armour, but reports of their offensive skills gave me doubt. There was absolutely no way that a 'new' Solaris Guard had been pulled together after I had taken care of the old one. Messengers were also informing me that we had lost control of Pegassaly. Compared to other cities and towns, the rebel forces were a much stronger force there and were somehow able to force the Night Guard out completely. From what I heard and observed, it seemed as if Pegassaly was becoming their central fortification; the heart of their army. I suspected a certain alicorn was hidden there somewhere, if only I could draw her out. It had been just over 24 hours since hour zero. While I dearly wanted to be out amongst the skirmishes, putting an end to the battles faster than any of those fools could possibly perceive, I chose to stay in Canterlot for the time being. Suffice to say, I had learned an important lesson over the past month or so. I had been letting overconfidence get to me. It was because of overconfidence that I had let those ponies into Celestia's cell in the first place, that I had lost Celestia, and that I had ultimately had her magic taken away from me. I refused to underestimate my foes any longer. Even if victory seemed completely certain, I would no longer take any chances. My time on the battlefield would come soon, and those ponies would rue the day they stood up against me, but for now I was playing the role of commander. I wasn't sure how, but even with still no sign of Celestia these ponies had somehow become a force worth fighting. As soon as the sun had been sighted in the sky, the ponies of this land had begun fighting back. Every able-bodied stallion and mare seemed to be willing to throw themselves at the army of the night in the name of their pathetic Princess. This combined with these members of the Solaris Guard coming from seemingly nowhere made them a threat. I did not find them a very large threat but, again, no more overconfidence. I was presently gazing at a map of the land where approximate representations of territory for ourselves and them was drawn. There was a black mass centred around Canterlot, an orange mass centered around Pegassaly and the northern border, and smaller collections of both black and orange scattered about. "Should we regroup, Your Majesty?" a voice hissed beside me. I turned to the soldier standing next to me, second-in-command and leader of our entire forces after myself. The only other souls in the room were a few messengers who were ready to carry any message that needed to be delivered. "No," I replied, "Have our forces remain where they are in the cities. The smaller cities have smaller fighting forces, and we should not give the rebellion a chance to regroup. Stay strong and crush the enemy while their groups remain small and divided." The soldier saluted and nodded. I turned my gaze towards another point on the map. "As for the soldiers in Pegassaly…" I murmured. "They are unable to re-enter the city and establish a presence, Your Majesty." "I am aware…" I replied. After a moment's thought, I told him, "Forget Pegassaly. Order all Pegassaly troops to return to Canterlot and join forces here. I am fairly certain that these fools are going to attempt to march on Canterlot. Since most of them are in Pegassaly, it is wasted effort to try and reclaim it. They can have it for all I care. Instead, we'll meet their advance with the full force of the night." The soldier turned towards one of the messengers, who quickly saluted and then dashed out the window. I furrowed my brow as I continued to stare at the map. Aside from Canterlot and Pegassaly, significant conflict had broken out in at least ten other cities and towns. The case was the same for each of them; forces that were apparently from the Solaris Guard revealed themselves, and those citizens who had not already been granted a fighting spirit by the sight of the sun joined their ranks and charged forth. Eyewitness estimates were vague, but I was being told that their numbers were growing large. I had a significant number of loyal followers, but still I could only create so many soldiers at a time. It seemed that we still carried the advantage in numbers, but a cautious part of my mind warned that this advantage may soon shrink to almost nothing. Unfortunately, I had to keep reminding myself that I was no longer invincible. I was still as powerful as the mare who had defeated Celestia with nary a scratch, but I was not untouchable. This is what made me hesitant to appear out in the open on a whim, as being out in the open was how I had lost Celestia. These ponies were tricky, and it was impossible to plan for everything. I would join the battle when the time came. And still, through it all, no sign of Celestia. In essence, we were fighting her 'army', and it was almost certain that she had somehow unfathomably been able to regain the use of her magic. After giving it some thought, I reasoned that she was perhaps taking the same precautions that I was. She had, after all, once been a brilliant tactician. I would just have to be a better one. "Your Majesty," the soldier spoke, recapturing my attention, "in a few cities, we are outnumbered. Smaller cities like Palermino did not have as large a presence by our soldiers." "I am not concerned," I replied calmly, "They will be able to hold their own with the support of their goddess." The soldier nodded and I grinned to myself. No matter what odds my soldiers faced, they would always have the upper hoof. My Soldiers of the Night were all connected to me and, so long as I still drew breath, my magic would empower and protect them. Like the purest black of shadows, my brothers and sisters held within them a gift that no other creature in this world would ever taste. There was not much more to say, and so I began to wrap things up. "Keep me informed of our soldiers' status in the smaller cities at all times, and ensure that those retreating from Pegassaly get back here in one piece." I turned and began to trot out of the room. "Prepare the soldiers of Canterlot," I continued, "We march in 32 hours." "As you wish, Your Majesty." I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "If those fools want a battle, then they shall get it. Whether they stay in Pegassaly or march for Canterlot, they shall soon find themselves slaughtered at the hooves of the Soldiers of the Night. "And I shall be there to ensure that none of them ever rise again." … Events began to play out as I had expected them to. How boring. The rebel army struggled to take control of more cities, but my soldiers made sure to beat them back down. Still, however, they were not a weak fighting force and continued to stand their ground. Most cities were locked in evenly-matched duels, although rebel forces had fled from Galvalon and the small city of Ajapinto. That hardly mattered. Our forces had been keeping an eye on their de facto stronghold in Pegassaly, and reported to us that a full contingent of their army was beginning to march south. Only an hour before we had been planning to march north, too. It's as if they wanted to engage in a hopeless battle. These surly ponies in their golden armour and vibrant red scarves were certainly proving themselves to be determined and capable, but the forces of the night were making it sufficiently clear that we still held all of the cards. Our presence was everywhere and would not be shattered. They had not yet lost, but we aimed to show them that they could not win. Now it was time to play our ace, and it looked as if they were graciously rushing forwards to receive it. The small scuffles in the cities could be written off the map entirely. Preparations had been made, and now the near-full strength of both armies would meet in the shadows of Canterlot Mountain, a bloody clash that would not end until one side lay defeated. I was betting my bits on the side that was marching with an alicorn. It was an impressive sight, without a doubt. Just outside the city of Canterlot stood thousands of soldiers ready for battle. They were all outfitted with sleek black armour and impressive weaponry, and were all lined up in perfect rows. A sea of nearly-identical stallions and mares, bats and former citizens alike. It was completely impossible to discriminate what my soldiers had once been. I had no doubt that each and every one of them would do no less than their best for their Princess and the glory of the night. I stood amongst them, about ten rows back from the front. I was ready to end this war, or at least put a colossal dent in our enemy. The rebels in the cities were occupied, the bulk of their army was marching from Pegassaly to meet us, and we were accompanied by at least 50 scouts. With the acute hearing of a bat, I would be surprised if any potential sneak attacks were to slip past their detection. No, the only ponies who would be able to reach me would be the ones that fell before me. Blood would be shed on both sides, but a victor would emerge. I knew not when, but did know who. I took one more glance around at the collection of soldiers, all prepared for slaughter. A foolish leader would have wasted time at this point by delivering some empty promises or supposedly uplifting speech. Instead, I simply said, "If there are no objections, march." The hours rolled past in silence as we moved forward as a group. We crossed the frozen fields, leaving Canterlot behind. In the distance, Canterlot Mountain slowly approached. It stood tall over the rest of Equestria, reaching up and nearly touching the moon. Scouts continued to inform us that our opposition was not changing tactics and continuing to approach from the other side of the mountain. I gave the order to pick up our pace a little bit. If the point of contact ended up being north of the mountain rather than south of it, we could use the higher ground to our advantage. We continued forth and when we reached the foothills of the mountain, the first five rows broke away from us and rushed ahead. They took to the air and quickly encircled the mountain, just as the rest of us would not long after. It was the job of this first group to be a 'first strike', drawing our opponent into battle on our terms rather than theirs. It was our intent that this small group would hold their attention and distract them from the rest of us arriving, and perhaps even incite overconfidence when they think this small group is all that we have sent. The rest of our army refrained from taking to the air for the moment, circling around the foothills. It was not long before the sounds of battle reached our ears. The enemy had been engaged. We waited less than ten minutes before the rest of us made our move. I took a look back at the jet-black sea of soldiers standing behind me. Each one of them wore the face of determination, and I felt nothing but confidence looking at them all. Our enemies didn't stand a chance. With a subtle nod of my head, my wings swiftly unfurled and I rose into the air. The wonderful sound of a thousand bat wings graced my ears as we circled the mountain and entered the battlefield. I crested the low side of the mountain, and beheld the scene that was revealed to me. I noticed a small, flat outcropping a few metres below me that would suit my purposes well and landed on it while a small group of soldiers continued to hover around me. It gave me a fantastic view of the field below as a tremendous cloud of soldiers filled the sky behind me and began to plunge forward towards their prey. Somewhere in the distance, a church bell was ringing. It chimed four times for reasons that I did not know nor care about. I was remaining still for the moment just in case they had some secret plan that was intended to take me by surprise, but I did not find myself bothered in the least. I was rather delighted that my chosen vantage point gave me a fantastic view of these tiny rebels as a look of anxiety and perhaps even horror slowly overcame them. Those who were not directly engaged in battle were now all staring up at me, fear clearly written on all of them. I knew exactly what was going through their pitiful little minds. All of their bravery and valour had drained out from them the moment they had looked up to see who was joining the fray. They were treated to the sight of what looked like a vast colony of bats, but they all knew what sort of creatures were truly flying towards them in such great numbers. And at the centre of this dark cloud was me. The pony who had easily managed to defeat a powerful alicorn goddess, and who possessed enough magic to murder them all with barely any effort. I smirked and chuckled as my soldiers descended upon them and the blood began to spill. It was too bad they didn't have an alicorn on their side, wasn't it? I stepped forward, my hoof landing on thin air as I allowed gravity to pitch me forward off the edge of the small outcropping. With my wings spread, I turned the tumble into a swift dive. My soldiers' acute senses allowed them to nimbly step to the side and clear a path for me as I swooped down directly into the large group of rebel forces. Many of them backed away from me as I advanced, but there were simply too many ponies occupying the same area that I was rather difficult to avoid. The unicorns threw spells at me, and the others swung their weapons towards me, but an effortless shield deflected them all. I decided to begin with a bang. I fell into a low horizontal flight, only a metre above the ground. I plunged straight through the heart of the rebel army and eventually came to a stop. Behind me a few dozen lifeless bodies fell to the ground, their blood dripping from the sharp blades attached to the bridges of my wings. Before any of them could even react to me, I focused a great amount of power inwards. Time seemed to stop for the briefest instant of time before the massive shockwave burst out around me. It appeared as if a bomb had gone off, but instead it was simply me. There was no sound from the spell, but I was instead treated to the cries of pain as those who were too close to me were violently blown away. A second later I was standing in the centre of a circle of charred ground. Rebel ponies were still falling to the ground in painful heaps. I raised my head up high and put on a predatory grin. I had been on the battlefield for only 20 seconds, and already dozens had fallen by my hoof. As I took in the fearful expressions of the ponies around me, I couldn't help but laugh triumphantly. I took to the air swiftly, gliding over the heads of the opposition and firing spells at pegasi as I went. I took a few seconds to observe my soldiers in combat. While a few of them had been overwhelmed or caught off-guard and defeated, I was elated to see the carnage they were inflicting. With their wide array of weapons, or even simply the fangs in their mouth, they were all spilling rebel blood. I landed in a random spot amongst their army, crushing a pegasus as I did. A rather large-looking unicorn did not let my sudden appearance faze him as he swung straight for me with a mace. I caught it with my magic mere inches from my neck, gave him a smug grin, and watched the horrified expressions of his comrades as I felled him with barely any effort. I then swung my new toy in an arc behind me, catching more soldiers in the face with the spiked weapon. Like ripples in a pond, a wide open area was beginning to form around me wherever I went. These ponies were insanely brave and seemed to have prepared for everything, but it was obvious that they had set the bar too high when it came to the forces of the night, myself especially. I almost dared any of these weaklings to give me an actual challenge. True, a few brave souls did come at me with their strongest strikes or their most cunning strategies, but nopony could even come close to landing a scratch on me. And whenever one pony assaulted me, at least three of them fell as punishment. I was cackling like a madmare as time went on. As I took the time to observe their forces, it seemed as if they had indeed marched into this battle outnumbering us. This fact only made me even more elated to witness the massacre that was slowly occurring. My soldiers were losing a little bit of the upper hoof as our opponents began to study our tactics, and many brave soldiers fell. Never, though, did the tide of battle turn. Their side moved further and further back, our strength pushing them away from Canterlot and forcing them towards retreat. They were simply no match for us. A large group of brave, but still ordinary ponies could never match up to a supreme alicorn goddess and her enhanced family of soldiers. "This is your rebellion?!" I yelled out, taunting them as I took yet another pony's life, "You fools should observe what is happening! You are nothing! Your Princess is not here to protect you anymore! You stand facing a superior leader and a superior army!" I quickly turned and faced a large group, mostly smaller pegasi who froze with fear when they met my gaze. My horn began to glow bright and wild. "This is your last chance to submit," I proclaimed, my spell growing more powerful, "or we shall destroy you all!!" Before any of the ponies in front of me could react I swung my head down, aimed my horn directly at them, and unleashed a massive beam of lethal magic. My senses were briefly overwhelmed by the magnitude of power contained within the offensive spell. The world was a blinding white and all I could hear was the loud cacophonous sound of the wild, untamed magic. When the bright magic shrunk down to a thin stream and then vanished entirely, I was met with complete silence. That was my first red flag. There were no ponies screaming in pain or horror. I turned my head up to see what destruction my magic had wrought, and my eyes opened wide. There was a wide path of charred ground leading away from me, marking the path my spell had taken. It traveled along the barren field until it reached the large group of rebel soldiers, whereupon it stopped. There, perched between the charred ground and dozens of uninjured ponies, was a damaged and fading magic shield in the shape of a hemisphere. Behind it stood a tall pony, slightly unsteady on her hooves and panting heavily. She glared at me and I stared right back, my lips curling into a smile. "Celestia…" The shield vanished, or perhaps 'shattered' would be a more descriptive word. Celestia was left in her defensive pose, her eyes glaring daggers at me. Neither of us moved as we regarded one another. Aside from looking a little drained, which was to be expected after deflecting such a massive offensive spell, she appeared in perfectly good health. Her garish pink mane was flowing, there was nary a bruise or blemish on her body, and she appeared just as fit as she had once been. What held my attention the most was her horn, resting on her head unbroken and completely undamaged. She was definitely outfitted for war. Her entire torso was covered in a protective golden armour that connected to plating covering the front of her legs. Her hooves were protected by impressive hoofguards, and her wings were covered as well. There was a small but sturdy-looking spear attached to her broadside. Most notable, however, was that unlike what she had worn in our previous battle, she now wore a headpiece. It was similar to mine, but it was golden and it was certainly more visibly distinct than mine, as was par for the course between us. It had sharp ridges along the side and back that mimicked the appearance of dragon scales. This was certainly most significant, as we both knew that her headpiece carried the same connotations that mine did. It meant war. Most of the fighting around us had ceased. All of the soldiers of both armies were looking anxiously towards the pair of alicorns, waiting with bated breath for whatever would happen next. None of them dared to make the first move until one of us did so. Celestia still had not said anything or changed her expression, and so I chuckled and smirked at her. "You always did enjoy being fashionably late, didn't you?" I taunted, "Come to offer your surrender?" Her strength was returning to her, so she stood herself up tall. The look she was giving me was rather interesting. In it, I saw none of the emotions she had shown during the fight that had started this war. I could no longer see sadness and fear. She was staring at me with a quiet fury, and I could see the fire welling up within her. "Stand down," she commanded. I struggled to suppress my snickering. "I beg your pardon?" I replied sarcastically. She took a single, powerful step forward and stood before me. A few of my soldiers wisely took a step back. "Nightmare Moon," she said, beginning to address me. Honestly, I had not expected to hear that. Even under threat of torture, she had always insisted on using that name. This was the first time she had willfully acknowledged me as 'Nightmare Moon'. Something had definitely changed. "I will no longer stand idly by while you bring such suffering to the ponies of this land," she continued, "This is not a war, this is a massacre…and I will end it before you can do any further harm. This is your only chance to surrender and call off your devilish swarm. Refuse, and you will pay the penance." I couldn't stop grinning. "Did you come here to destroy me with laughter? A poor choice." I took a bold step forward and adopted an aggressive stance. "I must say, it is wise of you to join the battle. Your helpless little ponies have been floundering like fish out of water. I had thought this was going to be all too easy and no fun at all." My words soured her expression for a brief moment, but she replaced it with a scowl. "I will protect my ponies with my life," she said resolutely, "Make one more move, and I will kill you." I blinked. Something had really changed in that royal head of hers. "My, my…" I mused, "Such a temper. You seem to have this all figured out, don't you? You think you have the upper hoof just because you have managed to outsmart my soldiers twice." I chuckled, pretending to glance away as if I wasn't interested. "No, Celestia…I will give you one chance to surrender. If you go back into your cage like a good little puppy, then maybe the lives of your precious ponies will be spared. Remember, Celestia, every death that occurs in this land is ultimately because of you. If you want to get the blood off of your hooves, then surrender and submit." A chilly wind swept through the battlefield, still tensely frozen in time. When she did not move, I pressed her. "Well? What is your decision?" Still she did not move, but her eyes swept the battlefield. She glanced at the vast array of Soldiers of the Night, cringed at the sight of the many defeated rebels, and then turned her head just slightly to regard her own army still standing fairly strong behind her. "My…decision?" Quick as a flash, she thrust her forehoof forward and shouted "Charge!!" Before anypony could make a move, a blinding light erupted from her horn. I had to shield my eyes from the searing brightness as it flowed into the sky and hung over the battlefield, casting down further beams of light to the ground below. The rebel ponies let out a valiant war cry and began to either charge forward or resume whatever skirmish they had been in the midst of. I first cast a spell to darken my vision so I could see through this blinding light of hers, but then I heard troubling sounds from behind me. My soldiers were all hissing and grunting in distress. Sunlight. I growled and launched myself directly at her, colliding with her hastily-cast shield but not stopping my advance. She dipped to the side to get away from me, and seconds later we were both in the air. I glared at her, noting the golden glow that was continually surrounding her horn. She was using sunlight as a weapon. My soldiers detested the light of the sun and shied away from it. I had to put a stop to this immediately. A familiar scene began to play out as the both of us drew glowing arcane swords and charged towards each other. A flash erupted in the air as our blades clashed, bringing us close enough that I could feel her breath. "You're late, you know!" I taunted. "I can no longer sit idly by!" She growled and pushed back. "You will bring apocalypse! I refuse to let that happen!" I teleported a few metres away, letting her suddenly fly forward uncontrollably. I was above her and looking down, and I could see the rest of the battle below me. My soldiers were struggling. This phantom sunlight was weakening and disorienting them. Whatever ground we had made in our conquest of the rebel army, they were quickly evening the score. When Celestia tried to charge at me, I blinked out of that position for a brief second, reappearing in time to deliver a painful dropkick to her back. As she righted herself in the air, I took this opportunity to cast magic on her. My spell immobilized her in the air, though I knew it would not hold her for long. I wasted no time and darted forward, holding out my hoof and smacking her horn as I sailed past. She cried out and span around completely in the air from the recoil. The shock to her horn was enough to disrupt the sunlight spell she had been casting, and the area was once again bathed in darkness. "A rather devious tactic!" I called out to her as she regained her balance and returned to a fighting stance, "I am impressed. I thought you always played by the rules." She didn't respond to this, and instead teleported herself to the space directly in front of me. Mana sparks began to fly as our swords clashed in the air faster than the mortal eye could see. There was still that intense look of fiery determination in her eyes. I could see memories of conflicts past, but none could recall her looking like this. I dodged to the side, but she accounted for it and nearly managed to strike me. We flitted through the air like dragonflies, each trying to outwit the other and failing every time. I tried to catch her off guard by suddenly throwing in an arcane bolt aimed directly at her forehead, but she blocked it with a swift magic shield. Our swords clashed together, once again bringing us close and into another small war of attrition. "I must admit that you continue to surprise me," I said with a smug grin, "This certainly would have been a lot duller without that horn of yours, and yet there it is." I made a sudden swing for her horn, but she expertly blocked it. "I'm curious. Indulge me." She offset my balance slightly by sending a kinetic spell towards me, and pushed me away with her hooves. I simply fell into the recoil and looped through the air, using the momentum to my advantage and quickly circling under her. She was only barely able to block my powerful spell with a spherical bubble shield. "I have ponies everywhere across this land who are loyal to me," she said as we continued to clash, "It is with their help and support that your heinous wound was healed and that we may stand against you." She growled and thrust her sword directly at me, forcing me to shift back to dodge. "Unicorns everywhere would gladly lend their magic to heal my horn. You do not share this luxury." She suddenly put on the offensive, mostly aiming for my horn. I successfully evaded damage, but my smirk had turned into a scowl. So, to get her magic back she'd had her unicorn followers all work together to imbue her with their magic and speed up the healing process. I hated to admit it, but she had a point. If my horn were damaged, my soldiers could not do the same thing. Discussion fell away as the two of us continued our airborne battle. Celestia was proving to be a much more difficult opponent this time. Her expression never changed from that hardened, unwavering look. In our first clash, she had been defending herself. Now she was on a mission. She had a purpose to fulfil and an enemy to destroy. We moved faster through the air than anypony else could possibly follow, zipping around with wings or blinking around with magic. Neither of us could land a good hit. After avoiding a swipe from her arcane sword, she almost caught me off guard by suddenly brandishing her spear. It nicked my armour on the side. When she tried to take advantage of my brief moment of stabilization and slice one of my wings off with her sword, I decided to change tactics. "Well, Tia…" I said while dancing back through the air, "You seem to be a lot more aggressive this time. Perhaps you'll even succeed…" It was a complete lie, but her attention was focused on me. "Are you prepared this time?" I continued, lowering the tone of my voice, "…Prepared to kill your own sister?" I ducked just in time to avoid a thick bolt of electricity aimed straight at my head. I could only look surprised when I brought it back up. The look on her face was cold and furious. She wore such a scowl I was certain had never adorned her face ever before. "Luna is dead," she spoke, venom dripping from her words, "You killed her." Well, this was certainly an interesting turn of events. I was stunned in astonishment for a moment, but then my lips curled into a grin. "Bra-vo, Celestia. Now, how long did it take you to figure that one out?" Something had finally given her the push she needed to fully comprehend what had transpired. Without that guilt and reluctance she would prove to be a more difficult opponent, but at the same time a more interesting one. For in its place, there was burning rage. I now understood the meaning behind her fiery expression. Hope had given way to a desire for vengeance, and I could use that against her. A few short seconds later, she dove straight at me with her sword but I simply teleported away. "Your words are true, Celestia!" I called, stoking the fire, "She is gone forever." "You killed my sister." She did not shout; she kept her tone unusually calm. "Luna's intentions were right, but she was weak. She was a pathetic pony, and I no longer had any need for her so I 'disposed' of her." Another slash, followed by another teleport. "Does that make you angry, Celestia? Why?" I called out playfully, "You never cared about your sister anyway, or none of this would have happened in the first place." When I teleported away from her a third time, she growled in frustration and finally shouted, "Silence!!" As she screamed the word, her horn was surrounded by white hot flames and, a second later, she launched a stream of fire directly at me. A powerful shield spell was able to deflect the flames and keep me from harm, but their incredible heat managed to penetrate the barrier. It was almost painfully hot. I endured the attack until it was done. I teleported away as the flames disappeared, appearing as if I had vanished within them. Celestia did not see, and so she was not expecting the sudden kick between her wings. She cried out as she was sent flying through the air, struggling for a moment before righting herself and stopping her momentum. I continued to taunt her. "That temper of yours is-" "Enough!!" she shouted, cutting me off, "Foul creature, you have taken from me what I treasured the most, and from her ashes you have wrought havoc across this land!" In the blink of an eye, she was suddenly surrounded not by a fiery aura, but an aura of fire itself. With a small flick of her forelegs, sharp claws suddenly extended from the golden gauntlets on her two front hooves. She grit her teeth and stared directly into my eyes. "You killed my sister!! Now I shall obliterate you!!" She then flew directly towards me, moving faster than she usually did and appearing like a flaming arrow shot through the sky. I used the force of a kinetic spell to divert her path, but she adjusted and swung back around to aim at me once more. I blocked the sword swipe that followed with my own sword, but the force actually pushed me back through the air. She let out a frightfully loud war cry and I was treated to another up close look at her eyes and her scowl. If looks could kill, I would probably be dead on the spot. Gone was the brave yet delicate Princess, now replaced with a wild animal desperate to devour its prey. I was no longer faced with a victim, but an opponent. I recalled the promise I had made to myself earlier to not become overconfident again. And so, the battle was truly on. I have no idea how long the two of us darted about in the sky, trading blows and blocking or avoiding just as many. The airspace above the barren field was filled with bright flashes of volatile magic, streams of fire, small but potent explosions, and a thousand sparks as our arcane swords continued to collide. Neither one of us spoke another word. All of our attention was devoted to each other as our duel continued to become more intense. Wounds were struck as defenses were pierced. The blood of two alicorns spilled onto the field below, but neither one of us yielded a single inch. I was steadfast and determined to win his battle, but Celestia's face simply showed unbridled fury. Here at last was a challenge worthy of somepony as powerful as me. With three weapons and the vast array of dangerous spells she was utilizing, it took all of my attention to avoid anything more than minor damage. It was still very satisfying every time I was able to wound her, but her rage-fueled vigor solidified the fact that I could no longer be careless. We engaged in close-quarters combat, long range spellcasting, and even darting towards one another like a pair of dueling hawks. She managed to tear open a painful gash in my side, but I had struck past her and damaged one of her wings. These injuries may well have been non-existent for the determination that fed us both. At one point, I found myself on the receiving end of a slew of white magic bolts raining down upon me. In defense, I surrounded myself in a spherical blue shield which deflected every one of them. Then, instead of simply getting rid of it, I charged directly towards Celestia while it still surrounded me. I rather enjoyed the brief wide-eyed look of surprise before I barrelled straight into her like a massive bowling ball. She had been sent flying back, the larger surface area of the shield giving me a more favourable impact. Before she could properly recover, I was barrelling into her once again from above. I almost managed to knock her straight into the ground, but she pulled out of the dive at the last minute. When she returned to the fray, she herself was surrounded by a similar pink shield. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at the copycat I was fighting against. From there began an entirely new sort of battle as the two of us careened through the air, repeatedly bashing into one another. We each poured a substantial amount of magic into these shields, rendering them rather sturdy. As we circled through the skies like a pair of dancing fireflies, we would crash into one another with such tremendous force but would remain unharmed. I was trying to either shatter her shield through sheer accumulated damage, or force her into a tree or the ground. As the forceful collisions continued, however, I began to wonder if this particular duel would simply go on forever. For quite a number of intense minutes, the sky exploded with shockwaves as we rammed into one another. Finally, we collided once more but this time we both refused to relent. Two unstoppable forces collided as we struggled against each other, pressing our own shields forward and not letting up. We both wore gritted teeth and fierce scowls, and we both growled determinedly as we tried to overpower each other, with neither side gaining any ground. With all of our energy dedicated to pushing forwards, the two glowing bubbles fell from the sky and impacted the ground below. That is where they finally shattered, both at the same time. A massive burst of energy was expelled outward in a sudden shockwave that wracked the ground below with destruction. When the dust settled, myself and Celestia found ourselves staring at one another and heaving heavy breaths. That last mayhem with the shields had left me vulnerable, but Celestia was equally as affected. Things grew tense as we glared at one another, neither of us daring to make a move. Our senses were closed off to the outside world, only focused on one another, until we both heard a loud, agonizing groan. We both glanced towards its origin, and were quickly made aware of the events surrounding us. We had both been so focused on trying to kill each other that we had all but forgotten about the battle waging on the ground below. Now, we both found that we had to take a pause and see the current state of our forces. What was immediately evident was the rather large circle of disturbed land that had been blown away by the shattering of our shields. In its wake lay the bloody forms of dead or unconscious forces from both sides. It appeared as if they had been caught in a bomb's explosion. In the space behind them, the two sides were continuing to war with one another. However, the intensity of the fight had diminished noticeably. From the appearance of the few soldiers I could see, both sides were beginning to succumb to the fatigue of battle. Every visible pony had substantial injuries of some sort, and they were all exhausted. My attention was drawn back to the soldiers we had knocked out with our rough landing. It was such a waste to have soldiers fall in battle because of my skirmish. I lit my horn, not even thinking twice, and surrounded about five soldiers with a silvery glow. They were not mortally injured. They could be healed and returned to the heat of battle. When I caught sight of golden magic, I quickly whipped my head back towards my opponent. It was like looking in a strange mirror. Celestia was casting her magic on her soldiers, and had looked back towards me at the exact same time. Both magic spells faltered, but when we saw that neither was using offensive magic we cautiously allowed each other to finish the spell. I watched her carefully, like a predator facing down prey that was larger than it. The air between us was incredibly tense, and I was ready to react at a moment's notice. When my healing spell had taken hold and would be able to do its job without my help, I planned to quickly switch to a striking spell so as to catch Celestia off-guard. Just before I did, however, I took notice of another large skirmish happening just behind her. A group of three of my soldiers were facing down a group of five foes, and two of the soldiers' wings were damaged. Before I even considered what I was doing, I cast out another silver spell that zipped right past Celestia's head and surrounded the soldiers, quickly healing their wings and giving them a boost in strength to fight back. An icy jolt ran up my spine as a wisp of golden magic just missed my own head. I reflexively threw up a shield, but it had already sailed past me. I saw Celestia do the same thing, and then chanced a look behind me. Celestia had just used her own magic to shield a squadron of her ponies from a swarm of my soldiers. There was a strange feeling in the air as we both turned and looked at one another. My soldiers were hurting. While I would have loved to continue beating the life out of Celestia, I reminded myself to also think of the war as a whole. My soldiers were powerful, swift and imbued with my essence, not to mention within their element, but that could only go so far against the massive forces of the rebel army. Even as a group, they still held weaknesses. I quickly considered something. If I were to successfully kill Celestia, then I had no doubt whatsoever that her army would continue to fight against me, even in the midst of the loss of morale. That was the kind of ponies they were. If I, on the other hoof, were to perish, then I was not so sure about the wellbeing of my own forces. Some part of my mind boasted that I could never be killed, but once again I suppressed the overconfidence. I could see that Celestia's mind was working just as hard. I couldn't be sure, but I felt fairly certain that she was becoming overly focused on the value of every life in her army. Death had always been something that she feared and despised. Decisions were made. It was only a minute or two later that the entire scene had changed. Both myself and Celestia had quickly teleported back behind our forces. I had cast out a massive spell that latched on to every Soldier of the Night who was still breathing and pulled them all back into a swift tactical retreat. Similarly, Celestia had magically pulled some of her own forces back and erected a huge golden wall of magic. For the moment, our armies were separated and the battle was paused. The violent marks of war could still be seen on the battleground between us, marking a scar on the earth where our forces had clashed. I had decided to make a change in tactics, as it appeared Celestia had done so as well. I had no idea what she was doing, but I wasted no time. Killing Celestia was my top priority, but it was abundantly clear that this would be no easy task. So, I decided to approach the war in an entirely different way. My forces all gathered around, partially hidden behind one of the foothills of Canterlot Mountain. Of the large group that had set out from Canterlot, we had only lost about 20 or 25% of our forces. A damaging blow, but nothing terribly threatening. I made it appear as if our army were regrouping and instructed some scouts to see what Celestia was up to. They informed me that she and her army were surrounded in what was basically a golden box. Having seen one wall earlier, I made an educated guess that it would not be easy for us to get through it, but that it would be equally difficult for them to get out until she let the barriers down. They also told me that Celestia was tending to the wounded. She was healing her precious ponies and rebuilding from her losses, just as I had expected her to. To her every life was precious and she believed that none should be wasted. This was a weakness, and I could use it to my advantage. That was not my focus, however. To win this battle, I was going to have to win this war. These ponies would stop at nothing in their quest to end my reign and all needed to be eliminated, not just their leader. To defeat an army required a bigger and more powerful army, and that is exactly what I intended to give them. When the golden walls finally fell and the order was given to charge, Celestia's army would not face the same foes as before. After a mere short time in my company, my soldiers would prove to be a much greater threat. A matrix of spells flowed through my forces, imbuing them with improved strength, defense, agility and stamina. The effects were temporary, yes, but while they lasted my soldiers would become a much more formidable force to be reckoned with. Though Celestia's remaining army would have certainly returned to full strength, ours was at a level above. I watched from the foothills as the rebels charged towards certain death, their beloved alicorn flying above them ready to offer assistance. Moments before the two sides clashed, the voice of a general rang out above the clamour of battle from behind our lines. "Palermino is about to fall! Division Alpha, head there immediately and annihilate them." Right on cue. I have no idea if what he said was true or not, it didn't matter. I saw the quick change in the expression on Celestia's face as she realized even more of her precious ponies' lives were at risk. While her army continued forward, she halted in the air and remained for a moment in an indecisive hover. Our eyes locked for a moment and I laughed. I don't know what happened after that, because I was gone. The battlefield disappeared from my vision as I teleported a rather long distance. Celestia would no doubt try to follow me to Palermino and attempt to help her forces there, but she wouldn't find me there. I was a couple of kilometres outside of Canterlot and already speeding through the air to cross the remaining distance. Celestia could spend all the time she wanted playing medic for her little children, and I expected her to. Myself, on the other hoof? I was off to gather more bats.