//------------------------------//
// Chapter 10 
// Story: From The Gates 
// by Dirty Bit 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 10


Captain vs Fuhrer


When Wrath had his wings flared out and ready for battle, he proceeded into a few slow hoofsteps, then broke out into an instantaneous gallop with a burst of speed.

Shining Armor's eyes widened at the sudden start of the battle, but he was lucky to block the furious pony's first strike when he held his spear in a defensive position. However, the attack was enough to push back the guard captain a few feet as he struggled with one of the Fuhrer's wings pushing at his spear. He grunted as he bared his teeth and glared at his opponent.

Wrath kept a glare of his own while he pushed at Shining Armor's spear "Impressive. Many of my past opponents would not have been able to match my first strike. Maybe you'll have an advantage over me in this fight..."

Shining Armor growled "Don't underestimate me!" With a burst of magic from his horn, he powered his spear and managed to push Wrath away from him. He then galloped towards the furious pony and readied his spear for a lunge.

Wrath's uncovered eye narrowed when he anticipated Shining Armor's retaliation and quickly jumped over him the moment he lunged his spear. The furious pony glided over and then quickly went to slash at Shining Armor from behind with his left wing.

Shining Armor saw this and the alarms in his head rang like church bells 'Dammit!' He quickly drew his spear upwards in another defensive position as Wrath's wing clashed with it. The guard captain then hopped back while his spear was in place and pulled it back without further hesitation. He glared at his opponent and readied his spear for a series of jabs.

Wrath now found himself dodging Shining Armor's rapid-tempo assault. He took the time to examine the prowess the guard captain put in his attacks 'Remarkable speed, immaculate aim, and not a single jab is thrown without conviction...This one has definitely earned his title.' He smiled inwardly to himself and then flew back as he held his wings out. The furious pony then stared down his opponent after he was finished with his attack and couldn't help but smirk "That was an amazing display of technique, boy. But attacking is about harming your opponent!"

Shining Armor grunted in anger, but then kept his cool 'I won't let him goad me into defeat...' He then analyzed his opponent and noted his eyepatch. The guard captain smirked to himself and then readied his spear as he galloped towards Wrath. When the furious pony braced himself for an attack, he was not aware that Shining Armor made a deft step left and attempted to jab at his side.

Wrath's eye widened in surprise as he flew back and avoided the spear's sharp point. Shining Armor smiled to himself knowing he got the drop on the furious pony and repeated the same tactic once more, only to have it blocked by Wrath's left wing instinctively as he glared 'Attacking me by my blind side. A smart move, but it won't work twice...' He then flared his right wing and quickly twirled himself and managed a small cut to Shining Armor's chestplate as he hopped back.

Shining Armor sighed in relief, but then noticed the cut on his chestplate 'I've never seen a pegasus with wings so strong...' He looked back up and noticed Wrath flying at him with his wings out and reflexively blocked his next attack.

On the sidelines, The two princesses watched the battle with expressions of worry, while the former homunculi beared mixed expressions of amusement. Gluttony hopped up and down as he cheered for Wrath childishly while Lust stared with a smirk on her face. Greed smiled to himself while he knew the outcome of the battle. Envy couldn't contain the grin on its face while it chuckled in dark glee at the ongoing battle. Sloth merely stared ahead blankly with his toothy frown.

Princess Cadence watched Shining Armor hold his own against Wrath's attacks. While she was worried, she still had faith in her husband. She turned to Envy and felt like conversing "Your brother claims he has 40 years of battle experience? Where has he trained to fight so adeptly?"

Envy waved a dismissive hoof "Doesn't matter. Besides, he probably doesn't have a chance against that unicorn..."

Princess Cadence raised an eyebrow "Really?"

With that, Envy quickly cracked an evil grin and snorted "Heh! No!" It then called out to the furious pony "Kick his ass, Wrath!!" The jealous pony ignored the glare it received after the cruel remark.

Wrath and Shining Armor traded blows that each of them blocked one after another while they glared with fire in their eyes. While Wrath held his own, he could not help but imagine the face of a familiar black-haired human in place of Shining Armor's while he fought. Wrath sighed wistfully despite the heated battle and felt it was best to end it.

Shining Armor grunted with each thrust of his spear while he glared at Wrath 'Wait a minute...' He continued to strike and block as he slowly came to a conclusion 'His strikes...' The guard captain did not let up, but he felt something strange about Wrath's attacks. When he figured it out, the two warriors distanced themselves and hopped away. Shining Armor levitated his spear and his eyes narrowed "You're holding back..." Wrath hummed in question, and the ones on the sidelines, save for the former homunculi, heard in disbelief "All of your attacks on me were not your best! You're able to match the strength of my attacks with your own, but you don't channel your full strength! Why are you doing this?" He barked authoritively.

Wrath stared with a stoic expression, but it turned into a friendly smile "I expected better of you, Shining Armor...Is it not the goal of battle to know how your opponent fights before defeating them?" Shining Armor's expression did not waver while he continued "Indeed, I've held back not only to conserve my stamina in battle, but to calculate your movement and your capabilities while we've skirmished. To think you would complain about such a thing in a fight, you really do surprise me. But if it's what you desire most..." He flared his wings and glared at Shining Armor once more. This glare was different from his one during the battle. This was his signature glare that his name is based on "...I will not hold back. I will teach you battle and I WILL teach you pain..." He bursted into the air and then dove down at Shining Armor with intense rage in his eye.

Shining Armor's eyes widened as he held up his spear, but instead of blocking a mere attack, this one sent him back after he felt a strong force from Wrath's right wing impact his spear and channel it into his chest. He grunted in pain while he flew back and tumbled, but then recovered onto his feet while he caught his breath 'So this was a taste of his true power...' He saw Wrath land on the ground for a split second only to burst into a frontal aerial charge with amazing speed. The guard captain stepped to the side and barely avoided the charge. For the first time, Shining Armor was nervous when he felt Wrath's anger after his next attack 'So much rage...What kind of pegasus IS he?'

Wrath skidded to a halt and turned to face Shining Armor as he broke into a gallop towards him. The guard captain attempted to attack, but Wrath parried his blow with his left wing forcefully and caused his opponent to stagger for a moment. He then quickly brought his right wing at the same place he made a cut at Shining Armor's chestplate. This time, he laid a much bigger cut that could easily destroy the chestplate with another well-aimed hit.

A part of him felt fear, but Shining Armor knew from his time in the army that it was wise to turn fear into strength. He gathered himself and threw his spear behind him as his horn began to glow brighter 'If I can't attack him directly, I'll just have to wear him out somehow...' He channeled his magic into his horn and when the furious pony got close, Shining Armor conjured a large barrier of magic around him.

Wrath did not anticipate a new tactic from his opponent when the barrier appeared in front of him. His eye narrowed and then he rammed into the shield, but it did not waver once it hit.

The former homunculi, save for Sloth, were surprised at the shield. Envy spoke "You're kidding! How is he able to do that!?"

Princess Cadence gave Envy a smug smile "Shining Armor is known for his defensive magic. His magical shields are strong enough to hold even the entire city of Canterlot!"

Greed and Lust watched intently, and the avaricious pony turned to Lust "You seeing this, Lust?"

The lascivious mare smiled to herself "I should remember to read up on this sometime if possible..." She never thought there could be more to her horn than just her Ultimate Spear ability.

Shining Armor smiled tauntingly at Wrath while the only thing passing his barrier was the furious pony's rage "Didn't expect this, did you? Let's see you break this barrier with that rage of yours!"

Wrath's eye narrowed to a slit as he uttered darkly "Gladly..." He hopped back to give himself good starting distance for his next move. The furious pony then bursted into an aerial charge and clashed with the shield once again, only harder. The entire room gave a small shake as the two forces collided.

Gluttony was shaken, and then he turned to Sloth with a childish look of anger on his face "Sloth, was that you!?" The indolent pony in question slowly turned his head to Gluttony and shook his head.

Envy watched them with a disappointed stare "You morons..."

Shining Armor grunted after the next hit "It's not going to work! I have enough magic to last me!" He was ignored when the furious pony struck again with more strength.

From the window, Luna flew back in and noticed the battle taking place "What is the meaning of this!?" The ponies on the sidelines were the only ones who heard Luna's call while Wrath and Shining Armor were lost in their battle.

Celestia nodded to Luna "Ah, you're back. Hello, Luna."

Luna glared at her older sister "Tia, why art thou so calm when the convicted pegasus is engaging Shining Armor!?"

Cadence noticed Luna and rubbed the back of her head with a sheepish grin "About that...You see, while you led Cerberus back to Tartarus...We sort of...Well, we-"

Greed cut in with a mischievous grin "They let us off the hook!"

Celestia smiled at Luna "This may seem like a problem, but don't fret, Luna. We're going to discuss the arrangement of their new duties over lunch."

Luna was still outraged "Then explain to us the means of their conflict! What hath led to their battle!?"

Envy sneered at Luna "Cool it, will you? Wrath wanted to challenge that guard captain of yours and he accepted! Besides, I wouldn't worry too much with that barrier he made!"

Luna paused and looked to see Shining Armor holding up with his barrier while Wrath rammed away at it. She was slightly relieved to know that Shining Armor's defensive magic was as good as ever, but then focused her attention to Wrath and his repetitive attacks. The Princess of the Night saw the look in his eye and felt her heart race when she felt his anger with each strike "So this is why he is referred to as Wrath?"

Lust nodded "Yes. He is known as Wrath the furious. His anger in battle knows no bounds and it boosts his strength to higher levels. And yet he manages to keep a calm and patient demeanor unlike some people..." Greed and Envy glared at the lascivious mare.

Luna looked intently at Wrath while he channeled his rage "To think there existed a pony with such fury in his heart..." She said to herself. She never expected to find somepony so angry and yet so level-headed in combat.

Cadence looked ahead at the battle and gave a small gasp when she spotted a small detail on Shining Armor's shield 'Oh no...' She spotted a small crack that grew in size with each successful collision Wrath has made with the barried.

Shining Armor was unaware of the crack until it became more visible. He bared his teeth 'This is impossible! He's actually chipping away at my barrier!?' The guard captain saw how Wrath continued his onslaught with the unchanged look on his face, as if he were a zombie 'I have to reinforce it! He's bound to give up somehow!' Shining Armor mustered his strength and powered up his shield as the visible crack stopped in its tracks. He could only wish the crack would vanish, but Wrath did not let up in his attacks.

Wrath's resolve did not falter despite the shield being reinforced, but he slowly felt his age showing and noticed he began to sweat 'It seems my years are catching up to me...' However, he did not let this bother him. The furious pony had a battle to win. He continued his attack, only this time he made sure his wings played a role in confronting the barrier.

It was successful on Wrath's end when his wings clashed with the barrier, and Shining Armor felt his head pounding 'Gah! Darn it! If I hold out too long, I'll tire myself out! This is too much...I only have one shot at this left!' In a risky move, he dropped his spell and Wrath's next clash shattered the barrier like a glass vase. Shining Armor let himself fly back towards his spear. He caught himself, but felt pain in his legs when he landed. With the last of his magic, he levitated his spear at his side and stared down his opponent as he pawed at the marble floor with a foreleg 'This is it...all or nothing...'
Wrath noticed that Shining Armor was preparing for a charge and mimicked his movement when he got into an offensive stance and readied himself for a charge of his own. He flared his rigid wings 'This shall prove his strength altogether...' When the two shared a moment of heated silence, they both charged without a word and raced towards one another with their weapons bared.

Everypony on the sidelines gazed intently at the scene when the two clashed. Shining Armor's helmet flew across the room and landed beside him while his battered body skidded across the floor and laid sprawled in defeat. Wrath stood victoriously as he stared ahead with his wings out.

Cadence gasped and galloped towards her husband "Shining Armor!" She knelt at his side and lifted his head with her magic "Please tell me you aren't hurt too badly..." Her look of concern almost moved Greed.

Shining Armor groaned in pain, but managed a smile for his wife "I'll be fine...That Wrath is a strong pony..." He muttered weakly.

Envy stared at the two and felt another wave of energy enter its body in surprise 'There it is again! What the hell's going on here!?' The jealous pony stared at the couple as they shared a small nuzzle 'Does it have something to do with them??'

Wrath stood, but then he grunted in pain and looked at his right wing. It was wounded and newly stained red with blood. He stared at it with a stoic expression, though on the inside he was impressed 'Incredible...He manages to get a hit on me in a last resort. And his skill during battle is to be commended.' He tucked away his left wing while he held his right one out 'I believe I've come to know the strength and spirit of Celestia's army. It's almost nostalgic...' He then trotted over to the couple and they both looked at him in confusion. The furious pony then gave a small bow and spoke in a calm tone "Thank you for the match, Shining Armor. I am pleased to witness your strength firsthand. Let us spar again sometime once you've trained a little."

Despite Wrath's words sounding polite, he felt challenged as he gave a small glare "Don't worry. I'll come to you for another rematch once I've tapped into more of my magic!" He then sighed in defeat "But you really are an amazing opponent...I've never met anypony strong enough to take me down in a one-on-one match."

Wrath smiled "You should give yourself credit with your progress..." He noticed his right wing becoming more blood-stained as some dripped on the floor.

Luna noticed the wound on the furious pony's wing and called in some guards with a mighty hoofstomp. The guards rushed in and stood tall while the Princess of the Night spoke "You there! Guide those two to the royal infirmary at once!"

The guards saluted and trotted to Wrath and Shining Armor's side "This way, sirs." One spoke in a dutiful tone. The furious pony was then led out of the throne room while Shining Armor was carried away by the guards, leaving only the princesses and the former homunculi.

Envy turned to Luna with a deadpan stare "Wrath wasn't hurt THAT bad. But if anything, your captain tasted the floor pretty hard!"

Luna glared down at Envy "Watch thine manners, jealous pegasus! Thou musn't act so foolish after our sister granted thee a pardon for your actions!"

Cadence glared at Envy as well "Why are you so cold towards other ponies? Who do you think you are?"

Envy only responded to both princesses by rolling its eyes apathetically.

Celestia stepped in "Now isn't the time to be bickering. We have matters to discuss soon." She turned to Luna "Luna, would you be so kind as to lead our guests to the dining room while I send a letter?"

Luna paused and gasped when she figured out her intentions "Sister, thou art not serious to leave them in the care of-"

Celestia raised a hoof "I'm sure they can handle it...Now we musn't stall for time. Show them the way while I tend to this small matter. I'll arrive with you shortly." She trotted out of the throne room.

Gluttony stuck his tongue out "Dining room? We get to eat!?" The voracious pony giggled in a giddy manner while his acidic saliva seered at the floor. Lust gave him a stern look and he instinctively wiped the saliva from his mouth.

Greed grinned "Alright, now we're talking! I was getting kinda hungry, actually..."

Envy nodded "I can eat. Never realized I'd go this long without some food."

Sloth slowly got onto his legs while his chains rattled on the floor "Hunger is a pain..."

Luna sighed in defeat with how Celestia chose to handle problems, but then turned to the group "All of you, follow us! Thou shalt be given a feast courtesy of our finest chefs!"

Greed smirked proudly "Treating us like royalty? How nice of you!"

Luna glared at the avaricious pony, but then took point in leading the group down the halls.


End of Chapter 10