//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6: The Battle of Canterlot (Part 2) 
// Story: The Rise of Nightshade 
// by Brickbrock24 
//------------------------------//


The Rise of Nightshade
By: Brickbrock24

Chapter 6


“And zen I ate all zat oatmeal!” said Sponduli Moolalli. He was entertaining the hard-working tunneling crew with an anecdote about a party he went to a few years ago, “Zen somepony dared me to eat a whole jar of ghost peppers while singing zee days of the week and doing zee moonwalk! So I took zee dare, and eet felt like ma bouche went up in flames! Let me tell you, zose peppers are as spicy as h-”
“Hold that thought, Sponduli!” shouted a Darkling miner. Judging by her facial expression, Sponduli would’ve guessed that she had struck gold or something, “Do you smell that?” Sponduli, Zinnia, and many of the soldiers took a few deep sniffs. The scent of fresh air filled their noses and made them aware that they had accomplished their task. The miners struck the wall where the fresh air was coming from repetitively. The wall collapsed and gave Sponduli, Zinnia, and the soldiers accompanying them a passage into the city. They had successfully infiltrated behind enemy lines!
“Ooooh, eez zat a magasin de pâtisserie I see?” said Sponduli as he strode out of the tunnel. His eyes had become starry and were immediately drawn to the pastry shop display window, “I am going to go ‘ave some free samples! Zat funnel cake looks mighty scrumptious!” He turned to a Darkling captain behind him, “Keep an eye on Zinnia, monsieur! Nightshade will blow you to bits eef something were to ‘appen to ‘er!”
“Um, alright…” said the Darkling captain as he watch the fat entrepreneur dash off full speed towards the pastry shop. He wondered how Sponduli would actually get in considering the building was well boarded up as if had been condemned. The Darkling captain and a platoon of soldiers marched down a Canterlot street. There were no soldiers in their way and none of the enemy pegasi in the sky had noticed them yet. The Darkling captain halted his troops at a street corner. He peered around the corner of a building and saw Princess Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, and a company of Canterlot guards standing there. Most of them were staring either at the wall or up at the battle in the sky, hoping that their forces would emerge victorious.
“Alright, mares and stallions, we’ve still got the element of surprise on that chump Twilight, so here’s what we’ll do,” said the Darkling captain. His share of soldiers gathered around him as he began to draw a diagram in a patch of dirt, “A couple of soldiers and I will run in first. We’ll startle them with our weapons and intimidating battlecries, which will hopefully scatter them around so we don’t have to fight a whole lot at once. While that’s going on, squads two and three will flank them from the right and squad four will flank them from the left. I believe that should work unless they’ve got reinforcements nearby.” The Darkling captain turned to a soldier, “What do you think, Sergeant Sandwich? Can you give me a number crunch real quick?”
“Uh, yeah, gimme a sec’!” he said. Sergeant Sandwich pondered for a few seconds and then said, “I’m coming up with a thirty-two point three-three, repeating of course, percentage of success.”
“For a charge against Princess Twilight, that’s better than I could’ve hoped! Okay, let’s get re-”
“Alright, mes amis, let’s do zis!” said Sponduli Moolalli, joining the group while munching on a funnel cake as they were preparing. Without asking exactly what the plan was, Sponduli bolted from around the corner that the soldiers were hiding behind and towards Twilight Sparkle and the friends she was with. He boldly shouted, “Sponduuuuuuullllllllllii Moooooooooooooolaaaaalllliiii!!!”
“Wait, wh-what?” said a Shadow Pony in shock, “D-did he just run in?!”
“Aw, jeez! We gotta help him!” shouted Sergeant Sandwich, “Master Nightshade will be furious if something were to happen to him!” Many of the Shadow Ponies and Darklings ran in behind Sponduli in an attempt to help him after that was said,
“No, no! Stick to the plan, you dolts! Stick to the plan!” shouted the Darkling captain when he saw many of his troops join Sponduli’s foolish charge. He sighed to himself and muttered under his breath in annoyance, “Dang it, Sponduli! Why’d Nightshade even bring you here?!” He shrugged his shoulders and joined the charge. The charge was short lived, however, as they watched Applejack give Sponduli a powerful kick to the face with her back hooves. They stopped in their tracks and watched as the plump billionaire pony flew back and fell to the ground with a dumb-guy smile on his face. The platoon looked up, to their dismay, at Princess Twilight, her friends, and all of the soldiers that had their magic ready and were pointing their drawn bows at them. They then released their storm of magic missiles and arrows, utterly annihilating the enemy forces in front of them.
“Sponduli…” muttered the Darkling captain to the fat entrepreneur laying next to him on the ground, “You’re just as stupid as heck!” Sponduli shrugged at the captain and, while taking out a fried chicken leg stashed in his tuxedo, said to him with a smile,
"Au moins j'ai poulet!"



“They’ve tunneled into the city?!” gasped Shining Armor when a pegasus soldier came up to him and told him the news. The situation was already dire enough on the wall. Nightshade’s army had set up dozens upon dozens of ladders along the battlements of the wall and were climbing up by the hundreds to engage the garrison. Many archers were beginning to run low on ammunition and it became increasingly difficult to keep the seemingly endless horde of Shadow Ponies and Darklings at bay as they picked off more and more of Shining Armor’s troops. 
“Yeah, it’s putting us in a really tight spot, sir!” said the pegasus soldier, “Your sister and her friends are doing everything they can to slow them down! I think they were originally planning to flank the wall from behind, but luckily that Sponduli pony seemed to be more interested in funnel cakes than jumping on that opportunity!”
“OOOOOH!! I LOVE funnel cake!” shouted Pinkie Pie as she splattered a banana cream pie into a Shadow Pony’s face. The fiend stumbled from the dessert that was lodged in his eyes and took a tumble off the wall.
“Pinkie, I need you to go help Twilight!” uttered Shining Armor has be blasted a Darkling off a ladder with a blast of magic. Pinkie Pie didn’t question Shining Armor’s orders. She responded in her usual cheerful voice,
“Okey-dokey-lokey!” She bounced off towards the stairs of the wall and soon she was gone. Shining Armor turned and looked at the soldiers that were engaged in combat. The once nervous, trembling recruits were suddenly fighting like champions. It was as if the stress and tension of battle turned something inside them on that transformed them into bold, courageous fighting machines.



“What’s the plan now, Nightshade?” asked Hitchcolt as she watched the battle that was raging on the wall, “I think you should have sent Roger and/or myself to lead the tunneling team instead of Sponduli and Zinnia.”
“And why is that, Hitchcolt?” asked Nightshade, challenging Hitchcolt’s doubt to his tactics.
“Well, it’s just that I’m noticing that the garrison is still holding strong. If Roger and me-”
“Roger and I, Hitchcolt!” interrupted Nightshade. Hitchcolt rolled her eyes and continued, 
“Fine, if Roger and I had led the team, we would’ve been flanking the garrison on the wall from behind, which would have saved lots of time and soldiers on this whole operation. Chances are Sponduli has either gotten distracted by food or some other stupid thing, and Zinnia wouldn’t lead your soldiers for the life of her.”
“I can see your logic, Hitchcolt,” responded Prince Nightshade, “But that wasn’t the plan I had in mind. I sent Sponduli and Zinnia through the tunnel because I needed a safe way to get them into Canterlot.” At that point, Roger tapped Nightshade’s shoulder. Nightshade turned to face his mysterious friend and deciphered to sign language that he was communicating with.
“What are we going to do now, Roger? Good question!” said Nightshade. But before he could add to his answer, sparks of purple lightning appeared around Nightshade’s head. Nightshade screamed and clutched his head as another agonizing headache brought mountains of pain to him.
“Urgh… No, no, no! Not… now!” muttered Nightshade through his pain, “This is th-the worst… possible time… to be having a headache! I feel him clawing at my brain! H-he’s speaking to me telepathically...”
“Nightshade, you condescending mule, you are running behind schedule!” said the sinister demon’s voice within Nightshade’s head, “If you do not wipe out this pathetic garrison and bag Celestia before daybreak, the sunlight will weaken your soldiers and they will be pushed aside like leaves to a rake!”
“Don’t make such a mountain out of a molehill, my lord,” Nightshade said to voice, “My soldiers aren’t crippled that much by sunlight. Holy light, on the other hoof, practically makes them melt!”
“I did not give a portion of my power to an equine that doesn’t know how to pick up the pace! Your Shadow Ponies are not making too much progress with those gallant pests on the wall.”
“I assure you I am more than a one-trick pony, my liege. I figured I’d run into an obstruction like this, so I came prepared with a Plan B. I believe it will satisfy your desire to stain this city… red, like my luscious mane!” At that quote, the demon’s tone had shifted from slightly frustrated to having the curiosity of a naive foal.
“Please,” said the demonic voice, “Enlighten me with this so-called ‘Plan B’ of yours, Prince Nightshade… How will it quench my thirst for death and destruction?”
Hitchcolt and Roger watched their friend. From their point of view, it looked like Nightshade was clutching his head and talking to himself.
“Do you have any idea what Nightshade’s talking about Roger?” Hitchcolt asked her friend after exchanging a confused look with him, “Who exactly is this “Dark Lord” he keeps mentioning and is supposedly conversing with all the time?” Roger turned and spoke to Hitchcolt in sign language,
“Mind my own beeswax?!” Hitchcolt said with disgust, “I think I have a right to know what’s going on! I’m one of the main six ponies in our little circle of friends, and I am just as important to Nightshade as you are! If I can’t know who exactly the “Dark Lord” is, then can I, Marelory Conjurah, at least get a tip on what exactly Nightshade’s “Plan B” is?” Roger pondered for a moment, then turned and nodded at his alchemist friend. He spoke to her in another set of sign language.
Hitchcolt gasped, “Prince Nightshade is going to do what?! What is he trying to prove? That he has no soul?!”
“Nyahahahahaha! I like the way you think, Prince Nightshade!” laughed the demon’s voice in Nightshade’s head, “I never should have doubted you! I remember there was a reason that I gave you a portion of my soul and made you my second-in-command! You are always prepared with a backup plan, that’s what I like about you!”
“I was getting bored with the way this battle was going anyway, my lord. I believe this tactic will give it a bit more… kick!” said Nightshade, “Besides, I want this to be an exciting piece of history that’ll really spice up my image and just overall make me a bigger force to be reckoned with!”
“Indeed, Prince Nightshade!” said the demon’s voice, “It would be dreadfully dull if you just kept up the same old attack without throwing a new tactic into the mixture to take the enemy out of book! Do not delay any longer! I want to see blood and body parts flying through the air! I want to hear the enemy scream with terror and anguish! Give that irritating garrison on the wall your ‘special delivery!'”
“With pleasure, my liege!” replied Nightshade with a smirk. Satisfied with his answer, the demon’s voice left Nightshade’s head. The purple lightning sparks that raged around his head disappeared, and the pain of the headache ebbed away. Nightshade took a malicite crystal and threw it on the ground. In a puff of smoke, it transformed into an eager Shadow Pegasus that awaited its master’s orders.
“Fly up and assemble the squadron of pegasi code-named “Darkbomb!” Tell them it’s time to make a special delivery addressed to that bothersome garrison on the wall!”
“With pleasure, Master Nightshade!” said the Shadow Pegasus with a nod. The soldier spread its wings and took off towards the sky.
“Nightshade…” said Hitchcolt, the concern and doubt in her voice was unmistakable, “Do you really want to go through with this? The prisoner profit we’ll get from the wall will drop exponentially! We’ll also lose a bunch of our own troops; not to mention poor Zinnia’s probably going to have to watch what you’re about to do.”
“In any conflict, Hitchcolt, the winner is prepared to do what the loser is not,” replied Nightshade, not even so much as batting an eye at his friend, “I want this city to learn what it means to lose loved ones!”



“Um, Shining Armor? Y-you might wanna take a look at this…” stammered a soldier staring up at the sky through a pair of binoculars. Shining Armor levitated the binoculars to his eyes and looked where the soldier was looking. About sixty or so Shadow Pegasi were lined up in a row, flying in place at a lower altitude than the rest of the pegasi fighting in the sky. Numerous Darklings were strapping large saddlebags onto their bodies and stuffing malicite crystals into them; so many that the bags looked like bloated ticks that were about to pop. They then dressed the Shadow Pegasi in vests with numerous malicite crystals sewn into them. It didn’t take long for Shining Armor to figure out what they were up to.
No… he thought, No, even Nightshade wouldn’t use a ruthless tactic like that! He’d lose so many of his own soldiers if he did! When the Shadow Pegasi were all suited up, they began to dive-bomb toward the wall. They accelerated at a terrifying rate and uttered their blood-curdling battlecries. Shining Armor was now in a panic,
“All troops! Focus your fire on those pegasi diving toward us! Hurry!” he screamed, pointing his hoof at the threat from above. Much of the garrison responded and sent a volley of arrows up at the diving pegasi. Some of them met their marks and sent them plummeting like stones. “Hurry! Shoot them! Kill them!”
But it was too late. Most of the Darkbomb Squadron managed to evade the garrison’s arrows and make it too the wall. Rather than landing on the wall, the Shadow Pegasi crashed into the wall like birds crashing into a clean window. Upon contact, the numerous malicite bombs strapped to the Shadow Pegasi detonated in a series of thunderous and powerful explosions. 
Everypony Canterlot soldier in the city watched with terrified looks on their faces as the bright flashes of purple light and smoke spring up from all over the top of the wall. Hundreds of ponies, both good and evil, were sent flying off the wall from the force of the explosions. Nearby pegasi tried their best to catch as many falling ponies as they could, but many were not so lucky...



Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash and Sky Blade were dueling each other in the sky. A couple of Canterlot, Shadow, and Darkling pegasi stopped fighting to watch the two legends duke it out. It was Sky Blade’s bulk, brawn, and mythril blade versus Rainbow Dash’s acrobatic moves and cunning way of thinking. Both fighters had one thing in common: speed. Not only was this particular fight a fight for Canterlot, but it was also, in a way, a title defense match to determine which pegasi was worthy of the title for “Best Flier.”
Rainbow Dash pulled no punches, and neither did Sky Blade. For most of the battle, they fought up close and personal, with Sky Blade swinging his sword like a crazy pony, trying to eviscerate his opponent. Rainbow Dash was always one step ahead of him, however, dodging his attacks and countering with either a swift blow or an obnoxious taunt.
“Is that the best you can do? C’mon, I want this fight to be awesome!” shouted Rainbow Dash to her opponent.
“You think that’s all I got, Dash?” asked Sky Blade, a bit irritated that Rainbow Dash doubted his abilities, “I just getting started! I assure you that I am real warrior and not one-trick pony! I vill show you vhy Celestia named me the best flier in Equestria before you came along and stole my thunder!”
“Put your money where your mouth is!” shouted Rainbow Dash, trying to purposely provoke Sky Blade, “Show me why I should be coming to you for an autograph! So far, I’m not buying that you’re the big, bad warrior you claim to be! You haven’t even touched me with that clunky butter knife of yours!” Sky Blade gritted his teeth and clutched his sword even tighter than before. If looks could kill, Rainbow Dash would be dead.
“Insulting warrior’s blade,” he growled with extreme malice, “Is vurse than insulting mother! Take back vot you say about Blayshar, or I vill be making your death as slow and-” 
“Tag! You’re it!” taunted Rainbow Dash as she flew up to Sky Blade at lightning speed and slapped him on the helmet. She then turned and quickly flew away.
“Are you serious?!” yelled Sky Blade with absolute fury ablaze in his words, “You think this is game?! I going to squash you like the little blueberry you are for toying vith me!” Sky Blade took the bait and took off to chase after Rainbow Dash. They weaved in and out between clouds. Rainbow Dash underestimated Sky Blade’s speed. Shining Armor was right, Sky Blade really was the best flier before Rainbow Dash took the title. Throughout the whole chase scene, Sky Blade was right on Rainbow Dash’s tail. She could feel the wind of his sword swipes on her flank as the pegasus warrior’s mighty broadsword barely missed its target.
“I has you now, little brat!” shouted Sky Blade as her inched closer to his enemy and readied his sword for a mighty slash.
“You’ve got some sweet moves for a chump dressed like a green tin can!” said Rainbow Dash in a sly tone, “But if you think I’m just gonna let this battle be over in two minutes, you’re in for a shock!”Just as she said that line, Rainbow Dash quickly dived to the side as Sky Blade unleashed his attack, evading it in the nick of time. She swiftly positioned herself near a storm cloud and gave it a powerful kick. Lightning bolts shot out at Sky Blade. If his sword wasn’t in the position it was at the moment, the deadly bolts of electricity would have severed his wings right off. The force of the bolt collided with Blayshar, knocking the majestic broadsword out of Sky Blade’s hooves and sending it plummeting down to Canterlot.
“NOOO! BLAYSHAR!!” shouted Sky Blade. Losing his sword was like losing his child. Sky Blade turned to Rainbow Dash and gave her a spiteful, macabre look. He wasn’t about to let his enemy get away with what she just did. “You mock my brother, force me to play the game of Tag, and now you sends Blayshar to his doom! Vhy… Vhy can’t I just crush you already?!”
“‘Cuz I’m just that awesome!” laughed Rainbow Dash, “Do you want me to autograph your swo- Aaaaawwww, too soon?!”
“Shut up! I’ve had just about enough of you!” shouted Sky Blade, “You’re more heartless than creepy voice that comes out of Nightshade every now and then!” Sky Blade cracked his hooves and his neck, then shouted, “I don’t need sword to beat you! Instead of finely sliced rainbow cold cuts, looks like I vill have to settle vith big rainbow pancake!”
“Come get some!” yelled Rainbow Dash, beckoning Sky Blade with her hoof.
“I’ll show you moves I learned exclusively in R.I.A.!” said Sky Blade, charging at the obnoxious rainbow-maned pegasus, whose head he so desperately wanted to rip off. He unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks when he reached his opponent. Rainbow Dash blocked them and tried to counter-attack with a jab from her right hoof. But Sky Blade saw it coming. He caught Rainbow Dash’s hoof and stared into her eyes. He smiled maliciously, then smashed her with a powerful headbutt. Combined with his mass and the strength of his mythril helmet, Sky Blade’s attack launched Rainbow Dash from him. She lost control of her flying for a moment, but luckily landed safely on nearby cloud.
“You like that, you Wonderbolt-wannabe?” said Sky Blade as he landed on the cloud on all four hooves, “Not so tough ven you don’t scamper off like cockroach!”
“You’ve got some sweet moves,” admitted Rainbow Dash, “But I’m still gonna mop the floor with you!”
“I’m going to squish you like slug, insolent blueberry! I has not forgotten that you stole my brother’s special box!”
“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that,” said Rainbow Dash. She started to snicker under her breath as she recollected the memory, “I can’t believe your brother still plays with dolls! How old is he? Five?”
“Die, you brat! Die!!” screamed Sky Blade as he suddenly charged at Rainbow Dash. Rainbow Dash stood her ground and prepared to defend herself against Sky Blade’s onslaught. The two clashed, exchanging punches and kicks with each other. Rainbow Dash found herself at a disadvantage when Sky Blade landed another powerful blow on her. She tried to block it with her hooves, but the force went right through them like a spear through a t-shirt. In addition to his R.I.A. martial arts, Rainbow Dash would have an easier time hurting Sky Blade if he weren’t covered from head to hoof in thick mythril armor. She needed a plan and she needed one quick if she was going to defeat this dangerous opponent.
“Vere’s that cocky attitude of yours, Dash?” laughed Sky Blade, “Vos it really that easy to extinguish that hothead attitude of yours? You has guts, and now I going to rip them out of you!”
“Ready for round two?” said Rainbow Dash as she got back up on her hooves. She had a sly smile on her face as she spoke. Sky Blade thought nothing of it and said back to her,
“Do chickens have beaks? Come on! Let us do this like the Brutus!”
“Alright, you’re ‘it’ again!” Rainbow Dash turned around and quickly took off. She flew straight into a cloud and disappeared from Sky Blade’s sight.
“Nyet! Not this again!” screamed Sky Blade as he grew cheesed off at this sense of déjà vu. He sighed and took off after her. He flew all around the sky, tearing apart cloud after cloud in his hunt for his opponent. It was as if he had lost his keys and was turning his house upside down to look for them. He finally spotted Rainbow Dash diving down towards the surface. 
Rainbow Dash turned her head and saw the large pegasus warrior had found her and was in hot pursuit of her. As he got closer, Sky Blade began to make threatening remarks,
“Ven I catch you, I’m going to show you vot I does with the dishonorable enemies!”
“Dishonor this!” Rainbow Dash yelled. Sky Blade was just about to catch his prey when Rainbow Dash did something he did not anticipate. She quickly turned around and tossed an ink balloon at Sky Blade. What Sky Blade didn’t know was for the brief moment Rainbow Dash was out of his sight, she had defeated a Shadow Pegasus she ran into and looted his saddle bag.  The balloon splattered all over Sky Blade’s face.
“Arrrrgh! My eyes!” cried Sky Blade as ink dripped to his eyes and caused him extreme anguish. He rubbed his eyes, but he did not slow down. He was confident that he could catch Rainbow Dash even without sight. He remembered that the pain-in-the-butt pegasus was right in front of him before she pulled her little stunt and made grabbing motions in front of him. Sky Blade was very disgruntled to find that he was only swatting at air.
“Vere you go, Dash?” he shouted as he wiped ink out of his eyes, “I swear, vonce I gets my hooves on you, I’ll -- AAAAAAAAAAHH!!”


CRASH!!!


Sky Blade had been so absorbed in defeating Rainbow Dash that he failed to notice that she was leading him straight into the side of the mountain. Had he stopped to wipe the ink from his eyes instead of remaining on course, he would have saved himself from smashing into the mountainside like a bird into a window. He had crashed into the mountain head-first, denting even his incredibly durable helmet and making it look like a shriveled up raisin. He fell from where he crashed and tumbled down the mountain towards Canterlot like a cascading boulder in a landslide. He landed in the city with a loud thud, too weak and sore to move. If he hadn’t been wearing his armor, he definitely would have kicked the bucket. 
Hehehehe, looks like I underestimated you, Dash, Sky Blade chuckled in his head, Perhaps you are vurthy of being my rival after all. You may even have a shot at becoming vun of those pompous Vonderbolts…
“General Sky Blade!” shouted a voice. Sky Blade looked to his left and saw three Darkling unicorns cantering towards him. “You look like you’ve taken quite a round of punishment, sir!” They knelt down beside their general and helped him to his hooves.
“I am fine,” Sky Blade groaned as he got back on his hooves. He tried to keep a poker face to keep up his reputation of being tough as iron, but the true pain aching throughout his body made it not easy task. “It is good thing I vore helmet, otherwise I might have been kicking bucket.”
“The great Sky Blade was defeated by a little tomcolt?” laughed a Darkling, “My my, you must be losing your touch, sir!”
“You dare?!” shouted Sky Blade, giving the Darkling a menacing stare. He reached to draw his sword, but then remembered that Blayshar took a tumble out the sky not too long ago. “You are lucky that I lost Blayshar! Otherwise I vould have done my impression of deli slicer on you!”
“Speaking of swords,” said another Darkling, “I believe your brother actually found your blade somewhere in the city. He’s looking for you right now!”
“Nightshade got in?” asked Sky Blade, “I must have missed that during my duel vith Dash! Take me to him!”



“Aaah, so this is the great royal city of Canterlot!” said Prince Nightshade as he strided casually through the demolished gate and gazed upon the city and all of its majesty. “Quite posh, if I do say so myself. No wonder Sponduli wants to move here so badly! Unfortunately, I’m afraid I’m going to have to redecorate this place!” Using his magic, he pointed his hoof upwards and launched a small magic flare up into the sky. It soared up like a bottle rocket and exploded about fifty feet in the air. When it exploded, every Shadow Pony and Darkling around Nightshade faced him and stood at attention.
“My honorable soldiers,” uttered Prince Nightshade, “Before we storm the castle, there is something else we must do! I want each and everyone of you to break into the buildings in this garish city and ransack them! Take everything of value! Food, good, gems, everything! If you find citizens hiding in them like cowardly mice, take them prisoner!”
“Yes, Prince Nightshade!” his soldiers shouted in unison. They turned around and resumed their assault on the great city. They proceeded to break into whatever building they could find. They shattered the windows, pried off the boards covering the entrances, and even blew up the doors with malicite bombs. As Nightshade cantered along side his soldiers into the enemy city, he caught a glimpse of his brother limping towards him.
“Hey, Sky Blade!” Nightshade called as he ran over to see his brother. When he caught sight of the bruises on his face and body, not to mention the damages to his armor, Nightshade gave him a reprimanding look and said, “Cheese and crackers, Sky Blade! What in Equestria happened to you?”
“Rainbow Dash beat me…” he mumbled.
“What was that?” said Nightshade in a playful tone. He put his hoof to his ear, indicating that he couldn’t hear him. 
“I said Rainbow Dash beat me!!” screamed Sky Blade
“Aaaawwww, did Rainbow Dash trick you, Sky Blade?” teased Nightshade, “Didn’t you know that slamming into the sides of mountains is inimical for your health?”
“Enough vith the veird vords, Nightshade!” sighed Sky Blade, “I’ll get her next time!”
“Calm down, Sky Blade! I’m just pulling your leg!” laughed Nightshade, “Anyway, I found your sword a little while back. Mythril is quite durable, if I do say so myself. I mean, this thing fell out of the sky and look: not a scratch or bend!” Nightshade levitated the noble sword towards his brother. Sky Blade grabbed it and held it in a fond embrace. It was like he had been reunited with a long lost child of his.



“Shining Armor!” screamed Twilight when she saw the pegasus medics carrying him towards the castle. She rushed over to her brother and shook his shoulder, trying to get a response from the near unconscious unicorn.
“D-Don’t worry about me, Twilight… I'll be fine...” he mumbled as he stared into the eyes of his distressed sister. He looked back at the decimated top of the wall. “I can’t believe Prince Nightshade would use such a cruel tactic. All those ponies, both good and evil… They’re gone…”
“We can’t give up yet, Shining Armor!” said Twilight Sparkle, holding back her grief, “There is still a chance we can win! The deaths of those brave soldiers on the wall won’t be in vain!”
“I hope so, for everypony’s sake…” mumbled Shining Armor. His voice got weaker and he slowly was losing consciousness. He mustered the last of his strength to put his hoof on Twilight Sparkle’s shoulder and whispered to her, “Please, Twilight… Stop… Nightshade…” After that, he was out cold.
“Don’t worry, Princess Twilight,” said a pegasus medic. He noticed Twilight’s panicked facial expression and wanted to calm her nerves. He put a hoof on Shining Armor’s neck and felt the faint beating of his heart. “He’s still alive. He just needs rest. Those malicite explosions have done a number on his body.”
“Oh, thank goodness,” said Twilight, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Um, ah hate to break up yer l’il moment with yer brother, Twi,” shouted Applejack, “But we kinda need yer help over here!” Twilight looked over and saw her friends being swarmed by Prince’s Nightshade’s forces. Twilight nodded and flew over to join the brawl. As she landed, she caught sight of Roger running along the rooftops of the buildings. He jumped down with a triple flip into the battle zone and landed a short distance away from Applejack.
“Whoa, cool! That pony’s like a ninja or something!” said Rainbow Dash, who had joined her friends after her triumphant victory in her duel with Sky Blade. Roger stared at Twilight and friends, particularly Applejack, with a stony-faced gaze. He then quickly reached into his syndicate jacob coat and pulled out a strange club-like device. He gave it a bit of twirl in his hoof and pointed it at Applejack. It appeared to be made of a silvery-chrome, lustrous metal and seemed to resemble a crossbow, only it was a lot smaller and lacked any sort of limbs or strings. The haft did not appear to have any stock whatsoever and served primarily as the handle. The head of the device was of a round triangular shape with two tiny sights on both ends. 
“Is that supposed to be a weapon?” asked Applejack, “It looks more like a toy to me.” Roger said nothing or made any sort of the gesture in response. Instead, he simply squeezed the handle, which apparently also served as the trigger for the device.
What happened next truly frightened Applejack and her friends. Their ears rang with a loud ‘pew’ sound as a they watched a deadly red laser launch from the device’s muzzle. It zipped through the air at a blinding speed and hit the crown of Applejack’s hat, causing it to fly off her head and fall to the ground. Twilight and friends stared at the hat, which had a gaping hole in the center of the crown that was charred around the edges, on the ground with their mouths gaping open. They then turned their attention back to Roger, who was smiling maliciously.
“Um, Twi?” said Applejack nervously, “Ah think we’re in trouble!” Roger didn’t hesitate any longer. He pointed the weapon at his targets and unleashed a barrage of lasers at them. Twilight Sparkle, fortunately, was able to react in time and erected a magical barrier around her friends. Roger looked up at the Canterlot soldiers on the rooftops. As they unleashed volleys of arrows at him, Roger dipped, ducked, dodged, and darted past them with his fluent ninja moves as he advanced towards Twilight and friends. 
He ducked behind a crate and pulled a tiny lever on the side of his device. A slot opened up on the side of the club-like object and a little red piece of metal came out. Roger quickly caught the metal object in his teeth and, almost simultaneously, loaded another piece of metal into the slot and shut it. The piece of metal loaded into the weapon was colored yellow. Roger peeked his head out from behind the crate and looked up at a group of enemy archers who were focusing their fire on the rest of Nightshade’s army. Roger quickly pointed his weapon at the group of archers and fired a shot.
What came out of the weapon this time wasn’t a laser. A small, yellow, light bulb-like object with a silvery pointed tip launched out of Roger’s weapon. It stuck itself into the rooftop on which the archers were standing. The Canterlot soldiers ceased fire for a moment and stared at the strange object that landed next to them. It was flashing like a fire alarm and emitted a constant beeping noise. The noise got louder with every second that passed. Before the soldiers could figure what the device was, the object went-


KA-BOOM!!!


“I don’t think our predicament could get much worse than this!” Rarity commented as she watched in horror at the archers on the rooftops getting blown up by what was now known to be a bomb. 
“Princess Twilight!” shouted a pegasus warrior that swooped down and landed next to her, “Our forces cannot hold out much longer! There’s just too many of them, and they’re coming in from too many directions!”
“Tell our soldiers to fall back into the castle!” answered Twilight. It was as clear as day that they really didn’t have any other option at this point.
“What?!” Shouted Rainbow Dash, disappointed at what she was hearing, “I’m not running! I don’t run away from goons like this!”
“We don’t have a choice, Rainbow Dash!” said Twilight. She was under a great deal of stress and had no time for objections, “It’s either we retreat to the castle or we get trampled by Nightshade’s army!” She turned to the soldiers standing behind her and shouted as loud as she could, “FALL BACK! RUN TO THE CASTLE!! WE’LL HOLD THEM THERE!!”
“Ugh, fine! Whatever!” grumbled Rainbow Dash as she joined her friends and the remaining Canterlot forces in the city in rush to get inside the royal palace. Once everypony was inside, the guards slammed the door shut and sealed it with a magical reinforcing barrier.
“Twilight!” said Fluttershy as she saw her friends dash into the throne room. She was staying cooped up in there along with Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and the gravely injured Shining Armor. “Wh-what’s going on out there?” Twilight looked grimly at her timid yellow friend.
“They’ve breached the city and pounding on the castle door as we speak…” Fluttershy jumped in squealed in fear as the air was suddenly filled with the deafening sound of the violent banging on the main door of the palace. 
“It’s gonna be alright, Fluttershy!” said Rainbow Dash, trying to fill her friend with confidence, “We’re not gonna walk away from this as losers! I mean, I must have bashed, like, a hundred and fifty of those Shadow Pegasi out there. Plus, to add the cherry on top of my awesome sundae, I kicked the butt of that chump Sky Blade!”
“Thou hast defeated Sky Blade?!” said Princess Luna, “I am impressed, Rainbow Dash!”
“You may have defeated the great pegasus warrior, Rainbow Dash,” said Princess Celestia, “But we haven’t defeated the great army that is literally at our doorstep!”
“What’re we going to do?!” asked Applejack, “We’re pretty much toast right now, if ya ask me.”
“Ooooh, I could use some toast right now! I’m starving!” chimed in Pinkie Pie. Despite the seriousness of the situation, nothing could stop Pinkie Pie from being Pinkie Pie. “I wonder what I should have on it? Butter? Jelly? Marmalade? OOOOH!! Or maybe that yummy chocolate-hazelnut spread!”
“Pinkie Pie, focus! We’re literally hanging onto life by a thread here!” Shouted Twilight at her friend. She tried not to come off as rude or mean to her friend, but the level of stress from the predicament at hoof made it next to impossible. Their ears were suddenly filled with a thunderous explosion. Following that, the group could hear the clamour of the two armies clashing with each other below them. It wasn’t much longer before Canterlot soldiers began to frantically run into the throne room in a hasty retreat. Once everypony was inside, the soldiers barricaded the door and, once again, sealed it shut with magic.
“Twilight…” whispered Fluttershy in terror as Nightshade’s forces savagely pounded on the throne room door, “Are we going to die?”
“No, I won’t let that happen, Fluttershy!” said Twilight. She didn’t look at Fluttershy, for her attention was focused on whatever was going to come through the door when it was inevitably broken down. This was their last stand. She had to win this battle. For her friends, and for all of Equestria!