//------------------------------// // Chapter 15: The King's Battle // Story: Shadowed Bolts // by Shadowmane PX-41 //------------------------------// The Rainbooms and Shadowbolts all arrived at the grassy hills on the outskirts of Canterlot to devise their plan for striking back against the Defectors. Without Sunset Shimmer, they had to redouble their efforts in thinking of a plan that would guarantee that they would stop the battle, before things got messy. "So, does anyone have an idea?" Indigo Zap was the first to break the silence. "For the first time in my life, I don't." Sugarcoat looked down at her hand and balled it up into a fist. "Those Defectors have pushed me too far that my mind is full of rage to think of something effective..." "They've pushed us all too far, Sugarcoat." Sunny Flare walked up to her and wrapped her arm around the silver-haired girl's shoulders. "But if fighting is the last resort to stop this madness, then I'll gladly fight. I'll make sure that our efforts to save the Crystal Prep students don't go to waste!" "But what we really need is Sunset to do this..." Fluttershy meekly whispered. "If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have convinced Red Letter to break off from the Defectors and help us out. Without her, we might as well be talking to terrorists who only know how to kill..." "C'mon, girls! We can't give up now!" Rainbow Dash encouraged. "Those Defectors want us to belive that all hope is lost, that we can't fight for ourselves. Well we can! And Sunset Shimmer or not, we're gonna win against those thugs and save our world!" "Yeah! Rainbow's helped me and many others see the light with her loyalty!" Indigo Zap added. "The Defectors might have the upper hand for now, but we've got ourselves, and together as friends, we can do anything!" "That's a very nice sentiment, Rainbow and Indigo, but have you noticed that the Defectors are all using the Magic of Friendship now, and will most likely try to use that magic to stop us immediately?" Rarity asked. "Yeah, I know about that, but the real Magic of Friendship only responds to us, right?" "Well, yes. We technically embody all six of the elements, but I still don't see how—" "And it's like Sunset said. 'True magic comes from loyalty, honesty, kindness, generousity, and laughter,' right?" "Ah! I see what you mean now, Dashie!" Pinkie Pie lit up when the realization struck her. "Because we're all of those things, we can use the true Magic of Friendship against those phony ones! That means, that Starlight, Blueblood, and the other Defectors are only able to use a little bit, while we can use all of it!" "That gives me some confidence, but it still won't be enough with just the eleven of us." Sugarcoat stepped forward and then turned to face the others. "From what I could gather from the times we saw the Magic of Friendship, Sunset was the primary catalyst for bringing the magic out, while the rest of us were just conduits to maximise its' power. There's no guarantee that we can stop the Defectors with just us. And if there is a sliver of a chance we can do it, it will be very miniscule..." The girls all sighed and hung their heads when Sugarcoat had stopped talking. It was true that they had the true magic within them, but without Sunset, it was worthless, like a car without its' key. "If only Sunset wasn't such a grumpy guts, then we could have stopped the Defectors easily..." Pinkie Pie's hair deflated as a single tear rolled down from her eye. "GIRLS!" From the corners of their eyes, the girls could all see Sunset Shimmer running towards them from the distance with a letter in her hand. "SUNSET!" They all cheered as she ran up the final hill to meet them all. Once she got to them, they all pulled her into a massive group hug. "You changed your mind!" Lemon Zest bounced as she hugged her. "Of course I did!" Sunset beamed as she returned the hug. "You think I'd really abandon you all after those heartwarming words from Sunny?" "Well, you did kinda act like a big, stinky, meanie-pants back at your house, so we did start to lose hope..." Pinkie mumbled loudly despite putting her hand in front of her mouth. "I'm sorry about that, it was just that I was taken by my anger and the loss of the other Canterlot High students that I lost the will to fight with the Magic of Friendship, and I became a much more different person inside. I turned into another she-demon. Not an actual one, mind you, but a verbal one. And once I understood what I'd been saying and doing, I got out of my bed, and read this really sweet letter from Red." She held up the letter and showed it to the girls. Dear Sunset Shimmer. By the time you read this, I will be back in China with my family and friends. I just wanted to give you my most heartfelt thanks for everything that you've said and done to me. I'll be honest, if you hadn't joined Canterlot High School, I would've become too enthralled in Starlight Glimmer's web of lies, and would've become another pawn in her plan to stomp out anything that gets in her way. If your friends hadn't stood by you and given the power and magic you needed to compel your message, things could've turned out much worse that having Canterlot High destroyed. You must not give up now. You have lots and lots of friends. And despite the fact that they might be far apart, know that they will always be with you, and they will guide you through the darkness and bring you back to the light. Don't lose sight of your goal, and use the Magic of Friendship like it was truly intended: to bring harmony to our world and stop the Defectors. Even though the odds might seem impossible, if you believe that you can do it, you will. Nothing will stop you but yourself, and when you can throw away your fears and sorrows, you can do anything, no matter how big or small. Your new friend from far away. —Red Letter. "It's nice to know that there are friends from far away who want to wish us well, even when they can't help us out," Rarity said as Sunset folded the paper back up and slipped it back in her pocket. "Yeah. Usually when people move somewhere else, they tend to forget all about the friends that they've made before, and rather focus on making new ones." Twilight suddenly gasped when the realization struck her. "That means that... Starlight's not doing this because she hates Canterlot High, she's doing this because I left Crystal Prep!" "Huh?" Everyone else in the group chorused. "Think about it. Me and Starlight were besties back then, along with Sugarcoat. The three of us were inseperable, and Starlight was a much different person back then," Twilight explained. "But after the Friendship Games, I had to leave for Canterlot High, and Starlight must have been devastated when she heard the news." "I'm also to blame for Starlight turning into the queen of the Defectors." Sugarcoat hung her head as she stepped forward. "Without Twilight, I was the only other friend Starlight had, and I turned her back on her when she signed up with those fiends. She had lost both of her friends in just one month, so she decided to replace that sadness with hatred—hatred that she directed at Canterlot High, Crystal Prep, and all of the students who go to those schools." "However, her hatred was soon amplified by that of many other Crystal Prep students; the ones who wanted Abacus Cinch to come back into power, or at the very least, someone like her." The girls all jolted backwards and got themselves ready for a fight. Just walking towards them was Blueblood, Starlight, and all of the other Defectors from Crystal Prep. Their eyebrows were all lowered and their hands were balled into fists, but they weren't seething at the sight of the Rainbooms or the Shadowbolts. Rather, they had unimpressed frowns on their faces as they approached the girls. "Rainbooms. Shadowbolts," said Blueblood once the group had arrived. "A pleasure to see you all again, but from what I can gather, the feeling isn't mutual." "You bet it isn't mutual!" Rainbow Dash threw a punch at Blueblood, who immediately caught it and held Rainbow Dash back. "Why the heck did you have to go and destroy Canterlot High?! Don't you people know when enough is enough?!" "Canterlot High would've been ratted out as a school that had magical students one way or another." Blueblood threw Rainbow back to the group, who picked her up as she smashed onto the ground. "We were just doing you a favour by tearing it down." "You killed the majority of our classmates and friends!" Rarity crossed her arms and scoffed at the Defectors. "You've stolen Celestia and Luna from us!" Pinkie Pie added. "And you've destroyed the portal to Equestria!" Sunset put her foot down hard on the ground. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip all of you limb from limb for the horrible things you've done to us!" "The world is infested with magic now. Such trivial things like human life and a high school are no concern to us." Blueblood stepped forward and crossed his arms. "At first, we were all skeptical back at the Games, and we were just dumb and ignorant children, unaware of what was truly going on with the world when Abacus put forth that wicked plan of hers." He then grew a unicorn horn, pony ears, and tails coming out of his head and butt. "But now we see the truth. "The magic that you six girls brandish is a powerful one at that. And when used properly, it can create anything, reshape countries, change the world for everyone." Blueblood rubbed the fingers on his right hand, creating a small stream of magic inbetween them. He then waved his arms out, causing the magic to expand and widen, until eventually, a sword materialized out of thin air right into his hands. "True magic is not friendship; it is not something that some prissy ponies carry around from Equestria. No. Instead, magic is the ultimate tool of creation. And with this tool, we can revolutionize the world, put ourselves thousands of years into the future, therefore making our world a true utopia." "Don't try to make that word seem good in any feasible sense," Sugarcoat raised her voice, but only slightly. "You've murdered, destroyed, and caused so many people heartache that they'll never be able to recover from. If anything, utopia for you, is hell for everyone else." "Sugarcoat's right. If you use this magic to reshape the world, you'll only use it to stack everyone into a pyramid, and then put yourselves on top!" Twilight put her foot down as well. "We'll never let that happen. It was bad enough that magic's been involved in this from the beginning, but from the way you put it, we've got all the more reason to put you down once and for all!" "Truth be told, Rainbooms. I cannot imagine our world succeeding either." Blueblood shook his head and sighed. "All these battles, all these victories, all this pain we've inflicted on everyone, and I'm just fed up of it now. I just want this to end one way or another, but I cannot because of one major element." He pointed towards Sunset. "You. Sunset Shimmer." "Me? But why am I so important?" She asked. "There is something I've seen within you. Something strange, something new, something unlike anything I've ever seen before..." He started to pace back and forth across the grass. "I mean, the Defectors have all been pumped full of the magic you and your friends carry, and yet when I look at you, I can feel a force far greater than the one we have. It's been taxing my mind for an awful long time now, and I need to find answers before our little journey is at an end." "It's because the magic you've been using is unpure. It's just the base level," Sunset began to explain. "Sure, creation is a powerful thing to have, but when you tap into the five elements that go with the magic, then not only do you have creation, but you have a power far beyond that of anything on this world, or Equestria. That's why it's called the Magic of Friendship." "Friendship? What can friendship do against the power of creation?" Blueblood stopepd pacing and faced Sunset once more. "It can save our world. It's done so three times already, and it won't hesitate to make it four times." Sunset glowed radiantly and was consumed in a heavenly light. She had a Pony-Up, but this time, she had a horn of her own to match Blueblood's. "If we are going to finish this, then we'll do it together. Hand in hand, friends 'til the end, united as one!" "Hmm. It seems you also have a sense of loyalty and devotion to your followers, Sunset." Blueblood's horn shined bright, and all of a sudden, reality around them all shattered, just like it did when Sunset and her friends fought Red Letter. When the light died down, Sunset and Blueblood were in a massive coliseum, with the Rainbooms, Shadowbolts, and Defectors all sitting in the bleachers high above them. "I understand how it is. You don't want to upset your friends, so you try everything to make sure there's a solution that benefits everyone. How clever. But if it's all the same to you, I'd like to see how you reinforce that claim." He made a few practice swings of the sword before he raised it high in the air, firing a beam of magic that created a barrier above them, preventing anyone from helping them. "You and me, Sunset. One final clash between the King of the Defectors, and the frontrunner for the Magic of Friendship." "Gladly." Sunset's horn generated a sword of her own. It had a golden hilt with her Cutie mark in the middle and the blade was adorned with golden markings all across it. "Truly, this is the way the climax of this fight was meant to be." Blueblood started to walk forward. "Such an honour to face an opponent like you, Sunset." "Likewise. This is how I first thought you'd be fighting me." Sunset stepped forward as well. "The king stakes his pride by facing all foes, regardless of size, shape, and age. What an honour to live by." After both Sunset and Blueblood were within touching distance of each other, the two of them held their swords out and swung violently at each other, clashing every single time. Lots of blows were traded, and the sparks could be seen flying off the swords as they collided. Sunset fought on offense, while Blueblood resorted to mostly parrying. Both sides didn't flinch a single time throughout the whole ordeal, and it was a very even match. But after a few more swings, Blueblood slashed under the next strike, causing Sunset to stumble backwards and ready herself for Blueblood's attack. She dodged most of the swings and reflected many others, and soon enough, they were back where they had started. It was after that that Blueblood and Sunset's horns started to glow in unison, and before long, lasers were portruding out of them, locking with the other as they touched, while the swords were still being brandished. They charged at each other, causing the outflow of magic from both their horns to get too powerful, causing a small explosion that knocked both of them back. With the power struggle between the beams broken, Sunset fired off a volley of spells at Blueblood, who leapt up and responded in kind with his own array of bolts and orbs. Both sides were now trying to shoot each other down while also fighting with their weapons. It was a hard task for both of them, and often at times, their opponent landed a few lucky shots on them, but it was still undecidable. "What a battle this is turning out to be." Blueblood smiled as he leapt forward and did a somersault slash against Sunset, who sidestepped out of the way just in time. "Now this is what I wanted all along! A challenge!" "We're only getting warmed up!" Sunset smirked as she held her hand against her sword before she ran fowards and performed a long and fast combo against Blueblood, who was moving so erratically that it was impossible to hurt him. As the fight went on, Starlight began to sweat as she sat in the audience. She tugged on her collar and chattered her teeth as she watched Blueblood lock horns with Sunset. She knew that he was the symbol of hope and prosperity for the Defectors, and that if he fell, it would be ruinous to her plans. But at the same time, a small part of her was hoping that he lost, because if he was to be defeated, then she would assume complete control over his followers. With both thoughts buzzing in her mind, she sat back and continued to watch the show. Eventually, Sunset and Blueblood charged at each other, magic enveloping them as they made one final clash, and two massive lasers collided just above them. A golden one from Sunset, and a silver one from Blueblood. Both sides pushed harder and harder against each other, but just like before, it was too close to call. Finally, though, with one last yell, Sunset broke through Blueblood's offense, causing her laser to overpower his and strike him clean on. She also took the opportunity to make a number of other swings that cut straight through Blueblood, causing the light to consume the stadium afterwards. The arena vanished, returning everyone to the grassy knolls. Sunset had only suffered minor cuts and bruises, while Blueblood looked like he had been beaten half to death, with massive gashes across his body, a black eye, and a lot of scars across his face. Both sides were gasping for breath heavily and dropped the swords, which vanished before they even hit the ground. "And so this is how it ends..." Blueblood coughed as he struggled to breathe. "The king of the Defectors, vanquished by the fabled angel of Canterlot High. I knew this would come, but I thought it would be much worse than I had anticipated..." He watched Sunset step forward towards him. "Now we must close this book of war once and for all. "Truth be told, I don't want to hurt anyone anymore. I don't want to lead the Defectors anymore. I don't want anyone to have to suffer for our actions anymore," Blueblood hung his head and fell to his knees as he looked up at Sunset. "I just want everything to go back to the way it was before. I just want the world to be peaceful again. Please, Sunset. This war against change has gone on long enough. You and your friends have the power to end this." He hung his head. "Take my life, spill my blood, and end these accursed Defectors once and for all." After a long period of silence, Sunset looked at Blueblood's damaged body and simply said, "No." "Wh-what?" Blueblood raised his eyebrows. "What?!" Everyone else said together in harmony. "Sunset! He's the leader of the Defectors! Kill the fuck and end this like he said!" Sour Sweet demanded. "No! He doesn't deserve this!" Sunset shot back at her and the rest of the group. "Doesn't deserve it?! He's killed off over two hundred students who used to go to Canterlot High, kidnapped Celestia and Luna, and destroyed the portal to Equestria, and you're just forgiving him?!" Rainbow Dash spluttered, flailing her arms out wildly. "If we kill him, then we're no better than the rest of the Defectors." Sunset walked over to Rainbow Dash and held her arm to calm her down. She watched her sigh and submit before she walked back to Blueblood. "I know what you've all done was horrible and beyond redemption, but the truth is, I don't really think you all wanted to do any of this either." She looked towards the other uniformed students. "All of you didn't want to fight anyone in the first place, but you devoted yourself to Starlight and Blueblood so much that you didn't want to say no to any of their actions, because you knew that if you did, you'd get hurt either by the rest of your colleagues or your leaders." "Yeah. That's pretty much the long and short of it." Night Glider stepped forward from the crowd. "None of us really wanted to make anyone feel bad, but we were just driven by what had happened to Principal Cinch and to Crystal Prep as a whole. And then when Starlight and Blueblood came in, it was like everyone had a zero tolerance policy that just got way too out of hand." "If Blueblood can admit that what we did was wrong, then so can I." Sugar Belle walked up and held hands with Night Glider. "Our king has always been a beacon of hope to us, and we've always followed his orders without question, even if they were the worst things we've ever heard in our lives." "We've all been bullies, and if those three can change, then so can I." A third Defector stepped forward and ripped off their Crystal Prep uniform, revealing bright casual clothing underneath it. "We've been fighting against change so much that we never once had the thought that it wasn't a war we should have fought until now. Well no more. From now on, it's bright clothes, fun times, and friendship all the way!" To that sentence, every other Defector started to tear their own uniforms off and reveal their true clothes underneath, throwing their old clothes, the very symbol of being a Defector to the ground and stomped all over them. They all walked up to Sunset and the other girls and shook their hands, patted them on the back, apologized for what they had done, and started to act genuinely friendly towards each other. As Blueblood watched everything happen, he smiled and stood up. "After everything I've done, I never thought that we would get a happy ending..." He slowly but surely stood to his feet, gritting his teeth and holding back his tears as he fought against the immense pain that was shooting up through his body. "Sunset. I know that there's no way to fix what's been done to your classmates or to Equestria's portal, but we can help you out in moving on from what happened." Blueblood shook Sunset's hand. "We can help you rebuild Canterlot High, patch things up with Principal Chrysalis, cure the students we've put in hospital, and much more." "That sounds wonderful, Blueblood." Sunset patted him on the back, watching him wince as she had been patting one of his gashes. "We'd love your help in repairing this mess..." "Now I can see what truly resides in your heart, Sunset." Blueblood gave her a small hug. "You're a courageous heroine with a noble heart, and a lot of friends. And you truly deserve to have the Magic of Friendship deep within you..." All of a sudden, Blueblood was impaled by a magical bolt, causing everyone to gasp as he stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. He grunted when it struck, as he tumbled to the earth, and when he crashed into the dirt. He vanished in a bright light, letting out a single scream as his body turned into little specks of light. "NO!" Everyone cried as they watched Blueblood disappear into thin air. When they calmed down, they saw Starlight Glimmer, still in her Crystal Prep uniform, holding her hand out. The magic was just starting to dissipate from her hand, and her horn stopped glowing. She had an evil smirk on her face which lingered as she dropped her arm back down to her sides. "Idiots! Children! All of you!" She yelled at the Rainbooms, Shadowbolts, and the redeemed Defectors. She was taking deep breaths as she "Have you not forgotten the very ideals that I laid out for you?! The goal that we all shared?! The future we wanted to create?!" "You killed our king..." Sugar Belle started to shed tears as she looked her queen in the eyes. "Why, Starlight? Why would you do this to us?!" "That miserable little fool could never hope to rule the world like I could." Starlight crossed her arms and confronted the army of teenagers. "With me in charge of the Defectors, we shall go beyond the strength of gods, and make sure that we stand tall above everyone who dares to think that they're better than us! That is how Crystal Prep was, is, and always will be! We will always be the best, and we will always hate and defeat anyone who tries to defeat us!" "That's not what Crystal Prep's supposed to be like at all!" Lemon Zest shouted, causing the Defectors to hold her up so that Starlight could see her. "We're supposed to be another high school, not a snobbish, stuck-up, and stupid mansion where people can be jerks for the sake of being jerks! You've clearly got everything about our school wrong, Starlight!" "No. You've got everything about your way of life wrong, Lemon Zest!" Starlight roared. "All of you think that you're just some silly little adolescents born into rich families so that you can go to Crystal Prep and get an education? You couldn't be any more wrong! You're my own personal army, born from the ashes of Abacus Cinch's legacy, and together, we will fight against everyone who tries to stand in our way as we bring that repuation back! "And YOU!" Starlight turned towards Sunset Shimmer and the Rainbooms. She used her magic to fly above the crowd and ready another volley of spells. "We lost the games, but everyone got it wrong. You're to blame, not Twilight, not us, not Cinch, not anyone else! It's all. Your. Faults! And one way or another, you will feel the hammer of my justice..." She lifted the six girls into the air and shackled them with magic, all while still flying above the audience. She brought up thousands of magical orbs that surrounded the girls and started to crash into them, causing them to feel unimaginable levels of agony. "Even if it means killing all six of you one million times over!" The orbs all crashed into Sunset and her friends, and as they all screamed with each blow, Starlight was laughing like a maniac in doing so. Her pupils had dilated, and her evil smirk had gone into a full blown smile with how many times she was hurting them all. The last spell was a giant orb that flew just above the heads of the Rainbooms, who were now all suffering third degree burns, broken bones, and had just as many cuts as Blueblood had before he died. The orb hung above them, then started to fall down. It crashed into them and exploded, causing a massive explosion of light. When the light faded away, however, Sunset and her friends were still alive, holding onto each other's hands and shining with a magical rainbow-coloured aura around them, which then started to heal the damage they had taken. Their looks of dread had been turned into smiles of confidence as they held each other tighter. "Wh-WHAT?! HOW?!" Starlight screamed. "I HAVE THE MAGIC! YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN—" "Your magic is powerful, Starlight." Sunset pointed at her. "But it will never be stronger than the magic deep within all of us. Together, we make up the true essence of magic. A power that isn't just derived from some ancient hocus-pocus fairytale. but one forged from five different elements. "Honesty! Loyalty! Kindness! Laughter! Generousity! And Magic combined are what will always make us stronger than you, and will make sure that we win over you and your selfish dreams!" As Sunset spoke, she, her friends, and the Shadowbolts all had their own Pony-Ups before they all flew up with their own rainbow auras to hold hands with her and the others. "It's not just within me and my friends, either. The Shadowbolts from Crystal Prep fit the roles of the six elements too! And together! We'll make sure that we will never be defeated!" "Nonsense! Nothing but silly nonsense!" Starlight fired a massive laser at the twelve girls, but it immediately disappeared when it collided with a massive mirror that came out of nowhere. "It's not just Sunset who wants to fight for a better future!" A female Defector called out as the horned ones had their horns glowing brightly, which caused them to become enveloped in the aura as well. "Just like them and Blueblood, we all want this to end, but we certainly don't want you to be the one who finishes it!" "Yeah!" A male Defector called out this time. "Together, all of us will stand alongside Sunset until the bitter end, as not just allies, but friends!" All of the Defectors started to cheer Sunset and the girls on, causing all of them to gain the rainbow aura as well as they flew up into the air. Their words brightened the glow around Sunset and her friends, and the newfound brightness started to blind Starlight. "No! NO!" She screamed as she shielded her eyes. "This can't be happening to me! "You... YOU..." Suddenly, the realization struck her, and she reached into her clothes and pulled out a copy of Twilight's locket from the Friendship Games. Then her wicked smirk came back. "I can't believe how stupid you all are!" She pushed the button and the locket opened. And once it did, a massive torrent of rainbow-coloured magic shot out of the Rainbooms, the Shadowbolts, the Defectors, and Sunset, right into Starlight's hands. "ALL OF YOUR MAGIC IS MINE! WITH ALL OF YOUR POWERS COMBINED, I WILL GO BEYOND THE STRENGTH OF A GOD!" She shouted as she watched the boys and girls all struggle to keep hold of the magic. "I WILL RULE THIS WORLD AS TIME DEMANDS IT! I SHALL STAND TALL ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE IN EXISTENCE! AND I SHALL ERASE EVERYTHING THAT GETS IN MY WAY! "MORE! MORE!" She chanted as the magic swirled around her and the locket. "I NEED ALL OF THE MAGIC TO REIGN SUPREME! MOOOOOOOORE!" Then, the locket started to fizzle with lightning, as the lights began to blink rapidly and the magic became too big for the device to handle. There was so much magic that it was beginning to overload the system, and only when Starlight looked down did she notice. "Wait, that's too mu—" But before anyone else could say or do anything, a massive eruption of magic consumed everyone not just in the knolls, but across all of Canterlot, and the many other countries beyond. It hastily spread out to every corner of the planet before vanishing just as fast. And when it had all died down, Starlight, the Rainbooms, and the Shadowbolts were nowhere to be seen.