Chapter Ninety-four
Fortress Apollo
Twilight
The team of four moved quickly through the torchlit halls of the ancient fortress, hugging every corner, waiting to be discovered as they made their way to the roof to take out the largest remaining group of defenders. Twilight knew that there were more soldiers lurking around somewhere, waiting for a final call to action or a guerrilla attack on the resistance soldiers who would try to occupy the castle. These men had no reason or desire to live, and not much remaining lifespan to live anyway, and that was an extremely dangerous sort of enemy that had to be dispatched before they could wreak any serious damage.
Twilight sidled against the wall beside her and listened for any noise, then slowly moved her head around the corner. Sure enough, a pair of soldiers were standing guard at the base of a staircase, looking slightly bored, or perhaps just absent. She moved back out of their potential line of sight, and turned to her friends. “Two of them guarding a stairway.” she stated simply, in a voice barely above a whisper. “Fluttershy, if you fire an arrow and I launch a volley of magic, we should be able to take them both out at once, and delay alerting them a little longer.”
Fluttershy looked extremely nervous, even if she had already nocked an arrow. “Um, I... I don’t know if I could make the shot... I've never had to shoot a human being before...”
Twilight sighed. “Fluttershy, you know what has happened to these people. Their minds are rotting away, and their bodies won’t last much longer, either. They’re suffering, and... I know it sounds harsh to say it, but allowing them to leave this life is one of the kindest things we can do for them.”
Fluttershy looked even more upset. She seemed to begin to say something, before a loud tone echoed throughout the whole fortress, drawing the attention of the guards. Twilight sighed heavily. “Well, there’s the alarm. One of the other teams must have triggered it. No more stealth! Only stopping them!” She swung around the wall and threw a mass of element-less energy at the two, and the one it hit was sent reeling into the wall. Rarity and Blake both rushed forward, swords at their sides, and quickly dispatched them both.
Twilight allowed Fluttershy to go ahead of her as the group rounded the corner and ascended the staircase to the next floor, shaking her head ever so slightly to herself. I can only hope Fluttershy can bring herself to fight when it really counts. Otherwise she’s just endangering herself by being here.
The second floor was already much more lively. Rarity and Blake’s swords were immediately met with steel from the enemies’ lances, and Twilight fought to strike them down before they had a chance to deal any serious damage. At least ten enraged soldiers rushed at the door, and after two minutes of fighting, ten bodies were scooted out of the way.
"I wonder how the other teams are doing..." Rarity commented. "Probably fine. One has got Tug and Rainbow Dash, the other Pinkie. If anything, it's ours we should be concerned with, and yet we're still meeting with success."
Twilight shook her head. That's very comforting of you to say, Rarity. I'll keep us all alive myself if I have to, but at least you and Blake are holding up.
The fortress only had two floors, in addition to its roof where the archers still fought, but the majority of the troops seemed to be on the second floor. Twilight couldn't tell if the other teams had made it this far yet, as the remaining knights didn't seem to be even slightly winded by battle. Blake and Rarity both slipped their houses' charms over their necks, and after shifting forms slightly, leapt into the fray. The other two stayed right behind them, Twilight bombarding the enemy troops with lightning, and Fluttershy electing to heal any wounds as they arose.
Twilight couldn't help but wonder about the amount of troops still in the fortress. I can understand needing to leave some behind in the case of just such an attack, but this just seems excessive. They could have done much more damage by sending more of these men outside than leaving them to deal with us. So why leave so many on guard...? Her thoughts were cut short as she was yanked back into the battle, and she struck down two more Eclipse knights with a single cast of ArcThunder.
The butterfly-winged lady and slightly feline lord pushed through the enemies, fighting for the cover of another empty passage. Rarity's sword shone with unnatural radiance as it sliced through her opponents' armor. The team of four rushed around the corner, baiting the enemy through the narrow passage for strategic purposes. They were forced to come in two at a time, allowing Rarity and Blake to more easily defend.
Twilight launched another spell over her friends' heads, killing a soldier before he could reach them. The silver-clad troops seemed endless, though they posed little challenge. Just as Twilight and the others were beginning to wear down, and the Eclipse troops began to gain the upper hand, she heard a battle cry from back in the other room. Rainbow Dash! she realized, His group made it! Now we can fight them from two fronts. Her group redoubled their efforts to push through.
Twilight could hear the vicious sounds of combat echo back from beyond her line of sight, of Rainbow Dash parrying every hit, Applejack smashing through the silver armor, and the mysterious but heroic archer Tug picking them off from a distance. She fought for that noise, slamming her flaming palms into the knights when they were within her range, and throwing spells at them when they weren’t. The two swords blazed through, their speed allowing them to effectively block every hit aimed at their teammates. Even Fluttershy fired a few shots into the crowd, though she squeezed her eyes shut tight and probably didn’t hit anything.
Twilight saw someone jump into the air on the other side of the battle, and was able to witness Applejack sail to the ground, axe enlarged by a large casing of ice. Encouraged by Applejack using her final move to clear away the remaining troops, Twilight unleashed a vicious barrage of element-less magic into the crowd. Rarity did not use her final attack, and Twilight realized she had never seen her Soul Release in action, though it sounded like a very taxing technique by how legendary it was.
The crowd had begun to thin, and Twilight could finally see her allies across the room. The seven pushed through the waning mob of silver, and when the two teams were able to join as one, they gave one last shove that brought down the last of the soldiers in the chamber. Twilight turned to the others, who all looked about as exhausted but unharmed as she was. “I’m glad you all made it.” she said, “It was looking a bit bleak back there for a moment.”
“I agree.” Rainbow Dash said, rubbing his shoulder. “We practically had to tunnel our way here through all the soldiers. Why did they put so much effort into guarding the inside instead of fighting us off from outside?”
“I had wondered that, too.” Twilight stated. “They obviously knew we would try this sneak attack, but it didn’t save any of them, or hurt any of us... unless something happened to the third group?” A lance of fear shot through Twilight when she realized the third team had not yet reached their position. She looked around the body-strewn room frantically, and released a thankful breath when she saw the other three limping slightly through the same passage her team had come from.
“Oh, thank goodness! I was beginning to get worried.” Twilight stated, rushing to their aid with the others. Belenth looked worst for wear, but Lyra and Pinkie were both slightly wounded as well. As Fluttershy quickly set to healing their wounds, Belenth offered an explanation.
“We had to take a slight detour to a safe-room in the center of the first floor. There was a weapon worth getting there, but... we got ambushed, and had to fight our way out. Took a lot of damage before we could get our wits about us. It was worth it though, since we’re all still alive, and I was able to grab this.” He held up his hand, and a translucent sun emblem dangled from the chain gripped in his fist. “The Apollo Charm, a weapon Celestia conveniently forgot all about once she reached godhood. But as a distant relative of hers, and a member of House Apollo itself, I should be able to use it, no problem.”
Lyra looked up the staircase at the end of the room. “The last of our opponents are up there. We’ve got to take out the archers, but they’ll have a guard as well. A few of the survivors from this skirmish fled up that staircase.”
Twilight nodded, impressed. "Glad to hear we're at least getting some good news. What does this charm do?"
Belenth grinned, his teeth slightly bloodstained. Twilight couldn't tell if it was his blood, or someone else's. "Why don't we find out? There's at least fifty test dummies right over our heads." Somewhat apprehensively, Twilight followed him and the others over to the staircase. With another devilish grin, Belenth slipped the charm around his neck, then gripped his lance with both hands.
The first thing Twilight noticed was a change in his eyes: they seemed to glow with an unholy, fiery light, until his pupils were no longer visible. The aura evolved into a halo of fire around him, making it appear as though he were engulfed in flame, though his face showed he was alive as ever. With a flourish of his weapon, he seemed to glide straight up the staircase, the other nine in tow.
Before Twilight could even see the enemy, she knew combat had broken out once again. The others adjusted their grips on their weapons, and they charged into the fray as one. Belenth was already ripping through the enemy, his aura of fire setting ablaze anyone who got close enough to touch him, and his lance batting aside any who didn't get that close. The remaining knights, archers and mages were running around in a disorganised mess, trying to fight the intruders, but having no order. Twilight could see the army of Moonlight charging down the hillside, ready to crash into the fortress and finish them off.
Twilight smiled in relief. It's almost over. Just a little more, and we'll have won our second battle, and be one step away from the capital! With newfound energy, she scrambled up the rest of the stairs and leapt into the battle, two lightning spells blazing in her gloved palms. One hand curled into a fist and punched a royal soldier in the gut, while the other palm-struck another in the face. Both soldiers were almost sent flying.
With all ten fighters going at them, and the greater mass of enemies at the gates, the soldiers of Eclipse no longer stood a chance. The line of archers was cut to ribbons and shot right back at, and the knights couldn't stand up to Applejack's mighty axe, Rainbow Dash's lightning-fast swords, or Belenth's blazing fury. Down below, the few remaining Stalfos knights, the mass of Moonlight rebels and two Goldoan dragons blasted away at the doors. Fortress Apollo was finished.
With a glorious flourish, the fighters on the roof slew the last of the fighters from the capital, and an enormous weight lifted from Twilight's shoulders. She saw Belenth grab a soldier's lance from the ground, and tie a cloth from his pocket onto its tip. Twilight realized that the cloth was the sickle-moon flag of the resistance, and he was raising it high in victory, to show that this fortress belonged to Moonlight. She smiled wide as he raised the banner, waving it high and arousing a huge cheer from the rebels below.
The smile vanished from her face when she saw a bolt of lightning from somewhere behind her jolt straight for the unsuspecting prince. She had no time to scream a warning, and could only watch in horror as the yellow streak lanced straight through the armor covering his chest, and out the other side. Tug spun around and shot the half-alive mage who had cast the spell, straight through the eye. Twilight found this incredibly gruesome and appropriate, and wasted no further time before rushing to Belenth’s aid.
She could already see that he wasn’t going to make it. That bolt of lightning couldn’t help but slice open something important where it landed. Belenth stood stock-still for a moment, then fell backward, a stunned look still on his face. Twilight and Blake both made it in time to catch him on his way down and ease him to the ground. His eyes darted around frantically, the last of his life draining away, and he could do little else.
What’s going to become of the resistance now? Twilight wondered. He was the only heir to the throne... at best, this is no longer a coup, but a full destabilization of the royal bloodline. She shook her head and looked Belenth in the eyes, feeling as though he deserved to have someone truly stay with him until he perished.
"Prince..." Twilight managed to say. "What on Earth do we do now...? You were the only one who could accede to the throne..."
Belenth seemed to try and shake his head. His wild eyes locked on Blake to his right, even as the life faded from them and he was still.
Blake passed his hand over the departed Prince's face, shutting his eyes, then stood and shook his head. "I don't understand... Did he mean for me to take his place?"
Lyra stepped forward and put a hand on the young lord's shoulder. "By technicality of the old laws... This would work. The Lord of one of the various noble houses is high-ranking enough to accede the throne in the aftermath of a rebellion. This is how Celestia herself gained power. Belenth saw you as a rival, but also had a degree of respect for you."
Blake's eyes remained on the ground. "I... I don't know... A house of thirty is one thing, but, a whole country...? I just, don't know..."
Twilight allowed her eyes to drift shut in thought, then she moved forward and gave Blake's hand a gentle touch. "You know..." she began, "A... A wise man once told me, 'Being strong isn't never needing help, but being able to ask for help when you need it, and having friends there to give it'. You don't have to do this alone, Blake. I haven't known you for long, but I know that you're a friend, and I, and all the others in this army, will be there whenever you need us."
Blake affixed Twilight with a grateful look, then closed his own eyes, deep in thought. Several times he seemed almost ready to say something, before he lapsed back into thought. At last, though, he turned slightly, and said simply "Rarity?"
Rarity's light eyebrows rose slightly, and Blake continued: "Even... Even with all my friends offering their support, I don't know if... If I could do this, alone. So... I mean... If I were to become king at the end of all of this... Would you be my queen?"
Twilight could hear Rarity's surprised sharp intake of breath. Her stunned look quickly turned to one of utter joy, and she nearly tripped over herself as she ran to embrace Blake. Twilight smiled fondly and turned her back to the couple, giving them their space. She reached down and grabbed the makeshift flag from where it had fallen, and raised it herself to signal to the others that the resistance was still on its feet.
"Thank you, Phil." she said under her breath, "You've put one couple together. But don't be too selfless... I'm still waiting to rejoin you."