//------------------------------// // Assault // Story: Champion of the Sun // by Onomonopia //------------------------------// Six heroes stood silently as they gazed upon their objective, the harsh wind that whipped past them hardly registering on any of their minds. What all five of them were focused on so much was the colossal sphere that hummed with EM power that towered before them, a sphere that made most of the shiver slightly just by gazing at it. Megaman stood in the front, with Harp Note and Ace beside him while Taurus towered over all of them from the back. Celestia and Luna flanked their respective fusion partner, but the looks of their faces were far more rage filled than any of the others. "So this is the cause of so much pain and destruction," Megaman said as he stared up at the sphere, able to feel the rage burning off of the Princess of the Sun. He glanced over at her to find her eyes like slits and her horn glowed brighter than the sun that was blazing overhead. "And this is what took your world away from you?" "Yes. This is the very same weapon he planted in the center of Canterlot to drain the ponies there of their magic," Celestia confirmed before she fired a shot of magic at the sphere, only to snarl when it shattered against the sphere. "And from the way this one is glowing, it seems that it is almost done charging. Now is the time to strike." "That's the plan, but in order to crash that party we've got to get rid of the bouncer first," Ace informed the group before he pointed at the base of the sphere, where a lone figure could be seen standing guard before the sphere. "Seems that Solo wanted to take us on by himself. That's nice of him. Maybe I won't have to fight." "So it would seem, but the Maestro is a tricky one. He might be anywhere, just waiting for an opening to take one of us out," Harp Note pointed out, getting the rest of the group to nod in agreement. "I say we take no chances. Geo and I will deal with Solo quickly and then all of us together can bring down the sphere." "A good plan. Bud, you'll hang back with me until they need support," Ace instructed the bull, who growled slightly before he crossed his arms. Harp Note and Megaman nodded to their respective alicorn, before both of them held an arm in the air. Celestia and Luna flashed with power before their respective power consumed their champion of choice, bathing Megaman in a blaze of light while Harp Note was consumed with a radiant darkness. Rogue lifted his head to see the two columns of power split the sky into night and day, before narrowing his eyes at the two figures that stood on the hillside far from where he was. Rogue closed his eyes for a moment, only to open them a few seconds later to see the Solar Knight and the Lunar Diva both standing before him. "So I see that your weakness is contagious, Megaman," Rogue said in a cold tone as he pushed himself up to his feet, pulling out his twisted blade from the shadows as he did so. "Because that weak form of yours as spread to the annoyance. Not that it will make a difference for her, as she will always be weak." "Nice to see you too, Rogue," Harp Note spat with some heat, but before the fight could start Megaman placed his shield between him and her. "Rogue, I'm only going to ask this once. Stand aside and let us destroy this monstrosity," Megaman said to Rogue, who said nothing in reply. "This sphere will destroy the world. Even you, with all of your love for power, would gain nothing from the destruction of the world. Stop aiding this madman and help us bring him down. And if your pride refuses to let you work with us, then stand aside and let us stop him." "You infuriate me, do you know that?" Rogue asked as he began to stalk towards the pair, forcing Megaman to place himself between Harp Note and their approaching foe. "All your talks about working together and bringing down this evil threat. When will you learn? I don't give a damn about this world. If the Maestro wants to wipe every weakling off the face of this planet, I won't interfere. But there is only one weakling that I will not allow him to kill...because I will kill you myself." "You say that every time we fight. And I'm still here," Megaman stated as he reached forward and grabbed his solar blade, twirling it once while Celestia's horn began to glow. "And now Sonia has the same power we do. Guess whose side she's on?" "Of course. The only way you can beat me is for you weaklings to gather together," Rogue snarled. "Careful. Or I'll let her beat you down without me. And then no one will be able to stop her," Megaman replied with a smirk, getting Harp Note to giggle. In a flash Rogue lunged at Megaman, slashing at him with his blade. Megaman deflected the blow with his solar saber, before swinging at Rogue's head with the side of his shield. Rogue backflipped to avoid getting hit, but as he landed pain lanced through his body and he hurled himself to the side. "What in the...?" he asked as he glanced down at his side to see that a small piece of his EM form was missing, before he snapped his head towards the Lunar Diva, who was softly playing her guitar. She gave him a cold smirk before she strummed her fingers across the strings, summoning beams of lunar light that shined down on Rogue. "Man, you really burn easy in the light," Harp Note said as she switched her playing and brought both hands closer together, causing the portals of moonlight to begin to circle around Rogue. He pulled out his second blade and began to swing at the portals, slicing them into oblivion with his blades. Beams of moonlight tried to strike him, but with incredible timing Rogue managed to either dodge or deflect the light away from him with the reflective surface of his swords. "Your attacks are as annoying as your music!" Rogue roared as he turned to swing a blade at the Lunar Diva, only to eat the side of a shield that was slammed into his face. Rogue spat out a curse as he was sent tumbling backwards into the dust, growling in pain before the lunar light began to bombard him once more. Rogue flipped back up to his feet and began to deflect the lunar light once more, but his focus was split when Megaman lunged forward and slashed at him with the solar saber. "I'm amazed you can keep shit talking us when you have two champions of the heavens to deal with," Megaman informed Rogue before slamming the armored part of his helmet into the nose of Rogue, who staggered back while clutching at his face. Megaman twirled at slashed at the chest of Rogue with the solar saber, cleaving through his shattered armor. Rogue roared with pain as he staggered back, clutching at the wound with rage. "Give up, Solo. This is over," Megaman informed Rogue, pointing the tip of his blade at the warrior. Rogue snarled with rage before his face seemed to calm for a moment, instantly putting both the champions of the sun and moon on guard. He reached up to his face with his left hand, grabbing hold of his face and unleashing all of his shattered magic into his face. Megaman and Harp Note watched with horror as his whole body was consumed was shattered magic. All of his black armor faded away and was replace with a silverfish gray armor, one that looked as twisted and shattered as Rogue's personality. His blades themselves twisted as well, until they look like something out of a horror movie. And as the shattered magic finished consuming the warrior, he slowly lifted his head towards the two, glaring at them from behind a cracked visor that held a sinister smile beneath it. "And the Maestro was kind enough to give me even more of his seemingly infinite power after your girlfriend beat him. And with this power-" he said before he vanished and appeared behind Megaman, his blade slashing through his armor in a heartbeat. "Even the sun and the moon can be destroyed by me!" Megaman roared in pain as solar light erupted from is back, before another sword strike brought the hero to his knees. Rogue lifted both blades over his head and prepared to kill Megaman once and for all, but the screech of a guitar forced him to leap into the air to avoid a beam of lunar light that disintegrated everything in its path. He spun in the air and slashed towards the Lunar Diva, creating a beam of energy that could have cleaved the stars in two. The Lunar Diva flickered her form and became moonlight, allowing the blade pass right through her before she began to play her instrument again. Little orbs of light circled around Rogue, getting him to slash at them. But the moment his blade touched the lunar light, they exploded with a force that shook the planet to its core. Rogue roared as he was sent flying into the side of the sphere, striking it with such force that his body left an indent in the wall. "Well well, seems that the sphere will break if we throw an asshole at it," Harp Note spat as Rogue pulled himself out of the wall. Rogue snarled at her before he vanished once more, appearing behind Harp Note with his blade cocked back. Before the blade could strike a hero in solar armor tackled him from the side, driving the both of them into the ground. Rogue slammed a fist into Megaman's face, snapping Megaman's head to the side. Megaman retaliated by slamming the side of his shield into Rogue's throat, getting him to gag with pain. The Lunar Diva raced up and swung at Rogue with his crescent guitar, forcing Rogue to change his form to EM to avoid being struck. Megaman and Harp Note snarled before they changed their forms as well, following Rogue up onto the EM road that was barely present above the sphere. Rogue roared before he swung both of his blades at the same time, creating two massive sword beams that tore apart the air as they hurtled towards the two. Megaman threw himself in front of Harp Note and raised the shield, channeling his power into it and caused it to burn with solar light. "Get behind me!" he roared to Harp Note, who moved in close. Rogue snickered before he teleported once more, appearing behind Harp Note with his blade aimed at the back of her head. She spun around and lifted her guitar, barely managing to catch the first blade with her guitar. But with her guitar being used to stop his more twisted blade, Rogue aimed his second blade at her heart, making sure to give Megaman a sinister smile before he plunged it forward. "Taurus Charge!" Right as the blade was about to pierce through Harp Note's heart, a bull consumed with fire came charging towards Rogue. Rogue caught the movement and twisted his arm, driving the blade through the stomach of the charging bull. Both Megaman and Harp Note cried out as the blade burst through the other side of Taurus Fire's body, before he roared in pain from the impalement. "Fool. Weaklings like you should stay out of the way!" Rogue snarled as he twisted the blade, getting Taurus to howl with pain. But through the pain a fire still blazed within the bulls eyes, before he glanced at Megaman and Harp Note. "Destroy...the...SPHERE!" he bellowed before he wrapped his arms around Rogue, crushing Rogue within Taurus's grasp before the bull dragged the both of them off of the EM road. He consumed his body with fire as the two plummeted towards the ground, exploding into a ball of fire when they impacted. "BUD!" Megaman roared as he tried to leap off after him, but Harp Note grabbed his arm and pulled him back. "He's buying us time! This might be our only chance to destroy the sphere!" she yelled at him, reminding Megaman of their mission. "Geo, this is why we are here. We have to stop it before it destroys your world!" Celestia roared. Megaman glanced towards where the raging bull was battling with Rogue, before he nodded to Harp Note. The two of them leapt into the air over the sphere, taking aim at the opening. "Solar Inferno!" "Lunar Symphony!" Twin beams of solar and lunar magic mixed in the air and descended into the opening, causing the sphere to glow with a light that eclipsed that of the sun and moon. The sphere tried to contain the power, but after a moment it was unable to and the power began to consume it. A moment later the sphere erupted into a torrent of solar and lunar energy, disintegrating the sphere and releasing all of the power held within into the sky. Harp Note and Megaman took only a second to watch the sphere get destroyed before they turned and rocketed down to where Rogue was. "BUD!" Megaman roared as they found the bull laying motionless on the ground, his form flickering violently while Rogue placed a boot on his chest. Rogue looked from the two champions of the heavens to the exploding sphere, seething for a moment before he glared at Megaman. "Our battle is done for today," he told Megaman as he turned to leave. "But I promise you that the next time we-GRAH!" Rogue roared as the solar saber slashed across his chest. He spun around in time to take a shield to the face, snapping his head back and sending him tumbling across the ground. His reflexes kicked in and he managed to roll out of the way of a sword slice that would have taken his head off. He vanished the moment he was able to, leaving Megaman to roar with rage as he plunged his blade into the ground. "ROGUE! Get back here and fight me!" he roared into the heavens, causing sunlight to blaze along the ground. "Geo! Forget about Rogue and help me!" Harp Note yelled at him, snapping Megaman back into his senses. He turned around and raced over to Taurus Fire, who the Lunar Diva was trying to heal with her power. She played him a healing song, playing it as perfectly as she could, as Ace raced over to them. He said nothing as he glanced from the destroyed sphere to the wounded Taurus, but to the relief of the team the wounds that had seemed life threatening were beginning to heal and Taurus' breathing calmed down. "I think he's going to be fine," Harp Note said before she separated from Luna and Lyra, returning her to Sonia. She let out a sigh of relief before she leaned against Geo, who was gazing down at the peacefully sleeping Taurus Fire. "He saved our lives back there. Even though he knew the risk." "Yeah, that sounds like Bud," Geo said with a sigh before all three sets of heads turned towards where the sphere used to be standing. "But thanks to him, we did it. We brought down the sphere." "Yeah, we brought down one of them," Ace said, tuning Geo's and Sonia's heads towards him. "But there are still two more than need to be dealt with. And then there may be something else. We're not done, not by a long shot." "It's the Maestro, Ace. We won't be finished until I have placed my hoof on his dead body," Celestia said with rage.