The Elements of Honor

by Flanagan

Chapter 42: The Stand

“ISCARIOT!” Dante roared. “What makes you think your pathetic minions stand a chance against me?”

“I know they don’t stand a chance…” The Shadow said laughing. “but HE might fair quite nicely…”

The shadow pointed to the sky, Dante looked up to see a massive black figure making his way to him. “What manner of beast is that?” Dante said.

“Maybe Greatsword and his friends could inform you better.” the shadow said as his minions charged the ponies. “But then again… there IS a giant black smudge where his face used to be.”

“Smog…” Greatsword said looking up at the figure, “but… but he’s…”

“Dead?” the shadow asked sarcastically. “Well he is, but you see, when it comes to shadow resurrection, you only bring back the shadow… as the name implies, that means that all intelengence is gone… leaving a mindless, feircome abomination of nature,” Smog roared, breathing black flame in Dante’s direction. Dante rose his wing, protecting himself and the ponies from the blast. “But it does increase his strength, and he won’t relent… given that he doesn’t have a brain to process pain anymore.”

“I’ll handle Smog.” Dante said, stretching his wings. “You take Iscariot and his shadow fiends.”

“Already on it!” Battleaxe yelled back, slamming one of the shadow’s minions into a nearby wall.

The Shadow’s minions continued to spawn from the darkness, endlessly charging the now surrounded ponies. Blast of magic flew in every direction launching minions into the air. The pegasi flew into the hordes of evil creatures throwing them about like rag dolls and the earth ponies were bucking and punching their attackers to the point of breaking them in halves.

“Is this really all you could muster?” Princess Celestia said throwing one of the shadow’s minions into the nearby tower. “You’ll have to do far better than this!”

“Well… Why not pick on somepony your OWN size!” The Shadow tackled Princess Celestia, the two rolled across the ground for a few moments before stopping. The shadow had ended up on top. “Looks like I have the advantage sun-butt… and I’m going to capitalize on it!”

He swung his hoof, landing directly cross Princess Celestia’s face. Golden blood poured out of her wound. The Shadow swung again and again splattering the roads of the royal city with its ruler’s blood. He stopped only for a moment, thinking his foe had been subdued, but to his confusion the wounded Princess began to laugh in his face.

“You think you’re so powerful… but with age comes experience.” Princess Celestia’s horn flashed an intense light, temporally blinding him.

“EYAH!” he screamed reaching for his eyes. Then Princess Celestia slammed her legs into The Shadow’s groin and blasted him through the air. The blast sent him through one building and stuck him into the wall of another. “Oh, that bitch just rustled my jimmies…” the shadow said prying himself out of his hole. He reached for his groin and smiled. “She is SO gonna pay for that.”

“We’ll need to devide our forces,” Commander Garrison said, looking to Princess Celestia. “It’s the best way to make sure they can’t corner us.”

“Agreed,” Princess Celestia replied spitting blood out of her mouth. “You devidie them into teams, only regroup when you must… but The Shadow is MINE.”

The Princess’s horn began to glow feverously once again and in yet another flash of blinding light she had readied herself for battle. Covered completely in golden armor she unfurled her wings and flew off in The Shadow’s direction. The Commander quickly devided each group and sent them to easily defendable positions in the city.

Commander Garrison, Lug Nut, Pinkie Pie and Thunderlane were keeping the shadow fiends away from Patches while she worked on Rainbow and Event Horizon.

“How is it coming long, Patches?!” Commander Garrison said putting a new hole into one of the fiends.

“They’re both stable sir!” Patches called out. “I just need a few more minutes!”

“We don’t have a few more minutes!” Lug Nut yelled stomping on one of the fiends. “We need to get them up now!”

“You know what this calls for?” Pinkie said playfully bouncing around a group of shadow fiends, all of them running into one another as they tried to catch the defier of physics.

“Your Party cannon?” Lug Nut yelled angrily.

“Nope!” Pinkie said bouncing to a random barrel nearby. “My SUPER party cannon!”

“Oh bloody hell…” Thunderlane said stopping mid-flight. “TAKE COVER!” he darted to Patches position, doing his best to shield her and the two unconscious ponies she was tending to.

Commander Garrison and Lug Nut looked at one another then their jaws dropped when they saw Pinkie pull out a massive cannon form the barrel. Pinkie pointed the cannon towards the charging enemies and lit the ridiculously short fuse. Lug Nut wrapped his hooves around Commander Garrison’s neck, screaming like a little filly, while Commander Garrison threw the both of them out of the cannon’s path. With a thunderous boom, confetti, balloons and streamers flew into the group leaving nothing but festive decorations along the sides of the building walls the cannon had been facing towards.

“I take back EVERYTHING negative I’ve EVER said about you Pinkie…” Lug Nut said popping his head out of a massive pile of confetti.

“Oh don’t be TOO impressed,” Pinkie said passively waving her hoof. “I have cannons like this one spared all over Equestria… in case of cannon emergences.”

“I’m ok with that.” Lug Nut said helping Commander Garrison out of the confetti. “You have no idea how much I’m ok with that…”

“Wha… What happened?” Rainbow said holding her head. “And who is THIS guy?”

“Who am I?” Event Horizon asked back. “Who are you?”

“Friends,” Patches said quickly. “You’re both friends. Now that they are stable AND awake, we can move to better position, one closer to Greatsword and Princess Luna.”

“Good,” Commander Garrison replied. “Let’s get to the randvous point.”

“Why does it feel like every one we take out another two take its place?!” Twilight yelled firing another bolt of magic at a charging shadow fiend.

“That’s what makes it so fun!” Battleaxe said back to her punching a shadow fiend directly across its face. “Right Big Mac?”

“Eeyup!” Big Mac yelled stomping three fiends with a single blow.

“Well I’ve never been in a situation where I didn’t think I’d wake up the next morning!” Twilight called back. “I’m sure you could understand my concern!”

“On it!” Battleaxe said. “Big Mac, we’re falling back to Warhammer and Applejack, come on!”

“Eeyup.” Big Mac said bucking several of his foes into a wall as he turned to fall back.

“Bout time ya’ll show up!” Applejack said launching apples over Twilight’s head, providing covering fire.

“Well I just thought it would be nice to have a nice walk round Canterlot with my girlfriend!” Battleaxe called to her. “You now it’s very romantic this time of year!”

“’Nuff talkin’ more fightin‘!” Applejack yelled throwing yet another apple.

“I agree…” Warhammer said, throwing a stone pillar down at the enemies following Battleaxe and his team. “But we must make our way back to Shining Armor and Long Shot, we can regroup and resupply there if it is needed.”

“Couldn’t agree with ya more Warhammer…” Applejack said turning to him. “Cause that was my last apple…”

“Out of bolts!” Long Shot called out. “Mind lending me a hoof?”

“On it!” Graphite said tossing several bolts to Long Shot. He then turned his attention to Shining Armor. “You need anything sir?”

“Just keep this barrier up,” Shining Armor replied. “We need all the cover we can get.”

“Yes sir!” Graphite said saluting, but once he turned he was face to face with one of the shadow’s minions. The creature lunged at Graphite sinking his teeth into his throat. Graphite yelled in pain, gathering the attention of the others in his barrier. Blood spattered across the now failing structure, speckling the coats of his counterparts as the fiend spat Graphite’s throat on the ground.

“Graphite!” Long Shot yelled firing a single shot through the fiend’s ears. “My Celestia… You’ll be alright, son…” Long Shot flew into the air, “PATCHES! PATCHES WE NEED SOME-”

“Long Shot…” Shining Armor said, grabbing his leg. “He’s gone…”

Long Shot looked to the gray unicorn, his eyes were dilated and blood was oozing out of his mouth. “Damn…” Long Shot muttered using his hoof to close his eyes. “You know what to do when this is over.”

“It will be done,” Shining Armor said looking to the corpse. “We need to fall back now, I’m sure that the others need just as much help.”

“Carmel, we need more support from you’re side!” Greatsword yelled, looking to the sky, seeing the overwhelming Dragons in aerial combat. “Why the hell can’t Dante was down here.”

“Sir!” Carmel shouted. “I’m having a bit off an issue with the shadow fiends on my side!”

“Then allow me to help!” Commander Garrison said blasting twenty fiends off of Carmel’s side. “I hope you don’t mind me doing your job.”

“I-I’m fine with that sir…” Carmel said rendering a hasty salute.

“I thought you would be,” Commander Garrison said returning the salute. “What’s our status Captain?” the Commander turned to his best soldier, hoping for a small bit of good news.

“Luna and I are holding the east,” Greatsword said, “Celestia and The Shadow are still going hoof to hoof, Dante is still on Smog, You and your group just showed up. That means the other groups more than likely falling back to this point.”

“Greatsword!” Long Shot yelled firing his crossbow at a shadow fiend behind him. “We got overrun, they’re just too damn many of these things.”

“Where’s Graphite?” Greatsword asked. “I sent him with you didn’t I?”

“He didn’t make it Greatsword…” Shining Armor said. “one of those damn shadow fiends bit his throat out… he didn’t stand a chance…”

“Damnit…” Greatsword growled. “Let’s hope the others faired better.”

“Greatsword!” Battleaxe and Twilight yelled in unison running to his position. “Shining Armor, Graphite and Long Shot weren’t at their position,” Battleaxe said catching his breath, “so we had to continue running like mad ponies.”

“Well, they’re already here…” Greatsword said pointing at the two who were still fighting. “As for Graphite… he didn’t make it.”

“Damn…” Battleaxe said punching a wall. “I liked that guy…”

“Ponies die…” Greatsword said. “We can’t do anything to change that.”

“WE HAVE INCOMING!” Carmel shouted pointing at a massive horde of shadow fiends charging their position.

“Ready yourselves!” Commander Garrison roared. “They won’t kill us without-”

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Three consecutive explosions fell in front of the shadow fiend horde. The sheer force caused everypony in the position to be either blown back or forced them to duck for cover. Once the smoke had settled Battleaxe looked to the carnage, thin a single fluffy piece of material fell on his nose. After taking a good whiff of it he realized what is was.

“Muffins?” he asked himself looking to the sky. Then he saw what he couldn’t believe, Derpy wielding a shoulder mounted cannon of sorts.

“Hi Battleaxe!” Derpy called out landing feet away from him.

“Derpy…” Battleaxe said looking at her in disbelief. “How did you DO that?”

“With my Muffin Launcher!” Derpy replied raising the contraption off her shoulders, “Dante gave it to me on my birthday! He said it belonged to a close friend of his and that I should use it when the time is right.”

Battleaxe wrapped his hooves around Derpy and smiled. “Damn I love you for being…” Battleaxe looked at Derpy awkwardly for a few seconds, but she continued to stare in every direction. “You… Come on!” he said motioning the other ponies to rise. “We need to find everypony else!”

Meanwhile, in the skies over Canterlot, the Princess her counterpart were locked in intense aerial combat. Matching one another blow for blow.

“I didn’t know you had it in ya sunshine!” The Shadow said, launching another blast of magic.

“I’m full of surprises…” she replied, blocking his attack with ease. “Like THIS!”

The Princess unleashed a thundering attack, hitting him directly, sending him into a nearby guard tower. The tower buckled from the impact and seconds later it began to crumble, but before Celestia could fly off to aid the others in battle, she heard the desperate cries of guards that were still in the tower. Acting quickly she flew to the falling structure gathering as many guards as she could carry before the tower fell on herself. She did her best, but for a few of them she was too late, with a heavy heart she flew off still hearing the desperate cries of those still trapped inside.

“You should be safe here…” she said landing not far from the rubble. “Find as many guards as you can, protecting the subjects is the first priority.”

“Yes your highness.” They replied saluting.

Celestia was about to fly off yet again, but before her wings could unferl a dark figure burst from the dust and ash of the fallen tower. “Can’t get rid of me THAT easy babe!” The Shadow exclaimed slamming her into the ground. “Let me show you a little something I call ‘Hit a Princess so hard that she doesn’t get up’.”

The shadow readied his hoof and slammed it into the Princess’s face, sending her carrening through the Canterlot skyline, slamming into any building unfortunate enough to be in her path. She finally landed directly in front of the recently reunited team.

“You call that a hit?” she shouted in at him. “My sister hits harder than that!”

The Shadow popped out of the hole that the Princess had fallen through, “OHHH… Bitchy…”

“You have yet to see my full potential…” Princess Celestia replied stretching her wings again and diving into combat yet again.

“Well we know where SHE is…” Rainbow said, her eyes following the Princess into combat, but once she was out of sight Rainbow turned her attention to Event Horizon. “Bet I can take out more than you, new guy.”

Event Horizon looked at Rainbow with a deviant grin, “Oh, you’re on!” The two dashed into a massive group of shadow fiends, sending everyone they came into contact with flying. The battle continued to rage through Canterlot, what was left of the Royal Guard were holding their own against the seemingly endless creatures of darkness under The Shadow’s thrall and while the team was largly back together, there were still a few of them separated from the rest.

“EEK!” Rarity shrieked. “There’s another one of those horrid ruffians, Spike!” she pointed at an attacking shadow fiend. Spike quickly turned and blasted green flame at the monster, leaving only charred remains.

“I’ll keep you safe Rarity,” Spike said looking in every direction. “Just stay behind me!” Then from behind him he heard the growls of a shadow fiend, then silence. Spike turned to see a Shadow fiend fallen at Rarity’s hooves.

“Darling, please…” Rarity said with a smile. “I can handle myself.”

Fluttershy hid under a bench, praying that the shadow fiends wouldn’t find her. She watched in horror as hundreds of fiends flooded the streets, destroying stores and attacking anypony unfortunate enough to be in their path. She closed her eyes tightly hoping that if she couldn’t see them they couldn’t see her, but it didn’t turn out that way. One of the fiends saw her hiding under the bench and started to drag her out. Fluttershy kicked and screamed the whole time but the fiend and his allies were successful in prying her out of her hiding place. One of the monsters grabbed her by the throat and gave her a sick, toothy smile. Fluttershy screamed one last time, hoping that somepony could hear her muffled cries for help.

Then the fiend that had her released her and reached for his own neck. SNAP! The fiend fell limp to the ground the other fiends looked to the killer in awe. Greatsword had arrived, he and the several fiends started to fight for the frightened pony at their hooves. Fluttershy watched in what seemed like slow motion as Greatsword and the fiends fought for her life, breaking backs, caving faces in, throwing fiends into nearby walls and impaling them on jagged objects. He did not relent, but not out of anger or guilt, he fought for something much more powerful. The remaining fiends jumped him at once, pulling him into the shadows. The sounds of a struggle rang from the darkness, but Fluttershy was too terrified to run, she just stared into the shadows where they drug her potential savior. The sounds continued, bone breaking, stone shattering, blood spattering until there was only silence. The silence was unnerving, but after a few tense moments the lone victor stepped into the flickering lights of the city.

A single shadow fiend made his way back to Fluttershy, she backed away frantically but it was no use, the fiend was already on top of her. She closed her eyes tightly, praying that it couldn’t see her, but it just stared back at her blankly, jaw wide open drooling. There it stayed for a few seconds, until it fell limp to one side, revealing Greatsword behind the body. He extended his hoof towards the still terrified pony. “Come on…” he said softly. “I’m getting you out of here.”

With no warning, Fluttershy rushed him, wrapping her forelegs around his neck so tightly he couldn’t breathe, but he didn’t stop her, he just returned it. Fluttershy couldn’t stop herself from crying, letting her tears fall into the already blood red streets of the city. The rest of their group turned the corner to see the two sitting in a pool of blood and tears. After a few minutes she gathered herself enough to move on with the others, running into Rarity and Spike they were finally back together, but before they could discuss their next move a thunderous crash rang through the city, shaking the few buildings that still stood. They ran to where whatever fell landed to see a two giant beast waging war in a crater.

“Dante…”

Comments

[nevergone]

kill 'em, kill 'em dead greatsword