Gems, Elements, and Sinerals

by jsk244

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

By KidtheBrony

Along one of the roads leading toward the central square of town, Mark slipped into an alleyway and tried his best to navigate closer and closer toward his goal. Ever since leaving Sugarcube he'd been zig-zagging all across town, trying desperately to reach Town Hall without further encounters with the invaders or positioned guards along the streets. Because of this it had taken several minutes longer than he'd expected, until over half an hour had passed and still he was only now reaching the edge of the square. Coupled with this was his lack of experience with stealth, and reduced stamina, leaving the younger than normal human panting faintly and scrapping his brain for any and all tricks he might know to keep himself hidden from sight.

It's only a block over or so. If I can just keep this going for a little longer.. He thought desperately, before ducking down behind a trashcan as the telltale whoosh of wings overhead caught his attention. Looking up, a trio of the strange bat-like mounted creatures flew past overheard, one of several patrols that had grown in number the closer he got to the square. Whatever was happening over there was obviously very important with the air and ground patrols covering all exits. Which made his need to go save the ponies and try and stop this even more important in his mind.

Patting the holster where his knife rested reassuringly, Mark checked both directions of the next street and dashed to the next alley. As he made his way around trashcans and a few discarded boxes, a low conversation caught his ears and he pressed against the nearest wall, sliding along it to the exit and raising a hand up to cup one ear. The words came into a little more focus; Two soldiers were apparently on guard duty outside the square and talking amongst themselves. With how empty the streets and how little the resistance was, it made sense that they were relaxing and letting their guard down.

"This place is actually not so bad looking." The first guard said grudgingly. "How long has it been since any of us have seen green grass and trees, or flowing water like that river over there?"

"Too long." The second guard agreed. "The wasteland back home is so depressing. Everything's always frozen, stripped by the winds and our conquests." A loud sighed echoed out from his helmet. "I love fighting and killing-"

"And conquering."

There was a silent eyeroll clearly present in the pause before the guard continued. "...and conquering, yes. But would it hurt to leave something alive still to enjoy afterwards? We don't even get to keep any of the prisoners for ourselves."

"The last time someone asked that of one of the Lord and Ladies, they were put on garden duty."

There was a moment of silence, which Mark imagined was both of them shuddering in revulsion or fear if their voices when they spoke up next were any indication. "I'd call that place a torture chamber more than a garden. Lady Lust is a sick, twisted woman to raise those...plants she keeps there."

"Yeah, a shame Lady Sloth only cares for her plants up in her tower. I hear she's actually quite skilled."

"I'm just amazed she actually cares about something enough to tend to it."

The conversation petered off from there with a quick chuckle and then silence. Pulling back into the alley some more to think, Mark rubbed his chin and thought over what he'd heard. Lords and ladies, which means that they have several leaders of some kind then. Lust, Sloth...those are the seven deadly sins - a title given to them, or actual names they've taken up? He shook his head and sighed. Either way that means there's probably about seven of them at least, maybe one more in the case of that Emperor. It was a logical belief at least, and Mark did like to try and use common sense more than go along with his gut or wing it. He did that enough while fighting! Which lead him to another, grimmer, thought. Which means that the Elements might not be enough! I have no idea what they can do in real life, and who knows how tired or distracted the girls will be after even one use. The best bet then would be...probably to try and strike the entire castle while the enemy is all inside. Banish it altogether, or whatever happens this time.

But saving the citizens of Ponyville had to come first in Mark's mind right now. Knowing this, he recalled the mentioning of a river somewhere nearby, and shoulders drooping he knew that it was the best chance he'd have at sneaking into the square unnoticed. Unfortunately, it also meant he'd get very wet. "At least it's summer here." He grumbled, before heading off in search of the river.

---

As the numerous heroes and fighters struggled to save Ponyville, a different kind of battle was being fought in Canterlot Castle.

Listening to her sister bark orders to the guards rushing by, Princess Celestia's gaze was fixed out one of the clear and open windows facing south. The two sisters were standing in the rarely used War Room of the castle, which although heavily reinforced and warded, also boasted some of the biggest and clearest windows of the palace. This was not only to allow quick flight by the pegasus guards, but also let them gaze across most of the countryside from their high vantage point on Canterlot Mountain. Right now, the southern horizon was mostly blotted out by the giant citadel that had Ponyville in the shadows of its underbelly, and Celestia had hardly turned her gaze from the sight ever since it had first arrived. While normally she wouldn't have been so worried about such a dangerous event - several millennium of living had done well in helping her understand what her little ponies could and could not deal with themselves - the very presence of the dark castle was unsettling in a way not even the darkest days of Discord's rule had been. What's more, there was also who was in danger to consider...

"Alert the Academy to prepare its most powerful casters for combat." Luna was saying to a lieutenant. "And see to it that the Wonderbolts actually have any of their old armor in storage - they may claim to be performers but I recall the days when they were to be respected for their feats in aerial combat."

"Yes your majesty." The lieutenant - Morning Star, Celestia recalled his name was - saluted and dashed off, leaping into the air and flying off to fulfill his orders. Feeling the heavy gaze of her sister on her, Celestia turned and saw that Luna's gaze was flickering between her, and the window facing south.

"You worry for Twilight Sparkle and her friends?" Luna asked, murmuring softly to keep their words between the two sisters.

"I worry for everypony in Ponyville." Celestia corrected her, also keeping her voice down.

"And yet no doubt your prized pupil holds the forefront of your heart sister."

"I...yes, but can you blame me? The Elements of Harmony-"

"Can take care of themselves, and their fellow townsfolk." Luna cut in quickly. "Really though sister, why must we stand back and order everypony else to action? Being a princess means little if we are unwilling to lift a hoof ourselves to help and protect our subjects when they are in danger."

"We've discussed this before Luna." Celestia sighed.

"I still find it to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard - and considering what I once thought was 'reasonable', that should say something." Luna replied with snark.

Rubbing her forehead, Princess Celestia didn't know whether to agree with or ignore her sister's old school of thinking. Despite having finally done away with her 'Royal We' phase, or the more infamous Royal Canterlot Voice, Luna was still hardly any better than when she ruled a thousand years ago. A time when the death penalty was still in effect, when the borders of Equestria were beset by raids and pillaging from numerous other races, and when being a Goddess didn't really upset things enough for either of them to curb their use of power. Nowadays, the true extent of Celestia's power was hardly known by the masses outside of her raising the sun -a task which once took a circle of the most powerful unicorns working together with a strong magical focus to do- and to use a popular quote: Ignorance is bliss. Most of the trickier truces and peace treaties she'd managed to form during Luna's absence had come from the careful editing of history to make her seem less divine - or even the blunt promise to not use her powers beyond what was strictly needed. Needles to say, upon her return and full recovery of all of her powers, Luna had been less than pleased with the sudden restrictions. Not that she actually knew that, technically, the laws and treaties only specified Celestia, not her sister. That was something the elder sister planned to keep under her wing for as long as possible...or until, admittedly, something exactly like this happened. But not yet, not when the fear of Nightmare Moon was still fresh.

Celestia had also hardly cared about being so restricted - being the more peace loving and compassionate sister, she had hardly objected to doing whatever was needed to avoid bloodshed and to bring about the now prosperous kingdom of Equestria. It had also led to a slow, but constant revolution in both magic and technology, since suddenly their Immortal Princess was only that and not their Immortal Goddess of the Sun. Suddenly she wasn't the answer to everything, and that had led to her ponies finding more practical and usable solutions to just about everything. And look what that had produced: airships, the train system stretching across all of Equestria, and a diverse library of magic that each generation could either learn for everyday use, or utilize their own special talents in a certain area to further for the next generation to learn about. None of which had been even in the imaginations of earlier generations, not when Discord's harsh reign had been fresh in their minds, or the bitter rivalries of the three tribes still painted their views of one another.

"The Royal Guard are more than capable of handling a threat, even of this magnitude." Celestia said firmly after a moment of collecting her thoughts and putting aside memories. "However, calling in the reserves and other forces as you have is the right thing to do - I too would have done the same, sister, and nothing you've ordered so far has been outlandish." Luna blushed faintly, which made Celestia smile a little. She had grown so much, and yet still praise from her older sister could make her as shy as a little filly at times. But then she frowned, and looked out the window again. She said in a whisper, "You can feel it too no doubt - the heavy and dark magic that lingers over that black castle?"

"It is like a fog over my senses." Luna admitted. "I have not felt such a thing in a long, long time Celestia. Not since we once ventured into Tartarus have I felt so...unnerved."

Celestia nodded. "Even so, I have faith that Twilight Sparkle and her friends will-"

Fwhoosh

Blinking, the two goddesses stepped back when a lick of green flame swirled into existence in the air between them. As it glittered and began to fade away, a rolled up parchment fell to the ground before it was picked up in the sun princess's magic, a golden glow covering it as it unfurled and she read it. Eyes scanning the letter quickly, they grew wide and then narrowed, before she unfurled her wings and turned toward the southern window.

"Continue with the preparations Luna, and do not hesitate to deploy once the guards are ready." Was all she said before teleporting away, making a quick stop at the vault holding the Elements, before flashing away again toward Ponyville. Princess Luna, still surprised at the sudden shift in her sisters actions, lifted the letter up in her own blue magical aura, and after reading it snorted in annoyance.

"It is amusing how she always makes the rules, and then goes and breaks them at her whimsy. Oh 'Tia..." She shook her head in amusement. "Never change dear sister."

---

Appearing in the small square outside of the Golden Oaks library, Princess Celestia's legs buckled for a few seconds as the heavy atmosphere of evil magic hit her senses from close up. Much like how Princess Luna had described it there was a thick fog-like presence all around her, and it was several times worse to her than most ponies due to her pure nature and heart. However, calling on her magic, the warmth and protection of the sun shielded her from its effects, and with a quick flap of her wings she recovered and stepped forward.

A giant bubble shield protected the tree from intruders, the faint pink sheen illuminating the area better than any street lamps in the darkness of the dark citadel's underside. With a quick probe of her magic, the runes and complex spell weaving that empowered and maintained the shield was revealed to her in ghostly white light across the surface of the wood. Scanning over them, a proud smile lifted her lips. Twilight was so incredibly gifted, to have made a spell worthy of Canterlot Castle's own high standards in defensive magic. To think she was capable of such a thing, and as young as she was...her smile growing, Celestia carefully slipped her magic through the barrier, following the telltale gaps only she as Twilight's mentor could find in the countermeasures. Activating one inactive rune, the same gap that had let Twilight and Tails in earlier formed for her, and slipping in she carefully re-set the defenses - even adding a few herself just to make sure.

Opening the door, she ducked her head slightly to walk in and closed it silently behind her. Looking around, she was surprised to not see Twilight immediately nearby - the young girl was predictable about her reaction to the sun goddess visiting. Instead, Spike appeared to be nervously walking back and forth in front of the open basement door, and there was a strange, young fox-like boy staring out the window, his head turned enough that he hadn't noticed her arrival. With none of the other Element bearers nearby, and the somewhat calm air of the fortified library, Celestia almost swore that she'd arrived just in time for the clean-up to commence. That changed though when she noticed something on the small reading table, propped up against the large horse head statue in the center.

It was a plain black book, with no title or writing of any kind on it. Average in size and average in the material that composed it, the only thing that marked its true nature was the discarded red cloth lying next to it. Black runes ran up the sides of the cloth, which Celestia knew were made to both keep the book sealed from curious readers, and when inside of the Royal Canterlot Library, to warn the librarian and herself if the books were forced open even for a few seconds. Alongside the first book she'd noticed were three more just like it, and seeing that one was lying open made her both concerned and upset.

Clearing her throat, Celestia watched as Spike and the unknown fox jumped and whirled to face her. Both of their eyes widened, although the young fox also said "Whoa..." under his breath. "P-Princess Celestia!" Spike blurted out, perhaps too loudly to just be pure surprise. There was a crash of metal and wood down in the basement in response to his shout, which made Celestia's lips curl up into a smirk for a second. "W-When did you get here?"

"Hello Spike," She said warmly. "I had just arrived in fact - it's very good to see you're safe my little dragon." There was a slight gasp from the stairs leading upstairs. Flicking her eyes over to them for a second, she saw two little fillies peaking over the edge, and when they saw her looking they gasped again and ducked back out of sight. "Is Twilight around?"

"Oh, uh..." His eyes darted back and forth between the basement stairs and the solar goddess. "Y-Yeah, she's just, uh, down in the basement for...some reason..."

There was a series of rapid clops, and then Twilight's head popped up from around the corner of the basement door. Her eyes widened at the sight of her mentor in the room, and although she smiled it was hardly full of confidence and innocence. "Princess Celestia!"

"Hello my faithful student," Celestia said softly. Although unhappy about what her student was most likely up to, it still relieved her immensely to see her safe and unharmed. "I see that you've taken up a bit of light reading."

Flinching, Twilight slunk out from the relative safety of the doorway and moved closer to the princess. Rubbing one foreleg over the other, her gaze stayed away from the small table in the middle of the room. "I..."

Princess Celestia raised one eyebrow.

Seeing the familiar gesture, Twilight's ears flopped back and she caved. "I-I know you said I wasn't supposed to read about Battle Magic without your explicit permission and presence, a-and that I was to never bring them out into the main library for any reason, but-"

"But suddenly, there's a giant castle floating over Ponyville." Celestia gently interrupted, voice carefully neutral to hide her feelings. Twilight nodded glumly. "I suppose that makes this any different from the numerous other disasters and dangerous events that both Ponyville and yourself have dealt with?"

"..."

"You and your friends have faced the likes of Nightmare Moon and Discord, to say nothing of the natural dangers that the Everfree have and can bring. Even in the face of an Ursa Minor rampaging through the town you didn't try to utilize Battle Magic, Twilight Sparkle, so why is it that now is different?" She asked. "Granted, there is perhaps more time to prepare to use such complicated magic - for which I am relieved that you are doing instead of charging straight ahead into an unknown field - than before, but that does not excuse your blatant rule breaking. Especially since you are very well aware that this rule, above almost any other, was not to be broken."

Frowning, Princess Celestia let a silence grow in the library after her words. Twilight looked very upset and it tugged hard at her heart strings to see her beloved student like this. But Battle Magic was truly the most dangerous magical field of all; there were many accounts of the lost lives of countless unicorns even in the more experienced past of the old wars and harsher way of life long ago. While she fully believed that Twilight could handle both the taxing cost and the required concentration, it would only take one slip-up to spell disaster.

Walking closer, she gently placed a gold adorned hoof under Twilight's chin, and brought her head up until they were looking each other in the eye. Everyone else in the room seemed to be waiting on bated breath on what she might do to the young prodigy. "Just please, tell me Twilight." She murmured. "Why did you break your promise?"

"B-Because they were going to kill my friends." Twilight answered, her voice filling the room despite having barely spoken above a whisper.

Blinking, the goddess was startled with how calm her student was in answering. Her voice had been steady and her gaze unwavering as she looked up at her mentor. That is, until they flickered briefly over to Spike. "I-It...those soldiers out there..." She continued. "They were attacking the l-library, and I saw Spike, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo all inside. They looked so scared...l-like how I felt the whole time I was running here with soldiers after me and Tails the whole time." Sniffling, her eyes watered although she didn't cry. "A-And Pinkie came by and said they were after her too - I can't imagine that the others aren't in danger either - and that if it wasn't for her new friend they might have...might have..."

"Oh, Twilight." Pulling the smaller pony into a hug, Celestia craned her neck down and let Twilight bury her head into the crook of her long neck. Unsurprisingly, the princess felt and saw the little dragon join in their hug, hugging tightly to his best friend and wrapping his little tail around one of her own legs. "I understand my faithful student, more than you know."

"B-But I broke a rule..."

"To save your loved ones, everypony must accept that there may come a point when the rules must be broken. Or that sometimes, you must do something that will hurt you very much, for a long time, even if it's the right thing to do." Celestia explained. She felt the unicorn stiffen, likely understanding what she referred to. I can never forgive myself for what I did Luna, but neither would I have ever chosen the alternative. She swore to herself mentally. "However, for the time being please put aside these books and let us try a different approach. I am here now, and have brought the Elements like you asked." Untangling from her student, Celestia stepped back and lit her horn up. In a flash of light the jeweled box containing the Elements appeared from the small pocket dimension she'd stored them in temporarily. Opening it, she levitated out the Tiara of Magic and placed it gently atop Twilight's head behind her horn. Eyes rolling up to look at it, Twilight smiled at the comforting weight, before frowning and looking back at the solar princess.

"Actually, Princess Celestia, I wasn't the one who technically wanted to send that letter. I mean, I was planning to, but in my panic I'd forgotten and went immediately to...uh, studying." Celestia raised an eyebrow, glancing at the young fox nearby. Twilight noticed her gaze and shook her head. "It wasn't Tails either. Pinkie Pie showed up a little while ago and asked for us to send a letter, but apparently it was her new...friend...who asked for the Elements."

The way she said 'friend' implied something bad, but there was enough confusion mixed in her words to not make the princess worry right away. "Well, I don't see what's wrong with that. It's good that somepony at least had the forethought to send for them regardless. I must admit, the stress of this invasion has had me somewhat preoccupied. The Royal Guard should be here soon by the way."

The news sent a wave of relief through the room, Spike even rubbing at his forehead with one claw as if to wipe some sweat off of it. Twilight though still looked worried. "I'm not sure it's wrong, but what worries me is that...well, Pinkie said that her new friend was...different. As in he looked very similar to those soldiers out there. She says that he isn't like them - and apparently he saved her life so I can't deny the possibility - but..."

"I see." This certainly added a new spin to what Celestia knew about this invasion. Had they sent a spy ahead to assess the defenses of Ponyville? Did his closeness to Pinkie Pie mean he had plans for her and the other Harmony Bearers? Could he be a runaway, rushing ahead of the invasion force to try and warn them but was too late? Shaking her head, she put such thoughts aside; they had spent far too long thinking and talking, while the forces outside continued unopposed in their ransacking of her kingdom. They had time thanks to the large scale of this operation, but using it frugally was only going to hurt them in the end. "Regardless of this new friend, there is still a threat to everypony in Ponyville that is quite real so long as that castle remains overhead. Where are the other Element users Twilight?"

"Pinkie Pie should be here with them shortly Princess."

"Very good. Spike, please send a letter off to my sister. Tell her I will be creating a summoning circle in the square outside for the Royal Guard to arrive from momentarily. She and the unicorns from the Academy can create the counter-part on their end quickly enough - she knows my methods well enough to create the correct copy." Nodding, the little dragon rushed off for another scroll and quill to write with. After making sure the little drake got all the words spelled correctly, there was a brief moment of silence before a knock sounded from the door. Opening it with her magic, Twilight beamed at the sight of her friends as they all rushed in, the barrier having recognized them as being allowed in. They all looked somewhat haggard from a no doubt harrowing run through town - Applejack especially with a scorch mark on the brim of her stetson and Rarity actually having a cut along her cheek. Spike immediately rushed over to see to his crush, but was crushed in-between all of the ponies instead as they gathered into a group hug.

"Oh girls it's so good to see you're safe!" Twilight exclaimed, rubbing her cheek against Fluttershy's.

"Oh Twilight, it was terrifying!" Fluttershy not-shouted. "That terrible castle appeared, a-and then there were these scary monsters attacking everypony..."

"Darn things made a bee-line straight fer mah farm!" Applejack said, anger making her grind her teeth as they all stepped back to talk more. "Me an Big Mac were fighting them overgrown tin soldiers right up until Pinkie Pie came and sent 'em running with some kind of cannon. Had some kind of funky rod doohickey with them too that gave me the shivers just looking at it."

"The same thing happened with me as well." Rarity confessed. "A group of those thugs came around my shop and broke down the door. Thankfully I'd been in the kitchen preparing some tea and was able to escape out the back door, but then they followed! I swear they hadn't seen me and yet they pursued me right up until the others came around the corner and chased them off." She shivered dramatically, one hoof to her forehead as Spike came up beside her and helped her stay upright. "I too saw a horrible device in one of their hands - it was like I was becoming filthy just by being near it! It was just awful!"

"Did all of you encounter such a device?" Princess Celestia asked, walking closer to the group and accepting their bows with a nod of her head.

"I-I saw one too...I mean, at least I'm pretty sure I did." Fluttershy said.

"Can't say that I have - oh! Maybe Markie did but got rid of it before I could be creeped out by it like everypony else! Awww, that was nice of him!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed, smiling happily despite the frowns and confused looks directed her way.

"Then most likely those rods were somehow able to track you all down, perhaps because of the connection you all share as the Element Bearers." Celestia explained, sharing a look with Twilight who had also come to the same conclusion. "It is a good thing you are all safe and...and..." Pausing, she suddenly realized something was wrong; rather, that somepony was missing. "Where's Rainbow Dash?"

Looking around, the girls were shocked to see that their rainbow maned friend was indeed nowhere in sight. "I was wondering why it was so darn quiet." Applejack muttered. Rarity nodded next to her, before gasping and covering her mouth with a hoof. "Oh my goodness, what if she was captured!"

"Oh Dashie's alright girls don't worry. She just said she was busy and would meet us in the town square to beat up all these bad guys." There was a loud exclamation of 'What!?' by everyone in the room, even the Princess looking shocked. Pinkie Pie blinked in surprise. "What, didn't I tell you girls on the way over?"

"This is not good - without aid, Rainbow Dash could possibly be captured or overwhelmed by the invaders." Celestia murmured to herself. "If she is, then you will all be unable to utilize the Elements to stop them and restore peace to Ponyville. I really wish she had not rushed on ahead, or that you had tried to stop her Pinkie Pie."

"I'm sorry..."

Twilight shook her head. "Rainbow Dash is stubborn and very hard headed Princess. Even if you told her to come she still might have rushed to the square anyway, especially if she knew her friends and the rest of Ponyville's population was in danger. She is the Element of Loyalty after all."

"That is true enough, and hardly something I can disapprove of even in such a dangerous situation as we are in at the moment." Sighing, she pulled out the remaining Elements and gently clasped them around the necks of the other four mares. As each of them smiled and rubbed at their necklaces, she used her magic to open the door and walked outside, her subjects following until they reached the edge of the barrier. "Here's the plan my little ponies: You all must head to Town Hall and do your best to re-unite with Rainbow Dash and use the Elements to defeat whatever evil is behind this attack. Twilight can hold onto the Element of Loyalty until then." Twilight nodded, and taking the necklace in her own magic she clasped it around her neck. "In the meantime, I shall be constructing a summoning circle to bring the Royal Guard here swiftly to deal with the soldiers and other troops within the village. There is no guarantee that they will disappear along with the castle, so keep your guard up even after using the Elements."

After a round of nods from everypony present, Celestia smiled and dipped her head toward them. "Then make haste, my little ponies. I have faith that you will defeat this new threat to Equestria, just as you have with all the others. Good luck." With a bow they all turned and bolted down the street, determined looks on all of their faces. Only Twilight paused just before turning down the next street, looking back at the library and the barrier, and of course the Princess of the Sun. Celestia smiled back at her pupil, warmth and love in her gaze, and with a similar smile of her own, the lavender mare shot off to catch up with her friends.

"Be safe, my faithful student."

---

Along the riverbank, a thick hollow reed slowly glided against the flow of water as it closed in on a small bridge running over the river. None of the soldiers patrolling across the square and sky noticed the small oddity, nor would they have thanks to the thick shadows hanging over the entire area save for small patches of light provided by torches. Here, so far under the citadel floating overhead, the sunlight was all but gone. And Mark knew to use this to his advantage, reaching the bridge at last and coming up underneath silently with only a slight trickle of water sounding as he rose.

Made it! He silently cheered. I can't believe that actually worked, but I'm not about to look a gift-horse in the mouth. Chuckling quietly at the small horse joke (and the second, unintentional one), he shuffled slowly over to the bank nearest to the Town Hall and tilted his head out enough to see if anyone was nearby. A pair of soldiers were marching this way to cross the bridge, and after ducking back to let them pass, Mark looked out again and saw nobody coming around. Thinking the coast clear, he was halfway out of the water when a loud, hoarse caw made him hastily scramble back and scowl up at the sky. A squad of those bat and vulture birds flew by overhead, and after a few tense seconds, a second group appeared from a different angle.

Scowl turning into a frown, Mark settled back more into the silt and mud of the riverbank and tried to catch the pattern of overhead patrols. After two minutes he quickly decided that no pattern was being used, because the number of riders present simply prevented any gaps from forming around the building he needed to get into. On top of that, a second ground patrol finally appeared three minutes in, so while he may have a large gap against the soldiers, the fliers weren't going to let him capitalize on it anytime soon.

If I run fast enough, maybe the darkness will hide me from sight. Except...those bat creatures probably are bats, which means echolocation. I'm just lucky the bridge is blocking me from their sights then. Mark concluded, sighing softly at this latest roadblock. Fighting here was completely out of the question; the number of soldiers present was unknown, but just before entering the river he'd managed to see the shoddy wooden cages holding the ponies in and the soldiers guarding them. There were far more here than back at Sugarcube, and fighting them all would be suicide, especially now that he only had a knife to fight with.

Snorting, he found it funny that he was being far more cautious than usual now that he was so young, when it had been the exact opposite when he was first sixteen, or even older. Sure he was smart and liked to think before leaping, but sneaking around and trying to predict the enemies patterns and actions was something not even twenty-four year old Mark Magnum had done. He would have called some of these guys off, or had made a dash for the cages while fending them off, trying to free the ponies and then use the chaos to take more out. But he couldn't now, as not only was he unarmed for the most part, but his stamina and strength were greatly reduced. Gone was the built woodsman/baker, and in his place was a kid. Fit, and trained yes, but still a kid.

If he wanted to survive, he would need to think. If he wanted to save everyone, he'd have to keep hoping that something would come up that he could use. And if he wanted to get into Town Hall to do any heroics, he'd need a distraction.

Suddenly from above a loud, pained squawk sounded, making Mark look up just in time to see an injured bat flap rapidly into the town square. Several of the patrols turned to surround it and question the rider, and although he couldn't see much or hear anything over the loud flapping of multiple wings, it was clear that the soldier being questioned was asking for backup. To the young human's shock, not one, but all of the patrols left in a hurry in the direction the injured flyer had come from, reducing the sky patrols to two that only circled the outer ring of building around the square. Even the injured bat turned and left again, which Mark followed with his eyes before slumping back for a second against the bridge support. "Well, I wanted a distraction, so yay." Mark muttered in surprise.

Shaking his head, he climbed out of the water and rushed over to the porch that ringed the entire Town Hall, launching over the railing with a soft squelch of wet clothing before he located an open window to use. Climbing in, he finally took a moment to wring out the excess water in his hair and clothes, and once suitably dry enough, he glanced around the room he found himself in. By all appearances it seemed that he'd luckily found the Mayor's office; the few pictures on the desk showed Mayor Mare and some other ponies that were either friends or family. There was even one with Twilight Sparkle and Princess Celestia, with the mayor looking a little nervous surrounded by them both. The door to the room was slightly ajar, letting light from the hallway lights filter in, but thankfully it was closed enough that nobody would see him in here unless they specifically came in here to look.

Giving the room a few more sweeps, he pocketed the heavy paper weight for use later and then crept over to the doorway. Looking out into the hallway, he saw nobody in sight, and so moving slowly he took a left and followed the curved hallway to a pair of curtains that apparently separated the main hall from the more administrative offices in back. As he approached the curtain, a series of barked orders and the loud clinking of metal told Mark that a lot of soldiers lay beyond, and so he slightly opened the side of the curtain to sneak a peek and see what he was facing.

Beyond lay a large, open room. A small elevated stage filled one corner of the room, and overhead there were several balconies with curtains closed over the openings. In all, it looked more like a theater than a town hall, and perhaps had originally been so a few years ago. However at the moment it was swarming with soldiers, all of whom were busy cutting, painting, and inscribing what appeared to be jagged runes onto the stage floor. A single man stood with his arms crossed down and off the stage overlooking the work, and unlike the rest of the soldiers his physical build and appearance was more akin to an overweight noble than a fighter. With his back to him, Mark couldn't make out many details. However, his armor was a simple golden breastplate that bulged around his wide stomach, wide white pants, a dark grey sash that seemed to strain against his waist, and what looked to be a silver domino mask with little pig ears that fanned out to either side of his face.

"Work faster!" The man barked, his voice oddly high pitched and somewhat squeaky. It, like the mask, made Mark think of a pig. "The Emperor is expecting this circle to be complete within the next half hour! I will tan all of your hides if you even think of making me look bad to our Lord!"

The soldiers didn't seem especially happy with being bossed around by this man, but still their tempo increased and the air was filled with the loud scraping and scratching of chisels and knives. Frowning, Mark stepped back and rubbed at his chin. There's a lot less in there than outside. He mused. Perhaps if I can draw them back here, and then take a few out I can-

A hand shot through the curtain, clutching at Mark's throat and cutting his thoughts off. "Ack! Wha-" He cried, before the world spun and he felt himself go flying through the air. Landing in the middle of the room, he rolled and hit one of the soldiers, knocking him down but stopping his momentum. He coughed and grasped at his neck, before looking up to see who had attacked him. The pig-like man was turning from the curtained hallway, his hand still extended and cracking as he flexed it. Finally seeing his face, the young hero noticed that he also had a double chin and a large, curly handlebar mustache. Despite how ridiculous he looked, there was no denying that the man was incredibly strong, having tossed Mark halfway across the room with one hand and even then, only stopping because of interference. "S-So strong!" Mark muttered to himself, his voice raspy.

"Well, well, well, a little rat it seems has come out of hiding." The man sneered. "Another rebel spy, hoping to thwart the Emperor's will once again? Hah! You just stepped into a world of hurt, scum!"

Hearing something behind himself, Mark spun and decked the rising soldier with the paperweight he'd palmed while recovering from the throw. The metal of his helmet buckled easily, knocking him out, but it broke the stunned soldiers around him out of their daze, and suddenly the air rang with the sound of drawn steel. Gritting his teeth, Mark raised his hands and dropped the smooth rock as he was surrounded by numerous swords. "Sorry to break it to you, but I'm no rebel." Mark replied. "I am however, very interested in what you guys are doing to this town. I'd like it if you stopped."

Snorting, the gold soldier stepped closer and crossed his arms, looming over Mark after making his men part for him. Only now did the young hero notice that the Pigman was easily seven feet tall in addition to being so fat. "Stop? You want us, to stop?" He said, a sneer on his face. Without warning his leg lashed out, kicking Mark down to his knees, followed by another in the face, making his nose bleed. "Scum like you have no say! You dare speak to me, as if you were fit for more than licking my boots?!" Shaking his head, Mark glared up at the man, which only made him get another kick in the face. "Who said you could look at me with such a face!" The man roared.

His head was ringing from those two kicks alone, but Mark refused to roll over after only a few hits. Trying to stand up, the swords all closed in and one soldier behind him roughly shoved him back down to his knees. Glaring at the one who did that, Mark then faced the leader again and spat out some blood at his feet. This got him a punch in the gut, doubling him over the big meaty fist, and he collapsed to the floor amidst the loud laughter of the man and his underlings.

"Pah! It seems we have a rebel with fire!" The man said, his gut jiggling madly in his mirth. "Step back men - I will deal with this rat myself. His blood will be an excellent medium to bind the circle once completed." The soldiers all obeyed, sheathing their weapons and moving to the far corners of the room. The stage was now completely clear save for Mark and the fat brute, who cracked his knuckles to intimidate the boy. "Get up...get up! Let's see how long you last before I break you over my knee, scum." He taunted.

Pushing himself up slowly, Mark was worried by his wobbling vision and dull pain in his chest. What worried him more than the possible concussion and bruised ribs, however, was the fact that he knew this Pig Commander, or whatever its name, had been holding back. It was in how he smiled at Mark after every punch, that sadistic smile saying he wanted to do more, and for a long time. He knew that there was no winning in terms of strength or endurance, and that this soldier wouldn't hesitate to call on his henchmen to attack should things not go his way. The only problem with that, was in order for Mark to win, he'd have to make a clear and concise strike that left this man with no choice but to send his hounds at him. Spitting more blood out, Mark wiped it away with the back of his hand and leveled a steely glare at his opponent. He had only seconds to decide what to do.

"One thing before we begin." Mark said, grateful that his voice was calm and steady. "How did you catch me? I was doing a pretty good job in stealth if I do say so myself."

The Commander scoffed, his mustache twitching comically. "I saw the curtain flutter as you closed it. Some may have simply thought it to be a puff of wind, but I knew I'd smelled something foul in the air." He grinned at Mark, taking pleasure from the slight flash of anger in the young mans eyes. "I am a Commander of his Majesty's forces for a reason. No lowlife rebel scum like you can get past my keen eyes!"

Rolling his eyes, Mark smirked as the commander visibly bristled from his action. "So you got lucky, good. Nice to know you're just an overgrown musclehead after all."

"I will take pleasure in crushing your skull!" The man roared before charging like an angry elephant. Smiling, Mark rolled out of the way of the first wild swing, being missed by a mile due to the lumbering speed of the large man and the painfully obvious and telegraphed moves. Pulling the knife from his sheath, he held it up in a reverse grip, while his other hand lifted into a loose stance.

"See? Musclehead." Mark taunted, much more confident now in his chance of victory.

He paid for it though in the next instance, as with a loud snort the pigman turned to the wall behind the stage and grabbed at it. Eyes widening, Mark watched as his meaty fingers dug into the wood and plaster like it was nothing, and ripping off a large chunk threw it at the young man, forcing him to roll out of the way. The paperweight came into range of his reach, and picking it up he tossed it and got a satisfied impact against the side of the Commander's head. That though made him angry, and with a heavy stomp he cracked and shattered the stage, sending a fissure of jagged planks and splinter flying toward Mark who rolled out of the way.

"Ah! Commader, you destroyed the circle!" One soldier cried out from nearby.

"Silence!" The pig roared, before punching Mark who had tried to rush him while distracted. Rolling back, he fell off the remainder of the stage and felt his nose flare in pain, having broken it in the fall. Hissing, Mark set it back in place as best he could and got up, blinking back tears. The commander was already moving closer, so without any aiming he threw his knife, hoping to buy time. To his luck it hit the unprotected upper bicep on his right arm, making his opponent squeal in pain and stop to remove the blade. The man then threw it back, trying to skewer its owner, but Mark in surprising situational awareness, flipped up two pieces of stage floor and caught the knife as it buried into them. The first shattered from the force of the throw, but the second held long enough for Mark to duck his head, and then grab the knife back up as it fell from the now ruined wood.

Now! Mark shouted in his head, seeing his only chance. Turning his combat knife around to face forward, he rushed toward the overweight soldier, aiming low and rolling as he got in range. Rolling around his back, Mark kicked out at both of his knees, making the man stumble, and then stabbed him in the back of his left foot, cutting the achilles tendon. Like he hoped the man collapsed onto one knee, but before he could take out the other foot a backhand forced him to roll back and hastily get to his feet.

"Gah! Men, finish him!" The commander ordered, his entire demeanor shifting as his face paled and sweat broke out over his body. Getting to his feet, he began to limp away as fast as he could, while the ten or so soldiers around the room unsheathed again and charged at Mark. Smiling grimly, he tightened his grip on the knife and settled into a new stance. He'd wanted this outcome, but it was still going to hurt a lot.

"Come on!"

---

As the shouts of pain and battle rang out behind him, the Commander made it over to the main doors of the town hall and leaned against the door frame. He was panting and sweating bullets, knowing just how close he'd come to being almost completely disabled and cut down by the, apparently, stronger young boy. Despite being a powerhouse who could crush buildings with a few good punches, like his brethren he was a utter coward when outnumbered or shown to be too weak.

"H-How could a mere brat...be so skilled?" He muttered to himself, wincing as his foot twisted wrong. "I-I am a commander of the emperor's army...a servant of Lord Gluttony! He cannot have beat me!"

"Yet here you stand, whimpering like the sniveling pig you are."

Face loosing whatever color it hadn't already, the man looked up and squealed like the pig he was at the sight before him. Obscured almost entirely by the shadows of the porch roof and dim lighting of the square, the behemoth before him towered over even the seven foot soldier, and had not a lick of fat over his broad, muscular and armored form. "L-L-L-Lord Wrath! What are you-!"

There was a wet squelching noise, followed by the crinkling of what seemed like tinfoil. Looking down in shock, the commander saw a sword nearly as wide as his entire body run through his stomach, piercing the golden armor like tissue. "What...?"

"You failed, and worse, were running away like a coward." Lord Wrath rumbled, his eyes glowing in the shadows of his face. "You know the penalty for this. Grunts like you should know better by now, yet always your pathetic cowardice shines through without fail." Placing a hand over the one holding the grip of his broadsword, Wrath's hand began to flicker with red fire that slowly consumed the hilt of the blade. "Burn."

There was a flash of fire, and the square echoed from the Grunts howls of terror and pain.

---

Panting, Mark had gained several cuts along his arms and legs in the minute or more that the brawl began. The knife was barely large enough to deflect some of the heavier and sharper weapons, and as such they'd been able to whittle away at him bit by bit. But he'd given as well if not better than what he got. Four of the men were out of the fight permanently, while three more were wounded enough that their fighting was seriously hampered. Plus, he'd managed to nab a mace from one of the fallen, and so was now duel wielding it along with the knife placed in his left hand to defend.

"Is that all you've got?" He taunted at the soldiers. "Those other soldiers a while back put up a way better fight than you."

Hearing them growl, Mark lifted his weapons a little higher to defend. But then a horrendous howl filled the air, and turning his head he stared in shock as the Commander was burned alive, a blade running through his stomach seeming to be the cause. The soldiers across from him seemed to be watching too, and even they appeared nervous judging by their stances. Within only a few seconds, the now charred corpse fell to the ground and shattered into ash, a wisp of energy floating up from the remains and then there was silence. The blade disappeared behind the shadows of the doorway, and then there were loud, thumping steps as the weapons owner ducked and walked into the town hall.

"Hmmph, pathetic." The...man, growled. He was a massive pile of muscle reaching eight feet in height, the muscles noticeable around the armor bulging with veins. His armor closely resembled that of the soldiers all around Ponyville that Mark had seen so far, a bit more blood red perhaps but still accentuated by gold along the joints and sides. However instead of spikes, the pauldrons were matching roaring lion heads, the mouths and eyes glowing with a faint fire that hovered inside. The helmet was different too; the upper half of a lion's face rested atop his forehead, with either a decorative mane or perhaps even his own golden hair billowing out from behind it and trailing down his back. His face, although uncovered, was partially obscured by shadows that let his glowing yellow eyes flicker within unnaturally, only his mouth seen on a square jaw that had numerous small scars across it. Another change was the addition of a cape that was pinned to the left side of his chestplate by a piece of iron shaped like the male gender symbol; the symbol of Mars. It billowed down back to his knees and was white with gold borders, and very tattered around the bottom no doubt from long use and combat. Oddly, as Mark finished observing this new opponent, he could not see that incredibly large broadsword anywhere, which made him even more wary. "Has inactivity truly led my men to become the weaklings I see before me? To be so easily defeated by a mere boy?"

"L-L-Lord Wrath," One soldier stuttered, stiffening up into a sloppy salute and posture. "W-We were..that is the Commander...he..."

"Silence!" Wrath growled, his eyes flashing. "I will deal with you fools later." The soldiers all stepped back, leaving Mark alone after they dragged off their fellow men. Turning his gaze from the cowering soldiers, his solid yellow orbs flashed as they focused onto the still tensed young man. The intensity of his gaze made Mark break out into a cold sweat along the back of his neck, but despite the fear gripping his heart he kept his face as neutral as possible. "I was hoping you'd be here, boy."

"..." Slipping a little out of his tense stance, Mark kept his eyes steadily on Wrath's own, knowing that things were about to get a lot more complicated. "No offense, but I was really hoping you wouldn't." He replied.

Author's Note:

Phew! This took...forever! I know I'm a slow updater, but man, I hate having the ideas right there in my brain and not putting it down. For those just seeing this welcome, and for those who already read this story before might want to go back and re-read past chapters. There was some heavy editing of some events which is another big reason this took so long to put out.

Anyway, this is the 8th and second to last introduction chapter. I was originally planning to make this the last one, but the length and those edits I mentioned just made it more sensible to cut this thing in half and work on the latter for the next chapter. I hope you enjoy this one, and that you'll stick around at least to see how this keeps going. Explanations will come eventually about some things, promise!

Stay tuned to find out!