Life, Lies, and Letters

by pokefreak13

Chapter Seven: Battle of The Throne Part Two

As the ponies came forth from a hidden compartment, Shadow Blade couldn't help but laugh. These are the ponies who are going to stop him!?

"Luna! I'll take the soldiers to help stop Blade's army! You and the Elemental Warriors make sure that he and Spike do not enter this castle. We already have enough brainwashed ponies as it is and I do not care having to fight off my servants and guards." Celestia commanded before taking off, a hoard of skeletons trailing behind.

The earth pony jumped off of Spike and approached the group with a smile. "So you are the Elemental Warriors' decedents? How pitiful."

"Ya'll be eating those words once I get my hooves on ya." Rain Top grinned.

"You five take care of Shadow Blade. I'll take care of Spike." Luna informed, "and be careful. He is a powerful foe."

"We will not let you down." Redwood replied.

---

"Once you surround a pony, cage them!" Celestia commanded.

The alicorn's heart lurched as she saw hundreds of ponies destroy her city and capture fellow residents. Some, she noted, were lying on the ground unmoving.

As the soldiers surrounded the brainwashed ponies, they instantly disembodied and used their bones to make a makeshift cage. Then, Celestia lowered to the nearest one and placed her horn through the bars and onto the squirming pony's head. Her horn lit up and a few seconds later, the pony's eyes turned back to normal.

"W-where am I?" Shooting Star groaned while rubbing her head. "And why am I in a...cage made out of bones?"

"Return back to Ponyville." Celestia said while the skeleton reassembled.

The lavender pegasus gazed up at the princess, her blue eyes sparked with confidence. "Not today your highness. I may not know what is going on, but I can feel a dark presence and I want to help!"

Princess Celestia looked Shooting Star up and down before giving a small smile. "Then take to the sky and make sure that no pony leaves. The brainwashed will attack you, so be prepared to fight."

Shooting Star gave a salute before taking off into the sky.

---

Sunshine let out a cry before crashing into the castle walls. Every bone in her body vibrated, and the air got knocked out of her lungs. The unicorn let out a moan and shakily got up. Then she drew her attention back to the battlefield.

Rain Top was trying to summon fire and Redwood was trying to ram his horns into Prince Shadow Blade's chest, but failing horribly. Though Aqua Ring was doing a little better, but all her attacks seemed to just make the stallion wet. And Gust, well he was flying above their target and flapping his wings feverously.

"Honestly, this is all you can accomplish?" The grey earth pony laughed before kicking Redwood straight in the jaw, causing the buck to step back, giving Blade enough time to kick him in the knees. Sunshine heard a sickening crunch before Redwood let out a scream and crumpled to the ground.

"Redwood!" Aqua Ring gasped.

"I'll make you pay!" Rain Top growled before trying to summon a column of flames, only to produce a few embers.

Sunshine sat on the ground in defeat. They just weren't prepared to face a foe as powerful as Prince Shadow Blade. If only they had a few weeks or months to practice. But sadly time just wasn't on their side.

---

Luna could see that they were doing poorly. The alicorn wanted to help, but her focus was still on Spike. And sadly he wasn't corporating as much as she hoped.

Spike let out a jet of bright green flames towards Luna. Quickly, she put up and protection spell before countering with a paralyze spell. The dragon tried to dodge, but the spell managed to get one of his legs.

Seeing her chance, Luna dive bombed Spike. Once her horn touched his forehead, she quickly unleashed a healing spell.

Spike's eyes began to turn back to normal and the great dragon shook his mighty head. "What h-happened?"

Luna let out a sigh before standing besides her friend. "You were controlled by him." She pointed a hoof towards Shadow Blade.

"I didn't cause any trouble did I? Oh Luna, I didn't accidently k-kill somepony right?" His eyes dilated as he began to think of the worst possible things he could have done.

"Possibly some property damage, but that is all." Luna replied, "now I want you to do something for me."

---

Redwood knew two things. First, he knew his legs were broken. Secondly, he knew they were going to loose. But the way his acquaintances kept on fighting did warm his heart a little. Even Sunshine got back up and was helping in any way she could.

"Now!"

Redwood managed to keep his head down as a column of green flames flew over his head and crashed landed near Rain Top, sending a patch of grass aflame.

The dark blue pegasus grinned deviously. Now Redwood was beginning to grow accustomed to that grin and knew one thing. He needed to get away from Blade pronto.

Biting back a scream, the buck slowly dragged his broken body away from Shadow Blade.

---

Once he made sure Redwood was far enough, Rain Top concentrated hard. When he soon felt his blood boiling, Rain Top opened his eyes and the flames bended to his will. Like a snake, the flames slithered towards and occupied Blade before striking. The blood curdling scream as his opponent was being consumed by flames was music to his ears.

"Good job Rain." Aqua Ring grinned.

"You fools." Shadow Blade growled. He stomped his hooves on the ground and the flames extinguished. Though his mane and tail were badly singed and burns dotted his body. Some were even beginning to blister and swell.

"Maybe this will help!" The light blue earth pony shouted while summoning a giant wave. "Gust, make sure he doesn't go anywhere! Everyone else, run!"

Prince Shadow Blade tried to flee, but kept stopping as Gust pelted him with rocks and small twigs. Whenever one touched a burn, the earth pony cried out in pain.

When everyone cleared, Aqua Ring released the wave. Their opponent quickly went down, as did some of the weaker vegetation.

As the water level died down, Prince Shadow Blade was left gasping for breath. While Spike stayed where he was, Luna and the Elemental Warriors made a tight circle around the grey stallion.

"Do you give up?" Luna asked.

Shadow Blade slowly got back up. His burns stung, he was wet to the bone, and he was exhausted. The stallion thought that the sooner we waged war, the less time Celestia and Luna were prepared. Apparently his estimation was severely incorrect. However, he climbed through Tartarus for who knows how long, and wasn't going to be sent back there again.

Wings could be heard and the group made room for an exhausted Celestia.

"Your army is returning home. You are all alone now, Blade." The white alicorn informed.

Price Shadow Blade could feel his magic returning. It would take some time, but he was always good at stalling. Besides, now that everypony was here, he could finally be able to get the Elemental Warriors to turn on their leaders.

"F-funny you s-stand there, all c-confident," he chuckled, "tell me, did these ponies volunteer to battle me? Or did you take them by force?"

"What does it matter to you?" The soft yellow unicorn questioned.

Just stall for a little longer. Shadow Blade thought to himself. "An interesting question. And the answer? W-well there is in fact two ways of stopping me."

All eyes were on the princesses. While Luna looked nervously to her sister, Celestia adverted her eyes to the ground and drew lines in the soggy earth below.

"You all knew that you'll either get injured or die when battling me." The stallion boasted, "You all could have lived your simple lives, oblivious to the situations before you if these princesses just did as their parents did."

"Princess Celestia, what is he talking about?" Gust asked.

"Our parents stopped Shadow Blade by g-giving up their life force." Celestia replied hesitantly, "because they didn't know of the Elemental Warriors back then like we do now."

Prince Shadow Blade closed his eyes, ready to savor the outcries as they turn on their leader for putting them at such a risk. However, what came next the stallion could have never prepared for.

"You poor souls!"

"We're so sorry for you losses."

"You must hold the world record for the longest living orphans."

Shadow Blade opened his blood red eyes and shouted, "how can you feel pity for these, these monsters!? They took you from your homes and forced you to fight me, even though they knew that there was a great chance of you to either die or get injured!"

Sunshine hesitantly stepped closer to Shadow Blade and gave a small smile. "How can we be angered at Princess Celestia and Princess Luna when they showed us our true potential?" The mare placed a hoof on her chest and sighed, "I was always led to believe that because I would never be as strong as the other foals, that I would always be weak. But now, now I know that I am not weak but strong."

"Do you give up?" Princess Celestia asked softly.

"To monsters like you? Never!" With a bellow, Shadow Blade smashed his hooves against the drying ground. A giant crack began to form and tentacles of shadow shot out. "Say your prayers!" The grey stallion laughed.

"Battle stations everypony!" Gust commanded.