The Guardian's story

by Lon35hadow

Final mirror battle Pt1-Guardian Vs. Raider

Me, Rhino, Cybis, Nightmare, Twilight, M Twilight, and Applejack looked out over the northern plains, where the Raiders, over a hundred strong, and the Taken as strong as Oryx allows with the mirror versions of me, Cybis, and Rhino leading them. Sekana had teleported us here just after we had gotten word of this.

"Well," Rhino said, "I can think of one song for this."

"Not yet," I said, my arms crossed. "Who should we go after first?"

"The Raiders have our abilities, and know how to counter them, but the Taken have M us as their leaders," Cybis said. "I'd say the greater threat first."

"Or we could split up," Twilight said. "We could probably hold one of them off for you three to finish one off."

"But then who would you guys distract?" Rhino asked. "Because, either way, the leaders of one of the sides would be out of your league."

"Well, we have been training with you three for a week," Nightmare said. "We do know some of your techniques, so we can counter them. I'd say those Taken."

"You sure?" I asked.

She nodded, as did the others. "Yeah, we are," M Twilight said. "Besides, I'd rather face my group again after you guys help them anyway."

Cybis nodded. "We'll see what we can do."

"Then let's go, and buy time for Auryx and the others to get here," I said, and we split up, me and my other personas given form going to the Raiders, Nightmare and our team mates going to the Taken.

As we walked, the snow crunching under our feet, I saw that M Luna, M Sight, and M Forge were at the head of the Raider army. "Swords out people," I said, and the three of us drew our exotic grade blades, the energy from them enough to melt the snow near the blades.

"This is going to be fun," Rhino said.

"Hell yeah," I said just as shots began to be fired from the Raiders, and we blocked the shots with our swords as we began to run towards them.

The amount of shots made it to where the swords were nearly out of charge when we were only halfway there, so we did what we did best: we improvised. I drew a smoke grenade, and threw it in front of us. As it went off, we went invisible, and the shots stopped. Though, as it was a modified grenade, the three of us could still see each other. Cybis, I said over our link, what's the plan?

Get in the center of the group, and do the same thing I did to M Twilight, but starting with the Phantoms this time. Good thing Nightmare helped me with a warlock spell to take care of that. But for that, I'd leave myself open, and we would leave ourselves open if we fused to do that.

Copy that, Rhino said. Time to clear the front lines!

Agreed, I replied as we became uncloaked, and fired off our Supers. I fired off triple Shadow shot, Cybis his Shatter bomb, and Rhino his Fist of havoc. The three supers together annihilated the front lines, including their leaders, and the three of us kept running through their ranks, slicing with our swords until they were out of charge, then swapping to the legendary version, and continued to slice through them. When those ran out, we went to our other weapons, me dual wielding hand cannons and not being able to reload because of that and going to another pair until I got to two handed weapons. Eventually, the three of us met in the center, Raiders in front of us, and revived Raiders behind.

"Well," Rhino said, "that was easier than I had expected."

"A little too easy," I said as M Luna and her companions, now including M Applejack, walked up, the other Raiders parting for them.

"That is because we wanted you here so we could kill you with ease," M Luna said as her Element of Chaos appeared, and it looked the same shape as the Elements when Celestia used them on Nightmare, and was colored blood red, which then fired off a pulse of energy. "That is meant to disable any of your abilities. You won't be able to survive this."

It was here I felt, I don't know, something, and, as if on instinct, I held my arms as if I was holding a sword that was pointing behind me and was in both my hands. To my surprise, I felt the weight of a sword in my hand. I looked at it, and saw that the crystal was pink. I also looked at Rhino and Cybis, and saw them with swords, the crystals matching their Elements, Cybis holding his in a one handed style, the blade pointing to the ground and angled side ways, while Rhino held his in the usual way, a two handed stance, blade pointing slightly up and angled towards his front, and I heard a voice.

My gift to you, Harmony said, which made me chuckle.

"You may have the Elements of Chaos, but we have their opposite," I said, standing and doing a little spin flair with it. "And I imagine that they can easily negate your abilities."

"I would like to see you try," M Luna said before her Element morphed into a completely blood red blade with a black hilt. "And if you three don't mind," she said before the other three Elements of Chaos appear, and are absorbed into the other blade, "I'll be taking those."

"But Princess, your father said-" M Applejack said before she was cut off

"To Tartarus with him right now," M Luna said. "I wish to kill these three for the insult they are to the Raiders. And if you try to stop me in anyway, Golem Applejack, you will be next."

"Of course, Princess," M Applejack growled.

"All of you, clear the area," M Luna said. "I wish to have plenty of room to gut these three like the pigs they are."

The Raiders, every single one of them, backed away to create a large circle around the four of us, roughly the same size as the final boss area of MGR. Huh. Talk about coincidence. "I will easily kill you three," M Luna gloated. "After all, I have my abilities, you do not."

"Maybe not," Cybis said.

"But there is one thing we still have that you don't," Rhino continued.

"And that thing would be team work," I finished. "Besides, we've fought without powers before."

"Then it looks as if I'm finally going to have some fun, then," M Luna said before she unfurled her wings, and flew at us. I was the one she attacked first, and I raised my blade to block her strike, but my arm was jolted down by her earth pony strength, and it hit the ground, which is when she hit my head with the butt of the sword hilt, and sent me staggering back.

Her next strike was towards Cybis, who was able to block the strike by deflection, but she used her magic to grab his cloak, and trip him before sending him sliding across the ground, and at my legs.

"Fuck!" I yelled as I fell on my face, and I heard a few chuckles from the Raiders. Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. I got up onto my knees in a kneeling stance to see that Rhino was the only one of us to block M Luna's strikes, and that the two blades were currently locked.

It didn't last for long, though, as M Luna pulled back, which is when Rhino tried to slice at her, but missed, and went past her, which gave the Witch, what we and everyone else call the Raider version of Warlocks, though it is a bit of an insult right now, an opening to use her magic to throw him back at us. I managed to roll out of the way, but Cybis knocked back down as Rhino hit him. "SHIT!" he yelled as the two slid across the ground, coming to a stop a few feet from the watching Raiders.

I ran over to them as M Luna said, "It seems I did not even need to absorb the other Elements of Chaos. Still, when I think I kill you, I'll absorb your Elements as well, then kill your allies before we take your world."

I just ignored her as I knelt down to my Warlock and Titan comrades, sword in hand. "You guys alright?"

"Nah, I'm good," Rhino said. "Armor, remember?"

"Yeah, and I recover faster than either of you," Cybis said from under the Titan. "And Rhino, get off me."

"Sorry," Rhino said as he got up, and I helped Cybis up.

"What are we going to do?" Cybis asked. "Without our supers or ability to combine, we're going to die, as they know how to destroy Ghosts."

"Wait, you said you still recovered quickly, right?" I asked him, to which he nodded, before looking at Rhino. "And you still have a lot of armor?"

"Yeah," Rhino said. "Why?"

"She may have taken our supers and other abilities, but we still have the inherent traits," I said. "I have Hunter agility, Rhino's got Titan durability, and Cybis has Warlock recovery. I say we fucking use them." Plus, we still have our link.

I see where you're going, Josh, Cybis replied as the three of us turned to face M Luna.

Your plan, your lead, Rhino said.

Right, I said. Let's go. Rhino, up front. We began to run to M Luna, and Rhino took up the lead position. Cybis, behind me.

Copy, he replied.

"So, it seems the fools still want to die," the Witch said. "I'll be happy to oblige you, then."

Yeah, I don't think so. Rhino, now!

Rhino raised his sword, and swung at M Luna, who dodged it by side stepping to the left, which is where I delivered a punch to her helmet, followed by Cybis sweeping her legs out from under her, just as I had planned.

"A lucky attempt," M Luna said as she got back up. It won't happen again.

Yeah, because that wasn't the only thing I had planned. Again with the start, guys.

Right. We charged again, in the same formation, and this time, when Rhino swung, M Luna blocked it, which allowed me to roll to her right, and deliver a gash along her stomach as I jumped to the left, which is when Rhino rolled out of the way, which let Cybis roundhouse kick her in the chest, which sent her flying into her Raider allies, who collapsed under her hitting them.

"Regretting your choice to take away our abilities?" I asked. "Because I'm pretty sure this is more humiliating to you than losing to us before."

As she got up, supported by only two Raiders she crashed into, M Luna growled and said, "I do not know how you were able to wound me-" she got up, her injury already healed, and pointed her sword at us as we assumed what I like to call 'The Hero Pose', which is when you face someone, a single shoulder pointed in their direction, or where you're at least at an angle, and your facing them, "-but you will deeply regret it."

"Then come and get us," Rhino said, and she did just that, charging at us, making it look as if she was going after Rhino, but, at the last second, she changed her target. Me.

I deflected her strike toward the ground, but she used the momentum against me, spinning to cut my arm, blood flowing down from my bicep and wetting the hilt of my sword, loosening my grip on it, before doing the same with my left leg, forcing me down on my right knee, when she swung downward, and I was just barely able to deflect it.

"JOSH!" Rhino yelled as he and Cybis swung their swords, but were flung back by M Luna's magic. She then used her magic to send my flying back. Upon landing, there was a loud crack as an unknown amount of my ribs broke.

"AGHHH!"

"Much to easy," M Luna said as she strode over to where I lay. "And here I thought, what with how much my father did to ensure you weren't a threat, you are nothing more than a worm."

"Even a worm can destroy a plan," I said before I coughed up blood, which splattered on my HUD.

"I know," she said. "Which is why I will torture you. You see, I am aware of the special link you share with your companions. And I ma curious as to what'll happen when this happens," she said, lighting her horn just before Cybis began screaming in pain, followed by Rhino and me as I felt my blood literally boil and my bones break. "So," M Luna said after ten seconds, stopping what ever had caused it, "it seems you share pain as well. I will most definitely have fun torturing you in front of your Equestria." She then turned her back to me. "All of you, get ready! Now it's time we kill the traitor, the rest of these so called 'Guardians', and then kill all who stand in our way, starting with those abominations of darkness!"

The Raiders cheered as Cybis, his voice weak, came on over the link. We need. . . to stop them.

What can we do? Rhino asked, his voice only slightly stronger.

"Easy," I said as I began force myself up, using my sword for support for my left side. "We keep fighting."

M Luna turned back around. "So, the little Hunter still has some fight left in him, hm?"

"You're damned right I do, bitch," I replied, coughing up blood at the end. "As long as one of us remains, we'll fight. That's what a Guardian does, after all: they fight, no matter the circumstances, to protect their home, friends, everything they know. Like you used to."

"Who says I haven't stopped?" the alicorn asked me. "I am still protecting Equestria, just from different groups."

"And do the civilians seem to enjoy your form of protection?" I said before nearly falling over due to blood loss.

"Does it seem as if I care about what they think?"

"The you being controlled by the Traveler, no," I replied. "But the part of you that has to be buried in you from before then? I am certain she does, and wishes to make amends for what you have done in her stead and in your father's name."

She growled. "Silence, or I shall remove your tongue!"

"You want it?" I asked, assuming what fighting stance I could in my condition. "Then come. And. Take it."

"Gladly," she said before she ran towards me, and time seemed to slow, and I did the only thing I could think of to bring peace to my mind.

I sang.

(1:30) "Take me down to the river bend. Take me down to the fighting end. Wash the poison from off my skin. Show me how to be whole again. Fly me up on a silver wing, past the black where the Sirens sing. Warm me up in a Nova's glow, and drop me down to the dream below."

She reached me, and swung her sword, which is when I felt a surge of energy, and I raised my left arm, the one with the sword, and blocked her strike. (2:05) "'Cause I'm only a crack in this castle of glass; hardly anything there for you to see.

"For you to see."

(2:24) I no longer felt blood on my sword hilt, or the gash in my leg as I spun around, putting her on the defense for once, slicing with my blade as if it was slicing through paper to keep her moving backwards. The few times she did attack, her attacks were deflected with ease. Just as we reached the edge of the circle she had made for our fight, we locked blades.

"How?" she asked. "How are you doing this?"

"Honestly," I said, "I have no idea." I then released my part of the blade lock, causing her to stumble forward, which allowed me to kick her into the air, which gave me time to draw my Vanity, and fire at the Raiders holding Rhino, which allowed him to get free, and then looked over at the direction of those holding Cybis, whose right arm was twisted at unnatural angles, and blinked to where they stood, causing them to jump back in fear before I sliced their heads off, caught Cybis as he fell, and blinked back to the center of the circle, where Rhino already was. "Time to fuse," I said.

"But Josh, we can't," Rhino exclaimed.

"Maybe not with the shade orbs," I said, "but we have have these." I held my sword up just as M Luna landed. "They could allow us to fuse."

"Are you sure," Cybis asked as he held his sword in his left hand.

"Nope," I said. "But what's life without a little risk." I then turned around, and placed my sword blade in the middle of the three of us, the flat facing up and down. "So, what do you guys say?"

"Ah, why the fuck not," Rhino said before placing his blade above mine in the same way, and the crystals on both began to glow.

"If this works, remind me to send Harmony a thank you card," Cybis said, placing his blade on top of Rhino's, and, far as I could tell, an orb of white light enveloped us.

"No need, Cybis," we heard Harmony say. "Now, do what you three do best, and, as you would say, kick some ass."

"Hell yeah," I said.

"Good. But first, a gift for the three of you as one. . .

---

Outside the orb of light

"What is this," M Luna said.

"I don't know," her phantom, Night Lock, said as he appeared. His shell was colored a dark purple with black, his eye blood red. "But whatever it is, it is a mix of Light and Darkness." He looked at M Luna, who looked uneasy. "You know what your father would want."

"Yes," M Luna said. "But still, what about what my sister has done. She is corrupted by the darkness, but she seems to act like me before father arrived."

"Do you want to remove dark magic from Equestria?" Night Lock said.

"Yes. . . but-"

"But nothing," Night Lock said before he sent a pulse through the link the two of them shared, electrocuting her slightly. "Your father wants to remove anything related to the Darkness. Do you want to disappoint him. . . like before?"

"No," M Luna said, the doubt gone from her voice. "I will carry out my fathers will. All Raiders, fire and kill the Guardians!"

The Raiders, each drew their weapons, and fired at the orb, a large cloud being kicked up from all the fire, and under her helmet, M Luna grinned. That grin instantly turned into a frown at what she saw as the cloud dissipated.

What she saw was a single Guardian that had the helmet of the Warlock, a cloak that seemed to be made of feathers, arm and leg armor that was as flowing as water, conveying quiet strength, and a chest piece that had the head of a pony alicorn at the center, wing detailing curving upward, with three different colored orbs in between the wing tips. In the Guardian's hands was a single blade, the tip on the ground, his hands on the butt of the hilt, the edge facing M Luna, the crystal an emerald green, and coursing with power of both Light and Dark, Harmony and Chaos. "You'll need to try harder than that," he said.

M Luna growled. "Kill him!" Every Raider capable fired off shots at Josh, who simply stood there as the green crystal glowed brighter, and every shot, magical or otherwise, disintegrated before they could reach the wielder of the sword. "H-how," M Luna asked, surprised.

"Simple," Josh said, not moving. "Me as three separate beings wield the Elements Generosity, Kindness, and Loyalty. And though we haven't done much, we have shown what we are willing to give to protect Equestria and her allies: our lives. As such, Harmony, creator of the Elements from our side, gave us the seventh Element she had kept for one who had proven the most worthy of it.

"Sacrifice. Throughout every trial myself, Rhino, and Cybis have faced, we have always given ourselves to help the others. Of course, Sacrifice is just one Element, and, as such, we can only use it when combined, as we are now. In gamer terms, we're OP as OP can be times infinity right now. For instance-" he said before a pulse of energy came out of the sword, which, upon hitting Raiders, caused their Phantoms to appear, "we can permanently separate the link between Guardian and Ghost. Or, in this case, Raider and Phantom, which then allows me to do this." A second pulse, followed by a third, came out of the sword. The second one, as it hit, cleared M Luna's head, and, for the first time in a week, she had her own thoughts, not those her father wanted her to have. The third one, as it hit, caused the Phantoms to explode in a shower of sparks and flames that, fortunately, did not harm those nearby.

"Though a down side of doing shit like that," Josh said before a smaller flash of light appeared, "is that we separate when it's over." As the last syllable was uttered, the light died down, and M Luna saw the three Guardians, standing there, as if what she had done to them had never happened, their blades across their shoulders, the sharp edge pointing skyward. "But we are back at full strength after."

It was here that screaming could be heard before four bodies came flying into the circle.

"APPLEJACK/TWILIGHT/NIGHTMARE!" were the three yells as the Guardians and M Applejack rushed over to where the four had landed, and the one responsible hovered into view.

"I'll admit," M Josh, this one a fusion of the mirror versions, "they gave us more trouble than I thought they would. Oh well." He then looked at the split version of himself, which is to say Josh, Rhino, and Cybis. "I believe the time for our fight is here," he said.

The three Guardians, each kneeling near their comrades, looked at each other, and nodded before getting up. Josh drew a hand cannon with his right arm, snapping the chamber shut as he brought it up. Cybis made an orb of Void energy in his hands, and Rhino cocked Super Good Advice, and it was clear, even to the newly freed M Luna and the Raiders, it was best to not be near, as the rage of the three had just been unleashed.

Author's Note:

For the last pose, think a mirror version of the Guardians from the end of this:

Comments

[Titan Commander Sebaste]

Dang, that was incredible! Nice choice of music!

[SilentMech]

I pictured it more as a type two version of the Golden Gun, which in my head is an over sized and charged golden gun. It looks more epic that way.