Chapter Thirty-Four
Blueblood and the rest of the Royal Guard stared as the Ursa Major slowly lumbered towards them. Its massive bulk and the distance it had to cover managed to hide the actually impressive speed it was going at.
Tomfoolery spoke up. “Captain... orders?”
Blueblood opened his mouth, but a faint squeal over his headset caught his attention. He held up a hoof and waved off Tomfoolery while adjusting the controls with his magic. “All right, slow down, slow... I see. Very well. All patrols, return here at once!” He looked at the other guardsponies, his expression grim. “It seems an advance party of Shadowbolts is on its way here ahead of the Ursa Major. It seems our duty is clear.” He spun around and jabbed his spear in the general direction of Ponyville and the Everfree Forest. “We stop them. Here. Form up in ranks for defense.”
The captain trotted forward, the other guardsponies assembling behind and to the side. They stretched along the entirety of the road that led to Canterlot's main entrance. Pegasi clustered around the near side of Cadance's shield.
A pair of pegasi zoomed in, barely slowing down. A large group of Shadowbolts followed on their tails, slowly gaining. Farther back, earth ponies and unicorns galloped straight at Canterlot. The Ursa Major brought up the extreme rear, turning to its left and walking up to the side of Mount Eohippus.
Blueblood chuckled. “Just like I figured. They're not even trying anything magical, either. Just brute force? I think not!” He held up a foreleg as the Shadowbolts charged. “Unicorns, ready shield spells and spears! Earth ponies, ready firearms! Pegasi break off and engage aerial units!” He sucked in a breath and swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. Why didn't I simply go into a shelter again?! Blueblood held up a foreleg, waiting for them to come closer. “Steady, steady! This is your moment, Royal Guard! Now... fire!”
The unicorns' horns lit up, firing off bolts of high-intensity magic at the Shadowbolts. Shields also sprang up, deflecting return fire from the Shadowbolts' own unicorns. The sharp crack of bullets split the air. Shadowbolts dropped, wounded or dead, but the remainder kept coming.
Blueblood swallowed, ducking as a bolt almost took his horn off. His own shots wobbled slightly, but most of them hit due to the sheer mass of Shadowbolts.
The unicorns' shields glowed white from the Shadowbolts' attacks, their creators whinnying and nickering from the strain of maintaining them. Suddenly, one cracked and shattered, dissolving. The unicorn behind it gasped before several bolts hit her, shattering her armor and killing her. Several more were breached, guardsponies killed before they could react.
Blueblood whinnied as the Shadowbolts gained ground. He stepped forward and raised his spear. “If we don't take the initiative they'll overrun us!” he shouted. “CHARGE!” With that, Blueblood galloped forward, yelling at the top of his lungs and firing bolts from his spear all the while.
Tomfoolery half-smiled. “You heard the captain!” She reared back, kicking the air before following right on Blueblood's hooves. Within seconds the Royal Guard charged right at the Shadowbolts, yelling at the top of their lungs.
The two groups slammed into each other. Spears jabbed. Swords slashed. Teeth bit into anything close while hooves kicked, crunching armor, bone and flesh. Horns glowed with telekinesis or bolts of power, nothing fancy but enough for the moment. Any semblance of organization or tactics broke down as the two sides fought.
Tomfoolery stabbed a sword at a pair of unicorn Shadowbolts, holding up a shield to ward off their horn blasts. She backed up, finding herself right behind Blueblood as he swung his spear in a wide arc. “I think they've got us outnumbered, Captain!” she shouted, managing to stab one of the Shadowbolts in the chest.
Blueblood ducked a kick, jabbing at the Shadowbolt's underbelly with his spear. He pulled it out, raising a quick shield before firing off a blast with his horn. “They have quantity, but we have quality!” He shook his head. “I must compliment Captain Armor when he gets back here!”
The entire mountain suddenly shuddered, bouncing everyone about and bringing a temporary end to the hostilities. The Ursa Major stood over Canterlot, looming over the city and the battlefield. It leaned its head back and let out an earsplitting roar.
Blueblood and Tomfoolery exchanged a glance. Blueblood cracked a smile. “If I may be honest, Private, I have never been more scared in my life than now.”
Tomfoolery nodded, then sliced through the other Shadowbolt fighting her. “So am I, Captain. We all are, but you're here and we're here. So I think that makes us brave, according to most fiction I've read.”
Blueblood's smile widened, but it fell away as the Ursa raised a paw the size of a city block. “Cadance, hold on,” he whispered. “Just... please?”
Fancy Pants let out a gasp as the Ursa Major's bulk filled the sky. He glanced to Cadance. “I hesitate to ask, but your shield, how strong is it, exactly?”
Cadance's legs shook, her knees knocking together. “I... have no idea? I've only really practiced with this using custard pies.” She swallowed and flapped her wings as the Ursa slowly raised a paw. “Fancy Pants, get out of here. I don't-”
“No.”
Cadance blinked and turned to him. “Sorry, what?”
Fancy Pants trotted around to her front, Cadance's head following him. “Rather simple, my dear. I am not abandoning you in this time of need. It wouldn't be proper, you see.” He turned and glanced up at the Ursa, mustache twitching. “I have faith in you, Princess. You're kind, but you're not weak. You are the Princess of Love, and love can be the strongest emotion of all.” He placed a hoof on his barrel, right below his bow tie. “Right now I'm thinking of my lovely Fleur, and my father, Button Up.” His monocle floated up. “Can you feel it, your majesty? Canterlot, no, Equestria! It's your strength!”
The Ursa's paw slammed into the shield, rocking it and Canterlot to its very foundation. Chunks of roofs slid down into the streets. Weaker buildings outright collapsed. Cracks formed in the sidewalks and walls.
Cadance's eyes rolled halfway into her skull and she collapsed, mane flattening out. Her body heaved and she panted. “I... can't...” she spat out. She managed to post her forelegs under her and rise up slightly. “I'm sorry, Fancy Pants. I'm not Celestia or Luna. If they were here-”
“But they're not,” Fancy Pants interjected. “And it wouldn't matter, Cadance. You are here, and you're just as capable of fending this off as they are. You are an alicorn, a Princess of Equestria and child of the Heart of Ponyland just as much as they are!” He turned and pointed a hoof at the Ursa even as it readied another blow. “And that vile creature is in the worst possible position!”
Cadance's eyes bugged out. “I think you have him and I confused, Chancellor.”
Fancy Pants shook his head. “No, my dear. You see, that beast is a mindless minion of Tirac, all alone with nothing and no one for support. You on the other hoof, have friends, family and everyone in Equestria to lean on. You have all their support, all their love. He is alone.”
Cadance slowly rose to her hooves. She closed her eyes and her ears twitched back and forth. Feelings, thoughts and sounds filtered through to her very core...
“Mommy, I'm scared!”
“Don't worry, sweetie. Daddy and I won't let anything happen to you.”
“I'm here with you. That's all that matters. If this is it, then at least you're here.”
Together until the end, my love.”
She reached out, feeling a tendril of red all the way from Ponyville. Shining Armor's love for her and Equestria flowed through the connection, pulsing a steady beat. She flapped her wings and her mane and tail stirred in the air, brightening. Her eyes opened, glowing brightly. “Thank you, Chancellor,” she said, smiling at him. Her horn ignited and a blast of magic shot from it, striking the shield. It turned a dark-pink color, turning almost opaque. Bolts of magic raced along the surface, arcing up and out.
The Ursa sniffed the shield, nose wrinkling. It raised its paw once more, but a large bolt of love-fueled magic suddenly erupted, wrapping around the massive paw. The paw sparked and smoked, jerking about. The Ursa roared and tried to pull it away, but the tendril held fast. The mark on the Ursa's forehead glowed, but a beam suddenly shot from the shield, hitting the star bear between the eyes and blinding it. It reared back, just as the tendril holding it dissipated. It stumbled about, shaking the ground.
Fancy Pants chuckled and stomped the floor in applause. “Good show, Cadance. Jolly good show indeed!”
Cadance panted, her legs trembling. “I don't think I could've done it without your help, Chancellor. Thank you,” she said, smiling. “But I'm not sure I can keep it up indefinitely. Fortunately, I won't have to.”
Fancy Pants' brow furrowed and he scratched his chin. “What do you mean?”
An earsplitting roar suddenly echoed, causing Fancy Pants' monocle to fall. He slowly turned his head as his mane became prickly. “What the Discord is that?” he asked as he spotted three blobs just emerging from the reddening western horizon. He floated his monocle back up and squinted. “Ah, I see King Spykoran received Celestia's request and is responding personally.” He turned to the south as a shimmering cloud of iridescence and yellow floated in. “And Queen Rosedust has also decided to respond. Good show for both of them!”
Cadance chuckled. “Great. We'll get out the tea and daisy sandwiches for them after we defeat Tirac.” She hunkered down as the Ursa steadied itself and roared. “Hold on!”
Spykoran, Mei Long and Jormun dove down as they approached Canterlot Province and the Everfree Forest. Jormun's nostrils twitched. “Six Ursa Majors?”
Mei Long snorted flames. “You had better not say some inane drivel about how they 'have no chance' despite outnumbering us, Jormun. This fight will not be easy any way it's examined.”
Spykoran waved his hand at the Everfree. “Mei Long is right, even if it does take the fun out of it. Now, onto matters at hand. I shall take out the bear threatening Canterlot. Mei Long, drop off your passengers and then strike at the one closest. Jormun...” Spykoran paused and chuckled softly. “Do not bite off more than you can chew.”
Jormun's lips pursed, but a snort of laughter still escaped. The three Great Dragons split up. Mei Long dove down as close to the Everfree's canopy as she dared, winding about in the sky. She opened her hands up, allowing Catrina and Rep to fall out. Catrina's staff glowed and a great wind picked up, slowing her descent. Rep, meanwhile, began changing into a flying reptile. Membranes stretched from his hands to right below his ribs, while his entire head elongated, a beak growing from his mouth. His legs shortened and he flapped his wings, gaining altitude a bit before diving down after Catrina.
Mei Long zoomed off, twisting and turning. One of the Ursas stepped forward, ripping down thousand-year old trees with every step. The mark on its forehead glowed brightly before shooting off its beam. Mei Long's body abruptly changed direction, narrowly avoiding the shot. She twisted and turned, avoiding several more blasts that blew apart copses and sent flaming wood into the sky. She zigzagged through the sky with grace and agility belying her size, her belly scales mere inches above the tops of the trees.
Within seconds she arrived at the Ursa, circling it in a corkscrew fashion and ensnaring it with her serpentine body. It threw up its arms to try and grab onto her body, but its right arm was pinned to its body by her coils. The Ursa raised its left arm, however, and batted at Mei Long's head, striking her and sending her bouncing about. She held firm with the rest of her body, though, and began squeezing.
The Ursa roared and tottered about. Its body color began changing, darkening. It continued swatting at Mei Long's head with its free arm, but she reared back before lunging forward and biting the forearm, drawing bluish fluid from the puncture wounds. The Ursa thrashed its arm about, but she held firm. After digging Mei Long let go. She raised her head up, opened her mouth and shot a steady stream of white-hot flame at point-blank range right at the Ursa.
The flame enveloped the Ursa's head in a torrent, sounding like a thousand blast furnaces all igniting at once. The Ursa's roars of anger changed to cries of pain. Its left arm randomly thrashed about, grabbing at Mei Long's neck, but she held fast. The Ursa's movements slowed and its cries died down. After a few minutes of fire breath, Mei Long stopped, leaving a charred, blackened lump where the head once was. She unwrapped her body from it and flew off, leaving the carcass to totter a bit before fading and dissolving.
Even as Mei Long fought, Spykoran flew right at the Ursa attacking Canterlot. He let out a bellow of rage as he spread his arms wide. The Ursa turned to him and fired a beam from its forehead. Spykoran dodged to the left, but the beam still clipped his right wing. Spykoran let out a cry of equal parts pain and anger as he twisted out of control, crashing to the ground and rolling. The ground beneath him was torn up, huge furrows gouged in the grass and rocks by his scales and claws.
Spykoran continued the roll, dodging another blast from the Ursa. He rolled to his feet and lunged, stretching out his arms and grabbing for the star bear. The Ursa's own arms came up and the two titans locked their hands and paws together, jockeying for position. Spykoran's eyes flickered down at comparatively-small Canterlot. “Princess Cadance, protect those fighting outside!” he bellowed. “I don't know if I can fully control this one!”
Cadance's shield flowed down, enveloping the still-raging battle between the Royal Guard and the Shadowbolts.
A guttural chuckle emanated from Spykoran. He leaned forward, his head and neck snapping forward. The Ursa roared and charged up a blast, but Spykoran's head darted in and his jaws snapped shut over its shoulder, fangs ripping into the flesh. The Ursa bellowed and kicked at Spykoran with its right hind leg, hitting him in the shin and shattering scales. Spykoran's eyes glowed white and he dug in deeper with his fangs. The Ursa's forehead glowed and it fired off a quick beam, striking a glancing blow at Spykoran's already injured wing.
Spykoran's eyes dimmed and crossed. He let go of the bite and his head reared back. The Ursa pressed its advantage and let go of Spykoran's hands. It brought a paw up and slammed it into Spykoran's head, sending him reeling and stumbling back. Spykoran rubbed an already-forming bruise on his cheek and spat out a fang, sending it flying into the ground. He turned back and grinned before clasping his hands together, raising them up and bringing them crashing down onto the Ursa's forehead.
The Ursa stumbled about, shaking its head. Spykoran pressed the attack, punching it several times in the head and injured shoulder. He continued the assault even as the bear dropped to one knee and could only try to deflect his blows. Spykoran's eyes took on a manic intensity as he continued pummeling his now hapless foe. Suddenly, he stopped, swept the Ursa's paws away and grabbed it by the neck. “No, I shall end this quickly for you. Torture is Tirac's and Discord's game.” He tensed his arms before twisting the Ursa's head, breaking its neck.
The Ursa slumped back, toppling over dead. Spykoran snorted, fire billowing from his nostrils. He turned as Jormun hopped back, a pair of Ursa Majors chasing after him. Jormun's left wing drooped and scorch marks decorated his scales. The bears chasing him, however, were in rougher shape. One had a missing eye and its left front paw dangled at a rather unnatural angle. The other limped along, three of its legs bleeding and bent. Both had still-smoldering burn marks all along their fur.
Spykoran eyed his protege as he flew over to his side. “Didn't I tell you not to bite off more than you can chew?”
Jormun shrugged. “That's why I flew over here! I didn't mean to take on two at once. It just happened.” He eyed the two Ursa Majors approaching them, his gaze sliding to the pair still hovering near the castle. “I wonder why the others aren’t attacking.”
Mei Long flew over to Spykoran's side opposite Jormun, spiraling around into a living corkscrew. “Well, we're not outnumbered anymore, at least. I suspect those other two are guarding Tirac himself. Although I doubt they'll be doing anything ever again in a few minutes,” she said, waving at the swarm of flutter ponies and bumbles almost at the Everfree itself. She focused once more on the two bears almost on top of them. “Shall we? Jormun must still prove himself, after all.”
Jormun growled before launching himself at the nearest Ursa, smashing into it and knocking it down. Spykoran and Mei long exchanged a glance and smile before advancing on the other Ursa, their eyes gleaming and claws twitching.
Queen Rosedust flew through the air, surveying the battle over the Everfree. She looked to the two Ursa Majors still guarding the castle before turning to Sting, leader of the humanoid insects known as the Swarm that lived with the flutter ponies. “Sting, aid the Air Fleet in their fight against the Shadowbolts.”
Sting nodded. He raised the stinger in his hand and sliced it down, signaling the others to follow him to the still-raging battle between the Equestrian Air Fleet and the Shadowbolts. They attacked the Shadowbolts with their rapier-like stingers or threw great globs of honey at them, trapping them and rendering them helpless.
Morning Glory, Sparkling Dawn and Blazing Day flew up to Rosedust's side, Morning Glory sandwiched between husband and son. She turned to Rosedust. “What about us?”
Rosedust waved a hoof at the Ursa Majors. “I'd wager the Sunstone those two are guarding Tirac. I think a massive Utter Flutter can take out at least one of them.” She looked to Morning Glory, her expression changing to one of concern. “Are you sure you're up for this?”
Morning Glory wavered for a moment before nodding. “Megan helped my family and I. I have to help in her rescue.” She glanced to her left and right. “And I have help in case I falter,” she said, nuzzling Sparkling Dawn.
Blazing Day kicked and bucked in midair. “All right! I'm so glad I can help out this time!” he said. He finally glanced at the Ursa Majors and stopped, eyes widening in shock.
Sparkling Dawn reached over Morning Glory and patted his son on the shoulder, jostling him a bit. “Don't worry, son. You'll be fine down there.”
Blazing Day's jaw dropped and his wings slowed down. “'Down there'? You m-mean we're flying down there?!”
Rosedust rolled her eyes. “Flutter ponies, ready yourselves!” she shouted, amplifying her voice so all could hear. Her gossamer wings beat against the air, glowing brightly along with her crown and mane. The other flutter ponies followed suit as they flew across the Everfree, their wind tossing aside any Shadowbolt in their path. After a few minutes they reached one of the Ursa Majors still guarding the castle.
The flutter ponies separated, surrounding the great star bear. The Ursa roared, batting at them but missing the tiny targets as they buzzed around. Its forehead began to glow, but the light from the flutter ponies wings brightened to a blinding intensity, forcing its paws up to its eyes.
Bright beams of light shot out from the bright aura their wings generated, shooting from pony to pony. Rosedust raised her forelegs. “Utter Flutter!” she cried out. Within seconds a great web of magic surrounded and caged the Ursa. The light intensified, blotting the Ursa out. Combat halted for a few moments on the ground and in the sky as the light and magic distracted even the Shadowbolts.
When it faded, the Ursa was gone.
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This is what happens when you try to fight without strategy or understanding your enemies. Nicely done.
Heh. Looking good so far. Can't wait to see where this goes!
Another excellent chapter.^^
Well done, the climatic ending is upon us.
Now just to wait and see what Megan is doing inside.
Am I missing something? Cause I feel like there should be a prequel but I can't find it
5283655 the prequel for the whole story is MLP G1.
This is ending soon!? Also, I have a feeling that the barrier spell is one of those spells usable by high-level unicorns and alicorns.
Ah, good. Now that they've reduced the pressure, it'll be a lot easier for Megan to concentrate on getting Tirac dead.
Candence's power up music for this chapter:
Great battles, I can't wait to see Megan deal with Tirac for good.
Tirek will probably freak out when he realises just how much of his army is gone. It wasn't meant to be this way, you see...
5284252
Well... More than he already is, anyway.
Awwww, I had hoped the Utter Flutter was them combining like the crippletron from Family Guy. Oh well. Can't wait to see if they explain what happened.
You made an heroic, likable Blueblood?
I think I am confused.
To declare war on Equestria is to declare war on the entire world, or at least a significant portion of it. Really, Tirac should count himself lucky that for the most part, only one world is opposing him. For the most part. After all, his nemesis isn't exactly from around here.
Looking forward to more. Also, I loved the bit with Cadance.
So, the war has gone big. And reinforcements have finally arrived. Good show.
So with Blueblood, there was the attempt to be strategic and fortified, but due to the zerg rush, they needed to jump straight in and hope their individual instinct and training will triumph over the will of tirac. In this case, it was powerful lines of bullets then touched off by holes....Ah. It's the battle of helm's deep. Despite the strength of the line, it all degrades into melee in the end. Yet the heavy artillery of the Ursa was still strong and came straight at the capital.
It was here that Cadence had her big moment, as the power struck hard against her shied, straining her magic and her confidence. Yet the head of government was prepared to be there for her and point her to her heritage and her inherent being. So, feeling the love all around her, Cadence even managed to launch a counterspell to the ursa major while also holding the shield at the same time. Now that's pretty impressive.
Next came the heavy reinforcements, as the 3 dragons came forth carrying the sorcerer and the transformer. Together, they stood up to the highest forces, and with fist, claw and flame, they fought for the freedom of middle earth...er, I mean, Equestria. Fire power and snapped necks.
Yet there was another force in action: The flutterponies had finally come forth, and used a magic pulse from them all to banish one of the other majors from existence. It's a mighty blow struck for for the alliance. It seems that canterlot is stabilizing as a battlefield. Now they just need to bring the rest of the elements in to the castle of the past, and end the 2nd war of darkness. Where Queen Majesty fell in her time, so here her many heirs, stewards and children shall avenge her again.
You hear that sound, Tirec? That's the sound of dozens of Cherkov's Guns firing their payload straight through your spectral skull!
See, this is how I imagined a battle between ponies going! No guns, armaments, or other out-of-place Earthen weaponry present. Just magic, traditional weapons, and resolve.
Say what? Why are we only hearing about these guys now? Seems a little too convenient.
So, the forces of good appear to have triumphed over evil... but their overlord remains to be truly defeated.
Why do I get the feeling he's going to be the most dangerous bastard of them all?
Dragons fighting was pretty cool. Cadance held her ground
Flutter Ponies kicked some kind of unsettling arse too. What did they do exactly? Vaporise it?
Phwooooarrr, I'm getting close!
Ok, someone please tell me I wasn't the only one who was hearing the Flutter ponies image song at the end was I?
And, I will STILL ship Mei long and Spykoran and you can't stop me!!!!!! Those two are so cute together!!
Yes! The Utter Flutter!
bringing back oldies like rep and Katrina and even sting? awesome! it seems these ponies are getting a glance at what their ancestors went through to establish this life their predecessors can live now.
6166592
predecessor
[pred-uh-ses-er, pred-uh-ses-er or, esp. British, pree-duh-ses-er]
noun
a person who precedes another in an office, position, etc.
something succeeded or replaced by something else:
The new monument in the park is more beautiful than its predecessor.
Archaic. an ancestor; forefather.
Don't use a word if you don't know what it means
5547852
No, the Flutter ponys didn't vaporise it, they push things out of existance.. if I remember correctly I forget how it works, then again I'm more then likely wrong as hell
7785611
Isn't being pushed out of existence worse then being vaporized, because they're basically teleporting something to a realm outside space and time that what ever was sent there can't leave. For example the "White Dimension" from "Wakfu" which is basically an empty white void that they trapped an enemy who if they killed him he would have just reincarnated and came back stronger.
5547852
Sting and the Swarm are from the old Gen 1 My Little Pony cartoons. And, yes, they share Flutter Valley with the Flutter Ponies.
Assume everything you don't recognize from Friendship is Magic is from either that old show, or another Hasbro payed Sunbow to make back then.
7785611
Considering how it was used in the old show (usually to counter evil magical effects), the Utter Flutter likely negated the dark magic that animated and sustained the Ursa. Since the Ursa was a creature of nearly pure dark magic, once it's magic was neutralized, there wasn't anything left.
In other words, they did to the Ursa what they did to The Smooze long, long ago.
5395451
Ah. Didn't see this years ago. It references a race called the zerg in a video game series called starcraft. The zerg's whole strategy isn't on building super troops, but on overwhelming your enemy with lots of smaller, cheaper but still tenacious units. Hence the term Zerg rush.