Luna's Secret Army

by Bronyxy

4 Equestria's Last Stand

An hour later with both sun and moon sharing the sky, the Royal Sisters in battle armour stood before their cohorts of pegasus and Bat Pony guards respectively. The young mares were kitted out for the journey, Pinkie and Rainbow Dash each in their respective unit’s combat equipment. There were three chariots prepared; on the toss of a coin, two were to be pulled by two pairs of Bat Ponies, whilst one was to be pulled by pegasi from the Royal Guard.

Waiting for the off was always a nerve jangling time. Fluttershy had wanted to run away, but Twilight had shadowed her since leaving the briefing and hadn’t even given her the opportunity to hide.

Celestia stepped forward and ushered the six mares to the chariots. Rainbow Dash in her combat suit having already taken up position to fly alongside the Royal Guard was instructed in no uncertain terms that she was to get into a chariot and remain there until they reached the Castle of the Two Sisters. She had huffed even though the order had come directly from the Ruler of Equestria, but forced herself against her fighter’s better judgement to comply. One of the white stallions towing her and Pinkie gave her a knowing look, recognising the ingrained military desire to be combat ready and fly alongside fellow fighters.

The hour had arrived. Pegasi from the Royal Guard keeping up their vigil overheard while the party of 48 guards and six charioteers made last minute adjustments, and then Celestia took a few steps forward with wings unfurled and leapt gracefully into the purple sky followed by the first chariot and then the other two in a vee formation with Luna at the rear. Never in recent years had there been such a high value airborne convoy, or such an important one.

They made good time, the guards dividing their duties between close escort and combat air patrol, criss-crossing the sky above them. They continued on their flightpath over the sad remains of Ponyville and onwards to the start of the Everfree, everything going smoothly.

Suddenly, a flight of Bat Ponies dived from their position high above, all eyes turning to see what was happening. A pair of wyverns was coming up from the Everfree to cause trouble. The few seconds it took for the Bat Ponies to engage gave everypony the frightening sight of these two large dragon like predators climbing towards the chariots.

As the first of the Bat Ponies closed in, one of the wyverns shot forth a bolt of fire that blinded his attacker’s sensitive eyes just before he felt the incinerating blast of high powered flame and tumbled out of the sky, smoke trailing, until his remains impacted the forest floor. His colleagues powered into the wyverns, incensed by the loss of one of their own and pounded them mercilessly, a flight of pegasi piling in to join the fight. Whilst there may have been rivalry between the pegasi and the Bat Ponies, when the chips were down they displayed a close bond of mutual support and neither would accept the loss of one of the others without extorting a very high price from their attacker.

The fight raged on, another Bat Pony being torched after having got too close to a fire bolt and ending his fight spinning down out of control until he speared in to the forest below. One of the pegasi got too close to a wyvern’s claws and never felt the impact when he was smacked over the head by a swing from its powerful foot, his world ending in painless darkness.

The mares who had never seen combat before were shocked and sickened by the full horror of what they saw unfolding around them and hid behind what little safety the chariots could offer. Rainbow Dash just wanted to get out and help her fellow fighters but a knowing Princess Celestia turned back to issue a firm “NO”. Rainbow wept with unrestrained frustration, while most of the other mares wept in fear.

Finally the guards cut through the tendons in one of the wyverns’ wings and it fell out of the sky with a blood curdling scream. Its partner put up a short resistance then turned and fled to avoid the same fate.

Luna was the first to notice it. She sensed a chill and turned around to see the sky darkening and a horde of Sombra’s pegasi bearing down towards them. Too late she realised that the wyverns had been a diversion and now all their top cover was down at low level – they were defenceless from above! The whole sky seemed to shake with a deep sinister laughter, Sombra’s laughter; he was coming for them.

“SISTER!” Luna screamed, causing all those in the chariots to look round and see the frightening image of dozens of helmeted pegasi diving down onto them from behind. That, however, was not the sight that scared them most, moreover it was the inky blackness spreading over the sky with green eyes set with demonic red irises leaving purple smoke trails behind them; an image born in Tartarus itself.

Celestia turned in response to her sister’s cries and gasped at what she saw.
“DIVE!” she ordered and the chariots entered a crash dive causing their occupants to experience negative g as they hung on for their lives.

The guards who had been fighting the wyverns could now also see the impending attack from above and struggled back to provide defence to the chariots with their precious cargoes. They knew they would be too far away as the first wave of attacks hit, and that their colleagues who had stayed behind to protect the chariots were hopelessly outnumbered. It was a disaster.

Of those guards still with the chariots, two groups now peeled off, leaving a bare handful to provide close support. Those that had just broken ranks could be seen flying furiously to get into position to take the diving attackers from the side, whilst four others were adopting a near-suicidal head on approach, forming up closely together to act as a giant fist and smash into the first wave of attacks and break it up. As the enemy got closer every pegasus and Bat Pony could see that their attackers all wore the same helmets with a ghostly green glow emanating from each of the eye slits.

Each of the four heading straight towards the diving horde aimed for the wings of an attacker as a head-on body to body impact would surely kill both ponies given the closing speeds. Just before impact, they folded their wings to minimise risk of personal damage, their armoured bodies now nothing more than solid projectiles smashing headlong into their opponents.

The strategy had been risky but it had paid off, as three masked pegasi were seen to tumble out of the sky, one of the guards having missed his target. Those who had made impact felt dazed and winded but wound themselves up for the next attackers while their colleagues below flew in to tackle more.

Those ponies still gaining height following the wyvern attacks could see that their colleagues had been fairly successful with their improvised tactics, however one masked attacker was still diving down towards the lead chariot. In sickening slow motion it impacted the left pegasus, breaking his wing and knocking him out. His pegasus partner pulling on the right side felt the impact and looked as the chariot dragged steeply to the left and began diving. He noticed in shock that his partner’s head was lolling about in the airstream, while his wing fluttered uselessly above him.
“We’re going in!” shouted the stallion who was harnessed into what had now become a lethal deadweight.

Pinkie the soldier had stared death in the face before and remained calm as Rainbow grabbed her and spread her wings, pulling her clear. The cyan pegasus looked at the other two chariots and could see AJ and Rarity holding each other, eyes wide and mouths agape, whilst in the other Fluttershy was sobbing uncontrollably with her face buried in Twilight’s coat. At least AJ and Rarity looked like they were able to help accept their new arrival, so she flew above their chariot and deposited Pinkie carefully beside them. Then Rainbow went off to join the fight.

Celestia turned to see the chariot enter a spin with a struggling pegasus still trying to keep aloft, but the battle was futile and the end inevitable. Then she saw Rainbow just about to intercept a masked attacker and lit her horn, freezing her in a holding spell. She would have saved the charioteer too if she could, but was only able to address one target at a time and Rainbow was the most important. Nonetheless being forced into making this unenviable decision made her furious, it had cost one or maybe two lives unnecessarily.

“Sister, take over!” she cried to Luna who moved forward to lead the two remaining chariots.
Celestia meanwhile dragged the seething Rainbow maned mare and dumped her with Twilight and Fluttershy with a very stern expression. She had been forced to use her magic and was really angry now, joining in the battle and blasting any and all attackers that got too close, while the remaining guards tackled many more. The battle was claiming about three attackers to every guard reflecting the skill and experience of the hoof picked pegasi and Bat Ponies, but their numbers were reducing. In the distance, she could see the Castle of the Two Sisters. Just a little bit longer …

The chariots were skimming the tree tops, occasional thwacks to the chassis and wheels bearing testament to the fine margin that kept them in the air. A few masked attackers screamed by chased by a pegasus or Bat Pony, but mostly the attackers were behind; Rainbow Dash watching as the aerial carnage continued in a deadly aerial ballet. She was impressed by the courage of the guards against the numerically superior attackers but also at the power and majesty of Celestia knocking down scores of them all by herself.

Finally, they skimmed over a ravine and landed a stone’s throw from the ruined castle, Luna urging the shocked ponies inside whilst unharnessing one of the Bat Ponies who would then be able to release his colleagues to join the fight.

The castle was forbidding, but Luna knew her way around intimately as it had once been her home. She galloped ahead with the others in tow, making her way to the room where she knew the Elements of Harmony to be. Hurriedly, she laid out the magical items she needed and set a scroll in front of her, issuing commands as to how the room should be set up.

Meanwhile, back over the Everfree, the last of the masked pegasi had dropped and Celestia counted her remaining guards. Less than a dozen, and that included the four Bat Ponies who had been pulling the chariots! It had been carnage, and they certainly couldn’t handle another assault without reinforcements.

Down on the forest floor, a flash of gold caught her eye and she banked down to investigate followed by the guards. As she got closer she could see it was a pair of white pegasi tangled in the remains of the chariot that had been brought down during the combat. She flared and landed as close as she could and walked over.

The sight that greeted her told its own story. Having lost his colleague, the remaining charioteer had clearly attempted a landing, but the chariot had caught and bounced, snapping his tethered body as it overturned. Although he looked like he was only resting, the unnatural angle between the front and rear parts of his body betrayed the severity of his injuries under the skin. The white stallion was still breathing, but she knew immediately that his injuries were beyond even her magical power at this stage.

Celestia drew up close to him, speaking softly in his ear.
“End it” he whispered, his breathing laboured.
She lay down beside him and cradled his head more tenderly than any lover he had ever known and slipped her dagger from its scabbard. She pressed its point against his chest, his coat puckering with the pressure she was applying.
“I’m ready” he whispered and looked deep into her lilac eyes as she rammed the blade into his body, twisted it and pulled it out again.
She held him and spoke softly as the life drained from his body, her face being the last thing he ever saw. When his eyes finally glazed over, she gently drew down his eyelids and carefully lowered his gallant head before getting up.
She gave him a last look, then saluted him and turned away to take off, her white coat now soaked in crimson.

Pegasi and Bat Ponies alike bowed to Celestia with renewed respect. They were fighters, they knew that this meant they could fall in the line of duty, but each wished that when their time came, they could die bravely and be blessed to take their last breath in the arms of one of the Royal Sisters. No words were exchanged. None were needed.

Celestia made the short flight to the castle with no further incident, the remaining guards, numbering only eight, barely sufficient to mount a bodyguard. Upon landing, they posted themselves two at each face of the building to ensure that they were not surprised again. She strode up the familiar stone steps and into the Great Hall before trotting upstairs to where she knew the others waited.

The purple light of dusk showed through the windows and candles burned brightly inside, their light glinting randomly off the individual tiny panes that made up the remaining leaded windows. At the sight of her blood drenched sister, Luna paused, shooting her a look that asked “OK?”
She nodded imperceptibly, not willing to elaborate.
“Sister, I had to call upon my power in the fight” Celestia offered “We barely won, and would have certainly lost otherwise. I apologise.”
“Our powers remain intact, so we can steer the spell, but we shall still need to draw upon thy magic to deliver the necessary power, Sister.”
“I will do my best. Please direct me as you will.”

Luna directed the ponies to a circle described on the stone floor with five head sized stones in the middle, each bearing a distinctive individual mark. She directed the young mares to stand on the perimeter, forming a semicircle facing inwards towards the stones while her sister stood on the same perimeter circle facing them.
“I can’t help but notice we have only five of the six Elements” observed Celestia.
“Patience, dear Sister” replied Luna "We may not wield the power of the Elements any longer, so we are denied the sixth Element. We believe it will appear, but not to us.”
“I sure hope you’re right” said Celestia under her breath.

The blue alicorn lit her horn and walked slowly round the circle reciting incantations and lighting bowls of incense at regular intervals. Having completed a circuit around the marked perimeter, she turned to stand next to her sister at the front, facing the stones.
“Light thy horn please, Sister.”

Celestia complied and Luna closed her eyes, her horn glowing a deeper, richer blue, her aura reaching out to the stones and each of the six mares. As the bond grew stronger, so a yellow aura from Celestia’s horn was drawn in, building power.

The two alicorns gritted their teeth as the power required by the spell demanded more and more energy from them, but gradually the stones began to move, levitating from the floor and starting to spin in a circular orbit, gaining speed.

Just at that moment one of the pegasi guards burst in to the room.
“Princess, King Sombra’s attacking again and we can’t hold him!”
“Just a little bit more ...” said Luna under her breath, her coat glowing in the sweat of her effort.
Celestia’s forelegs were buckling under the strain of maintaining the level of her magic, tears rolling down her muzzle, but she dug deep and gave it everything she had left.

The whirling stones then began to glow in different colours and merged into one, leaving a rainbow coloured ribbon in its wake when suddenly there was a blinding flash as the Elements of Harmony drained the last of the power from the two alicorns and cut their magical links, throwing them aside and casting a protective dome over the six chosen mares.

All six mares found themselves being gently levitated in the magical embrace of the Elements as the multicoloured ribbon coalesced into beautiful gemstones, each one gravitating towards its rightful bearer. Once each stone had bonded with its bearer, each found themselves being gently returned to the floor and the protective barrier rolled back.

Just then the roof was ripped off the castle, leaving the room they were in suddenly exposed to the dusk sky; but it wasn’t the subtle shade of purple they had got used to, moreover an inky blackness with enormous green eyes and red irises. A low rumbling laugh filled the skies and a strong wind whipped around the room blowing out the candles and scattering the smouldering incense, but all those within the circle were protected and it had no effect.

Twilight turned to stare into the face of their enemy, not afraid, but possessed of a newly discovered courage, flanked by five other equally resolute ponies, each wearing a glittering new necklace.
“King Sombra!” she shouted “You have caused pain and misery to reign over this land. Many good ponies have died and you are responsible. While I cannot bring them back, I BANISH YOU!”

With that, her eyes burned the most brilliant white and a stream of vibrant coloured light shot from each of the six gemstones, merging into a splendid multicoloured trail forged from the power within the Elements of Harmony and the six mares who wore them. The rainbow trail shot out to Sombra making him howl in pain and shock. The spell flashed around him, wrapping him in tight spirals, but he retaliated by summoning black crystals to sprout out, piercing the rainbow ribbon and threatening to cut it to shreds.

In response, the ribbon span round him faster, choking the crystals and shattering them as they reappeared, closing in on him ever tighter as he cast his spells more and more frantically. Then with an echoing howl of rage and frustration, the rainbow ribbon formed into an unbroken multicoloured ball, enveloping him and his dark magic, silencing his final screams before shrinking in on itself, smaller and smaller, finally reducing to a tiny dot and blasting him into oblivion in a spectacular flash of light. He was gone.

The pegasus guard stared in disbelief. The instant King Sombra had vanished, the strong wind had stopped as quickly as it had arrived and the darkness lifted, allowing the sky to drift back to its familiar dusk purple. He looked into the room and saw that both Royal Princesses along with the six special mares were unconscious on the floor. Princess Luna had been right; these mares were special.

A few hours later, the mares and alicorns were starting to wake. Reports were coming in from all over Equestria that the mind control helmets used to maintain Sombra’s armies had deactivated with Sombra gone and none of the ponies was eager to continue the war; they were all just glad the nightmare was over and wanted to go home.

“Princess Luna” asked Twilight “The Elements of Harmony are powered through friendship magic aren’t they?”
“Yes” replied Luna “Thou are correct.”
“Then how did we make it work? I mean, we barely know each other and we’re all so different” queried Twilight.
“Do not be constrained to think in the linear realm. The friendship that the Elements of Harmony called upon was but a future echo of the friendship you six will come to share, not something that has been nurtured in the past. You will all become firm friends, that much is clear. If not, you could not have carried off what you did so successfully.”
“I’m still not quite sure what you mean” said Twilight.
“Don’t you think that the adventure you have all had over the last few days is a good basis to start a friendship?” chipped in Celestia “After all, it’s a pretty impressive shared experience – you did just save Equestria!”
At this, Twilight blushed.

“Nice tiara, by the way” said Celestia with a sly wink.
“What ...?”
“We suggest thou lookest in the mirror” said Luna “Thou hast discovered the sixth Element.”
“A crown fit for a Princess?” added Celestia, allowing a mischievous smile to cross her face while Twilight rushed off to find a mirror.
“Sister!” chided Luna with a shocked look “Transport through the realms is our province; it is not thy domain. By what right dost thou intercede?”
“You talk in your sleep” said Celestia and playfully booped her sister on the nose.

Comments

[Twilight Connor]

Hardly gore, I think what details you gave could still fit an E rating.

[Bronyxy]

8435384
Fair comment.

I agonised about how to rate this piece and what tags to apply, but ultimately decided that I would feel uncomfortable reading parts of chapter 4 to children, so chose to err on the side of caution - I don't want to under classify.

However, having thought hard about your observation I will be dropping the “gore” category, but still leave it at “T” as guidance for children and those who read to them.

Thank you for your comment – I hope I have now struck a better balance!