Chapter 11 - Doing One's Duty
“WHAT?! By whom?!”
“Monstrosities of some kind! They've just broken down the main gate and are heading for the princess' room!”
“Shining Armor and Ember are there along with a contingent of our best Royal Guards! They'll hold them off until I get back with the cure!”
“Do hurry sire!”
“Stay hidden and let them handle this! Arc out!”
He turns to Sereb.
“The castle is being attacked! We have to get back there as soon as possible! But first we need Twilight and Auriel along with their cure!”
“I'm on it.”
Arc and Sereb make it to the library in record time!
He quickly dismounts Sereb and runs inside and down the basement steps!
“Twilight! You and Auriel ready?!”
Twilight stands before a consolidated lab! “Yes! Ready to move out!”
Arc quickly makes a sigil on the floor large enough to teleport everything at once! “Change of plans! The castle is being attacked! Their target must be the princesses!”
“WHAT?! Let's get back there!”
“Agreed! Everyone on the sigil!”
They quickly do so! Arc powers up the sigil and grits his teeth!
“I hope this works!”
Meanwhile back at the castle... Shining Armor looks to his troops!
“Stand ready! Here they come!”
A horde of bizarre creatures charge down the corridor to meet the brave defenders!
“Hold your ground! Make them come to us!”
Ember clenches her spear tightly! “Don't let a single one through! Kill every last one of them!”
The beasts smash into the barricades and effortlessly break them to pieces!
Shining Armor raises his sword! “Plan B! CHARGE!!!”
He leads his forces bravely toward the horde of monsters!
Max hoofs a monster in the face! “Captain! What ARE these things?!”
“No idea!”
Viktor spears a large beast between the eyes! “We can figure that out later from their autopsies!”
Xenos smashes his way through several of their attackers! “YEAH! They're not so tough!”
Hugh calls out! “Don't be so reckless Xenos! Stay with the group or you’ll be surrounded!”
Xenos jumps back as half a dozen charge at him! “Good call!”
Ember drops down in front of Xenos to breathe a large stream of fire breath at his attackers! “I know we only need to buy time, but I'm happy just ending this here and now!”
She charges forward at breakneck speed to finish off the invaders! A few moments later all the monsters lie dead!
Trixie cheers! “We did it!”
Ember nods! “This should make Arc happy!”
Shining Armor looks around. “Anypony hurt?!”
A few guards call out with minor injuries but nothing life threatening.
Trixie looks around. “Anypony injured head for the princess' room. Doctor Whooves will see to you!”
Max examines one of the fallen monsters. “I've never seen anything like this!”
Shining Armor walks over to join him. “Me either! This doesn't make sense! Why did they come here in the first place?!”
A familiar voice rings out!
“They were merely following orders.”
Trixie looks around frantically! “WHAT?!”
A black hooded figure approaches from down the hallway. He stops a short distance away and slowly lowers his hood.
Trixie appears terrified! “W-what?!”
Shining Armor snarls! “YOU?!”
Captain Decimus stands before the group in all his glory and slowly draws his blade!
“Well now Shining Armor, I see that you've taken over my job just as neatly as you please!”
“Someone has to protect the princesses! Why are you here, traitor?!”
Decimus looks over his blade as he speaks. “Just here to take care of a couple... loose ends is all.”
Ember laughs! “We took out your pets easily enough! You'll fare no better against us!”
He looks around the room at his dead monsters. “Did you now? I'm not so sure!”
Captain Decimus waves a hoof in an arc around himself! His “troops” slowly get up as their wounds heal!
Ember draws back! “What the heck?!”
Shining Armor takes a step back! “Impossible!”
Captain Decimus looks to Shining Armor! “You were always the best and the brightest, Shining Armor! Come with me now and together we can save this land!”
Shining Armor shakes his head vehemently! “No way! I'd never ally myself with a MONSTER like you!”
Trixie nods! “Yeah! You tell him sir!”
Captain Decimus looks over at Trixie. “Ah yes, the stupid unicorn. I remember you well!”
Trixie gulps and cowers back.
“Enough! How could you betray the princesses like this?! You were sworn to PROTECT them!”
“Fool! I'm also sworn to protect Equestria, and that's exactly what I intend to do!”
Ember shakes her head. “By invading?!”
“No! By seeing to it that what I started is carried out to completion!”
Max looks to him angrily! “What you... started?!”
Decimus chuckles. “You see, it was I who poisoned the princesses! Their condition is due entirely to me!”
Xenos appear livid! “What?!”
Hugh stares at their assailant! “How?!”
“It was actually pretty simple. A bit of Sanguine Azolla extract in the food and a bit more in their shampoos. As you can see, their bodies absorbed it quite well!”
Viktor bares his teeth in anger! “That was YOU?!”
Captain Decimus rolls his eyes. “Yes, you dullard! You see, there is a great evil coming to this land. The princesses were too stubborn and caring to make the hard decisions! When the time comes, Equestria will need a leader who's not afraid to make BIG SACRIFICES! For the greater good, of course!”
Max points his weapon at their foe! “You dare speak to US of the greater good?!”
“Fool! I'm talking about the survival of our species! This is bigger than even the princesses!”
Captain Decimus pulls two vials out of his cloak.
“This is the final dose of Sanguine Azolla that is needed to put the princesses into an eternal sleep.”
Ember tightens her grip on her spear! “We're not letting you get anywhere near the princesses with that! In fact, after today you won't be able to hurt anyone else ever again!”
“Oh, don't worry. I'm not a COMPLETE monster. They won't feel a thing! It will be like... like falling asleep... and not ever waking up!”
Trixie frowns! “You're sick!”
“With the princesses out of the way I'll be free to lead Equestria down the path of survival! Don’t you see?! It HAS to be this way!”
Ember smiles wickedly at him! “You're forgetting one thing Decimus! Arc's the Lord Regent, not you!”
Captain Decimus waves a hoof dismissively. “A minor inconvenience! One that can be easily remedied with a swift slice to the throat! Tell me, where is the cowardly Lord Regent? I want to introduce him to my blade.”
Trixie shakes her head violently! “NO! I WON'T LET YOU DO THAT!”
Before anyone can stop her, Trixie runs headlong past all the monsters at Captain Decimus! He deftly steps to the side and allows her to pass by harmlessly! As he sidesteps, he slices her side with his blade! She falls to the floor as a pool of blood forms around her!
“TRIXIE!”
Ember flies toward the coughing mare, grabs her and flies back to the princess' room!
“Doctor Whooves! Help!”
Ember lies Trixie down on the floor as Doctor Whooves runs over!
“I'll take care of her! Go!”
“Thanks!”
Ember returns to the hallway to stand with Shining Armor!
“So then... will you let me pass? Or do we have to do this the hard way? Either way the end result WILL be the same.”
No one moves or speaks.
Captain Decimus sighs and raising a hoof to signal his troops. “The hard way it is then. Let this be known as the brigade of fools who threw their lives away in a futile attempt to...”
A voice rings out from behind Captain Decimus, interrupting his monologue.
“Heard about enough of this!”
Max looks to Shining Armor. “Who's back there?!”
“I can't tell.”
Arc walks toward Captain Decimus with Sereb, Spear of Righteousness in hand!
Captain Decimus smiles. “Lord Regent! You're just in time! Would you be so kind as to order your troops to stand aside? I have work to do.”
Arc nods. “Oh, gladly! As soon as you and your creatures GET THE HELL OUT OF MY CASTLE!!!”
“Is that a ‘no’ then?”
Arc takes up a battle-ready stance as he looks at Decimus, angrily. “That would be a ‘surrender or die’ actually.”
Captain Decimus points a hoof at Arc. “Have it your way.”
As one, the creatures charge at Arc and Sereb! The pair tear through them as if they were nothing! Arc turns toward Shining Armor!.
“Hold your ground! We'll handle this!”
Ember joins Arc as she enters the fray. “He can raise them! Their deaths are temporary at best!”
Arc nods as he stabs a beast through the heart! “Duly noted!”
Sereb slashes at a beast with his claws! “We're being overwhelmed.”
Arc jumps off Sereb! “Ember, Sereb, behind me NOW!”
They quickly do so! Arc stomps hard on the floor, generating a magical shockwave that knocks many of the creatures out the windows and even through the walls! He turns around!
“AGAIN!”
Ember and Sereb obey as Arc does the same to the rest before turning back to their leader.
“There we go! Care to give up now, Captain Decimus?”
He laughs! “Look behind you.”
As Arc does so, he sees the creatures clawing their way back inside while several portals open and the rest of the creatures step through! Ember levels her spear at their assailants!
“Any more ideas?”
Arc nods. “Yeah!”
He looks over to his squad.
“Boys, I'll need your help with this!”
Max, Xenos, Hugh and Viktor rush forward to join their commander! Captain Decimus shakes his head.
“Fools. Like lambs to the slaughter.”
Max takes up a battle stance with the others next to Arc! “Sir! What do you need?!”
Arc opens an ominous looking portal in the center of the room before turning to them!
“All of you, knock those hellions into the portal! Hurry!”
All of them charge forward to do so! Arc's platoon bucks their assailants! Ember uses her spear as a club! Sereb uses his huge paws and Arc uses his telekinesis and other attack artes! In but a few moments Captain Decimus is again alone!
Arc closes the portal. “You really should give up now Decimus.”
“Fool! Don't you get it?! It doesn't matter where in Equestria you sent my minions! I can always recall them!”
Arc raises an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Watch!”
Captain Decimus raises a hoof to recall his army, but nothing happens!
“What?! HOW?!”
Arc chuckles. “I didn't send them anywhere in EQUESTRIA! They're in Tartarus now!”
Shining Armor clutches his blade firmly! “Sir! Let me take care of this traitor for you... permanently!”
Arc points his spear at Captain Decimus. “No, Shining Armor... this one... is mine! Everyone fall back!”
Arc's squad, Ember and Sereb retreat back to Shining Armor and the others!
Ember calls out after him! “Give em hell, Arc!”
Arc turns a steely gaze to his opponent! “Captain Decimus. You are guilty of betraying Equestria, its inhabitants and the princesses! This is your last chance! Surrender peacefully... or die!”
Decimus laughs! “You really are a sentimental fool! Do you really think you can take me alone?!”
Arc smiles wickedly! “Funny. I was about to ask you the same thing.”
Furious, Decimus charges at him headlong! Arc grabs the stallion as he plows into him! The pair blow through a wall into one of the Guest Rooms!
Arc throws him back with his legs as he jumps to his feet to face his opponent! “You're a bit stronger than the last time we faced each other!”
Decimus lands nimbly on his hooves! “I've been practicing since our encounter so long ago on the drawbridge!”
Arc charges at Decimus and punches him through the next three walls, angrily! “SO HAVE I, YOU TRAITOR!”
Decimus emerges from the rubble easily!
“If that's all you've learned, human, you should probably give up now!”
Decimus lunges toward Arc, spear in hand! Arc uses the Spear of Righteousness to block his attack! Captain Decimus rains blow upon blow on him! Soon Arc is on one knee as the errant captain pushes his spear toward Arc with all his might!
Ember moves to help! “ARC!”
“Stay back, Ember! “
Arc quickly looks over to a nearby column and reaches out to it! It begins to crack! With a final flick of his fingers the column comes crashing down toward the pair! Decimus is forced to jump back! He and Arc leap onto the column and continue to duke it out spear to spear! Eventually Decimus gains the upper hand and bucks Arc into another column! Decimus lunges forward! Arc jumps behind him as Decimus' spear jabs into the column!
Turning and slashing in a wide arc, Decimus knocks Arc's spear out of his hand! “Too slow!”
The furious captain, in a sweeping move, jabs his spear at Arc's heart! Fortunately, Arc is quick enough to grab his opponent's spear before it pierces him! It takes all his strength to hold Decimus back!
“JUST... GIVE... UP... AND... DIE!!!”
Arc strains to hold him back! “You... FIRST!”
Using all of his strength, Arc headbutts Decimus and backhands him a few steps back! Recovering from the blows, the pair circle each other.
“Imbecile! You'll do no better than your little blue marefriend did earlier against me!”
“WHAT?!”
Decimus nods toward the blood pool on the floor and smiles. “I cut that stupid unicorn but GOOD!”
Arc can only look to Decimus! His face white with fury!
“Oh, I hit a nerve!
Decimus comes at Arc again, as a large white fireball suddenly bursts forth from Arc's fingertips! The stallion flies across the room to crash against a statue some distance away! He rises, his armor heavily damaged, bloody and bruised to stand defiantly before all assembled! Smiling, he looks up at Arc across the room!
“She went down SO easily too.”
Arc looks at Decimus with determination!
“THIS... ENDS... NOW!!!”
Arc stretches out his hand and uses his Telekinesis to push Captain Decimus with all his magical might! The stallion smashes into a wall at the far end of the hallway, but Arc does not stop! Decimus, with great effort, attempts to step forward! Fighting the magic and letting out them most blood curdling battle cry ever heard! Arc focuses his Telekinesis into a ball in his hands before launching it at Decimus! The blow is enough to finish shattering the wall which explodes outward toward Arc! Ember, along with the others, can only stare in disbelief!
“Oh... my...”
Arc uses his magic to pick up Decimus and pull him back toward himself! He grabs him by what's left of his armor and throws him through a door onto a balcony before using his magic to retrieve his spear! Decimus stops as his backside hits the stone guardrail! Coughing, he looks down at the floor, scowling!
“Fine... you win. I surrender.”
Arc walks over to Decimus and looks down at him as the others stand watch from inside the castle.
“You already had your chance to surrender. Like I said earlier... this ends now.”
Captain Decimus looks up quickly! “Wait! What are you saying?!”
Arc grabs the captain by the front of his armor to look him in the eye. “Let those who war with life... FORFEIT THEIR OWN!”
Using the Spear of Righteousness, Arc stabs Captain Decimus through the stomach! He then picks him up, still on the tip of his spear, and throws him straight up! Tossing his spear to one side, Arc calls forth every bit of magical power at his disposal! He channels his power for a moment before unleashing a massive torrent of white flames upward toward his target! In but a moment Captain Decimus is no more! Only a few charred pieces of his armor land on the balcony!
Arc turns back toward the others, soberly. “The princesses and citizens of Equestria are safe from Captain Decimus' schemes... forever.”
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That asshole of a Captain had it coming, and now I'm satisfied.
Good. That speciest bastard had it coming.
9801104
Cherry is the only family she had left. So in Ruby's mind, it's Arc's fault that she was injured. It's kinda both right now. She doesn't TRULY hate him, but the sight of him reminds her of the accident.
Captain decimus more like captain crunch he just got eaten
10270796
Arc wanted to make sure this time. 
More like incinerated.
Or.
... Now gather up all the ashes and throw them into Tartarus. He does remember they thought he died right?
10582783
Fixed.
Oh yes.
But I do wonder how he did that. After all, Arc may not have medical training, but death from a caved in skull should be pretty easy to diagnose.
*squints*
Did he actually die for real this time, or is he going to randomly come back again?
10816431
However, no he's not gone forever. How he does that however has yet to be written.
Nothing Decimus does is random. Everything is thought out, planned, and otherwise considered.