Heir to the Throne

by Arkantos

Choices and Death

What made Canterlot castle safe was Cadence’s bubble shield of light, for if any hollow ponies or skeleton ponies tried to enter, the shadow magic that made them would be cut off and they would fall into a pile.

Inside the throne room stood Celestia, Shining Armor, Spitfire, and a pegasus stallion Solar guard named Flash Sentry. Flash Sentry had an orange coat and a blue mane and tail.

Shining Armor said, "They’ve killed who knows how many ponies and you want to call the E.U.P., the last resort?"

He couldn’t believe Spitfire had even suggested it. The Wonderbolt adjusted her goggles and replied, "You think it’s that easy? You know my Wonderbolts and I can take the flying hollow ponies out, but there are still a whole bunch of skeleton ponies, and when they notice all of the hollow ponies are gone, they will try to kill any ponies they find."

Shining Armor said, "But they’re so reckless, not even caring for the city they level! And it’s up to the princess and the nobles to get the city back in working condition, you ca-”

”Enough!” said Celestia, using the Canterlot voice.

The other three looked at the Princess of the Sun and she continued, saying, "Flash Sentry, fly to them with this scroll."

The stallion saluted and grabbed the scroll with the orders inside. He flew to the E.U.P. fortress.

Then Spitfire said, "Thank you, ma'am. I will have two Wonderbolts escort him." And with that she flew from the balcony.

Shining Armor, frustrated, said, "How can you do that? How can you just throw away your beloved subjects like that? They won't evacuate the ponies! They’ll just level the city! And you sit here and do nothing!"

For a couple of seconds, Celestia didn't respond, but then said, "A choice had to be made, and if we did it your way, it could end worse."

Then Shining Armor said, "I hope you made the right decision, because there is no turning back now. In the future, you should look for different solutions, because there is always a good choice and a bad one." Celestia looked up at the moon and a tear ran down her face.

Down at the nobles’ level, Blue Blood was hiding in his room inside his parents’ house, for he thought he was safe there. But the constant booms and the sounds of the fire burning suggested otherwise.

Blue Blood started to hear hoof steps walking up to his room. He was going to open his door but then jumped back, for the door was suddenly hit with an ax. As he watched the blade of the ax start to break through, he saw it had glowing orange runes on it.

After withstanding several hacks from the ax, the door began to give, and then it fell to the floor, revealing a mighty suit of silver armor and a helmet that had golden wings on the sides. The armor had shoulder plates with spikes, and the armor radiated with glowing orange runes with golden highlights. Inside the armor helm, two venom purple eyes and a smoky body could be seen. Blue Blood saw more closely the ax the hollow pony was using. It was a double-sided ax made from steel, and it had silver highlights and three runs on each blade.

Before the hollow pony could do anything, it got tackled but Blue Blood’s father, High Blood. But High Blood looked different than usual, for he was wearing black armor with glowing red runes, and he wielded two short swords. High Blood saw his son and shouted, "Get out of the house and head straight to the castle!" Blue Blood immediately ran out towards the castle.

The hollow pony used its rear armor hoofs, sending High Blood flying down the hallway. High Blood quickly got up and used his wings against his opponent. He tackled the hollow pony’s armor and they both went crashing through the walls of the house and out into the streets of the noble section. Both High Blood and the hollow pony got to their feet while, from inside the armor, the voice of Twilight spoke out. "Very clever. I was wondering why you didn't become a pile of ash, but now I see those runes on your armor protect you from harm. I think, though, that it is just a spell you placed on the armor. The question is, how long can it remain?"

"Long enough to beat you!" shouted High Blood as he flew up and zoomed by the hollow pony. As he passed, his swords cut the hollow pony’s coat. Then he flew around and charged again, this time cutting the hollow pony’s hind legs. After doing this several times, the hollow pony managed to get a hit in, causing High Blood to fall out of the sky. As the hollow pony went in for the kill with his ax, High Blood rolled out of the way, just in time. As the hollow pony began to charge again, boom!

They paused, having heard several blasts of magic and the clashing of swords. Both High Blood and the hollow pony turned and saw Sunset, Sun Blast, and Red Dawn making their way to the castle.

The hollow pony took his chance and used the ax to chop off High Blood’s left wing.

"Aug!!" shouted High Blood. Then the hollow pony kicked him to the center of the street, and as the hollow pony raised its ax, several skelton ponies appeared on the rooftops with bows and arrows.

They aimed and fired at High Blood. He managed to deflect two of the arrows but three of them found their target, one hitting him in the chest, two hitting him in the legs. High Blood looked at the War Path armor, used some kind of magic, and when it was done, lightning blue runes appeared on the ground right where he was standing.

Then High Blood heard a rumbling in the sky. A mixture of purple and light blue lightning bolts came down and struck High Blood. A cloud of dust appeared and then faded away. The War Path armor walked up to High Blood, who was covered in burns.

The pegasus grabbed the hollow pony’s armored leg but his foreleg started to disintegrate.

He said in a weak voice, "You will never win, and Celestia will not lose."

Then the War Path armor used the ax to choke High Blood, and the disintegration on his leg stopped. Then Twilight said through the hollow pony, "We shall see, but unfortunately, you will not see it." Then the hollow pony ran to help with the trap.