2022)

November 4, 2020

Canterlot Gates

Sergeant Spearhead had been assigned to guard the gates for the night of the Gala. It was a boring position. Nothing ever happened the night of the Gala or any other night. To most guarding the gates was little more than a ceremonial duty and as such none really took it seriously. In fact, when an unauthorized army unit equipped with strange weaponry arrived, Spearhead was almost tempted to let them pass without so much as asking them to state their purpose. Almost. "I wasn't made aware of any units passing through tonight," he yawned. "Corporal Rapier will be down to check your papers in just a second."

Spearhead started to doze off but was awakened by an earsplitting bang. Peering over the gate he saw Rapier collapse on the ground blood streaming from a puncture wound into a red pool around him. Standing over the corporal was Captain Flash Sentry, holding a strange metal stick. "What the?" he never finished that question. A series of rocket blasts pulverized the gate, and him with it.

Canterlot Castle Ball Room

As the night went on the party guests got progressively tipsier. Apparently, Alcohol was a thing in this world, but most ponies tended to avoid it outside of special occasions. Jack was more than a little tempted to drink himself but thought better of it considering his current body mass. Even sober as he was, he was caught off guard by a magical force dragging him up on stage.

"Ladies and gentlecolts," Fancy Pants announced. "I present to you the last of his species, and the Hero of Ponyville, Private Jackson Delano Jager Jr.!"

"Speech, Speech, Speech!" the ponies cheered. They'd all been eager to hear his story. A mysterious immigrant granted citizenship and placed under the care of one of the Elements of Harmony. The last of a species nopony had ever heard of up until a few months ago. And most importantly someone able to wield enough magic to face a Hydra at the age of seven. How could anypony not be interested in his story?

"Uh well, I…" Jack was saved from the embarrassment of reiterating his line of lies by the interruption of a gravely injured guard bursting through the door.

"WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!" he shouted. "THEY'VE BREACHED THE GATE!"

The room went silent. One could almost hear the beat of their neighbor's heart. Then chaos. The guests ran around aimlessly screaming at the top of their lungs and knocking over whatever was left standing from the earlier festivities.

"SIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIILEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENCE!!!!!" Celestia Roared.

The guests froze in their tracks.

"I'd like everypony who doesn't feel capable of defending this city to form three single file lines and follow my guards to the abandoned crystal mines beneath the city," Celestia calmly instructed. "Those of you who wish to stay and fight, meet me in the throne room."

Throne Room

As Celestia's personal guard saw to evacuating the party guests, Jack, Three Arrows, the Wonderbolts, and the Mane Six, met with Celestia in the Throne Room.

"What are your orders, Princess?" Spitfire asked.

"I want you and the Wonderbolts to assist the city guards in fighting off the attackers," Celestia ordered.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Spitfire shouted with a salute.

"Three Arrows!" Celestia shouted.

"Yes, Ma'am!" Three Arrows said with a salute.

As the two captains rushed to join the fray, Celestia turned to the Mane Six. "I need the six of you to go to the north tower and retrieve your elements. I fear there's more to this attack than meets the eye."

"You can count on us, Princess," Twilight said with firm resolve.

"What about me?" Jack asked as the Mane Six rushed to the North Tower.

"Take Spike and head to the South Tower," Celestia said. "There is a mirror there that will allow you to escape to a different dimension. It's not your dimension, but it is populated by humans. You'll be safe there until this blows over."

A part of Jack wanted to question why this was the first he'd heard of this other dimension and its human population, but he had a more pressing protest. "I can fight!"

"I know you can," Celestia said. "But an attack on Canterlot of all places. There's only one group powerful enough to orchestrate such a thing and I don't think I need to tell you what they're after. It's best you remain out of reach until the situation is under control."

"But I…" Jack stopped himself. "Yes, Ma'am."

"I'm surprised you backed down so easily," Spike said as they left for the tower. "A few months ago you were pushing me aside to confront Fluttershy over her rules."

"Yeah, what's the matter, Jack?" Jade Jack hissed. "You're not the type to bow down to authority. Together we'd have the power to do whatever we wanted!"

"It's better I listen this time, Spike," Jack sighed.

"Coward!" Jade Jack jeered. "This lack of resolve is what got Bryce kicked out of his home!"

"Keep my friends' names out of your mouth!" Jack mentally spat. "Bryce was disfellowshipped because I couldn't leave well enough alone, Yuri hates me because I killed her dog, Mark hates me because I'm a horrible brother, and Chase died because his best friend couldn't be bothered to visit him until he'd already given up. I have regrets, but I won't let you manipulate my memory to exploit them!"

"You'll have plenty more to regret if you don't give yourself over," Jade Jack vowed.

Canterlot Castle: Old Aqueduct

In ancient times Canterlot Castle was supplied water through a series of aqueducts. Over the years these had been replaced with underground pipes, but one was still standing, and with the Royal Guard focused on repelling invaders, it would be very much unsecured.

Oni-Hime smirked at the thought of how easy this would be.

"Where's she going?" Scootaloo asked as the Crusaders watched Sakura clamber into the ancient structure.

"Ah'm not sure," Apple Bloom said.

"She's trying to get to the castle," Sweetie Belle said. "Look."

The Crusaders followed their friend's hoof to see the Aqueduct lead directly under the South Tower.

"We need to follow her," Sweetie Belle whispered.

As Oni-Hime stepped into the structure, she was blinded by a white flash. This along with an earsplitting ringing left her dead in her tracks. As the path in front of her slowly came back into view she could see a yellow mare in sunglasses walking toward her with a strange device.

"Na-ni?" She slurred as the mare slammed the device into her knocking her back with an electrical jolt.

The Crusaders watched in shock as Sakura came flying out of the aqueduct and crashed into the ground.

"What happened!?" Scootaloo asked.

Oni-Hime's body twitched and spasmed as she struggled to her feet.

"I thought you might try this route," the mare said, stepping out from the aqueduct.

"And just who are you?!" Oni-Hime spat as she got to her feet.

"Drops," the mare answered. "Sweetie Drops."

"Alright then, Drops," Oni-Hime giggled, extending her wings and hoof spikes. "Shinu!"

Canterlot Slums

The entire peasants' district was like a tinderbox. Three Arrows and Spitfire looked on in horror at the dozens of former peasants who lay dying, blood pooling from puncture wounds throughout their bodies. What's worse were the guards falling left and right at the hooves of their own comrades. It seemed for every enemy who fell 5 guards went with them.

"Soarin! Fleetfoot!" Spitfire barked. "Circle around and… Ahhhh!" blood sprayed from her right flank as she fell from the sky, crashing into an alley below.

"Captain!!!!" Soarin and Spitfire cried.

"Spitfire!" Three Arrows shouted. Scanning the sky his vision turned red at the sight of the culprit. "I knew you were a troublemaker, but I never took you for a traitor, Flash Sentry!"

Flash Sentry holstered his sidearm and laughed maniacally. "The only traitor I see here is you, Arrows! A thousand years of tradition. A thousand years of nearly uninterrupted peace. A thousand years of uninterrupted economic growth. All because of that tradition. Thanks to you that tradition is lost. What a disgrace that this is how the story of the Iron Front ends!"

"Take Spitfire to safety," Three Arrows ordered the two Wonderbolts who'd been escorting his comrade.

"Yes, Sir!" they shouted rushing to their captain's aid.

"I never liked that name," Three Arrows scoffed. "But I'll be more than happy to demonstrate how I earned it!"

Canterlot Castle: North Tower

"I can't believe this is the first time we've used the elements since we beat Nightmare Moon!" Rainbow Dash. "I mean it's about time we got some real action!"

"I think we should be grateful there haven't been any circumstances we've needed them," Rarity said.

"Honestly, Ah'm not sure that's quite true," Applejack said. "Ah think there've been plenty of times our elements could have come in handy."

"Yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "It kinda seems like the Princesses have been having Jackie handle a lot of the big baddies lately!"

"I do wish they'd stop putting so much on him," Fluttershy sighed.

"The princesses aren't giving Jack any more than he can handle," Twilight dismissed as she opened the chest containing the elements. "Nopony ordered Jack to protect me and the Crusaders from Morte. He chose to protect us because that's the kind of person he is."

The chest slammed shut unexpectedly. "Ah yes, the heroic human," Blue Blood said rolling his eyes as he walked into the building. "Selflessly fighting to protect Equestria. What a lark!"

"Open the chest, Blue Blood," Twilight said.

"I don't think I will," Blue Blood responded. "In fact…" Twilight and the rest of the Mane Six were lifted in the air by a pale aura. "I don't think that chest will be opening any time soon."

Twilight was shocked by Blue Blood's magical prowess. He'd never seemed very powerful before. "When did he…" Twilight's eyes locked on the amulet around Blue Blood's neck. "Is that the…."

"Alicorn's Amulet?" Blue Blood finished. "Yes, yes it is."

"You brute!" Rarity cried as he walked down the hall leaving them suspended in the air.

"Oh, you'll find out just how much of a brute I can be in good time, whorse," Blue Blood chuckled.

Canterlot Castle: Old Aqueduct

The Crusaders watched in awe as the battle continued.

Sweetie Drops rapidly douched fifteen blows from Oni-Hime's spikes before countering with her stun baton. Having learned what that particular weapon was capable of Oni-Hime swooped into the sky, just out of reach. Sweetie Drops wasn't out of tricks yet, pulling a grappling hook from her utility belt she grasped onto Oni-Hime and slammed her to the cobblestone ground.

"Bitchi!" Oni-Hime spat. "Why do you insist on getting in my way? Oto-san will be disappointed if I fail to retrieve Jack-Sama!"

"Jack is under the charge of the Equestrian government," Sweetie Drops said. "It would be a dereliction of duty to allow a monster like you to get her spiked hooves on him."

"I'LL SHOW YOU A MONSTER!!!!!!!" Oni-Hime shrieked.

Oni-Hime lunged at Sweetie Drops stabbing furiously at the mare as she dodged each strike with expert agility. One mistake was all it took for Sweetie Drops to smash her stun baton into Oni-Hime's side.

"I'm taking you in," Sweetie Drops said as Oni-Hime struggled to stand. "You won't be getting your hooves on…" Sweetie Drops focus shifted to a line of refugees held up outside the entrance to the crystal caverns. They seemed to be held up as the flames and sounds of combat from the slums drew closer and closer. One particular pony stuck out to her "Lyra?"

As Oni-Hime regained her bearings she followed Sweetie Drops eyes and struck a malicious grin. "Ara ara, you have some strong feelings for that mare."

"Wh-what?" Sweetie Drops asked cheeks flushed red. "I have no clue what you mean!"

"Ai no Kizuna!" Oni-Hime shouted.

Crystal Caverns: Entrance

The evacuations had ground almost to a halt. The entrance to the caverns was too narrow for mass entry at any significant speed. A fact not missed by those toward the rear of the line who could see the fighting draw ever near.

Lyra Heartstrings was already on the verge of a panic attack when she was overcome with searing pain throughout her body. Her skin and muscles stung as if they'd been repeatedly electrocuted, and several bones felt broken. Around her front right leg was a glowing hot pink web surrounding a heart shape on her hoof.

Her screams alerted several guards who came rushing to her aid.

Canterlot Castle: Old Aqueduct

Sweetie Drops winced at the sudden pain and examined the pattern on her hoof curiously. Looking at Oni-Hime she could see the demon pony proudly brandishing the same symbol on her hoof. "What did you do?" she asked.

"My magic exploits feelings of love and lust," Oni-Hime said with a sneer. "I can enhance other pony's lustful or romantic feelings toward me to get them to do my bidding, but I can also exploit the feelings ponies feel toward each other. "I've linked us together, you, me, and her. Our pain and our injuries are now shared. It was easy enough, the two of you definitely hold romantic feelings toward each other, and you're both sexy enough to get my attention. If either of us gets a scratch so does she, if either of us breaks a leg, so does she, if either of us were to shinu… you get my point? There is nothing you can do to hurt me that won't hurt her!"

"You really are a monster!" Sweetie Drops shouted as Oni-Hime walked past her. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"Kinishinai," Oni-Hime called as she disappeared into the aqueduct.

Canterlot Slums

Three Arrows had been poorly equipped for this battle. His dagger was useless in a ranged fight, so he had to scavenge from his fallen comrades. Armed with a composite bow, he hoped to put Flash Sentry in his place. He'd found a hiding spot amongst some fallen beams and set up his shot. Carefully he pulled back the bowstring, but just as he was about to release, he saw his opponent jolt locking eyes with him and pulling out his sidearm. Letting the arrow fly he ducked behind the rubble just in time to hear the bang and thump as the bullet dug into the wood.

He'd missed. That much was sure. It was almost impossible to line up an arrow before he was spotted, and it took little time at all for Flash Sentry to line up his own shot. Nevertheless, Three Arrows had made several observations about his opponent's weapon. Ammunition seemed to be fired from a cylinder that had to be revolved after each shot. Judging by the size of the cylinder and the amount it rotated each time, he estimated it contained six shots, the last of which had just been fired. He'd no clue how long it would take to reload, but he knew he'd have time to do something, even if that something was to retreat.

"Come out, Iron Front!" Flash Sentry taunted. "I thought you were going to show me how you earned your name! If it was by hiding and cowering, I must say I'm disappointed!"

Three Arrows wasn't listening, he'd spotted an open door to a stone warehouse across the street. Steeling his resolve, he leaped out from his hiding spot and made a mad dash for the other side of the street. Just as he reached the door he could hear the loud bang as he rushed inside. The bullet bounced harmlessly off the granite floor as he scrambled to the side.

He knew he had limited time before he was followed inside so he glanced around desperately for a strategy. The door opened inward so if he could block it that would buy time. "Bingo!" he thought spotting several heavy-looking crates next to the entryway.

Slamming the door shut he backed up to the nearest crate and heaved it into place. Safe for now he was free to come up with a strategy. The room was filled to the brim with crude daggers, outdated E.U.P weapons, and most importantly coils of iron wire and barrels of black powder. A black-market weapon cache.

Three Arrows grinned at his luck.

Canterlot Castle: Throne Room

Princess Celestia wanted to aid her guards in battle, but she knew nopony would dare attack Canterlot under her watch unless they had somepony capable of squaring off with her. She'd been expecting Blutknochen any minute but was annoyed to find the only pony who showed up was Blue Blood.

"I don't have time for your complaints right now," Celestia sighed. "It's too dangerous here, you need to evacuate."

"You never listened to me before, auntie!" Blue Blood shouted charging his horn. "But this time you will!"

Celestia was shocked by the raw power her nephew was exerting, he'd always been lackluster at the academy. Even more so, she was infuriated, by his display. "HOW DARE YOU!" she howled, seeing the amulet and realizing Blue Blood's treachery. "DO YOU HAVE ANY INKLING WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!!!"

"I'm taking what's rightfully mine!" Blue Blood declared, launching a pale beam at his aunt.

Celestia set up a bubble shield which held for a good fifteen seconds, before shattering as Blue Blood's beam dissipated. Teleporting behind Blue Blood, Celestia launched her own beam of golden sunlight.

It was Blue Blood's turn to teleport and the beam smashed into the throne, atomizing it along with large sections of the wall behind it. he reappeared where the throne once stood and launched another beam just as Celestia shot another volley. The two beams collided in a titanic explosion.

South Tower Entrance

Spike had already disappeared through the mirror and Jack was about to follow when he heard a familiar voice.

"Jack-Samma?"

"Sakura?" Jack asked as slowly turned around. "What are you doing here?"

"I came for you," Sakura said.

"I don't understand," Jack responded.

"Don't you?" Sakura asked. "We have so much in common, though. We lived lives of hardship, cast out by our peers because we were different. It must have been faith that you were the one Oto-san summoned to this world."

"Summoned?" Jack asked. "How did you know…" realization hit Jack like a bus. "Oto-san means father, right? You mean you're not an orphan? You're one of them! The Elements of Chaos!"

"You should join us, Jack-Sama" Oni-Hime offered.

"I WOULD NEVER BETRAY MY FRIENDS!" Jack shouted.

"Nazena no?" the demon pony asked. "We could give you anything you desire," she offered with a wink.

"Even if that's the kind of person I was, I'd still say no," Jack said firmly. "Celestia told me she can send me home, to my family and friends."

Oni-Hime burst into a maniacal laugh. "You still haven't figured it out, have you?"

"Figured what out?!" Jack snapped.

"Think about it," the pink filly said with a malicious smirk. "When the Lowcountry was brought to Equus, you were the only human brought with it." She began to circle the human like a shark around a castaway. "All that was left of the other humans was their clothes. What do you think happened when the ground was ripped from beneath their feet?"

A look of dread took over Jack's face as he clutched his stomach. "N-no!" he shouted thoughts he had been suppressing for months came burst through the mental seal they'd been trapped behind.

"That's right" Oni-Hime smeared. "They're dead. Anypony who survived the fall would have been crushed when the sea filled the crater Oto-San left behind."

Jack fell to his knees unable to respond.

"Jack!" the Crusaders shouted as they burst into the room.

"Ara ara!" Oni-Hime giggled. "If it isn't Sweetie Belle-chan and friends. You're too late to stop me, not that you ever had the power to, but there is something you can do for me!" she grinned psychotically as her wings and spikes extended. "Your deaths are the key that will unlock Jack-Sama's true potential!"

Jack's heart skipped a good five beats upon hearing this. Clenching his eyes shut and beating his fists on the floor, he let out a deafening screech, before his eyes shot open, glowing Jade

Author's Note:

Things have been looking up for me lately. (Me personally. Overall the entire world is going to shit right now.) Apart from a minor fender bender involving a work truck I was driving, my job is going great. Thanks to the plasma donations, I've been able to rebuild my bank account too. I'll even be able to get my cat into my new apartment thanks to the emotional support animal letter my therapist wrote. (My parents have been looking after him since I moved to Augusta. I still have some back payments from SSI to pay back, but that won't be a problem for long.
Next Time: As the Battle of Canterlot rages on, Jade Jack finally gains control over his host body.

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