A Blaze Brought Forth Again

by Tyler-the-Brony

Part 7-3

The Battle

Chapter 3: Aces

“Is that all of them in this area Captain Shining Armor?” Sky Wing called out to Shining Armor as he finished unloading what was currently his last loaded shot into the last Sabrei within his range of sight and attack.

“I think so Sky Wing. We’ve made a serious dent in their numbers, but these things don’t feel pain or stay defeated like we do. We’ll need to stop Blaze Bringer if we want to stop all of them from just getting back up again in a while.” Shining Armor answered the young lieutenant as he finished examining the last of the unconscious Sabrei in the area.

“What should we do for now sir? Captain Rafiq disappeared a while ago to go and fight more Sabrei, and he hasn’t come back. Should we attempt to find him?” Peach asked Shining Armor as he rendezvoused with the unicorn Captain of the Guard and his fellow Lieutenant after dispatching his last Sabrei as well.

“We shall attempt to find him, as well as all the others. None have come searching for us, and I’ve heard no sounds of battle for some time from farther away. That doesn’t bode well at all to me.” Shining Armor explained to Peach and Sky Wing, silently hoping Twilight was still alright as he did.

Sky Wing silently agreed with Shining Armor’s statement, and had the same hope that Shining Armor held for Twilight for the ideal that Breeze Rider was still alright as well.

***

Octavia stared silent at the fallen form of Bam, words failing her for one of the first times in all her life. Pinkie had knelt down by Bam’s side, choosing not to believe what she saw before her at all.

“Is she really…” Octavia began, looking to Cream as she did. Cream nodded gravely back, and Octavia felt another part of her heart shatter for her little sister.

Pinkie stayed quiet for another moment by Bam’s side at Cream’s silent statement. The Element of Laughter had turned dark inside her necklace, as though reflecting Pinkie’s current feelings over laughing away her troubles.

“How?” Pinkie quietly questioned everypony present, needing some sort of answer as to how her Bamo had come to this state before her.

“She charged at Blaze Bringer by herself. None of us had the strength or speed after fighting the Sabrei and him to stop her. In one short swing of his Scythe, she was on the ground. She never moved after that. I’m sorry Pinkie.” Diamond Bolt elaborated, Clockwork by his side and crying again at his words.

Pinkie felt anger towards Blaze Bringer; an anger unlike anything Pinkie had ever felt for anypony before now. Just as Pinkie prepared stand and move to hunt down the alicorn, a voice called out from the nearby trees.

“She’s not yet lost entirely Pinkie Pie.” Zuli weakly shouted towards her, his strength still not fully returned.

Everypony stood stock-still as, slowly, Zuli emerged fully from the forest, supporting Breeze Rider with his shoulders and foreleg, and Shift followed whilst supporting Rafiq.

The gather ponies remained silent while Zuli and his group slowly approached them, still clearly worn from their own battle against Blaze Bringer.

“What do you mean by that statement?” Octavia asked Zuli, though it was Shift who would answer her.

“So long as her body remains mostly whole, I can re-forge a soul for it. I only recently acquire this power. I can tell that Bam’s current soul is gone, but an imprint of it remains in its place. I can create a new soul dyed in those remains so that she will be as she was before Blaze Bringer’s slash. I did the same for Rafiq and Breeze Rider.” Shift explained, still confused as to just how powerful he could prove himself to be.

“You have the strength to do that Shift? More importantly, do you have the strength to do it again? You yourself are battle weary and injured.” Cream spoke up, disbelief at her fellow unicorn’s words.

“Heal the others first please Cream. We will all need our strength for when the Sabrei re-awaken, but I am by far the least injured of my party at the current moment.” Shift told Cream, moving to kneel beside Bam as he did so.

“Can….can you really save my little Bamo?” Pinkie quietly asked Shift, fear and hope lacing every syllable she spoke to him.

“I can. I simply need some time to do it.” Shift answered Pinkie, refocusing all his efforts onto Bam’s body as he did.

***

“The last sound we heard was probably Rainbow’s Sonic Rainboom, though I had no idea it could be quite so destructive on its own.” Twilight told her brother, having met up with him and Sky Wing as she, Applejack, and Rarity had exited the Castle after re-securing the safety of Spike and the Cutie Mark Crusaders.

“We heard that too, though I have a dark feeling that the sound you heard wasn’t entirely made by Rainbow Dash.” Shining Armor added in, the still distinct lack of battle noises bothering the war trained Captain.

“Ya think maybe Blaze Bringer did somethin else?” Applejack questioned Breeze Rider, fear rekindled in her over the elder Alicorn brother.

“We have no proof of that directly, but both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna are still missing from the exit of the Rooftop Battle as you said, and I doubt Blaze Bringer would stay silent for so long as this without being either gone or entirely pre-occupied with something else.” Shining Armor elaborated his idea, hoping that the Princesses were still alright.

“Let’s find the others, ask them about this, then go find Princess Celestia and Luna then.” Sky Wing spoke up, eliciting nods from everypony as their eyes continued to scan the Castle grounds for their allies.

***

“Is that truly all you have my sisters? Time has not been kind to you.” Blaze Bringer laughed as Celestia and Luna both lay exhausted before him, mildly bloody and bruised after Blaze Bringer’s attack using explosive flames.

“Time has been harsher to thou than we brother.” Luna sneered at Blaze Bringer, the love she had once felt for Blaze Bringer now buried elsewhere in her heart.

“Equestria was far crueler to me than time ever was Luna. But then again, you were the only one in power back when I was banished weren’t you Celestia?” Blaze Bringer tauntingly asked Celestia, malice clear in his voice.

“You were never banished my brother. We created our Barriers to repel any Zebra’s or Dragons that might harbor evil intentions by using the Zebrikan Seal against Equestria from entering anywhere near us. You were thought to have perished at the Charred Mountains. We never imagined that you had survived and would attempt to return, only to be blocked by the cruel Seal that had already separated you from us.” Celestia explained, her voice weak from battle.

Blaze Bringer’s eyes momentarily flashed their former blue colour, before being hidden behind the darkness of his black flames.

“It is of no import why you truly created the Barriers which kept me from myself returning. You still did not consider the possibility of searching for me until recently, and that was far too late a decision. I cannot be deterred from my quest of vengeance now. And you Barriers can do nothing against me as I now am.Their power barely tugs at me now.” Blaze Bringer hastily spoke, as though afraid his own words might betray what lay dormant in his own heart for the sister Alicorns.

Blaze Bringer prepared to charge Celestia and Luna again, but froze for a moment as he saw his Celestial Scythe temporarily ignite bright red without his command.

“Blast that Pegasus. He has taken all of them back now.” Blaze Bringer silently cursed the only who had completely defied his Scythe’s powers thus far.

***

Shift meditated before Bam’s body, which was now encased in a navy blue aura, which Zuli assured Pinkie and Octavia had been around Breeze Rider and Rafiq’s bodies before they too had been brought back.

Shift breathed out heavily after another moment of focus, and opened his eyes as Bam’s body slowly returned to the ground.

“It is done. She lives again.” Shift quickly told everypony, just as a groan was also heard from Bam’s body.

Just as Bam sat up on her haunches and prepared to ask everypony just what was wrong and what had happened, she was pounced upon into a tremendous hug by both Pinkie and Octavia.

“Don’t ever be away from us again okay Bam?” Octavia told Bam, tears flowing heavily down her face as she did.

Pinkie nodded along with Octavia’s demand, and Bam quickly agreed, but still wondered just why Pinkie and Octavia were so hysterical about her.

“I hate to break up this moment, but we have a big problem.” Shining Armor spoke up from the edge of the barrier he had created to protect Shift and Cream while they healed the others that were there.

The Sabrei were at last beginning to rise again, the power Blaze Bringer had instilled in them having at last re-ignited. Everypony was instantly at attention upon noticing this.

“Shining Armor. Keep you barrier up while Cream heals Bam and Hay Bale. I’ll take to the air and..AH!” Zuli cried out as he activated his wings, the gash Blaze Bringer had created still there somehow.

“You can’t fly Zuli. Blaze Bringer somehow not only slashed the wings you created when you fought him, but he slashed your ideal of them. Shift will have to heal them for you.” Rafiq told Zuli, gripping his mace and shield heavily as he too prepared to enter the battle again.

“Will those wings work only for you Zuli? Or can other ponies use them too?” Breeze Rider asked Zuli, an idea forming in his head.

“They can be used by other ponies. The wings will reflect the pony that wears them. Why?” Zuli questioned Breeze Rider, his curiosity peaked.

“Then give them to me. I’ll fight the Sabrei from the air. You stay on the ground with the others and use your arrows.” Breeze Rider quickly told Zuli, hoping the unicorn would comply.

Zuli quickly surveyed the approaching Sabrei, and decided that Breeze Rider’s idea had the best chance of success. Zuli removed his wings with his magic, and quickly attached them to Breeze Rider.

For a moment, no wings whatsoever appeared by Breeze Rider’s side as he focused. Suddenly after that short moment though, tremendous wings projected from Breeze Rider’s side, as magnificent as his former wings had been.

“I’m back in the air. Okay. Listen up. I’ve got a battle plan. Rainbow, Skeptic, Diamond Bolt. You’re with me in the air. Rafiq, Zuli, Shift, Peach. You attack heavily on the ground. Twilight, Fluttershy, Rarity, Pinkie, Bam, Nova, Violet, Sky Wing. You back all of us up with the last of the Crossbows and the Elements. Applejack, you sit out with Hay Bale til he’s healed. You need to both stay safe for a reason after all. Shining Armor, Cream. You protect and heal up Quick-Fix, Clockwork, Octavia, Vinyl, and Hay Bale. Not all of you are injured severely, but you will be if you don’t sit out for a bit.” Breeze Rider quickly explained, encouraging nods from everypony present as they took their best indicated positions and prepared themselves for the new battle.

Rafiq and Breeze Rider charged out from Shining Armor’s Shield at the same time, with Rainbow Dash and Shift not far behind. As Rafiq and Shift set about smashing the Sabrei who foolishly got in their path on the ground with mallets, shields, and hooves respectively, Peach and Sky Wing set about taking down those that they missed in their initial attacks with gunfire and magic. Rarity and Twilight set about punishing those that evaded even Sky Wing and Peach’s attacks with their Elements of Harmony.

Breeze Rider easily out maneuvered and outpaced all the air-born Sabrei, and hit every one right where it would hurt the most. Skeptic hit those outside Breeze Rider’s range hard with his hooves, and Rainbow took out those within the gaps. Bam and Nova hit a Sabrei with every arrow they fired, while Fluttershy and Pinkie backed them up with blasts from the Elements of Kindness and Generosity.

Diamond Bolt and Zuli interchanged positions to take out those Sabrei who weren’t completely subdued by the other attacks, each doing their part magnificently. Violet assisted them with Crossbow shots wherever and whenever she could, making the entire process go much faster.

Applejack, Octavia, and Vinyl watched the battle with worry, which quickly changed to awe at the overwhelming abilities of each fighter over the already weakened and already once defeated Sabrei. Shining Armor and Cream kept up their respective magical flow, each fulfilling their duties to the Warriors as a whole.

Within an hour of the battle’s beginning, it had ended in victory for the Canterlot Warriors, and everypony was back up to their prime thanks to Cream. Zuli would be unable to fly with his wings until Shift healed him, but he agreed that could wait until Blaze Bringer was defeated and the Princesses were found.

Upon mention of their names, Celestia and Luna crashed through the outer walls of Canterlot Castle, and landed directly in front of Shining Armor’s Shield Spell. Both Celestia and Luna were heavily battle worn, with blood and sweat matted heavily in their fur and manes. Before anypony could do more than attempt to move towards them, Blaze Bringer arrived at everypony’s location too.

“It’s time to end this all myself.” Blaze Bringer coldly sneered at everypony, his flames appearing to darken as he did so.