Chapter 7 "For the Snowlands!"
Chapter 7
“For the Snowlands!!”
My grey eyes grew wide and Red Sickle cried out as his father fell to the ground. Red Hammer's shoulder was gushing blood from where the bullet entered it. I looked up to see Rush, along with two rebels aiming rifles at us. The rebels had cowls that obscured their faces. Rush aimed his rifle at me and said, “This is how you think to respect your elders and superiors, boy?”
“What the hell are you doing, Rush?” I yelled. I tried to step forward but his rebels aimed their rifles at me. Red Hammer’s soldiers were unable to help their leader. I glared at Rush and said, “He was just about to finally end this!”
“No!” Rush shouted. “He was only going to trick Snowflake into falling for that ploy! He would’ve had you all killed eventually!”
“Don’t you say those things about my father, you jerk!” Red Sickle cried, trying to sound brave for his father.
“I order you to stand down, Rush!” Snowflake commanded. “Private speaks the truth! I know you tricked him into trying to kidnap Red Sickle! You had me believing that my friends abandoned the cause! As it turns out, the only pony who’s abandoned any form of decency is you!”
“You have obviously been deluded by that bastard’s words,” Rush spat, turning towards his men. “Kill the tyrant. We will deal with the other traitors later,” he ordered.
“Wait!” I shouted, before either could fire their guns. “I have one last request before either of you start shooting.”
The rebels looked at each other, and then at Rush. Rush paused, thinking for a moment, then begrudgingly agreed, “Secure Princess Snowflake first, lest he try anything.”
The two rebels walked over to Snowflake. She looked at me questioningly and I nodded for her to comply. She reluctantly approached Rush, one of the rebels holding a gun to her back. I then turned towards the two soldiers and ordered, “Remove your helmets.”
One of the soldiers asked incredulously, “Are you nuts?”
“Look,” the other one said, “We’re going to die anyway. We may as well see what his big plan is.”
“Hurry it up then!” a rebel shouted. “The sooner you do that, the sooner we can be rid of Red Hammer!”
I gave the rebels a steely look and said, “Remove your cowls, and let them see your faces. That is all I ask.”
Slowly all four of them revealed their faces. One of the rebels was a bronze mare who gazed at one of the soldiers, a yellow stallion, in shock. “Vanilla Wafer?” she said, hardly believing her eyes.
The stallion’s jaw dropped open in shock. “Milk Chocolate," he gasped, "What are you doing with the rebels?”
One of the other rebels, a stallion with a rose colored coat, was staring at a different soldier, a young, light brown colored mare. The stallion gazing at her and said uncertainly, “Little Drop? Is that you?”
She slowly smiled, fighting back tears. “Not so little anymore, brother,” she replied.
I looked between the two parties and said, “You guys aren’t fighting faceless enemies. Look at what this war has done to all of you. You’re fighting ponies just like you, some even your own family.”
Milk Chocolate walked to Vanilla Wafer and put a hoof on his cheek “I thought you didn’t love me when you wouldn’t accept my proposal. I had no idea you were keeping this from me.”
Vanilla put his hoof over hers and said, “I only wanted to keep you out of the fighting. I should’ve just told you. Instead, I was a fool and tossed you aside. You ran to join the rebels because of me. Can you ever forgive me, my love?”
Milk simply smiled, and kept her gaze on the stallion. “Of course I can." Suddenly she burst into tears. “All those soldiers I killed, any one of them could've been you,” she choked out.
Vanilla held his love tenderly. Meanwhile Little Drop and her brother were staring at one another. He eventually spoke after a minute, “Sister! I can’t believe you would do this!”
Little Drop looked down and said, “Turnip Top, I was only trying to…”
“To get yourself killed?” Turnip shouted. “You knew what the rebels were doing, and yet you do something as reckless as this!”
“You ran out on us all,” Little Drop cried, tears filling her eyes. “I had to stay home and take care of mother. While you were off playing hero she was crying herself to sleep every night! I knew that if I joined the army I’d find you eventually, you big idiot!”
Turnip’s expression softened and he asked slowly, “How is she?”
“She’s dead,” Little Drop cried, “but you would’ve known that if you'd sent something back! Anything, a letter, or a messenger! Just something to tell us that you were alright!”
Turnip stared at his sister and said somberly, “Little Drop, I’m so sorry. I just wanted to create a better world for you. A place where there wouldn’t be any starvation and spring would come to our land.”
“At what cost?” Little Drop asked, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I don’t care about fighting for a better world if it’s a world without my brother!”
Turnip just ran and embraced his sister. Raiden looked over at me and raised an eyebrow. “Did you know that they would know each other?” he asked suspiciously.
I shook my head and replied, “It was a bluff, but it was the only card I could play.”
“What are you doing, you fools!” Rush shouted, aiming his gun at Turnip. “Kill Red Hammer!”
I spoke up, “Would that really solve anything? You’d just be trading one tyrant for another. Look at what you are really fighting, all of you. This isn’t a war for some glorious cause anymore, this is just a nation ripping itself apart because neither side can let go.”
“No!” Rush called, and then aimed his gun at me, before turning it towards Red Hammer. “I will not let Red Hammer live again!” He roared, as Sickle jumped in front of his father, trying to protect him from the gun.
Raiden rolled his eyes and aimed one of his legs, firing a lightning bolt that hit Rush in the side. It sent the old horse flying and he crashed into a wall. That’s when I saw it, blue mist, seeping out of him… Miasma.
“Everypony get out of here, now!” I cried, frantically. “Don’t let that mist touch you!”
Big Mac helped Red Hammer to his hooves as everypony made for the exit. I looked back at Rush and then stared at the blue mist. That same mist that causes ponies to forget the consequences of their darkest desires. I was prey to it once, but I refuse to let anypony else be prey to it. As I glared at it seemed to swirl and move as though it were alive. “Remember me?” I asked with a smirk.
It let out a screech. This was probably a less concentrated version of miasma. It tried to seep away from me but I ran to intercept it. “Oh don’t think I’m letting you get away, you foul substance. I don’t know how you got into Rush, but I don’t plan on you escaping again,” I snarled.
I fired a magical bolt, hitting it and causing it to stop. It appeared to be in pain as I advanced on it. “I’m going to make this perfectly clear," I growled. "If you leave this place, and never come back, I won’t purge you like I did the last time we met. Now begone!!”
The Miasma vanished before my eyes. I turned my attention to Rush, who was still lying next to the wall unconscious. I approached him and began shaking him until he slowly opened his teal eyes and asked, “Private, what happened?”
He had no memory of what he did when he was possessed. He’d remember it later, but right now I needed him to focus. “Rush, we gotta go now. Red Hammer is bleeding.”
“Good!” Rush said, climbing to his hooves. “That stallion has caused nothing but trouble for my home!”
“So has Frostwind,” I said, and then went on to explain what we'd found out about former king.
Rush’s eyes looked shocked beyond belief. “I always thought he was a good king, I had no idea he was exploiting his people’s belief in him,” he said, his tone betraying his hurt and disappointment.
“A wolf in sheep’s clothing is still a wolf,” I said, quoting my dad. “Right now, though, we need to get Red Hammer to a hospital. He was ready to come to a peace agreement when you showed up and shot him.”
“I had no idea,” Rush said, looking down in shame. “I was only trying to help my homeland.”
“We all did,” I said. “Only nopony was going about it the right way. Come on, let’s get out of here.”
We ascended the stairs and came out into the hallway. Snowflake was helping Big Mac support Red Hammer. She glared at Rush when he came up and snapped, “What were you thinking, you fool?”
“Princess,” Rush said, apologetically, “I had no idea what I was doing. I don't know what drove me to such foolery.”
“Oh, but I do.”
I swiveled around and looked on in shock as a black cloud formed before my very eyes. Then the cloud morphed into Sombra himself. He smirked at me and said, “I told you before, thief, as long as Tenacity exists, I will come for it!”
Everypony looked on in total fear at the sight of him. I shook my head in disbelief and said “Cadence destroyed you! The light, you were ripped apart. I saw it with my own eyes.!”
“Does a shadow truly disappear when the sun is cast over it? No, it simply moves to where the sun cannot reach. Now I am back, and I will make sure that you will not stop me a second time.”
Suddenly Rush grabbed Snowflake and held her tightly, pointing the gun to her head. “Forgive me, Princess,” he said coldly.
“Rush, what the hell is this?” I cried. “I thought the miasma left you!”
“I refuse to let Red Hammer have my home,” Rush said fanatically. “I will break the seal with Snowflake’s power and finally free the ponies of this terrible winter! Sombra promised me that swift justice will be brought about once the seal is broken.”
“You’re just trading one tyrant for another,” I shouted. “That’s the same mistake that Red Hammer made, only Sombra is far worse than he ever was!”
“You just refuse to see what needs to be done,” Rush cried. “You are more like Fenlock then you believe! You always were soft! Had you simply complied and taken Red Sickle we would have had victory yesterday! Instead you had to sow doubt in my men!”
“You forgot, you bastard,” Raiden called, aiming his hoof at Rush, “there are a lot of us, and only one of you.”
Rush laughed and suddenly his eyes glowed green! He was possessed by Sombra! Only it was a willing possession. “Like you, Private, I have brought some old friends of mine to aid me,” he said distantly.
I felt a strange magic and before my eyes portals began opening. It was the same dark magic that Saladin used back on the ship! I watched in horror as large golems with black crystals jutting out of them, exited through the portals.
They looked down with lifeless eyes and tried to smash Little Drop, but Big Mac leaped in front of her, and activated his strength enhancers, He bucked the golem so hard its fist cracked.
Rush dragged Snowflake away, she was struggling but his grip on her was too strong. I had to suspect that Sombra was lending some of his power to him. He looked back at us, and said, in a voice that was a mixture of Rush and Sombra, “I hope you enjoy our friends as much as the ponies of Hammergrad!”
Before any of us could react I almost got pummeled by another golem. I looked over at Raiden and cried, “Sombra probably has plans for Hammergrad! Take the Reds and get there as soon as possible!”
“What about you, dude?” Raiden asked, firing at a golem with a lightning bolt, causing it to fall into a nearby wall.
“I’m going after Rush! I don’t know what he wants to do with Snowflake but it can’t be good!” I looked over at Applesnack and said, “You take the rest of the team and meet up with the rebels and the army. We’re going to need both if Sombra plans to assault Hammergrad!”
“You’re nuts!” Raiden declared, slamming a metal hoof into a golem. “We’re not leaving you!”
“He’s right!” Big Mac said, slamming an old grandfather clock over golem’s head, and causing it to stagger. “We ain’t leavin' ya tah get yerself killed!”
“There’s no time to argue,” I cried, firing Blackbird at a golem, shooting out it’s crystal eyes. “Swarm, you go with Raiden to Hammergrad! If things get too dicey, use what Voidera gave you! Now I’ll hold them off long enough for you guys to escape!”
“What makes you think they’ll just ignore us?” Raiden fired back.
I ran past the golems and they suddenly started chasing after me. “Sombra wants me!” I called over my shoulder.
I left my friends behind, golems chasing after me, and followed the path Rush took. As I began ascending the stairs of the palace, I just hoped I would make it in time!
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Perspective: Raiden
We all arrived in Hammergrad shortly after Private left us. That idiot! We say all that stuff about working together and he just runs at the problem himself? Typical.
I flew just above the ground; Big Mac was running ahead of me, with Red Hammer draped over his back. The two soldiers from before were with us. Applesnack had gone to round up the rebels. I only hoped he could convince them to help. Luckily, he had Rush’s rebels with him, son that should help the process.
I saw the main gate of Hammergrad and Big Mac shouted up at them, “Ah have Red Hammer! He’s hurt!”
The soldiers shouted and the gate was soon opened. We entered and saw a well decorated soldier step up to the gate. He was a tannish earth pony with bright cherry red eyes. His eyes went wide when he saw us. “Your excellency!” he shouted, looking at Red Hammer, “what happened?”
“No time to explain,” Red Sickle shouted, the colt running up to the general. “General Macho Hide, we need you to get your soldiers together! Golems are heading this way!”
“This better not be a jest, Sickle,” the general said firmly.
“It’s no jest, Sir!” a soldier assured as he ran up and saluted. “We just got word from our scouts! Unidentified golems are heading this way! They’re not looking very friendly, Sir.”
Red Hammer groaned and looked at the General, ordering, “Macho Hide, I need you to inform your soldiers we may be expecting arrivals from rebels, but they are to be considered friendlies!”
“Sir?” Macho Hide blinked.
“There is no time to explain!" Hammer said firmly. "Have everypony fight without wearing anything to obscure their faces! We need the rebels to understand we are all fighting to protect our home from a greater threat!”
“But si-“
“You have your orders, General!” Sickle shouted, in an authoritative tone.
“Yes, Sir!” Macho Hide saluted and then gestured to Little Drop and Vanilla. “You two! Get Red Hammer to a medic immediately!”
The two soldiers saluted and complied, carrying the stallion on their backs. They ran as quickly as they could before Macho Hide turned to me and Big Mac, asking, “You two are?”
“Help,” I replied with a smile. “My name's Raiden Bolt. I’ll hand out autographs later.” I gestured to Big Mac and said, “This here’s Big Macintosh. We’re here with Red Sickle to help you guys in the defense of this place.”
Macho Hide nodded and asked, “You're a pegasus?”
I flapped my wings and gave him a smooth look. “You got a problem with that?” I asked.
“At this point, no,” Macho said, his tone firm. “Right now, I’m willing to take whatever support is necessary to protect our home.”
I looked back in the direction of the old palace. I hope Private is doing alright…
“Sir, rebels spotted!” one scout called. “They're holding a flag of truce up!”
“Let them in!” Macho ordered.
After a few minutes the rebels entered, not clad in anything that would obscure their faces. I noticed that several ponies recognized ponies on both sides. I could see some were fighting urges to cry, hug, or punch a pony on the other side. Either way, I think this the effect Private hoped for.
Applesnack walked forward, standing beside him was Statehood. He adjusted his glasses and spoke to the general, “Macho, it’s been a while since university.”
Macho rolled his eyes and said, “Still the same pretentious fool as always, I see.”
“I hate to break up the reunion,” Applesnack said, “but we have a situation, and not a lot of time.”
“Hey, where’s Swarm?” I asked, looking around. “Wasn’t he with you?”
“He said he was, ‘getting backup’ whatever that means,” Applesnack replied.
Macho looked at Statehood and began to set forth the plan, “Alright, I’ll get my men set up on the walls, and you get yours to start booby trapping the outside. Makeshift bombs, land mines, anything that can stall those things before they get here!”
Statehood nodded and turned to the rebels, ordering, “You heard him, let’s move!”
Both factions went to work immediately. I knew those golems would be here in minutes. I just hoped whatever Swarm had planned he’d get here fast. Macho was right, we were going to need all the help we could get in this upcoming battle.
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Perspective: Private
I ascended the stairs as fast as I could. What is up with this guy’s obsession with stairs? Does he have like a stair fetish or something?
I shook the thought off as I approached the tower I'd followed Rush/Sombra to. I reached the top of a bare tower, the wind blowing mercilessly around me, as Sombra/Rush stood in the center, over an unconscious Snowflake. Rush smirked at me and said, “So, you finally decided to join us thief?”
“Let them go Sombra!” I cried. “Your fight is with me!”
“Oh, but it was so much fun watching your precious friends squirm,” he said, a cruel smile on his face. “I’m done having fun, though. I've fed my appetite by playing with your dear Twilight Sparkle’s fears. I must say, I was tempted to dig deeper into her psyche. I wonder what her reaction will be when she finds your bloodied corpse before her.”
I lowered into a fighting stance and snarled, “Why are you doing this, Sombra? What did these ponies do to deserve you putting them in harm’s way?”
Sombra shrugged and replied, “You wish to know why? Because I feel like it. I knew with all the infighting, those precious rebels would look for a strong leader. Truth is, ponies are little more than sheep, waiting for a shepherd to herd them. They are more than happy to trade one tyrant for another, if it means they can live their precious lives in peace.”
“You underestimate just how much ponies are willing to fight for what they believe in!” I cried. “Now give up Snowflake, or I’ll have to pulverize you!”
“Cute,” he said. Then a black aura slowly formed around Rush, and the stallion fell to the ground as the shadows began taking shape. “I’ve already drained enough life energy from both of them, so now you will face me in my true form, you pathetic worm!”
Sombra’s body formed directly in front of me. He had a grey coat, a long wild black mane, fanged teeth that seemed to drip with a venomous evil, and green eyes gazing at me. Green eyes? Could this be what Zecora was warning me about?
His armored hooves took a step towards me. I felt dread enter me, but also a deep feeling of disgust. His curved horn glowed with the same purple lined green magic I’d seen lately. Suddenly a barrier formed around the tower’s perimeter. There was no getting out for me.
I met Sombra’s glare with my own and asked, “So, you plan to face me like this, huh?”
“It is how I wanted it all along,” he said, his voice still deep and seeping with evil. “I will kill you, and take back what is rightfully mine. Once I have tenacity I will use it to retake the Crystal Empire!”
“Forget it, Sombra,” I said, as we began to circle each other. “You’re not getting this kingdom. I know why you possessed Rush in the first place.”
“Do tell me, detective,” Sombra said in a mocking tone. “Unravel my master plan before my very eyes.”
“You wanted to make sure the two factions kept fighting each other,” I replied, my eyes not leaving his for a second. “That way, should something happen to your invasion of the Crystal Empire; you could easily take over this kingdom, and use it to take the Empire by force! However, my friends and I will never let this nation fall to you!”
“Your friends?” he asked laughing maniacally. “Oh that’s rich, you think a soldier, a boy playing rock star, a farm pony, a freak of nature, and a second rate detective have a chance of stopping me?”
“Like I said, Sombra,” I replied with a smirk, “tenacity’s power comes not from itself, but through others. Unlike you, however, I don’t consider allies expendable tools. They are ponies too. They have hopes, dreams, and loves. I would do anything to protect those ponies. Which is why, I’m giving you one last chance to end it all now.”
“You are bold, I’ll give you that, just as Twilight was,” he said, stepping back slowly as a small portal opened up on the tower floor next to him. A blade made of the same black crystals as the golems arose out of the small portal. “I've enjoyed our little game; however, I do plan to end this now.”
I drew both Blackbird and White Tiger and opened fire on him. The bullets hit Sombra in the chest, bouncing off his plate armor. He smirked and charged at me. I dodged and weaved around the sword, using the barrels of both guns to block the attack.
His curved horn glowed and suddenly I was hit in the chest with a magical bolt. I fell back several feet but regained my footing. I glared at Sombra as he smiled maliciously. “Now, let us see if you have the strength to face me. For when you die, I’ll make sure that dear Twilight sees your body. Right after I make her mine that is.”
HE. DIES. NOW!!!!
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Perspective: Raiden
I watched as the golems advanced on Hammergrad. The bombs and land mines slowed them somewhat, but there were probably hundreds of them. They just kept coming out of portals and no matter how many got blown up more took their place.
I looked over from my perch on the wall and saw Applesnack and Macho opening fire on the golems. Their bullets helped a little, knocking down some golems but others soon made it to the wall. Where the hell was Swarm?
I spread my wings and adjusted my trajectory. I activated my hoof thrusters and zoomed right into a golem just as it climbed to the top of the wall. It fell and crashed into one of its comrades as I landed safely on the wall. I aimed a lightning bolt and shot another one that was trying to get up the wall.
Another was about to hit me when Big Mac came like a missile and crushed the golem’s skull with his bare hooves. He landed beside me and we stood back to back. “What’s the skinny?” I asked.
“We’re holdin' them off, fer now,” Big Mac said, throwing a piece of debris at the golems, “but there’s too many of em! We’re losin' ponies left and right!”
“Look out!” I called, as I spotted a golem about to crush Big Mac. Suddenly a bunch of smaller explosions hit it I looked to my right and saw Applesnack aiming a grenade launcher at it. The beast fell off the wall and onto his comrades below.
Applesnack ran to me, reloading his launcher, and informed me, “The civilians have been taken to the center of the city, but we can’t hold them off forever! We almost lost the east wall.” He fired another grenade into the face of a nearby golem.
Big Mac looked to Applesnack and said, “We just gotta hold 'em off 'til Private takes out that Sombra guy!”
Applesnack simply nodded and went to order more soldiers. I looked in the direction of the palace. “Private, don’t make me have to tell Twilight I lost you,” I muttered.
I felt a hoof on my shoulder and looked at to Big Mac “We gotta do our part, and so does Private. We gotta trust that he’ll make it out alright,” he farm stallion said gravely.
I smiled and fired a lightning bolt at another golem. “You don’t die either, ya hear? We’re all going home!”
Big Mac nodded and threw more debris at a group of golems, knocking a bunch of them over. I flew high into the air and saw so many golems below me. I had to make a dent in them!
I spoke to my suit’s A.I., “Nento! Activate weather functions! I need the biggest storm we can muster!”
“Sir,” a metallic voice on the other end replied, “that kind of storm could severally drain your suit’s power.”
I closed my eyes; it would drain it a lot. If we couldn't make a dent in these monsters however, they would overrun us. Rainbow would want me to do it…
“Just do it, Nento!” I ordered. “Override suit safety protocols!”
“Sir…”
“It’s not for me, Nento, it’s for Private.”
“Acknowledged sir, removing safety protocols and activating weather functions for maximum effect, Sir…”
“I know the risks, Nento. I did the math,” I said, as I flew up into the clouds above.
“Sir, make it out alive, I know Miss Rainbow Dash would want you too.”
“I’ll try,” I said, as I began flying through the clouds, building up the pressure. My suit expelled water vapor that added to the growing clouds. I stood on top of one and my hooves flowed with lightning, “Full power now, Nento!” I cried.
I slammed my hooves into the cloud and a torrent of lightning bolts fell onto the golems with such force most of them smashed to pieces. More and more lightning bolts rained down upon them, until more than half of the forces were wiped out.
“Suit's power at minimal capacity,” Nento said. “Shutting down all unnecessary suit functions to preserve power.”
The lights on my suit faded and I felt weak beyond belief. I'd put all the juice into the lightning, and I hoped I did Rainbow proud. I fell to the cloud, the weight of my suit causing me to sink slowly. I just hoped I'd bought Private enough time…
Why do I hear buzzing? And is that a flute?
_____________________________________________________
Perspective: Private
I fired at Sombra with both guns again, this time hitting him in the flank. He snarled at me and lunged with his blade, knocking White Tiger out of my magic. Sombra then swung and cut me across the cheek, knocking my fedora off. Then he bucked me in the chest, sending me tumbling to the floor.
“You’re clever worm, I’ll give you that,” Sombra said as he slowly advanced on me, “but the truth is, without your allies to defend you, you are little more than a gnat trying to defeat a giant. You have no chance against me.”
I climbed slowly to my hooves and levitated Black Bird. We’d been fighting for a while now, and I was starting to feel fatigue in my legs. No matter how many times I'd shot at Sombra he only seemed to shrug it off. The fact he wasn’t using his magic, aside from levitating his sword, worried me. In a straight magical fight he would win. I had little to no talent for it so why was he holding back?
He smirked and swung at me again. I dodged and fired Black Bird into his leg, causing him to cry out in pain. I swore as I realized I'd wasted my last bullet from Black Bird. He knocked it out of my magic and aimed the tip of his blade at my neck.
He smiled evilly and said, “You really are pathetic alone, and even your allies are no match for my soldiers.”
I didn’t want to give him the satisfaction of seeing my fear. I glared back at him and said defiantly, “You won’t win, Sombra! Even if you strike me down, others will come at you with a vengeance.”
“Brave words coming from a pathetic unicorn such as yourself,” he said, the tip of his blade pressing into my neck slightly. “Look at you, a hybrid, with not talent for magic whatsoever. You've inherited the strength of your pegasus mother but you have no wings that would complement a skinny body like yours.”
I kept my glare and fired back, “Yet, somehow you always fail to kill me.”
“Mere luck,” he spat. “In the past you've always had some ally to defend you! So far your line has slipped through my hooves, but not today! With your death, I will claim Tenacity and have my revenge on your precious princesses.”
“You’ll have to get through my friends first!” I declared bravely. “They’ll stop you, even if I can’t.”
“Your friends?" he asked with a cruel laugh. “What good are they? Your friends cannot save you now! My army is unstoppable! I have thousands of soldiers waiting in the dark realm to fight your friends! They will annihilate them and march on to the Crystal Empire!”
I smiled slowly, “Yeah, well they're going to have a bit of trouble with that.”
“Why are you smiling? Do you greet death so eagerly?” he asked angrily.
“No, but your golems are having some troubles, along with greeting some new guests,” I said, some of my fear leaving me.
“What?” he cried with disbelief, turning to look at Hammergrad. There was a black cloud moving swiftly towards it, only that wasn’t a cloud… That was a whole hive of very cranky changelings!
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Perspective: Raiden
I looked all around me as an angry hive of changelings flew down to attack the golems. What they lacked in strength they made up for it in sheer numbers. Biting and beating at the golems like a bunch of bugs on a sugar cookie.
I looked up and saw Swarm landing beside me, a smile on his face. “Did I make it in time?” he asked with a grin.
“Dude,” I said, smiling weakly, “best, save, ever!”
Swarm looked down at his kind and said, “I found them when I used the hive flute that Voidera gave me. They'd grown very tired of all the fighting up here. I convinced them that the golems were responsible and they quickly joined up.”
I looked down and saw that the changelings were turning the tide in the fight. I looked over at Swarm and said gratefully, “Glad you guys came when you did.”
“Are you alright, though?” Swarm asked, looking at me. “Summoning that lightning storm could not have been easy.”
“Eh,” I shrugged, “I’ve done crazier things, but I have a sudden urge to try Shawarma.”
Swarm raised an eyebrow and asked, “You faced possible death and all you can think about is food?”
“What can I say? A guy gets hungry after saving the world.”
Swarm simply facehoofed.
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Perspective: Private
I used the distraction to knock Sombra’s sword away. I moved back and fired a bolt of magic at him. He grunted as he took the full brunt of my blow.
“You’ll pay for that,” he growled. His own horn glowed and I felt a blast of magic hit my chest. I think one of my ribs cracked as I landed harshly on the ground. I opened my trench coat and saw that Nocturne’s medallion fall out.
I picked it up and glared at Sombra. “You will lose today, Sombra! I plan to destroy you here and now!” I shouted.
He laughed and replied smugly, “Fool! Even if you could kill me, I will simply come back as a shadow. This body is only a physical form that I have taken on. I cannot die, as I will always be a part of you. So you can’t kill me, you can’t let me live…”
I remembered Voidera’s words…
“There is always a third choice.”
I looked at Sombra, he was right, I couldn’t kill him, I couldn’t let him live either. So, instead, I’ll stop him by doing the one thing he’s done to me this entire trip.
I will put the stuff of nightmares into him….
I looked at the medallion, I knew the dangers, but it was my only option at this point. It felt, natural in my hooves, like I’d used it all my life. You know, this reminded me of some of those shows Raiden used to make me watch… what was the hero said when he faced the bad guy before transforming?
I slipped the chain around my neck and said, “Henshin.”
I tapped the medallion and I felt what was like a thousand voices at once entering my mind. I felt bigger, stronger; I felt the black armor form over my body covering my sides, along with a helmet that formed around my head. I felt my incisors grow to into sharp fangs. I let out a low growl as my now yellow eyes opened.
I growled low as Sombra laughed and asked, “So, this is your ploy? To turn yourself into a beast?”
I felt my wounds heal like they were nothing. I was at full strength again. Suddenly, I felt a deep power course through my veins. Was this the power Nocturne wielded as a Lunar Stallion?
I opened my mouth and spoke in a deep voice that caused even Sombra to wince, “Sombra, I won’t kill you, instead, I will make you face the stuff of true nightmares. You use fear as a weapon? Well, so will I.”
Sombra lunged at me with his sword, I dodged it. The armor looked heavy but it felt weightless on me. I bit Sombra in the leg and he let out a howl of true pain. He swung at me with his sword again and I instinctively unsheathed both of my blades with my magic. They were a deep violet and made of what looked like a form of meteorite rock. I blocked his blade with both of mine.
How did I know how to fight like this?
I looked to my left and saw an apparition of Nocturne smiling at me. “We fight through you Private, as we always have, remember, thou art never alone”
I smiled and felt Nocturne fighting through me. I swung my blades deftly; slicing Sombra's plate armor like it was tissue paper. I then knocked away his blade, sending it flying off the tower. I swung both blades, giving Sombra a pair of cuts across his chest.
He cried in pain as I laid on the attack. Fighting like this, felt so natural to me. Nocturne was fighting through me! We were one! This power was amazing!
Sombra then fired his magic at me, and I felt a barrier form around me. I looked up to see Eclipse standing there. His horn glowing brightly as he defended me. He smiled at me and said, “Any stallion who’s an enemy of Sombra is a friend of mine.”
I smiled and then I felt another presence. I looked over to see Littlepip, and then she entered me. I suddenly looked around and saw numerous exotic weapons levitating around me. Several of them were guns that I'd never seen before. Littlepip aimed all the weapons through me and said, “This one is for using me, you fucking hellhound spawned mother bucker!”
All of the weapons fired at Sombra with full force. Sombra screeched in pain as each bullet, fireball, or in one case, a type of exploding egg, hit him. When the firefight was over, Sombra stood there, his body slowly fading. His eyes gazed upon me, taking in my appearance, and I could smell his fear radiating off him.
“I won’t kill you, I can’t, but know this, Sombra, you can come after us all you want. You can try to stop us, manipulate more ponies to do your dirty work. However, the very millisecond you even consider hurting any of my friends, I will come for you, and I won’t be alone.”
Sombra’s eyes grew wide as several other apparitions formed around me. There was no chanting, just a glare that bore into his very soul coming from each and everypony here.
“No!” Sombra cried, firing his magic, only to have it blocked by Eclipse again. “No, I will have what is mine!”
“Forget it Sombra,” I said slowly, advancing menacingly upon him. “As of this day, you've lost again. This time I will make sure, that you won’t come charging back immediately…”
My horn glowed brightly and both swords gave off auras of pure magic. I knew the blades themselves wouldn’t hurt him. Eclipse’s knowledge knew that, but magic would. With the full power of my ancestors and descendants, I swung at Sombra.
I kept swinging at him, never letting up, slashing and cutting at his body until all that remained was his shadow.
I then clashed both blades together. I glared at Sombra, and said something in a language I didn’t know, “Vivere in te metuent bustards.”
I swung both blades at the same time and a magical sword cut hit him with full force. Sombra yelled in pain one last time before he faded to nothing. I knew he wasn’t gone, but he won’t be back anytime soon either.
__________________________________________________________
Perspective: Raiden
I looked down, my eyes growing wide when it happened. The golems one by one just stopped moving. I flew down to one and examined it. It didn't look damaged. “What happened?” I asked.
Big Mac walked to one and gave it a shove. It fell over like it was nothing and shattered like glass when it hit the ground. He smiled and replied, “Private did it! He beat Sombra!”
All around me, rebels, soldiers, changelings, everypony was cheering happily! We did it! We'd won and finally stopped that Sombra freak!
_____________________________________________________________
Perspective: Private
I tapped the medallion on my chest and the armor faded from my body. I let out a breath of relief as the adrenaline subsided.
I then smiled as I slapped my fedora back on my head. I looked out to the horizon and saw the victory celebration. Ironic, isn’t it? Sombra was trying to break up this nation, but through his efforts, everypony had united against him.
I let out a breath as fatigue finally caught up to me. Snowflake walked up to me, having regained consciousness and smiled at me. “It is over then?” she asked.
I nodded and replied, “Yes Princess, it’s over. It’s all over…”
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Victory! It'll be interesting to see how this all wraps up. I'd be lying if I said I'm not anticipating all of the couples reuniting.
If I'm not mistaken, that's Private's line and shouldn't be green.
2328766No that's Private's line, he's just so pissed off he slipped into the dark magic for a second.
WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! VICTORY!!!
"Does he have like a stair fetish or something?"
Oh dear God, why?
Some terrific action scenes in this chapter. For a second, I thought the third choice would be Private shooting himself, much like the ending to Fight Club, which might get rid of Sombra as he is "part of him."
But that'd be silly. Private would be dead or recovering for the rest of the season if that happened!
2329211Nope, instead he decided to scare Sombra shitless
2329227 Much more satisfying than most probable death!
Awesome fight between Private and Sombra. The other thing that jumped at out at me was Swarm's.... well, swarm and the reference to Avengers by Raiden.
2329514Just wouldn't feel complete without it
great chapter cant wait for the next one.
Loved it as always, definitely digging the iron man (one of my favorite heroes) references in this one and the way that Private saved their collective flanks there before (possessed) Rush started shooting. Likewise, I was really seeing that bit at the end where he was fighting Sombra as a Yu Yu Hakusho: The Movie moment... absolutely wonderful
and Kamen Rider reference FTW, HENSHIN!!
2331362Allow me to introduce the Kamen Rider that inspired the idea...
2331407 Kamen Rider...Kiva...an interesting choice...since Decade is more powerful...
2331444Kiva just fits better with the aesthetics...although the concept of Private drawing on the powers of others is reminiscent of Decade.
2331725 i cant say that i know a lot about either Rider, just what ive stumbled over on Youtube. still, looks like interesting stuff...i watched some of that 'Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight' but it just got way too campy for me. y the hell does the great stuff from Japan get turned into total crap when it gets shipped over?
2331755Not the case all the time, in my opinion the japanese version of Power Rangers Time Force was worse then the american version.
2331765 didnt see very much of Time Force or Timeranger, but i do get where ur coming from, as with all else, there r always going to be exceptions...
“Eh,” I shrugged, “I’ve done crazier things, but I have a sudden urge to try Shawarma.”
I GOT THE REFERENCE TO SHWARMA!
So basically he just threw away White Tiger?
But then, everypony remembered most of their family was dead sleeping in blood on the floor somewhere.
THE END
So... General Badass?