> Banishment > by demonbaker > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- boom The sound rattled the windows of the house. Somewhere a pot rolls of a counter and breaks with a crash. Bulwark opens his eyes to the sound of buckles strapping and see's his wife putting on her armor, the window behind her filled with a dim red light. His eyes meet hers and she nods. It's time. Hurrying out of bed he finds his own armor in the closet and begins dressing himself. BOOM They were getting closer, he fumbles with the buckles in the dark before he see's his armor begin to glow in a familiar blue light. He smiles as the buckles tighten themselves and his helmet lands on his head. "Thank's Magi. Don't know what I would do without you." His wife, Magius smiles at him and nods. "But of course, you didn't marry me for just my looks did you?" "I'll never tell." With their armor firmly fastened he grabs his sword and they make their way out onto the wall encompassing the city. The sky above them has Luna's moon firmly in the middle, blocking out most of the sun's rays. But even in the lower light the dark mass of Nightmares army defy's reason. Timberwolves, Diamond dogs, Changelings....and others. There are even a few Changeling behemoths walking behind them. which is the source of the- BOOM "Stand hold men!" Bulwark speaks up. His tone causing the guards around him to stiffen and salute. "We knew this day would come, Nightmare has destroyed all the settlements on her path to this castle. Princess Celestia is still in Canterlot getting reinforcements. If we are to hold this town it is up to US to do it." His voice echoes around the area his soldiers staring at him with determination in their eyes. He leads his men to the front gate of the city. Commanding the guards posted there to lower the fortifications. "Remember your training! back each other up and stay close to the shield mages!" He draws his sword and looks over them one final time. "Be prepared. we don't know what trickery Nightmare might pull." He turns to face the approaching army with several cries of "Captain!" behind him. Magius stands next to him and he leans close to her. "I'm putting our lives in your hooves again maggy. Lead us one final time." The look in her purple eyes is determined. she nods and smiles, her horn beginning to light up as his men position themselves into several diamond shapes, a unicorn at the tip of each one. Raising his sword he cries "CHARGE!" The charge begins. Ahead of him his wife's horn glows brighter as a shield envelops his men, the shield changes into a cone in front of the charging ponies acting as both a ram and a shield. To his sides the other formations unicorns bring up their own shields. He yells as ahead of them the Nightmare's army floods down the hills around them, Timberwolves and werewolves leading the fray. The Behemoths in the back begin throwing boulders at the charging ponies, several missed but a few ricochet off the shields. One of the shields breaks and the sound of voices crying out fills the battle fields. He looks but that regimen is gone, a simply red smear left behind. Bulwark grits his teeth as he sees a boulder approaching them, it hits the shield at a angle and causes Magius to stagger to the side. He is right there, helping her keep her balance. There is a thin trickle of blood coming from her nose but she grits her teeth and continues the charge with them. The armies clash somewhere in the middle, Timberwolves and werewolves leading the charge. "Don't let them bite you!" He readies himself as the shield around them changes into a dome surrounding several werewolves and guards. His wife was in the middle with Him. Its his job to make sure she stays alive, and its her job to makes sure they don't get overwhelmed by the other nightmare beings pounding on the shield. They were unstoppable together. The cries of battle surround them as the fight begins in earnest. He stops several werewolves from attacking his wife, aiming for legs or arms, anything to prevent them from scoring a hit. He curses again the fact that he didn't ask for a silver weapon. Though the battle seems to be going well, his wife was doing her best to keep the shield up, but occasionally her eyes flash white. "Don't push yourself honey, can't have a surge-" He is cut off by sounds of surprise from his men. This was different...something was wrong. there were too many guards. A armored hoof strikes him in the head, knocking off his helm as he looks at the guard who struck him. The White pony smiles down at him as his body flickers, his form changing to a misshapen unicorn. "Changelings!" He gets to his feet as more flashes of green surround him. There was a lot too many. He Strikes at exposed necks and limbs, not caring as he fights to defend his wife. Then he hears more of his men cry out before their voices are silenced. Above them a dark shadow falls upon them as he see's Nightmare moon flying above the battlefield, the glow of her horn slowly fading away as she turns from a smoking crater. His eyes meet hers as She slowly begins to gather magic once more, firing a beam of pure energy at his wife's shield. The barrier cracks at the impact and begins to splinter. A flash of white comes from his wife, her eyes slowly losing their color. "No!" He dives for his wife as the barrier shatters. A hoard of changelings rushing into the fight. Swing after swing more changelings appear, every time one is struck down another takes his place. Ahead in the buzzing swarm he can see his wife slowly become Buried under a mass of black chitin. The last thing he see's is one of her glowing white eyes as an explosion echoes outward from were she was. Limbs and sometimes even full changelings rain down, nothing but a bloody crater left behind. His cry joins the others as he looks upon where his wife was. Impossible...nothing could stop them. Why did it have to be her? His vision blurs as he looks up once more, the battle raging around him in slow motion as Nightmare moon prepares another blast. Before it fires a golden bean of light streaks in from canterlot. A White alicorn roughly tackling Nightmare midair. "Celestia..."