Fighting wasn't something Gates even had to think about anymore. It was pure instinct. It was something that had been hard-wired into his system since he left Colt Lake City as a young colt. The training he had gone through was the longest, hardest, most hardening experience anypony in Equestria could find. He was trained to be a cog in the hyper-lethal machine that was the Elite Guard.

Ever since the attacks, however, all of that flew right out the window. He was supposed to be a part of a team, a squad that thrived off of each other. Now he was fighting alone...well not completely alone. He had his friends, and was grateful for that. But it was a whole new game. Each one of them had great, valuable talents. Rainbowdash was without a doubt one of Equestria's best fliers, but she didn't have the training to use that skill in combat the way Firefly did. Applejack was as strong as an ox, but didn't have the discipline or equipment to use it in a fight the way Briggs would. Twilight was more gifted than anypony Gates had ever met with magic, but she didn't know the amount of offensive and defensive spells that Leo had. And Fluttershy...well, Fluttershy wasn't much of a fighter. Gates couldn't think of a single thing Fluttershy really brought to the table on a military level. But he still enjoyed having her around, the perfect of example of what you're fighting for, Gates thought.

Even if he didn't have his team with him though, he was trained to keep fighting to the very end, and this was exactly what he was doing. This was where the horseshoe hit the road. It was where all of his training, all of his anger, all of his memories came together to help do the only thing he had ever done without fail. Survive. Win the fight, no matter what the cost. He had been winning fights his whole life at the cost of his friends. This time the fight was different though. He had never wanted to let his friends down, but he had always accepted the losses as casualties of a greater good. Something he'd have to learn to live with, no matter how heavily it weighed on his heart. He wasn't going to let his friends down. He wouldn't. He couldn't let the lives of more of the ponies he cared about lie on his conscience. He would win, for everypony.

All of these thoughts ran through Gates' head in a matter of seconds, he could feel the time passing. He could hear the seconds ticking by as he charged in.

One. He fired a shot as leaped into the air, forcing Gyro to fly lower to avoid the bolt.

Two. He slung his staff into Gyros wing knocking him out of the air and into Gates while the two rolled to the ground.

Three. Gates instinctively tucked and rolled back to his hooves, quickly turning to Gyro, leveling his staff to fire another energy bolt. "Just keep him on the ground," Gates thought," just keep him on the ground and this will be easy."

Four. Gates fired an energy bolt and watched it go wild, sailing off to the far left. Gyro took the opportunity to charge at Gates, lowering his shoulder, aiming at the center of Gates' mass. Gates quickly twisted his staff into a defensive position and dug his hooves into the ground.

Five. Gates was thrown from his hooves onto the ground. Gyro approached Gates cautiously, waiting for him to start to get back up.

Six. Gates shot back up to his hooves and turned on a charging Gyro, he swung his staff behind Gyro's jaw, sending him plummeting to the ground.

Gates squared off with Gyro as he struggled back to his hooves. Gates landed a near perfect blow, one that probably should have knocked the pegasus out. It was just a testament to how strong Gyro actually was. Gyro tried to hit Gates with one of his forelegs, but Gates spun, avoiding the hit and jabbed his staff into Gyro's stomach. He reversed the staff on it's brace and hit Gyro on the back, then quickly brought his attack to the side of Gyro's head.

Gyro stumbled but recovered, taking to the sky. Gates fired a shot at Gyro, but the pegasus did a barrel roll and avoided the bolt of magical energy. Gates ran over to his friends, who had been watching the skirmish from the side. "Rainbow," Gates asked," do you think your wings can hold up for a little high-risk flying?"

"Ha, you bet!" Rainbowdash said as she shot up into the air. Gates knew Rainbowdash couldn't possibly win a fight with Gyro in the air, but if she could get him back on the ground, that would be all he needed.

"Alright," Gates said," just get that flanker on the ground.... and don't get hurt."

Rainbow gave a quick salute and gave a sharp," you got it boss!" as she flew towards Gyro. Gyro looped around and charged back at Rainbowdash, the pegasi we're speeding like lightning towards a metal rod before both breaking off in opposite directions at the last second. Rainbow did a flip in the air as she faced down Gyro yet again. The pegasi sped at each other, coming close together, spinning around each other rapidly. A cyclone of wind began to form around the two ponies.

Rainbow's four friends stared in awe at the spectacle. It was rare that two ponies so skilled would fly together, and it was unheard of that they would be fighting. "It's the kind of thing you'd expect from the Wonderbolts," Fluttershy said amazed.

"Well," Gates said," Gyro is actually the founder of the Wonderbolts. It's a bucking shame that he ended up like this."

"Really?" Twilight remarked," It must be tough for Rainbow to be fighting with one of her idols." Rainbowdash dove through the bottom of the cyclone causing it to break off. Gyro was sent flying through the air by the destroyed cyclone.

"Idols?" Gates asked. Gyro recovered and streaked across the sky towards Rainbowdash. She spiraled out of control into a nearby cloud.

"It's her life-long dream to be a member of the Wonderbolts," Fluttershy added," it's all she's ever dreamed of since before junior flight camp." Rainbow emerged from the cloud and waited for Gyro to charge again.

"I wonder if she even knows who she's fighting with up there," Applejack mused. Gyro rushed towards Rainbow, as she dove off of the cloud and looped around, hitting Gyro square in the back and and ramming him into the cloud, dispersing it.

"Yeah..." Gates said," I wonder." Gyro shook Rainbow off of him and attacked the cyan pegasus. Rainbow evaded the strike and went in for an attack of her own. The two pegasi dove back and forth at one another, weaving in and out of the others' attacks. The two ponies finally stopped as they stared each other down high in the sky.

Rainbowdash felt like she had seen this pegasus somewhere before. She knew for a fact she had heard the name somewhere. Then we she looked down at her adversary it all came to her.

"The cutie mark..." Rainbowdash muttered, frozen in midair," you're...Gyro, the FOUNDER OF THE WONDERBOLTS!" Rainbowdash squealed as Gyro grinned, knowing he had won.

"Oh no..." Gates said looking up at the sky.

"What?" Fluttershy asked worried.

"I think Rainbow just realized who she was fighting," Gates ran forward and leveled his weapon, aiming at the spot in the sky where Rainbow and gyro floated.

"Is there anything you can do?" Twilight asked, nearly panicking.

Gates sighed deeply as he lowered his staff," I can't make the shot," he said frustrated," there's just as much chance that I hit Rainbowdash as there is I hit Gyro. She's on her own..."

"You...you're...I'm..." Rainbowdash struggled to get the words out quickly enough. She was completely awestruck.

“That's right," Gyro said calmly," I'm Gyro, the founder of the Wonderbolts. Quite, frankly I'm impressed with your skills. In fact I may even have to recommend you for a try-out when this all blows over."

"You mean it? I can't believe it, a chance to join the WONDERBOLTS!" By this point, Rainbow had completely forgotten that Gyro was on the other side. She was as excited and happy as she had ever been. Rainbowdash went into a trance-like state, only being able to say," Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"

She failed to notice the magical chains that had risen up to her level, she had completely drowned out her friends cries for attention. Rainbow didn't even notice when the chains, all she did was utter,"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh!"

The blue pegasus was quickly pulled to the ground, Gyro following closely as to make sure she didn't escape. Rainbow hit the ground with a thud as she was pulled towards the gate. She only broke out of her trance when she realized what happened.

"Ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh,” she said as she walled the mouth of the portal, when she realized what had happened she stopped her fangirl stupor," oh..." as the Gyro closed the magical gate around her.

The five ponies watched in terror as their friend disappeared, running up to where the portal once burned. Gates fired a shot at Gyro who flapped back, dodging the shot.

"Two for one," Gyro said," by my count Sterling only managed to take out one of you foals. I figure I can take out the lot of you though." Gyro hovered in the air, just out of Gates' effective shooting range. Gyro knew the weapon Gates was using well, as he had been a part of Eastern Spark's research team when he invented it.

"You're not gonna get away with what you did today Gyro!" Golden Gates yelled, trying to get an angle he could fire on him from.

Gyro laughed under his breath," We'll see about that. Who's next?"

"I'd like a turn," a voice from above Gyro said," did you miss me?"

Gyro looked behind him and saw Briggs hovering above," Oh son of a mare-" Gyro was cut off by Briggs looping around slamming him into ground. Briggs rolled to his hooves and stood by Gates.

"You're a little late to the party," Gates said to his old friend as Gyro stumbled back to his hooves.

"Sorry," Briggs said wryly," You wouldn't believe the traffic on the way here." Gyro finally caught his balance as Briggs flew at him, bucking him in his mid-section, Gyro was sent sprawling to the ground, but he quickly recovered, hitting Briggs in the jaw with his foreleg. Gates galloped ahead and unleashed a barrage of attacks on Gyro with his staff.

Gyro flapped his wings furiously, escaping Gates' attacks. Briggs streaked through the air, knocking into to Gyro, sending him spiraling back towards the ground. Gyro barely managed to get back to his hooves, he racked his brain thinking of anything that could help him. The portals around the ponies raged with energy, but with Gyro's strength fleeting, they were useless to do anything. They used every bit of their magical energy just staying open.

Gates thought about his friends, he felt nothing but hate for Gyro. Everypony he had lost during the past few weeks ran through his mind. Now Rainbowdash and Rarity were on that list. Just a few weeks ago he was actually happy. Happy in a way he hadn't been in years, and now that was being taken away. The Triumvirate was taking it away. Gyro was taking it away from him. Everything was a blur to Gates after that point. He was filled with the same blinding rage that he had felt so many years ago. The same anger that led him to the elite guard. The same anger and hatred that had brought him here. The same feeling that had come to define the very pony who Gates was today.

The next thing Gates remembered was standing over a broken Gyro. Wounds decorated the legendary pegasus' body. Gyro shakily stood up, barely managing to stay up. He stepped away from Gates slowly, trying to avoid another barrage of attacks.

"Holy flank..." Briggs muttered from behind Gates after watching the display of fighting prowess.

"Well," Gates said, catching his breath," have you had enough?"

"Not even close," Gyro said weakly as he staggered towards Gates. Gates swept Gyro's legs from under him, and caught Gyro's body on his back. He bucked the pegasus into the air and swung his staff under him as Gyro fell back to ground, send him skidding across the ground.

Gyro barely got off the ground before Gates lashed his staff into his jaw, sending Gyro reeling back. Gyro stood perfectly still a few feet away from Gates and whispered weakly," long live the Triumvirate."

The six ponies watched as they finally saw what happened to Sterling, and was now happening to Gyro. Gyro's eyes lit up brilliantly and magical energy surrounded him, lifting him into the air before letting off a blinding flash, that consumed Gyro as he vanished into thin air.

There was nothing but silence for what seemed like an eternity to everypony who had witnessed the spectacle, even though it was probably only a few seconds. Then finally, Briggs broke it, saying in amazement," Gates, remind me not to buck with you...ever."

Next Chapter: Chapter Nineteen - Homecoming Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 25 Minutes