[3rd Person POV]

"What is the extent of her injuries?"

Twilight levitated a slightly bloodstained clipboard in front of her. "Magical exhaustion, for one. A human's body is obviously not meant to channel nor conduct magic, much less in as massive a scale as she did. The sheer strain damaged her muscles and ligaments, but with proper medicine and treatment she should be able to move her limbs without much discomfort in a few hours." She turned a page. "Lacerations to the palms, an effect of so much raw magic channeled through them. Numerous blood clots were in the process of forming in her brain, but we managed to take care of it before they did any damage. Burns consistent with electricity throughout her face, forearms and legs. Aside from the stabbing wounds on her back and the bits of shrapnel embedded in her shoulder blades, there is no more."

"Will she recover?" Ganondorf asked after a moment, his face betraying no emotion.

"She will. Advances in medicine allow us to take care of such injuries without too much effort. It's a good thing you had their supplies stolen during the raid."

"I will go see her." He turned to leave, but Twilight stopped him.

"I don’t think that would be a good idea, Ganon." He quirked an eyebrow and Twilight continued. "Umbra hasn't left her side once and she's very mad at you. I don’t think it would be a good idea to be there. Not now at least. Not while the wounds are still fresh."

Ganondorf sighed. "Very well. Continue with the treatment. Keep me updated to any changes in her condition."

Twilight nodded and slipped out.

She made her way out of the longhouse that Ganondorf had commandeered as a sort of command center and into the thick of Haven's Peak. Even from there she could tell the mood in the remote settlement had lifted somewhat. Ponies busied themselves, attending to their everyday chores.

A pleasant aroma wafted from the local bakery, where the resident baker churned out oodles of delicious pastries to feed the hardworking ponies. Golden brown loaves, fresh and hot from the oven were lathered with honey, put on display to tantalize the populace. A few colts and fillies played rambunctiously on a sizable water puddle in the middle of the street, shrieking and laughing and making a mess of themselves to the disapproving looks of ponies nearby. Housewives were busy at work tending their little gardens. Some grew potatoes, carrots, peppers, grapes, melons and many more. Construction ponies were hard at work putting the finishing touches on a bell tower, commissioned by Ganondorf for sentries to be on the lookout for enemy activity and the blacksmith's shop had been running through the night, the clanging of metal on metal ever present since the Gerudo leader had been made aware of the impending Equestrian assault.

Though Ganondorf had conscripted the ponies to become his minions, forcing them to gladly obey his will, that did not mean they were mindless thralls. They knew all too well what an Equestrian invasion would entail and the successful raid last night made its job of lifting their spirits. Maybe they would come out of the whole ordeal alive.

She bypassed the infirmary section of the village, little more than a clearing filled with tents, themselves housing the wounded and still alive ponies of Ourtown and slipped into the cabin at the end, where a single patient resided.

The human girl laid on the bed, IVs with fluids of different colors sticking from her arm and serenely sleeping. Hovering over her was the remaining human or, demoness as she proclaimed herself to be. Truth be told, Twilight couldn't tell what the difference was aside from a stark set of skin tone and glowing eyes.

Umbra seemed to be in a state between sleep and wakefulness, sitting down on a plushy sofa. She hadn't left the smaller girl's side throughout the whole night and even now refused to rest properly. Twilight didn't quite know what to make of her. She had decided she did not like Jacqueline very much. For such a young specimen, she seemed to harbor a particular disregard for ponies and a special animosity for Twilight herself.

Umbra though, had seemed nice enough, strangely enough. Twilight thought she was as far from a demon as one could be. Sure, she engaged the thralled ponies in combat, but had strived to injure rather than kill (as much as one could with a burning sword) and though the demoness had displayed no small amount of hostility towards Ganondorf, her interactions with the ponies were polite enough, occasionally dispersed with threats to bite somepony’s head clean off when they would not stop bothering her about her own wounds.

Twilight moved to check on the sleeping girl, her hoofsteps alerting Umbra to her presence.

[Umbra´s POV]

"Sparklebutt?" I muttered, rubbing my eyes and peering at Twilight.

"Twilight,” she corrected.

"I know, but it gets under your skin so I´ll use it. Or do you prefer Purple Smart? I´d come up with some more names for you but I can´t really brain well at the moment." I eyed Twilight with a bit of suspicion. "You are not here to stick more needles in either of us or some of these magical probe things, ja? The other medics did more than their share of that."

Twilight sighed and rolled her eyes. My penchant for nicknames aside she seemed fine with me. "I'm here to check in on her," she said, not able to keep a slight hint of disdain from entering her voice. "No needles or invasive procedures for now."

Twilight moved beside Jackie and gazed intently at the sleeping girl. Her horn glowed softly, bathing the girl's head in a haze of purple mist, then to her chest, torso and legs. Twilight nodded to herself and made a note on her clipboard.

"Since when are you a medic?" I asked as I watched Twilight work. "Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate what you're doing for her, even if Jackie isn't... well, always the friendliest shark in the pool, but I always pictured you in a library setting."

Twilight worked silently for a moment, making no indication she had heard me speak, a contemplative look in her muzzle. "When the war broke out and Sombra's armies pushed back our forces, Celestia passed a law, drafting ponies all over Equestria to aid in the war effort. I had a position in the Canterlot library with a very nice mare named Moondancer, but my name was called and so they gave me a choice. Infantry, engineer or medic. I can operate machines easy enough, but have no idea what makes them tick and I couldn't imagine myself fighting, killing ponies,” she trailed off, her thoughts drifting back.

"A war can be fought from any position and sometimes, there are soldiers who never fire a single shot during a whole conflict. A nurse is as important as a pioneer and a devoted logistics officer can make a bigger difference than a brilliant general."

Twilight smiled appreciatively. "Thanks. That's what they told all of us in the division. Me and about ten other enlistees served under this mare, Nurse Redheart I believe, who volunteered from Ponyville. We were right there in the front lines, tending to the wounded. When our forces weren't being pushed back, at least," she said resentfully. "Almost none of us had experience in the medical field, but by Celestia did we get some hooves on training," she chuckled. "I must have thrown up half a dozen times when we amputated limbs, and some of the other recruits as well. But as time passed and we became hardened to such things, I was able to treat and dress a field wound in less than thirty seconds,” she said with a hint of pride.

The moment was broken as the door of the small cabin was enthusiastically kicked open and a Brown Minion waltzed in, carrying a tray with a small, slightly cracked pot and a few dirty cups on it. The kobold grinned broadly as he placed the tray on his mistress lap.

"For the master!" The Minion proclaimed cheerfully.

I took the time to pat the weird creature on its head with a tired but nonetheless honest smile. "Thank you, Gnasher. You can go and play now if you want. But no stabbing any of the horsies until I say so, yes?" I reminded the kobold who promptly scampered away. My Minions had caused her quite a bit of grief earlier in the morning when a group of them just so happened to discover the ponies kept a rather sizable herd of sheep in the pastures of Haven's Peak. That... had not been pretty to say at least. It had been a while since the Minions had laid eyes on a proper sheepie, and since Minions really, really loved their sheepies...

I shook my head, hoping the ponies could forgive them for the few little sheep that had not survived the Minions' enthusiastic playtime.

"My little kobolds can be such dears when they are not busy murderizing my enemies, wouldn´t you agree?" I said, pouring myself a cup of the blackest coffee this side of Zebrica. With an audible, pleased sigh, I downed the steaming contents in a few moments, the hot liquid filling me with heat and a wave of wakefulness. "Care for a cup of coffee too? It is honestly not that tasty but it has a good kick to it,” I offered to the Unicorn.

Twilight eyed the steaming mug for a second, thinking it over before she said, "Sure," and grabbed it in a telekinetic grip, downing the scalding hot contents in one mighty gulp. "Thanks," she said, handing the cup back to a bemused me. "Your friend should be waking shortly. I'll give you two sometime alone."

She organized the papers in her clipboard, made a few more notes and departed the small room, closing the door behind her.

I watched Jackie intently. Sure enough, it wasn't too long before the movements of her chest became more pronounced. An eyelid opened, barely and blearily. The second one followed and roamed the room until they landed on me.

To my unending surprise, Jackie's mouth twitched and stretched into a wide smile. "Hey~" she croaked, her voice still a bit rough.

I returned the gesture. "Hey girl. How are you feeling?"

Jackie, yet again surprising me, stuck out her lower lip in a contemplative pout, as if considering the answer.

"Trippy." was the response and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

"No surprise. You are kinda stuffed to the brim with drugs and painkillers, Jackie girl."

Jackie hummed. "Is it morphine?"

"I guess. Maybe a pony version of it?"

"It feels awesome," she said, slurring her words. "Almost makes it worth it." she said, giving a very uncharacteristic giggle.

"Don't get used to it, brat," I said with a smile, amused by the small girl's quirky, drug induced deposition. "I know I asked already but are you fine? Need water or something? I'm not sure if you're allowed to have fluids but I could ask."

Jackie slowly ran her tongue over her lips, assessing. "No, I'm good." Her hands moved to draw the woolen blanked all the way to her chin. "It's cold, though."

"Okay. Stay here, I'll see if I can get you another blankie." I said and moved to stand up. Last thing I needed was Jackie catching a cold in combination with all the bangs and bruises she already had.

"No, that'll take too long," Jackie slurred. "Come in." It seemed the surprises would keep coming on, for to my astonishment, Jackie scooted to the edge of her bed and opened the blanket, making room for me.

"Uhh... wut?" I stuttered, way too dumbstruck by the very un-Jackie like gesture.

Jackie frowned. "Come in already. You're letting all the warmth out. Move your butt and get in here." Demonstratively, she lifted her blanket a bit more.

"Wow," I chuckled "You must be tripping major balls girl, because it just sounded like YOU invited ME to slip under your blanket."

At that, Jackie let out a burst of snorts "Hehe, you said balls..."

"Yepp, trippier than the whole Sixties."

"Are you commin´ or do I need to write you an invitation?" An adorable pout formed on the younger girls lips. Hnnng, my black heart!

"Jeeze, don´t you go and give me such temptations Jackie," I chuckled as I removed my boots and other armor pieces "But who am I to look a gifted horse in the mouth hn? If it's cuddles you want, it's cuddles you get." Left in my tunic and pants, I carefully slipped into the creaking bed and covered both of us with the blanket again. "Hmm, cozy."

"Body warmth, not cuddles." Jackie muttered as she groggily pressed herself to me, laying her head atop my shoulder. Okay, at least that was a sentence from the Jackie I came to know.

"You know, I'm halfway tempted to ask Sparklebutt what she dosed you with and take some of it back home." I couldn't help but joke.

"That'd be nice," Jackie murmured as she made herself comfortable, pressing as much of herself as she could against my warmth. I myself was content to enjoy the silence, only the sounds of our breathing and the soft beeps of the machines to keep company.

"Hey, Umbra?" Jackie said after a long stretch of comfortable silence.

"Hm?"

"Do we have to go back?"

"Back where?"

"To... you know. Your tower and all."

"Well, yes. That's how it works."

Jackie hummed, thinking, or as much as one could think in a drug induced haze. "What if we don't go back?" She said quietly. "What if you and me just stay here, in this ponyland?"

"What? What do you mean, girl?" I chuckled. "Why do you want to stay here? It's not a very nice place."

"What'choo mean?"

"Well, where to begin," I said as I idly played with Jackie's mop of hair, caressing the black strands. "That massive gaping anus Ganondorf is here, for one. Never thought I would see the day that I met a Displaced I want to deck in the face so bad or outright shiv him. The whole of this Equestria is embroiled on a devastating war with Sombra, ponies are dying left and right every day, the country is in a state of fear and well on the way to becoming a ravaged, war torn wasteland."

Jackie erupted in a string of giggles burying her face on Umbra's neck, enjoying her ministrations. "I know, isn't it great? Awesome? I always thought the ponies could use a good war, break 'em out of that... uh, pedestal? No... knock 'em off that... horse. Yes, knock 'em off that high horse," she chuckled at the play on words.

"You... like it here, Jackie girl?" I asked, more than a bit taken aback.

"Duh. Don't you?"

"No, I can't say that I do," I said slowly. "And you shouldn’t either. It's the drugs making you say that, isn't it? No one in their right mind could actually like being in this hellhole. Yes, that must be it." I said to herself.

Jackie's hand loosened from her firm position across my torso, taking ahold of my hand.

"You know what?" Jackie asked rhetorically as she started playing with the dark digits. "I dunno why, but when I went in, and I blasted them ponies apart, showed them who's boss," she said, an uncharacteristically thoughtful, sober expression on her face. "I've never felt so alive," she said in a hushed, conspirational whisper. "Ponies... they break so easily. Almost like... pretzel sticks. Yes, that's it!" she giggled and fiddled with Umbra's index finger, bending and flexing it. "So fragile..." And like that, she nuzzled my hand to her cheek, leaving me utterly baffled.

"Shut up Jackie, you´re high!" I tittered, ever so slightly creeped out. Then quickly but firmly, I pressed Jackie´s face against her chest. Much to my surprise, the shorter girl stopped her bizarre musings and instead opted to nuzzle her face against my fun pillows, electing a surprised yelp from me. Had not seen that one coming!

"Hmm, so soft," Jackie murmured sleepily "Smellz gud too..."

"Okay now girl, how about you take a little nappy now hn? You sound like you could need one."

"Nu-uh. Dun wanna." Jackie chirped, muffling a yawn.

A good natured chuckle escaped my lips. Girl could be so adorable when she wanted too. Sadly, she had to be drugged out of her mind for it. "Hmm, would my little girl like me to sing her a song so that she can have a nice dreamy?"

"Yay~"

"Alright then. I think I have one." With that, I began singing Rolling Girl in a soft, slightly off-key voice, again caressing Jackie´s head.

"That´s a nice song..." Jackie mumbled contently, further pressing herself against my warm body, obviously drinking in the contact. At the songs mid, she was already snoring softly in my arms.

[3rd Person POV]

Dawn broke across Haven's Peak, but even in the wee hours of the morning the ponies were already hard at work. The successful attack the previous night, executed by the curious little human Ganondorf seemed to have pulled out of nowhere had reinvigorated the villagers' spirits, if only by a little. Ever since news of the Equestrians' impending assault had reached them a few weeks back, Ganondorf had ordered as many hooves as possible to work at hindering any potential assault.

Various off roads, game trails and passages known only to the Havenites had been completely sealed, leaving only the main road up the mountain as the sole entry point for an invading force. While the Equestrians held the advantage of numbers in spite of their catastrophic defeat the night prior, Ganondorf and the Havenites worked to establish as much control of the battlefield as possible.

They knew exactly where the enemy would march (seeing as there was only one way) and capitalized on the fact they held the higher ground. Lumberponies and several volunteers had worked day and night, felling trees and assembling them into a hastily built wall that lined the front of the village, as well as spiked barricades that guarded the front and a number of craftsponies and carpenters had been sequestered by Ganondorf to work on a secret project in the mines, the entrance guarded fiercely against unauthorized personnel.

Crude catapults had been constructed to hurl loose stones and rocks, the ammunition gathered and provided by numerous colts and fillies who prowled the village, eyes searching, saddlebags and wagons strapped to their backs. Cauldrons of boiling water and hot oil were readied to be dumped from atop the walls. Blacksmiths busied themselves crafting caltrops and the resident alchemist worked overtime, aided by a select number of ponies, to build bombs and other anti-personnel devices.

Twilight Sparkle, the unexperienced might say, was everywhere at once as the little mare prodigiously teleported to and fro, organizing the Havenites' effort to the best of her ability. Ganondorf was pleased at how efficient the little pony proved to be at the task, directing the villagers and showing them the most efficient methods to go about their assigned tasks. His fighters sparred lightly against one another, keeping their wits sharp and teams of pegasi prowled the skies, on the lookout for any suspicious activity.

"I can't believe this!" a voice growled beside Ganondorf, who had been supervising the activity on the village via a vantage point, the entrance to the mines built on a ridge overlooking Haven's Peak. He turned his head to see a very displeased Umbra walk up beside him, arms crossed and scowling as she looked down at the hardworking ponies. "We came in, helped you out and instead of going back to my 'Verse, we're still here."

"Perhaps it is because I am still in need of help," Ganondorf commented. Umbra seethed beside him. "I know you don't care much for me, Umbra..."

"Really, Ganonprick? What gave you that idea?" Umbra bit snidely.

"But loathe me as you may, you wouldn't walk away, even if given the chance," he said confidently.

"Is that so?" Umbra asked with a challenging tone. "That what you think, huh?"

"It's what I know," Ganondorf replied. "Though I am sure you wouldn't hesitate to leave me to the Equestrians' mercy, you are not capable of subjecting the hundreds of innocent ponies here to the same fate. You fashion yourself to be a force of evil, yet your good heart makes you pathetically predictable."

"Right now, I have come up with about five different ways to shiv you and make sure you bleed out like a stuck pig before any form of first aid could be applied,” Umbra replied, inspecting her nails.

"Cute." Ganondorf turned to face Umbra fully. "Then let us spin this scenario further, just as a mental exercise, shall we? Let´s say you actually have the temerity to commit a cold blooded assassination and succeed, then what? This would not deter the Equestrians from storming Haven´s Peak, even if you were to present my head to them on a silver platter. They would merely see you as another evil creature that usurped its place by means of bloodshed and murder, that needed to be removed from the world by force. No, this war has already passed the point of no return long ago. But to continue our little thought experiment, let us say you would manage to rally the Ponies of Haven´s Peak behind you, there would still be the threat of you simply disappearing, from what I gleaned from my talks with Jacqueline and your own words. Imagine you were to disappear right in the midst of battle, robbing all these Ponies of the last semblance of a leader and completely leaving them at the Equestrians’ mercy. Which, I can assure you, is surprisingly non existent at this point despite them sharing the same species."

Umbra´s sole reply was a scalding glare. "You think you're so smart, don't you?"

"I should hope so. Otherwise I wouldn't have survived this long."

"And you know if it wasn't for my girl still being out of commission and these ponies needing a leader, I would have turned you into my own serving thrall."

Ganondorf smiled. "Ah, yes. Your friend told me about that. A most crude method that is as likely to kill someone as making them your slaves. Sloppy, unreliable and limited in use. Much like its caster."

"Ganondorf?"

"Hm?"

"Go find a nice big hole and die in it!"

The screams of the dying and wounded resonated through the war camp all through the night. Flash Sentry tried to ignore the death and destruction around him as he cantered to the command tent, the dull scraping of bone saws filling the air, the now familiar screams of pain following in their wake. Even now at dawn, ponies were still hard at work getting the wounded loaded in carts, all piled unceremoniously atop one another, to say nothing of the dozens of unfortunate victims that had been literally torn apart, all heading for a massive funeral pyre that had been alight for hours.

Flash Sentry reached the command tent and slipped inside. Already the Captain of the guard was already seated, surrounded by six of the highest-ranked ponies. Half had died in the attack the previous night and their successors by military rank had now assumed command. Flash Sentry's squad leader for the entire pegasi wing had perished as well and so now he took his place at the small war council.

"My fellow soldiers," a weary Commander Valiant Charge began. "Thank you all for attending this meeting on such short notice. Let us begin." Valiant Charge looked to the dozens of documents in front of him and selected one, holding it up for everypony to see.

"I hold in my hooves the casualty figures from last night's attack. A figure that is not yet complete, but growing as we speak, the task further slowed down by the fact ponies are simply in too many pieces to determine the exact body count." He grimaced at that, having witnessed firsthoof his brave soldiers and comrades being ripped apart by the flaring domes of light. Shining Armor scowled beside him. The Captain had soldiered through his wounds and now sat, heavily bandaged and on painkillers. Modern medicine allowed him to recover far faster, but it was clear to everypony present the toll on his body.

"How many casualties so far, Commander?" Shining Armor asked hoarsely.

"Our best estimates are roughly two hundred, and that is only from the initial assault, not counting for the wounded. It has been difficult to differentiate those who died in the initial phase of the attack and those who succumbed to their wounds, to say nothing of the fact far too many of our fellow soldiers were simply in too many pieces to gauge a correct figure." He sighed heavily and continued.

"From our estimates, over one hundred and eighty six ponies perished from the exploding domes of force that erupted from the ground. A further three hundred and nine have died from the grievous wounds sustained by the blasts, though the numbers are still trickling in, and forty six more were claimed by the foul creature that engaged our soldiers afterward. A further two hundred and fifty are out of commission for the remainder of the campaign. All in all, the death toll stands at over three hundred and ninety five, with more casualties coming in by the hour. Coupled with our wounded who are in no shape to fight, over a third of our army has been taken out of commission."

"One third!" A general shouted, slamming a hoof down on the table. "One third of our army! All by a single creature born from the union of a Minotaur and a Diamond Dog!"

"And let us not forget that during the confusion, spies infiltrated our camp, poisoned our food supplies, stole what they could and destroyed our siege weapons." another pony commented, to the surprise of some. Valiant Charge gestured to the pony, who continued. "It seems the attack last night served another purpose entirely. In the pandemonium, while our forces were engaging the witch last night, small bands of rebel saboteurs took this opportunity to sneak into our camp. Sentries standing watch over the eastern side of the mountain were found dead this morning, their throats slit. We can assume the rebels came through here and during the fight last night, infiltrated our camp. They poisoned our food supplies, stole armor, weapons, rations, medicine and put our siege engines to the torch. What's more, our engineer division was killed in their sleep, making our capability to reconstruct siege engines... limited."

Valiant Charge digested these news, as did a fair few more ponies. "We need a way to breach those walls. While our army still outnumbers them, our losses will be all the more heavy without a quick, efficient way to bypass their fortifications."

"The walls the rebels have built are simple," Shining Armor said, speaking up for the first time. "Little more than wood and stone. Our battering rams and catapults may have been destroyed, but we can still use ladders to climb up the walls."

"We would be slaughtered," Flash Sentry piped up. "Our troops would have to march while carrying them, leaving them vulnerable to archers and spellcasters. Why not wait for reinforcements and additional weapons to be brought in? It could take as little as a week and..."

"A week for our enemies to fortify their position and to allow that foul creature to recover and launch another raid against our war camp," Shining Armor countered. "With our stolen medical supplies, the witch could very well get back to her full strength in less than a week. How long do you think until she infiltrates our camp once more? Would you have us wait until she gathers her strength and deliver retribution on the rest of our own? And what of the rebel leader? He has proven to be a more cunning adversary than any of us initially thought. The more time we sit here and dawdle, the more time he has to craft insidious schemes against us, schemes that could very well prove as devastating as the witch's attack last night."

Shining Armor looked around to the assembled ponies, allowing them to take this in. "This work done by a single rebel witch tells me one thing—our enemy is desperate. It was a display of power meant to intimidate and make us question ourselves, because they know they don’t have the numbers to defeat us. Or perhaps they are in preparation to unleash an even more devastating attack."

Shining Armor and the rest of the officers considered this, deeming it too dangerous to postpone the assault.

"So it is agreed?" All presiding officers nodded, some more reluctantly than others. "Then it's settled. We attack at dawn tomorrow."

°°°

That night nopony slept well. Disciplined though they were, the Royal Guard were all to mortal, and the display of foul magics by the little human still fresh in their minds, many of them did not dare nod off, for fear the little witch would come back and reap vengeance.

So it was with no small amount of relief that Shining Armor rose from his bedroll and donned his armor. The Captain was still sore and bruised from his encounter with the sorcerous little creature but his bones were mended and he was back in fighting shape.

Not for the first time did the Captain wonder how an isolated incident of rebellion had turned into a full-fledged battle. The war with Sombra and the empire had been draining enough on Equestrian resources, costing untold amounts of gold and lives. And now this upstart rebel sought to control ponies and build himself a fortification atop Haven's Peak, increasing his forces—forces already proven to be hostile to Equestria...

No. For better or worse this rebellion had to be stamped out here and now or else Shining Armor feared his beloved kingdom would fall into ruin.

Shining Armor and Valiant Charge led the assault. Troops had been preparing the day prior, felling trees to fashion crude but sturdy ladders to climb the wall. Shields were salvaged and hastily repaired, for the front troops would be given them to form a defensive wall against spells and arrows. They had the might of the Equestrian army behind them. They couldn't afford to lose. They wouldn't, Shining Armor told himself and so the wrecked army began their laborious march to the village of Haven's Peak.

"I did not get the chance to tell you this, but I am grateful you decided to participate in the assault. Your presence instills the troops with confidence. Not many could have gone up against such a witch and come out alive," Valiant Charge told his captain.

"We are in this together, Commander, for better or worse," Shining Armor replied. "Let's just hope our fortunes will bear fruit. We can't afford any more distractions from the war."

The army marched in formation, a slow haul due to the loose earth and muddy slopes of the mountain. Rebel pegasi had rained down water on the trail, effectively slowing their advance. Shields lumbered at the front, raised and ready to defend against ranged attacks while archers and spellcasters trailed right behind. Shining Armor watched carefully for any ambushes or concealed traps.

Bringing up the front was a long line of infantry ponies, their swords sheathed as they carried the ladders, propping their shields between the rungs to help stave off ranged attacks. A number of officers cantered back and forth, keeping a sharp eye and keeping the formations intact.

The march was more or less uneventful and while some would see this as a good sign, others couldn't help but be unnerved, wondering if the enemy had something worse in store. The army marched on, and when they were able to make out the hastily built wall and gate of Haven's Peak, with sentries standing guard atop it, Commander Valiant Charge issued directions to begin preparations. The army halted after positioning itself at maximum archer range. Infantry ponies readied their shields and swords, while archers, nocked their arrows and spellcasters prepared to let loose with a volley of debilitating magic or cast protections to their brethren.

The Commander turned to his forces, ready to give his speech.

"Ponies of Equestria! Are you with me?"

"HOO-AH!" The ponies chorused, hefting their weapons.

"Are you ready to exact revenge on these vile rebels?"

"HOO-AH"

"That's the spirit! Listen to me, brothers. Victory awaits us today. We shall ride up those flimsy walls, smash them down and show those pitiful peasants and traitors what real soldiers are like! We shall hunt down every single rebel, then burn and execute them on their own homes! And finally... finally, we will capture that blasted witch, strip her of her clothes and armor, shatter her limbs and let every stallion who has lost a brother to her foul sorceries have his way with her! What do you say to that?"

"HOO-AH!"

When preparations were finally ready, Valiant Charge gave the order.

"Archers! Fire!"

The battle for Haven's Peak began in earnest.

"What´s wrong, Breeze?"

Summer Breeze, one of the sentries on Haven's Peak's new wall looked over to her comrade, Gumball. The stallion was a foalhood friend of hers, one whom she loved dearly but sometimes he could be denser than a granite boulder.

Summer Breeze gestured with one armored hoof towards the newest addition in their master's arsenal, the weird, red, devil-like creatures with the bright glowing bellies who littered the whole length of the wall now. "It´s these... things. They freak me out to no end, Gum."

The stallion hummed, tilting his head as he watched two of the red creatures chittering amongst each other, occasionally belching up small flecks of flame, which in turn normally resulted in maniacal laughter from both sides.

"I admit, the laughter is a bit off-putting but all in all, these little guys look rather tame compared to everything else. Sure, they breathe fire but so do Dragons but these little fellows don't toast you just because they can. Their claws are tiny and they have no thick scales. Hay, I bet one good buck could squish them."

"Ach, stallions!" Breeze face hoofed, resulting in a loud clang as her shoe met her helmet. "How can you be so nonplussed, Gum? Don't tell me the fact that they just jumped out of the ground did not worry you at least a bit?" The mare gestured to the weird ring of stone with the red mist wafting out of it that sat at the base of the wall. "For all we know, we could be sitting atop a massive burrow of these things! And what about that tall, black creature that opened these holes and called them here?"

"You mean the one with the burning sword yes? Well, I thought she just might be their leader or their mother or something. They seem to obey her without hesitation." Gumball watched with fascination as one of the devil things spat a glob of fire in it´s armored hand, only to smash it into the face of the other devil. Surprisingly, that only made both even laugh harder and more hysterically. "Okay, I might see what you mean there Breeze." Gumball conceded. "But hey, at least they are on our side, yes?"

Summer Breeze´s ears flicked suddenly. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"There is something whistling..." Breeze looked up and her ears splayed back. "Arrows!"

Without waiting for her friend to react, she tackled Gumball and pressed both of them against the wall, praying that would grant them at least some sort of protection. Not seconds later, a hail of arrows fell down, piercing into the wood of the wall, the ground behind the wall and clinking loudly against the sentries' armor.

After she was sure that all arrows were down, Summer Breeze dared to look up. Her surroundings looked like a massive pin-cushion. A few of the red creatures had literally been riddled with arrows and were in the process of dissolving into a disturbing cloud that looked like a skull of sorts. "Hey Gumball? Gum? Are you alright?" She asked, looking at her friend.

"I think there is an arrow sticking in my butt," Gumball groaned.

"What a loss for the Equinity," Summer Breeze snarked as she noticed that there was only a fine, red line running down Gumballs flank, barley a glorified scratch. Then she looked over the wall and her heart nearly leaped out of her throat. The Royal Guard was here! Nearly tripping over the still cowering Gumball, Summer Breeze reached for the signal horn and blew it with all her might.

Shining Armor watched, pleased that a number of the arrows had found their marks. Even from a distance he could see the strange red colored creatures stationed atop the walls and that some of them seemed to turn into some sort of cloud as the arrows speared them. The uncouth little beasts that had survived the assault taunted and jeered in some inane language, making faces and turning around before slapping their buttocks, mocking him and his fellow soldiers.

From beside him Valiant Charge sneered at the display, while Shining Armor's line drew in a tight line. These goblin-like vermin and the brown colored ilk that, by witnesses' accounts, burst out of the ground during the witch's assault, had not been before documented as a part of the rebel leader's forces. Perhaps he'd come into their possession recently? Or had he been keeping their existence secret until forced to play his hoof?

Intelligence was frustratingly limited when it came to the rebel leader. Wherever he came from, he had made it a priority to keep as much of himself as he could a secret. His origins were unknown, his brand of magic and foul sorceries foreign to the Equestrians' record keepers. His goals and motives remained shrouded in mystery. They couldn't even place the name of his species, and what limitations they might possess, to say nothing of that devastating projectile weapon he'd been seen employing, and now the witch...

There were too many unknowns to Shining Armor's taste. True, the rebel forces were a pittance compared to his army, but that didn’t stop the rebel leader from springing some very unpleasant surprises that took his forces by surprise and decimated the brave ponies under his watch. Ideally, Shining Armor would prefer to gather intelligence before engaging such a deceptive, resourceful foe, but the more time the creature was allowed to run free, the more power he gathered. That his actions clearly spoke of hostility to Equestria was the final straw. No, whatever he was, whatever his motives may have been, he and his forces were a blight that needed to be extinguished as quickly as possible.

"Second Volley!" Valiant Charge called out. Countless arrows nocked in their bows before being let loose, sailing like a dark cloud through the air. At the sight of this, the little red creatures' eyes bugged out and started running around haphazardly, arms waving like windmills in a mad attempt to avoid the projectiles. What stunned Valiant Charge and Shining Armor was how effective this proved to be, for none of the little beasts had been struck.

"Third Volley!" Valiant Charge cried out, annoyed. But as the archers readied their arrows, a lone, lumbering figure made its presence known. Shining Armor's eyes narrowed as who could only be the rebel leader appeared at the center of the walls, seemingly unbothered by the advancing army. The tall biped of armor and muscle raised a hand and within it, a surge or red magics pooled before the creature let them loose... and high into the air, where it exploded in a flashy show of lights.

Shining Armor looked to the Commander, clearly confused and Valiant Charge mirrored the expression. The archers too had stopped, clearly expecting... more.

"Calm yourselves, everypony," Valiant Charge boomed. Shining Armor sent officers down the line to return some semblance of order to the ponies, who had halted, befuddled at the strange action by the rebel leader. The rather confused infantry at the front continued their march with halfhearted enthusiasm. Already they entered in range of the enemy archers and spellcasters. Too few of the former, though a straggle of arrows and spells continued to pelt the advancing line. Not enough to cause much concern, but the decline in ponypower was certainly noticeable.

"Third Volley! Move!"

The archers regained their composure and fired. Shining Armor watched the volley fly, but almost immediately he noticed something was amiss. While the majority of the arrows made their way to the walls, a second wave rose higher than the rest, almost heading skyward. He wondered whether the order had been misheard from the archers in the back, but as the errant volley flew back down, the sinister intent crashed down on Shining Armor with horrifying clarity.

The advancing line of Equestrians was fortified and well defended to shield against attacks from the front, fashioned to halt incoming attacks or deflect arrows, the advancing line only keeping eyes on the scene before them, and completely oblivious to the rain of death bearing down from above.

Pandemonium reigned as Equestrians fell under the sudden and unexpected blow. The amount of dead and outright injured was enough for the Equestrian line to halt, several holes in its formation, the sheer surprise halting soldiers in their tracks.

Those squads that carried the siege ladders and many others dropped what they were doing immediately and searched frantically, looking for a possible ambush. Then any semblance of order in the ranks of the Equestrian army completely dissolved.

A furious officer charged forward towards the confused and disarrayed mass of archers and pinned down an archer before the stallion could react, yelling obscenities. Then, the archer grabbed a nearby rock and caved in the officer's skull. The defiant arched stood amongst his stunned brethren, raising the bloodstained rock and yelled something out, too faint for Shining Armor to hear over the commotion, but a third of the archers then mirrored his cry and the Captain could hear it loud and clear.

"For the glory of the Demon King!"

The frenzied archers immediately turned on their brethren, slitting throats and stabbing backs. Those who simply couldn't comprehend their situation died outright while those who were of quicker mind dropped their bows and drew a dagger to defend themselves. A vicious battle broke out amongst the infantry and the assault on Haven's Peak was forgotten as the bewildered Equestrians engaged in a fierce battle for survival. Innumerable numbers of Equestrians spread out to do battle with their counterparts. Infighting started amongst the disciplined soldiers, the turncoats' armor and visage mirroring them entirely, making it impossible to figure out who among them were traitors until an often times lethal first blow was struck. Lifelong friends and acquaintances turned on each other, believing the other to be traitors, desperately fighting an enemy they could not spot.

Then the rebels' archers let loose with their own volley, focusing on pockets of organized resistance and further fueling the chaos. Atop the walls, the strange red creatures begun their attack in earnest with wild and incomprehensible war cries.

Then fire rained from the sky. A rain of Firebolts pelted mostly the ground in front of the Equestrians, but some reached far enough to hit their mark. Most guards were lucky enough and the fiery globs did nothing more than singe some fur but one pony was not so lucky. The first archer who had changed sides had no time to react properly before his whole body lit up like a torch, crumbling into a thrashing heap.

The rebel spellcasters engaged in battle with their Equestrian counterparts, doing their utmost to prevent devastating elemental attacks from tearing either side. While the Equestrian spellcasters held the greater numbers, the rebels had the luxury of warding their predetermined positions with powerful runes, erected by courtesy of their leader. Incoming fireballs were completely snuffed out, lightning bolts diverted harmlessly into stone or upturned mounds of earth and telekinetic assaults turned back at their attackers. Everything thrown at the rebel mages atop the walls simply didn't have any effect.

The archers worked in tandem with the spellcasters, overcoming their Equestrian counterparts and adding to the fuel of panic that spread across the Equestrian line. Those at the edges of the formation threw down their weapons and anything weighing them down and ran for their lives.

A slow, lumbering creak and the gates of Haven's Peak were raised. A battalion of heavily armored infantry surged forth, clad in hellish red armor, the very earth trembling under their heavy hoofsteps. The mere sight of these heavily armored berserkers broke what semblance of discipline remained among the Equestrians.

"For the glory of the Demon King!"

The unified roar of the rebels succeeded in routing the Equestrian line. Many soldiers abandoned the fray and galloped downhill as fast as they legs would allow, but even then they received no mercy. An example had to be made of them, for daring to challenge the powerful rebel leader.

Waiting for them were strange creatures, resembling the ones atop the walls that lobbed fireballs at them without pause, but brown in color, heavily armored and waiting patiently for the panicking soldiers. Spears, halberds, maces and swords felled ponies by the dozens, the unrelenting little creatures working as a cohesive fighting force as they advanced like a pack of hungry timberwolves. Pegasi swept through the skies, dropping bombs that exploded in roiling flames, jagged ice, searing lightning or poisonous gases, taking yet another high toll from the Loyalists.

"This... this is betrayal on an unimaginable scale!" Valiant Charge growled, shaking with fury.

Shining Armor, despite his wounds, managed to dispatch a rebel who tried to kill them. "It seems the rebel leader has no shortage of tricks to spring upon us." he said grimly.

A nearby mage, along with two fellow brethren worked in tandem to stem the overwhelming projectile attacks fired in their direction. "The creature must have addled the minds of our own with his foul sorceries! What other explanation could there be for so many brothers to turn against us?"

"I don’t know, comrade. I simply do not know." said Valiant Charge.

"Then what are we waiting for? With me, colts! We must cleanse these vile magics from our brothers' minds."

"No, stop!" Shining Armor commanded, but too late. The three headstrong ponies charged at a unified group of turncoats, their horns radiating potent magic.

"Cleanse yourselves, and be free!" The ponies chanted and a thick wave of magical power doused the frenzied ponies, making most of them and quite a few of the unaddled Equestrians, halt their actions. More than a few looks of puzzlement were directed at the mages.

Then an innocuous bolt of magic hit the lead mage in the face, itself exploding in a shower of gore. The remaining two were riddled with arrows or their armor split by the heavy blows of the berserkers.

Shining Armor was nothing if not saddened by this turn of events. The sheer feeling of hopelessness he felt at watching his army tearing itself apart from the inside consumed his being. "This battle was lost before it began. We need to retreat, Commander, and gather what forces we can."

"Retreat!" The commander said furiously. "I will not run with my tail between my legs like some filthy Diamond Dog! That fell creature must pay in blood for the lives his foul sorceries have claimed this day!"

Shining Armor put a hoof on the Commander's withers. "I know your pain, comrade, really I do. But this is not the time for such a rash action. Our troops will die if we stay here any longer. We owe it to them to salvage what lives we can in return for this failed assault."

Valiant Charge looked like he so wanted to explode into action, but his friend's words got through. "You are right, Captain," he said, his voice now weary. "We must ride back and provide leadership for those ponies who have yet survived."

"Then let's be on our way."

Shining Armor and his Commander rallied what troops they could and fought their way down the slope, felling as many traitors and rebels as they could. Their path led them into the thick of the mountain, forgoing the main road where stray pegasi followed, dropping explosive payloads on the retreating ponies. Archers and rangers that had lived and prowled the mountains their whole lives gave chase, pelting them with arrows and bolts of magic dropped their numbers further.

By the time Shining Armor and his remaining soldiers reached a rocky, steep cliff, only Valiant Charge and a dozen additional soldiers remained.

"So it is to be our last stand," the Captain muttered to himself, readying his weapons. Only the sight of his composure managed to bring some semblance of discipline to the ponies, who barely managed to keep from shuddering as legions of rebels emerged out of the woodwork, these bloodthirsty brown creatures skittering amongst them, many now wearing stolen Guard helmets as trophies.

Shining Armor hefted his sword and readied to charge. If this was to be his death, then he would take as many rebels as he could.

"Brother! Wait!"

Shining Armor was dumbstruck as a very winded Twilight emerged from the throngs of advancing rebels.

"Twily?" He whispered, hardly able to believe his eyes. Right there, from the ranks of his enemies emerged his beloved little sister. Strangely enough, she did not look like a prisoner. Maybe aside from one of the brown kobolds sitting on her back, waving its sword enthusiastically in the air or at least until it was plucked off by Twilight's telekinetic grasp and hurried back into the mass of enemy soldiers.

"T-twily? What are you doing here?" Shining Armor felt an odd mix of relief and dread well up in his heart. "They... you were... intelligence had you reported as... as fallen. How...?"

Twilight was now standing halfway between the rebel forces and the remainders of the Royal Guard troops. Her lab coat was fluttering in a slight breeze, revealing a glint of metal underneath as a ray of light fell on a harness in the same color like those the rebel’s forces wore.

The mare scuffed the ground with her hoof lightly before looking at the stallion that was her brother again. "It... it is a long story, really and not a very pleasant one, believe me."

"Captain Armor, who is this mare?" Valiant Charge stepped up besides Shining Armor. "More importantly, can´t you see that she is wearing the rebel scum's armor? We shouldn't be talking with her, we should..." The stallion immediately shut up as Shining Armor stared him down with a glare that could have culled an adult dragon.

"This is my little sister, Twilight."

"Your sister is a traitor?!" Valiant Charge demanded furiously.

"No!" The Captain snapped. "That's... that's not what's happening here." He looked back to his sister, a myriad of emotions rushing through her face. "Right, Twily?"

"Shiny, I..." Twilight gulped. "Yes, I am a part of the rebel forces," she forced out the words.

"Your own sister is a traitor to the crown! She just admitted to high treason!" The Commander shouted. "This makes me question your own loyalties, Shining Armor. How else would the rebels be able to deliver such a devastating strike against our forces? How else could all these traitors have infiltrated our ranks? All this makes a suspicious amount of sense now!"

"My allegiance lies to Equestria alone!" Shining Armor shouted, greatly offended at the accusation.

"Be that as it may," a new voice said and a Unicorn mare advanced. "Our leader Ganondorf is ready to grant you mercy, should you drop your weapons and surrender. We are under orders to bring you back alive, Captain." she nodded to Shining Armor. "Your compatriots, however, are none of my concern. If they don’t drop their weapons and surrender before our leader, they will be cut down where they stand."

That statement seemed to delight the brown creatures as they left the main mass of the rebels, their blood caked weapons glimmering in the light and demented, murderous glee shone in their eyes but then, they all stopped at once, like clockwork toys whose mechanisms had all run out at one. Now they only blinked owlishly at the Equestrian, their heads slightly cocked.

"Shining, please," Twilight pleaded. "Do as she says. I will explain everything but you and your ponies have to surrender. You will be unharmed, I personally guarantee it."

At this, a single Pegasus stallion, Flash Sentry, was the first to drop his weapons and eagerly joined the rebel line. The remaining loyal guards were quick to follow and were summarily cuffed and restrained.

"Cowards!" Valiant Charge howled in fury. "All of you, cowards! I will personally execute you for this dereliction of duty!" The Commander hefted his own war axe and charged at the dissenting ponies, but he was promptly bombarded with arrows and globs of searing hellfire.

"Now that that unpleasant business is over with," the lead mare said plaintively as the former commander's body burned into a crisp. "Will you come with us, great warrior?"

Shining Armor scowled. "Very well. Take me to your leader."

[Umbra´s POV]

Ganondorf lounged easily on the imposing, throne-like chair fashioned for him in the longhouse, satisfied by the fortuitous events of the day. The Equestrians had been caught with their metaphorical pants down, clearly not expecting the Gerudo overlord's cunning to bite them so deep in the ass.

Jackie's raid the other night had served more than one purpose. The diminished enemy force was a boon in itself, but in the commotion, a number of Ganondorf's troops had infiltrated the Loyalists' camp and donned the golden armor of the guard, itself enchanted to mask its wearer's appearance. His best troops had infiltrated the Equestrian line and after that, it was merely a matter of giving the signal for his forces to announce their presence and instigate the enemy's revolt.

Of course, more of his raiders that night had made off with food supplies, medicine and medicinal tools, weapons, intelligence reports and anything else they could get their hooves on.

Ganondorf smiled, pleased. Though the ponies certainly held the advantage of magic, it seemed humans or at least he was a step ahead in matters of war, an art refined and perfected since the dawn of mankind.

And now, the proud Captain Shining Armor was brought to him in irons. Twilight had pleaded with him for hours on end to spare her beloved brother, and while Ganondorf was insistent he should die as a consequence of defying him, Twilight did bring up a good point. Allow him to live and serve under him. As Captain of the Royal Guard, the stallion would be privy to valuable enemy intelligence that could help him outmaneuver the Equestrians and exploit their weaknesses.

"Shining Armor," Ganondorf drawled. "So you're the Captain of the guard. One can't help but wonder why such an important figure as yourself is leading the charge on a little Revolte."

From a corner of the room, I scoffed, having insisted on participating on the meeting. I hadn't forgotten the punishment Shining Armor had inflicted on Jackie, who laid stoned out of her mind in the infirmary at the moment and I fully well intended to somehow get back at him for that, in whatever way I deemed appropriate.

"Probably because he is one of the best shield conjurers in the whole guard, maybe except for Celestia and Luna themselves. One of the few competent members of the whole Guard too, so sending him as a leader is the only logical thing to do." I jabbed, idly playing with my longsword.

Shining Armor bristled at the jab. "The Royal Guard is Equestria's best line of defense..."

"And sent running like a bunch of scared rabbits!" I mocked, smiling maliciously. Shining Armor's jaw tightened.

"Do you know why you have been brought here, Captain?" Ganondorf asked.

"No."

"You are here for no other reason than your sister," he motioned to Twilight, who had never left her brother's side. "She convinced me to capture you alive and indoctrinate you into my ranks, to serve as another faithful soldier."

"You think I would serve you after what you did to my ponies?" Shining demanded incredulously. "Two thousand troops, almost all dead by your hoof!"

"Oh come on Shiny, think about it," a new voice could be heard as a light pink Alicorn with a tri colored mane sauntered towards the stallion. "Don´t you think you can do it, for me?" The tall mare then leaned forward to whisper into Shining's ear. "I´ll make it worth your while." But while she said it, her voice lost its sweet quality and instead a distorted voice came out of the mare's muzzle, like two voices speaking out of synch.

Eyes wide, Shining Armor's ears splayed back. "Cadence? No... this voice..."

Twilight at his side was equally standing ramrod stiff as she stared at the being in front of her brother.

A cruel, sharp toothed smile broke all over Cadence's muzzle as her body flickered like a phantasm in the desert before the spell fizzled out and revealed me, a sardonic grin plastered all over my face.

"Oh, your face! I must do a great Cadence, hn? I mean, I do Cadence greatly, so that´s kind of a self-answering question." I never for a second tried to hide my mocking tone as I soaked in the shocked expression of the white stallion, turning to walk back to the corner I previously stood in.

"Creature! What have you done with my wife?!" Shining Armor roared and lunged for the me, but the rebel guards restrained him.

"Oh, don't get your panties in a twist. Other than fucking her pretty Princess brain out, I haven't done anything to her. Swearsie Realsies." I sing-songed before forming a V shape with my fingers around my mouth and performing very obvious, very lewd licking motions between them.

Shining Armor swelled with fury "You...!"

"Get dunked on punk." I waved the fuming stallion off as I returned to my corner, once again leaning against a support beam. That had been a satisfactory start, really satisfactory.

Ganondorf snapped his fingers and a sharp snapping noise like a firecracker quelled the Captain's furious diatribe.

"Why were you sent here, Captain? Answer the question."

Armor glared at me, to which I promptly gave him the finger but he answered nonetheless. "I was sent to assess the threat you and your rebels posed to Equestria and to determine whether you should all be exterminated."

"And your assessment?"

"You all need to be destroyed immediately." he replied with a hard voice.

An outbreak of threats and exclamations broke out as the Havenites who had been allowed to attend the meeting raged at the Captain's words, shouting threats, insults and urging Ganondorf to smite him where he stood. Ganondorf raised a hand and the ponies silenced, but still shot glares at the unbowed Captain.

"Shining Armor, for your crimes and malicious intent to me and my ponies, you would normally be sentenced to a swift death." His eyes found Twilight's but for a moment.

"Dibs on his soul!" I chimed in happily. Ganondorf continued on, not paying any heed.

"But your sister Twilight has made a case for you. She believes you would be more useful to me alive than dead. She has served me well and faithfully these past few months and it is only because of her that you still draw breath. So," he said and sat straight up. "Will you serve me and act as my vassal? Will you lay down your life for me and serve to the best of your ability, knowing refusal will mean your death?"

Shining Armor couldn't believe his ears as he stared incredulously at the massive Gerudo.

"Of course I won't join you!" He spat.

"Shining, please..."

"No, Twilight, this I cannot do. This monster killed my brothers and conscripted you into his service. I know you, Twilight. You're a good pony and yet you're here, serving this foul creature! What vile magics has he worked on you? What will he do to me? Am I to remain a slave for the rest of my life, giving myself to this monster that killed thousands of my brothers? No, I refuse it!"

"Well, charisma check failed, Ganon. What now? Waterboarding? Beatings with bamboo rods? Making him listen to ABBA?" I asked as Twilight burst into tears, pleading for her brother to change his mind.

"Shining you idiot, they're going to kill you!"

"I don't care," the stoic pony said calmly. "All my life I wanted to help ponies and defend Equestria. I forged lifelong bonds with my brothers and swore my service to the princess. Submitting myself to this creature's will goes against everything I live for." He looked into his sister's eyes, and his visage softened. "I'm sorry, Twily, I really am, but this is not a path I can walk." He brushed her cheek with his hoof.

"I'm sorry," Twilight whispered. Shining Armor could only look on in puzzlement as Twilight immobilized him, her magic flaring about, enveloping his frame and rendering him immobile.

"Twilight?" The captain rasped, only being allowed control of his mouth. "What are you doing?"

Ganondorf answered his question. "It is by Twilight's will that you were not cut down in the battlefield, captain. Your life, every breath you've drawn henceforth is her doing and her responsibility. It is because of this that she will be the one to carry out your execution." Ganondorf calmly explained to the horrified stallion.
That again struck me like electric shock. Holy fuck, this asshole was even more detestable than I thought. Making siblings kill each other, you just don´t do that!

"No! Monster! How dare you?!" Shining Armor screamed in outrage. Twilight's small frame entered his sight. Tears streaked down her muzzle, eyes bloodshot and a dagger wavering unsteadily in her magical grasp, yet a spark of determination, of unyielding will flickered in her eyes. Shining Armor knew there and then his sister would carry out the foul creature's will. "Twilight, no..."

"I'm sorry, Shiny. I have to." Twilight croaked. Shining Armor could see it clearly now. Ganondorf's dark magics had corrupted the mind of his beloved little sister. She loved him still, he saw throughout their brief reunion traces of the Twilight he had come to know, but her life and her mind belonged to Ganondorf. His will was her command and she would carry out her orders, regardless of the bond they shared.

This horrifying realization was too much for Shining Armor to bear. "Stop!" He yelled with as much authority as he could inflect in his voice. Twilight immediately halted, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "I accept," Shining Armor whispered. Twilight's hold on him eased, but remained strong, enough so that Shining could now look at Ganondorf, a look of pure, venomous spite and hate in his features. "I will do whatever you want. I will serve you faithfully to the best of my ability. Just... just don’t make my sister do this!" he said, defeated.

Ganondorf smiled, pleased. "So be it." He then looked to the two guards flanking the Captain. "Lock him in the cells. I will deal with him tomorrow." The ponies saluted and hauled the defeated stallion, Twilight hurrying after them, keeping her brother company.

"Well, that was somehow unsatisfying." I commented, then turned to the gathered Havenites. "Alright, enough of the doom and gloom. Today was a huge success thanks to all of ya, you kicked some of Equestria's finest square in the balls so hard even Celestia will feel it all the way to Canterlot. Let's party!" I yelled to the enthusiastic cheers of the ponies. Deep inside, I was just so unspeakably relieved that I had not to watch Twilight kill Shining right then and there. As much as I loathed him for banging up Jackie, he did not deserved that fate.

Throughout the settlement, the Havenites reveled in their mighty victory against the larger Equestrian army, celebrating through the night, feasting, drinking, dancing and singing. The Minions joined in eagerly, reenacting the scene of the battle and those imitating the invaders cowering and running like headless chickens at the disastrous rout, eliciting laughs from the colts and fillies. Even Ganondorf partook in the wine that flowed like water, I popped up all over the place, never staying in one place to long but always toasting with some partying Havenites, telling some dirty jokes but always maneuvering around Ganondorfs general surroundings. As much as I wanted to pay back Shining Armor for all the pain he brought down on Jackie, seeing the stubborn stallion so cruelly and ruthlessly manipulated by Ganondorf gave me a truly sick feeling in my stomach.

After a while, I managed to slip away from the party, making my way to the cabin Jackie was still resting in, a jar of wine on one hand and a loaf of bread in the other.

With the battle for Haven's Peak now over, it was only a matter of time before I and Jackie went back to my home, and away from this twisted, nightmarish world the Demon King made his own.

The sooner, the better!

Author's Notes:

One more chapter and the "Renegade Arc" will be over, Jackie will be sent on her merry way and Umbra will be left to her own devices again.

Let´s get this show on the road then, shall we?