Night Patrol ch 31

By Foxgear

“Come on, we gotta go! Move, move, move!”

The sound of hooves clattering against wood as three ponies gallop at full speed down the decimated hallways. The floor creak and moan as the wood beneath their hooves crack and snap with every stomp. As they round the corner the three of them ran into a half wrecked pillar bringing down the ceiling and sealing the passage behind them, a chorus of angry screeches follow as their pursuers claw at the rubble.

The three ponies continue on their way, stopping at a junction where a small trickle of sunlight stream down through the floors of the wrecked airship, the Solar Flare.

“Shock, Jockey, how are you holding up,” Trifecta, one of the triplets, asks passing around the canteen. The two light blue rinin drunk hurriedly, tiny sparks of electricity surging between their lips as they drank.

“The thunder brothers are ready to go,” They reply in unison, a flash of blue lightning dancing between them has they brohooved.

Trifecta rolls his eyes, use to the two’s antics since having been place in a squad with them. He’d rather have his brothers, Thrice and Trinity. They were called the triplets for a reason and he felt off not fighting beside them. Alas he didn’t have much choice. His brothers were off with other teams under orders from Commander Topaz, while he was to check out the wreckage of the Solar Flare and search for clues to the whereabouts of the crew.

Entering a nearby cabin, he peers out the window out into the once lush landscape of the Everfree forest. Now a barren wasteland of stumps and burned grass, at least part of it was, mainly the section where the road leading to the castle was destroyed. Since the griffons began their siege on the castle they’ve cut out a great swath of the forest for resources and to lessen the forest’s attacks on them. They found out the hard way what happens when you cut down an Everfree tree, it didn’t go down without a fight.

Trifecta continues stare out the window, hardly believing a month has passed since the war started. Princess Luna and Emerald Cutter were missing, Princess Celestia was still bed ridden, only recently regaining her mobility since doing her mass teleport. Sixes, Applejack, and whatever of the remaining Solar Flare crew were also missing, but were still alive and fighting somewhere and they have yet been able to send word to Kira in Nippon, the griffons intercepting their messages and were somehow able to block any fire scroll messages from getting through. Add on top of all that, all their airships were grounded and wrecked. Things weren’t looking good for them that was for sure.

Checking on the two thunder ponies, Trifecta was unsurprise to see them playfully shocking each other to pass the time. The two were much too playful for his tastes, especially when they were so far away from the castle. The Solar Flare had only been twenty miles away from home when she was taken out of the sky. Still it was clear the crew put up a hell of a fight given the barriers and damage around the ship. They must have been fighting till recently, if only they could have made it here sooner.

“Shock, go and check out the next section of the ship, and see if you can find some clues to where the crew went. Jockeys…”

“Sorry boss, no can do,” Jockey interrupts, making Trifecta grind his teeth. “I know you don’t work us often, but remember me and my bro here can only use our thunder if we’re together, so where one goes, the other goes and all that. You get me?”

He rumbles temple in frustration. “Fine, go, I don’t care. Just be quiet. The enemy is still around.”

The two salute and trot off, poking each other with lightning, it was official. Those two were gonna get them killed.

“Why couldn’t I have just been paired with Nightingale? She’s been acting crazy, but at least she’s professionally crazy. I wonder how she’s doing. She shouldn’t be too far from our location.” The ship began to rubble, interrupting his musings; he didn’t have to guess what happened.

“Thunder brothers hoo!”

Trifecta rubs his temples, this was gonna be his entire day wasn’t it? Sighing deeply he gallops down the hall to the brothers and to no surprise found them fighting a bunch of griffons. The two were running circles around the griffons, zapping here and there with their custom lightning teleportation spell. They look like a blue bolt of lightning flying through the air, moving randomly and chaotically through the air with no sense of where they were going. Which he was certain was the case.

“Stop fooling around and take them out!” He roars unleashing a wave of fire at the griffons. The flames hit their armor causing it to light up with runes; the flames were quickly eaten by the enchanted armor. This was just great, anti-rinin troopers. Griffons outfitted with armor customize with magic to neutralize dragon pony abilities. There weren’t a lot of them, but they were dangerous without a doubt. One trooper wore necklace of claws around his neck, trophies from his fallen brethren.

Seething with rage Trifecta rushes the trooper, grabbing him by the chest plate he hoists the griffon up. The griffon’s beak opens, letting out a horrible screech, but that was what he wanted. Chest ballooning Trifecta breaths fire down the griffon’s throat, burning the body from the inside out. He rips the necklace from the griffon’s neck, kicking away the burning body.

“Run!” He orders the twins. The three quickly jumped down a hole in the floor making a break for the lower levels as their pursuers reorganize.

“Why we runnin’?” Shock questions as they descend to the engine room.

“Yeah, we can take ‘em!” Jockey agreed.

“That’s not our mission.” He rebukes. “Our mission is to get to the engines and make this wreck burn before the enemy can use our own technology against us. After that we need to find the missing crew and get them back home safety. You two did remember our rally point to meet up with Nightingale and her unit right?” The twins nod. “Good, now keep quiet and follow me. The engine room should be just over here.”

The three enter the wrecked room. Hard to believe a month had already pass since the Solar Flare went down, but the Everfree forest was already growing through the bottom of the ship. Not that it was anything Trifecta needs to worry about, he just needed to focus on finding Sixes, Fury, and Applejack, not ponder why weeds were growing through the bottom of the ship so fast.

“Doesn’t look like the griffons have been down here yet, I don’t see any tracks.” He observes stepping into the forage. Passing by one of the gem generators Trifecta peeks inside. “The gem is gone.”

“This one too!” Shock states from the opposite side if the room.

“Same here,” chimes Jockey from down by the main engine, “Looks like all the gems are gone.”

Trifecta’s brow frowns. Why were the gems gone? Were they destroyed in the crash or did the crew take them? It was hard to fathom that the crew had the time to take all the gems out while fleeing. Unless they had already began removing them as they went down and if that were the case. Why?

“Let’s go check out the main engine body. There might be some clues there. After that we need to get out of here, those griffons won’t be far behind, you two remember what to do right?”

“You know it Commander Tri, we’ll blow this place sky high in one go!” Shock said confidently.

“Just give the word and we’ll thunder brother this place to smithereens!” Jockey said jovial with glee as sparks shower from his horn.

Why couldn’t these two be more professional? Would it have been that hard to find some other ponies for this mission? Trifecta sighs, he was being to lose count of how many times he's done that today.

“Whatever, just come with me.”

“Got it boss!”

Trotting to the back of the engine room, the three sally up to the massive machine, admiring the engineering behind it. Gadget, or rather Starwind, had put a massive effort into upgrading the engine since the first model, making it more powerful and reliable, it shame they’ll have to blow it up.

“Shock, Jockey, charge up and blow this thing, I’ll keep watch.” Trifecta instructs taking point towards the middle of the room. He kept an eye on the door, while the twins charge up their attack, they couldn’t let the griffons recover the engine or anything in this ship. It all had to be destroyed.

The sound of feet rushing down the stairs could be heard. Trifecta prepares himself for battle, readying a fire blast to block the entrance and slow the enemy advance. He just needs to buy the twins a few minutes to get enough power built up, then they could overload the engines and they could scram, hopefully before the whole thing explodes. Starwind had calculated it down the T, they would have ten seconds to escape. Ten seconds to blast their way through the hull and fly to safety. Hopefully Shock and Jockey could build enough of charge to use their lightning teleport otherwise he’d have to carry them out.

“Are you two almost done?” No answer. “Hey Shock, Jockey… where the hell are you?” The twins were gone! He was gonna kill them!

From the stairwell a griffon yells, “Somepony is down there! Get him!”

Trifecta curse under his breath as he moves back where he left the twins. They couldn’t just vanish. Ok they could, but despite their unprofessional conduct, he knew for a fact they wouldn’t turn tail and run. No patroller would leave another behind. Something must have happen to them, but what?

The voices got closer. His hind leg touch the base of the engine. He had few options. He could stay and fight, run away and flight the army outside, or he could hide and try to lose his pursuers. Hiding would probably the logical thing to do, but he was in favor of the fighting option personally.

“Damnit, no choice then,” Growling Trifecta dug in for the fight. He would need… what was that sound behind him?

A voice said, “Come here.”

“There are no ponies here.”

“I swear I heard them!”

“Shut up, we gotta find them! We can’t return to the king empty clawed again!” The squad leader squawks angrily. “Damn ponies are tricky.”

Trifecta watches through the narrow crack as the griffons file out of the engine room, the claw over his muzzle moves away, allowing him to turn and see his savior, Sixes. Behind him was Shock and Jockey.

“Commander Sixes! It’s a relief to see you.” Sixes shushes him and waves towards a small opening in the ground. Silently Trifecta and the brothers follow the black rinin down into the depths of the earth. It reminds him of their home in the caves of Firehorn; it was kind of funny in a strange way.

At the end of the tunnel Sixes come to a stop, “We’re here, it’s safe to speak.”

Where was here, Trifecta wonders moving past Sixes, his mouth agape at the sight of a brightly lit cavern, lit by the missing gems. The cave wasn’t gigantic, but it was big enough for what looked like the missing Solar Flare crew. Tanks were lined up on one side, with tents and cargo on the other, and on the other side the anchors were dug deep into the earth.

“You let the anchors loose, digging a hole under the ship as you went down and then hide everypony under the ship! No wonder we couldn’t find you.”

Sixes nods, “It was Applejack’s idea. We held off the griffons and zebra, while a team dug the tunnel we came through and then we set off a bunch of explosions and sent out teams towards the castle while the rest of us went underground. We’ve been stealing from the enemy camp for supplies, and interrupting their supply lines. Did anypony from the decoy team make it to the castle?”

Trifecta bit his lip, “A few did, but they were badly injured, they didn’t last long once they got back. All they could tell us that you and the other were alive, but they weren’t able to give us your location.”

“I see. What’s the situation at the castle?”

“That’s all you have to say?” Trifecta interjects harshly. He had been one of the ones to recuse the fliers as they made a break for the castle. He had stayed with them as they struggled for life, to have them be dismissed so easily, it didn’t sit well with him, especially since it was Sixes, their leader since the beginning doing it.

The black rinin turns to him, his eyes almost dead, “What more do I need to say? I wish it didn’t have to be this way, but I don’t have time mourn every brother and sister anymore when I’m too busy keeping the ones still alive safe. Now what’s the situation at the castle?”

The two stare each other down, till Trifecta snorts and turn away, “Topaz and Crusader destroyed the bridge crossing the canyon, stopping the zebra and elephants from crossing. Nearly every day the griffons launch and assault on the castle and we repel them. Princess Celestia remains bedridden from extreme magic exhaustion and we have had no word of Princess Luna or Emerald Cutter. We can’t even get a message to Kira in Nippon. I would have thought she would have returned by now.”

“Not if she’s gotten married to the prince there.” Sixes scoffs, he heard about Kira’s situation from some of the crew. He didn’t really “feel” very happy about one of his kin being the interest of international politics. A visit to Nippon was defiantly in order once this war was over.

Trifecta coughs, “Regardless, what is your plan for getting out of here Sixes? Nightingale has a unit nearby; we can’t just leave her searching aimlessly for us.”

“And we won’t,” Sixes agreed, “Applejack, Fury, how are we coming?” The two commanders come running up to the group, each of them covered in grease and sweat.

“The tanks are ready to go, it took a while to get the parts to fix them from the crash site, but they’ll run.” Applejack states wiping her brow.

“We got enough gems to power them all the way to the castle. Give or take a mile or two.”

Sixes nods, “Good, get as many ponies as you can inside, no fliers.”

As Applejack and Fury left to fulfill their orders, Trifecta stood next to Sixes trying to figure out the lead Rinin’s plan. There were about eight tanks and maybe one hundred, one twenty, ponies. That was a third of the crew, not only that but at least half of them were injured. What could Sixes be planning?

Then it hit him! “You’re going to use the tanks to get them back to the castle and then fly them across? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Those machines ride rough, that’s no way to transport injured personal!”

“It’s the only way we got!” Sixes rebukes. “If I had a better way I would use it, but the dirt’s too soft to dig a proper tunnel and we're too far away from the castle to dig one anyway. The only way left is to fight our way to the castle and hold off the enemy till we get every pony across.”

“Do you have any idea how many you could lose doing this!”

Sixes snorts and then grabs Trifecta pushing him against the wall. “What makes you think I don’t realize what could happen? Do you think I would do this on a whim? Do you think I haven’t looked into every possible option I could think of? Now you listen to me Tri and you listen well, we’re going to do this, but I am not crossing that canyon until everypony is across. Got it?”

Sixes’s grip loosens letting Trifecta slid to the ground, watching the night commander lurk away. He let out a sigh as Shock and Jockey help him up, worried expressions etched into their faces.

“You ok, boss? You shouldn’t let it get to you, Commander Sixes is probably just stressed.”

“Yeah, Sixes maybe the Big Boss, but we got your back first. We’re a team! I know we’re not Thrice and Trinity, but we will do our best! No goofing, we promise.”

Trifecta smiles and ruffling their hair, getting a few shocks for his trouble, “Thanks you two, but we have our orders and we’re gonna follow them. This isn’t the first time Sixes has lead us into a near suicide mission and it probably won’t be the last. He just irritates me sometimes.”

The twins look to one another, “What’s you beef with the Commander?”

He smiles and shook his head, “It was a long time ago, back when we were in the caves, before were met Princess Luna. We held a bit of feud about who the leader should be at first; let’s just say I was on the opposite side of Sixes. That’s the past though, let’s go help.”

“Roger that!”

King Silverous pace back and forth in his tent, his brow a constant frown as he looks over the map showing his army’s position. His griffons were facing heavy casualties with the bridge going to the castle gone. He placed everything on the line for this war, gathering allies from wherever he could, amassing a combined army of over three thousand soldiers consisting of his griffons, Zulu zebras, elephants, mammoths, and mercenary species such as goats and caribou.

However the missing bridge made over two thirds of his army nearly useless, he had plan to charge across the bridge and take the castle right away and then move to Canterlot, but that plan was scrapped as his griffons were the only avian units they had. Everything else was land walker and they were sitting around being useless. Even their efforts to build across the canyon have been thwarted, any attempt was imminently destroyed and the workers killed. Trying to go around through the Everfree forest was equally pointless, units would be lost or killed during the passage and the ones that did make it barely had the strength to stand and fight and were quickly dealt with by the pony defenders.

As of now, they were constructing siege weapons to attack the castle, but they were always being sabotaged by enemy raiders, which had left Silverous with no choice but to divide his forces. He sent the goats and caribou with the remaining mammoths to take Canterlot, but the city was holding better than expected, the mountain city’s natural defenses were proving to be too tough to breach with land units alone, but he could not afford to send many flying units to aid them. He needs every flier he could get to launch his assault and his allies refuse to send their own units to aid the mercenaries because of Princess Celestia’s presence in the castle. No one wanted to miss the chance to take down the princess.

“Dammit, this is taking too long,” Silverous curse under his breath. The longer it took to take the castle the more supplies and money they used. According to the treasurer they only had enough supplies to wage war for roughly two months or so, after that the griffon economy would suffer and not only that but the longer it took to get to the castle, the closer Celestia got to recovering and after that it was all over.

“Hoofenstein, are you certain you’re counter measure against the princess will work? I am putting a lot of faith in you, you know.”

The earth pony grins in the shadows, “I wouldn’t worry. My pet has already neutralized Princess Luna; she can deal with Princess Celestia with little effort. Have faith in my dear Nightmare Moon, dear King.”

“I fear you put too much faith in that monster. If she is as powerful as you say, what is there to stop her from turning on us once Celestia is gone?”

The doctor shrug, “Then that is the way it will be. I’m more interested in the journey then the results, actually I’m interested in both, but as they say don’t worry about things you don’t know. If my fake alicorn proves to be the better then natural Alicorns, I will be content with the result either way.”

“You worry me doctor, you are the one that pushed me to this war, don’t test me with your glass half full theology. Now where is your creature?”

“Nightmare Moon? She’s resting. The battle was very intense and even the strongest need to recover. Remember, better to wait and attack with full force then to rush and fail. I assure you, victory will come soon enough if you patient. You don’t want to make the same mistakes as your father right?”

Silverous clench his beak tightly, “You are dismissed.”

The doctor chuckles on his way out, causing Silverous to grind his beak; he hates that pony so much! Taking a calming breath Silverous pours himself a glass of wine. He sniffs the contents, taking in the aroma before savoring the taste, how it calm him. Gingerly he sips, each sip relaxing his nerves. The sound of his tent flap opening made him sigh and put the down the glass.

“This better be… Oh, Lady Zelka, what do I owe for this visit?” He greets the zebra amazon with a bow, offering a glass of wine, but she refused. From her demure Silverous guess she was upset about something. “Lady Zelka, is something the matter?”

The zebra eyes around the tent before speaking, “We will be frank with thee griffin king, we are leaving.” Silverous’s eyes widen as he quickly tries to compose himself.

“Leaving? What do you mean my lady?”

“This war is too drawn out. We have already acquired a great prize, no need to waste time here. The amazons are returning home. Our territories will be in danger if we stay much longer also. The zebra lands are not in friendly times. Other chiefs will strike in my absence if I stay away for too long. Goodbye griffon king.”

She left. Just like that, she left and he could only stand there with his mouth hanging down. He couldn’t even gather up the will to chase after her. After all what would be the point? If he tried to keep the amazons here, they would fight back, and then his forces would be fighting themselves. However once they left it would only be a matter of time before the others start to leave on their own. What could he do? What can he do?

“Sire!”

“What is it?” He screams at the soldier. The soldier stutters pointing out the tent flap.

“The enemy, the enemy is pushing through our lines from the back!”

Silverous push the lad aside and flew above his tent; spotting eight of those metal machines tearing across the battlefield towards the castle. A flock of dragon and pegasus ponies circling around the machines and providing cover.

“Zulu! Send your elephants to stop them! Stop them before they get to the canyon!”

The zebra salutes and ran into the chaos, Silverous looks on with a grim face. Watching his army scatter and fall as the ponies made their mad dash to refuge, leaving fire, lava, and lightning in their wake. What monsters they were and he the fool that challenged them.

“Come on, come on, we can make it!” The tank clatters beneath his claws as it rolls over the enemy encampment, crushing tents, running over trenches, supplies and personal. Zebras scatter never seeing such a thing as the metal monster before, elephants roar and charge with their tusks, but like their mammoth brethren they were laid to waste with the tanks cannons. Huge chunks of flesh rain down on the enemy, some scream, others fled and hid letting the tanks roll by. In the sky griffons continue to peck at them, but they held tight, keeping the half birds from breaking into their defenses.

“Tri help me clear the path!” Sixes hollers climbing to the front of the tank, Trifecta nods and joins the commander, both took a deep breath and let loose a stream of scorching hot fire at the enemy ranks.

A smile spread across Trifecta’s lips as he watch the enemy scatter. The plan was still crazy, but somehow Sixes was able to pull it off. They were running straight though the enemy lines just as planned and somehow they weren’t dead.

“We’re almost to the cliff! Prepare to stop and fly the injured across the canyon. All rinin will stay with the tanks to cover their retreat, Pegasus will move the injured, and all other able ponies’ will use the tanks till the last second and then dispose of them over the cliff. Be prepared to jump out the moment that happens! Don’t worry we’ll catch you.” Sixes said with a chuckle, the others awkwardly laughing with him.

This was the real crazy part of the plan. The tanks came to dead stop, slowly the drivers turn so the cannons were facing at the rallying enemy. Injured ponies were quickly pulled from inside the tanks and handed to the pegasi meant to fly them to safety.

Trifecta, along with Shock and Jockey took up positions between the tanks beside them were Sixes, Fury, and Applejack along with the other remaining rinin. The griffon ranks regroup, forming a massive line of troops. Elephants push large siege towers fitted with large iron shields, thick enough to stop the tank rounds, providing the zebras and griffons cover as they advance. Across the canyon the castle defenders stirr and began preparing for battle. A team of fliers working to make a makeshift bridge to help the injured across.

“This is it! Get ready for the fight of your lives!” Sixes yells breaking from the group, spitting hot lava across the battlefield, some of the towers turn to avoid it, while others were too late and caught fire. “FIRE!”

The ground shook as the cannons blasted, the rounds bouncing off the iron plates flying off in random directions, some flew over the shields the shells bouncing through the enemy lines. Catapults fire back, sending pony sized rocks flying at them! Trifecta press his body against the tank as the stones bounce off the metal hull. One stone clocked a pony in the skull, crushing his head.

“Are they done yet?” He yells as more and more rocks and other deadly objects were hurled at them. Peeking back to the other side a line of ponies was waiting to join the fray, but they wouldn’t move until the enemy was closer. It sucks, but they couldn’t endanger more ponies then needed, however that didn’t mean the castle defenders were going to stand by. Cannons were being rolled out and soon enough their roar echoed as they fired.

From the castle ranks a bright orange light broke away and flew across the canyon, cutting its way through the flying stones and arrows. One landed right in front of Trifecta, cut perfectly in two and still glowing with hot magma.

“Commander Topaz!”

“Sorry I’m late, glad to see you’re all alright, for the most part at least.” The orange commander jokes.

“Took you long enough,” Nightingale scoffs as she bats away stones with her metal wings. “What were you doing sipping tea, while we were busting our flanks out here?”

“Something like that,” Topaz grins, much to Nightingale’s irritation. He then turn to Trifecta and pats the triplet on the shoulder. “Good job, I knew we could count on you.”

“The injured are across, let’s go!” Fury hollers covering the makeshift bridge as Applejack and the rest of the land ponies make their escape. “Change of plans, tank drivers out, Sixes, Topaz, take care of the rest!”

The two rinin nod and fell back to the cliff and unleashed a frenzy of lava and plasma, destroying the tanks in an instant. Using the smoke as cover they cross the canyon to safety, cutting the bridge behind them.

This was usually the end of it. The enemy forces have never manage to get past the castle’s cannon fire. Today was different, they kept charging with their iron plated siege towers, the cannon rounds simply bouncing off the iron.

What were they planning the pony commanders wondered? The enemy continue to push the siege towers towards the edge of the canyon. Did they intend to drop them off the cliff? No, that couldn’t be it.

“We gotta stop them! I know what they’re doing!” Topaz suddenly yells, but it was too late. The siege towers come to stop right at the edge of the canyon, ropes were shot from the tops of the towers into the adjacent cliff and the zebras and griffons inside pulled while the elephants pushed, sending the tower toppling over. The top of the tower hit the other side of the canyon and zebras pour out from within as more ran across the newly placed bridge.

“We gotta take them down!” Applejack cries frantically running for the tower as more towers were knocked over.

The gathered rinin nod and together fired one massive blast of fire at the armored tower, but glowing runes engraved on the metal plates quickly ate up the fire. The towers were made of anti-rinin armor!

Sixes shouts, “We gotta route them before too many get across! Everypony to arms! Get these bastards out of our home!”

With a resounding battle cry Sixes and the others charge forth. Mouth wide open Sixes sunk his fangs into the head zebra, thrashing his body around, spilling blood and guts everywhere to intimidate the coming soldiers. Beside him Fury was a blur of movement, slashing and clawing his way through zebra and griffon alike. The two fought flank to flank in the heart of the enemy force, each one keep an eye out for the other.

“Think we can make it through this?” Fury asks tossing a griffon away. He killed two more and then a third. The wounds on his body hiss as hot steam rose from the numerous cuts on his body.

“You gonna be Ok?” Sixes asks, noticing the steam. “You’re not gonna explode on me or something are you?”

Fury chuckles, “Nah, it takes a lot more then this before that happens again.”

“Good, would hate to try and gather up all your ashes in this mess.” Sixes jokes thinking back to the last time Fury “turned to ashes”, but it did make him wonder. “How many times can you do that?”

Fury kept silent, knocking aside a zebra and then a griffon. He didn’t know many times he could do what he did at the factory, how many time he could turn to ash and come back like a phoenix. He’s done it two times already, two times too many in his book.

“Don’t worry about it,” He said to Sixes as they continue to fight with more and more of the enemy gathering around them. The enemy ranks suddenly split, creating a straight line to the bridge, a hulking grey beast came charging up towards them. Great the elephants were across.

“We can do this! Come on yawl!” Applejack hooves glowing bright with magic smacks down an elephant crossing the bridge, blocking the other elephants behind the large corpse of their comrade. They began to push the body out of the way and she press herself against it and dug in her hooves.

Sweat beading down her face she held the elephants back, but it wouldn’t be long before she was over powered and not only that but out flanked. Her eyes dash back as several zebras and griffons broke off from the group already across and come charging at her. She could turn and take them, but then the elephants would break through. She was in quiet the pickle.

“I got your back, “A voice said from the sky as several dead griffons hit the ground. Applejack couldn’t keep the smile off her face as Nightingale swooped in with bloody metal wings and cut down the approaching enemies. She then jump onto the elephant corpse and spread her wings wide open, displaying her arsenal of gem rockets.

“Special delivery,” She proclaim firing her entire salvo of rockets. The elephants panick and back pedal, but it was too late the rockets explode taking out them and the support beams. The siege tower bridge broke apart and fell into the canyon.

“You go anymore of those, Night?” Applejack asks as the two mares stood flank to flank. They took out the bridge, but they were still outnumbered and there were still a lot of bridges to take out.

“No, but we’ll think of something, we always do.”

Applejack looks to her and smiles, “Yeah, we do.”

Something caught her eye, looking up she spotted a squad of griffons going for Princess Celestia’s room! She was about to yell for Nightingale to fly her up there to help the bed ridden princess, but as soon as the griffons land on the balcony they were blasted away by several beams of magic. The explosion as big enough that everypony and griffon stopped fighting for a moment to look up. There standing tall on the balcony was Celestia with Crusader by her side.

“Alright princess!” Applejack cheers with vigor. The zebras and griffons sunk back as the ponies’ moral soared with the sight of their princess and began fighting with new zeal. “Come on yawl, let’s get em’!”

Surging ahead Applejack and Nightingale buck and kick their way to another bridge, meeting Topaz and Trifecta. From the castle the ponies inside unleashed a barrage of blasts from the castle windows.

Up above a flight of griffons in anti-rinin armor flew overhead, flying straight for the princess!

“Night!”

“Got it!” Running fast Nightingale grabs Applejack by her barrel and hoist the farm mare up, pulling her into sky. Being so far from the grounds made Applejack feel a bit woozy, but she was determined to help Celestia. Nightingale began to spin and Applejack gulps as the other mare's legs let go of her and suddenly she was floating in the air.

“Oh buck!” Heart pounding a million beats a second Applejack lands on the back of one the griffons, the force of her landing sending him down to earth and she kicks off and jumps to the next one and then next in a perfect line to the squad leader, who seem to catch on to her.

“You little bitch!” He swore aerial rolling away from her. She let out a scream for help, but Nightingale was too busy fighting a second squad. Applejack gulps and prepares to a harsh landing when she felt a tug on her tail. She opens her eyes, the ground on an inch away, a gold aura of magic held her in midair.

Up above on the balcony Celestia was straining to lift applejack back up, with Crusader taking care of any griffons that tried to interfere.

“Get up here!” She grunts, pulling with all her might she flung the earth mare up into the sky, a little too high, and quickly adjusts to safety catch Applejack and place her on the balcony beside her.

“I hate flying!”

Celestia smiles despite herself, however her frown return as she looks upon the hordes outside her castle. Silverous must have brought thousands, possibly over a million different creatures to crush them. Normally she wouldn’t be too worried about such numbers, but weakened as she was and without her sister as her side, it felt like a crushing wave in the ocean. You can fight it, but eventually you will lose.

“Hey, Applejack,” Celestia said softly, breaking the orange mare’s rant of how much she hated being off the ground. Now that she had her full attention, Celestia lean down and whispered, “In this situation and against these numbers. Do you think Luna would give up for the small possibility of saving the ponies she loves?”

Applejack looks up at the sun princess with wide shocked eyes, before breaking out into a smirk, “No, she would fight till the very end and we would stay by her side till then and beyond.”

“You know my sister well, perhaps even better than I do,” Celestia said with her head bowed, a small smile on her lips. “Very well, let us fight till the end.”

To think centuries of life would end like this and here Celestia had hoped to die in peace. Perhaps in a cottage on a hill overlooking a valley as she lowered the sun one last time, but maybe it was the fate of Alicorns to die in battle. Battle is how her mother and father died, battle is how their entire race went from thousands to three and then to two. Alicorns were always battling it seemed. Maybe she has been too naive thinking she could avoid this fate.

As she prepared to step off the balcony and join her ponies fighting below, something glistening in the distant caught her eye. The object was far off, way behind the enemy rear guard, it might be her imagination, but to Celestia’s eyes it appeared to be getting closer and was just the faintest shade of green. Beside the shining green spec appeared a white one, and behind it lines of bright red dots appeared, followed by flags.

“More enemies?” Applejack asks as her eyes finally caught the approaching dots.

Celestia shook her head, “No, not enemies, but friends.”

“FOR EQUESTRIA!” Was the last thing the griffon rear guard heard as Night Commander Emerald Cutter charged through their lines, swinging her blade horn to and fro cleaving everything in her way clean in half, her six legs thunder loudly as her claws trample over those too foolish or too scared to move out of her way. For those that survived her assault there was no time to recover as the white blur following the green mare pick them off one by one with slightest motion of her blade, Kira Perfecta has return home

Dancing between Emerald’s left overs Kira held an ornate katana and watashi in her front legs. Gifts given to her by the prince of Nippon and her fiancé, she chuckles softly as the honor guard her stallion to be gave her struggle to keep up, followed by Nippon’s army.

A few weeks ago Kira had been listening to the plans for her wedding to the Nippon Prince Shinjuku after receiving noble status from the Princesses. She had delayed her reply to the princesses about the wedding. In case Princess Luna had a sudden change of heart about the whole affair, her Princess of the Night could get overemotional at times.

However the last thing Kira had ever expected was for Emerald to show up in Nippon battered and bruised and barely clinging to life. Her fellow monster pony had made the three day flight journey by land in only five days and all while heavy injured. Emmy didn’t speak of the cause of her injuries, only that Equestria was in dire need of assistance by the Nippon army. A request her stallion to be was all too willing to accept for her. Love breeds on the battlefield, is what he said and he set off to gather the Nippon army and navy. Though traveling by sea had taken much longer then she had thought and then they had to march across land and liberate Canterlot before finally coming to here. Interesting note, about eighty percent of Nippon ponies were earth ponies.

“You’re in good form today, love,” Shinjuku comments appearing by her side, katana between his teeth as he cut down the enemy surrounding them, she grins at them as they continue to push through Emerald’s wake, the Nippon army acting as a giant wedge that split the griffons’ forces down the middle. No pony on the enemy side had any idea of what to do, griffons, zebras, and elephants were fleeing in every direction as the Nippon ponies push from the back and the Night Patrol from the front, their two smaller armies effectively surrounding the larger and that’s when the slaughter really began as the circle around the griffon forces grew smaller and smaller, till Kira found herself in Celestia’s presence. The Princess of the Sun looking very relieved to see her given her rather haggard appearance.

“You’ve returned Kira, but I guess its lady Kira now though right, future Queen of Nippon?” Celestia said greeting the white rinin. They exchange hoof shakes and bow to one another.

“I’m not Queen yet, so just Kira is fine and even after. That aside, what of the enemy commander? Has he been captured yet, the battle seems to be over by my account.” It was true. Many of the griffon army was dropping their weapons and lying on their bellies, the universal sign of surrender.

Trotting through the lines of captured soldiers, Celestia and Kira found King Silverous bound with ropes, by Sixes and the other commanders, minus one.

“Where’s Emerald Cutter?”

“Were not sure, she ran into the castle and hasn’t come out yet,” Applejack said, wondering what the green mare was up to. She fought hard to get the castle, it was kind of strange she would go in and not come out after the griffons were defeated.

Deciding to ignore Emerald Cutter’s absence for now, Celestia made her way to the bound king, using her magic she force him to look at her.

“I had thought we were on the verge of new age of peace between our nations, my sister and I have extended our friendship to you in order to heal the wounds of the past and this is how you return our kindness? You dare invade us without warning, kill hundreds, if not thousands of my subjects, what possible reason do you have for doing all this? What drove you to this madness?”

Silverous chuckles and shook his head, “Must be easy looking down from the heavens. You really have no idea do you? The terror you and your sister install in all us. The fear we feel when we look to the future of our kingdoms and know you two will still be there after we are gone, age after age, till the end of time. I honestly could have lived that, but then you had to go and make these monsters!” He shouts pointing to Sixes and the others. “Luna’s precious dragon ponies! Well this time I’ve made a monster! And she will bring an end to your tyrant reign on us all!”

“You have been deceived Silverous! We did not make the dragon ponies! That mad stallion over there did!” She points to Hoofenstein, who bore a wide smile for some reason; she would get back to that. “He stole foals and played god with them! He tortured them and used them for his own lust for immortality and he has tricked you. Can you not see it?”

“Maybe so,” The griffon king said solemnly, “But if it gets rid of you. Then I will embrace any darkness.”

Celestia was about to question what he meant when a spear of shadows shot out of Silverous’s shadow, killing him. All around the captured enemy soldiers were slaughtered with the same method, their bodies slumping to the ground as high pitched cackle echoes through the battlefield. A sudden chill fills the air as purple mist drifts in, darkening the sky. Celestia shivers as she felt a strange sensation, like something was being cut off from her. Looking up she saw the sun, her precious sun, being over taken by a large black shadow.

At first Celestia wondered what could be big enough to do something like that, it didn’t take long for her realize there was only one thing in the world that could do such a thing, the moon! The moon was being used to block out the sun! With it her fledgling powers were weaken even further. There is only one pony in the world that could do such a thing, but the question was, why?

“What is the meaning of this Luna? This is not the time for pranks!”

“No, it’s not my dear sister,” Luna’s voice whispers in her ear. Her tone was cold and menacing, making Celestia’s coat stand on end. “It is a time for revolution, a time for new age, namely mine!”

“What are you…?” Celestia didn’t get to finish as she felt the sharp point of her sister’s horn pierce her body. The gathered patrollers gasp as they watch one princess stab another. Staring in horror at the sight.

Princess Luna smiles and stood tall with her sister’s blood dripping down her horn.

“My faithful subjects of the night, your princess has returned! Let the age of the night BEGIN!”

Very close to the end, probably one to two chapters.