I woke up from my dream date, quite literally, with Luna, the sun in the sky, and descending. The time is almost here for Jagged blade. I sat up and put on my helmet. I can honestly say I did not expect this to happen to me at all. That's to say, I didn't expect to be in a relationship with a princess. Unfortunately, I think I know what Steel's going to do, and I don't like it one bit. May need to enlist Guardian help there.

Still, once I checked my weapons, they may have bottomless clip, but my BR could still jam, I made my way down to the camp, where the others were preparing to take the city back from Sombra. Oh, tonight will be fun. I don't have to hold back either, as the guards are all crystal constructs. You know, I'm tempted to pull off a Locke from the trailer that was a pre-order thing, and just wipe the floor with them. But I would need a Pelican, and I don't have one. Shame.

Oh, well, still got epic music for the battle. As I entered the camp, the groups I came across, doubles to groups of five, stopped what they were doing to salute me, then returned to what they were doing. I made my way to the command tent, where the other team leaders were waiting for me.

"About time," Greta said. "We thought you'd died up on the hill."

"Please, it'd take a lot to kill me," I say, and we all knew it, seeing as how I was able to non-lethally fight off the Royal Guard and kill the last three Caribou, who were the strongest of their race before they were the last three. Yes, the first one was with help, and I barely killed Dainn, but still. "Everyone ready?"

"Just about," Amber said. "Just waiting for nightfall, really."

"What about you, Josh," Azure asked. "How's your little project going?"

Ah, that. You see, not long after we arrived, I began to work on something secret for this fight. "Just need to combat test it," I say. "Don't worry, if it works, it'll take care of the crystals."

"I hope so," Starlight said. "Because we might need whatever it is."

"I hope we don't need it," I say. "We don't need to tip any of them off as to what we are capable of." Me, especially, towards Steel knowing what I can do. "And remember, we need to throw these things off. Act random, deceive them in combat, don't be predictable. Predictable in battle means they cna anticipate your actions, and counter them."

"We know," Greta said. "You told us that during our first session just after we got here. Don't need to repeat it."

I shrugged. "Sue me when we're done with the war, I like making sure people know what to do." This got laughs out of the others, and a small chuckle out of me. "In any case, guys, rest up. Who knows how long this fight will go on for."

"Right," the four females said, nodding, and, with that, the four of us went to head to our squads. My squad was at the norther edge of the camp, overlooking the city. We were the tip of the spear, after all.

"How are things going? I ask once I reach them.

"Good," Violet Glow, the unicorn mare of the team with, how oh so unoriginal, violet skin with dark blue hair and tail who wore armor I had associated with the deserters from Sombra's army, said. "We've got a few possible routes to the capitol building, but we also saw what we think are new crystal constructs in the air."

"You sure about that?" I ask.

"Nope," Elegance, one of the changelings on my team with gray skin and/or chitin with blue hair and tail, said. Something interesting about changeling hives, they each have different ways of naming their nymphs. Chrysalis' and Amber's hive, and remember, the two are sisters, go for insect related names, while Elegance's goes for abstract terms. "But still, probably best to play it safe."

"Agreed," Elegance's sister, the other changeling in my squad, Beauty, who had pink skin and/or chitin with white hair and, like her sister and every other changeling here, wore a female variant of what Mist wore.

Shadow Flower, the earth pony, remained silent. In my time of getting to know her, I discovered she had, quite unfortunately, lost her vocal cords when she and her old group that the Caribou took over were captured. She tapped the shoulder of one of the griffons in the squad that wasn't Quick, and signed. Turns out the two griffonesses, twins, actually, named, simply, Talon and Feather, were a part of said squad.

"Shadow says she thinks they may be new constructs meant to make sure prisoners don't escape," Talon said. "Can't really help but agree with her."

"Same, Feather said. "And since this place holds a lot of prisoners, it's safe to say there's a lot of them, if they aren't extremely powerful."

"What do they look like?" I ask.

"Dragons," Violet said. "We're going to have fun tonight."

"Yep," I say, crossing my arms. Really wish I had bought a rocket launcher now. Guess I'll have to make do with what I got. "Which reminds me, for the other two sides, which are the dragons allied with?"

"Both," Quick said.

"Yeah, they went with whoever offered them something valuable enough for what they were wanted," Lone said.

"So, mercenaries?" I ask.

"Just about," Mist said.

"And each of the one's from Sombra's side of the war are complete jackasses," Onyx said. "Hell, one of them nearly killed me just for bumping into him by accident."

"Try that for the ones Celestia and Luna brought in to their side," Talon said. "Only reason my sister and I are here is because, well, my talons are the sharpest in the world." She wasn't exaggerating there, those claws are able to cut through solid rock.

"That's enough chatter about our past dealings with dragons, guys," I say. "We need to make sure our gear's ready for this."

"Right," they all said, Shadow nodding, and we got to the final checks, which included the radio equipment, which I seemed to have an endless supply of, for some reason.

That night

The Rogue army stood ready in a pyramid like formation, each squad also having their own version of it as well. My team stood at the front of the formation, myself at the head of them. I stepped forward onto the ridge that overlooked the Minotaur capitol city, and turned to face everyone.

"I know that some of you don't wish to attack, for fear of getting caught, or killed," I started. "That's only natural in battle. Even I have a little fear about what might happen. But all of us are here, today, because we want to end this war as soon as possible, and this is the first step: showing both sides that, even if we are afraid of what they can do to us, we will overcome that fear. Today, we show them that fear, though powerful, can be overcome, because Sombra and his allies use fear to control their subjects. Today, we show that how they control others won't work on us, that we stand for none but ourselves, and the end of this war. If you want to leave now, I will not hold it against you. Be warned, though, this will be the last chance to do so."

As I had hoped, none of them backed away. I nodded, and grabbed one of my energy swords, pointed it to the air, and activated it. "THEN LET THIS BATTLE BEGIN!"

They cheered, and raised their own weapons. "MOVE OUT!" I yelled, and I turned around, and we began our march to the city. As we neared, I used my helmet magnification, and saw multiple crystal constructs at the edge of the city, more appearing. I grabbed my other energy sword, and ignited it, both swords now down by my side.

"KILL THEM!" I heard from the constructs, I imagine it was their commander. Let the fun begin.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwJj2EpC8vg

The constructs charged us, while me and the army kept walking, though the others did bring their shields up. Everything seemed to slow. I saw the flicker of energy between the blades of my swords in slow motion, the constructs running toward us, and even their weapons, made of crystal, go figure. seeming to flicker with energy in the blades, as well as shields that looked to be made up of diamonds. Whelp. Good thing I had Lone, Starlight, and the unicorns use a spell to make the swords more like HF blades from Metal Gear, huh? Let the fun. . . commence, my friends.

Anyway, time went out of Spartan and back into normal as I leaped up, both swords across my chest pointing to the left, and I sliced them, cutting off the head of a few of the things, which were crystal, and I'm really serious here, dogs and cats. Sombra, what the actual fuck? I mean, I know you're being blackmailed here, but still, your goddamn pony Sauron. Dogs and Cats aren't terrifying. At most, they are simply scary to those with phobias and those attacked by some breed of them. What are the flying things, anthro eagles? What the fuck? Aaaaaand I sound like Nostalgia Critic right now. Well, back to the story.

I landed in a kneeling position, swords by my side. The crystal constructs and my army clashed, and, our weapons countered, so we were on a mostly even playing field. I say mostly because, well, me.

I stood up, and crossed the blades. Three crystal constructs charged at me, and, just before they reached me, I used my thrusters to boost to the left, and then to the right back as they hit where I stood before, slicing their heads off as I did so, the heads falling to the ground. From there, me and the others went to town, but they kept coming.

Eventually, the squads, far as I could tell, were isolated from each other, islands in a sea of Sombra's forces. "This isn't going well," Lone said.

"No fucking duh, Lone," I say. "Still, I thought we would have gone further than this before we got surrounded to this degree."

"Same," Talon said.

"So," I asked. "Go out with a bang if we don't succeed?"

"Yep," Mist said.

"Then let's go," I say, before boosting into the constructs in front of me, and began to slice and dice left and right, but still, no sizable dent was made in the size of their forces. I was eventually stopped by the one actually looked somewhat terrifying. Said construct was, basically, a crystal dragon, with sharp, almost diamond like teeth, his, I don't know what to call it, so carapace was- and this is an anthro Blue Eyes-white Dragon. Okay, who's the idiot who gave Sombra access to Yu-gi-oh cards?

"Sorry, LoneShadow."

PINKIE! WHAT THE HELL?! THIS ISN'T A YU-GI-OH CROSSOVER!

"Yeah, I know. Got stories mixed up."

I sighed. Too late to fix it now, anyways. Just. . . make sure you don't do this anymore. Please.

"Right."

Ugh. Damn it, Pinkie. Seriously, why must this happen to me?

Anyway, the thing glared down at me, and I tried to cut its head off, but the crystal seemed to be heat resistant, and my sword bounced off. The thing, somehow, grinned, and backhanded me with enough force to send me back to the others, spinning as I did so, and I saw more of the tings had my friends surrounded too. I landed on my back, and saw the crystal Blue Eyes that had sent me flying approaching me.

"Take all but this one," it said in a growl, pointing at me. "King Sombra wants him exterminated."

Sombra, or Wit, I wonder, I mentally said. "Go ahead," I say, leaning up, using an arm for support. "Kill me. It won't change the fact there are those who want the war on stop on both sides. And if you do kill me, tell Sombra I know the truth."

"Silence," he said. "It won't matter. All of your allies have been captured, and even if you had won, the Equestrians would be here soon after, and you would be outed then and there." He looked to his comrades. "Take them to the citadel. The General wishes them to be there so he can personally."

The others bowed, and, with surprising speed, grabbed my allies, and flew of with them. "No!" I yelled, but as I tried to get up, I fell to the ground, and was then grabbed by the neck. "I don't see how you beat the Equestrians and the Caribou when you fall even to me." It let a sinister grin loose. "Maybe you simply got lucky."

"G-go to hell," I say through my throat, which was getting crushed.

"Only when you find a weapon that can kill me," he said as I began to get tunnel vision. "Shame I have to kill you right there," he said. "i would have enjoyed torturing you simply for the fun of it." His claws tightened more so, and my vision became darker. "Don't worry. The princesses of Equestria will join you soon enough." It was then a voice I was quite surprised to hear spoke up.

"Loosen your grip, dragon," a female voice said, the the crystal constructs parted, and, walking up to me and the crystal dragon, was Cadence in dark pink armor that resembled the armor on the members from Sombra's army that had joined me, albeit, it looked regal, much as it could, anyway, clean, and, well, the color was goddamn pink.

Cadence herself strode with the kind of walk you'd see supermodels on the runway walk, but with an air of authority, someone you wouldn't want to mess with. Her hair was also somewhat darker, and went just past her shoulders, about half way down her upper arms. Actually looked better than all the way down her back, in my opinion. Her face was much the same, but she now had small scars adorning her face. I am assuming they are from combat or something. But her eyes got my attention the most. the pupils, the colored part, were the same, but the whites were now green.

"But Empress," he said before Cadence cut him off.

"I said loosen your grip," she repeated in a more authoritative tone. So that armor isn't because of a fetish. Okay, I am curious as to how you are no longer a sex slave, if you weren't one to begin with. The dragon did so, but still held me by the throat.

Cadence walked up to me, and studied me with her eyes. "So this is the one who got away from Twilight and the Elements?" she rhetorically asked. 'I must admit, my husband and the others were surprised when they heard about a small group being able to get away from the home of the Elements at all. Then there's the Caribou. Not even Celestia and Luna could defeat them by themselves. But you did, which, by the way, the others wish to send their thanks, seeing as even we had trouble defeating them. Now, why are you here?"

"To remove Sombra's forces from here," I say, "this was one of the only neutral places in the war, and he took it. How about you answer one of my questions?"

"I suppose that's fair," she replied. "What do you want to know?"

"Lone, one of my allies, told me Sombra killed Shining Armor, and made you his sex slave. So how are you leading Sombra's army?"

Cadence chuckled. "I guess it makes sense the official story would be that," she said. "Sombra didn't kill Shining, I did, You see, when the Empire was first under siege, I did help Shining defend the it, but after just a few days, I saw it was hopeless, and Nightmare visited me in my dreams. At first, I tried to fight her off, and not listen to what she said, but, eventually, I did, and it was then I learned that, aside from this war, Celestia planned everything, regardless of the danger to Twilight or me, or even her individual subjects. So, I arranged a deal with her and Sombra, I would help them take the Empire, and I would get to kill Celestia, and Sombra would teach me the dark magic I would need to do so. The next morning, while Shining and I were at the front lines, I slipped a dagger into his back, and Sombra and his allies took the city. I didn't want to kill him, but it was the only way. Sombra took his throne, and I began to learn under him." She chuckled again. "As for the sex slave thing, that did start after a while, but because I asked him to do so. Shining never was any good in bed, but Sombra-"

"No info on that, please," I say.

"Well, you're no fun," she said. "But still, eventually, we discovered that we had feelings for one another, and, thanks to Nightmare, had our dates in our dreams, which meant we had years of knowing one another, and we eventually wed a month ago, and I became his wife, and Empress of the Empire. That answer your question?"

"Yeah," I say. "So, what do you plan on doing with me?"

"Simple," Cadence said. "Kill you, and throw your corpse into the woods where Luna and the others will be arriving so that they see not even you can beat us." She looked at the dragon, and nodded. "Finish him."

"Yes, Empress," the dragon said before his claw closed on my throat, making my vision go entirely black, but I was still awake.

"And of you do survive," Cadence said, "well, it won't matter, as, with your weakened state, the Equestrians will kill you with ease."

With that, I guess I fully blacked out, as the next thing I remember was hearing voices as I lay in a tent on what I'm guessing was a magically strengthened cot, as it didn't collapse.

"Ma'am, it's a wonder he survived," one voice, a female one, said. "His throat was almost entirely collapsed. The fact he was simply unconscious is a wonder."

"I am aware of that, Miss Red Heart," another female voice said, muffled by the cloth, "but what I want to know is when he will wake up."

"I don't know Princess," Red Heart said. "He may recover faster than ponies, or slower. One of my friends, Lyra Heartstrings, is obsessed with humans, and, with Princess Sparkles help, has made strides in that regard, but even they admit he is unlike those from the world Princess Sparkle went to."

"Well, what do you know?"

"Just that he seems to have something in his system that makes him stronger than even most earth ponies, seeing as how he can carry that armor of his when our earth ponies needed unicorn help to lift it."

"Then what ever it was that injured him must have had quite a bit of strength to it."

"It would seem that way, Highness."

"You know," I said, sitting up from the cot, which got me a headache, "you could just ask me what happened?" I tried to rub my head, which is when I found out my hands had been cuffed. Not gonna work if I wanna break out, morons.

There was a bit of rustling outside before a white mare in a nurses outfit, the white dress with black pants, with pink hair walked in, and I noticed, on her back, was a small dagger. "And just where the hell am I?" I asked.

"The main Equestrian Camp," she said. "You're lucky, you know. We found you nearly a week ago, and everyone wanted to make sure you were dead for what you did to the Element of Loyalty in Ponyville, but her Highness said no, and ordered you were cared for."

"And who might that be?" I ask before the voice that I should have guessed from what Cadence said spoke in, it's owner walking in.

"I thought you'd know," Luna said. "After all, we battle in your dreams nearly every night. Now, human, what are you doing here?"

Author's Notes:

For those who don't get why Luna spoke that way, it is because she is hiding the fact she and Josh talk in the dreams, and are in a relationship.