"ALL FORCES, GIVE NO MERCY, AND SLAUGHTER THEM!" I yelled as my forces charged through a recently made breach in the defensive wall around the Empire. The wall was breached just a minute ago by a rocket barrage I had fired from the pods attached to the wings. Yeah, I know, took long enough. Look, the missiles can't be replenished, and the cluster fuck I did when those Taken appeared outside the main Hive depleted a lot. Those I had now are the only ones that the Resistance had been able to make since I arrived, and were a last resort use.

Those at the front of the charge were Phalanxes-Earth ponies and Griffons wielding steel shields coated with Changeling resin to strengthen it- and myself. Behind were the main line forces, troops wielding swords and special grenades with a volatile resin that makes them explode once they hit something with enough force. Included with them were the three royals. Still no idea where Celestia is other than somewhere in the multi-verse.

After I yelled, I turned around, and brought my mauler down on a Caribou head before roaring, making it known to those in the Empire that I was here, hopefully weakening their morale. That is, if seeing their brothers in arms being crushed didn't do the job.

Now, since Dainn was here in the Empire, the main reasons as to this battle were to cut off the head of Caribou leadership, destroy the former Crystal Heart, and, if possible, free the last two Element bearers and Cadence from the Caribou control. My agents here in the Empire were all slaves in the palace, so once I made my way there, we'd have an easy time finding the targets, assuming they couldn't get them here as I made my way there.

I looked forward at what we would have to fight through, and was pleasantly surprised when I saw black collared mares with improvised weapons fighting the stallions and Caribou, led by who I assume to be Silver's sisters here in the north. Perfect. "You," I said, looking a a mare next tp me. "Find Silver, and tell her that her sisters are helping the black collars as expected."

"Sir," she said before turning back to find the Caribou doe.

"The rest of you: forward! Slaughter any who stand before you and aid the black collars and does that are fighting!" With that, I released another guttural roar before charging into the Empire itself, activating the jets on my back as I encountered a cluster of Caribou soldiers, jumped up, brought my left arm back, and slammed into them before looking up at the palace, using my 'zoom function to see Dainn watching this from the balcony, Shining Armor standing next to him. He turned and said something to the unicorn before turning around and making his way inside. Before I could make my way further into the Empire, I saw the traitor light his horn, and his voice echoed from the crystals around me.

"To the foolish leaders of this soon to be dead rebellion, the Great King Dainn has given you a chance to avoid punishment! All you have to do is defeat him in one on one combat, and you will be allowed to live how you want after your comrades are captured, even if you are a mare, however unlikely that is. If you accept the challenge, he will meet you at the base of the Palace. Personally, I just hope you all surrender and become the cocksleeves you're meant to be."

I am going to enjoy this. I turned back to the army. "Fall back and form a wall around the Empire, ensure none escape. Have the alicorns, Silver, and Chrysalis be ready to come in should I fail. At the least, I'll weaken him!"

"Sir," they shouted before following my orders. I then turned around and made my way to the center of the Empire, passing multiple Caribou and stallion soldiers on my way there, each glaring at me with hatred and disgust in their eyes.

As I turned a corner, the center of the Empire came into view, along with an armored Dainn with a war hammer in his hands. "So, those mares sent a male to fight for them," he said as I approached.

"No, I was simply the closest," I replied as I crossed my arms. "I'm surprised you'd want to fight the leaders one on one knowing i would be here when I was the one to crack your armor last time."

"A feat of luck, nothing more."

"Figures, you'd say that," I said. "How about this: a battle to the death: should I win, I take command over your army, and have them surrender. You win? Well, it's not really my place to say, is it?"

Dainn chuckled. "I don't know how you could win, so I do not see why not. Still, even if you know what I want, may I list off my demands?"

"Sure you can." Say it quickly.

He smiled and opened his mouth just before I uppercut him with a spin, sending him flying into the ceiling and through. "Get back here!" I shouted before activating my thrusters before going through the palace itself before ending in the throne room with a hammer to the face which sent me flying through the doors and ending up in a me sized crater in the hallway wall. I shook my head to clear the disorientation before shouting, "Whoo!" I then forced myself out of it, and looked in the throne room, a grin on my face under the helmet. "No reason we can't have fun with this, right?"

"I don't see why not," Dainn surprisingly replied.

With the smile having graduated to maniacal, I activated my thrusters, and charged right towards him with my right arm drawn back, though he dodged it as I punched, and uppercutted me with his hammer into and through the ceiling, causing me to crash through the floor of the area where Sombra had hidden the heart and come back down next to the hole. Thank god my armor can take multiple G-horn rockets and Dragon's breath napalm canister rockets and still be intact. Dainn came through the hole just as I got back up. I jumped back, and then charged forward with my left arm and mauler pulled back. He brought his hammer up from down to try another upper cut in retaliation, but failed as I hit him first, landing the punch in the chest causing a bright glow and a small explosion, and sent him flying out of the Empire with the amount of force behind my punch, with me activating my thrusters, and following close behind.

Eventually, he dipped down and impacted on the snowy ground, sliding on it to a stop, and I landed next to him. "Any last words?" I asked.

"Just that you destroyed the one thing keeping the Empire safe," he said in a snarl.

"If dooming the Empire means destroying the former Heart, so be it," I said before pulling my fist back, only for it to be caught in a black, oily mass. "What the-" I began before I was thrown by the mass about twenty feet. I got back up to see that Dainn was also standing, but he wasn't facing me, and that the mass had begun taking on a definite form.

Fuck you, life.

Why do I say that? It's because the shape included a red cape and a black and red horn. "Sombra," I growled as I brought my mauler up.

As the dark unicorn finished forming, he examined his hand. "So good to be physical once more," he said. He then looked at me. "I suppose I should thank you for breaking the Heart." He then looked at Dainn. "And of course, the one who defeated the sisters. Once I take my place as Equestria's ruler, I think I'll take your will and-" he was cut off as my mauler connected with his face.

As he was sent flying, I said, "No one's will shall be taken if I can prevent it, not even his."

Sombra impacted on a snowy hill before teleporting back in front of me and Dainn. He then chuckled. "Well, it seems as if I'll actually have a challenge," he said before his horn lit up. "I'll give you a day to surrender." With that, he vanished, and I looked at Dainn.

"Truce until he's dead?" I asked.

"Agreed," Dainn said, surprisingly. Hm. Given the world I'm in, maybe I should talk with Silver about Caribou mythology and religion.

"Then all I ask is that your forces don't harass mine. If they do, they won't live to regret it," I said. "Can you teleport us to the Empire so as to give the news to our forces?"

"And here I thought you could fly," he said with a cocky smirk before his horns lit, and we vanished in a flash of light.

Oh, I am going to enjoy this

Author's Notes:

It's baaaaack. Now, who saw that coming?