Screams could be heard from the city of Canterlot, smoke starting to rise as Shade walked through it smiling widely. The unicorn chuckled softly, seeing the mutated ponies provided to him by Erebus to allow this attack to happen. He let out a cackle of laughter before a bright blue blur crashed into the ground, sending the guards valiantly defending, himself, and the mutants back.

Landing on his hooves he looked up smiling widely, “THOU DARE ATTACK OUR SUBJECTS?!!!!” The booming voice of Princess Luna shouted.

“The princess is mine. Take care of the rest of her guards,” Shade said as he took a stance. Luna covered in her old battle armor, her horn sticking from her helmet as it began to glow. A series of magical blue swords forming in the air. “Thy would be wise to run while thy has the chance…” Luna growled.

Shade laughed softly, his horn sparking with a red aura. “I am surprised your sister hasn’t turned up, and frankly I was hoping you’d stay in Canterlot. I wanted the pleasure of killing you myself.” He said with a massive creepy grin.

Luna’s eyes narrowed, ‘King Sombra’s horn...he possesses the horn…’ She thought to herself, a small shiver running down her spine before she shook her head. Spreading her wings she dashed forward, the blades behind her following as Shade galloped forward. Luna took the first slash, going for a overhead with two of the blades.

Shade dodged to the left. A black crystal rising from the ground and smacking Luna in the muzzle sending her back onto the ground.

Breaking her concentration the weapons dissolved as she rubbed her muzzle shaking her head, Shade moved forward toward her. Another black crystal shooting from the ground, Luna using her magic to make a sort of magical barrier between the two. More crystals forming as Shade even fired dark magic bolts at her.

“You seem to have lost your skill Luna! Perhaps someone isn't as well rounded as they once were!” Shade shouted mockingly, the Princess actually struggling against him and his constant onslaught.

“And I’m just getting started!” Shade stated as he grinned widely, the ground below Luna shaking a bit before a massive crystal struck her in the chest, breaking the barrier finally and shooting her up into the air in which Shade followed by teleporting in the air with her and reeling his head back.

Shooting a massive surge of magic at Luna and sending her flying through the window of one of the nobles homes.

Nick coughed and sputtered slightly as he groaned, “easy Nicholas. I’m accelerating your healing process.” Celestia’s soft voice spoke, “Erebus...what happened with Erebus?!” He asked frantically.

“If you are speaking of your opponent, I teleported you out before he or you could kill you.” Celestia explained, Nick rubbed his head. “Agh fuck what was I thinking...full out explosion or whatever Link called it…”

“Now is not the time to question yourself! That is for another day, Canterlot is under attack!” She said as Nick’s eyes widened. “Now?!” He asked as he attempted to stand Celestia’s magic holding him down helping his bruises and wounds disappear.

“Celestia, you know we can’t stay here just so I can recover! People are counting on us…” Nick said as he struggled against her magic, Celestia looked at the human intently. “Nicholas this isn’t your fi-”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Nick shouted rather aggressively at the princess, “I brought Erebus here. If not for me these ponies would be living their lives! I gave him the power boost he needed to reach Equestria! That’s horse shit it isn’t my fight! Now let me GO!” He shouted at her, his eyes narrowed.

The sun goddess sighed softly, her magical grip on Nick relinquishing. The human sitting up, his body was sore but thankfully he could breathe normally.

Looking out of the window of the castle and down at the streets being over run he narrowed his eyes, ‘those poor ponies...mutated and forced to do Erebus’s bidding…’ Nick clenched his fist, a familiar fire erupting in his chest.

Looking around intently he looked up on a wall, seeing a masterfully crafted golden sword mounted on the wall. A gold handle on it and the blade sharpened and ready. “Celestia I’m going to borrow this, I’m assuming you called the others.” Nick said grabbing the handle.

Swinging it for a second Celestia simply nodded, “Then I want you to go get them they can’t be too far away by now, I’ll hold them off for as long as I can. It’s the least I can do.” Celestia looked intently at Nick, she saw something from inside the human. Nodding her head again she followed his directions, “Nicholas. Please stay safe you're still not fully recovered.” Celestia mumbled as Nick nodded, “I’m aware…”

Driving the blade through the window, Nick took a deep breath and he leapt out of the broken window, “a hero’s heart…” Celestia muttered to herself as she shook her head using her wings and flying off herself.

Luna stood tall, swinging her sword at Shade who countered with a black crystal spear he had made himself, “your kingdom will fall!” He shouted as he laughed slightly, Luna’s eyes narrowed and her teeth grinding against each other. ‘We can’t keep this up for much longer…’ She thought to herself, pushing Shade back she took a breath.

“What are you going to do Luna? You can’t do anything!” Shade said as he took a sideways swing at her with his spear, Luna blocking with her sword. Only for Shade to swing his spear again, not letting up only going faster and faster with his attacks.

Luna’s parries and blocks growing slower as she eventually dropped to her hooves, panting softly. Shade ready to plummet his blade through her throat before a green energy like whip wrapped around the spear.

The unicorn looked behind him as a red fist collided with his nose sending him onto the ground. “What a way to make an entrance if I do say so myself!” Nick said as he floated in the air, his large yellow beak extended from his face as he let out a squawk. He had transformed into Astrodactyl on his way down, Luna looking up at Nick smiling softly.

“The human? No matter...let us make this quick….” Shade said as he fired a large bolt of energy at Nick, who quickly dodged by dashing to the left, using the jetpack attached to his body to assist his retractable glider like wings.

Opening his beak wide a large green beam shot from it, Shade quickly narrowly evading the projectile before two large glowing green energy whips extended from his wrists and into his hands.

Taking a swing at Shade the Unicorn dodged firing a blast at Nick who evaded with a barrel roll, hovering above the ground he flew down attempting to tackle Shade.

The Unicorn evaded the initial charge and using his magic to suspend Nick's ankle, yanking him back he slammed him against a table and threw him against a wall.

“SQUAWK!” Nick let out instinctively as he groaned softly, shaking his head he took off back in the air and reformed his energy whips.

Cracking one against the ground near Shade, the dark unicorn let out a roar of agitation a large black crystal shooting from the roof of the building him, Nick and Luna were in. This causing Nick to collide with the ground as he groaned and rubbed his head, Shade picking up his black spear.

“Erebus was right...you're just a nuisance…” Shade said as he raised the spear right his magic. Nick smiling a bit before raising his head and opening his beak, “surprise!” He shouted a green energy beam shooting from his mouth and directly into Shade’s face.

The blast sent the unicorn flying backwards and out of a window, “AHHHHHHH!!!!!!” He screamed.

The sound of Nick’s Omnitrix powering down imminent as he then reverted to his human form, the sword he had taken in the back of his jacket as he knelt down and helped Luna up. “You ok?” He asked holding his sore side.

“Yes...we are fine...worry about our subjects and guards!” Luna commanded as she rubbed a hoof against her head.

“Yeah I got it trust me, I’ve failed TWICE in stopping Erebus…” He muttered to himself, “I refuse to lose this time.” Nick said as Luna looked up at him and smiled. “I’ll be back in a bit, back up should be on the way!” He said as he ran forward and leapt out the broken window.

Nick had to admit, he had never exerted himself this much ever, specially while he was still a bit banged up. Something in his mind was telling him what he was doing was stupid, it was dumb he was going to die. But something in his heart told him, this is what he had to do.

Landing on the ground he looked at the struggling and injured guards. The mutated and feral ponies overwhelming the last remaining group. Nick taking the sword out as he ran forward, the guards and mutants looking at him. “Just as surprised as you boys! But I’m going with it!”

Leaping up he slammed his foot into the muzzle of one of the mutated ponies and taking a slash at another, cutting one on the side and knocking another to the ground. Punching another in the jaw he sent it tumbling to the ground as another leapt onto his back in which he quickly threw it off.

Nick took a stance, ‘ok gotta remember what Link said...gotta remember…’ An idea then popped in his head as he closed his eyes, green energy shining and lingering on his blade before it moved up to the tip.

Running forward he leapt over the ponies underneath him, and performing an upperward slash. The ground below him erupted in green energy before the mutated Earth ponies and Unicorns went in all different directions. Nick taking a breath as he rubbed his hair.

One of them attempting to stand, Nick standing and readying his blade before a cyan blue and purple magic bolt struck it knocking it back down.

Nick looked up, seeing a rather shaky Twilight with Celestia and the other Elements. “Twilight!” Nick said as he ran forward and hugged the shaky princess who winced before smiled. “Hey Nick…” She said smiling and rubbing her hoof against his back.

“You decided to have a party without us Nick?” Rainbow Dash asked narrowing her eyes, “frankly I could’ve used your guys help…” Nick replied chuckling softly before looking at Celestia, “thanks.” He said as the princess smiled at him.

“Shall we save Canterlot then?” She asked her horn sparking, “oh yeah! This should be more fun than the changeling invasion!” Rainbow said clapping her hooves together floating in the air.

“Before we go in, don’t hurt these ponies to bad. They’ve been mutated and I may be able to change them back.” Nick said as he narrowed his eyes before a red energy blast shot the ground around the group. Sending them all back as Nick slid against the ground on his back groaning softly, “that’s assuming you ever survive long enough to save them.” Shade said stepping forward his eyes narrowed and the purple glow coming from them.

Nick smiled softly as he stood up, “yeah I was going at it alone. But this time I’ve got some back up...and great friends…” He said as he gave a smirk. The girls standing up and taking their battle stances, “more to kill then!” Shade shouted as his horn sparked to life, charging at them. Nick, the Mane Six and Celestia charging back.

Author's Notes:

https://ben10.fandom.com/wiki/Astrodactyl