With a loud thump, Garrett collapsed upon the floor. He coughed and wheezed, and his muscles were sore after being contracted for so long. A large duffel bag lay in front of him. It was wide open and revealed his set of ODST gear. He quickly buckled on his armor, the memory of a malicious grin itching in the back of his head.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted an officer standing beside him with hands crossed behind his back. The seriousness on his face was unmistakable.

“Sir!” Garrett snapped. He stood straight to salute.

“Cut the formalities and follow me, Archer,” Stanford ordered, already marching down the corridor.

“What happened to the AI we captured?” Garrett asked. He slipped on his helmet and followed. The two of them were going so fast they were practically jogging. Many marines and ODSTs quickly stepped aside and saluted out of respect.

“It’s in a lab in the station we’re currently docked with, near the armory,” Stanford said. “Why’d you ask?”

“I need it, sir.”

“First things first. We need to arm you up.”

Before they knew it, they were already at the armory. It lay empty and quiet as war was not seeking its use. Stanford wasted no time and unlocked all the weapon lockers. Garrett did the same on the other side of the room. When he passed by the window, however, he slid to a halt. At the sight of it, he felt as if everything was no longer a priority. His mind emptied itself of all thoughts as he pressed his palm on the glass.

There it is, a small voice told him.

Earth still stood with all its innocence. Oceans of blue were flowing, and the lights of cities on the dark side were still aglow. Garrett easily recognized the countries, and he quickly spotted the area of his home. To his relief, he still saw buildings and green fields and forests. An odd feeling told him he could see his house somewhere in the horizon.

“Sarah... Claire...” he whispered. The laughter of a small child and the voice of a woman echoed in his ears.

A palm landed on Garrett’s shoulder. “Archer,” Stanford said.

“R-right, sir,” Garrett stuttered, snapping out of the nostalgia. He glanced at the reflection of the phoenix feather and ace of spades on his shoulder pauldron. “We have our priorities.”

Garrett picked up a magnum and an assault rifle, and Stanford pulled out two duffel bags.

“You’ll have to go ahead of all of us and show them that we haven’t abandoned them,” Stanford said to Garrett. “I’ll stay back here and try to rally as many ships as I can. Then, we’ll follow you. Deploy a beacon so we know where to land.”

“You preparing for another war or something?” a man asked.

Behind them stood the master gunnery sergeant in charge of the armory leaning against a table. He had one of his eyebrows raised, and he was gingerly biting on the end of an unlit cigar.

“Well,” Garrett said, “let’s just say we’ll be trying to prevent one.”

The sergeant snorted and unlocked the storage containers holding explosives. “Help yourselves.”

“You’re too kind,” Garrett commented.

The sergeant shrugged. “I’m a generous man.”

By the time the packing was done, Garrett had two duffel bags filled with various ammunitions and explosives.

“I’ll unlock a Longsword in the hangar while you go and get the core,” Stanford said. “You are permitted to retrieved it by any means necessary, and I’ll see to it that any charges against you will be lifted.”

Garrett nodded and shouldered his equipment, holding the assault rifle with one hand.

“Good luck out there,” the sergeant said as he watched the two march out and split ways.

The door to the lab was unguarded, and Garrett pushed it open with ease. Once inside, he noted that everything was silent, save for the sound of beeps from the screens. An AI core waited in the center on a table, plugged in to multiple cables. It continued glowing like a beating heart. Several marines and officers, including the commander of the station, lined the walls with their backs, keeping their distances from the construct like a pack of wolves. Some had weapons drawn and aimed at it.

“What’s going on in here?” Garrett asked.

“Don’t move,” the commander hissed.

“With all due respect,” Garrett said, approaching the AI core, “I need that thing.”

“Get in line, trooper, right after ONI,” a marine commented as Garrett was halfway there.

Just as he said it, the core unleashed a burst of energy. The screens all throughout the room and a nearby holo table flickered with static. Then, on all the displays, a pair of hard, enraged eyes stared at the humans.

Alarms started flickering red, and warning beeps went off.

“Warning,” the automated systems said, “airlocks for this room have been unlocked.”

“Get back!” another officer shouted.

Garrett turned and held up a palm. “I got this.”

He continued on, and the closer he approached, the more he heard a noise sounding like a distinctive growl. He reached forward and attempted to grab a cable, but before he could have touched it, a loud bark came, and another burst of energy blinked from the core.

“Listen,” Garrett started, “I know you’re pissed, but you need to put it aside. Your world is in danger, you know how to wake up your cavaliers, and I’m your only ticket back.”

“I will never forgive you,” Galea growled.

The officers and marines looked at each other in awe.

“I’m not asking for your forgiveness,” Garrett said. “Just for your help.”

Galea was quiet for a moment, his silent errienes climbing up upon the bystanders. “If I accept, will your officers promise not to bring me to this ‘ONI’ and allow us to return to Equestria without intervention?”

Garrett turned to the commander of the station, who nodded without hesitation.

“Sure,” he said to Galea.

All at once, the alarms and screens went back to normal.

“Airlocks sealed,” the system announced.

The marines and officers sighed in relief.

“Get me out of here,” Galea sighed.

Garrett unplugged the rest of the AI core, grabbed it by the handle, and made his way out. The marines and officer stepped aside as he passed by.

Once he was outside the lab, Garrett casually walked down the halls. He looked around and noticed a number of UNSC personnel hurriedly sprinting their way. Ignoring them, he made his way to an elevator door, where two marines were waiting for a ride as well.

A third marine darted into view and narrowly brushed passed Garrett. He came to a stop next to the elevator.

“Just got news from Colonel Stanford,” he said to the two marines waiting. “He wants us back on board the Angel of Music. We’re being redeployed.”

The pair soldiers stared at him. “Redeployed?” one of them asked. “Where are we going?”

“I don’t know,” the third marine replied. “Come on, we gotta go.”

The trio of marines took off and turned at the closest corner.

Smiling slightly, Garrett felt wave of relief and optimism wash over him. The elevator door opened, and he boarded the lift and set it to the hangar level.

“Can you hear me?” Galea asked Garrett through his comms.

“Loud and clear,” Garrett replied.

“I got something interesting,” Galea said. “Pulled it straight out of the security sensors.”

On the corner of his VISR, Garrett saw an audio file open.

“You seeing this?” a voice asked. “Who the hell is this ‘Archer’ guy? Never saw him on this station before.”

“Look,” another said, “you can either question why the colonel wanted a Longsword prepped or you can just shut up and listen to orders.”

“But this Longsword’s using the prototype slipspace drive.”

“Your point?”

There was a sigh. “Fine.”

“And you discovered how to do that by...?” Garrett asked.

“Going through Athena’s terminal over and over again allows you to pick up a few skills along the way,” Galea responded with a proud chuckle.

“Right,” Garrett said. “We have our ride, and as long as you don’t start hacking our systems, I’m perfectly fine with that.”

The hangar was empty and still. Towards the end, a Longsword was standing silent with its bay door open. Garrett boarded it and connected the AI core to the main controls. The screens turned on, and Galea galloped onto the display. He looked around to familiarize himself.

“Any idea as to how we’ll go back to Equestria undetected?” Garrett asked.

“Think you can fly this thing properly after an in-atmosphere slipspace exit?”

“If we can manage not to be millions of kilometers off-target after exiting, then yes,” Garrett replied. “Can you pull it off?”

Celestia’s proposal of cloud shelters for Equestrian refugees quickly received approval from many. The structures occupied a large amount space in Monairco’s harbour, and it had taken several long days to get them completed. Gryffons and other pegasi were more than willing to offer help to speed up the building process. From an outside point of view, it looked as if the principality had expansion plans. Shining Armor’s fleet was already docked, and majority of the guards were busy unloading and securing the area. Locals tried to cope with the circumstances as the rumor of war was quickly spreading.

“You asked to see me, Prince Griffaldi?” Shining Armor asked as he entered a room. It reminded him of an observatory tower with a map of Equestria on a table in the center. A terrace paved way for the one of the bests views of all the principality.

“Yes, captain, I have,” the prince of Monairco, a griffon, said. He leaned forward and smoothed out the map. “I am sure you’re aware of the situation.”

“It’s inevitable,” Shining Armor murmured in a low tone.

“And everyone’s getting involved,” Griffaldi said. He looked out to see yet another group of ships entering Monairco Harbour. Airships and various water-based ships from the Crystal Empire, Griffon Kingdom, and United Principalities of Equestria were approaching fast, armed with weapons ranging from arcane cannons and ballistas to crystals of energy.

“The involvement of the griffons and the UPE, I can understand,” the prince started. “It’s part of our alliances to help each other in times of need and war. The Crystal Empire, however, interests me.”

“When I informed my wife of the situation,” Shining Armor said, “she packed up at the spur of the moment and went here. The crystal ponies overheard the news, and many officers agreed to go and aid Princess Celestia and Princess Luna.”

“That brings us to our next issue,” Griffaldi said. “Who managed to convince the princesses to flee Canterlot?”

“I’ve heard reports and met with some guards,” Shining Armor started, scraping his hoof nervously. “They all talked about a ‘visitor’ who’s not from Equestria. I never got much information because aiding the griffon kingdom made issues with communication, and I was not able to talk with the guards more because you called me up here.”

“Garrett Archer,” Griffaldi said, “He is an alien from a race that called the ‘humans.’ Supposedly, he is capable of crippling an entire army without letting them know what hit them. He has made a certain connection with the princesses, your sister, and her friends.”

Shining Armor’s ears perked up.

“Many guards claim that he is a brilliant soldier,” Griffaldi continued, “knew the art of war ever since birth. Sure, things were a bit rough at first, but relationships improved later on. They even said that he has a soft side, and he comforted Princess Celestia when she was heartbroken.”

“So, I guess we could establish that some form of relation between races went well,” Shining Armor commented in an attempt to stay positive. “That sound pretty promising.”

“But, there was this one period where he was put to the test,” Griffaldi said. A hint of rage and determination washed over his face. “Twice, to be exact. One in reality, and another In a dream-like state where his race was put to war against Equestria.”

He leaned closer against the table, his face stern. “Captain, in the physical world, he attempted to attack Princess Celestia and held her at knifepoint. He shot multiple guards and knocked out your sister’s friend, Applejack.”

Shining Armor stood still, blinking.

“In the dream,” Griffaldi continued in a low tone, “he killed Princess Luna, massacred an entire army of guards, and had Twilight and her friends executed by his command. To top it all, he made the ultimate sacrifice and brought down Princess Celestia with him. He was ordered to do all of the above, and he carried them out and lead his soldiers on, no questions asked.”

It fell so quiet the waves from the harbour sounded loud. Griffaldi continued holding his hard look. Shining Armor realized he was holding his breath. “Twily...” he gasped.

He fell back to a chair. Sweat ran down his neck, and he pressed the tip of his hooves on his temples. The thought of such threat so close to home and family etched its way into his head. “No...”

“Even worse,” Griffaldi continued, “he was the one who told your princesses of the threat, and do you know what he did when he found a way back home?”

Shining Armor looked up, staring at the Griffaldi’s cold eyes.

“He deserted them,” Griffaldi said, “packed up and went back to his home beyond the stars.”

“He left them?!” Shining Armor half-barked with rage. He smashed his hooves at the table. “Why now?!”

Griffaldi remained composed. “Word is spreading that he will return.”

He reached for his side and pulled out a long, shimmering sword. “And I plan to have a special meeting with him, teach him a lesson about betrayal. Are you with me?”

There was a moment of silence. Gritting his teeth, Shining Armor looked down upon the map and noted the X marks signifying Nightmare Moon’s fleet. A glow surrounded his crossbow, and it was lifted up to the air.

“He’ll come back” Shining Armor growled. He narrowed his eyes on his arcane weapon, inspecting it. “And when he does, we’ll have a chat.”

In one of the cloud shelters, Celestia and Luna met in their makeshift bedroom. Their hearts still felt hollow, and the night was busy with the sounds of distant hooves and ships moving. The moon shined brightly in the sky, peaceful among the stars.

Despite them being silent, they communicated their intentions clearly. They closed their eyes, horns aglow. Two auras of magic reached out and met. Then, the pair of powers shot upward towards the sky. Gold and violet revolved around each other like stars. Finally, high up in the air, they clashed and expanded into a massive dome, which slowly fell around Monairco like a blanket. Slowly, it touched the ground and sank deep into the waters of the harbour.

"Monairco is now safer under this shield,” Luna said, heaving a deep breath.

“No,” Celestia murmured. She floated her diadem in front of her. “Not yet.”

“Are you sure about this?” Luna asked

“One of us needs to maintain this shield,” Celestia said, “and both of us know that none of us are capable of the additional responsibility.”

Luna sighed. “You are right.”

She took off her diadem and held it in front of her with her own power. Together, both of their crowns floated side by side. Immediately, a sphere of magic surrounded them, and a pillar of light shot upwards. It flew until it touched the protective shield. The dome around Monairco thickened and shined with an even brighter sheen.

A knock on the door prevented any more conversation.

“Come in,” Luna said.

Turbulence appeared, carrying a small pack in her mouth. She placed it on the ground and bowed. “Your highness, some time ago, Garrett gave this to a guard when he went to Ponyville. He never asked for it back.”

She nudged it forward with her hoof. “We thought it could be of some use to you.”

“Thank you, commander,” Luna said.

Turbulence nodded and closed the door.

A violet glow enveloped the package. It was gently lifted up and brought towards Luna. She lifted the cover and pulled out a small black communication device engraved with the words UNSC.

“Garrett,” Celestia murmured with a shallow breath.

Luna dropped the package, and multiple photographs spilled out. All of them were of the photo shoot organized in an attempt to put Garrett in a better light. His poses varied from holding his weapons to fight to carrying an injured guard on his shoulders, and in many of them, he was masking his face. But, for the ones that did show, he displayed sorrow and loneliness.

“He left us,” Luna breathed. Her eyes shut tight as a tear slid down, and her breathing quivered. “Why?”

Quickly rushing to to her side, Celestia gingerly wrapped her forelegs around her, who did the same. They were silent for a moment, with the exception of a few sniffs from Luna every so often.

Celestia saw the memories of Garrett rush back into her mind. She remembered how his violent instincts and broken heart were the result of the horrors of the war he faced. A thought made her think of how it must have felt like to wake up every morning in the hopes that one’s home was not yet attacked by the enemy.

Even though everything looked peaceful, war on the doorstep was a constant reminder. Now, she felt as though she were in his position, this time the Covenant replaced by Nightmare Moon’s army.

In that moment, Celestia felt her responsibilities rise up more than ever. She thought of how if her sister was this affected, everyone else was having it just as bad. Images of ponies feeling abandoned, lost, and scared made her know that she needed to be a stronger leader, especially in their current conflict.

She looked onwards towards the harbour where the waves were top one another. Pictures of Nightmare Moon’s ships firing their cannons and unleashing armies flashed before her eyes, and the thought of fighting to death for Equestria and her people sparked in her mind.

“She will still come,” Celestia finally said, “and we must be ready.”

Luna took a deep breath and opened her eyes, and there was a look of absolute fearlessness on them. Right then and there, she appeared as though she had adapted to the mindset of a soldier. She let go of Celestia and took a deep breath. “Get some rest, sister, for I shall look after everypony tonight as usual and make sure they feel safe.”

“Perhaps not tonight,” Celestia suggested, “Princess Cadence is already doing her best to reassure everypony.”

Luna shook her head and opened the door. “We must do it personally to show that they still have us to look up to for hope.”

“Goodnight, Luna,” Celestia said.

Luna silently nodded, went out, and started closing the door with magic.

“I love you so much,” Celestia added.

Stopping for a moment, Luna gave her another look. “I love you, too, sister.”

She shut the door and went on, the words lingering in her head.

With a loud gasp, Celestia pushed herself up from the bed and set her horn aglow. Her instincts were already kicking in and ready to blast anything that moved. Midnight filled her bedroom, and she scanned her place with the light of her magic, only to find nothing. Monairco was still quiet and very much safe.

“Please pick this up,” a voice said.

Facing the table next to her bed, Celestia looked at the small communication device. It lay there blinking and lighting up the room slightly

“I know you’re listening to this,” the voice said again.

Celestia carefully slid out of bed, lifted the small box up with magic, and brought it close to her. “Hello?” she asked.

A thought dawned upon her. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “...Garrett?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Garrett replied. “I’m right outside the dome and would greatly appreciate it if you let me in.”

A jolt of delight washed through Celestia. A wide smile on sprouted on her lips, and small tears of joy formed in her eye. However, as she was about to cast the spell to lower the shield, a realization hit her. She remembered how many of Equestria’s evil manipulated ponies by putting on faces of familiar figures, and she could never forget what happened to Princess Cadence. The horror of Nightmare Moon turning herself into Garrett and simply walking into Monairco quickly overwrote all of her thoughts.

The smile disappeared from her face. “I’m sorry, Garrett,” Celestia said as she walked to a window to see the harbour, “but I won’t let you in.”

“What?!” Garrett breathed. “Ma’am! I brought help with me!”

“Listen to me,” Celestia began. “I’ve known Garrett long enough to be aware that he will obey orders until the end, including leaving behind a planet. We’re alone now, and our enemies will be right on our doorstep soon.”

“But I’m back!” Garrett argued. “The Garrett Archer that abandoned you was Nightmare Moon in disguise!”

Celestia stopped for a moment. A flashback of a changeling queen’s grin of triumph over her defeat appeared before her. She looked back at the two diadems holding up the shield and felt a small voice in her speak to her exactly like a soldier. “All right, what if the Garrett that delivered the order to retreat was an imposter? What if the man I’m talking to right now is another fake? Is the goal to sneak into the city and assassinate the leaders?”

“Ma’am... this isn’t like you.” Desperation was ever present in Garrett’s voice. “You said it yourself that you know me. You know you can put your lives on my hands.”

“I’m sorry, Garrett, but unless you prove to us again that we can put our lives under you care, I’m afraid I can’t let you enter Monairco.” Celestia sighed and closed her eyes. “Look, if being close to an ODST has taught me one thing, it’s to always prepare for the worse and do whatever it takes to lessen the bloodshed. This is war, and we have lives to protect.”

“But I’m telling the truth!” Garrett fired. “I didn’t abandon you!”

Celestia sighed and shook her head. “Enough is enough.”

“Please,” Garrett begged, “take one more risk for once. Lower the shield, just to let you know that it’s me.”

“It’s a risk I’m not willing to take. No more chances.” Celestia took a deep breath, a knot twisting in her. “Goodbye... whoever you are.”

She floated the device in front of her and pressed her hoof on the switch.

“No!” Garrett shouted. “Wait--”

Celestia turned off the device and placed it aside. She opened the window to let the wind blow in. The fresh air washed her mind like water, clearing her thoughts. Closing her eyes tight, she felt a drop slide down her cheek.

“If you’re really out there,” she whispered, “I’m sorry.”

“Damn it!” Garrett shouted.

He looked up to see the dome over Monairco standing tall. He closed a fist, tempted to smash it open with all his strength. A small part of him regretted not bringing his rifle or a set of explosives.

“Garrett,” a voice said. “At last, we see each other plain.”

Garrett spun around and gripped his knife and the pistol by his waist. He lowered himself and activated his VISR to scan through the dark branches. The night in front of him shuffled with movement. From the shadows, an armor clad pony moved forward. A crossbow holstered was on his back, and his plates shined with gold and violet.

“Nice to see a friendly.” Garrett let go of his weapons and stood straight. “Ready to take down Nightmare Moon?”

“Can’t exactly say the same on my end,” Shining Armor said. “I’ve heard almost nothing about you, save for a very few details.”

“I trust that those ‘details’ include me meaning no harm,” Garrett said as he took off his helmet.

“Not exactly,” another voice said.

To the left of Shining Armor, an armored griffon moved forward. His suit of grey was wrapped with thin gold stripes.

Three squads of guards appeared behind Shining Armor and Griffaldi. One was made of familiar pegasi and unicorns from Equestria, another was composed of armored crystal ponies, and a third was of griffons who were obviously from Monairco.

“Garrett Archer,” Shining Armor started. He drew his crossbow with magic. “On your knees.”

Betrayal hit Garrett hard like a hammer, and he felt his hopes smash like shattered glass. He attempted to slip on his helmet, but Shining Armor grabbed hold of it with his magic and blasted it out of his grasp.

The guards surrounded Garrett, each holding a weapon high. Sensing no escape, he obeyed their wishes, went on his knees, and placed his hands behind his head.

“Give me a chance to explain,” Garrett said.

“We’ve heard enough from the guards of Canterlot,” Griffaldi said, positioning himself in front Garrett.

“And you make us sick,” Shining Armor spat.

“I’m just trying to do the right thing,” Garrett said.

“I’m sorry, soldier,” Griffaldi said, “but here, we don’t negotiate with deserters.”

“I’m not a deserter!” Garrett shouted.

Shaking his head, Griffaldi said, “Past sins cast long shadows, and the the evidence of you fully capable of executing the Princess Celestia and Princess Luna and massacring hundreds of guards when ordered to are not helping your case at all.”

Garrett was silent, and the look of guilt on his face was seen by everyone. Griffaldi shot a glance at Shining Armor, who nodded.

Griffaldi raised his sword. “We griffons have a saying, ‘if he breaks your wing, you break his.’ I’m sure you humans have a something like this.”

“An eye for an eye,” Garrett murmured.

“Indeed, soldier.” Griffaldi aimed the tip of his sword for Garrett’s forehead.

“But, an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind,” Garrett said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “A wing for a wing makes everyone flightless.”

“You’re still guilty,” Griffaldi said.

“In war, the first casualty is always innocence,” Garrett murmured.

Griffaldi paused for a moment, and Shining Armor glanced at him.

Seizing the moment, Garrett quickly stepped forward and drew his knife. He scraped his blade along the side of the sword. He then disarmed Griffaldi, stepped to his side, and grabbed hold of him by the neck with a chokehold.

Griffaldi jerked and kicked, and Garrett tightened his grip and aimed the edge of his knife against his neck.

Shining Armor stood still in shock. The griffons drew their swords, and arcane crossbows floated high.

“Shoot him!” Griffaldi choked.

“Don’t think about it!” Garrett barked as he displayed his knife. He slowly edged his way towards the ponies and gryphons. Several backed off. “The moment he says ‘shoot’ again, this thing’s going in!”

Several guards, including Shining Armor, began lowering their weapons.

“He’s bluffing!” Griffaldi coughed. “Take the shot!”

Garrett growled and tightened his grip.

“You might get hit!” Shining Armor shouted.

“That is an order!” Griffaldi yelled.

Garrett saw the crossbows float up again, trained on his head. “Damn it!” he cursed.

He shoved Griffaldi towards the crowd. Gryffons and pegasi flew out of the way, and Shining Armor jumped to his side, his crossbow at the ready.

Adrenaline flowed into Garrett, and his heart was beating hard. He sheathed his knife, sped off to the trees behind him, quickly picked up his helmet, and slid it on. Then, he activated the VISR and sprinted over the forest floor as fast as his feet could have carried him. Branches, vines, and roots were reaching out as if they were trying to stop him. Shoving his way, he ignored most of them and paid more attention to rocks he needed to jump over.

When he finally stopped, Garrett found himself standing directly in front of Monairco’s dome. He reached for his rucksack and pulled out the beacon. Then, he crouched down and started the recording.

“This is Captain Garrett Archer. To any UNSC that can hear this, do not, I repeat, do not land forces on the city. Set up a defensive perimeter beyond its limits. Locals are mix of hostiles and--”

“There he is!” Shining Armor barked.

“Bring him down!” Griffaldi shouted.

Garrett felt two pairs of talons seize his arms and shove him against Monairco’s shield. Electricity coursed through his body like an electric fence. He screamed in pain and jerked violently. The gryphons let him go, and he fell to the ground, groaning.

Right in front of him was the beacon. He reached for it and pressed the button on the side.

Griffaldi kicked the beacon out of his grasp and forced him to his feet. “Get up,” he said.

Looking around, Garrett found the guards form a ring around him and Griffaldi, who was already moving around like a tiger.

The two of them circled each other, but Garrett occasionally shot a look at a guard to make sure that none would stab him in the back. He paid careful attention to Shining Armor, who looked as if he wanted to use his hooves to pound him to the ground.

The first to charge forward was Griffaldi. He trailed the tip of his sword along the ground and swung in an arc.

Garrett drew his knife and stepped forward. His blade scraped along the side of the sword, and the distance he covered forced Griffaldi back.

Griffaldi charged again and sliced downwards. Garrett blocked it and sidestepped, creating distance between the two of them again.

“You’re holding back,” Griffaldi taunted. “Why? Is my head not worth the effort?”

“You’re not my real enemy,” Garrett said. “Nightmare Moon is the only target I want, and I will make sure she dies before I do.”

Taking to the air, Griffaldi dove and tackled Garrett to the ground. He kneeled on top of his chest piece and raised his blade.

Before he managed to bring the sword to his gut, Garrett rolled to his side and forced him to the earth. He leaned on his neck with his forearm guard to choke him yet again.

Griffaldi, however, managed to crunch up and set his rear legs. He kicked hard and forced Garrett away. When air rushed back through his throat, he coughed dryly and grasped his neck.

After regaining himself, he used his sword for support and stood back up. He attacked again and continued swinging his blade. Garrett kept up his defense, mainly by blocking and stepping out of the way on time. On and on he held up strong against every attack and showed no sign of breaking.

Finally, out of sheer rage and desperation, Griffaldi flew forward and smashed his sword against Garrett’s knife with pure brute force.

He began flapping his wings, and slowly, Garrett’s boots scraped along the ground.

Eventually, Garrett found himself right in front of Monairco’s shield again, and he was still fighting off Griffaldi’s strength. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw the bright glow reflect off of his arm, getting brighter and brighter as he was still inching closer.

“Scared, human?” Griffaldi laughed with a sinister smile. “Don’t worry, your helmet would make the perfect table piece after the end of this.”

Garrett’s strength started fading, and one of his arms let go of his knife.

The sword jerked closer towards his head, and Griffaldi smiled even wider as he saw his own reflection on the visor. He flapped his wings even harder, pushing Garrett back more. However, briefly, he saw him reach for his side. He looked down to see a small weapon with a nickel-plate finish pointing straight at him.

A loud bang cracked through the air, a sword clanked to the ground, and Griffaldi fell. He cried in shock and gripped his wing, which had a clean hole through the feathers and a few drops of blood seep out.

All the guards barked viciously at the sight of the fallen prince.

“Arrest him!” Griffaldi managed to scream. “Take him down!”

Garrett rolled to his side and ducked, narrowly missing a trio of arcane bolts that whooshed past his head. He jumped to the cover of trees and activated his VISR.

Targets highlighted in red appeared in his view. Garrett saw that all of them were still scrambling among themselves. Gryffons were rushing to Griffaldi while ponies were retreating to their own cover of trees.

“Don’t mind me!” Griffaldi barked. “Arrest the human!”

Half of the gryffons split off and charged straight at their target. Garrett sprinted out of his cover, meeting them head on.

One guard brought up a spear. Garrett seized it by the pole and pulled it towards him. The gryffon refused to let go and was dragged along with his weapon.

Garrett lifted his foot and kicked the gryffon by the side of his head, and the guard fell, clutching his temple in pain.

More gryffons jumped forward and tried to seize Garrett. He swung his spear and smashed one guard by the head, breaking the polearm in the process. He then brought up his pistol and slammed the grip on the cheek of another.

A third threw a fist at his head, but Garrett managed to block the attack and bring up his knee to the guard’s forehead.

Griffaldi lay in both horror and awe as he watched Garrett take down each of his guards like they were a waste of time. He struck blow after blow with the speed of a snake. Within a matter of seconds, all the gryffons were on the ground, curled up in pain and groaning.

“What are you doing?!” the prince barked at the ponies. He focussed at Shining Armor. “Take him down, captain!”

At once, several crossbows raised to the air. Garrett quickly aimed his magnum and shot each of them down. When he spotted no more, he inserted a fresh magazine and carefully fired multiple rounds at the trees near the ponies, forcing them to hide.

There was silence hovering about them. Garrett was cautiously scanning the area with his weapon. Out of nowhere, a bolt landed on his magnum and blew it out of his grasp.

Garrett grunted and grasped his wrist.

Shining Armor stepped forward with his crossbow floating high. His eyes were focussed hard on Garrett.

The Griffaldi’s sword on the ground started to rattle with a glow. It shot off the ground and levitated next to Shining Armor, who shouldered his crossbow. “Get the prince out of here,” he said. “I’ll handle Garrett.”

“I can never get a break, can’t I?” Garrett asked.

“At the end of the day,” Shining Armor said, “only one of us will walk out of this.”

“Before you say another word, captain,” Garrett started, “before you attack and arrest me again, listen to me. There is something I must do.”

He pointed to Monairco. “This city will become a massive graveyard. There is none but me who can intercede. Just let me go. Three days are all I need.”

He took a deep breath. “Then I’ll return, I pledge my word. Then I’ll return--”

“You must think me mad!” Shining Armor barked. “I’m hunting you to protect them! Men of gore can never change, a man such as you.”

“Believe of me what you will!” Garrett shouted.

“Men like you can never change,” Shining Armor repeated as he shook his head in disgust. He dashed ahead and swung his sword. Garrett sidestepped, lunged at him, and landed a fist at his temple.

Shining Armor retreated slightly as he absorbed the blow.

“There is a duty that I’m sworn to do!” Garrett growled. “You know nothing of my life. All I did was fight to live.”

“My duty’s to Equestria,” Shining Armor returned. “You have no rights. Come with me, back-stabbing traitor!”

“You know nothing of my world,” Garrett said. “You would sooner make me dead, but not before I see this justice done.”

Shining Armor shook his head in disgust again. “Garrett Archer’s nothing now!”

He launched himself to the air and aimed his sword.

Garrett moved forward and grabbed him in mid-flight. He then twisted sharply and threw Shining Armor face first to the ground.

Shining Armor grunted in pain, and Garrett pinned him down hard with his knee.

“I am warning you, captain!” Garrett shouted. “There is nothing I won’t dare. If I have to kill you here, I’ll do what must be done!”

Shining Armor quickly jerked himself free and kicked with his hind legs, but Garrett stepped to his side and sped away on time, dashing past the trees and branches. However, he was not able to reach far, as his route quickly sloped down towards a small pond with half of it having a wall of rock encircling it.

“There is no place for you to hide,” Shining Armor gnarled, sending a chill down Garrett’s spine.

Garrett spun around and found Shining Armor standing in front of him. One side told him to fight and bring him down once and for all. Another ordered him to hold back as the real enemy was coming prepared with an army. He felt like a cornered animal, desperate and hopeless.

Wasting no time, Shining Armor charged forward and swung the sword across.

Garrett ducked at the right moment to see it fly past above him. He moved forward and smashed his elbow on Shining Armor’s head.

Sensing the close fight, Shining Armor threw a hoof to punch.

Garrett easily blocked it, stepped to the right, and cocked his arm back to send a massive right hook.

The power was so strong it forced Shining Armor to grunt and spin around to regain his balance. However, this gave him the opportunity to raise his hind legs.

With no time to react, Garrett only managed to mutter a low swear before feeling the force of a battering ram smash into his chest piece, sending him to a tumble down the hill. He was quickly gaining speed, going faster with each second. The pond absorbed his fall, and he quickly got back to his feet. The water reached his waist. Tired and weakened, he stood there gasping for breath and resting his weight on his knees.

In front of the pond and out of the water, Shining Armor stood with his horn aglow, and he looked more than ready for another round.

The water around Garrett started to flow away from him like waves following the moon. It then gathered in a triplet above Shining Armor like a trident.

Garrett brought up his arms in an attempt to protect himself, but he knew it was futile.

Shining Armor fired a blast of water, hitting Garrett like a right hook. He grunted, staggered, and managed to steel himself in time for the second surge, which slammed to his left side.

The final blast of water hit Garrett square in his chest. He was sent flying and slammed against the stone wall with a loud, cringing thud of his armor. His back slid down the rock, and he fell to a sitting position.

Shining Armor saw Garrett stay still. The only movement he noticed was the exhausted breathing that made him rise and fall, and he appeared as though his defeat made him lose the will to fight.

After letting the water flow back into the pond, Shining Armor stepped in. He slowly waded forward in anticipation. Eventually, he was a few feet away from Garrett, who was still motionless on the ground and staring at him. With the sword high up, he aimed the tip for his head, and he saw the reflection of the blade on the visor.

Right before the sword would have fallen, Garrett managed to muster his last ounces of strength to push forward and stand up. He seized Shining Armor’s head and ripped off his violet helmet.

Having no time to react, Shining Armor felt an elbow land on his temple that knocked him off balance. His magical grasp on the sword let go. He then had a pair of hands grab the back of his head and force him down. A knee violently rammed into the bridge between his eyes. Pained and dazed, he tried to fight back with a punch of his hoof.

The blow was easily absorbed by the armor. With his instincts kicking in fast, Shining Armor attempted to fight on with more hooves. Garrett wrapped his arms around his head and neck and forced him to the stone wall. Then, he scraped his horn along the rock like a nail on a chalkboard.

Shining Armor yelled a piercing cry. Unable to conjure a spell, he jerked and bucked in his restraints like a wild animal trying to draw away. He then prompted to prying open Garrett’s hands with his own hooves.

When he took notice of this, Garrett let go of his hold and grabbed Shining Armor by the back of his head and by the collar of his armor. Then, he plunged him into the water and held him down like a death grip.

Still, Shining Armor fought on by trying to hit Garrett with his hooves. He attempted to find a grip somewhere to claw himself up, but his strength was outmatched. The hunger for air was making his senses fail. He could feel his heart pump the blood in and out of his head, hard like a drum. Desperate, he started to unbuckle his chest piece.

Sensing the motion, Garrett lifted Shining Armor out of the water, who fought and gasped for every breath.

Not a moment later, Garrett smashed his elbow against Shining Armor’s temple yet again. Then, he forced him back to the water for a second time.

Starving for oxygen, Shining Armor’s body began slowing down. He still attempted to strip himself of his chest piece. His sight darkened to a blur, and his hearing started muffling away. The hooves he was using to fight and unbuckle himself slowed and fell.

It was at this moment did Garrett finally reach under Shining Armor and bring him up.

Shining Armor coughed and breathed heavily. His head hung limp from Garrett’s grasp. This time, he made no attempt to fight. His loose armor shook and swayed back and forth.

Garrett carried him out of the pond and made him lie down on the ground face down to help drain out the fluids. He went back to the pond and lifted the sword out of the water.

For a moment, Shining Armor remained motionless, save for his deep breathing. He felt his strength return with each moment. Then, he realized that there was only silence around him. Groaning, he rolled over on the ground. Right when he was about to get up, he felt a hand grab his neck like a snake and force him to the ground. He gagged and saw a silver-blue visor unpolarize, revealing a cold, hard set of eyes. The edge of a sword rested gently on his throat.

“Tell me who you are and what you want from me,” Garrett growled.

“My name is Shining Armor,” Shining Armor spat. “Prince of the Crystal Empire and captain of the royal guard.”

The fingers around his throat tightened.

“And your reason for attacking me?” Garrett asked.

“You’re a threat,” Shining Armor croaked, “and I’m just trying to protect those around me.”

“You’re not the only one,” Garrett grumbled.

“I know your story!” Shining Armor barked. “You were put to the test in a dream, and in there, you killed the princesses and my sister!”

“Sister?” Garrett asked. He looked down at Shining Armor’s chestplate and froze.

“If you go near the princesses or Twilight again, I will hunt you down!” Shining Armor coughed.

The hand wrapped around Shining Armor’s neck let go, and Garrett stood back up, the sword hanging from his grip. He turned around and took a few steps forward with his head down in deep thought.

Shining Armor backed off towards a tree and leaned against it for support. He slowly stood back up and looked at Garrett. With his horn aglow, he pulled out his crossbow and aimed it at him. He squinted and set his sights for the head.

The bolt soared through the air like an arrow, but Garrett spun around and blocked it with the sword.

Before he knew it, Shining Armor found his crossbow cut in half and Garrett poised in front of him, the sword low and cocked back for a thrust. With nothing left, he closed his eyes and felt a jerk force him to the tree.

It fell quiet again for a moment. Shining Armor waited for the shock to set in, for the agony to start. Instead, he realized that he was not in pain. He gasped and opened his eyes. Looking down, he found the sword sticking out like a pole and a pair of hands firmly holding its grip. It was diagonally aimed, jammed through layers of armor, and jutted back out to the tree. It barely scraped his coat. Pinned, he was unable to move.

Shining Armor raised his eyes and stared at Garrett’s.

“What are you waiting for?” Shining Armor asked.

Garrett shook his head and backed off. “Enough is enough. You’re not my enemy, and I’m not yours. I hate war and all this useless fighting.”

“Says the man who’s from one of the most elite groups of your military,” Shining Armor said.

“I’m fighting because I just want to protect my home and those around me. I have to go to war because I’ll lose everything I hold dear. Isn’t that why you’re in the guard?”

Shining Armor lowered his head.

“I was in the coast guard before becoming an ODST,” Garrett started. “Most of my job used to be shooting a target’s engines to stop them for an arrest. At the end of the day, no one got hurt. That’s why I loved it. I got to protect without needing to kill for majority of the time. When the Human-Covenant conflict intensified, I was moved to serve a different role. War is a brutal, futile, and useless thing. There is never a winner, only losers where one loses less than the other.”

He took a deep breath and let go of the sword. “It’s strange, really. As a whole, us humans have reached the ability to conquer space and countless distances from our home. We managed to colonize other worlds and achieve so many breakthroughs in science, technology, medicine, and other feats. And yet, in the end, the one thing we can’t reach is an agreement between one another. What more with aliens?”

Shining Armor continued staring at the ground.

Garrett turned around, switched on his comms, and started making his way.

“About time you made contact,” Galea said. “Have you been successful in rallying allies?”

“We’re fighting this war alone,” Garrett said. Before the branches obscured his view, he shot one more look at Shining Armor, who still hung weak. Behind him, the light of dawn was cracking in the distance.

Garrett turned around and walked on.

“What do you mean?” Galea asked, shocked.

“They refused our offer of help,” Garrett huffed. “Hell, some guards even tried to kill me. No more playing hero. We’re doing this on our own terms. Prepare the ships and the cavaliers. We fight the moment Nightmare Moon makes a move.”

“All ships reporting in, colonel,” an ensign reported. “Some are way off target, including us, so it’ll take some time before we regroup.”

Colonel Stanford nodded and stood silently as he stared on the holo table. Flanking him were the various commanders and officers of the ships that came along with him. The crew of the bridge were busy with their own work, mainly by interacting with their screens and talking to each other in low tones.

Far in the distance, a planet was in plain sight. Its moon revolved around it peacefully, and to some extent, Stanford and the officers felt relieved at the sight of green lands and blue waters. How they yearned for Earth and the other colonies were the same.

The AI of the UNSC Burning Frost appeared on the holo-table. He saluted to Stanford.

“Sir,” he said, “the first wave of intel and data from recon drones has arrived, and we have Captain Archer’s signal. However, the message he embedded into it is filled with too much interference for us to understand. There are a lot of things going on down there that are causing the disruptions.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Stanford said as he shook his head.

The AI pulled up the display of a large city. In its harbour, it had two massive and fluffy-looking structures and countless ships. Airships were also around the region as well and were patrolling a perimeter.

Far off to the side, zeppelins were on the move.

“Sensors indicate that there is a lot of biological life within this city,” the AI started. He pointed to a structure that looked like a fortress ready for war. It stood tall and proud next to the other buildings nearby, and it had a clear view of everything around it. “There’s a high level of activity of armored locals in that area. Presumably, someone of importance is in there, and I assume it’s their leader.”

The AI then pointed towards the approaching zeppelins. “That fleet is slowly making its way, and I calculate that if they keep up with their current pace, they will reach the region before we would, even if we get a move on right now.”

The officers around Stanford watched him intently. For a while, he was silent as his eyes shifted back and forth from the figures on the table. Finally, he leaned forward and pointed to the entrance of the fortress. “If that’s the case, a few squads of ODSTs should drop there and secure a landing zone. The remaining troopers would deploy in various parts of the city and clear out hostiles. Once the situation is stable, we bring in the marines, tanks, and other heavy machinery...”

Author's Notes:

Apologies for this, but the next chapter will take a while. I have a lot of work that I need to do.