Galea trotted along the sides of the holo table and inspected the map of Equestria and the miniscule figures moving about on it. Garrett silently watched his small, ghostly appearance. He felt awkward as he looked around. The room he was in looked like the captain’s cabin of a sail ship made with alien technology. A pair of cavaliers flanked the doors leading out, the cannons on their yolks pointed straight.

“You all right?” Galea asked.

“Feels a bit strange to be in a ship not designed by humans or Covenant,” Garrett replied.

“You’ll get used to it,” Galea said.

“Whatever,” Garrett said. “Let’s get on with the briefing.”

Nodding, Galea pulled up a city into display. “Nightmare Moon fortified Canterlot with her army of shadows and fleet of airships.”

Three hundred red zeppelins appeared around the city in formation, securing a perimeter around it.

“She made Canterlot Castle her new home and implemented the changes to suit her needs,” Galea continued.

A large spire grew out of Canterlot Castle. It easily made everything around it look miniscule. Ribbons of violet light were flowing out from the top, reaching out like claws.

“Her tower is right on top of the vault for the Elements of Harmony,” Galea said. “A huge flow of energy is coming from said vault. If I were correct, she’s using the elements to power her operation.”

“And the point of her spire?” Garrett asked.

“If scans and intel are correct,” Galea said, “it’s a power source that somehow helps her shadows multiply better.”

“How much firepower is needed to take this thing down?” Garrett asked again.

“Actually, you only need me,” Galea said. He pointed to the base of the spire. “If you manually get me there, I can alter the energy output to become one massive burst and stop Nightmare Moon’s army and zeppelins.”

“‘Manually?’” Garrett asked.

“Transfer me to the core you put me in,” Galea said. “Then, get me to proximity of a few city blocks, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“What’ll happen to you?”

“I’ll get myself into the flow of magic, destroy her work, and go back to being dead.” Galea smiled weakly. “This time, it’ll be permanent. But, before I do that, I’ll see to it that I provide as much help as possible on-site.”

Garrett lowered his head in silence.

“Nightmare Moon’s fleet has broken off.” Galea motioned the display, and almost all the zeppelins set course to one location. “If we don’t act now, Monairco will be a graveyard within a day.”

“And I’ll be dead within an hour if it’s just the two of us and one ship,” Garrett grumbled irritably. “Not to mention you teleported me into this room. Hell, I don’t even know how this thing looks like from the outside.”

Galea tapped his hoof on the holo table, and the map disappeared. In its place, a large galleon that lacked masts took form. It was armored with countless alloy plates. Gun ports lined the sides, and on the deck, a massive turret stood on the bow. It reminded Garrett of mass drivers, except it looked as if it was made from a world powered by steam.

“That gun can fire three times consecutively,” Galea said, pointing to the bow. “Smaller targets can be taken out by autocannons.”

From the gunports, turrets extended out and rotated in place, showing off their wide field of view.

“They can also be used for ship-to-ship combat,” Galea added. “Though these are ships smaller than Nightmare Moon’s, they are faster, more protected, and just as powerful, according to Athena’s notes. But if you ask me, we’re the ones with stronger vessels.”

“How many of these have we got for a fleet?” Garrett asked.

“We’re greatly outnumbered,” Galea grumbled. He lowered his head. “Ten to one.”

“Thirty, then.” Garrett sighed. He looked at the hundreds of ‘friendly’ ships amassing at Monairco. Most of them were airships, but there was a small number of watercraft. “Even with Equestrian forces, we’re still outnumbered,” he sighed.

Galea then shifted the view again to see more ships coming in from the seas and skies. “Minotaur, zebra, and other fleets are arriving as well, but they’ll be too late to help fight of the initial forces of Nightmare Moon. Your UNSC friends better come in with good numbers.”

Garrett shook his head. “I saw our fleet back on Earth. The best number we could hope for is a handful. Have you gotten a scan of Nightmare Moon’s ships?”

“Yes,” Galea said. “Including maneuverability, firepower, rate of fire, and speed of projectiles. Why’d you ask?”

There was silence for a moment. Garrett kept his attention on the holo table and brushed aside all the displays. Then, he pulled up two airships. One was Nightmare Moon’s zeppelin, and the other was a cavalier galleon.

“Practice,” Garrett said.

Nightmare Moon’s zeppelin opened fire, and large arcane bolts soared through the air.

Garrett began typing on the console. The cavalier airship veered violently to the side and dodged the attack. It then flew above Nightmare Moon’s zeppelin in a circle and fired upon it with its gunports.

Explosions and fire blanketed the top of the zeppelin, but they were quickly brushed aside.

The zeppelin continued opening fire. The first volley missed narrowly. However, the second wave of arcane bolts hit the cavalier airship by the side.

When it unleashed the third barrage, Garrett quickly made his airship spin around and rise. The sudden shift gave the main gun a clear shot.

It was until then did Galea realize that Garrett was focussing all his firepower to the top of the zeppelin, evident by the shredded armor to the particular area.

The main gun of the cavalier ship fired, and three flashes of light pierced the zeppelin. More explosions erupted, this time from within. But, Nightmare Moon’s ship was still flying.

The cavalier airship closed the distance, and the gunports opened fire upon the gaping hole. Within a few moments, the zeppelin was gone.

“Impressive,” Galea said. “Where’d you learn that?”

“Why so curious all of the sudden?” Garrett asked.

Galea shrugged. “Well, you know my life. Makes sense that I should know about you, considering that I’m giving you everything I’ve depended on.”

“Well, you already know my sob story,” Garrett huffed. “Almost the same as everyone’s in the UNSC. One way or another, each of us has lost at least one thing that made us sign up.”

“I’m not interested in your angst,” Galea grumbled. “You told us that you went through ‘extra courses.’ So, tell me, what did you do that made you stay for so long in training?”

“I’m a lone wolf, meaning I’m suppose to handle everything myself,” Garrett started. “Ships, first-aid, repairs. Name it, and I should more or less be expected to be competent at it. Luckily, the UNSC offers a lot of military courses. The reason why my first mission was with other ODSTs was because I was supposed to be ‘evaluated’ by the officers and the other troopers.”

“Makes sense,” Galea commented.

“I started by taking physics and chemistry, since Covenant tech uses plasma quite a lot,” Garrett continued. “I thought it would benefit me later on. The physics part helped out a lot in the coast guard, especially because I was a designated marksman. After stepping up in the UNSC and becoming an ODST, I learned about being a medic. It’s not easy being injured out in the field. To help me out with solving problems, I went through engineering and sapper school as well.”

“That’s a mouthful for just one man,” Galea said. “How’d you pay the bills? And how the buck did they let you do all that?”

“You’ll be amazed with how much you can make with smart investments,” Garrett said. “As for the second question because the demand for soldiers, especially ODSTs who can compete with Spartans, is so high, some officers are willing to push instructors and students out of their comfort zones and standard procedure.”

“So, that means everything after high school is military life,” Galea said.

“Actually, I was placed in a few university-level classes in high school,” Garrett added.

“Hot damn.”

Garrett nodded, smiling a bit at his accomplishments.

“Ever thought of joining the Spartans, whoever they are?” Galea asked.

“Hell, I don’t even know how you get into the program,” Garrett scoffed.

“Either way,” Galea said, “the fleet and all cavaliers are now under your command. You call the shots, I relay them, and they’ll carry them out.”

Blue dots appeared on the display. Legions of cavaliers and twenty airships were projected in formation.

“Just one last thing,” Galea added. He motioned the display and looked behind Garrett. “A gift from myself to you.”

Garrett turned to find an open chest, and from within it, a shield relic floated out.

“Open the gate!” a guard shouted. “Make way for the prince!”

The gates to Monairco creaked open. Orders were being barked from behind the walls, and chatter was erupting from the buildings. In silence, however, the three squads of armored Equestrians limped their way back inside. Their heads hung low in shame and failure, and their bruises still pulsed with pain. Shining Armor was still letting his armor hang loose, and Griffaldi made his damaged wing droop from his side.

The pathway was clear as guards ensured that the civilians did not get in the way. As the group moved in, gasps were the only audible sounds.

“He’s injured!” an onlooker shouted.

“What happened?!” another barked.

The citizens could only stare at their injured prince as the guards held them off.

Within a few moments, doctors were on the scene with stretchers, but Griffaldi waved them off. “No,” he said to them. “I must be with these guards. Bring your medical equipment here.”

The doctors stared at him, and it took them a second before springing to action.

The group moved on to the nearby barracks. They eased back as they waited, and some were so drained that they were fine sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall. Griffaldi made himself comfortable on a chair. With a loud groan, Shining Armor sat on top of a wooden crate next to him. He sighed in relief as he felt the weight on his legs disappear. Looking up, he spotted Cadance dashing towards him, and the look on her face was unmistakable. The crystal guards with her did not bother holding back their shock and worry.

Cadance wrapped her forelegs around Shining Armor and hugged him tight. He did the same, and for a moment, they were in complete silence.

She gingerly took off his helmet and smoothed her hooves over the bruise on the side of his head. Looking down, she gasped at the sight of the hole on his armor.

“I’m okay,” Shining Armor said.

“What happened to you?” Cadance asked as she brushed at his face.

“We drove away what we thought of a danger,” Griffaldi told her. “None of us were killed, and we’re successful. That’s what matters.”

Shining Armor looked up again to see two more princesses standing in front of him, both of which sporting the most majestic armor his eyes laid upon.

Celestia’s golden armor made her look like she was capable inspiring anypony to follow her to whatever end, a symbol of hope, resilience, and courage. Luna, however, was as a silver-blue unsung guardian and watchful protector. She was dark, mysterious, and determined with a strong aura of bravery to match. They both had their own swords holstered on their backs.

The two of them approached Shining Armor and set themselves down next to him.

“Who-- or what is capable of defeating three squads, the prince of Monairco, and the captain of the royal guard without taking a life?” Luna asked.

Shaking his head, Shining Armor took a deep breath. “I... I--”

“Shining Armor,” Celestia interrupted. She pointed at his collar with her hoof. “What is that wedged in your armor?”

Her horn glowed, and Shining Armor saw a piece of laminated paper float in front of her. He managed to see that it was a photo of Garrett together with two other humans. Both of them had long hair that reached farther than their shoulders. One was the smallest of the trio while the other looked to be of the same age as Garrett. The three of them were smiling as if they had the perfect life.

“Oh no...” Celestia breathed.

Luna blinked.

“Greetings, everypony,” a cold voice said.

Everyone froze at the sound. Citizens shook in fear, children cowered to the protection of their parents, and guards shifted uneasily.

“I have a message for members of royalty,” the cold voice continued. “I have come to the conclusion that even if you are out of Canterlot’s ring of authority, you and your connections are still a thorn that needs to be removed. Leave this land. Flee out of here and into the far neighboring nations such as the Griffin Kingdoms. Do not come back, and I promise to bring no harm to your citizens. If you stay, I will use force and bring you down.

“To the citizens of these monarchs, I have an offer for you. Kick out your leaders, and you shall be spared. Make sure that they never return, and I will reward you handsomely. You have until the dawn of tomorrow to make your move.”

Silence followed, no one daring to make a sound.

Griffaldi looked at Shining Armor, Cadance, Luna, and Celestia. All of them shared their expressions of concern and fear, and they refused to murmur a word.

Then, Griffaldi looked at the citizens of Monareco and the refugees. They were all staring at him, and simultaneously, they shook their heads. The guards around them also shared their disagreement, many of which were securing their armor and checking their weapons.

In one swift movement, both citizens and guards lowered themselves and bowed before the princes and the princesses.

Griffaldi stood up from his chair and smiled with pride.

“Set up defences, and get these civilians to the cloud shelters,” Griffaldi said. He shrugged of the unicorn doctor to his side and wrapped a potion-soaked bandage around his wing. Then, he shifted his attention to the princesses and the guards. “We have a war to fight.”

The next day, Monairco stood silent in anticipation. Every available guard was in a defensive position. Watchtowers and walls were filled with weapons and armored soldiers. Improvised cover and barricades were quickly erected all throughout the principality. Trenches were dug wherever possible. All the ships of the various factions surrounded the princedom in a secured perimeter. Griffaldi, Luna, Celestia, and Shining Armor stood on top of the gate which overlooked the castle’s entrance, and they each wore their own suit of armor.

In the distance, twenty of Nightmare Moon’s zeppelins were approaching. They were lined in formation and kept their distance.

A streak of black lightning cracked through the sky. It shot clear through Monareco’s dome, which broke like glass. The light narrowly missed the Equestrian airships and landed in front of the castle. Within a second, Nightmare Moon appeared on the impact point, and she had her sword floating right next to her. She looked to the top of the gate with a look of anticipation.

Celestia, Luna, and Shining Armor growled at the sight.

“Surround her!” Griffaldi barked.

Soldiers from the Crystal Empire and Griffon Kingdoms formed a large ring around Nightmare Moon. Solar and Lunar guards were also taking part by aiming from afar. Celestia and Luna flew down and entered the circle. Shining Armor escorted Griffaldi and brought him in as well.

Everyone aimed their weapons at Nightmare Moon, but she showed no sign of intimidation. Instead, she kept a smile. She took slow steps forward and held her sword high. “Well, no use standing around. Let’s just get this over with--”

Nightmare Moon stopped as she hit a shield that appeared before her. It glowed blue and floated in the air. Looking up, she saw a chariot hovering above her, and it was being pulled by two pegasi she had never seen before. Their exotic armor showed that they were affiliated with none of them, and their yokes had a pair of barrels that stuck out. Visors covered their faces, leaving one to wonder what was underneath.

The chariot descended, and the Equestrians on the ground gave way.

An armored ODST hopped off the carriage. Holstered in his back was an assault rifle, and his chest piece had a small shield attached to it. Strapped to his left shoulder pauldron was an ace of spades and a red phoenix feather.

“Cavaliers, regroup with the rest,” the ODST ordered.

The chariot took off and disappeared in the sky.

Celestia broke herself out of the ring of Equestrians. “Garrett,” she started, “please, give me the chance to-”

She stopped as she noticed a ripple before her eyes. Reaching forward, she touched it with her hoof and felt like she was pressing a dense piece of armor.

The rippling hardened into a large blue dome that surrounded Nightmare Moon and Garrett. It was inches thick and looked as if it could withstand several kilograms worth of explosives.

The shield relic on Garrett’s chest illuminated with strange markings. The air around him waved like water. Blue shapes formed and solidified on top of his ODST gear. The plates slid and folded upon one another.

By the time it was done, he appeared to be wearing two sets of armor in different layers. One was his ODST equipment, and the other on top was a holographic set that made him look like a gothic knight. His rucksack, however, was left bare.

Long daggers appeared on each of his palms, and they had blades that challenged the lengths of kukris. Garrett flipped them around in his grip with ease, showing off his new pair of tools.

Nightmare Moon did nothing but smile the entire time. She kept her longsword resting gently on her shoulder. “You aren’t the only one who has toys at the disposal.”

The crescent moon on her chest piece flickered. A wavering violet light glimmered around Nightmare Moon like a candle. It slowly steadied itself into a more solid state. Translucent purple armor appeared to be floating off of her and gave her the look of a war horse.

Taking a few steps forward, Nightmare Moon chuckled and taunted Garrett with her sword. She raised a hoof and motioned him to come.

“Garrett!” Celestia shouted. “This is suicide!”

Garrett shot a look at her and unpolarized his visor. In silence, he stared at her eye to eye.

“Put the shield away,” Celestia said. “We’ll defeat her together.”

Nightmare Moon laughed. “Don’t you get it? He’s had enough of all of you!”

Celestia glanced hard at Nightmare Moon and looked back at Garrett. She finally realized that Garrett’s eyes were filled with rage, and he was gritting his teeth and grasping his daggers with a very tight grip.

“This is my fight,” Garrett gnarled in a harsh low tone, “not yours.”

“And what are you trying to prove?” Nightmare Moon taunted. “That you’re suppose to be Equestria’s savior?”

Garrett polarized his visor and turned to face Nightmare Moon. Taking a few steps forward, he twirled the daggers in his palms for another flaunt. “Hell, I’m just an ODST; this is all part of my job.”

“You’re recklessly throwing away your life,” Nightmare Moon chuckled. “Explains a lot about your ‘specialization’ and why so many of you are dead.”

“No,” Garrett said, shaking his head. “We just don’t fear death.”

Nightmare Moon smiled in anticipation. She brought her sword back and lowered her stance. Dashing forward, she kept herself near the earth. Then, she stomped her hooves firmly on the ground and thrust her sword.

Garrett used one of his daggers to deflect the blade away. Immediately, he lunged forward and extended his other arm.

With a quick sidestep, Nightmare Moon easily dodged the attack.

Moving forward, Garrett slashed diagonally and nicked Nightmare Moon’s arcane armor. Before he was able to bring down his other dagger, he was stopped as a sword hilt blocked the attack.

Nightmare Moon shoved Garrett away and attacked him yet again. She used the length of her blade to bring an onslaught of thrusts and slices.

Garrett used both of his daggers to effectively survive each attack, but due to the overwhelming power, he was incapable of stopping a direct strike, thus he had to cope with parrying and deflection. Even if he extended with all of his reach, he knew he would be unable to touch Nightmare Moon.

Before he was able to make a move, Garrett felt a force wrap around the collar of his arcane armor.

With a smile, Nightmare Moon threw him to the wall of the sphere with her magic.

Garrett hit the shield with a loud thud and was pressed hard against it.

Then, Nightmare Moon pulled him back with her magic and slammed him yet again. All the spectators, particularly Celestia and Luna, watched in horror as she she repeated it for a second time.

With a wide smile, Nightmare Moon pulled Garrett towards her. Then, she turned around, raised her hind legs, and sent him flying towards the wall for a third round. In this instance, the thud was so loud many closed their eyes and cringed.

Garrett slid down the wall and fell. Landing on his knees, he blinked multiple times and struggled to get up, disoriented. Eventually, he was able to hear various voices yelling at him through the sphere.

“Garrett!”

“Get up!”

“Come on!”

“Look out!”

After shaking his head to regain focus, Garrett looked up to see Nightmare Moon charging at him with her sword raised high. Without any time to react, he stood up and held his left dagger high.

Garrett let out a small groan of pain as he felt the brute force of Nightmare Moon’s power transfer to him. He was then pinned to the wall of the sphere again, but he saw his target within thrusting distance.

Nightmare Moon instinctively stepped to her left to dodge Garrett’s right dagger.

Aware of this, Garrett flicked his wrist and threw the dagger to the air. He caught it in a reverse grip and drove the blade again.

Nightmare Moon’s eyes widened. She leaned her head forward, narrowly dodging the attack.

The tip of the dagger struck the sphere so hard it lodged itself in.

Nightmare Moon looked around and realized that Garrett had his left arm still blocking her sword and his right pinning her to the wall of the shield, and their heads were only a foot apart. Winding back, he then started delivering headbutts that made her collide with the sphere.

After countless blows, Nightmare Moon managed to pull herself away, freeing Garrett in the process. Both of their translucent helmets had subtle cracks.

They circled each other for a moment, weapons high. Nightmare Moon shook her head and puffed out hot air. Garrett kept silent and moved about like a predator stalking prey.

“You know what’s strange?” Nightmare Moon asked the spectators. “I did keep my promise to stay away.”

“Liar!” Garrett barked.

Nightmare Moon chuckled. “It’s true. All of my fleets kept their distances, but what really made me strike was-” she pointed a hoof at Garrett “-him.”

The crystal ponies and griffons shot Garrett with suspicious looks.

“When I detected the approach of his ship,” Nightmare Moon said, “I was forced to do this.”

“Shut up!” Garrett barked.

“Every single life that will be lost today is all because of you.”

“Shut up!”

With another dark snicker, Nightmare Moon continued. “In reality, I was protecting Equestria from threats like him.”

Shifting her attention to the spectators, Nightmare Moon continued, “In the past, he was put to a test in a dream where he was in full control of his actions, and do you know what he did? He waged a war upon Equestria, unleashing the might of the human race. Your beloved Princess Luna was executed by his own iron fist.

“And what did he do to Princess Celestia? Why, Garrett killed himself by setting up a ship to explode, bringing her down with him.”

The crystal ponies and griffons shouted violent remarks at Garrett.

Nightmare Moon shot Garrett with another look. “What was that the Spartan told you? Ahh, yes. You were told that when your ancestors discovered the killing power of rock and bone, your race has spilled blood over everything, from justice to simple, psychotic rage.”

Nightmare Moon tsked and shook her head. “Sad to say that your ‘hero’ is a mere war monger,” she said to Celestia and Luna.

Garrett snarled at her. He charged and thrust both of his daggers, but Nightmare Moon parried and stepped out of the way, keeping her distance.

“You see?” she taunted. She then looked at all the eyes staring at her. “Why would he respond immediately like that?”

She glanced back at Garrett. “It’s because I’m right and he doesn’t want to admit it. So, tell me, who is the real villain here?”

“Would you like me to be brutally honest?” Garrett asked. “I don’t care about what you do to me or what you say about me. Hell, you can put all of Equestria against me. I survived it once, and I can survive it again.”

Garrett walked forward, readying his daggers. Nightmare Moon grit her teeth and raised her sword. The Equestrian spectators leaned closer towards the shield.

“In the end,” Garrett finally said, “I just want you dead.”

The two charged at each other yet again. This time, it appeared that the only thing Nightmare Moon’s cheap tricks did upon Garrett was piss him off even more, evident with the faster and harder strikes of his daggers and his more complex and agile footwork.

The brutal clash continued on, and the strengths of the two were more obvious than ever. Nightmare Moon dominated with reach and power, but Garrett pounced upon her with flexibility and speed.

On and on, Garrett and Nightmare Moon fought each other without holding back. When they parted again, the damage they dealt to one another finally became clear. Scratches, gashes, dents, and nicks were on their arcane armors. The sphere that surrounded them also earned its own share of breakage.

After the brief moment of rest, Garrett sprinted forward again. Nightmare Moon thought the same, and she met him head-on.

Garrett flicked his right dagger to a reverse grip and aimed for the head.

Nightmare Moon brought her sword back, ready for a thrust.

Two loud clunks resonated in perfect synchronization. Everything became so still it was as if time had frozen. The spectators watched with awe at the sight. Garrett’s dagger was stuck on his target’s helmet, while the tip of Nightmare Moon’s sword finally cracked through his armor and was penetrating the arcane shield relic on the chest.

The artifact on Garrett’s chest fractured, and his arcane daggers and armor disappeared. The tip of the sword pressing upon it tore it away from his chest, and it fell upon the ground. The blade then harmlessly slipped over the ODST combat gear, stabbing at nothing.

Garrett still kept on the same pose, his emotionless visor holding the look of a determined killer.

Cracks started reaching across on Nightmare Moon’s arcane helmet like breaking ice. Her magical armor started fading away like a dying candle, but she was still looking at Garrett with an unflinching stare.

Then, her helmet and the rest of her majestic enchanted armor shattered like glass. Her head was thus left bare, and Garrett’s clenched fist was hovering right next to it.

The shield that surrounded Garrett and Nightmare Moon finally vanished. Still, no one dared to move.

Nightmare Moon and Garrett finally showed signs of life. They were both staggering, fighting hard to stay up.

Garrett fell to his knees and collapsed upon the ground. Nightmare Moon struggled, but she kept herself up. She smiled and lowered her sword.

“Well, Garrett,” she started, “you have fought honourably.”

She took a few steps forward to face Griffaldi, Luna, and Celestia, who were now positioned in front of the Monairco Castle with their guards. “Now, back to business--”

“Hey!” Garrett barked. There was a loud click. “I’m not done with you yet.”

Turning, Nightmare Moon found Garrett back on his feet with an assault rifle trained on her. She backed off slightly and glanced at the Equestrians behind her aiming their weapons at her. She then shifted her eyes back towards Garrett and chuckled.

“You think that gives you power over me?” she taunted.

In a swift strike, she used her magic to grab the griffon prince behind her. There was an uproar of shock, but before someone could have attacked her, she gently floated the edge of her sword near her hostage’s neck.

Then, with Griffaldi right in front of her, Nightmare Moon smiled yet again. She then backed off towards the wall, ensuring that none would attack her from behind. The griffons and ponies gave way as she passed by, fearful that she might bring harm to her captive. However, they kept their weapons high in an attempt to intimidate her.

“Lower your weapons,” Nightmare Moon ordered calmly. She pressed the edge of the blade against Griffalid’s throat. “You don’t want him to get hurt, don’t you?”

Reluctantly, the ponies and griffons complied. They sheathed their weapons and stared at Nightmare Moon with low growls and hisses.

There was, however, one individual who kept his weapon at the ready.

“You have no power here,” Nightmare Moon said to Garrett.

Garrett kept silent, his finger resting on the trigger.

Again, the Equestrians made way so that there was a ring around the two of them once more.

Nightmare Moon tilted her head and stared irritably at Garrett. “You have five seconds to--”

“You don’t get it, do you?!” Griffaldi spat. “He only sees two targets and one shot!”

All heads were now shifting on Garrett. Some griffons began reaching for their swords again.

Being the closest one to Garrett, Shining Armor managed to see him hold his trigger even tighter and hear him mutter very low words. “Tempting...”

In a split second, Shining Armor drew his crossbow with magic and aimed it at Garrett’s head. “Put the gun down,” he ordered.

Garrett shot him a hard look through his visor. He then turned and aimed his assault rifle at him. “You just made a serious mistake.”

Nightmare Moon let out a loud chuckle.

Celestia stepped into the ring and into Shining Armor’s sight. The look on her face was of fear and uneasiness. “Shining Armor--”

“Put the gun down!” Shining Armor barked.

Looking around, Garrett realized that the crystal ponies and griffons were targeting him with their own weapons as well. He shifted the sights of his assault rifle between Shining Armor and Nightmare Moon.

Finally, he lowered his head and muttered a low swear. He reached for the butt of his rifle and pulled out the magazine. Then, he dropped it on the ground.

“There, no ammo,” he said.

He slowly started lowering his gun with both hands still on it.

Nightmare Moon smiled. “Excellent, now--”

There was a loud bang that cracked through the air as Garrett fired the one bullet still in his rifle. Everyone flinched as the round soared through the air and landed on the castle wall, meters away from Nightmare Moon’s head.

Each pony and griffon stared at the bullet hole in confusion. Nightmare Moon furrowed her brow. “You missed,” she said, turning to Garrett. “You completely missed me--”

She stopped she realized that Garrett was sprinting towards her. There was no time to react as the butt of an assault rifle rammed into her face. The mere sight of the action made many cringe.

Garrett shoved Griffaldi clear out of harm’s way before pinning Nightmare Moon to the wall. He cocked back his fist for a blow.

With quick thinking, Nightmare Moon blasted Garrett away with her magic before he was able to bring any more harm. He landed on his feet, his boots scraping the ground.

In a swift movement, Garrett raised his assault rifle yet again and reached for his pocket, but he seized himself as saw the magazine he dropped float right in front of him with a dark aura.

“Well, that was fun,” Nightmare Moon said. She gingerly hovered the magazine back into Garrett’s palms. “But, I have more work to do.”

She directed her attention towards the ponies and griffons and bowed. “Enjoy your time with your so-called ‘hero.’”

Her horn glowed with violet. A purple wave of colour surrounded her like a wind in a tornado. When it cleared, she was gone.

Garrett stood there motionless, still holding his magazine in his hand and his assault rifle on the other. He lowered his head and made a low growl. “Get a chariot over here,” he said to his comms.

Then, he proceeded to walk away, and the Equestrians gave him space without question, offering him a clear route. Many decided to grip the handles of their weapons as a precaution. As Garrett was making his way, Shining Armor followed him.

“Hey,” he said sternly.

Garrett ignored him and continued on.

“Garrett,” Shining Armor repeated, “I’m talking to you.”

Still, he paid no attention to him.

Frustrated, Shining Armor reached forward with his hoof to force Garrett to turn around. “Hey!--”

The moment he touched him, Garrett launched himself to the air, spun around, and brought his elbow down upon Shining Armor, who fell to the ground with a grunt. Then, he kicked him over, raised his boot, and stomped it on his chest piece. There was a loud crunching sound as footwear collided with armor.

Garrett stooped down and threw away Shining Armor’s arcane crossbow.

Shining Armor let out a groan and struggled to breath. He tried to lift Garrett’s boot away from his chest but to no avail.

Garrett then inserted the magazine into his assault rifle and aimed at Shining Armor’s head. “I could have ended all of this if it weren’t for you.”

The griffons and ponies shouted with rage. Out of the corner of his eye, Garrett spotted them readying their weapons. He even saw Celestia approaching him.

“Try anything funny,” he said to them, “and the round goes in.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Shining Armor croaked.

Garrett cocked his rifle and pressed his rifle muzzle under Shining Armor’s chin. “Try me--”

A loud blast snapped through the air, and the ground next to Garrett erupted like it was shot with a large bullet.

Everyone flinched except for Garrett, who looked up to the air.

An armored pegasus was flying up above, wearing the same exotic metal armor and weapons as the ones that brought Garrett. He landed next to him, and despite the faceless visor, he looked at him with a strong sense of intimidation.

“That’s enough, Garrett,” the cavalier said in a familiar voice. With his hoof, He grabbed Garrett by the assault rifle and shoved him away.

Garrett stayed silent. He lowered his rifle and clenched a fist.

“Clear your head,” the cavalier ordered him. He motioned the ponies and griffons around them. “They’re not the real threats.”

“You have no idea what he just costed us!” Garrett barked as he pointed accusingly at Shining Armor, who was getting back on to his hooves.

“Yes, I do know,” the cavalier said, a hint of rage present in his tone. “And because of that...”

The cavalier raised his hind hooves and bucked.

Shining Armor hit the ground hard again, clutching his head. To his favor, his helmet absorbed the impact, evident by the small deformation.

“There,” the cavalier said. “Now, let’s get going. Nightmare Moon’s fleet is on the move again. Her shadows will be coming in like locusts.”

Two pegasi stepped forward. One was a mare while the other was a stallion. “C-Captain Galea?” the female asked. “What happened to you?”

The cavalier looked at them. “Turbulence, Downburst, stay out of this.”

“We want to help, sir,” Downburst said.

Galea shook his head. “That’s a negative, commander, not after what I’ve heard.”

He directed his attention back to Garrett and motioned a cavalier-drawn chariot that just landed. “Let’s go.”

“Captain,” Turbulence started, “we agreed to go with Garrett to whatever end.”

Downburst nodded. “That’s right, sir. The only way you can get rid of us is to--”

Galea spun around, smashed a hoof on the ground, and opened his wings aggressively. “Stay out of this!” he snapped.

The two commanders drew back. Garrett proceeded to the chariot, only to have Celestia step in the way again.

“Garrett,” she started, “please, give me a chance to explain.”

Garrett shook his head. “I sent you a damn warning, and you brushed me aside.”

He shot one more hard look at Shining Armor and Prince Griffaldi.

“Garrett,” Celestia pleaded, “you need to understand--”

“I don’t need an explanation,” Garrett interrupted harshly. He unpolarized his visor and looked at Celestia. “I understand what you did because I would’ve done the same thing.”

The way Garrett looked at her showed a sense of newfound respect accompanied by merciless determination. He got on the chariot, put away his rifle, and made himself comfortable.

“Can you ever forgive me?” Celestia asked.

Garrett polarised his visor and lowered his head, staying silent as he did so. The chariot took off, and Galea took to the sky with it. They gained altitude and flew clear away from the Monairco perimeter. A fleet of twenty cavalier ships appeared in the distance and quickly gained up to them.

The twenty airships from Nightmare Moon’s fleet were approaching fast, and they had a course heading straight towards the cavaliers.

The cavaliers started by firing their main guns. Massive arcane bolts flashed through the sky like lightning and crashed into the zeppelins.

Nightmare Moon’s ships returned fire, but Garrett’s fleet broke off in time to dodge them. Again, they used their main guns and unleashed another wave of projectiles in perfect synchronization.

Already in flames, the zeppelins broke off and widened the space between one another. Before they were able to react, another set of arcane bolts rammed into them, this time from above. From the cover of the high clouds clouds, the last ten cavalier galleons emerged, pointing straight down upon the zeppelins.

In one swift motion, all the cavalier galleons opened fire upon Nightmare Moon’s ships with everything they had. There were so many projectiles soaring through the air it was like a blizzard of high energy bolts. Without any possible attempt of retaliation, the zeppelins erupted into massive fireballs.

Many griffons and ponies erupted into cheers as they saw the spectacle. Griffaldi himself was fighting hard to hide his impressed look. But the enthusiasm was short lived as one guard pointed to the distance, past Monairco’s harbor. “Look!” he barked.

Another group of twenty zeppelins were approaching. It was escorted by what appeared to be a thin black mist.

“That’s a horrible idea for camouflaging a fleet,” one guard remarked.

Another guard on a tower pulled out a pair of binoculars and viewed the zeppelins. “That’s not camouflage,” he said grimly.

As the fleet approached, it became clear that what was around the zeppelins was moving erratically like a swarm of insects. Nightmare Moon’s shadows were flying next to the airships. Most were doing it on their own, but some were riding chariots.

Instinctively, the Equestrian ships lined up into formation.

“Our ships aren’t enough to hold off those shadows,” Celestia said.

“Prepare for battle!” Griffaldi barked.

In the blink of an eye, every guard scrambled into action. Many set up a defensive perimeter around Monairco Castle, and the rest spread themselves out throughout the rest of the principality.

Amidst it all, Luna, who was far from the rest, stood silent as she stared at the cavalier fleet. She had flown out in an attempt to catch up to Garrett when he took off in his chariot but stopped and landed again once she saw the galleons break cover. Looking to her side, she found one of her own guards next to her.

“Rally the rest of lunar guards and my airships,” she ordered.

“Where are we going, your highness?” the lunar guard asked.

Luna switched her eyes back to the cavalier ships. The fleet had changed course, this time heading towards Monairco’s harbour. It was easy to see that they intended to engage with the shadows and the other zeppelins.

“We are following Garrett’s lead,” Luna said.