The zeppelins and the shadows were but a short distance away from Monairco. The airships slowed, allowing the swarms of creatures to move ahead. They then moved to a formation where ten would be in a row in front while the rest would follow behind.

The Equestrian ships opened fire upon the swarm. Projectiles ranging from arcane bolts, to fire balls, and to beams of energy shot through the sky and exploded in the air. Still, the shadows pursued on. Many managed to find a place to land in Monairco.

In response, Garrett’s fleet gained altitude and attacked the shadows from above using their autocannons. Cavalier pegasi emerged from the airships and did the same as well. They kept their distance and took turns in shooting down their targets.

Battle cries ran throughout the city as the Equestrian guards engaged in battle. The shadows landed around the castle in a massive ring as if they were cutting it off from the rest of the city.

On top of the estate’s gate, Griffaldi, Celestia, and Shining Armor stood ready. The guards that were with them prepared themselves as well. They all looked towards the sea, staring at what they were to face.

Nightmare Moon’s zeppelins were escorting a large swarm of shadows. The sheer number of them expressed that it was clear they would use overwhelming force to destroy the castle.

The swarm charged forward ahead of the zeppelins. Chariots and shadows flew forward, all poised for a hard landing.

“You are soldiers of Equestria!” Shining Armor said to the guards. “This is your home! Whatever comes your way, you will stand your ground!”

The Equestrians fired upon the shadows and managed to prevent them from making an immediate landing, but it was apparent that the defense would break easily. It was not long before some guards were already fighting their foes in their barricades. As the battle raged on, streaks of light rained down upon the sky and shot straight through ten of the zeppelins. The airships exploded into fireballs that hurled themselves into the sea.

From high up above, twenty five triangular objects burst through the clouds and were aiming straight towards the zeppelins. They fired missiles that soared through the air and collided with the airships, engulfing them in a blanket of flame.

The objects then changed their direction and headed towards Monairco. They opened fire on the shadows with their chain guns. They ripped their way through the swarm and narrowly dodged the Equestrian airships. The sound of a deafening roar came from each of them as they passed by, and their rear ends glowed like suns.

Then, what appeared to be eight large rocks began breaking through the clouds. They were going at high speeds, red-hot as the friction was heating them up, and they were heading straight for Monairco Castle.

“What are those?!” Griffaldi asked.

“It’s the UNSC!” Celestia shouted triumphantly.

Every solar guard who heard her erupted into loud cheers. Many felt a sense of motivation and fought on even harder as the Longswords continued engaging the shadows.

The drop pods landed hard in front of the castle gates. Their doors quickly ejected off, and in each one, an armored human dressed in dark battle armor jumped straight out.

“Squad, engage!” one of them, a woman, barked.

The eight ODSTs found cover in front of the castle gates and picked their targets. They opened fire with their assault and battle rifles, easily pushing back many shadows.

Overwhelmed with relief, Celestia flew down to meet the ODSTs.

“Princess Celestia!” Shining Armor barked.

Celestia ignored him and landed next to the woman. “Trooper, I can’t thank you enough--”

The ODST held up a hand to cut her off. “With all due respect,” she snarled harshly, “you either keep your head down now or have it blown off!”

Shocked, Celestia drew back and took cover in the barricades next to the woman.

Shining Armor and Griffaldi, escorted by guards, caught up to them and went for the cover as well. They looked at the ODSTs with distrust and suspicion.

Another ODST approached the woman. “Jenny,” he said, “we’ve got a problem.”

He pointed to the pathway that lead Monairco Castle to the city. “Big group of hostiles coming in. What’s our plan of action, sarge?”

Jenny looked to find a stampede of eighty shadows charging straight towards them. They had spears, swords, and crossbows raised with their magic.

“Get out the heavy weapons,” she said to the trooper, who nodded and scrambled to a drop pod.

Then, Jenny activated her comms. “Squad, this is Aves! Regroup on me. We’re taking down that stampede.”

Within a moment’s notice, the rest of the squad fell back and formed a defensive line. The ODST that went to the drop pod returned bearing a large, triple-barreled gatling gun. He found an open field of view and spun up his weapon.

The rest of the troopers aimed their guns straight at the approaching shadows.

“Open fire!” Jenny barked.

The sound of gunfire filled the air and drowned out all other noise. Bullets ripped through the swarm swiftly, and bodies quickly fell like dominoes. Spent shell casings fell to the ground with loud tinks. When the last shadow fell, the ODSTs stopped firing. The Equestrians stared in awe at the sight of the troopers standing on top of a blanket of empty cartridges.

“Good job, troopers!” Jenny said. “Let’s make sure they stay out!”

The ODSTs with assault weapons moved forward, and those that stayed behind picked off targets from affair with their battle rifles.

More squads landed on various parts of Monairco. The sound of battle cries and gunfire echoed towards the castle, and it sounded obvious that the ODSTs were overpowering the shadows in close quarters.

Another group of pods landed in front of the castle. Each trooper of the squad was equipped with what many Equestrians assumed as strange-looking rucksacks. They faced a nearby building and lowered their stance. Then, high-energy flames discharged from the sides of their packs. The ODSTs were sent flying to the air. They gracefully landed on a rooftop and fired upon unaware shadows on the streets below. In a short moment, they moved on and jumped towards another structure across the street.

“Bullfrogs sure are a beauty to watch work, eh?” one ODST asked Shining Armor, who had his jaw hanging.

In return, he nodded back in awe, and the ODST could not help but chuckle.

Jenny activated her comms. “Burning Frost, the landing zone is secured.”

“Where are all of them coming from?” Griffaldi asked Celestia.

A cloak of darkness covered Monairco like a blanket. Every Equestrian looked up and froze to see another group of objects breaking through the clouds. They varied in sizes. Some were as large as a castle, while others made the entire principality look miniscule.

“Son of a...” Shining Armor remarked.

The ships faced the last five zeppelins of Nightmare Moon.

The zeppelins, however, opened fire and struck the UNSC ships. Fire wrapped around them like a blanket, but the damaged was shrugged off like nothing as the flames died out like candles.

With one synchronized strike, the UNSC ships launched MAC rounds that cracked through the air and ripped apart the airships.

The zeppelins then exploded into fireballs that fell to the waters below, stirring waves.

In quick succession, the UNSC fleet let loose a barrage of missiles and autocannon fire that shredded the airborne shadows and chariots, clearing much of the sky. Pelicans emerged from hangar bays and descended upon Monairco with their noses pointed down. Within moments, they had themselves landed in front of the castle.

Garrett leaned on the holo table and watched the figures on the display move about. The Pelicans that had landed were quickly being emptied. Marines and ODSTs were spreading out everywhere, and Warthogs were being detached from drop ship tails.

Changing his view, Garrett inspected the UNSC fleet. He counted six frigates, two destroyers, one carrier, and one Phoenix-class colony ship. A small smile formed on his face as he felt more hope return to him. “Not bad,” he commented. “Can’t believe the Burning Frost made it this far.”

Galea hopped into the display. There was a frantic yet composed look on his face. “Garrett, Nightmare Moon just changed the power output from her spire. The only way we can safely destroy it and her influence now is by manually placing me into the core.”

“‘Safely?’” Garrett asked.

Galea changed the view of the holo table to Canterlot. Nightmare Moon’s tower was glowing even brighter.

“There’s too much interference for me to do a proximity detonation.” Galea took a deep breath. “If we carry on with our current plan, the resulting explosion would send a wave of energy that would solidify every living being into stone in a radius of...”

He lost his words as he shook his head.

“In a radius of what?!” Garrett barked.

“I don’t know!” Galea shouted.

Looking back at Canterlot, Garrett clenched his fist and huffed. The Majority of her zeppelin fleet was falling back and heading towards the city. Shadows were dug in and looking ready for a stand. “We should wait for the rest of the fleet to regroup and take her down with an organized attack.”

“No!” Galea protested. “We’ve caught her by surprise. All of her ships just started heading back. If we wait, Nightmare Moon would be ready by the time we get something done. It’s now or never.”

Garrett lowered his head and grumbled. “Let’s move out. Use everything we’ve got into monitoring Canterlot and Nightmare Moon. I want every bit of information we can grab. If we encounter hostile resistance along the way, blow them up to bits.”

The human and Equestrian forces pushed back the shadows with ease.

However, the UNSC was unable to bring more ground troops. All of their ODSTs were still being deployed via drop pods, and Pelicans that brought the first groups of marines and Warthogs were forced to be grounded due to the overwhelming amount of shadows in the air. This also prevented more from coming in.

After the initial landing, the ODSTs defending Monairco Castle calmed down slightly as they could see the shadows get pushed back despite their limited forces. Some Warthogs stayed behind to act as additional defense.

Celestia approached Jenny, who was still scanning for targets with her rifle.

“Sorry about earlier,” Jenny started.

Celestia waved a hoof. “That’s all right, trooper.”

She looked up to see the UNSC Longswords and ships engaging the shadows in the air. To the preference of the humans, Griffaldi and the other Equestrian officers had ordered all pegasi and griffons to land to assist the ground troops, thus the skies were less occupied.

“Any word on when you can safely land more forces?” Celestia asked.

Jenny looked to her side to see a gunner on a Warthog firing upon a group of shadows flying above. “Nothing yet, but I’m pretty sure we’re making progress.”

The sound of beeps resonated throughout the air. Jenny activated her comms while Celestia pulled out the radio with her magic.

“Longswords,” a voice said, “disengage and get out of the airspace above the city.”

“Identify yourself!” a pilot barked.

“Do what he says,” Colonel Stanford’s voice said.

“Affirmative,” another pilot replied.

Many looked to see Garrett’s fleet of galleons and cavalier pegasi form themselves into a large wave that was positioned right on top of Monairco Harbour. All them then moved like a solid wall sweeping over Monairco

Autocannon fire from the galleons and projectiles from the pegasi decimated through the airborne shadows, who attempted to fight back in return.

A large number of cavalier forces suffered damages, but the shadows stood no chance against the firepower. Within moments, the airspace was clear.

Cheers erupted from Monairco. Many felt a sense of joy as they could see more Pelicans emerge from the UNSC ships.

“Let’s finally clear up this place, shall we?” Jenny asked Celestia with a smile.

The next group of UNSC forces from the Pelicans was composed of marines, ODSTs, and Warthogs, and they went straight into action. The humans already on the ground shouted a few cheers at the new company.

However, one man, escorted by ODSTs, made his way towards Celestia. He was aged and wore an officer’s uniform. Jenny saluted to him as he approached.

“At ease, Aves,” Stanford said. He saluted Celestia. “Good to see you again, ma’am.”

Celestia smiled. “Colonel, you have no idea how grateful we are to have you here.”

“How about we save the gratitude and head straight into getting back what’s yours?” Stanford suggested.

Several guards nearby cheered and clapped.

But as quick as the enthusiasm came, one ODST next to Stanford looked to his side and pointed up. “Look!” he barked.

Silenced hushed them all once again. They stared in stillness as they watched Garrett’s fleet keep its course going out. The cavalier pegasi boarded the galleons, which picked up speed shortly after.

Dark violet airships decorated with silver broke off from the Equestrian fleet. They all moved together in the direction as Garrett’s ships. Lunar guards also broke from whatever they were doing and flew the same way.

On one airship, Luna, doned in her armor, stood on top of the bow. She had her sword gently holstered to her side. Looking to Monairco, she gave one last glance at them before turning her head back to the direction of Canterlot.

“They’re leaving?!” one soldier barked.

“Luna!” Celestia cried. Within a heartbeat, she spread her wings out. But before she was able to take off, Jenny grabbed her with a hand and held her down.

“No!” Stanfard barked. “Let them go. We need you here.”

Celestia looked back at Luna’s fleet, which was quickly picking up speed. She then set her eyes upon Monairco, where gunfire and battle cries were still ringing out. More Pelicans had started landing in front of them, and already, marines and ODSTs were spreading out from the landing zone.

“You’re right, colonel,” Celestia said.

Stanford nodded. “Bring back some of your force to protect this LZ. We’ll handle clearing out the city.”

He looked towards Monairco Harbour. In the distance, countless ships were approaching. “Those friendlies?” he asked Griffaldi.

“I am assuming zebras, minotaurs, and other nearby allies,” Griffaldi replied. “They recently sent word of their arrival with more forces.”

With a smile, Stanford chuckled. “Well, this day’s getting better and better.”

He waved the humans to follow him, and he proceeded he down the pathway. “Let’s get to work, everyone.”

Griffaldi leaned towards a griffon soldier next to him. “Warn the incoming fleets of our ‘guests,’ and tell them not to take the danger lightly.”

The griffon nodded and took off, heading towards the approaching ships.

A series of loud bangs filled the air. Griffaldi looked to see a squad of ODSTs bearing high-caliber sniper rifles picking off targets from a guard tower. He could see the rounds cut through the air and pierce through shadows and walls like a hot knife and butter.

Then, Griffaldi shifted his attention towards another griffon. “Tell the officers that the humans must be watched at all times and that we must conserve and be careful about our weaponry in case the time comes.”

With the aid of additional UNSC, zebra, minotaur, and other forces and the lack of shadows in the air, the battle for Monairco went by with gaining momentum. Marines and ODSTs, together with various Equestrian soldiers, plowed through the streets and overwhelmed Nightmare Moon’s forces with ease. Though there were damages done, many were thankful for the arrival of their new allies.

The UNSC had deployed an Elephant outside the principality to serve as a temporary command center, and the security surrounding it was enough to challenge a fortress.

In the darkness of the night, Shining Armor and Griffaldi stood on the second floor of one of the large common rooms in Monairco Castle, which was turned into makeshift accommodations for some of the new arrivals. They watched the sea of soldiers go on with their business. Humans and Equestrians were busy moving gear, chatting, and earning some rest while others were in the midst of treating minor injuries.

“Their ships are covered with the damage of previous battles,” Griffaldi started. He looked out the window see the UNSC and Equestrian fleets maintaining a defensive position around Monairco. “And their men are already full of the scars of war. I can see it without needing a second glance.”

“They won’t be pleased when they find out we tried to kill him,” Shining Armor murmured.

“I wasn’t trying to kill him,” Griffaldi replied.

“But you aimed your sword at his head.”

“Only to scare him. I was going to graze his helmet. He’s more valuable alive.”

“And what will we do if they find out?” Shining Armor asked.

“We’ll figure out a way,” Griffaldi assured.

“This is Captain Garrett Archer,” a voice said.

Shining Armor and Griffaldi froze and felt cold shivers crawl down them.

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

“There he is!” Shining Armor heard his voice barked.

“Bring him down!” Griffaldi’s shouted.

There was a scream of agony, followed by a moan that was quickly silenced.

Turning around, Shining Armor and Griffaldi looked to find nothing; the second floor was still dim. On the doorway to their right, a group of five ODSTs emerged. One of them was holding a small beacon, and the rest were cracking their knuckles.

To her surprise, Celestia found herself walking down Monairco Castle’s courtyard in an almost peaceful state of mind. She was accompanied by Turbulence, Downburst, Stanford, and the commanding officers of the UNSC ships that came.

“We’ll be ready to make a push in a few moments,” Stanford reported.

“That’s good to hear,” Celestia said with a nod. “Keep us updated on the situation as much as you can.”

Stanford nodded. “Understood, ma’am.”

A solar guard rushed towards the group. He bowed quickly with a frantic look on his face. “Your highness,” he said to Celestia, “we have a problem.”

A symphony of roars and crashes erupted from a nearby building, cutting off further conversation.

Instinctively, all the UNSC officers drew out their magnums.

“Let’s move,” Stanford said to the group.

They all rushed towards the main entrance. As they made their way, the shouts became clearer and more violent. There was the sound of guns being cocked and objects hitting the floor.

Stanford took point with Celestia directly behind him. He kicked open the door to find tables knocked over to serve as cover and gear scattered on the ground.

The UNSC were on one side of the room. ODSTs were surrounding a unicorn and a griffon, viciously beating them with their fists. Marines had their rifles pointed in a defensive position towards the other side of the room.

On the opposing end, there were Equestrians ranging from minotaurs, to zebras, to griffons, and to ponies. They also had their own weapons pointing to the UNSC. The crystal guards were at the very front snarling with aggression, almost as if they were fighting Nightmare Moon herself.

The two factions were barking and shouting at each other threats. One minotaur let out a roar and charged forwards holding a large two-handed warhammer.

As the minotaur raised his weapon, Stanford shot a round that sent the warhammer flying out of grasp. The loud bang quickly silenced everyone and made the ODSTs stop their beating. The officers accompanying Celestia fanned out and aimed their pistols towards both groups.

“What the hell is going on in here?!” Stanford barked.

“Stop this at once!” Celestia ordered. She spread her wings out and stood in the way between the Equestrians and the UNSC. “Please,” she begged in a softer tone, “we’ve had enough violence already.”

The two factions slowly and reluctantly lowered their weapons. The ODSTs surrounding Griffaldi and Shining Armor backed up, allowing them more breathing space. One trooper stepped forward.

“You better have a damn good explanation for this, Sergeant Aves!” Stanford snarled at her.

Jenny nodded and raised a hand-held beacon. “I do, sir.”

She tossed it to Stanford’s palms. “Listen for yourselves to hear.”

Stanford narrowed his eyes at the device. He pressed the button on the side to hear a message loud enough for everyone to hear.

Celestia blinked in disbelief at what she was listening to. As she heard Garrett make a final effort to send the warning, she looked at Shining Armor and Griffaldi, who were curled up on the floor in pain.

“Seems like the next group of aliens we’re suppose to help just want to kill us as well, colonel,” one ODST remarked. “No different than last time.”

There was a moment of tense silence as Stanford looked like he was holding back with all his willpower. Some Equestrians started to reach down for their weapons again.

“Pack up, everyone” Stanford bitterly ordered. “We’re moving out.”

Immediately, the UNSC personnel started picking up storage containers and leaving. The Equestrians were more than happy to help them leave as quick as possible. As the entire scene unfolded, Shining Armor slowly pushed himself back up, groaning. As he was on his knees, an ODST marched by and smashed his boot on his face, bringing him to the floor again.

“No mercy next time you screw up, got it?” the ODST growled at him in a low tone before continuing on.

Dazed, Shining Armor blinked and shook his head. He looked around and found the last remnants of the UNSC already at the door. Celestia was looking at him, a look of betrayal on her face. She closed her eyes, sighed, and left.

Crystal guards came to help Shining Armor get up. By the time he was back on his hooves, he found himself facing Turbulence and Downburst, both of them with the same look as Celestia’s.

“I...” Shining Armor started.

“Come on,” Turbulence said to Downburst. “Let’s go.

Without waiting for a response, Turbulence made her way out the door. Downburst looked back at Shining Armor.

“We trusted you, sir,” Downburst said, “trusted you to help set things right.”

He, too, turned his back and exited through the door.

“Don’t worry, your highness,” a crystal guard assured Shining Armor, “we’ll see this through.”

Following the events of the recent confrontation, it became apparent that humans were not trusted. UNSC and Equestrian forces purposely kept their distances between one another as much as possible. The only individuals who were obviously putting effort into keeping the two factions together were Celestia and her solar guards.

The UNSC’s plan to move forward had to be delayed due to the sudden need to shift gears and enforce security around the Elephant they established outside Monairco.

In the war room of Monairco Castle, Shining Armor found his head clouded with so many thoughts it was next to impossible for him to think. Every sound made rustled his nerves. He looked around him and to his sides to find unicorns, pegasi, earth and crystal ponies, minotaurs, griffons, and zebras discussing over a large map of Equestria.

“Excuse me for a moment,” Shining Armor said. “I need some fresh air.”

Griffaldi nodded. “Take as much as you require.”

Shining Armor made his way through the door and closed it behind him. He walked down one of the many hallways of Monairco Castle. His head immediately felt better with the change of scenery. Looking outside, he saw the UNSC ships in a tight formation. Aircraft were flying in and out, and Longswords were securing the surrounding airspace.

“You can’t just turn your back on the guard like that,” a muffled voice said, causing Shining Armor to stop. He looked to a door to his side and pressed his ear against it.

“Look, Downburst,” Turbulence said, “Captain Shining Armor just tried to kill Garrett. What’s happening now? A certain someone is out there getting up close and personal with Nightmare Moon while we’re here arguing with one another and barely keeping ourselves together. I’d rather join the former.”

“But--”

“Besides, we’re not turning our backs on the guard. Princess Luna’s out there. It’s part of our job to look after her, and... well, guess where she’s heading.”

“But that’s what the lunar guards are for!” Downburst protested.

There was a moment of silence, followed by a sigh.

“I guess there’s no stopping you,” Downburst admitted.

“Goodbye, Downburst,” Turbulence said.

“Goodbye, Turbulence. Tell the guards going with you I said good luck.”

Shining Armor burst through the door. He saw that Turbulence was in the process of spreading her wings, and Downburst was keeping his head down. The moment the two of them realized the interference, they immediately shifted their gazes to him.

“Turbulence,” Shining Armor started, “you know we can’t afford something like this at these times. I know what I did was not the best option, but I bet you two thought the same thing when you first saw Garrett.”

The two commanders kept silent, and their gazes fell to the floor as they nodded together.

“We’ve all made mistakes,” Shining Armor continued, “but we need to put our problems aside and face the real problem that’s happening here and now.”

“But in our instance,” Turbulence returned with a hiss, “we fought each other as an act of self-defense. We gave him a chance, and he proved to us that he was worth trusting. He offered you help on a silver platter, and you started shooting him. At least Garrett was smart enough to keep you alive.”

The guilt in Shining Armor silenced his words. He slowly pulled himself away and closed the door behind him. He took a deep breath, and silently moved to the window. Staring outside, he waited and observed the skies above. After a few moments, he saw a group of pegasi and chariot-mounted unicorns take off and head straight out of Monairco’s airspace.

“Your highness,” a voice said.

Snapping back to his senses, Shining Armor turned and found a crystal guard saluting him.

“Prince Griffaldi would like to see you back in the war room,” the guard reported. “The UNSC is up to something.”

In the Elephant outside Monairco, Celestia found herself with Colonel Stanford and other human officers surrounding a holo table of Equestria. She looked around the mobile base and found it relatively cramp. Many were monitoring terminals while others were inspecting their equipment.

Shifting her eyes towards the window, Celestia easily saw the security around the temporary settlement act as strict as martial law.

One marine approached Stanford. “Sir, recon drones and probes just finished their scans.”

Stanford nodded. “Show us.”

The marine plugged in a data crystal to the holotable.

The figures on the display changed into Canterlot. A large spire stood emerged from the castle, and a dark aura stretched out from it like pieces of fabric. Countless zeppelins were forming a crescent-like formation around the city.

A fleet of cavalier galleons was approaching Canterlot, quickly being followed by Luna’s ships.

“Archer’s going to get himself killed,” an officer remarked. “There are hundreds of those zeppelins and only a handful of them.”

“It’s a trap!” another officer barked.

“Garrett... Luna...” Celestia breathed.

“Someone get me a link to Captain Archer!” Stanford ordered.

“We can’t sir,” a woman on a terminal replied. “Something’s jamming our signal.”

Celestia gritted her teeth. A part of her wanted to bring up a hoof and crush the holographic spire on Canterlot. “Nightmare Moon,” she hissed. “She’s leading him right to her.”

“So, it’s a rescue mission, then,” a commander commented.

“Let’s get as many of our assets as we can to Canterlot,” Stanford said, who received nods in agreement. “Tell the Elephant to pack up, and get as much as we can back to the ships. We’re moving out. Now. Someone get a message to the Destroyer Abrams to take point.”

Almost instantly, everyone started packing away equipment. Those in terminals stopped what they were doing and reverted to relaying the message. Stanford proceeded down the Elephant with Celestia following him.

“Colonel,” Celestia started, “what about the defence of Monairco?”

“Two frigates will stay behind,” Stanford said. He opened the Elephant door and stepped off.

A Hornet lay waiting outside. The pilot saluted Stanford, who acknowledged the response.

“We’ll handle Nightmare Moon and your sister,” Stanford continued. He boarded the side of the Hornet and took a jumpseat. “You can take care of diplomatic relations and the prevention of a second war.”

“A second war?” Celestia asked.

In silence, Stanford glanced at Monairco and lowered his head. At that moment, Celestia felt a wave of anxiety wash over as the realization dawned upon her.

“Good luck,” Stanford said to Celestia.

He waved the pilot, and the Hornet took off.

In the cabin of a cavalier galleon, Garrett sat on a chair quietly, leaning with his elbow on a table. He was resting his head on his palm and holding his wedding ring and Philomeena’s feather with his other hand. A small datapad lay in front of him. As he reached for it, Galea slid it out of his reach.

“You’re making yourself a wreck, Garrett,” Galea commented.

“Shut up,” Garrett replied. “Play audio log fourty-five.”

“And what if I don’t play it?” Galea asked.

“I turned my back on my friends, got hunted down like an animal, and made the opportunity to end all this slip by. The last thing you can take away from me right now is the reminder of why this is all suppose to be worth it.”

Finding no other option, Galea scrolled down the datapad and selected Garrett’s desired file.

“Do you remember our first time being in each other’s company, Garrett?” a female voice asked.

“Under the rubble of a university building,” Garrett’s voice in the recording replied.

The woman chuckled. “Okay, how we officially spent time with each other.”

“In the hospital?”

“That’s right.”

“You wouldn’t leave me alone after that,” Garrett commented.

“You saved my life, even if you didn’t know who I was.”

“I was just trying to help.”

As the audio file played, Galea trotted away and went back towards the terminals. He silently worked and listened at the same time.

“You’re meant for great things, Garrett,” the woman said.

“You sound a lot like my parents,” Garrett remarked.

“Only because it’s true.”

Garrett chuckled.

“Can’t wait to see you back home,” the woman said. “Good luck out there.”

“Until next time,” Garrett said. “Goodbye, Claire. I love you. Tell Sarah I said happy birthday when she’s back from school.”

“I will. I love you too, Garrett.”

When the recording ended, Galea looked back at Garrett, who sat silent. He reached forward and opened yet another file

Turning back towards terminal, Galea looked at his reflection on the screen. A cold, hard, and emotionless visor stared back at him. Memories of bloodshed and death flashed back to him. Years of rage and fighting scarred him so deep he realized he had forgotten how it was like to feel loved. He felt nothing anymore as he continued listening to Garrett hold on to whatever he had left.

What have you turned yourself into, Galea? he asked himself.

“Canterlot is in sight, your highness,” a lunar guard reported.

Luna nodded. She trotted up to the bow of her airship to get a better view.

Garrett’s cavalier ships had positioned themselves into a formation that surrounded Canterlot like a dome. They were barely staying clear of anti-aircraft fire from Canterlot, and they were using their main guns to force Nightmare Moon’s zeppelins to keep their distance. The spire still stood tall. Its ribbons of violet still stretched and expanded out. This time, electricity flowed in them like lightning.

In front of Canterlot’s main gate, there stood battalions of cavalier pegasi in formation. They were far enough to stay out of the range of Nightmare Moon’s forces. Among the crowd, a human stood with them.

“Tell my fleet to hold formation,” Luna said. “I will go down to meet Garrett.”

The guard nodded. “Understood, your highness.”

Luna spread her wings and dove off the bow. She glided her way to Garrett, who stood on a chariot behind all the cavaliers as if he was inspecting them. There was an AI core clipped to his back.

Landing gently on her hooves behind Garrett, Luna straightened herself and approached him. “Garrett, I--”

She stopped herself as she felt a force push her back. Reaching forward with her hoof, Luna felt like she was touching glass.

The cavalier galleons projected beams of light towards one another. As the rays met, they expanded into a solid, translucent sheet. Eventually, they formed a large blue dome around Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon’s zeppelins fired multiple bolts upon the sphere, but the energy shield held strong like an impenetrable piece of armor.

Luna looked back at Garrett, who stood facing her.

“This’ll protect you if it all goes wrong,” Garrett said, unpolarizing his visor and stepping down the chariot.

“Don’t do this,” Luna warned.

Garrett shook his head and lowered himself to a knee. He looked up at Luna. “I’ll go. You stay where it’s safe.”

“No!” Luna protested. “You can not just-- we are ending this together!”

“Not this time. It’s too late for that now. Besides, I won’t let you in either way.”

“I am not letting you get hurt over the mistakes I made in the past!”

Again, Garrett shook his head. “I’m just a soldier. This is my job. Hell, I’m replaceable, right? I’m pretty sure you’re not.”

Luna pressed her hoof flat against the shield. She then looked at Garrett, who bore an expression of acceptance. “Garrett... please. If you will go, let me just say that--”

Garrett quickly pushed his hand through the shield and gently placed his fingers on Luna’s mouth, silencing her.

“Save it for tonight with a bottle of champagne and fireworks,” he said.

As Garrett stood up and polarized his visor. Luna had to admit to herself that she had to admire him for his determination.

“Wait!” Luna shouted. Her horn glowed, and from her pocket, a laminated picture floated out and landed on Garrett’s palm. “This belongs to you.”

Garrett looked down at his family photo. He made a small smile as he could imagine his wife and daughter living a safe life once more.

“Thanks,” he said before putting it in his pocket.

Quietly, Luna nodded.

Garrett turned around, hopped on the chariot, and drew his assault rifle.

The bridge of the Burning Frost was bustling like an ant colony. Stanford and other officers stood beside a holo table. Figures of soldiers and vehicles in the display were marching towards Canterlot. The UNSC fleet and ground troops were but a short distance away. Many crewmembers were busy contacting and coordinating with the different forces, and the air was filled with chatter and serious conversation. Beyond, the windows revealed the defense of the auto turrets holding off Nightmare Moon’s shadows.

“Well, look who decided to show up,” an officer remarked, causing everyone to turn.

Celestia entered, followed by Shining Armor, Prince Griffaldi, and other high ranking Equestrian officers.

Many of the human personnel stopped and straightened up. A number of members from the two factions gave each other hard looks. The tension was so high it made the air feel tense like a bomb waiting to go off.

“We are not here to settle a score or cause anymore conflict,” Griffaldi declared.

“You damn better,” a human officer grumbled.

A minotaur general gritted his teeth, and a crystal officer huffed hot air.

The ship AI appeared on the holo table and cleared his throat. “Pardon me for the interruption,” he said. “We have detected more forces coming in.”

He motioned the display, and figures of Equestrian armies and airships marched their way towards the UNSC and moved alongside them.

“You seeing this, sir?” Jenny asked over the comms.

“Crystal,” Stanford replied. “They’ll be working with you for the meantime. Spread the word that no one is to harm them, clear?”

“Yes, sir,” Jenny replied.

Celestia looked to the holo table and noticed the fleet right in front of Canterlot’s dome. “What is going on there?”

The AI of the Burning Frost walked over and enlarged the view. “Looks like those airships and pegasi are trying waiting for something,” he said. “Probably us, if you ask me.”

“Those are Luna’s forces,” Celestia commented as she inspected the gear.

“What interests me is how some are out of uniform.” The AI pulled up a photo of a mare solar guard in mid-flight and approaching the front of the dome where Luna stood. She was being followed by other pegasi and chariots. “As you can see, they’re wearing golden armor compared to everyone else.”

“Turbulence,” Shining Armor murmured. He lowered his head as he felt his throat tighten up with the feeling of responsibility.

“That shield is another interesting thing,” the AI added. “Those ships are powering the shield. Destroying them would split this thing open.”

“Whose forces are those inside the dome and waiting right in front of the city?” a human officer asked.

The AI enhanced the image of Luna, who stood across someone with the dome in between them. “Captain Archer.”

On the holotable, Garrett and the cavaliers took to the air and charged towards Canterlot. The shadows within the city opened fire, hoping to hold off the assault. Luna and her fleet spread off and engaged Nightmare Moon’s forces to the side.

To the benefit of Nightmare Moon’s forces, they managed to split the cavalier forces in half, with the first portion managing to land within Canterot and the other being forced to stay outside the city perimeter.

“Unless Captain Archer can pull something off,” AI said, “he will be overwhelmed in there.”

“We need to act now,” Celestia said. She directed her attention towards Stanford and the officers. “Fire your ship weapons at the cavalier ships to destroy the shield.”

“We don’t know the scale of the damage our MAC rounds will deliver,” an officer remarked.

“This is our home,” Celestia said sharply. “We are willing to take responsibility for whatever happens, and all of our forces are already here. It’s now or never.”

She directed her attention to Stanford, who stood silent as he watched the holo table. “Colonel,” she said.

The AI of the Burning Frost cleared her throat. “All ships are in position.”

“When the shield is down, tell the destroyers to take point and everyone else to follow,” Stanford ordered. “And get a Pelican ready to bring our guests to the ground.”

“Message sent,” the AI reported.

Stanford nodded. “Open fire.”

Turbulence turned to find streaks of light flash through the sky like lightning. They struck three cavalier ships and destroyed them in an instant. Immediately, the shield around Canterlot dissolved, and the airships that were not affected went straight to engaging hostiles.

Seizing the opportunity, Turbulence flew towards a large group of cavaliers taking cover in one of Canterlot’s many squares.

“Hey!” she barked at them. “I have an idea! Follow me!”

The cavaliers tilted their heads, as if they were thinking and confused. They then looked to each other. Though silent, their body language was moving in such away that it was obvious that they were talking and debating in a telepathic manner.

Finally, a cavalier up front gave a nod.

“Acknowledged,” the other cavaliers replied.

The cavaliers turned towards Turbulence and spoke altogether. “We have reached a consensus.”

At once, other cavaliers separated from Garrett regrouped to Turbulence and saluted before her.

“You are a follower of the Archer. You are the one who will carry out the mission. Lead, and we shall follow,” they all said in unison.

“We need air support! Now!” Jenny yelled through her comms.

“Understood,” a voice replied, “Longswords coming in. Keep your heads down.”

Jenny ducked back to cover and looked back at the forces behind her. The UNSC and Equestrian forces had pushed their way towards the front gates of Canterlot, but despite the shadows’ distraction of Garrett’s cavaliers, they were still able to hold them off to that point.

Ponies, minotaurs, griffons, marines, and ODSTs dashed towards the cover next to Jenny. Many kept their heads down to avoid getting hit.

Longswords roared through the skies overhead. They maintained formation and fired a controlled burst of rounds that shredded the front line of defence of the shadows. After swooping by, the squadron broke off.

Right as the starships separated, armored grey pegasi emerged from the cover of Canterlot’s buildings. They flew high towards the sky and regrouped into a large formation that resembled a spearhead. In one swift stroke, they pierced through the shadows’ line of defense and broke straight into the castle’s perimeter.

“What are all of you doing?!” Jenny barked at the soldiers staring at the cavalier charge. “Move up!”

Adrenaline pumped through every vein as Garrett sprinted down Canterlot Castle’s pathway. Cavaliers covered him from the sides and the rooftops. Shadows appeared out of cover and tried to shoot him, but he quickly took them down with a quick burst from his assault rifle. He and his forces quickly pushed through the opposition and made their way to the entrance to the vault that lead to the heart of Nightmare Moon’s spire. Looking up, the entire structure made him feel small.

Pressing himself against the wall, Garrett looked back to ensure that his cavaliers were right behind him.

“Hold position here,” he ordered them. “Keep them off of me, but I want a squad to come with me as well.”

The cavaliers nodded and spread out, but twelve of them stayed behind, ready for whatever order.

Garrett pulled out the AI core and looked at it. “Ready to finish this?”

“Let’s do it,” Galea replied with a blink.

Nodding, Garrett put away the core and inched towards the door. He placed an explosive on the lock and stepped back. Then, he pulled out the detonator and looked at the cavaliers, who waited in silent anticipation. He activated the detonator, and the door blew open with a billowing cloud of smoke.

The cavaliers charged in immediately, and Garrett joined them and put himself in the middle of the group. Once they pushed their way through the smoke, they managed to get a clear view of Nightmare Moon’s changes to the hall that housed the Elements of Harmony. Along the walls, all the stained glass windows were broken open to let room for pathways and ramps. Some holes, however, were left open to let in more light and air.

On the floor, objects such as crates and tables had been flipped over, and other forms of barricades were deployed. Shadows littered the place with their weapons pointing straight at Garrett and his group, and they were obviously prepared for the arrival.

“Cavaliers, engage!” Garrett barked.

Several cavaliers took off and assaulted from above. Garrett and the rest instinctively sprinted to the nearest form of cover and engaged head-on.

One shadow popped its head out and hovered out a crossbow. Garrett quickly shot its head with a quick burst. To his left, he saw another charge directly at him with a spear. He stepped to his side and smashed the butt of his assault rifle to the creature’s head. Once down on the floor, he finished it off with a bullet to the forehead.

Shadows were falling quickly, and Garrett’s group was pushing so fast that one would only be allotted a few seconds before needing to move forward to catch up. As the team moved on, the number of shadows waiting for them steadily rose. Eventually, some cavaliers started being overwhelmed by the quantity they were up against.

Moments passed, and soon, Garrett and his group had the core of the spire in sight. They charged on, with the cavaliers on the ground keeping a closed formation that surrounded their leader. The path before them opened up, shadows only occupying the sidelines.

Garrett, still in the middle of the group, pushed on and quickly took down targets with short bursts. All around him, he could see his cavaliers fall one by one. When the one in front of him received a crossbow bolt to the head, he quickened his pace to a near-sprint. Finally, he reached a point where he found no more shadows in front of him.

With his heart pumping like a drum, Garrett ran with as much speed his legs could give him. He could hear the last remaining cavaliers, which were the ones in flight, flapping their wings hard and struggling to keep up with him.

The distance to Nightmare Moon’s spire was closing fast. Garrett could see the beam that shot up through the center, and it somehow reminded him of Covenant energy projectors glassing planets.

When he was mere seconds away from the spire’s core, he started to reach for the AI, but out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a shadow charging towards him.

Instinctively, Garrett stepped to the side to avoid the shadow’s tackle. He smashed his assault rifle against it, bringing it to the grown. Then, he pointed the barrel to its head.

Before he was able to fire, another shadow leaped to the air and locked its jaws around Garrett’s right forearm guard. It pulled his arm to the side, pointing his rifle away.

The other shadow did the same and grasped Garrett’s left forearm guard. The two pulled and spread him open.

Garrett struggled to find strength against them. As he was about to raise his boot for a kick, he heard a set of hooves land in front of him.. Looking forwards, he saw an alicorn standing on the sill of a broken stained glass window, and her coat was as black as ink. Her horn glowed, and she pointed it straight at him.

In a last ditch effort, Garrett tried to jerk his head to the side, but he was too slow as Nightmare Moon’s lightning bolt shot through the air and struck his helmet.

Garrett’s head whipped back as his helmet flew clean off his head. He fell to the ground holding the right side of his face. The searing pain forced him to close his eyes shut, and he could hear the two shadows screeching in agony as the last few cavaliers arrived to kill them. Then, he caught the sound of a pony taking off followed by a sword clashing with metal.

Finally, everything became silent, save for the ensuing battle outside.

“That was the last of the cavaliers you brought in here,” a voice said. “Did you honestly think that such a pathetic little group would have been capable of destroying my spire?”

Garrett struggled to open his eyelids. His vision was severely distorted, with one eye showing blurry figures while the other still functioning well. He looked to his right to see Nightmare Moon meters away cleaning her sword. Around him were the bodies of the two shadows and his cavaliers.

Looking to his left, he spotted his assault rifle within reach. Instinctively, he began reaching for it.

As his palm was a few inches away from the rifle’s grip, an armored hoof slammed on Garrett’s wrist, causing him to grunt. He was then flipped over to face up again and to look straight at Nightmare Moon, who had her sword raised high.

“I don’t think so,” Nightmare Moon chuckled. She used her other hoof to pin his shoulders down. Then, she plunged her blade into Garrett’s left arm, just before the elbow.

Garrett cried in pain as the sword pierced right through. He struggled to fight free, but Nightmare Moon proved too much.

Electricity coursed through the blade and travelled all throughout Garrett’s body. He shook uncontrollably as he let out a loud howl of agony that silenced out all the noise from outside.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of torture, Nightmare Moon pulled her sword out with magic. She still held Garrett down as he lowered himself to moans and deep breaths, looking as if he had screamed his lungs out. Gingerly, she hovered her sword down and made the blood-dipped tip brush against the ace of spades and Philomeena’s feather on Garrett’s pauldron.

“Guess your luck finally ran out,” Nightmare Moon cooed.

Garrett offered no response. His eyes were shut, and he was letting out groans of agonizing pain that took him over. Curled up on the ground, his damaged arm was shaking violently.

Nightmare Moon lowered down and set herself on top of him. She could not help but feel dominant as a smile stretched across her face.

“So, this is it, then,” she said in an almost disappointed tone. Her left hoof brushed Garrett’s hair like a pet. “The great Garrett Archer has finally fallen.”

With the speed of a quickdraw, Garrett drew his knife with his right arm and plunged it through the exposed underside of Nightmare Moon’s armor.

Nightmare Moon yelped and flinched. She pulled the knife out of her with magic, inspecting the the contrast of alloy and blood. After tossing it away, she looked back at Garrett.

“You...little...” she hissed.

Raising her sword high, Nightmare Moon pointed it straight at Garrett’s throat.

“Pity,” she said, “we would have had so much fun together.”

Before she was able to bring down her sword, another lightning bolt shot through the air and blew the blade out of her magical grasp. Then, Nightmare Moon felt the force of a battering ram slam into her side. She was lifted off of Garrett and forced away. Looking down, she found mare pegasus wrapped in golden armor pushing her away.

The pegasus let go of her and flapped her wings back. She then landed on the ground and stood in between Nightmare Moon and Garrett.

“Commander Turbulence, is it?” Nightmare Moon asked.

Turbulence readied her stance and spread out her wings. The air around her feathers moved like a vortex coursing with electricity.

“Enough of all this silly heroics,” Nightmare Moon said. She hovered her sword next to her and aimed it for Turbulence.

The sword flew through the air, but Turbulence shot a lightning bolt at it again, deflecting it away.

Turbulence took off and shot two lightning bolts at Nightmare Moon.

Nightmare Moon, however, easily blocked the bolts with her magic. She flapped her wings and charged straight at Turbulence. She caught her with her hooves, veered to the side, and slammed her right against a wall.

With a loud cry of pain, Turbulence felt her armor dent because of the sheer force. She fell to the ground and kicked Nightmare Moon away. Then, she struggled to her hooves and attempted to fly, but she felt a force pull her to the ground again.

With a tight grip of magic, Nightmare Moon held Turbulence to the stone floor and tore off her royal guard armor. She focused her power on to the crossbow of a dead shadow and levitated it near her, aiming it straight at an exposed body.

Finally, Nightmare Moon fired one bolt, and Turbulence flinched and fell to the ground.

Nightmare Moon chuckled, but two loud bangs cut her off, followed by a pair of bullets that entered her body. She let out a pained cry and struggled to stay up. Looking to her side, she saw to clean holes in her armor. Then, she spotted Garrett off in the distance.

Garrett stood panting heavily and holding his assault rifle by the waist with his right arm. It was as if his left side was splashed with red, and drops of blood trailed down his arm and dripped to the ground, the entire limb hanging limp. However, the look on his ash-blown face was of a determined man’s, ignoring all his injuries like pain did not exist.

Nightmare Moon was too late to react as Garrett fired a burst from his assault rifle. Three rounds entered her and easily pierced through her armor like paper. Her head flew back as the bullets did their damage. Finally, with her mouth open in shock, she collapsed upon the ground, motionless.

Garrett dropped his rifle to the ground and pulled out the AI core. He held it in his palm, looking at its resident blinking like a little light. Step by step, he moved forward and dragged himself towards the center of Nightmare Moon’s spire.

Every cell in his body screamed off giving up. He felt his legs slowly stop responding to his commands. Falling to a knee, he looked up and saw that he was still meters away from the core of the spire. In one last attempt, he stood up and pulled back his arm, and with all the strength he could summon, he swung and let go.

The core flew through the air spinning. It closed the distance fast, but as it lost its momentum, it hit the ground and slid, missing the spire by an arm’s length.

The sound of metal hitting and scraping the stone floor sent a chill down Garrett’s entire body. He went down to a knee with a horror-struck face. Then, he fell to his side, facing up towards the ceiling. He sensed his comms come online.

“Garrett, please,” Galea begged desperately, “You’re almost there.”

Garrett sighed and closed his eyes. “Bring this place to hell.”

A moment of silence swept by.

“Understood,” Galea replied. “Countdown is two-minutes starting--”

“Wait,” Garrett said. He reached for his pocket and pulled out a photograph. A small drop of peace filled him as he saw himself smile with his family. Then, he reached for his pocket again and revealed a string of beads that had the craftsmanship of a small child.. He could see the letters on the small objects form the word “DADDY.” Then, he took out a small box and flipped it open. His wedding ring made of sapphires and diamonds still shined with an innocent sparkle.

“This is Captain Garrett Archer,” Garrett said in his comms. “You have two minutes to evacuate Canterlot before detonation. Archer out.”

Garrett then shifted his attention back to his relics. “Activate it,” he said.

“Understood,” Galea replied. “Two minutes to activation.”

Heaving a deep breath, Garrett nodded silently.

“I’m sorry, Garrett,” Galea said in a low tone, “for everything.”

“Apology accepted,” Garrett said with a weak smile. He adjusted himself to a more comfortable position. “You know... I finally understand why you keep coming back. There’s always something worth fighting for, no matter how much you’ve accomplished.”

“Yeah,” Galea replied.

Garrett eased back. “But now... it’ll be nice to have some rest. Be sure to tell Starswirl to find a way to open up the Garrison to ponies. I’d be looking forward for some drinks together, no?”

“First round’s on me.”

As Garrett tightened his grip on his mementos, he somehow felt he was close to Earth once more.

“Everyone, pull back!” a voice shouted through the comms.

Countless humans and Equestrians were retreating, fleeing through the streets. Up above, Hornets and chariots were giving suppressing fire to give those on the ground a window of opportunity to move. Up above, starfighters and other flying soldiers were disengaging. The various ships and airships were turning around as well.

Amidst all the chaos, Celestia found herself approaching a Pelican with Jenny.

“You heard what he said!” Jenny said. She motioned Celestia to hop on the Pelican as she shoved a griffon up the boarding ramp. “Get on!”

“No!” Celestia argued. “We can’t leave anyone behind!”

“Look, I know you’re sister’s out there somewhere, and I am aware that you want to see Garrett home again, but we can’t afford to be delaying!”

“But--”

Jenny waved her arm pointed to their surroundings. “Look around you! I’m sure someone would have picked them up by now.”

All around them, there were Pelicans, Warthogs, Scorpions, chariots, and other transports picking up humans and Equestrians. The cavaliers, however, held their ground and continued holding off the shadows.

Celestia nodded uneasily. “You’re right.”

She hopped on the Pelican, and Jenny got on board and waved the pilot. “Get us out of here!” she ordered.

The pilot nodded, and the Pelican took off, maintaining an uncomfortably low altitude.

Jenny stood on the edge of the ramp as she inspected the ensuing chaos below. Celestia joined her and did the same. Within moments, they were out of Canterlot.

Nightmare Moon’s spire started to glow with an aura of yellow. There was a beam of light that was growing from the center. The ribbons of violet light flowing from the top retreated back into the structure.

“Is your squad out of the city yet, Bruce?” Jenny asked through her comms.

“Not yet, Jenny,” a voice replied.

“You’re still spearheading?!”

“Yes, sergeant. But you have to see this. My helmet camera’s catching it all.”

Reluctantly, Jenny pulled out a datapad and held it in front of her. She gestured a few commands, and the display showed a live stream of an ODST’s helmet camera, which was multiple blocks away from Canterlot Castle.

The shadows were breaking off from the fighting and beginning to flee. They scrambled like panicked insects, running away from Nightmare Moon’s spire. The humans and lunar guards still stuck in the area busied themselves with shooting whatever they found to be the easiest hostile target.

“What the hell’s going on there?” Jenny asked.

“I don’t know,” the soldier replied. The video showed him shifting his view to other humans and lunar guards beside him. “Get to cover!”

Then, as if with one deep breath, Nightmare Moon’s spire released a wave of yellow like an explosion. The energy spread out like a wildfire, engulfing Canterlot building by building.

Back in the video stream, the squad was facing a group of shadows fleeing towards them. As the wave washed over each of Nightmare Moon’s minions, they instantly turned to turned into ash that swept away with the wind. The cavaliers began to fall, and their airships dropped like flies.

The wave pushed on, and once it reached the squad, it harmlessly passed them like they were nothing. The ODSTs and lunar guards looked at each other in confusion, but they turned their heads once again to Canterlot Castle.

Jenny and Celestia did the same, facing Canterlot. They watched wave of energy make shadows dissolve into dust and leave everyone else unharmed. It finally stopped and disappeared as it engulfed Nightmare Moon’s farthest airships. The last of her zeppelins crashed to the ground harmlessly away from any human or Equestrian.

There was a moment of silence. After a few seconds of murmurs in the comms and among everyone, Jenny and Celestia smiled in perfect synchronization.

“He did it!” Celestia shouted.

Cheers erupted throughout Canterlot and the comms. Many were raising fists and hooves high into the air as the euphoria of victory spread. In the Pelican, several were shaking hands and fist bumping.

“Good job, everyone!” Stanford cheered through the comms. “Let’s wrap this up and--”

A large boom silenced all the spirit in a flash. Everyone turned their attention to Nightmare Moon’s spire.

The top of the structure was in flames. A series of explosions was trailing down the center spine. The upper half of the spire broke off and tilted violently towards the side like a crashing tree. Finally, it fell off from its foundation and tumbled down the side of the mountain Canterlot Castle stood upon.

“Oh no...” Jenny breathed.

Celestia covered her mouth with her hoof.

The dust and ash had settled in Canterlot when everyone managed to get together again. Colonel Stanford and Celestia were in front of a number of humans and Equestrians, leading them down the castle drawbridge. Several had their weapons raised in precaution.

“Captain Archer,” Stanford said through the comms, “do you copy?”

Static replied. Celestia felt her nerves run cold as she continued walking down the castle’s drawbridge.

“Garrett Archer,” Stanford repeated, “can you hear me?”

Another empty response came as the group tread past the castle gates.

As Celestia frantically looked around, she felt her hoof land on a hard, spherical object. She looked down and found an ODST helmet lying on its side. Lifting it up, she found a large portion of the right jaw guard blasted off, and the visor had cracks that stretched across.

A marine placed a datapad near the broken helmet. “It’s Captain Archer’s,” he said grimly.

Celestia closed her eyes and pressed her head against the helmet’s forehead. Stanford lowered his head.

“Data’s still intact, sir,” the marine said. “I can get the last moments of his helmet cam.”

“Show us,” Stanford said.

The marine gestured his commands, and a video formed. Celestia and the other Equestrians crowded up to see. ODSTs and other marines managed to synchronize their helmets and see the data on their HUDs.

The video showed Garrett charging to the center of the spire with his cavaliers. They pushed forward without any hesitation. Shadows were falling around them. When Nightmare Moon intervened, the helmet flew back and landed on its side with a clear view.

It captured everything, from Nightmare Moon finally plunging her sword through Garrett to the ODST’s last attempt at ending the war.

As Garrett lay on the ground losing consciousness, Turbulence slowly got back to her hooves. Bleeding severely, she dragged herself to the center of the spire. Each stepped looked as if it took all of her strength to do. She picked up the AI core from the ground and looked at it

“Turbulence!” Galea exclaimed. “You can finish what Garrett has started. Put me in the core of the spire, and end this once and for all!”

Silently, Turbulence nodded. Her legs shook as she slowly trotted her way forward. The last few meters took an agonizingly long time to conquer. Finally, she inserted the Galea into the center of the spire.

As the AI core dissolved in the stream of energy, a unicorn appeared beside Turbulence and placed a hoof on her shoulder with a smile.

“Thank you,” Galea said.

Galea faded into dust and was sucked towards the core of the spire, and in an instant, the energy that was rushing up changed into a dazzling yellow.

Then, Turbulence dragged herself towards Garrett. Struggling to keep her head up, she made herself comfortable next to him and turned towards the core of the spire.

“Best seats in the house, right, Garrett?” Turbulence asked weakly as she watched the core pulse like a yellow heart. She turned to her side. “Garrett?”

No response came. Turbulence sighed and lay herself down to the ground, facing Garrett. There was a sense of satisfaction on her face as her eyelids closed.

The core of Nightmare Moon’s spire collapsed upon itself like an avalanche before exploding with a wave of energy that blew Garrett’s helmet back and ended the video in static.

“That’s all, colonel,” the marine said, gesturing on his datapad.

Stanford nodded.

“Found something, sir!” Jenny snapped. She pointed to the ground and indicated a set of tracks. “Fresh hoofprints.”

She suddenly tapped the side of her helmet with one hand and checked her wrist-mounted interface. “Got a lock on the captain’s signal as well.”

“Go take point,” Stanford ordered.

Jenny drew out a magnum and nodded. “Affirmative.”

She dashed forward, and everyone else followed suit.

As Celestia kept up the pace, she noticed the hoofprints on the ground grew more in number. Every step she took made more and more thoughts fill her. An ounce of hope returned to everyone as they realized that much of the castle was still intact.

The group soon found themselves in front of the vault that held the Elements of Harmony. Bodies of cavaliers lay scattered everywhere. Lunar guards were posted outside the building. They saluted Princess Celestia and opened the ruined doors, allowing everyone in.

Inside, debris lay everywhere, and it appeared that there was no one else inside.

“Luna!” Celestia called out.

Through the silence, there was the sound of sniffing in the distance.

Jenny continued leading the group, but Celestia was sprinting forward and slowly beating her.

Celestia spread her wings and took off. She flew over the rubble and crossbows, and after a few seconds of flight, she found a dark alicorn sobbing next to two bodies. Beside her was a solar guard holding the body of a pony with his hooves. Commander Downburst left his head hanging low, and his eyes were shut as he held Turbulence.

With a heavy heart, Celestia gently landed on the ground and took a seat next to Luna, who instantly wrapped her forehooves around her.

Tears welled up her eyes as Celestia hugged Luna and embraced her with her wings.

Footsteps shuffled nearby. Colonel Stanford appeared, his head down. An ODST walked slowly and took a knee beside Garrett. Jenny slid off her helmet and looked at him grimly. “Get a medic and some stretchers in here,” she said through her comms.

Reluctantly, she reached forward and grabbed hold of Garrett’s dog tags.

Before she managed to rip them off, she looked down and saw a picture and a small box on Garrett’s palm. Jenny carefully lifted the lid and found a beautiful wedding ring made with sapphires and diamonds, and the note written on it was as clear as ever.

Looking down to the side, Jenny found a small string of beads lying on the ground next to Garrett. She picked it up and easily saw the words line up despite all the dust and dirt.

“You’re not just a soldier, Garrett,” Luna said through her tears. “You’re not just some replaceable number. You’re...”

Her words disappeared as the sobs took over once more.

In silence, Jenny felt her fingers trace the outline of more markings in the beads. She flipped it over and smeared away the grime, finding another group of letters line up.

Fireworks went off in the night sky as Canterlot celebrated with an enthusiastic vigor. Cheers, laughs, and loud music were abundant in the air. Though the damage to the city was great, it was not enough to spoil the spirit.

However, away from it all, Luna stood alone in a balcony of Canterlot Castle. Next to her, a bottle of champagne and a number of glasses were placed on top of a table. She had invited Celestia, Downburst, and a few other officers to come, but due to complications, they had to turn down the offer.

Luna uncorked the champagne with her magic and poured herself a serving. She floated the glass under her nose to smell the aroma. The fruity scent easily eased her mind. Tipping it on her lip, her tongue savored the sweet flavor of fine Equestrian craftsponyship.

With a satisfied sigh, she gently lowered the glass back to the table.

“You look like you need some company,” a voice said.

Turning around, Luna found a human officer standing in the doorway.

“Ah, colonel,” Luna said. “It is a pleasure to see you at this hour.”

She poured champagne into another glass and offered it to Stanford, who gave small smile.

He walked forward and accepted the offer. Then, he and Luna clinked their glasses and took a sip.

“I never got the chance to thank you for everything, colonel,” Luna said.

Stanford shrugged. “Just part of our job, ma’am.”

Luna took another sip of her drink. “In my years of life, I have seen and experienced many things. But I would like to know your perspective, colonel. How do you feel when you see your friend get harmed and even killed in order to achieve a victory?”

Leaning against the railing, Stanford lowered his head, the visor of his hat hiding his eyes. He sighed deeply. “Ma’am, I’m an old man who’s seen way too much war in his lifetime. Even if you win a battle, you find yourself asking if the spoils are worth the sacrifices.”

The two of them looked down at the celebration on the streets and gardens. “At least we have achieved a much needed peace,” Luna commented. “Perhaps it is something we can propose a toast for.”

Stanford nodded again with a regretful sigh. “I’m afraid to say that because of what has already happened, this is only the calm before the next storm hits.”

He motioned the party down below. “You can already see it stirring.”

With a careful eye, Luna noted that despite the cheerful atmosphere, there was a division between the human and the Equestrians. There were a few, however, that tried to mix the two groups, most notably the solar and lunar guards with the UNSC.

Amidst it all, Luna felt as if she was staring at a risky science experiment with countless possible and unpredictable outcomes, an unknown with a result no one can forecast.

Stanford raised his glass. “To the peace and quiet we have now.”

Luna floated her glass up as well. “And for the hope of true peace in the future.”

The two clinked their glasses and took a sip.

Galea floated his empty pint back to the table. “I’ll have another, please,” he said.

A human bartender nodded, took the glass, and walked off to refill the drink.

Ever since Starswirl managed to allow Equestrians into the Garrison, more and more faces were entering the building, and the mood was up and about with excitement, laughter, and chatter.

Despite the atmosphere filled with newly made friendships, Galea had been sitting alone near the bartender for what seemed like forever to him. The sound of steps came to his ears. He heard the individual walk across and take a seat next to him.

“Nice meeting you here, Turbulence,” Galea said.

With a small smile, Turbulence nodded. “Yes, sir.”

She waved at another bartender and pointed towards a martini in the menu.

“How’d you do out there?” Galea asked.

“Nightmare Moon’s stopped, all the shadows are gone, and Canterlot’s back in the right hooves,” Turbulence replied. Her martini arrived, and she took a sip.

“Even with you here,” Galea said, “I still feel like there’s something wrong.”

“How?” Turbulence asked.

“Let’s just say I was made a promise,” Galea huffed irritably, “and it still hasn’t been carried out yet. Hay, it’s on the borderline of being broken, if you ask me.”

The bartender arrived holding a full pint. He placed it in front of Galea. “You waiting for someone or something?”

“Yup.” Galea floated the pint towards his mouth and took a gulp. “And the son of a buck never came,” he said with dead cheer.

“He will eventually,” the bartender said before walking away to serve another pony asking for a drink.

Boots shuffled behind the two guards.

“Excuse me,” a voice said, “are you Captain Galea?”

Galea nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Mind if I have a seat?”

Galea motioned the chair next to him. “Go ahead.”

A man in a black ODST shirt took the seat and faced Galea. “So,” he started, “I’ve overheard on what you two managed to do with an ODST known as Garrett Archer.”

“We sure did,” Galea with a proud smirk.

The man motioned a woman to come, and she, too, wore a black ODST shirt.

“We’d like to know more about what Garrett’s been doing out there,” the man said.

Both he and the woman waved at a bartender and ordered two glasses of scotch that made the bartender comment, “Wow, you know the good stuff.”

“You seem to share Garrett’s taste of exquisite flavors,” Turbulence said.

“Runs in the family,” the woman said with a smile.

Galea’s eyebrows shot up, and he nearly choked on his drink. Turbulence felt as though she was in the presence of royalty.

The man took a sip of his whiskey. “So, what’s our son been up to? And what did he do this time?”