Knights of Harmony

Nightmare Moon was so interested in the battle in front of her that the world around was blank. Nothing existed except the two ponies battling to the death. One a bright yellow pegasus and the other a deep brown earth pony, both stallions and both using armor that you couldn’t find anywhere.

Lightning Dash zigzagged at high speed, evading everything Shadow Blaze threw at him, but his punch failed miserably to make contact as the earth pony blocked effortlessly. Their techniques were indeed excellent, but too much evenly matched in battle so it wouldn’t end anytime soon. The earth pony clearly had a lot more of energy to burn, but burned it all that quicker as well while the pegasus seemed to focus on the efficiency of energy usage to save the reserves he didn’t have in abundance like his opponent. The pegasus’s attacks were faster rather than stronger, creating breaches in the earth pony’s defenses to be exploited, but he was so much stronger than the pegasus that his defenses were almost useless against the crushing blows, once more leveling them up.

However, she wasn’t that careless. Lighting Dash missed another attack, the fifth in such a short time, hitting a table that went flying right at Nightmare Moon’s face with such force that a normal pony would be hardly pressed to dodge. She wasn’t a normal pony, though, and she only moved a roof to break the wood in nothing more than splinters. Somehow, the pegasus was trying to fight against her while fighting his enemy. She laughed at that and decided that, if he wanted her to join in battle, she would fulfill his wishes. When she gave her first step, though, Shadow Blaze stopped right in front of her.

“Don’t worry, Mother. I can take care of him,” Shadow Blaze said.

“No, you can’t, Shadow Blaze,” she said in a neutral tone.

Surprised, he looked back at her and the whole scene changed in a fraction of second. With one wing, Nightmare Moon has pushed Shadow Blaze against her chest and with the other; she pressed the sharp blades at her wings’ edges to his neck. A drop of blood crossed her blades and, needless to say, Lightning Dash just stopped, looking at Nightmare Moon with much more fury than before.

“You shall surrender, or else your friend will pay for your crime,” Nightmare Moon said clearly.

“You can’t be serious!” Lightning Dash yelled, while Shadow Blaze stood still, astonished at the turn of events. Her mother was just using her opponent’s emotions to affirm her victory… right? “Isn’t he one of yours? How could you try and kill him?”

“I don’t want to, but I can. Soldiers can always be trained.” The cold voice on which she said that made Shadow Blaze’s eyes widen in fear for his life. However, the blade on his neck kept him still. “I really would prefer not killing someone as strong as Shadow Blaze here, but it’s a sacrifice I’ll do if I have to.”

“He looked at you as his Mother!”

“And that’s why it pains me we had to reach this point. You’ll surrender, pegasus, or else.”

A tense half minute passed before Lightning Dash sighed and said, “Fine”, his armor disappearing in a burst of electricity. In the following second, though, he was hit in the chest by a blast of magic and thrown against a wall on the other side of the room, making a deep crack on it with his body. Nightmare Moon laughed at the scene.

However, her senses kicked in and she noticed what truly happened. It wasn’t the pegasus that crashed against the wall. It was an earth pony mare wearing a ridiculously large armor that, if she wasn’t mistaken, was shaped to form a shield. The pegasus was harmlessly nested on her arms. Harmless would be a very relative term of course, if that magic blast had connected at all. Since among the newcomers there were two unicorns, also wearing what, for now, she was sure were harmony armors. And all of a sudden, her eyes widened and she teleported herself, evading for very little an attack from behind from a pegasus mare, as silent as the wind itself. The four newcomers were, also, bringing a prisoner of their own: Dusk Shield was just outside the dinning room, her horn covered in what would be a spell-blocker enchantment.

“Dash… you’re alright?” Scarlet Boulder asked.

“I’m fine. Our unicorns saved me just in time,” he got up and looked back at Nightmare Moon. “However, she got a hostage.”

“There’s no one out there to be held hostage!” Ice Sapphire called out.

The dust then settled, revealing a very pissed Nightmare Moon holding tightly a surprised and now fearful Shadow Blaze in her paws and wings. All of them let out a gasp of shock.

That included Dusk Shield.

“I’VE TOLERATED TOO MUCH FOOLISHNESS ALREADY!” Nightmare Moon yelled at them. “As I told that pegasus, you’ll all surrender, unless you’re not afraid of endangering your friend’s life!”

They all tensed in place, looking at Lightning Dash. If they tried to use anything, they knew she would feel it, so that meant Scarlet Boulder couldn’t use her ability to allow them to communicate. Also there was the major fact that Lightning Dash have surrendered. Celestia named him the leader. So if he decided…

One by one, the Knights of Harmony allowed their armors to collapse. One vanishing as magic, one breaking apart as ice, another as dust, and the last one just vaporizing with the breeze. Nightmare Moon smiled at them.

“So foolish. You were supposed to pay any price to protect Equestria. That is, if you were Knights of Harmony…” she laughed. A malicious laugh echoed through the empty corridors of the empty decayed castle. Dusk Shield’s eyes were as wide as Shadow Blaze’s once were. However, he wasn’t feeling shocked anymore. A turmoil of emotions overtook him. He couldn’t focus at all in anything.

“Mother! What are you doing?” Dusk Shield asked. She was still tied and her magic blocked.

Nightmare Moon looked at her, a cold stare right into Dusk Shield’s eyes sent a chill down her spine. Then the alicorn began: “You of all persons here have no right to ask me my methods. You’ve lost to them after all the training I gave you. I thought you and the other Shadows were powerful enough to at least defeat some ridiculous ponies like these. But not even that you could accomplish.” And if those words weren’t enough to Dusk Shield’s ears, Nightmare Moon shoot the last ones intending to kill all her hopes: “You’re too weak for me to call a daughter.”

Dusk Shield’s world fell. All her strength, all her conviction, all her dedication… It would only be ‘good enough’ while she kept winning… was that it? There was no light in that darkness? No star in the clouded night sky ahead of her?

Shining Armor’s enchantments keeping her bond simply vanished. Set to stand strong against Dusk Shield’s escaping attempts, now that she was utterly powerless mentally and spiritually, the enchantment was so weak it broke on itself. And the filly just stood there, laying, her eyes wide… and crying, calling a Mother that wouldn’t answer her, her voice nothing more than a whisper, if that loud.

“Anyway, we have matters to attend now,” Nightmare Moon called their attention back, all five of them ready for whatever Nightmare Moon would throw at them.

However, even she was surprised when Lightning Dash smiled. “Finally!”

With a warcry, Lightning Dash threw himself forward, a burst of static creating once more his armor. He was so abrupt and so unexpected that even nightmare Moon couldn’t react in time… and when she tried, she felt a hoof strongly against her belly and a fire ball took place of the pony once her hostage. In an impulse, she got rid of the fireball, just to have Lightning Dash connect a blinding series of punches right at her face. After the last was delivered, the pegasus flapped his wings out of the way so a burning hoof could hit her right in the chest, sending her flying against the opposing wall.

Lightning Dash and Shadow Blaze stood there, side by side, their armors summoned and both in battle instances.

The other four Knights of Harmony smiled, didn’t question anything and quickly entered battle instance alongside their partners, also summoning their armors. Lightning Dash was the first to talk.

“I thought we had lost you.”

“What she told Dusk Shield broke my shock. Then your emotions hit me as the friendship express,” Shadow Blaze answered with a smile. “And you all were right. This monster isn’t my Mother. My Mother is Princess Luna!”

Dusk Shield’s ears twitched at that. But… Mother Luna and Mother Nightmare Moon… they are the same…

“Our mission is to break Nightmare Moon’s armor!” Lightning Dash reminded them. “We’ll free Princess Luna after we deal with that!”

Free… Mother Luna? Dusk Shield’s thoughts were clouded. But she’s free… She will bring… eternal night…

“ENOUGH!” the stones erupted and Nightmare Moon revealed herself once more. “Break my armor? Free Princess Luna? That’s bullshit! My name is now, and forever, Nightmare Moon! QUEEN[/n] Nightmare Moon! And you’ll treat me with my due respect!”

She threw herself at them at impossible speed. Her movements were much faster than they could follow, so Scarlet Boulder was the first to receive a strong attack and be sent flying towards the ceiling with an uppercut. It was barely half a second for them to understand what happened and Nightmare Moon wasn’t there anymore. One by one, she attacked the other Knights of Harmony: Shadow Blaze hit a pillar, Ice Sapphire was imprinted to the floor, Shining Armor hit Golden Breeze head on and Lightning Dash was sent right at the door’s frame, his back bending so much that, if it wasn’t for his armor, it would be already broken in half.

When they all connected the floor about the same time, except Ice Sapphire, of course, their armors were all cracked with a single attack each. The difference of powers were far too much for them. They only managed to hit Nightmare Moon because they were able to catch her off-guard once.

That will never happen again now that she engaged fighting.

Even so, they got up. All six of them got up and looked at Nightmare Moon. Why… Dusk Shield asked in her mind. It’s clear they can’t win… Why they are trying? Why they get up again?

“Okay…” Lightning Dash nodded. “Plan E!”

Lightning Dash and Shadow Blaze threw themselves forward against Nightmare Moon while the others began to run around, Ice Sapphire and Shining Armor throwing magical blasts at her and Golden Breeze forcing the wind into pressure to throw a blade-like wind against the evil alicorn. Nightmare Moon blocked easily all those magical attacks with a single bubble shield, which she promptly changed to hold back the devastating kinetic power of the two ponies leading the charge. Then she just teleported away before another series of magical attacks hit where she was, flapped her wings and with a back-roll, she allowed for Scarlet Boulder pass right under her, then she span in midair and hit the earth mare right in the side, sending her sideways against a wall.

“So you wish to keep the child-play? So be it!” Nightmare Moon said with a smile. “I’ll enjoy bringing terror to your souls!”

The black alicorn shot herself against Golden Breeze. Then she was surprised when the pegasus disappeared in thin air. Looking around, she found her target standing right at Scarlet Boulder’s side, the red earth mare smiling.

“I figured you out! We can’t break your armor because you’ll soon understand what I’m doing…” Scarlet Boulder said simple. “But we’ll give you a lot of trouble, Nightmare Moon!”

“It was a lucky shot!” the night queen pointed her horn at them… only to sudden shift instances and block a punch from Shining Armor whom teleported right at her, he also was smiling. His mistake though, since she wouldn’t miss at this range! A punch from Nightmare Moon was aimed at Shining Armor’s head… but hit air only as he teleported exactly in time. “What?”

“Time dilatation…” Lightning Dash said with a smile. “You’re not really that much faster than us. You could be but you have just come back, so you’re not at your apex. We are, though. And we easily understood that you’re using a time dilatation spell so you can confuse our senses. You’re making us go slower.”

“Understanding my trick doesn’t help you!”

“It does,” Shadow Blaze answered. “We have more than one set of eyes and you would have to focus on a very wide area in order to affect all of us now that were spread. Keeping that and enough power to fight six Knights of Harmony would be taxing, so you just focus in one: your target.”

“That allows all the others to actually see you in your speed,” Ice Sapphire continued. “You’re still faster than us but we can easily manage that speed of yours as we’ve proven two times now. All we have to do is to thrust in our friends and we’ll win!”

Nightmare Moon got furious at that and dashed right at Ice Sapphire. As predicted, the mare teleported with almost no time left, but that gave Nightmare Moon a hint to what was happening. She looked around and flapped her wings, giving another back-roll and, this time, diving hoof-first into the floor. The whole building began to shake for some time but it soon got under control thanks to Scarlet Boulder’s geomancy. However, that was a bait, and they’ve took it. Nightmare Moon could also teleport and soon she was punching the earth mare right in the chest, taking out all of her air and then pushing her in a punch against the floor. The harmony armor protecting Scarlet Boulder was gone instantly. She was about to give the final blow when ice walls formed around the mare with points growing at Nightmare Moon.

Flapping her wings, the evil alicorn flew out of the way and looked around curiously, just to see Ice Sapphire’s horn glowing, but she wasn’t using magic. Then a large ice stone hit Nightmare Moon from behind. Although that hurt, it wasn’t all that bad, and with a quick turn, she punched the stone and turned it to ice dust, which evaporated just as quickly. Her gaze returned to Ice Sapphire.

“Mana Synthesist…” Nightmare Moon said. “Never thought I would see a pony one. You’re dangerous, even if not fully trained.” A blink later, Ice Sapphire jumped to the side, trying to avoid Nightmare Moon’s attack, but didn’t count on a magic blast, which sent her flying against the wall, shattering and dispersing her armor. Nightmare Moon looked to the others and smiled, “Two down, four to go…”

Golden Breeze and Shining Armor prepared themselves to fight when Lightning Dash threw himself forward towards Nightmare Moon. As no surprise, Nightmare Moon evaded easily and was about to attack… when Lightning Dash turned, blocked her hoof with one of his and, with a strong beat of wings, span sideways and hit strongly Nightmare Moon’s face with a hind hoof. The evil mare was sent flying as Lightning Dash landed exactly where she was.

“Breeze and Armor, you two grab Scarlet and Sapphire and get the hell out of here. Blaze and I can take care of her alone,” Lightning Dash said seriously.

“But we didn’t have a chance as a full team and you want to attack them by the two of you alone?” Golden Breeze asked.

“We have ways to fight her,” Shadow Blaze said simple. “Don’t worry with us. She may eventually defeat us, but her armor will be gone by then.”

“Celestia plans on using the Elements of Harmony again, eh?” Nightmare Moon said getting up and looking at Lightning Dash and Shadow Blaze. “I bet she figured out why they didn’t work properly last time, then.”

“That’s none of your business,” Lightning Dash said. “Get ready, Nightmare Moon. Blaze and I will show you why we’re the leaders of our group. The play time is over.”

Upon hearing that, Nightmare Moon let out a laugh at them. Even not believing they could do it, Golden Breeze and Shining Armor took their friends to a safer place. Before they left though, Shining Armor turned to Dusk Shield.

“You’re coming with us?” he asked.

“You… are worried with me?” Dusk Shield asked.

“Shouldn’t we?” Golden Breeze asked. “You’ve been betrayed by Nightmare Moon just like Shadow Blaze was. He’s fighting against that but you’re still frozen in place. You either fight that with them or run away with us.”

“You’ll leave them alone?”

“They’re not alone. They have each other,” Shining Armor said with a smile. “When they fight together, they’re much stronger than their powers summed.”

Dusk Shield looked at the two ponies in front of her and then to the other two fighting the world’s nemesis: whichever choice she made, it would be with her for the rest of her life, and she knew it.