The Mane Twelve

The plan was set and now, when the moon was still existent in the starless sky, Twilight Sparkle, along with her comrades, Pinkie, Fluttershy and the almost impossibly revived Rainbow Dash were about to start phase one. As all of them braced themselves for the upcoming assault, Twilight gathered the leaders of the pegasi squad: The strong and fast Rainbow, along with Heartfire, now second in command but still as willing to participate as ever. Alongside the remaining crowd of pegasi with Grafix and Fluttershy lost in it.

"Alright ponies, this is it," said Twilight with outmost determination,"Rainbow, our major concern is to wipe out the forces of the sky first. We want you to handle this. Your priority is to capture the Master Battlefleet and destroy the rest with it."

Rainbow Dash nodded and Heartfire stayed behind her, silent, only listening to the plan. Once everypony was set, the pegasi opened their wings and as the door to the outside world opened, Twilight focused her magic power and launched a massive burst of light, spreading it through the everlasting night. As soon as the light shined as bright as the sun, the pegasi started flying away, towards the sky, towards the battlefleets, with Rainbow storming first as fast as the speed of sound, maybe even faster than sound itself. Heartfire raised his wings in the air but was interrupted by a presence behind him. Thyme. Heartfire knew that it was her but didn't look back.

"Listen," he told her, "what happened, yesterday, let's just...try not to think about it. It wasn't something serious. A one-time thing only."

Upon saying these words, he turned his head and looked at her, deep in her purple eyes.

"Don't cry if I die." he said and took off with great speed, soaring to the skies and catching up with the other pegasi.

Thyme stayed speechless for a while, then looked down.

"If only it were that easy..." she said to herself.

At the ground, Twilight Sparkle look up at the sky but soon looked down again. The determination that was previously carved in her face was now starting to fade away and, out of the blue, she started crying. Pinkie Pie approached her.

"I can't Pinkie..." said Twilight with a cracking voice, "I lost Rarity and soon, this plan, along with us, will die away."

Pinkie said nothing. She wasn't joyful yet she wasn't miserable either. She approached Twilight even more and gave her a hug.

"Twi, don't be so iffy." she said with a comforting voice, "If it's one thing I learnt from that rock farm, never stop smiling."

Twilight looked up again but her tears were still running. She took a moment to calm down and slowly, her tears started drying on her cheek.

"Rainbow...we're counting on you."

Twilight's wish however was getting harder and harder to achieve by the minute. As soon as the sphere of light shined, the battlefleets and the patrols noticed. Soon, the sky was filled with demon-like alicorns, carrying sharp teeth and claws and assaulting the pegasi with great speed. The massacre was now continuing in the air as the alicorns assaulted the victims and plucked the pegasi's wings off, making them fall from the skies and crash into the ground with great force. The battlefleets didn't stay there and did nothing either. Surfasces opened and strong, masculine unicorns rose, standing on platforms, firing projectiles with exact presicion, making large holes into everything they struck. Even if they missed, the explosion caused by it still killed many. The number of survining pegasi decreased with every minute that passed. The remaining were struggling but it was pointless. Rainbow Dash on the other hand wasn't fighting back like the others. She was focusing on the Master Battlefleet. Alongside her, Fluttershy, her friend since they were small, willing to go anywhere with her. Behind Fluttershy were Grafix and Heartfire, struggling to fend off the projectiles and the assaulting alicorns by guarding the mares with their hooves. Stallion hooves were harder than the ones mares had and, even though it was painful to endure, was the only way of survival.

After stroming through thousands of demons and performing evasive loops, they stormed to the battlefleet with great speed and broke through its glass wall, used from the ponies inside it to look outside. As soon as they entered, the alicorns seemed intimidated by something and retreated. The unicorns as well. They didn't fire. They just stood there and watched the four pegasi.

"Everypony alive?" asked Rainbow Dash.

Ironic quesion. Grafix was at the ground, his hooves fried from the projectiles. Fluttershy quickly took out a bag she carried and wrapped bandages around his front hooves, then helped him get back up.

Heartfire was in the worst situation, with cuts all over his body from the claws and teeth as well as aching hooves from all the projectiles. He could hardly walk but he was a survivor. He was trained to endure these things. When Fluttershy came close to treat him, Heartfire raised his hoof and pointed it at her, stopping her from approaching her.

"No," he said., "You are the sword. You are meant to eliminate the enemy. I'm the shield."

Fluttershy looked at him for a moment and said nothing.

"H-How? How can you say that?!" she yelled at him.

Heartfire was taken aback by her yell. It was very uncommon for Flutterhsy to yell, even in the worst situations possible.

"What about the others?! Were they shields as well?!"

Heartfire looked away but kept his serious look. He then started walking towards the corridor, leaving Fluttershy looking at him.

"Come. Let's not argue about this."

"Right," said Rainbow while following him. "Come on you two."

Fluttershy started walking as well and Grafix stayed behind her.

As all four of thme were walking down the corridor, Grafix looked at Heartfire. Look at him. Self-sacrificing. Willing. Why can't I be like him? Why can't I  protect the ones I love? Then he looked at the two mares. First Rainbow, the adventurous one, then Fluttershy, the kind one. Grafix stopped for a moment. Nopony other than Fluttershy noticed Grafix's hooves seize and stay in one place. As Heartfire and Rainbow, who had now taken the lead, kept on walking, Fluttershy turned around and approached Grafix.

"What's wrong Grafix?" she asked him.

For a moment, Fluttershy thought that she saw a tear running down Grafix's eye but couldn't tell because he wiped his eye way too fast.

"It's...it's nothing...really." he told her and kept on walking.

After a while of walking, the four ponies entered a large room. It was empty apart from the end of the room where there seemed to be some sort of mechanism.

"This is it!" shouted Rainbow Dash in joy, "I can't believe it was that easy." she said and rushed towards it.

Heartfire stayed behind. He seemed curious. It was easy indeed. Too easy. he thought to himself. It was clear to him at that time.

"RAINBOW DASH! IT'S A TRAP!" he shouted at her.

Rainbow on the other hand didn't have the opportunity to look or even head back before chains rose from the ground and grabbed her from her hooves, neck and waist, tying her tightly to the ground. Fluttershy gasped and ran towards her, trying to release her. Rainbow Dash was screaming in pain as the chains got tighter by the minute. Suddenly, the wall next to them cracked open and an axe could be seen in the air, along with a masculine alicorn entering from the dusts.

"Stupid mare. Fell to the trap like rats. ALL OF YOU!" he yelled.

The alicorn was overmasculine, with a crimson red coat and a mane that was as bright and deadly as fire. He was wearing gold, shining armor, hoof crafted and wielded an enormous double-sided gold axe.

Heartfire walked towards Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and looked at the mysterious alicorn in the eyes. The alicorn said nothing and only gave out a big grin.

"I trust you run this ship." said Heartfire to the mysterious alicorn.

The alicorn said nothing. He suddenly started walking towards the three pegasi, his axe swinging continiously in the air. As he got closer, Heartfire stomped his front hooves on the ground, preparing himself for an attack. The alicorn was now a few centimetres away from Heartfire. He didn't respond. Heartfire was surprised but didn't show it. Why isn't he attacking? he thought to himself.

Heartfire seized the opportunity and at lighnting fast speed, lifted himself from the ground and headbutted him. The alicorn looked up and didn't respond. Such a conclusion meant that he was dizzy. Heartfire gave out a smile. However, his smile was cut short when the alicorn dropped his head and looked forward, at Heartfire once again, his eyes burning like a vlocano.

"Is that...all you got?!" yelled the alicorn at Hearfire and charged his head, striking Heartfire in the head with great force, so great that made him one with the ground, making him rebound from all the force. The alicorn seized the opportunity and charged his axe at Heartfire while in  mid-air, capturing him by the neck and landing hin in the wall. Heartfire was still alive but his neck was in between the two sided blades of the axe. He tried to get himself out but it was of no use. The axe was tightly stuck in the wall. The alicorn started chuckling but soon started laughing out loud, as hard as he could.

"FOOLISH PEGASUS! YOU CAN'T DEFEAT WAR AT HIS OWN GAME!"

Heartfire now looked at the alicorn shocked. The alicorn was the War, the legendary alicorn written to be the strongest pony that ever lived, earning his place in the Ponies of the Apocalypse, his lust for war becoming his element, his power, his thirst for more.

War walked past Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and approached Heartfire. Heartfire remained calm. War noticed his silence and gave out a grin.

"Your pride seems to be taking you over." said War, looking down on him.

Heartfire said nothing but only looked at War in the eyes.

"Not talking huh?" War said a little furious.

He looked down but soon raised his head and charged his hoof at Heartfire, striking his face, making Heartfire spit blood.

"I don't like it when they DON'T DEIFY ME!" he yelled at him, licking Heartfire's blood off his hoof.

Heartfire looked away, the impact from that punch still affecting him. War turned around and waved his hoof in the air. Soon, the chains that engulfed Rainbow broke and the cyan pegasus was let free. Rainbow quickly lifted herself in the air and stormed at War lightning-fast, appearing in front of War in seconds. War looked at her surprised but soon became serious again and grinned, charging his fist and grabbing Rainbow by her throat, grasping her breath. Rainbow struggled to breathe as War's strong hoof held her in the air. War's grin got even bigger and his fiery eyes got even brighter.

"The perfect trophy for the PERFECT WARLORD!" he shouted out loud and charged his other hoof, striking Rainbow Dash in her heart.

Rainbow vomitted blood as she looked at her upper body, seeing her coat turning slowly gold, with War's hoof still inside her body. W-What's happening?! she wondered as the gold colour kept taking over her cyan coat. As soon as the gold layer reached her throat where War was grasping her, her breath was seized and slowly afterwards, Rainbow Dash had turned completely gold, not moving even a single muscle. Fluttershy looked at the now 'Golden' Rainbow Dash in shock, tears already coming out of her eyes. War let her neck go and with his magic, put her next to the control device.

"Y-you turned her into...g-gold?" said Fluttershy with a cracking voice, unable to spell words.

War didn't answer. He turned around once again and faced at Heartfire.

"I want to hear you...hear you scream in pain. I want to take that pride away from you..."

He paused for a while. Then his horn started glowing. Heartfire was caught by surprise as he felt an aching pain inside him. A small cracking sound could be heard as Heartfire gritted his teeth, trying to endure the pain. He moved his head right to left over and over, resisting the growing pain. However, at one turn, he noticed his wings. The cracking wasn't coming from his teeth, it was coming from his wings. War was ripping Heartfire's wings apart. Heartfire couldn't handle any more and gave out a shout of pain as both of his wings were seperated from his body, blood splatting everywhere.

Thyme shut her eyes open and looked at the Battlefleet in shock. Something had happened. Something bad. Very bad.

"H-Heartfire?" she asked thin air as she slowly lost control of her emotions and started shedding tears.

Heartfire was now unconscious. War took out his axe from the wall, making Heartfire fall to the ground. His wings were lying on the ground as well, plucked from the pegasus. The worst in all ways way to humiliate a pegasus and take away their pride is to take away their only aspect that makes them special. Their wings.

"Coward. Lost his pride and didn't even stay conscious to notice." War muttered to himself as he walked towards the control of the ship and gazed at his newly earnt trophy. He quickly turned around however and looked at Fluttershy. His expression soon shifted and War got furious. He roared as he stomped his hooves on the ground and swung his axe in the air.

"WHERE ARE YOU COWARD?!" he yelled at thin air and started strinking the walls of the room, making large holes, as if he was searching for something.

Fluttershy looked at War in wonder as his rage was consuming him and the strikes got even deadlier with every strike. Soon, the four walls surrounding the room were exterminated and only the controls were in a good condition. War looked swiftly around, still looking red everywhere he looked. He didn't seem to find what he was looking for. He ran towards Fluttershy and grabbed her, throwing her at the corridor where they originally came from.

"COME OUT YOU BASTARD!" he yelled.

War stopped for a moment and closed his eyes, calming down and focusing only hearing sense. He quickly opened his eyes and grinned to himself.

"You can run, but you can't hide." War said in thin air and held Fluttershy, now unconscious, in the air with his magic. "Or do you want to see another one of you 'friends' die?"

War received no response.

"Come out and fight or watch her die while you hide and do nothing." he said to thin air once again.

Still no answer. War put down Fluttershy and lifted his axe in the air, its blades reflecting Fluttershy. With no hesitation, War swung his axe for Fluttershy's head.

"STOOOOP!!!" shouted a voice.

The axe stopped suddenly, only a breath away from Fluttershy. It started moving away and swinging once again in the air as War looked away and saw the white coated pegasus standing in the end of the room. War grinned and soon after that laughed out loud.

"IT'S YOU!" yelled War at him.

Grafix looked at War in wonder, intimidated by his fiery red coat and shining armor.

"W-What do you mean?" Grafix asked in hesitation.

War laughed once again.

"Of course you don't remember!" he yelled at him once again, "It's been indeed so long..."

Grafix now looked at War with even more wonder on his face. What did he mean by that? Grafix would never associate with the means of such a violent pony like War, let alone even know him. Grafix never was the pony who read much indeed and had only learnt about the Ponies of the Apocalypse ever since this whole incident started.

"Let me remind you," War continued, "Remember that fire, that so called 'accident', the eyes of the fiery beast..."

Grafix looked at War with even more shock now. His words soon started making sense, repeating themselves inside Grafix's mind. The 'accident'. The eyes of the fiery beast. Soon, memories from the shallowest depths inside Grafix's mind started to ascend.

Back, when Grafix was still small, the sudden war that occured out of the blue, so suddenly. Fire everywhere. Buildings burning, soldiers everywhere, ponies dying. Grafix ran to his house as all hell was breaking loose around him, avoiding corpses, soldiers, fire. It was still too late though. Grafix only stood in front of his old house, staring at it while it was being engulfed in flames and two fiery eyes staring at him likewise, piercing his soul, leaving him frozen to place.

Grafix shook his head to pull himself together and out of that flashback. War laughed at him.

"You STILL don't get it? Do you? My eyes are the eyes of fire, fire itself, war, destruction, mayhem, murder!!!"

Grafix couldn't stand the truth. All these things. They were his fault. It was his fault that he lost his parents, it was his fault that he roamed from city to city as an orphan, it was his fault that he had nopony to stand aside him as he suffered.

"W-Why?" asked Grafix .

"You want to know huh?" said War and paused for a while. "It was because...I was bored."

Grafix was shocked. Murder, destruction out of pure boredom? Grafix's eyes lit up after hearing that. He stomped his hooves on the ground and looked at War with a look full of hate and anger.

"Out of BOREDOM?! THAT'S WHY I WAS ALONE ALL THESE YEARS?! 'CAUSE YOU WERE BORED?!" yelled Grafix at him as he opened his wings widely and rushed towards him.

War gave out another grin and punched the air, the force striking Grafix, pushing him back, making him fall on the ground. Grafix didn't give up though. He immediately got up and gave out a war cry.

"That's the spirit," said War, "Feel that feeling. That sense of destruction..that sense of murder...that sense of war."

"SHUT UP!" shouted Grafix and stormed towards War once again.

War didn't back off. Instead, he held completely still, leaving Grafix to strike him in his face. However, that punch, like Heartfire's previous headbutt was worthless. War resisted the impact and looked at Grafix with a pejorative look. Grafix didn't back off. He kept punching War in the face over and over again, his rage getting even bigger with every punch.

"Grafix, no!" said a weak voice behind War.

Grafix, giving out a final punch, moved away from War at great speed and landed on his hooves a few metres away from War.

"You're not like him..." said once again the voice.

Grafix turned his head a little to the right of War and looked at the source of the voice. It was Fluttershy. She was in a mess after War's throw. She had bruises all over her and a countless scratches. War turned around and kicked her in the stomach.

"Y-you're...a f-forgiving p-pony..." hardly said Fluttershy, losing consciousness afterwards.

In fact, Gafix was about to storm once again towards War if it weren't for his curiosity of finding the source of the voice. After what Fluttershy said and the horrible act that Grafix witnessed, he took a moment to calm down. He looked at his hoof. What have I become?

Grafix closed his eyes for a while, took a short break and opened them once again, to look at War. War looked at him accordingly but seemed irritated.

"What's wrong kiddo?! Scared to attack me?!"

"No..." said Grafix quietly.

War now looked at him in wonder but soon regained his angry look.

"What did you say?!" War yelled.

"No," said Grafix once again, "I know what's wrong. Growing up...on the streets...robbing stores to eat. All because of what I thought to be fear. Fear to protect others. But it was you, all along. I...I don't have a reason to blame myself anymore. So, thank you...War. And, about the incident, I...I forgive you."

War was taken aback by that last sentence. His furious expression got even worse upon hearing that. In a heartbeat, he was standing right in front of Grafix, swinging his axe at him. Grafix only raised his hoof and grabbed it with not even pushing himself. War looked at him in shock. In seconds once again, he moved away from him and got back where he was earlier. War tried to get his axe back but Grafix didn't let go. What was more surprising for War was that Grafix didn't even bother to resist.

"YOU HAVE A REASON TO FIGHT! I HURT YOU, YOUR FRIENDS, EVERYPONY YOU KNEW AND LOVED! EVEN NOW! YOU HAVE A REASON TO FIGHT ME!"

Grafix didn't reply. He grabbed the axe with his second hoof and broke it in half. Pure gold, broken by the weakest type of pony.

"No, I don't," said Grafix, throwing the broken axe behind him, "I forgave you. I don't hold a grudge with you anymore."

"FINE!" yelled War, "IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIGHT BACK, THEN I WILL!" he ended and charged.

Grafix stayed in one place, not having even a single fear. He only slightly raised his hoof, swung it backwards and released at the right timing. When War was right in front of him. The punch landed successfully, striking him in the face with great force, sending him back. War opened his wings in mid-air and regained control of his movements.

"I DON'T WANT YOU FORGIVENESS!" he yelled at Grafix for one more time.

War then ascended a little more and pointed his hoof at Grafix. The hoof started charging, energy surging through its veins, slowly coming out like fierce lances, wrapping themselves around his hoof, engulfing it, forming a sphere that got even bigger and bigger. Grafix wasn't surprised, nor shocked. He stayed at the same place, looking at it, remaining calm. The sphere soon started moving away from his hoof and got in front of it, as if he was holding it.

"FEEL THE ROAR OF A THOUSAND LIONS!!!!!!!!!" yelled War.

Upon saying that, the sphere released itself, forming over a million lances, all charging at Grafix so fast and all at the same time. Grafix could hear the roars of the lions approaching him but didn't respond. The lances soon started falling around and over him, smoke coming out from the impacts. After a few minutes of constant bombardment, smoke was everywhere to be found. War couldn't see the outcome but he knew that Grafix was dead. He started chuckling. Suddenly, a weak sound could be heard coming from somewhere. It sounded like, warerfalls, calm water flowing. As the smoke cleared, War looked at shock to see Grafix in a perfectly well condition. Aside from that, he was now emitting a yellow aura from his body. The sound of water was coming from there. Grafix looked at War with a look more serious that Grafix had ever shown. He raised his hoof and pointed it at War. The aura started concentrating, like War did, around Grafix's hoof and formed a gold glowing gauntlet. War was now not only shocked, but intimidated by that gauntlet.

"It...can't be..." said War.

Grafix only looked at War, still maintaining his serious look. He pushed his hoof back and then unleashed it forward, making the gauntlet open and release brightly coloured chains that assaulted War, grabbing him tight by his four hooves and wings. The chains started going back to the gauntlet, pushing War towards it as well. War shouted in fear as he struggled to break the chains. The gauntlet soon started absorbing War. As his back hooves got sucked in, War let out his last resort.

"You may have won now, but...REMEMBER THIS GRAFIX! AS LONG AS THERE IS HATE IN THIS WORLD, RESENTMENT, ANGER, MANIPULATION, SEARCH FOR POWER, WAR ... WILL ALWAYS LIVE INSIDE YOUR HEARTS. ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!"

Those were War's last words as he got fully sucked into the gauntlet. Grafix looked at it and smiled to himself. The gauntlet started fading away but not the aura. Grafix then ran towards Fluttershy. He looked at her and her state. As he felt her beautiful pink mane, some of the aura slipped into it, making Fluttershy's wounds starting to fade away. She slowly opened her eyes to look at Grafix, giving out a weak smile. She gasped and hugged him tight.

"Don't worry Fluttershy," said Grafix to Fluttershy calmly, "he's gone."

Fluttershy looked at Grafix in the eyes and moved closer to him, her eyes closed, now her lips touching his. Grafix blushed but decided to follow, closing his eyes in the process as well. Nailed it. he thought to himself. Grafix moved his lips away after a while and got up, heading towards Rainbow Dash. As he looked at her, the rest of the aura moved away from his body and started moving around Rainbow's body, removing the golden coat wherever they went. Rainbow shook her head and got up in a bit of a state of confusion.

"W-What happened?" she asked Grafix, still a little confused.

"It's a long story." replied Fluttershy with a bright smile.

Nopony noticed, but Heartfire had now opened his eys as well, holding himself against the wall, looking down. He gave out a sigh as he looked at his demolished wings. He soon changed his view and looked at the wall, suddenly punching it as hard as he could. The three pegasi noticed and ran towards him. Heartfire looked away, trying to hide his shame.

"Hey, you okay?" asked Rainbow Dash.

"Yeah, let's just...continue." said Heartfire and turned around.

The four pegasi then proceeded towards the controls. As Rainbow got control of the Battlefleet, she flew towards one that was nearby, crashing into it, and before they knew it, that battlefleet struck another one, making it take down another one, like domino.

Fluttershy, along with Rainbow and Grafix, who were now carrying Heartfire, left as soon as possible and landed on the ground next to Sugarcube Corner to be greeted by the Unicorns and Earth Ponies, cheering for them as loud as they could. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy reunited with Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie.

"Dash, you did it!" squeed Twilight in joy.

Fluttershy and Pinkie were cheering together while Grafix looked from a small distance away. Fluttershy approached him and held his hoof. Grafix blushed once again.

"I guess there's soemthing between us now." said Fluttershy, smiling at Grafix.

"Yeah...I guess there is." said Grafix, smiling back at her.

As soon as the pegasi landed, Heartfire moved away from the rest of the ponies, sitting inside the old pastry shop, in the dark, where nopony would see him and his embarassing state.

Inside all the excitement was Thyme as well. However, she didn't cheer along with the rest of the ponies. She was searching for Heartfire. She saw that all four of them had come together. So where was he? As Thyme got a quick glance of Sugarcube Corner, she noticed a presence inside it. She started walking towards it and entered in the dark.

"Heartfire? Is that...you?" said Thyme as she approached the fractured pegasus.

Thyme was taken aback when she saw Heartfire, his wings missing and blood still running over the dried one. Heartfire didn't want to look at her in the eyes.

"Please, leave me." replied Heartfire.

Thyme came closer to him and gave him a small hug.

"It's okay..." she said, trying to comfort him.

"Look, Thyme," said Heartfire while moving Thyme away from him, looking at her in the eyes, "I...I don't want us to be together."

Thyme looked at him in shock.

"It's just," he continued, "the whole thing, with the kiss, it was wrong. I'm...i'm not in love with you."

After that, Thyme looked down. The silence that had taken over at that moment was something Heartfire had never experienced before. He approached her and put his hoof under her chin, slowly lifting her head.

"Hey, it's o-"

Heartifre was cut short from Thyme's sudden slap on his face. Heartfire didn't respond. He only looked at her silent. Thyme didn't respond either. She got up and started walking away, out of Sugarcube Corner, leaving Heartfire be.

All alone.