Chapter 10: Fighting Skies, Fighting Earth

It has been a week since Julius Belmont single-handedly conquered the Everfree Forest, wresting it from the control and influence of Fluttershy.

During that time, Applejack and Fluttershy’s reunion brought tears to both mares and a hug that lasted an entire hour. After explaining what happened to her and how she ended up controlling the Everfree Forest, Applejack was livid with rage, and it took another hour to calm her down and to stop her from cutting down trees with her Darksaber.

It was during this week that Lyra began to learn about the sword, practicing in the occupied Castle of Two Sisters. As the Serpony army trained outside the castle walls, Ike was training Lyra inside the castle courtyard, now dead body free.

Lyra was sore from the entire week training. Her muscles ached every time she swung her sword, Chillrend. Her other sword, Ganglari, was given to Fluttershy as a welcome back gift.

While Ike was drilling her on the sword, Lyra’s mind drifted to other thoughts. She had heard that the Celestian army was all gathered in Canterlot, Ponyville, and Cloudsdale. Celestia practically abandoned all the other settlements to protect her capital, something that wasn’t popular with her subjects. From the various reports the Seponies received from their scouts indicated that riots are widespread, and many towns have fallen to bandit raids. As a result, Celestia is losing allies, while the towns at welcoming the Serpony soldiers because they are the ones that are driving the bandits away.

However, Ponyville and Cloudsdale are still fiercely loyal to the Canterlot crown.

Today would be the day that will see Cloudsdale under siege. After a meeting in the war tent, everypony agreed to see Featherfang lead the assault on Cloudsdale. While Cloudsdale is occupied, Applejack, Ryoma, Vinyl, Ike, and Julius will lead the attack on Ponyville. Fluttershy will go with Featherfang. Despite the daytime, Fluttershy has some potions she was given my Zecora that erased her weakness to sunlight for an entire day.

Lyra managed to block Ragnell niece more, and attempted to counter Ike. Ike grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the ground.

As Lyra gasped and coughed, Ike said, “that’s enough training today. Go get some rest.”

Lyra nodded wearily, and slowly made her way to the mess tent, with Ike in tow. There, Featherfang was giving the briefing on the two attacks, with the leaders and heroes, whom Ike just joined, nodding.

Lyra took a seat behind them and listened intently.

“after the Vanguard, led by Ike, clears a path for the main army, Applejack, Ryoma, and Vinyl will lead the main army to engage Celestia’s army in the streets. I want archers in the buildings to snipe the enemies from the Windows. Meanwhile, the sky assault on Cloudsdale will-”

A thunderous noise sounded.

Featherfang slowly looked at his chest, seeing a bloody hole about the size of a golf ball.

He collapsed, causing the heroes to spring forward to save Featherfang’s life.

Lyra saw the Serponies present in the meeting panicking and screaming with sorrow and horror. She looked around and saw sompony with a hat like Applejack’s ran out swiftly with a strange weapon. Lyra was certain that he was the one responsible for her lover's wound.

Rage overcame Lyra as she brought out Chillrend and gave pursuit.

She followed the stranger till they were outside of the camp. The stranger then made a gesture with his hooves, signaling Daring Do to come out of the bushes.

Daring Do then pointed towards Lyra, revealing her presence to the stranger. The stranger turned around and have Lyra the evil eye.

“Who in Tartarus’s name are you?! Why did you hurt Featherfang?!” Lyra asked in rage.

“Name’s Erron Black. And that's all you need to know,” the stranger said, “but you can forget that, because you will be dead in a minute.”

“No… you will pay for what you done!” Lyra shouted as she got in her battle stance.

Erron laughed and said, “this will be a piece of cake.”

He put his strange weapon away, and drew his tarkatan blade. He then charged at her.

Lyra blocked the initial strike, causing the tarkatan blade to freeze. Erron Black pulled his blade away and struck again, trying to get her chest. Lyra parried the strike, then did a horizontal slash. Erron jumped back and pulled out his revolver, shooting a round at Lyra. Lyra felt the bullet graze her cheek, which was odd, because Erron never missed a shot like that.

The wind was picking up now,and it was affecting his shooting abilities. The wind itself was irregular and chaotic pulling this way and that, like it had a mind of its own.

Erron fired his twin revolvers again, but the wind was carrying them away or directing them somewhere else.

Lyra wasted no time as she went full offense on Erron Black, striking at every which way, causing Erron to block and parry with his tarkatan blade. With every block and parry, Erron’s blade was being covered in frost and ice. Soon, the ice started growing on him.

Erron’s attacks were getting slower, his hooves and legs were growing numb. He let his guard slip and Lyra took advantage of the opportunity. She lunged and managed to cut Erron’s cheek. That was when Erron’s body went stiff, and he flopped to the ground.

As soon as the paralysis hit him, it was gone. As he struggled to get up, Lyra brought her sword down, skewering him and pinning him to the ground. Erron screamed in agony, but frost was forming over his mouth. In fact, ice was covering Erron’s entire body. He squirmed and struggled to free himself of the self growing ice prison, but he couldn't.

Daring Do lunged at Lyra, trying to make her stop. Lyra simply bucked her in the stomach, sending her back into the bushes. Daring Do was knocked unconscious.

Erron's ice prison was complete. His face of agony frozen, his wound was frozen. He wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

As much as she wanted to, she didn't kill him, but put him in cryostasis. He will be there until somepony frees him. His wound will continue to bleed as soon as he is free.

Lyra withdrew Chillrend from the ice prison, ice forming around the exit. In the sunlight, the ice prison looked like a burial mound of crystal.

Lyra then trotted back to camp, her deed done.

(@#@)

Featherfang would live. At that news, everypony sighed in relief.

Lyra would spend her time by Featherfang’s side and work with the healers to nurse him back to health.

Unfortunately, he wasn't going to able to lead the sky assault.

So after much debating, Applejack was given the job of leading the aerial attack with Fluttershy.

Applejack knew that she would have it no other way, because she knew who would fight in Cloudsdale’s defence. It still pained her to know that she will be fighting her friend, Rainbow Dash. Applejack still remembered Luna’s words about Rainbow Dash and how Rainbow planned to fight Applejack and win.

Applejack put on her armor and grabbed her Darksaber. She made her way out of her tent and camp and joined the army that was to partake in the assault.

She stood there with Fluttershy, neither of them saying a word, but both glad to have a friend by their side.

Then, Quetzalcoatl, now at full strength, came down from the sky. He then cast a spell that allowed the army to walk on clouds so they could land on Cloudsdale without falling from the clouds.

He landed on the ground and let the army climb up onto him. When everypony was on, he let out a mighty roar and took to the skies, with everypony hanging on for dear life.

They were on their way to Cloudsdale.

Applejack said, “you know sugarcube, you don't have to do this.”

Fluttershy nodded, “I don't, but if I could save any of my friends, I will.”

“She doesn't want to be friends with me anymore. She said that she would end me.”

Fluttershy looked down to the earth below, “I don't think she would want to kill you. I think she felt betrayed. We could convince her. After all, she isn't as stubborn as you.”

Applejack cracked a smile at the joke, “Ah suppose not.”

Soon, they spotted dark thunderheads. It seems the Pegasi did know they were coming, and are attempting to use storms to stop them from coming.

Quetzalcoatl roared, “THEY DARE TRY TO STOP ME WITH MY OWN ELEMENT? THEY ARE A FOOLISH RACE.”

Then, as they got closer, a horde of Pegasi soldiers emerged from the storm clouds, shouting war cries.

“This is it!” Applejack cried to the Serpony soldiers, “get ready!”

The soldiers drew their weapons and held on to Quetzalcoatl’s body.

Quetzalcoatl roared and flew right into the Pegasi force, swallowing some of them. The Pegasi soldiers swooped into the Serponies, knocking some off and sending them to the earth below. Some Serponies skewered some Pegasi with their spears, and others began to fight the Pegasi on Quetzalcoatl's body.

Applejack ignited her Darksaber when she saw a certain Pegasus pony coming at her.

Rainbow Dash tackled the earth pony, taking them off of Quetzalcoatl's body, and sending them plummeting towards the earth below. Applejack hung on to Rainbow Dash as they both bit and kicked as they fell. Applejack extinguished her Darksaber and put her Darksaber in between her teeth to make sure she didn't lose it. She punched Rainbow Dash in the face, and received a kick to the face. They were now a couple of seconds from becoming a grease stain on the ground.

Rainbow opened her wings to slow down and greatly decrease the impact. Applejack grabbed her by one of her hung legs and used Rainbow like a parachute. They both crashed to the ground.

They were bruised, but no bones broken, and were alive.

They both got up, gazing fiercely into each others eyes. Rainbow was the first to speak, “the traitor shows her face.”

“Ah'm fighting for the likes of y’all. You just don't seem to get that,” Applejack snarled.

“Oh, I get it all right. You betrayed your family, friends and home! All that Celestia has done for us meant nothing to you? Have you forgotten all we have done together? To throw your lot in with the enemy is a crime, punishable by death.”

“Ah know what I gotten myself into. Ah could of ran away from the enemy anytime I wanted. But, if I did that, ah would f let both sides down. Ah'm fighting for our friends, you just need to believe me!”

Rainbow drew her sword in one hoof, and her war axe in the other. “I don't believe you Applejack. You have no idea what your betrayal has done to us, what it felt like. You hurt the other four that day, so I will hurt you. I will make you feel the pain we all felt.”

“What about Fluttershy? She switched sides and joined us! She sees what Celestia is, so why can't you?!”

Normally, Rainbow would say that she was lying, but she was talking to the bearer of Honesty. Rainbow Dash’s eyes began to tear up. She then turned the tears into tears of rage.

“Fools follow fools. I will kill you and then hunt down Fluttershy… and make her suffer like you are about to.”

Applejack was stunned by the shear rage in her voice and words. She calmly ignited her Darksaber, got into Ryoma's stance, and said, “then try. By my honor as a samurai and friend and Element bearer, I will defeat you.”

The two charged as Quetzalcoatl roared in the heavens.

Their weapons clashed in sparked fury. Rainbow’s axe was cut in half by the Darksaber, while her sword survived. Rainbow then drew back and launched a couple of furious strikes, which Applejack parried and attacked as well.

Rainbow took to the skies, yelling and cursing at Applejack. She then turned and swooped low, cutting into Applejack's hind leg, getting a gasp of pain from the latter. Applejack then jumped back as Rainbow came in for another swipe.

Her cut was bad, but it wouldn't hinder her movement. She got into the stance again, ready for Rainbow.

Rainbow flew at Applejack with blazing speed. Applejack, through some miracle, blocked the attack and slashed at Rainbow Dash's hoof. Rainbow quickly dropped her weapon to avoid an amputation of the painful kind. Rainbow then tackled the heir of Apple Acres, causing her to drop her Darksaber.

Applejack was taught enough unarmed combat by Ryoma, but she had to compete with Rainbow's speed. Applejack kicked Rainbow off of her, sending her into a tree trunk. Applejack got up and galloped and headbutted Rainbow so hard, the tree trunk cracked. While Rainbow gasped for air and felt the pain of one of her ribs snap, Applejack grabbed her and tossed her back into the clearing.

Rainbow then flew at her, delivering punches to Applejack's face. She kicked the apple bucked and put her in a headlock Rainbow squeezed in an attempt to break Applejack's neck. Applejack immediately flipped Rainbow over her shoulder and punched Rainbow in the gut and to the ground. Rainbow flew out of Applejack's reach when Applejack's hoof connected to the ground. She managed to get her sword and Applejack recovers her Darksaber. Rainbow then flew at Applejack slashing in a blur of speed. Applejack couldn't block it in time, so the sword slashed across her abdomen. If Applejack didn't wear her armor, she would of been gutted like a pig, but instead, the sword bit flesh, but not enough to spill guts. Applejack gritted her teeth in pain and slashed downwards, missing her enemy. Rainbow then slashed upwards, knocking the Darksaber out of Applejack's hooves and bucked her across the clearing after the said slash cut her foreleg.

Applejack, breathing hard and in pain, grabbed her Claws of Hades. She twirled them around, daring Rainbow Dash to make a move.

Rainbow snarled and charged, hoping to land the mortal blow.

Applejack anticipated this and swung her Claws accordingly. The claws caught Rainbow's flank. With a swift tug, Rainbow was slammed to the ground. Applejack had her very soul, and tried not to pull it out. Rainbow thrashed and turned and came at Applejack. Applejack ignited her recently picked up Darksaber and blocked Rainbow's sword. She then tackled Rainbow Dash to the ground and proceeded to punch Rainbow in the face over and over.

“You… stubborn...mule!” Applejack said in between punches, “Ah'm tryin to help you, Ah’m tryin to save Equestria!

Rainbow's face was bloodied and bruised. Rainbow was barely conscious as Applejack tried to subdue her opponent, who kept on trying to punch Applejack. She succeeded a few times, but Applejack kept on punching,

but the tears were to much, “Damn you Rainbow! Why did it have to be this way?! Why did you have to fight for them?! WHY?!”

Rainbow saw stars and spots in her vision, it suddenly dawned on her that she will not win this fight. Another punch came down on her face, and then another, and another.

Rainbow was losing consciousness, and was still flailing around, trying to fight till the bitter end. She managed to grab her sword and stab Applejack through the stomach. Applejack yelled in agony as Rainbow twisted the blade in her wound.

Applejack then raised her hoof high in the air, then brought it down on Rainbow's face, knocking out the Pegasus. Applejack then, with great difficulty and pain, slowly pulled the sword out of here.

Applejack tied her chains around Rainbow, trying to ignore the pain she was in right now. As soon as she was done with that chore, she staggered off for medical help, leaving a K.Oed Rainbow Dash.

($!$)

Vinyl cut down Celestian after Celestian as the battle of Ponyville wages. Sending blasts of bass from her katana to break the enemy lines and blast open barricades that have surrounded the town. Ryoma was taking down enemies left and right, Ike was swinging his divine blade with such brute force that he was wiping out entire groups of enemies with one swing. Julius Belmont was tossing axes into the enemy soldiers’ faces and cracking his whip.

The scouts weren’t kidding when they said that the bulk of Celestia’s army was based in Ponyville. It was times like these that Vinyl was glad to have warriors from other worlds fight by her side. She quickly parried a blow from an enemy Celestian and landed five deathblows on the soldier. As soon as the soldier fell, Vinyl turned to see another soldier come at her. She got in a stance, ready to bloody his body when a crossbow bolt went through his head.

Vinyl turned to see where the bolt came from. She spotted a small army, a couple hundred at most. In the lead was a Sleipnir, a rare race of eight-legged ponies. In fact, so rare that they were considered a myth. Above him was Luna, the alicorn of the moon.

The Sleipnir raised a crimson-bladed greatsword and yelled with savage fury. He charged and his army did the same, swinging flails and bellowing war cries.

Vinyl saw how powerful they were when they clashed with the Celestians, Their steel plate armor deflecting blows that would kill a normal Serpony. The lead Sleipnir, clad in black steel plate, swung his sword and decapitated three Celestians at once. He muttered an incantation and pointed his hoof, making a dark matter shoot from it like a lightning bolt, skewering an entire battalion of Celestians. He and his army swarmed in and started killing like their salvation depended on it.

Vinyl turned to see a Celestian with a light gray coat trying to stab her with a halberd. Vinyl narrowly avoided what would of been a deathblow, and got in her stance.

The soldier charged and whipped the halberd around in a wide arc, missing Vinyl as she dodged. Vinyl took the opportunity and opening the attack made and got in close. Vinyl punched the soldier in the face, slashed at her leg and kicking the enemy down. Vinyl uttered a war cry as she ripped off the helmet the enemy wore to see her enemy die before her eyes as she prepared to drive her katana into the stomach.

Instead, she dropped her katana.

The enemy soldier was her best friend, Octavia Melody. Octavia’s eyes grew wide and so did Vinyl’s.

Vinyl’s eyes began to tear up, “O-Octavia?”

‘Vinyl…”

Vinyl looked around as the tides of war turned in favor of the Serponies and the steel-clad army. She turned to Octavia, “get out of here, quickly! If my allies see you, you’ll die!”

“Vinyl… why? Why did you betray all of Equestria? Why did you betray all our friends and I?”

“Octavia, I don’t have time for this-”

A Serpony group of warriors started to come towards them. Vinyl turned picked up her katana and to Octavia and said, “NOW!”

Octavia fled with tears in her eyes as the Serponies reached Vinyl. One of them said, “you let that one go!”

“It's none of your concern, continue fighting the enemy.” Vinyl calmly said.

“You vile betrayer! We will gut you for this!”

The group charged at her, swinging their macuahuitl. Vinyl parried their blows and one by one, killed them all. Vinyl breathed a sigh of relief as she saw that her battle with the group was outside of the main fight, which meant that nopony saw it. She quickly left the bodies, hoping that Octavia was alright.

(;*;)

Helm was an absolute beast on the battlefield, nopony can deny that.

He was cutting down waves upon waves of enemies, and even more with his dark magic. Marelady Luna was flying around Ponyville, with her regained Moonbolt, slicing down captains and commanders so the Celestian forces were thrown in utter chaos. Helm sliced a soldier in two with Moonsorrow and turned around and performed a mordhau stroke, spiking an enemy soldier in the head with his crossguard.

Helm pulled his sword free and looked to see an enemy hero appear. She was Rarity, back for round eight.

Helm knew his magical power has increased ten-fold, but was still wary of her. He knew the Unicorn races was the most attuned with magic, so he knew that a magical battle with her would be playing Griffon roulette.

He had to close the distance and force her to fight on his terms. Helm charged just as Rarity and her kinshi landed. Helm tackled the bird and sent both into the ground, knocking out the bird.

Rarity got up and had an armor piercing lance, made to kill heavily armored knights like Helm.

No words were exchanged, just blows.

Rarity lunged at Helm, her Armor piercing lance grazing Helm’s armored side. Helm parried three more blows and did a downward slash. Rarity dodged and struck the lance into his leg, the armor destroying blade cutting through his leg armor like a hot knife through butter. Helm did not scream or yell in agony, he simply grabbed the shaft of the weapon, pulled out the blade and smashed it to splinters with his armored hoof. Rarity was stick with a splintered weapon, and Helm punched her in the side, launching her a couple feet. She crashed into a fountain and was barely conscious.

Helm grabbed the blade of his sword and brought down the crossguard on Rarity’s side, smashing some ribs and skewering her insides. As she screamed in agony, Helm pulled out his crossguard and prepared to finish her off.

Just as he brought down the crossguard, the familiar blade of Moonbolt blocked the attack.

“Helm, I order you to stop,” Luna said.

Helm looked at her, his great helm hiding his expression of confusion and annoyance. He asked her why they should spare her.

“Because she is an Element bearer. We will need her to combat future threats.’

“You are too attached to her, this attachment is clouding your judgement,” Helm retorted.

“Maybe, but we will need her and her friends in the future. I’m not asking for your permission, i’m telling thou how it will be.”

Helm nodded and lowered his sword. A battlefield medic team came in and began to work on Rarity.Helm then went back to killing Celestian soldiers, taking out his rage on them.

(~()~)

Fluttershy was completely fine, if by fine you mean getting chased by a crazed pink berserker. Pinkie Pie, decked out in war paint and a pelt of wolfskin was tied around her like a belt and cape, was helping in leading the defence of Cloudsdale with Rainbow Dash. But since Applejack and Rainbow Dash are nowhere to be found, Pinkie Pie has spotted Fluttershy and though she was there to help the Celestians. When she found out that she wasn’t, she went into a berserker rage and began chasing Fluttershy. Fluttershy seen what happens to ponies that get in her way, so of course she was terrified of Pinkie Pie.

However, she was running out of places to hide and places to run to.

Fluttershy went into the weather factory, hoping that the area inside will help her lose Pinkie Pie. Fluttershy transformed into a bat and flew to the rafters of the factory, keeping an eye on Pinkie as she smashed things aside with her battleaxe in her search of her traitorous friend.

In all reality, All Fluttershy needed to do was swoop down and bite her neck, and drink enough of her blood to incapacitate her. She will not turn her, nor kill her.

Fluttershy, still in bat form, began to slowly crawl along the ceiling towards Pinkie, who didn’t notice an out-of-place bat coming her way.

Pinkie smashed a couple more things, screaming “where the fuck are you?!”

Fluttershy transformed back into her normal form and dropped from the ceiling, saying, “Here”. Pinkie didn’t realize that she was about to become lunch until she looked up at the last second.

Fluttershy landed on her and sank her serrated teeth into her neck, causing Pinke to scream in fury. She tried to shake Fluttershy off, but Fluttershy only tightened her jaws further. Pinkie thrashed and struggled as excess blood sprayed on the floor as Fluttershy continued to drink as fast as she can. Pinkie felt her consciousness fading in and out, and she knew she had to do something quick. Pinkie ran as fast as she could, backwards, heading towards jars of artificial thunderbolts. Fluttershy saw this and realized that Pinkie was going to electrocute both of them. While it wouldn’t kill Fluttershy, it would put her into sleep for the longest time. Fluttershy extended her bat wings and flew away from Pinkie. Pinkie stopped her charge and weakly gripped her axe.

Fluttershy landed ten feet away in front of her, and drew Ganglari out of its scabbard, knowing that Pinkie would be significantly weaker than before.

Pinkie, seeing her opponent, charged as fast as she could, bringing down her axe.Fluttershy, pulling her combat skills she was taught by the Celestian army out of her mind, sidestepped and slashed Ganglari across one of Pinkie Pie’s hind legs, cutting a tendon and crippling that leg for the remainder of the battle. Pinkie Pie has lost a lot of blood, a lot of steam and a lot of ideas. She swung her axe with all the strength she could muster from her bloodless body. Fluttershy blocked the power attack, barely. Fluttershy struggled to keep the attack from breaking her block. Fluttershy transformed into mist, allowing the axe to pass through her. Fluttershy appeared behind Pinkie and smacked the hilt across Pinkie’s face as soon as the berserker turned around, knocking the pink terror out.

Fluttershy took a moment to breath before stopping the bleeding of Pinkies love bite. As soon as the wound stabilized, Fluttershy flew out of the factory and saw the sight of Quetzalcoatl swinging his tail and reducing the city of the clouds to rubble. The Pegasi were in full retreat and Quetzalcoatl gave a roar of triumph. The Serpony army yelled in victory as well. Fluttershy then flew to the Serponies, asking them to bring along a healer

(_-_)

Twilight Sparkle was horrified of the new she had just gotten. Both Ponyville and Cloudsdale had fallen to Serpony forces. Now, there was nothing that stood between them and Canterlot. Not only that, but reports say that Fluttershy has joined the Serponies and had defeated Pinkie Pie. News also reached her ears that Rainbow Dash had engaged Applejack and was now missing in action. Rarity engaged the leader of the Knights Lunar and got her ass handed to her.

All her friends have ether been defeated by the Serponies, or have betrayed Equestria. Twilight shed a single tear that dropped on the map in the empty war room.

Why did it have to be like this? Why did Fluttershy and Applejack abandon Celestia? Why did they fight against the friends that would have welcomed them back if they only asked to be forgiven?

Twilight may never know the answer to those questions. She would have to confront them… in battle.

Twilight grabbed her Levin Sword and Ragnarok tome, and headed outside to a balcony. She could see the sky on fire on the horizon, the city of the clouds alight. She could see the bottom of the horizon, a light of a town that had many memories of her and her friends.

Twilight did a quick mental calculation of the army. Most of their army was stationed in Cloudsdale and Ponyville. Thus the soldiers in Canterlot, which were outnumbered one to three, were the last line of defence. Tomorrow, according to reports, the siege will begin at dusk.

The only comfort Twilight could find in this dark moment is that only Celestia could stop the rampaging army and their god. The sword Apocalypse hungers for divine blood.

Twilight continued to stare at the horizon, and heard a roar in the distance.

Tomorrow, it will all end. Tomorrow, she will have to fight her Friends, the very ponies that she had come to love and cherish and would do anything for them.

Tomorrow, the kingdom of Equestria will be either saved, or go up in flames.

Author's Note

Maybe a little fast-paced? Anyways, it all comes down to the Battle of Canterlot. Who will win? Who will fall? Tune in next time to the conclusion of The Lost Serpents.