Chapter 6

The Battle for Equestria

As the train rode on towards PonyVille I felt something was off but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I looked down the way and even at the sky I didn’t see a single soldier. Something must have happened for them to not be around anymore. Maybe they disappeared altogether buy that was highly unlikely. I rode past some house’s and roads barren as a wasteland.

“Where is everypony,” I said pulling up to the train station.

As the train made it way to the platform I stopped the engine as it came to a halt. I looked over to see the black spot from when I killed one of her soldiers a while ago. I stepped off the train and wondered where I should go. Should I go and face the General one and for all or should I play it safe and look around and maybe sneak my way in. if anything I just wanted to check my house and gather some stuff and check up on everypony. I started walking into town and it was completely deserted. I looked in some of the houses but they were all empty.

“Where did they go,” I said to

Did they run away, did they get captured, or are they gone. I tried not to think about to much as I kept walking. I soon came upon the path that took me up the hill to my house. After a good walk I came to find that my house and been ransacked.

“Oh what the bloody hell,” I yelled

I walked up to the open door and stepped inside. Most of my belongings were all over the floor, papers clothes, dishes. The fridge door was left open and all the food was mostly gone while some of it went bad. My bed was turned over and the mattress lay up against the wall. Then I ran to the barn to see if they were still there. I looked and saw the barn door had been blasted open. The soldiers must have found where they were hiding and attacked. I went in and it was a mess as well, books and papers all over the floor and not a single pony was around. I picked up some of the books and put them back on my worktable, that’s when I heard a ruffling noise. It sounded like it came from inside my workbench. I slowly knelt down and reached for the small door. I opened it slowly and inside was a little filly curled up into a ball and shaking with fear. It stopped for a moment and looked right at me. When she saw me she jumped out and hugged me.

“It’s you, your back, oh thank Celestia” she said

I was I tad confused, I don’t remember seeing her when everypony else huddle in here a while ago. The filly was defiantly scared so I did my best to comfort her.

“Who are you?” I asked

“Im Dinky Doo” She Responded

Oh that’s right, dinky is supposed to be Derpy’s daughter. She must have come looking fro her mom and hid from the soldiers when they attacked. I just hugged her close.

“Where’s your mom” I just had to know

She cried a little bit at the thought of her

“They took her”

“Where did they go”

“To Twilights Castle” she said

So they rounded everypony up and brought them to the castle. I didn’t understand the reason behind this. Maybe it’s to get my attention and go straight to her, maybe she just wants everypony in the same room as prisoners of war. Whatever the reason was I knew what I had to do. I let dinky go and told her to stay put. I looked around my barn and found some more powder for my gun. I made up some more grenades and explosives. I changed my clothes and got ready for the final meeting. I walked out the door with some leather armor, my blunderbuss, my wakazashi, my explosives and my wits. I walked down the hill into town and passed some empty stores. I was determined to end her reign over terror once and for all. My plan to defeat her was nonexistent. As long as she has her journal then there’s now other way. As I walked past a wine store I stopped for a minute. I picked up a few small bottles and got another idea. I opened them up and placed a rag in each one and let the wine soak into the rag and placed them in my bag. I walked past sugar cube corner and soon I could see Twilight castle heavily guarded and protected. I stopped by an old shrubbery and looked out. The General had turned Twilight’s castle into a fortress, getting inside was definitely not going to be an easy task. Luckily I had a party cannon on hand hidden in the shrub. Thank pinkie for leaving these lying around for reasons that have yet to be answered. I tinkered with it and made it into a weapon of war. I put in a fused cannon ball and rolled it down the barrel. I aimed it straight at the door of the castle.

“Sorry Twilight I hope you can forgive me someday” I said

I lit the fuse and covered my ears. The cannon went off and shot the cannon ball at the door bashing its way through and ultimately exploding and destroying whatever was on the inside. Some soldiers saw where I had shot my cannon from and sent troops to capture me. I drew my sword and held it tight. The soldiers shot laser beams at me as I deflected them and sliced through them with ease as the fell and turned to dust. I killed about twelve of them when I realized no more were coming. So I walked up to the castle blunderbuss in my other hand. I pointed it in the castle hoping there was a soldier directly in front of the barrel. I kept walking and found nothing of significant importance. I then found myself standing in front of the door that led to the round table. I stopped for a moment and prayed. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I then kicked in the door and inside was the General on her throne smiling at me like she was waiting for me as soldiers surrounded her. I looked over to see Twilight and her friends in cages. I looked to the other side of the wall and saw a cell door that had a lot of ponies in it. Twilight and her friends all turned and saw me and so did the towns ponies. I slowly made my way up to the General nervous as fuck. As I walked I had a slight thought pass through my head rather quickly. What if I can’t save twilight what if I die again? Then I though who gives a shit, I feel lucky. I looked up at the General who was laughing softly.

“So the Prodigal Alien finally returns home, how was your trip,” she said clapping her hooves

“I’ve been waiting for you ya know, sitting here waiting for my soldiers to bring me something but no they’re so stupid, insubordinate and incapable of bringing you to me but now that you’re here I can finally have some fun”

Pinkie pie growled at her, I couldn’t blame her.

“You wouldn’t know fun if it came and bit you in the plot” she yelled

The General scolded her down

“Silence you peasant,”

Pinkie clammed up at her scream

I pointed my blunderbuss right at her, finger on the trigger as she looked at me ready for action.

“Do you honestly think you can kill me with that”

I looked up at her

“Shall we find out,” I said

I lit a Molotov and chucked it at her as she jumped out of the way as the bottle crashed lighting her throne on fire. She landed on the floor looking up at her fiery throne and then back to me. Our eyes were level as we began fighting. She looked at me very angrily and shot a laser as I blocked it with my sword. Her soldiers joined in and I sliced and diced them. Slicing through them was a tad tiring as I was already weak from fighting the ones outside and due to the fact that I hadn’t eaten or slept much in the past couple of days.. Some of them managed to land a few blows here and there. They did hurt but I had to focus on taking them all out first. After the horrific fight of cutting and beating I turned all of her soldiers to dust. I turned to face her she was using her magic to wield her own sword ready to confront me.

“Interesting blade you got there and your fighting technique is subpar, now show we see how well you fight with just one?” she pointed her blade right at me then brought it back to her ready to fight

“Are you ready to die Alien” she said

I looked at her like this was it, the last time; I was prepared to lay my life down for my friends

“I was born ready” wielding my blade close

“Motherfucker” I said

I then ran towards her and swung my blade as she dodged me. I turned around and swung it backwards missing her again. She swung her sword at me as I blocked it with mine. Then next few minutes were just her exchanged swing and blocks with me, as the others looked at the battle unfold before their eyes. I threw out some grenades but she turned to mist as they went off. But they bought a few minutes to recuperate as we fought to the death.

“Go Rich” Dash yelled from her cage

Then others started chanting my name as I kept swinging, it was a bit helpful and encouraging but I was getting weaker by the minute. But I had to keep going, for my friends. I kept swinging then she used her magic and her sword flew towards my head. I tried to move out of the way but was off by mere seconds as the sword sliced right across my cheek. I stumbled back put my hand on the wound as the blood covered my hand. I was angry but I was too tired to try to slice her. Even if I could she would just turn to smoke and move away. The journal must be somewhere. Just then her blade returned I then parried her blade but she moved her blade slightly off and sliced through my leather and cut my on my side. I could feel the slight pain as I grabbed my side breathing heavily and getting angrier.
She brought her blade over to herself as she walked toward me.

“Well is this the best you’ve got, this is Equestria finest warrior” she said laughing manically

“You pathetic Alien thinking you could possibly defeat me”

I looked at her in pain but then I noticed something, I looked closely at her jacket and saw a bulge in the front chest pocket. There it is that has to be where she keeps her journal. I waited for her to get closer for me to try to snatch it. Her blade was moving slowly towards me when I swung my blade hitting it as it bounced off.

“Fighting is futile, die now and end your suffering,” she said standing right in front of me with her blade dangerously close to me.

“You first” I said

Smacking her blade out of the way as I reach out and grabbed her jacket and reefed out it. I pulled so hard I ended up chucking her across the
room as her journal fell out of her pocket and landed in right in the center of the room. We both looked at it then back at each other. I made I run for it and so did she. I then launched myself as I slide across the floor with my arm stretch out to grab it. The General was moving fast as well as she and I were both getting close. With some luck I grabbed it first as she came running at me. I reached back grabbing my blunderbuss and pointed at her still sliding on the floor and fired. The buckshot rounds acted like a shotgun spreading pellets at her passing through her turning her into mist. I stopped and got back up trying to reload before she could regain her form. She formed again and swung her sword at me. I dodged one last time as I dropped my gun. I jumped next to one of her flame lights, as she looked at me with fury it her eyes

“Give me back my journal now” throwing her sword into the floor of the castle

I looked at the journal and held it next to the flame

“Watch your tone bitch, I got you on a tight leash” I said

She looked at her journal getting closer to the fire.

“Wait” she yelled

“What do you want I can give you anything, money, power, land it could all yours” she said

She kept talking to me keeping eye contact as she began tilting and aiming my blunderbuss towards me.

“I can give you everything”

“Magenta… your nothing to me but another dead pony” I said bring the book closer to the fire as it stared to singe
I turned to see the gun pointing right at me as the General fired. I dodge out of the way but her sword whizzed toward me as I got back up, then I quickly made my move. I tossed her book towards her throne as she turned to look. Her blade stopped right in front of my face as I then threw a lit Molotov as hard as I could towards her. She stopped right in front of her throne to pick up her journal. She turned to see the Molotov smack her in the face as she dropped her book the Molotov crashed right on top of it setting it ablaze.

“NOOOOOOO” she screamed

She turned to face me as I knocked her blade out of the way and made a run for her. Her blade quickly caught up to me but it veered off and miss only slicing my arm. I clenched my arm as the pain seared. I looked to see her blade fall to the floor as disappear. I looked back at her as she started to disperse into nothing. She looked at me as she dissolved and knew I had bested her.

“May you burn in the pits of Tartarus,” she said fading away into nothing

“After you” I said before falling on my knees in pain.

I didn’t keep on eye on my wounds as best as I thought as dry blood covered my face, blood dripped down my pants, and more blood started flowing down my arm forming puddles around me. I looked up and saw two books floating up and open as a bright light emerged from them. Then they disappeared and in there place stood Princess Luna and Celestia. I looked up at them and knew the General hold on all of us was wearing off. The cages that held my friends turned to nothing and the cell door holding the town’s ponies in vanished and all of the rejoiced. Twilight and her friend trotted over to me as I knelt down on the floor.

“Richard are you alright” Twilight said

“Yeah….. Nope” I said collapsing on the floor in my blood.

They all rushed over to me to try to help.

The next thing I knew I was slowly waking up in a hospital bed with an IV hooked up to my arm. I looked and saw that my wounds were bond in bandages. I felt pretty weak having not eaten or slept in the last couple of days. The door opened up and in walked in Twilight and her friends along with the princess’s.

“Richard your wake” Dash said

“You fought bravely young master” Luna said

“I gotta say you held out pretty darn long,” AJ said

I just smiled as I lay in bed; I sat up to try to talk to them

“No that’s what I wanna see,” said pinkie

“Oh pinkie your just a ray of sunshine” I said

“No im pretty sure that’s Celestia”

Everypony started laughing even Celestia. Just then the doctor came to check on me

“Hmm your in pretty good health mister smith, no sense in keeping you in bed anymore” he said

I slowly got out of bed and back on my feet. I was a little off balance but I adjusted. I looked and saw my blade in my leather sheath leaning up against the wall. I reached over and picked it up and placed it in belt.

“Lets us return to the castle we have much to discuss” Celestia said heading out the door followed by her subjects.

I just stood there as my smile turned to despair.

“I’m gonna have to tell them” I let out a sigh as I grabbed my pack and my gun as I head out the door.

W all soon made our way back to Celestia’s castle. She sat on her throne next to her sister as the mane six stood in two rows as I walked in between them they all bowed. I stood before Celestia and knelt down in front of her.

“Richard smith it is with great pleasure too personally thank you first hand for saving Equestria from the evil tyranny of General Fall and her Clockwork soldiers. I only wish there was a way to save her but alas her need for power had grown to strong and thus she fell again at your hands. We are honored to showcase you in our new window” she said

A curtain blocking the stain glass window fell to revel me in the window in a heroic pose as I smite down the General. It was badass and I loved it but I felt I didn’t need it

“I am honored, but it’s unnecessary I only did what I had to do to protect the ones I hold dear to me”

“I understand nonetheless you story of boldness and self sacrifice shall be remembered throughout the centuries”

The girls started cheering for me as Twilight put a medal around my neck but then Luna interrupted

“There’s one things that bother me sister”

“What is it” Celestia said

“How did General Fall Escape in the first place, I mean we sealed her up good and threw her journal in the Everfree forest for no pony to find”

The other ponies started conversing amongst themselves pondering the same question. I knew the time had come. I had to tell them the truth,

“It was me” I said taking of the medal twilight had given me

They all stopped talking and turned to face me. Celestia looked confused right at

“You”

“Yes, I was driving back from sweet apple acres when I saw a shadow leading into the forest. So I followed it and it lead me to the General Memorial and I found her journal. I accidently read from it releasing her from her slumber and well you know the rest” I said
No of them said anything for awhile

“Well you owned up too it and you stopped it, I can safely say from the bottom of our hearts, we forgive you” Celestia said

It still didn’t make me feel better. I done something so horribly wrong to my friends and family that I had to be the one to stop it. No I couldn’t just accept it and move on.

“Surely there must be some form of punishment you can give me”

“Why would you want that” dash said

“So what if you brought some kooky general back to life who also tried to enslave all of Equestria, you defeated her singlehandedly and that’s worth the praise”

“Then why do I feel terrible then?”

Luna stepped down from Celestia throne, stood in front of me and put her hoof on my shoulder

“Its guilt isn’t it”

“You still feel the guilt of releasing her and the guilt of what she did, and even though you stopped her you can still feel it”

I just nodded my head

“I felt the same way when I was nightmare moon. Twilight and her friends saved me from the darkness that consumed me and afterwards the guilt still lived on inside me. My sister still comforts my from time to time and seeing all the ponies rejoice me from being gone for so long it still is a joy to forgive and forget”

Her words still didn’t sway me

“Perhaps if you all rested for now, we have a big ceremony for you Richard” Celestia

“Oh I am so excited, I get to through a releasing a evil general and defeating her party Woohoo” pinkie screamed jumping up and down

“Calm down pinkie, why don’t we get some shut eye” AJ said

The mane six walked away as I follow behind them. I stopped at the door and placed the medal on the door as I walked away. The girls all got into bed but I stayed awake and couldn’t fall asleep.

Author's Note

What will happen tho Rich now

What will he do next