Tempest smirked as she gazed down from the high balcony. Canterlot was hers. Equestria was hers. These ponies had put up no resistance whatsoever, and now look at them. Their leaders were her prisoners, and their people in chains in the city streets. Mare or stallion, young or old, they were under her thrall. Well, under the Storm King's thrall technically, but since he wasn't here yet, she'd have to settle for what she could. Dark clouds had hung overhead ever since her takeover, shadowing the city ever since. She preferred it like this. Darker, more foreboding, even less likely to invoke joy among the other ponies. A stray spark flew from her broken horn as she narrowed her eyes, hearing the small footsteps approach her from behind.
"What is it, Grubber?"
The diminutive Storm Creature, currently stuffing his face with leftover cake from the interrupted festivities, gulped a mouthful before answering his Commander.
"We sent out all the scouts. If that other pony Princess is out there, we'll find her."
Tempest nodded, but said nothing. Soon, Twilight Sparkle would be back here, and as a captive. And when she was, all four of Equestria's most powerful mages would be within her grasp, and her wound would finally be undone. Grubber, unaware of her inner thoughts, stood at her side, continuing to wolf down his food. But he did glance up at her, chuckling at her ever-present seriousness.
"Ah, come on, Tempest! Lighten up! We won! Three Princesses in the bag, a city under our flag, a big army on the horizon, it's all coming our way."
Immediately, Tempest's eyes widened, and she at last gave her assistant her full attention.
"What army?!"
Grubber opened his mouth to speak, only to have his own words finally sink in for him, as he took on a look of concern.
"...Oh."
Turning, Tempest looked upwards, and sure enough, her ally had the right of it. For there, far away from Canterlot, something was marching over the horizon. Armour glistening in what little light the skies would offer, and a flag she did not recognise waving fiercely in the wind. It was an army of ponies, but not the kind she saw down in the streets below. No, these were different ponies, and after only a moment, she understood what was happening. But rather than look worried or annoyed at this development, she simply smirked, affording herself a brief laugh of her own.
"So...the ponies have a backbone after all."
Grubber looked back up to her.
"Er...should we, I dunno...do something?"
Tempest nodded, looking as calm and collected as she always did.
"Indeed. Send the word, Grubber. All troops to the front gates. And instruct our airship Captains to join them overhead."
She narrowed her eyes at the challenge that now approach her newly-conquered city.
"It appears the Crystal Empire has come to play."
Shining scowled as he looked on at the city that had been his birthplace. Canterlot was no stranger to disasters, as he well remembered the attempted invasion of the Changelings years ago. But this was something else. Foreign flags flew over the walls, and no pony could be seen. Canterlot had been taken, made into a stronghold of the enemies of ponykind. As a soldier, this was something he could not tolerate. He snorted angrily, turning around to look at all those who had come with him. The army of the Crystal Empire, though perhaps not as numerous as that of Equestria proper, was still strong and devoted. If their allies in the South needed their aid, then they would give it. Their Prince looked them over, nodding as he saw the organised ranks of earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns. Almost all of them were Crystal Ponies, natives of the Empire, but there was one notable exception to this, and that exception soon approached him.
"Sir. We're ready."
Shining nodded at the young pegasus stallion, Flash Sentry, as he too gave a disapproving scowl at the occupied city.
"We'll kick these creatures out in no time!"
Shining sighed.
"It's good you got out when you did, Sentry. If you hadn't managed to get back to the Empire to warn us..."
Shining suppressed the urge to shudder at that as-yet un-thought prospect, but Flash maintained his confidence. Confidence that Shining knew only young soldiers could have.
"With the Princesses taken, I knew only you had a way to help. But..."
Shame took hold on the pegasus' face.
"...if I had stayed, maybe I could've..."
But Shining shook his head.
"You do nopony any good by second-guessing yourself, Flash. We're here now, and that's what matters."
Again, he turned, for another sound had caught his interest. Both he and Flash looked on as another pegasus, a mare this time, landed gracefully beside him. Unlike the others here, she was clad in no armour, but rather a sleek blue flight-suit, though one that had been deliberately darkened in its colouring. She gave a quick salute before speaking up.
"Prince Armour! We're ready."
Shining nodded, quickly casting an eye upwards, to the dark and cloudy skies above them.
"I hope your guys know what they're getting into."
Spitfire took on a confident smile.
"Don't worry, Shining...the Wonderbolts will give them their fair share of trouble. You can count on it."
Shining nodded back, and just in time. For a new sound could be heard from not too far away. It was a war-horn, though one of a sound unfamiliar to them. The enemy was getting ready, they all knew, and now was the time to finally act. Shining took a deep breath, looking to his two compatriots. Without even a word, they nodded back, before flying off to re-join their respective groups. Flash back among the pegasi units, and Spitfire launching herself straight up, right into the clouds. Shining was deep in thought now. He knew what they needed to do, but he knew not if they could do it. This foe, this enemy, had taken their greatest city in less than a day. It would take all they had to take it back. Sighing, he faced his army fully. All were willing to follow him, and he knew he had a responsibility to them. But they needed something more. Something to bolster their courage, and the Prince was more than willing to give it to them.
"Soldiers of the Empire! Hear me well!"
He began to walk up and down in front of their front lines.
"Many of you know me...you've served with me, and you know that what I ask of you today, I would no do lightly."
The soldiers, mare and stallion alike, watched him carefully as he continued.
"An enemy has taken the heart of Equestria. They seek to claim it as their own. They have taken the Princesses of Equestria. They have taken your Princess!"
He paused, frowning deeply.
"Equestria has known many enemies, as has the Crystal Empire."
He turned, looking the closest soldier right in he eye.
"So I ask you...will we allow another monster to march in and turn ponykind into their slaves?"
"NO, SIR!!!" the army called out in unison.
"Will we allow this great city to fall without a fight?!"
"NO, SIR!!!"
"Will you let future generations say that when the time came, ponykind simply stood by and allowed evil to reign?"
"NO, SIR!!!"
Shining nodded, looking again to the captured city.
"Then follow me, and show these monsters what we ponies can do!"
A great cheer of battle rang out from the army, and Shining, always the first ahead, charged forth. Earth ponies and unicorns followed, while the pegasi units flew into the skies above. And it was here that their enemy too began to take to the field, as the gates of Canterlot threw open, at last revealing the enemy to the approaching army. No pony from the Crystal Empire had ever seen a Storm Creature before, and they were truly a menacing sight. Tall, imposing, fearsome. Yet the ponies did not cower before them, instead continuing the charge. The Storm Creatures too began to charge towards the approaching ponies, their great lances in hand, ready to strike out at whatever came their way. The two sides drew ever nearer to one another, with Shining's horn lighting up as they did so.
"FIRE!!!"
And fire they did, as all unicorns in the front lines short forth simultaneous blasts of magic at the invaders. The hulking creatures were, on occasion, able to swat such blasts away with their weapons, but with so many ponies arrayed against them, most of the blasts hit their mark. It took many such attacks to bring a single one of the beasts down, and as such only a few dozen were felled by the time the two sides finally came together. There was a great clash as many ponies rammed themselves into the creatures, and the creatures in turn swung their staves and lances. Ponies were sent flying with every swing, though in retaliation several creatures were brought down by coordinated efforts by whole groups of ponies that had managed to surround them.
Shining was, by far, the most adept at combat here, having been a soldier for most of his life. One creature attempted to strike at him with a single mighty blow, only to find his attack halted by one of Shining's famed shield spells. As the attacker recoiled from his failed strike, Shining instantly lowered said shield to send a blast of magic straight into the creature's undefended abdomen. This again sent the beast recoiling, and Shining finished the assault on him with a jump to the air, which was followed by a mid-air spin and a hind-leg kick to the face. That did the trick, as the creature was sent flying, even to the point of having his lance strike another of his own during his fall, which allowed nearby ponies to take this latter beast down. Seeing their Prince so capable had emboldened the others, and they fought ever harder, with a certain young pegasus being particularly vigorous.
"SIR!!!"
Shining span around just in time to see one of his enemies attempt to bring their halberd down upon him, but before the blow was dealt, Flash zoomed in with a swift kick to the beast's face, sending him reeling. The young pegasus would have undoubtedly been on the receiving end of a retaliatory strike, had it not been for the sudden arrival of several other pegasi guards, who joined him in jointly charging the creature and propelling him back into several of his fellows. Flash looked again to his Prince, flying over to him even amidst the chaos around them.
"We have them, Sir!"
Shining frowned, his eyes turned upwards.
"Not yet, Sentry."
Flash too looked up, and he knew what his leader had meant. For there, approaching from above Canterlot, was a fleet of storm ships, about ten in total. They hovered ominously above the two armies, and even from down here, Shining could see that their deadly harpoon cannons were being aimed towards the pony forces. If those things fired, the tide would swiftly turn against them. But he was not concerned, for he looked beyond, to the heavy cloud cover above, and as his horn ignited with magic, a spell to enhance his voice that his sister had taught him coursed through him, and his voice bellowed out across the area.
"NOW, SPITFIRE!!!"
The call rang throughout the skies, taking the on-deck airship crews aback with confusion. Many were uncertain of what was going on, until they began to hear the smallest of sounds. It was something high-pitched, like what you'd hear when something was flying through the air exceptionally fast. Many of the crews widened their eyes with realisation, and they too looked up. Many did so just in time to see several pairs of hooves descending down to slam them in the face. The Wonderbolts had arrived, dozens of them, if not hundreds. Veterans and raw recruits, all together, coming down in force to attack the airships. The Storm Creatures aboard them lifted their weapons to retaliate, but the pegasi were too swift, too nimble to be properly attacked. Several pegasi, like Spitfire, Soarin and Fleetfoot, all worked together to strike at once at enemies who were standing close to the edge of their ships, sending them overboard. This happened several times, and soon there was a veritable rain of Storm Creatures falling on the battlefield.
"Will it be enough?" Flash asked.
Shining sighed.
"We don't have to worry about their air force just yet, but we still need to keep it up."
Flash nodded, flying off to re-join his fellow pegasi soldiers. Shining too resumed his attacks on nearby Storm Creatures, and for a time he could feel just the tiniest flicker of hope. That maybe they could do this, that the battle could be won and Canterlot could be freed. But then that hope was snuffed out, for a loud crack could be heard across the armies. Nopony but Shining stopped at that sound. It was the sound of thunder and lightning, and he already knew who it was. The sound of storm came not from the clouds above, but from another pony. Not one of his, but one of theirs. Fury took him, and he narrowed his eyes to look through the enemies around. There, strolling through the still-fighting creatures and ponies, was a single mare. Tall, imposing, clad in the black armour of their enemies, and bearing a look of utter confidence. Her broken horn fizzled with stray sparks, and as she and the Prince stood mere feet away from one another, she broke the silence.
"Well, well, well...who do we have here?"
Shining's horn ignited again, and he pointed it straight at her.
"The traitor...Tempest Shadow."
Tempest's smile faded, replaced instead with a dark scowl.
"Ponykind betrayed me, little stallion. And I intend to return the favour."
The magic on the stallion's horn grew ever fiercer.
"Were...is...my...wife?!"
Here, understanding came to Tempest, and she chuckled grimly.
"Ah, the Prince. Come to save his lady love. How romantic."
Then, without even a word of warning, she struck, sending a blast of lightning from her ruined horn straight at the stallion. But Shining was ready, erecting another shield and holding off the blast. But while he struggled against it, Tempest merely grinned.
"You can't hold out forever, Prince."
Shining squinted.
"Don't need to."
Immediately, he dropped his shield, straying to one side as the lightning struck the spot on the ground where he had been. He charged forward, sending forth a blast of his own magic, but Tempest too dodged it. They continued on like this for some time, attacking and evading each other's blows, oblivious to whatever other fighting was happening with their respective armies around them. Eventually, they halted this routine, instead eyeing and circling one another. Tempest studied her enemy well, while Shining waited for any possible opening he could to attack. After a time, however, Tempest resumed her earlier smirk.
"You know, I give your beloved some credit. She certainly put up more of a fight than the other Princesses. Though alas, she still fell."
Shining seethed, but said nothing. Tempest, realising her opponent's anger was rising, continued.
"Your sister escaped, just so you know, but don't worry, my soldiers will find her soon enough. Maybe when I'm done with you, I'll put all three of you in the royal gardens together. You'd make such lovely statues."
Shining's anger was boiling now, but he did not let that feeling get the better of him. That is, until the dark mare's final words.
"Your wife...your sister...and when I'm done with this fight...I'll be sure to give your precious daughter a visit too!"
That had done it, and Shining's eyes widened immensely. He roared in fury, charging forward with his horn ablaze. Tempest smirked again, sending forth another bolt of lightning, but Shining, with his emotions running high, erected a shield more powerful than before as he continued to run. The lightning was pushed back and back and back, and when Tempest finally ceased with it, Shining lowered his shield and readied another direct magical blast. But this time, he was unfocused, driven by rage and a pure desire to hurt this mare as much as possible. And this imbalance gave Tempest all the opening she needed, as she dodged his attack and struck his again with lighting. So much effort had Shining put into that attack that he was unable to avoid the bolt that now struck him, and he was sent flying backwards, crashing hard into the ground behind him. Tempest strolled casually towards him, looking on with triumph.
"Hmmm, a pity. And you were doing so well too."
Panting heavily, Shining winced with the pain of where the bolt had struck him, but he still looked up, again seeing the broken magic of Tempest Shadow ready to hit him again and finish him. But this time, the blow never came. For Tempest was herself struck. A collection of crystal ponies charged her from the side, catching her off-balance, pushing her back before she could hit Shining, and as she attempted to defend herself from these new assailants, Flash flew in, getting down to his knees and trying to get his leader back onto his hooves.
"Sir! Come on! We need you!"
But despite his soldier's pleas, Shining had no more confidence to give. He looked about himself, seeing pony after pony begin to falter against the great strength of their enemies. Even the Wonderbolts above had failed to keep the airships distracted, as several had now begun to fire their great harpoons into the pony ranks. The battle was lost, and he knew it. But there was still one thing he could do, and as he frowned, he looked to his second.
"Flash...lead them back to the Empire."
Flash looked to him, disbelieving.
"What?!"
Shining shook his head.
"The battle is over! Get as many back North as you can! It remains the last free land of ponies. Go back there and defend it as best you can!"
Flash clearly wanted to say more, to maybe dissuade his commander. But the older stallion had one final order, and it was one the younger stallion knew he could not deny.
"Please...protect my daughter."
Flash's face was grim, but he did not argue. Instead, he gave a solemn nod. Shining had, during this time, regained the strength to stand on his own, and he reached down to his belt to unfasten a horn that had been tied there since before the battle's start. With a great inhale, he blew into it, sounding the retreat. Though many ponies were disheartened, they did not disobey the order, and began to turn and run. Many who were injured were carried by their fellow soldiers, and even the Wonderbolts began to fly away from the enemy air force. Flash gave his leader one final glance, for he knew what Shining was going to do now. The two gave a nod, saying nothing, and Shining watched as Flash spread out his wings and joined the other pegasi in the air. Narrowing his eyes, he turned again to the enemy army, as the one pony still standing against them.
"Come on then, you monsters! There's still one pony here to fight!"
He knew he was doomed. Against so many, there was no chance. But he had to give his army as much time as he could to get as far away as possible. So, still aching from where Tempest had hit him, he again ignited his horn, sending out a massive magical blast towards the nearest Storm Creature. He made sure to target those who were busy trying to chase down the other pony soldiers, thus making him the focus of their attention. Doing this almost a dozen times over, he soon managed to become the sole target of every enemy trooper in the area, as many of the beasts began to surround and engage him. Through the corner of his eye, he could see his fellow ponies get further and further away, and he knew he had to keep up this distraction. He may not return from this, but he knew that they would. So he fought with greater vigour, his pain still pestering him with every moment.
"I'm...not...giving...up!" he yelled as he blasted another would-be attacker.
But by this point, Tempest herself had recovered from the surprise attack of those earlier Crystal Ponies, and was instead looking upon this last remaining soldier. He continued to dodge and weave and counterattack as best he could, but at best all he was doing was holding them off. He had no hope of actually doing any damage to them now, and she knew it. Instead, she smiled, reaching down to her own belt and pulling out her favoured weapon. A dark sphere, and one she knew well how to use. With a great throw, she hurled it straight at Shining, and with the stallion distracted by one Storm Creature in particular, he failed to notice it coming. It struck, and soon, as he yelled out, he began to become encased in stone. Tempest watched as the magical material crept up him, and as it reached his face, she watched him give her one final defiant look, before finally succumbing.
"Hmph...so ends the battle."
Looking on, she watched the last of the opposing army retreat across the horizon they'd come from. She gave no order to follow, instead looking to a nearby inquisitive trooper.
"Let them go. Let them spread the word of the defeat they suffered here. Besides, that was the last ounce of strength the ponies had left in them. There is no threat left for us to worry about."
She turned, just in time to see Grubber make his way through the other Storm Creatures.
"Yeah! That was one heck of a fight, right? Your were all pow! And they were all bleugh! It was just great!"
Tempest ignored him, instead walking straight past him and back towards Canterlot. Grubber, nervously looking from her to the now-encased form of Shining, soon chanced a question.
"So...what do we do with him?"
Here, Tempest paused, and after mulling that over for a moment, she chuckled.
"Leave him. He'll serve as a good warning to other would-be heroes. Besides..."
She looked up, towards the palace, where she knew the other Princesses had been placed.
"...I get the feeling I'll be getting a call soon."
