It had been a month since the defeat of the sphinx Hakenshut, the pony had taken up residence in the city, rearming and refitting. It was more time than Twilight was comfortable with, but she had no choice as her forces need time to shore up their supply lines. The pony forces had not been idle, the Ponyhood of Steel had set up forges across the city to refit the military or dismantling the barges to reconstruct them into mobile forges and field hospitals, the army had been reinforcing and fortifying the city, the pony marines had been selecting foals to replenish not only the losses they suffered, but to also to have the reserves for the battles to come, even with their genetic and magical engineering techniques, it would still be months before the first of the foals would be ready to join the ranks of the legions. Scores of pilgrims flocked to the city, which had been renamed Ascension's Landing.

Twilight walked through the streets, flanked by her thirty transequine bodyguards in magenta armor, known as the Nebula Guard. She paused at the half demolished onyx pyramid, most of the former slaves had volunteered to tear it down and Twilight had sent orders to have them properly compensated, just like in Equestria of old, there would be no need for slavery in her plans for the new kingdom. She continued down the street, past the flayed skeleton of the sphinx and onto the recently reconstructed gallows and chopping blocks. Twilight sighed as she detested executions, but knew they were sometimes necessary.

Sunset stood under an awning, slipping on robes while reading the files on what the cases she had to preside over. Looking over, she saw Twilight walk up and smiled.

"What's on the docket today?", Twilight asked.

After adjusting her robes, Sunset levitated several files over. "Other than the usual petty thefts and simple batteries, two days ago our forces intercepted a slaver caravan just a few miles from here. I was going to defer the thefts and batteries to lower courts so the arbitrators can can pass judgement, while I handle the slavers. Unless you want to sit in judgement."

Twilight waved a hoof, "I'll not supersede your authority as long as your judgments are not overly cruel."

Sunset nodded, "Fair enough."

Twilight and Sunset took their respective seats as the trial began. The affair was carried out as a military tribunal and the arguments were over in an hour.

After Sunset listened to the arguments and looked over the evidence, she ordered a fifteen minute recess to consider her judgment. After the tribunal was reconvened, Sunset took her seat, taking in a deep breath, she passed judgement, "For the act of actively participating in slavery, I pronounce upon thee...death by firing squad.", she paused before continuing, "If any of the condemned are willing to part with any information that shall lead to the liberation of more slaves or the strengths of our enemies, they shall be offered amnesty and given a prison sentence instead, otherwise the executions shall begin posthaste." She waited to see if any of the condemned creatures would speak up, when none did, she clapped a hoof on the arm of her wooden chair, "May the stars have mercy on your souls. Adjourned!"

The slavers were tied to stakes, while soldiers readied their rifles. With a loud report, the slavers were killed in a volley of bullets and their bodied were thrown into a pit to be incinerated.

Sunset walked back to the awning while Twilight followed her and took off the robes, placing them in a simple trunk. "I don't know about you, but I could use something cool to drink."

"Sounds good to me."

Sunset and Twilight sat in a tent, the former sipped on a goblet of while, while the latter sipped on a cup of water, she had sworn an oath long ago that alcohol shall not pass her lips until she stood upon the soil of her homeland again.

Twilight raised an eyebrow when she heard snickering outside. Through the canvas of the she saw the silhouettes of Vent Rapide, Zoccoli di Pietra and several foals. Smiling, she pointed a hoof, "Be careful when going outside. I think there's a prank fixing to happen."

Sunset looked over her shoulder and said, "I think those two have two much Rainbow and Pinkie in them."

A second later as an officer walked out of the tent, there was the splash of water, a thump of a bucket and a shout of surprise.

"Ba-hahahahaha!", Vent Rapide laughed out loud, rolling on the ground.

"Heeheeheehee!", Zoccoli di Pietra giggled, jumping up and down.

The foals rolled on the ground, squealing in laughter.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way.", Twilight said chuckling.
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It was dark when Hakkahn, Apep, Sutekh and Ozymandias gathered atop an obsidian butte.

"It has been a month since our brother was slain by that alicorn." Hakkahn said, with a growl rumbling in his throat.

"Patience brothers.", Ozymandias said, gently drumming the digits of a paw on his shoulder, "We must first consolidate our forces or we will be undone."

"And while we drag our paws, this pony army gathers its full strength!", Apep snapped, "I say we strike now before the enemy has a chance to mobilize!"

"Calm yourself, Apep!", Sutekh snarled, "Remember that rushing forward unprepared was the folly of our brother. Their iron beasts will incinerate our armies before they even have a chance to attack. We must find a way to neutralize them."

"Let's not forget that their massive armored ponies.", Hakkahn quipped, "They sally forth without even showing fear or concern for their injuries or losses. I say we find Tirek again and press him once more into our services. He defeated the alicorns once before, he can do it again."

"No!", Ozymandias growled, "If you remember the old tales, one alicorn and five mortal ponies defeated him, then they entombed in stone alongside the dethroned queen of changelings and a magic thief. Besides you know as well as I that he swore vengeance on us after we took his essence from him to breed our centaur warriors."

"As much as I hate to agree with Ozymandias, he's right.", Sutekh said. He produced a pawfull of dark magic-infused jewls. "I'll have my mystics create more of these for our minotaurs and centaurs to use. Once they become hulking dark magic mutants, they can take the fight to the iron beasts."

Apep pressed the digits on his paws into a pyramid in contemplation. "I can send a small portion of my forces into the deep desert to drive before them the raiders, death cults and mutants before our forces and into the camp of the pony army."

The four sphinxes glanced back and forth in silent agreement, before vanishing into the shadows. Standing atop a neighboring butte, silhouetted against the night sky was a a four-legged creature with a cloak draped over it was watching the four sphinxes. After the sphinxes had left, it turned and left.
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Twilight held one of the new rifles the Ponyhood of Steel tech-monks had created for the army in her magic. She pursed her lips in though, it had been a week since the last of the mobile forges and med-bays had been constructed and were well on their way to the city, their progress had impressed her. Rolling the weapon over in her magic, she pulled out the ten round magazine from the receiver and slid the cocking lever back into the locked position, so she could better inspect the chamber and bolt. "What are these new rifles designated?", she asked looking over to one of the tech-monks.

The tech monk adjusted its interpretation device before answering in a static-laden voice. "This is designated the series-one repeating rifle your majesty. It will give each soldier improved firepower." It slid a few bullets into a magazine with a metallic hoof. "Would you like to test fire it?"

Twilight took the magazine in her magic and inserted it into the receiver. She took another second to inspect the weapon, before releasing the bolt from its locked position. Bracing the rifle against her shoulder, took aim down the impromptu firing range at few few amphorae, slid a hoof to the trigger and snapped of several shots. "impressive.", Twilight said passing the rifle back to the tech-monk with her magic, "How many of these have been created?"

"So far fifty thousand, your majesty.", the tech-monk replied, "By the end of the month we shall have another fifty thousand."

"So just enough to start out with arming the elite veteran soldiers.", Twilight said tapping a hoof to her chin, "As soon as you're able, I want production doubled. I want every pony in the infantry to have access to one by the time we finish scouring the sphinxes from this land."

"Yes your majesty."

Twilight turned to a new set of infantry armor with thicker plates hanging on a dummy. "Now tell me about the new armor."

Before the tech-monk could respond, a mare wearing a blue coat, the stripes designating she was a colonel, ran in and bowed, Twilight took notice of the metallic section of the mare's lower jaw. "Your majesty!", the mare exclaimed rising, "I've been sent to report that the scouts have spotted gangs of slavers and mutant moving towards the city!"

"Very good colonel.", Twilight said, "You can go." As the mare hurried out, Twilight turned to the tech-monk. "I'm sorry, but I'll have to continue the inspection the of new equipment later." She clamped the hammer to the side of her armor and left.

Twilight made her way into the command tent. The place was a flurry of activity as officers scrambled about, swapping reports as they talked over one another. Looking about quickly, she saw Sunset standing at a table reading reports and relaying orders. "Report.", she said walking up to the table.

Sunset plugged a crystal into a data slate and passed it to Twilight. "The pegasi scouts reported that several gangs of slavers and mutants are moving in from the deep desert. It will be a day before before the first of the gangs get here."

Twilight looks over the data slate, then looks over to a nearby map and matches up the information. "Has there been any information from the villagers that has flocked to our flags about gang attacks this big?"

An officer looks over older reports. "No your highness, there hasn't been any mention of them this big before."

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought. She looked over the data slate again. She clicked her tongue thoughtfully.

"I know that look.", Sunset said, "What have you got planned?"

Twilight levitated the data slate onto the table. "Though they have the numerical advantage, they appear to lack any cohesion. They appear to be little more than loose bands of gangs. Summon the ponemarchs."

Pomum Ligni, Zoccoli di Pietra, Vent Rapide, Papilionem, Adamantem, Aster, Mica, Empresario, Divinos and Apricus entered into the command tent.

Twilight turned to face the ten ponemarchs. "As I am sure that you ten have been debriefed on the situation as hoof, I shall skip that part. In the morning just before the sun rises, the legions shall march out to meet these gangs with myself and the Nebula guard in the forefront, maybe a show of force will convince them to turn back. Before we march, I want the city fortified. Adamantem, your legion shall be in charge of ensuring the defenses are prepared. Pomum Ligni, Zoccoli di Pietra, Empresrio, your legions shall equip their super-heavy armor and heavy assault weapons to serve as the anchor for our lines. Aster, Mica, Divinos, Apricus, have your legions prepare defensive spells for any dark magic they may have."

"Permission to speak frankly?", Mica said.

"Of course, we are all equals here and I will hear anything that needs be said."

"Have any of us considered that this is a ploy by the sphinxes to try and weaken us?", Mica asked.

Twilight smiled gently. "I have. Vent Rapide and Papilionem will each choose a company to stay behind to bolster the city's defenses and send scouts to us in the event this is a feint by the sphinxes."

"I think this a probing tactic by the sphinxes.", Aster said, "They send slavers and mutants from the deserts to test our defenses so they can better assess our strengths and weaknesses."

"Well they're going to be severely disappointed.", Vent Rapide said smugly, "My legion has no weaknesses."

"Don't count your ammunition before you've loaded it.", Pomum Ligni said.

"What of the city? If it is a ploy by the sphinxes and they launch an attack, how will the city defend itself?", Papilionem asked.

"I will be in charge of the city forces until the legions return.", Sunset said, "With the Ponyhood of Steel at the head of the defenses, any attacks on the city will at the very least be held up long enough for the legions to reinforce."

"Are there any further questions or comments?", Twilight asked. When none of the ponemarchs said anything, she continued, "You have your orders. Strength through harmony."

"Harmony through victory.", the ponemarchs replied before leaving the tent.

As the sky to the east began to slowly brighten, Twilight, the Nebula Guard and the ten legions stood gathered outside the city gates. A slight northern breeze bringing wispy clouds of dust high in the air gave the promise of an oncoming storm. She took one look at the city of Ascension's Landing before giving the order to march, Adamantem's eye for detail and skill at fortification never ceased to amaze.

Sunset stood atop the parapets in full exoskeletal armor watching the massive column march off as the pegasi marines too to the air. Descending the stairs, the sound of some soldiers shouting caught her attention and a young filly on the cusp of marehood ran past her with two soldiers in hot pursuit. She raised a hoof to stop the soldiers, "I'll handle her." Walking up to the parapet, she stopped by the filly who was watching the last of the column march away and took off her helmet. "Dewdrop, you you're supposed to be with the other foals. If Twilight finds out, she'll be upset and you might be in trouble."

"I don't care.", Dewdrop said, "I'm mad at her. She didn't even say goodbye."

"That's because she'll be back. She's just going to deal with some bad creatures.", Sunset said gently, laying an armored hoof on the wither of the filly. "Let's watch them march off and then I'll take you back to the shelter. This will just be our secret, okay?"

Dewdrop nodded without looking away.

After the last of the pony marines marched off into the distance, Sunset picked up Dewdrop with her magic and placed the filly on her armored back. Entering the shelter, she dropped Dewdrop off at her bunk and noticed a piece of metal with some cloth wrapped around one end sticking out from under the mattress. "What's this?", she asked levitating the crude shiv out and inspecting it.

Dewdrop cast her eyes downward and gave a sheepish chuckle.

"This won't do!", Sunset said tossing the shiv into a nearby scrap metal reclamation bin.

Dewdrop's heart sank seeing the shiv sail into the bin. She just knew she was in big trouble.

Sunset placed her hoof under Dewdrop's chin. "I know you want to defend yourself and all these other good ponies, but you need a proper weapon to do so." She levitated a dagger from a hidden compartment in her armor and gently placed it on the bunk next to the filly. "I'll want it back after Twilight returns with the legions. Don't worry, I'll help you get your own."

Dewdrop blinked in amazement and Sunset placed the sheath in the filly's hooves. "Lash the sheath to one of your legs and keep the dagger in it until you need it.", the unicorn mare said before leaving.

As the sun slowly rose overhead, Twilight, the Nebula guard and the ten legions came to a stop on the top of a small rise overlooking the camps of the loose assortment of gangs.

"No discipline.", Pomum Ligni said.

Twilight tapped the comms device on her armor. "Papilionem, send one of your troops to send the order for them to disperse and go back to where they come from or we will use force."

A pegasus marine flew to the largest camp to deliver the message. Soon a scuffle broke out and the pegasus marine cut down several gangers with its hooves before taking to the air.

"I think they said no.", Vent Rapide said over the comms device.

Twilight tapped her comms device, "Keep the channel clear. No idle chatter. Forward and hold your fire until you're in point-blank range. I want as many of those motherless curs cut down as possible." With a nod she ordered the Nebula guard to spread out and she lifted her hammer in her magic.

Igniting the power fields on their wing blades, the pegasi marines took to the air as the rest of the pony marines charged forward. As they closed ranks on the camp, Twilight loosed a blast of magic, turning several of the creatures into pink mist. A split second later the air filled with mass reaction rounds, steel-jacketed bullets, explosive shells and blasts of energy, cutting down scores of the slavers. The few that survived tried to flee, only to be cut down by the wing blades of the pegasi marines. The skirmish was over in a few minutes as the pony marines crushed the slavers who were injured or trying to surrender under their hooves.

Raising a hoof, Twilight silently called for the pony marines to cease forward movement and reform ranks. The column began marching towards several columns of smoke coming from the top of the ridge, indicating several camps.

Sunset walked through the streets of Ascension's Landing inspecting the defenses and ordering groups of defenders into different positions to set up better fields of fire. The sensors on her armor picked up a filly shimmying up a drain pipe, the sensors quickly identified the filly as Dewdrop. She shook her head chuckling softly. The comms unit in her helmet chirped to life with an incoming message.

"We've got what looks like slavers and mutants moving in from the west.", an officer shouted over the open broadcast.

Sunset scowled as she flicked her eyes bringing up map of the city on the HUD with red pings showing the last reported positions of the advancing gangers. With a flick of an eye, she opened up a channel to air command, "How long until the airships are position for support?"

"The first ones will be in position in fifteen seconds, Grand Maestro.", air command responded.

Sunset flicked her eyes adding the airships and pony army to the HUD map. She opened a channel to the war machines division, "How long until the first of the striders are awakened?"

"At least thirty minutes Grand Maestro.", a robotic voice responded.

Sunset cursed under breath. She cleared her throat and sent an order, "Awaken them as soon as you can. Put triple ammunition for their close defense systems, the enemy will be too close to the city for their main weapons."

"Understood.", a robotic voice chirped back.

Sunset quickly ascended one of the battlements and began surveying the area around the city. The sensors on her armor combined with feed from aerial reconnaissance showed the combined force was an estimated thirty thousand strong, but lacked any real overall unit cohesion. She quickly flicked her eyes across the HUD bringing up information on their weapons, outside of having primarily crude melee weapons, they only had a smattering of ranged weapons, consisting mostly of slings and javelins, though there was a small collection of muskets and crossbows.

Sunset scowled inside her helmet as she looked over the intel. With a flick of her eyes, she opened a channel to the commanders of the pegasi marines, "Choose five of your numbers and go alert Princess Twilight of our situation. It appears the main force has arrived and is arrayed against the city." Two quick clicks of confirmation was all Sunset received through her comms units. The sensors on her armor picked up seconds later ten pegasi marines flying off at speed.

Sunset turned her attention upwards as the first of the airships were pulling into position above the city. She quickly flicked her eyes across the HUD pulling up squardons of pegasi soldiers and marines taking to the air from the ground and the airships. She quickly opened a to air command, "Inform the airships and pegasi that they can commence their attack when ready."

"I hear and obey, Grand Maestro.", air command replied.
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In the air above what was once called the Everfree Forest, now called the Cursed Forest, a massive magical storm was brewing as crackling green arcs of lightning ran along the bottoms and sides of the clouds. The storm made a strange groaning sound as hot wind blew. An errant bolt of green lightning streaked towards a ruined castle, only to be deflected by a golden dome.

As the storm began to boil and swirl, a bright flash of multicolored light caused the clouds to dissipate almost instantly. Six dancing lights rose from the nearby canyon and flew towards the ruined castle.

Inside the crumbling throne room Flurry Heart raised an eyebrow quizzically that the storm fueled by wild magic suddenly dissipated. Philomena gave several concerned chirps.

"I know.", Flurry said, "Normally a storm like that that doesn't dissipate for days."

Philomena gave a series of squawks.

Flurry went to reply, only to be distracted by by six flashes of light. Quickly turning, her jaw dropped six familiar mare standing before her. The first was a young alicorn made of magenta light, the second was a unicorn made of purple light, the third was a pegasus made of red light, the fourth was an earth pony made of orange light, the fifth was a pegasus made of pink light and the sixth was an earth pony made of blue light.

Flurry Heart blinked her eyes several times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating. "Auntie Twily?!", she said in a stunned tone.

"No.", the six mares said in one voice, "I am the tree of harmony and it is time I awaken."

"I know Auntie Twily is coming to bring harmony and order back to Equestria, are you going to bring the elements to her?", Flurry asked.

"No.", the six mare said as one. Five of the mares faded away leaving only the pegasus made entirely of red light.

The pegasus made of red light walked forward as it's form shifted to a pegasus stallion wearing armor. "I once embodied bravery." It's form shifted to a familiar pegasus mare. "Then I embodied loyalty." Its form shifted to a ball of swirling red light. "Now I represent self-sacrifice and I depart to find my bearer."

Flurry watched as the swirling ball of red light became a glowing red gem and flew off through a hole in the roof.

In the village of Apple Orchard several ponies who were working in the fields harvesting vegetables or apples stopped their work, gawking as a streak of red light flew high into the air from the Cursed Forest and sailed off to the southwest.

Lore-keeper Apple Pie leapt into the air with a whoop. "The first champion returns!", she shouted ecstatically, "The goddesses will return and walk amongst us soon!" She sprinted to the shrine depicting five stylized alicons in the center of the village, knelt before it and began whispering a prayer of thanks.
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As the gangs of slavers and mutants began rushing towards Ascension's Landing, the massive guns on the airship began roaring to life. Shells landed among the knots of gangers, filling the air with shrapnel and broken bodies. Pegasi soldiers hurled bombs and dropped explosive satchels, further breaking up formations. Pegasi marines swooped down, picking off leaders or cutting apart the larger of the mutants with their wing blades.

Sunset looked over the battle as the first wave seemed to completely falter and crumble, leaving only a few stragglers for the soldiers to pick off with their rifles. As she scanned across the battlefield strewn with broken bodies of gangers, her attention was drawn to several large forms coming over the top of a rise.

Teams of hulking mutants shoved forward frames made of bone on crude wheels, holding massive gongs, bells or altars, covered with dark magic runes. Standing on each frame were ponies, goats and griffons, wearing ornaments made from skulls and bones, wielding obsidian blades in their hooves or talons. Swarming around the frames were hundreds of creatures wearing dark robes. More gangs of mutants shoved forward cages filled with terrified creatures.

The hulking mutants grabbed creatures from the cages and tossed them upon the altars. The robed creatures held the terrified creatures down on the altars, as the creatures wearing bones raised the obsidian blades up high and plunged them into stomachs of the terrified creatures, causing blood to flow over the altars. Perverse chanting filled the air as the gongs and bells were struck. Crackling arcs of black of energy leapt across the battlefield, causing the dead bodies laying strewn about to twitch and spasm. With moans and snarls, the bodies of the dead gangers rose and began marching forwards.

"Bring them down!", Sunset shouted into her comms unit, "Bring up plasma casters, heat beams and flame throwers! Tech monks! Bring up teams of rail weapon snipers and volley guns! Marines! Bring down those structures! Airships! Switch to phosphorus shells!" She quickly switched the channel to the tech monks awakening the walkers, "I need those war walkers awake asap!"

"We are working as fast as we can Grand Maestro.", a tech monk replied, "If we awaken them too fast, it could anger their divine sparks and they could rampage."

"I don't care!", Sunset shouted back, "I need the first walkers awake now! If any of them rampage, I'll take full responsibility! We aren't dealing with regular gangs here! They can reanimate the dead! I need what ever ones you can awaken first to have their incineration and bombardment cannons brought to full charge!"

Twilight slammed her hammer into the skull of a mutant, turning it into mush and brought a hoof down across the neck of an injured mutant trying to crawl away. Her comms unit crackled to life as the ten pegasi marines that were dispatched from the city flew into range, shouting the warning of a massive force attacking the city. She hissed in anger through clenched teeth. Twilight quickly turned her head sensing dark magic. She cursed under her breath before opening a general channel, "Vent Rapide, Papilionem! Take your legions and hurry back to Ascension's Landing. Aster, Divinos! Form your legions into a vanguard make for the city at haste. Pomum Ligni, Mica! Your legions will form a rear guard. We make for Ascension's Landing posthaste!"

Twilight watched as the two legions of pegasi marines took to the air and flew at speed back to Ascension's Landing. As the remaining legions began forming up, she summoned the Nebula Guard with a gesture. "I'm teleporting you all to the city. Bolster their defenses and throw back the attackers." All thirty Nebula Guard bowed their head in silent confirmation. Lighting the magic in her horn, Twilight teleported the Nebula Guard.

As the first of the undead gangers reached the base of the wall and began scaling it, the first of the soldiers with flame throwers reached the battlements. With loud hissing whooshes, cones of flames hot enough to melt steel rushed forth, turning scores of the undead gangers scaling the walls into ash and blackening the ground. Soon forces with plasma casters and heat beams made their way to the battlements. The very air began to shimmer with heat as cones of flames, narrow beams of heat and solid balls of plasma went forth. The air shook as the airships began firing, the shells exploding above the ground, showing the undead horde in white flames, still they shambled forward without regard for their loses or damage to their bodies.

As an undead ganger scaled over the top of the battlement, Sunset leveled her plasma caster at it, vaporizing the top half of the formerly living creature. Using an armored hoof, she knock the still twitching bottom half from the wall and took a moment to survey the situation. Though the heat-based weaponry was reducing the numbers of the undead, there were spots where the formerly living creatures had managed to scale the wall, forcing the earth pony soldiers to fight them off in hoof-to-hoof combat and the unicorn soldiers to cast offensive spells. She took a moment to look out across the battlefield and her breath caught in her throat for a split second as hundreds of dark-robed creatures began charging headlong at the city.

From the highest points in the city, rockets from volley guns and streaks of silver from the rail weapons launched into the charging horde, accompanied from shell raining white fire from the airships. The robed creatures charged forward screaming unintelligible curses unabated, as white flames, silver streaks of supersonic metal and rockets slammed into their ranks, they seemed to take no notice as their ranks were turned to chunks or ash. Pegasi marines swooped down on the structures and the hulking mutants took no heed as they continued to trike the bells and gongs or place sacrifices on the altars. The hulking mutants only stopped what they were doing when the pegasi marines began attacking the structures or the creatures wearing bones, to fight them off. From above pegasi soldiers hurled bombs or snapped off shots of plasma into the charging masses of robbed creatures.

Sunset gritted her teeth in determination when she saw the bodies of the creatures not incinerated or turned to chunks stand back up with crackles of dark magic. She braced herself as the first waves of robed creatures reached the base of the wall.

The robed creatures hurled grappling hooks with long ropes attached to the top of the battlements and began scaling. Cones of flames, beams of heat and balls of plasma ripped through the robed creatures, but they climbed on screaming curses. The pegasi marines were driven back by the hulking mutants who seemed to take no heed of the injuries and losses they had accrued. The pegasi marines took to the air to launch a series of swooping charges at the structures, the hulking mutants paused to take swats at them with deformed limbs as they began to slowly push the structures forward.

Sunset paused for a split second as the first of the robed creatures climbed over the top of the battlement, their features were grotesque from being horribly mutated or disfigured with ritual scars or appeared to be multiple creatures fused into one. She fired her plasma caster, turning the top half of the nearest robed abomination into a smoldering stump and shoved another one from the top of the battlement with her armored hooves into its waiting comrades below. A magenta flash caused her to leap with a start. Looking over she saw the thirty magenta-armored Nebula Guard.

The Nebula Guard rushed forward in silence, hacking the robed abominations to pieces with their silver halberds. Many flipped their halberds around and fired beams of energy from the spikes at the top, sending cascading flames leaping leaping from robed abomination to robed abomination, turning their bodies into blackened skeletons. Once the top of the battlements were cleared, the Nebula Guard leapt from the top of the wall silently, their armor loudly thumping on the ground as they landed. All thirty of the magenta-armored transequine warriors spread out through the ranks of the abominations effortlessly cutting them down, each one fighting as a company.

Sunset stared on, no matter how many times she had seen the Nebula Guard fight, it still awed her. She turned her attention towards the structures being slowly pushed towards the city walls, though some of them had been destroyed by the pegasi marines, most were still intact.

As the first of the structures neared the wall, lances of dark magic were unleashed by the bone-clad creatures, blasting gaps through it.

Sunset tumbled to the ground amid a shower of rubble. The impact gel and compensation mechanisms in her exoskeleton kicked in immediately, protecting her from serious injury. As warnings flashed across the HUD in her helmet, she rose to her hooves, the plasma caster in the shoulder socket and most of the sensors were damaged. Around her were the dead and injured forms of the soldiers that were standing at the top of the wall with her.

As the hulking mutants leapt off the structure and began walking forward in an unnatural stride, Sunset disengaged the safeties form her plasma caster with an eye flick and fired a super-charged blast. The mutant's flesh exploded into blue-white flames as the ball of plasma impacted its chest. An alarm screeched in Sunset's helmet alerting her that the overloaded weapon was about to detonate. With flick of her eyes, Sunset tried to engage the ejection mechanism, only to find it had malfunctioned. Reaching up with a hoof, she snapped off the overheated plasma caster and hurled it at the bone structure. The plasma caster exploded in a white-hot flash, instantly incinerating the bone-clad creature on it and turning the massive gong to slag.

Several crackles of dark magic reanimated the bodies of the dead soldiers, forcing Sunset to engage in hoof-to-hoof combat to protect the nearby injured soldiers. Six hulking mutants charged through the gap in the wall, snatching up the nearby wounded soldiers, one swung a massive club downwards into Sunset. The servos on her armor whined in protest as the impact gel and compensation mechanisms kicked in, her face mask cracked under the weight of the blow. The mutant rake a clawed paw across Sunset's face mask, ripping it away and then snatched her up. Sunset lit the magic in her horn and cast a fire bolt into the face of the mutant. The mutant howled in pain as the flesh of its face caught fire, as it staggered away, it dropped Sunset.

Landing on her hooves, Sunset went to scramble away from the fight, only to have another mutant snatch her up immediately. She bucked out with armored hooves trying in vain to break free. A supersonic silver streak screamed past her head from the top of a spire and slammed into the neck of the mutant, sending its head sailing through the air in a pink mist of gore.

A lance of dark magic slammed into the top of the spire, sending a shower of dust and rubble through the air, silencing the sniper. Sunset scrambled to her hooves to scramble away, only for another mutant to grab her. A stallion wearing a goat's skull on it's head and carrying an obsidian blade in its hoof walked through the gap in the wall. It paused at one of the wounded soldiers and held the obsidian blade to the soldier's neck saying, "May your blood serve as a beacon, may your flesh serve as a bridge, may your death summon him back to this world." With a cruel flick, the stallion cut the soldier's throat. He stopped at each soldier, repeating the mantra, cutting their throats one by one.

The stallion stopped in front of Sunset, who glared back defiantly. She lit the magic in her horn and prepared to cast an immolation spell, only to find that her spell fizzled when obsidian blade crackled with dark magic. The stallion cackled cruelly, "You have a brave heart. It will do well to summon my god. Crack this one's shell." Sunset winced as the mutant holding her slammed her into the ground hard, the claws on its paw dug deep into her armor and ripped it away.

Sunset glared defiantly up at the stallion wielding the obsidian blade and spat in his face. As the stallion raised the obsidian blade, Sunset noticed a shadow descending on him from above.

Dewdrop saw a mutant pinning Sunset on her back and a stallion standing over her with a raised obsidian blade. She faltered for a moment, saying to herself, "This is crazy!" Drawing the dagger from its sheath on her leg, she leapt from on top of the wall onto the back of the stallion and plunged the dagger into his eye.

Rearing up, the stallion bellowed in pain and shook the filly from his back. Knocking the dagger from his eye socket, he glared at Dewdrop and pinned her on her back with a hoof. Leaning close to the filly as blood dripped from his ruined eye, he said, "You have a stout heart young one. Maybe yours will summon my god." Leveling the obsidian blade at her chest and preparing to make a cruel incision, he began reciting the mantra, "May your blood serve as a beacon, may your flesh-AUGH!"

A red light exploded from Dewdrop, causing the stallion to scream in pain as his flesh was blasted into smoldering chunks. The nearby mutants writhed on the ground as the flesh boiled and their eyes burned in their sockets. Dewdrop levitated off the ground, her eyes glowing with power, a necklace with a red lightning bolt gem appeared around her neck bathing the area in purifying light.

Sunset wriggled free from the ruined armor and shielded her eyes as the red light coming from Dewdrop began burning away the flesh of the mutants and undead around her. Once the light began to dim, Sunset stared stunned at the necklace with the red lightning bolt gem around the levitating filly's neck. As the stopped in Dewdrop's eyes, they rolled up in her eyes as she lost consciousness and began to fall out of the air. Sunset galloped forward as fast as she could and grabbed the unconscious filly out of the air.

Twisting in the air, Sunset landed hard on her back, the impact driving the air from her body as she cradled the unconscious form of Dewdrop. Looking up to the sky, she gave a sigh of relief as the two legions of pegasi filled the air and began taking the fight to the attackers.

Twilight ran fast and hard with the eight legions of pony marines on her heels. As the city began to come over the horizon, Twilight saw a streak of red light head towards the city. Opening a channel on her comms device, she shouted, "I'm going ahead to the city! Catch up as soon as you are able!" In a flash of magenta light, she teleported to the city. Appearing in the city, Twilight quickly looked around and saw two hulking mutants holding a soldier between them as a goat wearing bones was raising an obsidian blade in its hoof. Without hesitation, she unleashed a blast of magic, turning one mutant to ash and leapt in the air, bringing her hammer down on the other. The goat attempted to flee the wrath of the alicorn, only to find itself grabbed in a magenta aura and be brought face to face with her.

The goat steeled itself, trying to push the the fear from its mind. "You have failed ancient one!", it taunted, "We will summon our god!"

Twilight narrowed her eyes. "How about I send you to him?", she said through gritted teeth. Before the goat could respond, she hurled it high into the sky with her magic until it vanished. Running through the streets, she began smashing undead, mutants and cultists with her hammer, while rallying forces for a renewed push. The ground began to rumble and Twilight looked up seeing a solitary war machine towering over the city, its close defense weaponry laying down blistering fields of fire.

Over the top of a hill came a new wave of cultists and mutants pushing bone constructs. The solitary war machine turned and leveled its main weapons. With a deep thrum, twin beams of white-hot energy slammed into the top of the hill, instantly melting it into magma as the air above the hill became white fire, consuming and obliterating the new wave. A lance of dark magic fired from the battlefield and pierced the shield of the war machine. As the dark magic dissipated across its chassis harmlessly, the war machine gave a mechanical roar of rage and leveled one of its main guns at the battlefield, firing. The field outside the city erupted in a massive white fireball as the ground turned to glass. The cultists seeing that the battle had completely turned against them, sent the undead forward in a rush as they attempted to retreat under the cover of the chaos. The enraged war machine catching sight of the fleeing cultists, took off after them in full stride, firing its weapons wildly.

As the last of the fleeing cultists and mutants were slain by the rampaging war machine, Twilight too to the air to calm the machine. She teleported into the command module, where the tech monks and princepts were trying to calm the angered spark. "It's okay. It's okay.", Twilight spoke directly to the spark, "You did good. The bad creatures are gone." She began softly humming a tune and the war machine came to a stop, powering down as the spark went to sleep. Teleporting to the city, Twilight quickly found Sunset. "Who's responsible for waking a war machine too quickly?!", she shouted, "We all know they can be temperamental! I'll have the robes of whoever's responsible!"

"I ordered one of the walkers to be awakened quickly!", Sunset snapped back.

Twilight was taken aback as Sunset continued, "When I saw that the gangers could reanimate the dead, I had to make a snap decision. You can have my armor or what's left of it after I get Dewdrop to a medic, until then you can kiss my ponut!"

Twilight paused, it had been a long time since Sunset had talked to her like that, in fact it had been back when they first faced off all those centuries ago on the other side of the mirror portal. "I'm sorry.", Twilight said kicking some rocks with her hoof, "I shouldn't have shouted like that. Sometimes I forget what it's like being mortal."

Sunset let out a sigh, blowing out the anger in her body. "Look, it's okay. You were off leading the legions against what you thought was a main force of gangers, only to find out that the main push was coming from another direction. We all make mistakes."

Twilight paused feeling humbled. Her eyebrow quirked seeing the necklace with rd gem around Dewdrops neck. "Is that an element of harmony?"

Several hours later Dewdrop woke up in a soft bed, the sounds of the battle long gone. Sitting up, she looked around, seeing a medic sitting in a nearby chair.

"Ah, it's good to see you awake. The princess will be glad to see you up.", the medic said in a pleasant tone, slowly rising to her feet, "The princess wanted me to take you to her after you woke up and don't worry, you still that pretty necklace on."

Dewdrop blinked in confusion. "What are you..." Her words were cut off as she felt the necklace with a hoof.

Dewdrop stood outside the room where Twilight and Sunset were talking, she strained her ears listening.

"They were Grogar worshipers.", Twilight said, "They think they can summon him back from the void beyond the stars with blood sacrifices. Fortunately they didn't have the bewitching bell or things would have...I think we have an eavesdropper." Twilight's tone became much more pleasant, "Come in Dewdrop."

Dewdrop entered the room blushing. "Sorry.", she said, casting her eyes downward, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

Twilight smiled gently. "It's okay Dewdrop. From what I understand you risked your life saving Sunset and one of the elements of harmony chose you."

Dewdrop blushed as she touched the element around her neck. "You know what this is?"

"Considering I used to be an element bearer myself a long time ago. The tree of harmony chose you to be one of the its element bearers."

"Did you bear this element?", Dewdrop asked.

"No, I bore the element of magic.", Twilight said smiling, "A very good friend of mine named Rainbow Dash bore that element. A thousand years ago it was called the element of loyalty."

"Rainbow Dash?", Dewdrop asked.

"Yes.", Twilight said smiling, "She was the greatest flyer anypony had ever seen. She could fly so fast that she could create a sonic rainboom."

"Sonic rainboom?", Dewdrop asked, "Was your friend related to the hero of the five goddesses called Rainboom who could paint the skies?"

Twilight rubbed her chin. "Well I've been gone for a thousand years to raise enough forces take back and purify Equestria, maybe just like in my time with the stories of Nightmare Moon and Tirek, the princesses and the element bearers have become something of legend." Her expression turned dour as she recalled the day plagues poured down from the mountains and magic went wild, blighting the land and killing many. Memories ran through her mind as she remembered each of her friends dying while trying to save as many ponies as they could. Tears flecked her eyes for a moment before she gathered herself.

A sudden realization came over Dewdrop and she prostrated herself before twilight, pressing her hooves together in religious reverence. "Forgive me goddess! I thought you were just a normal pony."

Twilight rested a hoof gently on Dewdrop. "I'm no goddess to bow and scrape before. I'm a pony just like you." Twilight helped Dewdrop back to her hooves and tapped the gem with her hoof. Her eyes went wide as twin images of Flash Magnus and Rainbow Dash manifested in red magical light. "Element, what do you call yourself?"

The twin images of Flash Magnus and Rainbow Dash spoke as one, "I used to be the element of bravery, then I was the element of loyalty, now I am the element of self-sacrifice." The twin imaged faded.

Twilight walked over to a window that was facing north and worked her jaw in thought.

"I know that look.", Sunset said, "What are you planning?"

Twilight turned back to face Sunset and Dewdrop. "The tree of harmony stirs once again and has chosen its first bearer. We finish prosecuting our war here against the remaining sphinxes and then we find the safest route back to Equestria so the other five bearers can be found."

Author's Note

Thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy.

The tree of harmony awakens, the elements stir and the first bearer is chosen.

I will try and take any comments and criticisms as constructive.