Verve

BANG

The heavy Oaken doors took another rattling crash, as the Tempest dug her hooves deep into the cracking tile. Above her, the massive blockade bar yawned and creaked, straining against the clattering blows of the ram outside. Even with her immense strength, she was one mare against an army.

Umbra fared no better; as the sole defender keeping Tempest from being overwhelmed, her scythe couldn’t reap souls fast enough - especially against dozens of skilled opponents. Even with her shadow form, the guards flanked her sides and would catch lucky blows against her deer forged armor. The links of winter iron shattered as her flesh bruised below, and she would counter each hit against her with another potent slash, before fading into shadow once more.

This was a losing battle; but if this door fell, they would stand no chance. Already, brave soldiers crashed through distant stained glass windows, seeking to claim their victory against the few defenders left. The tide was endless, as pegasi - and a few brave unicorn and earth ponies - managed to bolt inside.

The glowing blue Throne Room doors shimmered and stopped - cracking open steadily, as a single victor soon followed. Nightmare Moon herself, who watched the pitiful display with morbid curiosity.

Tempest growled, as a spear prodded at a gap in her armor - snarling, she lanced a bolt of radiant, unfocused lightning into the crowd. Before she could even attempt to fight back against another intruding soldier, another BANG rattled her body to the roots, straining her struggling form further. And that’s when she saw it; certain death stepping casually toward them - down the steps, her old blade in glimmering blue magic.

“Oh how adorable. Just three? Surely there are more of you, and - my my! I do recognize you, Tempest Shadow. It was hard to tell under all that armor; I had assumed it was you. You were so quick to escape the first time! And now here you are - tell me, you didn’t really come here alone, did you? Against several thousand soldiers, and Queen included? Only Arin would be foolhardy enough to face me, like he did his father. Where is he? My ‘little snookie pie’? My ‘sweet angel’? Surely he flaunted me, like the true prize I am.” Nightmare Moon’s fangs gleamed, as guards parted for her approach; a single flick of her wings made the fighting stop, as she intended to handle this on her own.

Umbra heaved fresh oxygen into her aching muscles, her red eyes and green tendrils fading as her body struggled to keep up with the immense demand of fending off an entire castle’s worth of guards. She saw the old blade gleaming in her old enemy’s hold - Dreamcutter, and knew she was in trouble.

“You can’t… have him,” the gray unicorn growled, refusing to give up hope, “he’s… mine.”

At that, Nightmare Moon paused - as the piece within her cried out in pain. It was enough to make her recoil, a single hoof reaching up to clasp her aching skull. “N-No…” her whisper came, in such a soft and innocent voice. For a brief respite, her eyes shifted between slits and familiar pony irises - until it finally settled on the overwhelming evil.

“SHUT UP!” the Nightmare billowed, charging blindly at Umbra. The dark mare’s form shifted to shadows, as the blade sailed past her; no matter! Nightmare Moon had seen this trick before. And if there was one pony incapable of the same little magic show, it was Tempest - who was now left completely unguarded.

An orb crashed directly into Nightmare Moon’s onyx armored chest, gasping as obsidian began to blossom and grow in its place. The swirling green and gray mists soaked into her form, her body swiftly turning to stone from the seeping magic.

She faltered, panic settling in - but corrected herself. She wasn’t her snivelling lesser half. Her horn flashed - turning to starlit shadows as she slid free of the spell after a brief struggle. Gasping fresh air from her freed lungs, Nightmare Moon glared daggers at the struggling Commander.

The scythe came down hard at Nightmare Moon’s neck - but with a flash of her moonlit barrier, she keenly deflected Umbra’s attack.

Another orb shattered against her - forcing a growl of frustration as she shifted into her starlit form to escape the clenching stone once again. At this point, she grew tired of the charade - and stayed in her pooling darkness, blade gleaming violently as she aimed to cut Tempest down to size.

Then. A flash. A brilliant, radiant ray of golden light crashed down upon her; her shadows forced to coalesce as her horn flared into another powerful barrier against the onslaught.

As the spell ended, a distinct, budding, and oh so enraged malice filled the air. A terror so strong that even the two reformed mares both froze in fright, as the blackened Alicorn turned her eyes up to the beating wings of her sister. Except her mane… it was now a gallant red. Curious, but none-the-less, it will simply look pretty on her corpse.

“You…”

Celestia took a page from Vee’s book, and gave a confident smirk. “Me.”

Another blast of golden, radiant magic crashed into the roof above, just as Nightmare Moon flashed her wings to charge after her. There was one pony left in all of existence that could distract her from petty revenge, and that was her Sister.

Just as her starry blue tail whipped out of the hole, the panic ended - and three plumes of smoke erupted in the quickly recovering guards. Pumpkin flew overhead, taunting the unaffected pegasi on the edges of the disorganized crowd with a raspberry. The effect was immediate; she had six heavily armored soldiers chasing her through the air, as the lack of leadership among them meant few had a proper target to focus on.

In the smoke and coughing, Vee flapped her pristine, and only slightly bloody pinions to the floor - giving a simple ‘oho’ on the landing.

“So, looks like my favorite customer wants to join the loyalty program, hmhm?” Vee teased, poking Umbra’s wrent armor with the haft of her lance.

“Only if it comes with a discount on cadavers.” The shadow gave a weak grin, just catching sight of Arin as he blazed into the throne room. Immediately, she slashed at a coughing stallion’s throat - turning him into a spirit in mere seconds.

“D’ohoho! I don’t sell black market goods anymore! Not since Pumpkin came around. Why do you think I’m always broke? Hmhm~” Vee gasped as a guard managed to land another hit on her - even if the stallions lacked focus, they were still elites, and the massive scarlet ribbon along her side proved that. She wasn’t a frontliner, like Tempest or Umbra - where was Oarkin?!

“Don’t suppose you’ve seen Giant-fry around? You know, before I-” She dodged a prodding spear, and her next slash failed to land as the offending Pegasus cleanly stepped to the side of the amateur blow. “-bleed out! Not good for the feathers.”

“He’s dead!” Tempest called, snarling as a Unicorn darted in to land another successful hit - right in the joint of her armor. Before she could enact her retribution, he smartly stepped back - her bucking hindleg just hardly missing him.

“For now, Stern-fry! We’ve got a healer, d’ohoho~”

Arin drew his palm up, channeling healing magic into his hand. Oarkin was only freshly dead, but by more than a minute. A level two Resurrection would be costly - but would give them their Mountain they needed.

He summoned forth the giant book representing the Seraph’s size and life - unseen winds billowing to blank pages galore. Arin held his confidence high, as the sigils sprung to life before him; flooding the first page in seconds. The second was more complex, but with his practice - it, too, filled with delicately crafted runes and healing knowledge.

The book burst into a flurry of sparks, settling in his palm before he shot the gleaming magic forth to encompass the Mountain. Instantly, his target gasped for life - Oarkin’s wings flapping idly at the floor, as if he snapped awake while tumbling from the sky.

“It is here! I have seen it! It is beneath us! The Entity!” Oarkin cried, scrambling to his feet. His panic turned to confusion - fear, worry, then back to more confusion, as his eyes settled on the smaller Seraph.

Arin held back a grimace; if he could see the entity, but couldn’t be harmed by it, it’s likely very close to crashing into existence.. Or, something. He wasn’t the best when it came to magic. But he couldn’t let on just how dire this news probably was. Instead, the Ranger cleared his throat, cocked an eyebrow, and smirked. “And? Tell me something I don’t know.”

“It… you… wait, I am… alive? Strange - I have not lost before.” Oarkin eventually said, settling on his back to reel his thoughts back into place.

“As much as I’d like to let you rest up, Oarkin - I need you to hold that gate. Somepony will tell me later why you’re in here, alone, and dead - just get going, now.” Arin commanded like a former King would, withdrawing his bow once more. With no time to waste, he raised his right arm and latched the ethereal vine into the far pillar; throwing himself towards the throne with haste.

“I… yes, door. I have learned from my mistake. Blyad, I will help.” The massive mountain of a man quickly billowed his wings towards the entry hall, wiping the cold sweat from his brow. Anyone would be rightly shaken after seeing a swirling mass of dread tentacles looming beneath your body, as your soul floated off into space.

Arin’s hand searched dumbly for the lever, at the back of the highest platform - and with a cheery exclamation, the Seraph gave it a firm tug. Instantly, the dias creaked and groaned, sliding along two large rails; powered by gears and churning with an ancient mechanism, the entrance, or for the deer - the exit, to the Managem Mines appeared.

The old wood steps creaked as he took a step down, snatching a rock from the roughly crafted tunnel below to plunge into the gears above. Hopefully, if a stray guard or two attempts to close the dias - this would buy them some time. Simply put, you’d need at least six standing soldiers to attempt the feat.

“General Falon! Dad!” Arin called, hoping for a response. Nothing.

A crash and frenzied yelling drew his eyes towards the entry hall. That… did not sound good.

The Princess cleanly dodged the swirling beam of raw lunar might on massive pumps of her wings, twirling around the steadying power of her Sister’s magic. She spun her golden Halberd in an arc, shooting through the air like an arrow to land a cleaving blow against Nightmare Moon.

The morning mare cried out, as the massive bastard sword - Dreamcutter - slammed forward in a powerful lash, the golden haft of her halberd ringing as she was thrown backwards - spinning uncontrollably from the blocked blow. Her barrier flashed into existence at the very last second, as another beam rammed into her form.

“I don’t see any Elements, SISTER! Where’s your trump card now?!” Nightmare Moon billowed, as Celestia teleported out of the lunar blast’s endless stream. She reappeared right behind Nightmare Moon, who easily deflected her rushed attack - and spun with both Nocturne and Dreamcutter in magical grasp.

Celestia, like Arin had learned from Vapor Cloud - bucked both hooves hard into the corrupt mare’s chest - buying distance and time, but little else than that.

“Luna! I know you’re in there! I can feel you stirring! Fight! Don’t give up hope!” Celestia’s voice called, as Nightmare Moon churned wind and snow alike to spear forward. Borrowing another tactic from her friends, Celestia rushed against this attack to meet her - and with a single jab of her pointed halberd, fell back in a flurry of wings. Just like a certain Purple Pegasus would.

The move caused Nightmare Moon to stall - raising her guard. Expecting her Sister’s inexperienced onslaught to continue, she lost her momentum, glaring pure hate at the solar princess as she fell back from the cut of her blade.

“Fight me like the foal you are! I will NOT be mocked by retreating slashes and simple hoof play!”

Mocked? That was exactly what she needed. Celestia swirled her halberd in a wide arc - resting it on her shoulder. She cleared her throat, turning her head away from Nightmare Moon with a pout.

“...Neigh.”

At the odd behavior, Nightmare Moon questioned her Sister’s sanity - and shouted a dumb question. “...Neigh as in ‘no’ or neigh as in the noise?...”

“Neigh.”

“...” The lunar mare had enough; charging forward in a pump of wings, she sought to impale the impudent alicorn on her magic gleaming Nocturne, but Celestia simply… teleported a safe distance to the side, smiling.

“Neigh!”

“SHUT UP!”

The massive doors leading into the castle creaked and groaned, shuddering with the next swing of the ram, before it suddenly… stopped. Tempest breathed a sigh of relief, sweat pooling in her armor - until a massive, clattering CRASH of a trebuchet’s stone slammed into the imposing barrier; the wooden barricade bar above shattering to splinters as the cracked-horn Unicorn tumbled to the floor.

With a gasp, she narrowly avoided a Unicorn’s crashing blow from a sword - instead taking a staggering gash from a pegasi’s falling spear. The strike was true, and cut deep into her armor - right through a gap in the plate and into her left lung.

Her horn flashed in radiance, cackling lightning shocking the pegasus down to the core. The soldier flew backwards - but his racial resistance spared his life, as the act caught the attention of Umbra and Vee both.

The armored shadow twirled in her darkness forward, narrowly deflecting two blades aiming to claim the blood-choking Unicorn. But a poke lanced into her side, and finding a gap in her armor - rammed deep into her chest; taking her right lung, much like Tempest lost her left. She, too, was down.

“T-TEMPEST!” Pumpkin cried, faltering in the air to try and draw a smoke vial - but she clearly forgot she was being pursued. A blade landed cleanly into her side, the little mare crying out as it cut right through her magically resilient, but utterly weak cloth armor. She tumbled forward - crashing into the door before landing roughly on her back - crying in agony.

Vee, blood loss swiftly becoming fatal, stumbled as another blade crashed into her now thoroughly bloodied barrel. A blade Umbra would have caught - but in this moment, her eyes wavered, and searched for her friends.

Pumpkin, dying on the floor before her - bleeding and crying from a nasty, life-leaking wound in her stomach. Tempest, clenching sun song in her teeth to tiredly deflect blows from the floor, as blood fell to the marble from both her chest, and her muzzle. Umbra, weakly struggling to stand - as her shadow form faltered, just as her armor took another rough jab.

A blast of wind from behind turned her fading eyes once more to the towering form of Oarkin, who puffed his chest proudly, before immediately swinging at several of the closest - and quite possibly, most dangerous unicorns. The now spectres faded to illusions, leaving a gap in the remaining guard’s front line.

“COME! FACE THE MOUNTAIN!” he billowed, stepping into the crowd of mostly pointless blades - each spear and sword clattering against his armor uselessly, or failing to puncture deep into his skin as his magic grabbed at random golden-clad guards to use as maces. He swung the soon-to-be ghost at the crowd, turning the unfortunate pegasus in his hand into a spirit as several more in front of him did the same.

Vee collapsed, fading in and out of consciousness - as Pumpkin weakly crawled to her side. Blood spilling in droves from their combined wounds, the crying earth pony nuzzling her Sister’s cheek for what may be the final time.

The door behind them began to yawn and churn, as dozens of soldiers pushed at the Castle Gates to seek entry. Oarkin heard this - and flashed his wings with every bit of immense strength he was renown for - and forced it shut for a moment more. His reward? A spear aimed for his barding, which cut a deep into his back - but narrowly avoided anything fatal.

And just as the light began to fade from their eyes - a flash of gold followed. A wave of mending power coursing over them, as Arin gently drifted from the sky.

In seconds, Tempest and Umbra caught their breath - shakily making it to their hooves as arrow after arrow shot through the scant few remaining guards. Without the call for crossbows, the defending royal guards were left with nothing but spears and straight swords - leaving them woefully unprepared for the Ranger’s assault.

“Oarkin! Door!” Arin stated again, bringing the blood lusted Seraph back to the moment. Immediately, the Mountain’s massive wings flashed as he jumped backward - just the rest of the party came to their hooves, blade, spear, and scythe held proud in their grasp.

Just as things started to look in their favor, a familiar Pegasus from Arin’s training days reappeared from the Throne Room, closing the door behind him; proudly sporting Nightmare Moon’s own personal Knight’s armor, a hooked blade resting on his shoulder as he settled to the floor of the entry hall. Flash Sentry?

“Hello again, Arin! I don’t suppose you remember me?” Flash called, as Arin rolled his eyes and popped an arrow for Flash’s neck. The pegasus easily dodged the attack, his black pupils shining in mirth.

“Flash Sentry… you’re awake?” Arin glared, as the Nightmare Knight gave a short laugh.

“Of course I am! Nightmare Moon couldn’t have all of her soldiers be bumbling idiots. She needed a few of the more loyal ones to stick around, and lead an airship of reinforcements to the nearby platform! It also comes with neat perks; like the respect I deserve, and my training put to its full use. I even had the foresight to cut the elevator’s cords after you; after all, you left the Throne Room unguarded.”

Arin flashed a few more arrows into the gathering crowd of silvered soldiers, panic settling in as nearly seventy fresh faces began to gallop down the halls, turning down the steps to join the condensed group.

“Stallions, shield formation!” He called, as the roughly few dozen remaining Elite Guards fell back - Unicorns sprouting a magical barricade between him, and the now re-energized party.

In a disorganized frenzy, the guards were at their weakest - but when the pegasi’s spears settled in the imposing magic wall before them, Arin knew they were in trouble. Especially as common soldiers galloped in, fresh magic horns joining the barricade in seconds.

Oarkin groaned, as another slamming rock from the trebuchet rattled the door. He stumbled forward - before quickly retaking his place as their last stand against utter defeat.

“Now, the only question is… who were you trying to invite to our little ‘Gala’, sir Arin?”