"No one's responding to our hails!"

"Try again!"

"It's no good... all I can do is try to reinvent the spell,"

"Than do it,"

"Yes, princess... oh by Faust is that-"

"Send in the rear guard,"

"Princess?"

"Do it!"

"Princess Twilight if we do that we will not be to defend ourselves from any oncoming attacks,"

"Do as my student says. NOW!"

"Y-yes princess,"

(The breach)

"Sir our suits are clicking like crazy what's going on?"

Six turned to one of the troopers attempting to reach for his helmet but the courier stopped him.

"STOP!" The attack groups turned to him while the courier took a breath. "Don't take off your helmets. Keep your armor closed,"

"Why?" Sergent Gage asked to which the courier held up his finger.

"I think you might get a demonstration of why not to," Pointed his raised figure beyond the rubble to which a new line of golden soldiers ran forward.

"By the gods! How many are there!!!" One of the troops raised his Gatling laser only for Six to grab the weapon's barrel.

"Watch,"

Sure enough, the wave of gold-armored ponies began to fall down like bags of sand once they got closer only stopping when the back line witnessed the death of the center line. The power-armored troopers shivered at the sight while Six rose up looking at his gigger counter.

It was clicking like crazy...

It was about 85/rads a second.

(The war chamber)

All eyes were glued to the magical image having witnessed the silent deaths of five hundred solar guards, while those armored beings in strange armor stood unharmed in the sand that almost shined like glass. Twilight looked wide-eyed in complete horror, she had many things in her life but none were like this, horrifying her to the very core.

Upon her time on Earth, she knew of such weapons were used during the Earth's second full world war but this was something else.

Did Six have such weaponry all along?!

Where was this all from? How could he do such things? If he possessed such technology it was no wonder how he was able to kidnap Spike.

Was Spike even alive in that manner!?

She needs to-

To-

*GACK!*

Her eyes started to bleed as she fell down causing her mentor to rush over to her side, demanding aid for her student's sudden collapse on herself without warning.

(Zebra land's border)

"Sir we shouldn't go too far the breach we could get surrounded like this!" One of Flash's troops asked while the determined but young leader pushed on.

"They'll take that stronghold in no time we'll have a foothold at the Zebra lands when they finish clearing it out," Flash Sentry responded his hand gripping the hilt of the blade while his men staggered behind him.

Walking on the road the troops under Sentry's command were trying their best to march forward under the hot sun's heat in heavy gold plate, all the while Flash pressed on un-heeded. Slowly they came to a stop following the action of the yellow-coated stallion in front of them, for there was the zebra lands however the force Sentry was leading had been meeting with a force far larger than his own.

A large force of Zebra's in that same strange-colored armor stood outside their homeland armed with those tubed weapons pointing right at them. To Flash, they looked similar to the cannons on would be on ships of the Equestrian's navy like the kind his uncle had on his own ship.

Before-

"Sir... were outnumbered," One of his troops whispered to him while Flash narrowed his eyes.

The whisper of his comrade was followed by the silence of the badland's where not a single trooper of either side moved a muscle until one of the zebra's moved up something in his hand. Confused by what it was some of the ponies thought it was some kind of weapon but their confusion was quickly cleared up by the sound of a voice that was amplified from the device.

"Warriors of Equestria! I am King Xavior of the Zebra Lands. I don't know the reason you came to our home a second time but I assure you this will not end well for you. You stand at the defense of two thousand souls ready to defend their home once again along with the might of weapons that will shatter you. You cannot win this battle... I am offering you a chance to peacefully surrender yourselves and I will promise you that all of you will be treated fairly as prisoners of war!"

The force of equestrians all looked to their leader who stood narrowed his eyes, hand still on his blade he simply began to walk forward while his troops stayed behind. Silently walking Flash stopped halfway to the zebra's defensive line while standing still, not able to see Xavior's face he could watch the movements of the zebra king before walking forward after handing the device away to one of his troops.

Shifting his golden plate, Flash Sentry stared down the Zebra king who began to approach him in a different set of armor than the rest of the Zebra forces. Rather than the full set Xavior's armor was rather different looking more lighter than the rest with some traditional king war attire having been placed over the sand-colored armor. Unlike Flash, Xavior walked forward with two of his sand devil guards he had heard so much about completely wrapped head to toe in their famous wrapped attire save for a few new pieces of armor like the rest of the force.

Stopping halfway like Flash, the captain could finally see Xavier's face where a look of unease rested on his face, the two stood in silence for a moment when the king was the first to speak.

"Do you lead these men, lad?" Xavior asked to which Flash nodded. "Have you come to surrender? There is no need for further bloodshed,"

"I have not come to surrender Zebra king... blood must be spilled," Xavior sighed causing him to look at Flash disappointed like a father would be with his child.

"Lad... your young I understand you're eager to fight for your leaders. Trust me, I was a young man once... but think of your men. Think of their lives are you willing to send them to judgment over your desire for battle?" Xavior asked to which Flash gripped his blade.

"I am here for my men... and my uncle," Flash spoke causing the look on Xavior's to turn from disappointment to understanding.

"By the gods. I was afraid of this. What is your name lad?" Xavior asked to which Flash lifted his head up.

"I am Flash Sentry nephew of Admiral Wake Sentry of the 2nd solar fleet that was attacked by your allies the Jackals unprovoked! Where he and the 2nd solar fleet were lost at sea after they were slaughtered by them," This caused the Zebra to stare at Sentry completely taken aback at what he was hearing. "I'm not just here because Princess Celestia ordered me. I am here for my Uncle and his men that were murdered in cold blood by those dogs at the Nile and you Zebra king and your men are standing in my way,"

Xavior gave a deep breathe.

"Lad listen-"

Flash however didn't allow him to finish.

"But I am not blind to the fact that your force outnumbers mine ten to one. However, I can't not surrender which will shame the very memory of my uncle. So I challenge you in the old ways Xavior. Trial by combat: leader to leader," Flash spoke loudly for all to hear.

Xavior shifted on the road causing him to narrow his eyes.

"Flash, this is unnecessary you need not waste your life," Flash however ignored the king's words.

"If I win my men and I will part back to beyond the broader until the solar army comes to lay siege to your kingdom only then we will return. If you win my men will surrender as you demand and I will lay dead at your feet," Flash's voice caused his troops to roar in agreement while Xavior huffed not wanting more death.

"Very well Lad. I hope that you'll find peace in the next life after your great judgment," His sand-devil bodyguards backed away while Xavior pushed off his coat and pulled out his curved sword while Flash pulled out his gladius, unlike the spear the rest of his men carried.

"Don't be so certain about my fate. I've been trained by the pillar who is my very namesake!" Standing at the ready with his shield the zebra king and the captain stared each other down.

That was when Flash rushed forward, Xavior expected the attack and countered it with a slash of his blade yet Flash lifted his shield blocking his head from the swing. Following the block with a shield bash Xavior sidestep with his lighter armor but Flash quickly took a fresh stance followed by a sweep of his gladius. Surprising the zebra king, he had to pull his gut in as the tip of the blade grazed his chest plate.

Shield up Flash thrust his blade forward at the stumbling Xavior but the Zebra had other plans for this wasn't his first battle, he sidestepped the blow and with the force of him pulling back he swung around going for Flash's neck this time. Ducking from the swing Xavior's blade cut through the crista on Flash's helmet causing the pony to growl and go for another attack this time however when Flash swung his blade the zebra king was able to cut the space between Flash's shield arm and shoulder plate. Blood poured onto the road as the wound on the young captain's bicep wasn't deep enough for permanent damage but one that would be a scar.

The pain from the wound caused the guard captain to drop his shield while Xavior kicked Flash to the ground, walking up with Flash on the ground Xavior lifted his blade up to the young stallion.

"Concede lad for you and your men," Xavior pleaded to which Flash glared at the zebra not before gripping some sand in his free hand.

Throwing sand into the eyes of zebra king's eyes caused him to flinch but this moment gave Flash an opening, the blade of steel priced the plate under Xavior's left breast. Xavior shocked could barely make out the blade in his lung as he slowly fell down, Flash rose up pulling the blade out of the zebra king's chest and raising it back.

"Dirty trick la-" Flash cut the king off by letting the Zebra's head roll from his shoulders.

Blood dripping from his blade, Flash reached down and picked up his shield before whipping the blood off his blade and sheathing it. He looked at the two sand devils who if not for the old ways would have sliced him to pieces but could only watch as Flash reached down picked up the old Zebra's head and true to his word walked back to his men. The ponies cheered and roared while the Zebras stood silently moaning about what they had witnessed, Flash and his men began to walk back to the 'stronghold' not knowing the fact that they were trapped in the badlands.

(The Nile)

The Sphinx stood at the ocean side ready to defend the Nile as she has done a thousand times before, even though Six's little 'defenses' would make things easier for her to work. But however, she couldn't help but shake a feeling when she saw that massive siege weapon and the terrible memories it made her remember.

The days back when her masters still roamed... when she was a naive little kitten.

When the marks of that war terrified her, watching her fellow sphinxes and mythics being slaughtered by such weaponry by those ponies and their leader... the red-maned devil.

Who stole from her masters and slayed them.

Memories of that battle haunt her mind like freshly carved wounds never wishing to heal.

Her masters... her creators... if only she had been stronger then as she was now.

Closing her eyes the Sphinx took a breathe.

She could smell the blood from here it wouldn't be lone till-

Wait...

She sniffed the air again this time she opened her eyes in shock, snapping her eyes north-west to the breach, the guardian of the Nile froze up.

No, it couldn't be.

"Mistress?"

Author's Note

An interesting chain of events... and before you ask no Six didn't use nukes but rather had some of the smart bombs fixed with mini-nuke warheads. The half-life is much shorter and doesn't last as long so they don't have to worry about the radiation lasting that long.

Also, fear factor for the ponies too.

But the battle wasn't one-sided this time sadly losses happen, and Xavior found him on the wrong end of the blade. Not everyone is invincible guys but now Damion is not going to be too happy about his best friend's death.

Revenge is a vicious cycle guys...

However, things might be changing pretty quickly with Twilight's sudden collapse and the Sphinx sensing something or rather... someone.

Any guess (not including my discord buddies)