Cole's rage burned within him, hotter than the biggest blaze in the burning city. The runic tattoos along his right arm flickered and lit, dimly glowing blue, like his electricity. A layer of frost began to creep forwards from his hand. His eyes narrowed, and he stepped forwards towards the burning quadrant. Around him, guards parted, slightly fearing the enraged biped. Had he bothered to look into the magical alignment of the land, he would have noticed a bend in the ley lines, curling towards him.

As he reached the front of the ranks, two ponies stepped up beside him. Wind Runner stood on his left, wings unfurling, lined with hard steel. He looked to Cole, eyes cold as the steel on his wings. He nodded, slightly.

To his right, a crimson unicorn stood, one eye covered, the other burning with determination. The unicorn raised a bottle of what Cole realized was Guinness, took a swig, and lowered it again. Looking at him, the unicorn turned, offering the bottle. "Name's Sanguine Ashes, but ya can call me Ash." Cole grabbed the bottle, took a swig, tasting the light, amber liquid as it rolled down his throat. He held it up and examined it before giving it back. "Good stuff. I'm Cole." His gaze covered the unicorn, who was decked in light armor. His rear right leg, however, seemed to have been replaced at the bottom half by a wooden and metal prosthetic. His attention returned to the front after a moment.

The smell of ash hung in the air, the burnt hush of some buildings looking back at him. Dark clouds covered the town, no pegasi to clear them. Looking on, Cole gazed upon an approaching dark mass of bodies, changelings, all of them. Insectoid, black-plated, unholy spawn of jealousy, Cole finally understood. It was his job to protect these innocent ponies from the violence that ravaged his home. It was his job to protect this world's innocence and ensure that it remained.

All was silent for a moment, and then her heard a sharp *crack*. Cole's attention was diverted to the building directly in front of him to the right side. The door burst, a black body flying through it. Through the remains of the door, a grey, soot-covered unicorn stallion followed, spheres of metal floating around his head. Turning towards the army, he lowered the balls and waved.

Cole stepped forwards, and then increased his speed. The red unicorn and Wind Runner fell into step alongside him, with the pony legion behind him. The unicorn ahead lowered his hoof, and raised the spheres once again.

Cole's arm coursed with energy, and the frost on his arm began to coalesce. It flattened itself out, covering his hand, flowing back over his arm, thickening and hardening, the crystal lattice compressed into a conductive armor of ice.

The changelings had begun to move. The random movement of the swarm straightened out into a charge towards the pony army. The black mass straightened out into rows, and began to move, flowing over the snowy ground like a swarm of ants.

The armies had begun to converge. Both sides knew what was at stake.

Cole passed the grey newcomer, and he matched the pace of the previous three. Wind Runner took to the air, his wings pumping, staying above the other three. Ash's horn lit up, the very air around him shimmering with heat, his faithful bottle floating by his side. Cole continued his charge, body energized with a combination of adrenaline and electricity. The armies begun to converge, the distance closing.

One hundred meters. Fifty. Twenty-five.

Cole raised his arm up, and underneath his right foot, a spire of ice raised with it. He flew into the air, propelled by a jump.

The armies clashed together, and steel met chitin.

Cole fell back to the earth, a familiar energy, one harvested from the very bodies of foes, flashed within. It burned with power, and he slammed his fist into the earth.

A crack of lightning split the air, slamming down onto his empowered body, and the clouds tore open, water erupting from their thick confines. Spikes of ice erupted from the ground in front of him, impaling insects upon them, freezing them in place. Cole quickly recovered, rolling forwards with his momentum, and sprung to his feet, bashing away a dark body on his way up.

A wave of flame rolled past him, roasting a dozen chitinous foes, clearing Cole's right flank. Above him, a whirlwind of feathers and steel tore through black plating, ripping changelings apart. A hunk of metal whizzed past his face, a crack sounding with it. Past him, a pair of changelings fell, new holes torn in their body. Looking back, he saw the grey newcomer flinging orbs of steel, little cones of white popping into rings around them.

The pony army surged forwards, entering the gap caused by his opening strike.

Cole swung around, his icy arm whipping forwards. Taking a changeling in the side, he stepped forwards, shoving it back. Spinning with his step, he turned and bashed it to the ground with an overhead strike. Flicking his wrist, electricity pooled, and he raised his arm.

The scent of ozone suddenly pervaded the air, and then he struck. A stream of blue bolts erupted form his hand, taking changelings in the chest, head, legs, and wings. They fell to the ground, smoking and twitching, as the electricity washed over them.

Cole coalesced a ball of ice in his off hand, and after a moment, hurled it forwards. Following it's arc, he dashed behind it, an icy trail following him. The orb hit a group of black-bodies insects, and they flash-froze in a block of ice. Lowering his arm, Cole bashed through the block, icy shards propelled towards his enemies. The next line of chitinous enemies fell to the shards, the projectiles like white hot pins puncturing black plating. Cole followed his barrage, swinging his energized arms around him.

Cole twisted to avoid a changeling blast of magic, and turned to face the bug. He deflected the next bolt of magic with his arm, but it clipped his leg as it redirected. Dropping to his good knee, he grunted and brought up a frost shield. The next bolt crashed into the shield, nullified, but cracking it.

"VIVA LA REVOLUTION!" A familiar voice called from behind him, and Cole moved like greased lightning. As he dived out of the way, a familiar half-filled bottle of Guinness flew past where he was, crashing into the changeling mage. On contact, it exploded into a magically fueled fireball of glass, energy, and not-so-cheap beer.

A lull in the combat opened, with the Equestrian ranks closing past Cole. A red hoof entered his field of vision, and he took if. The familiar face of Ash filled his face, as he smiled and helped him up.

"I always wantid ta do that." He spoke, with a slightly Scottish accent. Cole nodded his thanks, and looked back to the field of battle.

The changelings weren't faring so well. With the opening salvo of fire and ice, their ranks had been scattered, and the determined ponies had pressed the advantage. While any given changeling seemed to be able to hold it's own against a pony, the phalanx of Equestrian troops was driving them back.

"Yea, I think we should win this..." Cole started, but then stopped. Looking forwards, he realized his mistake.

This wasn't the changeling army.

He looked past the small cloud of units that had engaged the ponies. Behind it, a far more massive force lay, swarming around a single skyscraper. A changeling of the engaged forces screeched, one far louder and higher-pitched than the normal screech. Then two more took up the cry. And then more. And as it seemed like the pitch could not go any higher, it raised past the range of Cole's ears. That didn't stop the air from shimmering with the rapid compression and decompression of molecules, nor did it stop the glass in every single window along the street shatter. Cole looked with dread upon the massive swarm approaching. He swallowed once, and then his eyes hardened against the fear.

That was...

Author's Note

Sorry XD
wrote this today...
comment and whatnot.
Tell me if I'm sucking, or the quality is dropping. First legit fight scene so far, and not really.
Don't know the border between T and M, so just not toeing it, if I can help it.