Canterlot Academy Trials

The group would rush through the city and be met with immediate opposition from various creatures including griffons and other monkeyfolk who had decided to stay and fight despite the warning that was given ahead of time.

Ban and Tai had taken the lead and opted to deal with the most dangerous enemies in the middle of the street first. Despite many of them having guns and actively shooting at the pair from behind sandbags and crates for cover, Ban and Tai were able to swiftly dodge and outmaneuver the gunfire.

Ban would reveal exactly what his gauntlets could do. The monkey man aimed his left wrist at the nearest lamp post and shoot a red, whip-like rope out of it that attach itself to the post and allow him to swing into the air akin to a grappling hook. Even as the gangster monkeys fired on his position, he was simply too fast for them. Before they could react, he had aimed his right wrist on the enemy’s position and launched another whip that attached itself around one of the enemy monkey’s legs.

After letting the first one go so that he could propel himself forward, Ban would launch himself inwards and deliver a powerful kick to that first monkey knocking them down in an instant as he retracted his whip. Then he kicked the second monkey’s gun out of their hands before using his whip to pull them towards himself and knock them down with a swift palm strike to their abdomen that broke their ribs in an instant.

Tai would then reveal the exact nature of the gloves she had on her hands. She clasped them together and a magical blue aura would surge around her body before she touched a nearby crate and transmutated the wood into a massive wave of wooden logs that surged beneath her feet and rose up in front of her to serve as shield to block all of the bullets that were fired on her position before she brought out her own revolver and fired it, taking down the first few monkeys who were aiming at her.

Then she leapt off of the wooden structure and spotted some griffons who were above her. She quickly took them down by fanning the hammer of her revolver to clip their wings before they could fire any of their own guns. Just when another tried to sneak up on her from behind, she would touch the wall of the building next to her, forcing the brick to transmutate into a massive monkey’s fist that extended out of the wall and punched the griffon so hard that it sent them through the next building across the street.

With most of the stronger enemies cleared out, Ban would glance at Blue and the others. “Alright. Now you all take out any stragglers that you find. Remember: Any and all beings here are considered combatants now. Do not hesitate to kill.”

“On it!” Blue called out.

“Yes, sir,” Thiasus replied.

“Got ye,” Mistwalker added.

The group would then fan out and run through different parts of the city to search for more criminals to kill on sight.

Meanwhile, back at the palace…

Bullet was standing out on one of the balconies that allowed him to have a view of the smoke flying over the Serpent City. “...damn,” he muttered as he clutched his bandaged abdomen, “If I wasn’t so damn hurt…”

“Nope. You know very well that you cannot go out in your current state,” another voice called out to him from nearby.

Bullet looked up and watched a brown-furred primate float down to his position. He wore a set of gilded red and yellow robes with dragons going up and down both sleeves.

“Oh for fuck’s sake not you--gah!”

“Yes me,” the mystical monkey teleported to the other side of Bullet seemingly out of nowhere. “Very much me. Don’t worry, I won’t report you to the gods or anything,” he chuckled and stood next to Bullet on the balcony, “Besides, I can’t maintain this form for too long before I get unreasonably hungry.”

Bullet rolled his eyes. “Quit the ‘quirky and relatable’ act, Ne Zha.”

“Fine. Then I suppose you’re aware of what’s about to happen,” Ne Zha glanced at the smoke, “That city will fall to maintain order. Are you prepared for that? Chang’s choices as Emperor?”

“Listen--I’ve got enough on my plate as it is,” Bullet bemoaned, “Whatever he’s doing for this place has to be better than how it was before he took reign. The dynasties are actually united now.”

Ne Zha chuckled. “I suppose they are. For now anyway. Regardless, you need to have faith in your friends down there. Once that city is destroyed, things will start to get better for us in the heavens as well.” He yawned and put his arms behind his head. “Just make sure your lover continues to do her best for her people, yeah?”

“Tch. She can take care of herself, pretty-boy,” Bullet replied with a scoff, “We’ve got our own lives separate from each other. Sure we love each other, but we’re not gonna hover around each other 24/7, you get me?”

“Okay, okay,” Ne Zha held up his hands in a defensive manner, “I can see that now. But keep in mind that the heavens are gonna--”

“Judge everything we mortals do. I know,” Bullet snapped back, “But the second they try to meddle with our lives, they’ll have a problem with me. You tell them that from me.”

Ne Zha snapped his fingers and a cloud beneath his feet would appear. “Very well. Good luck with your murder mission, young killer.” And with that, he’d float back up to the heavens, leaving Bullet alone.

“...weirdo,” was all Bullet had to say as he watched the other primate zoom off.