A Collection of Short War/Battle Storiesby KeeganFirecloakChaptersTrenches and TraumaDie By The Sword, Or Live By A PromiseThe DuelTrenches and TraumaGunshots rang out as mortars exploded all over the battlefield, you heard pained screaming as a severed arm got launched back into your trench. You flinched when it bounced off the wall and landed in the lap of the shell shocked Earth Pony to your right. You clutched your rifle tight and prepared for the inevitable charge you would have to fend off with what little troops you had left. The Corporal of your unit chanced a look over the trench, resulting in a bullet splitting his skull in two. Blood sprayed everywhere as he collapsed and you heard your commanding officer swear loudly. It was rare to hear ponies swear, but this was war, and war changes even the kindest of folk. When the war began, you originally elected to stay out of it. It wasn’t in your nature to get involved in conflicts anyways, especially since you were the only human in the land, and probably will be forever. You lived comfortably in Ponyville with Twilight, who allowed you to stay in her castle. However, peace only lasted so long. Eventually, King Sombra’s forces were sent South, and took Manehatten within days. You had been in a small town nearby at the time, on a business trip. When Crystal Imperial troops opened fire on that small town, the local law enforcement had been almost wiped out to the last man before you rallied the townsfolk and drove off the invaders long enough to escape. After that, you enlisted, in hopes of keeping Ponyville safe. Sombra had allied himself with the Yaks, who were now engaged with you in battle. Equestria and it’s allies were outnumbered, but the fighting still raged as the ponies refused to back down. Twilight, of course, absolutely despised the idea, but your mind had been made up. After several tears, some heartfelt words, and a surprise kiss from her, you had set out to Canterlot for enlistment and training. Now you really had something to come back to, a real reason to fight. You were shaken out of your dazed state as the ringing in your ears faded, your Commander was yelling at you to prepare for the charge. The explosions ceased and you heard a distant whistle from the enemy trench. The war cry of a thousand Yaks erupted as your commander gave the order to rise up and open fire. You steeled your nerves and stood up, aiming your rifle. The Earth Pony next to you received a bullet to the head the second he appeared, and you returned in kind. You were pretty good with guns, all things considered. Five rounds, five killed. Then you crouched to reload. The Unicorn on the machine gun next to you got hit in the shoulder and began screaming in pain, he looked younger than everyone here. You grabbed the machine gun and began to mow down every Yak in that ruined field. A Yak officer raised her pistol and shot in your direction, but by a stroke of luck the bullet hit the gun instead of you. You grabbed your rifle again and fired off another shot, another Yak dropped. An idea popped in your head, and you grabbed a grenade from your belt. You pulled the pin and threw it up in the air above a group of Yaks charging your trench. You let the grenade get to the peak of its trajectory before raising your rifle and shooting it, causing it to explode. Shrapnel rained down on a group of 6, killing them all, a stray bullet whizzed past your face, barely scratching your cheek and causing you to crouch. The Yaks finally reached your trench, dropping in with war cries that could chill to the bone. You racked the bolt on your rifle and shot one in the back of the head, racked the bolt again, and when you pulled the trigger, there was an all too familiar *click!* “Shit!” You hissed before charging a Yak and impaling him on your bayonet. In the trenches, physical combat was practically guaranteed. You were shoved to the ground as a young looking Yak stood above you, raising his mace. You drew your pistol and put 3 rounds into his tough hide before he could swing. He dropped and you stood, frantically swinging your head about to scan the chaos around you. An officer of a different unit just got thrown into a wall and had his skull caved in with a club, and his lifeless body collapsed to the ground. You domed the Yak responsible and ran to the officer, grabbing his saber. You were relatively comfortable with a sword, but still fought on instinct alone. The next few minutes were a blur for you. Nothing but a blend of blood, screaming, explosions, and pain. You took a pistol bullet in the ribs, but your adrenaline prevented you from slowing down. Eventually, the mass of corpses increased and the fighting eased up, and before long the trench was finally clear of Yaks. You dropped your sword you looted off the battlefield and slid down the wall into a sitting position. The edges of your vision became fuzzy and your breathing became raspy. The Commander of your unit ran up and knelt beside you. He placed a hand on your shoulder as he put some gauze covered in alcohol on your bullet wound. “Easy, easy, private. You’re gonna make it through this.” Your Commander, a Pegasus named Skystreak, said. He pondered for a second as he patched you up. Eventually he pulled you to your feet. You both began walking to the medical tent set up further back in the trench line as reinforcements arrived to man the defenses. “We should get you some better medical treatment.” Skystreak said. “Commander Sky…” You said quietly. “The battle must have shaken you up a bit. You’re nicer than you usually are.” You punctuated with a pained chuckle. Skystreak shook his head. “Don’t get used to it kid. Let’s go.” Author's Note Yea so this chapter is the shittiest one of the three cause my writing wasn’t as good 2-ish years ago when I wrote this. Also I’m trying to figure out how to chance the rating on mobile it wants to be difficult. Die By The Sword, Or Live By A PromiseThe distinct singing of metal against metal rang throughout the field as leagues of soldiers battled it out for the glory of their respective sides. Arrows rained down around you, and you heard screams cut short as your comrades fell around you. You readied your longsword and braced yourself for the oncoming wave of Imperial forces. ——***—— The country was ensnared is a war with King Sombra and his army from the Crystal Empire. At first, it had only been trivial disputes over territory, and small skirmishes. Both countries, for the most part, had been maintaining a fragile peace since the King’s return. Princess Celestia, as well as the Elements of Harmony, both knew of the pure evil that had surrounded the King on his Onyx Throne, but he had risen to power peacefully, through politics, and so it would have been too hard to justify attacking him without upsetting Equestria’s allies. You had worked as a simple blacksmith in Canterlot at the time, making tools and trinkets for anypony willing to pay. That was, however… until King Sombra attacked the port city of Vanhoover. It was an assault that no one was prepared for, and little resistance was given. Thousands were slaughtered. Stallions, mares, foals, there were none who were spared. Only a small band of escapees made it to Canterlot to inform the Princesses of the attack. Before anyone knew it, the Princesses sent out word calling Equestria’s able bodied to war. Your work went from forging metal table legs and doorknobs to forging swords, axes, and spears for Equestria’s finest military. You were consumed by the amount of orders that were coming in. Even the citizens of Canterlot were commissioning knives for their own protection. Certain members of Canterlot nobility had payed you a handsome sum to forge intricate and fancy rapiers for them, even though you were certain they would never need them. You had no family to speak of, being the only human trapped in a magical world of cartoon ponies prone to random musical numbers. Because of your solitary existence, when the war came close to Ponyville, you were among the fresh volunteers sent to go down there and fight. Except you had one of your swords with you. Your best one yet. Your Masterpiece. It was a Longsword that had a jet black blade. You had struck up quite the conversation with Rarity during her last visit to Canterlot. You had just finished your Masterpiece when she arrived in town, and you were ready to do your first cut test when she dropped by. “Anon? Are you in here?” You heard her call from the other room. You smiled and put your sword back in its scabbard before heading to the front of your shop. “Miss Rarity!” You gave a cordial bow, “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Rarity giggled at your exaggerated movements. “I was in Canterlot and I simply thought to drop by and see how you were doing. Is everything going well, dear?” She asked. “Heh, yeah, things are alright. The war has been hard on these old bones.” You joked. “Old bones?! Darling, you’re only 22.” She looked aghast for a second before you both erupted in laughter. It had been a while since you’ve been able to laugh like this, and Rarity was a good friend of yours. Your closest friend in all of Equestria. When your laughter subsided you both sat down in the back of your store for tea. It was always nice to have a pleasant break in between making countless weapons. Rarity had noticed the Longsword in a scabbard on the table. “Darling, that sword you have there looks special. Another commission from Canterlot nobility?” The alabaster mare asked. “Nope. That one is all mine.” You said with pride. “Best sword I ever forged. My Masterpiece. Every blacksmith makes their masterpiece before they retire or die.” “I certainly hope you don’t plan on dying any time soon, Anon!” Rarity said, a little worried. You chuckled. “Nah, I’m not dying anytime soon.” She sighed. “Okay, good. So… what is the sword made of? Regular steel?” “Actually, it’s a new material, it’s called Magitite. According to Princess Celestia, it is heavily imbued with magic, more so than standard Equestrian steel, and possesses certain qualities if forged right. For example.” You stood up and grabbed a regular Longsword from one of your many weapon racks and brought Rarity’s attention to a suit of armor, scavenged from a soldier of the Crystal Empire. The armor was still intact and on display. You raised both of your arms and struck at the armor with all your might. The armor dented slightly but no real damage was done. The loud clang of steel against armor rattled the room, and caused your guest to jump. “A regular sword would have trouble against good sturdy armor, and the wearer would be unharmed. This leads battle into exhausting struggles to pierce less armored areas like joints, rather than a simple clean cut. A Magitite sword, on the other hand…” You swapped your steel sword for your Masterpiece, and took the same swing. A faint trail of blue followed the path of your sword as the armor set was cut clean in half with ease. Rarity gasped as the armor crumpled and dropped to the floor, along with its stand. You set the sword back on the table. “If forged right, Magitite makes even the sharpest steel look like a dinner knife.” You sat back down across the table from Rarity. “Quite the terrifying weapon, then. What do you plan on doing with it? A sword like that can easily buy you luxury for the rest of your life.” Rarity said. “Exactly, that’s why I never plan on selling it. This sword is mine.” “What?! You would rather work for all your years instead of retiring early?” Rarity asked shocked. “I like my work, and besides, that might not be much of an issue soon.” You said. “And why is that?” You turned away pondered for a second. How were you going to tell your best friend that you planned on joining the military? I suppose being upfront about it is the best course of action. “The Shadow King’s soldiers draw ever closer to Ponyville each day… I’m going to join the fight and help beat them back before they take the town.” You said bluntly. There was silence for several seconds. You looked back at Rarity and your eyes widened slightly when you saw the tears in her eyes. These weren’t the dramatic or over exaggerated tears you’ve seen around her friends. These were REAL, heartbroken tears. “W-Why?!” She choked out as her tears began to run down her face. “Why would you do that?!” She shot up out of her seat, and so did you out of reflex. “Did you ever think about how the girls would feel if you died?! How I would feel?!” Her voice was raised in a shout now as she stormed over to you. “Well, I… u-um…” Before you got your explanation out, her hand flew up and before you could react, she, for lack of a better phrase, slapped the god-fearing fuck out of you. You looked back at Rarity, who’s face and eyes were red from crying. All you could do was look at her, you had nothing to say, nothing to justify yourself. She took a few deep breaths, the crying subsided and she wiped her face with a few tissues she had on her. Afterwards, she grabbed your shirt and pulled you towards her. Out of all the things you expected her to do to you, pull you into a deep, passionate kiss was at the bottom of the list. Yet here you are, lips locked with your best friend. You two had held the kiss for what felt like minutes, before she finally released you. The blush on her face shone through her dried tears and your brain was recovering from being completely numb. Rarity wrapped her arms around you in a deep hug, pressing her warm body against yours. “Promise me something?” She asked quietly. “Yeah?” “Please don’t die, dear. Please…” She tightened her grip around you. “Alright,” You said. “I promise.” ———***——— An explosion of magical energy launched a group of stallions in all directions, and you raised your sword just in time to deflect a strike from an enemy soldier. You wound your blade around his and plunged your sword into his heart. He made no sound as he died, his body crumpling to the ground. You felt a strike on your back that your armor had deflected as you whirled around to be met with another soldier, with a messer in one hand and a reinforced heater shield in the other. You swung at him with fierce determination, and he braced his shield to withstand your attack. You felt another deafening strike against the side of your head as he swung. You’re vision blurred and your ears began to ring as you raised a leg and kicked your assailant directly in the chest. He stumbled and fell on his back but rolled to keep his momentum. As he stood, a war hammer caved in his skull from behind as one of your fellow knights had seized the opportunity and killed him. You took a few deep breaths, scanning the battlefield around you. Metallic clangs and scrapes surrounded you, and you felt as if the sounds were inside your helmet. You spotted a knight bearing Sombra’s colors, yet his armor was gilded and engraved with intricate markings. He was beyond the main battlefield, and he was carving his way through your archers with ease. You suddenly became infinitely more aware of the confined spaces of your helmet, and had to stave off the impending hyperventilation that would follow. You grasped the blade of your Longsword with your off hand, and rammed it into the back of one of Sombra’s soldiers who was near you. He screamed as you drove your sword through him, impaling him down to the hilt of your weapon. You spun, ripping your sword out of him in the process and began fighting your way out of the large cluster of mud, blood and death. You raised your sword and swung at an Imperial soldier, decapitating him with ease, as you began to make your way towards the knight who was making quick work of your archers. You let out a war cry as you severed the head of an enemy soldier and threw his body to the ground. It seemed to be loud enough to get the attention of the knight, who turned to face you. He readied his Longsword and you took note of the onyx blade, it had a simple yet elegant hilt inlayed with gold and a ruby in it’s pommel. A faint wisp of green trailed from the inside of his helmet and though you had no magic to speak of, you could feel a deep and menacing aura emanating from him. The armored horn protruding from his helmet suggested that your adversary was a powerful unicorn. He rushed you with speed you almost couldn’t track and just barely managed to get your sword up in time to defend against what would have been a lethal strike. The unmistakeable blue trail following his sword confirmed your worries: This adversary also had a Magitite sword. He could cut through your armor just as easily as you could cut through his. This raised the stakes of the battle greatly. He put you on the defensive and your battle carried you back towards the main group. The adrenaline coursing through your veins had brought you a near perfect focus. You could see his attacks, he slowed his footwork a mere fraction of a second before he swung, and his shoulder leaned in the direction he was going to swing, so although he was fast, you could predict his strikes and parry each and every single one of them. All you had to do was wait for an opening. You had ducked under a wide swing and countered with a quick cut to the side of your opponents knee, it was a small cut, but just enough to hinder his movement and make him slower. He yelled with rage and pain and thrust his sword at you violently. You beat his blade to the side and left a nasty gash in his left arm, which elicited a scream from your opponent. He shot a powerful blast of sickly green magic from his horn which you had cleaved directly in half with your sword. The two halves flew in different directions and exploded. You don’t know if it killed anyone, but you were concerned about that magic. Where have I seen that specific attack before? A throwing knife lodged in your left shoulder before you could react and you screamed in pain. The wound burned with unimaginable pain. Perhaps the blade was coated in poison? You ripped it out of you and was greeted with not the unmistakeable smell of poison, but of some form of oil. You tossed the knife to the side, refusing to let this be a hinderance to your fight. The knight once again rushed you and this time you wasted no time. Praying you don’t get hit, you raised your arm and swung with all your might. You felt your sword connect with the helmet of your opponent and his did the same with yours. A white flash filled your vision as sparks flew every which way. Your vision returned and you saw that a massive gash was made in not only your helmet but also your opponents. He faced up at you and you were taken aback. The person you were fighting this whole time was King Sombra himself. Taking Equestria’s most well liked province must have been so important to the King that he wanted to be there in person when it happened. You twirled your sword and pointed it at him, challenging him to finish your battle. He roared with fury and his sword glowed a deep purple with pure magic. He raised his sword to strike and you threw a knife of your own, which lodged itself into his throat, right under the chain mail. His visible eye went wide as his sword fell out of his hands and stuck in the ground behind him. You thrusted your sword up through his diaphragm and the blade exited up by his shoulder blades. He could do no more but gasp for breath and make gargling sounds as deep red blood oozed from the hole in his throat. You wrenched your sword out of him and reared back, you dug the sword into his neck and spun as you passed him. Effortlessly decapitating him with an elegant spin. His body dropped to the ground with a metallic clank and his head rolled gently down the hill into the ground of battling warriors, which by now had gone from a force of tens of thousands to a mere 600 men. A fighter who had been knocked down spotted the Kings head and scrambled to his feet in fear. He grabbed the horn from his belt and with a deep breath he blew. The horn echoed throughout the valley as the soldiers of the Crystal Empire began to hastily retreat. Your exhaustion had brought you to one knee, and you had to dig your sword into the ground to keep from falling over. “Rarity…” You muttered, your breath raspy from all the fighting and yelling and breathing in ashes from explosions. “Rarity… I’m coming home.” You said with a smile as the blood loss and exhaustion finally overtook you. You collapsed to the ground and your consciousness faded. Author's Note This one took the longest to write, and it’s the first time I tried writing Rarity. Criticism is very much welcome The DuelYou trudged up the mountain, step by step. Your legs burned and the setting sun was making it harder to see by the minute. You stopped in a small cave to make camp for the night, and would finish your journey tomorrow. With the fire started, and a meal eaten, you sat back against that wall of the cave. You pulled the note from your pocket and unfolded it. You’ve reread this note several times since you got it, yet still couldn’t make sense of it. ”Anon, Meet me at the top of the mountain due west of Ponyville.” So, obviously your secret pen pal is a pony of few words. You rested your hand on the elegantly made object on your belt. Even now, you could still feel the pull of the Magitite Crystal driving you to keep hiking up the mountain in the morning. The fire had died down, now only a warm glow in the night, and you had laid your head down for rest, which had come easily. Morning had come just as soon as sleep had, and after a quick breakfast you resumed your journey. You were fortunately nearing the top, as the temperature had dropped enough to where your breaths emit clouds of vapor. You had worn a large cloak for the occasion, so you were likely able to avoid the biting chill that surrounded you. You had reached the summit, and by now it was nearly mid-day, you set your travel bag down, took a seat, and waited. Not but a few minutes had passed when you saw a cloaked figure emerge from behind a large rock. From first glance this figure seemed slightly taller than you, but only by perhaps a few inches. You could not see their face. You simply stood up and gave a cordial bow. “Hello there.” You began, “Are you my ‘secret admirer?’” You motioned quotation marks with your fingers. You could not see their face, but a certain aura of negativity surrounded him. “You have something undeserving of you.” The figure said, with a distinctly masculine voice. He removed his hood to reveal a pale unicorn with azure eyes, his mane was a very striking purple hue, and was tied back behind his head in a style that reminded you of those old Samurai movies back on Earth. He pointed toward you with a finger, the movement shifted his cloak and hanging off of his belt you could vaguely see an object resembling… There’s no way… only the princesses should have access to that! “That crystal you have should only belong to ponies! Not some magic-less ingrate like you!” The unicorn shouted. You snapped out of your thoughts and stood up, crossing your arms and moving away from the rock you had been sitting on. “I helped with the discovery of Magitite Crystals, I was rewarded for my achievement. But only the princesses and I have access to the crystals themselves, so how did you get your hands on one? And while you’re at it, how did you get your hands on the schematic for that device on your belt? The only one of those in existence should have been mine and the schematic now only exists in memory alone.” Your questions were answered through action, as the stranger threw off his cloak and his horn flared up. You readied yourself and the stranger fired three spears of light at you, they were slow enough for you to simply dodge them and be ready for another attack. The stranger grinned a confident and menacing grin as he reached to his belt and pulled the object off. He pointed one end towards you and pressed the button engraved into the side. A viscous hiss came from the device as a menacing crimson blade made of pure Magic was emitted from the hilt. The blade made a dull yet ominous hum when the stranger moved the blade into a ready stance and glared daggers into my soul. “You realize that only one of us is leaving this mountain alive, do you not?” He stated. You took a deep breath of contempt. “So, a duel to the death then. I wish it hadn’t come to this, but I want to see my friends again, so I will do what I must.” You said. You grabbed the Magitite sword from your belt and clicked the button. With a flash and an elegant hum a vibrant purple blade emitted from the hilt of your weapon. You could feel the Magicka blade gain some semblance of weight because of the energy and you gave it a quick spin before landing in a ready stance of your own. “You best quit, stranger. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.” You said as your expression changed to a serious yet unreadable one. Your opponent’s face scrunched up in anger as he began advancing. You could read him like an open book. His eye movements, his foot work, and his breathing all gave clear signs of precisely when he was about to swing. A downward swing from your opponent was easily parried by you with and overhead behind the back block, the blades hissed wildly when they clashed. You countered with a downward cut of your own. He managed to throw his blade up to counter it before his head was severed and he stepped back before you could strike again. With his bearings gathered, the stranger lunged forward to try and catch you with a thrust. You effortlessly beat his blade to one side, he tried again and you smacked his blade to the other side. He twirled his Magicka saber to strike at you, but you countered with another fancy block. This time you pivoted on one foot and made to decapitate him with a horizontal slash, but again your opponent moved to block. You stepped back and threw a cut at his head during your retreat which he blocked. Advancing again, you attempted to wind your blade around his to deliver a lethal thrust to the throat but he swung to the side throwing your blade off center. You stepped back again and the tip of your saber burned a line into the ground as you retreated. “Not bad… I see potential. Raw talent, perhaps. Too bad. If you had chosen to let go of your hatred against anything that wasn’t a pony, you could have been the first student in an academy for saber fighting.” You said. “But you lack experience. And that is why you will lose.” You readied your saber and held it in front of you, very reminiscent to practitioners of Kendo back on earth. “Shut up!” Your opponent screamed. “I’m not here for banter! You need to die!” You sighed. “That’s the unfortunate thing about the ponies of this world…” You tensed and got ready to advance. “So many of you are just so damn racist.” The two of you both advanced at the same time and both threw overhead cuts at one another which met in the middle. He tried to cut your right side, which you blocked, you twisted your hands to deliver a lightning quick cut to his head, and he raised his saber to defend it. From the position of his saber, he was able to throw another downward cut which you barely ducked under and to the side. You swung low in an attempt to sweep the legs but the stranger jumped to avoid it. You pressed the advantage while he was turning to face you and thrust your saber at him. He barely managed to push it to the side with his blade to avoid being impaled but that didn’t stop your fist from making solid contact with his cheek. He yelled in pain and shoved you back. His horn lit up and fired more magic bullets at you, which you deflected with your Magicka saber with ease. You began to twirl your saber, effortlessly weaving it around your body with great speed. The stranger’s face lit up with confusion as you spun your body as well as your saber, slowly advancing towards him. You were showing off at this point, and you knew that you were getting in his head. Truthfully, all these spins and tricks leave you insanely vulnerable, but his lack of experience and your hours and hours on end of watching Star Wars back on Earth had given you the mind of confidence. With a final spin you gripped your saber with both hands again and threw the strongest cut you could muster. While he did block your attack he was thrown wildly off balance from the power of the cut. You took the advantage and threw a very quick thrust which grazed his left arm. He screamed in agony as a gash was burned into his shirt and his arm. He dropped to the ground, dropping his saber and gripping his wounded arm. The saber he dropped had deactivated when it touched the floor. You stepped back and deactivated your saber as well. You had noticed dark clouds overhead and noted that it would likely start raining in the next few minutes or so. “Hurts, doesn’t it?” You asked. “I have trained with weapons like this my entire life. Your movements are sloppy, you telegraph your attacks so easily I could fight you blindfolded. Your foot work is okay, but you don’t control your breathing, that makes you tire out faster than you can manage.” You listed several things wrong with his fighting. “Why are you trying to help me?!” He screamed, leaning forward and grabbing his saber. You heard the distant rumble of thunder in the distance. “We are fighting to the DEATH and you’re COACHING me?!” He activated his saber and stood up. He was still able to move his left arm, so he got into his usual stance. “I suppose I can’t help it. I did it to my friends back on Earth all the time.” You replied, activating your saber and readying up as well. The rain you had predicted had begun to fall, and the ground was soon soaked with fresh rainwater. The stranger charged at you and swung wildly, in a foolish attempt to physically overpower you like you did him. You firmly planted your feet and stopped his attack with ease. His shocked expression turned to one of pain as you raised your foot and kicked him in the diaphragm. He coughed and struggled to breathe for a second before pressing his attack once more. Each cut he threw, you parried and countered with on of your own. Your attacks gradually picked up in speed as you slowly stopped toying with him. His fighting style did improve slightly, but it wasn’t enough to matter. Patches of ground have turned to mud at this point, and the only light to come from the mountain was of the two sabers, locked in epic combat. Any fliers above Ponyville were sure to see this display. Time came to end the Duel, and with a focused glint in your eye, you waited for your best opening. Your opening came in the form of a bolt of lightning that struck a near by tree. The deafening blast had created a shockwave of water and the sound threw both you and the stranger off balance. You regained your composure first and with a practiced swing of your saber you sent his weapon flying out of his hands. With a twirl you jammed the tip of the saber into his center and the blade slid through his body with ease, stopping about half way down. The stranger gasped as the air was forced from his lungs and his eyes went wide with pain and shock. His horn sparked in some vain attempt of retaliation but no magic was able to muster itself. His hands went up and desperately clawed at your arms, but with a jolt you ripped the blade out of his body and he fell to his knees. You turned and walked over to his saber on the ground. You picked it up and stored it safely on your belt. Turning again, you saw the stranger still staring at you, barely hanging on to what life force he had remaining. You made your way over to him and raised your saber. You nodded at him with respect before swinging down at him, cleaving a gash into his chest and killing him instantly. You deactivated your saber and hooked it onto your belt. Your legs were beginning to burn from all the movement, but you turned and left the clearing. The day long trip down the mountain was still ahead of you, but the princesses would rest easy tonight knowing that you, along with the secrets of Magetite’s powerful capabilities, are safe. Author's Note And thus concludes this story! Hope y’all enjoyed!
Trenches and TraumaGunshots rang out as mortars exploded all over the battlefield, you heard pained screaming as a severed arm got launched back into your trench. You flinched when it bounced off the wall and landed in the lap of the shell shocked Earth Pony to your right. You clutched your rifle tight and prepared for the inevitable charge you would have to fend off with what little troops you had left. The Corporal of your unit chanced a look over the trench, resulting in a bullet splitting his skull in two. Blood sprayed everywhere as he collapsed and you heard your commanding officer swear loudly. It was rare to hear ponies swear, but this was war, and war changes even the kindest of folk. When the war began, you originally elected to stay out of it. It wasn’t in your nature to get involved in conflicts anyways, especially since you were the only human in the land, and probably will be forever. You lived comfortably in Ponyville with Twilight, who allowed you to stay in her castle. However, peace only lasted so long. Eventually, King Sombra’s forces were sent South, and took Manehatten within days. You had been in a small town nearby at the time, on a business trip. When Crystal Imperial troops opened fire on that small town, the local law enforcement had been almost wiped out to the last man before you rallied the townsfolk and drove off the invaders long enough to escape. After that, you enlisted, in hopes of keeping Ponyville safe. Sombra had allied himself with the Yaks, who were now engaged with you in battle. Equestria and it’s allies were outnumbered, but the fighting still raged as the ponies refused to back down. Twilight, of course, absolutely despised the idea, but your mind had been made up. After several tears, some heartfelt words, and a surprise kiss from her, you had set out to Canterlot for enlistment and training. Now you really had something to come back to, a real reason to fight. You were shaken out of your dazed state as the ringing in your ears faded, your Commander was yelling at you to prepare for the charge. The explosions ceased and you heard a distant whistle from the enemy trench. The war cry of a thousand Yaks erupted as your commander gave the order to rise up and open fire. You steeled your nerves and stood up, aiming your rifle. The Earth Pony next to you received a bullet to the head the second he appeared, and you returned in kind. You were pretty good with guns, all things considered. Five rounds, five killed. Then you crouched to reload. The Unicorn on the machine gun next to you got hit in the shoulder and began screaming in pain, he looked younger than everyone here. You grabbed the machine gun and began to mow down every Yak in that ruined field. A Yak officer raised her pistol and shot in your direction, but by a stroke of luck the bullet hit the gun instead of you. You grabbed your rifle again and fired off another shot, another Yak dropped. An idea popped in your head, and you grabbed a grenade from your belt. You pulled the pin and threw it up in the air above a group of Yaks charging your trench. You let the grenade get to the peak of its trajectory before raising your rifle and shooting it, causing it to explode. Shrapnel rained down on a group of 6, killing them all, a stray bullet whizzed past your face, barely scratching your cheek and causing you to crouch. The Yaks finally reached your trench, dropping in with war cries that could chill to the bone. You racked the bolt on your rifle and shot one in the back of the head, racked the bolt again, and when you pulled the trigger, there was an all too familiar *click!* “Shit!” You hissed before charging a Yak and impaling him on your bayonet. In the trenches, physical combat was practically guaranteed. You were shoved to the ground as a young looking Yak stood above you, raising his mace. You drew your pistol and put 3 rounds into his tough hide before he could swing. He dropped and you stood, frantically swinging your head about to scan the chaos around you. An officer of a different unit just got thrown into a wall and had his skull caved in with a club, and his lifeless body collapsed to the ground. You domed the Yak responsible and ran to the officer, grabbing his saber. You were relatively comfortable with a sword, but still fought on instinct alone. The next few minutes were a blur for you. Nothing but a blend of blood, screaming, explosions, and pain. You took a pistol bullet in the ribs, but your adrenaline prevented you from slowing down. Eventually, the mass of corpses increased and the fighting eased up, and before long the trench was finally clear of Yaks. You dropped your sword you looted off the battlefield and slid down the wall into a sitting position. The edges of your vision became fuzzy and your breathing became raspy. The Commander of your unit ran up and knelt beside you. He placed a hand on your shoulder as he put some gauze covered in alcohol on your bullet wound. “Easy, easy, private. You’re gonna make it through this.” Your Commander, a Pegasus named Skystreak, said. He pondered for a second as he patched you up. Eventually he pulled you to your feet. You both began walking to the medical tent set up further back in the trench line as reinforcements arrived to man the defenses. “We should get you some better medical treatment.” Skystreak said. “Commander Sky…” You said quietly. “The battle must have shaken you up a bit. You’re nicer than you usually are.” You punctuated with a pained chuckle. Skystreak shook his head. “Don’t get used to it kid. Let’s go.” Author's Note Yea so this chapter is the shittiest one of the three cause my writing wasn’t as good 2-ish years ago when I wrote this. Also I’m trying to figure out how to chance the rating on mobile it wants to be difficult.
Die By The Sword, Or Live By A PromiseThe distinct singing of metal against metal rang throughout the field as leagues of soldiers battled it out for the glory of their respective sides. Arrows rained down around you, and you heard screams cut short as your comrades fell around you. You readied your longsword and braced yourself for the oncoming wave of Imperial forces. ——***—— The country was ensnared is a war with King Sombra and his army from the Crystal Empire. At first, it had only been trivial disputes over territory, and small skirmishes. Both countries, for the most part, had been maintaining a fragile peace since the King’s return. Princess Celestia, as well as the Elements of Harmony, both knew of the pure evil that had surrounded the King on his Onyx Throne, but he had risen to power peacefully, through politics, and so it would have been too hard to justify attacking him without upsetting Equestria’s allies. You had worked as a simple blacksmith in Canterlot at the time, making tools and trinkets for anypony willing to pay. That was, however… until King Sombra attacked the port city of Vanhoover. It was an assault that no one was prepared for, and little resistance was given. Thousands were slaughtered. Stallions, mares, foals, there were none who were spared. Only a small band of escapees made it to Canterlot to inform the Princesses of the attack. Before anyone knew it, the Princesses sent out word calling Equestria’s able bodied to war. Your work went from forging metal table legs and doorknobs to forging swords, axes, and spears for Equestria’s finest military. You were consumed by the amount of orders that were coming in. Even the citizens of Canterlot were commissioning knives for their own protection. Certain members of Canterlot nobility had payed you a handsome sum to forge intricate and fancy rapiers for them, even though you were certain they would never need them. You had no family to speak of, being the only human trapped in a magical world of cartoon ponies prone to random musical numbers. Because of your solitary existence, when the war came close to Ponyville, you were among the fresh volunteers sent to go down there and fight. Except you had one of your swords with you. Your best one yet. Your Masterpiece. It was a Longsword that had a jet black blade. You had struck up quite the conversation with Rarity during her last visit to Canterlot. You had just finished your Masterpiece when she arrived in town, and you were ready to do your first cut test when she dropped by. “Anon? Are you in here?” You heard her call from the other room. You smiled and put your sword back in its scabbard before heading to the front of your shop. “Miss Rarity!” You gave a cordial bow, “To what do I owe the pleasure?” Rarity giggled at your exaggerated movements. “I was in Canterlot and I simply thought to drop by and see how you were doing. Is everything going well, dear?” She asked. “Heh, yeah, things are alright. The war has been hard on these old bones.” You joked. “Old bones?! Darling, you’re only 22.” She looked aghast for a second before you both erupted in laughter. It had been a while since you’ve been able to laugh like this, and Rarity was a good friend of yours. Your closest friend in all of Equestria. When your laughter subsided you both sat down in the back of your store for tea. It was always nice to have a pleasant break in between making countless weapons. Rarity had noticed the Longsword in a scabbard on the table. “Darling, that sword you have there looks special. Another commission from Canterlot nobility?” The alabaster mare asked. “Nope. That one is all mine.” You said with pride. “Best sword I ever forged. My Masterpiece. Every blacksmith makes their masterpiece before they retire or die.” “I certainly hope you don’t plan on dying any time soon, Anon!” Rarity said, a little worried. You chuckled. “Nah, I’m not dying anytime soon.” She sighed. “Okay, good. So… what is the sword made of? Regular steel?” “Actually, it’s a new material, it’s called Magitite. According to Princess Celestia, it is heavily imbued with magic, more so than standard Equestrian steel, and possesses certain qualities if forged right. For example.” You stood up and grabbed a regular Longsword from one of your many weapon racks and brought Rarity’s attention to a suit of armor, scavenged from a soldier of the Crystal Empire. The armor was still intact and on display. You raised both of your arms and struck at the armor with all your might. The armor dented slightly but no real damage was done. The loud clang of steel against armor rattled the room, and caused your guest to jump. “A regular sword would have trouble against good sturdy armor, and the wearer would be unharmed. This leads battle into exhausting struggles to pierce less armored areas like joints, rather than a simple clean cut. A Magitite sword, on the other hand…” You swapped your steel sword for your Masterpiece, and took the same swing. A faint trail of blue followed the path of your sword as the armor set was cut clean in half with ease. Rarity gasped as the armor crumpled and dropped to the floor, along with its stand. You set the sword back on the table. “If forged right, Magitite makes even the sharpest steel look like a dinner knife.” You sat back down across the table from Rarity. “Quite the terrifying weapon, then. What do you plan on doing with it? A sword like that can easily buy you luxury for the rest of your life.” Rarity said. “Exactly, that’s why I never plan on selling it. This sword is mine.” “What?! You would rather work for all your years instead of retiring early?” Rarity asked shocked. “I like my work, and besides, that might not be much of an issue soon.” You said. “And why is that?” You turned away pondered for a second. How were you going to tell your best friend that you planned on joining the military? I suppose being upfront about it is the best course of action. “The Shadow King’s soldiers draw ever closer to Ponyville each day… I’m going to join the fight and help beat them back before they take the town.” You said bluntly. There was silence for several seconds. You looked back at Rarity and your eyes widened slightly when you saw the tears in her eyes. These weren’t the dramatic or over exaggerated tears you’ve seen around her friends. These were REAL, heartbroken tears. “W-Why?!” She choked out as her tears began to run down her face. “Why would you do that?!” She shot up out of her seat, and so did you out of reflex. “Did you ever think about how the girls would feel if you died?! How I would feel?!” Her voice was raised in a shout now as she stormed over to you. “Well, I… u-um…” Before you got your explanation out, her hand flew up and before you could react, she, for lack of a better phrase, slapped the god-fearing fuck out of you. You looked back at Rarity, who’s face and eyes were red from crying. All you could do was look at her, you had nothing to say, nothing to justify yourself. She took a few deep breaths, the crying subsided and she wiped her face with a few tissues she had on her. Afterwards, she grabbed your shirt and pulled you towards her. Out of all the things you expected her to do to you, pull you into a deep, passionate kiss was at the bottom of the list. Yet here you are, lips locked with your best friend. You two had held the kiss for what felt like minutes, before she finally released you. The blush on her face shone through her dried tears and your brain was recovering from being completely numb. Rarity wrapped her arms around you in a deep hug, pressing her warm body against yours. “Promise me something?” She asked quietly. “Yeah?” “Please don’t die, dear. Please…” She tightened her grip around you. “Alright,” You said. “I promise.” ———***——— An explosion of magical energy launched a group of stallions in all directions, and you raised your sword just in time to deflect a strike from an enemy soldier. You wound your blade around his and plunged your sword into his heart. He made no sound as he died, his body crumpling to the ground. You felt a strike on your back that your armor had deflected as you whirled around to be met with another soldier, with a messer in one hand and a reinforced heater shield in the other. You swung at him with fierce determination, and he braced his shield to withstand your attack. You felt another deafening strike against the side of your head as he swung. You’re vision blurred and your ears began to ring as you raised a leg and kicked your assailant directly in the chest. He stumbled and fell on his back but rolled to keep his momentum. As he stood, a war hammer caved in his skull from behind as one of your fellow knights had seized the opportunity and killed him. You took a few deep breaths, scanning the battlefield around you. Metallic clangs and scrapes surrounded you, and you felt as if the sounds were inside your helmet. You spotted a knight bearing Sombra’s colors, yet his armor was gilded and engraved with intricate markings. He was beyond the main battlefield, and he was carving his way through your archers with ease. You suddenly became infinitely more aware of the confined spaces of your helmet, and had to stave off the impending hyperventilation that would follow. You grasped the blade of your Longsword with your off hand, and rammed it into the back of one of Sombra’s soldiers who was near you. He screamed as you drove your sword through him, impaling him down to the hilt of your weapon. You spun, ripping your sword out of him in the process and began fighting your way out of the large cluster of mud, blood and death. You raised your sword and swung at an Imperial soldier, decapitating him with ease, as you began to make your way towards the knight who was making quick work of your archers. You let out a war cry as you severed the head of an enemy soldier and threw his body to the ground. It seemed to be loud enough to get the attention of the knight, who turned to face you. He readied his Longsword and you took note of the onyx blade, it had a simple yet elegant hilt inlayed with gold and a ruby in it’s pommel. A faint wisp of green trailed from the inside of his helmet and though you had no magic to speak of, you could feel a deep and menacing aura emanating from him. The armored horn protruding from his helmet suggested that your adversary was a powerful unicorn. He rushed you with speed you almost couldn’t track and just barely managed to get your sword up in time to defend against what would have been a lethal strike. The unmistakeable blue trail following his sword confirmed your worries: This adversary also had a Magitite sword. He could cut through your armor just as easily as you could cut through his. This raised the stakes of the battle greatly. He put you on the defensive and your battle carried you back towards the main group. The adrenaline coursing through your veins had brought you a near perfect focus. You could see his attacks, he slowed his footwork a mere fraction of a second before he swung, and his shoulder leaned in the direction he was going to swing, so although he was fast, you could predict his strikes and parry each and every single one of them. All you had to do was wait for an opening. You had ducked under a wide swing and countered with a quick cut to the side of your opponents knee, it was a small cut, but just enough to hinder his movement and make him slower. He yelled with rage and pain and thrust his sword at you violently. You beat his blade to the side and left a nasty gash in his left arm, which elicited a scream from your opponent. He shot a powerful blast of sickly green magic from his horn which you had cleaved directly in half with your sword. The two halves flew in different directions and exploded. You don’t know if it killed anyone, but you were concerned about that magic. Where have I seen that specific attack before? A throwing knife lodged in your left shoulder before you could react and you screamed in pain. The wound burned with unimaginable pain. Perhaps the blade was coated in poison? You ripped it out of you and was greeted with not the unmistakeable smell of poison, but of some form of oil. You tossed the knife to the side, refusing to let this be a hinderance to your fight. The knight once again rushed you and this time you wasted no time. Praying you don’t get hit, you raised your arm and swung with all your might. You felt your sword connect with the helmet of your opponent and his did the same with yours. A white flash filled your vision as sparks flew every which way. Your vision returned and you saw that a massive gash was made in not only your helmet but also your opponents. He faced up at you and you were taken aback. The person you were fighting this whole time was King Sombra himself. Taking Equestria’s most well liked province must have been so important to the King that he wanted to be there in person when it happened. You twirled your sword and pointed it at him, challenging him to finish your battle. He roared with fury and his sword glowed a deep purple with pure magic. He raised his sword to strike and you threw a knife of your own, which lodged itself into his throat, right under the chain mail. His visible eye went wide as his sword fell out of his hands and stuck in the ground behind him. You thrusted your sword up through his diaphragm and the blade exited up by his shoulder blades. He could do no more but gasp for breath and make gargling sounds as deep red blood oozed from the hole in his throat. You wrenched your sword out of him and reared back, you dug the sword into his neck and spun as you passed him. Effortlessly decapitating him with an elegant spin. His body dropped to the ground with a metallic clank and his head rolled gently down the hill into the ground of battling warriors, which by now had gone from a force of tens of thousands to a mere 600 men. A fighter who had been knocked down spotted the Kings head and scrambled to his feet in fear. He grabbed the horn from his belt and with a deep breath he blew. The horn echoed throughout the valley as the soldiers of the Crystal Empire began to hastily retreat. Your exhaustion had brought you to one knee, and you had to dig your sword into the ground to keep from falling over. “Rarity…” You muttered, your breath raspy from all the fighting and yelling and breathing in ashes from explosions. “Rarity… I’m coming home.” You said with a smile as the blood loss and exhaustion finally overtook you. You collapsed to the ground and your consciousness faded. Author's Note This one took the longest to write, and it’s the first time I tried writing Rarity. Criticism is very much welcome
The DuelYou trudged up the mountain, step by step. Your legs burned and the setting sun was making it harder to see by the minute. You stopped in a small cave to make camp for the night, and would finish your journey tomorrow. With the fire started, and a meal eaten, you sat back against that wall of the cave. You pulled the note from your pocket and unfolded it. You’ve reread this note several times since you got it, yet still couldn’t make sense of it. ”Anon, Meet me at the top of the mountain due west of Ponyville.” So, obviously your secret pen pal is a pony of few words. You rested your hand on the elegantly made object on your belt. Even now, you could still feel the pull of the Magitite Crystal driving you to keep hiking up the mountain in the morning. The fire had died down, now only a warm glow in the night, and you had laid your head down for rest, which had come easily. Morning had come just as soon as sleep had, and after a quick breakfast you resumed your journey. You were fortunately nearing the top, as the temperature had dropped enough to where your breaths emit clouds of vapor. You had worn a large cloak for the occasion, so you were likely able to avoid the biting chill that surrounded you. You had reached the summit, and by now it was nearly mid-day, you set your travel bag down, took a seat, and waited. Not but a few minutes had passed when you saw a cloaked figure emerge from behind a large rock. From first glance this figure seemed slightly taller than you, but only by perhaps a few inches. You could not see their face. You simply stood up and gave a cordial bow. “Hello there.” You began, “Are you my ‘secret admirer?’” You motioned quotation marks with your fingers. You could not see their face, but a certain aura of negativity surrounded him. “You have something undeserving of you.” The figure said, with a distinctly masculine voice. He removed his hood to reveal a pale unicorn with azure eyes, his mane was a very striking purple hue, and was tied back behind his head in a style that reminded you of those old Samurai movies back on Earth. He pointed toward you with a finger, the movement shifted his cloak and hanging off of his belt you could vaguely see an object resembling… There’s no way… only the princesses should have access to that! “That crystal you have should only belong to ponies! Not some magic-less ingrate like you!” The unicorn shouted. You snapped out of your thoughts and stood up, crossing your arms and moving away from the rock you had been sitting on. “I helped with the discovery of Magitite Crystals, I was rewarded for my achievement. But only the princesses and I have access to the crystals themselves, so how did you get your hands on one? And while you’re at it, how did you get your hands on the schematic for that device on your belt? The only one of those in existence should have been mine and the schematic now only exists in memory alone.” Your questions were answered through action, as the stranger threw off his cloak and his horn flared up. You readied yourself and the stranger fired three spears of light at you, they were slow enough for you to simply dodge them and be ready for another attack. The stranger grinned a confident and menacing grin as he reached to his belt and pulled the object off. He pointed one end towards you and pressed the button engraved into the side. A viscous hiss came from the device as a menacing crimson blade made of pure Magic was emitted from the hilt. The blade made a dull yet ominous hum when the stranger moved the blade into a ready stance and glared daggers into my soul. “You realize that only one of us is leaving this mountain alive, do you not?” He stated. You took a deep breath of contempt. “So, a duel to the death then. I wish it hadn’t come to this, but I want to see my friends again, so I will do what I must.” You said. You grabbed the Magitite sword from your belt and clicked the button. With a flash and an elegant hum a vibrant purple blade emitted from the hilt of your weapon. You could feel the Magicka blade gain some semblance of weight because of the energy and you gave it a quick spin before landing in a ready stance of your own. “You best quit, stranger. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.” You said as your expression changed to a serious yet unreadable one. Your opponent’s face scrunched up in anger as he began advancing. You could read him like an open book. His eye movements, his foot work, and his breathing all gave clear signs of precisely when he was about to swing. A downward swing from your opponent was easily parried by you with and overhead behind the back block, the blades hissed wildly when they clashed. You countered with a downward cut of your own. He managed to throw his blade up to counter it before his head was severed and he stepped back before you could strike again. With his bearings gathered, the stranger lunged forward to try and catch you with a thrust. You effortlessly beat his blade to one side, he tried again and you smacked his blade to the other side. He twirled his Magicka saber to strike at you, but you countered with another fancy block. This time you pivoted on one foot and made to decapitate him with a horizontal slash, but again your opponent moved to block. You stepped back and threw a cut at his head during your retreat which he blocked. Advancing again, you attempted to wind your blade around his to deliver a lethal thrust to the throat but he swung to the side throwing your blade off center. You stepped back again and the tip of your saber burned a line into the ground as you retreated. “Not bad… I see potential. Raw talent, perhaps. Too bad. If you had chosen to let go of your hatred against anything that wasn’t a pony, you could have been the first student in an academy for saber fighting.” You said. “But you lack experience. And that is why you will lose.” You readied your saber and held it in front of you, very reminiscent to practitioners of Kendo back on earth. “Shut up!” Your opponent screamed. “I’m not here for banter! You need to die!” You sighed. “That’s the unfortunate thing about the ponies of this world…” You tensed and got ready to advance. “So many of you are just so damn racist.” The two of you both advanced at the same time and both threw overhead cuts at one another which met in the middle. He tried to cut your right side, which you blocked, you twisted your hands to deliver a lightning quick cut to his head, and he raised his saber to defend it. From the position of his saber, he was able to throw another downward cut which you barely ducked under and to the side. You swung low in an attempt to sweep the legs but the stranger jumped to avoid it. You pressed the advantage while he was turning to face you and thrust your saber at him. He barely managed to push it to the side with his blade to avoid being impaled but that didn’t stop your fist from making solid contact with his cheek. He yelled in pain and shoved you back. His horn lit up and fired more magic bullets at you, which you deflected with your Magicka saber with ease. You began to twirl your saber, effortlessly weaving it around your body with great speed. The stranger’s face lit up with confusion as you spun your body as well as your saber, slowly advancing towards him. You were showing off at this point, and you knew that you were getting in his head. Truthfully, all these spins and tricks leave you insanely vulnerable, but his lack of experience and your hours and hours on end of watching Star Wars back on Earth had given you the mind of confidence. With a final spin you gripped your saber with both hands again and threw the strongest cut you could muster. While he did block your attack he was thrown wildly off balance from the power of the cut. You took the advantage and threw a very quick thrust which grazed his left arm. He screamed in agony as a gash was burned into his shirt and his arm. He dropped to the ground, dropping his saber and gripping his wounded arm. The saber he dropped had deactivated when it touched the floor. You stepped back and deactivated your saber as well. You had noticed dark clouds overhead and noted that it would likely start raining in the next few minutes or so. “Hurts, doesn’t it?” You asked. “I have trained with weapons like this my entire life. Your movements are sloppy, you telegraph your attacks so easily I could fight you blindfolded. Your foot work is okay, but you don’t control your breathing, that makes you tire out faster than you can manage.” You listed several things wrong with his fighting. “Why are you trying to help me?!” He screamed, leaning forward and grabbing his saber. You heard the distant rumble of thunder in the distance. “We are fighting to the DEATH and you’re COACHING me?!” He activated his saber and stood up. He was still able to move his left arm, so he got into his usual stance. “I suppose I can’t help it. I did it to my friends back on Earth all the time.” You replied, activating your saber and readying up as well. The rain you had predicted had begun to fall, and the ground was soon soaked with fresh rainwater. The stranger charged at you and swung wildly, in a foolish attempt to physically overpower you like you did him. You firmly planted your feet and stopped his attack with ease. His shocked expression turned to one of pain as you raised your foot and kicked him in the diaphragm. He coughed and struggled to breathe for a second before pressing his attack once more. Each cut he threw, you parried and countered with on of your own. Your attacks gradually picked up in speed as you slowly stopped toying with him. His fighting style did improve slightly, but it wasn’t enough to matter. Patches of ground have turned to mud at this point, and the only light to come from the mountain was of the two sabers, locked in epic combat. Any fliers above Ponyville were sure to see this display. Time came to end the Duel, and with a focused glint in your eye, you waited for your best opening. Your opening came in the form of a bolt of lightning that struck a near by tree. The deafening blast had created a shockwave of water and the sound threw both you and the stranger off balance. You regained your composure first and with a practiced swing of your saber you sent his weapon flying out of his hands. With a twirl you jammed the tip of the saber into his center and the blade slid through his body with ease, stopping about half way down. The stranger gasped as the air was forced from his lungs and his eyes went wide with pain and shock. His horn sparked in some vain attempt of retaliation but no magic was able to muster itself. His hands went up and desperately clawed at your arms, but with a jolt you ripped the blade out of his body and he fell to his knees. You turned and walked over to his saber on the ground. You picked it up and stored it safely on your belt. Turning again, you saw the stranger still staring at you, barely hanging on to what life force he had remaining. You made your way over to him and raised your saber. You nodded at him with respect before swinging down at him, cleaving a gash into his chest and killing him instantly. You deactivated your saber and hooked it onto your belt. Your legs were beginning to burn from all the movement, but you turned and left the clearing. The day long trip down the mountain was still ahead of you, but the princesses would rest easy tonight knowing that you, along with the secrets of Magetite’s powerful capabilities, are safe. Author's Note And thus concludes this story! Hope y’all enjoyed!
