Fall of Equestria: For Honor (revamp)

With the first glimpse of the morning sun, the herds of Arminius and Wulfric came to find their lovers on the hill completely nude with the two shield maidens snuggled on top of them. Sigrid and Hilda were of course feeling a tad jealous along with Applejack and Rainbow Dash who seemed a bit pouty after stumbling upon the scene.

"They went wild all night and didn't invite me?"

"Focus Rainbow, we gotta get these horndogs to breakfast or they'll be too hungry to even stand." Applejack said before nudging Wulfric with her boot.

"Wake up sugarcube. It's morning."

"Mmm..." Wulfric groaned as he peeked one eye open and saw up Applejacks loincloth with a happy smirk.

"And what a morning it is."

"I trust you boys had an eventful evening?" Hilda smirked as Arminius began to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

"More or less." her husband said before giving a big yawn. As the four of them began gathering their clothes, Applejack reached behind her and suddenly splashed the boys with a pale of water so cold that it felt like they had just taken a dip in the river during winter.

"Dang it woman! WE'RE ALREADY AWAKE!!" Wulfric screamed in protest.

"That was for the smell hon." Applejack said with a proud smirk.

Once they were back in camp, the group noticed that Cherry Blossom seemed more chipper than usual as she was bringing Double Edge his breakfast and were more shocked when the knight gave her a loving peck to the cheek before allowing her to return to her duties.

"Well well, seems love is in the air." Wulfric teased his friend as they sat around the fire to warm themselves up.

“What can I say? We just so happen to click,” Double said as Cherry sat on his lap.

"I'd say you did more than that." Wulfric said as he was given a bowl of porridge and helped himself.

"Hey where's Wiglaf?"

"He's down by the river fishing. Him and those two little admirers of his." Hilda said with a smile while stoking the fire.

"I taught him well," Arminius said with a proud smile of his own.

"Yes, well hopefully he takes things slow. They're still children after all," Sigrid said while helping herself to some bread.

"So...we all ready?" Wulfric asked, referring to the raid as they all took a moment to look at each other before Twilight gave a reassuring smile.

"We are."

"Then may fortune smile on us. We set out before noon so eat your fill."

Twilight then saw how each of the raiders were savoring their meal as though it would be their last before finishing her breakfast as they prepared for the raid. It was at this time when she noticed the shamans preparing a special brew for the warriors as they began decorating the faces of each raider with paint before giving them a small cup of the strange potion.

"What is that?" She asked one of the other clan members who was in attendance.

"The berserker brew. It gives warriors the strength of a hundred men and the spirit of a beast."

Twilight watched as each warrior slowly drank the potion that seemed to have a painful affect on their bodies, among them was Wulfric and Arminius who exchanged a quick handshake before downing their potions and joined the raiding party of their respective clans.

"First to the battle." Wulfric smiled at his old friend while mounting his lizard.

"First to the feast." Arminius replied before speeding ahead as he lead the way.

Wiglaf followed behind with his bow at the ready and ashen war paint covering his face. Today, he would do his ancestors proud.

The raiding party hid behind a large hill just on the outskirts of the village and could see a large caravan of slaves being brought over a large bridge stretching across a vast river.

"That is one large bridge." Wulfric said while peeking through the spyglass.

"The shore looks too muddy to cross and the current would slow us down. Their archers would cut us down in seconds, looks like our best bet is through that gate."

"Should've said that before we took the potion," Arminius said while doing his best to calm down.

"We should have a couple of our men tail the last wagon in disguise and take out the guards at the gate," Wiglaf said while pointing to the end of the caravan that was still hidden in the treeline.

"Good plan boy. Double Edge, Ryu you two hide in the back of the last wagon, once you're inside, open the gates and we'll take it from there."

"What can I do?" Twilight asked, eager to help.

"Hmm...if the first plan fails, teleport as many of our fighters as you can behind the gate but watch your backs. If Red Hare is here, he'll be waiting for us."

"We'll try and create as much mayhem once we get the gates open. Good luck, my friends." Ryu said as he and Double Edge stayed low and moved through the thick bushes, remaining out of sight. The two peeked through a bush and looked around, waiting for an opening. Once they saw their window they immediately ran from the bushes and towards the back of the last wagon, stealthy sneaking on board and hiding behind crates of what appears to be alcohol.

Tensions were high as the last wagon approached the gates and the guards began their inspection of the cargo.

"Alright fellas whatcha got for us today?"

"The latest shipment of wine from the Canterlot Vineyards. Compliments of Prince Blueblood. I heard he'll be in attendance for today's auction."

"Blueblood is here?" Double Edge whispered before Ryu gestured him to keep quiet.

"Man royals get all the good stuff...don't suppose you'd be willing to part with a spare bottle or two? for an after party?"

"You're speaking my language friend. Besides, they won't notice one missing bottle." The driver said as he began reaching back to grab a wine bottle. With quick thinking, Ryu managed to place one just within his reach as he carefully slid a crate over and the driver handed the bottle to the guard before being allowed through the gates.

"Alright! that's the last one, seal the gate!"

Ryu and Double Edge tried their hardest to avoid making any noises or moving too much to avoid detection. Peeking through some of the crates Ryu was able to make out some parts of the fortress, there was an entire army here, all warriors armed with weapons, raping mares wherever they pleased, eating and drinking to their black hearts contents.

After a short ride the wagon soon parked inside a large shed and the two warriors quietly snuck out. They saw the rider walk off to join his comrades

"Edge." Ryu said as he peeked through the door and looked around, seeing the hundreds of soldiers around

"We'll need to move fast."

"Right, let's get to the gatehouse." Double Edge whispered as they began to move through the winding alleyways of the village while avoiding the various patrols. Once they were near the gatehouse, they saw that the guards had already passed out from the wine and were slumped over the table, snoring away with empty mugs in their hands.

"We can't risk them raising the alarm, take em out." Double Edge said as they brought out their knives and snuck up on the unsuspecting drunkards. With a quick slice, the guards were taken out. To make sure no further suspicions could be raised, they spilled the rest of the wine on the table, mixing the blood with the wine.

After a few minutes of waiting the gates slowly opened, giving the raiders their chance to sneak into the village undetected as they dashed across the field, silent as ghosts while the males of the village gathered in the square to begin the auction.

"Wiglaf, get to the roofs and keep out of sight. Snipe anyone who might give us away." Wulfric instructed the young buck who quickly took to the nearest rooftop to scout ahead.

"That boy is going to be one hell of a man," Arminius smiled at his son before focusing on the mission at hand.

"This way, hurry." Cherry whispered as she showed them a safe route to the square and already they could hear men calling out bids for the next slave amidst the sickening cheers and laughter.

"Look." Twilight pointed to a large cage in the center of the stage and inside was none other than Queen Rainshine herself dressed in a see through outfit wearing chains and a black collar yet despite the humiliating attire she maintained her composure even as one of her subjects was forced to take two stags at once in front of the crowd.

"What say we make a grand entrance?" Wulfric grinned as they prepared their weapons.

"Not yet. Let's get a few of our men close to the cages, then we draw their attention to us," Arminius told his friend before gripping his ax at the ready.

"Leave that to us." Rainbow winked before sneaking off with Twilight and Applejack.

"Something's wrong, this was too easy." Double Edge said after noticing they gathered all the guards in one spot while their friends managed to sneak behind the stage and started to unlock the cages.

"Ready your weapons..." Wulfric said as he watched Twilight use her magic to pick the lock.

Click!

"NOW!!"

In a burst of speed and fury, the raiders began slaughtering every last stag and stallion in the crowd while the guards scrambled to put up some kind of defense as they found themselves attacked from all sides.

"Come on, this way!" Twilight called out as she lead the slaves and queen away much to the dismay of their jailer who tried to stop the princess from getting away.

"HEY! Let go!!"

"You're not going anywhere you little bi-" Before he could finish the last part of his sentence, the slaver suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck before feeling his back to find an arrow lodged into it. As the stag fell to the stage, Twilight saw young Wiglaf giving her a two fingered salute before narrowly dodging arrowfire coming from the guards posted at the walls.

"Arminius! Get your men to the rear gate! We'll meet you there!!" Wulfric shouted before using a broken shield to block an arrow.

Arminius nodded before charging the enemy like a mad bull, swinging and slashing at his opponents with his ax and antlers.

"Push through!" Wulfric called out as they began driving back the enemy. Victory seemed well within their grasp until they heard several horn calls followed by the sound of beating drums.

"What the?"

As the drums continued to beat, ranks of soldiers came marching out of the houses in full armor from every street, forcing them back into the square and leaving no escape route.

"Fuckin hell it was a trap!" Surt cursed while looking at their newly arrived foes.

Clap...clap...clap...clap...

"Bravo, bravo. A well executed ambush, I'd expect no less from you...dear brother." A voice called out as Arminius turned to see a familiar face stepping out of the crowd followed by two other individuals.

"What did I tell you gentlemen? Predictable."

"Flavus..." The chieftain hissed with anger when two guards came dragging his son towards them.

"HEY! LET ME GO!!"

"WIGLAF!!" Sigrid cried out but was held back by the others.

"Wiglaf? My dear nephew?" Flavus questioned while cupping the young bucks chin to get a better look.

"It IS you! my how you've grown. Do you remember your dear uncle?"

PTOO!!

Wiglaf spat into the stags face before he was slapped and thrown to his fathers feet by the guards.

"Nice to see you again Flavus, who're your new friends?" Wulfric asked while surveying the guards.

"Ah Wulfric so good to see you! So sorry about your father." Flavus said with a smile, feigning his condolences.

"My friends, this is Wulfric. The one we've heard so much about, Wulfric meet Prince Blueblood of Equestria and...Prince Vortigern Stonehoof son of Dainn Stonehoof."

"Go fornicate yourselves with an iron stick. And you!" Arminius pointed right at his brother. "I should've killed you when you were just a scrawny leech, blood be damned!"

"Brother I'm hurt! And afte we haven't seen each other for so long."

"You mean after you left us in that frozen hell for dead?!" Sigrid snapped when Flavus glared at her.

"Oh Sigrid, so happy you're alive and is that Hilda? My what a happy family reunion."

"Come over here and I'll give ya a hug." Wulfric said with his axe pointed at the traitor.

"Now now, let's all be civil here." Prince Vortigern stepped between the two forces and looked to Wulfric with a friendly smile.

"I would speak to the leader of the rebels."

"Don't do it, it's a trap." Double Edge whispered with the others agreeing but knowing they were outnumbered and surrounded, Wulfric stepped forward while the enemy parted ways for their prince.

"Speak." He commanded while the prince gave a quick chuckle.

"A man who takes charge, I like that." Vortigern smirked while rubbing his hands together.

"I won't beat around the bush so here it is. Join us, join our empire and live like kings! This land Wulfric, we could take it for our own." He began to sweeten the deal by letting the chieftain get a glimpse at Blueblood who was busy cleaning his fingernails with a dagger while Flavus gave a smug grin towards him.

"These Equestrians, they're weak! They've never tasted war, hardship, loss...not like us. We could open up a new chapter for our people here on this land and my father could use a strong man like you."

To say the offering was not enticing would be a lie as Wulfric nodded along with every word he said.

"A generous offer oh prince...but if I were to accept, what would I have to give you in exchange."

"An EXCELLENT question!" Vortigern cheered with a clap of the hands.

"For starters, you must return all the slaves you've stolen including the pegasus and the farm girl and..." He paused, pointing to Twilight with a sinister smile.

"You must give us her. My father has declared that Princess Twilight will be my new bride."

"LIKE HELL SHE WILL!!" Rainbow shouted as her friends moved to block Twilight from his sight.

"What say you oh mighty Lord Wulfric? Join us and help rewrite history."

Wulfric gave another nod while tapping the blade of his axe before suddenly holding up two fingers in reverse to the prince.

"Up yours ya bakraut!"

"...so be it."

With a wave of his hand, Vortigern signaled his troops to move in as they raiders prepared to make what looked to be their final stand.

"Twilight what do we do?" Applejack asked as Twilight tried to find a solution.

"I...I don't know, I can't teleport everyone..." Twilight began to hyperventilate and she began to panic while formulating a plan when out of nowhere, Wulfric raised his axe high and cried out.

"VALHALLAAAAAAAA!!!"

The raiders soon joined in his warcry and as if by magic they seemed transform and began panting and growling like feral beasts ready to charge.

"It was a great raid!" Arminius said to his friend with an eager smile.

"See you at the feast hall friend." Wulfric smiled back before unleashing a blast of ice that sent dozens of soldiers flying before they charged headlong into the enemy ranks like madmen.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of light whizzed passed multiple enemy units. Multiple slash wounds ripped open across their chests as blood sprayed out before they fell. Another flash zoomed by and a few of the war beasts’ necks sliced open before falling down dead.

“What the name of Thor is going on!” Wulfric shouted. It was then, they noticed that Double Edge was not with them.

“Oh no…” Twilight gulped. “He’s going to fast!”

“What?” Arminius said as he fought off two enemies.

“Double’s speed spell,” Twilight said. “Similar to his strengthening spell, it makes the caster extraordinarily fast! But it uses twice as much magic!” The group watched as the flash of light ran around a dozen men and Double slashed each and every one of them through their chests and stomachs before running off. “Double is taking a huge gamble!”

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," Hilda said before gutting a Stonehoof with her spear.

In the midst of battle, Double Edge sensed a familiar presence as the sound of heavy boots and a blade being grinded against the ground came from behind him.

"You and I have some unfinished business boy."

"Red Hare..." Double Edge slowly turned to see his rival standing before him.

"Sniff sniff That smell...you laid with my slave didn't you?" The kirin general asked with a grin while Double did his best to ignore his taunts.

"Hope you enjoyed her because after this..." he pointed his halberd to the unicorn.

"She'll be mine again."

"Fire style: Inferno Barrage!" Ryu jumped off the roof of a building and let out a volley of fireballs down at Red Hare, the Kirin general growled in annoyance before using his halberd as a shield and blocking the attacks. Smoke and flames covered his area as Ryu jumped down

"I wanted to kill him." Double Edge said with mild annoyance at Ryu

"You'll have your chance." Ryu said, Double Edge was confused by this before a gust of wind blew by as the fire and smoke was gone in an instant and Red Hare stood there unscathed.

"My turn." The kirin general said before transforming into a nirik and covering the area with an unbearable heat.

"You managed to escape me last time but fortune has favored me this day!"

"We'll see about that when I take your head!" Double Edge drew his rapiers and prepared for battle, Ryu drawing his katana and taking a stand next to him. Red Hare laughed as he slammed the end of his halberd into the ground, cracking the ground as he then threw chunks of the ground at the two warriors. Ryu and Edge both rushed forward and dodged the stones as they moved in to attack Hare. Red Hare smirked as he jumped up and spun his halberd like a fan, flames ignited around his weapon and he hurled down like a rocket, blowing the two back while giving them both slight burns.

“Blast it!” Double cursed as Hare laughed like a madman.

“I will burn you to cinders and drag your charred corpse to my slave!” Hare boasted. “Then I’ll buck a bastard into her as she was meant to do!”

“You shall do no such thing!” Double barked as he powered up his horn again. “Ryu, cover me!”

"Understood! Earth Style: Fissure!" With a slam of his fist, the earth split beneath Red Hares feet as Double Edge activated his booster spell. Hare stumbled from the sudden split in the ground, causing him to cease his spinning. Double took the opportunity to charge straight at him with both his rapiers pointed at the kirin. Hare barely had enough time to react and managed to block Double’s attack, making both opponents push against each other.

"How fitting that all the leaders of the rebellion are gathered in one spot! Once I've killed all of you, I'll present your women to the king and be honored as a hero!"

"You're many things Red Hare but a hero ain't one of them!"

"You're right. Then...I SHALL BE A CONQUEROR!!" Red Hare shoved Double Edge back and delivered a heel kick to his chest, sending him tumbling backwards before Ryu jumped in and began a series of hit and run attacks to keep the general on his toes.

“You will not live to see another day, Hare!” Double said and powered up his horn even more.

Suddenly, he felt a splitting headache and his legs began to buckle. He caught himself but could feel the strain from overusing his spell.

“Once more…please,” he muttered to himself. “Right for the center.”

As Double Edge struggled to his feet, Arminius saw his brother staring down at him with that same smug grin while watching him struggle to cut down every soldier that was sent against him but with each passing second the effects of the potion began to waver and his physical strength was pushed to the limit.

"Dammit...there's too many of them!" Surt cursed, barely able to grip his sword.

"If we go down-WE GO DOWN FIGHTING!! FOR THE CLANS!!" Wulfric roared in defiance, rousing the troops into another frenzy as they pushed harder.

When defeat seemed imminent for the rebels, a horn call was sounded across the field followed by the sound of war drums.

"Where's that coming from?" Vortigern asked when one of his men came rushing towards him.

"My prince! Enemy forces coming from the south, at least two thousand!"

"Impossible! We never saw signs of any reinforcements!" Blueblood said in protest before being silenced.

"Do we know who they belong to?"

"Yes sire, It's the Crystal Empire and they are lead by Shining Armor himself!"

"So the prodigal son returns." Vortigern smirked when another soldier knelt before him.

"Three thousand more are coming from the west, they carry the banner of Princess Luna!"

"That can't be Luna had no force under her banner least not one with three thousand strong." Blueblood said quietly not wishing to be struck again.

"Clearly she has gained that number when we lost sight of her you imbicile." Vortigern growled

Vortigern then took out a spyglass and looked to where the sound was coming from just as banners bearing Princess Luna's cresent moon appeared and beneath them marching in rhythm were soldiers dressed in leather and metal.

At the head of Luna's army, Bulwark signaled for one of his lieutenants to come forth to relay a message to Shining Armor as they drew closer and before long, they were at the villages rear gate and could hear the desperate fighting still going on inside.

"My lord, the harpoons are ready." Another of his officers said as they brought up two cannons loaded with giant spears tied with ropes.

"You have your orders and you know the plan...fire when ready." Bulwark ordered.

The canons were aimed and the army prepared to charge forward as the officer prepared to give the signal.

"Ready...FIRE!!"

BOOM!!

The canons found their mark and the gate was slowly pried off its hinges as the black prior charged in, flanking the enemy just as the crystal empires troops approached the walls.

"Marshall." The prince called out to the warden.

"Sire?"

"I chose you for a reason, show me."

"As you command. MEN! GET THOSE LADDERS UP!!" Marshall shouted as his troops let out a cheer and charged forward.

"Archers cover their approach, make every shot count!"

In the midst of this chaos, treacherous trio made for an escape until Flavus felt a sharp pain go across his right cheek. "Aaah!" He closed the gash with his hand before looking to where the pain came from. When he looked back, he saw his nephew Wiglaf, notching another arrow onto the string.

When the two stared at each other, Flavus saw a look of pure hatred in Wiglaf's eyes. He fired another shot but he missed and Flavus used this time to escape. "Run. Next time, I won't miss," Wiglaf growled before killing a Kirin with an arrow to the neck.

As the enemy troops were hemmed in from all sides, Red Hare was forcing Ryu back with every strike of his heavy halberd all while in his nirik form as the samurai was pushed to the breaking point while Double Edge struggled to refocus his power.

"Look at you! PATHETIC!!" The kirin general shouted before kicking Ryu into the stage.

"You thought that you really stood a chance against ME?!?" Red Hare screamed as he swung his weapon down. Ryu swung his blade in an attempt to parry only to have his sword shatter like glass as he fell to his knees in exhaustion.

"RED HARE!" Double roared as his horn suddenly exploded with a bright light. "One chance..." Double used as much magic as possible. "ENHANCE! RELEASE!" Double's whole body glowed with magical aura. His swords gleamed with brilliant light as he felt his ultimate spell was cast.

Unphased by this sudden turn of events, Red Hare charged at Double Edge head on with his spear ready to pierce his heart.

"Turning your back on an opponent is a fatal mistake!" Ryu said before trapping him with his kusarigama giving Double Edge just enough time to land the finishing blow.

"DAMN YOU!!"

SLASH!!

The gap between them closed in an instant, Red Hare went completely silent as Double Edge whizzed past him. He stood on the opposite side of the Kirin with his swords held out in front of him. Suddenly, two thin yet deep sword slashes opened up across Red Hare’s chest and blood spewed out like a fountain.

“Im…possible…!” Red Hare grunted as he fell to his knees.

Double’s spell soon began to take its toll as a splitting headache made him very dizzy. His muscles in his legs and arms began to burn and ache as he could barely hold onto his swords.

“Ugh…” Double grunted and peered over his shoulder at the dying Kirin. “Now my precious Cherry can finally sleep peacefully.”

"He's done it! Red Hare is vanquished! SIR DOUBLE EDGE HAS KILLED HIM!!" One of the knights cheered and others soon joined in while helping the fatigued knight to his feet. As the last of the enemies surrendered, Marshall met Wulfric and Arminius halfway towards the rear gates. All three were stained with blood and exhausted from the fighting as they stopped to catch their breath.

"Are you the ones that lead the rebellion?" Marshall panted while planting his sword in the ground to lean on.

"We are." Wulfric huffed.

"Prince Shining Armor will want to meet with you. Come to us when this is over."

With an approving nod, the chieftains then made their way to the town hall that was now completely surrounded by their forces who were looking for a way in but they hall was cleverly built so that the windows were too high to climb through and the walls too smooth to climb.

"No use my lords, only way in is through this gate." One of the raiders said while making way for the chieftains.

"This is no gate...looks more like a door." Wulfric stated while Arminius gave a few taps.

"A WOODEN door...HACK IT DOWN!!"

Several Vikings with axes soon swarmed the door and began hacking away at it. Even a few knights with halberds started chipping away at the wood.

"Umm might I offer an easier solution?" Twilight said as they stepped back and she began to gather her magic into one spot before blasting the door to splinters.

"That...was effective." Double Edge said as they marched into the hall and began checking the rooms but after a lengthy search, they found no trace of Vortigern and his cohorts.

"They're gone! how?" Wulfric asked in outrage when he noticed Twilight staring at the fireplace.

"Got something sugarcube?" Applejack asked when Twilight knelt down to rub the floor.

"This wood's been scraped by something heavy. A door maybe?" She pondered.

"I wonder..." Using her intuition, Twilight grabbed one of the fire pokers and found it hard to remove and heard a feint click as a triumphant smirk appeared on her face.

"Gotcha."

Click!

With one pull of the lever, a hidden door opened behind the fireplace to reveal a large tunnel dug right under the village.

"This is how they got out."

"Flavus was always the sneaky type. The bastard." Wulfric shook his head before they heard Arminius angrily flip over the large table in frustration.

"Twilight, go see your brother. He should be just outside the rear gate." Wulfric hinted his friends as he went to join Arminius who was still fuming over his brothers hand in the ambush.

"It is not wise to be in my company now Wulfric." Arminius cautioned his friend but Wulfric simply took one of the overturned chairs and sat down.

"I should have gutted him when I had the chance all those years ago..."

"You'll have that chance again, Allfather willing." Wulfric said in hopes of consoling his friend.

"Even if he escaped today, this was a victory for us. We saved the Kirin Queen, found new allies and let's not forget you're going to be a father again. Take comfort in that."

“Speaking of which,” Double said. “I believe it wise that we check in on her majesty the Kirin queen,” Double said turned to leave. “I shall go and see her now. Cherry is probably waiting for me as well.”

"Agreed."

As they left the hall, Arminius spotted a portrait of Dainn Stonehoof hanging over the fireplace and whether it was out of spite or a simple form of amusement, he grabbed a piece of broken spear and hurled it right at the spot between his legs and gave a satisfied chuckle before stepping out to hear a mix of cheers and battle cries.

“There they are!”

“The heroes!”

“Thank you, brave warriors!”

“Heh, not a bad feeling, I must say,” Double smirked, ignoring the ache in his arms and legs.

"Double Edge!" Cherry Blossom cheered as she ran past the crowd to give her lover a kiss.

"Oww ouch ouch ouch!" Double Edge cried out the moment she hugged him.

"Oh. Sorry." Cherry giggled while helping him to lean onto her shoulder.

"I was worried I might not see you again."

“Hey now, what’s with that tone?” Double said as Cherry supported his weight. “We made a vow, did we not? I will live for you and stay alive.”

Cherry could only smile and embrace her lover as they went to find a place to rest while the raiders began searching the town for any valuables and as expected of a bustling slave market, the larger buildings of the town were filled with all sorts of treasures.

"Look at all this gold!"

"We're rich!"

"Don't get too greedy boys, some of that is for our people." Wulfric said before breaking open a crate to find it loaded with vegetables and other foods.

"Here's the real prize." He said just as Twilight came marching up with an armed escort and a unicorn dressed in gilded armor with a crystal halberd.

“So…” Shining said as he and Wulfric stood in front of each other. “The infamous chieftain of the rebel caribou forces. I’d usually call myself mad for saying this.” Shining raised his hand at Wulfric. “It is good to meet you, sir. I am Captain Shining Armor, leader of the Golden Dawn.”

"Wulfric Warborn, Son of Hjalmarr, Chieftain of The Warborn Clan." Wulfric returned the gesture in kind before handing Twilight an apple from their plunder.

"Thank you for showing up when you did, I might not be standing here if not for you."

“You should thank my subordinate,” Shining said, eyeing Double from afar. “If not for him, I’d still be hesitant in changing my route. We originally on our way to one of the larger main cities for reconnaissance.”

"And the fact that your little sister was here makes...no difference to you?" Wulfric joked while Shining Armor scratched his head.

"Well that's...part of the reason." He said while Twilight gave a short giggle just as Marshall came up with his troops.

"Sire, we've rounded up the prisoners and our new friends have begun helping the kirin."

"Good, give them what provisions they need and I'll prepare a portal to the empire."

"As you command." Marshall gave a quick bow as he departed to fulfill his orders.

"So now that we've finally met, I guess negotiations are in order." Wulfric stated while seating himself on a wine barrel.

"Double Edge said I could make this offer again if my kin and I proved ourselves so here it is: Join us as allies in the fight against Dainn."

Shining stared at Wulfric as one of the squires brought them drinking cups and ale.

“I’ll admit, you and your forces have made some admirable victories against Dainn. This one included,” Shining said. “However, you’ll forgive me if I’m still a bit hesitant. No offense, of course.”

"Understandable but you should know, Princess Luna has also considered this alliance." Wulfric said as their drinks were poured.

"And while you may not want to hear this, we also have the aid of The Changeling Kingdom."

“Changelings?” Shining said, arching a brow. “Never thought Chrysalis would be willing to even consider lending aid.”

"In times of war, enemies can become allies and vice versa." Wulfric said while sipping his ale.

"And in case you're wondering, we have taken good care of your people. Some have even joined us in our cause."

"And some have even um...hooked up?" Twilight said sheepishly just as Rainbow Dash landed on her lovers lap.

"What you guys talking about?" She asked while Shining Armor looked surprised.

"Ah business stuff."

"Boring! Meet me later so we can find a place to fool around~."

Wulfric chuckled and gave her flank a squeeze before letting her take off.

“So…you and Rainbow?” Shining said, perplexed.

“And Applejack,” Wulfric added with a smirk. “What can I say? Enemies one day, true lovers the next. You could say we just happen to click.”

“Then it seems I’ve vastly misjudged you,” Shining admitted. “Where the Stonehoofs treat mares like mere objects for their desires, you treat them with respect and even love them back, am I right?”

“Like my father always told me, may Odin rest his soul, a man must know how to treat a lady right if he’s ever to be truly happy,” Wulfric said, eyeing Shining’s wedding ring. “So, who’s the lucky mare you’re wed to?”

"Hold it there. Just because I chose to talk with you does not mean I trust you that much."

"Shining Armor!" Twilight was outraged by her brothers suspicion but Wulfric told her to calm down as it was well founded.

"If my words do not hold sway then may I suggest this we do this the old fashioned way?"

"And what way is that?" Shining asked before taking a small sip.

"The right of proving. Your steel versus mine, let our blades speak for us."

“What?!” Twilight yelped. “A duel?! But there’s no need! Shining, please! He’s not a bad stag! He fought for us and saved my friends! Isn’t that enough?”

"Relax Twilight, this won't be to the death. A simple two out of three match. We each get three shields, whoever breaks to others shields first wins." Wulfric said before chugging down the rest of his ale.

"And after that, we'll have a feast."

"Then let's get to it, I'm starving," Arminius said before helping to make a small ring.

Three shields were set up on opposite sides of the ring as the combatants were each given a sword to fight with.

"The square is made, the hazel is laid! Combatants, to your marks!" Surt called out as both Shining Armor and Wulfric stepped in with the crowd on the edge of their seats.

"I don't know who to root for!" Pinkie said while holding two flags for both Shining and Wulfric.

"GO!!"

In true viking fashion, Wulfric struck first and sent Shining Armor staggering back after he managed to block the first strike before being hammered by several more.

"Come on BBBFF!!" Twilight cheered her brother on before seeing him tossed across the ring like a rag doll.

"RRRRG!!"

CRACK!!

With one last strike, Wulfric shattered Shining Armors shield, stunning some of his men while the rest of the crowd cheered.

"Wulfric leads one shield to none!" Surt called out as Shining rubbed the numbness out of his arm and went to retrieve another shield.

"Agh...damn he's brutal." Shining muttered as he fastened the shield to his left arm while Wulfric had one of the men bring him some water before rolling the tension out of his shoulders.

The fighters once again took their positions and Shining took a more readied stance this time as Surt prepared to signal the second round.

"GO!!""

"HAA!!"

CLANG!

"I got twenty silver says Wulfric breaks all of Shining's shields before he breaks even one," Arminius told Sigrid, only to have his gut punched. "Oof."

"Be nice. We're trying to gain their trust. Making bets against them is the wrong way to go," Sigrid said before going back to watch the fight.

Hilda held out some silver in front of Arminius. "I'll take that action."

Shining ducked and weaved passed each of Wulfrics strikes in an attempt to wear him down before retaliating with a few blows of his own and was able to even kick Wulfric into the mud, giving the soldiers a good laugh. Even Applejack and Rainbow couldn't help but snicker at their lovers plight as he lifted his face now covered in muck.

"Having a dirt nap are we?" Shining joked as Wulfric gave an annoyed growl and attacked again.

"RRAGH!! HOLD! STILL!!" Wulfric shouted in frustration as Shining continued to dodge.

"He's good, I'll give him that," Arminius said just before Shining dodged another strike and swung his sword, cutting the top of Wulfric's shield clean off. "Dammit!" He shouted before handing the bits to Hilda.

Hilda smirked before kissing her husbands cheek. "Love you to, babe."

"Pfft. Luck." Wulfric scoffed as he tossed the broken shield aside and wiped his face clean of the remaining mud.

"The score is now tied! This is the final round!" Surt announced as each combatant grabbed the next shield.

"GO!"

This time both fighters struck with equal intensity as they parried each others blows. Wulfric forced the prince back with a strong push of his shield before being driven back by a counterattack and it seemed like their fight would go on forever.

"This is it." Surt said with Twilight next to him.

"What do you mean?" Twilight asked as the two bashed their shields against each other in an attempt to overpower the other.

"They're both at the breaking point, something's gotta give." Surt said as the two staggered back to catch their breath.

"You're good..." Wulfric huffed with a hint of admiration to Shining.

"Same to you," Shining said while trying to catch his breath. After a moments rest, they faced off again.

"....WAAAAGHHH!!!"

"YAAAAAH!!!"

CLATTER!!

Like the sound of glass hitting rock, the blades of the two warriors were shattered to pieces by the strength of their impact, no longer able to take the stress of the constant blows leaving everyone stunned.

"No way..." Wiglaf said, completely stunned in amazement.

For a while the two men stood face to face, their blades broken and their bodies worn down before a smile appeared on Wulfrics face and he dropped the sword to offer Shining the hand of friendship.

"To this day, I have only one whom I considered a brother and now I have found another."

Shining Armor could not help but smile as he dropped his broken weapon and returned Wulfrics gesture.

"Wulfric, The Crystal Empire will gladly join you in this fight." Shining declared and the crowd erupted into a thunderous cheer.

End.