Filly Fluttershy: Resurgence

by Phazon

Rating: teen
Tags: Main 6, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Adventure, Shining Armor, Violence, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe
Length: 10391

Sequel to Filly Fluttershy: Uprising. Fluttershy must come out of retirement when Luna, the Goddess of Nature, reignites a war with Earth ponykind.

Three years have passed since Fluttershy soundly defeated the Lord of the Underworld, Discord. Since then, Celestia has tried to foster an uneasy peace between Luna and the Earth ponies. Unfortunately, tensions have not eased between the Goddess of Nature and the pony race that she tried to eradicate not too long ago. Now this unsteady peace has been shattered, and Luna has once again declared war on the Earth ponies.

But not everything is at it seems, as Luna's very motivations for going to war are called into question. As old grudges rise to the surface and dark pasts return to haunt everypony, Fluttershy finds herself caught in the middle of a conflict that threatens gods and mortals alike, and may imperil life as they all know it.

This is the sequel to my earlier story, Filly Fluttershy: Uprising, which is a pony adaptation of Kid Icarus: Uprising. Reading the first story shouldn't be necessary to get the most out of this one.

Published 2024-09-30 16:30:00 UTC
Last updated 2024-12-12 04:10:00 UTC

The Return of Luna

Chapter 1: The Return of Luna

The sound of hoofbeats echoed throughout a narrow, dimly lit hallway. The source of the sound—a unicorn with a lavender coat sporting an indigo mane with a rose-colored streak—skidded on her hooves as she approached a pair of double doors at the end of the hallway. A white tunic with gold trim covered much of her body, with a set of black leggings underneath reaching down to all four of her knees. She wore brown leather boots on each of her hooves, as well as a gold laurel crown in her mane.

“Sorry I’m late, sorry I’m late!” the unicorn said.

The unicorn came to a stop in front of the double doors, which flung open at her approach. Patches of clouds dotted the bright blue skies on the other side of the doors, hundreds of feet above the ground. The unicorn’s horn glowed with a magenta aura, and she galloped across the threshold. A magenta path of light appeared underneath the unicorn’s hooves, extending forward with each step she took as galloped through the afternoon skies.

“Far from it, my dearest Twilight,” a gentle voice echoed in the unicorn’s ear. “Given the emergency we find ourselves in, you’re as punctual as I could expect from anypony.”

The unicorn, Twilight Sparkle, flashed a quick smile. A pop reverberated through the air next to her, and a stringless blue and gold bow appeared at her side. The bow’s limbs were sharpened into bladed edges and attached by a brown leather grip with a small shield emblem at its center. “What’s the emergency, Princess Celestia?” Twilight asked.

“Luna, the Goddess of Nature, has gone to war with the Earth ponies,” Celestia said. “She’s waging an attack on an Earth pony town five miles away.”

A group of creatures in the shape of giant, one-eyed chestnuts flying on insect wings converged on Twilight. Using her magic, Twilight brought her weapon in front of her. A volley of magic arrows fired from the bow’s sight, shooting down the enemies—called Nutskis—one by one.

“I thought Luna and the Earth ponies had a truce,” Twilight said. “It’s been going on for three years, ever since Discord’s defeat.”

“Unfortunately, Luna has broken the truce,” Celestia said. “She has abducted an Earth pony colt from his family, and is now sending her forces to attack their town.”

Twilight blinked. “Wait, that’s it?” she asked. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, that’s awful. But the last time Luna went to war with the Earth ponies, she declared a genocide on their entire race. Now she’s foalnapped a colt? I know your mission as the Goddess of Light is to protect ponykind from malicious gods, but this seems a bit…”

“Yes, ordinarily this wouldn’t be worth going to combat with her,” Celestia said. “Normally, we would negotiate with her for the release of this foal. But when Luna abducted the foal from his hometown, the townsponies started an uprising against her. And when word spreads to other Earth pony towns, they’ll no doubt rise against her too.”

Twilight sighed, even as she fired several more arrows at another group of Nutskis. “And now Luna has sent her Forces of Nature to ‘put them in their place,’ right?” she asked.

“More or less,” Celestia said.

Dark clouds swirled throughout the skies around Twilight. An enormous figure rose up ahead of her, blocking the afternoon sun with her head and starry blue mane. The figure, a dark blue alicorn wearing a black tiara and a chestpiece adorned with a white crescent moon, loomed over Twilight and narrowed her eyes.

“Princess Celestia, the Goddess of Light,” Luna’s voice echoed. “And I see you’ve sent your prized protege.”

“Luna,” Celestia said. “Stop this at once. No good can come of breaking your truce with the Earth ponies.”

“The Earth ponies rise up against me, Celestia,” Luna said. “I cannot allow that to go unanswered.”

“They rise up because you abducted one of their own, a child,” Celestia said. “Surrender the colt, and we can resolve this peaceably.”

“What do you want with a young colt in the first place?” Twilight asked. “This doesn’t make any sense.”

“That is none of your concern, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna said. “You and your goddess might take it upon yourselves to protect mortalkind from the machinations of other gods, but I am warning you, just this once. Do not interfere.”

Luna’s form faded away, and the dark clouds around Twilight began to dissipate. As the bright, blue afternoon sky reemerged all around her, Twilight spotted more of Luna’s troops across the horizon. Nutskis, as well as a variety of other creatures, descended through the surrounding cloud cover.

“So what do we do?” Twilight asked.

Celestia sighed. “We interfere,” she said. Twilight leapt, the hard light path vanishing from under her hooves as she dove down past the surrounding clouds. “Whatever her intentions may be, we cannot ignore the ponies that she has launched her attack against. And besides, the last time she abducted an Earth pony, the results were… horrific.”

A trio of enemies with green, stalklike legs and bodies flew toward Twilight. Each one had a single, giant yellow eye in its head and a pair of bladed leaflike arms, adapted for both combat and winged flight. Twilight raised her weapon, the Palutena Bow, and fired at the creatures. Her arrows shot down two of the enemies, called Bladers, and she held her bow in front of her and slashed at the third one. Her bow’s bladed limbs sliced off one of the surviving Blader’s arms, sending the creature plummeting.

“So the plan is to force back her attack on the Earth ponies and convince her to surrender,” Twilight said. The hard light path materialized under her hooves again, and she broke out of her dive and galloped through the skies again.

“For now, yes,” Celestia said. “I have no intention of invading her realm, yet, but hopefully we can apply enough pressure to convince her to back down and return the foal safe and sound.”

Rolling green hills sprawled out below Twilight, with patches of trees interspersed along the ground. A crystal clear river flowed down the middle, leading to a walled town off in the distance. It was a picturesque sight, Twilight thought, aside from the horde of aerial Nature enemies dotting the skies in between her and the town.

Several of the creatures hovered just ahead of her, each one consisting of a blue pod with an exposed orange core underneath its rocky shell. The pods, called Trynamites, exploded one by one, each releasing three fragments of its core that hurtled toward Twilight. Twilight swerved to the left, and then to the right, dodging the Trynamite fragments as she went. She raised the Palutena Bow with her magic as another wave of Bladers and Nutskis approached. The bow fired three arrows, each shooting down one of Luna’s troops. The magenta aura around Twilight’s horn flared, and she fired several bolts of magic at the enemies on her left.

Two of the Nutskis’ shells opened, and they each spat out a large seed at Twilight. Twilight sidestepped, dodging the seeds, and fired back with her horn. Several Bladers fired a beam of energy from their eyes. Twilight brought her bow in front of her and twirled it in her magical grip, deflecting the Bladers’ beams with the sides of the bow’s bladed limbs.

“Luna’s forces have already descended on the town up ahead,” Celestia said. “You need to hurry.”

“On it!” Twilight said. The aura around her horn flickered, and a magenta glow flashed across her hooves. The spell she was using to generate the path of light under her hooves made them feel lighter, more limber, and she rushed forward with a burst of speed. The Palutena Bow spun above her head as she went, slicing through a few of Luna’s forces even as she left most of them in her wake.

The Earth pony town came into view in a matter of moments. The stone wall that surrounded the town was proving ineffective, as hundreds of airborne Nature enemies simply hovered over the fortifications. Several ballistas were spaced out along the tops of the walls, with ponies busy loading and firing them, while dozens more ponies were stationed at the parapets with longbows.

“The Earth ponies have become more organized with their defenses in the years since Discord’s defeat,” Celestia said. “Even so, they don’t stand a chance against the Forces of Nature.”

The Earth pony archers loosed their bowstrings all at once, and a volley of arrows sailed up at the Nature enemies. Nutskis, Bladers, and even a few Trynamites were shot down, but many managed to evade the hail of oncoming arrows. A surge of panic shot through Twilight as she saw many of the arrows sail up at her, and she veered off course. She began to run at an angle, almost sideways, through the air, allowing the hard light path under her hooves to come in between her and the volley of arrows. The arrows pelted the path under her hooves, and even a ballista bolt struck the path, putting a crack in it just beneath her back hooves.

“It’s going to be hard to get past their defenses to actually help them,” Twilight said.

“I’m afraid we can’t simply ask the Earth ponies to stop defending their town,” Celestia said. Three Trynamites broke apart above the town's walls, sending nine fragments of their cores at the Earth ponies’ defensive line. Several Earth ponies were struck, while one of the ballistas was split in two. Nutskis and Bladers fired upon the Earth ponies as well, knocking several of them off of the walls. “Do you have any ideas?”

“A few, actually,” Twilight said, and a smirk crept across her face. “But one that I think will work perfectly.”

She circled back around, making sure she was out of range of the Earth pony archers’ fire. When she steered back in the direction of the town, she positioned her bow right in front of her, tilted her head down, and fired a spell from her horn right down the bowsight. Her magic surged down the ends of both bow limbs, then back toward the bowsight, and then a storm of magic arrows fired from the Palutena Bow. Her arrows shot across the skies above the town, peppering Luna’s forces. The force of Twilight’s stunt tossed her body back, and she skidded on her hooves along her hard light path before coming to a stop. When she looked out across the skies above the town, there were only a few Bladers left circling overhead, while most of Luna’s forces had been wiped out.

“See? Problem solved!” Twilight said. “With the Forces of Nature gone, the Earth ponies don’t have anything to shoot at. We can fly over safely!”

“Well done, Twilight,” Celestia said. “But many of Luna’s forces are still roaming the streets. You’ll have to engage them on the ground.”

“I’m on my way!” Twilight said. She galloped forward, her light path taking her back toward the town. Along the walls, many of the Earth pony soldiers lowered their bows at the sight of her, and the sounds of cheers began to swell up from below. “Sounds like the ponies below are glad to see us.”

“They remain hopeful, but your mission is not over yet,” Celestia said. “Prepare to make landfall. We even have an ally among the ponies below, and she’s been looking forward to meeting you again.”

“Is it Applejack?” Twilight asked, her face lighting up as she circled around the town overhead. “It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other.”

“Actually, it’s Pinkie Pie this time,” Celestia said.

“What?! Pinkie Pie?!” Twilight shouted. “Oh, no. Not her.”

“What’s wrong, Twilight?” Celestia asked. “Pinkie Pie adores you.”

“To be honest, that’s part of the problem,” Twilight said, trailing off.

One of the town’s main streets lay before Twilight as her light path began to descend. Several of Luna’s troops hovered over the street, some glancing up at her as she came down. Aiming her horn, she fired several bolts at the creatures, burning them to a crisp and clearing the road. Her light path met the surface of the road and came to an end, and she slowed to a stop as her hooves touched down on the cobblestones.

“Twilight!” a cheery voice called out.

Twilight glanced in the direction of the voice, but barely had time to look as something barreled right into her and she let out an “Oof!” Her body slid along the cobblestones as a pair of metalclad hooves wrapped around her in a vice-like grip.

“Omigosh, it’s so good to see you!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, her forelegs somehow tightening even more around Twilight. “How long has it been? Four, five months? How have you been?! I was looking around for this tavern that Dashie says has the best cider for miles, and then the ground shook and ponies were shouting, and then the next thing I knew there were all these plant monsters flying around, and—”

“Pinkie!” Twilight managed to gasp out. “Ribs!”

Pinkie’s eyes widened, and she glanced down from Twilight’s face to her own forelegs wrapped around her body. “Oops. Heehee, sorry,” she said. She let go of Twilight and hopped back, her hooves landing perfectly on the ground behind her. Dark purple armor covered every inch of Pinkie Pie’s body, except for her head and tail. Two cheery blue eyes gazed at Twilight from underneath a messy raspberry-colored mane as the pink mare grinned at her. “Sooo, what’s up with all the plant monsters?”

Twilight rose to her hooves and rubbed her sore barrel. “Luna declared war on the Earth ponies,” she groaned. “These are her forces.”

Pinkie’s face flattened. “Not again!” she said.

“Yeah, well Princess Celestia and I were just in the middle of helping out the townsponies,” Twilight said. “Do you mind lending a hoof?”

Pinkie smiled again, and pulled a long, cylindrical weapon resembling a wooden artillery mortar seemingly out of her mane. “Okie dokie lokie!” she chirped. “But after this, let’s go to the tavern! Or a bakery! I could use a snack after this!” She inserted her right foreleg into a slot on the side of the weapon, the Fireworks Cannon, and raised her weapon leg up in the air. “For Boston cream!”

Pinkie fired a round, which whistled for a few seconds before exploding up in the air. She then hopped away on three legs, leaving Twilight behind. Twilight sighed, then continued down the street.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Celestia said.

Twilight narrowed her eyes. “Have you ever been hug-tackled by a grown mare in full barding?” she asked.

There was a pause. “Once,” Celestia finally said, “by the Goddess of War. Actually, that reminds me…”

Twilight raised an eyebrow, then shook her head. Three Bladers roamed the streets ahead, walking on their stalklike legs, along with three plant creatures crawling on their roots. At first the creatures, called Pew Pews, resembled uprooted tree trunks, but Twilight could make out a chunk of rock hewn into the shape of a short, stubby cannon barrel supported by each of their roots, as well as a section of log whose rings resembled a bullseye covering the “cannons’” mouths. The section of log on one of the Pew Pews split in half, the two halves flipping upward to expose the mouth of the cannon, and the creature fired a blast from its mouth.

The aura around Twilight’s horn pulsed, and she vanished in a flash of magenta light seconds before the blast struck the ground and exploded. She reappeared behind the creatures and fired a beam from her horn, shooting a hole through one of the Pew Pews. One of the Bladers turned and rushed toward her, raising its bladed arm, but Twilight’s bow hovered in front of her and parried the blow. The bow tilted in Twilight’s magical grip, its sight aiming at the Blader’s body, and fired an arrow.

The other two Bladers ran toward her, but the bow separated into its bladed limbs, with each limb blocking one of the Bladers’ attacks. Twilight teleported again, reappeared to the side of the Pew Pews, and fired a beam from her horn at one of them. The two bow limbs spun, each one slicing through its respective Blader’s body, and then recombined in Twilight’s magical grip and fired an arrow through a fourth Blader that was racing toward them. Twilight aimed her horn at the third Pew Pew and fired, shooting it down before it could turn in her direction.

“It’s not just that,” Twilight said as she continued down the street and arrived at a public square. She found Pinkie Pie hopping in front of a large fountain, punctuating each hop with a few small fireballs from her cannon. Nutskis flitted about through the air, along with another airborne creature resembling a four-legged water strider. The new creature, called a Parashooter, sported a large yellow eye on its body, along with scythe-like blades on its forearms. Its two back legs, slender and vinelike, held onto a large leaf like a parachute as it floated down. Twilight raised the Palutena Bow and began to open fire. “My magic senses something off about Pinkie Pie. Something…evil.”

A rush of black flickered through the aura around Twilight’s horn for a fraction of a second, and disappeared just as quickly. She glanced back at Pinkie Pie for a moment, and was forced to do a double take. The armorclad mare had hopped onto one of the Nutskis above the fountain. She bounced from the head of one Nutski to another, and then a third. She hopped off the third one in the direction of a fourth, but instead of landing on its head, she fired at it with her cannon. The force of her cannon’s blast catapulted her back onto the third Nutski’s head, and she bounced backwards onto the heads of the second and then first Nutski.

Twilight blinked. “I… might be imagining things,” she said.

“Years ago, Pinkie Pie was abducted by the Underworld forces,” Celestia said. “She was brainwashed and turned into one of Nightmare Moon’s dark lords. Fluttershy and Applejack were able to work together to defeat the Dark Lord Pinkamena and free her from the Underworld’s brainwashing, though Pinkie Pie opted to keep the dark lord armor.”

“You don’t suppose some of that magic is still lingering in her armor, do you?” Twilight asked as she fired at a group of airborne Bladers.

“Dark magic like that always leaves a mark on anything it touches,” Celestia said. “But that was six years ago, and from what I’ve heard, Pinkie Pie hasn’t relapsed into the dark lord persona since.”

Twilight furrowed her eyebrows. “If you say so, Princess Celestia,” she said.

Twilight alternated fire between her horn and her bow, shooting down Nutskis along with a group of Parashooters that were hovering down. Pinkie aimed her Fireworks Cannon and launched several small fireballs at a pair of Pew Pews emerging from one of the side streets. The public square had barely been cleared of enemies when a tremor shook the ground for what felt like almost a mile around Twilight. Twilight looked ahead past the roofs of houses and shops and saw a giant mass of leaves, vines, and purple flowers rising on the other side of the town.

“What is that?” she asked.

“Whatever it is, Luna has unleashed it on the town,” Celestia said.

“Then we have to stop it,” Twilight said. She turned to Pinkie. “Pinkie Pie, there are still more of Luna’s troops throughout the town. I’m going after that thing. You help out wherever you can.”

“Aye aye, captain!” Pinkie said, beaming at Twilight. She raised her left foreleg in a salute, somehow managing to keep balance with just her hind legs, and then bounded off on three hooves. Twilight galloped down a different street, running in the direction of the enormous plant mass, which was moving further away, toward the edge of the town.

Twilight caught sight of several Pew Pews further down the street, as well as a number of Parashooters hovering down above them. Two of the Parashooters swung their scythed arms, letting loose blades of air at her. Still at a gallop, Twilight raised the Palutena Bow with her magic and twirled the weapon by its grip, slashing through the air blades with her weapon’s limbs. One of the Pew Pews opened its cannon and fired. Twilight teleported, appearing behind the Nature enemies, and fired two blasts from her horn, taking out two of the Pew Pews. Her bow flew through the air to meet her, slicing two of the Parashooters in half as it went. She turned her head, facing ahead again, but was forced to skid to a halt on her hooves.

Blocking Twilight’s path was another huge Nature enemy that resembled a fish skeleton. Thick calcifications covered each of the creature’s “rib bones,” each one with what looked like an orange fish eye staring out of it. The head of the creature, called a Lurchthorn, was encased in a similar calcified piece, with a yellow eye on its side and a set of four short tusklike projections on its lower jaw.

Two glowing, green-yellow projectiles shot out of the Lurchthorn’s rib segments. Twilight performed a side flip to jump out of the way, only to get thrown when the projectiles exploded upon hitting the ground. She let out a grunt as she landed on her side. Gritting her teeth, she fired two bolts of magic from her horn, shattering two of the Lurchthorn’s calcified rib segments.

A sound like a catapult launch met Twilight’s ears, and she grimaced before channeling her magic again. Her body disappeared with a flash moments before a blast from one of the Pew Pews reached her, exploding as it hit the ground. She reappeared several yards away, still lying on the ground. Her Palutena Bow flew to her as she climbed back to her hooves, slashing through two Parashooters along the way. The bow spun in her magical grip when it reached her, its sight trained on one of the Lurchthorn’s rib segments while she aimed her horn at the other creatures. Both fired, the bow destroying the Lurchthorn’s rib piece while Twilight’s spell shot through one of the Pew Pews.

Another projectile fired from the Lurchthorn’s last remaining rib segment. Twilight caught sight of it in the corner of her eye and ran, evading the projectile as it hit the ground and detonated. She fired an arrow from her bow, followed by two bolts of magic from her horn, this time at the Lurchthorn’s head. The Lurchthorn’s head piece broke apart, and the creature’s body broke apart as it fell to the ground. Twilight shot a look at the remaining Pew Pews before teleporting again, this time reappearing on the roof of a nearby house. As the Pew Pews turned from side to side on their roots, checking for any sign of her, she readied her bow and fired, shooting down each one with an arrow.

Twilight turned to face the moving mass of plant matter again. From her vantage point on the roof, she saw that it had managed to climb over the town’s defensive wall, and was now headed in the opposite direction. “That’s weird,” she said. “I thought it was attacking the town.”

“There’s some farmland in that direction, as well as a lake,” Celestia said. “Whatever she intends with that monster, we had better find out.”

“Right,” Twilight said with a nod. She teleported again, this time reappearing atop the defensive wall at the edge of the town. Her magic flared across her horn, and a series of hard light platforms appeared in front of her, leading from the top of the wall to the ground on the other side. She leapt from platform to platform, made her way down, and galloped after the plant creature when her hooves met the ground again.

The creature trudged along the ground on two legs woven together from leaves and vines. The same leaves and vines made up the rest of its body, but clusters of purple flowers grew on its head and on the ends of its arms. The creature moved slowly, but with each step it took, a mass of yellow, thorny roots extended from its legs and dug themselves into the earth. It paused on each step, but when Twilight looked closer, she saw the crops surrounding its legs wilt, shrivel, and dry up before the monster raised its foot again.

“What is it doing?!” Twilight asked.

“It’s draining the Earth ponies’ farmland of water, nutrients, everything,” Luna said.

“But if you do that, the town will lose its harvest!” Celestia said. “It will leave their farms barren and unable to grow food.”

“The town still has its food stores,” Luna said coldly. “And if that fails, I'm sure their neighbors will be kind enough to provide them with food in their time of need. One way or another, they will be unable to oppose me if they are busy securing food, and if the neighboring towns are too preoccupied with offering them food to oppose me as well, then so much the better!”

Twilight shook her head, then glared at the monster. “No!” she said. “This is too far. Most of those townsponies are civilians. You can’t starve them to fight your war, Luna! I won’t let you!”

Twilight teleported, popping in beneath the monster’s foot as it took another step.

“Land Mine!” she called out.

A tiny 6x6 grid glowed on the Palutena Bow’s grip, and a second later, a glimmer of light twinkled on the ground at Twilight’s hooves. Twilight teleported again, just before the monster’s foot came down. Its roots extended, preparing to bore into the earth, but the moment they touched the ground, the glimmer of light exploded in a ball of fire. Twilight stood several feet away, aimed her horn, and fired a spell at the monster’s upper body. The monster stumbled back—the roots on its foot having been burned away—but managed to remain standing.

“Very well then,” Luna said. “Your blood will nourish its roots just as well, Twilight Sparkle. Kudzulossus, show her no mercy!”

The Kudzulossus lurched toward Twilight, raised its arm, and slammed it into the ground. Twilight rolled to the side to dodge, raised her bow with her magic and fired. “Kudzulossus?” she said. “That’s not how kudzu works. Kudzu grows like crazy, smothers other plants, and starves them of sunlight.”

“Luna has already created this monstrosity,” Celestia said. “I suggest you not give her any more ideas.”

“I can’t even believe she’d create something like this!” Twilight said. She fired three blasts of magic from her horn, each one burning through several of the monster’s vines.

“When Luna first declared war on the Earth ponies, she used a bomb that was capable of decimating civilization for miles and using the remains to spur the growth of an enchanted forest within its blast radius,” Celestia said. “Fluttershy and I quickly saw to it that she could never build such a bomb again. This ‘Kudzulossus’ is merciful only by comparison. You must stop it.”

Twilight leapt back to dodge another swing of the Kudzulossus’ arm and fired back with her bow. Her shots broke some of the monster’s leaves and vines, but more vines quickly grew back in their place. “I know, but that’s easier said than done,” she said. “Its body is too thick, and it keeps regenerating from any damage I do.” The Kudzulossus raised its arm after another swing at the ground, revealing another patch of shriveled, desiccated crops.

“That thing needs water and nutrients to grow and regenerate, no different from any other plant,” Celestia said. “And for a plant of its size, it must require a lot of both. If you can limit its range of movement to land that it has already left barren, it won’t have anything to absorb. You’ll be able to wear it down.”

“I’ll try,” Twilight said. She teleported behind the monster, raised her bow, and fired three arrows. The Kudzulossus flinched as each arrow snapped a few of its vines, then turned its body around, the purple flowers on its head now facing Twilight. “That’s right. You want me? I’m right here!”

The Kudzulossus fully turned around and stepped toward Twilight, doubling back on the same path it had traversed from the town. Twilight ran back a few paces, still keeping an eye on the monster, then turned back and shot a beam of magic from her horn. She followed with another few arrows from the Palutena Bow. Each hit burned away a chunk from the layer of vines covering the Kudzulossus’ body. More vines and leaves grew over and replaced the damaged sections, but Twilight noticed a difference. The damaged areas were regenerating more slowly. Twilight smirked and fired another few blasts from her horn.

The Kudzulossus raised its arm and slammed it into the ground again. Twilight jumped back, dodging the monster’s punch. More vines and flowers began to grow and move along the length of the monster’s arm, causing it to grow in size. Without stepping forward, the Kudzulossus raised its arm again and went after Twilight a second time. Twilight stepped back a few paces, evading its attack a second time. She fired again, first with her bow and then with her horn.

Roots and vines suddenly sprouted up from the ground around Twilight’s hooves and wrapped themselves around her legs. Twilight yelped as the vines lifted her off the ground, ensnaring her body up to her neck. A trail of roots rose up from the ground in front of her, tearing up the earth in a straight line from Twilight to the Kudzulossus until it extended directly from the monster’s foot. Using her magic, Twilight separated her bow into its bladed limbs, using both to try to cut through the roots and vines even as they tightened around her body.

An explosion hit the body of the Kudzulossus, drawing the attention of both the monster and Twilight. Standing on the ground a few feet off to Twilight’s right was Pinkie Pie, her Fireworks Cannon raised up. She launched a barrage of fireballs from her weapon, pelting the Kudzulossus’ upper body and arms.

“Back off, Audrey II!” Pinkie shouted. “We took care of worse weeds than you back on the rock farm!”

For a moment, Twilight felt a flash of annoyance. She knew for a fact that she told Pinkie Pie to help the Earth ponies back in town. Then she shook her head; right now, she needed the helping hoof. Shutting her eyes, she focused her magic through her horn. Her body disappeared from the Kudzulossus’ grasp, popping back into existence back on the ground. She brought her bow in front of her and tilted her head down, aiming her horn right down the bow’s sight.

“Pinkie, take cover!” she shouted.

Twilight sent a fire spell through the sight of the Palutena Bow. Her magic surged across the bow’s limbs in a mix of orange flame and her magenta aura, then made its way back to the bow’s sight. A storm of magic fire arrows shot forth from the bow, barraging the Kudzulossus’ body from its head down to its legs. Some pierced deep into the thick layers of leaves and vines, while others struck the surface of its body and ignited the surface layers. The Kudzulossus writhed and thrashed as the flames spread across its entire form. It raised its leg, only to lose its balance on the mass of roots and vines it had used to ensnare Twilight and fall on its back. The monster writhed for another few seconds, then lay still as the fire ate through the layers of plant matter.

Twilight breathed a heavy sigh of relief, then smiled as she circled around the monster’s body and admired her work. The smile vanished when she noticed the fire spread to the crops surrounding it. “Uh-oh,” she said. The aura around her horn flickered. “Hold on, I can fix this! I’ll just use a water spell to put this out.”

“That may not be wise,” Celestia said. “If any part of that monster survives when you extinguish the flames, it could regrow from the ashes, and from the water from your spell.”

“It’s okay!” Pinkie chirped as she bounced toward Twilight, the metal from her armor clunking against the ground. “We can just dig a trench around the fire. The fire can’t spread over the trench, so it’ll just burn itself out!”

Twilight shook her head. “We need more ponies for that,” she said. “The Earth ponies are still fighting off Luna’s attack in town.”

“Actually, Luna’s forces are in retreat after the defeat of the Kudzulossus,” Celestia said. “And I’ve already sent a contingent of Centurion troops to do the digging.” Flashes of light popped in and out in the distance from every direction, and Twilight could make out several groups of armored pegasi and unicorns. “Once they’ve contained the fire, they’ll offer aid and recovery to the ponies in town.”

Twilight glanced at the massive fire, which was already beginning to spread closer to her and Pinkie. Channeling her magic again, she teleported both herself and Pinkie further back. She then looked back at the fire, casting a forlorn gaze. “Still, the town is going to lose a lot of crops by the time this fire goes out,” she said.

Twilight looked off into the distance, where a projection of Luna’s form loomed over them, narrowing her eyes. Twilight stepped forward and glared silently back at Luna’s projection before the figure faded away.

“If not for us, the Earth ponies in this town would have lost far more,” Celestia said. “You did a good thing today. Don’t lose sight of that.” A yellow shaft of light shone down on Twilight from above, lifting her hooves off the ground. “But you need to return. This war has only just started.” When the shaft of light winked out, Twilight vanished along with it, having returned home.

“Hey!” Pinkie said. “I thought we had a tavern date! Or a bakery date…” She raised an armored hoof to her muzzle in thought, then shrugged. “Oh well! More for me!” She bounded back in the direction of the town, leaving the nearby Centurion ponies to their work.

In the Eye of the Storm

Chapter 2: In the Eye of the Storm

Once again, the sound of hoofbeats reverberated through the marble and stone of a narrow, dimly lit hallway, the same hallway that Twilight Sparkle had galloped through the day before on her way to her mission. The hoofbeats were heavier this time, as the pony galloping through the hallway was a white unicorn stallion clad in purple barding with gold trim. His mane, which alternated in shades of light and dark blue, rose up through the top of his helmet in a mohawk-like crest, while a purple six-pointed star adorned the center of his peytral. The rest of his armor was completed by a set of four greaves on his legs and a croupiere to protect his flanks.

The stallion slowed down at the set of double doors at the end of the hallway, which opened at his approach. “Captain Shining Armor, reporting for duty!” he said as he turned to face the open portal. A rose-colored aura enveloped his horn, as well as each of his hooves, and he galloped through the portal.

A path of hard light the same color as his magic lay before him as he ran through the air, extending forward with each step he took. A thick white blanket of clouds stretched above him as far as he could see, with the occasional ray of sunlight peeking through the gaps in the cloud cover. A mountain range lay below him on his right, while sparse patches of grass grew amidst the flat, rocky terrain at the base of the mountains.

“Captain, can you hear me?” Celestia’s voice echoed in Shining Armor’s ear.

“Loud and clear, princess,” Shining Armor said. “What's this mission about? You were pretty scarce with the details.”

“I'm afraid there was little time for a briefing,” Celestia said. “Luna has launched another attack on the Earth ponies.”

Shining Armor reached for his left side with his magic, pulling out an ornate weapon that was magically affixed to his side. The weapon resembled a single-edged sword, but with the handle bent at an angle to the blade not unlike the grip of a firearm. The body of the blade was gold in color, with its base flaring out toward the grip like rays of sunlight, while the tip of the blade formed the muzzle of a gun. The blade's edge was a light blue, while the metal grip was a dark blue with a pommel that tapered to a point. Shining Armor brought the weapon, the Palutena Blade, in front of him as he galloped through the sky.

“This is the second attack in as many days,” he said. “Luna must be serious about this.”

“Very serious,” Celestia said. “She’s launching an attack on Fort Rockhoof.”

“At least this time it’s a military target,” Shining Armor said. He spotted several Nutskis and Bladers in the distance. He kept the Palutena Blade at the ready, waiting to get within range before firing.

“It’s more than just a military target,” Celestia said. “Fort Rockhoof is a joint military installation among several Earth pony nations. After the wars against Nightmare Moon, Luna, and Discord, many Earth pony towns and cities agreed to put aside their differences and forge new alliances against any future attacks by the gods. That fort is a key part of their cooperation.”

“Then the loss of Fort Rockhoof would cripple their ability to coordinate with each other,” Shining Armor said.

“And deal a blow to each nation all at once,” Celestia said. “We cannot allow it to fall. Rainbow Dash is already fighting off Luna’s troops from the skies. Your mission is to assist her.”

“Oooh boy,” Shining Armor said. “I have a feeling I know what assisting her means.”

As soon as he got within range, he fired the Palutena Blade. A cyan orb of light with what resembled three pairs of fairy-like wings shot out of the weapon’s muzzle, searing through the body of one Nutski and hitting two more behind it. He sidestepped as the Nutskis and Bladers fired back at him, then aimed his weapon and shot a stream of bluish-white shots from the blade’s muzzle. One Blader dove at him, as if trying to slash at him with its bladed wings, but he swung the Palutena Blade, cutting it in half when it got close.

Shining Armor could see the next group of Nature enemies in the distance, and he galloped after them. A wisp of green caught his attention to his side, only to vanish when he glanced in its direction. He furrowed his eyebrows and looked from side to side. Before he could react, a thin green slime creature appeared in front of him, its bladed arms raised up. A rose-colored barrier flickered in front of Shining Armor, and the slime creature’s body splattered against it before it had a chance to swing its arms down on him. Shining Armor’s eyes widened in surprise, then he frowned. His magic aura swelled in one spot on his barrier, then slid from side to side across the shield, wiping away the gooey remains of the creature like a washcloth.

“What was that?” he asked.

“They’re called Flages,” Celestia said. “Luna deploys them as stealth units. Be on the lookout for them.”

“I’ll settle for not letting any more of them crash into my barrier,” Shining Armor said. He fired an orb of light from his blade at a group of Nutskis, followed by a stream of shots at a group of Parashooters. “Twilight’s not here to burn away anything that gets stuck on it with her magic. I can’t even remember the last time she and I went on a mission together.”

“You and Twilight’s Lightning Chariot days are long behind you,” Celestia said. “And though you work well together, you two are more efficient when you can tackle separate missions.”

Bladers circled around Shining Armor from a distance as he approached, while several Nutskis flitted toward him. Behind the Nutskis, Shining Armor noticed two of a new enemy, one that resembled a shriveled blue root with a leaf resting on top of it. The Bladers fired their eye beams at him from the sides, while a few of the Nutskis spat large seeds at him from ahead. Shining Armor’s hard light path dipped downward, and he ducked under the enemy fire as he went. Aiming the Palutena Blade, he shot through two Nutskis with an orb of light, then fired a stream of shots at the rest of them.

The two blue root enemies, called Dibble Dops, seemed to inflate as he galloped underneath them. What once resembled shriveled blue roots now looked like translucent pitcher plants filled with water. The Dibble Dops each spat out a burst of water from their mouths. Shining Armor swerved to dodge the first one, but the second one struck his barrier and exploded in a rushing torrent. Shining Armor gritted his teeth, but his barrier held and he fired back at the Dibble Dops with his blade.

On the ground, a stone wall began to come into view in the distance, with paved roads branching from it in several directions. If Shining Armor squinted, he could make out a number of buildings and fortifications within the walls. But what caught his eye was the swarm of Nature enemies flying in the skies above, less than half a mile away from the fort, and a rainbow streak weaving its way through the swarm. The Bladers began to circle back around him, but the aura around his horn flared, and he picked up speed. He fired at one Blader with the Palutena Blade and slashed another in two, then sped away as he rushed toward the swarm.

“Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said. “Shining Armor has arrived.”

“What took you so long?” Rainbow asked, her voice carrying through Celestia’s telepathic spell.

“I was getting ready,” Shining Armor said.

“Dude, most mares don’t take that long getting dressed,” Rainbow said with a light chuckle.

“Hey, preparedness over punctuality,” Shining Armor shot back. “It’s better to be prepared for the worst, especially when working with you.”

“Yeah, yeah, save the Colt Scout lines for the cadets,” Rainbow said. She flew out to the edge of the swarm of Nature forces and began to circle around them. “We’re short one cowpony today, so we’d better make this count.”

The aura around Shining Armor’s horn and hooves fluctuated as he eyed Rainbow Dash’s circuit around the swarm, and his galloping speed adjusted. If this was going to work, they would have to coordinate. “I don't know how helpful she would’ve been here,” he said. “She’s just an Earth pony, and we’re pretty high up.”

“You’d be surprised,” Rainbow said. “She's pretty resourceful.”

“Unfortunately, Applejack told us she will be unavailable for the next few days,” Celestia said.

“Some sort of family thing, right?” Rainbow asked.

“Yes,” Celestia said. “Regardless, the two of you will have to make do without her.”

“No problem,” Rainbow said. “We’ve got this!”

Shining Armor reached the outer edge of the swarm just as Rainbow Dash reached the other side of it, and the aura of his magic fluctuated once more as he began to make the circuit. When he first arrived, he could just make her out from the rainbow contrail she left in her wake when flying. And while he could still barely see her on the other side of the swarm of Nature enemies, there was no mistaking her. Her sky blue coat was mostly covered by a tunic similar to Twilight’s, only hers was black with blue trim instead of Twilight’s white with gold, and her mane and tail were in all the colors of the rainbow.

Attached to Rainbow’s front hooves were a pair of metallic crimson braces, each with a set of retractable gold claws that roared with flames every time she slashed or fired with them. She aimed her weapon, the Wolf Claws, and shot a stream of fiery talons at a group of Parashooters and Nutskis. A pair of Bladers flew at her, each firing a beam from their eyes, but she dove under their beams, lunged at them, and slashed through their bodies with her claws.

Further along, Rainbow caught sight of a Lurchthorn and several Dibble Dops floating through the sky. She smirked, angled herself toward a long stretch of cloud, and folded her wings at her sides as her hooves caught the side of the cloud. She galloped along, running sideways until she reached the end of the cloud, and then bounded off, unfurling her wings again and propelling herself toward the Lurchthorn. With her weapon hooves outstretched, she corkscrewed past the Lurchthorn, slashing through its calcified segments with the Wolf Claws’ talons. She then glanced back, aimed one of her claws back at the Lurchthorn’s head, and fired. Three thick ropes of fire issued forth, slicing through the air for a split second before hurtling toward the creature. The Lurchthorn’s head piece broke apart, and the creature’s body broke apart along with it as it fell from the sky. Rainbow turned her head forward again, aimed at the Dibble Dops, and fired a stream of talons.

On the other side of the swarm, Shining Armor fired at a group of Parashooters and Dibble Dops. Three Trynamites detonated from a distance, too far for his Palutena Blade’s fire to reach them, and the fragments of their cores hurtled toward him. He sidestepped to dodge, then swung his weapon at a Nutski as he galloped past. He spotted a Lurchthorn floating up ahead, and his eyes narrowed in a look of determination. Focusing his magic into his barrier spell, he charged forward, ramming into the side of the Lurchthorn’s head and smashing the creature to bits. His barrier flickered for a second, but held strong, and he continued on.

Rainbow Dash and Shining Armor raced around the perimeter of the Nature enemy swarm, staying at opposite ends in perfect sync as they fought Luna’s troops. While some of the creatures tried to follow either pony in pursuit as they rushed past, others tried to break out of the perimeter, only for the other pony to come rushing by and either slash or shoot them down. If anything, the swarm began to contract in size as its numbers thinned. The two ponies tightened their circuit around the creatures, shrinking the swarm even more, bit by bit. Several of the Nature enemies descended from the swarm instead, toward the Earth ponies down below and the intended target of their attack. Both ponies noticed, but neither paid it any mind.

It was all part of the plan.

“The Forces of Nature are condensed enough, Rainbow Dash,” Celestia said. “It’s time.”

“Awesome!” Rainbow said. She broke out of the circuit and angled downward, picking up speed as she made her descent. She then soared upward, picking up even more speed as she flew toward the swarm of Nature enemies from below. As she went, the Wolf Claws retracted, and she reached for a pair of bladed bow limbs that were magically affixed to her right foreleg. The bow limbs were nearly identical to Twilight’s Palutena Bow, except the bladed edges of Rainbow’s weapon were colored silver instead of gold, and her bow lacked the little shield emblem on its leather grip. Rainbow combined the two limbs of her weapon—the Silver Bow—together, and held it in her right hoof.

“Wait!” Shining Armor said. “Give me time to get out of the way!” He broke out of the circuit as well and galloped away from the swarm. By then, the vapor cone was already forming around Rainbow Dash. Before he could get out of the way, a rainbow shockwave erupted from the center of the Nature enemy swarm, vaporizing Luna’s troops and barreling into Shining Armor as it expanded. In that same moment, Rainbow fired her Silver Bow up at the air. The magic in her weapon’s shot diffused throughout the inside of the shockwave, and hundreds of tiny iridescent points of light twinkled within the shockwave’s circle. The points of light then rained down, each one turning into a multicolored magic arrow that fell toward the creatures below the shockwave.

Meanwhile, Shining Armor crashed through a mountaintop as he hurtled through the air, the force of the rainbow shockwave catapulting him across the sky. He tumbled for what felt like a minute, unable to right himself or channel his magic into his hooves, before his body crashed into the ground and rebounded. He hit the ground again, rolling on the hard dirt for several seconds before finally coming to a stop on his belly.

“Captain, are you alright?” Celestia asked.

Shining Armor grunted—more out of frustration than out of any pain or discomfort—as he rose back to his hooves. “My armor’s a bit scuffed,” he said, looking over the scratches, dents, and scrapes left on his barding, “but nothing’s bruised or broken. But that means I have to reapply all of my protection spells!” His magic flared through his horn again, and its rose-colored aura spread over his armor, enveloping it at first but then condensing over each individual piece. “I swear, Rainbow, you do this every time! Would it kill you to wait for me to get to a safe distance?”

“Hey, if I waited too long to pull off that Sonic Rainboom, Luna’s army would’ve had time to get away,” Rainbow said. “Besides, you said it yourself. We’ve done this before, and you always come out of it okay.”

“Be that as it may,” Celestia said, “some of Luna’s troops survived your attack. But their numbers are low, so you should be able to force them into a retreat.”

Shining Armor looked out across the horizon. Though the shockwave of the Sonic Rainboom was beginning to fade, it left behind a massive hole in the cloud cover above Fort Rockhoof and the surrounding mountains. The sun’s rays shone through the gap, casting their warm light over the fort and its surroundings. The sunlight also illuminated a scattering of tiny dots as they flitted through the skies, the last of Luna’s deployed troops, while a rainbow streak chased after each of them.

“Then we can call this one a success!” Rainbow said. “Let’s clean up here and head h—”

A neon blue bolt of lightning struck the leading end of the rainbow streak. The streak vanished in an instant, and a thin plume of smoke wafted away from the point of the lightning strike.

“Rainbow Dash!” Celestia said.

Shining Armor raised an eyebrow. “That was odd,” he said. “That lightning bolt didn't come from one of the clouds.”

“That was no ordinary bolt of lightning,” Celestia said.

“What do you mean, princess?” Shining Armor asked.

“Brace yourself, captain,” Celestia said. “You have an enemy incoming.”

An arc of bright blue lightning slammed into Shining Armor, throwing him off his hooves. His barrier spell came to life around him the moment the lightning hit, but electricity crackled across every square inch of the shield as he was tossed backward through the air. The aura around his horn flared, and he gritted his teeth as he fed more of his magic into the barrier, both reinforcing it and pushing back against the lightning. His hooves finally caught the ground, each one digging a trench in the dirt before coming to a stop, and with another push from his magic, he shoved the lightning back.

Shining Armor took a few heavy breaths, then quickly surveyed the small cracks in his barrier. He then looked at the mass of crackling blue electricity floating before him, and could see what looked like a white pony in the center. The pony lowered its head, and a beam of blue electricity shot at Shining Armor. Shining Armor rolled out of the way, raised his Palutena Blade with his magic, and fired, but the mass of lightning disappeared before his shot could hit, leaving behind only a few sparks. He turned his head, looking for where the pony had gone, but had barely a second before another blast of lightning shattered his barrier. He stumbled for a moment, then turned toward the source of the blast, where the pony in the lightning hovered over him, its head raised and a massive electrical charge gathering above it. The pony flung its head down, and the electricity split into three arcing beams that converged on him.

“Reflect Barrier!” Shining Armor shouted.

A tiny 6x6 grid flickered along the Palutena Blade’s edge, and the three electrical beams collided with a screen of light that quickly materialized in front of him. The beams rebounded, striking the white pony and sending its body sliding on the ground. Lightning surged through the pony’s body as it lay on its front hooves and haunches, glaring at Shining Armor. The electricity focused around the pony’s head again, and then a multitude of lightning bolts scattered from it, flanking around the light screen before converging on Shining Armor once again. Shining Armor leapt back, dodging as the numerous lightning bolts crashed into each other. Even without a direct hit, the energy still tingled, if not stung against his fur, flesh, and armor, and he winced at the almost blinding light in front of him. Even so, he raised the Palutena Blade and fired.

The orb of light struck the white pony, sending it sliding back on its belly. The electrical aura around its body shuddered and then shrank, revealing a unicorn mare with an elegantly coiffed indigo mane and a set of three diamonds for a cutie mark. She wore a long blue scarf that matched her eyes and flowed with the excess electricity that radiated from her horn.

“How rude!” the mare said. “That is no way to treat a lady!”

“Maybe not,” Shining Armor said with a shrug. “But you’re more than just a lady, aren’t you? You’re one of Luna’s top commanders. It’s been a while, Rarity.”

Rarity gave a short chuckle, then looked back at Shining Armor with a half-smirk and lidded eyes. “First you fight me, then you flatter me,” she said, rising to her hooves. “You should learn to make up your mind, captain.”

“Pretty sure you attacked first,” Shining Armor said.

“Don’t take it too personally, dear,” Rarity said. “I’m just following Mistress Luna’s orders.”

“I can relate to that,” Shining Armor said with a smug grin. “A mare after my own heart.”

“Darling, you really must stop,” Rarity said. The blue electrical aura surged through her, crackled through her scarf, and enveloped her body as her hooves hovered off the ground. She reached into her scarf and pulled out a small orb. Pink thorns and heart-shaped rose petals swirled around the orb, which strangely seemed to depict the image of a young, blonde girl. Rarity pressed the orb into the sole of her hoof, and the thorns and heart-shaped petals swirled down the length of her foreleg. She aimed her hoof—now equipped with the Viridi Palm and adorned with a red, heart-shaped tattoo—at Shining Armor. “You might look the part of a brave, noble knight. But I am hardly your damsel.”

Shining Armor levitated the Palutena Blade to his side, letting its own magic affix itself. Then, without channeling his own magic, he closed his eyes and focused for a second, and a pair of ornaments dislodged themselves from his shoulders. The ornaments were in the shape of cherubs, each one wearing leather armor and a bronze cap and holding a golden bow and arrow twice their size. The ornaments, called the Centurion Orbitars, hovered in place above Shining Armor’s shoulders as he gazed up at Rarity.

“Adorable,” Rarity sneered.

A rush of swirling pink energy and rose petals issued forth from the Viridi Palm. Shining Armor leapt to the side to dodge while willing the Centurion Orbitars to fire a pair of arrows, but the Viridi Palm’s blast veered toward him, buffeting him with its energy. Rarity swerved away from the Centurion Orbitars’ fire, but while the farther arrow continued on course, the closer one angled and struck her side.

Rarity gritted her teeth as she clutched her side. Both their weapons had some homing to them, it seemed. It didn’t matter. She aimed her hoof and fired the Viridi Palm again. Shining Armor galloped forward, then ducked under the Viridi Palm’s blast, outpacing its homing ability. He then fired back with a pair of arrows from the Centurion Orbitars. Rarity zipped out of the way with her lightning magic, charged her horn, and let loose a bolt of electricity. Shining Armor’s own magic flared through his horn, and a new barrier formed around him. Rarity surged forward, diving at him with her weapon hoof outstretched. Shining Armor leapt back, willing the Centurion Orbitars to fire. But instead of a pair of arrows, the orbitars produced a pair of large, bronze shields that hovered in front of him.

Rarity’s body crashed into the two floating shields. Her Viridi Palm slammed into Shining Armor’s barrier, spreading cracks along its surface, but she crumpled to the ground. Groaning in pain, she lit her horn, and a discharge of lightning magic enveloped the two ponies and shattered Shining Armor’s barrier. Shining Armor stumbled, first from the feedback from his shield spell breaking, then from the voltage that coursed through his body. He struggled to remain on his hooves, while Rarity struggled to rise to hers. They both stared at each other, both taking the moment to recover.

Rarity moved first. She aimed her weapon hoof and fired a blast from the Viridi Palm. The Centurion Orbitars moved in front of Shining Armor and swiped through the Viridi Palm’s attack, dispersing the gust of pink energy and rose petals. The orbitars then fired a pair of arrows. Rarity’s horn lit with electricity again, and she surged forward, her body flying under the twin arrows as she charged at Shining Armor. She swung her weapon hoof, but one of the orbitars blocked her hoof. The other orbitar swung down, but Rarity zipped to the side before it could strike her. She swung her hoof again, but the first orbitar blocked her hoof a second time. The second orbitar moved to swing at her, but Rarity let loose a bolt of lightning from her horn, hitting Shining Armor and throwing him back several feet. Shining Armor grunted in pain, then narrowed his eyes at Rarity.

“Mega Laser!” he shouted.

A tiny 6x6 grid on the left Centurion Orbitar’s bow lit up, and a massive pink beam of energy shot forth from the orbitars and plowed into Rarity. Rarity’s body slid against the ground, finally coming to a stop on her stomach when the Mega Laser dissipated. She struggled to her hooves again, and with a surge of lightning magic running through her horn, she lifted off the ground and hovered in the air. She gazed down at Shining Armor, who had risen to his hooves as well and stared back at her.

“Not bad, captain,” Rarity said. Then her ear twitched, and a smirk appeared on her face. “But I’m afraid that you and I are done here.” The electricity ran from her horn throughout the rest of her body for a brief second, and then she vanished with a flash of lightning.

Shining Armor blinked at the leftover sparks that crackled where Rarity had just been, then glanced up at the sky, where he could swear he saw a thin bolt of lightning run beneath the cloud cover. “Wait, what do you mean?!” he shouted. “Get back here!”

“I’m afraid she’s right, captain,” Celestia said. “Return home. The mission is a failure.”

“What?” Shining Armor asked. “No, that’s impossible. We saved Fort Rockhoof. We took out Luna’s forces with that Sonic Rain…” He paused when he looked out in the direction of Fort Rockhoof. Plumes of smoke billowed from behind the walls, and he could see buildings and sections of wall that had crumbled. “… boom.”

“Not all of them,” Celestia said. “Enough of them survived to carry out their attack, while you were busy fighting their commander. Rainbow Dash is still unconscious. You’ll have to retrieve her before you return.”

A rose-colored aura enveloped Shining Armor’s horn, followed by his hooves. He had taken a few good hits from the fight against Rarity, but he could still manage the spell for a hard light path through the air, as well as a decent gallop. He ran up into the air, heading toward the direction of the fallen fort, and came to a stop near a stray cloud hanging low in the sky. Rainbow Dash lay on her back on top of the cloud, a thin wisp of smoke still rising from her chest and a scorch mark burned into her tunic.

“Knocked out by one attack,” Shining Armor said. “She is not going to be happy when she wakes up.”

A ray of yellow light shone down on Rainbow from above, and her body lifted off of the cloud. Shining Armor noticed another ray of light shine down on him, and the light path under his hooves faded away as he hovered in the air.

“Something to keep in mind during her debriefing,” Celestia said. “For now, I have to plan our next move.”

Both ponies disappeared from the skies, and the shafts of light faded away with them.