How the Tables Turn

BANG

All was white. The explosion threw up no smoke to block the flash or muffle the sound coming from the flashbang. Phoenix was stricken with fear. He could see nothing but white, and he could only hear a loud ringing, but he felt the vibrations of hooves running around frantically all around him. His hooves joined the frenzy, running blindly so as to be harder to hit from afar. His eyes slowly began to make out shapes around him, and the ringing died away at an equally slow pace.

When his vision finally returned, he looked around him and saw that a few of the ponies were still completely blind and had no idea what they were doing, and a few others had not noticed the flashbang at all before it exploded, protecting their eyesight and allowing them to stay in the battle. The majority of them, himself included, were still partially blind but still able to do something rather than run blindly and hope not to be killed.

Phoenix came to his senses and slowed his gait, searching around him. Eventually he made out the figures of Ashes and Sunbeam carrying Rainbow Dash. Kicker had clearly shielded her eyes and was doing all she could to protect the four of them from the guards who were trying to swarm them. Phoenix met up with the rest of his group, and they took notice and followed him when he took off through the cafeteria. They reached a group of three guards and stopped. The guard in front removed a pair of sunglasses and smirked at them. Phoenix smirked as well and trotted forth, taking a defensive stance and squaring off with the guard.

The red-eyed guard threw a hoof forward. Phoenix reacted fluidly, stopping his hoof and kicking off with his hind legs. He drew back and brought his other front hoof across the guard’s face. The guard was slightly thrown back by the blow, but took advantage of it, throwing himself back into a backwards roll as Phoenix came forth for a tackle. Phoenix instead landed on top of the guard, and he kicked Phoenix upwards and into the air. The two other guards turned and bucked simultaneously, attempting to kick him from both sides to crush him. Phoenix saw this and blocked their hooves with his own. The guards, instead of kicking Phoenix, ended up kicking off of him and flying into the heat of the rest of the battle taking place around them.

Now it was just Phoenix and the guard. Phoenix grabbed his knife and lunged forward. The guard blocked his slash and countered with his own. Phoenix dodged and heaved forward and down, getting underneath the guard and throwing him off of his hooves. The guard smirked as his horn lit up. He vanished into thin air, reappearing on the ground in front of Phoenix, poised to attack. He swung his blade forward. Phoenix ducked under in the nick of time. The blade cut away a single lock of his mane as it swung over his head. Phoenix slashed forward, and the guard dodged easily, kicking up with his forelegs and balancing on his rear legs. Phoenix came forth with his other hoof, landing a blow on the center of the guard’s chest, overbalancing him. The guard’s horn lit up again, but he did not disappear. Instead, a copy of him appeared behind Phoenix. Phoenix smirked, not to be tricked by the illusion. He swung forward and stabbed the guard, only to have him fizzle away around his blade.

“Shit.”

He kicked up slightly and bucked the guard behind him. He swiveled around just in time to see the guard teleport back to his feet, only three of him reappeared. Two of them swung forward for a punch while the third turned and returned the favor of Phoenix’s swift buck. All three connected on Phoenix at the same time, sending Phoenix flying. As Phoenix flew through the air, he focused on the guard that had bucked him and threw his blade. The blade connected in his left hind leg, bringing him to the ground. The two copies disappeared, leaving the third with a knife still firmly lodged in his leg.

“Let’s go.”

Kicker remained behind for a moment and trotted up to the guard. He moaned softly, and Kicker smirked at his pain. She swung a hoof and connected with his temple, sending him roughly into unconsciousness. She took the knife out of his leg and made a few precision cuts on the guard. When she left, the guard’s chest read “Kicker was here.”

“Kicker, come on!” With one final smirk, she turned and galloped for the hallway.