With the fourth battalion behind me, we silently line the last stairwell before entering the main floor. Cadence and Shining are still struggling to stall Nightmare Moon in the distance. I creep forward, hugging the wall and just barely peeking around corners. While the Nightmare was currently our biggest threat, there's no reason to assume there aren't stray Og Nag or even Zaran himself nearby.
We stalk hallways and somehow the fourth still know basic hand signals, but it would be a stretch to assume they could read. They do everything I say without hesitation and for a few minutes, I forget that I want them all dead. As we approach the throne room, the floor keeps shaking periodically from the battle. I peek around the double doors and see Nightmare casually standing in the middle of the room, chuckling to herself as Shining and Cadence let lose all they have. With furious glares and constant panting, Shining tosses up a shield while Cadence delivers devastating attacks with her horn. They bounce off Nightmare's shield. Both ponies cry out when Nightmare hits them with her own blast that pushes the pair back across the floor.
I turn behind me and motion to the fourth. I hold up a hand and give two pumps of my fist, indicating the group was splitting up into two tasks. I hold up a single finger for group one, then quietly slam my fist into my open hand, telling them they'd attack, then hold up two fingers and pat my head, indicating group two will enter but find cover. Each battalion had automatic subgroups set up. You were assigned to their group one or two, for quickly dividing your forces in half. You were also given a second group, either A, B, C or D to easily send out squads of twelve or so. Each group was evenly picked to make sure that every role was filled. Whether you were in groups one or two, or in a quad group, you always had the right amount of archers, officers and everyone else you need to be balanced.
I get resentful nods from everyone. I take one last look and wait for Nightmare's back to be turned. Shining sees me out of the corner of his eye and gradually shifts their position to the other side of the room without tipping her off. I motion for everyone to head in. My first soldier runs in, sword drawn and slams his sword into her shield. It bounces off casually. She turns her head, cocks an eyebrow and sends him flying against the wall. My soldiers surround her on all sides, with melee units going in with shields. Everyone else takes cover behind furniture, pillars, whatever they can.
One soldier runs up, shield held strong but gets hit so hard, he skids through a doorway and down the hall out of sight. Arrows bounce off Nightmare's shield harmlessly, but the point was to keep her busy. Nightmare laughs hysterically as units constantly get sent flying, but she doesn't notice Shining and Cadence taking a breather in the back hallway. A soldier runs up and hesitates. Nightmare grins at him and her horn flares. As her beam hits his shield, it ricochets into the ceiling and liters the floor with stone. Everyone stops and stares in confusion, even Nightmare.
The shield glows black and is ripped out of my soldier's hands. Nightmare looks it over curiously as several soldiers wail on her shield. She furrows her brow while staring at it and the shield vibrates violently in place. She looks around, flaps her wings once and everyone is sent flying. Two units go sailing out the windows but Cadence is already after them.
I cup my hands around my mouth. "Luna! If you're in there we're here for you! I know you may be lost or alone, but you're not!" Regardless of how cheesy my words sound, Nightmare's expression goes from amusement to annoyance as she looks at me.
I duck back behind the door as a black beam obliterates part of the wall where my head just was. Cadence flies through a window behind me and drops off two soldiers before darting back into the room. She starts wailing on Nightmare again and my units are starting to struggle to stay on their feet. Nightmare glares angrily. "Would you little humans stay down?!" A soldier runs at her with two swords, screaming her head off. She gets nailed with an extra hard blast that makes her hit the wall so hard, dust comes off it. She lays still on the floor with her right hand twitching.
Cadence looks at the fallen soldier and flares her horn. I call out to her and shake my head then point at Nightmare. Cadence's face contorts in turmoil, but she goes back to blasting Nightmare reluctantly. My blood turns to ice as Nightmare slowly turns around and stares at me with a cocked eyebrow. "Well what do we have here? That's some soul you got there, so...delicious…" Something about those words makes me back out of the room. I get about ten steps away when I hear hooves. Looking over my shoulder, Nightmare Moon stands there staring at me hungrily. "Hold on now tiny human. Let me take a look at you!" I bolt down the hallway to the left of the throne room.
Nightmare's horn flares and my armor starts giving off black smoke that makes me gag. She yells with irritation. "What hell is that armor made of?!" Her wings flap and I know there's no way I'm going to outrun her. I brace myself and subtly slide a knife out of my gauntlet. If she gets me past her shield, this could be my only chance. Celestia lands between us and lets out a powerful blast. Nightmare actually recoils a bit and strains before retaliating with her own dazzling dark beam. The two collide temporarily with magical flares, spilling onto the wall at the point of impact. A soldier runs out of the room with one other and they start wailing on her shield from behind.
Nightmare grits her teeth and sends both of them flying with a rear kick. She turns back to Celestia. "Well it's been a while, hasn't it? Hope your festival wasn't terribly ruined, although I don't remember seeing you there. What were you doing, hiding in your closet like last time?"
Celestia's face contorts. "Shut up! You will not take my sister from me a second time!"
Nightmare seems to not be straining as much anymore and laughs menacingly. "That's funny, I seem to recall that during our last battle, you ran and hid while your guards did all the work! Let me guess, you told a different story?"
Celestia's beam starts to get waves in it and fluctuates wildly. Nightmare tilts her head down and groans. Her beam doubles in size and cuts straight through Celestia's, making her slam again the wall and bounce several feet across the floor. She had to be down for the count. She's barely able to lift her head enough to see me. "Go...Raiden." I can't fathom why nightmare suddenly wants me, but this wasn't the time for questions.
I sprint through the hallway and pass the balcony Luna and I had first talked on. After rounding the corner, it turns into a long hallway with numerous rooms. I take the fourth door, close it quietly behind me. There's bags of grain and barrels of cloth. I sit behind a barrel and slip off the metal plating over my boots, so I don't clank when my feet hit the ground. The rest of my armor was still sort of an issue, but if I moved slow enough, the sound from it could be mitigated. What did she mean I had a nice soul? Luna had explained what Misera was, but not fully on why Misera takes people over.
Celestia was down for a while, Cadence and Shining can't seem to do anything to Nightmare. What could we possibly do to her? There was probably no way to overpower her magic, so she had to have another weakness or we were all screwed. The slow clack of hooves makes my blood turn cold. They were slow, but confident and casual. This wasn't a friendly pair of hooves. Something rushes past the door and I hear a loud thud at the end of the hallway. Whatever it is, it sails back again and stops where I last hard walking. Nightmare's voice calls out mockingly. "Where are you Raiden? Don't tell me you're hiding like Celestia."
I refuse to move a muscle, even my eyes as a pair of hooves stops outside the door. It explodes into the room, showering me with wooden debris. I get dragged by my ankles and held up to Nightmare's muzzle.
She looks over my face hungrily. "Now, let's see what Luna was talking about." Her eyes become encased with shadow and I feel something reach inside my head. It forces its way through my thoughts like palace guards rummaging through your home. Little voices start playing inside my mind, whispering like they were searching through a box. "Oh...here we go."
Wooden and stone debris falls around me and I'm back seeing Sergeant Tanis digging me out of the rubble from the First Defensive, just to be chased by Og Nag. All to free me, the little toy general who can't even defend a simple kingdom. My heart aches as the vision of her being torn apart by Og Nag plays in front of me. I squirm in place as Nightmare's laughter fills my mind. It's the first night of the offensive. Massive rocks come colliding into our front gate and Og Nag spill through everywhere. Homes erupt in screams as the monsters storm through the front door.
My my, you are certainly a tormented one, aren't you?
We arrived in Equestria and the first thing I do is spy on the royal sisters and try to assassinate them in the throne room. They had no idea we were rotten to the core. If they had simply obliterated our entire city when we arrived, hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved.
Oh dear, it seems you never told Luna you've actually tried to kill her sister twice. That's just cold, Raiden. Don't worry, I'll make sure you two get one last talk before the end.
I can feel the grip around my neck tighten but I'm forced into reliving memory after memory as if my mind was a book full of pictures on the floor.
Hurrand has me in my cage outside, guards awkwardly patrol around the courtyard, not wanting to look at their disgraced captain. What once was a proud warrior, was now a traitor they had to torture or be beheaded. Not following through with punishments was treason after all. So sayeth the pig on the throne.
Aw that's so cute, you were like a little zoo animal for everyone to see!
I open my eyes and stare up at the ceiling when a disgustingly familiar voice screams inside the room. Hurrand leaps onto Nightmare Moon with an expression anger and terror. He yells, shuts his eyes and a loud crackle fills the air. Vibrant blue sparks erupt around him and Nightmare, setting some of the objects in the room on fire. Nightmare screams in agony and her eyes roll in the back of her head. She whirls around the room, kicking her hind legs and screaming with Hurrand.
"Run, Raiden!" he yells pitifully. I'm barely able to get to my feet and stumble out into the hallway. My brain felt like it had been in an oven. Something starts boiling in the back of my mind and before I know what's going on, my hands erupt into that red fire again. Anger, uncontrollable rage, all those feelings flood back into my mind. All I can do is fall to my knees and howl with my fists balled. I shake my hands vigorously as the flame stings my skin.
Behind me, Hurrand gets thrown out into the hallway. He collides with the wall and falls down. He looks up, holds up his hands defensively, before he's consumed in a black blast. The stone where he was, is completely gone, exposing itself to the outside. A massive gaping hole eight feet wide and tall is all that's left. I get to my feet and stumble a few steps down the hallway while Nightmare laughs with amusement. I'm sent flying forward by a blast to my back. Nightmare Moon casually walks up to me. My gauntlets scratch against the stone floor as I attempt to pull myself forward.
I gag as I'm picked up by the throat and turned around. Nightmare Moon has an almost obsessive, disturbing smile on her face. The world around me disappears and is replaced with a chariot. Beside me, fly the Wonderbolts. I still had no idea where they are anymore. The Og Nag below us are acting strange. I wanted to be the general everyone adored. I ignored my instincts and let them bomb a suspicious target instead of holding off.
The Wonderbolts fall around me in slow motion, dismembered, charred and with faces frozen from their final moments of agony.
Ah yes, I remember that battle. You were all so sure your lightning jars would turn the war around. Pity there's almost none of them left.
My eyes burst open as I hear a mix of two female screams in front of my face. For a split second, the darkness gives way, showing just a sliver of Luna's face. Her eyes are closed but her mouth screams in agony. Misera reforms her face and blinks rapidly. She eyes me with annoyance. "I'm starting to wonder if I need a...different host." She says with a small smirk. My throat gets released and I drop to the floor as Nightmare starts yelling angrily. I get about five steps before I hear Luna's desperate scream again. The fire returns and something inside me starts to ignite.
Why did I always have to be the weak one? I've had to sit out of so many fights. Always just a human with some metal, never the warrior I really was. Then a new voice starts whispering in my ear. It's deep and full of rage.
Free me!
I look around as Nightmare continues to toss her head back and forth.
"Who…who's there?!" I yell.
Zaran lies. I am meant to be free. He keeps me trapped in this infernal amulet. Free me!
For a second, I can't comprehend what I just heard. Who is Zaran holding prisoner?
I am the fire that burns within. I am the rage that consumes your soul. I am the element of Tenacity and I will not be a slave! Free me! Destroy him! He cannot fully cut off my power! He lies! He always lies!
My entire body erupts with that familiar red flame again, but this time my skin screams in agony. I fall to the ground yelling as loud as my lungs will let me. The pain was blinding and that same voice repeats over and over.
Free me! Free me! Free me now! I am not a slave!
I start shaking uncontrollably from the pain. Just as fast as it started, the fire disappears. My lungs cry for air and my skin is a blistered red. Getting to my feet was pure agony, but I turn and face Nightmare. Her face finally rejoins together, holding Luna prisoner once more. She purses her lips and signs with agitation. "This is getting old." Her eyes open and a vicious smile crosses her face. "Now then Raiden, where were we?" A purple flash erupts behind her. Before she can react, Versa is behind her with her helmet on. She leans over, grabs Nightmare by the midsection and with purple sparks erupting from her armor, she suplexes Nightmare into the floor so hard, the black pony goes straight down to the next floor with a painful shriek.
Versa looks behind her at the floor before turning back to me. "Are you alright, General?"
I nod weakly, both my hands still shake uncontrollably. Versa turns around and jumps down the hole. I hear Nightmare scream again before I hear the sounds of crumbling stone and the palace shakes violently. My chest starts to heave rapidly and that burning sensation returns.
Deny me and suffer! We are meant to destroy! Free me, human!
My head recoils in a scream of both agony and rage as my body is consumed with flame again. It's a deep red, the color of blood. Fear leaves me. Caution is but a myth. I exist as a living weapon and I was done being a puppy. The power coursing through my veins pulls me to my feet. I turn to the glass window and see glowing red iris' along with the deep crimson flame. With an inhuman dash, I'm at the hole and drop down.
Versa is blocking Nightmare's beam with her hands. Nightmare's eyes bulge and she changes her beam towards me. Another flash and I'm across the room next to Nightmare. Her eyes have enough time to expand before I bring my arm down on her neck, slamming her into the floor. Versa appears in front of her and with a kick, sends her into the next room. Nightmare struggles to get to her feet but starts to convulse. I see a familiar cobalt blue pony yank her head from the black mass. Instead of fearful screams, she cries on rage, wiggling the best she can defiantly.
Without even thinking of it, my arm raises itself and a bolt of red lighting erupts from my hand and courses through just the black mass. How much of my actions are me or the element? Could it actually control me? What if I hurt Luna? The lightning stops and I hear enraged screaming in my head. I fall to the ground with my hands over my ears. The voice is overwhelming, and I become nauseous. The black mass opens two massive empty eyes in itself. It grows a humanlike face and several sharp appendages.
It shrieks brutally and quickly claws its way across the floor to me. Luna lays on the floor panting and Nightmare's voice cries with satisfaction as she reaches me. She wraps me in her long, black tendrils. Right as she's about to force herself in my mouth, that same fire from before erupts. Nightmare screams and flails but still tries to hold on. Versa runs up and shoves her gauntlet inside Nightmare. The shrieking gets worse then we hear Luna's voice echo through the room.
"Get back." Versa steps to the side. Luna is on all fours with a glare I've never seen before. Her horn flares and the black mass cries out as it's rammed so hard with magic, it's forced through the castle wall and out of eyesight. Luna turns to Versa.
"Where's Zaran?!" She yells. Versa points in the general direction of outside. Luna flaps her wings and soars out of the room. Versa slowly walks up to me and holds her hand out to me. As I reach up to take it, my hand is engulfed again. I instinctively cover my face and yell as hard as I can, while bashing my forehead into the stone. A nearby bookcase explodes into fire and flames begin to crawl up the stone walls.
Versa's eyes expand as I slowly get to my feet. She gets behind me and blocks the door.
"Raiden hold on. Regain control." She sticks her hands out and tries to stop me. I grab her hands and Versa digs her feet into the stone. We lock arms and the palace rattles around us.