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Prologue: The Sengoku Period
It is a time of great social upheavals, political intrigues and near constant warfare for the island of Japan, as local warlords known as Daimyo, no longer obeying the Ashikaga Shogunate, battle for territorial control over the island nation.
These Daimyo raise armies of peasant and samurai forces from local territories under their control, and many families seek to raise their standings and climb the political ladder through any and all means.
Arranged marriages, assassinations, hostage exchanges, and battlefield glory are the most common means to this end for many clans and families.
For these samurai clans, family honor and personal honor is so important, that depending on which type of honor they valued, determined how they acted with every decision they made.
One such small samurai family, known as the Kusaji Clan, under the guidance of its head of the clan, has offered the hand of its only daughter, Hanayo Kusaji, to the heir of another clan, the Ninman Clan. She is the last of her line of an ancient line of female samurai, known as an Onna-bugeisha. She begs her father to allow her to marry a local samurai who has returned from a successful campaign serving the Hojo Clan, in order to prove his worth to her father for her hand.
She has always loved him, and was waiting patiently for his return so that her father could approve of such a marriage. She promises that her union with this local samurai will bring her clan great honor.
He has refused her plea, and proceeds on with the arranged marriage.
Desperate to escape this arranged marriage for her father's rise to political power, and despite her family honor being at stake, she conspires with her love to flee the castle town of Takasaki. To her, personal honor and love was more important than her family's future political prospects. During one of the stormiest nights Takasaki suffered, she flees the town and with her samurai lover, Aketoki Nimaji, and head west for the province of Kai, under the control of Daimyo Takeda Shingen. Unwilling to let his promised bride leave the province and escape into Takeda controlled territory, the heir of the Ninman Clan, a samurai named Hogeki Ninman, pursues with a team of ninja to track them down.
Before they can reach the safety of the border of Kai, they are cornered by the Ninja under Hogeki's control and himself.
(Time: 3:48 AM, Close to the border of Kai)
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"Not much further, we're almost there Hanayo-Chan!" Aketoki says as his horse races down the dirt path through a stretch of trees, just as the storm was ending.
"Already, I thought you said it would take all night to reach Kai Aketoki-Chan?" Hanayo says in amazement as he pushes the horse to slow down as a fork in the road approaches. "How could you have gotten us all the way to Kai in half the night?"
"I asked a few locals for the quickest path one could take if they wanted to reach Kai." Aketoki said as he steered his horse down the left path. "A few travelers told me of this old trail that is only used by a few merchants and commoners."
"You asked the locals, but Aketoki-Chan, the locals are almost all loyal to the Ninman Clan, how do you know none of them lied about this to you?"
"They showed it to me yesterday, it goes all the way to Kai!" Aketoki said as they turned a corner and his horse jumped over a fallen tree branch.
Just as they jumped over the branch, Hanayo lost her grip on an object that she had been holding onto for the past few hours. However it was so important that it caused her to yell at Aketoki to stop the instant she dropped it.
"STOP!" She screamed, and instantly he halted his horse.
"Did you drop your Naginata?"
"Yes I did, I'll be quick!" She says as she races over to where it fell and grabs it, brushing a bit of dirt off the sheath before once more returning to her lover.
If the Naginata had not been handed down to her from her grandmother, she would not risk stopping to pick it back up. However because of the importance she put on it, and because of how little they had kept with them when they fled from Takasaki, it was a risk they had to take. The risk they ran by slowing down, even stopping, for something as small as picking up a fallen weapon was great. She knew that her fiancé, Hogeki Ninman, would be after her if his spies told him of her fleeing. No doubt her father has told him by now, and what she feared was that their plans had been known or were discovered prior to their leaving.
If Hogeki had sent a force to find them, he would probably assume they'd take the fastest route to safety, the path they were on which led to the safety of Kai. If his soldiers caught up with them before they reached the province and presented themselves to Takeda Shingen, they would suffer terrible fates. Aketoki would be killed on the spot, and she would likely be returned to complete her marriage to Hogeki.
If she didn't kill herself before that happened, which she was prepared to do if that was the situation.
She was an Onna-bugeisha, a female warrior of samurai lineage. Her honor of keeping noble samurai blood in her family's line was something that her late mother always taught her to uphold, even on her death bed when Hanayo was seven. "Do not let a samurai who is not worthy of your heart, ever take your hand. No matter what, keep your personal honor as a woman, and as an Onna-bugeisha, above all others!" Were her final words and Hanayo stayed true to those words, which is why she had fled Takasaki with almost nothing but what she was carrying.
They had only a few small possessions with them, him having sold what spoils he had and the pay he earned for fighting in the Hojo's campaign to pay for the horse. His armor that he wore, his father's Kabuto, and his two swords, along with her grandmother's Naginata and the Koto she carried on her back, were all they had besides this horse. Losing any of these possessions was unacceptable by any standard, and what they were doing was against all family standards.
But still, she would have it no other way as she mounted his horse, wrapped her arms around him, and felt them take off down the dirt road with nothing but the crickets and trees around them. She knew his story better than anyone in her family did. If her father was too blinded to see his honor for what it truly was, she'd defy her clan and turn away from it forever, just to be with the one who was truly worthy of her heart and hand.
She was an Onna-bugeisha, not just a simple token bride to be married off, like Nobunaga Oda did with his sister.
They continued to race down the dirt road, when the first instinct of all her years of training and preparing herself for battle kicked in. One of her first lessons, a samurai lesson she was taught says, during times of peace, tighten your helmet chords.
They were near the border of Kai; Hogeki had seen her with Aketoki many a times in the marketplace. He knew of their feelings for each other, and no doubt would have suspected her rebellious act even without her father telling him tonight. The merchants in the town were almost all loyal to the Ninman Clan and each owed at least one favor to them in one way or another. She expected to have met some kind of patrol, anything by now, something to slow them down or stop them from reaching Kai!
Yet here they were so close to their salvation, where they could go and start a new life together away from Takasaki, and not even one Ashigaru patrol? There was not even a sign of bandits on this direct path to Kai, rarely traveled except by a few merchants? It was an almost perfect escape for them, it was just too easy!
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The moment that last thought crossed through her mind, the forest seemed to react to it. Instantly a rope flung from one tree to another ahead of them, wrapping around the second tree tightly. Unable to react in time, she and Aketoki both hit the rope and were knocked backward off the horse. The horse meanwhile continued on down the path, whining and yelling in surprise as its riders were flung off its back.
They quickly recovered and instantly sprang into defensive stances, Aketoki drew his Katana and she her Naginata. They were back to back, prepared to defend themselves against their attackers from any direction.
The threat emerged from the shadows of the trees, seemingly blending into the shadows, four Ninja with their Ninjato drawn and surrounding the two of them. They were covered in the dark cloth of the Ninja, only their eyes could be made out from the shadows, and only because the moonlight now shining through the clouds was angled just right. Then he appeared between a pair of trees, wearing grey robes bearing his clan's symbol, a spear pointing at a setting sun, and wearing his own armor was Hogeki Ninman.
"Well if it isn't Hanayo Kusaji my bride to be, and Aketoki Nimaji." He said, drawing his Katana and assuming an offensive stance. "Why the rush to reach Kai, you're due to marry me in a few days Hanayo-Chan?"
"I would sooner carry out Harakiri upon myself, than let even one of your fingers touch me Hogeki!" She shouted.
"So hostile toward your future husband, something we will need to work on when our union is complete." He said as he took a step forward, which was a signal for the Ninja to reposition themselves. "You have made a grave violation Aketoki-San, stealing my bride and filling her with false thoughts, your punishment is to be carried out by me upon my finding you! I have permission from her father to kill you Aketoki, or whoever it is that attempts to steal her from me."
"How can I steal her from you, when she was never yours to begin with?" Aketoki spat as she turned to face the Ninja that were now cutting off their escape down the path they came.
"She's mine by marriage rights." Hogeki said, grasping his Katana and taking a step forward.
"I will sooner die than let you have her!" Aketoki declared, not backing away as he gripped his sword as well.
"If you want me Hogeki, come and claim me!" Hanayo said, taking her Naginata and pointing it at Hogeki. "You have done nothing honorable for your clan, nothing worthy to prove your value to me; your clan is powerful only because it serves as the Hojo's police force!"
"We'll see about that Hanayo-Chan, we shall see about that." He said as he took another step toward Aketoki. "Die!"
Hogeki charged and Aketoki responded, blocking the sword strike and responding with his own. Hanayo wanted to help but at the same time, the Ninja under Hogeki's command surrounded her, preventing her from helping and forcing her to defend herself. In the struggle between Hogeki and Aketoki, a slash from Hogeki's sword cut Aketoki's Kabuto and sent it flying through the air. She grabbed it as she swung her blade in a wide arc, and in the same movement planted it on her head for safekeeping during the battle.
Their battle was waged for only a few minutes, before a sudden bright light from the sky caught their attention.
"What the…" Hogeki shouted, taking a step back in awe as a massive column of light seemed to shine down on all of them and the surrounding woods and beyond their sights.
During the confusion when they were all staring up at the strange light, Hanayo became afraid, and in her fear she turned and raced to grab Aketoki. Yet she would not reach him in time, as the next second the column of light seemed to become solid, and all of them lost consciousness.
Chapter 1 – The Royal Canterlot Kiss
(Time, 10:47 AM. Canterlot Castle Throne Room.)
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=Celestia's PoV=
"Question forty seven, would you prefer having a surprise party thrown without your knowledge, yes or no?" Celestia said to herself as she idly stamped her approval for the creation of a new young pony's ward in the Royal Canterlot Hospital. "I guess yes, I am rather tired of celebrating my birthday with everypony knowing about it after seven centuries."
She took her pen and marked yes on question 47 of the 50 questionnaire page for The Doctor's newly released WalkNTalk Luna toy. "Question forty eight, which of the following personalities do you find yourself wanting to spend time with, be honest, A) A pony that likes to tell jokes, B) A pony that takes the situation seriously, C) A pony who agrees with everything you'd say, or D) A pony that hasn't got a clue about what you're talking about half the time?" She whispered as she used her magic to put the approved request on a stack of papers before circling her answer to the questionnaire. "A, a pony that likes to tell jokes, you can always find humor in everything if my student's friend Pinkie Pie is proof of that."
She looked at the next question for a moment before picking up the next notice she had to look at. Something about her kingdom's outposts noticing a sudden increase in thunderstorms far off in the distance, as well as a new series of river systems and lakes being seen from the air. Not thinking it as a priority she put it among the other 'low priority' notices, and resumed answering her questionnaire for the new toy. "Question forty nine, which of these would you rather have your friend do if you were stressed out about a problem, A) Perform a silly trick to make you laugh, B) Leave you alone to resolve it yourself, C) Talk it over with you to help you out, D) Find those who can help you with the problem better, E) Create a random bit of chaos to take your mind off the problem temporarily? Circle all that apply."
Celestia took her pen and circled A, C, and D, knowing that she would love help or anything to cheer her up about problems. After answering that she heard the sound of the throne room door opening and hooves approaching her. She only glanced up to see a Mailmare from her Royal Postal Service based in Canterlot and one of her guards before returning to the final question. "Question fifty, which of these random acts do you find most appealing and amusing, A) A pony pretending to be sneaky but clearly saying out loud and repeating "Sneaking, Sneaking, Sneaking.", or B) A pony pretending to be a statue when they clearly don't look anything like the statue they are pretending to be?" She read out loud before circling A with a smirk.
She didn't know why the fifty questions were needed to order The Doctor's latest toy model, but apparently they were. The advertisement said that these toys were designed to be, according to him, friends for life to their owners. They would have personalities of their own, beyond anything any of his previous toys had according to the small letter he sent to Celestia attached to the two questionnaires. She also didn't know why he needed to ask fifty questions in the first place, after all each of his toys had personalities if their responses were anything to judge by. Still she didn't mind answering the questions for his latest toy.
The only concern she had about the toy was the price, why is he asking for fifty bits for this particular toy?
"You requested an Express Delivery Mailmare your majesty?" The mare said, giving a short bow to Celestia.
"Yes I need this toy order request delivered to the Hooves residence as soon as possible." She said, taking the questionnaire and putting it inside an envelope along with the order form, as well as fifty bits.
"Yes your majesty." The mare said, taking the envelope and putting it in her saddlebag before racing toward the door the instant she did.
Express Delivery Mailmares all had special permission to run through any area they were stationed, as well as permission to fly out of any window to carry out their order requests. Celestia only hired the express delivery so that she could get her order in along with her sister's. Luna had already sent hers in earlier that morning, having had time during the night to fill out the request and sent it by mail in the morning.
She didn't however tell her about the questionnaire, which seemed odd to Celestia, but then she brushed it off as just something she forgot about.
The reason why her guard was there however was different, Luna had left the castle that morning to go shopping for items to, as she said, add color to her selection of gala dresses. Celestia was getting curious as to what was keeping her normally non-outgoing, extremely shy, sister of the night. She wasn't worried that something bad would happen, but she was curious about what's taking her.
"Have you found her yet?" Celestia asked the guard as he gave a short bow.
"Yes your majesty, she's still shopping and says she'll be back shortly." The guard said. "She says she just wants to finish shopping for a selection of hats to go with her new dresses that she's purchased."
"My sister's acting just like a teenager now, shopping for things that she's not really going to use." Celestia said with a smile. "Well I hope she brought along somepony to help her carry everything. Who did she bring with her; did you get a chance to see?"
"Yes your majesty, she brought along her two guards Hawk and Owl."
"Those two get way too much work from her; she really ought to hire more guards for herself if she insists on having her own select group." She said with another smirk. "Well hopefully those two don't get hurt carrying everything for her. I should start considering a better medical care for you my guards."
"Please your majesty, you are too kind to us." Her guard said with a short bow. "Our pleasure is in serving and protecting you and your sister your majesty."
"I just hope Hawk and Owl feel the same way." Celestia said as she picked up another notice from the hospital requesting additional funding to add an additional care ward for the elderly.
=Luna's PoV, two hours later in a hat shop=
*My lovely flower*
*Separated for how long*
*My search continues *
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"How dost this hat make us look Owl, be honest." Luna asked as she turned her head this way and that, looking at herself in the mirror.
The hat in question was a midnight violet hat with several plumed light blue feathers, with a silver rose pattern lining the rim. She thought it looked nice, but this was the only one she found in her size, and instead of commissioning one for her size, she simply spent the last fifteen minutes searching the stores for one. Now that she had, she wanted to see how it looked on her, so she was asking for her guard's opinion on how it looked.
They had been somewhat helpful so far, except when it came to the dresses and now the hats.
"Well it… brings out your… midnight personality quite well my lady." Owl said nervously as he had four bags of hats hanging from his back and off his sides.
"Does it?" Luna asked as she turned the hat on an angle to admire how it matched her mane. "What about you Hawk, what's your opinion on how we look?"
-It looks nice my lady.- Hawk said in her mind, waiting outside for them to leave.
She could feel him straining to carry sixteen bags of clothes from the previous dress shops she had visited.
She may have purchased too many dresses, but after seeing the variety of clothing inside her friend's mind, she felt a sudden desire to have lots of attire for any occasion. So after sending a servant to take her toy request form to the postal service, she told Hawk and Owl of her plans to leave for the marketplace, having no real duties that day.
They didn't seem to mind her excursion out of the palace at the time, but now she was sensing faint traces of annoyance and regret spilling from their thoughts. She felt that their annoyance was most likely coming from the fact that they had been at this for nearly five hours, and regret because they hated that they had to carry all of her shopping on their backs.
"Is something wrong you two?" Luna said as she decided to buy this hat and looked for another hat to go with a special purple dress with lavender flower patterns.
"No my lady, nothing's wrong!" Owl said as he flinched at her putting the hat on the counter and start examining yet another hat that had caught her eye.
-What Owl said, nothing's wrong your majesty!- Hawk lied in her head.
"We can tell when you both are lying, remember?" She said with a smirk as she put on a purple hat with a green wave-like pattern going around the rim. –Or do you forget that we can feel your emotions in our mind?-
"Uh… no my lady I haven't…" Owl said nervously.
-No my lady…- Hawk replied just as nervously, clearly thinking they were both about to be punished for complaining.
It was a rule, an old rule that Luna expected them both to follow as her guards, even if her sister didn't demand it of the palace guards. The rule stated that any guard serving the royal princesses had to do whatever was expected or requested of them, if it was the princesses who requested it or demanded it. Hawk and Owl both knew to expect these kinds of requests from her, this was no exception.
She could tell they don't regret letting her feel their thoughts and feelings while sharing their minds with her, but they definitely wished they could control their emotions better to hide those tiny traces she could feel. –Well would you two like fair compensation for this bit of service for us?- She asked them both, knowing that it was the least she could do despite their normal pay.
-Oh no my lady, you don't have to…- Hawk said suddenly, but he was cut off by her.
-If you have a complaint of any kind, you can say it now and we won't hold it against you. - She said with the full authority of her station. –You won't get this chance often again in the future, so say whatever you want. I promise you that I won't be angry or hold anything you say against you.-
-Well my lady… it's just that we are your guards, not labor ponies. - Hawk said, feeling the sincerity in her voice. –We are to protect and serve you, but this is just… a little excessive of that role. I'm just saying… do you really need our help to carry your shopping my lady?-
"Yes wouldn't this task be better suited to the palace servants?" Owl said in agreement.
Luna smirked as she understood their arguments, before taking the hat she was wearing and adding it to the small pile on the counter. –Very well you two, you are both right, you are not being adequately compensated for helping me today.- She thought to them, and felt their sighs of relief in her head, and came up with a funny solution to this problem. –Therefore how about we give you both a Royal Canterlot Kiss on your cheeks, the highest honor our sister or myself can bestow upon one of our guards? Would that be considered an acceptable form of payment?-
-No thank you my lady, you really don't have to…- Hawk said almost instantly, and she could feel his embarrassment even without him saying a word to her.
Owl was no less embarrassed about the sudden prospect of being kissed by her, but she could see his reaction personally. "No my lady that's not necessary, our payment is in seeing you safe and sound each day." Owl said instantly, trying his best to hide the blush that sprang up at her words.
Luna chuckled to herself as she gave Owl a small wink and put the last hat she wanted to buy on the counter. The Royal Canterlot Kiss was something she and her sister only bestowed upon a guard who performed above and beyond what was asked of them. It was really only a simple kiss on the guard's cheek, and not really that high of an honor. In actuality it was only one small part of a ceremony performed for the guard, and nothing more than a simple jester of thanks.
But they didn't have to know that detail.
Once she paid for the hats, and Owl added their bags to the three he was currently carrying and walked out with her in the lead, still blushing. Hawk was also absent-mindedly pretending to find the sky very fascinating as she walked out and started to make her way to another shop before heading back to the palace. As they walked, Hawk handed Owl their spears to carry because he had less to carry, which only made Luna once again ask for their reasoning behind bringing their spears.
-We know you are our protectors Owl and Hawk, but why must you bring your weapons for this shopping trip?- She asked with her thoughts as they turned down the street toward the main road to the palace. –We are still in Canterlot, and not that far from the palace, why would you need your spears here of all places? It's not like there's an assassin preparing to attack us or anything.-
-We know my lady, but as your guards it's our duty to be ready to defend you against anything at a moment's notice.- Owl replied. –It's our duty and responsibility to be prepared for whatever may threaten your safety, be it a disruptive pony, or even Discord himself.-
-Well that's a very nice thought Owl, now what's the real reason for bringing the spears?- Luna asked as she raised her eyebrow at Owl's response, knowing that there was another reason behind what he was saying.
-That… and because Hawk said we are required to carry them unless we are taking you somewhere in your personal chariot…- Owl said.
-Tattletale…- Hawk replied with a grunt as Luna felt Owl glaring at him.
With that said, Luna continued on with her shopping, until she saw a strange pony out of the corner of her eye. The stallion, a purple unicorn wearing strange attire, was walking down the street and looking around in great confusion, as though he were lost. His horn was thinner and shorter than any horn Luna knew of, which was odd because she had never seen a horn so thin or so short. His outfit looked like a series of leather padding and tightly wound leather for his back and legs and rear. Instead of a cutie mark where it should be, a tattoo on his both sides of his face could be seen. The mark looked similar to her moon cutie mark, but it was broken and had a teardrop falling from the tip of the other half, over what appeared to be a lake or something.
"Strange… who is that pony." Luna asked her guards as she paused to stare at him. "We've never seen clothes like that before… do either of you recognize such clothes?"
"No my lady, I've never seen him or such attire before." Hawk replied instantly.
"Nor have I my lady." Owl responded.
By the looks of the ponies pointing and staring at him from the various shops and street, none of their subjects had seen him before. But Luna still didn't know why they were all staring and paying this stallion so much attention, travelers to Canterlot were just as common here as they were in other cities and towns in Equestria.
At least that was her thinking until the stallion turned and she saw what they were all pointing at. Strapped to the stallion's side were two… curved objects… one long and the other short.
"What are those objects he's carrying?" Luna asked as he started walking away, ignoring the stares and pointing of his onlookers.
"No idea my lady, I've never seen such objects before." Hawk said.
"Nor have I." Owl said.
Seeing no other reason to keep staring at the stallion, besides to admire how strong he looked, she continued her shopping spree and torturing her two guards by asking their opinions on dresses and outfits she fancied.
Another hour of shopping and she had finally finished her purchasing, having purchased thirty dresses and seven hats for her wardrobe. So with her new purchases straining the backs of her two guards, she finally made her way back to the palace.
Five minutes of walking however came to a halt as she heard the sound of two ponies arguing around the corner of the street they were on.
"I don't know who you are but if you are a representative of the Crystal Empire or some other kingdom, you must present yourself to the princesses before you may do anything else!" A voice said, and it sounded like one of her sister's guards. "If you are just traveling through then please explain your business as to why you are here. Also remove those clothes or at least explain the reason what they are and why you are wearing them, you're causing a slight panic in the streets with your appearance!"
The next few words that were said she couldn't understand, even though she could clearly hear them, she just didn't understand anything. Apparently neither did the guard as she turned the corner and saw the guard talking to the individual out of sight. "Watashi wa ushinwa reta watashi."The second voice said to him.
"I don't understand a word you are saying sir, can you please speak normally?" The unicorn guard said with a confused look.
"Watashi, wa anatano daimyo ni hanashitai."
"I still don't understand a word you are saying!" The guard said shaking his head.
Luna decided to handle the situation, and overrode her guard's silent protesting backs to perform her royal duty as co-ruler of Equestria. "What is going on here sir guard?" Luna declared, causing the guard to immediately turn and salute her.
"Your majesty, forgive me, I did not see you were there." He said respectfully.
"That's alright, now what is going on here?" Luna asked as she looked up at the pony he was talking to.
It was the stallion she had seen earlier wandering the streets and looking lost. He only glanced at her before he looked at her rump and then returning his attention to the guard again. "Naze anata no mesu ga ari, sarani wa subete hadaka dansei ga?" He said with a raised eyebrow. "Mata, naze kono 1-jō no hane ga aru nodesu ka?"
"Who is this stallion guard?" Luna asked as Owl rounded the corner carrying her bags.
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The moment Owl rounded the corner; the strange stallion reacted as though he had just been insulted. He shouted in whatever words he was using, but still Luna couldn't understand a word he was saying. "Hogeki wa koko de nanishiteruno?" He yelled, pointing at Owl as he turned to face the stallion.
Without a second's hesitation Owl reacted in response to the strange stallion, as though he were preparing to attack. He dropped the bags and grabbed his spear, jumping to stand between Luna and the stallion he perceived as a threat. Just as quickly the stallion reached with one hoof to grab one of the curved objects at his waist, before pulling it out to reveal an incredible blade of curved steel.
"Doko Hanayo-chan wa, anata ga kanojo to issho ni nani o shita nodesu ka?" He said angrily, as he held the sword with one hoof at an angle.
"Calm down, there's no need to get hostile!" Luna tried to say, but before she could finish the pony shouted once more just as Hawk appeared, having dropped his bags and carried his spear around the corner.
"Korera wa, anata no dōmeikuni Hogeki iru, anata wa watashi o kōnā ni dōmeikuni no haigo ni ishuku suru hitsuyō ga arimasu ka?" He shouted again, pointing the sword at Owl.
"Get back my lady!" Owl said as he raised his spear along with Hawks.
Without another word the stallion shouted and charged Owl with that sword, cutting downward with such force that the spear was cut in half at the shaft. In response Hawk tried to intervene and assist Owl, at the same time the unicorn guard jumped into the fray, grabbing his spear from the floor and trying to assist as well.
Luna watched as this strange stallion used his weapon to break a second spear, before delivering a kick with one of his rear hooves while at the same time using his weapon as a shield to protect against Hawk's spear. Wounded the unicorn guard was forced back while Luna backed away in self-protection.
"Guard, call for help immediately!" Luna ordered.
He nodded at her order and his horn lit up, before sending a cascade of purple and blue sparks into the sky, alerting all nearby guards to the situation and ordering them to assist. Yet still the fight continued between her two guards and this stranger. He was getting the upperhoof on them now, having broken Hawk's spear and reducing them to use only the shaft's to protect themselves.
The fight spilled out into the street as Owl tried to disengage and push Luna away from the threat, leaving Hawk to deal with the threat alone with the unicorn guard!
"My lady, please get away from here, let us handle this!" Owl said as they both felt Hawk drop what was left of his spear.
The reason why was because he had been cut badly by the blade of the attacker. She could feel him clutching at his side as he disengaged and backed away, and once she caught sight of him, she could see a gash four inches long running from his front to his wing joint. It wasn't deep but by the stars was it painful!
"HAAAAAWK!" Luna shouted, just as more guards appeared from both ends of the street carrying spears.
As more guards appeared the attacking pony defeated the other unicorn guard, giving him just as brutal a kick as the gash he had given Hawk. This allowed him a chance to look for her and Owl, and once he spotted Owl he charged again with that sword, using three legs to race at them. Owl looked determined as he charged back in response, but unarmed Luna knew he stood no chance. However the guards coming to their rescue were almost all comprised of Unicorn guards, and this gave Luna an idea.
"Unicorn Guards, restrain him with magic!" She ordered.
They all nodded and as one they summoned their magic and an aura of mixed colors surrounded the attacker. Owl backed off to let the Unicorns do their work. Luna sighed in relief as the stallion struggled to move, but the sigh turned into a gasp as he screamed in rage, before jerking forward and breaking the unicorn's hold on him.
-He broke through six unicorn guard's restraining magic?- Luna thought as he turned and charged the reinforcing guards with his blade.
Even though it was eight against one, the reinforcing guards still stood no chance against him. The stallion outmatched their skills in combat, making short work of their spears and delivering more wounds to another three guards. By this time ponies in the streets were fleeing from the scene, shops had emptied and closed their doors with magical and mundane means. Yet that didn't matter at all to Luna, because once Owl received a new spear from another guard, he rejoined the battle. Moments after he rejoined their attacker got the best of him and slashed at his hooves, slashing his leg and causing him to collapse, before giving another slash to his side.
"OOOOOOWL!" Luna screamed, causing the attacker to look up at her.
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More guards were arriving on the scene, weapons drawn from both sides of the street and from the air. At the sight of five Pegasus guards flying in, the stallion sheathed his weapon and fled down the street.
"AFTER HIM!" Luna shouted angrily, letting her emotions get the better of her and turning to an Earth guard. "You, call for medical assistance, get these ponies to the nearest hospital!"
She didn't give the Earth guard time to acknowledge her order before she was after the attacker, following behind the now twenty guards chasing after him. He didn't run very far as he turned toward a closed and barricaded shop at a corner of the street which also bordered another building, creating a small triangle with the street.
Once he reached the corner he turned and slid to a stop with his back to the point of the buildings, facing them all before drawing his blade once more with one hoof. As Luna caught up with the other guards she noticed the look of fierce determination, yet deep calm in his face, as though the fact he was outnumbered twenty to one didn't matter. Then she realized why he wasn't so concerned.
He was completely cornered, but this worked to his advantage, as despite their numbers he only had to fight two or three guards at a time. They couldn't fit enough ponies into that small corner even in the air to make a difference and use their weapons effectively. Yet that wasn't the only reason he wasn't concerned, as he revealed one final trick that she and her guards had never seen a pony do before.
He stood up on his rear hooves and grasped the blade with his front hooves, holding it alongside his face as he prepared himself for battle. He didn't even look unbalanced as he glared at all of them; in fact this seemed to be what he wanted to do. He looked as though this was a move he was saving for just this situation. "Enough of this, prepare to move in, we're restraining him our self!" Luna declared, and as one all of the guards braced themselves for her order to move in.
She summoned her magic and used a restraining spell on the stallion, trying to force the pony to fall to the floor and hold him down. Yet for some reason the aura that surrounded him suddenly lost strength as he seemed to be fighting her magic. Moments later he shouted again and jerked forward, giving an all mighty yell before breaking her spell and charging at the guards in front of her.
Standing on two hooves the stallion showed just as much speed and agility as he did on all four or even three. He slashed, blocked, jabbed, sliced and otherwise fought all twenty guards that tried to restrain him. His armor proved to be formidable to their speed, making them glance off and useless against him. Not only was it resilient it was also flexible as he performed maneuvers Luna never thought were possible. All the while he continued to fight with fierce determination and pure clarity of focus.
Each move he made, flowed from one into another, not a single movement was wasted in his actions. When he blocked he used it to attack, when he dodged he turned it into a block for an unseen strike that he seemed to sense was coming. Nothing her sister's guards did seemed to work, this strange stallion was making hay barrels out of them. Their magic was useless, their spears pointless, and as the last of the unicorns guards sent up red sparks into the sky, declaring an emergency situation and calling all guards to the scene, she started to think there was only one way to stop this stallion.
"EVERYPONY GET BACK!" She roared as she used her magic to take a drastic action.
She used it to break the street behind her, ripping sections apart and then throwing those chunks at the attacker. Just in time the guards heeded her orders, and those that were still fighting jumped out of the way. The attacking pony however did not see it in time, and chunks of street rock slammed into him, knocking him to the ground.
Gasping for breath Luna looked up at the mess of bodies around her. Six more guards were badly wounded by cuts and gashes delivered by that blade, which had been knocked away and sent spinning away from them. The other guards were getting up and shaking off small scrapes and bruises, but they were otherwise unharmed. "Get that blade, and send for medical help at once!" Luna ordered. "Then start seeing to everypony's…"
Just as she was about to tell them to take the attacker to the palace dungeon, the stallion stood up and turned to stare at them all, clutching a wounded hoof with the other. "Watashi wa, sō kantan ni wa makemasen!" He gasped through the pain, reaching for the second object he had been carrying, however it too had been sent flying when Luna used her magic to send the street at him.
"He's unarmed, restrain him!" Luna shouted desperately, backing away in slight fear at this stallion that simply refused to go down.
Instantly all of the guards, who could still stand and fight, charged and tried to restrain the attacker. Yet still he proved just as dangerous as he did before. He kicked and head-butted, tripped and flipped, knocked down and otherwise made her sister's well trained guards looked like they were clumsy mules. Even when it was ten on one, ten guards against this one single stallion, he was still holding his own and winning!
-He's unstoppable!- Luna though as she watched him defeat another nine guards alone!
Knowing that there was no time to waste, with lives at stake, because she had to stop him before he retrieved that blade again, she opened her mind and tapped into her madness. –How do we stop him, quickly!- She thought as another guard fell before her.
(Bind him with bonds not magical that even 'he' cannot break…) One of her inner voices said calmly.
Closing off her madness she looked over at a shop selling camping equipment, including ropes four inches thick for rock climbing. She used her magic to break the window and sent the ropes to weave around the stallion before he could react. Following her example the remaining unicorn guards sent more ropes at the stallion, binding him tighter and tighter, wrapping every inch of him in ropes so he couldn't move even a little.
He tried to squirm but by this time he was completely helpless before them. At that moment more guards started swarming into the area from both the street and sky, racing to where Luna was, weapons drawn and horns glowing, forming a wall between her and the attacker. The stallion only glared in defiance at them once, before closing his eyes in accepting defeat. He stopped struggling instantly.
"Take him to the palace dungeon, we want guards on him at all times!" Luna ordered. "Keep your weapons on him and don't let him out of those bonds until he is safely behind bars! Take his weapon and report to our sister about what has happened! We will be at the hospital overseeing the guards being brought in for healing! Understood?"
"Yes your majesty!" A captain said as she turned and headed toward the nearest hospital along with a trail of guards who were already carrying their fellows there.
Half an hour later she entered her two guards' recovery room, already glad that she had ordered them to be taken to the RER. Their recovery was quick, and according to the head healer, they could leave within three hours. "How are you both doing?" Luna asked them as she entered the room.
"We'll be fit for duty in a few hours my lady." Hawk said as he and Owl both gave a short bow to her from his bed. "How are the others fairing?"
"They'll take some more time to heal, at most half a day; I had you two given special treatment so that's why your recovery is faster." Luna declared.
"You really didn't have to my lady; we are no more injured than they were." Owl replied. "We are no more important than they are. We should really not be in here, this is for you and your sister's use, not us guards…"
"Not to us you aren't." Luna said, and from her tone they knew to pay very close attention. "To us you are very important; after all you are our only guards in our personal service that we have hired. Now than we hope you both are aware and prepared for your punishment for failing me today."
"Yes… my lady… we are…" Owl and Hawk said, knowing full well what she was angry about.
"It wasn't your fault but nonetheless, it happened." She said, looking at them both with a glare, making sure to keep her mind closed to them both. "Because of this incident my shopping bags full of clothes that were paid for by us, are now lost in the streets of Canterlot. You just made somepony's wife and/or fillies very happy, because of you they get free dresses and outfits that would have cost them six hundred and fifty bits, for free!"
"We're sorry my lady." They both said again, already bracing themselves for whatever punishment she was about to give them.
"Good… now here is what we want you do to!" She declared, and they instantly closed their eyes to brace themselves. "Because of your actions…"
She walked over to Hawk first, bent close to him, and planted a kiss on his cheek, then walked over to Owl and repeated her actions, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Because of your quick actions we were not harmed, and you both willingly put yourselves before a blade without hesitation to keep me safe." Luna said, looking at their shocked and blushing faces and smiling gently. "For that you don't have to worry about any punishment, all we want you to do is get better. We thank you for your service to us, and we will be waiting outside for you to recover before returning to the palace. Understood?"
They both nodded in embarrassment as Luna turned to leave the RER, opening her mind to her guards again. –That was the Royal Canterlot Kiss by the way, you should at least thank us for that!- She said to them. –We have never done that to any guard, ever…-
-Th...th… thank you… your majesty…- Hawk said quietly.
-Yes…th… thank you… my lady…- Owl said as well.
*The cage of despair*
*The river never slows down*
*My fear is born now*