Hello again, my dear readers. We have finally hit that point many of you were absolutely dreading:
The end of Light of the Moon.
I know a lot of you will be quite upset when you finally reach the end of this chapter, but I have to say; writing this story was... a ride. It may be just me, but I think the greatest joy of a writer is bonding with their characters while they write, and finally reaching the conclusion of a story. I'll admit, when I began writing this story, Tyr was almost just a POV character to act as the focal point for which the story would revolve around. But I think Night Light hammered it home for me, as the writer, that this was the character that drove the story. His interactions with each character made the story fun to me. Although writing Luna as a somewhat shy somewhat aggressive lover were fun too. :P
But before I move onto comments, I want to firstly thank each and every one of my readers, both reviewers and ghost readers. The very fact that I knew there were those reading, following, and favoriting my story kept me going during those times I was stuck on a particular chapter (Honest Kindness, I'm looking at you). So thank you for sticking with me up to this point, and I hope this chapter fulfills your expectations.
theflammablefiredragon: How did I know you'd be the one to get the 100th comment? Firstly, thanks for sticking with me for the whole ride. I think I've laughed at almost every comment you've left. And I will tell the truth, writing this chapter was hard. Very hard. Especially during the latter portions where I actually was in tears while I wrote. I thank you for even giving my story a chance, and thank you for staying with me, no matter where this story went. I see whatever emotions I can pull from my readers as a job well done, whether words of praise or messages of resentment. As long as I made them feel something I can be happy with my work. Keep up your own writing my friend, and know that I'm not done yet either. Not by a long shot.
yannick: Unfortunately, no. :P I planned for Light of the Moon to be completely lemon free. I did actually write a scene for Luna and Tyr after Night Light, but I still don't know if I'll post it on Fanfiction.
DragonLord RyuKizoku: I think I'm allowed at least one reference, lol. And there will be an Epilogue, but if I've got you pegged right you'll have more questions than answers by the end of it. And as for sweet Chrissy, the bond would only kill her if Tyr dies. Sure, being transported to another world is pretty close to dying, but she's found a way around that. What way that is, I'm not telling. Not yet.
Fern of the Clouds: Hey, if you've got the goods... lol but no. And I'm glad you felt that emotion from the chapter. That's my ultimate goal whenever I write. Believe me, I cried too.
Ryan Phillips: I'm glad you love it. And you have an idea? I'd love to hear it. :D
Chapter 46: Finis Autem Militis
"Why the hell are they just waiting?" A particularly belligerent white haired knight stood atop the wall, staring out at the human camp. Ace had been on watch for most of the day, but it was about as boring as he figured. The humans were staying in their little camp, and there had been no movement at all from them. He had been all pumped up and ready for a fight this morning, and then… nothing. No activity. Not even a weak attempt at hammering Shining's shield. He scowled.
"Oh quit your complaining," Rainbow said from beside him. She was sitting on the wall, relaxing in the noon day sun. "If they don't attack us, all the better, right? That lets the Princesses do that spell undisturbed."
"I know, but you know how I am. You like speed, I like fighting."
"I guess we're both adrenaline junkies, huh?"
Ace chuckled at that. "I suppose you could say that."
They cut off their conversation just as Grace came up to them. The red haired knight paused to send a gaze out at the human camp. "…Still nothing?"
"About as dead as a graveyard," Ace said. "There was a bright flash of blue, and then nothing. I thought they were readying some kind of magic jammer like they did before."
"No tech like that has shown up?"
"Not even any more of those Angels have been stomping around," Rainbow said with a wave of her hand. "I say good riddance."
"I doubt they want to even be here after Tyr gave them that thrashing," Ace said. He snorted. "I'm still pissed I couldn't join in."
Grace looked back out at the human camp. A sinking feeling was in her stomach every time she looked at it, and it refused to go away. "…Well, we'll have quite a bit of work on our hands before you know it."
"I dunno…" Ace glanced out as well. "If they don't do anything—
A loud voice cut him off. It boomed across the open area and send most of the sentries near them scrambling and covering their ears. "TYR HYMIR! SHOW YOURSELF!"
Ace simply scowled at the noise. He pushed himself up to see better. "What the hell…? Where did that come from?"
"Look," Grace said, pointing. Rainbow got up as well, and they found themselves looking at great blue glow coming from the human camp. It focused into a beam, and then opened up into a wide, doorway like portal. The Equestrians on the wall stared in horror.
"What… what is that?" Rainbow asked.
"A gateway would be my guess," Tyr said, coming up beside them. He was accompanied by Chrys, and had a dark look on his face. Fenrir came after him. She blinked in surprise before running to the edge of the wall beside Rainbow. A look of resignation crossed her face. Tyr joined her a moment later, glancing down at his wolfish partner. "Guess it's worse than we thought."
"You'd be correct in that assumption, Alpha," Fenrir said. "This reeks of Order Magic, but…"
A tall figure left the human camp, standing in front of the castle. It was Bastille. "TYR HYMIR!" He roared again.
"Standing right here, Bastille!" Tyr called back, jumping up onto the parapet. "Tired of having a tea party out there?"
"I believe it is time to dispense with all the smoke and mirrors," Bastille replied, his face set in a scowl. "It must be obvious by now what side I am on."
"I was going to say the same to you!" Tyr said, magic flaring. His fur lined armor appeared on him, and Fenrir stood up beside him, a wild grin on her face. Tyr smirked. "Or is that not what you wanted to say?"
Even from this distance, Tyr could see the man's face contort into a scowl. Bastille raised one hand and snapped his fingers. A massive white lion with a mane made of gold materialized beside him and his human military garb was replaced with the bright armor of the Zodiac. His helmet had a bright, golden plume atop it, and a golden cape flowed from his back. The only ones on the wall to not gasp in surprise were Tyr, Chrys and Fenrir. They waited expectantly as the man below them spoke. "I am Leo of the Zodiac and the wielder of the Spirit of Obedience. I am giving you one last chance to surrender."
"And if we do?" Tyr asked, willing to at least humor the Zodiac Knight.
"Then I will ensure your deaths are painless."
"Normally you'd say you'd leave us unharmed."
"You and I both know that will not happen."
Tyr sighed. "Then you would know how this day is going to play out."
"You will not live through today, Chaos Mage."
"Funny, I was going to say the same thing to you."
A huge solid ball of confetti smashed into the ground beside Leo. The helmeted knight glanced over to the side, almost as if wondering where it had come from. Those on the castle wall were similarly confused, and looked to their right. Pinkie was there, behind her smoking party cannon. A slightly irritated look was on her face. She leaned over the wall edge. "Heeeey! Can you do me a big favor and step to your right a little bit?"
"…No?" Leo sounded a bit confused with his answer.
"Aw, please!"
Tyr let out a sigh. "Pinkie…"
The gateway behind Leo pulsed, and out came a large battalion of Zodiac soldiers led by two more elegantly armored and armed men. "Here come the grunts," Ace muttered. He smirked. "To be perfectly honest, I'm looking forward to this."
"If I didn't love you I'd think you were crazy," Rainbow muttered. "…Scratch that. You are crazy."
"We're all a little crazy—" A low moan rolled out of the human camp, sending shivers down the spines of all that were listening. As the defenders of the castle watched their enemies move out into formation, more figures began to slowly shuffle out of the camp. It was the human soldiers, but… changed. Ethereal blue light glowed from their eyes, and they moved as if they were puppets. They were like—
"Zombies," Rainbow murmured, shivering. She had watched a lot of horror movies with Ace, Beat and Scootaloo, and by far the most they watched had dealt with the undead. And seeing those humans shuffling out now… "They look like zombies, man…"
"They are close," Fenrir admitted. "The spirit of Obedience…"
"He is commanding them," Chrys said. She scowled. "I cannot sense any desire from them… except to serve."
Tyr glanced over at her before looking back at the horde before them. The humans were being placed in front of the heavily armored Zodiac soldiers as if they were a human shield. "Forcing them to obey… So that's what Order is to him, huh?"
"Obedience promotes stability," Leo said evenly. "But you, as a proponent of Chaos, would not understand that."
"Oh, I understand alright," Tyr replied. "I understand that you want to control everything. That anything that happens outside of what you consider the norm is wrong. But let me tell you something, Leo. Life is unpredictable. You can't control everything!"
"Enough of this. Soldiers! Assault the castle!"
The pounding of boots heralded the march forward. More and more soldiers came out of the gateway, filling the field. The controlled humans marched forward as well, one singular purpose embedded into their minds. "They're coming," Rainbow said quietly, looking out over the approaching army.
"I guess this is going to be it," Ace said. He sighed, and then glanced over at Tyr. "It's been fun, man."
"We're not dead yet," Tyr told him, smiling.
"So what's the call?"
"We just need to keep them off the walls—Oh dear Celestia," Rainbow murmured.
Tyr looked over at her. "What…?" He trailed off, following her gaze back over the field. The gateway Leo had opened pulsed sharply, and it seemed to be vibrating. Then a loud otherworldly screech tore through the air. A massive four legged beast covered in slabs of marble white armor pounded its way out. It was huge and muscular, with a head like that of a bull's. The Zodiac soldiers made way for it, giving it a clear path to the castle.
"What is that thing?" Rainbow asked.
"A war beast," Fenrir said. "Some hapless creature twisted to serve Zodiac."
Ace frowned. "…What is it doing?"
Tyr felt a sinking feeling in his gut as he realized what was about to happen. He raised his voice as best he could. "Everyone off the walls, NOW!"
"What?" Rainbow looked up at her friend. "Why do we—?"
"That's not just some war creature, it's a BATTERING RAM!" His warning came moments too late, as the war beast came charging at the wall. Tyr grabbed Chrys and Fenrir and leapt from the wall, using constructs to give them a safe landing. Rainbow and Ace followed his lead, only to be sent flying as the creature impacted the wall with force. It shattered Shining's barrier with ease, and smashed directly into the wall. The force of the blow sent stone flying everywhere as a huge hole was torn in the wall. The beast screeched again as it shouldered its way inside.
"By Celestia's name," Ace groaned, getting up. He and Rainbow had just managed to get off the wall as the creature had hit it, but the shockwave had knocked them down. He managed to get up to his feet and looked at the hole. "…Well, that's not good."
"I think we should be more worried about the giant thing coming inside!" Rainbow protested, pointing. The war beast was looking directly at them, no doubt seeing them as the easiest and most convenient targets. It loomed over them, no doubt judging which one of them would be the most satisfying to crush. Rainbow gulped. "What do we do?"
"I think we let another friend handle it," Tyr said, glancing up. "Vanna, NOW!"
A roar from above them distracted the war beast, causing it to look up just as several tons of angry dragon smashed on top of it. The war beast fought back to its feet only to have the bronze dragon clamp down on its throat with its huge jaws, forcing it aside. But the damage was done—mind controlled humans were already pushing through the hole in the walls with their armored support marching up behind them. Equestrians were swarming down from the walls, trying to keep a good distance from the battling giants. They had to plug the breach, and unless they suddenly had a giant block of stone there to do just that, there was only one order Tyr could give.
"To the breach!" He roared, summoning his frost blade. A chorus of howls and cheers responded. "Make them pay for every inch!"
-x-
"I just want to remind you guys I don't think this is a good idea," Sweetie Bell said. She, Applebloom, and Scootaloo were in the upper levels of the castle, slowly making their way to one of the upper balconies. The young singer was the only one nervous in the trio. As if to show that fact, the other two girls rolled their eyes.
"We're just gonna find a window or something so we can watch the battle," Scootaloo assured her. "It's no big deal."
"We'll be perfectly safe!" Applebloom agreed.
Sweetie bell frowned. "Still not convinced on the safety of this plan…"
They rounded the top of another flight of steps. "Wait, get back!" Scootaloo suddenly hissed. She pushed her two friends back a bit so they could hide around the corner. Sweetie and Applebloom pushed up just enough to see over their friend, just in time to see Rarity hurrying by, a wrapped bundle in her arms. Something fell loose as she rushed by and clattered to the floor. Unsurprisingly, the fashionista was too preoccupied to notice. As soon as she was out of sight, the three girls came back up. "Wow. Rarity sure was in a hurry, huh?"
"What do ya think she was carrying?" Applebloom asked. Sweetie Bell didn't speak up immediately, instead letting her eyes catch on something shining on the floor. She knelt down to see what it was. To her surprise, she found a diamond tipped arrow lying there. Scootaloo and Applebloom looked over to her as she picked it up.
"What's that?" Scootaloo asked.
Sweetie Bell frowned. "An arrow… with a diamond tip."
"An arrow? Why would your sister have that?"
"I dunno. Maybe—" Whatever thought Sweetie had was drowned out by a loud roar from outside. Scootaloo perked up immediately.
"Come on!" She said, and hurried to a nearby door. She opened it and let out a happy laugh upon finding an empty balcony. "Guys, you gotta come see this!"
Sweetie and Applebloom followed their athletic friend, the latter hanging back a bit. Sweetie joined Scootaloo at the railing, and her eyes opened at what she saw. The battle was heavy at the wall, with the Zodiac soldiers pressing forward in a shield wall. Tyr, Ace and Flash led the Equestrians in a loose formation, trying their best to hold back the superior numbers. Constructs filled in where they could, but without anyone able to recharge Tyr, the quality of his silver soldiers was beginning to flag. It was unlike anything the three girls had ever seen. "Celestia save us…" Sweetie Bell whispered.
"Hey girls?" Applebloom was back by the door, a little bit of fear on her face. "Y'all shouldn't be so close to the edge…"
Sweetie Bell turned, but it was Scootaloo who responded. She blew a raspberry at her. "Oh, stop worrying! They're all the way out there, what's the worst that could happen?"
The color suddenly drained out of their red haired friend. "D-D-D-DRAGON!"
Scootaloo and Sweetie turned simultaneously, their eyes widening as the giant lizard in question came flying towards them. It had been sent flying by the Zodiac war beast, and there was nothing to stop it from smashing into the side of the castle. It slammed into the castle below them, one massive wing smashing into the bottom of the balcony. Stone gave way to muscle and bone, and suddenly the young Pegasus and unicorn found themselves floating in air. "Oh crap," Scootaloo managed to say, just as they began to fall.
"Scoots! Sweetie!" Applebloom cried, but from her place in the doorway, she could do nothing to help them.
Scootaloo's wings flared to life, and she began to slow her fall. "Yes!" She said. All that practice with Ace and Rainbow was beginning to help. She glanced over at the dragon, which had recovered and was back to fighting the war beast. She did feel as though she was missing something…
"SCOOTALOO!"
She glanced down to see Sweetie Bell below her, still falling. Without wings of her own, she would die the moment she hit the ground. The young Pegasus hesitated only a moment before she dived after her friend, willing her wings to propel her as fast as she could. Still, she could get no closer. Every second they got closer and closer to the ground. "COME ON!" She yelled.
"Watch it!"
Scootaloo felt herself being jerked to the side, finding nothing but blue in her face. She fought to get free only to find her adoptive mother looking down at her. "Rainbow Dash!"
"That's 'mom' to you now, squirt!" She snapped back. "What the heck were you doing!?"
"Sweetie Bell!" Scootaloo pulled herself to look over the rainbow haired woman's head to find her friend. To her immediate relief, she saw Sweetie Bell safe and sound in Tyr's arms. The girl was in tears, and to Scootaloo's surprise, Tyr was actively trying to comfort the distraught girl. She sighed. "…She's okay."
"What where you two doing?" Tyr asked once Rainbow had landed nearby. Sweetie Bell rubbed tears from her eyes.
"We were… trying to see the battle…" She murmured, averting her eyes.
Rainbow snorted. "That was pretty dangerous you two. What if Tyr and I weren't watching?"
"Save it for later, Rainbow," Tyr said shortly, glancing back to the wall. "We can't take too much time. I can't get distracted for too long!"
Rainbow opened her mouth, but shut it immediately. She looked down at Scootaloo. "…Just… take Sweetie Bell and stay inside, alright?"
Scootaloo nodded. "Yes ma'am."
Tyr glanced at Sweetie Bell, who was still clinging to his arm. "You gonna be alright, Sweetie?"
The pink and gray haired girl nodded slightly. "Y-yeah. I think I'll be okay."
He gently patted her hair. "Hey, I'll check on you later, alright?"
"Okay."
The two younger girls ran back to the keep, not looking back. Once they were out of sight, Rainbow let out a long sigh. "Honestly… that girl is too much like me."
Tyr smirked. "I thought daughters were supposed to take after their moms?"
"Oh, shut up and let's go bash some heads." Tyr couldn't argue with that, and the two of them rushed back into the fray. The Equestrians were holding the breach for now, the fact that Vanna in his dragon form was fighting the war beast giving them the breathing room they needed. Ace and Chrys were proving to be a deadly combination as the two natural killers threw lifeless Zodiac soldiers and human puppets aside like chaff. Flash fought alongside them, dispatching their faceless opponents with calculated efficiency. As Tyr shoulder tackled a zodiac soldier, he thrust one fist into the air. On his signal, a massive stone came sailing from the top of the castle, smashing down into a large group of Zodiac soldiers. Atop the castle, Tyr spotted a familiar Stetson being waved at him. He waved back, mentally thanking whatever deity the Equestrians believed in for giving that girl legs of steel. He killed the soldier he was up against and summoned his construct soldiers to charge the breach.
"I think we're holding them," Flash murmured, ending up beside the taller man. His longsword rang against a Zodiac shield, but Tyr leapt in to cut down his opponent before they could retaliate. "Lucky for us they only had one of those wall breaker things."
A loud crash from behind them made them pause. The two men turned to see a second war beast shouldering its way into the castle. Zodiac troopers swarmed in after it. Tyr gave Flash a flat look. "…You jinxed it."
"No regrets," Flash responded.
-x-
Fluttershy cried out as she bumped into a rack full of medical supplies. Before it fell, a bright pink magical aura gripped it, righting it without much effort. The pink haired girl glanced behind her to see Grace pointing one hand in her direction, her arm sheathed in a similar pink glow. "…Thank you, Grace."
"Be more careful," the medic ordered, going back to the patient in front of her. Her magic took hold of several of her needles, allowing her to swiftly sew closed a gash wound. After cleaning off the area, she did one last check to make sure she hadn't missed anything. "Okay, done here. Next!"
"Your passion and zeal is quite grand," Zecora murmured, applying a bandage to another wounded man. "I fail to see how you are still able to stand."
"I've dealt with worse," Grace said quickly, tying off another man's arm before she addressed his wound. He was slashed up quite a bit on this arm, no doubt attempting to block a blade of some type. Needles came flying in at a wild pace, tying wounds closed as fast as she disinfected them and treated them. Without missing a beat, she patted the man on the shoulder and used her magic to slide him to a cart so that he could be moved away. "Next!"
"Oh my…" Fluttershy murmured, watching as a pair of female Equestrians brought in another patient for Grace to work on. The red head was working much faster than either she or Zecora could. And she was doing it so well. She had delegated the herbalist and veterinarian into tending to the lighter wounds, while she herself dealt with anything near fatal. And no one had died in her hands yet. Fluttershy turned back to the roll of gauze she was retrieving, only to have the door to the infirmary burst open. A Zodiac soldier stood there, blood splattered over its armor. "AH!"
A single thrown knife greeted the soldier, finding the spot right between the helmet and the breastplate and lodging right in the throat. All eyes went to Grace, who was looking at the door with a scowl on her face. "They've gotten this far…?"
"We are no longer safe here," Zecora said. "The enemy is upon us, I fear."
"Start getting everyone here to the keep!" Grace ordered, pulling her sword charm off her bracelet. With a flash of her magic aura, her sword returned to full size. "I'll make sure no one gets to you."
"Let me help you Grace. That way, you won't have to be our ace."
"But you—" She didn't get to finish her sentence, as another pair of Zodiac troopers burst into another door. Before Grace could draw and throw any knives or needles, Zecora had pulled a round bottle with a swirling dark blue liquid in it and threw it at the pair. On contact, it exploded, throwing the armored warriors outside. "…Wow."
"You'd be surprised what herbs and liquids can be used in explosives," Zecora told her with a wink. "The list I have made is quite expansive."
Grace nodded. "I'll take your word for it. Let's get these people out of here!"
With the knight and herbalist leading them, they began the process of getting all the wounded out of the makeshift medical facility. They had set up near the walls in order to get the injured to them faster, but now as the Zodiac soldiers swarmed into the yard it seemed like it had backfired. A squad of soldiers broke off from fighting a group of Equestrians and came charging over at them. Grace readied her knives—
Only to have the corpse of a dead war beast crash onto them, the giant creature's throat slashed open and weeping some kind of greenish fluid. Vanna—still as a dragon—landed atop the thing, roaring and spewing fire into the air in victory. Grace lowered her weapon as the dragon glanced over at her. One golden eye winked at her before Vanna took to the sky once more. Grace blew a kiss after him. Another war beast was dying off near the wall, a giant silver hydra pulling it apart with ease. However, despite these victories the Zodiac soldiers were implacable, marching forward. More war beasts were breaking through the wall, and some kind of strange flying creatures were occupying the flying Pegasii. The hydra vanished, and Grace spotted Tyr atop of wall of silver soldiers, Chrys at his side as he raised an open hand towards the keep.
"That's us," Rarity murmured, gesturing to the gathered archers on the topmost balcony. They had made some rudimentary bows with materials Vanna had scrounged up, and Rarity had supplied the diamonds the arrows were now tipped with. She had even placed a sharpening enchantment on them in order to be doubly certain they would penetrate the armor of the warriors below. As the archers drew their weapons and aimed up, the other person on the balcony let her own magical aura flow forth.
"You do not have to remind Trixie, you know," the illusionist murmured with a halfhearted scowl. "She remembers the signal."
Her aura covered the archers, and they released their arrows. The small cloud arced up into the sky. With a snap of her fingers, Trixie's aura expanded, and the small cloud of arrows became a dark torrent. As the Equestrians beat a hasty retreat to the castle keep, the hail of arrows came down like rain atop the advancing Zodiac soldiers. The illusions broke apart on contact but the real ones, obscured by the others, fell true, penetrating the armor of the Zodiac troopers and laying low many of them. The other war beast was swarmed by silver soldiers and dragged to the earth. That made enough space for the Equestrians to flee inside of the keep and bar the doors. The archers themselves stayed on the roof as long as they could before crossbow Zodiac soldiers chased them off.
-x-
"That's the best we can do," Applejack muttered, backing up from the castle doors. She and several others had spent their time barricading the door with everything they could get their hands on—wood planks, furniture… everything was there.
"Will it hold?" Rarity asked softly. She and Trixie had come down from the balcony and were looking up at the makeshift barrier worriedly. There had been no noises from the other side, but who knows what they were doing out there…
"It'll do," Applejack said with a sigh. She brushed an errant hair out of her face. She had lost her hair tie sometime during the chaos upstairs, and was forced to let it loose about her shoulders. "We ain't got much choice in the matter now, do we?"
"No giving up just yet," Grace said, finishing her rounds. She pulled her own hair out of its pony tail and handed the hair tie to Applejack. The farm girl looked at it in surprise, but took it anyway.
"Uh… thanks, sugar," She said, tying her hair up.
"It's no big deal," Grace assured her. She smiled. "You look better with it tied back."
Rarity sighed. "And I've always tried to get her to wear it down…"
Footsteps interrupted them as Tyr, Flash and Ace walked by, grim looks on all of their faces. Rarity went over to Tyr. "Darling, what do we do now?"
Tyr looked away from her. "I… I don't know."
"Do we even have a plan at this point?" Grace asked. "We don't really have another place to fall back to."
"We just hold," Ace said darkly. He glanced around. Many of the remaining Equestrians were scattered about the main hall, with the rest no doubt elsewhere in the castle. They looked over as he spoke. He bit his lip. "We fight and die for the Princesses if we have to."
"We can't fight like you do," Rarity pointed out. "So we need some kind of plan!"
"There's not much we can plan," Flash pointed out. He scowled. "We're all out of ideas!"
"You can't just expect us ta just fight and die," Applejack said. "We ain't soldiers!"
"And we're exhausted!" Ace snapped. "Believe me, I'd love to keep going all day, but I know I can't!"
"Oh, I'm sure you'd love to go back to killing, wouldn't you?"
"Look guys—" Tyr began, but they were already arguing. This wasn't helping anyone, and the looks of despair on the faces of the Equestrians around them was growing. Where in the world was Pinkie when you needed her?
A soft noise interrupted them, and they all looked over to one side. They found Beat in her wheelchair amongst a small group of Equestrians. She was singing, a soft lilting number that suddenly calmed every one down. They stood in silence while they listened, giving her their undivided attention. After a minute or so of listening, Ace let out a sigh. "That's my Heart for you," He said softly.
"Her voice is so enchanting…" Grace murmured. There was a serenity in her voice, and the tension in the room went away.
Rarity turned to Ace. "Sorry about what I said," She told him.
Ace shook his head. "No, it's true. The people here aren't fighters or soldiers. We're asking a lot of them to do all this."
Tyr was silent for a long moment. The Equestrians, unused to fighting, would be slaughtered at this rate. His constructs would fill in for them, but the headache he was starting to get from magical exertion was starting to get to him. He wouldn't last much longer. There was just one option left to him. "…I'm going to challenge Leo," He said suddenly.
They all stared at him. "What… why?" Flash was the first to speak. "Why do you…?"
"You remember what Jehu's daughters told us, right? That if we kill the leader, the rest of them would leave. If I can take out Leo, then we'd win."
Ace sighed. "You know what objections we're going to have," He said. Tyr nodded.
"Of course," He said. "But it's the only way. I stall him, and that gives Luna and the others more time to cast their spell."
"I can't accept just sending you out on your own!" Rarity said.
"And what about us, sugarcube?" Applejack asked. "They don't seem like the type ta just ignore us while we're in here…"
"We'll stop them," Ace asserted with a grin. "While Papa Wolf goes and hunts himself a Lion."
"Just don't die out there," Grace told him with a small smile.
Flash nodded. "We'll be waiting for good news."
"You people confuse and terrify Trixie," Trixie muttered. "Regardless, I pray for your safe return, Tyr."
Rarity nodded. "Do… do your best, dear."
Chrys landed gently beside Tyr, while Fenrir appeared on his other side. "Do not worry," The Changeling said. "We will be with Master through thick and thin."
Fenrir let out a loud laugh. "The King of Beasts versus the Wild Hunters. This will be a hunt to remember!"
"We'll handle things on this end," Flash assured him. "Good hunting."
Tyr's magic armor and frost blade materialized, and he gave them a small smile. "Thanks. All of you."
There was a crash at the door. "Hold the door!" Ace cried, rushing towards it with a dozen other Equestrians. They threw themselves against the barricade, holding it with sheer weight of bodies. "Tyr, if you're gonna go, go now!"
Tyr nodded, making to go. Just as he made to move however, Rarity grabbed his arm. She had a pained look on her face. "…Rarity?"
She reached into his cloak and pulled out his amulet-style necklace. It was a brilliant white with a band of blue through it. As she watched it, it swirled into a rainbow of color. "…I see," She murmured to herself.
"Rarity, what is it?"
"…Nothing. Be careful, dear."
She let him go, following Applejack as the other woman began helping Grace move the injured. Tyr watched her go for a moment, before glancing over at his Changeling and Chaos Spirit. "Shall we?"
"After you, Master," Chrys said. The trio stole away to one of the side halls, heading to a side door. They opened it slowly. "…Doesn't look like there are any waiting for us."
Fenrir grinned, her pack of wolves on her heels. "So the element of surprise, hm? Let's go then!"
"Alright then girls," Tyr said, gripping his weapon tightly. His other hand went up to his amulet, his Element. He lifted it up to where he could see it and found it a bright silver, with the rainbow band of color across the center. He smiled. "…Let's raise some hell."
They rushed out of the castle, wolves racing forward to be the first to kill. The Zodiac Soldiers turned slowly, completely caught off guard. They were busy trying to tear the door down with an assortment of blades and axes. The first wolves tore into the group with reckless abandon, clearing a path for Tyr, Fenrir and Chrys to charge through. Their sights were set on one target in particular: Leo. The Zodiac warrior flung his cape aside to draw his sword. "Come then, Chaos Mage! Meet your end on my blade!"
"Chrys, wreak havoc," Tyr ordered quickly. "Fenrir, by my side."
"Of course!" The wolf woman barked, transforming into her wolf form. Chrys lifted off from the ground with her wings, pausing just a moment to kiss her master on the cheek before barreling into a group of Zodiac soldiers. Tyr and his wolf stopped short of the Zodiac warrior.
"I hope you've said all your goodbyes," Leo told him, his golden magical aura manifesting into a massive white lion. The creature's body looked like it was made of marble, smooth and pure. "Because once I am done with you, I will be dealing with your friends inside."
Tyr narrowed his eyes. "You won't be getting that far."
"That's what you think." Throwing off any pretense of continuing the conversation, Leo charged forward with his lion. Tyr and his wolves met him. Their blades rang out against one another. Tyr's heavier weapon forced Leo onto the back foot, but the armored warrior parried a second strike and darted around to the side. He was surprisingly quick for someone in full armor. But a slash to his side was blocked, giving Tyr the opportunity to strike back. The duel went on in earnest, neither man gaining a true advantage. They broke apart momentarily.
"You are not that bad," Leo said, clearly impressed. "You fight like an experienced swordsman."
"I've had plenty of practice," Tyr said. He snapped his free arm up, summoning his constructs to his aid. Leo started in surprise, before dodging a group of spears. More constructs appeared, all aiming their weapons towards Leo. "But how good are you against an army?"
Leo's head tilted ever so slightly before the silver constructs swarmed him. He fought his way through, a beam of golden light erupting from his gauntleted fingers as he blasted away the attack. Tyr let his magic free once more, silver catapults hurling their contents at the Order Mage. Leo said something that the other man could not hear, and a golden barrier sprang up and absorbed the attack. "You will need to try harder than that, Tyr."
[Alpha!] Tyr jerked to the side just as a marble lion pounced on him. He slipped away from it, bringing his sword down on its neck and severing its head in one clean stroke. But the creature vanished into dust, and reformed a short distance away. Fenrir growled. [How irritating]
"You're telling me," He agreed, mentally ordering his wolves onto the attack. Leo unleased a golden corona of light, knocking the wolves back.
"Prepare yourself for the true might of a Zodiac Knight," Leo said, planting his sword point down in the ground. He folded his hands together as if he was praying. "Let all who stand kneel, let all who speak be silent, and let all who feel tremble and fall. We demand Obedience."
Golden light engulfed the armored man. Tyr covered his eyes, but peeked out to make sure he wasn't about to be rushed. The light receded quickly, leaving Leo still in the same place. But his armor had become even more ornate, with golden trim and accents. Alongside him was a larger than normal lion of pure gold, teeth bared. The Zodiac Knight's weapon had grown in size, going from a normal saber to something akin to a bastard sword. He pulled it free, and pointed it at Tyr. "…Prepare yourself."
[Alpha, it is time] Fenrir murmured. [You remember the words I told you?]
"I do," Tyr said softly, reaching out to gently run his fingers through the wolf's fur. The knowledge he had come into possession now was at the forefront of his mind. "Let the howl from my throat split the heavens. Let the chills down your spine alert you. Our fangs run red with blood. Carnage is all you deserve, and all we desire."
The wolves gathered around him then, eyes turning red with each word. Fenrir herself shook out her fur, her body growing slightly larger with her fangs and claws turning red like blood. Tyr's frost blade took a red tint on it, and the chill of his magic began to seep into the air around him. Leo nodded slightly. "So you know your invocation then."
"I figured it out," Tyr murmured.
"Then this will be a fight to remember."
Tyr shook his head, and the wolves began to growl. "No, this will be a slaughter."
"So confident, I see… Very well. How about we up the stakes?"
"What—?" Tyr didn't have any other moment to think as Leo pointed one hand towards the castle and unleashing his magic. It blew through the gate and left a gaping hole there for the Zodiac soldiers to charge into. Tyr blinked in shock, locking eyes with a group of surprised Equestrians and Ace. They were as caught off guard as he was. But that shock quickly gave way to slight panic as the Zodiac soldiers rushed the breach. With that hole opened, it was life or death for the people inside. He had to fight now. "You bastard!" He roared, charging forward.
Leo met his charge with stoic determination, blocking the attack with ease. His lion leapt for Tyr's throat, but Fenrir intercepted the charge, tackling the other magical creature to the ground. They hit the ground, rolling in a confusing mess of claws, fangs and fur. Magic, steel and anger fueled the two dichotomous men, one representing the stoic and unchanging Order while the other relied on the spontaneous and wild Chaos. Even as they fought, their errant spells crashed into the ground around them, even catching some of the other Zodiac soldiers. The mindless soldiers were actively trying to avoid the two warriors, giving them the semblance of an arena. More magic lions materialized, keeping Tyr's wolves embattled and unable to help their Alpha. "You will not win this!" Leo roared, deflecting a clumsy attack and kicking Tyr away. He followed up the attack with a heavy slash, managing to cut across Tyr's shoulder. The man replied by hacking down on the knight's arm, biting through the metal of his armor and drawing blood. He ducked back as Leo attempted to decapitate him. Tyr slashed forward, only managing to strike Leo's shoulder pauldron. The armored knight struck back, only for the faster man to dodge him again. "You cannot kill me, Chaos Mage!"
"I'm sure as hell going to try!" Tyr responded, leaping forward and burying his blade into his opponent's waist. The blade passed through a gap in the armor, and he could feel it bite through flesh. He ripped it out, flinging blood as he did. Leo kept on fighting, hammering the hilt of his weapon into Tyr's gut. The human man doubled over, but kept his wits about him enough to roll aside before the knight could take off his head.
[Alpha!] Fenrir thought worriedly. Tyr could even feel Chrys's concern, but he jumped to his feet in time to block another strike. There was magic behind the blow, as Tyr felt the burst of power force him down. Leo was laying it on thick. As the knight raised his blade to strike again, Tyr lashed out with his leg, catching the other man in the shin and unbalancing him. The knight staggered, giving Tyr the opportunity to get back to his feet.
"You are a persistent one, Tyr," Leo said, regaining his balance. His armor was scarred from their fight, and there were several rents and tears in the metal where Tyr had struck home with his blows. "I give you credit for that. You Chaos Mages are quite the stubborn lot."
"I appreciate the compliment," Tyr muttered, eyeing his opponent warily. He was also not as well off, with cuts in his cloak and body where the magic blade had caught him. He had the advantage of speed, but with his wolves being contained by those lions… Each blow he dodged was only by the barest of margins, and the cuts he had were proof of that. He could hammer his frost blade into Leo's armor again and again, but if he let the knight get a hit in, he'd be a lot worse off. Plus, the strain of his magic was starting to take its toll. He wouldn't be able to continue a fight of attrition like this. He glanced off to one side, where Chrys was struggling against the armored Zodiac troopers. She was doing her best despite all the injuries she had sustained. From the look of it, she was holding on simply because he was.
"It's a shame you fell to Chaos," Leo said, continuing. "You would have made a fine Knight of Order."
"No thanks," Tyr snapped. "I don't think we would have made a good fit."
"…You perhaps are right. Prepare to die."
"This is insane!" Rainbow complained, kicking away a zombie. She had finally given up on calling them anything else, as their primary mode of attack was to drag down their victims and tear them apart. She had seen a couple of her former weather ponies die in this way, and it was only the constant fighting that kept her from vomiting on the spot. That and the morale-raising song that Heart was singing. She and the other unicorns had taken a position behind a makeshift barricade and were supporting the others with magical attacks. Song was alternating between an inspirational song and one that left nearby Zodiac soldiers clutching at their heads in pain. She was beginning to tire, and occasionally her singing would drop.
"You've just gotta have fun with it!" Ace replied, slicing the head off a zombie. His white hair was streaked with blood, and the manic grin on his face was nothing short of nightmare inducing. For just a split second, Rainbow doubted whether or not she was really sure about marrying this guy. But the moment the thought crossed her mind, Ace turned to her. A bright smile was on his face, losing the evil glee it carried before. He was simply happy for once to be in his element for a good reason. A smile grew on her own face. Before she could say anything, she was being shoved out of the way of a large battle axe. The weapon smashed into the ground where she had been standing, the Zodiac soldier turning its head to face her. Before the armored warrior could attack again, Grace appeared, running her sword through his neck. She tore the weapon free in one smooth stroke.
"Oh buck me," Rainbow muttered.
"Later!" Ace growled playfully, appearing behind her and pulling her to her feet with an arm around her waist. She rolled her eyes, but there was no time for playful banter. The tide of Zodiac soldiers was unending, and the zombies were still pushing through the breach as well. They were holding, but they couldn't do so forever. Rainbow leapt back into the fray, ducking past a pack of zombies. She came face to face with a Zodiac soldier with a longsword. She sidestepped a strike and kicked the warrior in the face, taking off into the air in one smooth motion. The warrior went after her, only for something to slam into it from the back. It was Applejack, the cowgirl without her familiar Stetson. It must have been lost somewhere in the chaos. With her unnatural strength, she tore the shield away from the Zodiac soldier and knocked him down with it. Flash dropped in then, killing the warrior in one fell swoop.
"Nice save," Rainbow said.
Applejack smirked. "Just don't get too distracted up there, sugarcube," She told her friend, before hefting the shield back towards the group of magic users.
"I wish we could plug that hole up somehow," Grace muttered, magic flinging a brace of knives into a rushing group of zombies. The healer was covered in scars, but a determined look was on her face. "If only…"
As if to answer her prayer, a huge stone came sailing through the air and smashed into the arch above the broken gate. The impact shattered the stone, raining it down on top of the encroaching enemies. They all looked back to see Big Mac standing amidst a pile of stones, one particularly large one hefted in his hands. Ace whistled. "Well, that's pretty awesome."
The auburn haired man gave a rare grin. "Eeyup."
Flash slew another zombie before parrying a sword attack. "Well, can you put another one over there? Maybe we can plug that hole—!"
He was cut off by a war beast smashing into the broken gate, screeching some kind of war cry as it pushed in. The hole grew even wider, much wider than any rock Big Mac could toss that way. More Zodiac soldiers and zombies filled the breach. "Aw, crap," Ace said.
"What do we do?" Grace asked. Everyone looked to Flash.
Flash bit his lip. They needed some kind of strategy, and Ace was busy fighting still. Tyr was still outside, and the flashes of gold and silver magic lit up the setting sun outside. He wanted to order a retreat, but retreat to where? The halls? They couldn't let them get any closer to the Princesses, and there were no really good defensive positions inside the castle… "We need to…"
"Oh no, darling!" Rarity's voice suddenly cried out, catching their attention. The purple haired woman was cradling Heart Song in her arms. Rainbow felt her blood run cold as she immediately flew to their side.
"What happened?" She demanded, landing beside them. Heart Song was still breathing thankfully, but her eyes were lidded over and blank. She must have fallen out of her wheelchair at some point, for Rainbow noticed it laying on its side.
Ace was there in seconds. "Aw, damn it!" He hissed.
"What happened to her?" Rarity asked. "One moment she was singing, and then she suddenly just fell!"
"She overworked her magic," Ace said, sighing. "Oh, Heart I warned you…"
"They're comin' back in!" Applejack called, lifting up her appropriated shield. "Y'all better get ready!"
"I'm starting to think we might die here," Ace said, jumping up and moving to join the others. Rainbow followed after him, a small frown on her face.
"You're just now starting to think that?" She demanded.
"What can I say? I'm a bucking optimist."
"Quit all the pillow talk and let's get to work," Flash said. The rest of the Equestrians in the main hall gathered around, armed with whatever weapons they could find. He let out a sigh.
"We have a plan?" Grace asked. The Zodiac reinforcements were pushing back through the breach, and magic bolts were already hammering into them. Ace grinned.
"I think we just kill them and hope not to die," He said with a laugh.
"…You have no idea how much I hate you right now."
No more words were exchanged, as battle was joined. Applejack and Big Mac fought together in the center, the larger man grabbing a sword of his own to match his sister's shield. For mindless soldiers, the Zodiac troopers didn't seem too keen on getting close to the Apple siblings. But elsewhere they had the viciousness of Ace and the efficiency of Flash to deal with. Grace, having used up the majority of her magic healing, supported them with thrown needles and knives, every throw killing a target. Rainbow flew overhead, diving down to attack before flying quickly out of range. Around them the Equestrians rallied, despite more of their number falling to the emotionless Zodiac. "This is hopeless," Rarity murmured, clutching at her forehead. She had been using her magic all day, and her head was throbbing with pain at this point. She staggered back and sat down beside the unconscious Heart Song.
"No time to rest, Rarity!" Rainbow said, landing nearby. "They're not going to wait for you to fix your hair!"
Rarity huffed. Yes, her hair was a mess. But that wasn't why she was sitting. "I am not that worried about my appearance right now, Rainbow Dash! Unlike you, I am not beholden to combat!"
Rainbow shot her fashionable friend flat look. "Yeah right. I'm surprised I haven't heard you complaining that much."
Unwilling to let Rainbow simply tease her like this, Rarity was going to respond in kind. But before she could, a glint of metal caught her eye. "Rainbow, LOOK OUT!"
"What?" Rainbow whirled on the spot only to have the Zodiac's blade slice into her left wing, almost severing it at the base. She screamed out in pain, falling back into the barricade. Rarity screamed in anger, blasting the offending soldier's head into dust. But as the suit of armor fell backwards, Rarity felt something impact her shoulder. She glanced down, finding a crossbow bolt lodged in her chest.
"…Oh," She muttered, before falling backwards to the ground.
The room where the six Alicorns prepared their spell was awash with color as their pooled magical energy collected. At the center of it all the Rubrik floated, collecting the energy. They had been hard at work pouring their energy into the large magical matrix that surrounded the cube. They had been insulated from the goings on outside by Shining Armor's barrier, and even Trixie had placed an illusion that hid the door to the room. They had been able to work in complete peace. But that was about to change.
"It's finished!" Sherry said suddenly as she cut off her magical aura. At the sound of her voice, the other Alicorns did the same, all but Celestia and Luna slumping to the ground in exhaustion. The two Princesses stayed standing, but the tiredness could be seen on their faces.
"Can you do the spell?" Cadance asked.
Sherry nodded. "Like I said before, I just needed the power. I can do the spell without you all now."
"Hope tired," Hope said, sighing.
"I know, Hope." Sherry gently patted the other girl's hair. "But you all can rest now. All I have to do is activate the spell. And then we get to go home."
Luna's eyes snapped open wide. "…Home?"
"That was the whole point of this, right?" Cadance asked, only for Luna to suddenly bolt past her and out of the room. There was a faint shimmer of magic as the illusion spell was dispersed. "Aunt Luna?"
As Cadance and Sherry made to follow, Celestia held up a hand. "Hold, both of you. She will be fine."
"But…!" Sherry began, only to have Twilight put a hand on her head. "Twilight?"
"We know where she's going," Twilight pointed out. "…Stopping her would be cruel."
Sherry glanced back out the door, where Luna had gone out of. The Princess of Dreams had already gotten up to the main hall, where the Equestrians were still managing to hold the line. She paused ever so slightly as she almost ran into Flash. He was covered in blood and multiple injuries, but he was still standing. The blue haired man stared at her in shock. "Princess Luna? What are you doing here? Is the spell finished?"
Luna didn't reply, instead dashing past him. She let her wings open wide to let her soar over the battle. Equestrians and Zodiac alike looked up as she flew past, some of the Equestrians throwing up a ragged cheer and charging forward with renewed vigor as one of their Princesses arrived. But she was not there to help. She had one objective, and nothing was going to stop her. Even as the Zodiac soldiers turned to attack her, her magic flowed over them like water, freezing them into solid blocks of ice. She didn't pause, flying past the entire battle until she saw him.
"TYR!"
The wounded knight turned slightly, spotting her coming. His surprised look gave way to a grim one as he whirled back to his opponent, smashing his blade into Leo's side. The other warrior grunted, and tried to slice off his head. But Tyr ducked under the attack, pulling his weapon free and kicking Leo away. As he turned, Luna's arms flew around his neck and her face pushed into his chest. Tyr sighed, the comfort of having his wife in his arms flowing through him. "…Moon," He said softly, burying his face in her hair. There was that smell of blueberries again, he thought. That smell he had come to love over the past year. "What are you doing out here?"
"I can't," She murmured, pushing her face deeper into his clothes. "I couldn't go without seeing you one last time."
"That means…" He trailed off just as a massive pink and purple burst of magic erupted from the castle, stopping everyone in their tracks. Tyr immediately recognized it as Sherry's magic. "…She did it."
"Beloved…" Tyr glanced down just as Luna looked up at him. Tears were streaming from her big blue eyes, and he gently reached up to wipe them away. "I… I don't want to leave you…"
Tyr glanced past her and the growing magical aura. Equestrians that touched it were vanishing on the spot, only thin wisps of purple glow left behind. It was growing quickly, and it would be upon them in a matter of seconds. He looked back to Luna. "Princess… Moon. I'm sorry. I don't want to let you go, but…"
"I… I know. But this is the way it has to be, right?" She tried to smile, but it was weak. "…I'll miss you."
"And I will miss you."
Luna pushed up to him and Tyr leaned down to meet her, their lips meeting for one last time. Tyr embraced her tightly, wishing that just being close to her would let him stay with her. But the magical aura kept expanding, stealing each Equestrian it touched. Chrys, obviously confused by what was happening, paused in ripping open a Zodiac warrior to watch the barrier. She reached out tentatively to touch it, only to vanish on the spot. It was inches away from the Princess and her Prince just as they broke the kiss in time for her to say one last thing.
"I will wait for you."
Tyr didn't have time to respond, as the magic aura covered the Princess of Dreams and she vanished, leaving Tyr with just the taste of her lips and the feel of her body against his. The sun had finally set, and night had finally fallen on the battlefield. An eerie silence permeated the area. It took a second for the full weight of the realization to hit him: She was gone. The love of his life, his princess, the mother of his children—was gone. He looked down at his hands. She had just been there, in his arms… and then she was gone. His hands closed into tight fists. This wasn't fair.
"Life is cruel, isn't it?"
Tyr spun on the spot, only for Leo's sword to pierce him right through the shoulder. He grunted in surprise and shock. The Zodiac knight yanked his sword free and backhanded the other man to the ground, sending him sliding across the earth. "Damn it!"
"It seems those friends of yours that you risked your life for are all gone now, hm?" Leo advanced on him slowly, sword held out. Fenrir had been pinned by a half dozen lions, unable to come to her Alpha's aid. Wounded and exhausted, Tyr had run out of magical power and now they were weak. "Who do you have left to fight for, Tyr?"
"They escaped," Tyr muttered, rolling onto his back. He gave the armored knight the best look of defiance he could muster. "So in the grand scheme of things, I won."
"But you are alone now." Leo tilted his head as he looked up at the castle. Without Sherry's magic to sustain it, it was slowly falling apart, collapsing on top of itself. There was silence as the structure turned to dust. "Even your castle has fallen."
"But my friends lived."
"…you've sacrificed a lot for them it seems. And it seems you will be losing your life for them now. Prepare to die alone." The Zodiac soldiers had gathered around the two fighters, witness to the end of the duel. Leo raised his sword to finish the fight. Tyr reached out to grab for his own weapon, but he had dropped it when the knight had struck him. He was unarmed, and with the wound in his shoulder, he was already limited in movement. But before the blade could fall, the armored figure suddenly jerked forward. Tyr could feel the shock come from him, and then he saw something poking from the knight's chest—a bronze spear head. "…What?"
"He's not alone," Vanna growled, grinning. A pair of dragon wings were extended from his back, and his eyes were pure gold. He forced his weapon deeper. "I ain't leaving him high and dry just yet!"
Leo dropped his weapon, turning sharply and smashing the dragon-kin away with a backhand. Vanna went crashing into the rubble of the castle. But the damage was done, and he staggered to his knees. Tyr grasped hold of something thin, and without thinking he swing it as hard as he could into the side of Leo's neck. The diamond tipped arrow penetrated the gorget the knight was wearing and tore right into his throat. The Zodiac knight fell back, and Tyr rose to his feet. He summoned his frost blade. "I told you once," He said softly, fighting through the pain of his shoulder to grip the weapon. "As long as my friends are with me, I won't give up."
"You cannot defeat Order, Chaos Mage," Leo rasped, blood quickly filling his throat. "Even if you kill me, what will you do? You have no way of going after them."
"I suppose I'll go where the wind blows," Tyr muttered, and in one stroke sliced off Leo's head. Thus severed, the rest of the Zodiac Knight's body froze up, and then fell forward onto the ground. Tyr stared at the fallen warrior for just a moment, before collapsing from magical and physical exhaustion. All was still.
"It seems our brother has fallen," a feminine voice said. Two more Zodiac Knights approached through the crowd of warriors, their armor almost identical to one another's. "How… unfortunate."
"He underestimated his opponent, it seems," Her twin said, his voice echoing slightly because of the helmets they wore.
The female of the pair moved forward, leaning over slightly to examine the Lunar Knight. "…It seems this one is still alive, Ini. What should we do?"
"Kill him, Gem. If he slew our brother that is all he deserves."
"I'd advise you to pause on that thought," A voice said. The two Zodiac Knights froze on the spot, turning to look towards the voice. Jehu greeted them with a wide grin, his violet eyes bright with magical power. They cringed as he stepped forward. "That one is mine."
"Mad Rose King," Gem said respectfully. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice. "We did not come here to fight you."
"Then you should take your men and leave," Jehu advised, stepping forward out of the darkness. Chains snaked out from behind him, each tipped with a hissing snake head. A couple shot out and ripped into the watching Zodiac warriors, killing them simply for being there. A thought occurred to the man then, and his grin became even more savage. "Unless you all wanted to have a little fun…?" Gem and Ini shared a quick look before beating a hasty retreat, leading their soldiers away in short order. Jehu looked a little upset, but shook it off. He glanced over at the prone Tyr. "…Passion?"
"I got him dad," The small firebrand of a girl appeared and lifted Tyr up from the ground. A flat bodied spider like creature made of glass appeared, and she placed the unconscious man onto its back. Passion glanced over at her father. "Are you sure I can't go smash a few before we go?"
"We don't have time, Passion-fruit," Jehu said with a chuckle. He glanced around, noticing that there was no one around. "Now come on. No point in sticking around here." He opened a door then, and the two Chaos Mages took their new comrade away. With the backdrop of the disintegrating castle, both Order and Chaos escaped the scene, leaving nothing but dust in their wake.
Those Equestrians left have made it home. Leo has been slain, and the forces of Order thwarted. Those few allies the Equestrians had are gone as well, and the only thing that stands as testament to them being there is a pile of rubble. Its over. A short lived war that ended on a staccato note.
And then silence. Finis Autem Militis: End of the Knight.
So that's it, my dear readers... or is it? Jehu certainly has more plans he wants to bring to fruition. So I will admit that is not the last we'll be seeing of him, or Tyr.
Love or Hate it, the Library will Accept All. If anything, I hope this story has touched you in some way. For now though, the sun sets on this story, and the day gives way to night.