Chapter 6:
Battling For The Temple
After dealing with more intruders, Twilight, Spike, and Sunset made their way back outside and kept walking until they stopped and looked around. Above them, they saw three Dreadwings flying ahead of them to the temple and Soldiers of the Dark Army following behind them. However, one Soldier was pounced on and eaten by another giant Spider, which didn't last long until another bomb fell down and exploded on them.
Twilight, Sunset, and Spike had their eyes shielded from the explosions but then unshielded them when the explosions were done.
"Looks like we will need to hurry and beat them to the Temple so we can warn the others," Twilight said, seeing they must hurry to make it back to the Temple before the Dark Army gets there.
"Luckily, Inferno showed me a shortcut to get to the Temple on time. Follow me," Sunset ordered as she started running off, leading the way with Twilight and Spike following right behind her.
Twilight, Sunset, and Spike followed the shortcut path across the battlefield as the Dark Armies kept on attacking until they have finally made it back to the Temple. But when they arrived, they were shocked and surprised for the place was already up in flames, there was so much damage that the temple looked unrecognizable.
Below them, on the balcony of the Temple, a Dark Army Solider was hooting and raising his fist into the air until suddenly out of nowhere, Celestia snatched him up and tossed him off the balcony to his doom.
In the center of the balcony was Celestia, and she was not alone for Inferno is with her to help fight the rest of the Dark Armies while the others fought inside the place. The two Alicorns hunkered down as more bombs came down and exploded, revealing more soldiers of the Dark Army. Twilight, Sunset, and Spike watched the battle unfold with shock.
As the soldiers were about to attack, Inferno managed to hold them back with his Fire Magic, distracting them while Celestia swats one soldier away from them with her front hoof and sends him crashing into a pillar. Celestia and Inferno looked to see a Dreadwing flying around them with a strange armored pony riding on it.
Celestia and Inferno stood side by side as Celestia look to her left to see two Dreadwings coming and Inferno looked to his right to see two more Dreadwings coming as well, carrying two bombs. The Dreadwings all dropped the bombs but Celestia and Inferno acted quick and got out of the way as the bombs exploded. The Soldiers of the Dark Army looked around to see where Celestia and Inferno have disappeared to.
Suddenly, a drop of Fire Magic came down and exploded, catching them by surprise. Then Celestia came down and swatted the enemies away with the swat of her tail as Inferno came down as well. Behind them, one Soldier was looking around until he saw Celestia and Inferno starting to stalk towards him. Seeing that he is outnumbered and outmatched, the Soldier had no choice but to run and jump off the balcony to his demise.
Seeing the danger isn't finished yet, Celestia and Inferno closed their eyes and sense five more bombs exploding behind them and more Dark Army soldiers behind them. On instinct, Inferno struck quickly first and swat one soldier away from him and Celestia with his tail. But there are still 11 soldiers for them to take care of. So working together, Celestia used her magic on the enemies to her left while Inferno used his fire magic on the ones to his right.
They even used their magic on the ones in front of them. But it appears their magic didn't affect them nor made them back away. Seeing they are outnumbered, and their magic has no effect on them, Celestia and Inferno slowly back away from them as the Dark Army advanced on them and began running to attack them.
"Celestia!/ Inferno!" Twilight and Sunset cried out in unison, concerned about their mentors being outnumbered.
Celestia and Inferno heard them and looked to see them standing on a ledge above them.
"Get down here, young Alicorns!" Celestia ordered as a soldier jumped at her.
"We need your help!" Inferno ordered next, knocking another soldier away in Celestia's defense.
Unfortunately, Inferno and Celestia find themselves getting dogpiled by the Dark Armies. Seeing their mentors in trouble, Twilight, Spike, and Sunset knew they have to help them and fast.
"Come on, we have got to help them," Twilight demanded as they flew down to the balcony of the temple to help their mentors.
As they flew down to the balcony for a landing, the Rider on the Dreadwing turned to the Dark Army, "Focus your attention on the Alicorn Warrior!" The Rider ordered, revealing itself to be a female from the sound of its voice.
Twilight, Sunset, and Spike turned around to see the Dark Army stop their attack on Celestia and Inferno and have changed their attention from Celestia and Inferno and facing the two Alicorns and Dragon, instead. Soon, Twilight, Sunset, and Spike looked behind themselves to see more bombs exploding and more soldiers appearing, ready to finish their job.
Panting a little, Celestia and Inferno looked ahead and gasped to see the Dark Army approaching their pupils in concern. Twilight, Sunset, and Spike had the same reaction too, but they have come way too far to back down or give up.
"Celestia, you and Inferno go and help the others in the temple. We'll handle these guys," Twilight ordered her mentors as she, Sunset, and Spike backed away a little to have more room to fight.
"We'll send you some backup to help you three out," Celestia said, as she and Inferno turned to each other and nodded.
The Dark Army turned to look behind themselves. Only to see Celestia and Inferno unleashed their Combo Fury Attack of Fire and Magic, which resulted in a fiery magic combo explosion, sending the Dark Army flying away to their demise while Twilight, Sunset, and Spike had their eyes shielded again.
After the explosion was done, Twilight, Sunset, and Spike unshielded their eyes and saw Celestia and Inferno heading inside the temple to help the others as a piece of the pillar came loose and fell in front of them, blocking their path.
More soldiers appeared on the balcony, surrounding Twilight, Spike, and Sunset.
"Looks like we're going to have to hold them off as long as we can," Twilight said, getting into her fighting position and sparking up her horn.
"We're right with you, Twilight," Sunset said, also getting into her fighting position and ready to fight by her friends' side.
One soldier recklessly approached Twilight, confronting her. But Twilight quickly swatted him away with a swing of her horn. Another Soldier tried to attack Sunset from behind but the fiery Alicorn sensed him and blew some fire magic at him from her horn. The two Alicorns and Spike melee on them, used their aerial combat skills, and even their techniques on their enemies.
But after defeating the Soldiers, the mysterious Rider came, flying above them on her Dreadwing.
"Looks like you two are on your own on this one, Twilight," Spike said, feeling a bit terrified while thinking this might be something Twilight and Sunset should handle okay on their own.
"Spike, how is this different from the last time or the time before that?" Twilight asked as she and Sunset looked at the Dragon with a raised brow.
"PREPARE TO DIE!" The Rider announced through her helmet.
At the same time she said that, more soldiers of the Dark Army appeared on the balcony and began surrounding Twilight, Sunset, and Spike once again hooting and hollering, ready to finish them once and for all. Seeing is how they are outnumbered and surrounded by their enemies, Twilight, Sunset, and Spike began to back away while the Dark Army began to approach them.
Then all of a sudden, a familiar cheering was heard catching their attention, of course, Twilight, Sunset, and Spike recognize that cheering anywhere. Turning to the top dome of the Temple, they see five familiar figures running and jumping from the dome which are no other than…
The Mane 5!
"Whooooooooooooooooooooo-hoo! Let's do this, girls!" Pinkie exclaimed as she and the others leaped off the top dome and flew down to their friends' aid.
"Yee-Haw! Let's do this partner!" Applejack cheered as they descended from the sky and landed on the balcony around their friends, assuming their fighting positions.
"Huh?" Pinkie said, noticing she was facing the other way before quickly turning herself around and assuming her fighting position.
"Heard you three needed some backup on this fight," Rainbow Dash said, holding her fighting position to strike the enemies.
"Yeah, and right now my Dragon-fist is hungry for justice," Spike declared, raising up his fist and getting ready to fight the enemies.
Unfortunately, at that very moment, Spike's stomach growled loud enough for all to hear. And immediately, Spike's face burned red with embarrassment from it.
"That was his fist!" Pinkie shouted, covering for Spike.
Rolling her eyes, The Rider glanced at her followers and demanded, "Get them!".
The Apes nodded before lunging to obey. But the Alicorn Warrior and her friends rose to meet them. Twilight was able to dodge a Soldiers' weapon quickly before grabbing it with her magic and then melee on it, sending it over the balcony to his demise.
Applejack and Pinkie worked together to defeat two more soldiers. Pinkie swings Applejack underneath a soldier and the orange Alicorn hits him on the head with her back hoof. Whereas Pinkie Pie lands before another Solider and struck him in the face with Electricity making him stumble back dizzyingly.
Meanwhile, five soldiers were knocked out from the entanglements of vines, washed by a huge wave, and a speeding gust of wind, courtesy of Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Fluttershy using their elemental magic.
Next, Sunset used her Fire Magic to form a ring of fire around a soldier and then pinned him down to the ground under her hoof, defeated.
"Take that!" Rainbow Dash said, sending a strong gust of wind at a soldier with the flap of her wings, sending him over the balcony to his demise.
Three soldiers were approaching Twilight. But the scarred Alicorn Warrior quickly melee on them and defeated them with ease.
As for Spike, he came down from the air and managed to blow fire on all the surrounding soldiers causing them to holler in pain. Then Spike melee one Soldier and swat him away with his tail, throwing him to one of the pillars on the balcony.
Three Dreadwings were flying in carrying three more bombs until they dropped them down to where the Mane 7 and Spike are fighting but specifically, Twilight.
Applejack caught sight of the falling bombs heading toward Twilight. Seeing her friend in peril, Applejack used her Earth Magic and kicked several boulders into the air, "Twilight! Incoming!" She shouted as the boulders knocked one of the bombs away from Twilight and collided with the other two bombs, causing them to explode in the air.
"Thanks, AJ," Twilight said, still fighting a soldier before tossing him into the air and kicking him away from her.
Twilight did a few more moves on the soldiers of the Dark Army such as whacking, zapping, kicking, blocking, and even stomping on one soldier's foot, making them whimper in pain. Then Twilight managed to melee on her enemies by spinning on her head, knocking out about seven soldiers before finding more of them approaching her.
Seeing them coming for her, Twilight managed to dodge their weapon before seeing they are starting to surround her. This means it's time for Twilight to do one thing…
Putting on a sly smirk, Twilight turned to her friends, "Girls, Spike, get close to me now!" Twilight said.
Rainbow, Rarity, Sunset, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Spike heard her as they knocked out the Apes trying to fight them and went up to Twilight, thinking she is about to do something to defeat their enemies.
Like she did in the Dream Realms, Twilight rose up into the air again as all around her and her friends, sparkles of magic were beginning to swell and surround them and before her friends eyes, Twilight unleashed her Magic Fury Attack in a huge explosion, and the Apes find themselves being bombarded by Magic Fireballs before all of them are defeated. This has the Mane 6 and Spike quite shocked and surprised to see Twilight unleashed her Magic Fury Attack and regained her element of Magic.
But putting that aside, they continued fighting a few remaining Soldiers of the Dark Army.
"Air!" Rainbow Dash said, blowing a soldier away from her with a blow of wind from her horn.
"Electricity!" Pinkie said next, zapping another soldier with her Electric Magic.
"Water!" Rarity said, washing three soldiers off the balcony with another wave of water.
"Nature!" Fluttershy said, tangling up two soldiers in her vine grasps.
"Earth!" Applejack announced, pounding five soldiers with three huge boulders she summoned.
"Fire!" Sunset said, chasing five soldiers away while blowing fire at them.
"Spike!" Pinkie said, accidentally holding Spike out to the Soldier, which caused a bit of confusion between the three.
"Whoops! Sorry, I mean–Magic!" Pinkie quickly apologized before Twilight came in and whacked the soldier away from them with her horn.
Seeing how her followers were failing to defeat them, the Rider decided to take matter into her own hooves as she rushed at Twilight, hoping to occupy her long enough. Three Dreadwings were seen flying through the air carrying more bombs and are ready to drop them down on the fighting Alicorns.
However, Twilight saw them coming as she fought the Rider and easily overwhelmed her, knocking off her helmet.
"Pinkie and Rainbow Dash Go!" Twilight ordered, pointing Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie to the approaching Dreadwings carrying the huge bombs.
"We're on it!" Rainbow Dash replied as she and Pinkie set out to stop the Dreadwings.
Combining the flap of their wings, creating a swirling cyclone of wind and the spark of Electricity, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie sent an electric cyclone right at the Dreadwings, which not only paralyzed and electrocuted them, but also obliterated them too causing them to fall along with the bombs.
Taking a deep breath, Twilight flew out after the falling bombs, followed by Applejack and Sunset. They quickly got underneath the falling bombs and then with a strong kick of their back legs, Twilight, Sunset, and Applejack kicked the bombs right up into the air where they collided with each other and exploded.
After that, Twilight, Applejack, Sunset, Pinkie, and Rainbow Dash flew and landed back on the balcony, panting.
"Is everypony okay?" Twilight asked, calling for a head count to see if her friends are all together and didn't get hurt during their fight with the Dark Army.
"Yeah, we're all good, Twilight," Rainbow Dash replied, still panting from all the action that happened.
"Whoa, that fight was so intense!" Pinkie commented, feeling a little bit shaken but also excited about the fight they did.
Fluttershy turned and gasped, seeing the Rider, who appears to be a unicorn with violet fur, a red mane, black armor and shoes, a broken horn, and a scar on her right eye, identical to the one on Flash, appeared back over the balcony.
"Twilight, look out!" Fluttershy said, pointing behind Twilight.
Twilight spun on instinct, to see the Unicorn Rider approaching her, readying her broken horn to send a spell at the scarred Alicorn Warrior.
"Don't worry, I got it," Twilight said, starting to charge her own horn as well.
But as she glared at the Hornless Unicorn, she saw a symbol on her armor. A tall lanky Ape Creature holding a staff. A symbol that looked... familiar.
What Twilight saw was a light magenta Alicorn with a gold and orange mane... and a face just like Celestia's. As Twilight watched in disbelief, the Alicorn mare piled something over her field of vision. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her ears were flat with fear. Slowly, she turned away as a red sun seemed to rise behind her…
"TWILIGHT! LOOK OUT" Rainbow screamed.
But before Twilight could recover, the Unicorn spell hit her. The impact blew Twilight, her friends, and Spike into the dust, as the Unicorn Rider ran back, grabbed her helmet, jumped off the balcony, and landed on her Dreadwing.
"You haven't seen the last of me!" The Unicorn Rider announced as she and her Dreadwing flew away, back to where they belonged.
"Ugh, please tell me she said 'It was nice meeting you and have a nice day'," Spike groaned as he and the ponies slowly got to their feet.
Twilight was the last to rise, staring at the balcony with a horrified expression. Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Rarity, Sunset, Applejack, and Spike's painful groaning quickly faded into concern as they took in their friend's face.
"Twilight?" Rainbow Dash asked, waving her hoof in front of Twilight's eyes.
"Are you okay, darling?" Rarity asked, hoping her friend is alright after a hit like that.
"What happened to ya, Sugarcube? Ya said ya had her, then ya just froze up. What happened?" Applejack asked, wanting to know why Twilight froze up like that.
"I…I think I saw…," Twilight whispered, shaking her head before she looked up to see the Sun starting to rise and the moon still up in the sky before lowering her head down.
Before anymore could be said, Celestia arrived at the opened gates and saw the destruction outside that the Dark Army has made during the attack.
"Is everypony alright?" Celestia asked, hoping everyone didn't get hurt or captured in the event.
Twilight, Spike, and the others approached her to let her know they are all safe and accounted for. Celestia did a head count and double-checked on them to make sure they were all here. But then she noticed something was odd and missing…
"Where's Flash?" Celestia asked, noticing that Flash is absent.
Twilight, Spike, and Sunset looked at each other with worry before turning back to Celestia, knowing they will have to tell her and everyone else about what happened to Flash…