Chapter 12: Everfree Forest Offensive
Part 1: Redemption
TIME: 08:34 Equestria Royal Standard Time
LOCATION: Everfree Forest
DATE: War Day 1/5 Quartus, 1002 C.S.
I was still wearing my Tuxedo when we arrived in Ponyville. Golden Harvest had the militia mustered, and ready for what was to come. The girls were still in their Gala gowns - what was left of them. Celestia was sent to recover in the Crystal Kingdom. The magic bombs used to strike Canterlot had, somehow, had some form of effect on her, wounding her.. well, I didn't know how to describe it. Her Magic Aura? Something like that. Either way, she had to be evacuated, as did most of Canterlot. Luna and I decided it would be the best idea, since 70% of the buildings in Equestria's capital had been damaged, and the palace was in ruins.
We'd taken casualties, lots of them, and Steelhoof was gone. No, totally gone - we couldn't even find his body. The remaining Royal Guard escorted Celestia and Luna's carriages to the Crystal Kingdom, where Princess Cadence lived.
Cadence, of course, offered us any aid she could. I asked for Transports. Get the remaining people out of Canterlot that didn't need to be there. After that, construction workers. We were going to rebuild. It would take time, but we would rebuild.
We knew the only place that Tirek would be able to stage an attack like this unnoticed - Everfree Forest. He needed to be removed from there, or he'd be able to launch an attack on Ponyville. This was the first time Equestria had fielded its army, and the army that was here, was mainly Militia.
I walked into the Barn where the individual unit commanders were waiting. Derpy had arrived ahead of me, and Twilight entered with me. The Wonderbolts had sustained their own injuries, and a mare named Blaze was temporarily in command. Leading the Ponyille Militia were the five NCO's I'd trained.. including good, dependable, Big Macintosh.
K: "Blaze, Harv, Derpy.." I nodded to each of them in turn.
Golden Harvest: "What.. do we do?" She shook her head, almost confused.
K: "Luna has taken charge of Royal affairs for the time being, and she's put me in charge of this operation." I shrugged.
Derpy: "We're ready." She nodded.
K: "Has Sweetheart cleared you for duty?" I looked over to her, with a bit of reservation.
Derpy: "And if she hasn't?" She cocked a brow.
K: "Fair enough. Alright, listen up. We're going to have to sweep the whole damned forest. Blaze?" I nodded to her.
Blaze: "Yes, sir?" She stepped up.. her accent was a bit East Coastish.
K: "I want your team in the air - four ponies at a time, full armament. Two air-to-air, two air-to-ground. Rotate at two hour intervals so you don't get tired, but the inactive pair should be read to go at a moment's notice." I pointed to her.
Blaze: "Roger." A nod.
K: "Harv? Teams of three. Sweep the forest carefully. One Unicorn in each group, if you can manage it. If they see the enemy, they're to send up a magic flare from their horns." I pointed towards my right.
Golden Harvest: "Got it." A firm nod.
K: "Derpy? You and the Rangers will stay in mobile reserve, behind the main advance but not too far. If you see a flare, respond to it, and waste everything you see that isn't us."
Derpy: "YES, sir!" She stood to attention.
Twilight: "What about.. us?" She looked between her and the girls.
K: "Same thing. I.. really haven't trained you girls. And for good reason. I hoped this sort of thing would never be necessary, but.. if you see a flare, go for it. If we need the Elements of Harmony - if there's Shadow Demons out there - you'll need to get there fast." I gestured towards the outside.
Twilight: "I understand." She nodded slowly.
Golden Harvest: "So, what's our search pattern?" She leaned over the operation map.
K: "Second through fifth squads, twenty meters apart, line abreast formation, straight into the forest. First Squad, thirty meters into the forest from here, to protect H-Q." I pointed this out on our map of the area.
Twilight: "I hope this works.." She seemed as saddened as I felt that things had gotten to this stage.
K: "Alright, let's do this." I nodded to the Squad Leaders.
Mac: "FIRST SQUAD!"
Caramel: "SECOND SQUAD!"
Cherry Coke: "THIRD SQUAD!"
Noteworthy: "FOURTH SQUAD!"
Meadow Song: "FIFTH SQUAD!"
Derpy: "RANGERS!"
Squad Leaders: "ON ME, MOVE OUT!"
I watched them march into the bushes, and went over to the pack of things that Mac had brought me from the farm. Smart guy, he brought me my Chaffee Shotgun, PA-63 magazines and the last of my Czech Surplus ammo. The Chaffee's quiver of extra tube magazines was slung over my shoulder.
As I loaded up my spare PA-63 magazines, I grimly considered the task at hand. Blaze and the other Wonderbolts were busy getting their equipment ready, assisted by some Militia that weren't assigned to a squad. I'd designed "bomb racks" for them, to wear around their torsos, that held four relatively large bombs. As I was considering our state of things, Golden Harvest gave me a gentle nudge.
Golden Harvest: "Everything will be fine." She nodded to me.
K: "I'm glad you're so confident." I shrugged.
Golden Harvest: "I've been right here the whole time, helping train everyone. I know the ponies under my command, they're good. Plus, we have the advantage, with these, right?" She nudged a Sherman.
K: "Yeah." I didn't feel right about that.. like, something was off. Then, Octavia came up to me, in full Ranger uniform (a dark olive drab military-style shirt and pants with a khaki belt). "And just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
Octavia: "Backing you up, sir." She smiled, and placed a hoof on my ruined Tuxedo coat. "I can't be out there with them, but at least I can be.. like a Lifeguard. To you."
K: "Dear God.. the Commander-in-Chief's Lifeguard.. American Revolution." I laughed at the irony. I was in the same basic position as one of the fathers of my country.
Octavia: "I say something wrong?" She looked up to me with a small smile.
K: "No, no. Just.. get a Sherman and get ready. And for Celestia's sake, be careful, you're not fully healed, you know." I shook my head.
Octavia: "No problem." Her scarlet beret was pulled off her head, and turned inside-out to reveal green (Rarity's doing). Slipping it back on her head, she grabbed a Sherman Sniper from the weapons rack. "Any word on the new weapon design you were making?"
K: "The shotgun?" I asked, holding up the Chaffee.
Octavia: "No, no, the bullet-spitter." She was unfamiliar with the term.
K: "OH! My sub-machine gun. Yeah, I've got the design working." I shrugged.
I'd basically invented a Sten SMG for this world. It wasn't that hard, and I'd fabricated the very first one myself out of sheet metal found around the farm. It reminded me more of the PPSh-43, so, I called it the Zhukov. A personal hero of mine in the realm of strategy - camouflage the building up one's forces while sending skirmishers at the enemy to hide this, and using the skirmishers to probe the lines for weakness. Then, when you've aquired overwhelming force, hit them without warning.
I only had three prototypes. One for me, and two Pony versions. The side-mounted magazine was a fantastic idea for ponies, they could fire one-handed, and mag change with their teeth. Production had started, but.. it would be some time before they hit the field in numbers.
Octavia and I were about to set off for the Forest when Concerto, of all ponies, came running up, worried.
Concerto: "Has anyone seen Berry Punch!?" He called out, to no one in particular.
K: "Concerto..?" I paced over to where he was, holding the Chaffee in one hand.
Octavia: "Concerto! What are you doing here!? This is an active battlefield!" She came up right next to me.
Concerto: "I'm sorry, Octavia.. I-I can't find Berry." He shook his head, his face painted with worry.
K: "And why did you think she'd be here?" I gave a small shrug.
Concerto: "Her uniform is missing, and so is her rifle." He lowered his head.
K: "GOD DAMNIT! WHAT THE HELL DOES SHE THINK SHE'S DOING!?" I looked over at Blaze and Fleet Foot. "Blaze! Fleet! Get a Mitchell, get out there, warn the Squad Leaders there's a loose pony running around out there somewhere, to check their fire."
Blaze: "Right! Let's go, Fleet." They grabbed Mitchells off the racks and zoomed into the sky.
K: "I don't get it.. she couldn't handle you getting injured, and.." I shook my head in disbelief.
Octavia: "I think she feels guilty." She nodded a bit.
K: *Sigh* "Probably. HARV!" I up-nodded to Golden Harvest.
Golden Harvest: "Yes, K?" She came out from the barn, looking around.
K: "Octavia and I are going to go look for Berry Punch. You know the battle plan, you can handle this. You're in command until I return. That includes authority to call in air strikes." I looked back at Misty Fly. "Don't give her any bull, Misty."
Misty Fly: "Who, me? Nah!" She sniggered. I liked her - she was cheerful.
K: "Come on, Octavia. We gotta go keep Berry from screwing everything up." I grunted.. after all, she didn't know the battle plan, and.. I didn't want her getting hurt.
With that, Octavia and I headed off. Concerto and a couple of other musicians were on-again/off-again members of Octavia's orchestra. She counted them like her brothers and sisters - some of them even worked with Vinyl in her new Orchestral Techno ventures. So, Concerto met Berry Punch while she was the Orchestra's roadie. And fell in love with the girl.
I'd met him exactly once before, he seemed decent enough as far as ponies go (which is usually a damned sight better than the average human). Off we went. Octavia and I started pacing through the brush - I wasn't going to take this too fast, I didn't want to tire her - and at the same time, I was worried that Berry might get herself lost and captured.
K: "Times like this, I wished I had mobile radios." I grumbled to myself.
Octavia: "But we do have radios, silly." She giggled a bit.
K: "No, I mean handheld radios. Two-way radios." I corrected.
Octavia: "OH! Yeah." She got a pondering look on her face, like the idea just occurred to her, but she fully understood the tactical implications.
K: "I need to fix that problem. We can't be wandering around like this without proper comms." I waved one hand.
Octavia: *Snicker* "Can you imagine the Cutie Mark from that?" She gave me a small grin.
K: "I'd really rather not." I smirked back, kidding.
Octavia: "..K, tell me something.." She trailed off.
K: "Yes, Octavia?" I was plain, givign her a brief look.
Octavia: "..did you really cry for three days when I got injured?" She said in low, almost embarrassed tones.
K: "Three hours. But I had to put it behind me. When you were touch-and-go, I couldn't focus on training. All I could focus on, was theory." I nodded slowly.
Octavia: "So, you do like me." She blushed.
K: "Yeah. And if you're crushing on me, stand in line. Luna and Lyra both have dibs on this two-legged ass, IF they can get by Applejack." I chuckled a bit.
Octavia: *BLUSH* "I-I.." She turned fully red.
K: "I was right! You DO have a crush on me!" I pointed gently to her.
Octavia: "Well-" She was cut off.
I felt the pain before I heard the sound. It was a gunshot, and it winged me in the right arm. I instinctively fell to the ground, holding the searing pain that was my torn flesh. It wasn't very deep, thankfully.
K: "GET DOWN!"
Octavia dove for a bush with a rock behind it. I scrambled up and shouldered my Chaffee, scanning for targets. Nothing.
K: "What the hell was that!? WHO FIRED!?" I yelled, thinking a Militiapony took an unconfirmed shot at me. I got no response.
Octavia: "I don't see anything.." She was off to my left.
K: "Watch for a muzzle flash." I stood up, and walked casually towards the general direction of the gun shot's origin.
The shot came a moment later, and I managed to avoid it by slamming myself to the ground. I heard Octavia open fire, rolled over to check her vector, rolled back around and to a small depression in the ground, and opened fire myself, in the general direction that Octavia was firing at. I saw another muzzle flash, and the dirt to my left exploded. It wasn't a mistake - someone was really shooting to kill. It didn't figure - everyone knew me! Who would...
K: "OCTAVIA! FLANK THEM!" I SO wished I had grenades right then.
Octavia came around to the left, and dove through the bushes. She came up to the side, and was in position to shoot, when she freaked, ducked back down, and low-crawled away, taking fire. I opened up on the source of the sound for my last three shells.
K: "I'M DRY! HOLD UP!" I called to her.
I pressed the large lever at the base of the magazine tube, with it pointed at a rough angle away from me. Obediently, the tube magazine ejected itself from the receiver. I pulled another magazine from my quiver, and slid it in the groove between the magazine slot and the barrel, and slid it straight back into the receiver. This automatically chambered a round and racked the bolt. Ingenious design, really. As I mentioned before, this was invented in Thailand by a couple of competition shooters.
I whipped the barrel back down and cover-fired on the bush. Octavia took that as a signal to make a run for it, and did. Right back to her former position. She then fired on the bush to cover me as I withdrew. Once we were back behind the rock, I gave her a confused look.
Octavia: "Raptorians! WITH SHERMANS!" She called out, in a bit of a panic.
K: "WHAT!?" I was incredulous.
Then it hit me - the only advantage we had over the Raptorians was our technology. Tirek, if he was smart, would find a way to counter that. His raid on Canterlot must have been it - he used that as a way to capture rifles and ammunition! Level playing field made un-level by the fact that they had superior numbers.
K: "This is bad.. this is bad.." I was shaking my head, watching my plans go up in a puff of gun smoke.
Octavia: "That's not all." She nodded to me.
K: "What?" I shook my head - like, how can this get any worse?
Octavia: "They had some kind of tube, about my height, with some poles holding it up. And some round things that looked like eggs with sticks on the ba-"
K: "MORTARS! THIS IS AN AMBUSH! AND WE WALKED RIGHT INTO IT!" I facepalmed - way to go, General Dumbass!
Rounds hit the trees all around us, snapping limbs and bark from them. More Raptorians from the left - we were stuck. Pinned. I returned fire as best I could, but I didn't have a clear shot. It was just suppressive fire, nothing more.
Octavia: "What do we DO!?" She asked, desperately.
K: "I-"
Berry Punch: "BACK OFF OF MY FRIENDS!" *BLAM-BLAM-BLAM-BLAM* Four shots, four Raptorians. She took out the ones coming up on our rear-left that I hadn't seen.
K: "BERRY! GET DOWN!"
Rounds whizzed through the trees. One struck her beret, sending it flying. A small score of blood came down her face, but she was unfazed. She looked at me with wild eyes - eyes I'd only seen in movies. It scared me.
Berry Punch: "GET OUT OF HERE! RUN FOR IT!" She waved a hoof.
K: "We're NOT leaving you BEHIND!" I called back to her.
Berry Punch: "I SAID GO!" She whipped towards the flankers coming up on the left. "COVERING FIRE!!" And she opened up on them.
Octavia pulled on my shirt with her teeth.
Octavia: "COME ON! WE HAVE TO WARN THE OTHERS!" She was desperate.
K: "I-" I shook my head, and started falling back.
With Berry covering us, we managed to pull back about twenty meters. Then, a shell landed about ten meters behind us, exploding in a shower of dirt and vegetation. They were firing the mortar at us!
K: "BERRY! FALL BACK!" I desperately screamed to her.
Berry Punch: "I GOT THIS! RUN!" She.. CHARGED the Mortar Pit.. CHARGED into oncoming fire.
K: "BERRY PUNCH!"
I didn't see it, but I imagined it went something like this: Berry charging headlong into the mortar pit, firing on the enemy as she did so. One goes down, another goes down, the Mortar Crew are readying their next shot, sure to take us out, when she tackled them, just as the round slid down the tube. All I really did hear was an explosion as the tube blew up.
K: "BERRY!!!" I pushed Octavia ahead of me, urging her to run back to HQ.
I was not about to leave a Pony behind. I ran for the mortar pit, ignoring the flankers that were still alive, and when I got there, the only thing I saw was dead Raptorians.. and Berry's body, covered in blood and wounds. I grabbed her, and started running. Just as I got back to the bush-rock, I heard Big Mac's voice.
Mac: "GET DOWN!" He and 1st Squad opened up on the Raptorians that were coming up behind me.
Ace: "ON THE RIGHT!" He leaned off to the right and squeezed his Sherman five times, ducking down and reloading.
I dove, falling behind a rock. Nurse Redheart ran up, with her medical kit. She set her Sherman against the rock, as I laid Berry Punch on the ground. My face was screwed up in anguish.
K: "Berry! WHY!?" I implored her.
Berry Punch: *Weakly* "I.. had.. to fix it.. I screwed up.. I couldn't just.."
I caressed her face, and looked anxiously to Nurse Redheart. She just shook her head, dumbstruck, trying to stick bandages into leaking holes.
K: "Berry!? Stay with me! Stay with me! We're gonna get you fixed up-"
Berry Punch: "Pina.. Concerto.. love.. I-"
She went limp.
She was dead.
Berry Punch was dead.
{End of Part 1}
Part 2: Revenge
TIME: 13:05 Equestria Royal Standard Time
We walked back, with Berry Punch on a stretcher. I held her beret, unable to let it go. Her death touched me deeply - she wasn't just some nameless face that I saw at the palace during the attack. I'd worked with her, trained her, she was one of my soldiers - a Ranger. To the very bitter end, in fact. She saved my life, and Octavia's. And now, I was pissed. Raging.
As we walked into the assembly area, Concerto was there.. and so was Pina Colada. Now, the real hard part about being a leader. Addressing the family. I walked over to where Concerto was standing as Ace and Nurse Redheart carried her stretcher into the barn that served as Milita headquarters. I stood in front of him, my head down.. what could I say? Those lines I'd heard on television? 'I'm sorry for your loss, your loved one was a brave and honourable soldier that served her kingdom with distinction?'
K: "Concerto.." My voice was full of pebbles.
Pina: "Where's Sis!?" She implored me.
Concerto didn't say a word. He didn't have to. He knew.
I knelt down at Pina Colada's hooves, and put her sister's beret on her head. Adjusting it with reverence, red side out.
K: "Your sister was very brave, Pina.." I started, words choking my throat.
Pina: "WHERE IS SHE!?" She grabbed my shirt.
K: "..she's.. she's been killed in action." I felt tears on my cheeks, but I didn't realize they were mine.
Pina made an anguished cry that sounded like her very soul had been stabbed.
K: "Your sister was a very brave Ranger. She overcame her own personal demons to come out here and do her duty. And in doing that duty, she saved my life-" The words.. had meaning.. but they felt so cheap. Even as Pina collapsed and sobbed into me. "-and Octavia's, and probably a lot of other people. You should be proud of her. She gave her life for her friends, and there is no higher calling." I knew just how cheap those words were, as soon as they left my mouth.
Concerto: "How.." He was looking for something to say that wasn't an indecipherable garble.
I stood to address him.
K: "She attacked a mortar position.." I started, putting my hand flat in front of me.
Concerto: "Mortar..?" He was confused at the word.
K: "It projects explosive charges over a great distance. The mortars were in range of the farm, they were probably setting up to shell our headquarters area. She.. charged straight into them, and made the mortar blow up. She also saved us - we were pinned down." I lowered my head.
Concerto: "I see." His voice was ice cold.
I knew he blamed me for this - how couldn't he? How couldn't I?
K: "I'm very sorry.. for your loss.." They were all the words I could muster.
And now I knew why they said those things. Those cheap lines. When you're really there, really feeling it, you can't really say much else. You're dumbstruck by grief, anguish, and your own pain. Father Waddle was already here.. and I went over to him next.
K: "Father. You have your first.. I.. I don't know what the faith is here. But, Berry Punch is.." I dribbled out.
Fr. Waddle: "Of course, child. Just relax. Father Waddle will handle everything." I felt him pat my arm, but the reassurance wasn't there..
His voice was like a priest I once knew - Father MacDonald. Soft, warm, full of light and love of that which is Holy. No question in his mind about his faith or his purpose. Another thing that made me think how truly similar this land was with some of the better parts of humanity. Faith, here, was untouched by the concept of heresy or discrimination. It taught only acceptace and love. Back home.. we had Crusades, Pogroms, worse.. just over differences of faith.
I shook it off. I had a battle to conduct. I turned to Blaze and Fleet Foot, who were landing at what used to be a vegetable field.
K: "BLAZE! RECALL ALL UNITS! ADVISE ALL SQUAD LEADERS THAT THERE ARE MORTARS AND SNIPERS IN THE FOREST! GO, NOW!" I yelled and pointed.
Blaze: "Snipers!?" She looked at me like I'd spoken alien words.
K: "When they attacked Canterlot, the bastards stole our weapons, and they've made something MORE. Mortars, which can throw explosives hundreds of feet - everyone must excercise extreme caution. You guys watch it, too. They might take a shot at you." I shrugged.
Fleet Foot: "Understood. Let's go, buddy." He nodded to Blaze and took off.
Off they went. I watched Father Waddle walk Concerto and Pina Colada over to Berry's body and say a few words. Dear Celestia.. I wished their Sun Goddess could be here to personally hug them all...
I walked into the headquarters area, where Golden Harvest was, with Written Script. Script had a Sherman on his shoulder, and he was moving around with maps and communications sent by runners.
K: "Anything since I left?"
Written Script: "Nothing new. No contact with the enemy other than what you guys did.." He looked at Berry's body.
K: "Understood. We're changing tactics - they're waiting for us out there. They want us to do exactly what we're-"
Spitfire: "K!" I could hear the gust of wind behind her.
K: "Spitfire!?" I turned, and there she was, entering the barn with Soarin. "You should be resting!" Her torso was bandaged. One of the Raptorians had jumped and pulled her out of the air last night. "You, too, Soarin."
He had a bandage around his left foreleg, which he was seriously favoring. He'd been swatted out of the sky by a flying Raptorian and fallen under some rubble.
Spitfire: "Sir! No, this is important! TRIXIE escaped!" She shook her head.
K: "WHAT!? WHEN!?" I jolted upright.
Spitfire: "Last night - we just found out, now. They sprung her from her cell during the attack." She waved an arm and went back to holding her wound.
K: "MY GOD! How many VICTORIES did I HAND THEM last night!? I should have EXPECTED this!" I hit my head on a support beam. Hard.
Soarin: "Dude, this isn't your fault - you said it yourself, this isn't your world, this is ours. What'd you do? Expect the best?" He put a hoof on my shoulder.
K: "Yes. And I didn't plan for the worst, I planned for a boring, high-society party." I shook my head, dumbfounded.
Soarin: "And beside some awesome pie, that's what it was. A bunch of boring people talking and telling us how cool we are." He paused a moment, and looked me right in the eyes. "Dude, seriously! You expected this place to be all sunshine and roses, it's not your fault this happened - it's Discord's. This is his fault, not yers. An' you shouldn't kick yourself for thinking this place is gonna act exactly like you remember it. We all did. If you failed? It wasn't alone, dude. We all did."
K: "Thank you, Soarin.." I was a little choked up at the show of confidence.
I had tears in my eyes. I turned around and hugged him. And Spitfire. And Octavia. And Golden Harvest. And Written Script. Even Concerto and Pina Colada came over and hugged me.
K: "Alright. We have to make sure Berry didn't die in vain.." I started.
Derpy's Rangers showed up at this moment, as did Twilight and the girls.
K: "I have a new battle plan." I nodded to them all.
TIME: 14:30 ERST
We were moving out in a different formation. I was with Derpy's Rangers. First and Second Squads were with Twilight and the girls just to our rear. Third, Fourth and Fifth squads were on our right and left flanks, spread out behind us. I had all available Wonderbolts overhead, loaded down with bombs. Spitfire and Soarin' were flying cover with Mitchell carbines. We were marching in a spearhead formation, straight into the bush.
Derpy: "I can't believe.." She shook her head.
K: "She did her duty, now we do ours. If you see Trixie, kill her. She's a traitor to all ponykind, she deserves nothing but death." I was grim in my delivery.
I was right that Trixie would come back and haunt us. Worse, she was probably the one that came up with this battle plan. She was smart, and that was the problem, she was easily as smart as I was, and just as adaptive. Great and Powerful indeed - she would have made a fantastic officer. No matter. She would meet her death this day, if I had anything to say about it. Blood for Blood was the order of the day. No quarter given to the enemy.
We were going to love and tolerate the shit out of them, with bullets.
Derpy and her Rangers fanned out as we got to the area I suspected we'd find mortar pits. I could only guess by an approximation that Octavia whipped up out of random rubbage from Scoots' old barn, but I guessed these Mortars had about a 1km range, given they had a magic boost to them. And if I was Trixie, I would be setting them up to shell Ponyville at the fall of night. Maximum confusion, maximum casualties.
Turns out, I was right.
Lyra and Bon-Bon came back from their break-off, and gave the hoof-signal. Mortar pits up ahead. We were about 500 meters from HQ, and 750 meters from the edge of town. I tapped Vy on the shoudler. She sent up the Magic Flare, and Blaze acknowledged. We watched as they made their bombing run.
CAS was an important job for a flyer. The Wonderbolts fused the concept of a helicopter with a fighter and a strike bomber. Versatile tools. And they unloaded all their ordnance right over the mortar pits. Watching Blaze and Fleet Foot come in low and release their lower bomb rack, I noted where they hit. They were taking sporadic return fire, and Spitfire and Soarin' were doing their best to suppress it. Once the remaining Wonderbolts made their second and final attack runs, I had Vy send up the second flare - the signal to charge.
K: "ATTACK!" I pointed.
I ran headlong into the bush, jumping over rock and shrubbery, until I jumped over a small rise and ended up in a bomb crater. Rolling to my feet, I could hear gun fire erupt behind me. Derpy's Rangers taking accurate shots at anything not pony. Third through Fifth squads moved up, and opened fire in volume at the edge of the clearing created by the Wonderbolts' bombing run. I fired my Chaffee at anything moving ahead of us. We were going to sweep and clear the mortar position carefully. Nothing was going to live.
We made sure of it.
The cacophany of noise when dozens of infantry are firing at once is impressive. It's what causes long term hearing damage, but it also makes the very core of your being, shake. We gunned down dozens of Raptorians in this one mortar pit. We stomped them, and we stomped them hard. Hoof-to-hand fighting wasn't uncommon - and don't take that statement lightly. You don't know real personal fear, until you've desperately clubbed a bird-faced, gangly-armed monsters to death with the butt of your shotgun, because you forgot to design it with a bayonet mount, while he tries desperately to jam a splintered wooden pole in your eyeball. Or the screams.. the terrible, unending screams. From both sides.
I watched as Lyra was advancing on three of them, firing rapidly, from the hip. Two fell, but her magazine was dry. The last one grabbed a lance, and swung at her. Just like I'd taught them, she parried - but, since she was out of position for a strike, she jammed her horn into its eye socket, producing an impressive fountain of crimson when she pulled it out, dropped her Sherman, drew her Lee, and executed him with one shot to the head, then spun on her hoof and shot three more as they were approaching.
Vy and Octavia teamed up for the battle - they weren't about to leave each other behind. As I advanced on the first mortar, I watched Vy levitate a log, and use it as a shield for the spears of four Raptorians, before pulling all the spears out, and using them to impale their former owners, straight down from their head, to between their feet, while Octavia - wounded or not - bayoneted one in the gut, and twisted the blade around until she came out with a long trail of intestine and gizzard, which she then shoved in its owner's face, along with the tip of the blade.
When First Squad reached the first Mortar Pit with me, I set Macintosh and Ace to work, smashing the mortar tubes with their powerful hooves. I gave them cover, along with Colgate. I watched Second Squad take the second mortar pit, and just as they were about to start smashing it, I watched Lilly take a round to the shoulder. A counter-attack!
K: "COUNTER ATTACK! GET TO COVER!" I waved everyone down.
I felt something wet hit my face. I turned, and Colgate was down, a round gone through her gut, coring out a nice chunk of her side.
K: "MEDIC!" I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I furiously indicated her, and emptied my Chaffee into the oncoming rifle squad of Raptorians, knocking down three of six.
K: "HANG ON, COLGATE!" I bid her, as I pressed my hands to the bleeding wound. Her face.. looked so helpless. I was able to stem the bleeding by the time Nurse Redheart got there, and started applying bandages to it. "You're gonna make it."
Ace: "ON THE LEFT!" He called out.
I turned left, drawing my PA-63, and picking up Colgate's Sherman in my other hand. Another squad. Lancers. I opened up on them, furiously squeezing the Sherman's whole-hand trigger and pulling the PA-63's trigger as I swept across the front of the lancers. Five went down, I ran dry. I dropped my PA-63, and grabbed the Sherman in my mitts, ready to charge into them..
Dash: "CANNED HEAT INCOMING!" She bellowed from the skies, full of bravado and bluster.
*HUGE EXPLOSION!*
I watched the Lancers vanish in a bright red cloud of atomized bits and pieces of corpse, as Rainbow Dash circled overhead. She whipped out a Mitchell and started shooting at the Raptorian Rifle Squad, joined moments later by Spitfire and Soarin.
AJ: "I'M COMIN' HONEYBUN!" I heard her call from my rear.
And I told them to stay back.. note to self: Don't try telling the girls to stay back ever again. Applejack was charging at the head of the five, with Fluttershy flying but hugging the surface. She was carrying another bomb - actually, four bombs strapped together. At the last second, she popped up about 50 feet, and spiked the cluster of bombs into a pile of rocks at the edge of the clearing, blowing it to pieces and sending about two dozen Raptorian bodies flying in all directions.
Applejack and the others jumped into the Mortar Pit with me, as I watched Fluttershy bob and weave enemy fire, and return fire with her Mitchell. She was so graceful about it, but I could tell, the very act was painful to her on another level that we didn't understand. She was trying to bluff it by crying about them hurting the animals.. but..
AJ: "WHAT'S'A SIT'CHA'AYSHUN!?" She blurted out.
K: "THEY'RE COUNTERATTACKING, AND WE'RE PINNED!" I called back.
How many bloody rifles did they steal!?
Low Rate Production began with Filly Arms a year ago, but that was only 5 weapons a week. When Dan got his new factory equipment installed 8 months ago, that increased to 10. The Appleloosa Arsenal had been producing them for six months, at twice that rate.
By this point in time, I had produced 291 Shermans, 123 Mitchells and 297 Lee Pistols, between prototypes and production models.
We didn't have that many trained ponies, but I was supposed to see to it that we had enough to arm the Royal Guard. There were 180 Guards total, divided into three Companies, plus 36 Ponyville Militia, 36 Appleloosa Militia and 8 Rangers.. no, seven, now. That's 260 rifles needed, with 200 alone stored at the palace. 27 Guards died in the palace... did they steal every rifle not being used?
AJ: "COME ON, PINKIE! WE GOTTA TAKE TH' HEAT OFF'N THEM!" She screamed.
Pinkie: *Darkly* "Right.." Her hair was flat.. again..
Pinkie was Pinkamena.. this was bad. For the enemy as well as us, if we couldn't calm her down afterwards. I was seriously worried about her mental state - what would this war do to her? Would she still be the Element of Laughter when this was all over? I didn't know - war did funny things to the mind. Especially if you're not all that mentally stable to begin with.
K: "TWILIGHT, WITH ME! MAC, FINISH UP HERE - DESTROY ALL THE MORTARS!" I directed.
Mac: "EEEYUP!"
Twilight: "RIGHT!"
I took the girls with me, charging off to the right, intent on flanking the oncoming counterattacking units. They were all coming from one direction - that told me that if they had any other mortar positions, they'd all be in that direction. The five of us stuck on the ground hopped from rock to bush, as Fluttershy and Dash provided cover from above. We made it into the deeper area of the forest where the reinforcements were coming from.. it was quiet enough that I had Dash and Shy land, and creep along with us.
Pinkie slung her rifle in favor of three Bayonets. One in her mouth, one at each hoof.
We made it about 20 meters into the thick, when we heard a very familiar voice..
Trixie: "GET THAT SQUAD UP HERE, GET.. GET OVER HERE AND JOIN THE OTHERS! I WANT A MASS ATTACK, EVERYTHING, ALL AT ONCE! CRUSH THEM! KILL THEM ALL!" *Pause* "NO, DON'T PICK YOUR BEAK WITH THAT, YOU IDIOT!" Her voice was more schrill than I recalled..
We got up behind a rock, and managed to get a good look at the assembly area. Trixie was using her old wagon as a mobile headquarters.. the stage was out, and she had a planning table on it. We needed that map. More than that, Trixie was right here - if we could KILL her... but, there were easily 30 or more Raptorians. I got an idea, and pulled Dash close to me.
K: *Very silent whisper* "Dash, get back to HQ. Get the Wonderbolts, tell them to arm with bombs, and lead them back here. I need them to hit the assembly area. When they start hitting the place, we will attack."
She nodded affirmative, and snuck away quietly. I heard a rustling in the leaves about 10 meters back, telling me she took off. We were about 520 meters from HQ. This would take her.. about half a minute to get back, give the Bolts about two minutes to arm up..
Trixie: "WE MOVE OUT IN FIVE MINUTES! I EXPECT PONY HEADS ON STAKES!"
..we'd be cutting this close. I sat and watched. AJ was furious, ready to charge in there and kill Trixie with her bare hooves. I tapped her and Rarity, and had them take position to the left. I pointed to Trixie and nodded at Rarity - she would be the one to take her out, when the bombs started falling. Fluttershy and Twilight were positioned to the right. I was with Pinkie and Spike in the center. Spike was here, mainly, for Rarity. And while I didn't like having a kid in the area, I knew keeping him away was futile.
Three minutes passed.. then four.. I could tell Trixie was getting impatient for the rest of her troops to show up. I was afraid she'd send the attack order before the Wonderbolts got here. Finally, the rest of her unit got here. Another 20 Raptorians, all armed with rifles. Trixie made sure they were ready to go, and..
Trixie: "GET READY TO MOVE.."
K: *Whisper* "Shit.. Rarity! Take the shot!"
Rarity: *Whisper* "But.."
K: *Harsh whisper* "TAKE THE SHOT!"
Rarity whined softly. She knew the second she took the shot, she'd be a target. Moreover, we didn't have the air support we needed, and if they came in AFTER the shooting started, they'd be useless.. but we didn't have a choice. If they managed to mass that kind of an attack.. I waved the "Fire" signal to Rarity again.. and she huffed through her snout, aimed..
A Raptorian dropped his rifle..
Trixie: "YOU STUPID..! HERE..!"
*CRACK!*
And at the last second, Trixie bent over to pick up the dropped rifle. The round hit the Raptorian that dropped his rifle, right in the center of its forehead. There was a moment's pause as it fell..
Trixie: *Gasp!* *Screeching* "ASSASSINS!! KILL THEM!! KILL THEM ALL!! FIRE! CHARGE! ATTACK! DESTROYYYYY THEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMM!!"
K: "OPEN FIRE!!" My Chaffee belched into the ranks of the Lancers at the very front, while the girls unloaded. So rapid was our fire, that the Lancers all ducked, and started running for cover instead of attacking..
Trixie: *Screeching* "GEEEEEEET THEEEEEEEEEEEM, YOU USELESS BIRDBRAINS! CHARGE!" One fell that was standing at her side. "ATTAAAAAAAAAAAACK!" Another, to her left. "PROTECT YOUR GREAT AND POWERFUL COMMANDER!" Another, in front of her. *Gasp!* She dove over her own planning table, and flipped it over. "THAT'S IT!"
What I saw next could only be described as insanity - Trixie summoned up a red, scalding cloud and started raining fireballs down on the entire area. She started hitting her own troops as well as the area around us. Just as the Wonderbolts showed up. I frantically waved my hand at Blaze, pointing at Trixie's wagon. They suicidally snapped into a bombing run, and released all their ordnance all over the Wagon, blowing it to bits..
K: "GET DOWN HERE! WE'RE OUTNUMBERED!" I yelled.
The Wonderbolts landed, and took up cover positons, and started opening fire on the Raptorians. I tapped Twilight on the shoudler.
K: "Come on! We have to get behind them!" She was the closest one to me.
They would retreat if we didn't, and they could take the Shermans with them, which would allow Tirek to copy them.. if he hadn't already. Moreover, it would give Tirek experienced troops to use against us later. Veterans of a defeat, are still veterans.
I led the girls around the left side, Pinkie in front, knifing anything that got close, with Fluttershy behind her. Applejack and Rarity were next. Twilight and I were in the rear..
..we were the last to pass by Trixie's wagon. When she punched the wreckage off of her.
K: "GO! GO! WE'LL HANDLE HER!" I pointed.
AJ: "HONEYBUN!" She was shocked.
K: "GOO!" I ordered.
I yelled just as an Impact spell hit me in the side. I turned to see Twilight engaging Trixie with her Sherman, but Trixie had erected a shield. The rounds bounced off harmlessly.
K: "GO ON!" Applejack complied, but I knew she didn't like it.
Trixie: "TWIIIIIIIIIIIIILIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT! I'M GOING TO KIIILLL YOUUUUU!! YOU DID THIS TO ME! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT! THIS IS ALL. YOUR. FAULT!" She whipped her hair back, revealing the horribly disfigured burn scar on the side of her face. It looked like her face was partially melted off of her skull, one eye completely white.
She charged up another spell, as Twilight did the same.
Twilight: "TRIXIE! YOU BETRAYED US ALL! THAT'S NOT MY FAULT, THAT'S YOURS! NO ONE FORCED YOU TO JOIN TIREK, YOU DID THAT ON YOUR OWN!" She yelled back, through tears.
She fired her spell off first, a bolt of purple the size of a basket ball flying through the air. It hit Trixie's sheild at the same instant Trixie fired her own spell, a bolt of blue-white the size of a medicine ball hit the ground at our feet. Again, I was thrown. I nearly blacked out - Magic HURT.
As I cleared my vision, I saw Trixie get up - the spell hit her alright. She grabbed a knife from the wreckage, holding it in her teeth as she stalked towards Twilight's unconscious body. I whipped my Chaffee around, only to see it was blasted apart.. I had no choice. I grabbed my hunting knife from my belt..
K: "TRIXIE!" And struggled to my feet. "YOU WANT TO KILL HER, YOU GO THROUGH ME!"
As I shouted the challenge, the battle raged around us. An incredible cross fire had the Raptorians pinned down in the background behind her, but they weren't quitting.
Trixie: "My pleasure, Human.." She slurred out in an evilly seductive tone.. how did she know what I was?
She was faster than she looked, too, tacking me to the ground before I knew what hit me. My right arm was pinned, and I was using my head to keep her face - and knife - away from me while my left hand desperately grasped for something.. anything.. I felt her blade cut my face..
Trixie: "I'M GOING TO CUT YOUR THROAT!" She screeched like broken glass.
My Chaffee! I bashed her across the snout as hard as I could. This knocked her off of me, and sent her rolling.
K: "TWILIGHT! GET UP! GET UP!" She was just recovering consciousness.. moaning in pain.
My moment's inattention was paid for with her knife in my hip. I went down on one knee, punching her viciously in the face and snout. She pulled back, sans knife, which was still in my hip. The pain defies description.. and my left leg wasn't working. I flattened myself against the ground, grasping my hunting knife, and struggling to get to my knees. Trixie grabbed a long, pointed cane from the rubble.
Trixie: "I'M GOING TO SKEWER YOUR HEART!" She started charging.. I held the knife out, hoping I could deflect it..
Twilight: "TRIXIEEE!!"
A purple bolt out of nowhere. It hit her square in the ribs, and sent her tumbling. I fell down. Twilight charged into her, while she was on the ground, and at the last second, jumped into the air, drew her bayonet, and dove down on top of her. The blade impaled itself in her chest. I saw her eyes go from large, to the size of periods. Trixie squeaked..
Twilight: "Trixie..?" Twilight backed off.. not believing what she had just done.
Trixie: *Cough* There was blood. "Seems you win again, Twilight.." *COUGH* More blood. She was bleeding into her lungs. "..Twi?" She asked, mewling from the pain.
Twilight: "Trixie?"
She paced over. She was expecting Trixie to redeem herself, I could see it in her eyes. I was scrambling for Twilight's Sherman.
Trixie: "Twilight.. I.. I'm sorry.."
I reached the Sherman, and looked back around.
Twilight: "It's okay.. I'm sorry, too!"
Trixie: "SORRY I DIDN'T KILL YOU BEFORE!" A final, defiant, schrill scream of fury.
K: "TWILIGHT! KNIFE!" *BLAM!*
I whipped the Sherman down, and fired from the hip.. just as the blade found its mark. Trixie went limp.. Twilight fell down next to her.
K: "Twilight! TWIIILIIIIIIIGHT!" *Gasping* "MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIC" *Screaming* "MMMMMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICC!"
{End of Chapter 12}
