Chapter 43: Northern Front
Part 1: Monkey Shines
TIME: 15:42 CWT
DATE: War Day 425/4 Sextus 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Yellowknife, Republic of Canida
I was seated before the Gizmonk. The Gizmonk was tied to a plain wooden chair at his wrists and ankles, arms behind his back. It was a stress position.
This wasn't an interrogation, this was torture.
K: "Where'd you get the shoes?" I asked plainly.
Gizmonk: "What're you gonna do to me?!"
Oh, and.. after tying him up, I asked everyone but Havoc to leave us alone. Havoc was outside.
K: "I'm not like Danny, Molly, and Megan." I shrugged. "I'm more like their father."
I stood up, and backhanded him as hard as I could, my fist fit into a leather glove that Rarity had made me some time back.
K: "You talk, or you suffer. You lie, you suffer more." I sat back down, calm as can be.
Gizmonk: "Yeh'fukkin'bastad!" He practically screeched at me.
K: "Don't think I have it in me, do you?" I shrugged.
Gizmonk: "Ya humans're pansies! So you can hit me. Big deal! YOU can't REALLY hurt me! Ya ain't got the STONES!" Talks very human, really.
I stood up, and paced over to him. I untied his shoes and removed them. He was wearing socks. Black socks. Professionally - MACHINE - made socks. I pulled those off as well.
Gizmonk: "Ya gonna tickle me to death?" He smirked, smugly.
K: "You're too human. You won't respond to pony interogation." I was so calm.. so flat.. so even.. "So, I'll treat you like a human."
I pulled out my bowie knife, tested the blade sharpness a moment, then knelt down and proceeded to slice open a wound on his left foot, from the ball, to the heel. DEEP. The kind of deep that gets infected. The kind of infection that can lead to amputation.
He screeched. It hurt. A lot.
I then dusted the wound with iodine salt.
He screeched more.
I forced his left foot flat on the ground, and isolated his prehensile toe. I gently rest the tip of the blade against the joint, from the top.
K: "Still think I ain't got the stones?" I looked up at him, but I was the one in control, here.
Gizmonk: "FFFAAAACKK! YYYYOOUUU!"
I pressed down, until the tip separated the joint, then sawed a bit back and forth, and amputated the prehensile toe, ignored his screams, and held it up to him.
K: "You have nine more toes, ten fingers, a tail, two testicles, and a penis." I said flatly. "Talk or I start removing."
Gizmonk: "You.. fuckin.."
K: "And I'll rape you before I remove your sex organs. And when I do remove your sex organs, it will be surgical. I will forcibly gender transition you, and use magic to heal it. I will then sexually abuse you in the worst ways until you beg for dick. I will then dump you in Zebra territory with a tattoo that indicates they may use you sexually at any time and you haven't the agency to resist. After every Zebra on Equus stretches your holes to the size of the moon, I will package you off to Tirek, a shattered, feeble creature wrought with disease, broken of mind, body, and spirit."
Gizmonk: "YOU SICK FREAK!"
K: "Grogar started it." I said, simply. "I'm escalating to the absolute possible limit and logical conclusion."
Gizmonk: "You.. you.. couldn't.." He was cracking.
K: "Tell yourself that." I shrugged. "Been awhile since I fucked anything bipedal. I think I'll have a taste of monkey before I continue." I very violently groped his dick. "I think I can turn you into a total sissy before I surgically change you. Make you beg to be a woman, so you can pleasure me." I ran a hand up his chest, to his chin, then slapped him open-palmed.
Total disrespect. Zero emotion in my tone and demeanor.
The Gizmonk started bawling as I went to unbuckle.
Gizmonk: "NO! NO! PLEASE! NO!" He whined and begged.
K: "I like it when they scream. Tears make excellent lube.." Belt open.
Gizmonk: "I'LL TALK! I'LL TALK! PLEASE! JUST! STOP!" He bawled like a child. "ANYTHING! PLEASE! JUST NOT THAT! PLEASE!"
K: "...okay." I stood up and rebuckled.
Gizmonk: "Skies Above.. thank you." He sniffled. "I had.. no idea.. humans.."
K: "You and yours have wronged me in ways I can't begin to describe. Part of me wants revenge.. SO badly.." I smirked at him smugly. "I'd enjoy diving into the darkest part of humanity to get it." I shrugged. "I'm already a Sinner in my Faith. I'm destined for Hell. I may as well lock in a prime seat by the Lake of Fire, right?" I went from smug to flat, again. "The shoes."
Gizmonk: "They're made in my homeland!" He yelled out. "We copied them from the stuff the humans had thousands of years ago!" He bawled.
K: "Oh, really?" I inspected them.
While they did have a star on them LIKE a Converse, they lacked any words whatsoever. It looked like a Khyber Pass copy of shoes. Or a Chinese Civil War special. Something like that. A real design, copied in form if not function, by craftspeople unfamiliar with the original design and the intended use of each feature. The laces, for example, were permanently fixed to the shoe. To tighten them, one had to fold the tongue and pull them together. They didn't lace up, they tightened behind a false bow knot with a clasp.
Close, but no cigar.
K: "Cheap. But they work." I shrugged.
Gizmonk: "Y-yeah.." He stammered. "W-we've been using that pattern for thousands'a years.."
K: "I see." I rubbed my chin in false thoughtfulness. "Where'd you learn to cuss like that?"
Gizmonk: "I.. we.. been talkin' like that forever!" He whined.
K: "Interesting.." I sized him up. "You wouldn't be lying to save your anal integrity, would you?"
Gizmonk: "NO-NO! I-I'M TELLIN' THE TRUTH, I SWEAR!" He tried to recoil away from me, but his bindings prevented it. "W-Why ain't you askin' about Tirek or somethin'?"
K: "Ohh... you think I'm worried about him?" I mocked surprise. "I already know your race is working for him. What I need is cultural intelligence.. I already know the military, the strategically important, intelligence. I don't think there's anything a mook like you could offer me." I maintained my flat tone.
Gizmonk: "Y.. but..."
K: "When we invade Tirek's home lands, I've already decided that it may be necessary to use large numbers of atomic weapons on your people. They were enemies of ponykind in antiquity. It may come to be that a final judgment be passed on your race. The Grundles just went extinct less than a year ago. What's one MORE sentient species?" I gave him a tiny, evil smirk.
Gizmonk: "YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!" He looked desperate.
K: "Why not? I'm *human.* We don't care about.. lesser species, my under-evolved cousin." Playing up the 'humans is evil' angle.
Gizmonk: "THAT'S GENOCIDE!"
K: "Why shouldn't I?" I paced around a little. "What reason would I have to spare your race from erasure?" I leaned in to him. "From what I see of you, they're criminals, willing servants of Tirek, and as a race, enemies to all ponykind stretching back thousands of years. The hatred and racism have to end - a dominant species must arise, as coexistence is impossible, it seems. Tirek has done unspeakable things.. why shouldn't I bear the millstone of ensuring through violence that Ponykind becomes the dominant race?" I shrugged. "You don't seem to offer anything of positive value to this world. It's only logical."
Gizmonk: "I.. but.. y-you.."
His mind was scrambling for words. He did not wake up this morning prepared to defend his race to a genocidal alien, ready, willing, and able to eradicate his race from existence for being a nonspecific threat.
He also had no idea I was bluffing. I may be able to do things more coldhearted than a pony could, but I'd never go that far. Not for the things the Gizmonks had already done. The crimes weren't that serious.
He didn't need to know that, though. I was playing him. HARD.
K: "GIVE me a REASON!" I demanded.
Gizmonk: "NOT ALL OF US FOLLOW THAT PSYCHO!" He shot out.
Progress.
K: "Explain."
Gizmonk: "Tirek's controlled us for over a hundred years. Ain't no one left that remembers what it was like before. But that don't stop.. some'a us.. from gettin' away from him. We can't FIGHT him. He's too powerful.."
Playground Bully mentality. The other side is too strong, so resistence seems futile.
Gizmonk: "..like me. I got away.." He looked at the stump of his dismembered toe. "..but they got to me." He broke.
K: "Tell me about it." I sat down, now, lowering myself to his level.
Gizmonk: "When I was 12, I managed to get away. Spent a year tryin' to get somewhere civilized. Eventually ended up in Saddle Arabia. Couldn't get legit work, so I started pickpocketing. Little here, little there, all from real rich folk that won't miss it. Food, sometimes." He was crying, now, not from fear or physical pain, but from emotional pain. "Got caught once.." He looked at my crotch. "..they did things to me."
Ohhh.. THAT'S why rape scared him! He's been raped before.
Gizmonk: "Finally got in with a gang, you know? Griffons. My fingers're better'n their claws for some things. Started doin' heists, you know? Then.. I get approached by Bowegi and Scorpan.. I told 'em: 'No way I'm workin' for Tirek.' Then he told me, since I'm the best there is.. I don't gotta choice.. they'd wipe out my home village, call it a wild fire." He was sobbing in sorrow, now. "I got family, there, man! My mom! My sisters! My brothers! Dad! Uncle! Cousins! What was I supposed to do!?" Blubbering. "I didn't think it'd lead to all'a this!"
K: "So.. your people are victims." I nodded, seeming to be solemn and reflective.
Gizmonk: "Please.. don't kill 'em.." He shook his head, begging. "Do what'cha want with me! I.. I deserves it, I guess! But, please! PLEASE.. don't.. don't lump th' rest'a us in with him!" And that was it, he just cried.
I stood up, and took the toe with me.
K: "HAVOC! Get Dr. Allcome. Tell him he needs to reattach a limb. And make it quick! He's only got about another thirty minutes before this becomes nonviable!" I ordered, and off he went.
I made the Gizmonk think he scored mercy from me. In reality, I probably just would have had him imprisoned for life, depending on what he said. This, however, added a new dimension to the struggle.
I'd have to discuss this with the Princesses.
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Northern Incursion
TIME: 17:22 CWT
DATE: War Day 425/4 Sextus 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Yellowknife, Republic of Canida
Canidan Militiadog: "HERDIET FORCES HEADED DIS WAY! SOUND THE ALARM!"
He came tearing past us as Dr. Allcome and his sedated patient arrived at the town hospital.
K: "Havoc, gather your men. Doc, take cover in here, get the patients under cover." I directed. "EQUESTRIAN FORCES TO ME! ALL UNITS ASSEMBLE AT NORTH STAR LODGE!" I screamed as I ran for the lodge itself.
Havoc: "RAAAAAAAAAAAAANGGEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRSSSSSSSSSS!" *AWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO* He broke into a flat-out Dog Dash.
The town alarm was the ringing of the church bells, along with a huge bell at City Hall. Before I knew it, Canidans were pouring out of their homes, pulling on uniforms, and checking their weapons.
A dogsled came up, pulled by three Canidan NCO's, with the town's heavy weapons. Copied Walker RPG's, four Pershings, and two Abrams. These were handed out to the designated machine gun and heavy weapon teams, who got them on smaller sleds, and pulled them out.
Spare ammo was being handed out quickly, with a Canidan NCO passing magazines in bundles to each dog that approached. The town commander, North Star (who's lodge we were, in fact, staying at) dashed over in his Militia sweater, with a peaked cap on. He had a C-1 pistol on his hip.
Cdr. North Star: "General K. I give command of my forces to you for this battle. Havoc says you're the best. These are my friends and family. Please, don't let us down."
K: "With all my heart." I looked at the NCO. "I need a weapon."
I was handed a C-7 rifle, the copy of the Bradley. I racked the chamber.
K: "Rangers on me. Set your militia up according to your town defense plan. Dig in. What direction are they coming from?"
Sgt. Barkley: "From the North. From Coldstream Landing." He looked at the Commander. "Sir, a survivor from there says that Herdiet forces have captured Coldstream Landing, taken the town hostage, and are headed this way in force. They've also captured the train."
K: "Send two platoons with a machine gun team to the train station. They'll try and send forces behind your lines, there. Make sure they have a Walker - you may need to destroy the train itself." I nodded to North Star.
Cdr. North Star: "YOU HEARD THE GENERAL! GET YOUR TAILS IN GEAR, YA DOGS!" He barked, and I saw his Captain assign the men accordingly.
I headed north to meet up with Havoc and the Rangers. Derpy and the 1st Royal Rangers intercepted me.
Derpy: "Where you want us?" She nodded back to her Company.
K: "With me. Fall in with Havoc's rangers at the platoon level." I pointed. "MAC!"
Big Mac: "E'yup?"
K: "I want your Platoon with Havoc's." I looked at Derpy. "I want yours with his Reserve unit. Mac in front, you in back, that way if we get surrounded, we have a senior officer at both ends."
Derpy: "Good plan."
Havoc: "My dogs have assembled." His company was falling in with us, now. "What's the strategy?"
K: "Meet them head-on, then continue harrassing attacks until we determine their objective." I nodded. "Wall, then fold into two units, maintain fire on their flanks and rear. We're almost into the forest." I indicated. "I don't know what kind of time we have, so, keep a sharp eye for defensible terrain. When we make contact, we fire one magazine each, pop smoke, then fall back to it. Havoc or Derpy, you make the call." I pointed.
Havoc: "You got it, old friend." He smiled a bit.
Derpy: "No problem." She fell back to the Reserve Platoon of Havoc's Ranger company.
K: "Everyone keep an eye out for Special Operations troops. Spetsnaz." I nodded ahead of us.
About 50 meters in, we got off the road. Derpy took one company's worth of Rangers and moved to the right of the road, I took the rest and went left.
We didn't have to wait long. I could hear tanks. Fortunately the noise gave us plenty of warning. I motioned for everyone to get to cover.
K: "Havoc, get your rockets ready. I want those tanks taken out."
Havoc: "Right." He made a couple small barks, and his Anti-Tank team came up, and dug in carefully.
I set up by a log, bracing my wepaon, and setting a magazine in front of me. I had an idea of where we'd fall back to after breaking contact.
I saw the Herdiet light tanks in the vanguard. These were ones from the Border Skirmish.. meaning the commander of this was likely Hortensky. That also gave me an idea of the size and disposition of the enemy force.
K: "Rockets ready." I nodded, aiming at the Tank Commander of the lead tank, who was seated on top of the turret, legs dangling into the hatch. "On my mark."
I tugged the trigger. A shot rang out, and the Tank Commander's head turned into a reddish pink mist.
Havoc: *AAAAWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO*
The Canidans all howled in return. This made the Herdiet troops flinch.. making the tanks stop.. making them perfect targets.
Rockets fired, and the lead tank was hit twice. The second tank fell back, likely expecting another immediate salvo. Havoc's AT team reloaded first, and fired on the FOURTH tank in the line, trapping both of the other tanks between the two damaged ones.
Everyone else opened fire at that point, myself included. The ranks were raked with automtic gunfire.
Havoc: "POP SMOKE!"
Obediently, the Rangers armed with grenade launchers saturated an area between the two forces in Smoke Grenades. Oily black and grey smoke filled the forest between us.
I fired my last three rounds blind, then stood to reload.
K: "FALL BACK! FALL BACK!" I ordered.
And we did. Orderly, silent, we got up and fell back to the next defensible position.
Derpy: "HOLD HERE!" She shouted.
I saw what she meant. There was an old stone fence or something here. We all got behind it on both sides of the road. Machine Guns were set up, rocket launchers reloaded, and both dog and pony dug in, side by side.
Havoc: "How long?"
K: "Mmm.. minutes.. couple.. maybe ten?" I shrugged. "Depends on how many officers we tagged, and what ones that are left, if they have the stones to order an advance." I waved over to Derpy. "One mag, slow fire! Break contact with smoke! Harrass the flanks and fall back towards town!"
Derpy: "Roger!"
I settled in. I wouldn't have too long to wait. The Herdiet troops came up on the hoof, no vehicles. About a company's worth, with some walking wounded.
K: "This isn't right. Redeploy a machine gun and a Squad to the flank." I pointed to Havoc. "Derpy!" I made hand signals.
She nodded from her position, and I could just barely hear her troops move.
Once the Herdiet troops got within 80 meters, I opened fire on an NCO that was leading a pair of rocket troopers. He already had a bandage over his face, and seemed to be missing an eye. Now, he wasn't missing anything.
The rocket troopers with him were cut down by one of Havoc's snipers. The forward leading squad was chopped into bait in seconds. Precise shots, now.. lead them in..
Derpy's team started firing hard on her right flank. As I expected, the troops in the open were bait.
K: "BREAK NOW!"
Havoc: "POP SMOKE!"
The grenadiers obliged with another smoke wall..
..and we broke contact a second time. I led my group down the left side of the road (when entering the woods), and negotiated a bit of rough terrian. I pointed to Lt. Barker to take his Squad and ambush here. Further down, I directed Big Mac to set his team there and ambush. Further still, at a crook in the road, I set Sgt. Panters and a Machine Gun team.
The rest of the unit fell back with me, to the edge of the forest, which bordered on the road. If anything made it this far, we'd ambush what was left over a broad front at the road.
On the other side of the road, Derpy should be doing exactly what I was. Setting a few Squads at trap points, but then, making a break for the town's first defensive line to support them directly. This way, anything that made it totally out of the forest, would be caught from two sides.
Hammer and Anvil.
I waited. Lacking radios made this more stressful, but I trusted the dogs and ponies under me. Havoc rest a paw on my shoulder.
Havoc: "My dogs've got this." He smirked.
K: "My brother's got this." I smirked back.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Forest Defiance
TIME: 18:02 CWT
DATE: War Day 425/4 Sextus 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: North of Yellowknife, Republic of Canida
By my estimation, Hortensky shouldn't be able to field that large of a force. If he took all his walking wounded, uninjured troops, and had some special operations or Border Guards reinforcement assigned already that we didn't get to in our rescue assault, he shouldn't have more than perhaps 1,250 functional troops, of which, 201 would be nagged by their injuries.
That's about a reinforced battalion. The population of Yellowknife is 10,170. Of that, two thirds of the population were either in the Canidan Militia, or Canidan Militia Reserve. An important distinction: Canida has only a few small formations they call the Military of the Canidan Republic, or Canidan Forces. Everything else is a Militia formation, but treated like Equestria would treat local units of the Equestrian Army.
This was an odd combination of Pre-1940 Canada's Militia System and the Post-1950's Canadian Forces system.
Yellowknife's proper Militia unit was the Yellowknife Highlanders Brigade, which consisted of 4 Battalions instead of 3, one being a Logistical Services battalion. This is 3,888 armed and trained dogs, ready to fight. The Militia Reserve unit was the Yellowknife and Coldstream Fencibles. Havoc's rangers were from the proper Canidan Forces, not Militia.
"Fencibles" is a term invented in the British military system intended to describe a local defense unit, ostensibly trained as well as a regular army unit and available to the regular army for operations within its local area.
About a third of this total force was actually in Coldstream Landing and captured. We still outnumbered Hortensky about 3.5-to-1 when the Crystal Kingdom 1st Aero Marines, 1st Equestrian Royal Rangers, Paddock County Militia Rangers, and the 1st Equestrian Royal Army Battalion, 1st Company was thrown in to the mix.
The only advantage they had were mechanized vehicles, which were of about Interwar quality (Earth 1920's and 1930's), and a few tanks. We'd disabled two, and trapped two. The forest was too thick, and the engines on those things (I guessed, based on Maj. Kosegin's testimony) too weak to attempt driving on any serious terrain.
This led to me asking myself why Hortensky would attempt this? Perhaps the surrender I made him sign. Perhaps he knew he was doomed to execution anyway. Perhaps Marshal Stipkin ordered it. I didn't know, I didn't care.
It took them some time to reorganize after we broke contact the second time. They'd attempted to flank us with what I assumed were leftover VDV troops and perhaps Spetsnaz. That failed, as we had predicted and prepared for that.
I heard the first ambush position open fire.. I heard the sizzling of smoke grenades.. and after a bit, I heard Lt. Barker coming up behind us.
Lt. Barker: "These guys are idiots." He smirked.
Havoc: "Report, Barker."
Lt. Barker: "Killed at least twenty confirmed, disabled a tank - they managed to worm the trapped tanks out, it seems. We got one of 'em. They scattered a bit. We broke and fell back."
K: "Good, set your team up to cover our rear, just in case they send infantry through the woods." I thumbed behind us. "Have Mac and Panters' teams do the same when they arrive."
We waited.. another five minutes passed, and I heard Big Mac open up. He had an extra Grenadier in his team, so I heard more pops and bangs from grenade fire than I did Barker's unit.
Two minutes later, Mac came galloping up with a small wound on his flank, near the scar inflicted on him when he tried to kill me that first night I was here.
K: "O'Fang?" I gestured to Mac. "Report, Brother."
Mac: "Thirty dead. Second tank disabled. These guys don't have a real big brain, do they?" He snorted with humor.
K: "Standard Soviet tactics. Throw bodies at the problem. Elite in the vanguard, conscripts right behind. You see any elite troops?" I asked as O'Fang fastened a bandage to him.
Mac: "M'nope. Think they're skulkin' around the woods." He looked off to our right.
K: "It's what I'd do. Conscripts as bait, elites attempt to flank. Move your team in with Barker's and protect our rear." I nodded.
Mac: "Yew got it, Brother." And off he went.
Another five or six minutes, and I heard Panters' machine gun team open up. They were armed with an Abrams M.G., and they made good use of it. They actually went for two magazines of fire, I could tell, before they broke contact.
About a minute later, and Panters slid in next to me and Havoc.
Sgt. Panters: "We got 'em GOOD, sirs." He beamed wickedly. "Forty confirmed dead, another fifty wounded. Couldn't tell how bad. Had to do a second mag, they kept throwing men at us, wouldn't let us break contact." He shrugged.
K: "Good tactics. They were trying to pin you down so they could force me to send support and dictate the pace of battle. Good job." I petted him. "Good boy!"
Sgt. Panters: "Aw, thank you sir." Another beaming, toothy grin.
K: "Fall in with Big Mac and Barker. Watch our rear." I nodded to Havoc. "Get the troops ready. We don't fire until the lead element of their formation is to the small bridge there."
I pointed at a bridge just past us along the road, that would allow an entire column to expose its flank to us, should the lead element be at the bridge and the rest of the troops in a file behind them.
I'd managed to kill or wound another 140 troops. I'd probably need to inflict greater than 50% casualties to break the unit's morale.. it was a good start.
I had guesses about what they were after. Kill me, retrieve the A-Bomb core, maybe assassinate the Princesses.. something. But we were easily 50 or more kilometers from the border. This only made sense if they were making a suicide attack.
TIME: 18:18 CWT
We could hear the enemy force coming up. From the shouting and nervous replies, I guessed they were looking for more ambushes. There were none.
I could see the rest of Derpy's troops break and run for the town, keeping low and after a mere moment, totally out of sight.
My trap was set, and this should work according to their doctrine. I would have to counter-attack Coldstream Landing after this. That would be, mainly, a Ranger mission. I watched as the line of Herdiet ponies came up and exited to our right, along the road, and started heading nervously for the bridge...
At the last second, though, just before I was going to give the order to fire, a Jeep drove up from the rear of their lines. Hortensky wasn't in it, his adjutant, Colonel Kenevelov, was. He was shouting at the soldiers, and berating a field-grade officer...
I motioned to Havoc's nearest sniper, pointed at Kenevelov, and indicated my right shoulder.
I wanted him alive.
I then pointed at him to say 'on your go.'
Havoc made paw signals to his troops..
*CRACK!*
Col. Kenevelov: *AHH!!*
K: "OPEN FIRE!"
Our machine gun teams greedily raked the lines of Herdiet soldiers, while the marksmen picked them off. I was trying to keep my shots aimed and disciplined, and I managed to kill 12 before I needed to reload.
They panicked. Seeing their senior officer go down, they panicked. The field grade officer that had, apparently, been leading that detachment, finally composed himself, and signalled with his whistle. Most of the remaining soldiers rallied. The whistle.. I knew what that meant.
K: "CEASE FIRE! RELOAD! PREPARE FOR HOOF-TO-PAW!" Or whatever.
Sword time. I pulled Celestia's sword out, and held it close, switching to Col. Williams' M-19 revolver, and slinging the rifle across my back for now.
Havoc: "Insanity. We're dug in. And we EAT them.."
K: "His only move. HERE THEY COME!" I nodded. "READY THE COUNTER-CHARGE!"
I watched as the charge began, and Herdiet troops advanced with fixed bayonets. We'd meet them head-on, last thing they'd expect, but the only way to maintain our operational momentum and not have it stolen away from us.
K: "CHAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE!" I stood high, holding my sword aloft, trying to channel that William Wallace blood I had, again, even though my body still had not recovered from my imprisonment at their hands.
The counter-charge indeed shocked them, and they found out they were now outnumbered. They'd ralled 47 of their number. We had 60. We set upon them with ferocity, and I found Mac at my left, and Havoc at my right.
Once more, the Canidan Rangers proved their glorious savagery, as I saw three of them set upon one soldier, and absolutely shred him, making his comrades nearby quite literally bake a load of fudge in their pants, and soak their uniforms with their own piss.
I charged for that Field-grade Officer, and sunk Celestia's sword into his neck. He tried to stab me with his bayonet, but found his arm being chewed off by Havoc. Mac finished him by caving in his skull with a donkey-kick.
It was over in just a few seconds.
Havoc: "REPORT IN!"
Mac: "CALL OUT!"
We verified that we'd lost no dead, three wounded, one seriously, and Sgt. O'Fang was already on him. I walked over to see that it was Lt. Barker.
K: "Report, Lieutenant." I said, calmly.
Barker: "Ngh.. be okay, sir.. gonna miss the party at Coldstream, though." He chuckled weakly, as I looked to O'Fang.
O'Fang: "It's not life-threatening. I'm going to put him on a sled and take him to the town hospital." He shrugged.
K: "Let's everyone fall back. Their offensive was routed.. and.. we have a prisoner.."
I walked over to Colonel Kenevelov, finding him desperately trying to reach his pistol, which had fallen into the floorboard of the jeep..
K: *Ahem* "Colonel." I clicked the hammer of the M-19 and rested it gently against his head. "..I shall accept your unconditional surrender, now."
He froze, feeling the cold steel to his equine ear.
Col. Kenevelov: "I surrender.." He tried to sit upright, but failed. "..for as long as I have to live."
Seems the rifle round in him did a lot of damage. I motioned for a Medic to come tend to him.
K: "Answer me this, Colonel. Did you personally approve of this?" I meant the attack.
Col. Kenevelov: "I thought it foolish to waste the men's lifes.. this.. fight was doomed from the start." He shook his head. "We do not raid border with Canida! Wolves EAT Ponies! Even before we have guns! When all we have are spear and bow! Is fool-hearty! Suicide!" *Cough* "So many dead for nothing.."
Cpl. Chompers: "He's going to pull through, but that arm of his needs reconstructive surgery, or it's going to be more a club than an arm." He shrugged.
K: "Patch 'im up, take him to Dr. Allcome." I put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm going to have my personal physician tend to you, Colonel."
I made it sound WAY more gracious an honor than it really was. Doc Allcome was my friend, and a fellow fighter for Equestria's continued freedom. He simply fell IN to the job.. somewhat voluntarily.
Col. Kenevelov: "And.. my men?" He looked around to see if he even HAD any... "I request they-"
K: "They'll be treated well, Colonel." I nodded. "You have my word." I said as Chompers patched him up good enough for transport. "Just.. one thing, Colonel." I didn't need to ask, he guessed.
Col. Kenevelov: "We are here for atomic bomb core and death of traitor Kosegin." He shrugged with his good shoulder. "If we returned to Moscow without the core, we would be shot. All officers, most NCO's, some conscripts, to show equality of punishment. Survivors would be 'rehabilitated' for several years in terrible duties." He sighed. "Would still have been better than this."
K: "Such is life in an empire ruled by fear and tyrrany." I shrugged. "You're a good officer, Colonel. You smelled my trap." I deduced.
Col. Kenevelov: "Is what I would have done, General, when outnumbered." He looked around. "You have fine soldiers. I am jealous."
K: "Your soldiers have a fine officer. I'm jealous." I saluted him, he saluted back with his off hoof as he was carried off.
Havoc: "Treating him like a guest, K?" He looked up at me.
K: "His concern is with the wellbeing of his surviving men. I can't blame him. In fact, it's quite unlike a Soviet-er-Herdiet officer to do so. So.. he's earned a bit of respect." I gestured as the wounded were being loaded on to sleds, and any walking prisoners lined up. "Honorable actions should be met with honorable treatment."
Havoc: "I'm just not used to taking prisoners. Canidan doctrine prefers all enemy combatants be permanently neutralized.." He smirked.
Hm. Just like Real Canada.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Counseled Council
TIME: 19:27 CWT
DATE: War Day 425/4 Sextus 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Town Hall, Yellowknife, Republic of Canida
I was seated by the girls, with both princesses present, as well as Commander North Star, Mayor Higgins, Lord Sombra, Derpy, Dex Runner, Forest Spirit, Iris Emerald, and Havoc.
Colonel Kenevelov was at the hospital, along with most of his ponies. Dr. Allcome and the local medical staff were treating the wounded.
K: "Alright.." I began, looking at them. "..we have to get Coldstream Landing back, kill General Hortensky, and rout the Herdiets out of Canidan territory."
Fluttershy and Toola Roola had created a very detailed, very professional sand table from available materials and Toola's paints. Colonel Kenevelov agreed to give us detailed information about the defenses at Coldstream Landing in exchange for Asylum in Equestria, along with his remaining troops.
Mayor Higgins: "Coldstream Landing, as you can see, is nestled in a wooded area, but surrounded by clear terrain." He gestured to the sand table. "That's about 200 meters of very little cover or concealment."
Cdr. North Star: "The terrain was cleared by logging.. mostly grasses, there, now, and they haven't grown to their summer heights, yet. Worse, the terrain is mostly flat." He shrugged. "You said a special operations team could do this, K?"
K: "Yes. We can." I pointed at the clear region. "We can cross this at night, in darkness. I don't think anyone on this planet has invented light amplification technology, yet, or infrared." I gestured. "They won't see us coming if we're careful and move slowly. Under sniper cover, we should be able to get right up to the edge of the forest zone that Coldstream Landing is built into. After that, it's a game of catching them unawares."
Dex Runner: "We can do it, my dudes and dudettes.." He nodded, confidently. "..Paddock County especially, we train for night operations. Lotsa stuff we can do around Fillydelphia at night. Means Tirek and his bird brains could do it, too, so.. we totally prepared for that. Thing is, Fillydelphia has a lotta glow, yanno?"
K: "Cityglow. Light pollution caused by dense urban areas." I clarified to the others.
Lord Sombra: "Well.." He looked at both Princesses. "..mine powers of Darkness do not extend to mere attack magic. I can grant thee excessive darkness over a region and cover the troops.. to further ensure our enemies do not detect us." He nodded to me. "Even if they have search lights, torches, or what have thee, their preparations shall come to naught." He glared at the enemy side of the sand table.
K: "That would help, yes. The key here is stealth, and-"
Fluttershy just finished changing into her Bunny Ninja outfit. She looked up, giving me a very tiny squee as she rubbed a bit of grease stick over her lemon-yellow cheeks.
K: "-remaining undetected. The closer we can get to infiltrating the town, the more silent kills we can make when we arrive, before the shooting starts, the better. Each Ranger can pack an extra firearm to hand out to the local Militia Reservists, if they haven't executed them."
Mayor Higgins: "General!" It seemed absurd to him.
K: "It's what I'd do." I looked at Sombra.
Lord Sombra: "'Tis a legitemate procedure. Ensure any local resistence is minimized." He shrugged as well.
K: "Best we can hope is that the local population are merely hostages, as Colonel Kenevelov said." I nodded. "That's 3,277 hostages, if everyone's still alive. They haven't had enough time, and may not have the expertise to conduct a proper occupation."
Cdr. North Star: "And if everything goes poorly?" Was there a Plan B, here, is what he's asking.
K: "We rush 'em. Iris, pump all the fuel out of Superb and Siftsure, and put it in the XY's. If this goes bad, I'll need fast medevac and fire support."
Iris: "Call us paranoid, K, but we already started that." She half-shrugged to the side. "It'll be done in an hour."
K: "Plan B is that the Aero Marines load up on the XY's and be waiting. If the shooting starts too soon, Sombra, you'll bring them in and land at the far side of town. We'll catch them in a crossfire. You sweep north-to-south, we'll sweep south-east to north-west. The Militia and Reserve will wait at the edge of the forest, here, where we jump off from. Follow this fence line, here, and attack from the south. Aero Marines and Rangers will be responsible for freeing hostages and covering evacuating casualties. The XY's will ferry them to the edge of the forest zone, across the gap, here, where dog sleds and medics will be waiting to treat them and get them to Yellowknife's hospital."
Cdr. North Star: "Seems reasonable." He nodded.
K: "As it is, watch for a red Star Flare or magical flareburst from one of the Unicorn Ponies, or a flare shell. That's the signal to attack in force according to the original plan. A green flare means the Rangers defeated the enemy entirely and we just need logistical assistance."
Cdr. North Star: "I have faith in Havoc." He nodded. "I think he can.." He added with a note of hope. "..if your Pony Rangers are as good as they seem."
Havoc: "From what I saw? Better." He wagged his tail. "Haven't had a chance to fight alongside Dex, much, here." He shrugged.
Dex: "Paddock County's had a few scraps, right, K-Dude?" He smirked.
K: "Honestly, Dex is one of my best militia commanders, period. He's aces as a Ranger leader. Drops some phat beats, too, in his spare time." I smirked back.
Dex: "Aw, ya spoil me, dude." He very faintly flushed. "'Sides, the locals aren't up for that kinda music." He shrugged. "I been listenin' to the local stuff, though.." He tabled that, but seemed to think rather highly of it, for some reason.
Derpy: "We have the 1st Royal Ranger Company, Paddock County Ranger Company, and the 1st Canidan Rangers.. three companies, 179 active troops. One injured and in the hospital. Plus.." She looked at us. "..if I know my General, he's going to lead from the front, again. As always."
K: "I will." I looked at the girls. "Not this time. You're all still very weak-"
Rarity: "You're not in much better shape, Darling!"
K: "-and AJ's pregnant-"
Applejack: "Uhve all th' times.." She snorted a bit.
K: "-and this doesn't call for a magical solution, but a purely military one." I shrugged, having been overtalked and interrupted.
Twilight: "Ehh.. he's right.." She shrugged. "You going to take the boys with you?" She meant, directly, Norfy, Cosmic, and Gaze.
K: "Yeah. One of them can take Barker's place, and the other two can stay with me, if that'll make you girls feel better." I knew why she asked, too.
Twilight: "That's better."
Fluttershy: "I'd like to go.." She DID have her.. uh.. Ninja Gear, on. "..I am supposed to be our team's medic, and you might need that, K."
K: "Okay, okay. But the rest of you-u-u-Toola you're not going to let me leave you, are you?" She was already arming up.
Toola: "I wasn't captured, remember?" She shrugged. "I owe you, still. You saved me from Trixie.." She nodded to the other girls. "I'll watch him."
Pinkie: "He won't need it, but thank you!" She seemed confident.
Dash: "I'd go, but.." She shook her head. "..even after a few days, I'm still not flying like I should be.." She seemed very offended by the treatment she suffered, and the blow to her ego it caused, her being in such a state. "..sorry, K." She acted as though she'd personally failed me.
K: "Doc Allcome wants us all taking a break for a while, after this." I shrugged, trying to gloss it over, to save Dash's ego a bit, by giving her an 'out' that wasn't her fault.
Cdr. North Star: "You.. all seem extremely close." He tilted his head a little.
K: "Horse social politics, Commander. AJ is my Leading Mare. Yet, Princess Luna is also in my stable, in a way. And the other Elements of Harmony are AJ's closest friends-"
Pinkie: "He's also slept with most of us." She stuck her tongue out goofily. "It's how us ponies build social bonds. Stallion gets close to his Leading Mare's marefriends, and sometimes, seeeeeeeeex is involved! It's because we kind'a still have a Herd mentality."
Twilight: "Oversharing, Pinkie."
K: "-and wolves mate with a single mate, for life. As do humans, generally, but that's a social construct, over an evolved and instinctive social trait." I finished the explanation more scientifically. "I do apologize if the bigamy offends you, but AJ and I are the ones getting married. And after that, I intend to.." I looked at the girls. "..hope, I mean, that things calm down."
Mayor Higgins: "Well..! I.. don't quite know what to say.."
K: "I have a problem where, since I'm multi-talented in a society dominated by specialization, I'd become an object of desire by many.."
Pinkie: "He's got all the mares interested in him. Not his fault, and he's more awesome than he thinks he is, so he gets a LOOOOT of attention.." She gave a tiny squee face. "..but, Canids aren't like us. You're multi-talented, too!" She beamed.
K: "Pinkie's trying to say, I was a big fish in a small pond, and it caused me some grief." I shrugged. "Why, again, are we talking about this?"
Pinkie: "Because they've been wondering why all the mares around you seem to hang on your every word - more than just being our leader and friend." She tilted her head, like it was obvious.
K: "Ah.. I apologize again.." I shrugged at the Mayor and Commander North Star.
Mayor Higgins: "I think I understand, now. Havoc mentioned something about ponies being very.. narrowly focused on a single special talent, and the problems that causes, but how they work together and combine those talents to overcome adversity."
K: "And how, as I came to them first, instead of you, that might cause their internal instinct compasses to go a bit wonky." I nodded.
Mayor Higgins: "Yes, that makes sense.." He looked at Pinkie. "Sorry if we seemed to be intrusive. We were just.. we've never seen a male attract so many females, before, and he, seem so casual about their company and interest." He nodded to Iris. "Even the Commodore didn't seem unaffected.."
Iris turned neon red and sunk down a bit. I totally ignored this, for her own sake.
K: "Ooohhh... yeah, no, I didn't realize all the mares were.." He looked at Derpy. "..except a few."
Derpy: "You're my friend. You're also the reason I met my Stallion." She shrugged. "But, no, I was never interested in him, that way." She looked at the Mayor. "We're sorry if this caused some concern among the Canids."
Celestia: "I really had no idea." She shrugged. "There's a reason I sent Twilight out to study pony society - as their Sovereign, and living goddess, I've grown far too detached from societal happenings, for one, and have lost understanding of some things, for another." She shrugged her wings. "Comes with being immortal, Mister Mayor."
Mayor Higgins: "Well, even though unprompted, this does answer some concerns some of our dogs have had." He nodded. "Your military skill was never in question, and after this evening's victory, that reputation is clearly sacrosanct."
In short, Canid society is very conservative, and outside of Havoc, they didn't understand why so many females were acting so very unusual around me, beyond mere friendship. And, of course, they'd be concerned about it, and what my presence might mean as an influence on their own society - was I actively courting every female around, or was this something else?
K: "But, there was an underlying social rub going on that.." I looked at Pinkie. "..someone understood needed to be addressed."
Luna: "A distracting conversation, but, when shall we launch the operation?"
K: "Midnight. We need to get into position. We jump off, though, at one in the morning. More likely that the occupation forces are getting tired, less observant, and slacking, if not a few of them outright asleep from exhaustion or stress." I nodded to the side. "We need to move into position as silently as possible, back 35-50 yards from the edge of the treeline. If they're watching, anything amiss could put them on alert." I looked at Luna. "Moon phase tonight?"
Luna: "Waxing Crescent." She nodded. "The Equestrian moon is on a 30.4-day cycle. It resets fully every four years. It's closer to a quarter than it is a half moon." A small shrug. "With Sombra's help, I can slowly and slightly decrease the moon's light."
K: "Very good. No more than 1% every 10 minutes until you reach a reduction of a tenth or thereabouts." I shrugged. "I assume, as a Goddess, you can have that level of precision." I looked at Sombra. "And you, the mastery."
Sombra: "Indeed. Only a tenth, though, my friend?" He tilted his head at me.
K: "Just slight. That way, anyone waking up at night for a shift change, may not notice the difference between the previous evening." I nodded. "Combined with you cloaking our approach as best as possible with even less light, we should get way with this as long as we're quiet about it."
Cdr. North Star: "You certainly cover all the angles." He nodded.
K: "Oh, and make sure everyone's had at least a light meal. I don't want any growling bellies giving away our position." I gestured vaguely towards the Lodge.
Mayor Higgins: "Certainly. I'll see to it."
K: "Alright, Gentlemen. I think we're good." I nodded again, and stood up. "Havoc, get your dogs ready. I'm going to see to the ponies."
Cdr. North Star: "Thank you again, K. We're learning a lot.." He trailed off.
K: "No one likes to be told what to do by a foreigner." I stated. "No matter how experienced. That's why I want you to think of me as family." I looked at Havoc.
Havoc: "He's as close as I've got, sir." He gave me a happy, toothy grin.
Cdr. North Star: "So be it." A firm nod. "We're being led and helped by family, not foreigners."
Mayor Higgins: "Agreed!" He gave a gentlemanly yip to that.
The plan was in place. We just had to carry it out. I had high hopes - we had well trained, combat experienced troops going up against ponies that had little to no experience dealing with Special Operations attacks. Even if they had tanks, we should be well equipped to deal with that.
I just hoped the hostages were alright.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Operation: Cold Stream
TIME: 00:47CWT
DATE: War Day 426/5 Sextus 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: 40 meters from forest edge, near Coldstream Landing, Republic of Canida
Surprisingly, Chemical Splash had joined us. She was even armed. For a pony that eschewed violence, and until recently, had remained mentally disconnected from all of this... this was a surprise.
Splash: "..and I still don't agree with what you did." She said, fixing her gear to herself.
K: "It had to be done. He wouldn't have responded to anything else." I said, talking about the Gizmonk.
Fluttershy: "You.. ought to stay close to me. If that's alright with you?" She was more firm about that than I expected.
Splash: "Of course. This is your area of expertise." She shrugged.
K: "Guys." I motioned for Norfy, Cosmic, and Gaze.
Gaze: "Suh!?" He toddled over.
K: "Gaze, I want you to take Lt. Barker's place as Squad Leader and Second under Havoc. You outrank him, but these are his dogs." I nodded. "They need an experienced officer."
Gaze: "Ya know I will, suh!" He gave me a grin and headed over to them.
K: "I want you two with me, Fluttershy, Toola, and Splash." I nodded.
Norfy: "Of course." He was putting the finishing touches on Cosmic's face with a grease stick.
Cosmic: "The one time my vaguely shiny spots get me in trouble." He frowned. "The Yellowknife troops have their two 6pdr guns ready. I'll call for artillery if we need it." He was hefting the radio.
K: "I know you will." I patted him on the head. "We got this."
Havoc: "My dogs are ready, K." He padded up, all prepped.
Sombra: "The Aero Marines stand ready, if this goes poorly, General." He trotted over, exhuding confidence.
K: "Alright.. get ready to start the Moon Dimming, and Darkening." I nodded to Sombra.
Sombra: "You shalt have it, my friend." He grinned wickedly, and paced over to where Luna was, with the rest of the girls. "On thy mark!"
K: "Start it!" I hissed, wanting to keep my voice as low as possible, as I got into position with the Paddock County and 1st Royal Rangers. "Dex, Paddock County has the lead. 1st Royal to the right, Havoc to the left."
Dex: "You got it, General-Dude." He murmured, before switching sunglasses.
K: "Eh?" I pointed at them.
Dex: "I wear my sunglasses at night." He shrugged, as though he hadn't just spoken a line from a 1980's song he'd have no way of knowing.
K: "Push off in 10." I said, getting on my belly. My own large bowie was in one hand, my C-7 Bradley in the other.
As the minutes ticked by, I could very.. very slightly tell it was getting darker. I'd shut my eyes for a minute, open them, and it would indeed be darker. This was going well. Time for the signal.
I made a bird whistle.. not unusual, but that was our signal to start moving. Slowly, on my belly, through the grass. After a moment, I couldn't see anyone to either side. Either I was going too fast, too slow, or the darkness was obscuring my vision as well. I could see the trees ahead, and I was heading straight for them.
No guards at the edge of the woods that I could see. They either didn't have any in the woods, or they were behind trees. This was fine.
It took me over half an hour to get to the edge of the treeline. Only once I was past the edging bushes, did I rise to a low crouch.
I was alone.
I looked all around, to see if there were any Herdiet troops. Of the 1,250 I estimated were in Hortensky's remaining command, we'd eliminated 212 and captured 38. That left him 1,000 possible troops left over, and for sure he'd held back his elites.
Nothing. Not a single one.
I advanced along my rough line, until I reached the rally point. Fluttershy, Toola, and the rest of my general staff should be right with me. I couldn't see them.
What worried me, was, that I couldn't HEAR them, either.
Suddenly, to my front left, I hear a rustle in the bush. I raised my rifle, ready to shoot it if I had to, when out rolled a wolf cub.
K: "Hey!" I whispered. "I'm here to save you!" I motioned for the cub to come closer, and it did.
Cub: "Yew wif da army?" She asked quietly as she came up and nuzzled my hand.
K: "Yes, Cub. I am. What's your name?" I picked her up in one hand, and held her close.
Chloe: "Chloe Winterpaw." She whispered into my ear. "I'm eight!"
Stanson Winterpaw was Captain of the Coldstream detachment of the Yellowknife and Coldstream Fencibles.
K: "Is your dad named Stan?" I asked.
Chloe: "Yup." She nodded. "He sent me to find help!" She hush-whispered.
K: "Why would he do that?" I asked, suddenly catching a whiff of something.
Chloe: "Becuz of da zombies!" She hissed.
OH. FUCK.
K: "RANGERS! ABORT SILENCE! REPORT IN!" Where's Cosmic.. where's my radiopony...
..nothing.
K: "ANYONE!" I called out again.
Rustling, right behind me, and I felt HOOVES grab me and pull me and the cub into the bushes.
Flat on my back, and above me was Fluttershy.
Fluttershy: "K. Be quiet. They can hear us." She said in low tones. "He's here.." She murmured. Had I not been right below her, I would have never heard it.
K: "Cosmic!" I hissed.
Cosmic: "Right here." He just handed me the radio receiver.
K: C> "All call signs, this is Alpha Actual. We have an emergency. Abort mission. I say again, abort mission. All call signs return to embarkation point - full retreat. Luna Actual, Dusk Actual, full darkness cover. Black us out."
Norfy: "Fluttershy already called for a retreat, K." He looked at her.
I looked up at her, and I saw her eyes.. they were a bit sunken in. Her face was fixed with grit teeth. She was.. angry. She wasn't just putting up a mad front like she did at Lone Hoof Ridge, she was genuinely angry.
K: "Fluttershy." I reached up, and grabbed her neck with my free hand, as I passed Chloe off to Toola.
Fluttershy: "I have to." Was all she said, before breaking free of me and taking flight.
K: "Awshit.." I stood up. "You guys get out of here, get the other Elements, and get BACK here in FORCE. Terminate any Zombie wearing a Herdiet uniform, but try not to harm any Canid ones. Use magic or anything you can. GO!" I pointed, and ran after Fluttershy.
Toola was right on my heels.
K: "Toola!" I hissed at her.
Toola: "You said 'guys' and last I checked, I was a mare!" She hissed back.
I ran until I broke from the woods, and realized I was in the village of Coldstream Landing.
There was carnage.
It looked as though not all of the Herdiet troops had been turned into the undead, but those that did, had stalked the living, their former comrades, and eaten many of them to death.
I didn't see any Canid corpses.
Blood stained smears all over the place, gunshot scars in the building walls, an occasional dead Zed.. and Fluttershy zooming through the carnage.
I gave chase. And the closer we got to the source, the more I could feel it.
Feel him.
Then, we saw him.
Grogar.
Standing next to a very alive General Hortensky.
K: "You SCUM!" I pointed at them both.
Hortensky: "Ah, General K." He started. "Quite the shame I had to resort to this, is it not?" He tilted his head, his eyes showing madness. "YOU forced me into zis position General! Was either this or EXECUTION!" He pointed a hoof at me.
Fluttershy: "Grogar. You disgusting fuck!" SHE CURSED!
Grogar: *Gurgle* "Biiiitcchhhhh.." He gave her a wicked grin, and made a vauge humping motion with his back hips.
Hortensky: "I made.. command decision, General." He shrugged.
K: "You allied yourself with Tirek, and turned your ponies into monsters, is what you did." I frowned.
I didn't see Fluttershy arming her grenade launcher.
Grogar: *Gurgle* "Whattt.. dooooo? Giiiivee... aaassssss?? PUUUUNNYYY.. WEEEEAAAKK...! Nooooo maaagiiiccc!" He gurgled out of his rotted throat at the lemon mare.
Fluttershy: "No. I have Science. AND SCIENCE WILL FUCK YOU!!" She screamed as she fired the Gavin shell into his open mouth!
The grenade exploded! WHITE PHOSPHOROUS! Grogar SCREAMED in pain!
I whipped up my C-7 at the same instant Toola whipped up her Ridgway, and we BOTH hosed Hortensky down, then raked our fire over to Grogar until our magazines were empty.
Fluttershy grabbed the Sword of Rainbow's Light off my hip, and CHARGED Grogar as we were reloading.
Fluttershy: "CELESTIA, GIVE ME STRENGTH!" She screamed, as the sword ignited in purifying flame and she level-flight zoomed at him.
She plunged the sword into Grogar's ass.. HIS ASS.. and DRAGGED it along his body, flying towards his head, which she flew AROUND and DECAPITATED him!
Fluttershy: "FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! I WAS SAVING MYSELF FOR MY STALLION! I WAS SAVING MYSELF FOR MY SPECIAL SOMEPONY! YOU TOOK THAT AWAY! YOU TOOK IT ALL AWAY! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU! I HATE YOU WITH ALL OF MY HEART! BURN! BURN FOR YOUR SINS! BURN FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE TO ME, TO EVERFREE FOREST, TO MY FRIENDS, TO THEIR FRIENDS! FUCK YOU TO TARTARUS, YOU DONKEY-FUCKING GOAT-BASTARD!"
She screamed at the top of her lungs, in absolute rage, tears pouring down her cheeks, as she hacked away at the undead Lich.
All Grogar could to was scream in unbelieveable pain, as though the fire was burning away his very soul - whatever he had left.
Fluttershy: "DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"
She cleaved his head in half, backed up, emptied her Bradley magazine into the two halves, reloaded another WP grenade, and fired that into the growing ash pile.
Then she collapsed, and the magic from the sword dissepated. It suddenly felt.. a little colder.. and the moon was almost dimmed to nothing.
I moved over to her, dropping my rifle, picked her up in my arms, and cuddled her.
Fluttershy: *Sobbing* "..even maybe for you, K.." She said, burying her face in my armpit. "Now I'm just ruined. Spoiled. I'm filthy. Dirty. And it's never coming off!" She wailed...
..as the girls ran up with Luna and Sombra.
Fluttershy: "I'm DISGUSTING! I'VE BEEN SPOILED BY THAT... THAT... THING! NO ONE WOULD EVER WANT TO TOUCH ME AGAIN! BUT, HE WON'T HURT.. WON'T HURT ANYONE ELSE! EVER!" She just sobbed uncontrollably after that.
No one had really realized, addressed, or thought about what kind of emotional damage had really been done to her. And now? She'd had her revenge. Her justice.
But what would come out the other side?
{End of Chapter 43}
