Chapter 67: Mystery
Part 1: Static Shock
TIME: 00:04 ERDT
DATE: War Day 618/14 Lunarius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Canterback, Arooster County, Maine
I woke up, and sat up. Applejack was glancing out the window.
K: "Nothing. I can't contact her. I just slept." I shook my head.
Applejack: "Well, hey howdy!" She snorted. "Ain't that just beat all." She slid down from her perch and got over close to me. "Ah could kinda tell, ya know." She smiled. "If Luna ain't in there, y'snore." She kissed me on the cheek. "Loud."
K: "Heh.. I guess.. when I'm really tired." I sheepishly grinned.
Applejack: "Nah, ever-time." She shook her head. "Truth, hon, it.. kinda puts me t'sleep." She traced her bare hoofpad along my cheek. "Makes me feel all safe'n'warm'n.." She just kissed me.
K: "Hah.. yeah.." I shrugged. "J-- had that reaction, too." I got up and moved over to the window. "Nothing, I'm guessing?"
Applejack: "It's so dark out thar, I cain't see a durn thing. Ah'm thinkin' the mirage spell DOES get worse at night." She shook her head.
K: "It's possible. I mean, we don't have anyone here that can tell us." I gestured a bit.
Applejack: "Yeah." She sighed and got comfortable. "Ah miss'em." She pursed her lips. "All'a'em."
K: "We'll find them." I nodded.
About an hour later, and Applejack was asleep. I heard movement downstairs.. things being moved around. Someone was down there. I got up, and pivoted the Wardrobe on one corner to get it away from the door. I grabbed Applejack's shotgun - more deadly in tight quarters - and silently crept out of the room.
Really, I was more thinking this was one of our friends.. my tactical sense overrode that thought, though, and I ended up almost crawling to the stairs.
(Filly voice): "Look like dey took a wot of it, Mama.."
(Mare voice): "No worries, honey, they left da fish."
(Colt voice): "An' the noodles.."
I knew right away this wasn't hostile. I slung the Chaffee under my arm and walked normally, down the stairs.
K: "Hello?" I called out, in a casual tone.
Mare: "OH!" She seemed startled at first.
Colt: "Oooh! It's GENERAL K!" He was elated.
Filly: "General K!?" She looked up at me - she had to be about four. "We'ew saved!" She squealed.
K: "Uh-oh! Kiddos!" I got to the bottom of the stairs, and held my arms out. "Who wants hugs?" I was plastered, instantly, with little horse leg hugs.
Mare: "Oh, my goodness." She put her hoof over her chest. "You gave us quite a start! So, you're General K?"
K: "Yes, ma'am." I nodded, released the kids, and stood up. "My wife, Applejack, is asleep upstairs." I shrugged slightly. "Root cellar?"
Mare: "Pardon? Oh! Oh, yes. It's.. it got quiet, and the kids haven't eaten since breakfast.." She sighed.
K: "Well, maybe I can at least get some answers. Here, why don't you let me cook? I'm.. pretty handy.." I wiggled my fingers. "..around the house." A good-natured grin.
Mare: "Oh, that'd be just lovely!" She seemed very happy.
Applejack came downstairs about then, with my rifle. She grabbed her shotgun and stuck them both in easy reach.
Applejack: "Ma'am." She nodded, then looked at the kids. "No touchin' - alright?"
Colt: "Yes'm!"
Filly: "Yeth'um!"
Applejack: "Wha'l mah dear husband makes himself raight handy, ma'am.. why don'cha'all tell us what'cha know?" She sat, tired, but attentive. "Names'd be nice."
Mare: "Oh, I'm Silkie Sheetcutter." She nodded a bit, and sat across from her. "These're my little ones - Needles an' his sister Poplin."
Needles: "Where's da army?" He sat right by AJ.
Applejack: "We're lookin' fer our friends, now, lil'one." She patted his head.
Poplin seemed very sleepy, and she just kinda sat near-ish the stove, finally curling up in a handbasket just slightly too large for her.
Silkie: "Anyhoos.. it all started 'bout a week ago. Tirek's baddies showed up. They took all the stallions away.." She looked down, not hopeful of their fate. "..then told us t'stay in our homes. I don't right know what they were doin' here."
I noted she did, indeed, have a strong Mainer accent.
Silkie: "And then, this morning, I think the Prench showed up. I speak a little, and I could hear them shoutin' - a couple of 'em was talkin' Equestrian. They seemed to know what was goin' on around here already. Then the shootin' started." She shrugged. "I grabbed the babes and hid in the cellah. We didn't dare come out."
Applejack: "That thar'd be our friends, Colonel Sacquet and his Legionnaires.. an' Wide Lens an' Dusty. Gendarmes." She nodded slowly.
I cooked what amounted to macaroni and cheese with fish. Not a bad dish, very cost effective.. I'd had Mac'n'Tuna before. Having spent a lot of my time as an adult very poor, I knew how to make budget meals. I served this out to Needles and Silkie. While the ladies talked, I hefted little Poplin and got her into a chair, and hand-fed her. She was so tired, she wasn't able to feed herself, and I didn't want her sleeping hungry.
Silkie: "..I think ya picked a good'un!" She kinda whispered, leaning in towards AJ. "Seems a natural father, he does!" She giggled a bit.
K: "I've had experience." I smirked.
Applejack: "You know anythin' about the Mirage Spell?" She inquired.
Silike: "Ya.." She shook her head. "..they casted it when they first showed up." She shrugged wide, eating. "Warned us, if we left town, we'd'nt find our way back. An' with the weather.." She looked outside.
K: "You'd freeze to death." I nodded. "Any idea how big the area is? Or who cast it?"
Silkie: "No, ah'm sorry, General." She shook her head.
K: "Just K. Please, ma'am. We're imposing on you." I shrugged a bit, finally detecting that Poplin was quite full.
Silkie: "Ohh. Thank you, K. Ya know, she's a bit a fussy eater." She shook her head. "It's hard ta git her to eat fish."
K: "I think she's too tired to care what she eats.."
We both heard, at the same time, footsteps on the boardwalk outside of the store. I motioned for Silkie to get on the floor with the kids, and got my Bradley passed to me by AJ.
We made for the door separating the store from the living quarters, got low, and quietly moved through. Once in the main store area, we shut the door as quietly as possible, and started creeping for the front window.
K: "Flash!" I called out, in a hiss.
Sgt. O'Fang: "T'under!" He returned the countersign.
K: "O'Fang, get your tail in here!" I ordered.
He jumped through the broken window, and silently made his way to us - wolfpaws ARE rather quiet.
Sgt. O'Fang: "Boyo, am I glad ta see you!" He beamed a grin.
K: "Anyone with you?" I asked.
Sgt. O'Fang: "Naw. Once the parachute caught air, I kinda sailed off a bit. Couldn't find anyone. But, I COULD smell.. an' I followed your scent once I detected it." He nodded.
K: "There's a mirage spell obscuring vision and sound outside a hundred meters. How good's your sniffer?" I blinked.
Sgt. O'Fang: "Ohh.. pretty good." He smirked. "Th' town's crawlin' with baddies, I c'n tell'ya that. Havoc's 'round here somewheres.. some'a da Prench, too." He nodded, but shrugged. "Once I got ta town.. well.. there's too many trails to follow. I can't get a clear scent. You're easy, though - 'dere's no scent like yours."
K: "Come on in." I gestured to the living quarters area. "There's a family back here."
Sgt. O'Fang: "Oh?" He seemed surprised.
I motioned for him to come with us, as we moved back towards the living quarters of the house..
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Dire Wounds
TIME: 00:24 ERDT
DATE: War Day 618/14 Lunarius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Canterback, Arooster County, Maine
When we entered, Silkie breathed a sigh of relief. The kids were tucked into a drawer on the side of one of the counters, covered in dish towels. Poplin was dead asleep. Needles wasn't too far behind.
K: "Our friend, O'Fang. He's one of the Canidan Rangers." I nodded aside to him.
Silkie: "Oh! Didn't know we was allied wi'h th' Canidans." She grinned a bit. "Welcome!"
O'Fang, however, stared straight ahead a moment, shook his head a tad, and tugged on my sleeve.
K: "Yeah, Sarge?" I looked down at him. "What's the matter?"
O'Fang: "Talk't'ya, a sec, General?" He nodded to the store area.
K: "Sure. Hon? Help with the kids?" I nodded at them.
Applejack: "Shur, hun." She smiled, as we departed.
Once we were out of earshot, O'Fang fixed me with a straight gaze.
K: "What is it, Sergeant?" I furrowed my brow, looking right at him.
O'Fang: "I dunno what's goin' on here, sir.." He looked back towards the kitchen area. "..but those three aren't alive."
K: "W-what?" I had to catch myself from yelling out.
O'Fang: "D'ey smells like dead things, sir." He nodded firmly. "I sees a mare, a filly, an' a colt, all alive an' breathin' and such, but I smell death from them." He frowned. "Tragic.. like.." He looked back at me. "..I don't think they knows they be dead, sir. An' I ain't sure what kinda dead we're talkin' - ghosts, animated corpses, or what." He shrugged.
K: "Good Lord." I blinked, and felt my legs give out. I eased myself to the ground. "I.. I can't tell." I sighed, breathing a little heavy. "God.. those poor little kids.." I felt tears.
O'Fang: "I think we ought'a not say nothin', sir." He pursed his lips a moment. "Didn't wanna tell you, either, but.." He shrugged again. "..that ain't somethin' I can keeps to m'self, eh?"
K: "Yeah. O'Fang.. yeah.." I bottled up the emotions and switched on Politician Mode - fake the feelings.
O'Fang: "My advice? Wait fer sunup, an' git outta here." He nodded.
K: "Good idea." I stood up, back to business as usual. I straightened out my jacket a bit.
We went back in, and Silkie had taken the kids back to the cellar, where it'd be safe, and Applejack was cleaning up.
K: "Hey, hon." I leaned in and whispered everything to her.
She just let the tears come. The thought of such young children being dead was something she'd probably never considered.. and now.. well, as a mother herself..
..she didn't let it show, though. She didn't cry out, or sob, she just let tears flow down her muzzle. She contained her rage well, for once.
Applejack: "Ah'm wishin' Father Waddle was here 'bout nao." She sniffled a little, and dried her eyes on her sleeve.
K: "Get comfortable, and get some rest." I shrugged. "We need to solve this mystery, and night time isn't a time to try." I shook my head.
TIME: 05:22 ERDT
I napped a bit, just to make sure I had enough sleep. O'Fang was nervous, but he fell asleep, too. Applejack mainly slept in my lap, going between fitful nightmares and peaceful sleep. The news bothered her.
We all 'woke up' at five exactly, just as the sun was starting to come up. O'Fang quietly made some tea. He had kibble - which, as I found out, was standard military rations in Canida - and some tea. Applejack had tea, and some oats. I tried a bit of the kibble, and found it not unpalatable. I topped that with jerky and oats. Once we were fed, we quietly snuck out the front.
Applejack: "Ah couldn't bear t'see'em again.." She said, gravely. "..this ain't raight."
O'Fang: "I knows how ya feels, Mrs. K---." He shrugged.
K: "Missus?" I smirked at him. "It's nice to hear."
Applejack: "Yeah.." She smiled a little.
K: "Smell anything?" I asked.
O'Fang: "Yeah.. wait.. I smells blood!" He tugged my sleeve, and we moved.
Crossing a street in a tactical environment is very.. chancey. There's ways to try and do it safely, but you're a big target in an open area. Snipers can have a field day. Belt-fed support weapons can easily command whole roads from building cover. Anti-Tank teams dominate urban landscapes very well. Three infantry crossing in the open with no support? Not a good idea, but we didn't have a choice, and I hoped the double-edged sword of the Mirage Spell worked in our favor.
We were well trained. We knew to pepperpot. Problem is, there's no cover to pepper to. So, we moved in a staggered line instead. I took the lead, my Bradley aiming up at roofs and windows. Applejack went next, keeping her aim low, at doors and first floor windows. O'Fang was last, and he darted across the road like a dog - fast, and at full speed.
We got to the other side of the road, and O'Fang nodded to the General Store building we ended up near. The windows were smashed on one side. So, I took the lead, dove in, rolled, and came up with my Bradley aimed.
I could see the blood trail.
K: "O'Fang!" I hissed.
Applejack and O'Fang cleared the window sill like the four legged creatures they naturally were, and both came to a stop with weapons aimed. We moved towards the blood. I could see shell casings. 9x18mm pistol. A discarded Lee magazine. A dead Gizmonk. Another. More 9x18mm shell casings. Around the shelves, and towards the counter, I could tell where the defender got hit at. There was a spatter, and three more casings right by it.
K: "FLASH!" I called out.
Nothing.
I followed the trail behind the counter. Wide Lens was there. His Lee looked empty - I never designed it with a slide lock, remember? But, the magazine well was empty, and the empty mag was in his other hoof. He was propped up, blood oozing from his side.
O'Fang moved in immediately. He was a medic, after all, and examined him. I was a bit relieved when he started stuffing his wound with gauze, and pulling out a large bandage to cover the wound with. He also pulled out an IV bag, and hooked it up, quietly.
K: "How bad?" I asked, plainly.
O'Fang: "Needs'a proper doctor, General.." He was a bit grim with that. "..he's alive fer th' moment."
I slid in and pressed my hand to Wide's nose. It was a bit cold. On a dog, that's fine. On a horse, that's not.
K: "Hey, Wide." I spoke quietly in his ear. "Sorry about this. You can't leave, yet. I need you. Please. Don't let go."
O'Fang: "Wound's from a blade, sir. Not a gunshot. Someone stabbed him." He shrugged a bit.
We all heard one of the shelves get its contents knocked down. Applejack and I aimed up, and moved for the noise. Once we got to the second row of shelves, we saw 7mm rifle casings, and two discarded Bradley magazines. FA MASE magazines had a slightly different stamp pattern, but could be used in Bradelys.
K: "Dusty!" I called out, praying it was her.
Dusty returned a groan. We just ran over to her. She was underneath a Gizmonk corpse, and there were five more leading to her. All shot up. I dragged the dead Gizmonk off of her, and held her up, checking for injury.
Dusty: "Kah.. K?" She said, weakly. "Ohh.." She was clearly hurt.. but, where?
I found a stab wound in her hip area, the blade was still in, but the handle had broken off. I carefully scooped her up, and carried her to O'Fang.
O'Fang: "I stabilized him best I can. What'cha got there?" He nodded to Dusty.
K: "Stab in the hip, knife blade's broken off in the wound, I left it be." I nodded and carefully laid her down in roughly the same pose I'd found her in.
O'Fang: "Lovely." He scowled and got to work.
Applejack: "Dangit, hun.." She growled a bit, in frustration. "Ah cain't beleive this."
K: "This situation was beyond exceptional. We had no idea anything like this was going on. It was inevitable we'd get casualties." I shrugged.
I felt the radio in my pack vibrate.. someone was trying to get through and the speaker was reverborating. I pulled it out.
K: C> "Alpha Actual - sender repeat last!" I called into the mic.
???: C> "..ode red.. red.. ..perb.. copy.."
I stared at the mic.
K: "That's the transmission I made to Superb to call for reinforcements." I scowled.
Dusty: "Radios're.. cursed, too.." She spilled out, slowly.
I knelt next to her.
K: "Wish you'd stayed in Las Pegasus?" I pet her mane - noticing her helmet was missing, and there was a bump on her head.
Dusty: "N-nah.." She grunted. "See'n th' world, here.." She chuckled and leaned her head back.
O'Fang: "She's lost a good bit'a blood, it's the lump on the noggin what's got me worried." He sniffed it, and gently prodded it with his nose. "Think she's got a bit'a skull fracture. Concussion fer sure." He nodded a bit.
K: "Lovely." I shook my head.
Sacquet: C> "..gnac to Alp-" Static. But, he was close.
I grabbed the mic.
K: C> "Alpha Actual to Cognac, read you zero by five. Location is General Store. Repeat, General Store. How copy?"
Sacquet: C> "-gnac copies one... ... ..ral store. .. ... tee-ay is fi-" More static.
K: "Transmissions are really breaking up." I shook my head. "I think Sacquet is on the way."
O'Fang: "Goo't!" He grinned a bit. "'Bout time we started findin' friends who aren't leakin'." He snickered a bit.
The whole situation was insane. Everything had been turned on its head. Magic, once again, had Science on the run. But, I knew, eventually, Science would find a way to give whomever was behind this, a giant Fuck You.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Cognac
TIME: 06:24 ERDT
DATE: War Day 618/14 Lunarius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Canterback, Arooster County, Maine
Sacquet came in the back with La Boche and Zorola. They cleared the way in like professionals. Zorola was carrying the AA.2 machine gun. Sacquet and La Boche had FA MASE rifles.
Sacquet: "Mon ami!" He came right over and gave me the ol' Prench Embrace. "Are we ever so glad to see you." He nodded a bit. "Sergeant O'Fang." He nodded to him.
O'Fang: "Wide Lens 'n Dusty're hurt pretty bad, Colonel." He got right to the point.
K: "It's true. They've both been stabbed." I shrugged a bit. "What happened, here?"
Sacquet: "So!" He huffed, and stepped over to Wide Lens, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "Rest well, Mon Ami. You have been very brave." He nodded to the partially conscious Dusty. "You as well, Sergeant.." He gave her a little grin. "..very smart, too." And paced back over to me, shaking his head. "It all began when we entered the town. We could see right away that things were not as they should be." He looked over the General Store's interior, like he expected to see something else. "The buildings we saw had great damage to them. Some burned. No sign of zee bodies, but clear they exterminated every pony here." He frowned at Applejack. "I am sorry, I was not in time to protect your country.." He sighed a bit. "..then, we saw them. Come out of zee buildings. Gizmonk, mainly, with a few others. Some Porcine, but very few. Goblins, too. A goblin wizard was in charge of this operation." He shrugged. "He had a pair of Duregar squads backing him up." He glanced over at the walls, and paced towards them. "You see, mon Marechal, things are not as they seem."
La Boche raised up and phased his arm through the wall. It seemed to ripple, as he traced a pattern along it.
La Boche: "Zere is no wall here, Marechal." He said, flatly. "Ze magic makes you sink zere is."
K: "Fantastic." I frowned. "What about the orphans?"
Sacquet: "Ah, yes! When the enemy appeared, we scattered to find cover and concealment. I had to drag Wide Lens out of ze street - his first instinct was to draw and fire." He shrugged with both forelegs. "I cannot shame his courage, but he was forgetting the rules - get off ze X." Get out of the enemy's sight line, basically. "We became separated in short order as the Mirage took hold of us. I ended up behind a trough with Zorola and La Boche, Sergeant Dusty joined us a moment later. But, after that, we lost track of each other." He sighed. "Spent the night in a barn, that was not destroyed. Ah, yes, but before that, we found the orphans. They had gathered many of them.. the Wizard was going to perform his cruel magic on them." He shook his head slightly. "They were in a cage. We freed them, gave them cover fire, and told them to flee to the south. I knew you or someone else would come find us, and it was better to have them take a chance on the hoof, rather than stay with us and be shot at." He gestured.
Zorola: "Sergeant Dusty was da one ta come up with da crafty plans.." New Jersey accent, like Zecora. It fit - she was a zebra, too.
La Boche: "Indeed. Urban warfare is her expertise." He shrugged, and moved to the window with Zorola. "Zee mirages, Marechal, zey affect our enemies as badly as zey do us, oui?" He nodded at the wall. "Zey sink a wall is zere, too. Bullets, though, they know better.." He wagged a hoof at that. "Best pretend no walls exist, and stay very low, oui?"
K: "What happened to the wizard?"
Zorola: "Bastid took off." She shrugged. "I'd'a had a clean shot, 'cept his Duregars was coverin' his body real good." She glanced out the window. "B'tween what we got, what I figger the others got, an' youse two.. can't be many of 'em left." She tapped her hoof on her chin. "I ain't no magic expert, but.. I'm thinkin' the wizard can't leave the area too far, or else th' magic'll dissepate." She huffed. "I'm thinkin' it's sigil magic - but he's da battery, see?"
K: "I getcha." I nodded very slightly. "I'm guessing these two can't be moved?"
O'Fang: "Not a chance for 'em if we do." He shook his head.
K: "Okay. Phillipe? I want you and.." I pointed to Zorola. "Ammo?"
Zorola: "Got half a belt left, sir." She snorted. "Sacquet an' La Boche're workin' on their second to last mags."
K: "Right." I handed Sacquet two of mine. "You and Zorola stay here, Philippe, with O'Fang. La Boche, you're with me and Applejack. You see any friendlies, you get them in here. This'll be our base of operations.. such as it is." I shrugged a bit. "Nothing works outside of 100 meters, but I think we should be able to work our way back here. Right?"
La Boche: "Oui. Despite the mirages, the buildings remain in the same place." He shrugged, sniffed, and wiped his mouth. "By your lead, Marechal."
Sacquet: "I shall try to direct operations as best I can." He put a hoof on my shoulder. "We will get through this, mon ami."
K: "We've done alright so far." I looked to Applejack. "Let's go get our friends back."
With that, Applejack, La Boche, and I moved out into the streets again. Knowing visibility is limited to 100 meters, gave us a tactical advantage. We didn't have to get that far from buildings to get out of a potential sniper's line of sight.
We advanced one block towards the center of town, and there saw a curious sight. A Porcine, seemingly lost, wandering, confused, and not armed with their usual Pershing machine gun.
He was bewildered. It was interesting to see.. we took concealment behind a hanging tarp that covered part of the board walk that linked the commercial buildings together, and observed a moment. The Porcine finally wandered over to a water trough, and bent down to get a drink.
I then saw a blade shoot out from its neck, and it fell limp.
K: "FLASH!"
I called out towards the trough. No answer. Either they were being quiet for a reason, or they weren't ours. Either way, I had to find out. I nodded to La Boche and Applejack to cover me.. and when they got in position, I dashed forwards, and ran across the street.
Shots peppered the street at my feet, though the first one was way off to my rear. I dove down and landed on my belly, 10 yards shy of the water trough.
K: "SECOND FLOOR WINDOW, BUILDING MY FRONT RIGHT!"
It was the only angle that made sense. I crawled the rest of the way, and when I got to the trough, I rolled behind it.
I got licked.
Havoc: "Miss me, buddy? Heheh. Nice of you to join us." He gave a little wolfy chuckle.
Havoc, Bella, and Panters.
K: "Good. More friends." I nodded, leaning back a bit. "EITHER OF YOU HAVE A SHOT!?"
La Boche: "NON, MON AMI!"
K: "I'll explain later. Don't worry about civilian crossfire." I leaned back out to them. "FRAG OUT!"
I pulled a hand grenade from my gear, pulled the ring, snapped the handle out, and flicked it into the window the shots had to come from. There was a sound of some rustling around, like they were trying to grab it or get it away from them, a short yell, and an explosion. A Goblin fell out of the window one building ahead, and to the side of us.
Havoc: "Place's crawling. We found some kids. I left a few Rangers back outside of town to cover them. There's something going on here - I can't trust my eyes." He growled.
K: "Mirage spell." I nodded.
We then took fire from a building across from us. It peppered all over the trough.
K: "Bella!" I hissed.
She whipped herself over the edge of the trough, planting her Timberwolf rifle on the edge. She sighted in for only a moment, and fired.
I heard an identical echo from 50 meters to my right.
The fire ceased, and I looked at Bella.
Bella: "There were two targets. Were." She looked back up the street. "GREEN FLASH!"
Rarity: "WHITE THUNDER, DARLINGS! AND AM I GLAD TO HEAR YOUR VOICES!"
K: "LA BOCHE! AJ! CROSS, WE'LL COVER! RARITY! COVER! AJ AND LA BOCHE ARE TO MY FRONT!"
Rarity: "I HEAR YOU, DARLING! AJ! I'VE GOT YOU COVERED!"
Applejack: "MOVING!" She yelled, and both her and La Boche tumbled from behind the sheet, and dashed across the road.
Fire started to track them from the second floor of a building they were next to. I raised up with my Bradley/Gavin and sighted in on the window. I knew I had a smoke shell loaded, but it would distract them. I fired the Gavin shell, and as soon as it landed in the window, and smoked up, fire ceased.
They soon joined us by the water trough.
K: "This is getting crowded. Havoc, point, get us to Rarity." I nodded to him.
Havoc: "Got'cha! Come on!" He slunk out from behind the trough like the predator he was, rifle up, and on hind legs, he moved steadily, in a loping gait, to the next set of buildings.
We followed. No fire chased us - I surmised I'd frightened the enemy troops I'd smoked up, and they retreated.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Beauty Parlor Antics
TIME: 07:14 ERDT
DATE: War Day 618/14 Lunarius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Canterback, Arooster County, Maine
We passed in front of the beauty parlor. Rarity was leaning casually out the front window, filing her right hoof, looking very pleased with herself.. I also could tell she'd just washed and dried her hair. It was a bit floofy, and smelled nice.
We casually slid over the windowsill, and got inside.
Rarity: "Darling, I hope you marked where you came from - there's a Mirage Spell, and-"
K: "I know. And it gets worse. It recreates the people that lived here. Makes them seem very real. But.. they're not alive." I shook my head.
Havoc: "Yeah.." He lowered his head.
I found out much later that he'd spent the night, with Bella and Panters, being fed and cared for by a young colt, who was all alone, having lost track of his parents in the initial invasion of the town. All three of them knew he was dead somehow, but let him do as he wanted.
Rarity: "I see you've experienced it all, too." She shrugged. "If you say I have to, I think I have enough magic power to break the illusion, but I'd have to meet the wizard that did it, or find their sigil." She shrugged a bit. "I may not be as talented as Twilight, but a lady does have her skills." She hugged AJ. "I'm glad to see you've kept.. K.. safe."
I was sure she wanted to use a much lewder term to refer to me, but, polite company and all.
Panters: "Oh, my!" He snickered. "You got a real interestin' love life, General."
La Boche: "Oui. Many stallions would be most jealous." He bowed slightly to Rarity. "Miss Rarity, a pleasure to see you alive. Colonel Sacquet, Sergeant O'Fang, Sergeant Dusty, Legionnaire Zorola, and Wide Lens are in the General Store. I am afraid both Sergeant Dusty and Wide Lens are seriously wounded." He shrugged. "Sergeant Dusty and Wide Lens had been with us, but we had been separated by incoming fire and lost track of zem. You have found some orphans, perhaps?"
Rarity: "No, I'm afraid I didn't. I actually ended up finding Lieutenant Barker and Corporal Fuzzin.." She nodded. "They're in the back, covering the rear."
Havoc: "BARKER!" He called out.
Both of them came in.
Lt. Barker: "Captain." He nodded. "K. Glad to see you're safe."
K: "Barker." I nodded an gave him a quick headpat, and Fuzzin as well. "We need to get to City Hall. We have enough troops to try something, and I'd like to, before this gets worse." I shrugged.
La Boche: "Oui." He nodded. "And we have wounded to worry about. We must get zis magic dispelled, and get zem proper medical care."
Havoc: "Yeah." He looked around, and nodded back out the front window. "Come on."
K: "AJ, Havoc, Point. Rest of you, fall in."
We moved out for City Hall. It was also Arooster County's courthouse. We figured, it being the only stone building in town, that's where the bad guys would be. I had Havoc, Bella, Panters, Barker, Fuzzin, Rarity, La Boche, and Applejack. Nine of us. That should be enough, I hoped...
I decided to try the radio again. Nothing ventured, after all.
K: C> "Alpha Actual to any callsigns. Come back." I waited a bit, and I could hear some static.. transmit static. Someone was trying to reach me. C> "Alpha Actual to sender - repeat last. Head for the center of town, if you copy."
More waiting. I could hear the sender trying to transmit, and the words slowly becoming clearer.
K: C> "Alpha Actual to Sender. Head for the center of town. You're zero by five, but I'm getting a signal." I hoped they could make out what I was saying.
???: C> "...east... ..own.. .gers.. ..Aero.."
K: "Aero.." I blinked. C> "Alpha Actual. Sender, you're starting to come in clearer. Repeat last!"
???: C> "-ctual.. ..ystal Actual.."
K: "That's Sombra!" I was excited. REAL Artillery was here. C> "Crystal Actual, this is Alpha Actual, keep coming closer, buddy. Range of radios is just a bit over 100 mikes. How copy?"
Rarity: "..well, I for one feel a lot better if Sombra is here.." She grinned a bit, and tapped Applejack on the shoulder.
Sombra: C> "Alpha Actual thi-... ...ystal Actual, read, two by fi-.. ..tee ay is.. mikes. Repeat, ee-.. .. .. five.."
K: "He keeps cutting in and out." I shook my head. "I'm going to guess he's about 150 meters from us." I shrugged a bit, and directed the group over to a boardwalk in front of a clothier's shop. "Get some cover." I grabbed the mic again. C> "Crystal Actual, Alpha Actual, keep transmitting, you're getting closer."
The others found places to set up that gave them a little cover or concealment.
Sombra: C> "Crystal Actual to Alpha Actual, we are behind some.. -op buildings. Can you pop smoke? We are-.. ..-away by my guess."
I nodded to La Boche. He pulled out a red smoke flare, lit it, and tossed it into the street.
K: C> "Crystal Actual - Red Smoke. Red Smoke. How copy?"
Sombra: "Copy well, Alpha Actual. Smoke is.. -ight. ETA three."
We waited, and very soon, Sombra came from behind the building the water trough we'd taken cover behind, was at. He had two Aero Marines with him, and they moved over to our location as quickly as they could.
K: "Sombra." I nodded. "Something's up, here. Mirage Spell."
Sombra: "Yes, mine friend. 'Tis a confusing magic, truly." He shook his head. "I can dispell it locally.." He looked towards City Hall. "..or, I can attempt to disrupt it completely. But, such an expenditure would leave me weakened." He shrugged. "I know not if our enemies are hiding right next to us."
Cpl. Stonecutter: "We found and evacuated several clusters of orphans, and there's a couple Rangers with them." She nodded to me.
Sombra: "Aye. Reinforcements are here, and within the hour, shall arrive at this becursed town." He gestured. "We COULD wait.."
K: "I have no idea if they'll make it all together. It'd be best if we try and take care of whomever is doing this, now, with what we have." I nodded slowly.
Sombra: "Hm. Havoc?" He was taking a poll.
Havoc: "I agree with K. We might get more in an hour, but we have two seriously wounded troops - Wide Lens and Dusty. If we wait, they might die." He growled. "Plus, I don't appreciate my keen predator senses being played with, like this."
La Boche: "Lord General." He nodded. "Colonel Sacquet would agree. Ees why I am with Marechal K."
Sombra: "I see! Then, assault them, we shall. I can use my magic to disguise our approach further, befuddle our enemy's aim yet more. And perhaps prevent unfortunate leaking." He smirked a tad.
K: "Sounds good. We think they're in City Hall, about a block up, it splits the street into two, like a Y." I pointed ahead.
Sombra: "Then let us be off." He huffed. "Had I known all forms of signalling were befouled, I wouldst not have engaged alone." He shook his head. "My apologies, K. Thine lessons in combat.. I rather ignored them."
K: "Because your friends were in danger, Sombra." I patted his shoulder. "It's working out well enough." I looked at the Aero Marines. "Give La Boche a mag each, would you? He's almost tapped."
They did as instructed, and we headed off for City Hall. Sombra summoned an inky black smoke to conceal us all - that only we could see through.
Sombra: "The Princesses sent their regards. And me." He smirked harshly, now. "Both battalions of Aero Marines are here, along with a battalion of the Crystal Kingdom's army, the 1st Royal Rangers, and a relief column from Agusty, Maine - the 1st Locks County Rangers and the county's support elements. Medics, logistics and the like."
K: "Excellent." I nodded. "And the airships?"
Sombra: "They hast found that navigation is unsafe within the dome of the mirage. They hold position 8 kilometers from here."
K: "Within weapons range, if we had a way to signal them. Oh, well." I nodded as we approached City Hall. "Suppose we'll have to make do.."
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: Spells of Mirage
TIME: 08:11 ERDT
DATE: War Day 618/14 Lunarius, 1003 C.S.
LOCATION: Canterback, Arooster County, Maine
We got as close as 100 meters. The enemy spotted the inky black smog and started opening fire on it immediately. Random shooting, but plenty of fire volume. We scattered - there was no cover or concealment around us, as the main road widened here into a huge square with nothing in it. So, we got on our bellies.
Bella and Rarity began returning fire first. Accurate shots into windows. Sombra levitated his Merill machine gun, and simply hosed down the front of the building. The two Aero Marines hucked all their explosive grenades right at the front of the building - a common tactic for disengagement, but in this case, the random explosions served to unnerve the enemy force.
I raised up a bit, and fired an HE grenade right at the front doors. It hit, and blew them in completely.
K: "RANGERS! ON ME!" I called for Havoc and his team, first. "THE REST, FALL IN BEHIND! ASSAULT THE BUILDING! GO-GO-GO!" And charged.
I hucked a proper smoke grenade into a first floor window as I got close, and reloaded another HE shell into the Gavin. Breaching the doorway, I was greeted by a wounded Porcine, his right arm detached. He wasn't a threat, but I popped five rounds into his face, anyway.
Applejack was right behind me, and we made for the stairs to the second floor.
K: "Rangers, Marines, clear the first floor. Sombra, Rarity, La Boche, AJ, with me." I said, mounting the stairs, rifle up and aimed.
A Gizmonk with a Zhukov came out of the doorway on the opposite side from where I was looking, and Applejack flattened him with three shells from her Chaffee. We all crested the top of the stairs, and were presented with two sides to the building, three doors each, and one double door right ahead of us - the court room.
K: "Straight ahead." I nodded. "Biggest room, I figure, if the sigil is anywhere.." I looked at Sombra.
Sombra: "Take either side, and stack, friends. I shall blast the door off its hinges and flood the room with darkness a few moments." He smirked. "I hope yon wizard is there. I fancy a tangle with someone whom uses magic for the wrong reasons."
K: "You heard him." I stacked on the right side of the door.
We waited a moment, as Sombra charged up, and slammed a magic bolt hard into the doorway. It shattered into splinters. He used his magic to levitate each major hunk of wood, and fire it at velocity inwards, making a massive Claymore mine. A dark burst followed, blacking out the room completely.
We waited to a count of three, and charged the room. Rarity fired twice, then transitioned to her pistol, and banged away with it. La Boche was to my back left, and charged forward, hosing down the room with short, controlled, bursts. Applejack slammed away with her Chaffee, and I could see a Goblin's head explode from one of them.
I moved in, conserving my fire, until I got close enough to the judge's pulpit. I then spent a whole magazine hosing it completely down, shattering the seal on the front, and knocking down the flags behind it. I reloaded quickly, and scooted around to the right, sliding down to my knees, aiming at whatever was behind it.
I was greeted by the sight of the Goblin Wizard and two remaining Goblins. Both of them jumped me, and I managed to hose down one before he got close, but the other tackled me, and knocked my rifle away. That was fine, I was much bigger than him, and I smashed my fist into his face, with my right hand going for my survival knife. Getting it clear of its sheath, I stabbed it in the side - once, twice, thrice. It was dead, and I threw it off.
I got up in time to see Sombra and the Wizard have a brief standoff. The Wizard was focused on him.. and Rarity was in the corner, her horn glowing hard.
The Sigil was carved into the floor. With a jolt, Rarity shattered it completely.. and the floor caved in. First the center, then the back and sides. I barely managed to grab a window sill behind me, but I saw the rest of them all fall with the floor. They'd all be hurt.. but I didn't think they'd be seriously harmed.
Sombra floated, and engaged the wizard. The wizard fired a shot at him, of rainbow energy. Sombra deftly flew out of its way, and bore down on him with a massive bolt of black. The bolt was smashed against a magical shield..
..he was distracted..
..I drew my Hi-Power, aimed at the wizard's back.. and..
*PLAM-PLAM!*
{End of Chapter 67}
