Chapter 82: Navarese Civil War III
Part 1: Iberian War Dance
TIME: 20:07 IT
DATE: War Day 762/6 Quintillius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Outskirts of Oliana, Navarre
It was dark. Very, very dark. While the town itself was on a rise, that rise was in the shadow of two ranges, one shielding the town from the setting sun, meaning it got very dark there, very fast.
Derpy, Vigiliance, Octavia, Scratch, Dex, myself, AJ, and Gorcat were sneaking up towards the barricade with eight Navarese Rangers: Diego and Juan Arroyo, Sgt. Filipina Erroz, Javier Montalbo, Stefan Juarez, Alferez (Ensign/2nd Lieutenant) Adriana Maria Montenegro, Franco Norte, and Jose Ezpeleta. They were the best eight goats that Derpy and Vigilance had trained, and all qualified for Sniper duty.
For once, everyone had suppressors, and the Goats were using Equestrian Bradley rifles. We moved silently, with the goats even wearing special stockings over their bare hooves to conceal the sounds of the hooves clacking on stone.
Truly, working with an army of four legged creatures was its own challenge.
We were within a couple of meters of the barricade, in a small hollow next to the main pathway that led up to it like a ramp. The goats at the barricade were starting to get out the lamps and candles they'd need to see in the darkness.
As one of the patrols moved up at the edge of the ramp, Vigilance and Jose grabbed them, pulled them down, and Octavia and Filipina slit their throats.
Hastily taking their place, with shadows playing along the terrain, Adriana and Franco moved out onto the natural ramp, while I used my monkey arms to climb up the natural wall that the hollow made just at the base of the barricade. Getting up, I heaved myself over the wooden logs and planks used to make up the barricade itself, and dropped down on two Goats behind it. One was stabbed through the throat with the Sword of Rainbow's Light. The other was shot in the head with my suppressed Morgan.
I could hear the Goats at the checkpoint part of the barricade question Adriana and Franco, then the two of them answer in return. Then, two thumps - suppressed gun shots. I moved over to the checkpoint area, and made a low wave to them from behind cover. They continued marching, and I waved the rest of the team up.
Once the rest of them crested the edge of the checkpoint, Adriana and Franco dove into the first machine gun nest, and murdered the crew. Derpy and Vigilance picked off the crew of the second nest. I moved on the third with AJ and Gorcat, the three of us diving into the machine gun pit, and knifing, claw-slashing, and sword-stabbing the occupants.
I peeked over the edge to see the fourth nest taken by The Arroyo Brothers, and the last one picked off by Scratch and Octavia - Scratch using her Unicorn magic for sound, to completely silence them, while Octavia shot them all in their heads.
The barricade was clear.
K: "Derpy! Flare! Prepare to advance!"
Derpy fired off a star shell flare, letting the Navarese Cavalry know it was time to advance.
K: "Adriana, your goats stay here. We're advancing ahead - if there's something crazy here, we need to deal with it. Understood?"
A. Adriana Montenegro: "Si, Marchal." She nodded.
K: "My team - on me." I motioned for us to advance forwards.
We ran towards the first building in the town, and stopped at the wall. We could hear the Cavalry charging, and knew time was short. Pivoting around the edge of the building, I took the lead, with Vigilance behind me, then AJ, and the rest spread in a fan. We made for the center of town.
Sure enough, there was a Tirek Heavy Tank here. Same kind we'd seen in Konzas. I motioned for everyone to advance on it, and let my rifle go slack on its sling, while I pulled out a satchel charge.
K: "Cover me!" I mounted the tank in leaps, and wrenched the hatch open.
Inside was a Porcine, picking his nose. I'd already pulled the pull-start fuse, so I simply handed him the pouch, and indicated with my hands that he could eat it.
The stupid bastard went to stick it in his mouth.
I slammed the hatch shut and dove off the tank, almost landing in a belly flop, but Scratch cushioned my fall with magic. The charge exploded, making a muffled blast inside the tank.
I rolled up to my feet, and glanced around the side, seeing a Tirek AFV rolling up. I'd have to make nicknames for these things, so we had a way of distinguishing them in communiques. Octavia was on it, bringing her Funston to bear.
Octavia: "BACKBLAST!"
Derpy: "CLEAR!"
She fired, tagged it in the front through the driver's compartment, and brought it to a halt. The turret hatch opened, and a Duregar started climbing out, only to get put in the dirt by a fast shot from my rifle.
Gorcat: "Cavalry's coming up behind us." He nodded back towards them.
K: "I think that's it for surprises." I motioned for them to all follow me, as Ember and the Dragons flew overhead to provide some air support.
Gorcat: "Alright.. gonna let'em take this themselves, then?" He shrugged.
K: "Yah." I clicked my tongue, watching the Goats move past us with a quickness, with the Cavalry making for the far end of town, Recon securing the flanks, and Infantry moving in for house-to-house searches.
Derpy: "Good choice, K." She gave me a one-arm hip hug. "We learned. They have to learn, too."
Octavia: "I think that's very important." She nodded. "So whoever we help doesn't become overly reliant on us."
Dex: "Totally." He shrugged, stepping up, and taking a casual security position.
K: "Happened a lot in my world." I shrugged. "The more we 'helped,' the less the locals wanted to help themselves."
Scratch: "Can't avoid that, some times. Like Marelin." She nodded.
Vigilance: "Yeah! Hah." He smirked as our position was caught up to by the Infantry Regiment.
Capt. Espinoza: "Marichal!" She nodded. "The fight goes smoothly. We have already taken prisoners!" She huffed in relief. "My goats are learning, Marichal."
K: "Good. Finish the plan - my team'll just observe." I nodded to her, and she took off.
AJ and the rest of the girls came up behind me.
AJ: "Ah think they're on th' raight track, honeybun." She smiled.
Twilight: "Yes.. they took to it better than we did." She shrugged a bit, fixing her Merrill bipod.
K: "Goats are more combative than ponies, anyway. Makes sense. I'm glad for it - it means, as they get blooded and get experienced, all we need to do is give them the support to keep moving forwards, and make up for any power they immediately lack." I gestured to the far side of town, now under our control. "It also means, this war won't take too long, now that they have what they've always needed."
Indeed.. it was a good result, so far. Navarre might be able to bounce back as fast as Neighpon, which meant, if the Dukes indeed held up their end of the deal, we would be able to field a Navarese army against Tirek.
His plans were unravelling before our eyes.
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Iberian Charleston
TIME: 20:07 IT
DATE: War Day 762/6 Quintillius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Oliana, Navarre
Alcalde Lourdes had 'surrendered' to the Dukes. In reality, he had been a Royalist from the start, as had the town, but the Anarchist forces siezed it several months ago without much of a fight - the people lacked any means to resist.
We promised them those means.
Alcalde Lourdes: "We appreciate the promise of arms, Senor Mariscal." He swished his aged horns. "We must learn to use them."
K: "When the Germane Army catches up to us tomorrow evening, you will have both. They will train you in their proper use." I nodded slightly. "Oliana will have its own Militia."
Duke Condor: "We did not know what good friends NEIGHTO would be to us, Senor Alcalde. Had we, you would have had those means before. The Throne apologizes.. we were too caught up in our own concerns to think of finding friends." He bowed slightly.
K: "For now, what needs do your people have? How many are here?" I turned to the tactical.
Alcalde Lourdes: "There are 920 goats in this town, Senor Mariscal. Until two weeks ago, nothing. Today, our stores stand empty - the forces of those evil Puerco ate much of our food and goods." He shook his head, his impressive grey beard swaying a bit. "We have enough until harvest, though we will be lean until then."
K: "I'll see to it that the NEIGHTO nations send some food relief.." I was saying, as the door opened.
Rojin Roshi: "Ohh.. don't worry about 'dat, young ferra! Rereif is heah!" He cackled.
Sgt. Yanjiro: "Marshal K." She bowed to me, and stepped in.
K: "Yanjiro!?" I stood from my seat and bowed to Roshi. "Honored Master."
Starlight: "Guess who showed up, K?" She paced in, with Senshi at her side, behind whom was Gorlamb, and Emperor no Ken.
K: "E-Emperor!" I was stunned.
Emperor no Ken: "K. You saved my home." He bowed slightly. "Is now my turn to herlp. My new army, many need experience. They have rlerned from dere orlder brotha and sistah, but not seen a fight 'demsevles."
He was in full, modern combat gear, with a Neighponese rifle across his back - the Type 33 Shugekiryu rifle. A variation on the Bradley design, the Ryu had different furniture and a different sight arrangement, but was functionally the same.
Roshi: "Mmm. So I suggest a ritter expedition!" He snickered. "I hear terr Navarre needs herlp, so, we come here!"
K: "Senor Alcalde, Dukes, these are my friends.." I was very touched to call them that, almost to tears of gratitude, but I kept it professional. "..the Emperor of Neighpon, and two of his Bushin, Retainers. Master Roshi, and Senshi." I paused. "General Senshi, and General Roshi."
Duke Alfonso: "On behalf of the Throne of King Alfonso, we welcome your counsel and your arms, Senors." He bowed deeply to the Emperor.
Duke Condor: "Indeed. We did not realize our friendship extended beyond Europe." He bowed as well.
Alcalde Lourdes: "Your Highness." He bowed his head as well. "The people of Oliana.. you have our immeasurable gratitude." He let a little tear escape.. he was moved, too.
About an hour later, I was at my field HQ.. with the Neighponese Army 1st Brigade. All of it. Organized around updated lines, this was two Battalions of hoof infantry, and one mixed Battalion of Armored Cavalry (all stolen Tirek AFV's for now), artillery (all Equestrian 76 and 90mm guns), and a Special Operations Regiment equivalent to Equestrian Rangers. This also included a Support Regiment of Engineers and Logistics.
Over 6,000 Neighponese troops, making them the largest contributor of soldiers to the Navarese Civil War at this point.
K: "So, how did you get here?" I shrugged. "You would have needed at least ten transport vessels to move this many soldiers.. and a naval escort.." I shrugged.
Emperor no Ken: "We did with what we had. The captured Tirek ships are on 'dere rlast rlegs, so, we use them to transport every'fing we can. Ouah new ships? Buirding as we speak. Anova 200 days to finish, but 'dey wirr be de finest vessers afrloat." He huffed confidently as Bushin showed me the designs.
K: "...this is a Superdreadnaught Battleship.." I read the schematics for the HINMS Yamato.. 17-inch guns, full proofed armor, a top speed of 28 knots - the mightiest battleship so far conceieved. "And a proper carrier.. modern heavy and light cruisers.. the Neighponese fleet will be the most modern afloat." I looked back up at him, grinning with pride.
Senshi: "And you started this." He nodded to me. "Were it not for you, de Shogun would have taken de throne, and we would be servants of Tirek." He grunted a little.
Princess Yuuki: "I am grlad to see you, Uncrle!" She gave me a quick hug.
She was dressed.. well, like a tactical ninja. She had a Type-34 Sub-Machine Gun as her main weapon - it was, more or less, a Pony Uzi with the magazine release changed so it can be used with one's teeth. Hers also had a suppressor on it.
These ponies weren't just taking to my lessons, they were advancing them all on their own in ways I'd never imagined. This meant that Neighpon developed the telescoping bolt operating system - something I hadn't even bothered to draw, as I didn't see the sense when a STEN-like design fit Ponies, I thought, better.
She then handed me one fit for a human - with a proper trigger and everything, along with a rather large drop-leg holster.
Senshi: "You gave us so much.. arlow us to give you a new 'sword,' K." He bowed to me.
I took it in my hands, and examined it. As expected from a "modern Japan," the craftsponyship was nothing less than stellar. The finish was a deep hard bluing that would last decades. The magazines were 30 round Ridgway magazines, in keeping with the NEIGHTO standardization agreements. The stock was more like a Mini-Uzi side-folder, but more robust, and I could see the bottom of the stock had a large escalloped section in it, so a Pony could use it as both a stabilizing brace, and a regular stock, giving them options on how they'd want to hold and fire it - making 3-leg walking also possible. The section ahead of the trigger, where human fingers would grip a horizontal grip section, there was a folding post grip that automatically unfolded when the weapon was drawn from its holster. This allowed two-leg-grip firing.
It was amazing.
K: "I'm blown away." I shook my head, and put the weapon on - this would be my sidearm in combat, as I could more easily carry more ammo than the rest of them.
Actually, the holster had a slot for a spare magazine, which gave me 60 rounds - a lot better than my standard 27 rounds with the Morgan, or 39 rounds with the Canidan Hi-Power.
Applejack: "Looks mighty fine, hun! Should help keep'ya outta trouble." She smirked.
K: "Really, this is the Pony equivalent of.. ehh.. call it a more advanced tactical concept - the Personal Defense Weapon. Which is a weapon capable of filling the role of a sidearm, or a main arm for special operations, all while having more range and capacity than a pistol, but less power than a rifle." I shrugged. "Given your guys' ergonomics, I didn't consider it worth the time I had, to make one, when the Zhukov and Ridgway worked just fine."
Twilight: "Hmm. I suppose even YOU learned something..!" She grinned.
K: "I did. And I'm humbled and grateful that you all are learning so much, so fast, that you can start to eclipse me." I patted Yuuki's head. "As I've said before, I'm just a human doing a job - you're all the real heroes. If something happened to me, right now, you could win the war by yourselves, I'm sure of it." I looked at my pony wife. "Even if it means doing things the dirty way." By that, I meant atomic weapons or a suicidal conventional lead poisoning attempt.
Emperor no Ken: "Do no shpeak rlike zat, K." He put a hoof on my shoulder. "You.. ah one ov' us." He nodded firmly. "You stahted arl of zis. Without your expertise.. no, I think even if we did win, it would be a veddy horlow victory, with many more dead. You shtirl have a gift for warfare we cannot match." He gestured with his rifle. "These are but toys." And tapped my head with his hoof. "This.. this is the weapon."
Roshi: "Mmm.. mai student is right, young ferra!" He nodded. "I rook fo'wad to da day.. I can teach you de brade, for no odda reason 'dan to cut mats!" He snickered.
It was a humbling experience, but a welcome one. They were right that my mind was still better at war than theirs, but as I'd said before, there were ponies that could meet or even exceed my level of tactical and strategic thinking. As a group. Because Friendship is Magic.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Iberian Hokey-Pokey
TIME: 06:16 IT
DATE: War Day 763/7 Quintillius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Leaving Oliana, Navarre
It would take us two days to reach Huesca. We planned to attack or occupy the town of Balaguer on the way, it would be our midpoint. With geologic shift present in Equus compared to Earth, Balaguer was almost exactly at the halfway point, and would take about 16 hours to reach on-the-hoof.
The Emperor of Neighpon informed me that the Moligans had reserves of oil on and around their island, but thought little of it, as - to them - it smelled very bad and gave off a "Bad aura." However, the Empire of Neighpon would be establishing a refinery on a nearby, smaller island to refine the extracted substance. They would have their own oil reserves.
That meant trucks and combat vehicles and all that other stuff. The captured AFV's had enough fuel to make this trip and a little besides, accounting for combat use as well. The plan was to simply leave them behind as war aide to the Navarrans, as the Neighponese were already working on manufacturing their own.
As with many things, we just needed time.
Balaguer itself was a rather important location. During Earth's Spanish Civil War, a major offensive and a rather large battle occured here, destroying the town's ancient bridge. I hoped to avoid this.
Another 64 ponies from Oliana had joined our cause. Dusty and Derpy were teaming up, talking to them at length about everything they'd need to know, as we walked, sharing experiences and stories of our past battles. They were eager, but they would be held in reserve or used as litter carriers until they could be trained.
TIME: 13:33 IT
LOCATION: Artesa de Segre, Navarre
The town was larger than Oliana.. but, when we arrived..
Derpy: "K? This town.." She paced in with me, Vigilance, AJ, and Alferez Montenegro.
K: "..it feels empty." I shrugged. "Cover me." I moved up a bit, and called out. "HELLO!? HOLA! COMO ESTAS!? ALGUIEN AQUI!?"
No answer, except the wind. I could hear a door creaking in the distance.
K: "Call up First Company." I pointed at Derpy.
Derpy: "No sense taking chances." She shrugged. C> "Alpha to Echo Charlie One."
Capt. Lightning Strike: "Echo Charlie One Actual, go ahead, over?"
Derpy: "Advance on the town, use extreme, extreme caution. We have a possible Code Teal." Code Teal was a basic call signal of 'Tirek Fuckery Is About' and told our troops to be on absolute edge. Derpy then keyed up the command elements. C> "Alpha to Puma Actual."
Duke Alfonso: C> "Puma Actual, go ahead."
Derpy: C> "Possible Code Teal at our location. Hold position, dig in, stand by."
Duke Alfonso: C> "Puma, nominal."
I was eyeing everything up.. it was damn strange. The town felt abandoned, completely, but that did NOT match. That felt so wrong for this world, and everything about it.
K: "...gimme the mic." I held my hand out - the Monkey Brain was screaming to run away. C> "Alpha Actual to Solarus Actual." Celestia's call sign - she WAS with us.
Celestia: C> "Roger, Alpha.. a moment." She already knew something was up.
The rest of the girls came racing up at that point, along with the rest of Derpy's Ranger Company, guarding Celestia, along with a Platoon of her personal guards.
K: "...Cel, you feel that?" Such familiarity.
Celestia: "Yes, K. I do. That is not the feeling of a technological nemesis." She snorted a bit.
All the girls got their rainbow jewelry on immediately. I let my Bradley go slack, and drew my sword.
K: "Elements and Princess Only, advance on me. Everyone else, dig in right here." I shot a look to Norfy and Gaze. "Lads.. you come, too."
Norfy: "Of course, K." He moved up, covering me, but with his horn, and not his rifle.
We moved through the town at a careful, seemingly casual pace. Even without our rifles, we shot looks at each sound, each twitch of the terrain. Everything. We were ready for.. whatever it was.
Gaze: "Think its Erebus, suh?" He muttered quietly.
K: "Might be. Whatever it is, it's making my Monkey Senses want to crawl under the Earth and pull a mountain over top of me." I said, plainly, though my heart raced. "Celestia.. Magic Shield, please."
Celestia: "Wise precaution." She summoned one up, and was reinforced by Gaze.
Gaze: "Yer highness." He nodded with a small smile.
K: "And you think your magic is weak." I nudged him just a little.
Gaze: "Not at th' same level me gram-gram was at, suh." He said, quietly.
We moved to the center of town. There was a large well here, and a massive cathedral. I nodded to it.
K: "It's getting stronger."
I moved right up to the doors, and opened them.
What I got.. was not what I expected.
As soon as I opened the doors, we were all pulled in. The landscape changed. Everything changed. Reality was warped and twisted.. I could feel the sensation of light, taste sound, and hear smells for a brief moment.
I fell, and landed on Fluttershy.
K: "Flutters!" I slid back, and hugged her. "You okay?" I'm not light.
Fluttershy: "I'm fine." She nuzzled. "You weigh less than a Herdiet sergeant."
Twinge. She realized my guilt, and nuzzed me again in apology.
We stood, and I immediately knew The Time had come. Chaos was regining in this land on a level unimaginable. Civil War was, by far, the most chaotic thing that a peoples can do. You never know, in such a war, if the friend you had all your life was really an enemy. If your son, or your father, would kill you for being in a different uniform.
It was exactly what HE needed..
K: "We need to find Pinkie Pie. NOW." I implored, as we started walking - I noted that the Sword of Rainbow's Light was faintly glowing.
It was time to keep a promise.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: Promises Made, Promises Kept
TIME: Unknown
DATE: War Day 763/7 Quintillius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Chaos Realm
We found her standing on a pink-and-green mushroom of moderate size, that was also faintly playing Ska music. She was gently swaying back and forth on her hooves, but moving in a manner closer to a G2 Pony, in terms of body flexibility.
Pinkie: "Hee hee! This is fun!" She smiled, and hopped down, trotting over to Fluttershy, and.. suddenly giving her a hug. "I'm glad you could make it. You're the toughest one of all!"
Fluttershy: "..what's with you, Pinkie?" She leaned back a bit, she was empathic enough to know something was up.
Pinkie: "Ohh.. don't worry, Fluttershy!" She hugged her again, harder this time. "I'll be okay."
And we started walking. Fluttershy wasn't a reality-bending wonder, but she did have her abilities of empathy. Strong empathy, to the point of 'just knowing' when something was far 'greater' than her. This meant more than the words.
K: "GAZE! NORFY!" I wasn't worried about the girls.
Gaze: "Ah'm, STUCK, suh!" He whined.
We moved another 60 meters, and found him hanging upside-down from Silly String that used to be some kind of a curtain, warped by chaos magic.
I reached up with my hands, and grabbed the string.
K: "Go. Away." I commanded it, and it complied.
I caught Gaze as he dropped, and set him on his hooves.
Gaze: "Thi'is Discord, ain't it, suh?" He shook his head, and looked at Pinkie and Fluttershy.
K: "Sure is." I nodded. "His power of chaos has been overloaded by the Civil War. When we came here, we kinda dragged him into it." I shrugged. "He's basically having an episode."
Gaze: "Ah. Roight." He nodded. "Ah'm guessin' rules are fer chumps, here, suh? Like, rules of reality?"
K: "You got it." I nodded.
Gaze: "And ye bein' a human, yer naturally chaotic?" He tilted his head.
K: "Yup. Let's find the others." I nodded again and we walked in a random direction.
Pinkie: "You know, Gaze, you're a lot stronger than you think you are." She stuffed a raspberry cream donut in his mouth.
It felt like an hour, but I couldn't tell - my watch was gently spinning around. We found Twilight and AJ sitting in the middle of a grass patch, just waiting for us.
Twilight: "We thought it best to wait until YOU found US." She nodded.
Applejack: "Twai' pointed out, that, you bein' human, y'all can probably resist Discord better'n any of us." She stood up and paced over to me, looking at Pinkie and Fluttershy. "Yew two okay?"
Pinkie: "Pinkeriffic." She snickered, and gave AJ a hug. "You're gonna be such a good mom." She smiled, and went over to Twilight. "Thanks for caring as much as you do." She picked up the purple one and hugged her, too.
Twilight: "K? What's going on here?!" She demanded - she was too smart to not think something wasn't up, besides Discord.
K: "Chaos." Was all I would reply with.
Applejack: "Ah trusts mah stallion." Was her reply to Twilight's unasked question, but she gave me a look - she knew something was up, too, but she was trusting me.
We kept moving. We found Dash and Toola, next. Toola was busy painting the terrain with her paint brush, to keep it from turning into lava, while Dash held her up, flying.
K: "BEGONE!" I screamed at the lava.. and it turned into carpet. "Let's go, you two. Fall in. The less you acknowledge of the Chaos, the better." I nodded, and kept walking - Rarity and Norfy were next.
Pinkie: "Hee-hee.. Dash!" She hugged her. "See? You can figure this stuff out, too! You're not just a pretty face and an awesome body!"
Dash: "I-I.. guess so!" She beamed and fluttered next to us.
Pinkie: "Toooooola!" She nuzzled her. "Good brush work! See? You don't have to be a Unicorn! Power comes from within!"
Twilight: "Pinkie..?" She cocked a brow.
K: "Come on, we have to hurry before this gets worse." I redirected.. and felt bad - I knew what was going on.
They fell in with us, wordlessly marching forwards. They got the idea - ignore it and it'll go away, more or less.
Rarity was sitting on a low sofa, reading a book, with Norfy near her, idly playing with his Morgan.
Norfy: "K." He rolled to his hooves. "Just as you instructed, we did our best to not interact with anything here. We just sat and waited."
That was a plan I'd considered and discussed with everyone, but hadn't made it official.
Pinkie: "Always the logical one!" She gave him a one-arm hug. "I'm so glad all of you came back to us. You should talk to them, more! Like I do!"
Rarity: "I'm going to hurt him." She said, raising up, and putting her book back in her tactical backpack, picking up her Super Sherman.
Pinkie: *Giggles* "Oh, Rarity!" She got a hug, too. "You already know you're stronger than people think.. braver, too."
K: "This way." I pointed. I could feel the pull. "Lads, when it starts, flank him and rescue the princess." I ordered.
Gaze: "I wond'r'd aboot that, suh." He lifted his head. "We dinnae find her.. so.. yeah, I guess he should have her captive. Hero Tropes, suh." He nodded. "Ready, Norf?"
Norfy: "I wish Cosmic was here, but, yes." He patted Gaze on the back. "We can do this."
We walked for another hour.. and then.. we came to his Altar.
Discord: "TOOK you long enough!" He laughed in our faces.
K: "I exercised as much control over your chaos as I thought I could get away with." I nodded to him. "Without you actively trying to stop me." I looked back at my team. "You couldn't get a single one of them - even Dash and Toola figured out your game."
Discord: "Oh, come now.. come now.." He floated down to be face level with me. "..you know what's going on here. Especially after you found the work of the last Chaos." He was.. twitching. Like an addict, on a high.
K: "The Skinwalkers. That's some pretty twisted Chaos Magic." I nodded. "I had a feeling that was you."
Discord: "No. Not me. Him. He did that. I.." He twitched hard. "..AHAHA! WHAT does it MATTER?!" He splayed his arms out. "CHAOS! It's EVERYWHERE! These stupid GOATS are.. they're.. KILLING THEIR OWN FAMILIES! I've NEVER felt this much CHAOS POWER before!" He was panting heavily, his eyes vibrating, he was sweating profusely. "It. Needs. To. Be. RELEASED!"
With that, he extended fingers, and the entire area reflected the exact TYPE of Chaos that was flooding him. Dark Chaos. Painful Chaos. The landscape changed to ruins.. but the fire was pink and cloudy. The 'sun' became blood red, with a melted smiley face..
Discord was.. consumed. The dark chaos energy that was flooding him from the war, he'd kept in check. But, now? No, he couldn't hold it in any longer. He HAD to express it. He HAD to uncork it. He HAD to let it out.. and if we didn't stop him, he was going to let it out on us, exactly the same way it was FED to HIM.
I knew, right then, the only result that would make a difference.. was his death. And a part of me felt he didn't deserve that. But, the rest of me, would not let him harm anyone, anywhere, with all this power.
K: "Give up, Discord." I stated, more.. requested he hold still so we could just encase him in stone or something.
Discord: "I.. I ca-" He looked at me sympathetically for a moment, then twitched again, and resumed his Dark Chaos mantle (more that it took him over), sliding over to me and putting his arm around my neck. "..you've trained them well enough, human." He looked back at Celestia, who was encased in a giant cheese wheel, with her muzzle tied shut with pink ribbon. "How about you just let me send you home, now?" He tilted his head. "I have that level of power, now, you know. So much chaos.." He said, breathlessly. "Your human wife.. no more war.. no more pain.." He smirked, I smirked...
K: "No." I said plainly, before punching him in the face with the fist holding the sword, with all my might. "GEAR! ON! READY!"
Twilight: "READY!" They'd quietly prepared while I distracted Discord with conversation.
Norfy: "THE HOSTAGE HAS BEEN RESCUED!" He called out from my back-right.
K: "CADENCE, GIVE ME STRENGTH!" I called out, aiming the sword at Discord.
Twilight: "NOW!" She called, and the girls fired their rainbow energy into my sword.
The two streams converged and hit Discord so hard, he flew back into his own altar, and the Chaos Realm cracked and started breaking.. reality, his reality, crumbled slowly around us.. until we were out in the middle of a field.
It didn't kill him, Stone him, or anything of the like. He simply had too much Chaos Energy.
K: "It didn't stop him!" I said, knowing.. knowing it wouldn't.
The girls collapsed, all the energy gone from them. All but Pinkie, who trotted up to me.
Pinkie: "You made me a promise, K----." She hugged me. One last time. And ran for him, discarding her jewelry.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: The Promises You Make
-Flashback-
TIME: 12:22
DATE: War Day 294/23 Primaus, 1002 C.S.
LOCATION: Captain's Cabin, HMS Alarm, Enroute to Equestria
The secret that Pinkie told me. All that time ago. I promised I'd share it.
Pinkie: "I wanted to talk." She got up in my lap. "..but you have to promise to keep it a SEEEECRET." A lighthearted peck on the cheek. "Don't worry - I'm not gonna rape ya!"
K: "I promise. What is it, Pinkie?" I'd shrugged.
Pinkie: *Sigh* "I know.. I'm not.. well, normal. Not by any means!" She'd looked at me so cutely, shaking her head. "I'm.. I like to think of myself as a Child of Chaos. I know, I'm not Discord's kid or anything, but I'm different. I know things I shouldn't know. I can do things I shouldn't be able to do." She whipped out a Pizza Hut box, and opened it - it was pepperoni and sausage. Two slices gone. She pulled one out and handed it to me. "You think this is easy?"
K: "I have no idea." I took a bite. It was the real deal.
Pinkie: "I seem to have an ability to mildly twist reality by the cajones, ya'know?"
K: "Yeah.. where are you going with this, Pinkie?" I asked, enjoying the - likely only - taste of Human Pizza I'd get for a very long time, possibly ever.
Pinkie: "I.." She suddenly got all serious, but nothing physically changed on her. "..I've been trying to purify myself of Pinkamena. I think it's the only way I can get there."
K: "Where? Remember, I'm not a reality.. uh.. twisting person." I shrugged at her, getting my tactical belt off, and setting it aside.
Pinkie: "Why, to be the next Chaos Embodied, of course!" She'd given me a sweet smile, and munched her pizza. *Nom!*Nom!*Nom!* "Mmm.. decent stuff!"
K: *Stunned* "What?" I'd looked at her like a parent might look at their child.. when said child told them they were jumping off the edge of the Grand Coulee Dam, while you're in line at McDonald's in Texas.
Pinkie: *Gulp!* *MMmm!* "It's the only way, really!" She'd stated, as though I ought to know.
K: "The only way for WHAT?" I blinked. "Pinkie? You.. you realize you're basically talking about.." I'd shaken my head violently. "..not killing yourself, but.."
Pinkie: *Sad sigh* "I know. I know what it means. But there's no other way. If I don't, Discord might really hurt us one day. And I may be totally neato, but there's no way I can kill him by myself. Really, it's a good thing you came along - now I can use everything you have access to!" I'd known right then that she didn't mean the things I'd built here.
K: "But.. Twilight.. your nephew.. what.." I gestured to the side, wondering about both Twilight and Spunky Pie.
Pinkie: "I'm sorry to do that to him.. really.. you think you could raise him for me? I know it's a lot to ask.." She curled her tail around herself. This was the hardest part. "..since his mother didn't want him."
K: "How..?" How did she know all of this?
Pinkie: "When I broke like that.. I.. it wasn't because she took over, no, I was mad at my family for not caring. I told them to leave. They could have done it.." She trailed off.
K: "But.. the molestation.." I led in, gesturing.
Pinkie: "..wasn't as bad as Maud let on, really. Mom was a bitch, and.." She shrugged. "..really, Limestone started it, with him. Marble just got jealous." She shrugged again, squirming. "I just wanted to see Maud, you know? I'm sorry I had you guys so worried, but really, no one understands me.. you can't even. You're the closest one who's tried, though. When you dumped that little bundle of cute in my lap.. it wasn't me going sane again, I just couldn't stay mad, any more." She beamed at me.
K: "Why.. Discord, though?" It struck me that reality and truth were often a combination of several stories.
Pinkie: "I'm really, really convinced that that's my purpose in life. To take Discord's power for my own, and get it away from here." She shook her head, going into The Thinker pose.
K: "Where will you go, though? What will you do?" I'd brushed her hair idly, not realizing she'd made a comb appear in my hand.
Pinkie: "Probably fly straight towards the barriers and see if I can get to the other side!" She said, cheerfully.
K: "But.. the elements.." I'd sat back a little, and let her nuzzle me.
Pinkie: "Toola Roola can do it. She's not a hard-core partier like me, but she's REALLY good at making ponies laugh, if you let her." She ruffled my hair. "Comedy is an art, too, K."
K: "You're going to groom her to take your place, without her realizing it." I'd stated.
Pinkie: "Yup-yup!" A big, beaming grin. "Just promise me that.. when the time comes.. you won't try to stop me."
K: "I promise. But.. we'll never see you again, though.." I brushed a stray lock of her poofy hair, looking her in the eyes.
Pinkie: "It's.." She shrugged. "..for the best. And I'm not saying that to be all noble or something. I just know.. that I'm special.. that I have to do the right thing with how special I am. Maybe I'm the one that can tame Chaos, because I'm so Chaotic?!" She'd said, excitedly.
K: "Maybe, Pinkie.." I'd shook my head, and hugged her. I'd known better, then, to try and stop her. "..I'll miss you. We all will."
Pinkie: "Then we'd better say goodbye, now.. or we won't get a chance, later." She'd kissed me, passionately.
I said that she didn't rape me. She hadn't. It was consensual on both our parts. She knew that sex was a way that humans connect with someone they love. I loved her - but not like that. Still, it was something I felt GOOD about doing.
And she tastes.. tasted.. like cherry cotton candy.
-End Flashback-
Pinkie ran for Discord. Hard, fast, more determined than I'd ever seen her, or anypony before. She was laughing, cackling, knowing that her purpose was coming.
Twilight: "Pinkie! PINKIE!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" She struggled to her hooves and started to go after her..
K: "NO! Twilight! I made a promise!" I grabbed her by the tail, swung her around, and tossed her back towards everyone. "I promised.." I looked back.
Discord: "And what are YOU going to do!? You know you're not chaotic enough to take me!" He taunted her as she approached.
Pinkie: "Today, I am.." And out from behind her back came an M61A1 Vulcan Cannon.
I shit you not. A 20mm Gatling Cannon. Discord's eyes went as small as periods.
Discord: *Flatly* "..Ohh, I've wasted my life."
*BUUUUUUURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHMMMM*
It fired multi-colored.. rainbow-tinted, I should say.. energy lasers at him.
And just like that.. no more Discord. The body of the Draconequus fell to the ground so hard, it left a small crater, with such burns and blasts through him that he.. it.. was probably dead with the first shot.
The Vulcan was dropped to the ground as Pinkie walked over to his corpse and examined him.
Pinkie: *Giggle* "That was fun!" And just like that, she pounded a single hoof into his chest.
All I saw next was a giant flash of light. Pinkie was there - she had already started transforming into something else. Wings.. and a single horn. Like a twisted Alicorn.. of Chaos.
Pinkie-Chaos: "OOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo! It tickles!" *Laughter!* "BYEEE!" She waved at us. "TOOLA! THROW A PARTY!" And zoomed off, in a ball of light.
Twilight: "P-Pinkie.." She staggered to her feet. "NO! NO! NO!!! NOT AGAIN! NOT ANOTHER!!" She threw herself to the ground, and sobbed.
Applejack: "Twilight.." She paced over and put a foreleg around her.
Sometimes, keeping promises are the hardest things to do.
{End of Chapter 82}
