Chapter 100: Towards the North
Part 1: The Expedition Returns
TIME: 09:17 ERST
DATE: War Day 870/24 Octavius, 1004 C.S.
LOCATION: Ponyville, Erie, Equestria
As I stepped out into the yard of my recently comp
Chapter 100: The Final Stand
Part 1: The Manehattan Line
TIME: 09:17 ERST
DATE: War Day 1113/24 Octavius, 2004 C.S.
LOCATION: Manehattan Free Fire Zone, Erie, Equestria
I taped up what was left of my boots. It was another horrible day. Getting up, I took a drink of water, and grimaced. Ever since the water treatment facility was hit last week, the water had been slowly turning into sewage.
SSGT Berry Punch: "Colonel." She came in, handing me a Sherman magazine. "Found an extra outside. Someone must've dropped it." She shrugged.
K: "Thanks." I nodded. "Any word from the Capital?"
SSGT Berry Punch: "Yes. Operation Daybreaker is a go." She sighed, almost saddened, but her bloodshot, sunken eyes could only stare into me. "Are you really going through with it, Colonel?"
K: "Only thing I can do." I shrugged. "Get Alpha Company and whatever's left of Bravo, and get ready to pull out. We'll march to the Capital. It'll take a couple days, but we can get there ahead of them." I nodded. "Inform Mike Company they drew the short straw."
SSGT Berry Punch: "..yes, sir." She nodded a bit, and headed off.
I loaded the magazine into my Sherman, and ran the bolt, checking the witness holes. 12 rounds.. better than nothing. I shrugged and stood up, grabbing a can of oats and shaking out the few flakes left into the stinking water, and downing the whole thing in one go.
I stepped out of the ruins of City Hall, and looked over the defenses. Too few.. I had too few.. and now, my only Arms Manufacturer was dead, and his factory destroyed. We only had one chance left.
Lt. Caramel: "Colonel." He trotted up to me, still favoring his right leg. "Looks like the enemy's holding off, for the moment. We had a few skirmishes earlier, sir."
K: "Good." I nodded. "Caramel.. Daybreaker is a Go." I nodded to him.
Lt. Caramel: "Oh.. Colonel.." He bowed his head. "I'm.." He shook his head. "It's been an honor, sir."
K: "I'm sorry, Caramel. I mean.. I came here.. and I just.." I wiped my face. "..I couldn't stop this. I'm.." I looked out over the shattered skyline of bombed skyscrapers, and my face screwed up. "If only we had more time. More time, and more resources. I could've stopped this. I'm SURE this is the Cataclysm that Moon Dancer had been talking about all those months."
Lt. Caramel: "She died trying to prove it." He shrugged. "And maybe find that Rainbow of Light."
K: "Yeah." I nodded. "We failed, Caramel. I failed. I'm sorry. I'm.. you know this means I'll probably be sent back to my world, right?"
Lt. Caramel: "Yes, sir." He nodded.
K: "And I'm leaving you all with a broken world, half overrun with Tirek's goons.." I hefted my Sherman. "..and little means to deal with them. They'll rampage over the countryside, killing and raping and eating anything they can get their hands on, even if I do manage to kill him."
Lt. Caramel: "We'll beat them, sir." He nodded. "And we'll rebuild. Isn't that what we always do?"
K: "I suppose so." I nodded. "I'm setting Mike Company as the speedbump. If you want to say goodbye to Lunu Berry, you might want to go now."
Lt. Caramel: "..yeah. Thanks. Sir." He patted my shoulder and took off.
I paced over to Alpha Company's area. Nodding to Sergeant Quarter Staff, I motioned for everyone to gather around.
K: "Everyone. Daybreaker is a go. Alpha, and what's left of Bravo, will break camp and head for the capital on foot as fast as we can. Mike Company is going to be our speed bump. Once we get there.. it'll be a delaying action. They'll get to the Palace, but you absolutely MUST kill as many of the enemy as you can, to draw out Tirek's remaining Generals. That's Cozy, Rep, Grogar, and Bray." I leaned against a broken crate. "And, you know.. this.. fight.. is to the death. Like I explained to you, The Daybreaker Device will erase everything in Canterlot and for a HUGE radius outwards. Including all of us." I shrugged. "There's a 50/50 chance I die, or I go back where I came from. I don't know, and honestly, I don't think I could bear to go back, knowing how badly I failed you all here."
MSGT Lees Herrin: "Sir.. without you, we wouldn't have ANYTHING. At least with you, we have a chance to kill Tirek and the others. Yeah, we've got a mess to clean up, but it's better than him killing us all, or enslaving us." He shrugged. "If you DO go back to Humanland.. remember that you at least saved us from THAT."
K: "Yeah." I nodded. "I guess I did." I shrugged. "Alright. Everyone gather up every scrap of ammo and food you can get. We move out in forty five minutes." I nodded to them. "Dismissed."
With that, I walked over to the Field Hospital area.. what was left of it, anyway. So many wounded.. but, there was a good chance that once Tirek's army realized we were retreating to the Capital, they'd leave the area alone for the time being.
Dr. Stat Stabler: "Colonel K---." He nodded. "We lost two more last night. Infection. We're out of just about everything." He shrugged.
K: "Stat, do what you can. Alpha and Bravo are falling back to the Captial. Mike is staying here.. but they'll be resisting. You need to evacuate any patients that might make it with minimal care. Hide all the critical cases.. somewhere, I don't know." I shrugged. "Once Tirek's army passes over the area, you might be able to sneak back in and rescue a few, if you want." I nodded.
Dr. Stabler: "I understand.. I don't like it, but I understand." He shrugged.
K: "Alright." I nodded. "Try to reach Greenbroke or New Hamster.. just.. get away from the coast. The war's going to end in a couple days. I can't explain how. But, the ponies you save here, will be needed afterwards. Understand?"
Dr. Stabler: "I understand, Colonel." He nodded.
K: "Okay. Good luck. It's been nice working with you." I patted his shoulder.
As I was about to leave, his head nurse stopped me. "Head Nurse" by default, since he didn't have any others.
Nurse Fluttershy: "Colonel." She nodded. "Thank you for everything." She handed me a bandage. "You might need this." She lowered her head. "Tell me something.."
K: "Anything." I patted her shoulder.
Nurse Fluttershy: "..if things had been different, could we have won?" She looked up to me.
K: "Maybe." I shrugged. "A whole LOT of things would've had to have been different." I nodded to her. "I.. did want to thank you for taking those risks last week, and getting all that linen for the wounded."
Nurse Fluttershy: "It needed to be done." She looked down. "We needed bandages. Clean ones." Her sunken eyes looked up at me and she gave me a tiny smile. "I'm glad it'll all be over soon."
K: "I'm sorry I couldn't fix this." I nodded.
With that, I went to rejoin my troops. Out of the 24 Army Companies we'd raised throughout the war, only 7 remained. The Equestrian Royal Army Battalion had been helped by various Militia along the way, but lack of weapons and ammo made things so difficult.
If only we'd managed to win at Lone Hoof Ridge.. the day the war started. Instead? We'd been almost wiped out. Whether it was because the squad with me wasn't ready for a fight, or because we happened to be outnumbered 25:1 with not nearly enough ammo, and been ambushed.. I don't know. Either way, defeat meant we couldn't build our Arsenal on Buffalo land.. and it cost us time. Time we didn't realize we didn't have.
I reflected on the attack on Canterlot a couple months later, how Celestia had nearly been killed. Pure luck saved her, and me, from destruction. Pure luck, and a sharp-eyed guard spotting the bombers just before they'd struck. I'd helped train her and her squad.. she was a bit stuck up, but she'd taken to the training well.
She died that night, along with so many others.
Since then, this war has been nothing but new fronts opening, new fights, desperate victories, and multiple defeats. Baleston was bombed heavily, after Tirek's forces in Navarre overran the country and he started bringing in reinforcements.
As far as I knew, most of what I'd call Europe was already burning.
No matter. This would end. Soon.
[End of Part 1]
Part 2: Full Retreat
TIME: 10:02 ERST
DATE: War Day 1113/24 Octavius, 2004 C.S.
LOCATION: Manehattan Free Fire Zone, Erie, Equestria
Lt. Corner Sharpe: "COLONEL!" He skidded to a stop next to me. "Mike Company reports they're in contact. Light forces. No big deal, yet." He nodded.
K: "Alright, Core. Get Bravo moving - you're on Point." I nodded.
Lt. Corner Sharpe: "Aye, sir." He moved off.
K: "ALPHA! LET'S GO! MOVE! MIKE IS IN CONTACT, WE GOTTA GO! NOW!" I called out.
Everyone started moving, at that point.
North. We would be heading north. Along Highway 1, we started marching, almost double time. India Company would meet us halfway.. I ordered the other companies to scatter away from the capital. Perhaps they would survive, and they MIGHT be able to secure a settlement for Ponies, somewhere, with whatever supplies they had.
I marched at the head of Alpha. How could I not? This was MY company, if anything, I'd been with them for every major ground engagement. They were good soldiers. Good Ponies.
Berry was right next to me.
K: "We'll be passing through Ponyville on the way.." I trailed off. "..you going to tell Concerto and Pina to make a run for it?"
SSGT Berry Punch: "I.. don't know." She lowered her head.
K: "If they leave the second we show up, they might escape." I shrugged. "They need to head south-west."
SSGT Berry Punch: "Th-thanks." She blinked. "L-Listen.. about that.. stuff w-"
K: "I won't tell him if you don't." I shrugged, and looked down.
SSGT Berry Punch: "..thank you. At least let him have that." She sighed.
K: "We'll be there in two days at a fast pace." I nodded. "Ten hours marching per day, average speed of 6 kilometers an hour."
SSGT Berry Punch: "Not like we have much choice." She whined a bit.
K: "Look at it this way, it'll all be over very soon." I nodded.
SSGT Berry Punch: "Yeah." She gave a tiny smile.
At least the day's march wasn't that horrible, just tiring. A Roman soldier was expected to cross 20-30 kilometers a day, at an average pace of 4kph. The Royal Army of the United Kingdom has a similar fitness goal. These being Ponies, they could go faster. I had to learn to keep up. My feet were killing me, but, again, I was fine with it. No sense worrying about that, now.
Our break for lunch after five hours' march was more a rest period than an eating period. They grazed on the grasses, mainly, and a few managed to find a pond that wasn't totally brackish to get some water from. I had a handful of dried oats soaked in water.. it was better than the so-called 'breakfast' I'd had.
Then again, we hadn't had much food in the last few days besides Forage, anyway. The troops didn't complain, so I refused to. I knew more than one of them gave up their oats so I'd at least have something.. it made me want to cry, that these gentle ponies, even when half-starved, would give up their last morsel of decent food to a failure Alien like me.
At the end of our ten hours, India Company met us at Princesston.
TIME: 21:12 ERST
DATE: War Day 1113/24 Octavius, 2004 C.S.
LOCATION: Princesston, Erie, Equestria
Capt. Shine: "Colonel!" Alpha's 1st Platoon Leader greeted us with India, and issued orders. She trotted up, and motioned her remaining ponies over. "Come on, India, they're exhausted! Get them some water and something to eat!"
K: "Captain." I nodded, as she took my pack from me. "I am SO sore." I shook my head, as she guided me over to an abandoned house. "Report."
Capt. Shine: "Well, India cleared the Route to the Captial.. no telling how long it'll stay that way. The last of the Militia bought it outside of Plowkipsee." She shrugged. "We recovered what we could. We've got enough so everyone can have 105 rounds for their Shermans, or 4 Zhukov mags." She pushed me into the too-small bed. "We got some food, too. Picked the town clean - everyone's fled for Lohilo or Docksylvania. Got word that the Presque Isle (Erie, PA) Militia have fortified the city." She gave me a small smile.
K: "Better." I nodded. "You know what all this means, right?"
Capt. Shine: "..yes." She drooped her head. "It means I'm not going back to Coltifornia." She slid her foreleg around me. "You remember what you told me when the war started?"
K: "That we'll probably all die?" I frowned.
Capt. Shine: "That we're doing this to save others." She nodded. "That's why I'm here. That's why we're all here. If Daybreaker is a success.. well.. it doesn't matter if I die. Tirek will be gone. That means we won."
K: "I still.." I threw my head in my hands, as Sgt. Dee Dovely brought me some cooked oats and tea. "..thanks, Dee." I nodded, and shook my head. "I feel like I fucked up! Okay? I'm never going to stop feeling like I could have done MORE. That I could have raised a whole ARMY, instead of just a battalion.. a-a-a FLEET.. something! I feel like I screwed up. Lone Hoof Ridge.. Canterlot.. all of it." I shook my head.
Capt. Shine: "Lone Hoof was NOT your fault." She said, firmly. "We had ONE squad. ONE." She pointed at me. "They had two full companies, and they AMBUSHED us. You were very smart to get the ones you could, to that ridge in the first place, then you held us out for HOURS until we had to withdraw! And even THEN, you saved most of the Buffalo..." *Tch!* "..ungrateful bison. You should have siezed the land and built the factory anyway." She lowered her head. "Sorry, K. You know how I feel."
K: "I do. I've always known." I shrugged.. and slid her into a hug. "Thanks for always being there for me.. Twinkie."
She draped herself over me, and nuzzled my neck.
Twinkle Shine: "No more Captain stuff. We get one last night.." She bit the tip of her hoof. "..you were there for me when Carlisle died. If this is the end..? I want this. One last time."
K: "I wish we could've been together." I caressed her face. "But, I don't think anyone would've approved if we brought it up to the public." I shrugged. "A lot of them probably think I'm a mean ol' Human, a slave driver, that marches ponies into a Glue Factory."
Twinkle Shine: "..I never did." She kissed me. "Let's.. have.. one last fantasy, huh?"
To be fair, she did all the work. I was just too tired and too achy to perform up to my usual standards, but the lust was there. The affection. The care. The cuddles afterwards. It was better than what I ever deserved.
After four years of being here, almost, and three years of fighting, it was all coming to an end. But, at least, I was spending my last night with someone that cared about me. Someone that didn't think I was a failure. Someone that believed in me more than I did myself.
I just.. passed out, after it was all through.
[End of Part 2]
Part 3: Magical Mystery
TIME: 07:03 ERST
DATE: War Day 1114/25 Octavius, 2004 C.S.
LOCATION: Princesston, Erie, Equestria
Sgt. Dovely: "Colonel!" He barged in.
I was under Twinkle Shine.. no hiding what we did.
K: "..you say one word, Sergeant.." I looked up at him, glaring.
Sgt. Dovely: "..whatever." He shook his head. "Listen, sir, Sentries picked up two suspicious characters. One of them claims to know you, sir."
K: "Oh, really?" I snorted, in surprise, and got my pants back on. "Alright.. fine." I shrugged. "Send them in." I prodded Twinkie. "Hey, baby, get something on. We got guests."
Twinkle Shine: "Yeah.." She slipped her uniform shirt on.
In came a purple-coated spiky-maned unicorn with strange wings and a pastel pink-coated one with a bluish mane that had a pale stripe in it. The purple one was wearing a.. a uniform shirt she should NOT have.
K: "Where the HELL did you get that shirt?!" I pointed at her.
Purple Mare: "..you made it for me?" She blinked. "Oh, CELESTIA! You don't REMEMBER!"
K: "The hell you mean I don't remember?!" I nodded to Dee. "Get me a couple magic restrictors - I think we got ourselves a couple of Changeling Spies, here!"
Purple Mare: "NO! K----! PLEASE!" She pleaded.
K: "How.. the FUCK do you know my full name?!" I stood up, pulling my Lee and aiming it at her.
Purple Mare: "Because I'm Twilight Sparkle! I-I'm your FRIEND!" She said, exasperated. "What's going ON, here?! PLEASE, K----, you HAVE to believe me!"
K: "Okay. Tell me something only a real friend of mine would know." I glared at her.
Twilight Sparkle: "You're about.." She measured with her hoof. "..that long, that wide, and.." She blushed deeply. "..good for at least three in one night."
Everyone froze.
K: "Sergeant, guard this door. No one comes in." I nodded.
Sgt. Dovely: "Yes, sir." He stepped out.
I looked at Twinkle Shine.
K: "I swear, baby, Berry was the only other one." I shrugged. "And you know why."
Twinkle Shine: "Yeah, yeah." She stood up, and paced over to Twilight, still looking at me. "I know. I trust you." She looked her over. "You look similar to a mare I knew at the Academy. But.. she died in the attack on Ponyville over two and a half years ago. Real recluse. She didn't have wings and a spiky coat like this, though. But.. I do smell.. Dragon?"
Twilight Sparkle: "..and you were supposed to have died there, instead, next to Carlisle." She nodded to her. "We all liked to think he told you how he felt.. in your last moments."
Twinkie froze at this point, then looked at me and nodded.
K: "Alright. What the HELL is going on, here?" I flapped my arms.
Starlight Glimmer: "I'm Starlight Glimmer. I did this. This is all my fault." She looked down.
K: "Start at the beginning." I nodded.
Twilight: "About a week ago, we.." She looked at Glimmer. "..we interrupted her plans to make a Utopia society by taking away everyone's Cutie Marks and making them all equal through sameness. She.. deduced.. that if the Sonic Rainboom that a pony named Rainbow Dash produced as a preteen, had never happened, we wouldn't have all come together as friends and ended up putting a stop to her." She shrugged. "She was right. Except that, without that Rainboom, a LOT of Ponies wouldn't have had their lives changed for the better. Myself included. And without that.. I guess.. the war against Tirek went horribly." She shrugged. "The Time Line I'm from? You're a General, and commander of the North Equus Independent Group of Herds Treaty Organization. NEIGHTO. And a Knight of the Crystal Realm, Godfather to the future Prince or Princess of the Crystal Kingdom.. my friend.. one of my BEST friends.. an inspirational leader.." She sighed and slowly lowered herself to the ground. "Glimmer told me she stopped the Rainboom. She managed to go back in time and undo the event."
Glimmer: "I didn't expect all this." She shrugged.
K: "Well.. here I'm only a Colonel, commander of the Royal Army Battalion. There IS no Crystal Kingdom to speak of. No NEIGHTO. Most of Europe is invaded by Tirek, about a third of Equestria is occupied.. and I'm about to end all this. Tirek is right on our heels with his biggest cronies." I shrugged. "I'm about to unleash something I call The Daybreaker Device. It's a.. scientific bo-"
Twilight: "A HYDROGEN BOMB?!" She recoiled in shock. "Rh-What's the YIELD?!"
K: "..twenty-five Megatons. It'll erase everything from Canterlot to Ponyville.. what's left of them." I looked down.
Twilight: "W-When!?" She stammered.
K: "Tomorrow night." I nodded. "We need to get moving. We have to clear about 60 kilometers in one go, dig in around the palace, draw out Tirek and his Goon Squad, and sucker them in to a final confrontation, as close to the Bomb as possible. Its radioactive core disrupts magic enough that they won't be able to just teleport away."
Twilight: "That.." She lowered her head. "..in my world, you taught me to always come to you with alternatives."
K: "Yeah. You got one?" I nodded to her.
Twilight: *Sharp inhale* "We think we can recreate the time travel spell. But, we need time. We need to run through a lot of possibilities - the original spell won't work, you.." She blinked at me, realizing I had no clue about how magic worked. "..we need some time."
K: "How much?" I shrugged.
Twilight: "Once we get to the Palace? Every second we can get." She nodded firmly. "And I mean that, K----."
K: *Defeated sigh* "And that'll undo all of this?" I started getting fully dressed.. and looked at my overshirt, realizing how tattered it was.
Twilight: "Yes. It will allow us to go back and prevent Glimmer from disrupting the time line." She nodded firmly, and so did Glimmer.
K: "Alright." I nodded sharply. "Shine.. get everyone ready, okay, baby?" I kissed her muzzle.
Twinkle Shine: "No problem." She hugged me.. then kissed me back. "I don't care what they think, any more." And she scooted out.
Twilight: "..you love her, don't you?" She was suddenly empathetic.
K: "Yes." I nodded sharply. "We didn't exactly make it public.. it wouldn't be looked on too kindly." I shrugged. "She found me. I'd been wandering around for almost two days, I was starving, dehydrated.. she brought me to her place and fed me, gave me a place to sleep, introduced me to the Princess after getting an audience with her." I shrugged. "She's been there for me."
Twilight: "I was her classmate.." She trailed off. "..in my world, her and yours fates are different." She left it at that.
I was too tired of this war to ask further. I grabbed my worn-down Sherman and slung it over my shoulder by the twisted twine braid.
K: "I expected that." I nodded. "Come on - we have to move fast."
The two followed me outside.
Twilight: "Any chance of getting a weapon? You DID train me." She nodded.
K: "What on?" I asked, looking over the troops as Twinkie got them ready.
Twilight: "I main as a Machine Gunner." She nodded firmly. "92/100 at my last eval."
K: "Mm.." I nodded. "..can't get you a Pershing, I'm afraid. We only ever made 56 of them, and most of them are gone. We grab one every now and again from the Pork Warriors.. I don't have any right now." I nodded to Twinkie. "HEY! We got an extra Zhukov or something?"
Twinkle Shine: "Ye.. yeah." She nodded and dug in a supply crate, and brought one over - it was embellished by the Manehattan Militia, and had some nice leather around the butt of the stock. "I'm guessing she knows how to use this."
K: "She says I trained her." I nodded. "I'll take it."
Twinkle Shine: "Here. Four mags. That's all we've got. Make the shots count." She handed her a musette bag with mags in it. "Make sure you take from the dead, if you get a chance - theirs or ours."
Twilight Sparkle: "Y-Yeah.." She blinked. "Things are.. so different, here."
K: "Yeah. I fucked up." I nodded.
Twilight Sparkle: "NO!" She pushed a hoof into my hip. "YOU did NOT fuck up." She stated firmly. "This is Glimmer's fault - without her damaging the time line, you would be at the head of the largest military force this world has ever seen, winner of dozens of victories, large and small.. and only ONE defeat - and THAT one was a cultural defeat that was a lost cause even before you GOT there!" She nodded, sharply. "You're an amazing General, K." She looked at Glimmer. "And even without all the resources you had in MY time line, you STILL managed to hold out this long. That's not a loser, or a fuck-up, K----. That's a winner facing impossible circumstances." She looked up to me, tears in her eyes. "I can't stand to see you this way, you're such a GOOD friend to me.." She lowered her head. "I know what you're capable of."
It was impossible, to me, to imagine myself as anything more than a complete fuck-up that destroyed this world.. yet, here was this stranger that I felt.. something from.. telling me that I'm a WINNER.. that I'm THE BEST. That, for once in my God-Damned life, I was doing something RIGHT.. instead of being a barely-employed, poverty-stricken fuckup in the human world that can't even provide properly for his wife and has to rely on Government hand-outs.
That, even coming here, I was a failure that couldn't even keep factories running.. couldn't supply my troops, equip or feed them.. and had let a third of the country get occupied.
Yet, here she was, a shining, sparkling beacon in the twilight of my life. Telling me.. this isn't hopeless. That, if she can make this spell work, all this suffering will be undone.
It was time to stop fucking up.
I marched over to the 127 ponies I had left.
K: "EVERYONE! Listen up!" I pointed at Twilight. "THAT girl right there told me that this whole TIME LINE is a mistake. That we SHOULD NOT have suffered like we did. That our DEFEATS.. were NOT our fault.. that WE should be WINNING! That, because the time line got disrupted, Tirek was made stronger, and us weaker. So.. we should be looking at each battle, each defeat, not as a LOSS, but as a TESTAMENT to our SURVIVAL! How STRONG we really are! Even without the LEGIONS of FRIENDS she says we SHOULD have, we've CONSTANTLY frustrated Tirek for over THREE YEARS.. we STOPPED him at Lone Hoof Ridge, we STOPPED him at Los Angeles. We STOPPED him at Hosston, Dallas, and elsewhere. We PREVENTED him from simply rolling over us. We SAVED lives." I waved to the countryside. "Yeah.. we're on our last mag, at the end of our rope, on our final line of defense, about to end the war in an unthinkable way.. but that's not because we're losers. We've forced Tirek into this position because WE CONSTANTLY FRUSTRATED him. We CONSTANTLY hit FAR above our weight class. That EACH soldier that died, died doing SO MUCH MORE than we SHOULD have been capable of." I nodded to them. "And now? We have.. a REAL chance. Not just Operation: Daybreaker, no. If we can get them to the Palace and buy them time? THEY can UNDO all of this! THINK of that! WE can FIX this! TOGETHER!" I gestured, pointed, and animated like I'd never done before. "But.. to do that.. we need to buy them EVERY SINGLE SECOND we can. EVERY SINGLE ONE!" I slapped my palm. "We will march harder than we ever have, dig in deeper than ever before, and use ANY asset we POSSIBLY can.. we will FRUSTRATE that Centaur-bastard ONE. MORE. TIME. And even if we can't hold him off long enough, or they can't get the spell right.. we will go down knowing.. we ENDED him." I nodded to them all. "I've been with you from the very beginning. I've suffered and starved as you have. I'm now asking you.. not as your Colonel, but as.. your friend. Who among you will give your last, FULL measure?"
They ALL cheered.. all of them. Even with so little left, their spirits were raised, and Morale skyrocketed.
Tirek better look out.. we were ready, and EAGER.. to fight.
[End of Part 3]
Part 4: The Final Defense
TIME: 15:52 ERST
DATE: War Day 1115/26 Octavius, 2004 C.S.
LOCATION: Ruins of Canterlot, Erie, Equestria
We did way better than we thought we could. Yes, my ponies were tired, but we beat them to Canterlot with at least three hours to spare or more, according to the remnants of Mike Company in Manehattan. That bought us time.
When we passed through Ponyville, Berry ran ahead to go tell Concerto, Pina, and the other survivors to run to the south-west as fast as they could, and not stop until they saw the sun rise. She told them they'd know what it means.
After all, if this magic trick fails, Tirek will be dead, but his lesser mooks will still be alive, and this world will have to deal with them.
I led the troops to their final defensive lines.
K: "Sergeant Braeburn." I nodded. "Second Platoon, Alpha Company, right here."
Sgt. Braeburn: "Yew got it, Colonel." He nodded, and started to dig in with his Platoon - they had one of our four remaining Pershings. "R'member what I said, folks. We don't go down 'till we fired ever-last bullet!"
His platoon cheered. We advanced to the next defensible location - the remants of the Train Yard.
K: "Staff Sergeant Berry Punch." She stepped up.. and hugged me.
SSGT Berry Punch: "THIRD PLATOON! ALPHA COMPANY! DIG IN RIGHT HERE! Get those Timbers over here so we can set up some positions! I want that Dynamite we got in Ponyville, rigged and ready!" She turned back to me, and even in full view of Twinkie, she pulled me down into a kiss. "Thank you for everything, K----. You're the best friend I ever had."
K: "Die well, Pretty Berry." I brushed a lock of her mane aside.
We moved to the next location.
K: "Bravo Company! DIG IN here!" I nodded. "Core?" I looked at Corner Sharpe.
Lt. Corner Sharpe: "We'll fight until there's nothing left of us, sir." He nodded firmly.
K: "Thanks for being a bro, Core." I patted his shoulder. "I wouldn't have come this far without you."
Lt. Corner Sharpe: "Thanks for being my friend, K." He gave me a one-leg hug. "See you on the other side."
I set up the last three platoons, with 1st Platoon right at the gates. My best.
K: "Baby." I nodded. "Do everything you can."
Twinkle Shine: "I love you." She hugged me tightly. "I'll always love you. Even in death. I.. I wish I could become an Avenging Angel to guard you for all time." She kissed, and I kissed back, deeply. Madly.
I had to force myself to break away.
K: "I love you so much, Baby." I caressed her muzzle. "My little Twinkie." I let the tears flow. "Every.. every second you can."
Twinkle Shine: "You know it, Big Bear." She nuzzled me again, and departed to sort out her troops.
I paced towards the entrance with those two strangers right behind me.
K: "They'll buy every second they can, with their lives." I nodded.
Twilight: "We'll start work as soon as we get inside." She nodded.
We entered the Throne Room together. Princess Celestia and Bright Eyes were there.. and alone. Celestia was looking almost fully recovered from the amputation, though her Mane was still not Astral, but plain hair. She stood, clad in armor, with that funky short sword across her back.
K: "Bright Eyes." I nodded. "Status of the Weapon?"
She looked up at me, first with her eyepatch side, then she centered it.. and shook her head.
Bright Eyes: "I can start the timer at any moment. How long do you want it set for?" She sighed.
K: "Two minutes. Once they break through Twinkie's position, that's about how long we can hold them off." I nodded.
Bright Eyes: "...it's done." She nodded, then looked at Twilight. "Who are these two?"
Celestia: "I was about to ask the same.. I can feel the magic in her.. and she's.. she looks like one of my old students." She shrugged her wing.
Twilight: "That's because I am, Princess Celestia." She nodded. "Rather, was. You made me the Element of Magic. And.. sent me to learn about the Magic of Friendship. Well, I learned a lot. And at one point, Tirek killed me.. but Tiamat revived me. To do so, she had to defy your mo-"
Celestia: "Say nothing more." She narrowed her eyes. "Colonel. What does this mean?"
K: "She.." I pointed to Glimmer. "..cast a spell to go back in time and undo a major event. That led to this. All of this." I gestured. "They're going to undo it, but they need time. Every possible second we can buy them. I.. you know I don't know anything about Magic." I shrugged.
Celestia: "..I would say it's impossible, but, Twilight being a.. Pony-Dragon.. tells me it isn't." She shrugged her wing again, and nodded. "Alright."
Twilight: "I'm.. sorry if I.. said anything I shouldn't. I'm.. I'm trying very hard to.. not say much about where I'm from, and what it's like there.. there's so much that's different, and we need to keep our minds focused." She nodded. "Come on, Glimmer.. let's start going through the incantations and variables."
Glimmer: "Yeah.. I want to get out of here as soon as possible!" She snorted a bit, then sighed, and started glowing.
Celestia: "Colonel." She bid me closer.
K: "Yes, Ma'am?" I stepped over to her.
Celestia: "I will say for certain that if Daybreaker is detonated.. I.. won't be coming back from that." She lowered her head. "The way you described it, there'll be nothing left of me. Do you think the Ponies of this world can.. survive?"
K: "Your Royal Highness, you told me about the Legend that said I'd either save this world, or destroy it." I nodded to Twilight. "We're on the razor's edge of exactly that. If this works, I'll have saved the world. If it fails, MY failures mean it was destroyed." I shrugged. "Prophecy fulfilled, Your Highness."
Celestia: "I suppose so." She nodded. "How long?"
K: "Three hours or less to contact." I nodded. "Braeburn has the outermost position. He did great in Hosston, he should do well here."
Celestia: "Understood, Colonel." She nodded to me, and went back to her throne to sit down.
And wait.
For The End.
One way or another.
[End of Part 4]
Part 5: The Final Showdown
TIME: 18:17 ERST
DATE: War Day 1115/26 Octavius, 2004 C.S.
LOCATION: Ruins of the Royal Palace, Canterlot
I paced back and forth like an expectant mother. At least Celestia made sure there was some real food available for the troops. The last of the alfalfa hay in the castle, a few vegetables from her garden, whatever she could scrape from the kitchen and supply room. My last meal was a salad, tea, and.. Celestia had meat on the plate, but I wouldn't ask where it came from. I guessed she slaughtered her chickens.
She loved those Chickens.
K: C> "Command to Alpha-Two." I called to Braeburn.
Sgt. Braeburn: C> "Alpha Two. My scout just got back - they's comin'! Estimate four minnits ta contact!"
K: C> "Roger. All callsigns, be advised.. Operation: Daybreaker commences in ETA three minutes... good luck to all of you, my friends. Alpha, out." I paced over to Celestia. "It's starting." I nodded.
Celestia: "They say they've only gone through about half the possible combionations, so far.. I.." She frowned. "Time is not on their side."
K: "Random chance." I nodded to Bright Eyes.
Bright Eyes: "One in 1,249,400, assuming we have less than one hour, K." She nodded back, and hefted her Kinetic Drive Rifle. "Time to see if this baby works as good as she did in testing." She smirked.
TIME: 18:21
Sgt. Braeburn: C> "ALPHA-TWO! WE ARE IN CONTACT! 'QUESTRIA, FUCK YEAH!"
I set the radio down by the bomb, and sat next to it. It wouldn't be long, now. With just a small force like this, I had next to no real chance of holding the enemy off for long. Even if I'd brought India Company, and not sent them to Coltago, the difference wouldn't be all that big. Kinda regretted that, now, but.. part of me didn't think this was going to work, and.. I HAD to leave something behind, or these Ponies would be hunted to extermination.
I just sat and waited. Staring at the palace doors. The barred, welded shut Throne Room doors.. doors that once invited everyone in, were sealed against invaders.
TIME: 18:33
Lt. Corner Sharpe: C> "This is BRAVO! Enemy has overrun Alpha-Two! Alpha-Three in contact in ETA one minute!"
K: "..lasted longer than I thought." I nodded. "Twilight, you have about.. one hour." I nodded. "Just a guess, it's probably less."
She didn't answer, she was too busy.
Celestia: "..I have some brandy, you know. You told me you've never really consumed alcohol. It's a very nice bottle." She nodded.
K: "I face death sober and with my eyes open." I nodded back. "Thanks, though."
Bright Eyes: "If you don't mind, Princess? Fill me up. No WAY I want to die sober!" She giggled.
Celestia: "Of course, My Little Pony." She trotted off to get the liquor, and returned with it. No glasses. She just popped the cork, and offered the first drink to Bright Eyes. "Ever since the Colonel rescued you, you've been an invaluable resource. I want you to know, I am thankful for all you've done."
Bright Eyes: "No problem." She nodded, and took a long swig. "Ohhh.. that's GOOD Brandy." A sharp sniff. "Top shelf!"
K: "Hah." I smirked.
Lt. Corner Sharpe: C> "This is BRAVO, ALPHA-THREE is IN CONTACT!"
K: "Come on, Berry.. buy us some time." I nodded at the Radio.
I paced. More. Waiting. This wasn't just waiting, this was knowing that your friends are dying out there, and you can't stop it. No, just the opposite - you have to let them sell their lives dearly. Each minute that passes, another one dies.
TIME: 18:47
Lt. Corner Sharpe: C> "This is BRAVO! Alpha-Three is DOWN! Estimate time to contact, two minutes! They got a LOT of them, sir! At least TWO regiments! He's starting to run out of troops!"
K: "And when he does, he'll take the field himself." I nodded. "This is going better than I could have imagined."
Celestia: "My faith in you was well placed, Colonel. You've done a magnificent job." She said, just a bit buzzed.
Bright Eyes: "Ehhh.. fuck that. Without him, I'd've died in my sleep like an idiot." She giggled. "Oh, well!"
K: "They did this. Not me. I just trained them, and barely gave them a means to defend themselves." I shrugged.
Lt. Corner Sharpe: C> "THIS IS BRAVO, WE ARE IN CONTACT! TALLY-HO!"
His last words.. all their last words.. my heart was starting to hurt, knowing I'd be going back home and leaving the survivors to whatever ravages Tirek's uncontrolled troops would visit upon them.
TIME: 19:03
MSGT Lees Perrin: "This.. Bravo.. w.. we're down.. SUCK THIS, YOU FRE-" *POP*Static*
K: "Mmm.. they did well." My mind was suddenly calm. I knew the end was coming. "Three more platoons."
TIME: 19:24
Capt. Twinkle Shine: C> "This is Alpha.. oh, damnit all.. K----, they're coming. I.. I love you."
I grabbed the radio.
K: C> "I love you, too, Baby. You brought me real happiness in this world." My eyes were flowing, but I was not sobbing.
Capt. Twinkle Shine: C> "HEY! HEYYY! IT'S HIM! COMMAND, TARGET DARK KING IS ON THE FIELD! CONTACT IN ONE MINUTE! I LOVE YOU!"
K: "Twilight, you got about three minutes, girl." I stood up, and switched my Sherman to a full mag, holding one in my off hand, and another against the grip in my primary hand. "Once Tirek hits them, they won't last long!"
She didn't answer, again.. she was focusing.
Glimmer: "W-We've almost got it! Just a bit more!"
K: "Princess." I nodded to the doors. "Bright Eyes."
Celestia: "Mm.. the time has arrived." She stood tall, and drew that strange sword with her mouth.
Bright Eyes: "Time to FUCK UP some BADDIES! YEAAAHHH! HIGH SCORE TIME, BABY!! WOO-HOO!!" She was blasted drunk.
TIME: 19:28
Twinkie: C> "Ngh.. t-.. alpha.. K--.. I'm.." *Piercing scream*
Tirek: C> "Mmm.. how do you work this confounded contraption!?" *Static* "Aahh.. there we are. Oh, human? It is time for us to meet - for the first and last time. Your little pony pet makes a fine decoration for my Trident. YOU are NEXT!" *Boisterous laughter*
The radio went dead.
K: "Bright Eyes." I swallowed. "Hit the timer."
Bright Eyes: "Two Minute Warning!" She laughed, and hit the button.
K: "That's a deadfall switch, there's no shutting it off. You have two minutes." I told them.
Twilight: "Almost.. there.. almost.."
The doors exploded inwards.
At that same instant, all three of us got into a ready stance.
Tirek paced in.. with Twinkie's SKIN wrapped around the haft of his massive trident. No.. not her skin.. he impaled her backwards and crushed her bones down to make a grip. He was also holding magic over it.
Tirek: "She's still alive." He smirked, holding it out. "Isn't that a NICE decoration?!" *Superlative laughter* "Ahh.. I think I'll keep her this way for a century or two?"
K: "I'm going to kill you." I said, plainly.
Tirek: "HOW?!" *HA-HA!* "HOOW!? You.. have.. NO PUNY THING.. that can even SCRATCH me!"
K: "That's an atomic bomb. Hydrogen bomb, in fact. Twenty-five megatons, and it's on a timer. Can't be shut off." I shrugged. "The atomic core means you can't teleport away. None of you can. The only way to stop it is to kill all three of us, then sacrifice one of your goons on a one-way portal to a nether-dimension." I shrugged. "So.."
Bright Eyes: "SCIENCE WILL FUCK YOU!"
K: "..and you're down a goat already." I nodded to him.
Tirek: "What do you mean!? You insolent MONKEY! Grogar is right there!"
*VrrrrrrrrrmMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM*KAAAAAA-CHOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWWW*
The Kinetic Drive Rifle fired, and Grogar was fired into the opposite wall at light speed. He exploded, taking a lot of WALL with him.
Tirek: "KILL THEM!" He charged forwards..
I started shooting. Celestia started off with several fast-fire magic spells, peppering the area with fireballs. Bright Eyes tried to fire the KDR again, but Rep fired a Lightning spell at her, and the rifle exploded in her face, sending her flying into Celestia's throne in three pieces.
Celestia then fried Rep with a blowtorch spell.
I shot Bray five times, then ran over and beat him with the stock of my rifle, then dodged smartly as Tirek tried to smash me with his Trident. Celestia crossed swords with him, as I tried to reload. I was tackled by Cozy Glow, dropped my rifle, and forced to shoot her with my Lee. Kicking her corpse off, I watched in horror as Tirek reached over, and caved in Celestia's skull with one downward punch, firing her own Unicorn Horn through her brain, and into the floor.
Her sword flew over and landed next to me.
I picked it up. And stood before him.
K: "Wanna settle this? Or have a quick smoke?" I smirked. "You're out of time."
Twilight: "I GOT IT!" She yelled. "CASTING!"
Suddenly, I charged at him, and crossed my sword with his Trident. He channelled a MASSIVE lightning spell through the Trident itself..
..but, when it hit the sword..
..it REFLECTED the spell back INTO HIM! Sending him into the WALL! SERIOUSLY injured!
Timer Speaker: "Ten... nine.."
K: "Looks like you lose, Tirek!" I smirked.
Tirek: "YOU.. INSOLENT.. MONKEYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!"
Timer Speaker: "..four ..three ..two.."
K: "PRAISE THE SUN!" I stood tall, and stretched out my arms.
Twilight: "CAST!"
--------------------***********************---------------------
I woke up.
