Counter Strike: Pony Offensive [~Trixie Short Story]

COUNTER STRIKE: PONY OFFENSIVE

Canterlot Royal Palace

1:56 PM

The cart stopped abruptly and one of the celestial royal guards trotted up to the side, his golden armor shimmering in the sunlight. He was fairly tall for the royal guard standards and had a brilliant white coat with blue eyes. The two unicorns in front smiled at him and he continued to the window. The window opened and a grey earth pony with a rough goatee smiled from under a pair of sunglasses. The royal guard smiled back and looked around for a moment before talking to the pony, "Good afternoon sir, I am going to have to ask that you please leave, the heroes of Equestria are meeting with the Princesses today and as such the castle is currently unavailable to the public."

The grey pony held out a small note wrapped in a bright red ribbon, "I have an appointment with her majesty Twilight Sparkle today."

With a bewildered look, the royal guard took the note and called over another guard who accompanied him. This one was of normal height and wore the same ornate armor. His coat was a deep grey with hazel eyes and he nudged the other and whispered something into his ear. "Please excuse me sir, while I clear this appointment."

The two royal guards took a few steps away from the cart and chuckled lightly as they unfurled the note. The red ribbon fell to the ground and the guards began to read the intricate handwriting:

Two Guards in Front

Six Patrolling

Three Targets

The guards looked back but before they could respond each were gunned down by the lead unicorns. They wrapped their faces and proceeded to the gate, rigging it with an explosive charge. The grey earth pony stepped out with a large clay like block strapped to his back. In the center was a keypad and wires ran across it. Three more ponies all similarly armed and disguised rushed out of the carriage. Three guards approached the gate and began to cast malicious spells at the attackers. The strange ponies retreated and the guards were vaporized in a blast that tore the gates from the hinges.

The grey pony flashed his blood red eyes from under his shades, "Find the princesses, and kill anypony who stands in our way."

===>ROUND DRAW<===

En Route to Canterlot Royal Palace

2:56 PM

The helicopter was nearing its target, the sun hung high in the sky over a scene of horror. Guards lay everywhere in pools of blood, the gate was ripped apart and charred by the reported explosions, and there has been no contact from anypony inside. Pony Team 6 would assume that this was a hostage situation. Cobalt, the team leader, stepped up to the helicopter whiteboard with a sigh. All across the white surface were maps, pictures, names, anything anypony could need for a mission like this was on the board. Cobalt pointed to the large X painted in the center of the palace, "This is the assumed bomb site. Ponies from the Saddle Arabian Peninsula have crossed over undetected and have now taken the royal palace. No contact has been made with anypony on the inside and we assume that the princesses and the heroes are alive."

A light in the cabin flashed green, "Alright everypony, check your corners and targets. For ten years the princesses have questioned the need for Pony Team Six and today we will give them an answer."

The wheels touched down on the front lawn and Cobalt stepped up to the edge and waved his hoof, "Go, go, go!"

The whole cadre of gun wielding counter terrorists hopped down onto the lawn, weapons levitated and at the ready. The helicopter dusted off and disappeared into the afternoon sky. No sooner had the team exited the helicopter did a loud crack ring out and Emerald, the team gunner, went down. Cobalt looked up and spotted a lone figure running across the rooftops. He raised his carbine and fired, "Sharpshooter!"

Everypony raised their weapons and fired upon the assassin. Even Emerald had recovered enough to fire a few short bursts at his attacker. A red puff flew up from the back of the retreating target and slid off the roof to the ground below. Blaze and Frost helped Emerald to his feet and he waved them off. Cobalt put a hoof up and pointed to the main doors of the palace, "Target eliminated, stack up on the door."

All six counter terrorists stacked up and waited as Cobalt rushed to the front of the team. He peaked inside and levitated out a small canister. The pin detached and he slung it through the doorway with a clatter, "Flash-bang, heads down!"

A thunderous noise erupted from the interior and was illuminated as if by a camera flash. The sounds of popping windows and thrown furniture signaled the team. Cobalt swung in and was flanked by his comrades. The inside was wrecked by the grenade and glass was now scattered about the floor. From upstairs a shadow moved across the balcony unknown to the rescuers below. A clap of a shotgun rang out and the recruit, Jasmine, was torn open by the hail of pellets. Before any of her allies could react a firefight began and a mass confusion of gunfire began.

"Target left, on the..."

"...Fuck I'm hit!"

"Where did they even..."

"Pony down!"

Suddenly the firefight ended, and two of the team lay dead. Hammer was now dead, and lay next to Jasmine in a pool of blood. Cobalt stared at the bodies while Blaze began to sob over her lost friends. Emerald was aiming his SAW at the upper floors of the palace and looked back to Frost who was also scanning the last known position of the ambushers. Cobalt picked Blaze up off the ground and held her still, "We have a job to do, don't make their deaths in vain."

Blaze nodded and sniffled one last time, her fiery eyes welled with tears. Emerald and frost took point followed by Cobalt and Blaze. Cobalt overtook the two and spotted a silhouette retreating into the shadows of a corridor. Cobalt halted the team, "Target spotted." He waited as the silhouette was illuminated by a torch. His head was wrapped in a balaclava just like the description and he carried a large block of explosives. "Bomb!" Cobalt yelled as he fired. The bullet threw the runner to the ground dead.

Everypony quickly advanced on the fallen pony. The hallway was littered with bullet holes and bodies of servants. To the teams immediate front lie the body and the bomb. The team was only a few trots away from the bomb when three ponies emerged from behind some rubble. A shower of bullets came down upon the team and Cobalt was killed immediately. Emerald returned fire and struck one of the ponies in the chest, spraying blood over the back wall. Emerald was the next to fall as Frost and Blaze took cover in an adjacent room. Blaze tapped Frost on the helmet and shouted over the battle, "I'm assuming command!"

Blaze took out a metal sphere and unpinned it. She skittered up to the door and threw the grenade with all of her might, "Grenade!"

BOOM!!!

Frost and Blaze quickly slid out into the hallway, rifles ready. All three of the ponies were dead. The shrapnel made a mess of all three. Blaze saw the large door that was guarded by these three and noticed that the bomb was gone. Blaze and Frost searched emeralds body and retrieved some detonation cord and plastic explosives. They lined the door and stepped back, Frost stomped on the detonator and the door was flung open by a loud bang.

The two quickly stormed the room to find Celestia and Luna both clinging to each other. Frost untied Luna as Blaze attended to Celestia, "Ma'am, Pony Team Six, we're here to get you out."

Celestia flung herself into Blaze and began to hysterically shout, "You have to save Princess Twilight and her friends! They're going to kill her with a bomb and destroy all of Canterlot!"

Blaze grabbed Celestia by her shoulders, "Ma'am, we won't let that happen. We need to know where they took Twilight. Can you tell me how many there are and where they went?"

"I... I think..." Celestia searched her panicked mind, "There we're six... no seven! One was grey and didn't look or talk like the others. They took Twilight and her friends to the Elements of Harmony!"

Blaze stood up and reached up to her helmet, "Command this is Blaze, do you copy?"

A crackling hiss came through the headset, "We copy you Blaze, where is Six Actual?

"Six Actual is KIA, I am assuming command of the mission."

A few moments passed before the static laced voice came through, "Copy all Six Actual, can you give a SITREP at this time?"

"Command, we have target Sun and target Moon in our possession we will move to EXFIL at rendezvous point. We also have reason to believe that the enemy combatants have a bomb and are planning to execute Princess Twilight and other hostages. They somehow plan to harness the Elements of Harmony to cause massive damage to Canterlot. How copy, Command?"

"Solid copy on all Six Actual, your orders are to EXFIL both assets immediately, Blazes heart stopped as command continued, "We will prep a team to attempt rescue of final HVT."

"Negative, Command!" Blaze yelled, "Our time frame is compromised and they plan to do it soon!"

"Six Actual, you are to stand down immediately and withdraw to the rendezvous."

Blaze took her headset and smashed it on the nearby wall, "Can't comply..."

Frost was standing there silently behind his mask, leaning on his rifle. Blaze sighed deeply and walked over to Emeralds body. She reached into his saddlebag and took out a small toolkit. She rolled the kit up and squeezed it into her saddlebags. She turned to Frost and the Princesses, "Ma'am, Corporal Frost will escort you to the rendezvous from here."

Celestia stiffened up, "Thank you, but we can handle ourselves. You need your friend to help you."

Blaze held out a hoof, "No can do Ma'am. Too risky, I need you to follow the corporal and get out of Canterlot."

Celestia nodded and Luna gave Blaze a slight hug. The hug was awkward due to her armor and helmet but she returned the best she could. Frost stopped short of the door and looked back. Blaze took off her helmet and let her orange mane fall around her yellow face. Frost simply nodded and escorted the princesses down the hall. Blaze turned to the lengthy hallway to the right and began to gallop.

Elements Chamber

3:04 PM

Twilight struggled violently against her binding as the grey pony stared her in the eyes. She tried to use her magic, wrapping the pony in a lavender glow but nothing happened. Twilight stared into his eyes as he laughed, "You think you are gods, but today I will kill a god."

"You're insane!" Rainbowdash yelled from the corner of the room. Her wings were bound as were her hooves. Applejack, Rarity, and Fluttershy were the same. Pinkie Pie bounced merrily in the corner without binding however which startled and intrigued the nearby masked terrorist. Pinkie giggled, "Yeah, and I thought I was insane when I invited Dashie over for cupcakes!"

Rainbowdash stared quizzically at the pink mare, "Why?"

"You?! How did you?! Tie her up!" The grey earth pony gawked.

The terrorist pointed to a bundle of ropes, chains, and padlocks from dozens of other attempts, "I did!"

"Tie her up again!"

The terrorist pony snatched up the ropes, chains, padlocks and tied her up once more, setting her gingerly next to Rainbowdash who was still staring curiously at Pinkie. The grey earth pony returned his burning gaze to Twilight. He brushed his mane with his hoof and smiled dangerously, "You thought the elements would save you, but now I will make them burn Canterlot to the ground."

"It will never work! You can't harness them for evil!" Twilight strained her voice.

The grey earth pony pulled out a red star pendant. Twilight recognized this pendant and started to shudder, "What, how will that... you can't use that to... can you?"

"Oh," he leaned in close, "I can."

A loud crash echoed throughout the chamber and Blaze stepped through the door. The grey earth pony ran and shoved the masked terrorist in front of him. The terrorist fumbled into cover and Blaze slid behind a column. The fiery mare quickly advanced on the left side. She could she the terrorist peeking out of cover occasionally. She stepped out of the side hall from behind him and placed three shots in the back of the pony. He fell to the ground clutching something in his hooves. Blaze rolled him over and gasped as the now active bomb thudded to the floor.

04:53

Blaze had gone through this scenario a million times. This however, was the real thing. She carefully turned over the bomb and traced the wires. The power source was two black boxes and the wires ran directly into it. One wire red and one blue, but Blaze didn't know which one would deactivate the device. Blaze screamed at the top of her voice, "ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!!!"

Princess Twilight, who had been cowering in her chair, turned to Blaze and between concerned pants whimpered in fear, "Please tell me you know what you're doing!"

Blaze thumbed through the technical field manual, "Uh, sure let's go with that!"

BANG!

A bullet threw Blaze to the ground and she went limp. Twilight now went hysterical at the sight of her unmoving rescuer, "Celestia no! Please get up!"

The grey earth pony stepped out of the shadows and walked up to the body, a large silver pistol in his mouth. He pun a hoof on Blazes back and rolled her over. Her eyes stared up past him and he smiled smugly. Her eyes then locked with his and a hoof threw the gun from his jaw. A powerful buck to the groin sent him reeling and Blaze quickly rolled onto her hooves, taking out her knife. The grey earth pony took out a long red blade that twisted with a malicious design, "Today, Equestrian scum, you will die."

Blaze lunged forward and overshot the earth pony who skillfully danced around her. She tried again and missed once more, this time receiving a painful slash on her flank. The grey pony was now laughing at her, "Too slow."

A third time she lunged, but this time her knife flew out of her hoof. She bucked backwards as she passed and heard that clang of metal as his blade flew across the room and nearly impaled Pinkie Pie. Pinkie looked at the knife and giggled loudly, "That was an awesome trick, do Dashie next!" Rainbowdash now shot her a concerned look.

It was now hoof to hoof and Blazes attempts were getting increasingly poor. For every blow she would try to deal she would receive one. Every move she made was too slow for the enemy. He simply pummeled her at every turn until she could barely stand. He issued a stern kick to her side and she tumbled to the ground. The buck stood over her, "As always, you will fall to the greater power." He kicked her again.

"Not yet." Blaze said as her horn wrapped her rifle in a orange glow. At the same time Blaze's knife, wrapped in a familiar lavender glow plunged into the bucks neck. Blaze stood tall and raised the rifle barrel which was stopped by the weakening hooves of the grey buck. She threw her head into his and he stumbled back. She raised the rifle and fired two shots into his chest then one in his head dropping him.

"The bomb!" Twilight yelped.

Blaze slid over to the bomb and levitated the wire cutter, first over the red then the blue. She still didn't know which wire to cut. The countdown beeping was becoming faster and louder as she waited. She flipped the bomb over to see the face and the wires simultaneously. The red LED face stared back at he with a warning.

00:11

She took a deep breath and placed a wire between the blades. She looked out the window into Canterlot, her heart racing.

Please...

00:03

00:02

00:01

Clack

===>COUNTER TERRORISTS WIN<===

The face of the bomb switched off and Blaze could breathe again. Pinkie managed to get out somehow and positioned herself behind Blaze with a paper bag slamming it into he hoof and causing the sound of an explosion. All of the yellow from Blazes coat drained into her hooves and Pinkie Pie was rolling from laughter, "You should've seen your face!"

Blaze rolled her eyes as soon as she returned from the land of the living and untied the hostages, "Everypony alright?" Blaze asked, receiving mixed responses of praise and confirmation. She dropped her rifle and picked up the bomb. Twilight flew over to the grey pony and snatched up the red star pendant from his body. Blaze stared at it curiously, "Ma'am?"

"Something very dangerous." Twilight frowned as she levitated it into her dress pocket.

A nearby glass mural shattered and dozens of ponies clad in Pony Team seals roped in through the windows. Five of them trained their guns on Blaze. Twilight's friends thrived to interject but were blocked off by more armor clad ponies. A black unicorn stallion stepped over the threshold of the shattered mural. His greying mane matching his bushy grey mustache, and a tipped beret on his head bearing the Pony Team Six seal. He stared at Blaze intently, "Captain, for insubordination in a high risk operation and for endangering the life of Princess Sparkle you are being placed under arrest."

Blaze struggled as the armed ponies began to tie her. Twilight flew over and levitated them away. The black stallion barely lifted an eyebrow, "Princess, this mare put numerous lives in danger against orders."

"She saved me and my friends, and defused the bomb, Commander." Twilight growled, "Unless you want to give up your own job, you'll understand that the Captain is free to return to duty. Thank you Blaze, thank you for all that you've done."

Blaze looked up to the princess and smiled, "Just doing my job, Ma'am."

"You've done more than that commander," came and angelic voice as Celestia stepped from behind Blaze, "You trusted yourself and had faith in what you believed and because of it you saved all of us."

"Nopony gets left behind Princess." Blaze nodded and followed a cadre of armored Pony Team members onto the ramp of the helicopter. The blades thundered as it took off into the afternoon sky.

Everypony watched quietly until Rainbowdash broke the silence, "Pinkie what did you mean when you were talking about cupcakes?"

==>ROUND OVER<==