Fire Base Zebra

Rough Gunner and his soldiers watched in terror, as the tank began to emerge from left side of the main building.

A big black vehicle made from metal rolled slowly from behind the building. It looked simple built, like a big block of metal with a barrel attached to it, but it made it look even more intimidating. I'ts tracks crushed everything on it's way and its barrel was aimed towards the sky. There was a big cloud of steam rising from behind it.

"How can it even move!?" a pony next to Rough asked with a scared voice.

"With steam," Rough answered, trying to keep calm.

Tank was rolling towards them.

Rough looked at his soldiers, who were now silent and looking at the tank approaching them. He knew that they had nothing to fight against the tank. They had only grenades, but they wouldn't do any damage to the armored death machine moving towards them. Rough pondered what to do next. He looked at his soldiers, and then at the black tank, that was now only about three hundred meters from them.

He didn't have any other choice.

"Pull back! Pull back now!" He shouted, and ponies around him started to strap their weapons onto their backs. Rough too put his gun back to it's holster, and was just about to start moving when he heard somepony shout: "Wait! Captain look!"

Rough turned away and saw the same pony who had spotted the tank, again pointing at something over the edge of the trench. Rough jumped next to him and peeked over the edge.

He saw that the tank had now stopped moving. They looked at the motionless tank in confusion. It didn't move, only a small amount of steam rising from it showed that it was still alive.

More ponies had gathered at the edge of the trenches, to see what was going on.

"Did it broke down or something?" Rough heard somepony ask.

Just then a big cloud of steam puffed from the tank, and it started to turn to right.

"What is it doing? Where is it going?" the pony next to Rough asked confusedly.

Rough was puzzled too. They would have been a easy prey for that tank, but then it changed it's course for no reason. Rough turned his head towards the direction where the tank was headed. His eyes widened when he realized what it was up to.

Rough Gunner saw that the royal guards were still engaging the main building, and that the changelings were heavily outnumbered. He saw how royal guards were almost at the building, hiding behind a bulge. They seemed to be unaware of the black tank approaching them.

"Oh no! It's going for the guards!" somepony shouted.

Rough Gunner thought that he needed to get the attention of royal guards somehow, otherwise they would soon be crushed by the tank. He dropped his rifle back to his hooves and lifted it over the edge.

"Open fire!" he shouted and began to fire single shots at the tank. Others soon followed his example.

Bullets didn't do anything. They just ricocheted from the turret of the tank, but they still kept firing.

"We can't penetrate it's armor sir!" somepony shouted.

"Just keep firing!" Rough shouted.

He then laid his rifle on the ground and took his binoculars. He lifted them to his eyes and looked at the royal guards. They still didn't seem to have noticed the tank. Rough grunted annoyed. He turned his binoculars towards the black tank. Bullets from his soldiers weapons rattled against it, but didn't even make a scratch on it.

Rough knew that they could shoot all they wanted, but it wouldn't do anything.

But that wasn't what Rough was planning.

He saw how the tank's turret started to turn in their direction.

"It worked," he said to himself.

"Excuse me sir?" Pony next to him asked and looked at Rough. He quickly dropped the binoculars and grabbed his rifle. Rough then shouted: "Get down!"

Everypony ducked in the trenches. They heard a small sharp bang, and then a green magic projectile flew over the trench and landed just a few meters from it. Explosion ripped a part of the trench, making sand and dust flew high up in the air.

They all laid on the floor of the trenches for a moment, while dust floated in the air. Rough jumped back up. He looked at his comrades, who were covered in dust.

"Anypony hurt?" he asked loudly. Ponies on the floor started to slowly rose up, shaking dust from their coats. Rough sighed from relied, when he saw that nopony was hurt. He then remembered the royal guards.

Rough Gunner grabbed his binoculars and swept the dust from the lenses. Rough took off his aviator glasses and lifted the binoculars back to his eyes.

He saw that the royal guards had heard the tank firing towards them, just like he had planned. They were falling back towards the trenches on their left, but they had to move from cover to cover, because the changelings in the main building were now recovered from their attack and had started to fire at them. Tank fired at them too, but the shot went a bit too low, exploding on the ground behind the running royal guards.

Royal guards were running as fast as they could. They were only couple meters away from the trenches, and most of them hopped in the trenches, but two of them were still in the open. The tank adjusted it's barrel and fired again. Green projectile flew towards the two ponies, exploding right under their feet.

They disappeared into a big cloud of dust and fire.

"Holy fuck.." pony next to Rough said sadly. Rough lowered his binoculars and watched the tank. It started to retreat back towards the main building.

"What is it doing now?" a machine gunner asked from him. Rough looked at the main building, where changelings started to move outside, into the defensive positions. Tank moved backwards, and stopped near the changeling soldiers.

"They are preparing for a counter attack," Rough realized.

Soldiers around him turned their heads towards him, looking scared.

"But they are heavily outnumbered! Why would they attack?" the machine gunner asked. Rough scratched his chin and said: "I don't know.. I don't know."

Riff was moving in the trenches with sergeant Payload. They were trying to find Rough Gunner, but they hadn't seen even glimpse of him. They passed couple of more ponies, who pressed themselves against the walls to let them pass. Riff saw pony he knew was from his platoon.

"Hey, Swift was it?" Riff asked from a light grey pony sitting in a junction of two trenches. The pony nodded.

"You know where Rough is?" Riff asked.

"He's over there, in the end of this trench" Swift said and pointed his hoof to the trench on his left.

"Okay, thanks," Riff said and started to make his way towards Rough with Payload. They passed more and more ponies, each of them looked dead-beat.

Riff finally saw Rough Gunner's head poking over the rest of the ponies. He was looking at something with his binoculars.

"Captain," Payload said when they reached Rough, who turned around when he heard a familiar voice.

"Sergeant, good to see that you're alive," Rough said. He then looked at Riff.

"How are you holding up?" He asked from Riff, who shrugged his shoulders. Rough frowned and returned to Payload.

"Is the gates secured?" he asked.

"Yes. My soldiers are guarding it," Payload answered. Rough nodded and then continued: "How about the support team?"

"They are at the gates too, waiting for new orders," Payload said. Rough seemed to ponder something.

"We need those heavy machine guns and the mortars at those bunkers," Rough said and pointed his hoof at two bunkers side to side on the right side of the trenches. Payload and Riff were confused, why did Rough want all the heavy weapons in the front?

Rough seemed to notice their confused expressions, because he said: "The changelings are going to launch a counter attack soon."

"Then why are we attacking now, before they're ready?" sergeant Payload asked.

Rough rubbed his forehead and said: "Because they have a tank."

"What!?" Payload and Riff said in unison. Rough just waved his hoof to the main buildings direction.

Riff and Payload lifted their heads over the edge and saw it. The tank was still stationed in front of the main building.

They then turned back to Rough, who was looking at them.

"Riff, I need you to.." he started to say, but was interrupted  by one of his soldiers shouting: "Look! There they come!"

Just then they heard the familiar sharp bang, and green ball of magic hit the trenches near them.

Explosion shredded the part of the trenches where it hit into a splinters, black smoke and dust made them cough and tears were running from their eyes. Riff heard yelling, and when the smoke faded, he saw somepony's leg laying in front of him. He quickly turned away from it and saw Rough and Payload taking their guns out from their holsters.

He started to take his rifle from his back too, but he felt somepony grabbing him from his shoulder. Riff lifted his head and saw Rough.

"Riff, I need you to go tell the support team to move up to those bunkers! Tell the medics to come here and help the wounded! Got that?" Rough shouted to Riff, who strapped his rifle back to his back and said: "Yes sir!"

Rough nodded. He stood up and began to fire towards the approaching changelings. Riff started to run towards the gates.

He came to the spot where the tank's projectile had hit the trenches. There he saw the pony who's leg he had seen earlier. He was lying in a big pool of blood with other fallen pony. Riff heard how the changeling tank fired again, but he saw that the shot went too high and landed behind the trenches.

Riff kept running, but there were too many ponies on his way. He knew that he couldn't get to the gates in time, if he wouldn't leave the trenches and run in the open, where he could get hit more easily. He stopped and thought for a minute.

"Argh! What choices do I have!?" he shouted angrily to himself, earning couple of looks from the ponies near him, but Riff didn't care.

"Here we go!" he encouraged himself and jumped up to the edge of the trench. Riff started to gallop towards the gates, which seemed to be light years away from him. Bullets rattled on the ground near him as he ran.

He dived behind a small rock to catch his breath. Tank fired towards the trenches, but again it flew over the trenches and landed near Riff. He flew couple of meters and landed onto his back. Terrified Riff stumbled back to his hooves and continued to run again. He heard the bullets whiz near his head.

He was about half way to the gate, and the changeling's bullets were still flying past him.

"Why me! I'm just running here for Celestia's sake!" Riff shouted angrily towards the Changeling's he couldn't even see.

Riff suddenly felt his legs hit something in front of him, and he faceplanted right on the ground.

Riff lifted himself, leaning onto his front hooves. He moaned as he rose up to sitting position. He felt something warm running down his snout. Riff touched his muzzle and squeaked from pain. He had hit his snout in the ground and now it was bleeding.

Riff turned around to see where he had tripped.

It was a changeling. Riff got scared and backed away, trying to get his gun from his back. He then noticed that the changeling was lying on the ground, with it's tongue out of the mouth and eyes wide open, it was a terrified expression.

Riff stared at the corpse in front of him.

Then he heard the familiar sharp bang, following by a  distant explosion. He had to get moving now.

He stood up and continued moving.

Healing Horn and Crack Shot were waiting at the gates. They heard distant gunfire getting more intense by the minute. Healing looked around himself. There were couple of soldiers from the cleaning group by the gates, aiming their rifles towards the sound of gunfire.

There were wounded lying on the left. They moaned and cried in pain. Some of them cried for their loved ones or parents. It was sad to listen. The dead were covered with white cloth. Healing counted twenty-two fallen, and there surely was more.

Healing sat next to Crack Shot, who was smoking. Healing gulped and asked: "Do you think that Riff is okay?"

Crack didn't say anything for a while. Healing turned to look at the wounded.

"I'm sure he's okay, but that sound -" They heard a sharp bang, followed by a explosion -" I don't like it," he said.

"Me either," Healing said and listened, as a new explosion was heard.

Suddenly the guards at the gate lifted their rifles and aimed at something. Healing and Crack tried to see what they were aiming at.

They saw a pony running towards them. He's face was bloody, and Healing couldn't tell who it was.

"Who goes there!" One of the guards shouted.

The pony didn't answer and the guard shot a warning shot couple of meters in front of  the running pony, who dived on the ground and stumbled behind a small piece of concrete. Everypony turned towards the gates, and took their weapons into their hooves.

"Swirl, you twat! It's me Riff!" the pony shouted from behind the piece of concrete. Healing's face lit up. He turned his head towards Crack, who looked back at him with a stupid smile on his face.

"Riff! Are you okay!?" Healing shouted. He saw Riff rising from behind the piece of concrete.

"Yeah! Just hit my snout on the ground while back," Riff shouted back to Healing.

"Come here!" Crack shouted, and Riff started to trot towards them.

Healing and Crack strapped their guns onto their backs and trotted to meet their friend. Riff's face was covered in blood, and his white coat was dirty from smoke and dust.

"You look like shit," Crack said to his friend and patted Riff on the shoulder.

"So do you," Riff said smirking.

"Hey!" Crack shouted offended.

Healing looked at Riff and asked: "What are you doing here?"

Riff swept blood from his mouth and said: "We need the MG's and mortars up there. ASAP."

Crack Shot and Healing Horn looked at each other, while Riff just stood there.

"I'ts getting pretty wild up there," Riff said and waved his hoof up towards the hill. He then continued: "Changelings are counter attacking."

They heard that same sharp bang again, and like always a explosion followed it. Healing saw Riff looking up the hill. Then Healing asked: "What's that?"

Riff turned to him and had a serious look on his face when he said: "Changelings have a tank."

Rough fired at the mass of enemies in front of him. He couldn't have believed that the main building would have so many changelings still inside it. The area between the trenches and the main building was swarming with changelings, and there were bullets flying past ponies heads.

Rough fired at couple of changelings, who were approaching from the left.

"Don't let them get close enough to throw grenades!" Payload shouted while shooting at one changeling, who was about to throw grenade into the trenches. It collapsed right onto his own grenade and soon it exploded, splitting the wounded changeling in half.

Rough looked around himself. His soldiers were doing actually pretty fine now, when the tank was engaging the royal guards. They hadn't had any big casualties yet, only two after the counter attack started. He saw couple of ponies on his right side, behind Payload. They had spread their soldiers across the trenches, because the changelings were attacking from many places at once.

"How's the royal guards holding it?" Payload asked from Rough, who was shooting accurate single shots towards the enemies. Rough quickly looked at the direction where royal guards were. They seemed to keep the enemy away from their trenches, even though the tank was now bothering them.

"They.. are.. fine!" Rough shouted, between the shots. He saw group of five enemies moving behind a ruins of a destroyed bunker in front of them.

"Hey!" he shouted to Payload and pointed his hoof towards the five enemies. Payload nodded and then turned around, where stood a light yellow pony, shooting with a machine gun. Payload tapped him on a shoulder, making him turn his head towards the sergeant.

"Keep an eye out for that bunker! There's changelings behind it!" Payload shouted over the loud gunfire, and the pony nodded. Right after Changelings emerged from behind the bunker, the light yellow pony cut them down with his machine gun.

"Good job!" Rough shouted to him, and the light yellow pony looked at him, smiling.

"Thank's, captain," he said.

Rough didn't have time to answer, changelings were approaching in big waves. He switched his assault rifle from single shots to fully automatic. He held the stock of his rifle tightly against his shoulder. He squeezed the trigger and let a long burst of lead flying towards the enemy, nailing three of them, while the others sprinted for cover.

Rough saw how the alive ones took their weapons into their hooves. Rough tried to shoot at them, but his clip was empty.

"You piece of shit!" Rough shouted and ducked when the changelings opened fire from only ten meters away from them.

Dirt flew over them, when the changeling's bullets ripped the ground over their heads.

Payload and the yellow pony had to duck too. Payload reloaded his rifle, and looked at Rough.

Rough reloaded his rifle too, and the he looked back at Payload.

"I'll throw a grenade, you cover m.." Payload got interrupted by something landing in front of him with a small thud.

"Oh shit! GET DOWN!" Payload shouted and grabbed the grenade. He stood up and threw the grenade over the edge of the trench, but it exploded only about a meter away from Payload, slamming him against the wall of the trench.

Rough was curled on the floor of the trench, and when he lifted his head, he saw the yellow pony with his machine gun on the floor too, with two other ponies. They seemed to be alright.

Then he saw Payload. He was leaning against the wall, motionless. Rough Gunner stood up and peeked over the edge of the trench. He saw that the changelings were still behind their cover, but now they were firing towards somepony on their left, exposing their side completely for Rough. He took quick aim and shot short bursts at the changelings, making them fall one by one. After he finished, he turned to the rest of the unhurt ponies, who were looking at Payload.

"Hey! You three cover me while I check him!" Rough shouted.

The ponies snapped from their shock and started to move to the edge of the trench again. The light yellow pony placed his weapon on the edge, and started to suppress the advancing enemy with his 7.62 mm machine gun.

Rough trotted to Payload.

Payload's face was burnt badly, and his right fore-leg was missing from under the knee. Also he had many cuts and burns all around his upper body. Payload slowly turned his head towards Rough, who crouched next to him.

Rough looked at his comrade. Payload's red coat was starting to get soaked in his own, even darker red blood. And his brown mane was half burned.

"*cough* How bad... *cough* is it?" Payload asked with a rowdy voice. Rough looked at his friend. He was bleeding badly from his arm. Rough knew what the outcome would be.

"It's not that bad, really," he said with a calm voice. Payload started laughing, but stopped when the pain kicked in. He grabbed Rough Gunner from the shoulder with his good hoof.

"You're a bad liar.. *cough cough* I know I'm dying," Payload said, with something resembling a smirk on his face.

Rough heard the yellow pony firing his machine gun in long bursts.

"It sucks... to die you know," Payload growled and drooped his head backwards. His hoof slid down from Rough's shoulder.

He was gone.

"Sir!?" the yellow pony shouted.

"What?" Rough asked, still crouching over Payload.

"The tank is approaching us now!" the pony shouted in terror. Rough jumped back up, and trotted next to him. He saw how the tank was moving towards them, slowly but steadily. Rough thought that it must have had enough from the resistance of the royal guards, and was now targeting less trained targets.

"What do we do?" the pony asked. Rough looked at his three soldiers, and then at the tank. He saw that there were at least ten changelings moving behind the tank, using it as a cover. They wouldn't have a chance against them.

He sighed and said: "Fall back."

Just then Rough Gunner heard a howling sound above his head, and soon there was a explosion near the tank, killing couple of the changelings behind it. Then Rough heard another howling sound, and this time the explosion was much closer to the tank.

Rough took his binoculars and turned to look at the two bunkers. He saw three mortars positioned near them, and four 50.cal machine guns being deployed.

"Goddammit Riff, you did it," he said smiling.

"FIRING!" blue pony shouted and dropped the grenade into the tube of the mortar. There was a small 'blob' sound and the grenade went flying towards it's target. Grenade missed the tank only with couple of meters.

Crack Shot saw the tank turning, with a big cloud of steam rising from behind it.

"It's trying to get away!" he shouted.

"It can try," a grey pony adjusting the mortar said.

The tank was moving close to the trenches, drawing fire from the ponies in them.

"Okay, ready!" white pony, who was behind the sightunit said.

"FIRING!" the blue pony shouted and dropped another grenade into the tube.

This time the grenade hit the tank in the right track, exploding them into bits.

"You got it! It can't move now!" Healing cheered.

Crack Shot lifted his sniper rifle to his shoulder. He examined the tank, which seemed to be alright. It was just immobilized. Crack saw how two ponies climbed up from the trenches, and galloped towards the tank. Tank tried to turn it's turret, but it wasn't fast enough, and soon the two ponies were jumping on the tank.

Other one had a pistol in his hoof, and other had a grenade. When the hatch of the tank opened and one changeling lifted his head from the hole, pony with the pistol shot the it three times in the head, while the other one dropped the grenade inside the tank.

A cloud of black smoke exploded from the hatch, and the two ponies gave high-hoof to each other.

They were brought back to reality by a burst from a changeling machine gun. Other one was hit in the legs, but the other one managed to jump from the tank in time.

Crack saw how the other pony dragged his wounded friend back to the trenches.

"They're bucking grazy!" Crack said to no-one in special.

"Look! They're still attacking!" Healing shouted and pointed his hoof towards the main building, where the last changelings were starting to attack. Crack saw that too. There was about twenty changelings moving from the main building.

"They're tough bastards.. Riff, Heavy!? How's the machine guns?" Crack Shot shouted to Riff and Heavy, who were readying one of the machine guns.

"Were ready!" Heavy shouted. He looked at the three other machine guns. Then he asked from the ponies using them: "Are ya ladies ready?"

"Yes!" they shouted in unison.

"Let's go then!" Heavy shouted and pulled the cocking handle back. Then he aimed the gun towards the attacking changelings. Riff helped Heavy by feeding the bullet belt into the bullet feed.

"Take this you motherf.." Riff didn't hear rest of Heavy's sentence, because Heavy opened fire. Riff kept the bullet belt going in the feed tray in a straight line, to prevent the gun from jamming.

Now the three other MG's opened fire too, reining death upon the attacking changelings.

Healing watched as the tracers flew over the battlefield, landing over the changelings.

"FIRING!" the blue pony shouted again, and now three mortars joined the play. Healing looked in awe, as the grenades landed over the changelings, exploding into small clouds of black smoke. The changelings were dropping like flies.

"Look! Our troops are attacking!" somepony shouted. Healing looked at the trenches, and saw how the ponies started to climb out from the them. They started to gallop towards the main building.

Soon he saw how the royal guard joined the attack.

"All medics! You are needed at the trenches!" some medical sergeant shouted suddenly. Healing turned around, and saw how ponies with medic bags were trotting to him. Healing looked at Crack Shot, who looked back at him.

"I think that means me," Healing said, sounding nervous. Crack nodded and said: "Yeah, take care of yourself."

Healing didn't say anything. He just started to trot towards the rest of the medics. When they all were gathered except for couple of medics, who were treating the wounded, they started to move towards the trenches.

"There's probably some of our ponies guarding the wounded, so remember to identify yourselves when moving in the trenches," the medical sergeant said while they were trotting towards the battlefield.

Healing looked at the advancing ponies in the distance.

They were storming inside the main building. In matter of minutes they should be seeing a Equestria flag wave on the roof of it.

Healing Horn and other medics were now getting near the trenches. They could smell gunpowder, smoke and death.

"We're here! Everypony start searching for wounded!" the medical sergeant shouted to them.

Healing and the others jumped down in the trenches and started to spread out. Healing started to walk to his left with couple of others. They didn't see any wounded on the that end of the trenches, just some blood splatters and shells. The dead changelings had been rolled over the sides by the cleaning group, making the moving in the trenches easier.

They came into a junction, which separated the main trench into three smaller ones.

"Let's separate here," one of the ponies said, and started to continued walking along the trench on the left. Healing Horn continued to the trench on the middle.

He walked for about half a minute, when he came into a spot where the trench turned. Healing peeked around the wall, and saw his first patient. There was a light turquoise pony with a red mane sitting on the floor of the trench, holding his head.

"Hey!" Healing shouted from behind the corner, and the pony winced. He turned his head towards Healing Horn. Healing saw that there were blood coming from behind the pony's hoof.

"Hey! I thought you'd never come," the pony said to Healing, who was now trotting towards him. Healing didn't know how to answer, so he just started to treat the wounded pony.

"What happened?" Healing Horn asked when he crouched next to the pony. The turquoise pony looked at him annoyed.

"What do you think happened?" he said angrily, and pointed his hoof on the floor. Healing looked around the floor and saw that it was covered in shells. Healing could only imagine what they had been trough.

"I meant what happened to your head," Healing said calmly, while digging bandages from his bag. The wounded pony's angry expression changed into a painful, when he remembered his injury.

"The tank fired -" pony pointed at a the wall of the trench, that was missing a piece from it. "- and something hit me in the head,"  the pony said.

"Okay, move you're hoof," Healing said to the pony, who obeyed. He slowly removed his hoof from his forehead, and Healing saw the injury.

There was about five centimeters long cut in the turquoise pony's head. Healing leaned closer to examine the wound. He saw a piece of wood sticking out from it.

"How does it look doc?" the pony asked. Healing thought what to say for a moment, then he said: "Well.. good thing is that the wound isn't deep, and it's not bleeding anymore."

"What's wrong then?" pony asked with a concerned voice.

"There's still a piece of wood in it," Healing said to the pony. The pony thought for a moment, then he turned his head to Healing Horn and asked: "What next?"

Healing took a pliers from his bag and held them in front of the soldier with his magic. The turquoise pony's eyes widened. He looked at the pliers, then Healing. He gulped and asked: "Can't you just bandage over it?"

Healing Horn shook his head and said: "It will get infected if I don't take it out."

The pony started to sweat, and he just looked at the pliers in front of him.

He sighed and closed his eyes. He drooped his head and said: "Buck... Let's do it.."

Healing took a small stick from the floor and gave it to the turquoise pony. He put the stick into his mouth. Healing Horn took a good grip from the wood splinter with the pliers, making the turquoise pony whimper from pain.

"Are you ready?" Healing asked.

"Mmhh!" the pony whimpered. Healing took that as a yes.

"Okay, on the count of three," Healing said.

"One,"

The turquoise pony tensed up.

"Two,"

Healing Horn tightened his magic grip around the pliers.

"THREE!"

Healing pulled the wooden splinter from the pony's head, and blood busted from the wound. The pony screamed and kicked the floor. Healing quickly took the bandage and tried to start rolling it around the pony's head, but he waved around too much. Healing grabbed the hysteric pony and held him still, until he calmed down. Healing Horn let go of the pony. Tears were forming in his eyes. He spit the from his mouth. It was bitten in half.

"Just put the fucking bandage already!" The pony cried, and Healing started to roll the bandage around his head. After he was done, he looked at the pony in front of him.

"You'll be alright. There's more of us over those bunkers there," Healing said and pointed his hoof at the bunkers, where the rest of the support team was.

"*sniff* Okay.." the pony said and swept the tears from his eyes. Healing Horn patted him on the shoulder and stood up. He then continued walking along the trenches.

Crack Shot was now leaning against the bunker with Riff and Heavy. They were sitting on the side that was towards the main building. Crack Shot heard gunfire from the main building. Everypony were waiting for the Equestria flag to appear on the roof of it.

Crack Shot took a pack of cigarettes from his vest. He took one cigarette and put the pack back to his pocket. He then tried to find his lighter, but didn't seem to find it anywhere. He searched it from every pocket of his uniform, but didn't find it. He stopped looking for his lighter and leaned his head against the wall.

Suddenly a lighter appeared in front of his eyes. Crack turned his head and saw Riff offering him the lighter.

"Thanks," Crack said and took the lighter. After he light his cigarette, he gave the lighter back to Riff, who light his own cigarette.

Crack took a long drag from his cigarette, and exhaled the smoke with great pleasure.

He heard more gunfire from the main building.

"We've done quite a mess," Crack said, and looked over the battlefield, where he saw smoking craters and many black dots lying in the ground. Riff turned his head towards the battlefield.

"Yeah.." Riff said slowly.

"How many do you think we lost today?" Heavy suddenly asked. Crack Shot and Riff were silent. They knew that the total body count would be somewhere between twenty to forty.

Crack Shot saw ponies walking towards the bunkers. They were bandaged, but not badly injured. They must be coming from the trenches. The wounded ponies walked slowly towards them. Their uniforms were torn and burnt. They looked tired and their faces were covered in dust.

Crack Shot looked at his hooves. They were clean. He then touched his mane, his mohawk was in perfect order. Crack Shot felt bad for doing nothing in the battle, he had only shot couple of times during the fighting.

"You know Riff, I didn't do anything important while you guys were out there.. fighting," Crack said, looking a bit disappointed to himself.  Riff turned to look at Crack Shot.

"You shot that sniper, didn't you? Without you, I'd probably have hole in my head right now," Riff said.

"I tend to guard my friends backs, even they would be as ugly as you, Riff," Crack Shot said and smirked to Riff, who only chuckled and stubbed his cigarette.

Crack took a last long drag from his cigarette, and then stubbed it on the ground. They sat a moment in silence, that's when Crack Shot heard it.

"What the.." he mumbled to himself and pushed his ear against the wall of the bunker they were leaning against. He heard something, like a silent shuffling and metal banging against metal.

At first Crack though that his mind was playing tricks, but then he heard the banging sound again. Crack shot hit Riff in the shoulder, to get his attention.

"Hey what the.." Riff started, but fell silent, when Crack lifted his hoof onto his lips, gesturing him to shut up. Riff had a confused look on his face, when Crack gestured him to push his ear against the wall, but did it anyway.

They waited for a short time, and Riff was looking skeptically at Crack Shot, who kept his ear against the bunker. Then they heard the sounds again.

Riff's eyes widened as he said: "There's somepony inside there!"

"Shh!" Crack hushed him with a hoof over his lips again. He rose up and Riff followed.

"Tell the others to stay away from the shooting gaps and door," Crack said to Riff, who nodded and trotted to warn the others.

"Hey, what's going on?" Heavy asked, with confusion in his voice.

"Changelings in the bunker," Crack said silently, and pointed his hoof at the bunker. Heavy seemed to tense up, and he dropped his assault rifle from his back, right into his hooves. He then laid flat onto his stomach and crawled near the bunker, so that he had a clear line of fire to the entrance.

Crack Shot sneaked next to the shooting gap, and took a frag grenade that was hanging from his combat vest. He turned around and saw that everypony was now behind some cover.

They were ready.

Crack pulled the pin and released the safety lever. He counted to three and then threw the grenade inside the bunker. Crack heard screaming from inside the bunker, and then black smoke exploded from the shooting gap, accompanied by a loud bang.

Crack climbed on the roof of the bunker, so that he was right over the door of the bunker. He saw heavy aiming his rifle towards the door too. They waited for a moment, and then the door opened slightly.

Crack aimed his pistol down to the door, waiting for changelings to emerge from it. Instead of changelings, a small object flew from the door, landing near Heavy.

Heavy quickly rose up and kicked the grenade into a crater made by a bomb nearby, where it exploded harmlessly. He turned to see Crack Shot, who was looking at him wide eyed.

"That was a close one!" Heavy shouted, smiling a goofy smile.

Then Crack heard gunshots, and saw Heavy's body nudge. He fell on his back, but quickly rolled to his side and started shooting at the Changelings in the doorway.

Crack too aimed his pistol downwards and shot one changeling in the neck, making him fall instantly. Another was killed by Heavy's bullets.

"Reloading!" Heavy shouted and started to change a new clip to his AR. Just then the last Changeling plunged towards lying Heavy with a knife. Crack saw no other choice than to jump right on it.

He landed on it's back, pushing the changeling in the ground. Crack was holding it still with his back legs, and pushed the changeling's head to the ground with his free hoof. Then he pressed his pistols mouth into the changelings back, and fired three times.

The changeling ceased to struggle. Crack puffed and looked at the blue blood running from the wounds he had made.

Exhausted Crack lifted his eyes to Heavy, and saw Riff sitting next to him. Crack dropped his pistol on the ground and quickly trotted to Heavy and Riff.

Heavy had three small holes bleeding in his uniform's chest, but he seemed to act like they weren't even there.

"We got them," he said briskly to Crack, who now crouched next to him.

"Yeah, we did," Crack said and looked quickly to Riff, who stared at something behind Heavy. Even he was a white pony, he looked pale. Crack peeked over Heavy's back, to see where Riff was looking

He gasped in terror.

There were three massive exit wounds on Heavy's back. They were bleeding like red rivers, soaking Heavy's whole back in blood.

"Medic!" scared Crack shouted.

"I'm fine guys, really. It's not that bad," Heavy said, but blood gushed from his mouth when he tried to continue, making him slur: "I'm.. fii.. real.. ly.."

Heavy coughed more blood and started to fall backwards, but Crack and Riff held him up.He groaned couple of times, and then his head drooped backwards.

"Ohhh fuuck!" Crack Shot shouted while they laid Heavy on the ground. His eyes were still open, and a small pool of blood started to form under his body.

Other ponies started to gather around them.

Crack watched at his fallen comrade, he had a tired look on his dead face, and his eyes were half lidded. Crack couldn't keep looking at him like that, so he closed Heavy's eyes with his hoof.

Rough Gunner was on the top floor of the changeling camps main building. His soldiers and the royal guards had fought their way there. Rough leaned against a wall just before a corner, reloading his assault rifle. He released a empty mag and inserted a new one into the magazine feed. He pulled the charging handle and then looked around himself.

They were in a dimly lighted corridor. Captain Brawny was standing behind him, with his pistol in his right hoof, and the rest of their soldiers were lined behind them. Rough peeked behind the corner, but bullets from fortified changelings weapons ripped the wall near his head. Rough quickly pulled his head back behind the corner.

"Did you see anything?" Brawny asked from Rough.

"They're shooting from a doorway, and it's the only way in!" Rough said frustrated. Brawny though for a moment, then he slowly tried to peek over the corner, but he too quickly retreated when the changelings fired.

"Those must be the last changeling's alive, we are almost at the roof," Rough pondered out loud.

Brawny and Rough Gunner looked at each other.

"Anypony got any grenades?" Brawny asked from the soldiers behind him.

"Nope!"

"Just used my last one!"

"I'm out too!"

Brawny sighed and swept his face with his hoof. He looked at Rough, and then at his royal guards.

"We have only one option.." he muttered to Rough Gunner, who was confused.

"Royal guards! VISORS UP!" Brawny commanded in loud army voice.

Rough looked at the royal guards, who were now attaching something to their helmets. Rough saw that they were some kind of a covers, that protected their eyes and half of the muzzle.

"Prepare for close combat!" Brawny shouted, and royal guards started to strap their rifles onto their backs. They then took their sidearms and reloaded them. Some of them even took knifes in their teeth.

Rough looked baffled, they couldn't possibly be planning what he thought they were.

"You can't be serious?" Rough asked from Brawny, who just pulled the slide of his pistol back.

"Yes I can," he said smirking. Then he braced up and shouted: "Royal guards, CHARGE!"

All the royal guards shouted their war cry, and dashed around the corner. Rough heard how the changelings opened the fire, but soon royal guards opened the fire too.

Rough turned to his soldier and shouted: "Don't just stand there! ATTACK!"

Rough threw his rifle back onto his back and pulled his pistol from it's holster. He started running after royal guards, who had already made it trough the doorway, and were now engaged in a intense hoof-to-hoof combat with the changelings. He noticed that there was only one dead royal guard in the corridor.

Rough heard how his soldiers followed him, and he dashed trough the door. He came into a big grey room, which had no windows, only couple of dim lights like the rest of the rooms they had passed.

He noticed a dark shadow on his left, and shot at it instantly. The changeling jumped a little when the bullets hit him, and then he fell against the wall.

Rough turned around and saw how one of the royal guards grabbed a changeling from the neck with his teeth. He spun around couple of times and released the changeling, making him fly across the small room and hitting on the wall.

Rough felt something hit him in the side from behind, making him fall down to his knees from pain.

He turned his head and saw that a changeling had kicked him with it's rear legs. Rough tried to point his gun at the attacker, but was too slow, and the changeling kicked it from his hoof with it's foreleg.

Then one of Rough Gunner's soldiers appeared from out of nowhere and did a move that resembled a apple-bucking kick. His rear legs hit the changeling right in the side of it's face, making him fall down on the floor. Rough grabbed his pistol, that was lying close to him, and shot at the changeling two times.

The crazy close combat went on for a good ten minutes, before all the changelings were dead or dying. Coupe of royal guards circled over the changelings, finishing the ones who were still alive.

Rough leaned at the wall, holding his side. It hurt every time he breathed. The pony who had saved him was sitting next to him.

"Private, where did you learn to kick like that?" Rough asked from the pony.

"I am from Appleloosa sir. I buck apples for my job," the pony said. Rough was about to say something, but pain jolted up his side when he tried to speak. The pony looked at him worried.

"Are you alright sir?" he asked,even he could see that Rough was not alright.

"Yeah.. Yeah I'm alright. Probably just a broken rib," Rough said slowly.

"Rough! We found the way to the roof!" Rough heard captain Brawny shouting. He started to rose up to all fours, grunting in pain. The pony from Appleloosa rose up and helped Rough to his feet. Rough nodded as 'thank you', and started to walk towards Brawny's voice. He held his side with his hoof, walking slowly with three legs.

He saw Brawny and couple of other royal guards standing in front of stairs, that let to the roof. He reached Brawny, who was still wearing the visor.

Brawny's armor was full of dents, left by bullets. Now Rough realized why there was only one dead royal guard in the hallway, their armor was bulletproof.

Brawny turned to Rough. He saw that Rough was in pain, and asked: "What happened?"

"Got kicked in the side pretty hard," Rough answered, trying to hear as casual as possible.

"How bad?" Brawny asked worried.

"I can manage," Rough said and looked up the stairs. Brawny too looked up the stairs. Then Rough turned to Brawny and asked: "you got the flag?"

"Right there," Brawny answered and pointed his hoof at one of his soldiers, who held the Equestria flag in his hoof. Rough turned back to Brawny and said: "Let's do this."

Brawny nodded.

Healing Horn had already come back from the trenches and he was now standing with Crack Shot and Riff. They were looking at a body in front of them.

"Where did you find him?" Riff asked slowly, as he watched at Payload's torn body.

"He was lying in one of the trenches," Healing said sadly. He looked at Crack Shot, who looked back at him. They both knew that Riff had been really attached to sergeant Payload. Crack nudged his head backwards, gesturing that they should leave Riff alone for a moment. Healing nodded and followed Crack Shot.

As they walked past wounded and soldiers from support team, Healing noticed that somepony was missing.

"Hey, where's Heavy?" Healing asked, looking around himself, trying to spot Heavy.

Crack was silent. He remembered the moment he peeked over Heavy's back, and saw the horrible wounds.

"Is.. Is something wrong?" Healing asked carefully, while looking at Crack. Crack looked back at him and sighed.

"Heavy's dead," he said.

Healing had a shocked expression when he asked: "What?  How?"

"There were still changelings inside that bunker," Crack said and pointed his hoof at the bunker near them. Healing drooped his ears.

They walked to a tree, that had exploded in half, and the other half was now lying on the ground. They sat on it and looked over the battlefield. Healing  Horn was surprised that the sun was already starting to set. The battle had seemed to last only for a couple of hours.

Crack took his flask and opened it. He took a long sip from it and sighed from relief.

"I don't hear gunfire anymore," he said after putting his flask back to his uniform's pocket. Healing noticed that too.

He had heard shooting from the main building just minutes ago.

"I'ts over," they heard somepony saying from behind them. They turned around and saw Riff standing there.

"What?" Healing asked confusedly. Riff lifted his hoof and pointed at the main building.

They saw Equestria flag waving on the roof of the building.

Healing Horn lifted his hoof over his eyes, to cover them from the sitting sun.

He was sure that he saw Rough Gunner waving the flag.