Cloudsdale was a city of vital strategic importance. Cloudsdale was the weather control hub of Equestria. It would form a key part of Dieters plan for the Siege of Canterlot. As a weather hub, it could be used to weaponize weather, which was of great importance. Dieter had to seize the city before it could be used against him. Cloudsdale was made of clouds (thus the name), and was only accessible to pegasi. The logical choice would be to assault Cloudsdale with pegasi units.

The Germanean army feinted a move towards Canterlot. All guard units were recalled towards the capital in an effort to counter the perceived assault. Cloudsdale was left poorly garrisoned. The Germanean pegasi then began their assault on Cloudsdale, aware that the Royal Guard would make a counterattack from Canterlot.

It was another peaceful day in Cloudsdale. Despite the war, families were out pretending that the war did not exist. They did it for the sake of the children, knowing full well that it couldn’t be hidden from them forever. The inhabitants of Cloudsdale were quite startle when several thousand Germanean flyers suddenly landed in the city.

Quickly and efficiently, the city was locked down and martial law was placed in effect. The red banners of the First Reich were to be seen hanging all over the city, enchanted to be held by clouds. Curfews were placed in effect, and those who broke the new, harsh laws were shot, their corpses pitched from the city to break on the ground far beneath. The citizens needed no further prompting, and returned to their homes without struggle. Germanean units began to set up defensive fortifications against the impending counter-assault from Canterlot. In a day, Cloudsdale had become a sea of grey, heavily armed ponies.

The counter-assault from Canterlot took two hours to reach Cloudsdale. By that time, the city was fully fortified. The first wave of Equestrian Pegasi fighters closed in, their pure white bodies and golden armor easily visible against the night sky. Cloud mounted Flak installations placed all around the city spat fire into the air. Blossoming explosions filled the night the night air, dazzling all those who saw them. Shrapnel punched through the weak armor of the Royal Guard, and several spiralled to the earth, trailing blood. They shattered against the ground, their organs ruptured, and bones broken.

Germanean flyers launched themselves from the city. The two lines charged each other. The Germanean pegasi units fired leg mounted Maschinegewehr-56 machine guns. Scything bolts of ammunition lanced out from the Germanean lines. The Royal Guard flyers banked and weaved through the hail of fire. Several were struck by rounds. Blood blossomed in the air as bullets opened throats, shattered bones and punched through heads. The noise of battle was overwhelming, the screams of the dying mixing in with staccato bursts of machinegun fire. Loud detonations filled the air as the flak cannons continued their merciless barrage.

The Equestrian troopers that did make it through the air screen were mercilessly mowed down by pegasi reserves. The pure white clouds of Cloudsdale turned crimson with the blood of the dead. The dying writhed and moaned, their sporadic movements trailing various blood patterns onto the clouds beneath them.

On the ground, Equestrian unicorn units engaged Germanean infantry. Artillery rained from the heavens, striking massed units of Royal Guardsponies. They screamed as pieces of shrapnel lacerated them, and their limbs were removed by massive expulsions of heat and force. Machinegun nests spouted flame as the Equestrians advanced, and several of the royal guard were bisected by suppressing fire. Blood dyed the grass a dark, ruby red.

Germanean panzers advanced, pushing pack the Equestrian assault. The tanks recoiled as their main cannons fired, and several guardsponies were dismembered or decapitated by the force of the blasts. Pintle mounted machine guns spat walls of ammunition. The ground shook as if it was being struck by the fist of an angry god. It broke the spirit of the ground assault, and they fled.

Mortar and artillery rounds followed them, blasting them from their feet. Several were sent spinning end over end like ragdolls by the sheer concussive force. One pony had his spine broken by the shockwave. He lay, unable to speak or move, slowly dying as he was paralyzed. Another fell spasmodically as a shell fragment punched through his eyes and punctured his brain in a spurt of blood. Another simply collapsed, his innards burst by shockwaves. Yet another rocked back and forth, his ears bleeding. His eardrums had been ruptured by the concussive force of the fifteen centimeter cannons.

The battle was not going well for the Equestrian air units as well. A full seventy-five percent of their number had been killed, falling to the ground as they were blasted apart by flak rounds. Blood misted on the air, creating strange, red fog on the ground. Several pegasi had their wings torn off by gunfire or by their Germanean counterparts. They plummeted to the ground, screaming in fear and agony before being dashed to pieces on the earth below.

The Equestrians fled, machine gun and flak fire following them, sending hundreds spiraling out of control as they were lacerated by streams of led.
Cloudsdale was now firmly within Germanean control, and Germanean scientists began work on. Only two major cities remained free: Horsescow and Canterlot. The end was in sight.

Author's Note

I know that this chapter is shorter than most, as I am being pushed along by my responsibilities. Thus, I was rushing through. I apologize for this. Special thanks to Nuggetmanu2 for proofreading and ideas. Thanks to readers for support and suggestions.