Broken Skies

Queen Chrysalis was just about set and content wit her decision to attack Equestria while they were still recuperating from the loss of Appleoosa, but she was too late and they had managed to retake the town, which left her with a plan.

"Ichor Spit, go send a regiment of sword fodder to Appleoosa, I want to know what got the ponies back their little hovel." demanded Chrysalis.

"Right away my queen." replied Ichor.

With that, Ichor went off to find the regiment ready for battle. It consisted mostly of Iron Warriors, some regulars, and a pair of Magic Casters. A brief walk later, he had found the regiment stationed inside of their barracks. Unknowing to Ichor, Chrysalis, or anyone else for that matter, the regiment consisted of C.O.I. infiltrators that managed to get themselves into the ranks of Loyalist forces. Their horns were stained a dark red and purple, signifying them as insurrectionist forces. They were being sent to Appleoosa to warn the humans of the hostile coming of Chrysalis' attack. It would also be the time when they would reveal themselves to the world as a new group, a group where love is free to form and develop, not taken by force.

             Ichor ordered them to mobilize with the new ballistas. They were to be accompanied by a single airboat, in case of heavy resistance. Queen Chrysalis really wanted her own foothold in Equestria, and the weakened group of defenders at Appleoosa were her prime target for conquest. Oh, how she was wrong.

Patrols around the border of Equestria became fervent, and groups of no more than five had been established. Equipped with radios and thermal technology, they were to send word of anything less than ordinary. Currently, the Army troopers were on the defense. They were more suited to holding and taking ground, and the 52nd Ground Assault were just for the job. Accompanied by light helicopters and aircraft, this would seem like nothing but a walk in the park to them. Suddenly, an alarm went off in the militia base, signalling something was amiss. A reserve team at the base was sent to go check it out, and what a surprise they were in for.

"Corvis, take point. You three, on me." ordered Sergeant Aliza Galia.

"Copy, Anchor Actual, you getting this?" queried Corporal Corvis.

"Solid Copy. Recent reports say of something moving in the area. Go check it out, got a helicopter with a spotlight to help you out. Other intel says of heavy whirring and hissing of steam, watch yourself out there." crackled the static radio.

"Alright Legionnaires, lets get moving!" shouted Aliza.

The grunts burst from the dark, night scenery in their respective uniforms, flashlight as the ready as a helicopter buzzed overhead. The hissing of steam could also be heard from far away, and the sentries had moved in to inspect the suspicious noise. Heavy pitter-patter could also be heard with ease as the helicopter's light passed over various splotches of land, revealing anything in its cone of visibility. Suddenly, a swift motion of the wall of flashlights revealed luminous green eyes, ballistas, and a flying... airboat? No matter, they were wielding weaponry that posed a possible threat to the citizens of the town.

"Put down your weapons! We give you one warning to back away, or we will fire upon you!" declared Aliza in a heavy Jewish accent.

Then, one in the crowd had moved forward, seemingly braver than the rest.

"Please, we mean you no harm. Our leaders foretold of your arrival, the day you would come to save this planet from its horrors. We ask you this, please. Heed to our requests. My kind have been oppressed by the vile Queen Chrysalis, whom of which demands love from others, in place of earning it by trust of others. We are known as the Cult of Individuals. We, my people and I, wish to become... free of the Hive Mind. It is a tyrannical excuse of a collective conscious, where she implants false images into our minds. Please, spare us. Spare the innocent." stated the rebellious Changeling.

As the minor speech was said, a courteous bow from many, if not all of the Changeling defectors was given.

"Please human, we take our beliefs and ideals from your kind. You have shown capability where others couldn't, you have displayed honor, pride, and victory against overwhelming odds. You... rose up against tyrants and still stood up, you formed success where others could not. You, your people, your kingdoms and everything, humanity formed with its bare hands. You are truly gods of the universe. We bow before you, and we ask that you assist in the forming of our own nation. Just help wherever possible, and we will be eternally grateful." continued the Changeling.

The airboat however, was commissioned from another regiment, one that was not previously infiltrated by any C.O.I. troops. Therefore, the whole thing was relayed back, into the Hive Mind, where every Changeling, every single one, now knew what their missing supplies were. Now note, there were hasty decisions made, and this was the only time frame they had to go meet the humans for the first time, and that led to some rather obvious sightings going unnoticed.

Not long after, the dinghy sized floating boat began raining bolts of arrows and weaponry of the time upon the defectors. The 52nd squad began to fire at the ship, spewing lead at various sides of the vessel. To make matters worse, the ballistas were also being carried out by loyalist Changelings. They flung arm sized bolts at high speeds, imbuing death upon many of the defecting Changelings.

"Come with us, we can get you to safety! HQ, we have friendlies inbound! Do not fire upon those with red and purple stained horns!" said Aliza.

"Solid copy, whats coming in, more ponies?" replied the speaker.

"No, 'Changelings'! Green eyes, iron armor, and chitin shells! Prepare yourself, enemy aircraft is flying high and loaded for bear!" spoke Corvis into the radio.

"Got it Corporal, we have static defenses set up. Try to lure them in, give 'em a good 'ole human welcome." replied the communicator on the radio.

"Will do HQ." came Corvis' response.

The Changelings that still withstood the hail of bolts and flying crew members of the airboat made a full on sprint towards the town, where much more prominent defenses were set up. The helicopter that had assisted the patrol squad had also been holding them off for however long they could, albeit their light weaponry onboard, consisting of only two light machine guns mounted on both sides of the aircraft. The lively chugga chugga chugga resounded endlessly through the stale night. The rotary blades chopped and cut at the wind, signalling of its arrival.

"Gah, how do so many of you buggers fit in that boat?! Its like a fuckin' clown car!" shouted Gunner Stevens.

The Changelings were equally appalled, for the loyalists had noticed the large helicopter hovering about with what seemed to look like very powerful magic, to them at least.

"Argh, one of the bolts got my arm, can't fire from here!" declared Gunner Gorland.

"Kiddin' me? Walk it off pussy!" replied Stevens.

The defector Changelings had managed to keep up with the humans' larger build, and got to the frontal entrance of Appleoosa.

"Go, go! We got the rest! Erika, get the others up!" shouted the sentry.

"Got it sir!-" Erika grabbed a radio, "-We have incoming hostiles! Everyone, head to your positions! Possible aircraft, repeat, possible aircraft!"

The heavy thumping of rushing soldiers to their defensive positions shook up many of the town's residents, if the helicopter already hadn't. Many strolled outside to go check out what the ruckus was, only to see the spectacle of military men gunning it towards their main road. Some even saw various vehicles, all of which looked like very odd looking machines to the ponies.

"Aw shit, unknown projectiles incoming!" shouted a soldier.

"Getting movement from the palisades!" said another.

"What is that thing, an oversized bug?!" screamed a wary soldier.

The cracks of gunfire had risen, and the heavy thudding of static emplacements was shouting at the top of their lungs. Moderately loud anti-air guns also sounded very prevalent, and alerted everyone of the inbound airship.

The Changelings were, to say the least, baffled by the spectacle unleashed before them. Their lesser armored brethren were being chopped up by the metal weaponry and their lightning rods. Gore spattered across the desert floor, and their flying machine had terrified them. If anything, even the Queen could probably feel their pain. Their airship had stood no chance against the strange metal boxes, and large black clouds ripped and teared at the airboat's balloon. Not long after, the wooden area had ignited, and burst into a fiery ball of death and destruction, as it tumbled down into the ground, just so happening to fall right into the ballista gunners. The Changeling loyalists had found their first legitimate threat, and they had risked extinction from their "mutated" brethren, or in some terms, evolved brothers and sisters, and the humans. Equestria had then been pulled into war by not one, but two different nations. The first major war in millenia.

The remaining loyalists were gunned down by the emplacement gunners, and a lucky few managed to flee the scene entirely, escaping the rain of death and left to navigate the desert night.

King High Cloud had limped to a nearby Griffon-Pony settlement in the Snow Feather mountain range entrance, and somehow survived from bleeding out in the middle of a desert, surrounded by dry, desert trees. His missing leg nub ached with the force of an elephant. He had to get his way to the clinic, lest he challenge Death once more. In a hasty struggle, he managed to get his leaf bandaged nub to a clinic stationed in the middle of the town.

"Oh my, sir are you alright?!" hastily pondered a nurse pony, curiously eying his missing leg.

"No I am not, my leg is missing!" shouted the King.

"My, there is no need for shouting! Just who do you think you are, having more authority than these poor colts over here?" questioned the nurse, pointing a hoof at a small gathering of Griffon soldiers that somehow survived the skirmish with the forces at Appleoosa.

"I am the King of the Griffon Empire! I demand you give me immediate medical attention!" declared High Cloud.

"Oh my! I am so sorry your highness, please come with me!" said the nurse.

"Gah, I was just in a battle with your military! I don't know how my men here got out of there, but you sure seem oblivious about that!" retorted the King.

"Oh but I did, sir. Have you not learned of the simple treatment of civilians instead of military serviceponies?" replied the nurse.

"Humph, you wouldn't last ten seconds on the battlefield." quietly said the King, walking past the studious, but frail salutes of the Griffon soldiers.

"Alright, please wait here and a doctor will be here soon to assist. Please, at least be grateful that our hospital can care for your injury. Losing a leg is no funny business." said the nurse.

-Canterlot, 9:00 PM Equestrian, 12:00 AM Earthly/Galactic Time-

"Gah, this cider tastes like really sweet sprite." said a human soldier.

"I know right?" replied another.