Operation:Eclipse

Dynasty

[dahy-nuh-stee; British also din-uh-stee]

Noun, plural dynasties.

1.a sequence of rulers from the same family, stock, or group

  Flash Sentry approached the peak of the hill. Sitting in the area below him was the objective: a supply caravan. He slid down onto his stomach as quietly as possible and narrowed his eyes at the target. In the dim light, he could see a guard leaning up against the tarp, not moving at all despite the rain.

Sleeping, Flash determined mentally as he tilted his head up slightly to scan the other guard, who was trotting around the carriage at a slow and even pace. He turned his gaze towards the only light-source in the vicinity of the carriage: a small lantern sitting on a box.

Flash began processing the different methods in which he could go about getting into the carriage. There were very few guards around, so he could just go through quickly and finish them. However, through the thick blackness, mixed in with the downpour, he couldn't tell if there were any other guards around. He would have to get a closer look before making any hasty decisions. Picking himself up from the slick surface of the ground, he slid down silently from the hill's sloped edge.

  Getting down on his stomach again, he began crawling towards the carriage.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Earlier that day...

  "You know what you have to do, Flash," Rainbow Dash said, speaking loud enough for only his ears to hear. "The village is under Celestia's control and it needs to be liberated. If we don't do something now, who knows what could happen to the ponies there."

  Flash frowned at the cyan mare. He dared not to question her orders; he'd seen her in battle, and knowing all that had happened to her throughout her life, he feared for his life every moment he spoke to her. The right side of her face had been blown apart, and her teeth could be seen at all times. The blue fur around the mouth had grown back in the years she'd had the wound, but the gaping hole would remain as a constant reminder of the battle that ruined her. She was sitting behind a messy desk, a cigar in her mouth and a constant stream of black smoke floating upwards from the wound.

  Even with his hesitation, Flash still wished to speak his mind. "I understand, ma'am. I just wished to voice my concern at the prospect of harming innocents," he explained, his voice trembling. "We're going to pick a fight with the Solar Empire in the middle of a city, Rainbow! What if somepony gets—"

  His protests were cut off by Rainbow. "Listen, Flash, I know what might happen. However," she growled, her eyes growing cold,"Ponyville is under the control of the Solar Empire, and must be saved. I know that lives might be lost, but we'll save more in the long run." Her expression softened. "Do you remember why we created the Dynasty in the first place?"

  Flash gulped."Y-yes ma'am," he replied. He'd heard this lecture many times before, and it always went the same way.

  Like every time before, Rainbow would give a long speech,and he would silently listen. "When we started the Rainbow Dynasty project, we knew what might happen. Lives would be lost, and sacrifices would have to be made. Those sacrifices are our choices to make as leaders, and we must live with the consequences. We must also judge whether the sacrifice is for a high enough cost. Celestia sacrificed too much for too little, don't you remember?"

  He would nod, just like every other time, and she would continue. "The sacrifices made by the Rainbow Dynasty must be our sacrifices, nopony else's. Whether that sacrifice is our sanity, our pride, or even our lives; we must give up the things we love if it goes against the Dynasty. That could mean anything: a friend, a family member, or perhaps a marefriend?" her scarred mouth tugged upward in a smirk.

  Flash winced. His loyalty to Rainbow Dash's ideals had wavered several years ago due to his relationship with Twilight Sparkle. She'd believed in Celestia's rule, and would not join them. For a while, he was conflicted on which side to join, but in the end he knew where the truth lay: with Rainbow Dash and her vision. Although there had been no issues between the two since, Rainbow enjoyed ribbing him about it as often as possible.

  "Everything we lose will be worth it when the Rainbow Dynasty ends this war," she finished, ending the usual portion of the speech.  With one final warning, she added,"If an innocent life is lost in this takeover mission, it will not be due to our corruption or cruelty, it will be due to the incompetence of one stallion."

  Flash nodded weakly. "I understand, ma'am," he mumbled reluctantly.

  Rainbow's eyes softened,"Do you understand how to go about the mission, Flash?"

  "Yes, ma'am!" he exclaimed, raising his hoof in salute.

  Rainbow smirked at the excited stallion, then began shuffling through the papers on her desk. She found a leather-bound document and a map, and set them on the top of the pile, their contents easily readable. The top of the document bore the words Operation:Homecoming in large font. Perhaps it seemed larger than it really was; the actual importance of this mission was much more grand than the paper it was printed on. Its success would secure the Rainbow Dynasty as a power-player in the war.

  Rainbow read the briefing to Flash; her voice was calm and unwavering, but with a hint of trepidation,"First, you must infiltrate Ponyville via a supply caravan scheduled to stop at this point," she pointed her hoof at a point on the map. "You will remain in the caravan until it has gone past the Ponyville gates. Once inside, you will meet a Dynasty informant at the Town Hall. He will take you up to the roof, where a sniper-rifle has been placed for you to use. Use the rifle to take out the guards on the outer-wall. Once they're dead, fire a flare into the sky to give the troops an all-clear. Without the guards on the wall, they won't have to fear being shot from above."

  Flash stood silently, taking all of the information in. He'd gone over all of the details and memorized all of the maps. Although incredibly anxious, he was as ready as one could possible be.

  "At nine o' clock tonight, take flight towards Ponyville. The caravan should be at the location designated on the map by the time of your arrival," Rainbow Dash ordered, shutting the book gently.

  "Understood, ma'am."

  Rainbow nodded in approval,"May the morning dew serve as a symbol."

  "May the morning dew serve as a symbol," he replied, a feeling of tension crawling down his spine. If he failed today, all would be lost. But if he was successful, all would be gained.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  Flash slithered through the mud, straining his eyes to see the caravan from afar. He could see the lantern's light reflecting into the rain in front of him, so he crawled towards the source, making sure not to get close enough to be seen.

  As he grew closer to the caravan, he saw the sleeping guard. The other guard was nowhere to be seen, so Flash knew it would be safe to go forward. However, the other guard could very likely hear his hoofsteps if he wasn't careful, so he waited until another explosion of thunder struck. If the sleeping guard had remained in a slumber through all of this, one more eruption certainly wouldn't wake him up.

  Suddenly, with a loud crash of thunder, the opportunity arose. With the deep roar masking his hoofsteps, one guard asleep, and one missing, he took his chance and rushed into the light. With both speed and silence, Flash leaped into the back of the caravan and slid behind a large box. He would be impossible to see, and could have a small rest until the caravan moved again. All he could do now is wait.

  An hour passed, and the caravan jolted forward, being pulled by a driver-pony. Part one is complete, he thought, checking off a mental checklist. The next plan of operation would have to wait until the caravan passed Ponyville's Town Hall.

  He was shaken from his thoughts when the caravan slid to a stop. The driver was getting stopped at Ponyville's new gate to have their papers checked. When the war began, the citizens were forced to build towering brick walls around their cities in order to keep invaders out. Evidently, they'd never planned for a Trojan Pony.

  "Papers, please," he heard a mare say bitterly. Evidently a freezing cold downpour wasn't her idea of good weather.

  "Here ya' go," the driver's raspy voice grumbled from the front. "How're you doing tonight, Mayor Mare?"

  "Could be better. I've been cursing the damn Pegasi for this weather all night," she replied dryly.

  The driver chuckled."The weather's gettin' too hard for the Pegasi to control. Some radicals like Rainbow Dash say it's so cold because of a 'lack of friendship'!" he chuckled.

  "You'd better be careful. Talking about Rainbow Dash isn't something taken lightly around these parts," Mayor Mare warned. She wasn't lying; speaking of infidels like Rainbow Dash could get you arrested during these times.

  The driver shrugged it off with a hearty laugh as the gate began to rise. "Aren't you gonna check out my stuff?" he asked, amused.

  Flash's heart dropped. If she looked back here, she would certainly be able to see him, even with the boxes! He sat in bated breath, ready to abort the mission, but sighed in relief when Mayor Mare chuckled. "Don't worry about it. I know you aren't hiding anything from me," she said, pulling the chain to raise the gates.

  The driver and Mayor Mare exchanged their goodbyes and the caravan jolted forward. As they passed the gates, Flash caught a glimpse of Mayor Mare and smirked at her bright pink mane sticking to her coat in the rain. Evidently, gray hair-dye isn't part of the rations, he chuckled inwardly. After the war had begun to take its toll, businesses specializing in cosmetics and other miscellaneous wares were either shut down to make way for more useful suppliers or were transitioned by the government into medical or weapons research facilities. Technology had increased nearly ten-fold in the last few decades, to the point that bombs with massive explosive power were made from condensed magical energy, and new weapons such as guns were created to aid Earth and Pegasi ponies in battle. At first, citizens were confined to purchasing food and clothing; as the war dragged on, however, all food was given to ponies through ration cards, and clothing was usually passed down from family members or found abandoned by somepony.

The Dynasty is going to change all of that, Flash thought, a flare of hope shining so brightly in his eyes that he closed them in fear of  their glow being seen. After a moment, his energetic pride died down, he observed the buildings rolling past slowly. He eventually caught the Town Hall in the corner of his eye, and dropped himself from the back of the caravan.

  Plopping to the ground with a wet thud, he remained in his position, glancing around his peripherals. During his time in the back of the wagon, the rain had ceased its falling, giving him a clear view of the area around the Town Hall. Seeing that there were no guards around, he crawled towards the large building, ascending the stairs as quietly as he could, and knocking on the door. It was opened a crack by a weaselly-looking stallion, who frowned at him.

   "Where is Rainbow Dash?" the informant asked, looking around Flash as if she were hiding behind him.

  "She's leading the frontal attack, sir. My name is Flash Sentry, and I'm here to take out the guards on the walls," Flash explained promptly. The informant mulled over whether he should let Flash in for a moment, but decided to oblige.  He allowed Flash in, pointing towards a ladder against the back wall that went up to what appeared to be an attic. Flash followed the stallion up the ladder and arrived in a small nook where there were two blankets rolled onto the floor, and a small pile of rations in the dark corner. The minuscule room was illuminated by a small candle, which threw an eerie glow onto the surface of its contents. Laying on the floor was a young mare.

  "Dear, is this the one?" she asked her husband in a hushed voice.

  He nodded, and glanced at Flash. "We've been living up here since Celestia enforced her power in the town. We stayed in Ponyville so we could be here to aid in the attack!" he walked to a dark corner of the room and pulled out another ladder, propping it up against the wall. "If you climb this ladder, Mr.Sentry, you will get to the roof. There, you'll do what needs to be done, right?"

  Flash nodded. He would climb to the roof, pull out his sniper-rifle, and take out the guards patrolling on the top of the wall. Being the tallest building in Ponyville, (aside from the Crystal Castle), the Town Hall was the best vantage point for committing the deed. He climbed the ladder, the thought of eating snakes coming to mind for a reason unknown to him, and arrived at the top balcony, where a sniper-rifle lay waiting for him. He went prone and put the pressure-sensitive trigger in his mouth. He wrapped the trigger's cord around the back of his neck and propped the rifle against his shoulder, aiming down the scope.

  He saw two guards standing next to each other. He would have to be quick, using the sound of thunder still echoing in the distance as camouflage for the gunshots. When the sky began to rumble, he took one of the guards down, and aimed his sights at the other. He quickly pulled the bolt back, and fired again. Both guards were dead, so he had to hurry to get rid of the rest before the corpses were found.

  He did this for the next ten minutes, ending life after life with impeccable accuracy. With the last guard neutralized, he took out a flare gun, and shot it up at the sky. He heard several yells down below him; most likely from some Solar Empire soldiers crying out in confusion.

  He heard some hoofsteps behind him and span around quickly. It was the stallion informant, a gun slung over his shoulder; it's barrel aimed directly at Flash. He had the trigger in his mouth and smirked playfully at the orange Pegasus before him.

  "I'd like to thank you, Mr.Sentry," he said, his voice slightly muffled by the trigger mechanism.

  Flash raised an eyebrow curiously. "What for?"

  He smirked, lowering the gun,"For calling the New Lunar Republic."

  "Wh-what?"

  "You see, Mr.Sentry," he sneered,"I had to find a way to get the NLR here. Aside from you bloody radicals, I had no method of calling for them! You shot off your little flare, and alerted two armed forces that the wall-guards have been eradicated, and the town is up for grabs!"

  Flash's eyes widened. "How did the NLR know about the plan?" he asked in surprise.

  The informant laughed. "Even back when Ponyville was a neutral zone, I was already a supporter of the NLR! We all knew that Celestia would claim Ponyville as part of the Solar Empire, so we concocted a plan. The plan was, once Ponyville was occupied, I would contact Rainbow Dash and give her Operation:Homecoming! She was the one who was supposed to come and send off the flare. Instead of killing you, I would kill her, and Luna would wipe out the Rainbow Dynasty completely, and push the Solar Empire back! With the Dynasty destroyed, Luna would finally have more land than Celestia, and could begin to surround that corrupted swine from all sides!"

  Flash smirked. "But Rainbow isn't here. If you kill me now, it won't matter; she'll still be alive, and she'll be furious at the NLR. You wouldn't stand a single chance."

  The informant growled and lifted the gun back up at him. "I have to do this! I have a family now, and I can't live under a leader who would use me!"

  Flash's nostrils flared in anger. "You have no idea what you're talking about!" he shrieked. "Luna used Rainbow Dash for her selfish goals! She's doing the same to you right now!"

  "Shut up!" the informant yelled, his spit flying in Flash's eyes.

  Flash flew at the informant and knocked him on his back. The informant kicked him off, and fired his gun sporadically, the bullets flying in every direction; one grazing Flash's shoulder. Flash cried out in pain, but ignored it, spinning around and bucking the informant in the face. The informant fell back over the railing, but was able to wrap his front hoof around one of the bars on the railing. His rifle slipped from its strap around his neck, falling to the ground and shattering upon impact with the mud.

  Flash looked over the railing at the dangling informant, his eyebrows tilted up in a glare. "What's your name, informant?"

  The informant chuckled. "Ever since that Nightmare Night all of those years ago—"

  "What's your name?" Flash asked again, his voice rising slightly.

  "—I always knew that Luna was the best princess. In the end, my only regret is that I failed to survive and continue fighting for her."

  Flash's patience broke,"Your name, now!" he demanded.

  The informant sneered up at him,"My name is Pipsqueak, you idiotic Dynastian! I've fought and bled for Princess Luna, and I'd do it all again!" he glanced up at the flare illuminating Ponyville in a devilish red. "Long live Princess Luna!" he screamed, his voice echoing throughout the town. He slipped his hoof from the railing and fell, a smile spread across his face.

  Flash gasped and held onto the railing for support. He had killed many ponies before, but never had he seen such an awful sight. He was willing to kill himself for the sake of a leader, he thought, anger pulsing through his body. "Why did you do this, you idiot?" he screamed at the limp corpse. "Luna never cared about you. She's never cared about anypony."

  Taking one last glance at Pipsqueak's crumpled form, he climbed the ladder back down to the nook, his mind racing. Pipsqueak's wife stared at him as he returned from above. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Pipsqueak was supposed to—"

  He cut her off sharply. "He lost."

  Her eyes widened. "Wh-what?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

  Flash breathed in deeply and brushed his way past her. She stared at him, horror dawning in her eyes, as he climbed down the ladder to the foyer.

  He slid into cover next to the front door. Nudging the door open slightly, Flash drew his rifle from its holster and scanned the outside. There were no soldiers that he could see; most of the guards were probably called to the gates to try and stop the Dynasty from getting in. They were fighting a losing battle. Without the wall-guards, there was no way they could win.

  Flash holstered the rifle, and began moving down the stairs. He moved slowly to avoid making noise, straining his ears for hoofsteps approaching. From the distance, he could hear bursts of gunshots accompanied by screams. He began to worry; what if it was the Dynasty that was getting mowed down?

  Then he remembered who was leading them: Rainbow Dash. With her, nothing would be impossible. They would win!

  Flash was thrown out of his thoughts by the sound of hoofsteps coming towards him. Suddenly, several Solar Empire soldiers surrounded him. They were all out of breath, having ran quite a long way in their retreat.

  The soldiers began opening fire on him, and he searched frantically around for cover. He noticed a fruit-stand and flew behind it, slamming down onto his chest with a plopping sound. The bullets rained at the stand, causing several watermelons to burst, their pink meat flying onto the ground.

  Flash pulled his rifle from its holster and attempted to peek out from the side of the stand. He withdrew his head quickly as a bullet whizzed past his head, narrowly missing him. As the guards began to get closer to the stand, Flash rose his rifle over the stand; firing blindly several times. All of them missed.

  Suddenly, he heard a burst of machine-gun fire accompanied by the sounds of bodies hitting the mud. He peeked out from the stand, and saw the corpses of the soldiers on the ground, pools of blood beginning to form around them. Above them, armed with a fully-automatic rifle, was Rainbow Dash; a smirk on her face.

  "How's it going, Flash?" she greeted him, pulling him up from the mud. An eager smile was spread across her scarred face, and a fire was blazing in her eyes.

  "R-Rainbow! What are you doing here? I thought you were staying at the base!" Flash exclaimed, relieved to be out of danger.

  "A real leader doesn't sit idly by and let her soldiers die," she explained, a fierce look of determination beginning to form. "I'm here to take Ponyville back. Back for the ponies!"

  A large group of Dynasty soldiers that had begun forming around the two cheered at Rainbow Dash's words. Rainbow leered past them and down the alley that led to the front gates. "Where are they?" she muttered.

  Flash frowned. "Who, ma'am?"

  She smirked as the outline of a wagon began approaching from the darkness. "The guns, Flash, the guns."

  Flash's mouth dropped out as the wagon pulled out of the alley, its back was practically overflowing with a massive cache of weapons. Rainbow walked out of the crowd of soldiers, pulled a sniper rifle out from the back of the wagon, and motioned for Flash to follow her. Taking flight, she led him across several rooftops before landing onto the soft hay-roof of a building.

  In front of them was a large building once known as Sugarcube Corner. The once-welcoming bakery had long been torn down and turned into a warehouse. After the destruction of their business and home, the Cakes had disappeared without a trace, along with their children.

  The Cakes and their well-being were far from Rainbow and Flash's thoughts as they stared at what lay on the ground in front of the building. A giant machine with blades upon its head; a machine with the power of the Pegasi. Before them sat a helicopter, its rotor blades still spinning slowly from the landing.

  Suddenly, the hatch on the back of the helicopter opened, its large ramp falling to the ground with a squelched thud. Warm air from the inside steamed in the cold and began to rise. A high-pitched giggle was heard from within, coming from two pairs of pink hooves.

  "Ooh, steamy! Steamy is a funny word, isn't it, Applejack? Steamy! SteAAmy!" the mare exclaimed, bouncing down the ramp.

  Beside Flash, Rainbow Dash took a sharp, pained breath at the sight of her old friend. "Pinkie...What are you doing here?"

  Another pony walked out of the helicopter. "Ya'll wait just a sec, Pinkie! There might be some Dynasty guys out there!", she warned.

  "Oh, Applejack," Pinkie snickered,"my Pinkie-Sense will tell us if something's gonna go *Pow*, or *Pew*, or maybe even-"

  Applejack put her hoof over the pink mare's mouth. "Hush now, ya' hear? I know your Pinkie-Sense will help, but that don' mean we gotta be as loud as a stampede o' buffalo! Do ya' understand?"

  Pinkie nodded slowly, and Applejack removed her hoof. "Now, Pinkie," Applejack instructed,"start setting them bombs like we were told."

  "Okie-Dokie-Lokie!"

  Rainbow Dash glared at the ponies, her lips pursed. She lifted her rifle to her shoulder and began to watch where the explosives were being placed. Flash watched Applejack as she held her gun at the ready. She was clearly nervous, as her gun wobbled slightly as her eyes glanced all around.

  Flash leaned over to Rainbow's ear and whispered,"How did you know they'd be here?"

  Rainbow's mouth curled into a smile as she continued watching Pinkie. From the side of her scarred muzzle, she muttered,"The NLR sent somepony to spy on us. It just shows how little they think of me."

  "What do you mean?"

  She chuckled darkly. "They wanted somepony who wasn't only on their side, but was also someone I trusted. Turns out, the only pony who falls under both categories is a horrible spy. I knew their game the moment they joined."

  Flash's eyes widened. "What did you do?"

  "I didn't say a word to anypony; not even you. I'm sorry to have kept something from you, but I needed them."

  "What for?"

  She leaned away from the scope, her eyebrows curled into a frown. "I told her that a large group of our soldiers would be travelling down the road past Sugarcube Corner as part of the invasion. She went and told the NLR, and they sent in their explosives expert to create a trap. Turns out, they were the ones being played all along."

  Pinkie finished planting her explosives, and stood back to look at her work with pride. "If anypony steps on these, *Boom* *Crash* *Splat*!" she exclaimed, waving her hooves around for emphasis.

  Applejack raised an eyebrow. "Did you really have to put them into a smiley-face shape?"

  Pinkie nodded quickly, her hair bouncing playfully. "Yuperooni! It's the only way to make a smile these days!" she said, glancing up at what used to be Sugarcube Corner. "It's been a long time since I've thrown a party, AJ," she sighed, her grin faltering.

  Applejack patted her on the back. "I know, sugarcube. We all miss 'em. They were always a lot o' fun."

  Pinkie looked down, shuffling her hooves at the ground sadly."I miss our friends, AJ. Twilight and... Rainbow Dash."

  Applejack's eyes darkened at the mention of the prismatic-maned pony's name. "They betrayed us, both of 'em!"

  Rainbow's breathing hitched, and a tear slid down her cheek as she aimed down the scope again. "I'm sorry, Pinkie, but this has to be done," she muttered, putting the trigger in her mouth.

  Pinkie's ears began to flop, her back began to arch, and her front hooves began tapping on the ground; mud flying up into the air. "What's going on? I've never felt one like—"

  A bullet cracked through the air, hitting one of the land-mines. The effect was instantaneous. The explosion caused a chain reaction, setting off the others, and blowing the two mares towards the helicopter. Pinkie, (who had been closest to the blast), had bloody holes where her legs once were, and her face scarred. She lay in the mud, her shallow breath making a small puff of steam in the air. Aside from a few cuts and bruises, Applejack was unharmed. She lay on the ground, clutching her ears in agony; the blast had caused an insatiable ringing to torture her eardrums.

  Rainbow and Flash leaped to the ground, their hooves squelching in the mud. They approached the two mares, who lay covered in blood and mud on the ground. Rainbow rose her gun to shoot Applejack, but was suddenly pushed onto her back.

  "I didn't expect to get my hooves dirty tonight. Especially during this disgusting weather!" a voice taunted. Flash pointed his gun all around him, looking for the perpetrator. Suddenly, his rifle was kicked up and knocked out of his hooves, and he was knocked onto the ground as well.

  In front of them, a Unicorn appeared from seemingly thin air. She wore a dark-gray suit that covered her entire body, including her head. She tore the mask off, revealing a shimmering purple mane, somehow still expertly curled despite being under a mask.

  Rainbow growled at the mare. "Rarity! What're you doing here?"

  Rarity chuckled. "I'm stopping brutes like you from killing my friends. Now that I've told you why I'm here, be a dear and do the same for me," she instructed, contempt evident in her voice.

  "Why tell you when I can show show you?" Rainbow asked, sliding her hoof across the ground quickly, causing Rarity to fall to her side. She hopped up and aimed to stomp on Rarity's head. Rarity shot a spell from her horn, hitting the bottom of Rainbow's hoof. Rainbow reeled back, crying out in pain, as Rarity pushed herself back up.

  "You got my camouflage muddy! Do you know how long I had to work on that?" she snarled, trying to wipe mud away with her hooves.

  Rainbow chuckled. "The same amount of time it took you to do your hair this morning?"

  "It's on!" Rarity cried, leaping onto Rainbow, the two rolling across the mud. Flash pulled Rarity from Rainbow and flung her onto the ground. From behind her, Applejack appeared, the ringing in her ears calmed down enough to help.

  "Rarity! I'll deal with these two, just get Pinkie into the helicopter!" she demanded. Rarity nodded, and ran to help Pinkie.

  Rainbow glanced at Flash. "Go after her, Flash. I can deal with Applejack."

  Flash shook his head. "I won't leave you!" he told her, loyal to the end. Suddenly, he was bucked across the face and fell to the ground, unconscious.

  Applejack smirked, tossing her gun aside. "Just me an' you, Rainbow. One on one. A fight to the death."

  Rainbow threw hers aside as well, the fire of battle glinting in her eyes. "Then you'd better bring it."

  Applejack turned to buck Rainbow, who dodged it, and countered by tripping her. Applejack fell face-first into the mud, and flew back up with a buck, which snagged Rainbow on the jaw. Rainbow stood back up and rushed at Applejack. She flew into a succession of quick jabs, hitting the orange mare several times. Applejack caught one of the jabs with her hoof, and head-butted Rainbow, who stumbled back.

  Rainbow's head began to swim, and she shut her eyes forcefully, trying to gain her bearings. Applejack turned around and bucked her, causing the blue mare to fly back into the mud. Rainbow opened her eyes to a spinning world, and she tried to pick herself up before stumbling forward onto her stomach.

  Applejack approached the defeated mare, panting heavily. "That was a good fight," she grunted between breaths,"but you lost, Rainbow. I know how you're feelin' right now. I bet you don't know how to feel, being the loser for once in your life." She stood over Rainbow, her face pale. "Any last words, old friend?"

  Rainbow stared up at Applejack, a smirk beginning to play at the corners of her scarred mouth. "You wanna know something about hoof-fights, AJ?"

  Applejack raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "What are ya' talkin' about?"

  Rainbow rested her hoof near her left flank. "Never go into one alone," she muttered.

  "What is that supposed to—" Applejack's words were cut short by a blade plunging into her right eye. Rainbow had pulled a knife from a secret sheath and stabbed it towards her face. Applejack screamed out in pain, trying to pull the knife out of her knife.

  "Ah' always knew you liked to play unfair, RD!" she whimpered, clutching her wound. Quickly, she span around and high-tailed it back to the helicopter.

   Flash's eyes slowly opened, the world spinning around him, and his head pulsing angrily. He sat up just in time to see Applejack's retreat and  flew to his hooves to give chase. Rainbow called for him to stop, but he ignored her. He had to stop Applejack!

  Applejack leaped into the helicopter, yelling "Take off, take off!" The rotors began to spin, and it began to lift from the ground. In hot pursuit, Flash took a running jump, flapped his wings once, and propelled himself into the flying machine just as the cargo-bay door was closing.

  Applejack and Rarity stood in the back of the helicopter, smirks on their faces. Flash pointed his gun at them:"Stand down, NLR!" he ordered. The two mares began to laugh as soldiers began to appear from thin air, forming a circle around him.

  He dropped his gun, and gawked at the NLR around him. "How did you—?" he sputtered.

  Rarity chuckled. "Thanks to my designing skills, I've been able to create perfect camouflage! When they wear it, they can not be seen unless they deactivate it."

  Flash's eyes widened. "Just what kind of tech does the NLR have?"

  She laughed condescendingly. "More than you'll ever know, Mr.Sentry. More than any of you Dynasty savages will ever know!" She nodded at the soldiers surrounding Flash. "You gentlecolts know what to do, right?"

   One of the NLR responded,"Yes, Miss Rarity! We understand!"

  Fear began to rise within Flash as he drew closer and closer to his final breath. Before the soldiers could fire, however, the helicopter was hit by some heavy force. It began to spin uncontrollably, a siren blasting continually. Suddenly, it all stopped with a sickening halt, and Flash lost consciousness.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

  The chilly morning wind played on the back of Rainbow's neck, causing her fur to rise. She watched as a pair of soldiers each grabbed a side of a piece of rubble. They were searching for Flash Sentry, and so far had come up with nothing.

  "Would you like a jacket, ma'am?" one of her soldiers asked in concern. Thanking him, she took it and threw it on. The jacket was chilly, and didn't help much, but it was still better than having the wind blowing onto her bare fur.

  Suddenly, she heard moaning coming from under a pile of rubble. She began to dig through the rubble, a layer of dust rising and settling upon her cyan coat. Under the rubble was a pale-faced Flash Sentry.

  "Flash!" she cried in relief, pulling him off of the ground. Flash using Rainbow for support, the two began to slowly make their way out of the wreckage.

  Flash opened his mouth to say something. "Rainbow," he rasped,"What happened to Applejack and Rarity?"

  She sighed. "They escaped before we got here. It's a shame; I would've loved to have them as our guests," she shook her head sadly. "Let's get you patched up before we worry about them, alright?"

  He nodded,"Yeah, alright."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone-Call Recording No.1: The Aftermath of Ponyville

  "Listen, I'm really sorry about—"

  "She's fine, I promise. She'll have a new... fashion accessory from now on, but aside from that—"

  "And the other one?"

  "It's...bad."

  "Will she live?"

  "We aren't sure. Even if she does survive, she'll never be the same."

  "I can't believe this..."

  "Just hope for the best, dear."

  "I'll try. In other news, I've found the one."

  "Have you now?"

  "Yeah. The first step of our plan begins now."

  "Very well then. Good luck, my dear."

  "I'll try my best... I'll talk to you later, okay? Oh, and wait!"

  "Yes?"

  "Remember, when any of us calls one another, we have to use 'fourteen, five, twenty-three, five, seventeen, twenty-one, five, nineteen, twenty, eighteen, nine, one' as a code. Do you understand?"

  "Yes."

  "Alright. Until next time, I guess."

  "Of course. Until next time."