Fall of Sombra

Rainbow falls has fallen.
I didn't know what to feel when Granny started to cry. At first I thought she just had one of her episodes. That is until I read what she had read. An entire town, and everypony inside it. Blown off the map simply to send a message. I didn't cry. What I did do was head over to the guard recruiting station set up on the outskirts of town. I wasn't alone. Nearly every Stallion, and a few mares filed in behind me. I could feel everypony's sadness be replaced with anger and fury. We wanted revenge. The guards behind the stand looked up and gave us all stern nods. I was the first. They didn't even ask questions, just a sad look before stamping rejected on my form. I guess in hindsight the most known single stallion known for raising a sister, working a farm as well as tending to his aging grandmother would be rejected due to the law that protected single fathers from choosing from serving their home and raising their young. I guess I fell inside that law. But still becoming the only stallion in a town known for it's already odd mare to stallion ratio does something to a pony. I talked to the local therapist and he suggested i keep a journal... So here it goes. I just hope Celestia ends that bucking murderous bastard.

Macintosh Harvest Apple
Crystal War: Day 1

The inside of the train car was chaotic as the guards assigned to it tried to gather their bearings. Just as he stood up, Big Mac was lurched towards the wall as the cart was hit by another rock sending chunks of rock and wood flying at the guards still standing. Luckily the only injury was a cut on the cheek. Caramel was quick to start issuing orders. "Everypony outside, now! Go! Go! Go!" The guards inside the car followed them without hesitation. As soon as Big Mac stood up he was grabbed by the light brown pony. "You too Mac! Outside!"

Mac shook his head. "Ah'm a farmer! What am ah' supposed to do?" He shouted.

Caramel shoved him to the ladder. "You're not a farmer anymore Mac! Let's go!" He grabbed his sword before grabbing a spare and shoving it into Mac's chest. "From here on out until this is over and you're safely home you are now drafted!" With that said Caramel climbed his way out of the roof hatch.

Macintosh looked at the sword stored inside the leather wrapping. He blew out a grunt in frustration, before moving to the ladder and making his way up. As soon as his head cleared Macintosh was assaulted by the most haunting sound he has ever heard. The high pitched screams of hundreds of ponies engaged in battle. With his heart pounding in his chest he climbed out of the car and onto the top fortifications. The air was thick with smoke and the smell of death. He spotted his friend by the side of the car. Staying low, he made his way over to where Caramel was crouched. His friend looked back to see him and was about to tell him something when a guard further down the line took an arrow to the face.

Death was not a mystery to Macintosh. He had to deal with it several times in his life. His grandfather, his parents, his cousins and other relatives who all died violent deaths because of war. But he never witnessed any of them. He never seen a stallion grab hold of an arrow in a desperate attempt to stop the inevitable. He never seen a stallion thrash around as his nervous system fired symostalinusly in an attempt to save the body. He's never seen so much blood. He could do nothing as the natural reaction to seeing such a violent death triggered in his own body. He lurched his head away before spewing what was left in his stomach onto the bloody wood.

Seeing that had an effect on macintosh. All the stories that he had heard, all the heroic stands that were used as propaganda posters, everything he know about war was turned around as he witnessed the true toll war had just taken. He clinched his eyes closed as he tried to hide away from the grim truth. That did nothing to quell the screams of ponies as they fought to the death. He heard a mumbled cry he began to shake his head trying to stop the screams. Then suddenly, without warning, his face was hit by a hoof that shook him out of his mental breakdown. "Macintosh! Snap out of it!"

He looked up to see Caramel giving him an understanding look. "Mac, now's not the time for you to lose you head! Pick up your sword and follow me. I Know you're not a soldier but even you resource ponies got some combat training. Now let's go! We need to get to a better position." He looked over the edge, glanced over to one of the crossbow turrets , and then looked back at Macintosh." listen Mac you're the strongest one here. I need you to get the turret over there and take it with you. Can you do that?"

Big Mac looked over the edge and gulped in fear as he looked upon the hundreds of ponies all adorned in black armor as they continued to charge forward despite the hail of arrows from the two turrets. He looked back at Caramel and gave him a shaky nod.

Caramel gave him a smack on the shoulder before turning to his troops. He took a deep breath before shouting out, "Spears!"

As a well oiled machine the remaining guards hoisted up their spears and shouted out their return call. He looked over to Big Mac, "We won't have a lot of time, get it and get ready to make a break for those rocks," He said as he pointed to an outcropping of sandstone two hundred lengths away from the train. Big Mac nodded. Caramel smiled before grabbing his own spear and shouted out a single command, "Lunge!" before he jumped off the train. The guards followed his exsample and threw themselves at the horde of black armored ponies.

Big Mac watched, stunned, for a moment before rushing over to the turret. The guard pony holding the grip and stock nodded his head before he grabbed his own spear and jumped into the battle.

Mac, using his strength hoisted the turret up and off the turning mechanism. He was about to jump off the other side when he heard the other turret operator scream in agony. Mac twisted around just to see the pony being lifted into the air by a griffin and a pegasi. His blood ran cold. He had heard the rumors but seeing it was something else. King Sombra had captured enough pegasi to challenge Equestrian control of the skies. And as his eyes followed the two carry away the guard. He saw that the black skies was not black due to the smoke and soot but because of the pegasi and griffons who were adorned in black armor. There were thousands of them flying around.

Big Mac pailed with fear; terrified beyond all words. The sudden hoof that appeared on the battlement caused him to scream. "Mac, help me!" Macintosh knew that voice and with a leap pulled Caramel over.

Mac took a look at his friend hoping he was alright. He wasn't. "Mel! What ah'm ah' supposed to do?!" he yelled, his voice full of panic and terror. This was too much, too much death in such a small amount of time. Now his best friend had three arrows in his side.

"M-mac, Take the turret and r-run. I'll hold them off. Get to a b-better position and hold them back." Caramel choked out, blood dripped from his mouth as he struggled to deal with the pain. Below the screams of dying ponies intensified as the guards were pushed back into the wall of the train car.

Mac shook his head. "Ah ain't gonn-" His voice was cut off by a golden hoof punching him in the snout. "Don't be stupid Mac... Granny'll come find me in Tartarus if she found out I was the cause of your death. Now g-go while they're distracted by my boys" Caramel paused before smiling " And Mac? Say goodb-bye to Shy for me. Will ya?" With that Caramel shoved Mac away and pointed towards the turret. Macintosh wordlessly picked it up, turned one last time to look at his friend, before he jumped over the other side of the Train car. Within moments he was in a full gallop towards a small rock outcropping on a hill.

When he reached it he twisted around to look back at the train, silently praying that Caramel would come join him. However this was not the case. Macintosh watched, icy terror gripping tight, as the swarm of black surged over the car causing it to topple. A few guard ponies who had made it up and over were now running for their lives. Just as they made it a quarter of the way the car suddenly exploded sending shrapnel across the lands. A few unlucky guards were caught by the shrapnel and fell onto the ground. The concussive blast caused Mac take cover as pieces of train flew past embedding themselves into the dirt and stone around him. He looked up only for his field of vision to be replaced with that of a golden helmet. He reeled back as the object came to a halt five hooves away. he took a closer look at it. It was Caramel's helmet. At that moment Mac's fear and self preservation turned to rage and the urge to kill. With an angry yell he cocked back the string bolt of the crossbow before hoisting it up. His words of "DIE YA' BASTARDS!" echoed out across the land followed by a swarm of arrows that struck the surging force head on. Covering the retreating guards as they made their way to the outcropping.

Dozens fell within moments of Mac's rampage. But like time itself, the swarm grew closer with every arrow fired. From above the battle the aerial opponents saw the challenge to their king and descended to kill the threat. Griffins, pegasi, and many other winged creatures all swarmed downward intent on claiming the prize.

The few guards who survived knew that without the turret they were doomed and they acted accordingly. They formed around him in a phielix formation around the red stallion, their swords and spears faced outward as the large stallion let loose arrow after arrow. When Macintosh saw the griffins and pegasi coming towards him his rage grew. With a rawr of anger he turned the turret upwards and fired at them. A few had enough self preservation instinct to evade but most just took the arrows head on. crashing into the ground sending plumes of dirt and pebbles into the sky due to their kinetic energy. One unlucky guard was hit by a mare sending both of them rolling off the rock, dead.

Unfortunately, the crossbow turnt didn't have unlimited ammo. However, the last arrow fired struck ture and a griffin was sent to the ground arrow firmly perforating her wing. She looked up only for her vision to be blocked by a massive red hoof, cracking her beak and sending her off the rocky outcropping. A few of the charging ponies saw this and started to climb intent on stopping the threat to their attack. Big Mac bucked the first one who came up, sending the smaller pony soaring across the field. He continued to do this with any other Crystal soldier brave enough to try.

Two of the remaining guards joined the larger stallion in keeping the army of mindless soldiers off the outcropping. While the rest used their spears to keep the aerial units away from the rest. The only unicorn of the remaining guards lit up his horn and fired a bolt of light into the sky before lunging his spear into the chest of a pegasi and throwing him off the side of the rock. All the combatants looked to the sky as the bolt exploded sending out a wave of red in all directions. The unicorn smirked before he was pounced on by a descending Griffin. Big Mac bucked the griffin in the chest, exploding the ribs and sending her off the outcrop and into the mass of soldiers.

The unicorn was about to say something when he suddenly tackled the larger pony down just as a few arrows landed where they were just standing. Big Mac picked up the golden helmet of his fallen friend and bucked it into the lead griffin who had the bow responsible, knocking him out cold and causing him to fall down next to the unicorn. The Colt used his telekinesis to grab hold of the bow and started to use it on the ponies and griffins who had their own ranged weapons. Big Mac turned to return to his previous task just as a pegasus landed in front of him. The two stared at eachother before the crystal soldier charged forward, his sharpened wings pointed twords the larger stallions heart. Big Mac pulled out the sword given to him before lunging forward as well. With a scream the two opposing blades connected.

...To be Continued...