//-------------------------------------------------------// The War to End All Wars -by p4z0- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 1 Explosions rocked the earth, knocking the armored Humvee slightly off its course. "Hobbs, we need you to fire that god damn gun!" shouted the driver frantically. Lieutenant Christopher Hobbs loaded his M4A1 rifle and fired controlled bursts of rounds at a group of Pegasi launching fireballs down at ground forces. One of the Pegasi let out a screech before plummeting to the ground in a blast. BANG! BANG! BANG! Three more hollow-point rounds left the end of his weapon and plunged themselves deep into the body of another Pegasi, whom spiraled downwards before meeting his end mere inches from the Humvee. Hobbs tightened his grip on his gun as he pulled the familiar trigger once more. His actions were met with a loud click, as he realized he had emptied his magazine. He reached for another magazine as a fireball detonated infront of the Humvee, and the driver took a sharp turn to avoid it. Hobbs cringed as his ammunition flew out of his hand, rolling off the Humvee and into the vast lands of dirt. "We have an enemy air unit at 2 o'clock, take him down!" shouted the driver.. "Loud and clear!" replied Hobbs coolly. Hobbs managed to reload and squeezed the trigger in a cool, calculated motion. A bullet struck a fireball just launched by a Pegasi, detonating it in midair, devouring the Pegasi whom had launched it. The roar of rifles filled the air as bullets flew in all directions. A platoon of soldiers were caught in the blast of magic, causing them to fly through the air. Hobbs cringed as a Medic was blasted away in a similar fashion, killed instantly trying to save his comrades. A nearby building was blasted away by an unseen force, causing it to collapse. Hobbs felt rage course through his body as he remembered why he had joined the United Army for Humanity. A close friend had been lost in the Al-Qaeda attacks on 9/11. As anger burned his blood, he ripped a grenade from his belt and launched it at a stampeding group of Earth Ponies. They were quickly dissolved into a vibrant explosions, smoke rising from the blackened ground where they once stood. Hobbs allowed himself a brief smile, before being snapped back to reality by the screams for help of the men being bombarded around him. Suddenly, his Humvee was struck by a blast of magic. His vision blurred as he lay on the dirt. 'What... what happened.... my skin... it burns... am I on fire...," He turned his head as the flaming shell of the Humvee. He saw the burning corpse of the driver who had just moments ago spoke to him. He fought for his breath as a searing pain found its way through his torso. 'My ribs... are they... broken..." His vision began to black out as he fought to stay awake. Suddenly, another explosion rocked him into a silent blindness. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 2 Resolute loved the feeling of the breeze against her face, as she flew high above the field of battle. Born in Manehattan, she had been orphaned to raise four foals by herself. She rarely experienced true freedom, and now was not one of those times. Her wings faltered as she struggled against the weight of her Fireball Launcher. From above the clouds, she could see slightly pinpoints of yellow as pieces of molten metal were propelled around her. She inhaled a deep breath of the air in the sky, and kicked a cloud to conceal her actions. Using her legs, she dropped a ball of flaming rock off her Fireball Launcher, watching intently as it plummeted beyond the clouds and landed with a satisfying blast. She eyed a vehicle moving quickly along the border of the Royal Army of Celestia, firing bullets at her. She readied another fireball as she prepared to drop it upon the swift vehicle, when a bullet nicked her left wing. She cringed as she yelled into her mouthpiece. "It's Resolute... I've been wounded, just a nick, but I'm losing altitude. Over." she spoke. "Copy that, sending a rapid response team to your location now, over." was the brisk reply. She eyed the cloudline as it approached rapidly. She was losing altitude faster than she thought, and she had almost broken the veil of clouds that shrouded her from sight. If she flew beyond them, she would be an easy target for missiles and bullets alike. Suddenly, a group of two Pegasi sporting a chariot were seen in the distance. A unicorn was riding the chariot, her horn already glowing a faint purple. Resolute felt her injury sting slightly, as the unicorn used her magic to heal it. As the wound closed, suddenly, a faint orange light could be seen in the clouds. A missile burst through the clouds and struck the Pegasi leading the chariot. The remaining Pegasi and Unicorn fell beyond the line of clouds, and were met with a barrage of bullets, shredding them both. Resolute whinnied in anger at the humans whom had ended her saviors. She quickly launched a fireball in the direction of the shots, and was met with faint screams from below. She loaded another fireball as a movement caught her eye. The vehicle she had spotted earlier was still speeding along, wreaking havoc upon the flying forces. She called upon her expert marksman skills as she launched a fireball a few clicks of the hooves infront of the vehicle. She frowned as the round detonating just infront of the vehicle, and it swerved to avoid being caught in the explosion. She rarely missed her shots. "Well, there's going to be more shots to take tonight." She launched her final fireball at the speedy vehicle, and it exploded in a fiery blast. "There goes my last shot" thought Resolute. As she flew back to base to load up on more fireballs, a stray bullet shot clean through her wing. She quickly plunged downwards, trying to reach base before she crashed into the unforgiving grounds. "This is Resolute, I need a Medivac, this is a Code Red situation! I'm losing altitude and can't regain it, mayday!" she shouted into her mouthpiece. She careened towards the ground, using her good wing to glide towards the base. She was almost within range, she was safe! Suddenly, a gust of wind knocked her off course. She hit the ground hard with a mighty thud! Her body twitched as she realized how close she was to her base. Gunshots could be heard in the background as she limped back to base, bruised and battered. The cool surface of the ground was much different from the air, she thought, as she continued crawling. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 3 Hobbs awoke to find himself staring into the sky. He tried to turn to the side, and was met with a stabbing pain through his sides. He heard a ringing in his ears as he tried to piece together the events that had landed him here. He was resting on a soft cotton sheet, but he still heard the battlefield around him. He still heard the screams of men and saw the explosions of fireballs. Suddenly, it struck him that he was atop a stretcher. Was he moving? His entire body throbbed with pain, and it felt as if he had been hit with a truck. Had he been? All he could recall was being aboard a Humvee firing his M4A1, before being flung through the air. "Whereee am.... I?" He croaked gently. "He's waking up!" Shouted a voice in a muffled response. He felt himself being put in the back of a spacious vehicle as he was sped away from the action. Lt. Hobbs hated being away from the action when his fellow servicemen needed him, but he was in no condition to fight. He lapsed in and out of consciousness. When he finally awakened, he was laying on a mattress. He tilted his head to the left and cringed in pain. He could see an IV Drip in his arm. With great strength, he tilted his head in the other direction to see an array of monitors, displaying his vital conditions. A handsome blonde man was sitting in a chair the opposite end of the room. He had a medium build, and had a magazine in hand. He was eyeing Hobbs excitedly. He stood up out of his chair and walked over to the injured warrior. "Are you awake, Lt. Hobbs?" spoke the man with a slight English accent. "Y... Yeah...." he replied weakly. "My name is Doctor Hayes, you look like you've been through a lot." "What... happened to me?" "You were hurt on the battlefield, your armored vehicle was hit with a magic fireball." "Am.... I... okay?" "Well, that's just the reason why I'm here." Hayes reached for a clipboard at the foot of Hobbs' bed. "What's... what's the news?" "Well, your in good shape and you're going to survive. On the other hand, you have a few bruised ribs, a lot of minor burns, and a minor concussion. With the right bedrest, you'll be out of here and back on the fields in... a few days." "Not bad..." "In the meantime, why don't you sit back and enjoy your stay. Are you hungry?" "I could go for some food." "It'll be right up." With that, Dr. Hayes walked out of the room. Within a few moments, a nurse walked in with a platter of food. She handed the platter to Hobbs and silently walked out of the room, headed to go tend to other patients. A banana, eggs, milk, an apple, and a slice of dull steak. As Hobbs glumly ate his meal, he thought of the battle mere miles from the hospital. Just 50 Miles away, his comrades were getting slaughtered by the dozens as the unicorns and pegasi pushed forwards, and he was reduced to eating hospital foods for a few more days. He yawned as he realized how exhausted he was. He pushed his platter onto a stand beside his bed, and fell into a dreamless sleep. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 4 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 4 Resolute glided effortlessly through the crisp air of Manehattan, and she gazed upon the rows of buildings. She inhaled a deep breath of oxygen as she neared her destination, a local supermarket. She flared her long, golden wings and reached a slow stop just yards from the front door of the supermarket. She walked through the front door, and then through the first row of foods. She picked up a handful of canned vegetables before proceeding to a nearby cashier. Resolute silently placed her items infront of the young cashier, along with a small pouch of gold. "Thanks for shopping!" said the cashier, taking the gold in his hoof, simultaneously placing her few items into a plastic bag. Resolute took the bag and slowly began to trot away. As she neared the exit doors, a flier caught her eye. She eyed it suspiciously. A large picture of Princess Celestia was in the center, alongside equally sized text. The RAC is Right! Join the Royal Army of Celestia! Everypony is the right pony for the army! Simply visit the nearest recruiting center! There was Royal Benefits for every Royal Army Pony. NEAREST CENTER: 420 Equineton Avenue 'Royal Benefits' thought Resolute, 'A few extra bits of gold could come in handy later on...' As she made up her mind, she spread her glorious wings and began her long flight to address posted on the flier. Once again the familiar blast of air spiked her adrenaline, boosting her speeds over 120 Miles per hour. Within the next few minutes, she was within spitting distance of the recruitment center. Just minutes later, she was talking to a younger female in military uniform. "Howdy, here to enlist?" "I'm not really sure," "Well, I can tell you whatever you need to know" "What are these... royal benefits?" "Well, Celestia cares 'bout her troops. She'll feed your family and supply you with a hefty sum of gold." "That's a good start. What kind of job would I have?" "You look like quite a strong flier dear, you'll likely be incharge of bombing and special air operations." "Sounds like a plan..." "Great!" The young female handed Resolute a scroll of paper with a long sheet of terms to agree to, as well as an ink pen. At the bottom was a blank line. Resolute confidently took the pen and signed her name. Resolute Will. //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 5 //-------------------------------------------------------// Chapter 5 Lieutenant Hobbs laid in his hospital bed, idly reading a book left by his bedstand. War and Peace. He cringed as he sat up in his bed, sending renewed pain through his ribs. Through the small window in his room, he could see deep black storm clouds were rolling overhead. White flashes of lightning lit up the ominous sky, casting shadows throughout the land. Within seconds, he heard the explosive report of thunder. It would be hell to be on the field at the time, doused in rain, visibility at near zero. Yet, it seemed to be better than to be imprisoned within the hospital. Only a day had passed since he had been admitted to his cell, and it would be multiple more until he could find himself liberated. Once again he heard the deep explosions of thunder, as the storm cut it's path of destruction through the lands. However, this blast seemed different. Perhaps it had been louder? Quieter? He couldn't tell. As he contemplated the source of the unusual noise, the sound was heard once again, accompanied by the shattering of glass and loud screams. Christopher Hobbs , with great effort, climbed out of his hospital bed and set down his book. He ran to his door and pulled it open, revealing an image of smoke and fire. A gaping hole in the wall was visible, as flames licked away at the walls. Black smoke rose from the burning wounds in the building as dust shrouded vision. Hobbs stumbled blindly through the hallway, hoping to find the exit of the doomed hospital. Once more he heard the screams for help as men burned alive. Hobbs managed to stumble into the stairwell. As he ran down the stairs, a brilliant flash of white light illuminated the stairwell as another explosion rocketed the floor above him. 'The weather ponies... it's the weather ponies..." he thought weakly. Hobbs scrambled out the front door of the hospital and ran a few yards forwards. Turning his head, he saw the hospital was on the verge of collapsing. Gaping holes had been blasted into the sides, spewing flames in all directions. Acrid blankets of black smoke rose slowly into the blacker sky. Sheets of rain drenched Hobbs, as lightning flashed all around him. Screams could still be heard from the inside of the building. A few survivors were outside the hospital, having fled before Hobbs. The building let out a mighty groan, as the hospital began collapsing in on itself. Debris flew in all directions, and screams could be hard from within, as the top floor of the building fell, leveling the rest of the building into rubble. Suddenly, all was an eerie silence, bordering upon serenity. The only noise audible was the splashing of rain and rumbling of thunder. Hobbs felt sickened as he gazed upon the wreckage of the once proud structure. How many innocent men died today? Interrupting his thoughts, one of the survivors began to walk towards him. "Are you alright?" said the young survivor. "I've been better," "Yeah, so could the rest of us," he said, gesturing towards a group of people. "How far away is any civilization?" "40 miles, there's nothing around here anymore. What with the war," "This isn't looking too good, is it..."