Equestria: The Crystal War

Braveheart’s alarm beeped just loud enough for him to hear. He slowly woke up, and rolled over onto his side. He tapped his wife’s shoulder. Sunset opened her eyes, attempting to wake up herself.

“Is it time already?” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Braveheart nodded. “Go wake up Blazing, and get into the basement. You know the drill.” Sunset nodded and climbed out of the bed. She left the room to go wake up Blazing Fire. Braveheart grabbed a scoped and suppressed slug shotgun from underneath the bed and walked into the family room. He could hear Blazing and Sunset in the other room.

“But Mom, I’m sick of this,” she whined.

“Blazing Fire, you are 18 years old,” Sunset quietly scolded. “Act your age.” Blazing groaned as she and Sunset walked out of the room. Braveheart gave his daughter a stern glare as she looked towards him. Blazing looked down at the floor as her mother led her to the basement. She looked back at Braveheart, giving him a pleading look. Braveheart returned the look with one of assurance. Sunset nodded and walked into the basement with Blazing, sealing the door behind her. Braveheart looked back to the windows, cocking back the shotgun in his magic. Braveheart took a moment to ponder the past.

It had been 20 years since he and Sunset had resigned from the CER. They had been married, and Sunset gave birth to Blazing Fire. Braveheart and his family now had to protect their new life. They issued new protocols for the household. Every morning, at the crack of dawn, they would check the perimeter for Sombra soldiers. They had to keep themselves secret. Braveheart sighed, then stepped up to the first window, opening it and looking outside. There was a Sombra soldier wandering the premises, stumbling around, seemingly in agony and confusion. Looking close, Braveheart recognized the soldier as Sergeant Thunderbolt Sentinel. Thunderbolt was a good friend of Rusty’s in the service, but lost his life at the Battle of Las Pegasus. Braveheart remembered the day the luxurious city fell. Sombra’s soldiers flooded the resorts and casinos, killing hundreds within minutes. The CER responded, but heavy casualties forced them to retreat. Many good ponies died that day, including Thunderbolt. Braveheart aimed his shotgun at Thunderbolt’s skull. He closed his eyes and quietly said a prayer, then opened his eyes.

“I’ll meet you in Tartarus, Thunderbolt,” Braveheart whispered. He pulled the trigger, and the slug round fired, piercing Thunderbolt’s brain. The shadow armor dissolved into smoke, flowing back north.

“Oh, that’s not good,” Braveheart muttered. He wrote a letter to Rainbow Dash.

“General, I’m afraid Sombra’s hooves have been busy. As I was going through my daily sweep of the premises around my house, one of Sombra’s soldiers was stumbling around. I regret to inform you that the soldier was Sergeant Thunderbolt Sentinel. As I put him at peace, the shadow armor he wore dissolved into black smoke, flowing north, no doubt back to Sombra. I fear Sombra is now aware of me and my family’s presence. I advise you to prepare for this when Sombra strikes again. I fear he is inventing new ways to destroy us. Please be careful. - Braveheart”

Braveheart sent off the letter to Dash, and closed the window. He sealed the blinds and locked the doors. He reloaded his shotgun and ran to the basement. He pounded twice hard, and once more softly. Sunset opened the door.

“Is it over?” she asked.

“I’m afraid we have a bigger problem,” Braveheart replied. “Sombra is aware of our residence here. We need to get out.” Sunset nodded, and ran to her room to pack. Blazing followed her. Braveheart walked into the basement, grabbing a pistol, an assault rifle, and two semtex grenades. He walked over to a wall and pressed a hidden switch. A secret door slid away, revealing a passage. He turned around to see Sunset and Blazing walking down the stairs to the room.

“Everything set?” he asked.

“We’ve got everything we need,” Sunset confirmed. “Food, clothes, and some weapons.”

“It should suffice for the trip to the CER camp,” Braveheart nodded. There was suddenly an explosion, and the clatter of hoofsteps rang out through the house.

“They’re here,” Braveheart growled. He turned to Sunset and Blazing. “Go without me,” he ordered. “I’ll deal with them, then catch up with you. That underground passage leads straight to the CER camp. Just follow it. The trip will take a few days, but the passage is lit and has no turns.”

“Come back safe,” Sunset requested. “Please.” Braveheart nodded, then kissed his wife goodbye. He gave Blazing a tight hug, when all of a sudden bullets started flying.

“GO!” Braveheart cried. He whipped around, raising his assault rifle. He shot at the Sombra soldiers, killing them. The armor they wore dissolved, flowing away. Sunset and Blazing ran into the tunnel, and Braveheart shut it behind them. He reloaded his gun as three more soldiers ran into the basement. Braveheart took cover behind a crate as the soldiers fired on him. He tossed a grenade, which stuck to the skull of a soldier. The explosion tore off the soldier’s head, killing the other two as well. Their armor flowed away, but not far. King Sombra stepped down the stairs, and the black smoke was absorbed into him. Braveheart cocked back his shotgun and shot at Sombra. The slug round deflected off of Sombra, much to Braveheart’s dismay and horror. He gritted his teeth and kept shooting. Sombra’s eyes were emitting purple mist, and his pupils were gone, replaced by a glowing green. He summoned his scythe from the air and swung at Braveheart. Braveheart avoided the strike, running at Sombra. He avoided the scythe, soon tackling Sombra. He grabbed a grenade and stuck it on Sombra’s temple. He released the pin and jumped away, ducking behind a box. The grenade exploded, sending shrapnel around the room. Braveheart waited for the ringing in his ears to stop, then raised his body up, aiming his assault rifle. Sombra’s body was motionless on the floor, his scythe dissipated. Braveheart carefully approached his enemy’s corpse. Sombra’s head was blown up, and blood was spilling onto the floor. Braveheart relaxed, then spat on Sombra’s corpse.

“You deserve no respect from me, you bastard,” he growled. He put a pistol round into Sombra’s skull, then turned around. Braveheart suddenly felt an excruciating pain shoot through his body. Blood sprayed from his chest as Sombra’s scythe ripped through him. Braveheart gasped for air as he was suspended by the blade. The scythe dissipated, and Braveheart fell to the ground. Sombra walked in front of Braveheart as the fatal opening in his face healed.

“You poor simple fool,” he growled. “It takes a whole lot more than a grenade to the face to kill me. And now, you will die, joining my army of shadow.” Braveheart used his last bit of strength to conjure up a levitation spell. He floated his pistol to his head, cocking back the slide. Sombra’s eyes went wide. Braveheart closed his eyes.

“Blazing Fire, Sunset Shimmer, Rainbow Dash, Rusty Ace, Celestia,” he moaned. “Forgive me. I have failed you all.” Before Sombra could do anything, Braveheart pulled the trigger. The bullet tore through his head and out the other end. It struck the iron wall, collapsing the bullet. It hit the floor, bloody and covered with brain matter. Sombra growled, then turned away. He walked out of the house, leaving Braveheart’s corpse inside.

~~~

Sunset and Blazing Fire walked through the tunnel. They heard the gunshots and the explosions. When there was a long pause, then a final gunshot, Sunset felt something die inside of her. But she couldn’t tell Blazing. She’d lose it. So she kept quiet. The two walked in silence. The only sound that could be heard was their hoofsteps in the dirt. Sunset closed her eyes, and started to cry. Blazing wrapped a hoof around her mother.

“It’ll be OK, mom,” she assured, oblivious to the truth. “Dad will make it out. He always does.” Sunset nodded, tears in her eyes.

“I pray to Celestia you’re right, Blazing,” she sobbed. They kept walking to the CER camp. One praying for Braveheart’s survival, the other knowing it was already too late.

~~~

At the CER camp, Rainbow Dash had just read Braveheart’s letter to her. Rusty Ace was with her.

“So, Sombra is advancing his shadows,” Dash murmured. “And Captain Braveheart has fallen. This is a dark day for the Crystal Empire Resistance.”

“We can only hope Captain Shimmer and her daughter made it out,” Rusty agreed.

“Knowing Braveheart, I’m sure he had an exit strategy for his family,” Dash assured. “They should be here within days. Still, we should send reinforcements into the passage to escort them safely. Sombra will have sent soldiers after them.”

“I’ll take the Wolf Squadron,” Rusty said. “You know what they’re capable of.”

“I was just about to say that,” Dash nodded. “Go, and hurry. Sombra’s soldiers won’t be far behind Captain Shimmer. Get them to camp safe.” Rusty saluted, and she left the war tent. Dash looked back to the map, stabbing a knife into the Crystal Empire.

“We’ll have your head yet, Sombra,” she hissed. “Just you wait, Equestria will win this damned war, and your empire will crumble with you.”