Generation Stealth

Me and Rainbow sat perched on the high rise which overlooked the ship yards. This was a crucial mission, the deciding factor in the war. This mission could not fail, our position was desperate here.

“Alright Rainbow, you ready?” I asked looking over to her with a stern look. She only cocked her head at me with a fake confusion on her face.

“When have I ever not been ready?” She rolled her eyes jumping off from the high rise onto the rocky expanse below. She hit the ground rolling sliding a silenced pistol from her side. This was a ground mission, no plane could infiltrate the shipyard, but we were trained for these sorts of situations. My only regret is that the rest of the squad could not join us.

I sighed slipping off the sniper rifle from my back. I had to wait for her signal before we could infiltrate the shipyard, the mission was to rig a submarine with an explosive device that will detonate when it joins the marine assault fleet. I held my breath to lower my heart rate taking a small peek through the scope, seems clear enough.

“Rainbow, you’re clear keep moving, give the signal for me to move in when you’re ready.” I said in a sort of whisper. This was our final mission of the service, this one I was determined to complete. I heard a small pop in the air that seemed incredibly distant, followed by another one a few seconds later. I then got a transmission from Rainbow.

“You’re clear, move in.” I nodded rolling off of the high rise onto the rocky bottom. I rolled on my hind legs bringing up to a standing position. I raised the rifle making sure my flanks were clear before proceeding.

I silently maneuvered through some large boulders until I reached the entrance to the dock space. I nodded to her while we both silently moved in unison. I looked around the dark area not seeing any pony inside. The submarine we were supposed to rig sat docked right were we planned it to be.

“Rainbow, move into the sub give me the signal to move in when you see it’s clear.” She nodded moving into the submarine a silent shadow in the darkness. I moved up the ladder to my right to get on the last floor. I sat in waiting for the signal. I felt like this mission was going too smoothly as a matter of fact, I had a horrible foreboding about this one.

“Rainbow is everything okay in there?” I asked out of curiosity, I didn’t get a response from her. I waited for a few minutes before I started to get a tad bit worried.

“Rainbow, are you there? Respond.” I asked her again, once again I never got a response from her. I looked at the submarine raising my rifle cautiously.

“The submarine seems clear Shade, you’re clear to proceed.” I breathed a sigh of relief, I got on my hind legs to move into the submarine, I was a dark shape blending into the darkness around me. I frowned at the submarine when I got close. There was a loud banging on the inside of the submarine. I heard the signs of a struggle going on inside. I leaped back into the shadows to avoid detection when I heard the sound of hoof steps climbing out from the top hatch. I looked cautiously from my cover to see around five ponies in full uniform climb out. They dragged a limp bloody pony by the forelegs along with them. I looked in horror seeing the ponies Rainbow Mane. It was Rainbow Dash.

“For the love of Celestia….” I breathed silently, we were compromised, Rainbow could be dead at this very moment, but I wouldn’t even let myself think that.

“Come out! We know you’re there! You have five seconds to surrender or this pony dies!” I saw what looked like the ring leader of the squad raise a pistol to Rainbows head.” I looked at him my eyes dilating as he began to count down. I raised the scope of the rifle up to his head taking in controlled breaths.

“Two!” He yelled out into the darkness. I grew a reckless grin on my face before I squeezed the trigger.

“One.”” I said firing a silent round from the barrel. It struck the pony dead on in the shoulder forcing his body to twist at an odd angle in the air. He collapsed in a bloody heap before the other four remaining soldiers. They began to yell out commands scrambling about the dock yard. Rainbow was dropped onto the floor; she must still be alive if he was threatening to kill her. They ran off in a random direction trying to find me. The good thing about a silence rifle is that they leave no smoke trail. I moved over to Rainbow Dash lightly putting a hoof over her neck. I felt a steady pulse, she was still alive. I moved her into the Sub silently, I had to get her away from here.

I closed the top hatch silently behind me. The bomb we were going to plant was still strapped to her back. I lightly unstrapped it moving silently through the submarine. The fuel canisters is where I was going to plant the bomb, all of the fuel would provide an extra boost to the explosion.

I moved into the area silently strapped the bomb to a fuel canister. The color of the bomb blended in with the canister, I had a bit of trouble remote wiring the bomb to be activated by the detonator. After a good five minutes the bomb was ready for use. I moved away from it silently back into the sub room. Our mission was complete; I had to get us the hell out of…

Before I knew what happened I felt a strong metal pipe strike me on the head. I fell back onto the floor seeing stars in my vision. I looked up to see the ring leader with the bullet in his shoulder. He held a metal pipe in his hoof which was now stained with blood, probably mine. He smiled at me walking over to Rainbow Dash. He kicked her onto her back. He held the pipe high over his head getting ready to finish her off. There was literally nothing I could do about it.

I looked as he hit her over the arm with the pipe repeatedly, he always struck in different areas, I heard the weak cries from Rainbow after each strike. I watched with a helpless expression, but when heard her cries stop, I felt some sort of new strength rise up within me. I pulled my limp both onto my hooves with a loud yell.

“You bastard!” I yelled running at him as fast as I could in my daze, I lifted a hoof up above my head readying it to strike. He looked shocked before the hoof struck him dead in the face. I didn’t let up, I kept on hitting him over and over again as hard as I could. I began to remember Aero Flame, Stealth Hawk, and Sky Dive. How they died because of ponies like this bastard.

He fell to the floor unable to defend himself while I kept on stomping him onto the ground. Eventually I stopped seeing the rise and fall of his chest cease. I looked down at him my eyes a bit blurry, he was dead. I had just beaten the bastard to death, what else could I have done? He was going to kill Rainbow Dash.

I felt my body growing weak as I stumbled towards Rainbow Dash, I had to see if she was alive, and I had to know if I failed. I was so close yet so far when I collapsed, I felt all feeling drain from my body, my head was throbbing with pain, I felt the warm feeling of blood dripping over my ears. I slipped out of consciousness into the sweet blackness.

I looked around the same dream I always had. I saw the black ponies, my squad, and now Rainbow Dash chanting at me. They began to chant once more, but what was odd was what Rainbow Dash was saying.

“Cloud Shade, Cloud Shade.” I looked at her now beginning to feel rage boiling in my body.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry.” I kept saying but they kept on yelling at me. They were trying to break me down. I finally grew tired of all of the abuse.

“Stop…stop please..” I said quietly under my breath. But they didn’t even care they kept on going for what seemed like hours before I just exploded.

“I said stop!” I screamed out at them. The chanting stopped all in unison. They looked at me with shocked expressions, this was my chance to proceed.

“You are all dead! Do you hear me? You’re all dead. There is nothing that I can do. But say I am sorry, you all..all of you…..need to move on. It’s my fault you’ve all died, my fault. I accept that. But, I’m not going to sit here, apologizing forever. This is my life….my destiny…I have control over my own life! And now..” I said looking over at Rainbow Dash who was also shocked looking at me.

“I choose her, as long as I have her…I have the ability to move on!” I yelled at them. The black ponies all began to grin with satisfaction at me before they all spoke in unison.

“Correct! That is the right answer!” They all yelled in happiness. I ran at Rainbow Dash grabbing her by the foreleg. I pulled with all of my might pulling her along with me. I ran, dragging her along with me away from the darkness, I wouldn’t let them take her as well.

“Give her back..Give her back she’s all I have left!” I yelled out running with all of my strength. I saw a bright light appear before us, I ran at the bright light diving away from the darkness and into a new beginning.

I awoke with my eyes feeling incredibly heavy. I looked around seeing a rocky expanse below us. I looked to my side to see Rainbow Dash holding onto the detonator looking out to the sea. The submarine was starting to leave port. This was it, this was our task. I looked out weakly to the submarine sinking under water.

“Would you like to do the honors?” She said to me handing the detonator over. I grabbed it weakly holding onto it with a evil smirk on my face.

“Hell yeah I would…” I said holding onto the detonator. The ships began to move off as one when the submarine arrived. I smiled pulling on the remote detonator; I heard a loud click off in the distance before the flash came. I heard an incredibly loud boom from the water followed by the rise of smoke.

I began to laugh of relief; this was not a failed mission. It was completed, now we’re done with our service, perhaps we can finally live without fear of losing everything. I looked at Rainbow Dash with my still devilish grin on my face. Blood was dripping down from my mouth, my mane was caked with dried blood, and I was incredibly pale. But despite how defeated I looked, still, there was fire in my eyes.

“That’s it then?” I said with a slight chuckle in my tone. She smiled at me looking up at the clouds. She folded her forelegs behind her head looking in satisfaction to the flaming metal staining the water.

“Yep, that’s it. Mission accomplished, are you happy now?” She said looking at me with her eyebrows raised. I looked at the sunrise now appearing on the horizon.

“Yeah, now I think we should go back to Ponyville, I think I’m done with military life.” I looked at her my devilish smile now replaced with a sincere happiness. She wrapped her forelegs around my neck kissing me in the sun set.

Our personal war was over. The war was won, and we were together. But still, I feel as if we are not complete without the squad with us. This is why this account of my adventures should be considered as my resignation from the military.

Sky Blazer 001 Cloud Shade, signing off.

     Thanks every pony for the support put into this story. The ending I had to think of quiet a bit, seeing as the planes were destroyed in the previous chapter they kind of have to move in on foot. Hope that's okay.