Orders We Obey

by Teal

Rating: teen
Tags: Rainbow Dash, Adventure, Prince Blueblood, Tragedy, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe
Length: 8105

The Crystal War hits its second year and the new offensive against the Crystal Empire. For Lieutenant Rainbow Dash, this means a new campaign is set. But aside from that its still the same. The battles, the death, the sickness, and the madness.

"They said it would be over in a month.... But it went on and on, seemingly no end to it all, with more pain and horrors that anypony could imagine before."
-Lt. Rainbow Dash, 4th Air Dragoons

Rainbow Dash has seen it all, the sadness, the horrors, and the madness of war. But when a new officer comes and join the army against Equestria's new offensive against King Sombra, she believes that she is about to see more madness than she has ever seen before.

Published 2016-06-29 00:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-06-29 00:00:01 UTC

Chapter 1: Battle of Frozen Stone

There’s forty gold bits on the drum
To those who volunteer to come
To stand and fight the foe today
Over the hills and far away

~o~o~o~o~

Lieutenant Rainbow Dash pressed her body against the cold ground, keeping still as she hid behind a line shrubbery in one of the few patches of plant life in this frozen area. Peering through the thin leaves and branches, she looked out across the open ground that lay before her and towards the wooden and stone structures that lay in west. Right on target, she thought to herself.

Shifting so that she could give a quick glance towards her back, she looked to see a line of other ponies lying down on the ground just like her. Keeping low and silent, they tried their best to conceal themselves behind the shrubbery. But with such a thin layer of plants to shield them and too many ponies to hide behind it, she knew that this effort was basically useless.

Thank Celestia its still dark.

Staring at the distant east horizon, she could see the small rays of light beginning to rise up. Soon, it would slowly bring sunlight to the land and reveal a clearer view of their presence here to the enemy on the village in front of them. But till then, they were still concealed by the dawn’s darkness.

Bringing her attention towards a small ravine behind her, she watched as long columns of ponies excited the narrow rocky chasm and took up positions along the line of shrubbery, lying as officers and sergeants told them to keep quiet. But despite the order of silence, the sound of armor clanking as ponies moved gave a piercing sound in the air, one which Rainbow Dash hoped the enemy couldn’t hear.

Letting out a quiet sigh, she shook her head as she did her best to shake of her worries. When she was in this exact same spot yesterday, she had all the silence she had wanted. With only small group of well-disciplined ponies from her platoon, they had snuck their way here and hid behind the shrubbery, observing the enemy in the village.

Tasked, the other day, by Major General Shining Armor to find a staging point for the flank attack, Rainbow Dash moved out towards the right in hopes of finding a decent staging area for the operation. Staying to the ground, knowing that flying would easily expose them to the enemy’s eyes, Rainbow Dash and her team managed to find a convenient ravine that was deep enough to hide a column of ponies marching through it. Following that ravine, they learned that it lead to patch of plants which was located directly on the enemy’s left flank, the exact spot where General Armor wanted to trike. Hiding there for almost half a day, she and her team made notes of the area, studying it and getting as much information as they could.

From their observations, they figured out that the flank of the enemy is lightly defended, with only one regiment guarding it. This knowledge only enforced General Armor’s idea of sending strong force against the enemy’s flank and hitting them with a quick and powerful blow. If successful, they could easily turn the enemy’s flank and overrun the rest of their line.

Quickly returning and giving the information to General Armor, these notes were passed on to the Commanding General, Princess Celestia, who approved the plan for a heavy attack on the enemy’s flank. Ever since they got here, the day before, the Princess has been trying to find a way to break through the enemy’s defenses. As part of her new offensive against King Sombra, her plan was to get pass the village of Frozen Stone and head for the industrial heart land of the Crystal Empire’s eastern land so that they could cutoff King Sombra from needed arms supplies. The plan had been going well, with her army meeting light to barely any resistance. But now, as they reached Frozen Stone, they found themselves face-to-face with Marshal Frost, sent by King Sombra to lead a force of forty-thousand enslaved Crystal ponies.

With only a force of thirty-five thousand ponies with her and only small pieces of field artillery to back her up, Princess Celestia knew that it would be suicidal to make a frontal assault on the enemy’s defenses. With cannon bearing down on them, and dozens upon dozens of enemy regiment built up on the center, a frontal would be too costly for her small army.

But with General Shining Armor coming up with plans for a flank attack and suggesting that it would work, she placed all her trust into him and hoped that his operation would work. So, at the early dawn hours of the day, a division from the army was sent through the narrow ravine and into a position where they could strike the enemy’s left once the order was given.

Watching as the last regiment came out of the ravine and head straight towards their assigned position, Rainbow Dash caught a quick glance of blue and noticed some members of her platoon leading and guiding them to the right place. Unlike other members of the army, who wore heavy and noisy metal plates and helmets, her platoon members wore flexible and light cotton suits and helmets made out of light aluminum, the uniform of Eqestria’s elite and prestigious Air Dragoons.

Composed of the fastest pegasi and armed with flintlock muskets and short swords, the Air Dragoons were lightly armed units that were meant to hit the enemy’s flanks in lightning quick raids and quickly flying off before the enemy could react. As part of the 4th “Cloudsdale” Air Dragoons, Rainbow Dash and her platoon had been members of one of the most veteran Air Dragoon units in the service. Commanded by Colonel Spitfire, the 4th Air Dragoons had distinguished themselves in many battles since the start of the Crystal War. That was until they met disaster in the Battle of Gravel Ridge.

Rainbow Dash could feel anger flow within her as she suddenly remembered that moment and she tried her best to prevent her wings to flick in annoyance, knowing that her metallic left wing would just create undesired noise.

During the battle, the regiment was ordered by General Emerald Shine to fly and swing across the enemy’s line, cutting them off from any retreat. New to command and inexperienced, General Shine was a former noble turned soldier. Using his money and influence, he managed to secure a high position in the army, gaining the rank of Major General and receiving the command of an division, one of which the 4th Air Dragoons was a part of. His thinking during the fight was that, while the main force pushed forward in the center, the 4th Air Dragoons would position themselves in the rear to intercept any retreat from the enemy and would either eliminate the enemy or capture them.

But upon hearing of this plan, Colonel Spitfire began complaining about it, saying that it was impractical. The Air Dragoons were a lightly armed unit that relied on hit and run tactics to keep cohesion and strength intact. Placing themselves so far behind enemy lines would mean that they could possibly run into a bigger and stronger force and they would be far from any support and reinforcements to help them in any struggle. But General Shine was insistent and despite having less experience, he was still her commanding officer.

Flying low and fast, the regiment swung around the left flank, landing just behind the main enemy line. But once they positioned themselves to meet any enemy retreat, Rainbow Dash as well as the rest of the ponies of the regiment began to realize the disposition they found themselves in.

Behind the main line was a secondary line, filled with reserves who were now suddenly moving up towards them. By now, they had all realized that they had landed right in-between the first and second lines, which were both sending forces to meet them. Surrounded, the 4th Air Dragoons managed to give a valiant fight, sending in volley after volley of musket shots against the advancing enemy. But in the end, it was just too much for them and with the enemy forming up for a charge the order to retreat was given.

Out of the ten companies of the regiment, four where knocked out of commission, while the rest were so depleted that they couldn’t even be considered as companies anymore. For Rainbow Dash, what was left of her company was her platoon, which now only had twenty pegasi left.

Tattered and without any strength at all, the remaining companies of the 4th Air Dragoons were turned into to small independent commands and were given small tasks, from picket duty to scouting. The glorious regiment that was once the pride of the Air Dragoons was no more and Colonel Spitfire, was sent back to Equestria to raise a second battalion to refill the regiment’s ranks.

The only upside to what had happened was the removal of General Shine from his command, but to Rainbow Dash’s belief, this small victory came at a high price.

Turning her attention away from the ravine and back towards the village, she saw that the enemy sentries were still unaware of their position. Good, she thought, let it stay that way till the attack commences.

“A nice spot you found for us, Lieutenant, although not the most luxurious one, I should say.” A voice called out from behind her.

Bringing her eyes towards the source of the voice, she just managed to see the outline of Colonel Windfall, who was uncomfortable lying down on the ground, his armor plates pressing hard against him. Trying to do his best to get a more suitable position, Colonel Windfall scooted around on the ground, making some noise as he did so. Realizing that all he was doing was make some unwanted noise, he let out a sigh and shook his head.

In charge of a brigade that would lead the assault on the flank, Rainbow Dash had spotted Windfall many times, moving around the lines as he made sure that his brigade was ready for the assault and that the path ahead of them was clear. Now it seems that he took his time to drop by her.

“Well, sir, it was either this or the open fields.” Rainbow Dash said in her defense.

“Yes, yes. At least this place has cover, no matter how little it is…” Windfall said in agreement.

Shifting once more on his position, he moved his hoof around to pick up his field telescope, before placing it in front of him so that he could get a better observation of the enemy positions. “Can’t use magic here right now.” He told her. “If I do so, then I’ll alert the entire enemy of our presence here. Now, where are those buggers?”

“They’re mostly concentrated on the large wooden barn.” Rainbow Dash told him, remembering her observations from yesterday. “It seems that the regiment guarding the flank uses that barn as a barracks to hold their ponies. As for their officers, they’re mostly housed inside the large stone house a few yards to the left of the barn.”

“Hmm, I guess we better take them out first.” Windfall said, as he continued to watch the enemy positions through his telescope. “Those Crystal ponies are basically useless without anypony telling them what to do.”

“That they are, sir, that they are.” Rainbow Dash said, knowing that because of the mind control helmets strapped on their heads, the Crystal ponies were basically deprived of both free will and thinking. Unless ordered to do something, they were nothing but standing statues.

“How about sentries?” Windfall inquired. “How many do they have and where re they placed?”

“Well, basing from my observations yesterday, enemy sentries are mostly concentrated near the barn. But they do have a decent amount posted on the open field, so I think you might run into some of them when you advance.”

Nodding, Windfall pulled back his telescope. “Hopefully they won’t be too much of a bother.” He said, before turning his gaze from the front towards his back. Also turning her head, Rainbow Dash looked towards the east horizon were she saw the sun rising above and begin to coat the land around them.

If only the Princess could just keep the sun down… She though in vain, despite knowing that sunlight would be needed to properly guide the regiments towards their objectives.

“It won’t be long now.” Windfall said, looking away from the horizon. “Any moment, the guns back with the main force would open up with the first salvo and signal us to prepare for our attack.”

Not long after he said that, a loud erupting sound echoed from the south-west, sending a powerful boom that rung in the air. This sound was followed by another and another, until the air was filled with the loud explosions, as their pounding noise echoed all over the land.

“Well, that’s our sign to get ready.” Windfall said, before turning towards an aide that was lying down near them. “Captain, inform all regimental commanders to prepare for the advance. Tell them to place their light companies ahead and wait for my order to move.”

The sound of shuffling hooves could easily be heard, as the aide hastily moved away in search of the regimental commanders. Himself
preparing to move out and take his position for the attack, he gave Rainbow Dash one last glance and said:

“Now we’ll see how accurate your scouting is, Lieutenant.” He said, with a small grin.

Turning his attention towards the noise of cannons, he then shook his head. “Hopefully those guns would occupy them long enough that they won’t notice what’s happening on their flank.”

With that, Windfall moved away, keeping low as he did while the rising sun slowly revealed their position with its light.

“Yeah, hopefully…” Rainbow Dash muttered.

Hearing the sounds of cannon fire increase, Rainbow Dash glanced towards the direction of the noise to see clouds of fogy white smoke rise, illuminated by the dim lights of the dawn. It was obvious by now that the enemy had fallen for the bait and were concentrated on returning fire on what they perceived as the main threat.

Now if only we could strike the killer blow.

By now, the sun was giving off enough light to give a clear view of what was ahead of them. From her position, she got a better view of the open and rocky field in front of her, as well as the structures that housed the enemy before them. Although it was still somewhat dark, Rainbow Dash could already see the rays of light that were beginning to brighten the area around them. She knew that if the attack was to succeed, then they would to have to utilize the little darkness left to mask the assaulting force and as they waited, that darkness began to slowly fade away. So they must strike immediately, it was now or never.

As if hearing her inner thoughts, the first companies of the first assault wave began marching out of their cover and onto the rocky field. Bringing her attention towards them, Rainbow Dash immediately recognized them as the light companies of the brigade’s regiments, unicorn sharpshooters who were armed with muskets and ready to screen the main force as they advanced. Formed up in lose formations and spreading out as much as they can, they moved forward in quick steps as they cleared the way for the main force.

Paying close attention to them, she quickly noticed that the unicorns of the light companies still had their muskets slung around their backs. Not wanting to attract any more attention with the glow of their magic, they kept their weapons idle behind them, until the right time called for them to use it. On what the pros and cons of this idea held, Rainbow Dash tried to push away, knowing that nothing could be changed now.

Following a few paces behind the light companies were the heavy companies of the regiments, marching in tight and closely knit formations, as the heavily armored ponies trailed their lightly armed comrades. Wearing thicker armor and carrying heavier and broader swords, the heavy companies brought the punch to the regiment. Whereas the light companies softened the enemy, firing from afar and weakening their force, the heavy companies brought the final and deadly blow, charging as one close formation and fighting in close quarters.

Watching these ponies move forward, Rainbow Dash could easily hear their clanking armor and winced at the noise they made. If the enemy didn’t manage to see these ponies through the dim light, then they would certainly hear them… She mused to herself.

Advancing in neat lines, they made their way towards the village, so far undetected by the enemy. Covering them were the sounds of increasing cannon fire, holding more of the enemy’s attention. But despite that, Rainbow Dash knew that they would soon run into the enemy pickets on the field; then the fight would begin.

“Well this is a nice and fine show, but can we go back to camp now, Lieutenant? We’ve been up almost the entire night guiding the entire division here and I think I want to catch up on some shut eye.” Rainbow Dash heard somepony mutter from beside her.

“Sorry, Lightning Dust, but we still don’t have orders to withdraw yet.” Rainbow Dash said, glancing towards the young sergeant who was lying down beside her.

“Stay here and what, watch the parade unfold? As far as I know, we’ve followed our orders and done our job.” Lightning Dust complained.

“No, our orders were to assist General Lavender and his division…” Rainbow Dash informed her. “…and that means that until he dismisses us, we got stay here and await further orders.

Lightning Dust let out an audible grunt, but aside from that made no further comment. Hearing this, Rainbow Dash just shook her head, knowing that she would get over it after a while. Lightning Dust was either always eager or bored and right now, it was obvious she was on her bored phase. Although this kind of attitude proved annoying and problematic at some points, Rainbow Dash knew that she couldn’t really much blame her without feeling guilty herself. Back in the day, she was just like her, attitude and all.

By now, Colonel Windfall’s brigade was well into the field and the sounds of sporadic musket fire could be heard emitting from them as the light companies encountered the posted sentries. Pulling out her field glasses and focusing on the attacking force, she observed Windfall and his brigade move smartly and quickly on the open field. Keeping her attention on the advance, she watched as the main line moved a double-quick, marching in a massed formation as they got closer and closer towards the village.

Fluttering in the air and urging them forward, the flags of each regiment were raised up high, as the long lines began to reach the nearest buildings of the village. Keeping a close eye on what was happening, Rainbow Dash saw one regiment concentrate on the barn and stone house, while another swung around towards the left and headed deep into the village. A loud booming shout came from the charging regiments as they moved with full force towards their targets, armored ponies heading straight to confront the enemy. By now, the sounds of fighting now added to the crescendo of cannon fire, as heavy companies pushed into the village, supported by the light companies who peppered any enemy that came under their sights.

From what she was seeing, it looked like that everything was going according to plan. With Colonel Windfall’s first wave rushing and suppressing the building that housed the sole regiment that guarded the enemy’s flank, it seemed that the area was secure for the rest of the force to move towards the village. Already, the second wave had formed a line by the foliage and was awaiting the order to move out and exploit the gap that Colonel Windfall’s brigade has created.

But as the second wave prepared to move, Rainbow Dash noticed something that most of them did not expect to see this early in the fight. Forming up on the side and lining themselves to meet their forces, heavily armored Crystal ponies shifted from their position from the south and charged straight towards Windfall’s brigade, which was still disorganized from the initial attack they made.

Clashing against the regiments of Windfall’s brigade, this enemy force slowly began to push back the ground captured by the brigade, as they moved against them with great tenacity. For a moment, it seemed that the tide of the fight turned against them, as the enemy pushed more forces and cannons towards the fight at an alarming rate.

“It looks like they’re reacting faster than we expected.” Lightning Dust exclaimed. “Those buggers sure can move.”

“Tell me about it.” Rainbow Dash muttered in frustration, as she kept her eyes glued on her field glasses.

The fight for the village’s flank was now intensifying, as the two forces clashed against one another. But reinforcing Windfall’s brigade was the second wave, who now began to make their way out of their thin cover and cross the open field. Supporting them was a battery of light artillery, which had unlimbered towards Rainbow Dash’s left and was now beginning to rain shots at exposed enemy units.

Watching the lines of the second wave, Rainbow Dash could see that they were taking the same path and actions of the first wave. But as she kept her attention on the mass lines of ponies, her eyes fell onto a certain regiment, which brought great intrigue to her.

In the far left of the line, a single regiment moved in a form that distinguished it from the rest. While the other two regiments of the brigade moved in brisk quick moving lines, this regiment moved in a seemingly disorganized and slow manner, as if it were hesitating.

Trying to keep all their companies together, Rainbow Dash could see officers and sergeants urging their command on as slagging ponies seemed to scatter the line. But despite their best efforts, the regiment was slagging behind, and to her it was clear that this regiment was one of the new untested ones, sent to them with no experience of battle before. It was most likely that this was the regiment’s first battle and the ponies under it were having trouble coping with a march under the booming of cannons and the sounds of swords and armor clashing.

But even the raw regiments had better cohesion than this and watching the regiment struggle made Rainbow Dash wonder why this regiment was having such a hard time.

“What do you make of that, Lightning Dust?” She asked the sergeant beside her, gesturing towards the lagging regiment. By now, it was clear that this regiment was way behind, as the other regiments of the brigade already reached the village, while this specific regiment struggled to get across the field.

“Well, mam, from what I’m seeing, I’m thinking that its bad leadership.” Lightning Dust said, as she nodded on her own words. “I reckon that the commander of that regiment is new and barely knows what he or she is doing.”

“That could be true…” Rainbow Dash trailed. “…but it looks to meet that it isn’t just bad leadership. From the looks of it, it seems that it’s the regiment’s first time marching as a line.”

“Maybe they’re just nervous?” Lightning Dust offered. “They look new and fresh from Equestria, first time in a fight. They probably have their fright overtaking their training.”

Rainbow Dash gave a nod of agreement, knowing that it was most likely the case. New regiments were always uncertain in battle due to its unfamiliarity towards the situation. When thrust into combat, most of the newly trained recruits tend to either forget their training or freeze in fear. But with good experienced officers, these problems could easily be solved. For there was nothing more encouraging than leaders charging into the fray, urging on the unit with bravery. Hopefully, Rainbow Dash though, the unsteady regiment she was watching had such officers.

The sound of cannons soon came from the direction of the village, as Rainbow Dash turned to see rising puffs of white smoke. The enemy had now diverted a battery of artillery to join in the fray and the cannons of this battery were firing shots upon the reinforcing regiments. Some of the shots flew right over the marked regiment that she had been observing earlier and Rainbow Dash watched as narrow misses fell upon the regiment.

Reaching the edge of the village, Rainbow Dash watched as the regiment went in and suddenly disappeared as its members dove down into a large ditch and took cover. With more and more enemy cannons firing at the assaulting force, it was a good thing that the regiment found a place to hide and regroup.

“What is Golden Shield doing?” An annoyed voice yelled out from behind Rainbow Dash.

Turning her head, she looked behind her to see a small group of officers trotting towards her direction before stopping only a few feet to her side. The leader of this small group, a white unicorn wearing bright golden armor, which had personalized marking displayed on it, and a red silky cape, stood in front, levitating his field glasses as he gazed across the field.

“Damn him…” He growled under his breath. “Damn all those officers who think they know better than me!”

Bringing the field glasses down, Rainbow Dash saw the angry expression plastered on his face, as the unicorn muttered more and more insult, while his fellow officers only nodded their heads, remaining silent as he let out his rage.

“What does he think he’s doing, hiding the regiment in that ditch? That is no way to fight a battle! Battles are supposed to be fought proudly, under the view of the enemy!” He exclaimed. “And under my view too! How am I supposed to track their progress when I can’t even see where they are?”

Keeping her attention squarely on this officer, Rainbow Dash was surprised and confused at what he was blurting about. Who was this officer? She thought. He definitely wasn’t a general, that’s was for sure. Although his armor looked complex and striking, it bared no symbols to mark him as a general. So was he something lower, a colonel? If so, then wasn’t he supposed to be leading the attack with his regiment, instead of standing there and complaining?

Turning around and shifting his head, the officer began to frantically search his own group, eyes glaring at each pony in front of him. “Sergeant Grape Vine!” He called out as he searched. “Sergeant where are you.”

But no reply came and nopony stepped forwards in response to the calls, which only made the pony more frustrated.

“Where is that little drunkard?” He blared, as he stared at his officers. “Why is it that when I need him the most, he is not here?”

Desperately looking around now, his eyes scanned the area, seemingly looking for a replacement for his missing sergeant. As his eyes looked around, his sight soon locked upon Rainbow Dash, who was just lying on the ground a good distance near him.

“Ah, good-“ He said, upon seeing her. “-a pegasus, the perfect messenger. You, come over here, I have a little job for you.” Gesturing with a hoof, he insistently told her to go towards him as quickly as possible.

Having no other choice, knowing that he was a higher ranking officer, Rainbow Dash followed the order and stood up from her position and trotted towards him.

“Lieutenant, instead of lying around on the ground all day and being lazy, why don’t you send a message for me?” He asked. But without waiting for a reply, he began dictating the message in a clear and stern vice, forcing Rainbow Dash to listen.

“Now, go over there and tell Major Golden Shield that I, his Prince and Colonel, Blueblood, order him to move the regiment to a place where I can better see them. Does he know how much he is disgracing my regiment by hiding? Make sure to emphasize to him that I require him to get out of that ditch and do anything but hide. If he does obey, then tell him that I will strip him off of his rank and throw him into the ranks where he can properly learn how to obey orders, understood?”

Staring at Prince Blueblood, Rainbow Dash couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Inside, she felt the urge to spat at him and bring her full anger against the pony, no matter what position he held. But the logical part of her decided against that, knowing that he wasn’t just any other clueless and dense high ranking officer, no, he was also royalty.

Keeping her composure, she kept herself straight and nodded her head. Many of the officers in the Equestrian Army where just like him, prestigious ponies from noble families who bought a commission in hopes of finding glory in something where such a thing is merely a word. She had met many ponies like these before and knew that they were nothing but danger to themselves and those they commanded. Sure, there were many of them who soon got rid of their bad habits after time spent in battle, but the new ones, which she presumed Prince Blueblood was, were always the worst. The grand illusion of them being greater and always in the right were still stuck in their heads.

“Well, Lieutenant?” Blueblood said, glaring at Rainbow Dash. “You have my message, so go deliver it.”

“Why yes, sir, I would gladly do that, sir.” Rainbow Dash said, nodding. “But I think my services would be quite better if the good colonel would tell me where I can find Major Golden Shield.”

Despite having a slight clue where Golden Shield could be found, from the conversation she heard earlier, she still decide to mess annoy him a little by pretending to no know better about the situation.

Gritting his teeth, Blueblood shook his head in agitation before stiffly pointing his hoof towards the village. “There-“ He said. “-you’ll find him with my regiment, hidden inside a ditch.”

“Very good, sir, thank you, sir.”

With that, wishing not to converse with him any further, Rainbow Dash gave crisp saluted before quickly trotting back to her group. Reaching them, Rainbow Dash saw Lightning Dust’s head popping out of the shrubbery as she curiously watched their officer approach them.

“What was that all about?” She asked.

“A crazy bugger wants us to deliver a message.” Rainbow Dash grumbled, as she gazed out at the open field, only to see the raging battle still going on in the distance.

Then, returning her attention back to her small band of Air Dragoons, she gestured towards Lightning Dust, telling her to come with her. “You’re a fast flyer, Sergeant, so you come with me.” She then stared at a gray pegasus with a blonde mane and nodded towards her. “Keep the platoon in check while we’re gone, Corporal Cloud Kicker.”

“Yes, mam.” Cloud Kicker called out, adding a salute as she said that.

“So, where we delivering the message too, Lieutenant?” Lightning Dust asked, as she stood beside her officer.

“Over there.” Rainbow Dash simply said, as she pointed towards the village.

“Well, now that’s one dangerous place to deliver a message, mam.”

“I know.” Rainbow Dash said, spreading her wings and getting ready to move out. “So I want you to fly low and hug the ground as much as possible. Those stray cannonballs are not going to make our job easier and I want us both to get out of this alive.”

Lightning Dust gave a nod to this, adding a small grin the kept on her face. Keeping a stoic face, Rainbow Dash looked away from her and towards their destination. Then, with a short sprint and a powerful movement of the wing, she whizzed herself off of the ground and flew toward the village.

Swerving to avoid stay cannon balls that bounced on the ground, the two pegasi flew low on the barren rocky ground, once in a while catching glances of dead crystal ponies who had earlier patrolled the area as pickets for their units.

Swiftly moving a few inches above the ground to prevent herself being an open target in the sky, Rainbow Dash went in a straight line towards the ditch that was getting closer and closer. In flight, the village wasn’t so far and the two pegasi soon found themselves by the edge of the ditch, where the fall of cannon balls increased.

Maneuvering as she slowed down, using her wings to create drag, Rainbow Dash hit the ground before sliding not so gracefully towards the ditch, bumping with a metallic clank into the tightly packed ground of ponies who were sheltering in there. Getting up and quickly dusting herself off as Lightning Dust arrived and landed just beside her, Rainbow Dash gazed at the curious faces now staring at her and began searching for an officer.

“Does anypony here know where I can find Major Golden Shield?” She asked them.

Hearing this question, a tall gray unicorn made his way through the dense mass of ponies and stood in front of her. “I’m Major Golden Shield.” He said. “What do you want?”

Giving off a salute, Rainbow Dash looked up at Golden Shield and said:

“Message from Colonel Blueblood, sir. He orders you to move the regiment out of the ditch and place it somewhere he can see you.”

“Move it out of the ditch, eh?” Golden Shield said, clearly insulted by this. “So, he want me to move out of the ditch. Well, how do you expect me to move out of this ditch when there’s a bloody cannon pinning us down here?”

Knowing all too well that this question was not meant to be answered, Rainbow Dash kept her silence and waited as Golden Shield went on his rant.

“Maybe if he were with us, then he would understand.” He said, before shaking his head. “No, maybe not. His head is too thick to understand anything in his surroundings….”

“Sir-“ Rainbow Dash said, after Golden Shield kept quiet. “-I highly suggest for you to follow his orders. He told me that if you do not obey, then he will strip you off of your rank.”

Golden Shield stared at Rainbow Dash and gave a mocking laugh. “Strip me of my rank? He said that? Huh, well that’s something. Lieutenant, do you know how long I have been serving Equerstria?”

She only shook her head in reply.

“Ten years, Lieutenant, ten years!” He stated. “I have been in the Royal Guard since before this Celestia damn war and I know my business better than that…that egocentric pony. Now he tells me that he knows better than me and that he can remove me of my rank just because he can’t properly lead.”

Pausing, he then looked around towards the staring eyes of his command and shook his head. “I can’t bring them out of this ditch, Lieutenant, I just can’t. These ponies, they’ll get slaughtered by that cannon. Most of these ponies aren’t ready yet to fight, they’re barely ready to march and form a line of battle, let alone fight!”

Pondering for a moment, Golden Shield moved towards the edge of the ditch, as if seeking for something before turning back to his previous position.

“Alright, I’ll move out of this position to please that Prince.” He said to nopony in particular. But soon his attention fully fell on Rainbow Dash as he gave her a firm gaze. “I’ll need your help on this, Lieutenant, if I want this plan of mine to succeed.”

“I am at your service, sir.” She replied, knowing that he basically had no option, as she was now stuck in this battlefield.

“Good.” He said. “Now, I have both my light companies out there, taking shots at the enemy. They’re the only real ponies who can fight in this regiment, former soldiers of a previously disbanded group. Now, one of my companies is supporting the regiment to our right, while the other is towards the left, securing that flank. The enemy’s cannons are just near them, to their front. If you can contact Captain Sharp Shot and tell him to provide cover for us, then I will bring up the regiment and strike the enemy.”

Rainbow Dash listened to the plan and found it as reasonable as any. In fast paced battlefield conditions where seconds mattered and quick
thinking wither meant success or failure, such a strategy seemed perfect.

“Yes, sir, I shall find Captain Sharp Shot and inform him of this.”

“Very good, Lieutenant.”

With that, Rainbow Dash gestured towards Lightning Dust and got out of the ditch, heading towards the left of the regiment in hopes of finding the light company of Captain Sharp Shot. Travelling on hoof to make sure that they were not much of a target, then kept low and moved quick, as they followed faint sound of musket shots that mixed with the sound of cannon fire. All around them the sound of fighting was fierce and loud, seemingly mixing to form one chaotic noise, but Rainbow Dash managed to separate them as she followed their trail of sound.

Soon, the two found themselves near a company of unicorns, who were taking cover on the ground and hiding behind rocks, as they fired at distant targets. Glancing towards the enemy they were fighting, she noticed that this company was currently dueling with a cannon from the enemy’s battery, trading muskets balls for cannon balls. It was evident that the favor was not towards them, for the piles of fallen ponies littered the rocky ground where they were.

Making their way towards them, Rainbow Dash called out to a nearby sergeant:

“Is this Captain Sharp Shot’s company?”

“Ay, or at least it was his.” The sergeant said, as he reloaded his piece. “The Captain be dead now.”
Rainbow Dash let out a quick curse before turning back towards the sergeant. “Who’s the next officer in line? Who’s commanding the company?”

The sergeant gave a shrug, before lifting his musket and firing.

“Well isn’t this nice?” Lightning Dust muttered behind her. “We’re just throwing ourselves from one hot pot to another.”

“Yeah…” Rainbow Dash said, knowing that this could be bad for Major Golden Shield’s plan. The key to the successful execution of his attack was the silencing of the cannons, but if those aren’t silenced or at least pinned, then many lives would be lost. Gazing at the slowly diminishing company, she could see no other pony that bore the rank of the officer. It seemed that she was the sole officer left in this small area.

Looking towards the enemy battery, she noticed that the crystal ponies servicing it were barely protected. Most of their regiments were moving in against their own regiments, hoping to plug the gap and halt the assault. This left the battery exposed and alone.

“...but I think I’m about to throw as into an even hotter spot.”

Waiting for the interval between the loading and the firing of the enemy cannon, she moved towards the center of the company, attracting the attention of everpony there, as she made sure to stand out in front of them.

“Light company-“ She bellowed, taking charge of the company. “-draw swords!”

For a second, the ponies there seemed to hesitate at what she said. But after a while and after the urging of their sergeant, they holstered their muskets and pulled out their short bladed weapons.

“Now, on my mark, we shall move in double time towards those cannons.” She told them, gesturing towards the enemy battery. The ponies seemed to nod at what she said, as they quietly waited for her order.

“The light company shall move at the double quick…march!”

As she took a step forward, Rainbow Dash pulled out her own sabre and clenched them tightly between her jaws. Designed for ponies like her, the light sabre was easy to carry and swift to swing. Although carrying less weight when swung, it still made for an easy stabbing and slicing weapon, perfect for pegasi and often given dragoons like her. Going as fast as her hooves can take her, she went straight and towards the enemy cannons. Around her, the sound of thundering hooves echoed as the company that she suddenly took command of moved forward with her.

Looking straight at their enemy, she could see one of their officers order his crew to focus all the cannons on them, as they desperately got closer to their position. But it seemed that these newly pointed cannons had just discharged their shot and, although these mind controlled slaves moved quickly, they didn’t move quick enough.

The only cannon that managed to get of a shot was the sole cannon that had been dueling this company earlier, but this shot only flew pass their heads as the crew were still getting their bearings. But it seemed that they never will, as the company slammed into them with tenacious speed and fury.

In the front of the company and the first one into the action, Rainbow Dash chose her target and stabbed him with her sword. Carefully holding it between her jaws, having mastered the art of this kind of fighting, she slipped the end of her sword between the armor of the Crystal pony’s chest and neck plate, jabbing it deep and pulling it out as quickly as she inserted it.

The crystal pony who suffered the wound stood no chance of recovering, as he fell on the ground while Rainbow Dash continued on, finding a new target.

This target turned out to be a pony who wore thinner silvery armor and displayed a bright sharp sabre of an officer. Seeing that this was one of the free thinking crystal ponies, officers only loyal to King Sombra, Rainbow Dash perceived this to be a tougher fight, knowing that his moves would not be predictable.

Making the first move, the pony rushed towards her, hoping to stab her with his own sabre. But being more agile, she backed away quickly, before slamming her swords against his. This attack was returned by a powerful force as he tried to counter her act.

Knowing that she couldn’t compete in strength, she quickly pulled away, catching the pony off guard as the sudden retraction combined with his strength and momentum caught him off balance. Taking advantage, she sliver him on his exposed face, causing the pony to cry out in pain and drop his sword. Then, in one final move she lunged forward and plunged the swords deep into the exposed portion of his neck, bringing the pony down as he bled from his wounds.

Pulling out the bloody swords, Rainbow Dash looked around for any other contender, but saw that all the crystal ponies were either down or where about to be pummeled by the company of soldiers which she commandeered.

All around him, the unicorns of the light company cheered in victory, as some pointed towards the direction of the ditch where she was earlier, watching as the ponies of their main regiment charged out and slammed against the enemy.

Seeing that nopony seemed to bother to fight them and that there were no significant targets the light company can fire at, Rainbow Dash decided to stand there and watch the fight unfold. The reinforcing number of Major Golden Shield’s regiment helped the struggling regiments they had and slowly and surely, they managed to push the Crystal ponies back.

Without the support of their cannons and with the offsetting balance on their new flank, Rainbow Dash could see that the enemy’s forces were tipping over and were about to fall. Slowly, one by one, their regiments were pulled off of the fight, as they began marching back towards the center of the village before turning north in a retreat. Small units stayed back to provided a rearguard, but soon the village was cleared off of any sign of the Crystal ponies, except for their injured and dead comrades.

By now, the sound of battle began to die down, only to be replaced by the cries of victory. Cheering echoed between the ranks as the victorious forces marched into the village in triumph. From her position, Rainbow Dash can hear this echoing voice, as they combined with the cheers of the ponies beside her.

Tired, yet grinning, Lightning Dust trotted beside Rainbow Dash before standing beside her commander.

“All in a day’s work, ain’t it, Lieutenant?”

Prologue

Prologue

The sound of wheels rushing through the rocky path echoed across the street, as a crew of Crystal ponies labored to pull their gun limber to the southern outskirts of the village of Frozen Stone. Laden with supplies and shielded by thick metallic helmets and armor plates, these ponies tugged their heavy gun limber through the narrow street, without any thought on why they were doing it or of the pain and weariness they felt from this work.

Behind them lay a column of crystal ponies, marching at double-time and following the gun crew as they led the way. Adding to the noise before them, the column shook the ground beneath as they marched to the beat with great speed. Like the ponies of the gun crew, those of the column wore thick metallic helmets and armored plates, mindlessly moving through the village, following the order given to them without any question or thought. The only difference that distinguished a group of these Crystal ponies from another was the color of the feathers placed on top of their helmets, telling that one group belonged to one regiment or the other.

Reaching the outskirts of the town, where a barren rocky and frozen field lay ahead of them, the gun grew halted, followed by the column that now stood still behind them.

Stepping ahead of the gun crew and gazing at the open field, a single pony moved and studied the ground before them. Unlike the ponies who wore thick metallic helmets that covered the entirety of their head, leaving only a small slit for vision, this pony wore a thinner and more open helmet that revealed a serious and tired face. Wearing dark gray armor plates and donning a purple cape, this pony marked himself as one of King Sombra’s officers, one of the few thousand ponies who were hoof picked by the King and given the luxury of free thinking.

“Cannons, deploy at that rise in the center.” The pony ordered. “Regiments are to be placed ahead of that rise and on its flanks. On the double!”

Without hesitation, the gun crew and the column moved at once. Leading the movement toward rocky rise in the center, the gun crew once struggled to pull their gun limber up the slope. But without complaint or a break of their silence, the worked on their task till reached the flat top of the rocky mound.

Rising from the slopes behind them were other gun crews, now revealed as the army began taking up their positions on the outskirts of the town. Setting up the gun and moving in a precise and synchronized manner, the members of the gun crew began unlimbering their weapon, as other crews began to reach the top and deploy next to them.

Pointing their gun towards the road, the gun crew had a full view of the barren field in front of them, as well as a good view of the pathway that came from the south and headed north towards the village. Standing still once their job was complete, the crew of the gun now waited.

Here, they for their next order and for the Equestrians who were now marching up the road and would soon come out from the horizon and face them.