Far Away

CHAPTER XIX

It was around midday. Twilight pulled the curtains away from each of the hospital beds so all the ponies could have a good look at how pathetic they were and have a good laugh about it, at least, that was the idea. Twilight was chiming into the conversation whenever possible but keeping a lookout next to the window. As the friends chatted away, the sun slowly lowered until it was barely keeping float on the horizon.

Orange rays busted through holes in clouds, completing the picturesque sunset. The rough mountains of the west soon swallowed the sun, the world trapped in a twilight. The sky was pink and shifting towards dark blue in the east. The mountains provided a black bumpy background to the town of Ponyville.

Jack looked at the tan coloured pegasus sleeping next to him, stroking her mane. It felt good to be around her again. Jack looked across the room at Twilight, who was still sitting at the window, watching the moon and stars. Night came upon them much more quickly than they estimated. Soon, the room was pitch black, except for the silvery moonlight streaming in from the window.

“Twilight?” Jack asked, “What are you doing?”

“I’m just looking out for you guys, you know, the press and evil unicorns trying to bust into the hospital,” Twilight said completely seriously.

“What? Why?” asked Jack.

“Well somepony has to do it,” she sighed.

“Hey come over here, let’s have a chat!” said Spitfire, “It’s not every day that I see a princess.”

Dash rolled her eyes, “Well, you see them every month for air shows.”

“With all due respect Ms. Know-it-all, shut up,” replied Spitfire, getting giggles and nods of approval from other squad members.

Twilight trotted over to Jack’s bed and sat on the chair next to it, glaring at Spitfire. It looked like she was about to say something before a beam of red magic shattered the glass. Twilight quickly walked over to the window to find a whole army of pegasi on the border of the Everfree readied to attack.

“Uhh… We have a problem guys,” said Twilight as she pulled out her rifle, “Those who are fit to fight, let’s go!”

A nurse came through the door urgently.

“Can you please unplug these tubes? I’ve got a battle to fight,” Jack asked, she only nodded as she did the same for everypony.

“Get your weapons and let’s move out!” barked Spitfire, trying her best to not sound weak. Jack grabbed his sniper rifle from beside him and kicked the stand down and crashed to his belly. Time to snipe. Since Daring couldn’t find her revolver, she borrowed Jack’s. She lay beside him, looking down the iron sight of the revolver.

Twilight led the Wonderbolts down to ground level, where sandbags have been placed by staff to create a blockade. The ‘bolts took out their rifles and readied themselves, knowing clearly what the signal would be, an unspoken order. Jack lowered his breathing and calmly looked for targets that were lined up so he could get multiple kills with one shot. She would need to switch to high explosive incendiary ammunition which were marked by red stripes down the cartridge.

Jack squeezed the trigger, the muzzle emitting a high amount of light. Three pegasi fell as Jack saw the tracer bullet fire through the enemies. Then came the simultaneous crack of rifles underneath him. Daring tried shooting with his revolver but the ranges were just too long. All she could do was to aim higher, pray that the shell would hit and bruise the enemy or better, hit his/her eye.

The dense army of troops rushed from the forest, shooting their magical weapons. Hundreds of red beams exploded on the hospital walls. These weapons were not known for their accuracy but for the pure destruction they could cause at close range. Twilight from downstairs threw up a shield to deflect the incoming blasts.

Jack reloaded and pumped shot after shot quickly but the sheer numbers were overwhelming. One hit to a pony caused an explosion that usually killed the ones around him/her. Jack loved his rifle. Downstairs, the matter was much more serious. Many sandbags have already been burned by the magic beams causing yellow grains to be whipped up whenever a stray magic beam ricochets off the ground or another building into the entrance of the hospital.

The sky was illuminated red by the sheer number of tracers that were being fired. Jack concentrated on the black unicorn. He needed to be taken out but this could be rewarded with one of two actions: 1. The army retreats or 2. The army rages and totally wreaks havoc. Jack decided the most likely would be the former and started to aim at the stallion. A sizzle cut through the air. Jack felt like his whole body was on fire. An intense burning sensation spread though his body as he rolled onto his back in agony.

A silvery light erupted in the night sky, a chariot bearing a pony. No. Not anypony, this was Princess Luna herself.

“Fire my comrades!” she shouted in the Royal Canterlot Voice.

Hundreds of silvery beams cut through the sky and sliced through the air at alarming speeds until they finally hit the army with great destruction. The earth underneath them were torn and bits of dirt were flung free into the air. Luna slowly flew towards Jack, gliding elegantly. She landed lightly next to Daring.

“What happened to thy friend?” she questioned.

“They shot him!” Daring replied, tears welled in her eyes.

“Hush now, this is merely a minor wound. He will wake up. We will be sure of it,” Luna spoke as she cast her magic. Little did she know that the wound was inflicted by dark magic. A dark blue aura surrounded Jack as fur grew over the wound and muscle cells regenerated. As soon as Luna finished, she collapsed onto the floor. “It cannot be!” she wailed, “Sister, help!”

Daring didn’t know what was going on but the goddess of the moon just collapsed in front of her and was wailing like a child. Jack didn’t stir. The silver beams that were bombarding the enemy lines have stopped, now the air was completely silent as both sides were confused and disoriented. Daring wrenched Jack’s sniper rifle and took aim. She squeezed the trigger. The brilliant flash of the muzzle told her the bullet was on its way. A black shield stopped the bullet as it was about to hit its target.

“I. SHALL. NOT. FALL!” shouted the black unicorn as he directed his army forwards. New reinforcements came in the form of flying pegasi. Currently, there were at least three hundred soldiers. There were five hundred. Progress was reverted and they were in the situation they were once in ten minutes ago.

Luna stumbled to her feet, swiftly took into the air and cast her ancient magicks at the dark unicorn. “You shall pay dearly for what horror you have don’t to Equestria, Dark Flames!” she shrieked as she charged. All ponies stopped and looked in amazement as the goddess charged, horn glowing fiercely. She released a silvery ball of electrifying energy and cast it in his direction.

Dark Flames laughed manically, “You underestimate my power, Luna!”

With a terrible clang, Dark thrust his sword against Luna’s. The force of the impact knocked Luna’s sword out of the grasp of her magic and all Daring and Twilight could do was to watch Dark retreat back into the forest, with a subdued Luna. Now what?

Jack coughed and rolled over again, “What happened?”

Daring said nothing and looked at him with anxiety. Jack sensed there was something wrong. He looked around and saw nopony there. Daring heaved Jack to his legs and led him downstairs where the Wonderbolts were looking broken and Twilight was sobbing to herself in the corner. Dash was sitting opposite to her, looking helpless with Soarin’s wing around her.

Whatever that happened was not good…