Chapters The Battle of the Crystal Empire
“Atennnnnnnshuhn!”
Everypony in the room dropped what they were doing and bolted upwards, myself included. My partner, Supercell, cursed. We had upturned the poker table and the game on it.
“We have received word that the Royal Sisters have mobilized the Guard.”
We all looked around in confusion. I was the first to speak.
“Sir, what for?” Captain Birch shook his head.
“Sergeant Pick, we, well, I, don't have that information available.”
“Surely, there is a reason! We would not be called into action without it!”
“Something about the Crystal Empire. That's enough from you Sergeant.”
I decided to shut my mouth, and let anypony else speak, but none did.
I glanced at Supercell, who was still dumbfounded. As a former weatherpony from Cloudsdale, he wasn't exactly well versed in foreign affairs.
“Any questions?” Nopony moved.
“Good, gather your gear and head to the train station. We will report to Camp Everfree to be organized into regiments. Dismissed.”
Captain Birch went off, and I released a breath I did not know I was holding in. My partner turned to me.
“Pick, what's the Crystal Empire?”
In a sincere way, I answered.
“Well, it's an empire, made with crystals.”
The answer seemed to satisfy Supercell. I liked him, he was loyal and tough, his “partner in crime,” but he wasn't all that bright. I had a reputation in the Guard. A usually easy going earth pony with a quick wit, but a stallion who wasn't afraid to crack the whip.
All officers and NCO’s were being briefed on the situation.
“Gentlecolts, here is our situation. The Crystal Empire has been taken over by King Sombra. He has overthrown local government, enslaved the ponies of the Empire, and, as intelligence suggest, raised an army.”
The room went cold. A pin could have been dropped and everypony would have heard.
“So, under the direction of the two Sisters, half of the Royal Guard will be organized into regiments and sent north. The majority of the ponies will be sent into the 4th, 9th, 11th, and 14th Regiments of Hoof. The fastest will join the 1st Royal Dragoons. The best pegasi will be transferred to the 13th and 20th Air Squadrons. And lastly, those with an aptitude for artillery will join 1 Royal Artillery, Batteries C and D.”
This was happening. This was really happening.
In Camp Everfree, we received our assignments. My section was part of the 9th Regiment of Hoof. We were taught advanced formations, and more importantly, how to kill. I watched with interest as we were taught the weak points of armor, and how to dislodge a spear. Three days passed. Then early in the fourth morning, we were woken up.
“Attention! You have one hour to eat breakfast. Then, we march north.”
Everypony started scrambling about, getting pots over fires and cooking their breakfast. I had a Dutch oven over the fire within minutes. My section of ten gathered around.
“Alright colts, we had better make this quick.” One by one they lined up and I served my “special stew.” What it actually was was anything I could get my hooves on thrown into a pot. Either way, they never complained and they needed the energy.
“Sarge?” One of my ponies, Oatmeal Raisin, viewed me as a surrogate father for reasons beyond me.
“What do you need, Oat?”
“Sir, I'm terrified.” I ruffled his mane.
“Of what? We have not even begun the march north, and when we get there, there is no way they will bring down a sturdy earth pony like yourself.”
He obviously forced a smile.
“Whatever you say, sir.”
I smiled my self and patted his cheek.
“Good, now go eat up. You got a long day ahead on your hooves.”
Oat turned tail and went to get more stew. The colt had a foal like innocence with him. It would be a shame when battle would take it away.
The drums started their long roll, calling everypony to attention. I kicked some dirt into the fire, putting it out. The Dutch Oven would go with the wagons. We falled in.
“Forward, march!”
And just like that, we started to move out.
I have never seen so much dust in my life. It was everywhere, coating everything. I sneezed, temporarily shaking it from my armor. The 9th was towards the back of the column, so all the units in front were kicking up a lot of dust. Captain Birch strode by.
“Is this not the life, Captain?” He glared in my direction.
“Shut it, Sergeant.” I chuckled.
“Yes sir!”
Hours passed, and we entered a more mountainous part of Equestria. An area which I knew well. Every hill, knoll, hollow, boulder, house, I had seen before. I was home.
We marched on until we entered a town, Rust. It was a run down mining town, but it was all very familiar. There our column was ordered to halt for the night. I couldn't stop smiling as we broke formation and rested on the road. As soon as I could, I galloped over to one of the homes, more of shack really, that had a blue star in the window.
Containing the smile, I knocked on the door. An old, gray mare answered.
“Hi Mom, I’m home.” Tears in her eyes, my mother embraced me.
“Only for the night.”
“W-w-what brought you to this area?”
Setting my helmet down, I explained our mission. Fear was quite obvious in her eyes.
“What would your father say if you told him that?”
“It doesn't matter because he is not here.” It was the wrong thing to say. She looked at the mantle and started crying again. I wrapped her in a tight hug. Four years ago, my father died in a mining accident. Mother was never the same. I looked for something to change the subject.
“So, where is everypony?” She smoothed out her skirt.
“Your sister is asleep, and your brother is at the store.” I nodded and crept into one of the two bedrooms. My baby sister lay there, sleeping peacefully. Gently, I picked her up. I felt her tiny hooves tighten around my neck.
“Hi sweetie,” I whispered. She goooed and snuggled up in my neck. That is, before she hit armor. She began to cry. I shushed her and then handed her to Mother. I sat down at the table in my normal spot by habit. The chair groaned under the weight of my armor and myself.
“Would you like some tea?” I nodded and she poured it into a mug. The brew was strong and harsh, just the way I liked it. After draining the cup, I stood.
“I should probably get back to the regiment before they report me missing.” I hugged Mother with my sister in between.
“Stay safe,” she whispered.
“I will. Should I fall, I will get to see Father again.” I broke the embrace and grabbed my helmet. Heading out the door, I ran into my brother, Axe, in the street. And by ran into him, he smashed into my armor.
“Hey! Watch where you- Pick!” I nearly strangled my brother.
“Hey Axe! I'm here for the night. So what have you been up to?”
Axe had been working in the mine, which is what nearly everypony around here did. As he caught me up in the happenings of Rust, he pulled out a cigarette and began to smoke it. I scowled.
“Whatcha doing there?”
“Smokin’, why?”
“That stuff will destroy your lungs." He laughed.
“I'm a coal miner, my lungs aren't worth their weight in shit!”
Unfortunately, I knew that was true.
I hugged him goodbye, he told me to be safe. Brother things.
Reporting back to the regiment, I found out that I was going to be declared AWOL in an hour. After having a good chuckle about that, I settled in for sleep.
The morning came, and mist dominated the area. Getting called to attention, we marched off. I felt robbed. Just as soon as I reconnected with my family, the army was taking that away. In silence, I fell in step and marched on with my head held low.
Hours later, we were out of the hills but it started to get colder the further we got. I shivered as a cold gust of wind rattled through my armor.
“Sergeant!” One of my ponies, Dawn Rider, was looking for me.
“Yeah, what do you want!”
“I can't feel my hoof.”
That caught my attention. Winter in Rust could be bad, so I know frostbite when I heard it.
I turned around and propped up Dawn Rider.
“There isn't much I can do on the march.”
Falling out of formation, I reached Captain Birch.
“Sir, Dawn Rider has frostbite.” He shook his head.
“Take him back to the wagons. They are treating frostbite victims there.”
Galloping back to Dawn, I hoisted him on my back. Struggling under our combined weight, I stumbled over to the nearest wagon. It was filled with ponies. I pushed him in and went back to my section.
After a long march, we arrived in sight of the Crystal Empire. Our army settled on a ridge. I dug a fire pit, and lit it up. We could see the campfires of our enemy. I settled into an uneasy sleep under the light of our fire.
Author's Note
And so begins a three part story of Equestria's doomed attempt to retake the Crystal Empire.
The Battle of the Crystal Empire
The morning dawned, and the battle lines were drawn. Ahead of us stood thousands of Sombra’s minions. Standing in full gear, completely still, was exhausting. Our generals must have had enough of the staring contest, and the order was given.
“Release!”
The battle had begun.
The catapults threw their projectiles forth into the enemy's ranks. A few scored hits, smashing the beings of darkness. I saw movement in their lines, and several things marching forward. Skirmishers.
“Captain, testudo formation!” Colonel Ranger called. Captain Birch repeated the order.
The front rank held their shields normally, but the ranks behind raised them above their heads. We were not quick enough, though. A volley of crossbow bolts flew into our lines, making some scream, a mixture of pain and terror.
Suddenly, the sky was filled with pegasi, the 13th Squadron moved out. Supercell could not contain the excitement.
“Yes! Go get the bastards!”
“Hush,” I commanded. He begrudgingly complied.
Suddenly, the pegasi started dropping.
“What the!”
Cries of pain reached us.
“What fresh hell is this?” Some sort of anti air device slaughtered the 13th. Reinforcements from the 20th arrived, going into the range of the device.
“No! Pull back!”
I yelled to no avail. Both Squadrons were mixed in the slaughter.
Another volley of bolts flew in, but nothing concerned me as I watched with horror as flyer after flyer went down.
“Ponies! Make way!” A hole was made and out dashed the Dragoons, adding to the confusion.
I did not need to be a military mastermind to know that their charge was a one way trip. They reached the skirmishes, and began to slice and hack them down. As they fled, bolts poured into them. The commander of the regiment ordered a charge, and they crashed into the front ranks of Sombra’s army.
They were all cut down, save for 100.
As the survivors fled, the remnants of our air forces also pulled back, completely decimated. It would have maked the most military sense to sit back and let the artillery do work. Definitely not to-
“Advance!”
That.
“No! Hold your position!” Somepony was calling out. That somepony was Captain Birch. I echoed their statement, not wanting to go until their army had been softened up. More NCOs started calling for the army to halt. Confusion reigned.
The enemy took advantage of the confusion. A force moved out to smash our lines. However our commander observed the movement.
“All halt!” Order was finally regained and the enemy turned tail. However, they had pushed up more skirmishers. The rain of crossbow bolts began again. We were caught once again in formation change and the bolts struck ponies down.
“Sweet Celestia!”
“Help me!”
“I'm going to die!”
“I need a healer!”
Others just screamed.
Block it out! Block it out Pick!
“Forward! Forward!” The lines jerked forward. We began marching. Through a gap in the shield wall I could see their skirmishers fleeing.
When we reached where their skirmishers were, we changed formation yet again. They ordered wedge formation. The center of the regiment moved forward a hooful of paces and created a delta. Our regiment’s commander, Colonel Trench, stood in front of the regiment, right in front of me.
“C’mon, stallions, forwards! Forwaah!” A crossbow bolt struck him in the neck, the tip protruding out. I gasped. Before I could leave formation and get him under the shields, a black swarm rose over the enemy.
“Bolts incoming!” Raising our shields, they bounced off.
“Charge!”
I could not help myself from calling out.
“No! We are too far away! We will get butchered!”
He commanded it again, louder. One by one ponies gathered their courage and started galloping towards the enemy. Meanwhile, I stayed their, paralyzed with indecision.
Think, think, think, think!
Buck it.
I began to gallop with my comrades, spear extended. We needed some encouragement.
“Give them a war cry!” The idea went over well.
“Ahhhhhwooooooooooooooooooo!” Thousands of deep stallion voices called out with fury. Suddenly, the pony next to me dropped. And then another one, and then another. Their crossbows were reloaded.
“Faster colts, faster!” More and more were cut down by bolts, some fatal, some not. There was simply too much land to cross before we reached their lines. I started panting from running with full kit.
Finally, we were within the last hundred yards. I singled out a target. Upon closer inspection, I realized he was a changeling. Strange. They must be mercenaries. Fear was obvious and some tried to run. To no avail.
With one final yell, we slammed into their lines. My spear found the neck of the changeling, skewering it. Unfortunately, the impact snapped it in half. I cursed and pulled out my sword.
From nowhere lept a changeling. Relying on pure instinct, I parried his blow. After parrying another one, he made the worst mistake he could have made. He charged. I crouched low, making him trip over my body. I rose, and he completely flipped over, his back on the ground. As I went to land the killing blow, something made me stop.
The changeling was me. I was staring at myself. The beast smiled, pulled out a knife, and stabbed my foreleg. I howled in pain and rage, and landed the blow.
“C’mon, push on! We're breaking through!”
It wasn't an exaggeration.
There was only three ranks left in the place of our furthest penetration.
I found myself next to Supercell, he was expertly fighting off two Changelings. He dispatched one, but the other lept behind him. Before he could kill my partner, I put my blade all the way through him.
“Thanks,” he grunted.
“Don't mention it.”
Together we made progress, the battle around us seemingly melted away. All that mattered was myself, my partner, and any Changelings in our path. I would hack, he would stab. We were cutting them down.
Until I was brought back to reality.
A bolt hit Supercell directly in the eye. He screamed in pain and collapsed.
“Supercell!”
He moved to say something, but began choking on his blood.
“Nononono, it's okay buddy, don't say a thing.” I cradled him in my lap, knowing I was witnessing his last moments. Memories started pouring through my mind. Our first time training together, being assigned to each other, working long night watches, him laughing at my stupid jokes, me getting mad about him beating the snot out of me in poker.
Supercell gave one last huff, and slipped away.
Rage.
Grief.
Hopelessness.
All flew through my brain at the speed of sound.
A few Changelings noticed the one pony alone in an island of peace, surrounded by a sea of battle, with a dead comrade in his lap. They attacked. I gently laid him down, and drew my sword.
I don't remember what happened to the two Changelings. All I know is that I gave them no mercy. Even when they begged for it.
Oatmeal Raisin came to me, his white coat covered in as much blood as mine. He was speaking to me, but I couldn't hear him.
“What?” The same thing happens again.
“They are behind us, sir!”
Author's Note
Two out of three done, you're rounding third and heading for home, people.
The Battle of the Crystal Empire
“They are behind us, sir!”
Suddenly all made sense. Why their lines were so easy to penetrate. They were hiding.
“Sweet Celestia it is a trap! About face, about face!”
At least three lines of Changelings were behind our lines. Cutting down our ponies. I gathered up the remainder of my section, and we charged.
“Free your comrades! Kill them! Kill them!”
The 7 of us slammed into them, catching them by surprise, somehow. My blade found one of their shoulders, and I withdrew it, spraying thick blood. There was only one row left. They were ready for us.
Well, they were, until our crossbows slammed into them.
For the first time in the battle, our archers fought.
“Reserves! Incoming!”
Ah, for the love of-!
More Changelings poured into their original lines, bolstering the survivors. We had none.
The path cut through their back lines, I knew it was time to go.
“Fall back! Fall back!” My ponies started to escape. I stayed behind, more ponies needed to be freed. My the survivors of my section all left, except for Oat. He stayed by my side.
I began to cut and hack away, assisted by Oats and the crossbows. Soon we had a sizeable hole in their lines, letting the Regiment stream through. I was just about to go when reinforcements landed, surprising us all.
They began to bring us down. Once again trapped, all seemed loss, and morale started plummeting.
We were saved by the Dragoons.
The 100 survivors went on a suicide mission to free us. They broke through, but at a great cost, nearly everypony in the unit died.
I will remember those ponies to my dying day.
The ponies who got out of the pocket streamed across the field to our original starting position. We had enough good order to reform, but we were done fighting. We were exhausted and our fighting spirit was gone.
All the other regiments were still trapped, except in some individuals who escaped. I could only watch as my fellow guards were slaughtered without mercy. Captain Birch hobbled over, one of his legs slashed open.
“Sergeant Pick?” I was too tired to answer, so I simply looked in his direction.
“Gather your section, you have a VIP to escort closer to the battle.”
“Yes, sir.”
I went and found my ponies. Only 5 were left.
“Alright stallions, look alive. We have a VIP to escort. Dunno who it is, I guess we will find out.”
The VIP was Celestia herself. My jaw hit the ground. The pony I was used to protecting just waltzed her way into battle.
“Princess, what are you doing in a warzone!” She smiled down to me.
“Sergeant Pick, I knew I would find you here. I received a dispatch last night that a battle would soon happen. Now, what am I looking at.”
I explained the situation to her, her face dropping on every detail.
“And now, three of our four infantry regiments are trapped.” She grimaced, and let her wing spread.
“Princess, what are you doing?”
“I'm helping!” Before she shot into the air, I grabbed her hoof.
“That will accomplish nothing, and only put you endanger. They have an anti air device that knock pegasus out of the sky.”
Celestia finally complied but demanded to get closer. So we did.
The battle still raged for a while. One of the regiments broke free and the survivors streamed past us, many wounded.
“This is my fault,” she whispered. “This is all my fault.”
“It is nopony’s fault but high command’s.” She ignored me, and kept muttering to herself.
A heavily wounded pony collapsed in front of us. I galloped over and hoisted him on my back. After taking him to the nearest medic, I hurried back.
“My sister and I will have to do this ourselves.” I had no idea what she meant by that, but I kept watching.
Suddenly, we heard cheering from the Changelings. The two regiments left in the pocket surrendered. I figured the battle was over but I was wrong.
Projectiles from our catapults and archers showered their ranks. They broke, releasing most of their captives. I advised Celestia to retire to our lines, and a clearly shaken princess complied. When I reached our lines, I found the expedition commander, General Blitz, ecstatic.
“We've got them on the run! From up and attack!”
I excused myself from her side and went over to the General.
“Sir, all due respect, but we are going nowhere.”
He was clearly shocked by a sergeant telling him off.
“We are exhausted, dispirited, and many are wounded.”
Blitz released his rage.
“How dare you! You will be court martialed for your insubordination, Sergeant!”
The princess came over.
“A problem, General?”
“Yes Princess, this sergeant is an insubordinate.”
“I stand with the Sergeant, General.” Celestia looped a wing around me. I tried my best not to look smug.
“Yes. Princess.”
And like that, the Battle of the Crystal Empire ended.
The screams of the wounded pierced the night air. It was an awful sound. We spent it collecting the wounded and the dead from the field. I personally gathered the ponies who once served under me. By some miracle, two were alive, but severely wounded. Finally, I reached Supercell’s body.
“Hey buddy.”
No response.
“I have come back for you.”
He remained silent.
With a sigh, and biting back tears, I gingerly picked his body up and removed the bolt from his eye. I took him to the collectors, and went about my business, searching for the living.
I found very few.
After we sufficiently cleaned the battlefield, I fell into a well deserved sleep, the ghosts of those I lost that day filling my dreams.
The next morning came. The once glorious army was now in shambles. We marched south, leaving the Crystal Empire behind. No drums, no speaking, no nothing. We marched in defeat.
TWO WEEKS LATER
The Empire was gone. Celestia and Luna flew north and personally defeated King Sombra. But it was a trap. The empire vanished, along with everypony living with it. It was all for nothing.
As soon as we got back to Canterlot, I resigned my post in the Guard. There was to many missing ponies for my mental state. I currently live in Rust, mining alongside my brother. But every night, I remind myself of the ponies I lost, what they died for. I think, about the Battle of the Crystal Empire.
Author's Note
And so concludes the Battle of the Crystal Empire. Wanna know what happens next? Go to YouTube.com, and look up "fall of the Crystal Empire"
So, wadda you guys think? Write in comments below.