Meanwhile with the Legion

The legion continues to march along the forest line, When the cavalry begins to filter through he woods, spooking the legionnaires into a battle-line until they realize its just the auxiliaries. The leading centurion, seeing the semi panic retreat of the cavalry quickly looks for their commanding officer.

"Auxiliary wheres your commanding officer?"

"He got captured or killed, His horse was hit when one of the flying Pegasus-"

"Wait did you say Pegasus?" The centurion states, face-palming.

"Yes there was an army of small horses, some pegassi chased us after the captain tried to talk to their leader. He was thrown off his horse and if hes not dead then seriously injured! They seem to not like humans from what i heard from their leader." The cavalryman states.

"Its true we all saw them! here look at these!" A second cavalry auxiliary walks up and hands the centurion a few crossbow-bolts. "They shot these and they stuck into my shield, their like arrows but smaller. Reminds me of that mini ballista we were experimenting with a while back."

"Are you sure they were small horses? and pegassi?" The centurion says in disbelief at what their saying.

"Pretty sure!"

"Then there's no time to waste, Legion MARCH!" The horn blows as the legionnaires reform into a column and march slightly faster towards the village.

The marching soldiers synchronized steps being heard through the quiet forest as the cavalry screens to the front and side of the column to conceal it from view. The tension from the legionnaires permeates the area as those close enough to a cavalryman have already heard the impossible claims that they have faced sentient small horses, even smaller than the ones some saw in north Britannia.

For ten minutes, With each step, the anticipation of a coming a battle grows until a cavalryman points out the forest edge ahead of them. The centurion blows his horn to signal the legion to slow to a walk instead of a jog as the cavalry re-enter the field they left minutes ago with new determination.

Meanwhile

Black ink looks towards where the tree line and beach meet to see what her scouts have told her. A marching column of suprisngly well coordinated humans. All in some kind of armor with large red oval shields. And the large ponies ridden by humans in front of them, blocking her view of most of the humans as they march into the farmland.

"You two, rehook yourselves to the chariot and lift me up fifty fathoms." Black ink says calmly to her pegassus honor guards as they hook themselves up and fly up.

"Hmm looks like they came back with friends.." One pegassus comments

"Alot of friends."

"Quiet you two im trying to think." She squints and blocks the sun from her vision to get a better view. "alright land, and one of you fly by and see if they have any crossbowhumans." Black ink states as she sees the humans align themseleves in two rows of troops with the pony mounted humans on the sides.

"Yes Lady!" The left pegassus yells out, unhooking himself and taking off towards the humans.

"Hmm okay so they look trained, or organised. S uprising for humans. Large shields so they have a good defense. unsure of what weapons they use, could be spears swords or axes, next those poor large ponies mounted by the filthy humans. They will be a problem." Black ink talks to herself as she paces in her chariot waiting for the other pegasus to return. "Seems those ponies are in no control. Our pegassi could counter them assuming they charge ahead of any support the humans could give if they have ranged troops.. seems i have a numbers advantage albiet mostly earth ponies... hmm." Black ink steps off her chariot and walks to a nearby guard. "I need the earth ponies with melee weapons to form one long line ten ponies thick here, anypony with crossbows and unicorns who are using magic form a loose line in front of them and the pegassi to stay behind the main line!"

The guard nods and rushes to tell his subordinates the plan, Soon the pegassus comes back, slighly out of breath from the flight and looks behind his lord/lady to see the ponies organizing into lines. "Lady black ink, After flying over twice i can conlcude they do have some sort of bow wielding humnas, Roughly Seven hundred or more. I couldnt really count as they shot at me."

"Excellent thank you." Black ink turns to the human army to see a single man on a pony riding towards them. The ponies behind her rush to get into formations and the pegassi hover above them. Unicorns point their horns and crossbows at him but dont shoot as black ink raises her hoof to stop them. "HOLD FIRE" she yells with a voice amplifier spell.

The unfortunate cavalryman who drew the short straw rides up slowly and stops about twenty meters away from the pony lines.

"Attention You have attacked soldiers of rome! Surrender now or face the wrath of Rome!"

A silence follows as the ponies look at eachother in mild confusion wondering what a 'rome' is.

"Come at us ya filthy ape!" A random pony yells out

"Cmon well take you all"

"Well put you in your place!"

Soon the entire army throws insults and occasionally rocks at the cavalryman, causing him to ride a few feet backwards to avoid being hit. "SO BE IT!" he yells and rides back at breakneck speed. To the war cries of the ponies.

"And so it begins.." Black ink states smiling to herself as she steps back in her chariot.

Back with the Romans

The legate arrives at the legions position having been held back by some news about flying lion birds north of the camp by some drunk soldiers. He quickly rides to the centurion of the first cohort and gets updated on the situation.

"So.. Small horses? and Pegassi?"

"Sound ridiculous i know but there they are over there and-"

"Sir a flying one has just flown over, most likely surveying our formation!" another centurion yells interrupting the first centurion

"Tell the auxiliary archers to shoot it down!" The Legate yells back

Arrows fly towards the pegassus who makes a hasty retreat. "Dam they have information on our formation. Those flying horses are going to be a problem. Hold a cohort back to protect the archers, without them those flying pegassi will be able to rain projectiles upon us." The legate rides behind the first line to survey the battlefield. "Hmm deploying skirmishers forward and keeping those pegassi behind them. Reminds me of the way Greeks fought if companions could fly..."

POV 3rd person omnipotent

The ponies slowly move forward towards the roman formation at the edge of the forest and beach. Having their land based skirmishers rush forward to fire weak magic missiles and crossbowbolts upon the roman first line. The bright magic bolts surprising many legionnaires but they quickly hide behind their shields, blocking most bolts accept for a few who took a magic missile to the chest, being quickly dragged behind the lines to be replaced with the man behind him.

"TESTUDO FORMATION!" The centurions commanding the first lines of cohorts yell out cuasing the legionnaires to group together and hold their shields up to block the rain of crossbow bolts and magic missiles. While the cavalry retreat behind the second line to prevent themselves from taking casualties.

"Hold the archers back in case the pegassi charge!" The legate yells out as he watches past the skirmishers to see the enemy formation which slowly marchers up to their skirmisher lines...

Across the field black ink watches from a cloud above the battlefield. A group of messenger pegassi to relay orders as she watches the battle from above. Watching the skirmishers begin their barrage against the roman forces, Only to see their barrage do little damage as the humans create a box of shields that protect most of them from the ranged missiles.

"Interesting.. Tell group one and two to go into the forest and flank around them while the rest charge forward and engage them to pin them down. Then have the pegassi go to the right towards the beach and attack their human mounted ponies and prevent them from going around our lines."

"And the skirmishers?" The messenger asks as he quickly jots down the orders.

"Keep up the barrage but pull back behind the front lines."

The pegassi nods and finishes writing and dives down towards the army. Delivering the orders to the impromptu leaders of the militia groups. Following orders the first two groups branch off from the main force to the forest while the rest of the army marches forward, past the skirmishers who begin to ark their shots to keep the humans pinned down in their formation.

The Legate, watching the much larger force march forward while a group splinters off to the right of them. "Tell the second line to go into the first, extend it to match the enemies line, but keep half the second line in reserve, they have a group attempting to flank us." He says to his messenger who nods and rushes off.

Now within a hundred meters the pony earth pony lines begin to charge gaining speed. their trampling hooves tearing up the farmland under them until it progresses to grassland. The centurions signalling for their men to exit the testudo and reform into battle lines.

"PILUM!" Yells a centurion as the ponies charge within thirty meters of the romans. The legionnaires grabbing their javelins and release the volley of deadly pilum javelins to deadly effect. Causing the first line of ponies to be shredded as javelins struck their bodies, killing many in an instant and maiming others, having them die by being trampled by their comrades. This causes the charge to be blunted slightly as the ponies lose speed to avoid falling while charging, Giving the legionnaires just enough time to brace behind their shields as a mass of ponies ram into them, knocking many off their feet and spearing those who were too slow to put up their shields.

"BRACE!" The legionnaires yell as do the ponies, the ponies pushing on the shields of the legion attempting to thrust their swords or spears into any gaps in the wall of shields, causing many legionnaires to yell in pain as stray weapons slice their unprotected arms or legs. "HOLD MEN!" Yells the legate as he rides past the front lines, watching a few men get stabbed and others return the threat with their spathas. "NOW REPLACE FRONT MAN!"

The horn blows and the front legionnaire in the front line side steps and falls back behind his fellow legionnaires, quickly being replaced by the man behind him, Causing the ponies in front of them to stagger, which causes many to be stabbed by the fresh legionnaires. The front lines being shredded as the ponies attempt to retreat back to get another charge in. Bodies of dead and dying ponies lie in front of the legionnaires, those still alive are quickly silenced by the cold steel of the men. The ponies reform fifty meters away switching out the ponies at the front to go in back, then charge again smashing like a wave against the wall of shields of the legion. Pushing many men off their feet at the sheer force of the charge.

While the main forces engage in brutal hand to hoof combat, the pegassi quickly go to the beach area and flank the legion. Only to be showered with arrow-fire as the legate has a cohort stand alongside the archers providing them cover with their shields from javelins and spears thrown by the flying enemies. The archer captain ordering another volley, taking out many from the sky. The cavalry retreating behind them, being ordered to go to the right flank to assist the cohorts preparing to receive the flanking ponies in the forest.

Blank ink watches from her cloud, a scowl growing on her face. The charge of her ponies seem to be blunted by their javelin fire and the coordination from these humans is something she would expect from royal guards, not humans. Looking to the pegassi and seeing even less success there, as the humans have mixed their few archers with men using their javelins as spears each time a overeager pegassi charges, only to be impaled.

"These humans are more troublesome than i expected.." Ink says to herself grabbing her tea from a servant on the side of the cloud. "Group one and two better break them or we might lose.. I cant let us lose, I already sent my sister a message of my imminent victory. I. Cant. Lose.."

As black ink sips her tea The flanking earth pony groups one and two finally turn towards the side of the enemy army, going from a walk to a light jog. hearing the yells of battle and death of their friends they decide to go towards the humans early, instead of going fully around them. "Our friends are dying! lets ATTACK!" an eager earth pony yells as he charges forwards through the trees, quickly followed by the rest of the earth ponies. Yelling out a war cry as they weave through the trees, The cohorts protecting the flanks throw their javelins, hitting mostly wood and dirt as they threw them too early. Bracing themselves the stretched out cohorts prepare to take the impact, while the cavalry rides around them.

The impact of the ponies causes the cohorts to take steps back, losing ground as their thin lines are slowly being torn up. Legionnaires being taken down by the second, And then the cavalry strikes the rear of the the pony groups. Ponies falling by the spears of the cavalry and the swords of the legionnaires.

"WEVE BEEN FLANKED!" a random pony yells out and beings retreating, slowly causing a rout of the flanking ponies. Being chased by the cavalry to keep them running before they give up chase and go to help the main lines of the battle, along with the legionnaires on the flank.

Back at the center of the battle, The legionnaires and ponies are locked in a stalemate. Ponies and humans falling to spears and swords. All the while humans are pelted by crossbow bolts and magic missiles. Centurions yelling orders over the scream of steel and battle, while every five minutes legionnaires switch from the front to the back. Causing fresh men to replace exhausted ones, But the ponies couldn't do this and throughout the slug of men and pony, More ponies are lost than humans. Exhausted ones falling while fresh ones take their place Determined to see the human menace quashed. The ponies start losing ground as they begin to lose their stamina, their attacked being repelled as the humans begin to learn the attack patterns of the ponies and angle their shields accordingly.

"Were getting slaughtered! We gotta retreat!" One pony sergeant yells out, only to hear horns from behind him, turning around, The last thing he saw was the spearpoint of a cavalry charge.

The ponies begin to retreat, slowly from the right of the humans where the cavalry charged to the left as they watch their friends run away. With the earth ponies retreating the humans give chase, Pegassi quickly fly into the cloud layer out of the range of arrows, and the unicorns follow their exhausted earth pony counterparts. The humans, Running on Adrenalin and the promise of imminent victory, charge after the retreating ponies. Breaking formations to chase them towards the village....

Author's Note

Sorry about the delay in posting this chapter, Midterms are around the corner and the new years and Christmas last year really distracted me from writing. But hope this action chapter will satisfy you. I was gonna make it longer but decided to split the next part into another chapter.

Thanks for reading, if ya see any spelling/grammar mistakes please point them out.