No Glory Won

by Mr Unidentified

Rating: teen
Tags: Adventure, Violence, Profanity, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Equestria at War, Dark, Death, Alternate Universe, Other, Changelings, Original Character
Length: 170038

The story follows two Pegasus Mares—Sunshine Tempest and Night Light—as they fight against inner demons and madness to stop a sinister plot years in the making. They will overcome against oblivion. They will change the world.

This fic is for the "Equestria At War" Universe, complete with its very own lore and history of Equestria's world.

This fic features a wide variety of characters as well, so I made a Character Sheet on my Profile Page to help you shed some light on the names you will read. I recommend checking it out at least once if you are still interested in the story.

Second-hand knowledge of the universe is not required to enjoy this Fic, though it is still highly recommended. Check out the world of "Equestria at War" if you wish to truly appreciate what is being told.

Cover art credit goes to Mr. Scroup. >> https://mrscroup.deviantart.com/art/No-Glory-Won-628409443

The Artwork for the Chapter(s) and Character Sheet is created by the lovely Mellow Mare! Please go show her some love!

Please leave a comment. Thank you, and without further ado, enjoy the story :twilightsmile:

Millennia.

Equestria had known peace for a Millennia. Since the beginning of time immemorable, from when The Alicorn Sisters took the throne in the Cradle of Ponykind, they vowed this to be their goal: A Millenial Peace. Ponies have been taught to practice Harmony and to respect the land and the creatures they coexist with. This tradition gives birth to the Tree of Harmony, and their respective Elements. And thus Equestria was truly born as a nation, the haven of Ponykind.

As time passes, Princess Twilight and her companions embody their respective Elements. The Element Bearers have maintained Peace across Equestria through the tenets of Harmonious Friendship. Their ideas shaped Equestria to be a modern utopia in the future. For the longest anypony could remember, life was good.

Despite this—or perhaps, because of this—dark clouds billow over the horizon.

In the Summer of 1011—nearly a decade after Chrysalis failed in Canterlot—the Changeling Hegemony announced that a state of war would exist between them and Equestria from here on out.

For the first time in a millennia, Equestria was at war.

From that moment forward, innocence would forever be lost as a casualty of a grand conflict of attrition and devastation. One that shaped the nation, and indeed the world, into the callous reality it became today. For centuries to come.

Yet this is not the tale of Equestria's war, nor is this the tale of the heroes and monsters within the conflict.

This is the story of two Pegasi and their journey through madness—of unexpected friendships and fierce rivalries, of overwhelming setbacks and hollow victories. All in a quest to thwart a malevolent scheme that has been brewing for years, lurking in the shadows and threatening to obliterate the fragile peace they have fought to achieve.

This is the tale of Two Pegasi challenging fate—to change the world as they know it.

Published 2018-06-25 20:40:07 UTC
Last updated 2025-01-21 08:55:12 UTC

Chapter 1: The Sky Calls [Revised]

(A1) - Chapter 1: The Sky Calls

No Glory Won

Chapter 1: The Sky Calls

“Oh what I would give to be born with wings!”

Perspective: Night Light

The story of how Sunshine Tempest and I got drafted was pretty much the same. We were both at home, 2 weeks after we had finally moved in together at last to cloudsdale. She lived most of her time in Canterlot beforehoof. But more importantly, it was about 3 months since the war began. It was mid-April, I think the 22nd If my memory’s not too shabby as it normally is.

We were both waking up to a casual morning. The war was fresh on everybody’s mind, and while the Borders fell quickly, there was, finally, some good news. The Shire River, just near Whitebell, has been fortified heavily with fortifications, and equipment. Within the first month in the war, Equestria has seen many improvements in their military, transforming from an Oversized Police Force to an actual Formidable Military.

In the first few days of the war, progress was quickly achieved by the changelings. Within 6 days, Vanhoover fell. And after that, Tall Tales was next, 3 weeks afterward. And 1 more week after that, and the Changelings would’ve crossed the river.

But then, the rain came down. And then a Storm. The Pegasi had shaped and moved the clouds to form a storm across half of Equestria. Within Hours, the Panzer IIIs were Bogged down in the mud and rain, due to Weather complications.

Or at least, that was what the newspapers and radio broadcasts say. I had no way of knowing whether or not it was true though. But I was not gonna travel over to see for myself.

After about 1 and a half months of non-stop mobile combat, the changeling advance was finally halted at the Shire River. Just past the Ruby Mountains Southwest of the river, the frontlines were also shifted around Mead Resort near the small lake at the Western coastline. And to the North, in the Crystal Empire, the Borders shifted past Featherfall Dale and were stopped at the evergreen river. Stalliongrad and Crystal Ponies alike hold the line in the Crystal Empire. And Due to an abnormally long winter and Colossal Mountains, the Changelings couldn't go beyond that line.

Another month and a half later, and the lines haven’t shifted. There were attempts to cross the river, but the bridges to cross were already destroyed, and the absurd amount of defenses were proving to be too much for the changelings. I knew it wouldn't last long though. Sooner or later, something will happen. I feared the river would fall sometime within the year.

I was going through my Sky Mailbox, and Sunshine was making us both breakfast. I could smell Hay Toast, and Eggs. at first, there were the usual pickups: Posters of War Bonds advertisements were common nowadays, what with the war on and all. There were also many different postcards that contained various propaganda art pieces. Posters that said

"They fight so you can eat! Won't you fight for them, too?"

Nothing unusual. But the next piece of Mail was different. There were two of the exact same kind: An envelope from the Equestrian Military Draft Administration. I froze when I looked at the envelope, a very surreal surge of fear penetrating my core. Carefully and ever so slowly, I ripped the envelope open and found a typed letter inside.

“Night Light,

We have entered a state of Emergency that has come down to the Industry and Military Mobilizing in mass force, and in such a hurry, that helping hands are needed. And for this reason, we have activated: The Draft!

As of this current moment, the Population of Equestria is Estimated to be about 40-50 Million, based on expert calculations. And the Recruitment Policy states that at least 5.00% of the nation is Recruitable for service. And YOU, My Little Pony, have been drafted to join The Equestrian Military!”

I didn’t finish. I was standing there, petrified at the sudden revelation.

I was going to war.

“What’s it this time, Night Light? More War Bond Posters?”

I tore open the second envelope and found another note.

“Sunshine Tempest,”

It said the Exact same thing as my letter, replacing me with Sunshine instead. It spoke of her joining the Equestrian Military as well.

“Night Light?” Sunshine asked again. Warm, salty tears were cornering my eyes. “Night Light, what is it?” Sunshine, sounding a little more worried. I just sat on my haunches and stared at my letter, reading it again.

“...We recognize that you, Night Light, are indeed a Pegasus. And the RAF is always in need of more capable Ponies like you! You will be tasked to arrive at the Los Pegasus Airfield on April 28th at 0900 Hours. If you are not there, your home will be visited, and we will take you there by force, or you will face custody in fair court by order of Equestrian Law.”

“Night Light, You’re scaring me. What is it?” Sunshine asked again. I simply just held the note in my hooves and wept. Sunshine picked up the second letter, and Slowly read. I didn't turn to look at her. I heard a gasp from behind, and more tears flowed.

I felt a hoof placed over my whither. Finally, I mustered the courage to face her. Her eyes were puffy and red, her lips quivering. I couldn't think of any way to find comfort in this situation. Instead, I only reached out to her in a desperate attempt to find solace. Sunshine was looking down, her shoulders heaving - when I embraced her in my hooves. She returned the gesture... but even then, it didn't change anything.

No words or actions in this world could be said to save us from the nightmare we were about to go into.

That ordeal was six days before. I stood outside the entrance to the Airfield with my pack slung on my back. I took a deep breath and simply trotted forward. I walked inside a terminal, walked up to the lady behind a desk, and showed her my draft papers. “Where can I go for this?” I asked her.

She quickly read the letter, then replied nonchalantly: “Go to the Cloud Runway and find the Teal Mare with the Rainbow Mane. She’ll help you.”

I walked back out and spread my wings, taking off to the Cloud Runway up in the Sky. there were Buildings on the ground, as well as in the Sky, Casinos, Resorts, and in this case, an Airfield. I slowly hovered to the top and landed near the edge of the runway. All around me, I found Pegasi, and Unicorns grouped together near a variety of planes, no doubt still standing on the clouds due to the unicorns' help. Pegasi were inspecting it, while the Unicorns were taking notes and recording data.

I eventually found the Rainbow Colored Mare that the lady was referring to. She was lining up other recruits in a neat line in front of a hanger. I could hear her yelling as I walked to her.

“Right, Listen up Fillies and Colts! You are here today because your sorry flanks just got drafted. Happens to the best of us. Hell, happened to me even. And Under Celestia’s orders herself, it is my Job to Train up all of the Pilots from this region. And you bet your Flanks off that I can transform you from recruits to Aces. Hell, you might even be as 20% better than the enemy by the time I’m done with you!

I’ll teach you about how to fly, how to Dodge, and how to shoot down some Bugs! I’ll teach you what it means to be a Pegasus, and I’ll teach you how to outsmart the Enemy. When I’m through with you, you’ll be as good, or maybe even better than the Wonderbolts!”

The mare finally noticed my Presence and turned to face me. she trotted up to until she was just a couple of meters away from me. “And who are you supposed to be?”

“Uh, N-Night Light. I was drafted to be a pilot, s-o I came here.” I finished pathetically. I handed her my Draft papers as proof, after pulling them out of my pack. She quickly read it over, nodding while doing so, then smiled.

“So we got another Recruit in our midst then, huh? And it looks like she's a little shaken up, too." she sneered. I could only look down in silence. she gave a single chuckle. "No worries. You came in just in time, as a matter of fact. We were just about to get sorted out. But for now, you can talk to Spitfire near the barracks down near the end of the runway. Tell her Rainbow sent ya, she’ll help you get sorted as to where to bunk.”

“Um... thanks. What do I do after that?”

“Find me. I’ll see what I can do with you.”

“Ok, Yes Ma’am.” I saluted and made my way over to the end of the runway. trotting my way across the flat paved clouds, the barracks were on the other side. But it didn’t seem too-

“Hey, WATCH OUT!” A mare suddenly yelled to my left, Approaching me with very fast speed. I was barely able to Dodge back, as she flew past me, barely missing me.

“DAMMIT NIGHT LIGHT, YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK BOTH WAYS BEFORE CROSSING A RUNWAY! EVERY PEGASUS KNOWS THIS!” Rainbow Bellowed behind me. I stiffened as I turned around to face. She had a Pissy look on her face. “Do you have Eyes, Night Light?”

“Wh-What?” I replied. Bad Idea.

“I ASKED YOU A QUESTION, RECRUIT! YOU REPLY WITH AN ANSWER, NOT ANOTHER DAMN QUESTION! I SAID DO YOU HAVE EYES!? She practically shrieked at me.

“YES MA’AM” I yelled back, looking straight.

“Good, I was beginning to think you were BLIND! Next Time look both ways before you cross! UNDERSTAND!?”

“MA’AM, YES MA’AM!” I yelled again. And with that, She turned back to the other recruits, who were smiling in amusement.

“You think this is funny, Smartasses?” Rainbow Snarled, as she walked up to one of them, their smiles dissipating instantly as they captured her attention.

“Ma'am, no Ma’am!” they replied.

“Drop and give me 30! All of you! Move it, move it!” and they did so, rather fast I’ll admit. I turned to head towards the Barracks, but a mare was walking towards me. Actually, it was the same Mare that almost hit me from before. Orange Coat, Green Mane.

“You alright, hun?” She asked, in a weird accent.

“Um, yeah. I’m... fine now. Sorry about that.”

She simply Smiled. “You’re not the only one who crossed the runway without looking on your first day. You see Rainbow over there?” She pointed at rainbow and her recruits... who were still doing pushups. “She did the exact same thing on her first day as a wonderbolt.”

“Really?”

“Mhm. Was called ‘Newbie Dash’ since then. That’s sort of her nickname. Though, she doesn’t like it, so don’t tell her I told you.”

I giggled. “Don’t worry, I won’t. What’s your name anyway?”

“Name’s Apple Mint. Apple for the Coat, Mint for the Mane.”

“Night Light. Nice to meet you.” I stretched my wingtip out, to which she shakes promptly. “Well, I oughta get going. Have to meet this... Spitfire, whoever she is.”

“See you around Night Light,” Mint replied, and walked towards one of the Hangers. I didn't know at the time, but I would never see her again.

I made my way across the Runway (after looking both ways this time) and made my way to the Barracks. I trotted through the door, and was greeted with the sight of a Yellowish-Orange Pegasus Mare clinging to Bar on the ceiling, and pulling herself up, then down then up again, over and over.

“Um, ‘Scuse me, would you happen to be Spitfire?” I asked Timidly.

She glanced at me in the side of her vision, then dropped down on all fours, and faced me. “Yep! One and only. What is it?”

“Um, I’m one of the New Recruits. ‘Rainbow’ said to send me here.”

She scanned me up and down, observing my form. “Another one, huh? Alright, Follow me. I’ll show you your bed, and stuff.” she proceeded to walk down the hall. She near the middle of the Barracks, she stopped near a bed. “This is yours. The Footlocker has your uniform. Feel free to slip that on. Though I recommend doing it sometime today, lest you want to make Rainbow unhappy.”

“I, uh, I think I already have done that.”

“Oh boy. What happened?” She replied with a grin.

“I crossed the runway without looking. Almost hit a mare, Apple Mint, I think her name was.”

“Hahahahah, Oh that is classic! That’s EXACTLY what Rainbow did on her first day too! Tell me, did she give you a nickname?”

“You mean a name like… ’Newbie Dash’? No, at least, I don’t think so.” I really hoped not. This first day was already overwhelming enough.

“That ain’t the only Nickname she’s got” Spitfire Chuckled. “Well, I did my job. but hey, if you’re down, how about I’ll buy you a drink some time?”

I blushed furiously and looked away. “Uh, I mean, Thank you, but no thank you. I already have a Special Somepony.”

She laughed, even harder this time, again.

“That’s not what I meant! I meant it as a get together with friends, sharing drinks and all. Probably the only chance you’ll probably get that leisure. Anyway, get yourself settled in. I need to find Rainbow anyway.”

As she left, I opened the Foot Locker, and indeed found a One-Piece Uniform. One size fits all, from the looks of it. I got in the bathroom, proceeded to put it on. Comfy, but pretty Airtight. I inspected the other contents of the Foot Locker. Some MRE’s, and a Notebook with Pen. I wasn’t good at mouth writing, but I was decent enough. Maybe I’ll make a journal log or something. There wasn’t much else in there, aside from a simple Hygiene kit, with soap. I imagine for the showers.

I made my way back outside and flew my way over to Rainbow, now in uniform. I made my way towards her, to which she noticed, and saluted to her as I landed in front of her.

“Heh, looking good soldier. Already in uniform. I bet you’re eager to get started, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Ma’am!” I replied.

“Good, because we’re about to show you what it means to Really be a pilot!”

Days passed by after that. The sore muscles, I can get used to after a while, but it still hurt like all Hell. I didn’t think to be a Pilot could be so exhausting. Never really questioned it though. I just followed Orders. Just like a soldier.

My thoughts could not escape Sunshine. I wonder if She’s better off than I am. I pray to the goddesses every day to keep her safe. I don’t know what I would do if I were to just come home and find out she’s... gone.

I shook my head, clearing my head of such thoughts. “Don’t think about it. Just... keep going. That’s all you can do.” I said to myself. I laid there in my Barrack cot, staring at the ceiling during curfew. I couldn’t sleep. I was still too sore from the grueling workouts that rainbow gives us, and my mind was racing. I sat up, got out of my bed, and pulled out my footlocker, gently opening it to make sure I didn’t wake the others. I pulled out the notebook and pen, holding both in my mouth as I made my way to the bathroom, and closed the door. I turned on the light, and sat in a stall to myself, and began writing.

“Dear Sunshine...”

Chapter 2: Hooves On The Ground [Revised]

(A1) - Chapter 2: Hooves On The Ground

No Glory Won

Chapter 2: Hooves on the Ground

“When the going gets tough, the Tough get going.”

Perspective: Sunshine Tempest

“I think it was about 3 weeks I spent my time there before I was transferred out to sea. By then, I earned my wings and was assigned to fly a Firefly. At first, they were going to assign me to the Airstrip near Whitebell, but they made a last-second change on me, and instead, I was to be stationed at the ERNS Blueblood. I dunno if I got lucky, or if I was cursed. Either way, I was heading there next.” Night Light concluded.

“Huh. They almost put you on the frontlines with me? I did not know about that. Well, I guess you got lucky. The frontlines were a nasty place. Glad you weren’t there at least.”

“Your turn. What happened to you after you got drafted?”

“Pretty much the same... only with different ponies, a different place, and different results.”

I arrived at a Royal Guard Checkpoint near Whinnyapolis, asking for directions to where new recruits like me go. Like Night Light, I was also carrying my Draft Papers, along with several other items of mine. The Royal Guards, after showing them my papers, pointed me in the right direction.

“Head towards the outskirts to the North, and find a Big Building with the Sun on top of it. Can’t miss it.” One of them pointed towards the city, though I'm guessing that he was implying to go beyond the city in that direction. I flew up to the clouds, and over the city, getting a good view of it from above. It was mostly unchanged, but due west of it there was a series of fortifications that spread across the city limits - No doubt trying to prepare against the Changelings if the need arose. There were Trenches, Foxholes, Bunkers, Machine Gun Nests, and dug in tanks as well. Taking the city of Whinnyapolis must’ve been a big priority for the changelings because the ponies I saw stationed there looked like they were ready to - quite literally - fight to the last pony.

Eventually, I found the building with the “Sun” on top. It was a part of a Compound of buildings which I only assumed was the army base I was assigned to go to. The “Sun” was a tall Spire attached to the main building on the roof, with the Equestrian Sun on top of the Spire.

I flew over the compound and found more ponies going through an obstacle course with speed and persistence. I noticed they were mostly Earth Ponies, and also Stallions. There were only a few unicorns and even fewer Mares at that. I tried to find other Pegasi, but none were there. Except for one. It was a Sky Blue coated Pegasus Stallion, with an Azure Mane. He was yelling at the ponies in the obstacle course, from what I could tell in the sky. Too far away to actually hear what he was saying.

“Well, he’s the only pegasus here, it looks like…” I muttered to myself, before Floating down near him. I caught on what he is saying to the troops, as I got closer.

“... Will not hesitate to shoot you, so move as if your life depended on it because it DOES!” He yelled at the top of his voice - though not as loud as rainbow did from what Night Light told me - As the recruits continued to pick up the pace. The blue pegasus caught my presence and smiled at me. “Well look at that, another pegasus! Nice, we could use another one of you.”

“Uh, I’m supposed to be here, I believe.” I handed him my draft papers, and he held it with one wing reading it to himself, while he stroked his chin with the other wing. He then gazed at me, then my wings, then my Hooves, before looking at my eyes.

“Hmm... a bit thin. But, we’ll make due out of you yet. You’ll have to be situated to the compound first before we begin. I’ll give you the tour - Corporal! You’re in charge of the recruits! Make them run like hell!” The pegasus yelled, to which the corporal replies with a quick salute, before barking orders at the recruits. “By, the way, name’s Soarin. But I figure you know that already.” He stated.

“Actually, I didn’t- wait, you’re the Soarin? Who was on the frontlines when Acronage got hit?”

He shuffled his back mane with his wing, slightly awkward. “Eh... yeah. I was. The reason I’m here now is that I got transferred by another general, who happens to be more efficient.” I gave him a quizzical look. “Oh, I’m not upset, don’t get me wrong. If they believe he or she is more efficient than me, then who am I to judge?” He asked. nodding along as I followed him, we made it to what I assume was the Barracks. It was a short 1 story Longhouse, with Bunk beds on each side of the hall, fit for at least 100 Ponies. The more I look around, the more I noticed that the entire airbase was filled with thee bunkers. All of them combined would fit at least 1,200 Ponies... maybe more.

“What are you staring at? Come on, pick up the pace.” Soarin Interrupted. I proceeded to follow him inside, leading me to the near end of the Longhouse until Soarin stopped. “This Cot is yours. You’ll be given a uniform soon, but we’re a little deficit right now. Footlocker under the bed is yours. Feel free to store and take whatever’s in it.” I proceeded to inspect the contents of the Footlocker, finding a soap bar, some politics magazines, more war bond posters, and a Toothbrush. Better than nothing... I guess.

“At the end of the Barracks, there’s the Showers. We have regular showers every day, so don’t use too much Hot Water. Just a quick 5-minute soak and wash, and out. It'll be separated by gender, so no stallions will be peeking on you.” He then trotted out towards the door leading outside, me following behind him along the way. He was standing on the grass outside and pointed a Hoof towards the Large Terminal near one of the Hangers. “Every morning, at 0600 Hours, we wake up and gather outside that building and do morning warm-ups. Every single day.” He grazed his eyes up and down on my physique once more. “... Hope you don’t die within the first few days.” He finished. I bit my tongue, holding back any snarky remark my brain was coming up with.

“Right, anyway…” I butted in. “Anything else to show me?”

Next location on Soarin’s list was the Mess Hall. It was a fairly wide and roomy longhouse; A somewhat more pleasant atmosphere than the barracks, at least. There was a Cafeteria, which was a sort of L-Shaped Atrium with Tables and benches to sit on. Around this L-Shaped Atrium was the Servery, a walled part of the mess hall that the occupants go to pick up the food they pay to eat. The head chef cooks for most of them, and is the most beloved guy in the whole base, from what I can tell. They serve the food, they go pick it up, they pay at the register than they sit and eat.

“The Head Chef’s name is Mince Meat. Nice guy. Just don’t criticize his meals in front of him. He gets a tad bit pissy.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I replied. A few soldiers were already sitting down and enjoying their meal. I didn’t disturb them. I continued to follow Soarin again back outside, and we trotted to the next building to the left of the Mess Hall. we entered inside and found a White Coated Mare with a Red Mane operating an Automatic Sewing Machine, wiping a hoof over her furrowed brow to wipe the sweat.

“This here is the Tailor Department. You can get a new uniform here in case if anything happens to the one you had currently. But in your case, you never had a uniform, so we’ll get you assorted.” He trotted toward the left side of the building, to find a tall Metal Cabinet standing against the wall almost touching the ceiling. He opened it, and pulled out one of the Green Camo-patterned outfits, and handed it to me with his wings, to which I accepted.

“When you have the chance, put that on. Every soldier in training is required to wear uniforms outside of Curfew.” Soarin updated.

“Of course. I’ll put it on the second I have the chance.” I responded, inspecting the uniform in my grasp. I folded it neatly and put it in my pack for later. I proceeded to follow him outside once I got assorted with my new gear. I looked towards the large building with the Golden Sun on top. It looked somewhat symbolic as if it was some kind of monument.

Soarin took notice of me staring at the building, to which he sighed. “Are you gonna continue to gawk at that Building, or can we get a move on?” he spoke impatiently.

“What is it for?” I asked.

“The Sun? Or the Building?”

“Well, both really.”

“Hell if I know what the Sun is for. For Princess Celestia, I guess? Who knows? And the building is HQ for this Military Compound. That means some top-notch Army Generals are in their right now.”

“You mean the generals don’t stay near the frontline when leading his troops?”

“Some do.” Soarin looked away for a moment. “Some don’t. I was one of the few who did. Didn’t end well for me.”

“What do you mean?” I inquired.

He shook his head once and snorted. “Doesn’t matter now. Come on. Next stop is the Barber. He’ll give you trims with that mane of yours. It’s mandatory for all Hoof Infantry, like yourself.”

I drew a hoof through my mane, basking it’s long silkiness, only to have it taken away from me soon enough. “I’m not going to be bald, aren’t I?” I asked worriedly. Soarin gave me a puzzled gaze.

“Gods, I hope not. Snips isn’t that bad - at least, not as bad as Snails. You’ll just get a short Trim. That’s the plan, anyway.” Soarin Answered.

We walked around the base for a good 2 minutes or so, before we made our way to a large tent, with high cushioned wooden chairs scattered around it. There was nopony else in there, but there was one Teal colored Unicorn, with a Dirty Blonde Mane wearing, what I assume is a Barber’s Uniform, who was levitating several tiny utensils neatly into one of his boxes. He noticed me and Soarin walking in, and smiled.

“Afternoon Soarin, who is this lovely Mare?” he asked politely.

“This mare is a new recruit, and she needs the usual trim. Can you spare some time to do it?” Soarin requested.

“Ain’t like I am doing anything else more important at the moment. I can get it done, no problem sir.” He quickly answered.

“Perfect, I have to get back to my cadets in training anyway, Corporal has probably punished those poor souls beyond belief. As for you Sunshine, get in uniform after your trim ASAP and meet outside the Barracks. I hope you remember where it is.” Soarin Instructed.

“I do Sir. I’ll be done right away.” He left shortly after, which left me and snips alone in the tent.

“Would you kindly mind sitting down on this chair, so we can get started?” Snips asked. I nodded and opened my wings to hover onto the chair, rump first. Once I was comfortable, a green cape of cloth was telekinetically wrapped around me, covering my torso, hooves, and flanks. He started to spray water all over my mane, getting it soaked, as he began to brush it.

“So, Sunshine is your name?”

“Mhm. Sunshine Tempest. And you’re Snips?”

“Eyep. Pleased to make your acquaintance. You’re another poor victim to the ever-hungry Draft, and it is my duty to give some of those victims the best haircut they ever had before they are sent out to fight. Of course, it’ll be another, I don’t know, two or three months before you are shipped out to the frontline, but during your time here I shall make sure your mane is accustomed.”

“You, uh, seem awfully friendly for a military barber.”

“Just humble is all.” he asked, as he continued to spray and brush my Mane. This continued for about 2 minutes or so until he stopped spraying. Shortly then, I hear snipping noises to the sides of my ears, as bits of my mane is falling to the floor. A part of me will miss it, in a foalish way.

“So, Sunshine, where are you from?”

“Cloudsdale. I had a residence with my marefriend before I was drafted.”

“Your Marefriend huh? Damn, that must suck to be away from her."

“Yeah, it does. Especially because she was also drafted.”

“Wait, she was Conscripted too?”

“Mhm.” I felt a tang of sadness sprawl up in my chest.

“Ah. My condolences. I truly am sorry for what happened.” Snips said Sincerely.

“Thank you. I’m fine now. I just have to get used to it, I suppose.”

“A’hm sure it’ll be easier. I hope so, anyway.”

He continued to cut away my mane. I could feel the weight of it slowly disappear, one chunk of it at a time falling to the tent floor. When it was at least Shoulder Length, Snips stopped cutting and began spraying and brushing it once again. This lasted for about one more minute before he stopped.

“There, finished!” He proudly stated, and lifted the cape off of me, freeing me from the chair. He telekinetically lifted a small mirror in front of me, revealing my face and mane. It was shortly cut, all along my back neck and stopping at my shoulders, Wet and Brown. “I think you look great, honestly.” Snips noted.

“Yeah. Not bad.” I admired how neatly it was trimmed. It wasn’t too short to confuse me for a Stallion, which was all I was going for really. “How many times have you done this before?”

“Speaking Honestly, not that much. I just got signed up as a Military Barber when the war started. Which was... 3 months ago, I think.” He recollected.

"I say you’re pretty good for an Amateur.” I replied.

“Well thank you! I thought I did pretty good, Didn’t I? But I suggest you might oughta get long now. Soarin is still waiting.”

“Yeah, thanks again.” I hopped from my chair and proceeded to walk out of the room. I looked back and saw him smiling and humming as he resumed to organize his belongings.

"Everything else I remember after that was getting myself changed into uniform, and getting ready for 90 days of hard training. They were not sugarcoating, Night Light. My life was on the line." It wasn't my intention to scare her on how gruesome life in war can be, but I wanted her to at least get a good idea. Although, I'm sure she already has. "On the Frontlines, life was always hectic, and every now or so then, you would wake up from a lazy afternoon to an all-out Firefight. You have to never let your guard down." I concluded.

"Yet here you are. You survived! How did you?" Night Light asked.

"I almost didn't. I had a couple of Miracles saving me every now or then."

"... I suppose you won't be surprised then when I say: I know exactly how you feel."

I gave her a small gaze of Obliviousness. She looked at me blankly back. We both gazed for a bit.

"So, you were saved by a couple of miracles then?" I asked.

"Yes. That was... the message" she answered plainly.

I smiled. "Well, do you wanna tell your part of the story next then?" I asked.

She gazed away comprehensively, thinking to herself for a short period of time. She looked back reassuringly.

"Yes."

Chapter 3: The Blueblood [Revised]

(A1) - Chapter 3: The Blueblood

No Glory Won

Chapter 3: The Blueblood

"I’m trying to guide an Aircraft Carrier here, I'm not steering a Speedboat!"

Perspective: Night Light

September 15, 1011. 11:25 CST

Today was supposedly the last day for basic training. I have endured 3 months of Rainbow Dash constantly barking orders at me, have been inside of a Centrifuge Machine and nearly passed out due to high G-Forces, and have flown an aircraft (pretty well, I might add) about 5 times already, to get the feel of the controls. Before we had to do that, though, we had to actually learn the controls. It felt more like an institutionalized prison than a training camp. We had to learn the ins, outs, and in the In-betweens, of every aircraft. To know what your aircraft is, and to know your enemy’s, gives you an edge in combat. To know the specifics of what Turn Times you have, your Max Speed, and your Climb Rate, things like that, can give you the knowledge of your encounter.

And knowing is half the battle, after all.

But today - today is supposed to be the final day. Where the ponies will get shipped out for their assignments, their aircraft, their Region, and their Airfields. To be honest, I have no idea what I am getting myself into. I have no idea where I am going, what I will fly, and whom I will be flying with. This was the moment I was deeply afraid of. This would be the moment I would be thrown into the war.

Ponies, me included, gathered around the front of the barracks waiting for Rainbow to show up so she can bark more orders. They lined up in a single file line shoulder-to-shoulder, staring forward with blank faces. They didn’t move a muscle. The number of hardships they have endured from Rainbow’s Discipline had molded these ponies to be obedient, disciplined soldiers.

Finally, after waiting for what felt like an eternity, Rainbow showed. She flew from overhead behind us, performing an agile loop while in the air, and landed gracefully in front of us.

“Alright Cadets, listen up because I am not repeating myself! You’re no longer going to be Cadets in a few hours! I hope you’re ready because you are being deployed today!” Rainbow Whinnied.

“Over the past few months, I have turned you from Nobodies to Equestria’s Protectors. As a Pilot for the Equestrian Air Force, you are the first and last line of defense for our future. You are responsible for ensuring our skies are safe. You are responsible for the pony lives of, not just Equestria, but of all ponykind. Understand, that this is no picnic. This is the fate of Equestria we are talking about here - and ultimately - the fate of The Crystal Empire. and maybe even the world.” She paused, and looked at each and every one of us, staring at our eyes intensely.

“This will be the last time I will see you, cadets. So, for my final lesson to you as a teacher before you become pilots, I say this: Never lose Hope.” The cadets, moving their heads instead of their eyes, looked at each other, then back at Rainbow. “The enemy lives to literally steal the love from within you. Only through sheer determination and willpower can you overpower that opponent. But to do so, you must hold onto the hope that one day, the world will be a better place. That this war will finally be over, and in the end, it will not be told by the changelings and how they have conquered Equestria, but instead by how YOU, the Guardians of the Sky, have fought back against the Changeling Onslaught!”

I should be feeling scared. To be terrified of such a responsibility, and of such a task to perform… Yet, I am not. I can definitely see why she was given the Element of Loyalty. Her Energy, her Undying Loyalty, and her Enthusiasm for Equestria was radiating off of her. I can tell that the others felt honored and privileged to be taught by such a pony. Even I have to admit, I did feel like I was a Guardian in the Sky. But I was gonna have to prove it one way or another.

“There are 3 Transport Chariots on the western side of the Airbase. They have several numbers on it, just find the one with your number and get in it. When everyone is in, the chariots will take you to your destination.”

Nobody replied when Rainbow stopped talking. So she started to look at the list.

“Cloudy Swirl!” was the first name she yelled.

“Marine Shores!”

“MA’AM YES MA’AM!”

“You’re flying a Hurricane. You’ll be stationed at Mariposa airbase. Your number is 6.”

She didn’t reply, she saluted and flew away to the west, no doubt to her chariot.

“Night Light!”

My heart jumped. “MA’AM YES MA’AM!” was all I replied, as I saluted with my wing.

“You’re flying a Fulmar. You’ll be stationed at the ERNS Blueblood in Manehatten. Your Number is 7.”

I saluted once more, to which Rainbow Saluted Back.

“Rainbow Dash, it was an honor.” I replied.

She smiled. “Don’t give me that. It’s only an honor if you’re dead. And you bet you’re flank that you won’t go down as easily, do I make myself clear?!”

“Ma’am yes, Ma’am!” I replied

unfurling my wings. I flew to the Western side of the base with pace. There were in fact 3 chariots lined up, all of them partially full of other ponies. The first chariot had Numbers 1, 4, and 7. The Second one; 2, 5, and 8. And the third one; 3, 6, and 9.

The first one had the number 7, so I hovered over it. It had 3 rows of seats, each of them having their own number as well: 1, 4, and 7. I sat in the ‘7th’ seat row and waited. A Stallion was sitting next to me.

“You’re going to the Blueblood as well?” I heard him speak to my right. I looked and got a better view of him. He had Lime Green Coat, with a Lapis Lazuli colored Mane, With Amber Eyes.

“Yes.” I replied Timidly.

“Well, it’s nice to meet another fellow Wingpony who happens to be going to the same place I’m going.”

“Oh... Well, Nice to meet you, I guess. Do you have a name?”

He pointed to his Cutie Mark, which was a Four Leaf Clover. “Four-Leaf is what my parents gave me, but Lucky is what most ponies call me since that’s exactly what I am: Lucky. What’s yours?”

“Night Light.” I pointed at my Cutie Mark. A Full Moon with a Shining Star to the right of it.

“Hm. Well, I can’t tell why they call you that. I reckon you know why they call me four leaves though.”

“Yes, I can only imagine."

“Well don’t hurt yourself trying. You Flying the Fulmar?”

“Yes.”

“I happen to be Flying an ‘Osprey’. A Dive Bomber, I believe. Hey do me a favor, and try to shoot any of the Buggers on my tail, Capiche?”

“Heh. Yeah, sure. I can do that.” The awkward conversation only lasted for about a minute.

More Ponies were loading up in the Carriages. It took about 10 minutes after I sat down before everypony was ready. The Chariot Pullers one by one signaled that they were ready to take off, and proceeded to fly away. My carriage was heading East Bound, to the Ruby mountains first.

The ride to The Mountain was relatively short. It was the closest destination to Los Pegasus, so the trip took less than a half-hour. The ponies waved goodbye, and we took off. Our next location was more North East Bound, to Whinnysota, a Bomber’s Airbase. There was a full crew for a Halifax Heavy Bomber sitting in Row 4 in front of us, 8 Ponies in total. There were the Gunners, the Bombardier, the Radio Operator, the Co-Pilot, and the Pilot. The trip took about 4 hours to reach Whinnysota. The Ponies in the Seats waved their Goodbyes to us as they trotted out, and the chariot took off once more.

Finally, we were heading to the East Coast, which was Manehatten. It was Late Afternoon by the time we reached Whinnysota The trip would last for about 4-6 more hours before we would reach our destination. I took this as an opportunity to talk to the other ponies while we were waiting. There were 7 other ponies, besides myself, who were to be stationed on the Blueblood.

One of them was Lucky. I chatted with him a bit more. I found out that he was raised Near Acornage as a colt. When he got his mark, he traveled the country, seeing all the cities, before stopping and settling down in ponyville for some time. But then the war came, and he signed up voluntarily as an air force pony.

It still baffled me why anyone would want to willingly sign up for this terrible war. I guess to protect our homeland must be what drives them. But to risk your life to do such a thing must take serious courage and bravery, something I lacked entirely. Even when RD was giving her speech earlier, I still felt apprehensive about the future. That being said, I began to admire Rainbow just a little bit more now. The undying sense of Loyalty to Equestria must be the motivation the other soldiers were looking for.

The others in the Carriage with me were not very memorable, but there were a few faces I remembered - one of whom was Nicknamed “Big Mouth”. Big was raised as an Earth Pony Stallion from Appleloosa. From what I gathered, for his entire life, he had spoken in a very… vulgar manner. He was Constantly Cursing and saying the most ludicrous insults anypony had ever seen. “Sweet Celestia’s Fucking Tit-Nips” was a personal favorite of his…

Another face I remembered was a foreigner Mare from Stalliongrad. She went by “Naya”, as it was short of her real name, which she never told. She had a very radiant attitude and was often talking about the treats and pleasures of her home lifestyle. She never talked about her own past though. Just her country. I found that kinda odd. I didn’t pressure her about it though, given that I had just met her.

There was also Lucky, of course. But Lucky gave no effort to talk about his past, unlike some of the others. There was always this aura of reclusion that resonated off him. He was optimistic, but a loner.

All of this I knew only because they were willing to talk about. For that whole ride in the chariot, I did not pry into somepony else's past life or tried to start a conversation. I really only tried to remember Sunshine and her features - to keep my mind off of what was to come. Dread seemed to fill my soul.

The carriage ride was over before I even realized how much time had passed. I was so lost in thought that time passed with a blur. It was about Dusk when we arrived over Manehatten. The lights from the city were radiating brightly in the distance, as the sun was slowly being lowered, and the moon rising on the other horizon. It looked bigger than I last remembered. More Buildings and factories were constructed to the south of the city, making the city limits expand for another couple of miles. To the East of the Downtown district, I could see the Massive Harbor, with a number of ships stationed in port.

And then I saw it: The ERNS Blueblood. The Pride of the Equestrian Fleet.

The carriage was landing on the carrier itself, as ponies on the flight deck were clearing away for the landing Chariot. I got a good look at the outer shell of the carrier. It was very long, designed to hold more aircraft than its predecessor. There was a Metallic glint coming off of the flight deck itself. It took me a moment to realize that the flight deck itself was armored. The control tower, about 60-80 meters in height, had a spinning radar dish on the top, designed to detect any and all incoming aircraft. And altogether, combined with all of its strengths and its size, it was a very majestic ship. I can definitely see why, having a closer look, why they call it the Pride of the Fleet.

We touched down gently, the side doors of the Chariot swung open, signaling me and the other ponies sitting with me to exit the chariot. Soon, the chariot took off once more, heading westbound, as the sun finally set below the western horizon, it’s purple dusky light still illuminating the sky.

I noticed a Unicorn Pony walking out of the Control Tower onto the Flight Deck, with what I assume is a naval officer’s uniform. She was trotting towards the group of ponies huddle together where the chariot was. Along behind her to the sides were to other sailors.

“At ease, pilots! Welcome to the Blueblood! My name is Admiral Cynosura!” She quickly gave each of us a salute with her hoof. “You are here now because you are replacing the last few sorry sods who were shot down. And I’m not gonna sugar coat you, some of you might get shot down as well.” Me, Lucky, Naya, Big Mouth, along with several others near the chariot, gazed at each other Anticipatingly. “Now, of course, that doesn’t mean that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I can’t see into the future, I’m not a Seer. But that is just about the gist of it around here. You fly, or you get shot down. So try not to get shot down.”

“Well, I'm looking forward to shooting down some fucking bugs, and not vice versa.” Big Mouth commented, ever so politely.

“Are you now? Well then, I guess you should already know what the golden rule in dogfighting is, don’t you?”

“Uh, in case some of us don’t know, it would be nice to remind us that rule.” Lucky butted in. Cynosura raised an eyebrow at us, before shaking her head and sighing.

“Well, the one rule you should always know is to never underestimate your opponent. The enemy is full of surprises, I mean, these are fucking Changelings we are talking about here; they attacked Canterlot during a wedding, for fuck's sake!” Cynosura reminded us. I wonder if this vulgar language was common nowadays. “That being said, never let your guard down. that's how they will get you."

Nopony replied to that,

"Anyways, you’re here now, and I have with me several other sailors who will give you the brief tour of the Blueblood and all of its ins and outs.”

After saying that, the sailors immediately got to work, and trotted towards us. Several of them extended a Hoof towards us, indicating that they are “our” sailor. One of them extended a wing towards me. Another pegasus, Mare, Teal Coat and Lavender Eyes, with a bright red mane. She had a Compass for her cutie mark. She guided me towards the control tower on the port side of the ship, where a bulkhead door was already open leading downward to the lower levels of the ship.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to give you my name since you won’t be seeing me all that much during your sorties anyway, so we will just go ahead and get started. Follow me.” I lagged behind him, sticking close to him as he continued to talk. “The Curfew Quarters are on the starboard side. For the Pilots, like yourself, Floor B has your bed. Find your friends or anypony with an Aviator badge, and they’ll guide you there if you have trouble.” We trekked down a flight of stairs leading to the Lower floors. I saw the Letters Painted on the wall stating what floor I was on. There was A, B, C, and D - which was where we were heading. By the time we got down to the lowest floor, I was greeted with the sight of tens of aircraft all neatly lined up in single file columns.

“This is the Hanger Bay. You’ll find your aircraft in here if not outside on the flight deck, or in the air… or in the ocean.”

“What do you mean ‘in the ocean’?” I asked.

“Well, you aren’t the first replacement pilot, and I bet you won’t be the last. Others came before you, and some of them are now sleeping with the fishes. Literally.”

I felt a tug of sadness mixed with apprehension wrap around my gut. The idea of Death still seemed alien to me, and yet these ponies are so nonchalant about such a thing. They didn’t seem to care or pay attention too much of the lives lost before, which made me uneasy.

“Do you lose ponies frequently at sea?” I asked once more.

“There are ponies who keep track of that sort of thing. Not my job to keep track of that.” was all he replied before he continued to walk. There were a number of ponies of all kinds; Unicorns, Earth Ponies, and Pegasi were all working together and in small groups as they performed basic maintenance of the planes. We walked across the entire Hanger Bay to the other side of the room, which was where another staircase was. We trotted up the stairs, stopping at Floor B, which was where my room was located. There were several halls with smaller bulkhead doors leading into different bedrooms. Each room I noticed had 2 bunk beds, 4 ponies per room. It feels somewhat claustrophobic, especially for a pegasus like me.

We stopped near the end of the hall, and the sailor entered Room B7. “This is your room. Your bed is the bottom bunk on the right. If you have any questions about your daily duties, ask one of the naval officers. Or Admiral Cyno, if you're brave enough.”

“Why do I have to be brave to ask the admiral?” I gave him a curious look.

“I’m pretty sure the admiral has better things to do than answer petty questions, so ask at your own risk.” He answered wittily.

“Are you always this rude to newcomers?” I asked sarcastically.

“I don’t know, have you ever heard of the phrase ‘Curiosity killed the Cat’?” I didn’t answer. He then sighed. “Look, I… I don’t mean to be rude, it’s just… we’ve already lost too many good ponies. I don’t want to lose another one close to me. So I avoid getting close at all. You play with fire, you get burned. So the best piece of advice I can give you is to not get too close to anypony... It’s easier that way.”

I looked at the bed I was given. I sat down flank first and sighed wearily. “Too late for that.” I muttered. The sailor didn’t reply. He stood there as I contemplated to myself on the bed.

“Well, my job is done. Find Captain Beaugard in the Hanger Bay for your instructions. Can’t miss him. He’s a big Sumbitch.” when he finished talking, he left the room with me in it alone, leaving me to my thoughts. I only then noticed as I looked around the room another pony who was laying in the bunk across from me. Their chest slowly rising and falling with each passing breath. Asleep I reckon. I laid in the bunk, and deeply inhaled, holding the breath for a moment before exhaling. This was my new life now. I’d have to get accustomed to it. No matter how painful it might be.

Oh Sunshine, I thought to myself, I hope you're better off than I am. Suddenly, a familiar thought had crossed my mind. My Letter! I frantically sat up and patted myself where my pockets were until I felt something in my right flank. Pulling it out of my jumpsuit pocket, I found the unfinished letter I made for Sunshine. 90 days later, and I still can’t finish it. I reminded myself never to be a writer, should I still be here on this world by then.

"Dear Sunshine," I read aloud. It was the only thing I’ve written on the letter so far. Pulling out my pen with a wingtip and placing the paper on the bed as I lay chest first on the bed, I was intent on finishing this letter.

"Dear Sunshine,"

I paused for a moment and thought to myself. "What should I say?" I spoke aloud. I was never much of a writer. Only a musician more than anything. but when I thought of Sunshine, and all of the happy memories we had, my thoughts began to drift onto the page. Soon, I found myself writing very fast.

“I hope things have been better off for you than I. The last 90 days of training I went through were hellish and tiresome. I’m still sore from all of the exercises. Though, I assume that my troubles must be childlike compared to yours. The frontlines. I pray things are alright wherever you are.

“But I am finally finished with my training. As of right now, I am stationed on the ERNS Blueblood, the ‘Pride of the Fleet’. The ship itself is impressive constructed, if not a bit dull on the decor. Though in war, I suppose decorations are the least of their concerns. Performance and cost are all they seem to care about. But this is my first day on the ship, as I am writing this, so I’ll have to get used to it.

“The other crewmates aren’t as I thought they would be. Some are… alright, I guess, though I haven’t taken the time to get to know them so it’s too early to say really. Some are a little rough around the edges, but they're not all bad. Lucky is one of them.

“I made a few friends before I got to the Blueblood. Lucky, as I mentioned, is one of them. He’s a very kind-hearted pony. Also pretty sarcastic in humor. Big Mouth is the type of pony who has… well, a big mouth. He is very profane in his speaking manner, so he is often loud and rude. Big Mouth fits him perfectly. Then there’s Naya. quite an odd pony. A foreigner in Equestria. I don’t know much about her personally, but she did go on about how great her country, Stalliongrad, is. I don’t know much about it still, but maybe I can ask her later.

“I hope you are well wherever you are, and whatever you are doing. Did you know that THE Rainbow Dash was my teacher? I thought it was crazy on the first day of training, that I am being taught by Rainbow herself. I even saw Spitfire from the Wonderbolts! The Spitfire! I still can't believe I managed to talk to her, even if just for a little bit.

“I am in Manehattan harbor right now as I am writing this. The blueblood is currently in port. From what I can guess, it’ll be a while before the fleet moves again. I think there are repairs going on on some of the other ships in the fleet.

“When you get this letter, Please; write back as soon as you can. I want to know that you are alright. I love you.

“Sincerely, Night Light.”

I finished the letter, and let out a sigh of relief. There had to be some way I could get this message to the front. To Sunshine. I don’t think it’s possible for me to abandon the ship to go on a quick mail run, however.

“Well well, I’d never thought I’d see you here!” A familiar voice erupted from the Bulkhead door, revealing a fiery yellow pegasus.

“Spitfire! What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing. Are you stationed on the Blueblood for real?”

“Yeah, I thought it was rather obvious.”

“Well, it looks like we won't be so far apart after all.”

“What do you mean? Are you on the blueblood as well?”

“Not me, no. But I am stationed on the Ark Royal. You do know there are 2 aircraft carriers in this task force, right?”

“Oh! Uh... I don't even know what a task force is. So, uh... you’re on the Ark Royal?”

“Not just me. The Whole Wonderbolt Squadron is assigned to the carrier. It’s just been confirmed since last week. Now my whole crew is there.”

“Huh. That is… something else. Small world, huh?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t think you would be here on the Fucking Blueblood. The Pride of the fleet, I am a tad jealous.”

Wow. I made the captain of the wonderbolts jealous because I am on a different boat than her. I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

“You mean I made the Spitfire Jealous? For real?”

“Don’t let it go to your head. I didn’t say I disliked the Ark Royal, despite all of its flaws. I am glad to be with my team, as there is no other pony that I would rather fly with than my Wonderbolts. I just wish Rainbow could be here to see that. By the way, how did rainbow treated you?”

“Like hell.” I answered with a pout.

“Heh, thought so. She does have a soft side, you know, it's just… it's hard to see it, most of the time.”

“I’m not holding grudges, she was just rough on me physically, not mentally. Or emotionally… ok, maybe a bit mentally, but I am fine. She did what she had to do.”

“Yep. And soon, you’ll do what you have to do. Did rainbow give you that whole ‘Guardian of the Sky’ talk?”

“Eh… yes. How did you-”

“A couple of Cadets I bumped into on this boat were quite optimistic about Rainbow. Talking about her quite a lot. Kinda reminds me of that filly she looked after way back when - Scootaloo, I think her name is. Nice kid."

The name Scootaloo was unfamiliar to me. I knew at that moment that Dash and Spitfire must've had a unique history together.

"Anyway, I heard your name somewhere when they were talking, so I tried to find you. And here you are.”

“Why find me?” I asked.

“Well, truth be told, I want to help you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Help me? Why would the captain of the Wonderbolts waste her time to help a pony like me?”

“Because I see something in you. I see a force to be reckoned with. When you were doing test flights from Los Pegasus, I saw a form of grace and precision that I only see in the wonderbolts. Seeing you, however, I realized something. Not all pegasi who are excellent flyers are Wonderbolts. Sometimes I forget that. But I want you to be a part of our wing.”

I was startled. “Y-you mean… joining the wonderbolts?”

“Whoa, slow down, one step at a time. I meant that you can be a… a Wingpony, for us. Fly with us during sorties and all of that. You’ll still stay here with your assigned squadron on the blueblood. But during your missions, you’ll fly with us. What do you say?”

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

“All you need to say is ‘yes’ or ‘no’. There is no in-between. I need an answer.”

I contemplated long and hard. Before looking up at her, with a determined gaze, determined to not fail.

“Ok. I’ll do it.”

“Awesome! I look forward to seeing you in the Air, Night Light.” She turned away to walk out of the room but stopped when her front hooves were outside. “By the way, have you thought of a name for yourself?”

“A name? I already have one.”

“No, I mean your… your status name. Your ‘Ace’ name, I like to call it. Some ponies see the war as more hell than glory, but sometimes, with a hero in the sky to rally behind, the ponies can be hopeful. And Rainbow did say to never lose hope, right?”

“Right, but I am by no means an Ace.”

“You kidding? I saw the way you flew, you were amazing! The way you perform your maneuvers, your techniques; as I said, I've only seen that in the Wonderbolts. ”

“I didn’t even shoot anyone down though!”

“You don’t need to be a killer to be an Ace. Grace under pressure, which is exactly what I saw in you - that is what makes you an ace, Night Light. All I am saying is to come up with something. Having a name that ponies will remember who you are as a pilot, and not as a pony, will give ponies a cause to rally behind. Trust me on this. Take your time on it.”

She turned to leave once more before a thought crosses my mind. “Wait, Spitfire.” I called out. She stopped and turned to face me. “Can you do me a favor?”

“What is it?”

I grabbed the letter for Sunshine, and folded it neatly, handing it to Spitfire. “I want you to take this to the nearest postal office. Tell them it’s for a pony named Sunshine Tempest. Please?”

“Do I look like a courier to you?”

“No, but if you do this, I promise you I will not let you down. Just do this for me just this once. Please. It’s for…" I stopped, contemplating with myself. I was starting to have second thoughts, but something persisted me to finish the sentence. A Premonition, almost. "It's for my marefriend.” I finished timidly, feeling flustered.

Spitfires face lightens up as if she remembered something. She looked at the neatly folded letter and sighed. “Normally I don’t do mailpony duty, but… just this once for you, I can make an exception.”

My ears perked. “Thank you, really! I-it means a lot to me.”

“Don’t thank me just yet. I look forward to seeing you in the air, Night Light. Have a good night.” and with that, she left, leaving me alone in this blank, grey room.

Chapter 4: Baptised by Fire [Revised]

(A1) - Chapter 4: Wrong Place At The Wrong Time

No Glory Won

Chapter 4: Wrong place at the wrong time

“You don’t like it here? Well, too bad! This is your new life now, Private! Get used to it.”

Perspective: Sunshine Tempest

“I knew at a later time that you were reading my letters. When Spitfire came back, she told me that you will get the message. But, I never heard anything from you, so I didn’t know if she was lying or telling the truth.” Night Light concluded.

“I’m sorry. I never got the chance to write back immediately. A pencil and paper were surprisingly in short supply. I never knew why. But, I am sorry I didn't write back. I didn’t mean to make you worry like that.” I firmly planted a kiss on her cheek to prove it. She still looked troubled, so I put my hoof under her chin. “You’re not upset, are you?” I asked.

“No... but I was curious why you never wrote back.” Night Light gazed at the horizon, the sun now set and the moon gleaming its pale light on both of us. We’ve been sitting up here on this same cloud for about an hour now. It was getting late.

“I was constantly being threatened with a Changeling attack. There was always one skirmish or another going on where I was. And it was a cold and cruel place, I remember.”

“Can you explain how, specifically?” Night Light asked. "If you don't want to, I understa-"

“No, it's fine. I put you up to this anyway, so I might as well." I interrupted. "When I said Cold, I meant literally. When I was first deployed, I was assigned to a special Pegasi Division: ‘Thestral’ was our callsign. We were to be deployed in the Ruby Mountains…”

October 17, 1011. Time Unknown.

I was sitting in the back seat of a Jackalope transport truck, on our way to the frontline. My training was finally finished about a week ago, but I was deployed in Whinnyapolis, so it took some time to actually get to the frontline. We’ve been in this same truck, cramped together for days now. I and about ten to twenty other ponies were sitting together in this truck, each of us clearly anxious. The driver signaled earlier today before we departed that we should be there by mid-afternoon.

It’s been hours since then, and all the while, we heard a familiar buzzing noise from overhead. Large amounts of aircraft, moving towards and away from the front, were constantly buzzing overhead. The ponies shifted in their bench seats, clearly nervous about their new fate. Some even looked downright terrified, Hyperventilating as the aircraft continued to fly overhead. I closed my eyes, leaving me to my thoughts to pass the time. I kept thinking all of these questions: Where are we going? Who else will be there? How many will be there? What will happen afterward? Some of these questions I already knew the answer to. My mane was suddenly tingling, and standing on end. I couldn’t help but feel - not think, but feel - that something bad was about to happen.

The truck’s loud engine was all of the sudden muffled by a larger sound from a distance. We couldn’t see anything; a Tarp had covered the back seat benches of the Jackalope, preventing us from seeing anything outside, except to our rear. But we heard a large explosion coming from the front of a truck. Actually, we heard multiple explosions. Each of them getting louder as the truck continued its course. We were very close now.

I could feel some of the ponies shivering and shaking next to me. I was shaking myself, but not because of how afraid and anxious I was.

But because of how fucking cold it was.

When we were in ponyville stopping for a moment of rest, everything was temperate and warm. That was just 2 days ago. Now, we can see our breaths and we were all shivering in this cramped truck.

“Why is it so fucking cold all of a sudden?” I barely heard one of the ponies asked over the constant rumbling of the engine.

“Because we’re close. The frontline is not far now.” I heard another pony answer. I saw a tiny white flake drift in front of my vision, disappearing just as fast before I got a good look at it.

Winter. It was either artificially placed by Pegasi, or it had arrived a little earlier this year. Either way, it did not bode well.

Another half-hour passed. The sounds we heard at a distance were getting even louder now. No more planes were buzzing overhead. There were just sounds of distant explosions ahead.

Then the truck stopped.

The ponies in the seats were staring at each other, all of them wondering why we stopped, especially in such cold weather. Did the truck bog down? Did we run out of fuel? Was the driver dead? To our rear, we could see other Jackalopes closing in behind us, each of them carrying more troops. When they got close, they stopped as well.

“Alright, Everypony out!” the driver yelled over the idle engine, which was pale in comparison to how loud the gunfire and explosions were now. They were unbelievably close. We must be near the frontline. One by one, the ponies stood up to their hooves, ducking their head in this claustrophobic space of the truck, hopping out through the back. I followed behind, walking ever so slowly to the back and hopping out.

And then I saw what the noise was.

We were standing beneath a very high mountain. I saw multiple white flakes drift down to the ground, my breath clearly visible in the air. At the base of the mountain, I saw a line of artillery guns continuously firing away to the west. Further down along the mountain, I saw flashes of light and tracers flying back and forth of each other.

We were at the frontline.

I looked ahead of the truck to what made it stop. I saw a road, leading higher and higher towards the peak of the mountain. There was also a checkpoint that was blocking our path. An equestrian roadblock, no doubt.

“Thestral! AttenSHUN!” A stallion barked, making me spastically trot my way to a makeshift line that other ponies have formed, wearing the same uniforms as I was. Another pony, this one clearly different from the others, trotted into view, walking back and fro in front of us, inspecting us. He was wearing a specially made uniform, with multiple medallions and ribbons on its chest. He had to be an officer of some kind.

“Everypony, welcome to your humble abode: The Ruby Mountains!” Instinctively, everybody looked up towards the mountain peak, admiring its height and might. “You’re now assigned to the 3rd Equestrian Army, just south of the Shire River, and in this mountain. I hope you like snow because you’ll be seeing a lot of it. Thestral, your division is stationed at the top of that mountain, and yes, you heard me right: Atop the mountain.” The ponies eyed each other nervously. Clearly, being atop a giant mountain was not what they had in mind when they were on their way to the frontline. “You are a part of the 7th ‘Whinnyapolis’ Division. You’re a squad of 9, and your call sign is ‘Thestral’, as Corporal Smiley pants so kindly demonstrated.”

The corporal in question didn’t reply. He stood still, facing forward as the officer continued to talk.

“From now on, you are in my squad. And from now on, you will refer to me as ‘Sergeant Baker’. Do you Understand?

“Yes, Ma'am!” me and each of the foot soldiers yelled simultaneously.

“We’ll be taking this truck, and Drive our way up the mountain until we get to the command bunker atop. There will be trenches and bunkers facing to the west, Occupy them as soon as you disembark. Understand?” Baker asked again.

“Yes, Ma'am!” we replied. With that, Baker turned and walked toward the driver. “When I give the say so, get to the top, and drive easy. Winter has arrived, and it’s slippery up there.”

“Got it, sir.” the driver answered back cooly.

“Alright, everyone mount up, clear the roadblock!” Baker yelled, waving his hoof around signaling us to get a move on. We each broke from the line and embarked the cramped Jackalope once more. It was easier for me, I just had to hover up and sit down in one of the benches. For the others though, some who weren’t pegasi were struggling to get on. Eventually, though, everyone was on board, and the engine roared to life once more.

The road trip lasted for about 40 minutes, each minute passing by getting more and more colder than the last. Yet, it was also, metaphorically, hotter at the same time. The rapid gunfire became more frequent and louder. The artillery pounding away its targets as the battle continues. We were all a nervous wreck, huddling close to each other for warmth. Some were shivering very intensely, their uniforms looking ill-fitted for winter. Mine was more snug and warm. It covered my entire body, even my rear hooves and my flank, blocking my cutie mark. At the ends of my hooves, there were black rubber caps encasing the hoof entirely, keeping the snow and cold air out. The only part of my body exposed was my face, neck, and wings.

Some ponies weren’t so lucky with their uniforms. Some were just wearing a standard ‘front hooves’ uniform. Thy only covered the torso, and the front pair of hooves, leaving their flanks and lower torso exposed to the chilling weather.

When we arrived at the top, we came to a halt when we were inside some sort of heavily fortified command outpost. We each disembarked again, and I managed to get a good look around me. There were Artillery batteries about 30 meters away from where I was standing, and a group of ponies on each gun operating them, yelling coordinates and statistics to each other.

"Girdref 175! High Explosive!" A pony barked, as the crew got to work loading the battery. I trotted along with the others as they moved closer towards the center of the complex when three of the Artillery Gun's barrels elevated upward. "Distance to target is set to 2500 meters. Salvo of three shells is requested, let 'em rain!"

"FIRE!" Another pony bellowed, as the three guns one-by-one unload their ordnance with rapid succession. I felt the shockwave of the blast encompass me, the sounds of the blast almost deafening to my ears. It actually felt painful to my ears for me to listen. I knew I was gonna have to stay away from the guns if I wanted to retain my hearing.

“Everypony, inside. Let’s get out of this fucking cold.” Baker ordered, to which we gladly complied. Upon entering the building (which was a 2 story bunker with a radio antenna) we were greeted a sight of a very large table, with the whole map of Equestria. The table had a steel outline, with bolts fixed into it. The table was bolted into the ground.

The map In question had a very detailed look of the front lines. So many different markers, tabletop plastic pieces of ponies and Changelings with tiny white tokens under each of these plastic pieces. There was a hoof-drawn line stretching from the northern mountains of the Crystal Empire, stretching all the way across the Shire River that divided rural and urban Equestria into two. The Changelings had advanced across almost the entire western half of Equestria with staggering speed.

There was a mountain range that stretched horizontally from the western edge of Equestria near Vanhoover, going all the way to the east just a few hundred kilometers short of Fillydelphia. About a fourth of this colossal mountain range was already conquered, the line separating the ponies and Changelings splitting the Ruby Mountains in half.

“Right, Thestral, gather ‘round.” Baker spoke, each of us slowly forming a circle around the map. Soon, Baker made space intent for one more pony.

But it wasn’t, in fact, a pony. It was a griffon.

“Ponies, this is Lieutenant Razor Claw. He is the CO of your division. He will be relaying our battle plan to you lot, so listen carefully.” With that, Baker gestured a hoof towards Razor, who turned his eyes toward the map.

“Right, ponies, we are here. At objective ‘Alicorn’. That is our mountain peak that we have currently sunk our teeth into. Objective ‘Buck’ and ‘Crystal’ are a different story.” Razor pointed a claw at 2 mountains. "Objective Buck is currently contested by changeling forces. The whole mountain range is heavily fortified, both on our side and on the Bug’s, so an attack on either side will be costly. And Objective Crystal belongs to the changelings entirely. So basically; we have A, they have C, and there is a tug of war going on at B right now."

The griffon pointed another claw (or finger) at a small valley at the bottom of the 2 contested mountains. “This small valley has been scouted, and reports say that there are no changeling fortifications or FOBs down there at all. We have an opportunity to flank behind Buck and pinch the fortifications on that mountain from both sides. If the operation goes well, Buck will be ours, giving us a lot more breathing room.

“Currently, Operation Ursa has not commenced yet. Once we regained control of the mountain, the rest of the offensive will begin, and we will gain access to a strategic Naval Base near Raspberry Grove, to the southwest. Not only that, but we will be able to secure valuable crystal mines that litter this range. We take that back, we deprive them of a strategically valuable excavation site.”

The ponies around me didn’t say anything, they all studied the map, looking at everything they can look at.

“The operation will commence in 2 months. Plenty of time to get used to the never-ending snow. Barracks are on the northern side of the base. You are ordered to stay at this position and defend it. No offensive movement will commence until 2 months. Understand?” the griffon sharply asked.

“We got it, Razor. I’ll keep them in check.” Baker replied.

“Alright, you’re dismissed.”

A couple of days have passed since I had arrived. I was sitting alone in a dug-out foxhole, my eyes glued to the west. I was given Sentry duty by Baker and was instructed to 'shoot any bug that moves'. No changeling was to get past my position, and I am not to move from my spot until someone switches me out. I was leaning over the Machine Gun with my hooves and was glazing my eyes around me, admiring the scenery. I saw the overcast sky, not too far above us considering how high up we are, as snow silently falls down. A gale howl was blowing across the mountainside, sending shivers all along my body.

Snowy footsteps were heard behind me. I turned my head, fast enough to hurt my neck, only to find a Unicorn levitating a tiny metal box trotting towards me.

“Courtesy from Chef Lavender. Some Hay with veggies.” She levitated the small box towards me, allowing me to grab it in mid-air.

“Thanks, Raisins.” was all I replied. I opened it and looked at the contents inside. There wasn’t much. Just like she said, hay with veggies. “Not a lot of variety to it, huh?”

“It’s filling.” She sat next to me, pulling out her own metal lunchbox from her satchel. “Definitely better than eating snow. Or nothing at all.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” I munched on a small pile of hay. Bland and tasteless, but it was still food. She was right on that note at least, it is better than nothing. At least the veggies were healthy.

“You see anything yet?”

“No. Nothing but snow and ice. As usual.” The Vickers machine gun that was in the foxhole was already loaded and ready to shoot. All we needed now were some changelings to shoot at. But there wasn’t any, so it remained silent.

“Fucking tits, it’s cold.” The unicorn mare muttered.

“It’s not too bad. Not for me at least.”

“That’s because you’re a pegasus. Lucky you.”

“Well, you don’t need to be a pegasus to be warm. A fire or good clothing can do that.”

“Oh yeah, brilliant idea. Where the hell am I going to get some firewood?" She extended both her forehooves out to emphasize the endless amount of snow around us. And also the lack of trees. "And this uniform is shit anyways. I wish those replacements would get here sooner, like what you have. I heard they were handcrafted by Rarity herself.”

“Rarity? The element of Generosity?”

“Yeah. Rumor has it that she made all of the uniforms. Created them, perfected them, then mass-produced them. That’s the magic of industry for you.”

“What happened to all of the element bearers? What about the elements of harmony? What happened to them?” I wondered aloud.

“As far as I know, it’s back at the tree of harmony. The element bearers are still in one piece, but I don’t know what each of them is doing. I know Rarity is the military’s uniform designer, and that Twilight is the head scientist for the Research facility. But I don’t know what the others are up to.”

Loud noises were suddenly emitted from the outpost behind us. I turned to look, and saw ponies scrambling around, barking orders at one another. It seemed like they were preparing for something.

“What’s going on over there?” I asked.

“There’s a special guest arriving soon.”

“Who?”

“The Field Marshal.”

I silently continued to watch the chaos back at base. Everyone was yelling orders, and moving things around. After a while, I begin to notice a shape in the Eastern sky.

“Wow. She really did come all the way from Canterlot.” Raisins exclaimed.

“Canterlot?” Now I was curious. Who could possibly be coming from Canterlot, of all places?

The shape was getting closer, and eventually, I could make out what the shape was. It was a Skywagon, pulled by 4 pegasi ponies. The Skywagon was beautifully decorated, painted with Golden stars and a pale white Crescent moon, surrounded by what looked like a black void.

The Skywagon was slowing down as it approaches the base. It flew gracefully amidst the cold winter wind, and when it was directly over the base, it stopped and hovered in place. And slowly, it began to descend down. I got a closer look at the ponies pulling the skywagon. They were Batponys, their black scaly wings visible in broad daylight.

The Skywagon touched down, and for a split second, there seemed to be total silence. Just then, the side doors of the Skywagon split open, revealing a dark blue coated Alicorn.

“That… That's Princess Luna!” I stared at her with my mouth hung wide open.

“Mhm. That’s the Field Marshal.” Was all Raisins said.

Shortly after, Lieutenant Razor Claw walked out of the command bunker and looked at Princess Luna with a small hint of surprise etched on his face. He gave her a formal bow, which Luna returned gracefully. They began to talk, though I could barely hear what they say. Still, I was able to make out some of it.

“Princess Luna. It is an honor to stand before you. What does the Princess of the Night want with me?”

“Greetings to you as well, Lieutenant Razorclaw. I wished to get a look at how progress has been since my last visit.” Luna replied.

“Well, no immediately successful attacks were made yet, your highness. But, if you would like, I can show you what our next plan of action is.”

“Please, lead the way. I want to see what you have come up with this time.”

With that, both Razorclaw and Luna trotted inside the command bunker, disappearing from sight.

“You didn’t know Luna was a Warrior Princess?” Raisins Asked. “A good Leader will stand by their Soldiers side during a war. Lead the ponies on the front. She is especially sentiment towards that mindset.”

“She was the field marshal the whole time?”

“Since the beginning of the war, yes. She was there at Acornage, Vanhoover, Tall Tales, and at Galloping Gorge. She was there at everything.”

I had no idea the princess of the night herself could care so much for the lives of thousands and perhaps millions of ponies during times of war. I never thought I would ever see a war in my lifetime, especially not in my home country.

I felt a tang of sadness wound up in myself. This war was senselessly brutal, to the soldiers and to the civilians. I only heard Rumors on what the changelings to do the civilian populous upon occupation, some even going as far as mass execution, but I’ve never actually seen any of the results myself.

I turned around back to the West and gripped the Machine gun once more, watching the western horizon for anything else that intends on visiting this outpost.

Night arrived quicker than usual. I was able to see Luna raise the moon while in my foxhole before she left with her Skywagon. Eventually, after a few hours of sitting in freezing cold, I was switched out by another pony and was ordered to patrol the perimeter. My Squad, Thestral, was assigned to patrol the Northern Perimeter. There should’ve been no changelings or ponies out there, as an offensive at night time would be crazily suicidal. Not only would you be wandering around in the dark, but you would also freeze to death out here if not careful.

My squad departed from the base with Baker about 20 minutes ago. We haven’t encountered anything yet. Distant gunfire can still be heard from miles away, towards the bottom of the mountain, where the Shire River is. I’ve managed to get a good view of it just beyond the clouds. It was a very long, white river. Frozen solid, I reckon.

40 minutes have passed or so, and we nearly reached our last checkpoint. Still nothing.

“We’re almost done here. Keep your heads on a swivel, I don’t want to stay out here for long.” Baker ordered. We continued to tread through the deep snow of the mountain. Some pegasi, like me, were using their wings to hover over the snow, using their hooves to hold onto their weapons. I was shivering, both in anticipation and in the cold. 5 more minutes have passed, and we passed our final checkpoint. No enemy contacts whatsoever.

“Raisins, get over here. I need a radio.” Baker barked.

“On it.” Raisins complied. She carried a huge metal box with a long antenna on top, trudging her way to Baker. As she was close, Baker grabbed the telephone off of the side and spoke into it.

“Station, this is Thestral 2-1, Patrol complete. We’re heading back to base, over.” There was a pause. And for a moment, Baker must’ve thought the line was still dead, as he tried to place the phone back on the box, and grab it again. But before he could, there was a hiss, then a tinny voice who sounded like he was talking through a large tunnel.

“Roger that Thestral 2-1, keep your eyes peeled, we’re seeing a lot of activity to the south of our position. Out.” there was a pop, and the line went dead.

“Alright, form a Left Echelon, and stay spread out. I don’t want all of us to be hit by stray bullets.” Baker ordered. The 9 of us began to shift formation and formed a left Diagonal line as we moved up the mountain once more.

“It’s cold, very cold.” one of the unicorns in front of me muttered. “I fucking hate it.”

“Cut the chit chat, we’re still exposed here.” Baker muttered.

“Sir, may we-” the unicorn in front of me, when a very loud, sharp ‘Snap’ sound wheezed by our heads. And instantly, her head jerked to the left, and she fell in a heap.

“HOLY FUCK!” I screeched. In an instant, I ducked my head, and proned the ground

“CONTACT!” another pony yelled to my rear. More sharp snaps flew just inches over my head. Instantly, my body went numb to the adrenaline and my chest felt like it was gonna explode as I hit the dirt. I clutched onto my Brodie Helmet and dared to look up, finding white tracers flying above my head by just a few feet.

“Hawkins, throw smoke. Raisins, on me NOW! The rest of you, fucking shoot back!” Baker practically screamed. Soon after, a roar of gunfire from our side began to erupt, firing to where the enemy’s shots were coming from.

“Where are they?!” a mare screamed.

“West! Shoot fucking West!” a stallion yelled back in response.

I began to crawl my way behind my squad. Using the snow around me, I formed a little snow mound with a resting place for my rifle. I readied the rifle, and took aim towards the west, facing a downward slope. I saw flashes of light at the bottom of the slope.

“I see them! 150 meters West, bottom of the hill!” I called out and pulled the trigger. A sharp ‘Clack’ emitted from the barrel, and a tracer traveled down the mountain extremely fast. I pulled the bolt, and aimed again. I aimed where I saw one of the flashes emit, and pulled the trigger. The tracer disappeared before it reached the bottom, and I saw a shape slump to the ground.

“Killed one!” I called out, as I cocked the bolt again

“Got another one!” A mare yelled.

“Station, this is Thestral 2-1, we are under fire at grid 789-905. Break!” he paused. More gunfire was erupting. I glanced over to my left to find him huddled behind Raisins clutching onto a telephone on, while she continued to fire back. “We need a suppressive barrage due to 150 Meters to our West. How copy, over!?” Baker Yelled over the sound of combat. A Tracer landed in the snow in front of me, just barely missing me. I ducked my head instantly and crawled backward while making an audible "guhugh" sound aloud in panic. I heard indistinct radio chatter coming from Raisin’s Radio. “Alright listen up, we need to hold here for 1 minute! Dig in and wait for the Arty!” Baker yelled at the top of his lungs

“That’s gonna be a long-ass fucking minute!” I heard Raisins yell.

“Just stay in cover, and spread out. Watch for explosives!” Baker ordered. I crawled to another part of the small ridge we’ve occupied. I packed some snow in front of me, just like last time, and fixed my weapon upon a small mound of snow in front of me once more. My breathing was rapid and harsh. My heart was pounding away like a woodpecker against a tree as I continued to fire.

“Fuck, Salsa is hit!”

“We’re losing it! Stay focused!”

“Where’s the Medic!?”

“Hey, who’s got spare ammo?!”

Left and right, Ponies were screaming, panicking, shooting, crying, dying, or hiding for their life. I kept firing, didn’t falter for a second. I had to fight back. I had to keep going.

“Baker, your hit!”

“I’m fine. Keep shooting!”

“Reloading!”

"Fucking fuck, this was insane!"

“Oh for FUCKS SAKE, STOP JAMMING ON ME!” A mare screamed.

“We lost another one!”

All of a sudden a sharp hiss and pop was emitted from Rasin’s Radio. “Thestral 2-1, this is Station, keep your heads down, the barrage is underway. Eta 30 seconds. Over!”

“Roger that Station, Out!” Baker replied, “I said throw smoke!”

“Salsa had them!”

“Somepony go get them!”

“I’ll go!” I yelled and began to crawl away from my mound. “Where was she?!”

“To the south of the ridge!” Raisins screamed. I began to crawl very rapidly, treading my way through the snow. My breath was very haggard. The snow was freezing to the touch, making me shiver even more. I saw a corpse of a mare slumped to her back on the ground, motionless. I crawled towards her, looking around her corpse for any smoke grenades. I found none. Gunfire was becoming very rapid all of a sudden. Machine gun fire, from the changelings. It wheezed by over. I crawled over to her dead corpse, instinctively looking at her face.

I wish I didn’t. It was empty of any life. Her eyes were staring above her head, ever so still. I noticed a red hole through her left temple. I couldn’t help but tear up.

“Sorry.” I whispered as I began to pat down the body, tears obstructing my vision. I dragged a wing over my eyes and began to search her body. I felt a cylinder-shaped object in her pouch. Part of me feels awful for looting a dead pony, another rational part of my brain told me that now wasn't the time to get emotional. I opened it, and it revealed 2 No. 77 Smoke grenades. I grabbed hold of them in my hooves, pressed the trigger on top, and chucked them over the ridge. Instantly as it hit the ground, smoke was emitting out of it. I threw the second one, and it did the same effect. They could not see us. Tracers were still whizzing through the smoke, as the enemy blindly fired at us.

“Ok, Everypony, on me! Get back to base now!” Baker ordered. Soon afterward, ponies began to fall back towards Baker and climbed up the mountain face towards the base. Just then, an eerie sound was coming overhead. A terrifying whistle.

“Artillery Incoming!” Raisins yelled. Almost instantly afterward, large explosions detonated the face of the mountain where the changelings were. Bright flashes of light emitted from the dark mountain face. The gunfire immediately came to a halt.

Soon, the ponies were no longer running. They were now walking at a steady pace. The fight was clearly over.

We survived.

“How many did we lose?”

“About 3, sir. Salsa is confirmed K.I.A.”

Everypony was panting and shaking by the time we got back to base. When we got back, I fell down in the snow, exhausted from the climb and the ordeal that we just suffered through.

“This is fucking fucked! It was supposed to be a patrol operation! Why did they attack at night? That’s suicidal!” A stallion yelled

“If I may, these are changelings we are talking about. They are known to be… unpredictable.” Raisins noted.

“Fucking changelings.” I groaned. “I hate ‘em.”

“Okay, okay. We’re done.” Baker spoke softly. “Thestral, get some rest. Your patrol is done. I’ll relay the after report to Lieutenant Razorclaw.”

With that, we all wearily got up and proceeded to trot towards the Barracks. I sighed heavily, the adrenaline still rushing through me. I took 2 deep breaths, before proceeding to trot towards the barracks. I entered inside and slowly made my way to my bunk. I collapsed on it, and immediately, exhaustion waved over me, and sleep took hold of me quickly.

I woke up to a pony shoving my shoulder, stirring me from a dreamless sleep, to cold reality.

“You got a letter.” A teal Pegasus handed me an envelope. “Dunno who it’s from. Just said it was from a friend.” I Stirred in my bunk, and sat up, eyeing the pegasus with confusion. I took the envelope, and she began to walk out. I Inspected the Envelope, looking for a name or Initial. On the backside, I found two Italic Letters

N L

My heart jumped. I quickly tore open the envelope, careful not to damage whatever was inside. I pulled out a neatly folded piece of paper. I opened it, and read aloud.

“Dear Sunshine Tempest,”

Chapter 5: Promises To Keep...[Revised]

(A1) - Finale: Past Regret

No Glory Won

Act 1 Finale: Past Regret.

“It never leaves you permanently, but sometimes, you can make the effects of it diminish for a small time. And that is the best you can ask for.”

Prespective: Sunshine Tempest

Night Light looks Broken I thought to myself. She had a very sorrowful, guilt-ridden expression smitten across her features. Now I felt guilty for even trying to talk about this in the first place.

I scooted closer and embraced her gently. She sniffles in my into my mane, just above my withers. “I am so sorry you had to through the pain that you did.” She whispered.

“No don’t be sorry, I am sorry. I’m sorry I tried talking about this in the first place.” I softly apologized.

We just sat together, holding each other in silence, as if for dear life. I looked out towards the western horizon, thanking myself for being able to experience such a moment like this in the first place. The war was devastating to most ponies, both physically, mentally, and emotionally. It had not been kind on the princesses either, I can only imagine.

But it was done. The war is over. And Harmony is here once again. It’s almost like nothing happened. I believe that’s what everyone is trying to hope for, at least. Like nothing ever happened over the past 7 years. If only it was that simple. I looked to the west, finding the sun dipping below the horizon. It painted the sky with an Amber hue.

“It’s late. Maybe we should call it a night. That sounds better, in my opinion.” I suggested.

Night light rubbed her eyes with her wings and sniffled softly. “Yeah, that… that does sound nice.” She looked up to my eyes. I couldn’t help but gaze and admire how beautifully green her eyes were.

We kissed. Gods, I missed this. It felt like heaven after going through hell on earth. We parted lips after what felt like forever and gazed each other once more.

“You know what I wanted to tell you when I wanted to write back to you?” I asked her coyly.

“Mm, what’s that?” she hummed happily.

“I was fighting for you. For us. I was fighting for the small, yet burning hope that I would see you again.”

We kissed again, more heavily this time. She moaned and embraced me tighter, knocking me down to my back upon the soft cloud. Night light then began to softly nibble my neck.

Maybe we could stay up here a little longer.

I woke up to the bright sun glaring directly at my eyes in my comfortable cloudy bed, shimmering through the small window slit. I sat up with a groan and stretched my wings, basking the comfortable warm feeling tingling down my spine. My frizzy mane fell down across my face.

I suddenly smelled bacon.

It didn’t take me long to hover out of bed and make my way downstairs. I was greeted with the sights and sounds of Night Light cooking breakfast in the kitchen. I sat down in one of the dining room chairs, watching her cook.

“You woke up just in time. You looked very peaceful, so I didn’t bother you. Breakfast is almost ready.” Night Light spoke, without turning to look at me.

“I can’t remember the last time I had bacon. It feels like it’s been forever.”

Night Light giggled. “I figured the war had not been kind on you, at least in the aspect of how tasty your food was. Or rather, how tasteless it was.”

“It was rather bland. But it was filling at least. Hay and Veggies were not bad, nutritionally speaking.”

“Well, I have something even better; Homemade waffles with Syrup, Bacon, Toast, and some Milk.”

“Mm, definitely better. I forgot how great your cooking was.”

“Well then, how about I refresh your memory?” Night hovered in the air and placed a plate of delicious-looking food on the cloud table. I savored the smell, and ever so slowly begin to bite down on the crispy, yet chewy pieces of bacon.

Perfect.

“This is… really good.” was all I said, as I continued to munch down.

“You really think so?”

“Oh yes! This is the best plate of food I’ve ever had in ages. Seriously, thank you Night.” Night blushed furiously, but she was obviously glad I liked it, because she embraced me warmly afterward.

“Oh, I thought you might like it. Didn’t think you would be this ecstatic about it though.”

“You kidding? All I ate regularly during my time out there were Hay, Veggies and an assortment of other bland, tasteless foods. This is, literally, the best plate of food I had in years!”

Night couldn't help but whinny in joy. It didn’t take her long to get her own plate of the same food, and it only took me about 5 minutes before I was finished with my plate first, leaving me immensely satisfied and full of food. I took on the chore of clearing the plate of scraps myself, as a way of thanking Night for her cooking. As I was continuing to wash my plate, Night trotted next to me, intent to do the same with hers.

“I figured I would have to reward you for your… service.” Night smiled, blushing furiously.

“My service? Well, I think serving me breakfast is a perfect way to come home from service.” I then caught her “it was a joke” look on her face, raising an eyebrow at me.

“I meant last night, Sunshine.” Night coyly replied, whipping her tail against my flank, emitting an “Eep” noise from me.

“O-oh. T-that kind of service. R-right.” I stuttered. “W-well, I try my best, don’t I?”

Night laughed. It was a euphoric, yet soothing laugh, one that put me at ease. And eventually, I joined her.

“How about…” Night then placed a hoof on my right-wing. “I show you…” she was whispering into my ear, making me tingle and shudder. “What I can do?” she concluded with her hoof trailing down from my wing to my upper flank. My wings poofed open widely, making me blush even more. Night Light giggled, and placed a hoof under my chin, making me look at her beautiful features. I leaned forward for a kiss.

Then there was a knock. Both of our heads turned towards the door.

“Um... who is that?” I asked as Night Light trotted to answer the door.

"I don't know... hold on." she replied. As she was walking, I couldn’t help but stare and admire her flank. There was another series of knocks.

“I’m coming, give me a moment.” Night light called out to the door. She reached a hoof out and opened the door. I trotted near Night to see who it was. 2 Ponies, both of them pegasi stallions, wearing a black tux like suit and black aviator glasses, were standing at the door.

“Is this the residence of… “ One of the stallions reached into his suit pocket, pulling out a small piece of paper. “Night Light and Sunshine Tempest?”

“Yes, it is.” Night answered.

“Both of you are requested by Equestrian High Command to ride a chariot to Canterlot immediately. There are some ponies who wish to speak to you.”

Me and Night both gazed at each other, clearly confused by the sudden change of events.

“Why? Who would want to speak to us?”

“Somepony important. We are not required to answer all of your questions. We highly encourage you to ride the chariot at once.” They spoke in a calm and monotone manner.

“And what if we say no?” I asked. Night looked at me, worry etched on her face.

“That would be unwise. This is all we can tell you. You are required to follow our orders, or you will be forced to Canterlot. One way or another.”

I eyed the suspicious individuals up and down. I managed to get a good look at one of their cutie marks. It was a paper with incoherent writing on it, that was near a closed lock.

“I can see the reason why you wouldn’t comply with our orders.” One of the ponies spoke again. It was creepy how identical they sounded. “But if you refuse, we are authorized to use… unorthodox methods, to take you to Canterlot. However, we do not wish to perform such methods, and we encourage you to follow our instructions.”

“Maybe we should listen.” Night whispered cautiously.

I was getting bad vibes and tingles in my mane from these ponies. I couldn’t help but grimace. But, Night Light was willing to cooperate, so me disagreeing probably wouldn’t be the best course of action.

“Alright, I’ll play along.” I finally answered. One of the ponies looked at Night, waiting for her answer.

“I’ll come too.”

“Excellent.” One of the ponies blankly spoke. “Please follow us. The chariot is waiting outside.”

We walked outside of our home and found a royal Chariot, clearly from Canterlot, waiting for us parked in front of our house. I was still anxious, but they didn’t seem to be threatening. Just… Creepy. We embarked the Chariot, and it instantly began to take off, the pegasi visitors flying close behind us. The chariot turned Eastbound, intent for Canterlot.

“Who are these ponies?” I whispered to Night.

“I don’t know. I don’t know what’s happening.” I unfurled a wing, and draped it over her back, intent on comforting her. Something tells me that this isn’t the end of it.

Not by a long shot.

The ride to Canterlot didn’t last long, less than 2 hours at least. We arrived at the sight of the beautiful castle city on the mountain face, the tall spire of the princess’s castle clearly visible. The Agent Ponies following behind us didn’t seem to close or open the distance between us, as they continued to escort us.

When we arrived, we slowly descended downward. I remember myself being in the Ruby Mountains and remembered how gracefully Princess Luna’s Skywagon descended. This chariot was no different, except it looked clearly different than Luna’s Skywagon did.

We touched down, and the side doors opened. I looked at Night, who had a flash of remembrance on her face as well. The Agent Ponies landed softly beside us. One of them spoke.

“Night Light, you will follow Agent #2 here. He will guide you to your next location. Sunshine, you will follow me.”

“Wait wait, what? We never agreed to be separated!” I grabbed Night’s hoof, assuring my point.

“We ordered you to board the chariot to Canterlot, where High Command Ponies will speak to you. We never said you would do it together. And you have no choice. You already complied with our first order. If you fail to comply again, we will use those Unorthodox methods we’ve mentioned earlier.”

“Forget it, I’m not being separated from Night again, after 7 years of Hell!” I yelled.

“Sunshine, please. Just listen. It’s okay.” Night attempted to calm me down.

“No, it’s not okay! I just got you back, now I have to lose you again?!”

“No harm will come to Night Light, or you, Sunshine Tempest. The ponies in question who want to speak to you want to do just that: Talk. This is your last chance. Will you comply?” the agent spoke cooly.

I so badly wanted to rage out and say “Fuck no!”, flying away with Night Light… but looking at Night Light's face, which begged me to follow the agent’s orders, I couldn’t bring myself to doing it. I sighed heavily and groaned.

“Ok. Fine.” was all I replied.

“Then please, follow me. Night Light, please follow Agent #2.” I treaded behind the agent in question, looking back at Night Light as she began to lag behind Agent 2. I lost sight of her when we entered through the Main Gates, and Night was gone.

I looked around me, admiring the Canterlot Architecture. Ponies were trotting all around us, performing their daily chores, doing their jobs, going shopping, socializing with one another. There were so many conversations happening at once, I couldn’t make out a single one. We continued to trot towards a large pyramid near Canterlot castle. That… wasn’t there before. I noticed writing above the entrance:

S.M.I.L.E. Agency

We entered inside, and the door shut behind us, silencing the conversations outside. I was greeted with blank, grey walls and bright lighting hanging from the ceiling, along with a very long and narrow hall with several doorways off to the side.

“We’re almost there. Follow me.” The agent ordered. I continued to trot behind.

“Where are you taking Night Light?”

“To a private location. She will still be in Canterlot.” That was all he answered.

We passed by multiple doorways, each of them secured with a metal door. Each of the doors had a tiny window slit you could peek through, though I didn’t have a good enough look on each of them as we continued to walk by to see what was on the other side.

Eventually, we stopped at the end of the hall, in front of a much larger door compared to the rest. It opened automatically, and inside was a dimly lit room, with a single table and 2 chairs on each side.

“Sit down in one of the designated chairs, and wait here. Somepony else will arrive shortly.”

“Who?”

“You’ll see.”

I slowly entered the room, and the door shut behind me almost instantly. I looked around the room, finding nothing else worth noting. So I sat down, and I began waiting for whoever wished to speak to me.

A minute passed by. 2 minutes. 3. I shuffled my hooves together, and stretched my wings, looking for some way to pass the time. 5 minutes. Still nothing. I yawned from the silence and boredom.

The doors suddenly opened, revealing an entirely different pony. This one was an Earth Pony Mare, with a pale coat and Blue mane. The Mane had a pink strip near her right eye.

“Hello, Sunshine Tempest.” She spoke, more cheerful and energized than the boring, monotone agents from earlier. “My name is Agent Bon Bon.”

Prespective: Night Light

I saw Sunshine disappear from my vision as I continued to walk with the Agent, who so… kindly encouraged us to separate like this. I followed close behind him, sparing about 5 feet or so of distance between us.

“Where are we going?”

“To somewhere where you can talk.” Was all he answered.

“Are you always this Vague and Cryptic?”

“Yes. Sometimes I’m not.”

“Do you ever get… mad, at your profession?”

“Only Slightly Annoyed. That’s the highest I can go.”

I didn’t bother asking any other questions. He was like an impregnable Stone Wall. Nothing could get past him.

We stopped at a very large, 2 Story Stone Building, with the same Canterlot Architecture that was in abundance in this city. No Inscriptions or Words were found, except for a Single Mural: It was a blank and pale pony face, Smiling with a very Wide Grin on her face. It looked like a happy Grin.

And yet, it disturbed me to my core.

We entered inside, and I was greeted with a Maze of Cubicles, and box offices. All around me, ponies were clicking and clacking away on their typewriters, while indistinct conversations were all around us.

“Stay close. We’re almost there.” The agent spoke. I treaded behind him, staying a little closer to the agent this time, as he guided us through the maze of Cubicles. He took a right, then another right, a left, left, right, forward, left, and a half turnaround, and later, we were outside of the maze, leaving my head dizzy and spinning. “We’re here.” The agent spoke.

There was an office door, with a small glazed window on the top portion of it. The Agent opened the door, and there was a room with a table and 2 chairs on each side. There was a Large Glass Window overlooking the cliff where this building was near, giving me a beautiful look over a good part of Equestria. I haven’t had a view like this since I was in the air.

The Door Shut behind me, as I heard the clicking noise. I also looked at me hooves, not remembering moving them inside the room… when did that happen?

I looked back at one of the chairs, and instinctively chose the one facing the large window, to bask in the view. Almost immediately after I sat down, I heard the door open to my right, and a tall, brown coated, muscle bounded stallion walked through.

“Good Morning, Lieutenant Night Light. Or should I call you Garuda 1 instead?”

What? How the f... How did he know that name? Only very few squadrons knew of that name! How did-... who is... what?!

“How… How do you know that name? How do you know who I am?”

“We in the agency are good at our job. My name is Grim Hooves.” He reached into his Suit Pocket, and pulled out a silver tiny medallion, and dropped onto the table in front of me. I looked closer and stopped cold. It was a Blue Pheonix that extended its wings and its claws, it's beak open as if it let out a predatory screech before catching its prey. Below the decal of the medallion was an inscription.

Garuda

“And you are Garuda1, the Ace overseas... Right?”

I didn’t answer, I just kept staring at the medallion. Then, very slowly, I spoke. “What do you want from me?”

“I want answers. You know first-hoof what happened over much of Equestria, a small part of Olenia, and pretty much anywhere in the ocean where your carrier was at. You survived all of your duration as a pilot for the RAF. And I don’t know if you noticed, but veteran pilots from the Great War are not in abundance here in Equestria. You survived the entirety of the war. Not a lot of ponies can say that.”

“Don’t remind me. It was hellish to be out there.”

“Right, but there is something else you know. Don’t you?”

“What are you talking about?”

He stopped, and turned away, contemplating about something. Then he asked slowly. “Does the name ‘Aigaion’ or ‘Strigon’ sound familiar to you?”

I felt an icy cold shiver travel down my spine. He was very accurate with his choice of words. I haven’t heard those names in a very long time.

“Huh... that thing, huh?”

“You saw it first hoof then, with your own eyes. We need intel on it, not even the agency has any leads on it.”

"Why?" I simply asked. Grim Hooves proceeded to sit down in the chair in front of me.

"S.M.I.L.E. Agency is dedicated and devoted to one thing and one thing only: Containment. Right at this moment, there have been sketchy reports arising from all across Equestria about various acts of criminal activities that violate the integrity of our government. Weapon shipments are being stolen, Aircraft are mysteriously disappearing, and various vehicles from mothball sights around the continent are scrapped and stolen with no record or trace.

Now, normally, we wouldn't get involved with this sort of thing and let the respective PDs and Detectives sort this problem out with the help of the various Onhoove Divisions that are now scattered about Equestria. But there was something else attached to this mystery that just so happens to be related to you - which is why you're here now. And that is 'Strigon'."

“Why does it matter anymore? The war is over! It’s done! I saw the Aigaion blow apart with my own eyes! The Strigons are dead and gone! Why does any of this matter now?”

Grim looked at me squarely in the eye. “Because, If we ever have a chance for another ‘Eternal Peace’, we need to learn from our mistakes. And make sure that such a horrible, destructive event, or in this case ‘weapon’, will never occur again. And we need you to tell us everything you know. A lot of good agents lost their lives trying to get this intel.”

I couldn’t help but feel sorrow from this whole ordeal, the emotional whiplash settling down on me. One moment I was the Happiest Mare alive with Sunshine, and now I am here reliving a terrible awful tragedy that has inflicted our world so much pain and death. I wanted it all to just end. I wanted everything to go back to the way it was. Before the war, and make it stay that way.

If only I could.

“Look. I can let you and Sunshine go when this is done. When you, and inevitably Sunshine, tell us everything you two know, we will let you go, and you won’t be bothered by us again. You have my word.”

I sat there, staring out into space through the large window. I saw a formation of planes flying together in the distance.

“What do you want to know?” I asked.

“Everything. From beginning to end, We want to know everything.

“Answer me this question, then I will help you: I can understand the Agency wanting me, knowing the Aigaion and all, but why do they want Sunshine just as badly?”

Grim pulled off his sunglasses, neatly folding them and clipping them in his pocket. “Because she also knows a terrifying weapon. Something you 2 seem to have in common.”

I shuddered.

“I want you to start from your first sortie, all the way to your last. Every major one, at least. I don’t need the details of minor skirmishes. I need to know the Big ones.”

“Well… Where do I start?”

“From the Beginning.”

“...Okay.” I reluctantly answered.

"I remember a warm, and sunny day..."

Author's Note

With the Words "Garuda", the Curtain rises.

Act 2 Begins...

Chapter 6: Anathema [Revised]

(A2) - Prologue: Recognition

No Glory Won

Act 2 Prologue: Recognition

“Then, even Nothingness was not, nor existence.

There was no air then, nor the heavens beyond it.

What covered it? Where was it? In who’s keeping?

Was there then cosmic water, in depths unfathomed?”

I paused. I actually had no idea where to start. I closed my eyes, trying to force my brain to think of the earliest memory I can muster up from the war. Besides basic training, there were a couple of memories regarding a few minor skirmishes that occurred off the western coast, but they didn’t prove to be helpful enough to give any leads about the Aigaion.

Another memory came to mind. The only reason I ever heard about the ‘Aigaion’ in the first place was because of me. More importantly, because of ‘Garuda’. Because of my actions and its repercussions, there was virtually no chance that I knew of its existence by sheer coincidence. It was all my fault, it seemed.

Garuda was the name of my squadron I flew with. I was the lead plane. The Wonderbolts had their own squad as well, which was the group that Spitfire was leading. I did fly with them separately on a few missions and other sorties together, I remember.

“Well? A 'Warm and Sunny day', is that it? What else?” Grim impatiently asked, noticing my hesitation.

“I… Sorry, I... I have trouble remembering things at times. Just, give me a second.” I contemplated again.

Garuda wasn’t anything special at first, once I had joined. Just the name of a small squadron. But over time, it became something more. And the Changelings, who seemed very determined at the time to destroy me and my crew were willing to go to extreme lengths to exterminate me. The Aigaion was one of these extreme measures. Although its sole purpose wasn't for hunting down a squadron across the continent, it did take notice of our growing reputation and notoriety among the Changeling military.

The idea that the Changelings had feared us back then in the past was still alien to me, and I couldn't wrap my head around it still to this day. And it was the only reason how me and my squad - my former friends - were caught in the crossfire of this mess. Thinking back on it now, I knew it was out of my control to stop the snowball effect of events from spiraling out on the event horizon. And yet, something nagged me in the back of my mind that something could've been better, had I done something different.

Not having to think about those memories for a few months since

And yet, it still came to the ground, in a fiery heap of Metal and Smoke.

“I guess… I’ll have to start from when I first got the name ‘Garuda’. I’ve had it for a long time, since my first flight; it’s the name of my Squadron. The-”

“28h Fighter Squadron, 66th Air Force Unit. I know. I have your file.” With that, he reached into his chest pocket with his hoof, and Pulled a yellow folder out, gently tossing it onto the table in front of me. The contents came spewing out, showing multiple sheets of paper, each paper containing different kinds of information regarding me. My height, weight, subspecies, age, name, location of birth, deployment date, assigned plane, and squadron info were all right here. “We know everything there is to know about you. Your bio, your physicality, your relationships… everything. The only thing we don’t know is your performance in the war. Official Records have not gotten around to record all of the wartime conflicts that has just recently happened. So we’re in the blue as far as that goes. But luckily for us, that’s where you come in. And Sunshine too. I don’t need your Name, I need you to ask yourself: ‘what happened?’. Then we will get what we need.”

I quickly scanned the documents before me. Every single piece of information that was on here, as I read, were very accurate. I gave a long sigh.

“Well, where should I start then? Do you have any ideas? I can’t remember everything.”

“Yes, we understand. We’re not asking you to remember everything.”

“But that’s what you said when-”

“I know what I said!” Grim suddenly snapped at me. He paused and took a moment to calm down, breathing slowly. “Yes, I know… I said that. Let me rephrase myself for you: I want you to remember everything that has to do with the Aigaion. Can you do that?”

I stared at the medallion that was on the table. My emblem.

“I can try. But no promises on 100% accuracy.”

“Do the best you can. Start from the earliest you remember clearly.”

I took a long deep inhale in, and an even longer exhale out. I didn’t know how long I was gonna be here. This was going to be a long long story.

“The Year is 1012.”

April 21st, 1012. 23:44 CST (Canterlot Standard Time)

I lay there on my bunk, staring at the same grey, blank wall that I have been staring at for the past 8 months. It was Mid-April now. The Blueblood was currently sailing the ocean, escorted by destroyers and cruisers, both heavy and light ones. It’s mid-April now. We’ve been at sea for about 4 weeks since our last visit to port. I’ve been laying on my cot for about 2 hours now, and haven’t been able to fall asleep. I couldn’t move during curfew, however, so doing anything else was not an option. I just looked at the grey ceiling above my head, tossing and turning in the dark bunkroom for what felt like hours.

As far as I can tell, the Blueblood was currently assigned to the Lunar Ocean Fleet. It was tasked to patrol Pegasi Gulf and the seas to the west of it as far as 50 kilometers. There have been rumors of strategic air raids performed by changelings that have passed over these waters, and we were provided to try and act as a screen for the air force. Combined with the radar facilities that we currently built off of the Southwest Coastline, the Changelings shouldn't be too difficult to catch as long as we stay in radar range. We were tasked to intercept and destroy any changeling aircraft that passes over us, as well as their Fleet should it come to that.

Except there hasn’t been any contact in months, and the ponies on board are starting to get anxious.

I sighed long and heavily, dragging my hoof over my eyes. Why couldn’t I fall back asleep? There were still hours until curfew was over, and yet I could not get lucky enough to fall back to slumber. I groaned. This sucked.

“You cannot sleep as well?” Naya all of the sudden spoke above me, making me slightly jump.

“Naya? You’re still awake?” I Whispered, trying my best to not wake the other ponies around me.

“Is hard to sleep on moving ship. Something I am not accustomed for. Usually, it would snow somewhere about now, and I would look outside the window to see the white flakes gently drift down, and that usually lulls me to sleep. However, I am not so lucky now.”

We both sat together in awkward silence, listening to the hum of the engine through these metallic walls. The ship was gently listing off to one side, then to the next, Almost barely noticeable. Naya sighed softly.

“Your country; it’s very radical about their princesses, are they?”

“Heh, which one? There’s 4 of them.”

“Yes, 4 Immortal Alicorns. I can imagine the respect and political power they have to rule such a nation like this one. What do you think the Princess of Friendship thinks about this war?”

“Princess Twilight? Ehm, last I heard Twilight was assisting the scientists and researchers at the Canterlot Royal Library of Studies. Hasn’t left that profession ever since.”

“I asked you what does she think of the war, not what her profession is. What do you think her opinion of this war is?”

“I have no idea.” I looked at the other ponies to my right, silently sleeping. I sighed, laying my head back down as I stared at the ceiling. “But if her opinion was like mine, I’d say she probably hates the war. Not just the Changelings. Being a Princess of Friendship in times of war sounds Counter-Intuitive. Maybe she just wants things to go back to the way things were. Maybe she wishes to eradicate the Changelings once and for all so a threat like them will never arise again. Or maybe she just wishes to find a way to make this war end, one way or another.”

“And you do as well?” Naya asked. “What do you wish the outcome of this war will be?”

“As I said, I would wish things to go back to normal. But then, what is normal anymore, in a world of magic? In a world where war is still a thing, even after eternal peace? After the history of the world being so quiet for so long?”

“I think you just said the answer; Peace.” Naya answered for me. “If there is peace, there is Harmony. And when there is Harmony, there is no radical change. And that is something Ponies have been used to for a very long time. If life in Equestria becomes mostly uneventful, unlike this hectic and chaotic reality we find ourselves in, then Equestria will have its Eternal Peace again. But really, there is no such thing as an ‘Eternal Peace’, because peace - no matter how long it lasts - is not eternal. There will always be something that later in the future that changes history.” Naya paused as if she was catching a breath. “However, I did learn that if we hope for any chance of Eternal Peace, no matter how impossible it may be, we must learn to shape and write history for good purposes. For morally right purposes.” Naya concluded.

This was the first time I’ve gotten a good idea who Naya was, as a pony. I learned at that moment that she was smarter than most of us that were on this ship. Not just book smarts either, but philosophically, she was a genius.

“You know, you’re smarter than you look, Naya.” I added. I could hear a soft chuckle.

“I may be from another country, little pony, but I am not dull. There is much to be learned from life if you just pay attention and study yourself.”

Studying myself was not the highest of my priorities most of the time. But I do admit, she raised a valid point. I’ve managed to stifle a yawn or two during her ramble, but eventually one slipped by me and I felt exhausted from out of nowhere. Maybe I can finally fall asleep.

“Little Pony… is there anything from your old life that you miss?” Naya asked. I gave out a low, dry chuckle.

“Oh, plenty of things. I miss cloudy beds, chocolate, safety from bullets, a properly cooked breakfast cooked every morning, a good night sleep.” I paused. “And Sunshine. I miss Sunshine.”

“There’s plenty of sunshine out in the-”

“Not that sunshine. I meant… my Sunshine.”

“I… do not follow.” Naya blankly spoke.

“Heh, I know… She was my Marefriend. Before the war, and now during it. And I intend her to be my Marefriend after the war… at least, I hope so.”

“Ah. My apologies. How close were you?”

I snorted, and asked “Do you think considering to… marry, is close enough?”

Naya didn’t immediately reply after. She must’ve taken the time to think her words carefully. “I would ask, how committed are you to ensure that marriage lasts? But from another perspective, I would say that is close enough. It is your choice, but for what it’s worth, I think it is lovely.”

I couldn't help but smile slightly. “Thanks. It’s nice hearing you say that.” Another yawn managed to escape me. It wouldn’t be long now.

“I… feel the same way about how you miss your beloved. I do miss my family, every now and again. My mind sometimes doesn’t stop thinking about them. I usually ignore it, but sometimes… I feel a little Homesick. I suppose that is something we foreigners have in common.”

I raised a brow in question. “But I am not a foreigner.” Naya chuckled.

“Silly pony, you may not have been a foreigner back then. But with your new home, with this metal prison at sea, now you are.”

I felt my eyelids suddenly become heavy. Another yawn escaped. I closed my eyes and felt their dead weight sink me closer towards sleep. I didn't hear Naya say anything else to me, so I was focused on getting some shuteye. Eventually, sleep took hold of me.

May 1st, 1012. 15:27 CST (Canterlot-Standard Time)

I was called to the Mission room, along with all other pilots, in less than 5 minutes. I was sitting in the Cafeteria, eating my breakfast at Floor A when the announcement came.

“All Equestrian Pilots, report to the Mission Room in 5. All Equestrian Pilots, report to the Mission Room in 5.” The speakers blared overhead. I quickly finished my meal (which was a small bowl of oats cereal) and made my way down to Floor B, where the Hanger Bay was. I used my wings to fly over most of the aircraft and ponies in my way and made my way to the stern of the ship. Upon entering the Mission Room, I sat down in one of the many metal chairs facing a white screen. Some of the chairs were already occupied, as ponies were already talking to each other. I even saw Big Mouth, who was sitting by himself, looking bored. It didn’t take long for the others to get down here, as more and more Earth Ponies and Pegasi alike were sitting down in the chairs around us.

About 3 minutes have passed since I sat down, more of the chairs were being filled. Almost all of them had a pony sitting in them. Some were still unaccounted for. 4 minutes now, and some of the final ponies are walking in now. I spotted Lucky and Naya sitting together in the row ahead of me, to the left. The lights dimmed all of a sudden, and we could barely see in front of us. There was a flickering noise emitting from behind my head, and a white beam of light flashed at the white screen revealing a countdown. While this was happening, another pony walked through the doors behind us, this one different from the others: He was wearing a flight officer’s uniform, with a small collection of ribbons attached to his chest.

“Ok Everypony, today is the big day! We finally have gotten word from Los Pegasus’s Radar Station. My name is Major Lieutenant Hawk Eyes. I’ll be briefing you on this next mission you’re about to perform.” In an instant, I felt an overwhelming sense of Authority in his voice, forcing me - and the other pilots - to pay attention.

The White Screen finished its countdown, and instantly it showed us black and white filtered screenshots of various aircraft.

“We’ve confirmed that the enemy is sending multiple squadrons of Bombers with Escort fighters to no doubt wipe our Radar Bases. It has been said before that the Changelings had no proof of Radars in Equestria even existing. However, recent reports from High Command have stated that Infiltration is surely possible in Equestria. Several deep scans in the military rankings, along with a few minor purges were made underway when the princesses heard the news. And apparently, the Buggers didn’t like that. We don’t know the details just yet at this time, but it has been said that the agents in question belonging to the Hives leaked out as much information as they could muster. And our Radar capabilities just happens to be one of the many things that were leaked.

“Over the last few days, we’ve gotten reports from the frontlines that they have detected a large amount of the Changeling Air Force mobilizing. One of these Air Groups is currently set course for Los Pegasus Radar Station. Losing that Radar station would mean we lose access of Air superiority in several Strategic Regions, including Pegasi Gulf, The Ruby Mountains, and Mead County, which is essential for further frontline operations in that region.

“Pilots, your mission today is to intercept those Bomber Squadrons that are currently heading their way toward Pegasi Gulf and shoot down any enemies you encounter. We’re counting on a solid performance. I know some of you are newcomers, so my advice to you is to follow your orders, keep your head cool, and aim true. We need you for this mission.”

He pointed a Hoof at the aircraft in the white screen. “The enemy’s aircraft is nothing we aren’t used to. It should be a standard bombing Air Wing: An escort Squadron of 109’s, along with a regiment of 117's with 111's. They will be likely carrying a heavy payload, so it is imperative that they are neutralized at all costs.”

The white screen flashed, and a new image was presented, showing a map of the Lunar Ocean, with multiple lines and arrows indicating flight paths.

“The enemy is expected to be over the city in the next couple of hours we’re the only ones who can intercept. I wish you all the best of luck!” The white screen flashed once more, and the white light died as well. Soon after, the room’s lighting came back. “You have 20 minutes to assemble for takeoff. Dismissed!” Hawk ordered, instantly encouraging everyone to hop out of their seats and follow his orders. One by one, Ponies were shoving each other out of the way to exit the room, heading towards the Lockers for their equipment. I hovered over everypony, along with several other pegasi, as I made my way to the Equipment Locker, at the bow end of the Hanger Bay.

I was one of the first few who made it to the locker room, and instantly I made my way to my Locker. Locker #39. It had a Combination Lock, only accessible by me. I turned to the corresponding combination (which was 45-17-21) and opened the locker, revealing its contents to me. It had your standard Fighter Pilot Kit: The Life Preserver, the Parachute (for non-pegasi), First Aid Kit, A Heavy Duty Jacket, and an Aviator Cap with a mask, and Goggles. I never wore the Goggles, But the Flight Cap I kept. It kept the Mane out of my eyes when I flew.

It didn’t take me long to get into gear, only a minute and a half time spent to suit up. I looked around, and other ponies were walking in and cracking open their lockers ready to suit up. I felt a hoof touch my right shoulder, it was Lucky.

“So, it looks like I’m assigned to your Squad now.” Lucky stated.

“Excuse me?” I replied.

“Yep, apparently they made a last-second change on me, and I’m a part of this mission now. So uh…” He patted my withers twice with his hoof. “Don’t die.” He smiled sheepishly. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“I’m not planning to. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“I don’t know about you,” Big Mouth spoke to my left, as he was still suiting up. “But I’m ready to fucking shoot some ugly buggers. Not a single one is getting through me.”

“Save it for the air, both of you.” Naya then joined, walking into view already suited up. “This is just your standard Interception Mission, no need to seek glory here.”

“Spoken like a true Commie, eh? Ah, to hell with ‘em, I'll still shoot ‘em down.” Big Mouth Concluded.

“We all will. Once we’re in the air, we will have the freedom to do so.” Lucky reminded.

“No, you won’t. This isn’t your typical free engagement mission, we have to follow orders from the chain of command.” Naya Corrected

“We’ll see. For now, just assemble near the Runway. We’ll be taking off soon.” I interrupted. Lucky smiled slightly, Naya gave a simple nod, and Big softly muttered “Aye”. Everyone was finishing up their preparations, as the loudspeakers were blaring once more.

“Garuda Team, assemble near the runway. Garuda Team, assemble near the runway.”

“Looks like we’ll be taking off first after all.” Lucky commented softly to himself as we made our way to the Staircases. We made up to Floor B than to Floor A, making our way outside. It was overcast, with a few holes of blue sky and sunshine, almost about to rain. I could see the neverending plane of churning water stretch out before me, boasting its vastness. The smaller flotillas that were escorting the Blueblood can be seen trailing along with the carrier at the same speed off to the sides of the Ship and to the rear and front.

4 Aircraft were already lined up and prepared for takeoff on the runway. My friends and I stood near the control tower, staring at the planes we would be embarking soon. I took a moment to look around me as I saw ponies all over the ship pacing about, doing their jobs. There were also ponies on the flight deck, closely inspecting our aircraft, doing their pre-takeoff routine maintenance.

“How much longer now?” Lucky impatiently asked.

“Shouldn’t be too long now.” I answered. I noticed Naya mumble something to herself, but couldn’t hear over the sounds of ponies shouting, and the repeating waves of water slamming into the hull.

“Always take so fuckin’ long.” Big commented.

“I rather that happen then to have my plane blow up in a flaming heap mid-flight. Small sacrifices, I suppose.” Naya said. We were all standing together, anxiously waiting for the signal. With every passing second, the air seemed to be getting more apprehensive and wet. The rain was a guarantee today. Thankfully we’ll be inside the cockpit when it happens. But the worst of it comes when it starts affecting the plane. There have been a number of air accidents due to bad weather. It wasn’t uncommon.

Finally, the Loudspeakers blared once more.

“Garuda Team, Embark your Aircraft! Garuda Team, Embark your Aircraft!”

Instantly, all four of us sprinted to the planes that each of us was assigned for. I was sprinted to the first Plane in line and Embarked inside using my wings. I sat in the cockpit, eyeing every single gauge and meter that was on display, before buckling myself in and closing the cockpit. I took my flight Cap with Earmuffs and put them on. I then pulled a wire from the back of the right Earmuff and connected it to a control panel located underneath the stick, powering it on. It was the radio control panel. I switched the frequency to the correct channel, allowing me to communicate with Blueblood control. The second Frequency that I saved on the panel allowed me to communicate with my Squadron. As soon as I was connected, I pulled the mask from the Aviator Cap and spoke into it.

“This is Night Light to Blueblood Control, Rover Crystal, I repeat, Rover Crystal. Over.” I spoke blankly, waiting for a response.

“Roger that Night Light, Lima Crystal, we read you.” I heard a tinny voice in my right ear reply. “Stand By. We’re trying to get confirmation here. Out.” while I waited, I switched to the second frequency.

“Night Light to all planes, what is your status? Over.”

“This is Lucky, I’m green to go! Out.”

“Naya here, I am ready. Out.”

“Big is ready! Out.” All 3 of them replied at once. The radio was working just fine.

“Control to Night Light, we’ve got confirmation of your sortie. You’ve been granted for takeoff. All planes, Night Light is Garuda 1. Naya is assigned to number 2, Lucky 3, and Big Mouth 4. This is not a free engagement mission, so follow all orders from Garuda 1. Break.” There was a slight pause, before continuing. “Garuda Team, you have permission to take off.”

“Roger that, Garuda team Launching!” I pronounced and switched to second frequency again. “All planes, set your Fuel Mixture to 96%. Set your Prop pitch to full, and switch to auto control afterward. Have Radiators opened 65% How copy so far over?” I asked.

“We copy, continue. Over.” Naya answered first.

“Give me a sitrep with all diagnostics. Over.” I proceeded to move the stick around, looking at my wings to notice anything change. The Ailerons beneath the wings began to move up and down erratically. I then stepped on the pedals below the stick and turned behind me. The Rudder moved side to side, as well as the elevator.

“All systems check for Garuda 1. Garuda 2, what’s your status?”

“Green.”

“Garuda 3, what’s your Status?”

“Green.”

“And Garuda 4?”

“Green.”

“Ok, all planes are green. Set flaps for takeoff, start your engines, and keep the throttle back to 0%.” With that, I flipped the lever to start the engine, making the propeller sputter black smoke for a moment before beginning to rapidly spin. I eased my throttle forward as it began to accelerate, sending me lurching back to my seat. The plane tried to steer to the left, me stepping on the right pedal for the rudder wasn’t allowing it to go anywhere. I kept the stick steady as it began to shake and pick up speed.

The runway disappeared in front of me, sending my plane slowly descending downward. After a couple of seconds, it stopped descending and started to climb. I raised my flaps and landing gear soon after.

“Garuda 1 Launched. Garuda 2, takeoff now.” Control spoke in my right ear.

“Roger that, Garuda 2 launch!” Naya spoke.

“Garuda 1, circle above the Blueblood until the rest of your squad has taken off. Over.”

“Copy that, moving to idle now. Out.” I tilted the stick to the left, making the plane swerve slowly around the port side of the Blueblood. I saw Naya’s plane run out of runway, and gently list off the carrier, banking right afterward.

“Garuda 2 Launched. Garuda 3, Takeoff.”

“Copy that.”

Lucky’s plane began to move now. As it picked up speed, Control spoke once again.

“Garuda 4, Takeoff.”

“Affirmative.” Now Big’s plane began to pick up speed. By the time Lucky got off the Runway, Big’s was already halfway across the deck. I saw Naya slowly pull up to my right as Big finally lift off the runway.

“All Garuda team members launched. Garuda team set your bearing to 315 and proceed to the Rendezvous Point. The 1st Air Squadron from the Ark Royal should be waiting. Break.” another slight pause. “The other squadrons from Blueblood will takeoff and join you momentarily. Over.”

“Roger that control, out.” I switched to my Squad’s channel. “All planes, regroup on me above the Blueblood. Assemble into ‘Rarity’ formation.”

“Affirmative, Garuda 2 shifting to ‘Pink’ position.” I watched behind me as Naya’s plane slowly drifted backward behind me, intent on staying there.

“This is Garuda 4, I’ll switch to Blue. Lucky, you’ll get Yellow this time.”

“Roger, shifting now.” soon afterward, 2 more planes began to slowly form into a diamond formation: Big on my left, Lucky on my right, and Naya to my rear. They stayed close to me and separated from each other.

“Maintain current course, increase altitude to 2500 meters and maintain airspeed above 250 Kilos if you can.”

“Good copy Garuda 1. We’re right behind you.” Lucky answered.

As we were slowly beginning to rise above the clouds, wet droplets of rain begin to cover the cockpit canopy, obscuring a part of my vision. The rain was starting to come down. After a couple of minutes of climbing, I looked down at the Fuel Gauge and flipped a couple of switches, making the gauge’s meter move to the right. 72 Gallons.

“All planes, check fuel.” I ordered. There was a moment of silence before the response came through.

“Garuda 2, 70 Gallons.”

“3, 72 Gallons.”

“4, 75 Gallons.”

“Roger, Maintain current Altitude and Airspeed. Leave at least 35 minutes of fighting time over the Gulf. And keep an eye on your gauges, even when things get hot.”

“Roger that Garuda Lead. Any idea when they’ll be here?” Lucky asked.

“High Command said they would be here in a couple of hours. That was about half an hour ago. It won’t be long now. But first, we need to regroup with the 1st Air Squad.”

“The Wonderbolts? Ugh, they really brought those fucking loons out of all ponies?” Big complained.

“These bombers are our highest priority. The ponies back in Los Pegasus are counting on any help they can get. Besides us, the Wonderbolts are the best we could ask for. Trust me, we’ll need them.” I replied.

“They always get the credit though! We can handle this without them.”

“True as that may be, we can’t take any chances. The risk is too great. No use in arguing, so end of discussion." I figuratively put my hoof down, and Big Mouth was once again quiet.

We continued to fly through and in between the many clouds that litter the sky. Fighting in these conditions was going to be a challenge, especially if the enemy is using the clouds to their advantage. We flew towards Northwest for about 10 minutes until finally, we saw a large formation of planes flying to Eastbound. I saw them in a V formation, each plane leaving behind a trail of Blue Smoke.

It was the Wonderbolts.

“Garuda team, standby while I communicate with Wonderbolt lead.” I switched my Squadron frequency temporarily to frequency 154.9, which should be the Wonderbolts’. I Spoke aloud as soon as I was done configuring. “Wonderbolt Squadron, this is Garuda Team, we’ve arrived at the rendezvous point, requesting permission to merge into your formation. Over.” There was a moment of silence. Then a crackling noise, and finally another voice spoke.

“Good copy Garuda, that’s an affirmative. It’s good to hear from you again. We’ll be heading towards mission objective, you’re welcome to join us.” Spitfire replied back. “We have a special guest with us today. Gryphus will be accompanying us for this mission. They’re mercenaries from Aquila, so be on your best behavior.”

“Griffons, huh? Well, we appreciate the assistance. Let’s show them how the Equestrian Air Force gets it done!” Another Wonderbolt piped up. I managed to get a good look at the planes Gryphus was flying. They were designed differently than ours, their Fuselage longer and narrower than ours, and their wings shorter and thicker. But the real noticeable difference was the propeller. It had a dual propeller engine in the same spot, no doubt increasing the speed and climb rate of their aircraft. I can imagine them not turning as fast as our Fireflies and Seafires, however.

“Gryphus to all units looks like the Cavalry's here.”

“Guess so.” Lucky replied confidently.

“Garuda team, follow close behind and switch to ‘String’ formation.” I ordered as I broke off from the group, and steered behind Spitfire’s group. I counted a total of at least 20 planes, not including my squad.

“Garuda 3 copies.” Lucky answered. One by one, my team began to form to the sides of my plane. One to my left, and two to my right. Together we formed a horizontal line, while trailing close behind Wonderbolt Lead. Gryphus was over us, maintaining some kind of wide curved wedge formation. We were all flying together now, as we continued our course.

30 minutes of flying over broken clouds and seemingly endless ocean later, and I started to wonder how soon we would engage the enemy. More and more planes, from the Blueblood I assumed, began to join our formation as we continued to fly. There were multiple teams and squads assigned for this mission. Each of them had their own frequency, so I could not pick up on what everyone was saying.

I pulled the mask over my face again and strapped it in place securely. “Garuda team, I’ll be going Radio Silence for a moment. Maintain current formation and standby.”

“Did something happen boss?” Big questioned.

“Negative, just wanted to check on something. Wait one.” I switched the squadron channel to Blueblood control’s channel, and proceeded to speak. “Blueblood control, this is Garuda 1, do you read me? Over.” Silence. I spoke again. “Garuda 1 to Blueblood Control. Repeat, do you read me? Over.” More silence. I was beginning to worry if I inputted the wrong frequency. Then a pop, and a fizzing noise emitted from my ear, with the voice of a stallion barely hearable through the garbled static.

“Blueblood to Garuda 1, we read you. What’s going on? Over.”

“We have negative contact of the enemy formation so far. Requesting approximate ETA on the enemy formation entering combat airspace. Over.” There was a slight pause before static came through again, sounding heavier. I could still make up what he was saying, though barely.

“Roger, be advised, you are moving out of our range, so I will not be available for communications after this transmission. Stand by, out.”

I waited, looking at the clouds around me, seeing flashes of lightning break out in a couple of clouds. We were just barely above the cloud screen, so we could see the sun as it shined down upon us. I was hoping we would find them right about now, but they were nowhere to be found. Maybe they were hiding below the clouds? More static came through my right earmuff.

“Garuda 1, we got an incoming broadcast from Los Pegasus. You are over the Gulf now, and both you and the enemy are being tracked on Radar. Enemy is expected to enter combat airspace from bearing 030 ETA 10 minutes, it shouldn’t be long now. Is that helpful? Over.“

“Yes it is Control, thanks for the info. Garuda team, out.” I cut communications, we were well outside their range anyway. I switched my frequency to Garuda’s, and relayed the news. “Garuda team, the enemy is expected to arrive ETA 10 minutes. They should almost be in view about now.”

“Copy, opening Radiators to 80%.” Naya answered.

“Garuda 1 to Wonderbolt and Gryphus, enemies are approaching from due north of airspace. ETA 10 minutes.”

“Roger that Garuda. All wonderbolts, drop to 2000. Maintain current formation.” Almost simultaneously, all of the wonderbolt planes began to dip their noses downward, aiming for the clouds below us. I descended along behind them, my team sticking close and staying in formation.

“This is Gryphus Lead, we’ll get up high and scan the area for you. Out.” I looked up to see the Heavier duty aircraft climb upwards towards the sun, as my plane continued to dive. Eventually, the wonderbolts stopped diving, and leveled out as they maintained their course.

“I wish you comrades the best of luck. If we get back, Labor Day celebratory drinks are on me!” Naya spoke proudly.

“Labor Day?” I asked.

“Every Dawn of May, the ponies from my homeland would usually cheer and drink, while they celebrated the holiday together and sing songs. It's to celebrate the diligence and sacrifice of all ponies in Stalliongrad, in honor of their revolution. I even have drinks, so it should be close enough to the real thing like back home.”

“You’ve managed to get drinks into the Blueblood? Hell, I think I’m starting to like you Commies a little more now.” Lucky admitted.

“Save some for me, Celestia knows I might need one after this.” Big concluded. We flew in silence for a little while longer. 4 minutes have passed, each minute passing filling the air with tension and apprehension. We had to be very close now.

“Garuda team, sitrep. Is everypony feeling okay?” I asked, hoping I wasn’t the only one feeling a little nervous.

“I’m a bit angsty, but I’ll be alright.”

“I’ll live.”

“I feel somewhat… apprehensive. But I’ll be fine.” They all spoke at once.

“Stay calm, keep your head cool, and fly straight. No use flying a plane if the pilot is not 100% combat effective.”

“Roger boss.” Lucky stated.

I glanced around the cockpit, noticing more planes joining up from behind us. There were at least 30 of us now, maybe more. Each team was had a different number of planes, a different formation, and a different callsign. I wasn’t familiar with all of them, but I knew a couple. There was Avalanche, Sapphire, Dash, and Stratus. Those were the ones that were with us right now.

We each had our own channel, but if we needed to, we could switch to the ‘Team Frequency’, allowing us to communicate with all team leads at once. I instinctively switched my Wonderbolt Frequency to Lead Channel’s Frequency, as I thought it would be easier for us all to call out important information. I still had my Team’s channel, I just wasn’t using it. Just then, I heard a voice spoke on Lead Channel.

“Gryphus to all units, we’ve confirmed visual of first Changeling bomber wave. Bearing 015 from our position, 10 klicks out.” My heart began to race. This was it.

“Roger that Gryphus, how many do you see?” I asked.

“Unknown, looks like at least 30 of them, maybe more.”

“There wasn’t supposed to be that many…” I muttered, feeling queasy.

“Roger, all planes, assume attack formation. We’re about to engage.” Spitfire ordered her planes, and they instantly began to spread out, forming a much longer and narrow V-Shape formation. Somewhere beyond the Clouds, I could see black silhouettes of aircraft popping through the clouds… a lot of them. I counted at least 15 fighters at least escorting them, and 10 more bombers, at the very least.

And that was just the first wave.

“That is a lot of planes…” I heard Big mutter.

I noticed multiple smaller aircraft breaking the bomber formation turning towards us, no doubt to engage us before we could reach the bombers. I began to sweat profusely, my mouth all of the sudden tasting foul.

“All planes, their escorts are breaking. They’re about to engage!” Someone from Wonderbolt squad announced.

“Maintain formation. Break when I say so.” I could hear Wonderbolt communications getting hectic.

“Orders, Garuda 1?” Naya asked.

“Garuda team, wait for my signal, then bank hard in individual directions. Engage whenever possible.” I ordered, sending one quick silent prayer to Celestia as the enemy was getting closer.

"Roger that, boss." Lucky answered for all of us.

“Gryphus to all planes, we’re descending and engaging the enemy bombers.”

“Roger that. Garuda, think you can lend us a hoof with these escorts?” Spitfire requested.

“Affirmative. We’re right behind you.” I answered. I frantically switched channels, noticing the swarm of 109s approaching ever closer. "Garuda, we're prioritizing the escorts. Gryphus will attack the bombers. Out."

“Stratus is green for engagement!”

“Dash is good to go!”

“Avalanche, ready to engage!”

“Sapphire is all fired up, and ready to go!”

“Enemy fighters 5 klicks out! And closing fast!” Spitfire called out.

“Ok Garuda, this is it. Prepare to bank hard!” I announced, instantly earning a reaction out of each of them as I heard the Lead Channel flood with frantic voices and static.

“3 Klicks out!”

“Онборд то Глоры анд Баттле…” Naya spoke in her native tongue, though I have no idea what it meant.

“Tally Ho! Let's shoot down some bugs!” Big bellowed.

“2 klicks!”

Now was the time! “All Planes, Break! Break!” I ordered.

“Here they come!” Lucky cried through the radio. In a blur, all the planes in the sky opened fire, turned, or even crashed into each other during the initial break.

And all hell broke loose.

I kept darting my head behind me, checking to see if he has shaken off. Of course, he didn’t, and was still continuing to fire away at my tail. I couldn’t shake him. I dipped my nose downward, and disappeared into the clouds, instantly breaking right after I lost sight of him. I rolled, and steered my way out from the cloud cover, and found that he was finally not chasing me. I found him popping out of the clouds underneath me to my left. I rolled upside down, and pointed my nose down as I gave chase. He must’ve saw me, because he attempted to maneuver away, hoping I would miss… I didn’t. Seconds later, his fuselage caught fire, and he was spinning out of control.

“Bogey down! Gruda Team, give me a damage report now!” I yelled into the mask.

“I’ve taken a couple of shots on my wing. Still airborne though!” Lucky called out.

“Garuda 2 is in optimal condition.” Naya spoke calmly.

“Big is fine, just getting warmed up!” Big spoke last.

“Regroup above the clouds, find the yellow smoke and regroup into Theta formation! We need to find those bombers!”

“Copy that!”

“These ones aren’t your usual 109’s, they got 20 Mils under their wings. Stay sharp!” I ordered.

10 minutes of hectic combat had passed. My plane suffered a couple of hits, but it was still flying. All around me, fighters from both sides were dancing around each other in a fruitless battle for Air Supremacy; gracefully steering, diving, climbing, and shooting. I’ve already counted at least 6 allied planes lost, and I had no idea how many the Bugs lost. I noticed a couple of planes spewing black smoke from the tail, and others were on fire as they sprawling towards the ocean below us.

“Gryphus, what’s the status on those bombers?!” Spitfire frantically asked, as I saw her plane was wildly steering in multiple directions, hoping to lose the bandit on her tail. I noticed my team slowly forming up on me as yellow smoke was spewing out of my wings. They formed slowly behind me, and one to my right, making an ‘X’ Formation

“We’re losing it! We confirmed 5 bombers down, but they just won’t quit! We need support now!”

“Garuda 1 to Gryphus 1, we’re on our way. Where’s your location?”

“We’re about 10 minutes out from the coast. They're above the clouds, and are getting closer to the city!”

“Not if we have anything to say about it!” I declared as I turned my plane to the South-East, climbing ever higher to gain altitude. More droplets of water stained the glass of the cockpit, as the haze of cloud vapor blinded my surroundings. eventually though, I emerged throught to be greeted with a bright afternoon sun shining down upon me. The rest of my team followed suit in formation. After a quick search, I finally spotted the less intimidating formation of bombers with gryphus above them diving for the kill. Their tactics were top notch: they dived down on the dead zone where the gunners couldn’t reach them, gaining more speed as they got closer, before usually firing one burst to kill the bombers. ‘Boom and Zoom’, as Spitfire called it.

“Garuda Team, we can’t let a single bomb hit that radar station! Prioritize on the bombers, and give them everything we got!” I called out.

“Good copy!”

“I’m on it!”

“Here we go!” They all spoke at once again.

“Break formation, Engage!” I ordered, making them break from the X and steering to engage the bombers. I noticed one lowly fighter sneak up behind one of my Squadmate's planes, as they broke off.

“Naya, you got one on your tail!” Lucky called out.

“I am aware.” Naya simply responded. Her plane inverted, and was flying down to the ocean, disappearing into the clouds. The 109 followed behind, also flying in the clouds. I lost sight of both of them.

“Where’s our support from Los Pegasus!? Shouldn’t they be here?” Big yelled.

“I don’t know. Focus on the bombers. Wipe them from our sky!” I reiterated. The formation zoomed closer and closer, as I fixed my sights on one of the bombers. I squeezed the trigger, Golden Tracers shot out to the Quad-Engined Beast. Sparks were emitting from the fuselage and the wings. At first, nothing happened. a few more rounds later, and smoke started to spew out from one of the engines. Soon it became darker. I continued to fire, delivering more tracers. I must’ve hit the fuel tank or something, because the plane began to burn uncontrollably as it continued to fly. Soon, it’s noes started to tip down, as one by one, Changelings were bailing out of the plane. Some of them were on fire already, as their corpse fell aimlessly to the ocean below.

I felt like I wanted to hurl after seeing such a sight.

“That ocean might oughta cool ya, you fucking cunts!” Big uncannily.

The gunners from the other bombers noticed my presence and opened up on me. I steered hard right, hoping to evade the incoming fire of green bullets. Some have managed to hit my wings, but no critical damage. Gryphus’s planes dived down again, striking another bomber, this time blowing it’s right wing completely off, sending it spinning wildly to the water below. Another one down, and a lot more to go.

Soon, the bombers started to steer in different directions, some narrowly missing each other from a mid air collision.

“Enemy fighter destroyed.” Naya finally spoke, after being silent for a while.

“Good kill. The bombers are breaking formation. Let’s finish them off!” I announced to my team, immediately switching to Lead Channel. “All planes, the bombers are breaking. They're becoming disorganized!”

“Good copy. Wonderbolts, finish these bugs off. Let’s wipe them from our home!”

“Another allied plane has been shot down!” A Mare cried out. just as she said that, I looked to my rear behind me. A large furball of fighters was crowding the airspace, with one of them plummeting downward as a fireball of metal.

“There’s so many of them!” Lucky spoke through my right ear.

“Stratus, give me a casualty report now!” Spitfire ordered.

“3 of our planes have been lost. We are currently 6 strong.”

“Dash, Casualties!”

“None so far, we still combat effective.”

“Sapphire!”

“We lost 2, but we’re still fighting!”

“Avalanche!”

“We’re 4 strong. We lost 2.”

"Garuda!"

"No casualties!" I answered as fast as I could.

“Keep the pressure on, eventually they’ll break! Garuda, Gryphus, prioritize the bombers if you can.”

“We copy, Garuda confirms 2 more bombers destroyed!”

“They’re changing course… looks like they gave up.” Naya softly spoke. “When is the second wave supposed to be here?”

“15 minutes after the first wave arrived, based on the briefing. They should be here soon.” I answered as I continued to give chase to another bomber. It’s gunners opened up, but I was too far and nimble for him to hit me. I kept rolling, steering, and elevating, doing everything to avoid more damage. As soon as my crosshair overlay the bomber, I squeezed the trigger once more, and tracers lit up the tail of the bombers, causing some pieces and bits of the plane to fall off. I definitely hit something important. I continued to fire, and the whole tail of the Bomber soon broke off, causing the plane to flip spastically in multiple directions.

“Another bomber has been shot down, I think they’re retreating!” Lucky called out.

“Save the ammo for the second wave. If they’re fleeing, let them run!” I ordered.

“To hell with that, we should make every single one of those bastards pay for what they’'re doing!”

“Stand down Big, that’s an order! We’re trying to protect a city here, not increasing our kill count.” I barked through the mask. Over the North-Western Horizon, I noticed tiny black shapes flying towards us. I immediately switched channels again. “Garuda 1 to all planes, 2nd formation of Bombers has been spotted. Bearing 310.”

“Good copy, Dash is moving to intercept.”

“Night, I got one on my 6, and I can’t shake him!” Lucky frantically yelled. I saw his plane to my right wildly maneuvering through the clouds, hoping to avoid him. But he kept giving chase.

“I’m on it, Break towards me!” I turned on the yellow smoke under my wings again, signaling to everypony who I was. Lucky’s plane reactively banked toward my direction and was closing in fast. Green tracers were shot from the 109 behind him, almost hitting me. “Lucky, when I say so, elevate upward - as hard as you can without stalling yourself!”

“Okay then…” Lucky replied with angst. Both of them were getting closer. I couldn’t see the 109 behind him, but I knew exactly where he was. Lucky’s plane was still maneuvering, hoping to dodge the bullets.

“Okay, 3. 2. 1… Break!” All at once, I opened fire, and Lucky’s plane hurriedly elevated upwards. The 109 behind couldn’t react in time, as the tracers barely missed Lucky, and struck the 109 on where his engine was. Before he could collide with me, I banked hard right, barely missing the craft as it turned into a fireball, and started to plunge downward to the sea.

“YEEHAAW! That was some solid shooting Night Light!” Lucky Bellowed through the radio, as I silently watched the fire ball continue to fall. I didn’t see the pilot bail. I must’ve killed him.

“Good kill, Garuda 1!” Spitfire cheered. It didn’t feel good.

“Gryphus to all units, I have a clear visual on the 2nd wave of bombers. There’s a lot less escorts with them this time.”

“Finally, some good news.” I heard Big mutter.

“Everypony, we’re almost done here! Engage the bombers at will!” I ordered my squad once more. I turned to face the bombers head on, as they continued to close in on the city.

“All enemy bombers from the 1st wave have been destroyed!” Sapphire lead spoke.

“Spitfire to all planes, it’s time to finish this! Prioritize on the bombers!”

Almost all of the allied planes I saw to my left turned to face the bombers. The others were either chasing a 109, or being chased. The formation looked considerably smaller compared to the 1st one. There were only a handful of 109s escorting them.

“Wonderbolts, let’s focus on the escorts. The rest will deal with the bombers!”

“Garuda 3 and 4, Prioritize the bombers, and we’ll be done. Give them everything you've got! Garuda 2, shift to support.” I ordered my team once more.

“Affirm on that Garuda 1, we’re moving to engage!” Lucky answered.

“Da, I shall stay behind you.” Naya followed. The formation was getting closer now, about 6 klicks out.

Just then, I noticed more shapes underneath the bombers, but they weren’t clearly visible. I saw a black silhouette of a plane I could not recognize. There was more of them, forming a V formation following behind the lead plane. They were hiding in the clouds
1

“All planes, more bogeys incoming! They’re in the clouds below the bombers!” I yelled in Team Channel.

“Roger that, I see ‘em. Wait… they look different from the others.” Spitfire reluctantly spoke.

Almost right on cue, the V formation slowly began to elevate upwards, still maintaining formation. I got a good look at them this time. They were not 109s. They were some kind of rear propeller engined plane, with a longer and thinner wingspan. Each plane was painted black, with Red Stripes diagonally covering the wings.

“Схит... Тхесе гуыс аре Ацес.” I heard Naya spoke, again in her native language.

“All planes, something is not right here. Be careful!” Spitfire warned.

The planes broke V formation, each of them spewing red trails of smoke from their tails.

“These guys aren’t your standard pilots, these guys are Aces!” I heard somepony from Dash call out.

“Alright. Gryphus, Sapphire, and Stratus, focus on the Aces. the rest of us will take out the bombers.” Spitfire ordered. And one by one, allied planes began to break off, chasing the red planes.

“Who are these guys?” Big asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen them before!” Lucky soon joined.

“Nothing I can’t handle!” Someone from Gryphus spoke up. More tracers lit up the sky. Planes were dancing through, above, below, and in between the cloud covers. More lightning could be seen through the clouds just below me. We were above a storm.

“All planes, if you must, dive below the clouds and use the storm against them.”

“Sapphire confirms we lost a plane. These guys are good!”

“All damaged aircraft return to base, the rest of us will push forward.”

I looked back and forth between the bombers and the Ace planes that were currently engaging us. The bombers were much closer, and the Aces seemed to be oblivious to our presence.

“Garuda Team, Engage!” I called out, fixed my sights over the bombers after breaking right, and fired. More tracers spewed out of my plane, striking the bombers hull home. It caught fire, and it’s nose started to tip down. I saw multiple changelings bail. Another one down. Naya pulled to my left from behind and started to fire on another bomber. I saw the tracers connect the fuselage, and soon after the whole plane exploded, sending bits of shrapnel and metal flying everywhere. I turned hard, avoiding the debris as best I could. The bombers around us were frantically flying in random directions, due to the shockwave of the explosion. I tried my best to keep the throttle steady and my plane as fast as I could. It was shaking wildly as I was trying to level out, doing my best not to lose speed.

“Got one.” Was all Naya said afterward.

“Holy hell, whoever shot that bomber just blew it to literal pieces!” Someone on the radio called out.

“I’ve never seen anything like that… who shot it down?” Dash lead spoke.

“It was Garuda… one of them at least.”

“Garuda? from the Blueblood?”

“I’ve never seen them fly and fight the way they did.”

“All planes, cut the chatter and focus. We’re still on mission.” Spitfire ordered.

“One of the Aces has been shot down! Yeah, I got him!” one of the Wonderbolts cheered.

“Keep the pressure on, we almost got them!” I called out to Lead Channel.

“Shit shit, I can’t lose him! 3, switch to support now!” Sapphire lead frantically ordered. I turned my attention to the bombers once more. I focused on the ones that were the farthest from the formation, and picked them off. 2 more bursts later, and another bomber was shot down. There wasn’t many of them left now.

Soon, Red tracers were flying over me to my rear, making me jump in my seat as I heard some of them smash into me. I inverted and turned down to the ocean.

I looked to my rear, to find one of the Aces turning their attention towards me. Seems they had enough of us shooting their bombers.

“Naya, he’s on me!” I called out.

“I see him, just keep evading, I’ll get him!” Naya spoke reassuringly. I continued to roll around as I descending using my rudder while rolling to make me more agile, yet also took care not to use it too much to throw me into a stall. I was flying closer and closer towards the darker clouds below me, hoping I would lose him there. I passed through the cloud cover, and instantly my cockpit canopy was filled with drops of water littering my vision. I turned upwards, trying my best to stay in the clouds and not over them. Or even worse, under them, where the storm was.

I turned behind me, still seeing the Ace giving chase and firing red bullets at me. Naya was behind him as well, trying to suppress him with her own barrage of bullets. This plane was amazingly fast and agile. I’ve never seen anything like it before.

“Almost got him…” Naya muttered. I continued to bob and weave through the clouds, trying to stay hidden from the other planes as well.

“Lucky got me another kill! Alright, this is what I like to see!” Lucky cheered through the radio. Just then, a fireball of what used to be a plane flew straight down in front of me, barely missing me, making the plane shiver and shake by the near-miss.

The Ace, more faster than I am now, passed over me shortly after, making me instinctively pull the trigger as he continues to ascend in front of me. I saw a few tracers land home directly on the rear propeller, making it spew black smoke. But it didn’t go down. Instead, it waved off, disappearing through the clouds. I gave chase, and pulled up after him. I was greeted with the sight of a clear blue sky, and multiple planes above me fighting it out with each other. I followed behind the black smoke, and found the Ace still climbing straight up, as I flew even closer.

I gritted my teeth as I fired again, and more tracers began to light up the plane. The Smoke was even darker now. I began to slow down as I climbed straight up, but so was he. He was breaking left, trying to evade me and stall me out. But I was ready.

As soon as his plane flattened out in front of me, I pulled the trigger once more, and fired again. The bullets struck flat on to his fuselage, and he caught on fire, finally starting to tip his nose downward. I finally stalled out as I pulled the trigger, Forcing my plane to dip down to regain speed. I pointed straight down, and I saw the Ace’s plane wildly spinning directly to my right as I flew down towards the clouds. When he was gone, I pulled up and leveled out.

“Ace down, repeat, Ace down!” I called out through the mask, not sure who I was talking to anymore.

“Good kill Night Light.” Naya spoke softly. I saw more planes with missing parts sprawling towards the ocean below.

“All planes, enemy Ace squadron has been neutralized! What’s the Status on those bombers?”

“All bombers have been shot down! The sky is clear!” Lucky answered soon after.

“Roger, all teams, Casualty report!” Spitfire ordered.

“Sapphire has lost another plane. We’re 3 strong now.”

“Dash, report!”

“2 of ours have been shot down, we are 8 strong.”

“Avalanche, report!”

“We’re 4 strong still, haven't lost another one since the first wave.”

“Stratus, Report!”

“I lost all of my squad… I’m the only one left.”

“Shit… those aces gave us a hard time…” Spitfire softly muttered. “Okay, all planes, mission accomplished. Enemy Bombers and Fighters have been destroyed. Let’s go home.”

“Garuda team, regroup on me and form ‘Rarity’.” I softly spoke as I ordered my squad. I sat back in my chair, releasing the stick as yellow smoke was trailing behind me, and let out a long sigh of relief. I was shaking and tingling all over my body, the adrenaline still rushing through my veins. I pulled off the mask, allowing me to breathe clearly again. I turned Southwest, as my team one by one began to form up on me. I felt an immense weight on my heart all of a sudden lift-off as I realized that the fight was finally over.

“Wow. just… wow.” I muttered.

“Garuda 1, is everything alright? You’re awfully quiet.” Lucky asked. I pulled the mask closer to my face.

“Yeah, everything is fine. I just need a breather.” We survived.

How the hell did we survive?

We were flying beneath the clouds. We barely had enough fuel to make it back to the Blueblood in one piece. by the time we got there, we were running on fumes. I counted at least 6 gallons left when the carrier came into view.

“Garuda 1 to Blueblood, Operation complete, requesting permission to land, over.” there was a moment of silence.

“Blueblood to Garuda, permission granted. Start from 1 to 4. Out.” Blueblood replied.

“Roger, initiating landing sequence.” I switched channels. “Garuda team, wait for me to finish landing, then follow behind me one by one, starting from 2 to 4.”

“Garuda 2, Roger.”

“Garuda 3 copies.”

“Garuda 4, I heard you.”

I flew over the carrier, trying to get behind. The other planes were about to show up from the gulf, but they would have to wait for us to finish landing before they could. After accumulating a good distance between me and the runway, I turned around to face the carrier, dropping my landing gear, my flaps, and my hook. I closed in, easing up on the throttle as I got closer before I finally touched down, my Hook instantly catching onto one of the ropes to stopping it in its tracks. I saw multiple ponies sprint towards my planes, releasing the hooking mechanism from the plane. I then saw the all-clear signal given by one of them as they fled. I taxied the plane closer towards the catapult in the center of the deck.

“Garuda 2, You may now land.” I heard Blueblood control speak.

“Garuda 2, copy that.” Naya spoke. When my plane reached its final destination on the Runway, I killed the engine, making the propeller slow down more and more, until finally, it stopped. I unbuckled myself, and opened the cockpit, finally being able to breathe that salty stormy ocean air. I unplugged the wire from my earmuffs, killing all radio communications as I watched Naya’s plane slowly make its way towards the runway.

I let out another long and heavy sigh as I still sat in the open cockpit of the Fulmar.

Today had been a very hectic day.

After an hour had passed since all of the squadrons had landed, and we were all called to the Mission room for Debriefing. Most of the pilots from this morning were making there way to the lower decks as evening arrived. Upon entering the mission room, everypony sat down in their seats. Some of the seats remained empty. Not everypony made it back alive…

Unlike this morning, Major Lieutenant Hawk Eyes did not waste any time by the time we all sat down, and trotted into view.

“Mission accomplished everypony! All bombers are down, and the escorts along with them. The enemy lost about 30 to 50 planes in this mission alone thanks to your efforts.” He paused. “Of course, I am aware that we also suffered some casualties as well. If I read correctly the Ark Royal’s report, we lost a total of 15 pilots and planes in this mission. This was no walk in the park, especially with the reports of the ‘Aces’ you encountered. But you pulled through, and because of this, The Los Pegasus Radar Station suffered no damage whatsoever. An excellent performance from all of you.”

Nopony said anything. They just continued to listen.

“Tonight, a reward for your efforts, you are all free to do whatever you want. And rest assured, we will find where these ‘Aces’ came from, and what aircraft they’ve been using. This information shall be relayed to the Princesses immediately. That is all. Dismissed.” Hawk concluded.

With that, the ponies one by one stood up and began to walk out, each of them with a look of exhaustion ridden on their face.

A memory came to me. Didn’t Naya say she brought drinks?

The Pilots from the mission now had brighter looks on their faces ever since they took a couple of drinks. Some were actually even smiling, joking around as they drank to forget what had just transpired. Naya, Luck, Big and I were sitting at the same table, mugs of Vodka in our hooves (or wings). We were all gathered in the cafeteria when we heard that Naya had alcohol. 20 minutes have passed since then, and everypony looked more lively than before.

Lucky all of the sudden cleared his throat and raised his glass. A few heads noticed and turned to face him. He stuttered a little.

“Uh - Ahem - Everypony, I want to give a toast.” Lucky announced loudly to everyone, as he stood up. “A toast… to our fallen comrades; wherever they are, may they find peace. And a toast to Naya; who if not for her, we wouldn't be sitting here with drinks in our hooves.”

He raised his glass. “To our comrades! May Celestia grant them mercy on their souls.”

Everypony smiled, some softly cheered, and raised their glasses in response, greedily drinking it all afterward. Lucky sat back down shortly after. It was bittersweet, at best. but a profound part of me was glad that Lucky did that, finding a way to commemorate the dead.

“Where did you get this stuff? I’ve never drunk anything like this before.” Big asked.

“It is a specialty in my country. Not that hard to acquire either. I figured I would celebrate Labor day like how others celebrate it: by getting inebriated!” Naya answered.

“Heh, hear hear to that. I needed a drink after today.” Bigs added on.

“It’s a shame though, wish I could’ve brought some of my fucking whiskey with me. Then it’ll be a party!” Lucky complained.

“Oh trust me, once you have enough of this bad baby,” Naya pulled out her Vodka bottle, which was almost empty. “You won’t need Whiskey.”

“I’m pretty sure I’ll need an ice pack after we’re done though. I’m already a bit tipsy.” I muttered. “I need to head back to my bunk anyway. I’ve been having trouble falling asleep lately, and hopefully, that'll do it.”

“You sure you don’t want to stick around? There's still plenty left.” Naya slurred subtly.

“Nah, you three have fun. I need to sleep.”

“Okay then... See you, Night Light.” Lucky called out as I turned to leave. I made my way back to the Bunk Hall, and found my room. I walked in, already tired from the whole ordeal earlier today. I collapsed onto my bunk, and a wave of exhaustion overlapped the buzz of the alcohol almost immediately after I laid down. And finally, quiet slumber took hold of me.

Author's Note

Music I used for writing the Dogfight Scene:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ChH1dpy-XI

Chapter 7: Penumbra [Revised]

(A2) - Chapter 1: Alive

No Glory Won

Act 2 Chapter 1: Alive

“I know that War and Destruction run in our blood, but I refuse to believe that they must dominate our lives!”

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“So you found an air group filled with Aces in that one mission. How was that supposed to help you figure out where the Aigaion was?” Grim asked, clearly impatient with me starting on where I did. He didn't know it; of course not. I had to lead it up from the beginning, all the way to the end of it all. If it was all going to make sense in the end, he had to understand everything.

“Be patient with me, I’m trying to make you understand the bigger picture here.” I replied back calmly. An hour or so has passed by since I began recalling my war. The sky didn’t seem to change, but a couple of shadows in the distance that I saw through the window seemed to have shifted.

“I knew those planes were not ordinary from the start. At first, I thought it was nothing. Just like I said, a group of Aces just assigned as escorts for those bombers. It happens. But then it happened again. And again. And again, in each of my Major Missions. I didn’t know where they were coming from, but they were the same each time: Black with Red Stripes, Propeller on the back, with Thinner and Longer Wings. I was beginning to notice a pattern in all of them though.”

“What kind of pattern?” Grim asked.

“Well... the first thing I noticed of the newly found ace squadron was a few things. 1: they would constantly return again to face us whenever we were on a sortie, even after the rare occasions that we've managed to shoot all of them down. They were like phoenixes, they would just keep coming back. And 2: I would eventually learn later on that these 'Strigons' - as they were called - were the only ones suitable to the Aigaion's needs.”

"Needs? What do you mean by that?"

I paused for a brief moment, trying to piece together the rambling thoughts in my head. So many ways to explain, yet I could not remember everything at the top of my head. I wanted to keep this as brief as I could.

"The Aigaion was... Unorthodox.

“It still doesn't help me understand what this Aigaion is, and that is literally all I am asking of you. Quit stalling.”

“I’m getting there, bare with me. Ponies recognized what happened over Mead Lake, and also acknowledged the appearance of the Strigon Squadron. Rumors began to spread among the ranks. At first, it was the usual small talk between pilots and other ponies. Everyone thought that it was just a one time encounter that would inevitably die out, like a flickering flame. But more and more sightings of these Strigons began to pile up, and High Command couldn't ignore their efficiency. Despite the fact that they were obviously a formidable threat, High Command issued a grand order to the airforce: Maintain Air Superiority. The reason being for their rashness was because something big was about to happen.”

“What happened?”

“Operation: Ursa. That's what happened.”

Grim stopped for a moment, and carefully grabbed one of the Documents that still laid out before the table, reading it silently for a while. “... Participated in multiple Land Operations, including Battle Axe, Ursa, and Condor.” Grim finally read aloud.

“It’s true. All of it is true.” I spoke soon after, breaking the silence. Grim continued to read the Documents.

“...What happened in Ursa, then?”

I paused for a moment, my ears wilting. "... It's where everything went sour."

May 28th, 1012. 19:39 CST

I stood atop the wing of one of the newly acquired Seafires my Team had been upgraded with. Each of us was called down to the Hanger Bay to inspect the new aircraft. It was chromatic in paint, and it had a recent revision of the decor as well. The Celestial Suns that were on the tips of the wings were neatly painted and placed on each wing. There was also one located in the middle of the fuselage. The Rudders and Elevators were painted Sky Blue, while the rest of the tail was still chromatic. But the real noticeable difference that I saw was the new Insignia painted beneath the cockpit canopy. It was supposedly the new Emblem for our Squadron: a Blue Eagle, stretching its wings and talons out while flying beside three crimson tinted stars.

Big Mouth (who gained the new and more convenient Nickname of ‘Bigs’) gave a loud, appreciative whistle. Each of my Squadmates was eager to see their new toys, but now they were enthralled with what they saw.

“This is what the Princess herself could use to shoot somebody.” Bigs softly muttered while the rest of us were marveling our new planes.

“It’s just been Commissioned last month out of development. New 20 Millimeter cannons with a more powerful and durable Engine, and much faster turning time. It’s Perfect.” Hawk said with a matter-of-factly tone. Naya was trailing a hoof along the edges of the wingtips. The 20 Mil' barrels were poking out from the center of the thin wings, looking intimidating even when stationary.

“I think I just found me a new damsel.” said Lucky. He was laying belly side atop the wing of his aircraft, looking at the propellers with a certain sense of giddiness.

“Yep, it’s certainly better than our old planes, that’s for sure.” I said next.

“From 7 Mil' machine guns to 20 Mil' Cannons. I’d say that’s a serious upgrade.” Naya gazed closely at the thicker barrels sticking of the front of his wings. “This could shred a Plane in seconds if used right.”

“It’s Beautiful... I could marry it.” Bigs muttered again.

“Don’t drool on them please... and I don't we can marry inanimate objects.” I spoke toward Bigs, who didn't seem to hear me as he was busy kissing the cockpit. “Didn’t you say there was something else you wished to show us, sir?” I turned around and asked Hawk.

“We have new orders from High Command. The fleet was ordered to trail along the Coastline assisting our units on the ground during Frontline Combat. A Major offensive is about to begin, and we’re participating in it.”

“Sir, if I may, what exactly is happening in this Operation?”

“When the time comes, we will explain everything during Briefing upon Operation Start. But we still have some time ahead of us, so don’t get excited just yet.”

“Not excited sir, just curious.” I replied.

“Well, your curiosity will stay piqued until I say. And I would prefer if you to leave it at that, Corporal Night Light.”

My recent promotion happened just last week. I was now fully qualified to lead a squadron now, At least in an official standpoint. Mentally though, I felt confused and scared. I tried my best to hide that, though. Spitfire was Major Sergeant, as I also learned last week, so it looked like I was climbing up the ranks. But I had no interest in pursuing military rankings. It wasn’t who I was. I was not meant to be a soldier, nor did I want to.

Then again, Fate has proved me wrong once already.

“This is all I wanted to show you. You may return to your previous duties now.” Hawk spoke, to which I saluted, and my Squad followed behind me as we made our way up to Floor A.

“We’ll finally be able to see the frontlines… I’ve always wondered what they were like. I imagine that they are no doubt hellish, but I’ve always wanted to see for myself.” Naya spoke to us, as we trailed along through the Hanger Bay.

“I heard stories of the Frontlines. One time, I heard about something called the ‘Shire Offensive’. Where the Changelings attempted to cross the River, but met Brutal and very stiff resistance. Over 40,000 dead I believe.” Lucky softly spoke.

We were all silent after that, pondering at the staggeringly high numbers. A grave, sorrowful silence filled the air.

“... Let’s just all agree that the Frontlines is a Shithole, and leave it at that.” Bigs finally spoke. We all nodded. No words were necessary.

We made our way to the Cafeteria just in time for the chefs to be serving out dinner (which was Chili. Despite me eating mostly hay and fruits/veggies all my life, I found that Chili was much more filling. I didn't like the way it slid in my throat, though.) We got in line and waited for our turn to get the bowls of food, and sat down in one of the 4-stooled tables, and ate together.

As we were munching on our meals, A thought came to my mind: What if Sunshine was near the Coastline’s Front? It seemed like an impossible chance, but a part of me clung to that chance. Maybe I could be her Guardian in the Sky. I knew it was only wishful thinking, but I had to hold on to something. Otherwise, I only feel like I'm just blindly following orders, until my probable death may occur. If not for Sunshine, then what other motivation do I have to fight for?

... I looked around at the table I was sitting in, noticing my squad happily eating their meals. Safe and Sound... Me among them. And even after about a monther later, the memories of that skirmish over the gulf were fresh on my mind. The fact I am sitting here thinking about it now was because of my squad... they looked after one another, despite each other's obvious differences.

Maybe... Maybe that was worth fighting for. I clinked my spoon twice on the bowl, using a wing. They each looked to me.

“So… Everypony." I started, pathetically. "I want to make something clear for all of us.” I spoke low enough to mask our conversation amongst the chattering ambiance within our mess hall. Each of them looked up at me, looking puzzled. “The last few weeks have been… uh, Chaotic. To say the least. A-And... I know we’ve been through some great ordeals together… So I just..." I paused for a moment, suddenly feeling... something. Some form of amalgamated emotion of sadness and fear. I took a deep breath. "I just want to say: Thank you.”

My friends each had a look of confusion in their face.

“Whatever for, Night Light?” Naya asked.

“For being the Ponies in my team. I-I... couldn’t have asked for a better set of characters for this shitty performance that we found ourselves in other than you three, so… thank you. For being with me.”

They didn’t reply at first. They just continued to look at me with odd looks on their faces.

“Well... not like we really had a choice." Lucky began. "We were assigned as your squadmates for these missions since Pegasi Gulf. But, for what it’s worth, I’d say your a damn good leader, Night Light. And a damn good Pilot too.”

“Aye. And it ain't so bad flying with you. The only real shitfest I can remember with you was the sortie over the Gulf, but it was a good shitfest. We made it out at least.” Bigs complimented, surprisingly lighthearted for a pony with his kind of vocabulary.

"Well, at least we're not flying directly over where all of the real action is. So I'd say it could be a lot worse." Naya wryly joked.

"A drink is a drink, is a drink. If it ain't got no liquor, I won't lick her! That's a common saying to the bars and pubs in my hometown." Bigs bragged, earning a defeated shaking of the head from Naya.

... I couldn't quite explain it. But... I explicitly noticed that each of them spoke genuinely and honestly. Each of them - in an ephemeral moment in time - revealed something about them to me: No matter how different we were comparatively, we each held the same shared trauma. And that alone made us bond more than any other pony (besides Sunshine,) that I had ever opened up to in my life.

They were my friends, pure and simple. And with that, I couldn't help but faintly smile at each of them.

“... We will survive." I firmly said. "I don’t care what other ponies say, and I don’t care what is thrown at us - I will personly make sure that we will all survive.” I placed one of my hooves in the middle of the table. "I promise you."

Each of them looked hesitent... but one by one, they planted their hoof on mine in the middle of the table. We all looked at each other and nodded proudly. The Red coated Pegasus ‘Naya’, the Brown colored Earth Pony ‘Bigs’, and the Green coated Pegasus ‘Lucky’. And finally… Me. All of us were on this journey.

And it was going to be the most dangerous journey we would ever face in our lives... but we were in it together.

Later that same night, I couldn’t sleep again. I was shifting in my cot, flailing around in the bunk. But I could not force my brain to shut down. I was still awake. And it still sucked just as bad as before. After about an hour or so of tossing and turning, I was starting to feel frustrated.

Memories of the engagement over the Gulf would not leave my mind. I kept remembering seeing the burning corpses falling out of the bombers, one by one. Even as foreign invaders in our homeland, I could not shake the feeling of guilt that washed over me. I hated it. Every bit of fiber in my being longed to be out of this war.

Yet I was trapped.

I started to think about Sunshine… and how she must be feeling about being on the frontline. I could not stop shaking now. I didn’t know what I would do if I lost her. She was all I was fighting for. If I lost her, but I survived, what was the point? She was my world to me, ‘my sunshine’. And now, in the most destructive moment in our history, I might never see her again. I felt tears pricking my eyes.

I wanted to hold her. I wanted to feel her Embrace. I wanted her to tell me that everything was going to be alright. But she wasn’t here. She was risking her life for me, and I was risking my life for hers. And no matter how many times I think about her every day... I'm always terrified. Terrified that in the end, one of us might not survive no matter how hard we tried.

I didn’t want to believe that. I wanted to assure myself and to Sunshine in any way that I will survive. And she will too. But she hasn’t responded to the letter I sent her all those months ago. I was starting to get anxious. And there was nothing I could do to help it! Never in my life have I ever felt so helpless.

“Little Pony, you still struggle to sleep?” Naya spoke in her cot above me.

“You’re still awake.” I sighed, dragging a hoof across my eyes in annoyance. Not because of Naya, but because I was still awake.

“Of course I am still awake. Haven’t we established that I had a hard time sleeping on this ship? I’m sure you remember.”

“I do," I answered. "I’m just being… haunted right now.”

“What do you mean ‘Haunted’?” Naya asked.

“I’m having memories of Pegasi Gulf. Seeing the Corpses bailout of the planes as they were..." I didn't finish. I felt a sudden Hurling sensation well up inside me when I think of it. I could not for the life of me stop thinking about it.

Naya peeked her head down from the top bunk, looking down on me upside down with watchful eyes. “You are disturbed with haunting memories?” She asked plainly.

“Basically so, yes.” I replied. I clutched my head tight with the pillow from the cot, facing away from Naya and laying still. About a minute of silence has passed, and nothing has changed. For a moment, I thought the conversation would end at that.

“I want to help you.” Naya spoke softly, proving me wrong.

“You can’t help me with that. You can’t just make bad memories go away.” I muttered.

“No, that is not what I am saying." she amended. "I am saying..." She didn't go on and instead took a quick breath. "... You said you had a loved one, yes?"

Great... not only was I forced to constantly think about her, but I was also now forced to talk about her. Something I would rather not want to do right now. "Uh... yeah?"

"And you said you miss her... correct."

I groaned. "Look Naya, don't take this the wrong way, but I do not want to think about that right now. I just want to sleep." I shifted position again and pressed the pillow against my ears even harder now. I forced my mind to try and count sheep.

Naya was silent at that... But she didn't stop.

"I want to help you, on your journey. To reunite you with your Beloved.”

... That got me to turn and look at Naya, who was not on her bunk anymore and was sitting on the floor next to me. I didn’t even hear her drop down from the top bunk. I glazed my eyes all over here, trying to find some way how and why she was serious.

“Why?” I asked. “Why would you want to help me, when you have no reason to? Why would you care about somepony else's love life? Why go through all this effort in the first place?” I asked multiple questions, trying to fathom the reasoning behind her decision.

She simply gazed at me, emotionless... or perhaps neutral?

“Because You are the only other pony on this ship that makes me feel like I have a chance of survival. And I know Lucky and Bigs feel the same way about you. You are very skilled. And you are kind-hearted by nature, meaning you won’t lead us astray. Instead, you lead us to victory in every mission, and we survive every time. The only reason I want to help you is that…” She paused for a moment, silently contemplating to herself for a while as if she was trying to carefully pick the words she wanted to say. “... I'm scared."

I was taken aback at her sudden revelation. Her? Scared? She never showed fear before… why now?

“I’m scared of the fact that I would go through all the hardships and troubles of war, and have it all be for nothing. That I would somehow die before I reached the end, like I was in a hoof race and tripped at the finish line. I’m scared of the fact that I will never see the end… but I don’t want the same thing to happen to you.” Naya sat on her haunches in front of me. I looked at her eyes and noticed tears starting to form up in the corners, yet she managed to keep her voice from cracking. “... I’m scared, Night Light. I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

I’ve never seen this side of Naya before. She was an entirely different pony, it seemed. She was silently heaving tears, as she hung her head below mine.

“I miss my family. I miss my home. I miss my bed, my friends, my town, my...” she didn’t speak for a brief moment, her ears wilted and retracted. "... My mother...“ I was about to open my mouth to speak, but quickly closed my lips as she talked of her mother. "... She was the only other pony who makes me feel like how you make me feel. She made me feel proud, and accomplished… I don’t want to share the same fate as so many others did already... I don’t want you to share the same fate...” Naya finally concluded as she sagged her head down. "I..." She croaked, unable to continue. She soon starting heaving her shoulders, in dead silence.

… I didn't know how to react to this. I was confused and lost on what to do... Worst still, her words reminded me of the same situation I found myself in. I wanted so so badly to go back home, yet I couldn't. I wanted so badly to go back to Sunshine... yet I couldn't.

Sunshine... How Naya reminded me of her was bittersweet... yet also somewhat comforting. I gently hopped off the bed and sat down, scooting closer. I soon fully embraced her. She gasped upon me touching her, clearly not expecting the hug.

“I'm sorry.” Was all I said. I didn't really know what else to say. I felt... very melancholic of the situation, yet also sympathetic. I didn't really know how to convey that sort of emotion. I didn't want to start crying though, so I just kept my words short and simple. "I'm sorry" I repeated, gently brushing her mane with a hoof.

She was shaking in my hooves, but she didn’t resist. Slowly, she began to return the Embrace. Then she just... cried. And cried. She kept mumbling incoherently, and I didn't bother trying to interpret any of it. I simply just held her and stroked her mane and back for... I don't know how long exactly, five minutes? Maybe longer?

But she didn't stop. She just kept crying...

November 18th, 1012 11:47 CST

One by one, Pilots were walking into the Mission Room once more, ready for another sortie briefing. As the Chairs began to fill up, I couldn’t help but feel more anxious as I heard the Capital ships outside the Carrier, barely hearable through the thick metal walls, continued to fire away, devastating the landscape next to us. We were about 9 Kilos out from Coastline, Near Mead Resort. Whatever Major offensive that Equestria was launching, it was happening now.

And the ponies around me were more nervous than ever.

Major Lieutenant Hawk Eyes Trotted into view, and the Lights Dimmed again as the Projector flickered to life once more, covering the White Screen in front of us. There were photographs of a desolate landscape near a cliff coastline to the left. To the right of it was the edge of a large lake. It was the frontlines, I assumed.

“Orders have come in from Admiral Cynosura for an Emergency Sortie.” Hawk started. “A Major Air Engagement is taking place as we speak over the Mead Lake Airspace, which is currently in the midst of an Extensive Conflict between the Equestrian, The Communists, and the Crystal Armies against the Changeling Forces.

“At first, the Skies were ours, as we had achieved Air Superiority over the Area prior to the Offensive. However, at about 10:56 hours today, about 3 days after we launched ‘Operation: Ursa’, The Changeling Air Force launched a surprise Air Raid against the ground troops in the midst of a storm, the day where we were not flying our planes in the sky due to Bad Weather.

“But it seems the Changelings don’t care, and have attacked anyway. The frontlines are already halted due to the weather. If any of the Air Units attempt to disrupt our operations, it could be disastrous. In short: This will not be a walk in the park.

“We’ve attempted to thwart the Enemy by sending our planes out from land. But they need our participation in the battle as well, to tip the odds. To compensate for the Bad weather, we’ve deployed a Beaufighter Reconnaissance Craft, which is equipped with a Radar mounted on it’s control panel. They will establish communications, and assist you in battle.”

The air seemed to get more thick and humid by the second. Apprehension was also Ripe as well.

“This may be our chance to finally turn the tides of this war. I wish you all the best of luck. 10 minutes to takeoff. Garuda, Wonderbolts, Gryphus, and Dash will be accompanying this mission. The rest of you are on C.A.P. Duty around the fleet in a 5 Kilometer Radius. Garuda will take off first. Dismissed.”

We all got up, and rushed to the Locker Room, not wasting a second to suit up. As I cracked my locker open, and proceeded to suit up, I began to feel twitchy in my tail and mane. There was an electric feel in the air today, obviously due to the storm currently raging on. It was going to be a difficult task to fly in this weather. We would have to climb above the Cloud Layer.

“Time to get fired up! How many do you think there are?” Lucky asked, while struggling to zip his Heavy Jacket. I brought my goggles this time, I might need them for the rain to stay out of my eyes.

“Judging by the urgency in this Operation, and by Hawk using the words ‘Major Air Engagement’, probably a lot.” Naya answered.

“The More the Merrier.” Bigs spoke as he put his life preserver on. Ponies were hectically dashing around us, as they were struggling to suit up as fast as they could. “More Bugs to stomp, it’ll be like we’re exterminators for a day.”

“At least we have the Radar Craft with us. And that is good, because I do not wish to fly around with rain and lightning without knowing where my enemy is.” I finally spoke up.

“Why did the bugs even try to fly in that weather? That’s suicidal. Hell, we shouldn’t even be flying ourselves, let the rain kill them for us.” Lucky commented, as he finally zipped his Jacket.

“Because our orders were to join the fun. We have planes there already juking it out, and we’re there to join in on all of the action.” I answered for Lucky. He scoffed, and proceeded to put on his Life Preserver vest.

“It will not be an easy feat, though. Mother Nature has made sure of that.” Naya spoke softly.

“Yes, well, if any of the pilots over there are as smart as I hope them to be, they would fight above the storm, not in it. But then again, we are expecting Stukas bombing our guys, so I suppose we won’t have a choice in the matter.”

“Storm or not, I’ll still shoot the fockers down.” Bigs boasted. I chuckled softly, still not getting over how he speaks.

“Garuda Team, Assemble near the Runway! Garuda Team, Assemble near the Runway!”the loudspeakers loudly blared overhead, signalling us to suit up at a much faster pace than before. When I was finished, I looked at my squadmates. Only Naya was finished, Lucky was also struggling with his Life Preserver vest as well, and Bigs was securing all of his nozzles and straps in place. I decided to make my way up to the runway with Naya. the rest will have to catch up when they are finished.

Upon walking out of the Bulkhead door leading outside, I instinctively looked up at the sky, goggles on. The rain was starting to come down, but not as heavily as I initially thought. Maybe we were just outside of the storm. I turned to the Starboard side of the ship, and saw the coastline not too far from us. About 15 Klicks out at least. More darker clouds were forming over the area, as the storm continued to rage over yonder. I saw flashes of thunder, and even a streak of lightning.

“Whatever is happening over there, nature is clearly not happy.” Naya softly muttered to my left, as she was also staring at the storm in the distance. I saw other flashes of light on the ground near the cliffy coast, but those were the signs of battle, not lightning. I can already tell by all of the foreshadowing weather that this was going to be a very Chaotic day and an even more Chaotic mission. At least it was daytime. If this was in the evening, or Celestia forbid at night, I would start to think they are trying to send us to our deaths.

Lucky and Bigs eventually caught up to us, and were also standing near me, admiring the powerful weather in the distance. There was a sense of static in the air. Lightning was definitely apparent.

“Whew... that is quite a lot of rain.” lucky softly commented.

“Quite.” Bigs said.

“We may have no choice but to fly into that, so be ready for anything when we reach the airspace.” I spoke.

“Indeed. It is a ferocious storm.” Naya muttered.

“Garuda Team, Embark your Aircraft! Garuda Team, Embark your Aircraft!” The loudspeakers blared again. We all Galloped, just as we had done before, and embarked our aircraft. We wanted to do this more quickly this time to get out of the rain. I fastened myself in, and powered on the Radio Control Panel as soon as I was connected.

“Garuda 1 to Garuda team, give me a clear sitrep. How is my connection? Over.” I asked.

“We hear you just fine boss, though I don’t know if it’ll stay that way in the storm.”

“Well, we’ll just have to find out, won’t we?” I proceeded to set my controls and diagnostics to the appropriate setting, which was different this time considering the new Aircraft we were flying. I powered the engine, which made the propeller spin very rapidly to the point it looked like it was a disc, and set my throttle all the way back, holding the brakes.

“All planes, these Crafts are a little different from the Fulmars we were flying before. Set your Fuel Mix to 97%, and your Radiators to full.”

“Good copy.”

“Garuda 1 to Blueblood control, do we have clearance? Over.”

“Roger Garuda 1, permission granted. You’re Team is clear for takeoff.”

“All planes, we’re on a tight schedule this time. We need to get to the Airspace ASAP, so takeoff as fast as you can.”

“Roger boss.” Lucky answered.

I proceeded to ease my throttle forward, which made me lurch back into my seat a lot quicker this time. The plane accelerated at an extraordinarily fast pace, almost clearing the runway in less than 5 seconds. By the time I was off the Runway, I was already over 250 Kilos in speed. These new engines were good.

“Garuda 2, launching!” I tilted the stick bearing to the north, directly facing the dark clouds at the coastline. I raised my flaps and my landing gear soon after.

“Garuda 3, Launching!” I tilted my head back, and found my Naya’s planes accelerated closer to me, forming on my rear. Lucky’s plane was now off the runway, increasing speed as well.

“Garuda 4, Launching!” Now Bigs plane moved up the runway at a faster pace. He had more space opened to him, and was already lifting off the runway before he ran out of room.

“All Garuda team members launched. Form up on me in ‘Rarity’. Naya, you’re Pink, Lucky is Yellow, and Bigs is Blue.”

“Good copy, merging into formation now.” Lucky responded.

“Blueblood to Garuda 1, Dash will be taking off shortly after you. Proceed to the Combat Airspace due north, and engage any enemies you see. Good Luck. Out.” and with that, he ceased comms. I switched his channel to the new ‘Lead Channel’ that was assigned for this mission. We weren’t flying with our carrier group’s planes, these ponies were from airbases on land. They had different comms channels than we do, to avoid Confusion and Espionage.

“All planes, ascend to 3500, above the storm clouds. I’ll get into contact with the others more efficiently the higher and further away from the storm we are.” I ordered, and tilted my plane’s nose upward, increasing altitude. I eyed my speed gauge, which was actually climbing instead of dropping. These new planes kept getting better and better.

As we were continuing to fly, more and more drops of rain can be seen littering the cockpit canopy. The rain was getting more heavy. We were steadily approaching the cliffs, which were tall, flat white cliffs.

“There they are. The cliffs of Raspberry Cove.” Bigs remarked as we flew over the coast-line. It had a tall white precipice cliffside breaking against the ocean, giving it a unique defense to coastal attacks. It also looked somewhat pretty from the sky, but I didn't have time for sightseeing. I watched as a tiny coastal town pass by underneath me. We continued to climb upward, the rain becoming more and more heavy. It indicated that we were close to the cloud layer by now.

Soon, we passed overhead the large formation of stormclouds, thunder and lightning flashing around us in sporadic bursts. We were at a higher altitude than normal, but it meant we were out of the rain. The Fulmars certainly wouldn't have been able to climb this high and this fast like the Seafire could.

“Wait one, I’ll get in contact with the Recon plane.” I switched to the Lead Channel, and strapped the Aviator mask in place. “Garuda 1 to Long Eye, Rover Crystal. Over.” There was silence for about 15 seconds or so. I spoke again. “Repeat, Long Eye, Rover Crystal. Over.” still no response. I checked my control panel, thinking I was on the wrong frequency. I wasn’t. Whatever was going on, he wasn’t responding. I might be too far still. I changed to my Team Channel.

“I’m getting radio silence from the Recon. We might be too far out still.” I spoke into the mask.

“We’re about 20 klicks. Shouldn’t be too far to be radio silent…” Naya commented.

“Maybe the storm’s interfering with the signal?” Lucky questioned.

“Or maybe it was shot down…” Bigs muttered.

“We’ll find out soon enough, maintain formation and altitude until we reach the combat airspace.” I ordered.

We flew steadily for a solid 5 minutes now. We haven’t seen any other planes in the sky with us. It was blue and sunny above, with the terrible storm below. It felt rather peaceful, come to think of it. Nopony was here but us, and nothing to shoot at us with. We were completely alone in a saturated and colorful sky, the clouds below us masking our sudden appearance to combat airspace.

I took this time to marvel the beauty of the sky during our flight. It was the only time we ever felt at peace. It was this part of the job that I liked about being a pilot - despite all of the obvious negatives. Being a pegasus and all, I’ve always had a love for flying and a fondness for being in the sky. Being in a wartime environment was not what I had in mind when I thought about flying this high into the sky as a filly.

10 minutes have passed now, and I spotted a shape in the far distance, way above us. Several miles higher than us, at least. I believed that was the recon plane. I tried to get in contact again.

“Garuda 1 to Long Eye, Rover Crystal. Do you read? Over.” I spoke into the mask. No answer. More silence, just like before. The plane didn’t change course. “Repeat: Garuda 1 to Long Eye, Rover Crystal! Over.” Still nothing. We were clearly visible above the cloud layer, it was easy for him to see us. Why wasn’t he responding?

“Boss, there’s a plane way up high above. I don’t know if it’s friendly or not though.” Lucky called out.

“I’m trying to get in touch, standby.” I ordered and switched channels again. “Garuda 1 to Long Eye, Rover Crystal! Can you read me? Over.” I asked once again. This time, I was rewarded with static. Not much of an improvement. We flew closer underneath the plane, and I attempted once again to make contact. More static, but it was getting less Garbled. I could make out a couple of indistinct voices.

“-firm our chain o - kzzt - mand! We can- eyoom - track them! There’s - Fszt- !” It was barely understandable. The storm had to have provided some kind of interference. Either that, or we were still too far away. I climbed higher, my Friends following close behind. The static was becoming less concentrated, and soon I could hear clearly again.

“Incoming Message from Long Eye, 30% of Allied air units are already lost. We can’t take much more of this!”

“Where’s Mango 1? Where’s the commander plane?”

“Bug on my tail, fucking shoot him already!”

“Midnight, Shift to attack. He won't let up!”

It was a confusing and chaotic mess of voices fighting for their lives. I could make out only a couple of sentences at a time. Eventually, Another voice came in, silencing all the others.

“All Planes, I’m picking up more spots on Radar, standby for Identification.” Long Eye finally spoke. “It’s coming from the West… I think these are...”

“Long Eye, this is the 28th Fighter Squadron 'Garuda'. We’ve arrived from the Blueblood, and are here for assistance. Requesting Sitrep of the current situation in the combat airspace, over.” I spoke into the mask.

“Long Eye to Garuda, roger that. Enemy currently has Air Superiority at the moment, and our ground units are taking a hell of a beating. Are more of you coming?”

“Affirmative. We aren’t the only ones. The others should be here soon.”

“Ok, Roger that. The engagement is currently taking place below the storm clouds… you’ll have to fly into it to engage.”

I sighed. Of course, it wasn’t going to be this easy.

“How many planes are we expecting?” I asked.

“Unknown. Reports are sketchy, but there's at least a hundred in total.”

Sweet Celestia… that was an astronomically high number of planes fighting in a single. I momentarily let go of the stick, and stared at the storm clouds below. I didn’t expect it to be at this scale. My hooves felt like they went numb for a second.

“Your orders, Garuda 1?” Naya asked.

I shook my head. I couldn’t get distracted now, I have to do this. I needed to see the action for myself.

“... Garuda 1 to all planes, follow in behind me, and level out as soon as we breach the cloud cover. Keep your throttles back."

"Roger, boss." Lucky responded.

We all dove downward simultaneously towards the dark clouds beneath us. They were speeding closer towards us, as we continued to speed up. I could hear the thunder even inside my cockpit and saw more raindrops litter my canopy as we broke through the cover. Flashes of light were seen all around us, as different streaks of lightning were seen crackling the sky through the thick clumps of cloud.

When we broke through, we were greeted to the sight of a ruined, and barren landscape, filled with mud and rain. Tracers were everywhere, lighting the entire sky and the ground beneath it. I saw multiple explosions all around us litter the atmosphere, as Flak clouds were spotting up the air. The offensive was already underway, as ponies both in the air and on the ground were engaged in desperate combat.

But I noticed a flash of Red and Black zoom out of the corner of my eye. When I turned and look, I saw the same Red and Black plane from the Gulf, giving chase to a Spitfire. The sky was completely filled with them. There was no sight of a regular 109 anywhere.

It was a whole Battalion or two of them.

“Whoa... Are those the same planes we faced over the gulf?” Lucky asked, clearly not expecting the sky to be filled with them.

“Aye… That they are. What are your orders now, Garuda 1?” Bigs asked.

I was shaking more now. I couldn’t do this! This was madness! Hundreds of little monsters in one airspace? how am I supposed to fight against that?! I felt a tingling sensation riddle my spine and mane. Goosebumps were racking all over my body, as I stared at the rained filled sky, and witnessed the carnage in front of me.

There were so many planes... so much was happening all at once that I felt dizzy just looking at it all.

“Your Orders, Garuda 1?” Lucky asked next.

“Night Light, is something wrong?” Naya then piped up, before a flashing streak of lightning covered the sky, barely missing a couple of aircraft from certain death. The storm alone already made this an impossible task. But the amount of aircraft present in the area? It was too much.

“Night Light, you’re Radio Silent. Please respond.” Naya asked again. I couldn’t stop shaking. My breathing was erratic, and I wanted to jump out and hide in one of the clouds. I was so certain this was where I was going to die.

Yet another blinding streak of lightning trailed the sky, this time directly in front of me. The deafening 'BOOM!' of the thunder shook my plane, and made me jump in my seat from the sudden scare. The Lightning was becoming more frequent than usual.

This almost looked like suicide. It seemed impossible.

But was else was I supposed to do?!

Naya continued to cry as she silently returned the embrace. She didn’t say anything. She just continued to weep, while she held onto me as if for dear life. I started to tear up as well, seeing her like this, overridden with fear and depression. She seemed so tough, and yet so fragile at the same time.

I gently stroke her mane, as she cried on my shoulder. At that point, I forgot all about the war. My attention focused on her. And everything else seemed, at least for a moment, unimportant. Everything about the war; the carnage, the loss, the death, the devastation; It all seemed irrelevant to me. The only thing that was important to me was being the shoulder to cry on.

A thought struck me... My promise that I made for my Squad, how I would get them all out alive... That too was still fresh on my mind. Naya herself said I gave her hope for survival. And... if that was also the case for the others, then maybe... maybe that is the hope I need to get out of this alive a well.

Maybe I might've been overthinking it. I imagined only time would tell. For now though, I continued to hold Naya as she continued to cry...

“Garuda 1, respond! What is going on?” Lucky asked once again, as reality came back to me. I was still shaking, and silently watching the battle below. I switched to Lead Channel and listened to the carnage. There were different voices overlapping each other as if each of them was currently in combat at this moment.

“Ash, he’s on you! Lose him!”

“I’m out of ammo! Where’s the nearest runway!?”

“No no no no no, don't stall! Just stay with me... Stay with me.”

“I’m losing thrust, my engine's been punctured! Shit...”

“No No NO, I'M GOING DOWN! SOMEBODY, PLEASE-”

I turned it off soon after, unable to continue listening. I took a long, deep breath in, and held it for about 10 seconds, as silence filled my cockpit. I then took a long exhale out afterward, suddenly not feeling as nauseous as I was before. I switched to my Team’s Channel.

“-till not responding. What is going on?” Naya spoke, Nervousness clearly noticeable in her voice.

“I don’t know, maybe she’s in contact with someone else?” Lucky suggested.

“She would’ve told us. She’s not saying anything.” Bigs corrected.

I took another deep breath, gave another glance at the battlefield, witnessing the chaos. The chances for survival were very low.

We will survive!

I was still in the air, and there were ponies who were waiting and counting on me to guide them through this storm we found ourselves in.

Time to step up.

“All planes… It’s time to dive into the fireworks!”

45 minutes later...

I gasped and then wheezed, which sent me into a violent coughing fit. I sat up, and found myself covered in mud and rain… and a bit of blood.

That was before I noticed the bullet wound on my left wither. The pain was pin pricking my left side. I couldn’t remember how I got the wound. Maybe a stray bullet from one of the planes hit me? I slowly got to my hooves, wincing from the pain. I gazed at my aircraft… or what’s left of it. It was reduced to a burning heap of metal and hardened aluminum. I barely got out in time before it crashed. I was still wheezing from the air being knocked out of me though.

I pulled out my first aid kit, from my vest, and opened the contents. It was relatively basic, containing simple bandages, with morphine, and some alcohol with a cloth. I couldn’t let this wound stay open for long, lest it might get infected. I couldn’t just treat myself now in this rain, the alcohol would wash out. I had to find shelter somehow.

Then reality set in. I was behind enemy lines.

I crash-landed in the worst fucking place on the planet, right now. I was alive, but how long would that last? I had to get away from here before anyone else notice my presence. And I also had to get out of this goddess damned rain!

I landed near the base of a lake. A big one. I was also near a mountain as well. I had to be on the North side of Mead Lake. That must be the Smokey Mountains in front of me then. I looked up towards the sky to the East, finding more aircraft still swerving and circling overhead. Thunderous booms from both the storm and sounds of battle were heard from far away.

I saw another plane, one of ours, trailing yellow smoke behind him, as 2 other planes were neatly following behind him. The lead plane then broke off and proceeded to relentlessly chase after more hostile aircraft. He maneuvered up though, and around the chaos that was still in the sky. One by one, more enemies were shot down by this single plane.

It was Naya. It had to be Naya. The rest of my Team was still alive before I bailed. It’s hard to confirm if they know I am alive or not, however. The air battle looked significantly less intimidating for our side after my team arrived, however. Maybe if I live through this, it’ll work out in the end for us.

Maybe.

I contemplated my options. I couldn’t contact my team. The plane, and the radio in it was… well, not in pristinecondition.

I could try to fly using my wings in this rain to make it back to the other side of the frontline. But, it felt too dangerous. I would be flying for miles, over the entire changeling army. While the offensive was still underway. I didn’t like my chances.

I could attempt to hide and wait for the Equestrian Army to come for me, but I have no clue how long that would take. I couldn’t tell myself if they could get here within a week or within a month. I cannot count on it.

I could still try to hide… at least until the storm’s over. Maybe I could re-evaluate my options then. I was getting cold by standing out here in the downpour anyway. I turned towards the mountains, the only place I could think of where the Changelings won't be able to reach me. I don’t believe the frontline is this far, it should be okay.

I hope.

Contrails littered the sky.

I was spinning rapidly while being chased and giving chase. two planes were both in front and behind me, and neither of them like me. I burst fired the 20 Mils again at the plane in front of me, missing wildly due to the bandit on my six also shooting at me.

At this point, it was getting ridiculous.

“Garuda 2, I got one on my 6 and I can’t lose him! I could use some help.” I ordered through my mask. I kept inverting halfway, then banking in different directions to avoid his fire.

“I’m on him.” She replied hurriedly.

I saw golden tracers wheeze by over me. Naya was also shooting now. I turned my head back and found the bandit breaking off, to avoid Naya. I then turned my attention to the Bogey in front of me and found him trying to wave off to my left. I pursued behind him quickly, turning much faster than him. I fired a burst, and his plane exploded upon impact, turning it to a Fireball plummeting to the ground.

Another Spitfire flew in front of me, barely dodging me, as I saw a bogey on his six, rapidly closing in. I turned instinctively in his flight path, and fired again. It appeared into view spiraling out of control to the ground, missing a wing.

“Our support is here, who did they send us?” A voice from Lead Channel called out.

“Long Eye confirms it’s Garuda, repeat: the Reinforcement Team is Garuda!”

“The Pilots from Blueblood? I thought they were staying overseas?”

“Who cares? We appreciate the assistance, Garuda!”

I leveled out, looking for more targets. “All planes looks like we got an audience for this performance.”

“Then let’s give them a show to remember!” Lucky called out.

I continued to trek my way up the Smokey Mountains for about an hour or so. The downpour was getting less intense, and I saw the fire from my plane wreck eventually burn out, due to the seemingly never-ending rain. I was completely soaked by this point. Mud was stuck to my coat, ruining it’s Lavender color. But at the moment, it was the least of my worries.

The mountains were becoming significantly harder to traverse the higher I got. I was hoping for some kind of shelter, anything really, to get me out of this rain. An old cabin, a cave, or even a large tree. Anything would have sufficed. Instead, I got more rocky terrain.

I found more deadwood along my way up to the top of the Mountain. I collected and stowed it all in the satchel that I had on me, which also held my First Aid Kit. On the off chance that I was gonna have to get crafty in a situation like this, I need all I could get.

I used my wings to hover most of it, but the storm was making it difficult. I wish it would let up already, how long do these things last? I crested over another rocky ridge and found a large hole embedded at the base of a cliff formation. There was nothing else around the entrance, as it was pretty barren. And I doubt nobody would be able to follow me.

A perfect hiding hole.

I galloped towards the cave entrance, finally glad to get out of this awful rain already. Upon entering, I pulled out my mini satchel, and pulled out an unlit torch, and set it beside me. I also pulled out the Deadwood I collected earlier, and also set it next to the torch. I then dug in my pockets, patting myself down for any shapes bulging out. Once I found it, I pulled out the packet of matches. I then gathered all of the Deadwood I could and bound them near the entrance of the cave.

As soon as that was done, I sat down near the torch and grabbed it with my wing. I bit down on the match as I stroke it along the surface of the cave, and carefully lit the torch. I held the flame for a few seconds, until it eventually died out, achieving nothing.

I sighed and spat out the extinguished stick to pull out a new one. I stroke along the cave with my mouth again, and pulled the torch Closer. It steadily burned for another few seconds and then burnt out again, still not succeeding. “Oh for fuck sake!” I sharply muttered as I raised my left hoof up, making me wince from the pain on my bullet wound. Frustratedly, I pulled out another match, stroke the cave again, and attempted to light the torch. After a couple of seconds, it finally caught flame, and the torch was starting to burn. I spat the match away and proceeded to stow my Match pack as I sat up, torch in my wing.

The cave didn’t lead further into the mountain. It was a dead-end that extended on for about 20 Meters or so. There was nowhere to go for me now. I sighed and stared at the campfire. I trotted towards it, as I eased the torch closer to the neatly placed pile of Deadwood. After about 15 seconds of holding the steadily burning torch in place, I noticed a small ember of light emit from the pile, and waved the torch off. It was catching fire now.

I sighed, and sat down against the cave wall near the fire, as the flames grew. I slowly gazed at my wound, knowing that the next few minutes are going to suck. I pulled out the FAK from my satchel and opened its contents. I pulled out the Bandages, the Morphine, and the Alcohol with the cloth. I slowly and steadily opened the alcohol bottle and poured its contents onto the cloth. Then I proceeded to wrap the Bandage around the damp cloth, ready to cover the wound and to be wrapped around my torso quickly.

I grabbed the torch with my wing, and bit on the handle end of it, barely avoiding my face from the flames, and gritted as hard as I could. A cry of pain escaped me, as I slapped the damp cloth on the wound. An overwhelming burning sensation enveloped my side. I felt tears pricking the sides of my eyes, as I continued to wrap the bandages slowly around my torso, and tied it into place, tearing pieces of my flight suit while doing so. The pain still didn’t die down.

I pulled out the morphine syringe, popped open the cap, and jabbed it into my left hoof, almost instantaneously noticing the numbing drowsy effect. Soon the pain will die down. That is 2 of my problems down, and a lot more to go. I fixed my wound, and I am out of the rain. The storm continued to rage onward. I lost sight of the planes, and the sky was soon cleared of aircraft. The battle on the ground continued to rage on in the distance. I didn’t pay attention to it much. I focused on the sounds of fire, and the sounds of the storm.

I felt exhaustion waved over me. I was beginning to warm up from the flames, and feel somewhat at ease.

I was still alive.

Droplets of Oil littered my canopy.

As I gave chase to another bandit, it was trailing black smoke, littering oil it was leaking onto the glass of the cockpit. It obscured a part of my vision, but because we were in the storm, the rain could easily wash it off. The bogey was erratically shaking and twisting, using every trick it could muster to attempt to lose me. I banked hard to continue pursuing him, as he desperately rolled for evasion. It proved to be naught, as I fired more golden bullets at him. The black smoke became even darker after I saw flames licking his plane.

“Another one down.” I called out. At that point, I felt my plane violently vibrate and shake, as Green tracers were flying overhead. I inverted, and turned downward slightly, trying my best not to lose acceleration, and darted my head behind me, finding another bogey on my 6.

“Lucky, shift to support, I got one on my tail.” I turned my nose upwards, still faster than him, and proceeded to climb straight up. He followed behind, and more tracers were wheezing by, as he sprayed with no content. I was steadily losing speed, but so was he. I turned behind me and saw Lucky’s plane chasing after him, as the bastard began to stall out. I quickly tilted the stick to the right before I could stall out, and dove downward. Lucky was firing his guns now, and so was I, striking the same target as his plane began to break apart. When one of his wings completely broke off, I banked hard left, avoiding Lucky’s plane, as he barely missed me while climbing upwards.

“I can’t tell who killed him, but that’s another one down!” Lucky cheered.

“Good shooting Lucky, don’t get cocky. All planes, form up on me above the clouds and regroup! We’re too far apart.” I ordered my squad as I proceeded to climb.

“Okay, roger that!” Bigs responded. I looked behind me to find Lucky’s plane following close behind. I then noticed the light grey smoke my craft was trailing behind. I eyed every single gauge, and found that my Water Cooler was leaking, as it’s temperature was increasing higher than usual. I could still fly, but I had to be careful with my throttle management.

When I broke through the cloud layer, I was greeted with the blue sky and the sun. The mountain peaks were also visible far to the Northeast, as its peaks were poking above the storm, just out of reach. I saw my team slowly form up and fly close behind me.

“All planes, the enemy threat level is down, continue to engage!” Long eye spoke on Lead Channel.

“How? There’s so many of them!” Another voice spoke.

“Garuda Team is assisting you so far, you still have a chance to make something happen. Do not allow the enemy to disrupt our operations.” Long Eye ordered.

“Garuda Copies. We’re diving down now.” I switched to Team Channel. “All planes, dive on me, and prioritize on any bombers or attacker planes you may find.”

“Roger that!” They all replied as we dove into the storm once again.

The rain didn’t die down. I kept staring at my watch most of the time. About four and a half hours passed by. I couldn’t remember exactly what time it was when I got up here. But whatever it was, it is about a half hour past five about now. The torch and the fire that was burning was slowly dying out.

Nothing seemed to follow me, as I stared at the cliff, waiting for something to come… but nothing came. Instead, the downpour of the storm continued to rage down the mountain. A cold breeze was blowing in the cave. The fire was not as roaring as it was before, making the heat emitting from it not as noticeable. I huddled around it for as long as I could. I needed to savor as much of it as I could.

I was completely dry at this point though. I took off my vest, and my heavy coat, and just laid them atop of my satchel neatly near the fire, waiting for them to cool off. About 2 and a half hours since then, I put them back on, now warm and dry. I was not wet anymore either.

I stared out at the entrance of the cave and stood up. My satchel was empty now, after using the FAK. The bullet wound ceased its pain to an even ‘number’ effect. The worst of it was over, at least. I stretched my wings, and hovered in place for a moment, taking a deep breath in, and a deep exhale out. I then bolted out the cave as fast as I could and proceeded to reconnoiter the mountain around me, looking for any dead trees.

After about ten minutes of searching, I gathered more Deadwood than I did on the first round. I found no signs of life near me as I was gathering. Nobody was around me. I was completely alone up here. The sky was still booming with thunder every now and then, but there was no constant hum of Aircraft engines anymore. Distant artillery shells still hammered the ground to the East of me, but it was sporadic and distant.

When I returned to the cave, I was once again soaked to the bone. The bandages managed to stay tied around my wound, at least. I hurried back to the top of the mountain, to my cave. Using my wings to get there, it wasn’t too difficult to accomplish. I made it back inside, still not being followed. The fire was still burning softly. I dumped the firewood to the pile, and proceeded to blow on it softly, to keep it alive. I spent the next 6 minutes constantly blowing into the fire, roaring it back to life, more intense this time. I was finding myself stripping again, to dry my coat and vest once again. I laid the satchel down, and bundled the clothing atop of it neatly, allowing it to dry up again. I huddle near the burning flame, trying to warm up. It proved to be an easier task now, with the bigger fire.

I stared at my watch once again. It was six now. The sky was getting darker. I was going to have to sleep in this cave, if the rain continued at this rate. How long do these storms last? I poked the fire with a stick, moving the dead logs around just a tad. The flame would probably last all night now. Winter had arrived in Equestria, but the snow hasn’t yet. It was cold outside, but only due to the wetness of the rain, and the icy cold wind to go with it. However, the fire was quite a distance away from the cave entrance, meaning the cold wind would not reach us as easily through the fire, if it burned all night.

I waited for about another hour or two. I kept staring at my watch. It was a Quarter ‘till 8. I patted the Jacket, noticing it to be not quite as damp as before, as I equipped it. The Vest, I left it near the wall. It was some kind of armor, better than nothing at least. But for now, I had no need for it. I proceeded to set my satchel down as an improvised pillow, and laid down on it, my back towards the fire keeping me warm. I felt drowsy. The cave surface was uncomfortable, but the morphine from earlier made me a bit tired and fatigued all day. I listened to the flames burning behind me, and soon, I was out.

Bullet holes decorated my wings.

The plane I was in was beginning to slowly deteriorate as the battle continued. My ammo count was low as well, at this point, I’d have to RTB for repairs and refuel.

… If I make it.

I danced around the flak guns that were firing the sky, aiming at me. The tracers were slowly soaring towards me, as I easily dodged it. I tailed after another group of Stukas that were 5 Klicks out from the frontline, and proceeded to softly squeeze the trigger in quick bursts this time, sending tracers striking the tails and fuselages. One caught on fire, two lost their wings, 2 lost their tails, and the last one simply exploded upon contact. The whole squadron was gone, but not before their gunners managed to plug more holes in my craft.

If this battle keeps up, it’s not going to last long for me.

“Garuda 1, you looked badly damaged. Are you alright?” Naya asked.

“I’m fine, it’s just my plane that’s hurt. Not me. I can still fight though. I just need to be careful.”

“Garuda team, more Stukas incoming from the Smokey Mountains. Intercept them!” Long Eye ordered.

“Roger, we’re moving now! Garuda Team, on me; we got more Junkers to take down!”

“Good, I always hated that damn Siren they’ve got on them!” Lucky commented.

We turned towards the North Westish, more leaned towards North. We spotted the Dive Bombers not too long afterwards. I turned behind me to find aircraft on my tail, only it was my Team’s and not enemy. The Air Battle continued to rage farther behind us though. I could see black clouds of AA Flak fire litter the sky.

“We got a visual on the Stukas. Garuda Team, Engage!” I ordered.

“Roger. Firing now!”

I woke up to not hearing anything, but birds singing. The fire was extinguished completely, and I heard no more rain from outside. I slowly sat up, still tired even after sleep. The sounds were somewhat peaceful, and I couldn’t hear any gunfire in the distance. Everything was eerily quiet.

I made my way outside the cave, no longer under the threat of constant rain by the storm. There was a lot of morning dew though, I could only imagine how much after a storm like last night. The sky was no longer a depressing grey of rain clouds, but instead looking like white fluffy balls of cotton. The sun was shining down in between a gap of clouds, and the landscape beneath the mountain was a lot more clearly visible.

The Giant Lake that was Mead Lake was now visible from up here. I could also see the battlefield from yesterday next to it, towards the East. It was a muddy, barren landscape, slowly deteriorating from the war that caused it. There were trench lines, massive craters, wrecks of metal tanks that were silently rusting away. It was marred and burned, housing no fauna whatsoever.

It looked like Tartarus invaded Equestria. It was a barren, hellish battlefield

There were no signs of combat. The guns on both sides of the frontlines were silent. No battle was going on, whatever happened yesterday changed that apparently. I needed to find a way back on my side of the front. As long as I am still out here, I was never safe. I could hide more maybe, but who knows how long that would remain effective before the Changelings find me? I couldn’t risk it. I have to escape.

I veered towards the edge of the small cliff I stood near, and scanned the immediate area below the mountain. Still no signs of life. I looked up at the clouds and the sky. No signs of AA fire, or aircraft. Everything around me, for once, was at peace. I closed my eyes, and basked in its silence, knowing that it wasn't going to last much longer and that I wasn’t going to get another chance to enjoy it for a long while.

I sat down near the cliff, staring at the wide-open terrain beneath the mountain, contemplating and analyzing my situation. I wasn’t found, by anyone it seems. No pony knows I am alive, or where I am. I had to change that. I can’t hope for a rescue party, that is not happening. But I’ll be damned if I’m dying out here, by myself!

I considered my options. I could hoof it down the mountain, and sneak my way past no pony’s land across to my frontline, but it was just screaming ‘bad idea’ all over. It was too simple, and I could very easily be spotted and killed if not careful. Plus, who’s to say that the ponies won’t shoot me anyway? What if they got the impression that I was a changeling spy, trying to infiltrate their ranks? I would be executed on the spot before I got across no pony’s land. I had to find another way.

I looked toward the mountains. I couldn’t go back up. It leads to nowhere safe. A dead-end, practically. And there was certainly NO WAY I was going further West. That was a death sentence. I looked towards the sea. I could probably fly over the ocean, and find the Blueblood. But of course, I have no idea where they could be. In the last 24 hours, they could’ve gone anywhere. It would be hopeless to attempt to track them down.

Dammit, this was getting me nowhere! Everywhere I considered going, it was either death or worse. There had to be something I could do! I looked towards the scarred battlefield again. The colossal clouds were casting shadows across the marred landscape.

Clouds…

Finally, I had an idea.

A crack obscured the cockpit glass.

A stray bullet had managed to strike the front glass plane of the canopy. Thankfully, the glass was bulletproof, but the crack was still there, blocking half of my line of sight from the front. I was currently dodging and weaving against another Stuka as I gave chase, it’s rear gunner desperately trying to fend me off as I returned fire. The tracers struck the fuselage and tail consistently, making it violently shake and vibrate upon impact. More tracers landed in the cockpit, and soon the Stuka’s nose started to slowly tip down, it’s siren blaring away as it descended. I must’ve killed the pilot.

I turned my attention to the last Stuka of the formation, and proceeded to fire away, delivering more golden tracers of death to the enemy. The plane began to break apart easily, and soon it’s tail was completely detached off, sending the Stuka flipping in multiple directions as it plummeted to the ground below.

“Stuka squadron wiped out!” I called out over Lead channel. “Garuda Team, continue the attack. Wipe them from our-” I was cut off as I heard sounds of scraping and broken metal break off of my plane. I darted my head behind me, and saw two enemy planes chasing me. I Banked hard in their blind spot, and turned to evade, not keeping my eyes off of them while doing so. When they inverted again to chase me, I pulled up hard on the stick, trying to get over them.

I climbed above them, and they pulled up from under me to stay on my tail. I saw one of them speeding ahead of me, about to surpass. I continued to slow down, and maneuvered away from the bullets they were constantly sending out to me. One of them was too fast for me, and was soon surpassing over my plane, and into my crosshairs. I fired, and another plane bites the dust. The second one was still on my six. I inverted downward and dived, to gain more speed after defending against the first one. I rolled smoothly as I dove, to try to make myself as difficult of a target as possible. He was still stuck to my tail though, and more bullets struck my craft.

“Fuck, he’s good…” I muttered, as I inverted and pulled up in his blind spot, but he was quicker. He could roll faster than I could, and he pursued me relentlessly. I lowered the throttle as I pulled up, and trimmed the elevators slightly upward, to give myself any kind of edge I could accumulate against him. I still didn’t lose him. I was flying low over the giant lake heading northbound. I pulled my nose upward, and attempted to stall him out. I was rapidly losing speed now, as he was closing the gap between us. I would only get a small window if I timed this right, so I needed to make it count. I darted my head back behind me multiple times, left right left right, constantly checking if he was getting closer. He was about 20 meters or so now. One good burst from him could finish me off. I had to make this count.

His speed was proving to be his downfall, as he gently soared overhead. I saw writing on the bottom of his plane, and an emblem of a cloaked Pony (or Changeling) holding a scythe. The inscription beneath the emblem read: ‘Strigon’. He was ahead of me now, trying to climb upward to avoid my fire. My plane turned faster though, and eventually the sights glazed over his craft.

Click.

I squeezed the trigger, but nothing happened. Click. Still nothing. At that point, a terrifyingly chilly thought set in:

I was out of ammo.

“Fuck!” I yelled aloud, as I waved off, diving downward to hide from the plane that was now circling in front of me, trying to give chase again. I inverted my nose downward, gaining more speed as I descended, and pulled up again.

“Garuda 1, he’s on your tail!” Naya called out.

“I know!” I yelled back into the mask, as I pulled up away from the ground. “Naya, shift to-” I was cut off as more tracers struck my craft. The ground was getting closer. I pulled up the stick to evade. Nothing happened. I pulled the stick again. Still nothing. At that point, time seemed to slow down. I lost control of my craft, I was out of ammo, I was being chased by another plane, and I was hastily descending to the ground below me.

I was fucked.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!” I yelled in fear over and over again, as I shakily tried to unbuckle myself. I opened the cockpit canopy, instantly feeling sharp painful pricks of rain strike my face, and stretched my wings out. The ground was getting closer. I saw black smoke behind my plane, as it spun wildly.

“NIGHT LIGHT, BAIL! BAIL OUT!” Naya screeched over the radio, as I leaped out of the aircraft, and opened my wings, gliding downward very fast. I pulled myself up, but it wasn’t enough. I heard an explosion to my left as I was about to hit the ground.

And then the world went black around me

I was hovering over one of the smaller pieces of cloud, high above the scarred and ruined battlefield. I sat atop of it, as I stared down at our side of the frontline. The gap of land between our fortifications and trenches was completely void of all life. I could see multiple different colored shapes of ponies moving about in our trench line. I continued to fly East, landing on the nearest cloud as I passed over the landscape. Nothing seemed to notice my presence, so I took that as a sign that this plan was somehow working.

I wanted to try to get as far away from the frontline, at least the dangerous part of it, as quickly as possible. As I flew more and more to the East, I felt more at ease than I did before. I was no longer in changeling territory, at least.

I flew over the entire frontline in over an hour or so, and not a single bullet was shot. I didn’t stop though, I needed to find the nearest military airfield, and get back to the Blueblood. I didn’t know if anybody had the idea I was still alive. Probably not, honestly. But I was about to prove them wrong.

I flew over broken clouds for a few hours now. I didn’t stop to see how many. I was traveling all along the coastline, sticking to the ocean as close as possible. Maybe I could find the Blueblood near the coastline, and board it then? Of course, I was never as lucky as I wished to be. Hours of flying over the coast though, I did find something else… and if I was right, there might be somepony else that could help me as well.

I proceeded to make my way to the airfield in the sky, where I was before. Los Pegasus was appearing closer into view now...

Chapter 8: Resurrection [Revised]

(A2) - Chapter 2: Wake-up call

No Glory Won

Chapter 2: Wake Up Call

“Back from the dead, and reporting for duty sir!”

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“You made it back all the way to Las Pegasus, after flying over the frontlines, crash landing your plane, and after you suffered a bullet wound? All in one day?” Grim asked me as if he wasn’t able to comprehend the insanity of the situation I just described to him.

“I did what I could do, and did what I had to do. And I probably wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for that. I got lucky. Really lucky.” I answered, thinking back to the plane diving down to the ground, and how I was barely able to get out moments before the crash. I was so close to dying so many times that day, I felt like I was teasing death at that point.

Grim continued to read the several documents laid out on the table, as if trying to find a clue or detail. He still couldn’t comprehend how insane all of this sounded. Honestly, I don’t blame him. If I was told by my future self, before the war started, that all of this would happen, I would’ve thought I was dreaming or something, maybe a mild nightmare. Instead, it was a memory, not a dream. I remember it clear as day.

“So, Las Pegasus. Why go there?”

“It was the only place I could think of that had somepony there who could trust me and possibly help me. It was the only thing that made sense to me at the time. I didn’t know what else to do. If I headed west, I would be in changeling territory. If I headed North, it'll lead to more frontline combat and more open terrain. And I had no indication of where the Blueblood was, so I just... didn't take any risks and flew East. And eventually, I found Las Pegasus.”

“You said that somepony was there to help you. Who else was there that could possibly help?” Grim inquired.

“My old Instructor Sergeant, when I was still in training.”

For yet another moment, Grim took time to read the documents scattered about before him across the table. He suddenly stopped cold and looked like he saw a Ghost.

“R-Rainbow Dash?! She was your Drill Sergeant?” Grim Stuttered. I could not help but smile at his reaction. “You mean to tell me that the Rainbow Dash, Bearer of the Element of Loyalty, was your Drill Sergeant?”

“Yes.” I simply replied. He did not follow suit with any other form of reply for a short while, before he frowned.

“What else have you been holding out on me?” Grim asked, slowly leaning towards me.

“I would care to enlighten you on that question if you could only allow me. I must take it through chronologically if you wish to understand, though! Now are you going to let me finish what happens next, or not?”

He looked away for a moment. The room was dead silent, as I could hear his slow breathing. He turned his head back, before speaking in a gruff voice. “Continue.”

“As I said, I flew to Las Pegasus in the hopes of find Rainbow. I thought that maybe I could have her help me get back to the Blueblood.” I paused. "... But that didn't work." I concluded.

"Why and how?" Grim pressed.

"It didn't go quite as planned."

Las Pegasus. A part of me thought I was never going to see this place again, or at least for a long time, after training. Hard to believe I was back here again, more than a year later. I was currently flying over the northern city limits, which was the ‘cloud district’, as the ponies called it. Large monoliths of reshaped clouds now converted into multiple buildings decorated the sky around me. I was standing atop a smaller puff of cloud as I analyzed the city around me. I could see the Sky Strip, which was the airfield in the clouds that I stayed for months during training. Rainbow was there, last I saw her. If she was anywhere, she was there.

I took a breather atop of that cloud, after flying for so long. I felt exhausted, and pain still pricked my left side, even with the bandaged wound. I felt exhausted and hurt all over. Stopping on top of a cloud, I took about five minutes to rest for a while.

In the timespan of those five minutes, I took a moment to gently life open the bandages that covered my wound. It was difficult since my hooves were not great at pulling things. I eventually resorted to using my teeth, gently prying open the red-stained cloth. My Wither has definitely seen better days, but the cleaning and bandaging seemed to have stopped any sort of infection at least. It still looked nasty, though. I unfolded all of the bandages wrapped around my torso and pulled out the FAK from my vest once more. Opening it up, I found one more Syringe of morphine, and one more bundle of Bandages. I decided that since I was already close to Las Pegasus, I would just use them both here and now.

And so, after five minutes of that, I was freshly bandaged and felt somewhat loose on the muscles. I then proceeded to fly Southeast, to the airfield in the sky. The flight took about another five minutes, and as I proceeded to the entrance A pair of Royal Pegasi Guards were standing by the front entrance. As I landed, I was immediately stopped by one of them as he stepped forward.

"Halt! Who are you?"

"Night Light.

“I need to see Rainbow Dash. She was my drill Sergeant, she knows me.”

They gazed at each other for a while, doubt on their face. “Ok, now I’m starting to doubt that’s true. Why would Rainbow Dash remember you? And why would you want to see her?”

“She was my teacher. You can ask her yourself. Tell her she knows Night Light. She’ll listen.”

“Look, lady, we get you’re a pilot and all, but we can’t let you in without a good reason. And your 'want to see Rainbow Dash' response is not a good enough reason.” One of them chuckled. “Hell, for all I know, you could be a changeling spy, trying to assassinate her, or something. In fact,” one of them leaned closer to me. “Who’s to say you aren’t?”

I sighed, head hanging low. I thought my words carefully for about a minute or so when one of them spoke again. "Just leave, or be prosecuted. Your choice."

Prosecuted. That word alone gave me an idea.

“Look, you have orders to follow. I get it. But I am telling you all the truth." They looked unimpressed. Now, maybe to you that doesn’t matter. But one of two things is gonna happen: Either one, I get in and get what I want, which is seeing Rainbow Dash, and everypony’s happy. Or two, you could send me away, and pretend this whole encounter never happened - and that is also fine." I lied through my teeth. "But if you do send me away, and if Rainbow finds out that two certain Royal Guards didn’t let a pilot under her guidance through to see her - after surviving behind enemy lines in the middle of a storm - what do you think she would say? Because I don’t think she would like that.”

"In fact - dare I say - she may prosecute you two."

The two guards looked at me, with conflicting expressions. They did a double-take between me, then each other. They were hesitant to say anything.

“So let’s make an agreement. For each of us. I stay here, and one of you go find her, and fetch her to me if you’re still hesitant. Or even better, you could just let me in…” I finished and waited for their reply. They didn’t say a word. They gazed at each other again, before slightly nodding, and proceeded to step aside.

“Fine. Go on ahead.” One of them spoke.

“Thank you kindly,” I said to them, gingerly stepping through the gate and inside to the airbase. "I'll be sure to tell Rainbow Dash how well you cooperated." I wryly muttered to myself.

I noticed not much has changed since the last time I was here, aside from the new and different aircraft in the hangers. But other than that, the rest of the complex remained unchanged for the most part. I could see different groups of ponies frolicking about doing their daily activities, which was either training, maintenance, or test flights. I couldn’t see Rainbow in the midst of it though. She might be inside somewhere, in one of the many buildings. I decided it would be better not to waste my time on searching for her without any sense of where she was and decided to ask others instead, who were more willing to assist me than the two guards at the gate.

One Maintenance Pony guided me towards one of the closed hangers, saying she’s inspecting the new aircraft that had just arrived out of commission. Hanger A2, to be more specific, which was located on the Eastern Wing of the airfield. I looked both ways before crossing the runway and proceeded to make my way to the Hanger. Ponies all around me were giving skeptical and curious looks, as they see a muddy and bandaged pilot stroll along the runway. Some even dropped their tools to stare. I couldn’t help but feel flushed on my cheeks. Picking up the pace, I stood in front of the large sliding door, which was closed. I trotted to the right of it, to a much more smaller door, and opened it slowly, hearing voices echo off the interior walls. There was a plane, much like the Seafire, but different. It had the same shape and guns, but different paint and look. A Spitfire was stationary inside the hanger.

Upon entering inside, the voices became more distinct, and I could make out a passing conversation.

“...New Merlin Engines, with 1,720 Horsepower, a climbing rate of 22.7 Meters per second, 150+ octane fuel, and a turn time of 15.8 seconds. Rainbow, you might call this ‘just another plane’, but for me? This is an achieving feat in aviation.” A stallion spoke.

“I don’t need all the egghead stuff, Doc. I need to know if it is ready to fly, because we got newcomers who are anxious to get their hooves on the stick, and they need these planes.” I heard Rainbow reply.

“Of course it can fly. I’m simply trying to tell you the significant improvements we made from the Hurricane to this. This is a formidable aircraft, one that can counter the Changeling threat.”

“Here’s hoping. The sooner we can find some way to implement Air Superiority across Equestria, the better chance we have to win this war.”

“Wars are not won just in the air, Rainbow. They are fought on the ground. Yet in the air, wars can change. Aircraft nowadays have a chance to change the tide of battle, just by one move. The sooner we adapt to it, and the sooner we exploit it, the better.” The Stallion explained.

I trotted around the aircraft, silently admiring it as I listened to the conversation. Rainbow and a white Unicorn Stallion wearing a Black coat came into view, the Stallion immediately noticing my presence. Rainbow was facing away from me, as she continued to talk.

“We have ponies who are dying on the frontlines left and right because we can’t find a way to properly dive-bomb without CAS planes, or Bombers. Tell me this thing can at least carry a bomb.”

“It does. And..." he stopped, as his eyes locked onto mine. I then noticed that they - ever so subtly - widened just a tiny bit. "You have a visitor.” The Stallion gazed towards me, rather surprised at my sudden appearance. Rainbow sighed.

“Dammit Corporal, I said no-” She turned to face me, stopping cold as soon as she caught sight of me. We both stood there, staring at each other for seemingly forever. I held my breath, as Rainbow began to speak. “Who are… wait.” She leaned in closer, noticing my Lime Green Eyes, my Silver Mane, and Lavender Coat. “Night Light?” She squeaked.

I gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of my head with a hoof. “Yeah… I can-” A streak of Cyan flashed in front of me, followed by a large force pushing my chest as I was sent flying a few meters back. The pain was roaring from my left side after the tackle, as some of the bandages started to become looser. Rainbow was standing over me on all four hooves, frowning at me. She squinted her eyes and scanned me all over.

“Look look, I know you’re suspicious as to why I’m here and not at the Blueblood, but I promise it’s not what it-” Before I could finish, I noticed her eyes squinted once more. Another strong force slammed into the side of my head, and I soon fell unconscious.

I woke up to a splitting headache and searing pain on my left side. My head felt like it was constantly being hammered. I awoke, only to find myself laying on a hard concrete floor. I stood up, finding myself in a small, monotone grey walled room, with only one metallic door on one of the walls. There were no beds, no chairs or tables, or windows. Just four walls and a ceiling. A single light bulb was hanging from the ceiling, being the only source of illumination in this room.

“Hello?” I called out weakly, shakily getting on my hooves. The room started to spin, as my head erupted in piercing pain. I sat hard on my haunches, clinging my temples. Groaning, I stared at the door. There was literally nothing else in this room, but me. I peered to my left side, finding my bandages to be more secure and tight. They looked like they were redressed... again. Somepony else must’ve done that.

I gazed around the room once more, still finding nothing. Slowly, I stood on my hooves. My skull felt like it was being violated constantly. It actually felt nauseating. Memories came back to me one by one. I remember... being in a hanger and was knocked out by... something- no, somepony... Rainbow Dash! That was it! The Revelation of my former mentor possibly being the one to drag me in here did not do wonders to my morale or esteem.

There was a soft click emitting in front of me, and a loud groan as the metallic door swung open, revealing the same white Unicorn Stallion that was in the Hanger with Rainbow. He levitated a long rod-shaped object in his telekinetic grasp, with a crystal at the end of it. Some kind of staff?

“You’re awake.” He spoke, in a more calming and debatable manner. "Good." He closed the door and proceeded to trot towards me, stopping just a few meters in front of my face. "You're probably in pain, aren't you?" He asked, still and quiet. I could only nod. His magic gently set the staff aside leaning against the wall. then his horn glowed even brighter, as a wave of warm and soothing energy was flowing through me. I suddenly felt lighter in the head, and the pain instantly receded.

"You should feel better now." He spoke again, as his horn glowed softly again. the staff was waved over me, and the crystal began to softly hum with a soft grey hued glow. “Hold Still.” He commanded. I felt a wave of vibration resonating me. Then the humming stop, as there was a ‘ping’ noise. The Crystal suddenly blinked green. The white unicorn looked relieved.

“Good. Good. You really aren’t one of them. That’s good.” He spoke slowly.

“What’s going on? Why am I here?” I stared hard at him. “And who are you?”

“Relax, Night Light. I’m not going to harm you. I just needed to make sure you really weren’t a Changeling. Can’t be too careful.” He paused and looked to the side of my head. “And... sorry about Rainbow Dash. She always acts before thinking like that.”

I rubbed my head softly. “Yeah, I know she does. I was her student at a time.” I paused. “Wait. How do you know my name?” I asked.

"Rainbow said your name... before she knocked you unconscious. Perhaps you do not remember." He answered. My mind instinctively wandered back, and I did remember her saying that before tackling me.

"How... How long was I out?"

“Just an hour.” he replied. Standing up now, I tried to trot towards the door. The Stallion stopped me with a hoof. “I wouldn't do that. It is not the wisest course of action, right now. You need to stay here. She’s still not convinced.”

“Convinced of what?”

“That you are not a Changeling Spy. Simply ‘waving a staff’ around you, as she said, is apparently not enough for her.”

What? Why could she not believe that... Nevermind, I shook my head. That wasn't important. "I need to see her."

“You can’t.” he interrupted. “Right now, if you tried to ask Rainbow again, by just waltzing through that door, you’ll set off a chain of events that will ultimately lead to your real death. So do not do that.” he turned back and closed the door behind him. “Right now, I’m trying to make sure you make it through this alive. As long as Rainbow thinks you’re a spy, you’ll never be safe. I’ve tried to convince her otherwise, but it is usually like talking to a brick wall.”

“I… what’s happening?”

“I’m saving your life, that's what’s happening. I need your help with something as well.”

He slowly levitated the Square Spectacles he was wearing, folding them up neatly before stowing it in his coat pocket. “But first, are you alright? The bandages are not too tight, are they?” He asked me. I gazed at my left side, now noticing the numbing effects of Morphine in me. I felt slow and groggy. It could've been mine, but it felt really intense. I might've been doubled dosed again as I was unconscious.

“I’m fine. Who patched me up?”

“Well, I did.”

“You?”

“Yes.” He gazed at the bandaged wound. “After Rainbow knocked you unconscious, I talked some sense into her. I told her I would inspect you while you were out, and see if you were a changeling. Of course, it’s not that easy, but lying to her was the only way to calm her down… and to make sure you weren’t dead.” He blankly spoke. “After that, I took a look at that wound of yours. It wasn’t infected, thank the goddess, so redressing your wound was all I had to do.”

“I… Thank you. Why would she not just listen to me though? I could’ve explained everything to both of you had she not done that.”

“Night Light, we are at war. We currently live in a world that is locked in conflict all across the planet. At least, where we are. Who knows what could lie beyond the ‘World Ocean’? But I digress. In Equestria we are fighting the Changeling Hegemony, that has slowly been taking our land and killing off our population for their ‘love’. A cruel Irony, if you ask me. We are also fighting the Karthinian Pact, which is Wingbardy, those foolish Fascist Griffins in Griffonia along with several other fascist griffon countries, next to our colony there!

“In the Northern part of that same continent, we have the Aquilean Republic now in a Two-Front war because of our plea for help. They are fighting the Changelings for us, and fighting the Griffonian Empire that currently owns a good big chunk of their land due to their military aggressiveness, and are also hostile to us.

“And as if that doesn’t sound more insane enough, there’s Another Griffon Empire that resides to our North, just next to Stalliongrad, Yakyakistan, and the Crystal Empire. And they are also trying to be Hostile with us AS WELL!” He was yelling now. I stayed stoic and silent, as he was silently breathing heavily. He took a moment to close his eyes, to reassert himself, and to calm down. “The point is, do you think you would be as suspicious as Rainbow was when she first saw you?”

It was a logical... rant, that he did. Yet the fact that Rainbow would just blatantly refuse to see reason did not make sense to me. Why? Why wouldn't she just hear me out? “I still could've explained everything though. You know, talked some sense into her…” I paused for a moment. “... And what did you mean earlier when you said you were trying to prevent my ‘Real Death’?”

“Night, everypony thinks you’re dead.” Doc said with a firm tone. I stopped cold

“Wh… What?”

“I remember the Report in my head exactly when I first read it. ‘At 12:54 hours on November 18th, 1012, Night Light was confirmed shot down by a Changeling Plane. No witnesses were able to see her bailout of the plane, due to bad weather, so she is assumed KIA.’ Night Light, me and Rainbow read that report only about 2 hours ago. And as of this moment, you just came back from the dead. That’s why Rainbow was suspicious.”

I felt a heavy weight sink down in my chest. All of my friends think I’m dead. No wonder Rainbow tackled me. “Does anypony else know?”

“We haven’t sent a letter and a flag home to your mother in a box yet if that’s what you’re saying. But other than that, only Me and Rainbow, and your crew know about it.” He paused, levitated his glasses and put them on. “Anyway, I digress again. You want my help, and I want your help.” He sat down on his Haunches, sitting in front of me now. “Does the name… ‘Strigon’ sound familiar?” He asked. My mind instantly raced back to the last image I saw of the plane I was fighting before crashing. That Insignia. That Reaper.

“Yes. Very much so yes.” I nodded.

“That’s good… because I have a question I think only you can answer, Garuda.”

I widened my eyes in shock. How did he know?

“You’re Garuda 1, aren’t you? Of the 28th Fighter Squadron?” He asked me.

“How… Who told you that?” I gasped back.

“Nopony did. We have ways of knowing that sort of thing. I have ways, at least. Anyway, you are Garuda Lead. You were there at the multiple Skirmishes and Battles against the ‘Strigons’. You fought against them. You and your team helped to destroy one of their smaller, but more Elite Air Units over Pegasi Gulf. That apparently made them very upset. Then we heard last night that your team also destroyed about 40 or so of their planes during the large storm battle over Mead Lake yesterday. You’ve now officially pissed them off. And they are feeling themselves for taking you down.”

He paused to catch his breath. “But now you’re here, you’re not dead, and everypony except a few select others doesn’t know that. I want you to do a big favor for me, as a token for me conceptually saving your life.” He offered.

“What kind of Favor?” He then pulled out another object from his Coat Pocket. A small accessory, though I can’t tell what for.

“This is something I like to call ‘The Eavesdropper’. Something a few of the lab ponies made for counterintelligence. It’s supposed to automatically decrypt and relay enemy communications, much like a Radar. Anything the Changelings say in radio communication, whatever frequency it is, this thing can auto-track, translate, and relay. In almost an instant.”

I stared at the tiny object. It was barely big enough to clip behind my ear, like an incomplete Earmuff. It was so small, but yet it could do so much.

“This is the only one of its kind that exists. We tested it, and it works as long as you are in close proximity of the enemy. About five Kilometers or so, give or take. I want you to use it on the ‘Strigons.’ during you’re missions against them, equip this on your ear in order to hear the communications. My job in my..." He took a long moment to carefully pick his words. "My Department has selected me to pick somepony qualified to use this for it's intended purposes. That somepony is you. Do you think you could that for me?”

I stared at Doc's stretched out hof, holding the delicate item in the palm of his hoof. “Why would I want to know what they are saying?” I asked.

“You probably don’t. But we do. This thing is also connected to our one-band frequencies, so we can hear everything it’s saying without putting it on ourselves. That’s why I’m asking you to do it. You’d be helping us immensely.”

I gazed at the small object. “You want me to hear what they are saying, so you can hear what they are saying?”

“Essentially, yes. As a token for doing so, I’ll help you get back to your friends and the Blueblood. Do we have a deal?" He asked. I contemplated his offer for about a minute or so, I cannot say for certain. I didn't really have much of a choice, honestly. It's either me going back to my friends while carrying a piece of plastic or... Celestia only knows what else.

"Alright. I'll do it." I reluctantly accepted, grabbing the Eavesdropper from his hoof. It felt virtually weightless and easy to conceal. Doc gave no reaction to my acceptance.

"Now in order for this to work, Rainbow must think you’re still dead for a little while longer. I have a plan. I need you to wait here for me, and I’ll be back.” He turned and trotted towards the door, and proceeded to leave through the door, leaving me alone again. I noticed a patch embroidered on his left shoulder of the coat. A Face, with a very wide smile.

Somehow, it disturbed me.

I trotted towards one of the walls, and sat against it, counting little sheep in my head doing so. Ten. Twenty. Fifty. A Hundred. I was starting to lose count. I had absolutely nothing on me, or in this room with me, to do anything. I was confined in a monotone square box and was starting to feel claustrophobic. Two Hundred Sheep. Three Hundred.

The door clicked, and groaned open once more, revealing the same Unicorn whose name I still don’t know. He had two things in his telekinetic grasp. A Large Bag, and a Gun. The Gun, in particular, looked different. It was some kind of specially shaped pistol, from what I could tell. I shifted back against the wall, clearly skeptical of what the gun was for.

“Alright, I know you’re not going to like the plan I have in store for you, so I’ll just go ahead and do it and tell you what to do instead of wasting time arguing about it. You’re going to wake up and find yourself in a hanger. Inside that Hanger is a Plane I’ve assigned you to fly back to your carrier. And inside that plane will be coordinates on where the Blueblood should be. Don’t ask how I got the plane, just take it and go.” He paused and lifted the gun towards me. “And… sorry for what happens next.”

“Wh-” I could barely get a word out before a soft ‘pshew’ noise emitted from the pistol, firing a painful syringe on my right side. I cried out in pain and felt an enormous wave of exhaustion crash over me. In an instant, I was unconscious again

I was starting to get tired of waking up in random places in pain, by the hooves of ponies who I thought could help me no less. I rubbed my mane again, and found myself in a quiet, but larger room this time. I was staring at a tool bench fixated against the wall.

“You’re awake.” I heard a mare’s voice behind me. I turned to look, only to find a plane parked in front of me… and a griffon laying atop of it. “You’re a Heavy Sleeper.” she spoke nonchalantly.

“Ow,” I muttered as another headache invaded my skull. “Why does everyone knock me unconscious? It’s annoying.”

“Rainbow did it ‘cause she thought you were a spy. Doc did it ‘cause it’s how he moves things. And ponies, apparently.” she scanned me all over. “But anyway, I did my job, you’re awake, and I can go now. Here,” she tossed a metallic ring with dangling objects attached to it to the ground in front of me. I picked it up, finding multiple Keys attached to it. “Big Blue one opens the Hanger doors. Smallest Key is the key to the plane. And the ‘Blueblood’, as Doc said, is in the plane seat. Enjoy.” She opened her larger fur wings and proceeded to slowly hover towards a large hole in the ceiling, revealing the stars in the night sky.

“Thanks, I guess.” I spoke. She turned to face me, confusion wracked on her face.

“For what?”

“For watching me. And carrying me. And helping me... For everything really.”

She shrugged. “Meh, it’s nothing. Doc usually calls in favors like this, and every time he does I get paid, so I don’t complain. If you wanna thank anypony, thank Doc for caring enough to help you.” With that, she turned and flew away to the sky.

I turned to face the large hangar door that was currently closed. To the left of it, hanging against the wall, lied a Red Button with a keyhole underneath. After trotting towards it and inserting the Blue Key, the button now blimped green. I pressed it, and the door slid open, revealing more of Luna’s beautiful starry night. There was no clouds apparent in the sky, just an abundance of twinkling crystals that decorated the void of the atmosphere, along with a waning moon just off to the northwestern horizon. I was standing in the middle of a dirt runway, made of gravel and tiny pebbles, along with some sand. A derelict airfield. I must be in the San Palomino Desert… or the Badlands. Either way, I was in the middle of nowhere, with no signs of life around me… except myself.

A Coyote howled in the distance, its lonely howl echoing across the barren desert. There were large, some even colossal, Cacti that litter the landscape. Giant Rock Formations, which I assume were ancient, tower over the empty horizon. A humid smell of Sulfur pervaded the air around me. The wind was blowing stray Sand and Dust across the abandoned runway, wherever I was. Sounds of Crickets and Cicadas buzzed all around me.

I felt a sense of overwhelming stillness inside my soul as I basked in the moonlight. Everything was completely still. Not a single Pony, Griffon, Changeling, or otherwise was seen out here. Nothing from the war affected the terrain or the wildlife in any way. It’s as if there was never a war to begin with in the first place. Like it was all just a Nightmare, that felt so real yet distant. You could lose your train of thought, and lose yourself as well out here… and yet, I feel nothing but peace.

It was a calming, blissful void of silence, one that seemed to stretch on infinitely. I wanted to stay here forever.

But I can’t. Not now. There’s still so much to be done for me, I couldn’t stop now. I turned back to the Hanger, and trotted towards the plane in the hanger. I hovered over the cockpit and grabbed the piece of paper that was laying in the pilot seat. It was a neatly drawn map of the southern part of Equestria. I was in San Palomino, just as I first predicted. There was an arrow guiding me Northwest, to the Lunar Ocean. Actually, they were specific Coordinates. Writing was etched next to the Arrow. “Be there by 0600 Hours at the given Coordinates.” was all that was written.

I boarded it and closed the cockpit Canopy. Controls look the same as the Seafires from the Blueblood, but the outer layer is painted differently. It had woodland camo on it. This must’ve been one of the Spitfires that ‘Doc’ was talking about.

I started the engine and waited for the propeller to spin up first before slowly easing my throttle forward. The plan gently taxied outside of the Hanger, and I stepped on the right Rudder Pedal to face the runway. When straightened out, I pulled back the throttle and hit the brakes. The plane stopped its movement and faced straight, propeller still spinning. I calibrated the propeller pitch, the Ailerons, Elevators, Flaps… Rudders already worked. Guns were on safety still. I didn’t bother to change it, due to the fact that I probably won’t find any planes along the way. But I could always change it when the time does come.

Once I was finished Calibrating my craft, I slid the throttle forward, sending the plane speeding along the runway. In a matter of 11 seconds, I was already ascending in the air. Almost ten seconds flat. Rainbow would’ve been proud of these things, had she seen me flying this thing. Part of me wished I was still able to convince her, instead of pretending to be dead all this time.

I ascended to about 800 meters above the ground, and turned the plane Northwest, bearing 310. I checked the clock. It read 4:51. I had to be there by four. I had over an hour. It was all the time I needed, as my Fuel read 80 Gallons. The tank was fully loaded for this flight. I could stay up here for at least an hour, maybe more.

I switched to Blueblood’s Frequency. I was obviously out of range at the time, but I would be ready to respond to his communications when I get close. No doubt they will not be expecting me, so hopefully, nopony shoots me down.

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if they did.

After about 50 or so minutes of Flying, I was already over the location I was supposed to be at. by that time, the sun was coming up, and I could see farther ahead of me now. There was a very little amount of clouds formed in the sky today, as I continued to fly.

The still, flat plane of churning water below me was reflecting the dawning light as I soared overhead. There was a sense of tranquility racking over me as I listened to the engine’s constant rumble. Other than that, no other sound was clearly hearable. I also saw nothing but water, cloud, and sky. Not much to listen to, or look at. Still, it was a pretty sight thanks to the sunrise. Intricate, yet simply beautiful to look at.

I kept darting my eyes below me, and around me, eyeing the water for any sight of strange shapes, or silhouettes. Any kind of sign that indicates where the fleet was. The flotilla composition shouldn’t have changed since I last took off from The Blueblood. A sum of over 20 destroyers or more, a decent amount of all kinds of cruisers, 2 Battleships, and the 2 Carriers. I didn’t know too much about the other ships. I caught bits and pieces from the other sailors of a few names: Ursa Minor, Canterlot, Luna, Celestia, Twilight, Cadence (All the princess named ships were Battlecruisers). I couldn’t keep track of all of them. The only ones I knew for certain were The Blueblood, and the Ark Royal, which were both of the carriers.

About 5 minutes of scanning the have passed and still no sign of them. I tipped my nose down, losing altitude, to get a closer inspection of the sea around me. I eased the throttle back, as I gained speed. When I was below 1500 Meters or so, I leveled out, sliding the throttle forward about halfway. I did a quick half-roll and stabilized, looking “Below” me through the top of the cockpit. No sight of any ships was found.

I was running dangerously low on fuel, and if I didn’t find the fleet soon, I may have to ditch the plane and fly on my own. I had about 12 Gallons left. That’s about under 15 minutes of flying time left in this thing. I veered my head left and right, up and down, continuously searching for the Lunar Ocean Fleet. Hidden away beneath a small break in between two clouds, I barely notice a strange shape on the ocean surface. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a wake, from a moving ship. The fleet had to be there.

I descended downward toward the gap in the clouds, revealing more and more of the wake until finally, a Destroyer came into view. I dove straight down again, descending for a few hundred more Meters, before leveling out, facing the Destroyer. The rest of the fleet then came into view, revealing many small and large ships spread out, separating themselves at large distances. A gap of about a kilometer was in between every ship. I saw no aircraft flying around, which was odd because most of the time there would usually be pilots out on C.A.P. around the fleet for most of the day. The Carriers were located in the middle of the large Formation, which was shaped into a colossal Diamond shape.

Static emitted from my right earmuff, followed by a stern stallion’s voice. “Attention Unidentified Aircraft, you are violating Equestrian Law and are flying in a Restricted Airspace. State your intention, or divert your course Immediately, or else, we will use deadly force.”

Well, at least they actually tried to talk to me first. That was a good sign for me.

“Might I ask who is speaking?” I replied.

“That is classified. I will ask again: state your intention, or divert your course.”

“I’m a verified Equestrian Pilot. I wish for permission to land on the Blueblood.”

“Negative. Only assigned Pilots for the Blueblood are verified to land. And as far as I know, I have no clue who you are. Now Divert your course Immediately!”

“But I am assigned to the Blueblood! I’m from the 6th Air Unit, 28th Tactical Fighter Squadron. You must know me, or have my name somewhere!”

There was silence for a long while, and I worried if I must’ve lost the connection, or if he hung up on me. But about a minute later, he spoke again. “Garuda 1… Night Light. She is confirmed Killed in Action over Mead Lake.” He paused. “So you mean to tell me that you came back from the dead, and flew back here? And how am I supposed to believe that?”

Dammit, this isn't working. I had to convince him, and fast; I was running on fumes at this point. “I am telling the truth!” Just at that moment, two planes buzzed overhead. I didn’t even see them coming. They flew side by side until they broke off and turned toward me. They did not seem friendly. Though I could tell by their sloppy flying form that they were rookies.

“Right, and I am Princess Cadence, coming all the way from the Crystal Empire. Last chance; Divert your course immediately.” The planes behind me were gaining on me, fixing their sights on me. I slowly set my left hoof on the throttle and kept my right on the stick.

All or nothing.

“Okay then, I guess I will have to give you a last chance as well. I have 3 other ponies on that Goddess forsaken Carrier that need to know I am still alive, and for some reason you are making this very difficult for me to even achieve this simple task, so I will just cut to the chase: You order those planes to shoot me down, and you’ll be forced to send two more Equestrian Flags to those Pilot’s Mommas, courtesy of me. All I am asking is permission to land. If you refuse, I can and will shoot them down. I don’t want to, however, so put aside your wartime anxiety for just one moment and actually use your pea-sized brain to think about this for a second.” I paused to catch my breath, before continuing. “There are three Ponies who were with me when they saw me crash: Naya, Big Mouth who is also known commonly as ‘Bigs’, and Four Leaf who goes by ‘Lucky’. Tell them that Night Light wants them to talk to me. And tell them to ask me a question only I would know the answer to.” I paused again. He hasn’t bothered to speak over me yet, meaning I must be getting to him.

“If you do that, telling them I sent you, they will oblige and will help you prevent two more senseless deaths. You have my word. The only factor in all of this that can change that is whether or not you are willing to comply with this request. And whether or not you think Pony Lives are expendable.” The two planes behind me were still gaining and were even closer now. There was nothing but the sound of the engine that filled the air, as tension grew. There was no response from the guy on the radio. I checked my fuel; 10 Gallons. For about 2 minutes, I flew in dead silence, eyeing the aircraft behind me in case if the planes were given the order to fire on me.

Please don’t make me do this…

More minutes of Silence passed on until finally there was another voice, one I recognized almost instantly. “Night Light?” She spoke timidly.

“Hey, Naya.” Was all I replied.

“Wait a moment, hold on, let me through here just for a…” there was a lot of background chatter and commotion before I could hear another voice clearly. “Night Light, is that really you?”

“Yes, it’s me Lucky.”

“Holy shit, it actually is. Night Light, we thought you were dead!” Bigs then spoke.

“Everypony thinks I’m dead, Bigs, tell me something I don’t know.”

“Whew, where do I start? Uh, well, for one, Naya is Team Lead… well, was, now that you’re here.” Lucky casually nickered.

“Not so fast.” the stallion from earlier then spoke again. “I brought you up here to validate whether or not that is actually Night Light, so I order you three to each ask ‘Night Light’ a question that only you would know the answer to.”

“That all? Shoot, that’s easy!” Lucky interrupted. “Night Light, remember the time you had to help me get that bandit off of my tail over Mead Lake, where you had to hit him head on?”

“Vaguely, yes.”

“What did I say, or I guess Bellow, afterwards?”

“You said:” I cleared my throat, trying my best to pull off the best impression of Lucky I could muster, “YEEEEEHAWWW, that’s some solid shooting, Night Light!”

More silence. About half a minute passed by, before Lucky spoke again. “Welp, I’m convinced, can we let her down now?”

“No! We haven’t started with the other two yet. Bigs, step toward the mic.” More sounds of ruckus emitted from the tower, before Bigs’ voice could be heard.

“Shit, uh… I never really told her anything that could be used against us, so I don’t know what to say.” more silence, as Bigs must be pondering to himself on what to say. “What is my favorite vulgar word to say?”

Oh… that was easy. “All of them.” I spoke blankly.

“Wow… she’s right.”

“Oh for- move aside!” the stallion spoke again. “You, Red Pony, get over here!” He must’ve been referring to Naya. I could hear indistinct conversations between my team, and several other ponies, before finally there was silence. The silence lasted for about a minute or so. I checked my fuel, and it read 6 gallons. Come on Naya…

Finally, I heard her voice. She was far timider and quiet than I had ever seen her been. “Night Light, I…” her voice was quivering as if she was scared out of her life. She didn’t speak again, she was silent.

“Get on with it!” The Stallion prompted.

“Give her a break, asswipe, she’s distressed!” Lucky snapped.

“Shut it, both of you!” I barked back. “Naya, are you still there?”

More silence. At this point, I was starting to get worried. What was going on with Naya? It was uncharacteristic for her to be this quiet. Did my fake death had something to do with that? Actually, my death wasn’t fake… just falsified.

“Night Light, remember… when I told you what I was afraid of?”

“I do, but I do not think you want others to hear that, don’t you?”

“To Tartarus with them, I don’t care! Just tell me… what was I afraid of?”

I didn’t respond right away. I sat there pondering what to say, trying to find the right words. She told me she was afraid that all her efforts would be for naught. But I struggled to find a simpler way of saying that. Finally, I spoke, “You’re afraid of dying.”

She didn’t reply, so I continued. “You’re afraid of dying when you reach closer to the end. You’re afraid of tripping at the finish line after going through so much turmoil. But most importantly, you’re afraid of failing. Failing your team, your country, and yourself. And Naya? It’s okay. It’s okay to be afraid.” She was still silent.

“Naya, at the battle over mead lake, before we dove down to the chaos, I froze. I was paralyzed with fear, literally. I couldn’t stop shaking, I was on the verge of hyperventilating, and I wanted to do nothing but fly away and hide from this hellhole we found ourselves in. But I remember what you told me earlier before that battle: that I was a pony who made you feel like you could survive through anything. And if I survived Mead Lake, and cheated death, then you can too.”

I heard nothing from the radio. I was flying over the entire fleet, the escort fighters still on my tail. They were about 50 meters away from me. Despite the hostility, and the fact that an “Unknown” Aircraft was flying overhead, not one ship opened fire on me.

After a long silence, I heard Naya speak again. “It’s her. It’s definitely her. There is no doubt in my mind about that.”

“Yup, I agree. That is definitely her, alright.” Lucky added.

“Hell yeah, that is something Night Light would definitely say.” Bigs replied.

“So can I land now? I have 4 Gallons left in this thing, I can’t keep it in the air any longer.” I interrupted.

“It still doesn’t explain How Night Light is alive, even after the crash. For all we know it could be a changeling trying to infiltrate!”

...Is he serious? Is he actually serious?

“And you’re not going to give her a chance to explain how? Come on, give the Mare a break, she probably had to endure pure hell to get to us!” Lucky snapped.

“It doesn’t prove anything! I’m trying to keep this ship, and ultimately the fleet, from being compromised.”

“How the hell would a changeling manage to get a hold of a spitfire then? They wouldn’t be this determined to infiltrate, they would be more direct and-”

“WILL YOU SHUT IT!” I yelled. I had enough of this shit. “I am about to crash because you ponies - not you Lucky - cannot make up your damn minds about me! Just let me land already, and I’ll tell you everything.”

“Yeah, enough’s enough. Just give her permission. Trust me, she’s the real deal.” Lucky responded. There was silence for a while, before the stallion cleared his throat and spoke.

“Alright, I’m giving you permission to land on the Blueblood. But just for the record, if you really are a spy, you’ll be executed right on the spot.”

I rolled my eyes. A useless gesture, given that nobody could actually see it. “Yeah yeah, you’re all heart, sir.”

5 minutes, and 2 more Gallons later, I barely managed to land on the Blueblood in time before the fuel expired. In fact, not even that. The propeller died before I was 80 Meters from the small runway. I glided toward the carrier, and gracefully landed.

I was back home.

Author's Note

sorry for the wait

Chapter 9: Reassurance

(A2) - Chapter 3: Reassurance

No Glory Won

Chapter 3: Reassurance

“No, I’m not defending Changeling Technological Superiority, I’m stating the fucking obvious!”

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It never occurred to me back then, during the storm over mead lake, how incompetent I was at dressing wounds. I figured I did good enough by bandaging it and keeping it clotted. I even cleaned it with alcohol. But it wasn’t enough; the pain was more intense on my left side than ever. Even now, as I was sitting on one of the cots in the ER, I’m still cursing myself for attempting to do something I didn’t even have a cutie mark for: Medicine. Still, if I didn’t do anything, I might’ve been worse off. Maybe even dead.

I was fortunate enough to have other ponies who did know medicine, however. One of the onboard Doctors of the Blueblood, who I remembered going by “Scalpel”, was kind enough to offer to take a look at the bandaged bullet wound. I gladly accepted it, and I made my way to the ER, my team following behind from the control tower.

They sat together in the space next to the cot, while I sat atop it. Scalpel was starting to unwrap the bandages, making me wince in pain with any slight contact near the base of the wound. When he unwrapped it, I was greeted to an ugly sight. The wound I had thought I cleaned was not clean at all. Red streaks were tracing along the hole, with puss coming out. It looked horrid, making my gut churn at the sight of such a nasty injury.

“Did you even try to clean it when you bandaged yourself?” Scalpel asked with a disgruntled tone.

“Yeah… emphasis on tried.” I replied.

Scalpel sighed, as he pulled out (Ironically enough) a scalpel. “There’s no exit wound, meaning the bullet is still lodged in there. And it’s infected. I need to Debride it, so I can clean it and pull the bullet out.”

“Debride? What does that mean?” I looked over at Lucky, Naya, and Bigs, while they were staring at the wound with mixed reactions. Some of Bewilderment, and some of Empathy.

“It means I have to cut it open, so I can clean the wound more thoroughly. When you tried to clean it, you didn’t do a very good job. It’ll also make it easier for me to pull the bullet out.”

“... I’m guessing that’s not going to feel particularly pleasant, is it?”

“Nope, probably the worst pain you’ve ever felt in your entire life.” He spoke dryly. “Luckily, I have some morphine, but I can’t give you very much of it. We’re running on rations as far as medical supplies go. In the meantime,” He walked towards one of the drawers and pulled out a rugged looking stick. It had a piece of leather fastened around the middle of it, and was riddled with bite marks, scratches, and other sorts of damage. He held the stick with his telekinetic grasp a few inches in front of my face. “Bite.” he concluded.

I laid belly first on the cot, my mouth biting down the stick as he started to apply the morphine on my left forehoof. I felt a little prick of pain, but nothing I couldn’t handle. The worst was yet to come. When he levitated the Scalpel, my grip on the stick increased tenfold.

I didn’t exactly know what to expect; I expected pain, obviously, but the kind of pain I thought would occur would be like peeling live skin off, which sounded terrible. But what it really felt like was a lot worse. First, he probed the wound with a small rod, tracing it along the outer edges of the bullet hole. It sent streaks of singeing pain along my left side, as I bit down harder on the stick. A groan escaped me, as he inspected it.

“Bigs; hold her down.” Scalpel ordered. He looked at me, waiting for an answer. I nodded, and he proceeded to stand on his hind legs, and place both his front hooves down on my back. Immense pressure was now holding me in place… he was strong.

“Sorry about this.” Bigs spoke. I could only moan on the stick as a reply.

Scalpel then started to poke the rod inside the bullet hole, making the already intense pain even more agonizing. I heard a shrill, high pitch moan, only to find out it was me making those noises. I reflexively tried to recoil away, but Bigs wasn’t letting me go anywhere. Sweet Celestia, was he strong. I felt warm trickles of blood seep down my coat. Or was it puss? Maybe both? I didn’t care at the time. I was too busy crying in pain.

Then, after what felt like an eternity of pain, he stopped prodding the wound and began to cut bits and pieces of my flesh away with his scalpel, which made me flat out scream if I could. With the stick in my mouth though, it sounded like a pig was being slaughtered. The pain was unbearable, and tears flowed freely from my eyes. I was hoping I would pass out, but I wasn’t so lucky. I was still wide awake, and the morphine wasn’t kicking in yet.

When all was said and done though, he threw the bits of my coat and flesh into a metal bucket, along with some blood. The sight of seeing parts of me being tossed like that made me bilious. “Almost done.” he stated. I groaned in response. I saw out of the corner of my tunneled vision pull out some tweezers. I wasn’t finished suffering yet, it seemed.

He then proceeded to lodge the tweezers inside the already ruined bullet wound, in the hopes of pulling the bullet out. I screamed again, thrashing around wildly trying to break free of Bigs’ ridiculously firm grip, but to no avail. He wasn’t letting me go anywhere. Through all of the torturous pain, I felt another object inside the hole being moved around, which sent me into a panic. All I could think was “GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT! GET IT OUT!” as I laid there restrained by Bigs’ unrelenting strength. More agonizing pain ensued until I heard a sickly ‘squelch’ noise emit to my left.

“Got it!” Scalpel announced. The pain was still there, but he wasn’t picking in the hole, at least. “7.62 Millimeter. Standard ammunition.” I saw the bullet he was holding, which looked nothing like a bullet and instead looked like a deformed metallic star. That was inside me?

“Do I need to keep holding her?” Bigs asked.

“Just for a little while longer. I need to clean the wound.” He levitated a strange looking bottle and a white piece of cloth. After dabbing the liquid onto the cloth, he proceeded to wipe around the wound, sending more pain up my left side. Then he dabbed it again and cleaned inside the wound, which made me thrash out and scream again. Why wasn’t the Morphine working already!?

Finally, after he finished cleaning the hole, he announced, “Ok, you can let go now.” and Bigs finally let go. I still clenched on the stick, which now had a new set of teeth marks to add to its collection of damage. After I sat up from laying down on the cot, Scalpel proceeded to wrap a long white bandage around my torso. I got a good glimpse of the former bullet wound, which looked more ugly than before.

“You’re lucky you got to me today just in time. Any longer, and I don’t think you would’ve survived.” Scalpel noted as he proceeded to tie the bandage together, after wrapping it several times around my chest. I felt an eerie sense of relief wash over me at the fact that he might’ve very well saved my life. Still, I didn’t feel lucky.

“Will she be okay?” Naya spoke for the first time since I landed, still sounding timid as she did on the radio.

“She’ll be fine in two weeks or so. Normally, if I was a practiced surgeon, I would use healing magic, but I never practiced nor studied it. So I made do with what I had.” He pulled out a yellow-orangish looking capsule from a drawer, filled with tiny white tablets inside. “Take these once a day for one week, then come see me. We’ll see how you’re holding up by then. In the meantime, no strenuous activity. That means no flying, and no physically challenging work and no more getting shot.” he instructed dryly.

“Ugh.” I replied groggily. Now the morphine was kicking in. A fat lot of good that does now.

“Ah, she’ll be fine. If she could survive the last three days with a wound like that, she can handle anything!” Lucky commented.

Scalpel levitated the stick out of my mouth and placed on the counter for later. The overwhelming amount of suffering I had just endured left me weak on my legs when I attempted to stand up off the cot. I nearly fell to the floor, before Naya and Lucky caught my fall.

“Eugh - I need a proper bed, stat.” I muttered weakly. I was sapped of all energy as I had just woke up with only 3 hours of sleep. Which to be fair, I didn’t really sleep that well for the past two to three days.

“Can you make it there on your own?” Lucky asked.

“I think.” I waved my hoof, signaling them to let go of me. I stood on all four hooves, and tried to trot forward… tried. I fell flat on my face after about 3 steps forward. Groaning, I muttered “Nope. Cannot.”

“Alright, let’s get you to your bed.” Lucky suggested. Best idea he’s given all day. I felt a pang of guilt well up in my gut, having my team drag my might-as-well-be lifeless body across the lower decks of the ship. I didn’t think I deserved it, but they insisted on it when I asked them about. And besides, there was positively no way I could make it to my room on my own.

When we arrived in my assigned room, Lucky, Naya, and Bigs helped me to my cot. I winced in pain as they laid me across the bed. The morphine was in effect, but my left side still hurt like hell. I probably didn’t smell pleasant either, which made me feel even more guilty about my team dragging me around the ship.

“You ok now, boss?” Lucky asked apprehensively.

“I’ll be fine… just still hurts.” My eyelids felt extremely heavy. It took, quite literally, all of my energy to suppress a yawn.

“Do you need water or some food? Or anything?”

“Sleep. I want to sleep. Please.” I spoke slowly. They seemed more worried than they did before. Except for Bigs, who looked as stoic as ever.

“Sure, sleep is probably what you need anyway. We’ll either be in the Cafeteria or our rooms if you need us.” And with that, Lucky and Bigs trotted out of the room casually… maybe a little too casually. Naya just stood still, stared at my wound with hurtful eyes. Before I could ask what was wrong though, she left the room as well, with a quick pace. I decided I’ll ask later. What was wrong with Naya anyway? I turned my body, facing the blank wall and setting my head on atop the pillow. Almost in an instant, sleep took hold of me.

My dream was more of a nightmare and a memory into one

I was back in the airplane, over Pegasi Gulf. I am behind a bomber, giving chase and trying to shoot it down. The gunners fire back at me, striking my wings and hull. My plane begins to falter, and my propeller stopped spinning. Soon, I descended downward. I was going down.

I tried to open the Canopy, to eject, but the lever was stuck. No matter how much I attempted to force it open, it wouldn’t budge. I opened my mouth as if to scream, but no noise came out. The endless flat plane of water was rapidly getting closer to me. I watched in horror as I quickly accelerated down to my fate: certain death.

I woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat. My side felt itchy, unbearably so given that I couldn’t scratch it well enough beneath the bandages. The ship was softly tilting to one side, then to the other, almost barely noticeable. I turned my head behind me, away from the wall, noticing nopony else but me.

I struggled to fall asleep for the rest of the day; mainly due to my side itching unbearably. I decided it was a lost cause, and sat up. My head bumped into the bottom of Naya’s bunk, making me wince loudly as I clutched my head. I had no idea what time it was, but I figured it was still daytime.

I stood on my hooves, a little shakily at first, then proceeded to make my way towards the ER, in the hopes of finding Scalpel. I wanted so badly to stop this itching, but I figured that was normal in the healing process of a gunshot wound. Still, maybe some kind of ointment or magic of some kind… I didn’t want to get my hopes up for nothing. Still, there had to be something I could do.

When I arrived, after navigating my way through the monotone, blank halls of the Blueblood, I found Scalpel standing by himself sorting his various tools. There were other ponies in here, this time, all of which didn’t seem to be in too much pain, as they laid on their cots. Scalpel seemed pretty invested in his task, that he didn’t even hear me trotting in.

“Slow day, I hope?” I asked making Scalpel slightly jump, turning his head around.

“Didn’t your mother ever told you not to sneak up on others?” He asked with a sense of annoyance.

“I don’t really remember much of my mother, being raised by my dad only for most of my life, so no. Probably not.”

“Oh…” he replied, more softly this time though. “My condolences.”

“It’s fine.” I never knew who my mother was as a pony, so I’ve never gotten the chance to woe about it. I guess that was fine, though I probably will never see her. “Anyways, I need help.” Scalpel sighed.

“Please tell me you didn’t fidget with the bandages, and the wound opened up again. Did it?”

“No, it’s fine… I think. It just itches terribly. Can’t sleep with it.”

“That’s normal. It means the healing has begun and is progressing just fine. The itch is merely a side effect, nothing I can do about it besides telling you not to aggravate it.”

Well, that was a bust. I trotted closer toward him. “There must be something you or I can do. Is there?”

When I was no more than ten feet away from him, his face shifted to an expression of absolute disgust, and he recoiled backward. “Well, for one, you can definitely take a shower. When was the last time you bathed?”

“Do you mean when was the last time I got wet? Because that was over Mead Lake.”

“You know what I mean, Night Light. Proper bathing will definitely help you heal, and maybe relieve the itching.”

I stopped and sniffed myself. I did stink pretty bad, though I had no idea how bad to others. “Right. Will I need to take off the bandage?”

“I recommend not, at least for now. I just debrided it, so washing it with soap and water, no matter how beneficial, would probably hurt terribly.”

“Yeah, well so does cutting it open with a scalpel.” I spoke wittily.

“Well if it wasn’t for that, you’d be dead.” he replied blankly. “So take that however you will.”

“Right. To the showers, I go then.” I turned to leave the ER.

“Wait, before you leave,” Scalpel interrupted “I… uh, Naya, she… came in earlier while you were out. Normally I’d keep my patient's concerns private, but she knows you, so…” He paused for a while as if he was deciding very carefully what correct words to say. “She asked about your condition, rather nervously actually, and wondered if there was a chance you might die. I told her ‘no’, but she didn’t seem convinced.” He paused again. “I think something’s wrong with her, Night Light.”

“Is she hurt? What’s wrong with her?”

“No, she’s fine. Physically, she’s normal, but that doesn’t mean that her mind and emotions are acting… ‘right’. She seemed rather distressed when we spoke. Whatever it is, I’d talk to her if I were you.”

So, I wasn’t the only one who noticed something was wrong with her. That does it, I’d have to talk to her, and soon.

“I will, thank you.”

“Take care of yourself.”

I was granted the mercy of not having anypony else in the showers with me. I was by myself, it seemed. I took that as a good sign and proceeded to the first stall I could find. The showers were separated into these ‘Stalls’ that ponies would stand in while the water was running. There were about 8 in total, four on each side. There were walls on the sides of the stall, granting privacy (only by a little) to the pony in the next stall. There was a curtain as well that covered the entrance of the stall, so it was somewhat private. But in the military, privacy is a forgotten luxury.

Except for today, it seemed. I closed the curtain behind me and twisted the knob on the left about a half-turn right, and the right knob a quarter-turn to the right. About 20 seconds later, the water now felt warm and inviting. I inspected myself, noticing my filth. Spots of dry mud were clearly visible on my coat, without the flight suit on. My mane felt greasy, thick, and tangly. Overall, I felt, looked, and smelled repulsive. So when I stepped inside the shower, I was greeted with warmth and cleanliness. I even found a bar of soap sitting in the stall, which I didn’t hesitate to use.

After cleaning myself thoroughly for about five to eight minutes, The warm grip of the water constantly beating against my skin and coat made me stay in there for a little longer than usual. Most of the showers I took were not as warm as this. There are usually more ponies in here, using up what little of hot water is left in the reserves. That being said, showers were typically short and bitter, but still refreshing. This time around, I was given a longer time period before the hot water ran out. I used this period to bask in the heat of the water, which left me lingering to my thoughts.

I thought about how the rain felt while I crash landed in Mead Lake. Compared to the shower, it felt cold and bitter. The wound didn’t make it any better. Speaking of, I noticed it wasn’t as painful as it used to be. And while I stood in the shower, it finally stopped itching.

My thoughts than trailed back to Pegasi Gulf, and more haunting images of changelings jumping out of planes, still burning to death. It made me feel woozy. I shook my head violently, sending droplets of water everywhere - not that it mattered, I was by myself anyway - trying to suppress the haunting memories.

I then thought of Sunshine again… which was better and worse. I missed her terribly so, and being in the warm shower reminded me of her embrace. For a short moment, I sat on my haunches and closed my eyes. I focused on the sound of rushing water, and imagined myself in another shower, one that was more secluded and private than the one I was currently in. I thought of my home, in Cloudsdale. I imagined a time, where there was no war, no conflict, no death. Just peace, sunshine, and warmth.

Sunshine. I imagined sunshine in the shower, standing with me. I imagined us holding each other. The warmth of the water made it easier to imagine her warm embrace. I cherished it, every last drop, of this moment. I wanted to stay here forever.

Reality came crashing back down on me, and I found myself staring at another blank monotone wall. Something was welling up inside me, something new. I felt… Angry. Angry at myself, angry at the world, angry at the universe. Angry at everything. I couldn’t help it. I repeatedly punched the wall, yelling as I did just so.

This went on for about a minute or so before I stopped. I stared at my hooves for a long while, until tears flowed freely from my eyes. I collapsed on the stall floor, weeping under the sound of rushing water. Nopony could hear me, but I didn’t care if the whole ship heard me. I wanted to release everything my body could offer, to lay there while I shrivel up and die.

How could this happen? Why did this happen? Why must there be so much turmoil, confusion, spite, and hate in our world now? What happened along the way, that made it into the world we know today? So many questions I wanted answers to, yet found none suitable.

The shower didn’t feel so warm now.

The last few days I spent on the Blueblood, silently suffering while healing up, felt slower than usual. The wound was still itchy underneath the dressing, though not as bad as the first day. I mostly spent my time in bed, either in the ER or in my bunk room. I had to be as un-strenuous as physically possible, as Scalpel said.

On the fifth day of that week, I was called to the ER once more for my checkup, and to see if the wound had healed any better than the last time we saw it. Only Lucky and Bigs followed me down, Naya nowhere to be found. I was starting to worry about her, and wondered why she was acting so diffident.

I sat on my haunches atop the cot, while Scalpel proceeded to slowly unwrap the bandages on my torso. We were greeted to the sight of pink skin and a small hint of dark blue on where my coat was. The wound itself looked ugly, but not as ugly as it was the day I came back. It looked like the skin of a newborn piglet, not at all like my coat. It looked fine to me, though I wasn’t a doctor so I had no idea what the context of ‘fine’ could be.

The hole caused by the bullet seemed to have shrunk over the last few days. It also didn’t look infected either, though I could still see small hints of red streaks near the wound. Still, it could be worse.

“Hm… seems to be healing normally. There’s no puss, at least. Streaks are less intensive than before. And the hole itself is shrinking quite fast.” Scalpel noted, mainly to himself. “You should be in the clear by now. If you take it easy for another few days, you should be back to normal.”

“Will there be a scar?” I asked.

“No, it shouldn’t give you a scar. A wound like this is easily fixable if treated in time. You barely made that time, so consider yourself lucky.” Funny... I didn’t feel lucky.

“How did you even get shot like that anyway? You still never told us what happened after you crash landed.” Lucky inquired. I gazed at the hole, while Scalpel proceeded to dab it with more alcohol. It stung but compared to Debriding, the pain felt trivial.

“I dunno. I guess one of the changeling pilots’ stray bullets hit me while I was flying.”

“You gotta tell us what happened, while you were over there.” Lucky asked.

“Yeah, how the hell did you survive?” Bigs added.

“I got a lucky a break. Other than that, I can’t tell you.”

“What happened, Night Light?” Scalpel then asked. “I have to admit, I am rather curious. The odds of survival for you were rather low.”

“Come on, tell us.” Lucky piped up.

I shifted nervously atop the cot, all eyes on me. Scalpel was starting to redress the bandages around my torso, as Lucky and Bigs sat on their haunches, waiting for me to start speaking. I took a deep breath.

“Well, I guess I’ll start then. I crash-landed, behind enemy lines. I barely was able to bail out of the plane in time…”

More long and boring days have passed since that checkup. The fleet was heading back to Los Pegasus port for maintenance and repairs. Nothing too serious, from what I heard. We had a few skirmishes with some aircraft that were buzzing by. Not a lot, only about 10 or so each time, so we weren’t called to the air. The fleet’s AA armament was more than enough to repel any attack made. Only minor damage was suffered during those skirmishes.

We were south-east bound, as the day was starting to slow to a crawl. It was evening, about 7 or so, when I stood on the flight deck, watching the horizon. Sometimes, I would wander up top to the deck and watch the sunset. It felt soothing, listening to the various sounds emitting around me: the soothing sounds of the waves splashing against the hull of the Blueblood, the commotion caused by the crew ponies on the ship, the seagulls crying in the distance - sounds that had no relevance to war whatsoever.

After about a half an hour of staring at the sunset, the loudspeakers blared behind my head. “All hooves, dinner is served. Repeat, all hooves, dinner is served.” it spoke, which urged me to rush down the long flight of stairs to the cafeteria before the line in the server gets too long. About two minutes later, I was in line behind at least 8 other ponies along the servery counter. They were serving the same thing every day: Hayburgers with slices of Ham.

I grabbed my entree and proceeded to sit at an empty table. My team was nowhere to be found, so I assumed they were late. I sat alone eating my Hayburger first as I wait for the rest of my team to join me. There weren’t many ponies in the cafeteria, mainly because there wasn’t much food to go around for the whole ship, so we ate very little. And the servings were getting smaller and smaller with each passing week. Soon, more and more ponies stopped showing up.

Pilots, such as myself, were usually the luckier ones to land a meal. I didn’t know any other ones besides Lucky, Naya, and Bigs. There were a couple others I was familiar with, but I couldn’t recognize their names. Then again, I never bothered to ask their names. I was never much of a social pony.

I noticed Naya trot in through one of the doors. She turned her head around, scanning the cafeteria around her before she locked eye contact with me. I waved my hoof and smiled as friendly as I could manage. Her expression shifted to one I couldn’t recognize, and she immediately bolted out the door as fast as she could.

At first, I was worried about Naya. Now, I was skeptical.

I abandoned my food and attempted to chase after her, but no such luck. The moment I trotted through the door she ran through, she was nowhere to be found. It was hopeless to chase her, she could be anywhere. I felt a hoof tap my side, which was Lucky’s.

“What’s up with her?” he inquired.

“I dunno. She’s been acting this way since I got back. I think it has something to do with me.”

Lucky looked a tad apprehensive. “Did you say something to her?”

“Not that I can remember.”

“Stalliongrad Ponies. They are a weird bunch.”

I felt a small pang of discontent at Lucky’s choice of words. To discriminate a whole nation based off of the way they behave seemed unfair to me. But he did have a point. Naya had been acting nothing but strange since the moment I arrived back to the Blueblood. In fact, since less than a year ago when we were transferred from Los Pegasus, she always had a fondness for me. Never really knew why. I still don’t.

“Eh, I’m sure she’ll be fine on her own. Come on, I’m starving.” Lucky urged me to follow behind.

“I already got my tray. You just meet me at the table where I’m sitting.”

I trotted back to my supper and proceeded to finish it as Lucky sat next to me. About 5 minutes after that, Bigs trotted to our table. Only Naya was absent.

“Where’s Naya?” Bigs asked.

“Dunno. She doesn’t want to be here, for some reason.” I replied.

“That’s odd. She usually looks forward to meal times. She’s always hungry.”

“We’re all always hungry. Everypony knows that we’re running low on rations.” Lucky butted in.

“So why would she leave?” Bigs inquired.

“Dunno,” I replied, “but whatever the reason is, she’s been doing this ever since I’ve returned.”

“Actually, not even that.” Lucky stated in a matter-of-factly tone. “Ever since we saw you go down over mead lake, she kinda just… lost herself. After the crash, she went berserk and started shooting down every single plane she could find that wasn’t friendly. She chased them relentlessly.”

“Yeah,” Bigs added, “we asked her how many she shot down. She just said 'Nineteen'.”

19 aircraft shot down? That was impressive. I knew Naya was a good pilot, but that seemed a bit homicidal, coming from Naya. And that gives me an eerie sense of security.

“Did she say anything else?”

“No, she was silent the entire time over the rest of the battle. She hadn’t said a word until you came back.” Lucky answered.

Now I was skeptically worried. Naya was uncharacteristically being very coy and quiet. I had to find out what was going on and soon. If Naya were to be acting like this during a mission, I’d be afraid of what would happen.

“Have any of you tried talking to her?”

“We tried, but she was always dismissive of us, saying she was ‘fine’ and that she ‘didn’t need our help, nor want it’. She was… very literal about that.” Lucky recalled.

I sighed, face-hoofing. Why was this so hard?

“I’ll try talking to her myself.”

“Good luck with that.” Bigs muttered.

The rest of supper went by uneventfully, as we quietly finished our meals. (some of different variety due to the discovery that certain ponies were allergic to Hay.) When supper was finished, I wondered all around throughout the ship, trying to find Naya. Hopefully, if I’m lucky, she’ll be in one of her “thinking spots”.

When Naya was not with us in the air, or otherwise, she’ll be by herself in the many different hidden spots she finds for herself. She would go there when she needed to “Re-evaluate” herself, as she said. I only knew a couple of them, as I usually find them by Accident.

One of her thinking spots happens to be in the Hanger Bay. Most of the time, there will be aircraft parked inside the hanger, either in need of maintenance, repairs, refilling ammo, and so on. Some planes, due to their wing size, would have their wings folded upward, almost like a triangle. These kinds of planes are usually parked near the walls of the Hanger.

There was one Osprey, a Dive Bomber, that was parked in one of the corners of the bay, that was underneath a metallic support beam, stretching up all the way to the ceiling. Its wings were folded upward, making it easy to climb atop of it and to climb the support beam. The support beam led upward and stopped at a little triangular space just barely small enough to fit a pony if they wished to loiter there. That was one of Naya’s spots, though she wasn’t there.

Funnily enough, that same Osprey was Lucky’s Osprey. He was a CAS pilot on regular missions, but on missions involving Air Superiority, he flew with me. The only reason he didn’t fly his Osprey over Mead Lake was due to the weather. It was too perilous to risk our few carrier dive bombers for a ground mission when they could be needed for a fleet. The same thing happened over Pegasi Gulf.

One fact about Naya that struck to me was the fact that she was very nimble and agile. She could traverse almost any obstacle, even with the absence of fingers like what the Griffins had. She could very easily climb this support beam and make it to her spot in less than ten seconds. Rainbow would be proud…

Giving up on that spot, I traversed the ship’s lower-stern levels, typically where the engine would be. The engine room, while smaller than the Hanger Bay and also very noisy, also had one of Naya’s thinking spots. There was a small corner that was secluded from the rest of the room and isolated from the ponies that worked here. She wasn’t there either.

Running out of spots to check, I brainstormed to myself, trying to think: where would a troubled pegasus be if she was trying to hide from others. I couldn’t think of any other spots that she might be hiding in, so the last place I assumed she would be was in the air, up in the clouds. But that violated jurisdictional protocols for pegasi pilots, like myself and Naya. still, Naya was known to be a rebel.

I galloped to the flight deck, earning looks of confusion from other ponies along the way. Once I made it, I trotted off to the side of the control tower, away from others where they couldn’t see me. Once I assumed I was hidden, I looked up to the sky. There were so many huge, puffy clouds decorating the orange colored atmosphere, that it would be impossible to assume on my own which cloud she was in.

Nevertheless, I spread my wings and took off, ascending upward. Nopony seemed to notice, which was good. Getting back down unnoticed would be a challenge, but due to it being evening, I could slip through during curfew. I gradually climbed higher and higher, still unnoticed by the fleet, and proceeded closer to the clouds. When I made it, I flew straight through one of the clouds and burst through on the other side. I landed atop one of them and scanned around me.

I noticed, to my Southwest, a red figure sitting on the edge. She seemed perplexed for some reason as if she saw something impossible just happen in front of her. I flew towards her, approaching from behind. She didn’t notice me. I landed behind her and stopped.

“What do I say?” I thought. Now that I found her, it didn’t occur to me what I should talk about. What I needed to know was why she was being so awkward and isolated, more so than usual. But it didn’t seem right to start off a conversation like that though. I could see what she was staring at though. The sun was just now starting to disappear underneath the horizon, which was an endless plane of Ocean. She seemed to be lost in thought.

The sunset did look beautiful, however. I trotted, ever so slowly, closer to her, softly clearing my throat.

“You know,” I began “I always enjoyed sunsets.” Naya turned to look at me, startled at my presence. “ST would usually drag me out of our house and watch the sunset when we had nothing else to do. I was reluctant about it at first, me being an Introvert and all. But after doing that with her so many times, I began to appreciate how beautiful it was. The landscape would turn into gold, the warmth of the sun basking on my coat, the sky turning orange. It’s like, for a split second, I’m in some kind of paradise.”

Naya didn’t move. She didn’t speak. So I continued. “I still love them. I could find myself outside of the war just for a moment, and enjoy the warmth of Celestia’s sun, even for a short amount of time. Now, I would kill for me to be back with ST, to sit on top of a cloud together, and just sit there, thinking to ourselves, holding each other while doing so.”

Naya, still speechless, looked like she was trying to fight back tears.

“Point is: I would do anything to get back to that old life. Whatever it takes. And if it means I have to keep all of my team members alive, so be it. If it means I have to crash land behind enemy lines, and survive without much food, or water, with a gunshot wound in my wither, so be it. I can, and will, do whatever it takes, Naya.” I sat beside her, my wings unfurled.

“Naya, ever since I came back, you looked very troubled about something. And no matter how many times I tried to talk to you, you are always not around. I’m not upset about it, but I am concerned about you. What is wrong?”

Naya hung her head, her facial features not visible. Her mane was blocking half of her face. There was a choking noise, then a sob, as Naya’s shoulders heaved. I wrapped my wings around her and embraced her. She cried even more.

When I was a filly, I distinctly remember my father doing this when I was distressed. He would hold me in his hooves, and wrap both of his wings around me, embracing me as I would cry until I fell asleep, or run out of tears. After doing the same thing to Naya, I felt a pang of sorrow in my chest. Naya began to weep loudly.

“Shh shh shh, it’s okay. It’s okay…” I muttered as she sobbed into my mane. She clung onto me, as if for dear life, and continued to cry as I kept Shushing her. about 5 minutes or so, before she regained her composure, she spoke.

“I… I’m sorry. I’ve been rather selfish, haven’t I?”

“Nothing to apologize for. It’s understandable. What I want to know is why. Why have you been avoiding us, more so than usual?”

“I…” She hesitated. She pondered to herself shortly before continuing. “I saw the plane who was shooting at you. I couldn’t get him in time before he… shot you down. I saw your plane spin to the ground, but I didn’t see you jump out… Didn’t hear your voice. I thought you…” She made another choking sound, before continuing. “After that, I felt… Numb. I didn’t care what happened to me at that point. I shot down your killer, and many more afterward. With every plane I shot down, more kept coming, and I kept flying, dodging, shooting, and killing. Every changeling that tried to tussle with me is now dead.”

I silently listened as I continued to hold her.

“When we were told to RTB, I didn’t feel anything. I felt completely empty inside, not happy that I killed your killer, not sad that you were dead, not relieved that I survived. I felt hollow. Like I was a shell of my former self. When I made it back to my cot, I couldn’t sleep. All I could do was silently weep.”

The whole circumstance felt overwhelming to me: the guilt for inadvertently abandoning Naya, the confusion for seeing Naya this uncharacteristically depressed, the sadness for Naya feeling lost and hopeless. So many different emotions and thoughts going through my head, I felt a bit dizzy. And above all else, all of them were feelings toward Naya.

Naya stopped talking, and I was at a lost of what to do. I’m sad, angry a little, a bit anxious about what to say, and most importantly guilty for all that had happened. I pondered silently as she continued to hold me.

Very distinctively, she reminded me of Sunshine Tempest…

I dipped my head and softly kissed her forehead. She had a perplexed look on her face.

“Listen to me Naya, I’m here right now. I am alive and well, aside from being in pain a little from what happened. But nevertheless, I am still alive, Naya. That means that whatever happened over mead lake wasn’t your fault! So stop blaming yourself for what happened.”

“But I-I could’ve prevented you from being shot down! I-I could… I could’ve saved you, maybe!” Naya stuttered.

“Even so, I do not blame you for what happened. So you shouldn’t do the same. It wasn’t your fault, and I mean it. And another thing, I survived because I made a promise to you guys. I promised 3 ponies a mission I set ourselves on for us that I plan to keep: I promised you, Lucky, and Bigs, to try my absolute best, and give my everything, if it meant for us to go home alive. And when I crashed in Mead Lake, I wasn’t ready to die. Not yet. Simple as that.”

Naya was lost in emotional thought. She silently thought to herself for a moment, before speaking, “How can you promise such a thing? Who knows how long this war will last? It could last for a decade, maybe more!”

“It could also last for just a year-”

“If we lose!”

“Naya! Focus for a second here! I don’t know how long this war is. I don’t even care at this point. All I know is that there is no end in sight just yet. I plan to fight and fly my way through to see it. And I promised you and the others that you will too. And that is a promise I intend to keep!”

Naya was still apprehensive about such a ludicrous promise. To be fair, it did seem illogical, to promise such an unpredictable thing. But I intend to keep it, even to my end.

“I-I’m scared, Night Light. I-I seem like a tough pony, but I’ve never been so terrified in my life! I-I’ve… I’ve heard stories of what happens to Ponies on the frontlines, a-and in the air. I don’t understand why! Why are we at war? Why does Chrysalis hate us so much? Why must we throw innocent lives at our enemy, and accept the massive casualties as normality?! It doesn’t make SENSE!” She was screaming now.

“I… I don’t know, Naya. I really don’t. And I am just as scared as you are. Terrified even. I’m forced to fight a war nopony asked for while my special somepony is doing the same thing, with the very real chance that both of us will die by the time this is over. I have to risk my life, and the lives of others, just to follow orders from a more ‘Official’ pony, because that’s the only thing I can do: ‘Follow orders’. And yeah, it sucks.”

Naya’s grip loosened just a little, almost barely noticeable. I gently stroke her mane, and continued.

“But as long as you, Bigs, Lucky, and my Sunshine are still alive, I have a reason to fight. A reason to keep going. A reason to see this through to the very end. I promise you, with all I have, and all I am willing to give, that we will survive, Naya. I promise.”

Naya stopped shaking in my grip afterward. “O...okay. Okay, I-I trust you. I want to survive Night Light. I really do. Is that so selfish to ask?”

“I’d like to think it’s not. It’s something we all know and love. Life.”

Naya looked at me, tears still flowing freely from her eyes. Then, for the first time in a while, she smiled. Very faintly, but I could tell.

“...Thank you.”

Author's Note

By late November, the Lunar Ocean Fleet was ordered to dock at Los Pegasus. The Nature of the order was due to wartime anxiety and paranoia that the Changelings would attempt a naval invasion of the City, though Queen Chrysalis had no intention of doing so.

Instead, her military was focused on Stabilizing the Shire Frontline, as an Equestrian offensive was launched on November 22nd, 1012. Three Salients were formed on the western bank of the large river, and the Changeling Army was at risk of an Equestrian Breakthrough.

In retaliation of this recent development, Chrysalis turned her attention towards the south, at the western coast near Pegasi Gulf. The City of Los Pegasus was an Industrial Hub, responsible for a good portion of Wartime Production, which mainly consisted of aircraft. If the Changeling Hegemony were to capture the city, it would hinder Equestria's ability to maintain air superiority across the country.

On November 26th, the 4th Changeling Army would launch a full scale offensive along the western coast, aiming for the Pegasi River, where the city was located. Due south of the river lied the wide open oil fields of San Palomino Desert, crucial for the production of many Equestrian vehicles

Although it was estimated that the offensive would last for 2 weeks before arriving to the city, progress was slow. Causalities were stacking for both sides, but the advance continues. Finally, on December 4th, they were at least 50 miles from the city before the offensive was ceased.

The Equestrians, expecting another attack, deployed their reserve infantry in the city, which mainly consisted of ill-equipped militia. They were ready for a full scale attack, and were prepared to give their lives in the defense of their homeland.

Unbeknownst to the Equestrians however, the Changelings were not seeking to capture the city. On the morning of December 7th, approximately 4 hours past midnight, 1500 planes that were launched from Vanhoover - up to the northern side of the Western Coastline - were heading towards the city of Los Pegasus, consisting of Heavy Bombers and Fighter Escorts... along with a secret weapon.

This "Secret Weapon" was named "Aigaion", and it had only one mission:

Incinerate Los Pegasus

Chapter 10: The Inferno

(A2) - Chapter 4: The Inferno

No Glory Won

Chapter 4: The Inferno

“A shape filled the sky, like a black blanket covering the stars. For a moment, there was another Darkness in the already pitch black night.”

“We’re getting nowhere with this.” Grim started. “You keep avoiding the main question, filling me in on useless information-”

“Useless to you.”

“Yes, to me. What’s your point?”

“You want to know what happened with the Aigaion. What it was. What it actually did. Correct?” I asked.

“Yes. And you are failing to do so.”

“No I am not. If you really want to understand the Aigaion, you had to be there from the very beginning all the way through to the end. That is what I am doing. I-”

The door behind me made a knocking sound. Somepony was outside. Grim, annoyed by the interruption, trotted to the door, and proceeded to open it.

“I’m in the middle of something. This better be good.”

“We have a situation with Number Two. She-” I turned to look, and found a mare I didn’t recognize standing at the door. We made eye contact, and she spoke again. “She’s having a breakdown. PTSD might be causing it. She may be having a panic attack.”

My mind raced to Sunshine. “Is it Sunshine? Is she alright? What are you doing to her!?”

“Quiet!” Grim snapped at me, staring hard into my eyes, urging me to sit down. I just then noticed my hooves standing up. I don’t remember when I actually stood up.

Grim continued “What did they do to her before you were sent here?”

“They had her restrained to a chair in the same room, to-”

“You tied her to a chair?!” I yelled, outraged that they would do such a thing.

“I said QUIET!” Grim was yelling as well. He took a deep breath, before turning to face the mare. “Continue.”

“Like I said, we restrained her to her chair to prevent physical injuries on herself or others. Medical Staff is on the way to assist her. What are your orders?”

Grim pondered to himself for a long while, trading glances at me and his acquaintance.

“Have the Unicorns implement a calm spell on her if the doctors can’t find a solution. For now though, keep her restrained and monitored. If or when she’s stable enough to talk, than proceed as planned with the session.”

“Yes sir!” The mare answered diligently, before closing the door and trotting out. Grim took a seat in front of me.

“What are you doing to Sunshine that could possibly cause her to have a breakdown?”

“Too much, apparently…” he muttered. I felt angry at him. He was the reason me and her were apart. And he didn’t seem to give a damn about her, or my well-being.

“If you hurt her, I swear, upon Celestia’s Mystical Mane, you will regret it.” Grim didn’t falter, nor react to my threat. He simply stared at me, with a stoic expression.

“I’m not hurting her.” He replied matter-of-factly. “And neither are they. Sometimes though, there will be ponies who refuse to cooperate. Maybe that is what Sunshine is doing. Rest assured, we’re not trying to keep you seperated. We’re not trying to hurt you. We’re doing our job and duty. For the Princesses and Equestria.”

“I still don’t get what is so damned important about the Aigaion that you are obsessed in prying it out of me?!”

“Do you even understand the amount of public fear that was accumulated from the Changelings? How where every city that had ponies, or griffins, or yaks, there was always the chance a Changeling was infiltrating that city? The Changelings were no strangers to espionage, just as they are no strangers to combat as well.

“The paranoia that the public experienced as long as we were still fighting the Changelings wasn’t doing any good for the war effort. Defeatism was common across the country, which might’ve been the result of Changeling Espionage as well for all I know. The Aigaion was especially feared by many, when it made its debut in the war.

“The reason for our ‘obsession’, Night Light, is because we need to put an end to the reign of terror caused by this monstrosity. Most ponies think this thing still exists, even though it’s destroyed. Once we bury the hatchet of the Aigaion, the ponies will have no more reason to fear. THAT is why we are doing this.”

“Why would that matter? The war is over!”

“Well, that’s not the only reason. But I’m not entitled to tell you what the other reasons are.”

I sat still, pondering at Grim’s words. As much as I hate to admit it, he was right. The Aigaion was a monstrosity that inspired fear in the hearts of many, me included when I first saw it. After what happened in Los Pegasus, I could definitely see why the public feared it. I also understood why the public doesn’t know the truth of the Aigaion.

Documents regarding the history of The Great War were not released yet, and no official records of what happened was actually recorded. Not yet, at least. From what I could estimate, they could be in the making right now.

I sighed, and stared at the window in front of me. About 3 hours has passed by since I entered this room. Though I had no way of telling, considering there was no clock in here.

“Do you know the saying ‘Remember December 7th’? What happened in Los Pegasus stays in Los Pegasus, right? Describe what happened there. You were there that day, weren’t you?” Grim asked.

“I was, yes. I… it’s difficult to talk about. What I saw there, it…” It haunted me. It was the first time that I really saw the destruction of war.

“You do not have to go into detail about the things you don’t want to remember. We only want anything to do with the Aigaion.”

“...Okay. I… I was stationed on the Blueblood still, when the fleet was being docked there. I was told to stay put, and await further orders from Admiral Cynosura, or from Lieutenant Hawk Eyes…”

December 7th 1012, 14:24 CST

Hearth’s Warming.

It was a holiday that everypony knew well, and one that was widely celebrated across Equestria. Though not as festive and enthusiastic as the previous Hearth’s Warmings before the war, ponies were still trying to be merry and cheerful despite the circumstances. The fleet was docked at Los Pegasus for Repairs and Maintenance. A common problem many of the ships faced was their lack of fuel storage. They could only cruise for about 2 weeks, before having to refuel. That’s one week at least of total operation time during the their voyage, before we had to head back to port.

This time around, ponies didn’t seem to complain about the sudden change of course to Los Pegasus. A couple of the crew ponies said they had families in the city they wished to see, or at the very least, to send a postcard to. The mood was optimistic across the ship, and Ponies felt less anxious. They weren’t on edge as much as they were out in the sea. At least in Los Pegasus, they were in Equestrian territory.

They even changed the composition of the Rations for Lunch and Supper. We arrived at the city about 2 days ago, giving them plenty of time to refill our rations, ammunition, and fuel. The rations - instead of the Usual Hayburger and Ham, or sometimes Celery - had Roasted Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes, as well as Eggnog and Milk. A festive and welcome change.

For the last two days, in celebration of the holidays, Ponies around the ship were singing holiday ditties and songs, whilst eating their newly prepared feast. Some would even get up and dance to the music, if they weren’t eating. Although Hearth’s Warming was about a week and a half away, ponies didn’t seem to mind celebrating early. Some even gotten letters from their distant families, loved ones, or friends, which was their present for the year. They were also given the luxury to write back.

The last letter I’ve written to Sunshine was more than a year ago. I never got a response back from her. Than again, with her fighting on the frontlines, I doubt she had a lot of free time to write back. I was terrified of the fact that she might be dead, but something deep in my soul told me she was still alive. I had no idea, of course, but it felt right. Despite my efforts to pry it out of almost every high-ranking military official I’ve come across, I could not find out where Sunshine was stationed. She could be in the Shire, or maybe she could be in the Crystal Empire. In fact, for all I knew, she could be one of the stationed garrison soldiers here in Los Pegasus. But I had no way of knowing for sure.

Until now. I was sitting in the cafeteria with my friends, munching on our food while listening to ponies sing “White Hearth’s Warming”, when a courier waltzed through the room.

“Everypony, I’ve got letters from your loved ones, families, and friends for you all. Gather round!” he yelled, which urged everypony to line up near the courier as he handed out letters and postcards. About 2 minutes later, after trotting around the room, he stopped in front of me.

“Is your name Night Light?”

I felt my heart skip a beat. “Y-yes?”

“This one’s for you. From an ‘ST’, if you recognize that initial.” I felt my hooves go numb. I quickly got a hold of the small envelope with two fancy initials scribbled on it.

ST to NL.

“Who is that from?” Lucky asked.

I didn’t answer. I hastily opened it, and found a piece of paper, with writing on it. I immediately recognize the mouth writing. I silently read to myself.

“Dearest Night Light,

At the time I am writing this, it is somewhere in the middle October, 1012. I can’t remember what date exactly it is, but that’s beside the point. I am writing to you because I’ve received the letter that you’ve wrote to me. I feel happy, knowing you are safe and sound for now. I have no idea how long that will last, however, so I am writing this for you to read so that you will know what is going on with me.

I cannot say where I am currently, due to Counter-Intelligence protocols, but I am not far from our home in Cloudsdale, if that helps you at all. It’s also very cold here, but me being a pegasi and all, it’s not too bad. And the uniforms that Rarity made have good insulation, so I haven’t any need to worry so far. Except for the Changelings; we’re constantly on alert for any attack by them, it actually makes some of the ponies here a bit paranoid. Which is understandable.

I hope you are doing as well as one can be during times of war. Celestia knows that I worry for you almost everyday. I keep thinking about waking up one day, and hear that you were killed in action on a mission, and the thought of it terrifies me. But so far, that thought has not become reality yet. I pray to Celestia and Luna every day to keep you safe.

And as for me, how I am doing, things are hectic around here. We keep getting pushed back by the Changeling Blitzkrieg, giving away more and more land to the enemy. There are not as many casualties than what I was expecting when I was first deployed. Ponies, they… they still die, but fortunately not as often as before. We’ve adapted to the war at this point. I hope you did as well, for your safety.

I made new friends as well, if you can believe it. I like to think me and them would’ve also been good friends before the war, but you know how it is. It is strange how fate and destiny works. If not for the war, I probably would’ve never met them. Now, they are my family. The closest I got to one, anyway. You are as well, my love. I promise that if I return to you, I will never leave you again. We won’t have to be seperated.

But that’s for another day, I suppose. I hope you have a happy Hearth’s Warming, and a happy New Year! And I hope to hear from you again soon.

-Sunshine Tempest.”

I had to fight the sudden urge to cry. Tears were pricking the side of my eyes, as I finished reading the letter. She did it. Spitfire actually submitted my letter. Next time I see her in person, I’m giving her a hug.

“You okay boss? Is something wrong?” Lucky asked, noticing my tears with a worried expression.

“No, I- er, I mean, yes. I am fine. I feel better now.”

“Who wrote that letter?”

“Sunshine. She wrote back to me.”

“Your marefriend?” Naya inquired.

“Yeah. She wrote me back after I told Spitfire to submit my letter to her.”

“She actually helped you out on that?”

“Yeah, apparently.”

“I didn’t know you even had a special somepony, or that you were a fillyfooler.” Bigs butted in, his remark making me blush slightly.

“Well, I-I never could find a s-stallion for me to Herd, s-so I… t-tried a mare, instead. A-And one thing led to another, and now here we are.”

“You miss her, don’t you?” Lucky asked.

“Of course I do. I’d do anything to be with her again. Literally.”

“I know the feeling. I miss my folks back at Appaloosa. And i’m sure they miss me too.”

“Same with me. I have 4 brothers who are fighting out there right now, and all of us miss each other so.” Bigs then piped up.

I didn’t know Bigs had brothers “What are their names?” I asked.

“Muddy, Gimpy, Hoppy, and Benny. Muddy likes to get dirty and roll around in whatever filth he can find. Gimpy is small framed, and easily pushed around. He wasn’t the most physical of us all. But he is pretty damn smart, for a small colt. Hoppy likes to jump around alot, and is always moving. He likes to ‘remain active and physical’, as he would say. And finally, Benny is a silver tongued devil. He could persuade any mare to fall for her in less than a week.”

“That sounds rather coarse…” Naya muttered.

“We were troublemakers, what can we say? We always found some way to cause havoc. Anything for a good bit of fun, I guess.”

“What did you do with them? All of your brothers did these crazy pranks and such. What were you doing?” Lucky questioned. Bigs made a cocky, smug grin.

“I was called ‘Big Mouth’ because I was always getting into fight with ponies I didn’t know. And I got into those fights by giving them the meanest cussing streak of their lives. And when they tried to tussle, they end up with such bloody features on their faces, that you can’t even recognize them.”

“That’s even more coarse. You all caused nothing but trouble?” Naya piped up.

“Some of us did intentionally, others did so unintentionally. Me? I did it on purpose.” He gave a wicked smile. First time I’ve seen him smile like that. It was very… primal, like he was a wild animal ready to pounce on his prey.

“And I thought my family was crazy…” I heard Lucky mutter to himself.

“Why? What did they do?” I inquired.

“Mud wars. Once a year, every year, we would gather up all of our family members - distant and close - and have a feud by throwing mud at each other. We would divide up into two teams, based on which side of the family we were on. Whichever group was the least filthy wins bits as a reward. It was actually kinda fun.”

“That’s not crazy. That’s just plain stupid.” Bigs corrected.

“It was fun though! We all enjoyed it. It was a family tradition.”

“What was most traditional: being stupid, or throwing mud?” Naya joked.

“Both!” Lucky laughed. Naya chuckled as well, which I took as a good sign that she was recovering well from her depressive state. Bigs just smiled.

“What about you, Naya?” Bigs questioned.

“What about me?”

“Did your family do anything special for the holidays? Or anything at all?”

“Well, no. My family was not the traditional type.”

“Come on, you must’ve done something special for Hearth’s Warming, right?” Lucky probed.

“Well, aside from singing a few carols and some dances, we didn’t do much for Hearth’s Warming. All I ever remember from those times was singing.”

“You can sing?”

“Yes, I think.” Me, Lucky, and Bigs were looking at her skeptically. Naya waved her hooves in front of her in disapproval “B-but that does NOT mean I am good at it! I-I’m not that great of a singer.” she stuttered.

“Well, prove it.” I spoke up finally.

“What?”

“Sing for us. Anything, it doesn’t matter what, sing us a carol!”

“Yeah! Come on, I wanna hear this!” Lucky agreed.

“Didn’t you hear me say 20 seconds ago that I was not a good singer?”

“I don’t believe that. I mean, why are you doubting yourself so much? Come on, I’m sure you’ll sound fine!”

“I don’t even know that many songs! Seriously, I am not that good.”

“And I’m saying I disagree. Give it a chance it’ll only be this one time.” I promised.

Naya shifted in her seat with her cheeks flashing red, which was barely noticeable beneath her scarlet coat. Reluctantly, she finally answered. “Alright, fine! But just one time, and that’s it!”

We all looked at her anticipatingly, waiting for her to start. She cleared her throat, and sat upright on her haunches. In a crystal clear voice, with the pitch of a goddess, she closed her eyes and began to sing.

“Ages pass. Snow falls.
All the earth sleeps beneath
a blanket of white.
Darkness clouds the sky.
Snow falls without end.
Recalling our past, we march on.
Times of turmoil shall pass.
Dawn fills our hearts with light.
Our hopes rise with the brilliant.
Sun rises with faith in tomorrow, we march on.”

When Naya was finished, she opened her eyes, and was greeted with the sight of me, Bigs, and Lucky staring at her, jaws and eyes wide open. Naya looked worried.

“Was… was it good?” She asked, afraid of our answer. Some of the other ponies were looking at her with astonishment as well. Everypony who managed to overhear the song were staring at Naya with shock.

And an in instant, everypony began to simultaneously cheer for her.

“That was amazing! Seriously, how could you think you weren’t good with a voice like that!?” Lucky practically yelled. Everypony else agreed with Lucky’s connection.

“Was it that good?” Naya asked.

“Are you kidding me? It was better than good! It was amazing, you have the voice of a princess!” one of the other pilots piped up.

“He’s right.” I agreed. “I don’t know why you doubt yourself so much, you sounded awesome!”

Naya was furiously blushing now. It actually looked kind of adorable. “I… thank you, Night Light. That really means a lot to me.”

“Of course! that’s what friends are for, right?”

She gave a warm and optimistic smile, making me feel happy for her. She’s definitely recovering.

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted by a horrendous noise that filled the entire room. BWAAAA! BWAAAA! BWAAAA! It was the “Battle Stations” alarm. Through the never ending siren, I heard Hawk Eyes yell through the intercom, barely hearable over the noise.

“All Personnel, Battlestations! Battlestations! Pilots, report to the Mission Room IMMEDIATELY! All Personnel, Battlestations!” He was screaming in the intercom

In an instant, everypony stopped; The caroling, dancing, eating, talking, festivities, and fun simultaneously stopped, replaced by a vigorous determination for ponies to move to their spots as fast as physically possible. Everypony stood up and mingled their way to their assigned positions.

Most of the crew ponies were moving to the flight deck, to mount the AA batteries on the ship. The others were heading further below deck, to monitor and maintain the ship’s vital parts to keep it in working condition. They would be there to help keep the Blueblood afloat if it takes damage. The rest of the ponies were pilots, such as myself, and they were galloping, flying, and trotting their way to the Hanger Bay to reach the Mission Room.

When I arrived at the Hanger Bay, I lost sight of my friends in the midst of the confused chaos. I flew my way over the large crowd of ponies to the other side of the large Hanger, towards the Mission Room. When I opened the door, the ponies working the projector were frantically working to sort the different pictures for their slides. A few pilots were already sitting down in their seats, waiting for new orders. Some of them looked anxious. I noticed my stomach began to coil, as I realized that a few of these ponies might not survive. A few of these ponies were still rookies: this would be their first mission… and possibly their last.

I sat down in one of the metal chairs, facing the wall away from the projector behind me. More ponies began to mingle in, including Naya. She sat in the chair next to me.

“What’s happening?” Naya asked, in a noticeably worried tone of voice.

“I don’t know.” I replied.

More pilots trotted in and sat down in their chairs. About two minutes later, the lights began to dim. I could hear the projector behind me start up as Hawk Eyes trotted into the room, his face as grim as it can be.

The Battle-Stations alarm was starting to die down in volume when most of the ponies began to realize what was going on. The screen was filled with a white light, and Hawk Eyes cleared his throat before he began to speak. His voice was gruff and serious, earning everypony’s attention from the moment he started talking.

“Everypony, listen up! This is a grave situation for us all right now. I’ll fill you in on what’s going on. LPRS, the Radar Station, has picked a massive formation of enemy aircraft about 45 minutes away from here to the northwest, and they are approaching on our location. We’re expecting Bombers and Fighters of all kinds to be present. The fleet is exposed to any air attack, meaning we’re sitting ducks!

“The city of Los Pegasus will be under attack, and Civilians are making their way to the bomb shelters now. We’re launching all available aircraft in the vicinity to join us on this fight. Blueblood and Ark Royal are requested to launch all available fighters to intercept. As long as those enemy planes are still in the air, the city is at risk of being damaged.”

The pictures on the screen began to change, revealing the city but at an even higher altitude and facing top down. I could see warships in the harbor, which were very small compared to the city.

“Many of the industrial centers are at risk of being annihilated. Your orders are to keep the city safe, and to intercept all threats present over the city. We’re counting on flawless execution here! I want you all to wipe these bugs from our skies! If they want to attack us, let them come!

“Since this will be an extended operation, the Sky Strip and the Carriers will act as forward air bases for planes to resupply if needed. There are no Guarantees that the Sky Strip will remain operational throughout the battle, since it is likely that it’ll suffer damage during the bombing. More information will follow from Long Eye once he’s in the air.

“Garuda will take off first, followed by Nimbus, Cumulus, Dash, Stratus, and Sky. You all have 5 minutes to suit up and to be at your assigned positions! Dismissed! Go go go!”

With those three words, everypony sprung to action. All the ponies sprinted out of the room and made their way to the lockers, to go off on sortie. I flew over the crowd of ponies again, and saw ponies all around the Hanger Bay moving aircraft to one of the elevating platforms, preparing for take off. Once I made it to the locker room, I galloped toward my designated locker. Upon opening it, I retrieved the jacket that I’ve worn over Mead Lake. It wasn’t as filthy as it was before, but it still had some stains on it from the ordeal, though barely noticeable.

I reached into the right pocket, and pulled out the Eavesdropper. It hadn’t left my pocket ever since I first acquired it from ‘Doc’. I stowed it back in the pocket, and proceeded to suit up. Naya, Bigs, and Lucky were at their lockers suiting up as well. Lucky was already finished with his, and he then galloped outside, to the flight deck no doubt. I put on my flight cap, and my life preserver vest as Bigs was also finished as he galloped to the flight deck as well.

When I was finally done preparing, I looked over to Naya, who was still trying to get into her jacket. She struggled a little bit. I noticed her shoulders were visibly shaking. She was very nervous, I can tell. I tapped her right wither, and she turned to face me. I yelled over the noise at her.

“How are you holding up?” I asked. She didn’t reply at first. She seemed to be trying to hold back something...

“I’ll live.” she finally spoke, as she finished putting on her jacket. She turned to trot out the door, before I stopped her.

“Hey, listen to me.” I began. She turned to face me, anxiety etched on her expression. “Whatever happens up there, I need you to keep your cool. Don’t panic, shoot straight, and fly true. Alright?”

She pondered to herself for a little while, before replying “I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about all of us. What’ll happen if you get shot down again? Who will guide us?”

“If I do get shot down, we’ll be in home territory, and close to the fleet. I’ll be fine. What you need to focus on is to keep the ponies in the city and in the fleet safe and sound. I want you to focus on that for me. Okay?”

Naya was looking down at the floor, her bangs hiding her facial features. I placed my hoof under her chin, and propped her face up to me. She looked almost sick. I then gave her a rough hug, which she did not expect.

“Everything will be alright. I know it will be. I need you to be confident and strong, not just for me, but for Equestria. You won’t be alone.”

She didn’t move. Didn’t speak. She simply stood there, as I continued to hold her.

“I’ll try.” She softly assured.

Afterwards, me and Naya made our way to the flight deck as fast as we could. Upon stepping outside, we could hear more sirens in the distance, feeling the cold against our coats due to light snowfall, and could see the fleet mobilizing for action. The sky was overcast, filling the air and atmosphere with a grey tint. Towards Los Pegasus, Air Raid sirens were being played, which sounded very eerie. The Battle Stations alarm was also going off on all of the other ships in the harbor. The Blueblood was currently trying to steer away from the harbor, heading further south.

The Ark Royal was doing the same thing, both of which had Destroyers escorting them. The Cruisers and Battleships, along with several other Capital Ships, were forming closer together in formation, their AA Batteries ready for combat. I saw a large squadron of planes form up in the sky over Los Pegasus, coming from the Sky Strip. The whole city seemed to be wide awake.

I saw our planes for my team being lined up by crew ponies, who were frantically working their flanks off to get the planes into position. Others were too busy trying to shovel snow off of the flight deck and prepare for take off. The rest were doing… something. I can’t tell what else they were doing.

“Hey, you four over there, get on board while we get you set up!” one of the ponies yelled at us whilst pulling onto one of our aircraft. My friends and I galloped towards the aircraft and proceeded to board them. It was easy for me and Naya; we were pegasi. We would just hover over the aircraft and land atop of it, boarding it soon after.

For Bigs and Lucky, however, it proved to be a rather difficult task. Due to the snow that was staining the metal, and the crew ponies who were still moving the plane into position, Bigs and Lucky repeatedly fell off the plane as they attempted to board it. Finally, they’ve managed to get a grip on, and proceeded to embark the aircraft.

When I sat down in my seat inside the cockpit, the plane was moving on it’s own. We still weren’t lined up for take off just yet, as the ponies were working tirelessly to ready us for takeoff. I fetched out the Eavesdropper from my pocket again, and inspected it. It looked like it was some kind of hook that wrapped around my ear, with the tiny speaker inserting inside my earhole. I put it on my left ear, and snuggled it tight in place.

Afterwards, I set my other earphone for communications on my right ear, and proceeded to set the correct frequencies. The channels remained unchanged, until we were compromised by some infiltration of radio frequencies. By then, we would change it to something else, and spend a good amount of time trying to remember it.

As soon as I set the following radio channels, I heard a tinny voice speak to me on my left ear.

“Hello hello.” it spoke. It’s voice sounded vaguely familiar. “If you can hear this, then that means the device is working. Listen carefully.” It was Doc’s voice. “You cannot speak through this thing, but we can speak to you. Although, we will refrain from communications once you are airborne. Your task, besides your military objective, is to tune in on the enemy communications, and find out what they are saying in the air. If you can listen to them, we can listen to them as well.”

I continued to listen to Doc’s almost mechanical voice as the plane stopped moving. The crew ponies seemed to have moved the planes into position now.

“We will monitor enemy communication throughout the rest of the flight. You may also use this device against your enemies in a dogfight as well, so use it responsibly. But other than that, there is not much else to say to you.” He was silent for a while, but he finished by saying “Good luck, Night Light.” before the voice went dead.

I heard another tinny voice speak to me, this time in my right ear. “Blueblood control to Garuda Team, are all members ready?”

I looked back behind me, and saw the other planes lined up, prepped, and ready to go. “Affirmative, Blueblood. We’re ready for war.” I spoke half heartedly.

“Roger, standby. We’re analyzing the situation.” I sat in the cockpit canopy, switching radio frequencies for my team, and for Spitfire’s team. There was light snowfall that littered the canopy glass, slightly obscuring my vision. Once I’m in the air, that shouldn’t be a problem for much longer. I spoke into my mask again, speaking to my friends. “Garuda team, are you ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Da.”

“Eyup.” They all spoke at once.

“Set your flaps for takeoff, and start your engines. Keep the throttle back until I say so.” I ordered, as I did the same. I set the radiator flaps open about halfway, to reduce engine heat and drag. I also had my ailerons trimmed about 7% to the right, to even it out and prevent it from rolling.

“Garuda, you have permission to take off. Launch now!” Blueblood announced.

“Affirm, Control. We’re launching now.” I switched to my team’s frequency. “Everypony, we’re on a tight schedule again, so do a speedy takeoff. After the plane in front of you moves forward, you hit the throttle.”

“We read you, Night Light. Waiting on you.” Lucky responded.

I slid the throttle all the way forward, and the propeller began to spin even faster. Soon, my plane was slowly gliding along the small runway and was floating in the air in less than 20 seconds. I pulled the stick back to increase altitude, and raised my flaps. I glanced behind me, and saw the others beginning to lurch forward along the runway. I flew upward, gaining altitude as I continued to watch. One by one, they were in the air.

“Garuda team launched. Good Hunting!” Blueblood spoke once again.

“Everypony, get to a higher altitude, 1500 meters or so, and regroup on me. No formation this time, just meet with me.”

“Affirmative.” Bigs answered. I looked down below, and saw a better view of the area around me. And the chaos with it. The entire fleet was moving into action, as they prepared for the incoming onslaught. There were more planes being launched from the Ark Royal, as well as the Sky Strip. I couldn’t tell exactly how many aircraft are over the city, but I estimated at least 80 of them so far. More on the way.

I noticed Blue Smoke streaming from one of the planes launched from the Ark Royal. Soon after, more planes from the carrier began following the smoke, trailing behind in a neat and spaced out line formation. It was the Wonderbolts again.

Spitfire and her team was stationed on the Ark Royal. Me and my team, along with several others, were stationed on the Blueblood. This is obvious enough. What I did not know, however, was that there was more Wonderbolts than I originally thought. During the raid over Pegasi Gulf, the Wonderbolts had about 8 to 12 planes with them. A large number for one team. Now though, I could make out at least 18 of them, maybe more. So many planes from everywhere were being launched for this battle. I felt my hooves quivering at the stick.

My friends were steadily gaining on me as I reached the objective altitude. They began to form up on me in an echelon - a diagonal line - to my right. I noticed in the distance that more planes were being lined up for takeoff on the Blueblood’s runway. I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming premonition that something terrible was coming. The sounds of Air Raid sirens can still be heard from the city over the roar of the engine, as I continued to fly westbound.

I switched my frequency to the Blueblood, and proceeded to speak into the mask. “Blueblood, this is Garuda, what is our current objective at this time?”

There was silence for a little while, before they answered. “Current orders are unknown at this time. Universally, the Primary Objective is to defend Los Pegasus. Other than that, I can’t tell.”

“Roger, we’ll get in contact with somepony, and go from there. What’s the estimation on when the enemy will arrive?”

“At least a half-an-hour. Exact time is unknown. They’ll be approaching from the Northwest”

“Ten-four, Garuda out.” I finished, and switched channels. “Okay Garuda, the enemy is expected to be over the city in less than half-an-hour, arriving from Northwest. This isn’t a tactical air raid, this is an all out battle. Free engagement is allowed as far as I know, so remain vigilant and wary of allied planes with enemy planes. I don’t want any friendly fire accidents!”

“Finally, I get to up my ‘Bugs Squashed’ count.” Bigs muttered to himself.

“I reckon this’ll be quite a perilous mission. Y’all oughta be careful.” Lucky warned.

“I’m ready for what they throw at me.” Naya reassured… although I do not know if she was trying to convince us, or herself.

“Keep your head in the game, and stay focused on your surroundings. The sky will no doubt get crowded, so don’t fly too erratically and crash into somepony.” I instructed to my friends. Not one of them said another word.

I heard another voice speak in my right ear, one of a mare. “Night Light, I hope you and your squad are ready for action! We’re heading 295, along the coastline, to try and find the bombers before they reach the city limits. You’re more than welcome to join us, or to stay and defend the city. Your choice.” It was Spitfire, calling out to me on Lead Channel. I switched to it, and replied back to her.

“Roger that, I’ll decide what to do soon. Good luck to you.”

“Yeah, you too. Be careful.”

I switched channels again, back to my team. “Okay, listen carefully. Here’s what’s going to happen. Naya, you’re flying with me. We’ll be heading 295 along the coast with others in hopes of finding the enemy before they find us. Bigs and Lucky, you two will stay above the Harbor and the Gulf, engaging any enemies you may encounter. Lucky, you’re in charge of your 2-pony group until I say so. Be effective and thorough in your call outs.”

“Affirmative. I’ll do my best not to disappoint.” Lucky answered. Bigs remained silent.

“Naya, you’re my wingpony for this fight. Stay strong, alright?”

“Okay…” she softly replied. She sounded hesitant, but it was too late to gripe and talk about it now. I’ll just have to take her word for it. Afterwards, I switched to Lead Channel and spoke into the mask, talking to Spitfire.

“Wonderbolt Lead, Garuda 1 and 2 are linking up with you guys. We’ll assist you in the interception mission.”

“Good to hear, Night Light. We’ll be up ahead.” she answered before speaking again, this time to everypony listening in on Lead Channel. “All Teams, Roll Call!”

“Nimbus is 6 Strong!”

“Gryphus is ready, 3 Strong!”

“Cumulus is currently 2 Strong, more members are on the way.”

“Dash is 5 Strong, with more incoming.”

“Sapphire is ready, 8 Strong!”

“Stratus is 3 Strong, more on the way.”

“Garuda is 4 Strong, and ready!” I joined in soon after.

“And Wonderbolts are 22 Strong, with more reserves incoming.” Spitfire butted in. “More teams are incoming, but it looks like most of everypony is here.”

“Sergeant Spitfire, what are our current orders?” One pony asked.

“I’m getting to that, listen carefully. Nimbus, Sapphire, Gryphus, and Garuda are assisting the Wonderbolts with Interception duty, heading 295 along the coastline. Cumulus, Dash, and Stratus will loiter over the city’s harbor and act as a second line of defense. Our goal is to shoot down as many bombers as we can, with fighters joining them.” She paused a moment, to catch her breath. “Gryphus, you’ll be Booming and Zooming while shooting down as many fighter escorts as you can before you have to RTB. Nimbus, and Sapphire will bait enemy fighters away from the formation to the west, and they’ll assist you in engaging them.”

“Copy that, Wonderbolt Lead. moving into position.” Gryphus lead replied.

“Sapphire confirms orders, mobilizing now.”

“Affirm from Nimbus, we’re moving.”

“Right, Garuda and us will be focusing on the Bombers. Kill as many as you can. Do all teams copy?” Spitfire asked over the radio, to everypony listening.

“Garuda copies.” I replied.

“Nimbus copies.”

“Cumulus copies.”

“Stratus copies.”

“Dash copies.”

“Gryphus confirms orders.”

“Sapphire copies move orders.” they all replied at once.

“Right then, move it or lose it!” Spitfire barked as all the planes around us began to mobilize. I could count at least 10 planes turning back and heading toward the city, in a scrambled and loose formation. More planes from the fleet and the Sky Strip were joining the sky in this great crusade. More and more planes began forming near me, flying in the same direction as my team was.

I switched my channels to Garuda again, and spoke into the mask. “Garuda Team, listen up: We’re tasked to shoot down as many bombers as we can before having to RTB. as you know, the Sky Strip and the Blueblood are available if you need to RTB for resupply. Do not hesitate to use it. Stay close to each other or to a Wonderbolt, and you’ll be fine. Understood?”

“We copy, Night Light.” Bigs responded first.

We flew Northwest for about 10 minutes or so, the Air Raid Sirens steadily moving out of earshot as we moved away from the city. During this time, Spitfire continued to call roll and order newcomers from the Blueblood or Ark Royal to loiter over the harbor. More planes from the Sky Strip began to follow our formation heading Northwest. About half of our force was split up: one half intercepting the bombers, the other half defending the city harbor. With more still incoming from the Sky Strip, as well as other airfields in close proximity. In total, it should be about 200-300 planes. I have no idea if it would be enough, but we were about to find out.

Suddenly, in my left ear, I heard static noises emit from The Eavesdropper. No other noise or voice was heard. Nothing but static. I then realized that enemy communications were being transmitted through the earpiece, but was just out of range. We had to be close to them by now. my altitude was currently 1400 Meters, just underneath the cloud cover. I didn’t know if the Changelings would be over, inside, or underneath the clouds. Gryphus was above it, keeping an eye out for any aircraft. I could not see anything beyond a few hundred yards; the snowfall and fog was making it difficult to see very far.

“Spitfire to all planes, do you see anything?” Spitfire called out in my Right Earmuff.

“I see clouds, water, and sky. And planes, but they’re just our planes.” Somepony else remarked rather sarcastically.

“Be serious! Gryphus, do you have a visual?”

“Negative. We have no visual contact.”

More static emitted from my left ear, and more garbled voices can be heard. I could almost make out what they say, but not quite enough. My hooves were slightly shaking, and I could feel tingles down my spine. Maybe goosebumps.

“All planes, spread out and keep your eyes peeled. The second you see them, call ‘em out!” Spitfire ordered in my right ear.

“Ten-four! Sapphire is peeling off to the west a bit.” I heard somepony else say, before seeing some of our planes break off from the large formation we were flying in. Another group of planes proceeded to increase altitude, trying to climb above the clouds.

Another fit of garbled voices were speaking in my left ear, but I could recognize some bits and pieces of it.

“... eep an eye for… can’t give away our position for…”

There wasn’t much to go on. All I knew for certain was that they didn’t want to be revealed. What did Doc say the range on this thing was again? Five Kilometers? We had to be alarmingly close by now, if I could hear them like so. It also spoke in a strangely natural yet artificial voice, almost like someone was reading a script and was getting very drawn into it. The voices continued.

“-ay inside the clouds. The closer we are - kzt bsht - ithout becoming detected.”

I understood it that time. They were hiding in the clouds it seems. How close they were was unclear, nor what altitude they were. There was also the potential fundamental problem that they could be using the imperial measurement system instead of metric, like how I was using, to throw me off. But wherever they are, they were really close.

“I see something.” Someone from Gryphus called out.

“What is it?” Spitfire answered

“It’s… something. I can’t say it’s an aircraft, because it’s not. But whatever shape it is, it’s big, and hiding in the clouds.”

“Weird. How far is it?”

“Eh, about… eight to twelve klicks. Give or take. Can’t make out what it is.”

“Okay, roger that. Do you see anything else?”

“Negative.”

“Alright, climb higher and find out what it is. The rest of you, maintain formation.”

Then I heard something that finally gave me a clue to where the enemy was. More voices emit from my left ear.

“Maintain formation and stay above 1000 meters. If we stay just above the lower cloud layer, we’ll slip through easily.”

I glanced downward to my left, after rolling my plane a bit to the side. I saw a couple of cracks through the clouds, revealing a greyish ocean that somehow looked colder than before. Through one of the cracks I saw a mass of shapes glide underneath us… and nobody noticed it.

“I see them! They’re below us!” I yelled through the mask. “Naya, dive! Dive now!”

“What? Below us?” Spitfire repeated, clearly confused of what’s happening. I proceeded to dip my plane downward, towards the crack in the clouds below us. Naya was following close behind.

“Wait… I see them too! They were hiding in the clouds below us!” Somepony else called out.

“Ah shit! Okay, dive! Intercept them immediately!” Soon after, more planes began to fly downward. I was ahead of everypony, Naya beside me to my left as we continued to descend. Soon, we were speeding very fast, and very far down, until we were below the cloud cover. As soon as I could see around me, I found - not one, but several - large formations of bombers. No fighter escorts. Strange. But I counted at least 20 or so bombers before moving to engage.

I heard more voices on my left ear. "Oh shit, contact! 6 o’clock level! They found us!"

“Engage them! Don’t let them find the Aigaion!”

More allied planes broke through the clouds as tracers began to fill the air around me. And once again, Chaos ensued.

“Stop,” Grim interrupted. “Are you going to reenact another battle that has nothing to do with the Aigaion?”

“No.” I replied. “You told me to recall Los Pegasus. And that’s what I’m doing.”

“I asked you to recall anything that has to do with the Aigaion.”

“I am! I’m getting to that part-”

“We don’t have time, Night Light! We need to speed this along.”

“Why? What’s the rush all of the sudden?”

Grim didn’t immediately answer. Instead, he looked down to the floor, pondering to himself. The sun outside the large window had moved over the Canterlot Mountain, as it was now transitioning into Afternoon. There was a long shadow, stretching from the mountains and the buildings around it into a long, black silhouette of its shape.

“Listen,”Grim finally spoke. “we are running out of time. You may not know it, but there are… certain people, who wish to use this monstrosity for their own benefits-”

“It’s useless now.” I butted in. “It’s destroyed. Ruined! How and why would anyone want to use it?”

“Hmph… Why. Why is a good question. And one I don’t know the answer to. And even if I did know the answer to ‘why’, what good does it do? But ‘how’... How is more of an educated guess at this point. Maybe Reverse Engineering. Maybe they could repair it somehow. All I know is that there are Chan-... specific suspects, who will do anything to get their hooves or claws on it for their own twisted gains.”

“You think Changelings are responsible for this?” I asked. His faced grimaced and he gave a low growl, cursing something under his breath. He took a deep breath.

“Not just Changelings… That’s all I’m willing to say on that note. Now, back to the matter at hoof: The Aigaion. I want you to recall when you first saw it, during the battle over Los Pegasus. And please stay on topic this time.”

“I was on topic this entire time… but alright.” I stared at my hooves, feeling a bit queasy.

My hooves were slightly shaking...

My hooves were violently shaking!

A part of it was because of the adrenaline and fear that was coursing through my being. Flying like this was always perilous, and each mission always resulted in the loss of a pony, or more… and even more Changelings sometimes.

The other part was because I was losing control of my plane, which vibrated the stick I was holding quite badly.

I was engaging several 111s while diving down above them, gold tracers striking their craft as one by one they began to dissipate into unrecognizable pieces of steel and aluminum. Soon, they began to spread out, from panic and shock of their casualties I assumed. I zoomed past the formation, descending downward as pieces of the bombers fell down with me. I pulled back on the stick to elevate upward and engage them again. It was at that moment that my plane began to vibrate and shake, before it spun flatly to the right. Soon, I found myself in a flat spin, descending downward.

“Night Light, respond. Are you alright?” Naya called out in my right ear. I didn’t answer. I stepped my left hind leg down on the rudder, trying to counteract the momentum of the spin. While doing so, I carefully tried to steer the nose of my craft downward, to gain speed and energy. Soon, the plane was now in a barrel roll instead of a flat spin, and I carefully elevated upward. As this was happening, I saw the ocean rapidly closing in on me. It reminded me of that Nightmare I keep having…

No! Not like this! I gave it everything I had, and pulled the stick back as far as I could. My speed was well above 500 knots, and my altitude even lower. As my plane began to stabilize and climb, it barely missed the flat churning plane of water, spraying water around me as I flew just over. Once I began to gain altitude, I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

“Night Light, please respond! Are you okay?” Naya asked again. I pulled the mask to my face.

“Yeah yeah, I’m right as rain.” I half-casually responded, even though I nearly defecated myself from such a near death experience.

“All planes, give me a sitrep: What’s the status on those bombers?” Spitfire called out.

“Sadly poor: We’ve lost 5 of our guys already. Not too many of them gone either.”

“Keep up the pressure. We kill more of them, they’ll break. Gryphus, gimme a roll call.”

They didn’t respond. While this was happening, I saw the bombers above me were gradually getting closer to the city. The fighting had ensued for only about 5 minutes, and we weren’t making any big progress.

“Gryphus, respond! What’s happening over there?” again, no response.

“All units, we’re 7 minutes out from the city. Maintain formation.” a voice spoke in my left ear. We’re running out of time…

“Affirmative. Once we’ve done our job, the Aigaion will finish them off. Prioritize Destruction over Accuracy." another one spoke.

At that transmission, I felt something familiar. I felt rage. They were intent on destroying everything. And at that moment, I felt like I was responsible for all of those ponies down below me. I felt like I was doing everything I could, and yet it would not be enough.

... Well, fuck that!

I gained altitude once more, aiming for the front bomber formation. I learned that their blindspot was underneath them, while somewhat in front of them. There would be no turret protecting them from that angle. So as I was about a few hundred meters below them, I accelerated forward, speeding past them. After I was a good distance in front of them, I turned to the right and flew straight up from underneath them. As I suspected, their front gunners tried to open up on me, and almost all of them were missing; I was in their deadzone.

More golden tracers were sent from my craft, as communications on both ears were getting hectic. I heard sporadic bits and pieces of dialogue that I could faintly make out on both sides. But it was impossible to interpret them all at once. More bombers began to fall down to the ocean below as I shot them down one by one. After I zoomed past them again, their rear gunners opened up, forcing me to descend downward again to regain speed and to exit their range.

“Another bomber shot down! Where the hell is our escort!?” my left ear heard more Changeling voices.

“Stay cool, it won’t be long now. They can’t shoot all of us down. The Aigaion will maintain air superiority once we’ve done our job.” There’s that name again… what is ‘Aigaion’?

“All planes, Radar Station has picked up more aircraft approaching from the Northwest. Looks like fighters.” Spitfire announced.

“No! Sapphire lead is down!”

“Berry, get a grip! You gotta take over command!”

“How many of them are there?!” One mare screeched.

“Too many. Let’s fix that!”

I performed the same strategy as I engaged the bomber formation again. With each time I pass by them, at least 2 or 4 of them were shot down. They were steadily withering, but about 10 or 12 still remained. Soon though, there won’t be any. If I can’t stop the damage, then I’ll make sure the ones who caused it won’t get back alive.

More golden tracers strike their planes, the 20 MM Cannons ripping them to shreds. It only required a small burst to shoot one down. The only problem was the ammo count was much smaller, meaning I can’t spray and pray. I’ll have to be selective on my targets.

“4 minutes out.”

At that moment, spitfires from the East, appearing seemingly out of thin air, began to swarm the formation. More and more of them began to fall and burn. It was the reserves that were loitering over Los Pegasus. They arrived just in time to stop the first formation.

“Group one has been shot down. Groups two and three are down to 43 in total.”

“We’re almost there. Keep flying, we’ll make them pay.” There was no way we could stop them all in time...

“All planes, they’re over the Gulf. Everypony, engage at will!” Another pony called out.

“Gryphus, this is Wonderbolt Lead, respond! What’s happening over there?” Once again, no response was heard. They might have been shot down… but from what? Maybe it was the fighters that Spitfire was warning us about.

“Ah forget it - Wonderbolts, on me! Let’s fry these Bugs!” Spitfire ordered.

“3 minutes out.”

I turned my plane to the North to engage the second group of bombers, and more allied planes began to do the same thing. Green and Golden tracers danced in the sky around me, as many of ours and their planes were falling down to the earth. Some on fire, some in pieces, some not even recognized as a plane. Just bits of metal. I saw one of our spitfires catch fire. Screams were filling my right ear. Then the plane exploded, and the screams abruptly stopped. I felt sick.

Some of the green tracers were striking my craft, creating holes all over my wings and fuselage. Thankfully they were 7MM Machine Guns, not 20MM Cannons. Although my plane was littered with holes, it was still airborne and flyable. And I still had ammo left, though not a lot. Only about 15 were left in the second group.

“2 Minutes out… Pilot to Bombardier, your ship.”

“Bombardier to Pilot, roger that.”

“We’re running out of time. All planes, give it everything we got!” I ordered to my team in the mask. “Bigs, Lucky, intercept them immediately!”

“What does it look like I’m doing?!” Bigs replied.

“I’m coming from up top, 12 o'clock high!” Lucky called out.

More fiery wrecks of bombers descended downward to the earth, but the number of bombers that still remained was not enough to minimize the damage… there was no avoiding it. Soon, Flak started to erupt in the sky, and the Air Raid Siren from Los Pegasus could be heard again.

“Pod 5 has been hit! We’re down to 8 in the second group!”

“Keep it steady! 1 minute!”

“Opening bomb bay doors!”

I saw the bombers beginning to drop altitude a little bit, but not going down. They were gaining speed and preparing to release the Payload.

“Everypony, now or never! SHOOT DOWN THOSE BOMBERS!”

The number of Golden tracers that filled the sky seemed to have increased tenfold. And steadily, one by one, more bombers were going down.

... But it wasn’t enough. Soon, I saw many small, cylinder shaped objects - Bombs, I assumed - drop from the bomb bay doors. There were at least 80 bombs, most likely more, that were dropping towards the city. Soon after, the bombers veered Northbound, away from the city.

“Bombs away!”

“We’re done here! It won’t be long now. Soon, the ponies will break with the might of our Aigaion.” That stupid name was starting to get on my nerves. What the hell is an ‘Aigaion’?

“They dropped their payload! They’re breaking formation.”

“Nimbus, Dash, intercept the remaining bombers of that group. The rest of you who are still alive, intercept the third formation! Bearing 275, move it!” Spitfire barked through my right ear. Only a handful of bombers from the second group were still airborne, with more on the way.

Soon, I saw a flash of light to my right as my plane faced west. It was coming from Los Pegasus, as I saw a nearly blinding light emit from the ground. Seconds later, that light transformed into a giant blaze of fire.

“What the hell is going on? The city is on fire!” Somepony called out.

“It’s… it’s spreading. The whole city is gonna go up in flames!”

“Those must’ve been Thermobaric Bombs. They don’t want to destroy us, they want to burn us alive...“

“My God!”

The inferno was slowly starting to seep into the many buildings that cluster around the harbor. Soon, they were burning to the ground until nothing but glass remained. Staring at the fire, I felt more rage well up inside me. There were still ponies inside those homes down there, and they could be burning…

“Night Light, what are your orders now?” Bigs called out in my right ear. I felt a single tear run down my left cheek, as I pulled the mask slowly to my face.

“Garuda team…” I didn’t finish my sentence; I struggled to hold back more tears. “... Kill them all.” I finished.

“With pleasure!” Bigs replied.

The third formation of Bombers flew into view as they broke through the clouds. Spitfires were swarming them from all sides, sending golden tracers towards them as they fired back.

“This is Pod 7 to Aigaion, payload delivered. Returning to base.”

“Aigaion to Pod, roger that. We’re moving into position now… All planes, Equestria’s days are numbered.”

I screamed out loud in frustration. This Aigaion character was really starting to piss me off. I fired my cannons at the bombers, tearing their hull to literal shreds as their wrecks dropped to the ocean below. Soon, the third formation released their payload as well, adding more fuel to the Inferno.

“The third group has completed their course… Aigaion, the rest is on you.”

“Aigaion confirms orders. Moving to establish Air Superiority.”

The bomber formation began to spread and dissipate, leaving nothing but a burning city, smoke, planes, bullets, and flak filling the sky. Many of the planes ventured in the clouds, giving chase to the 111s that were retreating.

Suddenly, a new sound pervaded the air. It was loud, ominous, and mighty. A deep, long horn was being blown seemingly from the heavens itself. soon, I saw flashes of light shine through the clouds.

“What the hell is that noise!?” Lucky asked.

Soon, the clouds began to fade and twirl away, revealing a new shape… one I have never seen. It had a poly-like material for the giant balloon that was effortlessly gliding through the air. The horn sounded again, just as awful as the first time I heard it. The underbelly of this beast was mostly metal, with many industrial-sized propellers accelerating it forward. It had massive cannons sticking out from seemingly every direction, and machine guns in the same spots. Spotlights below the ship were flashing their beams of light everywhere. It was a geometric shape that seemed to have swallowed the clouds around it.

“What in Celestia’s name is that thing!?” A mare screamed through the radio.

Embedded at the very front of this monstrosity was cursive writing:

Aigaion

Author's Note

Naya's Song:

Chapter 11: Shadow of Giants

(A2) - Finale: Shadow of Giants

No Glory Won

Act 2 Finale: Shadows of Giants

“A quiet darkness fell across the world...”

“An airship...” Grim started. “The Aigaion was a massive airship?”

“Yes. A terrifying one at that.” I shuddered as memories began to surface my mind. The ever so familiar horn was heard in my head.

“So... an airship was what set the public in panic, burned Los Pegasus, and destroyed most of our aircraft production at the time. No wonder. A giant flying machine will definitely scare a lot of people, and cause a lot of damage. When I first heard rumors about it, I thought nothing of it. I thought it was just wartime anxiety getting the better of some ponies.”

“Now you know. You know what the Aigaion is.” I explained. “Can me and sunshine leave now? I gave you what you wanted.”

“Not yet. Just wait a moment. I’ll return.” I attempted to raise a hoof in protest, but Grim quickly left the room, leaving me alone to my thoughts. The afternoon sky was just now starting to change color, transitioning to early evening. About 5 hours or so has passed by, trudging slowly along feeling like an eternity. How much more time do I have to spend separated from Sunshine? It still didn’t make any sense to me why S.M.I.L.E. wanted this kind of information, or what their intentions are. They were proving to be morally ambiguous thus far.

I sighed heavily, as I continued to stare through the window. No noise was heard. Just a silent, muffling ambiance filled the room. The walls around me remained grey and monotone. Then, to my right, the door opened again. This time, there was another pony I didn’t recognize, followed by Grim leading him in. This pony was a Unicorn Stallion, with a white coat and blonde mane. Almost looks like ‘Doc’, except he didn’t have his signature black coat on him, and his eyes were colored green, instead of amber.

Grim remained standing on his hooves, while his acquaintance sat in the chair in front of me.

“Okay. This Gentlepony here is going to assist us today by giving us a clear diagram of what this airship looks like.” Grim started. “I want you, to the best of your ability, describe the Aigaion and what it looked like. Go in depth and in detail; What material it was made from, what shape was it, how long or how wide, anything that’ll give us a clear picture.”

The scribe pony in front of me remained silent and stoic. A common trait I’m seeing a lot of with these ponies. He levitated a piece of paper, and a pencil, ready for me to begin. “Whenever you’re ready.” He spoke.

“Can I leave afterwards?” I asked. The scribe pony looked down on his paper, silently. Grim just sighed.

“That depends how well you can describe the airship. But, we’ll see.”

I gazed at the scribe pony, expecting him to ask questions, starting with what it actually was. But he was silent, insisting me to proceed first. I took a deep breath.

“... Well, it was…”

Huge!

That was the first thing I thought of when I saw the Aigaion with my own eyes. It was Massive. Bigger than Canterlot Castle, and higher than a city, with the length of about 2 arenas if they were put together side by side. In short, all it was was a giant, metallic, rod-shaped balloon with big guns.

The second thing I remember from when I first saw the Aigaion was me sitting inside the cockpit canopy staring at the strangely haunting beast in the sky with eyes wide open. From that moment when I saw the words Aigaion embedded at the front side of the metal hull, I felt something else. Something I was all too familiar with: Fear. I was underneath a literal flying giant. Its size was more than enough to strike terror in the hearts of many. But the ever droning sound of the horn that it was blaring was what made feel terrified. It had an overwhelming presence of power and terror.

It was a monsterous titan of a vehicle. I swallowed hard.

“What in the fuck is that!?” I heard Bigs yell in my right ear.

“It’s… It’s a… oh god.” Lucky stuttered.

“A monster...” Naya quietly spoke.

“All squads, regroup over the harbor, now!” Spitfire barked, as the AA guns from the city and the fleet opened up on the flying behemoth. Flak decorated the sky around it, doing nothing to the structural integrity of the ship. A few allied planes attempted to shoot at the balloon with their cannons, which also did no damage. Those same planes were later swarmed by a hail of bullets that erupted from the mounted machine guns on the Aigaion. They were easily shot down. The Airship seemed virtually indestructible.

Whatever remained of the allied planes began to gather over the harbor, loitering over the continuous wildfire that has enveloped Los Pegasus. We all formed up in a big cluster, flying away from the behemoth.

“How the fuck are we supposed to fight that thing?!” A stallion exclaimed.

“Everything we’re throwing at it seems to be doing nothing. We’ll have to strategize on this.” Spitfire started. “All planes who are critically damaged, low on ammo, or fuel, return to base now. The rest who aren’t, climb above it as high as you can. Nimbus, Dash, draw fire from it as we try to get above it. Understood?”

“Roger that! Nimbus, on me!” Another stallion spoke.

“The rest of you, climb high! Get above it and stay in the gunners’ dead zone!”

“Garuda, on me. Accelerate and climb behind me!” I ordered.

“Affirmative!” Naya replied.

One by one, planes began to hastily move in different directions. About 12 planes descended below the Aigaion, as mounted machine guns opened up on them. They all evaded and twisted, barely dodging the bullets. About 10 more planes were heading northeast to return to base. And about 30 more planes, my team included, began to ascend upward above the metallic beast. As I was climbing higher above the Aigaion, I noticed that the top of the balloon was also metallic, much like the bottom. And it also had massive artillery-like guns fixated to it, with more machine guns as well. Soon, they began to open up on the planes above them.

“Everypony, spread out and evade!” Spitfire screamed, as allied planes began to spiral downward and twist away from the behemoth. My team and I flew away from each other in different directions, to minimize the potential casualties. I stayed above it, Naya beside me, while Lucky and Bigs were diving down below it.

“Aigaion to Strigon Team, prepare to scramble. Launching sequence initiated.” I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. Strigon is here too?! That’s fucking fantastic.

“Strigon to Aigaion, we copy. Ready to launch on your mark.”

I performed a barrel roll to my right, dodging incoming fire as I attempted to strafe one of the machine gun emplacements fixated atop the airship. The 20 MM Cannons opened up, disintegrating the nest into a burning heap.

“Uh… guys? Something is happening.” Lucky called out. “It’s opening its underbelly, it looks like giant bay doors.”

Shit! If they get over the city and drop more ordnance, Los Pegasus could be completely wiped out with the fire burning down most of the city anyway. I twisted my plane to the right, to avoid the AA fire. I descended downward on one of the batteries firing on another plane, and unleashed more tracers upon it, earning a small explosion from the gun. Another battery destroyed. Now they had their attention fixated on me, as I was descending downward below the underbelly.

“Doors are open, begin launch sequence!”

“Roger. Strigon, are you ready?”

“Affirmative.”

“Beginning launch, in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… LAUNCH!”

Suddenly, dozens of wide trident shaped planes were spiraling downward, launched form the huge set of doors. As soon as they were fast enough, they elevated upward and leveled out.

“What the hell is that? they’re launching fighters from that huge ship!” A mare called out.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Spitfire cursed.

“Nothing’s working! Our guns don’t do fuck all to that thing!”

“Night Light,” Naya called out. “It’s the Reaper’s Emblem…”

“I know!” I replied bitterly.

My eyes were fixated at the giant airship in awe and horror. The Strigon Squadron, one by one, was launching from the bay doors. I let out a yell in frustration, slamming my hoof against the cockpit glass. Were the bombers incinerating Los Pegasus really not enough for them?!

“Strigon lead to Aigaion, launch successful. Engaging hostile aircraft.”

“Roger that. Sweep the skies clear of enemy combatants. We’ll provide covering fire.”

The green tracers emitting from the Aigaion AA guns showed no sign of stopping. In fact, after that last transmission, it seemed to have increase. I flew downward, gaining a good distance between me and the flying beast. Our bullets weren’t doing anything to it’s hull. The only damage that it sustained were the 2 gun batteries being knocked out of commission. There were various Spitfires that turned away from the Aigaion to engage the enemy Strigon squadron.

We have to change our tactics. Until I could find some kind of weakness against the airship, there was no hope to achieve any serious damage. The only thing I could do was destroy it’s smaller batteries, though I don’t know if that’ll do much help. The Strigons certainly won’t make our job any easier. I have to drag them out of the equation first.

But how? They were no strangers to combat. I was badly damaged the first confrontation with them, and in my second one I barely survived! I couldn’t just engage them head-on, especially with a fucking airship! I thought long and hard. We had the numerical advantage, and the better aircraft. They were just more skilled. And with their air cover, it would be significantly more difficult. I had to get them as far away from the Aigaion as possible.

“Garuda team, dive below the airship and rendezvous on me! We need to clear the sky of these Strigons. Follow the yellow smoke!” I ordered, as I flipped the aeronautic smoke switch, making my wings trail yellow powder in the air.

I descended below the Aigaion and leveled out, still a good distance away from the airship. It’s guns were opening up on all planes around it, regardless if they were friendly or enemy. One by one, I saw planes erupt into flames, and spiral out of control towards the ocean below. Casualties will no doubt be high.

“Sergeant Spitfire, this is Corporal Night Light, I have a plan!” I called out on lead channel.

“What is it?”

“The airship seems to be indestructible against our guns. We’ll be out dry before we can even put a dent in that thing!” The ever so ominous horn sounded from the airship again, sending chills up my spine. “We need to focus on the fighters, clear the sky of them first, then find a weak point on that airship we can exploit. If we continue to blindly fire at the airship, we’ll take unnecessary casualties. Break!” I paused to take another breath.

“Draw them away from the airship. Get them as far away from the AA cover as you can! Then we can fight on an even playing field.”

Spitfire was silent for a while, which felt like an eternity. The sky was filled with smoke and bullets, and was tinted with an orange light by the fires from the city below. More planes from the mainland were incoming from the East. Reinforcements had arrived. I looked behind me, and saw Naya, Lucky, and Bigs form up behind me. Their planes were filled with holes on their wings and body, same as mine. But we were still airborne, and as long as we were, we were still combat effective.

Finally, Spitfire broke the silence, speaking to everypony. “All planes, fall back and seperate. Regroup over the harbor and loiter there. We’re going to shoot down those fighters first! Understand?!”

“We copy, Wonderbolt Lead! Sapphire team, let’s go!”

“You heard her, Nimbus squad, move it or lose it!”

I stared at the cluster of planes swarming around the airship, and noticed that small groups of them were peeling away. The Strigon planes didn’t pursuit. They shot their guns at the retreating aircraft, failing to score any hits.

“They’re falling back. They can’t do any damage to us!”

“We’ve got the initiative. Strigon Team, intercept them now.”

“Understood. Strigon 2 through 5, peel off and defend the mothership. The rest of you, form on me and break hard on my signal.”

With that, I saw multiple planes that were still loitering around the Aigaion finally peel off, to finish us off. They bought our bait. As long as we were out of range from the Airship’s guns, we had the advantage.

“They’re pursuing now! Wonderbolts, we got hostiles incoming bearing vector 268!”

“Acknowledged! It’s time for some payback. Give them all we got!”

I took a shaky, deep breath, at an attempt to calm myself down. It somewhat worked, though my hooves were still shaking. I stared down into the Inferno that was Los Pegasus, instantly remembering the rage I first felt against the Changelings when I saw what happened to the city. Countless ponies are either homeless, or dead. I could almost feel my blood boil.

“Garuda Team, it’s time to exterminate some bugs. Give them what they deserved!” I ordered.

“Yes Ma’am, with pleasure!” Bigs optimistically agreed.

“I’ll show them why they shouldn’t mess with us!” Lucky then spoke. Naya didn’t respond. She stayed silent.

“Naya?” I called out.

“... I’m on it.” she muttered.

The Spitfires and Strigons turned to face each other, closing in fast. Soon, they opened fire, and all of them scrambled to chase one another. My team was closing in on the chaos.

“Stay outside of the cluster, and let them come to us. I don’t want any of us to have any mid-air accidents!”

“Roger that.”

“I’ll lure them over, all of you will help intercept. Stay out of their range, and attack when their guard is down.” I ordered, as I broke heard to the right, towards the cluster of aircraft. “Loiter at your current position, and break when I say so.”

“We copy, Night.” Lucky answered.

I left the aeronautics smoke switch flipped down, my wings spewing out yellow vapor as I flew forward. This oughta get their attention. I was gaining distance towards the group of planes, the Aigaion barely visible in my peripheral vision to my left. As soon as I was in gun range, and as I was lining up my crosshairs, I pulled the trigger again, sending golden tracers dashing forward to the enemy. A few of them connected to one of the Strigons, losing a wing as it was going down.

“Strigon 10 is going down. Who shot him down?” I heard a voice in my left ear call out. I inverted, and performed an Immelmann maneuver as I was chasing another Strigon, sending more golden tracers toward them. They also connected, but it achieved nothing but smoke emitting from its engine. I gave chase, as I continued to fire at him. It rolled and elevated erratically, in an effort to evade me, but to no avail.

“I got one on my six! 7, get ‘em off me!” another voice called out. The Strigon started to ascend upward, in an attempt to stall me out. But I was a step ahead of him. I pressed the trigger again, leading in the rough direction I assumed he would fly to. They turn faster when elevating upward, so I aimed higher. This time, the bullets struck the fuselage in perfect symmetry, causing the whole plane to explode into unrecognizable shards. Another kill. I performed a Split-S to regain my speed after climbing upward for that kill.

“Strigon 9 is down too. I didn’t see him bail out!”

“Who is that damned plane with the yellow smoke?”

“They shot down 2 of us already… Strigon 6 through 8, target that aircraft now!”

Now I have their attention. I leveled my plane and glanced behind me, noticing three of the Strigon planes breaking off from the cluster and beginning to chase me. I descended downward at a slight angle, gaining speed without losing too much altitude.

“Garuda Team, they’re on me now. Get ready to intercept! Naya and Lucky, you two will Sandwich on the enemy. Bigs, you’re going to stick with me, and shake off whoever is left chasing me.”

“Sounds like a plan. Ready when you are.” Naya replied.

I saw my friends ahead of me shift into position, ready to rain bullets on the enemy. Two of them broke off to the right, flanking the enemy aircraft. Only one of them stood their ground, accelerating towards me. I glanced back behind me, and saw Naya and Lucky approach the enemy group from their right.

“Enemy spitfires, 4 o'clock high!”

“Roger, break when they engage! Number 5, continue chasing!” Looking at the yellow smoke I’ve trailed in the sky, I assumed they were talking about me. For a group of well trained pilots, they fell for this a little too easily...

“Naya, Lucky, they know you’re coming. Get ready!”

I looked ahead, and saw Bigs’ plane rapidly getting closer. I inverted the plane downward, and heard cannons fire from above me, mixed with sounds of metal being shredded and destroyed. I looked back, and saw one of the Strigons trailing black smoke, fleeing to the west.

“Gah, dammit! They hit me good. Strigon 7, withdrawing from combat.” I climbed back upward again, barely able to dodge the incoming fire from the Strigons by only a few meters. Naya and Lucky descended downward upon one unsuspecting foe. They both fire simultaneously, and down he goes, with a missing wing.

“Number 3 is gone too? Who the hell are these guys!?”

I banked hard right, to chase the plane trailing black smoke. It seemed unaware of my presence. By the time I opened up on him with my guns, he began to erratically swerve left and right to evade. I was steadily gaining on him. He banked hard right on me, trying to evade, but my plane was turning faster than his. As my crosshairs were leading in front of him, I pressed the trigger again. The black smoke that he was trailing now turned into a raging fire that enveloped the aircraft.

“Shit shit, my craft is up in flames! I have to bail!” As I stared at the burning aircraft, a single black changeling sprung and flew out of the cockpit and hovered in place as I flew past him. He didn’t do anything except float in place.

“Strigon 7 bailed out, he’s been shot down!”

“DAMMIT! We’re losing the initiative. Strigon team, fall back and regroup near the Aigaion. We can’t afford to lose any more!” I turned my head to behind me to find no other Strigons chasing me. I then turned my head northbound and saw the furball of planes dissipating one by one. There were several fireballs of former aircraft hurling towards the ocean floor. All of them seemed to be allied planes. Have they not killed a single Strigon?

“All planes, something’s happening. The enemy’s regrouping!” Spitfire called out in my right ear, as the Strigons were fleeing back to the safety of the Aigaion. The first few that arrived simply loitered around the airship, ready and waiting.

Just then, I noticed tracers flying from the surface below me heading straight towards the Aigaion. When they collided, several explosions rocked the port side of the airship. It remained airborne, but it had charred spots on where the tracers struck. More tracers came in and struck the exact same place before.

I saw that the tracers came from the warships that were still in the harbor, firing their big guns upward toward the enemy airship. A few of their shells flew past the airship, missing it entirely, but the few who did connect caused a good amount of damage. The Strigons that were loitering around the airship bobbed and weaved to avoid the enemy fire.

“Enemy Warships are opening fire on us. Strigon Team, assume formation ‘Hive’, and stay within 3 kilometers. We’re activating the shield!”

Shield? A shield?!

“Affirmative. If we can trap them all, they’ll be easy pickings.” I glanced to my right to find the allied planes fly in towards the airship carelessly. All of the sudden a new sound was heard all around me in the air, coming from the Aigaion. It sounded like humming, low and distant at first. But it kept increasing volume, more and more and more, until it sounded like something would explode.

“Roger, beginning Barrier Manifestation Process.”

“Everypony, get out of there now!” I yelled out in lead channel to warn the others.

“What’s happening?” Spitfire called out. Several planes started to turn away, to avoid whatever was happening with the Aigaion… But some were too late. At that moment, there was a deafening ‘CHOOM!’ sound, and I saw a spherical, blue bubble slowly zoom out around the ship, emitting from the center of its hull. The planes passed through easily, not hitting anything, but tried to turn around to evade. When it stopped expanding, it’s color intensified as a wave of energy resonated off of it. Some planes have managed to turn back in time to avoid the bubble, but others weren’t so lucky. Then, to my horror, I saw the planes that were still inside crash into the bubble. Others that were also outside did the same thing before they could react, exploding on impact instantly. A few were trapped inside of the bubble, helplessly flying around inside trying to escape. At that moment, the AA Guns from the airship opened up on them. They didn’t even have a chance.

I watched as I saw this monster take the lives of so many helpless pilots. I saw the shells tracing from the warship bounce and glance off of the shield, achieving nothing. Chunks of debris and scrap metal from the destroyed planes gently float down in charred pieces.

No voices were heard. Only stunned silence, until I heard Lucky speak in my right ear. “Oh, that’s not even FAIR!” He yelled out in frustration.

“Just what the hell is that… that… thing!?” Bigs joined in.

“Everyone, focus! We’re not out of the woods yet.” I ordered, as the ship made another foghorn bellow. The Strigons that were inside the shield were loitering around the ship; protecting it I assumed. They can’t get out though, I think. They’re trapped, forced to fight defensively. We can’t do anymore damage, and neither can they. That was something. Had they not thought this through?

“Aigaion to Strigon Team, we are powering on our Magical Transmission Generators. Stand clear of the broadsides. We’re opening up all gun ports.”

“Strigon 1 to Aigaion, roger that. We’ll fly below and low.”

Suddenly after that Transmission, the Shield pulsated with energy of a… different kind. I can only say “different” because of the color it was. The last resonation of the shield I had witnessed was blue, much like the color of the sky. This time though, it was bright Crimson Red. The shield now had a hint of red and blue particles that were - to the best that I could describe it as - “Dancing” around the sphere of the shield.

“Transmission Process complete. Opening gun ports. Howitzers, aim at vector 164 at gridref 547-456, and fire 20 shells. ALL Howitzers. Steering hard left, bearing 56.”

With that, I saw the giant cannons atop of the airship swivel towards the east. Then they elevated their guns upward and stopped moving. Meanwhile, the airship steered to the northeast, heading further into the city, where some parts haven’t been damaged by the flames yet.

Then the guns fired. I saw a flash of light emit from the three guns Simultaneously as they released their ordinance, as the shells effortlessly glide through the shield from the inside. At first there was no sound. Then, a tremendous shockwave washed over the air around me, violently shaking my already damaged aircraft. The blast from the gun alone was enough to create a shockwave, making me terrifyingly skeptical of the damage that weapon could cause.

Me and my fucking big mouth.

My wide open eyes were fixed at the sight of this almost fictional beast that flew before me. Time seemed to slow down momentarily. There was chaos ensuing all around me, and yet I felt a strange stillness wrack over me. Everything felt slow, dissociated; almost like a dream. My hearing also seemed to fail me. It sounded like I had cotton candy stuffed in my ear holes.

I then stared in utter disbelief as I saw hundreds upon hundreds of green and white tracers fly out of the airship and phase through the shield, aiming at the remaining cluster of allied planes that flew idly over the harbor. Many of the planes didn’t have time to react and were shot up badly, mine included. I watched helplessly as aircraft caught fire all around me and plummet to the earth. It was a deathtrap.

And we were caught in it like a fly in a web.

“Fuck!” I heard Lucky yell in my right ear, barely hearable through my shell shocked state. I wasn’t even thinking anymore. It was like I was on autopilot. I was just going through the motions, to keep moving and to stay alive. But I didn’t feel anything. I felt hollow and numb, mixed with an uncanny combination of fear and adrenaline.

I felt my aircraft let out a shudder as it was struck by a hail of bullets. There was no hiding from it, we could only dodge it, or try and escape its range. My mind raced. How was this possible? How could such a terrifying weapon and creation be allowed to exist without us even getting a hint of its arrival?

I could hear garbled and indistinct voices on both ears as I flew northeast. I stared silently as the formation of allied planes break apart one by one. With each plane that was shot down, my heart sank even deeper in my chest.

All of the sudden, I could hear again. There was a pop, and a hiss in my left ear, loud enough for me to snap out of my stunned state of being, and to finally focus again. The voices in my right ear ceased immediately after the pop. A familiar voice spoke to me.

“Night Light? Listen carefully!” It was Doc! I recognize that tone!

“The enemy is too powerful to fight against. You have no hope of fighting against that thing, not without getting yourself killed. And more of your comrades are falling as each second passes by.

“We have no information about the airship - this Aigaion - to give us any indication on how we can exploit its vulnerabilities. We can’t risk anymore casualties.

“Which is why you must retreat.” He insisted. “The damage has been done, and staying there any longer will only get you killed. And we can’t risk for the Eavesdropper to fall into enemy hands on the off-chance you were shot down.” Doc’s concern over a piece of tech pony lives was starting to become unsettling to me. Was this a recurring thing for all military officials? Well, Doc wasn’t exactly… ‘Military’, but he did support them somewhat with his research I imagine.

“Order your squad to pull out of the combat zone, and fly to vector 175, to the south. Fly straight for an hour, and land on the same desert airfield where you took off from when you were missing. DO NOT FLY TOWARDS THE BLUEBLOOD! I will explain everything. For now though, your top priority should be one objective: Survive. Get out of there ASAP!” and with that, the same hiss and pop emitted in my left ear, restoring communications on both sides.

It took me a moment to realize what Doc had just asked me to do: I was to desert my position.

“We’ve lost Sapphire Squadron! They’ve all been shot down!” A mare screeched in hoof pounding terror. More panicked voices flooded the coms channel as I gathered my bearings.

I then realized at that moment that I was forced to make a choice: My new goal was to escape and survive, and that alone was not very high in probability to succeed. How much lower would it be if others were doing the same thing? It was either survive with small numbers, and use the cover of the chaos around me to escape, or to guide the others back to safety, away from the storm of bullets. But where would they go? A pilot couldn’t just fly back to base without confirmation first… though, I guess It didn’t matter to me.

“Night Light, what should we do now?” Naya asked nervously, as my squad flew close behind me. I gazed at every aircraft around me. More of us were being shot down. How could I minimize the damage?

… I couldn’t. It was too much. Even if I tried, I feared that one pony would call out that I was going AWOL, and stop me. Or worse, I could get somepony else killed trying to go AWOL. I couldn’t take that risk. My objective was for my team to survive. That’s the best I could do.

“Okay Garuda Team, listen to me very carefully. We’re pulling out. We have to escape. I…” I paused, trying to find the right thing to say. How could I convince my team to go AWOL while following me, to lead them to safety? I couldn’t do so without making it sound like desertion. I decided to just plainly tell them the truth. I silently hoped I knew what I was doing. “... We have to escape. Fly bearing 175 to the south, and do not stop. Maintain radio silence while doing so.”

“Wait, Night are you suggesting-” Bigs started to speak.

“Yes, I am.” I blankly finished for him.

“That’s Treason! We can’t do that!” Lucky exclaimed. “They’ll execute us if they found out. Or worse!”

“Listen to me!” I snapped back, shocked at the sound of authority in my voice. Had the war started to change me for the better, or just changed me? “The enemy has already done the damage, and I am getting no word from any high military official on our next course of action. Spitfire certainly will not agree with me, but it’s either this, or die! I am giving you a chance here! I’m only doing this because it’s our only chance of survival.” I realized halfway through my sentence how selfish I was sounding. “... it’s your choice. Follow me, or fight back.” I reiterated. No answer was immediately given.

But Naya broke the silence first. “... Well, ‘he who runs away lives to fight another day’. I’m with you Night Light, to the very end.” I felt my heart warm up with those words. At least I had one.

Lucky then spoke next. “... I feel like this isn’t going to end well… but, I guess I don’t really have a choice do I?”

“There’s always a choice.” I replied. “Sometimes though, one of those choices might not have a… desired outcome.” That’s two down.

Bigs didn’t speak. I was afraid he might decline, and turn away. Or maybe report us. But before I could speak again to reassure him, he butted in first. “... Fuck me… Okay... I’ll go...” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding after he answered.

“Then stay close, and stay quiet. Maintain radio silence, and fly inside the clouds.” And with that, I did the unthinkable:

I flew away from the combat zone.

“All Teams, give me a Sitrep!” I heard Spitfire speak into my right ear. My heart was pounding. I didn’t respond. Maybe she’ll assume we’re dead if we stay quiet long enough? I wasn’t sure if I would be able to slip past without being noticed by other passing planes. But amidst the chaos of the battle above Los Pegasus, I thought I might have a chance. “Garuda Team, respond! Are you still alive?!” Her voice was wavering, which I never heard before coming from Spitfire.

I felt unbelievably guilty for doing this. I was leaving them behind to possibly die. But a rational part of my brain knew it was impossible to save everypony. And I would most certainly die trying. Or even worse, my friends would.

“Garuda Team, what’s going on? Respo-” I switched the control panel off, unable to listen to her voice anymore. I also took off the Eavesdropper, seeing as I was farther away from the action to tune in on what they were saying anyway.

I flew south, away from the Inferno. The sounds of gunfire filled the soundscape behind me.

About 20 minutes have passed, and we were outside of range for anypony who happened to have a radio to tune in on us. I silently stared ahead as my damaged aircraft was shuddering at the damage it sustained. The last 3 hours were, no doubt, the most harrowing of my life. The battle over pegasi gulf wasn’t as fear inducing as this, and the stormy escape over Mead Lake was more luck than anything else. But this? This was the first time I actually felt honest to goddess terrified. I suddenly felt more appreciative and thankful that my tea-... friends, survived.

I also had a very fortified suspicion of Doc as well. He had just ordered me to betray my country and Spitfire as well. Considering how close he is to Equestrian Military with his ‘profession’, I wondered what was the point in all of this. Had I made a mistake? A fatal one? Why would he want to meet me and my team as well in the middle of a battle?

I wanted to convince myself that his intentions were good. But the more I thought about it, the more foalish it felt. I felt as though I was wandering into my own demise. But, then again, he did help me escape Rainbow Dash from almost executing me whi assuming I was a changeling, so it was hard to pin down on. I had to give him the benefit of the doubt. He did say he would explain himself when we get there. Which was good, because I had a lot of questions.

My companions stayed quiet during the whole trip thus far, as I ordered them to. Quiet tension was ripe in the air, despite me being confined in this small cockpit. It felt claustrophobic for me, being a pegasus and all. But I sensed that my friends were still having doubts about my decision, and ultimately their decision as well. Breaking the silence, I switched on the control panel after staying silent for long. “Okay. We should be out of range of any frequency outside of our own.”

Nopony answered. So I continued, “I… I know you’re all having doubts. But, I promise you, I will explain everything… And why we are doing this.”

“Where are we even going?” Lucky asked first.

“To San Palomino. There’s a derelict, unused airfield there that has been abandoned. We’ll land there, and hold there.” I heard a scoff from Bigs in response.

“That doesn’t sound like the most sound plan. And it seems very out-of-the-way.”

“It’s better than nothing. And certainly better than… dying.” I finished weakly, not so convinced myself.

“Why are we doing this, Night Light? It’s one thing to tactically retreat. But this… this isn’t like that.”

“I know. There’s…” I paused, trying to find the right words, but it failed to come to pass. I wasn’t so sure if this was a good idea myself. Hell, it wasn’t even my idea to begin with. Doc better have a good explanation for this.

... Doc. It just came to me that I haven’t even told my friends about him and how I escaped from Rainbow Dash. I only told them that I escaped Mead Lake, hitched a ride in Los Pegasus, and flew back to the Blueblood. I was under the impression at the time that the Eavesdropper, Doc, and this whole espionage business was a delicate matter, and one to be kept a secret. So I kept silent about that whole regard. Now that we were on our way to meet up with him though, I realized that there was going to be a lot more questions afterward, and a lot of explaining.

I wished I had told them sooner.

“There is, uh... There’s a certain somepony we are going to meet. His name is Doc. He helped me before. And right now, he’s trying to help all of us. He’s the reason why we’re going there now.” I was about to say I trust him, but that wouldn’t be true. As polite and helpful as he was, he was very secretive and unusual. And I only spoke to him once, so that wasn’t saying much.

“But why? What’s so important about this ‘Doc’ character anyway? If you ask me, it sounds like a load of horseshit.”

“Because he is the reason I am here right now, and the reason why either of you aren’t lying dead in the metallic coffin that is your plane right now.” I’ll admit, it was a rather harsh thing to say. But this was war. This wasn't the best time for inquired curiosity.

My friends didn’t respond to my remark about coffins.

“There are also some things that I haven’t told you about what happened in Mead Lake. I promise though, when we get there, I will explain everything.”

"Why not now?"

"Let's focus on getting there in one piece first, before we start talking."

Again, no response. I felt the doubt of my friends beginning to wash over me, like a cold blanket enveloping my being.

I hope I knew what I was doing.

“And then we…” I paused.

… Crap.

“... You did what?” Grim Hooves asked impatiently.

Crap Crap Crap Crap! How do I lie about this? I can’t just tell an agent of S.M.I.L.E. Headquarters that I just went AWOL in the middle of battle! It would most certainly get me, or Sunshine into Jail, Prison, or worse! How do I do this? Maybe… say that they ordered us to retreat?... no that wouldn’t be very convincing. They’ve never made us retreat unless they knew we were absolutely beat. And we weren’t… not yet anyway. We still had aircraft, my team just left early. But it still didn't change the fact that I abandoned everypony else.

Grim was a part of S.M.I.L.E. - that much I knew. And so was Doc. If I tried to lie, would he know? Did he even know Doc? And if so, would he call me out on my lies? I couldn’t be sure. There were a lot of possibilities. I had to pick my words carefully.

Maybe…

“... We… uh, we couldn’t damage it with the shield still activated. It was deflecting everything, and we were under constant fire. I… I saw several other aircraft turn course without saying a word. And in a spark of panic, all communication was disorganized and couldn’t be interpreted. More and more joined them, and all flew away, until we were one of the last few who still remained. At that point, We fled into different directions.

“The, uh… Snowy weather we were experiencing had us unorganized, and it made it hard to see. We soon were lost from the group. I found out that my team went the wrong way, and that we missed the fleet to land back on. I turned course, flying around the designated rendezvous point. But I couldn’t find anything. There wasn’t a plane or ship in sight.”

Grim watched and listened closely, analyzing every bit of information I was feeding him. I stuttered endlessly, but only to fake it and make it look like I was too afraid to relive it, rather than sounding like I was lying through my teeth. It seemed to work; Grim was listening carefully, and the pony next to him (who was still drawing after about 30 minutes) was doing the finishing touches. The drawing that he was doing was impressively similar to the real thing, as he levitated the pencil back and forth, up and down; scritching and scratching along the paper.

“There was no communication with a-any higher chain of command. We couldn’t keep flying around th-that same location for too long, given as how low on fuel we were. And Los Pegasus was still burning by the time we left. I doubt the Sky Strip survived at the time, so I… flew southeast. I took a Gamble and hoped to find an airfield somewhere to land before we ran out of fuel. We did not have enough to reach any of the airfields in Northern Equestria.”

“And you found one?” Grim asked.

“Sort of. This airfield was still in one piece and could be landable, but it was derelict. Barren of any life. It was though as if we were the first ones to land there in ages.” It wasn’t true. I was lying through my teeth, but it seemed to be working from what I could tell. Though, Grim still squinted his eyes at me, finding the story a little hard to believe.

“It was a strange set of events, to be sure. Luckily for us, there were abandoned Diesel tanks that, by Celestia’s Grace, still had some fuel in them. We refilled our tanks as quickly as possible, and flew out again… to find the Blueblood. We got lucky…” I hoped he bought it.

“And then what?”

For about an hour and a half, I flew above churning water, barren hills, flat snowy plains, and deserts. But finally, we’ve arrived. I saw another large, twin-engine airplane parked at the entrance of the single hanger that was off to the side. I then noticed ponies moving around below us, as we touched down on the strip. They’ve arrived first, it seemed. I went first and taxied off to the side of the gravel runway to make room for my friends to land. Bigs came after me, then Lucky, and finally Naya.

I hopped out and hovered over the runway using my wings after I killed the engine, gazing at the landscape around me. It was mid-afternoon, but it wasn’t burning hot. Being it December, the air felt somewhat cool. There were clouds in the sky, but it wasn’t overcast. The sun was currently behind a cloud at this moment, hiding its rays of warmth. There was no snow, and it was nowhere near cold enough to start snowing. It felt… ‘normal’ was the only word I could think of.

My friends trotted up behind me, gazing at the desert and several different cacti that littered the landscape. “Where is this ‘Doc’ we’re supposed t’ be meetin’?” Lucky asked, his expression morphing into something like recognition.

“He’s here, just follow me.” I spoke, hoping that he actually was here, and not just late. I saw a small group of ponies, and… a griffon, trotting towards us. I met up with them, my friends following close behind. When I got closer to them, I immediately recognized the griffon; it was the same one who helped watch over me after Doc knocked me unconscious, in this very same spot. Now that she wasn’t shrouded in darkness since the last time I saw her, I got a better look at her features. Her fur was Amber, with streaks of White that looked somewhat like lightning bolts tracing along her flanks and abdomen. Her eyes, one of them having a cut scar underneath its cheek, were colored teal.

Another thing I noticed about her was that she had no tail. I didn’t see it since last time I saw her, but there was a short and furry stump between her flanks where her tail should be. It looked as if it was cut off.

“Fancy meeting you here again, eh?” The griffon spoke, in her signature nonchalant tone. There were other ponies dressed similarly in long black coats that covered most of their bodies, including their flanks. Doc wasn’t found among them. Only the griffon I recognized.

"'Again'?" Naya asked quizzically.

“Where’s Doc?” I rasped, suddenly realizing how thirsty I was.

“He’s in the Hanger with the other eggheads. Something about radios. Told me you were coming here.” She leaned over to my left, staring at my friends behind me. “Though, I wasn’t expecting four of you to show up.”

“These are my friends. They’re a part of my team.” I waved a hoof towards them as I made introductions. Lucky said “Howdy”, Naya gave a solemn bow, and Bigs just shrugged.

“Oh. Cool.” She deadpanned. “Anyway, Doc’s expecting you at the hanger. Sometimes it’s hard to get his attention though, he’s… pretty drawn into his work.” She joked wryly as she turned and trotted towards the hanger before stopping. “By the way, he only wants to talk to you, Night Light. Your friends will have to wait outside the hanger, or something.”

I turned to gaze at my companions, who were trading looks of disapproval with one another before Lucky piped up, “We didn’t just desert our country and our army to wait outside of a hanger. We’re going with her, and that’s that.” He put his hoof down, emphasizing his words with each stomp. The Griffon looked unimpressed.

“That’s up to him, not me. I was told to have you wait outside.” she paused, contemplating, “But if you can change his mind, then I don’t care.” she shrugged.

“Does this ‘Doc’ always have to be this secretive? I feel like all of this Cloak and Dagger is pointless.” Naya inquired, as we all trotted closer to the hanger. She did raise a valid point. I had strong mixed emotion boiling up in my head about him.

“Can’t be too careful. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, especially in war. The enemy would (quite literally) kill to get their hooves on a lot of things… one of them, funnily enough, happens to be love. And in a world filled with spies, can you blame him?” She strutted forward, her hind legs swaying along with her hips that made me couldn’t help but stare.

She was a Griffon, yes, but an attractive one at that. At least, as attractive as Griffons can be. I already had a Marefriend, but I noticed that the way she trotted was somewhat… seductive. I don’t know if that was just her casual demeanor, but it made me feel flushed on my cheeks. I shook my head, trying to clear my head of such thoughts.

“Hey Doc, the Ponies you talked about are here!” She yelled toward the small group of ponies that were all surrounding a weird contraption that was connected to some kind of black string. I then realized on closer inspection that it was a supercomputer, one of the very few that existed. What was one of those doing all the way out here?

One white pony turned around, immediately staring at me. He turned back to his group, mouthing something to them I couldn’t hear, before trotting towards us. “Welcome, Garuda Team.” He called out with a faint, but seemingly sincere smile stretched upon his face… or at least I thought it was.

Then he switched into a seriously somber expression almost immediately. “First of all, I truly am sorry that I had requested you all to do what you did to get here. Let me reassure you, however, that I can get that squared away when you’re done here. Maybe not immediately, but at least you won’t go to prison for it.”

My friends and I glanced at each other with timid confusion. Doc, not missing a beat, kept going, “Secondly, I also would wish to speak to Night Light alone, before I announce what I am gonna do for you all.” He stared hard at me, twitching his eye pupils to his right at the Hanger, not moving his head. His facial expressions never shifted while doing this, and only I managed to notice it.

I paused. “But I-”

“Nuh uh!” Lucky interrupted. “She promised us an explanation, and I want one now!”

“That is my plan, but I must discuss with Night Light very shortly about a very important matter first.”

“Mind telling to us what that important matter” Naya said through gritted teeth, “Is all about?”

Doc paused. “... Such information that I am disclosing is for ponies of a higher military rank that Night Light just so happens to be a part of. Meaning I cannot tell you, since you’re of lower authority.” Noticing me and my friends' looks of disgusted disapproval, he relented, “If Night Light wants to tell you about it afterward, she’s more than welcome to. But I can’t.” He paused for a breath. “Now with that being said; Night Light? Would you kindly follow me?”

“We’re in the shit,” Doc muttered to me, as we both stood inside the room of the big Hanger, my friends waiting by their planes as they were guarded by private scientists (who somehow have weapons on them.) “Deep. Fucking. Shit!” He finished.

“Why? What the hell is going on?” My mind raced back at burning Los Pegasus, and the airship. “And do you have any fucking idea what the hell that thing over Los Pegasus was?!”

“What happened? Doc, what’s going on?” The Griffon asked, more alert and concerned than before.

“Look, just listen to me. That thing over Los Pegasus was a secret weapon.” Doc explained.

“Wh- but… wha-... What the hell is it?!”

“An airship. One of massive proportions, and of high lethality. We know that much. You’ve seen what it is, did you?”

“An Airship?! Oh, that’s just fucking great!” The griffon yelled in frustrated sarcasm. “First they destroyed the aircraft factories (not to mention pretty much everything else), and now they have an airship to boot? We can’t keep the forces on the frontlines inside of those Salients for long without air superiority, Doc. You know that! Not with that fucking thing in the air!”

“I know!!” Doc bellowed. “Yes, I am all too aware. Thank you, Boltwing, for reminding me of the current shitty situation that we find ourselves in when I’m already fucking aware.” he spoke low, menacingly almost.

Boltwing. So that’s her name.

Said Boltwing was silent after Doc’s remark, staring away with a disgruntled pout.

“Night Light, we’ve intercepted multiple different enemy frequencies because of your efforts today. But that’s not gonna do much if an indestructible airship is flying around. Especially with a shield barrier.” Doc tapped a hoof on his chin, staring away from me. “Changelings aren’t so good at magic as some specially trained unicorns are, despite the fact they have horns. I doubt that a crew of changelings could do such a task. This has to be the work of magical engineering.” He paused for a breath. “But only ponies could hope to accomplish something even remotely possible to that. And yet, the Changelings did so almost effortlessly.”

“You think there might be traitors? Helping the Changelings?” Boltwing suggested.

“Maybe, but nothing solid… yet. I intend to find out.”

“Traitors?” I gasped. “Why and how could anypony do such a thing? Especially with Changelings?!” It didn’t make any sense. What sort of benefit could they possibly gain from this? Was it money? Did they do it out of spite?

“Oh it’s quite easy really.” Boltwing spoke wryly. “You turn your aircraft away from the action, and keep flying straight. Just like how you did. I wonder what’ll Spitfire think?”

“SHUT IT!!” I screeched, outraged she would even say such a thing! My mind was running rampant with different insults, specifically for griffons, before Doc interrupted my thoughts.

“Bolt, that’s enough! We’re all on edge as it is, we don’t need your snide sense of humor now!” Boltwing scoffed at Doc’s command, retaining that same pout on her face. “We’ve had a rough few weeks, yes, but there’s no need to take it out on others.”

“Well, it’s not my fault that I’m upset that you asked Night Light to abandon Goldbeak over Los Pegasus! I have every right to be upset.” Boltwing said the word with a malicious tone of voice. “It’s not my fault that he’s possibly dead because a few ponies can’t seem to get their shit together!” Bolt pointed a claw at me. “And most importantly, it’s certainly not my fault that you couldn’t help save him when he was radio silent! What did you think happened, huh? That he just died? He doesn’t die easily. Even if he was shot down, he woulda bailed and flew away. Did you not once try to go after him?!” She was on the verge of yelling now.

I didn’t know who this “Goldbeak” was that she kept referring to.

“Boltwing, I said that’s enough!” Doc turned and yelled, losing his patient tone, replaced by a voice of pained authority. “I don’t like this any more than you do, but would you rather that all of them died, or most of them died? Pick your poison, because those Changelings already made their choice. They were planning on slaughtering everyone! At least this way, the damage is mitigated.”

A deafening silence filled the room after Doc’s uncharacteristic outburst. Only the sound of electronics from the dozens of small machines - including the supercomputer outside of the door - could be heard. Boltwing turned to look at me, her face morphed into something of pain and anger, before dashing out of the door. She didn’t fly. Just ran.

Doc gave out a weary sigh, before sitting down on his haunches. He levitated his glasses off his face, using a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the smudge off. “Sorry you had to see that,” he spoke, calm and quiet. “Boltwing can get… emotional, at times.”

I nodded at him and trotted over to one of the small machines that constantly made ‘beep’ and ‘whirr’ noises. Computers, I assumed. It was still a relatively new technology. I wasn’t familiar with it at all. I was smart but nowhere near as intelligent as Doc was to make heads or tails on how this thing worked.

I turned and asked Doc, “Who’s Goldbeak?”

“A… close friend of hers, that’s all you need to know.” He muttered back, putting his glasses back on. He then clutched his head with his hooves, as if he was in pain. “Fucking Migraines.” he whispered, though I assumed to himself rather than to me.

I frowned. “You know,” I spoke first, “It’d be a lot easier for me to trust you if you weren’t so cryptic.”

“If you’re in my line of work, you’ll one day understand.”

I turned to look at the group of ponies who were conversing with one another while they were working on their supercomputer, some of them trading glances in my general direction out of curiosity. But they said nothing to us.

I heard shuffling sounds behind me, noticing Doc pulling out a long, paper-like rod filled with… some kind of herb in it. He then pulled out a small, metallic box from his right pocket, and opened the top, revealing a little sparkwheel and… some kind of flint striker. Using his magic, he pushed down on the sparkwheel, and the button below it at the same time. There was a ‘flick’, and a small flame was soon emitting from it.

Doc placed the paper rod in his mouth, hovering the small flame to the end of it, before taking several small puffs of smoke from it. He stowed the lighter, then closed his eyes and waited… before simultaneously exhaling and sighing in relief. A cloud of smoke floated out of his lips, like how a dragon would snore.

Doc, with the rod in his mouth still, opened his eyes and spoke to me, “Night Light… let me ask you a question. Let’s just say, hypothetically speaking, that you are the commander of an army. An army who is trapped across a frozen river with little room for escape. You’re surrounded everywhere except behind you. And with each passing day, the enemy grows stronger, while yours grows weaker. You’re better supplied, but they are better disciplined. You have no hope of advancing forward without taking massive casualties, due to the freezing winter. And if you do try to escape, the enemy will swarm and encircle you with the intention of killing every last one of your soldiers.” He paused for a breath, staring intensely in my eyes. “Seriously consider this situation. Would you fight, flee, or stay where you are?”

I didn’t answer. I contemplated his words carefully. Knowing Doc’s straightforwardness, I assumed that was a situation he, if not somepony else, is dealing with. My mind couldn’t make up an answer. Doc must’ve caught on my hesitation, because he spoke before I could answer.

“Exactly.” He muttered, before taking another puff from his… what is that thing called anyway? “The situation is grim. And there are gonna have to be some sacrifices. Ponies will die either way.”

My heart sank a little. I had no real connection with any of those ponies (except, terrifyingly enough, maybe Sunshine Tempest) but the idea of so many ponies dying no matter what happens is… disheartening.

“Night Light, let me make something absolutely clear for you. Bad things…” he paused, as if he was trying to select his words carefully. He spoke slowly, deliberately, “Bad things will happen no matter what anypony does. No matter what happens next, Ponies are gonna die.”

I felt something pulling on my heart at those words. “I want to make it clear for you, Night Light. In case if you are having any doubts, it’s not your fault for what happened over Los Pegasus… no matter what Boltwing might’ve said.”

“I know.” I muttered weakly. I wasn’t really sure what to think at anymore. My mind was still numb from the hazy shellshock state that I had experienced earlier. I couldn’t think straight.

“And… I know that you feel guilty for… abandoning your comrades, like how I have instructed your team to do so. Please understand, that if there was a better alternative, I would’ve never considered this option first… or maybe at all. Point is, what’s done is done.” He paused, contemplating for a moment before sucking in a big puff from his rod again. Another cloud of smoke billowed outward.

“And finally, I also know that what I am gonna say next is not something that you wanna hear, but... about the Eavesdropper; Your friends - hell, nopony - can know about that. And nopony can know about your desertion either.”

I stared at Doc with a confused frown. “You want me to keep more secrets from my friends? Especially after what you’ve told us to do?”

“Please, let me explain.” he slowly answered, speaking in a careful tone. “The fate of this war, of our country and our way of life, is at risk. And right now, we are not winning. I want to change that. I want to help win this war, and end this madness as quickly as fucking possible.” he spoke those last words through a grimace. “I understand your frustration… but we cannot let them interfere with this. Hell, I wasn’t even supposed to give you the Eavesdropper in the first place. So really, we shouldn’t even be having this conversation.”

“Then why did you?”

He gave me a look of admiration, with a faint smile. “Well, lets see: A stranded pilot beats all odds after being shot down behind enemy lines, flew over a battlefield and an extra 30 kilometers to the nearest metropolitan city, convinced a pair of guards to let her through after they’ve assumed you were a changeling spy,”

“Wait, how did-” Doc kept talking over me, not missing a beat.

“Not to mention the fact that you - along with your crew - shot down about 50 Strigon aircraft before you made your way to me. And Finally, because, after all of that… you survived. That kind of resourcefulness isn’t common amongst everypony, you know? You were the best I’ve got to get a lead against the enemy.”

Doc took another puff, the rod becoming more and more degraded with each hit he took. “What I am doing isn’t, strictly speaking, legal. That’s why this has to be swept under the rug. And that’s why I want you to keep this quiet. And I know what I ask of you is no small task. Please understand; you may be my best hope at exploiting a weakness in the enemy.

“You may be are our best hope as to figuring out what the hell this ‘Aigaion’ is, and how to stop it. You may be are our best hope of dealing a blow to the enemy that is painful enough to make them wince.

“You may are our best hope to winning this war, Night Light.”

I sat hard on my haunches, my head spinning at the sudden wealth of information. The overwhelming responsibility that had been just thrown at me was suffocating. I felt myself hyperventilating.

Doc walked up to me, his rod still in his snout. He placed his right forehoof on my withers, a calm and gentle smile on his face. I stared hard, noticing my breathing becoming longer and heavier.

He took a hoof in towards his chest, and inhaled deeply. He held on to the breath for a few seconds, before pointing his hoof out while simultaneously exhaling. “Do it. It calms the nerves.” he spoke.

I stared at the ground for a moment, before repeating the same action he just did. When I finished, I felt… better. Not good, but better. I did the same thing multiple times, before my breathing became less erratic and more ‘normal’.

Finally, I looked up at him, and asked with a tone of doubt, “Why am I doing all of this? I was just a simple mare with a simple, boring life before all this! I’m not special!” I opened showed my flank to him, my cutie mark clearly visible. “My Cutie Mark is just a moon and a star! What the hell does that even mean!? They are nothing but just spots that fill a black void in the sky! They do nothing! Nothing!!” I was on the verge of collapse - physically and mentally - as I whispered those words. Tears were stinging in the corner of my eyes. “I… Miss sunshine, I miss my home, I miss my boring life, I miss not having to kill anything, CHANGELING OR NOT! I just…” I looked up to Doc, noticing his pained expression as tears streamed down my cheeks. “I just want to go home.”

Doc took a step back. He looked away for a moment, trying to morph his expression. I noticed he was blinking constantly while doing so. Like he was holding something back…

Finally, he looked at me in the eye, his expression stoic, yet calm. “I’m sorry.” he spoke lowly. “I’m sorry that this is happening to you. I’m sorry this is happening at all.” He stared down at the floor. “My job, as Princess Luna had personally ordered me to do so, is - as she said it - to Win the War.” he spoke those words as he looked at me in the eyes once again, more determined than calm now.

“And that is what I intend to do.”

After that debate, I remember me trotting out of the hanger with Doc alongside. I made sure the crying episode I had wasn’t obvious to my friends… but I doubt they didn’t notice.

“Ponies, we have good news.” Doc spoke to my friends. “You are free to go back to the Blueblood now. My associate and I have made contact with the carrier, and have convinced them that you were lost in the chaos. They will not assume you deserted. Is this acceptable for you?”

My friends looked at each other, baffled and clearly annoyed. “Wait a goddamn minute!” Bigs spoke first. “You mean to tell me that, even after we fucking abandoned everypony over at that gulf,” Bigs gave me a cold stare as he spoke those words, making me feel like a vice was tugged around my heart. “That we can just mosey on back to the carrier,” he made a walking motion with his two front hooves, as he sat on his haunches. “Without them even saying a word about it?” He finished.

Doc maintained his expression and replied, “Correct. How open minded of you to assume that.” he stated, sarcastically.

“I refuse to believe it’s that easy.” Lucky said, a bit suspiciously. “What makes you think we could trust you when you didn’t even explain what the hell is going on?” Lucky exclaimed.

Doc smiled. It was somewhat mocking. “Ah, I was hoping you would say that!” He then turned toward me, making my heart skip a small beat. In fear. “Night Light here can tell you all about me. You do remember that promise she gave you, right?” Doc asked, to which Lucky looked slight appalled, yet also apprehensive.

“Uh…” I stuttered.

“Well, at some point she will.” Doc corrected.

“Look, guys, he is a friend of us. He may not seem like it, but he has helped us so far, and the least we can do is be thankful. I mean, hell, the only reason we’re going back at all is because of this guy.” I finished.

Naya looked at Doc with creeping suspicion but relented when she saw the pleading look in my eye. She sighed, then spoke, “I trust Night Light. If she says he’s good, he’s good.”

Lucky stared at Naya in disbelief. “You’re really gonna trust him that easily?”

Bigs spoke afterward, “I still think that seems too good to be true.”

“I assure you, this is serious business. And if you don’t get to the coordinates at the designated time selected on these maps,” Doc levitated a document folder with several… well, maps, sticking out. “You may not be qualified as ‘missing’, and more as ‘AWOL’. And that is not a threat, that is a piece of advice.”

Lucky and Bigs looked in different directions, think alone to their thoughts with disgruntled looks. Finally after about a minute, Lucky spoke. “Fine. I see the reasoning in that.”

Bigs then deflated, knowing that the decision was final. “sigh - Alright, fuck it.”

“Excellent!” Doc announced.

“... We found it. After about an hour and 10 minutes of searching, we found the Blueblood and landed safely on it.”

The scribe pony was, by this point, filling in the small shades of his design. Finally, after about 30 seconds later, he announced, “Done!”.

Grim grabbed hold of the documents and inspected the drawing. His face then… changed. It morphed into something of fear and Intrigue. It disturbed me. Then he turned to look at me, then did a double take on the picture.

“... Huh. This is…” Grim didn’t finish. He kept staring at the drawing, admiring its details and the way it was drawn. Then, he looked above the paper into my eyes.

“This is what the airship looked like?” Grims asked as he showed me the paper. The sketch that the scribe pony drew was scarily accurate to what I described it as. Almost everything was on point. Some of the propellers were in the wrong spots, but I didn’t really care about the drawing. Grim did.

“More or less, yeah.” I answered. “Now can we go home?”

Grim opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the door opening again. One of those “Agents” that picked up me and Sunshine this morning trotted through the door. “Apologies for the interruption,” he spoke in that ever so familiar and lifeless drawl. “But Sunshine is unwilling to cooperate. She explicitly says that she wants to see her beloved, and will refuse to talk unless that happens.”

Grim looked at me with an annoyed frown. He then looked at the scribe pony who was patiently sitting in his chair, waiting for instructions. Then, Grim sighed, long and heavy.

“Figures she would. Have you and your partner escort them back to their homes.”

I did a double take between the agent and Grim. The agent in question also seemed to have been a bit surprised at this response, though he tried to hide it. If I could’ve seen his eyes underneath those black glasses, I might’ve saw them widen a bit.

“Arrive at their home again tomorrow, and pick them up in the late morning. We’re not done entirely, but they’ve been here long enough anyway.”

The agent looked at me with a blank expression, before nodding to Grim, “Understood.”

“Wait, you’re… you’re serious?” I asked with reluctance. “We get to go home?”

“Don’t get your hopes up, this isn’t over. Yes, you and your loved one can leave, but you are required to return back here until they’re finished with her, and you.”

I gazed out of the window. The sky had been tinted to an amber color, the sun just now out of sight behind the building to the west. It was around 4 or 5, based on my judgement of time.

I didn’t like this. Even after spending hours here, I still had to come back… just what is it about Sunshine that was so important to them anyway?

… But I asked to go home, and they were giving that to me… even if just for one night, it’s still one night with Sunshine by me.

“... Fair enough.”

We were riding the chariot from Canterlot back to Cloudsdale, Sunshine sitting next to me. My wing was embraced around her, as we silently watched the clouds float by around us. I found Sunshine was already waiting for me by the time I got back to the landing pad for our chariots. After exchanging a quick embracing hug, we both boarded the chariot and were on our way home.

Sunshine kept staring away from me, a pained expression on her face. My mind reeled at the events that had occurred today. From us being escorted out of our home, having Sunshine being restrained to a chair, to being escorted back. Sunshine hadn’t spoken much since we were reunited.

“Are you okay?” I asked with worry, afraid I might set off her… what did that pony say it was again? PTSD? I had no idea what that was, and could only assume that it was bad.

“I’m fine.” she deadpanned. I didn’t buy it. I slowly used my other wing to embrace her again, to which she stiffened slightly. But eventually, she relented and returned the hug. She buried her face in my mane and stayed there for a moment. Both of us were silent.

“We’re five minutes out!” one of the ponies dragging the chariot yelled. I nodded. I then turned my attention back to Sunshine, after softly kissing her forehead.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” I gently reminded her. She looked away. “I promise I won’t judge or get mad, or anything.”

She didn’t reply. She continued to stare away. After a half minute of silence, she spoke, “I don’t like them.” her voice was filled with angst. “Something about those ponies when they were interrogating me made me feel… uneasy. Like I was being played like a puppet for them, or something like that.”

“I don’t like it either.” I admitted, not sure what else to say. They weren’t hostile to us, but they also made no effort to convince us they were the ‘good guys’ either, which made me question the morality of their ‘investigation’.

“Did they hurt you?” Sunshine asked, catching me off guard of such a question.

“No, not physically.” I then thought back to Sunshine being tied to a chair. “Did they really restrain you during your session?”

Sunshine looked painful… and sad. “Yeah, a little bit. I had another panic attack. Except for this time, I was more… violent.” She stopped abruptly, her voice slightly cracking, not wanting to talk on anymore. I stayed silent for the rest of the flight.

But I was curious what she meant when she said she was ‘a little’ restrained.

We’ve arrived at our home town and our home street when the chariot touched down on the clouds. The pegasi agents that had been following our chariots this morning and this evening landed beside us. “This chariot will return here again tomorrow at approximately eleven in the morning. Once again, you will be required to join us and-”

“Yes yes, we get it. We’ll be waiting.” Sunshine interrupted. “We’ll be on our way then.” she nudged my flank as she trotted by, urging me to follow her.

The agent ponies remained stoic but nodded. They then took off on their own accord, the chariot ponies following behind with their vehicle. Soon, they flew out of sight. I turned to look at our home, only to find Sunshine nowhere in sight with the front door wide open.

I trotted in and made my way to the couch. As I collapsed on it, I heard water running from the kitchen sink. Sunshine was probably making dinner, I assumed. I suddenly realized how hungry I was. Being locked in a room for hours doesn’t do wonders for my stomach.

There was still daylight pouring through the windows, but judging on the golden tint of light it resonated, I doubt that would last long. It was well past afternoon. The marketplace should still be open should the need arise.

The faucet in the kitchen stopped. I then heard hoofsteps move away from it and heading upstairs towards my room. Our room. Sunshine trudged along slowly, not saying a word.

“Sunshine?” I asked feebly, as she continued to trot towards the door. Soon after, she closed it behind her.

I groaned, as I sat up on the couch and stretched my wings. Deciding dinner could wait, I trotted up towards our room. I turned the doorknob, opening the door to find sunshine laying on our bed face first, motionless.

No… no, not motionless. Her shoulders were heaving, as I heard a choking sound.

My heart ached at the sight of her. I slowly trotted my way to her, and gently sat on the ground beside the bed. She didn’t notice me, I think. I contemplated what to do, or what to say, drawing a blank in my mind. I didn’t know what to do. So, I did the only thing I could do that made sense.

I hugged her.

I laid next to her on my side, and spread my wings around her, pulling her close to my chest as she continued to sob. She didn’t resist. She wrapped her hooves around my torso as I pulled her close. Warm tears were dripping my coat, but I didn’t care. My attention was focused on Sunshine. I gently stroke her mane with my hooves. Her withers continued to heave, as I kept trying to soothe and comfort her.

After about 5 minutes of caressing her, she eventually calmed down to the point where her tears were less intense, instead of her full on sobbing. She eventually looked up to me, guilt and sadness covering her expression. She then looked away after seeing the caring look in my eyes.

“Are you okay?” I asked as gently as I could, not trying to sound upset or anything of the sort. Sunshine didn’t answer. She still looked away. I placed a hoof under her chin and pointed her face at me.

Then I kissed her. A full one, on the snout. She certainly didn’t expect it, but she didn’t fight it either. Soon after, she returned the kiss. It was passionate, loving, and deliberate. We stayed there for about a minute or so before we parted, both of us panting. I stared, and couldn’t help but get lost in her blue colored eyes. We stared at each other for a little while, before we kissed again. This time though, Sunshine started it.

We did this for about 3 minutes until both of us stopped. A part of me wanted to keep going, but I trotted in here in the first place to comfort Sunshine, not myself.

After we parted, I looked into her eyes again, which were gleaming from the tears she had shed.

“Feel better?” I asked gently, as she smiled faintly.

“Yeah… a little.” she replied quietly. “Sorry, I hadn’t had a breakdown like that in a while.” she muttered as she wiped her eyes with her wings.

“It’s okay. I understand.” I reassured as I held her close to me. Her face was half buried in my mane. She stopped crying, for now at least. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Sunshine looked away for a moment, then looked at me straight in the eyes. Tears were forming up on the corners of her eyes again before she tightly embraced me again.

“Just…” She whispered, barely able to keep her voice from cracking again. “Just don’t leave me again. Please. Just don’t.” She pleaded. I knew that wasn’t possible for tomorrow. We would have to be separated again. But I knew she was talking about the war. It didn’t matter now, though. All that mattered was here and now. I kissed her forehead again.

“I won’t. I promise I won’t.” I whispered in her ear, as we both silently held each other for just a little longer, thankful for the fact that the ordeal that split us apart was over.

Although… I was curious. I wondered what happened with Sunshine while we were separated. I knew I wasn’t going to get an answer easily… and at that moment, I didn’t really care. It was more of a suspicious curiosity that I didn’t want to act upon. Still… the thought lingered in the back of my mind.

I suppose maybe one day, I’ll find out soon enough. But for now, I held my lover in my hooves, as we both basked in the presence of each other for a little longer.

Hours earlier, that same day

Perspective: Sunshine Tempest

I slowly entered the room, and the door shut behind me almost instantly. I looked around the room, finding nothing else worth noting. So I sat down, and I began waiting for whoever wished to speak to me.

A minute passed by. 2 minutes. 3. I shuffled my hooves together, and stretched my wings, looking for some way to pass the time. 5 minutes. Still nothing. I yawned from the silence and boredom.

The doors suddenly opened, revealing an entirely different pony. This one was a Mare Earth Pony, with a pale coat and Blue mane. The Mane had a pink strip near her right eye. there was wrapped candy on her flank as her Cutie Mark.

“Hello, Sunshine Tempest.” She spoke, more cheerful and energized than the boring, monotone agents from earlier. “My name is Agent Bon Bon.”

I stared at the pale mare with confusion. “What is going on here?” I asked.

She smiled. A warm smile, which made me even more dubious of her. “You’re here because there are certain ponies who wish to know you a little more.” she answered, as she sat on one of the chairs with her haunches. She had no clothing and had no papers, pens, or any item with her. She only brought herself. “In other words - as much as I hate this word - you’re being interrogated.”

I felt a shot of panic swell up in me. Not a big shot, but enough to shake my breathing just a little. She continued, “I understand that you are a veteran soldier of The Great War. And that you were drafted from it since the very beginning. Am I correct?”

“Yes.” I answered quickly.

“Splendid. Do you know what that means for you?”

I shook my head.

“Well, it means several things. For starters, you are a unique pony. You survived what is considered to be the most destructive and deadliest conflict in world history. Secondly - because you survived the deadliest war in history - you are susceptible to receive bonuses due to your contribution. That much I’m sure you’re already aware of, given the… expensive nature of your home.” She maintained her positive demeanor… which made me uneasy, considering this pony was working for the same group of ponies that separated me and Night Light. “And lastly, It means that you know first hoof - from beginning to end - what happened. And that much cannot be said for a lot of ponies. Actually, if you want me to be specific, it cannot be said for,” she looked up at the ceiling with her eyes, mouthing something to herself, before turning back to me, “About three million ponies cannot say that.” this time, she spoke in a grim but somewhat empathetic tone.

I felt my heart stop for a split second. Three million…? That was more than I had ever anticipated. Now I felt guilty for being able to sit here and think about that number, when there was a very real chance that I could’ve been a part of that number. Just another digit in a list.

“And because you survived 7 years of continuous warfare… you have-... had, a high military ranking. And you were there on very special missions because of that, were you?” Bon Bon gave me a very piercing look with her eyes. Even through her shades, I could see her eyes frown in a way that made me feel insecure.

“Am I wrong?” she asked again.

“No. You’re not.”

“I figured. I had a good look at some of the recorded backgrounds of each engagement you happen to be in.”

She stopped. Then turned her whole body towards me, and slowly trotted forward. Sh then stood on her hind legs, and slammed her forehooves on the table, making me recoil away suddenly.

“And… a little bird told me that you happen to witness something really… big in the final years of the war as well. Like… a big weapon? Or a big vehicle? Or a big army?” she kept asking.

“See, that’s the thing. We don’t know for sure. And I have been ordered to find out. That said order was given to me by Princess Celestia herself, as she told me to find out what happened. And that is what I am going to do, Sunshine. I need you to help me.”

I gave her a look of frightened confusion. “Help with what?”

“Help me understand what happened. I want to know what was going on in your life on the frontlines, to get an understanding on what this ‘big thing’ that keeps popping up in your combat log is.”

I stared at her, long and hard. No facial movements were made by either at us, as we had an impromptu staring contest. Finally, I spoke, slowly, “Where should I start?”

“Start from the time where you first caught on to it, and keep going from there. And no lollygagging either. The only thing I want to know is what happened with your involvement on this big thing.”

I gazed down, thinking hard, and wondering if I should comply… I mean, she hadn’t exactly asked nicely. And she seemed awfully pressed to pry that information out of me.

“I can try, but you’re gonna have to tone it down a notch if you want me to cooperate.” I spoke passive-aggressively. She gave me another hard frown, before sighing.

“Whatever suits you. Just tell me what I wanna know.”

“Okay. You know I was deployed first at the Ruby Mountains, right?”

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t start there. I have to go further along when this thing was first mentioned. But my friends and I have been doing this goose chase since the very beginning, getting strange orders left and right with Ponies, Griffons, Deer, and Changelings all over the Equestrian Continent.

“If you really want to understand what happened, I need to start from a little earlier back.”

“How far back?” Bon Bon asked.

“Since 1014. Three years after it began.”

She looked away for a moment, contemplating. Then she replied, still looking away, “Fine. Go on.”

“Okay.” I stared at my hooves. It dawned on me at that moment, that I was gonna to relive the past all over again; something I would much rather move past, then move back to. And I was doing so because Celestia herself wanted Bon Bon to do this! Maybe not like this specifically, but she probably didn’t even think too much about how it was going to be done anyway!

But, Night Light and I were back together now. It’s all over. It’s not real anymore. I just have to remember it. Not relive every detail. I could do this. Maybe.

“I was… I was near the West Coast of the continent. It’s about… Mid-April, I think. A Cold Night. We were 156 miles south of Tall Tales, a City had citizens who faced occupation for 3 years now. We were on the way to liberate it.

“But my Division… we were special. I didn’t tell Night Light that. I lied to her. I did start on the Ruby Mountains, but I was no regular foot grunt. I was a Pegasus. We had a serious tactical advantage of the enemy. We could fly. We didn’t have to worry about hiking across mountains, or clearing through a forest, or any terrain really.

“That being said, I knew there was something unique about us since the very beginning. In April, when we were that close to Tall Tales, my division - along with a handful of others, conducted airborne operations. We went all over the different parts of the world that we were in. I was a part of the ‘Thestral Division’. Do you know what a Thestral is?”

“What?”

“It’s a Bat Pony, essentially. I was deployed in the Night Guard Division. That much I kept away from Night Light.”

“Why?”

“I didn’t want her to know about the pain and the hell I had endured for the last 7 years. I lost… a lot of friends out there. My division suffered a lot of casualties, but I survived. I suppose that was courageous of me, or something, but it doesn’t feel like it. I feel guilty.”

“Survivors Guilt. It’s a common problem with veterans today. You especially.”

“Right, anyway. The first operation that involved it was at Vanhoover. We wanted to do a sneak attack from behind. We didn’t know, however, that what we found there was actually there at all. We had no idea what we were about to witness.”

“What did you witness?”

Skies over Vanhoover. April 17th, 1014. 21:43 CST

Vanhoover.

I saw it as a city of lights. Out of every building, the night sky was illuminated by a shred of light emitting out of each window.

But there was also another kind of light. Yes, it was indeed a city of lights.

Those lights also happened to be spotlights. And to top it all off, the air raid siren was going off.

It would soon become a city of corpses.

Author's Note

In the Skies over Vanhoover, three airborne divisions make a plan for invasion for an opportunity to relieve the Equestrian front. If successful, Princess Luna would then order her reserve army in wait to transport across the Lunar ocean and make it to Vanhoover Port before Changeling Reinforcements arrive.

In a city of Lights and Sirens, it will soon be turned into a desolate landscape.

And now, Act 3 begins here.

(I'm not dead. I intend to finish this story, one way or another.
Thank you for staying patient <3 )

Chapter 12: Emancipation

Author's Note

The biggest chapter in the story so far! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Read on!

(A3) - Prologue: Emancipation

No Glory Won

Act 3 Prologue: Emancipation

“To be frank: I was born to live, not to survive.”

Perspective: Sunshine Tempest

Okay, I know I started over the skies of Vanhoover. But to get an idea of what we were dealing with, I have to explain the gravity of the situation. And what it meant upon what we discovered soon after the invasion started.

The frontlines were static. Operation Ursa was a total bust, and it cost us immensely. The Changelings were well dug in, and we made no real progress. And for each passing year, we are prolonging the suffering of the ponies in the occupied cities. For each passing year, the Changelings grew in numbers and in strength. We had to relieve the pressure somehow. We had to find some way to achieve a breakthrough of any kind.

My Division, along with several others - whose names I do not know - were tasked to land in the 80-kilometer area in and around the city of Vanhoover. Our objective was simple: we were to open another front in the North for the Changelings to worry about and force them to divert their forces to the newly found Salient, and exploit the weakness on one section of the frontline to break through. We also knew that we would stay put and not advance any further for weeks until the main army caught up with us. I was used to staying dormant though. I did so for another three months in the mountains before Operation: Ursa began.

We littered the city with pamphlets from bombers, not risking civilian casualties with the actual bombing. They were offers of unconditional surrender or face total annihilation to the Changeling garrisons. The number of which shouldn’t be too much to worry about. Now, that ‘total annihilation’ part wasn’t exactly true. We were only intent on frightening the enemy to surrendering. But what some of the generals, whom of which designed and calculated this plan, had not realized was: The Changelings were not intent on surrendering.

Some of us, however, knew exactly what they were going to do and how to respond. And, of course, we received word that the Changeling generals said ‘no’.

We scouted the city with recon planes days after, checking to see if they were evacuating civilians, or doing something else. Before the pamphlet runs, there were definitely signs civilian life in there, doing only goddesses know what. But after the pamphlet runs, they seemed to have vanished into thin air. The commanders were skeptical. There was the possibility that they hid them in buildings, calling our bluff for the 'bombing runs' we were doing.

High Command wasn’t taking any chances. They wanted to preserve civilian life. They ordered a complete surprise offensive. Wasn’t too much of a surprise, considering that they knew we were going to try something.

But here’s the catch.

We couldn’t do any kind airborne paradrop from transport planes like how we normally do. The enemy had too much air superiority to conduct that kind of operation. Plus, they would most certainly have some kind of Radar, or AA defense set up around the area. It would’ve made the trip perilous, if not suicidal.

Because of this, the only other alternative for an invasion would be from sea, which would also be very difficult. They had coastal fortifications all over the harbor, and the beaches off to the sides as well were mined and guarded, stretching on for a staggering 100 kilometers beyond Vanhoover. The same was applied to every single naval base and city along the coastline. It would’ve been a slaughter, which defeats the whole purpose of this operation.

So you might be wondering by now, ‘How do you invade Vanhoover then, if they know you’re coming - with every single option being suicidally impossible?’ Well, the answer was actually very simple... Simply insane, more like it, but simple in the Grand Scheme of things. Remember when I said that I was a Pegasus, and that terrain was no problem for me and others like me to trek across? Well, Field Marshal Luna also remembered that she had pegasi at her disposal as well. A lot of them.

Three divisions worth of them - which is about 15,000 - 30,000 Pegasi.

She then came up with (in my honest opinion) a completely insane plan - one that almost cost me my life on more than one occasion. The kind of plan you read in a novel during its climax and the protagonist says ‘that’s so crazy, it just might work!’, except for this time I had no idea if it actually would work.

Luna strategized for all of us to fly in on our own, silently and swiftly, and take the city by complete surprise use our extensive training and the element of surprise to eradicate the enemy. And when she said ‘fly on our own’ she literally meant on our own, with just infantry. No armor support, due to tanks… you know, not being able to fly and all. We did have Amphibious Tanks - Amtracks we call them - at our disposal, but she still refused. Too much risk of collateral damage.

No aircraft to help us as well, due to the enemy having air superiority. And there was no way that Luna was willing to bombard or shell the city with civilians inside in order to clear us access. So we had to do this entirely by ourselves. Which means: this was an all-in gamble.

Thankfully for us, where Equestria lacked in the air now, she made up for it in the sea. We had - more or less - naval supremacy in the Lunar Ocean, to the West off of the coast from the mainland. I say ‘more or less’ because the enemy still manages to harass us with submarines, with their main flotilla of ships hiding away in the northern coastline of the Continent - far out of our bases' reach. Though they made no effort to show up today of all days. And that was good because the only way for the Pegasi to attack the city without being detected or shot was from the sea. We would have to use hundreds upon hundreds of transport ships to conduct this operation.

Princess Luna planned to execute the attack before nightfall when visibility is high enough for travel, yet low enough for insertion into the city. Capture as much element of surprise, as I overheard her say once. She also had a reserve army in the rear ready to infiltrate through the harbor to reinforce the city if the airborne operation happens to be successful - which was a big 'if'.

And after months of planning, training, preparing, and praying somewhat, the transports were finally launched on April 13th, reached the designated location by the morning of the 17th. There, they waited. By Dusk, we attacked. It took us 3 hours of constant flying between about 15,000 - 30,000 troops in complete darkness before we reached our destination. More than a dozen of us didn’t even hit their target area to land.

And you might be wondering: ‘That is the craziest plan I have ever heard!’

Yeah it was.

And... somehow, it fucking worked.

Lunar Ocean, April 17th, 1014. 18:46 CST.

The semi-warm evening sun was just starting to dip under the horizon as I was standing atop the deck of the transport ship. Standing amongst a crowd of ponies, we were all huddled together so tightly that there was no room for any of us to open our wings. We were all facing one direction, towards the bow of the ship. A large wooden pedestal stood in front of us.

Pegasi. There were no Unicorns or Earth Ponies here with us. Only Pegasi. Even Thestral Ponies were here. One of my friends, Raisins, would not be here to attend this operation as she was a unicorn. Maybe that was a good thing. Even if she could, it would no doubt be extremely dangerous - borderline suicidal. There were Pegasi flying all around us, shifting the clouds, and changing their shapes. They will create a cloudy overcast layer, cloudy enough for us to slip past anything we might encounter along the way. Thank Celestia for weather control, at least.

And after what happened near the Smoky Mountains, I was glad Raisins was back on the frontlines as a rear echelon guard. Goddesses know she needed some kind of respite from combat. It was far bloodier than ever imaginable. I shivered just thinking about it.

There were at least a hundred of us, possibly more, waiting at the deck of the ship to see what happens next. We all knew what was going to happen next. Well, we all already knew what was going to happen: we were going to probably die.

I know it sounds like I wasn’t all too afraid to die, especially since I considered myself to be a level headed pony. But the truth of the matter is: I was terrified to my core. And so was everypony else. The Commanding Officers who relayed this plan to us let it be known that a lot of us were not going to survive this day.

A lot.

I made no effort to hide my terror, though I did try to keep a stoic face in the midst of my shaking body. I wasn’t cold, but that didn’t matter. I was still shaking violently, as dozens upon dozens of tiny spasms wracked my being. They kept coming and did not stop. I tried a few times to take deep breaths, but they don’t seem to be helping any knowing there is the very real possibility that you might die.

Everypony else felt the same way. I could tell. And if I couldn’t tell, they made an effort to hide it. Some of the ponies around me had fearful expressions on their faces. Some even looked downright terrified.

It was getting loud. A hundred ponies cramped together atop a transport ship in the middle of the ocean tends to make a lot of noise. We were all anxious to see what happens next.

The wooden Pedestal in front of us all of the sudden had a flash of bluish-purple energy, silencing all of us. Soon later, a Midnight Coated Alicorn with a Crescent Moon for a cutie mark stood before us, manifesting seemingly out of thin air. She stared down at every single pony in front of her, and I think she may have locked eye contact with me as well.

What was Princess Luna doing here? Out of all the transport ships, why would she choose this one?

She stood tall - Proud and Regal, as her horn illuminated in a soft Azure glow. Then the glow increased as it hummed with energy. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words that came out were loud - louder than a hundred ponies cramped atop a ship. She spoke to all of us, in her signature Canterlot Voice.

“Ponies of Equestria. Brothers, Sisters, Mothers, Fathers, Sons and Daughters; Friends and Family. This week, we embarked on our ships in hopes to launch a crusade against thy enemies. They grow stronger on our home soil with each passing day, and some fear the end of Equestria would soon become a reality. That is false!”

She then started pacing back and forth along the rampart, her wings unfurled. “My Sister, Cadence, Twilight and I want to reassure you all on this night. For tonight, we are to silence and stow away those fears. For tonight, we are to launch an all-out assault against our foes and to restore what is rightfully ours.”

She stopped pacing in the middle of the Rampart. Then her horn illuminated again. Nothing happened around us. No sound was made, no spells were cast, no-

My thoughts were interrupted as I had noticed the sky around me change color. I instinctively looked to the West (or tried to, given on how many others were doing the same thing - blocking my view) and I saw the sun quickly dip under the horizon, changing the atmosphere to a blueish purple. The sky was tinted in Twilight. The Full Moon then rose over the Eastern horizon, giving the ship and the oceans around it a soft glow of moonlight.

I stared at the moon. I admired its strange and mysterious beauty. And for a little moment there, my fear and anxiety of what was to happen had ceased entirely. I felt catharsis. At peace. I felt like nothing would weigh me down… at least for a moment.

Princess Luna boomed her voice again, snapping my attention back to the Alicorn. “Let this beautiful night be a blessing and an omen that we Princesses, and all of Equestria, are watching over you. That we are protecting you. And that we are relying on you. YOU ARE PEGASI!” she bellowed as she stood on her hind legs, the very air seeming to shake and vibrate by the power of her voice. And that made me both admirable and terrified of her. But more admirable than terrified. She slammed her hooves down on the floor as she continued, “YOU ARE EQUESTRIA'S FINEST! YOU ARE THE ELITE! IF ANYPONY CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN, IT SHALL FALL UPON YOU.”

She stood on all fours again, as her voice died down… just a little. “And I also want to make something absolutely clear to all of you. I know many of you are angry, and hurt, and suffering in silence for what has happened to our home. I know many of you hate our enemy. That you would wish to make them suffer for the wrong and the atrocities they have committed. And that you wish to enact vengeance upon them. While it is not without cause, I beg of you - for those who feel lost and angry - do not pursue revenge. It will only make our enemy stronger.

“The enemy seeks to fight us for our love. We shall not give it to them. If they wish to take it, they shall try to do just that: they shall have to take it from us, even from our dead bodies. But if your soul is filled with hate and vice, you will only weaken yourself. Only through the magic of friendship, through the combined power of Pegasi, and through sheer determination, can we win this day.”

Her horn illuminated once again, as an aura of blue energy enveloped all of us. Her horn glowed brighter and brighter, until a blinding flash covered my vision, making me raise a hoof over my eyes to block the blinding light. Just as that was happening, I felt a wave of energy rush through my body. And a wave a coolness coursed through my mind as well.

Suddenly, I felt… good. I felt alive, full of energy, and my body stopped shaking. My head also felt clearer, like I could think with clarity. I was having ideas! Not only that, but I felt confident in doing so. I felt like I could take on the world!

I looked around me, as other ponies had mixed expressions on their faces that told me they were feeling the same thing. Sweet Celestia, I actually felt aware of my surroundings! Princess Luna looked exhausted after that spell. Her horn still illuminated, but beads of sweat-drenched her face and coat.

“Pant, Let this,huff, blessing be upon you all tonight. For tonight, you are no longer ponies. You are no longer mere Pegasi. You are the Night’s Champions. You are soldiers, embarking on a crusade that will very much determine the fate of our way of life in Equestria. And quite possibly the whole world as well.”

I should’ve felt scared at those words. I didn't. Instead, I felt like I prepared all my life for this. I didn’t, obviously, but that’s what it felt like.

“The enemy will not expect us. They will not win and survive this day. I know this because you will ensure that is possible. You will ensure the victory of Vanhoover, and the survival of our country. Of our species. Of our way of life. And of our home. Your loved ones. Your friends. Your family. Everypony you love and hold dear is counting on you to win this day!”

Despite her exhausted state, Princess Luna stood on her hind legs again - a little shakily this time, but she got it. She then boomed her voice once again. When I looked up at her again, I noticed a large formation of Pegasi from behind us fly over our ship, heading NorthEast. The invasion had already begun.

“NOW GO FORTH, MY LITTLE PONIES! FOR TONIGHT, WE SHALL WIN BACK OUR CITY! FOR TONIGHT, WE SHALL FIGHT FOR ALL THAT IS GOOD! FOR TONIGHT, WE SHALL TAKE BACK WHAT IS OURS!”

There was another sound that filled the air. It was the sound of overwhelming cheering.

“Everypony loaded up? I sure as fuck hope so, because you’re lifting off in two minutes!” The Unicorn Officer that replaced Princess Luna’s position barked at us. Luna teleported away after her grand speech, leaving me (and everypony else) inspired and confident. “Anypony who hesitates to take off will be arrested or executed if you resist! Pegasi Officers will fly in with you during this operation to ensure of that. Do I make myself clear!?”

Of course nopony said no. Nopony was afraid. Not even me! I felt like I could take on the world!

“Sir yes sir!” we all shouted in unison.

“You will fly North East for one hour, than bank East for another hour. Within at least two hours, you will arrive at Vanhoover. Your Company is assigned to the ‘Thestral’ Division. Your task is to clear out the Western side of the city, and advance until you reached grid ref 875-237.”

Everypony eyed each other with confusion.

“Your officers will guide you, and order you to follow his instructions.” He spoke, hinting at everypony's confusion. “Stick with your battle buddies, and follow instructions. And if you have a good aim, you might just make it out alive. Do you understand?!”

“Sir yes sir!”

“One Minute!” another pony called out.

All of the Pegasi shifted position, readying themselves for take off. I saw Sergeant Baker, my Pegasus Officer, stand near the front of the pedestal, talking with another high ranking pony. I had no idea what of though, as I was out of earshot. I inspected my equipment, making sure I had everything I needed.

My rifle; check. My first aid kit; check. My ammo, with magnetic stripper clips; check. Magnetic Horseshoes (how else do you think we could hold rifles, and reload with our hooves?); check. Grenades; check. Vest and Pack; check. Combat Knife; check. I had everything.

“Thirty Seconds!”

Everypony instinctively crouched low, assuming takeoff stance. They all had looks of determination and resolve smitten on their faces, ready for combat. Looking more like soldiers then ponies. Baker then trotted back to the line, and assumed takeoff position as well.

“Fifteen!”

I unfurled my wings, and crouched low, gritting my teeth more groups of Pegasi were still flying over us from Transport ships behind us.

“Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven.”

I shuffled my hooves and body a little more, to loose the shakies that I still had.

“Six. Five. Four.”

I took one last deep breath.

“Three. Two. One. Launch!”

At the word ‘Launch’, every single Pegasi that could was ascending upward, in an unorganized, but tight formation trying to reach the cloud layer. We were all flying fast and straight. Several officers had their whistles blown, with pistols out as they were flying with us. Battle cries and cheers, as well as yelling and flapping wings filled the soundscape around me.

I didn’t make any sound. I didn’t need to. Hundreds of Pegasi around me were doing that already. I wasn’t much of an ‘overzealous cheering’ type of pony anyway. Though I did commemorate their bravery for being able to stay this optimistic, even if for a short while.

We all flew in the same direction, North East, as we began to shift and merge into a different formation. It soon formed a thick chevron-shaped cluster with a spearhead facing forward. I was somewhere located in the back left.

I don’t really recall much from our flight. Say for a few small chats I had with some other ponies I recognize, knowing all too well that it could be our last. I tried not to get too close to ponies after the Ruby Mountains. I lost a lot of good friends there, and almost lost Raisins as well. She was the only few close friends that managed to survive the onslaught.

I do remember a few faces in that formation though. I was assigned to a squad of nine, and I remember a select few others; Three rifle-ponies (such as myself. I wasn’t anything too fancy despite being in an elite company. I did have more ammo than the average foot grunt though, so it was something.), a Medic (A white painted Pegasus I didn’t know.), an officer (that was Baker.), a Machine Gunner (who I remember going by ‘Spade’, for the Ace of Spades as his Cutie Mark.), an AT Specialist (going by Boomer.), an Engineer with Explosives, and a Radio Pony. (Normally that would be Raisins, but she wasn’t here. I do know that the replacement is a recruit named Buckeye.)

I also remember that we had to go over our plan of action while in flight. We did review what exactly we would be doing before the invasion began, but the leading officer of my Company had very specific orders for all of us. “Ponies, listen up!” I heard one of the unfamiliar lieutenants speak up in the front of the formation, almost barely audible among the chatter and noise. As soon as he yelled though, the passing conversations dulled down a little.

“We are tasked to land Northeast of Vanhoover Harbor, near the Downtown District. The whole city will still have some civilians left over hiding inside the buildings, so PID your targets. Our task is to move in, block by block; street by street; building by building until we reach the City Hall. There, we will hold our position and wait for reinforcements. Understand?!”

“Sir yes sir!” we all shouted back diligently, like good soldiers.

About an hour has passed. We still see ocean, and clouds, but no sight of land. I knew it wouldn’t be long now until we were at Vanhoover. It was dark by now, making it harder to see one another as we flew. A few of us managed to bump into one another, causing a minor accidents. Nopony was hurt though, and they got back on course. But this kept happening for the entire trip.

I couldn’t see any landmass near us for miles. We were about an hour away still. I knew what to look for. A weird cross shaped looking bay that lead South, leading us towards the coastal city. If we were lucky, we should be able to fly through without being spotted until the last possible second.

We had just changed course towards Vanhoover not too long ago, now heading straight East. We were now heading straight toward the city. My mind lingered on its own, imagining what the city would look like under Changeling Occupation.

It just dawned upon me at that moment that I’ve never actually been to Vanhoover before in my life. I’ve heard tales about it though. About how it was one of the few first cities to industrialize, much like Fillydelphia and Manehatten.

Supposedly, back in the golden days when Equestria was experiencing its technological revolution, Vanhoover was the first city to industrialize. It soon had block upon block of different commercial and industrial building being constructed in the early years of the ‘revolution’. It was supposed to be bigger in size, but not as populated, weirdly enough.

It used to be way smaller than that though. Before the technological advancements, it was a tiny coastal town with a small pier dock as its harbor. It commenced commercial trade with the olenians as well, once we’ve established contact with one another. And for a long while, business was good.

The Olenians always were happy to do business ever since they’ve ended the raiding parties against us more than half a century ago. ‘The Hjortland Treaty’, I think it was called. But ever since King Aldar II died under mysterious circumstances, his illegitimate son, Johan, quickly seized the throne with the help of Nobles, Religious Zealots, and Businessdeer.

I never really took an interest in politics. It was just a bunch of talk that was too boring for me to tune in. I did read several history books in my school years before this war started though, years ago. I’ve always had a nick for history.

Supposedly, after Johan took control, trade had been much slower since. Not as profitable for both sides either. We still conducted business, though not as much and not as fruitful. Princess Velvet, supposedly being the rightful heir to the throne of Olenia, fled to Equestria soon after. I never really did find out what happened to her.

After trade became less profitable, Vanhoover decided to expand on its own. It already had industrialized centuries beforehand, but it still continued to grow. As if the city itself was a living being. The population rose, commercial business were erected soon after, seafaring businesses lost traction, and industry grew.

From then on, it became one of the many Industrial Hubs that grew across Equestria. It wasn’t the only one, but it was the biggest seafaring one by far out of all of them. Manehatten at the time couldn’t even match its seafare trading output.

After the invasion of Olenia, however, things changed. Soon, the trading harbor was converted into military dockyards and repair yards. It soon transformed from a seafaring trading town, to a sprawling metropolis.

Not that the dockyards helped us out any. Many of the dockyards were severely damaged during the first battle of Vanhoover, by the bombing raids that occurred beforehoof. The city was pummeled into submission from air and sea. When the actual attack came, resistance only lasted for a week before the garrison guards surrendered.

I wondered about the fate of the ponies who stayed behind in occupation. I had multiple imaginations of what could be possible. Slavery, Execution, Stuffing them inside those pods with green ooze in them. I shuddered. I felt a pang of sadness for the many who are experiencing that kind of hell. But the truth of the matter is; I didn’t know. If there are ponies who did know - other then the victims themselves - then they made no effort on disclosing that information to anypony else.

But this time, we could fix that. If this attack goes well, which--again--was a big “if”, and if everything goes according to plan, we could save those ponies from that fate. A part of my mind felt more hopeful now, and even more confident and brave thanks to Princess Luna’s spell. The other part of my mind, the more rational and logical part, also knew it wouldn't come easily. And even through my optimism, I could still die. The thought of death still lingered in the back of my mind

I was flying on “autopilot” to myself while I lingered on those thoughts, when I accidentally grazed my wing on a stallions flank. I shifted position to my right, slightly blushing, while he looked at me with an expression of annoyance. Getting lost in my thoughts was sure to make me crash into others.

Flying in darkness and in clouds was easier said than done. I couldn’t focus on history now, there would be a time for that later. For now, I just kept flying.

“We’re five minutes out!” I heard Baker yell from the front. I was exhausted by this point. I wouldn’t be flying again for a long while, given how sore my wings were already. Flying for two hours straight took a toll on us all. My sides were also burning from the exertion. I could float and hover in the air afterward maybe, but not for long. For all of the endurance training I had… well, endured, it wasn’t enough to mask my weariness.

“Alright, everypony follow me! We’re diverting course now! Get your rifles ready, and prepare for contact!” an officer yelled at the front.

With those words, I saw the first few rows of Pegasi turn to the right, now facing towards a large blob of lights that I could barely see through the clouds. The rest of us soon followed, some off us a little off course due to being lost in the cloudy darkness. But through the hazy puffs of water vapor, we could see a city of lights. Soon, all of us started shrugging their weapons from their shoulders and held them in their hooves. I did the same.

It was already loaded, just not ready to fire yet. I proceeded to cock the bolt-action lever back and forth to load my next bullet - a feat that would’ve been impossible had it not been for the magnetic horseshoes.

Everypony was now flying with guns in their grasp. We all flew at a slower pace, to keep a stable flight pattern in case we had to shoot in mid-air. All of us looked tense, but not afraid. I certainly wasn’t afraid about it (thank you, Luna) but I still had the shakes.

“Alright, lets go over our POA once more, so you are all familiar with it.” I heard Baker announce in the front. “We’re landing near the shore of the Southern downtown district. Our objective is the city hall located to the far East of that said district. This will be a dense urban environment, so stay alert at all times. We’re to occupy the city hall, and relay to the other platoons of our progress. When all is said and done, the city should be ours by the morning.

“We’re expecting a lot of resistance, as well as civilians still inside the city limits. So make sure you PID your contacts. I want to avoid collateral damage as much as possible. Once we land, find the closest spot of cover you can find. The enemy will most certainly try to kill us while in the air.”

As if on cue, I saw several beams of light emit from the surface into the sky. It was coming from the city. Searchlights. It looks like the others before us had already arrived, and announced our presence.

“Well, they know we’re here now.” Spade muttered, as he pulled out his Bren MK. II Machine Gun.

“Get ready for gunfire. Once they start shooting at us, dive as fast and as erratically as you can.” Baker ordered.

I followed behind the other Pegasi through the clouds as we all readied our weapons. We flew through a break in the clouds.

And then I saw it.

The city of Vanhoover was a city of lights. Not just lights from buildings, but also search lights as well. Gunfire can now be heard, as well as sirens. Tracers could be seen flying towards the sky, no doubt directed at the Pegasi. Everyone inside the city is wide awake now, and is now on full alert.

But I saw something else as well. Rising way up high into the sky was a black, sickly looking spire. It was planted in the middle of the city, rising up high for kilometers. It didn’t penetrate the cloud layer, but it grazed the bottom of it. The base of the tower was thick and strong, but kept getting thinner and thinner as it rose higher.

That definitely was not there before.

“What in Celestia’s Mane is that thing?” a mare asked somewhere near me to my right. Before anypony could answer, a blinding beam of light was shot in our area. Realization slowly turned into horror as I found out that one of the spotlights have managed to detect us. Soon after, there were tracers now flying at us. Deafening cracks and pops of the bullets whizzing just centimeters by me filled my ears. Some of the bullets struck several different pegasi around us, causing them to fall lifelessly towards the ground.

“Dive, Dive, Dive!” I could hear somepony yell over the chaos, causing me to follow behind Baker’s group, who were now descending straight downward towards the city’s seawall. I saw shapes among the streets running around frantically, and I wasn’t sure if they were ponies or Changelings.

I tucked in my wings while diving to increase my speed. We were flying even faster now, trying our best to avoid the hail of bullets flying towards us. The searchlights beam tried to follow us, but we were faster. In about 15 seconds, we were almost to the ground.

I then unfurled my wings again, aching while doing so as our dive slowed down. We readied our weapons again, expecting trouble as soon as we got close. Yet we found nothing. Those shapes that were running around retreated indoors. I still didn’t know if they were Changelings or Ponies. One by one, the Pegasi began to land on the streets near the seawall. I found Baker amongst them and landed next to him, my squad doing the same. Soon, the large formation of pegasi was reduced to a collection of small groups. Some smaller than others.

“Squad, roll call!” Baker yelled as more Pegasi swooped down to land. He silently started counting all of the ponies with us. I saw Boomer, Spade, Buckeye, and the few I didn’t recognize land beside us. Several of us stood on their hind legs and covered each other's blind spot from multiple directions while the others were still landing. Gunfire and small explosions can be heard echoing off of the building walls all around the city. Nopony was shooting at us though, so that was something. Though with the pony-like figures that we saw retreating indoors, I was skeptical how long it would last. I kept glancing my eyes towards the windows, trying to spot any shapes inside peeking at us. There weren’t any.

“Okay, we’re going. Everypony, spilt with your squad and stay close together. Be slow, be careful, and be wary. The enemy knows we’re here now, and they’ll be looking for us.” He turned East, towards the larger group of buildings that towered over the small houses we landed by. The black spire could also be seen, its ominous presence towering every single building in the city Baker pointed a hoof at it. “That Hive in the center of the city probably has more Changelings inside. And if they heard all of the commotion, they’ll definitely be flying out to join the fight.”

Everypony nodded at one another in silent acknowledgement.

“So, change of plans.” Baker trotted over to another squad, with an even more grizzled looking officer leading them. “Sharp, I want you and 2 other teams to investigate the Hive and relay me your results when you’re done. Let me know what you find.”

“Alright. Wilco.” a gray pegasus officer saluted.

Baker took one moment to gaze upon the remnants of our company. We didn’t lose any, but a few squads were down a few ponies. But for the most part, everypony looked ready. They were eager to get started.

“Okay, let's go,” Baker announced as he took lead.

The whole company I flew with to get here split apart with one another to avoid bunching up. We all separated into squads of nine, sticking with one another as we tread softly. I was rear guard, meaning I was in charge of watching our flanks - not to be confused with staring at other ponies’ actual flanks - while we all advanced forward. I hovered above the ground and aimed behind us, glancing over my shoulder every now and then to avoid getting lost.

Some of the buildings we passed by were still badly damaged from the first battle of Vanhoover. From what I saw, it seemed that the Changelings didn’t bother to repair anything that they caused. I peeked in some of the windows that were open. I kept thinking I saw shapes moving around, but every closer look I made revealed nothing. Must be my mind playing tricks on me. Though I wasn’t convinced

We started our trek across Vanhoover in the middle of the streets, which had scattered automobiles and some leftover debris littering the streets. Good cover, but we were still in the open. Baker took several detours through derelict alleyways, which had garbage and litter covering the pavement we trotted across. I aimed my Lee Enfield behind us as we slowly trotted forward. Moving between and fro buildings while quietly advancing forward, my mane felt tingly as well as my tail. Apprehension was ripe in the air.

“I don’t like this.” Spade spoke, his voice a whisper of a whisper. “It’s way too quiet for us.” I silently agreed. Gunfire and explosions we heard everywhere but here. It seemed too convenient.

“Shut it. Don’t jinx us!” Baker replied sharply.

Everypony was one edge now. We all kept trading glances at the brick monolithic buildings that surrounded us. Everywhere we went, there was a potential for ambush. Buckeye - the radio pony - stuck close to Baker. We were trained to maintain spacing between one another, on the off-chance a grenade or any type of explosive landed near us to minimize the damage. But in an urban environment with tight alleys and walkways, that was difficult. Sor for now, we all stuck closer together.

We walked outside of an alley and back out into the street again, when we heard it. A series of shots emitting from beyond the building we were facing. The gunfire then intensified. It was really close, about 100 meters or so, beyond what appeared to be an apartment complex connected to another one. The whole street was covered with those same type of buildings, leaving no room for alleyways to move in between.

“Squad, on me. Sweep the building, and man a window.” Baker ordered, as he pointed towards where the gunfire was coming from. “If somepony is in trouble, we have to help.”

One of the rifle ponies went in first, acting as a breacher. He moved slowly, methodically, checking every corner, crook, and cranny. I followed behind, being the second to enter the building. The others were still outside covering our rear. There were about 4 floors in this building. The gunfire that was near us soon transformed into an all out firefight. Explosions were also heard. It seemed they’ve resulted to using grenades.

The layout of the building was… weird. It had a staircase connected in one main chamber in the center, with rooms connecting off to the sides, that morphed into weirdly shaped hallways and bedrooms. The rooms were either unfurnished, or whatever furniture that was left was completely ruined. Charred chairs, sofas with holes in them, walls that had pastel ripped off.

There were windows that overlooked the back side of the building away from the street, revealing a tiny little park with a small garden in the center. That’s when I saw what the gunfire was all about. To my right, there were Changelings huddled behind an overturned wagon and some small stone walls connecting to the park. While to my left, I saw shots being fired from the windows of more buildings that lead into the park. I raised my rifle and took aim a one of the Changelings, who were unaware of our presence.

I hesitated. I had an easy shot on them, and they would most likely not notice me until it was too late. But the building wasn’t cleared first, meaning there could be something inside-

Just as the thought crossed my mind, I heard another shot fired from above me. It sounded powerful, as it echoed through the walls and the ceiling above me. I turned behind me, finding the one rifle pony staring upward as well. There was someone else here.

We trotted slowly upward, trying not to make a sound. I didn’t dare use my wings, thinking that a single flap could give us away. By the time we reached the third floor, the shot rang out again. It was still above us, and off to the right side of the building.

We continued to trot upward in the building, when I heard a voice as well. They sounded unrecognizable. Actually, I had no idea what they were saying at all. It was spoken in an entirely different language. That was the dead giveaway that they were not friendly. We slowed our trot to a crawl, stepping ever so lightly. When we reached the fourth and final floor, we took the door leading in the next room.

We stopped by a corner leading into the room when the shot rang out again. It was way louder than before. The pony in front of me raised a hoof, signalling me to stop. We both huddled near a wall, when he readied his rifle. I did the same. He slowly peaked his head beyond the corner, then retreated back, turning to me.

“One.” his mouth moved, but no noise came out. I nodded, and aimed at the doorway. He then trotted in, his weapon raised.

In the rules of combat, you were taught to force the enemy to surrender if at all possible. It was called ‘The Canterlot Convention’, which was basically a guideline that ruled against all war-crimes in general. If he has his back turned, spook him into submission. If he is hopelessly beat, order them to surrender. Things like that. That was what I imagine happening right now. We both trotted on our hind hooves slowly, our weapons raised at the lone Changeling with a sniper rifle. He was manning a window, aiming to the left at the ponies inside the other buildings. The firefight was still going on outside.

My battle buddy gave a low whistle, making the Changeling flinch. He (He? Them? I’ll assume its a He, since they seem male enough.) turned to quickly face us, and found to rifled aiming at him. His eyes widened.

“Drop it.” I muttered, low and menacingly. “I see so much as a shimmer from your horn, and you’re getting a new breathing hole.” The rifle clattered on the floor, the Changeling raising his hooves in the air.

“Scheiße!” the Changeling growled.

The pony next to me (I really need to learn his name) trotted over and kicked the rifle out of the way, and proceeded to subdue the Changeling. He pulled out a pair of metallic cuffs. He restrained him, then placed a small ring over its horn - which was difficult considering the horn looks misshapen and deformed. After he placed a gag in his mouth, he signalled me to get the others.

I galloped toward a window leading outside towards the street, finding the others looking up at me. “We got one of them restrained up here. There’s a firefight on the other side.” I called out.

“Alright, move! Get inside and occupy a window! Wait on my mark!” Baker yelled, as ponies began to file in one by one. I heard thunderous hoofsteps below me, and gunfire outside of the building.

I then heard a shrill and pained yell behind me, coming from the room where the Changeling was in. I rushed back in, and barged in to a horrific scene. The pony who was patting him down now had a horn impaling his neck, going all the way through. I felt my stomach twist into knots, as my battle buddy gagged and coughed up blood. His expression morphed into pure terror. He collapsed backwards, and went still afterward.

The Changeling pulled his horn back, and turned to face me. He couldn’t move his hooves, and his magic was useless, but he could still fly. He hovered in place as he stared at me, and began to fly rapidly towards me. I was snapped out of my stunned state, and was barely able to dodge to the right. He overshot me, and his horn got stuck in the wall.

PKOW!

I shot rang out from my rifle, aimed at his head. He was slumped on the wall afterward, remaining motionless as his horn was still stuck. Green ooze seeped down his left temple. My hooves were shaking. I gazed back at the pony on the floor. A pool of blood was forming underneath him, his eyes gazing behind his head. He was dead.

Baker and Buckeye ran in and stopped cold at the scene. I was holding my rifle, shakily I should add. Two dead soldiers were next to me, one by my hooves.

“Ch-Changeling, he- he… he stabbed him with… h-his horn.” was all I could mutter. I felt revolted from the inside out. I tried my best not too look at visceral display of corpses in front of me. I was shivering like mad, and I felt… wrong, all over me. “C-Couldn’t save him…”

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrt!

Sounds of machine gun fire were heard outside, as bullets whizzed inside the room through the windows. I fell on the floor, and crawled my way towards the doorway. Baker and Buckeye retreated back into the hall with the staircase.

“Open fire! I want Fire Supremacy!” Baker yelled at the top of his lungs, as more gunfire was firing back towards the Changelings. I heard Spade’s gun firing away with righteous fury, as the whole building kept shooting.

I made my way towards the staircase, violently shivering at the ordeal I was enduring. Adrenaline tingled all over my body. “Find a window and shoot back!” Baker ordered. I trembled as I got up to my hooves, and proceeded to head towards the left side of the staircase - ‘left’ in the perception that you were outside staring at the front of the building. I found another poorly furnished room, and peeked over a window. The Changelings behind the stone wall were limping lifelessly along it, while the ones behind the wagon were still exchanging shots at the building. One of them had an MG pointed at our building, spraying away.

“Wait ‘till he reloads, then counter-attack!” I heard a voice call out below me. I aimed my rifle by the wagon, at the Machine Gunner.

PKOW!

The shot failed to connect and landed on the ground beside him. He turned his attention toward me, making me zip back behind the window. More tracers were flying in the building. I cocked the bolt, loading my next shot.

“Who’s got a grenade?!” I yelled towards the doorway where I walked in from.

“I can’t get a good angle. He’s got me pinned!” I heard Boomer reply.

I cursed under my breath, as I laid down. He was still spraying at us. How much ammo does that thing have?!

“It’s belt fed! We’re gonna be here a while if we can’t kill him soon!” somepony else screamed.

“Clock, Sunshine, get outside and flank them! See if you can divert their attention.” Baker ordered.

“On my way!” I heard a mare respond diligently. I crawled my way towards the doorway leading to the staircase, then proceeded to gallop my way down, following a peach colored mare with a blue mane. I saw several other ponies huddling near windows, shooting and ducking as I made my way down.

We made it outside, as me and clock headed towards another building. We dashed along the street finding a building that’ll give us a clear line of sight on the enemy squad. We found one, but the door was locked, and it wouldn’t budge. A few bucks from both of us quickly changed that, as we both rushed inside, not bothering to check the rooms. We found a window, and found the enemy next. They were unaware of our presence.

“Shoot the MG, I’ll get the rest.” I said, as I aimed at the Changeling. He kept shooting at the building where the others were in, but his head turned towards my general direction. Then he noticed me. His eyes widened.

PKOW!

Down goes another one.

Clock then fired, killing one of them as well. By then, they were aware of our presence, but were too badly wounded to fend us off from all directions. One of them yelled something in their language, pointing at a building behind them. They then proceeded to rush inside through the door, exchanging shots. There were only about five of them left.

“Shit, they went inside. We gotta head back.” Clock muttered, as she turned to leave. I followed. We made our way back inside the original building, where the gunfire died down to sporadic pops. The ponies who were in the other building fighting them were still firing away at the enemy.

“They made it back inside a building. They won’t budge!” I called out as I galloped in.

“Shit, going to clear that is gonna be a bitch. And we can’t advance forward pass them...” Baker spoke aloud. “Where’s my Engie?” he called out.

“I’m alive!” I heard a stallion’s voice call out above me.

“I need a Satchel Charge at that building. We’ll cover you, just blow that damn building to pieces!”

“I’m gonna need smoke, I won’t get close enough without being shot up.”

“Got it!” at those words, I reached into my pack and pulled out a No. 77 Grenade - smoke variant. I pressed the trigger at the top, and heaved them at the base of their building. Immediately after impact, smoke was spewing out. I watched as others did the same thing. Soon, only the windows could be seen. Everything else was blocked off, and out of sight.

“Okay I’m going. Spade, give me some covering fire!” He then dove out of a window, using his wings to glide down to safety. Spade fired burst shots at the windows with his Vickers. It seemed to be working. The Changelings weren’t shooting back. They were under too much fire. I wondered why they weren’t pulling back, considering how hopeless this engagement was to them.

The engineer made his way at the base of the building, and proceeded to fiddle with his pack. He then pulled out a satchel, which I assumed was the ‘Satchel Charge’ Baker was referring to. He pulled out a lighter, and flicked with it a few times, before lighting the fuse. He then chucked it into a window above him, and galloped away as fast as a pony possibly could. He dove into a window in our building, and ducked his head. “Get Down!” he yelled.

BOOOOOM!

A mighty explosion shook the ground we were standing on, as shrapnel and dust billowed outward. The whole building groaned and collapsed in on itself with a resounding crash. Dust and soot covered the entire garden, and nopony could see well beyond 50 meters. When the noise died down, the gunfire stopped. I heard a faint ringing in my right ear.

I peaked over the window, and saw the remains of the building. It was completely flattened. The buildings next to it had large gaping holes off to the side. Anything, or anyone, inside of there was most certainly dead.

“Did that do it?!” I heard the engineer yell below me. I was fairly certain, given the volume of his voice, that he was slightly deaf as well.

“We appreciate the assistance,” The officer thanked Baker. “We lost three of our guys before you showed up. Ambushed us from across the park.”

“Lost one of ours, too. Stabbed by a Changeling when we were trying to take him into captivity.” Baker then replied. We all met outside in the park, where the medic of our squad were tending to the wounded. There were about 6 confirmed casualties, 3 of which were KIAs. The other three that remained were in no shape to fight, one had a piece of shrapnel embedded in his eye. I couldn’t look.

“Sorry to hear. We appreciate it nonetheless, though.” The officer turned towards his squad of ponies, who were deflated and exhausted from the firefight. “Alright, when the medic’s done, we’re continuing with the mission. So hold defensives positions until then.”

“Same goes to you, as well.” Baker also turned to face us. “I want 360 security on the perimeter. Make sure another encounter like that doesn’t happen again, where we can get the drop on them this time.”

I saw as ponies slowly dispersed to their positions, the wounded staying near the rubble of the building that was recently demolished beyond recognition. My hearing had returned to me, though it still hurt. I flew up to the Side Gabled Roofs of one of the still standing buildings (which I will refer to as Condos, since they seemed to be living quarters.) I mounted my rifle along the crest of the roof, aiming below me towards a street stretching further towards downtown. My body rested along the Dormer Window sticking out towards the park. The black Hive Spire could be seen stretching up above the cloudlayer, its base illuminated by vibrant orange lights from below it. I then discovered that they were fires.

Gunfire, Explosions, Sirens, and some panicked Screaming, can be heard all around me. The city was in a state of complete disarray. Tracers could be seen flying through the air, completely missing whatever target they were aiming for originally. I turned towards the seaside of the harbor, where we originally landed. I saw more and more shapes of Pegasi flying in from the sea. About thirty minutes has passed since the first groups have landed, and now the last few are finally arriving.

By now, there were about 25,000 pony soldiers in the city limits alone. Not counting the civilians.

The sound of a larger explosion caught my attention, making me face towards the spire again. A large blast of fire was seen billowing upward from a cluster of higher tower like buildings that were placed near the spire. Its cloud flew gently upward, as the hot shockwave of the blast washed over me.

Soon, I heard a new sound. It was an engine, up high in the sky. I saw more shapes flying up there, but they were not Changelings or ponies. One of them flew through the cloud of fire that had appeared, dissipating the smoke as it flew gracefully through.

They were stukas. Their air support had arrived.

Baker flew up near me, and turned to look at the sky. “Fuck!” he muttered. “Buckeye, get over here! I need your radio!”

More of the stukas dove down on the city, and continued to descend. Before they could hit the ground, a terrifying siren could be heard from them, despite the distance from them to us. They then pulled up swiftly, as more large explosions decorate the city. The same blasts of fire were seen floating upward.

“They’re indiscriminately bombing civilians…” I muttered. “Just to kill us.” I felt something at those words I uttered. I felt… I couldn’t place my hoof on it. It was a mixed feeling of anger, despair, and sadness.

“Welcome to war.” Baker replied, as Buckeye landed next to him. Baker pulled out his telephone, and spoke into it. “All Stations, the enemy has air superiority. They are sending out CAS planes to pummel us into submission. Maintain the offensive, and stay in cover. Over and out!” he stowed the telephone away.

“Baker, sir! The wounded are mended! I did the best I could.” the medic yelled from below us.

“Alright! Everypony gather your gear, we’re moving NorthEast!”

We set off towards Downtown, where the monolithic and surprisingly blank condos increased in height as we trotted closer. We scavenged the ammo needed from the dead (which I did not participate in. killing an enemy and looting its corpse was one thing, but looting fallen soldiers was something to grizzly even for me.) and split it evenly amongst ourselves. I had about 8 10-round stripper clips left in my pack, plus whatever I had left in my rifle. I tallied the numbers in my head, thinking back to the previous engagement. I had about 7 shots left in this rifle, and I didn’t want to bother manually reloading it by slotting individual bullets in the chamber. I decided I could wait.

As the battle continued, parts of the city were cut off of electricity, resulting in a blackout in some sectors. It didn’t occur in our side of the city, but I doubt that would last for long. There weren’t many lights emitting from the windows of the condos, but there were enough. The street lamps also helped.

Several times over, we had one of the rifle ponies (me included) fly up ahead and scout forward, usually resulting in visual contact and a quick detour. Our goal was still heading towards the city hall, a 5 story building with a balcony on the fourth floor stretching all around and above the circular foundation of the building. At lEast, that’s what Baker said.

I remember, when I was a filly growing up in ponyville, that my mother would take trips down to the marketplace next to the Carousel Boutique. I would stand and stare at the architecture of it in awe, wondering how and why that kind of building could exist. I had no idea at the time what it was used for, all I knew was that it looked pretty. It had a circular foundation as well, with a spire Gable Roof that looked like a spinning top flipped upside down. For some reason, that was what I imagined the city hall would look like. I would soon see enough.

An hour has passed since the invading force landed, and the garrison army is wide awake now. What used to be a collection of sporadic pops and small firecracker-like explosions, now transformed into automatic gunfire and massive ‘Booms’. The Stukas in the sky were flying all over the city, firing their cannons towards the ground when they ran out of bombs. We had to keep moving and retreating inside the condos all around us when one of them looked like it was heading towards us. Thankfully, no gunfire came, and we pushed on.

We trotted for about 25 minutes since we left the small park, heading further East into the city. We were trotting toward the general direction of the hive that towered over everything. Everypony was more on edge ever since we left the gardens. More rapid gunfire was heard near us towards the South, though we didn’t bother to check it. We had more pressing objectives to tend to, as Baker said.

We decided, unless absolutely necessary, to not go inside the buildings. Changelings could literally be anywhere, and we wouldn’t know until it was too late. We stayed close to the sides of the street, but never on it directly. More wrecked automobiles and debris littered the pavement we trotted on. We saw ponies galloping across the street ahead of us, giving us a startle. But no gunfire was exchanged. The conflict was escalating by the minute, but it seemed we were making progress.

I had no experience with Urban warfare - aside from our last encounter - so I was constantly checking over my shoulder and above me to ensure we wouldn’t get jumped. But with so many windows, alleyways, streets, corners, crooks, doorways, and otherwise, it was impossible to cover everything at once.

Baker ordered us to take a left towards another small alleyway that led to another open street. When we emerged, we saw a bell tower towering over the rest of the structures around it towards the narrow end of the street. Several Apartment Complexes were placed next to it. They were about 6 floors high, with windows peeling out on every face. The bell tower itself looked ruined, but still standing. It had a large chunk of its top blown off, leaving space for several ponies to trot around inside. It was about a 3 minute trot toward it.

The apartments next to it were in worse condition. The walls that were on the base of the now unstable structure were gone. It looked like the work of a very angry pony wielding a sledgehammer, except it wasn’t. It was caused by something else. Bombing, maybe.

“Stay alert, our destination is beyond that tower. We’re out in the open, so keep your heads on a swivel.” Baker softly spoke, as if he was trying not to wake someone up. I focused on the sounds of warfare all around me. Too late for that, I thought to myself.

Then a whistling sound filled my ears, followed by a deafening crack. Somepony to my left groaned in excruciating pain, as I turned to look at Spade collapsing on the street.

“Sniper! Take cover!” Baker yelled, as we all ran in seperate directions in the condos next to us. The medic was trying to drag Spade towards Baker, when another shot rang off. It landed on the ground next to him, forcing him to pick up the pace. Blood was trailing on the street from where Spade was originally.

I retreated to the right side of the street, following Boomer and the Engineer. We both took position behind a countertop located further inside the building. This place used to be a storefront, I could tell that much. It was ruined and useless now, but it provided good cover. Nopony dared to peek outside, in fear of a retaliatory shot from the sniper. Baker and the others were huddled behind a pile of rubble near another storefront across the street, huddling one another as they stayed low. Another shot went off, striking the top of the pile they were hiding behind. They instinctevly ducked their heads again.

“I need a smoke on that street, now!” Baker yelled. The medic tended to Spade’s wounds, as he pulled a syringe and jabbed it into his torso. I saw a bullet hole oozing blood right below his left wither.

The peach colored pony - Clock - beside baker pulled out a grenade, and chucked into the middle of the street, before immediately ducking back down again. Another shot rang off, missing where Clock was just milliseconds before. A ‘poof’ emitted from the street, and white vapor was pouring out. A few seconds later, and the whole street was blocked off.

I watched as Clock peek her head over the mound. A few seconds later, another shot whizzed by, landing right in her head. She jerked back, and fell backwards tumbling down the pile of rubble. Her body landed right in front of the medic, who was startled by the sudden appearance of a dead pony. I felt a black vine tug around my heart at the sight of her corpse.

“Fuck, he can still see us!” Spade yelled in frustration, and in pain. “What do we do, sir?”

“Give me a minute, I need to think!” Baker replied sharply.

“We don’t have a minute!” The medic butted in.

“Alright Boomer, Sunshine, loop around the building your in, and find out where he’s shooting from! Everypony else, stay down and don’t move; He’s got skill!” Baker pointed a hoof at my direction.

“Okay, lets go!” Boomer pulled me away from the storefront window - or what’s left of it - and galloped out through the back. I followed closely behind, making our way outside through the back door. Another ruined street came into view, as Boomer unfurled his wings and took off. He flew up to where he was just below the skyline of the roofs, not peeking over. I did the same, and we both proceeded to fly away from Baker and the others. When we were about 100 meters out from them, we stopped and hovered in place.

Boomer was a charcoal coated pony with a deep gray mane, making it easy for him to blend in with whatever kind of darkness he could find. The roofs were darkly colored, so it was somewhat safe for him to peek over. We both landed on a slanted roof of another condo, when he peeked over. I heard another powerful shot go off towards where the apartments were, making me and Boomer flinch back down. But no bullet whizzed over. Boomer slowly peeked over again, scanning all over the city around us trying to find the sharpshooter.

I peeked over, and saw the ruined apartments came into view. The bell tower was located in the center of a plaza, it looked like. It looked like some kind of residential block, with a larger paved street connecting to all the apartments and the tower at once. There was an open door located on the front of the tower leading inside, as well as a spiral staircase encompassing around the exterior of it. I then saw a flash of light emit from under the now ruined top of the tower. Another shot rang out not even a second after.

“There! In the top floor of that tower.” I pointed a hoof toward it. Boomer turned to look, as he reached into his vest to pull out binoculars. He zoomed in on the tower, eyeing it carefully.

“Yeah, I see him.” he paused. “Actually, I see two of them. A spotter and a sniper. They got our guys pinned.” Boomer spoke aloud. He stowed the binos away, and pulled out his rifle. The tower was still quite a distance away, about 200 meters or so, but he still aimed down the sights. “You flank around, and see if you can get a good angle on the spotter. I can’t get a shot on him.”

“Okay, cover me. I’m gonna loop around from the right.” I announced, as I turned around to drop off of the roof.

“Careful.” he added before I glided down.

I galloped as fast as my hooves could let me, sticking to any cover I could find while I was in the open. The sniper duo was focusing on the others, but they could still see me at any given time should I stay in the open for too long. Ruined automobiles, piles of rubble, destroyed wagons, and crumbled buildings proved to be sufficient enough.

I then stopped at the edge of an open intersection, the apartments visible on the other side. I hugged the corner of another condo stopping at the intersection, and peeked over. The bell tower was closer now, but I was below them. I had no shot. The apartments were across the plaza from them, meaning I would have an open shot if I made it across alive.

I contemplated my actions for a short while, aware of the consequences should I fail. By the second, my team was under the threat of being eliminated one by one. I couldn’t stall them for too long, they were counting on me! I had to be quick and thorough. I didn’t have a good angle on the top of the tower, but neither did they on me. If I was quick enough, I could make it across. But the distance between me and the other side of the street was immense enough to give the snipers plenty of time to react.

Galloping across was out of the question. It was too slow. I could fly faster, though.

I unfurled my aching and tired wings once more, and shifted into a low stance. Then I propelled myself forward with haste. In about 4 seconds, I flew across the street. No shots were aimed at me, and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. I made my way around the rear end of the apartment I was in, and found a large hole in the wall. There were no doors. I aimed my rifle inside, as I carefully trotted over the small pile of concrete and rubble. I didn’t have time to check the whole building, so instead I assumed it was empty and made my way upstairs through the maintenance staircase.

I stopped at the fourth floor and made my way down a narrow hallway. There were doors on the walls next to me leading to more bedrooms. I trotted through a detached doorway, and found two windows looking outside. One of the windows had no glass pane blocking off the window frame. The room was poorly illuminated, as the lights inside of it weren’t on. The power must’ve been out for a while. That was good though, given that they couldn’t see me that well.

I saw another flash and heard another shot come from the tower. I could see the two Changelings more clearly, who were still shooting at the street where Baker was at. I aimed through the broken window, and lined up my sights at them. One of their heads lined up nicely with my iron sights, who was standing on his hind legs.

PKOW!

One tracer landed right in the spotters’ left temple, causing his head to jerk back uncontrollably. He collapsed with a heap. The sniper took notice of my presence, and immediately started to relocate.

I heard another shot go off, but it didn’t come from the tower. Another bullet flew in from the left and landed in his chest as he was moving. He stumbled forward after the impact, and fell over the edge of the tower. I heard a scream, then silence as he landed on the ground neck first.

He went still after that.

Boomer and I made our way back towards the rest of the group, who were still (metaphorically) licking their wounds. Spade was still alive, but he was in no condition for over-strenuous activity anytime soon from what I saw. White bandages covered his torso, with a spot of crimson staining his upper left chest.

Clock wasn’t so lucky. Her lifeless eyes were staring in one direction, a bloody red hole planted in between her eyes. My mind lingered back to the memory of Salsa’s corpse, back in the mountains. I fought the sudden urge to hurl.

“Targets neutralized.” Boomer reported as we both trotted towards them.

“Good lad. Will he make it?” Baker asked the medic.

“He’ll live. He’ll be in pain for the rest of the day, but he’ll live.” she replied.

“Don’t you have any morphine?” I asked as I trotted closer, trying to ignore the peach colored corpse that was still there.

“I don’t have a lot, just about 6 syringes left. I need to save them for those who really need it.” I didn’t know what you had to do to qualify for needing morphine. But I wasn’t the medic, so I couldn’t protest.

“We need to keep moving, we have to capture that city hall.” Baker ordered as he stood up. He trotted atop the pile of rubble, heading further down the street towards the plaza. “Everypony gather your things, and move out.”

We all groaned and slowly got up to our hooves, as we proceeded to follow behind. I trotted over to Spade and helped the medic get him on his hooves. He almost fell down on the ground a few times when he stepped forward, but he was on his hooves.

I proceeded to follow Baker’s group, until I paused. I looked behind me and gazed at Clock’s corpse. I walked over to her, and gazed down at her face. It was devoid of any life. I pulled my hoof over her eyelids, shutting them. She looked more peaceful now, save for the bullet wound on her head. My stomach twisted in knots again.

“May Luna guide you.” I whispered softly, my eyes feeling stingy. I then galloped back toward the others, closing the distance.

We found ourselves sprinting down a more narrow street compared to the ones we’ve seen so far. It had more of those ruined condos off to the sides, some of them not even condos and instead just piles of rubble. The Stukas were doing a number in this city. Rapid gunfire could be heard in front of us, as we saw ponies up ahead taking cover behind an overturned automobile. About 5 of them, with 3 more laying dead around them.

“Squad, get ready for contact!” Baker yelled as we galloped closer. “Rain, Spade, flank right and get an angle on them. Use the buildings to your advantage. Sunshine, and Gear,” He pointed at the engineer. “You’re flanking left doing the same thing. The rest of you are staying with me, we’re gonna give them the time they need to fight back. Go go go!”

We scrambled into different directions. I followed behind the Engineer - who I now know as Gear because of the two metallic gears for his Cutie Mark - as we both made our way towards the left side of the street. As we got closer to the end, we took a left in a small alleyway, galloped forward, then took a right to another open street, where we saw another firefight taking place.

We stopped upon a few squads of Changeling soldiers huddled behind sandbags with tank traps on the front. They were exchanging automatic and semi-automatic fire with ponies about 50 meters across from them. They were deadlocked, and neither side budged. But they didn’t notice us.

“Oh shit.” Gear spoke. “Back up, back up!” he patted his hoof at my chest as he backpedaled away from the action.

One of the Changeling soldiers ducked behind the sandbag, his back leaning against it as he reloaded. He then looked up, and noticed both of us trotting away. He shouted in their language, pointing a hoof at me. I didn’t hesitate. I pulled my rifle up, and took aim.

PKOW!

It struck his chest. He wriggled around on the ground as he clutched his wound in agony, green liquid spurting out of it. I cocked the bolt, as the others turned around and noticed us as well. They aimed their weapons at us.

I felt Gear violently shove me out of the way as the Changelings opened fire. I fell to the ground on my back side, while he stood over me. “I said back up, not shoot!” he yelled as he pulled me up to my hooves.

“They found us already! I had to!” I replied, as we both galloped back to where we came. I looked back, and found bullets striking the wall where we just were. While I was looking back, I tripped over a piece of litter in my path, making me fall on my face. Fiery pain covered my snout, as I tasted and smelled copper. I put a hoof over it, and found blood staining it.

“Shit! Come on, get up!” Gear exclaimed. He dragged me by my shoulders and placed me behind a wooden barrel in the middle of an alleyway. More shots were going off behind me where Baker and the others were, as I stared in front of me where the other Changelings were at.

I then saw a shadow creep on the wall where we were at. I could feel my eyes widen. “They’re coming, they’re coming!” I yelled as I roughly shrugged Gear off, pulling out my rifle. I mounted the gun atop the wooden barrel, and aimed at the alleyway. A single Changeling soldier carrying a sub-machine gun trotted into view.

PKOW!

The shot missed his head barely, as he whipped back in cover again behind the wall. I cocked bolt again, and aimed. He didn’t come back into view.

“He’s behind that left corner!” I called out as I fired a suppressive shot by the wall he was hiding behind. Then I saw as the gun he was holding peeked around the corner.

Braka-Braka-Braka-Braka-Braka!

Bullets whizzed by as I hid behind the barrel. Some of the bullets struck through the wood on the other side, missing me by just inches. I felt adrenaline coursing my veins, as my heart beated like a jackhammer.

“Covering fire!” Gear yelled as he took a shot from behind the wall he was at. “Go, move up!” he fired another shot.

I vaulted over the ruined barrel, and galloped forward. There was a small ‘square’ of space that was in between the two alleyways that had a small patch of grass in the middle of it. I hid behind a building corner on the other side, and peeked over. There was nothing there for now, but I could hear mechanical noises on the other side. He was reloading.

I took another suppressive shot at the ground beside him, losing count at how many bullets I had left. I cocked the bolt again, and loaded another shot. Gear took a shot as well, achieving the same results. The Changeling’s weapon peeked out again as I ducked behind the wall. More automatic fire whizzed by me, missing me and Gear entirely. He was firing blindly so it wasn’t much of a precision burst, but rather a suppressive burst. Like what me and Gear were doing.

“I’m gonna move up, get ready!” I heard Gear call out from behind me. I turned to look as he peeked his head out from beyond the corner, eyeing my direction. He then turned around and sprinted towards me.

I was about to turn back around the corner I was hiding behind to suppress the Changeling, when more automatic fire was exchanged. Gear ducked behind the barrel I hid behind earlier. When the gunfire stopped, I pulled out a No. 69 grenade from my grenade pouch - a high explosive impact frag. I pressed the trigger at the top, and tossed at the space beyond the corner of the wall.

BOOM!

An explosion shook the surface as the ‘nade went off. It was replaced by the sounds of agonizing yells afterward. The poor bastard was still alive, and very much in pain. His yells turned into screams. I peeked the corner, and saw green liquid covering the brick walls of the alleyway. A black foreleg with sickly holes near the tip was found lying in the middle of the walkway. The screams soon turned into gurgles, and coughs. Then a long droning exhale that turned into silence.

I turned back to Gear, who was peeking his head over the barrel with a disgusted expression. He saw the foreleg, and his cheeks bulged. He ducked behind the barrel to vomit. I felt my stomach twist in appalled protest as well, but I managed to keep the contents inside me.

I aimed my rifle towards the edge of the ruined alleyway, waiting to see if any more would show up. The gunfire that was on the other side of the alleyway seemed to have died down somewhat. The engagement was over, it sounded like. I didn’t know who won.

I retreated back behind the wall, and turned towards Gear. He was still behind the barrel as he finished losing his meal. He then emerged around it, and stopped cold. His eyes widened.

Braka-Braka-Braka-Braka-Braka-Braka!

Dozens of tracers zoomed by the alleyway, almost all of which struck Gear. I watched in horror as his body collapsed on the ground. He sat on his haunches against a wall, his chest riddled with bullet holes. Blood was seeping out of all of them. He was bleeding profusely.

He coughed and gagged, while he weakly raised a hoof at me. His face was that of a plea for help. I couldn’t do anything. I was petrified. Motionless.

Braka-Braka-Braka!

More shots struck him, and seconds later he was still. His face was forever locked in an expression of terror. A pool of blood was forming under him.

I was shaking intensely. My hooves held on to the rifle with shaky movements. My breathing was rough and paced. I felt like I was on the verge of a stroke, while a tight pressure formed around my throat. I couldn’t help but stare at his lifeless body, his eyes staring at me indefinitely.

“Ziel neutralisiert!” I heard a voice call out from beyond the visceral alleyway.

“Machen Sie die Gasse frei! Mach Schnell!” I heard the same voice spoke. Or at lEast it sounded like it. I couldn’t tell.

I was snapped out of my horrified state when I heard hoofsteps around the corner. I backed up slowly not making a sound, aiming my gun at the space where they would come through. I aimed through my iron sights, not able to contain my breathing. I found another ruined wagon near the wall behind me, and knelt behind it. Covering my snout with my left hoof, I aimed ahead and waited.

I wasn’t sure how much ammo I had left. I cocked the bolt last time to know that I one in the chamber, at lEast. I was willing to make it count. A shadow crept along the wall, and I squinted my left eye. The black shadow changed into a silhouette, as he appeared around the corner. As I was about to pull the trigger, I saw another shadow creep up behind the first one to cross through. There was more than one.

I hesitated, and waited a tiny bit longer. What lasted in a span of a few seconds felt like an eternity. The Changeling turned his head around the alleyway, eyeing Gear’s corpse with suspicion. He trotted over to it slowly, aiming his sub-machine gun towards the alleyway I came from. He then kicked a hoof at his leg, to see if he was still alive.

He was literally kicking the dead horse, figuratively and physically.

I felt a spark of rage ignite into a righteous fury in my core. I spotted the second Changeling trot behind him into view, as he turned towards his right. He then noticed me. His eyes and mouth instantaneously widen as he tried to speak.

PKOW!

I let my rifle do the talking for him, as the bullet landed in the center of his neck. He tumbled backward and fell into a pile of ruined barrels, each of them breaking apart as he collapsed upon them. Green liquid was gushing out of his new breathing hole, as his weapon clambered on the ground. He wiggled around in the broken pile of wood, his voice gagging and hacking in pain.

There was no time to waste, I had to act now! After I shot at him, I vaulted over the wagon and charged the second Changeling head first. He was barely able to turn around in time to see a pegasus galloping towards him. Instead of trying to use his weapon, he instead attempted to dodge to the left away from me. I was one step ahead of him.

I unfurled my wings once more, and used them to propel myself forward to tackle him. We both collided with each other, as his weapon skidded across the floor. I still held onto mine as I landed atop of him on the ground. He laid back first as I raised the gun up and cocked it as quickly as I could. The second the bolt slid into place to fire again, the Changeling used his forehooves to punch the rifle out of my magnetic hooves’ range, and sent it flying behind me.

Then he tried to stab me, with his horn. He raised his head upward, lunging straight at my chest. I caught his head with my hooves, his horn just inches away from my torso. He looked at me with angry and determined eyes, and hissed at me with his green serpent like tongue. I grunted loudly and growled fiercely in response, with murderous intent.

I groaned in pain and in struggle as I was pushing the horn away from me with all my strength. It was barely getting closer, as he kept pushing forward. As it was less than an inch away, I twisted my waist towards the right, and launched his head forward where he was pushing towards. His momentum carried him forward far enough to where I could grab his head more tightly.

He then launched a hoof at my stomach with such force that the wind was knocked out of me. He turned his body around to face me as he was swinging his other hoof at my face. I countered it with my left hoof, stopping it before it struck. The force of his punch still bruised my leg. Then I lunged my face forward towards him, and headbutted him. Sharp pain stung my already hurting face, as I heard a sick cracking noise emit from his snout. He screamed in pain, and clutched his nose with one hoof. I then struck his left eye with my right hoof to follow through.

He collapsed backwards on the pavement, clutching his head with both hooves. He was softly moaning, as I wearily got up to my hooves. I stood over him on all fours as I bit into the hilt of the Combat Knife in my vest pocket, unsheathing it. I trotted closer to him while shaking, bleeding, and hurting. He opened his eyes to find me standing over him with the knife, ready to kill.

I mounted atop of him, and grabbed the knife with both of my hooves and slammed it down towards him blade first. He grabbed my hooves and tried to resist. I pushed downward as the blade crept closer to him by an inch. Then another inch. And another.

His eyes were widening as it got closer. I closed mine as I felt the blade touch him. Then I pushed downward even harder. Tears were flowing freely from my eyes, but I didn’t care. I kept pushing. I heard a small yelp. Then I felt an incision. Then I heard a gushing noise, as I felt his grip weakening. Gagging and hacking noises were heard from below me, as I kept pushing.

He went limp underneath me, and the knife was all the way through him now. I finally opened my eyes to find his eyes still staring at me, not moving. It turned from a blue glow to a grayish haze, the life of him drained from existence.

I stared at him, breathing heavily in quick and shaky succession. Then I pulled the knife out and slammed it down his face, screaming. I slammed it down again into his chest. And again. And again. And again. And again…

I released the green stained blade as I collapsed backward. I heard gunfire all around me, as well as explosions and screaming. I didn’t care. I wanted them to get closer. I wanted them to find out what I did, and finish me out of spite. I wanted to die. I felt like I had committed the most foulest atrocity, which I probably did. I cried tears of agony. I couldn’t contain it anymore. Everything that I held back so far was released. My vomit, my tears, my screams of sorrow.

I slowly, groggily stood on my hooves. Stepping over the corpse, I made my way back to Gear’s corpse. He was still facing where I was standing earlier when I watched him die. I patted his vest, looking for anything that might be useful for me. I picked up an extra smoke and an extra frag grenade. I tried my best to avoid my gaze directing towards his face.

I then heard an explosion coming from the street ahead of me going off to my right. It was at that moment where I remembered why I was back here in this traumatic alleyway in the first place. I gathered my wits, my equipment, and retreated back inside of a condo overlooking where Baker was supposed to be.

I stopped cold when I entered inside. Four small ponies - really young adults, they looked like - were huddled together by the central staircase, surrounding what looked like a barrel with trash inside of it. They set fire to it, and have huddled around it for warmth. They looked towards me, and stared at me with mixed expressions of hope, fear, anticipation, and grief.

One of them looked barely older than a filly. She steadily backpedaled away from me, into the hooves of another mare who looked older than her. The older mare held on to the young one with her front hooves, staring at me with fearful doubt.

Nopony spoke. We just stood there, staring at each other. I trotted toward the staircase, slowly. They took another step back.

“Is there anyone upstairs?” I asked blankly as I kept trotting forward, not really asking for an answer. They didn’t. I kept trotting upstairs, slowly.

“Is… is it dead?” One of the mares spoke.

“You’ll have to be specific.” I deadpanned.

“The changeling… the one that was outside.”

I nodded to her. I didn’t go into detail. Not that they asked me to, anyway. I trotted my way upstairs slowly and found a window frame overlooking another circular intersection. I smashed the glass in the frame, which made a deafening sound of shattering . My squad, along with several other ponies, were still huddled behind the large automobile. Further down the street, there were Changelings that were taking cover behind a tram car that ran along the rails embedded into the street. It was turned horizontal towards me, giving the changelings more cover to work with.

I shrugged my rifle off, and aimed down the street. My iron sights were larger than their silhouettes at a distance, making it a bit more difficult to acquire up a shot. Eventually, I lined up a shot and pulled the trigger.

Click!

No shot was fired. I inspected the weapon, cocked the bolt to make sure it wasn’t jammed. That was when I noticed that I hadn’t reloaded it after my last encounter. I fetched into my ammo pouch and pulled out two magnetic stripper clips, each of them carrying 5 rounds. I fed each clip into the opened chamber and cocked the bolt again.

I finished reloading and aimed ahead. I reacquired my target and pulled the trigger again. This time, a golden tracer was shot forward and barely missed one changeling who was peeking on the right side. He retreated back behind the tram car. I heard Baker yell from down below me.

“Boomer, blast them to fucking pieces with your Thunderbolt!”

I peeked at the window just in time to see Boomer stare at Baker, sitting behind the automobile. “Now?! You want me to do that shit now?!” He exclaimed.

“JUST DO IT!” Baker yelled back at him.

Boomer looked like he gave an overexaggerated sigh, as he took off his large pack and reached into it. Eventually, he pulled out a tube-like weapon. He placed it standing upright on its rear while standing on his hooves. He placed his two hind heels on two handles located on the rear side of the launcher, and gripped the sticks just above that to cock it with his two front hooves.

I took another shot at two changelings who ran out of cover to advance towards a pile of rocks and rubble on the sidewalk. The shot connected to one of their hooves, who stumbled forward behind the pile of rubble in response.

After about 20 seconds of cocking the Thunderbolt - while simultaneously being under fire - Boomer finally reached into his pack and pulled out a mortar-shaped round, and fed it into the barrel of the launcher. He then pulled down a little support beam from under the barrel, and mounted it atop the ruined car.

Cha-pwoot!

I watched the projectile launch way up above the street. Then arc downward. I saw the changelings look up in the sky, and then try to scramble in different directions.

Boom!

The explosion didn’t sound as loud, but it appeared to looked just as effective despite the range. The tram car looked as if it disintegrated into pieces. The changelings around it were either dead from the blast, or were knocked back by a few meters. The ones still alive were easy pickings. One of them peeked from over the rubble pile off to the right. I gave fired another shot, landing right in his forehead. Boomer turned around - with a grin so wide that it made me feel uneasy.

“Got ‘em!”

I eyed the street, waiting for more to show up. But none came. They were all dead. I gathered my belongings and galloped my way back downstairs. Mysteriously enough, the 4 ponies I saw earlier were not there when I ran back down.

I was now trotting over towards them, as they stayed huddled behind the automobile while tending to the wounded. There were ponies who were covered in bandages, as I saw white pieces of cloth stained red littering the pavement around them. Baker saw me come over, caked in dried red and green blood.

“Wh… where’s Gear?” Baker asked.

“He…” I started, only to stop immediately. I struggled with my thoughts for seconds, before sighing. My head felt just as numb as my heart to come up with something to say. “Dead.” I finished.

“Oh.” He deadpanned. “And… the ones who-”

“Also dead.” I interrupted. “4 of them, at lEast. Others didn’t come.”

“Oh.” He spoke again, in the exact same tone but with a different expression. One of… discomfort, maybe?

“Well. You did good, soldier.” He complimented, rather poorly.

“It doesn’t feel good, with due respect.” I replied blankly, staring into space. I couldn’t help it. My mind lingered back to that encounter with livid detail; how I blew the Changeling’s leg off; how I shot one in the neck; green blood spurting out of it as he was still alive; I thought about Gear’s death, how he stared at me as his life ended abruptly; how I stabbed the last one I saw 4 times in the chest, and three in his eyes.

It was… how do I even begin describe it? It was an entire plethora of traumatic thoughts, feelings, and memories, all balled up into one night of hell. I felt nothing but just bitterness, pain, numbness, apathy, and anger all in my core. “I don’t really know how to feel.” I spoke again, just as blank as before.

Baker didn’t look at me in the eye. I don’t know if he was afraid, or if he was just empathetic enough to not say anything. I couldn’t tell. My eyes stung a little, but not enough to cry - much to my despair.

I was cut off of my lingering thoughts when I heard static emit from the box-shaped pack that Buckeye carried with him. Soon, garbled voices were heard through the speakers, of which I couldn’t interpret. Buckeye could though, as he shrugged off his pack and listened intently.

“Uh, Baker? I got reports of Enemy Armour activity going on in the Southern districts of the city. And if I’m not mistaken, that’s where we are.”

“Shit!” I heard Baker whisper under his breath. “Any idea what they are? We expecting Panzer IIs, or worse?”

“Dunno yet. Trying to figure that out.”

“Okay. Syringe, how’re you holding up?” Baker asked the medic - who I now recognized thanks to him saying her name.

She looked up to Baker with a pleading expression, then back down to a slumped over pony who looked as if he was in agony. He had a purplish-yellow colored coat that blended together. There was a gash on the left side of his head, where blood was rapidly gushing out of it despite the bandages wrapped around it. There were also several bruises, small incisions, and some bullet wounds on his torso as well. He was still breathing, yet still very much in pain. I didn’t recognize him.

“Um…” Syringe started but shut her muzzle as she looked down on the wounded pony again. His eyes were closed, but his chest was slowly rising and falling. “Well, everypony else can manage, but… he.” she stopped herself. Then trotted closer to Baker, her voice lowered in a dull mutter. “He’s lost too much blood. I did all I could, but there’s still internal bleeding. If I were a Unicorn instead of a Pegasus, maybe that could’ve been different. But…” she turned back to the incapacitated pegasus, still slumped over. “He’s not gonna last for much longer.” she finished with a tone more somber than professional.

Baker - the ever so serious and stoic Sergeant - gazed at the fatally wounded soldier with a look of pity. He trotted towards him with ease.

Baker then knelt down near him, and spoke with a tone of softness that I don’t really see in him that often. He tapped his shoulder, who opened his eyes wearily. He met Baker’s eyes, and grinned. A trail of blood was seeping out of his mouth.

“Hey.” was all he could speak, before being invaded by a coughing fit. More droplets of blood gleeked out. His grin disappeared. “That’s… lotta blood.”

“Yeah.” Baker softly replied - blank in tone, though benign in volume.

The might-as-well-be dead pony looked toward Baker. Then to each of us as we stared at him. He then sighed. “I’m gonna die, aren’t I?” he spoke with a weird and unfamiliar accent.

“I can have Syringe here give you morphine if you would like.” Baker offered. A useless but generous exchange.

“Nah, keep ‘em. You’ll need ‘em more than ah’ would.” He grunted as he pressed a hoof along his belly. He then grinned again. “Besides, nothin’ can kill me. You know that more than anyone, ol’ pal.”

Baker than scoffed playfully at his remark, in a sad irony. “Yeah, you’re right. You’re about the toughest son uva bitch I know, Plums.” I was shocked to hear that he knew his name. It dawned upon me at that moment that the two of them must’ve knew each other beforehand…

Plums gazed at the medic mare who attempted to save his life. She looked away at his gaze. “Thanks for tryin’, doc… appreciate the attempt.” he muttered optimistically, if not weakly. Syringe looked still and neutral in her demeanor. She trotted away, still not facing him.

“Sir, we need to keep moving.” Buckeye spoke aloud, interrupting all of our thoughts and grief. “The city hall is besieged as we speak. Allied infantry is preparing to storm it soon.”

Baker nodded at him, and looked back at Plums, whose eyes were still closed. Baker tapped his shoulder again, prompting him to open his eyes. “Plums, I need a favor. Where is your squad leader?”

“Dead. By that sidewalk over yonder.” He shakily pointed a hoof behind Baker, towards a street lamp with a dead brown coated pony slumped beside it.

“Boomer, pat him down. Find any kind of documents, maps, charts, or anything of the sort.”

“On it.” Boomer replied diligently as he rushed over towards the corpse.

“What was your squad trying to do before we found you?” Baker then turned to ask another wounded pony.

“We-” he was interrupted by a violent coughing fit from Plums, which spat out more droplets of crimson blood. “We were trying to make it to the Supermarket, set up a temporary FOB. Our p-plan was to e-establish a central hub for communication.” he stuttered.

“Not anymore. There are other squads trying to do the same thing. You’re coming with us. All of you.” Baker stood back up to announce, the remaining survivors listening intently. Then he stopped as he realized that not all of them are alive. Plums stopped moving. Nopony saw when he did. Baker trotted up to his body, and pulled a pair of dog tags from his neck. He stowed them away in his pockets.

Boomer sprinted back into view, holding in his teeth several different sheets of paper of different sizes. He spat them out on the ground. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Baker softly thanked Boomer, as he pondered at a map of Vanhoover. It was nothing like the special magical map I saw in the Ruby Mountains that I saw Razor Claw use. But instead, it was a paper atlas of the road systems in the city. The geometry of the city was shaped like a snowflake. There were roads that turned corners and cut around rows of buildings, but they were all connected to one of the main roads that sprawled outward from the center. There was a roundabout plaza in the center that had a large “+” Icon crudely drawn with a marker along it.

“There. That’s the city hall. It’s a large palace-like governmental building that stretches up for 4 stories. The length, if I remember my briefing correctly, is about 200 meters across. We’re going to help occupy the Southern wing, as well as the roof.”

I suddenly heard a new sound... The sound of an engine behind me. I turned to look, only to find nothing but open streets. There were columns of black smoke filling the sky from different areas of the city, each of them towering higher than the black spire in the sky near them.

As I was staring upward, I found where the engine noise was coming from. A line of Stukas were flying low and in a direction away from us, but also close enough where we could see them. They then opened fire on the ground they were aiming at below, their cannons ripping through the air like a dragon roaring. I heard a series of small firecracker-like explosions emit from the direction they were firing in.

When the cannons ceased firing, they then released their payload of bombs towards their target. Even bigger explosions were heard as the Stukas finished their bombing run. We all turned to eye the aircraft in fearful awe. They flew out of sight behind the skyline of buildings soon after.

“Those aircraft have been pounding the city nonstop. Isn’t there a way to get rid of them?” I heard Spade ask as he kept a watchful eye out in the direction where the tram car was.

“If we find any kind of AA Armament, be my guest.” Baker dismissed, as he still pondered at the map.

“I don’t see any flak towers from here.” I muttered as I twisted my head around, taking in the scenery. The city was lit up by the several columns of blazing fires that were seen everywhere in the city. The Overcast night was reflecting the light of these fires back down to the ground, making the sky looking almost apocalyptic in nature.

I turned back around to see Baker pull out a compass from his chest pocket, facing the black spire in the sky. Then he turned to the right of it, towards a cluster of buildings that were in our way. “That way. We head towards that direction, straight East from here, we’ll reach the Hall under an hour. By 10 minutes if we could fly there, but that’s too risky. Somepony will definitely get shot down if we try that, and we can’t afford that many casualties in this operation.”

“So, we walk?” Syringe asked after trotting back into view, avoiding to avert her gaze at the slumped over pony corpse. His eyes were closed, at least. The thought of a pony’s dead body staring into my soul disturbed me deeply and scarred me.

My mind flashed back to that alleyway.

I shook my head vigorously, trying to suppress those thoughts. “For now, yes.” Baker answered. “We link up with the other squads who are besieging the hall and assist in the final assault. Then, we can access the loudspeaker system in the city and try to get the enemy to surrender through the intercoms. It should be located in the Mayor’s office.”

“So what next, then?” Boomer inquired.

“We march forward. Like always. And we don’t stop fighting until we capture the City Hall. from there, we defend and establish a forward outpost. Drive the bugs from the city. Relay to high command our success, and wait for the cavalry to come.”

“I see someone.” Spade called out, as he gripped onto his Vickers gun. “Wait, nevermind. They’re ponies.” he paused. “I think. They could be disguised changelings, though.”

I trotted over toward him and saw what he was referring to. A group of ponies - about 6 or so - were trotting across the street near the decimated corpses of Changelings. They turned to look at the bodies and seemed to have winced at the sight of a visceral scene. They then turned towards us, as we aimed down at them.

“Come on. Give the signal. Don’t make me do this.” Spade quietly uttered to himself. One of the Pegasi down the street hovered in the air and made an ‘X’ with their front hooves. Spade breathed a sigh of relief.

“They’re friendly. Just passing through.” Spade said, as he did the same thing back to them. The group down the street gave an acknowledgment gesture and sprinted down to the left. They soon disappeared out of sight behind a building.

“How much ground have we covered in this city already?” I asked aloud, wondering how many passing groups of ponies we have encountered already.

“We’ve conquered the SouthWestern Harbor, as well as the shoreline around it. Half of the city is practically ours. We keep moving forward until all of it is ours again.”

“What about the civilians that could be trapped inside the buildings still? Enemy CAS planes are not trying to PID their targets.” Syringe then piped up, reminding me of the four ponies I saw inside the Condos that vanished earlier.

“Once we tap into the loudspeakers, we will urge them to remain indoors. If we capture all of the city, and reinforcements arrive, we then evacuate them by sea. Get them out as soon as possible.”

Syringe’s shoulders seemed to have slumped slightly as she sighed at those words, as if she was relieved to hear such a sound plan.

“We’re draining their time sitting here. We need to keep moving.” Spade spoke as he turned around to face us. “The longer we take to occupy the city, the longer these people will have to wait to suffer.”

“We’ve already occupied a good portion of the city with resounding results. We’ve taken casualties, but the enemy has as well - more than us. Success will come before the night is over, I reckon.” Baker reassured as we all began to gather our gear and belongings.

“Sunshine, fly ahead and see where the nearest main street is.” Baker ordered, snapping a hoof at me.

“Got it.” I replied as I took off. I flew ahead towards a wall of buildings that Baker pointed towards earlier when holding his compass. I found a series of circular arcs along the ground that curved toward the spire. They were poorly paved roads that looked as if it was unfinished. Probably was still under construction by the time the changelings attacked the first time. Which meant that the construction was postponed for at least 3 years.

I flew forward in that direction, gliding from rooftop to rooftop. The roads became cleaner and more paved as I kept following along. Eventually, it turned towards a brick-paved road that was wider and more packed with abandoned automobiles than the other side streets.

The main road had ponies galloping along it, trying to get to the same location as my squad was. They barked orders at one another as they kept galloping forward. I flew back towards Baker and the others, panting slightly.

“A 5-minute trot away in that direction you were pointing at. Ponies are there as well, trying to push towards the Hall.”

“Alright, very good.” He trotted beyond the ruined automobile we were huddled by. “Everypony, we’re moving out!”

The trek on the main street was… chaotic, at best.

Once we arrived at the street, the rapid gunfire that I kept hearing during my time in the city was becoming louder and more frequent. It also happened to be in the same direction we were trotting towards. From what I could gather, the assault on the City Hall had commenced without us. And it wasn’t going well, given the radio chatter that I heard from Buckeye’s pack.

There was also the aircraft harassing us. More than once, my squad was forced to sprint inside of an alleyway, or take refuge inside of a building. Each time a CAS plane swooped downward, they unleashed their bullets first. Then they dropped their payload if they had any left. Each time, I saw ponies barely able to avoid the onslaught from the air. Some ponies actually took off flying, trying to draw the attention of the planes to their way in hopes of distracting them.

Brave ponies, all of them. I couldn’t even kill a changeling without feeling petrified, let alone play chicken with a Stuka…

But that wasn’t what made the trip so chaotic. It definitely made it more perilous, but it was easier to avoid each time. We’ve adapted to their tactics and knew just how to avoid them. Even then though, sometimes it isn’t enough for some ponies to get out of the way. But there was something else that added an extra layer of Insanity to this battle.

When we finished ducking our heads down to avoid the Stuka, we continued our gallop across the street. We haven’t stopped running since we first arrived on the main streets. Hot coals were forming in my lungs as we ran nonstop.

We were about 15 minutes away from the Hall. My squad and I were following behind a growing crowd of ponies, rushing towards the objective we aimed to capture. The field hospital was behind us along the left side of the street, as we kept moving forward. Then we heard it. The sound of an engine.

At first, we all assumed it was another Stuka. But as we were just about to duck for cover, we noticed that there were no planes in the sky in the direction of the sound. Then, it made a ‘rumble’ noise so intense that it shook the ground and my body.

I didn’t just hear it. I felt it. And it was getting closer.

“Everypony get ready, it might be a Half-Track!” Baker yelled as we all split up into different directions. I was hiding behind an overturned wagon cart.

Half-Tracks from the Changeling Army had MG turrets installed on the front and rear end of the vehicle. The rule of fighting Half-Tracks - as it was so explicitly taught to me during basic training - was to not bunch up. If we spread out, we minimize the potential loss.

I knew it was a heavy-duty vehicle we were up against, but something felt… wrong. There was no way an engine that sounded and felt that heavy could be that of a Half-Track. I felt my bones vibrating and the ground trembling. Tiny pebbles were bouncing up and down on the ground near me.

The engine sound was coming from a small alleyway with a brick wall blocking off access. I could easily fly over, but why would I? With a vehicle on the other side, it was a dumb move to even consider getting across. The engine was getting louder.

Everypony had their weapons pointed towards the wall, waiting for it to break through and emerge on the other side at any second. The rumble of the engine kept getting closer and closer still, yet I could not see its shape.

Something in the back of my mind screamed at me to run. That this was a bad idea to hang around here any longer. I wasn’t sure whether to oblige, or to wait and see what happens. I held my breath as the engine got closer.

Then it stopped.

For a brief moment, there was quietness. Not total silence, but quiet enough for me to notice it. Everypony had their sights fixed on the small wall, aiming for whoever intends to run through. A few ponies slowly trotted towards the wall where the low rumble of an engine could be heard. It wasn’t moving. It was sitting there, waiting for something. The ponies began to hover over the wall slowly, to see what was happening.

Pa-BOOM!

The wall exploded. Literally exploded! I ducked down almost immediately in instinct when the explosion went off, with bits of broken brick and shrapnel flying over me and the wagon I was cowering behind. A wave of heat washed over me from the gap in the wall, and the air reeked of burnt sulfur. Sounds of screaming were heard from the wall, as several ponies were knocked backwards from the blast. I peeked over to find nothing but smoke and soot obscuring the remains of the wall. The engine sounded again, and with it emerged a shape. The cloud of dust and smoke parted, revealing…

... Not a Half-Track!

The shape that emerged on the other side was enormous and terrifying. It had a boxy chassis painted tan, with metallic plates covering the top-half of the treads on its sides. It also had a low cylinder-shaped turret with a long and thick barrel attached to the front of it, stretching out for about 12 feet. The tank rolled through the broken debris, and swiveled its turret to its right, aiming at me.

“RUN!!” I heard a mare’s voice cry out as my little legs ran as fast as they could away from the monstrosity. In hindsight, I should’ve just flew away from its reach, but I was panicking at that moment so the thought had never crossed my mind. I was terrified beyond any capacity of rational thought.

Brt-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at!

The coaxial MG located on the turret sounded off. I turned behind me to find several ponies being gunned down without a second thought. They were scrambling to get up off the ground after the blast knocked them back. They had no chance. Just like that, 5 ponies were killed.

I ran towards the end of the street where the others were at. I saw them take off and fly up to the roof. I followed after, landing on a roof crest where Baker, Syringe, and Boomer were. Spade was on the other side of the street, taking refuge inside a building.

“BOOMER, YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO!” I hear Baker yell loudly to my right, who I assumed was slightly deaf.

Boomer wasted no time to reply and instead got to work. I stared down and saw the hatch atop the turret open up, revealing a changeling in a special uniform peering up at us. He was shouting in their language and pointing at me whilst I readied my rifle to fire. Just as I could pull the trigger on him, he retreated back inside the hatch. The bullet ricocheted off of the armor.

The turret swiveled on its axis to the right of the chassis again, aiming at the building I saw Spade and the others take cover in.

Rat-at-at-at-at-at-at-at-at Pa-BOOM!

While firing its MG, the turret’s large cannon ignited as well, spewing fire and smoke from its barrel. A large yellow tracer was seen flying through the air, milliseconds before it collided with the building. Soon after, the front entrance seemed to have completely disintegrated. Dust and smoke billowed out of the windows and the doorway as the building degraded from the impact. It groaned in exertion, threatening to collapse on its foundation.

Boomer was to my left quickly working on cocking the Thunderbolt, which was difficult to do on a pitched roof. The Tiger turned its chassis towards the ruined condo where Spade was, while turning its turret to the left. The MG gun from the chassis was firing at Spade’s building, while the MG on the Main Turret was firing down at the street, suppressing a group of infantry that were unfortunate enough to still be caught outside. They were huddled behind several different automobiles and piles of debris.

The guns stopped firing, and the tank turned towards the street. It then backed up slowly. Its turret was twisting in our direction as it reversed along the street. Then it aimed up. At us.

I felt my eyes widen, while Baker screamed, “GO! GET OFF THE-”

Pa-BOOM!

My world erupted in blinding light, searing pain tearing through my everything. The sensory overload eradicated my perception of reality for a short while. I slightly regained my senses just in time to see me falling off of the roof, and landing inside another squared alleyway behind the building I was just on. I crashed and tumbled onto the ground, feeling the bones in my wings break and snap from the impact. Fiery tendrils of pain wracked my back. My hearing was filled with a sound that made it seem like I was underwater. There was also ringing.

In an instant, I passed out.

I awoke to find myself lying on paved concrete. Probably the same spot I crashed upon. I felt tears flowing freely down my cheeks as my body was in agonizing shock. It was very strange, almost like an out-of-body experience. I felt my limbs and my torso were hurt, but no pain came yet. It was just a tingling numbing sensation felt all over me. I also struggled to breathe, as the air was still knocked out of me.

After numerous coughing fits and gasping attempts to catch my breath, my body was then invaded with an excruciating pain that was so intense it fogged my sense of reality - to the point that I was seeing double vision on everything. My mind was racing as to what I just encountered, which I didn’t even remember at the time.

I looked to my right while I lay still on the ground, and saw Boomer’s corpse to my right not moving. His Thunderbolt was clattered on the ground next to him. His back was facing me, as I saw several deep gashes decorate his backside. Blood was pouring out profusely.

Baker was lying to my left, sprawled out on his back. He had several burn marks on his legs and torso, and some avulsions on his ribcage. I could see inside him as his entrails were outside of his wound. He was shaking violently and breathing quickly without rhythm. I felt my stomach painfully twist into knots, as I felt the sudden urge to throw up. Leaning over to my side was agonizingly painful, but I did it and released the contents of my stomach.

Laying on my side, I attempted to stand. My hooves felt completely numb, but I could feel the bones in them still intact. I was shaking heavily but was also standing. My head felt like a heavy blade was piercing through it repeatedly. I patted it softly, feeling so such injuries. I must have a migraine. It made my vision swim, with tears pouring out of my eyes. I felt myself scream out in pain, yet heard nothing but constant ringing. It was a very out-of-body experience, not being able to hear your voice like that. I felt a surge of panic shooting through my erratic heart.

Shaking, I took a step forward, then fell down again as I felt my back was on fire! I turned behind me, and saw my wings - if you could even call them that anymore. Each feathery tertial I had was bending in different directions, and all of them were wrong! I couldn’t help but feel a vine tighten its grip around my heart at the sight of my broken wings.

I attempted to stand back up again, except I couldn’t I was in way too much pain, and my body was completely devoid of energy. As tears flow freely through my exhausted eyes, I collapsed back down on the pavement again.

I noticed I had burns all over my flanks and my legs, with some large avulsions on my back - just below the wings. The wings themselves didn’t even look like wings. Each bone, every Tetrial, every Feather; they all looked wrong! I couldn’t even feel them.

The pain from my back felt agonizing enough, though. I collapsed my head along the ground. I saw nothing. At that moment, I wondered if this was where I would die. It sure felt certain to happen. I didn't even have the energy to be sad about it. I was just slowly dying on the inside, with no reaction.

That was when I heard hoofsteps somewhere nearby, running toward me. My shell shocked state deprived me of any cognitive function for the moment, so I couldn’t tell which direction it came from. I then felt as something was dragging me backward towards the building I was atop of, which made me scream out. Yet as I did, I couldn’t even hear my own voice. I looked above me to see the roof was on fire with a pitch-black smoke that billowed high to the sky, where we just were. I was laid against a wall, facing away it. I didn’t know who was dragging me, or why. Actually, I didn’t know anything for a brief moment, making me think I could have amnesia.

I then felt a pinprick jab against my lower back, followed by a numbing coolness that soothed the burning sensation from the large incisions on my back. Then I felt a hoof drag along my wings. Strangely and scarily enough, I could feel the pressure of their hooves, but couldn’t feel anything in my wings. Not even pain. Just a still, tingling. And that was not a good kind of numbness either.

There was another pinprick, as I felt cold lethargy envelope my torso. I was feeling tingly all over my hind legs all of the sudden, as well as my withers. Tears were still flowing freely, but the pain was not as agonizing as before. I still couldn’t feel my wings.

“Sunshine, are you alive?” I heard a mare’s voice speak to me, barely audible through the ringing noise. I gave a weak nod as I groaned and sobbed lightly. She started to grab my wings, then twist them slightly. I felt my bones being moved around, yet I still felt nothing. I gave a whimper, yet I still couldn’t hear myself.

Snap! Crack!

I felt THAT! An overwhelming sensation of fiery pain licked my back as I screamed again. She kept doing that multiple times, until my right wing felt like it was caught afire. Then she grabbed the left wing, and twisted it as well.

Snap! Pop!

More agonizing burns were felt, and more screams were heard. I twisted my body and tried to kick away. That only achieved more tendrils of agony coursing along my flanks and legs. I couldn’t move very well, and my vision was blurry. My hearing was returning to me, but that ringing was still apparent. I felt like a jackhammer was repeatedly piercing my skull.

I then felt some sort of cloth wrap around my wings as they were tucked back into my sides, locking them into place. I heard and felt my uniform being ripped open in some areas by someone biting and tearing them open, revealing more darkened splotchy spots on my coat hiding bruised skin. A white cloth was being wrapped around my torso. In some spots, the Bandages were tinted with a dark crimson pigment leaking through some of the small holes that littered it. Blood had been pouring out excessively.

Some kind of liquid was also poured along my flanks, hind legs, and back - cold to the touch while feeling it’s burning my skin off at the same time. I screamed aloud once more, able to hear me a little better this time. I then felt more bandages being wrapped around my flanks and hind legs, inflicting more tendrils of pain in my legs.

I don’t know why I did it, but I reached my hoof out toward the mare who was helping me. I felt her cheek brush against it as she continued to work. I turned my head to look, finding Syringe kneeling over me looking more determined than ever before. The grey coated with an even darker grey Mane was working furiously fast.

“Where else do you feel pain, Sunshine?” she asked me loudly, yet gently.

“E... E-everything hurts.” I grunted softly, still crying. I then saw Baker and Boomer still lying down on the ground, neither of them moving. I reached out a hoof toward Baker, weak and exhausted. Syringe pushed it away, pulling it closer to me.

“Save your energy. You’re barely alive as it is.” she soothed to me as she continued to wrap bandages around my body. She already used so much on my wings, and she was still using more. I felt like I was being turned into a mummy. Fitting, since I’m almost dead anyway.

“Th… them.” I muttered weakly while reaching out toward Boomer and Baker again.

“They’re dead. There’s nothing I can do.” she answered bitterly, planting my hoof down again.

I felt my heart sink further down at those words. Baker, while not particularly close to me, was the only one in our group who know what to say, and what to do. Without him, I felt… I don’t know. Lost, I guess? And Boomer... I just felt bad for him in general. He didn’t deserve this.

Nopony did.

“Can you walk?” I heard her ask me, barely audible as another cannon shot was heard from somewhere nearby. It sounded familiar. I then remembered that there was a Tank, before everything went foggy. The echo reverb could be heard through the walls of buildings I was laying next to.

I shook my head in response to her question, as I had failed to do walk a minute ago. “Then stay here. Keep applying pressure on those bandages, where the pain is. I’ll be back.” She assured me, then took off with her wings. For a split moment - in my shell shocked state - I had forgotten that she was a Pegasus and not an Earth Pony. It startled me when she took off, even though it was rather foolish to think such a thing.

I did as she told, and pressed down against my right flank. I felt something squishy and softer than my coat and skin underneath the bandages. I was scared as to what I would find, but curiosity got the better of me. I lifted the bandages.

My Cutie Mark… it was originally a sunrise over a morning cloud, spewing rays of light out in every direction. Now it looked marred, and burnt. There was skin ripped off of where the cloud should be. The splotch looked light crimson, with a dash of black and pink. My throat tightened to the diameter of a straw at the sight of my deformed mark. I choked another sob. I looked at the corpses of Boomer and Baker, and cried even more.

I spent 5 minutes sobbing and putting pressure on my burn wounds. They stung like how a dozen angry hornets would if they were to focus on one spot, but the morphine was making it bearable. More machine gun fire was heard from beyond the buildings, and the engine sounded once again. My hearing had returned to me, but a slight ringing was still audible. Large explosions were heard as the engine was becoming more and more distant. It was driving away.

Syringe returned as she floated down in front of me again, holding in her mouth the strap of another medical bag. “Haf thoo - ptoo - scavenge off the others.” she spoke as she spat it onto the ground. She poured the contents out, revealing a whole collection of medical-related items that I couldn’t make heads or tails of. She pulled out a potion with a paper stuck to the middle of it, a pink heart drawn on it. It had a vibrant green liquid inside of it. “Drink.” she ordered as she popped the cork.

I greedily consumed its contents. It tasted bland and flavorless, but not revolting as I had initially expected. I felt a strange warmth travel through my body as I felt my muscles, my bones, and my skin mend from the damage I had sustained. My head also felt cool and drowsy. I felt it in my wings too, but not as noticeable as throughout the rest of my body. Soon, the bones in my wings were mending as well. I breathed a slow sigh of relief. I felt better. Not in tip-top shape, but better than before.

I stared down at my cutie mark bandages again, and peeked it over. The marred skin looked somewhat mended, but I could tell that there was going to be a scar there a patch of rough skin with a mangled coat.

“Now can you try to walk?” Syringe asked benignly. She helped me to my hooves as I tried to stand up. I felt pain, but not intensely as before. The tears in my eyes were finally drying up. I gingerly a step forward. Then another. And another. Then I tried to trot at a quicker pace. I stumbled a little when I felt a jolt through my spinal cord, but still remained standing.

“Okay, you can move again at least. That’s good. Do you remember your name?” she asked me.

“S-Sunshine.” I replied.

“Good. And what’s mine?”

“Syringe.”

“Good.” she flew upward again, peeking over the fire on the roof where I was just at. Then flew back down. “The Tiger is gone. We need to find a place to rendezvous with other ponies and continue our mission.”

I blinked. “Our mission? Our squad nearly got wiped out, and you’re focused on the mission?!”

“No. Personally, I’d rather just go home. But we can’t do that now.” she turned away, looking at Baker. “Right now, we have nopony leading us through this hellhole we found ourselves in. And we can’t just go AWOL, so we have to improvise.”

My thoughts trailed back to the street with the Tram Car, how we merged remnants of Plums’ squad into ours. “Maybe we could do what Baker did earlier, and find a squad to fall in?”

“We could, yes. But that takes time. And we don’t have a lot of time. And I don’t know where we are gonna find a mostly vacant squad to fill in, when it’s just the two of us.”

Just the two of us. “Wait, what about Spade and the others? In that building that they ran into?”

“You don’t want to go in there. They were eviscerated by that 88 Mil. It’s just us two that’s left.”

As I thought the hole in my chest couldn’t get any deeper, I felt my heart sink even further down at those words. We were the last survivors of this squad. Goddesses. What can we do?

Syringe shook her head quickly, as if she was suppressing negative thoughts. She turned to look at me. “Look, I know it’s not what you want to hear, but we have to keep going. Regroup with other ponies, explain our situation to them, and follow their lead. That’s the best I can come up with.”

I sat up on my haunches slumped against a wall, holding my rifle in between my hooves. The air was pervaded of sulfur, gunpowder, and burnt plywood. Gunfire and sirens were heard everywhere, as well as numerous explosions scattered around us. One of which sounded particularly close to the direction where the tank fled to.

“Unless you have a better idea. That’s all I got.” Syringe added on.

I sighed, feeling the effects of morphine taking hold of me. My hooves tingled. I felt unpleasant goosebumps racking my body. I stared up to the sky, lost in thought. The cloud layer remained flat and blank throughout the entire evening, without the ominous threat of rain. I couldn’t see the Hive towering upward, as it was beyond the building I was slumped against. Aircraft flew in all directions, and none of them were friendly.

I stood up on my hooves, slowly and painfully. I could walk at least, running and flying were far beyond my capabilities as of now. “No, that sounds like a solid plan. I just don’t know where to start.” I answered Syringe while eyeing Boomer’s body. Neither he nor Baker moved.

“I don’t either. ‘Till we can find one to help us, we just keep walking.” Syringe suggested as she stood up as well. We both walked over to the bodies that laid next to us and scavenged what we could off of them. I now had 2 smoke grenades, and 1 more fragmentation. I also picked up a couple of stripper clips of ammo for myself as well. I wasn’t running low on that anytime soon.

“We’ll take this door leading to the street. If we find that Tiger before we find anypony else, we hide and take cover. Let's hope that won’t happen, though.” Syringe took a door leading into one of the ruined condos. I followed.

We contemplated for a short while whether or not to follow down the path we were just headed before the Tiger showed up. There were still small groups of ponies galloping across the streets, stepping over the numerous bodies of other fallen soldiers as they made their way towards the City Hall. The groups of ponies I saw were becoming noticeably smaller. The casualties were starting to take a toll on us all.

It was decided that we would take a different and less populated route towards the City Hall. The gap in the brick alley wall where the Tiger shot through was a good start. When we crossed the street, I got a good view of Spade’s building. There was a fire that erupted in the first floor that was slowly spreading toward the second floor. Soon, the fire would burn down the whole building; and maybe more around it.

We trekked down that alley, and navigated our way through several ruined condos. (One of the Condos had the walls on the first floor completely gone. There was a gaping hole through the front entrance that led through the back. We learned that was where the Tiger came from originally.)

Rapid gunfire could be heard from beyond several different groups of buildings. The combat ensuing there was intense. Syringe wanted to fly ahead to see what the commotion was all about, but I persuaded her otherwise when I mentioned that we’re alone and that losing her would be bad for all around. We trudged along with exertion.

We were randomly walking through another ruined Condo that leads to another square mini-park out back that this city seemed to be abundant of. We then heard an explosion go off in front of us, It felt and sounded like a Grenade. Moments later, more gunfire was emitting from the mini-park outside.

The door crashed open, revealing three battle-worn ponies as they rushed inside to shield themselves from the gunfire. They took notice of our presence, and one of them aimed a rifle at us. “Signal?” he spoke through gritted teeth.

I was dumbfounded. In my mentally damaged state, the only thing I could say in response was “uh…” Thankfully, Syringe was competent enough to say something first.

“Nudum Colorum.” she answered in a different language, earning a slump on the shoulders from the rifle pony, as the other two were galloping upstairs to set up defensive positions.

“Why are there only two of you?” the rifle pony asked us.

“We’re the last survivors of our team. We were just ambushed by a Tiger not too long ago.” Syringe spoke for me. She gave me a look hinting about how I wasn’t able to answer clearly in time. My ears drooped.

The rifle pony shot us a look that seemed pitiful and apologetic. Then he shook his head, as he crouched below a window. “Changelings threw a grenade in the park, killing two of our guys. We dunno where they are, all we know is that they are somewhere around or in this park.”

“We’re looking for the City Hall. That was our Objective before we were ambushed.” Syringe spoke again. I decided to let Syringe do the talking. The Morphine’s numbing effect was still taking ahold of me. I was also mentally fried beyond any level of rational thinking. I could aim, shoot, reload, and not die, but that’s about it.

“Head NorthWest, I think the bearing is 311 from here. If you keep going that direction, you’ll find it eventually. Don’t take my word for it, though.”

“Where were you headed?”

“Our orders were to round up and secure any civilians we may find to a safe location. We got a small FOB set up just a 10-minute trot from here towards City Hall. So far, we found none. The whole city seems to be abandoned.”

“I see that bastard!” I heard another voice call out from above. “He’s accompanied by three others, heading towards the Park!” A rifle shot rang out. Soon, the whole building was firing on them. Gunfire surrounded my ears again, as the rifle pony in front of us dashed toward a vacant window.

“We need to leave, now.” Syringe suggested as she pulled my tail toward the door.

“We’re not helping?” I asked, ponies firing away upstairs.

“They aren’t heading to where we are, we have to keep moving and avoid confrontation until we merge. And we know that they have a FOB set up. If we are ever gonna merge, its gotta be there.”

I wanted to protest, to help out the others. But Syringe’s logic ultimately made sense. We had no strength in numbers as of now, and we weren’t fit to be in an engagement. The other ponies can run back to the FOB if they wish to disengage the Changelings. It wasn’t technically our problem.

“Okay, let’s go.” I spoke, and we were off again. I ran through the front entrance, back out into the street as gunfire was heard behind me.

Syringe pulled out her compass as we made it to the street, finding the bearing that pony was talking about. 311, I think he said it was. When Syringe acquired the direction - which was on the other side of a building corner across the street - she picked up the pace as I followed behind. More and more Pony Soldiers were seen traveling through the city from the West to the East. The NorthWestern seawall was now occupied under our control, as well as the SouthWestern harbor. I heard it as I trotted passed a lounging soldier, guarding one of the occupied strong points. Each critical intersection we crossed that was closer to Downtown seemed to be more and more populated by ponies. They each gave us a disguise check as we passed through each checkpoint.

Me and Syringe galloped for about 10 minutes in different streets, sidewalks, alleyways, and strong points as we got closer to the sounds of heavy combat. It was ensuing to where we were going, the condition of the buildings around us becoming more and more deteriorated. There were multiple Condos which I passed by that were completely flattened. Nothing but a large pile of rocks and rubble on where the first floor was.

We were trekking along with another discreet alleyway trotting next to the ruined building. Me and Syringe were crossing a corner of a large street leading off from the alleyway we were in when we stopped at the sight of a large group of Pony soldiers as we turned the corner. They were loitering around a series of sandbags and crude roadblocks to the left along the street. They were made with gathered up debris and leftover stone to form a barricade. Another one just like it were found to our right, facing the other direction of the street.

Small tents and trenches were found littering the middle of the street in no particular order, both of them filled with ponies walking fro and back in them. About 50, maybe 80 Ponies were standing here. A single 50Kg Bomb from a Stuka could wipe us all out. Why were they all just bunching up together like this?

One of the ponies took notice of us and shouted at us thinking we could be disguised Changelings. Syringe only managed to spare us by shouting the code phrase over and over, dissuading the rest from opening fire upon us.

Emerging from one of the tents was a gray coated pegasus in a uniform that looked too official to be a soldiers uniform. He had a dirty blonde mane and tail, with a cutie mark of what looked like a quill and a piece of paper. A single Bat-Wing was embroidered in blue on the shoulder pad of his uniform, surrounded by a circle of red stitches. He stopped and looked at us, scanning me and Syringe with careful and vigilant eyes. “What the hell happened to the rest of you guys?” He asked us bluntly, in a snarky tone.

“Dead. We’re the last survivors.” Syringe answered. The officer winced.

“So it’s just you two?”

“That’s what she said.” I replied.

“Okay. Two is better than nothing.” he contemplated aloud while stroking his chin. “Is she injured?” he pointed a hoof at me, acknowledging the bandages that enveloped my entire torso and part of my flanks. “She looks like hell.”

“Thanks.” I bitterly said.

“Not gravely. I gave her a rejuvenation potion.” Syringe answered afterward.

“She was blown up?”

“Sort of. Tiger ambush. 88’ nearly blew her to bits. Can’t say the same for the others, though.”

“Which division are you from?”

“Umm…” Syringe hesitated.

Luckily for her, I knew the answer. “Thestral, Second Pegasi Division, 17th Batallion, 21st H Company.” I answered abruptly.

“Huh... then I guess I'm your Company Commander.” he explained, as he pointed toward the patch on his uniform. “That’s good, that makes my job a hell of a lot easier. Who was your Sergeant?”

“Baker.”

He winced again. “Baker’s gone too? Damn. We’re losing a lot of good ponies for this city.” He muttered.

“What’s happening around here?” I asked as I took in the scene in front of me: Several ponies were laying atop of mats inside the tents, each of them covered in white bandages and red liquid. There were ponies with rifles aimed at the streets away from us, keeping an ever-vigilant eye out for any intruders. The trenches were crudely made, as they had to break apart through the street pavement before they started digging. There were no Earth Pony Sappers around to help us as well, meaning that the process took longer than normal. The sandbags and roadblocks covered the entire street, but left room on the sidewalks for ponies to trot around.

Overall, it was a grim sight.

“We’re planning our next assault on the City Hall.”

Syringe’s ears straightened up at him saying ‘City Hall’. “You’re going after City Hall?”

“That’s literally what I just said.” He replied wryly.

“This must be the FOB I heard ponies talk about, then. We’re trying to find a squad to merge with; Someone - anyone - to tell us what to do next. We’ve been wandering alone for about half an hour or so.”

The officer looked at me and Syringe skeptically. He turned to look toward the street to my left. “I got my hooves full at the moment, trying to conduct our next move. I can’t assign you to anyone yet. For now, though, you can stay and assume defensive positions.” He turned to walk back into the tent before he stopped and faced us again. “By the way, my name is Lieutenant Scribe. I’m the highest-ranking Commanding Officer in this shithole. Don’t bother me unless it’s something absolutely urgent.” he finished before trotting back inside.

Me and Syringe gazed around at the small camp in front of us, and we both trotted in one direction. I found myself sitting down on my haunches, with my rifle leaning along the sandbag wall I was sitting against. My back was resting against the sandbags, as I breathed a heavy sigh. Syringe sat next to me, staring at the ground. We both stayed there for a short while.

Several different ponies were up and about around us, trotting from one location to another - talking to other ponies while doing so. The ones that weren’t moving were busy aiming their rifles in one direction, standing guard. There were also the ones who laid inside the tents. I wondered how uncomfortable it must be to lay on a stone-paved road like that, even with a mat underneath. They must be wounded, it’s the only logical explanation to why anyone would be lying there.

“How are your wings?” Syringe asked quietly.

I gazed at them and tried to extend them. Sharp pain enveloped the exoskeleton, making me wince. “Still can’t fly.” I muttered. “But at lEast they look like wings again.”

“You’re welcome.” She replied. I turned to look toward her, finding her staring off into the distance. She didn’t move or speak, all she did was stare.

“You okay?” I asked feebly, leaning forward a little to get a better look at her face. She was still. She was breathing steadily and slowly, yet she looked as if she was about to have a panic attack.

“I…” she stopped herself, placing both of her hooves on the sides of her temples. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“About what?” I asked. - Stupid! If she can’t stop thinking about it, why ask her about it?

“About what I saw, in that room. With Spade.” Now I could see her shudder. She took a shaky breath in and exhaled it quickly.

“Aren’t you used to it, though?” I asked, which prompted me to facehoof immediately afterward. - Stop making it worse, Fuck!

“Not used to what I saw in there. I’m just glad you didn’t see it.”

Me too - I thought to myself, finally keeping my big mouth shut. I caught her staring at my ruined uniform, revealing part of my coat - some of which were heavily bandaged. I looked as silly as a filly who horribly attempted to dress up as a mummy soldier pony during Nightmare Night.

“Your wounds still hurt?” she asked me empathetically, despite her deadpan tone of voice.

“Yeah, but I’ll manage. I can only ignore it for now.” I lied. The pain stung badly, but the last thing I wanted on my conscious was for her to care for me again after all she’s done for me. I can’t let her waste any more precious supplies on a single might-as-well-be-dead pony like me.

“I think we might find a squad to fill in here. It might not be official until Scribe gets the go-ahead from someone higher up, but it’ll work for now.” Syringe noted to herself aloud, mumbling while doing so. “Your wings should be fine in less than an hour, and you should be able to perform basic hovering soon.”

I didn’t bother to reply. My mind felt foggy and dazed, as I stared into space. I eyed the slim walls of the various Architectures that existed in these buildings around me. Plastered upon one of the blank and ruined walls of the Condos to my right was colorful paper. I glanced closer at it, and saw that it was a Propaganda Poster. It was a black and Tannish-Orange Filtered Poster, with a Silhouette of Queen Chrysalis’s head peeking over a small wall. Her whole face was darkened black, except for her eyes - which had green Cat-Eye Irises.

There were captions on the wall below her head. It read, in bold Letters:

SHE’S WATCHING YOU!

Wartime Propaganda was one of the many things that the Equestrian Governments did in an attempt to increase public support for the War Effort. It provided mixed results; during my time in limbo on board the ships in the Lunar Ocean - just days before tonight - I overheard a conversation among the other pegasi soldiers how the media censored many of the horrors of war, in an effort to “Maintain Harmony”. The only thing I remembered from that Conversation was how one of the soldiers sarcastically remarked how there’s no harmony left now.

Looking around me in this war torn city, with sirens playing in the background; Bombs being dropped all over the city; Gunfire heard from my surroundings; I sort of agreed with that Smartass Buck.

I kept gazing around me, and found another Propaganda Poster plastered upon a wall to my left. I looked below my peripheral, and found Syringe to be sitting in a slouched position, completely still except for her chest - which rose and fell up and down slowly. She appeared to be asleep. I found myself admiring how fast she passed out despite what happened around us.

I stood up and slowly walked over to the wall, wincing from each step I took on my right hind leg. As I got closer, I could make out the poster more clearly; Queen Chrysalis, again, is standing in front of a filing cabinet, with an evil look in her eyes. Her horn is illuminated, and in her Telekinetic Grasp is the Element of Magic - in its crown form. The captions read:

ONLY YOU CAN PREVENT

CHANGELING ESPIONAGE

----------------------------------
Report to the nearest Royal Guard if you think anypony is acting Suspicious!

Focusing on the mural, I began to wonder just how terrifying it would be if the Changelings did manage to get a hold on the Elements of Harmony. The results could be Catastrophic. 6 Elements of unparalleled power in the hooves of somepony who could use them for ill-intentions? The very thought of such a possibility terrified me.

Maybe that was the intention for these Propaganda Posters. To fear your enemy? Or maybe to hate them? But then, are Ponies capable of explicitly hating others like so? To completely discriminate an entire species?

Again, I found myself gazing at the scene around me, in this war-torn city. I struggled to think of a convincing answer.

It didn’t take long before me and Syringe were called to the tent where scribe was. As we both trotted through the tent flaps, I was greeted to the sight of Scribe and another pony wielding a staff in one hoof, looking at me with grim expressions. Scribe huddled around a table with various papers and small maps scattered about the table surface. I couldn’t interpret all of it, except for one particular map. It looked like a street map for the city of Vanhoover. Scribe looked up at me and Syringe from the table.

“Just a precautionary measure. Hold still, please.” Scribe ordered, as the pony with the staff took a step forward. He lowered the staff over our heads, as the crystal that was embedded at the tip of the staff began to glow and hum. It then changed from a dull grey, to a vibrant green. As it changed color, I noticed that Scribe’s shoulders sagged a little.

“Okay, they’re legit. We don’t have to worry about that anymore. Now, onto the second problem; what to do with you two.”

Scribe walked around me and Syringe slowly, methodically. He scanned us top to bottom, staring at us with a keen look in his eyes. When he trotted behind me, my tail instinctively lowered down making me feel flustered. An old habit I could never break out of. “Normally when I get stragglers like you, I would assign them to a squad to fall in, and move on. But we’re running low on medics as it is, and it’s actually useful that you two happened to just waltz in on us like that.”

“I’m not a medic.” I butted in before Scribe could continue. “I’m just a rifle-pony.”

“Anypony is useful as long as they can shoot and stand up straight.” Scribe replied.

“You said you were running low on medics. Do you need my assistance?” Syringe piped up as she stood upright.

“Nothing you can do any better then what we already have. I have several wounded ponies here who are not fit for combat, and I can’t just leave them here when the assault begins. So, for you two, I have a special task for you to complete.”

Me and Syringe listened closely, as Scribe continued to talk. “I have about 80-something ponies here in this little shitfest of a camp we made from scratch, and 10 of those ponies can’t even stand up straight without help - let alone fend off an attack. I need a certain amount of ponies to stay here and keep guard at all times, until I say so. You two are gonna be merging with one other squad and will stay here to defend this position. The rest of us will follow my lead during the push to City Hall.”

That didn’t sound like a special task to me...

“You two will file in with Brass Screws and her squad. She’s missing a medic anyway, so it’s perfect for her. Your task is to defend this position and await further orders. If we do manage to take the City Hall in our absence, we will let you know via loudspeakers.”

“Will we be able to hear it?” I asked over the constant noise of passing conversations that were going on outside of our tent.

“There are speakers all over the city. You should be able to pick up on it, if the time comes. Don’t count on it though. I’m not sure if this plan will succeed.”

“Shall I take a look at the wounded while I’m here?” Syringe inquired.

“If you can find out what’s wrong with them, and fix whatever is causing it, then be my guest. Several others have tried, and proved it to be for naught.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” she answered, still standing in the same spot.

“Alright then, you know what to do. I’ll let everyone know when the assault comes. Dismissed.”

I spent the next hour or so lounging around the small camp, moving from one sandbag wall to another. There were two directions that had access to the camp. Both of which were empty streets. To the sides of the streets, there was a single alleyway entrance where me and Syringe came from, and that was being heavily guarded to ensure our flanks were secured.

As I waited and waited, black columns of smoke were seen billowing upward above the skyline. There weren’t as many Stukas in the skies as there were before. Probably heading back to base for resupply, or something. Explosions were still heard from all over the city, though. And to add on to the encounter I had with the Tiger, I overheard a radio conversation from one of the ponies wearing a radio pack that there was a Stug III sighted in the city. The Changelings had Armour and Aircraft at their disposal, hundreds of miles away from the frontlines, on the one day we decided to come here.

A part of me felt like they knew we were coming. I found myself staring at the Propaganda Poster again.

SHE’S WATCHING YOU!

I shuddered and shook my head. Changeling Espionage. The possibility of them expecting us to come here to Vanhoover seemed more likely the more I thought about it. How there seemed to be no pony civilians left in this city when we attacked as if they were taken away; how the spotlights were already on and searching for us before we arrived in the air; how there was armored support for the Changelings chosen especially to combat us. The whole situation seemed so coincidental it was uncanny, and I still didn’t know everything about it.

I suddenly found myself yearning to know, to figure out and comprehend the problem in a foolish attempt to solve it. I found no such luck. I was stuck here, in this tiny camp, possibly waiting for me to die when I least expect it.

As I continued to wait, more and more ponies began to show up from different random directions. Each encounter was the same; A pony would call out to the others what the passcode was, to which they would either reply correctly or incorrectly. If correctly, they would take them in and access the situation in their perspective, and assign them new orders. If incorrectly, they shoot.

One encounter we had almost proved to be fatal, as a lone disguised changeling nearly got through our sandbag line. Before he could cross though, the pony with the staff trotted toward him. The crystal blinked and was tinted red before it even got close to him. It made a ‘beep beep’ sound when it changed colors, and all guns were aimed at the pony. The changeling realized the gig was up - shifting his disguise to its original form, and attempted to fly away. It didn’t even make it 5 feet without falling.

But other than that, things have been relatively quiet. And once again, I found myself lounging in the middle of a warzone. I was hunched up against a sandbag wall, sitting next to a Bronze coated Mare who mounted a Vickers MG, aiming ahead towards one of the streets. At the time, my mind was wandering. I was thinking about small, idle things to help pass the time; remembering Hayburgers, naps on a cloud, reading a book, things like that.

“Hey, you ever wonder why we haven’t found anypony else in these buildings?” the Mare with the Machine Gun inquired, as my thoughts were interrupted.

“Do wha’?” I replied as I turned to look at him, unsure if she was talking to me. Turns out she was, as her eyes locked onto me.

“I said ‘you ever wonder why we haven’t found anypony in these buildings’? I mean this place is a city, right? What happened to all of the other ponies?” she asked again. Her question repeated in my head over and over again for a little while. She had a point, though. The more I thought about it, the more strange it seemed. I also remembered seeing the small group of ponies huddling around a junk fire, when I was inside of one of the more broken Condos. I couldn’t remember which. I saw nopony else afterward. It did seem odd. It looked as if they had vanished out of thin air.

“I dunno.” I finally answered the Mare. “I saw a few of them earlier tonight, but that’s it. It does feel weird, though.”

“Right? It feels like a ghost town.” she agreed with me, as she returned her gaze back toward the street. She opened her mouth as if to speak again.

PKOW!

The Mare was then brutally interrupted when a tracer flew right by and shot the Mare below the neck. She tumbled backward and fell in heap, still wriggling in pain as he clutched her upper chest. Another tracer flew by, then several more. Sporadic gunfire was heard from the end of the street.

“Contact! Down the Street!” I heard a pony yell as loud as he could while I laid low. Rifle slung around my body and clambering upon the ground, I crawled my way toward the fallen Mare and away from the gunfire. She reached a hoof toward me. I located the bullet wound she had and placed her extended hoof along the hole. She was coughing and struggling to breathe, panic flooding her facial features.

I was by no means a medic. I only had a basic understanding of the medical procedure. Stop the bleeding, treat the wound, calm the patient. And I wasn’t sure if she was gonna even make it. But something screamed in my head to at least try! “You’re gonna be okay, just keep putting pressure on it.” I instructed her as she stared right at me.

I could see the fear in her eyes. Other ponies filed in to assist us by dragging her away from the MG, which was still mounted on the sandbag wall. “We got this, go! Shoot back!” they ordered me, as I got to work. I readied my gun and crawled my way back to the sandbag wall.

“Stay low, they’ve spotted us!” I heard Scribe yell. “Assume defensive positions and fight back!”

Everypony was either shooting back or ducking for cover. I saw Syringe gallop outside of the tent to find out what was going on, only to be nearly killed by a tracer flying just inches to the side of her face. She ducked down almost instantaneously. “What’s going on?” she yelled at me.

“We’re under attack! They know we’re here!” I yelled back. “There’s a Mare who’s wounded back there! Find her!” I yelled again toward Syringe. She gave a nod, as she crawled away from me. as I crawled around the corner of my sandbag, I aligned my rifle up along the street, I could see the infantry lining up all along the street, aiming their guns and firing at us. Some of them were huddling behind a pile of stone and debris near the sidewalk, others were standing in the open in the middle of the street. I took aim.

PKOW!

I fired a missed shot and cocked the bolt. I fired again at another one in the middle of the street. The shot connected to his rifle, which was knocked out of his grasp. He stumbled backward to retrieve it, only to receive another bullet to the chest. He fell with a heap and started to roll over side-to-side on the ground. He appeared to be in agony.

“We need MG support, now! Throw smoke on that street and start spraying!” I heard Scribe yell over the chaos. Ponies were yelling and calling out orders as they continued to shoot back. I saw one tan tinted stallion throw a smoke grenade in between us and the Changelings, as he rushed to operate the Machine Gun. He took a moment to scavenge the magazines for the MG that had fallen off of the fallen Bronze Mare while waiting for the smoke to settle in and disperse. Afterward, he started to spray away through the hazy cloud of white vapor. He fired in 5-shot bursts, wanting to conserve ammo.

“Squad, on me! Get inside and find a window!” A pony I didn’t recognize called out. He, along with several others, rushed forward along the sidewalk towards one of the In-Row houses that littered the area around us. They filed into the building one by one, as the smoke started to dissipate.

Gunfire erupted even louder once again when we could see Changelings charging forward from the smoke, en masse. “They’re advancing!” I heard a mare cry out, as the Changelings fired automatic weaponry at us. I ducked back behind the Sandbag and watched as some ponies were killed in the onslaught. My heart pounded violently in my chest again, as I struggled to determine my next action. I was caught in a crossfire between the two groups, and I couldn't move. I waited in hoof-pounding terror as the automatic gunfire was rapidly getting closer.

A stick-shaped object all of the sudden landed next to me. In less than a second, I realized that it was a grenade thrown at me! Out of pure instinct and compulsion, I dove toward the grenade, bit on the handle, and slung it out on the other side of the sandbags - all while tumbling back towards the camp.

BOOM!

The grenade detonated in mid-air above the sandbag wall. The unlucky pony operating the MG was turned into crimson paste and mist. Bits and chunks of his flesh were flying in the air all over. I was barely far enough to avoid the blast, but only because I couldn’t dodge the pony that absorbed it for me as his gore sprayed all over. I had Pony bits all over me! Shrapnel flew through the air, inflicting small incisions all over my tattered uniform. My bandages felt looser but were still wrapped around my body. I was crawling away from the now decimated sandbags, as I saw the Changelings charging forward. In any second, they will be over the wall, and more bloodshed will ensue.

It was at that moment that the buildings to my right were illuminated by gunfire, emitting from the windows. Flashes of light were seen, as tracers flew in with deadly accuracy. One by one, the Changelings were being picked off from their flank as they got closer. They eventually realized what was happening, and sounded the retreat. As they ran, more ponies were shooting at the fleeing bugs. Some even stopped to drop their weapons as they lay down on their belly, hooves behind their head; a telltale sign of surrender.

When all was said and done, there were three Changelings who surrendered to us, after the bloody firefight. “Clear! We got some POWs.” I heard a mare yell from behind. I slowly and shakily got up to my hooves, hot coals forming in my lungs as my muscles screamed in pain. I didn’t really feel it during the fight due to the adrenaline, but when it was concluded it slammed into me like a train. I found myself lying on the ground, groaning in exertion and in pain.

I saw the red paste and entrails that littered the area around the sandbags and on me as well. I attempted to hurl but it was too painful to completely release the contents in my stomach, leaving me half-hurling and half-crying.

“Sunshine, are you alright?” I heard Syringe call out as I continued to suffer. I felt hooves pat my back, my wings, my neck, my shoulders, and then my flanks. “Are you hit?”

I could only shake my head. I was too busy failing to throw-up to talk.

“File the POWs in a line near that sandbag there!” Scribe barked orders as I clutched my stomach. I looked up to see three Changelings slowly walk in single file, with two armed ponies on both ends of the line escorting them. They aligned them in a straight horizontal line facing towards the camp. They had looks of fear smitten on their faces.

“What’s wrong?” Syringe kept asking me. I waved a hoof at her, only to be interrupted by an agonizing hurl. The contents finally came out though, spilled all over the crimson concrete.

“Grenade. Got some cuts.” I panted as I finished losing my meal. Syringe then started to work on my body, wiping off certain areas that had excessive amounts of blood pooled up on me. I then saw her, with absolute disgust apparent on her face, throw away a single tube of eviscerated intestine off of me.

“Line them up!” A Stallion called out. A small group of rifle ponies took position in front of the POWs. Scribe trotted forward ahead of them, silently inspecting the Changelings. “Any of you speak New Changeling?” he asked the ponies behind him as he faced the POWs. Nopony spoke up as I saw a bunch of heads shaking in denial. I noticed Syringe meekly raised a hoof, but stopped herself as she quickly brought it back down. She continued to work on me afterward.

Scribe reeled onto the first Changeling. “Do any of you speak Ponish?” They remained stoic, and didn’t answer. “Well, do you?” he asked again, impatiently. Again, they remained silent.

Scribe then lunged a hoof at one of the Changelings in his face, which made them fall to the ground. He groaned, muttering something in its own language. Scribe punched him again, this time in the stomach. The changeling hurled on his stomach, and spewed out a vibrant green liquid.

“So you don’t speak Ponish, then.” Scribe noted, as he trotted over to the second Changeling. “What about you, huh?” Scribe trotted closer to his face, which I thought was a terrible idea. What happened to the last pony who got this close was him getting stabbed in the neck. I watched in grim silence.

“Do you speak Ponish?” Scribe asked, menacingly.

He didn’t reply. He earned the same response from Scribe as the first Changeling did. This time though, he struck with extra force. I actually heard something break over the cries of pain the Changeling made. The third Changeling actually looked more and more nervous as Scribe worked down the line.

“I’m done asking nicely. I know one of you fucks speak Ponish!” Scribe yelled as he pulled out a revolver from his flank sheath. With his magnetic horseshoes, he held the gun in one hoof, aimed directly at the first Changeling’s Head. “Either one of you speak up, or all of you are dead!” he ordered.

Nopony moved or spoke. If it weren’t for the everlasting ambiance of warfare erupting all around me, everything would’ve been dead silent at that remark. Not a single Changeling responded to Scribe’s threat.

BLAM!

A single shot rang out from the revolver, as the first Changeling went limp underneath Scribe. The third Changeling visibly flinched from the sound. I could only watch in pain and fearful bewilderment as Scribe pulled the hammer back to load another round. He then aimed at the second Changeling, who was still on the ground.

“First Strike. What about you?” Scribe asked again. The Changeling could only look up at him, as the barrel was planted on his head. He spat in Scribe’s face, sending droplets of green ooze splattered all over his features.

“Fuck you.” The Changeling muttered.

Scribe took a moment to stare at the Changeling, before striking him with a left uppercut to the stomach. “So you do speak Ponish then.” Scribe took the time to wipe the green liquid off of his face as he trotted backward. “Wanna tell me why you didn’t answer before? You could’ve saved your dead comrade here.”

“We’re dead anyway. What difference would it make?” The Changeling responded in between coughing fits.

“There’d be one more of you.”

“And there’d still be three dead Changelings lying in the Pavement when this is all said and done. It doesn’t matter.”

Scribe didn’t reply to that. “Do all of you know Ponish?”

He didn’t reply. He stared at the ground below him. Scribe gave a kick to his face, which forced the Changeling to fall over. “Lemme ask again slowly, so you can understand me you fucking numbnuts: Do. All. Of. You. Know. Ponish?” Scribe asked, slowly. Deliberately.

“N-No. Only Special Forces know.” He groaned as he got back up.

“And that’s what you are, apparently?”

“I was. I won’t be anything soon.”

“What about your other friend here?” Scribe casually waved the revolver toward the third Changeling, earning a slight flinch from him.

“He doesn’t know. He’s just a hatchling. Doesn’t know any better.”

“And how do I know you’re not lying?”

“Ask him. I’m sure he’ll tell you, though you and he may not understand each other.” The bug replied wryly. His remark earned another kick from Scribe.

“City Hall. You know what, or where, it is?” Scribe inquired.

“Seen it. Know it. Don’t know what else you want from me.”

“How well-guarded is it?”

The bug gave a dry chuckle. “If this fight was any indicator on how that battle would turn out, I’d say there’s no hope for you. You’d be slaughtered.” a shiver traveled down my spine at those words. The changeling was smiling wickedly.

More and more beatings and questioning ensued. Eventually, we learned that there were numerous PAK 40s and MG42s garrisoned inside the City Hall, ready to decimate anyone who gets too close. They guarded the windows and the doorways and had numerous infantry inside covering every crook and cranny that was inside the building.

“Couldn’t we just blow the damn building up already? Why waste our precious Ponypower off of one building?” another pony asked Scribe, while the remaining Changeling POWs were still standing in the same spot they were before. Scribe turned to face the pony.

“We have no heavy support whatsoever. No Armour, no Naval Bombardment, no Airstrike, nothing. All we got is infantry. Even if I could round up all of the Engineers and rig explosives to blow the building to hell, it’d be a bigger waste of munitions and supplies. And we need that building intact and in our hooves, if we need any official declaration that the city is ours.” Scribe answered. “Now we know what to expect from them, at least. We need to rethink our strategy on this one.”

“What do we do about them, sir?” a Stallion asked, pointing his hoof at the POWs. Scribe looked at them with a begrudged expression. He then spoke, with an eerie absence of tone in his voice, “Kill them.”

My heart skipped a beat at those words. I watched as the Changelings stared at the Stallion raising his weapon. The second one simply closed his eyes, while the Stallion loaded his shot.

PKOW!

The third one kneeled on his legs and begged in his language. He was blubbering and stuttering words and letters that nopony understood. He stared at his dead comrades - on the street behind him, and next to him by the sandbags - and then looked up to see the rifle barrel pointing at his face. His eyes widened.

PKOW!

Both of them were slumped on the ground. Several ponies moved around to gather the bodies and dispose of them. How they would do that, I didn’t know. Quite frankly, I don’t think I wanted to know. Syringe was finishing up on re-wrapping my bandages with a fresh cloth since my old ones were tattered and caked with blood. She then gave me a shot of Morphine, and another afterward. She gave me something called “Epinephrine”, which should help with the drowsiness that the Morphine gives.

Syringe then sighed as she trotted up to the body of a Bronze Mare - the same one from earlier. She was slumped by the sidewalk, motionless.

“The Mare - is she-” I attempted to ask, only to be stopped at Syringe’s cold words.

“Dead, I’m afraid. Hit her in the windpipe. Internal blood seeped into her lungs and suffocated her.” she then averted her gaze toward the ground. “Nothing I could do.” she spoke blankly, seemingly untroubled by it

I sat hard on my haunches on a random spot in the blood-caked pavement. At that moment, I didn’t feel anything. With the amount of death and cruel violence I had witnessed tonight, I became wearier. Hollow, like a shell of my former self, I felt disconnected from the world around me. The ruined city offers no respite for me. Only death and misery.

I’ve never felt so lost, so helpless as I do now. No matter where I go and what I do, Ponies are dying all around me. And there isn’t a thing I can do about it. I can only watch and play along, Willingly trotting toward my own demise to join them if I’ve been deemed unlucky enough. I hugged my rifle closer to my body, my mind wandering back to Night Light. I imagined her in my embrace as I stroke the stock of the gun imagining it to be her mane. It didn’t help a lot. Barely any, actually. But I still did it. I kept trying to imagine myself in any other place except here. I felt tears well up the corners of my eyes.

“You okay?” Syringe asked me from the sandbag. Another tug around my heartstrings was felt. I felt hit Rock Bottom, yet I was physically capable expressing it. I keep feeling as if I wanted to burst into tears, yet I was incapable of doing so. My ears drooped.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m fine.” I lied. Syringe eyed me with a doubtful expression but shrugged. We both stared into random directions, neither of us speaking for a while.

“You have to be the luckiest Mare I think I know.” Syringe commented. Such a compliment was so random and out of place, I couldn’t help but stare at her with a newfound confusion.

“What?”

“I was just noting how lucky you are.”

“How so? I mean, how am I lucky?” I remedied.

“Okay, let’s review some facts: you were blown up with an 88 Mil’ in your face and survived. You were nearly blown apart by an explosion... twice,” she added as she stared at the crimson-coated sandbag wall. Shaking her head, she continued. “and survived. You also fell from a great height, breaking your wings on landing. You’ve been shot, burned, and beaten to hell, and yet you are still standing. You should be deader than dead right now.”

I didn’t reply immediately. I just looked down on my rifle as I held it closer to me.

“You helped. You stopped me from falling asleep among Death’s Bed.” I finally answered.

“Maybe, but you were right next to Baker, and that other pony when the tank fired-”

“Boomer.” I added.

“Yeah, him. Anyway, you were in the same spot as them. Within just feet apart of each other. You had just as big of a chance as they did to die. And yet, you survived.” My mind reeled back to Baker’s entrails spilling out of his body as he laid motionless on the ground. I felt my stomach twist in knots. Now I felt guilty that I survived.

“Your point? I’m the luckiest Mare you’ve met, so what? I don’t feel so lucky after what I’ve seen and been through.” I replied bitterly, trying to change the subject.

“Maybe not, but I still think you are.” I gave her a glare. “Alright look, the point is: you seem to be very resilient. And I envy that. That’s all.” she concluded, as she resumed staring out into space.

“... Thanks? Why does that matter though?” I inquired.

“It doesn’t. I just suck at small talk. I’m trying to keep my mind off of things.” Syringe answered earnestly. “And I suck at that too.”

I turned to look away, as several ponies were now picking up the dead Mare’s body and dragged her away to… somewhere. They disappeared into the triage tent that was next to the tent that Scribe occupied. I wondered what would happen to all of the dead that would remain after this battle is over. Would they bury them en masse? Burn them? Dump them in a random pit?

Another random Stallion trotted up beside Syringe and took aim with his rifle down at the street from behind the sandbag. Syringe scooched over closer toward me to make room for the Stallion. Neither one of us spoke, as we waited to see which disaster would find us next.

It didn’t take long after that firefight for Scribe to call me and Syringe into the tent again. We trotted in, finding several other officers gathering around the same table that Scribe was inspecting earlier. The passing conversations I heard around me from the officers were them coordinating battle plans with one another. The amount of information I heard all at once was somewhat staggering to me, difficult to even interpret what was being said all at once. I could only make out bits and pieces.

Scribe saw me and Syringe walk in for the second time. He raised a hoof, silencing all of the other conversations that were being relayed toward him. Another awkward silence filled the soundscape.

“You called us, sir?” Syringe asked diligently.

“I did. I have been thinking for a little while now, and I’ve come to a conclusion on what to do with you.”

Me and Syringe exchanged looks at each other, before turning our heads back to Syringe. “Didn’t you say we were staying with - who was it... Brass Screws?” I commented.

“I did. You’re still with Screw, but you’re not staying here. You’re joining the assault with everypony else on City Hall.”

The revelation sent a chill down my spine. I shivered in anticipation at Scribe’s words but kept a still expression. “Why the sudden change of heart, sir?”

“Not a change in heart, but a change in strategy. It turns out I greatly underestimated the enemy’s potential. Thanks to the information we’ve pried out of those Buggers, we now know that the enemy is toting more than we originally anticipated. If we were to have launched the assault as we originally planned, we would be decimated.”

Another officer behind Scribe trotted up toward us: A mare with a Rust colored Coat and dirty blonde mane. I couldn’t get a good view of her cutie mark, as her uniform hid it.

“We’ve been reviewing our plans with other Companies that are in the area around City Hall. We’ve devised a new plan of action for the final assault, and you will be joining in on it. Brass Screws here will be your Squad Leader. Follow her orders as if they were my own. Understand?” Scribe pointed a hoof at the Rusty Mare as he spoke that last word.

“Yessir.”

“Of course, sir.” me and Syringe spoke at once.

“Outstanding. I’ll call in a meeting with everypony here when we’re finished. For now, assume defensive positions.”

“Okay, change of plans!” Scribe called out as most of us huddled around him. “I’ve been relaying the new information we’ve acquired from our... Esteemed Guests, to the others.” He was talking about the Changeling POWs, I assumed. “We plan to assault the City Hall very soon, from different directions. Everypony gather ‘round.”

He, along with a few other Sergeants, pulled out a wide yet narrow map of the city of Vanhoover. It looked like the Road Atlas I’ve seen Baker inspect during our brief encounter with another squad, except it had a more detailed outline of the City Limits, and of Specific Buildings. There were also makeshift drawings on it made in unerasable marker. Scribe and the other officers began explaining the contents of the maps.

The map was cluttered. There were Green and Black lines drawn on it, colliding and contrasting with one another. The entire Western half of the city was behind a thick Green line, which contrasted deeply with the red line that enveloped the more ‘Urban’ areas of the city - places that were heavily populated and known for high Pedestrian activity back before it was occupied by the Changelings. There were these ‘sectors’ that were either contested or completely controlled. Each sector had a little circle with a dot in the middle of it that was crudely drawn in the correspondent color of the faction it belonged to; Black for Changeling, and Green for Equestria. Each of these circles was dubbed ‘Control Points’ as Scribe explained as he introduced us to the map.

There were also these stars that were drawn on the map as well, which Scribe explained it to be a sector of high importance or strategic value. These points had no particular name, but were instead drawn with a star of the corresponding color that point belonged to. They earned the nickname “Vital Points”. There were three of them: One of them was the Public Theater, a massive atrium with a stage where Grand Opera or Dramatic Plays would be hosted in. It was located in the Northernmost part of the city, near the suburbs.

The second one was right dab in the middle of the Downtown area, where the City Hall is located. That was where we were near. We were about 250 meters SouthEast of them, which was how they found us so easily. Scribe explained that we were to assault City Hall very shortly since they already found us. If it took one random group to find us, others will surely follow behind.

And the third one was a Naval Dockyard located to the South, in the industrial district. It laid in a heavy machinery-cluttered environment (such as Giant Cranes, Industrial-Purposed Vehicles, and Heavy Machinery.)

After Scribe and the other officers explained everything that was needed to know for the map, everything became quiet… as quiet as it can be in a warzone, that is. We all admired Scribe’s topography and drawing skills. Given his name, I assumed he might have been a scholar in his past occupation before the war. I wondered how a past Scholar could work there way up to an officer in less than three years. Then, Scribe cleared his throat.

“Okay: I know this is a lot to take in at once, so let me explain the situation. Right now, we have controlled the seaside of the city, meaning the harbors and dockyards are under our jurisdiction.” Scribe pulled out a blue marker as he continued, not missing a beat, “As of this moment, we control here, here, here, here, here, and here.” He circled the Naval Dockyard, the Theater, and several sectors in between the two. There was a line that bent erratically West and East as it stretched from North to South. The city was practically divided into two.

“The only thing we’re struggling on is the City Hall. We’ve already launched an assault on it hours ago, and it failed. They’re well dug in. But thanks to our Dear Friends, we know what they are toting a lot of their fighting power in there. We need to wipe them out to sustain a foothold.

“Right now, the only Companies that are aiming to capture this City Hall are us, the 14th Pegasi Commandos, and the 16th ‘Diamond Dog’ Company. We’re the 27th ‘Rock’ Company, in case you’ve forgotten.”

I wasn’t a part of his Company. I was 33rd ‘Wing’ Company. Not that it was important to note in the first place, and I don’t really think that matters as of now. I was following his orders. As far as I could tell, that was indication enough that I was under his command for his Company.

“Scouts came back to report on what the Situation looks like. The City Hall is heavily fortified. Bugs have sunk their teeth into it like a dog with a steak. A regular attack on the ground would be suicide. We can’t just throw Ponies into the meat grinder here, we have to plan this carefully and meticulously.”

“Well, what can we do? If we can’t blow it up, and if it’s difficult for us to take, then what option is left?” A mare commented from the crowd around me.

“We are conducting a three-pronged offensive in the City Hall. Two on land, and one in the air. The NCO of 16th Company and I have discussed via radio, and we have come up with a plan of action. However, the assault must be executed exactly as we have written it to be, at least until we get inside. If we have a chance of this working, we must all do our part word-for-word, and nothing less.”

“What’s the plan, then?” Syringe asked. Scribe took a deep breath.

“We - the 27th - are attacking from the sky. We are assaulting from the clouds, and are infiltrating from the maintenance stairwell connecting to the roof. The 16th will provide covering fire on the ground around the building - firing into the windows and throwing smoke to cover their advance.

“With the assistance of the 14th fighting on the rooftops around the Hall, they will cover our flight in. We wait for their signal, and we fly to the rooftop to fight our way indoors. Only some of us will land on the roof and storm the building. The rest of us will either find a place in the Hall roof to hunker down or will hover over the area and watch the perimeter.

“Brass, your squad will be the first to breach and clear. Ripe Melon’s squad will follow after. Then Midnight’s, Bale’s, and Carrots’. In that order.”

I gazed my eyes around the crowd I was standing in and found Brass Screws among them. Her face was stoic as she nodded.

“Once we get inside, we’re storming the interior with everything we have, creating a big enough distraction for the other companies to make a final assault on the Hall altogether. That being said though, this may be our last assault on this City Hall. if we fail this attack, we lose our grip on the strategic situation in the city. We lose more Ponypower, we lose combat Capability. We lose that, we’ll be pushed back into the sea - dead or otherwise.

“Ponies, I’m not gonna lie to you: this is going to be a bloodbath. Some of us aren’t gonna make it through this alive.”

The air became still. Nopony spoke. The atmosphere scented of dried gunpowder and caked copper. Everypony stared at Scribe with fearful anticipation.

“The 16th is tasked to provide automatic covering fire from all around the Hall for us to land on the roof. The 14th will be assaulting from the Pitched Rooftops of the Tenants around the Hall, laying down fire on the Hall windows once we’re inside. They’ll fly in with us when the time is right. Everypony will push from the outside to create chaos and confusion in the enemy lines. Scouts have reported that the enemy is occupying the windows and the rooftop to lay down as much suppressive fire as they can. We take the roof, we’re essentially behind their flank without them realizing it.

“Once we secure the rooftop, we move down inside and fire down on the bugs. We wait for reinforcements from the 16th and 14th to arrive shortly after, then clear the building out room to room, hall to hall, door to door. We’ll be the first ones inside the building, and maybe the last ones out. We provide enough chaos for the 16th and 14th, they’ll move in with us. And with enough discipline and fighting, the Hall should be ours.”

Scribe suddenly ceased talking. He had a grim, yet confident expression ridden on his features.

“Everypony,” he spoke uncharacteristically softly, “This may be the last time you walk these streets. And for tradition of that, I shall be the leading pony to guide you all. I shall fight alongside you, every step of the way until I either succeed or drop dead. That being said, I will not abandon you, and you shouldn’t abandon others. If you feel fear, feel pride instead. If you know you’re about to die, die with gratitude knowing that you fought for liberating your home.”

Everypony stared at him with hope. There was a sense of Companionship that I felt amongst all of these ponies, mixed with the uncanny fear of death. It was probably because of the fact that we’re Pegasi, knowing us to be Competitive yet also Honorable. I felt a resonance of that among these ponies, as they stare at Scribe with Admiration.

“The Assault will begin in 30 minutes we take off in 10 get yourselves ready, go go go!”

With those three last words, we all rushed outside the fence. I ran near an unoccupied Sandbag Wall, checking my bearings and gear. I had about 8 Stripper Clips, a single Frag, and some bandages. I was packing light, meaning I could stay mobile while flying. Some Pegasi make that sore mistake and attempted to dodge bullets while doing so. Most don’t survive. At least I got a better chance.

I was flapping my wings up and down, feeling sore and painful all of a sudden. It didn’t feel like so while they were tucked in.

“You okay?” Syringe asked from my right, which startled me. “Sorry, I just noticed you had a pained expression. Does it hurt?” she asked empathetically.

“I uh, I mean- well, yeah.” I stuttered.

She reached her snout into her bag, reaching into it and pulling out a small syringe - Ironically enough - and spoke with it in her mouth, “Hol’ Shtill. Thish ish D’onna Sthing.”

“Wha- Fhh ah!” I could barely speak before the needle was injected into a soft, but painful fleshy spot inches away from my right wing. A cool Numbness washed over the wings almost instantaneously. The injection stung badly enough to make me wince, but it was over in a heartbeat.

“There. Should feel better.”

“Ow. Thanks.” I muttered, feeling grateful yet also embarrassed she helped me this much already. She’s helped a lot of ponies around camp already, but she’s helped me more times than I can remember.

“You alright?” Syringe asked, almost whispering.

“Yeah, I feel somewhat better now. Thanks for that.”

“No, I mean-” Syringe started but stopped herself before she could finish. I gazed at her, confused as ever. Syringe sighed as her shoulders sagged. I noticed the bags under her eyes. “I meant Mentally. And Emotionally. Are you… alright in the head?” she asked with hesitation.

I opened my mouth as if to speak, but stopped. Thinking back to all of the traumatizing encounters I had in this city, I wasn’t sure if I ever would feel mentally stable. Emotionally, I was suffering in silence - though that was nothing new. I contemplated for a little while on what exactly to say.

In truth, I didn’t know. I was scarred for life, yes, but I also didn’t feel… Miserable? Abandoned? Deprived of Hope? Whatever, I didn’t feel any of that. I just felt Hollow. Speaking Honestly, I felt a strange stillness in my heart and in my head. Pain as well.

For the second time that night, I wasn’t sure how I felt.

“I’m fine. I’ll be fine.” I answered, technically not a lie. I was unsure how to answer her question when I didn’t even know the answer myself. Syringe gave me a doubtful look, and shrugged.

“Just… be careful. I already used so much of my supplies, it’d be classified as ‘Excessive Use’ if I helped you again.” Syringe noted.

I gave a dry chuckle. “Yeah, I bet I’d be fooled for a mummy if it were Nightmare Night.” Syringe gave a short laugh as well. Then we both stopped in Awkward and Melancholic silence. I looked around me, staring at the black columns of smoke billowing from the city to the sky. The searchlights have ceased long ago, now that everypony landed. Gunfire was heard everywhere, as well as more large and small explosions that popped all around us.

“Sweet Celestia... Here we are in the middle of a battlefield as ponies are dying all around me, and I’m laughing. There must be something wrong with me.” I muttered.

“Don’t think about it like that. You’ll kill yourself with regret later on.” Syringe whinnyed. “It’s best to move on from your troubles, rather than dwell in it. And everyone deals with their problems in different ways. Yours isn’t bad. It’s healthy.”

Her words surprised me. I didn’t expect this much philosophical knowledge from a Battle Medic… then again, this has certainly been a night of Firsts.

“Thanks, I…” I paused, assessing what to say. “I appreciate the advice.” I finished. Syringe nodded, as she turned to walk away.

“Also,” Syringe turned around and called out to me. “When we get to the Hall, try not to get blown up anymore tonight.”

“Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em.” I heard a Stallion call out behind me, as they traded lighters and Cigarettes with one another.

I sat idly on my haunches, atop a piece of cloud, high above the city. My rifle was slung across my body, resting along my chest. I stared down through a tiny crack of the Overcast layer, feeling a slight sense of vertigo. If for some reason I were a Unicorn or Earth Pony and I found myself atop this cloud, I would’ve had a panic attack. I then turned my gaze upward, toward the sky.

We were high enough in the air that we penetrated the overcast cloud layer. The void of Night could be seen in the sky everywhere I looked. The moon was full and radiant, shining with vibrant pale light. The stars dotted the atmosphere around it, twinkling and shining.

It was funny, really. I had a lot of views like this before, and I’ve always taken them for granted. Before the war, this kind of view would’ve gotten old and tiring after a few minutes. Now though, I began to appreciate how beautiful the night sky actually was. I could stare up there forever if I wished. I couldn’t, but Celestia be damned if I didn’t want to.

I turned to look behind me. A hundred or so Ponies were milling about along the cloud, not sure what to do. We flew up here about 5 minutes ago, and are now just waiting for the signal to attack. Ponies were talking with one another, talking about their lives and the past, about happier times. They knew it could be their last conversation. They were milking all the time they can get, as they interacted with one another.

One of them offered a hit of a Cigar to me, to which I declined. The Stallion insisted, to which I relented and gave a hit. I must’ve done it wrong, because I found myself coughing and hacking ill-tasted vapor from my lungs. How do people enjoy these things? When he offered it again, I refused.

Syringe wasn’t seen among the large crowd. She was there, somewhere. Just out of sight. I stared down at the city again. The hall wasn’t in sight, and what I could see wasn’t plentiful. There was only a small space I could peek through, so there wasn’t much to see. Just ruined buildings and streets.

As I sat alone, Ponies talked of their loved ones and families. They’ve been away from their friends and families since the beginning of the war. I didn’t participate in those conversations. As much as I missed Sunshine, I wasn’t keen for mentally focusing on her in the middle of a warzone. I couldn’t - not even for a second - afford to think about her. One second is all it takes. One second, and it’s all over. One second, and you’re dead.

I gazed at a tan-coated Stallion as he proceeded to pull something from his shirt. A small chain, with a tiny little ornament at the end of it. It was Celestia’s Sun, gilded in gold while the chain was silver. The stallion closed his eyes, muttering something under his breath. Then he kissed the sun. A prayer to Celestia, I assumed. He stowed the Sun Necklace away in his uniform and pulled out something else from his pockets. Another Necklace. Except this one was for the Moon. A Totem for the Princesses. One of Sun, one of Moon. He did the same to the Moon; gave a prayer, and kissed it.

I looked around a little more, and found Scribe among them interacting with another pony I didn’t recognize. The pony had a radio backpack on them. I guessed that Scribe was communicating with the other companies. He stowed the telephone away and yelled out loud.

“Everypony, we got a few minutes before the signal is given. Prepare for Flight!” Scribe called out as he milled about, inspecting his forces. There were some of us who were shaken, exhausted, wounded, or worse. I wondered why Scribe was even willing to send wounded ponies out to fight if they weren’t fit to fight in the first place. The desperation of this assault must be setting in on Scribe’s Psyche. If he’s this desperate to capture a single building by hurling ponies into the fray, the situation must be worse than I thought.

“Squad, Roll Call!” I heard a Mare’s voice call out. I turned around to find Brass Screws being huddled by a small group of ponies - about 6 or so. I heard her calling out names, prompting me to file into her little group.

I barely knew these ponies - only their names, really. But I knew what they were supposed to do.

“Private Storm Cloud!” she called the first name.

“Present.” a Charcoal-coated Stallion replied; He was the new LAT - Light Anti-Tank. He carried another Thunderbolt similar to what Boomer had.

“Private Sunshine Tempest!”

I speed walked over to the huddle as she called my name.

“Right here!” I answered back. She kept going.

“Corporal Morning Dew!”

“I’m alive.” a Timber colored Mare replied, her voice foppish and high pitch; she was the Radio Pony, armed with a different looking weapon compared to the rest of us. The Barrel was stubby and short, with the magazine fed through the side of the chamber instead of the bottom. I knew at first glance that it was an automatic weapon, much like the MP40s that the Changelings have.

“Private Rain Drop.”

“Present.” a Teal-coated Stallion, sounding grizzled and somewhat disgruntled; he was the Machine Gunner, as he carried a gun with a drum-fed magazine attached at the top of the gun.

“Corporal Syringe.”

“I’m here.” she called out from my right, next to Morning Dew. I already knew she was the medic.

“Corporal Pumpkin Patch!”

“Here.” yet another Stallion, this one with an orange Coat; he was a standard issue rifle pony, but from what I could gather he was a skilled shot. Abnormally skilled.

“And Corporal Dominoes!”

“Ready.” another Peach Mare; she was the Demolitions/Engineer expert. She could make things explode a little bigger than normal if she wished.

“Okay… that’s everypony accounted for.” She mouthed to herself the names she just called out while counting all of us. When she finished, she opened her mouth to speak, “You are all under my jurisdiction from here on out. You will follow my orders as if the princesses themselves decreed it. And you will do as I say one-thousand percent. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes Ma’am!” we all replied, somewhat simultaneously.

“Fix Bayonets!” Scribe announced loudly.

Everypony took the time to attach a small blade upon the barrel of our weapons. Ponies with any automatic weaponry, however, will have to make do without one. Some weapons were unfit for bayonets. Mine was, at least. I fixed the ring near the base of the blade along the tip of my weapon and secured it in place. After a few practice thrusts with the weapon, I was already used to the new weight of the weapon.

I then found myself trotting over to Syringe, whom of which was talking to another battle medic. I overheard a part of their conversation, talking about… something. I could only make out bits and pieces. Something about logistics, and propaganda. I didn’t understand the context.

Syringe noticed me approaching and quickly began to wrap up her conversation. The medic bid her goodbye, as Syringe turned to face me.

“You need something?” Syringe asked with indignation, which somewhat took me back considering her usual hospitable tone for me.

“No, I’m fine. Why are you so sour?”

“Sigh, sorry. I just…” She didn’t finish. She found herself staring down at the cloud she was standing on. “I’m just working through some things right now. Trying to stay focused.”

“I-it’s fine, really. It’s okay. Didn’t mean to upset you.”

“You didn’t. I’m just not in the mood for small talk.”

“Why? What happened.”

“Nothing. Nothing happened.” Syringe dismissed, as she turned to walk off in another direction.

“Syringe.” I called out, reaching a hoof toward her. She didn’t turn back. I slowly placed my hoof back down, sighing.

I couldn’t help but wonder why Syringe acting reclusive suddenly. It was as if she just discovered a negative revelation, and is unwilling to share with anypony… maybe that was the case, maybe it’s not. I didn’t know either way, which helped me none.

I was sitting beside Storm Cloud - the Radio Pony for Brass Screws - when I heard it. I heard the transmission from his pack clear as day. I also heard it from another pony who also had a pack like Morning's. The Transmission was broadcasted on multiple frequencies.

“Attention, this is Lieutenant Stitches from the 14th calling to all Companies. We’re Green to go! Repeat: we’re Green to go!” a gruff Stallion’s voice announced through the transmission.

“Okay, everypony gear up! We’re about to drop!” Brass Screws announced aloud, as ponies around us sprung up into action. They ceased whatever it was they were doing before and began to gear up.

I could hear Scribe from afar barking orders at other ponies, saying that the signal was given. Chaos was now apparent all over the cloud layer, as Ponies rushed to their assigned squads. Syringe, Storm Cloud, Morning Dew, Pumpkin Patch, Rain Drops, Dominoes, and I were huddled around Brass Screws as she did another Roll Call. When we were all accounted for, she then went over the plan of action once more.

We were to drop on to the roof and work our way inside through the maintenance staircase. Once we’re inside, we were to clear the upper levels first and find the Mayor’s Office. The other Companies will be tasked in clearing the lower levels by penetrating through the Colonnade on the front entrance.

The office for the Mayor should be located on the third floor. Brass Screws repeatedly emphasized that it is our top priority. We get to there, we can access the loudspeakers. We access the loudspeakers, we can implore the Changelings to surrender. But most importantly, it gives us breathing room if we capture this building. Room to keep fighting.

“Are we all caught up?” Brass finally asked as she finished briefing us in. We all nodded our heads. “Alright then. Follow my lead, shoot straight, use your head, and we can win this. Get ready to fly.”

“Everypony, we got one minute before we drop down. Assume positions!” Scribe announced loudly, for all of us to hear. Everypony was milling about, doing whatever it is they do before they’re sent to battle. Some of them joke around with one another, others send prayers to the Princesses.

Me? I thought of Night Light one more time. It might be my last. It helped, somehow. It hurts to think about her when she’s gone, yet it also fuels something in me. Some kind of stubborn determination that pushes me to see this thing through to the end. I felt scared of what was to come next. Scared that I will end up just as another name on a very long list.

But I was not going to let that happen.

“Thirty seconds - Once we get inside, refrain from using radios unless you are certain the area is clear!” Scribe announced to all who could hear.

I grabbed my rifle in my hooves and checked the Chamber. It was still loaded and primed to fire. The Bayonet was fixed to the gun nice and snug and didn’t feel loose. Everything was accounted for.

I then felt something touch my back. Looking behind me, it was Syringe. “I mean it: Don’t get blown up anymore. Please.” she spoke blankly, yet said ‘please’ with a more softer tone.

“I’ll try not to... For your sake.” I remarked, which earned a single “hah” from Syringe as she trotted near Brass.

“Ten seconds!”

“Everypony, this is it! May Luna’s Night have mercy on our souls.” Brass Screws encouraged us as she unfurled her wings. Everyone else did the same. I stared down at the break in the clouds in front of us, the City Hall finally in view. The roof was flat, save for a ridge that elevated as two angled slopes on each side the roof was divided into two flat sections, with the ridge in the middle. There was a relatively small box atop of the roof as well. Tracers were flying in and out of the building. The fight had already begun.

Suddenly a loud, high-pitched Whistle sounded as Scribe shouted at the top of his lungs, “GO, DIVE DIVE DIVE!” as hundreds of pegasi dropped from the clouds and dove into the Hellfire. I followed closely behind Brass and the rest of the squad, as I could see the world around me getting closer and closer. I saw the chaos of the firefight around City Hall, as hundreds of Ponies and Changelings alike were exchanging shots with one another. My slung rifle flew and battered against my body as I increased speed in my descent. When we were closer to the ground, the Pegasi around me leveled out and straightened their wings. They were now hovering slowly downward, quickly using their hooves to hold their rifles.

I hovered in place about 30 meters above the roof of the large political building. Dozens of Changelings were milling about on the roof, firing down on the ponies below them. I looked around and saw pastel colored bodies on the roofs around them, not opening fire yet. I wondered - for a split second - why they weren’t firing. Just as the thought had crossed my mind, muzzle flashes were seen lighting up the dark crevices of the Gabled roofs where they were bunched up. More tracers were seen striking the bugs on the roof with deadly precision. Soon, only a handful remained as they hugged the roof with their body. The only cover they had was a half-wall that barely covered the top of their back.

“Open fire on them!” I heard a pony in the air near me call out. Soon, gunfire erupted in the sky above the Changelings. Not one of them looked up. They were all mown down by a neverending barrage of bullets. I didn't even need to aim my rifle at them. They were already dead.

I then watched as Brass and the others were landing on the roof near the corpses. I soon joined them, landing beside Storm Cloud. Brass Screws quietly counted to herself, pointing a hoof at each of us as she counted. When she was finished, she counted again.

I peered over the front side of the building. Ponies were huddling still-burning wrecks of vehicles and piles of rubble while exchanging fire from the Changelings inside the building I was standing in. the height of the building I stood on was about 20 to 30 meters. I then turned my gaze to the other condos and buildings around us. The rooftops were swarmed with ponies. One of them waved at me. I waved back. They were all opening fire in the entrances and windows all around the Hall, preventing any kind of escape.

“Okay, everypony’s accounted for. On me - single file line - and don’t fucking bunch up!” Brass announced as she made her way over to the same box-like structure on the roof I observed earlier. It was the entrance toward the Maintenance staircase. “Sunshine, you’re lead pony! Open this door!”

“On it!” I replied as I rushed over. I hugged the frame of the door, planting an ear against it to see if I could pick up on anything beyond it. A useless gesture, since gunfire was all I could hear anyway. When nothing else happened, I placed a hoof on the handle and twisted it. It creaked open, revealing a dimly lit U-shaped staircase leading downward. I trotted through with my rifle in hoof, slowly and methodically. I aimed down toward the nook beside the staircase leading downward. As I trotted in, others followed behind. Nopony spoke any words.

Gunfire was becoming muffled through the walls, yet I also heard something else. An explosion, but not like a spontaneous explosion. It sounded more concentrated, thrown at something - or someone - specifically. I could make out the general location as to where it was coming from but had no way of interpreting where specifically.

When I reached the bottom of the staircase, I found another door. I hugged the frame, rifle ready as Brass raised a hoof in the air - bidding the others to stop. She pointed at Pumpkin Patch, then at the door. He made his way over with his rifle, nodding at me to open it. The others had their weapons fixed toward the door, standing on the staircase.

I slowly opened it, waiting for a reaction on the other side. When none came, I pushed it open further with my hoof and breached inside. Aiming my rifle to the left side, I came across a hallway.

To my surprise, the hall was completely empty.

The walls were of striped wallpaper, with multiple frames of murals and portraits hanging along the hall. The carpet was patterned and polyester, with multiple stained spots littering the once fine looking floor. Multiple doorways were seen stretching along the hall all the way toward the dead end - which stopped at a single double-hung window leading outside.

The hall’s decor might’ve been sophisticatedly stylish at a time. Now though, the scars of battle haunted the halls forever. There were ugly stains and spots that littered the walls and floors, as well as spent bullet casings that clung loudly when I stepped on them. Pieces of trash and litter cluttered the space in between the walls as well, giving it a very dirty feel.

Pumpkin followed me shortly after, aiming toward the right side. Both sides were relatively the same, save for the right side ending at a 4-way intersection of walkways instead of a window. The walkway would either split into continuing forward until it stopped at another window, while also diverting to the left and right. More doorways were also cluttering the walls along the hallways.

Where the hell was the Changelings? From the amount of gunfire I heard outside, I expected to find fierce resistance on all levels of the building. This level seemed entirely vacant.

“Clear!” Pumpkin whispered back toward the doorway. The rest of the squad filed in toward the hall, aiming in several different directions as they took up defensive positions around me. Each little crevice, corner, and doorway had a rifle barrel aimed toward it. Mine was aimed toward the intersection in the hall. When all of us were in the room, Brass whispered aloud, “Pumpkin, go back up to gather Melon’s squad and order them to breach.”

“Roger.” Pumpkin replied as he made his way back up the stairs.

“Keep your eyes peeled. When the others get here, we’ll advance toward the intersection in the hall.” Brass ordered. Her tone was hushed and quiet.

For about a minute, we waited in tense silence. Nothing came or started shooting at us, giving me the idea that the Bugs were unaware of our presence. From the sounds of warfare that I heard around me, the fighting was still taking place upon the first and second floor. We should be on the third floor.

I finally heard hoofsteps rushing toward us from the staircase, as Pumpkin returned with more ponies following behind. When everypony else was now in the room, Brass searched for somepony amongst the newer group. She found whoever she was looking for and spoke aloud, as I watched her.

“Melon, we’re heading Northwest to clear the other side of that intersection. Your squad will clear this side, from that dead-end to that walkway. When we’re done on both halls, we rendezvous back at the intersection and clear the other two walkways in the same way. Understand?” she inquired as she pointed a hoof from one end of the hall to the other.

“Understood. Mangos, you’re lead pony!” Melon ordered as her team got to work on moving from door to door, clearing each and every room as they made their way down the hall.

“Okay, my squad; move up carefully until we reach that window. Clear every door on the way.”

We all moved together in a loosely packed formation, with three of us on each end of the hall; making our way through one room at a time. I helped out Rain Drop and Pumpkin Patch clear the right side of the walkway; Syringe and Brass stayed in the middle of the hall guarding our blind spot as Dew helped Storm Cloud and Dominoes cleared the left side.

We made our way through each room with silent progression. There was no Pony or Changeling in each room we covered so far. All we found were vacant office rooms, with overturned desks and paper all over the floor. It was a mess. The whole Hall seemed to be deteriorated this way. When Rain Drop was still busy inspecting behind the desks, I randomly picked up a piece of paper with my mouth and placed it against the wall with my hoof, reading it silently.

It revealed nothing of interest, except for a small article of a logistics report from the Southwestern Harbor. It was dated back to October of 1010, just a few months before the war began. It talked about how oil and fuel shipments were of “inadequate quantity”, stating that some of the Cargo Ships designated for delivery never arrived. No traces of them were found as if they had just disappeared at sea. I tossed the paper aside and gazed at the carpet. There were literally hundreds of papers just like this one littered in this office alone. I was suddenly thankful that I wasn’t a politician before this started.

We continued back toward the hall and made it to the intersection until we stopped. Pumpkin and I were tasked by Brass to peek the corner of each walkway that split off from the long and narrow hall we occupied. I breached the right, and Pumpkin breached the left. On my end, there was another staircase. It leads further down to the lower levels of the Hall. Gunfire was still heard around me, muffled through the walls and floors. But it seemed to echo strongly through that staircase. The enemy is definitely down there, still unaware of our existence.

“Staircase. Leads further down.” I whispered back to Brass Screws. She nodded, then pointed a hoof at Pumpkin.

“Anything else over there?” she asked Pumpkin.

“Negative. Looks clear. I see a large door at the end though. Looks important. Might be the Mayor’s office.”

“Alright, keep sweeping but be careful. One of these rooms could still be occupied.” Brass ordered as we kept moving. I turned behind me to find Melon and her squad nearing the end of her side of the hall. Facing forward again, I trotted my way across the intersection and continued to clear out each room. Each of these rooms was just as bland and empty as the rest, filled with useless papers, cluttered with ruined and misplaced furniture.

This continued for several minutes until we reached the end of our hall by the double hung window. When we made it to the window, there were no doors that led into offices. Instead, they led to the restrooms. One for Stallions, one for Mares. I inadvertently breached the Stallion’s restroom, utterly revolted by the pungent stench of ammonia that pervaded the air. I didn’t bother clearing the rest of the room; no sane creature would spend more than a minute in that room, not even a Changeling… Wait, do Changelings even have noses? I wasn't sure about that, actually. I assumed they did.

“Okay, we’re done. Let’s head back to Melon.” Brass ordered as we trotted back toward the other end of the building. I saw Melon’s crew still working their way down the hall, but they appeared to be almost finished with their task.

“Rain Drop, cover the staircase leading to the second floor. Dew and Sunshine, clear that hall behind Rain Drop. the rest of you, take defensive positions and wait for Melon to arrive.

“Alright, let's go.” Dew ushered me as we trotted along the hall, alert and suspicious of the lack of difficulty we had in clearing this building so far. I worked my way down the left side of the hall, Dew taking the right side. We would take turns opening the door, the pony across from us would cover the door as one of us opened it. if I were to open it, then Dew would cover me from across. And Vice Versa.

We kept doing that for about 5 minutes until we reached the pair of Grand and Regal looking doors. There was not a doubt in my mind. This had to be the Mayor’s Office. My nose wrinkled at the sudden stench of Iron and Copper, followed by spoiled eggs. My eyes watered slightly from the stench, and it seemed to be coming from beyond this door. Dew readied her SMG toward the door, before giving a nod to me. I pushed the door open gingerly with my hoof, and aimed my rifle inside.

… Before that moment, I had made the mistake into believing that I had seen what death looked like. I did, technically, but nothing could’ve prepared me for what laid beyond that door.

It was at that moment that I stepped out of Vanhoover, and landed straight into hell.

The room was painted with palm-tree Green, but was crudely tinted with patches of Crimson and Black. There were pastel colored pony corpses littering this room, some of them wearing an Equestrian Military Uniform. The ones that didn’t look even more decayed and rotten than the rest.

Some had detached limbs, others were decapitated. There was a pool of blood forming under the increasingly large pile of bodies along the right-back corner of the office, right next to the large Casement window that overlooked the front entrance outside.

The Mayor’s desk was still placed in the middle of the room, facing toward the double doors with the window behind it. The desk itself also had another corpse of a pony on it, who was missing all of its limbs and its head. I couldn’t even tell what Gender the pony might’ve been. Each of these ponies was seemingly flayed and tortured until death.

But the worst part of all of it? The smell. When I first opened the doors, the stench invaded my nostrils first before I could even interpret what was happened in the room with my eyes. Tears welling up in my sockets, I retreated back into the hall. I lost the more contents of my past meals shortly after my stomach twisted in knots.

“Sweet Celestia…” Dew muttered as he backpedaled away from the doors. “There’s… They’re… Fucking hell...”

After I finished vomiting, I wiped my snout with a hoof and stared at the floor - not wanting to look back. The stench escaped the room and was now flooding the hallways with its repulsive smell. The carpets would be stained forever, but they were ruined already.

Brass and Melon’s Squad were standing in the intersection exchanging orders with one another. I overheard Melon saying that this floor was already cleared and that we should send the rest of the squads to garrison the level. Brass was inclined to agree until he gazed at both me and Dew. Both of us were still recoiling from the gruesome sight we had just witnessed.

Brass ordered the rest of our squad to stay put and trotted toward us. “Is it clear?”

“We, uh… we found the Mayor’s Office.” Dew answered.

“Excellent. Is it clear, though?”

“Clear of hostiles, yes. Clear of Corpses? No. Not even close.”

“Corpses?” Brass muttered as she trotted closer. I raised a hoof in protest, only to be interrupted by another hurl from my stomach. At this rate, I might die of starvation by the time this night was over. Brass then saw the piles of bodies and the pool of blood. She backpedaled away quickly at the sight, placing a hoof over her snout. She appeared to be utterly disgusted. Who wouldn’t, staring at a pile of bodies?

“Oh god, that smell.” Brass whispered to herself. The Profound stench of death could now be smelled everywhere in the hall. “That’s the Mayor’s Office?”

“Was.” Dew replied.

“Fucking hell. What did those bugs do?” Brass spoke aloud. “Cover me.” She ordered, before taking a deep breath in while facing away from the doors. She then turned to gallop inside the room. She moved the piles of bodies away with a loud groan as if she was trying to find something. She moved around the room, darting her head all over in search of something. She took a few moments to step outside and suck in another fresh breath, moving further away from the room each time.

After the fourth time she entered the room, she started searching the Mayor’s desk. Besides the limbless pony corpse atop of the desk (which Brass shoved over as she searched), there wasn’t much of anything to look at on the desk, save for a few meaningless papers. She then started opening drawers, scurrying through them. Occasionally, she would reach into the drawer with her mouth and carefully bite on a piece of paper, placing it on the desk to read it. She did this to different pieces of paper from the desk for several minutes.

“Yes, Bingo!” she cheered, only to immediately regret speaking afterward. She looked green and pale, as she smelled the stench in the room. She then rushed out, panting for fresh air with a paper in her mouth. She spat it in her hooves and placed it against the wall, observing it. “Instructions on how to use the PA system. We struck gold in a mine full of shit.”

“Where is the PA System though?” Dew asked.

“It says its located in the… Basement? I didn’t think this building had a Basement.”

“So... we have to go downstairs then, toward where the fighting is?” I complained, still kneeling on the floor from exhaustion.

“It would seem so, yes.”

I groaned. “This day couldn’t possibly get any worse.”

When Brass communicated via Radio that the third floor was cleared, the response is given immediately. The ponies on the ground outside were no longer just shooting back and were actually advancing forward to breach the building from the front entrance. I overheard from Dew’s radio that the 16th and 14th began their assault, and are now making progress to push forward. They’re making steady progress, but it sounded like they were struggling to keep the casualties to a minimum.

Some parts of the 27th were still in the air, guarding the perimeter around the Hall as the rest of us pushed in. Melon’s Squad stayed with us as both Brass’ and her squad pushed downstairs. Midnight’s squad was sent to occupy the third floor, and Bales’ squad was to garrison the roof.

After we’ve established defensive positions on the upper floors of the Hall, Brass ordered us to continue sweeping the building by taking the third-floor stairway leading downward. She ordered me and Pumpkin again to scout ahead before the rest of us trotted further downward. The sounds of warfare seemed to be getting louder and louder. The fight outside seemed to be near the building, but not yet inside.

The third-floor stairway was also U-shaped, like the maintenance staircase. It ended at another hall, leading toward the front entrance. It stopped at a T-shaped intersection, with a balcony overlooking a very large area ahead. The area looked like an atrium but had no skylights to go with it. It was like the lobby of a bank, but more compact. The first floor and second floor were one big room. There were carved, marble columns that stretched all the way to the ceiling, just below the third floor.

Me and Pumpkin slowly trudged along the walls of the hall. No doors were near us, only portraits and paintings of various landscapes. We stopped at the intersection and peered around the corners of the wall. The Balcony kept stretching to the left and right of the intersection, all the way to the walls on each side of the building. Gunfire was now louder than ever, and I could hear indistinct shouting of Changelings below. I crept ever so slowly over the edge of the railings that held us back from falling.

The architecture of the lobby was unorthodox, for a political building. It had an unnecessarily large lobby connected to the front entrance. The entrance itself was actually its own separate room, with divider walls that only stopped about halfway to the ceiling. Several large doorways divided the lobby and the entrance, all of which were barricaded with various furniture and emplacements made by the Changelings. Some of the doorways were occupied by a large, cannon-like gun battery facing outside. In the midst of the firefight, I saw one of the guns fire its round toward the door, causing smoke to billow out of the barrel.

The lobby itself was ruined beyond recognition. Large desks were either broken apart, shot to pieces, blown up, or just gone altogether. They scattered the space of the room in no particular order of placement. The Changelings were all over the lobby, firing toward the front entrance and taking cover away from the large stationary windows that were emplaced on each wall. The gunfire from outside seemed to be coming from an upper angle. I immediately realized that the 14th Company must’ve been suppressing them for a while now. The Changelings were catching on to our tricks though, and have respected the sightlines of the windows enough to stay away from them.

I stepped away from the ledge, and peered the walkways along the alcony. Several doors were along the walls leading toward the back of the building. No staircase in sight though. The offices and rooms have not been cleared as well.

“That’s a lot of bugs.” Pumpkin observed, his tone dry and devoid of interest. “Not a single one of them know we’re up here.”

“Let’s keep it that way for now. We need more ponies if we wish to fight that many Changelings.” I suggested as I backpedaled away from the railing. Pumpkin followed me without protest, as we made our way back upstairs toward Brass Screws. When we arrived, we informed her of our findings.

“So we still have the element of surprise, then.” Brass contemplated aloud. “That’s good, that means we might actually win this fight. We need to jump them when the time is right.”

“All that’s left of the second floor is doors leading into seperate rooms on the balcony. No stairs, as far as I know. We may have to fly our way down.” Pumpkin retorted, as he unfurled his wings to prove his point.

“Maybe one of those doors leads to the staircase?” I inquired.

“We’ll know when the time comes. For now though, just watch the hall and garrison the stairway.” Brass ordered as she pointed at both me and Pumpkin.

“Understood.” Pumpkin answered for both of us.

“Dew, where’ you at? I need you!” Brass called out, as Pumpkin and I made our way back down the staircase. Rifles at the ready, we used our wings to slowly hover as we aimed toward the intersection. Gunfire became loud again as we passed the break in the stairway, no longer reverbing through the walls.

We waited for a few tense minutes for Brass to conclude whatever it was he was doing. I knew he was communicating with the other squad leaders with the help of Dew but had no way of interpreting what it was they were saying through the sounds of the firefight that was below. My mind then projected mental images of Changelings turning the corner of the Intersection, spotting us immediately afterward. I shook my head clear of those thoughts. I couldn’t afford to daydream now. I had to focus.

A few more minutes pass, and I heard hoofsteps behind us. I turned to find Brass standing behind us, with the rest of the squad in tow.

“I just spoke to Scribe; he’s ordered us to open fire on them right now. Things aren’t going so well outside.” She explained as the group of ponies made their way toward the balcony.

“What about the rooms on the balcony, don’t you want to clear those first?”

“I do, but orders are orders. And we need to get to the Basement anyway. This is our next step in that. We do our jobs, then we worry about that.” Brass replied, but more hushed as she trotted closer toward the railing. “Rain Drop, set up. Target the Pak Guns.” Brass ordered as Rain got to work on unfolding his bipod of the weapon. He placed it carefully along the thin railing and cocked the chamber.

“Ready.” he replied with an eerily still tone.

“Everypony, take aim! Do not fire until I say so.” Brass then ordered the rest of us. We all piled along the railing in a single file line, aiming our weapons downward. There were so many, we wouldn’t be able to kill them all if we ran out of ammo in our chambers. They were blissfully unaware of our existence. Some of the gunfire from the interior was dying down, somewhat.

Brass then trotted over toward Dew once more, as she picked up the telephone from her pack.

“This is Brass Screws from the 27th Company, we’re beginning our interior assault. Opening fire now. Out.” she spoke quickly, before stowing the phone back into the receiver. Slightly shoving Dew aside, she took position behind the railing and aimed her rifle downward. “On my mark. Pick your targets, and make those shots count.”

With those words, our weapons raised higher again. We each took aim.

“OPEN FIRE!” she shouted, as the room erupted to life once more with bullets. Rain Drops’ weapon roared like a dragon, as dozens of tracers and bullets flew through the room with deadly accuracy. And dozens of Changelings were slain because of our sudden attack. I aimed at no Changeling in particular. I just picked one and started shooting, as everypony else did. Rain Drop at least had a target, as he made quick work of the Bugs that were working on the Pak Guns.

Several of them turned behind us to see us above the lobby, firing down on top of them. Some tried to warn their comrades, others tried to make a break for it to another position. Some of them didn’t even realize what happened before they fell. Bullet casings clung and clattered all over the floor where we were standing.

It was a massacre.

Some of the Changelings managed to find a better position to combat us, as they attempted to fire back at us. But they were either lousy shots, or they just couldn’t get a good angle on us as they were being fired upon. Almost all of their bullets missed us. Some of them struck the railing and the floor beneath us, but nopony got hurt.

Dozens of Changelings fled backwards toward the back of the lobby, below the railing. When they disappeared from sight, we focused our attention on whoever was left. They were panicking and scurrying all over, some of them not even realizing what was happening. It was somewhat pitiful to watch them helplessly flail about in their doom, not knowing what to do.

When the last Changeling soldier in the room stopped moving, the guns were eerily silent. Shots were still heard outside, bullets zooming through the front entrance as they achieved nothing. Brass peeked over the railing and stared straight down. I peeked over as well, and saw nothing but green blood and Changeling corpses. The lobby had turned into a slaughterhouse.

“Pumpkin, Reconnoiter the lobby. See if you can find any more of them.” Brass pointed a hoof toward the floor below us.

“Yes Ma’am.” he replied diligently, as he spread his wings to hover. He leapt over the railing and flew around the lobby with elegance, scanning the room for hostiles.

“Okay; Sunshine, Dew, and Storm, you’re clearing the right side. Clear each room and return here when you’re done. Rain Drops, and Syringe, you’re coming with me to secure the left side. Move it!” Brass swiftly ordered us as her crew got to work. I rushed over to the end of the walkway on my side, and stopped at the last door toward the end. I hugged the wall near the door, as Storm hugged the other side of the doorframe. Dew proceeded to clear the door next to us alone, armed with his SMG.

As I was about to open the door, Pumpkin Patch finally flew back up to the balcony. “Lobby is empty, Ma’am. They’re either dead, or they fled. There’s a doorway leading to another stairway further down. That may be where the rest of them are hiding.”

“Alright, good work. Keep an eye out on the front entrance.” Brass complimented, as she continued to clear her side of the balcony. I then proceeded to slowly open the door with a hoof. I stopped opening it further when I found another staircase, leading down to the main lobby.

“Staircase.” I muttered to Storm. He nods, as he turns back behind him. At that moment, Dew emerges from her room looking satisfied. “Clear.” she said.

“All clear over here!” Dew shouted toward Brass.

“Same here. Did you find a way down?”

“Yeah, it’s another staircase.”

“Alright. We’re clear, fall in!” she ordered, as we all mingled toward the T-shaped intersection. “Gimme an ammo count. How are we on that?”

“I’ve got about 4 mags’ left.” Rain Drops spoke first.

“6 mags.” Dew then answered.

“I got plenty.”

“Me too.”

“I need another stripper clip. Anyone got one to spare?” Syringe then asked.

“Yeah, I got you.” I answered as I reached a hoof into my torn up vest. Handing her one 5-round clip, she loaded it into her rifle. “Last clip for me. Thanks.” She replied.

I then began to count my ammo as well. That was when I noticed the holes in my ammo pouches. The encounter with the Tiger from earlier had not been kind to me, my uniform, or my ammo. I didn’t realize it before, but I now had 4 stripper clips left. Not a lot.

“Brass, this is Scribe. What’s the Status on the lobby?” a voice was heard through Dew’s radio. Brass rushed over to pick up the receiver to reply.

“Area is clear. Hostiles are eliminated. There’s only a dozen or so left, and they retreated further down to the Basement.” Brass responded.

“Basement? - uh, okay! Roger that. We’re sending the 16th in right now. Over and out.” with a hiss, the tinny voice ceased.

“Okay, we’re done here. Take the staircase or fly down - doesn’t matter - just get to the lobby and assume defensive positions.”

Each of us proceeded to fly down toward the lobby using our wings. The gunfire outside suddenly died down to just sporadic pops outside. Then it ceased entirely. When we all reached the lobby, I galloped through the spacious lobby toward the front entrance. I then saw a mass of Ponies from outside rushing toward the entrance, galloping as if their life depended on it. When they saw me, some of them stopped immediately and took aim against me.

“NUDUM COLORUM, NUDUM COLORUM!” I shouted over and over, while also making an ‘X’ with my hooves. Their suspicion quickly died down after that, and they continued to rush toward the Hall. When they arrived, they stopped under the colonnade panting and exhausted.

“How bad is it?” one of them asked.

“Not bad. We didn’t even lose anypony.” I answered.

“You don’t say? Huh… finally, some good news.”

We trotted further inside as each of the ponies from the 16th trudged their way toward the lobby. “Get Scribe on the comms, tell them the main floor and up is clear.” one of the officers ordered his corporal. I didn’t recognize either of them. Beneath the balcony where my Squad was at, there was a larger Marble Staircase that started at the lobby, and ended further below. There was not a doubt in my mind that the Changelings were hiding under there. But I pondered how we were to clear them out. They were like rats in a corner; they would either fight back ferociously, or surrender meekly. I was starting to assume they would most likely do the former.

More Ponies began filing into the building from all directions. From the roof, from the balcony, from the main entrance - everywhere. The building’s exterior and perimeter was ours, no doubt about that. But the basement was a different story. And we weren’t done yet.

“Everypony in my squad, on me!” I heard Brass ordered form the commotion that filled this room. There were ponies aiming their weapons toward the basement stairs, waiting for the Changelings to see if they were gonna come out. Others were either lounging with their squad for however short it may last, or were covering a sightline that reached outside. I trotted toward Brass and the others, gathering around in a huddle. “Scribe will be here soon, no doubt to order us to clear the Basement. Gimme an ammo and med count.”

We all proceeded to inventory our belongings, listing them off aloud as we counted. I had used about 2 whole stripper clips worth of ammo during the previous engagement, and was down to 2. Informing the others, they generously gave me a few more to go on, enough to last me for another engagement. Syringe still had plenty of medical supplies, as she hadn’t needed a use for them yet.

While were were still counting our belongings, we heard a voice call out for all of us to hear. “Hey, we got a live one over here!” We each turned to look at a pony who was staring down at a Changeling Corpse. Or at least, I thought it was a corpse. Some of the others were closing in around him, discussing with one another on what to do with him. It was at that moment that I saw Scribe trot in from the front entrance, accompanied by a security detail.

“What is going on over here?” Scribe demanded for an answer, as he shoved others out of the way to see what the commotion was all about. Eventually - when my squad was finished with their inventory count - we trudged over toward them.

“This one’s still alive, sir. He looked as if he was playing dead.” an answer was given, as Scribe stared down at the Changeling in question. I peered through the huddle around him, and saw him cowering on the floor with his hooves over his head. He then stared up, and found each of us looking down on him - seemingly condescending. Out of nowhere, he started babbling in his language. Each of us were dumbfounded on what to do next. The Changeling appeared to be begging to us, as if pleading for mercy.

One of the ponies around me aimed his weapon toward the Changeling when he started moving. “No!” Scribe swiftly ordered. “Don’t shoot.” the Rifle Pony gazed at Scribe dubiously, but complied. “He may be useful to us, actually.”

“How?” Brass inquired. Scribe knelt down and muttered, low and even. I could tell he tried his best not to sound frightening or intimidating.

“Can you understand me?” he asked blankly. The Changeling stared at him, not moving or speaking. Then he pointed to his throat, and shook his head. “Can you understand what I’m saying?” Scribe asked again. The same response was given. Scribe sighed.

“Okay, how about this: Does anypony here know New Changeling? Anypony at all?” he asked to each and every one of us that was huddled around him. Nopony spoke for a while.

“I do.” someone then called out from behind me. I turned to look, and found Syringe raising her hoof. I stared at her dumbfoundedly.

“How much do you know?”

“I have a basic understanding. I can do coherent sentences, but I’m not entirely fluent.”

“Can you convince this one to surrender, so we may interrogate him on what is down there in the basement?” Scribe asked. Syringe took a moment to ponder her choice, while staring at the stairway leading down.

“I’ll try. No Promises, though.” She then trotted over to the Changeling and knelt down beside him. He flinched away in fear and kept scooting away, until Syringe spoke.

“Bist du verletzt?” she spoke in the same tongue, shocking the Changeling to a stop. I could make out what it sounded like she said, but had no way of interpreting the meaning of their conversation.

“Ja, ich kann mit dir sprechen. Ich möchte helfen. Bist du verletzt?” She spoke to him again. The ponies all around us watched in silence with anticipation, the rest of us keeping a vigilant eye out for trouble.

Syringe offered a hoof to the Changeling, in a gentle and caring manner. She spoke softly, “Ich werde dir nicht wehtun. Ich will nur reden.” The Changeling was still hesitant, but eventually reached toward Syringe. He looked more curious than fearful. At least that was a start.

“Du... Du wirst mir nicht wehtun?” The Changeling finally responded.

“Nein.” Syringe answered.

There was a pause. The Changeling looked confused and suspicious, but was otherwise cooperative thus far. I had no clue what it was they were saying, but whatever Syringe was doing seemed to be working.

“Warum? Warum hilfst du mir? Es muss einen Grund geben, wenn du so fürsorglich und freundlich bist!” The Changeling seemed to be peeved.

“Es gibt einen Grund. Aber ich möchte nur, dass du zuerst meine Fragen beantwortest. Ich verspreche, dass dir nichts passieren wird.”

The Changeling once again went silent. I then noticed Brass Screws turn away from the huddle. “Pumpkin, Storm, and RainDrop; set up a defensive perimeter on the roof. If you spot anything, one of you will notify me ASAP.” She barked orders as she pointed hooves in several directions.

“Wilco.” responded Pumpkin.

“Warum interessiert es dich, was mit mir passiert? Ich bin ein Changeling! Du hasst mich und meine Art!” Bitterfully, the Changeling spoke once again. I turned back to look.

“Ich hasse dich nicht. Ich hasse nur, was deine Art getan hat. Ich wünschte nur, es hätte eine freundschaftliche Alternative geben können. Und ich beginne das mit dir.” Syringe answered with a kindhearted tone, I noticed. It struck the Changeling silent once again. Soon, he started to look down at the ground.

Then I saw his shoulders beginning to tremble incessantly. He was crying. He bursted into tears. “Ich weiß nicht..... Ich verstehe nicht, warum. Warum - das musste passieren. Ich habe so viele gute Freunde umsonst verloren - ohne Grund. Überhaupt kein Grund! Ich weiß nicht…” He ceased his blubbering for only a moment, to gaze at several of the dead bugs that littered the lobby. The stench of copper and Iron pervaded around us. “ch will einfach nur weggehen. Ich will nur, dass es aufhört.”

Syringe could only watch as the Bug lost his emotional control. In a way… I felt sorry for him. I couldn’t understand what it was he was sad about, but something told me it was personal. That the Bugs also had their own lives, their own emotions, their own stories, and trials.

Just like we did.

After much pondering and contemplation, Syringe finally spoke. “Du kannst helfen, mehr zu verhindern. Es gibt immer noch Überlebende Ihres defensiven Regiments, die sich in den unteren Ebenen befinden. Sie werden abgeschlachtet, wenn sie sich weigern, sich zu ergeben. Du kannst helfen, sie vom Gegenteil zu überzeugen.”

The Changeling then looked up at her, wide-eyed and surprised.

“Du.... du verschonst sie, wenn sie ihre Waffen ablegen können? Nein, nein, das ist unmöglich!” He shook his head vigorously. “Selbst wenn man ihnen einen Moment des Friedens für die Verhandlungen geben könnte, werden sie trotzdem ablehnen.”

Syringe squinted her eyes. “Dann lass sie akzeptieren! Wir haben überlegene Zahlen und Taktiken, du hast nur überlegene Waffen. Sie können ihnen mitteilen, dass sie hoffnungslos in der Unterzahl sind, und sie bitten, ihre Waffen niederzulegen. Nur dann können wir sie verschonen.”

The Changeling continued to stare down at the floor. He remained still for a while. A few tense moments went by, as ponies began to be more on edge on what his reaction would be.

Finally, he spoke. “In Ordnung. Ich werde es tun.” Syringe smiled at his response.

Syringe stood up and faced Scribe. “Well?” He inquired.

“He’ll help, but on a condition: All of them are to be spared if they do surrender. They will lay down their weapons and will be inspected, but they must be spared.”

Scribe was quiet for a moment. “All of them?”

“All of them.” Syringe replied, not missing a beat. She seemed steadfast on the agreement. Scribe pondered again, a little longer this time.

“Alright. Fine.” He answered. Syringe smiled, as she turned back to face the Changeling.

“Wir sind bereit, wenn du es bist.”

After a little re-planning and organization with the defenses of the building, my squad - along with several others - were assigned to the sweeping team for the Basement. We brought the Changeling with us in tow, as per our agreement. We had him shackled and his horn handicapped with a Magic Dampening Ring.

The layout of the Basement was not what I expected. The Stairs ended at a single door in a wall, leading to nowhere else. We hesitantly opened it, and it revealed another 4-way intersection. Each hall led to its own door at the end, with several others branching off to the walls along each path. As the group descended lower, I hugged the wall closer to my right.

Two of the Halls were different. One to the left had no doors on the wall with only one door frame attached to the dead end. The one that broke off straight ahead had a large, circle-shaped door that filled the entire wall frame. It was bulky, thick, and massive. It looked like a vault, more than a door. In fact, I automatically assumed it was a Vault.

“Which one is it?” Scribe asked Syringe.

“I dunno. He didn’t know exactly where they were either.” Syringe then replied, gazing her eyes at the Changeling. Several other ponies - myself included - were aiming their weapons toward the various halls, expecting company at any moment.

“Alright, I have an idea. Does he know a voice amplification spell?”

“I dunno, hold on.” Syringe raised a hoof toward Scribe, while simultaneously facing the Changeling. “Kannst du deine Stimme mit Magie verstärken?”

The Changeling looked up to her, and nodded. “Ja, Das kann ich tun.”

“He can do it.” Syringe spoke again normally, toward Scribe.

“Have him call out to his comrades using that. Tell them to surrender. if he makes a move, kill him.”

Everypony some ponies immediately aimed their rifles toward the Changeling, causing him to flinch. No shot was made, but that could change in an instant.

“Righto.” She replied, as she whispered to the Changeling. It was inaudible from my range, so I couldn’t hear what it was they were saying. But the Changeling nodded in the end, as Syringe carefully removed the ring from his horn. Ponies aimed at him suspiciously, as the horn was carefully removed. The Changeling remained still during the process. The ponies also remained reserved even after nothing happened.

Syringe motioned the Changeling to proceed with her hoof. He stepped forward by one step, and his horn illuminated. Everypony had a weapon aimed at him.

“ACHTUNG, TAPFERE SOLDATEN! DER KAMPF IST VORBEI!” His voice gave a mighty boom, sort of like how Luna did with her signature Canterlot Voice. “ICH STEHE JETZT VOR DIR MIT PONYS HINTER MIR, UND JEDER VON IHNEN IST BEWAFFNET. SIE WERDEN NICHT OHNE KAMPF UNTERGEHEN, ABER SIE HOFFEN AUCH, DASS DER KAMPF VERHINDERT WERDEN KONNTE!”

“Be prepared for anything. If Shit hits the fan, retreat upstairs.” Scribe muttered to all of us in earshot.

“ICH FLEHE DICH AN, LEG DEINE ARME HIN UND TRITT FRIEDLICH VOR. SIE HABEN MIR GEGENÜBER FREUNDLICHKEIT GEZEIGT, INDEM SIE MEIN LEBEN VERSCHONT HABEN, UND SIE WERDEN DASSELBE MIT DIR TUN, WENN DU DICH DARAN HÄLTST.”

There was no noise heard for a solid ten seconds. Everypony waited in tense, nerve wracking silence. Finally, the Changeling spoke again. “ICH BITTE EUCH ALLE, NUR EINEN MOMENT LANG LOGISCH ZU DENKEN. IST ES WIRKLICH WERT, DASS IHR UM EINEN KRIEG KÄMPFT, DER EINEN GROLL HERVORRUFT? AUF EIN EREIGNIS, DAS VOR JAHREN GESCHAH? BITTE, BEENDEN SIE DIESEN WAHNSINN, BEVOR ES ZU SPÄT IST!”

More silence was heard. Nothing happened. The halls were eerily still and quiet. Ponies turned their gazes in several directions in nervous anticipation.

“Is that a 'no', then?” Somepony whispered from behind.

“Shush!” Scribe hastily sneered. More silence was heard.

Blam! Blam Blam!

Gunshots were heard from the Vault doors. We each turned our weapons toward it. More gunshots were heard from there, but nothing happened. The door didn’t open, and nothing was outside of it. It didn’t sound like it came from any of the other side rooms, neither. It was from that Vault.

Then the shots were silent. No other noise was heard for a long while.

“What was that about?” Dew muttered from my left.

“Dunno. Sounded like a struggle of some kind.” Brass replied.

“Did you think they heard the message?” Scribe asked Syringe.

“Maybe. No way of telling.”

As Syringe answered, there was finally another sound. It was loud and sudden, making each of us jump and aim at the vault again upon hearing it. It was the sounds of the door opening, coming from straight ahead. The cross-shaped handle attached to the middle of the door spun rapidly, as the door itself groaned deafeningly.

The door wasn’t even finished opening, when dozens upon dozens of firearms all of the sudden were tossed outside. It kept happening, until the vault opened wide enough to reveal the interior. About 15 or so Changelings were seen, each of them standing away from one another while kneeling with their heads down. Each of them looked unarmed.

There were bodies behind them, but not Ponies. They were also Changelings, as one of them carried an Officer’s Uniform. A pistol laid atop his chest, as a pool of blood formed beneath him. I could tell at first glance that a Mutiny had occurred. A part of me was relieved, actually. I honestly didn’t think this plan would work.

“Move in and restrain them. Brass, stay with your squad and cover the others.” Scribe ordered, as we each got to work. Ponies began to funnel into the halls and carefully make their way toward the POWs. I turned to look at Syringe, who was sitting beside the Changeling we had from earlier.

Both of them looked immensely relieved.

After rounding up and clearing out the POWs, we officially declared the City Hall Liberated from its Oppressors. We immediately began clearing out the Basement and the rooms in it, in hopes to find the PA system - the whole point of this assault.

I stayed with Brass and the others, helping them search the Vault. The layout was what I expected a Vault should be; rows upon rows of lockboxes, stored away in a neat inventory of shelves and cabinets. They were all still locked. But most of the Valuables that happened to be outside of the lockboxes were taken by the Changelings. What they could take, they did.

“Why the hell does a City Hall need an Underground Vault?” I asked aloud, unsure of the practical uses behind this architectural design.

“Maybe this is the City’s Treasury Vault?” Morning Dew.

“It could be anything. But if we can’t find a PA System in here, than this room is worthless.” Brass than replied.

“Brass!” A pony then called from beyond the Vault entrance. I turned to look, finding a Brown coated Stallion galloping toward us. “Nothing else in any of the other halls. The whole place seems deserted, ma’am!”

“No Loudspeakers at all?”

“None, ma’am!”

“FUCK!” Brass cursed loudly. Nopony else dared to speak, as we continued our search.

I kept scanning the corners of the Vault, finding Several overturned Tables that used to be planted on all fours at another time. They were like this since we entered. I found it odd that those Changelings would leave them like this. It seemed unusual.

Something urged me to move them. I didn’t know or see why I should, given that I’ve already scanned this spot three times now… but Curiosity got the better of me. I tilted one of the tables over on its side, causing it to crash down.

Behind it was something I did not expect. A pair of doors.

“Hey, I found something!” I called out. Everypony saw the doors I revealed, and trotted closer to me. There was a control panel next to it, with multiple buttons that had numbers crudely painted on them. It started at -1, and ended at -2.

There was another Sublevel?

“It’s an elevator.” Brass noted. “It leads further down.”

“Okay, is this really a City Hall? It looks more like a bunker to me.” Storm Cloud remarked.

“Only one way to find out.” Brass answered as she stepped into the elevator. She turned to look back at us, as neither one of us moved. “Well, you coming?”

I had a lot of mental images in my head as to what might be in this second sublevel, but I must admit: I did not imagine it like this!

Beneath the Vault was a plethora of Electronic Devices, and Computing Machines - some of them minuscule, others titanic. There were these devices that sat atop of shelves stretching all the way toward the ceiling; each device had numerous blinking lights that lit up the shelves, but barely anything else beyond that.

There was a single screen that illuminated the dim room around as, providing the only source of light in the room. The room itself wasn’t too large, only about the length and width of 12 Ponies. But beneath the Terminal Screen, there was another device. It had twistable frequency and volume tuners, with a Microphone attached to both the screen and the device.

There wasn’t a doubt in my mind. That had to be the PA System.

“We found it.” Brass muttered. “And some other stuff, too.” She then trotted closer to the Microphone, inspecting the machinery around it. “I need some time to figure out how to work this. In the meantime, make yourself useful and search the room. Find anything else useful.”

We each trotted to our own separate directions. The blinking lights offered guidance away from the shelves so that I wouldn’t accidentally collide with them in the darkness. I kept darting my eyes all over, trying to adjust to the lack of lighting. It was difficult. It was times like this where I wish I was a Unicorn. I bet they would have some sort of illumination spell to help in times like these.

“Holy shit, I think we just struck a Gold Mine! I got maps of Troop movements no earlier than last week, with detailed Logistics Reports on their war effort.” Dew called out from the darkness.

“Yeah, detailed troop movements. This place has a shit-ton of information.” Storm agreed. “I got battle plans, timetables, assigned divisions, and various dates.”

“Okay, I got this thing working now. I’m gonna send the Broadcast.” Brass then announced as I kept searching. As I slowly trotted in a random direction, my hoof nearly tripped over an object. I glared down toward the floor and found a yellowish decal inscribed atop of something. I knelt down and found a single box-shaped container.

Brass then spoke into the Microphone, broadcasting his message. “Ponies of Vanhoover, my name is Brass Screws. Like you, I was a victim of this war, and I have seen what death and destruction can do.

“But the time for hiding is no more! As of now, the Ponies are the Equestrian Army are clearing out the buildings and streets of our city. The Changelings have been routed out in several locations, and are fleeing from the city limits.”

As Brass continued her speech, I further inspected the box. It looked… Different. It had a Carbon or Polymer material feel to it, while also feeling somewhat lightweight. There was a Symbol at the top of the box. It had three Black Irregular Triangles, and three more of the same kind but painted yellow instead of black. They were in a pattern, revolving around a single dot in the center.

“Ponies, you do not have to hide anymore. You are now free! Vanhoover is finally Liberated. May the Princesses smile upon us this day!” Brass finally concluded, as I gingerly opened the box, but failed to do so. I then lifted each of the latches that sealed it shut. The container then opened, revealing its contents.

Inside the container was a Styrofoam padding, with the crevices and dips to fit three capsule-shaped items. Only two of them remained, one of them missing. There was that same symbol from the top, embedded in the roof of the lid. It had writing underneath the symbol.

“Hey, what the hell does ‘Radioactive’ mean?” I asked aloud as I turned to face Brass. She stared at me, long and hard.

“Wh- what did you say?”

“Radioactive. It’s in this-”

“Close it! Close it right now!” Brass loudly ordered, prompting me to close the case swiftly. She then trotted over quickly toward me, while the other ponies looked toward the Box.

“You said it was ‘Radioactive’?” Brass asked hastily. I felt more nervous now.

“Y-yeah. That’s what it said.”

Brass didn’t reply. She simply stared at the box, silently.

“Open it.” she ordered. I proceeded to lift the lid upward again, revealing the two capsules. Brass and other ponies were huddling around us, staring at the contents inside.

“What in the hell are those things?” Pumpkin, just as confused as I was.

“I think they’re bombs. They look like bombs.” Storm muttered.

“They don’t look like any bomb I’ve ever seen.” Syringe noted,

“That’s because they’re not like any other bomb.” Brass than spoke, uncannily quiet.

“Those are Nuclear Weapons.”

Chapter 13: Respite

Something has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.

Chapter 14: Contradiction

(A3) - Chapter 2: Contradiction

No Glory Won

Act 3 Chapter 2: Contradiction

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.”

____________________________________________________________________________

“Yes, the Commandos,” Bon Bon said aloud, while flipping through various pages and images inside of a folder - my ‘File’, I assumed. She then eyed me intensely, her head hanging low. “You were promoted to Corporal first class immediately after the battle of Vanhoover, and after your discovery of the WMDs. You were sent to Dodge City for 6 weeks for advanced combat and survival training before you were sent to an airfield just south of Los Pegasus afterward. Is this correct?”

“It says so in my file, doesn’t it?” I probed.

“Not everything is true as is written.” She rebutted. “And not everything is written as is true. I need to hear it from yourself to confirm whether or not this is false.”

I gazed at the spread out pages all along the tabletop. I couldn’t begin to guess what these papers were for, or what they actually were. Reports, maybe? Something else entirely? I had no way of knowing, besides getting a good look at them. I doubted Bon Bon would permit me to, either.

“I don’t remember where the airfield was, but the rest is true. I didn’t know at the time where specifically I was at, given that I have never been there before. And nopony there made any effort to inform me about where I was. Not that it really mattered. What mattered was going through the training procedure.” I answered.

“I don’t need a summary of what happened in Dodge City. I need information regarding the WMDs. Can we get back on track to that?” Bon Bon requested irritatedly. “Start from right after your training. You were given your very first raiding mission after those 6 weeks, correct?”

I gritted my teeth in frustration. All of this seemed tedious and unnecessarily slow for me. The only thing I could think of right now was to answer her questions as quickly as you can, and try to get this day over with. I wanted to see Night Light again. “Yes.” I answered.

“Where was it, and when did it happen? What happened over there?”

Gazing downward at the table again, all of the scattered papers and folders were spread out. Among some of those papers were small black-and-white images of various locations. Upon leaning forward slightly to get a closer look, I recognized some of those images. One image showed the infamous clock tower of Hjortland, the former Capital of Olenia. It had the Changeling flag draped over the giant analog-clock that dominated the top of the tower. At the sight of that, memories start flooding back to me.

“Hjortland. It was… I can’t remember exactly when. I think it was early June 1014.” I reluctantly answered.

“Why Hjortland? What was your objective over there?”

“Me and my squad were specially assigned for this mission to locate the missing bomb. Or, at the very least, find any information regarding it. The main objective of that air raid was to knock out several key coastal artillery placements along the coastline, to secure an opportunity for Equestrian High-Command to find a suitable opening for an invasion. I remember vividly later on that no such invasion would come. It was all just an act to get me and my squad close.”

Bon Bon was standing for the majority of my visit here in this room. But at that last sentence, she sat down atop the chair on her haunches. Gently, she opened one of the several files scattered about on the table.

“Your squad. Describe them.” she asked out of the blue. I was slightly taken aback from this question.

“Um... well, I’ve already told you their names-”

“I didn’t ask for their names. Describe their personalities, their beliefs, their attitudes - who were they really?”

I was dumbfounded for a few short seconds, and rightly so. Never once did she pay any mind to my squad until now. She’s only asked for their names, but that was all. Now she wants details.

There were more memories flooding my mind, and not all of them were pleasant.

“Any day now.” Bon Bon hastily ordered, snapping me out of my thoughts.

“Um, Syringe - she was... She was the closest to me out of all of them. Maybe not at first, but we grew more fond of each other's company as we continued to travel and fight together. Out of all of them, Syringe was the closest thing to a friend that I had.” Somehow, talking about Syringe made me sad and I didn’t know why. She survived the war, but I never saw her again afterward.“She only told me her abusive story of her parents, and nothing more. I don’t know much of her past.

“Rain Drop was a lot harder to cozy up to, but he eventually relented and opened up. We weren’t necessarily friends, but we acknowledge each other’s grievances and hardships respectfully. We also made a pretty good team when it was just the two of us.

“Pumpkin Patch - I didn’t get to know him well enough before he died. I knew he was a farmpony in the past, but that was all.

“Brass, uh... was a textbook example of a leader if I ever saw one. She was firm but fair. Strict when the time called for it, lenient when we were lounging. I only vaguely remember talking about her past. She was a steel mill worker before the war.

“Morning Dew was timid and quiet, and not really one to open up that much either. I never got the chance to talk to her before she died as well.

“Storm Cloud worked as a Royal Guard for quite sometime before the war started. I was told he retired by the time the Changelings invaded Olenia, only to be brought back into service later by the draft. I don’t know much about him, other than that.

“And lastly, Dominoes was a weird one. I never knew anything about her before she got shot in the head. I knew she was good at infiltration and in stealth, but that was all. And that's all of them.”

Bon Bon gazed at the unicorn scribe to her right, who was busy writing down all of the details. The scribe took notice of Bon Bon staring at her, and gave an acknowledging nod. Bon Bon then took one of the files from the table and slid it closer to her with a hoof. Peering into it, she scanned the contents inside. “So you’re positive only your squad knew about this bomb?

“Besides the Changelings, yes. No other pony or creature of any kind knew of the bomb. Nopony except a select few of ponies have heard about it. I think it was about...” I stopped for a moment, counting the numbers in my head. “Including the Officers that were in the Vault at the time, about 12 or so ponies knew about it.”

“Well then it wasn’t a secret anymore by then.” Bon Bon muttered. “How long would it last until more ponies inevitably knew about it? How many would know by then? Twenty? Fifty? A hundred? If hundreds have heard about it, then it’ll turn into thousands. Then tens of thousands. What happens after that if the Changelings figured out that we already knew their dirty secret?”

“If the Changelings were really wanting to keep the Bomb a secret, why would they want to place a highly confidential and super deadly weapon in an area where it could be discovered so easily?” I rebutted, in frustration for being bombarded with these questions.

“That, I’m not sure. Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they really didn’t think you were going to find it. Maybe they did know you were coming to Vanhoover. Maybe they were just woefully unprepared. But the fact of the matter is that we don’t know for sure.”

She’s Watching You… The words of that propaganda poster in Vanhoover echoed in my mind repeatedly. The possibility of them not knowing our arrival seemed more and more unlikely the more I thought about it. But then that begs the question as to why only one of them was moved and not all of them?

What’s even more uncanny is that we never did find the last bomb. We navigated all around the face of the globe looking for that stupid thing and never once did we lay our eyes on it. It cost the lives of several of my friends to keep looking for it, yet we never found it. It’s still out there today, still undiscovered. And even though the war ended less than a year ago, it was never captured or used on anything. It simply just vanished.

And that disturbed me greatly... Goosebumps plagued my limbs.

“From what I can gather, however,” Bon Bon continued, interrupting my thoughts. “Is that the Changelings seemed determined to lock their jaws on whatever secrets they had. They were willing to send thousands to die if it meant not finding that bomb. And because it was never discovered, the search of that Bomb is now a higher priority than anything else.” Bon Bon took a moment to catch her breath. “So: only your squad at the time knew of the Atom Bomb-”

“Atom Bomb? I thought it was a Nuclear Bomb?”

“Same thing. Think of it like a carriage and a cart: same thing, different name. Doesn’t really matter what they call it - Your squad was sent to Hjortland for a special raid in regarding the bomb, correct?”

“Yes.”

“And while the whole Division was there, only your squad knew of the real assignment you were tasked with, correct?”

“Yes.”

“Describe what-”

“Hold on.” I interrupted. “I don’t want to relive every single fucking battle that happened in this war, you know. And I certainly don’t want to relive every small, scarring detail about it either! It’s bad enough I fought this war in the first place, and it’s even worse enough that I have to go through with this shit while separated from Night Light! But now you want me to remember every traumatizing memory, every painful loss, and every pyrrhic victory I witnessed - just because Celestia said so!?”

Bon Bon was about to reply, but I didn’t let her. “I don’t think me telling you how my friends and comrades died is really necessary in this regard, as far as collecting information goes! Why should I go through all the trouble of revisiting hell for some Mare I don’t know!? Because the Princess that couldn’t prevent this, in the beginning, is looking to prevent it now?!” No words were replied. Bon Bon kept his frown for an eerily long time.

At the sight of that… I laughed softly for what felt like a second. “You really are that sheepish, aren’t you?”

Bon Bon immediately leaped forward with a hoof raising, as I failed to react quickly enough in time to block her strike. She hit me square in the Jaw. Hard!

I tumbled out of my chair and laid sprawled out on the floor still conscious. I was hearing birds, which felt absurdly alarming to me.

There was a sound of a door opening and muffled voices. Soon, more hoofsteps followed. I then felt an uncomfortable pull of my front hooves being dragged upward. My vision was swimming and I could only catch occasional glances at what was happening, my jaw painfully sore. I found myself being forcefully sat into the metal chair haunches first and had my front hooves being forces behind my back through the hole beneath the headrest. The hooves were bound uncomfortably behind my back now.

“You really think I’m only doing this because Sunbutt told me to?” Bon Bon sharply retorted, grabbing my attention as I noticed 2 more Ponies entering the room; the two agents that grabbed me and Night Light in the first place. I gritted my teeth. “You think I actually enjoy doing this? I fucking hate it! I hate it just as much as you, and just as much as the next pony. But we are talking about a nuclear bomb, Sunshine. A NUCLEAR BOMB!” She yelled with such a volume that her voice reverberated across the walls of this blank room at least once. “A bomb that can wipe out an entire city and leave the area within an 8-kilometer radius uninhabitable for years. A bomb that can kill up to 100,000 ponies within a single blast, and that’s not counting the fallout that occurs afterward. A bomb with terrifying potential and even more terrifying repercussions!

“Why else would Celestia order me to probe you? Why else would you be here, right now? I’m trying to prevent a potential apocalypse, Sunshine - do you even realize what’ll happen if a bomb like that were to detonate in the Crystal Empire? Or in Stalliongrad? Or - Luna forbid - in Equestria itself? What do you think will happen then?

I didn’t respond.

“I’ll tell you what’ll happen: they will retaliate. If the Alicorn Princesses do not wish to, the ponies who suffered most certainly will. If one bomb goes off, another one goes off either by us or by them, and another, and another, and another. We’ve just come out victorious from a slaughter-fest, and the public was willing to fight only because we were defending our homeland. If a bomb went off in Equestria I can almost GUARANTEE you, Sunshine, that they will want retaliation.

“And by that point, all that can be said will be: ‘what‘s another dropped bomb?’ It’ll spell out Armageddon for all of us. Do you seriously think that your happiness is more important than the safety and happiness of at least 35 million other ponies!?”

The unicorn scribe didn’t bother trying to record that part of the conversation. He was taken aback by the outbursts from both me and Bon Bon. The latter of which noticed that the scribe had ceased scribbling and gave him a cold glare, which prompted him to continue recording whatever he could remember from that conversation.

“I don’t like to do what I do, but I do it anyway because someone has to be qualified enough to do it. And that someone is me. I don’t have time for sentimentalities or ethics or morals. I only care about the task at hoof, and the lives for Tens of Millions of ponies - should that bomb fall into the wrong hooves!”

“The Changelings are Demilitarized, though!” I finally responded, by leaning forward aggressively in my binds. “Chrysalis is dead, the Changeling Hegemony is in shambles, and the hives are under a new leadership while constantly being spied on by us! Even if Thorax was crazy enough to change sides in an instant like that, I seriously doubt that they would be responsible for it - especially considering the consequences that it could bring for what they have already done!”

Bon Bon didn’t immediately reply. She instead shortly flipped through the pages of another file that scattered along with the table. The Unicorn Scribe took this moment of silence to finish recording the conversation that had just occurred.

“You were there at Karthin.” Bon Bon muttered, after remaining speechless for so long. “And in Rottingham. And in the city of Sunset. And countless other places. You weren’t just limited to the Equestrian Front. You were elsewhere.”

Now it was my turn to remain silent. Of all the things she could’ve found in that damned file… Shit!

“You should know more than anypony, Sunshine, who else could be responsible for gingerly holding on to that bomb. It most definitely could be Wingbardy or any member of the Karthinian Pact. Or maybe it could be the old Griffonian Empire-”

“More countries that are also dead and gone because of the war! Just like the Changelings!”

“Countries aren’t responsible for disaster! It's the collective minds and hooves or claws guiding those countries that lead it astray.”

“All the more reason to-”

Bon Bon had enough of what I was saying apparently, as she violently slammed her hooves on the face of the table. “We don’t have fucking TIME for this, Sunshine!!” she yelled, silencing both me and the Unicorn beside her. “The more we argue about this, the more time we are wasting trying to find this thing! We can’t focus on such foalish things, Sunshine! Just-” she took a moment to raise a hoof over herself, then exhaled loudly as she lowered the hoof in an effort to calm down. The Unicorn was just about to resume recording what she had just said until Bon Bon stopped him. “No, the last 3 minutes are strictly off the record!” she ordered.

“Yes Ma’am.” the scribe replied, as he ripped off a piece of paper from his notebook. Bon Bon then stared down for a long while. The faint buzzing of the light bulb above me was all I could hear. Everything was eerily quiet.

“Alright, here. I’ll make this easier for you.” Bon Bon finally spoke, her tone significantly softer compared to before. I was immediately distrustful toward her.“Operation: Lavender. A full-fledged offensive by Equestria. Or an attempt of one, anyway.” I gave her a curious look. “When you were still in the Ruby Mountains, by the fall of 1013, the Changelings crossed the Shire River. By that time, the Changelings have adapted to our sturdy fortifications along the roaring river and have made pontoon bridges to help their vehicles cross during the Spring. They had also invented a new type of armored tank to help combat our armored vehicles - the Tiger tank. I’m sure you already know by now what that is.

“They made about 500 or so kilometers of progress on the other side of the river before the cold northern winter set in. They also pushed further into the Crystal Empire as well, stopping just 50 kilometers to the west of Ponytown. When winter in Equestria set in, all progress was stopped. Los Pegasus was still badly damaged and under disrepair from the various air raids, it suffering meaning we had to move our aircraft production elsewhere. That was initiated in early 1013. By late winter that same year, sometime in November, we had fully relocated our aircraft industry.

“When our air industry was restored, we put it to good use. We‘ve managed to stall the Changeling offensive just west of Marechester. They were still trying to push toward Canterlot, but the northern front was dormant. In response, our aircraft were tasked to defend the Equestrian Heart at all costs. And it barely worked.

“By spring of 1014, we commenced Operation: Lavender. We pushed them back all the way back to the Shire River, stopping just short of the town of Shire itself. The lines were still again. But we still didn’t use the aircraft as effectively as we should’ve during the offensive. There was something else preventing that from happening. So we instead resulted in digging in once more.” Bon Bon finally concluded, sorting through the different sheets littered along the tabletop.

“Like what? What was stopping you?”

“Something big. Something that your lover, Night Light, just happens to know plentifully about.”

“What? What was it?”

“How should I know? I'm not interrogating her.” Bon Bon answered. I groaned in frustration.

“Your tendency to dodge my questions is starting to annoy me.” I muttered.

“Your tendency of being uncooperative is already annoying me.” Bon Bon rebutted.

A reminiscent feeling of dread filled my soul at those words. I don’t know why, but I couldn’t help but feel as if some impending event was just over the horizon. I couldn’t place my hoof on what… maybe it was just my vivid imagination. Maybe it was just paranoia. Suffering 7 years of war can leave a soul scarred and maimed forever. I might be overthinking about it.

For a very brief moment, the room was dead silent, save for the sound of a pencil scribbling on paper. The scribe was working hard and fast, not once stopping for a break as he recorded the conversation that me and Bon Bon were having.

“Anyways, what I was trying to say; because we had no aircraft, we used the next best thing: Pegasi. We commenced airborne operations with your divisions all across the Equus Continent ever since then. And that’s where you come in. Operation: Cloud was what Vanhoover was. Operation: Colt was what Hjortland was. And so on and so forth.

“Now; here is where it gets uncanny for you, Sunshine.” Bon Bon spoke almost mockingly. “Every. Single. Airborne. Operation - that just so happens to be related to the Nuclear Bombs - happens with you and your rag-tag group of ‘friends’. You need to explain every single one of them.”

I stared at all of the scattered papers in front of me once more.

“How come I don’t remember any of this - the Operation: Lavender thing? I was still in the Ruby Mountains when it all happened. The enemy made no such attack on the mountaintop back then.”

“They did not, you’re correct. The Mountains were left untouched because the Changelings could not muster enough Ponypower and material supply for a campaign in the mountains - supply areas were too low and we happened to be superior to them in that region. But the area around Mead Lake, Los Pegasus, and Twisted Tail Valley were under attack. They were hindered just short of the Pegasus River.”

“It doesn’t answer my question still, something you seem to do a lot.” I replied harshly.

Bon Bon contemplated for a moment, possibly choosing her next words cautiously. “Equestrian High Command has always struggled to turn pacifistic ponies into seasoned veterans, who were willing to charge into battle and to fight - or die - for their cause without hesitation. We would do whatever is necessary to ensure that this war was a war we must win. That being said, they couldn’t afford to have their troops questioning the officers’ authority, or competence. So they had to implement…” she tapped a hoof on her chin for a moment, her expression morphed into contemplation.

“Think of it as an information quarantine.” she amended. “If ponies heard about the losses we were experiencing, or if they heard that Canterlot was theoretically about to be besieged, then it would’ve hindered their morale substantially. They had to keep their soldiers in line and combat-ready at all times. If it meant lying to them in order to control them, then so be it.”

I didn’t respond to that. The thought of living in a world where all of this was, not only possible but also a reality, saddened me greatly. I now felt even more guilty and terrible that I had lived through such a dark period of time.

“Now, back to the task at hoof.” Bon Bon broke the silence. “You were deployed to Hjortland as a part of a commando detachment for a special raid. Only your squad was tasked to finding any hint of information regarding Changeling Nuclear Weaponry. What happened over there?”

My mind began to wander and trail back to the past once more. I remember it being temperate and crowded...

Undisclosed Airbase, June 9th, 1014. 06:46 CST.

My eyesight followed a lone plane that was soaring way above us, flying North. I didn’t have the knowledge to interpret what kind of plane it was. All I could tell was that it was fairly large, with twin-engines instead of a single. It was kind of hard to see it at the dawn of the morning. Celestia hadn’t raised the sun properly yet, but the radiant light was breaking above the horizon, dimly illuminating the sky in a pinkish-yellow haze.

I averted my gaze back toward the grassy ground, finding myself in a single file line that was leading towards another twin-engine aircraft that happened to be parked along a runway. In front and behind that plane were more planes just like it, and each of them had a line that stretched away from it. There were about a hundred or so planes of the same type, each of them with a line of its own. The Aircraft was placed in a parallel formation from one another - side to side - all of them facing one direction.

The sounds of engines sputtering to life, ponies chatting with one another as they waited to embark on the aircraft, and officers barking names at others for roll call. It was chaotic, but it was good chaos. It felt familiar and somewhat more comforting than being on the frontline. Not as chaotic as going through Commando Training, however.

Commando Training was - without a doubt - the worst experience I’ve ever had with other ponies. Basic Training was bad enough, having officers yell at you constantly while overexerting yourself through physical exercises. It’s even worse when the training is more difficult, the officers louder and cruder, and when they were taking potshots at the ground next to you whenever you were delaying or doing something wrong.

And if you screwed up big time, you were punished severely for it. It can vary based on the punishable offense. Didn’t perform an obstacle course correctly? Starved for a day. Talked back to an officer? Spent a day in The Hole - no sunlight, no food, no water, and a hard dirt floor to cozy up with for 24 hours.

I’ve experienced The Hole first hoof when I accidentally spilled an irate officer’s cigarette pack. It was raining violently that day, and I had dropped all of the contents onto the muddy water when colliding into him by accident in training, ruining them entirely. He personally struck me in the face with a hoof before sending me to the hole. At least I didn’t have to deal with him anymore.

Still, as much as I hated every living second of it, I understood the reasoning behind their harshness. Even if I am a little biased against one particular officer, they were only teaching me how to survive in the worst environments imaginable. To adapt to winning a war is to adapt to the environment around you. We also were taught advanced rifle handling (as advanced as one can handle a firearm with hooves, instead of fingers or talons.)

They taught us many things, so many I cannot list them all. Syringe was given extensive Combat Surgeon Training, Storm Cloud had extensive training on the various weak point of armor that Tanks had, and Pumpkin was even more skilled with her rifle. Syringe could stitch up any major wound that would normally be fatal on the battlefield if left unattended. She would be a lifesaver now, though she already was to me.

“This is a really long and slow line.” Rain Drop muttered in front of me, as the row of ponies leading towards the aircraft we were embarking was trudging along.

“I prefer a few extra minutes of peace instead of sitting in a plane, cramped, possibly waiting to die.” Syringe replied behind me.

“Pussies.” Rain Drop whispered. Syringe didn’t seem to hear. I kept my mouth shut to avoid the altercation.

About 5 minutes had passed before we were finally boarding our plane. It was just like how Syringe had mentioned it; Cramped. The passenger area was a long and narrow walkway between two long rows of poorly made cushioned seats, with tether ropes connecting ponies to the roof of the plane should they happen to fall off. However, those contraptions were for non-pegasi ponies, as we could just hover in place with our wings should we fall out of the aircraft.

The possibility of us dying, however, was moderate - and not just because we were about to fight Changelings behind enemy lines either. These were newer state-of-the-art Transport planes with an extended range that had just arrived out of commissions. I think they were called “C-47”, or something of the sort. But the ponies always talked about how unreliable these aircraft were, and how they were prone to mechanical failure in mid-flight. The chances of failure, while we were flying, were apparent. Though I couldn’t say it was a high probability, it definitely could happen to anypony. But the only way we could reach Hjortland was with these aircraft, so we had no choice but to fly in them. we would also have to rely on flying toward Vanhoover by ourselves if we wished to escape from Hjortland.

I followed Rain Drop towards a spot of seats that had enough space for me, Syringe, and Rain Drop to sit close by. I scanned the whole cabin of seats to find Dominoes, Brass, Pumpkin Patch, and Morning Dew. Of course, they were coming with us. We had a different objective among these other ponies. For one, only us few knew of the Nuclear Weaponry that’s running amok somewhere in the world. The basic objective for everypony participating in this raid was to destroy the Radar Station that was planted in Hjortland. Apparently, High Command wanted to establish some sort of Naval Supremacy along the coastline, in the hopes of conjuring a Naval Invasion in the former country of Olenia. Or so I’ve heard.

“It smells… pungent. I can almost taste the ammonia.” Syringe muttered again.

“Somepony’s scared pissless, then.” Rain replied.

“Ugh. I just hope this ride won’t take long.”

“Me too.” I spoke up. “If somepony wetted themselves, I don’t want to remain in that same area as them for too long.” As I continued scanning, I eventually found the rest of our squad, who were all sitting beside one another while having an idle conversation. They didn’t notice us, but I could see them. They were somewhat in the middle, while I was towards the nose.

“We’re taking off in 2!” a pony yelled across the cabin from the front of the craft to announce us. He stepped back inside the doors leading towards the cockpit.

I looked over to my left and saw Rain Drop staring into space. He seemed completely torn from reality as if he was daydreaming. A curious, lingering part of me had always wanted to ask him a question ever since Vanhoover. Now seemed to be my chance. I tapped his whither, which snapped him out of his trance.

“Can I ask you something?” I spoke. He sighed as he closed his eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again to gaze toward me.

“Sure, why not?” he spoke sarcastically optimistic.

“Um…” I hesitated. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but…” I pondered on how I should ask this. It was a very personal question, for sure. And we were surrounded by other ponies that could tune in on us. But that didn’t really matter, as there were idle conversations all around us, dulling the volume of my voice. I doubt that all of them would hear us. Still, I was unsure how to approach this conundrum.

“But what?” Rain prompted me to speak. I took a breath.

“How did your friend perish, i-if you don’t mind me asking that is.” I stuttered.

He didn’t respond. Not at first, anyway. He stared at me with the same expression he had before, unchanging. Slowly, he looked forward again and gave out a big breath. “Whew; when you pick one you pick the big one, huh?”

“Uh… sorry, I was just… it’s just, well…” I stuttered again, trying to find my words. Rain Drop patiently waited for me this time. I took another breath. “When we were in Vanhoover, you mentioned something briefly about a dead friend… because of your blind obedience. What did you mean by that?”

“What do you think.” he spoke evenly. It didn’t sound like a question.

“Uh… did… did you leave him behind, or… something?” I asked pathetically.

Rain scoffed at that question. “No, that’s not what happened.” he spoke just as evenly as before. It sounded eerie, comparing casual-Rain Drop to serious-Rain Drop. “I just… made a mistake, that’s all.”

“But-”

“Look, Sunshine, let me tell you something.” he began, interrupting what I was gonna say. “If we were best pals, or if I’m on death’s bed and I knew I was done for, or if I’m piss drunk trying to drown my sorrows - maybe then I’ll tell you. But right now, I’m just trying to get this day over with. And I certainly don’t want to talk about my woes right now. So please leave me alone.” he concluded disgruntledly as he leaned back against the wall of the aircraft, closing his eyes.

“I’m sorry. I was just curious. I wasn’t intending to offend you or anything.” I meekly apologized.

“Offend me?” He gave out a long chuckle, which sounded hollow and dead. Like it was fake laughter, and not real laughter. “There isn’t a thing in the world that can offend me, Sunshine. And I know you were only trying to sate your curious appetite, I get it.” he paused. “You ever heard the saying: through hell and high water?”

I nodded.

“Well if there was a moral to my story, I guess that would be it.”

Skies over Hjortland, June 9th, 1014. 13:11 CST

I was sitting in a small space along a long and narrow bench that was hugging the interior walls of the aircraft. The Twin-Engine plane I was riding was carrying the same squad I had known well since Vanhoover, along with some fresh and unfamiliar faces as well. We were all sitting across from one another, either looking at each other or looking outside through one of the windows to gaze at the sky around us. The aircraft shook violently on numerous occasions as a result of turbulence that was plaguing our craft.

We’d been flying together, cramped in this little compartment for about 6 hours or so. All of us were wearing the same new uniform, which was distinctly different than the uniforms that every ‘regular’ soldier was wearing. The standard-issue uniform came in two variants - with and without hind-leg clothing. Either way, they were both the same: They had a polymer-cotton fabric, with magic woven seams to prevent extensive damage. Each uniform was enchanted to resist any of the natural elements, such as rain, snow, ice, mud, sand, sleet, clay, and so on.

The Commandos had different uniforms, compared to the standard rifle grunt. They were tailored and camouflaged in the same pattern as the standard issue ones, except they had an especially higher resistance to the elements. They also were made with a softer, more silky uniform for added comfort. In addition, they were also fire retardant. But that shouldn’t encourage anyone to waltz into a house in flames and expect to come out unscathed. Only the uniforms were fireproof, but the ponies inside of them were not.

There was also an insignia embroidered onto the left whither of each uniform, which was the emblem of the Commandos. The insignia had a silver-white shield, with a long broadsword pointing its blade downward behind the shield. Painted on the shield was the Sun and the Moon, orbiting around each other in a constant cycle of movement (If insignias could move, the Sun and Moon would be moving clockwise circularly, in tandem with one another). There was the motto of the Commandos stitched under the shield, and it read:

“For Harmony, We Fight.”

Below that insignia, there was a band of colored tape that was locked in place around the foreleg of everypony’s uniform. Everypony had a tape, but some were of different colors. I looked around the cabin and found tapes with the colors blue, yellow, silver, pink, magenta, and red.

My eyes wandered and stared through the window behind me, as I saw giant monoliths of white clouds drifting aimlessly through the blue haze of the sky. We were about one kilometer up high in the air or so, just barely below the cloud cover. Off to the side of our craft were other aircraft just like ours. There were about 60 or more of these planes in the sky with us, flying toward the same objective. We’ve been escorted by friendly planes for the first hour or so of the journey from the airfield. No interceptor came after us the whole way through. After the escorts left us, we’d been on our own for hours across an open Ocean. The sight was beautiful to look at when we weren’t busy fearing for our lives, but it got boring and mundane after the second hour.

Flying toward Hjortland was our goal. Brass Screws was given orders by her superiors back in airbase before we took off, and has told us that she will relay those orders when we were over our target destination. I knew somewhere in my mind that the real objective that my squad had was especially related to the Bombs that we found under the Vault. When they were carefully extracted out of Vanhoover, we were told to find the last one at all costs.

It was like we were being sent on a wild goose chase, one that could yield us absolutely nothing and could very well end our lives. Like finding a needle in a barn full of hay. But we had no choice. It was either this or face prosecution and worse. We may as well be writing our epitaphs.

The door leading to the Cockpit slid open, revealing the co-pilot. “We’re 5 minutes out of the target area. Ready up!” he announced. Each of us proceeded to gather our bearing and our wits, steeling our resolve for the task ahead. The door slid open again, revealing the only officer in this plane - which was Brass Screws.

“Alright, listen up! You’re all briefed on who to follow, and where to land, but listen closely! Should you happen to be separated, your squad leaders will pop a colored flare to reveal their location. You will have a window of 3 minutes to get there before the flare goes out. Depending on the color of tape you have will depend on what color of flare you should be looking for.” I gazed down at my foreleg, and sure enough, I found a magenta-colored tape that was encircling my arm.

“I will now brief you on the task ahead. We are raiding the city of Hjortland, for we have acquired intelligence that the enemy is Harboring a radar station in the vicinity. We are moving in to eliminate the station, and to fly back towards the airfield in Vanhoover for exfil. After that, we’re on our own.”

Ponies shifted in their seats, yet none of them said a word. Each of them looked calm and collected, despite the very real possibility that they would die. “I know this is a tall order, but High Command wouldn’t have issued this order if they lacked faith in us. They expect no less from the Commandos, and we’re going to prove it to them that we are capable of these kinds of missions!” Brass concluded encouragingly. Nopony didn’t react and instead were silent, waiting for real orders.

“Right, well, we’re approaching the area in a few minutes. Pegasi - You all know where to land, who to meet up with, and you all know the passcode - correct?”

A bunch of heads started nodding, each of them mute.

“Excellent. Now, Non-Pegasi: you know where to rendezvous on the off chance we get separated, correct?” More heads nodding. “Outstanding! Ready up, we’re jumping in 3!”

Just as Brass finished her sentence, a thunderous boom shattered the aircraft. It groaned in exertion and shook for a moment, before calming down. Then another boom. And another. And another.

I gazed out through one of the windows and found hundreds of tiny black clouds of smoke littering the sky all around us, erupting and dissipating at such a rapid rate. Flak guns were firing at us now, trying to score some kind of hit. The plane that was carrying all of us was shaking violently at the amount of flak there was but was otherwise unscathed. I kept jittering in my seat at all of the tiny explosions.

“Everypony hang on to something!” Brass called out while standing on her hind legs, grabbing a hold of the handle to the cabin door with her hooves. (Don’t ask me how, because I don’t even know.)

The lights on the ceiling changed color. The bulb was flashing red all around inside the belly of the plane, signaling that it's time to prepare for exfil. Earth Ponies and Unicorns sat up individually first, attaching the tether ropes to themselves as they trotted slowly towards the front of the plane. The co-pilot revealed himself again, and was now standing beside the cargo door along the starboard side.

“Officers jump first, then Non-pegasi! When the first wave is done jumping, the Pegasi can go!” The co-pilot yelled over the sound of flak and engines rumbling. I gazed at the window again, peeking just in time to see a flak cloud obliterate a piece of hull from a neighboring Transport plan. Charred metal along with a gaping hole in the port side caused the craft to dangerously list in one direction. It peered off so violently that it crashed nose first into another plane. The two aircraft were now twisted, deformed, and burning as they both descended down rapidly. The fact that nopony managed to get out of either of them sent my heart dropping to my stomach. Fear wracked my being. And unlike the last time in Vanhoover, Princess Luna wasn’t here to encourage us. All of that special training for those ponies - all for naught.

“One minute!” the co-pilot yelled. More non-pegasi ponies began lining up along cabin door, eagerly waiting for the go-ahead. “Pegasi: when the first group drops, focus on getting out of the plane, and not getting in order! We have a small window of time, so make it count!” Ponies all around us were patting our pockets, saying prayers, loading and cocking our weapons, and steeling our resolve for the upcoming conflict. I noticed that Syringe and Rain Drop remained stoic and silent, while the line of ponies blocked my view of the others. More flak clouds dotting the sky, some of them too close for comfort.

“Thirty seconds!”

I patted my vest pockets along my chest, feeling the solid cover of the two books I've recovered from Vanhoover Library. They were sealed shut in my vest, but I was doubtful that I would have them by the end of today. They could be ruined one way or another after today. In fact, I was unsure why I brought them with me from Vanhoover in the first place. At the time I felt like I needed to know more about… well, anything really. The bookworm inside of me yearned to find any kind of knowledge that is either interesting or beneficial. But I don’t think these books will survive the next hour, let alone the next day.

The light along the ceiling changed color again, this time tinting the interior with a lime green color. The co-pilot started to motion his hoof out toward the door as he opened it.

“GO GO GO!” he yelled while waving his hoof towards the door. Ponies began to jump out one by one. Gazing out the window again, I saw large pieces of parachutes trailing from various ponies as they ejected themselves out of the aircraft. Flak clouds continue to dot around us, some of them barely missing the falling ponies. There were at least hundreds of chutes in the sky.

Turning my head back towards the interior, the line of ponies was shrinking rapidly. The co-pilot then prompted the rest of us to start lining up, as we Pegasi began to file up in line. I stood on my hooves, my legs wobbling from fear and from the shaking aircraft. The first Pegasi that jumped was Brass, and she wasted no time jumping out of the plane. As the line shrunk, so did my optimism. I couldn’t help but feel an intense sensation of dread tightening its vices around my heart.

The pony in front of Rain jumped. Then Rain jumped. Then I jumped.

As I jumped, the amount of sensory information invading my brain was overwhelming: The bright sunlight pouring upon my face, feeling both warm and oppressive; sounds of aircraft and flak explosions surrounding me; the smell of dried gunpowder as a byproduct of flak clouds; the sight of a desolate city, occupied only by its oppressors; the brisk sensation of wind beating against my coat, skin and eyes - Everything around me was precise, yet muffled as I was wracked with fear, adrenaline coursing my veins.

It took effort gliding my way down towards the city, as I had to dodge and weave my way around a few falling parachutes and even a flaming wreck of a transport plane that was descending downward. The Paratroopers were easy targets for the Changelings, like shooting fish in a barrel. They were falling down to slow, and their chutes were too wide for them to be inconspicuous. Some of the Flak Guns seemed to be deliberately targeting their chutes, causing them to fall and land with fatal haste.

My sense of sound was somewhat hindered during the flight, as everything sounded like I was underwater. But as I glided closer towards the ground while following Rain Drop, I felt more and more aware of my senses. The moment my hooves touched the cracked and weathered concrete, my hearing had returned to me in full. I instinctively looked up toward the sky, seeing at least a hundred planes behind the first wave that had just released its passengers.

A hundred more chutes dotted the air, some of them falling abnormally faster than others. I watched with a nauseous feeling in my stomach as I saw a pony fall to his death in the water, while he was struggling to escape his chute out of desperation. He splashed into the water at terminal velocity, and did not resurface. His chute was sinking with him.

I gazed up at the sky above the planes. The clouds reaching towards the southern sea were partly discombobulated, revealing patches of vibrant blue. The sky towards the city, however, was more cloudy and darker - giving Hjortland the immediate impression of a non-pleasant atmosphere.

“Hey, Sunshine, let's go!” Rain quickly tapped on my side. “We gotta regroup with the others before those Changelings realize what’s happening.”

“Right, right.” I said with haste, turning my attention back towards some of the buildings that littered the seawall street. Olenian Architecture was much more gothic compared to Equestrian. Most of the buildings had a sense of decor and theme attached to it that screamed “medieval”. The walls were standing upon a cobblestone foundation, which looked expertly masoned. The walls themselves looked something like plywood and lumber mixed into one material. The roofs were sloped and tiled just like equestrian’s roofs were, but the chimneys and columns of stone had a gothic lightning rod attached to each building, giving it an “old fashioned” feel to it.

Rain Drop was trotting towards a small group of ponies who were assessing their equipment upon landing. All of them were Pegasi, but I only recognized one of them - Morning Dew. She had her signature radio pack on her. “Dew, have you seen Brass land yet?” Rain yelled as we trotted closer.

“Negative. I lost track of her in the chaos.” she answered while gazing upward towards the cluster of planes and flak clouds. Gunfire suddenly sounded from the streets, heading further inland to the city. None of it seemed directed toward us. “She’ll launch her flare and we’ll rendezvous there. I wouldn’t worry just yet.”

“Fuck, I hate airborne ops.” a random pegasus complained to himself as he struggled to load his weapon. I noticed his tape was colored yellow. “Always something going wrong.”

A sound then emitted from the pack on Morning’s Radio Pack. it was a buzz of static, quickly followed by a frantic voice and the sound of gunfire spontaneously going off. “Cloudsdale, Advance further Southwest! Fight your way towards Main Avenue, and establish a forward operating station!” The order was awfully tall. Morning didn’t bother to reply to it.

“Hey Sunshine, can you fly up to the roof and find our flare?” Rain requested as he pointed to his magenta-colored tape that encircled his foreleg.

“Yeah.” I simply answered, whilst unfurling my wings for flight. A few seconds later, I was gazing across the skyline of Hjortland… and it would’ve been a beautiful sight, if we hadn’t been busy fighting a war. Tracers were flying up into the sky as they attempted to strike the transports buzzing overhead. I could hear warfare envelope the soundscape around me once more. Not as much screaming this time around, thankfully.

“See anything?” Rain yelled from below.

“No, I got nothing. Keep an eye out and don’t get flanked.” I yelled back to Rain. He nodded and started barking orders at the ponies below me. I raised my weapon and set it upon the ridge of the roof as I scanned the skyline for anything that might give anything away. So far, there was nothing but a desolate skyline. I then saw why it looked so barren. Many of the buildings were still in ruins...

Some of the roofs had gaping holes in them. Some buildings were not even standing at all, and instead just reduced to piles of rubble. And some of them were left untouched but were stained with ash and grime from the devastation around them. It almost looked apocalyptic.

Fshhhh!

Out of thin air, a vibrant purple-tinted flare was shot up from the sky about 200 meters away from the sea, leading further into the city. It gently floated upward in the air as it descended downward, slow as molasses.

I quickly pulled out my compass and opened its cap to find the bearing of the flare. It was just to our Northwest, bearing 334.

“Hey, I see it!” I yelled down to Rain, but he didn’t respond. He was busy assessing the situation with more ponies that were just now arriving toward the ground. One of the paratroopers was struggling to escape his chute. I assumed Rain didn’t hear me.

I carefully scooted down the roof closer towards him. “HEEEY!” I yelled down again, louder.

“WHAT?!” Rain finally said back, sounding disgruntled.

“I see the flare! It’s…” I checked my compass again to quickly double-check. “It’s Northwest, bearing 334, about… I’d say 200 meters out.”

“Alright, good! Everypony with Purple Tape on their arms, on me! We’re leaving.” Rain called out to the group, and only a few ponies followed. Rain then took off and flew towards me to see the flare for himself. When he reached the ridge, he was muttering some numbers to himself. I assumed he was calculating distance and bearing. Morning Dew then arrived near us, followed by Dominoes as she had just landed.

“Okay, we make a beeline straight towards that flare and just fly ‘till we get there. Don’t stop for a second, alright?” Rain asked all of us. We each nodded, aware of what was to come should we be spotted. “Okay, wait here. We’ll leave on my mark.”

Rain then took off vertically and scanned the area beyond the buildings we were at. He flew left and right, not taking any fire from anywhere. He then flew back towards us, panting.

“Okay, it looks clear… Go!” Rain bellowed, and we all took off.

It only took us a minute or so to reach where the flare was at. When we arrived, we frantically scanned the ground below us to find Brass and the others. I scanned several streets below me. Some of them straight and narrow with roads peeling off its sides, other forming ana intersection with a cross shape.

As I searched one of these intersections, I then saw a crimson figure waving her hooves at us like a mad pony, desperately trying to grab our attention. She was standing atop the roof of a ruined grocer. It was located in the northwestern-most corner of the intersection. Its distinctive look was the lights that hung over the crossroads.

“I see her! There!” I called out and pointed a hoof towards the roof. Rain, Morning, and Dominoes all gazed in the direction I was pointing.

“Could be Changeling.” Rain said. I gazed at him suspectively at first, just to see him perform the Passcode gesture, the standard cross of the hooves. Soon, I repeated the same gestures. Morning and Dominoes followed suit shortly after.

The red figure stopped waving her hooves for a moment. At that moment, my heart felt like it stopped for a split second. But, thankfully, the figure responded with a cross of the hooves herself.

“Yep, that’s her.“ Rain then announced for all of us, making me feel more at ease. We wasted no time meeting up with her shortly after, as we all landed on the roof of her building.

“Took you long enough!” Brass berated as soon as we landed.

“Came as fast as we could.” Rain said. “Saw you flare, then followed.”

“At least you’re in one piece.” Brass said, as she counted us. “Only 4. Okay, so we’re missing two then.”

“You have one? Who’s with you?” I inquired Brass.

“Pumpkin Patch. He’s guarding North Street right now. That means we’re missing…” Brass took a moment to remember the names. “Storm cloud and Syringe.”

“What are our orders now, sarge?” Morning Dew asked.

Brass didn’t immediately answer. She took a moment to ponder the situation that was given to her. It took about a full minute before she finally answered. “We can’t stay here, that’s for sure. Changelings definitely noticed that flare from anywhere, and it’s only a matter of time before a squad, or a whole brigade of them show up.”

“Are you suggesting we just leave them?” I asked. How could she suggest that?! “Why would we want to leave Syringe and Storm behind? And where can we go!?”

“Shut it!” Brass snapped at me fiercely but in a soft volume. “Do you want the whole fucking city to know we’re here!?”

I gazed around at all of the monolithic and vacant apartments and storefronts that display themselves in sublime quiet before me. Not a sound or sight was noticed.

“Morning, lower your transmission volume.” He order, to which she immediately obeyed while reaching toward a knob on her pack. “We need to find a safer location and fire another flare. Then we can find the rest of our squad, Sunshine.” Brass spoke my name slowly, to emphasize something. But I didn’t know what.

I then heard the sound of flapping wings from above, which momentarily startled me. I then saw as Pumpkin Patch landed on the roof between me and Brass.

“6 Contacts, all infantry, about 100 meters out from North Street. They didn’t see me.” he spoke quickly to Brass.

She facehoofed and groaned. “Great. Just what I needed.”

“Where do you need us?” Rain then asked.

“We’ll occupy a single rooftop, and shoot down at them all at once. I don’t want to waste more ammo than we can. Now, on me!” She ordered, as she spread her wings to take off. We all followed suit while she guided us to the roof of an apartment just to the south of the Grocer. There, Brass took position behind a sloped crevice behind the ridge of a rooftop. We all took position beside her.

“I want every rifle aimed at North Street.” Brass ordered quietly whilst pointing a hoof, as we all complied. At that point, we all waited. I held my breath.

For 10 seconds, nothing. 20 seconds, nothing. 30 seconds, still nothing…

At 40 seconds, I exhaled slowly and held my breath again. 10 seconds. 20 seconds…

Finally, I saw shadowy figures of equines trotting across the street. They were all tinted black, no multi-colored coats insight. Definitely looks like Changelings. I gazed at Brass through the corner of my eye, and saw her peeking at the changelings with binoculars.

“Fire.” Brass spoke, plain and simple. And not even one second later, rifles started popping. Mine did as well. I saw 2 of the 6 figures go down within the first salvo of shots. By the second salvo, the group separated as they attempted to take cover in the corner store between North Street and West street. By the third salvo, 3 more of them were gone. The last one had taken cover inside the store after making a run for it. And just like that, it was over. I exhaled loudly, after what felt like mere seconds. Bodies were littering the streets where they just were. One of them was crawling, and we could hear his screams from here. It sounded like agony.

Pumpkin Patch took another shot, as the Changeling jerked one last time before going still. All that remained was the sight of corpses and the smell of gunpowder.

“Ceasefire.” Brass spoke again, still and soft. I found it chilling how she remained so calm in all of that noise. “Reload.”

Each of us complied, as we each took a stripper clip out from our vest pockets, and proceeded to load our weapons. The beauty and simplicity of this weapon and the clips, however, is the loading mechanisms embedded into the chamber, made specifically for the magnetic horseshoes. You would plant the clip into a slot as you load it into the chamber - like when you lock a door. Then you slide it down until you can’t slide anymore, and simply pull the clip out to stuff it back into your pocket.

I’d kiss the pony whomever made reloading so simple for us hooved creatures. And at the same time, kick them in the abdomen for whoever did the same thing for Changelings.

“Only one left. And he’s in a place where we can’t shoot him.” Brass muttered, still as a mouse.

“Orders?” Rain asked quietly.

“We move. He’s a dead bug either way, we can’t waste more time on just one-”

Blam!

A single gunshot went off from within the grocer, but no bullets were hurled towards us. Not even a crack. Just a still, lonely shot. I was confused as to what else the changeling could shoot at besides himself.

Then I had the chilling realization that it might’ve been directed toward himself.

“Did… did he just… off himself?” I asked aloud.

“No idea. Maybe.” Brass responded.

“Why would they? That seems… pointless.” Rain butted in.

“Cut the chatter.” Brass ordered. She then took her binoculars out and scanned the building. “I don’t know what he did, but we’re not staying here to find out. We need to move, now.”

“Where?” I asked.

“Some place closer to where we can find information. I’m thinking-”

Morning Dew’s pack suddenly buzzed to life. A voice sounding guttural and loud officer breaks the silence with a somewhat quiet transmission. The sound of gunfire wasn’t as intrusive. “Mayday Mayday, this is Pheonix Company! Panzer group sighting on 76th Avenue, heading Eastbound! Reckon’ the Bugger ‘ll be at the next intersection in about 45.” the transmission announced. Morning reflexively lowered transmission volume by just a tad.

Another voice spoke in the transmission soon after, this one sounding cool and laid back as distant and this time sporadic gunfire instead filled the feedback. “Solid Copy Phoenix, uh, any interpretation on a final destination?” the new voiced asked blatantly.

“Negative. Got no chance to peek the fucker, has us pinned-” sounds of explosions soon followed suit, interrupting the officer. "Fuck, stay down! Don't let them see you!"

“Roger. Uh, All Companies be advised - Large Armoured force spotted on the way from 76th Avenue heading Eastbound. Any AT available, haul your flank over there if you can!” the calm voice transmitted for all.

“Eastbound? Isn’t that where we are at?” Rain asked aloud.

“No Squad from our division landed in the Eastern Sector. But the other Divisions landed in all parts of the city. The whole Garrison is awake now.” Brass muttered idly, while staring up at the sky.

“Where do we go?” I asked aloud.

Brass took a moment to consider her plans carefully, given the information from the transmission. “Unless we find some sort of Forward Headquarters established by the bugs, we’ll place our bits on the Royal Palace. Place like that gotta has some info!” She spoke again, sounding determined. “If there’s any place we can find valuable foreign information regarding Nuclear Weapons, it’s there. that place is locked down tighter than a thief’s purse, though.”

"What about Syringe and Storm?"

"We'll stop somewhere along the-"

Pumpkin then immediately hurled himself over the ridge of the roof and took flight by opening his wings.

“PUMPKIN! What are you... Shit!” Brass cursed as she helplessly watched him go off on his own. He landed at the wall beside the entrance, and took a peek inside. No response happened. He then retreated back a moment and stayed for a moment or two.

At a distance, it was hard to tell what he was doing, but in that lull he spontaneously jumped forward from his cover and rounded the corner, proceeding to breech inside. He soon disappeared inside.

“What do we do?” I asked while facing Brass, out of a desperate curiosity more from dread than anything.

“We hold and wait. The bastard is on his own. If he dies, we move.” Brass responded coldly. Yet in the distracting conversation, I heard not a single gunshot. I peeked over the ridge of the roof, and gazed down at the corner of the street. Still, nothing happened.

Then a pony wearing full clothing, looking just like Pumpkin Patch, sprinted out to the middle of the street. He crossed his hooves erratically, whilst hovering in the air. Afterward he thrust his hooves upward twice in a row, in a manner that was obviously staged.

Brass gave a breath, though is sounded exasperated. “I can’t believe it. It’s clear?!” Brass inquired aloud, staring at the building dumbfounded.

“He gave the signal. He did an all-clear Gesture. Unless he’s an intensely informed Changeling Infiltrator, he has to be legit” Dominoes spoke first, broad and by the book.

“I guess so.” Brass then replied. “We’ll fire another flare and wait for the others to arrive. But you’re all gonna be guarding streets until they get here, or until we leave, because I do not want another Altercation! You see Changelings, you shoot. If you fire more than one shot, than it's assumed a hot contact. Understand?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” we each responded.

“I’m gonna have words with that ballsy, fucking Pegasus!”

_ _ _

Not too long afterward, I found myself occupying another rooftop leading towards the street where the Changelings arrived from. I was alone. My task was simple enough, just keeping an eye out for intruders. I’ve been waiting here for 2 minutes now, as I just now heard the flare gun launch its projectile once more into the sky from the intersection behind me. The magenta color was dull and almost nonexistent in broad daylight, but still noticeable. The light was bright enough to be noticed by anyone from far out, Changeling or Pony.

Keeping my weapon at the ready, I aimed down toward the end of the street. It led to another crossroad intersection filled with more streetlights and walkways that morphed into the sidewalks. No figures were seen, though. I took advantage of the temporary lull and readjusted my posture while sitting on my haunches on the roof ledge. It looked… awkward, but it was the best position I had to uphold any form of sightline all along the street.

Pumpkin was occupying the western street, while Rain Drop had southern street and Dominoes took the eastern street. Brass and Morning Dew stayed inside the Grocer as Brass fired the flare. Each of us was ordered to shoot any Changeling on sight, or to escort Storm and Syringe back to the intersection grocer should we happen to discover them.

Aiming my rifle along the street to the north, I then noticed a single equine shaped silhouette turn the corner and head south, originating from the Eastern turn at the end of my road. I quickly took aim and waited for him to come closer, almost certain that it was a single Changeling. But I began to wonder why a single Changeling would be foolish enough to wander down the street by himself.

As the shape approached me closer, it seemed… off. The sunlight was breaking through the clouds and shining down upon my face in its bright glory, forcing me to squint my eyes in an effort to combat the brightness around me. Doing so made the equine shaped creature appear dark in nature, which could be easily identified as a Changeling.

I was just about to pull the trigger on the shape when I noticed that the shape was way too girthy and wide for a regular pony or changeling. Squinting my eyes again, I saw the darkness that shrouded them dissipate. It wasn’t just a single Changeling, it was two ponies hugging each other side-to-side, as they walked down the road.

The definitive detail that made me recognize them was their coats. One was silver, the other was charcoal. Syringe and Storm Cloud’s silhouettes were seen limping towards me slowly. And that wasn’t an exaggeration either, one of them was literally limping. Syringe looked as if she was supporting him with her weight to keep balance, as they both trotted slowly down the street.

At that moment, I released my weapon to sag along my side from the holster and gently hovered my way above the road toward them. I swung my hooves erratically, trying to grab their attention in anyway. Syringe paused her movement, gently lowering Storm Cloud to the ground. Then she crossed her hooves. I did the same. Syringe then gave an acknowledging gesture as an answer to my signal, and I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

I made a straight beeline towards Syringe and Storm carefully landing as I decelerated closer towards them. From up close, I could see much more clearly what was happening. Syringe was indeed carrying a bit of Storm’s weight with her wings, but not by a lot. There was a wooden beam thoroughly attached along a grotesquely bruised leg.

“What the hell happened?” I asked both of them. Syringe replied first.

“He fell.” was all she said.

“Is he injured?” Brass asked Syringe as she trudged along inside the Grocer with Storm carried by her and Morning Dew as they got closer.

“Broken Hindleg. I improvised and made a makeshift Splint, but he can’t walk on it at all.” Syringe replied hastily, as she gently laid Storm down along the interior wall on his haunches. He winced in pain as she did so.

“His wings okay? Couldn’t he have just hovered?”

“Yes, he can still fly. But with that dead weight on his leg, it won’t mend as effectively compared to setting it down and letting it heal naturally. Plus, he’ll be more exhausted at a quicker rate due to the idle pain he’s currently suffering. Making him slower, and not as agile.” Syringe quickly listed, in a matter-of-fact tone that reverberates the interior of the small market building.

“I-I’ll manage just, ah, fine in the air, Syringe.” Storm muttered. "Jus' hurts, 's all. Don't worry.

“I’m a medic, that’s my job. And no, you can’t fly.” Syringe answered seriously.

“You can’t help him anymore? Did you give him morphine?” Morning asked.

“I did, yes. I would’ve given him a rejuvenation potion, but that only heals external injuries, which he does not have. Just broken bones. If I had a proper splint and a good place to hide, I can watch over him until he fully heals. But that’s not an option.”

“Can’t you set his bones back together, like how you did it with my… you know, my wings?” I asked meekly. Syringe gave me a blank stare.

“Wings are of a different bone structure than legs. And for someone as physically fit as him, it’ll be extra difficult to set it back in the right place without causing further damage. Not to mention that it’ll be excruciatingly painful.”

“Heh, ‘physically fit’. I feel, Urngh, f-fancied already.” Storm Cloud struggled to talk, but he did so with a half-assed joke. Syringe responded with a light kick from her hind leg to his right wither, which forced a groan from Storm.

“Indeed, it's not an option. And neither is helping him.” Brass then butted in. “We have to keep moving. Our goal is the Royal Palace, just to our north, and I aim to get there ASAP while we still caught the enemy off guard.”

“Why there?” Syringe asked.

“It’s our best bet for finding any information regarding Nuclear Weaponry. We’re searching there first. If we find nothing, and the raid turns out to be successful for other squads, we continue towards the Royal Palace just Southwest of here where the others will advance to next.”

“Sounds, Hnf,reasonable.” Storm muttered between groans.

“How did his leg break anyway?” Morning asked aloud. Syringe gave a single chuckle.

“He forgot to open his wings on a drop he thought was ‘just fine’.” She answered sarcastically while gazing at her eyes at Storm’s splint.

“First time for everything, huh?” he replied. “Just lucky we didn’t run into any trouble on the way here.”

“Okay, enough idle chatter. Sunshine, I want you to go gather the others. You know where they are, find them and have them regroup here on NWC. Got it?”

“Got it.” I responded diligently.

“Be careful.” Brass then added on, as I slowly trotted out the door. I then stretched my wings thoroughly, then took off. The last thing I heard was Brass’ voice faintly commanding the rest of us as I took off. “Morning, you’re going on the roof...”

The first street I flew was West Street, straight to my right from the Grocer. From there, I could see a monolithic paved path of asphalt, cluttered with piles of litter, papers, automobiles, and sometimes even furniture. Upon closer inspection of some of the building I had found here, some of them were bombed and shelled. But they looked old and decayed, as if that had been there the whole time. It had slowly occurred to me that the buildings were damaged maybe since during the olenian war, and were never repaired.

Although the Changeling Military never even made it to Hjortland during their invasion, several news articles at the time suggested they did numerous bombing raids over the Olenian countryside. They may have directed some of those raids towards Hjortland. Some of that damage had nailed home, never to be fixed again since the annexation. It saddened and confused me how such a complex level neglect on Infrastructure and Civilization could be done from such a simple aspect of spite and hatred. The Olenians certainly didn’t deserve it, despite whatever their flaws were.

I proceeded down the street of slightly decayed, ruined apartments and storefronts. The road itself was a tile paved concrete, with some of the “tiles” becoming detached and a part of the litter that cluttered the ground. The street looked barren of all walks of life, its buildings echoing an eerie silence that had set the mood of this whole city.

Amidst the ruins, I continued to dart my eyes around me to find Pumpkin. He should be guarding Western Street right now, and he could be anywhere. I searched for about a minute or so, flying quickly from building to building - peeking in the windows (and sometimes gaping holes) to find him. No such luck. I contemplated on yelling his name, but came to the realization that it may bring the Changelings down on top of us. I continued to search.

This went on for about 2 minutes, before I finally found an apartment complex off to the side of the street, with an alleyway facing towards the north off to the right of the front entrance. The only way I could’ve assumed this building to be an apartment building was due to the sign etched in ponish that was detached from the wall above the entrance, and it read “Cozy Coat Inn.” The top 3 levels, just short of the roof, were completely obliterated beyond recognition, as a bomb must’ve landed on the roof. Inside the gaping hole on the fourth-level was a pony with a coat of bright orange. He was easy to spot, making him more conspicuous to the Changelings then the rest of us.

I flew in closer and landed atop a ruined piece of floor that stretched over the street, amidst the giant hole just behind Pumpkin. The interior of the building was equally just as damaged as the exterior, to the point where I couldn’t recognize what the original intentions of this building were. There was an overturned sofa that laid upside down further in the room. Maybe an apartment or something?

The second I felt my hooves touch the floor, Pumpkin swayed his body in one lightning fast motion. He was now laying on his side and aiming his weapon toward me. His face was even and his voice even more so. “Passcode?” was all he muttered.

“Nudum Colorum.” I responded quickly, which prompted Pumpkin to lower his weapon at me.

“What is it?” he then asked, turning back to face the street ahead of him.

“Syringe and Storm found us. We’re tasked to rendezvous on NWC and prepare to move out.”

“NWC? Northwest Corner?” he repeated.

“Yeah, the corner store we holed up in earlier. We’re meeting there. Just get there when you can. I have to find the others.”

“Wilco.” He answered, his tone flat and eerie. A shiver crossed up my spine as I observed how ‘by-the-book’ he was. He acted professional and just, and never once had he hinted his Moral Compass. He was as neutral as one can possibly be. Nevertheless, I took off and left him to find the others. When I gazed back, he was still aiming down the street. I imagine not for much longer.

I flew back towards the intersection from West Street, and then changed my course to South Street. Rain Drop was next in line to find. This street looked neater on the road itself, as the automobiles were actually parked along the side of the road, instead of being bombed and abandoned in the middle of the way like West Street. The buildings themselves looked in optimal condition making it a lot more difficult to figure out where to start looking for him.

There were nothing but apartments filling the side of the streets, with the corners of the Intersections and sometimes the front entrance of the apartments like a couple of those here in South Street being the only exceptions. I saw one in particular had a different layout than the rest. The front windows were painted with a decal of a salad and a name. The name read: “Sokka’ Salads”.

Slowing my flying to a dull hover, I carefully scanned each individual door, window, and any other apparent entrances to find Rain Drop. I was hoping to be quick and decisive in my search to prevent less time lollygagging before any more Changelings could show up. Rain seemed to be exceptional at hiding, maybe too much so for his own good.

“Rain.” I dared to mutter just beyond a whisper, loud enough to hear my voice reverberate across the empty street. No response. The silence of the street morphed with the sound of idle gunfire in the background was all that filled the soundscape. “Rain!” I harshly added again, a bit louder this time. Still no response. I was starting to get a bit worried as to what might’ve happened. Was he captured? … no, that can’t be it. He would die first than be captured, shockingly enough. Then again, it’s not difficult to see the reasoning why - given the horrific scenes we’ve seen from Changeling occupation.

“Psst!” subtly, and quietly, a noise was heard to my right. Being 10 meters up in the air, all I saw was the wall of Sokka Salads and some leftover debris. Rain was nowhere in sight. “Down here!” the voice whispered, diverting my attention to below me.

And again, I saw nothing. Save for overturned vehicles and more litter.

I was understandably confused and somewhat startled. A voice was talking to me, and I can’t even spot where its coming from. My heart began to pump a little quicker. Suddenly, the ground literally shape shifted right before my very eyes. Or at least, that’s what I immediately assumed as I saw Rain emerge from the shifting piece of ground and casually toss it aside, like a piece of trash. The object he dropped then shifted again, its colors and appearance becoming distorted and garbled in a manner that can only be described as ‘magical’. Then the color faded into simple midnight black, as the object appeared to be a cloth of some kind.

More bewildered and confused than before, I landed deftly on my hooves beside Rain to gaze at the object on the ground. “Pretty cool, right? It’s a Chameleon Cloak. I can’t believe that I found one of these things intact!” Rain showed off, seemingly elated.

Chameleon Cloaks. I’ve heard of these before, both during training and amongst small talk with the other troops. A special piece of clothing worn by Infiltrators to hide themselves from detection spells and from air reconnaissance. From what I heard, it aids the wearer in remaining anonymous by obscuring the identity of the wearer and allows them to blend in with the environment by using a special kind of magic. Maybe not enough to fool pony on the ground right next to them, but enough to fool them at a distance.

If I’m being honest, I was skeptical of these things even existing in the first place. The whole concept sounded ludicrous to me. But lo and behold, there was one of them right in front of me. And in remarkably good condition too, despite it being abandoned.

“Where did you find this?” I asked Rain while gingerly picking up the cloak in my hooves. It felt leathery on the outer layer, and silky on the inner layer. The fabric seemed to be woven together almost seamlessly, giving it a very thin appearance.

“Inside the restaurant.” Rain answered, pointing a hoof at Sokka Salads. “It was sitting on the floor, just collecting dust. The odds of me finding one that was intact and working are second to none!” He seemed enthusiastic of his discovery.

“What are you doing here, anyway?” Rain then asked me. I tossed the cloak aside for a moment and turned towards the North. The intersection was in view, its light posts standing upright while inactive. “We found the rest. We’re meeting on Northwest Corner. We’re all regrouping there.”

“Ah.” Rain simply said. “Well, I’m bringing this with me!” gleefully, he trotted to the cloak and took hold of it with his mouth. “Brath i’ gonna nee’ thith, I thinkh.” he said with a mouthful of cloth as he began to trot away from me, unfurling his wings. I eyed the cloak with a small hint of superstition.

“You sure it’s a good idea to bring Changeling Tech with us?” I asked hesitantly. He stopped what he was doing abruptly and stared at me, like I was a map-pony. He then spat the cloak on the ground and plainly spoke.

“Yes, Sunshine, it is a good idea.” Rain said with a condescending tone. “If what I’ve heard of this thing is true, then we can definitely use it for a better purpose. Maybe if we bring a working prototype back to Equestria, we can create prototypes of our own!”

He had a valid point. Most of Changeling Technology seems devoted to fueling or improving their war machine. However I only saw it as a means to prolong the conflict, and not a means to an end. Should we happen to reverse-engineer it, things may escalate. Of course, bringing it back into Equestria would be easier said than done, making me more skeptical of the item.

Still, I couldn’t argue with his logic.

Rain Drop was staring back at the cloak on the ground. “Actually, on second thought,” Rain began as he began to lay the cloak out the hood of the cloak on its side. Afterward, he proceeded to flatten the rest of the cloak along the sidewalk. He never ceased doing so until the cloak was completely overlapping itself on both sides. Then, at an excruciatingly slow pace, he began to roll the cloak from the bottom to the hood, turning it into a roll of cloth.

“I think I would rather keep this between you and me, if you don’t mind. I may need it more later on, and you know Brass will confiscate this if she finds out.” Rain was speaking as he was doing all of this. The request he has bestowed upon me was, again, logical enough. Though I do not see how Brass would want to confiscate such a valuable item, given its purposes. It seemed biased against Brass, as if her authority wasn’t lenient enough for Rain or something.

Actually, come to think of it, the relationship between Brass and Rain has been somewhat negative for the majority of their company. They would either acknowledge each other neutrally, or be at each others’ necks in an argument. And the memories from Vanhoover regarding that Hive Spire only fortify that realization.

“Why are you standing still like that?” Rain then asked, interrupting my train of thought. “Don’t you have a job to do?” He was just now finished rolling up the chameleon cloak, as he safely stowed it in one of his Vest Pockets.

“Oh, uh- right.” I stuttered lamely. “And uh, I’ll keep the cloak a secret for you, sure.” An Idea crossed my mind. “But…”

Rain raised an eyebrow. “But what?” he asked impatiently.

“You have to follow one condition.”

Rain didn’t seem to react to that. He simply stared at me with the blankest expressions I’ve ever seen. “Are you serious?” He then asked, his tone utterly unimpressed.

“I’m not asking much. I just want to know what happened between you and your friend.” Rain grimaced, but I didn’t stop. “From what I can tell, you seem to be holding a grudge against Brass for something that happened to your friend. I want to know what that is.” He didn’t flinch nor react. He simply gazed right into my eyes for the longest time.

Then he turned away for a brief moment. He seemed to be collecting his thoughts. I gazed at his features, but he remained stoic. Not a single hint of emotion was shown on his face. Finally, he stared back at me and answered. “Why do you wanna know? You wanna smother me with pity or empathy? You wanna fix my ‘grudge’ with Brass?”

“No, I-”

“Or maybe, because you’re the inquisitive type,” Rain took several steps forward, his voice dropping low. “That you have this urge, this itch that can be scratched only by finding answers to sate your appetite of curiosity, because that’s just who you are? Because you’re just that stubborn?” He sounded threatening.

“I-”

“Sunshine, let me tell you something.” Rain took one more step, until he was just mere inches from my face. My ears drooped as I instinctively recoiled away from him slowly.

“I don’t give a single fuck about anypony but myself. If you want something from me, you have to earn it.”

He stood still as a statue, his pupils fixated directly into mine. A familiar feeling of fear took hold of me. For a few tense seconds, neither of us moved. He just continued to stare at me, as if he was taking a peek inside my soul. Finally, he turned around and proceeded to walk away.

“Go ahead and tell Brass if you want. I don’t care.” he spoke while facing away from me. Unfurling his wings, Rain then proceeded to fly back toward the intersection, leaving me behind. I didn’t follow.

I couldn’t shake the premonition that I may have made a mistake.

After that tiny verbal altercation, I flew over the buildings and made a beeline toward East Street, where Dominoes should be. Her street was relatively the same as the past two streets I’ve been on. The buildings, however, were completely flattened in some sections near the sidewalk, differentiating this road to be the most decimated one. There was no distinct pattern in the devastation, either. Just random pockets of destruction. Some of them dating as far back as from the Olenian Invasion.

I noticed that the distant and idle gunfire I’ve been hearing nonstop seemed to have increased in intensity. What used to be a collection of sporadic pops turned into an all out automatic firefight between the two sides. There must’ve been a major skirmish with an artillery gun that was occurring at this moment. I wondered if any of the other officers actually noticed our disappearance from their battle.

Dominoes was the easiest to spot out of all the others. I found her prone on the ground belly first, hugging a pile of debris that littered the center of a sidewalk as she aimed down her end of the street. Beside her to her right was another storefront, but it was damaged beyond repair. The front windows were shattered, and the front door was completely detached from the frame. I hovered down gently behind her, the sound of my hooves landing caught her attention. Peeking over her left side, she found me standing behind her.

“They here?” Dominoes asked. I nodded. “Where are they?”

“They’re in the Grocer, Northwest Corner. We’re all meeting there.” I responded quickly. She gave a single nod, and turned back to aim at the street.

“I’ll fly in about one minute. Making sure nopony’s flanking us.” Dominoes said. “Tell Brass I’ll be there in a jiffy.”

“Okay.” I simply answered, as I turned my back away from Dominoes. That was the last one. I unfurled my wings and-

“Hey, wait wait wait! Look!” Dominoes hastily called out, his volume just above a whisper. I quickly turned and looked at Dominoes, who was still aiming down the street. I looked ahead, and saw what she saw.

Changelings. There was another street that was paved horizontally in front of us, about 40 Meters out. They were walking past us, but not toward us.

“Get down, what are you doing?” Dominoes yanked the sleeve of my uniform with her teeth. I heard the slight rasp of fabric being ripped. “You want them to see us?!”

I laid belly first atop the pile of debris she was on. It poked my underbelly uncomfortably. None of the Changelings seemed to have noticed our presence as they continued down their street towards the distant firefight that was still kicking off.

“Don’t try to fly away yet. They’ll surely spot you.” Dominoes uttered softly, as she patiently aimed her rifle down. One Changeling soldier, in particular, was traveling along with their group but momentarily broke off from it and traveled down our street - only for a moment. My heart seemed to have stopped for a split second when I saw him change direction.

Then he did something… odd. And I only say “Odd”, because I didn’t actually expect changelings to do this. But the Changeling picked a remote area along the left sidewalk, turned around, shimmied with his clothing around his hind legs… and squatted. He was (thankfully) behind an automobile that had managed to crash into a wall along the sidewalk. The Changeling remained in that position for a few tense moments, darting his head around as he did so. I couldn’t help but stare.

“Is he… taking a shit?” Dominoes asked, sounding just as dumbfounded as I was.

“I think he’s taking a piss, actually,” I answered, in a feeble attempt to shed some light.

“Do they actually need to do that? They don’t… eat anything, I think.” Dominoes asked again, turning her head to face me. I only shrugged in response.

The Changeling finally shifted his position, and shimmied his clothes once again, and proceeded to quickly trot his way back into the formation of other Changelings. More were still coming while he was ‘handling his business’. There was at least a hundred of them. But not a single one of them headed in our direction.

“I think they’re almost done.” Dominoes muttered, still aiming down her street. I cocked back the bolt to check my ammo, which as secured inside the chamber. 5 shots. I slid the bolt forward then down again, and aimed toward the convoy of bugs. Amidst the idle noise of battle in the distance, I picked up a new sound I heard. A rumble. A deep one. And it was inching closer and closer, from dead ahead.

My first thought was an armored vehicle, but it sounded heavier than that. Flashbacks of the Tiger ambush from Vanhoover replayed in my mind. Fear began to take hold of me, but I kept myself from mentally wavering just yet. I still aimed ahead, taking a couple of deep breaths while doing so. The sound grew louder and louder. Barely noticeable over the gunfire, but I could hear it. Actually, I could feel it, just like in Vanhoover. It shook the core of my being.

The source of the noise was finally trudging into view from the intersection ahead, as a tank was treading down the street ahead of us. It was not, in fact, a Tiger Tank - which did little to ease my nerves. The chassis was not like a rectangular box and more like irregularly shaped blocks intermingled together, welded shut and boltened tight. The turret was also boxy, and the barrel was short and stumpy. I new It was definitely an older model of a Panzer IV, but it didn’t change the fact that it was still a tank capable of killing us.

I heard Dominoes suck in a breath quickly as she saw the Panzer trudge into view. The Changeling Infantry seemed to hug the thing as it traveled along the road. Then the Panzer stopped, and so did several Changelings around it. They all turned their heads to look at the tank, as the hatch atop the turret pried open. It revealed another Changeling, clad in an officer’s uniform.

He was gesturing the Changelings that were staring at him, then pointed a hoof straight at me and Dominoes' direction. My heart stopped again for a brief moment. But no shots were fired. The soldiers around the tank then nodded their heads and turned back toward our direction. At that moment, they began trotting down the street toward us slowly, as the commander retreated back into his hatch.

And to my despair, Panzer changed course… directly toward us.

I heard shuffling beside me, and saw Dominoes retreating behind her pile of rubble to hide. I crawled back toward her swiftly, trying to break line of sight between me and the tank.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck!” Dominoes said, clutching her temples. “We’re not meant to take on a force like that. Why are they coming toward us?”

“Dunno. Any ideas?” I asked, shimmying beside her. My heart began to gradually increase its tempo.

Dominoes took a moment to survey her surroundings. “We can’t fly back, and we can’t run back down the street. They’ll see us.” she scanned some of the buildings that were near us, and turned to look at the ruined storefront beside us. The rubble pile extended all the way to the front entrance, which was already open. “Okay, crawl. We’ll go out through the back way, and warn the others.” Dominoes said.

We soon found ourselves crawling away from certain death with nothing but a few rocks dividing that possibility. It broke line of sight, which was a godsend. As the Panzer drove ever closer to us, I noticed a few small pebbles repeatedly bounce up and down, like how they would in a suspense novel. The sight of those pebbles gave me a good idea just how heavy and powerful that tank really was. A sense of dreaded encompassed me. As I followed Dominoes inside the storefront, the interior wall his us from danger down the street.

Dominoes got up an all fours, and proceeded to gallop toward the back side of the store. She leapt over a countertop and attempted to open a door behind it. For a moment, she struggled. After numerous attempts to pry it open with her hooves, we came to the horrifying realization that it was locked.

We were trapped.

My skin began to tingle and shake uncontrollably (although that may be because of the Panzer vibrating the ground beneath me) and my breathing became erratic. “Oh for fucks sake!” Dominoes whispered to herself. She darted her head back toward the street. We could both hear changeling voices call out from the street in their native tongue, along with the deep rumble of the tank. The inescapable dread that took hold of me now morphed into something else. It was pure, unadulterated terror.

My mind was drawing a blank as to what to do. There was no staircase to retreat to (or if there was, it might’ve been behind the counter door) and the only place to hide in was behind the counter. I turned to face Dominoes, desperately hoping she had a plan. She seemed scared, yet also lost in thought.

“Do you have a frag?” Dominoes then asked. “I got a crazy idea.”

Patting down my vest, I indeed still had two No. 69 frags left in my vest. “Uh-huh!” I answered.

“Toss one, on the other side of the street.”

“What-”

“No time, just do it!” Dominoes interrupted. I didn’t know exactly what she was planning, but it wasn’t like I had any better ideas at that moment. I hastily pulled one of my grenades out, twisted the cap, pressed the trigger, and made my way to the storefront window to chuck it down the street. It landed on the far sidewalk, creating an explosion. At the exact moment the explosion went off, I heard a loud crashing sound behind me. I turned to find Dominoes bucking the door off of its hinges. “Let's go, before they realize where that came from!” Dominoes said. I followed closely behind, hearing Changelings shouting in their language.

Sure enough, the doorway revealed a storage room that had another door which led outside. And, luckily, that door wasn’t locked. We opened it, finding a derelict alleyway as we unfurled our wings for flight. Once we were outside of the alley, we diverted course back to Brass and the rest as fast as we could.

It didn’t take even a full minute before we were back in the intersection where the Grocer was. Dominoes landed first, I followed shortly after. We both galloped as fast as we could toward the Grocer from the south. As we reached the entrance, of the Grocer, we were greeted with the sight of Rain Drop, Pumpkin Patch, and the rest of the squad who was here before. Syringe was kneeling beside the door, tending to Storm Cloud. The only pony I didn’t see inside was Morning Dew, who I assumed was still on the roof.

Brass was the first to acknowledge us. She was approaching us quickly. “Tell me what the hell was with the deal with that explosion?!” she said bitterly as she stood inches from our faces.

Both of us couldn’t even get an answer out before we heard another pair of hoofsteps approach is frantically. I twisted my head to find Morning gallop past us. She quickly approached Brass, pointing a hoof to the east. “Large infantry group, about 20 of them at least! And they got a Panzer with them! They’re on East Street.” Morning said.

“Panzer? Why would they bring a fucking Panzer this way when the fighting’s literally on the other side of the fucking city?!” Storm objected.

“Maybe it was because something happened bring it here. Like, say, an explosion?” Brass sneered toward me and Dominoes. Behind Brass, I saw Rain Drop set up his MG looking to the eastern street.

“We were trapped in a storefront with a locked back door.” Dominoes started. “We couldn’t leave through the front, and bucking it was gonna reveal us anyway, so Sunshine diverted their attention away from us while I bucked the door. The blast concealed our position-”

“But it didn’t conceal our position!” Brass yelled back, not allowing Dominoes to finish. She didn’t reply. “Now, because a grenade went off in this side of the city, they’re gonna be on full alert in all sectors. That makes out job a lot more difficult.”

Brass’s harsh words somehow deeply angered me. “Would you rather we just die, is that it?!” I retorted toward her. Brass only Grimaced in response.

“We did the right thing, Sargeant. We only acted in our best interests.” Dominoes followed through after my response, reassuring my point.

“Can we wrap this up? I see the bugs coming toward us!” Rain then announced from the window. “I got a clear shot, but unfortunately so does that tank. They didn’t see me yet, though.”

“What do we do with Storm’s leg?” Morning inquired Brass. I turned to look, seeing Syringe and him laying low near the front entrance. Syringe seemed to be assessing his injuries… or something of the sort.

Syringe heard Morning’s question, and answered first, “He could hover and fly the rest of the way, but it’ll strain his leg. I don’t see a better alternative, though.”

“Dose him in morphine, and he’ll be alright.” Brass then butted in, while reaching into his vest pockets. “Alright, time’s up everypony. We’re moving out! Get your gear and let's go! The next stop is the Royal Palace. We don’t have much time, so listen carefully.” She then pulls out a scroll of paper, and unrolls it on the hardwood floor. I could hear the faint pop of gunfire, and the mighty treads of the panzer inch closer toward us.

“Do you really have to do that now?!” Rain said with urgency. “That tank’s less than 50 meters away!”

“It’ll be quick!” Brass snapped back whilst leveling out the map, not even taking the time to gaze at Rain as she answered. The map showed the city limits of the Old Town District, which was where I assumed we landed in. It was located to the Eastern-most quadrant of the city. The layout of the streets and roads were different compared to Vanhoover. The streets had more curvy turns and detours, whereas Vanhoover’s was more parallel and straight.

As Brass finished rolling out the map on the floor, a marker or some kind of pen was pulled out of her chest pocket with her teeth. She momentarily set it atop of the map. “Okay, I took the time to review this beforehoof. So listen carefully.” Retrieving the Pen in her clenched teeth, she began to make crude scribbles on the map. She circled a particularly random Intersection. “We’re right here. Our best bet to find any sort of relative information is here.”

The next location she circled was a medium sized rectangle that was located to the far northwest.

“Right now, the Allies are busy working the south end and taking out those coastal guns. We’ll find a few more up to our Northwest, but they’re not important-”

“Not important? I thought we were planning an Invasion?” I asked aloud, interrupting her.

“Not important to us.” she corrected. “We’re on info-hunting duty Sunshine, not gun-killing duty.”

I was somewhat dumbfounded about all of this. Why extend this much effort and pony power for info gathering? I mean, yes- it is a Nuclear Bomb we’re talking about here, but this seems a bit excessive. The Changelings are responding with Tanks even, to make matters worse for us.

“As I was saying, we’re going to fly our way to the Royal Palace and find an entrance that isn’t well guarded. If we can’t find one, we’ll make one using diversionary tactics. Once we’re inside, we spread out into teams of two and search the building up and down, clearing our way through quietly if we can.”

“That’s gonna be a circus to pull off, you know.” Pumpkin commented dryly.

“It’s a tall order, yes, but it’s our duty. We must because nopony else will.” Brass said.

“Hate to interrupt,” Rain then called out from the window, somewhat low in volume. “but those bugs are gonna see us very soon if we don’t get a move on!”

“Alright, let’s go then!” Brass announced, while hastily rolling up her map. Everypony began moving away from Rain.

“Uh.” Rain spoke with alarm, backing away from the window with a frantic pace. “That tank is aiming right at us.”

“Did they spot us?” Brass asked.

“I didn’t see any signals or recognition.” Rain replied quickly. “It feels wrong though.”

The whole squad was backed away from the wall closest to the Changelings. We all were somewhat huddled near each of us.

“Let’s fucking go, before they-”

Ka-POOOOOOM!

Brass never finished her sentence as a Panzer shell slammed into the side of the building, creating a mighty explosion. No shrapnel managed to hit me. The force of the blast knocked my balance off, as it did to the rest of us. There was now a gaping hole in the building, sunlight pouring through the smog and dust. An intense ringing filled my ears.

“Move, get the fuck out!” Brass yelled while standing herself up, as we all ran in the other direction. Gunfire then immediately to pop behind us, bullets whizzing just mere millimeters from our heads. I instinctively ducked down and laid both my hooves over my helmet for a brief moment, watching as my squadmates struggled to trot out of the building while under fire. I saw Syringe Dragging Storm Cloud with her teeth biting his uniform collar, while he fired back through the gaping Panzer hole.

I stood up frantically, only to be stopped by a sharp pain in my left hindleg. I looked down below my abdomen and saw a bloody hole in the sleeve of my pant leg. I didn’t even feel the bullet hit me. Feeling the thickness of the blood seeping my coat, it was both sobering and petrifying being able to see me bleed before my eyes.

“We can’t fly!” Syringe called out amidst the chaos. It wasn’t hard to see why; the steady stream of gunfire seemed to have increased tenfold, bullets occupying the air above our heads. We all were forced to keep low to the ground.

I quickly looked around in a panic, letting pure instinct asses my decisions. I looked for a way out, a place to shelter ourselves and hide. The buildings proved hopeless, they would fire that Panzer and obliterate us inside. The gunfire prevented any sort of Lateral Movement.

I then noticed a shape embedded in the street beside me. A circle plate. I crawled slowly toward it, keeping my head down below the hail of bullets. Rain was doing his best to provide counter fire from his MG, keeping whoever was shooting at us at bay. I reached the circle in the ground, and read the inscription.

“Sewage”

Another mighty explosion occurred within the building we were just in, shaking the ground beneath me. Pure, unfiltered fear took control of me. In desperation, I planted a hoof over the metal of the circle, silently praying for the lid to be magnetable. These horseshoes were magically infused, so theoretically they should connect to any metal. To my great ecstasy, the grate locked on instantly. I pulled with all my might, and the grate revealed a hole barely wide enough for a Pony.

“HEY!” I yelled out toward my squad. Between my yelling, and the sound of gunfire, none of them responded. “HEY!” I practically screeched the word. A few heads turned to face me, some of them busy returning fire.

“I FOUND A WAY OUT! THROUGH HERE!” I yelled loudly again. They then saw me climb through the hole bottom first, slowly due to my shot up leg. The hole was not restricted by a small tunnel, and a ladder to climb. Grabbing the sides of the ladder frame with my hooves, I carefully slid down and used my wings to decelerate my fall. When I found my way out of the tunnel, I knew I was in the real sewers. Smelling the Stool infested waters was more than enough proof for me.

I was floating with my wings above the walkway beside the canal of sewage water, when I heard voices above me through. Soon after, one pony quickly fled through the tunnel. It was Dominoes as the first one to go through. Then Syringe, followed by Syringe. Then Pumpkin, then Brass, then Rain as he was the only one providing covering fire for the others - or at least, that's what I assumed.

When Rain fled through the sewage, he quickly grabbed a hold of the grate lid and sealed the tunnel shut over us. Being the only source of sunlight, the chasm around us immediately dimmed.

“Fucking hell… Is everyone alright?” Brass called out through the Darkness.

No responses. Only paced breathing and groans were heard in the abyss around me.

“Everypony, flashlights.” Brass then ordered. I was flapping my wings in a slow and steady pace, preventing directional movement and staying in one position. After some fumbling around in my pack I eventually found the Torch that was fastened in the chest of my uniform. The pain in my leg only grew more intense. Flicking the switch on, bright artificial light surrounded my vision. I could see everypony else sitting on their haunches. Syringe was tending to Storm as he sat against the wall and aimed in one direction to cover us.

“Live check, who’s still with us?” Brass said, scanning each of us in the light. I counted alongside him silently, finding nopony out of place and lost. Everypony raised their hoof, to which Brass counted. We were all here, in one piece at least. “Okay. Uh… Where the hell are we?”

Brass looked around the chasm we were in. It was a big enough for all of us to fit in one walkway that was on each side of the canal of sewage water. The tunnel split into two directions, each of them following the layout of the street we were just at above. But beyond that, I couldn’t see much. It was pitch black in both directions, no source of artificial light elsewhere.

The deep rumble of the Panzer could still be heard from above us, as well as muffled voices. The gunfire had ceased at least. But the fear of them finding this hole and pursuing us seemed apt in this situation. Instinctively, my gun never aimed away from the sewer entrance.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Brass reaching into her vest pockets. Pulling out in her hoof was a compass. Putting the compass in her mouth, she proceeded to pull the magnetic horseshoe off of her hoof, to prevent any interference with the compass.

“Okay okay… Palace is Northwest, so… we go this way.” Brass pointed in the direction that was closer toward the lid above us, mainly at the tunnel behind that. “It goes north, then diverted to either East or West. We’re going west, and we keep going from there.”

“We’re still on the mission?” Rain asked inauspiciously. “I’d say we get the fuck out of here!”

“And say what to High Command, huh? That we just left without taking a peek?”

“We almost got blown to pieces from a fucking tank! Am I the only one thinking reasonably here!?” Rain protested, looking around to eyeball each of us. I slowly hovered down and landed on my good leg, sitting on my haunches soon after. I winced upon landing. The pain sucked.

“Syringe,” I called out meekly, my voice unable to overpower both Brass’s and Rain’s. Thankfully, she managed to hear it and immediately noticed the bloody hole in my leg. Storm seemed to be okay with his leg, and immediately went towards me. “What is it with you ponies getting leg injuries all the time.” She said rather than asked. I didn’t bother to answer as she proceeded to prod my wound painfully. There were two holes, meaning the bullet went clean through. “At least nothing’s broken.”

“Why are we risking our necks in the most dangerous areas known to ponykind? Why this level of extremity in our missions?” Rain asked again, still arguing with Brass.

“If you have a better plan of action then what I got, let’s hear it.” Brass prompted. “Go on - tell us your plan, Rain Drop, I’m sure it must lead us to a better location than this shithole, right?” Brass extended both her hooves out, emphasizing the environment we were in.

It was a literal shithole.

Rain had no answer nor reply stored up for Brass’s intrusive comment. Everypony else was silently on edge, having survived such a close encounter. The tank’s engine and treads were heard directly above us, and for a moment nobody spoke. We waited in for something to happen on the surface for a few tense moments that felt like several lifetimes. The voices were louder, but still indistinct. The treads of the Panzer were moving… North, I think. It was hard to tell.

But nothing happened to the lid, the only thing standing between us and certain death. No changeling opened it, no explosion tore it apart, no gunfire was heard - it was eerily quiet, but not totally silent. Nopony dared to make even a peep.

As Syringe was finishing up bandaging my wound, she inserted a syringe (pun not intended) of Morphine into my lower abdomen. Soon enough, the pain will die down to a dull roar rather than a burning howl. It still made me wince when she touched the area around it, sharp tendrils of pain jabbing my leg.

“As I said, this is the best plan we got.” Brass said. “If you don’t like it Rain, you can always just walk away.”

Rain looked irate the moment she uttered those words, as if she set off a chain reaction of memories and emotions within Rain’s subconscious. But no response was given. He could only seeth to himself in silence.

Brass then noticed Syringe fixing my leg. “What’s wrong with her?”

“Shot. She can still walk on it, but she can’t put too much pressure on it.”

“Can she still shoot?”

Syringe didn’t answer immediately. She looked at Brass, muddled at her question. “In theory, yes.”

“Then we still got a chance. Hurry up with that so we can move-”

Blinding light flashed in our eyes from both directions, so bright I couldn't see where it was coming from. A feminime voice pierced through the light. “PYSY MISSÄ OLET!” it said, though I don’t know what it means.

Neither of us attempted to resist, given that no bullets were thrown at us. Rain clutched his gun tensely, moving a hoof to block the light from his eyes. They were ridiculously bright!

“Squad… don’t move.” Brass ordered, seemingly deflated. I’ve never heard her talk so softly like that before.

Amidst the several new pairs of hoofsteps, I heard the same voice again. “Aarni, tunnistaa ne.”

Through the north and the south tunnels, the light was pouring down on us from… someone, but I didn’t know whom yet. My mind was fuzzy and drawing a blank. Hoofsteps approached us from the northern tunnel, and I could see the silhouette of who was approaching us.

It was a Deer! But due to the light, I couldn’t see their features very well. The deer held some kind of staff in its hooves, and waved it over toward us. A humming noise was heard, until it ended with a simple chime amidst the blinding white light, I saw a faint green light emitted from the end of the staff.

“Ne ovat ... itse ponit?”

“Mitä he tekevät täällä niin kaukana kotinsa?”

“Hiljainen, Aarni!” the voices of the deer were arguing amongst each other. I really wished I understood foreign languages.

Another pair of hoofsteps approached us. This silhouette approached us slowly, and cautiously. After standing in front of Brass for about ten seconds, no words were said. Only looks were exchanged. The deer then knelt down, and with a voice soft yet thick as honey, said:

“Why are you here, Ponit?”

Author's Note

Sorry for the long wait. Updates may be slow, but I will attempt to be consistent.

Read on!

Chapter 15: Compromise

(A3) - Chapter 3: Compromise

No Glory Won

Act 3 Chapter 3: Compromise

“HA HA, the fun has been DOUBLED!”

____________________________________________________________________________

My recollection in Hjortland had just reached what was probably the pinnacle event of all my time there. Where we met the last of some formidable military that was left from the Olenians, before me and my Squad left the city behind. The very last remnants of any resistance left in the Deer.

And judging by her expression, I could tell Bon Bon found this information to be overwhelming.

“Olenians?” she said at first. It looked as if she couldn’t fathom what she was hearing from me. “There were Deer left in their cities still fighting, even after 5 years of occupation?”

“Well…” I hesitated for a moment. “Yes... and no.”

“Translation?” Bon Bon said, raised an eyebrow at me.

“They were one of the last ones.”

The room fell morbidly silent thereafter. It lasted for about ten seconds

“One of?” Bon Bon asked then asked, not once retreating her eyes away from mine.

“They were one of the last few that remained. There was a whole organization full of them and we encountered… I dunno, a company of them or something that was fighting ‘The Oppression’ - as they were calling it. We happened to be near their strongpoint in Hjortland when were engaging with that Panzer. Everyone else in that country was either fighting back, living in total fear and isolation, being harvested, or… Celestia know what else. Point is, there weren’t many of them left beyond that.” I finished, my ears inadvertently drooping as I finished.

Bon Bon took this moment to ponder my words, looking down at the table that was littered with documents. For a few short moments, there was total silence save for the buzzing of the light bulb above me. I tried moving my hooves, but the binds around my hooves never got any looser. I felt as if my joints were - just barely - being constantly strained, and it felt uncomfortable. What’s worse is that I’ve been in this position for an hour already.

“So what was you encounter with them like?” Bon Bon finally asked, after what felt like minutes of thinking.

“They blinded us with lights, shouting in their language as they quickly examined us. I think they must’ve assumed we were changelings, because one of them held a staff over us and... I remember a chime, but the light was too bright to see properly what it was. They didn’t shoot us, though, so that was something.”

“What next?”

“One of them came closer toward us. By that point, I knew they were deer, and I knew they were enemies of the Changelings as we were… but I was still afraid that they may kill us.”

“Why so?”

“We were luring a tank and infantry regiment over their heads - Directly over their HQ where they could’ve been discovered, killing us at any given time. If they would have opened that sewer grate we hid in, we would all be dead.”

“But that didn’t happen.” Bon Bon said. “You said one of them approached you?”

“Well, the doe spoke Ponish to us. I didn’t think there was any hope of diplomacy left when we were caught. But one of them, with clean and smooth dialect and tone, spoke fluent ponish to us. I immediately assumed she was the leader of her pack. She walked up to Brass, and said...”

Hjortland Sewers, June 9th, 1014. 14:47 CST.

“Why are you here, Ponit?” sneered the doe.

Neither of us could move, or let alone speak. Only the sound of a tank rumbling over our heads, of the rushing water from the canal, and of dripping droplets leaking from various cracks in the ceiling above us. I felt my throat tighten again.

The blinding light they were flashing on us made it difficult to see just how many of them there were, but I could see the shadows of Brass’s shape through the interior smog that accompanied the light. It looked like it came from their chests, not their weapons.

Brass, ever so subtly, moved in a position to present her chest better. The doe that knelt in front of her didn’t seem to react to it. Or more accurately, I couldn’t see a reaction. The lights slightly shuddered as she moves, however, readying their rifles as I heard the click-clacking from their holsters.

“We… we were attacking the Changelings from the skies.” Brass finally spoke, low and mild.

“We know that. Our scouts informed us a while ago of your arrival. That answers how you got here.” The doe deadpanned. “I didn’t ask how, I asked why.”

Brass fell silent for a moment. “We… we are attempting to destroy coastal guns in hopes of securing an opportunity for an invasion of the city.” Brass answered carefully. It seemed like a solid rebuttal.

But the doe didn’t seem to react to it. Again, I couldn’t see her face.

“And… how would that explain your group being so far up north that you are not engaging these said… ‘Coastal Guns’ that litter our southern coastline? And instead, have drawn the attention of a Panzer regiment above our heads while moving away from these said coastal guns?” the doe retorted, her voice slinky and somewhat immodest. I really wished I could clearly see her features through the light, to get a good idea as to who I’m dealing with. But she squandered that with her comrades’ lights

Brass, again, fell silent at her reply. She waited for a few tense moments, before blurting out what was probably the most insane response I’ve ever heard her say in a situation such as this.

“That’s Classified.”

If I wasn’t under threat of being shot for making any sudden movements, I would’ve facehoofed.

“Say again?” The doe asked, sounding utterly unimpressed.

“That’s Classified.” Brass repeated. “I can’t explain any more than that.”

She didn’t reply to that. The doe seemed somewhat hesitant in her actions and words. She darted her head towards me, and for a moment I thought she was looking straight into my eyes.

“What’s wrong with him?” she asked, pointing a hoof somewhere beyond my direction. I turned to look and found Syringe and Storm Cloud blocking the light with their hooves. Storm Cloud’s leg was still bandaged and splinted, good and proper.

“...A Pegasus... broke his leg?” The doe asked, her tone condescending and distrustful. I cringed inside at how unbelievable that scenario actually was. "How would a Pegasus be able to break his own leg?"

Brass didn’t answer at first. She took a moment to collect her thoughts.

“... Because he’s a dumbass.” Brass answered.

I turned to look behind me. Storm gave Brass an exaggerated ‘What The Fuck?!’ face toward Brass. I wanted to join him.

“And how in Tartarus am I supposed to believe that?”

Syringe raised a hoof to speak out. “Um, he-”

“I didn’t ask you.” the doe retorted sharply. Syringe wilted her hoof afterward.

“How else would a Pegasus be able to break his leg if he’s not a dumbass?”

“I’m not a fucking idiot!” Storm protested.

“Shut up!” the doe leered at him with such volume that it echoed across the sewer about three times before dying away. It forced Storm to remain silent. I heard several clicks and clacks from the weapons pointing at us, as they instinctively aimed at Storm. Another ten seconds of tense silence enveloped us before she spoke again.

“What I want to know,” the doe started, “is why you are willing to leave your other ponies to die, willing to lie to me in my face, and are willing to risk and sacrifice your comrades to follow through with this ‘Classified’ reason as to you being in our Domain?”

More silence. The question left Brass in a state of hesitant silent. Her line of questioning raised valid points. It was never my original intention to think we would abandon most of our ponies for our own mission, but we didn’t just abandon them: we left them to die to their own devices. At that moment, with guns and lights aiming at us, I felt immensely guilty and out of place.

I looked toward Brass, who still hadn’t replied to her question, as the doe stood up from kneeling. She turned around facing away from us and raised a hoof. Instantly, the guns were raised, aiming at all of us.

I was gonna die.

Time felt like it slowed to a crawl, as the horrific realization crept onto me that I wasn’t going to escape this. It felt like a black, sickly dagger had pierced my heart. Tears were pricking my eyes. I closed my eyes, and-

“Because we’ll all die if you kill us.” Brass finally answered loudly.

Nopony moved or spoke. Aside from the sound of rushing water from the canal, there was virtually no sound to be heard. Even the deep tremble of the panzer that was just over our heads had receded, as it finally started to move away from us. Brass’s outburst left everything completely still for just a brief moment.

I slowly opened my eyes. The doe lowered her hoof slowly, deliberately. No gunshot was made. The guns were lowered by just a little. I let out a shaky breath I hadn’t realized I was holding, feeling a wave of euphoric relief wash over me. Tears freely flowed from my cheeks - not out of sadness, but out of pure ecstatic relief.

“Say again?” The doe asked, turning around to face Brass once more.

“There’s a weapon that we are searching for that possesses a potential; A potential with an immense force that could possibly change everything we’ve ever known… or so I’ve been told. We’re looking for it to stop it, and if we don’t stop it before it’s too late it may destroy us all.”

The doe still seemed unimpressed. Brass gave out a long droning sigh.

“Okay, Okay…uh, this… weapon is running amok somewhere out there. About… 3 months ago, we have uncovered… hidden information regarding the existence of such a weapon in a vault underground, locked away in a secured container beneath one of our recently liberated cities - of which I will not name.”

Son of a-... She was lying through her teeth! And yet… she wasn’t exactly wrong. She was trying to remain as neutral in her tone as physically possible. Her words spoke the truth, but it was morphed and bent to fit the overtone of objectivity that Brass was possibly trying to establish.

“When we revealed the existence of this weapon to our superiors, they explicitly told us to keep this information strictly classified. But…” Brass started, as she looked around at each of the weapons aiming at her through the blinding light. “Clearly that didn’t work out as they hoped.”

“Because of the fact that we were about to kill you had you remained silent, is that correct?” the doe prompted. Brass nodded, unable to look her in the eye. “Continue.”

“Um… we, uh, we were tasked to find this weapon by any means necessary. The information we found that I’ve mentioned earlier hinted the existence of this weapon in Hjortland.”

Brass was either really good at lying, or she ran out of ideas to go on with. Either way, we were still alive because of it, and I didn’t dare to speak up. And regardless, I could not tell if she was doing one or the other.

“And that’s why you’re here, correct?” The doe asked.

“Yes.”

“Did it hint to any other locations?”

“Yes, but I cannot say where. That’s the line I’m drawing.”

“Then why Hjortland first?”

“It was the first place to look out of all of the potential hot spots for… well, I don’t really know what this was supposed to accomplish exactly, but High Command thought it was the first place out of all of the densely populated areas that was under direct occupation to start looking at.”

“Do more of these cities on this list of yours happen to reside in Olenia?”

“Not that I know of.”

“That you know of?” The doe emphasized.

“Information could always be wrong, you know. But High Command had a lot of faith in this particular piece of information, and that’s why we’re here.”

The doe was silent for a long while. She looked towards my directions, her eyes locking into mine. A sense of violation encompassed me. It felt as though her eyes were piercing into my very soul.

“The rest of your squad know of this already?” The doe asked once more, not taking her eyes off of me. I nodded furiously.

“Yes.” Brass replied.

“Then I’ve heard enough.” she said, standing tall and looking down upon Brass. She looked condescending as she peered down unto Brass Screws, but not in a way that begets spite. More of an Authoritative stance than anything. “Is there anypony else injured besides him?” She asked, pointing a hoof to Storm Cloud.

“Not that I know of.” Brass turned to look at each of us - slowly, to prevent a violent reaction from the other deer. “Ponies, status report.”

“I’m… I-I’m good.” Dominoes shakily answered. I turned to look behind me, where I could see somewhat clearly away from the light. She was laying along her backside, blocking the light with a hoof.

“I’m alright.” then Pumpkin Patch, still as ever in his voice. He sat on his haunches, looking stiff.

“No injuries from anypony else, as far as I can tell.” Syringe then piped up, still leaning against the wall where Storm Cloud is. “It’s just Storm that needs attention.”

“Nopony else then. Good.” Brass said. She looked back at the doe, still looking down upon her. “No further injuries.” she slowly answered. The doe simply gave a nod, and turned back to her comrades.

“Ota yhteyttä linnake, kertovat lääketieteen lahden valmistautua triage. Olemme saattaminen nämä turvaan.” she spoke to them in their native language. The rest of the deer seemed to have acknowledged her command, and have ceased blinding us with their flashlights. The room around us was still dark and hard to navigate, even with the flashlights attached to the chests of their uniforms.

“Voisin kysyä, miksi me autamme heitä?” another one of the deer stepped forward to speak up. I couldn’t tell what was being said. The Deer that spoke up sounded Male.

“He aikovat auttaa meitä jälkeen autamme heitä. He hoidetaan, ja auttavat meitä lopullisessa vastakkainasettelua. Ymmärtää?” The doe answered.

It was way too dark (save for their lights beaming off the cold hard floor) to get a good read in their reactions and their facial features. I still have yet had a good look at the Doe interrogating us, but I got a small glance at her physique. Her coat was Tannish Brown, wearing a uniform that was grey and black. She had some sort of furry coif fixed around her neck.

The deer that piped up was now silent and didn’t say anything else. I didn’t have the faintest idea as to what they were talking about. I looked at Syringe, who at least knew a little bit of New Changeling. I couldn’t see her well due to the darkness, and couldn’t find some sort of sign that she may know Olenian as well.

“Listen up, Ponies.” the doe announced to all of us, speaking in our language again. “You can call me Marja. We’re taking a very big risk for you here. And considering we almost killed you as well, we expect you lot to do exactly as we say. We think you may be of substantial use for our cause. We’re escorting you back to our Bastion, and we will treat your injured comrade there. You are to follow us, and you are to remain silent during the journey.” Marja must’ve referenced to Storm Cloud, with his leg. “If I find out that you are going to backstab us later on, or to betray my trust for you - which is lacking enough already - then we will execute you all.”

“What do you mean ‘use for your cause’?” Brass piped up. Marja didn’t immediately reply.

“What’s that pony saying, something… something about ‘enemies of enemies’…?” Marja asked with that silky voice of hers, almost sounding as if she was reminiscing a pleasant memory. Brass gave out a long sigh.

“... ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’.”

“That’s the phrase I’m looking for! We help you, you help us. And in return, we don’t kill you for interfering with resistance affairs.”

No response was given. Brass did not reply.

“I don’t know about you,” the Marja said, her voice fair yet firm. “But that sounds fair enough to me.”

The path we took to walk back was still underground, as we navigated the walkways on the sides of the canal. Taking multiple turns and detours through the tunnels made it easy to get lost as to exactly where we were. Yet, these deer navigate through them almost effortlessly. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, given that this is their city. The lights on their chests made it easy for us to follow. They were in front, and behind us to ensure we made no effort of escape. I can tell they were still distrustful of us, and the thick atmosphere around us only fortified that thought.

I knew I wasn’t a prisoner, yet I couldn’t help but feel like one.

The walk back was by far the most awkward walk in my life. Not a single word was spoken at all between the squad and the deer. The deer spoke among each other, hushed in volume as they speak their native tongue. Yet we, the ponies, were not authorized to speak based on what Marja had said earlier. I could not, for the life of me, decipher what they were saying. We walked for about ten minutes in total. The smell of the rotten sewage water was still clinging to my nostrils, but not as intensely now. It started to dissipate as we continued to march.

We had to trek slowly due to Storm’s badly injured leg. I could hear the quiet sound of groans behind me as he limped his way along with the rest of us. Marja and the rest of the deer made no such effort to stop and care for Storm and instead told us to follow. Not that they had the means to help him any more than what Syringe could do, but the deliberateness of their refusal to help us did not go unnoticed by me.

“We’re almost there now.” Marja spoke softly. Nothing else needed to be said. She took a right turn down another divergence, the rest of us following. We traveled down a tunnel with no Intersections or turns to break off into. It was just a long, narrow tunnel that stretched down with an obtuse curve to the right as it kept going.

There was almost total silence among us. Even the canal water sounded muffled, now that the water from this canal specifically was not flowing for some odd reason. Using this moment of brief confidence I suddenly found myself possessing, I decided to be a little bold yet not also not as confronting.

“What exactly is gonna happen to us?” I asked aloud. No one stopped moving. We kept walking in formation, trudging along. No immediate answer was given.

Marja was the first to answer, though. “You will answer questions. We’ll decide what will happen with your lives afterward.” Her response was off putting… but it seemed honest enough to prevent another question from me. I stared at my hooves as we kept walking.

The tunnel continued to curve to the right, when we finally saw a faint glow encompass the left wall near the end. It looked artificial and still. “We’re here.” Marja announced. “Let me do the talking, and keep your snouts shut.” She ordered. None of us replied, or protested.

As we finally crested around the curved corner of the wall, the light from the glow ahead became more illuminant. It continued to get brighter and brighter, until the deer accompanying us finally turned off their vest torches. We soon came upon a long sandbag wall that dipped below the walkways into the now empty canal. In front of the Canal Sandbags was barbed wire, with an MG pointing down upon it. The Walkways had sandbags as well, with no such barbed wire. But they too also had MGs pointing down the walkways and towards us.

Behind each of those sandbags were more deer - about 15 or so - each of them aiming weapons at us with distinct caution. I imagine they were on extra alert, now that they saw Ponies amongst their kin.

“Joka Queen Myyttekö?!” one of them asked from behind the walls.

“Palvelen kuningatar Deer, ei kuningatar Bugs!” Marja responded back. No words were spoken for a while. I then saw one of the deer from the wall stand up and signal us to come through with a gesture of a hoof.

“Stay close, we’re not through yet.” Marja spoke to us. We continued to walk along the path near the dry canal, stopping at the sandbag wall. On the other side of the sandbags was… another wall. A big one. It looked like it was made of various materials expertly wielded together to form this kind of structure. Chain Link fences, Plywood, Metal Sheets, and so on. The wall completely blocked off the tunnel on the other side, preventing a peak through inside. Embedded in the center of that wall was a sheet metal door, bulky and heavy.

There were about 10 Deer in total on this side of the wall, guarding it. Two of them were occupying the bulky door in the center of it. The rest were behind the sandbags. One of the Deer behind said sandbags hadn’t lowered their weapons at us yet. Or, more accurately, at my squad.

“Keitä nämä nyk? Ovatko ne vielä naamioitu?” he asked Marja.

“Meillä on jo skannatut ne alas, ne ovat ponit.” she replied. The former deer looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“Ponit? Miksi ne Keltainen kylki aina täällä?”

“Se mitä yritän selvittää, korpraali. Päästä meille, ja me ehkä poimia arvokasta tietoa.” Marja replied once again. The deer with the gun at us seemed more forthcoming now that he talked with her. He gave her a nod and turned to yell back at the others manning the wall behind him.

“Avaa portti! Meidän täytyy Ponit puhua!”

“Kyllä herra!” One of the deer beside the door saluted back and answered. He then quickly proceeded to open the door and rush through. Due to the amount of deer in my way, I couldn't see exactly what it looked like inside.

“Wait for just a moment. This won’t take long.” Marja whispered toward us. The deer that disappeared behind the bulky door then reappeared not a minute later. He was accompanied by several others, one of them holding a staff similar to the one that one of Marja’s deer was holding. I assumed immediately it was another one of those “Disguise Detectors” that everyone seemed to have an abundance of.

The group got closer towards us, until we were just a couple of meters away on the other side of the sandbag. One of the deer stood out to me. He was more haggard then the rest of them, grime staining his coat. His mane was Hazel, with streaks of silver dominating much of his head. The clothing he wore was different to the others, most of these deer wore greyish to white clothing. He wore one that was exceptionally darker in color. He also wore a Mariner’s cap, whereas the rest of the deer wore no helmet or hat at all.

It struck me at that particular moment as I observed this deer that he may very well be the real leader of this pack.

“Marja, keitä nämä olennot?” the haggard deer spoke to Marja.

“Ne ovat ponit, taistelevat Sorto. He ovat täällä, koska ne voivat auttaa meitä, Vilhelm.”

The old deer did not reply to Marja. He turned his head back toward the ones who followed him. “Tee se.” he said. The deer with the staff immediately proceeded to stand on his hind legs, lowering his staff so that the crystal embedded at the end was hovering above our heads. The crystal chimed softly as it gave out a soft grey glow. It then ‘hummed’ for about a few seconds before making another chime, shifting the color from a grey to a vibrant green.

“Ne ovat puhtaita.” said the one with the staff.

“Juuri silloin.” The haggard one spoke again.“Miksi oikein olet tuonut heidät tänne, Marja?”

“He tietävät paketin, sir. Aion kuulustella heitä siitä.”

“Kuinka he voisivat mahdollisesti tietää siitä? vain meidän Partiolaiset tietää näistä tiedoista!”

“Se mitä yritän selvittää, sir.”

There was a key difference in the way both of these deer spoke. Marja was low and almost menacingly soft, whereas the older deer was more eccentric and loud. Marja’s last sentence silenced the old deer. For a moment, no words were spoken.

“Heidät pannaan vankilaan aseet ensin, sitten kuulustella heitä.” he finally spoke again, as he was fixing to turn around and leave us behind.

Marja didn’t stop. “Yksi niistä on murtunut jalka vahinkoa, ilman riittäviä keinoja käsitellä sitä. He tarvitsevat tukea.”

The old deer turned his head toward Marja, his body still facing away from us. “Emme voi säästää näitä tarvikkeita anteliaasti. Ja miksi me? Olet vasta tavannut heitä.”

Marja trotted forward and leapt over the sandbag, talking to him while standing mere inches away from his face. She spoke softly, yet her tone was firm. “Vilhelm, kaikella kunnioituksella, nämä ponit ovat erityisiä. Ne eivät ole samanlaisia kuin mitään niiden hymyilee, he eliitin. En tiedä, mitä heidän taidot ovat, mutta heidän suorituskykyään ei tulisi kieltää. He saattavat pystyä auttamaan meitä lopultakin toteuttamaan ratsiasta.”

I had to shimmy a little bit forward to get a better view beyond the small crowd in front of me. The old deer seemed to be pondering at Marja’s words, whatever they were. He finally turned his head to face toward us. His eyes immediately locked onto mine. Again, I felt violated inside-out.

“Joka on loukkaantunut, ja miten?” He spoke again, turning to Marja.

“Vain yksi niistä. Hänellä on rikki takajalka. Heidän lääkintämies jo splinted heitä, mutta he eivät voi tehdä paljon enempää.”

More contemplation. I heard the slight shuffling of hooves behind me. I didn’t bother to look.

“Selvä, Hieno.” he said, after a brief silence. “Tuo heidät, riisua niitä ja kuulustella heitä. Jos he oikeutettuja, sitten auttaa heitä. Antaa heille joitakin annokset, kun olet sitä. Ne näyttävät nälkäinen.”

Marja nodded at that, giving a quick salute, before turning to walk back toward the sandbag. The older deer continued to walk to the wall.

“Ponies, I have good news for you: you’re still alive.” Marja spoke to us in Ponish, her tone suggesting a dry attempt of humor. “But beyond that, you will be fed and your comrade will be treated. But, that is only if you will answer any and all questions we have about you. I’m mainly talking to your leader, whomever that is.”

“That would be me.” Brass spoke up, as she took one step forward.

“Your comrades will be taken refuge inside our bastion, and will wait inside until we are concluded with our questionnaire. Your comrades may move and mingle with one another, but they are not to interact with any other deer. They will wait and will follow our orders until we say so. Do you understand?”

I turned to look at Brass, who was making a face I couldn’t make heads or tails of. It looked protesting though. But ultimately, she nodded solemnly.

“Perfect. Now, wait for just a moment.” Marja said, as she patted the neck of one the deer who escorted us. “Tee lakaista tiimisi ympäri läntisen sanctum, ja huolehdimme ei noudateta. Raportoimaan kun olet valmis.”

The deer nodded, and gave a sincere salute. When he turned to leave where we came from, the rest of the escort followed.

“Now, follow me.” Marja ordered softly, as we all did what we were told. One by one, we all vaulted over the sandbag wall on the other side. Storm had to hover over it, but he did so without Syringe’s help.

“Take it easy, you’re still swollen down there.” Syringe whispered to him.

“I know, I know.” Storm replied. When we were all across, Marja led us to the bulky heavy door that dominated the centerpiece of the wall. She gave a series of coordinated knocks, and the door opened immediately after on its own.

“Ponies,” Marja turned to face us, standing inside while extending a hoof out to the side. “Welcome to the Bastion!”

We all gingerly stepped in, the bright light of the various torches littering this chasm burned my eyes a little. But it was definitely a sight to behold. The whole room was shaped like a weird cross, with four ‘wings’ that stretched out from a large central atrium - one of those said wings was where the entrance was located, where we were walking in from. The Atrium in question was a crudely constructed platform that resided over a cistern of sewage water, the platform also breaking off into separate wings from the center of the chasm. Various chairs and tables were scattered about on the platform, as well as support beams that were planted all around us. Each of them hosted a fire torch on each face of the beam. It was bright and lively, but in a bleak and melancholic atmosphere.

Marja stood smack dab in the center of the atrium and shouted, “Aarne, Jalo; Tarvitsen sinua!” at the top of her lungs. Almost immediately afterward, two relatively young looking Deer galloped front as fast as they could and proceeded to salute. Even though they acknowledged our presence with weird expressions, they quickly stood at attention.

“Tämä musta Pony tässä tarvitsee lääkärin hoitoa. Escort hänet Infirmary ja tuoda hänet Leif. Ymmärtää?” Marja ordered. The two Deer simply gave a nod. Marja twisted her head at Storm. “There is a doctor who speaks ponish, but not as fluently as I. She can help your leg more thoroughly, but you must be patient and speak slowly to her when she’s instructing you.”

“I’ll- ngh, try.” said Storm.

“You have a doctor here?” Syringe asked, stepping forward. “I can help her, if you’d-”

“No. I am at my limits of trust with you as it is. I am only asking him to go, and no more. That is all.”

“Your not gonna do some experiment on me while I’m away or nothing, are ya?” Storm almost jokingly said.

“Please, we’re not monsters.” Marja replied. She then caught onto Brass’s look and rolled her eyes. “He’ll be fine, I assure you.”

Brass was quiet for a brief moment, and eventually agreed to let Storm go. Marja ordered us to keep moving forward while Storm was away. There were deer everywhere we looked as we kept moving. About at least two hundred of them, or so. Each of them were of various colors, each of them looking indistinct from one to the next. Some of them were standing still with weapons, some were busy eating, and some were just socializing with one another. And immediately after we trotted in, some of them darted their eyes at us. I could understand why - it had probably been years since they’ve seen another pony before. Some of those looks on their faces did not look hospitable.

A lot of eyes were piercing us. Faint murmurs and chatter were heard around us, all of which I couldn’t interpret. No one spoke ponish around us. I found that actually quite odd. In all my early life, I remembered ponies would usually talk about how other creatures all spoke the same, unanimous language of “Ponish” like us. I learned almost immediately after the war started how that was not the case.

We continued to follow Marja through the crowd of disgruntled deer, making our way the very opposite side of the atrium, to the far wing beyond that. The wing ins question had another metal door that lead even further beyond the wing. “How big is this Bastion?” I asked aloud in awe.

“I can’t say with certainty, but it’s big.” was all she said. She made it all the way to the door in question and pushed it open with a hoof, trotting further inside. We each followed in one by one, staying close to one another. We were lead into a dark and narrow hallway, barely wide enough to fit a pony. Each of us were slightly cramped from the sides, the ceiling stretching up higher than what I would expect. Dimmed spotlights were hanging overhead, illuminating the room in a soft, chrome light.

The hallway did not continue on for long before we encountered another metal door. Marja proceeded through without hesitation, and - once again - we followed. We were lead to another cistern, though significantly smaller compared to the one we were just a little while ago. Like the previous cistern, it too had a platform that stretched over the body of water. The circular lake was much smaller in comparison to the previous one, and there was only one thing that claimed the focal point of the room. And that was a large, circular table that hosted many chairs around its perimeter. Sitting in most of those chairs were various Deer, including the older Mariner Deer that we saw a little while ago.

Marja stopped just before the Table, the heads of each of the spectators staring at our group. Marja knelt on one of her legs and gave a bow. “Council, I bring you Ponies from Equestria who are fighting the Oppression within our former cities now as we speak. They are now yours.”

She stepped away from us off to the side of the table, but did not take a seat. She remained standing on all fours and a stoic posture, facing toward us. Brass, Rain, Morning, Syringe, Pumpkin, and I were now caught in the spotlight. The table was cluttered with various charts, maps, graphs, and many smaller pieces of paper (which I assumed were either ‘reports’ or just ‘notes’). There were 6 Deer in total sitting in the chairs around the table staring at us, Marja being the exception. All of them were male. Marja trotted toward the Mariner, and started whispering to him. I couldn’t interpret what was being said. They both spoke to each other for a long while, before she stepped away and faced us.

All of the “Council” looked just as old, dirty, and haggard as the Mariner. They each wore different clothing, symbolizing their authority. The Mariner was the first to speak. However, he spoke in his native tongue and not ponish. We couldn’t understand what he was saying. Thankfully for us though, Marja did. As the Mariner spoke, Marja translated for us.

“Ponies, you are now in our lands. And as such, any form of jurisdiction that you think you have over us is now gone. And though we share a common enemy, you were very close in being successful in compromising the operation that we have established here. And for that I want you to recognize just how close you were to death not too long ago if what Vilhelm here says is the truth.” Marja pointed a hoof at the Mariner, who I now know as Vilhelm.

Vilhelm continued to speak, which Marja translated. “Many of our scouting parties have returned reports saying the same thing: Ponies are in our city. We want to know why.” Vilhelm was finished talking, yet Marja continued without him. “And although I have a good idea as to why you’re here, they don’t.”

“What exactly do you want from us?” Brass asked, taking one step forward from the makeshift line we were formed in. Marja spoke to the table again. One deer next to Vilhelm spoke up. He wore a greyish-tan uniform that was decorated with medallions and ribbons, though they look filthy and spotted up as if it hadn’t been washed for so long. Marja transcribed for us what he said.

“We are aware that the majority of the Ponies fighting against the Oppression are targeting specific Military Targets. We do not have details, but we are aware of the destruction of several key coastal Artillery guns, not to mention a few armoured vehicles and assets belonging to the Changelings were neutralized. But out of all the reports from our scouts, we were skeptical of just one.”

Vilhelm then began to speak up. Marja did not falter for even a second. “Your group of ponies were the only ones who were not joining the fighting far south along the coastline. And, instead, you decided to walk North towards the Royal Palace - an area teemed to the brim with Changelings that are not to be trifled with. Yet, you persisted anyway. And during a close encounter, it almost compromised the integrity of this place of refuge - potentially resulting in the deaths of many Deerfolk alike. Let it be known right now that this situation is not a pleasant one for you, Ponit.”

“How could you see us-”

SLAM!

A single, smashing hoof along the table silenced whatever pressing question Brass would’ve asked then and there, it’s boom reverberating across the chamber around us. Vilhelm spoke with a harsh tone and a low volume.

“You are not to speak, unless we finish speaking.” Marja translated. Brass sighed through her nostrils quietly, backpedaling in line. As Vilhelm continued, so did Marja.

“Regarding on what to do with your group, it is said that you were almost executed for trespassing our lands, for attempting to obscure potentially valuable information, and for almost succeeding in killing us all. In doing so, however, you’ve revealed something of great interest to us.”

Nopony dared to reply to that.

“From what I heard, it seems that happen to know reliable information of a weapon that is potentially being harbored in the hooves of the Changelings. Is this correct?”

A few of us nodded, some not doing anything - me included.

“You look hesitant.”

“We... all know of its existence.” Brass carefully said.

A few heads of the council turned to one another, their features grim as Marja told them. Vilhelm slowly stood on his hind legs, and carefully placed his forehooves on the table for balance. Slowly, and deliberately. He spoke again.

“Would you care to elaborate on what sort of weapon it is that you are attempting to find, and inevitably harbor for your own?” Marja transcribed condescendingly.

“We don’t plan on harboring it, we only-”

“Answer the question at hoof, Ponit.” Marja interrupted.

Nopony made a response for a long, cold silence. Marja looked annoyed. As she stepped forward to open her mouth again, Brass stepped forward - silencing the Doe’s words.

“With all due respect Marja, we can’t say. We are bound by secrecy not to reveal such information to foreigners, or even among our own kin - even in the face of death. And for me to elaborate on that would blatantly violate that code. So again, with all due respect

“No.”

Brass picked her words as if she was a typewriter filling a paragraph, and she struck it home with a dialect that allowed the Deer’s dominance over us to be established now. As such, no words from Marja (or any of the deer) were heard. For the longest time, Marja stared at us. And although it felt like she was pretty much biased against us, I noticed something.

Marja stared at us not out of spite, or of mistrust, but instead looked unprejudiced. She spoke to the deer our reply for a while, and the council once again gave one another more looks. Simultaneously, they began to speak among each other; as if they were trying to negotiate on what to do with us, perhaps.

Finally, they stopped arguing, as one of them silenced them with a hoof raised in the air. Immediately they ceased bickering. Vilhelm kept his hoof raised for about ten seconds before dropping it. He gave a nod to Marja, which was returned. Vilhelm continued to talk, his voice gravelly and rough like sandpaper.

“A bold presumption coming from an outsider who nearly caused our extermination. I never thought Ponies could have such arrogance in their souls. How fallen out your species must be then.” Marja spoke bitterly. I couldn’t help but cringe on the inside. Looking at Brass, she looked like she was in utter disbelief. She was mouthing the word ‘arrogant’ as she thought to herself.

“... I guess that’s something we have in common, considering that both of our species was invaded by the same pest we’ve learned to loathe. And considering that our country is still fighting these enemies and have not fallen yet, I’d say we’re doing a damn better job than what I’ve witnessed from you so far.”

Marja gave a frown. “You have no right to speak to us like that! Our Kingdom gave a grand sacrifice in the name of defending our homeland and loved ones!” she yelled, taking one step forward. It was the first time I’ve seen her raise her volume, and it kind of caught me off guard at how quickly her voice can change from being soft and silky, to cold and loud.

“Oh really? You want to talk about Rights now, is that it!?” Brass did the same, her voice very subtly quivering as if she was trying to hold back some unprecedented emotions. She kept trotting forward slowly toward Marja. “I have just as much of a right to despise and to kill anything regarding these fucking Changelings whenever possible, just as much as the next creature that’s suffered in their hooves! Do you even know how much has changed over the past few years since your government has lost?!”

Marja started to back away Brass’s rage. The council stood up, looking alert and outraged but were otherwise silent. Brass continued her rant.

“These Bugs are the definition of Insanity! They’re just… hellbent on this drive to exterminate everything in their sight! First they neuter the Deer, then they went after us. And then they went after our Neighbors helping us. Then the Assimilate the Polar Bears to join their cause; Fucking POLAR BEARS! And you know what happens next? They just keep going and going and goingto try and kill us. And they have not stopped ever since!

“They target the Yaks, Buffalos, the Crystal Ponies, the Penguins; I’ve even heard rumors that they’ve even planned to go after Nova Griffonia! It’s literally on the other side of the fucking Continent for them, but they don’t give a fuck! All they care about is war, and that’s all they’ll do! It’s like their fucking purpose - it’s as if they all had Cutie Marks related to war, and the fucking Queen’s like ‘Yeah, sure! Roll with it!’ And do you think they’re gonna ever voluntarily stop?!”

Brass stopped moving. Everything was still for a brief but noticeable moment. Ever since she made the remark about Cutie Marks, the Deer turned toward one another in confusion. (Rightly so, considering they probably don’t know what those are.) Head tilting down to the floor, Brass’s voice quivered a little.

“I know first hoof what awaits our future should we all fail: a lifetime of misery, pain and torment; unyielding and unmerciful. All I ask is a little forgiveness and a little cooperation, in exchange for my willingness to cooperate with you all so that maybe - just maybe - we could prevent any more suffering that needs to occur. This so-called weapon that high-command is stressing about is still running amok somewhere that could very much spell the end of all of us. And here you all are, trying to deny me the right of spite against my enemy and to roam around in your so-called ‘territory’ and try to stop us from preventing a catastrophe! And all because we were trying to fucking hide from certain death!”

I couldn’t believe what I was looking at. In my time I knew Brass Screws, I had never seen her like... this. She was always aggressive and maybe harsh at times, but this was different. Before she resumed yelling, a quick gust of wind billowed from under her as she rapidly ascended upward by just inches from the floor.

“I was told to fight Changelings, not to fight Deer or Ponies or Yaks or so say you. If you can maybe help us, we can help each other. But if you’re gonna be against us, then we’ll leave and do it ourselves.”

There was a total absence of sound. Nopony dared to even breathe. Marja was at a loss for words. Brass still hovering in the air quietly. Even the council was shocked into silence. I didn’t really know how to react to that. But I didn’t really like it. It seemed like a hostile silence.

Marja took the moment to recollect her senses, and contemplated quietly. She stared at the floor, not making a single sound. After what felt like an eternity, she looked back to Vilhelm. She trotted over towards him quickly, and softly whispered into his ear. It lasted longer than I anticipated, about a full minute. Vilhelm exchanged a few whispers of his own, before they both nodded toward one another. Vilhelm then stood up, and turned to face the council.

“Neuvoston ... Olemme ehkä löytäneet valopilkku kaikkein odotetuin ongelma. Olen vain pyytää sinua uskomaan vain tämän kerran.” He said. “Kysyn teiltä nyt: onko minulla luottamuksesi?” The council turned to one another, not one of them speaking. It felt like an eternity had passed already, and no Pony spoke up at all.

Then a hoof was raised in the air from the table, extending vertically straight and upright. It was soon followed by one more hoof, then another. And another. And another. Soon, all of the hooves from the council were raised in the air. Not one word was spoken. I had no clue what was happening but I strangely felt more at ease upon seeing the exchange of silent, unanimous agreement amongst the Deer.

Vilhelm gave them a nod and prompted the council to lower their hooves, which they did. Marja meanwhile remained silent and still the whole time. But upon seeing Vilhelm nod back to her, she smiled. And this smile of hers… I didn’t know how to feel about it. It looked genuine and sincere, but I did not know why she was smiling

Marja took several steps toward Brass, who had not stepped back in line even after her outburst. When they were just inches away from each other, Marja spoke first. She was still smiling.

“I respect you, Ponit.” she complimented. “I’ve known a lot of Ponies in my life, before the war I mean. And my impression of your kind was that you were all yellow bellies. However, I can clearly see that is no longer the case for your people, and calling you yellow bellies was nothing short of an insult. And for that,” Marja took a moment to pause, and bowed her head. “I am sorry.”

Brass didn’t reply to that. Marja didn’t stop though, ash she stood back upright.

“Do you trust me, Ponit?”

Brass understandably looked confused. “Wh-... Wha?”

Marja chuckled once, a dry and brief laugh. “Ponit, we would like to cease hostilities between us. Although we have had a shaky start with our encounter, it’s just as you’ve said: we have a common enemy. And truth be told, you could not have arrived at a more opportune time.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?” Brass asked. Marja turned back to Vilhelm. He simply gave a solemn nod, which prompted Marja to turn back to Brass.

“As you said before, ‘the enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ And the agreement between this meeting was ‘help me help you.’”

“We never formally set any kind of agreement before.” Brass rebutted.

“True, which is why we are setting one in stone right now. You may be able to help us, and in turn we can help you immensely it seems.”

“How so?”

“I can show you, but I need your word before we can begin. Or, if you want, I could just tell you right now what that would be. But trust goes both ways. If I trust you enough to tell you what you want to know, but you don’t trust me enough to follow me - then we are at an impasse. If you trust my word enough to listen to me, but not enough to follow me, then what good is it for us to help you with your lack of cooperation in return? And if that were the case, many Deerfolk would view you as hostiles.”

Brass contemplated deeply at this, unable to answer. To be fair, Marja was right. The exchange of mutual trust between the two of us, despite how little of it there was, was still possible. In this instance, trust truly did go both ways. I too was lost in thought, pondering about the possibility of that happening.

Marja continued, sensing Brass’s hesitation. “Think of it like what you said earlier: You asked for a little forgiveness and cooperation, and I’m providing just that. All I’m asking in return is the Exact. Same. Thing. If you can do that, then we can truly help each other here. But I cannot do that until I have your trust, so I’ll ask again: do you trust me, Ponit?”

Marja reached a hoof out to Brass. I think she was wanting to shake hooves. Brass looked down on it, understandably hesitant. “Do I even have a choice?” Brass asked. Marja’s lips formed into a small smile. Not a smirk either, a genuine smile.

“No. You don’t. But the fact that you are smart enough to realize that means that you are definitely smarter than average. Which is good, we need smart ponies. And you need us.”

“How will you help me?”

Marja’s smile disappeared. “I would rather chat about such procedures with somepony I can trust, rather than with some stranger.”

Brass had no response for that. She instead was focusing her gaze on Marja’s still extended hoof.

“My arm is tired, pony.” Marja wryly said.

“Okay okay… fine.” Brass answered, reaching out to Marja. She recoiled back her hoof.

“I need a definitive answer to know that you are serious, not just a ‘fine’. To shrug off this responsibility you now possess would be nothing short of an insult.”

Brass contemplated her words carefully. After a few seconds of wrought up silence, she finally grabbed hold of Marja’s hoof with one of her own and began shaking it slowly. “You have my word.” she answered. The two were locking their eyes on one each as they shook hooves.

“By accepting this responsibility you not only agree to assist us and only us as you are combating the Changelings during your stay, but you will also willingly answer any questions we ask of you. Understand?”

Brass immediately ceased shaking her hoof. “Are you asking me to abandon my ponies? You never mentioned that before!”

“By the definition of ‘Your Ponies’ I assume you are not referring to your squad and instead to the ones down south, yes?” Marja asked with a sly overtone. “Because if that is what you are asking, then is that really so much to ask for you to do something you already were doing?

Brass didn’t move a muscle for about ten seconds, before she sighed. “... No, it’s not.” she answered, sounding defeated.

“Splendid!” Marja exclaimed, as she turned around to face the Council. But as she did so, she paused. “Oh! One more thing, Pony - um, what is your name anyway?”

“Brass Screws.”

“Brass, I need the word of your fellow ponies behind you to also follow through with this agreement that we’ve forged. That being said, they do not have to answer to me or to the council - only to you.”

“Does it really matter, since we-... I, have already agreed to help you?” Marja’s face gave a subtle smile at Brass’s response.

“Not really, no. But this is more of a… a test of loyalty.” Marja turned their heads toward us. “Not that they’ve had much of a chance to voice their opinions and concerns as of late, anyway.”

Brass twisted her body to face toward us. I turned my head and saw the hesitantly confused expressions that the rest of us had etched on our features.

“In case you can’t tell I’m giving you permission to speak, Ponies.” Marja spoke almost humorously. None of us gave a response back.

My thoughts and emotions regarding this whole ordeal were very mixed and intertwined with each other. My common sense, my priorities, and my morals are all conflicting with each other with no decisive winner. On the one hoof, we are not really in any place to refuse her offer, as Marja had explicitly said. And if what Marja had said was true, she said she could help us if we accept her. On the other hoof, her subtlety and sense of intrigue sent off red flags for me. She seemed amicable and negotiable, but not really…. Trustworthy.

So far, besides sparing our lives that she herself would’ve reversed at any given time, she gave no real reason for us to trust her besides the fact that she said she would help us. She said trust goes both ways, but a part of me felt that she didn’t truly believe that. Or maybe… maybe I might’ve been overthinking it, perhaps? Is it possible I could just be paranoid? I didn’t really know for certain. I felt scared, confused, conflicted, relieved, and disdainful. And all of those emotions are weird when mashed together.

But one thing I was certain of was this: as much as I was distrustful toward Marja, that was not the same case toward Brass. She is probably the most righteous and diligent out of all of us. If there was anypony who could snuff out intrigue and suspicion, it was her.

And with that logic, I knew what to do.

“I trust her.” I said aloud, stepping forward just a little bit. All eyes locked on me almost instantaneously. “If Brass thinks this is the right call, and if she thinks this is necessary, then I trust her judgment better out of all of us.”

No words were spoken after my sudden outburst. Brass gave me a look that I couldn’t really interpret what it was supposed to be. Marja gave a warm, and respectful smile. I turned back behind me, no other pony followed me or spoke up. I suddenly felt a bit anxious about being the only one who spoke up. I turned back toward the Council, who gave no visual reaction.

“If Sunshine says she trusts her, then I do too.” I then heard Syringe pipe up behind me toward my left side. I felt immensely grateful that at least she was also on board. It didn’t stop there, though.

“I trust her.” Pumpkin spoke out, trotting towards my right side.

“So do I,” said Morning Dew, walking towards Pumpkin Patch. “I trust her too.”

The only one who hadn’t answered was Rain Drop. He remained hesitant and visually apprehensive. “I… I don’t think…” he was attempting to speak, but he stammered and failed to find the right words.

“Rain… just do it. It’s fine.” Morning spoke up softly. I turned to see her giving Rain a pleading look that almost looked adorable. At that expression and sentence, Rain’s resistance seemed to have melted away from his features. Ears wilting, he slowly trotted up toward the rest of us.

“We all trust each other… whether we want to or not.” Brass spoke toward Marja. Rain gave her a look that seemed… conflicted.

“Splendid then! Now we can really talk.”

Marja turned back and trotted just a couple of steps toward the table, facing the Council as a whole and not at Vilhelm specifically. “Neuvosto olen ansainnut luottamuksensa. Voimme vihdoin alkaa meidän kansannousun. Onko minulla lupaasi?” She spoke, broad and loud. The table of Deer gave no sudden reaction. Silence flooded the chasm around us, only the sound of rippling water below the platform of the Cistern could be heard.

Bom. Bom. Bom.

A single hoof was repeatedly beating against the table. It was Vilhelm’s, as he turned back to look at the other council members while beating the table.

Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom. Bom.

He was beating it at a quicker pace now, still eyeing the other Deer. Soon after, another Deer began to beat against the table alongside Vilhelm. Some of the papers and charts began to slightly float upward from the force and rhythm of the beating hooves.

Bom Bom! Bom Bom! Bom Bom! Bom Bom! Bom Bom!

More hooves slowly joined in against the beating of the table. One after the other, the Deer were slamming against the table vigorously in an unsteady and chaotic pattern. It was loud, booming, and authoritative. Some of the Deer even shouted it out in agreement as they were slamming the table. It’s echoes were reverberating off of the Cistern’s walls around us, amplifying the volume even more.

Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom Bom!

Vilhelm ceased his banging, and raised a hoof in the air above the table. Slowly, the table banging died down to total silence again. Vilhelm smiled softly, and gave a nod to Marja - who watched as the whole event transpired in front of her. She nodded back, and faced us again.

“Okay, Ponies, what I am about to say may very well change the course of history.” Marja spoke with a heavy tone. “But I have a proposition for you of a lifetime…”

Chapter 17: Coward Pt. 1

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Chapter 17: Coward Pt. 2

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Chapter 18: Sunrise, Parabellum

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Chapter 19: Failure

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Chapter 20: Consequences

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Chapter 21: Traitor

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Chapter 22: Shadow of the Sun

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Chapter 23: Wrath

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Chapter 24: Bleeding Heart

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Interlude: Stars

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Chapter 25: ... And Promises Broken

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Chapter 26: Closure

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Chapter 27: Forsaken

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Chapter 28: Uncharted

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Chapter 29: Guilt

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Chapter 30: Chimera

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Chapter 31: Sollicitude

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Chapter 32: Eye of the Storm

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Prologue: Dusk [Revised]

(A1) - Prologue: The News

No Glory Won

Introduction: The News

“Things fall apart in a blink of an eye, better keep yours open wide.”

It is difficult to remember life in the past, before the Great War. But it wasn't impossible.

In my case, I have snippets here and there--of Pre-War Equestria. I can remember how green the pastures looked from the clouds as I flew home from my job to my home in Cloudsdale. It looked a lot less... artificial than it did nowadays... metallic silos and barns freshly constructed, in appliance with the advancements of technology. I recalled how open and spacious the fields and farmlands were before urbanization and modernization settled in.

That day... I knew it like the back of my hoof. It was hard to forget. The day where everything changed in a blink of an eye. My memories of the past are foggy, and it only made it more difficult to remember any memories that were unpleasant. But that particular day; I knew it all too well. I distinctly remember sitting in a restaurant when it happened. I was listening to the Radio as cheerful music was coming out of it. I was eating lunch in Canterlot. I can't remember what I was eating at the time.

Up until that moment, things had been pretty good in my life. I had recently moved into Night Light's new house in Cloudsdale. She and I had planned to move in for quite some time, and last month was when we finally did it. It was a chore having to move all my furniture from one house in ponyville to another in Cloudsdale, and have them be reorganized later on. But we got the job done together, and in a way bonded a little more with the small amount of comradery we had during the move.

She was my Marefriend, though we had preferred to keep our relationship to be not so... open. We would frolic and do whatever we like indoors, but when in public with one another we had this facade of innocent friendship. Not that Equestrian society undermined same-gender relationships. It just felt somewhat... awkward to be out in that sort of way with one another, in broad daylight.

The summer of 1011 was probably one of the more pleasant ones I remembered really, now that I think about it. Not too hot with no heatwave; it was windy in just the right speed for Pegasi; precipitation was at its Annual peak for the growing of the crops after Spring; School was out for younger fillies and colts, allowing them to play and thrive outside in their respective communities.

I had always thought that life was mundane and boring in my youth years before I turned into a Mare. My life, from the moment I was born, was mostly uneventful and quiet. My Fillyhood especially was not that particularly interesting. I would walk around town and explore a little bit in the streets of ponyville. Obviously I wasn't to go into the everfree, that place had a mind of its own it seemed. Most of my days when I wasn't in school comprised of me just wandering around town, maybe kicking a pebble down the dirt path.

... Not that I was complaining. I liked the peace and quiet that had accompanied my lifestyle. It made me feel like everything was taken care of, or that there were no loose ends left to be tied. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and everything had a sense of 'familiarity' to it.

But that summer of 1011, before it happened, felt almost perfect. Night Light's job was a standard WSR Operator, responsible for keeping an eye out for any anomalous weather readings. She brought home good money, which didn't really require me to do much of anything. But I still felt bad for her, having to be the only one working while I easily cleaned the house and did chores at home. Night Light repeatedly told me time and time again that it wasn't necessary, but I thought differently. I wanted to split the responsibility equally. It only felt right for her.

So for the past few weeks, I had been trying to apply for several different jobs across Cloudsdale. It didn't really take long, of course. Unemployment wasn't a big issue, but it was somewhat hard for the common Earth Pony or Unicorn to earn a job as a WSR Operator like how Night Light is. And with travel across Equestria being as easy as it's ever been in history, it made it easier for other ponies who had no luck finding a job in - say, Baltimare for example and you wanted to go to Canterlot - even if you're not a Pegasi, the now numerous railroads, interstates, and highways across Equestria make it easier for the common pony to move than ever before, especially if you own a vehicle.

Eventually, I found a job, and I was ecstatic. It was the afternoon that day, and I knew that Night Light wouldn't be home for a few more hours. I wanted to celebrate. I flew to Canterlot on my own (which wasn't really far away, only about an hour's flight or less) and I wanted to eat a good luncheon to celebrate my recent employment.

Hayburgers. I remember now, I was... I was eating Hayburgers.

...

I...

... That was the first time I’ve heard of it. Of what happened.

The radio's music was silenced to a halt, sudden and blatantly. This captured the attention of a couple of Ponies, myself included. The Radio then gave out a horrendous screeching noise that lasted about a second or so and repeated that said noise for about 30 seconds. At that point, all eyes and ears were on the radio. It gave three more small chirps before finally a disturbed tinny stallion's voice could be heard through the speakers.

“We interrupt this Program for an Emergency Civil Alert Broadcast. We are just now receiving reports of heavy fighting taking place in the City of Acronage. Many reports are confirming that the Changelings are advancing Eastbound. We do not know the details of such provocations at this current time, but it is concluded by eyewitnesses and several radar reports from the area that there is a massive influence of Changeling Aviation present in the area. Princess Celestia herself is declaring a state of emergency.”

Despite the voice being artificial, the painful quiver in his tone was undeniable. whatever was happening, it was not a hallucination.

"It is with deep condolence that I must report to you that this is an act of war against Equestria."

The radio continued to speak more details but by that point, I was not paying attention and his words became white noise. I felt like someone bucked me in the stomach, and a cold fearful vine was squeezing my soul.

'This couldn't be real. It can't be real. This is just a dream. Everything was going great and now all of a sudden, we were under attack?'

I was half-expecting Princess Luna to reveal herself somewhere throughout my internal soliloquy. I even gave myself a small pinch on the abdomen. Nothing changed, and no Midnight-hued Alicorn to reveal this is as just a ploy for her lesson.

It was the first concrete, definitive evidence I heard that thrust me into the painful reality that we were now at war. Ponies around me looked horrified and stunned, some of them quickly packing up their belongings and leaving their food on the table without paying.

'No... this... t-this is real? How? Why?'

I remember the feeling of despair that washed over me when the realization dawned upon me. We never had a war in a Millennia. Equestria was always known as a place for Harmony and Peace. Now, as if out of nowhere, we were thrust into conflict. The word itself sounded alien to me, war.

“In light of this sudden event, Princess Celestia herself will give a speech regarding the Changelings, and her plan of action. The speech will commence in 1 hour, and will be broadcasted for all frequencies.”

I could hear clearly once more as I snapped out of my panic attack. I realized that I was among a select few ponies still sitting here, most of them leaving the building as they heard the news.

I remember dashing out of the restaurant and opening my wings and taking off to cloudsdale, leaving my lunch and the restaurant I was in behind in a dash. Night Light, I had to get to her. It felt weird and out of place, but it felt like a race against the clock. For some reason, I conjured the mental image of a sickly dark storm in the distance rolling towards me, and it was a race to see if it would get there first or me.

I remember a long and rushed flight, with a million thoughts soaring through my head. Most of those thoughts were panicked and illogical. As the flight dragged on into the hour, more collected thoughts started to assemble in my mind. Questions were the first to emerge.

'What happened? Why did this happen? What will we do now? What can we do now? What about our peace? What about our Harmony? Can the Elements do something? Where is our safety now? What will happen to us later on?

'What will the Princesses do?

'What will the Changelings do if they get here?

'Where do we go from here?

'When could have we prevented this?

'How can we prevent this?

'Why is this even happening?'

I remember the surreality of the situation; the frustration, the fear, the anxiety, sobering nausea wracking my stomach, and the drive to find Night Light - all in a conglomerate of emotions swirling around like a carousel of negative thoughts.

The flight was more exhausting than I initially thought it would be, but I didn't stop for a moment's respite. there wasn't any incentive to wait, I had to move.

I remember - when I had finally arrived there in Cloudsdale and in her home - I saw her in her room, laying on the bed weeping. My heart sunk at the sight of her. I immediately knew at the sight of her that she too had heard the news. I remember sitting down next to her, and embraced her with my wings as she wept. And soon, I joined her.

I remember that moment as the last time life had ever felt... normal, I guess. Everything from that day forward changed forever, and not in a good way.

And lastly, I remember hearing the radio play more music as we wept. It was inappropriate and terribly unfitting music for the situation, spewing happy-go-lucky Jazz non-stop. Until it fizzed, and the music was replaced by the Princess’s solemn voice.

“... My Little Ponies,

"Today marks the beginning of a new age. The beginning of a new trial for Equestria, possibly the most critical in our History. For whatever motivated reason, Queen Chrysalis has ordered an ambassador to travel to Canterlot within the week to issue an ultimatum to Equestria. My Sister and I were the first to hear the Queen's offer: Surrender Equestria or be eradicated. My sister and I have answered - along with the consent from Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire, and of Twilight Sparkle - that Equestria belongs solely to the Ponies. Hours later, the Changeling Hegemony has officially declared war on Equestria.

"By this declaration, she also as officially Declared War on the Crystal Empire as well. And it pains me to a great ordeal to announce the battle of Acronage is already over. The Changelings have broken through..."

In my weeping episode with Night Light, I almost hadn't noticed the Princess pausing for a moment, taking a reassuring breath. Her voice morphed, from sounding meek and tired to sounding determined and jaded.

"We hoped that this day would never come. We truly believed that Friendship and Harmony would help solve our problems. But we were wrong... We believed that if we banded together, to siphon through the bog of interspecies diplomacy, we would find peace to be further established within these lands... we were wrong.

"The enemy is now assaulting us in times of peace. For this reason, let us take up arms! Equestria has never before been overwhelmed by a foreign entity, or country, and we are not planning on starting today. As Princesses of Equestria, my sister Luna and I solemnly swear to do anything and everything, in our power and duty to defend Equestria and our way of life. We will prevail against our invaders until there is nothing left to fight for. For if Equestria stands together united with its allies, we will push back the Changeling threat!

"The Changelings sought for nothing but for obedience to their Queen, as she wants to enact revenge against us. Although they fight because they have the will to do so, I want to make something absolutely clear for us all. By any means necessary, we are to hold on to the magic of Friendship and Harmony. Even in the face of war... and death, we must never lose sight of what made Equestria whole today. In times of dire circumstances, we are to never lose sight of who we are, and who we were. We are to be Kind, to be Loyal, to be Unwavering, and to be Hopeful of our future. Equestria will survive! We will overcome, and we will fight back! And we will survive against a world of enemies!

"The fate of everything we've ever known is hanging in the balance. But you, my brave little ponies, are to be strong in the face of danger! For from this day forward, We will take back what is ours!”

Sounds of Cheering then blared out of the speakers, the transmission ending abruptly then and there.

“Sunshine?” A voice snapped me back to reality.

The Horizon ahead of me had this most beautiful sunset I had seen. I was sitting atop a relatively large cloud and facing west over the mountain range. Their smooth crests making for a perfect view.

And in front of me the most beautiful Mare I had seen.

“Are you alright?"

“What?” Was all I could say, feeling dumb. I looked at her and saw her curiously worried features, before shaking my head and added, “I... Yeah. I’m good. Just... remembering. That’s all.”

“Remembering what?” She pressed.

I should just drop it. There was no need to continue this conversation. There was no point. It felt weird for me to even consider continuing.

"... Do you remember the day where it all began? The war, I mean--When Celestia gave a speech? That's what I was remembering."

There was silence for a while as we sat together. The floating city of Cloudsdale could be seen on the horizon to the north, as Night Light and I watched to the west and basked in the sunset. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see her worried features.

“Why would you want to remember?" Night light asked again. "Isn’t it horrible enough to go back to that again?”

“I mean... yes, of course. I really don't want to go back. But It can't be helped. Sometimes my mind wanders." I paused. "And... I can't really forget what happened. It's a part of me now."

“I, for one, don’t want to remember anything. It was horrible.”

“I know, I know." I reassured, scooching closer to her.

She wrapped her wing around me, scooching closer to me.

We sat in silence once again. We were watching the sun cross under the western horizon. It was always pretty when you were sitting on a cloud. It made you feel disconnected from the rest of the world for a short amount of time. And a few seconds with Night was all I need, after nearly a decade of war. I felt something I haven't truly felt for the first time in nearly a decade: Tranquility. It felt like sunshine with clouds and feathers. It was... nice. Really nice.

The subtlety of the peace and quiet only lasted for a brief moment though, as my mind wanders back again. I'm greeted with the sights of Vanhoover's Dark and Clausterphobic Streets. I began to breathe a little bit unevenly.

"You okay?" She asked, her tone gentle and sympathetic.

Her words sparked a different thought in my head. In all my time of fighting in the war, I was uncertain of a lot of things... mainly how I might survive the next day. But there was one thing I was never truly certain of since the beginning of the war. Her.

In all my time, I had only received one letter from Night Light since I first started fighting for the Army. Since then, I had never heard of her. And I have kept that letter close to my heart since the day I first received it. Yet since then, I had never once heard back from her or had heard any hint of whether or not she was still alive.

Years. It had been years before I would find some sort of evidence that she was alive. And in all my time before hoof, I felt like I was racing against the clock. Sometimes, when things seemed bleak; When I feel like I hit absolute rock bottom, I would take that letter out and read it again from time to time. It helped me sometimes. I never lost it. It made me think of home. And of her.

That same thought hadn't come back me for a long time. I had finally found my answer, after so long. But I knew the memories would stick with me forever, however haunting it may be.

The one thing I wanted to go back on was how she, Night Light, was able to stay alive. I knew she was a pilot, but that was literally all I knew about her. everytime I had tried to talk to her about her military past, she remained adamantly closed about. I respected that notion.

But... for some reason, today I wanted a definitive answer.

"Sunshine, are you alright?" Night Light asked once more, clearly worried.

“Hey, Night?” I interrupted her.

“Yes?” she graciously responds.

I wanted to ask her, without trying to evoke painful memories.

“You said you served as a pilot on a carrier, right?”

Her features somewhat retracted sourly at that. “That’s... that's right.”

“What was life like there? Out there in the open sea? Being able to travel out there?”

She looked at me quizzically. “What brought this up?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just... I dunno, I was always curious. I mean, I imagine life on the sea was always more serene than life was on the frontlines. Like where I was.”

“Well. There were moments of peace, yes. And the ocean was quite beautiful to look at if we weren’t under any immediate danger.” She sighed. “Which wasn't often.”

“I am very interested to know about what happened during those times. When you were at sea.”

She was staring into space when I made my request. At nothing in Particular. “Well, I can’t remember everything at the top of my head, but I have a pretty good memory. I’ll let you know about it sometime.”

"But I want to know now... Please?" I asked. Admittedly, it was a little bit selfish. But before I could backtrack my words, she looked at me with a pained expression.

“Why are you so interested to know? I don’t want to remember everything, I want to savor the good moments. Before the war, and after.”

That wasn't really a good answer. I tried again.

"... What were you feeling like, back then in the open sea?" I pathetically asked.

“I was scared to death!" she pulled her head away from my neck, staring at me with a pleading look on her face. "I was terrified of coming back, only to find you in a... in a coffin. I didn’t want to think about it. I had to focus on the task at hoof! I was trying to stay alive, I…” She stuttered. Her mane was draping over her features, but I could see her neck and whithers heaving as she quietly sobbed.

Seeing the sight of her crying was a rare sight. but of all the times I did witness it, my heart ache for her. Now that I was the one who caused her to cry, I felt like I was punched in the throat.

I shouldn't have asked this. I was stupid. Supid Stupid Stupid!

I couldn't think on what to do. Instead, I cradled her with my hooves and wings. She openly accepted the embrace and cried into my chest. Trying not to tear up myself, I gently stroked her make. This went on for several minutes before her breathing calmed down. Only then did I ever say something.

"I'm sorry."

I kept stroking her mane.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, I was just... worried for you. I wanted to know if you were okay. I'm sorry."

She tightened her grip around me and cried a little bit more into my chest. The sunset was now dipping fast below the horizon, thanks to Celestia's magic. Soon, it was now Dusk.

"We can go inside if you'd like." I asked gently. She didn't answer back. I stayed patient, no reason to rush an answer out of her. I just kept stroking her mane.

Finally she relented.

"... That's good."

We made it home and we made ourselves comfortable. I prepared two slices of buttered toast for her, as she was just sitting in bed waiting for me. She stared at the floor as I walked in, but gave a genuine yet faint smile upon my arrival.

She ate both slices, and I didn't mind. I wasn't hungry, and she was clearly troubled by my perturbed questions. It was the least I could do. I could only sit in silence beside her on the cloud bed we owned. She quietly ate her snack, and I sat by her side. Neither of us said a word, yet the silence was comforting.

That silence was not meant to last, as Night Light broke it first. "Hey, Sunshine?"

"Hm, yes?" I answered quickly.

"... thinking on what you said earlier... you said you were also worried for me."

"Of course I was." I answered honestly. I wanted to say more, but I bit my tongue.

"I want... I know you are curious about what happened, and... so am I. But, I also don't want to go down the bad parts of memory lane."

"Me neither."

"So... If I tell only bits and pieces, will you be satisfied?"

"I Promise." I responded truthfully.

“Okay...” She looked at the cloud floor. She contemplated long and meticulously. “You know I was a pilot for a carrier. I was stationed on the ‘ERNS Blueblood’. It was the more advanced of the carriers that we had in our battlegroup.”

She looked away again. “I guess... I should start from the beginning. When I was drafted.”

Author's Note

This Fic takes place in the "Equestria at War" Universe, a mod for HOI IV. I recommend, though not forcing you, to check it out. (link to the Fic Group: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212917/folder/60596/wartime )

Chapter 16: Defiance

(A3) - Chapter 4: Litany of Duty

No Glory Won

Act 3 Chapter 4: Litany of Duty

“To die for a righteous cause is the highest honor.”

The only noise that could be heard was the faint buzzing of the lightbulb above me. It was what snapped me out of my storytelling trance and back into reality. Bon Bon and the other… I guess “agents”, had gathered around the table with grim looks on their faces - save for the two that were standing at the doorway. I couldn’t tell if they were displeased with something I had said, or if they were just reluctant to believe what was being told. Or maybe it was something else entirely? Either way, I had no way of knowing for certain what they were thinking; Even though Bon Bon looked continuously more perplexed at my story so far, I could not tell what she was thinking or assuming of me unless she told me directly.

Bon Bon spent some time to rummage through the pages scattered across the tabletop, trying to find… something, I didn’t know what. Many of the documents looked bland and generic, seemingly unimportant, and I couldn’t lean in closer to get a better look due to my hooves being tied still. It was starting to become painful with how long they were bound there.

Bon Bon eventually found what she was looking for, and pulled a paper closer towards her with a hoof. Reading it carefully, she inquired to me again without even trading a glance in my direction. “Your Squad Leader admitted to the existence of the nuclear bomb to the deer, even after you said that only a few select ponies knew about it? It sounds to me like you lied to me.”

“I didn’t.” I rebutted. “Brass didn’t specifically admit to anything. All she said was that we were looking for a weapon capable of mass destruction. And that could mean a lot of things. In any case, no Pony or Deer ever mentioned anything about a bomb. Only a weapon.”

Bon Bon did not respond to this. She took a moment to finish reading whatever was on the document. Darting her eyes back and forth, she opened her mouth again. “It says here that several reconnaissance Pegasi teams were sent to Olenia for scouting, and have found no signs of any Olenian life. The Olenians were said to not be capable of such an organized resistance. What you are admitting about these Deer would imply that they were, in fact, capable of such resistance all this time”

“They hid in the sewers from the moment the Occupation of their country began. They have been fighting since day one, and they did not stop since. We just so happened to have waltz right into their hooves from the moment we escaped that Panzer group.”

“... and you said they escorted your squad back to their… what was it, Bastion?”

“Yes. We followed them to their Bastion, and they led us to their ‘council room’, as I’ve already mentioned.”

“And you also said that you and the Deer made an impromptu agreement with one another?”

“Correct.”

“What was this agreement?”

“It essentially boiled down to ‘we help you find a weapon so you can leave, and you help us fight Changelings’. It’s a bit more complicated than that, and it’s been years since then so the details are hazy. All I remember was that they agreed to help us find the weapon.”

“You mean the bomb?” Bon Bon reiterated.

“Whatever, you know what I mean.”

“So... they trusted you enough to fight alongside you and your squad?”

“I guess so. Though it’s more to it than that.”

“Like…?”

“Well, they didn’t exactly ‘trust’ us; more like they tolerated us. We had a common enemy and it was pointless to try to fight amongst each other. But at the same time, I can tell they were viewing us with suspicion and intrigue on a level that didn’t allow them to trust us until they saw it for themselves.”

“I could care less about interspecies relations at the moment. I only want information regarding the Nuke, Sunshine.”

Her comment only made me more disdainful of her. She seemed utterly uninterested in everything and anything, except for that damned nuke. I was starting to fume on the inside, but I kept an even face.

“Anyways, you said they made a Deal with you of some kind. Then what?” Bon Bon changed the subject.

“The agreement was more than just a makeshift tag team against the Bugs. It was also a deal. The Olenians wished to make a deal with us.”

That got Bon Bon to raise an eyebrow. “A deal? Wha- What do you mean a ‘deal’?”

“The only reason that the Olenians spared our lives when we first encountered them was because of one lucky coincidence.” I stopped for a moment to fidget in my seat, struggling to find any sort of position that made me comfortable. “Which was the fact that Syringe knew New Changeling. The Olenians had stolen documents from the Changelings that were still waiting to be translated, and Syringe was the only one who could read it as fluently as she did when she spoke it.”

“Syringe - you’ve mentioned her about that rare feat of hers numerous times. How fluent is she exactly?” Bon Bon interrupted.

“Well, she wasn’t perfect per se, but she could read almost every word that was written well enough, so long as she understood it. She could speak better than she could read, weirdly enough.”

“Not uncommon to see. Some linguists are more auditory learners than visual. They can focus keenly on the pronunciation of a word and it’s syntax by hearing others speak it rather than reading it. I’m sure she was no exception.”

Thinking back on that now with Bon Bon’s logic… that made sense.

“I digress. You were saying?” She pressed me.

“Yes - The Olenians didn’t this at the time and were still indecisive on what to do with us by the time the council agreed to at least tolerate us. If Syringe hadn't stepped in, I do not know what would’ve happened.”

“What do you mean ‘step in’? What happened?”

“Well… she kind of… revealed her gift, voluntarily.”

“The council has permitted you ponies to be trusted. Now for the sake of us being useful to one another, we trust that you will follow through with your word.”

Nopony replied, but we all nodded in agreement.

“Excellent.” Marja accoladed, as she trotted towards the table near an empty seat. She did not sit down, and instead shuffled together several pieces of paper together with her hooves. Marja grabbed a small stack of papers and a large chart that dominated a good portion of the table. Spreading the map out with her hooves, she also managed to grab a stapler to pin the several stacks of paper together. “Come closer, ponies,” Marja asked of us. Each of us gingerly and slowly made our way towards the table of the Council.

As we got closer, Marja moving some stapled paper stacks aside. ”Feel free to peer at the map.” She spoke. Some of the papers looked like recorded documents, written in an objective and well thought out manner. Neither of us paid mind to it at all initially and instead gazed at the table. The large chart that dominated the tabletop contained a very detailed topography map, along with an atlas of the many different streets, roads, and alleyways in a specific province of the city.

The Atlas was marked by drawings that contained very precise and detailed symbols etched all across the map, all of which in various colors; a red circle with an ‘X’ striking across the center of what looked like a supermarket; a green circle marked with a ‘+’ was marked atop of a clocktower; Several intersections marked with a red exclamation mark; Many different blocks of buildings were just crossed out in red diagonal lines, indicating their destruction - there was so much to look at, it was impossible to Interpret it all at once.

But the main Focal Point of the Atlas lies just in the center of the map: A large rectangular building that had an even larger foundation. It took up at least a whole block’s worth of space where its foundation stood. It was surrounded by a large red circle, with the drawing of a castle tower that was appended with a red skull in the center. Many arrows outside of the red circle were pointing toward it from all directions.

“That large building - is that the Royal Palace?” Brass asked Marja, whom of which nodded. “That looks… ominous.”

“More like impregnable.” Marja corrected. “Had you not wandered into our domain and continued your journey toward there, all of you would’ve surely died,” Marja spoke plainly. A cold shiver traveled from my tail up to my spine. “That is the main stronghold of the Changeling occupation in Hjortland. They’ve established that building as their FOB - their Forward Operating Base. It would’ve been suicide, even for Pegasi, to try and attack that place.”

I watched as Brass took a long moment to carefully study the chart, analyzing every detail that was seen on that chart. “Why do you have it all doodled up then like you’re planning on storming the place soon?”

“How droll of you to notice that.” Marja chuckled lightly. “That’s because we are planning on storming the place.”

“Oh…” Brass uttered. “Well… Since you apparently trust us with that sort of information, mind on elaborating us on what that’s got to do with us?”

“Gladly,” Marja answered as she paced over to the side of the table where most of the stacks of documents were located. Marja grabbed a stack of them and passed it on to Brass. “Tell me what you see,” she asked. Brass took only a second to read it.

“It’s… Written in New Changeling.” She observed blankly.

“Correct.” she simply replied. “This was transcribed to the best of our ability in an attempt to find out what was going on. Most of it is procedural chit chat about ensuring the safety of the cargo and the success of an important delivery. A delivery that was scheduled to take place with a lull period of a week - this week. This means that whatever it is they’re shipping, they want to keep it safe.”

I peered over Brass’s shoulder and glanced at the documents. It was annotated all along the outer edges of the papers with various excerpts and paragraphs of the lengthy document being underlined and boxed. It stretched on for multiple pages. There were also these weird black boxes that covered some lines of the document, hiding their redaction. The various lines that were boxed, underlined, or otherwise annotated had Olenian writing off to the side or sometimes underneath it. The detail and neatness of their writing were impressive for a creature with hooves. Even if they did mouth write it, it must’ve taken years of constant practice.

Ultimately though, it was useless for us to read it since neither of us knew Olenian. I knew Syringe could at least speak New Changeling, but I never could determine if she’s able to read it as well. The thought of such a possibility had never before crossed my mind that I hadn’t once asked her about it.

“In many of the underlined segments of the first page, it states that the important logistics operation was to be conducted within the Hjortland limits by late May. It never specified a singular date or a timespan of when it would be completed, just a rough estimate. Keep in mind, we acquired these reports after the logistic operation was well underway. It isn’t even concluded yet, from what we assume. Our scouts had also noticed an increased military presence revolving around the Hjortland city limits, primarily around the Royal Palace.

“At first, we had assumed they sent them to Hjortland to try and snuff us out. We had been a very annoying thorn in their side since the beginning, and we thought now was their time to try and finally finish us off. But then we had intercepted those documents, and realized that it was much more to it than that.”

Marja flipped to the second page of the stapled stack, revealing more annotations and redactions. “The details are hazy, and the Changelings emphasized that their secrecy was a top priority. And while we have some Deer here who could read New Changeling, none of them are fluent. What we could read from this though, we made sure we captured everything we could find. One day, during decryption, we found something interesting.”

Marja planted a hoof at the bottom of the second page, where a whole paragraph was underlined, save for a single sentence that was redacted. “This whole paragraph states that the motivation behind this operation was because of an unprecedented failure that had occurred within one of their new ‘experiments’ that their R&D Department (Which we later identified as MHI) was trying to develop. Whatever they said was being sent there and for what purpose was redacted, and we know nothing more than that. But what we do know was that since then, we’ve noticed a heightened presence of Changeling activity.”

Marja pointed toward the Northern sector of the map, toward the Royal Palace. “From where we are standing, the Palace is only about 600 meters away - not counting the elevation distance for us being underground.” Her hoof then trailed along with the paper and stopped by the southern coastline. “Your ponies have captured the attention of just about every single Changeling here. They truly think an invasion is coming, and the Bugs are in a bit of disarray. However, that is surely not going to last long; the Jaegers will almost certainly regain their organization and rout out your Ponies with armored support, once they arrive.”

“Jaegers? They’re here in the city?”

“Yes, and they were not here before. Although, I am not surprised by their sudden existence due to what has happened as of late. If this ‘weapon’ of yours turns out to be true, would you want to safeguard it at all costs if you were in their hooves?”

A fair rebuttal. I most certainly wouldn’t want to lose it willy nilly at any given time. And judging from Brass’s defeated expression, I imagine she wouldn’t too.

“Thought so - anyways, these Jaegers I’ve mentioned earlier are now heading south due to your brethren causing such an inconvenience to their operation. You’ve managed to grab the attention of one small group to come after you. Thankfully, they never realized our discovery underground. You ponies are very lucky today.” Marja casually commended.

I felt a knot twist in my stomach at the fact that I could’ve possibly died three separate times today. It felt as though I was in a dance with death, and I’ve managed to pirouette my way out of his grasp without even realizing it. I heard hoofsteps behind me, as I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Syringe was walking behind me, towards the table.

“For quite some time now, the Royal Palace has always been a thorn in our side. Since they’ve converted the Broadcast Room inside to a propaganda station, it has always sowed discontent amongst the deer population - or what’s left of it.”

That got my attention. “Yeah, about that.” I piped up meekly, hoping I wasn’t in the wrong for doing so. Marja gazed at me reassuringly, which prompted me to continue. “Every city that was occupied by the Changelings so far is almost always empty. Nopony there for miles, unless they’re in deep hiding. I don’t understand it. What happened in these cities?”

My only answer was a sudden change of expression from Marja’s features. It looked blank and hollow. “Changelings are shapeshifters that rely on our life force as their energy by sucking it out of us. They’re willing to go through with the extremities of war and slaughter just to get what they so desperately need - do you really need my help to put two-and-two together to figure out what happened?”

“In Vanhoover,” I continued. “there was a tall spire that extended toward the sky, storing everypony they’ve harvested there. I don’t see a hive in your city.”

My rebuttal must’ve struck a nerve, or perhaps I may have been annoying her with these questions. Either way, she frowned scornfully. “Not every creature has as much ‘love’ in their energy like you ponies do.” She said. “Sometimes, they don’t need harvesting from many Deerfolk. And if that’s the case, what do you think happens to them?”

I did not answer. I could only cringe as I backpedaled away from her. I already knew the answer all too well. She resumed her lecture as soon as I was finished. I felt even sicker now.

“As I was saying - for the past month now we were trying to set up some sort of offensive operation to recapture the Palace. We’ve planned extensively for quite some time now to try and retake the broadcast station for our use, and try to spread the word of our incursion to inspire any remaining freedom fighters in the country.”

“But then the whole logistical operation came to be, and it sullied those plans because of the reinforcements - correct?” Brass quickly asked.

“Correct - suspicious, is it not?”

“Yeah. It certainly is.” Brass contemplated with a hoof under her chin.

“From what we can tell, the Changelings are almost concluded with their ‘operation’. And now that more of your kind are here stirring up trouble, it looks like a full-blown invasion to them. We need to Capitalize on that.” Marja trotted slowly to the edge of the table and pointed at a very wide rectangular area of space that was in front of the Palace.

“There is a Park here. It is the least fortified area of all the entire Palace Grounds. There will still be fortifications, no doubt, but the Changeling resistance is least concentrated in that particular area - especially during the fighting down south. In this said park are several Sewer Grates that litter the Sidewalks within that park. It allows us passage for our Kin to infiltrate.”

“Hold on, are you saying you want to invade the Palace?” Brass carefully asked, which earned a genuine smile from Marja.

“With the way your kin had distracted some of the Changeling security there, you bet your flank I do.”

Brass was visually stunned, yet also intrigued. I looked at my squad around me, each of them noticeably hesitant. “What do you ponies think? Think it might be there?” Brass asked aloud.

“Best chance I’ve seen so far.” Rain answered.

“But what if it’s a trap?” Morning stepped forward, asking Marja.

“Well, we’ve considered the thought. If we were to emerge from the Park - or any area on the surface really - there is a chance they could be waiting for us to finally eradicate the remnants of our Attacking Force. But if a Pegasus could get a good view from the sky, however…” Marja gestured slowly toward us. “And if they could give us reliable information on what we’re dealing with before we begin our operation, then we can plan our attack more appropriately.”

“So… you want us to scout out the Palace then?” Brass asked conjunctively.

“Precisely.” Marja quickly gestured a hoof toward us as she spoke. “I only request one to go out and scout the area. Stay within a certain range of time and watch for patterns. Because you are Pegasi, you can fly up to the clouds and remain hidden.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds.” Rain piped up, sounding apprehensive. “I’d say the possibility of being shot at while flying upward is a pretty fucking good deterrent.”

“Have you ever heard of a thing called subtlety?” Marja asked condescendingly.

“There’s nothing subtle about flying upward toward the sky, in the middle of a warzone!” Rain hovered gently to express himself with his hooves, which were mostly expanded outward to prove his point.

“Not with that attitude… and that eyesore of a Coat you got there.” Marja rebutted, Rain looking down at his Teal coat - which was bright and vibrant enough to be seen from a distance. “I see that the two of you are at least-”

“Hey… wait a second.” I suddenly hear Syringe call out to my left, closer to the table. Everypony had stepped aside to turn and look, as I saw Syringe peeking her head over her shoulder. Her hoof was firmly planted atop of several stacks of papers. “Uh… you said your name was Marja?”

“Correct,” she said.

“Well, uh, you might wanna listen to this - all of you.” Syringe ducked her head back down toward the table.

“What are you-” Marja attempted to ask but was cut off by Syringe’s blank, and slow voice.

“In… an effort to maintain Technological Supremacy, the R&D Department has... requested High Command - and inevitably our Queen herself - to grant them access for... unrestricted measures to...ensure... our advantage, in the upcoming Research. Syringe slowly spoke in Ponish, Loud and Blankly as she translated the document for us.

“After stating to the Queen that the... renovations... from the last test sessions would be a... sig-ni-fi-cant upgrade, from its predecessors... the Queen has finally agreed to approve of this restriction removal. And as such, the R&D Department has stated that the older models of their project must be repaired and rewired.

“The R&D Department has… re-re… reiterated, that the repairs should be… con...cluded… within the span of the designated… date and time. Should any form of... failure occur, it will result in harsh punishment … for ALL of you...”

The room was stunned silent. The council remained idle in their seats, their features unmoving. Marja was also quiet and blank in the face.

But my Squad? All of us were left with our jaws hanging… Except for Pumpkin Patch. He stood there with his brows raised.

“Its… I think… I think it really is here…” Syringe softly muttered.

Marja was the first to step up and speak. “You know how to read New Changeling?”

“I can speak it too.”

Marja was stunned. I assumed that her entourages that annotated the documents were nowhere near as knowledgeable as she was.

“What else does it say?” Brass eagerly asked.

“Quite a bit of this was redacted, so not much else. Let’s see, uh…” Syringe continued to peer through the Document. “Uh… To… ensure the success of... the operation, a small Di… Di- Division of… Ya-... Yaëgers? They spell it with a ‘Y’?” Syringe sounded slightly baffled.

“Focus.” Brass reiterated.

“Right…” Syringe muttered. “The… The division will consist of about… 3,000 Troops being transferred to your location. Use them Well… This sounds like something a commander would want to see.”

“Unbelievable…” Marja muttered. I turned to look, some of the color from her coat was drained from her cheeks - giving a Paley Ghoul appearance. “You… Do you actually know how to speak it?”

“I… I read many books back in my training days way back when. I uh… got good at it over the years.” Syringe answered.

“Well… I’d say it’s legit then.” Rain then piped up behind me. “If they’re willing to send 3,000 Bugs to defend a city from so far away, why else would they go there besides protecting a Nuclear Bomb? - No offense to you Marja.” he quickly amended, to which she simply responded with a cough in her throat.

“Well, Ponies; I’d say this changes everything,” Marja announced. “The council and I need to speak for just a brief moment if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all.” Brass answered solemnly. Marja quickly trotted towards Vilhelm, who had been watching the whole ordeal emotionless from his chair. Marja leaned in toward Vilhelm to whisper into his ear. After a few seconds, his expression changes drastically. He then suddenly listens intently, and nods along with her conversation, occasionally whispering a few replies back at her. Finally, the conversation stopped, as Vilhelm quietly ordered one of the other deer from the table to get up from their seat and leave the room. Marja then quickly walked towards us.

“Ponies, The hour of reckoning for the Changelings will soon be at hoof. The Council and I need to speak alone with each other alone for some time.” Marja quickly spoke. “Vilhelm had just sent one of the Senior Officers to inform everyone in the Bastion that you are guests, and should be treated accordingly. You are to wait there until I come back to speak to, uh… Brass? - Yes, Brass again. Understand?”

“Um… So we’re just supposed to wait for you, is that it?” Rain asked.

“Don’t try to push our luck, Rain. We just have to do what they say.” Brass immediately replied, simultaneously answering Marja’s order.

“What about Storm?” Syringe then asked.

“Vilhelm has also taken care of that. His accomplice will check up on him to see how he is healing. Any more questions?” Marja asked, to which none of us replied. “Excellent. I will be seeing you soon then.” Marja said as she gestured a hoof toward the door.

Brass was seen pacing around amidst the center of a platform over the main cistern of the Bastion, where each of us had chosen to rest. Many Deer eyes were on us as we sat there, though none of them seemed hostile. They just looked… confused, if not a tad suspicious.

Brass had not stopped pacing in place for about 10 minutes now. The others were sitting there looking at her, me included. Each of us (except Brass) was sitting on our haunches in a makeshift and deformed circle around her as she paced within the area inside the Circle.

“Are you… alright?” I asked aloud timidly, aiming toward Brass.

“I’m just… thinking.” She answered back quickly.

“About?” I pressed her, curiosity getting the better of me.

“About… about this situation we’re in.”

“Yeah,” Rain piped up soon after. “I’d say it is a pretty shit scenario we’ve got ourselves.”

“Rain, I don’t want to hear your Nihilistic and Wry sense of humor right now - I need to think!” Brass spoke in a soft volume, yet her tone was anything but. She spoke with a hard frown. Syringe to my left spoke up next.

“I uh… I don’t think this is a good time to be like that, Rain.”

“Every living moment I have on this squad is a good time for me say whatever the fuck I wanna say - with all due respect.” Rain replied, bitter and grumpy. “Maybe if Syringe hadn’t revealed her linguistic side-talent, maybe we wouldn’t be an errand-pony for these Deer.”

“They haven’t even done anything to us yet. They’ve just talked to us.” I rebutted.

“And berated us, and threatened, and ordered us,” Rain added on. “Face it - if it weren’t for the fact Brass-”

“Shut it!” Brass spontaneously snapped at Rain, silencing him. Rain suddenly realized his error, as some of the Deer had stopped whatever they were doing to stare at us. As we noticed their presence, they simply just resumed whatever they were doing.

“May I remind you that I am the reason we’re alive right now. That little ‘stunt’ I pulled there - in the sewers and in that council room - were all acts to keep us alive!” Brass harshly whispered toward Rain. “And right now, I have put us in a situation where we have to play ‘nice-pony’ to keep us alive even longer! And I am trying to figure out how to get us out of this fucking mess, and I don’t need your fucking ‘I hate life’ attitude distracting me right now - Am I clear!?” She finished, her face leaning into Rain. I could tell that Rain wanted so badly to say something back. Yet as he just sat there unwavering, I could tell he knew the impracticality of that decision.

“... Crystal.” Rain muttered back, still and quiet.

“I just wish we could hear back what’s going on from Storm anytime now.” Syringe worriedly spoke. “His leg did not look good when he dropped down from the sewer. Combat stress didn’t help it none either.”

“That doe said she would have someone check up on him and report back.” Morning reminded her.

“Can we trust Marja though?” Rain wondered aloud. “I mean, she didn’t hesitate to kill us before Brass spoke up to her. What if we were to get on her bad side?”

Rain had a solid thesis. If we were to do something that identifies us as an enemy in her eyes, then who or what is to stop her from killing us afterward for the sake of her cause? The mental image I had of Marja perceived her to be an unrelenting killer for her people and her resistance, and we weren’t a part of either of that. It only made me more afraid of her.

“Well, then I guess we better not get on her bad side then.” Pumpkin suggested. “Lest we want to get shot.”

“Easier said than done.” said Rain.

“Like you have a better idea!” Syringe berated.

“You’re right - I don’t. But I guarantee that if I did have a better idea, it would involve more than just sitting here in this hellhole we found ourselves in.”

At those words, my instincts snapped me to observe my surroundings. The Cistern around us looked decayed and weathered, almost as if the effects of erosion were accelerating in here. Water was constantly dripping from the ceiling, though not in large doses. The overall lighting in this room was congregated around the central platform of the Chasm where we were sitting. It consisted of a bunch of oil lamps and lanterns, hung on the ceiling and some of them pinned to the walls of the support columns that held the leaky ceiling in place.

At that one good glance around though, I knew that Rain wasn’t that far from the truth about this place.

“Well if you do come up with a better plan, I’m all ears.” Brass nonchalantly spoke, continuing to pace around the platform. Rain didn’t even bother trying to reply to that. A part of me was deflated to see this division between the two only continue to grow.

After that, things got relatively quiet. None of us spoke another word. Each of us sat down in our own respective spots, while Brass Screws endlessly paced around thinking to herself. It was only at this moment - when everything seemed still and where all of us were just sitting here on this platform - that I realized something:

I had absolutely nothing to do at this moment.

I sat on my haunches leaning against a stone column that supported the chasm and sighed. Taking one more good look around me, I saw some Deer still turning their heads toward us. They quickly changed direction as I caught them glancing at us, resuming whatever work they were doing. They didn’t know why we were here as far as I know, but they did know that we share a common enemy. Though… I doubt that all of them will treat us amicably. And I wondered why.

At that thought, I suddenly remembered… I still had my books! If there was anything that could give me an acceptable answer, those would be it.

Gingerly pulling out the History of Equus from my vest pocket, I instantly noticed a small tear of the fabric inside the pocket. As I grabbed the book with my teeth and gently bit down to pull it out, something harder than the cover was painfully pressed against my teeth. Pulling it out, I saw what it was exactly that I bit into. A small piece of jagged metal had pierced the hardcover of the book, which was embedded into the first few pages on the other side. Pulling it out, it looked like a tiny metallic dagger with no hilt. The metal was jagged and bent but still was razor-sharp.

I realized then and there that it was a stray piece of shrapnel. And miraculously, the shrapnel was only stopped by the book. I trailed my thoughts back to the Grocer on the surface from earlier - how we narrowly avoided death by escaping. I remember how the Panzer blew open a gaping hole inside the Grocer, sending flying bits everywhere. The book just happened to be in the right place at the right time to stop a stray piece of shrapnel from hitting me. Yet at the time, I didn’t notice it.

I couldn’t really fathom how lucky I was really. It seemed surreal and almost unbelievable, how a book saved my skin. I tried to push that thought deep into the back of my head for now and instead turned my eyes to my hooves. I held in my hooves something that seems trivial… yet for some reason, I couldn’t help but feel like something is… urging me to read it further. Like a voice nagging at the back of my head, telling me to keep going. And I had no better use of my time as of now, so that little voice sounded completely rational.

Opening the cover again, I was trying to remember where I last left off. Some of the first couple pages were ripped and torn asunder by the piece of shrapnel, but they were pages of Pony Anatomy. It seemed relatively unimportant to me, so I kept flipping pages. The last thing I remember distinctly was the book talking about Dragons, and that it wasn’t yet concluded with the chapter. Quickly flipping through the pages one by one, I kept speed reading trying to find any headline that stated which chapter I was on. I was on two, then onto three.

About two and a half pages after the start of Chapter Three, I found where I had left off. I immediately began to find a paragraph that seemed unfamiliar to me, and proceed to read on from there…

“... All of the races have there own History, but the Dragons are by far the most peculiar of them all.” I softly read to myself.

I sped along to the next Paragraph and… conveniently enough, It was about the Deer.

“... The final race to include would be the natives to the cold fjords and steep mountains of Olenia - the Deer. These Deer have lived in this ancient land for more than a millennia, much like how we Ponies have lived in our native land of Equestria for even longer. Olenia can trace its lineage back to 2 BLB when King Harald Fairantlers of Hjortland united several of the petty kingdoms of the deer. Olenia has since been a seagoing nation, with bustling trade ports.

“In the very early days, the deer launched regular raids against Equestria, plundering their sea villages with deer longships. The two monarchies exchanged skirmishes with one another for years. However, in 143 ALB a permanent peace was signed, though occasional unauthorized raids have occurred since and Pony-Deer relations have remained somewhat standoffish.

That bit of information was somewhat rivetting to hear about. I had always heard that the two had bad history in the past, but I never knew that they actually started it. It lasted for almost one and a half centuries. I glued my eyes back to the page.

“To the north, occasional incursions from the Changeling Lands have been a problem, though fortunately, the Changeling Lands have always fought each other far more than outsiders. In spite of these raids, the deer have generally enjoyed the same legendary peace that has blessed Equestria. And this relative Peace lasted for centuries.

“The deer began their own industrialization alongside Equestria decades after the Industrial Revolution took Equus by storm. In 952 ALB, Industrialization truly begins for the Olenians, with many factories and manufacturing companies being established at a very rapid pace across the country. In 961 ALB, a company dubbed ‘Lokia’ was founded. Decades later, they became renowned across the world for their production of durable electrical equipment.

“Due to the series of rapid industrialization in the Olenian’s Economy, trade between the Equestria and Olenia flourished. It even helped both nations thrived in the circumstances. Trade income was booming, which cause some minor gangs of pirates to form around the southern coastlines - prompting Olenia to invest in a proper military, despite its lack of population.

“Though the Deer could not effectively raise even a national guard, they could raise a merchant navy. And so it was. Somewhere between 960 and 980 ALB, the Deerfolk of Olenia experienced what was considered to be the closest thing to a Golden Age for them; Ports turned into bustling Metropolises; Trade Income was higher than ever - especially with the constant discovery of new Natural Resources; The Merchant Navy was the most prestigious naval power of the continent at the time, (With Equestria in tow for that same title.)

“For as long as the Deer could remember, they had never experienced Prosperity of this magnitude before. Everything could theoretically be considered perfect. If there was one thing within the Deer society that could possibly be classified as a ‘division’ between the people, it would be the Religion that the Deer possess. They have a loose religion of related customs and gods that focuses on calling upon appeasing local spirits and giving offerings to a small pantheon of gods. These gods are:

Ukko - King of the Gods. God of justice, war, and wisdom.

Pellervo - God of the harvest and fertility.

Vellamo - Goddess of the sea and weather.

Tuoni - Goddess of death.

Loviatar - Goddess of disease and decay, daughter of Tuoni.

“These deities are spread across the country in various levels of worship, but all of them are equally accepted across all Deerfolk.”

Religion was never a big part of my life. I mean, I say that when I live in a principality that has monarchs raising the Sun and Moon. But I was never as staunch of a believer like how some would turn out to be.

“Since the recent restoration of the Equestrian Diarchy, the Olenian heir Princess Velvet became interested in Equestrian harmonic principles, and Equestria eagerly awaited her ascension as Queen when her father, King Aldar II passed.”

Velvet… that’s who Marja was talking about. She was supposed to be the next heir to Olenia. Yet she didn’t. She was replaced by Johan, as Marja said… I read on to figure out what happened.

“To everyone's surprise, King Aldar II died under suspicious circumstances. His illegitimate son Johan quickly seized the throne with the help of religious leaders, corrupt businessdeer, and greedy nobles. ‘Queen’ Velvet, the rightful heir, later fled to Equestria sometime before the coronation.

“The crown sits uneasily on Johan's head, as he faces pressure from all sides. Queen Velvet attempts to rally support with the superpower of Equestria, the people grumble under his rule, religious leaders wield too much influence, and the corrupt businessdeer holds back the economy. A Great Change is about to commence within Olenia, one way or another. Whether from within or from without, that remains to be seen.”

Dying under ‘Suspicious Circumstances’ sounded like horse apples to me. It felt, in a way, like it was a lazy excuse for a clever assassination. My first assumption would obviously be against Johan, yet I had no way of knowing for sure. And I don’t think anyone else truly knows who did it, or will anytime soon.

I was about to read onward when I heard galloping hoofsteps coming towards us from my right. As everyone and I turned to look, we saw that same Brown Coated Deer rushing toward us from the council room, rushing alongside with Marja. Everypony in my squad simultaneously ceased whatever they were doing to stand at attention toward the Deer.

Brown Deer spoke toward Marja aloud, apparently telling her what needs to be said. She then spoke up, “Ponit, you have been authorized to speak to your comrade in the Infirmary once more for about 5 minutes if you wish. You may choose to hang outside the Infirmary if you wish to not speak with him, but no further. When you are done, you are also ordered to follow me back to the Council Room for an important discussion. Understood?” she asked with haste.

None of us were in any position to decline her, really. So we each inevitably nodded along with her order as if they were from Brass, she herself answered for all of us by saying “Yes” aloud. And soon just like that, we were following Deer again. I quickly tucked my books into my pockets, as I marched in line behind Rain to follow Marja back to Storm Cloud.

The Infirmary we found ourselves in was an overstatement. It looked more like a Quarantine Area than anything; basic cots with mattresses all lined up neatly against the wall, some of them occupied already. Several Deerfolk were dressed in medical uniforms as they tended to their patients. Some of them took a quick second to gaze at me, but didn’t look for long as they resumed their duties.

There were several wooden tables set beside each other. Cluttered atop all of them were bandages (some of them caked with blood), syringes, a few beakers and vials, splints, and I think some zip-ties - probably used as tourniquets.

Marja led us along the neat rows of Cots that stretched about the room, until he led us to one with a different occupant - Storm Cloud. He took notice of us walking to him.

“Oh hey.” He laid on his haunches to the edge of his cot, his leg looking better than it had before. It’s bandages were clean and white, and there was a weirdly shaped board with metal bars that can only be described as ‘restrictive’ it was wrapped uncomfortably around his entire leg. “Good to see that the Deerfolk are at least tolerating us.” he bantered.

“That makes two of us.” Brass softly murmured.

“Tolerate is one way to describe it.” Marja dismissively spoke.

“They treated you okay?” Syringe was the first to ask.

“Yeah, more or less. They can’t speak to me, and I can’t speak to them - but they at least know what they’re doing.”

“I can see that. You have a proper Splint now.”

“It hurts.” Storm griped.

“It’ll get better quicker that way.”

I didn’t bother saying a word. I heard all I wanted to know just by staying silent.

“I don’t suppose it’s too much to ask to hurry this along please?” Marja ushered, but in a tone that suggested it was in our best interest to oblige. “We have a meeting waiting for us and the Council does not like to be kept waiting.”

Brass turned her whole body around to face Marja directly. “I have a question if you don’t mind.”

I watched Marja’s features somewhat contort with annoyance but otherwise relented. “What is it?”

Brass took a brief moment to think as if she was choosing her words with careful hesitation. “What exactly does the Council want from us at this point?”

“That’s for them to say, for me to translate, and for you to find out.” Marja answered quickly.

“Can’t you just tell us now? Or do you not know?” Brass asked again with a hint of contempt.

“I do know. I’m just not obligated to tell you at this time. And in any case, I’d rather not discuss such topics in a place like this.”

“Yes, I can relate to that - Storm, however, has not heard a single word of what has happened over in that council room, and therefore I am responsible to inform what they want from us. But you know more than I do, and I want a definitive answer.”

Brass’s argument did not sway or startle Marja, but it did silence her. She took a moment to think of what to say, before finally sighing.

“They are asking for you to do a favor for them, and then we will do you a favor in return - as to accomplishing your original task. That much I am willing to say.”

Brass could clearly see that she was not going to get any further, so she accepted whatever answer she got and nodded. To be fair, it was an informative answer.

“And what of Storm Cloud?”

“What about him?”

“What will be happening with him when we do this ‘favor’ of yours?”

“Well, given that he is incapacitated and is temporarily unable to move effectively in combat, he will remain here.”

“Whoa Whoa, you’re saying I have to stay here for hours? While they’re gone?” Storm objected.

“What other use do you have?” Marja replied.

“I can still fly!”

“And what if you get shot in the wing? What then?” Syringe then piped up.

“Wha- you’re okay with this?!”

“No, I’m not. But her reasoning and logic are sound. You cannot fight at all until that leg is healed.”

“I hate it, but Syringe is right.” Brass agreed. “It’s for the best. You’ll be in good hooves while we’re gone.”

Storm Cloud clearly didn’t like what he was hearing. He shifted position to sit more upright, causing him to wince in pain. “But what if… what if you need me?”

“We’ll just have to avoid the Panzers like the plague for the time being. Nothing we’re not used to anyway.”

“Are you done now? They’re waiting for us.” Marja pressured us in a somewhat belligerent yet apologetic tone.

“Yeah, we’re done now.” Brass relented, as each of us turned to leave once again.

“Don’t die of boredom while you’re here. Bad for your health.” Syringe joked dryly while looking back. Storm couldn’t help but chortle once.

“Break a leg I guess… well, not literally.”

We all walked back in a clumped line back through the very narrow hall that led to the council room. Upon entering the building, we were greeted by the sight of every Deer in the Council standing around the table. They all spoke within their own dialect, some of them seemingly arguing amongst each other. The Rest seemed to be in some form of indistinct conversation that I had absolutely no hope of understanding.

When Marja opened the door and the rest of us walked in, they didn’t even notice us. They seemed very focused on their back and forth deliberation.

“Did… did we come at a bad time?” Rain quipped.

“No; they are almost always like this.” Marja sighed. “The Council must reach an 8:2 ratio of agreement or higher before enacting or deciding upon anything. Usually, that takes time and arguments for that to happen.”

“That sounds a bit time-consuming.” Brass pointed out.

“When discussing decisions that could determine the fate of our people, it’s for the best.” Marja Rebutted.

Every Deer that was arguing still didn’t take heed of our presence, as their disagreements continued to increase in volume.

“What are they arguing about?” I asked Marja.

“From what I can tell… they’re trying to figure out how to approach the Castle.”

“It’s easier for Pegasi then for Deer, I’d assume.” Pumpkin spoke for the first time in a while. He was always so quiet.

“We have other advantages. We are more Dexterious with our Hoofwork and Fine-Motor Skills.”

“You mean you… you can grab things with hooves with ease?”

“Most of the time. Like you Ponit, we also rely on Magnetic Horseshoes for handling weaponry. But we are able to navigate terrain quite better than most hooved creatures - Pegasi being the Exception, of course.”

“Well, what’s the problem then?”

“The problem is that the Council has no reliable info, so they had to rely on guesswork for the time being. They’re trying to find a way to fix that.”

“Didn’t you mention some time before that you wanted one of us to do scout work?” Brass immediately asked.

“It was going to be part of my proposal, that is… until your comrade revealed her gift.” Marja gazed toward Syringe, who promptly shied away a couple of steps.

“Don’t you need her?”

“Hardly not now, anymore. Most of the documents were redacted. The ones your comrade was reading were some of the first pages. The rest were details on the unit detachment that was guarding their treasure trove - which was almost completely redacted. I doubt you’d help us any more than you already did.”

“So… why are we here then?” Brass asked.

“The council will not take long, the argument seems to be almost concluded.”

“How much longer exactly do you think this will be?” Brass asked; she sounded unconvinced.

“Any second now.”

The old Deerfolk continued their bickering for about a minute. They exchanged heated paragraphs of dialogue toward one another in a free-for-all, that I couldn’t tell who was arguing with whom. But one Deer spoke out loud and boldly, in that kind of volume that demanded your attention at the earliest notice and not in a pleasant way. The rest of the council room ceased their seemingly petty disagreements and focused their attention on him.

The old Deer in question was Vilhelm.

“Vihollinen on niin kiireinen keskittynyt muihin saalista ja muut sukulaiset, jotka vaanivat meidän kaupungissa. Ne voidaan valmistaa meille, mutta he eivät odota meitä.”

“What is he saying?” Morning whispered to Marja.

“Shush and I’ll tell you.”

“He ovat alkaneet tämän maahanhyökkäys ja tämä kauhea sota, ja meillä on keinot tuoda lähemmäksi loppua.” Vilhelm shouted once again, whilst pointing a hoof directly at me. This very much so caught me off guard, as I didn’t know exactly as to what he was saying.

Marja and I exchanged glances, as she too looked confused.

“Meidän Pony tuttavia auttavat meitä taistelussa hyönteisiä. Ne antavat meille luotettavaa tietoa tarvitaan.”

“Ohh…” Marja softly uttered.

“What? Why did he point at me?” I quickly asked.

“He needs you to be his eyes.” Marja answered just as quickly.

I froze, yet I didn’t know from what. Another big responsibility tossed on my already full plate. I felt somewhat dizzy.

“Tänään meillä on mahdollisuus sytyttää sammunut Kindle kipinä meidän kauan odotettu vallankumousta - ja pelkäät!? Miten te kutsutte itseäsi Deer, jos näytät Fear!?” Vilhelm shouted with all of his soul, silencing whatever noise there was in the Chasm. Each of the Deer looked up toward Vilhelm with a mix of bewilderment, fear, and admiration. Indeed, I too felt like I was in the presence of someone with great authority - despite him not being Royalty… as far as I can tell.

“Vihollinen voi piiloutua Silmät taivaalla. Vihollinen jättäytyä sen ulkopuolelle ja on haavoittuva. Ja Meillä on mahdollisuus työntö jyrsimessä heidät pois meidän kaupunki kerta kaikkiaan! Oletko ole minun kanssani?” Vilhelm finally concluded with a resounding shout yet again. And - yet again - the council was silent.

There was a pause that seemed to have encompassed the very air around us, almost suffocating us. It sounded heavy and dreadful, almost like History was deciding it’s fate right here right now… it’s funny though. It doesn’t really feel like that.

It just feels like everything else. Scary and Foreboding.

Bom. Bom. Bom.

That familiar table-pounding sound was heard again from the council table. And almost instantaneously after that, more Deer joined him.

Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom!

A choir of percussion echoed the expansive walls and ceilings around us the beat became louder, and grew more intense with each added participant.

Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom! Bom!

Vilhelm stood up and marveled at what he saw. He couldn’t help but smile softly.

Me though? I felt like I wanted to cringe, throw up, and dig a hole in the ground to hide myself. My heart accelerated faster.

“Well Pony,” Marja spoke loudly, over the sound of hoofstomps.

“It looks like you get to be a hero.”

It felt anything but heroic. I felt like I was gonna die...