FiMTech - The Clan Civil War - EDITED (BattleTech Crossover)

In the early morning on the small planet of Dike, while the sky was still dull grey, soldiers filed silently into the town of Styx. The only sounds to be heard were the muffled clanking of rifles, the dull thuds of the soldiers’ boots hitting the cobblestone, and the wheels of carts being pulled.

The grizzled Star Commander of the forces, a well respected and greatly feared unicorn, halted upon reaching the town square, signaling for the soldiers behind him to do the same. He gazed out at the silent buildings, searching for movement while taking in the calm, early-morning scene for a few moments. One of the Point Commanders walked up to the Star Commander.

“Commander Bolt? What is the reason for the delay?” the Point Commander said.

Commander Thunder Bolt stood still and inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. A devilish smile spread slowly across his face. “I just wanted to absorb the scenery of this wretched slum before it becomes overwhelmed by smoke and the stench blood,” he said, with a flick of his tail. “Let us proceed.”

At Thunder’s command, the soldiers charged into the city, their battle cries breaking the silence. Doors crashed across the town as they were ripped off of their hinges and soldiers rushed inside. Screams could be heard echoing down every street, with gun fire here and there. A mare was thrown out into the street, only to be shot by a soldier inside. Moments later another soldier came out carrying a young crying colt. The colt was shackled and thrown into a cart, along with many other foals.

Thunder walked down the street, savoring the pain all around him. Nothing got him going more than a good purging. Maybe he would even participate himself if he felt particularly lively.

A soldier ran up to Thunder and saluted. “Commander Bolt, Sir!” he said.

Thunder regarded him coldly. The soldiers knew their role, and this one had interrupted him while he was in a particularly good mood. “What is it,” he said, more demanding than asking.

“The carts are full, Commander. We can’t carry any more foals. What should we do with the rest, Sir?”

Thunder glanced at the carts in the town square, surprised. Sure enough, all four of the uncomfortable transport carts had their full thirty foals chained to the rails, with no room to cram in more of the detestable vermin. He hadn’t expected there to be this many young ponies in such a small town. “Aff. We will have to do something to sort out this dilemma.” He thought for a moment before looking back at the soldier. “Kill the rest. We have appropriated enough freeborn filth.”

The soldier was startled for a second, before snapping back to attention. “I’m sorry Sir, but kill the young ones? Isn’t that too barbaric, even for us?”

Thunder regarded him for a second. “That is what I said, correct?” He advanced on the soldier menacingly, and the soldier started backwards. His rear hooves hit the edge of a fountain and he stopped, nowhere else to go. He looked around for escape, panic-stricken, but it was too late.

Thunder brought his face inches from the soldier’s. “You overstep, soldier.” He grabbed the soldier by the back of the helm and threw him to the ground, then wrenched the rifle from his grasp. He planted one hoof on the soldiers chest, pinning him to the cobblestones, and jammed the gun barrel up underneath the soldier’s chin. “Never challenge my commands.”

The muzzle of the rifle flashed as Thunder fired the rifle straight into the soldier’s head, killing him instantly. Blood immediately began pooling underneath the body, flowing freely into the storm drains situated around the fountain. Thunder stepped off the soldier, wiped a bit of blood off of his uniform, and tossed the rifle onto the body. He looked up, realizing he had an audience. The soldiers in the vicinity had stopped and were staring at the scene before them.

Thunder looked back out at the soldiers, challenging them with his stare. “Any other queries?” he shouted, spitting out the word queries like a bad taste in his mouth. A few ponies shook their heads, and the rest remained silent, not wanting to anger the Commander further. “Good. Now go! Kill the rest! I want this town to run red with their blood!”

“Aff, Commander!” The soldiers shouted. The sound of gunfire picked up as the soldiers gunned down any ponies they came across. The screams resumed, new terror behind them. Thunder reveled in the death of the trash around him, each pony’s terrified scream being cut short as a bullet was put through their head, or maybe their heart. The pain of other ponies always made Thunder feel exhilarated, like a young foal on Hearth's Warming morning.

Thunder turned towards the rising sun, red streaks of light pouring out from the mountains like rivers. “Don’t leave a single one alive!” he yelled as the soldiers continued running through the buildings, killing anyone in their way.

Movement from the corner of his eye caught Thunder’s attention. A white mare hiding in the shadows, gazing out at the horrifying sights around her. A teenage pegasus, ripe for the picking. She suddenly noticed Thunder watching her, pure glee plastered all over his face, and she let out a high pitched shriek. Her wings unfolded in an adorable helpless manner, and she pressed her back against the wall behind her. Thunder sauntered over to her, considering his options. This was his favorite part of every invasion. Seeing the terror in the eyes of his victims, basking in their screams, and feeling the life leave their helpless bodies. But how to do it? Dismemberment? Asphyxiation? Blunt trauma? Oh, the possibilities were endless!

Thunder reached the poor mare, mere inches from her face. He breathed in her scent, hardly containing his excitement. A perfectly wonderful idea popped into his head, and seconds after his horn began glowing, he saw realization hit the mare immediately. An instant later, the screams began.

The sounds of bones snapping and flesh tearing permeated the defiled morning air. For minutes, the mare screamed in pure agony, pleading for death as her body twisted and contorted in horrible, unnatural ways, manipulated by Thunder's magic. However, her pleas fell on deaf ears, and Thunder continued mutilating her in his trance-like state. The mare’s struggles grew weaker, her screams less urgent. As her eyes fluttered closed and the life mercifully left her body at last, the sun finally crested the mountains, shedding light on the terrible sight of the town. Bodies of families lined the street, and the ground was slick with the blood of the innocent. There wasn't even a single bird chirping.

Thunder let the body of the mare flop pitifully to the ground, and turned towards the sun that was peeking timidly over the horizon, as if the Great Spirit himself was terrified. A feeling of corrupt joy overwhelmed Thunder from head to hoof. “Today,” he said, almost to himself, “begins a new era.”