Soldiers: Skyfall

"Hello? Can...anyone hear this? Please...my....my daughter.......I.......I'm not going to....to make it......shes hiding in the basement......at 194 Maple Street.....i....i told her I'd be back but....tell....tell her Paladin so she knows i sent you and.....tell her....I'm sorry I'm leaving her alone.....and i love her....more then anything....."
--Broadcast heard in Trottingham by unknown stallion.

Date: August 9th, 1666 CC
Time: 19:30
Name: Apple Fritter
Location: Sweet Apple Acres, Ponyville

Apple Fritter fired her rifle on one of them things as it ran between the trees, she wasn't entirely sure if she hit it but if she didn't she made sure they knew they were not welcome.

Apple Fritter stood behind a line of barrels, crates, trailers and other equipment used to help run the farm along with her two sisters and two of the farmhooves who hadn’t run off when all of this started.

Behind them stood the old house they had grown up in, and their mom had grown up in with her siblings and hers before that.

“That's right ya varmints run!” Apple Peel yelled angrily. “That will teach ya not to mess with the Apple Clan’s business!”

Beyond the house a large column of smoke rose to the sky and party blocked out the sun as the southern orchard burned out of control destroying the trees as the Apple sisters couldn't risk trying to go and put out it out and any chance of the fire department showing up was laughable as they could hear the gunshots echoing from the town proper as they fought their own pitched battle.

According to a couple ponies who made it to the farm there was apparently a stand being made in the marketplace lead by the wheelchair bound librarian Denial Wrecker as he knew a thing or two about fighting being a former EDF Trooper.

The Apple Sisters hoped they were doing well as there was no way for them to know unless someone else came by but that was unlikely as anyone who couldn't reach the market came here, and the rest apparently made a break for The Castle of Friendship.

Apple Fritter could see The Castle was in a far bigger battle then the farm or town was combined she guessed. Luckily calling it a Castle was just a name as it was a fortress and easily one of if not the most heavily defended thing in Equestria packed with enough weapons, ammo and latest technology to put other bases to shame as they looked unarmed in comparison.

Every one of The Castle’s guns was firing on a large army laying siege, well large by Apple Fritters standard but she didn't know much about army things so for all she knew it was small.

Around The Castle flew those staging planes that were being fired on by the anti air batteries as smoke rose from the castle from several fires that burned.

Apple Dumpling fired her rifle as another one of those things poked its head out of the trees bringing Fritter back to the farm.

“Ah don't get it….why ain’t they doing much but looking?” Peel asked.

“Don't rightly know….seems weird after they attacked us in the southern orchard….” Fritter shuttered recalling how they barely made it out of that since they were caught unaware while apple bucking.

“It…reminds me of Timber Wolves” Dumpling said, of of the three sisters, Dumpling was the youngest and most educated as she spent a lot of time with Aunt Twilight loving to listen to her talk about all sorts of thing and even borrowed all sorts of textbooks from the library as Aunt Twilight got her with the learning bug good. Still even with all her learning she still preferred life on the farm as opposed to anywhere else.

Apple Fritter was the oldest and most down to earth while Peel was the middle child and somewhat of a hothead.

“What do you mean like Timber Wolves, they ain't made of wood!” Peel said.

Peel also wasn't the brightest bulb at times.

Dumping sighed. “Not like that….I meant their movements….it's like how the Timber Wolves hunt.”

Fritter frowned as she thought about that. If this really was like how those wooden monsters hunted….

A twig snapped behind them and Fritter grabbed her sisters diving down into the dirt as a bolt of energy tore through where Peel had been standing.

“Fuck!” One of the farmhooves yelled, turning around and raising his rifle a moment before a bolt hit him in the chest causing him to crumple to the ground as the other farmhoof dove over the barricade just in time to avoid the same fate as a bolt hit where he had been standing.

Fritter rolled over trying to get her gun up but the long barrel was pinned under her as she stared at the 4 things that had snuck around the side of the house.

The lead one leveled its weapon at Fritter who saw flashes of everything she'd ever done and had hoped to do.

A moment later a streak of light tore through the air and a massive hole exploded in the chest of the thing aiming at Fritter as a loud bang echoed across the farm.

“Now that's just Dishonest shooting a pony while they are down.” A familiar voice said from the other side of the house.

Fritter looked as saw a yellow earth pony with a large red mane, a single gray streak in it under a wide brimmed black hat and wearing a matching vest under saddle bags and on her hip was an empty holster for an old .44 revolver that had been bought by their mom before the sisters were born.

“Aunt Applebloom, where have you been?” Peel asked, shocked.

“Sorry I'm late, had some trouble getting the things I needed and knew you girls could hold down the farm.” Applebloom said. Anyone who looked at the mare would assume she wasn't very old when in fact she was the oldest mare in town besides Aunt Twilight.

Applebloon aimed the revolver and Fritter could see a faint glowing from the bullets.

“Now then…..Xenaial Ani Eulan enital alloma.” She said in a weird gibberish.

The things looked at each other and back at her. “Fanina Ina?” one said in similar sounding gibberish

“Gaun quina.” Applebloom responded.

The things looked at each other and at the dead one on the ground before they started to retreat back the way they came.

After they were gone Applebloom holstered her pistol and walked over to the girls smiling. “You girls okay?”

“Yeah…”Fritter said, getting up.

“Aunty what was that gibberish?” Dumpling asked.

“Just making sure they understood if they didn't get off mah farm then they'd end up like their captain.”

“Huh?” Dumpling said. “But….how?”

Applebloom smiled in that way that told the girls she wasn't going to answer before turning back to the house. “Come on back into the house and get some food as ah know you four are hungry and we won't be bothered for a while.”

The three mares followed as they knew better than to argue with their aunt, when she said something, it was true no matter how outlandish.

As they followed a massive explosion echoed across the farm and the three looked toward Castle Friendship to see the large central tower buckling at the middle and starting to topple over as more fires burned out of control as the enemy pressed their assault.

The tower crashed into the ground with a deafening sound as the wall it hit was demolished a moment before a massive explosion rocked the gate and tore it from where it stood. Fritter could just make out the flashes of weapons fire as those inside The Castle fought to defend the breach from the things that now launched a full scale assault through the open gate.

“Fritter come on, that ain't our battle.” Applebloom said firmly. “Now get in here and rest as there is work to be done later.”

Fritter tore her eyes away from the fortress as it fought with everything it had both outside and inside.

She followed her sisters into the house and closed the door on the battle outside.