Everfree Liberation Army

The Advance

Dream Valley

The element of honesty stood on top of a hill, gazing down at the soon-to-be battlefield. Applejack's gaze switched from the fields to the forest as movement caught her attention along the treeline.

There, below a large tree, standing among his officers was the Lone Wolf. Applejack clenched her jaws in anger as she spotted the man she had come to loathe.

"What in tarnation is that fella up to now?" She muttered to herself as she saw her nemesis point towards the field while giving orders to his men.

Applejack glared at the enemy captain for a little while longer before she sighed turned around and trotted off to give her own officers their respective orders.

Captain Merith was staring intently at the field before him, he had planned each one of his movements carefully, imagining each movement of his troops on the battle inside his head, studying the terrain.

He stopped as he saw Applejack. The orange mare that he had easily bested in strategy so many times before.

He felt disgusted by the mare's lack of strategic ability, Merith was a man devoted to perfect planning and meticulous consideration.

Unlike most of Frethnk's generals and captains, Merith never charged mindlessly into battle. Even the smallest military move on his part was carefully thought over.

"Captain Merith, sir. The soldiers are ready, we await your command." The officer informed Merith as he saluted.

"Good, form the grunts in a line at the front. Position the ranged rabble behind them and tell my hunters to get ready."

Merith spoke through the heavy iron mask he always wore. His disrespect towards the infantry and the less prestigious archers was apparent and it made the officer clench his fists a little.

His hunters, however, were a different story.

They were the elite archers in all of the Everfree forest, they were trained since their childhood to use a bow and arrows with deadly precision and accuracy.

Merith disregarded infantry as much as he could, preferring to use his elite archers more than anything, but sometimes the mindless brutes were needed.

His plan was to rush the infantry to the front of the Equestrian battle line, then rain down multiple arrows from the least experienced archers and finally, his hunters would position themselves by the flanks of the enemy army and obliterate the ponies with volley after volley of poisoned arrows.

Merith's breath was somewhat heavy under the mask, but he didn't care. The mask what hid the scars of his dreaded past and it shielded him from the shame of his only defeat.

Walking to his hunters he spoke in his usual low voice, almost a whisper but with the authority and strength of a hydra's roar.

"Should we win that field," He pointed his hand towards the battlefield in front of them. "Nothing would stand in our way between here and the settlement of Fillydelphia..." He trailed off into silence, The Lone Wolf was better at planning ambushes and sneak attacks than he was at speeches, recovering his words quickly he resumed the short explanation. "It is the king's will!"

The soldiers in front of him cheered with little enthusiasm, before marching forward to their respective positions.

The Lone Wolf shrugged and walked towards his commanding spot on a hill.

Applejack now stood before her army of ponies, unsure of what to say to rally their spirits.

"Well... Here it goes..." She muttered before straightening herself and commencing her own speech.

"Alright everypony! Hear me out!"

All noises faded into nothing as the soldiers heads turned to face Applejack.

"What we have here is one mighty important battle! The lives o' many ponies depend on us winning this fight! And by Celestia I swear ta you all that we will win!" She stood on her hind legs rising her front hooves in the air which caused a tremendous cheer to emerge from the ranks of ponies in front of her.

Applejack then took a banner with Equestria and Celestia's symbol and rushed out of the encampment with over sixty thousand ponies following close by.

She heard her officers shout orders at the units and battalions but she just didn't care, the sun shone brightly in the sky, the grass caressed her hooves as she sped through the field and the roar of thousands of ponies only made her heart fill with pride.

She had sworn to defend her homeland and the ponies that inhabited it, and she would do just that. It was her promise. It was her oath.

Merith looked at the enormous army that raced through the fields.

"Charge them, meet them head on!" He ordered his officers as the earth ponies approached them. There must have been around fifty five thousand ponies, maybe more, rushing down the fields at full gallop.

Merith's own army rushed through the field to meet the Equestrian forces, forty five thousand men roared their war cries and charged.

Merith then ordered his archers to get into position.

Applejack felt the air run through her mane, the adrenaline, the fear, the excitement of battle. It all came down on her with such strength she found herself pushing herself to go faster.

The banner she still carried in her mouth waved proudly above in the sky. Her eyes were focused on the enemy as the wall of enraged humans approached.

The Equestrian battle line sped up, the sun reflected upon their golden armor giving them a powerful appearance.

"For Equestria! For the Princesses! For glory!"

The roar of battle rose like a wave, threatening to shatter existence itself if it was held for too long.

Steel met flesh, hooves crushed bones, men were sent flying backwards with the sheer strength of the ponies charge.

Both lines crashed in a horrible torrent of curses, blood, cries of war and pain, as well as the sounds of death. Applejack had smashed in the helmet of a man and sent another one flying backwards with a powerful kick that shattered bones. She was no longer the sweet earth pony that had cared for apple trees back in Ponyville.

That Applejack was gone, consumed by the fires of war. And General Applejack had replaced her.

The Equestrian army broke through the enemy line with brutal force. In a matter of minutes the human soldiers were running scattered and terrified of the oncoming army of earth ponies.

Applejack wasted no time, despite the multiple cuts and bruises she now had, she shouted orders out to her soldiers and commanded them to follow. To follow her to death or glory!

She rushed forward and broke through the now wavering lines of soldiers as they frantically tried to save their lives.

The Lone Wolf stared with disgust as the earth ponies crushed through the lines of infantry. "What use do those brutes have if they can not hold the goddamn line?"

"Fire! Fire at them! Cover them in arrows!" His hollers startled his officers, he almost never shouted.

Merith's hunters rushed to position. Their bows lifted into the air as they placed their poison drenched arrows, Merith calculated the best place for his archers to bombard.

Realization hit him as he saw the equines being rallied by Applejack. If he killed the head the body was useless.

"The general! Kill their general!" He ordered his archers while he pointed towards Applejack's position.

A cloud of arrows darkened the skies as the poisoned projectiles rose up in the air.

Applejack felt the urge to celebrate as her soldiers destroyed the enemy's battle line and obliterated any resistance they may have posed. Screams filled the air as the banner carriers of the Wolf Clan fell to their knees, faces covered in blood and mauled beyond recognition. The proud carriers had refused to surrender and opted to fight till the end.

Applejack felt victory within her grasp, and decided to push forward into the forest so she could capture the bastard responsible for the destruction of Blue Mane.

She barked more orders to her officers and ordered the line to reform. As the ponies assembled into a battle line once again, the Wolf Clan reformed their remaining troops at the base of the treeline.

As the Equestrian battle line was completed she felt the heat of the sun no longer for several seconds and as she looked up at the sky a cloud of arrows started its descend towards her soldiers.

Cries of pain and agony rose from behind her, as she turned around to see what was happening an arrow slammed itself to the back of her shoulder.

Her scream of pain was merely one among hundreds, it was drowned by the force of many dying ponies and men around her.

But she still had a fight left to win.

With a roar of pain she turned her head backwards and grasped the arrow in her teeth, she gasped as the poisoned tip of the projectile was twisted inside the bleeding wound.

In a mighty tug she jerked her head to the side while still holding on to the arrow shaft. The pain was immense, blood sprayed on her cheek as the wound was exposed. With a grunt of pain she opened her jaw and stomped the arrow that fell to the floor, breaking it in two.

"It will take a lot more than tha' ta kill me," Applejack stood there, stare fixed on the broken arrow before raising her eyes to Merith, who looked in awe at the wounded Applejack. "Or make me break mah promise!"

The last sentence left her mouth as a holler of rage and defiance, Applejack was not going to succumb before the south was rid of the Lone Wolf.

The Lone Wolf stared in horror as he realized the futility of his plans. He had underestimated the resolve and wrath of his foe.

So many months of war had hardened them into fearless war machines. His careful, strategic planning had been useless in the end. They tore through his schemes and men with such fury, the god of war himself would have been terrified of the anger driven equines.

The terrified soldiers of the Wolf Clan fled the battlefield in fright as Applejack rushed to the treeline with thousands of ponies behind her. Merith's archers tried to hold their ground but they met their ends under the hoofs and spiked helmets of the Equestrian warriors.

The ground trembled as the thousands of furious equines charged through the field with the speed of lightning and the sound of thunder.

Merith just stood there, his mind a blank. He could not believe that sheer strength and resolve had crushed his cunning plans.

His officers shook him and tried to wake him from his daze but they could not.

In the end they fled as well, leaving the Lone Wolf behind. He fell to his knees as he finally understood the end of his life was at hand.

He had been named Lone Wolf because he did not need anyone else to defeat his foes, his intelligence had always seen him through. But in reality, his name had condemned him, it had created for him a cell that he gladly jumped into, not caring what the world had for him anymore. He had consumed himself inside the thoughts of his own superiority, and in the end he came to believe there was no living being better than himself.

Now as he saw the approaching enemy he felt empty, his life had never had a purpose. He had fought and killed in the name of a man he never truly respected, and now that he was about to die, he understood that the foe he had always looked down upon was the one he should have respected and envied more than anything else.

She had a reason to fight and die, and he only had his ego and nothing more.

As the ponies surrounded him, he pulled off his mask and looked at the orange pony in front of him.

"General Applejack... I congratulate you on your victory..." Merith said as Applejack looked him dead in the eye. "But you cannot have your prisoner."

Everypony's smile disappeared as Merith's words sunk their meaning into their brain.

Merith pulled out his sword in a swift movement and before anypony could stop him, he thrust the blade into his own chest.

The ponies looked at each other in confusion and they turned their heads to their general.

Applejack stared at the eyes of the man before her, as his life departed the world Applejack started to feel the poison from her wound take effect, she stumled and struggled to keep her balance, her knees shook, her vision blurred, she no longer saw the color of the sky.

"Aw shoot..."

Merith and Applejack's bodies stumbled down to the floor. The only difference between the two of them being the pool of blood around the Lone Wolf.

Applejack's soldiers rushed to her aid and tried to bring her back to consciousness but to no avail, she entered a coma.

Equestria's largest victory so far had been accomplished, but a large cost.

Canterlot

The Goddess of the sun looked down at the prisoner she had been questioning for over an hour.

Her guards were outside, she did not want them to see what she was about to do.

"I am not talking!" The old man hollered at her.

Celestia stood still, looking at him with a cold calculative gaze.

Then the man let out a shriek as he was sent flying towards the wall of the small grey operations room.

Celestia pinned him down against the wall and used a quick spell to mute his screams as she dug a small knife into the soft flesh of his left leg.

His eyes widened in pain as he felt the blade in his leg twist and turn, but he had experienced worse and he let out a mocking smile to show the princess what he thought about her torturing skills.

Now Celestia was furious, she had never tortured someone but she knew quite a few things about the subject.

The soldiers smile disappeared as the blade started to heat up.

The princess of the sun tried to maintain a cold stare throughout the torture session, but she was on the verge of tears.

Never in her life had she been forced into such a hideous act. She loved all creatures, she enjoyed bringing happiness to all living beings. Not even her greatest foe, discord, received a worse punishment than imprisonment.

What she was doing right now disgusted her, she felt the need to throw the blade aside and cry, run up to her room and pretend it was all a horrible nightmare.

But it was not.

A sickening hissing sound reached her ears as the blood from the man's wound began to boil on contact with the small knife. The scent of burning flesh filled the room as the old soldier writhed in pain.

Celestia removed the blade from the man's flesh, and a look of obvious disgust appeared on her face. The metal was hot red.

The man calmed down after several minutes, and Celestia removed the mute spell.

"Talk now human! What is the location of your current military ba-"

The old warrior spat on her face.

"You filthy whore! I have endured years of military service! I am a battle hardened warrior! I will not succumb to your pathetic and childish tortures!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth, that he was once again flung across the room at a frightening speed slamming his body against a wall.

Tears of anger were flowing down the Princesses face, she had done something horrible, something she may never forgive herself for. But it wasn't enough. The tears that left her eyes were those of frustration but also of doubt. Was she truly willing to become a monster in order to stop another one?

She cast a paralyzing spell on the soldier and approached him.

Her knowledge of proper torturing techniques was poor, she recognized that. But the man in front of her was old and experienced in war, he must have known several ways of inflicting unbearable pain on others.

Standing by his side she pointed her horn at his head and a glow emanated from it towards the man.

Celestia was reaching into his thoughts and memories, trying to find a proper way of extracting the truth from him.

What she saw changed her forever.

Celestia opened her eyes to find herself gazing at a small peaceful village.

"This man's home perhaps?" She realizes she cannot speak, her words resound inside her head.

Only, its not her head. Its the old warrior's head.

Looking down she finds herself inside the soldiers body. She cannot move since its only a projection of a memory, but everything the man saw she is able to see.

His hands are covered in chain mail as well as the rest of his body, he isn't wearing a helmet.

Looking down at his hands she sees he's carrying a large spiked mace in one hand and a wooden shield covered in leather on the other one.

As she starts to look around her she finds herself in the middle of a battle line, surrounded by other soldiers.

"So the village is not his home then? So why is he... Oh no, please no!"

Realization sinks in, she knows the village. It's a small village by the edge of the Everfree by the name of...

"GreenHoof my soldiers! That's the name of this adorable place!"

Celestia recognizes the voice. It's the Wolf of the north. Captain Fraithen.

"Too adorable in my opinion though!" Fraithen continues his speech. "What do you all say we head into town and give the residents a nice little surprise?" Fraithen raises his arms as he stands at the front of his army.

Celestia feels the hands of the body she is currently in rise up as a roar leaves his mouth.

Then her host's legs start moving. In a matter of seconds the soldiers rush out of the foliage of the forest and rush violently towards the village.

Celestia tries to scream, kick, shout do anything to warn the still sleeping ponies of what is happening, but she can only look at the massacre unfolding in front of her eyes.

She is forced to feel every strike, every thrust of the blade, every splatter of blood against the chain mail as if it were her own.

The screams of pain and death surrounding her are all too real, she tries to close her eyes to avoid looking into the faces of the villagers her host so brutally murders but she cannot control the body, she can only gaze in horror.

After what seems like an eternity, her host walks away from the battle, laughing and trying to catch his breath.

Celestia feels relieved, she won't have to see anymore death.

The human she is currently in suddenly jerks his head to the side, a door lies slightly ajar in the local school.

"No! No! Please! Don't go inside! Stay away! Stay away!" Celestia silently screams inside her head, but to no avail.

The human walks into the school.

There, inside the former center of education, lay several foals and fillies cowering behind their desks in an attempt to make themselves invisible to the scary figure that just entered.

Celestia feels the face of her host contort into a smile.

"Come here little ones, don't be scared." He beckons towards the nearest foal.

The small infant backs away in fright.

"No matter, you cannot run away anyway." The human walks out of the building and closes the door, then he starts placing large pieces of rubble in front of it to block the only exit way.

Celestia whimpers inside her own head, unable to change what is happening.

The human then walks over to a burning torch and starts to make his way towards the school.

"Sir, Captain Fraithen commands us to retreat."

A soldier walks over to Celestia's host and stares at the school.

"Very well, help me out over here and then we can move on."

Celestia has lost all hope for the infants at this point, but what happens next surprises her.

"What are you doing sir?" The soldier asks confused as the officer hands him the torch.

Celestia feels her host's eyes roll to the top oh his head in frustration.

"We are burning the place down along with the little monsters inside it you idiot!" The officer pushes the soldier with his fist and hands him the torch. "Now get to it!"

The soldier just stands there, confused and conflicted. He drops the torch.

"N-n-no..."

The officer's eyes widen in fury, and his respiration quickens.

"What did you say?!"

"I won't harm innocent children..."

"You stupid, foolish bastard! I am the commanding officer here! And I demand you send those worthless monsters to hell!"

The officer hollers with anger but the soldier doesn't flinch.

"Take your rank and shove it up your ass!" As the scream of anger leaves the soldiers mouth he unsheathes his sword and charges at the officer.

Celestia feels her host's hand rush for his own weapon, but he is not fast enough. The soldier was too close to him.

In a swift movement the sword cuts through the chain mail and a scream of pain is heard. Just above the waist there's a small gash from which blood pours freely. Not a deadly wound, but a very painful one.

After the officer is immobilized the soldier starts to clear the rubble from the door.

Celestia feels the officer's consciousnesses start to fade.

The last memory of the battle the officer has is of the soldier opening the door and helping the small ponies escape through a dirt path behind the school.

Celestia opens her eyes to find herself back inside the makeshift torture room.

The old warrior, still paralyzed was glaring at her furiously.

Celestia moved closer to him, she was furious for what he had almost done.

The guards outside of the room exchanged astonished glances as the screams of pain and agony filled the hallway. They knew what was going on inside, but they never thought their beloved princess to be capable of such atrocities.

Celestia had forgotten to cast the mute spell again and now the entire prison was filled with the agonizing shrieks and screams of the old warrior.

The torture continued throughout the night.