The Equestrian Civil War

Thunder Roller walked towards the door of Princess Luna’s office. He swallowed hard before he knocked on the door three times.

The sun had just barely risen. According to his calculations, it was mid-morning in Jerhoofalem, where his forces were routing the weak defense hastily set up by General Shining Armor of the Royal Equestrian Army.

“You may enter.”

Thunder Roller nodded to nopony in particular, and opened the door. He saw Luna looking through paperwork. She looked up, and motioned for him to sit down in a chair.

“Tell me, general.” Luna said, “How does our offensive fend in Jerhoofalem?”

“Comrade,” Thunder Roller replied, “Our forces have exceeded expectations. Our midnight assault caught the REA off guard. We routed them from their fortifications by dawn. We only need wait for additional reinforcements before pushing into Jerhoofalem itself.”

“And why is this, General Thunder?” Luna looked up from a paper, her eyebrow cocked in curiosity. “I thought we routed them. Why must you require more reinforcements?”

“I have received reports that the Fifth Fleet of the Royal Equestrian Navy under Vice Admiral Wave Roller has been dispatched off the coast of Jerhoofalem. Their naval and air forces are hammering my men. We won’t be able to take much more.”

“It seems we did not plan for this.” Luna acknowledged. “Very well then, General. I will sign over the 4th Infantry Division under General Tough Boulder to your command. Do not disappoint me, General. I want Jerhoofalem under the Republican banner before the week is out.”

“Da,” Thunder Roller complied. “It will be done, Princess Luna.”

“You may go, General.” Luna said, “I am quite busy at the moment. When you return, I want it to be good news.”

“That it will.” Thunder Roller nodded his head. “I will not disappoint.”

“Good.” Luna said, “Go.”

Thunder Roller nodded. He got up from his chair, and left the room. He did not think it would be that easy. He gave a silent sigh of relief. Hopefully these reinforcements would give the push his forces needed to advance on Jerhoofalem.
***

Rarity groaned in pain. Her sun-burnt face cringed from the pain in her left shoulder. Whoever the sniper was, she did a damn well job. Her collar bone was definitely broken, and it had bled badly. She only stopped the bleeding by smothering blood-soaked sand onto the wound. She couldn’t bear to think about the infections it would cause.

“Eagle Eye, do you read me? Rarity, are you there? Rarity?”

“Yes?” Rarity groaned into her earpiece.

“Oh, thank the heavens you’re alive! We’ve been trying to reach you for hours. Give us a sitrep, Rarity.”

“Oh, I’m quite alright.” Rarity said sarcastically, “It’s just that a sniper’s bullet nearly tore my arm off! Other than that, I’m peachy.”

“Rarity, are you alright?”

“No I am not!” Rarity scoffed. “The very thought that I am alright is preposterous!”

“We’re evacuating the wounded from the battlefield. We’ll make sure you get a bird to take you back.”

“That would be appreciated, ma’am.” Rarity groaned and said under her breath. “What I would do for a spa day after this is over.”

Rarity’s commanding officer then signed off from her comm link, leaving her alone in the desert. Of course, she heard an occasional burst of gunfire or explosion, but she felt so alone. It had been so long since she was last with her friends. But it had only been a few days. It felt like an eternity to Rarity.

She turned her head over, and saw Equestrian Air Force jets roar over Lunar forces and strafe them with guns and bombs. Tanks exploded as the napalm ignited their fuel tanks. Smoke stained the blue, cloudless sky as the blood of so many ponies had stained the yellow sands of the mighty Sahayra Desert.

The stench of dried blood and mud assaulted Rarity’s nose. She had always hated the putrid smell of caked mud, and now it was paired with the smell of dried blood and all over her body! It would take hours to get the stench away!

Rarity’s moping was cut off by the distant thump thump of a helicopter. Rarity turned and saw a twin-rotor helicopter came in from the horizon. It had a large red cross on the sides of it. There would be no shooting it down.

It stabilized a couple of feet away from Rarity. The rotor wash swept over her, and made her once glorious mane even more disheveled. Rarity saw two medics pick up Rarity brutally and put her on a stretcher. They put an IV into her arm, and attached it to a plasma bag.

She was then ferried into the helicopter. The smell of it was far worse than the stench on Rarity. It smelled of vomit, urine, fresh blood, feces and various medicines. It was almost enough for Rarity to upchuck herself.

“Get her some cleaning agents!” A Unicorn medic called, “And some antibiotics as well! Listen to me, can you hear me?”

“No, I’m deaf.” Rarity said. “Of course I can hear you!”

“You don’t have to be so rude.” The medic said. He brushed his orange mane away from his dark violet-colored face.

His teal eyes were deep, but Rarity couldn’t see his emotions play through his eyes.

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Rarity said, “I just had a sniper nearly blow my arm off!”

“Alright, alright, geez,” he threw his hands up in surrender. “You win. Are you happy?”

“Yes, quite.” Rarity smiled. “Now, where are we heading?”

“To an airfield not too far from here,” he said. “That is, if the Celestial Air Force hasn’t bombed it into dust. We’ll be there in a few minutes, okay?”

He turned to walk away, but Rarity reached for him with her good arm.

“Wait, you didn’t tell me your name.”

“Oh,” he said. “I’m Dapper Crescent.”

“My name’s Rarity.” She said.

“Well, I’ve got to help somepony else now…” Dapper said, “I guess I’ll see you around, Rarity.”

“Yes. We will.” Rarity said. She had instantly felt attracted to him. The way he carried himself, his personality attracted her. She also wouldn’t deny his physical characteristics. His orange mane, despite being surrounded by death and blood, stayed glowing. His teal eyes showed compassion and kindness, and his violet coat completed it all.

Rarity couldn’t believe herself. Falling for her doctor? She felt like she was in a bad daytime soap opera. But, she was glad she was the prima donna. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
***

“Shining Armor, what I would like to know is why we let them through!”

Shining Armor looked up. Princess Celestia looked enraged by his and Twilight’s reports on the battle. Her office in Fillydelphia was filled with his staff and subordinate officers.

“And the fact that the entire Wonderbolt Squadron, which included one of the Elements of Harmony, might I add, was shot down boggles my mind! I didn’t appoint you Commander of the Royal Equestrian Armed Forces for nothing!”

Shining Armor swallowed, and stood his ground. “I had no idea of Luna’s intentions to use a nuclear-triggered EMP. We had no intelligence of her gaining any tactical warheads at all…”

“I do not care, General!” Celestia shouted. “What I want to know is why their aircraft stayed in the air while ours did not!”

“We believe they functioned on a different operating system than our more advanced planes and equipment.” Shining Armor said nervously, “Their old Hooviet equipment relied on vacuum tube technology, which is more resistant to EMPs than our electronic avionic systems.”

“And so because we were stripped of our military vehicles, our forces fell apart?” Celestia cried. “That is pitiful, General! Our infantry is the best in the world, and they fall to a band of rebels?”

“It is quite hard to hold a trench with tanks breathing down men’s necks, Your Highness.” Shining Armor said, “If you would recall the Great Equine War against the Elks and Deer…”

“I am all too familiar, General.” Celestia said, getting up from her chair. “But this is not a history lesson. This, this is an example of a poor force falling to superior firepower and will.”

“But, Your Highness,” Shining Armor interrupted, “With the Fifth Fleet in position, we can reinforce our positions in Jerhoofalem and drive the rebels back.”

“You better hope that works, General.” Celestia declared, “Because my faith in you has gone down considerably because of what has happened.”

“Princess, if I may,” Shining Armor said, “We might have lost the fortifications around Jerhoofalem, but I am telling you, we will not lose Jerhoofalem. With the Fifth Fleet in close vicinity, we have regained aerial superiority. I have confirmation that Wonderbolt Squadron has suffered few losses, and can be sent into action as soon as they can receive new planes.”

Celestia sighed, and said, “Forgive me, Shining Armor. These past few days have been extremely stressful on me. And on top of that, I have a conference with the Elk and Deer leaders in a few days as well. Luna couldn’t have timed this any better.”

“It is quite alright.” Shining Armor said, “You have my word. They will not take Jerhoofalem.”

Shining Armor then stood up from his chair, and put on his military cap. He saluted Celestia, and turned on his heel the way an officer should. He walked out the door with his entourage, leaving Celestia alone in her office. That was the way Celestia always liked being in an office, alone with nopony to try and influence her.

She got up from her chair, and looked out of her window towards the Business District of Fillydelphia. The sun had barely risen over the city, and the early morning traffic had already congested the roads. Celestia sighed. She could only wonder what it was like halfway across the world, where thousands of ponies were laying down their lives, for her.

The city was truly beautiful. Celestia knew that Luna would never touch Fillydelphia. That she was sure of.
***

Rainbow Dash landed on the beachhead a few miles away from Jerhoofalem. She had searched for hours for a flyable plane, but the EMP had fried everything. Once she heard jet engines, she flew at top speed towards the beach, hoping to find something.

And find something she did. The beachhead was completely cramped with soldiers, tanks and other combat vehicles moving off the beach and onto one of the valley passes up to Jerhoofalem. There had to be thousands of soldiers alone.

There was a sea of desert camouflaged uniforms, and a rainbow of manes and coats.

Dash spread out her wings again, and flew up into the sky. She could see a fleet of ships out in the distance. She decided that would be the place to get her a plane. She leaned forward, and sped towards the fleet miles away.

Flying over the ocean calmed Dash. The ocean was a dark blue, and very clear. Dash could see schools of fish under the surface of all different colors.

But, the darkness of the sea reminded Dash of Flare Crackle. She still couldn’t comprehend that her co-pilot was dead. It was just too hard to think that a mare she barely knew but one she valued as a friend had passed in the blink of an eye. It was just too much to take in at once.

Rainbow Dash was shaken from her reverie by a squadron of Equine Fighter Typhoon fighters. She dove down in a split second to avoid being hit by a jet. Once the jets had passed, she breathed a sigh of relief. She couldn’t believe she had been so stupid!

She looked to the horizon, and saw she was at most a mile away from the fleet. She figured they had to be friendly.

They hadn’t shot at her yet. That was a good sign.

She sped up as she neared the aircraft carrier in the middle of the fleet. She flew towards the back of the flight deck, and touched down behind a group of parked Super Hornets.

The sound of the deck was deafening. There were multiple jet engines revving, and two jets every thirty seconds being launched off the carrier. There were also the sounds of helicopter rotors, and voices at their loudest volume.

Dash weaved through the parked Super Hornets, and made her way inside. If anypony was going to give her a jet, it had to be the commanding officer. She turned towards stairs leading upwards, and ran up them.

When she came to the top, she was stopped by a brawny Earth Pony. He had a dark navy blue coat and an even darker purple mane. He had a large scar going down his left cheek, and towered over Dash. His green eyes sent shivers up Dash’s spine; they were so deep and piercing.

“What are you doing here?” He demanded, “All pilots are to be in their aircraft.”

“I’m not from this ship.” Dash replied. “Now, who’s in charge of this tin can?”

“This is the ENS Princess Celestia,” he replied in his very deep masculine voice, “This is not a tin can.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright,” Dash said, “I need to talk to your superior.”

“Vice Admiral Wave Roller will not be disturbed at this moment. He is in conference with the Princess.”

“I’m an Element of Harmony for Celestia’s sake!” Dash cried, “Now move it!”

The Earth Pony let her pass. Dash ran past him, and found her way to the bridge after half an hour of searching.
When she neared the door, it opened. Dash was running so fast, she couldn’t stop from running into the pony that opened it.

Dash fell flat on her flank. She rubbed her stinging head. She had bumped heads with the other pony.

“What’s your problem?” Dash heard a familiar voice say. “Dash, is that you?”

Dash opened her eyes to see Twilight standing above her.

“Twilight?” Dash asked, “What are you doing here?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing.” Twilight said. “I was here to speak with the Princess.”

“Oh,” Dash said, “I was going to speak with that Admiral pony. I was hoping to see if I could, um, borrow a plane.”

“You know her?” The stallion who had to be the Vice Admiral asked. “This is, unexpected, is it not Twilight Sparkle?”

“Very.” Twilight responded, getting up and brushing herself off. “And what do you mean by ‘borrowing’ a plane?”

“Well,” Dash said, “My plane kind of went down after the EMP. I need a new one.”

“And why should I give one to you?” The Admiral asked. “Mind you I have to outfit over 100 pilots with their own planes? I have few spares.”

“What if I told you I was part of Wonderbolt Squadron?” Dash asked. “Would you give me a plane then?”

“Well,” Wave Roller said, “Wait, you said you were part of Wonderbolt Squadron? Ja, ja I will give you a plane! Ensign, outfit her with her flight suit and give her a spare plane.”

A young-looking green-coated mane stepped forward. She kept her bangs away from her eyes, and had her mane reach the bottom of her neck. It was mostly dark maroon, but there were magenta highlights. She looked extremely disciplined; there was no smile on her face and never seemed to be one.

“Follow me.” She said. She led Dash through different corridors down into the hangar under the flight deck.

“Your flight suit is over by the lockers.” She addressed Dash, “And your plane is up on the flight deck.”

She then turned on her heels, and walked out of the hangar. Dash felt completely foreign in this environment; she had never even been on an aircraft carrier, not even the antiquated carriers left over from the Great Equine War.

She walked over to the lockers, and had to have tried on seven thousand different suits before finding one that fit her perfectly. She grabbed a helmet, and headed towards the door.

The thing that was getting her most nervous was the takeoff. She had seen Navy jets take off, and it had to be terrifying. She knew that she had done it on foot, but never in a 50 million bit jet. She was nervous, but kept up an atmosphere of serenity and calm. It wouldn’t be good seeing a Wonderbolt nervous about a simple aircraft carrier takeoff.

At least, she hoped it was simple.
***

It was past noon before Applejack received orders to push forward. The main Republican attack force needed reinforcements, and they had arrived an hour ago. Now was the time to take Jerhoofalem from the iron fist of Celestial rule.

“A’ight y’all,” Applejack said, “We’re all gonna take that there city, ya hear? There ain’t gonna be any mistakes, Ah don’t wanna see any of y’all get killed. Am Ah clear?”

“Yes Major Applejack!”

“Then let’s go!” Applejack said. She grabbed her AEK-971 off of a rock it was resting on, and hitched a ride on a Shermane main battle tank. It kicked into gear, and the Republican offensive continued.

Applejack looked towards the no-pony’s land that was leading up to Jerhoofalem. Dozens of destroyed tanks, APCs, and other military vehicles littered the desert, and smoke belched from most of the wrecks. There were also bodies in various states of injury. There were quite a few charred ones, while most had been shot down by helicopter strafe runs.

The smell of burning oil coupled with charred flesh assaulted Applejack’s nose. It almost made her vomit. She had never smelt a more hideous, putrid smell in her life. She had smelt sun-bathed manure that gave off a better scent!
The sound of jets above startled Applejack. She turned, and saw a formation of Celestial fighters streak across the sky. She knew that couldn’t be good. If there were fighters up, they could take down the ground forces.

Applejack could only hope that wouldn’t happen to her.
***

When Fluttershy returned to the vicinity of Jerhoofalem, she was given her orders.

“Lieutenant,” the airbase commander instructed her, “Your objective is to take out any and all enemy armor and equipment inside and around Jerhoofalem. It is heavily guarded with SAMs, but with the intense fires raging inside the ancient walls, we doubt any missile will take you down.”

“Acknowledged, Colonel.” Fluttershy responded. “Moving to objective now. Get ready, Solar Chaser, it’s going to get a little rough here.”

“You don’t have to be so nice in telling me.” He responded. “Come on, Flutter, take charge of your rank. You can be assertive, I know it.”

“Alright.” Fluttershy said shyly, “I’ll try.”

Solar Chaser just shook his head behind Fluttershy.

“Alright, just focus on flying, ok?”

Fluttershy nodded. She leaned the stick forward, and nudged the throttle forward. The helicopter moved faster towards the burning city.

The old residential districts of the city were alight with fire, while the newer Financial and Industrial Districts were largely untouched. The skyscrapers were a stark contrast to the dark black smoke billowing from burning buildings no more than one hundred yards away.

Fluttershy pulled back on the stick, effectively stopping the helicopter. She turned it, and went down on of the main avenues leading into the city. It ran southeast of the city, away from the approaching Republican forces. Fluttershy had been told that this was a major supply line for Jerhoofalem.

Sure enough, there was a small convoy of about seven trucks and a tank to guard it from infantry attacks. But it was in no shape to stop an attack helicopter.

“Weapons free, Flutter.” Solar Chaser said, “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Alright,” Fluttershy said, “I’m ready.”

She pulled the trigger on the stick. The Mi-35 fired its minigun, while Solar Chaser launched a volley of missiles at the convoy. Explosions tore apart the road, and flames engulfed the trucks that weren’t directly hit.

The tank took a particularly hard hit. The modern Stallion Main Battle Tank was hit by three missiles and countless amounts of minigun bullets. It was one of the first vehicles to implode. When Fluttershy had turned around to head back towards Jerhoofalem, there was absolutely nothing left of the convoy.

“This is Fluttershy,” she reported, “I have a confirmed kill on supply convoy approximately two clicks from Jerhoofalem combat area. Is that ok?”

“Acknowledged, Lieutenant,” she heard through the comm link. “And yes, it’s alright. Just head back towards the combat area. We need you there.”

“Alright then,” Fluttershy said, “Heading there now.”

As the helicopter neared the city again, she saw an armored column head across the desert to combat the Republican advance. The six M-5 Stallions would destroy the M-3 Shermane tanks the Republican Army was using.

“Fluttershy to base,” she said, “If it’s not too much trouble interrupting, I have eyes on an enemy Stallion Tank group heading to engage our forces.”

“Weapons free, Fluttershy.” Fluttershy heard a familiar voice say. She looked, and saw another Mi-35 pass by her.

“You didn’t have to be so flashy, Major.” Fluttershy said, “But, if you really wanted to, that’s fine too.”

“Do us all a favor, and shoot the damn tanks.” Mist Flicker replied.

“Okay.” Fluttershy said. “Weapons free, Solar.”

She approached the tanks, and prepped the minigun. It still had seven hundred rounds of ammunition, well over enough to take this column on.

The two helicopters approached the tank column much like two hawks descending on a group of squirrels. Once the Hinds were in range, they both opened fire with their miniguns and missiles. The tanks burst into flames as dozens of missiles impacted the group of six tanks.

“Targets down.” Mist Flicker reported. “That was a turkey shoot, Fluttershy!”

“Oh, yes,” Fluttershy said sheepishly, “Let’s keep going. There are bound to be others.”

Fluttershy rolled the helicopter to the right, and turned back to follow the Republican tanks heading into Jerhoofalem.
The second phase of the Battle of Jerhoofalem had begun. And it seemed that the New Lunar Republic had the advantage.

Tell me what you think please! So sorry for not uploading in over a week, but it’s been really hard to write with my schedule being locked up tight. I am also in the process of uploading the twenty-odd chapters of a separate project on my account, which is taking up some of my very limited free time. In the next chapter, Republican forces surge into Jerhoofalem, with Applejack and Fluttershy leading the way. Will Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie be able to repel the Republican attack with assistance from the Royal Equestrian Fifth Fleet? Find out in the next chapter!