Chapter 1. The Calm
My name is Cherry Bomb.
Nopony is allowed to call me Cherry.
It always has been and, until I die, always will be General Bomb, the only mare general in the army.
I am honored to be in command of some of the finest troops in the Solar Empire, and would not give up my post for anything in Equestria.
My personal Battalion of 314 soldiers took and occupied Stalliongrad years ago without so much as a single casualty, and rightfully I took the full credit I deserved for the victory. We have since held the population under an iron fist, allowing our Princess a steady flow of supplies and currency.
Today is the first day of fall, I only know this because it is marked on the calendar.
The temperature and length of the day remain in mid-summer's glory, as our Princess deserves.
With a yawn I stretch my wings and turn away from the hanging calendar, wincing as an unused muscle cries out for attention. I will have to go flying today, both to keep up appearances and to keep myself in condition.
With a push of a hoof I swing my door at the top of the Stalliongrad Castle East tower open, looking out on the early morning with a smirk, the night watch soldiers patrolling the streets below look like ants, little dots of color among the bleached white stone.
For a glorious moment I flare my wings and let the warm sunlight filter through the blood red feathers, my shock white mane flitting about in the wind, but I have duties.
With a flick my wings are folded and I turn back to my room.
And I almost faint as I run directly into a shining gold Alicorn.
My bows are not fast enough or deep enough, and my apologies fall on deaf ears as my solar princess strides past me to stand at the edge of the tower, looking out upon the city.
After a moment I fall silent, not having been punished yet. Flare strikes with a deadly rage when she chooses to act, and if I had not incited her anger, she would be unlikely to save the punishment for later.
"My Princess..." I say tentatively.
She deigns me worthy of an idle look over her gleaming shoulder.
"Yes, General?" Her voice is like a fire crackling, pure violent rage held in check by greed and years of waiting for what she wants.
A mare after my own heart.
"How may I serve you?" I bow again, this time properly.
Her smirk is a fiery echo of the one I had displayed when looking down on my soldiers, and for a moment I dared think myself similar to my goddess, in thought at least.
"I want you to explain something to me." She says as she turns back to her sun.
I am stunned, lost entirely as I have no clue what Flare could possibly need me to explain to her.
"What is it like to fear death?" She asks, a wild grin on her face as she stares into the burning heart of her own soul.
I remain silent for nearly a minute, unsure if I have understood her.
"I... whatever do you mean, princess?" I stammer, backing away with a bit of fear in my eyes.
"Like that." She rounds on me, fire from her mane flickering in the sudden dark as I back into my room.
"What is it like to fear that you may die?" She asks again.
I put my mind to the question, thinking frantically.
"It is cold." I finally say, standing my ground.
The immortal raises her eyebrow, stopping her approach. "Go on."
"The fear of death is a cold feeling, that the very warmth that keeps one alive may leave them, that all they have done would be for naught. Death steals away our achievements and worth and leaves us as Foals."
In my ramblings, I appear to have given her something to think on.
"As good an explanation as any I suppose, my faithful student." She says with another fierce smile.
And with a flash of scalding light and heat, she is gone.
I sit in the dark of my room for a moment, before kissing the ground she had stood upon, taking this as a blessing and resuming my day with renewed spirit.
My armor slips on and straps in place and within moments I am a shining gold, red, and silver sign of our Lord's power.
I step again into the light but this time I launch myself into the air with reckless abandon, soaring over the buildings of Stalliongrad victoriously, as though we had just taken the place a second time.
I finally land in front of the barracks, nodding to my commanders and soldiers as I watch over their drills.
The earth soldiers practice their kicks, carry and load weapons such as catapults and Ballistea designed to take down flying foes.
The Pegasi drill on flight codes and practice lifting and dropping fake bombs.
The Unicorns are practicing shielding, or the more advanced among them, Teleportation.
The shine of the multicolored shields reminds me that my personal guards are nowhere to be seen. They know all of these tricks so I approach the nearest captain and inquire where the other two, my hand picked elites, would be.
He snaps to attention so quickly he nearly falls over, but I keep a straight face.
"They are likely in the mess hall, as they keep a different meal schedule, General." He says quickly, staring at a point just to my right. They fear looking directly into my steel blue eyes for some reason.
I approach the mess hall, causing lower ranking soldiers to scatter like parasprites or bow before running.
"So this unicorn kid right? He is big on math and says that our Battalion has a number of soldiers equal to some other number, and this other number is called Pie! So he says, we should be called Cherry's Pie!"
I barely hear the beginning of the joke but by the end of it, I am standing directly behind my personal guard, Shining Armor.
His companion, a unicorn by the name of Sunspot,stares at me in abject horror as I glared down at Shining's head.
"Oh hah hah, like I'll fall for that one again." Shining says to his friend, rolling his eyes.
A pop of energy is his only reply as Sunspot vanished, and slowly Shining turned towards me.
"Oh. Hello." He said simply, not fearing me, not attempting to run.
"I'd kill you if you weren't so valuable." I growl.
He simply shrugged. "I suppose I am in for some sort of punishment now."
I can’t think of one that wouldn't kill him, so I don't reply.
"Come. I’ll find some sort of penance for you later." I say sharply, turning to leave.
He follows me, like a good guard, and we stride out into the sunlight, walking through the training grounds as the training is finished up, they now salute me as they should.
A moment later, Sunspot arrives as we exit the barracks quarter, panting in his full armor.
"Go watch my room for me." I tell him coldly, as I can almost feel shining rolling his eyes behind me.
"And while you’re there, scrub the stairs."
He flees, in part I am sure because he hardly considers this punishment.
Shining trots along behind me, far too happy for his own good. I would do something about that but I don’t have the time to punish him when I have just been visited by our Empress.
“Shining, do we have any executions scheduled today?” I ask idly, as though discussing the weather.
Stalliongrad was held not by diplomacy, but by military force. Any sort of resistance or uprising was put down with precision and deadly aim.
This put a damper on the white unicorn’s good mood.
“One.” He said it with great weight, as though it meant something besides another victory for our Empire. “A local songwriter, who was caught writing Pro-Lunar lyrics and performing during the night.”
I grin with the sort of reckless abandon that had won me battles. “I want to watch.”
The main courtyard was packed with ponies, who were required to attend. After all, what purpose does an execution serve but to light the fires of fear in the hearts of your subjects?
The subject of the gathering was a grey mare with a black mane and a stern look, as though she wasn’t shaking at the knees.
I approach her with a swagger, my enemy brought to me on a silver platter.
“So. Octavia, was it?” I ask.
She nods, scowling at me.
“Do you understand the charges brought against you?” I ask, its more of a chance to see them admit their crime to the crowd than anything else. I hardly forgive those who transgress against my Empress.
She clears her throat before answering, how quaint.
“I have been charged with writing and performing music which celebrates the night, and it’s rightful ruler, Luna.” She said in a composed and projecting voice, as though she were giving a speech.
“And you have been found guilty. May Celestia have mercy on your soul.” I raise a hoof, and the five unicorn guards in black hoods light their horns with a sickly glow.
“They will defeat you. They will reclaim the world in the name off all that is goo...”
My hoof falls before she can finish her proclamation, and the blast of energy lifts her body from the wooden stage for a moment, before she falls to a crumpled heap on the planks.
“Oops.” I say quietly, kicking her to make sure she is dead, before turning away and resuming my day.
Chapter 2. The Storm
The attack had come without warning. Our outer patrols were neutralized in unison, not a single warning was sent.
We were under attack from every side, it was impossible! The Lunar Army could not possibly have enough soldiers to keep us on the offensive, I simply had to figure out what was going on, what trick they were pulling.
With Shining shielding me from the top of my tower, I took flight in a circuit around the walls. Magical blasts bounced harmlessly off the glistening bubble around me, Shining Armor had no parallel when it came to protective magic.
I quickly determined that there were three main forces, two blocking the main gate and one scattered behind the city to keep up distracting fire. The powerful blasts I had assumed to be the work of teams of unicorns however, were all of the same color.
A single unicorn was teleporting around the entire city, blasting our walls and keeping us from fighting back. The sheer amount of power that must have been used to keep this assault up was stunning.
Once back on my tower, Shining calls up a small portal to let sound reach my commanders.
“There is a single source to all of our incoming blasts, we need to locate and neutralize it. Send out strike team Proxima.” I bark at the small portal, several replies confirm my orders have been received and will be carried out.
The portal closes and I turn to look out on the battle.
Something isn’t right. Even if we had fallen for the attack, we had ample soldiers to mount an offensive and wipe the Lunar Army off the map. What were they planning?
“This is usually where you come up with some joke, a snide quip to ease the tension.” I turn to Shining, smirking at his lack of humor.
He has no smile for me today. “I believe we should abandon Stalliongrad.” He says.
I would think he is joking, but the pit in my stomach tells me I’m not that lucky today.
“Excuse me, Colonel?” I ask incredulously. I haven’t referred to his rank in a long time. Usually I use rank as a sign of how far above a pony I am. For once it is a sign of how much weight his word carries.
“I do not think this is a battle we can win.” He says gravely.
I gape at the white and blue unicorn.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I finally ask, a furious edge to my voice.
“My sister, the traitor, Twilight Sparkle is among the attacking force."
My heart skips a beat. My first thought is of the glory that would come from capturing or killing Sparkle. The second is of the sheer danger she presents. Now the strategy makes sense. Lure us out with an undersized force, then overpower and destroy us before we can retreat.
“You are relieved of your duty. Find me Sunspot.” I command. He does not move.
“Are you ignoring a direct order?” I ask, fire in my voice.
“I am capable of doing my duty, General. I will not abandon my post. But I will stand by my recommendation that we retreat.” He said with the bravery I picked him for.
“We will not retreat.” I counter. “If your sister wants a fight, we will give it to her. If you falter for even a moment in your duty, I will insure it is your last mistake.”
He nods, and I turn back to the battlefield.
I am the General of the Solar Army. I am a force to be reckoned with. And today, my Empress delivered the ultimate challenge to me. I get to fight the most powerful unicorn in equestria.
I determine quickly that Luna must be nearby, and I pull in my troops in a defensive formation within the city, setting traps and blasting all flying figures out of the sky before they can pose a threat. Keeping the Lunar Army in the streets, we begin firebombing our own city.
Hundreds of the invaders die and Luna herself begins to show up, grabbing the injured and teleporting away. Twilight remains hidden.
Shining keeps his steady mask of resolve even as my tower is hit directly and I carry him to the North tower, where we resume command as though nothing had happened.
The glory of battle overwhelms me as I begin pushing back, halting and then finally reversing the advance we had so easily given to the smaller force.
The dead mount on both sides but the Lunatics have only a third of our number, possibly less by the time they reached the walls.
Then my troops stopped.
I didn’t understand, what could possibly have stopped them all in their tracks, but then I see them following a figure. Not in pursuit but in adoration. A foals trick boosted to fool an army.
I manage to get a team to counter the effect of the want it, need it spell just before the enemy has time to use it to their advantage, and the fighting resumes.
I begin to wonder where Flare is, why our Empress would not help us in our time of need.
Thoughts of retreat fade as we push the last of the enemy from our walls, and I fly down to stand above the gate and serve as a symbol for my soldiers, Shining teleporting next to me with a shimmering pop.
Then I see her for the first time.
Twilight Sparkle. Enemy of the Empire, pupil to the Empress herself, Element of magic and General in the Lunar Army.
She is a child. A foal. She can’t be more than fifteen, and yet she walks through a hail of projectiles and magical blasts as though a light drizzle.
“Cease!” I command, and both sides stop firing.
“Have you come to parlay? Surrender? We will show mercy to those who surrender in battle.” My magically amplified voice echoes through the battlefield.
Impressively not a single one of them drops their weapon. A good thing, since I am lying.
General Sparkle continues her advance until she is only a few pony lengths away. Shining Armor’s shield stays strong both over him and myself.
“Brother, drop your shield.” The purple mare commands.
Her brother does not comply.
“You think my personal guard, a colonel in the solar army, would let his General die?” I sneer.
“Obviously you know nothing of what we do to traitors.”
She looks to me and I realize for the first time that her eyes are pure white. The effect is awe inspiring, I feel as though I am in the presence of Solar Flare herself.
“He simply knows that if he drops his shield, he will die as well.” The General says in a cracking voice.
“Goodbye, BBBFF.” I almost don’t hear the whisper before she and her soldiers are gone, teleported away leaving my army victorious.
Then I realize that her soldiers had been trickling away the entire battle, evacuating until there were few enough to teleport away without a second unicorn.
Shining armor looks to me solemnly. “May Celestia have mercy on your soul.” He says coldly as he lowers his shield.
I was wrong. fearing death is not a cold feeling. It is hot. It burns away every thought and leaves you scrambling at the dirt for anything to save yourself. I flew frantically, but it was not fast enough. I was the epicenter of the largest blast of magical energy ever used in battle since before Luna’s exile.
I felt nothing but fire.
