We continued to move closer to the enemy lines, driving forward like a wedge of force and power. Their lines were starting to crumble once more, with more and more soldiers bailing from the front lines. They dashed for safety as best as they could, trying to dodge the fire coming from our soldiers.

Me? I couldn't find any emotion in it. I was increasingly bitter, and just wanted it all to be over. I had already lost my closest friend in all this carnage, so I wanted to keep going and avenge her name. I guess with was the case with those at the end of a war. They just want to the thing to be over, and so continue to push forward as hard as they can to speed that up.

To my astonishment, we suddenly saw a pegasus artillery battery firing on further enemy defenses.

"LOAD SHELL!"

The gunners worked to remove the old shell and slammed a new one in before shutting the door.

"AWAIT MY ORDER!"

Suddenly, he swung his hoof down.

"FIRE!"

The ground shook as the cannons fired, their shells trailing through the air and smashing into a building, which then collapsed under the weight of explosions.

"RELOAD! RELOAD!"

Our tanks continued to rattle forward, that same broadcast continuing to blare from the loud speakers of one of the tanks.

"Citizens of Zephyr Heights! A ring of steel surrounds your rotten city! We will crush all who dare to resist the will of the Unicorn army! Abandon your posts! Abandon your homes! Abandon all hope! GLORY TO THE UNION!"

Was this what storming Berlin at the end of World War 2 was like? Having said that, I'm not aware of any accounts of German troops switching sides and fighting alongside the Soviets. I know there was that one time German troops fought alongside Americans, but that's not the same thing.

I just found myself wandering something in my mind. What, exactly, had convinced the pegasi we were encountering to change sides? Surely if Gulfstream were as crazy as we thought he was, he'd have kept an iron grip on his troops and severely punished anypony who supported the Queen! So what had convinced them to change sides and fight alongside us?

I could set that question aside for later as I chose to hide in position behind a barricade. Some sort of aerial battle seemed to have broken out above us, with fighter jets fighting to clear one another out. Another group of tanks moved forward from another street- different ones to the ones who had been supporting us.

They stopped, and aligned their barrels towards the nearest building, which was providing a torrent of machine gun fire that was holding our advance back.

"CLEAR OUT THIS TRASH!" an officer shouted.

Moments later, the world was reduced to smoke and noise as the tanks opened fire, their shells slamming into the structure and filling it with smoke and flame. In moments, it was done, and the structure began to topples.

"Building cleared, move forward."

I grabbed my gear and began to move. My eyes were focused forward on the threat, and I was determined to keep advancing as quickly as I could. That way, I wouldn't get left behind and this nightmare would end soon.

I had never anticipated I would find myself in a war movie in the middle of Equestria, but I guess beggars can't be choosers on that front. I guess we just had to keep going. We'd reach the palace eventually, and then this fight would end. Hopefully. I hoped.

Suddenly, we came across a TV screen which was playing some sort of broadcast. Several were sitting in a storefront, and luckily they all had sound. They'd all been tuned to ZBS for some reason (that's the pegasus broadcasting network in Zephyr Heights if you weren't aware), and it was playing a message from some room.

And delivering that message was none other than Pipp herself! Was that her mission? Break into somewhere else and deliver a message?

But what a speech it was! I must admit I found it effective, and I wasn't even in need of convincing that I needed to rise up!

"You have suffered under tyranny and oppression for long enough! It is time for the light of hope and peace to return! We are here to free you from Gulfstream's terror! So rise up, and help us overthrow him!"

I can see why Pipp was the public face of the original order- she's an extremely good motivator and speaker. I could see why so many pegasi were fired up and changing sides.

I moved forward through the streets as best I could, dodging falling rubble as best I could as warfare continued to rage all around me. I held onto my helmet and proceeded behind the soldiers, moving as slowly as I could to keep behind the violence and warfare. I really had no desire to fire another shot.

Suddenly, we swept round a corner and into the big plaza across a central chasm. This was the main shopping and commercial district. It was full to the brim with soldiers, all firing across the gap at one another. Shells were exploding on things and knocking other things down.

A chopper rose out of the gap between the walkways and opened fire on a nearby barricade, blowing it to pieces with sustained rocket fire, allowing another column of soldiers to push forward to a department store.

We continued another way- we had split from the tanks as the ground here was too narrow for them to fit along, and apart from that we had other reasons to want to keep away from them. Good thing I'd popped in ear defenders, as I'd probably have gone deaf otherwise from all this noise.

Suddenly, there was another change. I saw a white flag emerge from one of the buildings.

We had done it. We had retaken Zephyr Heights! They were surrendering!

Later on, we regrouped at the palace, which had sustained remarkably little damage in the fighting. I didn't feel like celebrating, though. I just wanted to hide away and cry. I didn't think I'd ever forget what I'd seen in those few hours- things that somepony should never have to see.

And then there was her. Sunny was dead, and there was no bringing her back. I tried to hold back tears as I trotted along the corridor to the throne room, a corridor I had often used in much more peaceful times before this whole disaster began.

I still had her bag. I had to keep it, and if nothing else contribute it to a memorial. It was, after all, all that I had left of her. But Sunny's sacrifice would not be in vain. We would build a better world in her memory, and raise the flag of friendship in her honor. Because that's what all who fall in the cause of liberty deserve.

The happy times we had together flashed in front of my mind, but they were tinged with sadness. What would happen when my memory failed, and those times were lost forever? I had to document them somehow, to ensure they were never lost.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I moved against a wall, turned my head, and wept. She was gone forever, and all I could do was grieve.

Suddenly, a voice spoke from behind me. "What's wrong, Izzy?"

I turned my face, my eyes stinging with tears, and in that moment I saw her.

She was battered and looked weary, but it was her. It was Sunny.

SHE WAS ALIVE!

In an instant, my tears of sorrow changed to tears of joy. Unable to hold back, I threw my forelegs around her. "Sunny! You're alive!"

Sunny calmly returned the favor. "Nearly wasn't for a moment there. But I made it. Izzy, I'm so glad to see you again."

I dropped back, and looked at her sternly. "Don't ever scare me like that again, you understand?"

Sunny rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom. Shall we go to the throne room? I think the others will want to know what we've been up to."

We set off down the corridor, together, just like in old times. True, we were wearing a mass of military uniforms, but that was understandable given what we'd just been through.

We trotted down that corridor and into the room where our Zephyr Heights adventure had begun. I knew it was only about a month or so, but it felt like a year since we were last in this room.

And gathered there were all our friends! They had made it through too! It seemed nothing could slow us down. Zipp appeared to be in an existing conversation with her dad and mom, so we tried to find the others.

Unfortunately, before we could really engage in a conversation, there was an awful screeching noise. And the monitors in the room (that Gulfstream had seemingly installed) abruptly flickered into life.

Author's Note

Sorry about the wait. Been having quite the long day it was, and man... sometimes I just need some time to relax. ^^'

Anyways... yay! Sunny is alive! :D

And on that note... this concludes this week's portion of Izzy Moonbow for of Phase Five of Rebirth of Magic. :)

We shall return to her on a later date, but for now... and coming up next month... time for more of Misty. =3