An explosion rocked the fortress. There was no sound of a rocket launcher or cannon going off; all we knew was that it was a sudden boom, and part of the wall exploded, killing a few ponies stationed there.

Then, another boom without the distinct sound of a rocket launcher or cannon.

“Did they sabotage the wall somehow?” Plow asked, preparing his weapon.

Winterboots remained silent, keeping his eye on the wall, and another part exploded.

Bullets started to fly through the blizzard, with one almost hitting me. The enemy had launched an assault, causing yet another part of the fortress wall to blow up.

Amidst the chaos, another team leader yelled, “Every pony, return fire for the new Equestria, for the ARA!”

Group of ponies open fire at our unseen enemies from the wall raining a hellstorm of bullets down into the blizzard where everypony thought the enemy was.

Winterboots gave us orders, “Plow, go to the fortress gate and defend it. Rook, find Zonk and do what they say as if I am the one giving you orders.”

Both Plow and I nodded before setting off to carry out our orders.

As I ran past ponies rushing to help defend the fortress, I searched for Zonk, starting in the barracks, where they were likely asleep.

Bursting into the barracks, I looked for Zonk and found a note on their bunk. It read, "Dear Rook, Sargent Winterboots likely ordered you to find me. I am already prepping what's needed to break this attack. Please bring me one of Program's healing potions, seven explosives of any type, and some cheese. I'll be waiting at the east side of the fortress. Love, Zonk."

What the hell? I never understand how Zonk is always one step ahead, but anyway, I'd better gather everything they need for whatever plan they have.

Already having the healing potion on me, I only needed to get the explosives and the cheese. The cheese part still puzzled me, though.

I rushed to the armory, dodging explosions as snow began to build up, hindering my movements.

Upon reaching the armory, I found a dark red pony in charge. She seemed unsurprised to see me.

“Rook, right?” she said, adjusting her glasses. "I'm Burning Joy. Zonk told me to save this stuff for you and give it to you. Zonk already did the paperwork because you were only going to grab grenades, and told me to say things have changed and these are needed."

Burning Joy handed me a bag full of various explosives and, surprisingly, some cheese.

Confused but not questioning Zonk's intentions, I thanked Burning Joy and made my way to the east side of the fortress to find Zonk overlooking the battlefield from the wall.

After climbing up to join them, I began to relay Winterboots' orders, but Zonk stopped me with a hoof, already aware of the plan.

"I already know how to win as long as I get everything I asked for," Zonk said in their deep, exotic voice, taking the bag from me to inspect its contents.

Zonk was a Zebra, and little was known about them except that they dressed in bulky armor with a heavy-duty helmet, and they always seemed to be a step ahead of every pony.

Zonk ordered me to follow them as they slid down a rope they had set up beforehand. I hesitated for a moment, realizing Zonk didn't outrank me, but I followed their orders regardless.

Winterboots order me to follow Zonk's words as if they were his orders so I will follow them for now.

Landing in the snow below, we carefully made our way through the blizzard, using Zonk's instincts to avoid being detected as our enemies charged past us.

The snowfall was so thick and heavy that we could stand out in the open without being seen by our enemies. It was luck, given that I counted at least seven patrols passing by us without detection. I'll never understand how Zonk has an innate sense of when to halt and when to advance in this brutal blizzard.

I managed to spot their armor—a mix of junk and scrap metal. It seemed like they were not mercenaries pretending to be raiders, as their armor featured the markings of two different raider clans.

We found our way into the eye of the storm, to only find our shelves in their encampment so we quickly moved to hide behind a truck then we saw a group of them gathering around a heavily armored truck.

Their encampment was trucks covered in scrap metal and junk they seem welded onto as mobile shelter.

One pony emerged from the vehicle, clad in intricately customized heavy armor. “Who hit my pet!” the heavy armored pony yelled to the group of them as a mare with a bomb collar around her neck stood next to him.

“H-heavy metal she is only a slave she needs to be corrected when s-” he said before was stopped by Heavy Metal jumping off the back of the truck and knocking the pony who spoke out to the ground.

Heavy Metal deployed a shield from his hoof and slammed it through the pony's stomach, cleaving them in half. He then yelled out, "Anypony who dares to harm her again, fuck her, or even dare to question me will face a punishment twice as worst. Is that perfectly clear?"

Crowd of them were scared from what they saw as he returned to the back of his truck then blasted loud rock music.

A crowd of ponies began feasting on the deceased pony left behind by their leader. Some tore off chunks of meat and headed to a fire to cook it instead of consuming it raw, which seemed to be the norm for the majority of them. The scene was truly brutal to see.

How could ponies devolve into animals no monsters like this praying on their own as food.

Zonk whispered to me, "Seems they are in fact raiders. Cannibalism confirms it, as does their slave keeping. Looks like Plow owes me five hundred caps."

Zonk looked around looking for something but they pointed out a group of unicorns channeling magic into an odd looking obelisk and figured out how all this was happening.

Zonk whisper to me “The obelisk is the key to all this we have to destroy it…but what bugs me the most is fact that this is a mega spell level of magic how did they get there hoofs on this”

A Raider lashed one of the unicorns with a whip, warning, "Don't let the blizzard die down. If you make Heavy Metal appear weak, he'll unleash his fury on all of us. Remember, failure isn't an option; if we disappoint him, we disappoint Graymane."

Before I could inquire about our next move from Zonk, they vanished from my sight. I had no idea where they had gone as a large group of raiders assembled for an assault on the fortress. However, they seemed to be prepping themselves first, chemming up for their assault. This granted us a window of opportunity to do something.

If I could not figure out something, a raider group of that size could tip the scales in favor of raiders at the fortress.

All Zonk left me was one remote explosive and cheese to work with. He took everything else.
The situation intensified, and I decided to take matters into my own hooves. So I looked around and found an ammo truck and got an idea.

I stealthy move through the encampment making my way to the ammo truck to realize they got a guard by it. I could try killing them but if i do it risks alerting others also missing guard in a battle is a huge red flag.

I thought to myself to realize they are raiders and Ara books say they are not smart so I tossed cheese past them and they walked away from the truck and started eating it.

Got to be kidding me they really are this stupid well i guess it is time to make my move.

I planted the explosives Zonk had given me in the raiders' ammo truck to cripple their attack. I ran away as fast as I could diving for cover hoping no pony saw me.

Heavy Metal and his slave mare walk to the ammo truck with a group of raiders so I took this chance to kill two birds with one stone so I hit the trigger.

As explosions rippled through the encampment killing the raider leader and the raiders with him.

Then more explosions followed?

Truck after truck started exploding, likely caused by Zonk’s work. I have to admit impressive they got all that done so fast while being stealthy.

I noticed Zonk waving for me to follow them. Started running to them but my tail was grabbed and I was tossed back away from Zonk “You kill her and try to kill me,” Heavy metal said. the fucker survived being blow the fuck up.

He held both his hoofs around my neck as his brown fur burns and on the right side of his face was infused with his helmet.

He locked eyes with me while I continued to strike his head with my hooves, my breath growing strained. "You ARA ponies truly have no idea of the war you started all those years ago. The raider prophet Graymane will usher in a new age of raiders, just like what Red-eye did years ago. The torment we'll unleash upon every pony beyond this fortress will be an exhilarating spectacle," he declared, a chilling smile stretching across his face.

I persisted in swinging my hooves, attempting to stagger him, all while my horn glowed in a desperate attempt to grasp my gun from its holster. Yet, my efforts merely resulted in him seizing me and forcefully slamming my head back, shattering my magical hold. "Don't think I'm as stupid as the rest. I hold the title of Heavy Metal, the musical herald of Graymane, for a reason. It will take much more than that feeble attempt to outwit me," he retorted, his words ringing in my ears as my vision began to blur and fade.
I thought to myself, 'I'm in deep trouble. I'm sorry, Mom, Dad; I won't be able to rebuild our farm now. I fear this is how it ends for me.

"For Zandalar!" Zonk yelled as he thrust the knife into Heavy Metal's exposed side, taking advantage of the chaos caused by the explosion that caused his side to be exposed.

The impact appeared to strike a critical point, causing Heavy Metal to stumble backward, clearly taken off guard from the attack. This sudden turn of events provided us with a precious opportunity to escape. However, I was still struggling to breathe due to the Heavy metal brutality.

Zonk had a healing potion ready, which he gave to me to drink. Again I wonder how he knew this would happen or did he bring it just in case?

I drank potion and my air ways were fixed up. Healing potions are a true gift from Celestia.

We managed to escape and regroup as the blizzard subsided, revealing the aftermath of the fierce battle.

Bodies laying in snow with crimson snow around them on both sides but sadly from what I could see more of our side then there's.

Raider fled past us while being shot up without their blizzard. They lost all hope of taking the fortress this day. Lucky for us they were cowards and ignored us instead prioritizing looting their dead allies and fleeing for their own lifes.

Sergeant Winterboots was overseeing the clean up both inside and outside of the fortress. He was clearly worried about something as he reached into his satchel and retrieved a cigar.

Winterboots placed the cigar in his mouth and lit it, taking a moment to savor the smoke. All the while, he maintained a vigilant watch over the ongoing clean up.

Just as I was about to report the events that had unfolded outside the walls, Zonk spoke up ahead of me, catching Winterboots' attention. They explained that a group of unicorns had caused the blizzard with the help of an obelisk, which we had successfully destroyed. Zonk then added that we had narrowly avoided a pony known as Heavy Metal, who had mentioned a pony named Graymane during the confrontation.

Winterboots said “Zonk are you sure he said Graymane like G R A Y M A N E?”

Zonk Nodded in silence as I was just confused by why Graymane is an important name especially when odds are it is only psycho raider talk but will admit does sound familiar to me.

Winterboots seemed taken aback by something and muttered about needing to report this to his sister in Canterlot.

“You two are done for the day, go rest, eat or sleep i don't care i got something important to do,” Winterboots said before he walked off.

With our mission complete, Zonk spoke to me privately. “I know you are confused and might not trust my abilities but trust my words. I am always five steps ahead of every pony, I know only follow my words because Winterboots told you to so please trust me.”

I smiled and nodded not saying I would trust them but also not saying I wouldn't trust them.

As I headed to the barracks to rest, I felt a sense of foreboding. The battle was far from over, and it seemed things were about to get much worse.

As i layed down to rest in my bunk a thought came to mind. WHY DID ZONK DO PAPERWORK BUT NOT TAKE THE EXPLOSIVES!?

Author's Note

Sorry for taking so long for this my Proofreader lost there vision so i had to use my trash grammar and solo this now. (so do not expect Chapter 3 come out soon and for it be trash)