First, a note on pronunciation: Seehal=See-hal (as in Alf), Zarkyn=Zark-in, Wojtek=Voy-tech, Realla=Ree-ahl-ah, Vertia=Verr-tshee-ah (Said quickly, in one motion)
Part One: "Good Luck, Fellows."
A crowd was gathering in the center of the underground village of Gearis. Seehal, a young boy, barely more than a pup, crawled through the legs of the other Diamond Dogs to get closer to the center. He stopped and stood up as a voice boomed throughout the cavern: "Brothers! We have suffered for thousands of years under the brutal hooves of the ponies!" It was Zarkyn again. He was always doing this, trying to get us riled up. Only a few cheered. "I know what you're thinking! But this is the real deal! We're joining with a bunch of local villages to return to the surface and reclaim our homeland! For months, our mechanics have been building vehicles to bust through the surface and fight back against the ponies. Within weeks, we will feel the sun on our faces and fresh air in our snouts! ARE YOU WITH ME!?" There was much more cheering and support this time.
Seehal felt a large figure push him aside, moving towards the centre of the crowd. Looking up, he realised it was Leszek, the village leader. Making it to the front, he walked close to Zarkyn and stared at him face-to-face. "Always the same cliche speech. No one is going anywhere. You'll get the whole village killed with your foolish war. The Solar Queen's army will crush you in an instant, you don't stand a chance."
Zarkyn snarled, and turned away to the crowd. "Even a moment on the surface is better than an eternity in this dank pit! We'll dig to the surface and keep going, until we drill right through the pony queen's ugly face! Even if I'm digging my own grave, I'll keep going until we're free!!" About half the crowd roared and cheered.
"QUIET!!" bellowed Leszek. "Get back to your homes, and those of you on the night shift get back to work. There will be no more talk of rebellion." The crowd began to disperse, most muttering under their breath. Seehal hung his head and resigned himself to another lonely night of digging.
He slowly trudged his way to the tunnels, until someone tapped his shoulder and whispered "We'll be in mining area C tonight if you want to come with us. Soon we'll leave this place forever." He turned around, but could not tell who had been talking. Paw clutching his mother's amulet, Seehal made his decision. There was nothing for him here. If he died on the surface, at least he would see the sky once in his life.
***
General Applejack sat in the command room of the Earth Legion Fortress, directing the various ponies that ran about. Her normally grim expression relaxed slightly when she saw a distinct pink shape enter the room. "Colonel Pie, do ya have something tah report?"
Pie saluted with her usual cheery attitude. "Yes Ma'am. Several scouts have reported a number of Diamond Dog attack parties have surfaced near Coalhill. They are heavily armed, but keeping a low profile so far."
Applejack frowned. Diamond Dogs? They usually kept hidden below ground. Any that were foolish enough to disobey the Solar Queen were always obliterated quickly. If they were armed, and in such numbers, that may mean a rebellion was coming. "Such'a blatant act'a war can't be ignored. We'll move tah crush these rebels, and wipe out any that remain underground. Send me the full reports on their numbers and armament."
Colonel Pie clapped her hooves together in obvious excitement. "Ooh, this'll be fun! I was tired of Changelings and Griffin insurgents, and dogs make the best noises when you kill them!"
The general tapped her on the shoulder. "Calm down, Pie. We do this tah serve her glorious majesty Queen Celestia, not because it's fun. You can take pride in your work, but keep your excitement in check. Now go, fetch me the scouts' full reports."
Pie straightened up. "Yes, General Apple. Shall I send copies to Colonel Macintosh? He is stationed near that region."
Applejack thought for a moment. "Have the scouts regroup at his base. I will discuss the attack with him personally."
Pie saluted; "Yes ma'am." She left, still with something of a spring in her step. Applejack sighed slightly. Pinkamena was a very effective soldier, but she lacked discipline. Even with her hair cut short and a drab uniform, she retained her constant cheerfulness.
"One day, she'll either save the kingdom single-hoofedly or be court-martialed. Possibly both." she said, too quiet for anypony to hear.
***
Seehal was working his way through the long tunnels that lead to mining area C. The whole place had been abandoned due to a lack of minerals and general unsafe conditions. After a long walk, he came to a huge open area and his jaw dropped. The cavern contained maybe twenty dogs, but the impressive part was the huge armoured vehicle that dominated the space. It was mounted on sets of rotating tracks, and at the front was a massive drill, with smaller digging arrays around the edges. The whole thing was covered in thin cannons, with what looked like a simple rocket pod that could be raised and lowered. Scattered around were diamond dog shaped mechs, with more visible through a hatch in the back of the vehicle. They were somewhat slapped-together, but generally followed the same design. A pair of machine guns, a cannon similar to the ones on the driller. Paws were replaced with big blades, scoops or shovels; anything that could bludgeon or stab a pony to death. A few personal weapons; rifles and pistols, were on a rack on the side of the large vehicle. After a minute or so of him gawking, one of the dogs came up to him.
"Like what you see, eh?" she asked, gesturing to the assorted hardware. "I'm Realla. Good to have you along, we need everybody we can get."
He smiled sheepishly. "I'm uh, Seehal. I think I might be a bit out of my depth." As this was taking place, Zarkyn was jumping down from on top of a mech, and heading towards them. He heard the last sentence, and ruffled Seehal's hair.
"Don't worry about it, pup. We're all a bit over our heads, but we just have to try as hard as we can and we'll be fine. As long as we never give up, we can't lose!" They laughed, but there was plenty of worry in it. "Seehal, was it? C'mon I'll show you around." He lead the younger boy around to the side of the vehicle and gestured across its length. "This is the Heaven Breaker. It'll get us to the surface and beyond. Right, Wojtek?" He gestured to a smaller dog that gave a noncommittal grunt and wave. Zarkyn continued: "He's our mechanic. Built all this stuff himself. The mechs were based on specs, but the Breaker is his own design. Be nice, our lives are in his paws. If he messes something up, we're all fucked."
Wojtek turned around and gave him an annoyed look. "Yeah, no pressure or anything," he scoffed, returning to his work.
"Anyway, what else is there...let's get you something to defend yourself. Here we go," he said, pulling some gear from the rack, "A pistol and a trench knife. (Note: Essentially a set of metal knuckles with a blade at the bottom.) Just for emergencies, understand, you'll be travelling in the vehicle with Wojtek and a few others. You just focus on any ponies that try to board the Breaker and kill the driver or gunners. I'm sorry you can't take a mech, but there aren't enough for all of us."
Seehal attached the weapons to his belt. "That's okay. I'm just happy to help. I'll do my best." Zarkyn patted him on the back, crouching down until he was eye-to-eye with the younger dog.
"Good boy. I'll tell the other guys on the driller to keep an eye on you, because you deserve to know the surface more than any of us. Now, you did basic combat training, right?" Seehal nodded. "Good," Zarkyn continued, "Then I don't need to teach you how to use those. Now, get some sleep. The other village groups could call on us at any moment, so you'll want to be well rested." He nodded again, and went to find a quiet corner to lie down. Zarkyn returned to the main group.
One of them spoke up, just loud enough for those close by to hear him: "You shouldn't have let the boy come with us. He's way too young for this."
Zarkyn turned to her. "Shut it, Vertia. He wants to help, so let him. I know all about him, parents died years ago in a cave-in. No other family. If I can help him to at least see the blue skies once before we die, I'll be proud. This is what we're fighting for. So that pups like him don't have to spend their whole lives in a dark pit."
Suddenly, there was a beeping sound. Vargus pulled a device out of the Heaven Breaker's dashboard, and listened to it. He jumped down and join the others. "Message from the others. They've found a pony military base, and they want us to surprise attack them from the side."
"Hang on," said Realla, "They want us to attack one of the enemy's flanks by ourselves? That's crazy!"
Vargus made a dismissive gesture. "We won't be alone. Three other teams will be helping to surround the ponies. Now, all of you get some sleep. We have the coordinates for the entry point, and we have to be there at 0800 underground time. We'll leave at 0200 this morning. Make sure you're ready by then."
--Hours Later--
"Yo, pup, wake up."
"Mmm...just a bit more."
"Damn it boy, get the hell up, I don't have time for this! I don't even know how you could sleep over all this noise."
Seehal, now awake, found himself being shaken by Zarkyn. "I'm up! What happened? Did I miss anything?"
Zarkyn chuckled. "Just the Breaker tearing through ground like it was nothing. I thought I'd give you some time to prepare; we have a battle today."
The younger boy rubbed his eyes. "Already? Mother Bitch, that is really loud, you weren't exaggerating." He looked up at Zarkyn. "I'll do whatever I can to help."
The older dog smiled, and turned to the others. "Listen up you bastards and bitches! This boy here is willing to do everything he can for the cause! I expect the same from each and every one of you! I'm willing to give my life to create a better future for pups like him! ARE YOU?!!?!"
They cheered and roared, except for Wojtek who waited for them to quiet down before announcing: "Five minutes to surface breach! All of you strap in or grab something!"
Holding one of the safety straps, Zarkyn stared forward with fierce determination in his eyes. "Alright then...Good luck, fellows!!"
BOOOOOMMMMM
Waking Up, Breaking Out: This Is What It Means To Be Free
Chapter Two - "Waking Up, Breaking Out: This Is What It Means To Be Free"
The Heaven Breaker burst through the surface with a massive roar, briefly sailing through the air. The passengers gazed up at the sky for the first time. Seehal's jaw dropped open. "Blue...It's so bright and so blue..." They'd come out into a rocky, dry area. Most ponies only came out here to do mining work. But even such a barren landscape was stunning to the dogs who'd spent their entire lives underground.
Their daze was interrupted by Wojtek. "HEY! No time to gawk! We've got to get moving. Our destination is very close, and we won't be able to unload under fire, so all pilots will have to ride there in the mecha." He pulled a large lever under the main controls, releasing the rear hatch and the clamps holding the cargo still. "Go!"
Zarkyn was the first to react, vaulting over the side halfway through the order. There was a powerful roar of an engine, then a whoop of excitement as his mech strode out into view. It was a little different than the others, with two canons, more complex arms and a large blade instead of a left hand. It was also painted navy and red with cheap stuff he'd probably stolen from around the village. He moved it in front of the driller and stood on the back, arms folded, staring into the distance. He could faintly hear and see the battle far ahead. "Let's go, everyone!"
The rest of the group cheered, pilots quickly climbing down and moving their mecha into a wedge-shaped formation around the Breaker. The various dogs remaining on board began to ready weapons and take up firing stations. Seehal began to panic slightly. "Um, guys? What am I supposed to do? Where do I stand? " He felt an arm wrap around him, pick him up and deposit him near the driver's seat.
"Just stay there and watch Wojtek's butt. Some ponies might try to get up here and take out the driver, and nobody else knows how the damn thing works." It was Realla. She had a long rifle with a crude scope, and was taking up a sniping position near the front.
With a simultaneous roar of engines, the convoy started moving in formation towards the battlefield. Seehal put the trench knife on his left paw, and checked his pistol. He didn't have many shots, but at this range it would be hard to miss. He could hear sounds of battle getting louder, the boom of Diamond Dog cannons and what he assumed were magic projectiles echoing across the rocky landscape. As they drew closer, began to make out the sound of gunfire and screaming. They were coming up on the pony base, just outside the town of Coalhill. It was a scattered array of buildings and emplacements for artillery unicorns. Suddenly, there came a shout from the camp, and a huge ball of green energy sailed over their heads. "We've been spotted! Keep moving, and don't fire until we're closer!" said Wojtek, "We need to conserve ammo!"
They were almost in range. A squad of Earth Ponies suddenly teleported in about a hundred metres away. They wore heavy armour with retractable blades on the outside of the legs. Some of them pulled chariots with artillery Unicorns, firing bolts of energy at the Breaker. They reached the convoy, some earth ponies leaping at the pilots. Most were either caught or knocked out of the air by mechanical arms. One had his head removed by Zarkyn's blade. Realla's sniper rifle bucked twice, and a chariot crashed when the ponies pulling it collapsed. Several others began to lift Earth Ponies with magic and fling them onto the Heaven Breaker. A large soldier landed on a gunner, crushing him under his weight. Two more landed, one close to the driver's seat. Seehal charged, firing his pistol at the pony's head. The bullet didn't penetrate his helmet, but the impact was enough to stun him. With a roar, Seehal plunged the blade of his knife into his adversary's throat.
"Great Mother...I just..." He felt dizzy and fell back against Wojtek's chair. To kill someone, even a hated enemy of his kind, was difficult for one so young, no matter his resolve.
He heard the voice of Wojtek behind him. "Good job, boy. That was a damn brave thing you just did. You saved my ass."
Seehal stood up again, watching as the others threw the remaining boarders over the side. He breathed a sigh of relief, and turned to look at the base ahead. Another energy blast shot towards the convoy, this time arcing through the air. With a deafening boom, it crashed right in front of them, exploding outwards. Seehal found himself thrown by the impact, flying over the railing and hitting the ground hard, making him yelp in pain. He had to get up. He had to keep moving. Forcing himself to his feet, Seehal saw two things: The convoy had kept moving and was now too far for him to reach, and that Zarkyn's mech has been blasted off its feet and was lying face-down nearby. He limped as fast as he could over to it. "Zarkyn! Are you okay?! Answer me, please!" He crouched down to see into the cockpit. Zarkyn was lying half-out of it, blood dripping from his abdomen. "ZARKYN! Don't die! I'll find someone to help you!"
He coughed, blood spurting out of his mouth. "That you, pup? It's too late for me. There's a bunch of shrapnel in my gut, and it feels like my leg is broken." He coughed again, breathing becoming harsher and shallower. "Listen, you have to do something for me. Take my mech, the others are counting on us."
"But I can't pilot that! I don't know how, and it's lying on the ground!"
"You'll be fine. It's easy. Use the handles to move around, triggers for the guns, and...urgh, hold...hold the outside handle buttons to move the arms. It should...be able to right itself." He crawled out of the cockpit, trailing blood. "You have to leave me and...catch up with the others. They need you."
Seehal wiped the tears from his face. "I...I'll do my best."
"Good boy. Now, one last thing: Help me onto my back. I want to see the sky one last time." Still crying, Seehal turned him over. "That's better. It really is...an amazing sight. Goodbye, Seehal. Enjoy this new world. Live life, for me, and for yourself." Slowly, his eyes closed and his breathing stopped. Seehal screamed his rage and grief at the heavens.
****
In the command center of the base currently under attack, Colonel Macintosh was attempting to restore some semblance of order. The Diamond Dogs had devastated their fortifications with cannons, mortars and rockets. The swordsponies had fared better, largely due to the Dogs' lack of proper armour. A scout ran into the room, bleeding from a bullet wound and singed by explosions. "Colonel! They've broken through the lines! They're in the base!"
Macintosh nodded wearily, and put on his helmet. "Alright, then. We have to inflict as many casualties upon them as we can. It's a great honour to die for Queen Celestia, and in service to the kingdom. On my order, charge out and engage them!"
One soldier was simply staring at him. When he finished, she ran towards the door, screaming: "I'm not going to die here! We can still get-" She was cut off as the blade of Mac's massive folding sword decapitated her with ease. He looked sadly down at the body.
"A real waste. But it’s better than running away. Her Highness doesn't fancy traitors and deserters.” He folded his sword back into place and gestured to the main doors. “Now, let’s go! For the Kingdom of Equestria, we fight and die!"
****
Seehal had reached the base fairly quickly. Zarkyn's mech could move fast if he really pushed it. It didn't take long for him to figure out the controls and get the hang of piloting it. Suddenly, a small group of ponies came fleeing past him. He spun the mech around, and fired the machine guns, eyes burning with rage. Bullets smashed armour and tore through flesh, and he screamed in fury.
He continued on, past scattered ally and enemy troops. He ignored the shouts of his fellow soldiers, and gunned down every pony he came across. Eventually he reached the center building of the base, and faltered as he saw ponies flood out through the main doors, charging towards him. Among them was a massive red stallion wearing customised heavy plate. Even with the incredible weight of such equipment, he easily kept up with the others. Gritting his teeth, Seehal fired both cannons and a rocket directly into the mob, sending burning bodies in every direction. The only pony still going was the red behemoth, charging faster and faster at him. Seehal squeezed the HMG triggers, but they only fired a few bullets into the ground before winding down. Cursing, he tried to free himself from the pilot's harness, but Macintosh slammed into the mech first, sending it tumbling over. Thankfully, Seehal's small frame had helped him avoid any broken bones.
He pulled out his trench knife and cut his way out, seeing his opponent also returning to his feet. Mac flicked a tiny release lever on his right front greave, leg-mounted greatsword folding out and locking in place. "I'm sorry about this. War ain't no place for little ones like you. But I'll do what I have to." He advanced, moving with practiced ease on only three hooves. Seehal waited until he got close, feigning injury. Then he fired his pistol at his opponent's head, bullet slamming into his helmet and stunning him. Mac bellowed, swinging his blade in the direction of the attack, but Seehal had already moved, holstering his pistol and jumping onto the stallion's back. He dragged his knife along the gap between neck cover and chestplate. Mac was flailing, roaring in pain, but unable to shake off his attacker.
After cutting every exposed inch he could reach, Seehal jumped up and grabbed onto Mac's helmet, bringing his other paw up and tearing his knife across the stallion's visor, slicing both of his eyes. He screamed, and Seehal was sent flying through the air, landing roughly. Mac continued to thrash around until he smashed his head on the overturned mech and fell to the ground, bleeding all over. Seehal slowly got to his feet and walked over, his injuries starting to get the best of him. He reached the pony's prostrate body, and drew his pistol once again. Pointing it carefully into Mac's visor, he fired.
Seehal limped over to the side of the mech and sat down leaning against it. Looking up at the sky through all the smoke, he gave a faint smile. "Zarkyn...I hope I've made you proud." With those words, he blacked out.
