//------------------------------//
// Final: Conflict 
// Story: Dan Vs. The Magic of Friendship(Season 1) 
// by Barrobroadcaster 
//------------------------------//

"Twilight, they're breaking through the front lines!"

"Pull the tanks back, refocus the shield!" she ordered.

Enemy tanks had appeared seemingly out of thin air. They weren't huge, but were still big, powerful and evidently, very precise. The enemy tanks had spherical bodies supported by six legs, kind of like the Neotanks from Advance Wars but with two extra legs in the center and a second barrel underneath the first. They blasted the Equestrian tanks with considerable power and accuracy, destroying several and forcing the others to retreat.

She had a few ways she could counter the armor, but only a couple that were ideal. The Enclave's heavy troopers could deal with it and hold their ground.

"Springer, send in the Enclave!"

Springer nodded. "Copy. Hydra, Viper, Tango Squads, take point! Secure the line!"

"Copy, captain!"
"Yes, ma'am!"

Armored pegasi armed with plasma casters, the soldiers of the Enclave, rushed to the front lines. The squads formed into V-formations and shot out from the protection of the shield. Even as the enemy infantry advanced, cylinders the size of soda cans rained down on them from the passing pegasi. And moments after hitting the ground, the cylinders armed and exploded.

Plasma explosions bloomed in the enemy ranks, bright bursts of green that vaporized the oncoming robots. But their real targets were the tanks. Green streaks shot forth from their plasma casters, hitting the tanks in the sides. Some of the armored orbs were able to withstand the fire from a few plasma casters, but not all of them.

"Viper-lead, on point."
"Copy."
"He-hey, this is just like this one FOE playthrough I did, when-"
"Cut the chatter, Viper-four."
"Yeah, yeah."
"Over?"
"I mean, copy that. Over."

The enemy tanks were destroyed in the first flyby from the Enclave. Deadly-efficient, if a bit nerdy, the armored pegasi cut through the robots and ninjas with ease.

"Yes!" Captain Springer couldn't help but feel some personal pride at her team doing a good job. Fighting for the right side felt good, and winning made it even better. But it was too late to say they'd won already.

Twilight's eyes narrowed. "They're not advancing. They outnumber is three-to-one and they're not attacking." She rubbed her chin, gazing at the assembled might. The enemy army was massive, covered the landscape all the way to Mount Prosperity still. There were holes in their front lines, a few of their first ranks had been decimated but more were already replenishing their losses.

"Something's not right."

"What's wrong?"

"This... this seems like a trap," Twilight said. "They're playing softball."

"They did blow up half our tanks," Springer said. She looked at the battlefield. "But I get what you mean. They're feeding us easy wins up front so we get overconfident. I'm gonna recall the Enclave squads."

"No," Twilight held her hoof up. "Not yet. Let them keep strafing the front lines but keep them close. Launch our artillery. Launch everything, prepare our foot soldiers to advance."

Springer saluted. "Aye, your highness. AJ, launch all the ordinance we have at them now! Stonewall, front and center! All royal guard units take position!"

Unicorns and earth ponies of the Royal Guard marched to the edge of the shield. Too few of them, they were the best-trained soldiers Equestria had, each one of them more disciplined and experienced than the volunteers. And they had less than a thousand of them marching to the front lines, weapons ready. Aegis and some of the other guards were still in the tanks, what few tanks were still left, and had fallen back to cover the flanks of the advancing infantry.

Behind them was the random collection of volunteers. They resembled more of a mob than a column, and were equipped as such as well. They were not disciplined, but they were determined and unpredictable, and that made them potentially useful in combat. That, and they hid a few other surprises among them.

Springer held her hoof to her ear, communicating with Applejack. "What? No, that's... Princess Twilight! Your highness!"

"What's wrong?" she asked sternly, not sternly at Springer but sternly in general. This was not the time for problems.

"The cannons- they say they're not firing! The artillery teams..." The commlink flung out of her hoof, levitated in Twilight's magic. She couldn't spare a minute to break her concentration.

"Applejack, what's going on?"

"Twi, we can't fire the pastries, pies and puffs and all until they're properly baked!"

"We don't have long enough to wait, AJ! Half-baked or not, we need fire support now!"

"The hot dough'll just gum up the cannons!"

"Fire the dough, AJ!"

Back behind the shield, the pony artillery launched. Gobs of heated pizza, cake and cookie dough arced over the shield and landed on the enemy army formations. It was effective in slowing them down, even disabling many of the robots it hit. Pinkie Pie and the party cannoneers were experienced, being veterans of the unofficial "Breakfast Wars" conflict years ago.

Unfortunately, it was as Applejack had warned; the excess uncooked dough oozed into the firing mechanisms, jamming the cannons. They would have to be unclogged before a second volley.

"It's... effective," Springer said. From her suits' zoom lens, she was able to observe the dark forces. Blobs of steaming baked goods had covered the front of the battlefield, but the enemies were slowly making their way through them. "They're still marching through, though. If this is a trap..."

Once again, Twilight thought about what Dan would do if he was in command. He'd tell them that if it was a trap, they should spring the trap. It wasn't always the best strategy, especially now. But it was one that required courage, it was a risk and it could pay off.

"Applejack, reload the cannons as best you can. All unicorns, extend the shield forward! Guardsmen, push forward!"

Another volley of fireballs came from the enemy's artillery. The fireballs arced high, aiming for the Equestrian cannons. Twilight had to admit, they were quite the formidable opponents they were facing. If she hadn't been there to zap the flaming shells with her magic, some of them would have hit Applejack's artillery.

The Equestrian soldiers advanced, lances and shields lowered at the enemy. The ponies pushed forward and the robotic salesmen pushed their way through the dough.

"I hope this is the right decision," Twilight said. Either way, she knew she was going to find out in a matter of seconds. "WHERE THE BUCK IS DAN?!?!"