//------------------------------// // Chapter 10 // Story: Legendary // by RoflNom //------------------------------// A/N: Just letting you all know that my midterms are over as of today. Legendary will be working its way back to a chapter every two to three days. And happy Friday the 13th. Don't get caught alone at night. ______________________________________________________________________________ For the rest of the night, nopony had really slept. We were all making preparations for the upcoming battle. Whether we were writing what we thought were our last letters home or if we were calling out to the Princesses to watch over us. Not all of the soldiers thought this was a good plan. A few even considered deserting. After a word with Arch, they quickly gave up on the idea. We needed all of our troops fighting this time. We couldn't risk leaving any behind. Arch had an entire strategy set up that he hoped would give us an advantage. While the dragons had superior numbers, we had far more maneuverable and ranged soldiers. If we could keep the dragons at a distance for long enough, we could bring their numbers to a somewhat even number. For that to work, SwiftWing and his officers would have to lead constant skirmishes with the dragons main line. All the while, the Unicorns would fire anything they could. From what we've been able to find, dragons were extremely resistant to fire and certain types of magic. Aceymac had been able to determine which kinds of spells were the most effective. He would arrange his soldiers behind both the cavalry and the infantry, in large groups all with designated areas to attack. As for myself, I would be with Arch and the infantry. Eventually, the Pegasi would start to take heavy casualties and when that happens a charge will be ordered. Several waves of 150 to 250 soldiers would be launched until the entirety of the 5th R.I was in the fight. Afterwards, the 12th would stop using their skirmishing tactics and mount a charge as well. If all went as planned, our artillery will deal enough damage to make the battle easier to handle. If not, I could easily become the armies secret weapon. That is, if word hadn't spread of me yet. Considering I've only been in one battle, I doubt that any of the enemy Generals would know about me. We agreed on beginning our short march to the enemy at dawn. The enemy knows we're coming, since they've sent scouts out. Neither army knows the exact size of the other, but we do know what their army is made up of. That, we hope, will work in our favor. ______________________________________________________________________________ "Ok, we all know what we need to do, right?" Arch said, as we sat in a makeshift war room. "Yes, General. We've given the soldiers their orders. We've told them what will happen, and how it will happen. They're all prepared." Replied Aceymac. "As prepared as they're ever going to be, you mean." Said SwiftWing. "We need to remember that not all of our stallions are as well trained or as well disciplined as others. Most of our replacements are fresh out of training or were taken from the reserves. They'll most likely end up breaking ranks if things start to go south." Arch shook his head. "That is a major problem, and we can only hope that these ponies have an ounce of courage in them. They'll need to stand and fight if we're going to even have a chance at winning. How are the troops morale holding up?" "They're all doing well, with all things considered. They're motivated to fight until they die." Said Aceymac. "We shouldn't have to worry about any of the armies routing completely." "Good, good." Arch said, then he turned to me. "You know what you need to do, correct?" "Of course. Once I enter the battle, the dragons will wish they never hatched. I am prepared to exterminate every one of those reptiles, if need be." I said, trying to sound as serious as what I just said was. "You know, I'd really hate to get on your bad side, Legend." SwiftWing joked. "If you were on my bad side, you probably wouldn't be in this room right now." I said with a smirk. "Enough joking, you two. We need to start marching if we're going to get into position. Move out." Arch ordered. ______________________________________________________________________________ After what felt like an eternity, the collective army arrived at the hill overlooking what used to be an enemy camp. During the time it took us to prepare for an assault, the dragons had moved back to get better terrain. They apparently didn't like the idea of an uphill battle, even if we didn't plan on doing that. We had already placed our Unicorns at the top of the hill, giving them a perfect view of the battle field and of the enemy army. Our Pegasi were in the air, formed into several skirmish lines, with SwiftWing at the head of the first line. Arch and myself, along with the rest of the infantry, continued to march forward. We wanted enough distance for our plan to work, but we wanted them close enough to be able to draw them out. Eventually, he ordered a halt. He stepped in front of the army of over 2,000 Earth ponies and Unicorns. They all looked at him with eyes full of fear, determination, and revenge. They waited for whatever Arch was prepared to say, regardless if it was good or bad. "All of you have your reasons for being here. All of you have family or friends that are sitting in their home, wondering whether you will come home or not. Today, some of them may get the answer they don't want. Today, many of you will die. But know, if you do die, you died fighting to defend those you love. You died fighting for a cause far greater than any cause the gryphons or dragons have. Until you do die, you must fight with all of the strength you can muster." "The dragons think of us as weak and cowardly creatures, who could never stand a chance against them. Today, we will prove them wrong and show them what exactly we ponies are capable of. After today, they will no longer see us as a nation of lowly peasants and farmers. They will see us as a nation that can come together to overcome any obstacle, whether it be war or famine. We will show them the true power of Equestria!" The entire army burst into one large war cry, one that even the dragons could hear from their position. After several seconds the dragons began to march towards us. Once they were in range, the Unicorns began to rain down explosive and concussive blasts from their hilltop. The dragons instantly began to take casualties, due to precision and target designations. Nonetheless, they continued their march straight for the infantry. I looked up to see SwiftWing leading the first skirmish wave into battle. They took several runs on the enemies front and retreated, only to be replaced by the next wave led by one of SwiftWing's Lieutenants. This was being repeated over and over, with minimal losses. I looked to my left to see an Earth pony shaking. Every time an artillery spell would hit the ground, he jumped slightly. I started to notice that several other ponies were doing the same. They were dreading the moment they would have to charge, but I still saw determination in those fearful eyes of theirs. I returned my focus to the battle ahead. The dragons were still taking heavy losses in comparison to us. They were being blasted and slashed by the combined efforts of the Unicorns and Pegasi, yet they hadn't ordered a charge or a retreat. They only kept on marching, not caring if their comrade fell next to them. Something didn't feel right to me. No General in their right mind would march an army at the enemy like this. There had to be more to this battle. They had to have something planned, or they would be down to half their original size by the time they reached our infantry. Was there something we could have missed? Suddenly, there was a deafening boom pulling my attention back to the battle. I looked around until I saw the hilltop. It was burning, along with the soldiers who were up there. Another boom came and the hill burst into flame again. "Arch, what in world is going on?!" I yelled over to him. "I... I don't know! Everything was going so well! What did the dragons do?! Lieutenant Colonel, what's happening?!" Arch yelled over to SwiftWing. SwiftWing landed next to Arch and myself. "Sir, a dragon is doing that! It's huge, like five dragons put into one! Those blast are it breathing fire! The Brigadier General has ordered his troops to fall back behind the hill! What now?!" He said, panicking. "Celestia dammit!" Arch yelled. "They choose now to introduce a new kind of dragon to the war?! And it works as a type of artillery?! Alright, this is what we're going to do. Lieutenant Colonel, I want you to keep the dragon's infantry preoccupied. Send a runner to Aceymac and tell him to bring his stallions around the hill and attack from their left flank." "Yes, Sir!" SwiftWing said with a salute, then flew away. Arch turned his attention to me. "Legend, I need you to take that thing out! Whatever it takes! Melt this entire bucking battlefield if you have to, just do it!" "Alright, consider that dragon dead, Arch." I said. I flew out of the infantry division and into the open field between them and the dragons. I focus my magic, and two small openings were made in the ground. From the openings rose my swords, Peace and End. I had hoped I would never need them, but they would be needed if I was going to dive headfirst into the enemy formation. I kept the two swords levitated at my side and flew up in the air. The Pegasi were still skirmishing, just with much larger waves. Aceymac had yet to bring his Unicorns to the flank, but I was able to see him moving into position. I flew until I was directly above the dragon infantry. That's when I saw it, the dragon's artillery. It was a massive black dragon, so big it couldn't move without dragging against the ground. I walked on all fours, unlike other dragons. It had red spike running along his back down to a large spiked tail, each of them the size of an average dragon. 'Leviathan' ,I thought to myself, 'A fitting name for such a beast, and I get to be the first to kill one.' As I continued to hover in place, an idea crossed my mind. I looked to my right at Peace. I used my magic to launch it in front of the Leviathan, piercing it into the ground. The Leviathan managed to send out on more blast of fire before it slowly began to drift to sleep. My plan worked! The aura given off by Peace was still there, even if I didn't have it with me. I flew down and landed by the Leviathan. Some of the dragons around it noticed me and quickly charged at me. Several well placed swings from End turned them to ashes. I turned back to the Leviathan and raised End. Just as I was about to bring it down, the Leviathan's eyes opened and it enormous jaw opened. The sudden movement made me lose focus and I dropped End to the ground. As I picked it back up, the Leviathan clamped its jaw around me. I felt its tongue under my hooves and saliva began to drop all over me. I felt the Leviathan tilt its head upwards and I started to slip down its throat. I panicked and drove my horn into the roof of the dragon's mouth, causing it to roar in pain. I used that opportunity to fly out of the beast's mouth. Once I was out, I levitated End and quickly drove it into the dragon's snout. It reared back and roared again. I began to fly upwards when I felt a claw grab hold of my hind leg. Several more claws grabbed hold of me and brought me to the ground. I focused on Peace and floated it over to my side. The dragons grabbing me slowly started to lose strength and collapsed. I also levitated End to my side, ripping it out of the Leviathan, whose snout was slowly burning away. Still alive, the Leviathan began to shoot large blast of fire from its mouth in every direction, hitting dragons and ponies alike. I flew into the air and looked around at the battle. Aceymac's Unicorns had finally began to rain down magic artillery onto the dragons. Both the cavalry and infantry had charged into the battle. The dragons were being hit from three directions, including the enraged Leviathan. Their numbers were rapidly diminishing as they were constantly assaulted. I looked to the Unicorns and got another idea. I focused my magic at the tip of horn. When I looked up, I saw a large ball of black fire had formed. I sent it fly down and it landed in the middle of the dragon's ranks. It erupted in a huge pillar of black flame, engulfing the dragon infantry and the Leviathan. When the fire had cleared up, all that was left was scorched earth. After seeing what had just happened, the dragons began to route. The Pegasi and Unicorns quickly put down the fleeing dragons. Several also surrendered, surprisingly. Among these were their General, Lord Diamond Hide. After recovering the captured dragons and the wounded, we marched back to the camp, celebrating and singing all along the way. ______________________________________________________________________________ "Now then, what were our casualties?" Arch asked. We were all in the makeshift war room once again, only two hours after the battle. The only one not present was Aceymac, who was in the infirmary due to a chest injury he had received. "Uhm, let's see... Wow. Sir, we only lost about 900 ponies today. Most of which were killed by the Leviathan, as Legend calls it." "That's good, much better than any of us expected. What about the enemy losses?" "We estimated about 10,000 dragons. It turns out that was an exaggeration. From the information we've managed to get from Lord Diamond Hide, he had about 8,000 dragons under his command. They lost maybe 6,000. The rest either fled or surrendered." "Hmm. Oh, did we ever find out what happened to the 3rd Armored?" SwiftWing quickly searched through a pile of papers, looking for the document concerning the situation of the 3rd Armored. "Here it is. It appears the 3rd managed to retreat without being followed. They should be back in Canterlot by now." "Excuse me, Sirs." A Pegasus said, standing at the tents entrance. "I have a letter from the Princesses for you." "Thank you, please wait here until I give you the reply." Arch said. "Let's see, the letter says:" 'General Arch, I am shocked that you have encountered such an army, and I fear you will not be able to defeat it. I have sent several large armies to secure the borders. Once they arrive, if you are even reading this letter, you are to return to Canterlot at once. You have been through quite a bit, and if you have emerged victorious, you and your soldiers deserve some well earned rest. Princess Celestia. P.S- Princess Luna says hello.' "Well," SwiftWing started, "that was... an odd letter. I mean, it seamed like it was written in a rush and the Princess didn't know what exactly to write." "That doesn't matter." Arch turned to the messenger. "Come back in an hour and I'll have a letter for you. Get it to the Princesses as quickly as possible. Go get some rest, you've earned it." The messenger saluted and exited the tent. Arch took a deep breath and sat down on a chair. "Well, looks like we're going back to Canterlot, again." "You sound disappointed, Arch." I said. "Well, we've only been out here for about a week. And we need as many soldiers out fighting as possible, yet the Princesses are constantly pulling me back." "They have their reasons, Arch." SwiftWing said. "Who are we to go against their orders? Plus, I could use some time to relax again. I've noticed that we have the worst luck when it comes to where we're marching and the intel we get. I'd rather not run into another huge army, especially with this many recruits." Arch shook his head. "They're not recruits anymore, Swift. They were out there fighting with all they had. They deserve to be called real soldiers." He stood up. "I have a letter to write and then I'm going to get some sleep. I suggest you two do the same." He walked out of the tent, followed by SwiftWing. I stood there alone for a second, then made my way to my tent. When I arrived I laid down on the makeshift bed and fell asleep, despite not being tired. ______________________________________________________________________________ I woke up to see Death again. Legend didn't appear to be here this time. Hello, IronTrot. I saw how that battle went, and I must say I'm surprised you managed to use Legend's magic like that. Very impressive. "Thanks, Death. It all really just comes naturally to me, I have no idea why though." I said. I see. That's helpful. Oh, right. I wanted to talk to you about something. "And what is that?" I asked. Nothing too important. Only the fact that you almost died today! Are you insane, nearly getting swallowed by a dragon like that?! "Almost died?! What?! I thought I was immortal!" I said, suddenly in shock. Immortal, in the sense that you're forever living. No being is truly immortal, not even the Princesses. One can live for eternity, but eventually that being will be killed. "Well, now you tell me! The only reason I'm being so brave is because I thought I couldn't die! This is just perfect!" I yelled. Calm down, calm down. It will still take a lot to kill you in Legend's body. Though, something can eventually kill you, if it deals enough damage to your body. And if your soul is in Legend's body when it dies, your soul dies with it. "Now you're just trying to freak me out. Is that all you wanted to talk about? I'd much rather be having a dream about home than being told I'm not actually immortal." I said. Yeah, that's it. You can go now, if you want. I have work to do, what with all the death that happened today. Death slowly faded out of sight. I closed my eyes and drifted into true sleep. That night I dreamt of home. I dreamt of my parents and Violet. ______________________________________________________________________________ A/N: Well, what did you all think of my first attempt at writing out a battle? I'd like to know what I did right and wrong. Any and all criticism is greatly appreciated.