Chapter 13: The Battle for Stalliongrad
A long and grueling battle rages on,
Testing physical and mental strength of both sides.
The enemy is getting impatient and prepares an offence.
As long as one believes, there is always a hope for success.
Chapter 13
"The Battle for Stalliongrad”
May 4th, 2019
1947 hrs
Stalliongrad
The sun was slowly setting behind the horizon. Yet the fights continued over the city. The griffin siege lasted for over three weeks now. Both sides experienced victories and defeats, putting everything they had into motion. The valiant efforts of the pegasi, supported by unicorn’s magic and earth ponies’ iron will managed to suppress the enemy’s offensive until now. Whichever side was about to start retreating, it called the reserves to spring into action and aid them. The number of wounded in action was rising steadily, some of them ending with casualties, without seemingly any progress in the battle.
Having just forced Zeakros’ unit away from the Northern Sector of the city, the Mirage squadron regrouped to assess the battle statistics.
“Alright, I think that’s about it for today,” Firefly stated. “Let’s go back to the HQ and report everything to Gale.”
“I second that,” Cloud Kicker added, sighing. “These guys just don’t know when to give up. We take out five of them and ten more show up! How long can this last?”
“We’ll keep them at bay as long as it will be necessary,” the pink mare responded, looking at her wingmares.
“Did anypony got hurt?”
Lightning Bolt reported having suffered a beak wound on the right rear leg, but no other serious injuries happened. Firefly ordered everypony to fly back.
Once in the main headquarters, they saw numerous ponies, busy with their routine: officers explaining tactics to their troops or medics tending to the wounded. Once they got to Gale, he listened to their report and praised them for a job well done. There was something bothering him, however.
“Did you notice?” he asked the pegasi. “Recently, the griffins have been sending considerably less fighters than before. And not just in the Northern Sector. Spitfire’s team recently went on a reconnaissance mission to find any reason behind this sudden change of tactics. Although I can already think of what they are planning...”
“Let me guess,” Rainbow Dash interrupted, “they are preparing a full-scale attack.”
“Well, we certainly can’t overlook that possibility. The fact that their ace teams also started appearing less frequently can be a sign that they are readying for the general offensive.”
Gale also recently told them about the situations of the civilian ponies who lived in Stalliongrad or were transferred here from other cities. Despite the winter period of the city was coming to a close, they were still having problems with harvesting supplies for the EAF forces. The earth pony divisions were suffering the most, as they were usually used as baits for the griffins to draw their attention away from the pegasi fighters. It wasn’t always effective, and many ground troops sustained heavy injuries. A few casualties were also reported.
Furthermore, latest reports were suggesting that the griffin weapon factory in Asgard has started developing bombs for the feathered soldiers. These bombs were going to be light enough for the griffins to carry and powerful enough to deal enormous damage to the city with just one of them.
“Needless to say, this situation is not good for us. We might be able to hold our ground for another week or so, but if we don’t find a way to halt the griffin assaults...”
The gold-eyed pegasus sealed his lips. It was obvious that if Stalliongrad would fall, then Canterlot will be at the enemy’s mercy. All ponies kept that in mind and it fueled their determination to fight. While asking some Royal Guards to come and assist them was certainly a possibility, it would strip the capital of whatever defense it had left. Additionally, more and more soldiers were being reported for suffering from traumatic disorders, remaining in a state of despondency for a few hours. Especially if they witnessed their companions die before their eyes, watching helplessly. All they could do was to remain by their side until they passed...
Every war was a destructive experience and this one was not an exception. “Everypony is fighting valiantly, but at this rate, if we won’t stop the griffins’ attacks, we’ll be in big trouble...” Firefly noted.
“Say, Gale, any clues on the enemy movements yet?”
“Hold on...” he suddenly got a call.
“You sure? ...Alright, come back here fast. I’ll tell the others to assemble!”
Once he cut the link, Gale turned back to the Mirage squadron.
“Spitfire just gave me the info. It seems that griffins are indeed preparing a full-scale attack.”
“Called it...” Rainbow said under her breath.
“I’ll call Tornado Swirl and Overdrive to come here, too. Among them, there will be additional pegasi squadrons which will be prominent in defending Stalliongrad and each of you girls will have to assist them in this task. I'll explain everything in the briefing room. Move!”
Both pegasi responded immediately and came to the briefing room within ten minutes. When Spitfire and her wingmen entered the room at around 2010 hours, she explained the situation, putting a map of Stalliongrad and its surrounding area on the screen:
“Here’s the deal; the scouting we have performed shows that the griffins are amassing their forces outside the city. We expect the main strike force to hit the Central and Northern Sectors. That’s why the fortification of these two will be of utmost importance. We also expect heavy assaults on the Western Sector, but the only units there will probably be interceptors. They might be acting as escort for possible bombers.”
At this point, Firebolt changed the screen and showed some close-ups of the griffins that were standing out of the crowd due to special orange vests. Cloud Kicker and Derpy recognised one of them as Edge.
“He will most likely lead the attack on the Western Sector,” Soarin’ jumped in.
“We have no data about his squadron, but judging from his performance so far, we can safely assume they will be dangerous foes.”
“What about the leaders of the other strike forces?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“We were unable to gather any information about planned attacks on the Southern and Eastern Sectors, but the latter might be under siege as well, so at least four out of five sectors will be under assault,” Firebolt stated.
“Captain, should we go over to the battle plan?”
“Will do,” Spitfire replied.
The screen showed the map of Stalliongrad again, this time divided into five sections, each separated from another by red lines.
“Since defending the Northern and Central Sectors is our priority, Firefly and Rainbow Dash will be assisting other units located there. I heard your friends are wishing to aid us with their own forces. If those statements are to be believed, Twilight Sparkle’s division will be in the Northern Sector, and Pinkie Pie’s unit will be stationed in the Southern Sector, acting as a sort of insurance. Applejack’s battalion still needs to decide whether they will choose the Western or Eastern Sector and once they do, Rarity’s group will be located to the last sector.”
Hearing that Twilight and the others will be supporting them rose up Fluttershy’s morale a little. She asked about the squadrons that are going to participate in the mission as well.
“Each sector will have two additional squadrons to secure the skies,” Soarin’ took point.
“The Central Sector was given to Burner and Racer.”
He pointed to Tornado Swirl and Overdrive, listening carefully in the corner of the room.
”The Eastern Sector will have Stingray and Phoenix squadrons, while the Western Sector was given to Dragon and Clover. Finally, the Northern Sector will have Sweeper and Lancer flights.”
He also added that each Wonderbolt will provide additional assistance; Spitfire will be in the Central Sector, Firebolt in the Eastern one and Soarin’ will watch over the Western Sector.
“Your task, Mirage,” Gale spoke to Firefly’s team once more, “is to provide air support for both the pegasi squadrons and the ground forces that will be stationed there. Cooperation and synergy will be vital for this operation, so I suggest sending one member of the squadron to each sector. I’ll leave the decision on how to split your team to your leader.”
When Derpy asked about the Southern Sector being left without any air support, Firebolt replied that additional ground battalion will be aiding Pinkie’s unit and a four-pegasi squadron “Hornet” is stationed nearby, ready to take off if an emergency ensues. With these details in mind, Firefly began assigning her wingmares to other sectors. Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker, being inseparable since the mission involving the destruction of Burning Talon, were given the Eastern Sector to patrol while Fluttershy and Derpy’s job was to help in defending the Northern Sector.
At this point, an uneasy silence occurred. Because Medley was still recovering from her injury in Canterlot Hospital, she couldn’t be transferred to Stalliongrad to help her friends. They knew that this fact was a sort of hindrance. Suddenly, Fluttershy spoke:
“Um... can I ask a question? Why aren’t other races living in Equestria trying to help us?”
A question that has been bothering a lot of ponies in the recent days had finally came out. Surely, they must have been aware of the griffins’ motives. The fact none of them reacted to their actions was questionable. Gale explained that there are several reasons behind it. One of them was the fact that other races were not directly threatened by the invaders, and they seemed to be focused solely on the ponies. Fluttershy argued about it, pointing out the griffins were holding little respect for the animals of the land. Another reason brought up by the Wonderbolts was due to them being technologically and militarily inferior to the assailants. Finally, Firebolt added the factor of fear: a majority of Equestria’s inhabitants were simply terrified of the griffins and their growing brutality.
Knowing those facts, it was obvious they were reluctant to help, feeling it would only make things worse. Both Tornado Swirl and Overdrive remained confident.
“No need to worry,” the blue-maned stallion spoke.
“The griffins may be strong, but we still have the advantage in speed and dexterity. If we will work together, we should be able to win. But, there’s one more thing...”
“Yeah, we were going to tell you after the battle, but this might be important...” Overdrive added ominously.
“We’ve received unconfirmed information about a pair of two male pegasi ponies being spotted on the eastern border of Equestria... Whether they are are allies or enemies is yet to be confirmed...”
“But one thing's for certain,” Tornado added. “These guys aren’t your ordinary fliers. We couldn’t reach them to identify themselves, they flew away so fast...”
This information was quite shocking to Rainbow and her friends, especially since they still remembered their encounter with Mobius on the Gildsedale Plains. Could it be possible that these two could be some other aces, who remain in the shadows, until something big happens...? But there was no time for such pondering. Gale ended the briefing and informed that the operation will be called “Wintry Sunrise”. Cloud Kicker liked it, stating it sounds better than “Fire Extinguisher”, causing other ponies in the room to chuckle in amusement. Moments later, everypony left the room and headed for their resting quarters.
==========
May 5th, 2019
0458 hrs
Stalliongrad HQ
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy couldn't sleep anymore. A lot of things were going on in their minds, but they didn’t felt like telling anypony about them. Both pegasi decided to sneak out of their beds and go outside. It was still dark, but the sky was slowly turning into brighter blue. Fluttershy stared at the slowly moving clouds in amazement, still not used to such sights, as all pegasi who were combat ready had been directed to assist on the fronts. She saw Rainbow wasn’t willing to speak and just looked into the distance. The yellow pegasus decided to break the silence.
“Um... Rainbow... is there something you’d like to talk about?”
“Nah... not really. I'm fine. I just keep thinking about what Gilda told me back then...” Dash confessed.
When Fluttershy asked for details, she continued:
“She mentioned that this entire conflict is orchestrated. And these two griffins who fought the Wonderbolts, Black Star and Red Cyclone, are behind this. They convinced Gilda to join them...”
She suspended her voice, still feeling sore about the betrayal. Fluttershy took point.
“And you... believe her? After all those bad things you’ve gone through?”
“No... I don’t really trust her words... but it’s just too weird,” Rainbow said.
“I always thought of griffins as great warriors, but their tactics through the whole war don’t make any sense. It’s like... It’s like they’re trying to conquer every single major city in Equestria and make us into their slaves... or maybe even worse.”
“That’s... no... that’s horrible,” Fluttershy whispered, visibly scared.
Suddenly, they heard hoofsteps behind them. To their surprise, but also relief, it was their friends, who volunteered to support them in the upcoming battle. They waited for a chance to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy again. All four ponies, but especially Pinkie Pie, were overjoyed to find Dash coming back to normal after the crushing moments in Canterlot Hospital. They were willing to talk, but Dash still felt somber. She spoke moments later:
“Girls... while you’re all here... I wanted to apologize.”
“What for?” Rarity asked in surprise.
“For... back then... you know... in the hospital...”
These memories were still making Rainbow’s stomach turn. But her friends were not blaming her.
“Considering what you’ve went through... your reaction was completely justified,” said Twilight. “Especially since your Element is Loyalty. Betrayal hurts you the most.”
“She’s right... especially being betrayed by someone you used to call a friend... it must have hurt a lot...” Rarity added.
“But Ah’ll tell ya somethin’, Rainbow,” Applejack said gently. “If it weren’t fer the fact we had to come here, we would’ve stayed bah your side until you’ve fully recovered.”
Rainbow was more than surprised to hear those words. So they would sacrifice the very principles they were fighting for just to be by her side when she was hurt?
“You... you mean it, AJ?”
“‘Course I do, sugarcube. And since you helped us some time ago, it’s our turn to help you. We’ll give ya and your team the best support you could ask for.”
“No matter how far away you would be or how bad things may turn out to be, Rainbow, we’ll always be there for you,” Twilight added with a soft voice.
“Yeah! That’s what friends are for, right?” Pinkie exclaimed.
Much to Rainbow’s genuine happiness, it’s been proved that the ponies who were standing beside her were nothing short of true companions. All six mares hugged tightly and used the small respite they had to reminisce about their previous adventures. Rarity remembered about her little sister, Sweetie Belle, being in Ponyville at the time the griffins made an attack and seemed worried. But Rainbow and Fluttershy calmed her down:
“She and Scootaloo were a big help for us,” the yellow pegasus said. “They brought a homemade catapult and used it to fire food at the griffins. It was... a little funny.”
“A little? Try superbly hilarious!” said Rainbow. “I think I remember one of them was leaving the airspace with a pineapple in his beak! Priceless!” she started laughing.
“Actually, it was an orange.”
Afamiliar voice sounded from behind. It was Firefly with the other fliers from the squadron.
“You guys are early birds. We should be going soon.”
Pinkie proposed for the pink mare to join them in having fun, but she declined.
“I shouldn’t be interrupting. Don’t mind us.”
“But...” Twilight started, “you are Rainbow’s friend just as much as we are. You all have the right to celebrate the brief respites together with us.”
“You know what they say; the more the merrier!” Pinkie added cheerfully.
Eventually, Firefly figured that it would be a good moment to learn something more about Dash’s friends. However, thirty minutes later, the scheduled time to begin the operation was about to come. Twilight’s group split to make their way toward designated sectors and the same thing was done by Mirage.
Upon arriving at their positions, which took them awhile, they got briefly acquainted with the fellow squadrons who would aid their defense. Each of the pegasi was more than willing to fight, though their skills and talents varied between the teams. The strongest ones: Burner, Racer, Sweeper and Lancer were sent to the Central and Northern Sectors respectively. Twilight’s unit was awaiting the enemy already. The Phoenix and Clover squadrons were stationed in the Western Sector where Applejack’s battalion just arrived. The Stingray and Dragon flights were to cover the Eastern Sector, along with Rarity’s team. Spitfire was waiting for Rainbow and Firefly in the Central Sector. Her wingmates were already in their respective locations, waiting...
Spitfire looked at the sky. Clouds begun to form around, but the sun beams were piercing them. If it would prove to be necessary, the fliers could use these as a means of offence. A new day has begun in Equestria - probably the most important day of this war.
“The sun is rising... I guess it’s time,” the fiery-maned pegasus said.
Firefly turned her communicator on. Others did the same. Gale’s voice sounded in them.
“All allied forces in Stalliongrad area, be advised. We have a large amount of bandits approaching from the north. It’s most likely the strike team. Fight them off until the bomber units with their escort will appear. The pegasi from the Mirage squadron will have to take them down as quickly as possible. The other squadrons should help them in eliminating the escort. I say again, should you encounter any griffins carrying bombs, they become your priority. Ground units are to provide additional support if needed. This might be the most crucial battle in the whole war, so the city must be defended at all costs. All allied air forces, report in!”
The squad leaders proceeded with announcing their positions through the radio.
“Sweeper flight on standby!”
“Lancer flight on standby!”
“Dragon flight on standby!”
“Clover flight on standby!”
“Phoenix flight on standby!”
“Stingray flight on standby!”
“Racer flight on standby!”
“Burner flight on standby!”
“Wonderbolts on standby!”
“Mirage flight on standby!” “Preparations are complete, ready for battle. Good luck to all of you... Do your best. Commencing operation “Wintry Sunrise”... now!” Gale ordered.
“All right, then, Mirage flight!” Firefly spoke to her companions. “You heard the man! Look alive and be in touch! Don’t let a single bomber through! We’ve got a city to protect here, girls!”
“Roger that! Understood! Here we go!”
All pegasi readied themselves for the upcoming battle.
The ground forces were also prepared to assist if it would prove necessary. Within a few minutes, the first few griffins entered the Stalliongrad airspace. Scythe was leading the attack on the Eastern Sector, Edge was among the fighters in the Western one and Jet’s squadron was sighted in the Northern Sector. Zeakros’ Northwind squadron was heading for the Central Sector. Many other soldiers were among them, ready for the decisive confrontation...
The stage was set...
==========
0818 hrs
Stalliongrad Central Sector
“So, they are throwing everything they have to stop us...” Zeakros figured out, noticing the pegasi heading out to meet them in battle.
He reached out to his radio and warned everyone.
“It would be a fatal mistake to take them lightly. Engage in formations, no single flier attacks!”
“Time to show these feathered bastards who’s boss! Let’s get’em, boys!” Tornado Swirl’s voice roared. Having reinforced their team with a new recruit after the previous one was killed during the attack on The Burning Talon, Tornado instantly targeted Zeakros and went off to clash with him. Overdrive’s flight was supporting the Burner team, using typical hit-and-run tactics. The griffins had a hard time turning around when the pegasi flew past them and tried to catch up to them, stretching their formations and making them easy to pick off. Zeakros’ team wasn’t that foolish, however. Night Raven had his sight on Overdrive and managed to separate her from the rest, ensuring a direct one-on-one confrontation.
Rainbow Dash, Firefly and Spitfire watched everything from a distance, waiting for Gale’s call about the bombers. They were ready to help if it would be required, but both friendly squadrons were putting up a good fight. When two of the pegasi in the Racer flight got critically wounded, the situation grew tense. Spitfire decided to engage and aid Tornado Swirl, telling Rainbow and Firefly to fly around and wait for another wave. But neither of them was willing to. They knew that if any griffon carrying a bomb would get here it had to break through Northern Sector first...
-----------------
0913 hrs
Stalliongrad Northern Sector
Sweeper and Lancer flights headed directly at the upcoming enemies. A fierce aerial skirmish ensued. The pegasi in those squadrons were given stepped-up training since the siege begun and prepared for the worst. Their leaders flew directly into the griffin formations without fear, ordering the wingmates to break to the sides, allowing them to attack the griffins more easily, while they still had to adjust to their movements. Sweeper 1, normally known by the name of Quick Chaser, managed to eliminate two of the boogies with a direct kick to the neck, but got himself wounded by Jet’s ferocious claw swipe. Thankfully, his wingmates saved him from demise and kept the griffins off him, focusing all attention on themselves.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Lancer flight, Thunder Flicker, reported the sighting of an additional flight of bandits, requesting support from the ground forces. Twilight Sparkle and her fellow unicorns in turn asked the Lancers to force griffins to a slightly lower altitude. Once the pegasi did so, Twilight ordered her soldiers to fire offensive spells at the griffins, confusing them and allowing the Flicker’s unit to defeat them. Suddenly, a second flight passed them by, one of the soldiers was wearing a characteristic orange vest and carrying something in his claws... Thunder Flicker quickly reached out to his communicator and informed Gale:
“Come in, HQ! This is Lancer 1! Target has been sighted. A bomber unit, supported by three interceptors! It’s heading for the Central Sector!”
“Acknowledged, Lancer 1. I’ll tell Flash and Rainbow to deal with them! Carry on the fight! What’s your current situation?” Gale asked.
“We’re doing alright, I guess. We’ve lost two fliers, one from each team, but the enemy has only one attacking team left. We should be able to handle things on our own. Don't worry about us.”
“Understood. Gale out!”
The red pegasus was about to switch frequencies, when another call ensued, this time from the Dragon flight, who sighted two bombers in the Eastern Sector. Gale contacted the Mirage fliers soon afterwards.
“HQ to Flash! Come in, Flash!”
“I read you. Go ahead, Gale.”
He told them about the incoming bandits and warned of another two, approaching the Eastern Sector, as reported by Firebolt and the Dragon team. Firefly understood the urgency of the message and called out to her wingmares.
“Mirage flight, be advised! Enemy bombers had been sighted. Adjust your radars and don’t let them slip by! You’re cleared to engage hot!”
-----------------
0957 hrs
Stalliongrad Eastern Sector
“This is Thunder, roger that! We see the bombers!” Lightning Bolt reported. “Moving to intercept! Sunny’s with me!”
The two pegasi turned left and started heading to stop the griffins from bombing the city. Two other fliers from friendly squadrons were coming as well.
“This is Stingray 2, fighter unit. I’ll provide support.” The pegasus’ voice was belonging to a young adult mare named Sky Twirl.
“This is Dragon 3, interceptor unit. Providing air support,” another voice, whose owner was a youthful male pegasus called Rainfall, reported.
Once the enemy signatures were confirmed on their radars, they increased speed and moved ahead to take care of the escort, while Lightning and Cloud Kicker flew directly toward the bombers. After a quick confrontation, the bombs were knocked away and exploded in the air, making them useless. Angered, the bomber griffins tried to fight back, but due to their slow and predictable pattern. they were easily defeated. Cloud Kicker reported that the two bombers were stopped, which Gale acknowledged and advised them to keep an eye out for other possible bombing attempts.
Firebolt, while she was fighting against a griffon on her own, wondered about the whole point behind the war, seeing so many energetic pegasi, only slightly older than her, engage the ongoing attack waves...
-----------------
1019 hrs
Stalliongrad Western Sector
Both the Phoenix and Clover flights were doing quite well against the enemy, even though neither the leader of the second squadron nor her wingmates were actually truly prepared for the battle. Phoenix squadron tried to cover them when they were being assaulted, but two pegasi fell from the skies with critical wounds. Fluttershy and Derpy watched it helplessly, being told to wait for possible bomber attacks. Soarin’ decided to assist the Clover flight too, since majority of the team was soon wiped out by the relentless attacks and only Blueberry, its leader, was left alive. Applejack was overseeing her own battalion, ready to assist with distraction.
It didn’t take a few minutes after Lightning Bolt reported the bombers in Eastern Sector were disposed of when Fluttershy received a similar warning from Phoenix 1, who was known as Sunburst. He sent his two wingmates, Phoenix 2 and 4 to help the Mirage fliers. Derpy managed to defeat the griffon who held a bomb. It was especially showy, as he decided to drop the bomb the instant he noticed the grey mare coming at him. Before he could escape, Derpy engaged him. Fluttershy and Phoenix 4 managed to hold on to the bomb and tossed it toward Phoenix 2 who, in turn, threw the bomb to Sunburst. With a swift and precise kick, he sent it back to its owner. Derpy struck the bomber griffon down and he got caught in the explosion before even hitting the ground.
At the current moment, no other reports of bombing units came out, but another flights of griffins was approaching...
==========
1244 hrs
Stalliongrad Eastern Sector
The cooperation between the ground forces led by Rarity and the combined efforts of the pegasi fliers prevented the griffins from going any further toward the city and forced them to try and worn the defenders down with constant assaults. The dexterity of the pegasi allowed them to perform quick and dazzling maneuvers, though their opponents were also capable of outmaneuvering them. Scythe’s unit moved closer to the combat zone, and he noticed Lightning Bolt... having remembered her and her friend as those who were responsible for the death of Greyback and Razor.
Once he broke out of formation, ordering his fellow soldiers to engage the ponies as they see fit, he was solely focused on the two mares. The grim griffon also held onto his radio and contacted one of the supporting units located at the edge of the Eastern Sector who were just approaching, telling him to be on standby. Cloud Kicker and Lightning Bolt saw Scythe’s anger on his face when he appeared before them.
“We finally meet... Today, I will avenge my wingmen... or die trying.”
“Scythe...” Lightning tried to talk him out of it. “Their deaths were their own doing. Why can’t you understand it?”
“What I understand is that you two were there when they died! I only wonder... where is that cowardly yellow pegasus...? I’m guessing she’s elsewhere... ” he said in disappointment before adding a cruel remark,
“...Probably hiding under a couch in her cottage, sniveling... Heh...”
Cloud Kicker couldn’t bear it any longer and rushed toward Scythe, but the griffon dodged her attack with ease. Lightning soon followed up, however, directing a charge attack on his back. He avoided it, but barely. Scythe was in a disadvantage, but a sinister smile formed on his face, as if he had something planned... When the two Mirage ponies told both the ground forces and the supporting squadrons to focus on other enemies and warn them should more bombers had arrived, they went on dueling with the grief-stricken griffon. But this grief made him a strong and difficult opponent. If it weren’t for the fact that Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker were continuously assisting each other whenever one was in danger, the fight would have been really hard. Even then, he proved to be a dangerous foe.
Scythe eventually started to realize he couldn’t take on both pegasi at the same time, so he resorted to his second plan...
He suddenly turned his radio on and said: “Commence attack”. When Lightning Bolt asked him what he just did, he laughed:
“You fell for it! I have just ordered the bomber to begin the assault. Once he gets close enough, he’ll drop the bomb and then...!”
“Oh, horse apples!” Lightning cursed. “Come on, Cloud, we have to stop him!”
Both pegasi turned sharply and picked up the speed, racing against time and hearing Scythe’s gloating behind.
“It’s no use! Try as you might, you won’t reach him in time! Besides, you’ll never get to him alive! Ha ha ha... HA HA HA!”
“Lightning... can we make it?” Cloud expressed her worries.
The bomber was only five miles away from the populated area and the distance was decreasing with every second. The escort was also out there to stop them...
“We have to!” Lightning Bolt exclaimed. “If we don’t...!”
The two pegasi were flapping their wings as fast as they could and when they heard Gale’s voice, indicating he also noticed the bombing griffon. He kept on reporting on how it was getting closer. It didn’t made the situation any better. They couldn’t count on anypony else to help them; other Mirage fliers were fighting in their own areas, and Firebolt was engaging one of Scythe’s comrades and the supporting squadrons had their hooves full, too. Cloud Kicker’s fatigue was growing and she begun to slowly lose speed.
Just then, two griffins suddenly zoomed past Lightning, knocking Cloud away from the course. Her scream caused the white pegasus to make a screeching halt as she turned around in horror.
“CLOUD KICKER!!!”
She saw the violet pegasus being attacked by the two assailants. Cloud Kicker tried to fight, but was completely overpowered. Lightning couldn’t bring herself to leave her behind. But before she could fly to help her, Gale’s voice sounded in her communicator:
“Thunder, you must focus on the target. The bomber griffon is only three miles from the populated area! You’ve got to stop him!”
“I won’t abandon Cloud Kicker!” Lightning yelled.
She then heard her friend speaking, despite the fact she was constantly attacked:
“Lightning... don’t worry about... ugh... me... just take him down... Ah! GO!”
The blue-eyed mare was moving her face from left to right, trying to figure out what to do...
When Gale said that the bomber is two miles away from his target, she started flying toward him, seeing the griffins mercilessly beat up Cloud Kicker, with the other one choking her. With crushing expression, Lightning Bolt carried on the flight, using whatever strength she had left to speed up and flap her wings at her very limit... But the bomber was still too far away for her to try and intercept him. Gale’s voice sounded again, saying he was on the final approach and about to attack. In a gesture of desperation, Lightning reached her hooves out... yet there was nothing she could do.
Realising the situation was hopeless, the white mare stopped in midair, panting heavily... She failed.
“No.... I... I can’t reach him... He’s too far... Forgive me, Cloud Kicker...”
“Don’t let them get over like that!”
All of a sudden, she heard an unknown male voice, belonging to a young stallion.
“Leave this one to us! Go and help your friend!”
“What...?” Lightning said dumbfounded. “Who... Who is this?”
“We’ll back you up, girls. It’s almost fitting; angels watching over other angels...”
Lightning had no idea what the voice meant by that and again asked who were they and what they were doing. She then heard another voice, much more mature and calm:
“We bring the fires of liberation.”
Two silhouettes, resembling adult pegasi, pierced through the nearby clouds and headed straight at the griffon bomber. He wasn’t expecting to be caught up and tried to drop the bomb as a last resort. One of the fliers engaged him in a fight and defeated him with precisely aimed attacks, finishing the griffon with an overhead kick to the head. The other one caught up with the bomb and grabbed it, dropping the load further away with his partner, into the nearby frozen pond. The bomb exploded far from the populated area, dealing next to no damage.
The griffins who were fighting with Cloud Kicker saw that the plan failed unexpectedly. Lightning Bolt charged at them, infuriated, and performed her signature Shining Spark, knocking both oppressors down and making one of the griffins release his grip on the violet pegasus.
Lightning grabbed Cloud; she fainted momentarily.
“Cloud Kicker... please wake up. Stay with me!” she shouted, shaking her body.
To her relief, she woke up moments later, albeit with a bit of headache.
“Lightning...? The bomber...! What about him?” she asked nervously.
“Defused, so to say. The city is safe,” Lightning Bolt assured her friend, who praised the white mare.
But she stated the bomber was too far for her to stop, making Cloud Kicker look at her in disbelief.
“But... if you didn’t stopped him... then who...?”
Lightning pointed away to the two unknown pegasi, soaring around, fighting other enemies. She appeared kind of shocked, but not as much as Scythe, who screamed in rage and flew toward the Mirage fliers. They berated him for using pitiful tactics and engaged him in combat again. Though Cloud Kicker suffered a minor injury, she was able to stand up to the challenge, maybe due to the fact the two unknown male pegasi took on the different interceptors. Frustrated by the failure and clearly overwhelmed, Scythe decided to pull back. Sighing in relief, Lightning Bolt saw the new pegasi forcing the griffins away. It would appear the Eastern Sector was secured. Lightning and Cloud Kicker flew closer and got a glimpse on how the strangers looked like...
One of them was bearing a green coat and had a dark mane, blowing on the wind. He was looking at the Mirage ponies with his gold eyes and a big grin. They noticed that his cutie mark was a four leaf clover and couldn’t remember any pegasus like that from before... It would indicate these two were not from Equestria.
His comrade had a red mane and a dark gray coat, giving this stallion a rather serious look, possibly due to his eyes, which resembled an evening sky. Both were wearing short white vests with a symbol of a blue bird that looked like an eagle, along with three red stars on its left...
“Wow, you did good,” the green pegasus spoke. “Mind if we give you a helping hoof or two?”
“Hold on!” Lightning Bolt said. “We don’t even know who you guys are. Can’t you see there’s a war going on here, and—”
“And that’s the reason we’re here,” the gray stallion interrupted.
While Cloud Kicker was grateful for their assistance, Lightning Bolt couldn’t shake off a feeling that there was something unusual about these two. She decided to radio in Firefly, who just managed to defeat another griffon, forcing the attackers to regroup and giving those in the Central Sector a little time off. When she heard the news, she used an open channel to speak with the strangers:
“Unidentified fliers, this is Flash, of the Mirage squadron. State your intentions, now!”
“Geez! Is that how you thank somepony for saving your flanks?”
The green stallion tried to sound as if he was insulted, but instead, it seemed he was just playing around. His partner took point with a more serious tone.
“We have neutralized the bomber called by one of enemy captains.”
“It’s true,” Cloud Kicker confirmed. “If it weren’t for them... it would have been pretty bad.”
“If you don’t mind, can we contact your HQ? We’ll be heading there, so we can make proper introductions. I don’t think any other griffon will show up in the Eastern Sector,” the green stallion spoke again.
Unsure if to trust the strangers or not, Firefly patched them to Gale so they could speak. He sounded quite surprised, but seemed to recognize the owners of the voices. The red pegasus allowed the two stallions to come to the Headquarters, though Firefly and Rainbow Dash insisted that they should identify themselves, at the very least. But the green pegasus cut the link and spoke to Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker, before turning to his comrade:
“We’ll talk to you later. Let’s go, Garuda 1!”
The blue-eyed flier responded with a simple nod and the two flew toward Stalliongrad’s Central Sector. Both mares were taken aback, yet Cloud Kicker noticed the gray stallion’s cutie mark, it being a pair of angelic wings. She thought of the strangers as “cool.”
==========
1534 hrs
Stalliongrad Central Sector
The griffins started to lose their advantage from early on. The majority of the strike team had been defeated or forced to flee. Even Zeakros’ team decided to pull back after he received too much damage from Tornado Swirl. Overdrive managed to beat Night Raven, causing the griffon to leave the airspace. Though the female flier was wounded in the forehead and blood was partially limiting her vision, it wasn’t a life-threatening injury. Firefly and Rainbow Dash didn’t had much to do, only occasionally helping the overwhelmed pegasi squadrons. Majority of the half lion-eagle troops have already pulled back. The ponies were assessing damage reports from all sectors.
“Gale, this is Spitfire. The griffins are retreating. Got any more of them coming?”
“Negative, Spitfire. Picture is clear,” Gale responded. “What about the other sectors and casualties?”
“Twilight Sparkle reporting. The enemy is leaving the Northern Sector. Minor damage. We have three unicorns wounded.
“Soarin’ here. Western Sector successfully defended. We lost five pegasi in total, but all attackers have been defeated.”
“This is Firebolt. Eastern Sector is clear out of bandits, damage to the area appears mild. We have two downed fliers, though.”
“Roger that. Scrambling SAR assets,” said Gale. “Pinkie Pie, how’s the Southern Sector?”
“Nothing to worry about. No mean griffins appeared here... Wait!”
It seemed that one soldier managed to sneak past the radars. That was Scythe and he was carrying another bomb with him!
“This... isn’t… over! I will have the last laugh! I’m going to bomb this city even if it means my death! At least I will get to meet Vulture and Greyback!” he exclaimed with growing rage.
“Dashie! Firefly!” Pinkie shrieked. “You've to stop him! He’s gone loco-in-the-coco!”
“No worries, we’ve got this one!” Rainbow replied and took off along with Firefly.
On the way, she grabbed one of the clouds and as soon as they got closer, she jumped on it, causing a thunderbolt to be fired at Scythe. Even though he got hit, he didn’t let the bomb go, but clung to it and started to drop down.
“Oh no... he’s not actually going to...!”
Firefly realized that Scythe was doing a kamikaze attack, intending to blow himself along with the Central Sector!
“Dash! Step on it! We must get him, no matter what!”
Both pegasi increased their speed and were about to attack. Scythe was just laughing maniacally and even used a widespread frequency so all ponies could hear him. Many were terrified by his suicidal attempt. Gale ordered Pinkie’s unit to flee the area while the Hornet squadron was called out to help. But Rainbow Dash said it would be better for them to stay behind, telling the red pegasus to trust in them. Finally, the two fliers reached Scythe and tried to intercept his descent. The griffon had lost it completely, his eyes were reflecting the growing madness and fury.
“You can’t stop me! Behold! This fiery blaze will mark a victory for our glorious army! You petty equines cannot—!”
But before he could finish the sentence, out of nowhere, he was hit in the beak with an uppercut. Rainbow Dash and Firefly stopped briefly, but resumed diving down when Scythe dropped the bomb. They managed to grab it and tried to lift it away. That’s when the Hornet squadron came to assist them. The four-pegasi flight took the load with them and Hornet 3, Storm Shaker, went on defusing it, making sure that even if it would be dropped, the explosion would not occur. Aftermath, the Hornet team took the bomb with them.
Dash and Firefly turned around to witness Scythe fighting with a familiar dark-blue stallion, bearing a silver mane...
“Mobius!” Rainbow exclaimed.
The griffon was no match for him. Seeing his opponent being clearly exhausted, Mobius decided to put him out of his misery. At the moment when it seemed that Scythe was chasing after him, the blue pegasus performed a back roll while halting his flight, making the griffon pass by and becoming completely vulnerable.
He realized his folly, but too late.
“So... this is the end of the Talon squadron...” Scythe thought.
With a single dive kick to the neck, the griffon soldier was defeated...
“Urgh... I …I never imagined you... would be this good!” he mumbled, as he was falling down.
Rainbow Dash reached out of the communicator when the Hornet squadron managed to render the bomb useless.
“Gale, this is Rainbow Dash. The bomber has been stopped.”
“The other enemies are fleeing the airspace, too. Good job, everypony. We have a clean slate, you’re cleared to return,” Gale responded.
“...Understood.”
The battle had ended. Stalliongrad was secure. It didn’t came without losses, however. A total of eight pegasi had been killed during the battle, with one squadron almost completely wiped out. Many other fliers were wounded, and the ground forces sustained a few casualties, too. Still, such display of determination overshadowed the temporal mourning. While the ponies were cheering on their victory, Lightning Bolt gazed in the direction of the Central Sector.
“Scythe... you can rest alongside your comrades, now.”
Firefly and Rainbow were about to return back to the HQ when, all of a sudden, they heard a adult, male voice behind them.
“That was a close call.”
They looked around to find the source of it, noticing Mobius haven’t left, like he did before. He was staring at the two mares with his silver eyes. Both were clearly shocked. Besides him, nopony else was in the vicinity, so that voice must have belonged to him...
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Well, im glad Mobius isn't going to be a "pop-in-and-out-whenever-he-damn-well-pleases" character anymore
I'm glad Mobius and those other 2 were able to help. And they talk! Yes!
“Scythe... you can rest alongside your comrades, now.”
A sweet line, and it shows respect for the enemy.
Good, looks like the battle is won. Is it time for an Equestrian counterstrike yet? Maybe, they should give the Griffins a taste of their own medicine and tample on their homeland.
Silver out!
Haha! Talisman and Shamrock save the day!
And just as all hope seemed lost, I come in and kill Scythe! The b4st4rd had it coming to him. Notice his last words, "I never thought you'd be this good..." That's the exact thing Grabacr 1 said when Blaze killed him. And what's this? I finnaly speak?
Yet another battle has been fought between the ponies and griffins, but the war is far from over.
Another broken music link, the third one.
4212464
Fixed. Thanks for telling me.
The briefing music is gone now.
5539019
Fixed.