//------------------------------//
// Chapter 6. Battle for Detrot: day 1 of X 
// Story: The First Battle of Equestria 
// by Spyderslicer 
//------------------------------//


This my ponies is chapter 6. I am not entirely sure how many chapters this will take. You know what, I won't even bore you. Read on!

Edited on August 14 to fix an instance of using the word 'people' instead of 'ponies' 






The one-hundred and seventy-nine remaining guns were forced to work harder to make up the slack. Enginseers burned incense as pieces of the guns were removed to be swapped out.

	Forgive me Machine spirit, 
For soon you shall be whole again

The second week was coming to an end, just two more days until it was time for the charge. More Enginseers and the crew of the tanks were burning incense and praying to the machine spirits. One can’t go into battle unless the machine spirits are happy and ready for blood.



Celestia breathed in a deep sigh. There seemed to be nopony who was willing to lend aid. The ponies of Zebrica couldn’t help. With how slow ships traveled it might be a year or so before they would see anypony. The ponies of Prance were a bunch of cowards; known for refusing to fight even when victory is guaranteed. The ponies of Germaneigh were a warlike group, but they lacked more modern weapons; prefering to fight dawned in armor, armed with spear, sword and shield. They would be torn apart if they entered into the fray. The Diamond Dogs of Canida would be perfect. Instead of joining to save what might end up to be the entire planet, they offered a few thousand dogs in exchange for a massive stockpile of gems and immigration rights. A mere thousand Diamond Dogs could have trench lines dug like lightning. Reluctantly she accepted their proposal. It would take them a while, but they would arrive.

“Your majesty,” one of her guards said entering the war room.
“Yes?”
“The ponies of Derbyshire have been spotted; the ponies of Haliflanks should arrive tomorrow,” the guard said informing Celestia it had been close to two week since she ordered the two cities to be evacuated.
“Thank you, you are excused,” she said waving him off.
“Thank you your majesty,” he said bowing as he left.
Celestia, alone once again began thinking. The griffins were the ones who could turn the tide. There had to be a way to drag them into the war, but the question was how.



The ponies along the Detrot line were getting restless. The bombing over the past two weeks had been constant. The next day would mark exactly two weeks since the chaos started.

“Come on Blue,” Tall Spark beckoned.
“What is it Spark?” Blue replied.
“Don’t give me that, you know we’re all talking about our mares back home. How many foals you have?” Tall Spark asked curiously.
“Three and a forth on the way,” Blue said happily.
“You Diamond dog,” a purple earth pony said with a grin.
“Ya, ya, what about you Spark?”
“First ones due in a couple months,” he said with a big grin.
“We rid our lands of these monsters, these… humans. Then we go home to our mares,” another earth pony said proudly.
“That’s the plan,” Blue said happily, “that’s the plan,” he said a second time, slower.

Blue couldn’t get this feeling of dread do leave him.




“Princess, I’m sorry to disturb you but the ponies from Haliflanks are here. I think you should follow me,” the guard said quickly.

Celestia could hear the worried tone of his voice and hurried along.

He led her out onto one of the many balconies. Looking out she saw a couple thousand ponies moving slowly into Canterlot.

“Where are the rest? Did they already enter the city? Why wasn’t I informed quicker?” Celestia asked rapid fire.
“Those are all of them your majesty. Pegasi say they are the only group for miles,” he said awkwardly.

Celestia felt like she might be sick. Opening up her massive wings she lifted off and glided down to the group of ponies. 

“My little pony, what happened to you?” the royal alicorn asked worriedly.
The blue earth pony just kept walking his eyes almost glazed.
“You there, my little pony, what happened?”

The pink unicorn was shaking and muttering something under her breath. Another unicorn stumbled by and knocked into the princess. She was about to say something to him before she realized why he had knocked into her. He was missing his right foreleg. Her eyes darted across the crowd; her eyes bulged when she noticed all the injuries. Ponies were missing legs, wings and horns. A couple even had makeshift bandages wrapped around their head covering an eye. One little foal was on her mother’s back, she had a blood soaked rag covering both her eyes.

It took every ounce of her soul not to vomit. 

“What happened out there?” The princess said shocked.
“You have to get out of her your majesty,” one pony looking up at her in a daze.
Before she could ask why he continued.
“The metal birds are coming. Giant metal birds that spit fire. Giant metal birds that drop metal chunks that burst into death,” at this point he was sobbing uncontrollably, “my mare, my foals. Why not me!?” he shouted.
“Shh my little pony, everything will be fine,” she said unsure if even she could believe her words.
He was still sobbing deeply as he began hyperventilating. 
	
Five days previously

“Come on everypony,” Giggling Gumbo, the mayor of Haliflanks called out.

Of course there is was no way to make everypony hear him. There had been over four-hundred thousand ponies in Haliflanks; there was more before the draft.

As ponies were shouting for everypony to keep moving the mayor noticed something. It was getting dark, but there wasn’t supposed to be any clouds. Looking up he saw something massive. His jaw dropped and his throat ran dry. He had never seen anything like it. Was it Celestias? No she would have said something. Staring up he saw something leaving the colossal construct, a lot of somethings. Were they meteors? Some of the large shapes had a pillar of smoke tailing them.

Before anypony could blink they were upon them. Large winged metal constructs were spewing fire. They began strafing the line of ponies. Thing resembling fireworks exploded sending ponies in every direction like ragdolls. Things that fired quickly and loudly tore ponies apart. Chunks of flesh and bone burst from the massive rounds. Red beams of energy cut through ponies by the dozen. Ponies that tried to flee off to the side of the colossal column were singled out, quickly being cut down.

It was a horrifying sight. As quickly as they had appeared the metal birds soared back into the skies and back to the giant metal construct. The cries of the dying were disturbing to say the least. There was no single tone, mares, stallions and foals alike were crying, moaning and struggling to process what had happened. 

Present

This was told to Celestia who couldn’t believe it. These creatures were monsters. How could they do something like that to civilians, mostly mares and foals no less. If it cost her, her country she would pay them back in full. There was no excusing these horrors. Soon it would be time for her to lower her sun and raise the moon. The survivors were taken care of. The best medical staff on hoof rushed to help them.

The royal alicorn felt a fire in her belly. This threat would be destroyed as soon as possible. They would repay them for every drop of pony blood in kind. With that she flew up to the sun room to lower her sun.




It was now Sunday and Imperial priests were performing rites for the coming struggle.

	Look to your battle gear and it will protect you
	We guard it with our lives
Your armor is your soul, and your soul’s dedication its armor
	The soul of a warrior is the protector of humanity
Honor the craft of death
	Only the Emperor is higher in our devotion
Honor the battle gear of the dead
We ask only to serve

With the rites recited the men were ready for the morrow. Guardsmen sat around and sharpened bayonets and cleaned their weapons. As they cleaned they recited prayers they had memorized. 

Let my hand wipe the grime from your perfect form, 
May you purify with your bolts of light

Looking over the stretch of land they were prepared. The enemy had been under constant barrage for almost two weeks. Now it was the guardsmen turn to work in His name. They would be up at the crack of dawn to receive necessary supplies. 


As midnight rolled around it became Monday.


Still shells dropped. Bleary eyed both sides awoke. At the pony line they ate hay and drank water while talking and laughing.
At the Imperial line it was a simple ration bar and a few sips from a canteen followed by morning prayers.
Before light had even begun to show itself, engineers had run out to cut holes in the razor wire.
The priests wandered the lines now dressed up for battle. Along with their books of hymns to The Emperor they carried an Eviscerator: a massive two handed chainsword capable of tearing through even ceramite plates with ease. Commissar Aviel was leading the morning prayer. 

	O Immortal Emperor, have mercy upon us,
Miserable unworthies that we are.
O Master of the Galaxy:
Protect Your flock from the alien.
O Keeper of the Light: 
Guide our darkened path with Your radiance.
We are Your warriors and we are servants to Thee,
We stand free from blindness of heart,
Free from hypocrisy, vainglory and deceits,
But captive to hatred, malice and anger, 
To the filth, the alien and the heretic.
By Thy agony and bloody sweat;
By Thy Golden Throne and Thy Death,
By Thy destruction and re-emergence as the god of Men,
Keep and strengthen us, we who fight for Thee.

The line was silent. Each man finished the prayer and bowed their heads. The Emperor who had allowed them life to atone for the sins of their forefathers, this day He allowed them to pay for past sins with the blood of the alien.
The quartermasters wandered the line taking away meltaguns and plasmaguns. Those troopers were given flamers and grenade launchers. Every soldier was given one extra grenade and two extra power packs for their lasgun. Missile launchers and lascannons were exchanged for heavy bolters and heavy stubbers.
The commissar stepped onto his centaur, his grenadiers following him.  Aviel looked at his pocket watch, a small golden piece with the Imperial Aquila engraved on the front. It was time, clicking his watch closed just as the guns silenced.
As he watched as the men of Krieg climbed out of the trenches. They began forming a wall of bodies. 



Blue Blade was alerted by sound. It wasn’t that it was too loud, it was dead quiet. It had been for a while.

“Oh buck! Everypony get your flanks in gear!” Blue bellowed.
“What is it Blue,” Tall spark said stifling a yawn.
“Everypony gear up now!” 
Everypony was up quickly, slipping into their autoguns and rocket projectors.
“Tall Spark, I need you to hurry down the line! NOW!”

Spark didn’t even reply he just galloped up the ramp and turned left.

Blue Blade was next up the ramp. Their trench line was mainly a series of craters. There was still a platform. Hopping up onto it and looking out. It was like a wall of grey bodies. He swallowed deeply and let out a deep breath. Was it two, three bodies deep? He couldn’t tell.

“Sir?” A small feminine voice called out.

Turning it was a unicorn, a golden helmet floated next to her. Using his own aura he took it and rested it upon his head. The golden helm reflected the light of the suns first rays of light. 

Quickly the stallion line formed. Weapons were ready, medical mares were moved into the first lines of buildings. Most buildings had been reduced to ruin, still standing but only as frames of their former glory.

“Stallions! Remember your training; we are going to stop these monsters here! We are going to push them all the back to the pits of Tartarus which spawned them! We are defending our homes, our princess, our country and our families!”

A cheer erupted down the line from those within hearing range of his magically infused voice. They were stepping in range soon.

“Open fire!” Blue Blade bellowed.

The weapons took a second to heat up before firing. They watched in horror as the enemy didn’t slow in the slightest. One human took four rounds to the chest, he dropped to one knee before a lucky round hit him in the eye. He slumped forward and his fellow soldiers stopped on him.

“First volley of rockets! FIRE!” Somepony shouted.
Everypony fired a rocket. Some rockets fell short and exploded in the dirt, making small holes in the soft earth. Ones that hit a soldier were more effective. Bodies burst open as the explosion ripped into them.

	Bringer of death, speak your name, 
For you are my life, and the foes death.

Then the guardsmen returned fire. They all fired as a single entity. Many shots flew wild, but the sheer amount caused damage. Ponies fell screaming as the red lights hit them.
Tall Spark took a round to his shoulder and he fell into the mud.
“Spark!” Blue Blade shouted as he galloped to his friend.
“I’m fine,” Spark said staggering to his feet.

Already things were looking bleak. The enemy was advancing and was showing no sign of slowing down. Then Blue Blade saw them, massive things at least three ponies tall and at least six wide. He now understood why Celestia had ordered the workers to dig the pits at every entrance to Detrot. These… things belching fiery black smoke rumbling along shaking the ground. What was their purpose? Blue Blade’s question was answered soon after. One of the massive metal beasts slowed for a moment and then halted. Ha! It broke down.

Then it belched fire. Blue Blade could barely follow what flew out. Only catching a glimpse as a half-dozen ponies disappeared in fire and smoke.

“Everypony into the city, send word down the line!” Blue Blade ordered, “Unicorns, throw up shields to cover us!” 
Helping his friend Blue walked out of the trench throwing up a shield wall at the front of the trench; a good thing too because the humans were almost there. He watched down the line as some were too slow, he watched the humans throw some little things. Rocks, he mused. Then the ‘rocks’ exploded. What kind of monsters were these. Ponies with ammo carts were protected at all costs. Most had three unicorn’s shields covering them.
“Take cover in the buildings. We need to keep them out of the city,” Blue called out.

Blue Blade, Tall Spark and a dozen other stallions took refuge in the remnants of an apartment structure. Tall Spark was sitting in the back room with a lavender colored medical mare wrapping bandages around his shoulder with magic.

“Focus on those three on the left,” Blue Blade said as he fired a sprayed a short burst. 
“Oh buck, the metal thing!”
“SHIELDS UP!” Blue bellowed throwing up a shield across the window. 

The metal behemoth fired a round. Five of the six shields burst. But there was only five unicorns at the front, including Blue. Looking back Tall Sparks horn was glowing.

“You just saved our flanks Spark,” somepony said taking a deep breath.
“Before it belches more flame, we need to go deeper!” A dark red earth pony shouted as he fired a rocket out the now unshielded window.
“Ya before those things…” another earth pony started shouting as one of the grey coated monsters jumped through the window.
“DIE XENO FILTH!” It bellowed through its mask as it stabbed the earth pony in the neck with what looked like a short sword. 

Quickly, his autogun already heated up, he fired a burst sending the creature staggering backwards a final burst saw it out the window.

“Medic!” Blue shouted running to bleeding earth pony.
He used his hoof to apply pressure. The knife had been torn down and blood was quickly pouring from the wound.
Quickly the mare ran over to him, she audibly gasped before she vomited. Chunks of hay and carrots landed amidst the rubble.
“Help me,” Blue said using his second hoof for more pressure. 
She used her magic to pull the knife out and a spurt of blood followed in its wake. She looked ready to vomit again but she quickly got her act together.
She poured some salt on the wound and started bandaging him.
“Sir we have to get out of here!”
“Blue Blade, we have to be careful, we might kill him if we aren’t careful.”
“Everypony, we’re going to pick him up and move him a few buildings down the… INCOMING!” He shouted firing a burst to keep the attackers at bay.
“Move out, we have to go now,” Spark said helping in the creation of the magical stretcher they used to pick the earth pony up.
“Covering fire,” Blue said raking the windows with autogun fire to keep everypony at bay.
They quickly moved out into the alleyway, one of the other earth ponies bucked the door in. They quickly moved through the next apartment complex, only to find a large pile of rubble blocking the side exit.
“Quickly out the front and into the next building,” Blue Blade said leading them through the building.
A unicorn peered out the front door. The set of double doors lay on the ground inside the lobby, blown inside by an explosion.

	Grant me the sight of the eagle,
The calm of the breeze,
The patience of the saint and the skill to make the kill from afar.

“I think we’re clear to…” He stopped as his eye exploded and he collapsed.
“By Celestia’s teats!” Spark swore loudly.
“Buck me,” an earth pony muttered.
“Ok, the flash came from across the street. We throw up a few shields and we move as quickly as possible to the next building,” Blue said quickly.
“Gotcha,” Spark said as everypony else nodded.
“On three. One. Two. THREE!” Blue said throwing up a five by five foot blue shield outside the door.
He then quickly hopped over the dead unicorn. As soon as he left the building dozens of small red bolts hit his shield.
“I’ll keep up the shield. Go, go, go.”

“Be careful everypony, we can’t shake him too much,” the mare said wincing as she stepped over the body.
As they left the safety of the shield Tall Spark threw up a second one. 

Blue Blade fell in behind them using his shield to create an L with Tall Sparks shield. The earth ponies hurried through the door, the unicorns magically carried the wounded through the large open window of what was once a small grocery store. Blue Blade laid down keeping most of his form hidden. He aimed his autogun high and raked the windows of the apartment building across the street. His eyes flickered down the street where he saw ponies the same as he. They were hunkering down wherever they could to combat the humans.

“Spark, take Brittle and Curls and get upstairs. Fire across the street and tell us if you spot anypony hostile,” Blue said quickly before turning to the medical mare, “let’s get this pony into the back room for further treatment. Butterscotch, Scramble, you two help Seraphine. Skylight get up to the roof and tell me what they are doing down the street. I need to know what those metal things are doing. The rest of you go barricade the side door, I’ll cover the front.”




“Charge!” lieutenant 105 shouted as he sprinted across the street.

	Light of the Emperor,
Shine from my eyes,
Ensure the alien surely dies.

The ponies were digging in everywhere. But they hadn’t been ready; they assumed their trenches would keep them safe. Several buildings had walls of sandbags surrounding most of it. The lieutenant was leading an assault on a building that a few dozen equine beasts had garrisoned.

His saber held high as he charged across the street. Hopping over a dead guardsman whose back was riddled with holes. The equines spotted him and his platoon, quickly the air filled with tracers whining by 105’s head. His men were dropping like flies, but sector G 14-34 had to be captured. He was tasked with capturing this structure. His heavy stubber teams were returning fire from the upper floors of the building he had just left. A horned equine stepped into the door way to block 105. Its horn was glowing signaling its weapon was heating up.

Not stopping as he fired a short burst of lasfire. A lucky round caught it in the shoulder, breaking its concentration. Closing the gap and slashing at it with his heavy saber. The weighted blade cut through its head at a diagonal angle. Blood sprayed from the wound as the beast collapsed. He then threw himself to the left of the doorway just as a burst of rounds flew out. One of his men was caught in the hail of rounds. Turning the guardsman into a puppet with its strings cut. Several men reached the wall taking place next to him or the other side of the door.

Looking back the street was a carpet of bodies. Some lay perfectly still, others writhed from injuries. He counted twenty-three out of the sixty four that made the charge with him. He could hear men muttering prayers over his vox bead, mostly from those out on the street.

	Although my body is broken,
Although my blood pours away,
Although my time may end,
The Immortal Emperor will greet me,
And embrace me with His holy aura,
If only I remain constant to Him,
Through this time of torment.

“Vox caster,” 105 said roughly through his vox bead, “vox caster?” he repeated.
Looking out across the street he could see his vox caster lay dead. The mechanical piece of equipment was destroyed, every few seconds a small shower of sparks would shoot out of the battery compartment.
“Flamer?” 105 asked.
One man down the line nodded unslinging the Lucius pattern flamer from his shoulder.
“You two, grenades, you, burn em out,” 105 said quickly.

He motioned for them to start. One man on either side of the door pulled out grenade pins and threw the small cylinders into the lobby. There were some shouts of surprise, followed by two crumps and a cloud of dust spilling out of the door. The soldier with the flamer flipped from his position to the doorway. A large burst of burning promethium started more screaming. He then started walking slowly into the lobby. Four men followed, two left, two right. 

After an all clear was sounded the rest poured through the door. Contacting his heavy stubber teams he discovered two of the three teams had been killed, the important thing was the guns were still operational. But 105 couldn’t afford to risk crossing the street again to retrieve the guns. He would have to clear the building first. His single surviving heavy stubber had reported that at least a half dozen enemies were killed. Five equines were killed in the lobby. 

“Fix bayonets, grenades first then we move up,” 105 said to his men.
They nodded and drew their 45cm bayonets, fixing them onto their lasguns. A few men switched out their power packs.

	Machine Spirit, forgive my actions,
Soon you shall be whole again.

The lieutenant was at the top of the stairs with a dozen men pressed along the wall. He could hear the sound of gunfire from down the hall. Pointing to a soldier with a Lucius pattern grenade launcher and motioning around the corner.

The guardsman nodded and moved slowly up the steps. Reaching the top he spun around and fired his grenade launcher. A small puff of smoke and a small thump signaled the weapon firing. Where a moment earlier a white equine firing out a window, now it was just chunks of meat and splashes of gore. 105 then charged saber at the ready. Kicking in a door and firing several las bolts at a stunned pony. A second one charged him only to find itself impaled on his sword. 105 left the room in time to watch a guardsman kick in a door and then explode. Gore showered the men next to him who followed in his wake. They rushed the equine who was trying to heat up his xeno weapon. Stabbing him with bayonet until he finally stopped squirming. He had lost three men on this floor. Two had been killed in hails of bullets the third being just chunks of flesh on the floor. Grabbing ammunition and grenades from the dead they continued upwards. 

It had turned into a game of cat and mouse. The equines were setting up ambushes catching guardsmen as they turned corners or opened doors. By the time they had reached the top floor 105 had lost most of his men. They had just cleared the final floor. Three equines held the last room. Kicking in the door only to receive a series of bullets to the chest and head the first guardsman was killed almost instantly. A second threw a grenade into the room, following as soon as it exploded. One equine lay dead, shrapnel wounds covering its body, a second lay wounded. The third charged him from the side, its sharpened horn going through his neck and out the other side. A third guardsman followed and stabbed the equine in the eye with his bayonet. The creatures horn snapped off in the man’s throat. He collapsed to his knees choking on his own blood and bile.

Saying a prayer to the Emperor, 105 fired a lasbolt through the back of his troopers head. Blood splattered across the floor which the guardsman landed in as he slumped forward. He then walked over and put a foot on the equines throat. The equine looked up with terror in its eyes, it found itself staring at to glass orbs reflecting its face back at it. 105 lifted his lasgun and fired three bolts into its eye.

He started his assault on the structure with sixty-four men behind him, and six men left to operate heavy stubbers. Out of those seventy-one men only eight were left. He sent four men back across the street to gather the two heavy stubbers. They linked up with the other two survivors and returned to the apartment building. As they crossed the street they stopped to pilfer the ammunition from 105’s command squad’s heavy stubber. The gun itself was destroyed from a rocket. They grabbed the ammunition from the soldiers who manned the gun.

A quartermaster was now walking through the street. He had over a dozen servitors with him. They quickly stripped men of their weapons, ammunition, grenades, mask filters, rations, canteens and armor that were in usable condition. Those that still lived were given peace in the form of a lasbolt. 105 was granted, after much coaxing, a working vox unit.

A few hours after the quartermaster had finished picking the field of corpses clean, a centaur rolled along. A major stepped out; his grenadiers followed closely, hellguns at the ready.

“Major,” 105 said snapping a salute.
“Lieutenant 105, 6th company, 54th company,” the major said returning it, “I am here to inform you of a field promotion.”
“Sir?”
“Due to casualties you are now captain 105. How many men do have remaining?”
“Eight sir.”
“The remaining men from 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 10th platoons are being folded in with the survivors of the 53rd company. You are the captain of the now dubbed 107th company as you are the highest surviving officer.”
With that the major stepped back onto his centaur his grenadiers followed his lead. The vehicle then headed off down the street, bodies crushed and popped under its tracks. With that 105 entered the back into the apartment structure. He had to contact his new company and get everyone together; already he was being given a new sector to assault.




Blue couldn’t believe it had only been a day. They had been forced back a bit further, but not by much. Where once had been a clear line, was now just a blur. Every building was a warzone. They had lost Ripples, the earth pony; he bled out despite their best efforts to keep him alive. They also lost Curls and Skylight to the red lights. They headed further into the city and linked up with another half dozen stallions and another medical mare. They were now holding out in a small apartment complex. Celestia had contacted him, she was shocked to find that the enemy was already a block into Detrot. Shortly after some silence on her end she cut the spell. Blue Blade then got back to watching the streets.

Celestia had to keep her cool, she couldn’t let anypony knew how surprised she was. They weren’t supposed to just push them right into the city like that. From what Blue had told her these were truly monsters. He told her about them just walking through the hail of bullets and rockets. How they had metal behemoths that spouted fire magic that exploded on the ground. 
He told her about their small weapons that shot red lights that burned flesh, of their large weapons on wheels that fired rounds that were easily able to destroy chunks of builds, turning parts of ponies to mist. Of the cylinders that exploded sending pieces of jagged metal. She had never seen weapons like these. 

The best she could do was set the most brilliant minds of Canterlot to making something similar. Maybe an upgraded autogun, she wasn’t sure. All she could do was lower the sun bringing night to Equestria; bringing darkness to her brave, dying ponies.






This was a blast to write. So I hope you guys had as much fun reading, as I did writing. Again I'm sorry for not being able to give you guys a date for the next chapter. But if I set a date I usually feel rushed. I also have this lovely habit of procrastinating things that have a set deadline. But your comments and thumbs up keep me going. That sounds goofy, but when I got those three comments from: Princess Lulu, Davidpony and Stalins Organ, I got a burst of vitality. I quickly got to work and wrote over half of this within a couple hours. So leave me a comment if you liked it or disliked it. I'm always open for feedback and criticism. Have a good night my ponies, don't let the corpse flies bite.

Hunter C. Creed