"What do you mean that a flanking attack didn't work?" the Candymare demanded to a somewhat awkward looking Iron Fist. "They had all of their power focused to the front, so how could they possibly have attacked your forces coming in from their rear?"
"Maybe smashing down that mortar tower wasn't the best of ideas!" Burning Embers said sarcastically. "Thanks to that stunt, the enemy knew exactly where we were and focused fire accordingly!"
"We did wound Swift Order," Iron Fist said quietly. "His ability to command his troops has been reduced somewhat."
"And yet he still lives," the Candymare replied, still sounding irritated. "All right then, it is clear that something else is required in order to ensure that we break through this time. We need to focus attacks, not split up or do other silly things." She looked to Jackpot. "You said that they had civilians inside the farm house, right?"
"Yes, indeed," Jackpot replied. "And I think I know just how to hit them where it hurts in that regard."
"Very good," the Candymare answered. "Rally the troops and launch another wave as soon as you can."
Iron Fist stepped forward. "You heard the General. Get into position and launch another attack, immediately!"
Inside the farm house, Scootaloo cowered underneath a box, scared at what was going on. The civilians, such as herself, had not been playing an active role in the defence of Sweet Apple Acres, after what had happened to Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Diamond Tiara. She could scarcely believe it herself. Her own idol, dead. Permanently, finally, totally dead, and never coming back. Ever, forever condemned to reside in the skies with God and the many others who had gone there of the centuries.
"Are you OK?" Rumble asked her. The concern in his face was telling, as he glanced at her clearly in distress.
"To be frank, I've had better days," Scootaloo replied to him. "What did we do to get caught up in this madness?"
"I have no clue," Button Mash told them. "But the perimiter just got tripped, and the enemy are closing in once more."
"It's just like Rorke's Drift," Pipsqueak said quietly, as he looked out of the window as yet another wave closed on their position.
"Who's drift?" Sweetie Belle asked him, briefly peeking her head up at the oncoming foe, before ducking down again out of sight.
"Rorke's Drift was a battle in the Zulu wars," the boy replied. "One hundred and fifty British soldiers held off more than four thousand Zulu warriors. It was made into a very famous film about 50 years ago, starring Michael Caine and Stanley Baker."
Around them, the defensive guns opened up once again as the enemy closed in. Machine guns roared, and rifles clattered as mortat shells exploded all around them. The kids, as well as their siblings, were carrying weapons of their own for defensive purposes, just in case the enemy should get into the farm house, which was unlikely. Or so they thought.
Shouts and screams suddenly echoed from a neighbouring room, followed by gunfire and several loud explosions. For a few moments, the voices of those such as Granny Smith and Big Mac could be heard, until the voices also went silent.
The door in front of them was suddenly smashed open, and a creature that was completely white suddenly lumbered toward them. The door behind them opened, and Rarity emerged holding a pistol in her hands. She fired twice, and the creature went down. "I must say," she said, "that although this work is most unladylike, if it is what we must do to stay alive, so be it."
"Keep up the fire, y'all," Applejack added. Little did she realise that this was the last thing she would ever say. Moments later, she screamed as a tentacle punched through her chest, and was torn out a moment later. Her body fell limp and lifeless to the floor. Rarity swung around- and took a shot to the face which looked like a fragment of candy. More of the ones capable of shooting projectiles lumbered into the room, firing indiscriminately and hitting several more of them, Scootaloo included, before Babs Seed and Apple Bloom burst in from another room with shotguns, and opened fire, killing the creatures that had attacked the room and successfully taking them down in a hail of shot and tiny metal balls.
"Targets repelled from the other side of the farm house," they heard Fluttershy say over the radio. "We took some heavy losses, though. The army outside seem to be having trouble, too."
And indeed they were. The foe were running amok across the front and northern end of the compound. Squads Delta and Machine Gun Team One were taking an absolute battering from the onslaught of the foe, and it seemed they would not last long.
"Supporting fire!" Sweetie Belle called, grabbing a rifle and firing upon more of the monstrosities outside. "This is for my sister!"
A horribly wounded Scootaloo pulled herself up, and picked up a weapon. "For Rainbow Dash, and for Mom, you bastards," she growled, firing shots off at the enemy.
It took several more minutes of sustained gunfire before the enemy was successfully driven back to its staging point. But the assault had been absolutely brutal. As ever, Swift Order took a report from the medic, who checked over the wounded and the dead.
"My condolences sir," he said, "but it's mostly dead. Most of the civilians have been killed, and many members of the police fire teams have sustained heavy injuries. At this rate, without increased troop numbers or reinforcement, we will not survive another wave."
"Start putting the wounded and the remaining civilians onto the front lines," Swift Order ordered, as he looked out over the countryside ahead of him where the enemy were slinking off. "God knows how we will survive this night. But we must hold the line, or all is lost here, for everyone."