Day 6 - 09:47
Sgt. Daniel Nicholas
1st Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment
Ponyville, Equestria
The warm sunlight and the cool breeze feels amazing in this world. Nothing like Earth, surprisingly season in Equestria were being controlled by the pegasus. Spring, summer, fall and winter, all of it. Back on Earth we do not mess with the mother nature, unless if you wanted to die tragically then its fine.
Sweet Apple Acres
"Pull!" Instantly, another flying disc is launched into the air, and Chase aims. With confidence, he pulls the trigger, watching as the disc explodes in the air into hundreds of shards. Looking up from the Barrett's scope, Chase gives a chuckle and stands. He walks over to the ladder at the side of the barn and climbs down.
"Well howdy do! That was some spectacular marksmanship!" Applejack shouts as she marks something down on a pad of paper. Chase walks over and looks down at the paper. Two columns mark the paper, one is labeled BM and the other is labeled DC. In BM's column, there are six black X's, and two red Os. However, his column contains nothing but black X's. He smiles and places his rifle on his shoulder. All in a day's work.
"Eeyup." Is all the large stallion says. Chase sets his gun down and grabs one of the multiple buckets of water that had been brought outside. Bringing the container to his lips, he lets the liquid fall down his parched throat, exhaling in relief when he sets it down. He and Big Macintosh shake hands (and hooves) and congratulate the other on their performance.
"Well, me and Big Macintosh gotta get back to work." Applejack says as she begins to pack up.
"Want any help?" Chase asks as he sets his rifle next to him. The two ponies look at each other and smile. Macintosh nods and Applejack turns back to him.
"Sure partner, let me show ya what ya can do." Chase begins to follow the young mare. Finally, some actual hard labor, he felt like dead weight around here.
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Some random place, about three miles to Northwest of Ponyville
Jerry and some of the guards are patrolling the area outside Ponyville in case of any movement outside the perimeter. He and the rest of the guards are taking a break after what felt like hours of duty inside the tree lines.
"Hey," Jerry begin the conversation, "Who is this Sombra by the way, I didn't really catch him after what had happened these days."
"Well," Commander Air Burst gulp as he heard the name but manage to explain it to the ranger, "King Sombra is a former ruler of Crystal Empire."
"Crystal Empire?"
"Yeah," replied the commander nodded to him, "During his reign, he enslaved all of the crystal ponies. He is extremely cruel, fierce, brutal, sadistic, heartless, destructive, merciless and wicked, viewing crystal ponies as nothing more than his slaves."
Jerry nods at the commander and begin to look at his surroundings.
"Maybe we've gone to far guys," Jerry says as he stands up and grab his gun, "Come on, we shouldn't be this far."
"Wait Corporal," says one of the guards and looked to the field, "Is that-" Before he could continue, a black magic shoots from out of nowhere and explodes right in front of them.
"SHIT, FALL BACK!! RUN!!"
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Carousel Boutique
"Is this... really... necessary?" Daniel said with gritted teeth and clenched eyes. Rarity squeezed the measuring tape tighter around his gut, cutting off more air to his lungs.
"Why yes darling! I need exact measurements! Now please hold still!" She said as she tightened the tape again. Daniel let out a groan of pain, this was starting to cause pain to his gut. "Ah! There we go!" Rarity said as she removed the measuring tool. Daniel took a deep breath and held his gut, feeling as though a snake had just released it's grip on him.
Being shot was more enjoyable than this.
Daniel went over to put his shirt back on, but was stopped by the white unicorn once more.
"Not just yet young man! I need measurements for your neck!"
"Allahuakbar..."
Rarity rolled her eyes and talked slowly. "Don't worry, I won't have to pull as tightly this time." Daniel gave a sigh of defeat as he walked back over.
"Just be quick with it alright? This is not how I want to spend my morning." He said as Rarity gently took the tape once again and began to check on the size of his neck. Daniel gave a quick choking noise as it grew tighter, unable to speak.
"Oh man up! You want to fit in now don... uh... nevermind." She said. He rolled his eyes and just waited for it to end.
After what felt like hours, she finally released the tape and told him he was free to put his "garments" back on. Daniel gave a sigh of relief, overjoyed to be done with the torturous occasion.
"Remember, casual. I just want stuff for when I'm off duty. Nothing fancy." He said as he slipped his shirt over his bare chest. Rarity was about to complain, but stopped when Daniel glared at her, which caused her to nervously nod.
"Of course Daniel, but when the Grand Galloping Gala arrives, you simply must allow me to make you a tuxedo!" She said with a smile.
"The what now?" He asked as he slipped his kevlar back over his chest. She put on red glasses he hadn't seen before and watched as he placed his gear back around him.
"It's a most joyous occasion, it didn't go that well last year, but I am sure it will be better this year. Given that it can be held." He rolled his eyes as he put his helmet on and patted it.
"Meh, if this Gala thing does happen, you can make me a tux, Rares." Rarity gave a quick cheer and got to work on his new clothes. Just as he was about to grab the doorknob, his walkie shrieked.
"DANIEL THIS IS JERRY! EVACUATE THE TOWN! I REPEAT EVACUATE THE TOWN!! AIR BURST, GET DOWN!!"
Daniel immediately grab his walkie while Rarity just watching him with a terrified look.
"What is that?" She asked nervously. Her body began to tremble. Daniel ignored her and focused on the ranger.
"This is Sergeant Daniel, Jerry give me a sitrep over!"
"I COUNTED LEGIONS!! MORE THAN FIVE WAS ALL I KNOW!! AND THEY'RE HEADING TOWARDS YOU FAST FROM THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE TOWN!! WHATEVER YOU DO TAKE ALL OF THE PONIES TO A SAFE AREA NOW!! WE'RE FALLING BACK I SAY AGAIN WE'RE FALLING BACK!! LOOK OUT!!..."
"Jerry? Jerry?! Corporal do you read me?!!"
Daniel put his walkie back and looked at Rarity who is now trembling in fear. He ran to her and immediately calm her in his embrace, tightly.
"It's okay, come on, we need to warn everypony in the town." Rarity only nods but couldn't move a single muscle. Daniel quickly grabbed her and run outside the boutique.
"War Daddy! This is Sergeant Daniel does anyone copy?"
"This is Commander Chet, what is it Daniel?"
"CHET! GO AND TELL TWILIGHT AND THE REST OF THE GUARDS TO EVACUATE THE TOWN RIGHT NOW!! SOMBRA'S ARMY IS HEADING THIS WAY!!"
"HOOAH!"
Daniel kept running and shouting to everypony in the town to evacuate the town, however they all make a safe zone at the Town Hall instead of evacuate. Daniel keep shouting at the guards to ready on their positions when Chase, Applejack and Big Macintosh run towards him.
"I heard what happened Sarge," Chase said cocking his rifle while his Barrett is dangling on his back, "What do you want us to do?"
"Just take everypony to get to the Town Hall until the princesses arrived! We don't have much time! Jerry and the others are falling back and were chased by those bastards!"
"Aight! YOU HEARD HIM COME ON!" They immediately spread out and lead everypony to get to the safe zone. Daniel put Rarity down and told her to do exactly what the others do. She nodded and gallop to do her duty.
"War Daddy come in," Daniel speak with his walkie.
"This is War Daddy, I already told Twilight about it, now what do you want us to do?"
"I want you to take your position with the others, northwest side of the town now!"
"Solid copy, we're moving, out."
Daniel put his walkie back and run as fast as he could to join the rest when suddenly Rainbow fly right next to him.
"Daniel what's wrong?!"
"It's Sombra! He's sending his entire goddamn army to attack Ponyville!"
"WHAT?!"
"Listen! I want you to take everypony into the Town Hall and tell the rest of the Elements to stay there and make sure you all fortified the place!" He reached and grabbed his walkie and handed it to her. "Here! Give me a sitrep after that!"
"What's a sitrep?" Rainbow asked and took the device to her mouth.
"Situation Report! We're going to hold as long as we could! Now go!"
Rainbow nodded vigorously and turned around immediately fly to the Town Hall. Daniel continue on his marathon to his destination while checking all of his mags. Seven, huh better than nothin'. When he arrived, he saw all of the guards, including Shining Armor who is shouting at the guards, were getting ready for the attack.
"Sergeant over here!!" Shining waved at Daniel when he saw him. Daniel quickly rush to him.
"Is there anypony else who haven't been evacuated?"
"I don't think so," Shining looked at his troops and shouting at them before looking back to Daniel, "The whole town has been secured and we have to hold them as long as we could before the princesses arrived."
"You got my mind there," Daniel looked at the guards, then at Shining, "Say, you wanna use 'Attack from the Defensive Position'?"
"Better try than never." After informing all of the guards about the strategy, War Daddy finally arrived with Chet smiling happily from the commander hatch.
"It's a party then?" He asked innocently.
"With your tank there, maybe for you," replied Daniel, "I bet they won't stand a chance against this beast."
"I doubt about it," Shining said making Daniel looked at him and cocked his head to one side.
"What do you mean you doubt about it?" He asked.
"You saw them broke the barrier on the first day of the attack when you guys suddenly came?"
It took a few seconds for Daniel to realised what he's talking about.
"Shit," he mumbled under his breath, "Well then, I think its up to us now to defend this town at all costs."
Just then, the army saw Jerry and the rest of the guards ran at full speed towards them while Jerry shrieked at the top of his lungs.
"THEY'RE HERE!!" He says nearly collapsed after running for about three miles away.
"Everyone get ready!" Daniel ordered, "I want all unicorns to take position in that trenches while the rest take cover behind buildings and wait for my mark to engage!"
All of the guards quickly move to their positions. For what felt like eternity, Jerry finally arrived with his friends. He fell onto his knees then to the ground, begging heavily for air; so does the guards who were with him. Daniel took a bottle of water then threw it to Jerry, who catches it instantly. Then, Chase arrives with the humvee and he immediately turned to the back seat and onto the minigun.
"How many of them Sarge?" He asked preparing himself for the massive assault.
"Maybe five battalions or more are heading this way."
"Goddamn," Chet muttered, "If I didn't make it through this Sarge, it's an honour to meet you."
Daniel looked at Chet for a few moments, then a confident smile forms on his face. "We'll make it through my friend... together." Daniel cocked his gun and stare at the field which is now enveloped by the sea of Sombra's army.
"CHARGE!!!!" A loud voice fills the air and the army is now running directly to them.
"Don't be afraid!! Show 'em what we've got!! On three!!" Daniel said aiming with his holographic sight at the massive army.
"This is going to be a one big hell of a fight," Jerry said beside him while aiming at the massive army.
"Indeed my friend," replied Shining.
Screw this shit!
"THREE!!"
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"Ughhh... what the fuck... huh? Sarge? Sarge you alright?"
"I'm fine... I think."
"Where'd the hell are we?"
"I have no idea, what do we do now Sarge?"
"I don't know, our best option is to keep moving. She's still workin'?"
"Yeah, never been better."
"How 'bout you?"
"We're alright Sarge!"
"Alright, we're Oscar Mike, move up."
...
...
"Hey shhh... ya hear that?"
"Yeah, sounds like a gunfire."
"Alright, that's our cue. Come on, we'll check it out. And stay frosty, we don't know what's going on out there."
"Aye."
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Twilight, Starlight, Sunset and Spike are desperately leading the ponies to the Town Hall. They move from house to house to make sure that no pony left behind while the army will hold them off as long as they could. As they were galloping through the streets in front of the Sugarcube Corner, they saw Rarity and Fluttershy running towards them.
"Did you two find any pony else?" Twilight frantically ask.
"No," Rarity said breathing heavily, "I think all of the ponies are in the Town Hall right now."
"Hey y'all!" A southern accent voice called them. They turned around and saw Applejack, Pinkie Pie and Big Macintosh running towards them. "Did y'all get the message?"
"Yeah," Starlight replied, "We have to wait for the princesses to come and evacuate the ponies."
"Hey!!!" Rainbow fly as fast as she could and nearly crash directly on them. She landed in front of them and is gasping for air.
"Rainbow what is it?" Sunset asked.
"Dan... he... hold on just a minute," she said and taking a few deep breaths before continues, "Daniel, he want us to fortified the Town Hall and make sure everypony is safe until the princesses arrives!" She then looked to Twilight. "You already tell the princess about this right?"
"I already have," Twilight nodded. Just then, the sound of the gunfire and loud 'boom' filled the air.
"They must've started the war," Applejack said looking around at the sky. "Hope they all okay."
"Come on everypony," Twilight said getting all of their attention, "We have to fortified the Town Hall as much as we could." Then, they galloped to the Town Hall and proceed their duties. But before they leave, Twilight heard what sound like a... crying? Maybe it's the wind. She shake the thought away and proceed to the Town Hall with the others following close behind.
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"Luna?!" Celestia screamed as she looking for her sister.
"What is it Tia?" Luna peeked her head out from her room.
"Ponyville! It's under attack by Sombra's army!" Luna's eyes widened and quickly opened the door, slamming it shut behind her.
"What about the ponies? Are they safe?"
Celestia nodded. "Twilight have informed me that they're making a safe area at the Town Hall while the humans and the guards are holding the army as long as they could until we evacuate all of them."
"What are we waiting for? We need to get to the chariot now!" Luna exclaimed. But as she was about to start running, Celestia stopped her with her magic.
"We cannot do that," Celestia release the magic from Luna's body, "It will take to much time and not all of the ponies will make it."
"So what should we do?" Luna asked desperately searching for another way out.
"I think we can use the teleportation spell," replied Celestia, "But it will take fifteen minutes, maybe more for us to be able to teleport all of the ponies in one time."
"Then let's do it." With that, Celestia and Luna teleported themselves to Ponyville.
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"Sarge! There's too many of them!" Jerry screamed as he put a fresh mag onto his gun. "We can't hold here much longer!"
"Just hold a little longer!" Daniel said firing his grenade launcher and sending dozens of ponies flying through the air. Magics and arrows were flying everywhere. The guards and the rangers use all of their strength to hold off the massive army. Luckily for the rangers, they had more advanced technologies so they can buy more time than they expected to be.
"Jerry!" Daniel screamed while shooting at the relentless charging army. "Hand me your walkie, quick!" Jerry immediately tosses his walkie to Daniel, who quickly snatched it.
"Rainbow! Do you read me?"
"I hear you Daniel! What's going on out there?!"
"Not good! I'm planning for retreating, we're not gonna hold on much longer! Have you fortified the place?"
"Yeah! We use every cart, tables and chairs to blockade the streets and we make some covers for you and the guards to hold 'em off!"
"Alright good job Rainbow! We're falling back now!" Daniel put the walkie back to his waist and fires his weapon until his mags are out.
"Shit!" Daniel pull out his mag from his gun. "I'm out!"
"Same here!" Jerry said crouching beside him and taking his Deagle.
"Sarge!" Chase screamed from the humvee while firing the minigun, "Use my LMG! It's in the driver seat!"
Daniel nodded and rushed to the driver seat and quickly grabbed the M240. He paused for a second and looked back at the guards who are holding the army as long as they could. Daniel closed the door and immediately ran to Air Burst, who is waiting for orders behind the alleyway with his troops.
"Air Burst!" Daniel called him from the street.
"What is it Sergeant?" He appeared with a few of his guards.
"I want you and your squad to fall back and take position around the Town Hall."
"What?! Why?!"
"We can't hold 'em much longer dammit! We're gonna die if we don't!"
Air Burst nodded at Daniel and quickly gather all of his troops and proceed into the Town Hall. Daniel turned around in attempt to find Shining.
"Shining!" Daniel exclaimed as he spotted the captain. But before he could reach him, a massive explosion went off right in front of the young sergeant. He went flying to the air and fell flat on his back while his head crashing with a rock. His helmet slipped from its grasp making his right part of the head hit directly with the rock. He shouted in pain while holding his head with his right hand.
"Sergeant's down!" Chase instantly get out from the jeep and rushed to Daniel. He knelt beside him when another magic exploded right next to him. Making him to hug the wounded sergeant in an attempt to protect him from the dirt that's flying everywhere.
"Jerry!" Chase shrieked still holding Daniel's head, "Help me get him outta here!"
Jerry rushed towards the rangers and helped Daniel to get onto his feet. "We don't have a time to get him back to the Town Hall! I'll go get the bandages first!" After putting Daniel down inside the trenches, Jerry went to the jeep and taking some bandages while Chase still attempting to hold the blood from running out of his head. A few moments later, Jerry quickly slide down the trench with the bandage in his hand.
Chase immediately take it and wrap the bandage around the young sergeant's head. Daniel still regaining his vision and groans from the pain.
"There," Chase said as he finished wrapping the bandage, "You okay kid?"
Daniel smiled and nodded, although he gritted his teeth and hissed because of the pain. "It's just a little scratch." He chuckles.
"You always said that." Jerry shakes his head. "Come on, we still have a war to fight."
"No," Daniel said with half-lidded eyes, "We can't stay here much longer, or else we're all gonna be annihilated."
"So what now? We're falling back?" Chase asked.
"Yeah," replied Daniel still sitting limply, "You guys and the rest of the guards take the position to hold the Town Hall."
"Aight," Jerry said. When he was about to get up, he realised something. "Whoah whoah whoah hang on a sec, you mean you're not coming with us?"
Daniel shakes his head. "No, I got a plan up my sleeve in attempt to slow them down."
"You're in no good condition kid," Chase said still crouching beside Daniel. Before they could continue, Shining galloped towards them.
"Sweet Celestia," his eyes turned to pinpricks when he saw Daniel's blood coming out from his head, "What happened to you?"
"There's no time to explain," Daniel said getting up, "We need to fall back, I've told Air Burst before and now, he and his troops are preparing themselves around the Town Hall. You do the same while I distract these bozos out of here."
"It's suicide dammit!" Chase exclaimed.
“It’s not like we have other options, do we?” replied the young sergeant. "Come on, Shining get your men out of here, you guys too." He said pointing at the other rangers.
"Dammit." Jerry muttered but accept it anyway. Daniel grab his walkie and looked at the tank.
"War Daddy, we're getting out of here. Get back to the Town Hall now!"
"Roger." The tank reverse at full speed while firing at the surge of troops. Chase and Jerry quickly get into the humvee and drove to the Town Hall. Daniel quickly checked his backpack and a devilish grin forms on his face. He then grab the LMG and ran to the around the town while throwing something to the buildings.
Shining ordered the guards to fall back to the Town Hall. They all immediately abandon their post and run like an antelope getting chased by a lion. Sombra's army quickly rushed and chased them through town, which they didn't expect is that a surprise is waiting for them... and for the rangers.