//------------------------------//
// Prologue 
// Story: Fire-Team Harmony 
// by RFPegasus 
//------------------------------//

The radiant fires surrounded them; the contrasting flames writhed and groped for oxygen in the small bluish pits they had formed with their heat, the seething pools of crystalline liquid bubbling and frothing over the blackened edges of the craters. Twilight stood with the five most trustworthy, loyal, dependable soldiers she had ever met, and to die by their side, to fight for their last pull of the trigger on this planet- was an honour she revelled in. Even with her last breath.
The burning mortar craters were not the only things surrounding the six sisters as they waged war- back to back, those that they had fought since the beginning, charging from all angles, blades bared, rifles firing, stunning wisps of fulgurating flashes flew overhead as rounds pierced the icy cold aura of the frozen tundra. Twilight ignored the piercing bite of the frozen winds, the adrenaline of being near-certain that these were her last moments to live, and her last moments to die kept her thoughts clear and her mind focused. The enemy persisted, fighting, even after seeing their comrades fall meters before them- the signs of the twisted, the mentally distraught the chaotic, mindless husks of once great warriors.
Noticing that her front was letting up for a short period, she checked over her shoulder to see her sisters in battle, her soldiers- her friends. There stood the five, guns blazing in the heat of the battle. These people could be trusted with the life of Celestia herself, their talent unquestionable, their devotion assured. Twilight turned back to her post, blasting with the sharp, limb shuddering shots of her pistol, scathing one’s leg, causing it to fall to the ground in agony, a second shot driving its silvery head through the cranium of another of the damned, the corpse falling lifeless at her feet- they were getting close now, too close. More came over the top of the small valley, man after man, ten, maybe twenty more every second, the force ever swarming like vermin.
Twilight continued firing into the crowd until the magazine was but onyx smoke and shell casings, automatically sliding out of the steaming weapon, dropping beneath the sludgy mess- so-called ‘snow’ that covered the ground. Twilight swapped out the small container for another, sliding it perfectly into the bullpup design of her Xyston internal-chambered handgun, pressing the lock into place. Looking back up, she caught only the slightest glimpse of the battlefield before the flashing purple displays that adorned the display of her visor vanished in an instant, the digital display fading instantly unto blackness, only a slit of shattered light visible, the splitting crack and sound of shatter from just before illustrated the damage done.
She removed her helmet, pulling off the canopy off hardened light, the harsh lashing of the cold now felt real on her bare cheeks, her hair flew behind her, although still in her plated suit, she felt naked, vulnerable amongst her companions- the battle felt so... real. The ear-piercing screams of hellfire rounds tore her eardrums asunder in ringing deafness. The combat felt scarily close outside the comfort of protection. It stopped.
The ever-present sound of fury, the growl of heavy machinegun fire stopped. She didn’t even need to look; the dull thud of a hefty magazine hitting the floor said it all. Pinkie screamed foul, profanities, roaring in rage, cutting into the ribcage of the closest survivor in front of her with the enormous, cleaving blade attached to the front of her 42V style MG, letting the sheer weight of the weapon drag its new ‘wielder’ to the floor as the flashing pink lights dimmed for the last time, allowing her precious seconds to grasp for her secondary weapon- an assault rifle. But it was too late; one had pushed her to the ground, mounting her as he raised his crimson blade in the air above her head. The warrior gained a split second of glory before being forced off his prey in a metaphorical riptide of lead as the bullet tsunami tore through him, puncturing hundreds, if not thousands of holes on his armour. 
He growled as he died, cursing up at the blue assault suit that stood over them both- her name was Rainbow Dash; she chuckled as she swerved both her submachine guns back to the ever increasing flow, the hulking jump-pack upon her back alone taking out another of the ‘creatures’ that were upon her, covering her in their bodies as they jumped up, pulling her to the ground in a mass of flesh.
“This was it” Twilight thought as the second magazine hit the ground. She thought of the good times she had in her life, the sanctity of her friends, and all she had to fight for. Then she came to a conclusion. She would not, never, not in this life, nor the next, for all she was worth. She would never let her friends fall. She dispatched an enemy from her forearm with her blade, driving it through the top of its head, she focused her mind, concentrating the psychic energy in her. The burning sensation from her palms filled her arms with crackling arcs of pure energy, the energy congregated in her hands. She raised the irate purple light above her head, thinking of the consequences of her actions- nobody knew of the kinds of magic she was capable of- not even Celestia could wield such power. She drove her hands into the floor, feeling the life-energy fade from her arms as the air erupted in a haze of overcoming light. The sound was pure noise. There was no feeling- it felt like death itself had came upon her. All there was to see was light- white blinding light. There was no floor, no gravity, no up, no down, no sense of direction; it was exactly like being swept under a wave of energy- she was swept under a wave of energy. She fell to the ground; if falling from the top of the world was possible- this was what it felt like. Then she felt everything- Pain, Emotion, Happiness. She lay in the snow, almost lifeless, except her chest moving as she breathed. She had done it. She had won that day. They had won that day- For Equestria.