The once peaceful hill surrounding neighagra falls was soon filled with more noise than the falls by their self. The sounds of hooves running around the small encampment soon echoed around the whole valley as pony’s grabbed ammunition, gear, last minute medical supplies, and a tiny prayer or two. The 43rd was soon sent to grab ammunition as our squadrons specialty was bombing. We were only trained to go as far as we thought was necessary, but at the same time we knew that we could fly further without getting tired. We lined up inside of the ammunitions tent in a line as one by one we were given bombing saddle bags, which were both on the sides, but could be opened both above or on the bottom. Inside of the saddle bags were these round balls, the size of a fist. They felt like turtles shells, only more dominant as the ridges were much deeper. I had never felt anything like it, it was very strange.
“Why such deep grooves?” I asked the munitions officer. “When we trained for bombing we were given smoother rounds.”
The officer then looked at me, and I knew this was not the time for questions, but sure enough once I opened my mouth there was always one waiting right there. “Those were training grenades Cadet,” he growled. “This is the real thing now. Get out there and defend your home instead of asking me damn stupid questions.”
“Yes Sir,” I said as I galloped out towards the runway where the 43rd was sitting, Wings opened ready for takeoff. The sight was impressive, as the 32nd unicorn artillery stood in 10 rows, each made up of 10 unicorns, 100 in all, while the armored division stood in 15 rows, each with 10 ponies. All of them were wearing the official Royal Guard Armor, and everyone was awaiting the signal to take off. I turned to look at Spitfire who, once again, was found right next to me, while Soarin was found behind me, praying to Celestia that we were going to live.
“Well this is it,” I said trying not to be worried. “This is the first battle, the attempt to stop the king’s from invading our home.”
Spitfire smiled and nodded, “Yea, and we will defend it with everything we have, even our lives.”
“Indeed we will,” said Blitz trotting up and down the 9th squadron in Charlie Company. “I understand some of you are scared,” he began.
“I DON’T WANNA DIE!” said Soarin unknowingly getting everyponies attention.
Everyone merely looked at him while me and Spitfire turned and stomped our hooves into our faces. “Idiot,” I said to myself.
“Anyway,” said Blitz continuing on, “Know this, that if we do die here, if this is truly our last stand, it is because we want to die. It’s because we want the king’s to win,” he said looking at Soarin with a fierce intent in his eyes. “Or,” he said, “We can go down in battle, meaning we were Equestria’s shield, we did everything we could, and then some, to protect our home from anything and anypony. That is what we stand here to do today Charlie 9, now let’s make Celestia proud!”
“Yes Sir!” replied Charlie 9. As if we couldn’t get any more inspiration to fight for our home, Commander Oxycoccus then stepped in front. He was a veteran and one of the most respected ponies in the Royal Guard, and even had a small recommendation from Celestia herself. Everyone knew as soon as the war was over that he was getting a big promotion.
“Good to see Charlie 9 in such high spirits,” he said looking at us with a gentle smile. “You’ll need it for today, because today could be a very long one. Charlie 8 will be flying reconnaissance so we will be the first to get our wings flapping off of the runway before everypony else. I wish you all the best of luck.
“The same to you Corporal,” I said briefly saluting him. The rest of Charlie 9 followed in similar salute.
“Godspeed to you all, especially you Soarin,” he said looking over at him in the ground shivering.
Just then, a bugle call sounded, and just like that, Wings began flapping, and the unicorns and other ponies began their march. The battle for Neighagra falls was on.
~~~
We scanned the horizon, continuing our long advance towards where the dust was coming from. The unicorn artillery had already found a proper positioning a mile or two behind the armored division as they were within range now and were waiting for first word from reconnaissance before they could start firing. The armored Division also placed their artillery with the unicorns in case more bag for the buck was needed or if the pegasi and armored where overwhelmed. I looked straight at the dust cloud so that I would hopefully be the first to know when to start dropping bombs.
All of the respected Companies flew in formation. We were shaped like flocks of birds that were heading south towards the warm weather during the winter. “Come on you bastards,” I said looking out of my goggles, “Show yourselves.”
“See anything?” called Spitfire towards Soarin and Blitz.
“Not yet,” called Blitz scanning the horizon.
“All I see,” said Soarin stopping in midsentence, “Wait a minute! I see somepony!” He said looking closer at the horizon. Sure enough, upon close inspection, there was a massive herd of ponies charging towards the base camp at the back of the front lines downrange. “There they are!” he roared.
“All hands on deck!” called Blitz to his squadron. “Prepare to drop load!” Immediately upon the order, the saddle bags were tied loose and they were prepared to be dropped whenever need upon the light tap of a hoof.
The ensuing dark spots grew into 50, then 100, then 200, 500, and soon it was counted they numbered 5000 in force.
“Dear sweet Celestia,” said Soarin removing his goggles to make sure he wasn’t just seeing things, “we’re so outnumbered…”
“We’ll be fine you big chicken!” scoffed Spitfire bopping him on the head.
“Careful!” called Blitz. “We don’t want to give away just how close we are by dropping the payloads too soon!”
“Idiot,” said Aqua Star rolling her eyes.
Spitfire could only wish that she could knock her into the next century, however, she couldn’t. Not at this moment however, not when they needed a medic the most. Eventually the dark spots were close enough as the first row of the ensuing dark ponies then passed underneath us. I could see their armor from my stance. I could see that their armor was complete pitch black, and it almost appeared to be in the same shape and style as the Royal Guards, just pitch black, but it was too soon to tell.
“Drop payload!” called Blitz tapping the saddle bags with his hooves. Immediately the payload dropped. Eventually the 43rd pegasi division became a rain cloud of nothing by giant balls of black as the grenades began to fall onto the ensuing dark ponies. Immediately the air was then filled with sounds of a high pitched whistling which only dwindled in volume and was then followed by explosions. I didn’t drop my payload just yet due to the fact that I could see a unicorn artillery squadron that was surrounded on all sides by armored ponies. I knew this was my chance.
“Now!” I said as I dropped mine. Spitfire looked over watching my grenades fall out of my saddle bags.
“What are you doing?” she said. “You released your grenades late! Just what do you think you’re going to hit?”
I then pointed down towards the unicorn artillery they had set up. “Watch,” I said, and not a moment too soon, an entire Artillery squadron was wiped off of the battlefield.
“Well I’ll be,” said Spitfire giving me a light pat on the back and a small smile, “Damn good shot. That’ll save the armored division some time and their sanity as well. Way to think ahead Ace.”
“I smiled as a prepared to give turn and begin to head back to base camp to reload ammunition, but before the 43rd could even begin to think they were out of the hornets’ nest,
“Incoming aerial assault!” called Blitz looking up at a giant dark cloud of pegasi that was barreling down on them. Immediately, the dark pegasi began their assault, taking down one pony at a time one by one. It was almost a suicide, as they came down at an angle that was so fast, the captured pegasi that were grabbed didn’t stand a chance of surviving the impact. Not even their own squadron leader Blitz was at the mercy of the ensuing attack as he was quickly grabbed and began the harsh plummet down, as well as Aqua Star.
“Aqua Star! Blitz!” I called watching them plummet into the ensuing battle. By now the Armored Division and the ensuing army had begun their death bound skirmish as chaos ensued on the ground below.
“What do we do?” asked Soarin looking around at the pegasi that we were being grabbed.
Spitfire looked around at the ensuing chaos, as she quickly formulated an idea. “Fly crooked! They can’t grab us if we’re not in a straight flight path!” She said as she quickly began banks and zigzags, rolls and dives, climbs and stalls.
“Do you think we should do what she says?” asked Soarin looking over at me.
“Well,” I said, “She is the squad leader now since Blitz is dead. If you want to live, then you’ll do what she says.” With that I immediately opened my wings wide and began performing every daredevil move that I knew to dodge the ensuing assault of the pegasi from above. One Pegasus flew by, then another, and another, and another. It turned into a madhouse in the skies, until at last the number of pegasi finally dwindled down until none were left.
“I think that’s the last of them!” I called. “Everyone ok?”
“I’m still here,” called Spitfire.
“Likewise,” called Soarin.
“Ok then, lets head back,” called Ace as he began a bank with the rest of Charlie Company (or what was left of it) to head back to basecamp. But before they were out of the woods, they were in store for a harmful surprise. “Incoming!” called Oxycoccus as a large burst of magic roared towards the 43rd. BOOM! Direct hit, right in the middle of the formation.
“Dear sweet Celestia!” called Soarin as he flew through the cloud. “What they hell was that?!”
“I don’t know but we might want to get out of here now!” called Spitfire. “Retreat!”
Without thinking twice, the 43rd began turning around and getting away from the ensuing aerial bombardment. Explosion after explosion rocked the sky as the bombardment continued on.
“Where are all of these explosions coming from?” asked Oxycoccus towards Spitfire.
Spitfire then scanned the skies and looked for the source. Immediately I then caught wing of where the explosions were coming from as I looked back. “ALICORNS!” I called as I spotted them flying closer and closer. “Fly for your life!” Even then however, it was soon proved that it was too late as a hit quickly scattered and fled into their wings.
“HOLY SHIT, I’M HIT!” called Oxycoccus as he began to barrel roll down towards the ground where the chaos continued on.
“Oxycoccus!” called Universae as he watched him fall to his doom. “We can’t take another hit like that, another hit like that all of our wings are gone!”
“Then I’m afraid we have no choice,” said Spitfire looking down at the ground. “We’re going in guys; get ready because it’s going to be a hot LZ!”
“Right behind you!” I called as I began the dive down towards the ensuing chaos.
“Likewise here,” called Soarin angling his wings downward. Eventually all that was left of Charlie Company came down to the 5, as the rest did not survive the aerial diving attacks. The rest of the 43rd, or what was left of it rather, turned flank and headed towards the safety of base camp. The only ones to stay behind were I, Universae, Spitfire, Soarin, and a couple of other ponies from what were left of Charlie Company.
It turned out that Spitfire was right when she said that it was a hot LZ; everywhere I looked there were stallions fighting to the death, blood on the ground, and dead bodies from the 43rd and the 54th. It was a gruesome sight and it only made me fight harder. Immediately we were charged by more of the dark ponies as they kept coming, one by one, it almost seemed as if they would resurrect themselves as when one went down, another took its place. Despite the bravery, we found ourselves surrounded on all sides by dark ponies. We had nowhere to go as we were surrounded by dark ponies. I had blood and sweat running down the side of my face, Spitfire was injured badly as a scar left a mark on the side above her wing. Soarin, still on rage of losing his pie, also stood ready to fight even if this would be the last time. Universae stood ready in poise to defend his new squad mates, as he was also the last with medical experience; therefore he had no other choice but to fight. Growls were heard all around us, I thought for sure this was the end.
“Everyone,” I said catching my breath and breathing hard, “we go down together, and we go down for all of equestrian today, but I’ll be damned if go down in vain.”
“Bring it on dark ponies!” exclaimed Universae as he used the last of his strength to charge it into a beam. The beam tore a temporary path through the dark ponies, but it didn’t last long as it only made them angry. They were surrounded, and running out of breathing room as the dark ponies came closer and closer.
“Well it was a good effort Universae,” said Soarin wiping off some of the blood from his forehead, “least we went out with a bang.”
Even I had to admit that Soarin was right for once, but then just when all hope seemed lost, a sound came from the sky. We looked up, and sure enough there was a whistling artillery shell wailing just towards the dark ponies that surrounded Charlie 9. Afterwards, the dark ponies were stunned and backed off, and were also greeted by the sounds of an advancing 54th armored division charging at them. The dark ponies decided that enough was enough, and they turned high flank and ran for the north. Cheers erupted as Shining Armor immediately galloped out towards what was left of the 43rd.
“Shining Armor sir,” said Spitfire raising her hoof, “Mission somewhat accomplished.”
Shining Armor nodded, but then looked at all of the dead corpses on the ground, and noticed all of the scars that we had. He then looked over at Universae noticing that corporal Oxycroccus was nowhere to be seen. “Where is your commander,” he asked looking intently at Universae.
“I don’t know,” he said. “he vanished when we got ambushed from above, needless to say, I don’t think he made it.”
“Sir!” called a group from the 54th carrying a dead corpse. They gently lifted it up with magic, and then gently laid it back down to rest. “Corporal Oxycroccus is dead sir.”
Shining Armor then walked over to the corpse of what had once been a fully alive Oxycroccus, he then looked over and also noticed that Blitz was also dead. “Sweet Celestia,” he said trying not to shed a tear. He then got up, turned around and looked at us. “These two will not have died in vain today, but for now your mission is complete, you can return back to your home bases. That is all.”
“Yes sir,” they replied beginning the long trot back to the front lines. I couldn’t help but look back and notice Universae and Spitfire looking over at the dead corpse of Oxycroccus and then looking around at all of the other dead corpses that lay on the ground.
“Permission to speak sir,” I asked raising a hoof.
Universae and Shining Armor turned around. “What is it private,” Shining Armor asked.
“Do we know what the death toll is at the moment sir?”
Shining Armor looked at me, then gathered his thoughts. I could tell it was about to cause him great pain of what he was about to say. “Ace,” he began, “What I am about to tell you is classified, you can never tell anypony outside of the Royal Guard that this ever happened, even when this damned war is over.”
“I understand sir,” he said.
Shining Armor then looked over at Universae. “Tell him please, Sergeant Universae.”
Universae then stepped forward, wiping the blood from his scarred forehead. “Out of a force of 14,000,” he said as he briefly paused holding his dead down and closing his eyes in regret, “2,000 ponies are now dead, and will be buried here as a permanent reminder not only of this war, but of what happens when war comes to Equestria.”