//------------------------------//
// Chapter 5 
// Story: Letters from North Everfree 
// by FriscoPony 
//------------------------------//

	“Alright everypony, listen up,” called Cloudstorm out over the mess hall. With another strong heave of magic, he showed a large image of the dark pony army heading south towards Manehattan by air only. I was speechless noticing how close they were to my home. 
“That’s Manehattan!” I exclaimed noticing the skyline in the far background. 
“Indeed it is,” said Cloudstorm showing the map more closely. “The Dark Ponies have decided to go along the eastern seaboard and try and take over one of our cities. If they succeed they will use the dark gems, as Shining Armor has shown you during the Battle of Neighagra falls, to brainwash all of Manehattans citizens, and their army will quadruple in size. I understand some of you are from Manehattan and are anxious to get your hoofs dirty, but there is one problem. They are attacking by air and at a very bad angle for bombardment by land. One miss-fire could cause panic and despair, more-a-less the dark ponies would already win before the battle even starts. So it is only pegasi and alicorns today. Charlie Company, you will be on the back up as snipers and can only intervene if the battle becomes too hectic. Everypony else, go in, and route them away from Manehattan. Your squadron leaders will give you more information as the mission continues on. You’re dismissed.”
“Yes Sir!” called the Mess Hall towards the center. The pegasi were ready to fight once again for their homeland, even I was ready to have at the ponies that killed Blitz and Aqua Star and Corporal Oxycroccus, but now it was about more than that; it was about defending my hometown, and my brother. I couldn’t afford to let anyone see the pure hatred in my eyes. Spitfire walked over to check on me, as she noticed that I had my head facing towards the ground, and teeth clinched as if I was growling, or getting ready to kill somepony.
“Hey, you ok?” she asked gently nudging my head. “It must hurt to know that your home is their next target.”
I wish I could just scream at her saying that it was my home, and that I wanted to rip every one of them apart head and limb, and if they touched my brother, so help them; but at the same time, I couldn’t, I couldn’t do that to her. I had too strong of feelings for her, and I didn’t want to lose her because I can’t keep my own cool. I felt a tear roll down my face.
“Hey,” she said, “I know a lot of feelings are going through your head right now, but I just want you to know, I’ll be here for you, at your side, no matter what.”
I looked up at her, her gentle orange eyes and her perfect smile, she was like an angel from heaven to me, and I would do anything for her. To hear her says she would be at my side touched me in a place that I really needed it. I finally calmed down and straightened myself up, and I looked at her with loving eyes. She smiled at me again, and all I could do was smile back. “Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate it; I could use all the help I can get.”
“Hey, Air Buster,” called Soarin who was standing with the rest of the squadron, “We got you’re back too ya know.”
“You can count on us,” said Asteroid Run with a smirk holding a .50 caliber rifle with only his bare hoof. I could only smile knowing how relaxed and cool he was in tough situations, yet at the same time I knew he was sometimes overkill, but I liked that in a good soldier.
“Ace, Spitfire, a moment,” called Cloud Storm. I turned my head back and trotted over towards the center of the mess hall. 
“What is it sir?” asked Spitfire.
“Once you get to this point here,” he said showing them the map on the central table, “You will rendezvous with Storm Sky, a veteran cloud sniper, and also one of the highest respected guardsmen in all of the Royal Guard. He is scheduled for a commendation by Celestia herself once the war is finally over. I have asked him to go ahead and search for an appropriate cloud sight to safely snipe pegasi without being detected. Good luck Charlie Company.” He said saluting the two pegasi. 
I and Spitfire then saluted back. “Thank you sir.”
“Also,” he continued, “Ace.”
I looked very confused, but then that’s when I got scared. I knew that he was about to either kill me for standing up to an officer, or he was going to send me home. I knew that this was the end, I was sure of it. 
“Yes Sir?” I asked.
“Shining Armor and I discussed what happened last night,” he said. “Rather, instead of you being Court Martialed, we are promoting you to the rank of second lieutenant, for being able to stand up for what you think and know is right in your heart.”
“Thank you sir,” I said firmly saluting. “I just believe other ponies should know what happened, why they’re country is so well protected and who gave the ultimate sacrifice for it.”
“I agree,” said Cloud Storm, “However we spoke with Princess Celestia and said the topics of war should not be taught to young fillies and colts that are below the appropriate age for knowing such things. It is not likely that they will be taught as subjects in flight camp or magic school, but there will be memorials erected in cities, and a final resting place for the soldiers is being organized. I just thought I would tell you that to let you know, you were not ignored.”
“Thank you sir,” I said.
“That is all lieutenants,” said Cloud Storm. “Go defend your hometown.”
“With pleasure,” I replied.
~~~
I was not much of a cloud person at all. I was not used to the moist feel of a cloud, more a less how soft and puffy it was. It was strange. These clouds were fairly nice as they were large enough so that you could go inside of them without falling out, perfect for a sniping mission. I took my perch, facing away from Manehattan. The scope was so close to my eye that I couldn’t even see the rim of it. Instead my eyes were on the horizon waiting for the first sight of the bastard’s heads. 
“Liking the view?” asked Storm Sky trotting over to me. “These are the best clouds that I have seen in a very long time; you got very lucky and caught them at the right time.”
I nodded as I kept my attention on the sky, “They are,” I said looking out of the scope. I then heard loud munching sounds from one of the corners of the cloud; it was blatantly obvious who it was.
“Soarin!” I said to him whispering, “Do you want to give us away?”
“No!” said Soarin, “but since there not here, I decided to have a quick meal.” I then watched as a tray was placed gently next to Soarin. Spitfire merely rolled her eyes as she checked to see that everything was in place inside of the cloud. 
“This isn’t a restaurant Soarin,” she said taking away the pie tin. “Try not to make a sound, ok? No pies, no candy, no drinks, don’t make a sound.”
“Aw,” he said. 
“Don’t be sad Soarin,” called Asteroid Run from his corner of the cloud. “You’ll be able to eat all you want after this mission.”
I smiled hoping that we would make it to the next mission. I returned to the position where my Sniper Rifle was placed, but this time as I looked through the scope something was different. I could see a very faint black line off in the distance. The line continued to grow thicker, according to the scope, the line measured about half a mile wide. “I got something,” I whispered over to the group. “Half mile wide, whole swarm of the bastards.”
“Let me see,” said Spitfire looking out of her scope next to me. When she looked through it, she could definitely see that something was out there. “Well I’ll be damned, he’s right,” said Spitfire; she then turned over towards Storm Sky. “Commander, they’re here, coming in from the north, just as you said.”
Storm Sky then walked over and checked out his binoculars. “Right on time you bastards,” he said. “Alright everypony listen up,” he said. “Don’t fire until you see the white of their eyes, or the feathers on the wings, if their alicorns, they are the priority, so get ready. Keep your hooves tight on that trigger, and don’t let one slip.”
I did exactly as Storm Sky said. I didn’t move, I only watched as the line grew thicker and thicker. At last the line started to break, revealing small formations of pegasi squadrons. I was ready; I would take out every last one of them if I had to. Closer and closer they drew, the tension in the air was so tight you could cut it with your own hoof. 
“Are you ready for this,” said Spitfire watching the force draw in.
All I could do was look out of the scope at the approaching swarm of pegasi that were trying to wipe my hometown off of the face of the earth. As far as I was concerned, everything had come down to this moment; the rest of the war didn’t mean shit to me now. “I was born ready to protect my home, and by Celestia, I’m going to do just that.” At last, one of them was in close enough range, and I opened up. The gun sharply as the recoil rolled up on my shoulder as the bullet left the barrel. However just at the second I felt it, a pegasi was seen falling from the sky like it had been stopped dead. There was no time to celebrate this small victory, as I quickly took aim at the next one, then another one, and another. One by one a fairly sized hole in the formation had been made by our squadron due to the sniping.
“Good kill’s everypony,” whispered Storm Sky walking around the cloud. Even though we did have a brief moment to ourselves when the formation was soon being pursued by the Battle Group, something went horribly wrong. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a hole was made in the cloud, and 5 alicorns, all in black, mane, tail, everything, came and stood in the center of the cloud surrounded by us. They were obviously covered in some kind of stealth uniform, as you couldn’t see their eyes, or their mouths. All I cared about at that moment is what their next move would be. I looked intently at them with sheer intensity as one of them looked back at me, silent and still, waiting for somepony to make the first move. I looked over at Spitfire as she gave me a determined nod and then she looked back at the mysterious Alicorns. “Let’s Dance boys,” she said, and then began a charge at them. I followed suit, as well as the rest of us that were inside of the cloud. 
The alicorns didn’t miss a beat, and moved in a force rather quickly as they quickly charged at us. One by one, they pinned us down to the inside of the cloud. Eventually I looked around as I was the last one standing. Asteroid Run, Storm Sky, Soarin, and Spitfire were all pinned down by one of the alicorns. I looked over at spitfire as she weakly opened her wing in pain. She then found this to quickly be a mistake, as the alicorn smashed it to the ear splitting shriek of her scream. “Spitfire!” I cried looking back at her, but unfortunately, that would be a huge mistake as the alicorn soon got the upper advantage of me. I was determined to not let him win, as I struggled with all of my strength to get him off of me. We had a hoof fight, and I even tried taking the battle outside of the cloud, but the Alicorn was simply too fast, and much too stealthy. Every move I tried, flying into a cloud, fling as fast as I could, banking hard, nothing worked. The alicorn stuck to me like glue on paper. Eventually the other 4 alicorns followed in pursuit during the ensuing chase while everypony else remained inside of the cloud tending to spitfires broken wing.
At last, I had enough. I began a harsh dive down towards the ground, but as I began the curve downward, one of the alicorns grabbed both of my wings, pulled them upwards, and then stomped his hoof on my back down. The scream I let out was like that coming from the sounds of hell alone as I began my speedy fall down towards the ground. I fell down, faster and faster, and was badly injured from my struggle with the 5 mysterious alicorns. I was sure that this was the end as I slowly began closing my eyes, knowing that there were two things that could happen: I could die on impact or I could be found and taken as a War prisoner or returned to basecamp, at that moment I didn’t care, all that was on my mind was Spitfire. My mind quickly flashed images of flying next to her, her hair flowing freely in the breeze, her eyes staring at me with that same loving expression, and just the way she was. For all I cared, I hoped Spitfire was safe. “I love you,” I said as I began to feel the air between me and the ground finally disappear into a violent crash.