Thunder marched slowly onwards. A thick mist smothered the land, turning the area an eerie whitish-grey. It was early morning and still quite dark, and while the heavy snowstorms had subsided for now, other debilitating weather occurrences quickly replaced them, causing endless torment for those who were caught out in it.
He happened to be a victim of these weather problems. I need to get to Canterlot to inform Celestia and Luna as soon as possible, Thunder thought as he slowly continued his journey. Even though it was still early morning, he was constantly on the lookout for hostile forces.
Nothing so far... he thought to himself as he surveyed the area for anything that may help or hinder his journey. I guess I'll take a quick rest while there's nothing in sight. He was exhausted from trekking over the rough terrain for so long.
He removed his satchels from his back and placed them onto a snow covered rock. He then unfastened one and reached inside. After a few seconds of riffling through provisions, he pulled out a hip flask. It was a standard size, military issue flask made of silver, able to hold a decent amount of liquid. While they were typically issued for personal survival provisions, Thunder had filled his with his favourite beverage, whisky.
He unscrewed the cap and took a swig of the strong liquid. He savoured the taste before he swallowed. His drink was now his only companion on his journey, and he wasn't about to waste what little of it he had left. "That will do for now," he said to himself as he screwed the cap back on. He placed the flask back in his satchel and refastened it. He then slung them over his back and headed off again, Canterlot slowly growing bigger in the distance.
* * *
As per usual, Celestia was sat at her desk in her study with Luna assisting her. Despite being early morning, both princesses worked hard to manage their army and kingdom, and they wouldn't let sleep get in their way.
"Another early morning," Celestia managed to mumble as she yawned heavily.
"I know..." mumbled Luna, as the infectious yawn afflicted her too. "Too early if you ask me..."
"Still, it’s important we get these orders out as soon as possible. Lives are at risk," replied Celestia as she began to flick through a small pile of documents and letters.
"Have any letters arrived from Alpha Platoon yet, Luna?"
Luna flicked through her pile of new documents and letters. Again, she was unable to find anything from Thunder's platoon.
"Nothing yet, Tia," Luna replied as she re-stacked her paperwork.
"Odd. Very odd. It's been four days now, a long time for Thunder to not send us an update report. Perhaps I should send out a patrol team to scout for any signs of Thunder and his platoon." Celestia pondered for a moment, staring blankly into the distance, lost in thought. She then rose from her seat and headed for the door.
"I'll be back in a moment, Luna. You carry on with what you're doing." Using her magic, Celestia opened the double doors and exited the study, closing them behind her afterwards. She then headed off down the hallway towards the main hall of the palace.
Since the start of the war, the palace had been converted into a rescue shelter and the barracks for the R.E.A. Only a few areas remained off limits for use by Celestia, Luna and selected royal guards only. Despite the palace bustling with ponies, the hallway Celestia walked down was deathly quiet. Usually a few guards were assigned to be present in case of anything, but since the conversion the guards were given the task of overseeing everything else that happened in the 'public' sections of the palace.
After a few minutes of walking, Celestia came to another large set of double doors. She approached them and knocked on one a few times. A few seconds later, the large doors began to slowly creak open. Two guards that were stationed on the other side each opened a door. They were appointed the position of preventing unauthorised ponies into the private section of the palace, this doorway being the main entrance.
Having fully opened the doors, the guards stood at attention as their princess walked through.
"Thank you very much," Celestia said kindly as she passed. The guards closed the doors behind her. The section of castle she was now in used to be the main hall, but had since been converted into a secondary command room for the R.E.A. as the first had become too busy and overcrowded. Many tables had been set up for numerous piles of paperwork and maps as well as various other objects. As it was still dawn, many of the commanding personel were still either asleep or elsewhere attending to other matters. However, a few ponies were still bustling around the room.
Celestia approached a pegasus seated at the central table. The pegasus was a misty grey colour with a searing orange mane and tail, and had a circle of flaming feathers adorning his flanks, symbolising his love of flying during the peaceful early morning sun. His name was Firecrest, the Air Marshal of the R.E.A. and long time acquaintance of Celestia. He was sat at the table overlooking a large map of Equestria, repositioning groups of different coloured flags used to indicate friendly and hostile forces.
"Good morning Firecrest," greeted Celestia as she approached the table. Firecrest put down the flags he was holding and turned to face Celestia.
"Not today, it's not," he replied with a smug smile on his face. “With all of this fighting and snow, how can I possibly enjoy my early morning flights? Too chilly for my liking.” Firecrest had always enjoyed being awake at the crack of dawn, to see the sun rise and to bask in it's warmth. He also enjoyed the peace and quiet of the early morning, allowing his cares and worries to be lost in a sea of tranquility. However, since the start of the war, the mornings were neither warm due to the heavy snow, nor peaceful due to the fighting or commotion around the palace.
"I have a favour to ask of you, Firecrest," Celestia said as she analysed the large map in front of her.
"What will you have me do?" asked Firecrest, awaiting his princess's orders.
"I need you to send a patrol group to scout this general area," Celestia replied as she pointed to the location of the valley on the large map. "Marshal Thunder was returning here through this area, but for some reason we haven't heard from him or his platoon in days. That's why I need you to send out a patrol group to search for them or anything else they may come across."
Firecrest rose from his seat, acknowledging the order. "I'll get right on it," he said as he walked past Celestia and headed for the doors leading to the barracks. "I'll get back to you with news as soon as possible," he said as he bowed to Celestia before exiting the room through the doors at the back.
Firecrest headed down the hallway towards a very large room at the end. Within the room many ponies bustled around, busy with their daily routine: wake up, get up and prepare for combat or training, whereas others were still fast asleep. The room they were in was full of beds and supplies for the R.E.A., and divided into sections for the four separate divisions: Ground Tacticians, Air Squadrons, Magic Specialists, and General Reserve. Each section was specific to certain types of pony, with General Reserve being the only exception.
Firecrest entered the room and headed towards the Air Squadron section at the back. Once there, he headed over to a group of four pegasi, all geared in lightweight body-armour that was suitable for flying in.
"Delta Team, hustle up and listen closely," Firecrest called out to them. Hearing their superior, the group of highly trained pegasi turned their attention to Firecrest.
"Listen up, Delta Team. I need you to fly out to the V.O.T.D. and scout for Alpha Platoon and Marshal Thunderhorse. We've lost contact with them so it's your job to see if you can find any trace of them. Ready up and get going, this is an extremely important mission." Firecrest's face was stern throughout his speech, indicating the importance of the mission - if his words didn't seem convincing enough.
"We'll get right on it, sir!" replied one of the pegasi, acknowledging the command. The fireteam began to ready up, and, in no time at all, were ready to head out.
"Good luck out there. Report to me only, when you return," said Firecrest as he watched the fireteam pass him on their way to the courtyard to take flight and search for the missing platoon.
* * *
Damn it, when will this fog clear? I can barely see where I'm going, Thunder thought to himself as he slowly continued on towards Canterlot.
The fog had been lingering for hours now and showed no sign of letting up. What had originally been an inconvenience to Thunder was now a full on problem. While he could still see a fair way into the distance, the fog still reduced his vision by a significant amount.
Thunder stopped abruptly, hearing a noise nearby. From what he could tell, the noise sounded like the flapping of pegasi wings in the distance, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly where. What is that noise? This damned fog sure isn’t helping...
He silently drew his sword and prepared for what may appear. He kept quiet and tried to hone his senses in anticipation for what may appear. Despite being an excellent swordspony, he still feared the worst as he was on his own. After a short while, the sound slowly subsided. Thunder lowered his guard somewhat and looked around, searching for anything. Seeing nothing, he sheathed his sword and continued on towards Canterlot. After just a few steps the sound returned, this time louder than before.
Thunder quickly drew his sword again. "Who's there?" he shouted intimidatingly, trying to make the source of the sound reveal itself. He quickly looked around in all directions for anything. "Show yourself!" he shouted aggressively at the unknown source of noise. He turned around abruptly, only to be met with a powerful hoof hit to his face, knocking him unconscious. He could just about make out the silhouette of a pegasus before he blacked out and collapsed to the ground. The last thing he felt was the cool trickle of blood down his face.
* * *
Delta Team soared high above the war-torn land, searching for any sign of Thunder or his platoon. Even though they were flying high above the fog blanketing the land, it was still hard to spot anything specific on the ground. It was past midday, however due to the clouds covering the sky, the sun wasn't able to shine through, making it still seem like morning.
"It's going to be tough to look for Thunder with all this fog," stated the team leader. "We need to fly lower," he ordered.
The fireteam descended to try and get a more accurate view of the land. It was a mix of white and grey blurs due to the snow merging with the rocky landscape to create what seemed like a stained canvas. However, the mountainous region allowed them to keep their bearing, the mountains and rolling hills acting as noticeable landmarks that they could follow.
After a few more minutes of flying, the land began to flatten out, the hills and peaks slowly becoming gentler. As campsite that was resting atop a small hill came into view in the distance.
"You think that's a hostile camp?" asked a team member as he gestured towards the campsite.
"Only one way to find out. Be ready for anything," replied the team leader as he unsheathed his short sword.
The rest of the fireteam followed suit and unsheathed their swords too. As they drew nearer, they noticed that the camp seemed abnormally quiet for it's size.
"Looks abandoned, still want to check it out?" asked a team member, looking towards his leader for the answer.
"No going back now," replied the leader as they reached the campsite. The fireteam cautiously descended to the ground just a few metres away from the hill. They looked around for any sign of activity before slowly approaching the tents.
"Don't let your guard down, boys," whispered the leader as they neared the first lot of tents.
When they reached the tents, they split up and looked around the campsite to check for anything they may have missed. They figured that the camp was abandoned and finished looking around, having not found anything of interest. Three of them regrouped in the middle of the campsite, waiting for the last to return.
"What you got over there?" shouted the leader to the separate team member. "Somepony in there?" The team leader walked over to the pegasus who hadn’t regrouped to see what was going on. The team member was simply standing outside a tent, his gaze affixed on something inside.
"What's up?" asked the team leader as he peaked inside the tent. As he did a nauseating smell assaulted his nostrils, and a horrific image greeted his sight. Numerous dead ponies lay in an icy pool of blood, their bodies stiff and discoloured. "Holy... crap. They're... all from Alpha Platoon. Look at their uniforms," he quietly said as he backed away from the tent. He fell silent for a few moments as the other two team members came over. They both took a peek inside and ended up mimicking their leader's reaction.
All four team members stood still, exchanging confused and fearful expressions with each other. The team leader was the first to snap back to reality. "Check the other tents," he quietly ordered. The team members did as they were told, only to be greeted with similar sights for each tent they checked.
Having finished checking the tents, they regrouped once more to discuss their next plan of action. "We need to report this back to Firecrest immediately," stated the team leader.
"But what about Marshal Thunder?" asked a team member. "He's not among the bodies, so he must be elsewhere."
"Something may have happened to him. He's very tough though. I'm sure he can hold out a little longer while we report this back to base. Let's move. Now," stated the leader as he took flight. The rest obliged and took flight along with their leader, headed back towards Canterlot.
* * *
The day passed by and the sun was slowly beginning to set. Thunder stirred and slowly opened his eyes. His head throbbed from the hit he received and felt numb from the pain. He rubbed his head and face with his hoof, blood covering it in the process. My head... What happened? thought Thunder, as he groaned from the throbbing pain that pulsated through his head.
He looked around for any sign of activity but found none. He was in some sort of cell with a small room on the other side of the bars. The room was lit by a burning sconce that illuminated everything brightly. Across from the cell, Thunder spotted his satchels and weapon on a small table in the corner, too far away to even try and reach. A heavy iron door was positioned opposite the cell across the room. There were no windows in the room so Thunder couldn't estimate the time, instead he focused his attention on the cell he was locked in. The cell was very small, and almost empty aside from a small pile of hay in the corner for resting on.
Where the hell am I? Thunder thought to himself while continuing to rub his head. The last thing I remember is seeing a silhouette of a pegasus... He was cut off from his thoughts as a noise came from the other side of the heavy iron door. The door slowly swung open and two White Army guards stepped through. They were both equipped with swords and wore body armour, whereas Thunder was left defenceless with only his army jacket. Any violence would surely result in Thunder being the overall victim. The two guards approached the cells, and one pulled out a set of keys.
“You’re coming with us. Don’t try any funny business, got it?” stated one of the guards with menace in his voice, as he began to unlock the cell door. The lock clicked, and the door swung open. Thunder knew he should comply for now, as any wrong moves could get him killed. He got up and slowly exited the cell. He discreetly glanced over to the table where his satchels and sword were. They were too far away to reach without being cut down first by the guards, so he ruled out the possibility of a counter-attack - at this point. Maybe though... at some point.
“Get moving,” ordered one of the guards as he brandished his sword. Reluctantly, Thunder began to walk slowly out of the room and along the cold stone corridor. There were no other doorways along the corridor, so Thunder knew he was headed for the large wooden double doors at the end. He kept a close eye on the guards’ actions behind him, ready to defend himself should they try anything. As they neared the large doors, one of the guards walked in front and pushed them open. Through the doorway Thunder could see a room much like the previous one. However, this one was full of other objects and a large chair along the back wall. The guard behind Thunder nudged him to continue walking. What the hell are they going to do with me in there? he thought as he entered the large room.
Looking around, he saw that the room was slightly larger than where he was locked up and was illuminated by many wall-torches on either side. There were many tables in the room, all covered with various objects that Thunder couldn’t identify. Even though the room had many torches, it still emanated a deathly chill that gave off the feeling of impending danger. The situation made his usual nerves of steel falter as he was now a prisoner of war in an unknown location.
“Bring him over here,” ordered a pegasus seated on the large chair. The guards followed the order and pushed Thunder into the centre of the room. They then closed the large wooden doors and stood guard in front of them. “Greetings, Marshal Thunder,” said the seated pegasus, almost too politely. The pegasus was a charcoal grey colour with a sky blue mane and tail - typical colours for many White Army militants. His cutie mark was a pair of crossed swords that indicated his skill in armed combat.
“Who are you and what do you want with me?” Thunder asked calmly as he stared up at the pegasus. The pegasus looked vaguely familiar, but Thunder couldn’t tell why.
“My name is Skyfrost. I’m in charge of this outpost, orders from our leader Swift Wing himself. Do you know where we are, Thunder?” asked Skyfrost with a blank expression on his face. Thunder shook his head; he had absolutely no idea where in Equestria he was.
“We’re currently in a small outpost near the border where you stopped our last attack. I lost a lot of good stallions from that and failed an important job Swift Wing had asked me to carry out. I thought the little revenge massacre that I ordered would have got you, but it seems I was wrong. So, when the pegasi that I sent out reported that they had not seen you, I personally flew out to hunt you down. Luckily, the morning fog allowed me to trail you without being seen, then, well, you know what happened next. How’s your head?” A sadistic smile crossed Skyfrost expressionless face as he pointed at the dried blood covering Thunder’s head.
“Just tell me what you want with me,” Thunder added, his anger slowly rising at the pitiful display of dominance. Skyfrost stood up and slowly walked over to Thunder. They met eye-to-eye, a silent war ensuing between their stares, neither of which would surrender.
“You see Thunder. Since you weren’t killed, and it did slightly disappoint me that you weren’t, I’ve decided that I’ll let you live. However, as soon as I get enough information from you about the R.E.A.’s future plans of attack, I’m going to kill you; something I’ll definitely enjoy doing. Hopefully that should redeem myself in the eyes of our great leader.” Skyfrost gestured to the pegasi standing guard, who then came over and stood behind Thunder, effectively blocking his movement.
“Lock him in,” ordered Skyfrost, his face returning to the steely visage he had before. In one swift movement, the guards knocked Thunder to the ground and then dragged him over to a wooden frame at the side of the room. From the frame hung multiple chains, and ankle shackles were affixed to the floor. Thunder was stunned from another impact to his head, meaning he wasn’t able to resist the guards’ actions. The guards locked Thunder’s back hooves into the shackles and tied his front hooves to the top of the frame, leaving him upright and splayed out, completely helpless.
“Well, let’s get started. This is going to be fun,” Skyfrost stated somewhat sarcastically. He walked over to a table near the frame and examined the many tools that lay out on it. He then looked over towards Thunder with sadistic grin spread across his face.
“Let the games... begin.”