//------------------------------//
// Chapter Fifteen 
// Story: Battle For Equestria 
// by Cutiemarkcrusader 
//------------------------------//


Fluttershy's heart hammered at her chest as she ran across the dirt floor of the forest, which was quickly fading into cobblestone road with every step she took.

"Just get Sandalwood and go," She repeated to herself for the fifth time, "But-wait...he's in surgery. How am I supposed to get him?"

Fluttershy was now by the marketplace of Fillydelphia. Ponies to the left and right of her were loading up their fireball launchers. Fluttershy was just going to keep going when she heard a squeaky voice from overhead.

"Fluttershy, what's goin' on?" Apple Bloom was staring out the window with large, glass-like eyes.

"Oh, um," Fluttershy racked her brain for a reasonable answer to tell a little filly.

"There's pegasi comin', isn't there?"

Fluttershy looked back up to the window. Apple Bloom's face was closer still from the second story window of Pinkie Pie's house.

"Uh, Come downstairs with Granny Smith, but you have to hurry, Apple Bloom," Fluttershy called.

The window was shut immediately. Fluttershy moved silently past other ponies until she was at the front door. As soon as she leaned against the door for support, it magically swung open. Apple Bloom and Granny Smith hobbled over to Fluttershy.

"Why do you want us outside durin' a raid?" Granny asked in her crackling voice.

"Here," Fluttershy got herself up off of the ground, "Follow me."

They pushed and shoved past more ponies. Apple Bloom was having trouble staying with them, so Fluttershy grabbed Apple Bloom by the mouth and swung her around so she could sit on her back. They began to pick up more speed until they were back at the outskirts.

"Okay, I have to go do something really, really important. So, just follow that path no matter what until you see a cabin. That's where Pinkie Pie and Zecora are."

"But what about you?" Apple Bloom asked, ignoring what Fluttershy had just said moments ago, "I wanna come with ya."

"Apple Bloom, uh, sweetie," Fluttershy took her off of her back, "You have to stay with Granny Smith. You can't just leave her here. And you have to go now, before the pegasi-

"Look!" a brown pony screetched, "Look in the sky!"

Fluttershy looked up and saw a giant cloud of pegasi littering the sky, but one by one they were being taken out by a treak of rainbow. Ponies stared upward, appalled by this dash of color across the sky, followed by a white and grey one.

"Apple Bloom, go now!"

Before Apple Bloom could argue with her anymore, Fluttershy trotted away as fast as she could to the hospital. She knew that she was already running out of time.

• • •

Cloudy Sky hadn't been planning on working a single minute past her final shift for the day. She also hadn't been planning on being the only pony working at the front desk during a pegasi raid either. Everypony had fled to get to the safety of the bomb shelters or to the grounds of Fillydelphia to fight. This wasn't the firs attack either. As soon as the pegasi had tore Ponyville to shreds they immediately sought Fillydelphia. It was the biggest earth pony camp in all of Equestria after all.

Cloudy knew the drill anyway. Stay at the desk in case anypony came in, duck underneath the desk whenever a bombshell erupted over the hospital, and for the love of Equestria, don't leave until the all clear siren went off. It would probably be midnight by the time that happened though. She had found it fishy that a band of pegasi had come in only hours before this invasion happened. For all Cloudy knew, those pegasi could've been conspiring with those wretched animals that were flying around the city. But deep inside, she knew it wasn't true. Something had happened to just that small group of pegasi.

One of them was in the middle of on operation, two of them were wandering around outside somewhere, as for the other three she had seen come in…

BOOM! The sound of the hospital doors being thrust open caught Cloudy Sky by surprise. The dark shadowy figure of a pegasus stood in between the two doors. She ducked under her desk, shivering slightly as the doors slammed shut. She was done for. The pegasi had gotten in. Every pony would be captured, starting with her!

And then the tiniest voice sounded, "Uh, hello? Is anyone here?"

That voice, Cloudy peered from the edge of her desk, she knew that voice. It was that yellow pegasus from before. Cloudy pointed a hoof at Fluttershy.

"You! Yeah, you! Don't move. W-what side are you on? Huh?"

Fluttershy bowed her head shyly, "I-I'm sorry, but I'm looking for Sandalwood. Is he still I his operation?"

Cloudy narrowed her eyes, "I think he is. The doctors went into his room two hours ago, and usually it's a five hour operation. But who knows, maybe your friends is lucky."

"Oh no," Fluttershy murmured ever so softly.

She couldn't wait a whole three hours. By then the pegasi could very well break through Fillydelphia. The anti-scouts hadn't been able to equip them all with fireball throwing technology so soon, or at least when there had been anti-scouts. Weapons were running low for the ponies even with Hail Storm and Rainbow Dash on the scene. Things were still grim one way or another.

A loud roaring sound brought both Cloudy and Fluttershy down to the floor in fear. When the roaring noise faded away, Fluttershy looked around hesitantly.

"Why are y-you still here?" she asked Cloudy Sky.

"You think I had a choice? I'd give anything to be in one of the bomb shelters right now with everypony else, but I'm stuck here, guarding the front desk, until either the pegasi leave or until your friend is done with his operation."

A loud shriek from outside drew Fluttershy and Cloudy Sky closer together.

"I-I think that w-was-

Cloudy Sky's sentence was cut short as the twin doors of the hospital were catapulted forward, nearly crushing Fluttershy and Cloudy.

Up in the sky, Rainbow Dash and Hail Storm were zipping in and out of enemy pegasi. Rainbow Dash already had a string of pegasi chasing after her, but it was no use for them. Everypony that came within a foot of Dash was sliced by her throwing knife or smacked aside by her powerful wings. Hail Storm followed in her wake, taking care of any pegasi that were still trailing after her friend.

She swung her knife down onto a pale pink pegasus, cutting her wing in the process. The pegasus let out a bloodcurdling shriek as she fell downward. Her screaming finally stopped when she hit an oncoming cloud. The black pegasus that had been in front of her turned to see Hail Storm's hoof kick him directly in the face.

"Hail Storm!" Rainbow Dash called out from behind her shoulder as she raced past a short and stout pegasus, "Do you see that small group of pegasi over there?"

She indicated a small cloud halfway towards them with up to five pegasi on top of it. Hail Storm squinted and was able to make out the indistinct outline of a bomb.

"Yeah," she answered loudly as she zipped along Rainbow Dash's wake, cutting the ear of a light red pegasus.

"Let's crash their party!"

Rainbow Dash's wings folded in as she rocketed herself at the group. Hail Storm watched in fascination as Dash reminded her of a bullet that was yet to reach its target. Dash knocked several of the ponies off of the cloud, but two clung onto the bomb, accidentally activating it. Dash had clopped them aside the heads when the bomb toppled out of the cloud suddenly. Hail Storm, not even thinking, dove for the bomb before it could do any damage.

Her wings folded in just as Dash had done, but it wasn't doing much for her. She was only a few feet away from the iron casket when a cyan blur careened past her at the speed of light. Hail Storm was thrown off course as a sonic rainboom roared slammed into her body.

Everything seemed to go in slow motion from that moment forward. Hail Storm collided into a cloud with a loud snap, letting out a mangled scream. Rainbow Dash struggled to hold up the bomb that was hurtling down to the depths of Fillydelphia. Hail Storm watched in horror as her friend descended with it. And then it happened all too fast.

Just as the bomb was reaching its destination with Rainbow Dash still clutching onto it for dear life, she was magically pulled off. As for the bomb, it exploded in the air, just a few meters outside of the hospital. Dash sputtered in shock as she landed right outside the hospital doors unharmed.

"Wha-what?" Rainbow Dash looked around in disarray.

"I never knew that you could still be reckless even in a war, Rainbow Dash," A familiar voice said from behind.

Rainbow Dash spun around to come face to face with Twilight Sparkle. Dash's rose-colored eyes widened as she took a step back.

"How? What are you…why?" She stammered uncontrollably.

"Let's just say that the unicorns are no longer neutral in this war anymore," Twilight smirked.

Rainbow Dash looked around Fillydelphia and saw dozens upon dozens of unicorns scattered about, throwing magic spells at incoming troops of pegasi. It just felt too good to be true. Members of the royal guard were standing side-by-side with other ponies and flinging burning arrows at individual pegasi. The scratched and bruised Lyra Heartstrings shielded her friend Bon Bon from a fireball coming in from the enemy's side. And a familiar shaggy blue-maned unicorn was levitating Hail Storm out of her cloud.

"How did you guys get here?" Rainbow asked, astonished at the scene around her.

"Zecora had a tunnel leading directly to Manehatten. We had a little help getting here from a very little friend of ours-

There was a small moan coming from inside of the hospital. Reality came crushing back on Rainbow Dash. She had forgotten about Fluttershy what with the unicorns and the bomb. It had never occurred to her that her friend was still in there until now. Rainbow Dash rushed inside the gaping hole where the doors used to be with Twilight following right behind her.

Fluttershy had gotten knocked out momentarily from the blast, but was otherwise all right. She had woken up just as Rainbow Dash and Twilight got inside.

"Fluttershy! Are you okay?" Dash called out.

"I-I'm over here. T-Twilight? Is that you?"

Yes," Twilight smiled grimly as she helped a passed out earth pony come out from the charred remains of her desk. The side of her head was scratched slightly, but that was the only wound she had on her. She would be fine.

Fluttershy gasped at the sight of Cloudy Sky being flung onto Twilight's back, "Cloudy...Will she be okay?"

Twilight nodded, "She'll be fine Fluttershy. But we have to leave and fast. The unicorns are all using a lot of magic right now and we're still waiting for backup to arrive."

"Backup?" Dash asked at the same time as Fluttershy.

"You'll see," Twilight winked, "So, where's your friend?"

"He's getting operated on. Or that's what they say," Fluttershy answered, "Wait, how did you know about Sandalwood?"

"Pinkie Pie explained. A lot."

"Pinkie Pie?"

"It's a long story," Twilight murmured as she set Cloudy onto a mildly scorched bench, "Here, Fluttershy, you stay here until this pony wakes up and then meet me at Sandalwood's room. Rainbow Dash, protect this place with everything you've got."

"I'm on it," Rainbow Dash gave Twilight a salute before opening up her wings and flying out into the war stricken sky.

Twilight turned back to Fluttershy, "Okay, tell..."

"Cloudy," Fluttershy finished for Twilight.

"Well, tell Cloudy that she can leave when she wakes up. Also try to find a first aid kit and patch her up. She had a few scratches on her.

"Uh, but where am I going to find a first aid kit, Twilight?" Fluttershy's darted to and fro.

Twilight arched an eyebrow at that question, "Um, you do know that we're in a hospital, right?"

Fluttershy's light yellow face began to turn a crimson red, "O-oh…I know. I-I just meant, uh, what room."

"Well, try the one across the hall," Twilight pointed at a door that was a bit burnt by the impact of the two flaming hospital doors.

Fluttershy ran into the room just as Twilight ordered her to do. Sitting on a windowsill was a bright orange box already left unopened. Fluttershy opened the box and looked inside to find all she needed: bandages, band-aids, pain relievers. She closed it and proceeded to grab it by her mouth.

"Twi, I've goft irt. Twilight?"

There was nopony in the hallway anymore. Fluttershy gulped as Cloudy Sky began to groan aloud. She walked toward her carefully with the box still being held in her mouth.

"W-where am I? Am I still in the hospital?" Cloudy asked in a shallow gasp, "It's you. What are you still doing here? I'm not dead am I?"

"No, not at all," Fluttershy placed the first aid kit down onto the ground, "But you got a bit hurt. Nothing to worry about though. Here, just lean back and let me patch you up."

Cloudy laid her head back down onto the bench, "Okay...I had the weirdest dream. Or, I think it was a dream. I was walking through this meadow…a-and it began raining, like, really hard. I saw this cabin up ahead, so I ran towards it. Only...the mpmore I ran to it, the farther away it got. The rain was turning to snow and then the snow…I-I think it began turning to hail. It was really hurting me to be outside and I needed to get to this cabin. A giant hail stone hit me in the head when I woke up."

Fluttershy was already taping down the bandage on Cloudy Sky's forehead when she finished her story, "Well, don't worry. You've been here this whole time. Nothing to worry about."

A scream made both Cloudy and Fluttershy jump. The scream had come from Sandalwood's room.

"Twilight!" Fluttershy gasped, "Come on!"

"Wait, what?" Cloudy's beady eyes locked onto Fluttershy's large ones, "You're crazy to think I'm coming with you after all of this."

"Fine, then stay here," Fluttershy took off as another scream pierced the air.

She glanced behind her to see that Cloudy Sky was chasing after her. Cloudy called aloud, "Nothing better happen to us, okay!"

"Don't worry," Fluttershy fibbed, "I'm sure we'll be fine."

But she didn't realize how wrong she was.