//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: "The First Battle for Ponyville" // Story: The War for the Ring...Enters Equestria // by mint20 //------------------------------// Chapter 4: “The First Battle for Ponyville” The War for the Ring...Enters Equestria Twilight Sparkle's Point of View Time Since Arrival: 1 hour, 5 minutes Location: Outside My Library “Orcs?” I asked. I vaguely remembered Gandalf saying something about them. Aren't they... “Servants of Sauron! Draw your weapons, my fellows!” Gandalf exclaimed. As one, every member of the Fellowship drew a sword or other weapon. Gimli handled a massive battleax like a butter knife and Legolas carried his bow like he knew how to use it. “Rainbow Dash! Pinkie Pie!” I called. “You two are the fastest. Track down the Ponyville Defensive Force. Notify them that Ponyville is under attack by unknown enemies, and we need them here. Go!” Pinkie snapped a firm salute and dived into the nearest mailbox. Rainbow hesitated for a moment, then said, “No can do. Pinkie will cover it. In the meantime, I am staying by your side, Twilight, and everypony else's, too.” “Dash!” I exclaimed, irritated. I did not press the issue, though. I knew that when Dash made up her mind on an affair like this one, there was no changing it. “Now, listen,” Gandalf began. “These creatures are brutal and ruthless. They will kill you in a second and not think anything of it. You need to run.” “With all due respect, sir. If you think we will flee and leave our friends here, you are insane,” Rarity said. “Is that a challenge?!” Rainbow Dash demanded at the same time. “I never leave Ponyville hanging. And I will not abandon friends of mine!” Gandalf sighed. “We have no weapons for you to use,” he said. “We don't care,” I responded. “Our hooves are good enough.” “And my lasso!” Applejack exclaimed, flourishing it. Gandalf sighed again. “You don't seem get it. This is not a game. This is not practice. This creatures can and will kill you if they get half a chance.” “And you don't seem to get it. We may not look like much, but we fought in the Battle at Canterlot to defend our friends and nation. We will fight again!” Fluttershy exclaimed, demonstrating an odd amount of assertiveness. Before Gandalf could argue further, the door to my library was broken down. I started casting combat spells that I learned in an old book that dated back to the Kingdom of Unicorns. The Fellowship organized into a formation and they fought like they had been in battle before. Most of them probably had, if war was half as common as they made it out to be. After a moment's hesitation, the Orcs charged forward, and the battle went hoof-to-hoof. There were about fifty Orcs in total. Running forward, Applejack and Rainbow Dash led the charge. Following them was Fluttershy, holding her head high, ready for action. Rarity and I brought up the rear, using magic and speed to our advantage. I saw that these Orcs were carrying swords that had an odd bend at the end of the sword. All of the blades looked new, like the Orcs carrying them have just gotten replacements or something. They also wore differing armor. A few things were all the same, though. First, they looked at us with a look of pure hatred. Second, they fought separate from each other, with little or no clear leadership or chain of command. Finally, they all wore helmets that had a white hand painted on them. I dodged a savage sword swing and bucked the attacker back, yelling “For Equestria!” I head a snap and the Orc cried out in agony. Looking over, I saw that I had caved in the chest of my attacker. “Score one for Equestria!” Legolas yelled over to me, dispatching his own opponent. “These Ponies are great fighters. I shudder to think what they could accomplish with a sword or spear.” I felt slightly sick that I had just killed, but I shoved the emotion aside. Time for that later. Right now, I have a country to defend, I thought as I saw twenty Orcs closing in around me, grinning savagely. Aragon's Point of View Time Since Arrival: 1 hour, 17 minutes Location: Ponyville, Equestria I dueled with an Orc, blocking and trading blows, when a blue blur appeared and slammed into my opponent with great force. The Orc fell, most of the bones in his body broken, and I saw Rainbow Dash on top of the broken and battered body, saying “That one was for my friends.” “Then score one for them,” I responded. Suddenly, there was a loud scream. “Twilight!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, and took off in the direction of the scream. Swearing under my breath, I ran after her. Rainbow Dash's Point of View No, no, NO, NOO! I thought to myself, darting towards a large group of Orcs. I hit one Orc, shattering its bone structure, and fought my way to Twilight, who was laying on the ground. The Orcs had gathered around her, looking like they were...well...playing. I killed two of the ten Orcs there rapidly, and seriously injured a third. The rest backed off and did not try to stop me. “Fluttershy! I need you! NOW!” I screamed. Like lightning, she was there. “Help her!” I urged Fluttershy. “Don't worry about the Orcs. I will address them.” I flew over their heads and landed behind them, yelling, “Cowards! Come at me, you filthy pieces of sh*t!” That pissed them off. They charged me, some fifteen strong, and I knew that I couldn't hold all of them off. This is for you, Twilight, I thought. Aragorn's Point of View I saw Rainbow Dash hold her ground against fifteen Orcs. These Ponies sure are brave, I thought to myself. Stupid, but brave. I prepared my sword and joined Dash, ready for combat. “Fancy meeting you here!” Dash yelled at me over the sounds of battle. I blocked an Orc's sword and beheaded him. “I've had worse meetings!” I shouted back. She smiled at me, then turned and looked at our enemy. Her face hardened into a look of pure hatred, and she yelled at them, “BACK! NOPONY TOUCHES HER!” I noticed that her necklace was starting to glow again, and she was floating a meter off the ground without using her wings. Suddenly, there was a burst of bright red light and a deafening bang. When I regained my vision, all the Orcs were laying on the ground, slain or knocked unconscious. Rainbow was leaning over her friend, Twilight. “Will she be okay?” she asked Fluttershy, a tone of panic in her voice. Before Fluttershy could answer, a trumpet sounded. Pinkie Pie appeared, a group of Ponies in armor behind her. “You're late!” Rainbow Dash yelled at Pinkie. “Hey, Dashie! I– wait, is that Twilight?” “Yes.” At hearing this, Pinkie's mane instantly went from wild, excited and poofy to straight and solemn. “Will she be okay?” Pinkie asked, quietly. Rainbow looked to Fluttershy. “You are the medical expert here,” she said. “Will she be alright?” Fluttershy hesitated, then said, “Yes. She received a cut across her front left leg. She many also have a minor concussion. It won't take too long to heal naturally.” “Why is she out cold, then?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Shock, mainly. She should be coming around in a few moments.” They all sighed in relief. I however, was thoroughly confused. The gash looked rather nasty to me, and my Ranger experience told a very different story that these Ponies were saying. “Wait a moment,” I said. “A wound like this,” I pointed to the cut, “would put a Man out of action for weeks. Am I missing something?” Before they could answer, a dark gray pegasus Pony that wore armor made of a metal I could not identify ran up to us. “Is the conflict over?” “Yes, no thanks to you,” Rainbow Dash almost spat. “Now, please go get a Medical Unicorn. We have a wounded Pony here!” “Yes, ma'am,” the soldier responded, flying back to his forces. I looked to Dash with surprise. “Does everybody here just order around the military like that?” “Well, the Ponyville Defensive Force, stationed here not that long ago, are the servants of the Ponies living here. It consists of thirty earth ponies, twenty pegasi, and a dozen unicorns. They are supposed to keep the peace and act as Ponyville's police, emergency response squadron, and standing army. As a result, they are not exactly part of the military, but are not quite civilians, either.” A unicorn, presumably the Medical Unicorn that Rainbow Dash had sent for, trotted up. “We have a wounded Pony here?” he asked. “Yes, we do,” Rainbow Dash said curtly. “Let's see what I can do, then,” the unicorn said. He closed his eyes in focus and an eerie green light enveloped his horn. “Green? He's a Changeling! Get him!” Rainbow Dash yelled, and tackled the unicorn. The “unicorn” threw Dash off of him and suddenly he was enveloped in a bright, ugly green light. Suddenly, he flared brighter then the sun. When the light faded, a black, ugly insect-like creature laid on the ground, exactly where the unicorn had been. Rainbow jumped back on top of it, beating the creature into a pulp. “Changelings!” she said, disgusted. She actually spat on the corpse. She took to the air and yelled “LET THAT BE AN EXAMPLE TO ALL WHO WOULD ATTACK EQUESTRIA OR MY FRIENDS; THERE WILL BE NO SAFE HAVEN!” I looked to her with a mixture of shock and awe. “You are a fierce creature, you know that?” She beamed at me. Twilight moaned and stirred from unconsciousness. “Girls?” she asked, seeing her friends gathered around her. “Twilight!” they exclaimed, and enveloped her in a group hug. It was clear to me that these Ponies had a bond stronger than any I have ever seen. “Hey, ladies?” I asked. They slowly gave me their attention. “What was that creature that Dash here just beat into next week?” The Ponies took on a dark look. “They are creatures named Changelings,” Rainbow Dash responded, solemnly. “They feed by taking the form of somepony you love and gain power by literally eating the love you give them,” Twilight continued. “They can hold a disguise for an almost unlimited amount of time, all the time getting stronger and stronger. They rule an Empire on the other side of the East Sea. Relationships between the Changeling Empire and Equestria have steadily getting worse over the years, finally coming to bear with the Battle at Canterlot two and a half years ago, where Queen Chrysalis, along with the First and Second Legions of the Changeling Empire, attempted to take over Canterlot. They aren't great fighters in terms of tactics, but they are some of the fiercest fighters on this world. They strike fast, greatly outnumbering their enemies, slaughter everything they see and run before you can actually pull your forces and attack them in return.” Her words rang eerily in my ears. These Changelings sounded a lot like Orcs. “How can you tell if somebody you know is a Changeling or not?” asked Gandalf, who had come up silently turning Twilight's talk. “It's difficult. Look for a change in attitude, combative behavior. The Princesses have been trying to develop a way for two and a half years now. There is a spell that forces a Changeling to show its true form. However, the spell is very complicated and if the one you are screening is not a Changeling, then it is excruciatingly painful and can kill her. The only one dead giveaway is if the Changeling tries to use magic. Their magic always glows an eerie green.” “Like the 'Medical Unicorn' that almost used some magic on you to 'heal' you,” I supplied. A look of panic appeared on her face. “A Changeling used magic on me?” “No,” I said, “thanks to the quick action of Rainbow Dash, the Changeling was slain in an instant.” She breathed a sigh of relief. “You see, this complicates matters,” Rainbow Dash said. “Yes, it does,” Twilight said. “How so?” Rarity asked. “Nobody is safe anymore,” Gandalf said in a forlorn voice. Rainbow Dash's Point of View Time Since Arrival: 1 hour, 47 minutes Location: Twilight's Library I was exhausted. The battle, not that long ago, had left me feeling as if somepony took my body, beat the crap out of it, ran it in a marathon, and then beat it up again. Despite this, I stood beside Twilight, ready to do whatever she needed me to do. “Rainbow, get that down for me,” she said, gesturing to a book that must have been almost my own size. I flew up to it, and brought the book down. Boy, it was heavy! I was almost convinced it had bricks in it. “Carefully, carefully...” she said to me, watching the book with a look of concern written all over her face. Moaning slightly under the weight, I deposited it somewhat gentility on the table in front of her. “Excellent, now, let us see...” she trailed off, blowing some of the dust off of the cover. The title read The Comprehensive Guide to the World of Quantum Mechanics and Other Related Subjects. “What is that for?” I asked, more just for the sake of asking than anything else. “Oh, this?” she asked. “This is a book that breaks down everything known about time travel, the fabric of the universe, and dimensional and universal/multiversal theory, among other related things. Not something I usually study, but one does see the demand once in a while. Plus, it is just fascinating work! Unfortunately, I usually have more pressing things to study.” “How does it work?” I asked, mildly interested. “Oh, it involves extremely long and complicated mathematical equations, tons of time, and a lot of guesswork. You have to be willing to invest hours of your time and not get anywhere. There are Ponies in the Royal Ministry of Physics that devote their entire lives to this kind of work.” I scoffed quietly, and said, “Well, what use is it? It clearly isn't that important.” Twilight responded sarcastically, saying, “Well, when one of those Ponies finally work out the 'Great Equation,' as it is called, and is able to explain what our entire universe is made up of and how it operates, as well as how to manipulate the very strands of reality themselves, I am sure they would love to hear you say that their work is 'not that important'.” I paled at hearing the implications of this. “You get it?” Twilight threw out teasingly. “A Pony or group of Ponies who understood this could conceivably rule the world – no, the universe! How would you fight an enemy that could suspend time, warp space, control the flow of magic to a degree not even Princess Celestia or Luna would understand, or even eliminate you before you even existed? Short answer: you can't. But, this work is no big deal.” She waited for a moment, making sure that her message had sunk in. “However, lucky for you, I am not trying to subject the universe to my will. Not today, at least. What I am doing is looking up dimensional theory, in an attempt to seal what appears to be hole between Middle-Earth and Equestria. Wherever that Fellowship came from, they did not 'close the doors' behind them. As it stands, there is a open area between the dimensions that allows for those Orcs to come into this world. I hope to find something to close that gap. Although we manged to hold them off today, we cannot expect that to continue. The last squadron was fifty strong and I guess that they stumbled upon the portal. What if the Enemy finds this portal and sends another squadron though, but this one numbers fifty hundred? As it stands, we cannot hold of an army of that size. We need intelligence, and, above that, we need time. If I can find a way to stop or slow them for a day or two, the Equestrian Armies will be that much closer to us.” I respond, “Now, did it occur to you, Twilight, that we should just send the Fellowship back to their Middle-Earth and call it good?” “No, Rainbow. That is not a very ethical decision. Besides, I spoke with Gandalf. He said that even it we do so, Sauron will simply return and attempt to capture all of Equestria. His ambition knows no bounds. Also, even if we wanted to send them back, the portal is...well, the portal appears to have some kind of one-way effect active on it. They can send things though, but we can not. Hopefully, I can fix that.” “Twilight, be honest with me. Do you think that the Equestrian Armies can even consider standing up to these Orcs? Remember the Battle at Canterlot, and what a disaster that was. Over a fifth of all the Royal Guards were killed in action. Another two-fifths seriously wounded in combat. In addition, almost three hundred innocent civilians were killed, for Celestia's sake!" Twilight hesitated, then said, “It comes down to this question: Do you trust Commander Thunder Mask? I have looked over his military history, and it is quite impressive. The Commander has a long history of defending Equestria's borders against raiding parties of Changelings and Diamond Dogs. What most Ponies don't realize is that the Changelings and Diamond Dogs pose a real threat to Equestria. He has led forces to victory in skirmishes and engagements that should have, by all rights, been suicidal. Not only that, but he did not take one casualty in many of them. In general, he has never lost more than a fourth of the forces under his command in any one engagement, be it in victory or defeat. You probably don't know this, but when Shining Armor was detained in the castle at the Battle at Canterlot, along with us, it fell on Shining's lieutenant to lead the counter-attack while the Changelings ran free. He was slain about three-fourths of the way through the battle. As a result, Thunder Mask assumed command of the Guard. Using his strategies, he saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives, many of them civilians. He is a tactical genius, truly understanding what it means to execute a perfect plan. More importantly, he is both fiercely loyal and patient. Finally, he has very high regard for the Ponies under his command, and allegedly even refers to them as his foals.” I, along with Boromir and Gandalf, who had come up during this talk, let out a low whistle. Boromir said, “If we had a hundred Men like that, not even Mordor or Sauron himself could stop Gondor!” “Just to satisfy my own curiosity, which race is he?” Gandalf asked. “Race? I believe you mean Tribe. He is from the Pegasi Tribe, and is a direct descendant of Commander Hurricane, one of the Six Founders of Equestria. Why do you ask?” “Oh, no reason, just an old man asking too many questions,” Gandalf responded, a little too quickly. My eyes narrowed because I did not buy that story for a second. Before I could press him for details, though, Twilight spoke up. “Well, this has been a delight. However, I really need to get back to this studying, and see if we can fix this before the Enemy finds the portal and uses it to wreak us all. Get moving!” Commander Thunder's Point of View Time Since Arrival: 2 hours, 45 minutes Location: Palace Room, Canterlot Castle, Canterlot, Equestria “You sent for me, your Highnesses?” I called as I entered the regal room. I had just completed my exercises for the day and was preparing for my inspection of the Canterlot Military Academy, which I do every now and then, spontaneously, so nopony knows I'm coming. That way, I get the best possible assessment on how my troops are doing. Just before I departed, I received an urgent summons from the Princesses themselves. Of course, the summons took priority over the inspection. “Commander Thunder Mask, is your sword sharp?” Princess Luna asked, slightly curtly. I hesitated, taken aback by the unexpected question. Asking whether a Pony's sword is sharp is asking, according to old traditions that date back to the Three Tribes Period, whether or not the Pony is ready for war. “Yes ma'am, my sword is sharp and ready to serve Equestria. May I inquire as to the reason for this?” I responded, following the traditional phrasing. Celestia said, also following tradition, “Commander, we have received correspondence with Twilight Sparkle, Bearer of the Element of Magic. Are you aware of this mare?” “Yes, ma'am,” I responded. Everypony had heard of the six young mares, barely out of foalhood, who had saved the nation of Equestria two times at the least. They stood up to the terrifying Nightmare Moon and Discord. They also fought and crushed, unarmed, the entire Second Legion of the Changeling Empire, finally being defeated by the First Legion. Amazingly, not one of them were wounded. If they were soldiers under my command, I would have awarded them the Golden Metal of Harmony, Equestria's highest military award, long ago. “The letter reads as follows: 'Ponyville recently was under attack by enemies know as Orcs. A squadron approximately thirty strong assaulted us ten minutes ago. Battle insured. Nopony was killed, I was lightly wounded. Need reinforcements as soon as possible. It is probable that more will arrive in time.'” I pondered it for a few moments and said, “Not much to go on. I believe that I should mobilize the First Legion of Equestria. We will march to Ponyville and post a guard. Is this agreeable to you, Your Highnesses?” “Yes, Commander. You have our approval. Your orders are as follows: You are to assemble the First Legion of Equestria and march to Ponyville. There, you are to keep watch on the town and prevent any hostile force from taking the village. We remind you that attempting to interfere with the administration of the town with military forces, barring cases of immediate threat, is an act of treason, and shall be punished to the fullest extent of the law. Do you understand your orders?” “Yes, ma'am!” “Very well. Good luck, and may the Sun and Moon ever guide you.” I bowed, then left the throne room as fast as courtesy would allow. I had work to do. (30 minutes later...) “Captain Shining Armor, reporting as ordered!” said the white coated unicorn in front of me, snapping to attention. “At ease, Soldier of Equestria,” I said. “Now, let us drop the formalities. Is your sword sharp?” He looked to me and said, “Of course, the Guard is always ready to serve Equestria. I take that this is not a drill?” I shook my head no and began pacing. “Have you heard from your sister, Twilight Sparkle, lately?” “Um, no sir,” Shining Armor said. Then what I had said sunk in, and he said, with a look of panic, “Has something happened to her? To her friends? To-” I held up my hoof for silence, and he cut himself off. “To answer your question, approximately one and a half hours ago, Ponyville was attacked by an unknown force. Preliminary reports say the force was some thirty strong. The Bearers engaged this new enemy. Do not worry, nopony was killed in action. However, your sister was lightly wounded. I am mobilizing the First Legion of Equestria to reinforce Ponyville if necessary.” I saw a confused look on his face, but before he could ask a question, I continued, “I need you to place the Guard onto alert, and to ensure that Canterlot does not fall to invasion. If Ponyville was just assaulted, then the enemy must have some way of bypassing the entire area between the border and Ponyville. If this is the case, then Canterlot can fall under attack easily.” “Permission to speak freely, sir?” Shining Armor asked me. “Of course,” I responded. “With all due respect, if you think I will sit on my rump back here in Canterlot while Ponyville is possibly under attack, then you are insane, sir,” he said. “Well, insane or not, I am still the Commander, your superior officer, and you still have your orders,” I shot back, slightly irradiated. “Again, with all due respect sir, take your orders and shove them up your a**,” he responded. “I am going with you to Ponyville, and I will not take no for an answer.” I puffed up my chest, about to blow my top at him. What was he thinking? Despite him being the Captain of the Royal Guard, I am still his superior officer! Despite him being married the Princess Cadence, the Princess of Love – oh. Love. Duh, I thought, my anger instantly cooling. “You must love her very much,” I said, in a voice barely greater than a whisper. “Who?” “Your sister, Twilight Sparkle.” He hesitated, then said, “Yes I do...Even now, I feel ashamed that I was not there to help her in the fighting, and, maybe as a result, she was injured.” “I see,” I responded, thinking the situation over. “Well, here is my compromise. You shall return to your post and ready the Royal Guard for war. I will delay from marching with the First Legion of Equestria for exactly one and a half hours. At the end of that time, we will depart, whether you are with us or not. In the highly unlikely scenario that you succeed in preparing your Armies, you will be permitted to come with us. Do I make myself perfectly clear?” “Yes, sir!” he bellowed, snapping a firm salute. “I hope so. Remember that you are gambling lives in this maneuver. I do this only because of your exemplary service to the Royal Guard and your connection to Twilight Sparkle, who will never forgive me if I forced you to stay in Canterlot. Now go!” Saruman's Point of View Location: Isengard, Middle-Earth “So,” I said, reading the reports. “So.” The Orc leader in front of me quavered, probably feeling my anger radiating off of me. “My lord, we simply need more workers!” I thought over this for a few minutes, pondering. Then I remembered the vision I had in the in the Palantir. “How many Orcs can you muster?” I asked the leader in front of me. “At short notice, five hundred. If I am given two or three days, at least two or three thousand.” “Send out your messengers. I have discovered a...place. A place of smaller, but hard working horses. They are intelligent, but peace-loving and weak. Resistance should be expected, but will not be too strong. I will personally lead our armies. There, we will get all the slaves we could possibly want.” “Yes, my lord!”