//------------------------------// // One. Six: Divine Wind // Story: Sins Never Die // by CodenameOne //------------------------------// One. Six Divine Wind ‘WAR! For the first time in hundreds of years the nation of Equestria will be going to war. With multiple acts of aggression over Canterlot the human-Griffon alliance has shown that they want to conquer Equestria and destroy our peaceful way of life!’ -=-=-=-=- Alarm klaxons blared in the halls of the UNSC Kabato as it hovered over the Sea of Horns, fifteen miles from the edge of Equestria. A Forward Operating Base had already been established on the surface, and the Marines posted there reported Equestrian aircraft approaching. The engines of the destroyer roared to life and it began to accelerate, turning as it did and quickly gliding into place over FOB Dawnguard, the base established on the ground. Ironically named to both spite the elite guard that protected Princess Celestia and to be the base that would be the guardian of the dawn of a new era. Captain Kuyaki stood on the bridge, watching as Equestrian airships quite slowly approached. “Blimps? HAH! What a joke...” Kuyaki commented as the Kabato settled into position, the nose staring down the airships. Knowing the Equestrians completely disallowed guns on their land Kuyaki had to assume the airships were loaded with soldiers meant to assault the FOB or board the Kabato, the latter an act literally impossible for the Equestrians to perform with spears and swords. “Sir, why are we not firing? They are well within range!” the weapons officer announced, turning in his seat. “They are in range, but they are not in my killzone. Hold for now, but arm the point-defense cannons. Don’t bother with the missiles or MACs” the Captain ordered, patiently waiting for the sluggish Equestrians to come closer. When the airships were five miles out from Dawnguard and the Kabato they began to descend, giving Kuyaki the signal. Their force was six airships, filled to the brim for a total of 1,000 soldiers or thereabouts. “FIRE!” Kuyaki bellowed, listening to the dull thumps as the 70mm cannons thundered. 12 shots and the airships were fireballs on the ground. “Hmph, poor showing on their part” Kuyaki said, sitting in his command chair. The UNSC could probably wage the entire war from right where they were. All they would have to do would be to let the Equestrians keep sending airships at them. Easiest and least-violent war ever; just sit in a chair. It’s like a video game! “Captain, recon drones are showing Equestrian mobilization beyond the nearby mountain range” the operations officer declared. “They’re on the move towards the FOB.” “Scatter several Pelicans; full combat load with 12 Marines each” Kuyaki immediately commanded. “Yes, sir!” -=-=-=-=- The pilots of V-445 rode on the air behind the lead Pelican, T-615. Five Pelicans proceeded towards the mountain range of Broken Horn, which was where the first Unicorns landed when they travelled from Unicornicopia. The mountain range had a small pointed spire cracked in half that looked like a Unicorn horn, which was its namesake. As they neared the mountains Major Cromley flipped the ‘ready’ light to green, telling the Marines to prepare themselves. Stamping the event in his flight chronicle the pilot kept the Pelican steady as they got ever closer. The war had only been on for a day, but the UNSC got a nice start today. And with the primitive technology the Equestrians had Cromley personally suspected the war would be over very quickly. Looking up Cromley saw that they were about to pass over the mountains, wondering what kind of force the Equestrians had that the drones had seen. It was likely big, but weak. Numbers were formidable, but the weapons in their hands mattered too. “Marines, prepare to--” A massive dragon landed on top of T-615, his scales black as night. On his shoulders and head was an armor fiery orange in color, his arrival cutting the Major off. The dragon stomped over to the cockpit and craned his neck down, opening his mouth and unleashing a jet of flame at the cockpit, blasting it open immediately and flooding the entire inside of the vehicle with flames. Taking to the skies with a flap of his mighty wings the dragon came right for V-445 as T-615 dipped down to the right, bleeding smoke from every crack and orifice before crashing into the mountains. Major Cromley jerked the stick to the left, banking the Pelican away as the dragon opened his mouth, spewing more fire which singed the side of the Pelican. Cromley looked on the rear camera feed and saw the dragon rear back, braking himself as the third Pelican in the line continued on its course. The dragon literally pushed the giant dropship away and dove down and away, flapping his wings and coming around to the Pelican in the very back, hanging off the magnetic overhang and tearing the rear thrusters off with slaps of his hands, causing the vehicle to lose control. “Good God, man. We need to get the Marines on the ground now!” Cromley declared, lowering the Pelican down as the dragon pursued the remaining three Pelicans, spewing fire all the way. Cromley armed the 40mm chin gun attached to his Pelican and slaved the gun to his helmet, meaning it would follow his gaze. The Major turned his head to follow the dragon and opened fire, the heavy slugs arcing through the sky. The dragon banked left and presented his back to the Major, giving him a large target to shoot. Much to Cromley’s surprise, however, the rounds ricocheted and glanced off the dragon’s thick scales. “Suck high explosive, bastard” Cromley growled, unleashing two Anvil-II missiles on the dragon, rockets that the beast literally smacked away. The dragon turned to V-445 and swooped in, opening its maw and unleashing its jet of flame. It was similar to the super-heated plasma utilized by the Covenant in that it melted anything it touched. Cromley banked right towards the dragon, turning the Pelican in a barrel roll. The left wing smacked the beast in the head and V-445 rocketed down to the landing zone, Cromley firing the bottom thrusters to slow the Pelican’s descent. The dragon was still conscious and in the fight, but was recovering from the hit. The remaining Pelicans joined V-445 and they all dropped their ramps, allowing the Marines to pour out. Drained of their soldiers the Pelicans took off as the dragon screamed overhead. -=-=-=-=- Captain Kuyaki stood and watched as the same massive dragon from the delegation harassed the Pelicans tasked with delivering Marines to the Equestrians’ position behind the mountain, unable to fire any weapons on the beast without risking hitting the Pelicans. Two birds fell before the dragon retreated. “Excalibur, add the passengers and crew of those Pelicans to the KIA list” Adam said. “And pull up any info on that dragon you can find.” “Sir, I will need SOME kind of connection to Equestria’s databases, and it seems in their infinite wisdom they have retained an invincibility to even our most advanced decryption worms” the AI said. “They live in fucking wooden huts and marble castles. How are they holding you back?! Show me one of their datastores” the Captain demanded, sitting in his chair and looking at the AI holotank. A hologram of a book appeared. “Goddamn primitives...” the Captain muttered. “Indeed, sir. Should you want more info on the Equestrians we will need to literally pry it from their shelves.” Looking down on Equestria Kuyaki stared at the still burning wrecks of the airships sent to engage them, wondering if he should spare some Pelicans from Dawnguard to reinforce the Marines at Broken Horn. He thought against it, though; the Marines would be able to handle the Equestrians. But the dragon... “Excalibur, scramble Longsword squadron T-51. Target; giant black dragon over Broken Horn” Captain Kuyaki ordered, knowing the beast was still down there. The AI did as instructed and Adam stood, heading over to the viewport. The Longswords were already out the door and on their way to the mountains, keeping their eyes and instruments open for signs of the dragon. “Excalibur, think the Griffons could tell us anything about that dragon?” Adam asked. “I’m sure they would know more than us, sir.” -=-=-=-=- “Zee mirak, aal do uin* De’mah” the Dragon Lord Aldurmaax whispered as he watched the human flightboats return to the master vessel, leaving a batch of the invaders on the ground near the Equestrian garrison. The garrison was real, and the Equestrians there knew the humans were coming, but Aldurmaax intended to stop them. ‘Hih lar oto Div’ was Aldurmaax’s title in Dragon tongue. ‘High Lord of the Dragons’, dedicated to leading his people in the climactic Age of Height. An age that had drawn to a close with the arrival of humanity and the UNSC. Aldurmaax recognized the humans as a ferocious and vicious race, with the power to rain destruction on even the mightiest of fortresses. However, the Dragons, unwaveringly and fiercely loyal to the Equestrians since the beginning of the Princesses’ reign, would be there to drive them back at the dawn of the war and the new age; the Age of Deceit. The Equestrians considered the Dragons their closest friends, and Aldurmaax felt the same way. There were outliers, there always would be, but the might and bulk of the Dragons would serve the Equestrians forever. They would be priceless allies to the Equestrians in the war against the human invaders. Any and all dragons in the war against humanity would fiercely fight to the death to protect the Equestrians. The humans below began to enter a narrow pass to the Equestrian garrison and Aldurmaax made his move, taking to the free skies with his wings and barreling down on the humans. There was a place sacred to all Dragons, one that could never be taken from them; the sky. The access-anywhere shrine to worship the High Lord or give praise to the Dragon God, De’mah Tokam. May my wings be true as I soar upon the winds of your breath to fulfill the will of our friends and allies who so boldly stand before the invaders of our world. May your breath guide me to the heart of the humans below as I aim to end their lives in a single snuff. May the divine wind of your lungs deliver unto these invaders unmatched fury Aldurmaax thought as he streaked through the sky, opening his maw as he neared the humans. Reciting an instinctual spell Aldurmaax unleashed from his maw a jet of flame unto the humans, obliterating the group at the rear in a single blast. The humans in the front turned and opened fire with their weapons, the weak and puny rounds pinging off Aldurmaax’s scales. “REE-MAAH! TREY ME’TAH TO MONTA!” Aldurmaax bellowed, his voice so loud it slammed the eardrums of the humans below and echoed all the way to their master ship. He declared to the humans that they would be driven back to the stars from where they came. As he banked around Aldurmaax prepared to barrel down on the second group of humans when he was fired upon by massive bullets, causing him to turn and see human fliers coming to attack him. The aircraft streaked by with such speed as to cause Aldurmaax mild turbulence. God above do their fliers move fast. The fliers banked and came back around towards Aldurmaax, firing away. Their rounds similar to the ones fired upon him by the flightboats from earlier. These fliers were dangerous to Aldurmaax, but he knew he could out-do them. Letting gravity take control for a second Aldurmaax dropped away and the fliers rocketed by, spreading his wings and soaring up. Just as expected the fliers banked around and came at him again, Aldurmaax roaring defiantly. Picking his target the dragon unleashed his flame, blocking a significant portion of the pilot’s view and diving away. As planned the distracted flier banked to his left as his companion went to his right, the two slamming together and exploding. Falling towards the ground Aldurmaax blasted the remaining humans there, leaving behind no more than ash and char. The humans knew then they would not be able to steamroll over the Equestrians.