The day was quickly giving way to night. The various groups sent out to search for food had all returned empty handed. The news of their failure pulled the morale of the group to an all time low. They had the food from the bags but without fires to cook with, dinner was shaping up to be a dismal ordeal indeed. There were only a few bright parts of the evening. One of the most obvious ones were the shelters Vacca and his group had erected and the promise of training the next day for those who were well enough to do so. After more than a week of nothing but work, work, work, the idea of training with weapons was very appealing. Everybody wanted to be a bad ass with a blade.
Morris and his group had a great deal of success in cataloging the equipment that had been liberated. The industrious young man had even gone so far as to make a checklist of appropriate equipment load outs for different people based on skills and cross referenced by physique. Vacca, Hord, Jewel, and Joyner all agreed it was a sound system and that it would be best to alter the layouts to mimic Morris' idea the following afternoon. It was sure to take several hours but the end result was certain to make the journey much more bearable for all involved.
Leo had pulled his weight beautifully. He had arranged a series of Cardinal Directional posts for the injured to use while keeping watch at night. The posts had been cleared of leaves and debris in order to make the injured as comfortable as possible. He had also set up stones from the stream at every post so the injured could simply strike a stone with the flat of one of the many shovels that were available and yet to be used. For the injured who were not on watch, he cleared away the debris from a very large space and set up the injured in a grid pattern so they could be tended to and treated with ease and without the worry of stepping on an injured person while attending someone else.
By far, the brightest light of the day came from Eduardo Ortega. As soon as the small group of one hundred and sixteen people began practicing, it became immediately apparent that Eduardo had been selling himself short. Joyner recognized the movements Eduardo demonstrated as being a rudimentary form of Tameng and Barong fighting he had seen in the Philippines.
Eduardo had obviously been trained, at least to a small extent, in Philippine martial arts. Joyner was only too happy to participate. His knowledge of sword play was no better than anyone else's. Eduardo demonstrated how to use a shield as a weapon and a defensive tool, he showed the various types of strikes and their usefulness in a fight. In all honesty, the group performed like a bunch of clumsy children, but at least no one was injured.
The group gathered around the Fellowship of Leadership that evening for announcements,
"Settle down please." Joyner said loudly.
The group quieted down somewhat so he continued,
"As many of you already know, the scouting parties were largely unsuccessful in their attempts to locate more food. We are going to be eating from the bags tonight. Morris Allmond has been hard at work organizing food for each person. You will receive a certain amount of food. This amount is the same for every person and there will not be any more distributed until breakfast tomorrow morning. Since we'll be staying here for a couple of days we need to make sure we don't leave any permanent damage to the area. Do not chop trees or branches and when you meed to use the bathroom, walk at least one hundred steps away from the camp or any water source. Use a shovel, dig a hole, do your thing, wipe with some leaves, and bury it."
"What if we just have to piss?" a voice asked.
"Walk two hundred steps away from the site or water source and cut loose." Joyner said with a congenial smile, "As you know we are going to be practicing with the weapons we have. I sincerely hope we never have to use them but if we do, we might as well know how. Each weapon category will be taken by a specific person. Spears will be taught by, ironically enough, Mike Spearman. The sword and shield training will be taught by Eduardo Ortega. Now, I realize many of you do not have spears, swords, and shields. For those who do not, Darryl Hord and R.J. Brinsin will be your instructors. Every person who is physically able to, is expected to participate in this training. After training tomorrow, we are going to redistribute equipment to everyone, so do not get clingy with what is in your bags. As a final note, since this our first night with weapons let us give you some rules." he turned to Hord, "If you would."
Hord didn't need to cup his hands over his mouth, he was already loud,
"Do not sleep with your weapons in hand or on your body. You could roll over during the night and injure yourself. Remove the weapons from your person and place them on the ground next to you. Be sure not to lean any of them against any trees. They might fall over and injure you. Remember, these are not toys. These are weapons made for one purpose, to kill. They are shaped for it, they are sharpened for it, and if you abuse them you may end up killing yourself. Any person found abusing or playing with your weapons will have them taken from you permanently, and we will replace that shiny sword with a club. You don't act like warriors, we'll make you cavemen. Got it?"
A murmur of agreement answered him,
"GOT IT?"
The answers were much louder the second time,
"Good, now let's eat."
* * *
"There are a lot more of them than I was expecting." Proud hoof said as his magically enhanced vision pierced the distance and darkness, "They have no magic.".
He was lying down behind a bush, some three hundred paces from the group of Humans. He had his magic keeping the leaves of the bush from obscuring his vision. He began formulating battle plans in his mind, 'We wait for them to fall asleep then we sneak in close and eliminate any sentries. We spread out evenly and on my command, we open with bursts of bright light and loud noise to wake them up and disorient them. We then fire bolts of force and lightning at them. Can't risk using fire in the forest after all. In the confusion, they will end up killing each other for us and I can take back my trident. When we return to the Princess she'll be upset at first, but these Humans are more trouble than they're worth and she'll calm down after a while. I still don't understand why she's so determined to help these creatures, they're not Equestrian citizens, they're not even Ponies. She should have let us exterminate them right from the start and bypassed all this trouble.'
Proud Hoof took careful note of the arrangement of the Human's sentries then slunk back to the fifty Guards who had followed him. He had ordered them to stay hidden while he watched the Humans from a closer distance. Several of the other Guards were beginning to question Proud Hoof's orders. He could hear them as he approached the thicket they were hiding in.
"Are we really sure about this?" one Guard asked nervously, "I mean, I don't know Princess Luna, but it seems to me that Princess Celestia is determined to see to it that these Human creatures are not harmed. Why would she allow Princess Luna to counter her orders?"
"Because the Princesses are as different as night and day, remember? We know that Princess Celestia is passive and peaceful, that means Princess Luna is aggressive and violent. It only makes sense. That's the reason Princess Luna gave Proud Hoof his orders, she knows how to handle these Human creatures the right way. She can do what Princess Celestia is too kind to do. Besides I wouldn't go around calling Proud Hoof a liar if I was you." another Guard responded.
"I'm not calling him a liar, but these orders are the complete opposite of anything we have EVER been told to do. It doesn't feel right to me. I mean, yes they stole our equipment, and food, and insulted us, but slaughtering creatures for theft and insult? It doesn't make sense. Even if it was our orders, why not send more than fifty Unicorns? Why not send the entire Guard? It would guarantee a swift victory and minimize our own possible causalities." some of the Unicorns were beginning to nod their heads and murmur their agreement.
Proud Hoof spoke up as he entered the thicket, his tone was haughty,
"Because it would be too much effort and cost to make that many medals. We were selected because we are the best for the job. Why send six thousand to do what fifty can do? It's a waste of effort and resources. I wouldn't recommend going against Princess Luna's orders, that would probably lead to a long term trip to the dungeon in very short order. Besides why give up the chance to make history?" he said with a fanatical glint in his eyes, "We're going to be forever remembered as the Unicorns who eliminated a unique threat to Equestria. That we fifty faced numbers fifteen times our strength and carried the day for Ponies everywhere. Think about it. How many times, since her return, has Princess Luna given field orders to the Royal Guard? Zero. It makes sense that her first orders would be decisive. She spent five years in near isolation and now she's ready to come back into the spotlight, how better to do that than to give unusual orders that guarantee the safety of the Ponies of Equestria? She is different from her sister, everypony knows that, but she's using us to show that different isn't a bad thing. She looks different than Princess Celestia, she speaks differently too. Don't you see? She's trying to earn the faith of all of Equestria. Sure her orders are different but why does that matter? I'm not questioning our Princess. She want's our help to return to her rightful place next to her sister and I'm going to show her my support by giving her my all."
"Well I won't have any part of it." the first Guard said boldly, "It goes against everything we stand for as ponies. Princess Celestia has been a kind ruler for hundreds of generations and I joined the guard to protect not to slaughter. If we were at war with these creatures it would be different. This . . . this feels more like murder and . . . I won't have any part of it. If I am imprisoned, so be it. I am going back to the Princesses anypony who wants to join me is welcome. If this is the end of my career, then it was an honor serving with all of you. Goodbye."
"What is your name Private?" Proud Hoof asked.
"Sound Mind." the Guard said.
"Very well," Proud Hoof said coldly, "Traitor. Be gone from us."
Sound Mind left by himself and slowly began making his way back toward the field where the Princesses were waiting. Proud Hoof turned toward the rest of the Unicorns with him and began laying out his plans.
* * *
John Turner had always considered himself 'lucky'. He had been born into a wealthy family and raised by two parents who were around often enough to satisfy him. He had done well in school and didn't even need his parents' money to attend college, his scholarship took care of that. He was quick with basic arithmetic and could solve most simple equations in half a second. His skills with math were what landed him his full scholarship. Despite his parents slight disapproval, he wanted to become an accountant and was well on his way to achieving his goal. He had been lucky to have instructors who were both friendly and intelligent. He had been lucky enough to find friends in college who partied, but not to excess and who were willing to include him, geeky as he was to most. He had been lucky to find a beautiful girl in his classes who was as smart as she was pretty. His luck was a wonderful thing, a perfect compliment to his efforts to better himself.
Then the storm happened and his luck had died in spectacular form. First, he was somehow transported to the middle of a field for no apparent reason. Second, he woke up among hundreds of other people all of whom were naked. Third, he had stepped on a sharp stick while distracted, and put a hole in his foot. Fourth, the person in charge of the group had yanked the stick out and smeared some chewed up plant into his wound. Fifth, he was ordered to watch over the group at night, despite his missing glasses. And finally sixth, he had gone hungry since everyone else was too busy eating and forgot about him.
Everyone else had gone to sleep, even that one guy everyone was calling 'Specter'. They were sleeping quietly, sprawled out interspersed between the closely grown trees, while he sat, propped against a tree facing the South-West. John sighed in irritation, 'Am I no longer important because I'm lame? I did my best walking here and it hurt like crazy. You know what, it doesn't matter. Even if they forgot about me they're counting on me to keep watch and that's what I'm going to do. When they come to relieve me, I'm going to just choke it down and deal with it.'
The crunch of leaves coming from behind the bushes ten feet in front of him shattered the pervading silence that had settled over the forest. John's head snapped up just in time to see a gold armored Unicorn come rushing out of the forest, sword drawn and held in its mouth. John opened his mouth to yell but the Unicorn was impossibly quick. The tip of the drawn sword blade pierced his throat, severed his windpipe, and pinned his neck to the tree, just barely missing his spine, in one swift stab.
Without thinking John reflexively grasped the blade of the sword with his bare hands. His fingers gripped the blade and tried to push it out of his neck. His mind hadn't yet made the connection that he had suffered such a terrible injury. His arms proved no match for the Unicorn's strength. John's hands slid down the blade, slicing open his fingers and palms. Blood immediately began seeping out the numerous gashes in his ruined digits. He tried to re-assert his grip on the sword, but the blood from his hands had already begun lubricating the blade. His fingers slipped again and again, slicing them open more and more with each attempt. His movements quickly began to speed up as he began to realize what had happened.
The blood seeping from his hands ran down the blood groove of the blade and intermixed with the blood gushing from his throat. John's eyes bulged as he began to panic. The shock delayed agony finally registered in his brain and John gurgled as his attempted scream was cut off by the blood flowing down his throat. His mind raced through a million indistinguishable thoughts as his body registered it was dying.
His panic took over completely. His legs flailed about frantically trying to kick the Unicorn away while his hands continued trying to grasp the sword blade embedded in his throat. His efforts were for naught. The Unicorn smiled behind the handle of the sword gripped in his maw and he wrenched his head to the side, twisting the blade savagely before slicing outward, sideways. The movement opened John's carotid artery and his vision quickly began to tunnel.
John's hands flopped down against the ground limply and his eyes unfocused. Proud Hoof turned and looked around quickly, checking to make sure none of the other Humans had awoken.
None had heard.
Until . . .
In his final moments, John remembered the shovel sitting next to him. Sudden rage boiled within him as his dimming eyes beheld his murderer. He could no longer feel any pain as the shredded fingers of both his hands closed around the handle of the small trenching tool, gripping it as hard as he could. The Unicorn's attention seemed to be elsewhere as he raised his arms even as his strength ebbed away. He limply swung the shovel downward with the last vestiges of his nearly depleted might. The last noise John heard before he died was the sound of the metal head of the shovel striking the Unicorn's helmeted head with a loud, resounding, metallic clang.
* * *
Peach Pit was nearing the end of his reserves of stamina. He had been tracking Proud Hoof for hours and the Unicorns behind him were faring little better. He had set a furious pace right from the start of the trek and that speed had fully doubled since he had stumbled upon Proud Hoof's trail. He squinted his eyes in the weak moonlight. Sweat ran down his face and into his eyes. His armor rubbed abrasively against his skin, the formerly lubricating sweat having taken on a syrupy texture which stung the sore spots on his muscled body. He blinked in rapid succession trying in vain to shake away the stinging sweat that was threatening to obscure his vision. Finding his efforts useless, Peach Pit shook his head violently, sending sweat flying off his face and into the surrounding bushes.
With his eyes clear once more he refocused on the path ahead, pushing himself ever harder to succeed in his mission. A flicker of motion up ahead made his freeze. Taking a braced stance, he lowered his horn and reached out his magic, feeling for any living thing in front of him.
"Identify yourself!" a commanding voice yelled to Peach Pit.
"Lieutenant Peach Pit, Equestrian Royal Guard. Identify yourself!" Peach Pit ordered.
"Private Sound Mind, Equestrian Royal Guard. What is your assignment?" Sound Mind asked.
"The apprehension of the traitor Proud Hoof and all who accompany him for disobeying the direct orders of Princess Celestia." Peach Pit said, "What is your assignment?"
"To annihilate the Human threat by order of Princess Luna." Sound Mind replied.
"Princess Luna never gave such an order. Proud Hoof has lied to you. Stand down and submit to arrest immediately." Peach Pit ordered.
"Arrest me later! Proud Hoof has probably already attacked the Humans by now. I can show you where he is!" Sound Mind said, "I won't resist, but we need to hurry! Come on!"
Peach Pit's mind recalled what he knew about Sound Mind, 'He's a good Guard. He's always honest and direct. I've never known him to abandon an assignment before. He's likely telling the truth.'
"Hold Private." Peach Pit ordered, "Guards, I'm authorizing the use of the Second Wind spell for emergency purposes! Cast!"
One hundred and fifty horns lit up the night briefly as the Unicorns obeyed without hesitation. The Second Wind spell was dangerous and therefore its use was highly regulated. The dangers inherent to its use was that it could allow a Pony to overexert themselves to the point of death if they strained hard enough. It was normally used only when exhausted troops on a battlefield were nearing the point of collapse and had to continue the fight. Its use was considered, by the Guard, to be a sure sign of a 'last stand' being eminent. Using Second Wind was considered to be signing one's death certificate.
Peach Pit's mind cleared completely even before the light from his horn had diminished,
"Lead on Private."
* * *
Kolo Calvin sat up sharply, 'Huh?' he wondered, 'What the . . . what's going on?'
The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out in the still air. All around him others were beginning to wake as well. Calvin looked around owlishly, trying to make out any shapes in the darkness. The moon light revealed little to his eyes as the tarps overhead blocked it out. A shimmer of motion flashed past him in the blink of an eye. He could barely make out the form of a man leaping over people as he dashed away to the South-West.
"Wake up! Everybody wake up!" Calvin recognized the voice as Hord.
Calvin yawned hugely as he tried to reason out what was happening. He slowly reached for his maul. The sound of metal against metal rang out in the night. Calvin immediately came wide awake. His hands pulled the heavy hammer to him as he began to rise.
"They found us!" Hord's voice echoed suddenly from the darkness, followed by another metallic clang, "Everyone wake up!"
Before anyone else could say anything, brilliant, multicolored lights blossomed all around the group from too many directions for Calvin to identify. The lights blinded everyone, as attested to by the screams of panic. The lights were immediately followed by deafening explosions of sound.
Calvin immediately dove to the the ground, not wishing to be injured by panicky people swinging weapons. He landed on top of someone he couldn't identify. His eyes hurt and his night vision was shot. He couldn't hear anything but he could feel the person beneath him struggling around in the darkness.
Calvin's ears rang and he saw spots every time he blinked. He dared not rise completely however he knew the average person would end up crushed under his weight. He shuffled up, onto his hands and knees and took his weight off the poor soul beneath him. The person wiggled out from under him. Calvin yelled for them to stay down but they didn't listen, 'Probably can't hear nothin' cause o' the flash-bangs.' he reasoned.
Half a moment later, Calvin felt a person fall over onto the left side of his back, limply. The smell of singed hair flooded into his nose and the body on top of him felt hot. Warm liquid began flowing down his left shoulder and arm. The big man had no idea what the liquid was but he had a strong suspicion it was blood.
Shaking his head vigorously, Calvin tried clearing his head. His ears still rang loudly. The pervasive sound blocked out all others. He continued blinking his eyes and his vision began to clear.
He raised his head to look around and beheld a scene out of nightmare. People were stumbling around with their hands covering their eyes. Flashes of light that resembled lightning bolts flew out of the darkness at random intervals, striking any person who was making a target of themselves. Some people had apparently, in the confusion, mistaken other people for enemies and were throttling each other. Others were swinging their weapons around wildly, cutting their neighbors open. People were dying everywhere. Calvin watched as one pretty young African-American woman was stumbling about with her hands covering her eyes. A lightning bolt shot out of the darkness and struck her in the back. Her chest exploded outward and her body flew through the air, trailing blood, bone, and muscle until she struck a tree stomach first. Her body wrapped around the tree like a rag doll, a broken branch protruding from her back.
Calvin's stomach turned at the sight, and his mind began filling with anger. Calvin crawled on his left hand and knees, using his maul in place of his right hand. He stayed low and began moving toward the closest people. It was two Caucasian men standing up, chocking each other. Calvin reached out with his left hand and swept both men off their feet just as a lightning bolt crackled overhead. Calvin dropped his maul and grabbed their arms in each hand then held them apart.
The two men struggled at first, but settled down after their eyes began clearing. Calvin let go of them and waved his hands in front of them to get their attention. Their eyes focused on him and he pointed outward, toward the people fighting each other. The men followed his eyes then nodded. Calvin let them go and moved on to the next closest person.
* * *
Darryl Hord was not trained in how to efficiently use a war hammer and shield, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to try. The initial sound of steel scraping against flesh was one he knew very well and it had woken him up almost instantly. By the time the alarm sounded he already had his war hammer and shield in hand. His night vision was just good enough to make out the shapes of people lying down sleeping or just coming awake. He broke into a run, jumping over prone people left and right as his ears registered the alarm.
"Wake up! Everybody wake up!" he yelled.
His blood pumped hard in his veins as his lungs heaved air in and out. He dodged around trees and sleeping people as quickly as he could. He reached the North-West sentry post and his blood ran cold. John Turner lay against the tree he had been positioned at. His throat had been sliced open cleanly. Blood drenched his neck, chest, and lap. Even in death, his hands continued to maintain their grip on the small shovel he had used to sound the alarm. John's head hung limply forward, he was obviously dead.
Hord's attention then turned to the white Unicorn standing just in front of him. The Unicorn's armor had been sprayed with John's blood and its bloodied sword was still held in its teeth. It shook its head several times then looked up again before Hord could take advantage of its momentary confusion. The Unicorn quickly yelled something Hord couldn't understand.
"They found us!" Hord yelled, "Everyone wake up!"
The Unicorn lowered its head and charged at him. Much to Hord's surprise the Unicorn didn't seem to have any difficulty wielding the sword in its teeth. It swung its head around at waist height and attempted to cut Hord's leg. The Marine's shield intercepted the blade just before a bright light behind him illuminated the forest all around. The light was almost instantly followed by the deafening sounds of explosions.
Hord's ears rang but his vision was fine since he had been facing away from the light. He raised his arm and swung the war hammer down toward the Unicorn's head. The Unicorn sprang backward fluidly and came at him a second time. It shifted its sword to the left side of its mouth and sprang into the air, aiming for Hord's shoulder. Hord swung his right arm and intercepted the attack with the shaft of the war hammer. Continuing his movement, Hord brought the edge of the shield up and into the right side of the Unicorn's armored head.
The Unicorn fell to the ground but quickly rolled away before Hord could bring his war hammer down on its head. The Unicorn rolled over and sprang back up to a standing position without its sword. The two held their positions for a moment while multicolored lights began in all directions. The shadows cast from the flashes of light provided brief illumination for the two warriors. To Hord, the Unicorn's face underneath its armor was hideous and misshapen, glaring with gleeful malignancy. To Proud Hoof, the shadowy visage of the Human standing in front of him lent credence to his thoughts of them being monsters.
The Unicorn performed a steady retreat as it lowered its head. Its horn lit up with a golden glow and a shield strapped to its side emitted the same glow. The shield was identical to Hord's. The defensive barrier of sturdy wood and steel floated away from the Unicorn's side and interposed itself between the two combatants. Hord stepped forward, swinging his hammer once more. The shield moved in a blur and blocked the strike perfectly.
Hord took another step forward and tried to pin the floating shield against the Unicorn's body, with his own. The shield floated out of the way in a blur of movement and its steel edge quickly collided with the side of Hord's head with a resounding thumping sound. The Marine staggered back a step and shook his head. A lance of pain against his right cheek made him flinch to his left.
Hord felt blood begin to ooze down his face as he turned his head and looked at the levitated sword that had nearly stabbed him in the back of the head. He retreated several steps, trying to keep the sword and shield in front of him. The two implements of war floated up next to each other, in front of the smiling Unicorn.
Hord crept his way forward and the sword and shield floated away from the Unicorn, meeting the Marine half way. The sword suddenly swung toward Hord's stomach. The agile Human skipped back and knocked the blade away with his war hammer. The sword righted itself almost instantly and shot forward, point first. Hord's shield intercepted the blade and the sword's tip sunk into the wooden grain of the shield.
The Unicorn maintained its mystical hold on the sword and began tugging against Hord's grip with the embedded sword. Hord pulled against the pressure but he was not strong enough. The Unicorn pulled him toward itself and began battering Hord with its own shield. Hord tried his best to fend off the shield, but the Unicorn could move it in ways that the Marine simply couldn't match. Every blow that rained down on Hord left numbing welts and shallow cuts all over his back and head.
Hord decided, in desperation, to ignore the Unicorn's shield turned bludgeon. He brought up his hammer and swung it down in front of his shield. The head of the war hammer struck the sword blade and snapped it cleanly off.
The Unicorn's grip on the wedged tip of the sword evaporated as the half of the blade it was still holding flew backward and struck it on the tip of its muzzle. A smattering of blood flew from the Unicorn's muzzle and its head whipped backward sharply.
Hord rushed in raining heavy blows down on the Unicorn's head, neck, and shoulders. The hits against its armor battered and bruised the Unicorn but nothing gave way or broke. The Unicorn began retreating a step with every hit trying to gain some distance. The Marine pressed the attack and drove the Unicorn farther backward. Hord felt a surge of hope, surely his victory was at hand.
He was wrong.
The Unicorn suddenly sprang forward with incredible force. Its horn struck Hord's shield and pushed him backward with inhuman strength, sending him staggering backward, trying to stay on his feet. The Unicorn's horn stopped glowing briefly and the sword and shield fell to the ground. It lowered its head just as Hord regained his balance. Its horn lit up suddenly, sending a teardrop shaped bolt of force at the recovering Marine.
Hord lifted his shield to block the bolt. The bolt impacted the shield and sent Hord flying backward into a nearby tree. The Marine hit with bone jarring force. His back, neck, and head ignited with fiery pain as his legs gave out briefly. He sunk to his knees and had to catch himself with his arms to avoid falling over completely. He looked up and saw the Unicorn facing him, head lowered. Hord rose to his feet and cracked his neck, 'Hope I can end this quickly.'
* * *
Ludwig was calm.
Ludwig was serene.
Ludwig was empty.
Ludwig crouched in a bush and zeroed in on his target. He could see a white Unicorn briefly every time it fired a bolt of lightning. He estimated it was a good fifty feet away from where he was crouched in the bushes. He had successfully snuck out of the camp to try to spot the attackers. His gamble had paid off.
He crept forward in a crouch as quickly as he could noting things about the Unicorn, 'It's sweating and breathing heavily, it must be exerting itself. I guess the kind of power it's using must be taxing. Almost there.'
He crept forward more and more, he was only six feet from it, coming at it from its left and slightly behind. Ludwig took a deep breath, jumped up, and charged.
The Unicorn noticed him too late.
Ludwig thrust out with his axe tip and pierced the Unicorn's eye. The Unicorn's head whipped away as it emitted a hoarse scream. Ludwig hauled back the axe and brought it down on the Unicorn's neck in an overhead chop. The heavy blade bent the armor and forced the ridges apart on the first swing. The Unicorn cried out as the blow to the back of its neck forced its head into the dirt.
Ludwig pulled the axe back and swung a second time, hoping his aim was true. The axe struck the same location as it had the first time. The blade bit deeply into the Unicorn's now unprotected neck and severed its spine with one clean blow.
The Unicorn screamed long and loud as it tried to squirm around on the dirt only to find its legs unresponsive.
Ludwig ignored the noise it was making and looked around intensely, trying to find another attacker. His eyes fell on a second Unicorn that looked to be close to two hundred feet away through the trees and bushes. He was ready to crouch and move when a javelin suddenly sprouted from the side of its neck.
The Unicorn froze stiff like a statue. Masonete appeared like a ghost from its far side and finished it by cutting its throat. Even from the distance, Ludwig could see the blood spray briefly. He grit his teeth and turned, looking for another attacker, 'At least I'm not out here alone.' he thought with grim determination.
* * *
Peach Pit could clearly hear the sounds of screaming and spells being cast,
"Branch out by twos! Locate all Unicorns! Cut off their magic and arrest them. Take them back to the field! Go!"
He turned to the Unicorn next to him. Sound Mind was sweating heavily and breathing hard. His head was low and his legs were wide to keep him balanced. Peach Pit had to admire him, 'He pushed himself as hard as we did even without the Second Wind spell.'
"Sound Mind," he addressed gruffly, "Stay with me. Do exactly as I say and I'll stand up for you if the Princesses go hard on you. Understood?"
"Yes *pant* sir." Sound Mind replied.
"Good. Let's find Proud Hoof." Peach Pit said.
Sound Mind followed Peach Pit as he began trotting toward the fight, pushing his way through the bushes.
* * *
Richardson had never killed anything before that night, but when one of the Unicorns entered the camp and began cutting down anyone it saw, she knew she had no choice. It had charged into the camp and knocked her onto her back with its momentum then stabbed at her with its sword. Its sword had slid harmlessly between her chest and arm and it became distracted when someone had thrown a spear at it. It seemed to become enraged and the killing began in earnest. Richardson wasted no time.
She grabbed a sword that was lying on the ground and sat up. In the time it had taken Richardson to grab the sword and sit up, the Unicorn had already cut down three people. The Unicorn saw her move and was turning toward her when she stabbed at it with the blade. The blade struck its armor and slid off harmlessly. The Unicorn reached out with its right fore hoof and struck her across the head then lowered its head to gore her.
Her hands caught its head and she locked her arms. The Unicorn was unbelievably strong and began to push her along the ground. She could feel her arms weakening from the strain immediately. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold it for long. Panic began growing in her mind, 'I got my boys at home! This motha' fucka' ain't keepin' me from my boys!' In a move of panicked desperation, she brought her knees up and struck it in the throat, once, twice, thrice. On the fourth hit, Richardson heard a sickening, juicy, crunching sound.
The Unicorn instantly backed off and reared up, trying to pull at its throat with both fore hooves. Its eyes were wide with terror and it began thrashing wildly with its hind legs as it fell onto its back. Not wanting to risk it getting back up, Richardson grabbed a discarded spear that was close to her. She stood up shakily and looked down at the thrashing Unicorn. In different circumstances she might have felt bad for it. At that moment, all she felt was anger.
She raised the spear and brought the tip down on the Unicorn's unprotected underbelly. Its eyes bulged and its flailing intensified as the spear penetrated its gut. Richardson quickly withdrew the spear, but the Unicorn's legs knocked it out of her hands.
The spear spun and struck her in the face with its shaft, knocking her back onto her backside. The spear landed next to her on the ground. She reached over and picked it up then crawled away from the beast.
She could feel a lump growing on the side of her stinging face. She blinked away tears rage as she crawled past the decapitated remains of a young Asian man. The same rage began bubbling up inside her the sight of all the death. Rage filtered through her blood like adrenaline, lending strength to her limbs, 'They're murdering us! They're slaughtering us like animals!' The thoughts boiled within her mind and galvanized her into action.
She gripped the spear with both hands and stood up, face expressionless and calm. She strode with a purpose toward the Unicorn, spear gripped tightly in both hands. She got within three feet of the flailing, gasping Unicorn and stabbed it in the underside of its exposed chest. The Unicorn grunted and flailed even harder. Richardson withdrew the spear and stabbed it again, this time in the side. She pulled the spear out and stabbed again and again and again and again. She gritted her teeth and ignored the tears of agony glistening in its eyes, the expression of absolutely mind bending pain. She didn't care. She stabbed and stabbed and stabbed.
Her mind was blank, but her heart wrenched within her chest. She had dedicated her whole life to protecting people. She had failed and three people were dead because of her failure. She felt tears moistening her eyes and couldn't bring herself to care. She wanted to hurt the Unicorn, she wanted to hurt them all. She wanted them to feel the pain she felt, the helplessness, the rage at seeing those under ones protection brutally murdered in front of you. The tears began to fall in torrents from her eyes. She angrily blinked and wiped them away with her left hand.
A second Unicorn entered the camp to her right and gasped loudly at the sight. Its eyes were wide as it took in the sight of the three dead bodies lying sprawled around its comrade. Its eyes met those of the enraged woman and it took an involuntary step back. Richardson turned and charged it without consciously deciding to do so.
The Unicorn held up a hoof and began trying to speak to her. Richardson didn't care. She leveled the spear and aimed for its eye, tears still streaming down her face. The Unicorn tried to take a step back, the tip of her spear was less than a foot from its face.
A shimmering golden force field halted the progress of her spear. Her momentum carried her stomach into the blunt butt of the weapon, winding her. Richardson fell onto her backside gasping for breath and trying to hold onto the spear. A third Unicorn stepped up to the second one and Richardson felt her will falter.
She took a deep breath, coughed, then opened her mouth,
"Go ahead!" she screamed tearfully, "Kill me! Go on you fucking bastards! Kill us all!"
The third Unicorn looked past her, to the dead one lying on its back and shook its head sadly. Richardson felt her rage boiling up again, 'He only looked at his own dead, not ours!' She scrambled to her feet screaming ferally. She leapt onto the glowing shield and began clawing at it and pounding on it with her bare hands. She had lost all control. The Unicorns looked shocked at her sudden ferocity.
They quickly backed away from the raging woman, leaving the force field in place until they were out of sight.
* * *
Darryl Hord looked up and into the eyes of the Unicorn standing above him. The expression on its face was triumphant as its horn lit up one last time. Darryl had fought with all his might but the Unicorn's magic was an absolute deal breaker for which the Marine had no counter. He was exhausted but the Unicorn looked exhausted too, 'At least I made the bastard work for his victory.' Hord thought, 'I've got nothing left in me. I'm sorry everybody.'
The Unicorn's triumphant expression vanished as Kolo Calvin sprang out from behind the tree Hord was backed up against. The Unicorn's shocked expression was replaced with one of absolute agony as Calvin's maul, swung in both the big man's hands, struck its back. The golden armor caved under the immense pressure. Proud Hoof's legs gave out under the incredible force and powerful tingles shot up and down his spine. Calvin reared back for a second strike and brought the maul down with punching force.
Proud Hoof's mind exploded in fiery agony as his spine shattered under the impact. Calvin raised the maul a third time and caught the dazed Unicorn across the side of the head just as two more Unicorns leapt from the nearby bushes.
Hord valiantly struggled to rise and Calvin held up his hammer and charged the two new Unicorns. The one on the right lit up his horn and absorbed the impact of the maul with a glowing golden shield. The Unicorn holding the shield dropped to his knees under the force of the blow. The one next to him held up its left fore hoof and cried out loudly.
Calvin locked eyes with the standing Unicorn. Its expression radiated sadness and pleading, but also a stalwart determination that would not be ignored. Calvin found himself stunned and unable to move. The Unicorn's eyes were just as expressive as those of a person, if not more so. He slowly lowered the maul, straighten up, and pointed out into the woods with an unhappy scowl.
* * *
"Let's go." Peach Pit said struggling to rise to his hooves, "Proud Hoof is surely dead after a blow like that and we can't stay here."
"What about his body?" Sound Mind asked, still eyeing the huge hulking figure before them.
Sound Mind had never seen a Human before and the one standing in front of him was absolutely terrifying. Its skin was as black as night, blending with the shadows. It's body bulged with corded muscle. It stood more than twice the height of any.pony, it might even stand even with Princess Celestia. It held the maul it had crushed Proud Hoof with, in one hand as if it weighed nothing.
Sound Mind took a step back,
"On second thought, forget his body. They can have it."
"Scum." Peach Pit sneered, "Come on, watch my back so they don't attack us while we're trying to escape."
"They won't." Sound Mind said with certainty, "They're terrified of us. You can see it in their eyes." he finished softly.
The odd statement caught Peach Pit off guard,
"What do you mean?" he asked harshly, "The big one just tried to kill us."
"After Proud Hoof killed how many of this Human's own kind?" Sound Mind shook his head silently, "This Human attacked only out of fear. Look it's not attacking now is it?"
Peach Pit looked at the huge hulking Human in front of him,
"We'll see how they react to us. I'll signal for the Guard to rally right here so the traitors get to see Proud Hoof's body." Peach Pit's horn lit up as he cast a spell, "ALL ROYAL GUARDS ARE ORDERED TO RALLY ON THIS LOCATION IMMEDIATELY!" his voice was amplified by the spell.
Peach Pit lit up his horn for a light beacon. It was a common practice for night operations commanders to use a Flare spell to designate an assembly point. Peach Pit and Sound Mind didn't have to wait long. Royal Guards began making their way out of the forest from every direction. The Unicorns gathered quickly.
"BEHOLD THE TRAITOR PROUD HOOF!" he said loudly, gesturing to the limp body, "HE CLAIMED PRINCESS LUNA GAVE THE ORDER TO ATTACK! PROUD HOOF WAS DEMOTED THIS MORNING! HIS SUPPOSED ORDERS WERE LIES! NOW YOU HAVE NOT ONLY ATTACKED THESE HUMANS BUT YOU ARE TRAITORS AGAINST THE WILL OF THE CROWN!"
Peach Pit gestured to the body and the Guard looked down at Proud Hoof's crushed, crumpled form. Some faces showed sadness, but most expressed anger at the revelation.
Calvin maintained his position while Hord struggled to his feet. The exhausted Marine held up his shield and war hammer at the ready, even though he could barely keep his arms up. As the Royal Guards continued to gather, so too did the Fellowship of Leadership. Joyner and Brinsin were the next to arrive. Brinsin had his spear and shield up, both soaked in red while Joyner's trident had bits of flesh hanging off its tines. Jewel, Kaneesha, and Morris were next to arrive. Leo's sword was bloody and dented in several places and Jewel and Kaneesha were nearly out of arrows. Masonete, Ludwig, Eduardo, and Spearman arrived next. Each was winded and had some blood on them and their weapons. Vacca and Jason trudged into view both looking bruised and exhausted. Their weapons also looked worn and dented. The last person to limp into view was Richardson. She and her spear were both slathered with blood.
She came out from the trees and jumped when she saw the Royal Guards standing around. Her spear came up quick as a striking snake. Her tear stained face told of a broken person, but the wild glint in her eyes spoke of violent retribution to come. Her muscles tensed, ready to spring. She was ready to send these beings straight to hell, until Spearman's right hand gently descended onto her left shoulder.
Richardson jumped and spun around, spear still in her grip. Spearman pulled his hand off her shoulder and lowered it to the shaft of her spear. He gently pushed it downward. In that moment, Sessily Rishardson returned to herself. Her hands lost their grip on the spear and it clattered to the ground. She shivered violently and wrapped her arms around her body then collapsed to the ground. Her mouth was wide open as she screamed silently. She took a deep, shuddering breath and let out a long, agonized wail of despair as she rocked back and forth.
The Royal Guards watched the display silently until Peach Pit spoke up,
"Yes, let's go massacre these beings, that's a brilliant idea." his voice could not have dripped with an ounce more sarcasm, "Those of you who followed Proud Hoof are under arrest for treason and murder. Submit or you will be subdued by force."
Twenty one of the original forty nine who followed Proud Hoof hung their heads, those who did not were lying dead in the forest. Peach Pit turned to the gathered Humans and scanned over them for a leader figure. His eyes lingered on Calvin for a brief moment before Joyner stepped forward.
The two eyed each other for several long, silent minutes. Each was searching the other's eyes, looking for signs that the bloody conflict was not the end of hope for peace between the two species. Peach Pit saw nothing significant, maybe the tiniest flicker of hope and he could only pray that the Human staring into his eyes found something better.
"We return to the field. Three abreast, form up!" Peach Pit barked.
The Royal Guard fell into line,
"Forward Trot!"