//------------------------------// // Chapter 5 // Story: Facing Northern Lightning // by The Prancing Red Pony //------------------------------// General Rainbow Dash walked into Celestia's tent. Celestia was looking over her war map unaware that Rainbow Dash had entered her tent. The sun was slowly setting and Rainbow Dash had been racing to Celestia's camp from Canterlot all day but, she did not feel tired nor winded she was still full of energy. Her Army was catching up with her slowly the first couple of brigades just starting to arrive. "General Rainbow Dash reporting for duty" Rainbow Dash said to Celestia with a salute. Celestia was somewhat startled by Rainbow Dash's entrance but she collected herself. "Hello Rainbow Dash I thank you for coming with all due haste" Celestia said. "Sure thing Princess but, what do you need?" Rainbow Dash asked. "I need you to save my sister Princess Luna. She is being held in the Union Camp and I need you and the Wonderbolt Scouts to go and get her back from Grant's evil clutches" Celestia said. Rainbow Dash looked at Celestia's war map and saw the lay out of the Army of the Potomac's camp. "I don't know where she is being held exactly but, you can assume that she is under very heavy guard. I need you to save her Rainbow Dash. Who knows what the Union is causing to my poor sister" Celestia said as tears began to well up in her eyes. Rainbow Dash patted Celestia on the back. "Princess I will get your sister back. No matter what it takes. I will make those Union bastards suffer" Rainbow Dash said with assurance. The sun had almost completely departed from the sky. "Can you be in the sky off towards the Union Camp in an hour?" Celestia asked Rainbow Dash. "Princess, I can be in the air and have your sister back in less than 30 minutes" Rainbow Dash said jokingly as she walked out of Celestia's tent to join the Wonderbolt Scouts in take off procedures to retrieve Princess Luna from the clutches of the Union. ----------- "General Grant" General Winfield S. Hancock saluted Grant as he walked into Grant's tent. Grant looked up from his war map and grinned. Grant slept only a couple of hours and soon was back on his feet pondering the Army's next move. "Ah General Hancock it is wonderful to see you sir. You said you wanted to show me something?" Grant said with cigar clenched between his teeth as he shook Hancock's hand. "Yes sir if you will follow me" Hancock said opening the tent flap for Grant. Grant walked out of his tent with Hancock as Hancock walked him towards the front lines. Hancock's II Corps took over the front line since General Thomas's XIV Corps was so badly damaged in the battle. Grant and Hancock soon arrived at these weird contraptions that looked like cannon's up and down Hancock's line. "Um General Hancock what are these?" Grant asked removing the cigar from his teeth and blowing a pool of gray smoke into the air. "These General Grant sir are Gatling Guns fresh from D.C. . Invented by Dr. Richard J. Gatling this baby even though hand cranked can fire 100 rounds per minute. That is as much as two fresh regiments. We can also have them aimed skyward in case any more of those pesky Pegasus come along" Hancock said with slight excitement. Grant was impressed a gun that could fire 100 rounds per minute without having to be reloaded every round. It was a wonderful invention. He placed his hand on the barrel of the gun and looked at Hancock. "Lets hope these serve us well General Hancock" Grant said. The sun had all but disappeared from the sky and the moon slowly rose from the opposite direction. Grant stretched his muscles and yawned a great yawn. He retired back into his tent and got some more sleep. ------ "There it is" Rainbow Dash pointed to the Union camp. It was the dead of night and all was quiet while she and the Wonderbolt Scouts zoomed in the air to rescue Luna from the clutches of the Union. "Let's land a little way off in the forest so that the Union soldiers can't hear us" Rainbow Dash called to the rest of the scouts. They soon began to glide down into the forest. They landed just far enough for the Union soldiers not to be able to see them but, they could see the campfires of the guards. The Wonderbolt Scouts were not wearing their regular uniforms but instead were completely camoed in black. They even wore special shoes so that their hoof steps would be concealed. "Okay let's go to that hill. That might be where the Princess is being held" Rainbow Dash pointed to a tent with 4 guards at the entrance, *the rest of the guards had been relieved of their duties and went to bed*. Rainbow Dash and a couple of the scouts got extremely close towards the Union guards. The rest of the scouts watched on hiding behind trees and bushes. Rainbow Dash unsheathed a dagger she had with her as did the other scouts and they got closer and closer. Rainbow Dash got behind one of the guards and tapped him on the shoulder. "Who's ther*hugh*" the soldier said as he fell dead after Rainbow Dash stabbed him in the back with her dagger. The other guards looked about before they too fell with dagger wounds to their backs. Rainbow Dash entered the tent and was shocked at what she saw. Princess Luna was chained up, in bandages, and had long streak marks with dried blooded from where she was whipped. Luna looked up and saw the familiar Rainbow mane of Rainbow Dash and was filled with excitement but pain since all the whipping she had been put through and the bullet wound in her wing. "Rainbow Dash I'm so glad to see you. Get me out of here" Luna said. Rainbow Dash was still horrified at Luna's appearance but, she began to help Luna get out of her chains. "I remember now" Rainbow Dash said as she grabbed a mane pin she had in her mane. She began to undo the locks of Luna's chains. Soon Luna was free. "We have to get out of here" Rainbow Dash said. Rainbow Dash helped Luna out of the tent where some of the Wonderbolt Scouts were waiting. They too were shocked at the sight of Luna as they slowly helped her towards the rest of the regiment of the Scouts. Luna was slightly yelping in pain because of her wing and the whip marks. They were almost in the clear until, one of the Wonderbolts helping Luna tripped and landed on Luna's injured wing. "OWWWWWW" screamed Luna. The Scouts and Rainbow Dash were in slight shock. They began to hear voices. "What was that?" "Who is there?" "THE PRINCESS IS ESCAPING WITH PEGASUS'S GET HER!!!!!" screamed a soldier. The whole camp began to erupt as soldiers awoke with guns in hand, artillery batteries began to fire in the direction of the screaming. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire (Captain of the Wonderbolts) started to help lift Luna into the sky. The rest of the scouts were already in the air waiting. --------- "GENERAL GRANT WAKE UP. THE PRINCESS IS ESCAPING" yelled Grant's subordinate. "WHAT?!?" Grant screamed. He immediately rushed out of his tent and flares began to ignite the sky and reveal the bodies of many Pegasus's in the air. Grant ran towards General Hancock. "General get your Gatlings aimed into the sky to bring down those ponies. Our cannons can't simply make the cut. You have got to bring down the Princess!!!!" Grant screamed. Hancock headed over to the Gatling operators and gave them their orders. ------ Rainbow Dash and Spitfire were struggling to get Princess Luna into the air. The rest of the wonderbolt's made evasive maneuvers to avoid the cannonballs, musket, and pistol fire. Slowly but surely Rainbow Dash and Spitfire got Luna into the air and began to take off in the direction of home. The Wonderbolts followed in suit but, just as they thought they were home free many Wonderbolts began to go down. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire didn't no why until they saw the Gatling guns. They were monsters able to fire many rounds in only a short amount of time and they were bringing down many of the Elite Wonderbolt Scouts. Rainbow Dash and Spitfire continued to pull Luna along until Rainbow Dash was hit in the wing. "Gah" Rainbow Dash said as she slowly began to lose altitude. Spitfire lost her grip on Luna's hoof and accidentially made them drop right near the clearing of the previous battle which was still the Union front line. But, she acted cowardly and she and the rest of the Wonderbolts left back toward's their camp leaving Rainbow Dash and Luna at the mercy of the Union. "Go Luna leave me" Rainbow Dash said unable to get up from the bullet wound to her wing. "I won't leave you" Luna said. "You must they may do terrible stuff to me but they will do far worse to you. Now GO!!!" Rainbow Dash cried. Luna slowly limped towards the forest where she led Celestia's Army only a night or two before. Luna quickly hid in the brush hoping she was not seen. She looked around and saw many of the Wonderbolts dead or wounded around the camp that was now fully lit. Slowly, she saw General Grant, some of his generals, subordinates, and Union soldiers come towards Rainbow Dash who was mortally wounded. ------- "Well Well what have we here?" Grant said with cigar between his teeth looking down at Rainbow Dash who was seriously hurt. Rainbow Dash looked up at Grant. "I am Rainbow Dash and you are a heartless bastard" Rainbow Dash spat at Grant. Grant only laughed and smiled. "Rainbow Dash is it well then, oh let me see your mane" Grant took his cutlass and cut away Rainbow Dash's camo to reveal her bright rainbow mane. Grant was genuinely surprised. Luna in the brush only looked on in horror. "Bring me a pair of shears" Grant said to one of his soldiers. The soldier saluted and soon returned with a pair of shears. Grant knelt down to Rainbow Dash's side and stroked her colorful mane. It was beautiful. "What are you going to do?" Rainbow Dash said frightened and in pain. "I'm gonna give you a haircut" Grant smiled. Grant slowly cut Rainbow Dash's mane from her body until she was completely bald. Rainbow Dash never felt more bald. She cried as she looked up at her beautiful mane now detached from her body. Rainbow Dash felt practically naked. Grant unholstered his revolver. Luna put a hoof to her mouth as she tried to hide her sobs as she walked away at the scene she did not wish to see. The once great General Rainbow Dash was reduced to nothing. "This is for the Princess's escape and to tell your Princess Celestia never to mess with the Union" Grant said as he pointed the barrel of the revolver at Rainbow Dash's head and pulled the trigger. Luna heard the shot in the distance with tears still streaming down her cheeks but, she continued to limp back to her lines. Nothing more was said that night.