//------------------------------// // Chapter Eight: Fire with Fire // Story: A Colt's War // by Codexwriter476 //------------------------------// "How much further?" A young grenadier asked. The Attack had begun this morning, taking the Lunar defenders out the outskirts completely by surprise, and the second brigade had started theirs at Sweet Apple Acres. The gunfire and low boom of the cannons echoed throughout the valley from the east and behind them from the south. As for the Haybrun Coltgrenadier Brigade, they were slowly making their way through the Everfree forest towards the north river. "About another mile or so." Pipsqueak replied, his voice deeper with age to match his promotion to Sergeant of Fourth Company. Further ahead, Lawrence and Big Mac led the brigade since they had both lived off the land as a farm colt and a former railroad operator. "So what did happen to the Railyard of your?" Mac asked, wanting to know more about Lawrence's memories. "The mines up in the Cimarrons ran dry and we had to tear down miles of tracks leading up. Income slowed down even further when the town of Everfree went bankrupt and eventually became a ghost town, forcing us to move the entire yard to Whitetail forest near Ponyville. We left everything behind, including our family gravesite." Lawrence explained. "It's a little patch of grass above the yard where you could see over the treetops, as far as the eye can see. You could barely make out the Castle from there, and every night since my father's death, my brothers and I..." He stopped, the haunting memories of his brothers flooding his mind. "Are you ok?" Mac asked. "Yeah." His voice sounded darker. "Let's get this over with." and he pressed on. -- "FIRE!" Lancer shouted, cannons firing at the enemy lines. He had instructed all cannonier crews to avoid damage to Ponyville if possible and force the Lunars towards the north river. "Major Stampede." "Sir." "Infantry reserves to the center." "But we've taking the town sir and the 4th Royal Guards are coming in from the south as we speak." Stampede replied, seeing the Lunars retreat towards the north end of town. "Now we will take their Spirits. Send the entire brigade towards the north river and crush them. It end's today." He shouted back and looked through his binoculars, waiting for the signal from the Grenadiers. He soon saw a flash from the opposite bank of the north river. He gave a grin. -- "They're in position sir." Mac replied. "And just in time too." Lawrence looked over the river to see the entire Lunar defense come running towards them, no doubt the Royal guards on their trail. The North river was almost as wide as the Large river, but was shallow had more rapids to it. The bridge across was the only safe passage, but it wouldn't be for long. Lawrence looked through his binoculars to catch a glimpse of their banner, and an evil smile grew on his face. These were the same lunars who attacked them at Ponyville and at Large river. "Fight Fire with Fire. Not a single lunar leaves that field alive, clear?" Lawrence shouted. "Sir yes sir!" "This for our brothers you buckers." Lawrence muttered. "Sir, why are stopping?" Stampede asked. Lancer had ordered a halt at the outskirts. "They will escape over the North river and warn Manehatten." "Oh Believe me, Major, they won't get that chance." Lancer said, confusing the young major. Colonel Nightshade lead the retreat towards the river, his bicorn hat lost to Ponyville. His honor and salvation laid just on the other side, along with the rest of the 11th Lunar brigade. When he noticed the Royal guards were not giving chase, something in his mind clicked, but by then it was too late. As the first group of lunars reached the bridge, all hell broke loose. "FIRE!!!" Lawrence shouted, and a hail of bullets punched through the tree lines on all three sides of the enemy. Lunars fell left and right as the hails continued. Once the volley was over, another volley came; this time from the Royal guards behind the lunars. "CHARGE! BAYONETS!" Lawrence shouted once again, and every grenadier from the tree lines charged out, yelling like mad, shouting out 'For Large river, For ol' Haybrun!' The Lunars had panicked, not even trying to shoot back. They scattered towards the river, only to be cut down by the skirmishers remaining there. The grenadiers soon clashed into the enemy and had no intention of sparing any of them. Screams of death cried out as Lunars were cut down by stainless steel and bullets. "Sir, shouldn't we stop them?" Stampede asked, now fearing the safety for any of their wounded. "No. It would be wrong now to stop them, as far as I could care, those rebels deserve this." Lancer simply stated as screams of death turned to cries for help. The grenadiers were getting what they had dreamed since Large river: Revenge. Eighteen minutes later, the sounds of battle slowly faded as a handful of lunars were left, including Nightshade. Dead ponies laid everywhere, not even their wounded was spared. "Where is your honor? You butchers?!" Nightshade shouted, only to get hit with the butt of the rifle. "Where was yours?!" Lawrence approached, service pistol in hoof. "You had promised safe passage, and what did we get? Five Companies died at Large River, ambushed by your men." Lawrence soon shot one of the survivors, then four more; each for the dead companies. "Your promises are nothing but dirt." He shot another. "Your no better than Dogs!" Another lunar fell until it was just Nightshade left. "What would your Commander think of this massacre? What about General Lancer?" He shouted. "You can ask our 'Commander' himself, as for Lancer, who do you think gave us the order for no quarter?" Lawrence aimed the pistol square to his head. Nightshade's eyes widened as the trigger was pulled. -- "That's the last of them. Who knew they'd be this heavy?" Pipsqueak said, helping another grenadier with a dead lunar. The field before North River was littered with dead ponies, all of them Lunars. Buzzards overhear circled around, looking for something to chew on as grenadiers stacked weapons and equipment while placing bodies into wagons. They may be murderers, but they were trained and respectable soldiers. No pony was looting and any valuables found were placed into large chests, to return to the families of the fallen once the war was over; whenever it came. Lawrence overlooked the activities when Lancer arrived. "Major, report." He asked. "The entire brigade killed, while minor casualties on our side, mainly wounded." Lawrence replied with profession. "I sure the dead at Large River will finally find their peace after today. I'm sure Haybrun would have been proud." Lancer started. "Sir, Haybrun wouldn't have been this cruel. The enemy wounded alone should have survived, but something in us prevented that. He says it was the thirst for vengeance, when you have nothing to loose but have everything to gain." "Yes, I remember that saying. He told me that when we attacked a Griffon stronghold responsible for several massacres along the Northern Mountains near Stalliongrad. We didn't spare any of them, not even the women and children. We had lost too many because of them, and it only felt right to pay them back." "Fight fire with fire." Lawrence said. "Exactly. Right, I'll leave you to your work. We'll march for Manehatten in a few hours." Lancer saluted and headed back towards Ponyville. Lawrence returned the salute as Mac pulled up with a wagon load of bodies. "Here's the last wagon. Should we bury them at the Cemetery?" "Yes, but make sure they receive a proper funeral. We're not animals." Lawrence replied. Mac simply nodded and pulled the wagon away. -- 'Dear Applejack, 'It's been a while since Ponyville and North River that I've written to ya'll, but this letter has to be brief. We're still marching towards Manehatten, along with General Lancer's 5th Guard Corps. We plan to meet up with the 10th and 11th Corps at Manehatten's city limits for a, hopefully, final assault on the last Lunar stronghold. Since then, most of Equestria who lived under Lunar control have rejected their so called 'liberators' and helped the Army defeat them in open battle as skirmishers, militia and volunteer battalions. I'm sorry I missed Applebloom get her cutie mark, but I can't wait to see it when we come home, hopefully soon. Your loving brother, Big Macintosh.' Big Mac finished writing the letter and placed it in his saddlebag. The Brigade had rested just a few miles south of the city limit, along with the rest of Lancer's Corps. "Just a few more miles boys and we'll give them what for!" Lawrence shouted. -- "INCOMING!" A guard shouted. A cannonade crashed nearby, forcing the advancing column to hug the ground. Street fighting was the deadliest form of fighting in any war, with limited space to maneuver and constant obstacles and barricades established by the fanatical lunar defenders. Royal Pegasi up above dropped small ordinances to batter away the barricades, but they weren't as strong as the ground forces had hoped, especially against cannon emplacements. Big Mac lead Fourth Company towards the main square near town hall; one of the many public buildings turned into Lunar strongpoint. The Grenadier's job was to loosen the defenses and then clear them out, and with their newest toys; they could get it done quick. "Hard point ahead. Bring it up!" Mac shouted. A low rumble gently shook the streets, then grew louder and louder until it was right behind the company. It was a large wagon with the strongest wood all around mounted with a light cannon out in the open with protective cover for the gunner and loader. It's unicorn driver was positioned inside the wooden behemoth with vision slips large enough for him/her to see clearly. Thanks to the inspirational minds of the FlimFlam Brothers , this new vehicle was called a War Wagon based off the Super Speedy Cider Squeezie 6000. The War Wagon soon pulled before the company and targeted the town hall's main doors. "Fire in the hole!" The gunner shouted and pulled the firing cord with his mouth. The light cannon spat out lead and smoke. A few seconds later, the round hit the doors with a fiery explosion. The new breech design made loading in the War Wagon easier than the conventional cannons used by both sides and the loader loaded another round within ten seconds. "Hit it again. Company ready weapons." Mac said. The Grenadiers with him readied another new weapon; a revolving rifle with a fifteen round revolver-style magazine and shorter barrel. As the War Wagon fired once again, they charged out of their corner cover and towards Town hall. Royal Guard Engineers closely followed behind, ready to clear any wire obstacles they would come across. Upon arrival at the blown away doors, the grenadiers quickly advanced inside, clearing out room by room, leaving any lunar who surrendered alive. They had a reputation to restore since the rivers. When Mac arrived at the last room before the roof, a sudden explosion flung him back over the foyer railing and crashing onto the ground. His eyes blurred then faded to black. "Big Mac, you ok?" a familiar voice asked, He opened his eyes to see William standing above him in a white empty void. Nearby was Sketch, Haybrun, Newsprint and the many other grenadiers who had died. "Am I dead?" Mac asked, William lending him a helping hoof up. "Not yet, my boy. You merely fell off the third floor railing and broke you right hind leg." Haybrun said in a distance. "And the fall knocked you out square in the head." Sketch added. "Tell me, Were you lot really by Lawrence's side at the tombstone?" Mac recalled the night so many months ago. "You saw us? How?" "I couldn't get a good night's sleep without seeing or hearing you." He looked to William. "After the promise I made to ya, I couldn't think of anything else." "Listen Mac, I know you've done your best to keep your promise, but it was just that, a promise." William laid a hoof on Mac, trying to comfort him. "You don't need to worry about it anymore. Now get back there and finish the fight." He shoved Mac backwards and the void suddenly turned black. Mac suddenly woke up, gasping for breath as the fighting around him continued on. "Mac, you ok?" Braeburn looked over him, as William had done before. Mac tired to get up, but he felt a pain in his right hind leg. Haybrun was right. "Yeah, just a broken leg." Mac said. Braebrun tried to lift him up, but he was too heavy. He called out to some pony and Mr. Cake rushed over to help. He had made a full recovery after Large River and been the cook/medic for the brigade ever since. "We'll get to you a safe place outside, that way I could patch you up as best I can." Mr. Cake said. Mac simply nodded and the trio trotted out of the town hall.