"Yawn...picket duty always sucks" a pegasus corporal said. He held out his hooves to a roaring fire in the midst of Whitetail Woods. A subtle breeze passed over causing the fire to dance gently then returning to its original ferocity.
"Well at least its better than being at the gorge" a unicorn private responded. It was 2 am and no sight nor sound had come out of the woods beyond except for the occasional gust of wind or cry of a bird. The CSE had been moving cautiously towards the Whitetails Woods and an attack was highly predictable.
"By Celestia's Mane, I wish I was home with my mare and my foal. Everything was so peaceful and quiet before this whole war started. Now look at me hundreds of miles away from home with these weird human creatures rampaging all about" the pegasus corporal sighed.
"At least my friend the night air is clean, blood has not been soaked into the ground beneath our hooves, and the stars shine vibrantly against the dark sky" the unicorn private followed up. They both then sat quietly staring into the fire's red glow.
A branch snapped in the distance. The soldier's got up on their legs.
"What was that?" the private asked.
"I don't know" said the corporal. It could be a bunny, a squirrel, a timberwolf even a CSE soldier. Since the CSE had been cautiously moving towards the Whitetail Woods in the past couple of days any movement or sound around the area of the woods was immediately put forward as a danger.
"Go see what it is private" said the corporal. The private looked at the corporal dumbfounded and then gulped. All that was before him was rows upon rows of trees and thick bushes ranging in size and shape. Everything was covered in a veil of darkness. He took a single hoof step forward and walked towards the trees. He grasped his spear tightly as he walked towards the looming trees. Unbeknownst, to him a CSE sniper waited in a small clearing with a sharps rifle primed for the shot. The private looked around slowly and jabbed his spear in the bushes only to come up with nothing. Although fear still lingered in him a great sigh of relief passed through him.
"It was nothing!" he yelled back with a grin. The corporal sighed happily.
"Thank Celestia!" he responded.
"To think we got all worked up about a simple tw-*ugh*" the private yelled as a bullet entered through his throat and killed him instantly. He fell forward in a heap as blood poured out into the dry grass. The corporal got to his hooves in an instance and ran towards the privates dead corpse.
"HEL-*hmmmmhmhmhm....* But, before he could see where the private was hit a great burly arm came over his snout and a sharp pain came into his backside. The corporal fell forward in a dead slump. Two large figures stood over the dead bodies.
"Well look at that them there ponies. They be dead as catfish in the frying pan. Ain't that right Clemson?" the corporal said to his commander who was cleaning his Bowie Knife of the pony blood.
"You are right Trace but, we must keep our voices down or these ponies will have us tied up and hung quick" the sergeant said with slight assurance. More CSE soldiers came out of the wood work and joined the two other soldiers. Major Dunlop and General Shelby came to the center of the group.
"Well done gentlemen we have made it into the Army of Whitetail Woods main fortifications. You all have your orders now move quick and disperse before the ponies hear our voices far and loud. Everyone meet in the western woods when this is all over and then we can regroup" Shelby said quickly. The soldiers saluted and dispersed back into the woods to pick off the other pickets and sabotage the strongest fortification. Shelby, Dunlop, a saboteur, and a sniper crawled into some brush towards the center of the camp.
Rows of tents surrounded them with the sounds of many slumbering ponies waiting for the attack from the CSE. Dunlop and Shelby scanned the horizon with binoculars. One fire was in the immediate range between them and the survey balloon and a single guard tower loomed in the canopy. Major Dunlop picked off the pegasus in the guard tower with ease while the other sniper picked off the single pony at the fire. They then followed the General and other saboteur to the survey balloon.
"Hand me your knife" Shelby asked Dunlop. Dunlop handed Shelby his Bowie Knife and Shelby cut into the rope tethering the balloon. Soon the rope was cut and the balloon lifted high into the sky becoming another star in the vibrant sky.
"Thanks" Shelby said to Dunlop handing him back his Bowie Knife. The four of them then turned their gaze to the ammo depot. Two roaring campfires lingered before them with 3 pony soldiers to each. Dunlop and Shelby turned to each other and tried to guess what the other was thinking. Shelby looked at the sky and saw the moon started to drift downwards and the subtle white hues of morning could be seen in the opposite direction. They had to act fast. Then an idea so dangerous and deadly appeared in their heads almost in unison.
Dunlop and the other sniper would draw away the pickets and Shelby and the other saboteur would set fire to the ammo depot. They shook each other hands not sure if they would see each other again.
"God Speed Dunlop"
"God Speed Shelby"
Dunlop and the sniper rustled some bushes to attract the attention of the pony soldiers looming over the fires. The pickets became awry and infuriated and headed towards the bushes in which a scuffle ensued. Shelby and the saboteur took this window of opportunity and rushed towards the ammo depot. They began working quickly at spreading the cannon powder around the floor amongst the cannons and other ammo. Shelby then lit a match and the cannon powder slowly burned around them. They both then exited quickly and jumped in the bushes. The scuffle in the bushes had ceased. Shelby and the saboteur headed over to the area.
All the pony soldiers lay dead with many stab marks and bullet wounds littered through them. Dunlop had his arm bandaged up and the other sniper lay dead as a doornail.
"Your hurt Major" Shelby said rushing to the major's side and helping him along.
"No no I'm fine but, we better get out of here" Dunlop said through the winces of pain. The three of them then ran off as fast as they could avoiding campfires and standing pickets into the main woods. They all stopped eventually to catch their breath and heard it.
KATHOOM CRASH BOOOOOOMMMMMM
"Well that was successful" Shelby said with a grin. Dunlop smirked back simply then they continued to run off into the western woods just as the moon began to set and the sun began to cast its orange bloody glow.
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"What in the name of Celestia was that?" Fluttershy tried to yell as she ran out of her tent. Her hair was not done in the way she usually did it, her eyes were crusty, and her armor was not polished and gleaming. Pony soldiers galloped back and forth with all due haste from such a rude awakening. Fluttershy looked all around and saw many dead sentries, the survey balloon was missing, and many of the cannons were destroyed and the ammo depot was a complete lost. Fluttershy began to feel rage and anger surging through her.
"GOSH DARN SABOTEURS" she yelled. A couple of ponies looked at her with slight curiosity while many continued on with their business trying to assess the situation. Three subordinates rushed at Fluttershy.
"General Fluttershy the survey balloon has been lost"
"General Fluttershy beg to report, that the ammo depot is all but gone"
"General Fluttershy many sentries are lying dead from stab and bullet wounds"
Before she spoke a single word a great thunderous roar echoed. The first they saw of the attack were the many trees falling to the ground and great chasms of dirt flying into the sky with limbs or entire bodies mixed in.
The CSE had begun its attack.