//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: Old Friends Off To War // by Teal //------------------------------// June 30 Soarin galloped through the Canterlot-Ponyville road, ignoring the strong heat that engulfed the landscape. Wiping off the beads of sweat that were forming on his forehead, he could feel the sun’s rays penetrate his coat and hat, creating a sensation that seemed like he was burning in fire. Feeling the sun bombard him with all its might, he looked around him for cover, only to find that there was nothing to shade him from the sun’s assaults. Sighing, he shook his head and continued on their movement, cursing the fact that the sun seemed to be punishing him on this day. If there’s anypony who needs to be punished, then it’s the staff officer who mixed up those orders, not me. Soarin thought grimly, hating the fact that such a mistake had happened. Due to a mix up in orders, two dozen wagons, from the arms depot at Unicorn Range, was accidentally brought to Ponyville, when they should have been sent to the main army at Rambling Rock Ridge. The orders from high command stated that they be brought to the defenses at Rambling Rock as soon as possible, for the wagons contained precious barrels of gunpowder and crates of shells for the army’s canons. If the enemy attacks their newly formed defenses, then these supplies would prove to be crucial in the battle. But with the recent reports of enemy cavalry prowling behind the lines, the new army commander decided to play it safe and send a formidable detachment of cavalry to escort the wagons to make sure that no cavalry unit would mount an attempt to steal the wagons and its vital supplies. Already, many supply convoys have been raided, as Republican cavalry under General Rainbow Dash prowled their lines, ambushing and stealing any unprotected baggage train. Fearing that such valuable supplies might endure the same faith, an escort was sent in to recover the misplaced ammunition wagons and bring them safely to the army. Needing a sizable yet quick moving force to do the job, they choose Soarin’s reinforced cavalry brigade for the task, seeing that the force was one that seemed to fit the role. Mobile enough to move quickly and get there as soon as possible, yet powerful enough to fend off any cavalry raid, his brigade was the perfect choice to fulfill the job. So here they were, marching under the summer heat just to pick up a couple of wagons that got lost on the way to the army. Not a very fitting job for the cavalry. Soarin thought sourly, as he would have preferred a risky scouting mission over this. Looking behind him, he could see the tired and exhausted expressions on the faces of his soldiers, pleading for rest as they kept up a silent movement. With hot weather, thick coats, and equipment to carry, even the toughest of Soarin’s fighters were having difficulty keeping up the pace. Just a couple more miles… He thought to himself, thankful that they were already getting close to the town. Once there, they could finally get some rest, as Soarin’s brigade was desperate for a brake. Made up of four cavalry regiments and one battery of fours canons, his reinforced brigade was composed solely of pegasi, the great athletic aces of speed and agility. His brigade took pride at being the only all pegasi brigade in the cavalry and although some may say they weren’t the best, to Soarin and his soldiers, they were nothing but the best. Despite having a large percentage of the pegasi race join the side of the Republic of Equestria, a small percentage of them still remained loyal to the crown and took up arms to defend it and the nation against the rebels. Signing up and joining the Volunteer Army, they became the loyal pegasi that stood up to defend the Kingdom. Soarin himself was loyal to the nation even before the war, as he was an officer and a member of the famed Wonderbolts aerial exhibition team. Back then, he would never have imagined himself commanding troops in war, as all he did all day was fly, fly, and fly. That was what he really cared for back then, just going out and fly. But now things have changed. The war has engulfed his life and it seemed that there was nothing ahead but more war. I choose to fight this and I shall see it till the end. If there is an end. Unlike most pegasi, he wasn’t greatly affected by the sudden introduction of the machines to Equestria, as his job at the time couldn’t really be really be replaced by a machine. He doubted it if any machine could conduct aerial maneuvers as smooth as the ones the Wonderbolts did. With no real threat to his job, Soarin was one of the few pegasi who weren’t very enthusiastic when the secessionist movement hit Cloudsdale. Despite understanding the views of many pegasi, he believed that the problem could be resolved in a more peaceful way. To him, he viewed the magical machines as something that would help them in their jobs, not replace them. But most of his friends were blind to that view and immediately jumped to the idea of splitting from the nation. So when the opportunity came, they migrated to the south, taking the floating city of Cloudsdale with them. He remembered the events as if it were yesterday, the sight of the cloud city floating towards the south. Under pegasus power, they moved the city away, while the remaining pegasi were left helpless, as they watched their home fly to the south and into the rebel side. Most of those helpless ponies were here right now, a part of this brigade, serving their nation in hopes of reuniting its two parts, turning it whole once more, and returning their home to its rightful place. The pegasi here may not all believed in his view, but they did believe in the same idea that the nation must be preserved. The idea of rebel forces seceding angered them, as they want to keep the nation as one strong and firm country. Once divided, they believe that nation would start to fall apart, as groups would start declaring their own independence till Equestria will find itself sliced up, faster than a cake at a party. So they pledged to save the nation and reunite it, even if they have to fight former friends. Being a member and an officer of the Equestrian military, Soarin and the remaining members of Wonderbolts were immediately mobilized as commissioned officers of the Equestrian Volunteer Army. Starting the war as a Captain in the 1st Cloudsdale Cavalry Regiment, he quickly rose through the ranks till he found himself the commander of his own brigade. He was actually surprised at how fast he ascended through the chain of command, but with this war taking down officers faster than they could replace them, even the youngest of cadets could find themselves leading a regiment. This was the case for many units, as the commanders started getting younger and younger. The old leaders that were seen in the start of the war were now being replaced by younger energetic ponies. Ponies who can keep up with the pace, all the while leading their commands in the fast paced environment of battle. Despite their age and their youthful looks, they were the best of the best. With three years of war experience behind them, they have learned how to fight and proven that they had the skill for battle. Well-disciplined besides their rowdy look, anypony who has served with them in battle knew that they could be trusted to do a task and that they would do it to the best of their ability. They have fought from the start and survived to become old veterans. Having fought for three years, anypony who has fought, no matter how young looking, was a veteran. Some of them may look young and frail, but deep inside them was a trained fighter, a true soldier behind innocent eyes. They were what built armies. Now these young soldiers and their commander marched under the sun, heading towards Ponyville to perform a simple mission, boring to them, but important for the war effort. It was a job for them and a job that they would perform to the best of their ability. The idea of escorting a couple of wagons wasn’t really an exciting prospect, but Soarin knew that somepony had to do it. Entering Ponyville, Soarin was met by the strange sight of carts and wagons parked on each side of the road. From left to right, he could see ponies hurrying all over town, as they went inside their homes and came out with their belonging, which they stacked on top of the awaiting carts. As if there was a fire, they vacated their homes of their property and hurriedly sped away with the carts, leaving behind what they couldn’t carry. From the expressions on their faces, Soarin could see the fear and terror in their eyes, as they labored and tried to get as much belonging out of the homes and into the carts. Strange, real strange. Soarin thought to himself, as they made their way pass these frantic ponies, who brought a quick glance towards them before going returning to their work. This doesn’t seem right. Making their way their further into town, Soarin soon caught sight of their objective in the distance, the two dozen wagons of supplies.Parked near the town center, the wagons were being prepared and readied, as the ponies who were in charge moving them made sure the straps were tied on properly and that the wagons were in good condition for a long haul. Halting the brigade and allowing it to take positions in town and find a suitable place for the ponies to rest. After such a long march, a break, no matter how long it might be, was something his brigade desperately needed. And he was very much willing to give that to them. Soarin himself felt tired and weary after the movement, with his hooves aching and demanding a break. But knowing better, he decided to ignore the pain as he moved around to do his job. With things not being what they were supposed to be in this town, he still needed to find out what was going on with all the ponies here. No rest for the weary. He reminded himself. Giving a quick order to his officers to post pickets around town, he soon left them to their duties, knowing that they can manage without his supervision. They all knew what to do and Soarin trusted them all. A simple order was enough to get them moving. Then, turning away from his command and moving towards the supply caravan, Soarin glanced towards the nearest officer before heading straight for him. From the insignia on the pony’s ragged coat, Soarin immediately knew that he was a Captain of the auxiliary corps and after a quick exchange of salutes, he began to question the pony about the current situation in the town  “What’s going on here, Captain?” He asked, hoping that the Captain had some clue on why the townsfolk were panicking. “Why is everypony in town preparing to leave?” “Well, it’s because of the rebels, sir.” The Captain replied. “Word in town is that the rebels are heading this way, so everypony in town is planning to pack everything they got and get away from here. Nopony here wants to be occupied by rebels.” He then shook his head and brought his attention towards his wagons, as he waved a hoof towards them. “We were about to the same here. We weren’t sure if the rumor was true, but if it was, then its better to get out as fast as possible, with or without escort. We reckoned that moving without an escort is better than staying here and be captured by some rebels.” “Rebels?” Soarin exclaimed, shocked to learn that the enemy was near here. From the reports he got before he left the main army, the rebels were supposed to be moving from the east towards Canterlot, not from the west to Ponyville.  “Who told you that there were rebels heading here?” He demanded. “Two merchants who came from Ghastly Gorge came galloping here and saying that the rebel army was heading this way.” The Captain informed him. “And, well, you know how townsfolk react to warnings like that. The moment they heard the word rebel, they began panicking and screaming. Seeing that the warning might be true, we decided to pack up and get ready to leave this place. Like I said, can’t risk having the enemy send an advance force of cavalry to capture these here supplies.” “But did you see any cavalry near this place?” Soarin questioned, knowing that any reports of cavalry would mean that the main body was nearby. “Nope...” The Captain said, shaking his head. “…at least not yet.” Soarin grunted his acknowledgement before turning around and trotting back towards his brigade and towards where his staff had gathered. Posted near the town hall, his staff patiently waited for him, as they waited further orders from their commander. “So, what’s the news, boss?” Col. Thunderlane asked, sitting by the steps of the town hall, while using his hat as a fan. The sun was still blazing above them and despite the cover provided by the building beside them, the humidity was still unbearable. “Apparently the rebels are coming…” Soarin said plainly, shaking his head as he wondered if he should believe the rumor or not. “Apparently?” Thunderlane questioned, staring at Soarin. “Yeah…” Soarin replied. “…two merchants came here claiming that the entire rebel army is heading this way, but I cannot confirm that report, at least not yet.” “You want me to send a scouting party, boss?” Thunderlane asked, standing up now as if he were excited about the prospect. Seeing the enthusiastic look on his eyes, Soarin knew what he was planning. “Yes. Go find the merchants and ask them to exactly point out were they saw the rebels. If possible, and if their willing, go tell them to lead you and show you exactly where the spot was.” Soarin said, before adding. “And, Thunderlane, if you’re planning to lead this expedition yourself, then you better come back here in one piece. Can’t risk losing an important member of my command.” “Yes, sir!” Thunderlane, giving a graceful salute, before he trotted away to look for the perfect company for the scouting mission. Looking around, Soarin gazed at the town before shaking his head. Aside from being the home of Princess Twilight Sparkle’s Castle, the town of Ponyville held no strategic value. It was just like any other town in Equestria, with nothing really special about it. But with the possibility of the enemy marching their way here, this town could suddenly be the most important place in the country. If the rebels were really heading here, then that would mean that the main army defending Rambling Rock Ridge was waiting for nothing. All the defenses, all the concentrated forces, all of them would just be sitting there and staring at air. They would be posted there and waiting, while the enemy moved up to capture Ponyville. The town was undefended and had no major force capable of stopping an entire enemy field army. In case of an attack, it could probably raise a small force of militia to fight the enemy, but against a veteran fighting force, a militia force would stand no chance against them. If attacked now, Ponyville would surely fall easily. Once captured, they could use it as a staging point to either outflank the main army at Rambling Rock or move up towards the Kingdom’s capital at Canterlot. Either of those two outcomes would be devastating for Equestria. “Oh, the rebels are coming alright and their doing so in force.” Thunderlane said, as they stood on the top floor of Ponyville’s town hall. Located at the center of the town and standing just under Princess Twilight’s castle, the town hall provided a great vantage point for anypony who stood on top of it. From there, they had a wonderful view of the town and its surrounding area, from the hills and ridges of the north, to the open fields of its south. “How many?” Soarin asked, trying to hide the worried look on his face. “Well, we weren’t really able to get a closer look without risking our safety and being spotted by them, but I at least know that an entire division is leading the way. And once there’s one division, you’re sure to have the rest of the army behind it.” “And no cavalry?” Soarin inquired. “Nope, not a single sign of them. It actually made scouting easy, not having to worry about cavalry tracking you.” He said with a grin. “Strange…” Soarin remarked, unsure to what it meant. Normally, an army would march forward with their cavalry leading the way, creating a protective screen and scouting for them. Usually composed of pegasi regiments, due to their swift and aggressive movement, the cavalry was the army’s eyes, telling them on what lay ahead of them. So to have no cavalry leading the advance was not only strange, it was unthinkable. “What about the lead division? Any idea who is leading it?” Soarin asked, wanting to know who the commander that was taking point was. Usually, it helped to know your enemy, as their personality and traits can rub off on how they command. If the division commander was familiar to him, then he might know his or her personality. “Well, you might not believe this…” Thunderlane said hesitantly. “… but it’s Spitfire.” “Spitfire?” Soarin said, eyes wide. Former Captain and friend, Spitfire had been a close pony to Soarin before the war. But having had divided views, they had split up once Cloudsdale was flown away. Now, it seemed that they were once again going to meet after three long years. Sadly, this wasn’t the way Soarin would have liked to reunite with his friend. He would have preferred this meeting in more calm and peaceful circumstances. Finally accepting the idea that his friend was leading the enemy vanguard, Soarin shook his head as a small smile formed on his face. “So, this is going to be her first action as a division commander, isn’t it?” He asked, remembering a repot he got from Army Intelligence a week ago. From the reports they got from their intelligence network, they had learned that the famous cavalry officer, General Spitfire, had been promoted from a brigade commander of the small cavalry force to a division commander, leaving behind the cavalry force to the newly promoted General Rainbow Dash. After seeing her as a gallant fighter in battle and having lost one of their division commanders in the previous battle, the Republic of Equestria choose to appoint Spitfire the new position, due to the lack of capable officers. They believed that, with her being a flexible and quick learning pony, she would be able to adjust to her new command as quickly as possible. But right now, she has yet to prove herself as a capable infantry division commander, as nopony knew how she’ll be able to handle the stress of a bigger command and the slower strategic and tactical movements of the infantry. Knowing his old friend well, Soarin knew that Spitfire would be determined to prove her greatness in battle, even if it was with an infantry division. “Yup. I’m just going to wonder how she’ll take it all. Knowing her, she would rather be with the fast moving cavalry than with the slow moving infantry.” “Yeah…I’m pretty sure that’s how she feels right now, it’s so typical of her.” Turning his gaze towards the south, he gazed at the road from Ghastly Gorge that headed towards Ponyville as he began imagining Spitfire’s Division marching up it. From Thunderlane’s scouting mission, he had learned that the enemy was getting closer and closer, moving as quickly as possible in order to reach Ponyville and capture it. So, there rumors were true. He mused to himself. If his calculations were right, and if Thunderlane’s reports of the enemy’s movements were accurate, then the enemy they would be here by tomorrow morning. They would come up from there, marching at the exact same road he was gazing at. Once they get here, they were sure to capture the town, and from here they can mount an assault against the rear of the main army at Rambling Rock Ridge or instead march straight for Canterlot. And the loss of either of these two  would create a major blow for the Kingdom of Equestria, a blow that might end them and the war. Going over those possibilities once more, Soarin knew the gravity of the situation they had right now. The enemy was advancing and there was nopony to stop them at the moment. But we’re here… Soarin told himself. And although we can’t stop them, we might just be able to hold them off for a while. Looking out at the surrounding fields around them, Soarin gazed at it with his military eye and studied it thoroughly. As he did saw, he seemed to be satisfied at what he saw. The ground seemed to be good for fighting, and great for a defense. Clear fields of fire, a perfect vantage point, and nice high ground, the area was a brilliant place to make a stand. Yes. He said to himself. This is good ground, if not excellent ground. One could not have asked for anything better. “We need to hold this ground, Thunderlane. We need to hold it at all cost.” He said firmly, catching Thunderlane by surprise. “With a division and more coming up against our small brigade?” Thunderlane asked skeptically. Turning to face Thunderlane, he tried to emphasize his point by giving him a serious look. “Yes. If we don’t, then the entire war could be lost. Just imagine, the enemy passing through this town and out flanking the main army or maybe even capturing Canterlot. If we don’t try to stop them here, then all of those could happen.” “But with one brigade? Surely you don’t think we can defeat an entire army with one brigade?” “I know…” Soarin said, nodding. “…that’s why I’m going to send a courier as soon as possible, telling General Sparkle to send the entire army here and to do it quickly. We might not be able to defeat the enemy, but at least we can by her some time till she gets here. We must hold them of, Thunderlane, we must.” “Well…” Thunderlane said, thinking about it. “…I guess that make’s sense. But how do you plan of holding them off?” Returning his gaze towards the south, he looked out and analyzed the landscape before him. Focusing towards the road, he began to imagine a possible defensive line. In his mind, he began placing his regiments and artillery, envisioning where his force would be, as well as where the enemy would advance. The road ran along a North-East direction, coming up from Ghastly Gorge to Ponyville. To the East of the Road was a small ridge line, which gave a nice view of the field in front till it hits a clump of rocky hills, which the local map told him was a place where the townsfolk dug up diamonds and gems. Looking the West of the road was a small open field, while further out to it was Sweet Apple Acres, with all its apple trees. That flank, Soarin noted, would be vulnerable and he had to remember that. The open field between the road and Sweet Apple Acres had no real defensive positions and can easily be hit by the enemy. But Soarin hope that positioning artillery on top of the ridge on the east would provide cover for that area, and support any force he positioned there. “We have good ground here…” He muttered, before turning towards Thunderlane. “…the best ground for miles.” With great admiration for the area, he knew that even the smallest of force can hold this place against the biggest of enemies. With high ground in many crucial places and open fields in front of it, any attacking force would have a difficult time dislodging the defenders. Turning towards Thunderlane, he put his hoof on the pony’s back and patted him. “We’ll place our artillery there, on that ridge” He said, pointing towards the ridge to the east of the road. “Then I’ll have the 1st Cloudsdale hold the ridge in support of the artillery, along with the 3rd Cloudsdale in reserve.” Then, turning his attention towards the flanks. “The 2nd Cloudsdale would move up that rocky clump of hills to the east. They’ll hold that position and protect our left flank. Meanwhile, the 4th Cloudsdale will take up positions on that field between the apple orchard and the road. They’re the biggest regiment, so they can take most of the punishment if they’re attacked.” Thunderlane nodded, seeming to agree with these battle order. Running his battle plans once more in his head, Soarin gave a nod of his own, satisfied at what he had. He might not be able to defeat the enemy with this plan, but he was sure that he can at least hold them off long enough so that the main body of their army can arrive and support him. His force was small, he knew that, but the ground was to their advantage. They were in the defense and they had the high ground. It was like a dream come true. “We were given the best ground any soldier can ask for…” Soarin said. “…and if we lose this, then the enemy is truly an unstoppable force.”