Chapter 16: Time Limit
The ponies prepare for offensive,
Their enemy has a sinister plan.
Dark clouds cover the sky
A deadlier one will engulf the town...
Chapter 16
Time Limit
September 3th, 2021
2000 hrs
The Crystal Empire
“...That is why it’s a matter of utmost importance, Princess Celestia.”
As Princess Luna entered the chamber, she noticed her sister speaking with a male earth pony. He had a dark blue coat and silvery grey mane. Beside him were two griffons wearing blue informs, most likely his bodyguards. He seemed foreign to Luna, since she didn’t recall seeing him in her life before. She also didn’t remember anypony having griffon bodyguards. The Princess of the Night, seeing her entry was unnoticed, decided to remain by the door and listen to the conversation that was happening.
The foreign earth pony spoke again.
“Your Majesty, I know full well the capabilities of the Atmos Ring. I have seen its destructive power… that’s the reason I was sent here by the Aurelian Government. They are worried about the rumors that our technology is being used by a hostile force! Again!”
Now Princess Luna knew who this foreigner was: an ambassador from the Republic of Aurelia. He carried on:
“Some members of our government already say that it was a mistake to give Equestria such technology… not that I share their mindset. I simply need to know what the situation is, Your Highness.”
Princess Celestia listened to him intently, not saying a word and only nodding from time to time. Now, she decided to tell him everything he needed to know.
“I understand the worries of your government, Ambassador. It is true that Canterlot is currently occupied by the Exiles… and it is very likely that they will learn about the Atmos Ring and may plan to use it against us when we will try to recover our city. But I assure you: my soldiers and I are prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat Aurora’s forces and reclaim Canterlot. We are considering every possible option…”
The Princess hung her voice. The Ambassador asked, with a slightly uncertain tone:
“Even… if it means the destruction of the Atmos Ring?”
Celestia nodded.
“If the Exiles try to use it against us, yes. I will not let them take any more lives using something that was supposed to give us protection.”
The Ambassador seemed glum. He remembered how the Royal Sisters visited the capital city of Aurelia, Griswall, and how they made a deal with his country. They promised to help them recover from ravages of a war that Aurelians fought against their northern neighbors from Leasath by delivering various supplies needed at the time. In return, the Aurelian government would send some of its best technicians and engineers to help fortify Canterlot with a new and improved Atmos Ring. This massive set of fortified towers once protected Griswall as well, but after the Leasath invasion, the capital was taken over, and the Atmos Ring was used to kill many of those, who would dare to venture near Griswall.
Finally, the Ambassador said:
“Alright, do what you must, Your Majesty. I can also assure you that the Aurelian government considers destroying the Canterlot Atmos Ring an option… but again, it is up to you and the EAF to decide. I know you will do what you consider right.”
Celestia acknowledged it and told him:
“Thank you for your understanding, Ambassador. Return to Griswall and tell your government that we will take care of the Exile threat ourselves. I don’t want to involve your military in this… especially considering you fought against Leasath not so long ago. I know you still need time to fully recover, so I ask you: leave this to us.”
“I will,” the Ambassador assured, “and I will be taking my leave soon. But before I go, there’s something i’d like you to have.”
The earth pony pulled something out from his saddlebag and put it on the table. It was a figurine of a surfing blue griffon, and on the surfboard was an emblem which depicted a smiling vulture, holding the “southern cross” constellation with its beak.
Princess Celestia took a closer look at it, and then she noticed that the emblem was also present on one of the bodyguards’ vest.
“Curious…” she said. “What is this figurine, Ambassador?”
Suddenly, the earth pony smiled. His attitude became more expressive.
“This figurine is considered a good luck charm in our country. Back during the invasion of Leasath’s forces, we were quickly overwhelmed by their numbers and superior firepower. Nearly 95% of our country was conquered within two weeks… That was when a hero appeared: a lone survivor of his squadron, a brave gryphon fighter, codenamed ‘Gryphus 1’. He, along with his operator Crux, staged several attacks against the invaders, causing disruptions as well as damage. Due to his heroic actions, the people of Aurelia rallied together, and we stood against our enemies. Eventually, Gryphus 1 led the assault on Griswall and managed to bring down the Atmos Ring, defeated Leasath’s elite squadron, Alect, and even took down their most powerful and skilled ace: ‘Fenrir’. Had it not been for him, we would not be speaking today, Your Majesty…”
Princess Luna, as she overheard everything, realized that Equestria was now in a similar situation to Aurelia, and she wondered if they could do what their allies did. Then, Princess Celestia inquired:
“You were truly fortunate to have such ace, Ambassador. But… the way you speak of him makes it sound like he is gone.”
The earth pony nodded.
“In a matter of speaking. You see, after the war, he just disappeared. Left without saying a word. Not even Crux could tell us what became of him… or perhaps he didn’t want to. Maybe, deep down, Gryphus 1 just wanted peace, and he only fought in order to bring it back to Aurelia. Still, we didn’t want his heroics to be forgotten, so we made this figurine for the others to remember him by.”
“And, this emblem…?” the Princess asked.
“He had it on his vest. His enemies came to know him as ‘Nemesis’, but to us, he was and always will be ‘The Southern Cross’.”
Just as the Ambassador was about to leave, he also said:
“I know that here, in Equestria, there are some who can achieve the same feats as Gryphus 1 did. I hope they will lead you toward victory, Princess. Goodbye. We will stay in contact.”
Celestia nodded. The Ambassador turned around, and only then did he notice Princess Luna standing in front of him, eyeing him carefully as if she was looking for something suspicious.
“Ah… Princess Luna…” the Ambassador stammered. “Such a joy to see you… Did you hear everything?”
Luna did not respond, but it was clear to the stallion that she did. He tried his best to keep his composure as he made it to the door and left, nodding his head in greeting.
When the earth pony and his bodyguards left, Luna walked up to her sister and asked:
“Problems, Sister?”
“Do not worry, Luna. I have things under control. The Aurelian ambassador, as well as his government, has every reason to be worried, considering Aurora could use the technology they provided us with against us. This we cannot allow.”
“I agree. But, seeing this now, I wonder… did the situation in Aurelia not stabilize yet? It’s been nearly a year…”
“This process takes time, Luna. We, too, needed time to return Equestria to its state from before the war with the griffins. I want to spare additional suffering to the people of Aurelia. Aurora and her Exiles are our problem, and we will deal with it.”
Celestia’s voice turned more grim.
“And yet… something troubles me. After the war at the southern hemisphere, many soldiers from Leasath’s army tried to escape their country in order to avoid punishment for their actions during the war. And some of these were truly horrific…”
“You think… Aurora would try and recruit them into her army?” Luna asked.
“It is certainly a possibility. Many in Leasath’s army may be willing to serve her, if it means they can get another chance to cause harm to Aurelia and its citizens… We can’t stand for this. If our troops capture any Exiles, and they turn out to be from Leasath, they will be court-martialled and transported to their country once the war is over.”
Luna looked outside the window of the Crystal Castle, watching the raging snowstorm outside the magical barrier that surrounded the Crystal Empire.
“Let us hope that our people will not have to face the same horrors as Aurelians did…”
-----------------
MEANWHILE
Canterlot Castle, Throne Room
“Lady Aurora?”
“Yes, Deathwing?”
“Your guests have arrived.”
A smirk ran across blue alicorn’s mouth.
“Good. Let them in.”
Deathwing nodded and motioned to the two figures standing in the corridor outside to come into the room. They were a pair of male griffons, each wearing vests with a green flag that had a red stripe in the middle. One of them, the older one, bowed his head before Aurora.
“Lady Aurora… It’s an honor to finally meet you in person.”
He seemed like a grizzled old veteran; his feathers all ruffled up, and he had a scar on his right cheek. The younger griffon didn’t say a word; he just stared at the winged pony on the throne.
“What brings you to me, brave soldiers of Leasath?” Aurora asked.
The older griffon spoke:
“We come with an offer of alliance. We were told about your great victory and conquering of Canterlot by your captain here...”
He turned to Deathwing for a second, who acknowledged it with a nod.
“But apparently, the rebels that formed guerilla forces are still tormenting your army in the region. Especially in the town of Ponyville…”
“You seem to be well informed,” said Aurora. “But it would be in your best interest if you could get to the point, soldier.”
The griffon grimaced slightly, but continued.
“Yes… I believe we have a solution to your problem. One that will end their meaningless struggle once and for all.”
“Go on…”
The soldier motioned his younger comrade to bring a large case that he carried with him over to the table in front of Aurora. The older griffon opened the case: revealing some sort of liquid placed within a sealed jar.
“This is Cynocrine, Lady Aurora. It is a powerful and deadly gas. We designed it to help us in our war against the Aurelians… but…”
The griffon paused, clutching his left arm. He had a wound there. Aurora interjected:
“Ah yes, I heard that you and your neighbors were at war a few months ago… It didn’t go well for you in the end, did it?”
The younger griffon stepped forward, patting his comrade on the shoulder.
“Old wounds heal slowly…” the veteran griffon said.
Aurora silently nodded. She knew all about those. Especially those that couldn’t truly be healed.
“Tell me more of this Cynocrine… I am intrigued.”
The younger griffon took point, letting his older companion regain composure in the process.
“As my comrade just said, Lady Aurora, the gas is a bioweapon. It is capable of poisoning and killing everyone who inhales it within minutes: be it pegasi, earth ponies, unicorns… even us, griffons.”
The older soldier added:
“What you see here is but a sample in a liquid state, Lady Aurora. We are in possession of the last few containers of Cynocrine left. Obtaining them was no easy task. Most of them… were destroyed by Nemesis during our attack on Santa Elva.”
Aurora looked at the two Leasathians. She felt the need to ask them something.
“I see only two of you… Are there more out there?”
“Yes,” the older griffon replied. “A group of about one hundred soldiers, ponies and griffons alike, managed to sneak through Leasath’s western borders. We did it by dividing our forces into many smaller groups and passed through it in different intervals, to not attract attention. They are currently stationed outside Canterlot. We told them to wait there while we negotiate with you, Lady Aurora.”
His companion added:
“Those one hundred troops are all who managed to escape Leasath after it was put under martial law. The new government wanted to find all who took part in the conflict and attempted, what they called, a ‘war crime’. But we were only doing what our commander told us…”
Aurora still wasn’t certain. She said:
“Why have you come with this to me? What’s in it for you?”
“We just want this weapon to be of use, Lady Aurora,” the older griffon said with a grim tone. “We still hold on to Commander Navarro’s ideals… we had failed, he may be gone, but his legacy lives on. We can at least use the bitter fruit from our failure to help your own cause, my lady.”
“Aurelia had allied itself with these Equestrians…” added the younger soldier. “There will be nothing sweeter than to see our weapon used to wipe out one of its major towns. Revenge… it is all we have left.”
This explanation satisfied Aurora. She nodded.
“I see that you share my thirst for vengeance. Your resolve is also admirable. Very well. I will allow you to join my army. And I will give you your first test. Deathwing!”
“Yes, m’lady?” the black pegasus asked.
“Relay an order to Commander Clad Hoof. Tell him to begin preparations for an operation in Ponyville. These Leasathian soldiers will assist him, as they know what this Cynocrine is capable of. You two…”
Aurora turned her attention to the griffin soldiers.
“Go with my blessing. Tell your comrades to move out. Give a slow, agonizing death to as many of our enemies as possible. Make them feel the pain you have endured for so long.”
The two soldiers bowed their heads.
“We thank you, Lady Aurora. We will carry out your will. For the glory of Leasath… and the Exiles!”
Aurora gave them a nod. Deathwing lead them outside the castle. When she was left alone, she thought to herself.
“This could get interesting… Now, I wonder how Shockwave is doing with his plan? He didn’t tell me any details yet… Perhaps it’s time I ask him.”
She got off the chair and walked down to the castle’s dungeons. Before she entered one of them, she heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from behind the door. Aurora chuckled under her breath before going in.
When she entered, she heard Shockwave’s emotionless voice.
“Stop struggling. You only make it worse for yourself. Just accept your fate.”
The purple pegasus heard hoofsteps behind him and turned around. He left his chamber to go to the other room. When he saw Aurora standing before him, he lowered his head respectfully.
“Lady Aurora… Forgive me, I was not expecting you.”
Aurora glanced aside to the room from which Shockwave came.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything…”
“No, m’lady. The subject for my experiment refuses to cooperate for the time being. Apparently, she wasn’t aware of my plan’s details when she volunteered. But it doesn’t really matter. Soon enough… it will all be over for her. And she will serve her purpose.”
“Good.”
A youthful, female voice suddenly screamed from the other room.
“Lady Aurora?! Please, help me! I beg of you! Save me from this monster! The pain… I can’t take it anymore!”
“Oh, be quiet,” Shockwave admonished her. “I didn’t even rip your wing off. I simply broke it. We still have a few… adjustments to make.”
“No… NOOO!!!”
Aurora looked at Shockwave.
“You seem to be having fun… I won’t be disturbing you. Report to me once you are done. I expect you will make her the perfect example that she deserves to be.”
“It will be done, my Lady.”
More panicked screams came out from the other room. Just before Aurora left the dungeon, she heard Shockwave again.
“Now then… Let’s get back to where we left off.”
“Nooo…!!! No more! I-- AAAAAAAAHHHH!!!”
Aurora laughed under her breath as she returned to the throne room.
“Soon, Celestia… Your worst nightmares will come true… Hmm, hmm, hmm…!”
==========
September 4th, 2021
1000 hrs
Manehattan, Equestrian Allied Forces HQ
Firefly, Fluttershy, Medley, Derpy, Lighting Bolt and Cloud Kicker walked into the briefing room. They hoped Gale wouldn’t keep them waiting for long. They noticed that pegasi from three other squadrons, Tiger, Swallow and Cygnus, were already present.
Firefly was glad to see that Swallow squadron, despite all of their original members being killed during the siege of Canterlot, was re-established. It was now being lead by a young pegasus mare with a coral mane and aquamarine coat. She also had a long tail that she liked to wave around, causing small breezes. Because of this, she was mostly known by her codename, “Breezy”, but her real name was Swift Leap. She was a part of another unit before the original Swallow squadron was destroyed, but after the situation stabilized a bit and the Headquarters were moved to Manehattan, she requested to be given command of the new team. She had a group of four wingmates that supported her during the fights and with whom she shared pretty much any moment of respite.
Fluttershy exchanged a welcoming hug with Blackberry, while Carnival Tail pounced toward Cloud Kicker, wanting to give her a hoof bump. But the purple mare looked tired, rubbing her eyes and yawning.
“Are you OK, Cloudy?” Carnival Tail asked.
“I’m fine… just pretty dang tired,” Cloud Kicker replied. “Barely caught any sleep yesterday…”
Before she could say anything else, Gale entered the room as well.
“Ah, you’re all here. Perfect. Let’s get down to business then."
The pegasi from all four squadrons sat or lied down on the floor, listening intently to Gale’s instructions.
“Our preparations for an operation to reclaim Ponyville are nearly complete. Now we just need to assemble our forces together and execute the battle plan. The Apple and Arcana battalions, led by Applejack and Twilight Sparkle respectively, have already been assembled near Sweet Apple Acres. It’s the only area around Ponyville that is relatively safe. There are battles happening daily and nightly everywhere else.”
“Those guys from Ponyville Liberation Corps are giving them a hard time, eh?” Firefly asked.
“Yes, their guerilla units managed to deal considerable damage to the Exiles occupying the area. Still, they are superior than PLC in terms of numbers and firepower. Not only that, the reports that Big Bear mentioned - about a Drake General patrolling the area - were confirmed. The insurgents told us that whenever this beast shows up, a storm seems to be following his trail… as in, lightning strikes from the skies and such. We don’t know how exactly is that possible… at least, not yet. But we know this: if we don’t come to PLC’s aid soon, they will get wiped out. Your four pegasus teams will be joining them in the upcoming battle. I expect you all to provide aerial support to our ground forces and keep the skies under your supremacy. We can’t give the Exiles any more quarter.”
Others agreed to Gale’s words. Breezy, the leader of Swallow squadron, rose her hoof.
“Sir, do we have any information about the enemy’s presence around Ponyville?”
“I sent Misty to scout the area. I expect her to return soon. When we hear details about the strength of our enemy and what they plan to do, we’ll plan the battle accordingly. For now, I suggest you get prepped and—”
He suddenly paused when he heard his communicator beep in his right ear.
“Excuse me… Yes, Gale here. Misty, about time… What?”
“They are chasing me! I need backup, quickly!”
“Keep flying! I’ll send the intercepting team!”
He cut the link and turned to Firefly and her friends.
“Mirage! You’re up! We got an emergency! Get out there and help Misty; she’s being chased by the Exiles!”
“All the way here?” Lightning Bolt asked.
“It seems so. Get going, all of you. The rest of you, make your way to Ponyville. Mirage will join you later.”
“Yes, sir!” Breezy said enthusiastically. “We’re moving out!”
“As do we!” Firefly added. “Come on, girls, let’s go!”
The six pegasi quickly made it to the runway and took off into the air. While they were flying, Medley said:
“You know? Misty must have discovered something important if those Exiles are chasing her so far from their controlled territory…”
“My thoughts exactly,” Lightning Bolt added. “Whatever she learned could be key to defeating our enemies.”
“All the more reason to get to her fast!” Firefly exclaimed. “Keep those wings beating! I’ll try to raise her, see what the situation is… Wonderbolt 3, this is Mirage 2, do you read me?”
“Oh, thank the stars!” Misty’s voice replied.
Firefly heard panting in between words. She must have been exhausted.
”These guys… won’t quit…! I got four on me… can’t lose them…! AH!”
Several gunshots were heard in Firefly’s earpiece.
“Misty!” Are you all right?!”
“One of them has guns! The bullet… grazed my wing, I’m… losing altitude…! Help me!”
“Hang on, we’re coming! Thunder, do you see her?”
Lightning Bolt checked her radar.
“Radar confirmation. One friendly, four hostile signals. Heading our way.”
“OK. Kid, Butterfly, go help Misty. Get her back to Manehattan ASAP. The rest of you, follow me. Time to teach those punks a lesson!”
“Roger that! Understood! Let’s go!” the other pegasi responded.
Just as the Exiles were about to overwhelm Misty, one of them noticed the approaching Mirage fliers and alerted the others.
“Bandits approaching! It’s the Angels!”
“Them…?” one of the Exiles murmured. “Don’t fear, brothers. They are not invincible. We can take’em!”
“Yeah, let’s kill them!”
The soldier wearing guns was about to fire on Misty again, but Medley got in his sights to distract him, allowing Fluttershy to take the wounded Wonderbolt away. Firefly, Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker and Derpy moved in to battle the Exiles. Their overconfidence quickly became their own demise. Despite losing Rainbow, the Mirage fliers were still a force to be reckoned with, and their fighting abilities had not diminished at all.
Three out of four Exile soldiers were defeated with ease, but the one wearing guns kept the fliers at bay and tried to escape. Derpy gave chase after him, but as she was getting closer, the guns suddenly turned their barrels to the rear, aiming straight at the mare.
“What the…?! Agh!”
Derpy narrowly managed to dodge the gunfire to the side, but doing so made her lose acceleration. The Exile soldier got away.
Meanwhile, Medley and Fluttershy were helping Misty in returning to Manehattan. Misty seemed agitated and insisted on taking her to Gale immediately.
“But, you’re wounded,” said Fluttershy. “We must get you to the infirmary first…”
“There’s no time!” Misty shrieked. “Gale has to hear what I heard and fast… or innocent ponies will die!”
“What?”
Medley and Fluttershy glanced at each other. They nodded and did just as Misty said. Firefly, Lightning Bolt, Cloud Kicker and Derpy followed them. The grey mare still felt uncomfortable about letting that one Exile get away. Plus, she saw his gunbarrels flipping to the back… How could this be possible?
“Ugh, maybe if I wasn’t so slow, I could have gotten him…” Derpy groaned.
“You’ll get him another time,” Cloud Kicker told her. “Let’s go back to the HQ now.”
“Yeah, I wonder what Misty has to report…” Firefly wondered.
-----------------
When the pegasi returned to the Headquarters and heard Misty’s words, they were utterly shocked.
“They are going to do WHAT?!” Firefly shouted.
“A bio-chemical attack? Are you sure?” Lightning Bolt inquired.
“I know what I saw and heard,” said Misty. “That Exile commander, Clad Hoof… he was talking with some ponies that looked unfamiliar to me. There… there were even some griffons with them.”
“Griffons?” Gale asked. “I hope they were not from the Griffin Kingdom…”
“Very unlikely,” Misty assured him. “But whatever they are up to, it’s definitely not good. Clad Hoof said they are going to help him place containers that have a deadly gas inside and then release it into Ponyville!”
“Monsters!” Fluttershy let out a horrified gasp.
“I can’t believe they would stoop so low to get us…” Firefly said under her breath.
Lightning Bolt managed to keep a cool head and not give into emotions. She turned to Gale.
“Sir, do we have something that could neutralize the gas, if it ended up being released? Anything at all?”
Gale scratched his chin, trying to remember.
“Well… We do have some neutralizing agent stored in the armory in case of emergency, but… it’s in very small quantity. There’s only enough material to be used for about 20 doses, no more. And I can’t even guarantee it will work… it hasn’t been tested yet.”
Firefly snorted.
“In that case, we’re going to test it ourselves! We can’t let those scum poison the entire town!”
“On that, we agree,” said Gale. “But I’ll have you know, there’s another problem regarding the agent…”
“What?!” Firefly said impatiently.
“It is very unstable. If somepony carrying it would make too many sudden moves… the container would most likely explode.”
A brief silence fell among the fliers. Finally, Derpy said:
“Then I guess we will have to be careful with that stuff. It’s a risk we’ll have to take if we are to save Ponyville.”
“Yeah, she’s right,” Cloud Kicker added. “I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“You’d be crippled for life… if you’re lucky,” Lightning Bolt replied.
Firefly stomped her hoof.
“There’s no time to dawdle! Gale, can you go get that neutralizing agent?”
“Sure. While I do that, you go outside and prepare for emergency teleportation. Our unicorn casters will take you to Sweet Apple Acres immediately.”
Within fifteen minutes, everything was set. A group of five unicorns surrounded the six pegasi, who each carried a saddlebag with a few doses of the neutralizing agent inside of them. A bright light enveloped the winged ponies and then, they disappeared.
Gale let out a sigh and said to himself.
“Good luck, Mirage… this can be your toughest mission yet. Come back in one piece. We can’t afford to lose another one of you…”
-----------------
1040 hrs
Sweet Apple Acres
Upon arriving at the designated place, the Mirage fliers were greeted by Twilight Sparkle, Applejack and the soldiers under their command. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were also there, but the Tiger, Swallow and Cygnus squadrons still hadn’t made it. There wasn’t a sign of Exile activity in the area either.
Cloud Kicker staggered forward. Lightning Bolt helped her keep the balance.
“Are you OK?”
“Yeah… I just feel like my stomach swallowed itself…”
“The quessines caused by sudden teleportation should pass soon,” Twilight Sparkle ascertained the pegasus. “I felt the same the first few times when I tried the spell.”
“What are ‘dose things yer wearin’, girls?” Applejack wondered, pointing at the saddlebags strapped onto Firefly and her friends.
“We’ll be needing those to prevent the Exiles from releasing gas in Ponyville,” said Medley.
“WHA?!” Applejack exclaimed. “They would do somethin’ like that? Ah don’t believe it!”
“Believe it,” Firefly retorted. “Whatever sympathy they may have had before is now gone. These guys are even worse than Red Cyclone’s goons.”
The other three squadrons finally arrived. Carnival Tail was surprised to see Firefly’s team make it to Ponyville before them.
“Whoa, how did you girls get here so quick? Can you do some warp magic that I wasn’t aware of?”
Fluttershy smiled nervously.
“You… could say that, in a way.”
“Darn, I wish I knew that trick, too.”
A Wonderbolt operator contacted the assembled forces.
“Mirage 2, do you read me?”
Cloud Kicker recognized that voice.
“Hey! It’s Heavy Cloud!”
“Yep, it’s me. Hey, sunshine,” Heavy Cloud replied, causing Cloud Kicker to giggle.
“Huh? Who are you?” Firefly asked.
“This is the EAF-affiliated operator, Heavy Cloud. I’ll be monitoring combat ops for this operation. I say again, Mirage 2, do you read me?”
“Yeah, I read you, Heavy Cloud. We’re fine, and so are the neutralizers. Gale told you everything, I assume?”
“Of course. Glad to hear you’re both fine. Listen carefully now. Our original plan will have to be modified due to circumstances. Mirage squadron, your job will be to keep an eye on Ponyville and any possible signs of gas being released. If you spot one, fly to that area and use the neutralizing agent. It should vaporize the toxic cloud and prevent it from spreading. Just be careful. Don’t fly too fast, and don’t do too many sudden turns, otherwise the agent will become unstable, and it may explode. Remember that.”
Derpy was concerned.
“If the Exiles see us messing with their plan, they will send their fliers to stop us. And with the agent on our backs, we won’t be able to fight back…”
“Yes. That’s why it will be up to Tiger, Cygnus and Swallow squadrons to protect you. They will take care of the enemy fliers while you will be taking care of the gas. The Apple and Arcana battalions will engage any enemy ground forces in the area to keep them from calling any reinforcements.”
Heavy Cloud paused for a moment before continuing.
“We don’t know how exactly deadly that gas is, but try not to get to close to a toxic cloud when you see one. Each of the saddlebags you carry holds 3 packages of the agent. We didn’t have enough resources to make more, unfortunately, but Misty told me that the Exiles don’t have that many containers of gas. Use those packages in the same way as if you were using a bomb. Aim at the gas cloud from afar and throw it.”
“And when we are out of the packages? What then?” Medley asked.
“If one of you is out, then you can help the others squadrons in repelling potential enemy air units.”
“I’m fine with that,” said Firefly.
“All right. My scanner shows that the Exiles in the area are increasing their activity. They may start their attack soon! Take care of them, Mirage!”
“We’re on it!”
Before they left, Derpy approached the Cutie Mark Crusaders. Each of them had an armband with the symbol of Equestrian Allied Forces on it.
“What are you kids doing here?” she asked.
“We’re here to help,” Apple Bloom replied. “Applejack asked us to go to the schoolhouse and keep an eye of all the fillies and colts in there.”
“Yeah,” Applejack confirmed. “There ain’t no persuadin’ them away from the field, so at least they’ll be somewhere safe. An’ I’m sure Miss Cheerilee will welcome their help.”
Derpy turned to her daughter, Dinky. She was the only one of the Crusaders that was dressed up, wearing a red firefighter hat and a dark outfit with a yellow belt around it. Derpy recognized that outfit — she wore it during the Nightmare Night, when Princess Luna made her first visit to Ponyville after Nightmare Moon was defeated by Twilight and her friends.
“Dinky, dear, why are you dressed like that?”
In response, Dinky stuck out her chest and said proudly:
“I am Fire Chief, and I am here to protect the fillies and colts of Ponyville. I won’t let any harm come to them. Me and my friends will protect them.”
Derpy smiled, seeing her daughter so determined. She seemed completely different from the last time she saw her. She wasn’t afraid or fragile anymore. She grew, even if just a little.
“All right, Din… um, Fire Chief. But make sure you take care of yourself as well. I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to you or your friends.”
Dinky responded by saluting and saying: “Yes, ma’am!” before she and the other Crusaders ran in the direction of the schoolhouse, escorted by Applejack and some of her troops. Derpy watched her leave her sight when Firefly called out to her.
“Ditzy! Come on, we’re moving out!”
“Coming!”
The gray mare took a quick glimpse at the skies. It was covered in dark clouds. Despite being close to noon, it made the whole area much darker than usual. It filled her with dread.
==========
September 4th, 2021
1110 hrs
Ponyville
Commander Clad Hoof was overseeing his forces in placing the gas containers all around Ponyville. They were to wait for his command to begin the operation. With him were the two griffon soldiers from Leasath who brought the Cynocrine containers with them. They seemed a bit unnerved, standing close to an intimidating earth pony who wore a metallic mask that stabilized his breath — a reminder of how Firecracker Burst nearly burned his face off with her flame spell.
Clad Hoof was still somewhat sceptical of this plan:
“So, this… weapon you brought...” he asked through his mask, breathing raspily. “Are you sure it is going to work?”
“It certainly worked in Aurelia,” the older griffon replied. “I’m sure it will work here as well. If the citizens inhale even a little bit of Cynocrine, they will be suffering from coughs and sickness for hours. If they breathe in some more… their deaths are almost certain. Melted skin, burned lungs… slow, agonizing deaths.”
The griffons couldn’t see Clad Hoof’s expression, but his tone indicated that he was pleased with that prediction.
“Very good. Nothing will satisfy me more than our enemies’ painful deaths. And this one here…”
He glanced at the black container next to the griffons.
“We were going to deliver it to Sweet Apple Acres,” the younger griffon explained, “but… our recent reports indicate that Equestrian Allied Forces are in that region. And that prevents us from completing our operation.”
Clad Hoof growled.
“The sneaky Wonderbolt that spied on us gave our troops the slip, it seems. No matter. I have enough forces to meet the EAF in open battle and crush them.”
Just then, an Exile pegasus landed before the brown stallion.
“Commander! We scouted the northwest perimeter as you ordered. We can now confirm that EAF is assembling for an assault. Besides the ground forces, they also have four pegasus squadrons. One of them is Mirage!”
“Hah. So they want to fight us? Very well.”
He reached for his communicator.
“Granite 1.”
“Yes, sir?”
“You are now in charge of our ground forces. Head out and meet the Equestrian Allied Forces in battle. Keep the Titan and Renegade squadron in check. When you see Mirage squadron in the air, send them out to shoot those mares down. Let none survive!”
“Yes, sir. We are moving out! Granite 1 out.”
Clad Hoof approached the black container. The two griffons looked at him.
“Sir, are you not going into the battle?”
“I have… another plan. I will take this container with me. It will be my… emergency plan, just in case things will be going out of control.”
“And… where will you take it, sir?” the younger griffon asked.
“I know just the place…”
They could swear that Clad Hoof grinned under his mask when he said that.
“You did your part. Join my forces in battle and prove your worth to us.”
“Yes, Commander,” the older griffon saluted him.
When they left, Clad Hoof slowly made his way into Ponyville. The streets were empty, several of its denizens still locked in their houses. But that would change soon…
-----------------
1124 hrs
Heavy Cloud contacted Firefly to tell her about additional information regarding their forces:
“We received word that Ponyville Liberation Corps are ready to assist us. They will go into town and help evacuate it. They will be needing your protection, Mirage. If the Exiles spot them, they will most likely unleash the gas. Anypony close enough to its source will have to neutralize it as fast as possible. That way we will limit potential casualties to a minimum.”
“Roger that, Heavy Cloud,” Firefly replied. “We’re ready to begin the operation.”
“Wait, there are only five of you up there…” the Wonderbolt operator started.
Firefly quickly explained that they decided to keep Fluttershy on the ground. She was to help the Ponyville Liberation Corps in evacuating the remaining citizens and carry those who would need most help to the hospital. She still had her saddlebag with the neutralizing agent inside and could use it if things called for it. Heavy Cloud agreed to that.
“Okay, just remember, Mirage. Your priority is to take care of Cynocrine. While Twilight Sparkle and Applejack lead their battalions to fight the Exiles on the ground, you are to focus your attention in the town. Each of you is keeping an area of the town under surveillance. If you see any sight of gas being released, the one closest to the source should neutralize it. If you see enemy fliers coming at you, don’t be afraid to radio in for support. Tiger, Swallow and Cygnus squadrons are on standby.”
“Copy that,” Firefly replied. “All right, girls, let’s do it. Remember, try to be careful, but don’t make yourselves a bunch of sitting ducks.”
Cloud Kicker groaned.
“If I ever get my hooves on one of those chumps…”
“Take it easy, Sunny. We will get them back,” Firefly assured her.
-----------------
Clad Hoof reached his radio to call one of his soldiers.
“Is everything ready?”
“Yes, sir. All teams are in position,” the voice replied.
He cut the link and continued to push the container through the city. In the distance, he noticed a small group of about 40 ponies heading into town.
“Rebels… They will be in for a surprise…” he said to himself before disappearing in between the buildings.
Upon reaching the central area near the Town Hall, the group split into five smaller ones, with four of them heading in different directions and one remaining in place. Fluttershy was with that group. A female earth pony with a pale pink coat and cyan mane contacted Heavy Cloud:
“This is Alpha 1. We’re in position. No sign of hostiles. We are ready to commence evacuation. Others should be arriving at their positions shortly.”
“Roger, Alpha 1,” Heavy Cloud responded. “Remember, if you see any signs of Cynocrine, pull back and let Mirage take care of it. They got you covered from above, and Mirage 5 is there with you, just in case.”
“We know the drill, Heavy Cloud. All right, everypony, let’s do this! Go, go, go!”
The ponies from the leader’s group split up and headed to nearest houses to check if their denizens were still inside. Those who would not require medical attention were to rejoin the rest of Liberation Corps at Sweet Apple Acres, where Big Macintosh, Applejack’s older brother, was overseeing the area. Everypony else was to be transported to the hospital for examination and treatment. Fluttershy was ready to lend in her assistance.
The leader turned to her:
“I’m placing my full trust in your friends up there… but I’m glad to have one angel here on the ground,” she said with gratitude in her voice.
Fluttershy nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.
“I will do my best.”
Just as the two mares were about to join the others in searching for civilians, a male voice sounded urgently in the pink mare’s radio:
“GAS! It’s the gas! Pull back! Alpha 1, we got an emergency!”
Heavy Cloud quickly confirmed the Cynocrine was released in Ponyville’s northern region, where one of the Liberation Corps groups went. He contacted Medley:
“Kid! You are the closest to that area! Do you see any green fumes down there?”
“Yeah, I see it!” Medley replied.
She pulled out one of the units of neutralizing agent from her bag. It had a shape similar to that of a bomb, but much lighter and smaller.
“Turn the warhead a little clockwise,” Heavy Cloud instructed Medley, who did just that.
“Now, throw it! When it hits the ground, the agent will be released and it will neutralize Cynocrine!”
“Roger! Let’s hope this works…!”
Medley swung her right arm and tossed the unit to the ground. After a few seconds, it hit the surface and unleashed a cloud of white smoke that briefly enveloped the area. Medley and the ponies from Liberation Corps waited anxiously for Heavy Cloud to announce the result.
He spoke several seconds after the smoke cleared out. There was no sign of the green, toxic fumes. Medley squeaked in joy.
“YES! It worked!”
“All right! The gas is neutralized! Let’s keep up the pace!” Heavy Cloud exclaimed. “3rd Unit, get in there and get those civilians to safety!”
“Roger that! Let’s go, everypony!” the male unicorn ordered his companions.
Medley did not see it, but two Exiles that unleashed the toxic gas used this moment to sneak away. They were taken completely off guard by the neutralizing agent. They thought their plan was foolproof.
“What… What the heck... was that?!” one of the Exile soldiers asked, covering his mouth and coughing in between words.
“I don’t know, but whatever it was, it prevented the gas from spreading!”
“Nopony told us our enemy will have some kind of a countermeasure!”
“We better tell the commander! Commander Clad Hoof, do you read?”
-----------------
When Clad Hoof received a message from one of the soldiers, he wasn’t pleased.
“Countermeasure?” he grunted. “As if we didn’t had enough problems… They will not get the best of us this time. Continue with the operation. Relay to the others: they are to unleash Cynocrine in all regions simultaneously!”
He then switched frequencies and contacted his lieutenant.
“Granite 1! Scramble Titan and Renegade! Mirage squadron is trying to jeopardize our operation!”
“Both teams are on standby, sir! They await only my command!” Granite 1 replied.
“Send them to Ponyville! They are to destroy Mirage squadron! How are the ground forces?”
“We are just about to engage the EAF.”
“Annihilate them! Report to me when you are victorious. I will not hear any excuses. You must succeed!” Clad Hoof ordered.
“Fear not, sir. We will. I’m sending in air squadrons. Granite 1 out.”
The dark blue earth pony turned to over a dozen pegasi waiting on the ground next to him.
“Titan squadron! Renegade squadron! Your mission is to destroy the Mirage squadron! Fly to Ponyville and take those mares down!”
“Roger that, lieutenant. Titan squadron taking off!” said a dark brown pegasus with a scarlet mane.
“Renegade squadron ready for battle!” added a light yellow female pegasus with a long blue mane.
A group of about fifteen pegasi rose into the air and set their course to Ponyville. They were hoping that their fight would be easy, as their targets were vulnerable and without assistance.
At least for now...
-----------------
1140 hrs
The Mirage fliers were looking out for more signs of Cynocrine being unleashed. Each flier kept surveillance over one of five “areas” in the town. Firefly remained in the center, Medley was at north, Derpy at west, Lightning Bolt at east and Cloud Kicker on south. They were aiding the ponies from Liberation Corps who helped the civilians who still remained in their houses to evacuate.
Both Lightning Bolt and Cloud Kicker used the neutralizing agent to deal with the toxic fumes before they could spread. Cloud Kicker felt so enthusiastic that she pumped her hoof in celebration and almost did a backflip.
“Yeah! That was three point shot, right there!” she complimented herself.
“Don’t get overconfident, Sunny!” Lightning Bolt said. “That can’t be all of them…”
She then heard a warning signal on her radar. It started picking up several enemy signatures.
“Uh-oh… Flash, this is Thunder! Check your radar!”
Firefly did that, snorting upon noticing upcoming enemies.
“We’re gonna have unwanted company… Heavy Cloud, you’re getting this? We got bandits inbound! Lots of them!”
“Yeah, I see them, Flash! Guess it’s time to bring our own air cavalry to help you. Keep focused on your mission. I’ll call the others to assist you.”
“Roger that.”
Heavy Cloud then contacted the three pegasus squadrons waiting at the Sweet Apple Acres.
“Cygnus! Swallow! Tiger! Your time is now. Mirage needs your help! Get to Ponyville and intercept the enemy squadrons!”
“Finally, some action!” Carnival Tail exclaimed. “Tiger squadron is on the way!”
“Swallow squadron taking off!” Swift Leap reported. “Don’t stay behind!”
“Cygnus squadron ready to go!” Blackberry added. “Let’s meet our foes face to face!”
As the three squadrons took off, they also decided which area they will cover.
“Hey, Cygnus 1!” Carnival Tail hailed through the radio.
“What is it, Tiger 1?”
“I’d say we split up. My team will head to southern area, and you guys can take the western one. Swallow 1, can you handle the middle area?”
“Easy enough,” Swift Leap replied. “If Cygnus 1 has no objections…”
Blackberry thought for a moment before she replied:
“Agreed. Let’s go with that plan.”
“Girls, you are cleared hot! Engage and take down any bandit you come across!” Heavy Cloud said through the speakers.
“Cygnus 1, roger!”
“Swallow 1, roger!”
“Tiger 1, roger! Let’s get’em!”
The Liberation Corps reported another gas outbreak in the west area. As Derpy was the closest, she went to try and neutralize the toxin, which was slowly surrounding a set of houses with ponies inside. She then noticed the upcoming enemy fliers.
“Enemy attack!” Derpy reported. “I need backup!”
“We’re almost there!” Blackberry replied. “Try to hold on.”
Derpy tried to throw the neutralizing agent to the ground, but she was stopped when one of the hostiles rammed into her from behind before she could even see him coming. She dropped the agent, and it fell into a nearby tree. Luckily, it didn’t break, but the gas was still endangering the ponies on the ground.
“Mirage squadron, what are you doing? Hurry and deal with the gas!” shouted one of the PLC soldiers, still unable to proceed with the rescue operation.
Heavy Cloud told Fluttershy to fly into the area and use one of her units of neutralizing agent. She did that, but had to use two units instead of one, because the gas spreaded to a wider area in less than five minutes, making it harder to dissipate. Despite being quickly brought out of the houses, several ponies succumbed to the poison. They were giving no signs of life.
“Mirage 5… help the 4th unit with carrying them to the hospital,” Heavy Cloud told her with a somber tone.
Derpy was infuriated at the enemy leader who prevented her saving those ponies and wanted to fight him. The brown pegasus taunted her.
“What a shame. Looks like you didn’t make it. Hah! You’re not as tough as they say.”
“You will pay for that!” Derpy exclaimed.
Blackberry got in front of her.
“Wait, Ditzy! Let us take care of these guys. Go get that neutralizing agent!”
Reluctantly, Derpy agreed. The Exile pegasus just scoffed.
“Hah! If she couldn’t beat me, how can you wimps hope to take us down?”
“You should never underestimate your opponent!” Blackberry shot back.
Her companions readied an attack formation. So did the enemy squadron, its member flanking their leader.
“Alright then, let’s see which team is better. You will have the honor of being defeated by me - Skull Splitter, leader of the Titan squadron! All fighters, engage! Destroy them!”
Blackberry felt the blood rushing through her mind.
“Cygnus squadron, to battle! Sweep them from our skies!”
-----------------
As Cloud Kicker used the third and last unit of the neutralizing agent she had, she quickly wiped sweat from her face and said to herself:
“Sure hope that was the last of ‘em…”
“Mirage 4, check your radar,” Heavy Cloud told her. “You got enemy fighters approaching your position.”
Cloud Kicker looked at her radar and saw seven red signatures. Another one showed up a few seconds later.
“Ow man, a whole squadron against me? I’m not Rainbow Dash or Firefly, I can’t take on all of them myself!” she groaned.
“Don’t you worry, Sunny, we’re almost there!” Carnival’s Tail voice sounded in the headphones. “We just need a minute…”
“Um, you don’t HAVE a minute!” Cloud Kicker replied, when she saw eight Exile pegasi coming at her.
“There’s only one! Kill her!” screamed the light yellow mare leading the team.
Once they had Cloud Kicker directly before them, they were certain of their victory. One of the enemy pegasi did not pass a chance to mock the purple pegasus.
“Are you lost, Goldilocks? Oh wait… You already lost your leader. Ha hah! Looks like you are next to go!”
Cloud Kicker furrowed her eyebrows.
“Getting a little ahead of yourself, ain’t ya? Did nopony tell you that my team is no ordinary team? That goes for me, too.”
“Oh yeah? What do you have that we haven’t?” the Exile asked.
“Uh, sir…”
Another flier tried to warn him about incoming EAF signatures, but did not complete his sentence. A whizz of air swept by the Exiles, catching them off guard. Six other pegasi from the Tiger squadron, with Carnival Tail leading, got there just in time to help Cloud Kicker.
Seeing that her companions arrived, Cloud Kicker confidently folded her arms and said:
“I have backup.”
The female Exile lead gritted her teeth.
“They won’t stop us. Renegade squadron, take them down!”
“We got your back, Sunny,” Carnival Tail assured her. “Let’s teach those punks a lesson in teamwork!”
“Yeah!”
One of the Renegade pegasi wore machineguns on his back and would not hesitate to use them. He targeted Cloud Kicker and kept following her, shooting several bullets in short intervals.
“He’s on me! I can’t shake him!” the purple mare exclaimed.
“I’ll help you take him down, Sunny, just keep him distracted!” Carnival Tail told her.
“That’s what I’m doing!”
But her opponent was persistent. No matter how many turns and rolls Cloud Kicker made, he did not gave up on his prey.
“Ugh… It’d be nice of him if he stopped moving,” Cloud Kicker thought to herself.
That was when an idea came up in her mind.
“Wait… That’s it!”
All of a sudden, Cloud Kicker came to a screeching halt. Surprised, the Renegade pegasus slowed down and halted his fire. Cloud Kicker turned around and looked her opponent in the eye.
“See ya!”
The Mirage flier quickly bolted upward. When her opponent tried to follow her, he could not see what was below him. Suddenly, Carnival Tail struck him with a powerful punch in the belly, stunning the Exile pegasus. Cloud Kicker then made a diving attack from above, slamming both of her forelegs into her foe’s weapon, breaking it into pieces. Carnival Tail followed up with a swift kick in the face. The Exile fighter was defeated.
Both mares congratulated each other with a hoof bump.
“Yay! Now that’s some teamwork!” Cloud Kicker cheered.
“Yeah, they won’t be too hard to deal with… Look out, two more coming up!” Carnival Tail hailed.
When two more Renegade fliers tried to ram them, both Cloud Kicker and Carnival Tail did a quick backflip, almost simultaneously, dodging the attack. Just as they were about to engage them in combat, a cloud suddenly flew into one of the Exiles, temporarily blinding him and rendering him vulnerable.
“Now’s our chance!” Cloud Kicker exclaimed.
She and Carnival Tail did what their opponents tried to do earlier. Carnival charged at one of them from the front. Cloud Kicker bursted forward, going ahead, then quickly turning around and delivering a devastating hit to the enemy’s spine. Another Renegade flier fell down.
Seeing his comrade defeated, the other Exile tried to bail. Cloud Kicker and Carnival Tail heard a familiar voice in their headphones.
“He’s not going anywhere!”
A streak of lightning zig-zagged across the sky, heading straight for the fleeing pegasus. He had no chance to avoid it. Upon being struck, multiple sparks bursted through the air. His lifeless body fell to the ground.
Cloud Kicker cheered loudly.
“You sure know how to make an entrance, Lightning!” Cloud Kicker said when the white pegasus approached her. “That cloud blinding trick was your idea, too?”
“Uh-huh,” Lightning replied. “I’ve secured my area and neutralized all sources of Cynocrine, so I figured I’ll give you a helping hoof.”
Carnival Tail was astounded by Lightning Bolt’s attack.
“That was… awesome!”
“I know, right?” Cloud Kicker chuckled. “I’ve seen her do that move a dozen times or so, but I’ll never get tired of it.
“Save compliments for later,” said Lightning. “Let’s take care of the rest of those bandits and secure this area as well.”
“Right!”
-----------------
When Clad Hoof heard that the situation in the sky was getting out of control, he ordered for one more squadron to be dispatched. Granite chose the Spearhead squadron, comprised of ten pegasi, to help Renegade and Titan squadron by eliminating Mirage fliers. They were heading for the central area, where Firefly just used her third and last neutralizing agent unit to disperse the toxic gas cloud.
“There we go… Now to make those bastards pay for using such cowardly tactic…!”
She noticed several enemy signatures approaching her, but she did not wait for them to appear. Firefly came flying straight through the enemy formation, causing initial confusion. When the leader of Spearhead squadron realized that they were up against only one flier, he also took the opportunity to insult Mirage.
“You’re not so tough without your leader. Too bad she ain’t around to cover your sorry flank… But don’t worry, you’ll be joining her soon!”
He flew forward to confront Firefly and hit her in the face, but she effortlessly blocked his attack and stared into his eyes.
“Bub… You picked the wrong mare to mess with,” she said calmly, though her voice trembled with anger.
Firefly retaliated with a quick headbutt in the face, pushing the Spearhead leader away. He was still eager to fight.
“You really think you take on all of us alone?!” he provoked the pink flier.
She did not reply, but instead looked at her radar. Six friendly signatures were approaching her. Only then Firefly said:
“No… Not alone!”
Then, the Swallow squadron entered the battle zone, flanking Firefly.
“Mind if we help you out, Mirage 2?” Swift Leap inquired.
“Be my guest, Swallow 1.”
One of the Spearhead fliers wasn’t so confident anymore.
“What should we do, sir?”
“Bah! It doesn’t matter. We still have the strength in numbers. Spearhead squadron, take them down!” he ordered his companions.
Firefly growled.
“When will you idiots learn… you don’t win battles with just numbers! I’ll show you!”
She bursted forward, tackling the leader of Spearhead and pushing him away. Swift Leap saw this as her chance.
“Mirage 2 gave us the opening we needed! Swallow squadron, engage!” she ordered.
While her team fought the Exiles, Firefly and their leader clashed separately. He managed to put up a guard and blocked Firefly’s punches. When they were a fair distance away from the other fighters, the pink mare backed away to catch her breath.
“Guess your crew won’t be helping you,” she said to her opponent.
“That goes for you as well. Not that I mind. I got you right where I wanted you,” the Exile pegasus muttered.
“Huh?”
He lunged forward and used his left arm to try to punch Firefly in the face. She noticed he wore some kind of a metallic gauntlet on his arm, and just as he threw a punch, something extended from it… Firefly obeyed her instinct and quickly moved her head to the side to avoid the attack, but the sharp blade still grazed her cheek.
She pushed her opponent back. He was glad to have inflicted a wound, but still seemed disappointed that it didn’t end in a killing blow. Firefly touched her wound and noticed blood on her hoof. She looked at her foe with a mixture of surprise and disgust.
“A hidden blade, huh?” she asked.
“Hah! They don’t call us Spearheads for nothing,” the Exile said proudly. “I, Knife Nut, along with my companions, used these beauties to kill many soldiers from your Allied Forces. They… never knew what hit them.”
He snickered.
“Though I think you deserve a little credit. Nopony’s ever dodged that attack of mine. But nopony gets lucky twice either.”
Firefly snorted angrily.
“So, instead of relying on your skills, you rely on a weapon? You guys are pathetic!”
“So what?” Knife Nut retorted. “It doesn’t matter how we kill our enemies. If these weapons help us reduce the number of Lady Aurora’s enemies… then that’s what we will do. Ain’t no one’s coming to help you!”
He lunged toward Firefly, trying to stab her, but now that she knew about her opponent’s secret, she was prepared. Instead of dodging, she grabbed the blade as it extended, holding it in her hooves.
“You ain’t... fooling me… again, bub!” she gasped as she struggled to maintain her hold on the blade.
Knife Nut welcomed the challenge. He had a wicked grin on his as he leaned closer to Firefly.
“Heh heh… You can struggle all you want… I’m still gonna drive that blade through your eyes… and then I’ll carve them out! They will be a beautiful gift for Lady Aurora…”
Firefly could feel his breath as he got closer. She saw her hooves were starting to bleed as the blade moved slightly closer. Then she heard a voice in her headphones:
“Flash, this is Kid. My area is secured. Do you need me to do anything else?”
Firefly gasped loudly a few times before she anwsered:
“Do it!”
Knife Nut, having not heard Medley’s voice, got even more excited.
“Yeah… that’s exactly what I’m gonna do!”
He tried pushing the blade further. Firefly kept on struggling, but she couldn’t hold it for much longer… Then, Knife Nut noticed a warning signal on his radar. Another enemy signature, heading straight for him!
Just before Medley collided with him, he managed to avoid the attack. This gave a few precious seconds for Firefly to catch her breath. Knife Nut tried to locate his new opponent, but Medley moved so quickly he couldn’t catch up with her.
“Damn! What was that?!”
Firefly now had the advantage. She grabbed her opponent’s gauntlet and started to pull. Though he tried to resist, he was caught off-guard and couldn’t do much as Firefly tore the gauntlet from his left arm.
“You won’t be needing this anymore!” she exclaimed.
“No!” Knife Nut screamed in desperation.
“Oh, yes. How’s this?!”
Firefly headbutted him in the face once more, dazing him.
“Take him out, Kid!”
Knife Nut turned around and saw Medley heading toward him from above. Before he could pull himself back together to avoid the attack, she delivered a powerful kick to his face. But he was still not defeated.
Firefly did not hesitate. She used the weapon she took from Knife Nut and plunged the blade into his back. The Exile fighter let out a long, terrified gasp. He shifted his eyes to the rear, trying to see Firefly’s expression. He felt blood dripping from his mouth.
“You will not take another life, you bastard,” Firefly said slowly.
“Basely… done…” Knife Nut coughed out his last words.
Firefly pulled the blade out of his back, allowing him to fall lifelessly to the ground. Moments later, she heard the voice of Swift Leap in her communicator.
“Nice job in taking out their leader, Mirage 2! We’ll take care of the rest!”
“... Roger.”
As Firefly stared at the bloodied blade, Medley approached her.
“Are you okay, Firefly?” she asked.
Firefly looked at her and blinked several times before she finally responded.
“Yeah… Yeah, I’m fine. I’m good.”
Medley looked at the weapon she was holding.
“What is that thing?”
“Some kind of… retractable blade,” Firefly replied. “It seems to extend when you try to throw a punch… I dunno how it works, though… almost as if it responds to your motion.”
“Maybe we should show it to Steam Tinker,” Medley suggested.
“The leader of the Hornet squadron?” Firefly inquired.
“Yeah. He’s always tinkering with machines and stuff… Maybe he can put this contraption to some use.”
Firefly thought about it before agreeing with Medley. She put the blade inside her empty bag.
“I’ll hold onto this until we get back to HQ. Did you take care of Cynocrine in northern area?”
Medley nodded.
“The Exiles are on the run. I think we foiled their plan of trying to poison the town’s population.
Firefly wasn’t so optimistic.
“Don’t celebrate victory prematurely… Did you or anypony see that Clad Hoof guy? The enemy commander?”
“Um… Now that you mentioned it, no. Nopony in ground forces reported about him, nor did anypony from Ponyville Liberation Corps… Maybe he deserted.”
“I doubt it,” said Firefly. “That guy is not exactly sane. He may be up to something… and that’s what worries me.”
==========
1215 hrs
Ponyville, Schoolhouse
Cheerilee and her students, along with the Cutie Mark Crusaders, remained inside the schoolhouse. They had no idea how the battle was going, but Apple Bloom and her friends remained optimistic, assuring other colts and fillies that bad ponies will be chased away from Ponyville and things were going to be OK.
However, Scootaloo did not share that optimism. She kept pacing around with an irritated expression. Apple Bloom tried to talk to her:
“Settle down, Scoots. I’m sure our guys out there are givin’ those Exiles a solid whooping. There’s nothin’ to worry about.”
“We should be out there, helping them…” Scootaloo remarked. “I can’t stand sitting around, doing nothing… We gotta make the Exiles pay for what they’ve done!”
The other Crusaders looked at each other worryingly. Sweet Belle started:
“Are you… talking about Rainbow Dash being—”
“SHUT IT!” Scootaloo shrieked, causing Sweetie Belle to jump in surprise.
The expression on Scootaloo’s face changed from angry to resigned in a matter of seconds.
“... Sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to shout. I just… I don’t believe she is dead. I WON’T believe it! Rainbow is alive and she will come back to us…”
Her tone made her sound like she was about to break down and cry. The others knew how much Rainbow meant to Scootaloo, so they walked up to her and started comforting her.
“We do, too, Scoots. Rainbow’s gonna come back, for sure,” said Apple Bloom.
“Yeah! And she will rip those Exiles a new one!” Button Mash added.
Cheerilee, seeing the kids bond together so well, smiled and said:
“I’m glad you’re here to help me, children. I’m sure it will all be over soon…”
“Hey, guys!” Rumble suddenly shouted. “Come here!”
He kept looking outside the entire time, hoping to see the ponies from Ponyville Liberation Corps who would tell them that the situation was under control and it was safe to leave. Instead, he saw a lone pony that he did not recognize pushing a metallic barrel in front of him and slowly approaching the schoolhouse.
“Who is that?” Sweetie Belle asked. “Is that one of ours?”
“I don’t think so…” Pipsqueak replied. “I don’t remember any soldier in our army wearing a mask like that…”
Dinky suddenly gasped.
“I remember him! He’s the one who tried to kill Miss Firecracker at Stalliongrad! It’s the enemy commander!”
“What is he doing here? How come nopony saw him? What’s in that barrel he’s got there?” Button Mash kept asking.
“I don’t know, and I don’t wanna find out,” said Rumble. “Apple Bloom, can you try to raise Applejack and tell her we got an emergency here?”
“Sure!”
Apple Bloom tweaked at the communicator her sister gave her before they left the Headquarters in Manehattan, trying to set the right frequency.
“Apple 1! Apple 1, this is Crusader 1, do you read? We got an emergency, over!”
After a few seconds of static, the young filly heard Applejack’s voice.
“What’s happenin’, Crusaders?”
“The enemy commander is in front of the schoolhouse! We don’t know what he’s plannin’, but it could be—”
Her voice was drowned out as another voice, crepitating and hissing, sounded in her headphones, causing her skin to crawl. She wasn’t the only one who heard it.
“Attention all soldiers of the Equestrian Allied Forces and Ponyville Liberation Corps! This is Clad Hoof, Chief Commander of the Exile Army! I demand... that you lay down your weapons and surrender! Otherwise… you will have to live with burden of guilt… for letting civilians die! I am going to unleash toxic gas that you have tried to prevent from spreading… into the schoolhouse. All little colts and fillies inside will die… unless you surrender!”
“WHAT?!”
That was all that got out of most throats of Allied Forces soldiers when they heard Clad Hoof’s announcement. Firefly contacted Heavy Cloud.
“Heavy Cloud, you heard what he said?”
“Loud and clear, as did all of you, I believe.”
He spoke with a calm tone, but his voice was shaking.
“I can’t believe he would try something like that…”
“Heavy Cloud! I’m going back to town! I’ll drown that bastard in his own toxic soup!” Applejack’s voice sounded in the operator’s headphones.
“... No. You and Twilight carry on your operation. Leave this to Mirage squadron. Only they have the tools needed to neutralize Cynocrine.”
“Mah sister is in danger!” Applejack argued.
“Mirage will stop him. Trust them,” Heavy Cloud replied.
It took Applejack a few seconds to regain control over her emotions. She agreed with Heavy Cloud. The operator turned his frequency to Firefly’s team.
“Mirage, do you still have the neutralizing agent?”
“We used most of it… but I think Ditzy still has one unit,” Firefly responded.
“Ditzy, come in! I want you to head to the schoolhouse and keep an eye on the situation. If you see any sign of Cynocrine being released, deploy the neutralizing agent immediately. Understood?”
Derpy gasped a few times before answering.
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“Are you all right, Ditzy?” Heavy Cloud asked.
“Y-Yes. I was attacked by an enemy squadron and they made me drop the agent. It got stuck on a tree, but I managed to recover it,” Derpy explained.
“Good. Head to the schoolhouse. The rest of you, Mirage, keep an eye on the area. If you see any more enemy fliers, take them down.”
“Yes, sir!” Firefly replied.
-----------------
Clad Hoof’s chilling announcement terrified Blackberry. She could not believe that he would dare to harm children if it meant getting his way. In a moment of deconcentration, Skull Splitter used the opportunity to grab Blackberry and subject her to a series of brutal attacks. He used one arm to grab her waist and hold her from behind, and then proceeded to hit her in the chest several times. Blackberry tried to fight back, but she was exhausted from dueling the Exile for several minutes. Skull Splitter then flew in front of Blackberry and grabbed her with both arms, immobilizing her. He reared his head back, preparing for a devastating headbutt.
“How you like this?!” he growled as he struck Blackberry in the forehead.
She screamed in pain, but could do nothing to defend herself. Skull Splitter reared back a second time.
“I ain’t done with you yet!”
A second blow to the head. Blackberry’s forehead started bleeding, she felt intense pain building up. She was getting dizzy.
“One more for good measure!”
Skull Splitter struck her a third time. An audible crack was heard in the silence.
He then released Blackberry, letting her fall to the ground. Blood was pouring down her face, almost blinding her vision. The pain was overwhelming her. Blackberry could not force her wings to obey and regain control. Yet, as she was plummeting down and about to hit the concrete below, she heard a whooshing sound close to her. Her falling speed decreased… somepony managed to catch her and prevent her from falling to her death.
“Blackberry! Can you hear me?!”
She recognized that voice.Though she couldn’t see her, Blackberry whispered:
“Flutter… shy? So… tired… Let me rest… I… Ugh…”
Blackberry lost consciousness. Fluttershy hugged her, causing the blood from her wound to stain the yellow mare’s vest. Blackberry was lucky that her friend was helping the Ponyville Liberation Corps in moving the last few remaining ponies to a safer zone and was in a position to notice her falling from above. Fluttershy had not hesitated to come to her aid.
“Don’t worry. I’ll get you to safety,” Fluttershy whispered.
Blackberry’s companions noticed that she went down and started fighting with even more ferocity with the Titan squadron. However, Skull Splitter was nowhere to be found.
He, like all others, heard Clad Hoof’s speech and decided to fly to the schoolhouse area. He hid inside one of the clouds, from where he could observe the potential carnage of the entire building being engulfed by deadly gas.
“Guess the commander decided to play his trump card after all. This could be good,” he thought of himself.
-----------------
The Cutie Mark Crusaders, Cheerilee and other children huddled in the schoolhouse were very disturbed by what they heard. Apple Bloom turned to her friends:
“Ya think he will do it?”
“We can’t let him unleash the gas!” Pipsqueak exclaimed. “There are too many of our classmates here. We won’t have time to evacuate everypony!”
“Yeah, but… what can we really do?” Dinky wondered. “We’re not soldiers…”
“Are you chickening out again?” Button Mash asked her in an aggressive tone.
Sweetie Belle glared at him, making him recall the other time he said such a thing. The brown colt quickly apologized.
“Unlike in Stalliongrad, we ain’t equipped to deal with this situation,” said Apple Bloom. “Ah think the best thing we can do is to stall, until Applejack and the others come to help us.”
Scootaloo shook her head.
“We don’t have that much time! That guy can do it at any moment!”
“Calm down, everypony,” Cheerilee asked them. “I’ll try to talk him out of it.”
The Crusaders tried to make their teacher abandon that idea, arguing that Clad Hoof could hurt her, even kill her. But Cheerilee remained convicted.
“Your safety is what matters to me the most. Stay here. I’ll go and speak to him. Maybe I can buy our Angels some time…”
She walked to the door, leading out of the room, followed by the Crusaders’ sights. They all approached the window and stood there glued in, watching the scene.
“That creep better not try and harm Miss Cheerilee,” said Pipsqueak.
Clad Hoof noticed that the door opened and a mare walked out, coming closer to him. He narrowed his eyes when she stood before him. His words apparently took effect, but not in the way he expected.
“Who are you? You do not appear to be military,” Clad Hoof said slowly.
“I… am a teacher, in that schoolhouse,” Cheerilee’s voice was shaking slightly. She never faced a more dread-looking pony in her life before, save perhaps Nightmare Moon.
“Please… You don’t have to do this.”
Clad Hoof let out a raspy laugh.
“You’re trying to negotiate with me? I have no time to waste on worthless civilians. Find somepony from the military and tell him to order the Allied Forces to surrender… or get out of my sight.”
Cheerilee took a deep breath. She still tried to convince Clad Hoof to abandon his plan.
“Why are you doing this…? What have these children done to you? What did they do that you want to make them suffer? They don’t deserve to go through the horrors of war. There has to be another way for— Ohh!”
Her plea was suddenly interrupted when the Exile commander rushed forward and hit her in the face, causing Cheerilee to lose balance and fall down. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were shocked and angered.
“Son of a buck!” Apple Bloom cursed.
“That does it! Let’s go, guys!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
“But what can we do?!” Sweetie Belle groaned.
“Improvise!”
Clad Hoof walked closer to Cheerilee and spoke. His tone was dripping with hatred.
“What have they done, you ask? Simple… They were born. Born under the rule of Celestia. She is my mistresses’ mortal enemy. She ruined her life… All who follow Celestia are the enemies of my mistress… And therefore, my enemies as well. I will do everything to help Lady Aurora gain the power and position she deserves. And to do so… I will kill all who would oppose her. No mercy to disbelievers…”
He leaned over Cheerilee, piercing her with his sight.
“I will make an example out of you…”
But before he could do any further harm, he noticed seven little ponies, three colts and four fillies, running out of the schoolhouse and standing in front of their teacher.
“Not so fast, bozo!” Button Mash yelled. “We ain’t gonna let you hurt Miss Cheerilee!”
“Yeah! You gotta get past us to hurt anypony around here!” Scootaloo added.
Clad Hoof and Cheerilee looked at her, surprised at their determination. But the Exile commander let out another laughter, louder and more mocking than before.
“What is this?! Don’t make me laugh! What can puny, little worms like you possibly do to stop me? You… all of you, are worthless.”
“You’re talking about yourself!” Sweetie Belle pointed at him. “You Exiles are the worst kind of bullies I’ve ever seen!”
“Yeah! You inflict pain and misery on others, because it makes you feel tough, doesn’t it?!” Scootaloo pointed out. “But you know what? You guys are weak and pathetic!”
“But you weren’t so high and mighty when we took out your tanks, huh?” Button Mash asked.
They could not see Clad Hoof’s expression from beneath the mask, but his tone suddenly shifted. He sounded genuinely surprised.
“What? You… Wait… No, how can… How can that be…? You… were…?”
While Dinky, Rumble and Pipsqueak helped Cheerilee stand up, Button Mash carried on:
“Look, guys, he’s catching on. Not so tough now, are ya?!”
“No… this… This is ridiculous… You… there’s no way you… you couldn’t…”
Scootaloo had a triumphant smirk on her face.
“Looks like Miss Firecracker really cooked you up if you gotta wear that mask. I bet it doesn’t make you look any better, chrome dome!”
Those words caused Clad Hoof to start losing control.
“You— You were… with that unicorn…! Then you… You…!”
“That’s right!” Rumble interjected. “In Stalliongrad, Miss Firecracker helped us reach your tanks undetected and we planted C4 on them, which she then blew up.”
“Gosh, that must have been embarrassing for him…” said Pipsqueak. “Wish I was there to see it.”
Dinky tried to suppress the horrible images she witnessed on that day and also delivered her own jab toward Clad Hoof.
“He and the other Exiles got what they deserved.”
Clad Hoof suddenly let out an infuriated yell.
“NO! I… I was… defeated… by a bunch of children…?! No! NO! It’s not possible!”
“Not just any children — the Cutie Mark Crusaders Scouting Team”, Apple Bloom proclaimed.
Clad Hoof stomped angrily on the ground, hissing and growling.
“I have been disgraced…!”
He ran toward the container filled with Cynocrine.
“Only your deaths will satisfy me!”
The Exile commander lifted the lid and allowed the dark green gas to float outside. The Cutie Mark Crusaders quickly backed away.
“Come on, everypony! Inside! Everypony inside!” Cheerilee shouted.
Dinky pointed to the sky.
“Mommy!” she cried out.
The others looked up. Derpy was above them. She arrived just in time and noticed that the container was opened. She reached into her bag and, without much thinking, threw the neutralizing agent to the ground, aiming at the source of the gas.
Unfortunately, upon landing, the container with the agent did not break open. Derpy realized what she did wrong.
“Oh, no! I didn’t turn the warhead!”
She then picked up a hostile signal above her. Skull Splitter, leader of the Titan squadron, was still hiding in the clouds. He saw his chance.
“Surprise!”
He tackled Derpy and brought her down to the ground. Dinky watched helplessly as he started to punch her mother in the face multiple times.
“Stop! Don’t hurt her!” she cried.
Skull Splitter did stop, but only because he saw Clad Hoof approaching.
“Want me to finish her off, commander?” he asked.
“Not yet… I want her to witness her failure,” Clad Hoof replied. “I want her to see those children die… so she will understand that she failed them.
The situation was getting more dangerous. The longer Cynocrine remained in the air, the more deadly it became. The neutralizing agent didn’t work. The only capable friendly pegasus fighter was incapacitated.
“This is bad, we gotta get outta here!” Scootaloo exclaimed.
Dinky had her gaze fixed on Clad Hoof. That evil pony, who was causing so much harm, just to satisfy his thirst for Aurora’s approval and his own lust for blood… The young unicorn filly squinted her eyes and lowered her head.
“I won’t let him… I won’t let him hurt my mom or my friends!”
Before anyone could say anything, Dinky started running toward the container. She charged horn first into the green cloud and took a deep breath before vanishing inside of it.
“Is she insane?!” Button Mash screamed.
“I don’t believe it, she went in!” Sweetie Belle blurted out.
“Dinky! Come back!” Cheerilee pleaded.
Even Clad Hoof and Skull Splitter were taken aback by that sudden action. Then, a loud, clanking sound was heard, as if something pierced through metal…
“What was that?” Apple Bloom asked.
“Where’s Dinky?”
Then, the green, gaseous cloud was slowly enveloped by a different one, colored white, as it bursted from the neutralizing agent that Dinky broke open. Clad Hoof realized it and was infuriated.
“No… NOO!”
He also ran into the toxic cloud. Another sound, this time that of striking something, was heard, followed by a yelp. Dinky was thrown outside, rolled on the ground and remained still, coughing. The other Crusaders feared the worst… that she had inhaled some Cynocrine while she was inside…
Derpy, still struggling with Skull Splitter, saw Clad Hoof emerging from the now white cloud of partially neutralized gas. He had trouble catching his own breath as he walked over to Dinky.
“You… pathetic… little trash…! You will not… ruin my plan again…!”
Seeing him about to kill her daughter, a defenseless, sickened child, rage started building inside Derpy. She used her rear legs to push Skull Splitter away from him, sprung from the ground and charged at Clad Hoof.
Before he realized what was going on, he was tackled to the ground. Derpy punched him in the face, letting out an angry growl. Another punch. And another.
She wanted to hurt him, make him pay. She paused just to say:
“Stay away… from my daughter…!”
Clad Hoof knew that, despite the Cynocrine being neutralized, he still breathed in a lot of the toxin. He knew his time was short… but he could have some satisfaction, at the very least. He started chuckling, then it turned into a burst of maniacal laughter.
“Ha… ha… so violent… so aggressive… You think… this will help her…? Hah… We both have breathed the Cynocrine into us… She won’t remain alive for long… Death… is the price you all… shall pay… if you… keep opposing… Lady Aurora…! You will… soon… join her… heh… ha, ha, ha… Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha…! HA, HA, HA, HA, HAAAA!”
Derpy let out a primal scream. His mocking tone, his venomous words… this, all coupled with the enormous stress that had accumulated inside her, became too much for her.
“You MONSTER!”
She punched him again, causing him to laugh out even louder.
“You evil…”
She hit him again.
“... evil, evil MONSTER!”
Derpy struck him again. And again. And again.
Her fifth punch made a small crack on Clad Hoof’s mask. In a fit of rage, Derpy screamed and smashed his face with both of her front hooves.
The mask was shattered. Its pieces felt to the ground. Derpy saw Clad Hoof’s horribly disfigured face, with pieces of burnt flesh everywhere. His laughter degenerated into exasperated attempts to catch a breath. But because his source of oxygen had been destroyed, it was in vain.
Choking on the toxic gas inside him, he bulged his eyes open and gasped several times.
“Lady… Auroraaa… all of this… for… youuu.....”
Clad Hoof’s head flopped to the right. He was breathing no more, killed by the very same poison he tried to spread.
Seeing his commander dead, Skull Splitter figured that trying to pick another fight with Derpy was moot at this point. He retreated and sent a signal to his comrades from Titan and Renegade squadrons to retreat as well. Their battle was lost.
Derpy did not immediately realize what happened. She was breathing heavily, looking at her hooves, injured after beating on the metallic mask. Then, she remembered about Dinky.
The other Crusaders were around her. Dinky lay on the ground. She was coughing rapidly, her eyes were glassy and she held her front hooves on her stomach. Derpy took the little filly on her arms and asked Cheerilee to take care of the others. The teacher nodded.
Derpy caressed her daughter’s head and tried to hold her own tears, while she flew as fast as her fatigue would allow her.
“Don’t worry, Dinky… You will be all right… I won’t let you die…” she kept repeating in between rapidly trying to gasp for a breath of air.
Dinky fainted just before reaching the hospital. Nurse Redheart took her to emergency room immediately. Derpy remained outside, anxious about her daughter...
==========
1530 hrs
Ponyville, Hospital
After nearly three hours, Nurse Redheart finally came out of the emergency room. Derpy sprung on her hooves and trotted to her.
“Nurse! How is Dinky? Is she all right?!”
The white earth pony briefly took her cap off and wiped the sweat from her forehead before replying.
“Do not be alarmed… Although she did inhale some of the toxic gas, it was only a very small amount, in no way lethal. We should be able to completely detox her within a few hours. But she will have to remain here for the time being, at least until tomorrow.”
Derpy felt her pulse returning. She let out a long, heavy sigh.
“Can I… see her?” she asked.
Nurse Redheart didn’t reply. Derpy insisted.
“Please?”
After taking some thoughts into consideration, Nurse Redheart said:
“Very well. I will go check on other patients. Sadly, we have more poisoned ponies that are still being brought here, and some of them are in much worse condition… I’ll come back in fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you…” Derpy stuttered.
When Nurse Redheart left the corridor, Derpy walked into the white room. She saw Dinky lying on the bed under a green blanket. She had a respirator connected to her mouth. When she saw Derpy approaching, she reached her arms upward before coughing slowly.
“M-Mommy…”
“Dinky, my dear!” Derpy snuggled her daughter’s face. “How are you feeling?”
“Uhh… head… tummy hurts,” the little unicorn blurted out, wincing and coughing in between words.
Derpy looked very concerned but tried to keep Dinky in high spirit.
“You poor thing… Don’t worry, Nurse Redheart assured me that you will be cured. You’ll just have to remain here until tomorrow—”
“Mommy…” Dinky interrupted. “I’m… sorry…”
Derpy’s expression changed. Her crossed eyes moved to the sides in confusion.
“Sorry? What for?”
“You… must have been worried sick… about me,” Dinky coughed up. “But… please, understand… I did it to protect… my friends. I couldn’t… I couldn’t let that bad pony… hurt them… or you…”
Seeing Dinky struggle to speak even a single sentence worried Derpy even more.
“Please… don’t be angry, Mommy…” Dinky’s voice started to break down.
“What are you saying!” the gray mare suddenly exclaimed.
Dinky looked at Derpy with glassy eyes, not knowing entirely what she meant.
“I’m not angry at you, Dinky,” Derpy explained.
“... Really?” Dinky asked with uncertainty.
Derpy shook her head and leaned closer to the small unicorn, trying to keep her voice from rising up again. When she resumed, her tone was gentle, but her voice was trembling.
“DInky… what you did was very careless and dangerous. But… it also helped in saving your friends and, by extension, me. You have saved many lives today, Dear… Maybe even more than we did. You are a true heroine, Dinky. And… mama is so proud of you…”
Tears started flowing from Derpy’s eyes. Dinky noticed it and frowned.
“Don’t cry, Mommy… I don’t want to make you sad…” she stuttered.
Derpy quickly wiped her eyes and tried her best to smile.
“But those are tears of joy, Dear. I’m just so happy that you live…”
“And… what happened to that… evil pony?” Dinky asked.
Derpy’s expression turned serious. She moved back a bit before answering.
“... I took care of him. He got exactly what he deserved. He will never hurt another pony… ever again.”
Dinky blinked several times. She knew very well what that meant.
“You… killed him, Mommy?”
“... It’s not something I took pleasure in,” Derpy replied sternly. “But… it was necessary. I had to protect you and the rest of the children…”
Dinky did not say anything to that. Derpy carried on.
“At least all of you are now safe. Please, dear, try to rest…”
Then, somepony started knocking at the door.
“Could it be that Nurse Redheart came back already?” Derpy thought.
It wasn’t her. It was Button Mash, who peeked sheepishly from behind the door.
“Excuse me… I heard Dinky was here. Can I come in, for a minute?”
“Of course, Button,” Derpy invited him with a gesture.
When Dinky saw a new guest, she smiled.
“Hey, Button…” she said quietly.
“Hey… Listen, Dinky, I… I, uh… came here because I wanted to apologize… again,” said the brown colt.
Dinky blinked a few times.
“What for?”
“I’m sorry I called you insane back there. You… turned out to be the bravest of us all. If you hadn’t broke that neutralizing agent open… it would’ve been really nasty.”
“Button…” Dinky started, “you… would’ve done the same if… your mom was in danger… wouldn’t you?”
The colt looked to be taken aback by that question, but he anwsered.
“O-Of course. I would never want to see my mum getting hurt…”
Button then turned to Derpy and said:
“Ma’am… Dinky is really setting an example for us. We’re proud to have her as one of the Crusaders.”
Dinky was touched by those words. Her smile grew bigger. Derpy smiled as well.
“I’m glad to hear that. But… if it’s possible, try not to put yourselves in harm’s way again, children.”
Button scratched the back of his head before he barred his teeth and said:
“We’ll try.”
It earned a chuckle from both Derpy and Dinky. Button then walked toward the door.
“I’d better go and tell others about Dinky’s condition. We’ll come visit you later!” he said before leaving.
“Bye…” Dinky whispered.
She coughed again. Derpy leaned back toward her.
“You need to rest now, dear. Try to get some sleep. The sickness will go away before you’ll know it.”
Dinky kept staring at Derpy with her glassy eyes. She asked slowly:
“Mommy… do you have to leave?”
Derpy didn’t answer. Dinky started pleading.
“Please, don’t go, Mommy… I don’t wanna be left alone here…”
“Dinky, dear… I don’t know if Nurse Redheart will let me stay here… But, I will be right outside, in the corridor. If you’ll be needing anything, just tell Nurse Redheart and I’ll be right beside you…”
“Promise?” Dinky whimpered.
“Yes, dear, I promise.”
Dinky nodded, then closed her eyes. Her coughing wasn’t as bad now. Derpy could only hope that Nurse Redheart would quickly cure her from poisoning, to minimize the pain.
When she went out of the room, Derpy could not hold back her urge to cry anymore. She sat on the floor, buried her face in her arms and started sobbing.
“Why did it come to this…?” she wondered. “Why do children have to suffer in this war? What did they do…? … Aurora must pay for this.”
Although the operation to reclaim Ponyville and prevent it from being overflown with deadly Cynocrine was a success, the Allied Forces suffered many casualties. The ground army, led by Twilight Sparkle and Applejack, had lost 15% of their forces, with another 30% of soldiers suffering minor or major wounds. Many citizens of Ponyville and soldiers from Ponyville Liberation Corps were also sprayed with gas during the evacuation.
Not everypony could be saved. With heavy hearts, the doctors predicted that at least 50 ponies will die from Cynocrine poisoning. Only those that inhaled very little gas, like Dinky, were not in immediate danger.
Even the pegasi suffered losses. Blackberry had a badly fractured skull and had to be put on an operational table to prevent further damage to her brain. Fluttershy was shocked by this news, but she had hoped that the doctors would save her. Many other pegasi suffered from minor wounds, though at least three had bullet wounds in their leg or wing.
The Mirage squadron, aside from great fatigue settling in the fliers’ bodies, did not report any losses. However, the day was not over for them yet…
A few hours later, Gale contacted Firefly. He ordered her and the rest of the team to return to the Crystal Empire, along with Twilight and Applejack. Rarity and Pinkie were already there. Princess Celestia received an unexpected visitor who, apparently, had something that would concern each of them.
What could it be…?
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Not bad, wasn't their a Ace Combat 5 mission similar to this one?
Finally back!
8330380
This one is actually based on a much reviled Ace Combat X mission, but yeah, there was a similar mission (easier) in AC5.
8332343
Huh, the more you know.
Still, I hope Rainbow isn't dead.
I have a horrible feeling the pony Shockwave was experimenting on was Pearl Eyes...
And didn't you chase down an injured Exile who could barely fly straight and was just running for his life?
8339167
It's about an honorable use of weapons, not as a means of backstabbing your foe when he least expects it.
8340443
Why fight fair when you can win, though?
If the other guy/pony never sees you coming and you can dispose of him in one clean swipe...why not?
Firefly did that to an Exile with a bum wing using just her hooves, why would a knife be so bad in a straight-up fight?
Just a note, regarding why this last chapter took so long to be completed: Ace Combat 7 is in development and I want to avoid any possible continuity problems with that title. So, I was mainly waiting for Namco to reveal more story material about it. I hope the next chapter will not take THIS long ^ ^"