The War in Equestria.

by BluesyTreble

10 The battle for Ponyville Part One

Slightly quaking in excitement, Terence waded into battle, sword and buckler at the ready. Raising the sword, he brought it down as hard as he could on the first orc he saw, the tempered steel blade chopping into its broad shoulder. Blood spurted out, covering Terence's breastplate and right arm in the dark-red liquid. The orc recoiled, dropping his ax to clutch his injured shoulder. Terence grabbed the orc, grasping the orc's unwounded arm and yanking the warrior towards him and shoving him backwards into the lines of stallions-at-arms, who ganged up on the unfortunate orc, leaving him in a battered mass of glistening flesh.

Meanwhile Ralf had set up position no more than fifty yards from the battle, sticking his arrows point-first into the ground. He nocked an arrow, holding the bow horizontally. He hooked his string fingers around the string, and swung the bow upright. He brought it up and drew, hauling the bow-cord all the way past his ear. He fixated his focused gaze on a snarling orc who threw spears at the Equestrian magi, who were charging up their magical bolts. He lay into the bow, not noticing the tiny shifts his hands made to adjust his aim. Ralf loosed, looking up as the arrow drew its deadly curve in the sky, the bodkin flew true and straight, punching through the leather and mail the orc wore and burying itself up to the fletchings. The orc screamed, a deep guttural noise that caused the nearby fighting orcish warriors and staiions-at-arms to wince. The orc dropped his remaining spears, hands closing around the feathered shaft, crushing the delicate fletchings as he attempted to pull the arrow out. A stallion-at-arms bucked his onto his back before sticking a lance into his green face, killing him instantly.

"Ralf! Ah've been lookin' all over for ya!" A shout distracted Ralf, the archer turned back to see Applejack galloping towards him. She stopped in front of Ralf, expertly stopping herself by digging her forehooves into the ground, bringing up clods of earth. From here to Sweet Apple Acres took quite a while, and Applejack, after galloping the whole way, showed no signs of exhaustion. Ralf admired the mare's resilience and stamina. Applejack stared at the spectacle, her bright green eyes wide open.

"Heavens ta Betsy! This is way more bloody than the changeling problem at Canterlot." Commented the Earth-pony, obviously unnerved. She let out a grimace.

"How was that 'problem' at Canterlot?" The archer ceased his loosing, turning to Applejack.

"Bruises and small cuts, but it was nothin', Ah repear, nothin' like this!" She waved a hoof at the raging melee.

"Gory or not, you'll have to be going down there to help, we're still outnumbered, and the line is soon breaking." Ralf gently, but very firmly. "Here," He said, taking off his helmet and sticking it on Applejack, over her hat. She gave an irritated glance before removing the helm, taking off her hat before replacing the steel helm.

"Now get in there and buck orcs!" Ralf shouted, giving Applejack a shove on her rump. She stumbled under his push before regaining her pace and galloping toward the battlefield. Ralf said a short prayer for the orange mare before picking up his bow to re-commence shooting. He was about to loose another arrow, his upper body beginning to tire from the pulling and loosing. He slightly loosened his string fingers, and then sharply released, sending another bodkin on its deathward journey at an orc warrior.

"Ralf! Raaalf!" Twilight teleported herself in front of Ralf, obstructing his aim. He nearly released the arrow in fright. He re-adjusted his aim, thanks to Twilight, and released again, before turning to discover Twilight had brought the rest of the group of friends he had met in Sweet Apple Acres. Pinkie brought along her "party cannon", having filled it with confetti and a notch more gunpowder than usual. Fluttershy covered her eyes, not daring to look at the bloody battle that went on. Rainbow had nodded a greeting toward Ralf before launching herself up into the sky. Ralf watched as she snatched an inactive black thundercloud from the night sky before swooping over to the fighting orcs and ponies. She positioned the soot-colored cloud over a clustered rabble of orcs before bucking the cloud. Lightning exploded from the cloud, zapping the orcs. The orcs directly under the angry black cloud were but darkened smoking corpses, their more fortunate comrades leapt away from the resulting flames, gasping in pain and rubbing at their slightly charred shoulders and chests. Twilight rushed to the magi lines, shouting words of encouragement while blasting magical bolts and the seemingly countless orcs.

Pinkie sat and waited. She expertly balanced a tray of freshly baked cupcakes,on her rump with smoke still rising from their perfectly made surfaces. How her rump did not burn puzzled Ralf.

"Want one?" She poked her rump close to Ralf's face, almost scalding his face. He stopped shooting, letting the fatigue wash over him in a wave of sour and painful exhaustion. Pinkie grabbed a pink-frosted cupcake, tossed it nearly twenty feet in the air before catching it in her mouth as it came back down. Ralf took a cupcake, choosing one with no frosting. He was suspicious of that stuff, having never seen it before. He hastily crammed the cupcake in his mouth, the sweet pastry immediately filling his mouth and stretching it painfully. He winced as he chewed before awkwardly swallowing the lot down. He felt an expanding pain as the half chewed cupcake forced its way down his gullet. He coughed, almost choking. He stood back up, picking up his bow, his hand reaching for an arrow. There were none to be found.

"C'mon Ralf! Time to get up close with those meanie orcs!" Pinkie cheeped as she wheeled her cannon towards the battle.

Author's Note:

VAAANA HAAAALEEEEN

Comments

[BluesyTreble]

first thousand word chapter

[Hunter96]

Let me guess hay

[BluesyTreble]

3270104 hay

[BluesyTreble]

new upcoming chapter tomorrow