Chapter 27: Aftermath
The Ashes settled, The danger subsided, Princess Celestia, Twilight Sparkle, and the company overseen by Commander Spark, walk amongst the ruins left in the wake of mankind's first incursion into Equestria, an event that would be held accountable for the misfortunes to come................................................
The Portal almost immediately closed behind Achmed the minute he had stepped back through it. He contemplated the promise he had made to his new enemy, one that was currently unknown to any other human, and how he was going to follow through with it. Achmed wasn't entirely sure how he'd be able to live up to it at all, as the decision to return to the alien world would be one he could not make. No doubt this incident would be a main discussion for the council in the coming days, but details and speculations as to how that would lay out would have to wait for another time.
Looking around, the feel of the room was all over the place. Many, like Francis, Lamond, and Ahab, cheered as he walked through, a clear sign of commendation and approval for his actions that ensured their escape. Some reluctantly joined in on the celebration, like the Sarge and Harris, though not as wholeheartedly thrilled as some of their compatriots. Others were merely silent, with expressions of questionable concern spread across their faces, for both of what just happened and the effects it may have had on him. One way or another, every set of eyes in the room seemed to be painted solely on him.
For reasons unknown to him, this should have undoubtedly made him nervous to no end. But surprisingly, he felt nothing by it, not nervousness and not even joy like some others were clearly expressing. No, simply nothing. To him, nothing had been worthy of accomplishment. If anything, this strange case of sudden and newfound confidence stemmed from his inability to save his friend, who now lay dead.
Suddenly, Achmed eyed a trio of individuals approaching him. The celebratory mood that had emerged upon his return had suddenly fell silent. These three individuals happened to be Sawyer, Viktor, and Councilor Bradford. Andrew seemed like he was ready to say something when Viktor almost violently rushed past him. The Colonel's looked absolutely irate as he muttered words under his breath unknown to Achmed as he came closer. Bradford more or less looked frantic, like a mix of frustration and worry. When they stopped directly in front of him, it was Andrew who broke the silence.
"Sabbag. Glad to see you're alive." he said plainly.
It looked as if he had more to say than just that, no doubt all three of them wanted to bring up that little "hostage" maneuver he pulled right then and there, yet with the whole company and science team present and watching, making a big scene after the skirmish they just had seemed rather unwise. Achmed was quick to deduce that they were more than displeased with what he had done, the far-lasting impact of his actions remained to be seen, but even he knew that they would likely lead to some serious trouble down the road.
"Private First Class Sabbag. Stow your equipment away up topside with the rest of Osaka. Then report to my quarters on the 22nd floor for debriefing, alone. Sergeant Martinez, see to it that he gets that done."
"Yes, sir." she replied.
Andrew then turned to Achmed once again.
"You're dismissed." he said, ending the conversation. "That goes for the rest of you! Everyone back to your posts!"
The three then proceeded to depart the room, no doubt heading to the Commander's quarters as their destination. The murmurs of speculation that immediately followed didn't even wait for the three to leave the room. Once they did, Achmed was left as the center of attention once again.
Ignoring the prying eyes set on him, Achmed was quick to deduce the reason for Commander's wish for a personal debriefing. He, along with Antonov and Bradford, wanted answers to what happened between him and the native leadership, what exactly led to their confrontation. No doubt it would yield that the whole thing was an accident, but one that they would not see eye to eye on with him. Accident it may have been, but it was one that had cost Tim's life, one that could have killed him had his friend not stepped in the way of the blast, one that stemmed from "Luna's" clear desire to subdue and distrust of intent. Regardless, the three would most likely wish to mend relations if at all possible upon knowing. Their was the very real possibility that that was out of the picture at this point, and Achmed's reckless actions would be met with punishment, as firing on non-hostile targets would be met a dishonorable discharge at the very least.
But given how humanity had essentially found a world that essentially "The Garden of Eden" and wouldn't be willing to give up on claiming territory within it, his actions had advertently started a war, something humanity had suffered greatly from. This would probably mean either exile, or very likely, the firing sqaud. One way or another, any chance of avenging his friend seemed farther and farther from the realm of possibility.
However a slight bit of thought crossed his mind. As far as Achmed knew, he was the only one who had clear knowledge on the events that had played out. Furthermore, he had spoken with Tim, who had divulged his time spent on the other world to him, and him only. Sawyer was there to bail him out but it was clear that he had no idea why Tim had been killed or what had led up to the following events. No idea that the actions of a Lunar Princess were done so on accident. Perhaps he didn't need to know that little facet of information. As he regrouped with the rest of the fireteam he had been a part of, Achmed used this knowledge to begin formulating a story that could be perceived both as plausible and with hostile intent from his adversary. While he was busy with this, his fellow sqaudmates were quick to do as their Commander had instructed, and even quicker to dish out their own queries.
"Uh, what the hell just happened there?" Lamond asked.
"Yeah, You'd think he'd be a little more grateful." Ahab stated. "Nice work, by the way, Achmed."
Achmed, who had been keeping an ear open, quickly snapped out of his head-space upon hearing his name.
"I'm doubtful either the Commander or the Colonel sees it that way." Achmed said.
"Why wouldn't they?"
"Because, Ahab, taking a civilian as a hostage, albeit one who clearly sought to aid our adversary, isn't something the Militia prides itself on." Sarah derided as they stepped into the elevator. "And as for you Sabbag, what the hell were you thinking pulling a stunt like that!?"
Achmed was quick to challenge his CO on that, albeit a foolish move.
"I was thinking it would stop the enemy from fighting. And it did." He replied back with no hint of regret. "Was it unorthodox and morally wrong, probably. But my stunt, got us and our unit out without taking a single casualty. The same can't be said for them."
Achmed's cold-natured response shocked those present in his company. Sarah almost didn't recognize the man at this point. Her growing concerns on his behavior during the mission had now been confirmed. He was taking what had happened on a personal level. Add that with the Commander wanting a personal debrief with him, and Sarah foresaw the possibilities, most of which, at the current moment, seemed very likely.
The doors on the elevator had opened up to the ground floor, with Osaka stepping out. As the others went to stow their gear, Sarah stopped Achmed with a hand on his shoulder. Turning his head to face her, Achmed was ready to hear whatever she had to say, which no doubt had dismay laced with every word.
"You're angry, I get it." She started off by saying. "But you're not going to let that anger drag us into a conflict, needlessly."
Achmed felt the just the slight bit of alarm from her accusations, as they weren't far from the truth, but kept firm in his deniability.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Sarge." Achmed claimed.
"Bullshit. You think I don't see what you're up to?"
At this point, Achmed was very concerned that he'd been found out, and that his plan may now be subjected to utter failure.
"Let's get one thing straight Sabbag. I know Tim was your friend. He was a good soldier, and it hurts me too, knowing that I lost a man today. Even more that I gotta be the one who tell the others what happened to him. But you can't use his death to justify a personal vendetta that affects us all. What you say during your debriefing will most likely decide whether we're going to war. War, Achmed. The thing that killed our planet, almost killed us!"
Achmed was quiet, figuring out what he should say.
"What do want?" He simply asked.
"What I want isn't important. What I and every human alive needs is for you to go into that debriefing, and tell the truth. I don't what exactly happened that led you to open fire on them, but if there's even a chance we could avoid an all-out conflict, you need to tell them. It may require a sacrifice on your part Achmed."
Her last sentence dashed any hope he could hide the truth. If the Sarge could see through him, what chance did he have against some of the three most prominent figures in human society. However, another thought began to surge. The Sarge made it clear that humanity could not survive another war. But given all that had transpired, the battle, their enemy's incapability to subdue them, a force of merely twelve soldiers, and their clear technological and tactical disadvantages, Achmed foresaw that humanity had a very real chance of winning. If a force of hundreds were absolutely pushed back by a force of 40 men armed with nothing but small arms, imagine what would happen when humanity brought in the heavy equipment, logistics, air power, and artillery. Not to mention every militiaman alive had been hardened by an environment scarred by war, so riddled with hostility and danger, that they had effectively been molded into seasoned warriors. It was clear to him, humanity both out-classed and out-matched their foe.
No. Achmed, having confidence in mankind's abilities and wishing to avoid his chances with execution and a clear desire to right his wrongs, doubled down on his deniability.
"What happened, Sarge, is that Tim was manipulated." He said with a stern face. "Then murdered once he found out their real intentions. They promised to help him get home, but they used him instead. That portal was a prototype, one for their, "project". One that needed to be destroyed. You'll all know soon enough. One way or another Sarge, war's inevitable. Any chance at a real peace died with Tim."
Achmed then walked off to regroup with the others of his team, leaving Sarah to ponder, for she honestly couldn't tell whether Sabbag spoke the truth or had effectively learned how to lie.
Morning came just an hour after it had all happened, Celestia herself flying high in the air to raise the heavenly body of light. As she did so, the sun's rays set across Sweet Apple Acres to reveal the scars left behind by the warriors of another realm. Once risen, Celestia flew back down to the ground, where both Twilight and Commander Spark were waiting. The sight around her still shook the very fabric of her core. So many slain, despite their advantage in numbers. The killing power of fire and lead laid to bear in her mind. But Celestia's contemplation of their catastrophic defeat soon turned to the well-being of both her student, and the soldiers that had survived the battle.
Twilight had recovered back to a coherent state, but her posture and look gave a clear indication that she was still shaken up from being held hostage like that. It took every bit of mental strength Celestia had left to finally get her to stop crying, and even then Twilight still hadn't said a word since it had happened. Celestia was just grateful her student had survived the ordeal, but there was no doubt in Celestia's mind that the incident would leave a scar in Twilight's mind. It would be up to her, Luna, and Twilight's friends to help her overcome it.
Commander Spark and his men weren't faring much better, which led them to call reserves in from both Appleloosa and Baltimare to reinforce them in case the humans came back. The Commander had suffered a few minor cuts to his right foreleg and a little bit of his brow bled from where a bit of shrapnel had grazed him. Other than that he was fine. Physically at least. There was no way to account for the mental injuries. His force of 500 took the brunt of the attack, which they were utterly unprepared for. Those who had survived suffered tremendously from a variety of wounds and injuries. Head trauma and broken bones, innumerable shrapnel lacerations and bullet wounds, limbs completely missing, multiple cases of excessive bleeding, and even a few unfortunate souls had been rendered completely unrecognizable by their injuries, and had managed to live through it. Psychological damage was widespread. Some of those who had come out of the battle unscathed grieved, others stood motionless, simply staring out across the distance where so many of their fallen comrades now lay. Others had a frightening look about them, as if the life in their eyes had just simply vanished.
To top it all off, her sister Luna, and those who attended to her injuries, were nowhere in sight, leaving what became of her sister completely unknown to her. All that had transpired did so under her watch. Her command had failed, her inability to safeguard Ponyville from invaders had cost the lives of many of her subjects. From her point of view, this was her responsibility, and her head sunk down when she realized she had failed in that regard. Commander Spark had been talking with a medic, and after he dismissed her, he approached the now somber Celestia.
"Your majesty." he addressed solemnly.
Celestia looked up and turned her head to meet him.
"Commander Spark." she responded with a sullen tone. "Tell me, how far do the casualties reach."
The Commander was hesitant to reply, and rightly so, knowing full well what the numbers were. That unexpected ambush caught his forces off guard, and sheer volume of firepower the humans possessed cost he and those ponies under his command greatly.
"I.................I'm not going to lie to you Princess. It's............it's catastrophic." he replied, hoping that would deter her from prying into the matter further.
Unfortunately, it had the opposite effect.
"How many?" she reiterated. "Please."
He reluctantly replied. "Well over 220 are confirmed dead. We're still counting."
"No..." she whispered, with more tears filling her eyes.
"Of the forty that accompanied you and Princess Luna, only around 10 survived. Captain Shield and Lieutenant Sentry were among them. Three are in critical condition."
Celestia lacked words. One battle. One battle had effectively taken more life than Equestria's most bloody conflict. But in an effort to stave off the despair, she briefly focused her mind on those she wished to know the fate of, mainly her sister, the elements, as well her and Luna's own personal guard, who had fought to the last in battle.
"Commander, have those remaining set to find the elements, and bring them to me. I wish to speak with them." Celestia ordered. "And I wish to know what happened to my sister."
"Right away, your majesty." Spark replied.
As he departed to gather what troops were left to attend to the task bestowed upon him, Celestia once again took in her surroundings, her sorrow and grief growing with each passing second.
"How could this happen?" she thought to herself. "How could a few dozen beings deliver such carnage? How could I have been so naive, so unprepared, so-?"
"Princess." A soft voice spoke.
Celestia turned around to see her pupil had begun speaking again, much to her delight.
"Twilight." Celestia responded. "It's good to hear your voice again. How are you feeling."
"I.........I've been better." she replied sullenly.
There was a moment of pause. With her regular composure of confidence gone, Celestia herself was struggling how to respond, what to even say. But it was Twilight who would continue the conversation.
"Before he let me go and left, he said they'd be back." She said. "Why would they come back? Why were they even here? Are.......are we at war with the humans now?"
The sudden and hard questions couldn't be avoided, not after all that had transpired. Celestia let out a sigh, and responded to Twilight's queries.
"There are many things we need to discuss Twilight. And it would be best if both my sister and the elements were present for it. But rest assured, you will have answers."
Twilight would have been angry, having to wait longer for things she felt she deserved to know. But the whole ordeal had shaken her to the very core, so much that she simply complied without a word.
"So, what happens now?" she asked.
Celestia had no intention of beating around the bush to hide the hard truth from her student. Now that the danger had subsided, now seemed the appropriate time.
"Now." Celestia responded. "Now, we wait. With hope, perhaps we can recover from this tragedy."
Elsewhere in the area, activity began to rise. With the echoes of battle having ceased with sunrise following shortly afterwards, many were motivated to return to the site of Sweet Apple Acres, where they expected their Princess to have dealt with the invaders. However, as they approached the property they found themselves horrified. What was once one of Ponyville's iconic locations and the Apple's proud homestead had been turned into a battlefield, one which by sight alone had resulted in an Equestrian defeat. Bodies of the royal guards littered the grounds in the hundreds, the dirt beneath soaked red with blood. Fence posts and various pieces of heavy duty farm equipment were destroyed or had been set aflame during the battle, either by the detonation of a rocket, grenade, or the stray bolt of magic. Several branches had been splintered off a few of Apple's prime crop, with a few either charred or burning as well. The smell of Ash filled the air along with the sickly sweet smell of charred flesh from those unfortunate few to have been enveloped by an explosive blast.
It was at this time that the cellar door to the side of the Apple's homestead flung open, with Big Mac and Applejack being the first to step out. The Apples had thankfully been together when the humans had attacked the farm, and while many had scattered, the Apples all knew the cellar, which could be barred from the inside and was always stocked with emergency food, water, and supplies, was the place to hole up when trouble came upon them.
It may have only lasted an hour, but that hour of uncertainty and danger was terrifying to endure. One minute the gunfire was getting closer. Then it stopped for about five minutes or so. The out of the blue, a loud crackling sound was heard, followed by loud echoing boom and a dramatic increase in gunfire. She could hear magic spells being cast as well, only for it to stop so suddenly once more. They didn't hear a thing for 45 minutes, and they all deduced that the danger must have passed.
It thankfully had, but upon emerging from their underground shelter, the sight that greeted them made both of them reel back in horror. The two, who had been known somewhat for their nerves of steel, had their emotional armor completely crumbled by what greeted them the second they came out. Granny and Applebloom approached the bottom of the stairs and peaked up at the two. Granny's mind may have been as weathered as her face, but she could tell right away that something was off in the two.
"Applejack? Is it safe to come up?" Granny asked.
Still a little shaken by what she saw, she was only able to mutter a response.
"Ye.....yes, Granny..............it looks safe..................b-but................oh...dear Equestria................." Applejack replied.
Hearing the unnerved tone of her Granddaughter's voice, Granny prepared herself for the worst. Being the ripe old age she was, she had been through her share of tragedies, but something told her what she was about to see might just be the one to top the others. With this in mind, she turned to her youngest granddaughter, who was still a little shaky.
"Applebloom, you stay here. Don't come up till we say so."
Applebloom would have protested, as she had been known to be a little more inquisitive when her family often tried to hide something from her. But the tone in both Granny and her sister's voice told her that what laid in wait on the surface was ugly, where things that a pony of her age should never have to be subjected to.
"A..a...alright, Granny." Applebloom replied.
With that out of the way, Granny made her way up the cellar stairs, prepared for the worst. Upon reaching the top however, the sight she saw far surpassed what she thought imaginable.
"Dear.............heavens!" she cried out, tears falling around her aged cheeks.
The shock of it all nearly made her fall back, but Applejack was thankfully there to catch her.
"Granny!" Applejack said in an attempt to console her. "Granny. It's okay. It's okay."
"There's......so many." she said through her tears.
It was clear she was referring to those who had fallen. At this point Applejack, and even Big Mac had lost the fortitude to prevent themselves from crying. The home they had known their whole lives was now a graveyard for hundreds, possibly even for some of their friends, and even their beloved Princess. Their moment of grief was interrupted however when a unicorn mare of the guard, tasked with delivering Celestia's summons to the Elements of Harmony, spotted Applejack and approached her.
"Miss Applejack?" The guardmare addressed.
Applejack, tears streaking down here cheeks, looked up to see who had approached them. The guardpony in question looked like a far cry to what one would expect from their ranks. The once regal golden armor was splattered with dirt and grime, the pony who wore it very much the same, with minor cuts along her legs and neck, and a small gaping wound to the forehead. Her helmet now bore a large scrape to the side, where a bullet had grazed it. All in all, it was clear she had endured and survived the horrific event that had unfolded.
"Y-yes?" Applejack asked, wiping her eyes.
"I-I hate to break up the moment, but, Princess Celestia requests your presence." The Guardmare stated. "It's urgent."
Applejack, looking back to her family, felt a twinge of guilt for leaving them at the moment.
"What about my family? I can't just-"
"We have more reserves coming in. They'll be taken care of along with everypony else."
Still very much reluctant, but unwilling to argue given how her commands came straight from Celestia, Applejack begrudgingly agreed.
"Alright. Guess I'll be followin' you then."
With that taken care of, the guardmare called some of her nearby comrades over to safely escort her family out of the area. Meanwhile, Applejack turned to consult with her family.
"Granny, Big Mac. Take Applebloom and follow the guards. They'll take y'all somewhere safe."
The two nodded, giving her one last hug before quickly seeing to their task. Applejack then accompanied the guardmare. As they walked through the battlefield, Applejack couldn't help but sooth the wounds the guardmare was feeling, but had inadvertently brought up the carnage.
"If it's any comfort to ya, I'm sorry for your loss, uh......."
"It's River." the guardsmare replied. "Corporal River Breeze."
"I can't imagine what you've been through. No doubt you knew a lot of these ponies."
The guardmare slowed down, now unable to hold back the tears as flashbacks of the previous night came racing through her head space. Bullets flying across the battlefield, shredding apart her comrades left and right, magic bolts unable to be casted fast enough to compete with the rate of fire the humans had achieved or accurate enough to land an effective hit. They seemed unstoppable, and for all intents and purposes, they might of well has been, as any strategy they had been trained in seemed utterly useless in subduing the enemy.
"Yeah, I did know many of them. It...........it's crazy. To think I was in the mess hall with these guys just yesterday." She said quietly. "Feels like a whole different lifetime."
Applejack felt immense sorrow for her, for all those who went through the atrocity. This might just make all those other times she and her friends were in danger look trivial. She still couldn't believe just a handful of humans managed to do this. To think she had come to trust Tim, only to have that trust broken in the worst way possible. But then she remembered those she saw leaving Twilight's castle, and didn't recall seeing Tim among them. Where had he been during all of this. She supposed that maybe the answers lied in wait with the Princess.
"Did you ever have to go through something like this? All the times you, Princess Twilight, and your friends, did you ever once come across a situation like this?" River Breeze asked.
"I'm afraid not." Applejack replied.
River Breeze's look seemed even more unnerved by that, though she never voiced it to Applejack. As more time passed, others returned, only to have the same grisly sight greet them. Approaching from the south side of Sweet Apple Acres, another drove of ponies had returned, among them were Rarity, Fluttershy, Spike and Sweetie Belle. The trio had been helping distribute food with Pinkie Pie when the attack began. In the mass confusion that followed, they got separated from Pinkie Pie, Rarity almost lost her younger sister to the panicked crowd, but Fluttershy had thankfully managed to grab her and fly her and Sweetie to safety, with Rarity trying her best to follow behind.
The three, and many of the ponies that had fled from the battle, had come out unscathed. Rarity's mane got a little furled up, otherwise, there were no serious damage done. That was until they had returned, only to see the carnage the battle had left behind. Sweetie who trailed behind the two older mares had yet to see what had happened. Rarity immediately blocked her sister's view of the battlefield, much to Sweetie's sudden dismay.
"Rarity!" Sweetie cried out. "What are y-"
"DON'T YOU DARE LOOK, SWEETIE BELLE!" Rarity said sternly, turning her head to look down on her with tears clearly visible in her eyes. "That goes for you too Spike!"
Rarity was known to be melodramatic, but the look on Rarity's face was one neither Spike nor Sweetie had never seen before, one that she couldn't decipher, as it incorporated elements of fear, anger, and sadness. But it was a look that showed clear signs that it was serious, leading Sweetie to obey with her sister's wishes.
"O-okay, sis." Sweetie replied timidly.
"We-we won't look, Rarity."
Rarity turned her eyes back around to the carnage before her. Never before had any of them seen such barbarity and disregard for sentient life. The number of slain would no doubt surpass the casualties amounted in Equestria's previous conflict. But the fact that the number had been surpassed in just one battle alone. Neither Rarity nor Fluttershy were able to form words for such an atrocity, forcing both to be filled with grief. It would have been very likely that the two would have simply wept, had a guardpony not arrived with the Princesses' summons.
"Miss Rarity, Miss Fluttershy?" she asked. "I'm afraid you must come with me. Princess Celestia requests your presence. Immediately."
Taking some time to catch up with what she said, Rarity could only utter one word as a response.
"....what?"
"This moment?" Fluttershy concurred.
"I'm afraid so." The guardmare replied. "It's urgent, and she asked specifically for you and your friends."
"What of the little ones?" Rarity asked. "Can they come with us?"
"I don't think so, but I can have them looked after by another guard."
While the guard did her best to sooth Rarity's concerns, her sentence only seemed to enrage the already on edge Rarity.
"After what just happened here! You expect me to just leave these two children, my sister, unattended."
"Ma'am, the danger has passed." The guard insisted. "It's been two hours now, I don't think they're coming back. Regardless, your sister and her young dragon friend will not be unattended, they'll be in safe hooves, I assure you. When your business with Princess Celestia concludes, I'll personally see to it that you'll be reunited afterwards."
While she still had several reservations, the guard's ability of reassurance seemed enough to coerce the Element of Generosity.
"Well, alright. And you're certain that they'll both be taken care of. Spike here is Twilight's little assistant, and-"
The mention of the name sent the two elements into a state of reflection on the status of their absent friend. Before any of them could inquire on her, it seemed Spike beat them both to it.
"Is Twilight alright, ma'am?" He asked. "Is she safe? Is she...............alive?"
"Spike, don't say that!" Rarity intoned with disapproval.
"No need to worry, little guy, you'll be happy to know she's safe and sound." The guardsmare said.
The guard's somewhat optimistic look withered a little, as she pondered on those who weren't so fortunate, those she called friend. However she didn't make a habit on pondering it too long, as not to unnerve the resolve in the presence of two minors, for they too would soon see the carnage that was left to wake.
"Anyways. If you wait here, i can have another guard come escort the the children to safety, and away from..............well, I don't think I need to say it."
"No. I think not." Rarity concurred.
On the other side of Sweet Apple Acres, Rainbow Dash stood atop the hill, with Pinkie Pie and Scootaloo at her side, a tear-filled glare across the two former's faces. As she overlooked the field of battle, a spark of anger began to burn withing Rainbow's heart. Pinkie Pie went to sooth the growing sadness that had arisen in the young pegasus, whether to keep her from screaming or bawling outright.
Anger soon became all Rainbow Dash felt at the moment, anger that stemmed from on attack on her world. The fact that she let fear gain a hold over her, and that she made no further attempt to try and stop them after her first attempt almost cost her her life. But most of all, she felt betrayed.
She wanted answers. Why had this happened? And furthermore, where had Tim been during all of this? She hadn't recalled seeing him once this night. Not when the humans barged out from Twilight's home, not when they engaged in combat with the guards, not during the evacuation, not when Twilight's castle was set ablaze, and not when his human allies began their assault on Applejack's home. What role had he played during all of this? Had he been deceiving them this whole time?
One way or another, Rainbow sought answers, and she was going to get them. The two ponies who probably had said answers were down there amongst the remains of the battlefield. Whether they were still alive or not remained to be seen, though Rainbow prayed that neither had fallen in battle. But before she could set forth on her new purpose, her purpose would come to her.
A pegasus guard pony had flown up the hill from where the battle had taken place, to where the two elements stood overlooking it. He landed in front of Rainbow Dash, taking off his helmet and giving a salute to address the Wonderbolt.
"Ma'am." he addressed her by saying. "I must inform both you and Miss Pie need to come with me at once. Princess Celestia requires you two be present at once."
"What about Scootaloo?" Rainbow asked, not wishing for her adoptive sister to inspect the carnage any closer than where they were.
"She'll be watched after by some of the guards, along with a handful of other minors. Rest assured, she'll be looked after."
"Well that was easy." Rainbow thought with a bewildered look.
Rainbow Dash nodded, and quickly beckoned for Pinkie to follow suit.
"Lead the way." She told him.
The three men had been waiting for close to half an hour, still waiting for the Sabbag to arrive so that the debriefing could get underway. Tensions in the room were at an all time high, and conversations on the possible ramifications didn't wait for Achmed's arrival.
"God dammit!" Bradford nervously swore. "How'd this happen?!"
"Where would you like to start, Andrew's piss poor decision making, the screw loose in Sabbag, or the fact we were sent in with no intel, essentially improvising throughout the whole mission!"
Andrew, growing ever weary of his friend's readiness to lay blame, shot back with his own comment.
"My decisions probably would have worked if your faulty equipment hadn't crapped out!" Andrew shot back. "Both mine and Sabbag's HUD-sets and Wolf 4's RARD went completely offline. Mind explaining that!?"
"EY! That gear has working flawlessly for the last 12 years, Andrew. I asked Wolf 4 to examine your all's sets, see what went wrong, but Nate never makes a habit of leaving things unchecked."
"You said these things were capable of manipulating objects and firing projectiles from the mind, yes?" Bradford inquired. "Perhaps that may have played into the equipment malfunction? Perhaps giving off some sort of electromagnetic interference or something similar as a byproduct."
"If that were the case, I'm pretty certain everything would have gone offline during that fight." Viktor argued. "Nonetheless, we should have been better prepared."
"How!!?!!" Andrew asked. "Like you said, we went in with no intel and no idea what we'd be running into!"
"Yeah, but we did so under your command, which seems to have gotten rusty over the last couple of years."
"So would you have rather have gone in alone? Just you and your team then?!"
"Oh, Andrew." Viktor chuckled. "You have no idea how preferable that would have been."
Andrew let out a sigh, realizing that Viktor had pretty good point.
"Well Vik, you got me there I suppose. No doubt this whole ordeal will cost me my command by the end of it. But, until we get our debrief from Sabbag, we can't be certain what actually happened that threw things off course." Andrew argued.
"And That's another thing!" Viktor stated. "I'm almost certain that man started it!"
"Started what?" Bradford asked, clearly wanting an answer to how this all started.
"In short, the whole fucking fight!" Viktor said irately "No doubt Berfield's death put him on edge! He let anger and grief get to him, lead him to violently lash out against the natives. From the tone of their leader's tone and voice, it very well sounds like he instigated it. Bringing him on the mission was a mistake."
"Now wait just one damn minute!" Andrew protested. "Let's not forget, I saw those things kill Berfield before Sabbag even fired a shot! Furthermore, she could have been very well been misconstruing information in the presence of regular troops. There's the likely possibility that her own people have no idea what purpose that portal served. So you better have some pretty damn convincing evidence if you want me to believe for a second the natives were the victims here!"
"Really?! So that justifies his desire to simply gun our way through civilians? To show a clear and personal animosity towards their leader? To fucking take a hostage, who's scared out of her mind!? Andrew, it's pretty damn clear that he took what happened personal, and you and I both know where that road leads. Remember Reynolds?"
These points were suddenly beginning to paint to a clearer picture, one familiar to the both of them. But before either Andrew or Viktor could delve further into the matter, a knock came at the door. Andrew looked to his friend, the look on Vik's face was enough for him to know he wasn't ready to drop what happened lightly. Letting out a sigh and ready to get on with what needed to be done, Andrew answered.
"Come in." Andrew answered.
The door opened, and unsurprisingly turned out to be none other than Sabbag. Now out of the equipment and uniform supplied to him before the mission, Achmed wore his regular attire, stepping inside, saluting.
"Commander Sawyer, Colonel Antonov. Reporting in, as requested." He addressed. "You wished to speak with me?"
Everything from his posture to his tone of voice seemed to have a newfound confidence to it. All of it seemed, off.
"Yes, Private. We did." Andrew confirmed. "Have a seat. There's a lot that needs to be discussed."
Achmed did as instructed, taking a seat at the front of the desk where Andrew sat.
"Now Sabbag, with all that's happened, It's fair to say that we're curious as to what exactly transpired during the moments preceding your friend's death. To which you have my condolences, I'm certain he was a faithful soldier and friend."
The mere mention of Tim's name was enough to drive Achmed further towards what he had planned. However his resolve and willingness to go through with it was about to be tested.
"He was. Thank you, sir." Achmed said.
"It's no problem. Now, we'll be willing to look past your...........uh, questionable actions, if you tell us what happened between you, Berfield, and the natives. And we want the truth, son. I know what happened hurts, you more than others, but that's no reason to twist the facts. We wish to know what exactly led them to kill Berfield in the first place. Can you do that?"
The three men eagerly awaited his response, as Achmed pondered his last chance to simply tell them the truth on what had really happened. But alas, Achmed was determined to avenge his friend, and proceeded with his course of action.
"Yes, sir." he said. "I can."
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Equestria's fucked
Holy shit I love this story. Glad you haven’t anandoned it.
I'd believe Equestria is fucked. 1 death to >200 deaths in one battle. If the humans could provide some sort of 'magic protection', then they'd be unstoppable.
I may have spotted sone mistakes but something feels wrong here
I think they will take his view with a grain of salt, as seasoned leaders knowing he is predisposed to alter facts to support his vengeful agenda. I also hope Twilight confronts Celestia about the unfortunate passing of their friend, Tim, and what followed.
Also a thing maybe only Fluttershy realizes, but you do never ever corner anyone or anything that is desperate. Guess what option remains for the flight/fight response? Well, technically there is a third option - freeze, which is way more common but I find it nigh impossible people of our human's background would favor it.
This story I feel is similar to the tension buildup pre WW1, so many random little things gone wrong, not really anyone being at fault, and reason being progressively more silenced as perceived slights escalated. Whether this story takes the same path remains to be seen, and I can't wait to see more.
TLDR: We know the amount of shit that hit the fan now, what remains to be seen is where and how it scatters. Good job on the writing, keep it up!
Short chapter it is, but full of heavy tension and so much anticipation to find out what happens!!!
Yep I knew achmed would probably do something like this. I might not agree with where it will lead,but I certainly understand it, all I have to imagine is one of my family being killed by that magic bolt, accident or not, I would be consumed by rage and hate. Cause that's what Tim was to acmed, family, probably the only one he had. So while sad where this will lead, it is not.....completly unjustified.
Only this story man, would give me such mixed feelings. Lolol
A totally AWESOME chapter man! You've done it again!
I'm impatient to find out what happens when twilight and the girls find out what and why this happened, and whether the princesses will tell the truth. I think they will, but war and grief has a way of changing people, as We're all to familiar with.
So cannot WAIT till the next epic chapter to come out!
This pleases me.
Greatly
I hope the council isn’t dumb enough to just take him on his word.
Esta historia es genial me encanta
. Quiero saber más y no puedo esperar, solo puedo imaginar las posibilidades y las consecuencias, los equestrianos son una cultura pacífica, pero ¿cuánto tiempo durará? porque es bien sabido que el miedo eventualmente se convierte en ira y la ira en odio y el odio en muerte💀 .
¡Y por el trasero de Celestia tienen MAGIA! Estoy seguro de que tienen mucho potencial para la guerra, pero como no tenían la necesidad, carecen de imaginación;
Un hechizo para encender un fuego = lanza llamas.
Un hechizo pirotécnico = coetes mágicos
Un hechizo anestésico = infarto
Telekinesis = inmovilizar uno en el aire y dispararle.
Enseñan a los guardias magia negra = cosas oscuras
Que paguen a los dragones por pelear
Muchas cosas pueden ocurrir muchas oportunidades para hacer o corregir errores, muchas oportunidades para ser misericordioso o cruel, vengar o perdonar, odiar o amar, crear o destruir, para terror o paz, ¿cuánta sangre se derramará antes de que la amistad triunfe?
This story is great I love it
. I want to know more and I can not wait, I can only imagine the possibilities and the consequences, the equestrias are a peaceful culture, but how long will it last? because it is well known that fear eventually turns into anger and anger into hatred and hatred into deat💀.
And by the butt of Celestia they have MAGIC! I'm sure they have a lot of potential for war, but since they did not have the need, they lack imagination;
A spell to light a fire = throws flames
A pyrotechnic spell = magic roquets (destructive and pretty)
An anesthetic spell = heart attack
Telekinesis = to immobilize one in the air and shoot him
That they teach the guards black magic = dark things
That they pay the dragons for fighting
Many things can happen many opportunities to make or correct mistakes, many opportunities to be merciful or cruel, to avenge or forgive, to hate or love, to create or destroy, for terror or peace, how much blood will be spilled before friendship wins?
Por cierto, ayúdenme a pensar, comenten un hechizo aparentemente inofensivo a menos que se use con mala intención.
PD: actualiza más a menudo, por favor.
By the way, help me think, to comment a seemingly harmless spell unless it is used with malicious intent.
PS: update more often please.
8637287
no
when is das next chapter?
8636457
Thanks. And no worries. I have no plans on dropping it anytime soon.
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8636626
8636854
Look at all these theorists runnin about! Warms my heart to see folks this invested in my writing!
8637562
In the future.
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8636487
Eyup. Or are they?
Didn’t this have an M rating before? Or is that just me?
8638022
Nah. It's always been rated T.
8637239
Dumb? I doubt it. Desperate? ... probably.
Let's face it, humanity has slaughtered people and taken their land for a lot less than what Equestria offers. (Repeatedly we broke agreements with Native American's because we later found gold on their reservations.)
If it wasn't Tim's death, someone would've found another way to justify invading and taking their world. As for the ponies... well, people argued killing the Natives didn't matter since they weren't human, and this time... they won't be wrong.
If the humans had all the tech before the war, Equestria wouldn't stand a chance.
Heck, an armor coloumn would pretty much devastate most of the guards. Imagine the portal being used to send in battleship fomations. And then theres the bombs.
8638658
Well, don't forget that humanity still has all that tech, albeit in storage awaiting repairs.
8638702
What I want to know is will they use an atomic bomb? Muhahahahahhahaa!
8638220
True they probably would have found a reason to try and invade anyway. But that’s different from listening to an angry possibly unstable soldier and just taking his word as the truth. And I doubt the humans won’t think of them as “people” but they have something we need, that will supersede there personhood.
If things go bad for Equestria, they can do the combined alicorn magic thing and unleash Super-Saiyan Twilight like in the Tirek episode.
I think the biggest question here is why equestria. If they can move the portal now, the entire planet is open for business. Heck even if you wanted revenge just settle down of outside of equestria rebuild, build up a larger population come back later, or let the civilians out on another continent so they have a chance if you fail. I think an almost comical idea is that the ponies get all prepared for the humans return, only for them to never come back. Across the world the humans are setting up shop. Decades later pony explorers find a highly advanced human civilization.
8638070
Oh. Don’t know why I thought it was M...
8639087
How about something like Supe-Sonic?
MAAAAN, wow very emotional
When next AWESOME chapter bro?
Hey bro! I've been meaning to ask for a long time now, is there anyway I can help with the Story? Do you accept donations dude? I'd be happy to donate to the story.
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8694617
Hopefully I can get the actual writing portions done today, then proofread and publish it by sometime before Thursday next week.
As for donations, I could always use more food money!!!
But in all seriousness, I don't require nor wish for any of your money. I do this solely for fun and am quite capable of doing that without spending a dime. However if you want to help, you might be able to help me branch out a little once the war within the story starts to kick off. I let you know more details once I get to that point.
8695894
Great to hear!!!
I'll certainly do my best dude.
Even so bro I'm still more then willing to donate to a awesome story!
just say the word! Xd
I liked the story untill the last chapter Tim should not have died in such a stupid Manor considering he got killed by a sleep spell...how the fuck that happens I have no idea and the reason is that his friend is a dick great. I didn't read all of this chapter because after the first two paragraphs it became too painful to read not only did he cause his friend to die AND start a war the human race can't possibly win but he can't even own up to it ,how the fuck he has ANY friends is cause for concern and he has the AUDACITY to demand revenge when tims death is on his hands? If you shoot your friend in the head do you vow vengeance on the gun? No. Of course all of this is my opinion of course a plot point that makes no sense (the killing sleep spell) unless all magic is instakill for humans.
8963829
Yes. All magic is lethal to humans.
8964162
Ah ok it's a good story I like the concept but if they were really friends and he heard timsplan for piece he would have submitted to the spell sure would have opened another can of worms and achmeds death would have to be explained but Tim seems to have a cooler head and would have been able to defuse the situation (honestly I understand why you went this route less of an understanding means more of a gap between the world's inhabitants this more conflict) also how exactly is magic lethal like if a unicorn tried to levatate a human do they start to burn or was it the fact that the target was behind Tim you don't have to really answer I'm not gonna read the rest but I'm just curious cause if it's the former any unicorn could potentially kill a human just means the humans are that much more screwed
I love this story, but I hate Sabbag.
I’d gun him down myself if I had the chance.
10010321
Same
10010321
I wish i could say the same, but i can’t say for shure if i would have done the same.