When war comes

by Drakstice

"Manehattan"

It had been mere hours since the shield was cast over the castle, but the constant barrage of enemy fire was wearing it down pretty visibly. There were cracks starting to form at the spot where the heaviest fire struck. Twilight and her friends were struggling to summon the strength to maintain the barrier. These Elements of Harmony were powerful, especially in the hands of a potent psyker like Twilight. These green skeleton fighters, it seems had the power to overcome such a strong defense. The magical strain was even starting to show on the other five ponies. The guards who were once inside the castle walls now stood in a defensive perimeter around the six Element bearers, ready to catch them after they collapse from exhaustion.

After such a long effort, Fluttershy was the first to pass out. Two of the troopers hauled her body into the safety of the castle while the remaining five focused their energy into the barrier. The largest bolt of energy yet cast upon the shield struck with enough force to deform the very shape of the shield and knock Rarity and Pinkie out of the fight. Two more guards ushered them away while the first two returned to the remaining three as bodyguards. Applejack, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were sweating profusely under the colossal effort to maintain what little shielding was left. Twilight’s legs buckled as her body finally failed to provide the magic necessary to shield the castle. Four unicorn guards collectively cast a ward just large enough for themselves and the incapacitated Element bearers. The massive dome separating the ponies from the invaders shattered like a massive glass pane, but the shards simply vanished into the ether before they hit the ground.

As the enemy advanced their infantry, the remaining guards were hard pressed to deflect the incoming fire as they retreated back to the fortifications that remained of the castle. The green fizzing bolts were difficult to deflect with just the unicorns’ personal defense spells. Each bolt deflected nearly penetrated the magical aura and still managed to singe the guards armor despite their best efforts. Closing the distance between the two forces, the advancing aliens increased their fire rate on the weakened retreating force. Before the first pony could be struck down, the Blood Angels had taken up firing positions just inside the main doors. Dermek and Delk laid down suppressive counter fire, not scattering the enemy formation, but eliminating the first few enemy combatants. Bolt pistol rounds and hellfire rounds struck the suspected weak points of the walking skeletons, center mass and the center of the skull.

Pony and astartes warriors were running low on stamina and ammunition, eroding their morale as the front lines closed in. Twilight and her friends had been withdrawn and the only defenses left were weary unicorns casting defensive wards and the last few holy rounds the Blood Angels had left. Even the citizens inside were growing more and more restless and afraid for their lives. Not wavering was the tireless mechanical stamina and resolve of the enemy. It would take a miracle to win the battle at this point. Fortunately, it would seem that something heard their prayers.

Seemingly from nowhere, a flaming comet came crashing down with a deafening roar and an earth-shattering impact. The ensuing flame storm seemed to possess both intelligence and preference. The castle of Friendship was untouched by the flames and the skeletal warriors were completely engulfed in them. The astartes warriors’ melanochrome implant kicked into high gear, darkening their skin and shielding them from the intense heat. So intense was the blaze that the skeleton attackers that did not explode simply melted into a warped mass of molten metal. The sickly green glow in their eyes was extinguished and what life they may have had simply ceased along with their movements.

The sea of fire parted to reveal a pony standing in the center of the inferno. One of a large stature possessing both the wide wings and long horn of a powerful alicorn. Its impressive mane and tail appeared to be comprised of fire, as it danced with as much energy as a raging flame. Where its eyes should have been, only a blinding white beacon projected. It cast a shield around itself like the ones the guards had been using, but this one was orders of magnitude more powerful. The green rays were not just being deflected at extreme angles into safe directions, but a few were even reflected back doing considerable damage to even the heavily armored enemies. What’s more, its horn was ablaze, not just aglow, with the same magic currently burning the battlefield and the enemy combatants. As the creature turned to engage the various targets surrounding it, the sigil on its flank came into view. Anyone who came into contact with its bearer knew right away who this really was.

“Come on, stallions,” shouted a nearby pony commander, “Our Princess is holding the front lines by herself! Don’t leave her out in the wind! Go! Push ‘em back!” This rallying cry inspired the previously idle soldiers to charge into the ensuing chaos, fear completely absent from their faces. To the Blood Angels’ surprise, the fire-weakened skeletons were slayable by just a few ponies. They were even able to slowly push the front lines back, if only by inches. Perhaps this battle could be won after all.

“Delk,” Ulyss called out, “what do you want to do?” Once again, Delk considered his options carefully. It was a pretty even match between the ponies and the fearsome metal skeletons, but even just four space marines could turn the tide of this battle.

“Move up to the 11 o’clock,” Delk ordered, “bring down that heavy support unit.” He was pointing out a heavily armed vehicle kept afloat by some antigrav-style technology. It was like a man-sized skimmer vehicle piloted by just the torso of their ghastly foe. Its entire right arm was replaced with a massive cannon, discharging heavy fire at unrealistic rates for a weapon so massive. To take down this creature would likely be as much work as felling an astartes Terminator. Celestia’s shield spell was certainly powerful, but it struggled against the might of the skimmer’s weapon and she was visibly getting fatigued from exerting so much effort.

Without hesitation, the four Blood Angels advanced towards the thickest part of the enemy ranks. This is also where the ponies’ ranks were being slain at an alarming rate. The astartes warriors arrived just in time to plug the new hole in the battle line. Dermek, however, seemed more eager to engage the enemy and destroy them in close combat. He left his battle brothers behind while he charged headlong into the thick crowd, heedless of the obvious danger. His bolter hammered the enemy as he charged, screaming with inhuman fury.

“Dermek!” Delk called out, “Get back here!” His words fell on deaf ears, as the enraged battle brother continued forward without even slowing down. As one of the enemy infantry met Dermek’s charge, it raised its weapon and fired a volley of shots directly at Dermek. Those that hit were most certainly damaging. Chunks of ceramite simply vaporized as the verdant beams of energy struck his breastplate. Despite this barrage, Dermek was not swayed in his determination to fight, nor was his advance slowed. He raised his own weapon and unleashed a punishing stream of powerful bolter rounds. The lone slender trooper’s body shattered into more and more fragments as the rounds tore through its body.

Before the magazine was empty, its right arm and head had been shot off, leaving its shredded corpse to fall to the ground in a hideous wreck. Despite this, Dermek did not stop firing. Firing wildly, almost completely blindly, he waved his boltgun all around, aiming at nothing in particular, but still managing to land some target or another with every shot. Even when the expanded drum magazine had spent its last round, Dermek’s charge did not stop. Trampling over the body of his fallen opponent, he cast his prized assault rifle aside and let out a cry of primal fury. His echoes of pure rage resonated throughout the battle scarred town street as his fists pummeled anything unfortunate enough to be close to him. He did not dish out such damage without receiving quite a bit himself, but he appeared to shrug it off as if it were of little consequence. This would be the last the Blood Angels would see of Dermek before he disappeared behind the sea of enemy infantry.

While Dermek was breaking the battle formation, Thane was breaking it in his own way. He spotted an opening in the skimmer’s guard and pounced on the opportunity. Using his jump pack, he hurled himself at the giant’s face. By the time it realized what was heading its way, Thane was already securely latched on, combat knife in hand. The skimmer tried to get a fix on its new target, but lacked the dexterity for close quarters combat. He could stab and gouge out its face without worrying about the massive cannon it had for an arm, which would have undoubtedly obliterated him. As Thane finally chipped away enough of the armor around skimmer’s neck, something was grabbing his back, trying to pull him off. He realized this was the skimmer’s left arm, more articulate than the bulky gun. He had gotten this far, done this much damage, he was not about to let himself be wrenched away from victory.

The insides of these creatures were akin to machines. Intricate circuitry, cabling, hydraulic tubing and all manner of unidentifiable xenos engineering was presented to Thane as he tore the skimmer’s head from its body. Despite decapitation, the skimmer did not stop trying to remove the adamant assault marine from its chassis. The arm was pulling harder as Thane armed a frag grenade. He would only get one chance to do this, so he would have to execute it perfectly. His quick plan of action was to drop the grenade inside, then jump clear of the blast radius. Once the grenade disappeared into the torso of the skimmer, Thane activated the thrusters on his jump pack. He released his vice-like grip on the beast while he let the force of the jets deliver him from harm. The throttle was wide open, providing the maximum possible thrust.

Despite the loss of its head, the skimmer giant was still coordinated enough to aim its enormous weapon at the retreating marine. Time almost seemed to slow as Thane stared down the glowing green weapon barrel. In this instant, he knew that this may very well be his last moment. If this thing was akin to an unthinking uncaring machine, a simple trajectory calculation would be a trivial task to rack up one more kill. As the tesla coils inside the weapon energized to discharge a single fatal shot, Thane looked on with unyielding determination. There was still a small change of surviving this shot, however small it was.

Fortunately for him, his frag grenade from earlier came through and removed the skimmer from the battlefield. With one deafening blast, the remains of the torso exploded into a brilliant display of green and gunmetal-colored shrapnel. As the flow of time seemed to resume, the massive gun discharged its last shot, going wide right as it fell limp and separated from the main body. As if the very life had been stolen from its body, the skimmer fell to the ground like a heavy stone slab in water. Once again, a rush of energy excited every nerve in Thane’s body as he felled yet another large foe.

This feeling of elation would not last, however, as a more sobering sight caught his attention. He was now about thirty feet off the ground in a superior vantage point relative to the rest of the combatants. For miles in every direction, the enemy was emerging. It was a veritable sea of green skeletons, punctuated by the occasional commander figure, heavy vehicle, war walker, even a flying vehicle bristling with gun turrets and large cannons. In fact, many were not engaged in combat. They were simply advancing past the small skirmish here. Distracted by the dismaying sight before him, Thane failed to notice a few ground troops taking shots at him. The first two shots whizzed by with no effect, but by the time he noticed the following shots heading his way, it was too late. He was hit in the left arm, the left hip and one shot grazed his temple, leaving a section of his helmet singed. His crash back to earth was less than graceful as he struggled to right himself and rejoin his brothers and fellow pony fighters.

Even with the Blood Angels’ assistance, the front lines were closing in too fast to have any hope of survival. Thane and Delk had run out of ammo, the ponies’ ranks were faltering and the merciless enemy army was approaching with innumerable reinforcements and there was nothing anyone, or any pony, could do about it. The skeletons had been given the opportunity to close the distance and engage hand-to-hand. Sharp claws, pikes humming with alien energy, and colossal beings capable of demolishing entire buildings were dangerously close. Weapons of titanic proportions were being armed, charged and leveled at the desperate defending line. There was only time for one final act, the one that would see the once-quiet town of Ponyville silenced forever.

This battle, it would seem, was all but lost, but Celestia refused to let that come true. With the last of her magical strength, she cast the only spell she could think to do with so many innocents so close by. Her defensive shield had vanished, focusing her attention on this last act of defiance. One particularly agile warrior found an opening in the allied defensive line and went straight for the kill. A bladed gauntlet was zeroing in on Thane’s face and he could not raise his guard in time to stop it. Another pair of pony guards were frozen in terror as an oversized rifle prepared to fire directly at them.

Just as the last remaining fighters were certain that this turbulent battleground would be their mass grave, Celestia let out a labored groan of exertion and a blinding white light enveloped the ponies and astartes warriors. Slashes, punches and energy bolts were quickly closing in from all directions, but none of these would find their mark. In an instant, every civilian, soldier and red armor clad visitor was spirited away from the foregone defeat. It took a moment for the mechanical menaces to reassess their surroundings, but they quickly concluded that the opposition had successfully been eradicated. With that task complete, their next directive was to advance and search for any further threats.

Onward they marched across the decimated town, trampling the fallen ponies and their own dead alike. Not one set of soulless eyes faced rearward, not a word from their unhinging jaws, there was not even a puzzled thought in any of their mechanical minds. Only the slow but purposeful advance through the land once renowned for its peaceful nature.

---

In an instant, the throne room in Canterlot castle filled with fighters and terrified civilians, many of whom were still under the impression that the battle was still going on. Princess Luna, along with several other high-ranking military officers were taken aback by the sudden appearance of so many new bodies. Thane was in the middle of swinging his chainsword when he was caught in the teleportation spell. The adamantine blades simply tore through empty air as the motor roared with useless fury. Delk was grappling with a non-existent attacker, staggering when the fight ended.

It took a second for everyone to realize what had happened. The interior of the grand palace was unmistakable, as no other building in Equestria rivaled its intricate design. The twin thrones for the two royal sisters erased any doubt as to where they were.

“Celestia,” Luna called out as she ran to her sister, “how is Ponyville?” She would receive no answer to her question. Upon laying eyes on Celestia, Luna fell silent, horrified at what she saw before her. Celestia’s fiery hair and tail fizzled back to its normal multicolored arrangement for only a moment before it all fell limp around her. Her eyes once aglow with the intensity of the sun faded back to the mundane magenta-colored irises of many of the other ponies. She was visibly exhausted from her recent ordeal, her coat was singed in several places and she had lost her equilibrium, swaying from side to side barely able to stand up straight. As her head drooped, a trickle of blood ran down her right shoulder from a flesh wound inflicted by the enemy in the previous engagement.

As the last ounce of consciousness left her body, Celestia’s legs gave out and her massive body fell to the cold marble floor, throwing the ceremonial tiara off her head. The soft thud of flesh against stone reverberated against the walls of the throne room. The entire hall of ponies was stunned silent as the supreme being of Equestria lay broken and defeated before them. The silence was only momentary as medics clamored and rushed to the fallen Princess’s aid. They knew what they had to do almost by instinct, but several officers still issued the urgent order for good measure. They had cleared the immediate area and started first aid when something stopped them. An aura of rose and violet hues surrounded Celestia, then vaporized into the ether. The result was like watching a vampire boil away in the sun, but here, the true form of the creature was revealed.

As Celestia’s equine form lost its substance, more and more eyes turned to witness the spectacle. Her cloven hooves took the form of human-like arms and legs. Her face was somewhat human, but the sharp features and elongated pointed ears cast doubt on her genetic purity. Her tanned skin was a fitting contrast to the ivory white armor she wore. It was unmistakably armor, as there was no skin exposed, save for her face where a helmet could be fixed. The motifs and sigils over her body armor were identical to the brand on her haunches in her equine form. As the illusion spell unraveled, the onlookers stared in utter disbelief at what was unfolding before them. Even the Blood Angels were unsure of what to make of this. Ulyss, at least, was able to make some sense of it.

“Keep on your guard, brothers,” he whispered to Thane and Delk, “That’s an eldar warlock.” Almost instantly, Delk’s warrior instincts kicked in and he was on full alert. He had never faced a warlock directly, but Ulyss had. One rarely walked away from an eldar untouched by their formidable psychic attacks or physical prowess. The robotic arm and leg sported by Ulyss attested to this brutal fact.

“Can they really be so dangerous if they’re dead?” Thane asked. It occurred to Ulyss that the young assault marine had never encountered the eldar either.

“She’s still breathing,” one of the pony medics announced, “I have a pulse.” Once again, Thane baldly displayed his rash judgement and habit of under analyzing the situation. Ulyss simply shot a disapproving look at the novice. He truly had a long way to go if this is where he stood now.

“It takes far more than that to kill an eldar,” Ulyss explained. In fact, it was nigh impossible, especially for those who knew nothing about this enigmatic race. When eldar bodies cease to live, their souls are transferred into their spirit stones. This way, their essence is preserved so that they may continue their immortal lives in a new body. What puzzled Ulyss was the fact that nothing immediately stood out as the spirit stone. Normally, the stone would be set in a pendant, ring or other piece of jewelry and worn at all times. Another fairly common practice was to set the stone directly into the breastplate or even a weapon they wielded. It was an object so precious that they would literally never be caught dead without it.

The crowd of ponies kept their distance as the medics tended to Celestia. Luna approached the scene as the bystanders parted and made way for her. She was not heading towards Celestia, but rather her golden headdress that had been neglected until this point. It was slightly scratched where it struck the floor where it fell, but aside from that, it was in near perfect shape. Using her magic, she gave the jeweled tiara to an officer in the makeshift rescue operation. He hesitated when presented with such a priceless, essentially holy, item, but Luna soon made her request clear.

“Do not let this leave her possession, Captain,” she sternly, but calmly, said as she pushed the crown into his grasp. The captain was a pegasus, so he could not hold it like his psychic counterparts. He was nervous about even touching Celestia’s royal crown, but these were extraordinary situations in which he found himself. Once he collected his thoughts, he acknowledged his new duty and saw to it, as any officer of the royal guard would.

Delk and Ulyss already put two and two together, but Thane was still computing the answer to the riddle laid out before him. The pieces were all there, but the answer still eluded him. Eventually, he simply concluded that the jeweled trinket was akin to a holy relic and moved on.

The ponies had started whispering amongst themselves, speculating on what the Princess’s new form could mean. Even the soldiers were starting to lose talk, worried that their commander in chief was a strange creature this whole time. In fact, why would it stop there? Perhaps Princess Luna was disguised as well. Nopony ever saw much of the royal sisters in private. Perhaps there are some well-hidden secrets that would disrupt all of Equestria if they got out.

With Celestia’s true form out in the open, Luna worried about what the public would think and what would happen if the wrong ‘facts’ started circulating. What was she to say to maintain order in a situation like this? She knew that with Celestia incapacitated, the last remaining royal sister would have to assume command. One misstep in this most crucial moment would throw the already delicate state of affairs into total chaos and Equestria could collapse.

Luna knew what she had to say, now. None of it was rehearsed, for there was never a moment like this in Equestrian history, nor did even the royal sisters foresee an event such as this having even a remote possibility of happening.

“Citizens of Equestria,” Luna announced as she projected her voice through the throne room. Before the echoes stopped, the entire packed hall fell silent, awaiting their princess’s address. “What you see before you is no lie, no illusion,” she explained as the ponies gave their undivided attention. “Celestia and I, we have kept this alicorn form as your leaders for over one thousand years.” Her tone started to soften and depress, almost as if she was ashamed to give such a confession. “Celestia believed it better for you all if you saw something familiar at the helm instead of…” Luna’s gaze slowly drifted to Celestia’s unconscious body, “something not like you.” Such a well-guarded secret was the royal sisters’ true form that no creature, pony or beast, had ever even so much as caught wind of it in over a millennium.

“Princess,” spoke a voice from the crowd. An ornately dressed and decorated pony emerged from the crowd. His wrinkled face and snow white mane spoke of a long life of experience. His cutie mark of a five-pointed star wreathed in laurels was a well-known sight, as only the legendary Sergeant Major “Rock” Might bore it. His hoofsteps were regular and heavy with substance, as if he were marching up to do his duty. Though he was due to retire in just one week, he still stood out and spoke up. He had an address for Princess Luna and he would not allow it to go unheard.

“In all my years of service,” he continued as he stopped in front of Luna, “I have seen just about every creature in Equestria that can lead a kingdom. You and Princess Celestia have done an unparalleled job keeping us standing. What difference does it make that you don’t look like us?” His question got almost every pony in the hall thinking if not quietly discussing the issue.

“We are not native to this world.” These were the only words Luna spoke before she took action to reinforce her argument. Standing up on her hind legs, she towered above the tallest two ponies put together. Her horn glowed with a sparkling azure aura. The aura turned more and more opaque as it enveloped her entire body. Within moments, sections of jet black and deep violet emerged and formed an upward spiral as Luna’s very body changed form. It was a more graceful transformation than Celestia’s loss of control over her illusion spell.

The dark shroud of magic faded as the night sky fades to the rising sun. In its place stood an enthralling embodiment of grace and dark beauty rolled into one being. The finely sculpted features on her face were rivaled only the masterpiece quality armor which she wore. Her pale face and hands made her navy blue armor seem darker by comparison. Tiny diamond-like jewels littered the surface of her armor in a seemingly random pattern, but the effect was no less impressive. She opened her eyes and was greeted with a sight of ponies unsure of what to make of the situation. Soldiers looked upon her with confusion, mothers held their frightened children, and the former sergeant major had not budged from his post.

“Let me stop you right there,” Might interjected as Luna was about to speak. He unfurled his powerful wings and ascended to Luna’s new head height.

“I think I see where you’re going with this, but let me rephrase.” Luna could have silenced him and continued, but she would be remiss if she did not hear him out.

“As an alicorn, you coordinated the counterattack against this new menace. You got everypony organized and deployed in under a day. Not even Princess Celestia could pull something like that off.” Luna was starting to get an image of just how highly she was held by this senior enlisted stallion.

“All these counterattacks and mobilizations, they were all on your orders. Nothing has changed between then and now.” The weight of his words was starting to sink in with Luna.

“It doesn’t matter what you are,” he emphasized as he hovered closer to her face to get the point across, “what matters is who you are. You are an exemplary leader in my book and I’d follow you through the gates of Tartarus. You have the drive to do this and that’s what counts.” Might wanted to say that she was one of the ‘best damn leaders’ he ever had the honor to serve, but Luna got the idea. Besides, there were mares and foals around.

“Well, if you trust her, Sergeant Major,” a guard called out from the other end of the room, “then so do I!” Others joined in and soon, the whole crowd was looking to their new leader with renewed hope. Soft cheers of hope and praise filled the room and lifted Luna’s spirit so that she too would claim victory from this new threat. She had one last address for her subjects before she departed to her new duties.

“Then I, Princess Luna will see to it that Equestria does not fall.” Her royal Canterlot voice went unheard only by the dead. “Never before have we faced such an adversary. But never before has Equestria been more prepared to fight it.” As the masses calmed from their uneasiness and frayed nerves, many were becoming more and more interested in what she had to say. “Stand behind me and I will protect you. Stand with me and we will claim victory.” As the mood of every pony improved, so too did their morale. It seemed that the will to fight had surfaced in every able-bodied patron in the room, now they needed a plan of attack. Fortunately, the generals who worked closely with Sergeant Major Might were close by. Might and Luna made their exit to make preparations and issue orders, but Luna thought to ask one more potential ally before leaving.

“Will you be joining us, Blood Angels?” Luna asked Thane. She could not tell who was in charge of the trio of astartes as none stood out as the clear leader. She simply asked the one closest to hand, hoping that their formidable strength, despite their small number, could be strategically employed.

“I already lost one battle brother today,” Delk interrupted before Thane could throw them into unnecessary danger, “I don’t plan on throwing any more to the wolves.” Delk’s response was sharp and very firm, but not unfair. It was his professional opinion that even at full strength, even thirty astartes warriors would not make a difference in the coming battles. Besides, Delk was strongly against making unsanctioned alliances with xenos races.

“So be it,” Luna replied, conceding to leave the Blood Angels out of the fight. “Once this battle is won, we will work on sending you back to your own kind.” The crimson red lenses of his helmet did not prevent Delk and Luna from locking eyes in mutual disapproval. With this last exchange, Luna left with several ideas for a counterattack already in mind. Her eldar brain was producing them fast, but she needed a small army of military minds to put them into practice. Fortunately, there was just such a resource she could tap right under her feet…

---

The highly secretive war bunker beneath Canterlot is almost always deserted, save for a few patrolling guards. Now, it was busier than ever, with every briefing room packed full of soldiers getting orders to move their brigades of troops and fleets of transport craft. Nopony below a colonel was allowed access into the subterranean structure and the innermost chambers were populated with nothing but generals with at least three stars on their rank. It was in the very core of the entire complex that a table full of four-star generals and various civilian defense officials formulated their army’s next move. Whatever peacetime restrictions on military resources were in place had now been lifted. Any move kept in reserve was akin to a wasted strategy, one not being used when it was needed most. The next strategy to come out of this room would not be stalled for any reason, for it was needed most of all.

Princess Luna strode down the hall standing as tall as the low ceiling would allow. The cast iron doors parted revealing the top ten ponies in all of Equestria’s military might. They all rose in unison as their new commander entered. Luna took her seat at the head of the table and allowed the briefing to begin.

“Generals,” Luna began, addressing every uniformed individual at the table, “have you a strategy for dealing with the invaders?” She did not waste time reminding them that they were in dire straits, they were more than aware of the situation.

“We have, Princess,” spoke General Eagle, the most experienced and decorated officer at the gathering, “Lieutenant General Star has prepared a plan that will stop the enemy in their tracks. Star, proceed.” The youngest general in the room had his turn to speak. Though he was easily half the age of Eagle and the only three-star general in a sea of four-stars, he was given the honor of presenting his battle plan, a masterpiece drafted out and refined with input from the most brilliant strategists Equestria had to offer. He used large blank wall to Luna’s left to project a set of relatively simple runes, glyphs and maps which helped to illustrate his idea. This would not be the only time he would leverage his unicorn magic.

“Aerial reconnaissance has pinpointed the source of the monsters here,” he explained as a red X with location data was marked on a mostly green and blue map of Equestria, “It’s a large open pit deep in the Everfree Forest. We’ve received fire from almost a mile away on the ground, and in the air, but those were aimed at large masses of troops and airships visible to the naked eye from the ground. They didn’t seem to react to the scouts flying just a half mile above the forest canopy.” A dotted yellow traced through the forest section and directly over the red X. A pair of flapping wings indicated the scout.

“Our estimates put their numbers in the 10,000 to 12,000 range and they are extremely well-coordinated. In fact, they have been spearheading our defenses one segment at a time in order to break through.” A green haze poured from the forest, indicating the advance of the equally green enemies. As they spread, they avoided passing over dense forestry and cliff edges, but stopped when they reached the teal-colored pony lines. One sharp spur poked out from the amorphous mass and where they struck, the teal front disappeared. When the spur receded, it struck once more, this time at a different location with the same result. The ponies were replenishing the front lines, but at a slower rate than the skeletal machinations were advancing.

“We have, however, learned to read their patterns. They are attacking each contiguous front in a counterclockwise fashion. We can fairly accurately predict their movements with this pattern of behavior. Because of this, we can focus our forces to counter the most recent advances while maintaining a controlled retreat.” Now, when the green mass poked out from its territory, it was met with a more saturated mass of teal, the bright color repelling the attack. Wherever a spearhead was attempted, the ponies’ front line swelled in numbers, then moved to counter the next incursion. “Even if they start advancing on two different fronts at once or if they start randomizing their pattern, we already have a communications network set up to relay the information.”

Luna immediately saw the flaw in this plan. It was a battle of attrition and the ponies were the ones projected to lose. Even the graphic he used to illustrate his point supported this grim fact. Even matching the enemy move for move, a subtle amount of ground was lost with each battle and the ponies were not advancing, only slowly retreating. There had to be a reason for this. Instead of interjecting with her observation, Luna decided to let the young general continue with the details of his plan. This trained commander must have had good reasons for every move he made, even if they were illogical by Luna’s comprehension. After all, what would a princess know about the art of war?

“All of this that I have described is only the first part of the plan.” The arcane image continued animating itself while Star transferred it from the wall to the center of the table for all to see. “Part two is where we launch our secret weapon.” A small nimble air ship emerged from a hidden base north of Canterlot and plotted a course directly over the source of the ghoulish monsters. It was many miles above the enemy stronghold and its path simply crossed right over it.

“Since they don’t seem to notice us from above, that’s where we’ll strike. However, we want to end this thing in one decisive move. That’s where we’ll use the Manehattan Project.” Every pair of eyes was focused on the model battle presented before them. Princess Luna was wearing a puzzled look, but she too was looking upon the magical animation with great interest.

A trio of ponies passed over the target and one of them separated from the group. It was destined for the center of the X in Everfree. As the small speck neared the ground, half of the commanders leaned in for a closer look. They had never heard of this ‘Manehattan Project’ before and they were eager to see what it could do. They probably should not have leaned in so close, for the result was a bright white and yellow mushroom-shaped cloud sprouting up and spreading in all directions. The five generals who leaned in sprang right back up, their medals and badges clinking together from the sudden movement. So taken aback were they that even General “Stone Face” Sharps broke his stoic stern look with his wide-eyed surprise and a quiet “Woah” at this secret weapon the ponies had in store. Even Luna could hardly believe her eyes. Once the blast radius reached the outskirts of Ponyville, the cloud stopped growing and began to fade away.

“Finally, part three. Once the spell burns up, we’ll send in the C.H.I.M.E.R.A. Division to attack from the rear while conventional forces start pressing forward.” After the mushroom cloud was long gone, a fleet of drop ships disgorged a yellow mass of troops. The green foes were trapped between the combined forces of the Royal Guard and Equestria’s various allies. If General Star’s projections were correct, Equestria could conquer this unprecedented foe and hopefully return to the normal life they all knew and loved. “Any questions?” asked Star as the glittering battle map faded away.

“This ‘Manehattan Project’,” asked General Honors, “what is it exactly?”

“In a nutshell,” Replied Star, “It’s a living bomb.” Star projected a three-dimensional image above the table to illustrate the concept, a standard issue pony from the Sorcerer’s Division. “The average battle mage can demolish a two-story house with the Living Bomb spell. However, we have an apparatus that can amplify that energy to level an entire city.” Around the soldier appeared a bulky harness hanging with monitoring equipment, large batteries and other various arcane and technological oddities. His horn was enveloped by a hood that would more directly channel the raw energy into the device.

“And you intend to throw one of our soldiers in as a…” General Sharps interjected. He awkwardly stammered as he searched for the right words to use, “suicide bomber?!” Sharps was not the only one who was opposed to using a battle mage as an expendable weapon. Trained sorcerers were precious few and very far between in Equestria. It could be many years, if not decades, before another one could be properly trained to take his place.

“No, sir,” Star replied with a serenity that was out of character for him. Taking a deep breath, he collected himself for his next statement. “I intend to go in myself.” He already had the undivided attention of every pony in the room, but now he had their complete focus. Even Luna saw the implications with casting this spell.

“So why are you volunteering for this assignment, Star?” General Sun asked, “I say turn this over to the Sorcerer’s Division, let them assign a unicorn who can use this device.”

Before Star could defend respond, General Eagle stepped in. “We have, Sun. Star is the most powerful unicorn to ever go through Combat Magic School. Nothing less than what he’s got will give us the punch we need.” As he finished his sentence, Eagle rammed his hooves together to accentuate the magnitude of the effect. The forces at work in this plan simply could not be overstated.

“Are you certain about this, General Star?” Luna asked the young commander, changing the subject. She understood that these officers would put themselves in harm’s way if necessary, but this was a devastating spell which would undoubtedly kill the caster and anything within several miles, if his presentation was accurate.

“I have already made peace, your highness,” Star replied without a trace of doubt in his tone, “I’m ready to carry out my last mission.” All eyes were now on him, observing the gold standard Star was setting for selfless service. “The stakes are too high for me to fail. I will make this work.” The conviction in his voice was almost palpable. So much so that every pony in the room was invariably in support of Star’s plan. Even Luna was in favor of proceeding.

“If there is nothing else,” General Grit intervened, intending to wrap up the meeting, “we must move forward. The Bonies are advancing at an alarming rate and we can’t hold them off forever.” Nopony spoke up, signaling the go-ahead for General Star’s plan. “Gentlecolts,” he continued, hearing no protests, “we have our assignments. Let’s move.”

As the officers filed out and dispersed to their new duty stations, their respective lieutenants were quick to report on events that transpired during the meeting. The only one not speaking as he left the secret meeting room was General Eagle. He and General Grit arrived together, so they would leave together. Eagle hung his head slightly lower than normal, still thinking about the meeting that just concluded.

“Eagle, everything alright?” Grit knew Eagle well, for they had worked together since Officer Candidate School. Few things could weigh so heavily on Eagle’s mind as a decision that would shape Equestria’s future.

“We just sent one of the best leaders of a generation to his death,” Eagle confessed, displaying his emotional attachment to the young general, “I wanted him in the war room, not the front lines. I held my tongue and I think I’m starting to regret that decision.” Before he could continue his lament, Grit but a hoof on his fellow general’s shoulder, stopping him from marching down the dim corridor.

“You didn’t send him anywhere,” Grit emphasized, ensuring that Eagle understood the message, “He volunteered. Only the best and brightest of ten generations would take this job, let alone actually go through with it.” Eagle wished he could be as optimistic as his friend, but there were still traces of doubt in the old general’s heart.

“If you were in his place, what would you do?” Grit would receive no answer, only a dumbfounded general without the capacity to imagine such a mindset as Star’s. What must he be thinking right now, he wondered. If that were me, could I really bring myself to make the ultimate sacrifice? I’ve served for forty years and I’d do forty more for Princess and Country, but willingly giving up your own life? Star doesn’t just deserve the extra rank, he deserves to be the general of generals.

“We all need more stallions like him, but we’re stretched thin as it is. He’s one of the best we have and we’re going to let him do the best he can.” Grit was also aware of the level of dedication Star displayed. The poetic thing to do would be have the oldest general in the army perform this one last mission before retirement, but circumstance rarely favors the poet.

The reality started to set in on Eagle. The return of Nightmare Moon was a cakewalk compared to the pressures he now faced. Loss of life, property and capacity were just side effects of the invasion of the army of deathly green specters. One of the primary effects was the arousal of fighting spirits yet unseen.

“Well, then,” Eagle responded with newfound motivation, “let us follow his example and do the best we can.” Grit’s face lit up with the same level of invigorated spirit as his close friend. “He won’t be pulling the weight of this war on his back alone, I’ll make damn sure of that!”

“That’s the spirit, Golden. It’s good to see you back in action!” In addition to their spirits, their trotting pace also started back up again. They both had a tough job ahead of them and nothing would stop them from getting it done.

Equestria’s greatest conflict to date was in full swing. The grind was wearing down both sides, but one had a secret weapon and they were not afraid to use it. The plan was set, the assets were mobilized and the personnel responsible for going through with it were at their stations. The only thing left to do was execute. Too much was riding on the outcome of this battle. Too much had already been lost. Too much was this to ask from any lesser pony. Only the best, the bravest and the hardiest would do. They would be the ones who would determine Equestria’s near future… ��6��]

Comments

[FleetlordAvatar]

I suspected the Princesses were trained by the Eldar, not actually Eldar. But the clues were there, I just didn't put them together until now. Bravo Sir.

[Sentinel053]

The new enemies are definitely Necrons