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Ironside's Iron2,413 words
Slim Hope3,149 words
First on the Front3,450 words
Raid of the Rangers4,284 words
Freezing Fire3,121 words
Situation at Sunrise2,990 words
Camp Crisis Part One1,982 words
Black Apples4,071 words
Birds of a Feather3,996 words
Rising Hopes2,570 words
March of the Crusaders6,463 words
Camp Crisis Part Two6,389 words
The Eye of the Firestorm3,680 words
Ghost Reconnaissance6,357 words
Shaking The Snowglobe5,883 words

Camp Crisis Part One

It was so very, very cold as he flew over the town. His chain mail only made it colder and weighed him down, and its effectiveness against the unknown enemies was... doubtful. Dead dogs were dug out with holes in their much heavier armor, something the griffons could never take into the air. There have been proposals to get rid of the armor entirely, but the higher ups would have none of that. Then again most of them were stuck up armchair generals who never got their claws unpolished...

Even though it only had been a few days since the attack on the mine, the rumors already circulated. Everything from ghost titans to ancient armies drawn from the depth of Tartarus were discussed over drinks. The seeds of fear that were being sown turned out to be a big enough problem that most officers tried their hardest to stop the whispers of an enemy so merciless and bloodthirsty. But as is the way with the majority, there were never enough officers.

The griffon next to him inched closer until they could communicate through whispers.

"Pony roller?" He asked. It was slang that originated during the initial invasion were the ponies were defeated without much trouble. He would've gotten his answer right away, but something in everyone's gut said otherwise.

"Let's hope."

"What do you thin-"

"Quiet!" the dragon captain in front of him growled. He was on the small side as dragons went, but was still bigger than the griffons, something that he knew and took advantage of immensely.

"Of course...sir..." The griffon spat as he flew back to his designated spot. As he flew over the town, he could see armored Diamond Dogs getting ready to move into the forest. These dogs wore much heavier armor than their guard counterparts who only needed to keep from getting kicked or bitten.

The captain made hand (Claw?) motions to rise above the clouds for cover. Below, dogs got ready in loose formations and began the march into the forest. As the terrain under him changed from quaint little town to overgrown forest, the griffon's mind wandered back to his days in basic training where a single phrase was hammered into him.

Fear is just as deadly as any weapon.

***

The camp was in chaos. Tents went down and were turned into packs where whatever meager belongings could be stored, those who had nothing simply opted to wear their tents as makeshift cloaks to keep warm. In less than half an hour, the camp had been dismantled and the only sign that this ever was a home to ponies were the pathways that had been beaten into the ground.

The Rangers and the new Missile Defenders were a short distance away, digging hastily made holes for whatever cover they could make. To say the soldiers were having a hard time would be a grave understatement. The Everfree Forest was one of the oldest in existence, and ancient trees dating back centuries still claimed this land as their home. Their roots were locked into place, unyielding to the hacking of the shovels. However, they were no match for modern weapons, somewhat resistant to the bullets, and completely yielding to the rockets.

An hour later, the positions were finished and they all braced for a fight. Nothing but silence filled the air. Not even the screeching of the airborne griffons, nor the growls of the dogs, and thankfully, no roars of the dragons. The ponies were similarly silent, their hearts beating and bodies shivering, due to more than the cold. A single crying foal was quickly silenced by his mother, and the Everfree returned to its tranquil state once more.

***

Fluttershy was tying a blanket around Grizelda who sat at the base of a tree, shivering from the cold. The human made buildings had been sold, leaving a large open area and some injured ponies out in the forest. The sky was grey with clouds, but thankfully it had stopped snowing in the early morning, leaving a light but still respectable amount of snow.

Once the griffon was deemed warm enough, the two resumed their sleep under a pine tree. Or at least, one of them did. Grizelda's mind was stuck on the bipedals. While Humans were fairly obscure in mythology, the minotaurs taught and learned about them almost to the point of worship. The griffins usually had no interest in stories, but their military intrigued them enough that they combined it and their own into a hybrid. It was as if-

Fluttershy unconsciously noticed her unease and shifted closer. Deciding that those thoughts would be best left for another day, Grizelda joined the pegasus in sleep. The Ranger next to them sighed as he cleaned his rifle. He didn't need to, not after disassembling it for the fourth time. Fellow soldiers stood ready with itchy trigger fingers for whatever assault would come. If it ever did.

"I know it's cliche, but really is too quiet."

"Yeah..."

It really was quiet. For hours the Rangers stood in their foxholes or on the many roots that weaved in and out of the ground like snakes. Hours of boredom later, and the crude holes had transformed into an elaborate trench system that connected everything.

It was a relief to all when the Chinooks could be heard in the distance, the ponies gathered their belongings, ready to fly to their next home. Many of the pegasi had already left, taking whatever they could to ease the load on the transports. The remaining ponies comforted each other, shivering in the snow. The medics lifted stretchers with the injured, ready to board the medical helicopter. Loose snow blew into the air as the helicopters touched down onto the clearing that was once the location of the Barracks. After the two transports lowered the newly repaired Quad Cannons, their engines rumbled back to life and they drove to specified clearings.

The only sounds that could be heard was the rumbling of the engines, the rustling of the branches, and the hooves hitting the metal floor. Then suddenly, a faint and muffled sound of rocks rolling and hitting one another could be heard. Everyone looked in confusion until a team of Rangers suddenly sank into the ground, the silence they had heard was finally explained.

"SAPPERS! THE DOGS ARE DIGGING UNDER!"

As the Rangers and the newly trained Missile Defenders all scrambled out of their holes, more teams were lost to the darkness below. Shots could be heard from inside the tunnels as the soldiers sprayed and prayed in panic. One Defender had a bright idea and jumped into the hole. A second and a blast later, the tunnel was down and blocked. Across the battlefield, similar events took place as Rangers killed dogs and missiles took down the tunnels.

Once the dust settled it was clear that about half of their force was underground. A Ranger was about to help out when a large spear the size of a small flagpole whistled as it flew out of the bushes...And straight through the human's leg. He yelled out in pain and stumbled into the hole with the Rangers that he was trying to help out.

"AGGGHHHMMMNNN! Leg! LEG!" He screamed in pain. One of the soldiers came to help.

"Cover me!" He yelled to the remaining two.

"Got it!"

***

The soldier stared, what was once a bush now was a bush that shot spears. The ground shook, and out of that bush came the biggest dog any of them had seen. It was easily a head taller than any of them, wearing a crude but thick armor on its chest and head, with its limbs protected by tough hide that could take a beating.

With his spear expended, he pulled out a thick bladed sword which he violently swung at the Ranger. The human started shooting at its helmet, where he hoped to hit one of the dog's eyes. The bullets pinged off of the armor, but a lucky bullet managed to hit the canine's chin, causing a sharp sting that distracted him for a moment. But a moment was all that was needed.

The Ranger ran, screamed at one of the Missile Defenders still above ground. "HIT HIM! HIT HIM! HIT HIM!"

The solder armed with the explosive rocket turned his head towards the source of the voice, seeing a Ranger running towards him...With a huge iron monster right behind. He pointed his launcher and took aim.

From dog to extra crispy in less than a second.

***

Back at camp, the final Chinook was ready to take off. The injured, the young, and the old were already on their way to the new base. The helicopters would be back to make a second trip back to pick up the rest of the ponies and the soldiers. A yellow pegasus and a shivering griffon walked into the waiting transport as the Ranger motioned for them to hurry.

Her head suddenly shot up as she heard three faint shrieks, the war cry of the griffons. Suddenly the whole area was bathed in golden sunlight as holes were opened in the clouds, and dozens of griffons dove towards the evacuating ponies. The Quad Cannons reacted, and the guns hammered as a reverse rain of lead flew towards the attackers. Most missed their targets as they were small, but an unlucky griffon got one large and powerful bullet straight to the chest, killing him instantly and making a hole big enough to reach through. He fell to the ground with a thud, and the rest of them panicked and broke formation.

The Chinook flew off, leaving the scene for more peaceful lands. The ponies who were left hunkered down under camouflage tarps, not wanting to be seen.

Among the mass of feathers and panic, a glint caught one Quad Cannon driver's eye. He shot in the general direction, not expecting much. But what he got was truly surprising, for what flew out was a dragon the size of a house. It roared as its highly polished ruby scales glinting along with his silver plate. He looked around in annoyance for the cause of the pinpricks. After hearing the roar, the rest of the anti air vehicles concentrated their fire on the easy target. While it was an easy target, and the bullets did go through, they did little damage.

Meanwhile the griffons caused havoc among the Rangers. The spears were easily dodged, and any who came near were shot, but the level of confusion was enough that some soldiers started to fall. The Quad Cannons backed closer until a circle was formed with the soldiers in the center and the Quads surrounding them.

The dragon flew towards the circle, ready to strafe with the signature attack of dragons. As he glided closer he opened his mouth to take in air. He let loose the stream of blue fire.

"INCOMING!"

A few Rangers and a Quad was caught in the inferno until a missile exploded inside of the dragon's mouth, stopping his attack. It stung, knocking out a tooth and blasting the skin inside his mouth off. His mind blurred from the pain and he pulled up. The Quads and Defenders kept firing at the officer in charge and little by little, they were gaining the upper hand. The dogs were kept at bay, there was little that the griffons could do except charge and hope, and the dragon officer shook his head to clear the haze.

The guns hammered, the rockets flew, the griffons screeched, and the dragon roared. But for now, they held firm.

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ISKV

ISKV #1 · Aug 27th, 2012 · · ·

For some reason I have this mentality to write at least 2K words a chapter.

Nuts to that. This is part 1.

You guys have a choice of what the next chapter will be. The dragons to the west, or Applejack and the Rangers?

After that's finished, I will return to the camp battle. By the way, all three events are happening at the same time. Just though you should know.

From here on, updates are going to be slow(er). I started another story and it will probably be prioritized over FTG. Mostly because it allows for more creativity. Not that writing about ponies and tanks isn't creative, but it's a change of pace. Link Here.

And on top of that, school. Next chapter will be out in September 20XX

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