• Published 6th Aug 2017
  • 13,996 Views, 1,058 Comments

If You Want Peace, Prepare For War - tranhdxrbntd



Equestria is fighting her first World War after the 2nd Industrial revolution. She hasn't fought a war in a while. Before his death, Discord enlists the help of several creatures that are all too familiar with the concept.

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War Does Not Determine Who is Right, Only Who is Left

Cloudsdale was no longer a pegasi hub for weather control. Shortly after the war had started, it became a giant, mobile airbase. Among the changes that the city experienced was the change in population. No longer was the population all pegasi. Now, the city welcomed earth ponies and unicorns, all of which served or worked with the military.

Inside the city, pegasi milled about in anticipation for the next offensive. One particular cyan pegasus was playing with the gear that she was issued. She was part of the Equestrian Royal Flying Corps and was a member of the Dragon Hunters, a highly esteemed dogfighting group. To be more specific, she was the most experienced dogfighter of the Dragon Hunters.

Dogfighting was a very dangerous art as both sides had an equal capability of killing each other. For both sides, the average aerial dogfighter's life expectancy was 11 days. This specific pegasus had survived the entirety of the war since it had started. Considered a hero among her peers, Rainbow Dash was just as cocky as she ever was. Since she survived seventy times longer than the average pegasus, her boasts weren't lies (most of the time).

One of the benefits of having survived so long was that she could customize her gear as she wanted.

The standard uniform of the Equestrian armed forces was a dark brown jacket with dark brown pants. This uniform was meant for dealing with the cold, nothing else. An optional aviators cap and goggles were also available to be worn, the latter being useful for keeping the wind from attacking your eyes. Over the uniform, ponies would have to wear a set of canvas webbing gear. This webbing composed of multiple pouches and pockets meant for carrying ammunition and gear.

Rainbow Dash's uniform was bright cyan (the same as her coat) instead of the required dark brown. Her webbed gear, also cyan, had half the normal number of pouches and pockets. While this meant she could carry a very limited amount of ammo, she was weighed down far less than anypony else. For her, speed was key.

Her weapons, just as customized as her gear.

Her service rifle wasn't standard Equestrian issue as it was a captured griffon weapon. It was a Harpy Model 06, a magazine-fed semi automatic rifle. A normal Harpy Model 06 was chambered in 7x45mm Talon and held 10 rounds. Rainbow Dash's Harpy was rechambered to fire the standard Equestrian rifle round, 6.5x50mm Stomper, and hers held 15 rounds. Part of the rifle's design was a fixed magazine, meaning it could only be reloaded with stripper clips or loose rounds. There was no way getting around this, the magazine incorporated the feed ramp and held the lower receiver to the upper receiver.

Other than rechambering the rifle, she had to shorten the stock to be able to use it. In its original griffon configuration, the stock was much too long for ponies to use comfortably. Also, the rifle's trigger guard was removed and the trigger replaced with a long lever trigger, one that allowed easy usage with hooves. Other than that, the griffon sling was replaced with a standard issue Equestrian sling.

This was her rifle. There were few like it and this one was hers.

Then, there was her sidearm. Unlike her rifle, her sidearm was standard issue. It was an Equestrian Ordnance Works Model 92 revolver. The Model 92 was a single action or double action revolver chambered in 8x27mm Equestrian Ordnance and like most revolvers, it held 6 rounds. The 8mm Equestrian Ordnance round was, to quote the average Equestrian gunsmith, "a retardedly anemic round". Most ponies would agree with this statement, especially those that have shot at a minotaur with one.

Why would such an experienced dogfighter carry such a sidearm? Well, it and its ammunition didn't weight much. Also, Rainbow Dash carried it solely for the purpose of shooting down other enemy dogfighters. While the Model 92 fired a weak cartridge, any griffon would have trouble flying after being shot no matter the bullet.

There was nothing special about the revolver. It was in a basic flight configuration. It featured a snub nose barrel, parts made of light metal alloys, and a lanyard loop. This lanyard loop connected the revolver to the holster that was strapped to Rainbow's webbing gear so she could never lose it in flight.

Rainbow Dash drew her revolver and aimed it at a lone stray cloud in the sky. This revolver had served with her since the start of the war. It was no longer a simple handgun. It was now a piece of her.

"Rainbow Dash" came a voice from behind her. Surprised, Rainbow Dash turned around while instinctively pointing her revolver at whoever it was. Before she could think, she found herself disarmed and knocked down by an orange maned gold pegasus. "Be careful there," Spitfire said. "You might hurt yourself." Spitfire unloaded the revolver and tossed it back.

Rainbow Dash caught the revolver in one hoof while jumping back up. "You need to stop doing that," came her reply.

Spitfire smiled and gave the ammo back. "And you need to get a better sidearm," Spitfire said while drawing her sidearm. Her sidearm wasn't necessarily a handgun. Instead, she carried a sawed-off double barrel shotgun. "Like this!" There was nothing that could defeat a 12 gauge shotgun loaded with buckshot in a short ranged match.

A shotgun was a rather strange weapon for a dogfighter, but Spitfire wasn't a dogfighter. Well, she used to be a dogfighter. At the start of the war, she was one of the most feared dogfighters. Early on, she earned the nickname of "The Phoenix's Fire" from her aggressiveness in aerial combat. Unfortunately, she was shot out of the sky too many times and could no longer keep up with the average dogfighters' fast flight speeds. Now, she was an infantry pony who just so happens to be able to fly.

Rainbow Dash didn't bat an eye at the sight of the sawed-off shotgun. "What are you here for anyways?"

Spitfire's smile faltered. She let out a sigh before responding. "Just gotta ruin the mood, huh?" Spitfire said. "The higher-ups believe that a griffon offensive is starting in Baltimare."

Rainbow Dash reloaded her revolver and aimed it at the same cloud as earlier. "And? They're always saying that new offensives are starting or happening all the time."

Spitfire hit the unlocking lever on her shotgun, exposing the breach. Loaded in the chambers were brass shotgun shells, 12 gauge 2 3/4 inch buckshot (the standard combat shell). Snapping the shotgun shut, she aimed it at the same cloud that Rainbow Dash was aiming at. "They have proof this time."

Lowing her revolver, Rainbow Dash looked at Spitfire. "What proof?" she asked.

"They've started attacking the 5th Ground Division's main base."

A deafening boom echoed through the skies as a powerful shockwave rocked the foundations of Cloudsdale. Following that, a brilliant growing rainbow ring trailed through the air.

The Sonic Rainboom hadn't even fazed her. Too much exposure to artillery and explosions had desensitized the feeling to her, something that scared her to the core. Looking at the same stray cloud (which miraculously survived the Sonic Rainboom), she continued aiming her shotgun at it. Without blinking, she pulled the trigger and sent a spread of buckshot at the cloud's direction.

What was the importance of this news? Scootaloo was assigned to the 5th Ground Division.

Author's Note:

Here are the guns from the story.

First, the sniper rifle.

Now, the .500 S&W.

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