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Prologue1,104 words
Introduction1,217 words
Home1,330 words
Meeting1,164 words
Fires of Insanity1,366 words
Silent Declaration1,423 words

Prologue

A changeling lay in a hospital bed, his yellow eyes shut as he tossed in bed. He feels a hoof on his shoulder…

His eyes open and he sees another changeling pulling him up. “Foresight?! You alright?!” they ask.

He nods, looking around; watching the horrors of war unfold around him. Whether it was an RG being shot down or a Lunar Guard beating a changeling with a shovel, he can only stare in shock as death unfolds.

Foresight’s ears perk up at the sound of a battlecry from behind him. An RG was charging him with a bayoneted crossbow. He makes haste and counters the attack, killing the pony in the process. He picks his crossbow back up and looks up, staring.

The First Pony-Changeling War was the deadliest war in Equestrian history.

Around 60 million soldiers fought in the ‘War to End All Wars.’

It didn’t end anything.

But it changed the world forever.

What follows in frontline combat…

The creatures followed are not expected to survive.

Cpl. Cata
Age: 19
15th Devil Horn platoon

Cata looks up to her Captain. “We’re surrounded!” they said, looking at Cata as a Changeling Tank rolls up. “We need to hold this line!” the Captain says, patting Cata’s shoulder before running off.

Cata picks up her light automatic crossbow. She runs over to a ruined house and takes cover behind a window. She loads her crossbow as the CT rolls up. Then, an artillery shell destroys the CT as a whistle blows, and the RG’s charge their position.

She grits her teeth, hesitates, before squeezing the trigger. A volley of arrows fly from her automatic crossbow, cutting down many ponies. Then, the crossbow clicks, and she pulls the empty arrow clip out and loads another. Then she does it again. And again. And again. She continued until she’d run out of clips, making her crossbow virtually useless. She watches as ponies continue charging. She panics, silently begging for another clip. Unfortunately, her prayers aren’t answered and all she can do is draw her sidehoof and fire.

Then, she notices a guard in armor. It sends shivers down her spine. No…

A flamer…

All she can do is watch as the guard’s horn glows and a flame erupts from it. She fires her sidehoof at the armored pony before the flames engulf her…

Corporal Cata

Status: K.I.A.

Cause of Death: Flamer

“We thought war was an adventure. Our rite of passage. We came from many places, wanting glory and adventure. All I’ll say is that it was no adventure…”

Sgt. Striker
Age: 21
42nd Lunar Battalion

Striker waits on his heavy automatic crossbow, watching as a flamer burns down a few ponies in a nearby trench.

“The bugs are charging!” another bat pony yells.

“Flamer!”

“Pump’em full bolts!”

“Shoot’em! Shoot’em!”

The Sergeant snaps his head over. “You try operating this! It’s a three pony crossbow ya jerk!” Striker places his wing on the cranker and uses his other wing to hold the arrow belt. He squeezes the trigger, sending arrows flying from the ruined celestial church.

He continues firing until…

“Hornets! Hornets!”

“Aim high! AIM HIGH!”

Too late…

A dynamite tipped arrow flies into his mounted heavy crossbow, not killing him, however. He raves his scattershot crossbow and fires at a changeling. He grits his teeth and continues fighting on, using his crossbow until it runs empty. His draws his sidehoof and takes out a flamer. His sidehoof also runs empty and he’s forced to use a changeling bolt-action crossbow. As soon he picks it up, he’s shot dead by changeling infantry.

Sergeant Striker

Status: K.I.A.

Cause of Death: Enemy Infantry

“Machines of war dominated the battlefields. From the pesticide bombs and that cleared the trenches, to the Changeling Tanks that dominated the battlefront. Luckily those metal beasts were on our side.”

Private Scorp
Age: 23
2nd Changeling Tank battalion

Scorp climbes into the tank, hopping into the weapons cabin. He smiles, watching as the tank begins moving. “We gotta push forward! Take’em out!” the driver says.

They pass by the celestial church, Scorp aiming the cannon over and firing, killing a changeling flamer. The tank moves up to a trench opening. He fires both the automatic crossbow and the heavy cannon into the trench, killing just about anyone. Except those who ran away. They chase after them, killing them with the automatic crossbow. They push on, then…

Boom!

“Field cannon!” the driver yells.

“We’re just one big target for that thing!” another changeling yells.

As they break through a ruined house, Scorp aims his cannon over and fires at the field cannon targeting the tanks. They continue pushing on, breaking through rows of barbed wire. “We’re gonna make it!” the driver cheers.

As soon as they feel free, they hear a boom from the distance.

“Ah crap! Artille—”

Boom!

Private Scorp

Status: K.I.A.

Cause of Death: Artillery

“Instead of the adventure, glory we sought for, we found fear, and agony. The war was only an equalizer for death.”

Staff Sergeant Mace
Age: 21
3rd Iron Sword division

Pesticide bombs fall from the sky. Mace watches as they fall, he slides on a gas mask and watches as a few unlucky changelings die to the pesticides. He charges, swinging a shovel into them. He fires his two crossbows, taking out a flamer and a few infantry. He runs out of crossbows, pulling out his shovel and charging. Before he can reach his target, he’s shot down by their crossbow.

Staff Sergeant Mace

Status: K.I.A.

Cause of Death: Enemy Infantry

Lieutenant Chronics
Age: 18
13th Widowed Queen Devil Horn battalion

Chronics charges ahead. “Come on!” he yells, leading them. He buries his shovel into a pony’s gas mask. He is then hit by a shovel. As he hits the ground, he looks up at the thestral who’s about to hit him when a large explosion rings out.

“Artillery!”

The Lunar Guard and the Devil Horn can only watch as a bomb explodes right next to them…

Staff Sergeant Mace

Status: K.I.A.

Cause of Death: Artillery

Cpt. Foresight
Age: 21
1st Devil Horn platoon

Foresight raises up, grabbing his crossbow. He looks around, noticing a bat pony rising up. She grabs a crossbow of her own. He draws his revolver crossbow, aiming at her. She does the same.

“General Silverfang,” he said, panting. He feels tired, wanting to rest.

“Captain Foresight,” she replies, chuckling. She seems tired as well.

They stand in stalemate, tension slowly building. Then, Silverfang lowers her crossbow. Foresight does the same and they walk off in different directions.