• Published 11th Sep 2012
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Camaraderie - walk-in closet brony



"All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers." - Francois Fenelon

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Chapter 9

"Sometimes I think it should be a rule of war that you have to see somebody up close and get to know him before you can shoot him."

-Colonel Potter

(Authors note- When the Russians are speaking to one another, they are speaking Russian.)

Canterlot 7:18 PM

Weaving their way through the streets, the Russian soldiers found themselves under fire from large plasma shots hailing down from the sky. The guard ponies galloped and flew alongside them, matching the speed of the fastest light tank. Pyotr Orlovsky was sprinting down a street in the midst of B company and elements of D company.

"Orlovsky! Malashenko! When we get down there, man the machine gun positioned on top of the north rampart! B company will provide fire support!" Shouted General Leonev.

Halfway down the street, Pyotr and Grefreiter Malashenko were blown to the ground, a large plasma burst decimating the shop closest to them.

"Get up Dmitri! Get up!" Yelled Pyotr, heaving his squad mate to his feet and beckoning him forth.

The two quickly made their way into the chaos that surrounded the outer walls. The causeway that led to the top of the walls was brimming with Russians, guards, and civilians trying to get on or off the ramparts.

"Oh Celestia, they'll kill us all!" Shouted a frantic stallion.

The air was rank with panic and fear. Ponies jostled each other away from the walls, trampling those unfortunate enough to fall to the cobblestone ground. Pyotr was stuck in the middle of a maelstrom of trepidation and hysteria. Nearby a mare shushed her crying foal, the wails of the baby rising above the din of the frenzied crowd. Suddenly, a bright green flash eclipsed the mare and the ponies around her, leaving only ashes in it's wake. Traumatized, Pyotr could only stand there and gaze at the remains of the innocents that had just been brutally annihilated.

"Come on Orlovsky, we have a gun to man!" Yelled Malashenko.

Racing up the causeway, Pyotr was horrified at the sight that stretched out before him when he reached the top of the wall. Stretching at least a mile across and back, an unimaginably large changeling army completely covered the plains in front of the besieged city of Canterlot. He got an eerie feeling thinking about the thousands of changelings below staring at the now-burning city, hell-bent on killing every last thing that inhabited the houses and apartments that dotted the streets. Snapping back to his senses, Pyotr found Dmitri loading the DSHK machine gun and prepping it to fire.

"Pyotr, get on the gun!" He shouted.

Gripping the trigger, Pyotr could only stare at the mass of darkness that enveloped the fields in front of him. Down below, B company took up positions outside the gate and began viciously returning fire. The changelings however, no strangers to the fanatic doctrine of the queen, ignored the barrage of lead and continued on.

"Pyotr! Anytime now!" Said Dmitri, firing his AK-47 in quick bursts.

"Eat this you changeling bastards!" Orlovsky cursed as he pulled the trigger.

The bombardment of fire from his machine gun was never-ending as Pyotr continued to fell changeling after changeling, not even blinking when one of his bullets tore off a foreleg or blasted a head into bits.

"Dear god, They're getting through!" Cried a Russian.

And true to his word, the changeling hordes had breached the lower gate defenses and began pouring into the city, murdering everything in their path. Men, stallion, mare, colt, filly, foal.

None were spared.

Changeling's were getting airborne and reaching the walls, overwhelming the parapet and killing anyone close enough. One poor man was snagged by a changeling and thrown over the side. Another was picked up by four and ripped apart in one clean tug.

"Damn it! Pyotr, this position is lost! Pull back to the residential areas and tell the civilians to get the hell out! They're about to be caught in the middle of a firefight!"

"Got it! Wait, what about you?" Asked Pyotr.

"I'll stay and keep them busy! There's still one Russian that draws breath up on this wall, and he's got a big-ass machine gun!" Laughed Malashenko.

Pyotr gave the suicidal man a respectful nod and turned around, hauling ass down the flights of stairs. Down below, Russian, changeling, and pony were engaged in ferocious close quarters combat. The fighting at the main gate gave Pyotr just enough time to slip by and make a break for an alleyway leading to the civilian's district.

"Die human scum!" Shouted a changeling officer, lance ready to pierce Pyotr's neck.

Without hesitating, Pyotr lifted his AK and put 2 bullets in the berserk creature. One in the chest and one in the head.

"Stupid thing." He said before turning around and heading down the street, ready to oust any civilians still taking refuge in their homes.

Especially one particular blue house on the corner of Long and Birdwell street.

Canterlot Castle 7:47 PM

"We need to get all the civilians out and into the chambers under the castle where they will be safe!" Shouted Princess Celestia.

"Agreed sister. I shall rally the troops and do so now." Said Luna.

"No. Send them to the outer walls to hold off the advancing changelings. General Taylor!" Shouted Celestia.

"Yes princess?"

"Radio Leonev's men. Tell them to get the civilians out of their homes and rally here."

"They're already on it ma'am. Most of the civilians are already here!" Taylor said.

"Good. Luna!" Shouted Celestia.

"Yes?"

"Where is Cadence?"

Princess Cadence hadn't left her room since Shining Armor went off to war and had been pent up in there for a long time, receiving breakfast, lunch, and dinner through a magic teleportation delivery system.

"She's still in her room. Her nursemaids have been trying to urge her out to no avail." Said Luna.

"Well tell her to get her flank moving or I'll come up and move it myself! And get me Twilight and the elements!"

"Yes sister!" Said Luna, galloping out of the throne room.

Celestia turned and looked out a nearby window. She could only stare in disbelief at the city burning below her.

"We'll need everyone we can get..."

Canterlot 7:51 PM

"Come on feet, don't fail me now!" Pyotr yelled to himself as he raced along the financial district. The residential area was just around the corner. He could feel it. Reading the street signs, he was able to navigate his way to the neighborhoods. Rounding a wall, Orlovsky was ready for the largest, most panicked crowd in existence.

Instead, not a single soul was to be seen on the sidewalks. Pyotr approached the first house and rapped on the door.

"Anyone here? You need to leave now and get to the castle!"

No response. As with almost every other house on the block, the houses were practically empty. Every now and then Pyotr would come across a family with a stubborn elder refusing to move or an orphan lying in the shadows but the homes were mostly deserted for as far as he was concerned. With the entire street cleared and all the civilians successfully evacuated, all that was left was the blue house on the far corner.

"No no no no no..." Fluttershy kept repeating to herself as a distressed Rarity calmly comforted her.

"Geez, this place could use some fun!" Said Pinkie, pulling out her party cannon and firing it.

"For the love of Celestia I don't think now is the time for that Pinkie." Said Rarity.

The party pony gazed at her friend with an appalled look.

"Are you kidding? There's always time for a party!"

Ignoring the streamers and confetti that now covered the room, Dawn and Orion Sparkle looked out their window at the abandoned homes. Dawn saw the uneasy look on Twilights face and placed a hoof on her daughters shoulder.

"Maybe we should get going honey? All those ponies earlier left in quite a hurry." She said.

"I don't know mom. Pyotr said-"

BLAM!

The door burst open and a shaken, dirty Russian stepped through. Huffing, he spoke in a concerned voice.

"Why are you not at the castle? This whole place is about to become a combat zone!" Yelled Pyotr.

All the ponies looked up and froze. The surprise entrance of the human was frightening but the idea that their peaceful neighborhood was about to become a warzone was enough to give them chills.

"What are you all standing there for? Come on, I'm trying to help you out here!" Yelled Pyotr.

"Alright alright, hold on I have to get my things. There are some items upstairs that have great sentimental value to them." Said Orion.

"No time! We need to go! Now!"

SMASH!

Everyone turned to look at the now-shattered window in the living room and saw a horrifying sight. Two changeling soldiers had crashed through the window and stared at the ponies with a bloodthirsty visage. Twilight smirked. She could showcase her impressive power to her friends, family and the human all at once. First she would subdue them with a shield, then tie them up with magically conjured ropes and wait till after the battle to display them to Celestia and get praise for such a wonderful job of protecting her group.

"Stand back everyone, I'll-"

Twilight was cut off by the sight of Pyotr moving in front of them with lightning speed. Without thinking, he emptied 12 rounds into the first changeling, spraying blood and gore all over the walls, floor and ceiling. He aimed at the second and pulled the trigger but his gun jammed, giving the changeling time to tackle him to the ground. The two rolled around, grunting and attacking one another until Pyotr pushed the changeling off him. Doing this gave him just enough time to draw his knife.

He charged.

With a ferocious snarl, Pyotr jumped on top of the changeling and brought the knife down on it.

Again...

And again...

And again...

Shunk, shunk, shunk, shunk.

The group looked on in horror the entire time. What was once the changeling regular was now an unrecognizable bloody pulp scattered about on the ground. It's partner's insides were leaking out of the holes in it's flesh a few feet away. Pyotr stood up, covered by bodily fluids and sinews, and picked up his AK-47.

"Come on! We have to move!"

The traumatized ponies quickly walked around the corpses and headed outside towards the castle and safety.

Fields beyond Canterlot 8:01 PM

Ross, Shining Armor, and the rest of the soldiers were relieved that the safe haven of Canterlot was finally in sight.

Well, metaphorically that is.

They knew they grew closer with every step and that in the end, it would all pay off with hot meals and warm beds. They had been marching for hours and the idea that they were that much closer to their goal made them move ever so faster.

"Thank god we're almost there huh sir?" Said Avery.

"You got that right Richard. Hey Shining, how much farther? Captain?" Asked Ross.

But Shining Armor had no words for what was playing out in front of his eyes at that moment. Slowly, one by one, every soldier had stopped at the top of the hill and gawked at the sight in front of them.

The glorious capitol city of Canterlot was burning.

Neither Applejack nor Rainbow Dash could believe what they were seeing.

A large, black moving mass lay in front of the besieged city. For a moment, no one out of all the soldiers spoke. Snapping back to his senses, Ross ordered the men forward.

"EVERYONE MOVE OUT! Ward, take your men left and destroy that siege camp! I'll go right and clear the city! Captain?"

"Cadence." Was all the pony captain could utter before charging towards the army of changelings.

"God dammit!" Said Ross as he followed his pony counterpart into what could very well be their own impending doom.

Running left, Ward cleared the tree line with the rest of his men while Sergeant Courtland set up his mortars to assist.

"Jacobs, get to it!" Said Ward speaking into his built-in mic.

Jacobs' voice crackled through his helmet.

"You got it chief."

That was all Ward got before the shots started going off and the changelings in the camp began falling. The marines rushed in, Summer Haze and Applejack leading their ponies into the fray alongside them. M4 clips were emptied and lances were splintered as the unrelenting attack of the Equestrians never ceased. Meanwhile, the changelings were still trying to organize their troops and put up a decent defense. Before they could figure out what was going on, every changeling in the camp was dead to the last. Though frowned upon, the Equestrians gave the wounded no quarter and brutally slaughtered every last one. The entire assault ended almost as soon as it began.

"Yeah! We kicked their asses!" Cheered Lance Corporal Childers.

"Don't let up just yet. We've still got a hell of a fight on our hands!" Said Sgt. Cumberland.

As if on cue, Ross' voice crackled through Ward's headset and spoke frantically.

"WARD! Take your men and reinforce me and Shining Armor's units! We are meeting heavy resistance! I repeat, heavy resistance!"

"I copy! Listen up everyone! Converge on the main force and fight your way into the city! This ends now." Ordered Ward.

Canterlot 8:23 PM

"Retreat!" Ordered a pony captain.

The residential area was now overrun with changelings and the remnants of Russia's B and C companies pulled back across the drawbridge and behind the inner walls. A and D company no longer existed, as they had been wiped out earlier on defending the southern approach. Unicorns and Russian snipers on the battlements gave covering fire to the retreating soldiers as wave after wave of changelings threw themselves at the surviving troops. Inside the castle, everyone was moving around frantically trying to get ahold of the situation. Luna had finally coaxed Cadence out of her room and gotten her to the underground caves where she would be safe. Meanwhile at the castle gates, Pyotr and the group parted ways, leaving Orlovsky to help his fellow comrades in defending the last bastion of safety for the panicked civilians.

"Two mags left!"

"We need a medic over here!"

"Dear Celestia I'm not dying here."

Pyotr had taken up positions with some of his fellow men and a few ponies behind a sandbagged position in front of the closed drawbridge which the changelings were currently battering down. It was only a matter of time before they broke through. Up above on the walls, the airborne changelings gave a repeat performance of what had happened at the outer ramparts. This time, Celestia's royal guards were assisting in the defense of the parapets and fought ferociously. General Leonev Drew his Nagant revolver and loaded it. He rallied behind the troops, no fear showing on his face, and spoke.

"Soldiers! Comrades! We stand here today not as combatants from different countries but as brothers and sisters in arms! We cannot allow these changeling dogs to break through or the safety of your friends and families will be compromised! We few brave souls holding this courtyard will defend it to the last! I'm sure our comrades up above shall do the same! No matter what comes through that gate you will hold your-"

The drawbridge smashed into pieces sending splinters of wood flying towards the troops, one in particular hurling forth and tearing Leonev's head off with sickening ease.

"Open fire!" Yelled Pyotr.

The changelings that poured into the courtyard were thrown back with a deafening amount of fire but they charged headlong toward the entrenched positions anyway.

"Shit, I'm out!" Yelled Pyotr.

"Here! Last mag, make it count!" Said Sergeant Malenkov.

Emptying the clip with fierce accuracy and discipline, Pyotr dropped his AK. With his right hand he drew his knife. With his left he pulled out a picture of his mother. Bracing himself, he prepared for hell.

"I'm ready. Take me."

Canterlot 8:30 PM

For Ross' and Shining Armor's soldiers, clearing the fields was easy once Ward and Summer Haze rejoined the unit as most of the invading changelings had already entered the city. This resulted in fierce urban firefights liberating pinned down Russian forces and freeing captured prisoners.

"Ward, status report!" Said Ross.

"Residential area had been cleared and all Russian and pony squads have been rescued. All that's left is the castle district skip."

Ross looked at Shining Armor awaiting approval to move on to the final district. He wore an entirely serious look on his face and had not spoken much during the battle.

Then again, who else isn't serious when entering a combat zone?

"We move on the castle. I'm going to find my wife." Said a determined Shining Armor.

Ross rallied the men and spoke.

"You heard the man- err, pony! Let's move!" He ordered.

The army snaked through the rest of the district clearing out pockets of resistance on the way to the real prize.

Canterlot castle.

"C'mon! Check those corners!" Said Sergeant Rossetti.

"Ah hope Twilight and the others are okay." Said Applejack.

"That makes two of us." Rainbow Agreed.

Forward elements of the reinforcing army came across the gate leading into the castle courtyard and stopped dead in their tracks. The walls were completely overrun, every last guard and human on the ramparts and parapets apparently dead. The courtyard was brimming with changelings trying to push their way in towards something.

"Open Fire!" Yelled Ross.

For Ross, Shining Armor, and the others, the next five minutes was a blur. Upon noticing the large changeling force attacking the castle, the reinforcing Equestrians opened fire. This drew the changeling's attention, which resulted in a frenzied charge on their behalf. It was a classic turkey shoot. The humans and unicorns gunned down the changelings as they threw themselves at the superior force. When the last shot was fired, a mound of corpses stacked twelve feet high was sitting in front of the remaining Equestrians.

"Go go go! Clear that courtyard!" Shouted Ross as he and Shining Armor took point and ran blindly into the now-empty courtyard.

Shining Armor skidded to a stop, the sight laid out in front of him too much to bear. Dead bodies were everywhere and though he had already gotten used to the prospect of a corpse, the manner in which these were all killed was the direct meaning of overkill.

"Dear god..." Said Sergeant Courtland.

"Wait. What's that?" Asked Summer Haze.

In the direction of her pointing hoof, everyone saw a wavering figure completely covered in blood. It had occurred to them that everything in the courtyard was dead when they had arrived except for the human form that staggered in front of them. The human carried a knife in one hand while his other hand was balled up in a fist, a crumpled piece of paper held inside. It breathed quick, short breaths and stared at them with wild eyes.

Then it collapsed.

"Jesus, Ward! Get a medic and secure that man! Everyone else, sweep the castle and make sure everyone's all right!" Ordered Ross.

Ward and a company corpsman, Corporal Roe, approached the man and began treating his wounds.

"Put pressure on that wound. Hold that until I can bandage him up. He needs to stay awake, talk to him or something!" Said Roe.

"Uhhh... can you hear me? You're going to be okay." Said Ward.

He couldn't possibly believe that. The poor man's body was broken. Lacerations and gashes covered his entire form. The fact that he was able to stand as long as he did when they entered the courtyard was unbelievable.

"....Мать?" Said the man.

Then he went limp.

"God dammit!" Said the medic, striking the ground with a fist.

Seeing no further use of his skills here, Roe left to tend more wounded.

"Mother."

Ward spun around, startled by the new voice.

"Huh?"

"He said mother. That was his last words." Said the Russian.

"Oh, you know him?" Said Ward, turning back to the body.

"Pyotr Orlovsky. That was his name."

Across the courtyard, Corporal Wilcox spoke up.

"You okay sir?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay. Just askin' cause you were kinda talking to yourself for a moment there." Said Wilcox.

"What? I was talking to..."

Upon turning around Ward saw no trace of the man that he had just spoke to. Where there was a pair of legs a few seconds ago, was now just empty space.

"What the... shit, I'm going crazy. I just know it." Ward said quietly to himself as he stood up and entered the castle to help with the sweep.

The staff, civilians, princesses, and remaining guards were found holed up in the underground caves and were grateful to have been rescued, and just in the nick of time too. The only man left defending the courtyard was Pyotr, and he had managed to hold the changelings off long enough till the reinforcements arrived. To avoid the carnage on the outside, the civilians were instructed to remain in the caves until most of the dead were removed from the grounds. Ross was clearing things up with Princess Celestia and Luna when Shining Armor, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash's unit arrived in the caves.

"Girls!" Said Twilight.

The six shared a heartwarming embrace in the center of the cave as a panic stricken Shining Armor entered the main chamber. Swiftly, he approached his aunts and gave them quick embraces but asked them the real question on his mind.

"Cadence?"

All Celestia did was raise a wing in the direction she desired him to look in and sure enough, there was the pink Alicorn being comforted by her attendants. She looked tired and upset. Almost as dreary as she did during her trip to the crystal empire. But that all changed in the next few seconds when she panned her head right.

"Shining..."

She didn't have the breath to finish her sentence. There was her husband standing only a few feet in front of her.

Ross stood across the room, eyeing the couple's joyous reunion and walked over. Shining Armor was nuzzling her wife as she returned the gesture.

"Heh, alright lover boy I hate to be the guy to break up your happy little reunion but we have a lot of dead to clear out by tonight so we better get started."

"Yeah, sure. I've got to go honey. I'll come back as soon as I can." Reassured Shining Armor.

"I know you will." Cadence replied tearfully.

Ross turned his gaze to the pink Alicorn.

"Oh, and while your at it, you ought to thank me for bringing this big lug back here in one piece! Crazy son of a bitch almost got himself killed about five times." Ross grumbled to Cadence as he walked away.

Canterlot 11:56 AM

After a long, sleepless night of clearing the dead and triaging the wounded, command allowed the soldiers to sleep as long as they wanted. They deserved that at least.

"Dang, been a while since I've slept like that!" Said Yellowstar.

"Yeah, same here." Said Private Sunny Breeze.

"Well, rise and shine ladies, we've still got a lot of work to do!" Said Ward.

The soldiers, with the aid of the locals, began the cleanup of the city. Most of the financial district had been destroyed whereas the residential district was mostly covered with bullet pock marks. Lieutenant Ward was told to retrieve Lieutenant Summer Haze for a command briefing that was to be held in the throne room. He had already searched the financial districts so he had moved onto the neighborhoods. Sifting through the destroyed homes, Ward called out for captain Haze.

"Summer? Summer? Captain Haze?" Ward cried to no avail.

That was until he heard the sobbing.

He found her slumped on top of the wreckage of a home that had been completely destroyed. She burrowed her face in her hooves and was silently crying to herself.

"Summer? You okay?" Ward asked.

"M..my parents...my b-brother..." She sobbed.

Upon further inspection, bits of bone and a pale hoof stuck out of the rubble in front of her.

"Summer... oh god..." Ward said as he walked up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright. Let it all out. Take all the time you need." Ward said as he walked back to the castle.

Canterlot Castle 12:01 PM

Inside the throne room, the remaining commanders gathered around a table and began discussing further plans.

"I say we strengthen the defenses and defend our territory as best as we can." Said an aged pony general.

"No. We need to go on the offensive to prevent another attack like this." Said Ross.

"Humph! Just like you humans to make arrogant choices that just waste lives!" Argued the general.

"You know damn well I care about-"

"SILENCE!" Shouted Luna, abusing the royal Canterlot voice.

The room grew silent as Celestia stepped up.

"Ah, Lieutenant Ward. Glad to see you made it. But where is Lieutenant Summer Haze?" Asked Celestia.

"She's uh.. held up." Said Ward.

Luna adopted a irritated face.

"What makes a meeting of high command less important than whatever it was she was doing?" She asked.

Ward cleared his throat and spoke matter-of-factly.

"She found her parents. They're kind of.. uh.... dead." Ward deadpanned.

Luna recoiled as did everyone else in the room.

"That's.. unfortunately tragic. The meeting will continue though." Said Celestia.

Ward stepped over and took a seat next to Ross.

"My sister and I, with help from the input you have all provided, have decided that after one day of permitted rest, we shall march on the ruins of Detrot with whatever forces we have left. After that, we shall venture into the Everfree and root out Chrysalis' main hive and destroy it, utterly ending this miserable campaign. The elements of harmony shall accompany the army as it will most likely be them that will be required to defeat the queen. Starting tomorrow, we shall be on the offensive. Dismissed." Explained Celestia.

Walking out, Ross, Ward, and Shining Armor met outside of the throne room.

"So what do you think sir? Can we pull it off?" Asked Ward.

"That depends entirely on the men's willingness to fight, and since last night, I'm pretty sure no one is ready march out and take the fight to those bastards just yet." Said Ross.

"Regardless, the men will have to comply. Just as I will. I would love to stay here with my wife but if I don't go, I'm afraid that not fighting would put her in more danger than if I stayed." Said Shining Armor.

Ross and Ward nodded. A nice speech to the men about what's at stake would definitely rile them up. Ross realized this and spoke up.

"I'll go inform the troops. The way I see it, this evil bitch's days are numbered."

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