Quills and Sofa's Speedwriting Anthology

by Atom Smash

The Trooper

Author's Note:

This was a contest where we were asked to pick a line from a song and run with it. I happened to be listening to Iron Maiden at the time and though: "I wonder what I can do with just AAAAAAAAAH!"

But do have the opening line of the song for context:

You'll take my life, but I'll take yours too

You'll fire your musket, but I'll run you through

So when you're waiting for the next attack

You'd better stand, there's no turning back

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The screams of terrified and wounded ponies rang out around Daring Bayonet, drowning out the rolling echo of the enemy cannons as their deadly projectiles struck home.

There was no turning back, however: she and every pony in the light brigade knew that. There was only one thing to do.

The bugle sounded out as if agreeing with her, with her and every single one of her siblings in arms. They all replied with a single word:

"CHAAAAAARGE!"

The shout rang out from hundreds of pony throats, thousands. They all screamed their defiance as the air filled with noise, horse's breath and the acrid smoke of gunpowder.

The Equestrian army let off one last salvo of musket fire against the opposing Gryphonian army before they began to move, plunging towards glory and certain death.

Daring itched to follow them, but first she threw one last look at the pony beside her:, a stallion and her lifelong friend. If they were doing this, they would do it together.

Silver Spade, for that was his name, was busy plugging the barrel of his musket with the bayonet. Daring could see the fear in his eyes as he fumbled with the task, his hooves too sweaty to get a good grip.

Daring, already having finished the task herself, as befit her name, reached over to help him but he rejected her offer.

Giving her a fierce look of determination he threw the firearm in the mud and gripped the bayonet between his teeth.

She gripped her own weapon tight as he moved next to her, the two stragglers watching the first line of ponies rush straight at the Gryphonian force, screaming out their defiance as they were gunned down.

A single look was shared between Daring and Silver, one nod that said more than words could ever manage, and then they broke into a run.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!" Daring screamed for both of them, Silver running with the blade between his teeth.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

But even then her voice was barely audible over the sound of the Gryphonian guns as they raced towards the wall of feathers, flesh and sharp steel.

"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Daring was far from the only pony screaming as they charged. The blood-curdling screams of the fallen echoed around them as she and Silver jumped over the bodies littering the ground, ponies who had been one step ahead of them as the gryphons fired their second round.

Daring felt a horrible realization as they rushed past what was left of the force they had arrived with; there were far too few ponies and far too many bullets.

There was no way they would make it. The Gryphonian line was getting closer, but it might as well be on the other side of the world for all good it would do them.

It was only her, Silver and a few other stragglers against the whole Gryphonian army now. Like that would stop them! There was no going back. She was close enough to see the whites of the enemy's eyes, and the terror there as the soldiers furiously tried to reload in time.

They would not! Daring would reach them before they did, and then she'd stab and hack away at them. She would kill every single one of the feathered bastards to avenge her fallen friends. It didn't matter that they would take her with them. Her hooves tore at the mud beneath her as Daring rushed towards the awaiting horde, bayonet held high.

Daring snarled as she saw one of the enemy, a brown gryphon rooster raising his musket and aiming straight at her.

They were only a dozen steps apart when the rooster pulled the trigger and Daring felt the bullet hit.

She only stumbled as the projectile tore through her ribcage, she barely felt the pain. She didn't hear the burst of rounds that claimed Silver's life.

There was only one thing left for her, one last action in this world.

She met the rooster's eyes as she stumbled the last few steps towards him. The gryphon looked terrified, he dropped the musket that had claimed Daring's life and turned to run.

Too late, Daring's bayonet caught his side, piercing him just beneath the wing. It was with grim satisfaction that Daring Bayonet felt the blade that bore her name sink into the yielding flesh of her killer, all the way to the hilt.

The gryphon spluttered, he feebly clawed at the weapon impaling him. His talons found no purchase on the blood slick musket and soon he collapsed, drawing his last ragged breath.

As he fell he took the weapon with him, Daring's own hooves lacking the strength to hold on to it. No, that would not do, she was surrounded by enemies, she couldn't stop at just one!

She lifted her eyes from the dying gryphon at her hooves and felt her vision blur as she tried to focus on the enemies closing in on her. No doubt they were eager to avenge their friend.

Daring gave them a grim smile and in lieu of weapons raised her hooves to defend herself. She'd take them all on, kill every single bastard with her bare hooves if she had to.

That was the plan. What really happened however was that she felt her limbs give out and the wet mud rising up to meet her as she too collapsed, her body finally succumbing to the gunshot. It had held together long enough for her to get her revenge, and as she lay there looking up at the sky she felt that it had been enough.

Daring Bayonet, it was a name and a promise, and by Celestia she had delivered.
She held no regrets as she let out her final breath.