Peace Through Power

by est-hal

Chapter 2: Meeting the Locals

Chapter 2: Meeting the Locals

Lieutenant Lightning Strike was having a migraine of epic proportions. Placed in command of the Ponyville Royal Guard garrison and charged with keeping the town safe from demonic incursion, he was faced with one problem after another, all of them beyond the might of an aspirin and Sweet Apple Acres’ strongest cider. Overseeing the distribution of supplies, maintaining order among an increasingly panicky pony population, keeping up morale despite the death and destruction that surrounded them… There was also the matter of fighting off the demons, who had been attacking more often and with greater ferocity. And now that strange light from beyond the Everfree Forest demanded his attention, an anomalous event that may or may not be the harbinger of their doom.

Letting out a muffled groan as he massaged his temples, Lightning Strike stood up from his chair and made for the exit, his golden armor clanking with each step. He had been cooped up in Ponyville Town Hall for the past four hours, going over defense plans and various status reports being fed to him by his Guards and Mayor Mare’s staff, and could stand to stretch his legs a bit. The Town Hall building had been converted to serve as his command center and quarters. It was also the stronghold from which he and his Guards would make their last stand should they be overrun.

Stepping out into the daylight, he took a deep breath of fresh air and stretched out his wings, letting the sunlight warm his white coat. Deciding he needed to get a handle on the situation before it was too late, he planned to send out a scouting party to investigate the source of the light and, if need be, prepare his Guards for yet another bloody fight. Making his way to a guard post near the eastern edge of town, he looked around, observing firsthoof the miserable conditions the ponies were in. Rows of tents lined the streets and were erected wherever else there was room: alleyways, front and backyards, and even balconies and clouds for the pegasi refugees.

Reaching his destination, Lightning Strike eyed a brown pegasus he planned to “volunteer” for the scouting mission, “Sergeant Low Flight!”

The sergeant and a couple of his subordinates who were idly meandering around behind him snapped to attention, giving their commanding officer a salute, “What can I do for you, sir?” spoke the sergeant.

Lightning Strike returned the salute, inwardly chuckling at Low Flight’s excessive decorum. He always found the sergeant’s stiff and rigid personality amusing. A true military stallion, his by-the-book, no-nonsense attitude made him the perfect drill instructor, a role he actually fulfills from time to time, whipping recruits into Royal Guards Equestria could be proud of.

“At ease, sergeant. I want you to take two of your best flyers and get ready to move out.”

“Is it about that light past the Everfree, sir?” asked Low Flight.

With a sigh, Lightning Strike nodded, “You guessed it. We need to find out what’s going on over there before it bites us in the flank later. Do a flyby of the area where the light came from and report back immediately. I’ll be preparing our defenses.”

Giving a nod, Low Flight looked back at the pair of grey pegasi that were behind him, “Thunder! Flash! You’re with me. Get ready to move.”

“Sir, yes sir!” the two pegasi affirmed before stepping away from the post and unfurling their wings.

Returning his gaze to Lightning Strike, Low Flight tried to reassure the clearly worried lieutenant, “We’ll be back as soon as we can, sir. And whatever it is, I’m sure we can handle it.”

“I hope you’re right, sergeant. Stay safe.” he replied, not sharing the sergeant’s confidence.

Low Flight could not help but crack a grin, “Of course, sir. You know me.”

Lightning Strike suppressed a snort at that, ‘Don’t I ever…’

Going over to where Thunder and Flash stood waiting, Low Flight spread his wings and motioned towards the sky before launching into the air with a powerful gust, the two taking off after him.

Watching the three take to the sky, Lightning Strike could not help but dread what they might report back.

‘Oh Celestia, please let it just be that annoying blue mare’s fireworks …’

----
“So what do you think it is? The demons? Or something else?”

“I have no idea. Maybe the unicorn scholars in Canterlot finally came up with something to hold off the demons.”

“That’s asking for a lot.”

“Yeah, I know…”

“Cork it, you two! Stay focused on the matter at hoof!” Low Flight barked at the pair of chatting pegasi. The two immediately fell silent, lest they find themselves running laps around Ponyville with their wings tied down upon their return.

The three of them had made good time, reaching the Everfree Forest within a matter of minutes. As they neared the original location of the light, they were met with an extraordinary sight. Three flying… things were moving along the forest, producing a loud, heavy thwacking noise as they flew. With large elongated bodies and a strangely shaped snout, they assumed they were, and their metallic skin bearing a speckled color scheme of mostly green, grey, and tan, the creatures’ appearance was vaguely reptilian and absolutely menacing. How they were able to fly was beyond any of the three pegasi, as the creatures’ apparent wings were too small and stubby to allow for flight.

“What in the hay are THOSE things?” Thunder muttered, staring at the flying metal monsters.

“I don’t know. They look kind of like dragons, but all wrong. I don't think- hey! Look! Down there!” Flash pointed to just below the flying creatures. Beneath them was a large group of equally menacing metal beasts. Also of considerable size, these land-bound creatures were boxy in shape, some sporting an enormous tusk of some kind. Together they made a thunderous roar as they moved in unison with the flying creatures.

As Low Flight observed the metal beasts moving at a steady pace along the edge of the forest, a horrifying realization dawned on him when he realized where their current direction would eventually take them, “Those things are headed straight for Ponyville.”

Thunder and Flash went wide-eyed as they realized the implications of their sergeant’s revelation. Just the mere sight of these things would likely send all of Ponyville into a full-scale panic, and as to what the creatures might actually do upon reaching town, they did not know, though if their monstrous appearance was any indication, probably nothing pleasant.

“Come on. We’ve got to inform the lieutenant.” Low Flight said after a moment. Hightailing it back towards Ponyville while keeping low, flying right above the trees to avoid the flying creatures’ gaze, an overwhelming feeling of trepidation came over the three pegasi. They were going to have to pick up some aspirin for the lieutenant before reporting back to him.

----
“Commander! I’ve spotted something. It looks like… Are those horses? With WINGS?”

The mention of horses with wings from the convoy’s aerial overwatch outside the context of a bottle of hard liquor was alarming enough to warrant Alexander’s full attention, “Say again, Crocodile 2. Did you say horses with wings?”

“Ah- yeah... Affirmative. Over.”

“Pilot, check your meters and make sure you don’t have a gas leak or anything. Over.” Alexander ordered, wanting to rule out the possibility of hallucinations induced by gasoline fumes.

“I’m serious, sir! They’re freaking flying as well! They’re northwest of our position. Over.”

Still a little skeptical, Alexander attempted to verify what Crocodile 2 was telling him with the other helicopters, “Crocodiles 1 and 3, please verify. You see what 2’s seeing?”

The other pilots hesitated a bit before answering, “1 here. I seem them. Three of them, actually. Over.”

“3 here. So do I. I kid you not, sir. Flying horses with wings. And are they wearing armor?”

Alexander sat back, momentarily at a loss for words. Horses with wings. Flying horses with wings. Flying horses with wings that wore armor. Deciding either his pilots have gone collectively insane as an aftereffect of the chrono vortex or that it spat them all out into some deranged fantasy world, he elected to put off addressing the strange sighting for as long as he could, or at least until he could get some aspirin, “Noted. Keep watch for anything else. Over.”

Having been travelling for nearly two hours now, he was getting increasingly anxious. He honestly did not know what to expect upon reaching the town, and the sighting of flying winged horses only furthered his doubts about the future, ‘Just where on Earth did that increasingly damnable orb of light spit us out? If we’re even on Earth anymore…’

While the seemingly terrestrial environment had assured him somewhat before, this latest development threw all expectations of normalcy out the window. Alexander slapped a hand on his forehead before slowly running it down his face, feeling a migraine coming on.

‘Flying winged horses. What in Kane's glorious name…’

----

Twilight watched from her balcony as the Royal Guard garrison suddenly began to mobilize, Guards forming up into their squads and assuming defensive positions at the eastern edge of Ponyville. Such action by the Royal Guards was worrying, as it likely meant an attack was imminent.

Her thoughts suddenly shifted in concern towards the ponies in the streets below, as well as her own home. Could the Royal Guard hold the line should an attack occur? Maybe. Could they evacuate everypony in an orderly and timely fashion? Probably not. And where would they even go? Likely the nearby capital city of Canterlot, but the rail line to the capital had been broken up by the Diamond Dogs, so they would have to hike there, a rather risky proposition given the likelihood of bandits and additional demon attacks along the way. And she had just finished resorting the classical literature section, too…

A knocking at the front door broke Twilight out of her fretting. Heading back downstairs and setting her tea on a corner table, she opened the door, her face breaking out into a bright smile upon seeing her visitors.

“Fluttershy! Pinkie! Rarity! It’s so good to see you! Come on in.” she greeted, stepping aside to allow her friends inside. A canary yellow pegasus, pink earth pony, and alabaster unicorn filed in, bearing their gifts while returning Twilight’s smile.

“So good to see you too, Twilight, darling. We brought some provisions to help with the refugees your hosting. We just HAD to help our friend with such a noble endeavor. I’ve brought some absolutely lovely hoof-stitched quilts to keep those poor souls warm.” Rarity said, motioning a hoof to a laden saddlebag worn by Pinkie.

“And I’ve got cupcakes for them! All kinds of flavors! It should be a nice little pick-me-up for those poor, poor ponies!” Pinkie piped up, indicating with her eyes the foil-wrapped trays of cupcakes balanced on her head and back.

“I’ve brought some medicine and incense for them. It’s always good to have medicine on hoof for just in case, and these incense should help them relax.” Fluttershy said, nodding towards her own saddlebag.

Twilight looked over what her friends had brought, beaming, “Thanks you guys. This’ll really help. Spike’s clearing some space in the basement now.”

Leading them down into the basement, she could not help but wonder about the rest of her friends, “So, how’s Applejack and Rainbow Dash? I haven’t seen them in a while.”

“Applejack has been working herself into the ground supplying apples to feed the refugees. I know her heart is in the right place, but would it kill her to stop for twenty minutes and take a bath? I mean, honestly, have you SEEN her mane?” Rarity answered, breaking off into a minor tangent about her friend’s prioritization of her work over her personal hygiene.

Fluttershy giggled a little at Rarity’s rant before answering about Rainbow, “Rainbow’s been real busy managing the town’s weather. Ever since the call-to-arms for pegasi, the weather patrol’s been cut in half, so she’s been handling the weather short-hoofed. I’ve helped out when I could, but I’ve been busy myself helping treat the wounded at the hospital.”

“Oh, I’m sure Rainbow truly appreciates any help you can offer, dear. We’ve all been busy doing our part, after all.” Rarity assured her.

As the four mares conversed, Spike emerged from behind some cardboard boxes, having just relocated some excess rolls of parchment. Seeing them, he waved, “Hey Fluttershy! Pinkie! I, uh, hi Rarity.”

Stifling a laugh at her flustered assistant, Twilight indicated a spot on the floor with her hoof, “You can put the supplies there. There’s room in the kitchen’s refrigerator for the cupcakes, Pinkie. Thanks again. Anypony want something to drink? Tea maybe?”

They all perked up at the mention of something to drink. Heading back upstairs with the others in tow, Twilight decided to share her concerns about the sudden mobilization of the Royal Guard garrison, “Did any of you see the Royal Guards? It looks like they were getting ready for something. Something big by the looks of it, I think, since almost all of them were moving.”

Spike, who had been in the basement the whole time before, was surprised at the news, “Wait, really? Oh boy, that can’t be good.”

The others nodded in agreement. “Indeed. We saw them running about, gathering in the east part of town, in the direction of the Everfree Forest. I think another attack may be imminent.” Rarity said.

Pinkie deflated somewhat, being reminded of their town’s situation, “Yeah, seems like it… But I’m sure the Royal Guard can hold it off, right? I mean, they’ve been doing it so far!” she perked up at the end.

Fluttershy smiled at Pinkie’s near infallible optimism, “Yes, they have. I’m sure you’re right. I’m sure everything will be alright.”

“I sure hope so.” Twilight muttered, wishing to be able to genuinely share in Pinkie's rose-tinted perspective on things. Entering the kitchen, she began preparing some tea while Spike retrieved her own mug from the living room before gathering some more cups from the cupboards. Pinkie placed her cupcakes inside the refrigerator, hoping that they would still be at least somewhat fresh when the refugees staying at Twilight’s home got to them.

Finishing the tea, Twilight took the kettle she was using off the stove and poured some tea for each of her friends. As they stood together and enjoyed the warm sensation brought about by the hot liquid, a voice suddenly rang through the air from outside, “The mayor has called a town meeting! All able-bodied ponies are to attend! The meeting will start in one hour!”

They all looked out the window in the direction of the voice, seeing a town herald step off a wooden crate before running off to repeat his message in another part of town. Rarity was the first to break the silence, “A town meeting? What ever for?”

“I don’t know. But I bet it has something to do with the Royal Guard mobilizing.” Twilight conjectured.

“Most likely.” Spike concurred.

The ponies and one dragon continued to stare out the window for a few seconds before returning to their tea. Anxiety began to take hold of them as they wondered what likely cruel fate approached their town and all who inhabited it.

----
“Lieutenant! We’re back!”

Low Flight’s sudden voice brought Lightning Strike’s attention away from the map of Ponyville that he was going over. Turning towards Low Flight, he braced himself for the worst news, “Alright sergeant. Tell me what we have over there.”

Low Flight glanced around before leaning forward to ensure none other than the lieutenant would hear his next words, “A very big problem, sir.”

Lightning Strike grimaced, cursing his gut feeling’s accuracy. He looked back at Thunder and Flash, who nodded, confirming Low Flight’s words. Heaving a heavy sigh, he dared to ask the sergeant to elaborate, “What is it, sergeant?”

“A multitude of giant metal creatures, the likes of which I’ve never seen before. Three of them can fly, the rest were land-bound, at least I think. And they’re headed for Ponyville.”

‘Of course they are.’ Lightning Strike thought, feeling a resurgence of his migraine. Taking a deep breath, he looked Low Flight squarely in the eye as he issued his orders, “Form up with your squad and get ready to move out. We’re going to meet these creatures head on.”

Low Flight raised an eyebrow at that, “Head on, sir?” The directive was a rather bold one coming from the lieutenant, who he knew to be a cautious leader. Not that he was complaining; he had always preferred direct action over ‘being smart about it,’ as Lightning Strike would often say.

Lightning Strike nodded, “Yes. We have no idea what they’re capable of or what they might do upon reaching town. If they turn out to be hostile, we’ve got to hold them off and buy time for the town to evacuate at least.”

Understanding what Lightning Strike had in mind, Low Flight saluted, Thunder and Flash following suit, “Understood sir. We’ll await your command.”

The sergeant and his subordinates took off to their squad’s designated rally point, leaving Lightning Strike alone with his thoughts, ‘Mom and dad were right. I am just a glorified meat shield.’

After a moment, he started walking, heading for his own designated forefront position. As he made his way there, he saw the many refugees that now populated Ponyville, all of them looking quite despondent. Looking at the ponies behind him, he was filled with renewed resolve to face these metal monsters.

‘It’s worth it.’

----
At long last, the convoy had finally reached the outskirts of the town. Ordering the convoy to a full stop, Alexander pulled a sniper team from one of the Bradleys and had them scope out the town from atop the lead Abrams. What they reported was more than a little disconcerting.

“Commander, you’re not going to believe this, but we’ve got eyes on the town and all we’re seeing are… horses. Lots of horses. And no people. Either someone over there left the stables open or we’ve got an actual town of horses. Over.”

That he was not very surprised at what he just heard was also disconcerting. The expected confusion and initial skepticism aside, he was taking the notion of flying winged horses and a town populated by more assumedly intelligent horses rather well. Perhaps he was more adaptive than he gave himself credit for. Or perhaps he needed to update his regimen of prescription psychosomatic medication…

An additional report from the sniper team regained his attention, “Sir, we’ve got a situation developing. Over.”

Quirking an eyebrow, Alexander requested elaboration, “What is it, sniper team? Is it coming from the town?”

“Affirmative. I’m seeing what looks like a number of organized columns of horses. They’re all wearing armor and they have weapons. Armaments include spears, swords, javelins, shields, and crossbows. Looks like they’re marching out to meet us. Over.”

‘This doesn’t bode well…’ Alexander thought. Thinking back on the flying horses spotted earlier, he realized that they were a scouting party, likely from the town. That the horses now apparently possessed an organized military and wielded medieval weaponry were beginning to seriously indicate that they were intelligent, and the conspicuous absence of people in the town supported the idea.

Focusing back on the current situation, he figured the approaching force of armed soldiers was likely a response to the convoy’s own approach towards the town.

Realizing that it was an extremely delicate situation before him, Alexander sat back and considered his options…

He could meet the horses with open hostility and have all vehicles open fire on them. He was fairly confident that even their dated 21st century hardware could overpower the equines and their archaic weapons. There was the possibility, however, that doing so would provoke whatever nation these horses belonged to and place himself and his men in a prolonged state of war, something he doubted they could sustain for long given their current circumstances of being stranded in an essentially alien and likely hostile world.

On the other hand, since these horses were likely intelligent, there was the possibility of being able to reason with them. A number of potential complications rushed to the forefront of his mind immediately after the thought, the most prominent among them being the strong possibility of a language barrier. Diplomacy would not get either side far if all they could do is gibber at each other, though it would be quite an entertaining spectacle. He also did not know how the horses would take an attempt at outreach. Would they mistake an approach as an attack? Would they take it as a sign of weakness and attack themselves? A diplomatic approach was beginning to sound like quite the headache…

After weighing both options, Alexander opted for the diplomatic approach and hoped for the best. Grabbing the radio, he began making arrangements, “Alpha Lead, Bradleys 3 and 4, up front. I’ll be taking point in my own vehicle. We’re going to meet the locals. This is a diplomatic proposition, so weapons hold. Over.”

Receiving affirmative replies from his designated escorts, he motioned to the driver to make for the front of the convoy and join with them. The driver, having heard his commander’s intent to try and communicate with the horses, decided to voice his concern over what they were about to do, “Uh, are you sure about this sir? I mean, they’re horses.”

“Indeed they are. They also live in a town and wear armor and wield weapons. I think it’s worth trying to see if they can be reasoned with, even if it’s a real long shot. If things do go south and we end up having to blow them apart, we can at least say we tried.” replied Alexander.

Giving a noncommittal nod to his commander’s justification, the driver returned his full attention to his driving. Hiss, having listened in on everything from Alexander’s shoulders, reminded him of its presence, tickling his ear with its tongue. Jerking his head away, he eyed the personal space-invading reptile, “What?”

“(You’re seriously going to try and talk to horses? Really? Fancy yourself an animal whisperer, do you?)”

“I’m talking to you, aren’t I?” he retorted.

“(… Fair enough. But you know this can go wrong in so many ways.)”

Sighing, he conceded to Hiss’ point, “Yes, but still… If we just attack outright, we’ll definitely set ourselves up for a fight and probably more down the road. At least if we try, there’s a chance it’ll work and we’ll be able to work something out with these horses.”

“(I still say it’s quite a gamble, but at least you can justify it. Just be careful. Your succulent hide is not yours to lose, after all.)”

He raised an eyebrow at Hiss’ sudden poetic turn in speech. “I didn’t think you cared.” he said sarcastically.

“(Should one not care for what belongs to them?)”

Alexander decided to stop talking at that, feeling the conversation was getting rather uncomfortable. Looking away from the snake’s bedroom eyes, he noticed the driver gawking at him and Hiss again. He cleared his throat once more, diverting the driver’s attention, “Mind the road, brother.”

“Ah- Yes sir.”

----
Straightening his backside and setting his jaw, Lightning Strike bellowed the order to begin marching to the assembled columns of Guards, “FORWARD MARCH!”

Five hundred strong, the detachment from the Ponyville Royal Guard garrison would engage and hold back the metal creatures, hopefully pushing them back. If not that, they would at least stall the creatures long enough for the rest of the garrison to evacuate the town.

Lightning Strike had assembled a sizable fighting force and was now at its forefront, all of them marching towards the metal beasts. After awhile, the creatures had finally come into view. Seeing that they had fully stopped and were no longer advancing toward Ponyville, he ordered a full stop to the marching columns so he could assess the peculiar but welcome development, “COLUMN HALT!”

As he looked at the creatures, he was taken by their sheer size. Even at a distance they were massive, easily towering over any of his Guards. The largest creature, which resembled a giant brick on wheels, was easily seen even from its position in the back from the rest of the creatures.

Lightning Strike’s previous confidence and resolve began to waver once he beheld the metal creatures in person. From the incessantly loud flying ones to the stone-still land-bound beasts, they varied in shape and color but were all very threatening. He found himself silently reciting a last prayer for mercy and forgiveness when he finally tore his gaze away from the metal monsters.

Seeing his Guards behind him begin to shuffle nervously from the sight of the metal beasts, he decided it was time to “do or die,” as Low Flight would often say. Just as he was about to call the order to charge and attack, a Guard called out, “Movement from the beasts!”

Looking back towards the creatures, he saw that a small group of them had broken away from the main body and were heading straight for him and the columns of Guards. A candle lit up over his head. Perhaps the group that broke off from the rest of the creatures was a delegation of some sort. That would mean the creatures were intelligent and wished to communicate with the ponies. At least, that was his deepest hope.

After reaching half the distance between the columns of Guards and the rest of their kind, the breakaway group of creatures stopped and remained there, seemingly waiting for the Guards to do the same.

Weighing his options, Lightning Strike decided to act on the assumption that the creatures were trying to meet them halfway in communicating with them and decided to do the same. Stepping forward, he looked back at Low Flight and his squad, “Sergeant Low Flight! You and your squad are with me. We’re going to meet with these creatures. The rest of you! Hold here until we return!”

“We’re going to 'meet' with these things, sir? You sure about that?” Low Flight asked, clearly not comfortable with the idea.

Lightning Strike heaved a sigh, “Frankly sergeant, no, I’m not. But if there’s even a slim chance of dodging a fight with these things, which I’d remind you we’ve not the slightest idea of what they’re capable of, I’m going to take it. Besides, they’ve sent out a group to meet us. That must mean something, don’t you think?”

Understanding the lieutenant’s reasoning, although still a little apprehensive, Low Flight nodded, “Yes sir. Squad! We’re moving!”

Heading out with Low Flight’s squad in tow, Lightning Strike could only hope that his gamble would pay off, and not in their grisly deaths.

If not…

‘Please let it be open casket…’

Comments

[est-hal]

Second one’s up. I forgot to do this before, special thanks to ISKV for the inspiration for this little proposition. Seriously, I want to marry the premise of RTS/CnC logic in Equestria and the ponies being very confused at it. What’s not to like?

Thanks for getting me into writing about tanks and ponies.

Up next, the humans and ponies have a meet and greet, mingle a bit, and prepare for the demonic onslaught. “75 millimeter high explosive round? What’s that?”

[NotDerpy]

1560456

Well i'll just hope that this onslaught of yours would be against Nod.....
If it is, Bring out the mammoth

[Deactivated 001]

I'm kinda going with the thought that the production capabilities are the same as CnC Renegade. So the premise of an unstoppable Nod force would be to get 3 arties and back them up with techies. Damn hard to kill when backed up with enough techies.

[ISKV]

1560456
Fun Fact:From the General started out as a standard Military in Equestria fic, but then I started getting lazy. Then I realized that it's easier to apply realism to video games than vice-versa. And thus, C&C.

You have cute little pastel colored ponies...and seventy ton heavy metal monsters. What's not to like?

You're pulling this off really well. Hope to see more!

[Silverstein]

I like the talking snake. Keep the talking snake.

Also, great job keeping the characters in character and the writing itself is excellent! Well done!

Silver out!

[Havokdapony]

Mind the road, brother

Dude you I should have put "look asshole I can be in a relationship with whoever the fuck I want!!"

[M-Tails-P]

Wait. What? The snake talks?
ilsociopatico.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/wtfamireading.jpg