Macintosh of Arabia

by Crisis_Vyper

The Descending Madness

Big Macintosh's question is indeed a valid one, for the plans do affect Saddle Arabia in more ways than one; some subtle, some more overt, all of them insidious. As the strings of manipulation spreads across the arid lands of Saddle Arabia, the lives of innocents are toyed with heartlessly for the benefit of one.....

---

As the same time as Big Macintosh poses his main question to the rest of their group......

The grand rivers surrounding Aqqabasta

Several dozen boats are now floating closer towards the capital, each bearing several dozen equines; each clad in a black turban and deep red robes, wearing a mask with a single red eye painted in the center. As soon as the boats are close enough to the island, the masked equines started jumping into the water one by one and slowly approached the island by swimming. After a while, the infiltrators are now upon the island. Some rose out from the water, and climbing up the short ledges of the jetty. Those that did so slowly sneak towards the buildings with a stealthy grace, their outfit blending well with the darkness of the night. Some pulled small patrols of Saddle Arabian guards into the water, causing the demise of many equines that night. After finishing their dark deed, these infiltrators proceed to enter the city. Then there are those who are greeted by some Eternals who showing their necks to the infiltrators with a briefly glowing red eye of Ista before pulling them up towards the jetty with a helping arm. Those infiltrators are given the Eternal uniform, and the infiltrators dressed up to blend in with the other Eternals.

The infiltration continued on while the boats waits outside of the jetties. The boatponies, clad in the same robes as the infiltrators are waiting for something, and before long they could see the sign; a signal made by torches in their secret code to come closer to the jetties. Soon enough the boats set sail towards the jetties with haste. The boats finally dock with the island, and soon enough the infiltrators and their accomplices are now helping the boat pony to take out several objects wrapped in carpets. Whatever is wrapped in the carpets is the key, and indeed the reason for this dastardly infiltration.....

---

Later that night, the oukskirts of Mediha, Western Saddle Arabia

The villagers as a whole is uncertain about the nature of the voice, as some believed that it was the demons of the lands trying to possess them and killing them off while some believed it was the voice of their deity. Nonetheless they have all agreed to follow the voice's instruction to the outskirts of the village, as either way they will be delivered from their sufering dead or alive. They all have nothing to lose, and either way works for them. It was not long before the villagers heard that voice in their minds once more, the sweet and comforting voice that had led them down this path of 'salvation'.

Fear not, for miracles comes to those that perservere....., The Voice said to them. Suddenly, the villagers could feel a cold chill down their spine and to their horror and amazement, they are now seeing several ethereal spirits flying past them towards the camp. Each of the spirits are benign-looking despite their faceless features, and as they gather in one spot and merged with each other, the villagers are now hugging each other to comfort themselves to accept their fate. A bright light envelops everyone, and some of the villagers are now screaming.

But then the light dissipated as soon as it appears, and several of the villagers are still screaming until they realized that they could still hear their own screaming. Those few that screamed are now the target of the stare of the other villagers that did not scream. Before long, each one of the villagers reluctantly separated themselves from their embrace, and soon find several large crates in front of them. The villager Elder decided to take the first step and started walking towards the crates, watched by the other villagers. As he halts in front of the crates, he could only watch the crates and examine them. Each one of the crates are black with a mark of a single red eye on it.

Kick open the crate, Elder.... The Voice said to the old equine. Without hesitation the old stallion kicked the crate as hard as he could with his hind foot, and to his surprise the crate did open. He turned around to see what is in the crate, and what he found in there is beyond reckoning. There are many grain, fruits and vegetables in the crates, and as he stared at the crate. As he gawk at the bountiful food, the other villagers are now walking closer to the crates. As soon as they saw what is in the crate, the others also tried to kick open the other crates. The number of food is beyond their humble reckoning, but at the same time they also come face to face with weapons such as swords, shields and spears.

However the most bizarre of these items in the crates are a few unusually long objects, the length of the object comprised mostly of a round metal barrel of some kind with the middle of the tube is wood wrapped and the end is flared. Protruding from the tube is a weird large conical head as large as a pony's head, bulky and tapered. As some of the villagers picked up the weird item, other villagers also realized that there are several smaller boxes that are packed with these weird objects. The smaller boxes has a latch upon it, and as soon as some of the villagers unlatched the box and open it they are even more perplexed than before. In the box are several dozen of these large conical tips on the metal tube, but instead they are attached to a shaft with metal fletchings and a nock. It was then that the villagers realized that the weird item looked like a very bizarre arrowhead.

The villagers who are now holding the weird object realized that the long metal tube-like object is not solely a tube and they could see a big half-ring attached to the metal tube, and in the center of this half-ring is a weird curved rod. The frail equine decided to rest the object on his shoulder for him to easily put his hooves into the half-ring and rest his hoof on the curved rod. As he wondered what is this weird object, his hooves accidentally pushes back on the curved rod and soon enough a loud sound could be heard and he sees the weird conical head now flying in front of him in a trail of smoke. Soon enough all the other villagers heard and saw the incident and they paused to see the continuous trail of smoke fly straight ahead. Suddenly a loud explosion could be seen and heard, with a dirt and rocks now flying from where the large conical object landed.

The villagers are now stunned into silence at the spectacle.

---

The next day......

The Emir's Chambers, Aqqabasta

My liege, see what your people have done to you. They do not love you anymore, just like how they did not love your son. The Voice said to the Emir who is just sitting on his couch in a silent and brooding mood. The Emir's eyes are as soulless as before, and he appeared to have aged even more than before. Right in front of him is his untouched meal, the steam of his meal slowly dissipating in the air.

"If they want me to meet my son, I will make sure that I will bring my son's killers along with me as I meet my son." The Emir said monotonously, and The Voice could only chuckle as it heard what the Emir have to say about this. Before long, a loud knocking could be heard outside the door, and The Voice is now gone leaving the Emir alone in his room. Soon enough the door creeps open and a tall and gaunt stallion with heavily lidded eyes and a long narrow face comes into the room, bowing down as he did so.

"My Lord Emir, are you alright? I heard you from the outside......"
"It is nothing really, Grand Vizier. I have called for you to be here in my chambers as I need you to do something for me in my stead...." The Emir said in his frail and reedy voice.
" Yes Milord....whatever you wished from this humble servant of yours....." The Grand Vizier said without even lifting his head as he awaits his Emir's request. The Emir paused for a while before he issued his decree to his right hoof pony.
"I want you to send the newest weaponry from that Sheikh to the frontlines. These rebels must be crushed like the vermin they are." The Emir said without even looking at his minister, his eyes are now looking at the skyline of the capital from his room. With a single bow, the Grand Vizier soon excused himself and he is in the Emir's room no more.

That is a wise decision, my Emir....All for the glory of Saddle Arabia...., The Voice whispered to the Emir.

---

The night after the Emir's decision is made.....

The Imperial Docks, Aqqabasta

"More shipments to the frontlines?" The dockmaster asked the Eternal. The Eternal coulld only nod as he looks upon the many dozens of crates being carried by porters into the grand ships ready to be shipped across to the frontlines where the rebellion shall be quashed.
"Yes indeed. This is how serious the rebellion had become Dockmaster Hajib. They have started using weapons that we are not privy to. It is sad that it has to end this way."
"I can't believe this, a grand insurrection.....I thought I would never see the day. This is truly a sad day for Saddle Arabia. The Dockmaster could only sigh as he sees that the cargo is being transported upon the chips with great efficiency and speed.

The hollering of the porters marks the completion of the transportation of the cargo upon the ships. Before long the porters are all entering into the port once again from the ships and the captain of each ship commands their crew to start rowing their boats and setting the sail. The ships slowly set sail into the darkness in a slow and certain manner across the waters, just like the rise of the conflict that is now enveloping Saddle Arabia. As the rest of the equines in the dock watches the ship with heavy hearts, the Eternal sighs before walking away from the docks towards the palace. The mask of the Eternal covers up the leering smile that is now appearing before his face, satisfied that everything is now falling according to plan.....

---

One week later after the ships set sail from the Imperial Docks.......

Fatalha, Saddle Arabian army headquarters in Northern Saddle Arabia

The entire military camp is now upon the training ground, standing ready as their commander Lord General Muammar walks in front of them. The red stallion is well-build with a black turban covering his head, and his white robes are more functional than most other outfits in Saddle Arabia. The Lord General's gray eyes are now focused upon the reason of this gathering at the training ground.

"What pray tell is this?" The Lord General of the military base asked the Eternal commander. The Eternal commander is next to an object covered in cloth in the middle of the training ground for the army. Several hundred feet away in front of the cloth-covered object, a large cart could be seen laden with many straw-mannequins on the cart right beside a very large tree that is part of the training ground since the beginning. To the side, the Lord General could see at least two dozen of the cloth-covered objects. The red equine is not pleased as any meeting with the Eternals are always cumbersome and political in nature, and this time it appears that there is something annoying to come with the package for this meeting today.

"The capital had given us a new 'gift' to be used in our quest to quell the rebellion. Milord and it is required of me to demonstrate it to your men." The Eternal commander said to the Lord General. The eyebrow of the Lord General is now raised, as this is entirely unexpected. New weapons for the army first and not the Eternals? This is indeed some interesting news. The Eternal then pulls away the cloth to reveal a very peculiar object.

The object consist of six barrels revolving around a central shaft, and there is a long belt of something coming out from a box attached to the weird contraption and the contraption appears to be mounted on top of two wheels and a long wooden stand, supporting the weapon on the ground. As the Lord Eternal walks closer to the object to examine it, he could also see that the weird object consist of three parts; the weird assortment of barrels, a body where the belt of what appears to be little metal nails is inserted into the object and finally a weird half-ring sticking from the end of the weapon with a single curved rod pointing upwards at the end of the whole mechanism and another round metal loop sticking awkwardly by the side of the weapon.

"Impressive, but what does it do, Eternal?" The Eternal did not give say anything save that of putting as he puts one hoof into the half-metal ring with the odd curved rod, and the other into the ring. The Lord General deduced that the awkward ring is actually to hold this thing down, but for what he have no idea. His curiosity is upon the weird half ring thing with a weird curved rod.

"I suggest that you cover your ears Milord, and pay attention to the cart." The Lord General is confused with the instruction of the Eternal and he cover his ears with his hooves.

It was then that the Eternal pushes down upon the curved rod. The thunderous sound of the thing rings through the Lord General's ears and the Lord General could only watch at the barrel started turning at a death-defying speed and the belt getting shorter and shorter and something else flying out from the weapon as well. The Lord General then turns to the cart and could see that the cart is being shredded before his eyes in second, and to his utter amazement the large tree briefly catching on fire before it was cut down by the hail of shots. The whole military camp is now utterly stunned at the firepower of this weapon, and they could only gawk at the weapon before the Eternal stopped firing his weapon. The Eternal then walks away from the weapon and proceed to speak to the rest of the camp.

"This defenders of Saddle Arabia is how we will wipe the vermin that defies our Emir from the face of the earth." The Eternal could only smile in glee behind his mask.

---

None of the cries of the innocent could be heard, but the bluish lament of the song of sorrow could be felt across the land, as the reddish rain of the blood of the innocents rained upon the land. The thunderstorm of war and the lightning of rage are the only thing covering these extremes of blues and reds, and their salvation is but dying stars fading away with the dreams of the future turning the tenderness into sins and smiles into thorns. The courage of living for is damaged in confusion, leaving its mark on the lands of Saddle Arabia.

Comments

[rogerwarlock]

More please, .
Keep the good work.

[Qussar]

You just had to add guns eh?
Why can't we focus on the cool things ? Like decapitation and killing a pony with one hit