Elysian Fields

by Bullets

Part 4 - "Battery"

It had been two days since the R.E.A. battalion had set out from Canterlot. The hundreds of pegasi and unicorns were now congregated in one area at the North-West border. The soldiers awaited the coming battle with baited breath, a sense of impending danger lingering in the air as they did so. They all knew that death was a very likely possibility, but they still stood strong, prepared for whatever the enemy may throw at them. Despite taking two days to reach the border, they were ready for battle, albeit tense from anticipation; however, though some would die, the battalion would not be stopped.

Luna looked towards her battalion. "Whatever the enemy may throw at us, do not back down, and show no weakness. These monsters must be stopped! Fight with courage and ferocity for the sake of your home, your kingdom, for Equestria. Don’t give up without a fight; do not fear death, for those that die, die as heroes!" She shouted to the mass of soldiers. A determined uproar came from the battalion, each and every soldier was ready to fight alongside her.

Each soldier was well equipped. Lightweight armour for the pegasi, suitable for flying in, and more resilient armour for the unicorns, offering greater protection for those less mobile soldiers. Luna wore her own royal armour. Each soldier was equipped with suitable weaponry too. A mid-length sword and dagger for each pegasus, both standard military issue, and the unicorns had use of larger length swords and projectiles such as heavy metal ball-bearings. Luna carried her sword of choice - a mortuary sword. The sword had a fairly long, slightly curved blade and a large, gilded basket hilt, allowing it to be worn on a hoof if necessary. It was mainly a secondary weapon and typically for show as she primarily relied on her immense magical abilities for fighting. However, should she need it, it was ready at her side.

Now we wait for them, Luna thought to herself as she surveyed the area. It was nighttime, her nighttime, cold and windy, with fresh snow covering the ground. The ethereal Windigos had created a new snowstorm in light of the coming battle having sensed the hatred and violence that would arise.

In the distance, a thunderous force could be heard advancing. Hundreds of hostile unicorns were marching slowly towards Luna and her battalion. While the enemy had a much larger force than Luna did, the R.E.A. had the higher ground, giving them a slight advantage. The steep, snow covered rocks would make it difficult for the advancing unicorn hostiles to traverse, allowing the R.E.A. to attack while the enemy tried to get close.

"Prepare yourselves!" boomed Luna in her powerful voice. The battalion took their positions at the crest of the hill and awaited the coming forces - unicorns in formation and pegasi scattered throughout the sky.

The hostile battalion grew larger and larger as it advanced closer, eventually coming to a stop about one-hundred metres from Luna's forces. Each side staring at the other, hundred of eyes locked across the land, a burning tension that complemented the the vast expanse of cold, icy land that the forces had gathered on - Icy cold stares in the frozen landscape, counter-parted with the burning fury each force had towards the other. The atmosphere grew deathly silent as the forces stared at each other, the extreme tension continuing to build between the two. After a few moments an order could just be heard from the opposing leader, beginning the attack. He must be pretty confident he can win this fight, otherwise, why else would he attack with a terrain disadvantage? Luna thought as she looked at the huge enemy forces.

Within seconds, hundreds of small glowing auras appeared within the enemy forces, as their horns began to glowed with magic. Immediately, thousands of heavy metal ball-bearings rocketed into the air, blanketing the sky. They flew in an arc across the land and began to rain down onto the R.E.A. like a vicious halestorm. Luna’s mind worked quickly to analyse the situation. “Pegasi, retreat to avoid the barrage! Unicorns, counter with your own magic!” she ordered. Hearing the order, the pegasi swiftly began to retreat to avoid the artillery that was beginning to rain down on them. The rest of the R.E.A. soldiers used their own magic to attempt to stop the artillery as it neared them. While it was effective, acting as a sort of barrier to shield themselves, some areas of the battalion weren’t quick enough. The artillery hammered down onto the soldiers, killing and maiming many.

This is no good, we need to counter. With artillery still flying, Luna looked towards the ground forces to issue her order. “Counter with your own artillery. Make them know the true power of the R.E.A!” Hearing the order, the soldiers began to launch thousands of ball-bearings back towards the hostile forces. he attack had a similar effect, cutting through the areas of their defences while being blocked in others. Many casualties were now racking up, their death toll steadily rising as each side exchanged wave after wave of relentless artillery. Luna looked towards the pegasi who had retreated to a safe distance and flew over to them. “I want you to stay back here until the artillery barrages begin to slow down. If you attempt to attack now, you’ll be demolished before you manage to get to the enemy.” The pegasi agreed with their princess’ orders. They would wait until the time was right to attack; attacking at this point would be suicidal.

Luna rejoined the unicorns and landed next to the front line at the crest of the hill. “I want you to fire directly at their front line instead of into the air.” The order was simple and to the point. The R.E.A. front line obliged and began to launch hundreds of ball-bearings directly at the opposing front lines. The direct fire caught the enemy off guard; the attack shredded the front lines, slaughtering countless enemy unicorns and sending copious amounts of blood spraying in all directions. “Good work! Keep it up!” Luna ordered the front line as they continue to fire at the enemy.

The success of Luna’s orders was short lived. At once, the hostile forces began to focus their magic, sending small magical blasts towards the R.E.A. The artillery comprised of pure magical energy wasn’t directed at the soldiers though. Instead, it hit the edge of the rocky hill, destroying the rock and sending it and the R.E.A. soldiers atop it tumbling down the snowy incline towards the enemy. Luna barely managed to avoid the environmental hazard, taking to the skies as the ground collapsed beneath her. As more and more of the small magical blasts eroded the cliff edge, more soldiers began to tumble down towards the enemy. This isn’t good. We’re losing our terrain advantage, not to mention countless soldiers too. I need to think of something fast.

Luna flew towards the soldiers who were now at the bottom of the hill, amidst the piles of rubble and snow. Miraculously, none were dead. Many were injured but they all had the strength and will to continue fighting. “I need you to all regroup. We can’t let this cheap tactic phase us!” The soldiers quickly regrouped and got in formation, rebuilding the front lines. Split like this, we’ll have no chance. We need the rest of the forces down here. Luna turned and flew back towards the majority of the soldiers atop the remaining hill. “Advance forward and rejoin the others ahead. While we are split, our strength is weakened. We may have lost our terrain advantage, but we can still win this fight.”

The remaining R.E.A. soldiers advanced down the hill and rejoined the front lines. Now they and the enemy were on the same terrain level, giving neither of them the advantage or disadvantage. However, the hostile forces were still larger, meaning that their advantage was their sheer numbers compared to Luna’s forces.

To Luna’s surprise, the enemy forces began to advance towards her own. This isn’t good. Now they we’ve lost our terrain advantage, they don’t fear rushing straight into physical combat...

Luna flew further back towards the pegasi who had been waiting patiently for a chance to attack. “Listen up. Due to a change in circumstances, I need you all to prepare to attack now. The playing field has been leveled and the enemy are advancing closer. If we don’t act now, we’ll be slaughtered.” The pegasi acknowledged Luna’s words and flew back towards the rest of the soldiers with her.

The enemy was now nearing Luna’s forces, attempting to engage in close combat and use their size to beat the R.E.A. battalion. This is it then. If they want a physical war of attrition, then they can have one. “Hold the line!”

* * *

A dim flame flickered from a sconce across a small, stony room. Thunder sat in his small cell, his mind processing the final stages of his plan. For the last two days he had been left in his cell with only water and small meals brought to him to ensure he didn't die due to a lack of nutrition. His wounds were healing and he felt extremely confident.

Time to put my plan into action. I only have one chance so I had better make this count... Thunder stood up and stretched out his four legs. He then turned to face the back wall and quickly bucked his legs up, smashing them into the cell lock as hard as he could. Having analysed the lock a few times by this point, he could tell that despite being sturdy, it was crudely made with lower grade metals, evident by the marks impurities from forging. After a few more bucks to the lock, Thunder heard a noise he had hoped to hear. The force of his bucks were starting to shear the deadbolt clean off, cracking loudly as it did so. Almost there... With one final buck the deadbolt sheared off, allowing the door to swing freely open.

"Time to go," he whispered to himself, adrenaline coursing through his body in anticipation for the coming events. He rushed over to the table. The corner of the room where his equipment was left. He only grabbed what he considered necessary for escaping - his sword and sheath, a small amount of rations that would fit in his jacket pockets and his flask of whisky.

After he had finished equipping his sword and sheath he swung open the door and peered into the long corridor. Seeing no guards he proceeded cautiously down towards the room where he had been tortured two days prior. He calmed his nerves and took a few deep breaths before throwing the doors open. He was greeted by another guard-less room filled with only the torture devices and wooden 'throne'. So far so good.

He looked around the room as he walked towards the door opposite the ones he entered. He noticed the large red stain where his blood had pooled during the torture, only furthering his thirst for revenge. "Damned clip-wings. I'm going to make them wish they'd never captured me."

Thunder stopped in his tracks, hearing voices from the other side of the door. "...going to spit on him... Stupid mule..." was all Thunder could hear of the muffled voices from the other side aside from their laughter. He quickly galloped to the wall next to the doorway, hoping to hide behind the door as it opened into the room. He drew his sword ready for action as the voices were most likely from guards or other armed pegasi. Come on in then...

The door clicked as it unlocked - something that Thunder had to thank them for doing; he didn't realise that it had been locked and thus saved him the trouble of having to force it open. The heavy wooden door swung open stopping just before it hit Thunder, providing suitable space for him to hide behind. He anxiously peered around the side and saw the same two guards that had been present at his torture walk into the room.

"Did you leave those doors open earlier?" asked one of the guards to his partner as he gestured towards the doors that Thunder had just passed through. Damnit, didn’t think about closing them... Thunder thought to himself as he realised his mistake.

"No. I definitely closed them. Somepony has been through here..." the guard replied, his carefree expression turning into a more stern one as he looked around the room. "Wait here, I'm going to check on the prisoner." The guard headed off down the corridor towards the cell where Thunder had been kept, closing the doors behind him.

The other guard waited in the room for his partner to return. Thunder seized this opportunity and decided to sneak quietly towards the lone guard. Like a silent beast advancing towards its prey, he snuck up behind the guard and in one fluid movement, swung one hoof around the guards' face to muffle his mouth whilst simultaneously thrusting his sword through the guard's body. A gargled groan came from the guard's muffled mouth as his eyes slowly rolled backwards. Thunder pulled his sword out and let the body drop to the floor. Devoid of any remorse, Thunder wiped the blood on his sword off onto the guard's body and headed towards the double doors the second guard had passed through. One down...

After a few minutes the doors swung open and the second guard hurried through. Thunder repeated his strategy and hid behind the open door once again.

"The prisoner has escaped! We need to..." The guard abruptly stopped as he noticed the corpse lying in a pool of blood before him. "Holy S..."

The guard's outburst was cut short as Thunder repeated his actions; dispatching the second guard with ease. He wiped the blood off his sword again and re-sheathed it. "Pathetic," Thunder stated bluntly as he overlooked the guards that had once mocked and tormented him. Thunder was typically a calmer, reserved marshal, who only spoke when he needed too. However, he was capable of killing without remorse should he have to. If he had to kill to survive, then he would - Nothing would phase him when he had his mind set on survival. He wasn't going to sit in a cell until he died. He refused to let his enemies make a fool out of him.

He continued down the planned route without a second glance back at the two corpses. He was now in another generic stone corridor, much the same as the previous one. Again, he reached another door at the end of the corridor with ease. He drew his sword and slowly pushed the door open, revealing a command room much like the one back at Canterlot palace. Noticing the room was devoid of life he sheathed his sword again.

The room was full of tables and chairs covered with various items. Many maps and papers were scattered across the tables and a large map of Equestria hung on one of the walls. It was marked with various points showing known R.E.A. locations and had notes written next to certain points to indicate possible attack/defence strategies. Despite the room being a treasure-trove of information, none of it mattered to Thunder; he only needed something that would help him get back to safety. However, all Thunder could find were maps and paperwork that gave him no indication as to where he was. This place must have been built pretty recently; none of these maps indicate this building on them...

Thunder crossed the room and opened the next door revealing the cold, wintry world. A blast of fresh icy air hit him. He took a moment to enjoy the cool, refreshing feeling before he trudged out into the snow.

Doesn't look like much is going on around here. He analysed the scenery around him and deduced that he was in a small courtyard in the centre of the building. The outpost was a large, stone-built square with a tower constructed on one of the corner sections. Snow was piled up thickly on the large ramparts and frosted ice glazed over the walls, giving them an empyrean luster in the bright wintry moonlight. It was mesmerising to behold. Thunder was left temporarily in awe as he looked at the scene before him, the almost divine sight detracting from the knowledge of the gruesome actions that occured within the fortress’ walls.

After a few short moments, Thunder snapped out of his trance-like state and focused on the mission he had in his mind. Doesn't seem to be any other way out besides the door across the courtyard. I shouldn't have to worry for any watchponies in the tower, the darkness should provide adequate cover and I doubt anypony would be up there in this chilling weather at this time of night...

He headed towards the double doors across the courtyard, wary of any movement as he did so. He quietly drew his sword in preparation for what he hoped would be another empty room. He took a few deep breaths of the fresh air before swinging the cold wooden door open. His hopes were crushed at that point; within the dimly lit room sat Skyfrost and three other guards all playing cards at a small wooden table. Celestia help me...

The guards stopped their game of cards and looked up towards the doorway. Skyfrost was the first to recognise Thunder.

"Thunder! I don't know how you got out but you're not getting any further. Guards!" shouted the enraged Skyfrost, standing up to draw his sword. The guards followed and drew their swords too, advancing towards Thunder in unison.

More adrenaline began pumping through Thunder's body. His heart rate had shot up and his mind was completely focused. He slowly backed out into the dark courtyard, the guards following him out too. "Come on, then!" Thunder taunted as the guards started to circle around him.

"Oh Thunder, you jest. Just give up now or die an even more painful death," stated Skyfrost as he stood in the open doorway.

"Try it," replied Thunder confidently, despite being surrounded by three armed pegasi.

"Kill him," ordered Skyfrost, his trademark sadistic smile crossing his face.

Thunder stayed alert for any movement from any guard. The guard to his immediate left was the first to attack, rushing in for a surprise thrust. He was inexperienced and was obvious by his rash decision - His mistake would cost him his life. Thunder deflected the sword and countered easily, slashing the guard across the neck instantly killing him, all the while staying alert for any other guards’ movements. One down, Thunder thought as the guards body collapsed to the ground.

The remaining guards stepped back a few paces to avoid a potential follow-up attack from Thunder. Thunder stepped back a few paces too, putting more distance between him and his opponents. All fell silent for a few moments as each pony eyed-up their targets for an attack.

Eventually, both of the enemy guards advanced simultaneously towards Thunder. He backed-up to keep the distance between them, but found himself nearing the large wall behind him. With nowhere left to move, the guards quickly closed the gap between Thunder and them. “Nowhere left to run...” grunted one of the guards in a low gruff voice, his eyes fixated on Thunder.

The guard was right. Thunder needed a plan immediately or he would be cut down then and there. He could see Skyfrost a short distance away simply standing there and chuckling to himself, amused by Thunder’s imminent death.

The guards continued to advance closer to Thunder, closing him in on both sides. Backed up to a frozen wall, Thunder had to act fast or else it was over for him. He frantically looked around for anything he could see that may aid his escape, but to no avail - The courtyard was bare except for the piles of snow that covered it. Snow... snow...

Thunder focused hard, inhaled deeply and prepared to do what was necessary to escape the situation. He had an idea, but his confidence in it wavered with every passing moment. Now or never...

Quickly, Thunder kicked up a thick amount of snow into one of the guards’ faces, temporarily obscuring their vision. The guard recoiled backwards, trying to wipe snow from his face. Seeing this, his partner charged forward for an attack, swinging his sword forcefully at Thunder. His attack was met by Thunder’s sword mid swing, the two swords impacting each other sending a loud crashing sound into the air. The two struggled for a bit, grating and grinding their blades against each other’s in an attempt to break the other’s defence. However, due to the adrenaline coursing through Thunder’s body, his will to survive and overall strength, he managed to break through the guard’s block, forcefully pushing him backwards at the same time. Got you now...

Thunder slashed at the staggering guard, his blade slicing cleanly through his throat, killing him instantly. A thick spray of blood came off of Thunder’s sword as it swung and splashed onto the icy wall, eventually trickling down it, as it too glimmered in the moonlight. The guard’s body slumped to the ground, blood rapidly spilling out and staining the pure-white snow in the courtyard.

The other guard had just finished wiping his face of snow by the time his partner was dead. He looked over toward the motionless body of his partner slumped on the ground, then back at Thunder, hatred burning in his eyes. “You’re dead,” he stated bluntly as he slowly advanced towards Thunder.

Thunder looked into the distance past the guard and saw Skyfrost still standing at the doorway. His smugness had been replaced by a stern look with a hint of anger mixed in. Thunder knew that Skyfrost would not be happy for losing two of his men, but he stilled revelled in the thought that he had sufficiently embarrassed him by easily disposing of the guards.

“Stand down!” Skyfrost ordered to the final guard. The guard did as he was told and slowly retreated back towards Skyfrost, sword still drawn at the ready. “Go and wake the others. Thunder doesn’t leave this building. Got it?”

The guard sheathed his sword and nodded in agreement. He then quickly ran past Skyfrost into the building and off down one of the corridors to alert the rest of the guards.

“Looks like it’s just you and me now, Thunder,” Skyfrost stated bluntly as he approached Thunder, unsheathing his sword as he as he did so.

Thunder moved slowly back towards the centre of the courtyard, stepping over the guard’s corpse as he did so. He stuck his cold, bloody sword into the snow to speak to Skyfrost momentarily. "Not for long," he replied, his voice now devoid of any emotion. "This ends here."

* * *

Luna soared high above the raging battlefield. The two sides clashed like oncoming waves on the ground below, the front lines now skewed as certain sections pushed forward, whilst others were pushed back.

Luna looked toward the R.E.A. pegasi hovering high above the battle with her. "You need to attack swiftly to break their formation. By striking from the skies, you can catch them off guard and deal massive damage to their forces. Move swiftly and silently, otherwise you’re an easy target for a barrage of artillery." Luna ordered to the couple of hundred pegasi, as they anxiously awaited their princess’ words. The many pegasi flew ahead to soar above the hostile battalion, blanketing the sky above them. They flew down in large numbers, their tactic being to try and take sections of the hostile battalion by surprise. Luna herself flew down and soared just above the front lines of her battalion on the ground.

The front lines continued to clash in a giant bloodbath. Projectiles flew in both directions in massive numbers, incapacitating and killing countless unicorns on either side. One such projectile shot past Luna, grazing her face as it did so. A thin stream of blood trickled out of the minor wound that had been caused. The stinging pain that followed was the wake-up call to Luna that it was time for her to act. She was there for a reason; to help her battalion and win the fight. She looked down at the lines clashing with a steely determinism, her mind focused on the many targets in front of her. Time to do my part. This victory will be ours, for Equestria’s sake, she thought to herself as her horn began to glow luminously with magic.

She soared towards the enemy hoards and unleashed a mighty blast of magical energy into their forces. The immense power hit the enemy with a small but potent explosion, sending bodies, both living and dead, flying in multiple directions across the battlefield. Blood from the bodies rained down onto the enemy combatants, saturating them and staining parts of their bodies a dark red. Let's see how they react to that, Luna thought to herself as she watched groups of unicorns recoil in horror and disgust, some screaming, as the sanguine fluid of their allies left their manes and coats sodden with gore.

Despite the repulsiveness of what had just happened, the enemy forces rushed forwards to fill the gap which was now a small crater filled with copious amounts of blood. As she had expected, many projectiles now rocketed past her as she flew about the skies, the unicorns having taken more notice from her attack. Attempting to avoid barrage of projectiles, she circled around for another attack and unleashed another powerful magical blast into the same area, causing more bodies to fly and the crater to grow in size. That's going to affect their morale pretty badly, Luna thought as she overlooked her destruction and more raining blood. She was like a slayer in the night sky, striking without warning, leaving death and destruction in her wake.

It's all going well so far. The pegasi are breaking up and distracting their forces and the unicorns are slowly pushing forwards. She looked towards the pegasi soaring above the enemy. Every now and then she would see one or two be hit and plummet to the ground lifeless, parts of feathers slowly drifting down behind them. However, if they were going to win then there would be countless deaths; it was common knowledge.

“Time to ensure our victory in this fight,” Luna said to herself as she flew up higher over the torn battlefield. She looked into the distance and surveyed the area. The land was soaked in fresh blood from both sides and bodies lay scattered here and there. She turned and flew West, leaving the battalion to fight without her for a short while - The higher ranking soldiers would take charge while Luna was away temporarily. Eventually, she reached a ridge of land further along the border. As she flew over it, a separate mass of R.E.A. unicorns came into view, patiently awaiting her arrival. As she approached, they cheered in anticipation, as their time to fight had arrived.

Luna hovered above the group of roughly two-hundred unicorns, equipped in the same manner as the others back at the war-zone. “The time has come. It is time to march East and take the enemy by surprise. We must do this now, we must succeed!” Luna boomed to the ponies beneath her. They cheered again in unison and began to charge towards the battlefield, following Luna as she led the way in the dark sky above.

The mass of R.E.A. soldiers sped across the land, neither snow nor rocks slowing them down. As they drew nearer the fight, the sound of metal clashing, screams of agony and thuds grew louder. The secondary group eventually crested over the hill into sight and continued to charge towards the right flank of the hostile army. The unicorn army was now caught in the crossfire from two sides. Shouts and screams of courage and fear could be heard from the enemies as the second R.E.A. group charged forward, the relentless assault demolishing their right flank and breaking their formation.

Hundreds of projectiles now fired laterally and longitudinally into the hostile forces, forming a sort of mesh that killed whatever got in the way. Luna herself continued to fly above the battlefield, analysing it closely while still avoiding the constant projectiles that rocketed towards her. So far, so good. The second group really hit them hard; now it’s a waiting game until they break ranks and completely split.

As the two separate sections of R.E.A. soldiers continued to relentlessly advance further inwards, the hostile forces’ formation began to break, small clusters of unicorns splitting off here and there. Suddenly, a retreat cry could be heard from the enemy force leaders. Hearing the orders, a large majority of the unicorn battalion rapidly began to retreat back, away from the war-zone. Some were cut down as they retreated, but the R.E.A. soldiers had not been ordered to give chase; their role was only to defend the border. Only a small minority of hostile soldiers still remained, their path of retreat cut off by Luna’s forces. Slowly, the remaining enemy forces began to become enclosed as the two R.E.A. ground groups acted as herders, surrounding them and bringing them all together, while the pegasi in the sky picked off any stragglers or escapees attempting to retreat with the others..

In the torrential maelstrom of fighting, the R.E.A. was slowly eating away at the enemy forces, like a beast devouring its prey. Swords clashed and projectiles flew in all directions, the body-count rapidly rising. One enemy unicorn, the last alive in their portion of the remaining front line, started to become surrounded by a swarm of R.E.A. soldiers. The soldier desperately tried to run back to the main body of their remaining battalion but it was no use. A large ball-bearing propelled by magic hurtled straight through the unicorn's skull, sending blood flying and instantly killing them. The unicorn's body fell to the ground and skidded a few inches, left to lie there as just another soon-to-be forgotten victim of war. The body would cover with snow and disappear over time. No one would know, no one would care.

Luna continued to support her soldiers from the sky, sending more magical blasts flying into the enemy forces, easily destroying anything that they hit. Bodies continued to fly, fall, dismember and even explode. Death moved swiftly over the land, reaping the hordes of the freshly deceased lives that it was continually supplied with. There was no stopping it. It was a gluttonous horror that would never cease its craving for lost lives, silently claiming its harvest as it swept across the land. An unperceivable harvester of sorrow.

The battle had been raging for some time now. The winning side was obvious from the skies and Luna could clearly see that her battalion were succeeding. Her consistent use of powerful powerful magic was starting to take its toll on her body; her energy was diminished and she felt torpid. She wouldn’t be able to fight much longer, but she knew she had to fight on for the good of her soldiers and for Equestria. She circled around the skies in preparation for another magical blast, observing the piles of dead dead bodies that littered the ground as she did so. Countless soldiers from either side lay motionless in the cold snow and pools of blood. The land was stained red like a painted canvas from the blood of hundreds of soldiers, both living and dead. The losses are many, but for the sake of what is good in Equestria, we must succeed. Protecting our land and freedom; It is our call of duty...

Eventually, the last surviving hostile unicorns were now herded into one small group surrounded by Luna's forces, slowly closing in from all sides. Luna used what energy left she could muster and fired one last magical blast at the remaining enemies, slaughtering them in one final grotesque display. Despite most of the enemy soldiers retreating, the ones that remained were now dead. The fight was won, albeit just. Without Luna's help and well-planned tactics it may have been a different outcome, but as it was, the hostile forces had been partially defeated and the R.E.A. claimed another victory in the war. The large amount of surviving hostiles that escaped would live to fight another day, but until that day came, the R.E.A. had protected the border, dealing a heavy blow to the enemy forces and their morale.

Luna, along with any remaining pegasi landed in the less bloody patches of snow. Luna took a moment to rest and review the area. Roughly three hundred soldiers, pegasi and unicorns, from her battalion remained alive; not the majority, but any life spared was a good thing. Some were seriously wounded, but they would have to hold out for the moment. They would be able to receive medical attention soon, but on the battlefield it wasn't possible to treat them at that time. The skies began to rouse once again, bringing more heavy snow that slowly blanketed the bodies that lay dead in the repulsive, bloody snow.

Luna turned her attention to the surviving R.E.A. soldiers. "We have fought and won this battle. It is a great victory for us and let us rejoice knowing this," she boomed, the soldiers acknowledging her words as she spoke. A loud cheer erupted from the remaining soldiers, rejoicing in the knowledge that they had won the important battle and would live to fight another day. They could now return back to Canterlot to see their friends, family, and to prepare for the next fight.

* * *

Skyfrost swung a fierce downwards slash at Thunder. Thunder blocked the powerful attack, their swords crashing together loudly as they collided. Skyfrost followed up with another forceful swing which Thunder barely managed to parry. Seizing the opportunity, Thunder span round with his sword extended out in an effort to horrifically wound Skyfrost. Instead, his sword whistled through the feathers of one of his enemy's lustrous wings, clipping a few and sending the small pieces drifting to the ground.

"You’re going to have to try harder than that, Thunder," taunted Skyfrost through his teeth, having switched positions with Thunder, his back now near the glistening, blood splattered wall.

"You bet I will," Thunder replied through his teeth as well, as he slashed abruptly upwards at his opponent. The attack caught Skyfrost off guard but he still barely managed to defend himself by thrusting his blade out. The two swords rebounded off of one-another, sending minute sparks into the air as they did so. The two exchanged many more crippling blows, each being countered as easily as the last.

Thunder was now beginning to feel exhaustion kicking in, stumbling as he continued to defend himself. He couldn't fight too much longer and he knew this well. He had to find a way to end it or to escape, the latter being the easiest option. Beads of cold sweat had formed on his brow from the intense fighting and his energy was beginning to falter. I need to get away from here. There's no way I can kill this clip-wing in my current condition.

Thunder looked for a means to end the fighting long enough for him to get away. He spotted one of the dead guards' swords and slowly backed over to it. Skyfrost followed him over, still determined to kill him then and there.

"It's over, Thunder. You're exhausted and I can clearly see that. Just give up so I can kill you. Don't make me do it the hard way," growled Skyfrost, his sadistic grin crossing one side of his mouth, exposing the hilt of his sword between his teeth.

Celestia help me. I hope this works... Thunder thought as he threw his sword to the ground a few feet away. "Fine, I give up. How am I supposed to win anyway? I'm in your territory, and your other guards will be here any minute now. Just make it quick," Thunder said as he kneeled down, looking up at Skyfrost.

Skyfrost stepped forwards and began to rotate for a powerful horizontal slash. At the same time, Thunder rotated on the ground, grabbed the dead guard's sword and continued to spin as he rose up to full height. The two combatants' swords connected with each others' body simultaneously. Skyfrost's sword sliced across Thunder's stomach, where his neck had been seconds ago. Thunder's sword swung slightly lower, slicing across Skyfrost’s side as it did so, leaving a grievous laceration along his ribs and down his side. The two combatant collapsed as immense amounts of pain pulsed through their bodies. Blood spilled out of their wounds, and pooled in the snow between them. Like Yin and Yang opposites, their blood mixed; the sanguine life forces of two ponies accepting each other, while their bodies and mind would not.

Thunder and Skyfrost both lay still on the ground, breathing heavily, moaning from pain every now and then. Their minds told them to continue the fight, but their bodies resisted. After a few short moments, Thunder began to push himself up, clutching his wound as he did so. Seeing his movement, Skyfrost attempted to rise too. Thunder was the first on his feet but Skyfrost had almost risen fully too. No you don’t. I’m leaving here tonight!

Thunder mustered up the last of his fighting spirit, turned, and forcefully bucked his back legs into Skyfrost’s head, instantly knocking him unconscious. His body collapsed to the ground and lay still. The light breeze in the air washed over his body, his coat and feathers stirring and rustling in all directions.

"Now what do I do?" Thunder growled under his breath as his belly bled profusely. He limped over to his sword which lay in the blood stained snow, picked it up and re-sheathed it. The pain from his wound burned like fire through his belly, leaving him unable to move easily.

I need to get out of here now. Thunder stood as best he could and headed through the open doors behind him as fast as he could manage. He didn't care about the guards that were on their way, he just wanted to escape. The room he had walked into was fairly large and contained many wooden tables. There were doorways on each side which led into long stone corridors. Seeing another set of double doors across the room, he headed towards them as fast as he could, passing the table with cards on as he did so. He threw the doors open and ran through. He was immediately greeted by the cold outside again - the wide open landscape. He looked back into the building and saw a thin trail of blood on the floor behind him. Knowing he could do nothing about it, he pulled the doors closed hoping it would cover his tracks of where he went.

The outpost was built on a hill which overlooked a small village in the distance. I have no other choice but to try and find shelter and medical attention in that village. This is probably a self-imposed death sentence; I'll probably be killed on sight for not being a pegasus, but for now it's my only option...

Thunder headed off towards the village in the distance. It wasn't very far away, but he was getting weaker and weaker by the minute, making the journey tough. As he trudged slowly through the thick snow, his mind was racing with thoughts about what had happened to him within the past week. First the platoon, then the torture, and now this. I can’t begin to imagine what they are thinking back at Canterlot. Are they even searching for me, or have they simply listed me as KIA for ease? I have no idea how much longer it’s going to be before I can return there, but for now I need to focus on what is going on around me.

Thunder stopped for a quick break and sat in the snow. He turned and looked behind him seeing a red trail of blood leading right to him. “Damnit, that’s probably going to lead them right to me,” he grumbled to himself, his breathe showing in the chilling night air as he did. Disgruntled, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his beloved whisky flask. If I can’t have peace, at least I can have peace of mind. He unscrewed the cap and took a small swig of the remaining nectar. Leaving a small amount left, he screwed the cap back on and placed it back into his jacket, sighing as he did. What I’d give to find some more of that around here...

Thunder stood up and surveyed the land far into the distance. Besides the small village he was headed towards, the land looked desolate and bare, much like the area near Canterlot. The war really has affected Equestria so much. And in such little time too... Ignoring his raging thoughts, he continued on towards the village which was growing closer by the minute. Each step depleted more and more of Thunder’s last remaining energy, causing his body to ache and his vision to blur. Eventually, he reached the outskirts and looked around for any sign of activity. A few houses were lit by lights inside, but the majority of the village was in darkness.

The wound was taking its toll on Thunder now. Every step was a challenge due to his depleted energy. His mind began to feel hazy and clouded, almost euphoric as he stumbled forwards. I... I need to...

He collapsed into the snow just at the edge of the village. His breathing was heavy and his heart-rate rapid. Unable to muster the energy to get up, he laid there as fresh snow began to cover his body. His wound pained him as he lay on it, the blood soaking through his jacket and into the snow beneath him. The feeling was warm and relaxing, but his body was growing colder and weaker by the second. His sight was wavering and his mind was hazy, both of which left him feeling lethargic. Giving in to his body’s demands, Thunder lost consciousness and went limp in the snow.

* * *

Back at the fortress Skyfrost began to stir. He groaned as he rolled onto his back to alleviate some of the pain from the gash along his side. In the distance he could hear the commotion two-dozen guards rushing around inside. “Over there!” shouted one of the distant guards as he pointed towards Skyfrost lying in the snow across the frozen courtyard.

Some of the guards rushed to aid him and to ask questions of what was going on. “Skyfrost, sir, what exactly happened?” asked one of the guards as he knelt down beside his injured leader. Skyfrost looked up at the guard and pulled his face closer to him. He choked up a small amount of blood as he tried to whisper into the guard’s ear. “Search the entire area. I want him dead.”

The guard looked at Skyfrost, his face contorted with confusion. “Who, sir? Who do you want dead?” He immediately regretted asking the question as Skyfrost belted him across the chin with his blood-soaked hoof. The punch dazed the guard, causing him to fall onto his haunches in the snow. Skyfrost slowly rolled over and pushed himself upright so that he was sitting too. He stared into the guard’s eyes, the rage in his own penetrating the guard’s mind and soul, leaving him terrified and fearful of what his leader would do next.

“Thunder. I want Thunder dead. You got it?” Skyfrost barked at the guard who was now rubbing his sore jaw. The guard winced from Skyfrost’s rage and, intimidated by his leader’s harsh commands, nodded and stood up. He and most of the other guards headed back inside to relay the orders to the others whilst a few guards remained to attend to Skyfrost’s wounds. Skyfrost looked at the small pool of blood where his had mixed with Thunder’s. I’ll kill you with my bare hooves, you disgusting mule.

“Sir, we need to move inside to treat your wounds. We can’t treat them out here, it’s too dark and they appear to be quite serious,” advised one of the guards as he pointed towards the large gash which ran across Skyfrost’s ribs and down his side, trailing off just before his flank. Skyfrost slowly rose and limped towards the room where he had been happily playing cards moments earlier. He looked at the bodies of the guards that had been slain by Thunder and chuckled to himself. I would’ve won anyway. You always had the worst poker faces. Doesn’t look like you’ll be needing that money now anyway. Oh well, at least you two have it easy now. I’m sure it’s not too hard being dead. Don’t worry though, I’ll be sure injure Thunder for both of you; it’s the least I can do. He looked down at the icy blood pool as he passed it on his way inside. He grimaced at the sight of it; not because it was blood, but what it meant to him and his pride. Disgusting, just absolutely disgusting. My superior, pure pegasus blood, casually mixed with his like it is equal, and ultimately the same; it makes me feel physically sick. He spat into the blood pool and continued to limp inside, his mind fixated on finding and killing Thunder - His revolting mule-like, earth pony of a nemesis.

Comments

[Comma-Kazie]

Pretty vicious battle sequences you have here. Well done!

[Nightcrawler114]

I'm glad this story updated. Anyways, there was an epic battle that required epic music. So I put on some music from the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King soundtrack and it made the story that much better!

Keep up the great work and I can't wait for the next chapter.

[Klice]

No prisoners eh ? They ought to read Sun Tzu sometime...

Pretty awesome chapter ! I must admit I was expecting all the time that Luna would be beaten there, but they handled this battle well.
I love Thunder escape too. Focusing on the present, it was all he can do. Perfectly done !

[Frostwyrm]

In those last couple of para's, Skyfrost says "kill him with my bare hands"
Ponies don't have hands - they have hooves.

Also, that section about the nameless pony who dies, becoming one of the nameless dead and all that forgotten in time stuff really broke up the flow of that whole section. Could probably read without. A general rule I use when writing is: "How does this contribute to the story as a whole?" If you can't think of a good reason, consider revising that section or even removing it altogether. For every 10 paragraphs I write, I'll have to completely revise at least 1 or 2.

These were the only things that really irked me. Not fond of criticising - only when I have to.

Enjoying this alternate history,
Frostwyrm

[Bullets]

415553
Thanks for pointing out the mistake and for the tip. I've made the changes you suggested and it does flow better now that it has been cut down. Feel free to point out any more errors or things that would work better when changed. Every little helps.

[ZiggyUndead]

I love how a great deal of these songs have the same names as numerous metal/rock songs (Battery - Metallica? Dawn Patrol - Megadeth? Decadence - Disturbed?) kinda interesting if that was intended
And this story is amazing, too!

[Starlight Nova]

Will Discord be appearing, or at least be mentioned, in this fanfic?