Salvation

by Sandstorm Inkwell

Chapter Thirty-Five

“Three-Two, ease back, you're getting out of formation.”

“Check your weapons. We don't need no jams when we get there.”

The radio was alive with this and much more as the mass of Coalition vehicles bounce across the desert terrain. I sit in my seat, fingering the safety on my G36 as I look out at the numerous vehicles to Athena's right. This is it... this is the end.

I remember hearing about the base when it was first discovered. Many soldiers, including myself, had questioned why we didn't just go in and blow it to bits. The Commander, however, overlaid those questions with one of his own. If we lose, who will defend the Equestrians?

So we had waited. But now, my brain continues, now we show those fuckers why they shouldn't have fucked with us in the first place.

“ETA to Objective Wholesale: Ninety Minutes.”

Hour and a half before we wipe them off the map. Then... then it's to home.

[LINE BREAK]

Boring...

Groaning, I let my head fall to my desk as I try to will Miss Cheerilee to hurry in her discussion about math. I didn't really care what five times six equaled. I just want to go outside and play with all three of my friends.

I raise my head and look to my left at Apple Bloom, who was looking at the board like it was a bar of chocolate. She always was an egghead, especially when it come to math. Rolling my eyes at the farm filly, I look to my right to see Sweetie Belle drawing random shapes on her desk with her hoof. Looking back, I see Pipsqueak sitting behind me. The board also has his rapt attention. However, when he notices me looking at him, he smiles at me and gives a small wave before looking back at the board.

“Scootaloo, pay attention please,” I hear Miss Cheerilee speak. Sighing, I turn around to face the board and rise my eyes in surprise as the single problem was now accompanied by at least seven others. How the?

Now that she had my attention, I watch as Miss Cheerilee turns back to the board to begin explaining the problems she had up there. Gah! I shout inwardly as I slam my head back down onto my desk.

After what felt like an eternity, Miss Cheerilee announces that it is time for recess.

“Yay!” I shout as I jump from my desk, grab Pip and drag him out of the schoolhouse. Once outside, I let go of the flustered colt and look back at him with a smile on my face.

“Why are you so happy?” he asks with a smile as he rubs the hoof I had grabbed.

“Because we're outside and not learning math, that's why,” I reply.

“Math is important, ya know,” intones Apple Bloom as her and Sweetie Belle join us.

“Maybe to you,” I respond while sticking my tongue out at the yellow filly.

“You should at least try to understand it,” Sweetie Belle says.

I look at her in disbelief, “You weren't even paying attention!”

She shakes her head, “Just because I'm drawing on my desk doesn't mean I'm not paying attention.”

“Whatever,” I quickly reply, “What are we going to do today?”

“Hide and seek?” Pip suggests.

“That sounds like fun,” Apple Bloom replies.

“Nose goes!” I shout, smashing my nose with my hoof. My friends do the same with Pip ending up as the last one to do so.

“Pip's it! Tag to catch! Ready? Go!” shouts Sweetie Belle in rapid fire. As soon as Pip closes his eyes, I am off. Running, I find a nice sized bush to hide inside. He'll never find me here, I think to myself with a devious smile I try to make myself more comfortable.

[LINE BREAK]

“Smiley, shift fire to the left!” I shout as I lean around our Humvee and fire a few more rounds at the enemy encampment. The encampment was big, that was obvious. However, it was also undermanned. The only thing keeping us from assaulting it full-on was the threat of explosives in the berm and no one really wanted to be the one to discover that there were explosives in the berm.

Which means...

“USS Kinkaid to all Coalition forces. Tomahawk is away. Repeat, Tomahawk Missile is away.”

...Kinkaid can bring out the big guns.

Smiling, I lean back around the Humvee and put even more rounds downrange. Bullets ping off the Humvee's armor, driving me back behind it. As I did, I ear the boom of a tank cannon to my right. Looking that way, I see Corbulo rocking forward from it's latest shot. It's coaxial machine-gun began to spit out rounds as the loader hurried to reload the beast.

“Tyler!”

Looking at where I heard my name, I see Kilborn looking at me.

“Get ready to move!” he shouts over the din of the gunfire, “We're gonna be the second ones through after Corbulo!”

“Got it Sarge!” I shout back before leaning around the Humvee to pop off a couple more shots. We're going to be the first ones into that shitstorm.

/--\

I had been hiding for what felt like a good couple minutes before I hear hoofsteps approaching my little hideout. I stifle a giggle as I hear them walk past my little hideaway. I knew he'd never find me in here, I think jovially to myself as I stifle another giggle.

Suddenly, I'm on my stomach on the ground with a weight on top of me. Wiggling, I flip myself over to find Pipsqueak standing over me rubbing an ear with his hoof.

“You scream loud, you know that?” he asks before smiling at me, “Found ya by the way.”

“How?” I ask.

“Your tail was sticking out,” he says with a chuckle.

I open my mouth to reply but just as quickly close it with a 'humph' as I cross my forelegs. He continues to stand there with a proud smile. Pushing him back, I get to a standing position myself before crawling from the bush. I listen as Pip follows me. Looking back, I see that the proud smile is still on his face.

Thinking about something I heard of Tyler doing, I smirk. I watch as Pip notices the smirk.

“Wha-”

Before he could finish, I plant a quick kiss on his cheek. Sitting back, I feel my cheeks turn a light red though I could see Pip's cheeks turning a dark red as he also seems to be frozen in place.

“Come on,” I say with a giggle and smirk, “we have to find the other two.”

Without waiting for him to reply, I turn and trot off to try to find my two other friends.

That should keep him lost in his mind for a little bit, I think with a smirk.

/--\

“Forward!” Kilborn shouts as we follow Athena into the dirt cloud that was thrown up by the Tomahawk cruise-missile. The berm had been dotted with explosives but the Tomahawk had taken them out.

Now it's up to us ground-pounders.

I charge after Kilborn and Athena through the hole in the berm. Already I hear Corbulo firing away at some unseen targets. Getting through the hole in the berm, though, I begin to see the targets. Raising my rifle, I fire away as I duck behind a stack of boxes. Letting my rifle drop to be held by it's sling, I pull out a grenade, pull the pin, let the spoon fly, and chuck it.

Ducking behind the boxes, I wait for it to blow before popping up and putting rounds at anyone still out in the open. With the zinging of rounds, I duck down back behind the boxes. Glancing at the berm, I look just in time to see a mass of infantry come storming from the hole, rifles blazing. While a few fall from incoming fire, the rest charge on as the French tanks and British vehicles follow close behind.

Now with some help behind me, I stand and join the surge into the enemy's camp. Tango behind some sandbags, down. Tango dashing from a tent, down. Reload. Tango, down. Tango, down. If I didn't get him, someone else did before he could get off more than a few rounds.

Looking back, I see the Equestrian banner flying from the top of one of the French tanks. Smiling, I turn back and shout,

“For Equestria!”

The shout found itself echoing down the line before it ended in one massive, primal yell.

We now know our home and nothing can stop us from protecting it.

Comments

[Scarlet Storm]

OMG this is epic...Nice job man this story is pretty amazing..