As dawn broke over a new day, Dominic quietly pushed the hatch of his tank open. He felt much more refreshed now that he had gotten some sleep, and now that they were underway, he could focus on putting an end to Celestia’s war once and for all. The tank bounced and shook as it trundled alongside the railway tracks, ahead of him were two more tanks. Columns had formed on either side of the tracks, made up of tanks, APCs, supply trucks, mobile artillery and mobile anti-air.

Overhead he could hear the engines of bombers and fighters on their way to Applewood and Las Pegasus to support the changeling ground offensive or to Canterlot to continue the bombing. It wasn’t for the purpose of hitting targets, but to drain the unicorns that defended the city of their magic. If they spent all their energy trying to down bombers, they’d have nothing left to use against tanks and APCs. They weren’t the only source of engine noise in the sky however, the shadow of the USS Kirov loomed not too far behind the column.

The airship was riding low in the air, it had been loaded down with Globe Corps troops that would take part in the taking of Ponyville. Such a tactical city was bound to have defenses set up, and Dominic was set to siege the town if it came to it. It was essential to the next step towards victory, from it they could bombard Canterlot directly and cut off trade between the nation’s capital and the rest of the country. Ponyville’s central location made it the nerve center of Equestria’s commerce and military logistics, it would cripple Equestria to lose it.

They had run into sporadic resistance, but so far it seemed the Equestrians were unorganized and unable to form a decent counter attack. The small towns along the railway were often seized without a fight. Dominic looked at the surroundings, the desert had been left behind, and they were now going through thicker trees and brush. They were set to take the bridge within the next hour or so, and there was a sense of calm among the soldiers, even as their eyes darted through the trees for possible assailants. All in all, nearly a hundred thousand troops were taking place in the invasion of Equestria. On paper it looked like it wouldn’t work, as the Equestrians had at least two times that, but that supremacy had been whittled down over the last day.

Dominic sighed quietly when he thought back to the night before, he had been asleep when Maria had come to visit him and she hadn’t wanted to wake him. She was out in the field ahead, somewhere, most likely putting the fear of god into the Equestrians. The man knew she could take care of herself, but the nagging fear still lingered in his mind. He leaned back in the turret, relaxing and trying to at least somewhat enjoy the sunrise in the distance.

”Commander?” A voice from inside the tank asked, it was Fire Breeze. The normally quiet pony rarely spoke unless she was engaged in combat, Dominic slid down into the turret and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. ”Are we going to have to fire on Ponyville, sir?”

“I certainly hope not, but it’s a possibility…” Dominic replied quietly, the unicorn quietly sighed before nodding. “Got family there?” There was another nod from the mare, Dominic felt a pit form in his stomach. “You just point out where they live, I’ll make sure you don’t have to fire anything that way…”

”Thank you, sir…” Fire Breeze said meekly, Dominic sighed and stood back up in the turret, dawning his peaked officer's cap as opposed to the kevlar helmet he had been wearing the day before. The trees were turning brown and red for winter, and the rumbling of the tanks was starting to force the leaves to fall. Dominic took a moment to look at the other tanks, their tan desert paint clashed with the more vibrant colors of the surrounding area. The man took his cap from his head and looked it over, he had noticed a trend in the uniform styles. They were a mix of Prussian, German, and Polish styles. He slipped the hat onto his head once again, doing his best to clear his thoughts before the battle.

It was truly beautiful country they were rolling through, very much different from the forests and woods of Colorado in regards that these trees were much more colorful. The trees in Colorado had pine needles, save for the aspens that normally turned gold. There was a nip in the air, another indication that it was getting close to fall, and then the snow would come. Dominic had already made sure that winter supplies was being readied, just in case the war dragged into the winter months, taking a lesson from the failings of Napoleon and the Wehrmacht in Russia.

He felt more in his element as a commander than a president, thankfully the people he had left in charge were competent, and also afraid of pissing him off. He didn’t like people being afraid of him often, but it helped to know that they were conscious of what weight their actions held. Many of them were former members of government from Earth, as much as he hated politicians. Dominic shook his head and went back to the moment, watching the tree line for signs of possible insurgents or snipers.

Dominic turned his attention back to his tank, patting it softly as he noted numerous scratches in the paint from arrowheads and slight burn marks from spells that had impacted the side. He had no doubt the tank would take more punishment as the day dragged on, he only hoped that the railway bridge was being held. If anyone could pull of that mission, it was the FAST teams. Though they didn’t have much of a service record, their members were known to be some of the toughest soldiers in the American military, some argued they could give the Globe Corps a run for their money. Dominic watched a couple P-38s fly overhead, he had never in his wildest dreams would’ve thought he would ever be in such a position.

[♠]

Maria and Melissa crawled softly through the underbrush of the Everfree Forest, they had traded their tan fatigues for a more tactical grey look. Both had pulled masks and hoods up to hide their faces while their exposed skin was painted grey, allowing them to blend with the grey, decomposing leaves and refuse that lined the stinking forest. Their mission had been assigned by one of the planners for the invasion of Ponyville, to insert themselves near the town before the attack began and ‘Raise hell.’. Maria didn’t like the idea, neither did Melissa, but they weren’t about to disregard an order.

The sounds of the forest were gone as a result of the two newcomers, their presence had scared off any of the normal animals that would’ve been roving the woods at that time. Even the larger creatures had strayed away, as if they could sense the lethality that both women held. Thankfully, Maria and Melissa weren’t alone. They knew there were at least four other sniper teams from their platoon moving in around the town, surprisingly they hadn’t run into patrols or guards. It was as if the Equestrians had never fought a war before.

However, as she and her spotter continued crawling towards the edge of the forest, she heard a twig snap to her right. The woman quietly tapped Melissa’s shoulder and signalled for her to remain perfectly still, Maria quietly tossed some leaves over them and slipped her rifle off her back to prevent it from possibly glinting in the light. The sound of a quadruped approaching caused them both to hold their breath, seconds ticked by tensely as the two snipers waited for whomever or whatever was near them to move along.

Maria watched a pair of dainty hooves wander past, her eyes shifting up to see that it was a deer and a fawn. They quietly stared around them for a couple moments before they wandered past, Melissa and Maria exhaled quietly and got up from their prone position.

“That was too damn close…” Maria whispered as they came closer to the edge of the forest, looking around cautiously for any sign of gold armor. The trees were thinning out, they could see Ponyville ahead, they also began looking for the right place to make a sniper’s nest. Maria paused as she felt something dangling touch her shoulder, she looked up and blinked for a moment. “Looks like we’re not the only ones to come through here… Probably got shot down last night.” Melissa looked up and saw there was a parachute caught in the branches of the tree, thankfully whoever had used it wasn’t also dangling there.

“Might be why it’s so empty… They already searched this area.” Melissa added, Maria nodded and the two of them began walking towards the edge of the forest once again. Their hearts beat quickly in their chests, they knew that wherever they chose as a nest they would need moderate shelter from the elements. No one expected the battle for Ponyville to be a short one. As they finally reached the edge of the forest they dropped back to their bellies and began scoping out the area in front of them. Fortifications were being constructed around the city, even as aircraft buzzed overhead and antagonized the ponies building them.

Melissa pulled her binoculars from her kit bag and brought them to her eyes, getting a better look at the town than before. It was much bigger than she had imagined, many more houses with narrow streets and windows in high places. A sniper’s delight. The ponies building the fortifications were royal guards, Melissa could see a train chugging its way up the mountain in the distance, most likely evacuating the last of the residents. There were tons of guards getting ready for the attack, some were sharpening spears and swords, others were taking practice shots with bows and arrows. There were ballistas, trebuchets, and even six crude brass cannons.

“They have field artillery.” Melissa said calmly, Maria took the binoculars from her partner and looked at them for herself. “I think we should set up in that school bell tower, gives us a good field of view on those artillery pieces, and there other defenses.” Maria hummed softly as she looked at the bell tower in question, it was certainly a good position. She noted a cottage closer to them though, a familiar looking cottage with obvious animal homes on the outside. While the thought of seeing inside that house was tempting, she still had to concur with Melissa’s thoughts. Trebuchets, cannons, ballistas were specialized weapons systems that took trained personnel, eliminating those personnel would be just as good as eliminating the weapon.

“Only problem is it’s across a hundred yards of open ground…” Maria said hesitantly, watching a couple pegasi ponies fly over the area as if searching for something. “Let’s sit tight for a second, time their patrols before we make a move.” The woman glanced to her tactical watch on her wrist and pressed a button, with a soft beep the timer started. In tense silence the pair watched and waited for the patrol to return, seconds turned to minutes, time seemed to drag on and on, until finally the patrol returned on the same course heading. Maria stopped the timer and looked at it. “Fifteen minutes… That means we only have about ten before they see us from the air.” Maria announced.

“Lets wait for the next patrol to pass, then we’ll make our move.” Melissa said, Maria nodded once again. The sound of aircraft diving on the town and dropping bombs echoed in the distance, Maria and Melissa watched quietly as a building was demolished in the wake of the blast. Maria kept an eye on her watch, sweat beading on her brow as the minutes ticked by. Melissa readied herself to move, her heartbeat rising faster and faster, until finally the patrol passed again. “Go.” The pair took off running across the field, their boots thudding against the ground as their gear and weapons clanked on their backs.

The run felt like it was dragging on and on, their breathing grew a haggard as they sprinted and put great deal of energy into reaching the schoolhouse. Maria’s eyes darted across the sky, watching for any surprise patrols that could possibly catch them out in the open. Thankfully the sky remained empty, the pair skidded to a stop outside the school and moved up against the side door near the playground tactically. Both of them panted heavily and took a couple seconds to catch their breath, they didn’t hear any yelling or other noise to indicate they had been spotted.

Maria pulled her handgun from its holster and quietly nudged the door open, moving into the one roomed schoolhouse and sweeping the area. The desks had chairs stacked on top of them and the walls were bare of any paper or decoration, as if the entire building had been abandoned for some time. There were shades closed over the windows, thankfully hiding them from any eyes peering in from the outside.

“Clear…” Maria said softly as Melissa moved in behind her and closed the door, she then proceeded to lock it as Maria moved towards a supply closet with her weapon still ready. Quietly she pulled it open and peered inside, there were books and coloring materials, as well as children’s snacks like graham crackers and juice boxes. “Closet’s clear too.” The woman grabbed two juice boxes as she holstered her side arm, then tossed one to Melissa who caught it gracefully.

“Thanks…” She replied as she took the straw off of the box and pushed it through the straw hole. “I haven’t had one of these in years…” She sipped it, sighing quietly at the nostalgic memories that the apple juice brought back. “Let’s find the ladder up to the bell tower.”

“Right.” Maria replied as she slipped her own juice box into her pocket and closed the door, the pair of snipers moved to the front door and looked up above them, sure enough the bell was there. There was a ladder folded up near the top that looked like it would extend down if pulled on, most likely to keep children from climbing up into the bell tower. Maria hopped up and grabbed the bottom rung, the ladder extended down as she came back to the floor. Melissa moved up the ladder first, once she was up Maria followed her. She paused and opened her bag, from within she pulled a length of paracord and tied one end around the bottom rung. Once she climbed up the ladder she pulled the cord, folding the ladder back into its original state.

As Melissa set up the nest Maria tied the paracord to a nail protruding from the wooden floor of the bell tower. Maria unslung her rifle and set it on the floor using its bipod, she then set her backpack down and fished through it until she found what she was looking for. A long grey cylinder, painted to match her fatigues and her rifle. A silencer. She set about putting it on the end of her Tac-50 while Melissa began to look over the town with her binoculars. It had been good they moved when they did, as she could see a formation of at least two hundred Equestrian unicorns and earth ponies marching out onto the field, towards a set or railway tracks. Melissa pulled a radio from her bag and spoke quietly into it.

“This is Eagle Eye… Got eyes on a formation of two hundred plus hostile foot mobiles. We’re situated in the school bell tower, and they’re on their way to Objective Pegasus.” She said quietly, the sound of thunder echoed over the area as clouds from the Everfree forest began to roll in. Several flags on the town hall began to move as the wind started to pick up

”Fast Alpha copies. Possible to call an airstrike in before the storm hits?” The voice of the griffon in command of the mission responded, Melissa quietly hummed before nodding to herself.

“Copy, Fast Alpha.” Melissa replied before she changed frequencies and put her binoculars on target of the two hundred soldier strong attack group. “Eagle Eye to Sturmgeist, requesting airstrike on large group of hostile foot mobiles at grid location Alpha Seven… Range to target zero five zero. Danger close.”

“Roger that. Zero five zero. Sturmgeist inbound.” The sound of a german accented voice replied over the radio, Melissa lowered her binoculars. She and Maria watched the formation from the bell tower as the sound of two P-47s and a P-38 became audible in the distance. The first aircraft to make a pass was the P-38, firing its nose machine guns at the tightly packed enemy force before dropping two two hundred and fifty pound bombs. There was a pair of loud booms as the bombs exploded, as the guards started to panic the P-47s arrived. Their machineguns chopping away loudly at the Equestrians, Maria watched them each drop two five hundred pound bombs. The pair of explosions was much louder, and the bell swayed slightly when the ground shook.

“Good effect on target, Sturmgeist.” Melissa said quietly as the planes banked off, the storm rumbled once again as a bolt of lightning came down in front of the fifty or so guards that remained. They took that as a sign that they had best turn around, as Melissa and Maria watched them rush back to the safety of their fortifications. “Storm’s gonna be a bitch…”

“Yeah, but we can use it to our advantage.” Maria replied softly as she finished attaching the silencer and put the weapon into position. Thunder roared loudly due to the close proximity of the lightning strike. “Then again, I really don’t like being up in such a high building during a lightning storm… Especially with a bit metal bell next to us.”

“We’ll be fine…” Melissa said reassuringly, Maria shrugged and looked through the scope of her rifle as the sound of rain starting to fall reached her ears. “For now let’s go to work.” The woman raised the binoculars to her eyes as the noon sun was obscured by the thick storm clouds and rain began falling harder and faster. She watched the stallions working on the fortifications start to leave for the cover and safety of the abandoned buildings that filled the town. The wind began blowing rain water all over her and Melissa, soaking them in the cold fall rain, but they remained right where they were despite it.

Melissa’s eyes roved over the still working guards ponies, he could see a particularly burly unicorn shouting orders at a group of earth ponies who were pushing a large log into place. She cleared her throat and examined the nearby area and saw that the closest landmark was a house with a poster for some sort of dance club, she ran a couple calculations in her head before she finally felt confident to call out the target.

“Looks like a unicorn officer near that house with the poster on the side, I make that…. Eight hundred yards.” Melissa said quietly, Maria nodded and moved her scope to take a look at the target in question. She watched as the earth ponies began lashing the logs together, all the while the officer was watching them and shouting, the plume of his helmet fluttering in the howling wind of the storm. “Wind down there looks a bit intense…”

“Compensating.” Maria said as she adjusted the knobs on her scope, the cold water was soaking every part of her she could think of, and despite that she still summoned the wherewithal to keep a steady hand. “Set.”

“Send it.” Melissa said simply, Maria exhaled slowly and squeezed the trigger. The weapon kicked back against her shoulder as the suppressor did its job. The rain helped to cover the muffled bang, and Melissa watched as the bullet streaked through the air and struck its mark. The Unicorn’s chest imploded before he toppled to the ground, the Earth ponies panicked and dropped to the ground at the urging of one large red earth pony. “Holy shit…”

“What?” Maria asked as she ejected the spent casing and placed it carefully away from the opening in the floor before closing the breach and chambering another round.

“The red stallion that’s giving the orders there, isn’t that Big Mac?” Melissa asked, Maria put her scope over the area and examined him. He certainly looked like Big Mac, but his rear was covered by gold armor. “I hope not… That would suck.”

“We can’t let our like for them get the better of us, Melissa… This is war, he’s the enemy.” Maria said coldly, a little too coldly. Melissa could tell that the woman was doing her best to keep her emotions in check, mainly because Melissa was having her own trouble keeping her emotions in check. “That being said, I don’t want to waste a shot on a grunt… Find me another officer.” Melissa nodded quietly and looked through the binoculars, scanning over the guards that were still out in the streets.

She spotted a squad of guards moving towards the scene of their first target, headed by what looked like a captain. Melissa was about to call out the target before she saw the captain’s head blow apart. He’d been hit by another sniper team, and his squad dove for cover. Melissa didn’t comment on the sight, despite how gruesome it had been, instead looking over the city for more targets. It seemed they were having an effect on the Equestrians, as many of them had taken to hiding in the buildings and not working on their fortifications. Lightning struck in the distance, followed by a rumble of thunder as Melissa continued watching for targets. Occasionally she’d watch a guard peek through a window, then duck back down to hide.

The woman paused as she noticed a squad of guards moving towards the school house on a path, they didn’t appear ready for a fight as they were wearing raincoats and looking at the ground. She noted that they had bags over their shoulders and lowered her binoculars before tapping Maria on the shoulder and indicating for her to take cover. The sniper collapsed the bipod on her weapon and brought it out of sight, then slid down behind the short wall in the bell tower.

“Small squad… Looks like they're going to set up in the school for the night.” Melissa said in a somewhat uncertain voice, Maria looked at her for a couple seconds, her eyes darting back and forth as water dripped from her sniper hood.

“Fuck it. Let’s take ‘em out.” Maria said quietly as she popped back up with the Tac-50, Melissa set the binoculars down and picked up her Remington, she had thought to attach her silencer before they’d set out. “Start from the back, take them out before they can get a fix on our position.” Melissa nodded as she too popped up with her rifle, watching the unsuspecting squad of eight as they got closer.

Maria took a deep breath as she lined up a shot on the last pony in the single file column, her finger tensed on the trigger before the rifle kicked in her shoulder. The target went down, hitting the muddy earth with a thud. Melissa fired next, taking advantage of the ponies surprise to down the seventh pony. They alternated fire quickly and efficiently as the guards did their best to take cover, when it was all over the guard’s blood was mixing with the rain water. They had yelled for help, but they’d never known where the fire was coming from due to the rain and wind.

The two women’s hearts were racing, Melissa scanned the town with her scope, searching for any sign that their position had been spotted while Maria found her hand shaking as she slipped a fresh magazine into her rifle. She was doing her best to play it off as the cold rain that soaked her skin and dripped from the end of her rifle, but as a loud crack of thunder echoed over the field she flinched. Ever since she had been a child she had been afraid of thunderstorms, the pure undiluted power of mother nature’s wrath that could destroy houses and lives. She found it more terrifying than the fight they had just endured.

“No one saw us…” Melissa said quietly, watching as the rest of the ponies in the streets rushed to take shelter from the rain and the snipers. Maria took a couple deep breaths to calm her nerves, closing her eyes as she tried to think of something calming and relaxing. “They’re all hunkered inside, we should move for a better position. That clock tower looks good.”

“R-Right…” Maria replied as she began packing her gear up, Melissa followed suit while occasionally checking back to see if there was anyone out in the street. The women dismantled their sniper nest in a matter of minutes, leaving neatly policed brass in the corner as the only sign that they had ever been there. Maria undid the paracord and pushed the folding ladder down, the two of them descended into the school house which now had a floor covered in rain water.

“All Hunter teams… Queen of Death and Eagle Eye are moving.” Melissa said into the radio before turning it off to prevent it from making noise, she slipped it into her bag as the two women approached the front door of the school. Maria unlocked it as she slung her rifle over her shoulder, then peeked out as she drew her M9 from its holster once again. Thankfully she had remembered to silence the weapon before the mission, when she saw that the coast was clear she pushed the door open slowly and moved outside with Melissa covering her six o’clock.

They moved down the path, passing by the dead squad of Equestrians whose blood had turned the muddy ground red. Thunder and lightning continued to crack in the distance and close, Maria bit her lip and forced herself to keep moving. As they went further along the path turned from muddy dirty to cobblestone, they didn’t have time to get rid of the tracks that they left as they transitioned. The rain did, however, washing away their tracks as it pelted them in the howling wind.

When they were close enough to the town the two of them hugged the side of a building, the roof extended off the side somewhat and gave them mild shelter from the rain. Each step was calculated and tactical, minimizing their noise to the best of their ability.

In a building to the left of them, unbeknownst to the snipers, was a daring young guard recruit that decided to peek out his window. A flash of lightning illuminated the area, his eyes went wide as he saw two horrifying figures skulking through the storm. One second later there was another flash, by now it seemed the figures had spotted him as one of them had turned, it raised a finger to where it’s mouth would be if it hadn’t been hidden behind cloth. As if shushing him. The other hand leveled a frightening black weapon, the guard recruit began to open his mouth. Seconds later the glass in front of him shattered and he fell dead, his comrades had no idea where the bullet came from. When they peeked out the window for themselves, they could see nothing.

Maria and Melissa quietly panted as they hid around a corner, Maria clutched her handgun as if it was her only chance at life. They stood in the shadows, listening quietly for anyone that would be coming for them. Again, it remained quiet, and hesitantly they resumed their trek across the city. Crouching low beneath windows, moving fast whenever exposed, sneaking straight into the maw of the Equestrian defenders. Finally the two of them ended up by the clock tower, the rain was coming down even harder than it had been before. Maria pushed the door open and peeked inside, the tower was empty. The pair slipped inside, breathing softly as they felt the cold starting to beat past their adrenaline.

Maria saw a couple crates near the door and pushed them in front of it, keeping any curious Equestrians from being able to get inside. Now that they had entered the tower, the two of them began climbing up the ladder to the top most floor. The muffled sound of rain and thunder was a nice change of pace for Maria, even as she was stuck wearing her soaking wet fatigues. They reached the top of the clock tower, which had stopped working apparently, and found a window overlooking what was likely to become the field of battle. It was the highest point in the city, the best sniper position they could ask for, they could see the artillery, the battlements, and so much more.

They set up their rifles and equipment, creating their new nest before Maria took a moment to count her remaining magazines. She had eight in her bag, Melissa had also packed four in her bag. It was at that point Maria decided to take the juice box from her pocket, she stuck the straw in and drank it quickly while Melissa looked out over the field with her binoculars and turned on her radio.

“Eagle Eye and Queen of Death are in the clock tower…” She announced, glad that now the clock tower wouldn’t be targeted for an artillery barrage. Tension was high, Maria set down the empty juice box and looked at her watch.

“We made it just in the nick… Two minutes to the hour.” Maria said as she held her rifle and began watching the area below. Melissa nodded quietly as she began searching for possible targets again, but even the ponies that had been hiding from them had managed to get back into safe buildings. A particularly loud clap of thunder rang out, Maria closed her eyes and thought of something calming. The feel of Dominic’s arms around her, Luna’s soft fur, her warm bed. She opened her eyes and looked at her watch again.

In the distance she thought she heard another sound of thunder, but then she heard the sound of the air whistling, as if it was ripping apart. Seconds later a shell exploded off in the distant city, more bangs and ripping noises. Maria and Melissa watched as the city came under heavy fire, buildings collapsed, some were knocked clear off their foundations as shells rained down and pummeled the city. Both snipers could hear shouting and yelling from throughout the city as the guards started to hunker down.

The shelling went on for nearly ten minutes, lighting up the sky like the fourth of july as the rain continued to pour through the streets. As it began to subside, the rain began to stop as well. The clouds were starting to break up, just as soon as they had formed they seemed to leave. The sun broke through in what would’ve been a beautiful sight, if it weren’t punctuated by the sound of engines in the distance and the sky. Maria and Melissa were surprised to see an Airship moving into position, all of its guns pointed at the city as it began to fire more shells.

Maria watched as the American tanks began pouring up from the south along the railway, their wide tracks afforded them better maneuverability through the muddy earth as they charged towards Ponyville. Maria readied herself as she saw ponies rushing to take up their positions, many of them taking to the defensive fortifications while others moved towards the field artillery. Melissa brought her binoculars to her eyes and looked towards the crude cannons, as they required the most training to operate.

“Target the first cannon to our left.” Melissa said quietly, Maria turned her scope towards the landmark in preparation. “Range, eighteen hundred yards….” Maria adjusted her scope as the sound of battle began to pour across the field, APCs and tanks were charging through the muddy field towards the city. “The captain shouting orders, see him?” Maria nodded quietly, not taking her eyes off of the scope as she began adjusting her aim for bullet drop. “Wind looks pretty calm after the storm… Send it.”

“On the way.” Maria replied before she squeezed the trigger, the rifle kicked back into a familiar sore spot on her shoulder. The sniper watched her bullet’s vapor trail rapidly vanish before the round slammed into the captain’s neck and sent him sprawling to the ground. Maria pulled back the bolt and ejected the shell, it landed on the floor with a soft clang before she closed the breach once again.

“Target to the right of the last, a cunt hair over eighteen hundred.” Melissa said calmly, Maria adjusted her aim once again. “Windage is the same. Send it.” Maria didn’t responded verbally this time, inseast simply pulling the trigger. Melissa watched as the bullet caught a gust of wind at the last second and went wide. The round hit the cannon in a flash of sparks, sending the crew to the ground for cover. The sniper gritted her teeth in annoyance as she ejected the spent round and chambered a fresh one. “Wind is from the east from the looks of the plume on their helmets.” Maria remained wordless as she adjusted her aim and took another shot, the round flew down range with the same speed as ever. The top of the target’s head became a thin red mist, the gruesome sight caused Maria to grimace and turn her aim to the next cannon.

[♠]

Dominic stood in his tank turret, sword leveled at the city with a scowl on his face. The tanks were charging towards the city at full tilt, APCs driving along behind them as spells and ballista bolts began raining down on the field. Cannons roared, machine guns chattered, and the soldiers and crews were yelling angrily at the Equestrians. Several tanks had mounted American flags to their backs, they blew strongly in the wind as they moved towards the city, their crews were trying to ‘out nationalist’ the Equestrians. The Equestrians seemed to have their own cannons, large plumes of smoke appeared across the field as three of them opened fire.

Dominic ducked down into the turret of the tank seconds before a cannon ball slammed into the armor. The angled armor sent the ball ricocheting into the ground, Dominic emerged from the turret once again as magic bolts continued flying in vain. It seemed they hadn’t learned to combine their magic yet, the commander was a bit surprised. The battle was progressing a lot faster than he had thought, as there seemed to be a lot less defenders than anticipated. Avos fired a shell from the cannon, it streaked down the field towards one of the trebuchets and blew it to splinters. Snapping tensioned lines whipped around and injured some of the crew while others were crushed under the sheer weight of some of the wooden beams.

”Blitzkrieg!” Shouted one of the more enthusiastic tank commanders as they charged towards the town, overhead Dominic could see the USS Kirov was moving into position directly over the city. Pegasi began to fly up to engage it, but they got more than they bargained for as the Globe Corps made their debut appearance on Equestrian soil. Hundreds of shock troops tore through the feeble Equestrian defense like wet tissue paper before they landed in the city, the Equestrian dead were starting to pile up in the streets or on the roofs of houses. The trebuchets and ballistas continued firing, but by the time they had zeroed in a position the tanks and APCs had already moved past it.

By now Dominic could see the ponies faces, he slipped his sword into its scabbard and took control of the machine gun. The defenders began firing crossbow bolts at the tanks and their commanders on the machine gun. Dominic wasn’t afraid though, he began firing with the machine gun into the trenches that the Equestrians had constructed. It resulted in a bloody mess as numerous corpses began to pile up, others began taking after his example and began to lay into the Equestrian defenders full bore. Shells exploded and kicked up dirt while the Equestrians began to retreat from their fortifications into the city.

The tanks rolled over their positions, their cannons and other heavy weaponry abandoned. Dominic took note that many of the dead defenders were rather scrawny or weak looking, most likely conscripted into the army very recently. Some of them didn’t even have armor, or were sharing spears. The man shook his head quietly as the tank moved up a street. Meanwhile the APCs stopped behind them and began to unload the soldiers they were carrying while Rabbit vehicles armed with artillery pieces and anti-air weapons moved onto the field they had charged across to set up their operations.

All in all, the city’s defense had crumbled in less than an hour, many of the conscripts were quick to surrender while the more professional soldiers opted to stand and fight or to try and retreat towards Canterlot. Dominic supposed that perhaps Canterlot’s such close proximity to Ponyville had contributed to the rapid loss of morale, as it was clear that the once shining capitol of Equestria was in ruins. The only structure that seemed mildly undamaged was the Castle, and even it had bombed out sections. Of course, Dominic had his own worries about the city. It was for that reason he had asked Luna and her new unit of Lunar Marines to come up. Once the city had been secured they could move in and set up camp, but he wanted Luna on hand just in case Celestia tried to glass the city. It had been reported that she had been wounded by the crew of a B-17, but Dominic wasn’t about to take any chances.

With Ponyville now firmly under his thumb, he raised his binoculars and looked towards the city on the mountain. He had a contingency if Celestia tried any thing, in the form of high powered artillery that could reach the base of the city with ease. He didn’t believe in the destruction of cities, he hated the idea of a doomsday strategy, but he had no choice when it came to a pony wielding the power of the sun. If Celestia made any move to obliterate Ponyville, Dominic’s artillery would obliterate Canterlot by blasting it off the mountain and sending it careening to the ground. The man quietly recalled a quote from Revelations in the bible, about the seven seals.

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, and the moon became as blood…” He said softly as his tank came to a stop on the other side of the town, he was surprised that they had made it so far in such a short time. What was more surprising was the low amount of casualties the army seemed to receive.

[♠]

Celestia stared down from the edge of Canterlot in quiet shock, Ponyville had been completely conquered and she had watched it happen in less than an afternoon. Even the unpredictable weather of the Everfree Forest hadn’t been able to stop the tide of iron from washing away her soldiers. Canterlot was being evacuated of all high ranking government officials, minus the nobles, and Celestia knew that soon she would be told that she needed to leave. She was in no condition to fight, it hurt just to stand on her hooves and watch the carnage, and her wing was bandaged to her side.

The Princess sighed as she heard a pony moving up behind her, then turned to see who it was. One of her generals had approached, looking extremely pale, which was a feat in and of itself considering he had white fur. The unicorn held in his magic three separate papers, Celestia assumed there was only more bad news. The stallion saluted shakily before he offered her the three reports, as she read over them she found herself gripped by more panic than she thought possible.

Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Baltimare, Applewood, and Las Pegasus had surrendered to the invading armies of the United States and the Changeling Kingdom, and what was more there was a communique from the Griffon Kingdom. A declaration of war. The only thing keeping her from having an all out melt down was the fact that her general was standing beside her. She needed to look strong for the sake of all her soldiers, but that was growing even more difficult as she could see American planes and tanks were already on the move towards Canterlot. The Airship they had brought with them had also raised its altitude and was moving towards the city, Celestia could only assume to destroy whatever fortifications had still managed to survive the punishing bombings.

“We have to go, your highness. The chariot is ready to take you to the Crystal Empire.” The General insisted, Celestia nodded quietly, unable to speak for fear of sounding weak. She began limping along behind the general as they walked through the ruins of Canterlot, the once bustling seat of class and government had been reduced rapidly to rubble. Many ponies had died, and it looked like that was going to happen once again when the Americans marched on the city gates. What was left of the gates, at least. Despite the destruction there was still a sense of hope among the citizens whose homes had survived the bombings and the evacuees from Ponyville.

Celestia wished that she could share their optimism. As she thought about those from ponyville she found herself thinking about Twilight Sparkle, her heart tightened and she stumbled when she took a step. Her most faithful student had trusted her and she couldn’t believe she had betrayed that trust, she had been blinded by her devotion to the status quo and… Honestly, she didn’t fully see Twilight as a princess yet. She was still young, still untested, and yet Celestia had denied her a chance to grow her skills. Part of the solar princess wished she had had Twilight in the meeting with her Generals, the alicorn could have talked her out of going to war, and so many more soldiers would be alive.

As the Princess and the General arrived at the castle Celestia could see numerous tents set up on the palace grounds, housing the evacuees and ponies that had lost their homes. Many of them stopped to bow to Celestia as she passed, for the princess it felt like they were twisting a knife in her heart. They were still willing to fight and follow her, even after what had happened over the course of two days. Forty eight hours, her generals had told her the Americans would reach Ponyville in forty eight hours if they were the ones to attack first. She had attacked first, and yet they had still made their time.

As the princess approached the last chariot that would leave the city she saw Twilight and her friends were standing off to the side and talking. They cast brief glances over at the princess, they were the only ones that seemed angry at her, that made her feel even worse. They refused to get on the chariot, and Celestia doubted that they would listen to her pleading one last time. She and the general stepped up onto the chariot, Celestia wanted to call out to Twilight, to tell her how sorry she was one final time. It hadn’t helped the first twenty times, she doubted it would work the twenty first.

The pain she felt for Twilight was not nearly as strong as what she felt for her sister, Celestia’s love for Luna had felt so strong, and yet Luna had fallen in with another militaristic species. The princess was angry with herself that she couldn’t keep her sister for falling such thing again, and what was worse was that she had fallen in love. Celestia had regretted having to destroy Thestra, but Luna seemed to have gotten over the loss. The princess knew that if she attempted the same tactic with the NUS, she would not only be forced to fight her sister again, she would lose.

With a resigned sigh Celestia gave the signal for the chariot to take off, the stallions pulling it grunted and took to the sky, leaving behind so many civilians and whatever guards could be spared to try and defend the city long enough for the Princess to escape. They had been given orders to surrender when she was far enough away, Celestia watched as the airship leveled off above Canterlot and directed its guns down towards the city. The princess watched as it began to fire, but to her surprise, it wasn’t indiscriminate. The shells exploded on targets that were far from the tent city, and even as the planes began to attack they neglected the small bastion of survivors.

With their princess gone, the guards of the city waited tensely, listening to the sound of shelling that pounded their remaining positions mercilessly. Many of them lost the will to fight within minutes of the city's fourth baptism of fire, still they stood fast in their positions until they could see that Princess Celestia’s chariot had gotten far enough away. When it was not more than a speck on the horizon, a brave stallion hoisted a large pole with a large white bedsheet tied around it and stepped out into the maelstrom of cannon fire. Shells exploded around him as he waved the banner feverishly, his heart pounding in his chest as he saw one of the turrets on the ship aim directly for him. The makeshift flag caught a gust of wind, unfurling fully and becoming quite brightly lit in the light of the afternoon sun. The cannons held their fire, the sound of shelling stopped, and every pony in the city breathed a sigh of relief.

[♠]

The ponies of Canterlot stood on the sides of their once pristine streets, watching as the American army marched through their city. The clicking of boots and hooves against the streets echoed through the decimated urban center while engines of tanks, trucks, APCs and other vehicles added to the cacophony of war. Equestria had fallen. Vanhoover had been the last city to surrender to the Changeling army without a shot fired, the green of the castle grounds was still covered by the tent city while American troops marched onto the ground. These soldiers weren’t heavily armed though, they were instead carrying medical bags and other humanitarian aid.

Many of the soldiers marching in the streets came to a halt, startling many of the Equestrian civilians that had watched them enter the city. The civilians became nervous when they heard the sound of a bugle playing ‘To the color’ playing through loudspeakers on the USS Kirov. The soldiers turned towards the castle’s tallest spire where the Equestrian flag had once flown, as they did they snapped into salutes. The Equestrian flag had been replaced by the American flag which fluttered victoriously in the breeze.

“Ura!” Shouted the griffons and Russian immigrants in the American ranks, they were soon joined by the thestrals, diamond dogs, changelings, and then the entire army. Shouting over and over again as the flag continued waving, for them it seemed that the war was over. From the loudspeakers of the Kirov came the sound of the Griffon National Anthem, considering that it was captain by a Griffon, it made sense. The song had gained popularity throughout the NUS, more and more people associated it with their Griffon allies as opposed to NATO of Earth.

As Dominic looked down from the throne room he almost wished that he was one of the soldiers in the streets below, thinking that the fight had ended. However, he knew that it was anything but finished. Not until Celestia had been brought to account for what she had done. Standing beside him was Luna and Maria, looking down over the city with mixes of relief and resignation. The Crystal Empire would undoubtedly attempt to join the war, and there were bound to be resistance groups that would make things difficult for the NUS.

For Luna, getting Celestia wasn’t just a matter of ensuring the war ended properly, it was a matter of holding her accountable for the numerous thestrals that had been mistreated in the Forty Eight Hour War. Almost all of the Thestrals that hadn’t escaped had been locked in jails around the country for fear that they would start a rebellion as they had a thousand years before, thankfully they hadn’t been treated too poorly. Still Luna needed closure with her sister, she needed to know why she had done what she’d done.

Maria was glad that finally it seemed she’d be able to put her sniper rifle up for good, she felt there was actually hope for a better tomorrow with how fast the war had gone. The only cities to be truly damaged were Canterlot, Ponyville, and Appleloosa. The others had given up without much more than a strategic bombing run as a show of force. They all could be rebuilt, but unfortunately the lives lost during the Forty Eight Hour War could not. Maria sighed as she remembered the ponies she had taken the lives of less than a day before, already the sun was starting to set in the distance.

Dominic quietly turned to look over the throne room, there were three large stone thrones set up. One depicted Luna’s mark, one depicted Celestias, and the final depicted Twilight Sparkle’s. Dominic approached them as Luna and Maria continued looking out the window, his boots echoing quietly through the large hallway. The man rubbed his chin as he looked at Celestia’s throne, once again he felt something welling up in his chest. It pushed past his feelings of doubt and anger, past his thoughts on the troubles that would come from the end of the Forty Eight Hour War. He had built a nation that had defeated the world's largest military, a nation that had brought a superpower to its knees in a matter of days. In two days he had expanded the borders of his country to consist of almost an entire continent, and it was set to increase further if he let the Griffon’s have their way. Infact he would need the griffons and the changelings to help keep control of the NUS vast new land holdings.

Dominic quietly ascended the steps to the throne, adjusting his officer’s cap as he reached the top step and looked at Celestia’s chair. A new super state was poised to form on the world stage, he had already taken in the NC, the CNG, the Diamond Dog confederacy, he could convince Chrysalis and the Griffon kingdom to join him as well. The ambition that filled him felt like it stemmed from his very blood, he was an Italian, a descendant of Rome, and now it seemed that every ancestor in his family was resting their hand on his shoulder. The man knew that ambition was dangerous, but he also knew that it would be best to strike while the iron was hot. He wouldn’t force the others to join him, it would be completely voluntary.

The man quietly ran a hand across one of the armrests on Celestia’s throne, shivering in anticipation as he felt the cold marble against his skin. As he stood there he could hear more chanting from outside, chanting that he had heard after the Battle of Denver, chanting that he had heard at the end of the Changeling-American war. The soldiers were chanting his last name, in that moment he felt a weight become lifted from his shoulders. All his life he had worried about what legacy he would leave behind, and now he knew it would be one of greatness. A twenty year old who hadn’t even finished high school now controlled a nation of such power. He could do anything.

The man quietly paused, thinking back on his history and knowing that absolute power would corrupt him, he would need to oversee the creation of a congress to better handle day to day issues. He would also make Luna his equal, with her experience she could guide him through the new political landscape and keep him in check if his ambitions ever blinded him.

The man paused and looked at the throne, taking a mild step back from it as he silently thought once more. Did he really want to take such a daunting task? Did he want to put the ones he loved through such turmoil, was that what he really wanted for his life? Dominic shook his head softly and took another step away from Celestia’s throne, the man paused as he felt himself bump into something soft. The man turned to find the source, and found it was none other than Luna’s wing. She looked at him with a faintly sad smile.

“Frightening… Isn’t it?” Luna asked as she took a seat on the floor, Maria was watching from afar down the steps, most likely worried about him. “To know you wield such power you could rule with impunity…” Dominic nodded quietly as he looked back at the throne, he heard Luna sigh softly before she gestured for Maria to come closer. The woman walked up the steps and stood beside Dominic and the alicorn. “I… I have something I need to tell you both.” Dominic and Maria looked at her with raised eyebrows. “Discord and I have discovered how your species truly reacts to magic… It’s fascinating, and for some it may be... terrifying…”

“Why are you telling me this now?” Dominic asked, Luna quietly gestured to the throne in front of him.

“Because before you make any choice, you must have all the facts. We, Maria and I, shall support you either way, right?” Luna continued, Maria nodded quietly, though she seemed rather confused. “Your species absorbs magic like a battery… Your bodies take it and turn it inwards… In words you may better understand, you have a ‘healing factor’.” Dominic and Maria remained quietly, partially stunned, hanging on Luna’s every syllable. “You aren’t invincible by any means, but… You are destined to live as long as I or my sister, or any other alicorn. You will stop aging when you reach full maturity.”

“Y-You’re saying…. Barring any sort of external factor, like getting shot or stabbed…. Humans on this planet will live forever?” Dominic asked in a rather stunned tone, Luna nodded quietly. “This is hardly the time for joke’s, Luna…”

“It is no joke, Dominic…” Luna said in a serious tone, Maria stared at her quietly as Dominic rubbed his chin again as he tried to comprehend what was happening. Luna was surprised that they were both still standing, honestly. She had worried that they would faint at the revelation, but she could see she had trained them both well to keep their calm, as hard as it seemed. “Now that you know… I hope you aren’t angry with me for keeping it from you for so long. I was unsure how you would react.”

“I’m unsure how to react.” Maria said quietly as she rubbed her head and took a couple deep breaths. “I’m even less sure how the rest of our species will react.” Dominic tuned them out as his head span with more and more possibilities, if it was the case that they would live for so long, a hundred years of serving as head of state would be very much possible. He’d have much more time to work things out, much more time to think things through. More time to spend with Luna and Maria, more time to create a future that didn’t rely on his skill as a leader or a soldier. The daunting task before him seemed far less daunting. In the turbulent times that would come from the war that seemed to be brewing with the Crystal Empire and what the revelation of the Human Healing Factor, Dominic knew that his nation would need a guiding hand.

Dominic quietly set his hand on the throne’s armrest one final time before he finally gulped and took the plunge. Luna and Maria watched as he sat on Celestia’s throne, symbolically claiming it, and by extension Equestria, as his. He was a bit surprised to see Luna smile a bit more. Little did he know she was smiling as she witnessed the culmination of her teachings, Dominic’s self doubt had all but been eliminated, and as a result he was ready to take on something he never would’ve thought possible when he had come to Equestria little over a year and a half before.

The NUS had outgrown its humble beginnings and its name, from a ghost town in the middle of the desert to a super power, it was deserving of a name that fit its new culture. The United States of America would forever be remembered, that had been Dominic’s goal since the beginning, and now that it was completed he felt it was time for a change. It was there that he resolved that from henceforth, citizens of the nation he had built would be known as ‘Onorussians’. Dominic derived it from the name Onorus, a hero of Thestral myth, a battle maiden that stood guard over thestrals during Luna’s banishment.

“We have much work to do...” Dominic said simply as he looked to one of the windows, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “First and foremost is to convince Cadence and Shining Armor that is in their best interest not to send troops here.” The man sighed quietly as he stood up out of Celestia’s old throne. “For now though… Let’s take a moment of rest.”

Author's Notes:

Welp! Here's another one for you guys. I hope you like the direction I'm starting to take this in, as Dominic is finally 'Taking the training wheels off'. As always let me know what you think in the comments, I love reading your feedback.

As always, here's your clip of the day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiCoLlHaVck