Chapter 14

                                                                   The Second Assault

                                 "War is not won by brute force but with a cunning mind."

                                          Luna Evictus                                                                  

“Finally decided to join the fun my lord,” Moondancer said trotting up to Spike.

The purple dragon ignored the unicorn, his attention focused on the charred corpses in the alley before him. “Fools,” he mumbled before turning to the fuchsia mare.

“It seems your forces have had some new additions Moondancer.”

“Yes surprised me as well they just started following us,” Moondancer said with a smirk,” they must be fed up with the Earthborn.”

“Makes sense,” Spike looked to the sky then back at Moonddancer,” tend the wounded and set up a parameter.”

The fuchsia unicorn bowed,” Yes my lord.”

With that Spike took to the air and made his way toward the city wall leaving Moondancer to her orders.

Landing on the city wall overlooking the battle Puzzle Box surveyed the battle. The Earthborn army was doing a good job at holding Snails and the Brood back but the two forces were matched evenly. Out of the corner of his eye the black unicorn saw Spike land beside him.

“We’re ready for Phase Two my lord.”

Spike nodded and brought a claw up to his comcrystal ,” General Sentry begin the second assault and take as many prisoners as you can there have been enough deaths today.”

“Yes sir,” came the replay. Puzzle Box cast a glance Spike’s way. Something was clearly bothering the dragon but it wasn’t his place to say.  

“Shall I regroup with the Spymaster my lord?” Puzzle Box asked with a bow.

“That would be wise,” the dragon said his gaze fixed on the battle below.

“Yes my lord,” the black stallion said before taking off.

Spike’s face darkened and smoke billowed out of his nostrils as he thought back to the ponies he had roasted in the alley way.

“Fools,” the dragon growled as he watched the second wave come over the horizon.  

On the battlefield Applejack and Snails were still locked in combat but both were showing signs of exhaustion. Sweat poured from Snails’ brow and bruises and cuts marred his body. The stallion’s armor had long since run out of power unable to heal his wounds but the massive unicorn still fought on.  Applejack stubbornly fought on as well despite the damage that had been done to her. The orange mare sported a gash on the side of her head; the wound still weeping blood and her armor was dented and broken in many places, the steel plates made useless by the damage it had sustained.  The two warriors glared at each other as they circled each other.

“Ah’m surprised you’ve lasted this long unicorn,” Applejack said as she spat out a glob of bllod.

“As am I,” Snails rumbled as he brought his warhammer up in his magic. Sparks were flying from the tip of his synthetic horn. Snails grimaced as pain lanced through his skull at the magical exhaustion he was feeling.

‘I need to end this now,’ Snails thought as he glared at the earth pony before him.

Applejack then rushed the unicorn and whipped her body around, slamming her warhammer into the unicorn’s side. Snails felt his ribs buckle and crack from the force of the blow but fought through the pain as he latched onto the orange mare’s long blonde tail. Rearing up onto his hind legs the massive stallion pulled a very surprised Applejack off her hooves and feel backwards, slamming the earth pony into the ground. Applejack landed hard on her right foreleg and hissed in pain as she felt the bones snap. It was out of sheer will she didn’t scream in pain. The orange mare tried to get up but her body refused to obey from the pain and exhaustion she was feeling. Snails struggled to his hooves and with the last bit of his strength  limped toward Applejack.

"Well finish it," She mumbled before slipping out of consciousness

Before he could reply a pony-at-arms slammed into him with the intent to avenge his fallen leader. Snails was bowled over onto his side, too exhausted to get up the massive stallion watched as the pony-at-arms reared up, poised to crush his skull with her armored fore hooves. Snails closed his eyes accepting his fate the ghost of a smile pulling at his lips but the blow did not come. Looking up the unicorn saw a look of surprise on the pony-at-arms face and a crossbow bolt protruding from her throat. With a whimper she fell over as a pegasus landed beside Snails.

"Sir are you alright?"

A chuckle escapes his dried lips as if the question was funny before everything fades to black for him just as the pegasus calls for a medic.

Spike flew over the battlefield just as the second wave clashed with the now retreating Earthborn forces.

"The battle is ours," the dragon mumbled as he angled himself down toward a pair of medics. As he lands Spike notices they are tending to Snails and what looks to be an Earthborn general. They instantly salute when they see the dragon as he made his way toward them.

"How is he?" Spike said his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Normally I'd say his road to recovery would be long," one medic said," but the way I've seen these Brood recover he'll be back on his hooves in two weeks tops."

One of the other medics cut in," It's hard to believe a single earth pony could do so much damage to the Harbinger."

"A single pony did this to him?" Spike asked his eyebrow raised.

The first medic nods and points to the other pony the medics are tending. Spike instantly recognizes who it is. A pony he hadn't seen in years and had commanded his respect for even longer, Applejack.

"Will she live?" the dragon rumbled as he walked toward the orange mare's unconscious form.

"Yes she has several broken bones and even more fractures but she will indeed live."

The dragon's features darken as he gazed at the prone mare.

'I should kill her,'  Spike thought grimly but he knew he would need the information she had. She would be invaluable to House Brightflame. turning toward the medics he spoke," She to it she is taken well care of and if I find out she dies there will be retribution."

With that the purple dragon took to the air leaving behind the medics with genuine fear in their eyes.  

Flash Sentry and his forces clashed with the already dwindling Earthborn forces and took to capturing any survivors instead of killing them. The orange pegasus dodged a blade meant to gore him a gave the pony that tried to assault him a hard buck upside his head. Rounding quickly Flash flipped through the air over the earthborn stallion and delivered a second buck into the side of his skull. The stallion crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

'Another one bites the dust,' Flash thought giddily. The orange stallion was surprised that Lord Pyrequill had given the order to capture instead of kill but was glad he did all the same. Suddenly Dustwind landed beside him her tan coat damp with sweat.

"Sir they're beginning to surrender and the Brood force has made it to the wall but have met a battalion of Earthborn at the gates."

"Good lets go help 'em out."

Yes sir," she said with a salute as they both took to the sky."

Flash activated his comcrystal," Pegasi with me lets help out the Brood."

Upon hearing the order the Harmony core's pegasi took to the sky and made a beeline toward the wall.  At the gates into the city the Brood were locked in combat and were slowly pushing the Earthborn back into the city. Above them the fighting ponies heard a war cry from above as Flash and his company descended upon the Earthborn like wyverns upon unsuspecting prey. Flash landed hard on the back of a pony-at-arms that was about to deliver a killing blow to a Brood unicorn. jumping off the pony-at-arms back Flash placed himself between the unicorn and the earth pony, who was struggling to get on his hooves. Deciding not to give the other stallion a chance he rushed the pony-at-arms and delivered a flying kick into the stallions skull. Once Flash was sure the earth pony was out cold he galloped to the injured unicorn to see she had gored in the side her armor peeled back. The wound was bad but she would live.  

"Tkank ya mate," she said between gritted teeth," woulda been food fer the ravens if ya hadn't showed up."

Flash nodded to her and slammed a fore hoof into the jaw of a pony-at-arms that tried to rush him and delivered a kick into her throat as she reared back from the first blow. The earth mare fell to the ground gasping for breath and Flash slammed a fore hoof into the side of her skull knocking her out. Turning to the unicorn mare he asked if she could stand.

"Yeh not as bad as it looks," She said struggling to her hooves," Firesprites meh name I- look out!"

Before he could react, Firesprite sent a fire ball from the tip of her horn, engulfing a juggernaut that would have slammed into Flash's side, cooking him in his armor.

"Thanks," Flash said with a smirk.

"Yer welcome," the unicorn said," now we're even."

With that the pair threw themselves into the battle. The Brood with the aid of the pegasi under Flash's command were able to break through into the city, giving the main force entry into the city.

Moondancer had been able to effectively secure a parameter, any Earthborn that approached it were dealt with quickly. By now the Earthborn were dwindling. It wasn't a matter of if Brightflame would take control of the city but when and with the aid of the citizens themselves it wouldn't take long. Moondancer looked up form the wound she was tending on the foreleg of one of the dehorned unicorn mares when Puzzle Box landed beside her.

"Ma'am the main force has begun the second assault," the black stallion said with a salute.

"Good," the fuchsia mare said as she finished the healing spell she had been casting," alright there you go."

"Thank you Ma'am," the mare said," for everything."

With a smile Moondancer nodded and the mare walked off to see if she could aid anyone herself.

"The city is almost ours," she said turning to Puzzle," you've done well."

"Thank you Spymaster," the black stallion said with a bow.

"You are welcome Box," Moondancer said," once this is all done drinks are on me."

"Hope you got enough bits," Puzzle chuckled.

Moondancer let out a hearty laugh, her serrated teeth glistened in the sunlight and the two separated and began tending to the wounded.

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