Imperial forces stopped five miles north of Appleloosa to wait for supplies, reinforcements, and support from the IRAF. The soldiers began setting up their tents as General Potter was talking with Colonel Longbottom about a plan to keep the Lennex forces from escaping.
"I believe the best way to keep them from getting away is to surround the town." General Potter suggested.
"What about my men?" Asked Colonel Longbottom. "We could cut down any enemy that tries to flee the town. We're fast and can catch them pretty quickly if we need to."
"Maybe we should let the Emperor know what is going on and get his advice." General Potter said. He went to the holonet and contacted the Emperor. A few seconds later, the Emperor's image appeared along with Luna. What shocked both Potter and Longbottom was that the Emperor was covered with dirt along with some blood splattered across his face and uniform. Before they could ask, Matthew spoke.
"How goes the progress on your front?" He asked.
"We would like to report that we are five miles north of Appleloosa and are awaiting reinforcements. We're working to figure out a plan to take Appleloosa, but can't seem to decide on what to do." Colonel Longbottom explained. Matthew brought his right hand to his chin, lips tightened together as his eyes narrowed. His face going from pleasant to powerful emperor in only a few seconds.
"What are your plans?" His voice went from easy going to straight to business.
"My plan is to surround the town and cut off all possible retreat routes while Longbottom thinks we should to attack head on, and when the enemy goes into retreat, his men charge after them." Potter explained.
"I don't want a single Lennex soldier to get away," Matthew said. "We need to make sure they pay for what they've done. Surround the town, and if any do get out, Colonel Longbottom, you and your cavalry will pursue them."
"If I may," Luna interrupted, "maybe you could capture as many as you can instead of wiping out a whole army. As much as I want them to pay for attacking us, I would not want to become a murderer like them. But one thing I'm wondering is why you all are determined to kill every last one of them. I mean, I know you most likely want to avenge the fleet you've lost, but isn't this a little too much?" The three of them looked at her, anger appearing in their facial features. Luna took a step back from the killer intent that was being unleashed.
"You weren't there when it happened," TK said as he appeared on the holonet. He had walked into the tent as Luna asked her question. "Every one of us were, along with other Imperial leaders that will be arriving with more men later. Some of us were more involved than others." He finished while looking at Matthew. Luna's brow furrowed as she looked between Matthew and TK with a wordless question on her lips. She knew that the Imperial leaders were not the type to stay behind while their soldiers did all the work, but she would've thought they would not get involved in a place that was attacked and still considered a danger zone. The Emperor, or any other leader, was a major target, so them being in the middle of everything meant that they could be shot when they were sighted, but they didn't seem to care.
"What do you mean by 'more involved than others'?" She asked. Matthew took a deep breath.
"Most of us were scheduled to visit the fleet for a routine checkup," he began. "TK and I were on one of the smaller patrol boats heading for one of the cruisers when Lennex planes appeared and attacked it. We turned the boat around to the rest of the fleet as more Lennex aircraft attacked. Some of our best ships were hit, either damaging or sinking them. Before we could get anywhere, the Freedom began capsizing. Our boat, along with four others, had to turn hard starboard to get away from it. By the time she finished, the ship was completely capsized. We went over to the ship and began to cut into the hull, trying to get to the crew. We managed to cut a small hole for the trapped sailors to see us, but they couldn't get through it. One of them was a sailor that was with me during the Civil War when we were attacking Fort Cole. He grabbed my hand and told me it was an honor to serve under me. I kept telling him not to talk like that, that he would be alright. That was the last time we spoke. The water flooded the compartment he was in, drowning him. We couldn't get to them in time. We returned to the hospital and found many of the sailors, marines, pilots, soldiers, and civilians were there. All I can remember hearing is the cries of the wounded and seeing the pain they were in. The whole thing was my fault. If I wasn't there, the attack wouldn't have happened." Matthew's face held a lot of pain as he finished what happened. Tears were beginning to fall from his eyes as he remembered that day.
"Come on, dad," said TK. "You know darn well that they would've attacked the fleet either way. Even if it was minor senator or an Imperial officer, that fleet would've gotten hit." TK tried to get Matthew to stop blaming himself for it, but to no use.
"Personally, I believe that we have a spy within the Imperial Government." Colonel Longbottom injected. There have been reports of spies allowing the Lennex forces to strike where the Imperial forces were undermanned and low on supplies. The local militia in those areas were overwhelmed and wiped out. The Lennex papers reported whole Imperial armies being destroyed, but many locals took up arms when they heard militia were being killed without mercy. After the first few times, Imperial forces rallied and fought back with a vengeance. Armies like Guardian Force and the Emperor's Guard held them at multiple choke points, allowing more Imperial forces to arrive and help push them back.
"You're sure about that idea, Colonel?" TK asked. Before Longbottom could reply, Celestia, Colonel Wilkes, and an unknown soldier appeared on the holonet.
"Sorry if we were interrupting anything, but we're here to report on our progress, as well as introduce an ally we found. We'll let him explain who he and his men are." Celestia told them. The unknown soldier began to speak.
"My name's Desert Rat. Now, I don't know you or if I trust you or what you are planning, I'd advise against nearing Cactus Range. I am the sheriff of that town and I have been dealing with armies trying to take my town. Let me show you guys what me and my team have done recently." The soldier said in a tone that said 'prove to him that you are lying and you are dead'. The video image showed six armies of corpses and burned out tanks. the one thing that was common was the look of terror on the dead soldiers.
"Looks like the time we wiped out ten Dragon armies, dad." TK told Matthew. Matthew nodded, remembering when the Dragon Empire charged the 1st and Emperor's Guard. The fight lasted a few hours, but the results were a great Imperial victory with over half a million Dragon soldiers dead.
"I believe your town is between Appleloosa and the Badlands, correct?"
"It is. Now, how can I know that you and your army won't try to take the town?" Suddenly, a tan woman appeared.
"Des, we got another attack coming!" She exclaimed.
"Go get the others and block them off! Go!" The gruff man looked back into the holonet projector. "I must go."
"Before you do, After the 5th takes Appleloosa, I want them to send men to the Badlands to support the Marines and Celestia's Guard, but by the looks of it, the entire 5th will be sent that way. When they arrive, try to work with them, just as you're working with the Marines. They can help you push the enemy back and counterattack into the Badlands. Also, don't worry about Dodge Junction. The 7th and 8th armies arrived a few days ago and are marching that way." Matthew ordered.
"Right away, sir!" Both Potter and Longbottom replied.
Desert looked away for a bit and mumbled to himself over the details. "Alright, fine, your army can come to my town, but I warn you here and now, if a single troop acts out of line or threatens my people, if I get a notion of false pretenses from your men, you can say goodnight to them for they will have their eternal nap. Am I clear?"
"Trust me, you won't have any issues from the 5th. They're the finest soldiers for this type of warfare and have the best experience in many battles. They were with me in the Battle of Drago. They also have the 4th best cavalry of the Imperial forces. The Death Head Brigade packs a big punch in battle and they will follow the orders that General Potter gives. When he arrives, debrief him on everything that is going on." TK said.
"Fine, now, gentle beings, I bid you adieu." He flickers out before anything else could be said.
"I hope he proves to be a good ally, Celestia." Matthew said.
"He will," she replied. "He's been raiding Lennex forces in this area, but they've never been able to do much in the way of 'liberating'. The enemy always had more troops and, from what we saw, they never sent in those robots." As soon as those words left her mouth, Matthew, TK, Potter, Longbottom, and Wilkes all froze.
"Did you say 'robots'?" TK asked. Celestia nodded her head. "Well, aint that just great. I thought we would be fighting Lennex clones, not Lennex clones and droids!"
"I'm calling for the newer forces," Potter said. "We'll need them to take Manehatten."
"That is where they're most likely at," Matthew said. "Have the supplies arrived yet?" He asked Potter.
"They arrived a few minutes ago, as well as the planes for my forces." He replied.
"Then roll out. Whatever plan you decide, you know what to do." Everyone got off the holonet as Braeburn and Pinkie walked in.
"I just got the order to move out again," Potter told them. "We will need to surround the city. If any of them try to get away Colonel Longbottom and his men will run them down. What can you tell us about the town, Braeburn?"
"It's not very big, but there will be places to hide. I was part of the force defending it when we came under attack. We were overwhelmed and they picked me out to be taken hostage. All I can say is that the places we used were no match for their forces. By the looks of it, I'd say they'll use the places we did." Braeburn finished.
"With your permission, sir, I would like to go get the men together." Longbottom saluted his general and left the tent. After an hour's wait the 5th was on the move again. General Potter was still wondering if he should wipe out the whole enemy force or at least capture some to extract some information from. He remembered when Matthew was a merciful Emperor, always preferring to take prisoners instead of wiping out the whole enemy army. He began to suspect the change occurred when he first heard of what was happening. The attack on the fleet didn't help matters as it just made him even more determined to destroy the Lennex forces. During the entire drive south, he sat in his jeep thinking over his plan. For the Imperial soldiers, this fight would be a major victory and the big morale boost that they needed after the fleet's destruction to keep up the fight. He had seen what his home had been through and what war had brought to the people of the lands they invaded. Even if they were considered liberators to the people, they were still invaders. He was glad that this time they were actually being liberators, but was worried about what the people would call them. To them, the Imperial forces could just be considered another group that was here to conquer them. Before he could think anymore, his forces stopped near the edge of a hill.
"This is the hill outside Appleloosa." Said Braeburn. General Potter nodded as he got out of the jeep and contacted the Emperor's HQ before the battle began. Matthew and TKs image appeared.
"We've arrived outside Appleloosa," He said. "I plan to surround the town and cut off all retreat. Also, I plan to take as many prisoners as I can. We might be able to get some more info into what the enemy's full plan is." He waited to hear Matthew's response, not knowing what it would be. To his surprise, he just nodded his head.
"Capture at least ten high ranking officers," Matthew said. "But I want the bulk of that force either killed or captured."
"Yes, sir!" Potter replied. "I shall have the town by nightfall." He turned off his holonet and returned to the edge of the hill where his spotters were observing the enemy troops.
"Sir, by the looks of it, they've flooded the areas east, west, and south of them. The way we're coming from is the only way in." The lead spotter said.
"Good work, Winston." Potter told him. Braeburn walked over and brought up some binoculars, looking over to the east. When he did, his face quickly went from pleasant to angry.
"They destroyed the Apple Orchard," he said. "It took us years to fully grow it, and they just went and destroyed it." Pinkie walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Braeburn looked at Pinkie's reassuring smile before giving a weak smile of his own. "Sorry."
"Don't worry, Braeburn," Pinkie smiled, "we can help you grow a brand new Apple Orchard."
"We can also provide you with some trees from the empire as well." General Potter added as Braeburn's smile widened.
"Thanks." He replied, tears streaming down his cheeks. The next thing he knew, he felt a hand grasp his. He looked down and saw Pinkie holding it. He gave her hand a tiny squeeze, showing his appreciation for the gesture. Before he could say anything, Winston interrupted.
"Sir, I see at least three understrength battalions, along with about twenty-five tanks. One of which is a droid tank. There are also ten artillery pieces, heavy ones. As for trying to surround the town, that's not going to happen. They turned the surrounding area into a swamp." He reported.
"Any sign of cavalry?" Potter asked. Winston shook his head "no". "What about the civilians?"
"They're being forced to bow down to a statue in the middle of the town. It seems to be made of wood." Winston said. "If I may be so bold, I suggest that we send in a commando team to take out that tank before we advance. If we don't, that tank will blast us before we get into range." Although Imperial tanks have been successful against the main Lennex tank, they were no match for the droid tank's greater range and firepower. If that tank opened fire on even the most powerful Imperial tank, the Imperial tank would be wiped out. The main way Imperial forces had wiped them out was by quickly maneuvering and getting into range so their own guns could wipe them from the field, but it always came at a terrible price. Just when he was about to decide on what to do, they heard a strange noise from the rear of the Imperial troops. When they looked, they saw a large number of strange ships arriving and dropping off soldiers that wore the same type of armor that Yuri wore. The leader of the men walked up to General Potter and saluted him.
"Commander Price of the 12th Imperial Special Forces Army." The Commander introduced himself. "We're here to join up with your army. We were assigned to your army by the Emperor before we left the fleet." When Potter looked around, and after doing a quick head count, he saw that his men were now bolstered with about another one million infantry.
"Despite you all being clones, you are the best soldiers for the operation I have in mind. I want you to send in some men to wipe out a tank in the town. After that, keep a small number of those men busy while we move against the main force. Keep as many off us as you can." Potter ordered. Commander Price nodded his head and turned to his men.
"Charlie Squad!" He shouted. "Get over here now!" He waited until ten men ran in front of him before speaking again. "I have a job for you men. You are to sneak into the town and get rid of a droid tank. After that, cause as much damage as you can. Understood?"
"Sir, yes, sir!" Charlie squad gathered their gear and headed for the town. As they snuck around through the swamps, Imperial snipers took positions up on the hill. As soon as they spotted the Lennex officers, the snipers opened fire, killing them. As the Lennex forces began to scatter to find cover, their tanks began to head out to the hill. When they were in range, they fired at the Imperial snipers.
"Let's get out of here!" The officer yelled. They ran from the hillside as the Lennex tanks pursued them. As the droid tank went by the swamp where Charlie Squad was hiding, it turned right in an attempt to outflank the Imperial forces.
"Wait for it, NOW, Bullseye!" The soldier opened up with his Anti-Tank weapon and scored a direct hit on it, knocking the beast out of action. Smoke began pouring out from where the rocket had hit it as sparks flew from the destroyed wires of the crew and machine. "One clanker tank scrapped." The squad began moving into town through the swamps. Bullseye looked back at the tank. He lifted his helmet and spat at the tank, remembering the soldiers lost in countless engagements against those tanks. He remembered being at the front lines when the Lennex Empire launched an invasion of Imperial territory, when he was first sent into battle. He remembered the feel of battle, how his heart raced from fear and excitement from the uncertainty of real combat.
When the doors to his transport opened, he rushed right into the fire, not caring about anything but the fight. When he stopped next to an Anti-Tank weapon, he saw the Lennex tanks nearing the front. Imperial tanks tried to destroy them, only to have their shells bounce off. He ran behind some sandbags as the gun that he was near a few seconds ago was blown up by a blast from the new Lennex tanks. The faces of the crew were of pain as blood gushed from their wounds spilling onto the ground around them, turning the once green grass, dark red. Right next to him was a brand new Anti-Tank weapon. He picked it up, and fired it at the tank, destroying it. Before he could celebrate, a droid came up and knocked him to the ground. All he saw was the barrel of the blaster looking down at him before he shut his eyes, waiting for his end. The next thing he knew, the droid had it's head blasted off and his squad was rushing to help him. That was all he remembered before fainting. Now, he was a veteran soldier, preparing for the largest war the Imperial Forces had ever seen.
"Bullseye, snap out of it!" Crackshot, the squad leader, ordered. "Stay focused on the mission." Charlie Squad moved into one of the alleys to await further orders.
Meanwhile, the main Imperial forces were waiting for the Lennex troops to make it over the hill. When the Lennex forces made it over the slope, both sides opened fire. While Imperial tanks were able to knock out a few Lennex tanks, the infantry on both sides were locked in a stalemate. When Imperial Infantry began to push the Lennex infantry back, the heavy Lennex artillery would begin pounding them and vice versa for the Lennex infantry. It wasn't long before Imperial numbers began to finally push the Lennex troops back. Braeburn, who was in the middle of the fight, was swinging his axe at a Lennex officer. Every time he tried to hit him, the officer blocked him. The officer soon tripped him, forcing him to fall on his back.
"Braeburn!" Yelled Pinkie. Just as it seemed to be the end of him, an Imperial soldier ran up and stabbed the officer in the stomach with his bayonet. Blood rushed from the wound onto Braeburn. Braeburn got up just as the soldier took his bayonet out, blood streaming all the way to the barrel of the gun.
"Thanks." Braeburn mentioned. The soldier turned and smiled.
"My pleasure, friend," the soldier replied. "The name's Joe Johnson. I wasn't just going to let an ally just die when I couldn't do something to help." Braeburn shook Joe's hand as Pinkie ran up to them, happy that her friend was still alive.
"Thank you for saving him," said Pinkie. She turned to Braeburn and grabbed him in a massive hug. "I thought that would be the end of you." Braeburn's face soon began turning blue from the lack of oxygen.
"Pinkie, I can't breathe." He said. Pinkie let go, allowing color to return to his face. Before they could do anything else, they heard a rumble to the west. As they looked up to the sky, they saw the Lennex Air Force arriving. Over one hundred planes were heading right for the Imperial troops. One fighter dove right for them and opened fire. They got out of the line of fire just in time before another plane also began attacking the Imperial forces, killing ten men. Braeburn and Pinkie got up and saw a third plane aiming at them. Before they could run, the plane was suddenly shot down. They looked around and saw twenty-five fighters from the IRAF joining the battle.
"This is Hawk Eye Leader, we are coming up on multiple enemy targets." The lead pilot said.
"About blasted time you showed up!" Potter yelled into his radio at the pilot. "You're late again!"
"Don't worry, sir," the pilot said. "We'll handle these planes. You just take the town." The IRAF began their fight with the Lennex Royal Air Force. As pilots on both sides fought to get an advantage, one Imperial pilot was in trouble.
"This is Hawk Eye four, I got a bandit on my six." The Lennex pilot opened fire, spraying machine gun fire into the plane. The Imperial pilot looked back and saw a few holes in his plane's wing, leaking trails of smoke. "I need some help when you can!" More machine gun fire flew past the right side of the cockpit, causing the pilot to try and bank hard left down to avoid it, but the Lennex pilot continued to give chase.
"This is Hawk Eye nine, I got the bogey in my sights." The new Imperial pilot came up behind the Lennex plane and opened fire with his machine gun, soon turning the plane into a piece of falling burning debris.
"Thanks, now, let's finish the rest of these planes off!" Both pilots flew back into the fight, each coming up on the six of two more Lennex planes. They locked onto their targets and peppered the planes, dooming the two Lennex pilots.
Meanwhile, the ground forces had just begun moving into Appleloosa and were facing heavy resistance. As one of the tanks moved down the main road, it was hit by the Lennex heavy artillery, knocking it out of action. The tank's engine soon caught on fire. Just as the crew was trying to get out, the tank exploded, propelling the few that escaped a few feet away from it. As one of the injured crew members tried to crawl away, he was shot in the left leg, making him stop and grab the injury.
At that moment, Fluttershy and Applejack, both of whom had agreed to be medics and get the injured out, ran to the soldier with Big Mac and Caramel protecting them.
"We need to get him to safety," Fluttershy said. "Big Mac, do you think you can carry him to the hospital?" She asked as she turned to him, only to find a Lennex soldier running right for them. "Look out!" Both Big Mac and Caramel grabbed the soldier's weapon and held him back.
"Big Mac, you get the soldier out of here," Caramel began. "I'll hold this guy off." Big Mac looked at Caramel, not knowing what to do. He knew that Caramel could hold his own, but was worried for his sister's boyfriend. "I'll be fine. I'm not going to let this guy win easily." Big Mac nodded and went to where Fluttershy and Applejack were helping the soldier up. He and Fluttershy carried the wounded man back to the rear as Applejack ran out to help Caramel.
She ran over to where he was and jumped on the Lennex soldiers back. As he tried to get her off he let go of his weapon, allowing Caramel to take it. Applejack jumped off, throwing a quick kick into the soldier's back. He turned around and was about to attack her when a voice distracted him.
"Leaver her alone!" The soldier turned, only to be shot in the heart by Caramel. When the soldier fell, Caramel was in shock. He had just killed a man for the first time. All he could do was drop the weapon and fall to the ground on his knees. Applejack rushed towards him with wince and concern flashing in her eyes. Just when she was about to reach him, Applejack noticed another Lennex soldier heading right for him.
"CARAMEL, LOOK OUT!" He turned to look at Applejack, only to be shot in his arm. Caramel grabbed his injury, feeling the blood pouring out of the wound. Applejack ran for him, intent on protecting him from the soldier that was going towards him to finish him off. She got there in time to push the gun away and punched the Lennex soldier in the face, ripping the gun from his hands. As the soldier ran for her, he was hit with a spear that was thrown at him. Applejack and Caramel looked at the direction the spear came from to see Chief Thunderhooves running towards them, along with General Potter, Braeburn, and Pinkie Pie.
"Are you two alright?" Potter asked, worried by what he had just seen. When Pinkie looked at Caramel's injured arm, her hair flattened, and she began to get a crazy look in her face, her smile turned into a frown.
"YOU HURT MY FRIEND!" She yelled. "I"M GOING TO MAKE YOU PAY!" She grabbed a bazooka out of nowhere and fired it at a nearby building, leveling it to the ground. The other five just looked at her, all except Applejack, not knowing what was going on.
"Looks like Pinkie's at it again," She said. "When she gets like this, it's better to just keep away from her rage." The others nodded and backed off, allowing Pinkie to continue firing her bazooka, leveling many of the buildings. Braeburn decided to try and calm her down and bravely walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Just like with what she did for him, he did the same and as Pinkie began to relax, her hair began reverting to it's normal state. Braeburn's eyes soon widened, and he pushed both him and Pinkie to the ground, protecting her from a captured Imperial machine gun.
"They're using our own guns against us!" Potter shouted, knowing the sound of the gun anywhere. A nearby Imperial officer ran for the machine gun emplacement, only to be shredded by the Lennex guns.
"This is Earthquake Leader, we're nearing Appleloosa at this exact moment." Another group of Imperial planes began diving on the Lennex troops, dropping their bombs and firing for effect, giving the Imperial infantry a clear run to the town hall. General Potter was about to go with them until he got a message on his holocommunicator. He turned it on just as Crackshot began speaking.
"Sir, we've taken control of the heavy guns and freed the population while we were at it," he stated, "no loses." General Potter breathed a sigh of relief that the guns were out and that the Imperial infantry were storming the final building. He looked at the rooftop to see the remaining Lennex forces surrender as the Imperial flag began flying over Town Hall. Before he could finally relax, however, Colonel Longbottom rode up with bad news.
"General, the Lennex cavalry has been sighted riding towards us," he said. "With your permission, I will take my forces and intercept them before they attack the town." Colonel Longbottom and his forces were well suited for any type of warfare, due to them fighting in many areas before officially joining the 5th Army. General Potter nodded just as Chief Thunderhooves got onto his horse.
"My warriors will help," he added. "We've been wanting payback, and this will be the best time for it." Colonel Longbottom nodded, as the two rode off to join their forces. When they arrived, the Imperial cavalry and the Buffalo riders were ready to fight. When they spotted the Lennex forces, they began to ride out towards them. When they were within two-hundred yards of each other, both sides went into a full gallop. Imperial sabers and Buffalo lances pointed right towards the Lennex forces, whom had their sabers pointing right at the allied force. A few seconds later, both sides collided, horses running right through the opposing force, until the riders were met by their enemies. Sabers clashed as the Buffalo riders spears were driven into the Lennex horsemen. Imperial Dragoons soon rode up and began shooting at some of the Lennex forces from the flanks as Imperial heavy cavalry hit the other flank.
Both sides were evenly matched in numbers, but, eventually, the allied cavalry began to be too much for the Lennex forces, causing them to rout after a two hour engagement. With the remaining Lennex forces surrendering or retreating, Appleloosa was finally freed.
At the Imperial HQ tent, General Potter contacted the others about the news. He found them all talking with the Emperor and TK on the holonet.
"I am pleased to announce that Appleloosa has been liberated!" He said. The cheer that came from the Imperial forces on the other fronts shook the earth, like an earthquake.
"That is very good news indeed," Matthew said. "General Baker and General Patten have fully secured their places. There was a counterattack at Cloudsdale, but that didn't last long with the IRAF pounding them. The Crystal Empires garrison surrendered after a massive artillery attack. The cold had already worn them down and the extra attacks never helped. I believe you know where to go now, but rest your men. What are the losses?"
"Twenty tanks destroyed and another five damaged. We lost around four thousand men during the entire campaign, along with six thousand injured. This fight took a lot out of my men. Also, one of the Equestrian's that came with us was shot in the arm. He's in the hospital right now. Good news, we won't have to amputate it." Potter explained. Matthew nodded, tears threatening to fall from his eyes hearing the amount of losses.
"Alright," TK began, "rest up, and when you're ready, move out. We'll need to get as much pressure off of Celestia and Wilkes ASAP. Good luck." He finished as both he and Matthew left the conversation, allowing Potter and the others to talk.
"So, you all think the fighting here will be over soon?" Wilkes asked. The others looked unsure, not knowing if the remaining fights would be as easy. Luna spoke up.
"Right now, Canterlot is proving to be difficult. Twilight and I aren't sure if the city can be taken within the next four days." Twilight nodded, but looked uneasy. Celestia, Shining Armor, and Cadance noticed, but kept quiet, deciding to ask her later. Just before they could talk again, ten familiar teens appeared with Twilight and Luna.
"How's mah family?" Apple Bloom asked. When the others looked at them, they just stared at the two princess, trying to figure out what happened.
"They followed us without anyone knowing." Luna explained.
"Your brother, sister, and cousin are fine, along with Pinkie and Fluttershy," Potter began, fearing her reaction to the news he had, "but Caramel was injured. Your sister is staying with him while he recovers." No sooner did those words leave his mouth, than Apple Bloom's eyes began to water. She turned and sprinted, disappearing from the holonet's image. "I really hope she'll be alright. I better go, my forces will need their rest and we need to take care of the wounded. I'll meet you in a few days, Colonel Wilkes." Potter turned his communicator off and left for his tent. Just before shutting his eyes for a few hours' rest, he picked up a picture of his wife. After looking at it, he set it down next to his bed and closed his eyes, thankful that his family was safe from harm.