TW: Rape, Attempted rape
This chapter contains a rape and attempted rape scene. This is the first time I have ever written anything this extreme. I took absolutely no joy in writing out the rape and attempted rape scenes. I felt really sick and uncomfortable writing them out, but I felt it was necessary to include, because I don't want to blank out or gloss over or 'censor' any of the atrocities the Soviets committed. I felt it was important to include it, along with all the other Soviet atrocities, in this story.
I've also been careful with how I wrote the parts playing out. If you were wondering what the long wait was for the newest EPWT chapter, this is why. It's not the chapter's size (this is a chonky chapter though, around 20k words). It's me being very careful and taking care while writing the most sensitive chapter in EPWT (so far).
That is all I have to say for now. You can now read on.
23rd December 1945 - 7:35 PM (Equestrian time)
Starlight finds herself awake on a hard rigid stone floor with a banging headache. She finds that she is in a prison cell. The black bars is partially covered in hardened green slime. The rock walls are also partially covered in this hardened slime, as well as some red stains.
"Sunburst... Trixie... w- where... " Starlight moaned. She tried to get up, but she feels a very sharp pain in her hips and shoulders. But she slowly and surely gets up. She tries using her magic, but she can't. The green hardened slime in these cells must be what's cancelling out magic.
"It's okay Starlight..." The unicorn heard a male voice. She scrapes the right side of her face as she tries to look out through the cell bars. There are other cells outside. In the cell opposite hers is a tall green changeling sitting on the floor. He looks very bruised, and his left eye is badly swollen.
"Thorax..." Starlight hasn't seen Thorax since the Soviets attacked the Changeling hive.
"Do I... look... okay..."
"Not really... you're bruised all over," Thorax admitted, biting his lip as he answered the question.
"What about... Ocellus... where is she..."
Stepping in front of Thorax in the opposite cell is the small light blue changeling, Ocellus. She is just as bruised as Thorax. The damage on the inside can be seen through her eyes alone.
Starlight feels dizzy, and she has a terrible ache in her neck. She wanted all the pain to stop. Anything, anything to alleviate the pain off her. She is slightly relieved though, to know that Thirax and Ocellus are still alive.
"Well well well..." A deep female voice is heard, as well as the clanking of hoof steps. Starlight saw the jagged hole-covered horn, and seaweed-like hair shadow on the ground. Approaching them is none other than Chrysalis. She is accompanied by the decorated Soviet, and Cozy Glow, who is looking very depressed. Seeing Chrysalis, Ocellus goes hide behind Thorax.
The decorated Soviet unlocks the door into Starlight's cell. Chrysalis opens it and walks in, slamming the door shut behind her. She stares down on Starlight who stands before her.
"I've been waiting a long time for this!" Chrysalis hissed as she pushes Starlight with her left then her right forehoof, knocking her back, sending her flying onto the wall opposite the door, hitting her head and falling back down, wincing and crying. Chrysalis laughs gleefully with content. The unicorn glares back with a death stare, gazing at the tall black changeling. Chrysalis towers over Starlight.
"Killing me... won't do anythi- GAH!" Starlight gets punched across the face by Chrysalis' right forehoof. The unicorn lacks any strength to resist, she feels immense pain all over her body. Thorax and Ocellus looks away, they don't want to watch what is about to happen.
"Finally... I can torture you in whatever way I like... finally... FINALLY I can get VEGEANCE against YOU STARLIGHT GLIMMER for YOU turning MY HIVE AGAINST ME!"
Chrysalis starts to viciously kick and beat Starlight with absolute savagery, fueled with a dangerous amount of pent up rage. But beating and kicking got boring for the changeling really quickly. She then starts dislocating Starlight's legs, and only pops them in so she can repeat this. Starlight's screams of pain brought a smile to Chrysalis. Starlight's screams and cries are beautiful to Chrysalis, like music is beautiful to ponies. Thorax and Ocellus can only watch silently in horror.
"Be careful not to kill her. We need to extract... information. She was spotted with two other accomplices," The decorated Soviet stated. Chrysalis, to the man's surprise, stops the beating. Meanwhile, Starlight quivers and whimpers in utter agony.
"Fine." Chrysalis respects the decorated Soviet. After all, without him and the NKVD, Chrysalis may of never got the chance to be face to face with Starlight. Chrysalis may of never got the chance herself to get revenge.
"One more punch won't hurt will it, Kuzneyov?" Chrysalis grinned.
"As long you don't kill her," The decorated Soviet nodded. Chrysalis shapeshifts into a massive silverback gorilla and with full strength punches Starlight in the face, instantly knocking her out stone cold.
"Chain her up and get a table," The decorated Soviet demanded.
(Back in Manehattan)
Trixie, Sunburst and the Soviet soldier are still tied up. They are awaiting the inevitable fate of being shredded with bullets by a firing squad in public. But hours that felt like days had went by, it is currently the evening, and the sky is really dark, and the NKVD have yet to return.
"Orange one, there is knife in left pocket of my coat. Your right is free. Reach for my left pocket to cut this rope and free us," The soldier stated.
"But the supposed sniper will see us!" Trixie exclaimed. One 'suspicious' move would mean a bullet to the head.
"I rather my head get shot than my body. Instant death over firing squad. Any day," The soldier responded calmly.
"He's right Trixie. If we have any chance to escape, we have to make a move now. We cannot wait any longer," Sunburst agreed with the soldier. He reaches for the left pocket, and he accidentally cuts his right forehoof, but he knows there is definitely a knife. He carefully pulls it out and brings it to himself.
"Good. Now cut this rope," The soldier instructed. Sunburst began rubbing the blade against the rope. It takes a gruelling 5 minutes which felt like half an hour. The NKVD could be back any minute, they are definitely going to return. But the rope is now cut. Trixie, Sunburst and the Soviet soldier are now free.
"Wait! If we run at different moment we'll get sniped! Now, on my command, on three..." The soldier commanded.
"One... two... three... RUN!"
The 3 immediately dart to the other side of the room, to the door.
PPPPOOOOWWWW!
There is indeed a sniper. The soldier did notice a flash from the windowless window frames. The good news is that the sniper missed their shot. The bad news is that the flash from the sniper came from a window frame that's level to the floor he is on, exactly opposite.
"Ебать! Go through that door!" The soldier yelled as he goes to grab his assault rifle while Trixie and Sunburst open and rushes through the door.
PPPPOOOOWWWW!
The sniper nearly got the soldier, but misses as the Soviet soldier rushes through the door after acquiring his weapon. The bullet goes through the ushanka, but missing the actual head. He is standing left to the door, where Trixie and Sunburst also are, standing by the stairs leading further up.
"Cut this Chrysalis shard thing off my coat. I will throw it into that room. We won't escape without... magic. The shard stops magic," The soldier instructed. Sunburst gets to cutting the shard out, which he does easily. He then quickly lobs the shard into the room.
Then without any delay, Trixie takes off her hat with her left forehoof and pulls out a wand using her magic. With the wand, she creates a massive puff of smoke, and the 3 disappear. Trixie had been preparing to use this in case of scenarios like this.
Back at the secret camp...
On the outside it isn't easy to see, but on the inside, Maud starts to worry. It has been at least an hour or so since Starlight, Trixie and Sunburst have been gone, she worries that they are dead. They would've brought somepony out by bow. Her facial expression is normal, but a few tears run down Maud's cheeks from her eyes. Had all 3 of them been found and captured?
Mudbriar was killed in the air raid, but was lucky to be resuscitated, albiet, having a very disfigured face and torn body, and still recovering in Ponyville Hospital. But seeing Mudbriar so badly torn up broke Maud on the inside, but she still loves him, he is still her gem. Maud wants justice for what she had to see on that eventful day. This was what drove Maud to do what she is doing, doing what she can behind Soviet lines.
There's something else on Maud's mind as well. Although the Soviet advance as a whole have almost ground to a halt for the most part, the Red Army is still making significant gains in the south west, and they aren't just small gains, they have just broken through the southern lines in the west and they are bulldozing north, covering a lot of ground rapidly. This worries Maud greatly, because the Red Army is now only about a few kilometres away from Rockville. As far as Maud knows, Marble, Limestone, Ma and Pa are still at the rock farm, the only logical guess being is that they are still trying to somehow get Holder's Boulder transported. Maud hopes they get Holder's Boulder out in time or give up trying to rescue Holder's Boulder.
Maud starts hearing treading sounds in the snow. She quickly wipes her eyes and sighs, then looks to the right. She sees 2 pegasus mares. Both mares are used to extreme cold.
One pegasus is a sandy colour, and has a short grey mane but a longer tail. The mane and tail looks almost identical to Rainbow Dash's, except the stripes are all different shades of grey. She is also wearing adventurous clothing.
The other pegasus is white, and has a really long pink mane and tail. The mane, unlike a lot of manes, covers both ears, except for their tips. She also have a pair of binoculars with them that is attached to a neckband, as well as a black backpack on her back. She is also wearing a gold wedding ring on her right forehoof.
"Daring, Adorabella, where are the others? What do you have to report?" Maud wanted to know what's the situation. She sent Adorabella and Daring Do out to search for them. But both pegasuses shook their heads. Both ponies have personal motives to be put here doing what they are doing.
"Adorabella scouted out all of Manehattan from the sky, but they have too many AA weapons dotted around. There's no way for me to get in without being noticed and ripped apart," Daring Do explained.
"And while I can literally dance around the AA weapons, I cannot go in and search thoroughly, because if I get backed into a corner of a room I'm screwed. My strength is absolutely poor, as you all know," Adorabella explained.
Then out of nowhere, they hear tanks. The engine and clattering noises sound like they're getting louder, which means they are close by. They all froze in place, in fear.
The tanks are now seeable, and they're both Tiger 2's. One is 'naked', it has no paintings or writing. The other has writing on the sides of the turret, as well as 3 similar cutie marks on the hull, as well as having a flag with a tiara on it. There's also 4 Studebaker US6 trucks with the tanks. The 2 tanks and 4 trucks breaks to a halt. Then from the top of the hatches of the more decorated Tiger 2 opens, and coming out of the hatch is a white unicorn filly with a poofy messy pink and purple mane. They all sigh with relief, knowing that these 2 tanks and 4 trucks are on not on the Soviet side. It is the CMR. All of them aren't here, as the CMR had grown, but the ponies in those 6 vehicles are those who started the CMR movement.
"Maud- Adorabella- and Daring Do? What a weird combination of ponies," Said the unicorn filly.
"No wait- Sweetie Belle? What are you doing here?" Adorabella was not expecting to see Sweetie Belle here in Soviet-occupied territory inside a tank. She definitely was not aware that Sweetie Belle had joined the resistance.
"It's not just me, but the others are here too. We were the ones that created the CMR," Sweetie Belle explained. The whole CMC are here, just that the other 6 are in the Tiger 2. The other tank is manned by the German crew. The 4 Studebaker's are also here, with the ponies in the trucks mostly around the same age as the CMC, some being slightly older and younger, with the exception of Flim and Flam and a few ither fighters that recently joined the resistance.
"Starlight has been captured! Starlight has been captured!" Different voices suddenly scream from nowhere. Showing up is Trixie, Sunburst and a soldier in Soviet uniform.
Adorabella takes a few steps back, and partially hides her face behind her mane. Adorabella still struggles with crowds of ponies. Even though she knows most of them, she doesn't know them nearly as well as Ralph especially, or the mane 6, as well as Starlight, Derpy or the Pies. Adorabella can't help herself getting anxious. She is a lot better than where she was over half a decade ago, but she still gets shy and anxious around large groups like this.
But it also didn't help that there is a Soviet soldier present, a human. Even mere humans are stronger than Adorabella. The white pegasus has got more comfortable with ponies, not humans, and the difference between humans and ponies is that humans are a lot more capable of being very wicked than a pony, or of any villains in Equestria's past for that matter. Adorabella over the past few years had developed a fear of humans, and the Soviet invasion has only amplified that fear. Luckily she only visually see just the one human, or she would be crazily freaking out.
Meanwhile, Sweetie Belle uses her magic to immediately reach for an MG 44 that is in the tank, and uses it to aim at the soldier. Sunburst takes the gun off of Sweetie Belle with his magic.
"He's with us!" Sunburst yelled at Sweetie Belle.
"I know where they will have taken Starlight. They will of taken her to Badlands," The soldier stated.
"But the Reds are really close to the rock farm. My family are still there from my knowledge. I am not going to lose them," Said Maud. Her family is coming first.
"We could all split up?" Trixie suggested. One team can go to the rock farm to rescue the Pie family, while the other team heads to the Badlands to rescue Starlight.
There was no time to argue, and everypony decided who will go where very quickly. One team, consisting of Maud, Trixie, both Tiger 2's and a single Studebaker US6 truck will be heading to the rock farm in the west. Maud and Trixie climbed onto the back of the tank without the weapon boxes, the one manned by the German crew. They cannot waste any time as the rock farm is dangerously close to Soviet lines. But, the King Tigers should have just about enough fuel to get to the rock farm and safely into Ponyville, out of Soviet-occupied territory.
The 3 other Studebaker US6's will try and source more supplies in the free parts of Equestria, such as fuel, ammunition, for the trucks and tanks. They also need to source food and water, for everypony with the CMR. After sourcing more supplies, they will head to and wait at Ponyville Hospital, where everypony decided that they will meet up.
The other team, consisting of Adorabella, Daring Do, Sunburst and the lone Soviet soldier will be heading down to the Badlands. They don't want the support of a tank or use a truck, because they don't want the changelings to focus on that. Adorabella wants the changelings to focus on her as much as possible. That's why both King Tigers and the Studebaker US6 are going to the rock farm.
"Adorabella, we will meet you at the south of the Badlands. You need to scout out the place, and then wait for us before you go in to distract. We cannot get past all of them undetected," Daring Do instructed. Adorabella nods, and starts flapping her wings, then quickly accelerating to the sky, already being above the clouds, heading to the Badlands.
(10 minutes later)
Adorabella is approaching the Badlands from above. She isn't flying as fast as she really could, because she'll definitely alert the changelings with the Adoraboom. She can't distract them yet, she must wait for the others to catch up to then do it.
Right now, Adorabella is being cautious. She is flying at cloud level, because with her coat of fur and her wings being white, she almost perfectly blends in with the clouds, and her vibrant pink mane and tail shouldn't be noticeable from the ground with a naked eye as she is so high up. Adorabella looks for, and finds the nearest suitable cloud to land on, which she does and lands on it, then digs herself into the her desired cloud. Then she pops her head out of the cloud and starts looking through her binoculars that are strapped to her neck, holding them with both forehooves. She zooms the lenses in to have a better view of the ground below, and her eyes water with grief at what she sees.
What Adorabella sees are some form of prison camps, made of fences and stone walls, with small wooden towers dotted in the camps here and there, where 2 NKVD soldiers are in each of them. But the most chilling part for Adorabella is that everypony in that camp are colts and fillies, crammed together like sardines. It would be impossible to save everypony in those camps. Seeing this hits Adorabella very hard on the inside, because she thought her foalhood was terrible, when she was a young filly like the ones in the camps. This strikes her with grief, sadness and distress. She can only feel stringly for the foals she can see in the camps. The pain is made worse that she, or anypony, cannot do anything about it.
Adorabella also sees buildings being built that resembles an industrial factory, to the right of the camps. The design is so basic, and bland, mostly cube or oblong-shaped, with some having from a single chimney to as many as 6. She also sees some train tracks running through the Badlands, which appeared to of been hastily built. Presumably, the changelings are getting their rescourses mainly by rails. At every corner of every building, there is at least 4 changelings. There are also Soviet soldiers patrolling the many different paths, all wearing ushankas, quilted jackets, winter trousers and black boots.
But what makes Adorabella sick is that she also notices a few ponies here and there, wearing woolly coats and ushankas. Adorabella almost vomits at seeing 'fellow' ponies going against Equestria and fighting for the Soviets. It also scares her, because she knows a lot of these communist ponies are criminals, who were locked up before they were freed. What if Rock and Catch had been freed by the Red Army, the 2 ponies she fears the most?
The stories circulating around what these ponies in the Red Army have been doing, especially as occupational forces, is horrific. These 'Red' ponies seem to get to do whatever they want without consequences. Adorabella tries to not think about it, because even thinking about them horrifies her. It disgusts and unsettles Adorabella so much it even partially brought back her old way of thinking, in not trusting anypony, out of fear. What if somepony is a Soviet sympathsizer or even fully support them? Adorabella tries not to dwell on it too much. She must find where Starlight is likely held at, and she believes she can now see it.
Adorabella with her binoculars, spots a solid fortress-like structure. It doesn't look to massive, but it does dwarf all the other buildings within the area. Adorabella looks for the quickest routes to the fortress, which she does. There is a completely straight path, roughly a kilometre long, from the edges of the Badlands, to where the fortress is. There are also several paths that go left and right from the main path, but they won't matter, as she will be distracting the Soviets and changelings, taking the attention away from Daring Do, Sunburst and the soldier. That path is going to be the path the others in the ground should take.
Adorabella lets go of her binoculars, letting them dangle loosely. That pyramid structure is most likely where Starlight is being held at. It'll be an hour before the rest of her team will be at the Badland's south. So Adorabella safely puts her head back in the cloud and relaxes. Going back 7 years when she was still petrified of even small talk with somepony, when she was 21, she would've never seen herself being a scout to scan an area or collect intel for a group helping other ponies escaping enemy-occupied territories at 28.
With about an hour or so to relax and waiting, Adorabella takes the backpack off her back and picks out an envelope, which had been sitting in the backpack for just over 2 weeks. She just happened to of not a chance to read it, especially since joining the group. She tears it open, and pulls the letter, to begin reading.
"Dear Adorabella. I am writing to you, as I assume you are still in Ponyville at the time I am writing. I am sure that you are aware Adorabella, the Soviets have just begun an invasion of Equestria from the east via the sea. Me and my friends came close to death, and a filly we knew had died. But me and my friends are alive, and we are doing as well as we all can be, given the current moment in time we are in."
"Rainbow and Fluttershy were alive, they were missing because we only found out that they were both ponynapped in 1942, and were sent to gulags within the USSR, but they managed to escape. Discord, who didn't escape, was also ponynapped, which was only because the Soviets somehow acquired Grogar's Bell. I'm certain that this was carried out by NKVD agents, only they would've been able to acquire such intelligence and have the means to do so."
"I believe they were only kept alive instead of being assassinated on the spot like they did with that Trotsky guy, is so they could've originally been used as 'bargaining chips' by Stalin, or to be used as blackmail against Celestia and Luna, but I don't know for sure. But I don't know what was exactly going on, not even Twi knows. Only Celestia and Luna were in contact with Stalin up until the air raid. Whatever though, I am just happy that Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy made it out alive, and I hope Discord is 'watching from above' smiling for them and seeing that they got out."
"Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, I hope to hear that you are safe and well. We will be at Sweet Apple Acres if you need a place to stay if you're without a roof over your head. If you are out there helping with resistance movements or helping ponies escape Soviet occupation, well, please stay safe out there. If you can, please write back to me. Me and your friends are very worried for you. From Applejack."
"7th December 1945."
Adorabella tears up at reading the letter, tears of relief and sorrow. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are alive, the very 2 ponies that helped her push herself to come out of her shell, her 2 first ever friends. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy have faced horrors just as, if not, worse than to what Adorabella experienced as a filly, which she hoped they would never ever have to experience and understand what it was like to live with trauma.
Adorabella is also extremely distraught for Discord. She and Discord may of first encountered each other on the wrong hoof, but she still saw his life as equally as she would see a pony's life. They all have lives and feelings.
All of this, the foal-filled camps up close, discovering what happened to 2 of her best friends, finding out that another friend, Discord, is now dead, all of it, has made Adorabella feel a feeling she hasn't felt for a really long time. Anger.
But right now, the priority is Starlight. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are alive, and they are somewhere safe. Starlight meanwhile is in immediate danger of being killed, and she may already be dead, but they can't just leave a friend, dead or alive. If Starlight really is dead, she should at least get a respectful burial. They aren't leaving Starlight to rot alone in changeling hooves. Adorabella feels ashamed she can't do much more than just scouting out places, but she knows that she is vital as a scout. Adorabella knows full well that she would not last long in a fight, she would get grinded to mince meat, like an animal going through a meat blender.
With some time to relax though to wait for the others on the ground to arrive, Adorabella digs through her backpack. She finds a piece of paper, an envelope and a pencil. She starts writing a letter to the stallion she is inseparably close to, glued together by love and marriage for 3 years, Ralph, who is in the Equestrian army helping with transporting heavy supplies. She hopes that once the war is over, she gets to be with him forever, without the fear of death looming over either her or his back, and maybe a family, a family in a free society.
(About an hour later)
Daring Do, Sunburst and the lone Soviet soldier have made it to the south of the Badlands on the ground, on hoof. Before they even had to wait, Adorabella had already flown down and is already waiting on the ground. Adorabella had just scouted the quickest route again.
"From where we are now... there's literally a straight path leading to where I strongly believe Starlight is," Adorabella stated.
"Good, and we're ready by the way. Distract them good," Daring Do nodded.
"Take this grenade and use it. Make them think you're a much bigger threat than you really are. It'll give them more reason to focus on trying to bring you down," Said Sunburst, using his magic to pull out a green grenade from underneath his wizard cloak, which he passes to Adorabella, who grabs it with her left forehoof. The white pegasus still flinches at hearing the sound of magic, but it doesn't make her nearly as uncomfortable and scared like it used to over half a decade ago.
"When you see my Adoraboom, that's when I've distracted all the changelings along the path. I'll also do it above where you all need to head to. I'll do what I can to keep them all distracted," Said Adorabella
"Good luck," Said the soldier. With that, Adorabella flaps her wings and takes off. All she needs to do right now is to cause a good old stir up.
Adorabella is flying very low to the ground. She wants to get the attention of every changeling, or at least lure them away from the path the others need to go along. Already a few dozen changelings are onto her, but they are so slow compared to her. Adorabella gets ready with the grenade to throw it. She pulls the pin out and lobs it, away from nearby changelings on the ground, which explodes, and gets the attention of even more changelings. Even though these changelings are evil ones, Adorabella cannot work up the stomach to kill and take a life. Meanwhile, alarms start going off, and even more changelings start chasing after her. She swerves left and right, to avoid crashing into a changeling.
Adorabella can see the fortress-like structure ahead. Adorabella then looks up, and makes a sharp 90 degree vertical turn. She quickly looks behind her, and all she can see is a massive amarda of changelings chasing after her. Adorabella knows she is safe as long as she keeps the distance, which she is going to make it bigger in epic proportions.
Now flying directly up, b-lining up, with her forehooves and rear hooves far out as possible, Adorabella focuses on her inner self, and starts accelerating dramatically. Different shades of pink starts pulsing from the front of Adorabella's forehooves which go down the sides of her. Sparks also start appearing at the side of her. Then, a loud boom is created as she increases dramatically in speed. Behind her she creates a ring-shaped burst that has multiple shades and different types of pink and starts leaving a trail of different shades of pink behind her. With the needed changelings distracted, the others on the ground can now move in.
(A few minutes prior)
Meanwhile in the prison cell...
Starlight regains consciousness again. When she wakes up, she finds both her forehooves hoofcuffed to a table. She feels even more in pain than before. Her nose also doesn't feel right, it feels broken. She can even taste the blood running down from her nostrils, which touches her lips.
"Where are the rest of you?" Starlight looks up, and sees a human with the blue hat on their head, but they are wearing a brown coat that is decorated with various medals. This one is a middle-aged white man, with a few wrinkles showing his age and has a thick long black mustache. He is the decorated Soviet. He is holding a bag of nails with his left and a hammer with his right. Starlight gulps. Meanwhile, Chrysalis is still here, wanting to watch the interrogation.
"These cells are covered with materials that cancels out magic, isn't that amazing? It stops little shits like you using sorcery on us," The decorated Soviet grinned. He receives a frown and death stare from Starlight.
"Now tell me, who were the other two with you?"
"Sc- screw... you..." Starlight growled while trembling with anger.
"I'd be careful with what you say bitch!" The decorated Soviet puts the small bag of nails on the table. He pulls a nail out of the bag and places the pointy bit on Starlight's right forehoof, ready to strike it in.
"I'll give you one more chance-"
"Just strike it in Kuzneyov!" Chrysalis demanded. She wants to hear Starlight scream again. The decorated Soviet looks at her and nods with personal approval.
"Wait wait wait!" Starlight cried. She thought of something.
"Where are your rebels based, then? Where is their base!?" The decorated Soviet yelled.
"They're based in... in the mountains up north," Starlight lied. The stuttering gave away the ruse. The decorated Soviet slams the hammer down on the nail, striking it deep into Starlight's right forehoof. She screams so loud that the decorated Soviet drops his hammer to cover both his ears and steps back. Thorax and Ocellus in the cell opposite also cover their ears. Meanwhile, Chrysalis is laughing with delight at Starlight's suffering. The screaming lasted about 30 seconds. After the screaming died down, the decorated Soviet pulls a Nagant Revolver out of the pouch that's on the right side of his belt and while looking at a very tearful Starlight, the decorated Soviet aims the revolver in his right hand at Thorax, both of whom are also crying.
"Scream like that again, they both die," The decorated Soviet threatened as he puts the Nagant Revolver back into his right pouch.
"Let's play a game. If I hammer in ten nails before you scream, the little one lives. If you scream before I nail ten in, she dies," The decorated Soviet smiled as he picks the hammer back up with his left while pulling out a nail, ready to strike it down.
"No! I won't say anything! You're gonna kill us anyways so what's the point!? You won't get anything out of me..." Starlight cried in anger and fear as more tears comes out her eyes.
"If that's how you want to play, so be it," The decorated Soviet growled as she puts the hammer back down on the table and the nail back in the bag. The decorated Soviet walks out of the cell and over to Chrysalis.
"Приведи ко мне самого большого жеребца, который находится поблизости," The decorated Soviet requested of Chrysalis. He said his request in Russian, so Starlight doesn't anticipate what's going to happen next. Starlight doesn't understand what is being said, but seeing Chrysalis grin, it cannot be good. Both Chrysalis and the decorated Soviet walks off, as did Cozy Glow. Starlight sees that the decorated Soviet has left the hammer on the table. Starlight tries to grab it with her forehooves and push it over to her.
"Be quick, they'll be back soon," Thorax said quietly. Starlight grabs the hammer with her mouth and starts whacking the hoofcuff that's on her left forehoof. With a few dozen strikes, she breaks the hoofcuff and frees her left forehoof. She then does the same with the hoofcuff on her right forehoof. She destroys the other hoofcuff. She then pulls the nail out of her right forehoof, wincing and crying as she did. She does it, and blood starts coming out the little hole made by the nail. Starlight, now free, darts for her cell's door with the hammer, so she can free Thorax and Ocellus, then they can escape.
But Chrysalis and the decorated Soviet return, and they brought with them a massive earth pony stallion, who is 3 times as big as Starlight. The stallion is brown, and has a dark brown mane and tail. He is wearing a big woolly coat and a ushanka. He is one of the many ponies who defected to the Soviet side.
Starlight trembles and drops the hammer on the floor while shakily stepping back as the decorated Soviet pulls out his Nagant Revolver out his right-side pouch on the belt, and points it at her. Seeing the unicorn is backing off, the decorated Soviet puts his revolver back.
"Good bitch, you stay the fuck right there..." He chillingly said, giving Starlight a death stare. The man then looks at the stallion.
"Comrade, how many fascists did you kill today?" The decorated Soviet asked.
"I don't know comrade, I killed too many to keep count. Why bother counting such parasites?" The stallion replied. The decorated Soviet nods and smiles at the response.
"Well, comrade, we have another fascist. *Points at Starlight* That fascist there, won't tell us her accomplices, and refuses to disclose any information. You must go in and force her to, if you get what I mean," The decorated Soviet said to the stallion. The stallion enters the cell with Starlight, and shuts it. From outside, the decorated Soviet and Chrysalis watches.
"W- what- no- no! No no- NO! NO! NO!" Starlight screams as the stallion forces her to the ground and rolls her onto her back. Starlight would use magic to defend herself, but the cells are made of magic-proof. The stallion's weight pins her down, as well as holding her forehooves down with his. Starlight kicks with her rear hooves, trying to fight back, not letting this happen to her. But she cannot do anything, the stallion is too strong, and he is an earth pony, and is much stronger than her. With the cell covered in the anti-magical slime and unable to use magic, Starlight doesn't stand a chance against the stallion.
"You didn't want to play my game, and I was greatly offended by that," The decorated Soviet sarcastically said.
"NO! STOP- PLEASE! NO PLEASE STOP! AHHHHHHH!" Starlight screamed as loud as she could, hoping that the stallions backs off and covers his ears so she can try and make a run for it, but it's no use. Her screaming isn't enough to hurt his ears, it only made him more aggressive. Starlight's and the stallion's eyes are locked at looking into each other's. Starlight can see the stallion's thing, which it's really dark brown. The thing also looks deformed and slightly jagged even.
The stallion, now even more enraged, gets down and forces his thing inside of Starlight's vagina. The stallion doesn't even start off slow, but straight away forces himself inside, and thrusts in and out. Starlight screams even louder, it felt like somebody was stabbing her insides with a rusty knife, multiple times, the pain is that bad. The physical pain is unlike anything she felt before. But Starlight doesn't give up fighting back though. Using her free rear hooves, she tries to kick the stallion's ballsack, but she can't give them a kick powerful enough to hurt him. Starlight's kicking, cries and screams only made the rapist more aggressive and rough.
In the cell opposite, Thorax and Ocellus had turned around. Thorax covers Ocellus' ears so she doesn't have to hear as much in what's going in. But Thorax can still fully hear, hear Starlight's screams from being disgustingly violated.
Meanwhile Chrysalis and the decorated Soviet, with their twisted minds, watches the suffering. Chrysalis just enjoys seeing Starlight suffering. But the decorated Soviet is coldly calculating for a plan B if even the use of rape doesn't get Starlight to reveal who her accomplices were.
"Do what you want to me instead but- but leave Starlight alone!" Thorax begged to be tortured instead. Both Chrysalis and the decorated Soviet ignores him. Thorax feels more than just extremely angry, he feels extremely guilty, because Starlight is just in the opposite cell, but yet he can't do anything. The cell door is locked, which makes Thorax fell even more than what the word angry can describe, at Chrysalis, the Soviets, and even himself.
Starlight slowly stops screaming, and slowly stops kicking. She feels her body going numb. Her heart rate starts to drop. Her brain knows there is no possibility of escape and that resistance is futile, so it makes the whole body just freeze. Starlight is paralysed by fear. But her mind continue to scream even louder than before while tearfully starring into the eyes of her rapist. Starlight's screams continue only in her head, they are only heard by her, and are silent to everybody else. It starts to even feel like she's locked out of her body, unable to do move or do anything. Starlight's brain right now is doing it's best to stay alive, and the brain thinks the best way to get out of the situation is by having the whole body freeze, so it requires less oxygen.
After a minute that felt like eternal torture, the stallion stops, with his thing inside. Starlight feels liquid inside, and the liquid stings her insides. The stallion then finally withdraws from Starlight. The unicorn, having a small bit of control back, immediately looks away and closes her eyes, she doesn't want to even glimpse at the rapist. Starlight wants to run, but her body is still partially in its frozen phase. When will this nightmare end? That is when alarms started going off.
"Ебать! We are under attack!? Screw trying to fuck out the intel! Get out there and help our comrades!" The decorated Soviet demanded the stallion, who calmly walks out the cell as if he did nothing, and then trots off once out, leaving Starlight, unsympathetic to the trauma he just inflicted on her. The decorated Soviet then locks Starlight's cell's door again and runs, rushing to help whatever is going on outside. Starlight curls up into a ball, crying and whimpering.
"Dysthanasia!? What the heck is going on outside!?" Chrysalis yelled as she notices him rushing up to her.
"There's a white pegasus testing our defences! The ponies must be preparing a counterattack!" Dysthanasia thought that was the situation.
"Why haven't you downed them already!?" Chrysalis snapped, making Dysthanasia flinch.
"We- we uh... well- we can't keep up her..." Dysthanasia stuttered. He knew Chrysalis will not take it well, and she doesn't. She growls as she storms off with Dysthanasia.
"Fine I'll deal with whoever it is myself!"
Outside...
Adorabella continues creating havoc and have the full attention of the changelings high up in the sky. Daring Do, Sunburst and the soldier meanwhile slowly approached the fortress-like structure on the ground, and after over an hour of gruelling, intense, tedious and careful stepping, they are at the place. Now they are just a path away from the structure.
They don't know whether Starlight is alive, dead, or if she is even in there for that matter. But if she is there, and they go back, the absolute guilt they would all feel would be too great. They have to search there first as it's the most likely and convenient place Starlight would be roughly held at.
Up close, the structure is massive. The fortress is pyramid-shaped with 5 towers with one of them being in the centre, and the other 4 in each corner. On top of the centre tower is a red flag that had the outline of a black star in the middle, with a black hammer and a changeling wing, fluttering on top of a centre tower, surrounded by 4 smaller towers at the corners. There is a small oblong shape that's erecting out of the fortress. At the front is a door, which leads inside. The whole structure appears to be made of mostly stone bricks. While the towers except for the centre tower is made of mostly wood.
Daring Do is leading the group on the ground, as she has some experience. She applies her experience in avoiding booby traps into avoid being caught. To do this she has everyone stick close by the walls of the factories that are on the right side of the structure, and avoiding any areas that are bright. They keep to only areas that are dark.
Some of the factories have been completed, but most have yet to be completed. Knowing that the factories were built by gulag prisoners make them feel sick. The structures that look like prison camps to the left makes them feel sick. This whole place makes them feel sick.
They are about to cross the path and over to the structure, where there is a door that leads inside, in the middle at the front.
"Wait!" Daring Do hissed as she pushes Sunburst back. He, as well as Daring Do and the soldier steps back. Coming from the right, 6 4-wheeled Soviet-made trucks passes them, which Daring Do heard, avoiding detection. The trucks are definitely AA weapons, as all 6 of them have 2 small dual guns on the back of it, on a large rotating and elevating device. The dual guns are being operated by 2 people, that are in Soviet uniform.
The soldier states that these trucks are ZIS-12's. Luckily, the trucks continue driving by, away from the him, Sunburst and Daring Do.
POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW...
The ZIS-12's elevates their guns to point at the sky, aiming and firing at Adorabella. But the white pegasus is barely visible from the ground, she is too high up in the sky, and the bullets are far too slow to get her. The AA guns on the trucks are ineffective, which is good. The changelings are also hyperfixated in taking Adorabella down, but they are way way too slow to catch her, it's not even close. There are even whole squadrons of Yak-3's in the sky, which had just been called in to intercept Adorabella.
Even the Yak-3's are nowhere near as fast as Adorabella, not even a fraction as fast. The white pegasus is doing remarkable at keeping the attention and pressure off of Daring Do, Sunburst and the soldier.
Daring Do peaks her head forward and looks to her right. There are no other ZIS-12 's or other AA systems coming to the area.
"That was close. Are you certain that Starlight would've been brought here?" Daring Do questioned the soldier, who nods.
"Yes. You two will have to continue on without me," Said the soldier.
"Why? Why can't you come with us?" Sunburst questioned, suspicious as to why the man can't come with them.
"You two have to go without me. You two can't ever see me again," The soldier started explaining.
"We now will depart here. If they catch me helping you rescue your friend, SMERSH will be onto us. All of us will be shot as spies. If we all to have happy ending, we must not meet again from this point on, for all of our safety," The soldier finished. After the explanation, it make sense.
"Before we go in, have you seen what's inside the structure?" Daring Do asked.
"From what I know, outside's finished. Inside is incomplete, not much inside. It is just hallway, a room to the right and two floors. The floor bellow is where there are cells, where Starlight most likely were taken," The soldier explained.
"Whoever you are, thank you, for trying to do the right thing," Sunburst respectfully nodded.
"Yes. I hope this senseless war ends. Farewell, and good luck," The soldier respectfully nodded back. With that, he then walks off before he gets noticed by his comrades that he's with ponies. It is now just Sunburst and Daring Do.
"I hope they don't find out he was helping us," Sunburst hoped. He respects the Soviet soldier that had helped them. The Soviet soldier may of done the morally right thing, but he has just committed treason, something in the USSR that is punishable by 'mysterious disappearances'.
"It doesn't matter, what matters is Starlight," Daring Do reminded. They make a dash across the path, over to the door that lead into the pyramid structure.
Meanwhile in the cells...
Starlight is curled up, whimperimg in pain, physical and psychological pain. From being separated from her caring Sunburst by soldiere, to being thrown in a cell, to being viciously beaten, to being ruthlessly interrogated, to being used as a sexual object, all of it will stay with her for the rest of her life. It wasn't just what happened to her now, it was everything, the separation, the beating the interrogation, and the rape.
What will Sunburst think of her when he finds out what happened? Sunburst saw her as a very strong-minded pony, and so did Twilight, and the others. Starlight fears if they all find out this happened to her and see her like this, they won't see her as this strong pony and may not even want to talk to her anymore. Sunburst may want to break up and not talk to her anymore too. Starlight also fears what will happen when Trixie finds out too. Although the 2 unicorns do argue, they're still really close friends, they're besties. If Trixie finds out, would she be too disgusted and not want to talk to her again too?
"Starlight..." Thorax tries to get her attention. But the unicorn is frozen, mortified and scarred at what just happened to her.
"I finally found the correct keys," Said another voice. Flying through the prison hallway, is Cozy Glow, flying, and holding 2 different keys. She hastily unlocks Thorax and Ocellus' cell door, and then Starlight's. Not questioning what intentions Cozy Glow had, Thorax and Ocellus quickly exits their cell. Starlight limps up, and exits her cell, her eyes are swollen, her cheeks are soaked with tears, she has bruises over her body from the vicious beating from Chrysalis, and the violation committed against her by the stallion, made it hard to walk without feeling extreme pain.
"If we're to get out alive, we need to go now!" Cozy Glow yelled.
Then she hears sounds of fast-paced steps. Cozy Glow gasps with fear. Thinking the decorated Soviet and Chrysalis returned, Cozy Glow reaches into her left and right pocket for her Tokarev pistol and stick, and shakily points it at herself.
POW!
Cozy Glow intended to end her life. She was trying to aim the pistol's gun barrel at her face, but her shakiness made her to fire into her chest. The filly fell to the ground as her wings spasm in pain from the body being shot. Cozy Glow is already almost unconscious.
"Starlight! STARLIGHT!" Trotting down the hallway is Sunburst, and another pony, a female pegasus, who is sandy-coloured with a mane and tail that had stripes of different shades of grey, Daring Do.
"What have they done to you!?" Sunburst exclaimed as he lets Starlight hug and cry into his neck. Seeing his mare in the state she is makes Sunburst feel so many emotions that he is too shocked to express them. He then looks at the cell that Starlight came out of and sees the state of it. There is blood on the walls and the floor. Also on the floor, there is some white liquid. Sunburst pieced together what had happened to Starlight. Sunburst hugs Starlight back very quickly. Sunburst felt like the worst stallion ever, because he felt like he had failed to protect his mare Starlight. Back in Manehattan, especially after being tied up, nothing could've been done to prevent whatever was going to happen next. But Sunburst can't help but feel a tremendous amount of guilt, and starts thinking what could've been done back in Manehattan, what he could've done, to of avoided this outcome.
"I'm here now... I'm here now... you're safe with me..." Sunburst tries to sound calm and reassuring, comforting Starlight as best as he could.
"We have to help Cozy too!" Ocellus exclaimed. Sunburst was about to snap at those words, but right now he needs to support Starlight. Sunburst snapping isn't going to help. Sunburst saw 2 different keys a few inches away from Cozy Glow. Sunburst then remembers Cozy Glow earlier a good few hours ago back in Manehattan said 'I'm sorry'.
Maybe, just maybe, last second Cozy Glow had a change of heart, but it's no where near good enough. Ckzy Glow has passed the point of no return ages ago. Because of Cozy Glow's significant involvement in capturing Starlight, the unicorn mare had just gone through so much traumatizing things within a time span of less than a day, which will leave implications and wounds that Starlight's mind won't heal from for years, or decades, or they may never heal at all. Also, because this all happened so close to Hearth's Warming (or Christmas), Starlight may not even be able to enjoy the 25th the same way ever again. The damage done to Starlight is far too high to ever, ever forgive Cozy Glow for her part in capturing Starlight.
"Take Cozy with us. We are going to take her into custody for questioning." Sunburst also understands that by saving Cozy Glow and taking her into custody, she can provide a lot of vital information as she was working with the Soviets.
So, Ocellus shapeshifts into a kangaroo, as kangaroos have pouches. Ocellus grabs Cozy Glow and places her inside the pouch. Meanwhile, Starlight, being too injured to walk, Thorax helps her onto Sunburst's back.
"Come on let's go! I don't know how long Adorabella can keep going! Our window of escape is closing as we speak!" Daring Do exclaimed.
Outside...
Adorabella still has the changelings distracted. The changelings pursuing her can't keep up, it's no contest. As well, she also has got the attention of AA weapons and Soviet fighter planes. But luckily, the bullets are too slow for them to reach her. Even Rainbow Dash could do what Adorabella is currently doing. Adorabella is just effortlessly dancing around avoiding whatever threat there is to her. Adorabella is far too fast of a flyer to be shot down. But to say she isn't scared though is a massive understatement. One slip up will almost definitely cost her life, because how fragile she is. Adorabella may of came a very long way from who she was 7 to 8 years ago, but she still knows that she isn't strong at all. She knows that even a filly would beat her in a hoof fight.
While carrying on with the distraction, a green beam of magic almost hits Adorabella from below. She had to swerve right sharply to avoid it. She looks behind her and she sees Chrysalis, in the air, trying to shoot her down. She almost had the perfect jump on Adorabella, but the pegasus was flying too fast, and quickly extends the gap. Chrysalis already lost sight of Adorabella. But the pink trail the white pegasus left behind does gives Chrysalis a rough guess where she will be hiding.
Adorabella flies up to even higher heights, back into the clouds. Adorabella had lost Chrysalis, easily. But to be safe, Adorabella slows down drastically, slow enough for her to not create that pink trail, to reduce her chance of being found. Adorabella then finds a suitable cloud and hides in it. There, she let's herself breath. All of a sudden, she feels exhausted, very exhausted. Adorabella was completely unaware of the adrenaline that was surging through her. Even being in the cold while also high up in the sky, in the clouds, Adorabella is panting like a fluffy dog would on a hot summers day. She had never flew at a constant speed so fast for as long as she did ever before.
Adorabella peaks her head out of the cloud and grabs her binoculars with both forehooves to look through them. She looks at the door's of the structure, and she sees Daring Do and Sunburst, but most importantly, Starlight, who appears to be carried by Sunburs6. As well, she also sees a good changeling, which she knew is Thorax. Adorabella also sees a kangaroo, who is also most likely a good changeling as well.
Seeing that they are all out, Adorabella drops her binoculars down again letting them dangle down. She leaps out of the cloud she is hiding in. But then put of nowhere, a green magic beam hits her left wing, setting it alight with green flames. Adorabella shrieks as she starts falling, screaming, spiraling down to the ground below while her lit left wing continues burning. Chrysalis had guessed correctly where the white pegasus would be.
"Finally you are dealt with. What an annoying little pest you were indeed," Chrysalis spat.
(Outside the pyramid structure)
The changelings are still in a complete frenzy in the air. Soviet planes are still in the sky trying to now locate and intercept Adorabella. Daring Do, Sunburst with Starlight on his back, Thorax, Ocellus (kangaroo form) with Cozy Glow in the pouch darts across the path, to the factory on their left.
Then, Daring Do saw a weird green light in the sky which appears to be coming down, as well as screaming from the light. Then she could see a white dot.
"Adorabella!" Daring Do gasps as she flaps her wings and takes to the skies, flying to the white dot, which is Adorabella. Adorabella had clearly somehow got shot by something. Daring Do darts her way to the falling pegasus. Daring Do gulps as she got closer to the descending pegasus, knowing if she misjudges the speed of Adorabella's fall when going in to catch, Adorabella would be dead.
Daring Do waits and anticipates the descent's speed. Then, she darts forwards at full speed with both forehooves extended out, grabbing the shrieking Adorabella from the right. Daring Do sees that the green light are green flames. The sand-coloured pegasus immediately dives down, and flies back to where the others are anxiously waiting. Once back in the ground with the others, Daring Do pushes Adorabella from her right, to put her left side into the ground. The snow immediately puts the green flames out. Daring Do helps Adorabella back up, who is wincing in pain.
Adorabella can see Starlight up close, and she is mortified and shocked to see what state she is in. Starlight is extremely battered and looks as though she is barely conscious, barely paying attention to what's going on, only just laying on Sunburst's back. Adorabella can tell some horrible things happened to Starlight by her physical state alone. Adorabella doesn't want to know what happened. She is just relieved to see that Starlight is alive.
"Let me see your wing quickly," Said Daring Do as she gets Adorabella to turn around to show her left side. Daring Do pulls with her left forehoof and extends out Adorabella's left wing to inspect it. Daring Do can see a lot of the feathers on Adorabella's left wing have been singed to a dark greyish colour, and the skin on the wing underneath the feathers has first degree burns. Some of Adorabella's fur around her left wing had also been singed. Daring Do then lets go after finishing inspecting the injury. Adorabella normally doesn't like ponies touching her wings, but this is an exception.
"H- how bad is it..." Adorabella gulped. She knew that the feathers on a pegasus' wing is vital for flight as well as the magic.
"Right now, just to be safe, don't try flying. But it looks like your wing can recover as the damage doesn't look too major- You are a very lucky pony to even be alive Adorabella. Chrysalis could've easily burned you whole," Daring Do bluntly replied. The sand-coloured pegasus is being very honest, and she is right, that the white pegasus got insanely lucky. Adorabella extends her left wing out and starts picking up snow to put on it, to ease the pain from the burns.
But then, before anybody could get moving, from the right side of the nearest factory, where they all are, a ZIS-12 drives past, and the driver spots them all.
The 2 men on the back start rotating the dual guns to face them all, but Sunburst's combat experience kicks into action. He doesn't wait and blasts both men manning the dual guns, turning them into ashes using a beam of magic, a very light pale orange colour. The ZIS-12 breaks to a halt, and the Soviet driver, armed with a PPS-43, gets out with it. But Sunburst vaporizes that soldier too, turning them into ashes as well like his 2 other comrades. The commotion is heard, and the changelings in the air while the Soviets on the ground are rapidly closing in. The group have been detected.
"Quick! Into that truck!" Daring Do yelled aloud. The empty ZIS-12 is the ticket out. The group are gathered outside by the left door. Sunburst helps Starlight to get to the right. Adorabella sits next to Starlight. Ocellus takes Cozy Glow out of the pouch and transfers back into her normal changeling self. Cozy Glow is still alive, but right now is unresponsive. Ocellus sits next to Adorabella while holding onto Cozy Glow. Then Daring Do gets in and closes the door. Daring Do is the driver. Meanwhile, Sunburst and Thorax climb onto the back, where the dual guns are.
Daring Do puts both of her forehooves on the steering wheel, and puts her right rear hoof on the pedal, and the truck speeds off.
POW DI! POW DI POW DI POW DI POW DIN POW DI POW DI! POW DI POW DI! POW DI POW DI POW DI POW DI POW DI POW DI! POW DI POW DI! POW DI POW DI POW DI POW DIN POW DI POW DI! POW DI...
Soviet soldiers that are arriving to the scene from both sides of the path opens fire. Their bullets hit and bounces off the truck. Everybody in the truck had to duck their heads low. Some bullets hit the glass windows, shattering them. Everybody in the truck screams as bullets fly directly above their heads inside of the truck. They all can still die. Daring Do also notices in her left-side mirror, that the changelings in the air are chasing after them as well.
"They aren't letting us go without a fight!" Daring Do's as well as everybody's adrenaline is through the roof. Adorabella is outright terrified, and closes her eyes, too scared to look out the windows. Ocellus is also terrified, and especially is Starlight, both of them afraid of being recaptured.
POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW...
Sunburst and Thorax have figured out how to use the dual guns on the back of the truck. They start downing as many of the pursuing changelings in the air. The changelings that haven't yet been in the air immediately withdraw from the chase. It is too dangerous for them to continue the chase. On the ground though, from the left and right side of the path, the Soviets don't give up, and they continue firing. They aren't just going to roll over and let one of their vehicles get stolen like this.
VVVRRRRRMM! VVVRRRRRMM! VVVRRRRRMM! VVVRRRRRMM! VVVRRRRRMM! VVVRRRRRMM! VVVRRRRRMM! VVVRRRRRMM...
Yak-3's that are still in the sky dive down, trying to strafe the truck. But Sunburst and Thorax kept clipping off the Yak-3's wings or making explode and create a huge fireball. Every plane they destroy that doesn't blow up, the Soviet pilot parachutes out. But Sunburst, after seeing Starlight so beaten and hurt, shows no mercy to the Soviet pilots that had parachuted, and he shoots at them too, shredding them apart as bloody parts of them come off and fall from the sky. Then, they start focusing at Soviet soldiers on the ground, ripping their bodies apart in bloody fashion.
Meanwhile, emerging from the left and right, from the paths in between the factories and camps, are Soviet tanks. Ahead, from one of the paths on the left, a tank with a T-34-85 turret but with a much more horizontally sloped hull emerges. It is a T-44. It began rotating it's turret right, aiming for the runaway ZIS-12. Daring Do steer sharply sharply to the right side, being right next to the prison camps. Everybody closes their eyes except Daring Do.
"Go on, shoot at us, I dare you..." Daring Do muttered under her breath as she presses the pedal harder to accelerate faster, just as...
BWOMPF!
The tank shell from the T-44 misses and hits the fencing and wall of the camp, taking out a chunk of it. With a massive hole in the walls and fences, fillies and colts in the camp start bursting their way out of it on mass, either running for their lives or are working together in helping others that are stuck in the other camps to escape.
The Soviet's attention slowly drifts away from the runaway ZIS-12 and more onto containing the fillies and colts that are beginning to run on mass. The T-44 that fired drives towards the foals that are pouring out of the camp.
Driving down the path is an IS-2, already aiming at the truck. Daring Do steers left, just as...
KLOMBF!
The IS-2 misses, and the shell hits and obliterates the wall and fencing of another camp. Even more fillies and colts start escaping through the even larger hole than the one made in the last one. Even more of the Soviet attention that's currently on the runaway ZIS-12 shifts onto the fleeing foals. Daring Do steers back to the right to avoid crashing into the IS-2, and is back to driving on the right. She is noticing the chaos of the foals escaping it's creating, which the Soviets appear to be struggling to contain the situation. Daring Do, with 'daring' in her name, thinks that if she can bait Soviet tanks into firing at the camps, she will give the foals in them a chance to escape. She starts primarily driving on the right, only steering to the left to avoid being obliterated by a tank.
Another tracked vechile is seen, which stops driving and starts turning to aim at the truck. It is not a tank, but a tank destroyer. It's an ISU-152, and has a short, but extremely thick canon. If the ZIS-12 gets hit by a shell from that, nobody in the truck is surviving. Daring Do tries avoiding the canon, but the ISU-152 keeps rotating to adust it's aim.
KLRAKBWOKLOMBWPH!
The ISU-152 is not accurate, and it's shell misses the runaway ZIS-12 and hits the fencing and wall of yet another camp. The sheer power and shockwave of the shell and caliber annihilates a large portion of the wall and fencing. Almost the whole wall and fencing collapses on the side hit. Fillies and colts flood out of that camp like a tsunami.
Another tank is spotted coming down, a T-34-85. It is already directly aiming, right in front of the truck. Daring Do only just noticed, unable to react in time. Everybody closes their eyes, but Daring Do keeps them open as she stares into death.
BWOMPF!
The shell hits the truck. But the shell doesn't explode as it easily penetrates the back of the truck through the broken windows. When the shell sliced it's way out the back, it barely misses and not hits the dual guns, barely missing Sunburst or Thorax. Very luckily, the shell did not hit the ZIS-12's engine at the front or anybody inside the truck, or Sunburst or Thorax who are operating the dual guns. Had it done so, the shell would've exploded and it would be the end of that.
Daring Do screams as she steers left to avoid the T-34-85. Ahead, 2 IS-3's are seen. They try blocking the path, but Daring Do drives past them before the IS-3's had a chance to properly block the path. They start rotating their turret and chassis around, and aim for the truck.
KLOMBF! KLOMBF!
Both shells miss, they land on the ground ahead, creating 2 potholes in the path, which Daring Do didn't have time to avoid. She goes over both of them, making the whole ZIS-12 shake and jolt, everybody jumping up and down where they are sitting, as if they had hit something.
Then ahead, Daring Do sees a line of 6 T-34-85's, all blocking the path ahead, and all their turrets are facing the truck. Daring Do slows down and steers left just as...
BWOMPF BWOMPF BWOMPF BWOMPF BWOMPF BWOMPF!
All six shells missed. The runaway ZIS-12 had gone down a path on the left. As soon as the truck had gone down one of the other paths, the Soviets very quickly lost track of them.
Daring Do drives down past 3 factories on both sides along the path she took, then she slows down to turn right. She continues driving down on the path she is on, going past another 6 factories on both sides, and she slows down to turn right again. She drives past 3 factories, then slows down to turn left, back onto the main path.
Daring Do can see the end of the path in the far distance. Once over there, they can escape. The Soviets and changelings have lost interest in the truck, as they're busy cleaning up the mess of runaway foals. For the Soviets and changelings, that's their new priority.
Daring Do can't look into the left side mirror, because she would see Soviet tanks running over the fleeing foals, crushing them into a bloody mush. Even though everybody in the ZIS-12 know they can't do anything to help, they still feel guilty that they are leaving those fillies and colts to fend for themselves. But they cannot save them, because they'll be killed too. Whether they go back to help them or not will make no difference. It is impossible to save everypony, they just can't.
As everybody in the ZIS-12 get closer to escaping the Badlands, time starts to feel like it's going slow. Everypony is scared, that something will happen, something that will stop them escaping. They all know if they are captured now, they are almost certainly going to be executed. But then, they reach the end of the path. They are now out of the Badlands.
Without the fear of being chased, Daring Do starts driving towards Ponyville. Starlight, Thorax, Ocellus and Cozy Glow need to get treatment. Adorabella also needs to have her left wing checked. Most of them didn't come out unscathed.
Everypony did their part in this mission. Daring Do took the role as the leader. Sunburst carried Starlight out of the fortress. Adorabella distracted and caused chaos among the Soviets and changelings in the air. Daring Do got everypony out as the driver of the ZIS-12. But the biggest contributor, was the Soviet soldier that departed earlier. Without his knowledge, Starlight may of never been found.
They have achieved their goal, saving Starlight. But what they were too late to do, was save a stable head space. Starlight may be alive, but her head space is deeply wounded, and she now must go on to recover, physically and psychologically. Even though she is safe, she is still struggling, and will continue to struggle recover for a very long time, or maybe for the rest of her life. However long it takes to recover, this day is already permanently scarred into her mind, it's going to stick with her.
(Rockville, at the Pie rock farm)
While the runaway ZIS-12 escaped the Badlands...
At the snow-covered rock farm, Ingeous Rock, Cloudy Quartz and Limestone are with a large group of big and strong earth ponies, who are some of the other residents of Rockville. They are going to try and lift Holder's Boulder onto a stone cart, as a wooden one wouldn't be strong enough to carry it. Pushing the boulder is already a very difficult thing to do, but to lift it is almost impossible. All previous attempts at lifting it had failed. But they aren't going to give up. Holder's Boulder is very important to the Pies.
Usually, Limestone would not let anypony touch Holder's Boulder, and if somepony did, she would snap. But Limestone sees this is an exception, because ponies will obviously have to touch the boulder to lift it into the cart. If they are truly leaving the rock farm behind, she wants to at least transport the sacred boulder to safety. Holder's Boulder is important to the Pie family. Desperate times call for desperate actions, and touching the boulder to lift it onto the cart is a desperate action.
Everypony hesitated to touch the boulder. They feared Limestone's wrath.
"This is the only time I won't have a go- you may touch Holder's Boulder to lift it." Limestone cringed so badly as she said that sentence. It feels so wrong. Nopony should touch Holder's Boulder. But it's either that, or it stays where it is and it falls into Soviet hands. Limestone knows full well the Soviets will disrespect Holder's Boulder.
Just as Limestone was about to walk over to help lift the boulder as well...
Just as everypony got ready to lift...
KLRAKBWOKLOMBWPH!
From seemingly nowhere, something flies into Holder's Boulder. It explodes and obliterates the rock, killing almost everypony. Limestone, being far away enough, was missed, and she ducks down. She then got back up, and gasps at the sight. She trots over to the bodies. Their blood, organs, guts and flesh are everywhere.
"Ma!? Pa!? MA!!!! PA!!!! " Limestone gets over to Ingeous Rock and Cloudy Quartz. Cloudy Quartz died instantly in the explosion, her body blood flesh and organs being literally everywhere. However, Ingeous Rock is alive, but won't be for long. He is missing 3 of his limbs, and his right forehoof and his left side of his body is badly shredded. Limestone's eyes are building up with tears, then escapes out her sockets.
"Lime... just get Marble... and run, and don't stop running..." Ingeous Rock struggled to even speak. He used any strength he did have to fight the pain and say his last words. He then drops his head back down, took his last breath, and then died. Limestone looks behind her with tearful eyes, and sees coming over the ridge are Soviet tanks and tank destroyers, arriving on mass, with soldiers. Limestone trots back to the house in tears. Marble is still in the house, likely oblivious to the situation unfolding outside. There is not even time to hug the corpses.
(In the house)
Marble is anxiously waiting in the bedroom, the bedroom that any guests would sleep in, with 2 double bunk beds opposite each other, a painting and draws on the left, and the stairs on the right, as well as shiny crystals here and there.
Marble has the best view outside the window of the guest bedroom. She is waiting for the other ponies to lift Holder's Boulder into the cart, so she can then come out and help her family move the cart with the boulder. Although over the years she has got better with other ponies one to one and even small groups of ponies, but large groups are still intimidating for her.
Marble sees from the window, that over the ridge are hordes of Soviet tanks, tank destroyees and the infantry. Marble hides from the window and closes the curtains in fear. She was about to slowly peak from the window again, until she heard and explosion. Marble flinches and curls into a ball while sitting up.
"Marble! We have to go now! Forget the boulder- we gotta go now! They are here! I- I thought we had more time- we have to pack up and buck it out of here!" Limestone rushes upstairs, tears streaming down while frowning.
"W- where is... wh- where is Ma and Pa..." Marble whimpered. She is so scared that she feels like her soul left her body. Her body feels stiff as a rock, unable to move.
"They... they aren't coming sis, but we have to go..." Limestone's crying got worse as she stuttered those words out. Marble understood what Limestone meant by that, and is mortified, and starts weeping. Limestone is also panicking, which makes Marble panic too.
"Откройте дверь!" Shouting is heard from downstairs, in Russian. The Soviets are here. There is budging and banging noises downstairs.
"Don't worry I barricaded the front door, just grab whatever and-" Limestone gets interrupted by...
KLOMBF!
That explosion is heard outside the front door, followed by several footsteps storming in. Marble screams while Limestone closes her eyes, both hugging each other in tears. Limestone doesn't like hugs, but she's just as scared as Marble. Then there is several footsteps heard inside, and then they sound like they're coming upstairs. Limestone and Marble quivers more and cries harder. Storming up the stairs are 10 Soviet soldiers, 3 armed with PPS-43's and 5 armed with SVT-40's and the other 2 with Mosin Nagant's. The 3 soldiers with the PPS-43's point their guns at the 2 petrified ponies. The soldiers also have Veshmeshok rucksacks on their backs.
"Берите, что хотите, товарищи," Said one of the soldiers
The soldiers start ransacking everything in the room. From gold to any valuable material for that matter, they steal. Any food, rotten or not, they steal. Both ponies are scared for their lives. Marble hides her face behind her mane while Limestone looks at the soldiers with disgust.
"This isn't fair... they take everything..." Limestone muttered under her breath. Underneath the tears, Limestone is seething with anger. She would lump one soldier, and she could kill one with a single blow, but if she did that, she would get shot and if Marble wasn't shot as well, the best she could hope for after that is 10 years at a gulag.
"If they separate us, no matter what, don't say we're related to Pinkie. They'll kill us..." Limestone whispered while stuttering, tears streaming down her face.
"Mhm..." Marble quietly whimpered.
"Если бы ты был пони, ты бы трахнул их?" One of the soldiers holding the PPS-43's asked his 2 other comrades, the one in the middle.
"Я бы трахнул серого пони," The soldier on the left responded. He is looking at Marble. So whatever the he is talking about, he is most likely talking about her.
"Если бы ты был пони, я бы застрелил тебя за то, что ты нацист! Эквестрией управляют сочувствующие нацистам!" The soldier on the right got angry. Limestone and Marble don't know if they are angry at them, or if it's something else.
"Посмотрите на это," Said one of the looting soldiers, one of 2 armed with the Mosin Nagant. That soldier is showing a picture he found with the 3 soldiers. The one in the middle snatches it, and steps over to the 2 ponies.
"You know her? Comrade found this. You with pink fascist," The Soviet soldier questioned in a strong heavy accent and doesn't speak English too well. He is white, and really tall. He shows Limestone and Marble a discovered family photo, which has the whole Pie family in it, including Pinkie Pie. All of them were smiling in the photo.
"No. I don't know her," Limestone lied. The Soviet soldier eyes look at Limestone with suspicious eyes.
"You tell lies," The Soviet soldier glared at Limestone and Marble, then turns around and face his other comrades.
"Скажи нашим товарищам-пони, что есть две горячие кобылы," Said the soldier. His voice sounded very forceful there, perhaps he was giving orders. Limestone or Marble can't understand what is being said, but it sounds forceful.
"Do what you want to me but don't you dare touch my sister!" Limestone yelled. She is willing to throw her own body to protect Marble.
"You lied in investigation. Pony comrades decide punishment," The soldier responded. Pony comrades he mentioned?
After the soldiers have finished looting anything shiny, or worth value such as gold or silver. They wait around for some time. Then coming up the stairs are 8 stallions, all 8 wearing woolly coats and ushankas. Then all but a single Soviet soldier stays upstairs, with the 8 stallions. It is hard to tell what type of pony they are as their coats cover their wings, and their ushankas cover their horns. So any of them could be an earth pony, a pegasus or a unicorn.
Limestone gulps, because she has read some newspapers, that have covered some experiences of ponies fleeing Soviet-occupied territory. The most chilling stories are surrounding these 'communist ponies' serving in the occupational forces of the Red Army. Most of the 'communist ponies' in the Red Army are conscripted prisoners that had been freed from prisons by Soviet forces. These ponies have been actively used by Soviet officers to do despicable things, especially to mares and fillies, just to alleviate a tiny bit of responsibility of war crimes off the Soviets.
"Do whatever you want to me but leave my sister alone!" Limestone yelled as she gets up and stands in front of Marble. Limestone is so scared, but she can't even begin to think what must be going through Marble's mind. Marble is already not great at opening herself up to ponies, and whatever is going to happen next is going to make that problem worse, much worse.
"Comrades. Those two related to pink fascist. They steal from poor," Said the Soviet soldier. He shows the 8 stallions the picture of the Pie family, and the most noticable pony by far is that vibrant pink earth pony.
"She is not a fascist! Shut up with your crap!" Limestone screamed in in anger at what the Soviet labelled Pinkie Pie as.
"You communists are just as bad as the Nazis were!" Limestone spat at the soldier. The Soviet soldier, obviously, gets very angry at statement.
"You now get disciplined!" The Soviet soldier yelled back.
"Teach them lesson. They yours. Do whatever. But no kill," The Soviet soldier nodded to the stallions. The 8 stallions approach Limestone and Marble.
"Do whatever to me... but I swear I will hurt you so badly if you touch my sister..." Limestone growled as she steps forward. Marble shakes and tries curling up to an even smaller ball.
The 8 stallions separate into 2 groups. One group drags Limestone, while the other 4 heads over to Marble. Limestone fights viliantly, but the 4 stallions overpower her very quickly, and they drag her downstairs.
"MARBLE! JUMP OUT THE WINDOW! RUN!" Limestone screamed as she is dragged down the stairs by 4 stallions. From downstairs, the screaming briefly stops, just crying, but then...
"NO! NO! NO! NO!" Limestone screams in agony. Limestone manages to get free again and trots up the stairs, but gets caught. The 4 stallions on her, while overpowering Limestone, are struggling to keep her still. Marble is frozen, in horror, she just froze.
"RUN MARBLE! JUST RUN- AAGGHHHHH!" Limestone screamed as she loses her grip and is pulled back down the stairs.
Marble manages to snap out of her frozen state. She hastily gets up and smashes the window. But as she was about to jump out, she gets caught by magic. One of the stallions took their ushanka off, and is revealed to be a unicorn. The other 3 stallions grab Marble. The grey mare screams and cries, kicking and punching to get free, but it's no use.
"Don't resist. They will hurt more," The Soviet soldier coldly said.
"LET GO OF ME! LET GO OF ME- AHHHH!" Limestone screamed as get got free again and tried to get back upstairs. The Soviet soldier present points his PPS-43 in Limestone's direction, pointing just above her head.
POW POW POW POW POW POW POW POW!
The Soviet soldier fires 8 warning shots, purposefully missing Limestone by a thread of string. This mortifies Limestone enough to make her give up of further resistance. She unwillingly allows the 4 stallions to drag her back downstairs. Limestone gives up resisting, because if she continues, she fears that the soldier will turn around and shoot Marble.
Meanwhile, the stallions forces Marble onto the lower bunk bed on the left, onto her back. Then 3 of the stallions spread out and pin down Marble's legs. The other stallion, the biggest one, gets on top of her. The biggest stallion is tan-coloured, the other 3 are red, brownish orange and yellow. The unicorn is the yellow one.
Marble is trying to free herself, but she is easily overpowered by the 4 stallions. Marble covers her face with her mane, bracing for what will come next. Marble is too mortified to scream, she doesn't want to be fired upon.
"Get off her! How dare you four! Treating your own like garbage!" A Russian accent yells from downstairs. Then there's the sounds of trotting from downstairs. As well, the 4 stallions get off of Marble, trying to scramble.
The 4 stallions were about to trot back downstairs, but they are stopped by another Soviet. This Soviet is an officer. He is wearing the same winter clothes as a normal soldier, the same coat, trousers and boots. But instead of a ushanka, he is wearing a big green cap, with red ribbon around and a red star with the Soviet hammer and sickle.
"How dare you four drag Soviet honour through mud like this as well!" The Soviet officer scolded the 4 stallions. This human is of course far weaker than the stallions, but him being an officer and him caught what they were about to do, made the stallions fearful.
"Get out! All four! Out!" The officer barked his orders in a fit of rage. The 4 stallions, scared for their lives, run back down the stairs, like cowards. Limestone hastily gets back upstairs, trots to Marble and both earth ponies hug each other tightly.
"Как ты смеешь особенно! Как ты смеешь грабить дом и отдавать жеребцам эти приказы! Мы солдаты, а не насильники и мародеры!" The Soviet officer scolded the soldier in front of him. The officer happened to of had a truncheon on him attached to his belt left side, which he grabs and strikes the Soviet soldier across the face, knocking him down and he drops his PPS-43. Blood starts running down his nose. Marble and Limestone look at the Soviet officer with mixed feelings, a mixture of relief and fear.
"Мы солдаты, а не насильники и мародеры! Я собираюсь выстрелить тебе в голову!" The Soviet officer continues the scolding strikes the soldier with the truncheon at least 6 more times, breaking a few ribs and other bones. The soldier screams and winces in agony. The crunch and breaking noises sound horrible. Marble whimpers hearing that noise while Limestone tries comforting her. Limestone has Marble's head under her jaw.
"Tell me what happened here. I'll hold them accountable. All involved will be shot," The Soviet officer requested information on what happened, so he can report the incident to his higher ups. The Soviet officer is an old-looking man, who is white, and of height that is slightly above average.
"H- him and nine other soldiers... they... they ransacked the whole room- I- I don't know what else in the house but- but they stole e- everything, then those eight stallions came... and they- they tried raping me and my younger sister..." Limestone stuttered, her eyes releasing lots of tears. Marble's face is covered in tears.
Both Limestone and Marble are traumatized. What happened just now solidifies Marble's fear of interaction with other ponies. She fears if she interacts with other ponies, this will happen again. Meanwhile, Limestone wishes she fought back harder, she wishes she didn't care about Holder's Boulder. She felt everything that happened is all her fault. She couldn't protect Holder's Boulder, she couldn't protect Ma and Pa, she couldn't protect the farm, she couldn't protect Marble.
"They will be dealt with, appropriately. They will be given the ultimate and supreme punishment. Shooting," The Soviet officer firmly reassured.
"I don't tolerate my soldiers acting like this. All civilians are innocent. I wish my other comrades thought like me. Most officers turn a blind eye. Some officers even encourage this behaviour. I saw very much similar behaviour in other places too," The Soviet officer added. He starts sounding more disappointed than angry.
"You two must go by tomorrow. There will be new officer, who is far less... empathetic," The Soviet officer warned.
"H- how will we get out?" Limestone questioned, glaring at the officer with suspicion and distrust. But because of him, he saved her and Marble from a lot more than what happened.
"However you can get out. For now, I'll assign some men. Until tomorrow, you two will be guaranteed protection," The Soviet officer replied. The officer then walks downstairs, dragging the bruised and now unconscious Soviet soldier by the coat.
Limestone and Marble look at each other, and tries to comforting the other, sobbing to one another. They have until tomorrow to figure out how they will escape. But for now, they comfort each other, because they need each other's support. Limestone feels as though she let everypony down, especially Ma and Pa. Marble meanwhile feels her anxiety and fear interacting with others got worse, much much worse.
Meanwhile...
Both Tiger 2's and the single Studebaker US6 are approaching the rock farm. Maud can barely see the rock farm. The house can also be seen in the distance, and it doesn't look good. Both tanks and the truck break to a halt, so they don't alert any Soviet soldiers they may be or is in the house.
"They destroyed the front door," Said Maud, tears rolling down her cheeks while her face stays the same.
There are also several pony bodies not too far from the house either. There is blood, guts and limbs. There is also several bits of rock everywhere as well. From where they all are, Maud can tell those dispersed rocks belonged to Holder's Boulder. Holder's Boulder had been destroyed. Maud also recognizes 2 bodies, the mother and father. Maud's eyes let's out tears, but her face stays the same.
"Ma and Pa are gone. I'm scared Marble and Limestone are too," Maud responded. On the outside, her face stays the same while letting out tears. But on the inside in the mind, Maud is screaming in sadness and grief.
"I'm going to walk to the house to see if at least Marble and Limestone are alive," Maud said as she jumps off the back of the Tiger 2, and starts walking to the house.
Maud is taking a big risk, because she doesn't know whether the soldiers outside the destroyed front entrance will shoot or not. Mudbriar is likely to die really soon, Ma and Pa are dead. If Marble and Limestone are dead too, Pinkie Pie will find out soon enough, and will die of a broken heart. Even Starlight may also be dead for all Maud knows. If all the ponies she cares most about are dead, then life isn't worth living. A part of Maud hopes the soldiers open fire on her to end the pain. A part of her also hopes she doesn't die, because Pinkie Pie will for sure die of a broken heart if she finds out all of her family are actually dead.
(Minutes prior)
The Soviet officer had dragged the disgraceful battered soldier down the stairs, and out the house. He gets out a Tokarev TT-33 pistol from the pistol holder on his belt. He then draws it, pointing at the soldier's head, who starts panicking.
"Нет! Нет- я этого не- hет! Нет нет-"
POW!
The Soviet officer fires a bullet into the soldier's head. Blood and brains go all over the head and around it. The Soviet officer will not tolerate the disgusting behaviour he just saw. He looks at the now dead soldier in disgust, seeing that he was the one who ordered the 8 stallions to do what they tried to do. With that soldier now dead, that is at least a soldier less that will bring more disgrace to the Red Army.
The Soviet officer looks for nearby soldiers. He finds 4 comrades nearby.
"Охраняйте дом и не позволяйте никому без разрешения войти внутрь. Если нет уважительной причины, не стреляйте," The Soviet officer ordered. The 4 soldiers walk to the charred destroyed front entrance into the rock house. The 4 stand idly by, armed with Mosin Nagant's.
The officer then notices a grey earth pony mare with a neatly combed pale purple mane and tail, and is wearing winter clothing. The mare is walking up to the 4 soldiers. The soldiers raise their guns and aim at the approaching mare.
"Прекратить огонь! Прекратить огонь!" The Soviet officer yelled at the 4 assigned men. The 4 men lower and withdrew their aim. He walks up to the earth pony. Both of them stop in front of each other.
"Are my sisters inside?" The mare asked.
"Yes," The Soviet officer replied.
"Let them go. Waiting behind me are two tanks that will roll towards you if you don't let them go," The mare said in the same tone.
"We're only protecting them. Nothing else. Goons were present, but they will be dealt with. Come with me," The Soviet officer responded. Even though the mare spoke with mostly a monotone voice, he could tell that she was threatening him. But now knowing that this pony is another sister of the other 2 in the house, the Soviet officer understands the mare. The mare follows the Soviet officer as they walk to the house.
(Minutes later)
Button Mash is looking out of the hatch. A few minutes have gone by, and there is still no sign of Maud ever since she entered the house.
"Do you want me to drive forward?" Scootaloo asked Button Mash. The brown colt thought about it. Maud has put herself in a very dangerous situation. But Button Mash knows that the Tiger 2's could easily be picked off from all sides by Soviet tanks. The rock farm is mostly an open field, and because of the snow, the tanks will stick out like a sore hoof.
"What do you think we should do?" Button Mash asked, looking at Stefan, the commander of the other Tiger 2, who's top half is poking out. He and his crew had served in a Tiger 2 and were trained in the Wehrmacht. They will have much better experience than the CMC do.
"If she doesn't come back in about a minute, we roll in and get her and whoever else out," Stefan suggested.
"I see them," Rumble stated. Through his periscope, he sees Maud, and 2 other ponies leaving the house. Rumble also says this on the radio.
"Okay don't roll forward, don't shoot, do nothing. They are handing them to us peacefully. We want men like them to remain in the Red Army," Stefan responded. It is unwise to shoot merciful enemies, because it would only strengthen the general enemy's viewpoint.
"I swear if those Soviets do anything I am going to eviscerate them," Trixie glared at the 5 Soviets. It appears one of them is taking Maud, as well as 2 others, 2 of the other sisters of Pinkie Pie
(At the house)
Maud, as well as a tearful Marble and tearful Limestone exits the house. The Soviet officer feels good about himself, that he saved 2 innocent lives. Maud is thankful that Marble and Limestone are alive. Limestone is thankful that this Soviet officer happened to be there just at the right time. Marble is thankful that they can all escape.
"You three will have to make your own way out. Avoid any soldiers on the way. They will most likely shoot if you're spotted, and I won't be able to do anything about it. Avoid open fields, you'll get past our lines through less open areas like firesrs or valleys," The Soviet officer warned the 3 earth pony mares as they walk away. One of them picks up one of the pieces of rock that are scattered like the nearby gored earth pony bodies. Then the grey one with the mane covering one of the eyes starts trotting. The other 2 trot to keep up. The Soviet officer sees them go, and turns to his soldiers and smiles, nodding with approval. He gestures to them that they may go.
The Soviet officer continues watching them get to safety. That's when he did notice there are 2 tanks, German-made Equestrian tanks, waiting. He continues watching cautiously, because those tanks could roll forward and start firing.
But as soon as he saw the 3 mares climb onto one of the tanks, they turn around, and left. The Soviet officer sighs with relief. Most of his tanks 'nearby' are at the front, still advancing at breakneck speed. Had those 2 tanks rolled forward, he would've lost a lot of men as they waited for their tanks to fall back. The Soviet officer also grits his teeth, because he's pretty sure the tanks will be spotted, and they die anyway. But he did absolutely everything he could do for them.
Now, he works on locating the 8 stallions to execute them for the attempted rape of the 2 mares But they have scattered, and he cannot remember what they all exactly looked like. The best the Soviet officer can do is later send a report of the incident to his higher ups and see if anything can be done to identify and track them down. But for now, he and the 4 present soldiers must dispose of the shot soldier.
(24th December, midnight, at Ponyville Hospital)
The hospital staff had been working tirelessly for over 2 weeks with no breaks in any of the days in the weeks, selflessly treating injuries. From light injuries to life-threatening injuries, the hospital have treated. The hospital got more organized since the air raid on the 3rd.
Anybody with light and major injuries are treated outside, and they wait on one of the outside beds, that all had just been fitted with 4 big umbrellas at each corner to protect it from the snow. Meanwhile, those with life-threatening injuries are treated inside. As well, much more AA weapons are placed around the hospital, so it would at least be a very difficult target for Soviet air power to target.
In the week following the major air raid, the hospital in terms of how busy it is, has somewhat returned to normal levels. There had been the odd few Soviet planes in the sky, but they had all been fighters, mostly to keep hold of their air dominance. Due to rising tensions between the west and the Soviet Union, it is believed the Soviets are trying to save their bombs and bombers for a potential war against the west.
Nurse Redheart, had just been sent outside to treat somepony. This pony, a pegasus, had came with another pegasus, a pegasus filly, 2 unicorns, and 2 changelings, they only arrived a few minutes ago. Out of the injured, this white pegasus is the least injured.
When Nurse Redheart saw who she is going to treat, she gasps. She remembers this pegasus, a white pegasus mare with those beautiful pink freckles. The pegasuses is shaking terribly.
"Adorabella?"
For the most part, Adorabella is fine. She isn't shaking because of the cold, she can cope with the cold. It is from the several close calls.
"H- hey..." Adorabella meakly smiled, trying to put on a brave face.
"What happened to your wing?" Nurse Redheart gasped, already start to check it. Adorabella's left wing appear to of been badly burned.
"I got shot by Chrysalis, and I'm worried about my wing..." Adorabella replied in a worried tone. She is worried about having her left wing amputated because of the burns.
"But you should worry about Starlight..." Adorabella is selflessly more concerned for Starlight. She saw how badly battered the unicorn was. Adorabella would rather not be able to fly again if it means Starlight can be saved.
"Well, if you got hit from Chrysalis, you're very lucky you're even here right now," Nurse Redheart stated.
"I know... I shouldn't of survived. I should've been charred..." Adorabella shuddered at how much of a close encounter she had with Chrysalis. Had Chrysalis got a better shot off, Adorabella may of had her whole body set to flames, or just outright vaporized.
"Well, luckily you're just over thinking. Your left wing itself is fine. Just some cream to treat the burns should be enough. Your wing should heal in about a week, given how quick your wings are capable of healing," Nurse Redheart spoke lightly, keeping the positivity up. She turns around and then walks into the hospital. Adorabella also notices Sunburst coming out of the hospital, crying.
"If you need somepony to hug... I don't mind," Adorabella offered. Sunburst lets Adorabella hug him.
"Starlight wouldn't explain what happened... I saw inside the cell and I didn't want to believe it... but she let Thorax explain everything... and he explained what I didn't want to believe what happened... had happened..." Sunburst didn't want to explain what happened, but Starlight is Adorabella's friend, and Adorabella must understand the gravity of what happened. Sunburst, with great difficulty, explains to Adorabella what Thorax told to him.
Adorabella lets go of Sunburst. She trembles at hearing what happened to Starlight. It struck her deep into her nerves like a knife. Hearing what happened to Starlight had tipped Adorabella over the edge. Fear and grief, but that's not just what Adorabella is feeling. It also made her feel a feeling she had not truly ever felt before. Rage. All feelings of fear, gone, replaced with just rage, burning rage.
Adorabella remembers back to when she was given the grenade, to distract the evil changelings. Instead of throwing it away from the evil changelings, she wishes she had the stomach to throw the grenade right at them and see their guts go everywhere. The pain inflicted upon Starlight, as well as Thorax and Ocellus, as well as knowing Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were ponynapped, Discord being killed, all of it made Adorabella so angry. But hearing what exactly happened to Starlight had pushed Adorabella over the edge. Adorabella is normally the first pony to forgive somebody, but after what she has saw today, she decides the Soviets are beyond forgiveness. Adorabella cannot possibility bring herself to even conceive of forgiving the Soviets.
All of this together had suddenly changed Adorabella's timid and forgiving nature to a much more violent desire for vengeance after what happened to her friends. Adorabella wants to do everything in her absolute power to help her friends get vengeance. The incandescent rage flowing through Adorabella is strong, and the only way she can get rid of it to revert to her normal self if she does something to avenge what happened to her friends, no matter what act she must commit to do so.
"Adorabella, here you go. I got the cream for your wing." Nurse Redheart came back with a small tub. She knows Adorabella doesn't really like her wings touched, so to not stress Adorabella out as much, Nurse Redheart gently and carefully pulls Adorabella's left wing until it's fully extended. She then starts applying cream to it. After finishing, Nurse Redheart let's go of Adorabella's left wing.
"Thank you," Adorabella's naturally soft gentle voice had been replaced with a much more firm sounding voice.
"Do not to fly really fast. Doing too much before it fully heals may leave your wing permanently damaged," Nurse Redheart softly instructed. Adorabella gets off her hospital bed, then looks at Sunburst.
"I am going to head to Sweet Apple Acres," Adorabella said the Sunburst. Adorabella then flaps both her wings. She tilts left as her left wing is hindered, but she slowly steadies and adjusts to the hinderment, albeit, still being a bit wobbly in the air. Adorabella slowly flies away, heading to Sweet Apple Acres. She has to fly slowly, so she doesn't risk damaging her left wing permanently. She may be able to regenerate her wings unnaturally quick, but her wings are also really fragile, like her whole body is.
Soon, Trixie shows up to the hospital. She jumped off the tank she was riding on and wanted to check on Starlight. She sees Sunburst, and walks to him. She is in for disgustingly heart-wrenching news.
(At Sweet Apple Acres)
The mane 6 are outside the barn. It was Coco Pommel's Spur's and Biscuit's turn to go into Ponyville to get state-supplied rations. They are in different groups, and each time they need to go into Ponyville to get rations, they take turns to get them. They cannot sleep a lot, because there is always the looming threat of a second air raid. The fear of another air raid keeps them from having a lot of sleep.
"I wish there was more we could do to help everypony," Pinkie Pie sighed.
"We could go and greet front line fighters," Rainbow Dash put forward.
"Last time Twilight got hurt. Luckily that tank didn't hit her directly," Rarity responded.
"Had it n'been for our lil sistas, we'd be dead," Applejack added onto Rarity.
"Yeah but Pinkie is right- like, we are meant to protect Equestria. All we have been doing is just sitting here! Even the CMC are out there fighting!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
"Does anypony here tanks?" Twilight asked.
"I do too," Fluttershy nodded.
The mane 6 notices 2 King Tiger tanks driving to them in the distance. One of them they immediately recognizes it's the CMC's tank. They aren't sure who's in the other Tiger 2 tank, but they are most likely with and are helping the CMC. On the back of the other Tiger 2, Pinkie screams with relief and runs up to them, seeing her 3 sisters are alive. The 3 other Pie siblings jump off the tank and run up to their vibrant pink sibling, all tearfully relieved to see they made it. They hug each other and then let go. The rest of the mane 6 let the Pie sisters have a moment.
"I'm so happy you are all alive!" Pinkie Pie cried.
"Not everypony got out though," Maud responded while wiping her eyes.
"Ma and Pa... they... they..." Limestone broke down into more tears as she takes off her back a piece of Holder's Boulder and shows Pinkie Pie.
"This is what remains of Holder's Boulder- We were about to lift Holder's Boulder with help from others onto a cart... and then... then- a tank came and- and it... it..." Limestone couldn't get her words out, because when she tried to, she broke down into a deeply hurt mess.
"No- you don't mean..." Pinkie Pie's eyes widen, gettimg extremely tearful.
"Mhm..." Marble tearfully whimpered.
"We only got out alive, because a Soviet officer intervened and saved Limestone and Marble from disgusting things happening to them by 'red' ponies," Maud explained, and Pinkie Pie knew exactly what Maud meant. This tips pink earth pony over the edge. She know what Maud meant is that Marble and Limestone were almost violated in the worst way. Without the supposed Soviet officer's mercy, Marble and Limestone would've been violated, and may not even be alive right now.
"Rainbow! Come here!" Pinkie Pie demanded. The light blue pegasus hovers over to the pink earth pony, and lands beside her. Her eyes are building up with tears.
"Yeah, Pinkie?"
"Do you still wanna do that rainbow nuke thing on Moscow!? Because I sure hope you do!" Pinkie Pie inquired. Originally, the pink earth pony was against the idea. But now, she fully supports the idea. Pinkie Pie isn't taking in the news told to her very well at all. All 4 Pies are grief-stricken, broken on the inside, heavily crying.
"Kinda, yeah. Been dreaming about scarring Moscow here and there too," Rainbow Dash admitted.
"Count me in," Said another voice. Rainbow Dash and the Pie sisters turn around and sees a white pegasus landing beside them.
"Adorabella-"
Before Rainbow Dash could speak, the white pegasus cries as she latches onto her best friend.
Except Pinkie Pie, who is with her sisters, trying to be there reassuring them everything will be okay, the rest of the mane 6 checks on Adorabella.
"I'm so happy to see you're alive!" Adorabella cried.
"Where were you Adorabella? We had no letter back from you! We thought you were still in Ponyville- we were worried for you!" Twilight exclaimed.
"Well, after the air raid, I wanted to help ponies flee from danger. I know what pain is like, and I don't want anypony else going through pain. Then I met up with Daring, Maud, Starlight, and Trixie. We came together, and we'd help ponies escape," Adorabella replied.
"I was the scout, I made sure what routes were available, as well as keeping eyes out for anything, or looking out for any of us went missing. Daring was effectively the leader. Starlight and Trixie would then go in and out of occupied areas via said routes, normally saving at least three ponies. All the while, Maud kept our secret camp running," Adorabella explained.
"Wait- what happened to your wing!?" Rarity exclaimed, noticing Adorabella's burnt left wing.
"Chrysalis shot it, and then Daring saved me. But my wing should heal in about in a weeks time," Adorabella explained, trying to sound calm, trying to contain the rage she is feeling right now, which she feels getting stronger. But she isn't panicking nearly as much about her wing.
"What happened, is that Starlight got captured. So me and the others had to rescue her, while Maud with another group went to the rock farm. Back to my group... I kept the changelings and planes and AA guns focused on me while I bounced around them, so the others could approach her location on the ground. I cannot explain what happened to her... it isn't my place to say but... but hearing what happened... it tipped me over the edge. I am angry... so angry..." Adorabella shuddered, with anger, rage, grief and fear.
"Everybody is. Even the Soviet 'allies' in the west are condemning them," Twilight nodded.
"There needs to be a lot more done that just condemning!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
Meanwhile, the CMC decided to all exit their tanks and had walked up to the mane 6. They exchanged looks at each other as they got closer.
"Cutie Mark Crusaders, I'm very..." Applejack paused for a moment. The CMC prepared for a massive scolding session. But this could be the last time they could see everypony.
"...proud. I am ver' proud of all o'ya," Applejack smiled as she hugs them. Everypony else also joins in the hug, but Pinkie Pie. Pinkie Pie especially is grateful to the CMC, because without them, her sisters would be dead too. But eight now, the Pie sisters need support from one another and time together. They had lost both of their parents, and had to leave the rock farm behind. The mane 6 accepted the CMC's choice to fight. After the hug, the CMC quickly prepare themselves to leave. They only came to the barn to drop off Maud, Limestone and Marble. The CMC as well as the other crew in the other Tiger 2 have to regroup with everypony else near Ponyville Hospital.
Meanwhile, Adorabella and Marble need some space. Both mares are funny with large groups of ponies. Even though the white pegasus and the grey mare know them, large groups still overwhelm them. But Marble still needs a shoulder to cry to.
"You okay?" Adorabella gently asked Marble.
"Mm mm..." Marble tearfully shook her head. Adorabella takes a few steps back to give Marble some space.
"If you need me, I'll be here. You know that Marble, right?" Adorabella softly spoke.
"Mhm..." Marble slowly steps forward, to Adorabella. The white pegasus also slowly steps forward. She reaches with her left forehoof to Marble, who lowers her head. Marble steps forward holds onto Adorabella's left forehoof with her right, hugging and crying into it.
"Th- thanks..." Marble weakly mumbled. Adorabella nods. Adorabella puts her head above Marble's. Adorabella uses her long mane to cover Marble's uncovered eye. Marble calms down a little bit, she feels invisible to everything. Adorabella knows this helps Marble to calm down. The holding hooves turn into a hug.
"Adorabella," Rainbow Dash called out as she walks to the white pegasus. Seeing the other pegasus coming over, Marble lets go of Adorabella and takes a few steps back, then rejoins her sisters, staying between Pinkie Pie and Limestone. Marble can't deal with other ponies right now, and for good reason.
The rest of the mane 6 take the devastated Pie siblings into the barn to help the 3 other Pie sisters to settle down and come to terms with what happened. Pinkie Pie doesn't know how she can cheer her 3 sisters or at least even lift spirits up, because Maud has seen the horrors of the air raid. Limestone and Marble were held at gunpoint while all the valuables in the rock farm house were looted, and they almost got raped. Pinkie Pie also hasn't seen Cheese Sandwich since he got conscripted. But the most stinging thing that happened to the Pies, is the loss of their parents.
"How long did the nurses say it'll take your wing to heal again?" Rainbow Dash asked Adorabella.
"About a week, Redheart said. I cannot really fly a lot as of now. I don't want my wing to be permanently hindered. But my wings can regenerate really quick if they get rest... which I never told you I believe. Another quirk I have from my minimal unicorn magic I inherited from my mother," Adorabella answered.
"Yeah no you never told me- well, that's awesome though. Hopefully you'll be in the air in no time," Rainbow Dash nodded.
"Right- Just wondered if... if you wanted to fly with me and do our respective boom things, to uh, y'know, use the sound to shatter some windows and eardrums in Moscow?" Rainbow Dash wondered.
"After what I've seen today... after what I've been made aware of what happened today... after overhearing what Limestone and Marble had experienced too... I have no problems in helping with taking a bit of the fighting to the Soviets..." Adorabella nodded, tearfully, with anger and sorrow.
Rainbow Dash easily tells Adorabella has changed. The soft-spoken, timid, gentle white pegasus mare has become lustful for vengeance, just to give her friends any closure, even just a miniscule amount. This is a war, and wars are capable in changing the most gentle individuals into the most ruthless.
"Also uh- about Starlight... will she be coming down to the farm later on?" Rainbow Dash asked. Adorabella shook her head.
"She... she wasn't in great condition, by the time we rescued her... " Adorabella shuddered while her eyes water for the poor unicorn.
"I don't even know if we'll even have the same Starlight again... she's so... so badly hurt... the changelings and commies are also ponynapping foals- there's even ponies are joining them- what if Rock and Catch get freed by them-" Adorabella is getting more agitated as she tries suppressing her inner rage towards the Soviets. She is also deeply fearful of Rock and Catch being free again, and free to unleash their desires onto anypony they choose.
"Adorabella- I know I know- just... breath," Rainbow Dash tries calming Adorabella down.
"I- I just... I just want all this to stop..." Adorabella slowly calms herself down.
"It will stop one day, maybe not any time soon, but it will stop. Then when it does stop, whether we win or lose... the Soviet Union will permanently have a big stain to their name," Rainbow Dash gently reassured.
"We will get through this, no matter what," Rainbow Dash spoke firmly. Adorabella meekly nods as she calms down. Rainbow Dash stands with her to help her calm down. After some time, Adorabella calms down.
"Can you uh..." Adorabella takes off her backpack and puts it on the ground. She opens it and gets out a letter with her left forehoof. On it, it has 'Ralph' on the front, with a heart next to the name, and a cryptic code on the bottom right, which are details to where Ralph is stationed. Adorabella passes the letter to Rainbow Dash, then closes the backpack and puts it back on.
"Can you deliver this letter for me to the nearest barracks or Royal Guard outpost, please... as I cannot really fly too well as of now?" Adorabella requested.
"Of course," Rainbow Dash nodded as she takes it while flapping her wings.
Adorabella looks at Rainbow Dash as she flies off. Adorabella walks to the barn doors, where everypony else is. Nopony in Sweet Apple Acres is unscathed or left unaffected.
In the opening days of the new war, the air raid killed Maud's stallion, but was resuscitated, but is badly disfigured for life, and still recovering in hospital. All of the mane 6 but Twilight and Pinkie Pie, got caught out in the open by Soviet bombers, as did the CMC. The Apple family are certain that the chances of Granny Smith being alive is 0. The fate of Big Mac is still unknown. The CMC have lost Diamond Tiara. Coco Pommel, Spur and Biscuit had to flee their home city.
The mane 6 tried to do what they have done for ages. Be Equestria's heroes, and stand with the fighters on the front lines, stand against evil, which almost costed Twilight's and the other's lives. This isn't the mane 6's fight, this is Equestria's fight. The war had the mane 6 reduced to insignificant figures. The mane 6 alone don't stand a chance against the whole Red Army, added with their new changeling allies.
Then, the most recent events. The CMC, still hurt by the loss of Diamond Tiara, are now out there fighting. Meanwhile, Starlight had just went through literal hell, and left scarred for life. Limestone and Marble are also scarred for life. The Pie siblings also lost their parents, and they are devastated.
This isn't just a petty conflict like it's currently viewed in the west. Basic humanitarian aid isn't going to turn the side. This is a full on war, a brutal war between the Soviet Union and Equestria. Innocent Equestrian lives are being lost, maimed, or scarred. All of this, just because the Soviet high command orders their military to carry out barbaric orders. This war isn't going to end any time soon, and the longer it goes on for, the higher the risk of another war starting in Europe goes.
Note:
I hope you enjoyed the chapter, except for the the explicit parts of it. I promise explicit scenes like the ones I just wrote in this chapter will be incredibly rare in EPWT. I am still enjoying writing for EPWT, I like the dark atmosphere I've created around this story. It was just this chapter I found most difficult to write so far.