Wreaking Havoc (Plot Post)

[Red Charge]

Soon after the Royal Guard took off in the air on an interception course for the Leviathan, the Equestrian Army climbed down the Canterlot Cliffside. Of course, not all of the army was participating, only a battalion of Earth Ponies, led by the mighty Noble Nocturne, a night operations expert. However, along with his own earth pony battalion, another unit of ponies was participating, a different unit altogether. The Equestrian Yellow Flashes – A unicorn specialist team of close combat experts, specializing in rapid teleportation, strengthening spells and close quarters combat. The unit, instantly recognizable by the yellow hooded cloaks they wore, was to lead the attack.

The leader of the Yellow Flashes, one Double Crescent, took the time, once they were at the bottom of the Cliffside to instruct the Earth Pony battalion about the mission they were about to partake in.

"Soldiers, ponies, brothers, we have been grouped together for a mission of utmost importance. It is no less critical that we emerge victorious than that the Royal Guard stops the Leviathan, for our mission will halt the Diamond Dogs' advance on Canterlot and take out their digger squads, forcing them to march on the surface, where we can track them. As you all know, we recently got back our first Field Marshal, 'Iron Shoes' Hightower and since he has come back he has been very busy demolishing Diamond Dog tunnels all over Equestria, preventing them from getting too close to our settlements. This time we will be working along with him. The Field Marshal reported the Warg digging team digging a tunnel to Canterlot, the majority of their digger corps are in that tunnel. Sir Hightower will collapse said tunnel right on their head. The only thing we need to do, is get rid of any of them that come out. We will ambush them along the tunnel route, my unicorns will assist against the warg threat. Practice extreme caution when approaching them, one swipe can corrupt you, so keep your distance and try and leave them to us. I want every digger captured or killed, we cannot allow them to continue with their tunnels. If anyone spots the Warg General, Havoc anywhere, I want them to sound the alarm so my unicorns and I can dispatch of him." The unicorn captain explained, "Are we clear?" He asked, to a collective, "Ho!" From the troops.

"Then let us be off, and may the Moonlight guide our paths!"

[Red Charge]

And there they were, lined up along the tunnels the diamond dogs were digging. They've already dealt with the meager ground forces the Diamond Dogs set to watch topside. Squads of soldiers spread all around, waiting for the Iron Shoes to collapse the long tunnel at its edge, forcing the diggers to run back and dig topside to not get buried.

Double Crescent was sitting among a particular group of soldiers, accompanied by several of his Yellow Flashes. Boulder Break, one of the soldiers in the squad assigned to that area was quick to start a conversation about the mysterious hooded pony.

"So what's the deal with that guy? He got a real name?" The stallion asked, "Doesn't look much like a fighter to me."

"Heh," Scoffed Weed Whacker, the platoon's heavy support trooper, "Double Crescent? He's the original Yellow Flash. I hear it's because everyone who fights him only manages to see a flash of yellow eyes before being knocked or cut down. Guy teleports so quickly he could be anywhere on the battlefield at once. Also heard his foals are just as gifted as he is. No idea who they might be though." She looked over at the yellow hooded ponies, casting spells on each other as they waited.

Boulder Break seemed slightly impressed at what the heavy armored mare said, but didn't show it. She twirled her halberd casually with a hoof. He did not continue that line of questioning though, as a sudden quake hit them with a loud rumble.

"It's done, hold fast!" Double Crescent called, bracing for the imminent tide of Diamond Dog diggers. All around the tunnel line tunnels immediately opened up to fresh air, with Diamond Dog diggers scrambling for their lives only to be cut down at their exits. The tunnel collapse must have done more damage than they thought, because no warg had yet emerged.

Naturally as soon as that thought occurred to the soldiers, they began to rise out, black masses of fur and muscles shooting out of the ground, knocking whole groups of ponies aside with one swipe.

The Yellow Flashes sprung into action, teleporting in and out of battle, blocking swipes to protect soldiers and then reappearing to the back of the wargs to stab them. Each warg was circled from all directions. To a soldier it looked unreal, they could barely even keep track of the Yellow Flashes, as they were gone before the first flash had even dissipated.

The wargs had no chance, they scattered furiously attacking where they could, swarming in from the caves at every opening. There were more of them than Double Crescent thought there would, and there was yet no sign of Havoc, their leader.

The soldiers from several areas before them came rushing back to their aid, having retreated from their own positions due to being outnumbered. They were quickly followed by more wargs however and a particularly big one jumped into the fray, single handedly crushing a soldier pony beneath its weight, breaking his spine, and killing two more with a single swipe, sending them flying in pieces.

Three Yellow Flashes rushed in, teleporting around the massive Warg, however the warg was too large and in too much of a frenzy for them to move in. Choiceless, they activated their horns and in a moment, the Warg was gone.

The death count by the ponies was growing by the minute, there was still no sign of Havoc. Boulder Break had nearly lost his head fighting off a warg, now having a very noticeable gash on his side and fighting back to back with several more, when a couple of Wargs came sprinting at him. He braced for impact, but that never came as from the sky the tremendous Warg crashed down upon them, killing all three instantly.
"Sweet aim!" He called over to the flashes, who gave him a wave, then continuing to teleport around.

What diggers remained had the sense to try and attack them from below, digging holes beneath ponies and when they fell in, lynching them to death with claws and blades. Weed Whacker's halberd did it's fair share of work, but it could not protect her from below, as she was pulled under the earth, disappearing from sight.

And then the tide suddenly stemmed, either there were no more Wargs, or the ones that were dug their way out to another side. They saw a magic flare set off in one of the other groups, Havoc has surfaced.

As one the Yellow Flashes teleported away, leaving the regular soldiers to care for the wounded and carry home the dead, which were surprisingly few. Aside from the three killed by the large warg and several more killed by the diggers, there were mostly wounded, most not even that bad.

Boulder Break had to take back what he said of Double Crescent, that pony not only knew how to fight, but he knew how to fight smart.

[Red Charge]

The Yellow Flashes arrived with lightning speed, they did not like what they saw. Even their own that were stationed in that particular area were cut down by the wargs. By the time they arrived there was only a small group of regular soldiers fighting, grouped back to back. No more Diamond Dogs came through the tunnels. And other groups were starting to fly the "all clear" flares.

Only Havoc and a small group of diamond dogs still remained. Double Crescent quickly sized up his opponent, a gigantic Warg, seeming more like a cross of dog and gorilla. The massive creature's jaws were dirty and bloody, as well as his claws. He must have been incredibly fast to be able to take down his Yellow Flashes.

Immediately, Double Crescent and his men leaped into action teleporting at the Warg with intent to attack, but to their surprise, no sooner have they reappeared than they were met with a swift swipe of claws, catching Crescent in the face and knocking aside the others, sending them teleporting away again.

How could the Warg have known where they would appear? The warg's ear twitched and he growled at them again, charging forwards. Crescent and his Yellow Flashes teleported aside, preparing to counter attack. But the Warg charged right through them, knowing somehow where to change direction and throwing them all to the ground. Crescent saw some broken legs.

How could that twitchy eared monster know...? Twitchy eared... of course! He was hearing them! Sound travels fast, all the warg did was listen to where they popped in. That's how he got past the flashes and confusion, he could react to the sounds instantaneously, while the Flashes had a fraction of a second delay to adjust to their surroundings.

Double Crescent stomped the ground with his hoof, his Flashes were wounded, some probably dead. Apparently they had hit their one weakness, a dog who could counter them before they could attack. Conventional magic would do them better than their own. Double Crescent was having a hard time thinking with all of the noise around... The key was distracting him, noise! He needed lots of noise, then the dog won't be able to hear them coming. "Take out the regular dogs," The hooded stallion instructed. "I'll keep him busy, when you're done, make sure those soldier ponies surround us and make as much noise as possible. Banging, shouting, I want to be deaf."

[Red Charge]

Who remained of the Yellow Flashes still standing, immediately turned to do as Crescent requested. Those who were wounded, or incapacitated quickly made sure to teleport themselves to safety. Double Crescent alone stood before the Warg, whose eyes were closed and ears were twitching. He was waiting for Double Crescent to make a move and the stallion was more than willing to provide.

The Yellow Flash Captain charged forwards towards the massive lupine creature, but this time it would be different. Moments before colliding, he disappeared in a flash, and another flash popped near the warg, who swiped at it furiously, only to hit nothing but air and instead get rammed fiercely and stabbed with a blade. The clever pony had not teleported at all, but created the effect as though he did, confusing the warg and using the confusion to strike from the original course.

The Warg was barely fazed by the attack, and almost instantly recovered, however Double Crescent was already teleported quite the distance back. However the Warg was not quick to forgive, he launched himself at the pony at such speed that even the experienced captain was caught off guard and thrown to the side, teleporting elsewhere. The Warg stood, carefully listening, he was turning towards the other flashes. Crescent couldn't let him attack them, lead to more loss of life. The pony heard a noise from a nearby tunnel, something else was coming towards them. If they were going to subdue the warg general they needed to be quick.

Launching himself at the warg again, trying to pull the same trick as before, Crescent met the dog with his defenses up and was thrown across the field by its counter attack, making sure to land into a roll so as to not break a limb. He was never good at any combative spells, but he certainly had a way with telekinesis. Lifting up as many rocks as he could, Crescent hurled them at speed, hitting the warg and wounding him. But this too, was not enough to even annoy the warg. Crescent for the first time in his career wondered if they were the right ponies for the job. What good would their blades be against such hardy creature?

What was worse, that the Warg was not just a savage animal, it was intelligent, it could plan and counter Crescent's own plans. But if it was intelligent, then capturing it was far better than killing it, what seemed like an impossible task now. Fortunately his Yellow Flashes had already beaten the rest of the diamond dogs, who now lay on the ground, either incapacitated or deceased and the soldiers were beginning to surround the Warg, causing as much noise and ruckus as they could.

The warg grinned, opening his eyes for the first time since the fight began. Crescent had no doubt about it, that thing was intelligent and it was important that it be captured and contained. But with Crescent's fit flashes dwindling to less than four and the regular soldiers being in no real shape to take down such a beast, he truly had to wondered if they had any chance.

"We have to take it down," He said desperately, "We have to find a way!"

At that, a tunnel behind him spit up some rubble, as what had been approaching it rapidly finally arrived.

"Did anyone call for a Heavy Support Unit?" Asked Weed Whacker, fur and mane covered in blood, dirt and wounds yet still grinning with unyielding vigor.

[Red Charge]

Despite being one of the elite units of the Equestrian Army, despite all of their physcially enhancing spells and potions, despite all of their combat experience, the Yellow Flashes could not help but stand (or lie) in awe at the sheer persistence and endurance of the Earth Pony. Double Crescent himself, though sore and though the painful sting of the scratch on his face was still very much burning felt a dire need to whoop in glee. Fortunately, he was able to contain himself.

As the mare pulled herself out of the tunnel which earlier they had assumed to be her grave (and Harmony knows how many Diamond Dogs she spared them from facing) the soldiers called out in glee. Double Crescent rushed over, he had a vigor potion he was reserving for himself, but it was obvious that their success was hanging on her shoulders rather than his.

He pressed the potion to her wanting lips and she drank it in a single gulp, instantly shaking off the combat fatigue and springing into action. The Warg charged at her and Crescent, but this time, the ponies did not budge. Weed Whacker's halberd sprung into her hooves and the warg had no choice but to dodge the spear tip, however the mare's swift reaction brought the heavy blade hard into the warg's side, sending him stumbling sideways. Double Crescent quickly teleported at the Warg as the soldiers around them roared, surprising it with a swift buck to his face.

The mare however, had little need of his assistance, her long ranged weapon combined with her seemingly unnatural strength threw the Warg General around. She knew what she was doing every moment of the fight, knew the right way to dodge, the right way to counter and performed expertly. She alone would easily be able to knock out the general in time. But for the wounded, time was an important factor.

The Yellow Flash Captain teleported outside the ring of yelling soldiers and Yellow Flashes, indicating for the wounded to teleport to the other groups and prepare for withdrawl, the Diamond Dogs would swiftly retaliate and he did not want to have so many men out in the woods when they did. He turned back to join the fight when the volley of arrows hit, half of the ring of pony soldiers fell.

Already? Double Crescent braced for teleportation when he suddenly felt himself paralyzed, another volley of arrows was aimed at only two targets - Weed Whacker and the Warg General. It was then when he noticed the approaching silvery glow... Silvery diamond dog apparitions in shining plated armor marched into the clearing, shield bearers in front.

Weed Whacker fell spasming to the ground, the arrows had penetrated her armor, anti dragon arrows. The Warg, whom they were attempting to take alive crumpled by the volume of the arrows now embedded in its chest. The soldiers left alive after the first volley seemed unsure what to do but then charged forwards and were dispatched with proffessional haste. They couldn't belong to Sharp, they wouldn't have attacked the Warg if they were... how many were there? He counted a dozen, maybe two... A warning flare popped in the distance, one of the withdrawing units had alerted against a danger...

"Everypony pull out! Now!" Double Crescent called, flashing in and out of the new ghastly Diamond Dogs' midst, taking Weed Whacker's surprisingly heavy body out of harm's way. She was already unconscious. Double Crescent could only hope the vigor potion would last until he got her to a healer and even then, it was still a very slim chance.

With one last look at the dead, now decapitated (by the new silvery diamond dog apparitions) Warg General, Double Crescent and his flashes pulled out, sending out a yellow flare - full retreat.