October 22
Luna says we strike tomorrow in Fillydelphia. I’m not exactly sure this is the best move. I’ve always supported Luna over Celestia, but this is just crazy. There are innocent people in Fillydelphia. Things could get ugly real soon if Luna doesn’t win this battle.
CPL Mighty Hoofstrong
“Welcome back, everypony!” Georges greeted the group. Everypony in the classroom sat up at attention, ready to hear more.
“Good morning!” Echoed the class. The anticipation in their voice was overwhelming.
“Now, where were we, everypony?” Asked Georges.
“Something in Fillydelphia!” Said Mac, the colt in the front.
“Ah yes...” Said Georges, clearing his throat before continuing.
“The Fillydelphia Offensive, the battle for Fillydelphia, whatever you prefer to call it, took place on October 23. Fillydelphia was a really small place back then. It started off as a normal day for all the ponies living there. Suddenly, without warning, a dark storm cloud overtook the city, and it was soon shrouded in darkness. All the ponies living there affiliated with Celestia were brought out to the town square...” Said Georges, losing himself in his story.
***
“My goodness, what is that?”
“It’s...gonna kill us!”
“RUN EVERYPONY, RUN!!!”
Screams and shouts from everypony in Fillydelphia rang out as a dark storm cloud appeared from nowhere, raining down on the city. Ponies holed up in their rooms, buildings, apartments, whatever they could. They knew that this storm cloud wasn’t natural...
“Gather up the scavengers.” Yelled a commanding officer for Luna’s Dark Troopers. Immediately, ponies were drug out of their homes, highrises, apartments, and forced to huddle around the town square. Several unicorns in the ranks held their hooves together tightly, prohibiting any kind of magic usage or movement.
The masses huddled together, clumped, wet, as if in a concentration camp. Several children screamed and cried, separated from their parents in the muddled confusion.
“You have one chance to save yourselves.” Yelled the commanding officer. “Bow down before the throne of Luna or die.”
“CELESTIA FOREVER!” screamed one of the colts in the back. The commanding officer looked in his direction.
“Bring him forward.” He said to a henchman. He was immediately drug forward for display in front of the crowd, as he struggled against the shackles the entire way. Once he was up there, the commanding officer looked at him. The colt refused to show his face, his head lowered.
“Profess your love for Luna’s throne or die.” He said.
“I will NEVER bow to Luna.” He replied.
“This is your last chance.” The commanding officer said a bit more forcefully.
The colt said nothing.
“I see.” Said the commanding officer. He drew his sword and put it under the colt’s head.
“Has your answer changed now?” He said, pressing it into his neck. The colt remained silent.
“Have it your way.” He said, swinging the sword back and slicing the colt’s throat. The crowd screamed and gasped in awe. Blood spewed from his neck onto the hooves of the commanding officer. The colt swayed a bit, his neck slowly tilting even more downward than it had before. The colt slowly slipped from consciousness and landed facedown onto the Commanding officer’s hooves, staining them red with a crimson flow.
He enjoyed the sight. His enemies laying before him...In Luna’s army, he felt he could go far with this. he could divide and conquer under her power.
He looked up to the crowd, staring in fear at him.
“Does anyone wish to come to Luna now?”
The rest of the evening was spent enlisting the ponies who came to Luna, and torturing those who remained loyal to Celestia. About half of the ponies who were there devoted their faith in Luna. The other half were burned, electrocuted, dropped from sheer heights, any form of torture available.
As the bodies were stacked up to be incinerated, The commanding officer, Mighty Hoofstrong, took a deep breath in. Smoke, fire...rotted, decaying carcasses of his victims. Everything felt great. He was on top of the world. He continued to survey the bodies as they were dragged in. As he turned around to leave, he saw a particular pony and did a double take. He squinted his eyes to get a better view. He swore he knew that colt. He trotted over the get a better view. As soon as he got closer, he recognized it. There, covered in blood, was his very brother, dead from a clean slice in his throat. Hoofstrong stared at it. A single tear rolled down his cheek as he trotted in the opposite direction.
***
“...And all the Fillydelphians, covered in pies, eventually gave up and came to Luna. The news of this incident startled and shocked Celestia. She had no choice but to retaliate. This led to the Ponyville Plains assault, known then as the Everfree Plains Assault.”
“Why’s that?” Asked Mac.
“Ponyville wasn’t built at that time. It was simply a set of rolling plains outside the Everfree forest, hence the name, Everfree Plains. The battle actually took place right where Ponyville is now. But that’s a story for next class.” He said, looking at the clock on the back wall. “You guys have other things to be doing!”
Once again, the class let out a strongly disappointed “Awwwww”. It was weird to see young colts and fillies actually want to be in school. He was doing his job, perhaps, and that’s what mattered. He soon gathered up his materials and trotted home, planning his interactive lesson for the next day.