//------------------------------// // Fillydelphia woes and setting the stage. // Story: Chronicles of Bon Bon // by Anonimoose //------------------------------// Dudley and Lemon Drops were returned to their home, their unconscious daughter laid in the back of the truck as it turned the corner of the empty street and out of sight, silence covered the Drops household, Lemon Drops went to the couples bedroom alone and closed the door, the occasional sob could be heard, Dudley remained in his private room, pulling out a glass and a bottle of the strongest spirit he had he sat in his chair looking at the many awards both he and his daughter earned, a picture hanging proudly of the small filly when she got her cutie mark, then of her graduation, then of one with Lyra, Dudley was never to fond of Lyra, but she made his daughter happy so that's all that mattered to him, he breathed a sigh of sadness when suddenly a crash came from the backyard, running to the back yard he noticed a malnourished stallion, brown coat, grey eyes, a mellow look across his face, yet Dudley sensed the fear in the boy, a tag on his left ear said twenty-three. "You alright there boyyo?" He said in a calm manner with a smile to comfort the pony, visibly shaking, Dudley looking down at the hooves of the mellow pony a coating of fresh blood matted down his fur. "You're from the reform camp aren't ya?" Dudley said curiously, slowly approaching the stallion slowly stepped back, "I'm not gonna cause any trouble, I promise just, please don't call the guards, I don-I CAN'T go back there!" The pony said his teeth chattering to the cold gust, "I'm not gonna call the guards, now come in here and lets get you some food on them bones." Dudley said beckoning the pony, The pony stood his ground, shivering, "Listen, I was just forced to hand my daughter to those bastards, I don't want to hurt anypony else.." Dudley sorrowfully confessed, The skinny stallion spoke up, "Why?" "If we didn't the whole block would be send to the camps." "I'm sorry.." He said, "It's not your fault boy, now please, come inside." Dudley pleaded to the stallion how slowly approached the house, when he entered a warm flow of air greeted him as he entered the kitchen of the small house. Dudley placing a kettle on the stove as he walked past, his wife walking down the steps to hear the commotion, her eyes puffy from her tears as she entered the kitchen, "Who's this?" She said through sniffles, "This is our guest deary, I do not know his name, but he needs a place to warm up so we will give it to him." Dudley said with a smile, Lemon smiled back she then looked at his hooves, "My goodness! Are you alright!?" this caused the pony to jump and slowly skid towards the door, when he felt a force stopping him, looking over he saw Dudley had stopped him from cowering, "It's aright, let us help you kid, whats your name?" "S-Scully." he said, Lemon Drop guiding him to the table to take a seat, Lemon Drops grabbed a washrag and started to wash the blood off of the stallion, cooing while slowly wiping the blood off calming the stallion, "So what happened?" she asked him, he paused for a moment then he started to speak, "I-I was almost out of the city, but right before I could make it to the woods, I was ambushed by some soldiers, I CAN'T go back, I WON'T!" his voice getting more agressive, his hooves tensing up, "It's alright, were you followed?" "I don't know, I just ran, and here I am." A knock on the door caused the three ponies to snap to the source of the noise, "It's THEM!" Scully panicked starting to hyperventilate, Lemon Drops trying to calm the stallion, she guided him into the basement to hide, she gave him a 'shh' as she closed the door. "I've seen that face before, he's shellshocked." Dudley said, remembering his days in the Equestrain Foreign Legion, Firearms were in their infancy at the time so infection was a common issue, ponies would need to have entire legs amputated to stop the spread, this introduced young soldiers to the horrors of war, Dudley snapping out of the memories he looked at his wife, "Go down stairs and make sure he stays put, bring the kettle and calm the boy." his wife nodding as she grabbed the kettle and walked downstairs, Dudley walking to the door, as he opened it he was welcomed to the sight of a Griffon and a pony with a very angry look on his face, both wearing postal outfits, "Hi, EPS can you sign for this package!" The griffon said cheerfully as he gave Dudley a notepad, 'HERE FOR BON BON.' Dudley looked up at the two, "You realize you have to check in with the two ponies next door?" making a notion with his eyes towards the building where the two watch-ponies post up. "They are dead." The pony said coldly, "Right then, lets go take the package to the study!" he said with a smile leading the two in as he closed the door, the griffon smiled at the pony, "Told you it would work Sifty!" "Shut up Ringo" Dudley and the two walked into the study, Dudley closed the shutters to the room, the two placed the boxes on the ground, "Where's Bonnie?" Sifty said straight to the point, "Reform Camp.." Dudley said sorrowfully, "A what?" Sifty cursed, Scully walked out of the basement, "A Reformation Camp, they round everypony who they see as a threat and left them to starve, get sick, or go insane." "Why didn't you fight back?" Sifty asked, Dudley speaking up, "The first thing they took was the machines, then the weapons, and then they started rounding up the homeless, nopony cared, then they started to take people they deemed disloyal, then they targeted earth pony 'Spies', but by the time we realized what was happening it was too late." "Lemme guess? For the safety of the people?" Ringo said "Yea, trust the EDI they said! Bah!" he said flailing his hooves, "So what now?" Ringo asked, "As much as I hate to say it there's nothing WE can do at the moment, but if I know my Sweets, she's got something up her sleeve, and when she does we'll be there!" Dudley said sitting on his chair, lighting his pipe. -- Bon Bon opened her eye looking around she noticed she was in a small shed, her ear hurt when she scratched it feeling a tag. her leg was now a crudely made wooden leg, "Where am I?" "Prison twenty-three, and you came at one hell of a time!" The voice in the corner said causing Bon Bon to look, a familiar Pegasus pony, the communications pony from the frontlines, Bluefire his blue coat dirtier and his blonde mane and chin patch grown out, "Corporal Bluefire?" Bon Bon asked, "Just Bluefire now, after you left McTalk had our battalion court-martialed just for giving you a ride," peaking his head out the shed, "Isn't that right Tank?" "Yep." the unamused ex-tank commander said. "What's going on here?" "This is where McTalk sends the ponies he deems, 'not worthy' to rot," Bluefire helped Bon Bon up and outside, the ground muddy and wet, ponies huddled together for warmth in the cold weather, "This is wrong." "You think he cares?" "Why would Celestia allow such a thing?" "At first he kept it a secret, taking away rights little by little, then he started having staged trails, now we're here, and with McTalk as the new leader of the EDI it's only going to get worse." "What happened to Celestia?" "The 'official' story is she was poisoned by a Lunar assassin." "Poison an alicorn?" "That's what Fancy Pants said, now he's a member of prison one." The three prisoners stood in silence looking at the atrocities, Bon Bon leaning on Bluefire for support, "You wouldn't happen to have a peg leg lying around?" Bon Bon asked, "Nope." Bluefire said, "So do they feed us?" "Once a day, three loafs of bread." "We have to do something." Bon Bon said, "Most of the ponies here are just civilians, They separated our battalion so we couldn't organize a revolt, and if something happens they just send in that," Bluefire said pointing at a large six wheeled Armored tank with a large water cannon the top, as soon as Bon Bon saw the large tank her eye widened and a spark shone in her eye. "I have an idea, gather everypony round." The Ex-Patriots entered the city with open hooves of the villagers, who hid them under the cover of night in hopes they could liberate their town once again as the Lunar soldiers had only brought back an oppressive colony under martial law, when the sun rose the half destroyed mansion came into view, large turrets were spread across the field in front of the mansion and the large carrier, wires guided from each turret to a magic generator, "Those things are autonomous, they'll shoot anything that moves to shreads!" The Bartender said, Lyra remained Silent standing up she picked up her large cannon and walked outside of the house and into the driver seat of the truck, "Stay down, and keep everypony indoors." "You're going alone!?" Mir and Paz said with confused looks on their faces, "No, so they don't mix up who is the enemy." "They?" a villager said as Lyra shifted the truck into gear and drove the truck full speed towards the makeshift blockade, the turrets spotting the truck took aim and as did the ponies guarding the blockade, Lyra slamming on the brake stopped in front of the blockade. one of the ponies grabbed up a microphone and barked over the loudspeaker, "BY THE ORDER OF LUNA, YOU ARE TO STEP OUT OF THAT-" the ground began to rumble when three holes emerged from the ground and large claws grabbed a generator and quickly dragged them under, the wires snapped by the tension and the turrets were dragged underground, the guard ponies began to look down the holes, the sound a angry howls could be heard, the captain then saw thousands of eyes staring back at him, "Oh buck." then the swarm shot out of the three holes in the ground, blackening the sky with their numbers, the Ponies on the Boat tried to hail command for backup but the sheer number of changelings in the sky jammed anything from getting through. as the battle raged the Lunar soldiers were overran and they started to abandon their post and retreat to the ship, meanwhile Lyra and Ritz climbed up the side of the carrier using the battle as a distraction, as they made it to the deck of the ship the flight crew were trying to launch planes into the air, as the first fighter shot off the runway a swarm of changelings broke off and immediately attacked, tearing one of the wings off, sending it into a spiraling course into the ocean. "I thought they would be a little harder." Lyra said, commenting on the ferocity of the changeling attack, "Fancy planes don't matter when it's a million to one." Ritz said, the two fighting their way through the ship with ease, when they made it to the bridge of the ship, the door sealed shut with a lock. "It seems they don't want us getting in there!" Ritz said, "No matter, cover your ears Ly." Ritz then began to scream in a incomprehensible chant, behind the sealed door the crash of windows could be heard and gunfire as well as discordant screams, then silence struck the boat, the silence was broken with a clunk of the locks and the door swinging open to one changeling at the door, a small framed changeling with a grin on its face, "Nice job Aya!" Ritz said, the Changeling giggled, "Thanks Ritz!" The Changeling said in a multi-toned feminine voice, "Wait, a female changeling?" Lyra said, she always though their was only one female and the was the queen. "Not every girl want's to be the queen you know!" Aya defended, Ritz speaking up to bring the group back to the mission at hand. "Ahem, We have a mission to finish here!" "Right." Lyra said walking over to the weapons control panel she found the launch codes for the missile, as she input the codes and pressed the launch button, when a loud buzzer came out of nowhere and a timer started to countdown: [6 DAYS/7 HOURS/23 MINUTES/57 SECONDS.] "What they heck does that mean!?" Aya said confused at the lack of a launch, Ritz reaching into the dead captains pocket pulled out a manual, starting to quote from the book, "The M.M:MK VIII air-burst weapon," Skimming through the book he reached the desired page, "Who would make a stupid rule like this?" "What?" "In the event of a siege on the ship, a captain can order a temporary lock-down of the launch sequence until the situation is contained, the orders can be canceled by the commanding officer or when the time reaches zero." Ritz said, the three then looking at the dead captian, "So we have to wait?" Aya asked, "Its all we can do.." Ritz said, Lyra looking out into the mansion grounds, the changelings had won the day, but Lyra felt like every second that ticked by was a failure, "I'm sorry Bonnie." Lyra said taking a seat at the captain's chair pivoting to face the large clock waiting for it to hit zero. ---- Two days had passed in the yard of Prison twenty-three, Bon Bon had became proficient at running a decent pace with three legs, which was more of a skip than a run, Bon Bon looking over noticed a female guard staring at her through the barbwire fence, motioning for Bon Bon to come over, slowly she approached the mare, "Is there a problem?" Bon Bon said with venom in her voice, the mare reeling back from the harsh tone, "N-no, I just Figured you should have this," handing her a peg leg, Bon Bon was struck with confusion, most of the guards were just as immortal and violent as McTalk himself. "Why are you doing this?" "It's the least I can do, I hope it helps with your plan." Bon Bons eye shot open, "You KNOW!?" "Yes, the other guards don't, as they tend to stay indoors, I'm the only pony who really comes out here." "So why don't you help the ponies escape?" "I did, there was this pony I knew before this, a really nice guy, worked at the hospital, he would volunteer for whatever her could do, simple things like common colds, and a few not so simple things, but he was no doctor he just liked helping ponies any way he could, one day I gathered enough strength to ask him if he wanted to get something to eat, he was so nice and he always smiled with that mellow look." She said with a smile remembering better times, her face then changed to sorrow, "Things were going great and we were inseparable, then the war happened, as the war raged, the hospital got worse, with the trained doctors hooves full with the patients they forced him to operate with little to no knowledge on ponies, he blamed himself for everything, so one day he just quit, and the next day he was charged with treason and he was one of the first of the prisoners of this complex." "What happened to him?" "As a guard here, I was able to make life easier for everypony, by bringing extra food, water, shelter, and for him, company, but as the prison started to overcrowd things only got worse, and eventually there was nothing I could do. The Wonderbolts made a base of operations in that thing over there," pointing towards the small trailer turned into a camper, "and when ponies try and escape, HE stops them." "Who's he?" "Nopony knows, he just sits and watches us all, and if anypony tries anything he shoots them twice for good measure." "so where's your friend at now?" Bon Bon asked, The mare sighed out of depression, "I tried to help him escape with a group of ponies," She began to whimper, ", but right before they were in the clear HE saw them." "What happened?" "What do you think he did!?" She snapped causing Bon Bon to appologize. "The last thing I saw was he was being dragged away, that was two days ago." "I'm sorry," Bon Bon gave her condolences to the mare, "It's my fault, its everyponies fault, if we would have done something when we could stop it, none of this would have happened!" "Hey, you still can do something!" "What?" "I need you to listen closely, cause this has to go perfectly." After Bon Bon told the mare the plan she parted ways, the mare walked into the guard quarters where she ran into The Leader of the Wonderbolts. "What was that all about Private Moka?" Dash said closing the door behind her Moka stood at attention, "Ma'am, I was just checking on the prisoners!" Moka said Dash circling the mare, "I saw you were talking to Drops, what did she want?" "She asked about her parents." Moka lied, Dash sat silently for a moment, "What did she say?" Dash asked waiting to see if the response would be like something she would say Moka remembered stories of the Drops being very defensive about family and now to bring them up. Then she thought in her head of Scully, her pony, and imagined how she would be if somepony had threatened him she then spoke on impulse. "That if a hair on their mane was harmed, she would pluck every feather out of your wing with a rusty pair of tweezers." Dash shot back from the violent threat, gulping even though the mare was locked behind barbed wire an uneasy sense fell into the air. "Well, she won't be doing much threatening in two weeks!" Dash said with a smile, "Why do you want her dead?" Moka asked, Dash turning around came face to face with the mare, "She killed my friend!" Dash snarled, Moka curiously asked another question, "Were you there?" "No, I don't need to be, I can feel it in my gut!" "and killing her will bring him back?" Moka said leaving the guards quarters without another word. Dash standing alone in the room thought to herself, but the thought was pushed away by the hatred she harbored. --ONE DAY UNTIL LAUNCH-- Bluefire was dragged into a small room by the two Wonderbolts Cloudchaser and Snowflake and forced him into a chair, Rainbow Dash turned around to face the pony, dismissing her subordinates they left the two in the room, Dash pulled out a large file throwing it on the table, "You have quite the record, Bluefire, or should I say Blue Thunder?" "Whichever makes you happy." He said giving the mare a wink, Dash ignoring it and continued to read the file, "You first enlisted under the name Blue Thunder a few years ago, it reads you were dishonorably discharged for punching a commanding officer and ordering a unauthorized airstrike on a changeling hive, the only reason you weren't given life was because the media hailed you as some sort of hero, then you grew a beard and falsified your cutie mark under the alias of Bluefire to reenlist, there you were placed in B company to accompany the Guardian Tanks to the front line where Drops and you had met, and here we are, did I miss anything?" "Yea, the part where B company were wrongly accused." he said folding his hooves, "You were charged for helping a traitor to the government." Dash flatly said, "BEFORE she did, and I don't think she did." Blue Thunder said adding his input, "You leave the justice to the people in charge." Dash ordered, "Cause you ponies know what you're doing?" He said laughing at the mare, "Whats so funny?" "Nothing just thinking to a joke I heard a while ago." he said to change the subject. Dash began to interrogate him agian, "So Drops has been pretty active in the yard, what is she planning?" Dash said bluntly, "A surprise party for McTalk with streamers and cake, want an invite?" He said sarcastically "You think this is funny, shes a traitor! A TERRORIST! You know what that is?" Dash said insulting the other Pegasus "I do, and FACIST, you know what THAT is?" He snapped back, Dash growing impatient gave up and ordered her teammates to take the pony back to the yard, as he was dragged out he winked at the mare again knowing it enraged her." -- Moka sat in the cafe inside the hospital that she had always went to, sitting in the corner of the room she drank her coffee alone, then she was joined by the captain of the Wonderbolts, she personally hated this mare, but had to show her respect or she would end up becoming a prisoner of the place she guarded, "I was thinking about what you said a few nights ago," Dash started, "I want to know, why do you defend her? You know as well as I do that is enough evidence in itself for you to be prosecuted." leaning back in her chair ordering a cup of coffee with some ice, then returned to the topic at hand, "Why?" "Because my father raised me on how justice is really done, where you are innocent until proven guilty, not the other way around." "This had nothing to do with prisoner six?" "Who?" Moka lied, she knew the pony registered under that number, "Scully,we booked him for abandoning his post in this very hospital, if I recall you and him were close, this has nothing to do with his disappearance, does it?" Moka shot Dash a look, "That's none of your damn business!" Moka spat, "Oh, but it is my damn buisness," She pulled out a small piece of paper and handed it to Moka "What is this?" "Its a confession, you sign, you resign from the FPD for sympathizing with the enemy, you lose all commendations, stripped of rank, lose all state assets, including housing, after that, we part ways, no string attached." "If I refuse?" "You will be charged with the highest form of treason and executed." Dash said without hesitation, "the choice is yours." she handed Moka a pen, Moka hesitated at first, but signed the sheet and handed it to Dash in tears, "It's nothing personal, its just for national security," Dash tried assuring the mare, Moka coldly looked her right in the eyes, ever since she was a filly she had always wanted to serve on the police force like her father. "Is this an immediate resignation?" "Yes, its nothing personal, I swear." Dash repeated, "I understand," placing the bits on the table as she threw her badge at dash, the cafe went silent as everypony looked at the two, "It was the best years of my life before the war, patrolling the streets, meeting the ponies, making friends, creating a close knit with THIS very community, it was good times indeed, have a good night Wonderbolt." Moka left the cafe, as she was heading out various ponies patted her on the back for support, turning to scowl at the Wonderbolt sitting by herself in the corner, the waitress giving her a disposable cup of coffee, she was about to reach into her bit-purse but the waitress stopped her, "I'd just leave if I were you." "Is that a threat?" Dash said scowling at the waitress, the waitress simply walked away, "Hey! I'm talking to you!" She demanded but nopony answered her, she grumbled a few profanities as she left flying back to the guard quarters, the ponies inside playing cards, the random banter on how they hate their jobs and hate being labeled as murderers, cutting the conversation when Dash entered the room, "Where have you been?" The first guard asked nonchalantly, "Getting Moka's resignation papers signed." Dash flashed the papers to the three, who looked at each other with confused faces, "Why?" "She's confessed to conspiring with the enemy!" "You bring this up with the chief?" The second asked, "Why would I? I'm above him in the chain!" "That's his daughter, and one of the best cops in FPD." The third said, "I Fold, Imma smoke." "Me too." "Hold up!" All three guards walked outside and lit a cigarette using their magic to hold them in the air as they walk by the fence line, "This is Bullshit!" The first one said, the other two nodded, "So they fire the sweetest gal cause she likes to take care of some ponies, I hate these EDI shits!" as they walked along the fence one of the police stallions flashed a light in the tall tower, with no reflection they knew they weren't being watched, the first guard looked over and saw Drops in the shadows smiling he looked at his friends, "Hey, you know what would suck?" "What?" "If a group of careless ponies just 'happened' to drop these keys," dropping the key ring close to the fence, "Oops!" he said putting a hoof over his mouth, "Oi, I got one!" "What would that be?" "Good thing we're alone, I seem to have forgotten the code to the armory!" "You mean Two, Four, Seven?" "Oh right, silly me!" The three ponies laughed and kept walking along the fence line, then throwing their badges into the dumpster they strolled into town, -- Bon Bon ran into the shed of the three ponies, Blue Thunder talking about his real name and apologizing to Tank for lying to his mother, "It's just a name!" "That's still lying to my mother you jerk!" "I'm sorry alright, I'll tell her first thing when we get out of here!" "If we get out of here.." Bon Bon made a noise to get the attention of the two, she jangled the keys in front of the two who smiled, "Tank?" Tank said with a eager grin. "and armories." Bon Bon said, Tank letting out a fanboy squeel. "When do we move?" Blue Thunder asked, "Why not now?" -- Scully sat in the study sipping on a cup of tea while looking through the shutters to a house, three police ponies laughing to each other, one spotting Scully, frozen in fear he did not move, the pony simply saluted him with a smile and kept walking along, "What a strange group of constables!" Dudley said standing next to Scully causing him to jump, "You scared me!" Scully said catching his breath, "Sorry bout that boyyo, I figured I'd tell you, we will be having some guests over, I was at the hospital for my medicine, ends up some lass got blackmailed out of house and home! Sad if you ask me, anyways she'll be over soon as she needs a place to stay, so as far as she knows you're my son, Mellow Drops, Don't ask it just came to me!" "Thanks, I guess." Scully said with a chuckle, as the doorbell rang, "That's her!" the two made it to the front door, Dudley opened the door and greeted the mare, "Pleasure to meet you, my name is Dudley Drops," Shaking her hoof, "and this is my son Mell-" Her eyes widened at the sight of Scully and his did the same, a second later she ran into his hooves and they both started to cry tears of joy, Lemon, Sifty, and Ringo peeked down the stairway with firearms at the ready, Dudley looking confused closed the door and looked at the three upstairs, "Well this was unexpected!" He said with a confused grin.