Duskfall

by Celestial Swordsman

Damage Control

Chapter 14

Dusk and Trixie sat in the wagon on the hill and watched the battle unfold. “We should probably leave,” Trixie said. “Trixie didn’t survive this long by hanging around the war.”

“I have to see it,” Dusk replied, “It’s all my fault.”

The thunder of the guns rolled in from the flashing, fiery horizon. “Come on, you may have screwed up, but there’s no way you could screw up that bad,” Trixie tried to console, bluntly.

Little Celestia cringed and whispered under her breath, “Oh yes I can.” Trixie took another swig of her prized cider and offered it to “Dusk”. Dusk attempted to relieve her conscience with the alcohol. “I thought it could be saved, but I guess Equestria is really coming to an end,” she said despairing.

“Trixie will be there if it does,” the independent unicorn asserted. She wondered a moment, secretly surprised by her own statement. A sudden string of blasts behind them shook the ground. They turned to see Ponyville illuminated by fire, a Solar bomber bent on pounding it out of existence with bombs. “No! You can’t destroy Ponyville!” Trixie howled angrily at the airship, “They’re supposed to be humiliated, not dead!”

Dusk caught sight of a flying figure that intervened between the ship and the town, and noticed that the vessel’s ordinance fell outside the most populated areas. “I don’t think they’re dead,” she reported with renewed interest in the world, setting aside the cider. She knew what happened when there was an explosion in the ship, and thought, “Nice one, sis. But what about the battle? They can’t win without you. Why would you risk defeat like that?”

She gasped as the defending Princess stopped in midair and plunged to the ground. “Luna!” she yelled helplessly at the night. “What have I done?”

No, it couldn’t be true. Her sister couldn’t die now. Celestia had spent all those years hating Luna, but now that she’d come to her senses she couldn’t accept that.

“Wow,” Trixie marveled. Through her cynical and detached exterior, she was moved by what she had witnessed. “I’d like to see Celestia do that.” Dusk pulled away slightly, ashamed at the comparison. “That’s almost enough to make Trixie pick a side,” the performer continued. “Almost.”

Galloping hooves approached them from the direction of the Lunar army. They turned to see a surprisingly small soldier asking, “Is it propelled?” The short mare stood on her hind legs to poke her face over the side of the wagon. She was white, and a hazel mane spilled out of her helmet to block one eye. The standard model rifle slung over her shoulder was ridiculously proportioned to its owner. “I’m NLR Private Pearl, I’ve got to get to Ponyville right away. Is this thing propelled? Does it go?” she requested urgently.

“Trixie was saving that surprise for later,” Trixie complained. “Yeah, it goes.”

Pearl jumped in beside them and said to Dusk, “Sorry Trixie, but ponies’ lives are at stake. Take us to Ponyville.” Trixie frowned and glanced into Dusk’s imploring eyes before actually deciding to cooperate. She looked over the side and used her mind to push away the blocks that held the wheels. She shoved aside some of her trinkets to grab a lever, and the show wagon lurched into motion. After a bumpy ride down the path off of the hill, they joined the main road into town.

“There’s another airship coming,” the private explained, “we’ve got to get every pony out before more bombs hit.”

They rolled into town where residents still holed up in their houses to ride out the storm. Trixie brought her show vehicle to a stop and turned on the track lights for her stage, which glowed conspicuously through the covering of the wagon. She pulled down the receiver for her loud speaker and shouted, “Ponyville will burn to the ground! Get your asses out here and run for your lives! You heard Trixie! Get the fuck out!”

Pearl quipped to Dusk, “Trixie, your friend here has problems.” The private commandeered the microphone and calmly informed, “Sorry, but the town is in immediate danger. This is a Lunar Army notice to evacuate. Please exit the buildings and head west, calmly but quickly. Do not stop to collect your belongings. Thank you.”

The second barrage ship was some distance away but steaming to its target at 30 knots. Confused citizens straggled out into the streets. “Please head west, which is that way,” Pearl repeated. Finally, all the ponies poured out of their hiding places, but some stubbornly dragged heavy goods with them. Ponies looking for a ride out were drawn to the brightly illuminated wagon. Pearl, still broadcasting, pushed a panicked colt back and issued notice, “This vehicle is for children and the elderly.” She added as she deflected more unwelcome cargo, “No, we will not take your sewing machine, or your whatever that is.”

The first airship, damaged from Luna’s retaliation, was using almost all of its power to stay aloft and could only move out of the way slowly. The fresh bomb hauler had to slow down to avoid colliding with the other vessel, buying the evacuation precious time.

With death treading the air toward them, Trixie got in the spirit of things and levitated a barrel and an old crate to the side of the wagon as makeshift stairs. At their parents’ direction, fillies hopped up the new stairs. Trixie tried not to think of the damage they might do to stage equipment. Pearl lifted a little pink pony up from a farmer’s arms. It was the filly who tried to protect the apple stand from Dusk’s thievery the day before. She pointed at the fruit bandit and said, “Hey! It’s you!” Dusk sweated at being pointed out and looked down the street in an attempt to ignore the situation. She saw a shriveled green mare stumbling aimlessly about, and took the opportunity to escape. She came up beside the confused old pony and offered, “Here, uh, granny, let me help. This way.”

“How do you know mah name?” Granny Smith replied, squinting at her. The pegasus tugged at her front leg to lead her to the wagon. “Well, alright, calm down dear, I’m comin’,” Granny complained.

As Dusk assisted her up the steps Granny thanked her, saying, “Bless you, you’re such a fine young colt, your daddy will be proud.”

“I’m sorry about your eyesight,” Dusk muttered under her breath.

None too soon, the last refugees were leaving and the last passenger was aboard the wagon. Pearl took up watch with her rifle on the back and shouted to Trixie, “Get us out of here!” The wagon rocked forwards on creaky wheels as the Solar ship loomed above and opened its bomb bays. A dark object slipped through the sky and thudded down on the east end of Ponyville. One after the other fell, tearing through wood, brick, and the eardrums of fleeing ponies. As the commandeered rescue vehicle crossed the edge of town, the path of destruction crossed Main Street, leveling the town hall and everything near it. Some of the fillies on board cried as they saw everything disappear. The bomber spared no ordinance and did not relent until it had reached the west end. The destruction was total.

Private Pearl addressed the ponies huddled in the wagon, “I’m sorry about your town, but it’s not really gone, is it? It’s the ponies that make the town.”

She elbowed Dusk and confided, “This is what it’s about.”

“This is what I’m really here for,” she said, gesturing to the passengers, “not this stuff,” she added, shrugging her war gear. “It makes you feel good, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Dusk replied softly, surprised to note that it was better than alcohol.

Comments

[Dawn Darkling]

Just a tiny bit of d'aww right there at the end.