Chapter 13
Their time had come. Triune stood beside his men, flashes of pain shooting through his chest. For a little over a week they had held their own against the buffalo hordes. However, their stores of shot and powder had finally run out the previous day, and their food and water had run out days before that. Scores of buffalo dead lay around the hill, forming a ring of corpses that had hampered their charges. Well over a hundred of the beasts had died in this way since the pseudo siege had begun and Triune hazarded that in the past few days, he and his men had managed to fell another three dozen or so.
The buffalo’s numbers were still unknown. Scouts had been sent out at a steady rate, but none had returned. Triune swept his gaze out over his beleaguered troops. Their forms were covered in grime, and their once resplendent armor and Marks were now covered in dried sweat and blood. The dozens of empty barrels that had once held their powder stood on the lip of the hill, in front of his remaining troops. In the time since their first encounter with the buffalo, the humans had lost a few dozen troops. The majority of these deaths since the first hundred had been due to infection or the few lucky buffalo who had managed to get through the wall of bullets that they had strived to project since their arrival. Unable and unwilling to keep the corpses within their encirclement, the human dead had been stripped of their gear and their bodies rolled down the hill where they joined the dead buffalo.
At any rate, the only bullets and powder left were loaded into the rifles his men held in their white-knuckled grips. Triune considered giving a speech to try and heighten his men’s morale but knew that everything he could say had already been said. As he finished going through these thoughts, it came. The thundering, pounding vibrations that signaled the arrival of the latest buffalo attack. Rushing towards one of his men, Triune grabbed a telescope from him and looked out over the arid, desert landscape and his breath hitched in his throat at what he saw.
Just past the train tracks, was the largest horde of buffalo he had yet seen during this past week. What looked to be a few hundred of the beasts were charging headlong toward the hill. Triune’s men had noticed the enemy forces as well and many began to swear profusely while others offered up prayers to Magnus for protection. Triune fingered the family crest beneath his armor and drew his sword for what appeared to be his last fight.
The first few ranks of the charge had just reached the base of the hill when the shooting began. Hundreds of rifle cracks sounded as the men and women of Triune’s force strived to take as many of the buffalo down as they could before they reached their ranks. Buffalo fell by the dozen as the bullets flew down the hill at them, adding fresh corpses to the ever-growing pile. But that last volley was all they had left and the buffalo began leaping over the fallen bodies of their comrades.
“Fix bayonets!” roared Triune. “Make them bleed for every inch!” The first of the horde soon reached the crest of the hill and with a sickening crack; they collided with the human forces. Many of these first few dozen buffalo were impaled on bayonets before striking, but the sheer bulk and momentum of the creatures carried them forward and crushed those unlucky enough to be under them. But eventually they were felled. The first wave had broken against the wall of humanity. The real fight, however, had only just begun as the humans saw the rest of the horde reaching the base of the hill and beginning the climb up. The momentum of so many buffalo alone might be enough to sweep away the human forces. Then they heard it.
Above the din of battle and the thundering of hooves against the packed earth, shrieked the steam whistle of a train. Strident and piercing, they heard it over the rumbling of the train that quickly followed on the heels of the whistle. And what Triune saw made his jaw drop down in shock and relief. The train itself had been heavily changed. The front of the train had been heavily reinforced with what looked to be half a foot of solid steel and the words THE FIST OF MAGNUS were emblazoned on it. Many of the cars had had their sides taken off and the seats removed. The few that didn’t, located near the rear of the train, were just as heavily reinforced as the front of the train and had their windows removed and replaced with steel coverings. Filling the cars without seats were dozens upon dozens of cannons spanning the length of the train, poking out of the left and right sides. Fresh and gleaming in the noonday sun, they were things of beauty. There was only one gunner located in each car because the cannons’ short fuses were tied together in a long string with each gunner holding flint and steel.
As the train rapidly approached, even some of the buffalo turned to face this new opponent. However it was already too late for them. The train drew level with the horde and the gunners readied their tools. At an unspoken command the gunners struck the flint and steel together and sparks lit the fuses of the cannons ablaze. Just before they fired Triune noticed something unusual about the cannons themselves. They weren’t the standard field cannons he was used to using during battles like these. In fact they looked like . . . oh sweet Magnus they were siege cannons! And just as he realized the cannons’ true nature they fired a sustained volley down the length of the train.
Thunder unlike anything the buffalos’ stampedes could conjure up filled the air. Within a few seconds, explosions rocked the entire hillside as cannons meant to be used on fortress walls were unleashed on infantry. Massive craters were carved into the hill as a thick, red mist filled the space where previously there had been buffalo. When the smoke and aerosolized blood cleared nothing had been spared. The ring of corpses was gone and the horde of buffalo that had been on the verge of total victory against Triune’s forces was obliterated. The thick, still-smoking craters in the hillside were the only reminders that the buffalo had even been there at all.
The stunned human forces were deafened from the discharge of the mighty cannons and could only stare dumbly ahead for a moment. But as the ringing in their ears finally subsided, they cheered raucously and without abandon. They were alive! They had won. Streaming down the ruined hillside, they ran towards the train which had since stopped moving. When Triune approached, one of the gunners saluted.
“Lord Triune sir! I’m glad to see you survived the battle.” Triune snorted.
“Just barely. What have you done to this train solider?”
“It’s the Emperor’s design milord. He wanted a weapon that could showcase the might of humanity to the daemons.”
“Well it certainly did that. Do you have orders for us from the Emperor?” The gunner quickly rushed toward one of the rear, armored cars.
“Yes sir. The Emperor thought you might want some payback so he sent these with his compliments.” The gunner pulled open the door to the car and within the dark interior Triune could make out some very distinctive shapes. From within, the gunner pulled out a mortar and indicated dozens more in the hold.
“Your orders are as follows: Pacify the town by any means necessary.” Triune smiled darkly at this.
“With pleasure.” Turning towards the men Triune quickly began snapping out orders.
“All wounded are to be loaded onto the train for treatment. All others are to march with me. For over a week we have been caged like rats and harried by our enemies. Now it is time to return the favor. Come brothers and sisters! We shall bring the purifying fire of Magnus down upon their heads!”
----
Drone 624 stood on an outcropping overlooking Appleoosa. Smoke still rose from the ruined town. Only hours before the humans had blasted the settlement apart with their explosive weapons. Some of the ponies escaped, probably to what few buffalo settlements there were in the area. The ones who could not escape were not taken prisoner. The human forces had bombarded the town into rubble before marching into the charred remains and painstakingly executing any survivors. It was an unbelievably brutal act . . . and she couldn’t be more excited about it. The Queen had been concerned that the humans were not as fearsome as the ponies had made them out to be. But this . . . this was more like it. This was the power of a true warrior race, one that deserved to rule or destroy at a whim: Much like the changelings had once been.
Turning her back on the destruction, 624 knew she had to find a way to approach the humans without triggering the same rage within them that the ponies did. But how? Somehow she doubted that changing into a human would endear herself to them overmuch. After another look at the destruction, she decided to just make the attempt. The worst that could happen was that they killed her and she was only one of many. And the best that could happen was that they accepted her offer. If they did that . . . then 624 might just get a promotion. She might even get her own name! So, steeling herself, she took flight towards the site of the latest human victory.
----
Triune stood atop a hastily built watchtower, gazing out over the destroyed town and all the land surrounding it. Some of his scouts had reported the ponies fleeing further into the wastes surrounding the settlement. Troops would have to be sent out soon to find them as no doubt they would be hiding with what buffalo still remained. At any rate, the razing of the settlement now cleared the way for total human dominance in the west. Scaffolding was already being thrown up over the ruins of the town to construct a human military base. With it they would be able to launch countless raids and protect themselves from any foreign race that butted its way into their new territory. After the incident with the buffalo, none of the humans wanted to take chances with any new race. The standing order was simple: If a new race was encountered determine its threat level first and if that threat is severe enough eliminate them.
As he prayed to Magnus, thanking him for shielding his servants from death, the scouts on duty called out to him.
“Lord Triune, we have an unidentified contact to the south!” Turning quickly, Triune turned the field telescope in his hands towards the south. Sure enough there was something there, something that was rapidly flying towards their encampment.
“Bring it to me alive!” he roared. “I wish to see just what dares to approach us so boldly.” Snapping off salute, a group of soldiers rushed out to meet the approaching creature before it could reach them. As they surrounded it, the creature landed on the ground and seemed more than content to follow the soldier’s’ orders. Triune chose to wait for their return in his command tent, the mark of Magnus hanging behind him and armed guards flanking him on either side.
As the guards entered and the creature was revealed, Triune was both disgusted and intrigued simultaneously. The creature had large, segmented blue eyes and two fangs jutted over its lip. A small, jagged horn was mounted on its head, and it seemed to have skin, no a carapace, that was pitch black. Small holes dotted the creature in certain areas and insect-like wings buzzed on it back. It walked slowly up to him and . . . bowed.
“Greetings human lord,” it said in an unmistakably feminine voice. “I am called Drone 624 and I serve as the envoy of my lady: Queen Chrysalis of the Changelings.” Triune gazed at the tiny changeling before answering in kind.
“Greetings to you as well Drone 624. I am Lord Oleg Triune, Lord of the Western Highlands and the Defender of Humanity. Why have you come here?” 624 rose from her bow before answering.
“My Queen has been observing your war against the ponies with great interest lord Triune. We too have been driven out by the ponies despite our race needing what they can provide to survive. It appears that our two factions have far more in common than previously thought and our Queen believes that this can only mean great things for our two peoples. All I wish to do here is discuss how our two races can benefit if they take a more . . . cooperative approach their relations.”
Triune sat back in his chair, intrigued despite himself at the revelation. This creature, this changeling was certainly a decent diplomat, and if she was proposing what he thought she was proposing than this war had suddenly become far more interesting. He steepled his hands together before responding with only two words. Two words that would begin a new chapter in the war, and in the relations between the races of the continent.
“Go on . . .”
----
Twilight sat, alone, in her room. Since she and her friends had arrived in the city they had all been hard at work, doing everything in their power to help with the war effort. But even as she worked to help out the best way she could, Twilight couldn’t help but question everything she did. Should I have sought out the humans? Does anything I’m doing now make up for what I’ve already done? Is it making it worse? Am I responsible for every death so far?
These questions weighed heavily on her mind every minute of every day and, slowly but surely, she was beginning to revert to the state she had been in when she had first returned to Equestria. It was all the same: the deep purple bags under sunken, bloodshot eyes, a bone-deep weariness, and a pervasive melancholy that was obvious to anypony who knew her. Her friends probably noticed, but they were too busy to have the time to question her about it. But now they knew, she realized. Now they knew that she had been researching the humans. They knew that she had been among them before they had attacked. Did they blame her for everything that had happened? Should they?
“Stop!” she shouted at herself aloud. “This isn’t helping anypony. I’m tired and stressed out. I’ll just get some sleep and try to work through this in the morning.” With this decision made, she crawled into her bed and pulled up the covers. Closing her eyes, Twilight slowly drifted off to sleep.
----
It was the smell that woke her. It was horrific, a sweet yet nauseating odor that permeated the air so thickly she could almost taste it. Bolting upright Twilight found herself in a vision out of the darkest nightmares. She was in a village set ablaze. A chorus of screams filled the air as all around her ran humans of all descriptions. While there were some men, the majority were women and children. Dozens had congregated in the space in front of her. They were trying to escape the flames, but the sheer mass of the crowd kept them from moving at faster than a crawl. Suddenly a horrible, chilling laughter sounded above even the screams.
It was accompanied by bolts of magical fire descending from the sky, immolating the terrified crowd. Many of the humans were turned to ash instantly from the impact, but the rest were not so lucky. They burned like torches even as they continued their futile attempts at escape. The laughter continued as the humans fell to their knees, their charred forms unable to remain upright.
Tears were overflowing from Twilight’s eyes as she found that, try as she might, she could not look away. Some force was keeping her gaze firmly focused on the horrific sight. When the last of the humans had finally perished the force dragged her gaze upwards where she saw a vision of Celestia straight out of the mural from the Church in Vona. Sharp hooves stained red with blood, serrated fangs set in her mouth, and horn glowing blood red, she was the very image of evil. It came as little surprise to the already traumatized Twilight that this form of Celestia was the source of the laughter that had never stopped.
Suddenly, Twilight felt a wrenching in her gut as the focus of the dream shifted. Now below her was a town of ponies and it was dying. Explosion after explosion rocked the town as ponies were thrown to and fro and buildings collapsed into rubble. Humans in blood-stained armor marched into the burning town and put any ponies they saw to the sword. More tears and now open sobs were the only response that Twilight could give to the horror. It was only then that she had a realization: she was above the terrible scene.
Looking back at herself, she saw that she now had great, ragged wings on her back. Her horn was longer and tapered to a sharp tip. Looking down, she saw that her hooves were stained red with blood from the ponies below and as she saw another building explode she could feel the magical discharge coming from her horn. She had switched places with the monstrous Celestia of the past and now she was doing to ponykind what Celestia had done to Humanity.
Despite the near constant sounds of industry and drilling soldiers filling the city, all that anypony could hear that night were the loud, and utterly terrified, screams of a certain young mare echoing throughout the city.
Stats
Page generated in 0.036 seconds
Total duration
1,054 users online
1,420,392 hits today, 2,004,447 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
wow...a changeling, human alliance. I hope it works out, changelings need the love, literally. Interesting Twist, I'm really looking forward to chapter 15!
Didnt expect that from the Changelings, the Humans now have a spy network across Equestria.
Drone 624: Well well, you certainly have fulfilled my expectations. Now the great changeling and human race will finally put the ponies in their place! I have no doubt this will continue to my liking, and my human 'mate' agrees very much!
Me: *tance like* Yes oh beautiful changling...
624: *pony squeals* You know how to please me! Now I expect this wonderful turn of events to continue and I hope to see the oh what did my mate call them? Demon Queens? Yes, I hope they will finally perish once and for all. A few questions however,
1. Did the humans take advantage of the Buffalo carcasses for sustenance? My human tell me they taste great, but I wouldn't know. dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Queen_Chrysalis.png If they didn't it seems to be a great waste of food.
2. Will the wonderful weapon of of steel wheels make an appearance later? I would love to see the shock on my enemies faces.
3. Will that *spits her name* Twilight turn against Celestia and Luna? Or will her resolve weaken and accept her new changeling and human masters?
4. Not really a question, but thank you for making me a part of this story. I love to show my true face every now and then outside.
624: Until the next chapter comes out, I've got some 'work' to do and *licks lips* 'fun' with him. Thanks once again! And you, want to have fun? *zaps magic*
Me: *trance like* You know it!
624:dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/lolface_Queen_Chrysalis.png
1673347
The best spy network in the world and Think about how many infiltrators they can or might have in the rest of the pony cities
Rarity in the back ground. I see what you did there <.<
1674233
What exactly are you referring to?
1678604
i1051.photobucket.com/albums/s431/BiggestAsh/40051.png
1678766
Nice.
1673459
I'm probably going to sound like an idiot, but what exactly do you mean by steel wheels? Do you mean on the trains, because as of yet, humanity does not have tanks or cars or something of that nature.
1. Yes. When they could after their meager/non-existent supplies ran out. All agree that they were delicious.
3. That would be telling. But I have plans for Twilight. Granted, you may not like them depending on where they go, but they are still fluid and not set in stone just yet.
4. No problem. It was actually quite fortuitous that you arrived when you did. I needed an emissary for the Changelings and you fit. Also: since you brought yourself to my attention, do you have a preferred name you would want? Chrysalis informs me that you have proven yourself worthy of one after the work you did in bringing the humans into alliance with the changelings. I will explain the significance of being given a name in-story but I thought you might like some control over which one you'll be given. And I'm glad you're enjoying yourselves by the way.
624: Yes, I mean the train, and what do you mean by 'Cars' or 'Tanks'? I have never heard of these devices that you speak of, are they similar to a train?dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/shrug_Queen_Chrysalis.png If so, they would be useful when our human allies create them. Now onto business,
1. Well, now that I have that answer I'll make sure to get some more for my human. I have to keep his heart somehow and what better way than though stomach? Besides using magic of course...
3. Curses! I was hoping to see more, but I will just have to wait but I hope I won't be entirely disappointed. That mare bucked me during our last attempted take over, and I haven't forgotten it.
4. Glad to be helpful for...wait you said the my queen is pleased and is going to give me a name? *pony squeals changeling style and hoof claps* This is great news! I honestly can't think of something suitable but I'm sure I won't be disappointed. Maybe I can get a blessing from her for our upcoming...no, I got to take it easy, can't take it too fast.
Anyway, this calls for a special celebration! Human, I want to go out for a wonderful dinner tonight with a romantic atmosphere.
Me: *trance like* Sure thing you hollow hoofed beauty of mine!
624: dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/lolface_Queen_Chrysalis.png *grabs my hand and pulls me away while shouting to the author* I've got a date, but when we get back we hope to see a new update real soon!
Will this be a "ARG KILL ALL HUMANS FOR THEY ART EVAL!!!" or just culture shock of humans doing what needs to be done?
I haven't started reading yet due to the 14 other tabs of stories I have up, but I will.
1443811 What was that video orginally? It was taken down and now I'm curious.
1769742
No it won't be. I have tried to show the arguments and motivations for both sides and balance everything out as best I could. When you do have get around to reading it I hope that you enjoy it.
1769765 I got nothing to do, so it shouldn't be long. Your answer pleases me greatly.dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra.png
1457798
Actualy no when ponies contacted humans first they showed off there magic and by thet they shouted on humans the: "HEY WE GOT MAGICH WE CAN DO ANYITHING WHAT YOU CAN AND ALSO BETHER NOT TO MENTION THET WE CAN COMPLETLY ENSLAVE NATURE AND BIND IT TO OUR WILL AND DO WHAT EVERY WE WHANT BECOUSE WE CAN!!" also they whanted to retake there "lands" which they completly abadoned at first problem mean while the humans worked hard and sacreficed a lot to make a living in this cold land which I think they rightfully earned. After thet the humans stated thet they don't whant ponies come back to this ledns befour you say no they didn't declared a war on them the humans simpely said them thet "no you can't come back to my land this is my land I worked hard for it after you abbadonded and I don't like the idea you coming here and changing everything in nature by your magich and completly destroy the natural way of live". And then the princesses decided thet the humans nead to die out becouse they whas a huge cu*ts back there and killed every human in ever city village town ect and by all humans I mean ALL HUMANS children old woman man in there eyes there whas no difference they killed and whas totaly cruel and arrogant toward to humans. Mind you the princesses didn't neaded this old lands back becouse it whas neaded by there survival they thaked it back wiht blood and cruelity becouse there ego coudn't comprehend even this smalles "inssult".
These humans (and their religion) can not coexist with ponykin.
You right hited the nail on the head on this one my friend. The humans can't coexist wiht ponykind becouse the war atrocitiesy (if you can call buttchering one of it) they inflicted on humanity. And there region based on thet magich is bad becouse it's destroy the normal way of nature and cause graite pain on humans and killing them in a dead which I woudn't give to Discord eather. Also as you said:
What Celestia and Luna did was irrelevant.
No it isn't Celestia and Luna killed houndreds of thousand of humans most of them whas problably civilians (you know people to old to fight children to young to fight womans etc) wiht cold blode and back there they stated it like it whas a victorious fight agans monsters/deamons but in reality no Celestia and Luna whas the deamons back there and after all this time the old king curse/last wish/etc finaly happend the humans came back to get there rightfull revenge on the Celestia and Luna. Yes I know to thet it isn't seem to be fair thet inocent ponies get killed in this war but then agan there ancestores didn't chared eather when they whas killing the inocent humans what can I say...
...karma is bi*ch but it's always do balance out the university.
t.qkme.me/3oyoa9.jpg
1773359
I know. Forgive me lord I knew not what I did! But since then I have improved considerably, I hope, but I'm a bit busy to go back and edit early chapters.
1773920
Hmm. I'm sorry that you didn't like it and while I may be disappointed I'm well aware that I can't please everyone. I understand your comments and to be honest, that might well have made for a better story, but live and learn right? Thanks again for your honest feedback and I hope that this doesn't dissuade you from reading any of my future stories.
Finally done reading this. And...
Whoa.
The humans here really give off the same vibe as the ones in Warhammer/40k do. I'm torn between rooting for them and wanting them to lose.
Either way if Twilight or the other lets the cat out of the bag as to why exactly humanity is so pissed at them in general...
Even if they do win the war the question is what have Celestia and Luna lost? At the very least they're receiving a bitter taste of their own medicine, and at this point they can only hope to live long enough for it to really hit home how big of a mistake they made.
I half expect to see the story ending with the humans winning and the ponies forced south to their old, old pre-human war stomping grounds.
1774346
I'm ecstatic that you're enjoying the story. I'm also happy that you think they give a warhammer 40k vibe as I am a 40k nerd and drew quite a bit of inspiration from that universe among others. And you're confusion over whether to support them or not is something I wanted to happen. War is rarely as simple as good versus evil. There is no black and white only varying shades of grey and I really wanted to show that here. Both sides are guilty of something and both are suffering. I still don't have the ending down yet, but I want it to evolve from the story and hopefully when it gets here, it'll satisfy all of my loyal readers. If you have any other questions feel free to comment or pm me whenever.
Thought for the day: "There is no such thing as innocence, only degrees of guilt."
1774663 True true.
And given your avatar image, the 40K feel seems a lot more obvious now.
My my! While the structure of the idea that you presented in the earlier chapters was obvious and rather boring in appearance, you've filled it with a meat that's both succulent and gripping in execution.
Congratulations Duff! You've really turned my views around on this!
You've still got a problem mixing than and then though.
1792314
Thank you for the honest feedback. To be perfectly honest, I'm not rooting for anyone in particular. I'm striving to be neutral and let the story develop naturally. While I don't have the exact ending planned out yet, I can assure of one thing: the ending, regardless of who wins, will not involve total genocide. While I could easily write it, I don't quite like the idea of annihilating entire species. Hell, the reason the Humans are so pissed is that Celestia and Luna attempted to enact genocide of their people as well as everything else. So I hope you enjoy reading the story from here onwards and I will hopefully have a new chapter up soon. Finals are over tomorrow!
1774663 Can I has thought for the day?;-;