The Story of a Yonderhill Pony: The Battle of Yonderhill

by gmoyes

January 12th 1012

Ok, I’ve had time to settle. Time to talk about what happened in the square.

The Changeling squad spent the night with me in the clinic. While I managed to get a little bit of sleep at some point during the night, I kept expecting me and Miriam to be killed in our sleep. While that obviously didn’t happen, we were watched all night. I guess sheer exhaustion was a factor.

We waited around the clinic until midday, then the soldiers said they were gathering everypony into the town square. They didn’t seem to mind the fact that I told Miriam to stay in the clinic. I guess when they said everypony, they meant every pony. Speciesist assholes. But then again, here I am telling Miriam what I think is best for her. But I think it’s a good idea for her to stay out of what was happening. If everypony in town will be there, then there will be a large herd. Things were likely to get messy and I didn’t want her getting hurt or hurting anypony else in a stampede. She agreed that it would be best to stay at the clinic until I got back.

The town square was packed and though I was relieved to see many familiar faces, just as many, if not more, were missing. I saw familiar merchants like Cheddar Wedge and Integrity, but not my postalmare Sealed Slip. I saw Fascination the party pony and Clamshell the (self described) town slut trying to raise spirits in their own ways, but not a police officer in sight. And how many ponies I did see were actually Changelings? There were a lot of armed Changeling around to keep an eye on the crowd, just how many more didn’t I see? The bugs even had a couple of their war machines flanking the stage.

On the stage was Mayor Notary with a bunch of Changelings. After a while, once enough ponies had filed into the square, one of the soldiers fired his gun into the air to draw everypony’s attention. A couple of townsfolk tried to bolt, but were herded back into the square by the Changelings. Then a brown-eyed Changeling in a suit, not a uniform, addressed us. He introduced himself as Administrator Coccyx and said that he would be in charge of the occupation of Yonderhill and the Galloping Gorge area for the foreseeable future.

He then beckoned Mayor Notary forward. The poor mayor’s legs were shaking and his voice was stuttering, but he said the words I was waiting to hear for two weeks. The Equestrian army had surrendered and control of the town would be turned over to Administrator Coccyx. He pleaded with us to not resist the Changeling occupation.

These were words I was expecting, but hearing them out loud made me feel hollow inside. I was proven right. All of these lives lost amounted to nothing. But it felt as if a flood of grey had washed over the town. The hope of thousands of ponies snuffed out. There was yelling and crying and there I was just numb.

Coccyx returned to center stage. He looked over the crowd and started to make a speech. He said to remember that we lost, that we are weak little ponies who will come to bow before the might of the Changeling Empire. I’m paraphrasing here, but that is pretty much what all his blathering came down to. Changelings rule, ponies drool, and so on and so on. It seemed rather pointless until he gestured toward town hall saying that here were some examples of those who didn’t understand how to surrender.

A dozen ponies in shackles were marched out of the building. Most were in army uniforms, but there were some townsponies there as well. Postmistress Manilla, Police Chief Stern Longhoof, Head Doctor Rapid Pulse and Argile, shackles over the hoof that I had bandaged last week. Coccyx read their names as if he was a judge. The soldiers were Major Red Flag and other leaders of the soldiers in the town.

Coccyx said that there were hundreds of other ponies that had been arrested but while those were still being processed, these leaders would stand trial and face punishment for them. He said that it was only fair, most of the ponies only fought because they were naturally subservient to their masters. Celestia tells us to throw our lives away while sitting on her throne, safe in Canterlot and we listen. Pretty hypocritical seeing as Changelings are nothing but drones to Queen Chrysalis, but I am ashamed to say I see a point, at least in terms of what happened here in Yonderhill. If Red Flag didn’t rally the town, we wouldn’t have suffered as badly as we did.

That am I thinking? That's what the Changelings want me to think. They are already getting into my head and it’s only been a couple of days.

And it’s going to get worse.

The prisoners were marched in front of a makeshift barricade to the side of the stage, while a vehicle that looked like a car that grew a shell drove up. There was a shout from the crowd as the shackled ponies were chained in place. The accent and Prench obscenities identified it as Bastion, the elderly father of Argile. He tried to make a break for his son, but was knocked to the ground by a soldier.

Coccyx seemed to take the interruption in stride. He said that this will be a lesson to those who wouldn’t submit. He gestured to the car. The Changeling operating the gun on top of it opened fire on the chained ponies.

It took one second of the roaring gun for all twelve ponies to fall to the ground dead.

The next two seconds of an unrelenting stream of bullets reduced the bodies to bloody chunks.

The image won’t leave my head. Ponies screaming in fear. Steam rising from the gun barrel. Gore staining the town square. Coccyx smirking. The smell of sweat, vomit and blood. May Luna safeguard my dreams, but I’m sure she is much too busy for that.

It might have been shock, might have been my veterinary training left me less sensitive to the sight of blood. But while most of the crowd was whipped up into a panic, I stood my ground. Good thing too, any who tried to flee were beaten back by the soldiers.

Once the crowd settled down again, Coccyx had the gall to praise the machine that just mowed down our ponies. He called it an amazing feat of Changeling engineering and that it was the least of the Changelings’ war machines. I grew up in Las Pegasus, I know that Equestrian engineering can be just as impressive. But then where the Tartarus was it?

Coccyx continued by saying that the rest of the prisoners would be put to work to aid the Changeling war effort. Slave labour. He said that if anypony disobeyed the rules, they may end up working alongside them. He then laid down some basic rules. A curfew. Restricting the use of radios to only authorized channels. Changelings must be permitted entry to our houses at any time. All firearms must be forfeited. All in all, nothing too surprising.

Then he said “one last rule”. He then pulled out a gun from his holster and shot Mayor Notary in the head. As Notary’s body fell to the stage, Coccyx said that he would be the sole authority of Yonderhill.

Coccyx had just created a power vacuum and intended to fill it with himself and other Changelings. And how many other positions have been replaced already with any of us none the wiser?

“Know your place, my little ponies. You have lost. If you forget that, there will be more deaths, and the blood will be on your hooves. You will serve me and the growing Changeling Empire. You will feed us, work for us and obey us. No Princess, no harmony, no friendship will save you. We Changelings are here and among you. We will be watching you. Closely. Choose your actions wisely.”

Those were his words. He then let us, his captive audience, go.

I think everypony stumbled back to their homes in a daze, or at least I did. Well, I went to the clinic first to retrieve Miriam and the supplies I hid away. I haven’t told Miriam much, just that the Changelings were in charge now and we were allowed to go back home. She still must have understood some of what happened because she said I looked like I needed a hug. I took her up on her offer.

So many ponies I know have died. I don’t know if Heartland or Adze survived, I didn’t see them at town square. How many of my clients have died, leaving their pets parentless? What would working as a vet under the Changelings be like? Will I be able to secure the food and supplies I need? Would the Changelings even care about my job?

What should I do? What can I do? Is it possible I can go on like nothing has happened? Can I even trust anypony anymore? If Heartland came back to the clinic, how would I know it’s really him?

If there is no pony I can trust, is it even worth trying?

Fuck, there are a lot of questions. I don’t know what to do or what to think. I can’t even bring myself to get pissed properly. I just feel drained.

I guess I can keep writing. Coccyx has committed a bunch of atrocities in the square, so perhaps this will serve as evidence. But if the Changelings find out that that’s exactly what I’m doing...

Fuck it.

Whatever the case, I guess I should get an actual journal instead of writing on whatever piece of paper I can find. Hopefully I won’t lose any of these pages.

*Continued in Journal 1*