Fillysburg

by Peace Wave

July 2nd: Bayonets and Old Friendships

Applejack lit her pipe, as the tobacco smoke filled the air above her head. The morning sunlight shone through the tent's roof, and onto a round table, where a massive map with yellow and blue marks on it lay.

"Good morning, everypony. I'll be elaborating on our plans for today." She exhaled a huff of smoke, put on her reading glasses, then leaned over the map. "What we are going to do, is pound their flanks. Here in the north is a small hill," she said, as she pointed to a Yellow-marked area labeled "Colt's Hill", "Now, General Big Mac, you and your corps will oversee the assault on that hill. Now," she moved her hoof down to the smaller of twin peaks known as "the round trots", "General Braeburn, you will oversee our offensive onto that small, rocky hill. We'll order an artillery assault to clear as many Solar guns as possible to help your colts and fillies out. Once they have been overrun on either, if not both, ends, their line will bend and fold inward on itself, opening the door for us to surround them." Applejack then took off and folded her spectacles, placing them on a table behind her.

"General Applejack, ma'am", spoke up General Braeburn, "Those rocky tops are extremely formidable. A frontal assault on them would cost excessive casualties. This larger hill to the south of it," he stretched his hoof over and pointed to Big Round Trot,"is open. We could clear through that hill and hit them right by their side."

"There's a flaw in that idea, General.", responded Applejack, "It will take far too long to clear enough of the trees on that hill to be effective. It would be nightfall before we could set up a strong enough force up on it. An attack straight on the small top is our only option."

"Yes, ma'am." Said Braeburn.

"Now, General Pinkie's troops won't be here till much later this evening, so we won't have them for this engagement. We will need to be fierce, and totally committed. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'am." Said Braeburn and Big Mac in unison.

"Boys, please be careful. I've had to bury too many Apple kin already.", she added, a mix of solemness and firmness to her face being the only thing betraying any type of emotion from a typically straight-faced character. "And as you lead your boys, remember who you are fighting for. You're fighting for Ponyville. For liberation. For justice. These things is what Princess Luna stands for, and so do we. You must give it all here today. This could be the final battle. Give it your all, and may fate's will be done."

The three saluted one another, and Big Mac and Braeburn left the tent. Drums rolled throughout the Lunar camp, and soon, the marching of hooves overshadowed all other noise in the camp.

"Y'know, Sweetie Belle. I sometimes question what I'm doing here," said Rarity, as she looked at her Yellow Colonel's uniform over her white coat, which somehow always remained clean, even in the thick of battle. Sweetie Belle, who was sitting on the same rock as her, looked out from the hilltop position they held, taking in what her sister was telling her. "I question why I, a dress designer, and honestly, pseudo-aristocrat, decided to leave all that behind and join the Solar army."

"Is that so, sis?" Answered Sweetie Belle.

"Remember what I said, Sweetie? I want you to try calling me Colonel Rarity. I don't want anypony thinking that I'm favoring you or anything like that."

"OK, Colonel Rarity..", answered the younger sister, making a face of strangeness and discomfort as she repeated the title to her sister.

"Anyway, I just get so distraught thinking about this war. I often times think, 'what's the point?', and I-"

She was disrupted by the mighty, rumbling sound of cannon fire in the distance. The two ponies quickly stood up and trotted back to the lines, until they were behind a banner of the Solar Army with the name "20th Mane Volunteers" sewn on it.

A courier pegasus soon flew over to where Col. Rarity was now positioned.

"Col. Rarity!", he saluted. Rarity saluted back, giving his permission to speak his message. "It has been confirmed that Lunar forces under Gen. Braeburn's command are headed this way to attack this hill. Also, Gen. Sparkle wanted to see to it to remind you that you are the extreme left of the Solar army. There will be no one else to the south of you."

"Thank you, Private!" Rarity had to almost scream the words to be heard over the intensifying blast of cannon. She saluted him as he flew out of sight.

The unicorn mare overlooked her troops, and took a deep breath. She positioned herself in front of the regiment.

"Well, colts and fillies. If you'll notice to your right you'll see more regiments, but to our left....there is nopony. We are the extreme left of the Solar army." She paused to collect her thoughts, when suddenly, it seemed like there was a spark that flashed in her mind, and her demeanor changed. "I look around, and I see so many faces. You're from all around, and all walks of life. If any of you are like me, then sometimes you've wondered how you got here, and why you came. Well, now I know why I came. I came to this army, because it is what is right. This country of ours was founded on unity, on commitment, and on friendship. We must see to it that this nation is preserved as one, to ensure that there is a beacon that shines those qualities to all around the world. We must see to it, that we hold here. Just as this army is fighting to preserve the nation, we are fighting to preserve the line. We cannot retreat, we cannot withdraw. We will stand, and fight.....I pray that, when this is all over, that our country, and our princesses, can reunite, and heal the wounds of war, and come to relearn...that friendship is magic."

Then, as if on cue, a cannonball's rumble shook the ground as soon as she finished speaking.

"HERE THEY COME!"

Col. Rarity jumped back behind her lines, and drew her pistol and looked out. Soon, a wave of many shades of blue rushed from the trees, heading right towards Rarity's lines. The 20th Mane, in unison, loaded their muskets, aimed, and fired. As some Lunar forces fell, the rest responded with fire of their own. The fight for Little Round Trot had begun.

For what seemed like centuries, the Lunar waves kept pouring on, and the 20th Mane repulsed every attack. The sound of firing muskets, the thunderous boom of cannons, and the shouts and moans of the fighting, wounded, and dying created a crescendo of terror. As another Lunar attack wave fell back to regroup and try again, a Solar mare turned to Col. Rarity.

"Col. Rarity ma'am! We're just about out of ammunition!". Several other soldiers confirmed her statement.

Col. Rarity paused for a moment, looked at the oncoming wave of Lunar troops, and turned back to her own.

"BAYONETTSSSS!!!!"

An electrifying cheer swept through the Solar line, as the clanging of bayonets grew louder before stopping. They then aimed their muskets straight at the Lunar attackers, fired a massive volley in unison. Then, Col. Rarity pulled out her sword, pointed it out.

"CHARRRRGGGGEEEE!!!"

At once, a line of light yellow poured downhill as an avalanche. After only a few seconds of clashing, the Lunar lines retreated for the final time. A weary, low-supplied, but triumphant Solar army stepped back up the hill, trying hard not to trip on the fallen at their hooves.

The 20th Mane, and the Solar forces, had stood.

The Sun began sinking low, and the sounds of war subsided. The evening orange clashed with the dark blue of the Lunar flag, as it flew over the tents. The soft moans and terrible groan of wounded troops lingered in the background, as General Big Mac trotted into the field hospital. There, he found General Braeburn lying on a bed, with a tourniquet wrapped around his arm.

"Hello....General," mumbled a medicated Braeburn, "How'd the boys do? Did we take the rocks?"

"Most of 'em." Responded Big Mac, even more solemn than usual.

"Such horrible ground.....we shoulda gone to the right....to the right.......". Braeburn sat back, and passed out. Big Mac took his leave.

As the red stallion trotted up to General Applejack's headquarters, he passed a small campfire, where some chatter and laughter was being drummed up. General Pinkie, and her troops, had arrived.

"I remember after our victory at Mulenassas, I brought out my party cannon, and I fired it alongside all the Solar guns we had captured! Confetti went everywhere, and the boys and girls started laughing, it was marvelous!", told an almost giggly pink mare. Directly across to her was some of her generals, among whom was, surprisingly, a young orange filly. Big Mac decided to stop by and talk with the group.

"Good evening, General Pinkie. Glad to see you've come safely, and in good time. I've got a feeling you'll be needed for tomorrow's fighting."

"I hope so!", quickly responded the upbeat pink pony, "my troops are ready, and I am, too."

"That's good to hear, Pinkie." answered Big Mac. "Well, hello General Scootaloo...heh, that's still unbelievable. A young filly as a general."

"I'd like to think I've worked my way up to the spot.", said Scootaloo, as she dusted off her hat and put it back on.

"Indeed you have, Scoot. In fact, I'd love to catch up with you. Come along with me." The filly jumped up and accompanied the comparatively massive stallion. As they walked along, they conversed about a variety of things.

"...well, I remember the first time I met Rainbow Dash. She was my hero, y'know?" Big Mac froze upon hearing this. "Is there something wrong, Big Mac?"

"Well, Scoot...I think you need to know that General Rainbow Dash is among those we're up against right now. Her corps is on the ridge they occupy, in the center." A face of sadness, shock, and surprise adorned Scootaloo's face now.

"Wow.....I never thought I'd be this close to her again." She paused to collect her thoughts, then continued. "At first she was my hero, then we grew close. Very close, indeed. We were sisters. She gave me flight tips and we spent all sorts of time together in the months before the war. I remember being devastated learning that she was off to fight with the Solar armies.....I remember that last night we spent with one another. We laughed and talked, and at the end, we cried. Before she left, I took her by the hoof, and with tears in both of our eyes, I promised......", she had to pause. Tears were gathering in her eyes. "I promised her, that, if I ever were to raise my sword against you in battle.......may death befall me."

Big Mac did not speak, but still felt heavy sadness upon hearing this story. The two walked silently, with Scootaloo drying her eyes, to Big Mac's tent, neighboring General Applejack's headquarters.

"Well, goodnight general.", Scootaloo said. She saluted him. He saluted back.

"Goodnight."

The Rainbow-maned Pegasus touched down in front of a small copse of trees. She looked out, to the Lunar lines.

"Scoot, I still love you." she whispered.

Comments

[sentinel28a]

2912056

I can see Big Mac as more of a Longstreet (he's level headed and practical). Pinkie is Pickett, no question.

I assume you're basing this mostly off of the movie--nothing wrong with that at all--but if you've never read the book it was based on, "Killer Angels," you should. Don't be afraid to branch out a bit, too. I'm assuming Twilight is going to be Meade (again, that makes sense--Meade was an engineer), which would make Chamberlain...Fluttershy? Maybe Fluttershy's Stare is what wins Little Round Top? I guess it depends on whether or not you want this to be serious or not.

And people, ease up on the Civil War comparisons. Yes, the Civil War was about slavery, but this is a different tale. (Tail?) Just because Applejack is fighting for the South doesn't automatically mean that it's implied she owns slaves--she's not fighting for the actual South, after all, but a fictional creation. Maybe the writer just likes the story of the Battle of Gettysburg and wants to inject some pony into it?

[Peace Wave]

2914377 In case you haven't read chapter two yet, Rarity is Chamberlain (Chamberlain was an ordinary school teacher, Rarity was an ordinary dress designer, so in a way it makes sense: In both the actual events and the story, they both come from ordinary backgrounds to be unlikely heroes.). Yes, Twilight is Meade.

Also, I am basing it mostly on the movie Gettysburg, though I really should read "The Killer Angels" sometime.

[sentinel28a]

2914408

Man, I totally forgot about Rarity. You're right; she makes a much better Chamberlain.

Better read Chapter 2...