The Kingdom and the Leviathan

by beckoning devil

Act II, Chapter II

September 7th, 1851
Day 3 of 21st Infantry's Furlough
Day 28 of the Invasion of Equestria

My father must have seen me pacing, and twitching at the sound of every damned firing squad out there. The sound of muskets going off in unison, a sound I knew all too well, was making me lose my mind.

He commanded me to do something productive, so I began to write to Tom.

Dear Tom,

I hope that by now you've arrived safely at home, I know that those Internal Security officers sure are vicious. I hope your family hasn't been hit too hard by the economic situation, here in Philadelphia it seems that everyone is either out to steal money or acquire it using their bodies.
Yet, above it all, I can't help but feel that life would be better on the front. It sounds disgusting, but I feel that at least you didn't have to put up with the whores and thieves there.
Which is why, I suppose, I'm writing to you. In all honesty, I'd like to return to the Army, but I don't want to drag you in with me. I need to know, above all else, if you would re-enlist with me.

Warmest regards,
John Carter

It seemed short, but I was never one for writing letters. I walked down to the post office, and was greeted by a woman with a sagging eye.

"Hello, ma'am."

"Hello..." Her voice was disgusting, and I felt revolted at the sight of her. Funny how I never felt that way for the ponies...

"Well, uh, I'd like to send this letter to Virginia."

"Virginia now...are you kidding?"

"No...ma'am, I'd like to send it. Richmond, the Wright residence."

Her laugh was even more horrid than her voice, and she coughed up phlegm, which she spat into a bucket.

"Sorry, boy, but that's gonna take some time...about 2 weeks to be exact."

"What!?"

"Ever since the Internal Security Department took over internal communications, we just don't have enough postal workers."
I sighed, and rolled my eyes. Those armbands were getting more and more annoying.

"Well...is there any way that I can hire some third party? Surely there must be some company, maybe an independent-"

"Sorry boy, but you're out of luck," She looked me over, and smiled, "unless...you'd want to do something extra, maybe convince me to pull a few strings..."

"No!" I was so revolted by her, that I wanted to simply slap her across the face. "Fuck you-I mean," I took a deep breath, "two weeks is fine. Good day to you." I handed her the letter, and left that wretched woman.

"FIRE!" I ducked, and heard the report of multiple guns going off. Thankfully, I wasn't being shot at. I frantically looked over, and this time pulled out my revolver.

Over there, behind the wheelbarrow...there were three of them...they couldn't have been teenagers...they were boys...

"Alright, get their bodies out of here, Johnson, secure their weapons. I want this place cleaned up immediately! Move!" The black armbands told me everything I needed to know.

I quickly holstered my revolver, not wishing to be shot. A crowd was gathering, and the armband wearing monsters simply opened fire on them. I ducked and ran back to our house, and without saying a thing went up to my room.

I am not proud of this fact, but I considered suicide. I wanted to end my life then and there, and get out of the situation I was in. I stared at the revolver, then at my bullets, then at the revolver.

A good long hour was spent simply contemplating my resolve to live.

I finally set down the revolver, deciding that my parents at the very least needed me, and I wasn't about to trust them in the hands of the Internal Security officers.

Looking up, I saw my blue army uniform, which seemed to be calling me. Perhaps calling me to a slow death at the hands of the ponies. But I knew that would be better than being killed by your own countrymen.

I walked out of the door, and stared outside. Children were playing, kicking a ball back and forth. It brought a smile to my face, until I saw the Internal Security officers near them. They were digging pits, and what followed I suppose will always be with me.

One of them mounted a horse, and ran off. About 10 minutes later, a carriage arrived, carrying what seemed to be 50 dead civilians. Those bastards...

The officers began dumping the bodies into the pits, and those children...they didn't understand what was going on, they just stood and watched.

After that devilish act was done, I noticed that there were tears coming down my face. I wiped my eyes, and now saw civilians being ordered into their homes (a rather quick act, so many people simply lived on the street; the smart ones ran before the officers closed with bayonets and loaded them onto carriages).

I later found out that they had done this because of a suspected outbreak of Typhus, almost like the one which had killed so many in 1837.

But I didn't care. I had to get out of this damned city.

I had to find Tom.

Comments

[poisedanimeBloke]

How could it have gotten this bad? The Equestrian war could not have made it this bad... I don't get the reasoning behind this.

[Tenebris Caeruleus]

2354629
They DID draft 600,000 soldiers, and equipped them all with muskets. Some with revolvers, as well.
But I agree, it couldn't have done that much to cripple the economy...