Two armies. Two Princesses. Two loyalties. One Town.
Equestria is in disarray. Civil war has consumed the land, and two nations have emerged. On one side, Equestria. Celestia's loyal lands fight as the Army of the Solar Empire, and in command is General Twilight Sparkle, Celestia's most trusted student.
"I cannot raise my hoof in battle against our fair Princess. For Celestia's glory, and for the preservation of our nation, I shall give my all!"
On the other side, a new nation has formed. It is the New Lunar Republic, and it's army is under the command of esteemed Ponyvillian General Applejack.
"I did not wish for such a tragic conflict to befall us, but I will never betray my home, my land, Ponyville. I will fight to my last breath to protect my home from the Solar invader!"
Upon her return, Princess Luna described the terrors of her banishment, and rallied for secession from what she described as "Celestia's dictatorship". In response, Ponyville and several lands to the south of it, such as Appleloosa, The Everfree Forest, and Dodge Junction, declared secession from Equestria, and, with it's capital at Ponyville, organized The New Lunar Republic.
Celestia would have none of this, and, after Lunar Forces attacked Solar-controlled Ft. Swirlter, organized the Army of the Solar Empire to put down her sister's rebellion. The Equestrian Civil War had begun.
For two years, the two armies have fought battle after bloody battle, with neither side gaining a clear advantage.
After a stunning victory at Trotsllerville, Gen. Applejack hatches a bold move: She will lead her army into Solar territory, destroy the Solar army in a final battle, and threaten the Equestrian capital at Canterlot. If all goes to plan, then the Equestrian government will be forced to call for a truce, and formally recognize The Lunar Republic.
Gen. Sparkle moves her army northward to intercept and stop the invading Lunar army. She knows that she must repulse this invasion, or else all could be lost for Equestria. On July 1st, the two armies both converge near a small town:
Celestia's sun broke quietly on the horizon, it's beams peeking through the branches of the multitude of trees that sprouted throughout the land. Such serenity was only broken by the clopping of hooves, the rattling of pots and pans, and the soft crackle of ovens cooking morning breakfast. Mares and stallions conversed, with coffee cups in hoof and rifles slung behind their backs. They all wore uniforms of soft yellow, with buttons that resembled suns.
Suddenly, a Solar scout darted out from a nearby edge of forestry. Attached to her side was a flagpole, which flew a magnificent banner of yellow and orange, with the symbol of the Army of the Solar Empire adorning it. She dashed through the massive field of tents and wagons before finding her way to the headquarters of General Twilight Sparkle.
She stopped and saluted the soldiers guarding the tent.
"I have an urgent message for General Sparkle!", she said, forcing out the words through heavy breathing. The scout mare entered the tent to find a purple unicorn in elaborate garb, sitting at a desk, a plethora of papers and maps strewn about atop it. The two saluted one another.
"At ease, Private Shoeshine. What news do you bring?"
"General Sparkle, I must report to you that Spitfire's cavalry have engaged Lunar forces in the fields outside of Fillysburg. Brigadier General Spitfire is unsure how many rebels there are, but she's in need of reinforcement as soon as possible."
"Thank you, Private. Send word to Brig. Gen. Spitfire that General Heartstrings is on her way with her corps. We need Gen. Spitfire's troops to hold as long as she can until we can get the whole army up there. I'm certain that she's encountering the front of the whole of the Lunar army."
"Yes, ma'am!", saluted Pvt. Shoeshine, before she dashed out of the tent. Gen. Sparkle then turned away, a look of thought locked on her face.
"This battle that has begun......it could be the victory we need to turn the tide. Or....it could be the defeat that may spell doom for our cause..." She donned her hat and buttoned up her coat.
"We will fight here, and we must win here."
The blasting of cannons rumbled the once quiet fields, as smoke soon fogged the land in a hellish haze. Through the files of fencing, two lines of soldiers had aligned. One wore a uniformed cream yellow, the other. mismatched, variant shades of blue and purple. The Solar cavalry, all pegasi, had their backs to the small town of Fillysburg, and were slowly losing ground. Nonetheless, they were digging in their hooves and hitting the intense wave of Lunar forces hard. The bullets whizzed around, like an angry swarm of parasprites.
"Keep the guns hot! Hold them off as long as you can!", screamed a fire-maned figure, as she flew behind her battered ranks,
"General Heartstrings and her troops will arrive at any moment!" Load. Aim. FIRE. Load. Aim. FIRE. Fall back. This was the pattern that Spitfire's forces was using, trying desperately to slow the Lunar assault as long as possible. At that moment, a sight that sent General Spitfire into an almost euphoric state of relief appeared: Gen. Heartstrings had arrived, with her corps right behind her.
The mint-green pony trotted over to Spitfire, who had landed to meet her. The two saluted.
"Good to see you again, Spitfire. Of course, I'd prefer a less....volatile situation for us to converse, but that can wait for another day."
"You wouldn't believe how relieved I am to see your troops come, Lyra.", Spitfire responded.
"Gen. Spitfire, can you give me a quick briefing about what led to this clash?" Asked General Heartstrings, as she observed the fighting occurring.
"Well," said Spitfire, "Some of our scout pegasi had spotted the rebels coming this way. We decided to encamp in town, and act as a line of defense. As you can see, they certainly did come here."
"Indeed, they have. That's just the front of their army," said Gen. Heartstrings, who had shuffled to keep her footing as a cannonball shell exploded not too far from her, "Your colts and fillies have fought unbelievably valiantly today. My troops will take it from here. Fall back to the north end of town and help to defend the train depot. We've got a massive fight coming here, and the next day, maybe two, could decide the war."
"Thank you, Lyra. Now, I've been informing everyone in command that there are some excellent ridges and hills to the southeast of town. We can set up our lines down there, take a position on high ground; and when the rebels attack us, it'll be Discord to pay." General Heartstrings nodded in agreement, overlooked the smoky battlefield once over, then turned back to Spitfire.
"Well, Spitfire. I'll see you down the line." The two saluted one last time, and went their ways.
Throughout the afternoon, as Spitfire's cavalry pulled out of the action and reformed to the north of town, General Heartstrings' troops battled the oncoming rebel assault.
General Heartstrings moved up to her lines, and was giving orders personally for the defense. "Forward! For Celestia's sake, forwar-". She slumped over, collapsed, and died, killed instantly by Lunar musket fire.
As both massive armies flooded into the fray, The Solar army fell back through town, and positioned themselves into a well-entrenched line, running from Colt's Hill, down along Saddletery Ridge, and down onto a small rocky hill called Little Round Trot. Meanwhile, Lunar troops organized themselves about a mile away, directly across the Solar lines, along Hayminery Ridge, up through the town of Fillysburg itself, and finally ending a short distance east of the town.
As night fell, and the first fighting subsided, the lines had been drawn. On Hayminery Ridge, behind a seemingly endless line of encamped Lunar soldiers, an orange-coated, blonde-haired mare overlooked the field before her, using the small glow of moonlight to see, conscious that soon, it will be soaked with blood. At that moment, a solemn, firm red stallion walked up beside her.
"Well, Mac. It seems we have begun a massive battle here," said General Applejack.
"Indeed, A.J.", He responded.
"I feel like this is simply divine intervention that we have met the enemy here on this land. I feel like this shall be the final battle. If we win here, then the war is over, and The Lunar Republic will be freed. I feel that the time has come", said Applejack.
"Yep. Well, my troops are ready for a fight. The morale is high.", answered Big Mac, "goodnight, general."
"Goodnight, Mac." With a soft salute, they parted. As Big Mac went to his tent, Applejack remained where she was, contemplating.
"Here we are. Two years of bloody war could end in the next day or so. We are here. Ponyville is here. All of the Lunar Republic is here. Are we ready? I think so. The time has come. Our time has come." She looked over to the nearest Lunar flag. Even in the darkness, she could see the symbol of the New Lunar Republic, waving softly in the evening breeze.
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.
"Good morning, Rainbow Dash. Say, are you feeling alright? I saw you up last night.", softly quizzed the pegasus mare, whose coat color nearly matched the color of the Solar Uniform she donned, apart from the emerald green markings, indicating her position in the medical corps.
"I'm fine, Fluttershy. I was just thinking about somepony...an old friend. You remember Scootaloo?", responded the neutrally-emotional Rainbow Dash.
"Yes, I do."
"Well, she's somewhere over on that ridge, right across from us....somewhere in that row of blue, she's there." She began to smirk. "Y'know, it's funny. If you didn't know, she's risen to the rank of a general....I know I taught her well when she was with me, but gees. Either she's the best darn soldier to ever fight, or the rebels were desperate for generals." Fluttershy started to chuckle. "Anyway, I was just thinking about her, that's all. I'd sure love to see her again. Maybe one day."
"Good to hear you're fine......you think anything's going to happen today? I sure hope not...yesterday was a mess down at the field hospitals." said Fluttershy.
"Nah, I don't think so. We're tired, I'm pretty sure they are, too." Dash gestured over across the field, to the Lunar lines. "Besides, if they did, I doubt they'd come here to the center. They'd probably try attacking the flanks again."
"True." quietly said Fluttershy. "Anyway, Dash, um, I need to head back to the field hospital. They need every hoof they can get." Fluttershy saluted, and when Rainbow Dash did the same, she flew away.
"I was certain they would break yesterday." stated Applejack, as Big Mac trotted beside her. "But it was timely that General Pinkie's men came just in time last night. She will be of great use for what I have planned today." The two ponies came to a stop, and turned to face the east, towards Solar lines. "They must have enforced their flanks in defending them, therefore, they must be weakest near the center." She pointed to a small collection of trees in the distance. "Do you see that little copse of trees right there? What we're going to do, is use our cannons to pound that small area. Pinkie's, along with General Bonbon's corps, will then march from our lines, and converge on that copse of trees. Those two forces together will number nearly 15,000 mares and stallions, all marching, at an angle, across the field, and close in as one right at that copse of trees. In the center, the solar lines will break."
Big Mac said nothing for a few moments, as he scanned the opposing lines. "Applejack.....I'm not so sure if that will work. I don't believe no 15,000 ponies ever made could overtake that ridge. Their guns will be pouring down on us as we marched, our ranks would be broken up, before we even reached their wall. Whoever did succeed in reaching their lines would quickly be overrun."
Applejack took in her brother's concern, then turned to him, and firmly, yet calmly said, "In this plan, you must trust. Give it your all. I'll begin the cannon assault here shortly. Your troops may march when they're ready, General."
"Yes, ma'am." responded Big Mac. The two then parted ways.
The house was quiet, as a collection of ponies, all wearing yellow with golden trims, was engaged in a variety of things. Some were making small-talk, two were engaged in a game of cards, and one purple unicorn was at her small, portable desk, surrounded and conversing with a handful of officers.
The ground shook. The calmness was broken. At first, everypony stood still, as a few looked out the windows. Then there was a crash: a cannonball had blasted through the roof of the headquarter building, which was a converted farm home. The Solar officers all scrambled to narrowly avoid the unexpected object.
"By, Celestia almighty....", Twilight stood up, "They're about to attack." All of the officers scrambled out of the building, before collecting themselves outside. Then, the distant echoes of drumming confirmed Twilight's statement.
As the cannon blasting subsided, a tremendous sight beheld the bracing Solar army: a mile-wide row of dark blue, their bayonets shimmering in the sun, their lunar banners flapping in the smoke-filled wind.
Rainbow Dash flew to her ranks, and observed the sight herself. "Never have I seen such a magnificent sight. Oh, if only it didn't have to end in blood. Those are our fellow ponies, our friends, our kinfolk, about to attack us.
Curse this tragic war."
Once the Lunar lines completely cleared the forest, they stopped. All at once, they let out a massive cheer:
"THE NIGHT SHALL LAST FOREVER!"
Scootaloo overlooked the troops under her command, then positioned herself in front of them. "Ponyvillians! Ponyvillians! For your land, for your homes, for your sweethearts, for your lovers,
for Ponyville, FORWARD, MARCH!"
The drums started up, and with them, so did the Lunar army.
The first few hundred yards were slow marching, as regiments shifted and turned themselves to begin angling themselves towards one goal: the copse of trees. Pinkie oversaw her advancing forces. "Yes! Forward, brave Ponyvillians!"
Then the Solar cannons began blasting. The cannonballs and grapeshot rained down on the marching rows of blue. Entire chunks of regiments would be blown away, as the remainders scrambled to reform and push together, to fill the hole. Wounded soldiers that could still walk began limping back to Lunar lines. Once the lines reached Emmaresburg road, which marked the halfway mark of the field, Lunar forces were finally close enough to fire back. For a moment, many paused to breathe, load, and fire at the Solar forces. The bullets flew like angry hornets, as the first Solar casualties occurred.
A few regiments climbed over the fencing. Others either struggled to knock down segments, or marched through sections that had been blown open by The Solar cannons. As what remained of the Lunar attack force tried to move forward, Scootaloo's personal regiment, the 26th North Mareolina, remained stuck at the fence. It was at this moment that Scootaloo stood in front of them.
"MY STALLIONS! MY MARES!" She then removed her cap, pushed her sword through it, waved it high, and pointed it towards the copse of trees.
"WITH ME! WHO WILL COME WITH ME?" A new energy seemed to be injected into her troops, as a mighty roar bellowed from them all. They climbed the fence, and began moving forward once more.
Rainbow Dash flew above her forces, dodging bullets as she watched the oncoming Lunar troops. "By Celestia, they still push forward. A most admirable foe. Nonetheless, they mustn't break our lines! HIT THEM WITH THE VOLLEY! HIT THEM WITH THE CANNON!"
One of her aides looked up to her and pleaded, "Please, ma'am, come down! We cannot spare you!"
Rainbow Dash looked down, and smirked. "There are times that a corps commander's life does not count."
Moments later, she cringed, and fell to the ground. She had been struck. But as aides rushed to her side and called medics over, she declared, "I SHALL NOT BE MOVED....UNTIL THIS FIGHT IS OVER!"
Her troops were dwindling, as the oncoming fire intensified with each hard-earned step forward. Nonetheless, Scootaloo pressed on, her cap-bearing sword still pointed directly at the objective. Other Lunar regiments began falling back all around them. The attack was falling apart. Still, the 26th North Mareolina moved on.
Finally, they reached the goal. With a roar and a massive push, they climbed over the Solar wall, as the clanging of bayonets and the firing of muskets and cannon became deafening. Soon, almost the entire regiment poured over the rock walls. The Solar lines had been breached.
"THE DAY IS OURS, MY MARES AND STALLIONS! TURN THE CANNONS ON THEM! TURN THE CANNONS!" shouted Scootaloo, who was now atop the Solar wall, her sword upward and outward.
But the very next moment, she fell from the wall, struck multiple times with a hail of bullets. As the blood flowed from her wounds, she climbed and rested against a cannon, as her troops continued to pour over the wall.
It was then that a new wave of Solar forces poured in to counter them. The slaughter began. Lunar banners began to fall, as fewer and fewer were left to pick it up as a flag bearer. Within minutes, the gunfire stopped.
General Applejack peered through her binoculars, looking to see the fate of the attack. When the smoke cleared, the Solar flags still flew atop their ridge. There were no Lunar flags in sight.
The charge had been repelled. The Solar lines had held.
Applejack trotted down from her position, to meet General Pinkie. There was no pep. Her bright demeanor was gone, replaced with a face of terror and shock.
"General Pinkie. I'm expecting the Solar forces to counter, and attack our current positions. I need your division to reform and prepare to defend."
Pinkie said nothing.
"Pinkie? We need to prepare for a defensive. You need to reform your division into a defensive position."
After a few moments, a distraught Pinkie Pie looked up.
"General Applejack.......I have no division."
Applejack's usually firm face broke into a pale cloak of sorrow. She closed her eyes, and bowed her head.
"It is my fault. The blood spilled on this land. The bodies of my brave soldiers, strewn about the field.
It is all my fault."
Fluttershy trotted slowly through the piles of dead and wounded. Her face was locked in pity, and at some moments they nearly watered. As her fellow medics attended to the wounded, Solar as well as Lunar, she spotted a small, orange pony in a blood-soaked Lunar uniform lying against a cannon. She rushed to her side, having instantly recognized who it was.
"Scootaloo....Scootaloo? Can you hear me?" She asked, as another medic accompanied her.
"I.....I need to know where General Rainbow Dash is.....where is General Rainbow Dash?" said Scootaloo, a slight wince of pain traced inside her every word.
"I'm sorry, Scootaloo," responded Fluttershy as she began unbuttoning Scootaloo's coat to access her wounds, "She was hit in the fight, she's at a field hospital right now."
"No...NO.....not both of us.....OH CELESTIA....PLEASE.......", she groaned, as tears fell from her eyes, more from the terrible news, than the great pain of her injuries.
As Fluttershy began cleaning a bullet wound, Scootaloo nudged her. "Can you hear me, Fluttershy?"
"Yes, yes I can."
"Will you send her a message, from Scootaloo. Tell her how much I regret all of this......" she paused and tensed up as Fluttershy worked on the tender wound. "Tell her....how sorry I am. Tell her....that I still love her, as a sister....and I always will."
Fluttershy looked her in the eye, and removed her cap and bowed.
"I will, Scootaloo. I will."
The Sun began to set, as it cast shadows over the resting Solar troops, and the many dead that laid on the field. Rarity began trotting around, looking for her sister. She looked over, and saw her. The two made eye contact, and slowly walked to one another, until they met.
As the Sun finally sunk below the horizon, the two white-coated unicorns embraced.
With the repulsing of the attack, that would come to be known as Pinkie's Charge, the battle of Fillysburg was over.
General Scootaloo died of her wounds two days after the battle ended. General Rainbow Dash would recover from her injuries, and continued to fight until the war ended. When she finally returned home, she found a package sent for her two years earlier.
Inside was Scootaloo's collection of drawings of her hero, a photo book, containing pictures of her and Rainbow Dash together, and a letter that contained Scootaloo's final message to her.
The Army of the Solar Empire was invigorated by the victory, as they would begin to advance farther into the Lunar Republic, with General Twilight Sparkle guiding her forces onward.
Col. Rarity, who rose to the rank of General before war's end, would go on to recieve the Equestrian Medal of Honor, for her heroic actions atop Little Round Trot.
Fluttershy would be commended for her works in medical care both for the remainder of the war, and afterward. Many years after the battle of Fillysburg, she founded the Equestrian Red Heart foundation.
The Army of the Lunar Republic never recovered from the defeat. Nonetheless, General Applejack would lead her army, and fight on for two more years. Her troops never lost their adoration and admiration for her.
General Pinkie would continue to fight for the N.L.R. until the very end. Though her upbeat and peppy spirit would return with time, the devastation suffered at Fillysburg lingered with her for the rest of her life.
General Big Mac stayed loyal to his sister's army for the remainder of the war, and was wounded multiple times. When the war ended, he returned to a quiet life, working at sweet apple acres, which itself, had been the site of a bloody battle.
Finally, four years after the war started, General Applejack's Army of Ponyville, the premiere army of the New Lunar Republic, surrendered to General Twilight's Army of Canterlot at Applemattox Court House. The Equestrian Civil War was over.
In a final, symbolic event, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna met, as Luna was redeemed with the Elements of Harmony, which had been embodied by six veterans of the Civil War.
Harmony was restored. Equestria was united as one. The scars healed and faded with time. Indeed, it was true:
