Equestria in Ruins: Prisoner
Equestria in Ruins
‘War, War never changes.’
Applebloom continued off the long corridor – accompanied with six royal guards of Canterlot. Her attire was a formal business suit, complimented by her expression. The once beautiful corridor leading up to the castle’s courtroom had been torn and had suffered a lot of punishments during the war. A large grenade crater had blasted an entrance to the lower floor. The walk was quite silent; all ponies were observing at the once-magnificent and royal building in dismay at its condition. The war destroyed and had torn this place apart. It was a depressing sight.
The two royal guards bucked open the majestic, noble doors to the courtroom. The open-sight had caused a deep dagger into the mare’s heart: the courtroom was in ruins as tables were flipped and papers crowd around the floors of the room. Several guards were dealing with the bodies still lying out in the previous battle, each of their expressions was filled with heartache and regret. The yellow earth pony approached the large podium that overlooked the entire courtroom, straightening her posture before revealing her presence to Princess Twilight Sparkle.
‘Applebloom, welcome to the royal courtroom,’ the alicorn acknowledged, a feigned smile wiped across her face, ‘it is good to see you here. How long has it been? Six-seven years already?’
‘Your majesty,’ the earth pony greeted, bowing reluctantly down to her knees at her presence, ‘it is an honor to see ya again. Ever since ta war we couldn’t ‘ave ever met.’
‘Indeed. How is your sister ‘General’ Applejack nowadays?’
‘Classified to ta commander of the enemy,’
‘I say again: how is Applejack?’
‘Classified, your ‘majesty’,’
‘Applebloom, you’re so stubborn; like your sister. Do you not remember that you’re in the mercy of the Solar Empire? Your life is on a tipped scale and so is your sister Applejack – I should also mention that Big Macintosh will accompany you in captivity. You Apples are a disgrace. The New Lunar Republic is nothing! Under Celestia’s rule: we will arise supreme!’
‘Ta stubborn one is ya, Twilight! Can’t ya see ta tyranny of Celestia!? She rules over ta kingdom like her toy world, she don’t care! Remember ta destruction of Appleloosa? Ani’t no royal army to back ‘em settler ponies; all perished! The zebra ‘ttack in New Hay City? I done don’t see any of Celestia’s mongrels helpin’ ‘em out! Ya livin’ in ta old world of Celestia, Twilight! Our Princess Luna shall regain her power and shall restore a new dawn into Equestria! Have ya actually found out the truth of why ta Celestia bitch put Luna on ta moon-’ the mare was cut short.
‘Buck you, Applebloom! You’re living under lies of Nightmare Moon! You shall be put into the dungeons for this slander! Guards, seize her and dump her into the pit!’
All six royal guards saluted the enraged princess before four restrained Applebloom in the arms and while the other two led her with two spears crossed in-front.
Why has ta war brought us to this? I wished I were back in Ponyville with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo… the mare began to cry tears.
***
A sudden blast pierced the ears of Applebloom. A cannonball smashed through one of the last remaining stained glass and had glistened sunlight through. The heavy weapon smashed into two ponies’ faces as it struck; the glass had shattered into several pieces and a large shard impaled into another guard’s unprotected breast. The surviving ponies had ducked for cover and called out for assistance: one had equipped with a ceremonial spear while the latter two had mareskets in hooves.
It only took a split second for six darkened, disguised ponies to slide into the windows utilizing zip ropes and lines. They came from both sides and before the royal guards could respond they had blasted three separate holes into every Canterlot stallion’s brain. The group of six found Applebloom unconscious on the floor – apparently the cannonball had collided with her flank before ricocheting off into the guard’s head. They grabbed her and retreated off with their ziplines, long before a couple of dozen royal guards barged into the room with mareskets.
***
The mare began fluttering her eyes open and was subjected to a bright illumination from a single lightbulb above her. She, weakly, moved her hoofs to shadow off the light. She raised herself and perceived a long row of ponies in the same conditions as her; she couldn’t recognize this strange place.
A strange voice revealed itself to Applebloom, it was really familiar (and so very soothing), ‘Um, h-hi, Applebloom. Are you okay?’
‘Fluttershy?’ the mare exclaimed, in a joyous tone, she turned to see a pink mane Pegasus with a reassuring smile on her voice and a cute nurse’s cap on her head.
‘Applebloom, you’re okay!’
‘Of-of course Ah’m okay! Fluttershy, Ah haven’t seen ya since ta peace conference in Ponyville a year’s back!’
‘Um, sorry Applebloom but I’ve been busy so I couldn’t visit you… I’m really sorry…’
‘It doesn’t matter! Ah’m so ‘appy to see ya! But, where am I?’
‘Um… You’re in the Peace Corp’s underground hospital, Applebloom… if that’s okay with you.’
‘Thank Luna, but why?’
‘You were injured when a mercenary team came to rescue you; they also paid me to put you into focused care and twenty-four seven surveillance by our doctors, which was surprising.’
The small, yellow mare lifted herself from the bed to hug Fluttershy. The two embraced heartily and the two ponies smiled at each other. Applebloom lifted herself away from the mare, before a scream was heard from the entrance of the hospital.
‘Doctor Fluttershy! We’ve got trouble! The Solar Empire Law Enforcement found this place out and they’re ordering us to reveal all New Lunar Republic members or sympathizers to the Solar Empire! They’re threatening to burn this place down if we don’t oblige!’ an orange stallion reported.
‘Prepare the emergency railways and ready all suspected NLR members for evacuation! I’ll delay them!’ the disheartened mare had replied, already lifting herself up before galloping upstairs, ‘We can’t let any pony die tonight!’
***
The mare was still dazed and the following events were a blur. She was immediately placed onto a wheelchair and driven by a hasty hospital assistant down one level, to the cellar, and was aligned with a queue waiting for extraction. She saw many ponies, most with injuries much deeper and serious than hers and yet they had to support themselves independently (much to Applebloom’s embarrassment); most of the ponies had worn New Lunar Republic Army uniforms and most had limbs amputated for their survival – there was even one officer with one of his eyeballs removed.
The use of extreme measures by the Solar Empire was understandable but wasn’t justified. Both factions have been utilizing brutal measures to gain the upper-hoof on this civil war; Applebloom herself witnessed the torture of Bonbon and Lyre for their high-allegiance to the Solar Empire and Princess Celestia. The Solar Empire had the darkness to freely burn down towns and villages that supported the Republic and the Republic had salted lands of ponies that sympathized the enemy. The Equestrian Civil War had torn the land into two, this petty war had bland reasons – Applebloom always wonders why there was this war in the first place, why couldn’t there be a united peace?
There wasn’t really a queue for the train, only a mass crowd of impatient stallions. Most stallions were disarmed and had no weapons, only the odd-few managed to equip themselves with mareskets. All of the soldiers looked rough and Applebloom interpreted that they had barely evaded death at a recent battle. Most soldiers initiated into their own conversations or decided to smoke cigarettes to calm themselves while waiting for the train for emergency withdrawal.
The train, itself, was a simple row of joined carts. Each cart could probably sustain around six ponies, but in times of emergency: the average needed amount stuffed into a cart was a staggering fifteen wounded ponies per cart. There was around sixty ponies needing extraction from this place and there were only four carts available.
An individual stallion turned around to Applebloom, he was dressed in a drummer colt’s uniform, and had exclaimed, ‘It’s Colonel Applebloom!’ The stallion’s announcement turned all heads towards the mare, most faces met Applebloom in an optimistic expression. A wave of mumbles had spread around the crowd, and several ponies approached her to shake her hoof or give her a brohoof. The mass wave created a clearing for Applebloom and her wheelchair to cross, Applebloom shoved off the idea of exploiting the soldiers but the doctor sped her to the carts and placed her in one of the less crowded carts.
After the cheering died down the ponies aligned themselves to a line. The entrance to the cellar was burst open and a dozen Solar Empire soldiers, dressed in their genuine khaki coatings, quickly lined and fired onto the unsuspecting New Lunar Republic soldiers. Around twenty fell at the first shots and panic arose from the ponies – most of the ponies were unarmed and they charged towards the carts while the odd-few stood up with their mareskets and obeyed the only remaining junior officer’s orders. An exchanged firefight managed to down a couple of SE soldiers but the flying balls of death were focused onto the Republic’s brave stallions.
Applebloom watched in horror at the massacre occurring before her eyes, but her vision shifted and she assessed that the cart had started moving. The cart’s start was slow and the redcoats had caught this: one threw a leather hoof-grenade into the third cart, the said cart was completely annihilated and the forth cart jittered to a halt. Applebloom felt the force of the shockwave and it knocked her down onto the floor of the second cart.
She awoke to conclude the situation: only she and around a dozen ponies had been successfully evacuated from the Peace Corp’s underground hospital, she had no idea on her destination and she was weak; the doctor accompanying her was knocked onto the rails and she doubted that these militiamen knew first aid.
***
The mare eventually perceived the exit of the crudely dug emergency cave. The soldiers rejoiced as they inhaled their first breaths of fresh air in twenty minutes. They abandoned their cramped, dirty carts and fixed themselves up with canteens of water. The mare stood and stared out to the new land of Equestria. She could still see the battles and fires of the distant Las Pegasus - as the Solar Empire’s large vessels opened fire at the Republic’s militia men, Ponyville was still in ruins after the peace conference meeting and there was a large battle occurring at Appleloosa. The Solar Empire had the upper hand: they managed Fillydephia, Stalliongrad, Manehatten and Canterlot, the three most industrious cities and the capital. The New Lunar Republic had placed support on the peasants and the lower-classes of Equestria and had Appleloosa, Detrot, New Hay City, loads of smaller communities and surprisingly Las Pegasus in their grips.
One of the soldiers approached Applebloom from behind and coughed to gain her acknowledgement. The officer turned and the drummer colt saluted.
‘At ease, what is it?’ the mare asked, suiting herself an assertive voice.
‘Colonel, ma- ma’am,’ the drummer colt stuttered, ‘what do we do now?’
‘We rest, today. Get ta- the soldiers to set up camps and tents; get them ready for tomorrow’s operation. Also, what company do you represent?’
‘We’re from varied platoons and squads, ma’am. I’m a drummer colt from The Lunar Republic Army, 7th Battalion, 2nd company.’
‘Okay, get the men ready. I’ve got some things we need to do tomorrow and I need the stallions in top conditions.’
‘Ma’am... May I ask on what you’re planning?’
‘We’re gonna go see Pinkie Pie’s elite mercenary group, tomorrow’ the mare smiled, before trotting back to the group of stallions. After a few steps she collapsed onto the floor.