Author's Note

hello everyone, i would like to apologize for the long delay in between chapters, i had this going really well and then the pandemic hit and my priorities switched from focusing on writing and more on staying safe and healthy and not dying from COVID. But despite that i hope you enjoy this

Fall of Trottingham

Trottingham three months since the war began

Trottingham burned, the Caribou had attacked in force. The gates and walls had been breached within a week of their arrival. They had brought siege towers, catapults trebuchets and even a few cannons. Valiantly the defenders he fought to hold the wall and gate fighting tooth and nail to drive the invaders back. Yet after a week the walls fell and the gate was breached even then the brave stallions and mare of the guard made the Caribou pay for even inches of ground in lives and blood. For each pony that was killed a hundred caribou were killed in retaliation, yet it was not enough to hold them back.

(ideal music to listen to when reading this)

Even as the city was falling around them the ponies who defend Trottingham continued to fight, but it was a losing battle and they would hold the city for much longer. The markets were overrun, civilians fled in fear and panic as Pegasi, Unicorns, earth ponies, and Thestrals fought to guide them to the escape route out of the city away from the battle. Now on the eighth night the final push would come, the hammer would fall hardest here as the Caribou sent for all they had at the city. boulders and cannon balls rained down on the city soldiers and civilians alike ducked and dived for cover to escape the bombardment as the few remaining heavy weapons of Trottingham fired back in anger trying to destroy the siege weapons of the Caribou. Melee combat broke out on every street in every alleyway even in the cities underground transit system ponies fought with fanaticism, unseen since times long passed when Equestria's fate hung in the balance. Those who defended the city would die to the last stallion and mare to defend their homes, their lives and their families before they would kneel before the Caribou.

A young Thestral , stallion ran down a blasted out street zig zagging between fleeing ponies and the soldiers guiding them out of the city, a cannon ball impacted behind him exploding knocking him off his feet before he got up just as quickly as he was knocked down ducking through a ruined door way bracing against the wall, and pulled out his radio.

"Message to Canterlot command priority Omicron lieutenant Knuckles reporting Trottingham has fallen repeat Trottingham has fallen" Knuckles said before the line was filled with static, he prayed and hoped his message got through. putting the small radio back into his pocket he pulled out a picture of his fiancé, Dusty Rose. The cute pony/werewolf he had met back in Canterlot, the mare he'd gone on numerous dates with and spent an equal number of nights with. Now he wished to only be able to make it back to her.

"I'm coming home to you Dusty" Knuckles said kissing the photo and putting it away heading back out into the carnage that was all around the city. His Two handed long sword in hand Knuckles ran down the street aid civilians and cutting down drones or bulls that were in his way, a Stone from a catapult brought a three story shop crashing down around him, knocking him aside temporarily putting him into a daze. This left enough time for a crimson drone to get the jump on him as it pounced snapping its fanged jaws at his face it's clawed hands trying to tear his throat out. The drone hissed and snapped its fanged mouth at him as he struggled to keep it off him, he looked around for anything, finally Knuckles day what he could use, a good size chunk of brick just barely within his reach. With all his might that he could summon forth Knuckles took up the brick in his hand and with a roar of defiance on his breast he smashed it into the side of the drones skull, knocking it off of him, yet the thestral was not done, now he went on the attack beating the drone with the brick until it lay lifeless on the street, green blood oozing from the remains of its head. He sat there for a moment to catch his breath ignoring the sounds of war and death still happening around him as he came down from the rush of adrenaline. Shoving his feet beneath him Knuckles found the strength to stand once more, his long sword a tool of battle that had served him well these past few month's was buried under heavy rubble, he alone did not possess the strength to free it.

Yet he could not delay, grabbing a shield from a fallen guard he quickly unsheathed the sword that hung from his hip, for he had one last task. Meet up with the evacuation, and get as many civilians out as possible, the crackling of his radio soon gained his attention.

" This is Overlord to any remaining royal guards still inside the city be advised you are to make your way to evac point echo. Immediate location is the midtown market district, be advised evac window is closing fast."

Knuckles knew what he had to do, get to the extraction point and save as many civilians old, young , strong or weak as he could along the way, no matter the cost. This he swore, to uphold his oath as a guard and to Faust honored by her name, in the name of the freedom he would save all that he could. With sword and shield in hand he ran as fast as his legs could carry him. A family of ponies were spotted hiding in a ruined coffee shop and he could not leave them.

"Quickly you must leave the city is lost" He said to them stepping inside "The last evacuation point will not be held for long"

"But how can we? you're just a single guard and the caribou and crimson drones are everywhere" a Pegasus stallion who was missing a chunk of his ear said as he stood protectively in front of his family.

"I am only a single guard this is true, but I will not and shall not leave you to the mercy of the enemies, because like all of you, I have someone I want to return to" He said looking out the door "Will you follow me?"

The stallion was quiet for no more than a minute, looking back at his wife and children before turning back to knuckles.

"Lead on soldier, and we shall follow, honey help me with the foals, Roxy's too young to run the distance we must go, and striker's leg brace is not staying tight so I shall take him" The stallion said picking up his son as his daughter was scooped up and held close to her mother.

"This way, we must be quick if we encounter the enemy do not stop for me just run and do not turn back and head for the midtown market" Knuckles said stepping back out into the darkening night, even as Luna's night crept over the city the fires of burning buildings kept the city alight with a hellish glow.

"Quickly now, we're almost there" Knuckles said stealing a quick glance at a map that was meant for tourists, there would be none here for who knew how long, but the ponies would return again and again until Trottingham was free from the tyranny that was swallowing it whole.

Unfortunately, their luck has run out. The next intersection they came to was swarming with Caribou and a few drones and there behind them two blocks away was the last evacuation point in the city.

"Dammit, so close hmm" Knuckles didn't finish his sentence as a plan began to form in his mind, it was suicide and would more then likely result in his death, the last thought filling his heart with grief and regret knowing that it would me he would never get to see Dusty Rose again, but sometimes one must give their life so that other may live.

"Sir do you think you can sneak through the alleys to the market, I'll draw their attention and keep them off of you and your family, whatever happens do not look back just fly or run as fast as you can." He said

"But what about you? you could be killed or worse" The mare said hugging her daughter closer to her chest.

"Sometimes one must give their life so that others may live, go. NOW!!!!" Knuckles said with not a word spoken the small family of four quickly executed this plan as Knuckles readied himself, before he stepped back into the street.

"OI STAG HEADS OVER HERE YOU BRAIN DEAD MORONS" He shouted waving his arms around, the effect was immediate the caribou and drones began shouting orders as they sprinted down the street to the lone guard.

"Here we go" Knuckles said time seemed to slow as the first combatant came within reach, using his shield he blocked the strike from a drones sickle slashing across its exposed stomach and throat green ichor spraying everywhere as they fell upon him. Parry block count strike stab slash never did he stop moving on the ground or in the air, the clashes of steel and sickening sounds of flesh bone and chitin being torn ripped and shattered filled the streets with an eldritch aura, and the sounds of the dying mixed with those of the living.

"Damnit" Knuckles cursed as a bull got a lucky strike in that sliced the flesh and muscle on his left thigh, said wound now forced the Thestral to now have to remain hovering a few inches off the ground as he could no longer properly support his own weight without great pain that would slow him down. But the enemy still came nonetheless, yet from behind them a volley of arrows though few in number cut down a few drones, while this renewed his fighting spirit Knuckles did not relent is his fight praying to Faust that the Family he had found had made it. With a wide swing of his Sword a bull's head was freed from his shoulders, another lost an arm and leg from a vertical power attack that nearly shattered the bones of Knuckles sword arm. But he came up short, blindsided he was as the bite of a war axe was felt on his exposed right side taking his breath from him as he got knocked to the ground, but he did not feel it thanks to the adrenaline being pumped through his veins. Struggling he got back to his feet but now after so long he was beginning to tire and his strength was close to being spent but yet he found the will to fight on, with a fury in his voice and a fire in his heart he charged those that were left in one final effort, while silently he asked his Dusty Rose to forgive him for breaking his promise of coming back to her. And in slow motion they clashed, the scene lit by the explosion of fireballs cannon shot and a gas line igniting as the fire engulfed them all.

A Few Hours Later

In a triage center away from the front rested the battered bruised and bloodied body of Lieutenant Knuckles, most of his ribs were broken, his right leg broken in two places, and many more serious wounds. And Yet he lived, but there was another pony with him, cuddled up to him on the hospital bed lay his marefriend Dusty Rose, the young mare having been then for some time now, staying near the stallion she loved and cared for. At First she cried and sobbed, but then her tears dried up and her sobbing slowed until she fell asleep with her coltfriend held in her arms.

The flap of the tent they were in opened as a Colonel stepped quietly in, he walked slowly out of respect for the wounded here but stopped before the sleeping couple. with reverence he saluted the young lieutenant who risked life limb and love to save a family that would have been left behind. from the small box he held in his hands he removed a medal and gently pinned it to the pillow next to Knuckles head along with a letter, addressed to him written in the hand of the Lord Commander. To many it seemed insignificant, but to one human far away in Canterlot this stallion had shown extraordinary bravery, courage and self sacrifice that he would be given a promotion and be awarded the Equestrian Cross of Valor, Equestrias highest military honor.

Far to the north in ancient frozen north

In a darkened cavern far from even the most adapted life, was an ancient shrine whose purpose had long since been forgotten, upon its altar sat a massive clear quartz crystal frosted over with a layer of ice. There was an alicorn mare inside her mane and tail a deep red and fur as white as cloud, deep in slumber she had waited here, from an age that only one soul alive still knew that she had come to this place, her angelic wings unfurled behind her, and in her outstretched hands she held two small objects, one a jeweled sun. The other a jeweled moon.

Then a small crack appeared on the crystal, and a single phrase could be heard if anyone was there to listen

"Soon my little sun and moon"