Animal Cottage

by Smashology

Rating: mature
Tags: Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Death, Tank, Thriller, Angel, Fluttershy, Violence, Tragedy, Main 6
Length: 7792

Due to a new implemented law that harms them, animals rebel and declare war to ponies. Second entry of my Literary Trilogy.

Second entry of my Literary Trilogy.

Due to a new implemented law that harms them, animals rebel and declare war to ponies.

Inspired by 'Animal Farm' and 'Zoo', with elements of 'Dr. Strangelove' and 'Night of the Dolphin.'

Thanks to LeprechaunPoni for the preread and advices!

Published 2016-07-09 15:40:01 UTC
Last updated 2016-07-09 15:40:01 UTC

The beginnings of the rev

Author's Note

As a matter of fact I'm nervous with this project. This is my first darkfic in a long time and I don't know how the public's reception is going to be. All I can say is I hope you like it.

The beginnings of the rev

Our story began in one of the most far-fetched places in Ponyville: Fluttershy’s cottage. There were only two things that she cared for: her best friends and her animal buddies, especially Angel the bunny. There was nothing that could interpose between them. Until one day bad news arrived at her front door. At the town hall almost the entire population of Ponyville had been reunited to discuss one new ordinance.

“Listen ponies” Mayor Mare handled the continuous talking of the crowd by shouting at the top of her lungs. “The new law, written by the parliament, has been approved.”

“Which new law, Mayor Mare?” Princess Twilight asked, questioning the situation because she wasn’t included in the speaking of the parliament. “I don’t remember any approval of any law.”

“Well, now that all the citizens are here let me explain it” Mayor Mare cleared her throat and began reading. “Due to the new economic crisis we have agreed to attach the upkeep for domestic pets so the progress can be made and the pony quality of life can be assure. You have to pay not only the residence of the pet but also its food, health, working programs and life insurance. All these taxes will be controlled by the guard armada which will regularly examine the living place of the proprietor.”

Ponyville went crazy and Twilight stood up. “That’s insane. Why pets?”

“It had to be something common among ponies and not necessary for the living. We can’t continue raising water, food or health taxes. Everypony has the right to those goods.”

“But what about Fluttershy?” Rainbow Dash stood out for her friend. “That’s her job, her entire life.”

“I order to cancel it right now.”

“You may be a princess but that doesn’t mean every pony is going to follow your vision of the world. I understand your case but there’s nothing I can do for you. The law is implemented already, she has one month to gain enough money to keep her place like everypony else. One of you has to give her the bad news. The public spoke, I’m sorry.”

Later Twilight Sparkle came to her friend’s house to notify her, she knew this was going to hurt her deeply but she needed to be warned. The knock of the door was heard and Fluttershy opened it.

“Hello Twilight. Sorry for not coming but today I’ve been busy cleaning the house. What are you doing here?”

Twilight explained her the entire case.

“No Twilight” she said worried. “You can’t do this to me.”

“Fluttershy, this was signed by 90% of the population and the parliament agreed on this. Rainbow Dash and I defended your situation but we couldn’t do anything for you.”

“Does that means that I have to kick out all my friends?”

“...Yes” Twilight was firm but also feel sad for her friend. “You have a month to pay for them or else... I don’t know what will happen to them. I’m sorry Fluttershy.”

Twilight turned back and came back to her castle. For Fluttershy this was the worst thing that could happened: she was an animal caretaker, she literally lived for them and there was no way she was going to quit her passion. All the animals in the world were not enough to conceal the misery of the yellow pegasus.

One month later the results appeared: she couldn’t pay for them. And this not only had affected Fluttershy, other owners had to kick their pets out of their homes because of the high taxes, everypony care more about their own survivability than anything else. Thanks to the law even the rest of the Mane 6 had to get rid of their pets, only Rainbow Dash and Twilight herself weren’t affected. Twilight’s pet owl technically didn’t live with her and due to her large quantities of bits won in bets for the wonderbolts Rainbow Dash had enough money to keep her pet tortoise. But the rest of them? They had no choice. Besieged by these problems Fluttershy had turned to drink the days after. Friends like Pinkie Pie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash could drink up to six or eight jars of cider in a row but she got drunk by the first one. She came back to her home tumbling every night, blaming her non existing little friends for her situation, she expelled the animals during the correspondent month one by one. Tomorrow was always worse than yesterday and her animals got less care of her. One of the most remarkable sentences Angel remembered from her was:

“Oh, Angel. I always wanted to beat the crap out of you every time you got mad with me for some nitpicky littleness, you ungrateful bastard!”

That was the first night, and the next she insulted another animal, and the next night another one and another. With ponies it was almost the same. Every hour she had she now spent it at the local bar getting drunk, her friends constantly tried to raise her spirit but not even they could save her from depression. Relief was not an option anymore. After blaming her animal buddies she then cursed her friends and the rest of the ponies she encountered occasionally for her situation.

“Fluttershy, things will get better in the long run” Applejack said.

“Yes, all of us are in the same situation” added Rarity.

“Then why aren’t you as heartbreak as I am?” Fluttershy asked drunk. But many times alcohol is a great therapist and she realized the truth.
“You don’t care about them, do you?”

They remained silent.

“I see” she retired to her home cursing and trying to maintain her balance. “Taking care and raising animals was my purpose in life and they took it away from me. Ponies are a plague for this world!”

The night after Fluttershy expelled Angel, her last remaining animal, he called Constance, Margaret and Mordecai, the jays by squeaking so they could reunite all the animals in the surroundings and have a meeting inside a big burrow in the Everfree Forest once she went to sleep. After an hour every animal that belonged to Fluttershy appeared, the most notable ones were Elizabeak the hen, Fuzzy Legs the spider, Mousey the mouse, Hummingway the hummingbird, Samantha the ferret and Harry the bear. But Angel’s results were bigger than he expected because many of the once domestic pets also came to the meeting like Winona the dog, Opalescence the cat and Gummy the alligator and even some creatures from the Everfree Forest like Owlowiscious the owl and Tim the timberwolf had listened to the call. All the animals, big or small, were anxious to get in for such a meeting that they never had been before. It took a while for all to find a seat: the rabbits and other rodents have taken up the best positions at the front followed by the mustelids, the birds, insects and arachnids surrounding them, the pets and finally Harry and Tim were at the bottom, covering the access. In front of all of them was Angel.

“Friends” said Angel, not with words but with squeaks and because of that subtitles appeared. “I had li–”

A stomp has heard at the access and all remained quiet instantly expecting the worst, but it wasn’t Fluttershy. It was a last minute guest: Tank the tortoise, unlike the rest he hadn’t being harmed or handicapped by the agreement but he wasn’t going to miss a meeting, he sat next to Winona and Opal. And at last everyone could be settled to hear Angel.

“My dear friends, I had lived with Fluttershy since I remember. And because of the recent events I have something to tell you: Few of us will have the pleasure of a peaceful life. I’ve seen for the last days how you are dealing with weather and hunger, without the caring from your owners the majority will not survive. Those ponies abandoned us for their own benefits and that is just the beginning of the catastrophe. Think about it: for our comrades who lived in the forest, what would happen when those intruders invade your home? Or most importantly, what will happen if every other pony found you?”

Harry thought about his fur being rip out of his body and being used a carpet with his head as a hunting trophy above a chimney while Tim imagined his woods being burn. They frowned.

“Whatever we produced is taken from us, stole from us and sold.”

Elizabeak thought about all the eggs she laid and how many of them hatched into chicks: one or two, no more no less, and they never reached adulthood. She frowned.

“When we only wanted to have fun they beat us and they tormented us for only trying to help.”

Winona thought about that time when she jumped happily on Apple Bloom while they were playing with a ball, causing her to trip and hurt and so Applejack beat her, while Opal remembered when Rarity moistened her fur in the bathtub just to pretend her sickness to her owner’s friends. Both frowned.

“Or worse: force us to do something we don’t want to!”

Gummy remembered when Pinkie Pie forced him to eat a hundred cupcakes. Although he remained expressionless it was notorious he frowned on the inside.

“You insects and arachnids. Do you know what future holds to you?!”

Fuzzy Legs thought about all of his brothers, sisters, friends and enemies squished by everypony who saw them because of their appearance, especially the flower sisters and pest ponies. He frowned and one by one each animal did the same.

“Do we deserve such a fate?! I thought not until a days ago, when the only pony who truly cared for us betrayed this community and most important: her passion. Is this world so mingy to support us all?! Of course not! But we’ll never get our rightful share from Fluttershy or anypony else. Overthrow the tyrants and we shall be free!”

All the animals inside the burrow squeaked and growled, agreeing. Angel raised his paws appeasing the herd.

“But remember, when we have get rid of those dreadful ponies don’t adopt their vices. We are brothers, we are friends. Large or small, clever or simple, with fur, feathers or scales, now and forever all of us are equal!”

Suddenly all of them growled until they turned around and realized something: another animal was looking at them all this time.

Animal district

Hours later, deep in the Everfree Forest, Lyra and Bon Bon were camping. The tent was ready, the bonfire was flaming and both mares were drinking a jar of cider outside.

“Alcohol and night camping. It’s a winning combination” said Lyra. “Is there anything better?”

“Yes” answered Bon Bon. “Alcohol and night camping WITH your best friend.”

Both gave a cheer until they noticed something. The nearby bushes were moving, both got frightened expecting the worst.

“Uh-oh” said Lyra scared. “Timberwolves, the assassins of the woods!”

The bushes stop moving and from them appeared the real creature.

“Calm down Lyra. It’s not a timberwolf. It’s a bunny, the most adorable animal of the woods.”

When Bon Bon picked one suddenly it kicked her face. Both mares were shocked.

“Ow!”

“Hey, what’s the gag?”

More bunnies appeared from the bushes and started kicking the mares until the fun disappeared, the ponies only felt pain from them. Shortly after followed the ferrets, the beavers and the squirrels, all giving them nibbles and constant pushing which normally weren’t so noticeable but with hundreds of mouths the agony was inevitable. All the little creatures eventually rounded them up until they lost their balance but thanks to her secret agent training Bon Bon could cope them. When Angel, who was hiding behind the same bushes, noticed this he squeaked, this was how he called Harry and Tim to the action using them as a last resource. The bear and the timberwolf appeared from the nearby trees and pushed Lyra to the bonfire, her cries of pain were unnoticeable for everypony except Bon Bon, who had ended the fight unconscious when Harry pushed her into a tree just for trying to help her best friend. But the high-pitched cries of agony and the sparks coming from the bonfire caught the attention of another resident of the forest. The troops knew where the next objective was.

The next morning the Mane 5 found out about what happened and went to the crime scene to investigate. Previously they went to Fluttershy’s cottage and something odd caught their attention: the door was opened. Once they came in they realized the house was empty. None of her furniture or the little houses for her animal friends were there but most importantly she wasn’t there, they thought the worst but there wasn’t signs of violence or anything related. Although they were worried about what happened to her they hadn’t time to find her, they finally arrived to the crime scene. Twilight gasped harshly when she discovered the corpse of one of her old friends, both Lyra and Bon Bon’s bodies had third-degree burns all around. Rarity, dressed in her detective outfit, put a blanket over the corpses.

“I have a theory but I’m not sure of its credibility” she said suspiciously.

“Tell us Rarity” said Pinkie Pie. “Anything could help.”

“This looks like the work of rowdy vandals. Applejack, cancel the prom.”

“What are ya takin’ ‘bout?”

“We need to go deeper darling.”

“But there are no proofs” said Rainbow Dash who was holding Tank on her hooves all the time. “Are you sure there’s not another cause?”

“I just noticed you’re carrying Tank with you anywhere lately” said Pinkie questioning her friend and touching her chin. “Why?”

“Winter finished a month ago and when he was hibernating I decided to spend more time with him once winter had finished.”

“Ya just said that ‘cause ya could keep him. We get it so please stop rubbin’ it in our faces.”

What Rainbow Dash didn’t knew was that Angel secretly gave Tank an important task: knowing he was the only remaining pet that still had a home he had to spy the ponies by being next to her owner all the time and during nighttime gave him the information. The bunny trusted the tortoise since they lived in the same house and even after he moved they preserved that confidence.

“Hey girls” Twilight interrupted them. “Are you listening?” All of them kept quiet.

“I don’t hear anything” replied Rainbow Dash.

“Exactly. Where are the birds? Where are the squirrels? Have your ever heard this quiet out here?”

“Girls” said Rarity. “You have to see this.”

Rarity had discovered one last surprise that made them feel bad and sad: Zecora’s head hanging on the nearby trees. They were about to throw up and inside of it was a little square chip which resulted to be a hologram, Rarity used her magic to take it but none of them knew how to activate it, not even Twilight, thanks to Pinkie Pie and her curiosity the hologram fell to the ground and got activated. The image was disturbing: Zecora was tied to a metal chair, she was crying and a voice was speaking off-screen. All the girls watched it carefully.

“Tell them your name” said the voice, it was a naughty, raspy voice.

She wheezed. “...Zecora.”

“Are you a Princess Twilight follower?”

Zecora coughed harshly due to her wounds. “...Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because she taught us... to not be feared by monsters like you. Don’t think you... can hide from her and her friends behind your zoo.”

“You do?” one of the paws went on the recording and touched her, trying to ‘calm her down’, the paw resembled more of a hoof than an actual paw. Zecora closed her eyes scared. “So you think Twilight made Ponyville a better place?”

The guy retired his paw from her face as Zecora refused to look him, then the image turned on him. It was indeed a pony, the voice revealed it was male, it had a white-painted face, black lips, red eyes and blue, pink and yellow mane. “You see? Why is Twilight Sparkle capable of uniting other species with ponies when ponies can’t defend their closest relatives? If you want order here the ‘Princess of Friendship’ must abdicate her title and leave Ponyville forever. Oh, and every day she doesn’t ponies will die... starting tonight... I’m a pony of my word.”

An evil laugh has heard, the pony rushed forward to Zecora who cried of pain and the hologram switched off. All the mares were so traumatized that they left the forest and headed to the village. Twilight ordered the rest of her friends to called all Ponyville for a meeting at the town hall and warned all the inhabitants about what they saw in the hologram. Two hours later all Ponyville arrived, and in front of the town hall, was Twilight, who used her voice sonorous spell.

“Citizens of Ponyville, my eyes have seen an issue that needs to be covered from you but I can’t. There’s a killer among us, and he will not stop until we have vanished, his threats will not scared us if we keep together. All of us are parents, siblings, neighbors and friends and we’ll fight for the same cause. And if you, murderer, are casually here, let me say you this: We don’t fear you, we’ll find you and we’ll finish your plan. Everypony listen, tonight clogged your doors and closed your windows, nopony shall be outside when the sun goes down. I repeat: nopony shall be outside when the sun goes down!”

Angel and his army heard everything secretly but they weren’t worried about her and the speech she gave meant to him that she ignored his warning so now they were sure. Thanks to Lyra and Bon Bon’s death their house was now their private source of weapons and they accessed to it during nighttime. Although Angel didn’t want to use the spy weapons Bon Bon had hidden in her house initially, he knew that using their own stuff towards the ponies was the only way the animals could weaken them in great proportion. While Elizabeak, Gummy and Fuzzy Legs were taking some special weapons outside with both Winona and Opal supervising them Tank arrived to Lyra and Bon Bon’s. Angel was at the entrance along with Harry and Tim serving as bodyguards, the bunny commanded both the bear and timberwolf to retire so he could spoke with Tank alone, once again with subtitles.

“Fellow Tank, your report.”

“The ponies look nervous and terrified” said Tank to Angel. “I have spotted some places which have a weakened floor so the diggers can excavate for infiltration without issues.”

“More specifically, which places?”

“Carousel Boutique, the Apple’s House at Sweet Apple Acres, an unidentified house in southeast Ponyville and some sections of the Friendship Castle.”

“Great, continue with your duty and return to your position.”

Angel turned around and commanded Winona, Opal, Samantha and Mousey, in his case along with other mice, to go to those specific places while Fuzzy Legs and his insects carried the special weapons to determined and strategically common places for ponies to walk around. They obeyed and left the place. Before Angel could retreat to the inside Tank interrupted him.

“...Are you sure about this? This can sound weird but these ponies aren’t bad.”

Angel turned around disappointed. “...Do not tell me you’ve caught affection to her?”

“And if I was in your position and you in mine? If that was the case will things be the same?”

Angel kept quiet for a moment. “That’s none of your business.”

“But what will happen after this? You said we’ll be greeted as liberators.”

“And that is what’s going to happen once we got rid of those pesky ponies. I already commanded Hummingway, Owlowiscious, Constance, Margaret and Mordecai to fly to other cities so they can spread our message and uphold our cause.”

“...Which cities?”

“Canterlot, Appleoosa and Manehattan. Those are the primary objectives.”

“And what about other creatures? What about the gryphons, the dragons, the–?”

“One at a time my friend. They will fall and the humble will be the ones who inherit the land.”

“This goes far beyond that simple respect from the ponies, isn’t it?”

Angel shushed him and started to explain. “There was a time when sun and moon rose independent of any creature in the world, non-animal was superior to another and every one of us was equal. But something happened on the way: suddenly some of us were more equal than others. It’s our responsibility to return to that sacred time of love and peace among us.”

“How do you know about that?” Tank asked doubtful. “Tortoises are more long-lived than rabbits. I lived with Fluttershy long time before you came.”

Angel continued as images from Winona, Opal, Mousey, Samantha and Fuzzy Legs doing their commands were shown.

“The world has been lenient with them and they do not learn, it’s time to purify the world and bring a new era, they have decided not to wake up and live their lives in laziness, envy and hypocrisy, and it’s time to teach a lesson. Our brothers and sisters are fighting to save this sick world from themselves. It is time to act, they decided to live their lives in quantity and not quality. Our comrades support us and soon teach the truth. Formerly they deprived us of our land and now it’s time we take them back. Peace is nothing more than a thin thread, you are the scissors and us the ones who are willing to occupy them. The will of ponies will break and writhe up only remaining vestiges of what once were” Angel stared at him. “Now retreat, that’s an order.”

Tank turned around with both Harry and Tim keeping an eye on him and following the reptile to the point where Owlowiscious will carry the tortoise and return him to his home. Meanwhile Twilight was in the balcony of her castle, unaware of the animals’ actions, looking at Ponyville with a preoccupied face. Spike and Starlight Glimmer appeared.

“Are you alright?” he said looking at her.

“No Spike” she felt concerned. “What if I have to renounce being the Princess of Friendship? What if something happens to somepony, especially to my friends and their families? I don’t know where Fluttershy is and that worries me.”

Her assistant and student were speechless.

“Twilight this isn’t your fault” said Starlight. “Politics mean to do sacrifices for the good of all, even if that means hurting a specific pony.”

“But I didn’t want to hurt my friends. I suppose it’s true what they said” she quoted. “All the world will be your enemy. Princess with a thousand enemies, and when they catch you they will kill you... But first they must catch you.”

“Listen Twilight” Spike said. “We’re worry too but I don’t have the answers, neither Starlight and we will not have them tonight, I recommend you to go to sleep and wait for tomorrow. We have to go to bed, hopefully things will get better in the morning.”

Once Spike and Starlight went back to their bedroom Twilight closed the doors of the balcony and sealed them firmly.

The great dying

The next morning Spike got up when he listened voices coming from the outside. He went to the main door expecting just a little discussion, on the contrary the entire town was in front of the castle and all the citizens looked scared and worried. At the front were Rainbow Dash, still holding Tank, Pinkie Pie and Rarity, who was the most concerned.

“What’s going on?”

“Spike, where’s Twilight?” asked Rainbow Dash.

“She’s in bed. What’s happening?”

“That’s happening!” replied Pinkie Pie, pointing at the castle.

It resulted that the entire Friendship Castle was covered by the lines ‘We warned you’, written in blood. On the star at the top was written the sentence ‘The end will come at sunset.’ With Owlowiscious’ assistance, once he came back from its duties, Angel did all the work at night and, for a bunny, it was surprisingly well written. The question everypony was doing now was ‘From who the blood was?’

“Who did this?” asked Spike.

“We don’t know” replied Dash. “When I woke up I noticed it and immediately I called everypony in town to come here.”

“I don’t care about this blood festival, I just want to know where Sweetie Belle is. I can’t find her anywhere!” Rarity whispered Spike, face to face, he could noticed tears coming out of her eyes. “Where’s Sweetie Belle? Where’s my little sister?”

Suddenly a scream was heard from inside the castle.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

“That’s Twilight!”

Spike turned around and went into, directly to Twilight’s bedroom, in the way he found a concerned Starlight.

“Spike did you heard that?!”

“Yes. Twilight is in trouble, we should help her!”

When they opened the door they found Twilight crying and screaming at the top of her lungs. Her room was also covered by the lines ‘We warned you’, only with an exclamation mark at the end. What happened was that in front of her bed were three corpses placed on three mannequins, probably stolen from Carousel Boutique. All of them were stitched by the legs, both front and hind, their tummies showed signs of having been mutilated, the eyes were missing from their sockets and one of them was still spilling blood out of the body. What terrified Twilight the most was that those corpses were from foals.

“This doesn’t look good” Starlight said. “What do we do?”

Twilight wiped her tears and took a deep breath. “Wait outside the castle and try to appease the crowd.”

“But what about you?” asked Spike.

“I’ll be there. Just give me a moment with them.”

They followed her orders and left her alone. Some of the citizens asked what was occurring but Spike refused to answer to anypony, including her friends, while Starlight was trying to handle the situation. After a couple of minutes Twilight opened the door. All the crowd remained quiet except her friends, they couldn’t help but notice her depressing face covered in tears.

“Who is Twilight carrying in her wings?” asked Rarity preoccupied.

The alicorn put the foals on the ground slowly and they weren’t any foals: they were fillies, more specifically the Cutie Mark Crusaders, she previously had closed their eyelids so their sisters didn’t notice their missing eyes. Everypony gasped in horror, Rarity began to cry and Rainbow Dash couldn’t hide her feelings, they were placed in front of their respective sisters. Applejack was scarcely arriving with her family to the issue.

“Let me through!” Applejack shouted as she was passing through the crowd along with her brother and grandma. “Let me through!”

Applejack discovered the ugly truth at the end of the road: her little sister was dead. She touched her face with her hoof. “She had just got her cutie mark.”

Although she was known for crying on the inside this time there were no tears to hide, of all the sisters Applejack was the most devastated and she broke down over her little sister’s corpse.

“They were in my bedroom on three mannequins” said Twilight with tears on her eyes. “I didn’t want to pass any of this. I’m sorry Applejack, I swear I’m so–”

Before she got the chance of finishing her sentence Applejack punched Twilight in the face and began to whack her, she even left her a black eye. The rest of the friends held Applejack’s hooves so she stop beating Twilight and although it was surprising that somepony hit the Princess of Friendship nopony else interfered in the fight.

“Ya will pay for this Twilight Sparkle! YA WILL PAY FOR THIS!”

“Twilight, are you ok?” asked Starlight as she and Spike helped her to stand up.

“Applejack, you need to calm down!” exclaimed Rainbow Dash.

“Ya’re not affected by this?!”

“I am as much as you but beating the crap out of Twilight will not bring them back!”

While they were discussing Rarity noticed that inside of Sweetie Belle’s corpse was another hologram, she took it out with her magic and pointed it out to her friends.

“Girls, the rest of Ponyville needs to see this.”

Pinkie activated the hologram like before and the image was more disturbing than the last one: Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo were tied to metal chairs, like Zecora, but they looked more frightened. In front of each one were three banners held by unseen rodents who changed them when they finished reading their lines in the previous mentioned order. The voice of the pony from the last hologram was heard each time the fillies finished a sentence in a menacing, naughty mood.

“We’re Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”

“Crusaders.”

“What does it take to make you ponies want to join in?”

“In.”

“You failed to obey our orders.”

“Orders.”

“And make Twilight Sparkle abandoned Ponyville.”

“Ponyville.”

“I’ve got to get you off the bench and into the game.”

“Game.”

“Come nightfall Equestria is ours.”

“Ours.”

“And anypony left here plays by our rules.”

“Rules.”

“If you don’t want to be in the game... *the pony and Sweetie Belle at the same time* get out now.”

The rest of Ponyville went nuts by hearing this and tried to escape Ponyville from any possible way, dividing the crowd into small groups. During the getaway Derpy disappeared with no reminiscence. Only the Mane 5, along with Applejack’s family, remained near the castle. Unfortunately for the town they didn’t listen to the last part of the hologram.

“But the bridges and paths crowd are sure in for a surprise. Ha ha ha ha.”

The pony laughed evilly, ordered Harry and Tim off-screen to kill them, the bear and timberwolf were showed murdering them briefly and the hologram switched off. Applejack and Rarity covered their eyes and ears to not pay attention to their sisters’ deaths.

“What did he meant by ‘surprise’?” asked Twilight scared.

When the first pony of the correspondent crowd crossed their correspondent trail an explosion occurred and the smoke was seen by the Mane 5. It happened to be that the special weapons the animals took from Bon Bon’s house were motion-sensor bombs. Fuzzy Legs and all the other invertebrates put them during the night. Explosions were heard across all Ponyville and their smoke painted the sky black. Angel and his troops saw everything from the Everfree Forest’s highest hill, from Twilight putting the corpses to the boom. They retired for their next movement.

Let's drive them back to the ocean!

“What are we going to do?!” asked Pinkie Pie.

After a moment of thought Twilight responded.

“Search for survivors and reunite them at the town hall. Prepare for the worst.”

“And what ‘bout ya?”

“I have to go to Canterlot and talk to Princesses Celestia and Luna. Spike, send a message to them, they must know what’s happening.”

Twilight opened her wings and went away, leaving her friends behind. The rest of the day they helped the ponies who had been hurt in the explosions: Among others Pinkie Pie rescued an orphaned Pound and Pumpkin, Rainbow Dash saved Vinyl and Octavia, Rarity healed a wounded Doctor Hooves, Starlight levitated some rubbish from Berry Punch’s house and Applejack found Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon under Cheerilee’s body. Like Twilight had said, they reunite all the survivors in the town hall, thanks to the detonations more than a half of all Ponyville’s population died. At afternoon Starlight tried to calm down the rest of them, during the meeting Rainbow Dash realized that Derpy was missing.

“Ponies, please!” exclaimed Starlight trying to handle the situation. “I know we’re all frightened but we can’t let somepony we don’t know deprive ourselves from our freedom!” Suddenly a screech was heard, something similar to a squeak from a rodent, and everypony frightened. Then all discovered the source: Discord, who didn’t help them, appeared cleaning the windows of the town hall with a wiper and a spray. “Discord, you really must do that now?”

“Fluttershy offered to clean them a few days ago, she’s not anywhere around so I have to. Besides you want streaks? Because if you interrupt me, that’s what you’ll get!”

From nowhere a dead pony impaled Discord from behind, crushing the window and killing him in the process. The mentioned pony was Derpy, who had two fireworks rockets in her sockets and a time bomb in her mouth. The ponies didn’t noticed that, during the stampede, Derpy was kidnapped by Fuzzy Legs and his insects, dragging her underground and killing her. Rainbow Dash noticed the bomb in her mouth and warned everypony to stay away from her a second before the bomb exploded, disintegrating both Derpy and Discord. During the smoke clearing rodents, insects and birds of all sizes came in the town hall and cornered all the ponies against a wall. From the main door entered Angel, with Winona and Opal protecting him on each side and Owlowiscious above closing the door. Both owners of the dog and cat were shocked and terrified when they discovered them working with the enemy and Angel approached the podium, touched the microphone with his paw and proceeded.

“Angel. Talk. Pony” the bunny didn’t said it with subtitles, but he was actually speaking in a squeaky voice before clearing his throat, replacing his previous voice with a more formal, beau one. “I’m sorry. Let me start over. Eons ago, all animals were equal.”

“Oh, oh” Pinkie Pie interrupted him, unaware of the situation, by raising her hoofs. “How long you’ve been able to talk?”

“Let’s see” Angel responded. “Today’s Tuesday so if yesterday was full moon. ALWAYS YOU DUMBASS!”

“But we remained quiet until now” said Opal.

“Don’t interrupt our Beloved Leader Angel Bunny, ya scum” said Winona.

“Where was I? Oh right, then some force permitted your ancestors to evolve into superior creatures, meanwhile the rest of us suffered for millions of years in your shadows, but when you began to take care of us, we learned that as long as we had good attention and love we could tolerate you.”

“And we did” said Applejack. “Ya seemed so happy livin’ with us.”

“That was until you signed that stupid law. We don’t really care about money but PAYING TAXES FOR KEEPING A PET AND ITS ATTENDANCE?! AND IF YOU DON’T HAVE ENOUGH YOU HAVE TO KICK IT OUT TO THE STREETS?! JUST SO YOU COULD KEEP YOUR LIVING?! THAT’S UNACCEPTABLE!”

“Hey” said Spike trying to save himself. “I don’t know if you have noticed but I’m a dragon, not a pony. So I’m your friend.”

“Spike!” Rarity smacked him as a corrective.

“You’re not our friend, you have always supported them like the draconequus. Both of you are traitors who deserve death. But just as there are some of us who supports you ponies, there are some of you who support our cause.”

The main door opened once more, revealing the pony from the holograms.

“Like her.”

It appeared to be no other than Fluttershy herself. The white painting was still on her face, her mane was dyed in blue, pink and yellow and her hooves had wounds, trying to simulate a paw. Her eyes were red, indicating that she had transformed back into Flutterbat, who approached slowly the podium and Angel gave her his place. She spoke to the crowd.

“For years I thought ponies were the most kind of all creatures but I was wrong. Ponies are weak, fool, selfish, manipulative and pathetic! My animal friends helped me when I was most needed, during their first meeting I accidentally discovered them but instead of killing me they helped me to see the light. Why I have to be a pony when I can be faster, stronger and smarter? If being a pony means that I have to throw them into the cold and watch them starve to death then I don’t want to be a pony anymore! And this is the proof I need to make you understand I’m serious!”

Owlowiscious put out a bag and then threw it to the crowd. Spike caught it and when he opened it the surprise was horrendously atrocious: it was the cutthroat heads of Celestia and Luna and with them was a note that Spike read.

“From your Majesties... Princess Philomena and Prince Tiberius?!”

“But wait” Rarity asked. “Without them who would control the sun and moon?”

“They are going to restore their natural course, like before. Every animal deserves to be equal.”

“What guarantees you he will fulfill his word?” asked Starlight interrupting her. “What guarantees you he will not get rid of you once this atrocity is over?”

“Because I trust him, he has been my friend longer than any of you. Of all the ponies present here I was hoping for you Starlight to understand it as much as I do, after all you’ve been there before.”

An awkward silence was present in the room. “So” asked Pinkie Pie. “Where are you going to banish us?”

“PINKIE!” all exclaimed at unison.

“I, Queen Flutterbat, hereby banish all ponies to the place where life began. The sea!”

“Wait, stop!” Rainbow Dash flew and spoke for everypony, convincing them to not give up. “We can outsmart them! Don’t forget we invented the wheel, railway line, balloon trip, fashion, strawberry cake and cider. I’m not going to let a few damn inferior creatures push me around!”

“Oh Dashie” said Flutterbat as she clapped sarcastically. “You’re so predictable and naïve.”

Angel ordered Hummingway, Constance, Margaret and Mordecai to capture Rainbow Dash’s wings, Mousey and the rodents to immobilize her and the insects, Winona and Opal to control to the rest so they couldn’t help her.

“Fluttershy, don’t you realize what they’ve done to you?” the cyan pony was desperately scared. “They brainwashed you!”

“Oh no Rainbow Dash. You are the brainwashed one.”

Owlowiscious snatched Tank away from her hooves and took him to the highest point of the town hall. He growled anxiously because he knew what was coming but he didn’t want to do it.

“Any animal that supports the ones with four hooves is an enemy and deserves to die!” Angel threatened Tank.

“No Tank, don’t do this! I LOVE YOU!”

The tortoise, fearing for his life, made his choice: he got into his shell and Owlowiscious released him. The ponies closed their eyes but heard the crack from Rainbow Dash’s head. For a moment Tank stuck his head out of the shell to saw Rainbow Dash in front of him, one of her eyes remained open. Whether because of the skull fracture or the sadness of knowing her pet was with the enemy all the time it was spilling blood as a teardrop. Flutterbat ordered the insects to take the body out of sight and give it as food to the troops.

“If you don’t want to be in the game” said Flutterbat coldly. “Get out now.”

With Flutterbat, Angel, Winona and Opal supervising them the survivors were expelled from the town hall and outside the rest of the animal army were surrounding the ruins of Ponyville, forming a blockade so the ponies could only follow a single road, being the closest route to the ocean, and keeping an eye on them in case somepony dared to do the same. While the crowd was walking Pinkie Pie noticed Gummy having a six-pack yoke around his mouth and went to help him.

“Oh, no. Poor Gummy” she said as she got rid of it. “It’s done. Wow Gummy, your teeth are starting to grow.”

“Pinkie Pie” said the alligator, his voice was the raspy one from the holograms and Flutterbat only had done lip-sync.

Pinkie gasped surprised. “Yes Gummy?”

“There’s something I wanted to do since the first day we met.”

“And what is it?”

Gummy bit her nose rapidly and tried to rip it out of her face. Pinkie screamed in pain and both Rarity and Applejack came to save her. While the unicorn used her magic to open the reptile’s jaws the earth pony pull Pinkie away from Gummy, when she was freed the pink pony look at her former pet and burst into tears.

“Gummy... How could you?”

Concerned of the action Applejack ran to the town’s fountain and did the same Rainbow Dash tried. “Come on, ponies! We can’t surrender to these animals!”

“But Applejack” interrupted Rarity. “We can’t hurt our little friends.”

Applejack came down from the fountain. “These are not our friends, that dog over there is not mah friend” she said as she pointed to her former pet. “Mah Winona would have never accepted to kill mah sister!”

Winona was about to attack when Angel stopped her. Starlight agreed with her friend. “Applejack’s right! We’ve wiped out entire species before! We can do it again!”

Starlight punched the closest animal to her in the face and everypony started to do the same, the animals countered them and instantly Ponyville’s main plaza was transformed into a bloodbath. At the beginning both teams had the same number of lows until Angel released Harry and Tim and the ponies’ numbers went down. At one point Tim spotted Rarity and was about to quarter her until Spike interfered and saved her by pushing her. The dragon received the attack and the timberwolf shook his head. Applejack and Rarity managed to burn Tim alive and the timberwolf lied death on the battlefield, unfortunately Spike couldn’t survive because of the internal hemorrhage, the unicorn held him on her back and covered his head. The death of the timberwolf surprised the animals and raised the spirit of the equines. Starlight, wounded and with her energies drained, shouted.

“Come on, ponies! Let’s drive them back to the ocean!”

Both ponies and animals battled to death.

We'll meet again

Twilight awoke, still with the black eye, she was inside a crystal and she easily broke it into pieces. The alicorn noticed that she was in the Canterlot Castle, no signals of Celestia, Luna or anypony whatsoever. When she left the castle she discovered the entire city in ruins: maroon wasteland, dried trees and collapsed buildings. Suddenly, an animal appeared and because of the recent events Twilight got scared and was about to crush it.

“You” she pointed to it and prepare her magic. “Say your last words.”

“As paranoid as ever, Twilight Sparkle.”

She was surprised of the animal knowing her name. “Who are you?”

“Don’t you recognize me? When Dashie was lying on her bed depressed because I was going to hibernate?”

She stopped, turned her magic off and realize who this animal was.

“Tank?” Twilight was surprised but skeptical. “How long you’ve been able to talk?”

“Since always. But only recently all the animals broke that pact.”

Twilight took a look around. “What’s going on here?”

“Angel convinced all of us to hate you ponies as a whole so he declared war on your species. After the rev he and Fluttershy erected an absolute dictatorship. I escape from Ponyville and the war as fast as I could trying to find you.”

“I don’t get it. I only leave Ponyville for one day and now everything is in ruins.”

“That was a long time ago.”

Twilight was astonished and scared. “...How long was I gone?”

“...About 200 years.”

Twilight soon realized that both Celestia and Luna crystallized her to save her life.

“So... my friends, my family... they’re all gone.”

“We are two now. I can’t stop thinking about the time I chose my life over hers. I’m near the end of my life and it will be your duty to reunify our species and prevent this to expand to the rest of the world, gryphons and dragons among others are counting on you. I’m sorry to leave you Twilight... but Dashie is waiting for me.”

Tank got into his shell, Twilight turned him around and both looked at the sun, glowing above the desolated wasteland while the tortoise sang his swan song.

“Dear friend, I’ve always been so careful about what I told you. I never really wanted you to get too involved in my life because I knew I’d hurt you someday.♪”
“Eventually I did. ♪”
“And I will regret that moment every second of my life. ♪”
“Out of all the ponies I hurt you. I should have been completely honest with you from the start. I hope you’ll be able to forgive me. ♪”
“I do truly love you with my whole heart and am so glad to have you as my friend. I’ve know I hurt you. Please forgive me, please be my friend forever. ♪”

Author's Note

Orwellian facts

-Almost every single one of Fluttershy's companions used in the story have appear in the show. Not only the pets but also Mousey (A Bird in the Hoof), Elizabeak (Stare Master), Hummingway (May the Best Pet Win!, Maud Pie), Fuzzy Legs (Maud Pie, name canonized in Scare Master), Constance (Flutter Brutter) and Harry (almost every Fluttershy episode, name canonized in Scare Master). Only Samantha, Margaret, Mordecai (noticing that Fluttershy in the show has 2 jays, red and blue, I referenced to Regular Show, which I also really love) and Tim were invented for the story.
-Fluttershy's face paint was inspired by Paige the notebook from Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.
-Multiple characters were added and cut during the writing, the most consistent was Mayor Mare. Shining Armor and Cadance were planned but in the end scrapped and Starlight was added later despite not originally being in.
-While I was studying qualitative market research I investigate a law which implemented VAT to pets and their care, which was ultimately the core of the plot. So you can say this was partially based on a real story.
-The next video was uploaded a day after this fic was published. Despite its differences it's curious how many of the sketches involve animals chasing or surrounding humans or in creepy angles like in the story. And it's from the same person I analyzed some time ago.

Coincidence? I think not.