Soldiers: Skyfall

Can anyone hear us? We need help! They are close.....its only a matter of time before they find us......we are at--" an explosion is hearded followed by screams, the sound of energy discharge and frantic gunfire before the radio cuts out
--Unkown distress call, Las Pegasus.

Date: August 9th, 1666 CC
Time: 19:43
Name: Princess Luna
Location: Equestrian Defense Force High Command

Princess Luna lay in a bed deep within the bunker that was High Command where she had been placed by The Council after they rescued her from herself.

She began to slowly stir as the effects of the spell slowly wore off and her mind returned to consciousness.

With a start she leapt from the bed and looked around for the enemy who had attacked her only to see the interior of one of the rooms within High Command. Luna frowned as she remembered she was speaking to The Council and they were trying to get her to abandon The Throne to those barbarians and now she was here.

Slowly she pieced together what happened and her frown deepened. They had put her to sleep and took her away against her will! How dare they do such a thing! She had half a mind to cast them all into the dungeons for such treasonous actions.

She stood to her full height and retrieved her regalia where it sat on a nearby table getting herself looking proper. She marched out of the room to find the traitors.

She found the halls empty which was odd, normally there was always activity of soldiers both on duty and off going about various tasks but she found the hall eerily empty.

She walked them, hooves making a slight clicking sound on the hard floor due to her hoof coverings as she looked for anyone, even a sign.

She was growing concerned with the lack of anyone and looked to the signs on the wall to figure out where she was. Once she knew she started to make her way towards the primary command center as there would be people there and if not it would mean something had gone terribly wrong.

It took a short time to reach the command center and she used her clearance to enter.

What she found was more activity then she ever seen as operators spoke into headsets and aides ran to and fro. Her ears caught a bit of what was being said.

“Report, any survivors? Did we get our people out!”
“Reporting the enemy has breached the outer wall and are storming the central building.”
“Requesting reinforcements as they are being pursued”
“They’ve gone completely dark, assumed overrun.”

She filtered it out as she found High General Moonlight sitting at her desk at the back of the room staring at the main screen.

“General what is going on?” Princess Luna said with authority that was appropriate for her station. Moonlight didn't answer. “General, report!” She said a little louder.

Moonlight blinked and seemed to snap out of whatever thought she was in and looked at the Princess. “Oh….Princess you are awake.” She said standing up. “Forgiving me if I do not bow but the situation has reached a point where such formalities are to be disregarded.”

“What do you mean?” Luna asked how High Command could reach such a point. All Moonlight did was point to the main screen. On it was a large pile of rubble seen from above and a few fires here and there but mostly just bare broken stone. “I do not understand?”

“That…..is Canterlot Princess. It….fell from the mountain.”

Luna’s eyes went wide as she looked at the shattered city. She quickly took a deep breath and let it out as centuries of training and playing The Game of Houses had taught her too. “How many were in the city?”

“Unknown….we estimate only about a third of the city was evacuated. We are still finding survivors along the mountain as apparently they either teleported there as the city fell or were teleported by others so they are scattered all along the mountain. It will be a while before we can pieces together things”

Luna nodded grimly and the previous anger at what The Council did was smothered in the sorrow at so many lost lives and slowly kindled into a burning rage at such a heinous act. Even Tirek with all his cruelty and crimes never did anything to the level of destroying a city with thousands of people in it.

No, these barbarians were no different than the monsters of the wilds, no worse, the monsters have the excuse of not having the intelligence to understand their action, it was pure instincts. These invaders made the choice to do this, they were worse than the worst monster ever seen on Equus.

She let herself feel that rage for a few seconds till she smothered it as she needed to keep focus. “Is there any word on my sister?”

“Negative ma’am, Vanhoover is still dark. But we are getting reports that a group of refugees may have escaped.”

Luna nodded, still looking at the screen. “Very well…..what is the time?”

“19:56 ma'am.” Moonlight answered.

“Very well.” Her horn glowed.

“What are you doing Ma’am?”

“Lowering the sun and raising the moon.”

“Are you sure it is a good idea to make it night? Many places are without power at this time.”

Luna turned to Moonlight. “Canterlot has fallen, I am sure based on what was being said when I entered that fact is spreading. Ponies need to know that at least one of us still draws breath and if the day gives way to night they will know we still stand.” She said firmly.

Moonlight gulped under that look and tone the Princess gave her. “Yes ma’am.”

With that Luna began the task of slowly moving the sun from the sky above so she can put her Moon above, a task she had to do one at a time.

She saw on the screen as the land grew dark till only the small fires gave light and then a dim light spread out as the moon rose.

With that done Luna ended her spell. “I will return to my room, inform me of any major events.” She said turning to leave.

“Yes ma’am.”

She departed and walked back the way she came to her room. Once she closed the doors she slumped down as the changing it from day to night had taken a lot out of her as well as the news of what had happened.

“Sister….where are you…..” She whispered, allowing a brief emotion before she took another deep breath. She had another duty to do and she did not look forward to it more than ever before.

She climbed onto the bed but did not lay down as she closed her eyes, horn glowing.

The world around her faded away into the Dreamscape where she was met with what she knew would be waiting for her.

Every dream she saw was a nightmare.

She steeled herself for a long night ahead trying to comfort her subjects, those few who could risk sleep at this time.

And so she began to walk the Nightmarescape.