Battles for Equestria: Transcript

Last episode, in summation: The two royal sisters rose into argument. Having been denied a decision by the Elements of Harmony, they called upon the country to rally to them. The north sided with Celestia, while the south sided with Luna. Ponyville alone stayed neutral. After an intense battle, Luna was pushed out of Canterlot and fled to Baltimare. Celestia collapsed at the conclusion of the battle and was unconscious for a day and out of play for much longer. With Celestia weakened, Luna recruited a large and diverse army from the cities that supported her. Her forces trained and prepared to attack the closest seat of Celestia’s supporters: Fillydelphia.

By the middle of the third month of the war, Luna’s general deemed her forces prepared to assault Fillydelphia. He divided the army into four regiments: the first, of shadow warriors. They were pegasi dressed as the Lunar guards were, and drew strength from shadows. The second, of ranged troops. They were everything from unicorns to pegasi to earth ponies. They used guns, bows, or magic to attack from a distance. The third, of melee warriors. They again consisted of every type of pony, but attacked at a short range. The fourth, of mechanics. They built and operated the fortifications and machines necessary for sieges or defense. Satisfied with his army, he advanced upon Fillydelphia.

As the war was still in its early days, neither side had thought to plant and maintain spies. So, when Luna’s forces arrived outside of the walls of Fillydelphia, nopony was more surprised than Celestia. She had just started gathering and training her forces, but was far behind Luna. Thus, when Luna’s forces attacked Fillydelphia, they found only a token force guarding the city. They rushed into the city, quickly dispatching the force and taking the city with nary a casualty. Luna’s general, realizing how easy Fillydelphia was taken, also saw how easily it could be lost. He had his mechanics immediately set up a system walls and and trenches around the city. He also ordered the construction of large bows, later to be known as ballistae, so as to prevent Celestia’s forces from taking the city by air assault. Lastly, the general dispatched three of his most elite squadrons of shadow warriors to watch the likely paths of Celestia’s counter invasion.

It was on the fifth day since the fall of Fillydelphia that the shadow warriors returned with news that Celestia’s army was a day out. They told the general that while large, Celestia’s forces seemed largely untrained and nervous. Luna’s general cut training short for the day and ordered everypony to turn in early and rest, as long would the days be ahead.

The next morning, he aroused the army early and bid them to take their posts. The ballistae were manned, the last few trenches dug, and the last walls erected. Thus began the wait for Celestia’s forces.

It was not until mid-afternoon that the advance guard of Celestia was visible. As soon as he saw them, the general ordered his ranged regiment and mechanics to hide themselves and their weapons until he should give a word. In addition, he ordered his melee troops to brandish their weapons ostentatiously and his shadow warriors to fly above the camp. On his word, these two regiments were to disengage immediately and, in the case of the shadow warriors, dive for the ground.

It was with a green eagerness that Celestia’s army took the bait. Her flying units flew headlong at the shadow warriors and her untrained ground troops flung themselves at the fortifications. Only her original regiment stood back, well aware of the trickery of Luna’s forces. Her veterans called for the others to hold back, but their words fell unheeded. As soon as Celestia’s forces made contact with those of Luna, Luna’s general called upon his melee forces to fall back. Making off as if routed, his forces fled from Celestia's. As soon as his forces were in the clear, he ordered his ranged troops to leave hiding and engage. They withdrew from cover and began to rain death upon the forces of Celestia. The great ballistae turned to the skies, knocking pegasi out of the air with each shot. Celestia’s forces panicked and broke, fleeing back to the regiment of veterans that had withheld from attacking. Luna’s forces turned to pursue, but their general restrained them. Enough blood had been shed that day, and he did not want to lose precious warriors to Celestia's elite regiment. Celestia’s forces remained around the city for another few weeks, but no more pitched battles were conducted. Celestia’s army was content to lick its wounds while Luna’s army further built up the fortifications around Fillydelphia. At the end of the fifth month, Celestia’s forces withdrew to Canterlot. A regiment of shadow warriors followed them, harassing them and picking off stragglers.