Equestria: The Days of Blood and Steel

Chapter III

Nightwing and Crimson walked through the grimy city streets to the park, one of the many built in commemoration to the victory of the new Government and their leader after the fall of Equestria. The park once had big green trees, bright flowers and grass, all stemming from a central plaza with a grand stone fountain in the center. The fountain depicted an army leader standing on his hind hoofs and yelling a command while pointing to an unseen target, streaming from either side soldiers charged at whatever the commander pointed at, all screaming with faces that depicted victory. But the trees and grasses had all but died, and the flowers all but withered. All that was left was a dull greyness, water stopped flowing and the park just seemed dead. But there was some colour, posters of the Leader and posters depicting Crystal ponies killing or maiming ponies of the land with large gold slogans adorned the brick walls of buildings surrounding the park. That’s enough colour for one’s day, right?

As they entered the park they strolled around chuckling about some little things here and there, mentioning other things, but then they came around to the fountain and sat down on it’s edge. Suddenly a voice issued behind them.

“Well now, is my leg being pulled? Night outside of the factory?!” A grey earth pony with darkish brown hair, hoofs either covered in dirt or naturally colored like that came around and faced them.

“Haha, hey Silver. Yeah I just thought it would be good to get out for once.”

“Yeah. hmm, who’s he? The new pony at work right?”

“Yeah, his name’s Crimson Whooves, he’s uh... Visiting.”

Silver Dust, a worker pony that Night had known since they were foals, he had met Silver just after getting his cutie mark... The same day a group of bullies decided to attack Night, Silver had ran to his side beating back the bullies, but breaking a leg and his nose in the process, lucky for him he managed to get it fixed, even though it cost his mom and dad extra work hours. But after saving Night they stuck together and became good friends, they even worked together at the same factory.

“‘Visiting’ huh? Right, anyway-” before he could finish a skanky mare approached.

“Food? Water please? Anything?” When none of them responded the mare moved on, begging for the same from each pony she came across.

When a pony had hurt themselves or outlived their “usefulness” to the state they would be replaced at work and evicted from their homes, forced to live on the streets and beg for food and the like. But most just ended up starving, sometimes they even reverted to cannibalism. At first seeing this evil one would care and even want to resist this evil. But it soon became so common that one just didn’t pay attention to it.

“This is disgusting.” Silver Dust scowled.

“What kind of ‘Caring’ government would do this to their subjects? Surely they know about this!”

“Well of course they know, they are the ones who do it.” Nightwing rolled his eyes as he made his curt comment.

“Well they need to stop this!” Silver Dust looked ready to explode. Silver was young, just around Night’s age, but he possessed an energy, a spark in him that other ponies had had drained by work and the tough life of a working pony of the city. He was just different somehow Night realised.

Silver Dust was Night’s only friend. Yes... he had befriended other ponies but most of them died or moved to work in different parts of the city, Silver Dust was the only friend Night had held onto since he was young. Silver Dust had always been cocky and spoke his mind, even when he shouldn’t, though while never mentioning it, Silver Dust had always distrusted the Government, and had waited for his chance to spit on a Government official, maybe even a Peacegiver.

“The only pony who is going to stop something is you if you don’t be quiet.” Crimson looked around hoping his words didn’t come true suddenly.

“Quiet? QUIET? I will NOT be quiet in the face of evil masked as goodness!” Suddenly a few stamping of hoofs and murmurs of agreement were heard, Night looked up it seemed a few nearby ponies had heard Silver Dust’s earlier comments, and agreed with what he was saying.

Crimson and Night feeling uncomfortable slipped off the fountain and sat on the ground at it’s base as Silver Dust went on in the face of the other ponies looking for him to keep speaking.

“Go on! Yes keep speaking!” A maya coloured mare in the small crowd cheered.

“Workers, ponies of Victory City! I don’t know about you, but I am tired of being lied to! Promised food and water, and receiving little. Working for 13 hours without break six of the seven days of the week! And what do we get in return for all this work that threatens our lives every day?! Nothing but a promise to live, and the bare minimum to survive! They don’t trust us! They are scared of us! We can’t even walk home or to work without be watched under threat of a gun! No more! We must take back from the rich ponies and their Government and take what we deserve.”

The crowd broke out in a cheer and yelled for more.

“We need to go, somepony surely reported us, before we know it a riot could break out.” Nightwing looked around hoping his comment wasn’t coming true. Silver Dust looked around and suddenly was pulled out of his fervour, he knew Nightwing’s gut must was right.

“Everypony better head home, a Peacegiver is sure to come and start blasting us, but i’m not finished!  Come next week!” he turned to jump down but turned back to the crowd,

“And bring the kids!” laughing to himself and jumped off the fountain.

The ponies cheered and slapped his back wishing him luck and thanking him.

“Hmph, just like the communists...” Crimson chuckled at his comment but the other two looked utterly confused.

“Nothing, just a joke. It seems today you have planted seeds for rebellion.”

“And I hope these seeds will grow into strong crop.”

“And I hope we don’t die before then!” Nightwing looked edgy but Silver Dust just patted him.

“Come off it, we won’t die! … At least not yet I hope.”

“Thanks for reassuring me!” Nightwing began mumbling to himself,

And with that they walked home with a new hope in their hearts... Well... at least in two of their hearts.