Chapter 11: Day of Infamy
DATE: 4 Quartus, 1002 C.S.
It's been a bit more than a month since I trained the Ponyville Militia's Model Squad. They had gone and picked their teams, and they had trained them as best they could.
But, that was in the background. Everyone was preparing for the Grand Galloping Gala. Rarity made me a tuxedo for the event, and Derpy's Rangers were invited as Honor Guards. Octavia's band was set to play - she was well enough for that much, at least - and all the girls were so excited. Me? Typical male - I wasn't really interested. I was doing this for Applejack, mainly, but for our other friends, too. They wanted me there as arm candy? Great. I fully intended to spend the night talking to Steelhoof, who'd probably be just as bored as I would be.
Applejack went between acting like she didn't care, and near manic obsession over the event. Rarity was busy making dresses for the event - not just for her friends, but for her other customers as well. The last month leading up to the Gala was especially active. Derpy was drilling her team for a rifle demonstration (I had turned her on to the idea, recalling how the U.S. Marine Rifle Team did their demonstrations) that promised to be pretty spectacular.
Her new boyfriend, Doctor Whooves, promised to attend only to make her happy - maybe Steelhoof and I could put together a poker game or something? Seemed there'd be a few regular guys there that wanted no part of the dog and pony show.
The night of the Gala went off exactly as I expected it would - it was boring as all crap. I found myself in the Guard's Quarters with Colonel Steelhoof, Doctor Whooves, and of all people, Princess Luna. Poker lasted about two rounds, we ended up talking the rest of the time.
Dr. Whooves: "..and then I told him: 'I don't care if you do have seven mechanical limbs, Calamari in Motor Oil is fantastic as far as Mechatrilobites are concerned!'" He said - having phrased the story as fiction and not fact.
Steelhoof: *BAHAHA!* "Good one, Doc. K? You got anything?" He smirked.
K: "Eh, my life before this was incredibly boring. I went to work, when I had a job, came home, did some things around the house, went on the Internet.." I looked at the Doctor, "..and posted on message boards, or spent time with my wife." I still missed her.
Luna: "Yes, though since you arrived here, things have been exciting, haven't they?" She asked.
Steelhoof: "I still don't get why you're not out there, Your Highness?" He shook his head.
Luna: *Shrug* "The Gala is ALWAYS terribly boring. Truth, I despise the event. I would much rather be flying, right about now. Though, spending time with you gentlemen has been a pleasure." She nodded to us.
Steelhoof: "Well, I'm honored, my lady." He bowed his head in reverence.
Dr. Whooves: "As am I." He just grinned.
K: "Ditto, Luna." I smiled at her.
*CRASH!*CRUNCH*WHAAAAMMMM*
K: "Oh, now what?" I got up from my seat.
Steelhoof: "Let's go check it out." He harumpfed and got up as well.
We dashed out of the Guard's Quarters and arrived at the scene of the crime - the main dance hall was in shambles, and..
Twilight: "..at least it can't get any worse.."
*EEE-EEEHH!!*CHARP*NGRAAWWW*SLAAAAAAAAMM*
Fluttershy: "You're.. going.. to LOVE ME!!"
Dr. Whooves: "Oh, bugger." He delivered that absolutely flat.
Just like the episode! Only, a year later. The Gala Dance Hall immediately descended into chaos. Wild animals running everywhere, the pretty party ponies freaking out and trying to get away from them, and Twilight and her friends, staring dumbstruck at the situation. Derpy and her Rangers arrived just as Pricness Celestia whispered to Twilight (that I could hear)..
Celestia: "Run!"
We ran. Doctor Whooves, myself, and Derpy in the lead. Twilight was right behind us with her friends as we made a mad dash for the front door. The rest of the Rangers followed, and Octavia came out from the back area where her band had been resting..
Octavia: "What, you're going to leave me behind!?" She asked, feigning insult.
Derpy: "Rangers stick together!" She affirmed.
Derpy zoomed over and hefted Octavia on her back, zooming for the door. It was laughably horrible. We finally managed to get out of the palace, and get away from the palace grounds...
Lyra: "So, naw whae do we do?" She frowned, and brushed some apple cake off of her uniform shirt.
Twilight: "Well, there's a fantastic donut shop in town.. let's go there." She smiled to us.
Vinyl Scratch: "Sounds great." A broad grin.
Vy was walking with Octavia. They were smiling like beaming spotlights. For the event, Octavia had worn a tuxedo shirt.. she still had a bandage over her chest. The last stitches came out in a week. But, playing at the Gala had been HER dream..
K: "So, Octavia, how was it?" I moved up by her.
Octavia: "I swear you've all corrputed me - I was laughing on the inside when Pinkie wanted us to play that song. Good Celestia, I was begging to myself the whole night that Vy would get so frustrated, she'd pull out her mix table so we could do Slam Dance." She giggled.
K: "I'm sorry, I know playing at the Gala was important to you." I shook my head.
Octavia: "Oh, don't worry about it." She sighed a bit.
We arrived at the Donut Shop, and Spike greeted us.
Spike: "Whoa! What happened to you guys?" He asked, looking at the food stuck to some of our clothes.
Twilight: "The Gala.." She started.
K: "It didn't go as we expected." I shrugged with a grin.
Joe: "Well, Twilight, it's been ages! What'll you have?" He stepped up to the counter.
Twilight: "Plate of your best, all around. And hot cocoa." She nodded.
Vinyl Scratch: "Awesome. HEY! A jukebox!" She beamed a grin.
Octavia: "Oh, alright. Come on, let's sing." She poked Vy.
Vy giggled at the thought, but nodded, and fished out a couple bits.
With Vy and Octavia performing some partial karaoke, we ate the donuts and drank the cocoa among friends. Derpy was nuzzling up to Dr. Whooves like he was made of muffins. And he was beaming a smile ten miles wide.
Dr. Whooves: "I really have to thank you, K. You made this possible, you know." He nodded.
K: "I did nothing but point out that she needed a friend." I gestured.
Dr. Whooves: "You spurred me to action, is what. And it seems a common occurance for you." He observed.
Twilight: "Oh, I hope I didn't let down Princess Celestia.. I hope she's not mad at me for all of this!" She seemed distressed.
And who should enter the donut shop, but..?
Celestia: "Not at all!" She was smiling.
All: "Princess Celestia!"
Twilight: "Oh, Princess, the Gala..!" She looked so worried.
Celestia: "Is always horrible. No exceptions. I was so happy when I heard you would all be there - I was hoping you'd liven things up a little." She giggled just a bit, and gave me a look that I couldn't rightly decipher.
K: "Uh, yeah, it got plenty lively in there." I shrugged, a bit uneasy.
Spike: "And you were all going on about how it was going to be the best night ever!" He chuckled to himself.
K: "It was - we ended up here, and we're being serenaded by two lovely mares, while talking with our friends." I gestured to the musical duo.
Spike: "Which is exactly what I wanted to do.." He shrugged.
Twilight: "You're right, Spike. We-"
*BRIGHT Flash*
Celestia made an anguished cry and instantly dropped to the ground.
K: "GET DOWN!" I yelled.
*TITANIC EXPLOSION!*
I pushed everyone under the table, landing on Celestia. The shockwave hit us but a moment later. Flying glass, broken walls, everything everywhere. Celestia had fainted. The howling of the wind drown out my cries. My screams. Fear. A few moments later, when the shock wave passed, I looked up and realised the donut shop didn't have a roof any longer.
K: "MOTHER FUCKER!" I yelled, as I pulled myself up, and out of the wreckage, helping Celestia to her feet. Everyone started getting up. "Is everyone okay?!"
Spike: "I'm fine.." He lifted himself up.
Dr. Whooves: "My watch is ruined, but I'm alive." He held it up, and frowned.
Twilight: "I'm not hurt." She raised up, and shook her head.
Rarity: "I'm okay." She was, however, very unnerved.
Fluttershy: "I'm scared!" She confessed, though, she was not harmed.
AJ: "Just fine, Honeybun." She was righ tnext to me.
Pinkie: "I'm okay!" She beamed a grin.
Dash: "All good here." She dusted herself off.
Derpy: "My muffin got crushed!" She held up a smashed confection that might once have been a Muffin.
Nurse Sweetheart: "No injuries." She shrugged.
Lyra: "Not hert, but mah pride is." She grumbled a bit.
Bon-Bon: "We're cool!" She dusted off her dress.
Octavia: *Ngh* "I'm not hurt any more than I was when this all started." She pulled herself out from under Scratch.
Vinyl Scratch: "I'm okay. Nothing serious." She did have a thin cut on her flank, but it wasn't really bleeding.
Spike: "Joe?" He looked over.
No answer from behind the bar. I went and looked. Then immediately looked away.
K: "He-"
Nurse Sweetheart: "OH!" She moved to come over there.
K: "No. Nothing you can do for him. Let's go, everyone, people are going to need help." It would.. be a closed casket funeral.
Celestia: *Groan* "No.." She.. her eyes looked a thousand miles away, her whole body quivered..
I went over to her. She was stunned. Woozy.
K: "Celestia?" I put a hand to her neck.
Celestia: "They're coming.." Her voice was haunting, distant...
K: "Who!?" I ran a hand along her snout, trying to reassure her.
Celestia: "Tirek. I can feel him.. he.." She winced and just about collapsed.
K: "BACK TO THE PALACE!" I pointed out the wrecked door.
We ran through the streets. There was fire and ruin everywhere. We looked up into the sky, and saw flying Raptorians. They were carrying egg-shaped things, dropping them, and causing explosions - magic bombs. He was using my concept, with magic. He was bombing Canterlot!
As we ran towards the palace, I could see it was getting the worst of it. Celestia's Observatory cracked from a bomb hit, and fell into the main courtyard. We could hear nothing but shrieks of fear and anguish. The front gates were smashed in from a direct hit. The Carriage Park was blown up from multiple strikes. Dead bodies, dead bodies everywhere. This wasn't a kid's game any longer.
K: "GET EVERYONE OU-"
Celestia: "NO! GET EVERYONE YOU CAN, AND FOLLOW ME!" She forcibly regained her composure.
K: "DERPY!" I called to her.
Her face was fixed with rage. I knew what she was going to do. The Wonderbolts ran out of the side garden right then.
Spitfire: "K!" She looked at me with almost panic on her face.
K: "GET ARMED, GET UP THERE! DERPY, GO WITH THEM!" I ordered.. time to Command.
Derpy: "RIGHT!" She nodded, and shot off.
K: "SWEETHEART, START GRABBING WOUNDED! TWILIGHT, HELP HER!"
Sweetheart & Twilight: "RIGHT!"
Celestia: "Where are you going!?" She looked over at me.
K: "Inside. Your sister is in there!" I waved my hand at the crumbling palace.
Celestia: "She said she was going to Manehattan for some night shopping! She HATES the Gala-"
K: "Well, she didn-"
Dr. Whooves: "LOOK!"
Paratroopers. There was one I hadn't considered, and Tirek thought of it first. I kicked myself right then and there for not reinventing that wheel. Raptorians, Raptorians everywhere. All over the palace. This was bad. I pulled my PA-63 out, and charged towards the palace. Derpy's Rangers gave cover fire to Twilight's friends while they started grabbing any wounded they could and pulling them out. I got inside the main entrance, and shot three Raptorians about to attack a large stallion, who was cowering in a puddle of his own piss.
Prince Blueblood: "YOU SAVED ME! GET ME OUT OF HERE, PLEASE!" He cowered, in a puddle of his own piss.
K: "Get to the Front Gate and lend a hand!" I ordered.
Prince Blueblood: "Bu-but!" He quivered.
K: "GOD-FUCKING-DAMNIT, THE KINGDOM IS BEING SLAUGHTERED! GROW A FUCKING PAIR AND HELP, OR BY CELESTA'S MANE, I WILL LET THEM EAT YOUR SOUL!" I screamed at him.
He cried like a bitch and ran away like a coward. I don't know what happend to him after that. Talk about being an ass.
I ran for the main ballroom, and got to the doorway just in time to watch the ceiling collapse, crushing about two dozen ponies. Their shreiks of fear pierced my ears, but I couldn't help them. I watched as a group of four Raptorians shattered through a nearby window, in a tactical entry. They immediately killed a Guard that was a few feet away. They were weilding proper spears, now. The kid gloves were off, they wanted blood. I spun and fired until my PA-63 was empty, killing one. Then I remebered that I didn't bring any extra magazines..
K: "Shit." I looked at the slide-locked pistol.
Raptorian: "KILL THE HUMAN!" It squealed - it knew what I was...
I backed away, pocketing my handgun, looking left and right as I was pressed into a tight hallway. Statues and suits of standing armor all by me - I prayed the spears on them weren't decorative. I grabbed one, and spun it gently in my hands. My heart was pounding, I was about to shit a brick the size of the Empire State Building, and I was alone. Alone.
K: "YOU'RE GONNA WORK FOR YOUR PRIZE, FUCKERS! BRING IT!" I wiggled the spear at them, a bit.
They charged me, and I was just about to charge right into them, when I felt the pressure wave of a rifle being fired right behind me. I didn't actually hear the gun shot.
Steelhoof: "K! GET DOWN!" He demanded.
I hit the deck. He fired, and killed all three of them. I rolled over on my back, and heaved a sigh.
K: "TELL me you have another!?" I waved my arms a bit.
Steelhoof: "Sorry, I got this off of a dead guard. Here, take my Lee." He heaved it to me with his teeth, along with his two magazines.
It was better than nothing. He had the bayonet fixed on the Sherman.
K: "Where's Princess Luna!?" I stood up, looking around.
Steelhoof: "I shoved her in her room, come on!" He nodded in the direction we needed to go.
I got up, and charged after him. More Raptorians in the hallway. We fired, and took them down. The screams of the innocent were loud in our ears, Steelhoof looked shaken, but determined.
K: "Not used to real violence, are you?" I said in my plain voice.
Steelhoof: "No. I never thought I'd see the day.. even the pig.. I admit, I thought this was all for nothing. I was wrong." He was direct.
We got to the hallway where Luna's bedroom was - her door was broken in.
Steelhoof: "PRINCESS!! WE'RE COMING!" But resolute in his duty.
And into the room we ran, seeing Luna was casting Lightning at the ten Raptorians that were trying to get to her.. and kinda holding her own!
Luna: *Astral Echo* "THOU SHALL NOT CLAIM THE MOON THIS NIGHT!" *THUNDERCLAP* "THE MOON.. SHALL BE.. THY GRAVE!" *THUNDERCLAP*
K: "PRINCESS! DOWN!" I ordered, aiming my Lee.
We opened fire just as she hit the deck, gunning down all of the Raptorians in the room. Steelhoof ran over to the Princess, helping her up.
Steelhoof: "Are you alright, My Princess!?" He hefted her up.
Luna: *Astral echo* "We are tired.. but we will persevere!"
K: "You're going to persevere your ass out of here, is what. Come on, Canterlot is under attack. Steelhoof, once we get out of here, you have to rally the troops and push these bastards out of here." I gestured.
Steelhoof: "I've already issued the orders to have the Royal Guard rally at the Grand Orchard and counterattack, don't worry." He nodded firmly.
K: "Right, let's go." I waved to the door.
And out of the room we ran. Explosions rocked the palace's very foundations. Bigger bombs. It figured. We got about halfway back to the main ballroom, when the Raptorians appeared at both front and back, trapping us in the central hallway.
Luna: "THEY DARE OBSTRUCT US!?" She was furious.
K: "This is bad." I looked at the Lee..
Steelhoof: "RUN, MY PRINCESS! I WILL HOLD THEM OFF!" He shoved his way behind us, to cover the rear.
K: "Steelhoof!" No, no, not like this...
Steelhoof: "It's been an honor.. SIR. NOW, GO! GET OUR PRINCESS OUT OF HERE!" He shoved me.
He called me 'sir' at long last..
K: "I won't forget you." I was.. I knew he wouldn't survive this.
I charged with Luna into the smaller group in front of us, firing blindly until my magazine ran dry. When we got up to them, I just bashed them aside (I was a good couple feet taller than them) as Luna electrocuted five in one shot. One that grabbed her, was impaled on her horn, right through the eye. Behind us, I could hear Steelhoof..
Steelhoof: "COME GET ME, YOU VILLAINOUS CRETINS! COME ON! IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT!?"
..and we ran for the main entrance. Right at the door was Octavia and Vinyl Scratch. Octavia had managed to procure a rifle, and she was holding off a decent group of her own..
K: "OCTAVIA! VINYL! COME ON, LET'S GET OUT OF HERE!" I said, pushing Luna ahead of me.
Octavia: "We'd LOVE to.." *Gunshot* "..but they're IN MY WAY!" She was panting hard.
Vinyl Scratch: "K, get a Sherman!" She nodded.
They had grabbed some weapons from Guards that had been struck down in the opening moments. I picked up a Sherman from the ground that had the bayonet mounted to it, and some magazines - I had no idea if any of them were full or not. I came up beside Octavia..
K: "Just couldn't resist, could you?" I smirked to Octavia.
Octavia: "What was it you told me? 'Once a Marine, always a Marine?' I think it applies to Rangers, too." She nodded to me.
Vinyl Scratch: "What do we do?" She looked back to me.
Luna: "We know another way! Follow us!" She nodded to the side.
We did. We followed her, in a running, raging gun battle all the way to a side entrance. It was near the Carriage Park - and I knew there was nothing but bodies out there.
Luna: "Has our sister opened the passage to the Mines?" She looked to me.
K: "That must be what she was doing." I shrugged, though.
Luna: "There is another way - come with us!"
K: "Let's go, you two." I gestured.
Octavia was huffing hard, but Vy wouldn't let her fall behind. I was about ready to pick her up and carry her, but we were too busy. Raptorians, all over the palace and the garden areas outside.. we followed Luna all the way through part of the garden, and to a small cave, sealed with loose rocks. She levitated them all out of the way, as easily as one might pick up a cupcake.
Luna: *Royal Canterlot Voice* "IN HERE!"
And in we went. She followed, and sealed the cave behind us with those same rocks. We were in a tunnel of some kind.. and that's when I saw Twilight Sparkle. She ran over to us, looking at Luna with a little bit of fear in her eyes.
Luna: *Royal Canterlot Voice* "Do not fear us! We are here to protect Canterlot." She stood proud.
Twilight: "K! We got everyone we could into the mines.. come on." She gestured with her procured Sherman.
I never knew about these mines. But, then again, I don't think anyone else did. When I got over to where Celestia was, everyone was there, along with about fifty or so people from the Palace. Most were injured - Nurse Sweetheart was tending to them. So handy, having her around. There were a couple of guards, standing ready, just in case the Raptorians found where they were hiding. Luna powered down as soon as she saw her sister, and ran over to her. Neck-hugs ensued. I went over to Derpy, who was getting her right foreleg bandaged by Doctor Whooves.
K: "Report?"
Derpy: "We got some.." Her head hung, her eyes straightened.
K: "Bad?"
Derpy: "Hundreds.. they're.."
Dr. Whooves: "It's a massacre." He looked right at me.
K: "I never wanted this, and you KNOW it!" I pointed back at him.
AJ: "Honeybun.."
I looked at her, and collapsed on my ass. Just one look, and she took the air out of me. I was trapped against my will, in a place I initially had no desire to be in.
But I stayed.
Why?
Because it was the right thing to do - I could have run off and become a hermit, abandoned Equestria to its fate, and let the chips fall where they may, but that wasn't how I was raised. Like them or not, it didn't matter. They were sentient creatures, and my presence was what set them on a collision course for destruction. It was MY responsibility to stay here and use the knowledge I had to prepare them for this. NOT doing so would have gone against everything I said I stood for back in my old life: That no matter who they are, if a person needs help, you help them. And you take full responsibility for everything you do, good and bad. We were at war now. No two ways about it. As I hugged Applejack, I wondered, what was going to happen next...
From the Radio Address by Princess Celestia: "My dear subjects. Yesterday, the day of the Grand Galloping Gala, a date which will live in Infamy, the Kingdom of Equestria was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the air and ground forces of Tirek, the Shadow Master.."
{End of Chapter 11}
