Knights of Celestia
Rarity-
Years ago, we lived in Equestria in peace and prosperity, but that all changed when the broncos attacked. Our forces fought to the last breath, but were still pushed back the inner walls of the kingdom. History books tell us little about the war, and what little is said, are lies. My name is Rarity, and I'm going to tell you what REALLY happened.
It was hot outside, a summer day, I don't remember exactly what he said, but spike was rambling on about having to do too much around the house, even though I let him live there for free. I was reading a small book, one my dad gave me when I was a little girl; he handed it to me just moments before he laid down his life to protect the duchess, who was now the princess. My father was in the royal guard, the best of the best, and he in particular was very close to Celestia, who looked out for me when I was growing up. The book was short; I must have read it a hundred times by now, it was the story of a young pony who would stop at nothing to become the most well-known pony in the kingdom. It was my favorite bedtime story, my dad read it aloud every night, the end was my favorite, "you don't need to be seen as a hero, you just need to do what is right." Those were the last words I heard from my father before he was struck down by a bronco with a scar in the shape of a crescent over his eye, and it was that day I vowed vengeance.
I finally gave spike some attention and told him he could do the dishes 2 nights instead of 4, just so he would shut up. Rainbow dash was at the door, I opened it and she threw a newspaper in my face.
"What is this?" I asked trying not to sound annoyed about hitting me in the nose with some paper that I had no interest in.
"How have you not heard of this?!" She was almost yelling.
"I would tell you but I don't know what IT is."
"It the broncos, they almost succeeded in taking over the kingdom last time, now they're back with more troops and fire-power." This sent of a buzzer in my head, my chance to avenge my dad's death.
I heard spike call from the window
"RARITY, you had better take a look at this!"
Applejack-
I remember it like yesterday, those bastards came and dropped right on top of the apple orchard, a few feet to the left and a mortar shell would have ended my sister then and there. I saw the paratroopers falling from the sky; I scooped up Applebloom off the ground and carried her inside. I put her in a chair and turned on the news channel.
"Out of nowhere the broncos have invaded, the whole kingdom is under attack. Citizens are being told to stay inside and lock your doors." Clips of military vehicles and soldiers came up before princess Celestia appeared to address Equestria.
"AP, tell me if anything else important comes up, I'm going to make sure we are gonna be safe here."
"Don't go, please, I'm scared."
"Mom and dad would want you to be brave, if something happens to me; you know where dad's weapons are. You do anything you have to stay alive. I could never forgive myself if you got hurt; now, promise me you will be brave."
"I promise" I saw tears gather in her eyes, so I wiped them away and grabbed the rifle we use to scare off crows. I stepped outside, to find only the red inferno of our crop burning, the broncos torched the place. I pulled the stock up to my shoulder and had the gun at the ready. I didn't want to kill anyone but I was prepared to do what I had to keep Applebloom safe.
Celestia-
"People of Equestria" I saw thousands of worries faces looking at me, waiting for me to do something, but there was simply nothing I could do. "The rumors are true; the broncos have invaded equestrian soil." The crowd was silent. "But we will retaliate with force, and extreme prejudice. Our armed forces will push back the broncos to where they came from." I walked off the stage and into the palace. I was about to cry, not because if the situation, but because I had just lied to each and every one of my subjects. The truth is that our army may as well have been plowed by a steamroller, and nearly half the kingdom had been leveled by tanks and other artillery, citizens were being held hostage, taken prisoner, and even killed. I was taken back to the bunker below ground for safety, but it didn't make me feel any more protected than running around in the middle of the battlefield without a weapon, not without Richard, he was the best I ever knew. His daughters are still in Equestria, I don't remember their names but they are both very sweet girls. Richard and I fell in love, but it couldn't last after it got in the way of our professional relationship.
Applejack-
From the flames emerged a large figure, too big to be a pony, then I saw the raw eyes and red mane, a bronco. He had a gun and grenades, I put my sights on him before he saw me, I hoped he would keep walking, but he stayed and looked at me, he tried to shoot but I was faster on the trigger. I had a hard time coming to terms with killing somebody even in self-defense, until I saw the body, then I could do nothing but break down and cry. I touched the wound and kept asking myself how I could have done this. I picked up my rifle and grabbed the bronco's assault rifle just in case.
As soon as I got inside Applebloom saw the blood on my hooves, she looked mortified, I can only imagine what she must have been thinking.
Applebloom-
My sister, no she couldn't have. Applejack would never kill, she couldn't, she wussed out when dad was going to take us shooting the crows in the garden.
"Did you-"
"Yes" she cut me off.
I was too small to hold a gun, but applejack gave me a kitchen knife as a last resort, if she couldn't get to me in time. We walked outside, it was quiet.
"Say close to me." She said. I was nearly hugging her hind leg. We walked into the main part of town, we heard footsteps from around the next corner, applejack trained her sights on whatever was about to come out. Then when my sister was about to pull the trigger, Spike's head popped out.
"C'mon guys, it's just applejack and Applebloom." He whispered over his shoulder. Then rarity, Rainbow Dash, and twilight sparkle walked up behind spike.
"Guys, you're alright, we began to worry." Said rarity walking up to us. Twilight and rainbow were walking up to us too, but they stopped when they saw the blood on applejack.
Spike-
Recently rarity had been getting me to do a lot of extra chores, around the house and I was trying to get her to ease up, I finally got her cut out some of my work when rainbow dash showed up, she was pissed off about something but I couldn't hear what she said. It was summer so it was hot and rarity wouldn't turn up the A/C, so I went to open a window, but what had been a bright and sunny day, was now a fiery orange sky behind an ocean of burning buildings. I called to rarity.
"RARITY, you had better take a look at this!"
Twilight-
I ran to applejack and Applebloom, I was relieved to see they were ok. I was happy to see them, but then I saw the blood on applejack.
"What did you do?" Applejack never looked at me.
"What I had to." She said without and rainbow saw it as well.
"How could you?" Rarity asked, horrified at the thought. Then bloom stepped in and stood up for her older sister.
"Hey, if she hadn't done what she did, we would both be dead, she had to make a choice, and she did what any of you would have failed to do. My sister protected me, when all would have sat there and watched your family murdered. If I was the one with the gun, I would have done the same."
We were all stunned; bloom had never been so assertive, so powerful. What she said may have horrified us, but it was true none the less.
The 6 of us went from house to house looking for any survivors. We decided applejack's house was the safest place to stay for the time being, there were only 2 broncos that landed near her house, one went into the city, and well, you know what happened to the other. On the way we picked up sweetie belle and Scootaloo, who were hiding in the large Town Hall building, and then we found Amberlocks in her salon. The now nine of us snuck past the few broncos that occupied the town. When we got to the Apple's farm just outside if town we all went over what we knew and what had to be done.
"What do you mean, fight back? They outnumber us 5 to 1 and we aren't even trained or armed." Amberlocks, along with all the others except rarity, applejack, and I were prepared to do anything to get out of fighting back.
"I can cover the training, my dad was in the royal guard, and he taught me everything we need to know." Rarity exclaimed.
"If we attack the broncos on our own terms, we don't need more soldiers, we already have the element of surprise. A resistance is the last thing they would expect." I told the others.
"And I can get us some guns." Applejack said. "All watch the doors and windows, I'll be right back." She proceeded upstairs and came back with a large trunk. She set the case down on the table and opened it up. We all stared at the box of rifles, shotguns, SMGs, assault rifles, pistols, and knives. "Equestrians, prepare you for war."