Among the Dead of Trottingham
Dear Diary,
Life has been quite swell as of late. Fancy Pants is hosting a dinner tomorrow in the Canterlot gardens. I do believe he is going to be presenting his partner in business, which I do believe will be myself. Oh I am so excited, it would be simply fabulous if I became the partner of Sheik Couture it would most definitely improve my business ten fold. I would be one step closer to living my dream.
On another, more depressing, note, mother has been sending me rather… agitated notes much more frequently as of late. Apparently the guard has tripled in Trottingham. She is being most insistent towards Sweetie and I heading right over and visiting. I don't know what those guards are expecting but it seems rather frivolous to me. It is certainly sparking unnecessary worry. It's not like Princess Luna is going to attack Trottingham after all. I think mother AND the guard are overreacting just a tad. Never the less I have promised mother we will visit next week, after Fancy Pants' dinner and Sweetie Bell's sleep over with Scootaloo.
Until next time,
Your illustrious author,
Rarity
Hondo Flanks was brushing his teeth like he always did. He combed his mustache with care and brushed his hair. His wife stumbled in blearily before turning on the shower and stepping in. Hondo made his way downstairs and prepared a slightly charred breakfast. He was enjoying his morning paper when Cookie Crumbles made her way downstairs dolled up as usual.
"What do you want to do today Hondo my dear."
"I feel like an empty nester…" Hondo said putting down his paper.
"Hondo… don't pay attention to that feeling…"
"Why?"
"It makes me feel old…" the couple decided to go for a leisurely stroll around town. It looked a bit gloomy but the forecast said rain wasn't scheduled till later.
"Rarity coming over with Sweetie soon?"
"Dear, ignore it…"
"I'm just asking."
"Yes, she said she'd be coming over next week some time…" Hondo watched his wife. "Dearest… do I look, old."
"You're still as lovely as the day I first met you…"
"Oh really?" Cookie said looking devious. "When was that."
"Spring of the summer I got my cutie mark. You were the prettiest filly in the class; I was the star athlete. We're accidentally walked into each other and got all tangled up. I still remember the way your eyes looked. You were all steamed up cause the 'low life brute' had 'damaged your property'…" His wife giggled, snorting with a blush "You wouldn't go out with me until I got my cutie mark, then you kissed me on the field when we one the championship." Cookie looked at him slyly and placed a peck on his cheek. Suddenly rolling thunder called from over head. Hondo and his wife looked up in confusion as the sky opened up and fat drops rained down.
"Some forecast…." Cookie said with disdain. The two rushed out of the rain under an alcove.
"Odd…" Stache said.
"I'd call it blatant lying, honestly, what are the pegasi doing? Taking cat naps." Suddenly there was a shout from somewhere in the city. It was followed by a blood-curdling scream. "My word!" Hondo turned to see a white palace guard dripping with blood. The corpse of a pink unicorn lay at his feet with a spear lodged in her midsection. The couple stared in shock as the pegasus guard stared at them. Hondo grabbed his wife hoof and the galloped away. In another street two unicorn guards were beating a defenseless old mare. In another they were rounding up young foals for slaughter. Still the couple ran for their lives. Hondo bucked quite a few guards in the chest and face, stopping their advance, but it was no use the guards simply were too great in number. At last Hondo and Cookie were cornered. The guards were closing in when a brown guard in blue armor landed before them and fought the white guards back. More brown guards and several bat ponies landed throughout the city.
"Run for your lives if you can, the guards are corrupt. We'll try to protect you." One of the guards told the couple. All over the city conflict had begun between the brown coats and the white coats. Cookie Crumbles cried into her husband's coat while the stallion led them through the city. They watched a few dark coat chase away and defeat white coats while they hid. Suddenly a voice caught their ear. It was a little filly.
"Help me! Somepony help!" the couple ran towards the voice. The turned corner and rushed through the street following the voice. At last the saw her. A little filly, she was walking about a courtyard, fear in her eyes, whimpering and calling for help. Hondo Flanks stepped forward and reached a hoof out to touch the filly's shoulder but it went right through it. The filly disappeared in a swirl of magic. Hondo turned to Cookie to see that they were completely surrounded. A trap. Another mare ran around the corner, almost right up to the group of guards, before backing up as one of the guards turned and noticed her. She tried to run away but the guards were too strong and fast. Two of them tied her down while a third stomped on her skull. She was dead instantly. Cookie wailed and buried her face in her husband's coat. Hondo stared in horror. The one guard that killed the mare turned back to the couple. Hondo Flanks continued staring, too shocked to try and fight back. It reached them in seconds. And the parents of the Element of Generosity were dead before they could scream.
Rarity stood on the chariot overlooking the ruins of Trottingham. She wiped a tear away and turned to the princess.
"Your highness, Trottingham is a wonderful spot for defense. The city appears completely unoccupied and Celestia too believes it completely deserted. It is the best course of action." Luna turned to look at the city.
"Very well… we will make a base here. Commander Star Dancer, set up a pyre. We will not walk among the dead of Trottingham, plotting war, whilst they are not resting. This is one more thing Celestia will pay for."
"As you wish, your highness,." one of the bat pony guards said before motioning to other guards on other chariots. Together they swooped down into the city to search for survivors or stray Imperial guards. Rarity looked down the city then turned to the princess,
"Your highness… I … if we find my parents, my liege, I'd like… well I wish for them to be buried in the family plot here in Trottingham…" Rarity said tears welling in her eyes. Luna looked over the white unicorn.
"Very well… We are sorry for your loss, and we are sorry to dreg it up again." Luna said sadly viewing her young friend with concern.
"No no… it's just… my mother had wanted me to visit her and my father before she… before the attack… Sweetie Bell and I could have… well we could have been with them…"
"And the New Lunar Republic would have lost a valuable ally and all of Equestria would be doomed… do not fret on what could have been Rarity, live in the now…" Rarity nodded. Slowly the sun began to sink. Luna tipped her head and her horn began to glow as she raised the moon and brought out the stars.
"How long before Celestia tries to wrestle the moon from your hooves, your highness?"
"Too soon we fear…" The younger princess said gazing at the moon's steady rise, "too soon."