Part 2: The Terras
What is that sound…? It sounds like…crying!
Twilight snapped her eyes open. She was lying on the ground in what looked like the town square, the main building of the Ponyville town hall filled her vision. No lights were on in the town; instead, there were a few controlled fires burning to shed light in the night As she slowly began to panic and squirm in her bind, she heard a small sound to her left: whimpering and sobbing. She turned her head to see another pony, bound just as she was, lying right next to her. Another was squirming beyond that pony, and another beyond him. Before long, her vision was filled with a new sight: practically a third of Ponyville was bound and wrapped up in the same rope that held Twilight.
It was then that her intelligent brain finally flipped all of its switches and she could hear every scream, every cry, every sob, and every yell from the tied up ponies in her vicinity; their fears of what was going to happen next overcoming them. She heard a rustling behind her. She rolled over to see another group of stallions carrying, and eventually tossing to the ground, another familiar pony, Seafoam, recognizable from her twin dolphin cutie mark and purple color scheme, which looked almost as dark as Twilight's in the moonlit night.
Just to the right and further away from where Seafoam was dropped, another sight caught her eye: a cream colored pony was desperately trying to fend off a couple of stallions from a tied up, mint-colored one on the ground. Tears streaming down her determined face. Twilight immediately knew who it was. It was Bon-Bon, and she was fiercely trying to defend her tied up friend, the lyrist Unicorn, Lyra. Twilight was about to shout 'Look out!', but before the words could leave her muzzle, a third stallion had jumped on Bon-Bon and pressed her into the hard earth. The stallion made a gesture to the other two, and they quickly tied her up and carried her away from her bawling and pleading friend.
A single tear fell out of Twilight's eye. But before she could get a full cry out, she was startled and felt as if her heart skipped a beat as a loud thud came from behind her.
"Hey hornhead," a voice said, she knew it was Ace, "I brought a friend of yours that you can play with."
Friend?
Twilight rolled over to see a sight she never thought she'd ever see. Rarity, her mane and tail frizzled from conflict, covered in scuffs and bruises. She had her muzzle covered by a piece of cloth, but Twilight was able to understand most of the curses that came out of her muffled mouth. Her back was turned to Twilight as she cussed at Ace and the two other stallions with her eyes. The three all shared a laugh and trotted away, leaving Rarity to thrash about in her binds.
"Rarity!" Twilight shouted, wriggling toward her friend. Rarity stopped struggling and rolled over. The sight of a familiar face caused all of Rarity's emotions to overflow. She began bawling, her cry muffled by the still worn gag.
"Hold still, Rarity." Twilight positioned herself just right, "I'm going to get this thing off of you." She gently bit the tip of the gag and pulled it off of Rarity's snout.
"Twilight!" Rarity shouted her first her first word, "What's happening?" Tears were still streaming down her face. Twilight let her friend nuzzle into her neck.
"I don't know, but Rarity, how did they capture you?" Twilight looked down at the sobbing fashionista. "I would have thought that you, of all ponies, would have been able to hold off those three. I mean, you saved yourself from those Diamond Dogs, right?"
Rarity pulled away from Twilight slightly, but didn't meet her eyes, embarrassed that she did indeed get caught, "I made sure it wasn't easy, at least." Her eyes began to well up again, "Opalesence bought me a little time, but it was all for not!"
With that reaction, Twilight assumed that Rarity's cat was no more. This also reminded her of Spike, who was nowhere to be seen. She wished with all her heart that he was okay; she knew that was all she could do.
"Where is everypony else?" Twilight asked, "Have you seen them? AJ? Pinkie? Rainbow Dash? Fluttershy?"
Rarity thought for a moment, "I am fairly certain that I did see Pinkie Pie hopping around, but when I screamed for help, she just looked at me and smiled."
That didn't sound good.
Twilight suddenly froze in horror at a thought that crossed her mind, "Rarity, where's Sweetie Belle?"
Rarity perked up, "She's…She's at Scootaloo's house. If I recall, she doesn't live in a cloud like Rainbow Dash." Twilight looked at her friend's worried, misty eyes.
"I'm sure she's safe. I don't see or hear her, so don't worry." Twilight cooed, but she herself was extremely worried.
"What in the name of Celestia is going on here?" a loud bellow came from the podium stage in front of the town hall. Twilight and Rarity, along with every other pony in the square, looked to see the mayor, Mayor Mare, looking incredulously at the sight before her.
"Miss Mayor…" a voice came from the side of the stage, and both Twilight's and Rarity's eyes widened as none other than Applejack came walking onto the stage, her familiar cowpony hat sported a black band wrapped around the crown that read 'Terra'; accompanied by her brother, Big Macintosh, a sprig of wheat in his mouth like always; and their cousin, Breaburn, his usual vest now black and stitched with a circular patch on the back, one that had an image of an apple tree, the word 'Terras" written below. The mayor stepped away from the podium to speak with them.
"What is Applejack doing?" Twilight asked nopony in particular. She watched as the mayor and Applejack began talking. At first, both of the mares appeared to be speaking politely to one another; at least, Applejack was. After half a minute of talking, Mayor Mare began to yell and point her hoof at Applejack, and then the scene of the town square. Applejack kept her calm face as the mayor yelled at her. Applejack let her finish, and replied simply to her, a reply that the mayor gave a disgusted look. She stomped her hoof on the podium and shouted one last thing to Applejack before turning to leave the stage in fury. Twilight was sure she heard Princess Celestia's name. She watched on as the mayor made her way to the steps. Before she could leave the stage, Applejack pointed a hoof at Ponyville's leader, which made both Macintosh and Breaburn charge after her. The mayor turned as she heard the rumbling hooves, and made a dash to the town hall's entrance, but was tackled by the nimble Appleloosan and tied up by the red stallion.
Applejack made her way to the podium and shouted into the square, "Hoity!" she shouted, "Ring the bell!"
A white pony with an expertly coiffed mane emerged from the town hall, "I say, my name is Horte. Horte Cuisine…" he said rather haughtily.
"Just go an' do what Ah say." Applejack waved her hoof to shoo him back inside. A few seconds later, the bell on the top of the hall began to clang. Lights all over the town began to flick on inside homes, though not all of them, and ponies of all colors began to tiredly walk to the square to see what the fuss was about.
Their tired faces were quickly swapped for shocked ones as ponies from all around Ponyville saw the sight at the square. Many attempted to help or free the bound ponies on the ground, but were all were stopped by various stallions and mares, all wearing the same black arm band.
The small crowd of confused Ponyvillians began an excited and concerned murmur as Applejack stood at the podium.
"Quiet down, ya'll!" she said while slamming her hoof on the wooden box. All at once, the square hushed, except for the few sobs and cries of the bound ponies. The ponies not part of the crowd, wearing the armbands, all lined up below Applejack. The town's Pegasi, including Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, hovered over head. Before the cowpony had a chance to speak, Dash speedily flew down to her friend.
"Hey, Applejack," Rainbow didn't land, "What's…going on here?" her reddish-purple eyes showing great concern.
"T'ain't no concern a yers, Rainbow Dash," Applejack looked at her sternly, "unless you wanna make it yer concern." Macintosh and Breaburn took a menacing step forward. Dash backed off.
"And trust me, Dashie; you don't wanna do something silly like that!" Pinkie Pie hopped up onto the stage, adding to Applejack's threat. She was also wearing a black armband with the tree insignia.
Dash was relived to see somepony who didn't look like they were ready to kill somepony. She tried to get some answers out of her instead, "Pinkie Pie, what's the deal, why are all these Unicorns tied up?"
Twilight couldn't believe it took her this long to notice, but everypony that was tied up was indeed a Unicorn. Not a single bound pony was a Pegasus, or an Earth Pony. That is, except for Bon-Bon and the mayor, both of whom had disappeared.
"Oh, Dashie," Pinkie Pie hopped up and pulled Rainbow down to the ground and put a hoof over her shoulder, "don't you see? It's a revolution!" She said that last part with sugary glee.
Applejack spoke up and addressed the crowed of Earth Ponies and the flying Pegasi, "Listen up, ya'll," she started, "how many of you are tired of being put in yer place bah these Unicorns. They think just because that we don't have their fancy smanchie magic, that they can hold their heads up high over ours an' lead lives of luxury, takin' that magic that they have for granted, an' leaving the back breakin', hard labor for us: The Earth Ponies. Why, with their magic, they could do all of our work a hunerd times faster n' any of us, yet they still choose ta work jobs like makin' fancy smanchie clothes that we cain't afford," Rarity could feel Applejack's eyes burn into her skull, "or spendin' all their time readin'," Twilight didn't change her frightened expression, "or doin' what ever the hay they want, while leaving us in the dirt", she pointed at who was known around town as the Panicking Ponies of Ponyville: Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily; "the mud," she pointed to herself and Big Macintosh, "an' reduced ta nothin' but servants." She pointed at twin spa sisters, Healing Waters and Tranquil Blossom.
The crowd began to murmur once again; but this time, not with the concern they showed before. The Pegasus ponies still hovered above, confused as to what exactly was going on. Applejack took notice.
"An' you flyin' ponies up there," she pointed her hoof up, "You, unlike these…hornheads on the ground here, you don't go flauntin' yer wings around like they do their magic. You use them for honest hard work." She shot a glance at Rainbow Dash, "Most of y'all anyway. So Ah, leave the choice up ta all of you. You can either help us, or leave us alone." Applejack lowered her brow, "But, if'n you decide you wanna fight against us, I cain't be held responsible for what might happen…" As if on cue, four stallions, two each, threw two bound ponies on stage. It was Bon-Bon and the mayor! Both of whom were bruised , bloody, and beaten badly.
Rainbow Dash showed her disgust at Applejack loudly, "What? Are you serious?" She flew up and closer to her friend, "AJ, are you really going to start a 'revolt' against the Unicorns? Look at what you've done to these two! What about Twilight and Rarity?"
Applejack took her hat off and put it close to her chest, "Twilight, Ah'll be sad ta see go." She put her hat back on, "But Rarity? Who gives a hay?" She started to walk off the stage, but turned to face Rainbow Dash once more, "'Course, this all depends on whether they give up without a fight. Help us, or stay out of our way, Rainbow. Ah'd hate ta see anything happen ta you too."
"What's gonna happen to them?" a Pegasus called down as he pointed to the scattered Unicorns. Applejack stopped and looked up. She turned back to the podium and addressed the ponies once more.
"Whatever our boys can think of… But don't you worry none. We won't kill 'em…on purpose." She adjusted her hat a little as she thought of something else to say, "Oh yeah. And from now on, we won't be called 'Earth Ponies' no more!" She took off her hat to show the band, "From now on, we are the Terras."
Much to the Unicorn ponies-including Twilight's and Rarity's-utter horror, the small crowd of the remaining Earth Ponies cheered. And they rushed over to the stage to receive their armbands from the lined up stallions and mares, but not before taking an oath to swear their allegiance to the Terras.
A few Pegasus ponies also flew down to get one. They had also grown tired of the Unicorn's constant flaunting of their magic prowess.
The emotion began to well up once more as tears again rolled down Twilight's cheeks. What was going to happen to her? The Unicorns? She looked up at the Moon and whispered to herself, "Please, Princess of the Moon, tell Princess Celestia of what's happening. You two may be our only hope…" Normally Twilight didn't believe in such things, but the old legend of being able to communicate with the Lunar Princess by way of the Moon was the only thing Twilight could think of.
Applejack turned to her kin to speak, but was still close enough to the podium to be heard, "There's gonna be lotsa changes 'round here." She paused, "Naw, not just 'round here. In all of Equestria."