Trottingham always had a festival on Heart's and Hooves Eve. As it's resident toymaker said, "It's a thing, a very good thing made up of love hearts and rainbows." The festival always drew crowds, and was the result of year-long enthusiastic planning. Lovers and sweethearts walked the brightly lit streets, nuzzling each other in displays of pure affection. Love was the word on everypony's lips, especially those that were currently making out with another.
This year, adding to the spectacle was a circus all the way from Prance, showing a one night show specially formed for the occasion. The show was simply called 'Love' and was the number one date opportunity that was to exist for many years. Tickets were both expensive and hard to come by, but they sold out almost instantly. Such was the demand. Princess Celestia was to make an appearance, but urgent government matters kept the royalty in Canterlot, the only blemish in an otherwise flawless carnival. The very sky seemed to rejoice with the town as it was lit up with flares.
It was time for the circus' grand finale. As the audience eagerly watched the performers take to the ring, the speakers blared. But instead of playing music, they declared a warning.
- Quote :
- A large squadron of unidentified flyers have been spotted approaching the town's boundaries. An attack is feared to commence. All ponies are instructed to proceed at once to their homes and hide in their basements and cellars. The police have instructions to arrest all those who remain in the open.
The effect was as instant as it was devastating. The crowd fought against itself in a panicked rush to get to safety. The first fatalities of the evening were those unlucky enough to be trampled in the stampede.
At 10:13 pm, the first bombs fell, shattering structures, causing buildings to collapse, trapping those who hid in them. But more devastating were the incendiaries, which started air hungry fires which whipped up ferocious fire storm, uprooting trees and sucking unfortunate souls into their infernal hearts.
The next wave found burning Trottingham easily, following the flames. At 1.30am they too added to the fire, dropping a liquid which burned and glowed wickedly in the night's darkness. No pegasi engaged the estimated 700 attackers. Nopony knows why.
Dawn shone on the burning town, but there was no respite for its residents as a third squadron struck shooting the ponies that had emerged from their shelters out of a sadly foolish belief that the hell was over. Some of these included of foal's choir.
Those that stayed in the shelters had to contend with the fact of the flames, and the smoke that smothered and choked them. One incident was a pony who had come across sixty others trapped in a cellar, their escape blocked by flames. He said:
- Quote :
- Soak your heads in the fire buckets, put them over yourselves, then run!
Those that didn't heed his word perished.
Finally it was over, but Trottingham was now merely a memory. Couples on dates the previous evening were now numbered corpses. Many still wore their best clothes or costumes they had for the festival. There were too many to count.
Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Trottingham
Subject: Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Trottingham 
Thu May 09, 2013 9:53 am
