The Price of Peace

Chapter 1: The Call to Arms

October 16, 1489

You cannot prevent and prepare for war at the same time.  ~Albert Einstein

Silence fell over the crowd of those present as the herald's words sunk in and the full meaning came crashing down upon them. Then, as if a hydra had landed in the mists of them, the inhabitants of Ponyville exploded in an outcry of astonishment, anger, and fear as ponies began frantically scrambling about and asking questions all at the same time.

"What do you mean the dragons?! They've been gone for hundreds of years!"

"How come we don't get a say in whether we fight or not?!"

"I've got a wife and foals! Who's to care for them if I die on some forsaken battlefield?!"

"I'm too young to go off and die!"

The unfortunate herald that had brought the news tried his best the calm the mob before him but was unable to do so, even with the help of his magically enhanced voice. When it seemed as if the sky itself would fall from the explosive pandemonium that was happening in front of him, the unicorn charged and fired a stun spell over the frantic ponies.

Immediately, all activity came to a halt as the spell took effect. Seizing the moment, the herald once again magnified his voice and said, "Please! Everypony calm down! I understand that this news frightens and angers you. I feel the same way! Right now though, I need you all to please be as orderly as possible and make the necessary preparations for the arrival of the two officials. If you have any further questions, ask them and they will be answered."

Everypony hesitated for a minute or so, unsure of what to do with themselves. As if a switch had been flipped in their brains though, that quickly changed. Part of the gathering, mare and stallion alike, made a beeline for the herald, while another part slowly began making their way back into the town, scared and somber faced. The rest of the shell-shocked ponies stood where they were, unable to make a decision of who to follow, some outright fainting to the ground.

Pipsqueak and Spike, on the other hand, were apart of the ones heading back to town to prepare. Well, really it was a grim faced, determined Spike trotting his way back with Pipsqueak frantically trying to catch up to the drake as he pulled himself from indecision. Coming into step with his friend, Pip looked at him nervously, trying to find something to say but failing to do so.

He racked his brain for anything, ANYTHING, that he could say but he came up with nothing. What could be said in a situation like this? Not much came to mind. When your very world seemed to be starting to fall apart around you, not many had the peace of mind nor the courage to speak what was needed to be said.

Seeing as Pip couldn't find something to say, Spike started rattling off a list of things that needed to be done before the officer arrived for them.

"We'll need to go to our houses first and get our muskets, along with anything light and essential to take with us for the journey to wherever the officer is taking us. After we do that, meet back at Twi's house so we can consolidate what we've collected. I would suggest simply your gun, ammo, food, and cloths. Period. I'll meet you there in half an hour."

With that, Spike changed direction and headed away towards his apartment, since he didn't live with Twilight anymore. Pipsqueak stared after his friend for a moment before slowly, turning and heading towards his own home. Thoughts of what to come were swirling around inside his head, threatening to cause him to fall from pure shock.

His heartbeat quickened as he began to think. He would be going to war. To fight and to give his last breath against beings he only knew of because of his friend and books. Spike and most stallions he knew would be joining him in training, battle, and quite possibly in death. He would be fighting alongside his own father: Brawny Hooves.

How could all this be happening? Why was it all happening? He didn't know how to fight, let alone how to be a soldier. The closest knowledge he had was on how to use and shoot a musket and even then he wasn't close to being a crack shot at it.

Pip had never been one for fighting; instead, he had always tried to be the peacemaker between anyponies who were fighting. Spike, on the other hand, had a very different way in resolving conflicts. If two ponies were fighting, whether with words or with hooves, he would always go up to them and simply roar as loud as he possibly could.

That always shut the fighters up.

This wasn't a petty schoolyard fight anymore though, this was the real deal. Nothing either Pip or Spike did could change what was happening.

His thoughts turned to his mother. What would she do? Now that both her husband and son would be away to war, who be there for her? Would the ones assigned to guard the town be able to protect her? Or would there even be guards to protect the town? After all, most soldiers would be needed at the fronts.

His thoughts continued to engulf him in worry and fear as he made it to the front door of his house and proceeded inside to gather his supplies. He went to one of the closets first and grabbed two saddlebags, one for him and one for his father.

When he had retrieved the bags, he went into the kitchen and began gathering food for the two stallions. After he had filled about a quarter of each satchel with food, he went up to his room first and then his parent's to gather a single set of winter coverings. He and his father wouldn't need them now but they would be thankful when snow began to fall in a few months.

As Pip descended the steps to the living room below, he was only slightly startled as he saw his father sitting on the couch, both muskets propped on on the edge, sorting through ammo for the both of them. Neither father nor son spoke as  Pip walked the rest of the way down, set down the bags. sat next to Brawn and began sorting ammunition as well.

As they did so, Pipsqueak's mother, Summer Wind, stood behind his father with her head on his shoulder, tears streaming down from her eyes. Every few moments he would nuzzle her face to try and comfort her as he and Pip, after sorting all the ammo, put the powder, primer caps, and musket balls in their respective saddlebags.

When they had finished this task, the three ponies seemed to be still for minutes, the sound of Summer's weeping and the breathing of all present being the only thing that could be heard. Pip decided that, after ten minutes had passed, they would have to start heading to Twilight's, 'lest the heartbreak immobilize them where they were.

"Mom, dad; we need to start walking toward Twi's, Spike will be expecting us there."

Ever so slowly, his parents walked over to the door, where Pip had gotten up and stood by, and opened it. Outside, the commotion of the towns-ponies wasn't helping the situation in the slightest. Back and forth ponies of all ages ran, screams and crying were still heard. Tempers flared; some ponies even getting into brawls right in the middle street.

The demeanor of Pipsqueak and his family though weren't affected by the anarchy going on around them though, it was all blocked out as they made their way towards the library. They didn't bother to knock as they got to the door and proceeded inside without a thought.

What they saw in the library as they opened the door only added to the heartbreak the small family was feeling. In the middle of the room, where he sat in the floor, Spike held Twilight against him tightly with his eyes closed. Twilight was pressed against him as much as physically possible and was crying quietly into his chest, her sniffs heard every few moments.

The scene caused Pip's mother to break down even more as she- quite literally- fell into his father's hooves and they also slumped to the floor, clinging to each other as if for their very lives. In some ways, their lives did depend on it, even if it was emotionally.

Pipsqueak quietly shut the door and simply stood where he was, head bowed in respect for the moment that was unraveling before him. The slight awkwardness of it all had disappeared out the window, in wake of the depressing mood that had befallen them all. Time passed painfully slow but still, all in the room stayed firmly where they were, as if one little thing could break the fragile tension that had started to build.

In the end, it was more than a little noise that broke the silence in the library as a deep, booming horn sounded from the edge of town, signaling the arrival of the officials.

They must be ahead of their time table if they've arrived this early Pip thought, as conflicted feelings began to well up inside of him.

The young stallion quietly went to where Spike's own weapon and bag had fallen and picked them up carefully. His attuned hearing catching the sound of hoof steps, the drake opened his eyes a little and saw Pip approaching him with his supplies.

Hanging on to Twilight for a few more desperate moments, he finally found the strength to pull away from her and rise from the floor before grimly accepting his things. Twilight also rose from the floor and pressed herself against his side, nuzzling him as she continued to cry.

Spike kept an arm around her, with his gun cradled in the crook of his opposite arm and the bag strapped across his back. Pip then walked over to where his father and mother had collapsed to the floor in each others hooves. Gently nudging Brawny Hooves, Pip moved onto to stand by the door of the library treehouse.

His father looked up at his son, nodded knowingly and helped his sobbing wife up as he also rose from the wooden floor. Brawn collected his musket from the floor where he had carelessly dropped it and supported his wife as she leaned against him. His saddlebag had been prevented from slipping from his back due to the straps around the stallions underbelly.

The door to the house was opened and the five stepped out into the autumn sun, a light breeze rushing through the town, bringing with red, orange, and yellow leafs from the trees around town. It would have been beautiful to watch watch but the eerie silence that filled the town killed any thought of that instantly.

The soundlessness was almost painful, due to the fact that only minutes before, there had been absolute and total chaos throughout the town. Now though.... now it was a sight to behold as the inhabitants of Ponyville forlornly made their way towards the road to Canterlot, where the horn had been blown.

As the mob of ponies, which numbered at around eight-hundred fifty mares and stallions (adult and children), got closer and closer to the edge of town, anxious and fearful whispers began spreading like wildfire through the mass. When they did make it to the road, they found the sight strangely odd.

A hastily constructed stage had been set up, with only two ponies currently on it as the herald from earlier had decided to make a hurried exit before the officer and official got to the town. Behind the stage, a detachment of about fifty or so soldiers waited in formation, ready to escort to new recruits to the staging area.

Leaning over to Spike, Pip whispered, "Why don't they just use the stage in the middle of town?"

Without taking his eyes off the stage or the ponies on it, Spike replied, "They took it down for the Running of the Leaves, remember?"

Pip thought for a moment before nodding his head and, coming to a stop in front of the stage, looked back at the stallions who occupied it. The first, an Earth pony who Pip assumed was the military officer, wore gold plated armor that encased his entire body in protection, except for his dark black tail. A helmet was fit snugly on his head, and covered all but his eyes and a small section of the front of the muzzle, from which grey fur could barely be seen. At his side was strapped a hoof-and-a-half sword, with the tip of the scabbard about an inch from the ground. A musket was slung across his back, with the powder, balls, and primer caps in their respective bags that were also slung around him.

The most peculiar thing though, was the fact that the officer was standing on his hind legs at the podium. This fact only escalated the whispers that were rapidly spreading through the crowd when the ponies realized how he was standing in a stance that they had only ever seen Pinky Pie do before.

The representative of the government was a unicorn stallion with a brown coat and a black tail who wore a scholar's robes with his hood down.  He looked so out of place with the soldiers behind him, the officer in front of him and the skittish towns ponies around him, it almost made Pip laugh a little.

Almost.

The officer, who looked to be around twenty-eight or so, looked back at the representative, who in turn nodded and his horn lit up. The officer turned his head back around and began to speak in a loud voice, amplified by magic.

"Ponies of Ponyville, may I have your attention. I am Second Lieutenant Silent Night of the newly formed Equestrian National Army. I know all of you are scared now but, rest assured that the stallions of your town will be fighting to defend you and our land from those who would destroy us. Since we are short on time, I must ask that, at this moment in time, that all stallions sixteen and older step forward and proceed to where my detachment behind the stage is waiting. They will form you into ranks and we will soon be off. I suggest you say your final goodbyes now. Thank you."

With that, the officer stepped away from the podium and off the stage, to where his detachment was formed and ready to organize. There was no movement for a moment or two but, eventually, a stallion Pip knew was Big Macintosh, stepped forward after a tearful goodbye from his sisters.

After him came Mr. Cake, his wife and fifteen year old teens waving tearfully behind him. "You take care of your mother and sis, you hear?" he called to his son.

After Mr. Cake, stallion after stallion came forward, often after a somber and weeping filled farewell. Cries of anguish and loss filled the air as, one by one, the male half of the group assembled dwindled to almost nothing.

Spike looked at Twilight and Pip and his father looked at Summer Wind. In an instant, Spike and Twi were locked in a passionate and heartbreaking kiss and Pip and his family were in a lung squeezing group hug that threatened to break any resolve the men had of leaving for war.

The scene lasted for a half a minute before the young couple broke apart and the family pulled away for the last time. As the two stallions and dragon looked into the eyes of the women before them, they whispered a quiet goodbye before starting for the detachment of soldiers and recruits, who had already formed a loose formation. Twilight and Summer Wind supported each other as the three walked away.

The depressing mood, however, was unexpectedly and loudly broken as the three got closer to the detachment. the lieutenant did a quick double take as he looked at Spike and quickly exclaimed, "You, halt!"

The two stallions stopped as Spike did and looked warily at the approaching officer.

"What is your name?" Lieutenant Night demanded of the young drake.

"Spike sir!"

"Spike huh? Well Mr.Spike, I must ask you to please lay down your weapon and supplies and put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest."

"What?!" exclaimed Pip and Brawn as they stepped in between the officer and Spike. This drew the attention stares of all those around them and the area went deathly silent.

Spike, to his credit, had only reacted with a grim and knowing frown before hiding his emotions behind a stony, neutral look. Gently pushing the two stallions in front of him aside, the dragon stepped a half a foot closer to the lieutenant, causing the officer to noticeably stiffen and the soldiers around them to rise to their hind legs and partially draw their weapons.

Spike's eyes seemed to pierce through Silent Night's very soul until he slowly reached his clawed hand up. This was received by the sound of muskets cocking as the detachment of soldiers all aimed at him. Spike's hand continued up though to where his weapon was slung over his shoulder.

Gripping it, Spike pulled it off of his shoulder and slowly and gently lowered it to the ground, where he also took off his pack and set it next to the gun. Coming to stand straight again, the drake put his hands on his head and said, "You have nothing to fear from me. I assume you're going to take me to some sort of camp?"

The lieutenant relaxed and waved two of his men forward, while the rest cautiously lowered their weapons. The two came forward and, taking his hands, bound them with cuffs.

"Yes. You'll be sent to the prison camp being constructed in the south, near the city of New Colteans."

Pip and Brawn, who had been watching with astonished expressions on their faces, started to take a step towards Spike to try and help but the dragon glanced at them and shook his head, saying, "It's not worth it Pip, I'm with the ponies, not against them. 'Sides, I'll be fine."

Pipsqueak stared at his friend for a moment before his father pulled him back a foot or two, and led him towards where the rest of the recruits were in formation.

Twilight, who had been watching the whole thing from afar, seemed to come to her senses and sprinted to where Spike was. As she approach, a few soldiers tried to block her but she slipped around them and made it to her lover. She glared at Lieutenant Night as she hugged Spike.

"By whose orders are you taking this drake?! He has done nothing to deserve being thrown into a prison camp! If it's just because he's a dragon, I can personally vouch for the fact that he will fight to his last breath for every last pony in Equestria!"

Spike was somewhat taken aback by Twilight's sudden rage and courage. He hadn't seen or heard her rant like this in almost eight years. Before he could try and calm her though, Silent Night fixed a stern look on her as he replied, "This is also ordered by Princess' Celestia and Luna: 'All non-ponies who currently reside in Equestria are to be detained in various prison camps throughout the country in an effort to help better protect the citizens of this land from harm and sabotage.' I'm sorry Miss but this proclamation applies to every non-pony. No exceptions."

Before she could think of a retort of her own, Spike bent his head down and quietly shushed her as he said, "It's alright Twi, the Princess' are only trying to protect all of you. I can't say I blame them for making something like this. Either way though, I can take care of myself just fine. I love you but I need you to let go of me for a while." He meant it boh physically and emotionally.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Twilight released her grip on him before she finally let him go and they led him away to a chariot nearby that was pulled by two pegasis.

"Mr. Pen Stroke, I am in need of your carriage for the time being." Lieutenant Night called to the representative on the stage.

The unicorn sighed and replied, "Very well, it'll most likely get confiscated for the war effort anyway."

The officer nodded as the two soldiers led Spike into the carriage, which promptly took off shortly afterwards. Pip watched until it was out of sight and, when it was, whispered, "We will meet again my friend."

As he turned away from the out of sight chariot he briefly wondered why they all weren't taking the train to Canterlot. Then he remembered that the track coming in and out of the town was getting new tracks because the old ones were so rusted, a train could hardly run on them any longer.

His and the other stallion's heads snapped around as Lieutenant Night began shouting out commands to the soldiers and new recruits.

"About face! Stay in formation men! To Canterlot! Forward, march!"

With that, the group of about three hundred fifty stallions, including the detachment of fifty soldiers, set off down the road towards the capital city. The recruits were, to say the least, completely out of sync. To fix this, the lieutenant and his detachment began sounding off a running cadence, to help them get the beat.

"Alright men, you will repeat after me:

Sittin' on a mountain top, beating my drum

Sittin' on a mountain top, beating my drum

Beat it so hard that the MP's come

Beat it so hard that the MP's come

I said MP, MP, don't arrest me

I said MP, MP, don't arrest me

Arrest that leg behind the tree

Arrest that leg behind the tree

He stole the whiskey, I stole the wine

He stole the whiskey, I stole the wine

All I ever do is double-time

All I ever do is double-time

All the way to Canterlot they went.

Twilight stayed rooted to where she stood as she watched the chariot with Spike fly away and then the group of stallions from Ponyville begin lightly jogging away, singing something about stealing alcohol then running double time. The mare was too engrossed in her thoughts though to pay attention to anything at the moment.

She just couldn't get over the fact that her teacher, her friend, had been the one who had sent Spike to some prison camp in the south. The mere thought of Princess Celestia even thinking of sending Spike away was difficult to comprehend for Twilight, mostly because the Princess considered Spike her own son. In a roundabout sort of way.

The Element of Magic was pulled from her contemplation as Summer Wind came up beside her and put a hoof on her shoulder, a sad smile on her face. Twilight returned the smile and didn't resist when she was lead back towards the stage, where the representative was speaking at the podium.

"... Also, along with organizing and collecting any extra blankets, winter clothes and maybe even metals, a Raid Watch will be set up. This will be an extra security measure that will help support the soldiers who are being detached to guard the town. I have a sheet here with me that contains the schedule that will be set up for the Watch and the ponies who will be running it. This is a courtesy from the mayor, who volunteered  the best ponies that she could think of for the job. Furthermore, there will now be rations for various supplies, which include food, materials....."

What the representative was going to say next faded into the background as Twilight quietly slipped away from the crowd and galloped to a nearby alley. A determined looked was etched on her face as she shut her eyes tightly in concentration for what she was about to do.

Assuming that a force field had been set up around the city, the mare knew it was going to be that much harder to get into the throne room of the royal palace. A headache set in as her horn began to glow brightly for a few seconds. She couldn't let the spell go awry, if she did- she shuddered when she thought about the pain.

The spell reached it's climax, a blinding flash and in an instant, she was gone. Twilight flew through the empty space in which she was traveling, a horrible tugging sensation on every part of her body made her want to scream from the pain but she resisted the urge to. The tugging pain only meant that she has successfully passed through the forcefield that guarded the capital city.

Twilight appeared a moment later with a thud that resounded throughout the throne room for a few moments before finally dying away into nothingness. Opening her eyes, she lifted her head to get a look around at her surroundings. Her cheeks immediately flushed as she saw where she had landed.

Right in the middle of what looked and felt like a strategizing map on a table surrounded by five ponies and two alicorns, all in armor, with very bewildered looks on their faces. Nopony moved or said anything until one of the ponies behind her asked with a questioning tone, "Twily?"

Twilight's head snapped around to see the confused face of Shining Armor behind her. "Shining!" the mare exclaimed as she quickly scrambled off the table to pull her brother into a hug. Shining, still slightly shocked at seeing his sister appear directly in front of him,returned the hug quickly before pulling away.

"Twily, what are you doing here?"

Before Twilight could reply, Princess Celestia seemed to see the need to parrot Shining Armor.

"Yes, Twilight, what are you doing here?"

The Element of Magic turned towards her teacher, her smile fading when she remembered why she had come. Trying to keep her composer for just a few more seconds, she asked, "Princess, might I have a word with you in private?"

Celestia nodded her head and motioned towards the door off to the right of her throne. "We may speak in there."

Inclining her head, Twilight began walking towards the door. As she walked, she heard the Princess say, "I'm terribly sorry sister and generals, I will be but a moment."

Twilight stopped and turned her head to look at Shining Armor, a question forming on her lips. He silenced her with a motion of his hoof though and mouthed, "Later."

A surprised expression on her face, she turned back towards the door and walked to it. How could she not have thought of it? Of course Shining Armor would be promoted if there was a war, he was the best suited to be a general after all. That and the fact that you were Captain of the Royal Guard and married to a princess didn't hurt your chances either.

Reaching the door, Twilight opened it and stepped into what looked to be a simple relaxation and reclining room. Plush couches and chairs were set around the small room, pillows with exotic fabrics and designs adorning them. The mare went and stood in the middle of the room as Celestia walked in and quietly shut the door behind her.

"Now, my dear student, what is it that you needed to speak with me about? I am needed elsewhere at the moment." the alicorn said, a hint of impatience underlining her tone.

Twilight composed herself, took several deep breaths before practically shouting at Celestia. "Why did you send Spike away to a prison camp?! He's practically your son! As a matter of fact why did you send ANY non-pony to a prison camp?! They deserve to have a chance and be free but instead, you just had to see the need to throw a bunch of beings that you don't even know into camps that they'll most likely die in! I thought you were a kind and compassionate ruler but I see who you really are now: a tyrant!"

Unshed tears gleamed in the mare's eyes as she glared defiantly at her teacher. The Princess was utterly shocked by her student's outburst and accusations. She had never thought Twilight would ever blow up in such a way. The initial shock though was quickly replaced by anger and guilt.

"TWILIGHT SPARKLE! HOW DARE YOU ACCUSE ME OF SUCH CRUEL THINGS! HOW DARE YOU CALL ME A TYRANT! I AND MY SISTER PASSED THE LAW AS A PRECAUTIONARY TO TRY AND HELP THE HOMEFRONT! HOW ELSE WOULD YOU HAVE ME AND LUNA PROTECT OUR SUBJECTS AND KINGDOM, IF WE HAVE TO FIGHT BOTH INVADERS AND BEINGS FROM INSIDE OUR OWN COUNTRY?!!!

The fact that she had used the Royal Canterlot voice was cause of heart attack enough but coupled with the fact that the Princess' statements cut through the fog that had clouded Twilight's mind was almost enough to make her pass out. She refrained from doing so however and simply stood staring at the Princess, tears finally rolling down her cheeks.

Princess Celestia took several deep breaths before sighing and, walking over to her student, embraced her with both a forehoof and wing. Twilight leaned into the embrace and pressed her face against her teacher's soft fur, continuing to sob with fervor.

After a few minutes of silence passed between the two ponies, Princess Celestia gently pulled away, prompting the Element of Magic to look up at the white alicorn and wipe her eyes.

The Princess offered a sad smile and said, "Twilight, I know how you feel. I didn't want to have to sentence all the non-ponies to camps, especially Spike, but there's no other option we have at the moment. Even if I did released just Spike, there's no telling what the other prisoners, and ponies for that fact, will do. They'd probably try and kill him out of fear anyways, never mind if he's fighting for us. I'm sorry Twilight but Spike and the other non-ponies will have to be kept in camps for the foreseeable future, both for their safety and ours. Now, I must get back to the war council, we have to split the new recruits into different military groups."

Celestia turned and began walking towards the door. As she opened it though, she turned her head to look at Twilight and said, "I almost forgot: your brother will be the Commanding General of one of the army groups so he'll be far from danger, rest assured."

With that, she walked out of the room and shut the door, leaving the mare inside in a state of loss. What was she suppose to do now? She couldn't just sit around and do nothing in Ponyville while Spike sat in some camp with a war raging around them.

Her brow furrowed in thought for a few moments before an idea popped into her mind. It's foolish and will most likely end horribly but, if it saves Spike, it'll be worth it. A dangerous smile etched itself on her face as the idea formed into a plan. That was it.

She was going to find and break Spike out of prison.