The Rules of War

AN: Written at 3AM while I was on the biggest caffeine rush you can imagine. Inspired by "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque. Please excuse any minor spelling or grammar issues as English is not my native language.

The sounds of battle roared around her.

Cowering behind the makeshift barricade, Twilight desperately tried to clear her senses in order to properly interpret what she was seeing.

- No… It can’t be…

Paralyzed out of fear, she witnessed the pool of red liquid that was rapidly growing around Rarity where she had collapsed on the floor a few meters from the barricade. Rarity whimpered, the sound barely audible over the terrifying sounds of the full-fledged war going on around her.

- No… Not like this… I can't let it end like this!

Acting purely on instinct, Twilight started to heave herself over her cover. Rarity needed her! She would never make it out of there on her own! Just as she was about to breach her makeshift barricade, Twilight felt a hoof around her neck pull her back down. She landed hard on her back and hit her head against the cold floor. Her vision swam as her eyes desperately tried to snap back into focus. When they finally did, she was staring up into the face of Applejack, the orange mare’s eye wide in panic as she ducked down to avoid the enemy projectiles that flew above her head.

• “Forget about her Twi! She’s gone! There’s nothing ya can do! If ya go out there you’ll just end up like her!”

Twilight could not believe what she was hearing. They couldn't just leave Rarity behind! They couldn't let it end like this.

• “No! I have to help her!” Twilight practically screamed, her voice drowning in the noise of the battle that raged around her. She tried to struggle against Applejack’s hold on her, but the farm mare’s legs were as strong as her determination.
  
• “Snap out of it! We can’t afford to lose anyone else! And I’m not letting ya go on a suicide mission!”

Twilight felt tears well up in her eyes. She had to do something! She couldn’t just leave Rarity there, right in the line of fire.

• “But… We have to…”
  
• “No we don’t!” Applejack retorted. “What we need is for you to focus on the task at hand if any of us are gonna make it out of here!”

Twilight simply stared into Applejack’s eyes for a few seconds before finally nodding.

• “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
  
• “Don’t be sorry, be focused!”

Applejack released her hold on Twilight, extended a hoof to help her up and then proceeded to bunker down tightly behind their barricade. She threw a quick glance at Twilight, who met her gaze and nodded determinately.

• “Let’s show them what we’re made off!”

In a single, sweeping motion, both Twilight and Applejack rose from their cover and started firing wildly towards the enemy lines. The lavender unicorn’s horn flared as she fired volley after volley towards their foes, and her sister-in-arms used her strong hooves to provide a steady stream of suppressive fire. The enemy fire quickly receded as they were forced to take cover from the hail of projectiles that showered them.

• “This won’t do, Twi!” Applejack shouted in between rounds. “We won’t be able to take ‘em down like this, and we’re running low on ammo!”
  
• “Just keep firing, I have an idea!”

Twilight’s eyes narrowed. She saw an opening, a flaw in the enemy’s defenses. Conjuring up her last reserves of magic, she launched a massive projectile towards the weak spot, her strong surge of magic making it merely a blurred shape as it flew across the room.

There was a loud thud. Then a loud splash. Then a loud scream.

• “PINKIE!”

A pink fluffy mane, dotted with specks of red and white, slowly rose up from the enemy barricade. It framed a light pink face with two beaming eyes and an equally beaming smile.

• “Oh, hello Mrs. Cake! Hello Mr. Cake! How are you today?”

At first there was no response. Then very slowly, as his eyes darted around the room, Mr. Cake managed to stutter:

• “Our… Store…”
  
• “Oh. Don’t you worry about the store. I told you I would keep the business going while you were gone! And see, business is booming! Cakes and pies have beaten all previous record sales!” Pinkie exclaimed with a chipper voice as she bounced up and down to put extra emphasize on her mood. “Then again,” she continued, “it’s not every day a super sweet fantastic pastry battle is being fought in Sugarcube Corner! But it’s totally fun, and super duper good for business!”

Twilight simply let her gaze wander around the bottom floor of Sugarcube Corner. Nearly every inch of the room was coated in jam, cream or pie crusting. The cupboards and flour bags they had used as cover were dotted with pies that had missed their mark, now sticking to the makeshift barricades as their sweet filling held them in place.

Next to Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy rose out of cover, their manes equally discolored as the one of the beaming, pink earth pony next to them. Rarity was still whimpering on the floor, the strawberry filling that had previously been located in the massive cake that had hit her still covering most of her body, as well as the floor around her. Applejack simply gave an unsure smile, as her gaze wildly wandered between Mr. and Mrs. Cake, who in turn were simply standing in the doorway, their jaws hanging limp.

• “Well, time out is over! There’s an epic pastry battle left to win!” Pinkie happily exclaimed as she sent another pie flying across the room.