This Is War!

Time: 3:40 pm

Place: Base

I trotted down the quiet hall deep in thought. What happened to the traitors? Is Little Dew okay? I shook the last question from my mind. Why would I care about a traitor like him?

"Sweetie Belle!"

I snapped out of my daze and turned around to see a familiar purple dragon running towards me. My eyes widened as I saw Celestia trotting elegantly behind Spike, and she did not look happy.

What did I do? I asked myself.

"Is it true?" Spike cried once Celestia and he approached me.

"Is what true?" I asked. What did I do that was so terrible Princess Celestia had to come?

"That you and Cloudkicker killed a colt in training to become a doctor." Celestia explained softly.

I gasped, "But he was a traitor!" I explained.

Celestia took a deep and looked at me with a kind yet stern gaze, "Let's go for a little walk, Sweetie Belle." The sun princess said before looking at Spike, "Why don't you help Twilight and Luna with battle plans?" she asked.

Spike nodded and began to jog back the way Celestia and he came.

Time: 4:00

Place: Underground Orchard

"I do love this place." Celestia said while using her magic to pluck two apples.

I nodded stiffly, wondering why Celestia brought me here.

As if reading my mind, Celestia smiled and gave me one of the bright red apples before motioning me to sit beneath an apple tree, "Now, what is your side of this murder mystery?" Celestia questioned, taking a small bite from her apple.

"Well, I overheard the nurses and doctor talking about selling Blossomforth's limbs to those zebras." I explained, saying the last word like it was poison.

The sun princess raised an eyebrow, "I thought you had a friend who was a zebra, Zecora was it?"

I took a large bite of my apple, "I'm talking about the others, besides what does this have to do with those traitors?" I questioned, bits of apple falling off of my chin and landing softly on the grass.

"I ask you this, because I wounder about how you think of them as traitors."

"They're going to sell her limbs to the zebras!"

Celestia shook her head, "Tell me this, would Blossomforth or anypony else have use for the already broken limbs?"

"No, but-"

"So how does this count as treachery?"

"They're helping the enemy!"

Celestia sighed and stood up, "Countless of my soldiers have been saved by these zebras." The princess informed before taking one more bite of her apple and tossing it onto the ground.

I stared at my half eaten apple, pondering on what Celestia had just said. Is it true? Were Cloudkicker and I just over reacting? I sighed and jumped onto my hooves. I needed to speak to my sister, maybe she can give me some words of advice.

Celestia smiled at me and placed a hoof onto my shoulder, "I'm sure she'll give you good advice, Sweetie Belle."

I looked up at the sun princess in surprise, "How did you?"

"I can see it in your eyes." she explained before lighting her horn and teleporting away.

Time: 4:10

Place: Base

My hoofsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway. I chuckled a little, for these hallways always seemed to be empty. Suddenly,  I came to my destination and opened the door ever so slightly to see if she was in our bunker. Luckily she was.

"Rarity, can I talk to you?" I asked.

My sister looked up at me from her sewing machine and smiled, "Sure Sweetie, but can you please make it quick? I'm really busy fixing Shinning Armor's armor." Rarity explained.

I looked at her in confusion, "Doesn't base two have tailors?" I questioned, like griffin camps, us ponies have bases scattered across Equestria. They're either built into something hard or underground in case a worst case scenario happens and ponies have to evacuate from the battlefield.

"Base two is under attack, so they don't have time for a tailor. So, I decided to take the job." Rarity informed, "Now what did you want to ask me?"

I took a deep breath and looked directly into my sister's eyes, "Do you think that zebras are bad?" I questioned.

My sister raised an eyebrow, "Don't you remember Zecora?"

I sighed, "I'm not talking about Zecora, I'm talking about the other zebras."

Rarity frowned, "I wouldn't call them bad per say, but they can defiantly take a bath or two. When I was on the battlefield helping Fluttershy gather the injured soldiers, I had a run in with a small group of zebras who looked like they haven't had a proper bath in a very long time."

I sighed in frustration, this was getting me nowhere, "Thank you, sister." I grumbled, trying to conceal my sarcasm.

"Of course." Rarity replied before getting back to work.

Maybe I should go check to see how Cloudkicker is. I thought to myself before heading out the door. However, before I was halfway out, my sister teleported in front of me.

"Sweetie Belle, can you deliver Shinning Armor's armor for me?" she questioned.

"You're already done with it?" I gasped. I know she works fast, but that's gotta be some record.

"Of course I am Sweetie Belle." Rarity huffed, clearly taking my words as an insult, "So will you? I would do it myself, however I now have to fix Ditzy's saddle bag."

I nodded happily, eager to take the job and show my sister that I can be helpful.

"Great, base two is located in Appaloosa. Since it's kinda far away, I'd recommend taking a friend." Rarity informed while gently placing the armor into my saddle bag.

"Got it." I replied before dashing out the door and heading to Cloud's bunker. Hoping that she'd come with me.

Time: 4:25

Place: Cloudkicker's Bunker

"Cloud?" I asked as I opened the door.

"Come in."

Once I walked into her room, I gasped in disbelief as I saw Cloudkicker and Blossomforth half passed out on a couch. A bottle of Wild Horse in one hoof, and Blossomforth in the other.

"What the hell happened to you two?" I asked while levitating two empty bear bottles into a bin.

"We *Hick* were celebrating *Hick* Blossom's recovery." Cloud replied while running a hoof through her friend's mane.

I facehoofed, maybe taking Cloudkicker with me isn't such a good idea.

"What do you want?" Blossom questioned sleepily, nuzzling Cloud's chest.

"Uh, oh nothing." I replied quickly, "Have fun you two." I said before trotting out the door. Maybe I can ask Applejack if she wants to come with me.

"Or I can come with you."

I turned around and gasped in surprise as I saw Pinkie Pie's cousin, Surprise, bouncing in place.

Surprises was a pony with..well, many surprises up her sleeve. The energetic whiter pegasus had a bright, puffy yellow mane and tail. Her light violet eyes held a foalish gleam that even her enemies have a hard time not to crack a smile, and had three purple balloons as her cutie mark. Surprise wore her famous pink shirt that Pinkie Pie made her, a small vile of ghost pepper juice strung around her neck, and wore a saddle bag probably filled with all sorts of poisons.

"How did you know about my mission?" I asked.

The white pegasus laughed, "Silly, you know better then anypony not to question the Pie family logic." Surprise stated, "So can I come? I'm soooobooooaaarrd."

I shrugged, "Fine by me, I guess."

"Yes!" Surprise shouted, tackling me to the ground with a bear hug, "This is gonna be so much fun!"

What did I just get myself into? I wondered.