Equestria AM (after magic)

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War Never Changes

AJ sat  atop a hill, frowning at the devastation that she had helped create. Blood stains filed the streets, and buildings layed  in heaps of lumber and stone. And it was all her fault. She was the mare to blame to all the anarchic and death that now plagued Appaloosa.

She had thought, had hoped, that with her fifty soldiers, the battle would be swiftly won, with vary few, if any, casualty’s. A sort of ragtag attack. In and out, hit hard and fast, so that they could force surrender.

Being wrong had never bothered her all that much, at least not as much as, say, Twilight or Rainbow Dash. But this was the worst possible thing she could have been wrong about, and everypony knew it.

What was to be an easy battle to retake a tiny town, became a massiker. Reports said there where 20 zebras holding the small, desert town of earth pony farmers. 50 on 20 should have been easy as baking an apple tart.

But, the zebras had an ace up there sleeves, (or wherever zebras hide cards in poker). while the rebels where sneaking up to retake the small farm town, 20 zebras flew out of the town, right towards AJ's troops. The sight left them all dumbfounded, starring up at the winged zebras, right up until they unleashed a barrage of magic bolts on them.

It was a disaster. Sure they had won, but at the price of 37 casualty’s. 37 pones left dead, or nearly so.  Apple Jack wouldn’t even fare attacking 5 zebra warriors if they where to attack what her plan had left of the small town.

She had sent word to the red herd about the situation, hoping that some of fluttershys people where someplace close by.

The red herd where a group dedicated to helping others. created when the was first started, they bided there time going from battle field to battle field helping any who had been effects by the tragedy. They offered consoling to those who have lost loved ones, and treatment to the physically and mentally wounded.

She hoped that they would send a few of there doctors and nurses to help the wounded. Sure, they wouldn’t help unless the could fix up the enemy zebras to, but at least she wouldn’t have to see more of her friends put underground.

It warmed her heart, seeing the town of earth pones, many of which where her relatives, bandaging and medicating the wounded, and making repairs on the damages buildings.  Sure, none of them had magic or wings, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t lend a hoof.

Lost in thought, Apple Jack hadn’t even noticed that rainbow had flown up beside her, standing with her at the overlook. AJ jumped when she looked over to see the rainbow maned mare suddenly standing beside her.

“pht...ha ha ha ha ha, you jumped like six feet!” Rainbow cried, laughing. “you-you should have seen, your face! Hahaha!”

“Rainbow!” Applejack shouted, causing Rainbow to stop what she was doing.

“it...really wasn’t that funny.” Rainbow said, biting her lip to keep from giggling.

“yea, right...” Applejack said, again looking out at the ruined town before her.

“Why are you so down, Apple Jack? Aren’t you happy? Come on, we won!” Rainbow said, patting Apple Jack on the back. “If Pinkie Pie where here, she would already be throwing us the biggest town freeing party ever.”

“Well, yea, I guess so.” Apple Jack said, picking at the ground with her hoof. “Its just that...we led 37 pones to get hurt, even killed, because we didn’t know that zebras had some flying magic. its bad enough they have saddle mounted spell blasters, but now... If we had been more prepared, even spoken to Zecora for a few minutes, we could have been ready.”

Rainbow sighed, and put a hoof around apple jacks shoulder, and sighed. “This is a war, Apple Jack. And the fact is, war isn’t a pretty thing. Its bloody, horrible, and terrifying. But, if you cant find happiness in the little things, and hold onto it, you will loss yourself. The depression will tear you apart from the inside. And that is when, and only when, the zebras win.”

Apple Jack looked up at her friend, and smiled the first real smile she had in days. “Thanks Rainbow.”

“No prob. And That, is why they call me loyalty.”

“Ha ha, yea. its funny to think we only got these jobs because of our elements. Darn spys have been tipping off the zebras.”

"I heard about that. smart to have honesty and loyalty be in charge of an attack."

"yea." apple jacks smile slowly faded as she ralized rainbow didnt fly all the way up there to chat. She sighed, closeing her eyes, and asked. “You didn’t come up here to give me a pep talk though, did you?”

“Nope. The people of Appaloosa have offered to join our ranks. If we can arm them, that gives us...fify... minus thery-sevi...umm.... 27 men.” she said grinning. “did I do good, or what?”

“Rainbow, that’s great news! Send out our fasted flier,” Apple Jack said, as Rainbows smile widened farther. “That isn’t you, to have camp sent us more weapons.”

“Wow, you know how to shot a girl out of the sky, don’t you?” rainbow asked, giving her wings a flap. “Alright, anything else?”

“Send a messenger to twilight. I’m betting if any pony knows something about that wing magic, it'll be her.”

Fluttershy moved through her clinic, moving from patient to patient to make sure they were all doing well. Sometimes they would ask for a drink of water, or ask about a loved one or someone from there platoon. Most times, however, they just nodded and thanked her. Sometimes they did more then that, making fluttershy feel vary uncomfortable.

The ruble of Detrot city was like nothing fluttershy had ever seen. The town was left in ruin by the giant battle. Building lied in heaps, ruble congested the streets. And even worst, where the pones and zebras who were hurt in the battle.

When she first started the red herd, she told herself that is she could change one pones life, then she would be happy. The fact that the red herd was giving aid to all the pones and zebras hurt in combat warmed her heart.

Nothing put a bigger smile on her face then telling some pony that there friend or loved one was going to be perfectly alright. It made her feel almost as good as helping the hurt pones out in the first place.

Sadly, it wasn’t true for all of them. Earlier that morning, a stallion had come in looking for his brother. having checked everywhere else in the Detrot city, he figured he would be at the temporary clinic. Fluttery couldn’t even think about giving them the news without getting emotional. Luckily for her, rarity had steeped in and let them down easy.

The idea of having to tell some pony that they had lost a loved one, a friend, or a family member was nearly enough to put Fluttershy to tears. With Rarity off to help apple jack, it was only a matter of time until she would have to give some pony the bad news.

The temporary clinic they had set up looked like something out a horror movie. He beds where mostly piles of blood stained blankets, scavenged from the ruins of houses and stores. The actual clinic was made up of a few dozen tarps, help up but metal poles. It wasn’t much, but it was better then the collapsed hospital.

They where understaffed, overwhelmed by all the wounded that keep making there way there, and, painfully low on meds.

She had her unicorns doing there best with healing magic, but the zebras wouldn’t let them cast it on them. And some wounds where to bad for magic alone. It was an uphill battle, and vary soon they would be treating people in the streets, but wasn’t worried.

Where ever you turned, you would see zebras and rebels working together, offering what little help they could to make a difference. The aftermath of the battle brought a unity to those who suffered on it. If only the two races could be united otherwise...

The helpers might not have been doctors, but they had a growing number of field medics from both sides who kept showing up. Some of them even knew how to treat combat wounds better then the red herds own doctors.

It warmed fluttershys heart, but not enough to wipe the determined and tired look off her face. They had been at if for nearly two days, and in that two days, they all learned two things. You cant save every pony, and coffee is a great substitute for sleep.

“Help! Some pony help us!”

Fluttershy raced through the clinic, not even thinks as she dodged volunteers, and weaved around beds, searching for the source of the voice. In seconds, fluttershy had left the safety and comfort of the tarp that had kept the rain and sun off of them and the wounded, into the wasteland that was detrot city.

In front of her, was the demolished buildings that had once made up town square. The once lush and beautiful down center was now decimated and bleak. Nothing but gray stone and brown dirt.

In the distance, two figures where trudging towards the tent. A stallion, and a zebra, walking side by side. It wasn’t the two walking towards her that worried her, but what was laying across the stallions back. A bright purple pagasi mare lied motionless, supported by the barely conscious pony carrying her. She appear to be soundly sleeping on the backs of the two strong men. fluttershy knew better.

Futtershy broke into a gallop, leaving a cloud of kicked up dirt and ash in her wake. The distance the little yellow pony had covered left the stallion in awe, until he fell over on his side, sending the purple mare rolling off of his back.

Fluttershy crouched down beside the mare and checked her vital signs. Then, she did the same with the stallions.

“umm, excuse me, zebra, sir?” Fluttershy asked, looking over at the stripped creature.

the zebra looked at the pony for a moment, studying her, and nodded.

“would you mind terribly, about going into the clinic, and searching for a unicorn named sunray. Shes my vary best healer, and I just know she can help these pones better then I can.”

the zebra simply nodded, and ran off towards the clinic, quickly disappearing in a cloud of dirt, dust, and ash.

Fluttershy jumped as the stallion got to his feet.

“Oh, im sorry I startled you.” he said, giving her a small smile.

“Oh, um, its alright. What are your names.”

“I’m apple seed. As fer her, I don’t know in the slightest. I just found her laying in the street under some rubble.” He said, breathing heavily. “Is she gonna to be ok?”

“I need to see whats wrong with her first, but don’t worry. I promise, you'll be the first to know.”

Fluttershy gasped, pulling her hoof away from the back of the purple mares neck. Her hoof had changed from its normal, bright yellow, to a sickly crimson.

“Oh dear celestia!” The stallion said, falling onto his side.

“Oh my.” Fluttershy said, looking at the pony who had just fainted in front of her. She understood being a little unnerved by the sight of blood, by she had never actually seen a pony faint from seeing it. In itself, in was a little unnerving.

“Fluttershy!” A mare yelled from behind. She locked back to see a bright yellow unicorn, with a first aid saddle bag hanging out of her mouth. A zebra fallowed shortly behind her.

The yellow mare sat down across from fluttershy, on the other side of the purple patient. “What happened to her?” Sunray asked.

“I think she may have hit her head off of something. Could you, maybe, take her inside and try to slow the bleeding. Then, umm, use your X-ray spell to make sure her brain isn’t bused to badly. If you wouldn’t mind.”

“I'm on it.” She said, wrapping the pagisi in an aura of green magic.

“Mr. zebra, can you help me get this stallion inside please?”

The zebra only nodded.

Fluttershy hated the harshness of the world she now found herself living in. Every day she had to go though watching pones die. Watching loved ones hear the bad news. She could only imagine what it would feel like for the ones who planed the attacks.

Worst part was, the rebels attempt at making things like they use to be was making things even worse. Every battle since the zebras took over was caused by the rebels, fighting to take back what they had lost. Every innocent pony...

But she cant blame them for fighting. The zebras have princes Luna and princes celestia. They banned the use of magic to all none government officials, and the organization she had governed. And they took over the rule of cloudsdale, ordering them to change the weather as they saw fit.

But that doesn’t justify it all. the fighting has to stop, or soon, there would be no pones left for her to save.