The Storms of War

Dear Mom,

I know you wont want to hear this, but I wont be coming home. I really wish I could, but I need to have some time to sort things out. I hear you and Azure Skies have hit it off pretty well, and I am happy for you. When I can, I will visit, but for now, I just need to settle down somewhere new. I think I am going to maybe go to Manehatten, or Los Pegasus. Maybe Ponyville. There are jobs out there, and I just want something that will keep me from thinking about... the war. I am fine, really.

The doctors say that I probably wont fly anymore, I got injured pretty bad in the last battle. I have trouble breathing, but they say that will go away in time. For now, I will keep in touch with mail, and I will send you more money if I need it. The army will keep me afloat on half-pay for a while until it can be sorted out, so don’t worry about me at all.

Love, Steel Wing.

I sat back in the sickbay of the ship that was taking us back home. I still hurt, badly, but I had refused all offers of morphine, telling the doctors to give it to someone who needed it, like the mare who had lost both of her legs to a landmine. I didn’t now what to do, really, and I had hardly spoken to anyone since I woke up two days ago. From what I had heard, the war eneded last week, when Bristlebeak was assassinated, and his replacement begged Celestia to accept a surrender. With Chineigh rolling in on once side and the threat of celestias new weapon being deployed, he really didn’t have a choice. Proud warriors they may be, but in the face of utter destruction, they fell.

Bubbles was in the bed next to mine, but they still had a breathing tube in him. He had looked bad on the battlefield, but he had survived two shots to the chest. Iron Hoof on the other hand... he lay under a shroud down below. He had taken over twelve shots to the chest, all of them very small calibur but still... it hadn’t been a Luger, but some variation of .22 that carried a twenty four round box. And he still managed to best a highly trained operative.

I shook my head. It was all just a game. We were all already dead, we just had to wait for our card to show up. Reaching down, I undid the lid on my hip flask. Taking a long draft of whiskey, I winced at the burn, but enjoyed its mind-numbing effects. I was going to enjoy it a lot more when I got back home.

Home... what was that now? For the past most of a year, home had been the army. They trained us all up for a war that lasted only five months, five months that killed over three million people on our side alone. Saddle Arabia, Prance, Austnaeighia, Afneighistan, Ireign... all of those small places with even more fighting. Places there was STILL fighting at. What now? Where did I go from there? I couldn’t go back home, not like this.

I reached up, running my fingers along the scars on my face. They were still red and puckered, oozing sometimes when my face stretched. A few swigs of whiskey later, and I settled back in.

I really missed Blaze.

“Breaking news! Usurper Bristlebeak, who claimed the throne to Gryphany five years ago, was assassinated early this week by his nephew, who immediately sued for peace with Princess Celestia! Although it has yet to be formalized, we are, as of now, no longer at war with gryphany. Neighpan still continues its fight, but against both Chineigh and the Crystal Marine Corps, they are losing ground slowly but surely. Forces of the First Infantry broke the line at the Reighn, and at the threat of full invasion and the sacking of their lands, the Gryphons surrendered! The ship with the soldiers arriving home will be here soon!

It remains to be seen however, if the soldiers so well suited to war are welcomed back into an environment that is not in keeping with wartime conditions. Unrest and a demand to lower taxes has created a slightly tense air back in Equestria. Still, these are homecoming heroes! Welcome to the Defenders of Equestria!

This is Worldly News, bringing you News from Around the World, signing off.”