Brave New World

Moonlight Shadow:

My name is Moonlight Shadow, or at least, it’s supposed to be. Here I am known as 11 Charlie, simple code name. Here, everypony has a code name, everypony dressed in black NLR armor, and where nopony knows who you are. We’re here for a rebellion against a government that controls society, yet we’re tossed around like disposable soldiers. They say we’ll be treated wonderfully after we take control, but that’s what they’ve said for years. No war efforts have gone anywhere and seem to still be going nowhere and fast.

Our camp sat just outside of the Everfree Forest by Great Nimbus Lake. It had sat there for months now. We’ve been planning a move to make, but haven’t came to much of a conclusion on a good advance.

I was making my nightly walk of the camp. Not a single smile struck a face of anypony outside. Whether they had been taking it lightly, or working on war efforts, no sign of happiness had been present in such a melancholy place. Hope had seemed to have gone away just as fast as supplies, strategies, and overall determination among the rebel army.

Finishing my walk, I had walked out to my favorite hill just outside of the camp. The view of the moon that our General Luna had brought up for us each night was perfect between the naked trees surrounding the hill and a perfect place for me to smoke a Mareboro each night to look up at the sky and think.

Yeah, I had smoked, but not to look cool or because I loved it so much. It’s because it was one of the only things that kept me from going on a rampage. It kept me cool, calm, and collect while I had my nighttime thinking sessions.

“I thought I’d find you out here.” Night Star, a girl I had known since childhood, and the only one I know her actual name, stood at the foot of the hill. “You know the Sergeant won’t be happy if he finds you smoking out here.”

“Yeah, well he’s gonna hafta get over it, because I don’t care. He can shoot his fire at me day and night if he needs to. You know I’ll snap if I don’t come out here.”

“I know.” By now she had sat down at the top of the hill next to me. “I just wish you saw more chance in our war efforts.”

“Chance? What chance is there? We’ve been trying to take down the ‘high and mighty Solar Empire’ for 10 years now. We haven’t gotten any closer to taking anyone.”

“Yeah, but there’s absolutely no way we’ll get anything done with an attitude like that.”

“What use will optimism do? I’ll be dead by next week, like the rest of us who are wiped out.”

“Fine then Shadow, I’ll let you sit up here being pessimistic. I won’t bug you if you want to be left alone.”

“It’s alright. The company is one of the things that keeps me from killing myself.”

“Okay, but we’ll wanna get back down to camp before our curfew. We don’t want the patrols to come and find us out here. You know what’ll happen for repeated disobedience.”

“The hypocrites can get over themselves.” It had been the irony of this war that the rebel force against control is more controlling than the government we were attempting to overthrow. “I don’t think my life will see another happy day. I’m going to make the best of what I can before I’m executed by the monsters running our military.”

“Don’t say that! Our wonderful Princess Luna is a saint.”

“I don’t object to Luna. She’s the only one above us who knows what they’re doing. Sergeant Flash can get over his high egoed ass, and start acting like a real leader.”

“Are you really going to say that about the son of such an important colt?”

“Our Sergeant does NOT live up to his father’s name. His father is a great colt, and a war hero. It’s too bad he’s working for the Solar Empire. It almost makes me wanna leave this repulsive military and switch to the other empire of control, but at this point, I guess I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. We should probably get back to our tent. It’s almost our curfew time.”

“I’m almost done with my cigarette. Just let me finish.”

“Alright, but don’t take too long. You may not care about what the Serg thinks of you, but I’d rather not have him shooting fireballs at my hooves.”

“Calm your flank. We can go now.” I put the fire out and tossed the butt into the grass. “Let’s go.” We came down to the outside of camp, and the patrol guards were just on their way to start their night scouting.

“Where are you two coming from?”

“We were only out for a walk, sirs. We stayed close to the camp.”

“Just make sure you go out without your Republic Armor. If you go out without it, you’d simply be civilians to any possible Solars..”

“We will keep that in mind, sirs.”

“You know what time it is. Get to your tents before anypony else stops you.” The two guards trotted passed for their nightly scouting of the grounds.

Luckily for us, our  tents were just outside the gate we left from. Luckily, Princess Luna let us pick who we’d stay in tents with. I shared a tent with Star and only her. She was the only one I had any respect for here other than Princess Luna and a few of the guards. Anyone else, I wouldn’t care if they died tomorrow. I guess that’s how everypony else felt about me as well. “Have you ever considered how disposable we’re treated here?”

“No. Of course not. Princess Luna loves all of her soldiers fighting for her.”

“Yeah, Luna does, but not our ‘Sergeant.’ Sometimes I think he wants us dead.”

“I’m not sure. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand Sergeant Flash. But I guess we should get some sleep. We don’t wanna wake up late again.”

“Alright. Goodnight.”

“Night...”