War for Equestria

Rainbow Dash closed her field journal, having written down yet another page detailing her frustrations about her surroundings. She stuffed the small black and white journal back under the pillow of her cot and stood up.

She grimaced as she observed her surroundings for the millionth time. The room itself was painted a dull and faded gray. There were several more cots besides hers in the room, each was a bunk style bed. They were each dressed up in the same depressing stained white pillows and scratchy green wool blankets. Along the wall beside each bed was a locker to place personal belongings into.

She heaved a sigh as she grabbed her battered blue army fatigues from the locker, slipping them on and exited out into the dimly lit hallway. The long fluorescent lights buzzed and gave off a muted light as she made her way through the living quarters, passing each of the various rooms on either side of her.

Each room was exactly the same. Rows of cots, each with the same stained pillows and wool blankets. This makeshift base of theirs had, at one time, been built for the purpose of housing ponies during a nuclear disaster.

Stables, Rainbow Dash thought as she recalled the stories about them. She exited the living quarters and descended a flight of stairs, coming into a mess hall sort of area.

Along one wall was a small kitchen that only authorized cooks were allowed to enter. The other wall was lined with worn red benches. A few ponies sat at the benches eating various foods off of steel serving trays. Rainbow Dash approached the serving area of the kitchen and grabbed a tray.

Through the long open window of the service area, she could see a small stove with a couple of pots cooking food to be eaten later. Also in the kitchen was a moderately sized fridge with a small pantry just beside it. Just above the stove sat a crudely made wooden spice rack that was depressingly barren. She was shaken from her thoughts as she realized the cook was talking to her.

"... to eat, miss Dash?" He asked. She shook her head to clear it.

"I-I'm sorry... what was it?" She answered.

He chuckled lightly.

"What would you like to eat, miss Dash?" He asked again.

She managed a weak smile.

"Just an apple and some cider will do, Joe." She replied as the cook brought out a magically grown apple and some cider made from the same apples.

He set the items on her tray and waved to her as she made her way to one of the benches and took a seat beside a pink earth pony with dull flat hair. She sat down and sighed again as she listened to the hum of the generators that kept the place lit. When she sat down, the pink earth pony stood and saluted her.

"Good morning captain Dash!" The earth pony yelled as Dash took a bite of her apple and lazily saluted back.

"At ease, Corporal Pie." Rainbow Dash replied.

The earth pony dropped her hand and sat back down.

"The soldiers are awaiting you in the training room for daily drills ma'am." Corporal Pie said.

"Thanks..." Rainbow Dash replied with a roll of her eyes.

The same routine everyday had taken its toll on her mental state, making the slightest thing such as waking up, a chore. Rainbow Dash finished her apple and polished off her cider and stood.

"Corporal Pie, inform the soldiers I will be with them momentarily. I have business to take care of first." Rainbow Dash said.

"Right away, Captain Dash!" Corporal Pie saluted and ran off in the direction of the training facility.