Time's Cruelty

  Altogether, everyone stood on the battlefield. It was two days later and General Whirlpool stood in front of everyone with a stiff expression. His emotions usually showed anger or disappointment, although everyone knew that wasn't the case.

  "Alright, everypony! Attention!" General Whirlpool demanded.

  "Yes, sir!" came the reply.

  "We are going to go over some war techniques!" General Whirlpool explained. "Follow my lead as best as you can!"

  "Are you ready?" Colonel Whirlwind asked.

  "Twilight?" Fluttershy asked. "Where's Rainbow Dash?"

  "Oh! Remember? She's training with the other Wonderbolts now!" Twilight reminded her.

  "Oh yeah!" Pinkie Pie smiled. "I hope she's having better luck than we are learning these moves!"

  "Definitely," Rarity chortled.

  "Show me a thrust attack!" General Whirlpool hollered.

   "Hah!" Everypony thrusted their spears forward in obedience.

   Fluttershy squeaked and fell forwards onto the ground. Her spear fell onto the ground in front of her and was muddied by the damp soil on the field. Her coat and mane were also splashed with a few specks of dirt.

  "Fluttershy, up!" General Whirlpool commanded.

  "Yes, sir!" Fluttershy sputtered with an awkward salute. She stood and attempted to brush herself off, although the dirt in her coat and mane remained.

  "Sir, she isn't going to make it," Colonel Whirlwind said with a shake of his head. "Should we just send her home?"

   Twilight immediately jumped in. "No, no, no, no! My friends aren't going home on my watch! I need them to stay where I know they're safe."

   "Of course, your majesty," General Whirlpool replied with a stammer. "But---"

   "Fluttershy will stay here, alright?" Twilight said firmly.

   "Yes, your highness," General Whirlpool and Colonel Whirlwind said in unison.

   As the two commanding officers continued to train the ponies, Fluttershy cast an uncertain glance at Twilight.

   "Twilight, you didn't have to do that," Fluttershy told her. "I could've gone home."

   "I know, but I want you where I know you're safe," Twilight explained. "I'd rather know you're safe than put you where I don't know if you're protected or not."

   "Like Starlight Glimmer?" Fluttershy asked.

   Twilight sighed and nodded. "Yes. Exactly. Ever since she went on the run with Sunburst, she never replied to a single letter I sent her. I don’t even know if they’re alive."

   Pinkie Pie cut her way into the conversation, even though she didn't mean to. "What if they aren't?!"

   "Then... I don't want to think about that," Twilight fretted.

   "Alright, let's move onto the next technique!" General Whirlpool bellowed. "Everypony, show me a lunge!"

   Flurry Heart, Pumpkin Cake, and Pound Cake watched curiously from behind a wall of bricks. It was likely that the wall was used as a fort during battle.

   Flurry Heart turned to her friends. "So, should we let them know we're here now?"

   "Oh, can we?" Pound Cake begged. "I'm so tired of just watching. Let's get in on the action!"

   Pound Cake began to fly over to get in on the action, but Pumpkin Cake held him back with her magic.

   "Hold on now, Pound Cake!" Pumpkin Cake warned. "We can't just interrupt their practice!"

   "Then, when do we go?" Pound Cake asked impatiently.

   "When it's time for bed, we can meet Twilight and her friends and show them we're here," Pumpkin Cake said.

   "I'm nervous," Flurry Heart sighed. "I’ve never been so far away from my parents before. The farthest I’ve ever been from them is a town away. I mean, when we visited, you always came to the Crystal Empire. When I came to visit you, my parents joined me. I miss home already."

  "Don't be so nervous, Flurry Heart," Pumpkin Cake comforted. "I know it's pretty nerve wracking to be so far from home."

   "Are you kidding? This is awesome!" Pound Cake exclaimed.

   Pumpkin Cake shot Pound Cake a glare. She gritted her teeth. "Not. Helping."

   Pound Cake rolled his caramel brown eyes. Flurry Heart stifled a giggle.

   "Just take a few deep breaths," Pumpkin Cake advised. "It always helps me when I'm nervous to help costumers or bake a new recipe."

   "And you failed miserably at making the new rainbow layered cake for Rainbow Dash's birthday last year," Pound Cake reminded her with a snicker. "Remember that?"

   "Ugh, don't remind me," Pumpkin Cake muttered.

   "Alright, I'm ready," Flurry Heart told them, taking a deep breath.

   "Great work today, soldiers!" rang the voice of General Whirlpool. "Head off to bed! Move out!"

   "Yes, sir!" the ponies said.

   The ponies murmured to each other as they shuffled to their dorms. Their aching bodies were overpowering all the other thoughts in their brain and they knew they wouldn't get another break tomorrow.

   "Whew, I think that's our cue," Pound Cake said with a sigh of relief.

   "Alright, everypony. After me," Pumpkin Cake told them.

   Together, the three friends walked nervously to Twilight and her friend's dorm.

   Flurry Heart drew in a breath and mustered up her courage. She knocked on the door.

   "Come in!" invited the cheerful voice of Twilight.

   Flurry Heart opened the door and the three ponies stepped inside cautiously.

   Twilight gasped in shock. "Flurry Heart?! Pumpkin Cake?! Pound Cake?!" She paused while she looked around frantically. "What are you doing here?"

   "I was drafted, Aunt Twilight!" Flurry Heart admitted.

   "Drafted?" Twilight sputtered. "General Whirlpool and Colonel Whirlwind really should be more mindful of who they choose!"

   "What do you mean?" Flurry Heart questioned.

   "Flurry Heart..." Twilight said. "We can't lose you."

   "But I have no choice," Flurry Heart claimed. "I can't go home now. I came all the way here from the Crystal Empire. My dad is still protecting our castle with a force field. If I tried to go home now, I wouldn't be able to go inside."

   "Well, the Crystal Empire is very desolate and dangerous by now," Twilight replied. "You and your family are the only ones who remain now, right?"

   Flurry Heart nodded. "Just me and my parents."

   "Well, going home doesn't same like an option now," Twilight gave in. "Stay safe here, Flurry Heart. Promise me?"

   "I promise, Aunt Twilight," Flurry Heart assured.

   Flurry Heart and Twilight embraced. Flurry Heart enjoyed it. It had been a long time since she had seen her aunt and felt her warm embrace. It comforted her and made her feel safe and secure.

   "Now, onto the Cake Twins," Twilight said as the hug gradually broke. "Aren't your parents on the Baltimare base?"

   Pumpkin Cake's heart pounded as a million excuses ran through her mind. She struggled to come up with an answer. "Um..."

  "Oh, we weren't drafted, Princess Twilight," Pound Cake told her bluntly. "Pumpkin Cake and I came her by choice to stay by Flurry Heart's side." He puffed up his chest and swelled with pride.

   "Pound Cake!" Pumpkin Cake chided. "What's wrong with you?"

   "What?!" Twilight exclaimed. "If you weren't drafted into this base, I'd say the best option is to go home. Trust me. Your life will be much easier there."

   "But Princess Twilight!" Pound Cake cried. "Flurry Heart is our friend! Friends always stick together!"

   "Of course!" Flurry Heart agreed. "That's what you always taught me, right?"

   Twilight sighed and let a groan escape her mouth. "I guess you’ve got a point. Alright. You’re free to stay. But don’t get hurt. I really don’t want to explain to the Cakes that you died by running off to war without permission."

  "Relax!" Pound Cake exclaimed with confidence. "We got this! It's in the bag! Right, Pumpkin Cake?"

  "I don't know," Pumpkin Cake said. "I sure hope so."

  "Stop!" Pound Cake complained. "You're making us look uncertain in front of Princess Twilight!"

   "Just don't get hurt, okay?" Twilight warned.

   "We won't," Flurry Heart assured. "No worries."

   "Goodnight," Twilight said. "Get some rest for tomorrow. It'll be a busy day."

   "Agreed," Pumpkin Cake replied. "Goodnight, Twilight."

   Flurry Heart, Pumpkin Cake, and Pound Cake left. Twilight gave them a smile as she saw the door shut behind them.

   In the Wonderbolts arena, Spitfire was leading the Wonderbolts team in fighting. Spitfire still came off as bossy and intimidating, but she was nothing compared to General Whirlpool.

   "Attention, Wonderbolts!" Spitfire hollered. "It's time to train for the battle we will be fighting soon! As a Wonderbolt, you must have the strength, speed, agility, precision, and courage to fight!"

   "Yes, ma'am!" the Wonderbolts exclaimed.

   "Alright, here's the drill," Spitfire said. "You will choose a partner who will be your partner in training for the rest of the war. You and your partner will help each other with the techniques and support and protect each other! Understood?

   "Yes, ma'am!" the Wonderbolts repeated.

   "Find your partner! Go!" Spitfire exclaimed. Spitfire blew her whistle and the sound echoed around the walls of the arena.

   The Wonderbolts easily teamed up with each other, except for Rainbow Dash who looked around at her teammates uncertainly. Sure, she knew her team well, but she hadn't grown as close to them as she wanted to. Rainbow Dash looked around a bit more and finally caught sight of Soarin Skies who found this awkward as well. They knew they only had each other. Soarin gathered his courage and trotted over to her.

   "Hey, Rainbow Dash," Soarin greeted.

    Rainbow Dash sighed and slightly turned away. "Hey, Soarin."

   "Hey, I'm sorry for our incidents in the past," Soarin told her sincerely. "I blamed you for tricking Spitfire when it was really Wind Rider and I didn't realize how upset you were during your first week here. Please, can we move past it? You’re the only one left I have for a partner."

   Rainbow Dash saw the sincerity in his eyes and gave in with a small smile. "Well... alright. We can move past it."

   "Great!" Spitfire said. "Wonderbolts, get with your partner! We're going to be doing some fighting with the staffs."

   Spitfire passed out the staffs to each member of the team. Rainbow Dash picked hers up and studied it curiously. Soarin held his readily.

   "Now, staffs are great practice for the war," Spitfire explained. "Once you become experienced with a staff, you’ll be more prepared to fight with a spear. Your partner is now your opponent. Whoever is the standing pony at the end of the fight wins. Ready? Go!" Spitfire blew her whistle.

   Rainbow Dash grinned. "You're going down!" Her competitive spirit would never leave her.

   "In your dreams!" Soarin teased.

   Rainbow Dash and Soarin begun to fight, their staffs clashing against each other like swords. Rainbow Dash's moves were amazingly speedy and agile. Soarin had a hard time keeping up with her. Soarin managed to knock Rainbow Dash back a bit to her surprise.

   "Ha! I'm winning!" Soarin bragged.

   "What do you mean you're winning?!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

   They continued to duel. Right as Soarin made an attack, Rainbow Dash thrust her staff in front of her and Soarin's move was blocked.

   "Nice block!" Soarin complimented with a laugh.

   "Try topping that, Clipper!" Rainbow Dash teased.

   Soarin cringed when he heard his embarrassing nickname, but shrugged it off. Rainbow Dash had an embarrassing reputation as well and he could use it against her. When they had first joined the Wonderbolts team, they had made small mistakes that followed them for the rest of their time. Soarin had clipped his wing on a flagpole and earned himself the nickname "Clipper". Rainbow Dash had accidentally crashed into a trash can and they called her "Rainbow Crash". However, Rainbow Dash had that nickname given to her since fillyhood.

   Soarin decided to tease her with her own nickname. "Just you see what I can do, Crash!"

  While he was distracted by those thoughts, Rainbow Dash had grabbed his staff and hurled him to the ground.

  "Ha! I win!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

   Soarin gave a playful laugh. "Aw, man."

   Spitfire blew her whistle. "Great job today, Wonderbolts! You are dismissed!"

   Rainbow Dash walked down the halls of the Wonderbolts lockers. Soarin caught up to her.

   "Wait! Wait!" Soarin called.

   "Soarin? What are you doing?" Rainbow Dash inquired.

   "That was fun!" Soarin said. "Want to hang out sometime?"

   Rainbow Dash shrugged, nonchalantly. "Sure, I'd love to."

  "Okay, meet me on the practice field tonight," Soarin told her. "I want to show you something!"

   "Okay, see ya there!" Rainbow Dash said.

   Soarin waved and flew away.

   Rainbow Dash turned away and thoughts swirled around in her mind. "Hmm... what could he possibly want to show me?"

   Two of her teammates, Fleetfoot and Misty Fly, strolled by. Spitfire had joined them.

   "Hey, Dash!" Fleetfoot greeted. "You ready to grab some lunch in the dining hall?"

   "All the Wonderbolts are sitting next to each other!" Misty Fly said cheerily.

   "Yeah, I'll definitely sit with you!" Rainbow Dash agreed. "Can my friends join us?"

   "Well... I don't see why not," Spitfire decided.

   "Thank you so much, Captain Spitfire," Rainbow Dash replied.

   Rainbow Dash turned and went to get her friends for lunch.

   Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, and Rarity sat together in their dorm. They sat in a circle on Twilight's bed.

   "Does anypony want to remember the good old days and play I Spy?" Pinkie Pie asked hopefully.

   "I think we're all better off forgetting them," Applejack sighed.

   Rainbow Dash opened the door and flew into the room. "Hey, it's almost dinnertime... are you girls okay?"

   "Of course we are, Rainbow," Twilight replied. "We just... miss the times we didn't have to worry about this war."

   "Yeah," Rainbow Dash agreed, letting sadness appear in her eyes. "Do you remember the song Twilight used to sing to us?"

   Every one of Twilight's friends nodded. "Yeah!"

   "Oh, I loved when Twilight sang that song," Fluttershy reminisced.

   "I almost forgot about that," Twilight admitted. "We can just take a moment to remember..."

   Twilight and her friends thought back to the times in the throne room where Twilight had sung them a song she had made for them. It told them exactly what she thought. Twilight loved each of her friends for who they were and every time she saw them accomplish something, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride. Because of that, Twilight knew they truly felt like family.

   "Don't worry," Twilight assured them, snapping them out of the flashback. "Even now, I don't think anything different. You'll always be shooting stars."

   "Aww..." her friends said.

   Everyone giggled and they gave each other a group hug.

   "Come on, we have to get to dinner now. Don’t want to miss out on the thing Soarin wants to show me later," Rainbow Dash said.

   "Ooh, what does Soarin want to meet you for?" Rarity asked with a hint of excitement. She thought it could be something romantic.

  Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. "It's not anything like that. He just wants to show me something."

   "Have fun later, Rainbow Dash!" Pinkie Pie said.

   "I will!" Rainbow Dash assured her.

   After dinner, Rainbow Dash was flying down to the Wonderbolts arena to meet Soarin. Excitement flowed through her as she wondered what might be in store. She hoped Soarin had something fun planned. Rainbow Dash saw the arena and landed. Soarin was already waiting for her.

   "Oh, hi, Rainbow Dash!" Soarin exclaimed. "Just who I wanted to see! Come, follow me!"

   Soarin eagerly took off into the air. Rainbow Dash followed him without hesitation. The sun disappeared behind the horizon and the moon took its place. The stars began to show themselves. The night had begun.

   "What did you want to show me?" Rainbow Dash questioned.

   Soarin panned his hoof across the sky as the wind whipped their manes back. "This is it."

   "The sky?" Rainbow Dash said with confusion. She arched an eyebrow.

   Soarin nodded and began to slow down letting Rainbow Dash soar yards ahead of him. "Slow down a bit, Rainbow Dash."

   "Slow down?" Rainbow Dash said. "Have you even met me?" She came back reluctantly.

  Soarin nodded and chuckled. "Trust me, I know your need for speed, Rainbow Dash. But just slow down for a second. I want to show you this."

   Rainbow Dash sighed and decided to take it slow for once.

   "When you really take your time to see the scenery as you fly, you can really appreciate the night sky’s beauty," Soarin explained. "Luna really needs more ponies who appreciate the night’s beauty."

   Rainbow Dash let the scenery fill her eyes and her eyes widened in awe. The moon gave the sky a beautiful purple glow and the stars twinkled softly. The stars felt comforting and the chirps of crickets filled the air.

   "I never imagined the night could be so... awesome," Rainbow Dash admitted.

   "Beautiful, isn't it?" Soarin said.

   Rainbow Dash nodded eagerly. "Soarin?"

   "Yeah?"

   "Thank you so much, Soarin. You know, it was kinda fun being here tonight. Flying fast and then slowing down to appreciate the sky."

   "Of course," Soarin said. "I hope this makes it up to you."

   Rainbow Dash giggled. "No worries, Soarin. It's all behind us now." A smug smile spread across her face. "Wanna race?"

  Soarin laughed. "You're on!"

   "On your mark, get set, go!" Rainbow Dash said quickly.

   As the two flew as fast as they could once more, Rainbow Dash soared ahead of Soarin with ease.

   "No fair!" Soarin exclaimed, huffing and puffing. "You got a head start!"

   Rainbow Dash laughed triumphantly as she saw Soarin quickly falling behind. Rainbow Dash won the race by almost a mile.

   "I won!" Rainbow Dash exclaimed.

   Soarin rolled his eyes with a teasing smile. "Yeah, yeah. You win. Great job."

   "Aw, don't be so upset," Rainbow Dash laughed with pride. "Wanna know something?"

   Soarin nodded. "Yeah."

  Rainbow Dash's expression grew solemn. "The only reason I achieved being a Wonderbolt and caught my dreams and won this race with you is..." There was a long dramatic pause. "I'm awesome!" she finished with a teasing smile.

   "Oh, wow!" Soarin exclaimed. "That was melodramatic, don't you think?"

   "Me? Dramatic?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You should hang out with Rarity sometime!"

   Soarin and Rainbow Dash laughed.

   "Well... we should get some rest," Rainbow Dash suggested. "Even though there's no battle tomorrow, I think Spitfire will work us at practice."

   "See ya later, Crash," Soarin said teasingly. "Goodnight."

   "Goodnight, Clipper," Rainbow Dash smirked.

   Soarin and Rainbow Dash waved to each other and went to their dorms.

   Discord lightly knocked on the door. "Fluttershy? Can I come in?"

   "Of course, Discord!" Fluttershy answered.

   Discord opened the door. "Hello, Fluttershy. I need to ask something very important of you."

   "What is it, Discord?" Fluttershy asked.

   "Twilight said we have to plan strategies to win this war," Discord told her with a roll of his eyes. "I think we're doing fine, don't you?"

   "Well... yes," Fluttershy admitted. "But what does Twilight mean by that?"

   "She means we're going to plan strategies," Discord repeated. He groaned. "She's so boring."

   "So, what was the question you needed to ask?" Fluttershy asked.

   "Oh, yes!" Discord remembered. "Fluttershy, I was wondering if you could help me out in planning the strategy."

   "Of course!" Fluttershy exclaimed with delight. "When do you want to meet?"

   "Let's meet tomorrow!" Discord said. "Meet me out on the practice field, alright?"

   Fluttershy nodded. "Alright, see you there, Discord!"

   Discord snapped his fingers and in a flash of light, he vanished. Fluttershy smiled as Rarity entered the room. A blush began to creep up Fluttershy's cheeks and warm her muzzle.

   "Fluttershy, dear?" Rarity said. "You look red, darling. Is it hot in here for you? I can ask General Whirlpool to turn the heat down."

   "Oh, I'm fine, Rarity!" Fluttershy claimed with embarrassment.

   "Are you alright?" Rarity questioned with a raised eyebrow.

   "Um... why wouldn't I be?" Fluttershy replied. "I'm fine."

   Rarity got what was bothering her and then smirked. "Oh, I see. You have a crush on somepony, don't you? You must---"

  "What?!" Fluttershy exclaimed. "No! No, I don't!"

  Rarity felt excitement bubble up inside of her. "Oh, this is so---!"

   Fluttershy immediately cut her off. "End of discussion!"

  Rarity pouted. "Fine." She smiled once more. "Later then."

  Rarity sat down on the bed. "Did you hear what Twilight said about coming up with strategies?"

  "Discord just told me about it," Fluttershy replied. "He said he wanted to meet me on the battlefield to come up with a strategy together."

  Rarity tried to get an answer from Fluttershy once again. "For any particular reason?"

  Fluttershy felt herself blush once more and shook her head. "N-no."

  "Alright," Rarity said giving in. "Well, good luck coming up on a strategy. Twilight asked us all to help her, so anything you and Discord come up with, make sure to tell Twilight! Alright?"

  "Got it!" Fluttershy said.

  "We must be ready for the next battle!" Rarity told her. "We just can't lose each other, Fluttershy."

   "Oh, goodness," Fluttershy worried. "I hope I'll be ready."

  "Don't worry," Rarity reassured her. "I'm sure we'll all be ready."

   "I'll try my best!" Fluttershy said with determination.

  Fluttershy drew in a breath and released it. She knew she had to come up with a strategy... before it was too late.