The light in the insanity
Author's Note
This is a story based on the Christmas Truce of 1914, I really recommend you go look it up. Happy holidays.
The light in the insanity
It's Hearth's Warming Eve today... the war was supposed to be over by now...
I opened my eyes at the first light of day, knowing fully well what day today was. I got up from her very comfortable sleeping posture on the wall. Fighting in Ponyville was just... so atrocious! All around me I could see the remains of a once lively town she called home. Nothing was spared after 4 months of bombardment, not even the crystal castle once home to now a deceased princess.
If the surroundings outside of the trenches were enough to dishearten a pony, the trenches itself would make you... let's say very demoralized. Over the past few weeks, the floor of the trenches were always flooded with no pegasi daring to stop the rain. Fighting with mud at the level with half of a hoof isn't the best feeling in the world, especially when the muddy exterior collapsed and buried some of our ponies alive. Even our rations had to be hung up so as to not contaminate them with the mud. The ultimate failure of an offensive on the Equalists earrlier this week also bogged the army down.
I stepped on the ground, expecting it to give in, but my hoof landed on solid ground.
"Well that was unexpected..." I looked up and finally saw it.
Snow!
Looks like the weather cooled itself and had hardened the mud.
"Oh Celestia, you really gave us a blessing today." I got up and walked to my station.
From my pocket, I took out a picture of my family.
I'm sorry my children... I can't celebrate Hearth's Warming Eve with you today. I miss you all so much... I held the photo closer to my chest, the tears soaking the photo.
"Hey Lucky, Lieutenant Sunrise called us for a very special package, she said it's from Luna herself!" I jumped from my position and went to receive my package.
Apparently I received two packages, the one received from Luna had delicious chocolate cake and the finest sweets from Canterlot. The second one was from... my family.
I opened the tin can and saw a note and three plain biscuits. The note read:
Dear Mama,
I know how terrible you might feel without Papa and us, so I saved up enough to buy biscuits for you. I'm taking good care of little brother, you don't have to worry about us for now, just keep fighting for our freedom.
With love
Your Favorite Child
A smile formed on my face. I'm so close to home now. After a shed of tears, I got back to my post.
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Ready for anything, I sat with my SMLE ready, I peaked over the trench to have a look a the surroundings. At the opposite side, I saw Lighted Tannenbaum on the sandbags. I guess the Equalists also want to celebrate Hearth's Warming. However, I didn't let my guard down. I tensed up my muscles. Then I heard a distant chant.
" Silent night, holy night" The Equalists were singing Silent Night in their trenches. I'm so in the holiday spirit now.
"Come on ponies! We can sing louder than them!" I heard Lieutenant Sunrise called out. So our trench erupted into an array of harmony, first trying to be louder than the Equalists (and might I add, we were winning). But after a while, everyone was now singing harmoniously in this great weather. We were one. Not separated by war, we were just ponies singing. Now I feel a bit more comfortable with these people I've been trying to kill.
After the carols were done, I heard a shout from the other trench.
"Hey Royalists, if you no shoot, we no shoot!"
No one had to say anything, a truce had begun. We took this time however to rebuild our storehouses and trenches, readyy for a next attack.
That night, I still slept uncomfortably, but at least both sides' artillery guns were quiet. It was truly a Silent night before Hearth's Warming.
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Today is December 25, Hearth's Warming. The first thing I saw while standing up shocked me, I bet everyone else was thinking the same thing. And this finally gave us the trust and bravery to walk and meet the people we were trying to kill.
Right across No Ponies Land, the Equalists were standing on their parapets in daylight.
As wave after wave of us climbed out of the trenches, I saw dead body after dead body littered in No Ponies Land. So many from both sides were laid dead, just missing this miracle of a Hearth's Warming. I looked over and saw the Equalists also mourning over dead ones. Both sides decided to bury the dead. I saw dead comrades dragged into common graves to have a proper burial. Everyone stood there grieving for our loss as we listened to combat far away.
I guess that was the breaking point of the wall between us and the Equalists as now I was hugging one of them, crying for our loved ones.
After socializing for a long time with the Equalists, I made a new friend from the other side, her name was Altove. We exchanged hats, talked about our families, with an unhealthy amount of crying in the mix, and gave each other gifts. She gave me apple cider, something I've not had since the start of the war. I was so ashamed I had nothing to give her... so I decided to give my tin can of cookies to her. I cried a little, but now i really consider her a true friend in the battlefield. We just experienced so much together.
In one conversation, she told me that she was fighting for freedom from the Tyrannical rule of Celestia and Luna. I was baffled, so I say I was fighting from freedom from the Tyrannical Starlight Glimmer. I bet we both were questioning why we fought now.
A ball flew out of one of the trenches, so we immediately played a round of hoofball. Altove and I competed against each other one round. Smiles and cheers were heard everywhere as we all had fun as friends. Just like old days, before Starlight split us apart. As we slid in the snow, we laughed and played like little fillies. We saw each other now as a sufferer of the war, not an enemy of the other team.
We kept talking until nightfall. We had to go back to rest, but I'm sure the Hearth's Warming miracle will continue on for a long time. After all, how would friends kill each other. Today I'll have something magical to write to my children. Even in war, Friendship Truly is Magic. Thanks to Hearth's Warming.
(Oh BTW the Equalists won the rounds of Hoofball)
Back to Insanity (Author's notes)
Hi Horizon Sunrise here.
The Christmas Truce of 1914, for me, is one of the most magical thing that happened in World War 1. Human getting along and defying higher-ups to celebrate Christmas with everyone. but as you all know... the truce didn't last. and so will this Hearth's Warming truce.
After news of the truce, both Starlight and Celestia were furious about it. They tried scaring the troops for desertion but mostly to no avail. Some generals listened and fired their revolvers in the air in No Ponies Land to signal the start of combat again, but for those who resisted, Starlight and Celestia had to personally fire the artillery guns for them to start fighting for their lives, ending the truce once and for all.
For our Lucky in this story, she did not make it to see another Hearth's Warming, she died trying to save a comrade 5 months later, leaving her children to be orphans. Altove survived until the end and told stories about Lucky to everyone. After the war, Lucky was built as a monument for the truce.
This kind of truce will never occur again, because the truce was a symptom of a young war. Every other Hearth's Warming have shed blood all over Equestria. So we remember these heroes of friendship, those who rose against the madness of the war, trusting their enemies not to shoot, to believe that Ponies aren't as terrible as the bonfire it built itself, for Hearth's Warming.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hearth's Warming.
