Decades of Sorrow

"But I don't want you to go!" said a young filly as she hung on to her older sister's legs. Applejack placed a comforting hoof on her sister's shoulder before wiggling out of her tight embrace.

"I don't want to go either Apple Bloom, but I have to. We are at war now and I've been called by my country to fight the Changeling invasion," said Applejack sadly.

"But you may die! What'll I do if you go off and die?" said Apple Bloom worriedly.

"Well, you'll do what our family has done through all hard times, you'll endure. Besides, you have Big Macintosh here to work the farm and Ponyville will send some workers to help us out while I'm gone. It'll be okay," said Applejack.

"But what if it isn't?" asked Apple Bloom worriedly. Before Applejack had to respond, the train whistle blew and the conductor called everypony on board. Applejack slung her bag over her shoulder and gave Apple Bloom one last hug.

"It will be, we're a tough bunch." said Applejack with a small smile. She stood up and thought for a moment before taking her hat off of her head and placing it on Apple Bloom's. "Now you just take care of that for me while I'm away." Apple Bloom nodded.

"I will sis. Goodbye." Applejack adjusted the bag on her shoulders and nodded before boarding the train.

* * * *

Applejack's introduction to life in Camp Arawak had been interesting to say the least. The minute they all got off of the train their bags were taken from them and they were ordered to report for 'beautification' as one soldier put it. They were led to a room where a group of ponies waited with razors and...gardening shears? Applejack didn't like the look of that. She was in line between Rainbow Dash and Rarity, waiting her turn for whatever they were doing in there. She had a pretty good idea though. Soon, Rainbow Dash was called forward and she was told to stand completely still. A pony with a razor took her mane and cut it off so it was midway down her neck. Applejack didn't quite know why, but there was something kind of sad about seeing the severed rainbow mane fall to the floor.

Next, the pony grabbed the gardening shears and cut Rainbow Dash's tail in half before motioning that she could go wait with the other new recruits. Applejack was called forward. The feel of the razor cutting through her blonde mane was strange to Applejack. However, it wasn't as strange as how cold her neck felt without her long mane to cover it. Her tail was unceremoniously cut in half just like Rainbow's was and she was motioned forward. However, before she could reach the room that she was directed to, she heard a commotion behind her.

"Oh no, no, no! I won't let you ruin my beautiful mane!" said Rarity defiantly. The barber pony was standing in front of Rarity who was using her magic to create a sort of shield around her mane and tail. All at once a gruff Pegasus stallion came forward.

"What in the name of Celestia is going on here?" he said angrily.

"Oh, you seem to be in charge here, can you tell these ruffians to not cut my mane and tail off? I like them just the way that they are," said Rarity. The pony stared at her in shock for a brief moment before he became livid.

"What is your name, Private?" he asked.

"Oh, well my name is Rarity," said Rarity.

"Private Rarity, you seem rather vain to me, from now in you're Private Vanity!"

"I hardly think insults are necessary!" she said crossly. Rarity for the love of Celestia, just stop talking. thought a horrified Applejack.

"Private Vanity you have three seconds, and I mean three seconds to let the barber cut your hair or I will hold you down and make him shear off every single hair on your entire body!" Thankfully Rarity seemed to get the hint that this sort of behavior wouldn't fly and that she would get no special treatment here because she was a 'lady'. The magical aura around her mane and tail disappeared and soon her hair was cut like the rest.

Applejack left the room and was followed closely by Rarity who was seemingly about to cry. "Now just calm down Rarity, gettin' your hair cut isn't the end of the world by a long shot. Besides, after the war is over you can grow it back. But for now I'd say just leave it alone.," said Applejack. Rarity nodded.

"You are right of course. I don't know what I was thinking. I hope that doesn't come back to bite me any more than it already has. 'Private Vanity', the nerve of him!"

"I wouldn't cross him if I was you," said Applejack as the two of them moved to stand next to Rainbow Dash. "He seems to have your number right now."

"What took you two so long?" asked Rainbow Dash as she looked over the new looks of the two of them.

"Rarity had some...hair troubles. She ran afoul of the pony who I think is our drill sergeant and she's 'Private Vanity' now," said Applejack. Rainbow Dash stared at Rarity for a brief moment before she burst out laughing.

"Oh, Private Vanity, that's just priceless!" she said. Rarity frowned at her.

"Laugh all you want, I think it is simply ghastly what is happening right now," said Rarity. Rainbow Dash continued to laugh until a loud vice boomed through the hall.

"ATTEEEENTION!" Instantly everypony in the hall stood up straight with a stoic look on their face. Sure enough, the pony that had reprimanded Rarity earlier walked into the hall. He walked back and forth, inspecting the line of new recruits. "I am Drill Sergeant Durkin and let me tell you all now, you had better follow every order I give you unless you want me to bring down a world of pain upon your unfortunate heads! now the first and last words out of your pathetic mouths had better be 'sir' and Celestia help you if they aren't, is that clear?"

"SIR, YES, SIR," said the entire hall of recruits.

"Good! Now I fought in the First Changeling War and I know a thing or two about killing those idiotic sons of guns. It is my job to teach you all to be almost as good as I was at killing them and Celestia help me if you hinder my job in any way! Now, over the next two weeks I will mold you all into the finest bunch of Changeling killers that Equestria has ever seen! You will have no sympathy for them, you will not hesitate to kill them, and above all, you WILL kill them but the hundreds! Is that clear!?"

"SIR, YES SIR!!" Sergeant Durkin paced up and down the new recruits, doubtlessly looking for somepony to yell at. Unfortunately, he landed on Applejack.

"You there, what's your name?"

"Sir, Applejack sir!" said Applejack.

"Applejack, what do you pick apples all day, are you an apple farmer?"

"Sir, yes sir!" said Applejack.

"Well isn't that interesting? I knew an apple farmer back in the war, his name was Apple Harvester and boy did he get some bad luck. Didn't quite make it out of the war so I guess being an apple farmer isn't the best thing when fighting Changelings don't you think Private!?" Applejack was shocked to her her father talked about in this setting, much less so disrespectfully.

"Sir he was my father, sir!" said Applejack. Sergeant Durkin was briefly taken aback by this but recovered quickly.

"Well you don't say!" he said. "Is that why you're here, to kill Changelings, to get revenge for them killing him?"

"Sir, no sir!"

"NO!? Well then why are you here?"

"Sir, I was drafted, sir!"

"You mean once you found out that you got the opportunity to kill Changelings you didn't jump on the opportunity? Well, what a way to honor your father's memory!" said Sergeant Durkin. Applejack felt the anger rising inside her every time Sergeant Durkin talked so disrespectfully about her father, but at this last statement, she could stand it no longer.

"YOU KNOW WHAT, BUCK YOU!!!" she said before calming down a bit. "Sir." Sergeant Durkin looked absolutely livid.

"WELL BUCK YOU TOO PRIVATE! YOU MAY NOT SPEAK TO A SUPERIOR OFFICER THAT WAY!" he said. "I don't like the name Applejack, from now on you're Private Buck! I'd say Private Buck You but that doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely. Now Private Buck I want you to drop and give me 100 pushup and so help you Celestia if you can't!" Applejack glared at him but started doing pushups all the same. 100 was no problem for her at all. Sergeant Durkin directed his attention towards Rainbow Dash next. "Well, what's your excuse?"

"Sir, I was drafted too sir!" said Rainbow Dash who just wanted to avoid his wrath.

"Well aint that just too bad. What's your name Private?"

"Sir, Rainbow Dash sir!"

"Private Rainbow Dash, well what did you do for a living back in whatever hick town you came from?"

"Sir, Weather Patrol sir!"

"So you moved around clouds all day is that it?"

"Sir, yes sir!" said Rainbow Dash who was getting a little embarrassed by this negative attention.

"Well I'd say that makes you Private Cloud then doesn't it?" said Sergeant Durkin. Rainbow Dash faltered for a second, obviously hoping for a cooler nickname.

"Uh, sir, yes sir," she said glumly.

Sergeant Durkin continued to yell at various recruits for a little while, stopping briefly to yell at Applejack some more when she finished her pushups. He finally let them go to the mess hall for lunch after another hour of initiation.

* * * *

Applejack carried her lunch tray over to the table where Rainbow Dash and Rarity sat. Rainbow Dash was ranting about her nickname. "'Private Cloud', I'm 'Private Cloud' now! How uncool is that!?"

"Hold your horses girl, I'm sure it'll go away once we pass basic training," said Applejack.

"Easy for you to say, you got 'Private Buck', that's way cooler than 'Private Cloud'!"

"I'd rather have a wimpy name than a profane one," said Applejack irritatedly.

"Well I am rather surprised at your outburst Applejack," said Rarity, doing her best to eat the below mediocre food that they had been given.

"You would to if he had insulted your father like that," said Applejack angrily.

"Possibly. But even if I did I would restrain myself from using such vulgar language. I mean really, was that necessary?" said Rarity. Applejack turned her full attention to Rarity.

"YES!" she said with anger and sorrow in her eyes that Rarity had net seen in a while. Rarity was silent for a moment.

"Oh, I see. Well I'll stop talking about it then," she said quietly. Applejack began eating her food and nodded. "So," began Rarity once more. "What do you suppose these next two weeks will be like? I don't relish the prospect of holding a firearm."

"Rarity based on your experiences so far, I'd say that this is gong to be the most demanding two weeks of your life. Applejack did 100 pushups no problem, but can you even do one?" asked Rainbow Dash. Rarity blushed and looked away.

"Well, I never really had any need to do anything like that before," said Rarity.

"That's exactly my point," said Rainbow Dash with a nod. "I remember the one year you entered The Running of the Leaves. You lasted exactly 30 minutes going at a slower speed than the rest of the group before you collapsed from exhaustion!"

"And that is exactly why I don't belong here!" said Rarity. "I belong back home making uniforms for the soldiers or doing scrap drives or something. I'm not a soldier!" Applejack swallowed the food that she was chewing and turned her attention to Rarity.

"Just you wait Rarity, I have a feeling that this war is going to bring out somethin' new in all of us."

* * * *

As it would just so happen, Rainbow Dash was absolutely correct about the physical toil that basic training would have on Rarity. The very first drill that Sergeant Durkin do, 50 pushups, absolutely wiped Rarity out. She collapsed on the ground from sheer exhaustion after only ten which prompted yelling from Sergeant Durkin. Rarity collapsed once again from exhaustion during their first ten mile run after only one mile which prompted more yelling from Sergeant Durkin. She got stuck in an obstacle course after only a few seconds...which prompted more yelling from Sergeant Durkin.

Each night Rarity would fall asleep immediately, every joint in excruciating pain from the toils of the day. However, in that at least she wasn't alone. Applejack would crawl into bed feeling as if she had just harvested her entire orchard in a single day. Each morning the recruits would wake up and each morning they would feel as if somepony had been hitting their joints with hammers while they slept. And so the days went by, running, pushups, obstacle courses, yelling, pushups, running, pushups, obstacle courses, yelling, yelling, yelling, obstacle courses, more yelling, another obstacle course, more pushups, on and on and on until the day ended.

However, on the fifth day of basic training, they got to something that everypony, except Rarity, had been looking forward to the entire time. "This, is an M1 Carbine semi-automatic rifle. This is the weapon that most of you morons will be carrying with you when you go to kill. It should be easy enough to use for even the most inept soldier and I can pick some of those soldiers out from this group right now," said Sergeant Durkin. Sergeant Durkin spent the next half hour explaining how to use the rifle before taking them out to the firing range. Applejack was a little freaked out that she was holding an instrument of death in her hooves. If she used it right, she would kill Changelings with it. Still, she was surprised to discover that it just felt natural in her hooves, like it was something that she had been holding all of her life.

The group was instructed to lay down on their stomachs and fire at the targets in front of them. Applejack looked down the range towards the target that she was supposed to be firing at. She could hardly see it! How was she supposed to actually hit it with any accuracy!? Still, she didn't want to incur Sergeant Durkin's wrath any more than she had to so she hooked her hoof over the trigger, steadied the rifle with her other hoof and shoulder and began pulling the trigger.

Her first thoughts were about how loud the rifle was. It left her ears ringing for a little while after her clip was empty. She peered down the range to see how well she did but the target was too far away for her to see.

She noticed a button next to her. Hoping that it was what she hoped it was, she pressed it. Thankfully it did what she hoped that it would and the target came towards her. A few other recruits, including Rarity and Rainbow Dash, noticed what she had done and pressed their own buttons. Applejack became acutely aware that Sergeant Durkin was standing behind her, eager to examine her work.

As the target came closer, Applejack noticed that it was a picture of a basic Changeling unit. A few seconds later it came close enough that Applejack could start seeing the bullet holes that she had made. Once the target came to a stop in front of her, she examined her work.

Her clip had had 15 rounds in it and Applejack was delighted to see that all 15 rounds had hit the target. Nine rounds hit the Changeling's torso area while another two hit it in its front leg. One round had penetrated its neck while the final three had torn through its head. "Not too shabby Private Buck. I guess you aren't totally useless after all," said Sergeant Durkin. Applejack allowed herself a smile. Rainbow Dash had similar successes with her rifle except she got two rounds in the Changeling's neck and a fourth in its head. She got a lopsided compliment from Durkin as well. Durkin moved over to Rarity and Applejack expected the worst. Sure enough, Sergeant Durkin's yell rang throughout the range.

"Private Vanity will you explain this target to me!?" he said.

"Well," said Rarity. "I just shot it like you told me to." Applejack detected something odd in Rarity's voice. Was it...pride!?

"Can you explain to me why you hit its head fourteen times including one through the eye!?" said Sergeant Durkin. Rarity cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Why whatever do you mean fourteen? Don't you see the hole through the eye? it's a bit bigger than the other holes meaning I shot it in the eye twice," said Rarity. Rainbow Dash turned back to Applejack, her mouth hanging open in shock. Sergeant Durkin seemed at a loss for words too. He walked over to a table and grabbed a fresh target, only the Changeling was a little smaller.

"Do it again!" he said before moving the target back way farther than it had been before. Rarity shrugged and reloaded her weapon. She got into position and fifteen shots rang throughout the range. Sergeant Durkin moved the target back towards Rarity for them to examine. To the surprise of everypony, the result was exactly the same: fifteen rounds in the head.

Sergeant Durkin stared at the target in total amazement. "Well, it seems you actually are good at something Private Vanity, but your hair is too purple!!" he said before storming off to examine the other targets.

At dinner that evening, Rainbow Dash and Applejack questioned Rarity about her marksmanship. "How in Equestria did you manage to be that accurate!?" asked Rainbow Dash incredulously.

"Well, I have an eye for detail is all and when you combine that with the steady hooves that I need to do certain sewing jobs and the amount of perfection that I need for that, well, I suppose that might be it," said Rarity nonchalantly.

"Maybe they'll give you a prize for your shooting skills. Maybe they have a stuffed seal toy that they'll give you," joked Rainbow Dash. Applejack and Rarity gave Rainbow a quizzical look that Rainbow ignored. "At any rate, maybe you'll make it out of this after all."

* * * *

Things most certainly did improve for Rarity for the remainder of basic training. Sergeant Durkin kept records of how well the troops were shooting and Rarity consistently topped the charts followed by Rainbow Dash and Applejack who would switch off for second place. Rarity even got better at the physical aspects of boot camp too. She could complete the obstacle courses without a problem now and she would only collapse after thirty pushups. Of course, this measly number still did nothing to get Durkin to lay off of Rarity.

Finally, the day of completion of basic training arrived. The recruits lined up in their usual formation in front of their beds and Sergeant Durkin came to debrief them. "Alright recruits, you all passed basic training. If it were up to me, I'd have Private Vanity stay until she could complete every single pushup and mile that she could not do but you're all needed at the front lines. Every single one of you has been assigned to combat areas. You will be deployed to fight in battle against the Changeling army. You will not all survive the war but my final order to you is to exterminate as many Changelings as you can before you do die. You will be deployed to the front lines immediately so pack your bags and your guns and get to the killing. DISMISSED!"

Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack slung their packs and rifles over their shoulders and filed in with the rest of the troops onto the train, headed for the front lines. "Well girls," said Applejack grimly. "This is it."