Author's Note

This is a formal warning, This chapter may be disturbing as it dips into real world events that some may find disturbing

War Never Changes

Twilight wakes up early since she went to bed early. She Steps out and is a bit surprised to see Travis was getting dressed. He looks at her and is also surprised to see her awake.

"Hey Twilight, Whatcha doing up? It's only 6 o'clock." Travis asked, tying up his boots.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. I went to bed pretty early last night, but I could hear you in the kitchen up until 10 o'clock." Twilight responded. He nods in response and then stands up straight.

"Yeah, I understand that. Well, for me, I gotta go to work." Travis stretches his back, audible pops making Twilight cringe a bit.

"Oh? Where do you work?" Twilight asked quizzically.

"I work in town at the repair shop. I help work on cars." Travis responded, heading for the kitchen. Twilight follows close behind him.

"That's pretty cool. I guess it's what you know best?" She continued to ask questions.

"Yeah, I used to help my dad repair cars when I was younger. Hell, I was a Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic in the military." Travis admitted, causing Twilight to become even more curious.

"OH! I remember you telling me you were in the service. So you worked on those self-driving carriages during war times?" She smiled, genuinely curious about Travis's time in the military.

"Yeah, I was. But that doesn't mean I had it easy. If you are deployed, that means you're still in service. I still saw action." Travis opened his refrigerator and pulled out some eggs. Twilight's whose ears were perked up with interest, drooped down a little.

"Oh... I didn't know that. Well... You're still here though. So you survived. So that's good." She said with a wan smile, trying to lighten the mood, But it disappeared when she heard Travis let out an amused chuckle.

"Survived? Heh, yeah, barely." He chuckled to himself and began to cook, things got quiet. He turns back to look at Twilight who is giving him a sad look. "...What?"

"...What do you mean barely?" She asked, a bit afraid of the answer. Travis sighed a bit, he rubbed his left shoulder with his right hand. It was a memory that was a bit hard for him to remember. Dropping his hand back down, he went back to cooking.

"I got injured, is what that means." He stated plainly, showing little to no emotions while stating that. Twilight stayed silent for a moment before speaking up again, almost afraid to ask the next question.

"Was... Was it bad?" Her question seemed to go unanswered, as Travis stayed silent for a bit.

"Twilight... listen. It's not that I don't want to share that with you, it's the fact I can't." He kept his back to her as he spoke, he was too busy suppressing some memories to look at her. "What happened over there, it's hard on me. I need to brace myself to face those memories again before I share them."

Twilight's ears droop and she lowers her head. She could hear hidden emotions and pain in Travis's voice. She had no idea what he may have experienced, nor could she fully comprehend it. War was not common in Equestria. The last war in Equestria's history was the Equestria-Griffonia war, and that was almost 150 years ago. What happened to him, must have been extremely traumatic.

"I understand Travis, I won't bother you with it. You can tell me when you are ready." Twilight rose her head back up to see him. She was pleasantly surprised to see him turn his head back at her and smile.

"Thank you Twilight. You're a good friend." Travis smiled as he went back to cooking breakfast. Twilight could not fight back the large smile growing across her face. Travis called her a friend. Though she had only been in this world for going on 4 days, She and Travis had spent a lot of time together. For him to officially declare her a friend, made her feel a lot of joy. In this desert-filled world, she had a friend. Travis soon stepped away from the stove with two plates as always, she could already smell the bacon. He sets the plates on the table and Twilight joins him, but she notices something wrong with her plate.

"Hey, why only 2 pieces of bacon? You usually give me four." She narrowed her eyes at his stinginess.

"I only had 4 strips left. You practically have eaten me out of bacon." He chuckled. "I'll stop by the store before coming home from work and I'll get some more."

"Good." She stated before popping a whole strip into her mouth. Breakfast went by smoothly and before Travis left, he went to the back of the room and then came back to the table, and placed a grey plastic rectangle on the table. "What's that?"

"Since You're gonna be by yourself for a while, figured I'd give you something to do while I'm gone. Ever heard of a computer?" Travis asked, and she shook her head. He opened the laptop and typed in his password. Twilight watches closely and sees the keyboard.

"Hey, is this like a Typewriter?" She asked, noticing the QWERTY pattern.

"Kinda similar. You like reading and learning right?" Travis asked again, to which she enthusiastically nodded. "Well, whatever you want to learn about this world, you can use this."

"How in the hay will this help me learn about your world?" Twilight asked, unconvinced.

"Right here, look. See this? This is called Google. You go here and you search for anything you want. Let me show you." Travis then types into the computer, "Founding of America." And the first thing to pop up was the Wikipedia page of Columbus sailing to the Americas. Twilight's eyes widen at the wall of text that makes up the screen

"Wow... no books needed?" She questioned and Travis chuckled and he shook his head.

"Nope, no books, yet all you can read," Travis explained. He went off to finish getting dressed. It only took him about 5 minutes to change into a muscle shirt and put on his boots when he walked back out to see Twilight's smiling face.

"Done!" She exclaimed to which he raised an eyebrow.

"Done? What do you mean?" He asked quizzically.

"I read the whole page on Columbus!" Her words were met with a shocked face by Travis.

"You read the whole damn page in about 5 minutes?" He asked in surprise.

"Yeah, it wasn't that long." She giggled. Travis stepped forward and looked at the screen. The page was very lengthy and full of text. He eyes her one more time before shaking his head.

"Alright, if this is going to keep your interest longer, let me show you how to search for something." He exits from the page and goes to Google again. "Alright Twilight, I'm gonna show you how to search stuff on your own. Got a question? Ask it on Google."

"Well, I wanna know more about where I am. What exactly is Texas?" Twilight asked him, looking directly at the computer screen.

"Well then, type in your question." Travis motioned towards the keyboard. Twilight looks at it and her horn begins to glow. She uses her magic to type in 'What is Texas?' Travis tells her to hit enter and a new page pops up. His eyes shine with all the different links that pop up.

"Alright, now use the trackpad to select the link you want. let me show you." He gently took ahold of her hoof, causing Twilight to blush slightly. He guided her hoof on the trackpad to scroll the mouse over the Wikipedia page and then clicked on it. A new wall of text is brought up to Twilight's delight.

"Wow... endless knowledge..." She was completely amazed by this technology. Anything that she could ever learn, right here on this grey box. Travis chuckles at her and then stands up straight.

"You got the basics down Twi, web browse to your heart's content. Any question you have, just ask them right here. I'll be back later." Travis spoke before turning towards the door, he placed his hat on his head and then stepped out.

Twilight would be stuck at the computer for literal hours. She had found a pen and a notebook and would take notes on everything she would learn. First, she was curious how this world's solar system worked without Celestia and Luna raising and lowering the sun and moon. She was shocked to find out about the heliocentric model.

There was so much math and science in how a Heliocentric model works, how elliptic orbits work, and how Earth is in the 'Goldilocks' Zone. It was all so fascinating to her. This was the beginning of the rabbit hole she would find herself in as she would then learn about Earth's orbit and rotation. That the Earth has an axis that it spins on which simulates a sunrise. after spending hours on how Earth and its orbit worked, she now wanted to learn about Earth's geography.

The first thing she was greeted with was a Mercator map of the world. Seeing the unfamiliar topography did make her a bit nervous, only reminding her of how lost she was. She puts on a determined face and continues her drive to learn more. She sees a map of Texas, and how small it is compared to the whole United States. She was a bit amazed by the sheer size of the US, being over twice the size of Equestria as a whole. She learns about the different continents, North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and of course Antarctica. Asia catches her eyes the most. As she sees the different countries that make up Asia, she sees the country of Afghanistan.

It was so far away from the United States, and this is where Travis was sent to fight in a war. Part of her was scared to learn about what wars were like in this world. Its technology was impressive, there was no doubt that their instruments for war were also advanced. But she was also curious about just what Travis went through. So, she looked it up. 'War in Afghanistan.' What she found, terrified her.

She found a full timeline of events building up to the war, during the war, and after it. The first thing to meet Twilight's eyes was the sight of two burning skyscrapers. The war in Afghanistan and neighboring countries like Iraq were in response to this "Attack on the free world." The more she read the more her stomach turned. Bombings, and more attacks on these lands. The images of the Taliban and their countless terror attacks, and America's retaliations frightened her. Seeing pictures of all the destruction, and the fire, what kind of world could let this happen?

Twilight had to stop for a moment, her heart was beating fast and she needed a drink of water. She uses her magic to get a cup and fill it with tap water. As she takes a drink, she looks at the clock, 5:30 p.m. Her eyes widen. She had been on the computer researching for about 8 hours straight. She should have been shocked, but she had pulled all-nighters before in Equestria. Travis should be home any minute, so she decides to conclude her research for the day, even though it ends on a horrible topic. As she gathered up her notes, she could hear Travis's truck pull into the driveway. She heard him step out and close the truck door. Pharoah gets on his hind legs and scratches at the door, excited to see his master.

Travis enters his home, his shirt covered in grease. He had a few bags of groceries and his dogs were at the door wanting to see him. He looks up and sees Twilight and smiles.

"Hi Twilight, you weren't too lonely were ya?" He asked with a large smile on his face. She gives him a wan smile back.

"No, not really. Been doing research all day." She admitted. He chuckles and steps in further and enters the kitchen. He begins to pull out the groceries so they can be put away. Twilight helps him using her magic. She saw that Travis had bought two packs of bacon. She smiles wide and her mouth waters. She was looking forward to these. As they put away the groceries together, things became unnaturally quiet.

"Travis? You ok?" She turned to look at him. He had his back to her, he was looking at the laptop. She peeks past him and sees what he is looking at. It was still on the page on the war in Afghanistan, she hadn't closed the page yet. She cringes and looks up at him.

"... I see you were a bit curious." He said, his voice a bit monotone.

"T-Travis?" She squeaked. She watched him turn around. His face was blank, no longer smiling. He looks down at her and then sighs hard. He lifts his hand to his face and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"...I did say I would tell you what happened... so I guess it's good you have some context." He admitted.

"Context?... Travis... What I saw on that page... I can barely comprehend it. How can war in this world be so... so terrible?" Her voice cracks a bit. Travis takes a few steps past her and towards his refrigerator. He opens it and then reaches inside. he pulls out a bottle with a brown liquid inside. Twilight's ears extend upwards when she read the label, 'Whiskey.' Travis reaches into a cabinet and pulls out a shot glass. He pours himself a drink and quickly knocks it back.

"If I tell you what happened... I have to do it a certain way." He still spoke in monotone. "What I went through has affected me pretty bad Twilight, so... You're going to have to bear with me while I explain."

She was now almost hesitant to know, Seeing Travis talk and act like this was a bit disturbing to her. He led her back into his living room and sat down on the couch. Twilight joins him and they are quickly surrounded by his dogs. He takes another shot and then looks at her.

"I enlisted into the Army when I was 18. That was about 7 years ago. The year was 2017, and the Taliban had been mostly dormant around that time... 5 months after my deployment... at the start of 2018 is when things went to shit." Travis threw back another shot. "At the beginning of that year, the Taliban continued its terror attacks."

FLASHBACK: JANUARY, 2018, 15 MINUTES OUTSIDE KABUL

Travis was riding passenger in a Humvee along with some of his squad members. They Were part of a Convoy moving towards the capital as Terrorist activity was spotted in the capital of Kabul. Travis held his M4A1 close as they drove through the desert. There was a Humvee in front of him and a few more behind him. Travis was enjoying a ride when he heard a friendly voice behind him.

"Heyo, Shaw, You think once we get to the city we will finally get a decent bite to eat?" Said Private Jones, Travis's friend. Travis looks at him and smiles.

"I hope so, been hearing a lot of good things about the Korma Chicken they sell in Kabul. Shit is supposed to knock your socks off." Travis responded.

"Aw, bullshit." Said Corporal Milligan. "I just want a steak for Christ's sake."

"We go home Milligan, I'll treat all you boys to a nice steak house, If the first round of drinks is on Shaw of course." Pvt. Jones laughed, which caused all in the car to laugh with him. Travis just rolls his eyes and soon joins in the laughter.

"We still have 3 months on our tour Jones. Don't get everyone's hopes up so soon." He warned before looking forward.

"Why, You think your gonna die out here Shaw?" Asked Milligan.

"Of course not. I'm gonna see my Ma and Pa again. Just don't want you bums too focused on counting down the days till we're outta here while we still gotta job to do." Travis responded, looking at Milligan through the center mirror.

"There you go being a stick in the mud, Shaw. Ruining the fun for everyone." Jones joked, nudging Travis in the back of his arm with his foot from the back seat. Travis turned his head to say something to Jones, but his first word wasn't able to come out, as a massive explosion came from directly in front of them. The Humvees screeched to a stop and Travis looked forward again to see the Humvee in front of them completely engulfed in a raging fire. It was totally destroyed.

"AMBUSH! Get the fuck out of the car!" Travis yelled out as he and the rest of the squad got out quickly. The other two Humvees had stopped too and their passengers got out as well. Soon gunfire began to light them up, coming from a single direction. Once they were able to get organized, they hid behind their Humvees for cover. Travis stood with Jones and Milligan as they tried to assess their situation.

"Gunfire is emanating at our 2 o'clock position, over that dune! They have the advantage over us!" Yelled Jones over the gunfire.

"Where is the sarge!?" Travis would ask, yelling just as loud.

"He was in the vehicle in front of us!" Milligan responded, pointing to the destroyed Humvee.

"Fuck! Godammit!" Travis cursed as a bullet struck the tire of the Humvee he was hiding behind. "We're sitting ducks out here, and I can't get a clear shot!"

The squad had nowhere to run as their only form of cover was the Humvees. They would take risks by peeking out and delivering some potshots. Few who dared peeked out were struck by enemy. But Travis stayed with both Milligan and Jones, both of whom took the risk of peeking out to deliver returning fire. The fight seemed to be a stalemate when a body soon dropped right in front of Travis. He rolled him over to see Milligan, clutching his chest where blood began to seep out.

"Milligan! Jones, Milligan's hit!" Travis would yell, kneeling down towards his friend. Jones quickly knelt to their fallen ally. That's when another explosion rocked both of them. They looked to the side to see the Humvee behind theirs had just exploded, killing the soldiers who were around it. Travis's eyes widened at a sudden realization.

"RPG!!! Jones get the fuck outta here!" Travis shoved Jones out and away from the Humvee, as it was no longer safe to hide behind. Travis then grabbed the collar of Milligan and began to pull him away from the Humvee. It was hard, as Milligan was heavy and provided no effort to help lessen his weight. A bright flash and a loud explosion knocked Travis Backwards. An RPG just hit the Humvee in front of him.

He was lying on his back, dazed and confused. His face felt warm, and he could feel an ever-growing pain in his left arm. He slowly looked down at it and tried to close his hand into a fist, but his fingers barely moved. It was then he could see a massive puddle of blood begin to seep from under his arm. His vision went dark, he swore he was dying, and then it all went dark.

MODERN DAY

Twilight was looking at Travis in complete devastation. Her hooves were covering her mouth and her eyes were watery as she listened to Travis's story. Travis on the other hand was now 5 shots in, and he was staring at a single corner of the room, unable to look at Twilight.

"I was told I woke up about 29 hours later. I was lying in a cot in an army hospital. My left arm was covered in a cast. I tried to sit up, but I was in so much pain that I yelped. Nurses came to my aid and kept me laying down... not soon after a Lieutenant came in to check on me and... and told me what happened." Travis took another shot. "I was dangerously close to the Humvee when it exploded, and I was hit with a lot of shrapnel. One piece was so big that when it hit me in the arm, it lodged itself in the bone. It was so deep, I nearly lost my whole fucking arm."

Travis lets out a hard sigh, placing the shot glass down to rub his left shoulder. Twilight watched him, where he was rubbing, she could see a large scar.

"I needed emergency surgery, It hit me high up on the arm, close to my shoulder joint. Because of how damaged the bone was... I needed shoulder replacement surgery. They had to cut off the ball socket and then drill a new metal one into place, then drill it into the socket... But I didn't give a shit. All I wanted to know about was where was Jones and Milligan..." He paused his eyes went distant and he left up his hand to cover his eyes. To try and hold back his tears. "Milligan got the brunt end of that explosion... it killed him damn near instantly... Jones... he's the reason I didn't die in that fucking sand trap... He pulled my ass away from the fight and... and was struck doing so... Never got the chance to thank him..."

By now, Twilight had begun to cry. Travis had lost his friends in the battle and nearly lost his own life. It was awful, more awful than she thought possible. She watches as Travis pulls his hand away from his face, his own tears now running down his face.

"Because of my injury, I was no longer fit for combat... so they sent me home. My arm didn't heal properly, so it still causes me issues today... I just... I just. When I first enlisted, I thought I was doing something that mattered. I felt like I was fighting terrorism and making the world safer... and now... All it did was fuck me up for the rest of my life. Physically and mentally... Sometimes... I feel like I should regret ever going." Travis feels himself beginning to break down. He didn't care if Twilight was there. His emotions were getting the better of him. That's when he feels a gentle touch on his arm. He looks down and sees Twilight's hoof over the scar on his arm. He looked up till their eyes met, both he and Twilight had tears running down their cheeks.

"Travis... I'm so... so sorry what you had to go through... I can't even begin imagining going through what you did... I may not fully understand it... but... I do know this... You shouldn't regret it. You are a brave man Travis... a brave soul who had given a major sacrifice... I saw on the computer what led up to your war... you were fighting against something truly evil, that wanted to destroy peace... What could be more noble and heroic than that?" She spoke from her heart, as she was inches from Travis. He watches her, his heart going into his throat. No one has called him a hero since coming home.

He choked up as he looked into her eyes, their faces inches away from each other. Her words gave him some comfort. Just hearing someone sympathize with him put away a lot of anxiety for him. He wanted to thank her, he wanted to. But those words, never came out, because his lips were busy. Instead, he leans forward and kisses her. Whether it was the booze or his feelings making him kiss her, at that moment he didn't care.

Twilight, however, was shocked. Not so much so to move away, but enough so to render her immobile. She felt a shiver go down her spine as his lips seemed to electrify her as they made contact with hers. His eyes close and he continues to kiss her. All this time living in the desert, alone, Travis feels a strong feeling towards Twilight. The feeling of having her this close to him, showing her some affection was addicting. The craving of feeling someone this close to him was even more intoxicating the the whiskey he was drinking. And instead of backing away from him, Twilight kisses him back. She didn't know why, but she couldn't help herself, it felt natural.

She presses into him as their kiss deepens. Travis, who offered his home to her out of the kindness of his heart, who has kept her fed, gave her a warm place to sleep... now kissing her. At that moment, she felt a strong attraction to him, and it didn't feel foreign. These feelings, felt familiar. She felt them when he was in the shower and she saw his...

"Oh Celestia..." Her eyes widen when she realized it. "Am... am I falling in love with him?"

She forces herself to pull away. Travis opens his eyes and looks at her. His eyes were puffy and seemed to be a bit red. She just stared at him, blushing hard. Her heart was pumping fast, and she felt her body begin to feel a bit warm. Travis however, began to look a bit tired, his eyelids drooping. She looks at the Whiskey bottle in his other hand, the alcohol had to of been hitting him pretty hard by now. She then uses her magic to levitate the bottle out of his hand. She gets off the couch and uses her magic to have Travis lie down on the couch. She puts him on his side and covers him up with a blanket he had been using to sleep with. She goes to the kitchen and puts his whiskey bottle away. She could already hear him beginning to snore. She looked at the laptop, it was still open. She closes it, grabs herself an apple, and a banana for dinner, and goes into the bedroom. When she closed the door, her face was still red.

"What the hell just happened?" She spoke as her heart began to race as she was panicking.