Equestria, suburbs of Fillydelphia, 1050
Everything was perfect the sun was shining the birds were chirping I was on my rocking chair, I look at and old photo from decades ago during the Great War, it was me, my brother it was when we had finished our first battle, the battle of Canterlot. I had a life, family, and love... Oh! I see my grandcolt Gold Clover approaching me, he always was so adventurous, let's see what he has to say now.
Grandpa!
He greets me, but I know he has more then that to say, he looks at the photo I was holding in my hooves.
Who's that in that photo?
Always such a curious bugger he is...
That's me on the right next to the tree.
I say as I point at myself, I looked tired for obvious reasons point at myself with my hoof.
And my brother right next to me.
I point at my brother who was on my left in the photo.
You had a brother? I never saw him, he looks like you.
Gold Clover says as he looks at the photo and points at him.
Why are you wearing that silly hat?
He points at the helmet I was wearing... A funny colt...
That was my helmet, it protected me back then.
I say, it didn't protect him though...
What happened to your brother?
Of course he will ask that, maybe I should tell him the truth, but he will barely understand it, I sigh.
He... died.
He tilts his head, seemingly not knowing what I said.
Always so difficult he died end of story. Just go away.
I shoo him away and he trots out of the porch, I sit there in silence as I ponder and think about my past...
Equestria, suburbs of Fillydelphia, autumn, 1011
After a long day at the newly built automobile factory I trot home, I think about what my dear's cooking and what's for dessert, oh how naïve I was...
Blossom I'm home!
I opened the door and see her in the kitchen, I hang my coat and trot up to her.
What are you making dear?
Blossom... the prettiest mare alive even if she was a thestral, she had rosy pink fur and a nice long well kept sky blue mane coupled that with her emerald eyes, I really stood no chance when I saw her, I couldn't be too picky and she was near perfect, she looked at me with a smile, I can see that she is cooking up some nice stew of some sort and of course her favorite, mango's
Sssome of your favorite sstew my love.
Oh her hissing, it was beautiful and perhaps one of the reasons I fell for her
And ssome mangoss I got from the market today.
How was work dear?
I smile and tell her the truth.
Lovely dear absolutely lovely.
She smiled and after a few minutes she's done cooking, she brings the food to the table and we eat, she had... almost a sad look however.
What's up Blossom?
She looks up from her food and right at me.
Nothing, just remembering ssome memoriess.
I nod.
If you need somepony to talk too, y'know the right guy.
She nods and we continue to eat, soon we finish and eat our dessert, the mangos she bought, we savored every bite they were absolutely delicious, soon we finish and we talk... it was all a blur, we talked about whatever came to mind I barely even remembered that conversation
We listen to the radio, and turned up some music, we danced, however the night always has an end, so we finish our dance and clean our dishes and do some final chores around the home, then we go to bed.
Dear... I've been thinking... what do you feel about foalss?
Blossom asked me and I answer.
I think they're lovely, why do you ask Blossom?
She blushes and in hindsight it was obvious what she was asking.
Oh... do you think we sshould have some foalss? Three perhapss?
I blush as I finally get what she means.
I-I'm not sure dear...
She looks at me with pleading eyes and I sigh.
Fine...
You can guess what happened that night, but it was tomorrow morning that had the more... eventful stuff.
I wake up to a knock on the door, I get up from bed and exit the bedroom where Blossom was sleeping, I go downstairs and open the door, I see a stallion in a military uniform and he gives me a letter, I hear hoof steps coming down the stairs and see Blossom as tired as ever, I open the letter with the Equestrian seal and my face instantly drops...
"Dear citizen we regret sending you this but the enemy had left us no choice, and they had begun to invade us, you are one of the many granted the honor to serve her highness, you are to be drafted, we will pick you up later today among many others use this time to say your goodbyes, and remember, you are the sword and shield of not only her highness but all of Equestria."
I hand Blossom the letter... her face turns from serious to sad and her eyes shine as tears approach.
What... thiss... this isn't real, thiss hass to be fake, I heard that the Changelingss had done ssomething... but no you can't go.
She looks at me with teary eyes and I sigh, pulling her into a hug
I have to dear...
She pushes me away.
But you can't! I won't let you and I won't let them!
I sigh.
I have no choice, it's an order from her highness.
She begins to cry.
Pleasse you can't. What about me? What about our future?
I attempted to reassure her
I'll be back home before Hearth's Warming. I promise.
I smile at her as I reassure her, she reluctantly nods, Oh how naïve I was...
Author's Note
This was originally supposed to be for the 2024 contest but I think this isn't valid for that so enjoy!
Equestria, 1011, October 9th, en route to Canterlot
I had just finished training back then, only a couple weeks, I had listened to the news and it was going pretty bad, and they wanted me to go straight to the front among thousands of others. I was lucky to come out of it alive... at least I had my brother Iron with me, if it weren't for the war then his smoking would've made short work.
I heard that the Mankees (New Mareland) had began to send some troops.
He says trying to fill the silence on the train with some good news
And what are a few Manks going to do to help us? We have over a couple million and that's still not enough.
I said to him, that news was minimal and perhaps not even wort a discussion.
I was just saying, no need to be so gloomy.
He chuckles and leans back.
I sighed and clung onto my rifle like how a foal would his toy.
They could've chosen any other pony in Equestria and yet they chose me.
Everypony has to do their part, it is a requirement of every citizen.
He closes his eyes to sleep, it is a long train ride after all.
I however stood awake, for whatever reason I just didn't want to sleep, I hear something from the other train carts.
Mail! One for Private Salt Bake!
Ah mail, I wonder if Blossom sent anything, she was barely literate but perhaps she did, I wait for the mailpony to come and when he does he lists of the names.
One for Private Clover Iron!
My brother gets up and is seemingly surprised.
Hmph, that's weird.
The mailpony keeps listing names, and as I don't hear my name I sigh and lay back
This one doesn't have a name. It's from Blossom Clover!
Ah it's her, I got up and took the letter, It has a from but no to who, classic Blossom I took off the seal and began to read.
"My dear I can not tell you how much I miss you I can not sleep eat without you and I can barly take my mind away from you but I don't want to worry you to much I just wished you were here how are you doing hopefully better then me haha but in all onesty I have something you might enjoy"
It was a tough read, her spelling mistakes and grammatical errors, no periods nor commas, but it warms my heart to see her miss me like this, I can see a few tear stains on the letter, and I flip the paper to see what she had sent me, turns out it's a picture, a pretty old one actually, around a year old, I remember, but still enjoyable nonetheless, a rather heated photo, that's all I'm going to say, she's my wife after all.
What did she sent you?
Iron asks and I sigh.
Mind if you tell me who sent that letter to you first?
I say as I am confused who sent him a letter in the first place.
It's from mom, who else, it says 'To my two clovers, I hope you are doing well with yourselves, your father is also somewhere amongst you, I can't do much but pray, stay safe.'
I hum at this.
Blossom just said she misses me and how much she does, nothing special.
I say simply.
We both enter a relative state of silence, what is there to talk about? But I go around the cart to talk to some of my friends I made during our brief training.
I made a couple friends, Gilded and Jam, the former is a unicorn and the latter is an earth pony, I trot towards the former.
So anypony send you anything?
Hmm? Oh Private Clover, well that's a bit confidential, but yes I got a letter from my dear. But there's more isn't there?
He says as he closes the letter he was reading, he was a refined stallion, posh and what not, but still a good friend to have, for fun and for otherwise.
Well I was just thinking... Are we going to make it or not?
I said, I was worried and for good reason, from what we all heard the Changelings are like an unstoppable force.
Of course we are, don't ask something so ridiculous, they may have their fancy panzer's and stuka's, but we have us and all of Equestria, we'll stop them, and I beat in five years we'll make it all the way to Vesapolis.
Always so smooth with his words, and I could sense some bit of truth but I still have plenty of doubts.
Always so smooth, I'll check on Jam.
He nods and I go and trot over to the other side of the train cart where jam is, a big earth pony, a farmer actually but he specialized in what his name suggests.
Ay Clover, want some jam, my ma sent me some of last year's harvest.
He shows me the package he got and they are about half a dozen jars of jam, I shake my head
No I'm good Jam, just checking in on you that's all.
I say although it was rather tempting.
Suit yourself, but I'm all good, still woulda wish that I was in a tank though
He always wanted to be in a tank.
Shoulda volunteered then, but then you wouldn't have me would you
I joke a tad bit.
Ha! I guess not Clover, I guess not.
We both share a laugh then part ways the-
Equestria Present Day.
I'm shook as I feel a nudge on my left shoulder
Get up dad, mom said that I should bring you inside, it's getting dark out.
My daughter Jade says and I realize I had been doing this for hours, I nod and follow her inside
What were you thinking about?
Oh nothing just my past.
I answer simply, and she nods, I then see Blossom cooking up something.
Dear you were there for hourss, I almosst thought you died.
She chuckles, she's as beautiful as she was when we first met.
No need to worry dear.
I chuckle alongside her, and she speaks.
I'm almosst done, Jade already sset the table, sso take a sseat.
I nod and walk over to the dining room and take a seat with Jade, soon Blossom comes out with four plates and jade calls out.
Gold dinner!
I hear the tiny hoofsteps of my grand colt, and soon see him cantering and take a seat.
Now don't make a mess.
We all eat some of Blossom's food on which it was some simple rice, veggies, some fruit, bread, and cheese. I'm rather lucky, no matter if I was ready or not.