But You Were There

He was given a full physical by the nurses and staff there, but the biggest question he was asked was about the stitching on his side. He’d tell the staff that during the retreat he was blown into a hole and when he woke up he had that. The looks he gave them were not reassuring, he wasn’t sure they believed him. He’d shrug and say: “maybe an angel came down from Heaven and showed me mercy” with a big grin. They weren’t impressed by that but as the saying goes, the devil is in the details. It didn’t take long for his return to spread through the trenchline, it rippled through his regiment and ended up exactly where it needed to be.

“And what?” Apollo snarled at Vega, “Are we to wait until ANOTHER Solar attack pushes us even further back? We are wasting time when we can hit them on their backhoof!”

“Enough!” Vega snarled back at Apollo, “I will not sit here and argue with you while we wait for High Command to hand us our orders.” She breathed in and breathed out slowly. “I suggest you go cool off; we will continue this strategy meeting when you are cooled off. Verstanden?”

“Ja commandant.” Apollo huffed as he kicked loose debris across the floor, avoiding eye contact with Vega but giving Stardust the side-eye. “I will leave you with your ‘Star protege’” he hissed as he left the room through the flap. Vega shook her head and sighed.

“That one will never be happy until he is in the history books and is praised by all Thestralkind.” She looked up at Stardust and gave her a slight smile, standing up in the process. “You have a bright, sharp mind Captain. That is something to be proud of. You would do well to stay with us after this war is done, we can use a brilliant strategist.” Stardust stood open mouthed at the sudden praise and stood up straighter than she already had been.

“T-thank you Madame Major Vega, M-Ma’am!” she relaxed a bit however as her eye looked towards the floor: “Speaking freely Major, I would like to finish school and eventually settle down and start something of my own. It is not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment, it is an honor to serve all Thestralkind! Howe-” the conversation was interrupted as a runner entered the Command tent and stood at attention.

“S-Sorry to interrupt M-Ma’am! Ma’ams!” He quickly cleared his throat and continued his message: “Lieutenant Artz has returned from No Pony’s Land!” Stardust’s eye widened as she approached the pony: “Where?” The small pony gulped and quickly blurted out:

“He is in the triage line, Ma’am!”

“Thank you, you are dismissed.” As the runner left, she turned towards Major Vega who had raised an eyebrow to her for this sudden change in demeanor. “W-We have been waiting for Leutnant Artz to return from the battlefield all day, Ma’am. He went missing without a trace and f-feared the worst had happened. Permission to check on him?” Vega eyed Stardust up and down before nodding and giving her a salute.

“Ja, when you are done with your Leutnant report back to me so we can discuss a battleplan in the absence of High Command’s orders.” Stardust stamped her hoof and nodded with a salute before turning to find him. Her heart pounded, her body felt warm, was it true? When she entered the medical barracks, she saw ponies wounded in today’s attack with varying degrees of injury, but then she saw him and approached.

“Captain, it is good to see you again” he said with a smile and a salute. “I’m glad to see ya in one piece still.”

Stardust smirked and saluted him back “It is good to see you again Leutnant. How was your recon mission?”

“Oh, it was great!” he replied. “I saw mud, some rain, a corpse here and the-” his sarcasm was met with a backhoof across the face and a look of surprise. “Ow! Starry what the hell!?” Stardust replied to his remark by pulling his collar close and pressing her nose against his.

“If you ever pull a stunt like that again I will make you wish that the Solar Empire killed you. Understood? "He looked at her wide eyed and gave her a salute.

“Y-Yes Captain! Understood!” At that she gave him a fanged grin and hugged him tight. “Ow! Injury!”

She looked at the wound and raised an eyebrow at it: “What happened to you?” At her asking him, he quickly looked around and leaned in close to her.

“A Solar nurse did that. She saved my life, probably a bunch of others too. She had this dog with her, you see? He was sniffin’ out those still alive.” As he told her the story, her eye widened.

“A Solar nurse with a dog? Interesting...” She would press him more but there were more pressing matters at hoof. “So... this injury here ja?” she asked him while pointing to the newly cleaned and stitched up injury. He nodded and before he could say anything she was already leaning down to it and kissed it. “There, all better,” she said with a smile. He grinned back at her as she leaned forward and rested her head on his chest. “I want to go home, Spectrum, I want this war to be over soon.” He reached up and placed a hoof on hers, prompting her to look quickly at him before resting on his chest again.

“I know what ya mean Starry Night, I want to go back to Nocturne and watch the ships sail by. Or maybe we take a trip to Canterlot and see one of those plays ya have been dying to see.” As he spoke, she smiled at him, daydreaming about life far away from here. She thought about home, getting their degrees, home cooked meals, and the future. The war could be another month, another two months, another year, they didn’t truly know how long it’d be until they could go home to whatever home would be in the new world. She buried her face in his chest and enjoyed his warmth, for the moment it was just the two of them. Aside from the injured Thestrals in the room of course.

The moment was interrupted by that same runner, out of breath and holding a piece of paper up. “T-Telegram Captain Shine,” he huffed as he sat down, “from High Command!” That was not what she was expecting but she took the paper from him and saluted.

“Danke private. As you were,” she said to the runner. With that he turned to leave, Spectrum spoke up and asked him:

“Hey kid, do ya mind droppin’ this off to the Feldpost? It’s very important.” He reached into his tunic and removed the letter he took from Dewpoint and handed it to him. They saluted each other and he left them alone once more. Stardust unwrapped the paper she received from High Command and her eye widened.

“Fuck” she muttered upon reading it. She looked at Spectrum and held his hoof as she read the paper out loud to him. "From Lunar High Command. Stop. Due to recent setbacks from the Solar Empire’s front wide advances into our land we are in the process of distributing well needed supplies, weaponry and soldiers to sectors in dire need. Stop. In four days' time Operation Kaiserinschlacht will commence at the zero hour. Stop. All officers are to prepare their soldiers for the upcoming offensive. Stop. We will retake our lands for the glory of the Night Mother and Thestralkind. Stop. May the Night Mother be with us. Stop. For the Republic.” She slowly put down the paper and looked at Spectrum, the injured in the room who could hear her were staring at her but at that moment she didn’t care. They slowly looked away, wondering what would happen to them when this took place. Stardust laid her head on Spectrum’s chest with her eye closed. “Another offensive. I’m sure Apollo is happy” she huffed. Spectrum frowned and went into his tunic pocket and pulled out a ring, looking it over. Stardust opened her eye and looked at it questioningly. “What are you doing?”

“I’m thinkin’” he said, looking at it before looking back at her. “It’s another offensive but we’ll make it. We always do. It’s one offensive closer to us goin’ home.” He gave her a smile and she gave it back to him. “There it is. I love to see that grin of yours, dear.” She nuzzled herself on his chest more, just enjoying his company. He thought for a moment, the world would change when the war ends. They’ve killed, they’ve seen things they cannot explain nor will want to. “Hey Starry,” he began to ask while watching the New Lunar Republic flag flap calmly in the breeze outside the medical barracks door. What will we tell our kids when they ask about the war?” Stardust thought for a moment. This was a war to defend the Thestral right to exist, otherwise what would happen to them?

“Well, my dear,” she began while holding his hoof. She leaned forward and gave him a gentle kiss: “we will tell them that we were there.”