The Element of War

The battle only lasted 3 days. Well, not only 3. Three is a ton for a battle and it felt like an eternity of days. We lost about half of our troops, and we only started out with around 1,500 ponies. I look west, near where the battle was taken place. The ruby red glow still lingered menacingly over the distance. Behind me lies the ruin lands of where ponies lived in pre-equestrian eras. I know we have to go that way soon. Rainbow Dash wants to speak with Princess Chrysalis about her joining our side.

Our packs are settled in the rusty wagon. We say our farewells to the few ponies we know. I go up to the last of the Apple Family, Big Macintosh. I know we won’t be knowing each other for much longer, so I confess my obvious feelings for him while Dash is speaking with Luna about the next raid.

“Uhm.. Big Mac?” I shyly mutter, “May I have a quick word with you?” He nods and walks to the nearest empty spot with me. I breakdown crying, and hug him with all the might I have left, “Macintosh, I want you to know that I...” He places his large hoof over my mouth.

“Fluttershy, you do not need to speak. I know what you are about to say,” and he leans in and kisses me. Tears stream down both of our faces as we are dragged apart by our crew. I was leaving for another country while he stayed and fought for our rights as ponies, “Fluttershy! Be careful! I will make sure nothing happens to me on the field! I promise!” I am now in the wagon, it is starting to slowly move, “I will wait Fluttershy!” and then we started off. I couldn’t even say anything back to the gentle giant.

The road is so rough. Rocks are falling around us. Not badly, but enough to break one of the windows on the already rickety cart. The night sky is glittering with millions of mispositioned stars. The moon is rising slowly and is utterly full, shining light around us. Rainbow Dash is sleeping on the opposite side of me, the guards are resting on the top of the cart, keeping eye, and letting us have our privacy. I lay down on the floor where there is less of a chance of me falling. I grasp a picture of me and my friends in my hooves. I let the tears stream silently down my face as flashbacks haunt my mind.

Flashbacks of the most amazing times, like meeting Twilght Sparkle, and learning that Dashie was the reason for all of my best friends cutie marks. And flashbacks of ghostly dreams. Celestia forcing her guards upon me. Raping me. Tearing my feathers out of my wings. Ripping my wings out of my body slowly. The ropes and the knives that were frequent in my days. Poisoning me, and giving me antidote later. And starving me. I shudder from the most vivid of those memories and start to let hoarse cries out. To make sure I don’t wake my only living friend from the old days.

I deserved it all I suppose. I sneaked out of my secure home to help a criminal in the eyes of Equestrian law. I supplied her with food. Water. And would have given her a place to stay in my cottage, if Celestia hadn’t sent her guard dogs to sniff out the homes of Ponyvillians and residents of Cloudsdale. But there was nothing else I could have done. I am, or was, the Element of Kindness. It is in my nature to do so. I help anypony in times of need, regardless of who they are. I do it on the battlefield too.

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I wake up on the floor being shaken by a very confused pony.

“Fluttershy! Why are you on the floor? Did you fall or something? And your face is covered in dry tears! Are you OK?!” panicked Dashie. I wipe my eyes out sleepily, and stand up. But as soon as I do, my knees weaken and I fall.

“I-I’m fine Dashie,” I say as I pick myself back up, “Just a bad dream I suppose,”

“Well not any dream makes you cry the way you did Fluttershy, there is a stain on the floor for Luna’s sake!” she points to the spot where my head rested all night. I get handed a brush and a handkerchief. I start brushing my mane out and I explain what I was thinking about. But I leave out the days I spent in the towers of Canterlot. She gets up and sits on the other side of the cart, looking out the window at the now barren landscape. The flush green fields turned into boulders and dark red dust. And now it turned into something scary. Instead of mountians, there were black and red spires crawling out of the otherwise flat landscape. A thick, slightly glowing fog rested only miles ahead of us. Broken chains are on some of the rocks with signs in the language of the changlings resting atop of them. Ahead lies a half broken gate, one that looks as if nopony has travelled to this land in many years.

“Well looks like we are here...” Dash swings her long rainbow mane into a side pony-tail. She doesnt bother put anything else besides a necklace. The one with her Element in it.