Equestrian Civil War: Letters of a Brother

November 28, 2016

Dear Brother,

Just arrived in Apple Loosa last night. The town is pretty nice if it wasn't for the heat and sand. The sand gets absolutely everywhere...EVERYWHERE, it's in the bunks, our clothes, even in the food!

Anyway let me tell you about what has been going around military wise, most of the buildings are either barricaded or have soldiers guarding them. When me and Sea Breaker went to the Salt Lick, the local watering hole. There was this group of bucks who gave us all a look like we're just cannon fodder, they were all dressed up in some heavy duty armor that makes them look even more menacing. The word around camp is that they're some commandos from Luna's personal guard, if that's true then I'm worried we're in over our heads. I mean this is the first battle and there's gonna be ponies from Princess Luna's guard already in the fight. Maybe  Luna just wants to be careful.

Autumn Rain has been stop with mail duty since the minute we got here. There only seems to be few pegasi enlisted besides Luna's guards, and they're all getting stuck with being a scout or a messenger. I hope the heat doesn't get to her, there has already been ten cases of heatstroke and about seven of them have been pegasi. Listen to me talk like a young stallion musing about is first love.

For a first time in a long time I'm missing the vineyard... the huge oak tree where we would climb on all day, and I would rest under in the afternoon. My side of the vineyard I would work in there from sunrise to sunset, and whenever she would come over I would show her where the best and sweetest grapes in the vineyard are and we would laugh and pick them until the sun would go down and the moon come up. We would lay together and watch the stars... well I need to stop reminiscencing.

I have to report to my position soon, I'm patrolling around some apple orchard which is our main supply of food. It used to be owned by some earth pony buck named Braeburn  who was apart of the Apple family. It's obvious why he left though, them apples are real loyal to Princess Celetia so he probably left as soon as word got out about the NLR. Well I'm off I'll write to ya as soon as possible. Tell Grape Seed I love her.

Grape Vines

November 30, 2016

Dear Brother,

I wanted to write ya before I don't have time. Almost every able-bodied pony is being sent out to the border. It's starting, I'm afraid I won't be able to write ya for some time once I get there but I'll try whenever I can.

Grape Vines

December 15, 2016

Dear Brother,

I have finally found time to write to you. When I first got to the border it didn't look like much just a huge trench with bunkers and artillery emplacements, everything was so quiet and still.I was able to see another trench in the distance except it had a Solar Empire banner flying over it. That's when all hell broke loose, out of nowhere an artillery shell landed to the right of us. Killed one squad and injured about two others, the stench brother... words cannot describe the smell of the burnt corpses but that's when I noticed it the bodies. They where everywhere in the field between the two trenches. It took Sea Breaker a couple kicks to break me out of my daze. Once we all calmed down we were directed to our bunker, which consists of six bunks, a couple chairs and a table. This is going to be our home until we either die or this stalemate ends.

The training in the mountain is paying off, the day doesn't go by until your hooves are soaked and you have snow on your back. There is only one good thing about the snow, it blocks the dead bodies from sight and the stench of death from our snouts.

The trenches are a couple feet taller than me, and I've been told not to stick your head over the trench wall or you'll have you head blown off. My curiosity was quickly cured when I say a new guy stick is head up... his brains were splattered against the soldiers around him, ugly business.

Everything is pretty miserable. How and before I forget thank you brother for the bottle of wine you sent for my birthday, it is much appreciated. I have a little left I might finish it tonight....

Well goodbye brother and have a good Hearths Warming Eve.

Grape Vines

December 20, 2016

Dear Brother,

There hasn't been much of a change in the trenches, besides an increase in artillery strikes on both sides. Still haven't had to fire my rifle, I'm not sure if I should be glad for that or not. Spirits have plummeted even with Hearths Warming Eve approaching. Stay safe.

Grape Vines

December 24, 2016

Dear Brother,

Tonight turned out most unexpected, we had a short truce to celebrate Hearths Warming Eve! Let me start from the beginning, It was quiet night for once and we'll were mostly huddled around a fire talking about friends, family, and times before the war when heard it... the singing. Solar Empire Troops were singing, we started to join them.

The fire of friendship lives in our hearts

As long as it burns we cannot drift apart

Though quarrels arise, their numbers are few

Laughter and singing will see us through

We are a circle of pony friends

A circle of friends we'll be to the very end

Then something amazing happened, a unicorn mare from the enemy trench came out into the open field holding a white flag in her magic. It was almost like something out of a old story, then I say Sea Breaker leave the trench to go greet here. I followed quickly after him when I realized what he was doing. When we were a couple feet away she greeted us with a smile. That smile warmed our hearts and we returned her greeting. Others from the trenches started to flock around us. That's when all the tension faded away we all start talking together, a small hoofball game broke out it was greet fun. Later in the night I saw Autumn Rain and Sea Breaker talking to the mare that caused all of this, I decided to break out my last bit of wine and split it between us four. It wasn't much but we all enjoy the little drink, oh and her name was Winter Frost. More of a name for a pegasus if you asked me but we found out that she specializes in magic dealing with winter and the like.

I noticed she didn't have a weapon or holster on her and asked her about it...she told me her magic is her weapon, I can't believe the Solar Empire is using magic as a weapon. She must have know what I was thinking because her face turned to worry.

Well besides that we chatted together for a good hours and our commanding officers told us to return to our trench for day would soon approach. I'm worried about tomorrow brother, I don't wish to fight against this group now that I know them it's so much harder to deal with fighting them. I need to go to sleep before I have to report for duty, goodnight brother and happy Hearths Warming Eve.

Sincerely, Grape Vines