“I was barely eleven years old when I was conscripted into the Nokshire army. In those days, most farm families in Nokshire couldn’t afford to buy their own food, so we hunted wild game a lot. So like most kids born on farms, I was reasonably skilled with a bow, and that’s why we were pressed into service as archers in the king’s army. I was assigned to a brigade with quite a few other kids my age. Some a bit older, some even a little younger. At the time, we were all rather excited about it. After all, what boy doesn’t dream of being a soldier in the king’s army? And being a soldier was basically the best paying job you could get in Nokshire.
“After about two months of inadequate training, we were sent out on our first combat assignment. We’d received word that Equestrian Royal Guard forces were marching towards us, and we could expect to engage the enemy in less than a day. Still, we were excited, because we had these ideas in our young minds that war was glorious and heroic. But then, we heard the thundering sounds of hooves approaching us, and saw the approaching pony forces. Most of us had never even seen a pony before. And now here we were, facing them, about to kill them or be killed ourselves. They were an intimidating sight in their armor. They were better equipped, much better trained, and had more experience than we did. Any ideas we had about the glory and heroism of war were quickly replaced by pure fear. We were terrified now.
“We’d been told that ponies tortured captured human soldiers for fun before killing them. And that unicorns had invented spells specifically intended to cause pain without killing, just so they could amuse themselves by torturing captured humans. But even with that in the back of our minds, the prospect of imminent death is just too frightening for children as young as we were, and the urge to live one more day, just too powerful. We surrendered without firing a single arrow.
“The ponies took us to the Equestrian city of Trottingham. But it turned out we were the first child soldiers they had encountered, and they really had no idea what to do with us. Given we were just children, they didn’t want to house us in a normal prison. They ended up housing us in a barrack style building with bunk sleeping arrangements that had a large fenced in yard around it to prevent escape. That turned out to be a good arrangement, since it allowed us to stay together, instead of being separated from the only friends we had now. But still, we were terrified about the prospect of being tortured.
“I think it was the next day, that Princess Celestia herself came to see us, and I bowed so low that my head was on the floor. It’s not cause I felt any sense of reverence for her at the time. It was because I was terrified of her, and hoped that if I appeased her, she might have mercy on me, and not allow me to be tortured. She seemed rather confused by this, and ordered us all to stand.
“Looking back on that meeting now, the main thing I remember, is that Princess Celestia was angry. That’s really not even a strong enough word. She was furious. Not at us, but at King Bridrick for using child soldiers. She spoke to us in a kind and loving way, and assured us that we were going to be treated well, and none of us were going to be tortured. But neither was she going to let us go and allow us to return to Nokshire until the war was over. That, she said, was for our own safety, because King Bridrick would have had us executed for surrendering to make an example of what happens to soldiers who don’t fight. And so, at least for now, we would have to remain in Equestria as war prisoners.
“Now the facility they housed us in officially became known as the Child Soldier Detention Facility, but we just called it Camp Pony. It was run by a brown earth pony stallion from the Equestrian Royal Guard named Captain Silver Shield. He was a bit of a disciplinarian, as I guess can be expected from any officer in a well organized army, and didn’t tolerate any misbehavior or disrespect from us kids. He said we’d come in as soldiers, and so that’s how he was going to treat us. But he was also fair, kind, and genuinely cared about our wellbeing, and we knew we could talk to him about anything and he would listen and try to help, even if the only way he could help was to offer words of encouragement. He kept us on a strict schedule, and made us do work, although it wasn’t any work that we farm kids weren’t used to doing. Mostly landscaping, maintenance, cooking, and cleaning. And he instilled in us the values of discipline, hard work, and self-confidence.
“Now In those days, most humans had never attended formal school. We simply learned whatever we could working in the real world. Princess Celestia thought this was unacceptable, and so she required us to attend school. They brought in a light blue unicorn mare named Miss Penquill to teach us.
“At first, we hated attending classes. But Captain Silver Shield made us do it anyway. I remember when Miss Penquill gave us our first reading assignment. None of us knew how to read or write, and the letters on the paper all looked like a bunch of gibberish strung together. It seemed to me, that it would be impossible that we would ever be able to make sense of any of it. But, we learned, and I remember the great feeling of accomplishment and self-confidence that came with being able to read and write. She also taught us math, science, and other academic subjects. All of us developed a great deal of respect for Captain Silver Shield and Miss Penquill. They taught us that the world was a better place than what we had been lead to believe. That through education, hard work, discipline, and belief in our own abilities, we could make it a better place.
“As the months continued to pass, more child soldiers flowed into Camp Pony. Of course, the new arrivals were always very afraid. But those of us who had been there for awhile comforted them, helped them adjust to the routine, and assured them that life at Camp Pony wasn’t really all that bad. It wasn’t long before there were well over a thousand of us kids living at Camp Pony.
“Finally, the day came when Captain Silver Shield barged into the barracks in the middle of the night, startling us awake as he announced that the war was over, and we would all be going home soon. I remember how surreal the moment seemed. It had been four years and three hundred and fifty six days since we had been captured and brought to Camp Pony. None us thought the moment would ever come. All of us cheered in excitement about finally going home. Although, at the same time, we feared what we might find when we got there. Also, it was a bittersweet moment. We had all grown rather fond of each other, and we had grown rather fond of Captain Silver Shield and Miss Penquill. The thought of all of us going our separate ways, but at the same time, finally going home to our families, was a bittersweet pill to swallow.
“We all said our goodbyes, and eight days later, I was reunited with my parents, and my little sister, who actually wasn’t so little anymore. It had been exactly five years and fourteen days since I had last seen any of them. Slowly, over the next several months, we were able to resume something that resembled a normal life. When I had been captured and taken to Camp Pony, I was a boy. But when I was finally able to return to my family, I was a man.
“Thirty years later, a couple of us decided to plan a reunion of all of the child soldiers that had been held at Camp Pony. We held it in Trottingham, at the very same location that Camp Pony used to be. The buildings had since been torn down, the fences removed, and an outdoor park had been built in its place. Captain Silver Shield and Miss Penquill both attended the reunion as well. Even Princess Celestia surprised us with an unannounced appearance. Seeing everyone from those days again brought back memories, both good and bad. Memories of both joy, and pain. But the reunion was one of the happiest days of my life.” -- Qeric Ybigorin, as recounted in an interview for the biography “We Were Child Soldiers”, Royal Equestrian Academy Press, by Professor Hoofstorian
Historical note: Qeric Ybigorin later attended the Royal Equestrian Academy, and went on to become one of the designers of Canterlot, and one of architects of Canterlot Castle, and several other prominent Canterlot buildings.
Captain Lothiron, Nokshire Army
"When the Unification War started, I was a commander in Bridrick's army. Our invasion of Equestria was a surprise, and when we reached the first town inside the eastern border, we encountered basically no resistance. There weren't really any Royal Guard units stationed there too resist us except for a small local civilian defense detachment. Well, we quickly overwhelmed them. The ponies in the town were scared, and basically passive. They didn't give us any trouble, and followed our instructions. We didn't have any further orders, so we basically just stayed in that town and waited. It was, I think, two days later, that my life, and the lives of my men changed forever.
"I was sitting in a restaurant in the town along with the rest of my men, complaining to this yellow earth pony about the lack of meat on her menu, since all we'd been able to eat since arriving was the ponies' vegetarian cuisine. I heard the door open, and looked up to see one of the king's messengers stepping in. He stopped in front of me, saluted and then told us in a voice as if he were giving a simple routine marching order, that Bridrick's orders were to execute all of the civilian ponies in the town, and to leave none alive. Not even the mares and the foals.
"Upon hearing this, my jaw dropped for a second. I was sure I must have heard the order wrong, and I asked him to repeat it. He said the same thing, again, with a coldness and callousness as if it were nothing at all. I couldn't believe my ears. He saluted once more, then turned, and left.
"Well, I sat there in shock for probably a full minute, before finally turning back to my men. I remember my exact words to this day."You all heard the order. Now hear me when I tell you that I refuse to follow that order. And know that I will stop any of you who attempt to follow that order; with my sword if necessary." It turned out, the threat I made at the end was not necessary at all. All of my men were as appalled at the order we had been given as I was, and none of them were willing to carry it out.
"Of course, now we didn't know what to do. We couldn't go back to Nokshire because we knew we'd be executed for failing to follow orders. Now I know military units aren't supposed to be run like a democracy, but given the stakes involved, I wanted all my men on the same page, so we discussed it for awhile. It wasn't long before we had decided what to do. We would simply stay in the town and wait for Equestrian Royal Guard forces to arrive. Then we would surrender, and tell them about the order we had been given. We were a little nervous about surrendering, because we had been told that ponies tortured captured humans purely for fun. But after the genocidal order we had just been given, well, we were starting to doubt that what we had been told was actually true.
"Unfortunately, as bad luck would have it, another unit of Nokshire soldiers arrived in the town later that day before Royal Guard forces got there. And it turned out, the officer in charge of that unit was my direct commanding officer. I was seated at a table in the inn we were staying at, making small talk with a young earth pony mare that worked there. When she saw him coming, she immediately became frightened and tried to leave. But he ordered her to stop and she froze in her tracks. I saluted the officer, as I was required to do, and of course, the first thing he did was ask me why the ponies in the town were still alive. I tried to explain to him that I thought the order we had been given was appalling, and that morally I and my men simply could not obey it. But he wasn't convinced. He mumbled something about men not following orders and having to do the job himself as he turned to face the earth pony mare and drew his sword, intending to slay her.
"I don't even think I made a conscious decision, but I knew I couldn't let him kill an innocent mare like that.. My own sword was out of its scabbard in a heart beat, And before I knew it, it was buried in the chest of my commanding officer. I still remember hearing his gasp for air, and the look of shock in his eyes as he slumped over, the bloody point of my sword protruding from his back. Of course, I didn't have much time to ponder what I had just done, as I knew my now dead commanding officer's own men were probably outside getting ready to slaughter the other ponies in the town. I quickly yanked my sword from the his flesh and ran outside, shouting my men to arms. The next thing I knew, we were engulfed in a bloody battle against our own, as we protected the innocent ponies of the town.
"Even though we were badly outnumbered, it became apparent that we were winning the battle. I think … Well, I think the reason we won is purely heart and motivation. We knew we were fighting to protect life, where as they were fighting to destroy life. And I think knowing that allowed us to fight harder, and with more determination than they were able to fight with.
"The battle lasted for an hour, maybe two. Eventually, their numbers dwindling, our own forces surrendered to us … What was left of them anyway. Four of my men had lost their lives, but I know they died for a noble cause. Not even one of the innocent ponies of that town fell under the blade of Bridrick's men.
"Well, now we simply went back to waiting. Because that was all we could do. Wait and hope that Equestrian Royal Guards would arrive before the next units from Nokshire did.
"Fortunately, the next day, the Royal Guards did arrive. To say they were thoroughly confused is an understatement. Here we were, throwing down our swords and surrendering to them. And at the same time, we were turning over some of own men to them that we had captured ourselves. I remember the Royal Guard Captain demanding to know what was going on, and who the human officer in charge here was. I stepped forward, and admitted that was me. I explained what had happened to him, and at first, I don't think he believed me. But then several ponies spoke up and told him that my version of events, was, in fact, the truth.
"Of course, they still placed us in restraints for security purposes. None of my men resisted, and neither did I. Then they loaded us onto chariots and their Captain informed us that we would be taken to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters as war prisoners, but that we probably shouldn't be too worried about what was going to happen to us there, and that when Princess Celestia heard what had happened, she would most likely consider us heroes rather than war prisoners. Of course, the same could not be said for the men of the other unit, who were all to willing to carry out the genocide ordered by Bridrick. They would later face war crimes charges in the High Court of Equestria.
"It took four days, but we finally arrived at the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. My men were given food, baths, and clean clothes before being taken down to the dungeon with assurances that they would be treated well and likely would not be held for very long. As far as me, I was informed that Princess Celestia herself wanted to speak with me personally and that I was to have dinner with her. After bathing and changing clothes, I was taken to her royal dining area. She was already there when I arrived. I was a little intimidated by her imposing figure and regal appearance. But I do remember that I did not bow to her. I wasn't quite ready to fully trust her, or fully believe that the stories I had heard about humans being tortured were not true. And so I just looked across at her, standing straight, and saying nothing.
"If my lack of respect bothered her, she didn't show it. Instead, she welcomed me and invited me to sit down. Once I had done so, we began to speak. I still remember that the first thing she did was thank me for protecting her ponies back in the town. Then, she offered me a deal: She would release me and my men from the dungeon, and give us asylum in Equestria, in exchange for telling her everything I knew about Bridrick's plans for the conquest of Equestria. Well, it seemed like a pretty good deal to me, especially given I had lost all respect for Bridrick because of the genocide order. So I told her everything I knew. And Celestia kept her word and released us, allowing all of us to live freely in Equestria.
"Well, life in Equestria turned out to be an interesting, and sometimes trying experience in those days. Even in those days, species discrimination was illegal in Equestria. But it didn't stop some ponies from doing it anywhere. There were some shops and restaurants that refused to serve us, and would ask us to leave. Some of them said they were worried we'd scare away their other customers. We didn't want to stir up problems, so we simply left when asked to, and didn't report them. And we made sure to patronize the businesses that would serve us, and treat them extremely well. It took awhile, but eventually the discrimination became less of a problem as the ponies started to realize we were not a threat to them.
"Of course, there were, and unfortunately, still are, some humans who say I and my men became traitors to humanity the day we took up arms against our own kind in order to protect the ponies of that town. But I don't believe that's true. The real traitor to humanity, was Bridrick himself. Because when he gave that order, he betrayed everything that resembles human decency.
"I think it was six years after the war ended that Princess Celestia summoned me back to the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters and told me that she wanted to start allowing humans to join the Royal Guard. She wanted me to be the first human to join, and the first human officer. Of course, initially, there were a lot of ponies who were completely opposed to the idea. They believed that as soon as humans were allowed into the Royal Guard, and given weapons, that they would stage a revolt against Equestria. Others supported the idea, but wanted species segregated units. But Princess Celestia insisted that there would be no segregation. That humans and ponies would serve along side each other in the same units.
"Of course, the feared revolt never materialized, but admittedly, there was some tension at first. It was, of course, mostly the ponies that were already in the Royal Guard that were responsible for it. The new human recruits had no problem serving under pony officers, since they joined knowing that would be the likely outcome. However, I initially faced some resentment from ponies who ended up serving under me, and I had to work pretty hard and it took some time to earn their respect. But as time passed, and more humans ended up being promoted to officers, the problems began to disappear. We didn't see each other as ponies and humans anymore. Only as brothers in arms who all wanted the same thing: A safe and secure Equestria, where both ponies and humans could live together in peace, harmony, and freedom." -- Captain Yalenn Lothiron, Nokshire Army. As told in an interview with Professor Hoofstorian for the book "History of the Unification War", Royal Equestrian Academy Press
Historical note: After joining the Royal Guard at the request of Princess Celestia, Captain Lothiron worked his way up to Regional Commander, Southern Equestrian Forces, and had over 120,000 pony and human guards under his command. He played a pivotal role in proving the viability of pony and human species integrated Guard units, despite the significant opposition at the time, and calls by many for species segregated Guard units.
Private Starspark, Equestrian Royal Guard
“When word came down from the top that we were going to invade Nokshire, I wasn’t onboard with it at first. At the time, I had the attitude that I joined the Royal Guard to protect Equestria. Not to go save a bunch of humans in some other country. I mean don’t get me wrong. I didn’t have anything against humans. It’s just that I knew pony soldiers would die in an invasion. And these were my fellow countryponies we were talking about, you know? So I sort of had the attitude that the life of every human in Nokshire was not worth the life of even one pony. But then something happened that changed my mind.
We’d been marching for days in terrible weather. The weather pegasi were all busy in other areas. We’d gotten bogged down, run out of food, and had been surviving on just grazing grass for almost a week. We hadn’t had a bath in even longer. Needless to say, we were all a mess.
When we came upon the first town in Nokshire, we were surprised to encounter basically no resistance. The humans in the town would later inform us that King Bridrick had moved most of his soldiers back closer to the capital, to defend areas he considered more important.
The humans in the town were nervous, especially the children, and I was surprised to learn that most of them had never even seen a pony before. Not even in drawings or paintings. They had been so isolated and oppressed, that they knew almost nothing of any society outside of their own country. They were living in poverty, and had little food to eat.
And yet, they invited us into their homes. And they fed us, and allowed us to take warm baths. I mean here were these people who had almost nothing, and barely had enough food to feed themselves. And yet, what little they did have, they were offering it to us, and sharing it with us. That’s when I knew we were doing the right thing. That’s when I knew, we had to help these humans.” -- Private Starspark, Equestrian Royal Guard
