PONIES IN ARMS 4. THE ONE TRUE RULER REVEALED

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As we continue through this journy called life our actions begin to define who we truely are.

" I can't believe we are now at war over secrets and lies" Said the grey mare whom I had grown to love; as she looked out over the ruins of Saltlick City. The once proud city was called the silver capital of Equestria at one time, and was home to some 200,000 ponies; it's wealth was shared with all Equestria and it was a very popular place to be seen. Those days were however, long gone. When the war broke out the griffons that populated a large portion of the city saw that ponies could not be trusted and ordered all remaining ponies to leave. The city soon after was hit with a single nuke, hitting just on the northern border, but still haveing enough energy to level most of the outer city. This is where stable 35 comes into play, and why we were now here.

Black Wing sat at the window with Harmony and as he spoke we could all see the pain, heartache, and anger in his eyes. "This war has taken alot from all of us; some small, and others everything we hold dear, but so long as there are citizens willing to fight for good there will always be an Equestria!" He had a point, so long as there were citizens willing to fight for good, there infact would be an Equestria; infact this war wasn't about land, rather it was based on ideals. Those ideals were what drove the war, each side had the notion that they infact were fighting for good, and that very ideal is also kept the war machine going. From the simple factory worker doing his duty to princess and country, to the soldier on all sides; each thought they were working twards that one ideal. However with war comes loss; an inevitibility we all have faced, and the one task nopony wants to deal with; the delivory of that letter to a family. Digger's family would soon be getting such a letter, as would 4 more familys. I would soon be sending Dinky to the homes of the 4 I had lost on the way here; and was infact writeing the one for Black Velvet's family with tears in my eyes. The tears were for all casualtys of that encounter seeing as they were friends, and former friends. I also had a strong resolve to fullfill my duty to Digger and get to stable 35.

"Are you ok, you seem upset; I know it must be hard for you to have to write those letters, seeing as they were all close friends and had become almost family. Don't be so hard on yourself Ruby, this is war and it is inevitable to suffer losses; I know, trust me" Black Wing was sitting at the table with me as I hid my tear stained face in my hooves. "I.. I just wanted them to see the wrong in what they were ordered to do; I.. I didn't want any of this to happen. They just executed her in cold blood" I sobbed into his wing as he embraced me. "How do you think I feel Ruby; i've lost my wife damn it! I suffer every day because of that but I tough it out, because that is what she would want. You sitting here feeling sorry for yourself isn't accomplishing a damn thing! Think of Digger, do you think he would want you to sit here while the ponies of stable 35 suffer? HELL NO! You made him a promise to go to that stable, and seeing as he is now dead you owe this to him"

Meanwhile in San fransiscolt a train was just pulling into the city under an appropriately gloomy day. Smoky knew this was going to be hard, and had asked the family to meet him at the station. (I regret to inform you of the death of your husband Digger; he was killed doing what he always did, doing the right thing. He was killed by members of the workforce he was with for fraterniseing with members of the N.C.E and divulgeing secrets about Stable Tech. He didn't suffer as it was a quick death; but that i am sure will not give you as much peace as this bit of information. As his last act of a life dedicated to doing what was right hundreds of ponies will soon be saved; thanks to his final act of good.) The family stood on the platform of the station embraceing one another along with Smoky for what seemed like hours in the misty morning. "I assure you Rose, your husbands final act of good is going to be fullfilled"

After meeting with Digger's family Smoky went to the hotel where Major Read was staying.

Menwhile some thousnd miles away in the former city hall of Saltlick City, preporations were being completed for our long trek into N.C.E territory, and unknown to any of us at the time; an encounter that would put us all to the ultimate test.