The Moon and Sun
The battlefield was gaining a silence that could only grow from mourning. The fight from before had been even bloodier than it should have been, but that wasn’t the meaning for the mourning. No, the mourning was for a much simpler reason, because the blood had been spilled because of an accident. There had been no friendly fire, the Silent Knights had attacked and decimated a large solar battalion. None of them relished in the fact there were no friendly casualties, and none of them smiled knowing their friends had lived. Most sat in groups, sitting silently with the best cider they could find in their hoofs. One of the ponies sat alone, still fully in his combat uniform. The dark grey of the uniform covered his natural light-brown coat, while the goggles they gave him covered up his grey eyes with a solid black. He sat under a tree, a letter in his hands. He slowly removed his goggles, and read the letter again.
Dear Nights
I wish I could tell you about how everyone over here feels. The split between sides really hit everypony over here pretty hard. I mean, I knew the plan to annex you guys was there, but I figured it was, you know, if you approved. I never thought the princess would okay an assault on a neutral territory.Then came the enlistment, everypony that had an able body was asked to sign up for the royal guard. You know I was already in. I got in while it was good, became a sergeant in the 1st purity division. I would’ve loved it if I didn’t have to march everywhere. We’re not allowed to have vehicles because of our “purity”. I bet that whorse Blueblood thought of it while he was looking through the names of battalions. Ah well, you know how it goes.
I should mention this is probably the last letter I can send you for a while. Before you get mad, it’s an order to all troops. None of us can send letters to Lunar locations. I want to say so much, but I know this letter will get censored, so I’ll leave it at this. Remember that night by Discord in the Canterlot gardens? I do, and I think I finally figured out that riddle. I think the answer is time, though I doubt that means much now
I know that we won’t see each other until this damnable war is over, but to make sure that we do I want you to promise. Make it home to me, alright? I don’t care if that home is Lunar or Imperial, just come home.
Oh how I wish I could say [censored]
Glittering Clouds
` The pony under the tree moved his goggles onto his helmet. The fur under his eyes was moistened, but he just blinked it away. He unfurled his wings and ran to take off speeds. He joined the few other pegasus in the knights who had decided a night fly was what they really needed. He broke their trend by flying towards the battlefield, and sitting among the dead. He sat for a moment, letting what everypony in the knights had done sink in. He slowly moved towards the tents. What was left of them was riddled with machine gun fire. They were peppered rags hung on poles, with the only hint to their original purposes being flashes of red or blue. He looked across the tents, slowly inspecting the rags. He stopped at a tent that was almost completely shredded. He stepped inside, looking across the three ponies that were half destroyed by a mortar round. He moved the bodies until he reached what he was looking for. A small box, modeled like the one that held the elements of harmony. He opened it up to see a large mound of paperwork held inside. He moved it carefully aside and began reading.
The first bundle was supply requisitions. They allowed a look into lives that were over. some had sarcasm written as responses to the annoyance with paperworks. Others had the ease of use that implied paperwork was their second language. They stung the stallions eyes as he read them. He moved to the next bundle, and was relieved when he found that it was exactly what he was looking for. It was a personnel report, every pony who was stationed here was in this pack of papers. He flipped through the stack until he got to the C’s. He checked through the names, wishing no clouds were in the list. His prayers went unanswered, and a small number of clouds dotted the list. He deluded himself, cloud was a common name after all, maybe she wasn’t there. The delusions were useless. There, at the bottom of the list, was Staff sergeant Glittering Clouds. He was floored by the news. His flank landed on one of the few free areas in the tent. He remembered that night in discords garden. He had tried to forget it, but now it returned without anything to water down the memory.
It was three years ago. Two young ponies sat in front of the statue of Discord, making conversation. The stallion was light-brown, his mane was only one shade darker. He had on sunglasses, hiding his eyes from a bright sun. The mare was giggling, her yellow coat glistening with her body’s movements. Her white mane styled to change directions halfway down her neck. She settled down a bit, and looked at the stallion. “Hey Nights, how do you plan to deal with the secession?”
Night’s eyes moved left and right, trying to find a distraction. Finding none he started to answer the question straight. “Well, to tell the truth I was thinking of going with her.”
The mare stopped at that she turned fully facing the stallion she was talking to. “What do you mean ‘leaving with her’ did you find a mare? What could make you wanna go with the Lunar Republic, they have less funding, less land, they have nothing? Why do you want to leave?!?”
The mare was trembling by the end of her speech, leaving Nights to think of a response. He stood up, and put a wing around the mare’s shoulder. “Clouds, you know I haven’t found a mare. When I say ‘she’ I mean Luna. Yes, it’s true they have less funding, but they need a chance. Politically, every nations gonna want them dead, I’m gonna help out for a while.” He nuzzled her neck, causing a blush to fill Clouds face. “I promise, I’ll be back after I feel like the nation can defend itself.”
Clouds heritage didn’t leave her though. She laid down. “Pinkie swear. Pinkie swear to me that you’ll come back home.”
Night’s sat down beside her, keeping his wing around her. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”
Clods visibly calmed at that. "Good, any parting remarks before you run off?"
Nights smiled at her. "Not many, but here's a good one. I want you to know, you're the reason I'm coming back.
Clouds smiled at that, and hugged her oldest friend. "Oh you big teddy bear. When do you have to leave anyways?"
NIghts stood up, looking down at Clouds. “I hate to say it, but in about five minutes. Before I leave though, I want to give you a riddle. What forces rivers to flow, and lets my love grow? What forces me to leave, and my stress cannot relieve? It will tell you how I feel, but the answer you will not reveal?” He looked her in the eyes. “When you realise what I mean by that, tell me an answer.” He got up, and left.
NIghts moved his helmet to see the paper better. He knew he couldn’t will away the facts, but he really wished that he could. He once again took off, leaving the mass grave of fellow ponies in arms. HE flew back to his tent, and readied a small glass of cider. After tasting the drink, he let out a bitter chuckle. “I still promise, alright? Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” He drained the last of the cider. He then slipped into his bed, dreading the morning to come.