Better Angels of our Nature

Chapters

Chapter One: Enlistment
Chapter Two: Wish Fulfillment
Chapter Three: Send-Off
Chapter Four: Words Unspoken

Chapter One: Enlistment

Dear Princess Celestia,

I just wanted to tell you that I heard your speech over the radio announcing the war to liberate oppressed peoples everywhere, and it was the most uplifting thing I’ve ever heard! I thought your reasoning and logic behind our first war in over 200 years was absolutely flawless, and you are most certainly right about our cause being morally just. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the library when you described the horrible conditions those poor Diamond Dogs live under, or the plight of Saddle Arabia from their “tyrannical and morally bankrupt” dictatorship of a neighbor. Equestria needs to be more involved in making the world a better place to live in, and you laid it out with such wisdom and honesty, I could have sworn I heard everypony across the nation, nay, across the entire world rise up and cheer you on in your quest for a better world. However, there is something I want to ask you, and I hope you’ll please consider it carefully before potentially rejecting it. I would like to humbly ask you for permission to enlist.

Please hear me out! I don’t want to join for the glory, or because Shining Armor is already in the military, or because Rainbow keeps telling me I should to prove my loyalty to Equestria. It goes much deeper than that. I want to join because I genuinely believe in Equestria’s ideals of freedom, love, and tolerance, and my sincerest wish is to help us spread those ideals around the world in peaceful manner when practicable, but in war if necessary for those rulers too blinded by their own power to see what’s good for their subjects. I realize that joining the military is a big commitment, but I believe myself more than capable of handling the rigors of military life. After all, basic first-aid on the battlefield can't possibly be harder than saving Equestria from certain destruction three times.

Even with all that, I realize you have many valid concerns. What will Equestria do without the Element of Magic were she to be killed? What if she’s not ready for the trials of war? Well, I can tell you my mental health is as solid and robust as it’s ever been, and my physical abilities have been vastly increased due to assisting AJ during apple-bucking season. I’m going in as a medic anyway, and the international rules of warfare expressly prohibit the killing of medics. But we both know that’s not the whole picture.

I know from your speech that the long and winding road we must trot will be full of pain, despair, and death, but I am not a filly anymore. You told me once that the best thing about Equestria was the fact that everypony, no matter how big or how small, can achieve their dreams through hard work and determination, and so I must beseech you now to allow me the same opportunity. My morals will not allow otherwise, and I’ll never forgive myself if I do not at least try to change the world for the better. I don’t even want to kill any other creatures; I always intended to join as a battlefield medic. After all, what better way to assist the war effort than to make sure our wounded soldiers can get back up and fight on?

Spike’s starting to whine that I’m making this too long, so I’ll have to end my plea to you here. I know I’ve given you a lot to think about, so just please reply as soon as you are able. Wars don’t plan themselves after all, and I don’t want to be an unnecessary distraction to you.

-Your Faithful student,

Twilight Sparkle

Chapter Two: Wish Fulfillment

Dear Princess Celestia,

I know it must have been very hard for you to do, but I just wanted to thank you for supporting me at this crucial juncture in my life. As soon as I’m done writing this letter, I’m running down to Ponyville’s recruiting station as fast as my legs can carry me and signing up! I promise I won’t let you or our great nation down in the duties you’ve entrusted to me as somepony to count on to lift our soldiers back up from their darkest hours.

Addressing your worries about Spike, I asked Rarity to look after him while I’m away, so he’s pretty thrilled about that. After your speech, she decided to completely overhaul her business to make uniforms for the troops, and taking on another unpaid assistant doesn't hurt her business in the slightest. But the best part about it is that it’s not just her; everyone was energized and invigorated by your stirring oration! AJ and the rest of the Apple family are diverting most of their apple production from commercial to military use, Pinkie’s organizing send-off parties for everyone that joins, Rainbow’s already joined the Royal Equestrian Air Force as of this writing, and even Fluttershy is helping out by having her animal friends help out with a parade to show support for the brave mares and stallions who took your memorable words to heart. It’s all so exciting, I can barely contain my own energy!

On another much less enthusiastic note, my parents reacted to my decision rather poorly. They gave all sorts of reasons why I shouldn’t enlist, such as lack of medical knowledge, me being out of shape, my studies being more important, and naivety about the world at large. I just think that they’re afraid the horrors of war will traumatize or injure me beyond recognition . I remember having the same argument with Rainbow when she joined, although the circumstances surrounding it were a tad bit different. Knowing that she could get seriously hurt or even killed, I tried my best to dissuade her from joining up for fear of losing one of my closest friends. After many long hours of discussion however, I eventually realized she was a grown mare fully capable of making her own decisions, and grudgingly caved in to her argument. I haven’t been home in so long, I don’t even know if my parents are able to do the same for me...

But enough on my personal issues; how are you able to stand the rigors of preparing Equestria for battle? I realize you’ve been around far longer than even our own nation has, and that you have seen more conflict and death as a peaceful, immortal ruler than the bloodiest of mortal warriors, but I still can’t keep myself from worrying. Ever since you took me in as your personal student, I’ve looked up to you the same way a young filly looks up to her mother, though I think my curiosity is worse, seeing as how I’ll never grow out of it.

Oh dear, my letter’s grown quite long, hasn’t it? If I don’t get down to the recruiting station soon, they’ll be all out of the necessary paperwork for me to fill out! I’ll continue to keep sending you letters every week if I can, and eagerly await your advice as always. Please send my best wishes to Luna as well, as I’m sure the new weapons available to the armed forces must be very confusing to her after her thousand-year exile, especially the advances made in artillery.

-Your Faithful Student,
Twilight Sparkle

Chapter Three: Send-Off

Dear Princess Celestia,

I know I just sent a letter two days ago, but I just couldn’t contain myself! I just received a letter from the Royal Army saying my enlistment was approved! I’m to report to the train station at noon tomorrow to take the troop train to Canterlot with the rest of Ponyville’s newest recruits. I’ll be assigned a barracks there, and then- well, I’m sure you know the rest; it is your army after all, you know how it works better than I would. I’ve already started brushing up on some fairly simple healing spells in anticipation for the much more advanced training available to the military. It’s nothing too special, just a few spells for broken bones and minor lacerations, but it’s a start.

How are things going in Canterlot? I only ask because I heard from the local papers that a large parade was almost sabotaged by anti-war activists yesterday. While I can sympathize with their point of view, I just don’t understand what could cause anypony to be so hateful to their fellow stallions and mares like that. Protesting for peace while using weapons of war doesn't make sense, and I feel sick just writing about such a horrible and senseless act of misguided “justice.”

In other news, Pinkie decided to throw me a farewell party yesterday. It was very sweet of her and very fun to go to, but I wish I would have gone to bed sooner; the party lasted until 3 a.m! I finally forced her to end it by threatening her with a lecture on the history and development of the ballpoint pen and it’s uses in the modern office building. She left so fast, I almost thought she’d seen a ghost.

Well, as much as I enjoy sending you letters, it’s getting pretty late and I’ll need my sleep for tomorrow. It’s not everyday that you enlist in the best military in the world after all.

-Your faithful student and soldier,
Twilight Sparkle

P.S: Please tell Luna I didn't mean to imply she wasn't smart. Coming from a more violent time would give her far more experience with war than anypony else would have with the sole exception being you. She's a very smart and kind-hearted pony, and I'm sorry if it came out as an insult.

Chapter Four: Words Unspoken

Dear Rainbow Dash,

It’s so good to hear from you! I haven’t received a letter from you in so long, I was starting to think the air force had already deployed you. I never realized basic training was so demanding for new recruits, or I may have had second thoughts. That was just a joke by the way, I wasn’t being serious about not enlisting due to physical activity.

So how are you adjusting to life in the military? I just arrived to my assigned barracks at Fort McColt, where the Ponyville army recruits are being trained. We were all assigned a “battle buddy,” because they apparently don’t want us wandering around by ourselves, and I was paired with an earth pony by the name of Cherry Blossom. You probably don’t know her, but she worked in the east park attending the garden. I always thought she was a pretty quiet mare, but today she was telling me all about her cherry blossom tree, such as how to water it, feed it, prune it, and keep it safe from the elements. I’ve learned more about cherry blossoms through ten minutes of listening to her talk than a whole library on the subject could have taught me in five years.

Anyways, before receiving our training uniforms, we were all lined up in a single-file line while the camp commandant, Brigadier General Straightback, gave us his “welcoming speech.” It was pretty much just him telling us all the rules and regulations we’ll have to obey while here in training camp. There were a ton, but they basically boil down to this: don’t talk back to the drill sergeants, go nowhere without your battle buddy, always make sure your clothes and equipment are neat and well-organized, and never, EVER miss roll-call. We’re also supposed to wake up at 4:30 every morning to start our training bright and early. I don’t know about you, but I’m not too eager to wake up before 8am, let alone at 4:30. Oh, well, it’s too late to back out now, and if you can drag your lazy plot out of bed, then so can I!

By the way, I’m so glad you got our CARE package! I hope you enjoy the latest “Daring Do” novel I added in for you. In this one, Daring Do has to rescue her best friend from the clutches of a creepy cult out for the lost treasure of El Doradhoof. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did, you’ll never guess the plot twist at the end!

On another note, I really am glad you decided to write. Ponyville just hasn’t been the same since you left. I know I promised to tell them about us, but I just couldn’t do it. The thought of facing their judgement alone frightened me too much, and, being the coward that I am, I backed out at the last moment. I can only imagine what the Princess might say about it. Please don’t hate me.

-Forever yours,
Twilight Sparkle