Eternal War
Prologue: Captured
Location: Battlefield. Froggy Bottom Bog
POV: Lt. Twilight Sparkle
Lunars. Lunars everywhere. I must move carefully, to get the upper hand. The slightest sound might call their attention.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
What was that? Was that...
"Twilight! I think I got some muddy water on my uniform! I spent so much time stitching the badges in a clever arrangement! This is a disaster!"
Rarity. Rarity is one of my friends. She's somewhat of a fashionista. I know what you're thinking, if she's so up with fashion, then why is she in a war? I don't know at all.
"Listen, Rarity. You could have got us found out. We have to make sure the Lunars don't get us, so please and try to be a bit more stealthy." I tried to reason with her. Out of all of us in the group she's the most mature, all ways listing to reason.
"But, TWILIGHT, It took 17 HOURS! I had no sleep for DAYS!"
Scratch that.
"Well that's your fault, not mine."
"Umm, if it's okay with you, can I, umm, put these frogs in my, umm pack, it's just the fighting that might break out, it might um, harm them.I mean, if that's okay with you, I mean, you don't have to, but I would ah, appreciate it. I mean, I don't want to pressure you or any thing-"
"It's okay Fluttershy. Just try to be quiet when doing it." Smart idea Twilight, tell the most silent pony to be quiet.
.
My name is Twilight Sparkle by the way. I was a pupil of Empress Celestia. But now, I'm just a soldier. And I'm going to end the Lunar Rebels, threatening to upsrup Celestia, the one responsible for raising the sun! I have never in all my years heard of any one other then Celestia raising the sun. *Sigh* Couldent they just do this peacefully?
BOOM
What was that!? Oh my gosh, its its a-
"HYDRA!!"
"FALL BACK! FALL BACK! FALL BACK DANG IT!"
I know when to retreat, And now is the time to retreat!
"Fluttershy, Rarity, get to the escape carriages!" I yelled so loudly. So many explosions, so many things going wrong, the better equipped solders will take on the Hydra. We will escape.
BOOM, BANG, FLOOSH
"Lieutenant Sparkle! The carriages have been blown by lunars, We sent some pegisi to retrieve some more, we need to stay at the trench, and-"
"Get scorched by a hydra?" I interrupted the soldier. "No, that's not an option, we need to fall back and get to the nearest town, and bunker down there, the Lunars are coming from the west, so they have solid mountain to fall back to, we have tree cover and a country side, we need to get to a river and follow it to a town."
"But, but that's, that's insane!"
"Don't question my orders! Me, Fluttershy, and Rarity will go east to see if there are any towns that way, you and your squad will go south, follow the river, and don't stop until you find a settlement."
"Yes mam, Lt. Sparkle."
"Fluttershy! Come on!"
"But I haven't gotten all the frogs."
"NOW!" I don't mean to be, well, mean to her but the well being of frogs are at the bottom of my list of priorities.
We ran to the east, galloping past burning tress and ember, and worst of all;
Dead soldiers. When war happens, they follow in it's wake. Death is the gift of war.
We tried to stop the war before it happened, using a time spell, but someone botched it up. So now every 6 months, we loop back to 6 months before, we become younger, ponies that have died live again, and the war keeps going, forever, never halting for a stop, never taking a break, never taking a second to catch its breath. It's an eternal war.
---------------5 Days Later---------------
Location: Country Side, some where east of Cloudsdale
POV: Lt. Twilight Sparkle
It's been 5 days since the battle at the bog, and it's horrors still linger in my mind, I've avoided going to Stableside, since I've been there in a past loop, there wasn't anything happening at the Bog, just scattered resistance camps, we decided if we took down some camps there, we might change the course of the spell, but it was just wishful thinking.
This countryside is beautiful, the green grass, flowing, like a wave of nature, and hope. Hope, what use is hope now? We will never die, never able to do something with our lives;
During the first 2 loops, I thought of getting back in a relationship with somepony who is really good with illusion magic, her name was... it was... Her name was- no don't think of it Sparkle, you're strong and you forget the past. She is the one who's going to be crawling back to-
"Umm, in the horizon. I, um, sort of, ah, see mountains.
Mountains? Oh yes, if I remember the Geography of Equestria, the next set of mountains, east of Dragon Mountain (Of which the Bog lies at the foot of) are the Canter-Mountains, where Canterlot is. Good, Being the Capitol of the Solar Empire of Equestria, it is a Loyalist city.
"I estimate, about a day or two before we get to Canterlot... Rarity? You've been unusually quiet through this trek, is something bothering you?
She just stared off into the the golden sunset, as if she's thinking of something, or somepony. Or is she pondering the point of even fighting in a war that never ends, is the idea so thought provoking that-
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just gathering my thoughts," She explained, "You see, ever since the bog, I've been thinking of somepony."
Do I ever get a chance to finish my thoughts?
"Oh, I didn't know you had a special somepony, Rarity, I guess I've never asked."
"Oh, no, it's fine Twilight, it's not even like that, it's just I've been thinking of my sister, Sweetie Belle. She wants to be a fashion designer, like I used to be. She is so filled with hope, passion, and determination. She's smart too, sometimes, pony's think she's a walking dictionary," She sighed, "It's not fair Twilight, It's just not fair. She won't, no, can't do any thing with her life. Twilight, have you seen those posters, the ones they had at school, that said 'You can do any thing with your life, you just have to go for it.'?"
"Umm, when I was with Celestia, inspecting the schools, I recall seeing a poster like that."
"Well, they never thought of botched up time spells!" She picked up pace in the direction off to the mountains.
Well where was I? Oh, it's getting dark now, we better set up camp around some of those hills.
-----Later that night-----
Location: Campsite
POV: Rarity
Dear, Sweetie Belle,
I miss you How are you? You may have heard of the Bog, I am writing this to tell you that I survived and that I am okay. I hope you are okay as well. I hope you are still in choir, You have a wonderful singing voice, and have a future in it.
Your Sister, Rarity
The stars are beautiful tonight. I hope Magnum and Pearl are taking good care of her. They are my parents, but when I moved out, Sweetie wanted to be with me, but she can't join the army.
Ugh, I hate rations. 8 hard crackers, cheap cheese, rotten apples, and no sugar lumps. We probably thought the war would end soon, so they made just a quick standard for our rations. I can only think of what the rebels eat. On the thought off food, I used to have a friend, Gourmet Cuisine, he used to make the best food in Equestria. I best not think of good food right now, what with the ugliness of rations.
"Twilight, I am deeply apologetic for my actions earlier, just thinking about the circumstances we are in right now, it just makes me furious."
"Oh... I accept your apology... I guess?"
"Twilight, is something wrong?"
"What? Oh, um, well, I was just thinking about my ex- I mean brother, Tri- Shining Armor." She stammerd, almost if she was denying something. Best change the subject, don't want to maker her nervous.
"You have a brother? Oh, is he nice? Tell me all about him."
"Oh, um. He's kind, but he's a very good leader. In fact, he's Captain of the Royal Guard."
"Captain of the Royal Guard! Oh, is that how you became Lieutenant? Have your brother pulled some strings?" I winked, and then let out a laugh.
"Oh no, I would never cheat the system, I got here by quick thinking, and survival." I think I got her a bit embarrassed.
I love getting information out of people, it reminds me of the times I was... No. That's on a need to know basis. I wish I could forget my past, so the past would forget me.
---------The Next Day--------
Location: The Foot of the Canter-Mountains
POV: Rarity
"Alright team, all we have to do is climb the mountains."
"Umm, Twilight. There are scatted resistance ambush groups in the caves." Fluttershy finally spoke.
"Good point, Fluttershy. You can scout ahead now."
And she gets punished for it. Somethings bothering Twilight, better not banter her today. What could be bothering her so badly? If I can't ask her, It's time to use my powers of deduction.
As we climbed, the mountain, I kept trying to figure out what was bothering her, without of course, asking her. I do love a challenge. Let's see, she could be having a stressful time right now. Oh, what am I saying, we all are having a stressful time. She could be thinking about the well being of her brother. But that seems unlikely because when I questioned her last night, she said ex, and instead of saying her brother's name she almost said another pony's name, if she was thinking of her brother she would have said, brother and Shining Armor at the very beginning, ergo we can effectively say she was thinking about her ex sexy stallion friend. It's been a while since I've been ducting like that.
It's been a while since we've seen Fluttershy. I wonder if she's okay.
"Twilight, I'm a bit worried for Fluttershy, we haven't seen her for a while, what if the Lunars captured her?"
"They haven't captured her, she's probably just spying on them as we speak."
"How ironic." Who was that?
Twilight looked around so fast it looked like she had 3 heads. But then she halted her gaze, I followed her stare, to see 3 Lunar Rebels, and Fluttershy tied up. They were up at the top of a cliff, next to a cave.
They appeared to have a semi-leader, a cyan pegasi, with dashing rainbow hair. She was smiling, happy to catch 3 Solar soldiers. Next to her was an orange earth pony, with a blond mane. On the side, there was another earth pony, but this one had a pink coat, and had a brilliant raspberry mane.
The pegasi spoke up, "You can surrender now, or you can fall off the side of this mountain. Your choice."
I remained silent, I want to see how this plays out.
"I'd rather die then surrender to Luner scum! You pony's are the worst thing to happen to Equestria!" Twilight was mad.
"Now listen sugar cubes, we don't have 'ta fight like this, you will be given a fair trial if you surrender, if you resist, we might have to use deadly force, we don't 'wana do that do we?" The blond earth pony tried to reassure us, but that country accent, it just seems so uncouth.
"I don't care! That's why I joined the cause!" Twilight gritted her teeth, she was one of the more hard core loyalists, being a pupil of Empress Celestia and all.
"Now then, you forget we have leverage," The pegasi spoke, "We can end this little shy one here right now.
Twilight gritted her teeth so hard, I thought she was going to break them. Her horn glowed.
I'll leave Twilight's embarrising part out, just to be nice.
"We surrender," I walked forward, laying down my saddle bag slowly, "My friend here is just shocked, that's all."
The pink mare dropped down, "Hia, I'm Pinkie Pie!" She smiled, I could picture a poofy dress on her, maybe blue and white.
"I'm not handing my bags over!" Twilight was furious
"Twilight! Do you want to die? Do you? So hand the bags over."
"Fine..."
"Smart mare. Pinkie, AJ, lead them back to camp." The Leader said
"Yes mam, Rainbow!" Pinkie gleamed, chatting up Twilight, much to her dismay.
"Your, AJ, I presume?" I asked.
"Yep, your one smart cookie. The name's Apple Jack, but as you can guess, I go by AJ."
"It sounds like an author's name."
"'Huh? Author? I 'aint no book scribbler, miss."
We chatted the rest of the way. And the Rainbow one, I think I heard Pinkie say, Rainbow Dash? She didn't talk much.
I saw the cave, and how far it was from Canterlot, I frowned, it was only a little bit to the distance. We are so close to freedom, yet, so far away.
---------------------End Prologue-------------------
The Eternal War
Chapter I, Unexpected Visitors
Location: The Canter-Mountain Caves
POV: Captain Rainbow Dash
"AJ! Have you seen Pinkie Pie?" She's gone. Great, we're so close to Canterlot, bringing a mare like Pinkie might not have been a good idea.
"I reckon you haven't. I haven't seen her since yesterday 'noon. She might be cheering up the some of he solders inside. You know, moral and all that hog wash."
"Sure why not, but let's go make sure; I don't want her to captured by some Solar patrols."
Walking into the caves of the Canter-Mountains isn't smart. Any egg-head can tell you that. They are a mixture of abandon mine shafts, unexplored caverns, and who knows what else. We just stayed at the old miners work house, or something like that.
The rotted wood of the station was a petrified grey, and the only color was the fire from the small camp we hitched up from outside the place. It's rusted orange hinges creaked as we opened it. We should oil them, I heard that they found oil in Saddle Arabia.
We walked up the the rec hall, expecting to hear Pinkie singing, or doing her comedy routine. That's why she was brought here, to boost moral, she also stashed weapons every where. But the point is she's no where.
A couple of solders at the bar were laughing, they should know, Pinkie is friends with every one here. In fact, I doubt there's anyone she doesn't know.
"Boulder, Flash, have you guys seen Pinkie?"
"Uhh, she left to take a walk after breakfast." Buck. "Is there something wrong?" Boulder asked.
"No," I lied, I can't let them know their beloved Pinkie is missing. "No, just seeing if you still have a memory." Me and AJ left.
"Checking to see if they still have 'ah memory? Really?"
"Well I couldn't tell them Pinkie is missing." I have the greatest justification.
"What ever." She huffed. "We should go outside, go and look around, make sure she's okay."
When we walked outside, I could feel the cold mountain air. I spread my wings, It felt good being outside, being stuck inside the caves for days on end was getting them stiff.
"Captain Dash!" Duster saluted. I quickly nodded. We needed to find Pinkie, fast.
We looked over the rocky terrain, looking for a bouncing pink pony, with no avail. As we looked I wen't into deep thought;
Why would Pinkie just leave? Was it her Pinkie sense telling her to leave, or did she get caught while walking? We're so close to Canterlot, it's a big chance. What if she fell off a cliff? What if she was captured and tortured? What if we never see her again? Oh no! I wouldn't know how to break it to the solders. Pinkie is the only thing keeping them from going postal! Oh the agony! We'll never see her again!
"Hey guys," A cheerful voice butted in.
"Pinkie! 'Whare you been sugar cube!" AJ Blurted out.
"Well, I was out for a walk when I saw somepony climbing the mountain, I thought she was lost, so I found the rock where I planted a climbing ax, in case of ax emergency. Because you don't know when one could happen, but as I was about to give it to her, I noticed she had wings, so I put it back, so then I went up to talk to her, but then I saw she was wearing Solar Empire uniforms, so then I gasped real loud, like this, 'HUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA' and then I galloped to where I stored my hand cuffs, in case of 70's cop show emergency, but then I realized they went missing, so then I went to where I stored my ropes, in case of raise this barn emergency, and then I tied her up and here she is!"
Remind her that ponies need oxygen, because she clearly forgot that.
"Uh... What?" AJ asked, dumbfounded.
"I got lost at the part where she found the rock, but I know prisoner when I see prisoner."
"Great!" Pinke, listen to this, flutterd in the air for a moment. Did I mention she's an earth pony?
The prisoner was a pale yellow pegisi, with a strawberry pink mane, and deep turquoise eyes. Why am I describing her like a Daring-Doo book? It doesn't make any sense. It's not like she's a character in a book.
Croak
We all suddenly stared straight at the prisoner.
Rrrrriiibet
"Ohhh," Pinked cooed, fascinated, "She's a frog."
AJ carefully approached the prisoner's bag, then a frog jumped out, and it started leaping every where!
The prisoner's eye's bulged as she leaped forward a whopping 1 foot, But as it was about to jump off the face of the earth, Pinkie slammed down a cage on it.
"Your not leaving the story yet mister! You have an important role to play in this fic!" Pinkie scolded, By now, I've stopped trying to figure Pinkie out.
"Rainbow, there's something I need to discus with you." AJ said.
"What is it?"
"If we have a scout coming up the mountain, Does that mean she didn't come from Canterlot?"
"Why should we care?"
"Do you remember seeing the hydra a few day's ago?"
"Yah, what's so impor-, wait, you don't think?"
"Ah do think, she can't be the only survivor."
"So you think there are other Solar Empire soldiers climbing up the mountain?"
"Yes, 'Ah do. 'Cause, if there are more, then we need to find them quicker then a fish to water, cause nothing's stopping them from running up to Canterlot and telling the Infantry that there are rebels hiding right under their noses!"
I let that sink in. If were found out, the Infantry will slam down their mighty hammer of 'justice'. We're an important base for the rebels, we're close to Canterlot and we're also the hub of espionage in the Rebellion. Being under Canterlot and all.
I look over to our new capture. "Pinkie, untie the cloth around her mouth."
"Yes Maim, Captain Tight-Pants!" Pinkie saluted. What-the-buck are pants?
"Your not going to scream when we untie this, understand?" I gave the most angry look I could muster, which was easy, they don't call me a hard ass for nothing.
-------------------Location: Canter Mountians---------------------
POV: Apple-Jack
When Pinkie took the cloth out of the prisoners mouth, the darnedest thing happened. She took in a heap of breath and screamed the loudest she could; 6 Decibels. I could barelah' hear it.
We all looked at her. "What's your name?" Rainbow asked.
"Fluttershy"
"Umm, didn't quite hear that." Rainbow stated. Feel bad for the Solar really, she seems like a nice pony, shy, but nice.
"Fluttershy"
"One more time?"
"Fluttershy"
"Butter Guy?"
Pinkie spoke up, "I think it's Fluttershy. Or to use her full name, 'Fluttershy Fawndon Timidiqa'."
I just gawk at Pinkie.
"Sooo... Fluttershy, how many others are there?"
"Only two..." She looked away, most likely in shame.
"Names and Race!"
"Twilight Sparkle, and Rarity. Both unicorns..."
"Pinkie, do you have a magic inhibitor?"
"Why yes I do! Two, According to the authors imagination, and It's in my 'Raspberry mane, next to a key to the TARDIS.'"
"What's a TARDIS? No, scratch that, get out the inhibitors, I have a plan." RD devised.
........................A few minutes later..........................
"Twilight, I'm a bit worried for Fluttershy, we haven't seen her for a while, what if the Lunars captured her?"
"They haven't captured her, she's probably just spying on them as we speak."
Rainbow smiled. "Oh how ironic."
The lavender one whipped her head around so fast, I thought it would snap right off. She halted her gaze at us, noticing, Mutter Bye was it? Any way, the white one just stood there, remaining silent.
Rainbow grinned, "You can all surrender now, and be held prisoner or can fall off this mountain with one swift move."
The lavender one practically spat, "I'd rather fall off the mountain then be held prisoner to Lunar traitors! Your the worst ponies to Equestrian history!"
This wasn't about to turn into a buckin' massacre. "Hold up everypony! We don't have to argue like this, you will be given a fair trial if you surrender, if you resist, we might have to use deadly force. But I don't want to see any blood shed."
"I don't care!" Lavender wouldn't back down. Must be a hard core loyalist. "This is why I joined the cause, to defeat scum like you!"
"You forget we have leverage." Rainbow pointed to Fluttershy. "We can end this little cute one's life here right now!"
Hardcore loyalist was furious, her eyes had a mighty flame, her horn glowed a magical hue of violet. Then, in an instant, like a magician's trick, she disappeared, and reappeared in a shower of sparks. Pinke let out the captured frog and threw her pet, Gummy in to the action.
She was so, what's the word? Discombobulated, she hit the rock face, and Pinkie threw on the magic inhibiter and pushed her down the rise and she fell next to her friend.
"We surrender!" The white one put down her saddle bags. "My friend here is just... shocked, thats all." She has a surprisingly elegant voice. It's very, um, regal is it?
Rainbow nodded to Pinkie, she jumped down, "Hia, My name's Pinkie Pie! I'll be needing your bags, sorry, wish it could be under better circumstances, like, a party. I guess I could get the other Solars to hold a welcome party in to the big cell." Long story short, she rambled more then Granny Smith about her glory days as one of the founders of Ponyville.
"I'm not handing over my bags." She didn't didn't know when to quit.
"Twilight! Do you want to die? Do you? So hand the bags over!" So her name's Twilight.
"Fine..." Did she just... Back down?
"Smart Mare. Pinkie, AJ, lead them back to camp."
Location: Canter Mountians
POV: Pinke Pie
OH MY GOSH! NEW CAPTIVES! WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY NEW ONES FOR AGES! SERIOUSLY! ALSO, WHY DO I HAVE TO SPEAK IN ALL CAPS? ISN'T THERE A RULE AGAINST IT TOO?
Oh thank the show developers! And the admins now that I think of it. And the Mods. And who ever else enforces the rules. I can finally speak like a normal pony!
"So, your name's Twilight? Like the illumination that is produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, illuminating the lower atmosphere when the Sun itself is not directly visible because it is below the horizon, so that the surface of the Earth is neither completely lit nor completely dark?"
"... Sort of...?" How did she not know what she was named after?
"Sparkle, is that a secondary name, middle, or last, or one of those two word first names?"
"... Last..." Would she stop trailing off?
"Okay, why are you sooo boring? I mean, you seem very inept with magic, your obviously a book worm, a hardcore loyalist, stubborn, and for some reason, your not talkative! Why?"
"... Umm... What's your name?"
"Oh! I see what your doing! Don't think I'll be fooled by the likes of you! Your trying to get me to turn a blind eye to your introvertedness! Well Guess what!? I'll play along!"
"... What."
"My name is Pinkimenda Diane Pie, I used to be an intern at Sugar Cube Corner, Ponyville. I aspire to be a renound pastry and dessert baker. My favorite foods are chimichangas with cherries, cupcakes and ice cream. And I used to grow up on a rock farm." With a fake story constructed, I can learn the secrets of this Solar Soldier!
"Well, I used to be a pupil of Empress Celestia, My father is an aristocrat, my mother is an author. My brother Captain of the Royal Guard, and he was supposed to marry his marefreind, Colgate, but we all know what happend with time. That reminds me, I need to grill T-... Why am I telling you all this?"
She almost spilled the beans! "Because we're friends."
"We're not friends!" Whoops, she's mad. "Just because you told me your life story, doesn't mean I will or that your my, 'Friend'!"
"Pinkie, stop badgering the captures."
"Yes Maim, Captain Dash!" I looked at Twilight, "Sorry we couldn't talk more. Maybe next time!"
Wow, you can see Canterlot from here... I wonder if they can hear my parties from over there... Probably not.
----------------------------------------------------------------End Chapter~I---------------------------------------------------
