This Is War

by pokefreak13

Mission One: Sweetie Belle

My friends and I were trotting through the burnt up Sweet Apple Acres. The trees were charcoal black and all dried up, the ground had massive craters were bombs blew up, and the barn and house now laid in piles of wood.

"You okay, Apple Bloom?" I asked once I saw my friend trying to hold back tears.

"Ah'm fine. Just ah little...shaken up by all ta destruction." the earth pony replied.

"Think our clubhouse will still be here?" Scootaloo questioned as she gazed at the cloudy sky.

"Princess Celestia did order us to go there." I reminded.

As we cut through a small path through the dead trees, we soon came to our destination.

"Huh, it's actually not half bad." Scootaloo remarked.

The windows of our club house were broken and the paint was dull and cracked. Our door and ladder laid on the ground in splinters and a hole was carved into the side of the roof.

Apple Bloom pulled out a lasso from her bag and swung the noose onto a branch. Then she gave it a tug. When the tree branch didn't give away, she gave us the go ahead.

Quickly, Scootaloo and I climbed up the rope and onto the worn away porch. Then I used my magic to reel in the rope and Apple Bloom. Once our country friend was safely on the porch, we headed inside.

"Yuck." Scootaloo gagged as she stepped in an old wasp nest.

Inside the floor was covered in old hay and moldy pieces of wood. There was no furniture except a small table, and the room smelt like moldy cheese.

"Look!" I replied while pointing out a letter on top of the table.

Apple Bloom quickly snatched up the letter and opened it up, "Looks like Celestia has ah mission fer us." she explained.

"What does the letter say?" Scootaloo and I asked.

"Dear Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom, and Scootaloo, ah received news that some griffins captured ah group ov fillies. Their location is in Dodge Junction." the earth pony read.

Scootaloo smiled and pulled out her revolvers, "Finally, I can use these!" She shouted with glee.

"Wait, there's more." Bloom informed, "It looks like ah spell. Sweetie Belle?" my friend gave me the letter.

I took a deep breath and spoke the spell, "Ekac eip dna etaroced!" I shouted. Suddenly there was a blinding light. Once the light subsided, my friends and I gasped in union at the sight before us.

Did I really do this? I wondered in shock.

The floor was covered in a plush blue carpet while the walls were made out of oak wood. There were three small chests, each one painted in our favorite colors. There was also a portal in the middle set for the base in the outskirts of Canterlot, and a small fridge full of food and drawers full of medical supplies and ammunition for Scootaloo and Apple Bloom's guns.

This place is amazing! I thought to myself in awe, Rarity would be impressed.

"Come on guys, let's go and repay Princess Celestia by bashing those griffins and rescuing those fillies!" Scootaloo cheered.

"YA!" Apple Bloom and I replied happily.

---

"Y-ya sure w-we have ta g-go through ta Everfree Forest, Sweetie Belle?" Bloom gulped.

We were standing at the edge of the Everfree Forest. I looked down at my map and nodded. Truth be told, I was scared too, however we were on a very important mission and I can't allow my feelings to get in the way.

"Lets go." the orange pegasus grunted as she entered the forest with Apple Bloom and I following behind.

"We just have to follow this river." I informed before rolling up the map and tucking it back into my saddle bag.

---

"Hay you guys?" Scootaloo asked after about ten minutes of following the river, "How come the water looks all neon green?"

"Cause ov ta radiation from those machines ta griffins use." Apple Bloom replied.

"Hay guys?" Scootaloo gulped as she stopped in her tracks.

"What is i-" However I stopped once I laid eyes at what my pegasus friend was pointing at.

There was a wolf about nine feet staring back at us. It's fur was made out of thick, dark oak wood and had glowing red eyes. Sharp teeth made of sharpened animal bone jagged out of it's mouth while a tongue made out of rabbit skin drooled saliva that burned whatever it touched.

"What is that monster?" I gasped in fear.

"Timber Wolf, ma bet is that it drank from tis river and that radiation did that to it." Apple Bloom answered while she slowly drew out her shot gun.

The timber wolf advanced towards us, the ground shaking every time it took a step towards us.

Scootaloo pulled out her two revolvers and stared at the wolf angrily as Apple Bloom stood next to her.

The beast let out a ferocious roar before breaking out into a jog.

I pulled out my magic cards that Twilight Sparkle gave me, and began frantically to try and find a useful one that wouldn't require that much of my magic.

Once the timber wolf was within twenty feet of us, my two friends opened fire.

Finally! I thought with relief as I levitated a card with a windigo on it.

Seeing this, my friends quickly got out of the way.

"ICE MONSTER'S RAGE!" I shouted. Suddenly the card began to glow and a few orbs flew into my opened mouth. Then, I exhaled, sending a furry of snow and ice towards the timber wolf, breaking it in several pieces and freezing them in place.

"Ah think ya kinda over did it, Sweetie Belle." Apple Bloom laughed.

"Yeah, you could've given us a little more fun blasting that beast." Scootaloo said.

I blushed and ran a hoof through my mane as I levitated my cards back into my bag, "Sorry." I replied.

As we continued on our trek towards Dodge Junction, I couldn't help but feel a little scared. Griffins are powerful foes. If we were up against zebras, then we'd have a better chance of reasoning with them. However, griffins are a stubborn race who only follow their king. So reasoning with them is out of the count.

Looks like we're gonna have to fight them.

Author's Note: