Short Hand: War · 4:00am Mar 4th, 2022
During the clean up of the Changeling assault on Canterlot, Shepherd finds a Changeling body near some rubble. He kneels down, looking upon the Changeling. Luna trots up alongside him.
Luna: "... What are you thinking, Shepherd?"
Shepherd: "I don't know. What do you think I am thinking?"
Luna: "Despite this being our enemy, you feel sad at his passing?"
Shepherd: "I do. I can't help but wonder what his name was. Where he came from. What lies or threats or promises made him come out all this way. If he might not have preferred to stay home, and live in peace. Was he good? Was he bad? I don't know. I'll never know."
He reached down and closed the eyes of the Changeling. He looked up at Luna.
Shepherd: "If... If you think I'm compromised or something-"
Luna shook her head and smiled gently, resting a wing on his back.
Luna: "Nothing of the sort. Compassion is not a bad trait. To make an enemy your friend is to win, is it not?"
Shepherd: smiles sadly "Yeah. But this guy will never see if we can become friends with his kind."
Luna: "No."
Luna teleports the corpse away.
Luna: "I can sense foals trapped in a house nearby. We must dig them out."
Shepherd stands up.
Shepherd: "Right. Let's go help them!"
https://youtu.be/hZJRJpbGkG4 This says it all about War!
Poignant... but I have to wonder where Luna sent the body.
5641398
Well, unless she knows the hive's location, probably to an impromptu morgue of sorts. I'd assume that any pony casualties would receive individual burials, while the unknown enemy casualties would likely share a mass grave.
'War isn't hell. War is war, and hell is hell. And of the two war is a lot worse. There are no innocent bystanders in hell. But war is chock full of them; little kids, cripples, old ladies. Except for a few of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander.' - Capt. Benjamin Franklin 'Hawkeye' Pierce - 4077th MASH, South Korea
Save your compassion for your own until the Enemy has been defeated, Ser Shepherd.
This is war. It is not a time for mercy, nor hesitation. Drive your enemies into the dust, make them pay for every life lost, fill their survivors with regret for ever having attacked you, so they will not do it again.
Then and only then, feel the luxury of compassion.
5641456
Yeah, that's one thing people forget about Hell. Nobody there is happy, but nobody there deserves to be happy.