War comes to Equestria: with despair, with starvation, with suffering and with sacrifice. And the ponies must learn how to keep true to their values while surviving not just the rigors of battle, but the desolation of total war.

It's almost Mother's Day. Scootaloo comes to Rainbow Dash with a startling question, but then backs off, feeling ashamed she asked it. Rainbow Dash, taken off-guard by the question, starts to question both herself, how she feels about Scootaloo, and about her past...

Twilight Sparkle is accepted into Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns and gets a little more than what she bargained for.

Illustrated by me.

(If you object to swearing, please skip chapter 6. That's the one chapter that bumps this story straight up to a Teen rating.)