//------------------------------// // Part 2 // Story: For Princess and Country // by Nocturn Dreamwrite //------------------------------// For Princess and Country By Nocturn Dreamwrite Part 2 The next morning Forester and Odo awoke, and had a quick breakfast. Then while Odo was having a drink, Forester popped back into the hut to have a moment for himself to think, and so he sat on his bed and thought. If he was going to consider returning to the Equestrian world, he had to look at the pros and cons. Pro: He would be able to reconnect with his fellow pony kind. Con: He would be leaving his deer friends behind. That would hurt. Especially leaving Odo. It would be very hard to leave Odo, and just how would he tell him? How would he take it? Pro: He would fill that nagging, restless desire to return. It would be an adventure. Con: He really had no idea what he’d be returning to, whether Equestria had changed for better or for worse. Pro: It would be interesting to see how Equestria had changed regardless for better of for worse while he’d been gone. Con: He really had no plan for what he would do once he returned to the world of ponies. He’d arrive and then what? Pro: He could share all that he had learned in these past years with his fellow ponies. That was a start, but how exactly would he do that? Con: There was no guarantee that he would find a purpose, and he did need a purpose. Forestry was his passion, but he needed to get involved in something. Something bigger than any one pony. Something bigger than himself. Those words rang a bell in Forester’s memory. He looked over toward the far corner of his bed. He hesitated. Then he slowly reached over and brushed aside some leaves, which he bunched in a pile so that he could easily cover that corner again. He then reached into the corner and pulled out two items that had been hidden: a saddlebag and a sword. Forester first picked up the sword, his sword, the saber of a Lieutenant. He drew the sword out of its sheath. It had some dirt on it, but nothing that couldn’t be fixed. He tested its weight for a moment in his hooves, and looked at his reflection in the blade before returned the sword to its sheath. He put the sword down, and then opened the saddle bag. There were two items inside the bag. The first, a small wooden box he tenderly dusted off and then opened. Inside were two white sashes. Each of them had a medal shaped like a royal pony guard, a bronze medal for service, and a gold one for honor. Only one had a silver medal. Forester put the sashes back into the box, closed it, and then returned it to the saddlebag, before picking up the third item, his tin derby. There’s a special connection between a pony and his hat. It might seem strange to some, but this hat brought back lots of memories for Forester, some good, some bad. Forester held his tin derby over his heart and hugged it while he starred off into space at nothing in particular as he recalled the events of another time. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Forester flew through the Cloudsdale airways, as quickly as he could with a paper folded in his mouth. It was a clear, moonlit night, but there were still some pegasi out and about. Forester had to dodge a few ponies and clouds until he arrived at his destination: The small cloud house that he and his shared with his younger brother Kepler, a sky blue pegasus with a dark purple mane and tail, and light green eyes. He rushed through the door and stopped so suddenly when he came into the study, that he almost toppled head over heels when he ran into the stack of books that Kepler had sat in the middle of the room. Forester managed to stop himself, but the books fell over like a stone pillar. “Ow,” said Forester, as he rubbed his head. “Yikes,” said Kepler as he jumped up from the desk where he had been drawing. “Are you all right big brother?” “Yeah, I fine,” answered Forester. “Sorry about that. I should have slowed down sooner.” “I’m sorry too,” said Kepler. “I should have moved that stack out of the middle of traffic.” The two brothers set to work picking up the mess of books, each one on the subject of astronomy, Kepler’s passion. His cutie mark was the ringed planet of Stableurn. “Oh, by the way,” said Forester, “Have I got a lot of interesting news for you! The Changelings have attacked Equestria!” “What?!” exclaimed Kepler. “When?” he asked. “Just day before yesterday,” answered Forester. “Anyway, The EPU isn’t strong enough to stop them, so they’ve put out a call for anypony and everypony willing to join the Equestrian Army.” “Wow,” replied Kepler. “That is something.” “This is one of the flyers I found on the streets,” said Forester as he picked up the folded paper he had dropped and opened it to show Kepler its message. The flyer showed a picture of Princess Celestia standing on a rock holding a large Equestrian banner which fluttered behind her from a pole she held firm with one hoof and pointed onward (a picture she never would have actually posed for) with the other as a troop of pony soldiers, unicorns and earth ponies marched in front of the rock, while pegasi flew past Celestia on the opposite side. The words above the picture read “For Princess and Country!” and those below read “Preserve Equestria and Harmony! Enlist Today!” “That’s really impressive,” said Kepler. “A real eye catcher.” Then he realized something. He looked at Forester and asked, “Are you thinking about joining?” “Yes Kepler,” replied Forester. “We all have our special talents, and you know how much I’d love to move away and live in the woods below, but now our country is in danger. I believe it is both our right and our duty to answer her call for help, or there may not be a country to celebrate cutie marks at all.” He paused for a moment then added. “This is bigger than any of us. Now it involves all of us. If we all stand together now and serve our country as passionately as we search for our place among ponies I am sure we can not fail. Besides, it’d be better to join now ourselves than wait to be drafted.” “You make a very good case,” said Kepler, “And you’d make a good promotional piece yourself,” he joked. The two brothers chuckled at this. “When were you planning to go enlist?” asked Kepler. “First thing tomorrow morning,” answered Forester. “I plan to be one of the first.” “Well,” replied Kepler, “You won’t be going alone.” He smiled. “Somepony’s gotta look after you,” He teased. “All right, L.B.B.F.F.!” said Forester as he caught Kepler up in a hug and patted his back with his hoof. “You mean, “brothers in arms,”” Kepler jokingly corrected Forester as he returned the gesture. Suddenly Kepler’s eyes widened and he looked directly at Forester’s face. “By the way, today’s right in the middle of the week right?” “Yeah,” replied Forester, “Why?” Kepler quickly pulled away and scrambled to find a specific book and grab a telescope. He looked at the clock. It was about to strike 8 O’clock at night. “Just in time,” he said. “I gotta show you something, and it happens tonight. You’re gonna think this fabulous.” He rushed outside with Forester right behind him, and quickly set up the telescope, pointing it at the night sky, and then he scanned through the book until he found the page he was looking for. He studied it for a moment then, adjusted the telescope, first without looking into the eyepiece, and then while looking into it. Forester wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but with Kepler it was always something beautiful and incredible. Finally, Kepler said, “I got it! Take a look Forester.” “What is it?” asked Forester. “Brother,” said Kepler with a smile beaming with pride, “You are about to see the planet Mares pass and eclipse the planet Stableurn.” Forester didn’t have to be told twice. He quickly looked into the eyepiece, and sure enough, he saw the spectacular phenomena taking place before his very eyes. The planet Mares slowly moved in front of the planet Stableurn as they orbited around Equestria, and with the sun on the opposite side of the Earthen planet, Mares cast it’s shadow across Stableurn as it passed. For a moment it looked as though Mares had rings. “This is Amazing!” said Forester. “Here look before it’s gone.” He said as he turned the telescope back over to Kepler. “Ah, yes,” said Kepler. “Fantastic!” He said as he watched Mares move pass Stableburn, then he turned to look at Forester. “Thanks, L.B.B.F.F.,” said Forester. “Anytime, big brother,” said Kepler. . . . The next day, Forester and Kepler enlisted into the Equestrian Amy. Since they had both achieved the rank of Knight in the Colt Scouts they were both immediately enlisted as corporals. They attended a training camp outside of Canterlot, and then were sent off in a troop of their own. Each soldier was given a red and white uniform, but these were only used in drills and on formal occasions. In actuality, with little metal to be found for armor, the new traditional field uniform was just a tin derby, and whatever else a soldier could find. The day they marched away from Canterlot, was the day that Forester and Kepler met General Corn Pipe for the first time. He was personally leading the new divisions out to the Macintosh Hills. This allowed for their first actual parade as the army marched through the newly build Ponyville. The soldiers made a grand sight as they marched through. General Corn Pipe was at the front with the flag bearer holding the Equestrian banner and two drummers right behind him, and then unicorns, earth ponies, and pegasi all marched by in rows of three. Even the pegasi marched as a way to keep discipline. There wasn’t much of a town of Ponyville then, but Forester noted a nice sized apple orchard, a bakery, a tailor shop, and a cobbler shop among other things. It was definitely a town on the rise. The citizens of Ponyville all came out to see the soldiers parade past. Some waved and cheered, while others remained respectfully silent. Forester and Kepler saw action at the long Battles of the Macintosh Hills, and the Southern Plains. Both ended with an Equestrian retreat, but Forester and Kepler were both recognized by General Corn Pipe for outstanding service when they worked together to organize the retreat from the Macintosh Hills. Had they not regrouped several other ponies to give cover to the retreat, the center of the Equestrian line would have fallen apart due to panic when the Changelings began to overwhelm them. The two brothers were promoted to sergeants and were both decorated with the bronze medal of service by General Corn Pipe himself. Forester’s leadership was late recognized again with another promotion to Lieutenant just before the Battle of Dodge City began. He did make one condition though for this promotion: wherever he was stationed, Sergeant Kepler would be stationed with him. He explained that if he was going to take command, he needed the best help he could get, somepony he knew he could trust. Forester promptly received his Lieutenant’s saber. “That really is an impressive sword,” said Odo suddenly bringing Forester back to the present. Forester jumped, he hadn’t noticed Odo approaching. “Yes, Yes it is,” he said nervously. He quickly brushed off the tin derby and put it back in the saddlebag. Then he grabbed both he bag and the sword and turned to return them to the hole, but then he stopped and thought for a moment. He had felt, after all, that pull to serve ponies again; to be part of something bigger than himself. That eagerness and resolve he felt in his past, he felt now. What he was holding represented his past, but it was still part of him, and…it could help him find a new purpose among ponies. It was time. Forester quietly leaned his saddle bag and his saber against the wall, then the turned to Odo. “Odo,” said Forester solemnly. He paused. It was now or never. He had to tell him. “I have something to tell you. I’ve made a decision,” he continued. “I’m going to be leaving the White Tail Woods, and return to the pony world of Equestria.” Odo’s smile faded, and his tail fell limp. He was trying to think of what to say. Forester braced himself. He wasn’t sure what to expect. “Oh,” said Odo, “Well…okay. When do we leave?” he asked brightening up again. Forester was taken aback by this. “I…I plan to leave tomorrow,” he said. “But, wait, did you say we?” “Yes, of course,” replied Odo. “I’m going with you. We’re friends, and friends stick together. It’ll be an adventure. I’d love to see the Equestria outside of the woods.” “Don’t you think you should stay here?” asked Forester. “I mean, this is the White Tail Woods. You were born and raised here. It’s where the herd is.” “My friend,” said Odo, “I wouldn’t miss this even if I were crowned Grand Duke of the Forest. Besides, I know how nervous you’ve been whenever you talked about the pony world. I can only imagine how nervous you must be now to actually go back after all this time. It is very brave of you to take such a step, and follow it through, you may need some help. Somedeer’s going to have to look after you.” Those last words rang a distant bell for Forester, but Odo was right, it would be a comfort to him to return with a friend. “All right Odo,” said Forester. “We leave tomorrow morning. If you’re sure that’s what you want.” “It is my friend.” Said Odo as he approached Forester and gave him another hug. “And don’t worry,” he said. “Everything’s going to be just fine.” After a moment, Odo pulled away and said. “Well, if today’s going to be our last day in woods, let’s make to most of it. Come on Forester. Let’s join the herd for one more run through the meadow. Race ya!” “Oh, you’re on!” said Forester as they rushed out of the hut and down the woodland paths laughing as they went. (L.B.B.F.F. = Little Brother Best Friend Forever.)