//------------------------------//
// A Glimpse of Their Town 
// Story: A War 
// by Comma Typer 
//------------------------------//

It was night.
The equal blocks of buildings had their lights turned on, illuminating the paved roads where scant few carriages strolled by, waiting for passengers—usually a tourist or two. Innocent chichat rolled on for the residents who walked about under the starry canopy, under the occasional streetlight, also.
Inside the town bakery distinguished by a wooden outline of a pie hanging from above the door, the flavor of freshly-baked goods wafted around, pervading the whole eatery in that sweet smell. Desserts of all kinds and more: cakes, pies, jams, butters, cookies, pancakes, waffles—on the displays, on the counter, on the tables right before being devoured by hungry diners.
A suave stallion strode his way in, carrying a bouquet of roses and violets with his teeth, emanating the flowers' very fragrance.
Everypony there looked at him, even the curly-maned baker herself.
He marched his way to the counter, dumped the flowers on it, and eyed the aproned mare.
Half-open eyes of romance, intrigue.
"So, Sugar," Feather Bangs began, speaking low and attractively, "as you know, I always write poetry by the pond—"
"For the fifth time," Sugar Belle broke in, resting a hoof on the counter, "there is no pond in town."
"B-But, I found these flowers for you!" Feather said, holding the bouquet up with his mouth again. Dropped it nicely on the surface. "I even cranked out a new poem hoof-made just for you!"
A mare galloped out of the bakery, leaving her food behind and screaming "Get me out of here!"
Feather Bangs cleared his throat, brought up a sheet of paper.
The customers scooched their chairs and their tables to the edges of the bakery, doing their best to hide their faces from him.
"Uh, Feather Bangs?" Sugar Belle began. "You do know that I have a business to run—"

"Oh, Sugar Belle,
It's as if you fell,
Onto my hooves,
Like geese and...dooves."

Sugar Belle slapped herself on her shaking head.

"Those eyes of yours,
They never bore,
'Cause I want to be
With you by me."

A pony choked on his food.

"Like a fairy tale,
You surprise like bale.
What a windy day,
With you, it never may."

Some ponies got up and left the establishment, leaving their food behind, too.
Sugar Belle eyed the remaining diners talking amongst themselves, rumoring with each other with covered mouths and shady eyes.

"We'll live together,
Like birds of a feather.
So, honey, won't you say,
'Be my love today'?"

Sugar threw the paper out of his hoof while keeping up that smile. "That was...nice. But, this is a bake shop, not a poetry exhibit."
"Oh, love knows no bounds, Sugar!" Feather said, grabbing her by the neck and facing her toward the open door. "The sky's the limit!"
"I'll punch you straight to the sky if you don't stop it!" she lashed out.
Gasps and whispers around.
Feather stepped back, a shocked face on him. "Why...oh, why are you like that? You must've gotten a sprain, or perhaps you've had a really bad day—"
"Thanks to you!" Sugar vented out.
"I'll...I'll be back when you're more, uh, talkable! Love you!"
Feather Bangs dashed out of the bakery.
Seconds of silence.
The diners scooched their chairs and tables back to their old places.
Sugar Belle sighed, glancing at the oven where a new batch of pies was being heated.
"Ouch," a voice said, approaching. "I didn't know things were getting that bad."
She gasped and looked up. "Starlight?"
There Starlight Glimmer was, levitating a tied up kite beside her while most of the customers watched her every move. "Uh-huh. But...you're OK, right?"
Sugar nodded. "The more he stays away from me, the better."
"Keeps getting on your nerves," Starlight commented.
"Oh, uh, did you want something?"
"I would like a raspberry pie, please," she replied.
"Wait one moment," Sugar said, glancing at the oven again. "We just sold out, and I'm making more."
Starlight nodded. "Yeah...harvest is still going well. Rooted out all of the potatoes in one go. How did harvesting go for you?"
"You sent me to Canterlot on...important stuff, remember?"
"Oh." Starlight snickered, hiding her giggling mouth. "How could I forget? Gotta meet the locals again, let them see the error of their ways, and enjoy being together the whole morning! It was beneficial for both of us—though, mostly us because we have the upper hoof here."
Sugar nodded. "Yeah." Looked at the floating kite. "So, you're done with your duties?"
"Not much to do," Starlight said. "When you're facing détente with the rest of Equestria, there'll be times when there's nopony to discuss terms with. So—" levitated the kite higher "—I'm relaxing until I receive word."
The baker glanced at the oven again. "Hold up. I think your pie's ready."
Starlight rested her kite on the counter, throwing away the bouquet of flowers out the door.



Starlight stood by a lone tree outside town, standing in the rough gray wasteland. Its orange leaves were crumbling away—now, another dead leaf fell on her head.
She blew it out.
A gust of wind, shaking the tree and taking down more leaves.
She licked her hoof, held it to the air.
Her horn glowed. Levitated her kite in the darkness.
Up it flew.
And glowed.
Wind's howling and whistling, a lone kite shining against the sky.
Starlight drew in breath, gazing upon that kite. "You're lovely at night, aren't you?"
Heard a gulp.
Starlight blushed and turned around, still levitating the line. "Double Diamond?! I didn't expect you to be here—uh, how was...um, the mission?"
"Was able to rat out a few stubborn nobles," he said, taking off his goggles. "You should've seen the look on their faces. They thought they could escape the draft—well, as I've said before, if you say that you love Equestria a lot, then prove it!"
Starlight shook his hoof. "That's the spirit, Diamond."
"And," he went on, taking out a letter from his mane, "Party Favor's wrote a letter for you."
She grabbed the note and read it, her eyes scrolling left and right. "Huh?"
"I was confused myself when I read it," Diamond said. "I thought you had an idea about it, on who this 'Vapor Trail' is."
"First time I heard of her," Starlight replied. "And...what's this about 'mind problems' and how some of her thoughts aren't hers?"
"Probably the Equestrian research division going wrong," he guessed, wondering as he looked up. "See how it hurts innocent bystanders who don't know any better!"
Starlight read the note once more. "Actually...this might be hard to listen, but it's probably not their fault."
"So, the Crystal Empire's research division going wrong," he guessed again.
Starlight closed her eyes. "My studies in magic led me to a branch of magic known as 'Remembrance Magic'. Not the most popular name, but I give it that because I liked how it sounds."
He rolled his eyes, smiling.
"With its spells, a pony's thoughts can be tampered with," Starlight explained, opening her eyes as her horn still glowed, as her kite still flew. "Of course, if it were that easy, then any regular unicorn could do it and we would have rampant crime on our hooves. Good thing those spells require serious magic proficiency."
"So...you could handle that?" Diamond prodded. "That would be a powerful weapon to use against our neigh-sayers."
"No, no..." Starlight said, holding up a hoof against him. "Let's not dive into convincing ponies to our side by force. We would end up just like the pushy guards."
A quiet growl. "You're right."
In that cold, windy night.
"So, Party Favor will arrive soon," Starlight said, turning her back on him, minding the kite above. "Do you have anything else to inform me about? News? Important visitors?"
"Nothing, Starlight," Diamond said, backing away.
"Good."
With that, Double Diamond walked away from her.
Leaving Starlight Glimmer alone with her glow-in-the-dark kite in the sky.



On the table, one sheet of paper with multiple pictures on it.
Surrounded by glass walls and one light dangling above, Starlight and Night Glider sat on opposite sides of the table.
"This is very urgent if you yanked me out of the farm to have a one-on-one talk," Starlight said, concern in her voice. "What's going on?" and held up the paper.
"First," Glider began, her airy mane at a standstill, "Party Favor's in custody."
"What?!" Starlight shouted, accidentally tearing a shred of the paper—her horn glowing once more. "One of our best agents is in jail?!"
"That's only the start of it," Glider said. "Word spread fast, and, now, we got entire theories and conspiracies revolving around our town—and this—" tapping the paper "—is what's leading the Equestrian public right now."
Starlight held it up again.
The pictures, on their own, were normal and typical. One showed a crowd of spectators watching several ponies race each other. Another displayed a parade of soldiers with the streets crammed with enthusiastic onlookers waving flags and banner. Yet another depicted the completion of a huge facility in Trottingham known as the "Wind Accelerator Institute".
The final picture was different. While the other three were in tip-top shape, this one was browning, as if about to come apart at the seams.
It showed a pegasi race between three—two colts, one filly. The event's audience stood on clouds, all pegasi.
That was the first set of pictures.
Below it was another set, which were the same except for blue markings on it—arrows and circles, pointing to a specific pony.
The race picture had an arrow pointing at a light pink unicorn obscured by the spectators. The parade picture had an arrow and a circle pointing out a very similar unicorn blending in with the onlookers. Walking behind one of the huge glass walls of the facility, yet another samey unicorn was highlighed with an arrow and circle. The final picture marked a unicorn apparently floating above a cloud.
All in the background, all in the distance.
"Somepony named Prolix supposedly gathered these photos and said that you has this town only as a front to divert public attention away from you interfering with the war effort."
Starlight brought the pictures closer to her, scanning them. "I don't remember going to these places!" He slammed it on the table, gesturing about. "Who's crazy to think I would attend a military parade, a celebration of what's wrong with this war?!" Pointed to the final picture. "And, isn't this a picture of that historical 'Rainboom Race'? Unicorns can't fly or walk on clouds—a few can, but—but, look at this!"
Glider leaned in, closer to the paper.
Pointed at herself on the picture. "This is ridiculous! I was a filly when the sonic rainboom happened! And, I may be good at magic, but why would I study flying?"
"He said that it would be good for fleeing from the authorities," Glider mentioned.
"Oh, so he thinks I'm not brave!" Starlight said, the nerves on her neck pulsing. "You see? This is what happens when you don't think through what you believe in rationally! You resort to crude, basic attacks like this! Attack the argument, not the pony—remember?!"
"I didn't go to argument class," Glider said quick and nervously.
Starlight groaned and hit the table with her horn. "We do our best to present ourselves in good light, I do my best to present myself in good light. I've done nothing wrong to our rivals, and this is how they respond: not with deliberate, intentional arguments, but with sensational and spontaneous hype against us! Do you see how many are against us?!"
"I already knew that when I joined your cause," Glider said. Frowned. "But, are you sure you're OK to keep working at the fields?"
Starlight inhaled, exhaled through clenched teeth and jaw.
Cooled down.
"Thanks, Night Glider," she said, kinder in tone, standing up.
Glider hovered out of her chair.
Starlight looked around her, seeing the open double doors leading to an asphalt street. "Nopony saw that outburst, right?"
Glider giggled. "Don't you worry! Don't you already know somepony else with a short temper, especially around a certain stallion?"
Starlight raised her hoof to her head thinking. Then, gasped. "Oh."



Starlight stared down the apple tree in the fenced mini-field, about a living room big.
Kicked the tree, resulting in a loud whack.
Some apples fell down to the baskets beneath the leaves.
Starlight clapped her hooves. "Perfect! It's a good start."
Saw her Earth pony companions kick trees and all of the apples went down.
Starlight wiped the sweat off of her forehead. "It's OK, Starlight. You're a unicorn and this is your first time taking care of an apple tree. I shouldn't chicken out of this just because I look weak. You've gotta do this for the town—'Everypony must work for their bread'!"
Breathed in, breathed out.
"Yes."
And kicked the tree again.
Fewer apples fell down.
She sighed and groused. "Come on!"
Her co-workers on the field looked at her funny.
She noticed.
Smiled and waved at them. "Uh, carry on with your work, fellow comrades!"
They looked at each other and shrugged, then returned to their work of kicking apple trees.



Starlight maintained her grin against all odds, against all they could throw at her.
Which were lines of ponies waiting for their portion, their ration, of small foodstuffs: sugar, salt, onion, garlic, and—new to the table—parsley, though the sign beside the bowl of parsley said in bold letters, "One leaf per pony!"
She leaned to the side, catching a peek of the outside.
Already night again.
"You know," the pony in front, also a unicorn, said as he levitated the little parsley leaf into his saddle bag, "this town is quite tranquil for a place so near to the Crystal wall."
Starlight's smile twitched.
He noticed. "Uh, hi!" and waved at her.



Back at the lonely tree in the night.
Her horn glowed and so did her flying kite.
Looked to the sky, the starry sky with its gleaming moon.
"Princess Luna..." she muttered, grunting through it. "If only...if only..."
A gale blew past her.
Felt the tug of the string.
Grabbed it with a hoof.
"Phew!"
Silence reigned as the kite flew alone.
"Isn't it strange, though?" she talked to herself. "Somepony willing to look insane in front of everypony respectable by launching those photos in the news? They're going to tell it's all fake, all lies to implicate me in some secret plan to depose the Princesses. Well, I want to depose the Princesses, but in a rational and peaceful manner—and, if they agree to make peace with the Crystal Empire, no need to dethrone them. That easy!"
A whoosh behind her; hoofsteps.
"Night Glider?" Starlight asked, turning around to see her. "Didn't expect to see you here!"
She was panting, gasping for breath. "I tried to rescue Party Favor but...got out by the coat of my teeth..."	
"But, you didn't consult—"
"He knows a lot!" Glider said, stroking her mane tired. "The longer he stays there...what happens if the guards interrogate him?"
Starlight smacked the ground, kicking up a mean pile of dirt.
Lowered the kite, rolled it to a neat package.
"Where's the prison at again? Dirtfield?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Then, what're we waiting for? Round up Double Diamond. Tell him we're going to pay Party Favor a surprise visit."



"So, Party ain't talkin'," a voice said.
"Nope," another voice replied. "He isn't."
"Wha'bout we give 'im another shot at it?"
"We already gave him three shots. By this point, he's really not going to talk."
"I'll make 'im talk."
"And risk not only hospitalizing him but also our going to jail?"
"Well, we're already in jail, so I know the trips an' ropes, the books an' the crooks."
"We're supposed to treat our prisoners well. The moment we start exerting our authority around like immature observers, then we're the next ones to get the cuffs!"
"But, he ain't talkin'."
Party Favor opened his eyes, still laying on the bed in his dark cell, facing away from the guards just outside the bars.
"The fact that we got one of the most wanted ponies in all of Equestria should make us feel honored that he's in here. Not in the Canterlot Friendship Penitentiary, not in the Maudrain County House, but here. I honestly can't wait for Princess Celestia to come here tomorrow to check up on him."
"That'll teach 'im not to speak peace when it's obv'ous we have obv'ous enemies!"
Turned his head to the left.
Saw a string dangling from one of the bricks.
Smirked.
"Say, what's 'is talent anyway?"
"You didn't connect the dots? He's a balloon pony!"
Pulled the string.
Up he went and crashed through the roof.
"Hey?!" the two guards yelled, flashing their flashlights at the cell.
Which now had a broken ceiling.
Unlocked the door, scrambled inside, and flashed their lights upward.
A unicorn escaping via balloon.
"Looks like I have the last laugh!" he shouted, his voice echoing out.
The guards eyed each other.
"Ya' call everypony, now!"



Pointing hooves were everywhere. So were cries for help.
In the Dirtfield suburbs where the two-story houses were separated by small lots of grass and dirt, ponies looked up, seeing Party Favor dangling, hanging on a thread.
Arrows sprinkled the sky, lit up once by a passing streetlight only to disappear from view before a dark blue sky.
All misses.
"I think I could see my house from up here!" Party quipped in the windy, breezy sky. "Uh, no! Sorry, guys, I don't live here! Wish I could rent out the lawns here, though."
Three ponies, holding tickets and hats, waved their hooves at him.
"Huh?! You're here?!"
"Drop to safety!" Double Diamond hollered, glancing at the approaching mass of guards far out on the street. "We don't have much time!"
Arrows whizzing by them.
"So much for peaceful protesting!" Night Glider yelled as she flew up, grabbed the unicorn, and set him on the ground beside Starlight. "Go, go, go!"
The four ponies ran in the night, fleeing the pursuing guards.



They crashed into the train.
Doors closed.
And it was on the move.
They all rubbed their heads, mouthing expressions of pain as they got back up on their four hooves.
Smelled of lavender.
Teetered their way to the seats.
Slid on to them, too relaxed and casual.
Limp hooves and legs, breathing in big gulps of air.
"That...that was exciting!" Party exclaimed, raising his two forelegs up. "We should do that again!"
"No, we shouldn't!" Starlight roared. "You almost compromised the intergrity of the town, and you endangered the entire pacifist movement we've been pushing for months!"
"OK!" Party conceded, keeping his forelegs up but now in surrender. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have let my guard down, should've kept myself wary."
Starlight slammed her face against the cushioned back of her seat.
An awkward silence as the other three ponies there exchanged glances.
"I...didn't know you'd arranged for a sympathetic conductor," Night Glider said, motioning a hoof toward Diamond. "That was some quick thinking on your part."
"Uh, I didn't do any arrangements."
"Wait, what? They know we don't agree with everything the Princesses say, so who's running the—"
"I am," a voice declared.
The four ponies, including Starlight, looked up and around.
"Good evening," said a purple pony with red hair, speaking in a coarse voice. He stood on the carpet running through the carriage. "I'm..."
Glanced out the window.
"I'm Star Hill, at your service! I run this train—how can I help you?"