//------------------------------//
// One Romance Here, One Romance There 
// Story: A War 
// by Comma Typer 
//------------------------------//

And then, it was Sunday, 7:00 PM.
Dark outside, raining hard. The storm's whiplash captured Good Prospects, taking the town hostage with its never-ending torrents. Ponies sprinted to any building they could get into, to save themselves from being drenched further. Carriages were rare on the roads, the only ones dashing about splashing more water upon the sidewalk.
At the balcony of "Pizza for All!", sitting across each other, at a candlelit table with exquisite spinach and cream cheese pizza—here were Big McIntosh and Cheerilee.
They ignored the ruckus of what was going on at the ground floor with its gabby customers and their showy chefs. Who they focused on was each other.
"So...how...are you?" Cheerilee asked, not exactly putting her best hoof forward.
Big Mac looked up.
Closed his eyes.
"I'm good."
Cheerilee gulped. "OK..."
Both of them blinked.
"Big Mac...this is actually very fancy for a date..."
He nodded. "Eeyup."
"And, I know Ponyville is a few train stops away."
"Eeyup."
"So...it's...it's really nice of you to pay everything..."
Big Mac's smile grew. "E-Eeyup."
Cheerilee picked up a slice of her pizza. "It's not that cheap, though. Have you been saving up for this?"
He nodded, picking up a slice of his own.
"Wow...you're...you're quite nice, you know."
Big Mac blushed.
"An honest, hard-working stallion who doesn't think twice about sacrificing to his love," Cheerilee said.
Blushed, too.
"I...I don't deserve such a boyfriend, let alone have you as my future husband."
Took a bite of her pizza slice.
"You're honest and hard-working, too," Big Mac said.
Cheerilee gulped, looking surprised. "Uh-huh...? But, I just teach while you have to do strenuous work on the farm under the sweltering heat of the sun."
"But, you teach foals," Big Mac said, pointing at her with his free hoof. "Good character and good with children. A happy present and a happy future."
"Woah, Big Mac! I didn't know you were so...iambic."
"Not a poem."
Cheerilee blushed more. "I-I wasn't being literal! I was just being...uh, metaphorical?"
Big Mac laughed a bit.
Took out a guitar.
Cheerilee gasped, pushed her chair back. "Is that a..."
He nodded. "Eeyup!"
She grinned. "Let me guess: You'll sing for me."
"Eeyup."
Strummed the guitar.
Then, with a melody of chords, in a deep baritone:

"Alone at night,
By the apple fields,
There's you and me,
By the country yields.

"When we're gone,
Wandering out here,
There's you and me,
Smiling ear to ear.

"The look on your face,
Has that lovely tender grace.
And when I'm with you,
My joy becomes fresh anew.

"Alone at day,
By the apple fields,
There's you and me,
Hoof and hoof we wield."

A strumming flourish with the guitar.
Then, end.
Seconds of silence.
Cheerilee in silence, shocked silence.
She placed a hoof on her cheek. "Oh, Big Mac! If only..."
Gladmane, who had been standing by the corner and watching them all this time, groaned. "Could you get it over with? Your next order isn't coming until you're done with that pizza."
Big Mac stood up from his chair, put the guitar down, and turned around to face him.
With a mad face, a livid grimace. Punched his two forehooves together.
Gladmane gulped. "I-I take that back! You stay there and enjoy your date!"
And, down the stairs he ran.
Returning back to his mind, to his head, to his ears—the commotion, the tumult of pizza eaters and pizza makers and pizza deliverers. Good smells—a waiter just passed by him, leaving a whiff of that tasty and tempting pie.
Shook his head, almost bumped into a mare looking up.
He raised a brow and glanced at her, then gazed toward what she was looking at.
That charming couple by the candle light, giggling and eating pizza.
Gladmane walked past the onlooking mare.
Past Sugar Belle.



Sugar Belle exited the train with its radiant lights, stepping on to the station's platform.
A blank face on her. Drooping ears, sagging eyes.
Folded her umbrella, put it in her saddle bag.
The train whistled, reversed its course, and sped away from view.
A wretched little train station. One platform. One building as big as a large stall one would usually see in the marketplace.
A figure galloping straight to her, coming from the Town of Efficiency a bit ahead.
Dark outside. A bit blue.
Sugar Belle got off the station and on to the dry, barren ground. She walked to the approaching pony.
Starlight screeched to a stop.
Panting, breathing fast. "Sugar Belle...did you—"
"I've done what you told me to, Starlight," Sugar said, hoofing her several papers with both hoofwritten and typewritten text on them. "Good Propsects has...well, good prospects for us as a target. Mayor Bite Chew is a petty despot—the reason why it's prospering so well in the first place is because he pressured his own citizens to focus on wheat and pizza only. He conceded to build other attractions and landmarks, but only when they could band together, which isn't often."
Starlight nodded, grabbed the papers, bit her lip, and stuffed them back into Sugar's bag. "Y-Yes, yes, good, good! That's very good...but, it's not important now!"
Sugar made a strange face. "What's...going on?"
Starlight shifted her eyes left and right. "I want you to sleep!"
"Huh?" Starlight looked at her left forehoof to check her watch. Except she didn't have one. "Whatever time it is, it's past midnight."
Starlight wiped the sweat off of her face. "Alright...did you experience deja vu there?"
"Hmm." Starlight rubbed her chin. "Actually, I did have one—"
"Where and when and why?!" Starlight yelled, acting drastic.
She looked behind herself, at the town.
"We need to hurry back!" Starlight said, galloping forward.
Sugar followed her, galloping.
Kicking up dust.



Starlight locked the door with a metal lock.
Threw the key at her dining table where Sugar Belle was seated.
It was dark inside save for a candle there.
Starlight closed the window with her magic.
Galloped to the table.
Slipped, hit a chair, and fell to the floor with a thud.
"Starlight!"
Sugar got up and helped her up.
"No, no...I-I'm fine...I think I'm fine..."
Sugar got her down to another chair.
The two mares by the light of the candle, their faces bleak by the flickering fire.
"Starlight...y-you're scaring me...what's happening? Why are we here, talking in secret?"
Starlight slammed a hoof on the table, but not with anger—her eyes were wet. "Sugar Belle, where and when and why did you have deja vu in Good Prospects?"
"Is it bad for my health?" Sugar asked.
"Answer the question!"
Sugar shuddered. "I w-was at a pizza restaurant. 'Pizza for All!' It had nice food—too bad the source is poisoned at the root, but...it wasn't the pizza. There were two ponies in love on the second floor—mare and stallion. It's the stallion...I don't remember ever meeting him before, but it's like...we clicked in my head just for a second and—"
"Are you sure you never met him?" Starlight interrogated, her face becoming more contorted. "What about seeing him before? In a crowd? In the news? Somewhere?"
"I-I don't know!" Sugar looked terrified at the fearful mare before her. "I mean, maybe I saw him when I was passing by in a big city, but how am I supposed to know?!"
Starlight leaned closer.
Her eyes glimmering by the candle.
"Sugar Belle...this is very important..."
Sugar gulped.
"I want you to sleep now. Go to your house and sleep. I'll keep guard on you until you get there. If you don't feel sleepy, drink milk, trot around in your room, read a book—anything that will make you sleep sooner! When you wake up in the morning, run to me and tell me all about your dream!"
"Why?"
"I...I have a really bad feeling about...Sunburst sent a letter..."
Starlight stretched her mane, almost ripping it out.
Growling.
Grabbed Sugar by the head.
"Help the whole town, help Equestria by just obeying me right now and sleep!"
Sugar opened and closed her mouth, but did not say anything.
Frightened.



Sugar Belle stood there by her neat bed in her shadowy bedroom.
Looked out the window.
The shining moon with its shining stars over the vast canopy which was the night sky. Below, dirt roads and plenty of houses.
With their lights out.
Sugar sighed.
Went to her bed.
Slept.



Sugar stood in front of a line.
Before a table.
Under one light.
A dark room.
Behind the table was Starlight Glimmer with a bunned mane and an equal sign for a cutie mark. "Welcome, Sugar Belle! Welcome to our town!"
Sugar shivered, receiving the papers.
The whole house collapsed, and the rest of the ponies there disappeared.
Sugar whirled her head around, seeing the morning sky and that same dry ground of the town.
Saw Party Favor and Double Diamond, smiling.
With the same manestyles.
With the same equal sign cutie marks.
A voice from behind her:
"You will be welcome here in no time, Sugar Belle."
"Agh!"
Turned around.
Night Glider.
Who picked her up.
Sent her soaring to the sky.



Fell to the floor.
Felt the floor.
"Wh-What? Wasn't I just going u-up?"
Stood up.
Looked.
A shoddy, rancid basement with dusty barrels and crates. A flight of wooden stairs leading up to a lone door.
At the center, under one light: six ponies.
"H-Huh?"
She saw Party Favor and Night Glider walking toward them.
Sugar Belle stepped forward.
Tripped.
Fell.



To another floor.
Sugar stood up, walking forward and looking around again.
Counter, tables, baked goods on display.
That appetizing smell.
"My b-bakery! But...why here?"
Heard the a guitar's strum.
Turned around.
Sitting by many overflowing bushels of apples, there was a big red stallion playing the guitar for her.
Sugar screamed. "It's...it's you! That pony back in Good Prospects! Wh...What are y-you doing here?!"
Felt a tug on her tail.
Pulled out of the bakery.
Shrieking.



Touched the dry, rough ground.
Rocky. Pebbles. Stones.
Stood up.
Before her, a purple alicorn.
Looking upon her with wistful eyes.
"Wh-Who are you?" Sugar Belle asked her. "A-Are you...?"
Then, the alicorn was shot by a beam.
Fell to the ground.
Eyes closed.
Unmoving.
Sugar screamed.
Turned around.
Her horn glowing, Princess Luna. severe. "Come with me!"
Yanked a surprised Sugar by the hoof.
Flying away into the night sky.



Luna locked the doors of the cottage.
This one was less furnished. No carpets, no furniture, no shelves, no trinkets. Only baskets of lavender, a refrigerator, several beds strewn about, and bottles of milk.
Luna shut all the windows in sight with her magic.
Finally, she turned toward the five ponies in the room.
A shivering Starlight Glimmer, a confused Party Favor, a quivering Sugar Belle, a puzzled Double Diamond, and a panicky Sunburst constantly wiping his eyeglasses with a rag.
Luna looked upon them. "I do not have much time. Any animosity you have between yourselves, you must set aside."
Faced Starlight.
Who bowed before her.
"Starlight Glimmer, you are to remind Party Favor and Sugar Belle of all these dreams—they should obey you, for I trust that you have the wisdom and the insight to coordinate with Sunburst about what to do."
Faced Double Diamond.
"Double Diamond, it may be futile to convince you to do what I must say—for I can sense that your hatred runs deep—but, if you are willing, tell everypony the details of the attack you've made on Canterlot, specifically who inspired you to do so."
All eyes were on him.
"Princess Luna!" Double Diamond shouted, furious—gritted teeth, eyes aimed at the diarch.
Luna nodded. "I see you will not agree.  I shall adapt—or, perhaps, you shall adapt, but I will see which is the better option."
Double Diamond held on to his head, feeling a headache.
Then, Luna took one step toward Sunburst.
"And Sunburst, it is up to you what you will do next. I wish I had the time to research upon this...anomaly in the dream realm, but it requires intense deliberation to obtain the explanation."
Sunburst nodded, shaky.
Raised his head.
"Your Highness?"
Everyone else looked at him.
"By 'intense deliberation', do you mean i-intense...study?"
Luna nodded. "Yes. It is merely a difference of words, not of meanings."
Sunburst took off his glasses. "What about...you ask...Twilight Sparkle herself to help us?"
Luna gasped.
Took a step back.
Recomposed herself, rubbed the dust off of her forelegs.
"I am considering that contingency, Sunburst."
Sunburst only trembled more.
Then, Luna levitated the baskets of lavender. "I shall take these away, and you shall awake. Do as you are told. As for me..."
A choke.
"There are many who suffer. All suffer. They seek rest in the night, only to be afflicted by nightmares of loss, of death, of everything reduced to nothing. I must hurry—only after this duty shall I rest."
Luna spread her wings.
Opened a window.
Flew out of the cottage.
Now, in the sky.
Turned her head down.
Clouds.
White clouds twinkling under the moon, the stars.