Camp Columbus, Equestria
March 26th 2060
“Again Dash? What in tarnation do ya think you’re goin’ to get done by racin’ him again?” Applejack directed a surprised look at Rainbow Dash.
Dash’s face showed a slight frown, “Because AJ, it’s driving me crazy! I… I just NEED to beat him!”
“Dash, ah know that you love to be the best, ah really do, but ya can’t get down on yourself just because ya can’t outfly some crazy hoo-man contraption!” Applejack shook her head, “And Boris is one heck of a pilot! You’d be hard pressed to beat him even if you had yourself one of them crazy flyin’ machines!” she added. Dash’s ears drooped slightly.
The two mares made their way towards the airfield at Camp Columbus, and a change in the air was noticeable. Activity was visibly on the rise, and large groups of men and women hastily made their way around the base.
As Applejack and Rainbow casually trotted through the busy dirt roads, Dash began to speak up again “Wow, it’s busy out here today.” she said as she sidestepped a human carrying a stack of green metal boxes.
“Don’t try to change the subject Dash,” Applejack said testily, “Ah’m worried about yall, you could get yourself hurt if- WHAT IN TARNATION?!!??”
The orange mare shrieked the ground began to shake. It was visible above the heads of the bustling humans, a massive vehicle, coated from top to bottom in brown steel, black stripes crossing its surface. On top of its main module was a rotating platform, the shape of a triangular prism. A frighteningly large canon jutted out twenty five feet into the crowd. Painted on the side of the turret was the familiar red star and initials IOFR. The humans around the treaded monster seemed to pay it no attention, and just stepped casually out of its way.
Rainbow Dash and Applejack stood wide eyed as the lumbering machine thundered past them, followed by another, and another, and yet another, until they nearly lost count. As the sound of the machines faded, Dash’s ears perked up to the familiar sound of an Infidel jet. Looking skyward she saw them, eleven Infidels, flying in a V formation. At the head of the group was a point of bright red, streaked with yellow. “Boris!!!” Dash exclaimed, and before AJ could protest, the pegasus was airborne.
Boris sped over the main body of Camp Columbus, once again reunited with his infamous Blackbird Squadron. The sun shone on his face, reflecting off of his black tinted goggles, and his ears were filled by the sound of the engines, and his own breathing through his respirator.
Soon however, another sound filled his ears. “Hey skipper!” a voice called to him in Russian.
Boris pressed his finger down on the transmit button on his radio, “Yeah Sergei, what’s up?” he answered as he turned his head to the left.
In the plane beside him the pilot’s head was turned towards the ground, and as Sergei turned to face him, Boris heard his squadmate’s voice again, “Are we expected to be joined by any natives in this run?” the radio crackled.
“Ponies? No, we’re just on a routine patrol for Greycoat air assets. Not expecting any help from the Equestrians.” Boris responded, his respirator and goggles hiding his puzzled expression.
“Well they’re here” Sergei was barely able to get the words out before Boris was greeted by a smiling mare flying alongside his cockpit.
Boris’s puzzlement turned to anger, “Godamn it Dash! What the fuck do you think this is!” he screamed.
“Who’s Dash boss?” another voice chimed in over the radio.
“Gah, fuck! Don’t worry about it boys, I’ll handle this.” Boris responded before switching off his radio. Reaching towards his face Boris pulled off his respirator and flipped up his goggles, and immediately Dash’s happy expression faded when she saw the anger on Boris’s face. The human raised a gloved hand and jabbed his index finger towards Dash, and then towards the ground, all the while angrily mouthing the words “Down now”.
Dash blinked for a moment before allowing her face to show a look of pure disappointment. She turned and halfheartedly made her way to the ground. She circled the area above where her and Applejack had been standing before gently alighting beside the other mare again.
Applejack was staring intently at something across the street, but Dash didn’t seem to care. “He told me to beat it…” she said sadly, “And he was mad too! Applejack what did I do wrong?” Applejack didn’t respond. “AJ?” Dash asked as she jabbed her friend with a hoof.
Applejack jumped at the contact, her head snapping from whatever she was staring at towards Dash. “Oh uh… ah’m sorry sugarcube what did ya say?” AJ asked, her eyes still drifting towards the other side of the street.
“I was talking about Boris! He looked really pissed!” Dash said as she waved a hoof towards the sky.
Applejack’s attention was once again completely focused on the other side of the street, “Uh, that sounds like a real bummer there Dash but uh… we got a bigger problem.”
Dash’s head turned towards the building that held Applejack’s attention, across the street from them was a large brown tent, and written across the top of it in several languages was the word ‘Enlistment’. Standing just outside the entrance, Twilight Sparkle was shaking hands with a tall dark skinned human. He handed her a stack of papers and said something inaudible over the din of the town, and saluted the alicorn. Much to Applejack and Dash’s shock, Twilight saluted back.
The two friends stared at the bizarre scene across from them, and exchanged glances as the colour drained from their faces.
“A-Applejack” Rainbow mumbled hesitantly, blinking a few times to make sure that she wasn’t hallucinating.
“Yeah Dash?” the other pony answered, the same worry in her voice.
“So what exactly do you think just happened?” Rainbow’s anxiety stricken voice asked
Applejack straightened her hat, and turned her attention to the ground in front of her, “Well” she began, “I reckon that Twilight just joined up with them human soldiers”
Rainbow gulped, “That’s what I think to…. So why in the world would she do that… and should we talk to her about it?”
AJ’s eyes drifted from the ground to the sky as she thought, “Well it seems like it might be a fine idea to gather the rest of our friends and ask Twilight what in tarnation she thinks she’s doin.”
Applejack turned to look again at Rainbow Dash, but the pegasus was already airborne and in search of the other Elements.
Twilight trotted down the road that led towards Ponyville’s center, where her treehouse was waiting for her. Magically opening the door, she stepped casually into her home, doing her best to hide her inner anxiety. In the foyer of the house was spike, trying to make is way across the room with a far too large stack of books. Hearing the door slam shut, he looked straight at Twilight.
“Oh, hey Twi!” he said happily, “I’m just moving a few returned books here, I’ll be free in a minute if you need anything!”
Twilight’s brow furrowed, “Spike, don’t you think that you should be getting some rest? I’m still shaking a little from what happened in Stalliongrad”
Spike's smile disappeared, “Well uh, I think I’ve been taking it alright.” He managed to stammer out before returning a nervous smile to Twilight’s concerned glare.
“Well in that case get ready to take letter Spike, I just need to put a few things away and then I’ll be right down!” Twilight called as she made her way towards the stairs.
As she entered her bedroom, Twilight levitated her saddlebacks off of her back, and telekinetically opened them. Reaching into her bag with magic, she lifted out a small booklet. The document was made of several thick pieces of red paper stapled together, and printed along the top in small, yellow letters it read ‘Red Army New Recruit Itinerary and Equipment cards’. Following the instructions given to her by the man at the recruitment tent, Twilight opened the booklet and read;
‘Congratulations Comrade! You have chosen the noble path of the Red Army, and as such you will be expected to follow its rules and regulations. You will report to the location indicated below on the date indicated below to begin your basic training. Upon arrival you will show this document to the officers in command of new recruits, whereupon you will be directed towards the nearest equipment issuing location. Once there, you will deliver the enclosed equipment cards to the depot, after the cards are delivered you will receive all the necessary tools to become a proud and valiant soldier of our glorious army. Failure to report for basic training is punishable by a prison sentence of three to six years.’
Twilight glanced down at the bottom of the page, and scrawled across the small box marked ‘Date of training initiation’ were the words ‘March 30th, 2060’.
The young princess took a deep breath, ‘I have four days’ she thought, ‘four days to break the news to Celestia, my friends, my parents, and my brother that I’ve gone crazy and run off to join the army…’ Placing the booklet back into her bag she let out the breath that she didn’t know she was holding, “This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done” she whispered to herself.
“Twilight!” Spikes voice called up from the foyer, it’s boyish tone snapping Twilight’s attention back to the here and now, “Are we going to write a letter or what?”
“Coming Spike!” she called back, levitating her bag and the incriminating booklet under her bed. Twilight’s hooves made clopping sounds as she made her way towards Spike, who waited at the bottom of the stairs with a pen and paper in each claw. Twilight cleared her throat, “Dear Princess Celestia” she began.
But Twilight found herself unable to continue as a bright mass of pink fur flew through the window and tackled her. “YOU’RE JOINING THE ARMY?!?!?!?!?” Pinkie screamed as she shook Twilight, the purple mare’s head still spinning as she lay on the floor.
Twilight’s senses returned to her as she saw her overexcited friend pinning her to the floor, glaring at her with the look of a pony gone mad. “Ughhh” she groaned, “Pinkie? What are you doing here?”
“We’re all here” another voice called from the edge of the room. Twilight looked to her left, and saw her four other best friends standing in a small cluster near the open doorway.
Twilight let out a sigh, “Alright look, if Pinkie gets off of me then I can explain everything.”
“Oh really miss smarty pants?” Pinkie piped up, “How can we be sure that you won’t run of and join some other crazy thing if I let you up? What if you take off and join a marching band? Or a travelling magic show? Or the circus? Well actually all of those sound pretty fun but still it would be kind of crazy for you to do it because you’re always so calm and organized and all those other things don’t really seem like something that you’d run off and join but I mean-”
“PINKIE!!!” five other ponies screamed in unison.
“Alright girls, look” Twilight began as she levitated her cotton candy coloured friend off of her chest, “I guess you guys haven’t heard the news yet, which actually doesn’t surprise me since I’ve never seen one of you with a newspaper” she added with a slightly judgmental tone in her voice.
The rest of the group seemed to shrink with the tiniest bit if shame.
“But there’s something I never got a chance to tell you… and if I did get the chance I’m not sure I would have, but it’s public now so there’s no point in keeping quiet.” the alicorn continued.
Rarity stepped forward, “Twilight, we’re your best friends” she said with concern in her voice, “There is nothing that you can’t tell us, but Rainbow Dash and Applejack have delivered some rather alarming news”.
Twilight looked up and scanned the five ponies and the tiny dragon, the look in their eyes was something that she was used to. It was happy, it was hopeful, it was innocent. It was a look that she thought that the entire world shared, and even though she hadn’t known about other worlds a few months ago, it would have been hard to convince her that they could possess any other feelings than that same light. But Earth had proven her wrong, the eyes of the humans were not hopeful, they were bloodshot, tearstained, and when they weren’t wide with fear they burned with hatred. Twilight didn’t blame the humans for bringing their problems to Equestria, the ponies own naiveté was just as much to blame for the war as human pain, but this was a different matter. Twilight knew that when she looked in Anon’s eyes, she was seeing a broken man, but there must have been a time when his eyes reflected what she now saw in her friends. Most terrifying of all, Twilight knew that if they light in the eyes of a human could be extinguished, it could be choked out just as easily in a pony.
Twilight closed her eyes for a moment, the first droplets of tears threatening to make their way down her cheeks, “When I went to Stalliongrad, there was… an… assassination attempt.”
The small crowd in front of the lone mare was speechless, eyes wide with disbelief and mouths slightly agape in horror.
Twilight continued, searching for strength, “A griffin and a human broke into the Winter Palace and tried to murder me, but Anon… k-k-killed them both. After that all Tartarus broke loose. It wasn’t long before we realized that it was an invasion.”
“Um… A-an invasion?” a tiny voice spoke up from Fluttershy’s direction, “B-by who?”
“The griffins, and an opposing human faction to that of our friends. Anon called them the Alliance of Nationalist States.” Twilight answered as she began to build up her confidence again, “Anon said that they were terrible people, that they killed millions during the Great War for just being different from other people. He told me stories, stories about his childhood. He told me the horrible things that they did to him and his family, to all humanity…” Twilight’s voice trailed off as Applejack stepped forwards.
“So then why are ya joinin’ up with them hoo-mans sugarcube?” she asked with sympathy.
Twilight shuddered, “The things Anon told me… if that’s what these people want for Equestria… if that’s what they did to other humans then I can’t imagine what they’d do to us. To a totally different species?” Twilight’s vision once again found the floor, “I couldn’t just stand around and let that happen, and then I found out that the IOFR was coming to help us… That made it even worse! The Reds would be giving their lives for us! For a completely different world! All the while I’d be holed up in Canterlot Castle eating the finest foods and sleeping in silk sheets while they were out fighting tooth and nail for our benefit! Don’t you understand why I couldn’t not try to do SOMETHING!?!?” as Twilight yelled, tears began to well up in her eyes, “I mean, maybe joining the army wasn’t the smartest thing that I could have done, but by Celestia what else could I do? How else could I have made a difference in this whole mess!” Twilight then sat down on her haunches and began to cry.
“Twilight,” Rainbow Dash’s voice was accompanied by the sound of her hoofsteps growing louder, “I think I understand…”
Twilight’s expression twisted into anger, “NO YOU DON’T!!!” she yelled, causing Rainbow to recoil, “How could you possibly know what I mean! You haven’t heard of the things that those other people do! You’re not a national leader who is expected to protect her subjects!”
Rainbow did her best to stay calm, “You’re right Twilight, I’m not a national leader, but I do know what those jerks have in store for us.”
Twilight looked up from her sobbing and saw Rainbow, tears beginning to form in her own eyes.
“Boris told me, he told me about what they did to his parents, how he had to flee his homeland and everything he ever knew… how he had to live on the streets, steal and trick to survive as a child… It was the saddest thing I’ve ever heard, and if joining Anon’s men is the only way to stop that from happening to foals here, then you can count me in.” Dash said as she extended a hoof to her grief stricken friend.
“A-are you saying that you’re coming with me?” Twilight asked between sniffs.
Rainbow nodded, and Twilight noticed that her other friends had stepped forwards.
“Ah’m sure I can buck more then a few griffins” Applejack said with a grin.
“I um… I heard that they sometimes use dogs in the army… they might need somepony to look after them properly…” Fluttershy mumbled
“Have you seen those guns!!!” Pinkie yelled, “They’re all like BANG! BANG! BANGBANGBANGBANGBANGBANG!!!! I’ll bet that they’d be a lot of fun!”
“And well, I suppose that they need somepony to spruce up those drab brown uniforms that they force those poor boys to wear!” Rarity said with a small smile.
Spike just gave Twilight a grin and saluted.
By now Twilight had stopped crying, “Are… are you all sure about this? This won’t be a game, this isn’t a party, or a play date with puppies… this things that Anon had to do to get us out of Stalliongrad… it was horrifying! I don’t think that I could live with myself if any of you got hurt… or worse..."
“Twilight we’re your best friends.” Dash said as the group crowded around the purple pony, “And we’re the Elements of Harmony. Where the Element of Magic goes, the rest of us will never be far behind.”
Giving one final sniffle, Twilight took a breath, and resumed what she had come downstairs to do. “Spike, take a letter” she said, a small smile creeping across her face, “I’m writing to inform you that me, the other Elements of Harmony, and Spike, have decided to enlist in the human Red Army, in order to help fight the invasion…”
A cold wind blew over Canterlot Castle. The lights of Equestria’s most magnificent city glittered as the medieval metropolis lay sprawling before the home of the princesses of the sun and moon. Celestia had arrived from her mission in Saddle Arabia just in time for Twilight’s letter to arrive, and now she stood, staring at the night sky, her brow furrowed in concentration.
“You can’t seriously be considering this sister…” a voice said, accompanied by its owner.
Celestia turned to face her sibling, “I know Luna, I know the importance of the Elements, but if Twilight is to grow into her new role as a princess then she must be free to mature in her own way.”
Luna’s face showed no sign of agreement, “Mature? Tia, if she goes off into that war then there she will never grow up, and neither will the other elements.”
“You musn’t talk like that sister,” Celestia said, her eyes locking on Luna’s, “Twilight will return, as will her friends, I only hope that they will not have to suffer greatly.”
“They will Tia, and you know it. I hope you know what you’re doing, otherwise we may find ourselves to be short six element bearers and a baby dragon.” Luna said coldly, she then spread her wings and took flight.
As Luna sped off into the moonlight, Celestia bowed her head, “I hope I know what I’m doing too.” she said to herself.