My Little Pony: Northern Aggression

by A. Tuesday

1.4 ...Or Maybe Not

Applejack, along with her companions, simply stared at a peacefully unconscious Twilight. After what seemed like an eternity, she somehow found her voice. “D-d-d-did she just say…n-no more Equestria?”

Pinkie Pie, ever-jubilant, but less so now, replied, “I…I think so.”

There was even more silence as the revelation finally sunk in. Forget about the semi-anniversary, AJ thought, No more Equestria? No more friends? No more Sweet Apple Acres? No more…family?

The last thought hit her like a speeding train, one she would never catch. All at once, she felt all moisture in her mouth leave and move up to her eyes. A terrible lump formed in her throat. Granny Smith…Big Macintosh…Little Applebloom…

“Excuse me for a moment,” AJ said shakily, and, after taking one more bleary-eyed glance at the napping harbinger of doom, turned and left the room, stepping out into the hallway.

She thanked Celestia that the rumble of the steam engine drowned out her crying. It started out as just a whimper, and pretty soon she was lying on the ground, muffling her would-be-noisy sobs into her arms.

How could it be that she’d never see her family again? It…it couldn’t be possible. No, it can’t.

But as another sob escaped her throat, she knew deep down inside that is was. Applejack thought warmly of the loved ones she’d never see again.

Granny Smith…oh, how she cared for them all. She could get a little weird at times, but isn’t that why she and everypony else she knew loved her? She was nice to everypony, a fantastic grandma…and an even better mother. Granny was the closest thing to a mom Applejack had really known, for as long as the farmpony could remember, and she went above and beyond the call of duty.

Big Mac, her brother! The hard worker she wouldn’t see again, the gentle giant that was her sibling. He was always so nice, even if al he ever said was “Eeyup.” If she could only hear him one more time…

And Applebloom! Sure, she got annoying at times, but she was the best little sister anypony could ask for. She – she –

Applejack let out the biggest wail yet, and it wasn’t muffled by anything. She immediately clasped a hoof to her mouth – Celestia, what would her friends think if she was in a state like this?

Multiple tears lingered on her face just then as another hoof gently rubbed her back in a comforting manner. AJ looked behind her to see Fluttershy, calmly stroking her friend’s back, her face a billboard of a tiny bit of distress and a whole mess of understanding.

“There, there,” the pegasus crooned, “It’s alright, it’s alright.”

The farmpony felt no need to hide her sorrow anymore, and resumed crying. “No!” she whined between sobs, “It ain’t alright! M-my family! I-I’m never gonna see ‘em again!”

With this, she whined again, and Fluttershy simply continued comforting, never ceasing. “There, there,” she repeated.

But as the last word left her mouth, another sound accompanied it – the sound of boots against wood. Upon hearing this, AJ paused her crying, and looked to the end of the hallway, the source of the noise. The pegasus soothing her did likewise.

Silent, just looking to the direction of the window at the end of the hall, the two ponies saw a pair of silhouettes turn the corner. The two figures – which the friends automatically recognized as men – were illuminated by the waxing moon outside, and they appeared to be deep in conversation.

“…not sure if sending them off with you is the best idea.”

That voice – it belonged to the major at the flag ceremony, Applejack racked her brain for the name – Amberson, maybe?

“Why?” asked the other, “I assure you, Anderson, we are more than capable of handling them.” So that’s what his name was.

Fluttershy tapped AJ’s shoulder. Not turning her still-tear-stricken face away from the exchange, the farmpony leaned an ear. The winged one whispered, “That’s the Confederate general – Beauregard, if I’m right.”

The other man replied to Beauregard’s remark. “Let me rephrase: I’m not sure if sending them off with you is a fair idea.”

“That’s the Major,” Applejack muttered, her voice still somewhat shaky, to Fluttershy. She felt the need to offer up some information herself, as compensation for her friend’s info. “I’m guessin’ his n-name is A-Anderson, but yeah, h-he’s a Major of the Union.”

“Fair?” inquired the silhouette of Beauregard, “What do you mean fair? I found the three of them; the other three are their friends. I don’t want them split up, so I take all!”

“Oh, yeah?” the major countered, “Well, I found the other three, and since ‘yours’ are their friends, maybe I should take them all!”

Beauregard exhaled. “I see your point. Well, we appear to be at an impasse on that one. I had another idea we could use – we let them go – just leave them on the shoreline, or on the shore of some big city like Charleston, or somethin’ like that, and have them find their own way abou- “

“Are you outta your mind, General? They’re not from here. They don’t know how America works. They’re completely alien to everyone and everything here. And, they came at the start of what’s going to be a bloody war. They’ll die out there.”

“I know, I know.” The Confederate sighed. “Look, honestly, I don’t want to give them up. You probably don’t, neither. Two of ‘em seem to be able to fly, I think the unicorn-thingys can do some sort of crazy magic – nutty as it all sounds, who wouldn’t want ‘em? If one were to do things right, they could change the course of a war.”

Now, the Union official sighed. “I’m well aware of what these things could do, General. But to be honest, I don’t want to give them to you knowing they could be all-powerful, nor do I want all of them if they turn out to be worthless, or do worse for the Union. I also don’t want to leave them to die out there. Not to mention – “ he stopped and swallowed here – “I have higher…people to answer to.”

“Likewise. It’s a big risk, I know.” At this point the two figures halted their conversation and began to visibly think, making all the stereotypical gesticulations one would associate with wondering.

AJ had stopped her sobbing for a while now, and was only focused on this conversation. At this point, the orange pony had figured out two things – 1.) they were talking about the six ponies, and 2.) this was probably a conversation not meant for her and Fluttershy’s ears.

All of a sudden, the Confederate general held up a hand. “Wait, I’ve got it,” Beauregard said, “I think – I think I’ve got an idea.”

“Well…?” Anderson asked, “What is it?”

At that moment, the Isabel’s steam engine gave a mighty bellow, scaring Fluttershy and getting a barely audible “eep!” from her.

The two commanders looked down the hall, towards the direction of Applejack and friend, listening for the sound. “Hello?” one called out.

Silently, Applejack led Fluttershy back into their room, away from the two commanders. Upon seeing all of their friends asleep once more, the farmpony tiptoed the two of them to an empty corner of the room, on the floor.

AJ lied down on the wood, Fluttershy doing the same. As she began to relax, she felt herself growing very tired, and, remembering why she had been out in the hall in the first place, thought, Oh well. I guess I’ll hafta cry ‘bout my family another day.

The thought of her family brought back depression. Before sadness could regain control, though, the Sandpony worked his magic, and she fell asleep.

The next morning, she wished she hadn’t woken up.

The trouble began on the deck of the steamer. A loud, brass trumpet had woken everybody on board up, including the six mares. They were then told to go up to the deck, as the union relief ship had finally arrived. Reasonable demands. That wasn’t the trouble, though.

The sleep wasn’t all bad, either. AJ had tossed and turned all night, but it wasn’t the worst sleep she had ever gotten. No, there had been plenty worse – and she feared there’d be worse to come – but this had been decent. She had even done her best to try and rid thoughts of her family from her mind for the time being, but with little avail. That wasn’t the problem, either.

As the six watched on, just minutes later, as all of the soldiers walked across of gangplank from the Isabel to the relief ship, the three who had first ended up at Sumter spied Ephrams. Ephrams, who had been their guide. Ephrams, the only soldier that’d talk to them and keep a semi-sane conversation. He was the closest thing to a “friend” any human was to the ponies.

It was only right to see him off. As he walked across the gangplank, Twilight raised a hoof, and waved to him. “Goodbye, Mister Ephrams. Thank you for everything!”

Seeing their friend, RD and Applejack followed suit, waving goodbye to their Northern friend.

“Later, Mister Ephrams.”

“So long, Ephrams!”

The soldier, who had just set foot on the relief ship, turned to see the ponies. When he saw them, he gave them a slightly puzzled look, but waved cheerfully anyway.

The major, who, unlike Ephrams, hadn’t quite left the Isabel yet, stood next to the three. He looked down, confused, his face identical to Ephrams, at the three mares. “Why are all o’ you sayin’ goodbye?”

The ponies looked at him skeptically. Dash asked, “Well, we were gonna stay here…with the others. Does this mean we’re all going with you, then? Me and all my friends?”

The major turned his head to the side. “You three are…” then, pointing to Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, in their own little group just a coupled feet away, “They’re not though.”

All six went wide-eyed. Applejack began to tense up. Oh no, not again…

“Wait, what?” asked Rarity, “We can’t…be with them?”

“’Fraid not little mi – er, filly.”

Twilight, who had remained silent since her goodbye, stomped her hoof on the ground. “No!” she exclaimed, “It’s bad enough I can’t figure out a way home – but we are our own ponies! Our plan was just – oh, I don’t know what our plan was! But we were at least going to be together. We aren’t your property, and this is not for you to decide!”

The other five nodded in silent agreement. The major, however, did not.

“Actually,” stated Anderson coldly, “You are.”

With that, he reached behind his back, pulled out his rifle, cocked it, and aimed it at the three friends in front of them. “And,” he continued, “I don’t take kindly to deserters.”

All six, mouths agape, watched in horror. If looking down the barrel of a gun twice in 24 hours is any indication of what life was like here, AJ didn’t like it.

Pinkie Pie started up. “B-b-but that’s not fair! Why can’t we all be together?”

The major looked up from his rifle. “Confederates found you, you’re theirs. We found these, they’re ours. Me and your general, Beauregard, have reached an agreement on that. And, I hate to break it to you, pony, but life ain’t fair.”

There was a noise like a popped balloon, as Pinkie’s hair literally deflated before all of their eyes, flattening out.

The two groups looked longingly at each other- unable to speak, not sure what to say if they could, and generally scared and confused.

The bellow of the Dixie steamer spoke for them, telling them it was about to leave. The major got behind his “group” of ponies, and began pushing them across the gangplank. “Don’t worry, you three, I’m sure you’ll see your friends again…maybe on less-than-friend terms, though.”

When they were all aboard, and the last stragglers set foot – and hoof – off the gangplank, the board of wood was pulled back onto the Union boat. The soldiers all just stared at the enemy, silent, but intimidating.

Except for the ponies, who stood at the railing of each boat, still unable to comprehend what just happened. Applejack figured Dash would’ve flown away by now, but even the cocky pegasus was too shocked to do anything.

The only thing they could do was give a measly wave, with tears in their eyes, to their companions. All but Pinkie Pie, who, while the boats began slowly moving away from each other, was bawling her eyes out, her tears forming two legitimate fountains from her eyes.

AJ felt her heart sink and split in two, as the Isabel changed away from the relief ship. When it and her three friends finally left her vision, she simply looked down to the murky water, and sighed. No more tears could flow at this point.

The same couldn’t be said for the usually-tough Rainbow Dash, as tears were streaming down her face, “This…this can’t be happening!” she yelled.

“My apologies.” The major’s voice startled all three, Twilight, RD, and Applejack. They turned around, first in surprise, then in fury at the union officer.

“You,” Rainbow Dash retorted accusingly, “Don’t you dare say ‘sorry’ to me or my friends. You have no idea what we’re going through.”

The Union soldiers went about their business on the ship at this point, making an attempt to block out the heated exchange between their commanding officer, and three things that looked like they came out of a children’s coloring book. However, the major’s voice could still be heard. “No, I probably don’t. But, little fillies, I wasn’t the one to make this decision.”

“Oh yeah,” inquired AJ, “Then who the hay is this monster who split us apart?”

“While Beauregard and I were the ones who came upon the compromise,” the major replied, “The one who really wanted you is the man we are taking you to right now. He should make things all clear for you, as you three appear to be very troubled. And, I would refrain from calling Mr. Lincoln a ‘monster’ in the future.”

Comments

[Codexwriter476]

The plot thickens... *grabs a bag of popcorn*

[RarityFigma]

I never thought the day would come where I could that the MLP cast had been drafted!

[Soundwave G1]

Looks like the ponies are about to meet one of the greatest presidents to ever live, and yell at him.

[Silverstein]

Applejack with the Union....eh, I can see you wanted to avoid a clique but it just doesn't seem right. Applejack should have been a Confederate.

Keep it up! This story is good!

Silverstein222 out!

[A. Tuesday]

400748 You have absolutely no idea how many people have said the same exact thing. When the idea first came to me, I already had the two groups set....it was only after giving a friend of mine a "trial" section of the story did they point out to me AJ's redneckishness
Still, works for me. And thanks!

[Silverstein]

400757

It's ok. Shit happens!

Still, I can't wait to see what you do with this thing!

Silverstein222 out!

[terrycloth]

AJ's a slaveowner, too.