Maple Syrup

by Garbo

In My Eyes

Author's Note:

This was going to be the first chapter of a story about the Nightmare Moon uprising that I was going to do, but since writing this, I've changed the plans for the story significantly, so if I ever use this story concept, I will not use this particular piece of writing in it. Also, it was edited by Prak. Thanks for the help, even though these words will never truly see the light of day.

First Hand Account of Lieutenant Forrest Dew, Trottingham Company, 2nd Unicorn Battalion, as printed in “The Two Year Standoff: A History”.
7 Weeks Before The Revolution

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I caught first sight of the royal castle just as the sun rose. It had been three day’s journey from the front lines, and every joint and muscle in my body felt ready to give. As glad as I was to be away from the front lines, the strain on my body had made the trip more or an ordeal than a vacation. For the sake of speed, I’d left with minimal provisions: a few canteens of water and enough food for two small meals a day.

Now that the city was in sight, I gained back some of the energy I’d lost. I was only an hour outside the city. When compared to the rest of my journey, this small stretch was a walk in the park. I continued along at a brisk pace, and reached the city just as the sun cleared the horizon. Off in the distance, I could see the outline of Canterlot in the light. It was the greatest wonder of Equestria, even more magnificent than the royal palace. It seemed that every other weeks there was a new petition to make Canterlot the capital, all of which the princesses ignored. For some reason, they seemed to prefer their palace by the woods.

But who was I to judge the will of the Princesses? Surely they had their reasons, and at the moment I didn’t particularly care which castle I was heading to so long as it was warm and had food inside.

After another hour or so, I arrived at the castle gates. I knocked and the doors opened wide. After a short conversation with the gatekeeper I was allowed access. The wall was brightly lit by both torchlight and enchantment. The hall was grand in scale, covered with colorful tapestries and oil paintings. A chandelier hung from the center, and across the room sat two thrones, both of which were unoccupied.

Knowing that the princesses must be busy, I allowed myself to explore the hall. Though not as richly decorated as the state buildings in Canterlot, the room was nonetheless a sight to behold. The thrones were the most amazing of all. One was made of white marble, covered with a twisting lattice of gold formed in the pattern of a sun. The other was made of a shiny black rock, probably Obsidian, and decorated with silver plating in the shape of the moon. Though both were similar, I could’ve sworn the white one was a bit larger.

A voice from behind me broke my focus. “What news from the front lines?”

In a frenzy, I turned around to see none other than the princess of the night herself. I quickly saluted and stood at attention, trying not to let my surprise show. I’d never meet of even seen either of the princesses in person.

“Is there any news?”

My nerves got the better of me, causing me to fumble over my words. Eventually, I managed to put together a sentence. “General Nimbus sent me with news for both you and Princess Celestia, ma’am.”

The princess rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. “Celestia is asleep at the moment. I will relay the news to her as soon as she is awake.”

“Yes ma’am.” I replied, collecting myself. She was just another superior, whether or not she was a princess was irrelevant.

“The general wishes to report that the griffons have made further advances and are now camped directly on the opposite side of the river. We have also intercepted at least one scout flying over our camp, but other than that they have made no actions against us.”

Luna sighed, circling around to her throne. “So the standoff continues for another month. How long has it been now?”

“Seven weeks short of two years, ma’am.”

“That is a shame,” she said. Her empathy seemed genuine, at least to me. “How long have you been stationed there?”

“Since the beginning of the standoff, ma’am.”

Luna shook her head, walking over to a large stained glass window. The moon reflected in it, giving the surrounding glass a slight glow.

“Do you have a family, soldier?”

I wasn’t sure what to say to this. It certainly wasn’t the type of question I expected to hear from a princess. At that moment, I remembered what I’d been taught at the academy: Whatever they say, treat it like an order, and you can’t go wrong

“I have a wife and a daughter. They live in Trottingham.”

Luna looked back at me with a look of sympathy. “That is so much to give up for so little. I truly am sorry, and I do hope that you’ll be home soon.”

I wanted to say that I agreed with the princess, but her words almost seemed like a trap. If she didn’t agree with it, why didn’t she just call us back home? It all seemed very contradictory.

“You seem quite tired. Why wasn’t a pegasus sent to deliver this message?”

That was a question I’d asked myself many times on my trip, even though I knew the answer. “There were concerns that if we sent any more pegasi up in the air, there could be a fight, and command wants to avoid confrontation for as long as possible.”

The princess nodded. “That does make sense, I suppose. It must have been a long trip, though. You’d look like you need a meal and some rest. I’m sure the guardsmen would allow you to stay in the barracks if you asked one of them.”

Somehow I managed to mask my elation. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you ma’am.” Snapping into a salute one again, I turned around and headed to speak to the guard I’d seen at the gate earlier.

I never did look back at Luna, but if I had, I’d like to think she was smiling.