The Early Days of War

Twilight Sparkle entered her bedroom tiredly. It was one of those days she wished she could just spend a little time with the stallion she loved, but, just like every other day before, he wasn’t anywhere near. It seemed like ages ago that all this started, but it had only been a few moons since Equestria was forced into war. Twilight could remember that day clearly.

Twilight was standing beside Princess Cadence as Princess Celestia and Princess Luna entered the throne room. “Princess Celestia!” Twilight called, running toward her former mentor. “What’s going on? You said it was urgent.”

The two princesses looked sad, pained by the grave news they had. “You are aware of our neighbor, Griffonicus?”

“Yes…” Twilight said nervously. “It’s populated by griffons. We’re pretty friendly nations, trading well and equally.”

“Unfortunately,” Princess Luna said, “the friendliness and peace has come to an end. We have just gotten word that a young filly got lost while she was playing and wandered too close to the Griffonicus border and was killed.”

“Killed?” Cadence gasped. “But why?”

“They told us that she was too far away for them to see she was just a filly,” Celestia continued. “But when the town heard of it, they attacked patrolling Griffonicus soldiers. The king of Griffonicus has just sent us a notice. They have declared war on Equestria.”

Everything started to slow for Twilight. “We’re at war?”

“I have sent a message to every town. We’re searching for volunteers for our military as we speak. And most of the royal guards will go to fight as well.”

“Fight…” Twilight couldn’t wrap her head around what was going on. For once, the enemy wasn’t some supernatural being that magic could easily defeat. This time… it was a neighboring country.

“Can we afford to fight this war?” Cadence asked.

“We have no choice,” said Luna. “They will destroy all of Equestria if we can’t stop them. We have to do this.”

“Griffonicus is a industrial nation. They’ll be able to make so many weapons… Possibly invent more…”

“We have no choice, Princess Cadence,” Celestia sighed. “As much as it grieves me to say it, we have to fight. And we will lose so many ponies in the process.”

Ever since that day, Twilight’s life turned to chaos. Indeed, most of the royal guard was drafted into the military. That included her brother.

“You’ll be careful, right Shining Armor?” Cadence asked for the hundredth time.

“Cadence, I promise to you that I will come home to you.” Shining Armor took one of her hooves in his. “After this war is over, we’ll be able to rest and relax and start the family we’ve dreamed of. I promise.”

“I’m just… I’m so scared.” Cadence started to cry. “What do I do if you don’t return? What if you die in battle and not even your body is recovered? What would I do then?” She threw herself into her husband’s arms. “I don’t know if I could go on without you.”

“I know, though,” Shining Armor said. “If I never come home, you will be able to move on. You’ll grieve, and then you’ll be strong for our subjects. So many of them will lose family members to this war as well. You’ll have to be strong, the steady ground beneath their hooves, so they know one day this will all end and life will return to how it once was.”

“You have so much faith in me… I don’t have such faith.”

“Look at me, Cadence.” The princess looked him in the eye. “I will come back.” He hugged her tightly and kissed her. “I promise.”

And then Shining Armor came to his sister, who’d been watching and waiting patiently. “Twilight. I need you to be strong for Cadence, no matter what happens.”

“But you promised you’d come back.”

“I did, and I mean to come back. I meant every word I said to her. But listen to me.”

“What is it, Shining Armor?”

“She’s scared. She has to be the strong leader of the Crystal Empire, but at the same time, she’s terrified about me. I need you to be her pillar of faith and help her through all the tough times she’ll face while I’m gone.”

“Don’t worry, Shining Armor. I promise I’ll help her.”

Shining Armor hugged Twilight. “I’ll be home before you know it. I love you, Twilight.”

“I love you too, Shining Armor.”

So Twilight stood there and watched as her brother hugged his wife one last time and boarded the train to wherever the drafted soldiers went. She held Cadence as she cried. And eventually, she led Cadence from the train station to the castle.

Twilight made sure Cadence got to her room, and started toward her own room so she could sleep and have a peaceful night without fears of her brother’s safety. She thought watching him go would be the hardest thing she’d ever have to see. She was wrong.

As she walked down the hallway, she ran into somepony who had been carrying many papers and things. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.”

“Twilight? Are you okay?”

She recognized that voice easily. “Flash! Oh, it’s so good to see you, especially now that Shining Armor had to—” She looked up at the pegasus, smiling, but then she saw the one paper he’d managed to keep ahold of. Draft Notice.

At once, all joy left her. Her heart plummeted and shattered. Flash Sentry had been drafted too. The pony she loved (not that he necessarily knew) was leaving her too.

Flash Sentry didn’t seem to notice, though. “Here. I got you.” He helped Twilight back to her hooves. “Is everything alright?”

“You’ve been drafted too?” Twilight asked, her voice dead.

Flash Sentry looked away nervously. “I’m sorry Twilight. I just got this notice. I went to your room to tell you, but you weren’t there.”

“When…” Twilight swallowed back her tears. “When do you leave?”

“On the next train.” That was the last answer Twilight wanted to hear. She started to cry.

“Twilight, I’m sorry. But I have to go.”

“No! You can’t! It’s not fair! Why do both my brother and you have to be drafted on the same day?! You can’t go! You can’t leave me…” And Twilight broke into painful sobs.

Flash Sentry held Twilight close, just letting her cry for a moment. “I’ll return, Twilight. I promise.”

“I just want you to stay.”

“Let me walk you to your room.”

Twilight was numb as Flash led her to her room. “You should get some rest,” He said. “In the morning, maybe things will be better.”

“I don’t want you to go.” Twilight didn’t care that she sounded like a broken record. All she wanted was for the stallion she loved to be safe.

“Twilight.”

“Yeah?”

And that was when Flash Sentry kissed her. It was short, chaste, but still Twilight’s heart and brain went wild. And then it was over. “Goodbye, Twilight. I promise I’ll return.” Flash Sentry left, leaving Twilight still dazed from what had just occurred.

Now Twilight was still alone, with only the memory of her first and only kiss. And she could only pray that her brother and her love would one day return.

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