War Pony

by CreeperZone

Words of War

Midnight drew a short sword into his right wing, jumping off the wall and leaping around Aurora to the bottom of the stairs, his blade aimed toward the Earth Pony.

“Stay back, Aurora! I'll deal with the Ant!” Midnight exclaimed going in for a mighty slash at Hopefuls throat.

Hopeful flinched back in panic. Entrusting his instincts he slumped down as the blade flew above his head, slicing a part of his mane off. Spinning on one of his front hooves, he swung around his hind leg and it connected with the armored Pegasus' flank. With immense Earth Pony strength, he launched the Pegasus away, smashing him into a steel door and leaving an indent. He finished his spin to a full Three-Sixty and lifted his rifle as he backed up from the two other ponies.

“You bitch..!” The Pegasus fell to the ground, hooves over his vital organs, which were left shaken. Realizing his weakened state, Midnight slid his wings into his armor and pulled the sides off. Holding the two pieces with each wing like two shields he placed them in front of himself.

“STOP! DON'T FUCKING TRY ANYTHING ELSE!” Hopeful aimed down his sights at the aggressive Pegasus.

Midnight, with his face covered in steel, charged at the Earth Pony. Surprised that he was not being shot at, he reached Hopeful and pulled out his blade once more. Dropping his right shield, he went for another swing.

Hopeful, now backed up against a wall, slammed the body of his rifle vertically against the incoming sword. His defense held true as he pushed against the Pegasus. “STOP. THIS. NOW.”

“NOT UNTIL YOUR FILTHY BLOOD RUNS ACROSS MY BLADE, ANT!” Midnight threatened, slamming his left shield across Hopeful and knocking him to the ground.

Hopeful, on his side, swung the butt of his rifle across the Pegasus' face, stunning him just long enough for Hopeful to gallop away, back to the stairs where a horrified Unicorn stood in shock.

Midnight turned toward him, preparing his attack.

As the Pegasus charged at him again, Hopeful jumped up the steps next to the Unicorn, wiping out his pistol he shoved it against the side of her skull while covering her horn with one front leg and holding her from escape with his other. He pulled her head back, threatening the Pegasus by pressing the barrel of his gun against the top of her head. She screamed out to her lover.

Midnight hauled at the bottom step, seeing the Earth Pony holding Aurora, he froze. “LET HER GO, YOU COWARD!”

Hopeful's voice was muffled by the grip, “LOHWER YOUR HWEAPON!” He slowly edged back up the stairs, pulling the Unicorn by her mane as she hollered and cried.

She tried to cast some spell, but as her horn lit up, Hopeful slammed her against the concrete of the walls, scraping the right side of her face harshly. She called out to Midnight, “MMM-M-MIDNIGHT, DO WHAT HE SAYS-SS..!”

Midnight hounded at the Earth Pony, enraged. “KILL HER AND YOU WILL SUFFER A THOUSAND TIMES GREATER THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE, ANT!” Midnight chucked away his sword and spear onto the floor.

“Gwhood.” Hopeful said. He threw the Unicorn down nearly a dozen steps to the Pegasus and sheathed his pistol. “I don't give a shit about what you two are up two! Go fuck somewhere in this old military bunker for all I care, just leave me out of it!” Hopeful turned and sprinted upward. He reached the open hatch and slammed it closed once he got out. He slumped his back against the hatch, sighing to himself.

After a moment of rest, he regained his wits. “Job to do... Have to kill it...” He looked up the mountain, noticing something quite odd. Standing up to get a better view, he could see the head of the beast sticking out from the cave at the top of the mountain, peering down at him. “Shit, shit shit!” He scrambled to throw his bags down and search through them.

The creature, far up in the sky, leapt from its cliff edge and dove down, the winds coming with its ghostly presence toward Hopeful.

“AHA!” He brought out a large stick wrapped in rags and tied to it via string, a canister of oil.

The Beast blew a blizzard, blasting it at Hopeful. It made it down the mountain at high-speeds, those of a hurricane.

With a panic, Hopeful bit open the canister and poured it over the torch. Then with a flick of his lighter, it erupted into a mushroom blast of flame just as the blizzard reached him. The flame flickered and waved, but it stuck to the torch. Holding it in his mouth, Hopeful swung it around in the air, trying to hit the flying Beast that circled him like a shark.

The winds grew in strength. Noticing his torch on the brink of extinguishing, he focused on trying to spot it. Looking through the thick fog, he saw its glow, he flung his head around to volley the torch in its general direction.

He was delighted with the screech it made soon after. “Yes! Howdya like that one?!?”

But Hopeful’s smile soon turned to fear as the pissed off Beast only strengthened its winds. It changed its flight pattern to rush at Hopeful, who saw the screeching ice-monster coming right for him.

His saddle bags and coat flew off as he was flung back to the mountain, getting thrown into the solid rock wall. He watched as the Beast turned upward as it reached him, flying up the mountain and covering Hopeful with a boulder of snow.

He frantically dug himself out, suffocating and shaking in the snow. He barely reached the surface, crawling out from the small tunnel he created. He squeezed half of himself out before collapsing. Freezing and exhausted, without any of his gear, apart from the rifle strapped tightly to his torso.

He gazed upward, unable to find the creature. He spotted the hatch once more, almost in reach. Terrified of the idea of freezing to death in battle with it, he pulled up his rifle and used it to latch onto the opening valve of the hatch. He yanked himself out of the snow and to it, then bit onto the frosty surface of the valve and attempted to twist it, to no avail.

He heard the Beast cry out in anger once more. He could feel the winds bash against him, knocking him to the ground.

Mostly blinded by the blizzard, he turned into the Beast’s direction. Shaking thunderously, Hopeful lifted his rifle. Loaded and primed to shoot, he aimed at the Beast.

The Beast went for its second dive, blasting toward him with its full power. A gigantic wall of snow moved behind it like a tsunami wave.

Hopeful went to pull the trigger.

---

“Aurora! Are you ok?!” Midnight lifted her up and wrapped her hooves around him so that she rested leaning on him. Once the Earth Pony left and shut the door, she used her horn to provide light once more.

“Yes... Just a bit roughed up...” Her legs had scratches and small cuts all over them. Small tints of blood contrasted against her white coat. She lifted up her head. The entire right side of her face had heavy scrapes, her eye twitching from the stinging pain. After taking a breath, she worked her way back onto her own hooves. “Why did you have to attack him?” she said after taking a step back.

“What else was I supposed to do? It could have shot at us!” Midnight retrieved his weaponry from the floor.

“He wasn't going to... He was helping me before you arrived.”

“Helping..? Auri, other ponies aren't like us! They don't care about anything else apart from killing the other races! I saw the way he looked at me. There is no doubt in my mind he wanted to see me dead.” Midnight had put on his armor once more, then trotted to be beside his Fiancee.

“Then why didn't he shoot at you? If he wanted you dead, he had the perfect opportunity to do that.” She sat against the wall, taking out some of her own supplies from a saddlebag and bandaging her wounds.

“Maybe he knew the bullet would ricochet off my armor? Although I doubt an Earth Pony could be that wise, it's a possibility.” He sat down beside her.

“When we were alone, he seemed nice. He didn't care I was a Unicorn... Like you.” She finished healing her legs and moved onto her scratched up face.

Midnight turned to her and stopped her, using his wing to graze her cheek and draw her attention to him. “I told you before, I wouldn't care if you were a freaking Zebra, I'd still love you...” She smiled as they had a quick kiss, before his expression turned more sinister as he looked at her wounds. “But he hurt you. That means no matter what you say, you can't stop me from killing that bastard if I ever lay my eyes upon his sorry ass again.”

She chuckled. “You're as overprotective as I remembered you were, Nighty.”

He stood himself back up, “You only study shielding magic and you're calling me overprotective?”

She returned to her self-treatment, “My mother made me learn all those spells, you know that. She is so paranoid about my safety, she actually locked me in my room for an entire week when I was a filly because one of my friends caught the cutie pox. She wouldn't even believe the doctor when they told her it is not contagious.”

“Thank the heavens I never have to meet that mare... Image if she knew,” Midnight said, laughing.

Finished with her bandaging, she walked up to him. “She would drop dead on the spot.” And she kissed him again.

What Aurora meant to be a quick peck, turned into a lot more as Midnight drew her in and their kiss continued. Both of them were unbelievably happy. Soon, tears formed as they both rejoiced in their love for each other. The hardships they faced in their journey for reuniting were forgotten in this moment. They were finally together and neither of them would change that for the world.

Aurora felt a rush of energy go to her horn. The warmth of her love seemed to be to powerful to hold in. A rosy-pink spell of lights bursted out of her, several flying around them like fireflies, sparkling in the darkness.

Suddenly, they heard the movement of rusty metal, up from the top of the staircase. It was only once they spotted the bright pink light glow from the same place that their making out was disturbed.

Midnight looked at Aurora's horn, glowing the same colour. “Auri, what are you doing?”

“I am not doing this...” She felt her magic leaving her, but had no control of its actions.

The two of them sprinted back to the stairs to witness as the hatch was being opened by Auroras spell.

It opened to reveal the terrorizing blizzard outside. Hopeful, dropping his aim, jumped through the hatch, a rush of snow poured down the stairs and Hopeful went down with it.

Aurora and Midnight jumped out of the way as the snow caved in the entrance, leaving the shivering Earth Pony at the hoof of the snow.

Hopeful looked up at the two. “Shit.”

Hopeful, getting himself up as fast as he equinely could, he raised the only weapon he had left. Midnight lifted his shield and spear in response, and with a serious look from Midnight, Aurora raised a magical bubble around herself.

“I WANT TO TALK!” Hopeful demanded, switching his sights from the Pegasus to the Unicorn and back again.

“WHAT'S THERE TO TALK ABOUT, ANT? YOU SHOULD HAVE LEFT WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE!” Midnight shouted and began side-stepping to stand in front of Aurora.

“THERE IS A MONSTER OUTSIDE! IT CAUSED THE SNOW! IT PUSHED ME BACK DOWN HERE!” Hopeful tried to create as much space between him and the Peggasian soldier as he could.

“I DON'T CARE WHY YOU'RE BACK, JUST THAT YOU ARE! AND NOW THAT YOU'RE NOT HOLDING MY WIFE HOSTAGE, I THINK I'LL BE MAKING THE DEMANDS! Now... Drop. Your. Rifle.” Midnight looked like a leopard, ready to pounce.

“I just want to walk away, mate, and this rifle is the only insurance I have to let that happen. Unless you have a better proposition, I ain't doing shit.”

“Drop your rifle and then we will discuss what will happen to you, you have five seconds before I end you.”

Hopeful swallowed. Seeing the Pegasus's fury in his eyes, Hopeful could tell he was not bluffing. He chucked the rifle.

“Good...” The Pegasus leaped onto Hopeful, his spear's path leading into Hopeful’s throat.

Midnight, just before he landed the hit, froze in the air.

“MIDNIGHT! He may not be like us, but we don't have to be like him!” Aurora scolded him.

Midnight turned to look at her while being held in her bright yellow magic. “Ugh... Fine...” He was dropped onto the floor as he let down his stance. He leaned into the defensive Hopeful, “Consider yourself lucky, Ant.” Midnight then went to Hopeful’s rifle and picked it up with a wing just to bend the barrel closed.

Hopeful just sank into a corner, shaking.

“Auri, let's find some place where we can be in private, why don't we?” Midnight went back to Aurora, walking down the hallway.

Aurora walked by his side, only twisting her head back once to look at Hopeful before going right back.

Hopeful called out to them, “It's still out there... And it's stuck us down here.”

But without regard for him, they turned the corner. Midnight shouting over his shoulder to leave the two of them alone, they left Hopeful in the pitch black.

He whispered to himself. “Stuck down here... Together...”

---

“We shouldn't let him live, for our safety’s sake.” Midnight looked from side to side, the Earth Pony architecture of the bunker felt confining to him, almost claustrophobic.

“After everything I went through to get here, one unarmed Earth Pony being in the same bunker as me is not a scary thought.”

“I guess you're right... You're going to have to tell me everything that happened, getting across half of Bridleton and Germaney surely has gifted you a few stories to share.”

“It has... It has... Some of them weren't as pleasant as I would like them to be.” She stared uncomfortably in remembrance. “I think I may have hurt somepony. I don't know what happened to her. I hope she is safe.”

Midnight put a comforting leg around Aurora, “I had a similar experience, although I doubt the pony survived.”

“What was their name?” Aurora looked up to Midnight.

“It was... ugh... I don't think I ever asked...” He wished not to remember him.

“I met a Unicorn. She was called Luna. She lived with Earth Ponies. She said they were her family... It made me think a lot about us.” They found themselves walking into a common room, shutting the door behind them. They sat on one of the couches scattered around the room. Aurora lit up a candle she saw on the coffee table in front of them and then letting go of her magic.

Midnight was surprised at what she said. “Is that why you wanted to leave that Ant alive?”

“Yes, well, no... It was part of it, but I don't know. It's been very confusing, this whole thing.” Aurora rested her head on Midnight shoulders.

“It won't have to be confusing anymore. You still remember the plan right?”

“What we're doing after we get out of here? Yes, I dreamed of it every night in the wilderness. It kept me going.” She gazed around, smiling.

“You bring up a good point. What are we waiting for? Let's get out of here.” Midnight straightened up his back and outstretched a hoof.

“I would, but what about the snow?”

“We'll find a map. There has to be a back door somewhere!” Midnight hopped down from the coach.

Aurora lied down across the cushions. “I was hoping we'd take a little break first... I am quite tired from walking after all.”

Midnight sat on the coffee table and scooted it closer until her was next to the couch. “What do you suggest we do, then? While we wait.”

Aurora had a devilish smile, “I mean, I have some ideas...” She propped herself up on a front leg and leaned into his ear where she whispered something that shared her smile with him.

Midnight laughed to himself, “I mean, it has been a long time since we've done that...”

She kissed him a few times, going from his muzzle down across his neck.

He leaned back to lie on the coffee table, moving the candle away with his wing as Aurora slid on top of him. “Shouldn't I take off my armor?” He said, in between smooches.

Aurora spoke in hushed, seductive tones. “Oh, but why would you take off your uniform, Mr. Pegassian Soldier? You should really worry about arresting the bad Unicorn trying to cast her spells on you...”

Aurora went down on Midnight, but just as she was going to get started, the door was slammed open. She jolted up and lit her horn. “What in the heavens!”

Her light barely shone upon the stunned Hopeful standing in the doorway. “What is..?” His eyes shot up as they adjusted to the light after wandering in darkness for several minutes, he saw the two on top of each other. “I, ugh...” He stepped back out from the door, shutting it swiftly.

“That fucking Ant...” Midnight slid out from under Aurora, rushing to the door with his weapon drawn.

“Wait!” Aurora called out.

“What? It can't even leave us alone for one moment! I'm going to fucking kill it!” Midnight shouted.

“Leave him. I don't wish for him to die.” Aurora walked up to him, next to the door.

“What do you suggest then? It has ruined every moment we have together! What do you want to do with it?”

“Let's just guide him out, find the back door you were talking about.” Aurora put her hoof onto his spear to lower it down.

“Ugh...” Midnight looked into her soft eyes, “The things you make me do... Alright, Ant! Let's get you the fuck out!” He opened the door to see the Earth Pony beside the door frame, listening in on their conversation.

Hopeful backed off from the armed soldier, “Sounds good to me, just don't get close.”

“Please, Ant, if I was going to do anything, it would be done. Now get over here and find a fucking map so we can throw you out!” Midnight walked deeper into the common room with Aurora.

Hopeful uneagerly went in after him, trying to keep a good distance. “My name is Hopeful, just so you can stop calling me ‘Ant.’”

“Do I look like I ca-” Midnight was cut off halfway through his statement.

“Aurora, and this is Midnight. I should urge you to not prod at his temper.” Aurora enhanced her spell, lighting the entire room as well as she could. Soon it felt like sunshine as the whole room grew clearly visible.

Hopeful immediately found a layout of the facility against the wall. With a quick glance, he spotted another smaller exit at the other end of the mountain. He swiftly made his way along, Aurora following him closely and Midnight lagging on behind both of them.

An awkward walk as they trotted along in silence to the exit, Hopeful attempted to gain some headway to get away from them as fast as he could and found himself at another hatch.

“Congratulations, Ant. You've pissed me off completely and still have all of your internal organs. Few have had that honour, and now, for your sake, I hope you leave for the last fucking time,” Midnight said as he caught up to the Earth Pony trying to bite open the hatch.

Aurora looked upon Hopeful’s struggle. She stepped up the stairs to his side to use her magic. She was quite surprised by the valve not budging with her attempts.

Midnight sighed, flying up to them and biting down beside Hopeful.

With all of their combined strength, they edged it open, but once it had gone loose, the hatch fell back on top of them. A wave of snow poured down the stairs, pushing them down to the concrete floor below.

“Come the fuck on! How are they both caved in?!” Midnight exclaimed in frustration, cleaning himself of snow.

Hopeful's head fell in disappointment. “It wants me to starve to death down here...”

“What is this it you keep babbling on about?” Midnight confronted Hopeful.

“It is something that lives in the clouds. I've been hunting it for a good while now. I believe it's the sole reason for this weather. I wouldn't call it a beast after my observations; as far as I can tell, it has no physical form. I've been calling it a ‘Windigo’ for my own reference.” Hopeful stood up while explaining this to them.

“Wendigo? Like the legends?” Aurora looked at him curiously.

“What legends?” Hopeful replied.

“Wendigos, the cannibal pony monsters that were turned by greed? Were you not told the stories as a foal?”

Midnight rolled his eyes, “Auri, I can't believe I agree with the Earth Pony here, but I haven't heard of those either. They’re probably just Unicorn legends.”

“Perhaps... But do continue, Hopeful.”

“Well, no these are no ponies...” Hopeful corrected Aurora, “They are more like ghosts. They possess the ability to control the weather, and as far as I can tell, they hate ponies... That’s why it tried to kill me, and now has us trapped down here.”

Midnight grew annoyed. “Great! A fucking ghost is now making me spend my time with this fucking ground dwelling dirt bag.”

“Featherbrain,” Hopeful snapped back.

“What did you call me?” Midnight walked up face-to-face with Hopeful.

“I said you're a fucking featherbrain.” Hopeful gave him no ground. Seeing that he wasn't leaving anytime soon, he was done taking his shit.

“HEY!” Aurora put herself between them, holding them off with her magic. “Midnight, leave him. I don't want to take another life by my hooves.”

Hopeful turned on Aurora as she tried to calm her lover. “And what are you going to do? You're not a fucking soldier! If it wasn't for hot-airhead over here, you wouldn't even be a threat.”

She shifted a stare of disdain upon him. “Not a threat? Are you saying you're better then me? Stronger? I've been sticking up for your worthless hind end because you were nice to me. Now I'm having second thoughts about that.”

Exchanging distasteful looks, they heard the ground rumble as more snow poured down into the hallway.

“Doesn't even matter if you kill me anymore. We're all going to end up dead sooner or later if there's no other way out,” Hopeful said after being reminded of their dire situation.

“At least it will be some good fun ripping you limb from limb.” Midnight got ready to pounce again, but first looking to Aurora for a glance of approval that he did not receive.

“Why did you try to help me earlier? Mr. Hopeful? Why was that?” Aurora took an aggressive step towards him, keeping her chin high to look down on him.

“Why wouldn't I help another stranger? I didn’t care that you’re a Unicorn. It's not like race matters very much when we're all being fucked over by the same thing out here! Now I'm not helping you because I know you know, and I know you're a stereotypical Unicorn supremacist and another Pegasus in need of anger management.”

This took them aback. “We're not like other Unicorns or Pegasi!” Midnight hollered at him after standing back straight up.

Aurora, instead of snapping back, she became curious. “You don't care about race? Is that what you just said?” Aurora was actually surprised at his sincerity.

“Yes I did. Do I need to repeat it for you, your highness?” Hopeful mocked her.

“I've never heard of an Earth Pony without any prejudice against Unicorns.”

“And I've never heard of a Unicorn going out with a Pegasus, but you learn something new every day, don't ya?” Hopeful, although finishing his statement very aggressively with snark, he soon turned to wonder. “What is it with you two, anyway? A Unicorn and a Pegasus? How did that happen?”

Midnight, seeing the tension falling, lowered his spear. “It's a long story, Ant.”

Hopeful looked at the pile of snow beside him, and back up to them.

“Good. I happen to have a lot of time on my hooves.”

Comments

[Starlight Nova]

Before I read this, I must know: Why is there a tragedy tag? We know the ponies will set aside their differences and found Equestria in the end.

[CreeperZone]

8536773
Sorry I didn't see your question sooner, but the answer is that the idea of this story is that the way they showed the events Hearthswarming through a stage play in the show, was just that, a childish stage play. This takes those events and tries to tell them through the eyes of somepony living through it, and while yes, the story will end with Hearthswarming and a united Equestria, that doesn't mean everypony lived long enough to see that.

And if you want to know the scale of how bad it gets, my editor once told me; ''You seem to have this talent for taking this thing, getting me to love it, and then violently ripping out my heart and beating it against a tree.''

So if you don't enjoy or cant handle something like that, I would not recommend reading this as you might not last past chapter 4. (If you do enjoy a tragedy, then you will love this.)

Have a good day, either way. - Cz