Are We the Good Guys?

by QueenMoriarty

More importantly, are we scared of the answer?

There's four of us in the tent. Well, probably not. It's a big tent, there's probably at least a dozen good soldiers milling about in here. But here in this corner, where it happens, there's only the four of us. There's Pinkamena, sitting with her back to a tent post and eating out of a feed bag. I can't help but crack a smile; she looks like an elephant. There's Maud, cleaning the blood out of my wing with oil and a strong cloth. She pushes hard enough with her teeth and hooves that I feel it at the base of my wing, and it almost feels like I can feel it in my feathers. There's the kid, staring at her hooves and not even bothering to hide her tears. Good for her.

Then there's me. I'm the Iron Wing. They used to call me Rainbow Dash. Then again, they used to tell me I was just one pony.

"Are we the good guys?"

It was the kid who said that, that's what makes me look up. She's still looking at her hooves, still rubbing at splatter that was washed away hours ago, but her face looks just a bit more solid under all the tears. She doesn't want to just sit there and cry, she wants to try and understand the tears.

Pinkamena rolls her eyes and mumbles something through her bag, something that sounds a lot like "Shut up, kid". If anything, that actually manages to make the poor kid look even more bummed out. I lock eyes with Maud as she's working on one tough feather, and jerk my head at the kid. She looks out the corner of her eye, gives a slow nod, and tosses me the cloth to tend to myself.

"What makes you ask?" is the first thing she says. Well, really it's all she says before fixing the kid with that blank stare that still manages to make me feel something new every time.

"Well, I just..." She does her best to wipe away the tears, but they aren't about to stop. Her horn glows a sickly green, and I wonder if there's a point in grabbing a medic. "They don't know what they're doing, do they?"

Pinkamena snorts into her feed bag, an ugly, pig-like noise. I do my best to ignore her, trying to preen a wing that wasn't built to be preened.

"As far as we know, no. They don't." To those who know her, Maud is choosing her words very carefully. "We don't quite know what effect the helmets have yet, but we know that the ponies under them can't stop."

"So, why do we kill them?" Not gonna lie, the cloth almost fell out of my mouth. It's been a real long time since a why was put to those words instead of a how.

"You suggesting we try something else?" Pinkamena's taken off the feed bag now. That alone's enough to make the kid double her crying. That frown just wasn't designed to be seen by allies.

"I mean, they're just helmets. Can't we take them off, get the crystal ponies somewhere safe, out of the fighting?" The kid keeps talking faster and faster, like that's going to even slow Pinks down for a second.

"You saw them out there today. This is how it is. Do you really think you could have gotten their helmets off? And even if you did, you know what would have happened?" Even though she isn't facing me, I can hear the grinding of Pinkamena's teeth. "Sombra would have had the ones who would fight kill the ones who wouldn't. They mean less than nothing to him."

"So shouldn't they mean something to us?" the kid shoots back, a lot more than I'd expect from someone facing down Pinkamena. "We treat them just as disposably as he does, but it's just okay when we do it? Since when does Equestria get to decide what passes for a life worth saving?"

"I never said it was okay," Pinks growls out, yielding to a child. "I just said this was how it was." I have to nod. This is how it is.

"Then we're back to my first question," the kid answers, clearly bolder now. "Are we the good guys? We kill just like he kills, hay, we're the instrument he uses to kill them. Far as I can tell, the only difference is the uniform and the fact that we get nightmares."

"You think they don't?" This is me speaking, and I can feel the tent fall silent. Not just the four of us, but the whole tent. The Iron Wing is talking, the murmurs say. Listen to the Iron Wing. "They aren't seeing ponies in those helmets. They're seeing things so horrible that they can't imagine running. A nightmare that scares them so senseless that the only reaction that makes sense in their brain is to fight for their lives."

The kid's staring wide-eyed at me, trying to fight down her hero worship long enough to keep asking her questions. "So, what makes us different? They fight like us, they die like us, they cry like us, so who says which side we're on? Please, just tell me. Are we the good guys?" She's so desperate, so lost, so uncertain. This kid needs a rock. The crowd that's listening, they need a rock. So I make that rock.

"Yes."

Of course one word isn't enough, but it's a start. In a small way, they have their answer. Now, they want details. I just hope I can put this into words.

"You want to know what makes us different? It's easy; we are fighting for something. They're just fighting. The crystal ponies are an extension of Sombra, a big dumb claw for a big dumb dragon. And here we are, standing for freedom, for friendship, for a life well lived. You ask what makes us right?" I stand tall, spread my wing and grit my teeth. "We stand for something. All he's got is a desire to kill, but we've got a reason to."

"But... what makes our killing right?" So lost. I wonder how clear this kid's memories of the time before the war are. She must have been born before the empire came back, she just looks too big to be a baby.

And then there's the sinking feeling in my stomach as I realize, I don't know how long it's been. Deal with that later.Cry on that later. You have to be strong right now. Tell them what to do right now.

"Nothing. Nothing makes it right." I look at the blood still on my wing, tracing a hoof along the feathers to make sure they all understand what I'm looking at. "I heard what you said, about getting the helmets off. I promise, we tried. And they died. Every day, there are mages in Celestia's inner sanctum studying the helmets, trying to find a counterspell. The moment they find it, this war is over. But until then, we can't afford to waste resources and time on restraining murder weapons."

The words feel dirty, and I have to pause a moment to swallow them. She cringes too, and I know there should be an effort to fix that. "For the time being, they don't get to be ponies. We can't afford for them to be ponies. Believe me, when this is over there will be mourning. A lot of mourning. But for now?" I offer a hoof. She takes it, and I pull her up onto her hooves. "For now, we're the good guys. And maybe one day they'll say we were the bad guys. But the only way we keep fighting tomorrow is if we believe that we're doing the right thing. So how about it?"

"How about what?" Still lost, but it's a different kind of lost. She's been swept up in the words. Heh. Didn't think I had that gift.

"Will you be fighting tomorrow?"

A long second goes by, and she smiles. It's no happy smile, like you'd get before Sombra, but it's the best I'll get in these times. "And the day after."

Comments

[QueenMoriarty]

I just wanted to say thank you, to any single one of you who ever took up arms to defend your country. No matter which country it was, no matter who you fought for, I salute your bravery and sacrifice. You are stronger than I am.

If I got any part of this story wrong, if this in some way reflects wrong on how soldiers really are, I can only offer a weak apology, and say that I am not a veteran. I was never in the trenches. I have heard some second-hand accounts, but nothing that gives me any right to claim I know what soldiers have gone through. So, if I got it wrong, I invite you to say so.

[FamousLastWords]

I am currently at work, but I can't wait to read this later!

[Ice Star]

I'm glad to see that the S5 timelines still have some people who write them in-depth, yes even for a shorter story like this, it does a pretty good job, especially considering the context I have with your previous stuff. I like the dynamic you gave to RD, Pinkie, and Maud in the other stories - they all felt very personal for the characters, and so did 'This Isn't War'. However, I find that the more general question the title presents didn't go as well as the stories of the Pie Sisters and Rainbow in the other stories because it isn't as personal and character-centric as the other stories, where the individual characters have their time to shine much more, especially through the different voices crafted for them.

This is still a nice story, and you've got my upvote but I think it would've had more impact if it was part of something a bit bigger, or a scene in another story, where it could really drive its point home.

[Randomateverything]

It's an amzazing story, it's very moving, and something that makes you think about what war is like for the people fighting, no matter what side they are on, it gives reason for those people fighting to continue, to do whats right for their country. It really makes you feel for the people fighting. It shows you that not all of them are adults, who have had experience in life, and that these people question why all the time, the same as us. A few people I know fight in the army, and many more in the royal air force, they have all been into countries currently in war, and I know from them how it is to be in that sort of situation. It's philosophical, it makes you think, hard, about why they are fighting. And, well, a lot of people think they know, because one group of people disagree with another. But, these people fighting, they ask themselves why, why don't they agree, why are they going through such drastic measures for an argument, and, who is right? Which side's morals are correct? Are they both wrong? Or...does it matter? Are we the good guys?

Yes, I love this story very much. It's definitely a favorite. The characters are very well written, and fit with what you'd expect from them, in this situation. With Rainbow Dash being the wisest, having had the most experience, Pinkie being Pinkamena, the one who just wants the war over with, and openly shows it, with Maud being like Pinkie, but with more care, and Sweetie Belle, the innocent one of the group who just doesn't understand why the war has to happen. I also like how you used Sweetie Belle, it brings a sense of innocence into the whole thing, and shows you that some people who fight are just kids. Its an awesome story, bittersweet, and I can still feel it in my heart, even now, and that is something uncommon for me, I know enough people who have told me about when they went into a war zone, or just outside of it to feel all the emotions then, for me to feel them for this long after having read a story..it's definitely one of the best stories I've ever read, 13/10.

[The Loyal worker]

I always did like pieces where things are questioned, wonderful job once again!

[TimeturnerJ]

I love your Iron Wing verse. Dash is such a good leader.
I keep imagining how the ponies in the main universe would react if they could see her and the Pies like this. It would definitely be very dramatic. xD

[Alondro]

Dashie, Sombra mind-controls his subjects and wants to take over the world with Dark Magic.

If you don't know the answer after that, move out of the way for someone a bit smarter.

*Alondro then raises his hand and the searing beam of pure awesome obliterates Sombra and his dark forces instantly, leaving only a rocking party in its wake* Nothing can stop the Deus Ex Self-Insert.

(But really, it's like asking if Hitler was a bad guy.)

[Skijarama]

8545048
Frankly, he wasn't/ He wasn't a good guy, but he wasn't a bad guy either. Because good and evil are not actual things. They cannot be measured and, frankly, what one person sees as evil, another might see as good. No matter what side of a war you are on, though, you are likely going to see yourself as 'the good guy' or 'in the right.' Hitler did think he was doing the good thing for his country. The thing is, he was a human just like you or I. Maybe a little overly ambitious for what he wanted to achieve, but his views of good or evil are not any more or less valid than ours. It's a matter of subjectivity vs objectivity when one is thinking about good or evil. Subjectively, the evil guy is the person you despise and disagree with. Objectively, there is no evil, because there isn't any inherent 'good' for that evil to oppose, and vica verca.

They are comforting concepts, good and evil. But ultimately They don't actually exist. They have no real world presense aside from people acting based off of their loosley defined notions. Ask someone, anyone, if they think gay marriage is a good thing. For every person who answers that and believes it there are just as many who will decry it as an abhorrent and evil thing for one reason or another. Really, who are any of us to say for sure which side is correct when good and evil do not have any clearly measurable or recognizable definitions?

I'm not saying I agreed with any of what Hitler did, mind you: I dissagree with basically all of his motives and actions. I simply aknowledge that, really, he wasn't evil. You can't be what does not exist.

Okay, my off topic tangent is now over.

[QueenMoriarty]

8545048

Nothing can stop the Deus Ex Self-Insert.

Blacklisting you forever can.

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

8545048
Yes. Just...yes.

[silvadel]

What they should be looking for is a way to immobilize them. Turn them to stone, freeze them to ice, trap them in mirrors, anything that has some chance of being reversed later on yet takes them out of the battle today.

Actually I hate to say it, but if there were an intractable war against Sombra with sides equally matched, DESTROYING magic, casting a spell that casts more spells eventually draining all the magic of the world would free the crystal ponies, as well as neutralize Sombra for a price.

[Matthewl419]

Well, shit. I really don't wanna, but I'm inclined to agree with Dashie, the only thing that makes them better than Sombra is that he kills for the joy of it.

8545110
Evil may not be measured, but it can be generalized. If enough of the people believe it is evil, then it can then be correctly labeled as evil. Murder, most notably. But then, there is the whole "What classifies as murder?" argument, but I won't get into that here; my point was made already.

[FamousLastWords]

This story was great.

What makes our killing better than there's? Nothing. Not really. I can't pretend to understand what goes on at the battlefield, but that question has to linger here and there.

It's hard to comprehend the feelings that soldiers must feel on a daily basis, but I feel you captured it well. The whole story just felt bleak, which it needed to do. This was great.

[Mudpony]

8545048

8545110

Frankly, he wasn't/ He wasn't a good guy, but he wasn't a bad guy either. Because good and evil are not actual things. They cannot be measured and, frankly, what one person sees as evil, another might see as good.

The problem with this a counter argument is that it is why Dash would, without a doubt, know that Sombra is the bad guy. What exactly evil is exists as a concept in the minds of most societies as a norm, and furthermore within the individuals of the society (which won't necessarily line up with the norm). By Equestrian norms, he's the bad guy. To her, what he does is wrong, and that that is wrong is a universal truth. Others might not agree, but that's irrelevant, because Dash matters here, not the others.

Now, she might doubt whether or not they themselves are still good guys, based upon what they've had to do to stop Sombra. But they'd have to do some truly evil things for there to be a doubt as to who the good guys are.

[FanOfMostEverything]

You do such amazing work with this timeline. Wish I'd read this one sooner.

[DILLYbOd]

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[tranhdxrbntd]

You've deployed to some foreign nation that you've never heard off up until this war. This nation seems primitive when compared to your home and the culture seems idiotic and occasionally barbaric. Why are you here? You joined to do something good, to serve your country. Is it the right choice?

The people here think badly of you and some outright despise you. They think your practices and desires are immoral and wasteful. To them, you are a foreign devil. You're military is here to help dispense freedom but it seems like the only thing your military has dispensed are explosives and poison. Your military has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocents. You have so much negative involvement that this war is named after your nation's involvement.

You have to ask, are we the good guys?

The Vietnam War, Nov 1, 1955 – Apr 30, 1975. The US only had major involvement in the final 10 years of the war. The citizens in North Vietnam outright hate the US. Why? Could it be the massacres of innocent children and women? Could it be the use of a deadly poisonous chemical (Agent Orange) that is supposedly only to remove the vegetation (which it only worked as temporarily). Could it be the more than 7 million tons of explosives (3 times the amount the US used in WWII) dropped in an area smaller than the state of Wisconsin? Or could it be all of the other things that the US did, so much so that the war is called The American War when you're talking to someone in Vietnam.

-Vietnamese man currently serving in the US Army who's family fought on both sides of the Vietnam War.

-PS: Great story, have a fave and upvote