A War

by Comma Typer

To Fog a Mirror

Morning in Canterlot. Up in the blue sky, the sun shining down on roads and cars traveling about.

By the river and near the bridge where a few outlying houses resided, several people were spending their time on the grass. Benches were occupied by those who talked about the fine weather, baskets sat upon red-white picnic mats where others relaxed and ate, and kites were flown by kite enthusiasts, decorating the sky with their colors and their shapes.

Over there, hanging out by the one and only table in the grassy vicinity, were five students without their books but with their cue cards, playing a silly game of charades. Right now, a pink woman with curly hair was wiggling her fingers while slowly raising them up—also making long shushing sounds.

"It's a bunch o' balloons!" Applejack yelled, confident and holding on to her hat, budging her rainbow-haired classmate beside her. "It's gotta be!"

Rainbow Dash, that classmate, crossed her arms. "Nah! You have to be crazier than that to beat Pinkie's charades."

"Why isn't she using the cards I provided?" complained Rarity in an exaggerated accent, the one with the curly purple hair. She lifted a hand to her forehead, as if about to faint. "Are they too easy?!"

Fluttershy, her long hair adorned with a butterfly-shaped hairpin, scratched her head, perplexed by Pinkie repeating the wiggling motion and the shushing sounds. "Is it a flock of birds?"

"I have it!" Rainbow yelled, raising her hand and showing off her rainbow wristbands. "It's cannons exploding confetti sailing in the air!"

Pinkie shook her head, wagging a finger at the incorrect guess. "Nope! Rarity, you're the tiebreaker!"

Rarity rolled her eyes. "This is the first round of charades. There's no one to tie with!"

Pinkie gasped. "Then, what did I bring this tie for?!"

Cue Pinkie Pie bringing out a silly tie.

Everyone at the table laughed.

Sitting on a faraway bench, at a place where they could see all of this activity without being watched, was Sunset Shimmer and Celestia.

Sunset scratched her chin with her hand, looking at the principal beside her. "What did you come here for?"

Celestia bowed her head. "I might not see you again."

Sunset scampered to the end of the bench, holding on to the armrest. "Why? Princess—ahem, Principal Celestia, why leave me now? I mean, I have friends here, but they're not the kind you would call 'best friends'! Besides, what if Equestrian magic spills in here after you're gone? I still haven't confronted the sirens—"

Celestia placed a hand on her shoulder.

Sunset looked up, looked at her face.

"I said 'might'," Celestia reassured. "That is because I am expecting something back at home."

Sunset brought a hand to her mouth. "N-No...it can't be!"

Celestia nodded. "Yes, it can be and it will be. I've received a report of a Crystal army moving in to invade our Canterlot. They will be coming..."

She turned her head up, seeing the vast sky.

And its sun.

"...any moment now."

Sunset grabbed Celestia by the shoulder, tugging her yellow suit. "Then, why are you here? Shouldn't you be back in Equestria, making sure everyone there's safe?"

Celestia scanned the little makeshift park before her, then looked at Sunset. "I'm here to give you what might be my last farewell to you."

Sunset almost stood up. "I know why! It's the mirror!"

Celestia nodded. "They will try to wipe out any magical advantage we have against them, and that includes magical items, weapons, artifacts, and...the very mirror connecting these two worlds."

Sunset completely stood up, her two shoed feet on the grass. "We have to get to the statue back at school right now! They're having a little fair or something there in fifteen minutes and we—"

Celestia grabbed her by the arm.

Stood up.

Looked at her.

Motioned a hand towards the little grass field and the river beside it.

Towards the flying kites, the picnic mats, the swelling life in it—talks and laughs, a game of charades never ending but in laughter and a group hug between those five students.

Those five friends.

Quiet river.

"Peace," Celestia uttered. "In this world, there is peace. No fighting, only petty quarrels here and there. No one dying, no one killing."

A heavy sigh.

Sunset wrapped an arm around her.

Celestia kept looking. "In this world, there is no war. Everyone can live free...as free as they want. They could stop and enjoy the small delights this city has to offer. The youth here have a future to hold on to, to look forward to, and it is any future they want."

She observed those five students continuing their charades, this time with Applejack as the actor and Pinkie joining the team of guessers.

"You're...you're Applejack!" Pinkie yelled, pointing at her.

Applejack her own face with her hat, and groaned.

Everyone else laughed again.

Saw some of them stand up from their benches and mats, getting up to leave.

Celestia watched it all. "Friendships like these...in this world, a weapon won't suddenly tear them apart, breaking people's hearts left and right. Here, they will live as long as they shall live, never robbed of their best friends."

Silence.

"I should know. I know too much."

Concealed her nose with a hand.

Turned her head away from them.

Sunset held on to her. "Come on. Let me lead you back to the mirror."

Celestia nodded, not saying a word.

She sniffed.

Princess and student left the grass and stepped on to the sidewalk.

---

"We brisk walked all the way!" Sunset said as they crossed the road, looking at Celestia as they hurried side-by-side. "We might just be able to beat preparations for the fair and—"

She looked in front of her.

"No!"

Before her, in front of the school's entrance, was the fair.

Striped huts, colorful stalls showing off their diverse wares. A flower stand had its vendor offering Vice-Principal Luna a bouquet of lavender flowers which she had taken a liking to; an ice cream man scooped out the delectable treat to everyone who passed him by, donning a happy attitude and a top hat taller than a few ice cream cones stacked on top of each other; and, by the entrance stairway, the popcorn stop sold popcorn in flavors of cheese, barbecue, mushroom, and chili, attracting the attention of the more high-strung students looking for a challenge in the form of chugging down a large sized bucket of chili popcorn without drinking water.

It should be noted that whoever was taking the challenge right now was being filmed via his friends' smartphones, having just pushed past half of the popcorn. Beside him, another friend teased the fiery contestant by inching a water bottle into view.

Celestia saw the fair and took a step back.

"How are we going to get you back in time without making any trouble?" Sunset asked.

Celestia scanned the fair.

Smiled.

"Let someone else make trouble, Sunset."

Sunset did a double take, looking at her teacher with shock, irises shrunk. "What?! I might be called by Luna and face detention or, worse, I could be expelled!"

Celestia chuckled, shaking her head. "I wasn't talking about you. I was talking about them."

Turned her head a little to the left.

Sunset followed her gaze.

Beside a set up furniture store finished up with a few chairs on the grass complete with price tags—beside it, three women in gaudy costumes were inspecting the goods.

Sunset took a step back, too. "The sirens! You want me to—"

"Talk to them," Celestia said, bringing up a phone and turning on her call app. "I'll handle the rest."

Sunset walked a little forward, then turned back to see Celestia.

Raising the phone to her ear.

"Are you calling the cops?" Sunset asked, unsure.

Celestia nodded. "Now, go. You don't have much time."

Sunset gulped and walked on.

---

Sunset Shimmer blended in with the crowd at the little school fair. She brushed past several of her classmates and schoolmates whose reactions varied from handwaves to just moving along. Traces of food from here and there wafted about, giving her a savory yet sweet smell of whatever was being cooked and served at the moment.

Behind her, the marble statue of a rearing horse.

Walked forward, closer to the three women.

"Who says we need chairs for the big concert?" she heard the yellow one speak, the one with bushy hair. "We've never sat down when we sang."

"Doesn't singing in the bus count?" the blue one asked, wearing a long ponytail over her striped hair.

"She means real singing, Sonata," replied the last woman who was violet, dressed up with a damaged vest over her shirt—gave her an evil look.

"So, we weren't really singing just a while ago, Aria?" Sonata asked. "It was fake singing?" She tapped her yellow friend on the shoulder. "Uh, Adagio? We were actually, really, genuinely singing back in the bus, right?"

Adagio pulled the ends of her own hair. "Argh! Does it matter?!"

Sonata backed away. "Oh, uh...probably? You said that we should practice all the time so that we'll be in top form when we, you know, unleash everything on the unwitting audience in this world and—"

"Shush!"

And Adagio covered her friend's mouth.

"You're about to blow our cover!" she whispered to Sonata's ear, fuming with rage—breathing slowly.

Adagio then noticed Sunset watching them a few feet away.

She shoved Sonata away, giving Sunset a mean glare. "What do you want, Sunset? Back with snooping on random people?"

Sunset crossed her arms and gave them a smirk. "Well, I was just wondering why you wanted to buy some furniture."

Adagio followed and crossed her arms as well. "And, why do you think you should step into our business? The furniture looks interesting, that's all. What next? You're going to say we plan to steal some gold trophies from your school because we bought a ream of paper?"

Sunset giggled. "Not exactly—"

Screams.

The four of them spun their heads towards the scene.

By the base of the statue, two armored people with glowing green eyes and black helmets stumbled around, dropping their bows and arrows.

"What are they?!" someone cried out.

"They came out of the statue!" another shouted.

"What's going on?!"

Sunset held on to her hair, lips trembling. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no! This can't be...this can't be happening!"

Students, teachers, vendors—scrambling, shouting, running for cover, fleeing from those mysterious two trotting around on all fours like a horse, looking around them.

Sunset hiding behind the furniture stall.

The three "sirens" also beside her, with Sonata hugging Aria in fear.

"Hey, get out!" Aria shouted, driving her away.

Sunset leaned her head to see.

A crowd watching those two helpless armored people lumber around on the concrete then fall.

A few even laughed at the spectacle only to be silenced by scowls from their peers.

Tapped on the shoulder.

Sunset looked behind her.

Celestia, worried, glancing at the statue then back at Sunset. "Stay here! Do not follow me!"

Sunset flinched. "What are you going to do?!"

Celestia noticed the other three women watching her.

Faced Sunset with a firm lip.

And tender eyes.

"Be friends with them, OK?! Make sure the five ones you saw at the table stay friends, too! The Friendship Games are coming up—let them be friends with Twilight Sparkle, too!"

"Friends with her?" Adagio asked, surprised and pointing at Sunset.

Celestia tramped her way to Adagio and placed a finger on her head. "Listen! Who you just saw are dangerous people, and only I and my sister know how to take them out! It's for your good that you befriend Sunset!"

The Princess turned away, stomping past Sunset and Adagio with her friends.

Ran out to the statue.

Saw the trotting people with their black helmets and glowing eyes.

Grabbed them by the shoulder.

Knocked their heads against each other.

Knocked out.

Dropped them to the ground.

Looked around at the crowd.

Most of them standing up, treading back to the scene.

Some re-watched what had just happened on their phones. Others whispered to each other their fears, their anxieties. Still others speculated, theorized about who they were.

Celestia noticed Vice-Principal Luna running up to her, from the grass to the pavement. "Sister, are you sure they are unconscious?"

She nodded.

Luna turned round to the rest of the group, searching each student out from afar. "Everyone, line up properly and follow me into the school for an emergency meeting! We have to make sure no one is missing! Close all windows and doors as you pass by them!"

So, everyone lined up at the foot of the stairs, with Luna by the doors.

No murmurs, no whispers. Only silent obedience.

Celestia looked at the sky, towards the sun.

"Luna, please hurry!" she whispered.

Seconds passed.

Stragglers getting in line.

"OK, everyone!" Luna shouted, raising a hand to herself. "Follow me! Do not lose the persons in front of and behind you!"

Everyone went up the stairs and followed Luna down the hallways of the school, pelting the air with their footsteps.

Most disappeared inside.

Last of them, Sunset Shimmer.

Looking back at Celestia.

Staying behind by the door.

Sunset managed a smile. "See ya', Celestia."

The Princess smiled back, standing by the statue.

"Sunset Shimmer!" she heard Luna yell. "Get back here!"

Sunset then ran off, but not without one final look.

Celestia sighed.

Saw the two unconscious Crystal soldiers lying on the ground.

Picked them up.

Celestia looked behind her.

Right by her, the base of the statue.

"Goodbye, Sunset," Celestia murmured.

She turned around to face the marble wall.

Threw the two bodies at the wall.

They phased through it and disappeared.

Not a word.

Heard the sirens.

Blaring police sirens incoming.

Took one more look of the place.

Across the street were samey houses with trimmed lawns and calm front yards. The trees and the bushes had not a single fallen leaf, though they were yellowing. The vendor stalls, unharmed though left alone, had that vibrant hue, a sense of a time before.

Of smiles.

She looked up.

A blue sky. Some clouds fluttered about.

The sun shining.

"Goodbye, peaceful world."

Celestia placed a hand into the wall.

Closed her eyes.

Walked through it.

Gone.