A War

by Comma Typer

Seasonal Transition

In the cool night and under the gleaming moon and its stars, mighty waves crashed at the rough and jagged cliffs. Their watery peals soaked the air with their perpetual collision, their white frothy tips glimmering for moments only to disappear and weave themselves back into the calmer portions of the sea.

Half a minute's trot away from these cliffs and the raging ocean was a little village lit up by both electric lights and kerosene torches. One could hear the general chitchat of the population still awake in that settlement. Some lookout towers bordered the town, guards at the top shining spotlights here and there, then tracing a slow path through the rock-replete grass surrounding that village.

The scent of grass and the open water.

On a tiny piece of land just jutting out of the cliffs was a yellow house. There was nothing fancy to it. Its walls were plain yellow, the door was a simple single door, and there were no additional floors.

It was a rather unassuming house.

Princess Cadance looked long at it, standing a bit far away from the house. She adjusted her crown a little to the left.

"Your Highness," one of her escort guards said in a surly manner, pointing to the moon, "we have to make this appointment quick. A Crystal ambush could happen any moment now."

Cadance nodded, her long pink and yellow mane swaying about. "Yes, but a pony is in dire need of help. I will do my best to be quick, Dolomite Shelter."

He exchanged gruff looks with the rest of his fellow guards who were around her.

Cadance stepped out.

She walked to the door.

The guards trotted to the four corners of the house.

Cadance sighed.

Then, reached the door.

Knocked on it.

Hoofsteps tumbling and fumbling.

Door opened.

A yellow Earth pony with straight green hair.

She gasped and covered her mouth. Took steps back at the sight of the Princess.

"Y-Your...Your Highness."

She bowed down before her, closed her eyes.

Felt a hoof on her head.

Looked up to her face.

"You don't need to do that, Pear Puree," Cadance said.

She nodded and then saluted her with a firm hoof.

Cadance looked puzzled. "OK, then...? Let's get to it."

---

In the humble kitchen-and-dining room, ceiling lights illuminated the array of pear foods on the counters: Pears, pear jam, pear chutney, pear curd, pear spread, pear marmalade, pear pie, pear cake, pear butter, and pear puree. The sweet fragrance from these drifted about the house.

Pear Puree herself watched over a pot of boiling pear puree, yellow in color as bubbles lifted to the top.

Princess Cadance stood beside her, watching the pot over, too.

"So, you both couldn't stay with your ailing father in Appleloosa?"

"It was impos'ble to be there for such a lon' time. Braeburn an' Silverstar tried to make the whole town f'rgive us, but the feud's just deep an' deep enough. Only reason why Grand Pear's kept there's because the hosp'tals 'round the area are too far away without puttin' him in jeap'rdy."

"That makes sense," Cadance said. "But, how come you ended up moving here in the Grittish Isles?"

Puree looked pensive, staring off to the side. "Spread was caught up in the town's local draft."

Cadance lowered her head. "I should've known."

"It's alright."

Leaving the mixture in the pot to bubble.

"He's assigned to the Manehattan front, right at the Matcha Passage everypony's riled up 'bout not losin'. They've got ports, castles, forts, ev'rything. I'm just afraid that, since it's so obvious it's a big base, the armies'll target them, then they'll target my love, an' then all's lost for us."

Wiped her dry eyes, grabbed a stirrer, and whisked the puree about.

"This is the closest I could afford to get. Everypony else got to the nea'er places guarded 'nough, an' even if I could get there, I wouldn't wanna risk dyin' 'cause I was too close. Wouldn't it be tragic if he'd come home only to hear news o' my bein' dead?"

"Yes," Cadance replied, her voice somber, "it would be tragic."

She took her stirrer away and put it on an empty plate nearby.

"But, you must've received some letters from him," Cadance said.

"Last le'er I got from him was a month ago, long after the big push. Wrote 'bout how he desp'rately wan'ed to write more but can't 'cause of the constant attackin' and defendin' an' fightin'. Always gotta be alert. Always strikin' at the worst o' times."

"After that, he went silent?" Cadance asked.

"Not too much," she said.

The two leaned their heads over the pot to see the puree boil and bubble.

They swayed back.

"A friend o' his at the front was able to send me notes. Never did wanna sign with his real name—just called 'imself 'The Trumpet's Flower'. Prob'ly important, 'cause what if a spy reads one o' his notes to me? That'd be bad for us."

"And, when was the last time this 'Trumpet's Flower' sent a note to you about your love?"

"Last week," she said. "Told me that Spread's not lookin' so good. Got hit by a stray cannonball, recuperatin' at the med'cal camp."

Cadance opened her mouth, a smile forming. "Did he say anything about sending Curd Spread on leave?"

She gasped again, turned around, rushed to grab a chair, and placed it right behind the Princess. "Please, your Highness, you really need to sit down after tellin' me that!"

"Uh, why?" she asked as she sat down.

She ran around the table, over to the fridge, opened it, grabbed a note from inside, and galloped to her and bowed down again.

Stood up and hoofed the letter to her.

"Here, Princess Cadance—the exact an' very note! Read it for all it's worth, an' see why you brought back the hope in my eyes!"

Cadance held it closer to her own eyes.

Read it.

Eyes widened in surprise, in comprehension.

She hoofed it back to the Pear pony.

"Not a single mention of him having to stay behind," Cadance said. She scratched her chin. "That means..."

"He might be comin' home!" Pear Puree yelled and put on her hat from the counter. "Ev'rypony's goin' to see him an' us together, and it'd be better for the both o' us, too, 'cause we'd be...together, even for a short while—I know it's all short, but I'm gettin' frantic these days without 'im. To see the love of yer' life go up and 'bout and leave 'cause it's his time to serve...an' that two or so months after the weddin'...it's heartbreaking, Princess!"

Tears forming in her eyes, welling up.

"We wer' just havin' a grand time. Thought the war'd be over soon, an' ev'rypony would go out and celebrate with parties, marches, bands, an' more celebratin' to do. We once thought of dancin' on the streets when we hear news of the end. But, that didn't come, an' he went out an'..."

Groaned.

"I'm just repeatin' myself, aren't I?"

Cadance placed a kind hoof on her shoulder. "You don't have to think about that. What I'm here for is to make sure you're alright. I don't want to see you sad, and...I'm happy I could find a way to cheer you up."

Puree's tears falling down.

A smile on her face.

No words.

Only a hug.

Cadance hugged back.

The two closed their eyes.

Cadance opened her eyes.

At the window, she saw Dolomite looking at them. He pointed at the sky and then at his raised foreleg.

The Princess sighed and let go.

---

As Cadance flew over the glimmering Celestial Sea by pegasus chariot, she could see the sea that surrounded her, no land in sight yet. Some roaming clouds were going around, but that was it for the nighttime sky.

The chariot glowed under the moonlight, four pegasi guards flapping their wings, pulling her fast through the air.

"I'm sorry to cut it short," Dolomite shouted above the whirl of the wind, "but we can't risk any more time with you out in the open. You know Crystal scouts could spot you if they fly overhead."

"And, what do you want me to do?" Cadance shot back, eyes narrowed at the offending guard. "Stay inside an ivory tower and do nothing to help my subjects?"

"We do want you to help us, but don't be too bold! If they get you, that would be a blow for all of Equestria!"

"At least I did the right thing before going down! Better I put myself on the line for them than to be selfish."

"If you die early—"

"Keep going!"

He rolled his eyes as he and his fellows kept going over the sea, in the sky.

---

The Princess looked at the clock on her table.

Three o'clock in the afternoon.

She stood in her bedroom, that lavish and luxurious bedroom with the couple's portrait on the wall.

Clock ticking alone.

She rubbed her eyes again, tired. "Is it time already?"

Floated it up to her level.

Still three o' clock.

"Hope I'm not...late."

She yawned, stretching her forehooves out and smacked her lips.

The double doors opened, showing a panting guard leaning on the wall. "Your Highness! You are required for an—"

"Appointment with Princess Celestia and Mayor Mare," she finished, giving the guard a rude look.

The guard stood. "If you don't hurry up—"

"I'll be late," she finished again.

He shook his head. "How do you—"

"Know what you're about to say?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

The stallion bowed down. "Yes, your—"

"Highness."

She giggled.

"It's experience, sir."

---

At the table on the raised platform sat Princess Cadance and Mayor Mare—who adjusted her glasses a little. On three of the four sides, there was a chair.

The third chair was vacant. Empty.

In a grand hallway lined with tall windows whose curtains were drawn, closed, with each one having a stationed guard staring straight with their stoic faces.

Mayor Mare arranged and re-arranged her papers before her. She checked the watch on her left foreleg.

Three-twenty in the afternoon.

"Princess Celestia can't possibly be this late," the mayor said, exhibiting her stress in her voice. "She's never been this late before when it came to our meetings."

"It's only been thirty seconds," Cadance said, glancing at the empty chair. "I'm sure slight changes in the weather would do that to any pegasus chariot."

"But, still, she's always been a stickler for schedule," Mayor Mare went on, holding one side of her head, "what with all of her conferences, conventions, contests..."

"It's nothing to worry about," she said. "Being late by two minutes wouldn't hurt her day so badly."

Slam!

The double doors at the near end opened.

Princess and mayor turned their heads round to see what was happening there.

"Oh, I am very sorry for my being late," Celestia said as she flapped her wings and flew to the table, her guards closing the door.

One of them berated the other through angry whispers, pointing at his fellow soldier and then at the doors.

Princess Celestia took up her empty seat.

One mayor and two Princesses at the table.

"So, I presume that we will talk about Ponyville's upcoming Running of the Leaves," Celestia began, facing her.

Mayor Mare nodded. "Why, of course! It's always been a local tradition and having it this year would certainly knit us closer together as a community during this burdensome time of war."

Celestia nodded back.

Mayor Mare opened her mouth, perplexed. "If you agree, Princess, then why did you call for a meeting?"

Cadance gave Celestia a strange look.

Celestia looked at the both of them—first Cadance and then at Mayor Mare.

"There is nothing wrong with the celebration itself," Celestia said. "It's the Ponyville way of transitioning from fall to winter, and I don't want to meddle in that."

The mayor gulped.

"However..."

"I knew it," she muttered.

Cadance turned her head toward the mayor.

Silence.

Guards staring straight at their posts by the windows.

Mayor Mare and Cadance looked at Celestia, her mane still flowing about.

"We've received multiple reports of increased Crystal attacks and invasions on towns all over Equestria and not just near the front," Celestia said. "I immediately realized why the Empire is advancing with this plan at this time: Everypony is transitioning from fall to winter, too. Sombra knows that these activities would distract much of the population away from being on guard against threats, so he is ramping up his offensives as of late. Already, we've suffered many losses because of some soldiers stopping to continue on a tradition in the only way they knew how, even if that meant making themselves vulnerable."

The mayor shoved her papers to the side, adjusting her glasses with speed. "Then, does that mean I must cancel the Running of the Leaves?"

Celestia shook her head.

The mayor sighed, relieved. "But, what do you propose?"

Silence for a few more seconds.

Celestia looked at Cadance and at Mayor Mare.

"The Running of the Leaves may continue, but in a different manner. To be specific, it must be carried out covertly."

Mayor Mare tilted her head a little. "What do you mean by that, Princess?"

"Spread the word around quickly and discreetly as early as you can. Tell them that everypony in Ponyville will not celebrate at the same time. There will be small groups of ponies, two to five, who will go to a patch of forest or a copse somewhere; one spot and one day for each team. Conduct a small race there until the leaves are gone. After that, repeat the process for a month, going through all of Ponyville's pospulation; the town would slowly enter winter this way."

The mayor wrote several sentences on her paper, holding a quill and then gently placing it in an inkwell. "That is fair and all, Princess, but—if I may—why is Princess Cadance here?"

Celestia nodded towards Cadance. "You remember that she had already planned to attend, but she will now have the added responsibility of coordinating with you and the rest of Ponyville before the actual event. She will not be present throughout, but she will be there at the first race, the last race, and at least three races in between."

Cadance smiled at the mayor. "You have my word for it."

The mayor scratched her head and adjusted her glasses for the third time, her hooves shakier than before. "If that must be so, then so be it. It is to ensure the safety and security of the populace, after all."

Celestia smiled, too. "We are glad that you share that sentiment with us."

A frown flashed on Cadance's face.

---

As the pegasus chariot flew over quiet plains and fields, holding both Princess Cadance and Mayor Mare, it passed by a flying figure scurrying the other way.

Gabby, wearing her mailbag, flew on.

"Come on, Gilda!" she yelled, wind rushing by her face.

Whizzing over Canterlot.

Farther, farther over a ground so far away.

"Don't be so dumb, Gilda!"

Kept flying.