Tales of War

by Swift As Lightning

Falling for mares

Chapter 1

Take a trip with me. A trip back. Back before the peace loving Equestria we all know and love ever existed. In this world the bigger hoof gave you the right of way and a claw made you the eternal enemy of all pony kind. Before even the dragons migrated to the Equestrian crags. Before Harmony, before Chaos, before Friendship. There was war.

“Alright ponies let’s move!” commanded Captain Nightingale as he shook snow from his wings. At his word a small group pegasi lifted off from an abandoned building scattering flecks of snow off the edge. The roof of an abandoned bakery had been their perch for the last five hours. “Stay in formation!” barked Nightingale, as one of his two rookies did an impromptu barrel roll in his excitement. His myrtle cheeks reddening a bit and looking anywhere but the captain’s angry face the rookie returned to his position. He couldn’t really blame him for his enthusiasm, returning to the camp was almost like going back home for the soldiers of Luna’s army.

“He’s rather green. Heyo!” said Stormwind laughing; he was Nightingale’s second in command, rather big for a pegasus but the size did not come without speed. He was the fastest flier in the whole group. Nightingale facehoofed mid flight. Stormwind’s puns were fine every once in awhile, but when they came every other minute after five hours it was just annoying.

“Those puns will get you killed one day,” said Nightingale turning to Stormwind.

“Pfft, a joke never hurt anypony,” said Stormwind with a dismissive flick of his hoof. Nightingale rolled his eyes and pointed his head forward again.

He was proud of his squad despite all their flaws out of the action; once it came time to fight they were a well-oiled fighting machine. Sure they were just the scouting party but scouts see more action than you might think.

From his original squad only three remained. Himself the captain, he was slim and had dark blue fur that appeared somewhat purple at the right angle, his mane was short just like everypony else who was serving in the military, it was colored burgundy with a golden stripe through its center. There was Stormwind second in command as mentioned before, was rather large for his species. His fur was grey, and had a white mane. And last but not lea- “Can you not fly in a straight line ya git!” Nightingale’s thought were interrupted by a white and red pony yelling at the other rookie with a green mane. Yup Royal Flush. White with red stripes all over him with a mane containing a red only slightly darker than his stripes. He was an average pegasus in body build, but in mind he was something else entirely. He was clever but eccentric. Due to his eccentricities strange rumors circulated about him. Some ponies said he was part zebra, others said he was insane and painted himself with stripes, the craziest Nightingale had ever heard was that he had come from some blue planet full of hairless apes and was in fact a hairless ape himself. All Nightingale knew after being with him for almost two years now the stripes were not paint, and he was a ferocious fighter.

Trying to refocus on returning to camp Nightingale turned back to his squad, “Try and keep it together back there! At least until we get back to camp!” he shouted. There was an altogether, “Yes Sir!”

The green maned rookie tried to salute mid flight causing him to almost bump Royal Flush again. Well-oiled indeed.

“Are we there yet?” asked Royal Flush in a mock whining voice.

“Oh yes Royal Flush we’ve been here for almost an hour now.” Said Nightingale in a sarcastic drawl.

“But this doesn’t look like camp!” whined Royal Flush again.

“Just look around you it’s obviously camp!” exclaimed Stormwind joining the conversation.

“Where’s my- oof!”

“What was that Royal?” asked Nightingale turning around, but Royal Flush was not there. He was instead plummeting toward the ground at a frightening rate with a purple attachment. Seeing his squad mate in danger Nightingale pinned his wings to his side faced downward and fell as fast as he could make himself to try and catch up with his falling comrade. He fell faster and faster. They were a mere five hundred meters from the ground.
Four hundred he stretched out a hoof.
Three hundred he was almost there.
Two hundred just a little farther.
One hundr- BOING!
Suddenly Nightingale was surrounded by a lavender bubble causing himself and Royal Flush to bounce off the ground and back into the sky. They rocketed all the way back up to where the rest of the squad was flapping there dumbfounded wings. “By the princess’ tiara never thought I’d see that.” Said Stormwind slack jawed.

Royal Flush who had become conscious again on the way up coughed a bit, “the princess doesn’t wear a tiara.” Stormwind promptly cuffed Royal Flush on the back of the head.

“Settle down you two, we seem to have a guest,” said Nightingale pointing to Royal Flush’s attachment which turned out to be a unicorn mare up close.

“I knew you were a mare magnet Royal, but I didn’t know you were THAT good!” exclaimed Stormwind laughing.

“It’s a curse I know,” said Royal Flush hanging his head and sighing in mock disappointment.

“Uhhh, what happened? Oww, my head,” groaned the mare still on Royal’s back. She put her hooves on her head as though she was hung over.

“Well, to put it short you interrupted my afternoon flight,” said Royal Flush.

“Afternoon flight?” questioned Twilight opening her eyes and looking down. “Buh wha!?” after a bit of scrambling she found a way to get all four legs wrapped around Royal Flush like bubble wrap around a glass ball. “Who-what-princess-library-book-spell!” rambled Twilight.

“Whatever you say lady.” said Royal Flush.

Stormwind flapped closer to Royal and whispered “Did you really understand any of that?”

“She want’s to see Princess Luna.” said Royal as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Nightingale looked to the strange mare. She was shivering. Oh, right. Winter did that to a pony with no clothes. “Let’s get her into to shelter then we can sort this out.” he commanded.

Comments

[Pilate]

You'd think Luna would, ya know, warn a pony before sending them several thousand years back in-time/into a journal/into a hyper-realistic dream state. By the by, who is supposed to be speaking in the first paragraph? Luna? The Narrator? Luna the Narrator? I can't decide if it should be in quotes, italics or otherwise, I feel like you can do something stylistically to signify the time jump.

Good concept, though, carry on!

[Swift As Lightning]

1239452 It's supposed to be the narrator and your right it should be in italics I'll fix that now