Chapter 35; Invitation to dinner and a discussion of faith
As James walked out of the courtroom, he felt relief spread like wildfire though his body. Now he could go back to doing what he was here to do, which was beat back the invading armies. And this time, he had the numbers and equipment to force the weakened enemy back, and make them stay back. With more troops and artillery than he had yet had the honor of commanding, it would only be a matter of time before the enemy was driven out of Equestria. While he did respect the enemy's capabilities, he didn't fear them as he had earlier in the war. And this time for sure, he knew they could expect no real reinforcements, unless they forced the elderly and the hospitalized into their ranks. He sincerely prayed the Griffon commanders weren't that depraved.
The Changelings weren't much of a much either; they had been chased everywhere, given no time to build a nest or breeding chamber of any sort. Without the love they needed, their power would remain weak. Not that that meant they didn't need stomping on. He didn't intend to give them a ghost of a chance for recovery.
He felt the sun on his face all of a sudden, which distracted him from his thoughts. At the same time, he noticed six ponies in front of him... all of whom were easily recognizable.
Before he could say anything, he heard a voice call out from behind him, "Twily!" and he had to jump to the side to keep from being run over by Shining Armor as he ran to embrace his sister.
It was heartwarming to see them reunited, he reflected as he got up and dusted himself off. The other five Bearers made room for the siblings as they talked, then started walking over to James.
"Well, howdy James," Applejack greeted him, "how ya doin?"
"Fairly well, thanks, Applejack," he answered.
Before he could say anything else, Rarity gasped. "Oh darling!" she cried, "what happened to your uniform? It's all torn up! And there's dirt everywhere!"
Where did you think I was going, to the mall? James didn't have time to say it out loud. Pinkie jumped up on him, putting her hooves on his shoulders and knocking him over onto his back. "Omigoshweweresoworried!Youdidn'twriteformonthsandmonthsandmonthsandIhopedyou'dbealrightandyouare! Yay!"
James had to take a minute to digest all that. He noticed the others shaking their heads in polite amusement.
"Y'all gotta excuse Pinkie Pie," Applejack said as Pinkie got off him and he got up. "She get's a mite excited when she sees a friends that she ain't seen for awhile."
"I'll be fine. And what about all of you?"
"We're all okay," Twilight said, finally turning her attention to James. "So far, neither the Changelings nor the Griffons have gotten as far as Ponyville, thanks to you and the rest of the army." Her face turned serious. "We were there during the trial. To think that creep tried to throw you, both of you, out of the army just to boost himself is.. is..."
"Outrageous." Rarity's voice was virtually a growl. "That beast is a blight upon our country and on the world. He is the most self-centered, greedy, uncultured brute it has ever been my misfortune to meet. And to do this, after all you and the rest of the army have done is... inexcusable!"
"Well, I'm still here, in command, while he... isn't," James remarked, "and he's going to be spending the next few years toiling and laboring for a change, instead of scamming and cheating others."
"So those rumors were true?" Twilight asked.
"We weren't able to prove them all, but I'd say most of them are, considering the tactics he was using."
"It was nice to see him get what he deserves." Rarity looked him squarely in the face. "That whole religious part almost wrecked your chances, though. Did you have to be so outspoken?"
James had known this would be coming. "Yes," he said. "They asked for the truth, and the truth I gave them."
"Do you mean your responses to their questions, or were you stating that your beliefs were the truth?"
There was a short period of silence. James didn't say anything, but that in itself gave the answer away.
"Well, ah fer one think y'all are lucky ta get outta through all that," Applejack said, breaking the silence. "Them lawyers wouldn't know the meanin' o' justice if it bit 'em in the leg, 'cept the one that helped ya."
"Yes," Rarity agreed, "The prosecutor was obnoxious, to say the least, and the judge..."
"It's good to know this whole stupid trial is over and done with," Twilight broke in. "We've all been invited to the palace for dinner; I got the letter from Spike just before the session began today."
There was widespread rejoicing from the ponies upon hearing this news. James simply turned to the east, back in the direction of the fighting. He wanted to go back soon, to finish what he'd started.
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James waited at the door with the Mane Six, Shining Armor, and Princess Cadence; none of them was fancily dressed, with the exception of Shining Armor, who was wearing his red army coat, as this wasn't an official party or get-together. The eight ponies were busily chatting. Some of it was gossip about things he didn't care about. A little of it was about the war, but mostly he ignored it, his mind on the conflict and how to end it quickly.
At last the Princesses arrived. "Good evening, everyp... sorry, I mean everyone," Princess Luna said in greeting to the them all.
"Good evening, your majesties," Twilight responded, bowing. Her friends, brother, and sister in law did the same. James didn't, though he gave them both a respectful nod.
The ponies prepared to enter, as did James, but Celestia said, "James, not you, not yet. I have something to discuss with you first."
Conscious of the looks coming his way, the human gave a mental sigh, and a small worry began to creep into his mind. He tried to squash it as he said, "Alright."
The others went in, and Celestia used her magic to shut the door. Then she turned to James. "I have something to tell you that may upset you, James."
"What is it?" The fear came rushing back, though he managed to keep it from showing, at least on his face. "Are you cashiering me, after everything that happened in the trial?"
"No, I wouldn't do that."
"Then what is it? Are there political developments, or...?"
"No, nothing like that." She looked directly into his face. "I've noticed you seem tense lately, and you avoid contact with others."
"I have my reasons..."
"And I know about your quarrel with Shining Armor."
"..."
"I know why you quarreled, but division is not acceptable given the circumstances. It could have been fatal in this instance."
"Hey, I was just taking the logical route."
"I understand that; however, that fight could have been fatal. Not to mention the obvious frustration you displayed in the courtroom. You could have lost the case if you had gone too far."
"So? I have a war to fight. You hired me to fight it, to advise you in the military art."
"I did, but my generals cannot command if their minds are as strained as yours is now."
James didn't answer for a moment. "What are you saying? Are reassigning me to the Changeling front?"
"No. I am telling you that you are going on leave for a week."
That hit him like a sack of potatoes in the face. "Did I hear you right?"
"Yes. And it's not just you. Shining Armor and other officers are to go on leave as well."
"But what about the leadership for the army?"
"We have enough to lead our forces if there are any major engagements. I doubt that there will be any, considering how badly our forces have hurt the enemy troops."
"Depending on the enemy to do nothing is a set-up for disaster," James countered, folding his arms.
"That would be correct if we didn't have an efficient network of scouts detailing everything the Griffons are doing," Celestia said calmly. "And the Changelings are constantly being forced to move, and the soldiers fulfilling that job have not needed you or Shining to do this."
"Then..."
"Most of our new units will be moving up on the front in the east, which will build our army there up to about a hundred thousand strong, with the rest going to fight the Changelings. We will need time to build up a suitable logistics system for such a large military, and we'll need time to build up ammunition for them to use. During the coming week, I will see that any deficiencies are dealt with. You will go on leave during that time. And there's no evasion, no way for you or Shining Armor to get out of this."
"I must protest this course of action," James said quickly.
"Your protest is noted. I must overrule it."
James felt frustration build up inside of him. Celestia had summoned him to fight a war, and Equestria was currently in position to win it. The Griffons weren't getting any stronger, nor were the Changelings, and that was unlikely to change. "Every minute they spend on Equestrian soil is another minute they have to tyrannize those in Trottingham and other settlements," he said at last.
For once in the conversation, he hit a mark. Celestia's face recoiled, and her ears twitched. Nonetheless, her voice was as solid as ever. "And the Griffons have taken the entrenchments we built there. If we move without proper preparation, we could hurt the citizens there more than help. I doubt the town could withstand another siege, even if we did eventually force a surrender. How many ponies would starve to death in that situation? And how many soldiers would die if you or other officers made a bad decision? I know you are in need of a rest from constant command."
"How many will die from prolonging the war?"
"You and I both know that I despise this conflict under general morals. However, if we are not properly prepared, we may trip and fall. I intend to have you hit the Griffons when we are certain on a quick victory, when the conditions are right. And you will have that chance, I promise you."
James felt like arguing further. The look in the Princess' eyes made him realize that that would be a waste of time. "...Fine," he said, almost growling the word.
"I understand your concerns." Celestia's face softened. "I know you fear for the lives of your soldiers, and for this country. And I know you've made friends that you care for." She put a hoof on his right shoulder. "I promise you'll have all the rope you need when your week is over."
James sighed.
"Now, let's eat. I, for one, am starving." Celestia used her magic to open the door. When James waited for her to enter, she said, "Guests first."
"Thank you," he said quietly, and passed through the doors.
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James sat down in one of the chairs surrounding the table. The others had taken seats before he and Celestia had come in. Already various butlers and servants were bringing in the food on silver platters. They set the platters on the table, bowed politely, and left quietly.
He got what he wanted (which consisted of some mashed potatoes, some bread, some butter to go with it, and a glass of milk) and sat back down. The others did the same, and began eating.
Naturally, discussions began almost immediately. Mostly it featured recent fashions and events in Ponyville and other non-sequiturs (at least such as they were to him). He paid little attention to it and kept eating.
Perhaps inevitably, the topic turned to the war. It was something he preferred not to talk about. For all he knew, a clever Changeling spy might have unknowingly breached the castle grounds and was listening to them all now. The real reason, of course, was the weight of responsibility, the fact that thousands died because he sent them into combat. He'd made mistakes, he knew that. And every night he feared falling asleep because of the nightmares just waiting for him to do so.
All of that was unknown to those sitting at the table, except perhaps Shining Armor, who was distracted from any similar feelings by the presence of his wife and sister.
He felt something hard shove his shoulder.
"Huh?" He turned to see Rarity's hoof on his shoulder. She was sitting a couple seats to his left, so she could do this quite easily. He looked up at her face.
"Darling, Rainbow Dash just asked you a question," the fashionista informed him.
James could feel the eyes of everyone else present upon him. "Oh? What did you say?" he asked the blue pegasus.
"I said, 'how's the war going?'"
"Sure, as if it's a damn ball game," he grumbled under his breath. He was sure they all heard it regardless; he'd hoped they would. "The war looks as though we'll win in the end," he began. "Still some refitting and reorganizing to do before we re-engage, but we have more soldiers than the enemy do, and better, in my opinion. We'll have plenty of supplies and ammunition to throw around when we start the next campaign, which will be later this spring."
"Why did you lose Trottingham?" Rainbow asked.
"Rainbow!" Twilight admonished.
He felt his mouth quaver, but this time he took control of his anger. "We lost because they had more troops than we did, we were surrounded, and on top of all that we had to feed hundreds of thousand of civilian ponies in the city. We just didn't have enough food or water, never mind the fact that the Griffons had their Diamond dogs dig under the city and cut off the water to the wells. Try fighting when your stomach is half empty, you're thirsty, and to top it off you have spears and swords coming in from all directions, not to mention bullets and crossbow quarrels zipping by every which way."
The reaction to his commentary was unsurprising. Rainbow's face turned red, and she tried to look as if she hadn't asked him anything. Fluttershy looked horrified, while Pinkie's hair and face deflated. Applejack and Twilight looked on with sadness and sympathy in their eyes. Rarity gasped and put a hoof to her mouth in unpleasant surprise, muttering, "Oh dear." The Royal sisters shared a glance, but neither of them said a word. Cadence looked more than a little unwell, which was understandable, considering her special power was love. Shining Armor, though, nodded in full agreement.
"Sorry," Rainbow apologized, "didn't know it was such a sensitive topic."
"Sensitive?" James shook his head. "You don't realize how much of an understatement that is. I do thank you for the apology though, it was well meant." He stuck his fork into his potatoes and took another bite.
Nothing was said for a few minutes. James was able to eat in relative peace. The others ate as well, some of them stuffing a little more than was necessary into their mouths, as though the amount of food eaten and the flavor would erase the image he had put into their heads.
Then the doors to the dining hall opened once more.
James turned to see who it was. There, in the doorway, looking terribly disheveled and devastated, stood Prince Blueblood.
Again, James felt a mixture of conflicting emotions. One the one hand, he was still furious over what the Prince had done, not only to him but to others, and he despised the unbridled narcissism that simply came off him in waves. The more merciful side, and, he supposed, his Christian side, were, in contrast, full of pity rather than disgust, and he again wondered who and what the Prince might have been if he had chosen the right path.
He chose the wrong side. He got what he deserved.
Who am I to judge, though? Haven't we all suffered enough, without inflicting more?
He blackmailed ponies and tried to have you fired. Let him squirm.
It's not right, to want someone to suffer.
While he wrestled with his feelings, the Prince walked over to the table and sat in the chair between James and Rarity. The human could see that since the decision at the trial, he had been in absolute shock; his mane was a mess, his tail was unkempt, and his coat was ragged, as though he'd stopped caring for it.
"Ah, Prince Blueblood," Celestia said, without any of the venom apparent in her voice, "nice of you to drop in."
"Thank you, Auntie." Blueblood's voice shook, and his eyes stared at nothing.
James again felt his emotions begin to war within him. He glanced quickly at Celestia, whose only acknowledgement was a slight shake of the head. He nodded slightly. There would be no going back for the Prince in his punishment. He could take no morally right course that would change that.
Rarity acted as if the Prince didn't exist - no, she acted like he was the most filthy, disgusting thing she had ever laid eyes on, turning up her nose and looking away. "Twilight, how was your trip to the Canterlot library?"
"Pretty informative, but sadly I can't take any out, considering we're all going back to Ponyville tomorrow."
James ate a little more of what was on his plate.
The Prince turned toward him. "General, perhaps we could discuss our.. differences for the good of all. We're both sensible creatures, aren't we?"
James again glanced toward Celestia, who again shook her head slightly. "I'm afraid that if you're trying to go for sympathy, private, you're far too late."
Blueblood shivered, the memory of his public demotion all too vivid in his mind. "I know we have quarreled in the past, but..."
"If your aunt makes the laws around here, and as far as I'm aware she does, even you had any support from me, I could do nothing. As it is, I'm inclined to do nothing. Please do not ask me again."
The Prince recoiled. He then turned to Shining Armor. "Perhaps we..."
Shining merely shook his head and kept eating.
Blueblood looked desperate. He turned to Rarity. "Lady Rarity, I implore you, help me and I swear I'll make it up to you."
She turned to him. "Anything?"
"Anything. Merely ask for it, and it shall be yours."
Rarity was silent for several moments. "I suppose you'll tell me how you could ever make up for your un-chivalrous and most self-serving behavior at the Grand Galloping Gala," she said at last, using her magic to bring a slice of bread to her mouth, which she took a careful bite out of.
"I..."
"And how you can make up for trying to ruin two commanders better than yourself to make yourself rise higher in the world?"
"Well, I..."
"And how you'll instantly raise from the dead every soldier who died because you were an incompetent buffoon and a coward?"
"Uh..."
"Not to mention how many ponies careers you've ruined and corrupted in your personal bids for power?"
"Uh... I can give you anything! All the money and gems in the world!"
Rarity looked him full in the face for a moment.
Then she slapped him in the face with a hoof. The sound of pure, hard, unfeeling keratin meeting skin and bone resounded across the hall.
"I cannot believe," Rarity began, her voice dropping dreadfully low, "that you would have the gall to ask me for help."
"But..."
"All the money and gems in the world will never erase the shattering of my dreams for that night," she went on, ignoring his interruption entirely. "It was supposed to be our greatest night ever, the night all our dreams came true... the night I was to meet my Prince Charming."
"But," she continued, her voice filling with rage even though it remained terribly low yet audible for all to hear, "I had all my illusions broken like a piece of jade, one by one. I would rather die than take as much as one gem, one emerald, one bit from you."
The Prince appeared even more shocked than before, the reality that he was totally alone truly hitting him for the first time. He was quiet for the next few seconds.
Then, recovering some of his senses, he said, "Perhaps if you came to my private quarters tonight, I could..."
That did it. James began kicking the hell out of him, hard, with his left shoe. And he wasn't the only one; Rarity had joined in, her right hind hoof slamming repeatedly into the Prince's hindquarters and leg. James felt his foot connect between the Prince's legs, and Blueblood's face collapsed in pain. So did his body; the Prince fell out of the chair onto his side, groaning in pain as he reached for himself.
"Enough!" Celestia shouted. "I know he was being foolish," she said, looking from James to Rarity, "but I will not sanction violence against my nephew, even in light of what he has done."
"Sorry, Princess," James managed to get out, trying very hard to hide the amused grin that was threatening to engulf his face. Turning to the Prince, he said, "That was for Rarity." He spat on the ground. "And that was for my men."
Dinner passed on in silence.
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James got his stuff well organized as he prepared to go to bed. The moonlight streaming through the windows illuminated sections of the room, leaving much of the rest in shadow as he packed.
Perhaps I'll read for a while until I get tired, he thought, reaching into his bag to take out Guns of the South; even though he was a hardcore Unionist, the book was okay, and it gave him an insight on how they did things back in Civil War days. Say what you could about him, Harry Turtledove didn't skimp out on facts.
As usual nowadays, the book made him uneasy. Wish I knew how to build an AK-47, came the thought very quickly. For that matter, I wish I knew how to make machines guns, tanks, and aircraft on the scale of World War 2 vintage, at least.
Look, I don't know how the tech works, I just use it, came the counter argument.
Not a satisfactory answer. I could help four times better than I am if I could help the Equestrians build this kind of stuff.
You have a design in your pocket right now, don't you?
"Yeah, that's true, he said aloud, reaching in and taking out a piece of paper. He didn't know if what he had in mind would be any good, but...
He placed it in a tight little side pocket on his bag and zipped up the pocket. He was going to see if what he did have to offer would be any good.
Then again, he thought, some things are better left buried. I'd hate for something like the atomic bomb to be unleashed in this this world. He shivered. No, that was not a pleasant thought to have at all.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Yes?" he called, placing Guns of the South on his bedside.
The door opened, and the room resounded with the hoofsteps of Princess Luna. "Good evening, James," she said.
"'Evening, Princess. How can I help you?"
"I felt like congratulating you on winning the case today," she replied, a small smile on her face. "It was most deserved. And quite frankly, I was glad to see Prince Blueblood being punished for his bad deeds. I've seen numerous dreams of his victims, though unfortunately dreams aren't allowed as evidence in court."
"Every code of laws has it's own flaws, I suppose."
"Indeed." The Princess' smile slipped. "You came all too close to losing, though. You lost your temper with the judge, for one. And on the religious issue, did you have to be so outspoken?"
"Yes. They wanted the truth. I gave them the truth."
"And what did you mean by that, exactly?"
James didn't reply. Both of them held the other's gaze.
"I spoke with Rarity earlier. She said you had the same answer for her question."
"...If you're asking whether I was telling the truth about the presence of one God, then yes, I did. And if you're asking whether I was telling truth in answering their queries, then its a yes to that as well."
"I see." Luna looked thoughtful. After about a minute or two, she asked, "May I ask what some of the basic tenets of your religion are?"
"'Religion' is a word that doesn't cut it for me. For me, it's a code, a doctrine, a way of life that we are supposed to lead. But Christians believe in the existence of one almighty God, Creator of all, that God sent his son to die for us so that sins could be forgiven, and that..."
"Hold on, I thought you said you believe in only one God."
"I do. Jesus Christ is the second of the three persons of God, who exists in a trinity. The final part of the trio is the Holy Spirit."
"Ah. Please continue. What are some basic rules you're supposed to follow?"
"Well, we can start with the Ten Commandments."
"And those are?"
"One," he said, tacking off the points on his fingers as he went on, "The Lord is your God; you shall have no other gods. Two; you shall not create a graven image of anything on earth or in heaven, nor will you bow down or serve them. Three; you shall not take the name of the Lord in vain. Four; remember the Sabbath day, for God made the world in six days and rested on the seventh; on the other six days of the week you shall work, but on the seven you shall rest. Five; honor your mother and father. Six; you shall not murder. Seven; you shall not commit adultery. Eight; you shall not steal. Nine; you shall not bear false witness. Ten; you shall not covet your neighbor's house, nor his wife, nor shall you covet anything that belongs to your neighbor." He sat down. "The Ten Commandments are basic, clear laws that anyone can understand."
"Indeed," Luna said in response. "Were these written in a more archaic form?"
"If you mean speech containing "thee," "thou," and "thy," then yes. The various sections of the Bible, the Christian holy book, were all written long ago, with the most recent having been completed between one thousand to one thousand, eight hundred years ago."
"That is a long time," Luna said with surprise. "Your faith is not something new, then."
"No, the Christian faith has been around for a little under two thousand years."
"And how many adhere to it's principles?"
"Christianity claims about two billion people who claim to adhere to it, out of a total population of about seven billion."
The Lunar Princess' jaw dropped; it probably would have fallen off onto the floor if it hadn't been fixed to her face. "I did not think a world could house the number of people you speak of, let along have a faith with that many in it."
They spent the next hour or so discussing the Bible and the coming of Jesus, as well as the miracles He performed. Luna listened in quiet but sincere interest.
"Jesus died?" she asked at one point.
"Yes; he rose again on the third day," James affirmed.
"He was alive again?"
"As alive as you and me, as alive as Lazarus, who he raised from the grave."
After listening to James speak for awhile longer, she said, "Thank you for sharing all this with me. I'm glad to have learned so much."
"You're welcome."
"I hope your stay in the palace was a pleasant one."
"It was. I would prefer to be going back to the front."
"I know the feeling. Sometimes Celestia has to drag me away from my duties just so that I can relax a little."
"I wish I could offer more help than I am. I have many books of wars featuring higher grade technology that that which we are using, but, seeing as I am neither a scientist nor an engineer, I could not guide you properly in making them."
"I understand. The problem would be that while we could read the books, the technological gap would be great."
"Yes, that's just it. Even so, I did manage to design something that I hope will aid us in the present conflict." He got out the paper he had been looking at before. Luna looked over the designs with him.
"Do you really think this could be useful?"
"I will be presenting it to Blue Fur tomorrow before I leave for Ponyville."
"Ah, yes. I've met him; he can be boring, but he's a genius when it comes to designs and engineering." Luna looked outside. "Oh my, how long have I been in here? I must return to my room and repel nightmares from ponies' dreams. I wish I could chat more about God with you, but..."
"Hold on," James said, reaching into his bag. He found what he was looking for and took it out; it own copy of the Bible. "Here, I'll let you borrow this."
"But this must be a prized possession for you."
"You have more need of it than I, and I have a pocket Bible stashed away in my bag."
After a moment, Luna looked up from the book. "Thank you."
"You're welcome. Have a good night, Princess."
"And you as well." She smiled at him before shutting the door.
James smiled as well, then walked over to his bed, shut off the light, and tucked himself under the covers. If all went well, what he had in mind would help lead to the end of the war much more quickly than anyone had expected.
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I do not intend to offend readers from other faiths by placing religion in this story. I merely wish to place something that is very important in my life so that, hopefully, others may come to enjoy it as well. I apologize if any offense was taken by any of you.
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I saw a screenshot from one of my favorite scenes from one of my favorite movies and had to at least comment here. Chamberlain was a badass, that is all.
3298770
"Many forms of Government have been tried and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time. "
-Winston Churchill
Religion and faith is always up in the air when it comes to the masses. My personal belief that I will live my life, and try to be a good person weather or not god exists. It is... Very difficult, but I do try. My biggest issue with religion is with those that use it's tenates to try and exempt themselves from the rule of right and wrong. You claim god told you to kill people, or that because someone has a different beliefe then they should die? I have not herd stories of these recently so I am hoping the world is a little more sane.
On that note the character and his beliefes in this are good in my opinion. He does not use religion as an excuse but as a guide. He understands the stories are meant to help him become a better person. I may not like the overly religious tone (in my opinion) but they do not detract from the story. I still pray to god every now and then, though the last time was because my dog ran away... Generally each time was when something bad had happened or I was scared.
3299693 I think this is so cool. I found this and am able to relate to it, for I do Civil War Confederate reenacting, and am a drummer boy. It's fun, but it really does kill your emotion once it is about over 100 degrees in the night, having bugs jump all over your body while you're sweating and hot. Just gonna say, this sounds really cool.
3385827
Thanks for understanding, I don't use religion as an excuse to kill people. The Crusades are an example, at least to me, that using ungodly means does not make for a godly end.
3385829
Yeah I doubt it was much fun. Particularly all the drills they had to do over the day, according to at least one soldier and probably many more.
If Blueblood was stripped of his title, then why is he still called a prince?
Just something that irked me while I was reading it.
3385868
He wasn't; that was the threat of what would happen to him if he refused to take the punishment Celestia gave him. Fortunately for him, he didn't refuse, not after Celestia told him what was what.
3385955
Whoops. Missed that part last chapter.
But as my OCD goes, here's another one.
So Blueblood's still a prince, but wasn't he demoted to a recruit?
3386161
Yes he was, army-wise. Of course he's free to resign or quit once his tour of duty, if he even has one, is over, and considering how evil drill sergeants are, I think he's going to take that way out.
3386260
This is true, but if one's own fear is let to reign free instead of being restrained, you WILL literally be surrounded by foes at every turn. It's mastery of one's own fear that truly allows you to turn that fear-induced alertiveness to an advantage.
3386260 I'm going to have to disagree with that. Fear is a thought and defense process of your brain to react to deadly, or catastrophic events of the moment. Adrenaline keeps you alert and focused of the current level of manner. I have experienced a little of what it feels like, but I never will know completely what it feels like to be in the war. I have experienced what it feels like to get the adrenaline of shooting a gun, and running throughout woods and fields before, and it is a huge pump in motivational thought process, making you loose pain, discomfort, outside thoughts, and just the world in general: All you're thinking about is killing as many people as you can, in an orderly and organized fashion. This is also a mind mechanism of your body.
If there's one thing I hate more than a self insert power fantasy, it's an obvious self insert power fantasy.
what ammunition does his 1861 use? I can't tell if its a blackpowder or remodeled to use modern cartridges. I'm guessing the blackpowder model with the percussion caps but if so, where does he get them? It can't be from the griffons because they have matchlockish muskets.
3386853
He used up all the ammunition he took into Equestria with him. As for the ammunition, I cheated a little, having it remodeled to fire a more modern style of bullet.
I hope something goes badly wrong for the Equestrian, just to make the war more interesting. 'Cause... y'know, it'd be kinda boring if they won the war so soon.
Oh, and are the Saddle Arabians and Zebras going to come into action?
3388625
Oh yes, they will be making an appearance.
Did he just convert luna?
anyway good chapter only a few spelling errors as far as can see
also its good to see people out there who still believe in their god/gods
i wouldsay my faith buuuuuuuut this is the internet
(not Christian)
3388894
Thank you, and we shall see.
3389930
Pearl Harbor wasn't an invasion, it was a raid. And 9/11 was a terrorist attack that murdered many people but did not take any territory. I was referring to the invasion of the Aleutian Islands by Japan in 1942, the last time by my knowledge that someone invaded actual U.S. territory in North America.
3387524 I don't see how that would have worked with modern ammunition, in a 1861 gun. They had caps, and black powder in cartridges, and would pour the cartridge in the barrel, and then they would have the hammer hit the cap, therefor creating a spark from the copper cap, and igniting the black powder, which light so fast it is almost an explosion, but not quite. A modern bullet is when a certain pin hits the middle of the bullet, creating a spark inside the brass, therefor having the bullet come out of it: Two completely different styles of gun and bullet design.
3390875 Even sometimes they had flintlocks, but those were completely different from caps too. Flint was the sparks of the steel plate scratching the flint, and the hammer hit the plate to make happen, therefor having the sparks fly into the chamber, and of coarse, igniting the black powder.
3390875
Yeah, but the thing would have been pretty hard to reload in the middle of combat if it really fired old cartridge bullets. But I suppose I could go back and fix the entire thing.
3391017
Thank you very much. Having support is great.
3391954
I didn't intend to portray it that way. The fact is that soldiers from both sides of a war, as you said, are not all monsters. But many of them, evil or not, will obey orders, regardless of who gives them. And anyone can be lead astray by the right propaganda and ambition.
The Changelings I assumed largely had insect-like states of mind, which is to say they would do anything their queen told them without complaint. Obviously, not all of them are mindless drones, as Rand proves, but most of them, despite morality issues, would do what they were told. As for the Griffons, a species raised in the idea that they are the stronger will, undoubtedly, make mistakes on the moral plain. The right (or perhaps I should say wrong) propaganda can turn a good person into something they wouldn't have been before.
I may be an Atheist, but to be quite frank, i don't care if you believe or not, so long as the character in the story does not contain any inconsistencies. I always admired the author of Sherlock Holmes for that reason; even though he believed in mysticism (modern day equiv would be 'new age' stuff like astrology and all that stuff) he never imprinted those beliefs on the character Sherlock, who remains a cynical, agnostic. To this end, you have succeeded marvellously, and though I disagree with the character on many things, that only shows how well fleshed out and believable you have made him. Well done good sir, your writing is most commendable.
3394418
Thank you. I'm grateful for your support.
3392759 i agree completely, and as i said, you have done an absolutely fantastic job in creating such convincing characters that they elicit such a negative response in my own mind. This is extremely well written and I highly recommend that you try writing a book some time in your life (ps, there are just one or two grammar issues i see every now and then where i think there could be commas added or left out or where i feel you could flow the paragraphs more rhythmically, but that is really just subjective on my part) I am giving you a 8.5/10
You said somewhere,
My thought is, why not? The theory of nuclear fission IS extremely complicated, but, and correct me if i'm wrong, actually building a bomb isn't that hard, all you need are some explosives surrounding the plutonium. They could have just used the threat of claiming to obtain a nuclear weapon in the first place, and prevent any war, but start a lot of politics. I know this makes the story almost worthless, but it could happen. Maybe as a finale?
3395918
You have my gratitude.
3396090
What I said was that he wished that he could build an AK-47. He never wanted nukes in Equestria; in fact he's specifically against it, and Celestia would be as well. A race that values peace will not seek weapons that will;
A. Leave radiation in the atmosphere, causing an untold number of deaths from radiation poisoning.
B. Made primarily to destroy cities and the civilians living in them.
The ponies would almost certainly see this weapon as a device for murder, not warfare. Seeing as the Griffons are not advanced enough to make such a weapon themselves, I don't see the point in building one. I don't intend to unleash an uncontrollable genie into Equestria.
3392759 You don't have to... Your story, but I highly suggest it...
3397635 Hmm... I never actually thought about it that way, but it makes sense. A nuclear bomb would mark a new age for Equestria, one of destruction, it would almost make it like Fallout.
3399637
Which is what I intend to avoid, yes.
3400102 You guys do know a nuclear weapon does not nessasarily create an everlasting fallout? Let alone colateral damage of nuclear weapons even in its modern form is accually very little. To refine a nuclear class missile does not require uranium or plutonium unlike most people think, any element and I mean ANY can be used to manufacture a WMD of any magnitude. A common earth element known as thorium is being researched in this modern day to be used as nuclear fuel for reactors as it's half life is ludicrously short and it is cheeper than dirt. As for colateral damage (unless they plan on using Czar Bombs on other cities) a small grade nuclear weapon, in its own creation and with upmost precision on deployment, could easily annihilate an entire army with no major civillian deaths. If the bomb is thorium based or based on a very common element we are exposed to commonly radiation will be literally negatable as we are exposed to radiation of such half lives of these elements naturally. The only issue of dangering civilians is blindness if the explosions are within eyesight, and earthquakes and other than that a good engineer could use this technology to advance their society above and beyond what its original state is.
Now, apart from my bout on WMDs this story is, in my opinion, progressing very well and everytime I finish a chapter I always want more! Keep up the great work and I can't wait to see what you have in store for us in upcoming chapters!
3419455
I don't intend for WMDs to be used, at least not by Equestria. I severely doubt that Celestia would use them. And I also doubt they have the technology to make a working nuclear weapon for some time, and how much less so for a thorium bomb.
Still, thanks for the info, and for your support
Where'd back in ponyville go?
Chapter 36!!!!
3447515
Sorry, accident during editing. I hit the publish button instead of the edit button. The chapter is still being typed, and considering my internet troubles, it might still be awhile. I apologize to everyone for the accidental release and delay.
3448755 ha ha!!! Spoilers! Nah your good, but now I'm super excited!!!
3449021
Lol. It's weird how some mistakes actually make things better. Thanks for the input.
3385868
Maybe his name IS Prince?
3451730
That... actually makes sense...
3451956
But then his full title would be Prince Prince Blueblood.
3452027
3451730
Lol!
Seriously I didn't think of that. Good one.
3452027
Equestrian names are weird.
3452068
a equestrian pornstar's name would likely be Biggus Dickus
I don't really care you bringing religion in the story because it help character development...Just, don't go too far off . (Even though I'm Christian)
And I can actually see the ability of making an AK-47 and AKM. I had to...uhm...Disasembled and Reasembled the AK-47 in 45 seconds as an exam in school. They look easy enough. Only need the resources ( proper heated metal parts, proper wooden and plastic parts) and a few decent engineers who know what they're doing. Not that I have the ability of doing it.
PS: English is not my language.
3455219
Okay. Thanks for reading the story.
3454113
Hah! Not bringing that kind of stuff in, though that's funny.
What happened to chapter 36?
3460869
I was editing the chapter and I hit the publish button by mistake -_-
This has been the third or fourth time someone's asked me that. Not mad at you, just saying, it's probably not the last time.
We can see that your fath means a lot to you. It brings up an interesting things. One: when so many civillions believing in celestea and Luna as gods and so many solders losing that fath, and some of them converting to Christianity. What will happen with this? Will there be a clash between civillions and the veterans of the war.
Two: Will this divison of the population lead to an armed conflict. Even rebellion or inquisition, leading James to decide to help celestea in keeping order or the Christen ponies in surviving.
Now we're not talking Celestea becoming a dictator. More of along the lines of a radical group, of eather or both sides, take up armies ageinst the eachother. Celestea having to find a way to stop the two sides from killing eachother; and James to decide if he should help out the ones fighting Christanity or help Celestea keep peace in there lands.
There is so much to go one with the religious side. Political games mixed with religious war. Just like the Protestant and catholic problems in Ireland, or the Shiite and Sunni Muslims, or even the Rwandan Genocide with the Hutus and the Tutsis (Which was more about imaginary ethnics than religion, and a more extreme example).
We all love it man! Keep it up!
L.S. and L.S.
3464542
Thank you. I'm glad you're enjoying this.
3470403
Rome 2 came out with a lot of bugs, and dogs are overpowered, if the Youtube videos I've watched have anything to say about it.
As for the casualties, 100 out of 700 is one seventh of the force available. Commanders have been willing to withdraw for less. And, of course, it depends on just who became the casualties.
Going to continue work soon. Thanks for reading, everyone!