Harmony Arisen

by Panoramic Toast

Chapter 7: The Soldier

Chapter 7: The Soldier

Two weeks later

Twilight was running, the breeze flowing through her mane as she galloped closely behind Star Dust. Behind her, the other recruits struggled to keep up. She’s always ahead of me, even if only by an inch.

Two weeks. Two weeks of the most painful, arduous training that Twilight had ever gone through. Every night, she and Star Dust would meet in the dead of night to work and train. Star Dust would give her playful jabs and show off her knowledge and skills while Twilight grudgingly followed, occasionally allowing herself a laugh or two along the way.

The mad unicorn was strange, yes, but she was also...oddly interesting. She had grown almost fond of her strange mannerisms and frequent jests. Sometimes, Twilight would forget about Star Dust’s vast knowledge and years of training, only seeing her as a gigglish oddball.

Yet, every night for nearly two weeks, she had helped Twilight find something to improve upon. Concentration. Focus. Stamina. Endurance. Dexterity. They trained upon everything. It was astounding to see the amount of knowledge buried in Star Dust’s skull. At one point Twilight had tried to ask where Star Dust received her training, but she simply changed the topic.

And so, for two weeks they trained with the recruits by day and together by night, receiving only a few hours of sleep per night. Every day, when that bell rang, Twilight made it her goal to improve herself in some way. It was all going perfect. On the second week, however, Sergeant Thimble gathered all the unicorns in the camp together for a very unusual test.

“Alright everypony, I’m going to need you all to line up into five separate lines!” she yelled at the top of her lungs.

Everypony did as she commanded and went into their own lines. Twilight fumbled, trying to remain behind Star Dust.

“Now,” Thimble hissed, standing in front of a large, brown, four-sided container, “in front of me is a box. What’s special about this box, you ask? That’s none of your damn business! All you need to do is focus on pouring as much of your magic as possible into it. Got it?”

“Yes ma’am!” they all shouted in unison as she stepped out of the way, and the first set of ponies stepped forth. The box was plain looking and stood on a wooden pedestal. To the side, a unicorn stood with a clipboard.

The first set of ponies began charging their horns, and many attempted to blast it with magic. When they did, they were expecting a bang or an indication of something. Instead, nothing happened, and the ponies with the clipboards simply yelled, “Next!”

The line continued to progress with no pony making any visible progress. Twilight whispered to Star Dust, “There should theoretically be some sort of indication if the spell is effective. What is the point of this?”

“I think that is the point,” she said firmly as she looked forward, “they’re all pouring their magic into it, and it’s causing no effect. Perhaps, they simply lack the right amount of magic.”

“But what’s the point of doing this test? To see who’s better? Some contest?”

“I don’t know,” she said as she watched the line continued to steadily move forward. Twilight began to examine how the recruits poured their magic into the boxes and noted the flaws in their technique. Many of them were simply blasting the box, whereas it necessitated a steady influx of magic, like a stream pouring into a river.

As she continued to watch, her attention was interrupted by a bright flash of purple coming from the front of the line. Twilight leaned over to see a stallion with a bright green coat and a brown mane pouring a wave of magic into the box. The box was beginning to emit a glowing set of symbols in a strange language, each of the characters looking circular in shape. After a few seconds, the lights began to fade, and the pony’s head whipped back. The pony with the clipboard waited for him to recover before he approached and asked for his name. He was then escorted to the side by one of the officers standing by.

After that moment of exception, the lines continued to progress until it finally reached Star Dust.

Star Dust steadied herself and focused on the box. She began to use her magic to scan the box, her horn basking the box in a bright aura. After scanning it, she closed her eyes, and her horn began showering the sky with orange sparks.

A ray of energy shot forth, basking the box in an orange glow. The box slowly began to vibrate and sparks of orange electricity shot upward from the box. The same set of symbols from before shone brightly as the other ponies watched in awe. The moment was short lived as the light faded and Star Dust’ eyes shot open. Star Dust backed up and began breathing heavily. The pony with the clipboard approached her and asked for her name.

“Star Dust,” she simply responded as one of the officers escorted her away.

Twilight Sparkle was next.

As she approached the now ordinary box, she began to take a deep breath as she magically scanned the box, trying to sense for any sort of anomaly. As she searched deeper, she could feel a strange aura emanating from inside. She tried to scan further, but she was immediately ejected. Her head snapped forward. What manner of magic resided in this box that could reject her scanning spell? There was only one way to find out.

Twilight shut her eyes and focused on the box, pouring out magic onto the box, and securing the outside. She created a separate stream within it to try and grasp at the inside, like a magical claw. As she began reaching, she could feel a strange coldness that sent a shiver down her spine. When she continued to reach in, she could hear something strange, almost like a heartbeat, emitting from within.

Twilight continued to dig and attempted to grab it. As her magical tendrils grasped the heartbeat, she felt a strange sense of euphoria flow over her, then a fade into nothing as blackness surrounded her.

Then, there was a light.

Twilight felt a feeling unlike any other as rays of light began to encase her body. She could now hear the sound. It wasn’t a heartbeat. It was a melody; the same melody that saved her from the raging fires. The same melody that guided her through the darkness.

Twilight’s body went numb as she floated into the air, and waves of magic flowed from her hooves. When she opened her eyes, her pupils disappeared and were replaced with a pure whiteness. In front of her stood no longer a box; there was now a display of lights spanning over the entire camp, flashing the symbols over the skies above.

The other ponies could do nothing but back up and gaze at the beauty in the skies and the magical mare that stood before them. She felt power flow over her; she felt invincible. It was only moments later that she came crashing to the ground. The symbols above the sky quickly faded.

After several seconds of lying on the ground, she began to groan and rub her shoulders. The officers around her quickly made their way to her side, offering assistance. She quickly made her way to her hooves and could see the shocked gazes that fell upon her. An officer tapped her shoulder.

“Ma’am, what is your name?”

“Twilight Sparkle,” she responded, pressing a hoof to her forehead.

“Okay, Twilight. Please, come with me.”

Twilight followed the officer as ponies parted around them. The officer took her to a large tent that was set up behind the training area. It was there that Star Dust and the green pony from earlier stood. They both stared at her as Star Dust remarked with a grin, “I see that you made it too. I guess you got the broken box.”

“Very funny,” Twilight responded as she walked next to her. In front of them stood Thimble, who bore her usual scowl. They all waited for another few minutes as two more ponies approached: a mare with a coat of orange, and a stallion with a coat of yellow. They were followed by another officer who spoke to Thimble, “These are the last ones.”

Thimble nodded and waited for the last two to get in line with the other three. Twilight and Star Dust exchanged curious glances before turning to Thimble.

“Now that you’re all here, I have some very interesting news. Tomorrow morning, all five of you will be departing for Britannia.”

As the five began to raise their objections, Thimble raised a single hoof. They were immediately silenced.

“Now, I know that you all are wondering why, but unfortunately I don’t have all the answers. The people high up have been looking to increase our strength, and are gathering the very best that we can muster, so they can man the front lines. That test back there was a way for us to measure your magic potential. It takes immense skill, concentration, and raw power to get that thing to respond. All of you could garner some manner of response, meaning that you fit the criteria. Now, head back to your barracks and pack your things. You’re done here.”

Without another word, Thimble teleported away, leaving the others chatting in confusion. Star Dust turned to Twilight, “Let’s head back. I can’t wait to get out of this dump.”

Twilight frowned at her words but followed her, nonetheless.

That night, Twilight couldn’t sleep. No matter how much Twilight tried to relax, sleep would not come. After several minutes, she got up and left the barracks. It was quiet outside. One could only hear the crickets and creaking of wood under her hoof.

“Can’t sleep either?” a voice said from her side. She turned in surprise, but relaxed when she recognized the voice.

“I can’t believe we’re leaving already,” Twilight admitted. “It seems like just yesterday, I got here.”

She sat down on the stairs to the barracks. “I never asked. How long have you been here?”

Star Dust sat beside her. “I’ve been here for over a month. I joined right before the attack on Baltimare.”

Twilight turned to face her. “Why did you join when you didn’t have to? You said that you were a magical historian. Why would you want to leave something so comfortable, something that you’ve been doing for so long?”

She looked up at the sky. “Instinct. I don’t know why, but I’ve always been searching for answers. I thought that taking this path might lead me to some.”

“Answers to what?”

“Everything. What is magic? If Celestia and Luna disappeared, why do the sun and moon still move? What happened to them? What purpose do ponies have? What purpose do I have?”

She paused to look at her right foreleg. Twilight could notice a patch of fur parted two ways, skin barely visible. A scar….from what? “I left my home when I was young. I always dreamed of traveling the world. I wanted to find out why things are the way they are. I don’t remember how many times I’ve seen that same face. That same hopeless expression on the face of every pony. Everyone’s tired, Twilight.”

“Tired of what?”

“Everything. War. These fickle politics. Ponies too poor to afford basic food and clothing.” She was crying lightly. “I’m tired too. I’m tired of seeing it. I’m tired of feeling it. That’s why I joined.”

“But soldiers die every day. If you’re a soldier, doesn’t that mean that you’ll be adding to the pain that they’re feeling?”

She stomped a hoof. “That’s why we have to get stronger!” she shouted. The sorrow on her face was replaced with a sort of firmness. “Strength is what ends wars. Whoever is the best wins. We’ve always been taught this. Maybe...maybe if I’m strong enough, I can end it forever. Think of it, Twilight! A world without war. A world without petty conflicts defined by borders! We can do it if we’re strong enough, I know it.”

She tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t form. “An end...of war?”

“Yes,” she cried. She pressed her hoof lightly against Twilight’s chest. “Twilight, we’re going to a camp where the best of the best are being trained. You and I aren’t strong enough yet, not by a longshot. However, I think that we can be strong. Strong like the Shield of Britannia and even Seigfried.” She paused. “Please, Twilight, promise me something.”

“Promise what?” she asked, confused.

“That one of us will do it. Even if the other fails, we’ll still attempt it.”

Twilight’s heart was racing. “Attempt….what exactly?”

“To be the best. To be the one who brings an end to war forever.”

Twilight stopped. Was it really possible for one, even two ponies to bring an end to something as natural as war? Without thinking, she pressed her hoof against Star Dust’s. For a second, the words simply came as if she were speaking in a dream, distant but wanting. “I promise. One of us...if not both of us.”

Star Dust smiled a genuine smile, neither smug nor excited, simply relieved. “Thanks, Twilight.” Twilight had never heard her sound so sincere. For what seemed hours, they sat in silence as they watched the distant night sky. Mom. Spike. It’ll be awhile, but I promise I’ll make it back.

He was smoking again. He never did it in anyone’s presence. A king must always be strong and presentable, he always said. Still, Diamond Tiara could smell it in his breath as he spoke. “Blackhoof, have you set up defenses along our borders, like I asked?”

Blackhoof nodded. “Yes, your Majesty. I’ve set up patrols along the Lunarian-Solarian borders as you’ve asked. I’ve also set up defenses along the eastern coastline in case of an airborne invasion.”

“Excellent,” Filthy Rich said. They sat across from each other in the war council chambers, in that oval shaped room on the far side of the castle where only torchfire lit the way. Diamond Tiara, Blueblood, and Cadence sat quietly along the table as Filthy Rich and Blackhoof spoke.
“Now that we’ve been forced into this absurd war, I have no doubt that Lunaria is already looking for an opportunity to take advantage of our situation. As long as I wear the crown, I won’t let them. Our ponies have suffered enough as is.” He put a hoof to his forehead. “This all my fault for not taking your word, Blackhoof. Now, thousands are dead and the country is plunged into war.”

“Please don’t say that, your Majesty,” Blackhoof said. “Nopony could have truly seen their attack coming.”

“You flatter me, Blackhoof,” Filthy Rich said with a faint smile. “Still, this is no time for self pity. We must prepare for the possible scenarios. What is the word on the united camp? This could potentially be the thing that forges this alliance.”

“We’ve already begun pooling pegasus and earth ponies from both sides. We’ve also begun the magic tests for the unicorns, your Majesty. The numbers are smaller than we had initially calculated.”

“Quality over quantity,” Filthy Rich assured him.

“Indeed,” Blackhoof agreed. “Although the numbers are small, the overall scores are remarkable. So far, the highest score we’ve seen so far was a mare from Camp Orion. Her buildup of raw magic actually managed to destroy one of the boxes that we provided.”

“Good, we’ll need soldiers like that. I assume that you’ve already began gathering them at the camp.”

“Yes, we hope to have close to 200,000 by the end of the month. There's also talk of setting up our headquarters within Camp Unita’s compounds. However, it’s only talk at this point. With the combined forces of Britannia and Solaria, we should be able to solidify our cause.”

They began nodding. Soon after, the mare with a coin on her flank entered the room. She and her father talked of the economy and feeding all the little peasants as usual. It was three hours before they were finished.

By the time she left, Diamond Tiara’s hind legs and rump had fallen asleep. She wiggled her legs back to life and stood on all fours, stretching as regally as she could, making sure to avoid Blueblood’s gaze. She paused for a moment as she watched Prince Blueblood walk away from the table with that same amazing posture and royal look that she so loved.

Her smile was wiped away as Cadence began her walk. Blueblood stopped and stared at her with a smile before conversing. I bet if I took away those stupid wings and that stupid horn, he would lose interest, she thought scornfully.

Her father walked behind her. “Diamond Tiara? Why are you still standing around here? The meetings are finished for today?”

She paused. “Umm...I...ummm.”

He sighed. “Walk with me, Diamond.” Diamond. He was the only one who ever called her by that name. It drove her mad sometimes. When she asked why at one point, he simply responded. You are my daughter, the most precious diamond in my world. When he told her that, she simply rolled her eyes.

Nonetheless, she walked with her father down the stone corridors. “I know you care for that stallion, Diamond.”

She was shocked. “Y-You know?”

He laughed. “A little filly’s infatuation is not hard to sniff out. I see those looks you give him.”

She stopped and stared at him with pleading eyes. “Then us get married!” The words came out more high pitched and squeaky than she had intended.

He laughed and continued walking. “W-Why are you laughing?” she asked with embarassment.

He looked back with a smile. “You’re barely ten years old. He’s nearly twenty. Besides, I think he has his eyes set on other mares.”

Cadence. “Then you can make him!” she pleaded. “Give him royal orders for us to marry!”

“I won’t have my ten year old daughter married on some passing infatuation,” he said sternly. “You barely know the stallion.”

“I do,” she said, stubbornly.

“You don’t know the true him, though. Love is different than some passing lust. Relationships bring out a person’s true nature. I didn’t marry your mother until we had been dating for nearly three years.”

Her look of desperation faded into one of defeat. They continued walking in silence. “You have her eyes, you know,” Filthy Rich said to his daughter with a smile.

She smiled faintly as she touched the tiara atop of her head. He was always talking about her mother as of late. She could still remember her smile. She was bright, happy, and always spoke in a voice that could soothe a lion. Her mane was a beautiful, silky smooth, river of violet, and her coat was silver, silver as the tiara that Diamond Tiara wore.

A wave of sadness washed over her. “I miss her,” she said faster than her brain could process the words. A princess doesn’t get emotional. A princess remains dignant.

“I do too,” he said with the faintest of a quiver in his voice. “That tiara was hers, you know. I’m sure I’ve told you a million times. When I first met her, we were children. She would always wear that little tiara. She never let it get dirty or rusted. She always kept it safe.”

They continued walking in silence for a while. Diamond Tiara finally regained her nerves , desperate to change the topic. “Dad, why are you still worrying about the economy? Isn’t the war more important?”

He sighed. “Diamond Tiara, you still have much to learn. The citizens are already sacrificing everything. Their friends and family members are being shipped off to war. We’re rationing everything and limiting what families can own for the sake of the war effort. Yet, even with the war, these ponies need to be able to put food on the table. Being a ruler means that I must deal with all the problems that it brings.”

“Problems? Can’t you just get someone else to solve them for you.”

You’re still young Diamond Tiara, but remember this. A king exists to serve his ponies. The same goes for queens, dukes, princes, and even princesses. We live and rule for their sake. A ruler who would put their needs before the needs of his ponies doesn’t deserve that title.”

The doors of the aircraft opened up as Twilight heard the buzzing of the engine begin to cool down. The five of them stepped out to face a red stallion, with a flowing blonde mane and a green apple for a cutie mark.

The stallion scanned the five of them. All five of them stood firm, ready for orders.

“Y’all are the five from Orion, right?”

They all nodded, and the stallion responded, “Good, my name’s Big Macintosh, and I’m s’possed to show you to your quarters.”

The five of them followed as Big Mac turned around and walked past the sign in front that read, Camp Unita.

Even from only an entrance view, the camp appeared massive. The could hear the sound of ponies chanting, shouting, and fighting. In the air, a squadron of pegasi practiced drill and soared high above the clouds.

The buildings around the camp were much bigger and better maintained than the ones at Orion, these consisting of high quality wood and metal. The tallest structure was a metallic three story building, most likely the administrative offices. Past the administrative buildings were a series of small tin buildings with a dome roof.

“Here,” Big Mac said, pointing his hoof at the building with the label, Solaria 3-A.

Big Macintosh walked in front of the group and slowly pushed open the door. The five unicorns walked slowly behind. Inside, there stood six sets of bunk beds, much more lavish looking that they had lived in at Camp Orion. Each of the beds had a fine set set of sheets, neatly folded. The beds also seemed to consist of higher quality material.

“We had been hoping for more unicorns to make the cut. Unless we run out of space, ya’ll are free to have your own bed.”

The five took a second to look over the room before Star Dust galloped at full speed and threw herself on the first bed to the right, laughing as she plopped into the covers.

“This is more like it!” she yelled, stifling a laugh.

The other five smiled as they sat down their bags and chose a bed. Twilight opted for the bed farthest from the door, on the far left.

As she began setting her bag down, she noticed Big Macintosh approaching one of the beds.

“Are you staying here too?” Twilight Sparkle asked.

“Eeyup,” he simply responded, not taking his eyes off the bed he approached. He began reaching into a saddlebag placed at the center of the bed.

“I don’t understand. I thought this was only for us.”

“Nope,” he simply responded as he pulled out a silver vest and strapped it against his chest. He walked towards the door. “If ya’ll are ready, I can show ya to your captain.”
Star Dust hopped off her bed and stretched her legs. “Yeah, come on guys. I’m curious to see who’s gonna be bossing us around.”

The five unicorns followed Big Macintosh, exiting the barracks and making their way around the camp. They trotted around the training ponies and various buildings when they saw a group of of unicorns in training. All of them were practicing basic elemental spells in unison, their actions being synchronized by a whistle.

Through the crowd, they could make out two ponies: one of them was a mare with sunglasses, clenching a whistle in her teeth. She had light yellow coat and a brown mane. The other was a stallion with a coat of pure white and a mane of two shades of blue. On his flank was a dark blue shield with three pointed stars above it. Something about him feel strange to Twilight Sparkle; he felt so...familiar.

No, she thought to herself, he’s dead! No. Get yourself together, Twilight. He just looks like him.

As the five, led by Big Macintosh, made their way towards the other unicorns, they could see Shining Armor whisper something into the other mare’s ears before galloping over.

“Hey there!” he began. His voice gave a warm feeling to Twilight. “I’m Captain Shining Armor, and from now on you’re all part of the 23rd Allied Unicorn Company!”

The five gave a confused glance until Star Dust finally spoke up. “Um, sir, I don’t mean to be imposing, but they never actually briefed us on why we’re actually here. So....why are we actually here?”

Shining Armor laughed before gaining a more serious tone. “I guess they left out the details. Well, the short version is we’re severely undermanned in terms of magical strength. Germaneigh has some of the most powerful unicorns on the planet. If we’re going to face them, we need to catch up and surpass them quickly. That’s where you come in.

You see, we sent that same test to every training camp in the allied forces. We had to wait and teach you the basics first, so we decided to wait for two weeks before testing you. The box is designed to only resonate over a certain threshold of magical energy; too low and nothing happens. Obviously, you all invoked some sort of reaction, meaning that you passed the threshold.

We decided to send all those who passed to this camp so that we can train you for the front lines. You ponies are five of over two hundred of the best unicorns our forces can offer. It will be hard work, but when we’re done with you, you’re going to be among the best of the best. Think you can handle that?”

The five of them nodded and gave a salute that the captain proudly returned.

“Before I send you off, I like to know my ponies. Let’s start with names. We can forgo the formalities for now.”

They began introducing themselves from left to right. "Evamere. Lightning Shard. Firestarter."

Star Dust bolstered proudly with a salute. “Star Dust at your service!”

There was a brief silence as Twilight Sparkle continued to sort her thoughts.

See! That wasn’t his name! It’s not him! But still.....why does he remind me of him?

“Uum....ma’am, are you okay?” Shining Armor interjected.
Twilight Sparkle snapped back to reality, and she began nodding her head. “Of course! Very sorry about that!” Twilight did an awkward salute as she spoke, “Twilight Sparkle, captain!”

“I see...,” he said before turning to the rest. “Okay! You have the rest of this day to adjust. Starting tomorrow, however, it’s going to be hard work! Good luck, and I look forward to working with you.”

The five saluted Shining Armor and followed Big Macintosh back to the barracks. Shining Armor, on the other hoof, stayed to watch them leave.

“Twilight Sparkle, huh? She’s a strange one.” Without giving it a second thought, Shining Armor joined the rest of the training unicorns and assisted in giving orders and helpful advice.

“Another German warship. Looks like they’re escorted by two transport ships and an aircraft carrier,” Pencil Pusher said as he adjusted his slicked back mane.

Rarity let out a sigh and took in another swig of wine as she responded unenthusiastically, “Very well. Is General Trot still in the war room?”

“Yes, Madam!” Pencil Pusher responded, adjusting his slicked back mane.

“Good, inform him that I’ll be there shortly,” she said as she entrapped a mirror in her magic and began to examine her mane.

“Right away!” Pencil Pusher said, clumsily running back to the war room.

Rarity continued to examine and groom her mane, moving the curls from the chains of her silver pendant, depicting the sun and moon. She used her magic to tighten her flowing, ruby red dress and let out a sigh and stood, taking another swig of wine.

“Something wrong?” Time Turner asked, making his way from the table where a large map and several figurines stood. On the side of the table laid a stack of books.

Rarity responded, placing the wine on the table, “Something feels wrong. After the initial invasion, it seems as if Germaneigh isn’t even trying. Every week, they send a small number of ships to attack the coast and we fight them off.”

“Attrition,” Time Turner stated as he donned a pair of glasses that lay by the table. Of course, he never needed them; he simply preferred the look they gave.

“They’re trying to drain our resources ever so slowly. Just be glad that they don’t send any more ravagers.”

Rarity let out a nervous laugh as she began making her way to the door. “Ravagers? Is that what they’re calling them? I suppose that makes sense that they wouldn’t wish to waste the technology knowing that we’re fully capable of destroying them. ”

Rarity shuddered as she thought of that day. She had seen death before, but never like that. She was never a soldier. She had never faced anything quite so horrifying as what happened over the harbor. Some nights, she swore that she could hear the screaming as the lights flickered back to life, only to find Colonel Blindside lying in a pool of his own blood. Sometimes, she found it easier to simply drink until the screaming stopped.

"True. Not with unicorns like Shining Armor on our side," Time Turner admitted. "I'm just glad that Neighpon is staying low. It's rather odd though, isn't it? In the past several weeks, only a handful of the attacks on us contained any number of Neighponese ships."

"I suppose," Rarity said with a shrug. "Maybe they're scared of us or they don't have a steady supply of ships to waste."

"That didn't stop them from attacking Solaria and resorting to kamikaze attacks," Time Turner rebutted. "I'm worried that this could be a prelude to something much bigger."

"Like what?"

"Not sure," Time Turner replied. "But it wouldn't hurt to be cautious from now on."

Rarity nodded and headed for the door. Before they left, Rarity looked down and began scanning her dress, trying to check for any wrinkles.

“I never asked you,” Time Turner began, “but if I recall correctly, you were a rather popular dressmaker. Why did you decide to run for office?”

Rarity sighed as they made their to the war room. “Well, it was right after the that short lived war with the Solar Empire when I first considered it. I had a lot of thoughts about how things should be dealt with, and my little sister kept going on about my attention to detail. I had quite a bit of knowledge when it came to law and government. My father was in the military, a veteran from The Great War, and my mother was a member of parliament. I decided that I was tired of all the fighting and that I wanted to try and fix it. I thought that I would be able to mend the economy, to help my fellow ponies, and to make things better. However, looking back, I’m beginning to see the naivety in my thought process.”

“Don’t think like that, Rarity. You’re doing well so far. Whereas other nations have fallen, you’ve led Britannia and kept it strong.”

“Yes, kept it strong. And sometimes I wonder, what will that accomplish in the end? Even if I manage to win this war and stop Germaneigh, the fighting is not going to stop. Not anytime soon. The world’s been in a state of war for nearly a thousand years. Sure, we have some short bouts of peace every now and then, but like a nasty pimple, another war just pops right back up.”

“Rarity,” Time Turner said, trying to catch up with her steadily increasing pace, “You can’t give up hope like that. Do you know why you were elected even though you’re so young? You're only twenty-four years old, and you sit as the most powerful mare in the country! It is because you represent hope!”

Rarity arched an eyebrow. "Explain."

“Do you think that anyone enjoys all these constant wars? Ponies want a change! They want a young pony who can offer that change. That pony is you.”

“Really? Because last time I checked, other young ponies have gotten elected before and nothing changed. Look at Trixie. She’s only twenty-six and already, she’s set the standard for being a psychopathic dictator. Hope isn’t going to win us this war, action will and after the little action I’ve done, I doubt my name will go very far. During that battle, you led them so easily. It was like you had done this before. If anything, you deserve this position more than I.”

“You’re wrong,” he said. “If it wasn’t for you, we would all have died that day. I’m positive. I remember when those light came on and I saw Blindside dead in front of me, I could barely keep it together. I just...ran and ran...trying to think of what to do next, not really thinking straight or logically. I was thinking too big...too much on the big picture without thinking of fixing the finer details. It wasn’t until you walked to that lieutenant and spoke in that calm demeanor that everything fit into place. You saw how everything fit together and approached it logically. You saw those small problems and knew what had be done. You restored that situation, Rarity. That was you. It was you who brought order and you who came up with that plan that saved us all. Remember that, Rarity.”

Rarity kept silent as they opened the doors to the war room, an underground room accessible only from the capitol building. Inside, ponies ran across rows of ponies typing on keyboards and ponies relaying information as military generals stood around a large table, observing various maps and speaking of strategy and war.

It was there, in front of that table, that General Trot greeted them. “Good day, Madame Prime Minister. Time Turner. You both missed the attack. Germaneigh retreated early this time.”

“Odd. Usually, it takes them an hour to retreat,” Rarity casually stated.

Rarity walked beside General Trot and gave a weary sigh. “Are you alright?” he asked with a concerned look.

She nodded. “I’m just tired. I haven’t gotten much sleep lately.”

“I imagine that it would be tough to stomach what you saw,” General Trot said, glancing at Time Turner. “Seeing somepony die in front of you isn’t something that you can forget.”

Rarity shuddered as the image of Blindside’s body flashed before her. She remembered the others, too. All of the technicians and soldiers who had been caught in the explosion. She didn’t even know their names. Now, they were simply numbers; simply casualties to be tallied up.

“Still,” he said with a faint smile. “You handled yourself well, Rarity. I heard the way you took charge. If it wasn’t for your actions, things might have turned out very differently that day.” His eyes met Time Turner’s. Trot smiled. “You too, Time Turner. I can see why the Defense Ministry sent you. I know that the Prime Minister will be safe while you’re around.”

Before Time Turner respond, he was interrupted by a mare with holding a sheet a paper.

“General, we’ve received intel from our spies on the eastern front. It’s Germaneigh. They’re pulling troops from the western front near Prance. There seems to be a steady influx heading east, towards the Eastern Lunar Republic.”

Rainbow Dash began her normal route, flying over the skies of Pegasicilia. She briefly glanced down at the steam that rose over the city, produced by the many factories that inhabited the city. Down below, ponies were just now waking up and walking into the snowy streets to begin their day.

Rainbow Dash, herself, had dressed appropriately, wearing a lengthy multi colored scarf and a heavy blue jacket that bore the Lunar Republic’s insignia. As she made her way through the skies, she almost lost her concentration as the wind blew her mane back. She began to swerve and do tricks, letting the adrenaline flow through her.

Her attention refocused when she noticed a fellow soldier floating in her path. Rainbow Dash slowed down and approached him. The soldier saluted her. “Major Rainbow Dash, the colonel wants to speak with you.”

Rainbow Dash nodded and returned his salute saying, “Alright, I’m on my way.” She soared past the soldier and made her way to the ground, skidding against the frost and snow, not once losing her balance.

She trotted along the snow, trotting past the ponies bundled up in piles of clothing. She had never really liked the atmosphere of the Eastern Lunar Republic. Secretly, she missed the skies of Cloudsdale, so free and so endless. Here, the skies were saturated with smog and frost.

“Rainbow Dash? Are you Rainbow Dash?” came a voice from behind.

Rainbow Dash jolted and turned around to see a small, yellow filly jumping excitedly in the snow. She was a unicorn; one of the few unicorns that inhabited the town, besides the soldiers that were stationed there. In front of her, she levitated a small notepad and pen.

Rainbow Dash acknowledged the filly with a smile. “Yeah, I’m Rainbow Dash. What’s up?”

“Oh, I-um heard that you got stationed here, and I had to make sure! My mom told me all kinds of stories about you!”

“Good ones, I hope,” Rainbow Dash chuckled.

“Yeah, she says that during the Griffin War, you and your team fought off over a hundred griffins and defended Cloudsdlale while backup arrived! She says that you’re the only reason that Cloudsdale is still standing! You’re a hero!”

Rainbow laughed and rubbed her hoof behind her head. “Oh, it was only a couple hundred griffins. No biggie!”

The little filly was hopping even more rapidly as she hovered the notepad in front of Rainbow Dash.

“Can I get your autograph, Miss Rainbow Dash? Please?”

Rainbow Dash wasted not time as she said in an overly dramatic voice. “Well, while the city needs me, I guess I can spare the time for a filly as awesome as you.”

Rainbow Dash took the pen in her mouth and jotted down her name on the paper with lightning fast speed. The filly’s mouth was wide open as she began shouting, “Oh, thank you so much! You’re the greatest, Rainbow Dash!” The filly began skipping away with the widest grin that Rainbow Dash had ever seen. Rainbow Dash chuckled at the filly’s enthusiasm, always happy to please a fan.

With the filly out of the way, Rainbow Dash continued onto a large stone tower that stood high above the city, surrounded by armed pegasi. All of them wore dark blue armor underneath a layer of chainmail and wool. All of them wore government issued hoof blades, a necessity for air combat as to avoid the recoil and inaccuracy that plagued current hoof guns.

These hoof blades, often the size of daggers, were attached to the user’s foreleg by a leather strap. Normally, the blade was retracted into a sheath that was placed over the leather strap. In order to activate it, one would simply apply pressure to a point above the sheath, usually with one’s hoof; the same method was used to detract the blades.

As Rainbow Dash approached these armed ponies, they both saluted and stood aside, making room for her to enter as she pushed open the wooden doors. Inside, she could see a large open room lit by a fireplace. Inside, pegasi wearing dark blue chestplates walked around the room. Some were engaging in serious conversations while others simply laughed and shared idle conversations.

Rainbow Dash went past them and made her way along a spiral staircase in the back of the room. Rainbow Dash began making her way up, floating slightly above the steps. Small torches decorated the stairway, and small windows allowed a view to the snowy grounds below.

At the top of the stairs, Rainbow Dash could see a handful of of ponies surrounding a wooden table. Among them was a pegasus stallion who wore a long blue robe that bore the Lunar Republic's symbol: a white crescent moon surrounded by a black sky. The stallion had a dull grey coat and a black mane that had streaks of grey running throughout. The stallion turned to face her.

“Rainbow Dash, you’re just in time,” he spoke with firm voice, “we have a mission for you to carry out.”

“What is it, Colonel Breeze?” Rainbow asked inching closer.

“As you know, this city is one of the top ammunition suppliers for Eastern Lunar Republic. We have an important shipment that must be sent to New Stalliongrad by tomorrow. We’re shipping it to the outskirts of the city by caravan. Afterwards, it will be handed off to New Pegasopolis to the east. You’re going to be guarding the caravan until you reach the other team. Got it?”

Rainbow Dash gave a sigh and saluted. “Got it, colonel.”

As she began to walk away, she silently cursed the colonel for making him perform such menial tasks. Why couldn’t she go on a dangerous mission or go off to join the others on the battlefield. She had wanted to stay home in Cludsdale, but she was instead transferred to Pegasicilia to guard the ammunition depot, a key strategic point.

As she was about to reach the staircase, she was shoved aside by a mare that sprinted past her and ran toward Colonel Breeze.

“Colonel, we’ve received a sighting of German troops making their way to the city! They’re being led by a pony who matches the description of General Alexander Siegfried!”

Colonel Breeze’s face turned a pale shade of white as he silently began staring at the wooden table in front of him.

“I figured it was only a matter of time until they betrayed us. This was Trixie’s plan all along. She didn’t want Britannia. She wanted the east,” he said in between breaths.

After a moment, Colonel Breeze looked up and spoke with a fire in his voice, “Lieutenant Cloud Chaser, inform President Spitfire and General Soarin of our situation. Request backup ASAP.”

He then turned to Rainbow Dash. “Dash, they say you’re one of the fastest fliers in the Lunar Republic. Today, you’re going to prove it. I need you to round up all loose soldiers around the city and gather them here. Send an alert and inform the citizens to stay indoors!”

Rainbow Dash nodded firmly and saluted before flying down the spiral staircase, exiting the building, and bursting into the skies above the city.