Scars of War
by
~~~
Chapter one
~*~
Glory and Steamer
~~~
It was night in Ponyland, and a light wind was brushing the valley with a gentle hand. Moonlight flickered through the leaves of the beech trees, dappling the grass like water. Not a soul stirred in the silvery darkness, and no sound but the whispers of the tall grasses in the fields broke the stillness.
Apon a clifftop, there stood a pony. Tall and slim, she stood, silouetted against the moon that lit up the Valley. Her deep blue eyes were wet with tears as she surveyed the land below her.
The war had been three years ago, but the scars were still left apon Ponyland. Yes, they had won, but at a price. The lives of many had been shattered, lost, destroyed. Both ponies and others. Perhaps so many would not have perished had the Flutter ponies helped in the war. But, then, it had not been their war, and it would be asking too much of them to risk their lives for Ponyland. After all, they had allready done it once, and could not be expected to do it again.
The pony sighed. Why had that had to happen? Ponyland had always been a peaceful place, and they had never had trouble with other Valley's before. Then he had come. King Silverbow and his army of strange, skinny ponies had come bursting into Ponyland, demanding to have the throne of Ponyland, as his own country had been taken from him.
Of course, Majesty refused, and so, he had gone somewhere and spread a false tale of the cruel Queen of Ponyland, Majesty, who had refused to help them after all they had been through. He said his people were starving and that Majesty refused to give them food and water, and drove them from the Valley.
It was all lies, but others belived him. He mustered an army and the war had begun. Two years later, it ended in a bitter victory for Ponyland. But now, it would never be the same again. Innocence of the babies had dissapeared, and they had been forced to hide. Smuggled into Flutter Valley to live away from their parents, some returning to find they had none. Her own child had been one of the lucky ones. Baby Bouncy, and Baby Grafitti, not to mention many others, were not.
The Castle had withstood, but that could not be said for other buildings. The nursery was now being rebuilt with what materials they had left. Other building had been rebuilt as well. But fields had been ruined, and food had been scarce for a year afterwards.
Now the harvests were getting better, and the orchards were also looking good. The seaponies had returned from the lakes in Flutter Valley where they had journeyed by way of underwater caves.
Basically, Ponyland was healing, and things were returning to normal. Or as normal as they could ever be.
"They called it The Great Battle," whispered the pony "but how can a battle be great? It is nothing but a small discomfort in this big world of ours...In Epithopia..."
The howl of a wolf shattered the stillness of the night, in one clear high note. Another joined, and then more. They're howls rose and then dropped off one by one. The pony gave another sigh. She knew life would never be the same for the Wolves either. For any of the animals that lived in Ponyland.
"So many lives destroyed," she sighed "when will it stop?"
Hoofsteps approached, and a pony sat down beside her on the rock. It was a pink Clydsdale with white hair.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hi Steamer."said the pony.
"Glory, what's wrong?" asked Steamer. "You seem so sad."
"Of course I am," she said "Look at our valley. Look at what has become of Ponyland! Our children have lost their childhood, and some of them have lost their parents! Baby Glory seems so distant. And Baby Dash, I mean Dabble, had to have her naming ceremony in Flutter Valley! And the same goes for Baby-- I mean Scribbles. And Barnacle lost an eye! Now he has a use for that eye thing on his hat..."
She trailed off.
Steamer nodded. "Many of us have changed for good, and many soldiers will be injured for the rest of their lives."
"But why?" Glory turned tear blurred eyes to him. "Why did that King Silverbow have to ruin it all for us? We were so happy! Him and the rest of those skinny ponies, with those jewels in their eyes that stare at you, had to come..."
"I know," said Steamer, bowing his head, "I know. But we have to forget. We'll never rebuild if we dwell on the past for too long."
"But it's so hard!" cried Glory "So many have been taken from our midst! So much is different from before! Ponyland will never be the same, and this war has made us suffer for five years! Five years! Two of war, and three more for us to dwell on the pain and losses we suffered."
She sighed and shook her head, blinking hard.
"It's been three years," she said softly, "and still we suffer from the war."
Steamer immediately knew what she was talking about.
"Medley?" he asked "I heard they found her. But is she--?"
"No." answered Glory. "She's alive. But injured badly. She was kept prisoner and has the chain marks still around her neck and hooves. They have been treated. She always will have scars, though the fur should grow back."
Steamer gave a grim smile. "At least she is alive." he said, "We can be thankful."
"But it's only one life out of many," said Glory sadly "Not all those who are missing are alive."
Then she looked at the moon, her eyes blazing with anger.
"What I wan't to know," she said, every syllable trembling with rage, "Is why. Why did he put so many lives on the line, just because of--of, of something as stupid as Majesty refusing to give up being Queen! He's mad. Majesty has been on the throne for years. Centuries even. And he comes parading into Ponyland and expects Majesty to give it up on a whim. Then he starts a war over it! He's mad, I tell you!"
Steamer nodded. "I agree," he said "Maybe he is mad. He lost his country, and maybe he was power hungry before that. Then he troops into Ponyland, and it's so lovely, he wants it. And maybe he was so power hungry that it blinded him. So maybe he is mad. Mad for power."
Glory shot him an angry look.
"I'm not making excuses for him," said Steamer seriously, "There's no excuse for what he did. Maybe, like you, I'm just trying to find reasoning behind actions that just make no sense to us. But I don't really think we can ever understand what went through his mind to make him do this."
They sat in slience. The sun was beginning to rise, sending rays of pink and orange shooting into the sky, coloring the clouds until they seemed to glow like giant lamps. The cry of a raven pierced the air like a gunshot, making both ponies jump.
"We'd better get back to Dream Castle." said Steamer, standing up. Both had jobs there as messengers.
They galloped silently as ghosts down the hillside, they're hoofbeats muffled by the dewy grass. They stopped and looked back at the mountains, now lit with sunlight, showing the blackened and charred remains of forest fires set by Silverbow's army.
An eagle circled high above, and Steamer sighed. He watched and then asked the eagle.
"Will the scars of war ever heal?"
The only answer was a harsh cry.
Sighing, Steamer turned and galloped through the drawbridge.
by
~~~
Chapter one
~*~
Glory and Steamer
~~~
It was night in Ponyland, and a light wind was brushing the valley with a gentle hand. Moonlight flickered through the leaves of the beech trees, dappling the grass like water. Not a soul stirred in the silvery darkness, and no sound but the whispers of the tall grasses in the fields broke the stillness.
Apon a clifftop, there stood a pony. Tall and slim, she stood, silouetted against the moon that lit up the Valley. Her deep blue eyes were wet with tears as she surveyed the land below her.
The war had been three years ago, but the scars were still left apon Ponyland. Yes, they had won, but at a price. The lives of many had been shattered, lost, destroyed. Both ponies and others. Perhaps so many would not have perished had the Flutter ponies helped in the war. But, then, it had not been their war, and it would be asking too much of them to risk their lives for Ponyland. After all, they had allready done it once, and could not be expected to do it again.
The pony sighed. Why had that had to happen? Ponyland had always been a peaceful place, and they had never had trouble with other Valley's before. Then he had come. King Silverbow and his army of strange, skinny ponies had come bursting into Ponyland, demanding to have the throne of Ponyland, as his own country had been taken from him.
Of course, Majesty refused, and so, he had gone somewhere and spread a false tale of the cruel Queen of Ponyland, Majesty, who had refused to help them after all they had been through. He said his people were starving and that Majesty refused to give them food and water, and drove them from the Valley.
It was all lies, but others belived him. He mustered an army and the war had begun. Two years later, it ended in a bitter victory for Ponyland. But now, it would never be the same again. Innocence of the babies had dissapeared, and they had been forced to hide. Smuggled into Flutter Valley to live away from their parents, some returning to find they had none. Her own child had been one of the lucky ones. Baby Bouncy, and Baby Grafitti, not to mention many others, were not.
The Castle had withstood, but that could not be said for other buildings. The nursery was now being rebuilt with what materials they had left. Other building had been rebuilt as well. But fields had been ruined, and food had been scarce for a year afterwards.
Now the harvests were getting better, and the orchards were also looking good. The seaponies had returned from the lakes in Flutter Valley where they had journeyed by way of underwater caves.
Basically, Ponyland was healing, and things were returning to normal. Or as normal as they could ever be.
"They called it The Great Battle," whispered the pony "but how can a battle be great? It is nothing but a small discomfort in this big world of ours...In Epithopia..."
The howl of a wolf shattered the stillness of the night, in one clear high note. Another joined, and then more. They're howls rose and then dropped off one by one. The pony gave another sigh. She knew life would never be the same for the Wolves either. For any of the animals that lived in Ponyland.
"So many lives destroyed," she sighed "when will it stop?"
Hoofsteps approached, and a pony sat down beside her on the rock. It was a pink Clydsdale with white hair.
"Hey," he said softly.
"Hi Steamer."said the pony.
"Glory, what's wrong?" asked Steamer. "You seem so sad."
"Of course I am," she said "Look at our valley. Look at what has become of Ponyland! Our children have lost their childhood, and some of them have lost their parents! Baby Glory seems so distant. And Baby Dash, I mean Dabble, had to have her naming ceremony in Flutter Valley! And the same goes for Baby-- I mean Scribbles. And Barnacle lost an eye! Now he has a use for that eye thing on his hat..."
She trailed off.
Steamer nodded. "Many of us have changed for good, and many soldiers will be injured for the rest of their lives."
"But why?" Glory turned tear blurred eyes to him. "Why did that King Silverbow have to ruin it all for us? We were so happy! Him and the rest of those skinny ponies, with those jewels in their eyes that stare at you, had to come..."
"I know," said Steamer, bowing his head, "I know. But we have to forget. We'll never rebuild if we dwell on the past for too long."
"But it's so hard!" cried Glory "So many have been taken from our midst! So much is different from before! Ponyland will never be the same, and this war has made us suffer for five years! Five years! Two of war, and three more for us to dwell on the pain and losses we suffered."
She sighed and shook her head, blinking hard.
"It's been three years," she said softly, "and still we suffer from the war."
Steamer immediately knew what she was talking about.
"Medley?" he asked "I heard they found her. But is she--?"
"No." answered Glory. "She's alive. But injured badly. She was kept prisoner and has the chain marks still around her neck and hooves. They have been treated. She always will have scars, though the fur should grow back."
Steamer gave a grim smile. "At least she is alive." he said, "We can be thankful."
"But it's only one life out of many," said Glory sadly "Not all those who are missing are alive."
Then she looked at the moon, her eyes blazing with anger.
"What I wan't to know," she said, every syllable trembling with rage, "Is why. Why did he put so many lives on the line, just because of--of, of something as stupid as Majesty refusing to give up being Queen! He's mad. Majesty has been on the throne for years. Centuries even. And he comes parading into Ponyland and expects Majesty to give it up on a whim. Then he starts a war over it! He's mad, I tell you!"
Steamer nodded. "I agree," he said "Maybe he is mad. He lost his country, and maybe he was power hungry before that. Then he troops into Ponyland, and it's so lovely, he wants it. And maybe he was so power hungry that it blinded him. So maybe he is mad. Mad for power."
Glory shot him an angry look.
"I'm not making excuses for him," said Steamer seriously, "There's no excuse for what he did. Maybe, like you, I'm just trying to find reasoning behind actions that just make no sense to us. But I don't really think we can ever understand what went through his mind to make him do this."
They sat in slience. The sun was beginning to rise, sending rays of pink and orange shooting into the sky, coloring the clouds until they seemed to glow like giant lamps. The cry of a raven pierced the air like a gunshot, making both ponies jump.
"We'd better get back to Dream Castle." said Steamer, standing up. Both had jobs there as messengers.
They galloped silently as ghosts down the hillside, they're hoofbeats muffled by the dewy grass. They stopped and looked back at the mountains, now lit with sunlight, showing the blackened and charred remains of forest fires set by Silverbow's army.
An eagle circled high above, and Steamer sighed. He watched and then asked the eagle.
"Will the scars of war ever heal?"
The only answer was a harsh cry.
Sighing, Steamer turned and galloped through the drawbridge.