Thanks to Warwolf and Heretical Zed for prereading this. - Starman Ghost

"Antonio! Antonio, wake up! You need to see this!" Evening Star pressed her hooves on the side of his bed, her tail swishing wildly.

Antonio's eyes popped open. He glanced at the clock, looked at Evening Star, and groaned. She knew he wouldn't like being woken up this early on a Saturday, but this was important.

"Wha-"

"The news! It's all over the blogs!"

Antonio shook his head. "Evening, it's six in the-"

"Please, just look at this! It's the war! It's news about the war!" She took her hooves off of the bed and began pacing back and forth next to the bed, her eyes telling him to hurry up.

With agonizing slowness, he tossed aside his sheets and eased himself off of the bed, nearly falling over. As soon as he was standing, Evening Star was back at the computer, the mouse and her horn glowing red as she switched tabs to a blog and started loading an embedded video.

"Okay, here, watch-"

Antonio mumbled that he'd be there in a minute, walked past her, stumbled to the counter, and tore open the packaging of a toaster pastry. Evening stared at him, and had Antonio looked at her face he would have seen equal measures impatience and annoyance; having been refreshing Cokebird's news blog all morning waiting for the video, even a small delay was agonizing. He didn't look at her though; instead, he threw the pastry in the microwave, pushed a few buttons, and took it out a few seconds later. He bit into it, chewed, and swallowed. Then, finally, he sat at the foot of his bed next to the desk housing his computer.

"Okay, what was it you wanted to show me?"

Evening Star jabbed a hoof at the screen as she clicked the video's "play" button. On the screen, a large column of South African soldiers marched down a dirt road that ran between two rows of modest wooden, thatch-roofed shops, built in a distinct colorful Equestrian style. Beneath the overcast sky, some earlier heavy rainfall had turned the road into a mire of mud and large, grimy puddles. At the bottom was a header reading "SOUTH AFRICA RECLAIMED, SURRENDER DEMAND ISSUED."

"Already?!"

"Shh! Keep watching."

A young woman began speaking. "At 1:17PM, Greenwich Meridian Time, United Nations forces met the last of the enemy resistance in the South African territory that had been occupied by the enemy after an offensive lasting just one week.

"In the initial assault, South African forces suffered heavy casualties despite a large technological advantage and minimal enemy presence. However, after the pegasus-created storms that had been plaguing the area ever since the bubble reached it abated, EU air support quickly turned the tide in our favor. The last contact with enemy forces was just fifteen minutes after the first bombing runs."

The video cut to a squad of South African soldiers kicking in the door of a small home, rifles at the ready as they swept the rooms. When they passed the bedroom, the tall, mirrored wardrobe was wide open, a lone sock spilling out of it. As they entered the kitchen, a pair of half-eaten meals was visible on the table. Many of the squat wooden drawers and cabinets were open, and fruit and vegetables were scattered on the counters and floor.

"Troops reclaiming the captured territory have so far found the pony settlements there to be unexpectedly abandoned, by all indications within the last day. Based on current estimates, thousands of ponies have been evacuated to an unknown destination with remarkable speed."

A babyfaced, heavyset soldier picked up an apple from the counter and bit into it. "Still good to eat," he said through a mouthful of fruit, eliciting a laugh from the others.

The video cut to the deck of a ship, the sky a gloomy gray. A pair of armed, olive drab helicopters hovered above, the wind whipping from their blades making the American flag on the ship's deck flap wildly. The camera followed them as they dove forward and flew off into the distance. "Meanwhile, the combined United Nations naval and air forces braved horrific storms to defeat Equestria's pegasi in the South Atlantic. Multiple ships, including troop transports and missile cruisers were sunk in the ensuing fight, and dozens of aircraft were shot down. Despite the unexpectedly fierce resistance, the UN ultimately succeeded in forcing enemy pegasi to retreat to mainland Equestria.

"Preparations for an invasion are now underway, but with the heavy losses UN forces have faced in just the last few hours, commanders have decided to employ a new strategy. Thousands of long-range missiles have been loaded and aimed at Equestria, and are ready to fire at targets across the country a moment's notice."

The video cut to a fair-skinned, thin-haired elderly military commander, multiple ribbons and medals adorning his uniform.

"It's been a week since we started our counterattack and so many of our men have already fallen. Based on casualty estimates for an assault on Equestria, I believe that massed missile fire beforehand on spots that are likely to most aid the enemy war effort could save hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of human lives."

The video cut back to the ship's deck. "Thanks to an effort largely spearheaded by U.S. diplomat Rowe, the United Nations members have agreed to delay invasion plans by twenty-four hours to give Equestria's leadership time to respond to a surrender demand. The current terms of surrender do not call for punitive measures against the Equestrian people, but demand that Celestia and Luna step down from their positions and face an international tribunal. As of now the royal sisters face charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and crimes against peace largely due to the effects of their expanding barrier.

"The reclamation of Namibia is still underway, but there seems to be no enemy or pony civilian presence there either."

The video ended, and for a moment neither said anything. It was Antonio who broke the silence.

"Well, that's a good thing, isn't it? I mean, it sounds like the war's almost over, and it doesn't look like Celestia's winning." He popped the last corner of his pastry into his mouth.

"Antonio..." Evening Star lowered her head. "I don't like the sound of the human plan. I saw some cruise missile test videos online. It...it wasn't pretty. Thousands of those, going off all over Equestria...?" She inhaled deeply, her breath shaky. "That's more missiles than Celestia has bases, more than she has soldiers, in fact. Where are they planning on hitting? Railways? Factories? Those are in cities, and the cities will get hit too. Missiles aren't picky, any ponies unlucky enough to be by targets will get caught in the blast too. I don't want any more of your soldiers to die, but it's not..." She trailed off before taking a deep breath.

"If those fire, a lot of ponies will die. Some of them just because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And they might be my friends, or my family. I wanted the UN to win this war, but not like this. Not like this.

"And I helped Earth. I leaked what I knew onto the internet. If that attack happens, and innocent ponies die from it..." She shivered. "I didn't want this. I wanted to help Earth, I wanted peace, I wanted to make sure Celestia couldn't destroy you. I don't know...did I do the right thing?"

She looked at Antonio, tear in the corner of her eyes, expecting him to say something. What exactly that was, though, she wasn't sure. Antonio looked like he had surmised as much, although judging his eyes wandering everywhere except her, he couldn't think of anything. Finally, staring at the sunlit blinds of his small window, he spoke.

"Celestia'll surrender though, won't she? Like, she knows what the missiles would do, I'll bet. There's no way she'd let that happen to her ponies. Didn't you say that yourself?"

Evening Star nodded slightly. "I did, and I believed it when I said it. But with everything that's happened recently, I'm not so sure. I never would've thought she would've invaded another world and tried to wipe out the people living there, either. I don't know if she's looking after us like we've always been told, or if she really raises the sun, or if she's the divine ruler she's always said to be. I just don't know."

"Well..." Antonio shrugged. "I don't know. We'll have to wait and see."

Evening Star, not knowing how to respond to such a useless remark, turned back to the computer. She heard Antonio step into the kitchen nook again, followed shortly by the familiar flick of a lighter. Her head whipped around to face him, and she looked at him in exasperation.

"Look, please, not in here, okay? I told you, the ventilation's bad, I just can't deal with smoke, especially not right now."

Antonio looked at the lit cigarette between his fingers, then back at Evening Star, seeming more confused than anything else. "Look, it's my apartment, I'm just having a cigarette. Can I do that? Is it that much to ask? I've been letting you live with me for free, I never complained even though you're on my computer so much I barely have a chance to use it, I don't think I'm asking too much here." He punctuated his last sentence with a jab of his cigarette.

"You-" She blinked, then stared at him flatly. "Look. I live here too, and unlike you, I can't just step outside whenever I want. Do you realize I haven't stepped out of that door in weeks? I can't. If I do, they'll take me to a camp. You know that. Have you thought about what that's like? I'm stuck here, and I'm passing the time the only way I really can."

Antonio lowered the cigarette, now staring at her impassively. He clearly wanted to say something, and judging by his frown it was something she wouldn't like. Apparently, though, he couldn't find the words.

"Listen to me," Evening Star said briskly, "I get it. You wanted to pay me back for saving you in that alley, maybe you didn't think it all the way through. You didn't think about what it'd be like having two people living in an apartment that's small even for one. You didn't think about what it'd be like never, ever being alone when you were home. You didn't think about how much it'd cost to support someone for free. I could tell, I saw how you got more and more irritated as the days went by.

"Please understand, I really am grateful for what you've done. I have no idea what happens in those camps. For all I know I could've had my horn hacked off by now. I need you to cooperate with me, though. If I get caught for any reason, they'll take me off to a camp, they'll know you were hiding me, and there's no telling what they'll do to you. Like it or not, we're stuck together for..." She waved a hoof. "...I don't know how long. We'll have to do what we can to make this work.

"Oh, by the way, I'm 'hogging your computer' to help your people against PER, so are you really going to complain about that? Did you hear about their latest attack? Did you know just yesterday I got a comment personally thanking me from someone because they avoided a poisoned drink based on my advice?"

Antonio had been staring the whole time, and Evening Star had the distinct feeling he hadn't really been listening, because her words had no obvious effect on him aside from making him more irritated.

Finally, he spoke, rapidly and unevenly. "Look, I...I'm doing all this for you. How can you act like it's...like it's all my fault? Just, all I want is some time..." He took a deep drag from his cigarette, at least taking care to turn his head away before blowing his smoke. "I'm heading out for a bit. Bye."

Evening Star decided not to try to talk to him until he'd had some time to calm down, so she said nothing as he stepped into the bathroom. He emerged a minute later wearing t-shirt and shorts. She didn't know why humans couldn't stand the thought of being seen naked, but it certainly wasn't making things any easier. As he stepped out the door, she just shook her head and turned back to the computer.

For a few moments, all she could do was stare at the screen. She knew, intellectually, that she was doing the right thing; as horrible as the planned attack was, it wouldn't be a genocide. Celestia and PER were the ones carrying out genocide, and by fighting them she was helping to prevent it. At times like this, it seemed there were only bad choices and worse ones.

She closed out all of her blog tabs and loaded up a Flash game, not having the energy for bad choices right now.

The dull green cargo freighter dominated the scene, dwarfing the buildings of the Antarctic research compound it was docked near. A while earlier, the facility had been bustling with activity as the crew hauled pallet after pallet off of the ship, stacking piles of food, medical supplies, diesel fuel, and other supplies that would be needed for the long winter in their storage rooms. With the free ponies helping, the task was finished more quickly than usual.

Ordinarily the next step would have been to get the temporary staff aboard for their voyage home. The base operated with a very small crew during the long, dark, winter, so once the supplies were unloaded the winter staff would gather outside to see off the temporary staff. There was an extra task to undertake before that could happen this time, however.

As always, everyone present had crowded to the side of the path that boots, hooves, tires, and treads had carved through the snow leading up to the ship's heavy loading ramp. Andrew and Ice Breaker, who had been two of the last to join, were at the edge of the crowd.

Then, the SAS emerged. Andrew had done his best to count them as they piled out of the ship, and by his estimate there were a dozen; they clearly weren't taking any chances. They were clad in black tactical armor, their faces hidden by black gas masks, each one wielding a black submachine gun or shotgun. None of them had spoken, except for one who had a brief exchange with Lawson, after which he motioned to those behind them and they marched to a building he had pointed out to them.

A few minutes later, four ponies emerged, each one trailed closely by three soldiers. Each SAS watched them, hawklike, their eyes and their guns never from straying from their charges. As the prisoners and soldiers marched into their way up the ramp and into the ship, the crowd was eerily silent.

As Eclipse disappeared into the cargo bay, seething but complying, Andrew glanced at Ice Breaker, and found Ice Breaker was glancing back at him; the concern in his eyes and the slight shuffling of his hooves told Andrew he was nervous, and Andrew couldn't blame him. They were soldiers, soldiers clad so heavily in gear they seemed almost inhuman. He was a pony. He wasn't above suspicion.

Andrew leaned forward slightly and peered down the line, scanning for the other ponies. He knew that the other four would be there, and he wondered if they were as nervous as Ice Breaker seemed to be. He failed to see any because he didn't lean forward far enough or look long enough to get a good view down the crowd, but he didn't want to be too conspicuous; he wasn't too keen on drawing the attention of the SAS either.

Finally, the last of the black-armored soldiers disappeared into the cargo hold, and all that was left to do was to wait for their commander to re-emerge and let them know that the prisoners had been secured. With that done, the large group began to break up, splitting into smaller knots of people and ponies.

Ice Breaker quickly excused himself to talk to Thunderhead, with whom he'd become close friends, leaving Andrew to wander the crowds looking for Karen. Normally, Karen would have been one of the winter crew, but she would be among those leaving today. The burden of seeing Thunderhead every day, it seemed, was proving too much for her to bear. As Andrew drifted from crowd to crowd, scanning for her, he caught pieces of conversations.

"...an optimist, but I'd say by tomorrow we'll win the war one way or another..."

"...never got around to asking how you work on machines with hooves..."

"...hopefully once this is over, HSR membership will pick up someplace besides here..."

"...really should see a midair pegasus dance. I'd demonstrate, but my only possible partner would be Thunderhead, and the colt can't dance to save his life..."

"...hear you finally got an email address, Quantum, we'll have to keep in touch..."

There he saw her, in the group with the other scientists, Quantum Leap among them, talking with Jane, a young woman he recognized as her friend. After waiting a moment for a break in their conversation, he made his way over.

"Hey, excuse me, Karen?"

Karen turned to face him, her expression somber. Brushing a stray lock of blonde hair from her thin face, she said, "Oh, hey Andrew. I guess you heard, then?"

"Yeah. I mean, I don't blame you, but at the same time...uh...I mean, I'm just curious, have you talked to Quantum Leap at all since what happened to Eddy?"

Karen paused for a moment, then quietly shook her head.

"I've been telling you, you really should at least say hi," Jane said to her. "You'd gotten to know Leap really well before it happened, and you said yourself she's been as fine a work partner as any human in the field."

"And now you won't talk to any ponies at all," Andrew said. "I know it can't be easy, but I think it could help. I would've been where you are if Ice Breaker hadn't come to say he was sorry and tried to help me deal with what happened."

Karen looked away. "I just can't really deal with any ponies yet. I need time. That's...that's all."

"But how much?" Jane asked. "I understand you need time away from this, but do you have any way to contact Leap after you're gone?"

"I..." Karen peered up at the freighter. "Look, we don't know what'll happen after the war's over. It might not even be an issue then. We don't know how it'll turn out, especially with that surrender demand." She coughed. "If it is though...I think. I think I'll be able to open up to them again, someday."

"I really think you should at least get her email address," said Andrew. "There wouldn't be any pressure, you could just send her a message if you ever felt like it."

Karen paused and put a hand to her chin, apparently turning the question over in her head.

"I suppose so," she said, in a tone indicating she had no intention of actually following through. "Jane, you were just talking to her, you had her address, right? Go ahead and send it to me."

Jane, a stout woman with stubby fingers, nodded and gained the faintest trace of a smile. Then someone tapped on Andrew's back. Upon turning around, he saw Ice Breaker, looking disconcerted.

"Oh, Andrew? After you've said your goodbyes, can we meet at your bunk, please? I need to talk to you about something, as soon as possible. And I need it to be someplace where no one's likely to overhear. When you're ready, I'll be with Thunderhead."

Andrew nodded and said his goodbyes to Karen and Jane, then he and Ice Breaker split off from the small group. He moved rather hurriedly through the rest of his farewells, knowing that if he took too long the remaining staff would head back to the compound. After that happened, the two would have difficulty finding privacy anywhere.

It wasn't long before he told Ice Breaker he was ready, and after a short walk together, they were alone in his sleeping quarters, a room housing twin bunk beds with just enough room for a person to move between them. Andrew had flicked on the fluorescent light and sat down on his bed, the lower one in a bunk; Ice Breaker seated himself on the bed directly across from him. The upper bunks left both of them in shadow.

"Andrew, it's..." He took a breath. "It's the missiles."

Andrew leaned back. He figured it would be something like this, and it wasn't a conversation he'd been looking forward to. Still, Ice Breaker was confiding with him, and with the comfort the pony had given him after Eddy's death, he figured he owed him at least a shoulder to lean on. He wasn't good at this type of thing, but he had to try.

"Scared, huh?"

Ice Breaker nodded. "I don't know where they'll hit or how much damage they do, but I don't want to see Equestria destroyed. I learned a lot of things about it these last few months, and none of them were good, but even so, it's my home. It just feels like...it feels like whoever wins this war, the loser will suffer, you know?"

"I'm sorry, Ice. I wish I knew. None of us know what they're targeting, though. All we can do is wait and hope. As for the suffering...that's how it usually goes, I'm afraid."

"It just seems...it just seems so unfair. Yes, Equestria attacked Earth. That was all Celestia's fault, though. The other ponies, we were all just trusting and obeying our leader. That's what we did for the last millenia, and it always worked before.

"Look. I know why they're planning to fire the missiles if Celestia doesn't surrender, I know they're trying to save their own. But when those missiles hit, even if they all somehow hit nobody but royal guards...that won't make the dead ponies any less dead. And I have a terrible feeling ordinary ponies will die right alongside them. It's just horrible it had to happen this way. No matter what happens, so many people...

"Andrew, do you ever wonder what it would've been like if the CBs never got set up, if there was never an expanding barrier? If Celestia meant it when she said she wanted friendship? Could ponies and humans have lived peacefully?"

Andrew's head tilted down, and he let his chin rest on his palm.

"Ice...it might not be too late. Even after all that's happened, we here at Halley decided we can live with each other. If we want it and work for it, it still can happen, I'm sure. I'm sure."

"And...how about you personally, Andrew? Do you want it? Would you work for it?"

He didn't have to think hard about his answer. He'd always been a quiet, introverted type. Close friends were hard to come by for him, and yet he found this pony was quickly becoming one of his closest friends in a long time. In response, he nodded firmly.

Andrew's eyes widened in surprise as Ice Breaker leaped off of the bed. Suddenly, the pony's heavy weight was on him, broad forelegs wrapping around Andrew and head resting on his shoulder. Andrew's first instinct was to push him away; he and the pony may have become close friends, but he'd never really been the hugging type. Sudden, uninvited hugs were especially unwelcome.

In the end, though, he didn't have the heart to do it. Surprising as it was, he actually found his embrace to be rather comfortable, enough so that he found it in him to put an arm around Ice Breaker's back. For the first time, as his fingers ran through his fur, he felt the thick, hard muscle that had allowed the pony to push heavy pallets as though they were toys.

Andrew found himself liking it. After all, the Antarctic was cold, and Ice Breaker was warm.

"Hey, the meeting's not until - Cheerilee, what happened?"

She was sobbing when Lyra opened the door to let her in. Gently, she led her to a cushion, then sat down on one opposite her. It took a few moments for Cheerilee to settle down enough to speak.

"They found us out. I just lost my job. Nopony trusts me to teach the foals now."

Lyra's face paled. She'd known for a while, on some level, that she would probably have to face this sooner or later. That didn't make her any more prepared for it. She squeezed her eyes shut, shook her head, and took a deep breath.

"Bon-Bon," she breathed. "It was her, it had to be. Nopony else except other members knows we're in the EFH."

"Bon-Bon was your friend, wasn't she? Surely you aren't telling me..."

"We're not friends anymore. She called me a traitor at the meeting and then she never said anything to me. Cheerilee, we've gotta...we'll have to...I mean...oh, I don't know! And what'll happen when Celestia hears?"

"I don't think we'll have to worry about her, Lyra. She knows about our group, and all she did was tell everypony we're wrong."

Lyra relaxed slightly. "I guess you're right, but...but now it sounds like Ponyville hates us! Is the mayor okay?"

"She'll probably have to resign." Cheerilee shook her head. "It looks like for all of us, our Ponyville days are over."

"You mean...oh no, we'll have to move?"

"I'm afraid so. Now that we've stood against Celestia, we're not welcome here anymore."

"Where to, though? I've always lived here. I don't know anypony anywhere else, how can I just pack up and...leave?" Lyra's voice cracked on the last word.

"I'm friends with a couple of our members in Fillydelphia. I'll write them to tell them we're coming." Cheerilee stood up and began pacing back and forth in front of Lyra. "I'll tell the mayor, too. Zecora...she usually stays in Everfree Forest, she should be fine. But oh, the poor dear! It's a shame, after the trouble she had getting ponies to accept her the first time. I should at least drop by and tell her."

Lyra nodded slowly, stiffly. Cheerilee stood up and opened the door to leave, but turned back to face her just before stepping outside.

"I'm off to tell them now, you can come if you want."

She shook her head. Cheerilee turned on the spot to face her and looked at her sadly.

"Lyra, I'm really sorry it ended up this way. I know you're scared. But you should be proud. Everypony deserves a chance, and you've risked so much to convince ponies that the humans do, too."

Lyra would have spoken, but the lump in her throat made it impossible.

"I'll be back in half an hour. Until then, you should pack up. You'll only be able to take what you can carry on your back, I'm afraid."

They bade each other goodbye, and Cheerilee stepped out the door.

A moment after the door shut behind Cheerilee, Lyra brought out two saddlebags, then looked forlornly about her house. For a while she just stared, wondering what she could leave behind. Then, she wandered about, grabbing whatever items happened to catch her eye first. Money. Toiletries. A box of birthday candy from Pinkie Pie. A scarf she'd bought from Rarity. A family portrait. Some books. How could they be so full already? Cheerilee hadn't elaborated much on the plan. Would she need to bring her own food? Her own sleeping bag?

She was still agonizing over this when the door burst open behind her, Cheerilee coming in trailed closely by Mayor Mare, who looked every bit as gloomy as Lyra felt. Each carried a pair of saddlebags.

"Well," said Mayor Mare with a weak attempt at a smile, "I guess there are worse ways I could've got thrown out of office."

Suddenly remembering something, Lyra sprang to her hooves.

"Oh! Cheerilee! What do we do about...uh...about the message? They...they might hit Fillydelphia..."

A silent chill fell on the room; she didn't have to say anything else. The humans had broadcast it all over Equestria: if Celestia didn't surrender, the humans would invade. And they'd start by bombing any place likely to put up heavy resistance. In the commotion created when Cheerilee had shown up, that had been temporarily forgotten.

"We...we'll be on the road," Cheerilee finally said. "We shouldn't be anywhere that would be hit. Besides, for all she's done wrong, Princess Celestia cares about us. She would never let them destroy us, I don't think. Even if she has to surrender."

"And...are you still sure I should be proud? I mean, knowing they'd do that to us?"

Cheerilee pawed at the ground and looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

"I admit, when I heard what they were doing, I wondered. To use such tactics...it's barbarous, just barbarous. But they know that if they fail, they'll all die...Lyra, I'm sorry, now I just don't know what to think about them. We don't know what they'll hit. We don't know when they plan on stopping. We don't know if their public wants it. We don't even know if they're bluffing. But whatever happens, yes." She squared her shoulders. "You should be proud. Even if all of Celestia's worst assumptions about them are true, they still deserve a chance.

"Now, we really should get going. We'll talk some more on the road."

"Wait! Uh, do I need to pack my own food?"

"Don't worry, I know the whole route!" said Mayor Mare. "We'll have places to eat every day and sleep every night. As long as you've got some bits, you're ready!"

Lyra affirmed that she did. Then, one by one, they filed out.

Since she was the last one through the door, Lyra turned out the lights.

Next Chapter: Celestia's Answer (Prose) Estimated time remaining: 53 Minutes