---

It is difficult to remember life in the past, before the Great War. But it wasn't impossible.

In my case, I have snippets here and there—of Pre-War Equestria. I can remember how green the pastures looked from the clouds as I flew home to Cloudsdale. It looked much less Artificial back then. With its metallic silos and pre-constructed cedarwood cabins that were simply placed rather than built on supple spots of land. I recalled how open and spacious the fields and farmlands were before the motorized vehicles and contraptions had taken over.

I don't remember much except hopeful, wishful thinking that the world would be better as time went on and that technology would make our lives easier and more beautiful.

I never imagined that in a world of magic and beauty, an era of bold industrial innovation would supersede the millennia-long status quo.

I never imagined that the future would be built off of manufactured misery.

What I do remember (or at least, what I choose to remember) was the day it all fell apart. I knew it like the back of my hoof. It was difficult to forget.

I distinctly remember sitting in a restaurant in Canterlot when it happened. I was listening to the Radio as cheerful music was coming out of it. I was eating lunch. I can't remember what I was eating at the time.

However, things had been pretty good in my life until that moment. I had recently moved into Night Light's new residence in Cloudsdale. After much planning and deliberation, I decided to move into her home with her after she finally landed a job in Cloudsdale and moved away from her parents.

We had planned to move in for quite some time now. Over the past few months, we only saw each other off work and when our schedules were free. Both of us agreed that it wasn't nearly as much time as we would like to spend with one another, and so after much organizing and physical effort, we finally pulled it off and were under one roof.

It was a chore having to move all my furniture from one house in ponyville to another in Cloudsdale, and have them be reorganized later on. Especially when that new home is located in the sky. But we pulled it off.

She has been my companion for as long as I can remember, although recently, during this whole endeavor, she and I have expressed our desire to be more than friends.

We preferred privacy in our company, so nothing changed in our public perception of us; to the random outsider, we looked like good friends—at least in public. We frolicked and did whatever we liked indoors, but it wasn't very often.

Not that either of us cared that much about it. Sure, we preferred each other's company over others, but neither Night Light nor I had any problem with the lack of intimacy. We simply didn't care. We enjoyed each other's presence, and that was more than enough.

But I digress: The summer of 1011 was probably one of the more pleasant ones I remembered, really. Now that I think about it, it was not too hot with no heatwave, it was windy at just the right speed for Pegasi to enjoy leisurely flights, and the seasonal precipitation was at its annual peak for the growing of the crops after spring for Earth Ponies. Also, the school was out for the younger fillies and colts, allowing them to play and thrive outside in their respective communities during their vacation.

When I was younger, I thought life was mundane and boring. Since I was born, my life has been mostly uneventful and quiet. My childhood was not particularly interesting. I would walk around town and explore a little bit in the streets of Ponyville. Obviously, I wasn't to go into the Everfree; that place had a mind of its own, and I wasn't trying to be added to its statistics. Most days, when I wasn't in school, that implied that I wandered around town, maybe kicking a pebble down the dirt path, and nothing else happened.

Not that I was complaining. I liked the peace and quiet. It felt like everything was taken care of, and no loose ends were left to be tied. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and everything had a sense of 'familiarity' to it. There were bouts of melancholy here and there, but they, too, had passed along with time.

But that summer. It had felt almost perfect.

Night Light was promoted to her job as a standard WSR Operator, responsible for monitoring anomalous weather readings. Her job brought home good money after we moved in, so it didn't require me to do anything for the household except keep it tidy when I was home.

That fact did little to ease my guilt about her having to bear most of the burden for us. She worked and toiled away while I quickly cleaned the house and did chores at home. Night Light repeatedly told me time and time again that it wasn't necessary, but I thought differently. I wanted to split the responsibility equally. It only felt suitable for her.

For the past few weeks, I have been trying to apply for several different jobs across Cloudsdale. It didn't really take long, of course. Unemployment wasn't an issue, but it was somewhat hard for the common Earth Pony or Unicorn to earn a job in Cloudsdale, as you can imagine.

Needless to say, I eventually found a job as a mail courier. And I was ecstatic about it. It was the afternoon of that fateful day when the mail came in about my new employment. I knew that Night Light wouldn't be home for a few hours due to her shift, and I wanted to celebrate, so that's what I did. I flew to Canterlot on my own (which wasn't really far away, only about a half-hour's flight), and I wanted to eat a good luncheon.

... Casserole.

I remember now.

I was eating Hayburger Casserole for lunch that day.

... I think that was the first time I heard of it.

---

WZT-BZZZZZT!

“We interrupt this Program for an Emergency Civil Alert Broadcast."

The radio's music was silenced to a halt, suddenly and blatantly. This captured the attention of a couple of Ponies, myself included. The Radio gave out no noise for about 30 seconds. At that point, all eyes and ears were on the radio. It gave three small chirps before a disturbed stallion's voice was heard through the speakers.

"We are now receiving reports of heavy fighting in the City of Acronage. Many reports confirm that the Changelings are advancing eastbound. We do not know the details of such provocations at this current time. Still, it is concluded by eyewitnesses and several radar reports from the area that there is a massive influence of Changeling Aviation present in the area. Princess Celestia herself is declaring a state of emergency.”

The painful quiver in his tone was undeniable. Whatever was happening, it was not a hallucination.

"It is with deep condolence that I must report to you that this is an act of war against Equestria."

The radio continued to provide more details, but by that point, I was not paying attention, and his words became white noise.

I felt like someone bucked me in the stomach, and a cold fearful vine was squeezing my soul.

This couldn't be real. It can't be real.

This is just a nightmare.

I was half-expecting Princess Luna to reveal herself somewhere throughout my internal soliloquy. I even gave myself a small pinch on the abdomen. Nothing changed, and no midnight-hued Alicorn revealed herself accordingly.

It was real. The first piece of concrete, definitive evidence I heard thrust me into the painful reality that we were now at war.

I remember the despair that washed over me when the realization dawned upon me. The word itself sounded alien to me.

War.

Ponies around me looked horrified and stunned. Some of them quickly packed up their belongings and left their food on the table without paying.

"No... This... T-this is real? How? Why?!" Someone asked.

“In light of this sudden event, Princess Celestia herself will give a speech regarding the Changelings and her plan of action. The speech will commence in one hour and will be broadcast on all frequencies.” The radio continued as if replying to our cries.

I snapped out of my panic attack and realized I was among a select few ponies still sitting here, most of them leaving the building as they heard the news.

I remember dashing out of the restaurant, opening my wings, and taking off to cloudsdale, leaving my lunch and the restaurant behind in a blur. Night Light, I had to get to her!

It felt weird and out of place, but it felt like a race against the clock. For some reason, I conjured the mental image of a sickly dark storm in the distance rolling towards me, and it was a race to see if it would get there first or me.

I remember a long and rushed flight, with a million thoughts soaring through my head. Most of those thoughts were panicked and illogical.

As the flight dragged on into the hour, more collected thoughts started to assemble in my mind. Questions were the first to emerge.

What happened? Why did this happen? What will we do now? What can we do now? What about our peace? What about our Harmony? Can the Elements do something? Where is our safety now? What will happen to us later on?

What will the Princesses do?

What will the Changelings do if they get here?

Where do we go from here?

When could we have prevented this?

How can we prevent this?

Why is this even happening?

I remember the surreality, the frustration, the fear, the exhaustion, the sobering nausea wracking my stomach, and the drive to find Night Light—all amalgamated into a cocktail of emotions swirling around like a carousel.

The flight was more exhausting than I initially thought, but I didn't stop for a moment's respite. There wasn't any incentive to wait. I had to move.

I remember landing on the plot of cloud that had my home, catching my breath as hot coals seared my lungs. I remember bolting up the stairs as fast as I could, calling her name as I searched the house.

I remember I saw her in her room, lying on the bed weeping with her face down in the sheets.

And my heart sank. I knew at the sight of her that she, too, had heard the news.

I remember sitting beside her and embracing her with my wings as she wept.

I remember the crash of adrenaline and a great sorrow overtaking me.

I remember crying with her.

I remember that moment as the last time life had ever felt... Normal, I guess. Everything from that day forward changed forever.

I remember hearing the radio play more music as we wept. It was horribly inappropriate and cheerful for the situation, spewing happy-go-lucky Jazz.

Until it fizzed, and the music was replaced by Princess Celestia's solemn voice.

She speaks slowly, deliberately.

"... My Brave Little Ponies,

"Today marks the beginning of a new age. The start of a new trial for Equestria, possibly the most critical in our History. For whatever motivated reason, Queen Chrysalis ordered an ambassador to travel to Canterlot within the week to issue an ultimatum to Equestria: to Surrender our country or face annihilation. My Sister and I were the first to hear the Queen's offer, and my sister and I have answered dutifully—along with the consent of Princess Mi Amore Cadenza of the Crystal Empire and Twilight Sparkle as well—that Equestria belongs to those who value the ideals of friendship and Harmony.

"By this declaration, Queen Chrysalis has displayed her inept desire for vengeance against us and her lack of contention for peace. As we answered her, we tried to reason with her. We tried to convince her through diplomacy that she would not win the stability of her subjects through the force of Tryanny alone. We have tried to maintain peace. I am saddened to tell you that peace has failed. And it is my duty to tell you that this country is now at war with the Changeling Hegemony."

Silence. Both of us continued to weep. I almost hadn't noticed the Princess pausing momentarily, taking a reassuring breath.

"We hoped that this day would never come. We truly believed that Friendship and Harmony would help solve our problems. We thought that if we banded together to siphon through the bog of interspecies diplomacy, we would find peace further established within these lands... We were wrong.

"Last night, the Changelings assaulted the border city of Acornage. As of this morning, Changeling infantry has stormed the city hall of Vanhoover. As of this afternoon, the Changelings navy has engaged with our warships in the Olenian Ocean. As of today, we must assume that the Changelings have launched an extensive invasion in the entire border region of Northwestern Equestria and that they plan to continue until there is no Equestria left. The Urgent War Committee has already formed its opinions on the situation and knows what needs to be done. They know henceforth what is at stake. I have ordered drastic measures for our defense and upcoming struggle."

Gone was the fatigue in her voice, and it paved the way for a determination to drive forward. There was applause at her choice of words.

"I know this fact alarms many of you, and those of you are scared of the future. I cannot assuage your fears with promises of a better tomorrow or hope for victory. Instead, I shall tell you this: It is okay to be afraid. It is acceptable to fear for what comes next, but would you allow that fear to take hold of you? In your most desperate hour of need? When duty calls you to answer, will you back down because of this fear? Will you condemn yourself to the fate others suffer because of your inability? Or will you instead rise up? Will you push past it and learn to live with it, even if it means you will do whatever it takes to defend your friends? Your family? Your home? Your country? Your way of life? Will you stand up to protect against the storm that threatens to drown our way of life?

"The enemy is now assaulting us in times of peace. For this reason, let us take up arms! Equestria has never before been overwhelmed by a foreign entity or invader, and it never will! As Princesses of Equestria, my sister Luna and I solemnly swear to do anything and everything in our power and duty to defend Equestria, to safeguard our way of life, and to protect our little ponies. We will strive to prevail against our invaders! We will strive to move forward to the defense of our homeland! For if Equestria stands together united with its allies, we will push back the Changeling threat!"

More thunderous applause drags on.

"The Changelings sought for nothing but to enact revenge against us. Although we fight against an immoral invader, I want to make something abundantly clear for us. By any means necessary, we are to hold on to the magic of Friendship and Harmony. Even in the face of war and death, we must never lose sight of what made Equestria whole today. In times of dire circumstances, we should never lose sight of who we are and who we are. We are to be kind, to be loyal, to be unwavering in our cause, and to be hopeful for our future. Becasue Equestria will survive! We will overcome, and we will fight back!

"The fate of everything we've ever known hangs in the balance. But you, my brave little ponies, are to be strong in the face of danger! From this day forward, Equestria shall prevail! No matter the price we pay, no matter the strength of our adversaries, no matter the trials we face, no matter the destruction they've wrought, and no matter the willingness to destroy our livelihood! Equestria shall rise from the ashes of war stronger than before, like a phoenix born anew!

"From this day forward, we will take back what is ours!"

Eruptions of cheering blared out of the speakers, the transmission ending abruptly then and there.

---

“Sunshine?” A voice snaps me back to reality.

The Horizon ahead of me was a beautiful sunset. I was sitting atop a relatively large cloud facing west over the mountain range. Their smooth crests made for a perfect view as the sunlight bounced off of them and illuminated the shadows cast by the mountains.

A beautiful Mare superseded the stunning view, her jade eyes looking at me concerned.

“Are you alright?" Night Light asks again, dazing me out of my fog.

“Wha?” That was all I could say, feeling rather dumb as I did so.

I looked at her and saw her curiously worried features. I shook the foggy thoughts out of my head.

“I... Yeah. I’m good. I'm just... remembering stuff,” I mumbled, looking away from her.

“Remembered what?” She pressed, her hoof dragging my cheek to make eye contact again. "Something wrong?"

I should drop it.

There was no need to continue this conversation, and there was no point. It felt weird even to consider continuing.

"Do you remember the day it all began?" I asked anyway. "The war, I mean—when Celestia gave her speech?"

There was a pregnant pause, Night Light releasing me as I looked away. To the north, the floating city of Cloudsdale could be seen. I could see her worried eyes staring at me out of the corner of my vision.

“Well, yeah, it's kind of hard to forget a day like that." Night Light shudders. "That day was horrible. I, for one, don’t want anything to do with the past. I want to focus on the now." She scooches closer to me to emphasize her point.

“Good answer," I smiled, wrapping a wing around her. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

She wrapped her wing around me in kind.

We sat quietly once again, watching the sun cross under the mountains on the horizon. It was always pretty when you were sitting on a cloud. It made you feel disconnected from the rest of the world for a short amount of time.

And its there that I felt something. Something I haven't genuinely thought of for the first time in nearly a decade.

Tranquility. It smelled like warm sunshine, clouds, feathers, and the summer breeze.

The subtlety of the peace and quiet only lasted for a brief moment. My mind wandered back to the mental labyrinth I had constructed for myself.

I'm greeted with the sights of dark and claustrophobic streets;

Burning husks of vehicles destroyed;

Singed flesh of fallen friends and foes;

Deafening cacophonies of unrelenting combat;

Choking fumes with asphyxiated bodies;

Fire falling from—

"Sunshine?"

My breathing hitched a little at her saying my name. A different thought surfaces.

In all my time out there, I was uncertain of many things... Mainly how I might survive the next day. Half-baked half-truths to wrestle with in concurrence with the already blinding fog of war, to constantly keep me in a state of vigilance. In short, there hardly was respite for me. And what little I had was spent pondering how I was still alive.

But there was one thing I was never truly certain of since the beginning of the war.

Her.

Since we entered service, we have only received one letter from each other. Since then, there has been no more. I never heard back from her or heard any hint of whether she was still alive. Her whereabouts were unknown, her fate unknown.

It was as if she had vanished from the face of the planet during those long, brutal years.

... Years.

It had been years before there would be evidence that she was alive. And in all my time before hoof, there were moments where I was content to resign my fate.

To surrender to the currents of time and the horrors of war, if it meant I could be with her again. I had only assumed the worst. There were times when I felt like I hit absolute rock bottom, and I could go no lower.

It would be years before a small fledgling of hope emerged from that abyss I toiled in.

Years.

I snapped back to the present moment, as I realized Night Light was watching me with trepidation. That same thought hadn't come back to me in such a long time.

After all the torturous years I spent alone, I finally found my answer. And thankfully it was the answer I had hoped for.

But I knew the memories would stick with me forever. I knew we would have scars to gaze upon from time to time, both physical and mental. I knew I would have bad days and so would she.

It didn't matter so long that she was alive. To me, that was all that mattered on this planet was that she was alive.

And I had thought that fact alone would be enough to heal both of us.

Yet...

I still have those same nightmares; Those same intrusive flashbacks, for lack of a better term, and I wanted nothing to do with my past anymore.

But what I was curious about was her past.

As mentioned before, it was as if she had vanished off of the face of the earth. I had tried, so many times I had tried, to find a way to contact her. But it was as if the world was throwing Tartarus itself in my path, over and over again, to prevent such a thing from happening. Either she had died and they didn't want me to know (a thought I refused to give the satisfaction of even considering to be a possibility) or that she didn't want to be found at all.

The latter was more hurtful to imagine than the former.

I knew Night Light wouldn't want to talk about it; every time I tried, she always brushed it aside or ignored me. I would apologize each and every time for bringing it up when she did talk about it, and she would apologize for being moody. A notion I respected, so I hardly asked.

So why do I feel so curious all of a sudden?

It was weird... It was as if she was harboring some kind of guilt to herself. Some past deed she committed that she was not proud of perhaps? Or... Maybe something else entirely, I do not know.

I thought I could relate to her; I mean, she and I went through the same thing together, just in different locations. Right?

The one thing I wanted to go back on was how Night Light was able to stay alive.

I knew she was a pilot, but that was literally all I knew about her. Every time I tried to talk to her about her military life during the war, she remained adamantly closed about it.

But that day, I wanted a definitive answer.

Night Light notices my hesitation. "Sunshine, are you-?"

“Hey, Night?” I interrupted her.

“Y-Yes?” she graciously responds.

I paused. Every fiber of my being wanted to give in to my curiosity, but I didn't want to evoke painful memories.

“You said you served as a pilot on a carrier, right?” I asked tactfully.

Her features were somewhat soured at that. “That’s... That's correct.”

“Do you have any stories? About life? Out there in the open sea? Being able to fly around up there in those aircraft?”

She looked at me quizzically. “... Again Sunshine? What brought it up this time?”

“I just... I dunno." I admitted. "I mean, I imagine life on the sea was always more serene than life was on the frontlines. Like where I was. I... I just thought it was a better spot to be in compared to me.”

“Well... There were moments of peace, yes. And... The ocean was quite beautiful to look at if we weren’t under any immediate danger.” She sighed. “I didn't get that luxury very much. We would be stuck in our cots most of the days.”

A pause came between us. Night Light was looking away from the sunset to the mountain range just to our right. Sitting upon the sloped were the gleaming marble towers and skyscrapers of Canterlot.

She didn't talk again after that answer. She seemed content with it.

I should stop.

... But I didn't.

“... What was life like out there? When you were at sea?”

She was staring into space when I made my request. At nothing in Particular. “Well, I can’t remember everything at the top of my head. I’ll let you know about it sometime later.”

There it was again. Her usual defense mechanism when I try talking to her about this. I wasn't willing to take that for an answer.

"But I want to know now... Please?" I asked.

Before I could backtrack my words, she looked at me with a pained expression.

"I... Why are you so interested to know? I don’t want to remember everything, I want to savor the good moments now. Before the war... C-Can we please watch the Sunset?"

Her eyes were piercing into mine, pleading with me to stop prying. There was a feeling of shame that washed over me as I gazed into those Jade Irises.

I almost did what she asked. I almost stopped. But in those same eyes, there was a fledgling of a feeling lingering inside; a sparkle of doubt twinkling upon mine. And I saw in her eyes something I had only hoped was my imagination:

Regret.

There in her eyes was a deep lingering sadness with no outlet for release. An overwhelming weight of guilt and fatigue took shape in the form of bags beneath her eyes.

She was hiding something.

Something that was torturing her on the inside for who knows how long.

"Please, just... Just drop it, okay-?"

"Night Light."

I spoke firmly, her head firmly placed between my hooves to lock her gaze on mine.

"Please be honest."

Her brows raised indignantly at that.

"About what?!" She swats a hoof away. "What is this Sunshine? Why are you so interested in my backstory all of a sudden? Why can't you let the past die?"

"Because there is something you are not telling me."

A long quiet was pulled taut between us, though it was not absolute; the wind billowed our manes and tails as we both stared into each other.

“I... I was scared to death of you!" She finally admitted, staring at me with a mournful look on her face. "I-I was terrified of coming back, o-only to f-find you in a... I-in a coffin. I didn’t want to think about it. I-I had to focus on the task at hoof! I was trying to stay alive, and…” She cut herself off. Whether by intention or by her tears, I can't tell.

Her mane was draping over her features, but I could see her neck and whithers heaving as she quietly sobbed.

Seeing the sight of her crying was a rare sight. But of all the times I did witness it, my heart ached for her.

Only I was the one who caused her to cry. I felt like I was punched in the throat.

... I shouldn't have asked this. This was stupid.

Supid! Stupid! Stupid!

I couldn't think of what to do as I mentally berated myself. Instead, I cradled her with my hooves and wings.

She accepted the embrace and cried louder into my chest.

"I'm sorry." I pathetically apologized.

I stroked her mane.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, I just... I'm sorry."

She tightened her grip around me and cried a little bit more into my chest.

The sunset was now dipping fast below the horizon. Soon, it would be Dusk.

"We can go inside if you'd like," I asked gently. She didn't answer back. I stayed patient, with no reason to rush an answer out of her. I just kept stroking her mane.

Finally, she relented.

"... That'd be nice."

"Okay then. Whenever you are ready."

We sat there for a little while longer, admiring the sunset and basking in each other's warmth.

---

We made it home and made ourselves comfortable. I prepared two slices of buttered toast for her as she sat in bed waiting for me. She stared at the window as I walked in, but gave a genuine yet faint smile upon my arrival.

She ate both slices, and I didn't mind. I wasn't hungry, and she was clearly troubled by my perturbed questions. It was the least I could do.

I could only sit in silence beside her on the cloud bed we owned. She quietly munched her snack, and I sat by her side. Neither of us said a word, but the silence was comforting.

That was not meant to last, as Night Light broke it first. "Sunshine?"

"Hm? Yes?" I answered quickly.

"... Thinking about what you said earlier... You... You said you were also worried for me."

"Of course I was." I answered honestly. I wanted to say more, but I bit my tongue.

"I'm... Right, yeah, of course, you were..." she mumbled. "I-I'm sorry, it's just... Hard for me to talk about it. And... I'm sorry for not telling you all this time."

I tenderly embraced her with wings and hooves from behind, gently spooning her. "You don't have to be. You don't have to apologize for anything. It's ok."

"I know..." Night light and I both collapsed onto our sides. I gently stroked her legs as we both continued to comfort each other.

I was content with not asking anything out of her... I was.

But I guess on that particular night, she wanted to get it off her chest.

"I want... I-I know you are curious about what happened, and... So am I for you. But... I also don't want to go down the bad parts of memory lane."

"Me neither," I answered atonally.

"So... If I tell only bits and pieces, will you be satisfied?"

My head ever so slightly shot up from her neck. I contemplated.

Thinking she was trying to admit to something that she wanted to confess, I answered.

"I Promise."

Next Chapter: (A1) - Chapter 1: The Sky Calls [Revised] Estimated time remaining: 18 Hours, 52 Minutes