Author's note

Now, this isn't going to be a perfect representation of the human 20th century, particularly in terms of time between major events. I am merely taking events that happened in the last century and applying them to Equestria. Some disbelief must be suspended in terms of things like the ponies holding weapons, but it isn't a huge detail.

A trio of ponies stood in a train station in the small town of Ponyville. They were surrounded by dozens of other families, saying goodbye to loved ones, potentially for the last time. Equestria was at war with the Changeling race, and Celestia had called every able-bodied pony to her side to fight this new threat. The youngest pony in the trio hugged her father's front legs close to her.

"But Pa! I don't want you and Big Mac to go!" said Applejack with a whine. Applejack's father adjusted his hat and gave Applejack a small smile.

"And you know that I don't want to go sugar cube, but do you remember why we have to go?" Applejack nodded and a tear fell from her eye.

"Because the Changelings are goin' to attack Equestria if we don't stop them now," said Applejack. "But Pa, we need you here now!" Applejack's father sighed. How should he explain this to her? He leaned down next to her and placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder.

"Listen sugar cube, I hope that you never have to experience this yourself, but as an able bodied Equestrian pony, I have a duty to protect my land. Not only that, but I'm doing this to protect you too. I'm trying to do my part in making sure that nothing bad happens to you or your other or your baby sister."

"But you could die!" said Applejack desperately.

"Yes, that is true. But I'd rather die fighting to protect you than live with the knowledge that I could have helped the ones I love and I did nothing. Your brother too." Big Macintosh looked on an nodded.

"Eeyup," he said. Not event he thought that he was about to go to war phased him much. That was just the way he worked. Applejack began crying in earnest now. Her father was about to say something, but the train whistle behind them blew, signifying that it was time for them to go. Applejack's father pulled himself away from his crying daughter.

"Even if I don't make it, it's only goodbye for a little while. Even death doesn't tear families apart forever. I know it will hurt, but always know that I am with you. Big Mac too." Big Mac nodded.

"Eeyup." The whistle blew again and Applejack's father and brother went to go board the train. Just before Applejack's father got on board, he turned back and ran towards Applejack, pulling her into one final hug.

"I'll miss you sugar cube," he said. Applejack was shocked to detect...fear in her father's voice. Was he truly afraid? Her father broke away from the hug. He reached up and took his cowpony hat off of his messy red hair. He placed it on Applejack's head. "Now you take care of that for me sugar cube. Don't let anything happen to that."

"I won't Pa, it'll be just like it is now for when you come back," said Applejack. Her father nodded and boarded the train.

* * * *

Applejack woke up early to the rooster's crow. She groaned and sleepily shuffled out of bed. Time to pick apples.

With her father and brother gone, she had to be the one to do the majority of the work on the farm. Her mother was not very strong and couldn't really contribute much to the farm. Besides, most of her time was spent taking care of a fast-growing Apple Bloom. It was Apple Bloom that had made her mother so weak. The pregnancy and delivery had taken a lot out of her mother. It was a miracle that either had survived.

Her father and brother had been gone for almost a year now. Her father sent letters whenever he could, but there was no easy way to get letters to small towns like Ponyville. The war had hit everypony hard. Even now there was no real way to tell which side was winning the war. Casualties on both sides were high and the first thoughts of peace began formulating in the minds of both Celestia and the Changeling Queen. Or so the rumors went anyway.

Applejack collected every ounce of information on the war. Ever since her father and brother had been drafted, she had started a quest to gain as much knowledge about the war as she could. The sheer size of the war meant that it was often difficult to sort out the truth in between all of the rumors, but Applejack collected all of the knowledge that she could at any rate.

Every day at 10:00 on the dot, the news carriage would come through town to drop off the newspapers and every morning at 10:15, The Mayor would read the list of any Ponyvillians who were killed, injured, or missing in the war. Since Ponyville was such a small town, this was a thankfully rare occurrence.

Applejack smashed the nearest apple tree with her hind hooves, causing about a third of the apples on the tree to plummet into a trio of waiting buckets stationed under the tree. It would be nearly time now, time to make the trek back to Town Square to hear if her father and brother were okay. She hit the apple tree once more and the rest of the apples came tumbling off the tree. Applejack took the nearest bucket in her teeth and dragged it towards the nearby barn, hoping to sort the apples later.

As she walked over to the second bucket to drag it towards the barn as well, she heard the bell ring in Town Square. It was 9:45, the news would be arriving soon. She dropped what she was doing and immediately ran towards Town Square, hoping that today wouldn't be the day that she had dreaded would come ever since her father and brother had left.

* * * *

Applejack made it into the Town Square just in time to see The Mayor come out of Town Hall. Applejack nudged herself as far forward into the crowd as she could, still hoping that today would not be the day that she often had nightmares about. The Mayor stood behind a podium, a single sheet of paper in his mouth. He placed it on the podium, adjusted his glasses, and began reading. "I regret to inform this town that we do have some casualties from this dreadful war today." Applejack's heart dropped into her stomach and began beating at a million miles an hour. Please Celestia, not today. Not any day. "We have two wounded ponies today. The first is Bookworm, who was shot in the left shoulder. He will recover just fine and he is being sent home. The second wounded pony is Big Macintosh who was shot in the side. The bullet hit one of his ribs so there was no significant damage. He'll be just fine too and he is also coming home." Applejack stared forward in shock. Big Macintosh had been wounded! Applejack found little relief right now in the fact that he would heal up and that he was coming home. There were still the names of the dead to be read.

The Mayor adjusted his glasses once more. "And now for the names of the ponies who gave their lives for our country. As with the wounded, there were two ponies I receive news about. The first, is Moneyspender, son of our dear town benefactor, Filthy Rich. The second, is Apple Harvester, whom many of you know works Sweet Apple Acres, not far from the main town. That is all." The town square was silent for a moment while they processed the news that two of their fellow townsponies were dead.

Suddenly, an anguished wail pierced the silence. The wail confused Applejack. Who was the pony who was screaming? The cries sounded vaguely familiar. Applejack felt the sounds home in on her, getting closer and she suddenly realized, the she was the one who was screaming. Her father was dead. Her father was dead and her brother had been wounded. The world around her seemed to spin as her legs gave way beneath her. She stopped screaming and fell to the ground.

The townsfolk looked on in sympathy at the sobbing, hyperventilating filly, curled up in a ball on the ground. She didn't notice them. She didn't notice anypony right now. Nopony mattered right now. Why hadn't Applejack tried harder to get her father to stay that day on the train station? She could have pressed the issue more, made him see that he should stay and be there for his family! If she had just begged him a little more, then he would have come to his senses and not left. There were plenty of other able-bodied ponies who could fight this war. He didn't need to go. It was all her fault, she should have begged and pleaded more.

As she continued crying on the ground, she became vaguely aware of two fillies her age standing over her, looking at her sympathetically. One was a cyan Pegasus with a rainbow colored mane. Rainbows, just like the kind she used to admire with her father. He had always called her out of the house to look at Rainbows with her whenever they appeared. The other was a bright pink pony with a poofy pink cotton candy looking mane. Cotton candy, just like the kind her father used to get her whenever the carnival would come to town. It was a tradition that the two of them shared, going to the carnival and getting cotton candy, just the two of them. The rainbow one spoke up.

"Hey uh..." she clearly wanted to comfort Applejack but had no idea of what to say. "I'm really sorry about your dad...Applejack is your name right?" Applejack barely mustered the strength to calm down long enough to nod.

"It's super-duper bad what happened. Anything we can do to help?" asked the pink one. Applejack began regaining focus on her senses. She realized that the wind was blowing through her blonde mane...but that wasn't right, her hat usually blacked the wind.

"My hat, where's my hat!?" she said, standing up and looking around for it wildly. The pink one and the rainbow one both looked around for it before the pink one gave a grunt of satisfaction and she walked back over to Applejack with her cowpony hat in her mouth. Applejack immediately grabbed it back from her and placed it back where it belonged on her head. The hat was hers now she supposed.

"I'm Pinkie Pie and this is Rainbow Dash," said the pink one. Applejack nodded.

"Look, if there is anything you need, anything at all, just let us know," said Rainbow Dash sympathetically. Applejack nodded again and stood up.

"I...I think I need to go home now," she said. Pinkie and Rainbow Dash nodded and let Applejack begin the journey back to her farm.

* * * *

The walk back to the farm seemed like it took forever. Part of Applejack wanted it to last forever. She didn't know how she would tell her mother and Granny Smith about her father's death. She had to do it somehow.