Project Gaia : The arrival of humanity

Chapter 16 : Question (Fixed)

"We can well afford to pay the price of peace. Our only alternative is to pay the terrible cost of war."

- Harry S. Truman

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Author's note : In previous upload, my file had an error when transferring it.

Canterlot, Central Equestria. June 25th, 2038.

The doors to the infirmary swung open, and the sight before Twilight and her friends froze them in place. The once orderly room was filled with rows of cots and beds, each occupied by a soldier lying motionless, their faces twisted in pain or pale and cold. The sounds of groans and muffled cries echoed through the air, punctuated by frantic shouts from doctors and nurses as they scrambled from one wounded pony to the next, hooves coated in red and tools gleaming under the harsh, sterile lights. The smell of antiseptics and blood thickened the air, mingling into an atmosphere of battle-worn despair.

As the friends took in the sight, their gazes settled on the injuries-wounds unlike any they had ever seen. Horrifyingly deep punctures and ragged tears marred the soldiers' bodies, wounds that oozed blood through thick layers of hastily wrapped bandages. In some cases, the bandages had soaked through, painting the white cloth a dark crimson. Near one of the beds, a nurse carefully extracted a strange, jagged metal pellet from a soldier's shoulder. The soldier's body jerked involuntarily, and he let out a hoarse scream, causing Fluttershy to bury her face in her mane, trembling uncontrollably.

Rarity clutched her chest, her knees weakening as the macabre scene unfolded before her. She turned a shade paler and stumbled, barely able to hold herself up. "Oh... oh dear Celestia..." she whispered, struggling to look away but unable to, as if frozen in place.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash stood side by side, expressions of hardened horror spreading across their faces. They were used to seeing hardship, but this was something different-a level of suffering they had never imagined. Rainbow's wings tensed and flexed, while Applejack's mouth hung open, her usual steadfast composure shattered.

Pinkie Pie's entire demeanor had changed. She stood silently, her once joyful, bouncy curls falling limply around her face. Her bright blue eyes had dulled, hollow, as if some vital spark had been snuffed out, and she stared at the sight before her with a thousand-yard stare, lost somewhere deep in the horror of it all.

Twilight's mind spun, a storm of emotions raging within her. She felt nauseous, horrified, and utterly helpless. How? she thought desperately. How could this happen? Who could do such a thing? What kind of power do these creatures wield to do this injuries? The questions spiraled in her mind, colliding and crashing into one another, each one intensifying her dread.

Noticing their distress, Celestia motioned to one of the doctors. "Please, bring a curtain around them," she ordered softly. The doctor nodded, pulling a set of privacy curtains around the ponies, shielding them from the worst of the wounded soldiers' suffering. Only the muted sounds of agony remained, seeping through the thin barrier as a constant reminder of the grim scene behind them.

Celestia turned back to her friends, her face shadowed with sorrow. "I'm deeply sorry you had to see that," she said, her voice weighted with grief. "But I needed you to understand what we're dealing with... and why we must act with the utmost seriousness." She gestured further down the hall, indicating they should follow her. "Please, there's one more you must see."

As they reached the far end of the infirmary, a heavy silence settled over the group. At the end, hidden behind another curtain, was a single bed. Next to it stood Princess Luna, her horn glowing softly as she cast an intricate spell over the patient. When Luna noticed their approach, she gave a somber nod, withdrawing her magic as she finished her spell.