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// Prologue - The Illusion of Peace 
// Story: All Bloody On The Equestrian Front 
// by Gvozdi 
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    The start of the century was of pure deception, as everything was quiet and everypony seemed happy enough. Beneath the illusion of peace, an eruption of prejudice and anger slowly reached a boiling point. The war was to become a boiling pot of diversity, the main ingredient would be blood. Clover the Clever once said that the only way to win a war is to never fight in one at all. Soon, the existing nations of Equestria that were not under the crown of the Solar Empire would be ripped apart. The Empire lead by Princess Celestia achieved dominance over the lands due to the great successes of the Pony-Gryphon War fought several decades prior. We had established an overseas empire and an expanding navy to act as its defense. We were a world power on the fence of conflict with our neighbors. Prance had recovered from their humiliating defeat in the Pony-Gryphon war and had established themselves as a superpower second only to our Empire. The authorities in Trottingham became suspicious of our navy, to the point Pegasus mercenaries spied on us endlessly day and night. They feared that their own navy had now been matched.

In the east, the Gryphons had started to butt heads and click their beaks at Pegasus-Unicorn Empires. It was the final stretch in the long decline to full out war. Nationalism arose among the Hippogriffs who bordered them in the south, they believed they had claim to land that were now occupied by the Earth Pony farmers who were loyal to our allies. The Gryphons would aid their Hippogriff brothers for the exclusive reason that they wanted to extend their empire, after they had lost one of their major ports in a war against the Dragons. The Gryphons also wanted to dismember the growing empire in Saddle Arabia, they hoped that if they established themselves in the south it would ensure a military superiority over their rivals. With these tensions, countries banded together. The Solar Empire teamed up with the Pegasus and Unicorns - while in the East the Gryphons and Hippogriffs managed to cut a deal with our neighbor Trottingham. We were in the middle of it all.

One small move could have plunged all of Equestria into war. The entire planet was a large gun, packed with powder and ready to fire - the assassination of Princess Cadence and my own brother, Prince Shining Armour by forces loyal to the Gryphon alliance was the trigger. What followed was a complex and hard to describe web of betrayals, ultimatums and declarations of open conflict. The Pegasus and Unicorns declared war on the Hippogriffs, the Solar Empire demanded that the Gryphons did not intervene or there would be consequences. We were ignored and declared war on those who have boxed us in, the Gryphons and Hippogriffs and even Prance - who had remained loyal to a century old loyalty to their Gryphon friends. At the eve of this war, my story as Lieutenant Colonel Twilight Sparkle begins. 

This book will describe my experiences through out numerous battles in what is known today as the Great Equestrian War. All of these battles I experienced as an infantry officer serving the Solar Empire. Many of these notes were made directly after combat, so that you may all reflect on the worthwhile lessons from each particular operation. As per tradition, I will mark each as if it were directed to Princess Celestia herself - may peace be upon her. I guess in a way, it was my own way of coping with what I experienced on those harrowed days. Through out this book, you will hear the stories of young, impressionable pony youths of all races - capable of bearing arms by magic or other means, such as the battle-harness rifle system. We will focus upon the infantrypony who fought the bulk of this four and a half long war. 

The following will be proof of the superior and tremendous strength of the Solar Empire's military, the combat powers of the infantry forces in the face of superior odds and equipment. Let this book be known for its true portrayal of Equestrian Solar superiority on the battlefield against all of our enemies. The superiority of myself, as the Junior Unicorn commander to my enemy counterpart. May this perpetuate the horrors of those bitter wartime years and allow me to express the experience gained from the great deprivations that came with bitter sacrifice to secure victory, even if short lived. 

Celestia With Us.