The State of Chiropterra had existed in isolated secrecy for a thousand years. Descended from the most loyal Legions of Nightmare Moon, they employed extreme measures to survive on a hostile continent, relentlessly preparing for the night of their Empress's glorious return.
But now their historic task is complete, Nightmare Moon sits undisputed upon the Equestrian throne, and Chiropterra's fate in the New Lunar Millenium is to be decided.
Amongst it all, the Equestrian General Selenite had befriended two Chiropterrans from opposite ideological persuasions, the hardline conservative Auburn Leaf and the moderate reformist Lucent Eclipse. As Chiropterra's future hangs in the balance, so does their relationship.
Takes place in my New Lunar Millennium alternate universe. More information can be found here, but no prior knowledge of my AU is required to read this story.
Proofread and edited by Izzy Incraft.
Ngl, with the enslavement of living beings being the core pillar of their economy, I wouldn’t be surprised if slavery has been abolished only for everyone to move on to the new and enlightened de facto slavery. With dirt low wages, legislation and the fact that the vast majority of freed natives will probably be fast tracked right back into service and labouring jobs, ensuring that truly scourging the institution from Chiropterra will take plenty of dedication and drive.
Otherwise good story, 10 Nightmare Moon plushies out of 10
Now draw…
It's great to see your writing, you're just as good an author as an artist!
I do note Selenite is very happy to see the moratorium imposed, but doesn't seem all that concerned with the economic practicalities of folding however many untold former chattel into Nightmare's dominion.
Most particularly since this is meant to be effected simultaneously with a major military push across the rest of the continent, but that's details for some other pony to figure out.
It'll work out in the end, given a choice between zebras and bat ponies I certainly know which side Nightmare will come down on...
Ah, it was a welcome surprise to see something featuring Zebrica on the feature list, let alone the (in)famous bat pony state. Strangely enough, it's funny to see it's the reformer Lucent, of all ponies, using profanity in this fic. Beyond great character-writing, though, it was a treat to see how you weaved the setting here, especially Nightmare's arrival in Firstport, from the little turns of phrase like "oceanic reception" to the sheer scale of hundreds of thousands of ponies visiting the place to herald their long-awaited goddess and savior.
With how all good this is on its own, it also makes me want to see how it continues. As others here have pointed out, removing slavery in less than ten minutes isn't going to magically solve all your problems. I wouldn't be surprised if many of them will simply be given military service to be vomited out in the frontlines against Zarantia, the hippogriffs, et c as meatshields for the "real" citizens.
Either way, this was a great return to writing form, Moonatik! Thanks for the story!
local authoritarian country gets turned into a puppet state (by another potentially authoritarian country? i might have to read the au info)
Nightmare Moon just crippled a powerful and loyal city state with one reform. The ramifications of this reform will be felt for generations, because abolishing slavery cannot be done overnight without making Chiropterra vulnerable to revolt.
11507941
Yeah this fic and its AU take largely from the Hearts of Iron IV mod Equestria at War. In EaW, after Nightmare Moon's banishment, her Legions fled Equestria en masse and landed in Zebrica. There for a thousand years they bided their time and built up their forces. In this particular universe, Nightmare moon returned and ignited a civil war, where Chiropterra provided materiel and direct military support. After the War, Chiropterra gets puppeted by the Nightmare
11507941
the country is from Hearts of iron IV mod name Equestria at War
you can read about them in here https://equestriaatwar.wiki.gg/wiki/Chiropterra
11507382
Basicly entire process of "deslavization" of economy can be done SOMEHOW successfully only with massive economical and material help from mainland Empire, as otherwise Chiropterran industry and everything will collapse under such sudden, revolutionary change. It can be helped for example by relocaction of thousends of Equestrian workers and specialists (undoubtly many would honestly volunteer to such land of new chance) to fix economy, while also strenghtening Equestrian control over Chiropterra and helping in moderating their culture.
11507938
aw, shucks. thank you for the kind words! it means the world to me!
this goes for anyone leaving compliments in the comments, makes me super happy.
Quality writing. Nice.
Selenite's comment at the end was funny. I did see a mistake of millennia instead of millennium at one point though.
I don't have much to say for the story mostly because I can't be bothered to care about Equestria at War. I don't think I've ever upvoted one of those stories. Still there's certainly nothing wrong with this story and I hope you'll manage to continue with writing now.
Tfw I see a 100 page lore document.
That Lore doc gets larger and larger every time I see it....
What a beautiful world you have created. Up untill now all my knowledge of it was from glances at your art. I can't wait to know more about it, mosty by reading more fics. It's great to hear there are more on the way.
The main problem is that 2 mutually exclusive requirements were put forward in this work. This
1. Abolition of oppression (including slavery);
2. The conquest of Northern Zebrica.
That is, if the population is not suppressed and used, a devastating religious war of extermination awaits the Northern Zebra, thanks to the reformers who are divorced from reality. Otherwise, Chiropterra simply does not have enough population to put up occupation garrisons.
In general, this is the case when the canonical plot is more thoughtful and realistic. According to the plot of the victorious Chiropterra, the abolition of slavery for the children of the captured is at least feasible without a massacre of continental proportions.
That may be an apt analogy. It may not. Either way, it’s not especially important, Auburn. Because you left out one teensy tiny, itty bitty, very smol detail:
EVERY OWNER OF THAT DOG HAS BEATEN AND ABUSED IT! OF C O U R S E IT WOULD BITE BACK!
Absolutely right. That's just missing the context. And the context here is such that it is not the moral superiority over Auburn that is being discussed, but the occupation policy in the coming war. And here the phrase is not about the fact that Auburn wants to destroy the population of Zebrika, but about the fact that if it is impossible to control and exploit the captured population, the only way to fulfill the will of Nightmoon will be the extermination of the population of the occupied territories. And Auburn says precisely that this became possible precisely because of the desire of "progressive personalities" to immediately (right on the eve of the war, and they don't know about Chrysalis yet) prohibit slavery.
And with the phrase
you just gave an exhaustive explanation of why a soft approach won't work.
Interesting universe, i could read more. Also written very good :-)
The lore doc grows!