Counter Plays
Canterlot gleamed on the side of its mountain, resplendent in the full noon light. It was the very height of Celestia’s power, and so too did the sun bring out the best of the city. Visible for leagues in every direction, the fortress city was a symbol of benevolent might, a daily reminder to those living within its shadow that they were under the rule of Princess Celestia, The Ruler of the Sun. And so long as they accepted her rule, she would protect them against Equestria’s enemies, as she had for centuries. After all, hadn’t she been the perfect ruler for as long as Equestria had existed? Was she not loving? Was she not kind? Did she not care for her subjects as they cared for her? Yes, Celestia was Equestria’s guardian spirit. To one and all, she offered protection, and in return, all she asked was that ponies did as she asked.
But those places that refused, those that attempted to cast her rule aside, were made acutely aware of what life was like without the blessing of the Sun. And several places had done so, at one time or another. Trottingham, Hoofington, Las Pegasus, Cloudsdale, and Detrot were notorious for their large subversive movements. And so, to maintain good order, Celestia’s troops had been deployed to each of these places. Arrests were made, curfews were implemented, and some semblance of normalcy reigned in most of these cities. But the largest of these, and the closest to the Everfree Forest, refused to submit. Trottingham was dangerous at the best of times, and deadly at the worst. And because of recent events in the city, things were getting worse. Much, much worse.
A group of students from the university near the edge of town had staged a peaceful protest, calling for the removal of soldiers from the city as well as the rollback of curfew times. It was disrupting city life, they said. Trottingham could police itself, why were soldiers needed as well? A group of Solar Guards had been keeping an eye on the protest when things got ugly. A stumble, a bump, and one of the students was tackled and arrested by overzealous Guards. The crowd which had gathered had turned into a mob. A fire was started, shops were burned down. Eighteen ponies were killed in the ensuing riots. None of them were soldiers. Three days later, a young Pegasus filly was running errands for her caretakers, who owned an inn. She refused to stop at a checkpoint and have her bags checked. A stunner spell was fired, and it hit her right as she was spreading her wings to take flight for the first time. She landed badly and broke her neck. It was later discovered that she was deaf. There was another riot. That time, an entire squadron of Regular soldiers were apprehended, beaten, and hanged in the town square by the populace before order could be restored.
And it was tenuous, even before the Element of Loyalty, Rainbow Dash, had arrived with nearly a thousand more Regular soldiers, taking control of the city garrison. That had provoked outright war in some places. Trottingham transformed itself overnight, its checkpoints doubling as the various gangs seized territory from loosely policed sections of the city. Their ranks swelled as disillusioned ponies sought a way to fight back against the oppression being levied upon them. Barricades were erected, hasty bastions formed to choke off vital streets. The city teetered on the brink of anarchy, but what worried most ponies wasn’t the fact that gangs had become stronger, or the reality of living in a police state. What worried the ponies of Trottingham, resident and soldier alike, was the fact that the Ever Free movement had not made a single move. In fact, it was as if they had disappeared entirely.
Of course, that wasn’t the case. The Ever Free were simply biding their time. Watching, waiting, like hungry wolves they sought an opening, looking for the perfect weakness to exploit. Days stretched into weeks as the question grew and grew inside the minds of everypony in Trottingham. Where were the Ever Free? Where would they strike? And most importantly, what were they planning?
The Crystal Center at Trottingham had not been so busy since its first opening, three years ago. Every cell was full, ponies double and triple bunking in shifts as the ranks of the assembled Ever Free Fighters swelled. The crystal was in use almost constantly, as ponies were brought into the ranks of the Ever Free to thunderous applause. As they were freed form Celestia’s rule, each pony was given a mission, and assigned to a new place somewhere in the city, to lay low until an appointed date. They were under no illusions as to the type of assignments they would be on, and most ponies had agreed to get their hooves dirty. But some were told to stay behind, ponies with certain skillsets to be assigned to the Ever Free’s biggest project yet, as well as its most secret.
“We just received eighteen more barrels of flash powder, and a crate of explosively charged crystal!” one of the clerks called to Lively Song as she nodded and noted the amount in her book. She was currently engaged in inventory, her head clerk currently taking a shift at operating the Crystal.
“Right, store them in the armory with the rest! Tell the chemists that they know what to do with them!” she called back, as another pony, this one a Pegasus, stepped forward.
“Four crates each containing fifty crossbows, and what we estimate to be about four thousand quarrels to go with! Adamantium heads!”
Lively Song nodded. “Anti-armor or anti-spellcaster?” she inquired.
The Pegasus grinned. “Anti-spellcaster.”
Lively chuckled. “Good. Into the armory!” The Pegasus snapped a salute and flew off to order the weapons into storage.
The last pony in line stepped forward. He saluted, speaking in the broad tones of a low-class Trottingham dweller. “Oi’ve got eight boxes sealed toight wiv a personal letter to th’ leadah of this Centah! To be read ‘afore openin’!”
Lively Song accepted the letter, tearing it open gently. She recognized the delicate writing of Twilight Sparkle on the front, and the single sheet of parchment was covered with a few scant lines of writing in the same style.
“Dearest Lively, I hope this missive finds you well. The boxes contain a gift for your followers, made by ponies here at the Regia. I found it to be a bit much, but the ponies here seem to like it quite a lot! At the very least, our ponies will be able to identify one another when the time comes. Please, enjoy them. Similar shipments are being sent to the other Centers, and my army here is adopting this as well. Now we look as united as we are!
Sincerely, Lady Twilight Sparkle, Leader of the Ever Free, Duchess of the Forest, etc.”
Lively smiled as she turned to the boxes now laid out on the ground before her. “Open them!” she called.
After a brief struggle, the boxes were opened, and the watching ponies cheered to see the contents. There before them were simple tunics, each with a careful tie made to cinch around the waist. The fabric itself was a deep purple, edged at the sides with white thread. On the chest was sewn a circle of white, and inside of that was a single six-pointed star in the rich red of the setting sun, with Luna’s black wings stretching to either side of the circle. There was a cry, and a pole was drawn from one of the boxes. Another expanse of fabric flowed behind it, and it fluttered open. The flag billowed proudly, and Lively Song felt a stirring in her heart as she gazed upon that regal banner. The Ever Free were rebels, she realized. They were saboteurs, and spies, and they slunk from shadow to shadow. Some part of her had chafed at that, far away from conscious thought or memory. Something about her had hated the running and the lying and the hiding, and now she had both the means and permission to become one thing more. She was going to become a revolutionary. She was going to lead those following her into one final conflict, under this banner, and she would be able to stand against tyranny.
Everypony in the catacombs stood up a little straighter as they received their uniforms. Were they soldiers? No. they were bakers, and masons, and chemists, turned rebel because they wished for freedom. And now, they were receiving a uniform, and the opportunity to prove themselves worthy of that cause. Were they soldiers? No. They were Ever Free. They were many, and they were growing, and before long Celestia herself would tremble at the sound of their hooves.
A shiver ran down Celestia’s spine as she waited in the caves beneath Canterlot, where the new recruits were being gathered. They truly were vast, the caves. After their recent rediscovery, many ponies had taken tours of the wide, rocky spaces. They had joked about how it would be easy to lose armies in those deep caverns. Little did they know that Celestia was in fact doing so, right now. At last, the final Regulars, Air Corps members, and Naval ponies had been gathered, No Guards had been selected, because they were few, needed elsewhere, and were quite frankly too set in their ways to react well to this kind of training. Numbering one thousand, the selected ponies, referred to as Legionnaires and Legionarias, stood at attention under the command of their also newly selected officers as Celestia approached the shelf of rock that she would be speaking from.
“Welcome to the ranks of the Equestrian Guard! You are reviving an ancient tradition by accepting this posting, one that stretches back to before the Celestial Wars. Over the next month, you will be put through a rigorous and demanding course of study in order to elevate you far above your fellow serviceponies. At the end, you will be the most feared fighting force in Equestria, assigned to my personal command. Make no mistake, if you perform well, this will not be a temporary posting. You will become the first brothers and sisters of a new service, one that will bear the banner of Equestria’s might for centuries to come!” Celestia spread her wings, light spilling from them as if to bring the sun’s light to the deeps of the world.
The light spread, and as it did so, it began to coalesce near the top of the cavern, forming a small sun that hung in the air and gave heat and light to those below. The ponies below her glanced around as their new surroundings were revealed. Low barracks of stone and crystal had been formed by some unknown power, and everything was laid out in the manner of a standard Regular camp. Celestia waited for them to settle down before resuming.
“This next month will be the hardest of your lives. But at the conclusion of your training, you will be far more than soldiers.”
Celestia exerted a small amount of will, and the very air seemed to warp in front of her, releasing a heavy piece of metal, which clattered to the ground. It was not the hardened bronze used by the guard, nor was it the dull grey used by the Regulars in combat. This metal was instead comprised of a curious golden hue, whorls and curls stretching lazily through the chestpiece, and giving the impression of clouds or mist.
“As my soldiers, you will be the only ponies to wear this. It is called aetherium, and in times past, it was worn only by my mightiest champions. This shall be your uniform while under my command. In plate such as this, you will be as gods on the battlefield. You will be an unstoppable force, striking down those who wish to do Equestria harm! You are the best young soldiers our land has to offer, and I will lead you into glory! You are the chosen! You are the few! You are my Equestrian Guard, and soon all of Equestria will know you as its greatest protectors!”
Celestia spread her wings wide as a cheer rose from the ranks below her. A brief nod served to galvanize the ponies beneath her into action, as recruits were broken up into their respective groups. Celestia turned to the pony beside her, who was concealed from view below. “Cadance, I believe that it would be most expedient to hasten the selection for our Chief Legionnaire. Would you be so good as to fetch Applebloom from below and bring her to me?”
Cadance nodded weakly, taking flight as she spiraled down to the assembled soldiers below. Celestia grinned to hear the panicked calls to attention as officers realized who exactly was flying down, followed by the soft sounds of Cadance’s voice requesting Applebloom. She waited patiently while the Earth pony was located. She noticed that Cadance’s flying was beginning to degrade. She supposed that it was not surprising, with the condition Shining Armor was in. Cadance was on a strict regimen of potions and nothing else, and it was close to time for her to complete her soulbind with Shining Armor. She had not slept last night, nor the night before. As it was, it was all she could do to ensure that the surrounding crystals had been supersaturated with the necessary emotion magic to ensure the desired result in her new Guard.
With a gentle pop, both Cadance and Applebloom appeared on the ledge. Celestia held up one hoof, forestalling the salute she knew was coming. “Please, remain at ease, Applebloom. It will expedite this much more easily.”
Applebloom’s hoof lowered, as she waited on permission to speak. Celestia continued. “Now, we have the officer’s chain of command set up for the Guard. But we’ve been taking a look at enlisted ponies to be promoted to non-commissioned officer positions. We will be approaching other ponies, but I can honestly say without bias that of all the profiles we have selected, yours stands out the furthest. As such, I am promoting you to the position of Chief Legionaria. You will act as an intermediary between myself and the enlisted ponies, as well as being in command of all enlisted activity. You are welcome to choose your own First Legionnaires to command at the division level from our pool of sergeants. And of course, you still answer to officers. Any questions?”
Applebloom shook her head. “Just one, ma’am. Will I still get to fight?”
Celestia smiled. “That’s the attitude I want from my Guard. Yes, Applebloom. You will fight. In fact, stay vigilant and do well here, and I’ll place you at the vanguard when we march. An enlisted leader, marching at my right side. How does that sound?”
Applebloom’s face remained impassive, but her heart sung with joy as she replied. “That’s all I ask, ma’am. And thank you.”
“You’re quite welcome, Chief Legionaria. I have a feeling that you’ll do well here. Very well indeed.”
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Applebloom is so dead lol.
Sweetie Belle is going to freak on Celestia...
Fuck, this is getting even more epic each chapter! The war really will be decided at the gala, huh? Flags, legionnaires, changelings, I can see a bright light in the future. It's an explosion.
Also, this is slightly relevant.
Oh Lordy, it begins. Also, did celestial just set up a legionary Baracks in lunas escape route?
1913711 Ai, Ai, Ai... I know that filly from previous chapters! FFFFFFF---! Must rage now...
You killed Cirrus?! YOU BASTARD!!! HOW COULD YOU?!
Let it be known that manly tears were shed in this chapter.
Using Applebloom as her personal meat shield. You know, just when I think I couldn´t hate Celestia even more, she succeedes in prove me wrong
For the end of this saga, I hope Mr. Airstream has a orbital laser karma with her coordinates.
Cirrus´ fate, while tragic, was at least an accident. The guards fired a stunner spell, not a death ray.
how many chapter are left? definitely sounds like we're nearing the climax.
i hope for applebloom's sake that she hesitates when she sees both her friends with the enemy.
i hope they get luna out without any extreme casualties.
1914089
There are no bounds to Celestia's cunning.
I'm worried about those uniforms the rebels got in Trottingham.
They seem kind of stylish and it wouldn't be very hard to fake Twilight's writing with all those friendship reports she sent over the years.
On to something unrelated.Having Applebloom as a meat shield seems to be a bad idea on Celestia's part as it could break Applejack.
1914861
The Trottingham´s Everfree being fooled to become practice targets to Celestia´s Legionnaires?
Honestly I didn´t think that possibility.
But if/when Applebloom is "accidentally" killed in the conflict by Twilight´s forces, which side do you think her big sister which choose?
1914992
One of the problems with the world of intrigue is you can't take anything at face value. This is the heart of conspiracy after all.
That said paranoia is just that and it can drive a pony nuts.
Of course uncertainty if what makes the game fun and who doesn't like a surprise or two?
And if Applebloom is killed in this fashion I find it possible that Applejack will lose her trust in both and refuse to side with anypony involved.
We really can't be sure of anything until the dust settles though and even then we might not see all the pieces.
This chapter made me almost cry... but i agree with what screwball said, Twilight would never order the ever free to have uniformers epsically if there suppose to be undercover... i smeel rarity all over this since she make things like this (well played)
And it looks like the final battle (for THIS chapter) well be happing in maybe 4 chapters
1902765
One way to look at the Discord issue would be to suggest that the Sisters overreacted when they first encountered him in the sense that they went for the ultimate option. Perhaps by binding the elements of Harmony to physical objects they constrained that power in a way that actually left Discord less opposed than before...
1939663
Well I've seen a fic or two where the Griffins were basically the Roman Empire. Most, that I have seen, have borrowed from cultures with militaristic traditions/histories, so I imagine you could use Japan as a model too if you wanted.
1939663
Well, the concept of the gryphon as we know it was brought to Greece by the Persians during one of their attempted conquests. If you look around the ruins of Persepolis in Iran, you see them everywhere. it's originally an Egyptian idea, but the Persians turned it into the noble predator we all know, love, and fear.
Plus, I speak a bit of Farsi, so the Gryphic you see in the story is actually a Romanization of the actual language. Even the names are Persian.
I noticed this is very much like a tacticial game.
You are a master at writing this cloak and dagger stuff. On the edge of my seat reading through this.
I put every other story on hold to finish this one and its getting pretty tense.
shit...will...go...down when belle finds out about this
there's something about the celestia scenes...that just fuel my hatred for her in this story
also....applebloom....u gon die
i can feel it in me bones
2151308
What is with the golden names?
Edit: Oh its an april fools joke.
Celestia is truly selfish. Not just a layer of selfish above a center of warmth. Just selfish. She gets some unicorn rapist after Twilight to get her pregnant and dead so she can have another Alicorn to manipulate into turning Equestria into a place of nothing but Harmony. She's saying nothing but Harmony is what's best for Equestria. And Celestia's the embodiment of Harmony. She's basically saying that she's what's best for Equestria, and nothing else. She is truly, truly selfish.
Anyone but cirrus, every regular deserved that death, accident or not. Shits getting epic though. Time to bring equstrias mighty armies to its knees, much like George Washington did to another seeminy undefeatable foe. 'Merica
Applebloom is gonna get her ass beat to the ground.
2730323
Selfish indeed. And greedy. No. I'm wrong about that. She's not greedy. -beat- She's batshit insane!
Oh, poor applebloom! She's gonna get her plot kicked!
Cirrus? *Inhale* NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooo *Inhale* OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Well... just started this chapter. That third paragraph I believe is gonna set the whole mood for this chapter as being rather tragic.
Manly tears were shed for that little filly.
6209614
It's easy to forget her name, as it only got mentioned once or twice.
It's Copper Cask I believe.
Off topic a bit, but how well was Infamous Second Son? I don't have access to a ps4, so I can't play that as of yet. One of the two games that would make me plop down over $300 for a new system if I had it.
Regrettably, my damn cable bill taps me out. If there weren't so many hoops to jump, I'd switch to satellite.