In the summer of 1016 at the tail end of a long, bloody war between Equestria and the Changeling Hives, the tides have turned in ponykind's favor. Changeling forces have been pushed back to Vesapolis, and every element of Changeling society has been mobilized against Equestria. Every passing day, the prospect of invasion becomes bloodier and bloodier while peace remains as far away as it has ever been.

Forced into making a hard decision, Celestia sits in her office and awaits the end of the war.

3/14/24 Still Alive Edition

There's only one pony in Ponyville that the Mane Six have never met. Pinkie Pie has never thrown him a party, Applejack has never sold him a mug of cider, and Twilight has never seen him check out any books. And as far as that unicorn, Lapis Print, is concerned, that's exactly how it should be.

Lapis can't risk them knowing where he lives, what he does for a living, or even what his name is - if he gets his way, the Mane Six won't even know he exists, and nopony in Ponyville will miss him once he's gone.

It should be a piece of cake - after all, it's not like the biggest magical power in Equestria is about making sure everypony looks out for each other, right?

(Rated Teen for language - mental cursing mostly.)

The Griffonian Empire groans…

It is March of 1007, and Grover V, emperor of all* griffons, has breathed his last. His empire is broken after secessions and a devastating revolution, his power stolen by schemers in his court, and his only son underage. A regency council, made up of the nobles and clergy of the empire, is being assembled to rule in the stead of four-year-old Grover VI.

Ferdinand Dawnclaw, like many others within the empire, remembers how the last regency went down. Unlike many others, he doesn’t intend to let history repeat itself.

“Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
- Winston Churchill

The worldbuilding, and several persons in the story (including Dawnclaw) are credited to the dev team of Equestria at War, the MLP Hearts of Iron 4 mod.
This story generally adheres to the “canon”, but I have tweaked certain events, added original characters, and maybe slightly tweaked Dawnclaw’s character. This is all done to create a good story, not because the source material is terrible.
Equestria at War Wiki
Griffonian Empire lore

Equestria and the Crystal Empire have fallen to the Changeling Hegemony, led by the brutal Queen Chrysalis at the head of a mechanized horde of guns and tanks. Princess Cadance stayed in the Crystal Empire; Princess Twilight stayed in Equestria. Chrysalis rules the continent, only defied by Nova Griffonia, the poor Griffon colony in the north.

Across the ocean, the Griffonian Reich pledges to reclaim its lost territory, sundered by revolution a generation ago. While the Alicorn Sisters retreat to New Mareland, Princess Flurry Heart and Shining Armor turn to Aquileia, the Republic born out of the ashes of the Griffonian Reich. The Kaiser of the Reich is only a child, subject to a regent bent on war and conquest.

Flurry knows the Reich and Chrysalis have worked together.

She knows that war is coming to Aquileia.

She knows that Celestia and Luna abandoned her mother and Twilight Sparkle.

She knows that the world is on fire, and she is the last true Princess of Ponies.

She knows she will go home.

Cover Art by Opal Radiance, commissioned by Sunstreaker.
https://www.deviantart.com/opalradiance