Dan Vs. "Equestria's Second Sun"(Vice Grip's father- Chancellor Rice Puddinghead IV) · 6:13am Jan 11th, 2017
Over a thousand years ago, Equestria was ruled by a triumvirate instead of just the royal family. There was a prophecy that one day Princess Celestia and Princess Luna would take the throne and lead Equestria into a new age of harmony but until they were ready, three representatives of the original pony tribes. Even after Equestria was founded following the exodus from Enchantria, the three pony tribes were still separate despite living in the same kingdom. Although they were united as a country, they were still very divided as a species, even going as far as to ordain that the ponies associated with their own kind only, segregating the early Equestria.
During this time, the pegasi were still lead by the Pegasus Commander, the unicorns of course were ruled by the head of the royal family, usually a princess, and the earth ponies held a democratic election each year to choose a chancellor to represent them. The three leaders would meet to discuss any and all problems and choose the best course of action. Each issue was deciding on the majority vote between the three leaders and every choice affected all the tribes. Despite that it was not meant to last, this was the way they did things for generations before Celestia and Luna took the throne.
Chancellor Rice Puddinghead the Fourth was unquestionably the most popular chancellor the earth ponies have ever had. An inventor, Rice was credited with creating underground greenhouses, pioneering powered flight, discovering new territories and curing diseases that plagued the fledgeling Ponyville. Rice Puddinghead's incredible works were considered miraculous, advancing Equestrian society into a modern age that helped end strife, hardship and famine. Earth ponies gave him the nickname of "Equestria's Second Sun", an honor that the humble chancellor never took for granted... and a title the commander and the princess hated him for.
Directly related to the former Chancellor Puddinghead played by Pinkie Pie in the Hearth's Warming Eve play, Rice Puddinghead did his best to live up to the responsibilities and the legacy of his great grandmother. Rice won reelection an unbelievable eight times, seven of which because no earth pony even attempted to run against him. Chancellor Rice was so beloved by his fellow earth ponies that a holiday was named after him and the town hall was dedicated in his honor. Even with all the accolades, Rice still only wanted his fellow ponies to thrive and be happy in Equestria.
Still, Rice Puddinghead was not able to solve every problem his nation faced. Equestria had always been plagued by lack of food; there were more sentient species in Equestria which required a larger food source, one that was harder to cultivate. Famine was quite common and difficult to prevent, growing enough food for three pony tribes was an arduous task that fell on the earth ponies alone. Rice created new practices like crop rotation and greenhouses to increase production but even then, the demand was too great as Equestria's population boomed. Seeing no other option, Rice Puddinghead spearheaded a plan to cultivate new areas of Equestria, expanding the nation's borders. Such a plan would solve the problem and allow ponies access to new soil and new crops, a chance to grow as a nation.
Unfortunately, it was not accepted by the other triumvirs. Rice's plan called for the construction of a railroad that linked Equestria's territories, allowing them to establish new towns and cities in recently-discovered places. The Pegasus Commander and Unicorn Princess at the time voted against such action, claiming that expansion into new territory might be seen as aggressive by Equestria's neighbors. The chancellor would continue to bring up and argue for expanding Equestria but each time, the other leaders would outvote him, preventing his plans from being sanctioned.
In reality, the Pegasus Commander and Unicorn Princess feared that the earth ponies, if allowed to branch out, would become too powerful. The pegasi were loyal but not innovative and the unicorns had magic, both things that required adherence to tradition in order to flourish. The Commander and Princess saw Rice's plans as a threat to the status quo, one that would make magic obsolete if earth ponies found out they didn't need pegasi or unicorns. They forced Rice and the earth ponies to continue dealing with unfavorable conditions, all the while living in relative comfort while the earth ponies did three times the work but received one-third the credit.
Rice decided he'd had enough. In secret, he and his followers completed construction of Equestria's railroad, using camouflage to make sure pegasi couldn't see it from above. After completing the rail lines, Rice tried one more time to convince his fellow leaders of his ideas. When he was denied, he decided to go through with his plans anyway: an unveiling of the first Equestrian locomotive, the device to carry them into the future.
It was not to be. The train was sabotaged before it could be revealed to the public the details of which will be revealed in a flashback chapter and Rice Puddinghead was killed in the process. Despite the fact the unicorns and pegasi worked together to sabotage the train, the blame for the incident was placed solely on the pegasi. This even allowed the unicorn princess to remove the pegasus commander as a leader of Equestria, abolishing the position of Pegasus Commander and instead changing it to General Manager of Cloudsdale, a title which could be held by any pony.
Grieving over the loss of their chancellor, the earth ponies never elected another one. Following a period of mourning, the princess installed a mayor of Ponyville that was loyal to her to lead earth ponies in the future. Rice Puddinghead became the last earth pony Chancellor to hold the office before the position was removed, his death called a "tragic accident" that occurred during the construction of the railroad.
It would not be long, however, before Discord took over Equestria and imposed his own chaotic rule upon the kingdom. After Celestia and Luna defeated him, they would take the throne of Equestria as prophesied and enact the reforms and expansion plans Rice Puddinghead desired. The truth of Rice Puddinghead's assassination would be lost to time and his place in history largely forgotten. But it would be remembered by one.
Rice Puddinghead had a son, the young Vice Grip who aspired to be a great inventor like his father. While his son was believed to have perished along with his father, he survived and followed the tracks the earth ponies laid in the opposite direction to the Crystal Empire. Vice Grip arrived on the outskirts of the kingdom and was taken in by a group of diamond dogs that would care for him until the Empire's disappearance, causing the land to vanish for a thousand years.
Unlike the crystal ponies, when Vice Grip reappeared with the Crystal Empire a thousand years later, he would remember everything. Everything that Equestria, everything that the princesses did, everything the unicorns and pegasi did to him, everything that magic took away from him. Vice Grip emerged from Equestria's past, the son of the last earth pony chancellor, to swear revenge, though none remain who for sure know why. What would Rice Puddinghead think? Is there a way we could find out?
Does Equestria's Second Sun still shine?
Expansion Land is such a, disturbing term.
4378463 It is. But somepony's gonna use it.
I always wondered, from the way we see Diamond Dogs living right in the center of Equestria and those ancient mines under Canterlot, if maybe Diamond Dogs lived there first and the 3 tribes just invaded. I mean, how likely is it that such incredibly valuable land was sitting there unused?
Speaking of Diamond Dogs, does that mean some tribe of northern diamond dogs returned with Vice Grip and the Crystal Empire? If so, I wonder why we've never seen any diamond dogs serving him...
4379519 When Vice Grip arrived in the Crystal Empire, he shunned society and sought refuge in caves where he found a group of diamond dogs. He was raised by them, which is one of the reasons he wears the boots and gloves, to walk in a bipedal fashion like they do. Vice taught them what he knew of science, passing on what his father taught him to the dogs. The canines revered him, becoming more than gem mutts. They're now called Steel Dogs and obey Vice Grip absolutely, though he sees them as his family instead of slaves. Vice values them more than ponies and is saving them to use as elite shock troopers for an assault on Earth. The Steel Dogs are too few in number to strike both Earth and Equestria, so he prefers to use the other nations as pawns to attack Equestria while he prepares to destroy and remake Earth.
The Steel Dogs now are busy mining and building Vice's machines at their fortress in the abandoned mining complex at the Prosperity Mountain range between Equestria and the Zebra Kingdom. Prosperity Base is Vice's main base where he plans on launching his invasion. This backstory is somewhat similar to the antagonist Shinzon from Star Trek: Nemesis.
4379541 Cool. Sounds like we will see them in the future.
Hmm, interesting. Though, what was Puddinghead planning on doing with any inhabitants of the areas he wanted to claim? 'Cause the concept of lebensraum kinda involves either enslaving or exterminating them.
4381332 He wasn't aware of any other inhabitants. The lands he wished to settle, mostly in Appleloosa, were not yet migrated to by the buffalo. At the current time, the buffalo, donkeys and manticores were still living in tribal societies in southern Equestria, similar to the societies of the Aztecs, Incas and Mayans, with just as many smaller tribes spread out in early latin American empires.
Chancellor Rice also had plans on expanding Equestria and opening up diplomatic relations with other countries and communities as the kingdom's territory expanded. His desires were in no way imperialistic but he saw no other solution to the problem of food shortages.
4381692 Ah, so he indeed was a nice guy. With that in mind, I kinda think he'd be horrified beyond reason with what Vice is doing.