Nearly all of humanity has been converted and all that remains is a small, but well armed resistance. They are mounting an assault on Equestria to, one way or another, send Celestia a message.

"We will not go quietly into the night!
We will not vanish without a fight!"
President Thomas J. Whitmore, Independence Day

Bombs, shelters, killing spells, guns, death, and destruction. War has come to Equestria and no pony was ready. Celestia had to think of something fast, so she enlisted all her top forces: The Day Guard, The Night Guard, The Wonderbolts, and the Elements of Harmony. And the ponies left behind are devastated that their loved ones are to go to the war and fight in the front lines. While they are stuck waiting for a sign that the war is over

This is a story not focusing on a war itself, but the view of those not apart of it, but still affected by it.

Rainbow Dash was the Iron Wing. She was a war hero, the Slayer of Shadows, the Liberator of the Crystal Empire, the Wrath of Celestia. And depending on who you ask, she still is.

But the war is over. There's little need for a pony like her in peacetime. So she keeps telling herself that she needs to adjust, that she needs to find a new role to fill in the world that she saved. But Equestria seems content to let her remain what she has become, even though they have no need of a warrior.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be", is something she keeps telling herself. But every time she says it, the only thing she can reply is, "so what should it be?"

One whole year after the close of the war, and Rainbow Dash still doesn't have the answer.

Art by NCMares.

Princess Celestia had banished Nightmare Moon for the next 1,000 years, but peace still had yet to settle in Equestria. The most fanatic of the queen's followers, loyal to the end and with no one to give them orders, begin a march on Canterlot and the Royal Palace. Their objective: to kill Princess Celestia, bring their Queen back, and establish the reign of Nightmare Moon across Equestria. Over ten thousand of these ponies set out on this mission.

Standing between the Princess and those ponies, the elite 189 Royal Guardsponies prepare to fight to the last breath to defend their monarch.

This is their story.

(Based on the Last Stand of the Swiss Guard)

Paris 1941. After France was defated, the civillans are humiliated by the soldiers. One young soldier still respects the people and lives with a young woman who has lost her husband and son. Can they help a lost filly to get home and protect her from the SS and Gestapo?

France 1917. The Great War is raging. The Germans attack the Brit's trenches, they attack their trenches. All Quiet on the Westen Front. But not for a German Medic who finds a hurt Foal caught in barbed wire.

I got the Idea from the game Battlefield 1 and the Movie All Quiet on the Western Front

Equestria, a land of harmony and peace...now a land of oppression and misery. Several months ago, the nation society of historical research began excavation in some old ruins dated back to before the rise of any known nations or empires. The ponies sent there never returned and any sign of them or the ruins had disappeared.

One month ago, IT had arrived. An unknown pony wielding powerful magic and commanding an army of various twisted creatures invaded Equestria, nopony was able to stand up to them. The elements of harmony were all captured, except for Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle who both disappeared with no trace. The crystal empire was completely destroyed and both Cadance and Shining Armour are presumed to be dead. Celestia and Luna were defeated and captured by the mysterious pony, causing the sun/moon cycle to stop, resulting in a permanent sunset.

Today, the sky serves as a reminder to all ponies that the two immortal sisters were beaten and that all hope is seemingly lost. A resistance has formed and is fighting a losing war against the armies of distorted ponies and other creatures.

A big thank you to Alun Aleriksson for proofreading my story.

The Nightmare Moon Rebellion destroyed hundreds of lives, destroyed cities, towns and the land. Trenches cut through the land, between them no pony would be able to survive for more than a few minutes. It's hard to imagine that a pony could be able to live through such a thing, let alone make a friend. However, friendship works in mysterious ways.
(Set in an alternate universe where the Nightmare Moon Rebellion turned into a WWI scenario.)
(Oc's belong to Sameelove and Loodile.)

Run. Think. Shoot. Live. Pony.

On 5/16/02 (Human Calendar) and 5/16/11 (Equestrian Calendar), an immense resonance cascade event connected three different dimensions in a massive disaster that would change the face of their worlds forever.

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[ACCESS SECURE FILE: WHITE CANYON]

Doctor Phase Ray is not having a good day.
Things started off simple- system crashes, equipment failures, and daylight savings complications. But when a routine sample analysis goes horribly wrong, Phase Ray is forced into a battle for her very survival, along with many of her colleagues...

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[ACCESS SECURE FILE: BLACK MESA]

Doctor Gordon Freeman is not having a good day.
Things started off simple- system crashes, equipment failures, and ruined breakfast casseroles. But when a routine sample analysis goes horribly wrong, Gordon is forced into a battle for his very survival, along with many of his colleagues...

Princess Luna still feels alone, nineteen years after her return to Equestria . But when she finds a friend in an online game, everything seems better. She can be herself without worrying about what others think, and she can finally talk to another pony, even if he never knows who she really is.

Celestia is worried about her sister, especially right now. Upcoming peace talks with a powerful new nation mean that all the Princesses need to be completely ready. With her Luna so absorbed in a fantasy world, she wonders how she'll make it through the harrowing weeks to come.

Button Mash feels like a failure. He's still living at home, he still can't find work that can use his degree from the university, and he still feels alone. His friends are getting married, starting families, and thriving in their careers. On the plus side, he plays games regularly, and his best friend is a mare, even if she doesn't know his name. He hopes that his upcoming vacation to Canterlot might help his mindset.

But, unbeknownst to all of them, a sinister web within a dark plot threatens to ensnare Equestria... And Luna may be the only one able to stop it.

She may face it alone, or maybe she'll have some help from her knight in faded armor...

Cover art credit to yamashta. Link here.

Preread by -TGM- and Goldenwing

Edited by m1ntf4n, PheonixStarr, Wing, and the_Doc, and Swan Song, and Orion Caelum.

Follows canon up to about season 4 or so. I'm not sure when everything went off the rails, but it was originally as true as possible when initially written.

Link to the Discord chat HERE!