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// Prologue: Discordant Warlord 
// Story: War has to change 
// by Lorhelei 
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The sunny day was beautiful as always. No evil demons trying to steal all the magic of the kingdom nor undead kings that rise within their lost kingdom looking for world domination through slavery and fear.

Indeed, they were times of peace, but it was only a cold and fake one. Imposed by fear more than anything, fear of the rulers of Equestria and his powers. Even if there were some races and other kingdoms that tried to impose themselves over the others, none of them were rivals to the magic and power that the Princesses of Equestria held.

Many had tried to disrupt this peace by attacking their defenders: The princesses, but few could do any harm to it. Their power moved the planet itself and keep it together. Many claims that such power was seeing as a sign of utter dominance and couldn't be allowed in a free world and thus shall be stopped or restrained.

Some thought that the Princesses were a potential menace to anything that exists, life could be wiped from any planet in a flick of their hoofs. The universe would be their playground if they wished to anytime they want. It only took one of them to go rampage to treat everything that lived, that danger couldn't be taken by many and were aside of those who oppose them.

Many conflicts were taken place in the world, but all of them were taken down through diplomacy. The fear of war was always there, it was common knowledge that a bunch of nations were afraid of Equestria’s power, and only were waiting for an opportunity to seize. Many could live with the constant fear, many couldn't. For someones, it was just part of their daily life...

But... For others, all of that was mere mortal struggles, completely alien to his own being. Civilizations could come and go, even races born and die, but he remained. And in all that time, one thing was as eternal and immutable as him.

War.

War never changes. The soldiers might, the weapons? Of course. Across all space and time, over universes, species, planets and everything that is and will be, war will ever remain the same; A chaotic dance of the death and the living for supremacy, warriors fight with all their skill and prowess, they shed blood and get rid of all of what make them sentient beings. They all come to their prime, allowing themselves to turn into pure chaos.

Even those called strategists turn into animals in times of war. They throw their friends and family just for what they think is good, they fight, they get rid of their morals and rules only to see their enemy's fall. A spectacle always entertaining for him.

He has seen all of them, all kind of wars. No matter how '*advanced*' those mortals claim to be, they are all the same, slaves of their emotions, to their instinct, to their… Mortality. They fight with stick and stones, with swords and shields, bombs and ships. Some of them have mastered the power of the stars, others claim for themselves the strength of the elders or the forces of nature. He has seen them all. In fact, he has been in all of them.

War has never changed and never will. Or at least, that's how it should be.

Usually, he never interrupts the course of the nature to spread his chaotic touch, sentient beings fulfill that role very well. But sometimes, on very rare occasions, some species dare to defile the purity of war and thus dishonor him.

And so here we are, in the clouds over a peaceful land filled with green grass and high tides. A strange and powerful creature was having a debate over a cloud-made table and chairs with creatures just like himself.

"How they dare to stain the best of my creations with such banalities!"

Yelled a creature seemly unkind to any other that inhabited that land. Such creature has parts of many animals composing his own body: One goat horn and the other a deer's antler, the left paw of a lion and the right claw of a bird, a dragon's tail completed the chimeric creature with different eyes and patch of fur across his body.

"I know, right! Those mortals, to think they can control chaos. Such pettiness." Another creature that was exactly the same as the first spoke.

"Those ponies think that they are smart enough to control everything." said a third one. "They dance and live, thinking that everything is 'harmony' and friends."

All of them were sitting in a chair made of clouds around a full square table made of the same material. Some of them were chatting with those on their side while others just screaming across the sky to reach their target. All the voices became louder and louder as they arose them to make their points until another one interrupted.

"SILENCE!" exclaimed the one on the far side of the table.

The commanding voice came from a creature with exactly the same look as the others, except for a green and red jacket full of golden badges and a general cap with his own face made of gold on the front.

The moment his thunderous command broke through the blue skies, the clouds went as silent as night. Not even a whisper could be heard from any living creature, the birds that were singing a moment before halted their song in an instant. All of the other creatures froze while giving a dumb fold gaze at the one with the cap.

"Now, may I have your attention? gentlemen," —a cloud-made flat screen appeared on the far side of the table as he spoke,— "As you can see here..."

The screen started to dance with strange figures, many of them were from planets around the galaxy. Suddenly the screen flashed once again and stopped in one small blue planet with white clouds and green hills.

"Those ponies are not the only problem we have, gentlemen. These self-called '*Humans*' has done something even worse than only stop fighting." said the being while moving his paw accordingly.

Many of the presents just scratched their chins looking for an answer to an unspoken question, the mention of something even worse that don't even fight. The ponies were harmonious by nature, yet they supposed harmony was nothing but an illusion, only a screen to protect themselves from their true nature.

"They dared to defile our purest creation. These ponies hate it, yes, but humans... They had turned it into mere games of assassination and bloodshed."

None of the presents really understood the meaning of those words at first, they all shrugged simultaneously while glancing each other in order to confirm that everyone has the same dumbfounded expression.

The capped looked at every single of his comrades, noticing how all of them had the same dumb expression on his faces. Then, with a face-paw and a gesture of his claw, he continued.

"Here, look at this!" —The screen flashed once again with some static before sending images from that blue planet that humans habits,— "they use automated machines to kill hundreds and hundreds in seconds, weapons that disappear entire cities in a blink of an eye, technology capable of disarming entire population with the press of a single button along with augmented soldiers, more machine than the living wander the battlefield. Such ways of killing: cold, calculated, and soulless only have one objective;  to take another life as fast as possible, no remorse, no pain, no fight. Only death. The life of millions are in the hand of one being and can end with only one button..."

All of them stood up, dumbfounded of what they had heard. Across infinite realities, countless civilizations, no being was so reckless at the moment of executing their power.

"ID tag soldiers, carrying ID tag weapons, wearing ID tag gear. They use machines inside their bodies to enhance and control their abilities. Genetic control, information control, emotion control... Battlefield control...

War control..."

Everyone gasped at the same time at the spoken words.

"Absolutely everything is monitored and keep under control..." His face went down and gazed at the floor of the flat cloud he was standing on, his eyes had lost the fire they had seconds ago and were now full of sadness and regret. It took several seconds before he regained his voice, the knot that was stuck in his throat was something he hadn’t felt in what it seems like an eternity. His fists closed in, calling for all his strength to pronounce his next words in the stoic voice he had before... He failed.

He released his tight grasp to cover his face with his paw and then flicked off his finger to make the screen disappear, "They..."

"They have changed war..."

The crowd fell silent for seconds, seconds that felt like minutes as they. Thinking about the true meaning of those words.

"But... War can't change, does it? Can that even be called war anymore? They are just killing each other! War without chaos is just massacre after all. There is no meaning in that, no passion, no progress, no learning... Only death and utter annihilation. That’s not why war is meant for! War is supposed to make the species stronger, not only reduce his numbers. That is just... Genocide. Murder..."

The others nodded in agreement to the one that told those words and gazed at the capped one, searching for an answer.

"You are right, my friend. That isn't war. This is an abomination! And as one it must be treated."

He put his cap aside and turn his back, so the others couldn't see the single tear falling through his cheek. The fury he carried before wasn't real, it was only a mask he put to hide his true feelings. Sadness and sorrow were the only things he could think when he saw that screen. It wasn't only for those beings killing themselves without any remorse, no, but for the end of something beautiful.

He never showed her face, and, for a couple of seconds, no words were said. Only after a moment, he said to the wind, hoping for it to take his words and feelings and take it away.

"They... They were splendid time ago. They had so much potential. War was an art for them, they performed for it, entertained it and feed it with such love and passion that made me proud too many times. Those elders knew what was the true meaning of war, the beautiful art of instinct and intelligence, a dance of power that would lead to the evolution of the species. They trained, they polish their techniques, pushed his bodies and mind to the limit, they were so close to the peak... To think that they would lose their way like that..."

With his face full of sorrow, he struck the table just for it to disappear into the air and immediately reformed again, his face broke and his eyes were bloodshot.

"If only I was there... But these ponies... They trapped me for so long..."

All of the others glanced down, they eyes closed and their hands crossed as they took a minute of silence to take the loss of what time ago was like their son. It wasn’t a funeral, but a wake. A species that lived through war in his most pure state. It was certainly something rare and precious to this being. For a mortal species to understand and embrace chaos with such purity and dedication, it was pretty uncommon, and he appreciated any being that could do that. Now, to lose them like that and see them became just a twisted shadow of their former self because he couldn't help them. He blamed and cursed himself for not being there to watch over them, to guide them to the right path, to protect them from themselves.

"Then..." One of the presents broke the vote of silence, "What should we do with them?"

Many understood what was the meaning of that and began to ask themselves the same thing.

"Why, we will let them destroy themselves, of course, it's their decision and we will not interfere," said the capped one, his eyes still filled with sorrow, yet, full of determination. "After all, we need to take care of these ponies before they walk the same path."

Many were indisposed about his decision, others accepted it as the best solution. Few were thinking of others solutions before one of them rose his paw and asked in a very shy way.

"We can't let them die, right?" Many started to question themselves about that, many didn't see the reason, even the one with the green and red jacket.

"Explain, please"

"Well... They are the only sentient being on their homeworld. If they die, there will no more intelligent beings on that planet, and that means..."

All of sudden, everybody knew where he was going, it was so obvious yet all of them want it to be a lie.

"That means... No chaos."

They all understand it, no intelligent life means no chaos. Animals don't create chaos, nature can't disturb itself, no, that is the purpose of those who carry his own being over his shoulders, a heavy weight, but one of their own. Those with the power to embrace the chaos are the ones who have to wield it to force nature to keep working. Pushing the creation to its limits.

"So... We can't let that happen, can we?"

The question was a tough one, every one of them glanced at each other, uncertain of what to expect. A few paws were raised, but none of them had a solution that could please his general, after a short period, all of them engaged in a debate, looking for a solution to the problem at paw.

"We can't intervene, that's not our nature."

"We can't let them die either."

"What about the ponies?"

"What about them?"

"We can't let them like this. They will soon walk the same path."

"Then what do you suggest? Make them fight? Ha!"

All of the presents shut the chat in a split second as fast as that idea was throw. The leader literally dropped his jaw to the floor of the cloud and remained fixed in place at the sudden realization of such idea. Being able to shoot two birds... Or species with one war was very exciting, enough to cause shivers all over the body of this creature.

Before he could speak again, he crouched and took his jaw from the floor and with a bunch of tapes fixed it to his face once again, "that... That's brilliant!" exclaimed, "Ponies will get the war they much need, and humans will learn something about 'harmony'. Yes... Two broken species, fixing each other without them even knowing it, Ha! It's perfect! Why didn't I thought that?"

All of the presents cheered at their leader cleverness with claps and whistles as confetti began to fall from nowhere.

"But, how will we do that? These ponies will never go to war." said another one.

"That... That's true..."

"Well, they will not, that's for sure. At least, no if they think *they* will go to war. What if war come for them?"

"You mean..."

"Bringing the humans here?"

"Why would they come to Equus?"

"Oh don't worry about that, they will. Believe me. For I have a plan!" he put his cap once again while looking at the sunset, "This will work for sure,” his smile was going from ear to ear while he was playing with his hands, literally, “what wonderful times are coming! Listen here my friends, for I will show you now how to fix two entire civilizations in two easy steps!"

Everybody was expectant at the point that all of them were almost over the table with big eyes pointing at their leader, ready for whatever he has to say.

"First, I open a portal, or a gate if you want, between Equus and... What was that planet name?" From the air, one of the presents materialized book and a pair of glasses. He began to pass his paw over the yellow pages until the name was found.

"Earth. Or at least that's what we have registered.

"Wait... Earth? Are you sure? That sphere is all blue, why will they call it like that?"

At the same time that the other one disappeared the book and the glasses he shrugs his shoulders and returns a dumb fold look.

"Well... I will open a gate between Equus and *Earth*. Ponies will think that some creature did it and humans will think that another thing opened it. They found each other, think of the other as an invading species and there we go. Express war right on."

All of the presents clap their paws and claws for his leader, it looked like a victory after all. Both species will fight and both will win without even knowing what happened. He knew for certain that his plan was not as polished as he wished it, but the thrill of the war between those two filled him with excitement. Like if he was seeing a battle royale, two of his favorites civilizations, fighting each other.

The plan was ready, the sunset, the lights of Equestria lighted up the sky in a spectacle of light and fireworks. The Annual Festival of Friendship was taking place just below them. All of the ponies were happy as ever, the princesses were having fun, even Twilight seemed like she was having a good time, something weird for her for a couple of years now.

Songs were playing, a beautiful scenery was displayed as a bunch of ponies were acting historical parts, telling jokes, playing music, dancing, and living.

But, at the distance, where the sun was hiding from the zealous sight of his master towards the north Aurora. He could see what lies beneath that 'harmony'. Ponies, griffons and zebras, a conglomerate of species without a home, rotten corpses of those who died crossing the desert were clearly visible for the eyes of the creature that was over the clouds. Hunger, insecurity and hate, they were all growing while the princesses were having a party at their bright palace. Equestria was a paradise built over thousands and thousands of corpses, ‘harmony’, paid for in blood.

"Then... It's set." the capped one was just about to flick his finger, meaning that the reunion was over. But another one stopped him and ask his last question.

"So... Where will you open the gates?" asked, genuinely concerned.

"Oh, that's the best part, my friend."

Before the end of his sentence, his fingers flicked and with a loud noise, all of the other presents disappeared into the air and turned into clouds. The table and chair lost his shape and became part of the greater mist he was on. Even his clothes faded just like the sun on the horizon.

As the moon rose, his shine began to illuminate the creature over the clouds. The shades of yellow and orange were substituted by cold and blue colors. The stars were brighter than ever, maybe that was part of the spectacle. Then, when the moonlight touched his face, a massive grin showed up as he screamed at the air one last sentence as he jumped in excitement.

"I have no idea!"