On Monday, exactly three weeks after the outbreak of war, the following headline news appeared on the "Ponyville Express" above a picture of scarred soldiers wearing mad faces and facing left behind a background of snowcapped mountains and gray skies:
Penetration on Eastern Front; Equestrians Move to 5km South of "Efficient" Town
Due to excellent reconnaissance and perfect timing, the Equestrian strike on the Eastern Front (also known as the Manehattan Front) was successful, breaking the crystal/rock fortifications and causing a retreat of about 7 kilometers West.
The attack was led by the 7th, 9th, and 23rd divisions of the E.U.P. Guard, headed officially by General Radar. This attack also included the famous Rock Troopers and the Wonderbolts, the latter under the helm of Air Chief Marshal Aerosol.
This advance has regained the following major towns and cities for Equestria: Maybridge, Greenskill, Abyssin,...
On Tuesday, "The Equestrian Times" carried an image of a great and endless sea conquered by makeshift sailboats holding several Crystal ponies all wearing their signature black armor and helmets showing their glowing green eyes. The headline news for this day's edition was:
Sombra's Western Plan: Creep on the Coast
As many analysists and theorists have suggested days after the invasion of Vanhoover, the Crystal Empire continues to move further South but taking relatively small amounts of territory, that territory ending at the Fastpace Range as it goes down the coast.
However, further reports show that it also has utilized the shipbuilding industries of Vanhoover and other nearby cities such as Seacattle. Currently, reports state an estimate of 100 to 350 ships at their disposal, with numbers fast rising because of the Empire manufacturing their own line of ships.
The latest settlement to be taken on this front, Smokey Mountains, is still in enemy hooves since yesterday.
On Wednesday, this letter reached a barracks on the Manehattan Front:
Dear Rainbow Dash, our awesome little pony,
We're just checking on you. We're still awfully worried about you. We wish to be with you or at least be some miles away from you, but all our requests to the appropriate authorities denied our wishes.
Remember that you're the best Wonderbolt and the best warrior Equestria's ever had! Teach those baddies a lesson and save Equestria in the most awesome way you can think of!
We're rooting for you, Dashie.
From your loving Mom,
Windy Whistles
On Thursday, "The Canterlot Chronicle" brought in this piece of news over an interesting picture of a smiling Starlight Glimmer beside the other smiling residents of the "Town of Efficiency" in front of said town:
Controversial Town Prepared for Last Defense
The town known as the "Town of Efficiency" or "Starlight's Village" is stocking up weapons and training everypony able to defend their home. This was prompted by the movement of Crystal Empire walls toward the town, which now stand less than a mile away from their borders.
Despite the imminent danger of such a situation, many of the ponies interviewed there showed a calm impression.
"Since everypony feels the heavy responsibility of protecting all that we stand for," Night Glider, one such resident, said,
"we're doing our best and sharpening our skills to the max. Besides, it's our home. We're not going anywhere."
"I may not have the strongest muscle or the most effective magic," Party Favor, another resident, told, "but, with this training regiment, I feel 100% confident that we can take these guys down without any outside help."
Starlight Glimmer, the town's founder and elected spokespony, said, "We're not stubborn to think that the misguided ponies who follow the Princesses will help us with purely good reasons. Surely, if they beat the Crystal ponies about to invade our town, then they might demand of us a change of ideas and the abandoning of not only our homes but also our collective statement and proof that our society is better than theirs."
Several military officers of the Guard, however, think otherwise.
"She's a pony who hasn't experienced intense hardship yet," General Spearhead noted. "I have my doubts if she will stand by her words and not abandon the town herself."
"It may be a strange action on our part," Captain Shining Armor said, "but we'll send in our troops anyway to their town if too much trouble comes their way. Like it or not, I know that they're ponies like us and they're living in Equestria; therefore, they'll get our help even if it's unwanted."
On Friday, this notice was posted on many newspapers circulated throughout Equestria:
Ponyville is This Year's Equestria Games Venue!
We're glad to announce that the Equestria Games this year will be held in Ponyville!
While we have our usual criteria for venue consideration (which include audience suitability, varied terrain, training space, and local hospitality, not to mention other significant criteria), this year's consideration had special criteria in light of the conflict Equestria is currently in.
We chose Ponyville not only because it can provide an open experience for both audience and competitors (among other things), but also because it is a safe place to hold the Games in. It is not a costal city so there is no threat of a naval invasion and it is far enough away from the Crystal Empire to be clear of any land invasion in the near future.
Qualification tryouts will be held in nearby Chillwater, a short train ride away from Ponyville.
Expect more news about the Games to appear as we get closer to celebrating a united Equestria through good sport once more!
On Saturday, the cover of the day's "Equestria Magazine" featured a portrait of Princess Celestia looking off in the distance. The cover article was "Crystal Control: The Problem of King Sombra and Mind Control". A snippet of the article was as follow:
....What's disturbing about these helmets is that nopony is completely sure about how they operate. While the basics are understandable, the helmets prove to be a puzzle if one digs deeper.
When the average pony considers some of Princess Celestia's recent words about the helmets, he or she is likely to feel some despair, and rightfully so. If not even the immense level of wisdom and experience within the Princess's mind is enough to crack the case, then it's only logical (at first) to assume that it might be impossible to crack it at all.
To those frightful ponies, I say this: The mages of the Princess have never disappointed and they'll not disappoint now.
One important thing that many ponies (even those in Canterlot!) forget is that the Princess, though more than capable in handling Equestria and her citizens, is only one pony with a single opinion on every matter. While these opinions can be changed to a degree, they cannot be fully altered under normal circumstances. So, with her letting the mages go wherever they need to concerning the search for the helmets' answer, progress toward finding that counterspell won't be hindered by the Princess's thoughts on it.
On Sunday, a photograph on "The Manehattan Times" displayed a snowy landscape overshadowed by the rough and black walls of the Crystal Empire; Crystal ponies, all armored, stood in front of the wall, stationed there as they faced and endured the snowstorm. The headline news was:
Crystal Empire at Yakyakistan's Door; Battle Incoming
The yaks asked for trouble, and trouble they got.
The Crystal Empire is less than 200 meters away from Yakyakistan. Reports from both ponies and yaks reveal that there are signs of training exercises and weapon preparations going on behind the wall.
The yaks have reinforced their walls with more archers and they've also prepared catapults. Most of the yak population are already armed with the basic spear and are expected to charge into the Crystal ponies when the attack commences—which, at this point, means anytime soon.