//------------------------------//
// 12 days 
// Story: The Final Renegade 
// by Im a B O X 
//------------------------------//

The winter snow started to get worse, all over the world, from the nations of humanity to Equus, be it human, griffon, yak, or others, the winter season was worse than what had been initially expected. It poured harder, costing plenty of time and resources just to accommodate for it for both sides, and where the snow stopped pouring, the raining season made up for it, and all over the world, either from the deep snow or drenched in rain, the cold season brought with it a new layer of challenge, but behind all that worry for the war’s progress, a different kind of progress is being made. One that would bring undeniable results.

And with the progress of the war having been grounded to a near halt, with the supply lines being bogged down, the sharp difference between the harshness of the weather that the winter season brought compared to the previous season hadn’t made things any better or bearable. With the progress of Equus grinding to a near halt, it bought time for humanity for some breathing room, especially since for the last couple of weeks, Equus has been in a near proactive state that had cost both side huge amounts of resources, but undeniably placed are large dent in the general progress as a whole. For whatever reason they may have had to act in this expanse in this short amount of time was still up for debate in humanity’s eyes, but they knew it was a gamble for something, just like their upcoming efforts, now that the chips are laid, the cards dealt, let us see who folds or persists at the end of this all.



“So, Mr. Rueful, I believe the packages are ready, all that needs to be done is a signature and brief overview, if all that isn’t too much to ask for.” A person said as they approached the other figure, waiting at the end of a balcony atop a towering casino, the ‘Fortune 13’, one of the many sights of Las Vegas.

“Good, ok, ok, give me a moment to compose myself for what is about to happen, by the way, have we introduced ourselves yet? A little curtsey I try to keep up with all of those I employ personally.” He said, motioning for a much more pleasant and open encounter between the two, a show of trust and respect for what is about and needs to be done.

“I don’t believe so,” the person responded, complying with a previous set of instructions given to him beforehand for this situation. With each step he took closer, he now saw the city from a top-down perspective, like the other go-to spots for the new projects that just got approved about a month or so, really shows just how large the world is compared to a sole person in it.

“Then I believe we should get right into the point, shall we?” he responded, giving a warm smile as he grabbed something beneath his coat, “I am Mr. Edwin Rueful, you already know most of my major titles, being a politician and business figure, I am currently the major head director of Las Vegas with my apprentice, Robert House. I am sure you are aware of the tight schedule, what with the plans of the U.N. already being set in motion, but we could talk about that later, and I believe the Mann and Vanguard families already knew of your business, correct?”

“Yes, indeed, and I am sure you have already heard of me, if you could simply refer to me as Rudolpf Luger, I’d greatly appreciate it, and pleasure as always doing business with the families again, it’s been to a long time coming anyway.” Now he had just walked up beside the man to the balcony railings, overlooking Las Vegas, one of many cities around the world that would receive a defense upgrade, one that is planned to be effective even on a nuclear fallout scenario with the threat that global cooperation would be compromised on the event that nuclear warheads were actually going to be used and theoretical effects on the wider world, a repeat of the Cold War in some aspects, but most importantly, able to hold off against entire armies, since Equus has a supposed history of having lady luck giving them a hand of aces, one that humanity would plan to challenge if need be.

“So, Operation Machina was a success I believe, heard the call signal earlier near the city vicinity, ‘Viva La Vida’…” Rudolpf said, attracting the attention of Edwin, who merely looked at his direction, eyes that have changed over the years that came and went, but it always reflected a fellow human and friend, decades have come and gone, after all, and the war alone having lasted for more than a decade, materials being used by at the constant.

“Long live life… good quote and a good song too boot,” Edwin remarked, “as well as being befitting for what is about to be done.”

“So, if the negotiations fail, well, I must say this now, I really am curious to what may lay ahead for us, regardless of... other factors,” Rudolpf said, now reaching something in his pocket, an old wallet that he had carried for so long.

“Oh I’m sure it would be fine,” Edwin remarked, “after all, precautions were made, and the treaties are already set should they have some inquiries to make,” he then began a series of somber movements, as if he was imagining and writing on a paper in midair, “and it is in the best hopes of business and politics for the long run, one that I, with several others, would like to make sure gains the best outcomes, even if the cost is a gamble in its nature.” He finished, clearly referring to the ‘final hoorah’ of the war.

Looking through the city skyline, casinos, hotels, and other building all lined up and ready, either for war or for business, because behind those seemingly usual rooftops and rooms of luxury, the state-of-the-art technologies that humanity has to offer is at the ready. From railguns, plasma cannons, and the traditional likes, Project “Lucky Gamble” was nearing its complete stages, of course, it was going to be accompanied by project “Mailman” in order to negotiate between the two worlds, both from the economic and political standpoint of things, they hoped not a single nation would deny their offers, considering the fact that “Lucky Gamble” had introduced plenty of weapons that gained some unintended consequences and suspicions, even if long-time agreements had already been set. Amongst that, there was the worry that project “Titan Fall” and “Exodus” would actually be used in the war, but it was hoped that everyone who knew would remain quiet and hope it remains as is, just a contingency plan should things lean out of our favor.

“And how many negotiations are we holding again?” Rudolpf asked, “If I remember, and please correct me if I’m wrong, but at least 10 separate negotiations are being held, entailing different sectors for each Equus nation, correct?”

Edwin, smiling at Rudolpf’s direction, feeling a hint of pride, in a world that had been ravaged by war for more than a decade, people like him and Rudolpf still manage to keep up their pace, literally keeping the world economy afloat, even if there were alternative motives behind them, business is business after all, and they usually tried their best not to make it personal, which was what the war was at the beginning, just business. Of course, Robert House, Edwin’s prodigal and representative for the succession of Las Vegas most successful casino branch, at a very young age for a businessman at that, had plans, one that he shared with both him and the rest of America, and through America, the rest of the world, plans that un-ironically, although designed to make the most efficient economic gains for only him and/or anyone involved, turned into one of the saving grace that allowed humanity to progress despite the strains of the war effort being huge on both the people and economy, a godsent, if you will.

“So,” Edwin began, placing a hand on Rudolpf’s shoulders, “you won’t have to worry about anything, the economic sector, so long as it isn’t under its government’s influence, we should be able to a breeze through the paperwork, especially since we have a taker for our offer in business economics,”

“And I assume it’s a griffon?” Rudpolf asked, assuming that what the stories are true, Griffonia with her empire, are full of allegedly greedy griffons looking for the most in for money, naturally, he assumed one of them would take up the offer if it involved money. Which was another point that surprised him, since it was rumored that the U.N. had allegedly confirmed the existence, and by extension, usage of at least 7 Trillion sterling pounds just to end the war on a lighter note.

Shaking his head, Edwin continued, “contrary to that, it’s actually a fairly well-established business based in Equestria, specifically having ‘Ponyville’ as its founding town, ‘Barnyard Bargains’ if I’m correct, I’m sure you won’t find any problems, especially since you’d be flanked by the Mann’s hired mercenaries, Equipped with the weapons of the Vanguard’s best offers, of course, I did have a hand in all of this. Although admittedly, the war is now turning into a ‘Coventry conundrum’, with how magic is essentially another form of energy, one in its purest of form not bound and literally breaking physics.” Edwin finished, he had high hopes, being a regular gambler in both his own and foreign casinos, he had long learned the art of gambling and dealing, one that he hoped, with the available resources of humanity, could push Equus into a surrender, one that would be acceptable in order to avoid more lives being lost.

“Shame,” Rudolpf replied, closing his eyes in the process in order to better focus on what he was literally about to embark on, “how any considerably advance technology could or would be mistaken for magic… Then again, with these things usually comes opportunities, I could only hope we could catch that opportunity with magic.”  



Celestia paced around her personal quarter. Twilight and her remaining friends were in another room, with herself and her sister, Luna, in the personal room that the two shared during their early reign of Equestria, which had been repurposed into their own personal quarters for… secretive matters between the two.

“I ask again, dear sister,” Luna said, her patience towards her sister dwindling by the second with what she assumed to be irrational thoughts inside Celestia’s head, “What is it that bothers thee? You have near nothing of worry and yet here you are worrying about a human invasion of the mainland.”

“And that’s the problem Luna, it’s something th-” Celestia tried to reason with her, but her sister wouldn’t allow it.

“-That you shouldn’t worry about, Equus, not just Equestria dear sister, as a whole is in a geological advantage, because most of Equus lands are actually continental islands, and are not directly imbedded onto enemy soil, it would buy us some time to prepare, one that would cost our enemy too much time and resources for them to even consider, not to mention we have the best spies on our side to tell us of any threats even before its mobilization.” 

And there was a certain truth in Luna’s word, the majority of Equus was settled in the Pacific Ocean, with some nations, usually in pairs with each other, having their nations separated and landing in other ocean bodies. Plus the fact that changelings, at least according to their performance so far in the war, had been some of the greatest spies that Equus could hope for, call it their undeniable special talent if they were a pony. 

For Celestia, this was common knowledge, but like any knowing being, knowledge could sometimes be a blessing or a curse, and for her, the knowledge that the changelings could in fact do their jobs with such proficiency that it almost brought into question the actual capabilities of humanity, and she personally had her doubts, like she was a puppet, only ever being lead and followed by what the strings command.

“I-I’m sorry, sister,” Celestia said, a heavyweight in her voice accompanying the somber tone that she spoke at the moment, “it is just that… I fear for the worse…”

“And why is that?” Luna questioned, “I have full faith in our subjects, more so with our scholars, to pull through in these trying times.” She said, always the inspirational little sister that Celestia could always look back towards.

“It is not that I don’t have trust in our subjects, per se…” Celestia said, hoping her elaboration would help her sister understand her point of view, “It is just that, as the war goes on, our magic, just like in our homeworld, is slowly being depleted,”

This did not faze Luna, but she allowed her sister to continue, “And with each passing moon, I fear we will reach a point where our magic will have to be used sparsely.”

“And how will that occur?” Luna asked.

“Sister mine,” Celestia began once more, a heavy burden weighing on her with each world she is about to tell, “I know you know of how Equestria’s magic works, correct?” Receiving a nod, she continued, “Well, with each time we use magic, we transform it from its base, mana, into the form that we desire, such as our own flesh in order to heal or a booster in nutrition, and this is a process that is costly to the mana pool, be it natural or within, and so, I fear that we may be using it too much at a rate that it could not replenish itself enough for us to further use, and I fear we will have to micromanage it atop the other resources we already have to keep track, it is not that I fear we may use up all our magic, I just feel as though we are using too much of it that the reward is not worth the cost.”

Staying silent for a moment, Luna began to walk up and onto the windows, where she folded the curtains to give way for the light of the sun, although not the sun that her sister used to control as a deity.

The window, overlooking the city of Canterlot, was simple in its design, but one that allowed Luna to look through and appreciate the beauty that is Canterlot.

In another office room, a pony had just dropped off a letter that was of great importance, to send one clear message, reserved and only to be read by Celestia herself, a letter from the U.N. to Equestria and her allies. A chance for something better, and like most things, it was hoped that it would be seen in the best of intentions.



“Sir, are you sure you would like to pull through with this… operation?” an operator said through the radio, guiding a single mercenary through Equestrian soil, “You could always have another hunt on a better day.”

“It's fine, trust me,” the mercenary said, preparing his rifle and taking aim towards the direction of Canterlot’s palace, “besides, it’s not like I’m doing anything right or remotely wrong.”

“I know, I know, just know that this will bring consequences, regardless of the reason for what we are about to do is in the right or wrong, ok?”

“And I am merely doing what needs to be done, and besides, you can’t exactly tell to stop now, since we have done so much to get to this point,” the mercenary said, as he pulled the bolt back of his rifle, chambering a new round while taking steady breaths as he looked through the scope into the palace, seeing the ponies that he expected through his scope as he took a gander at the surroundings from the position he had, an entirely different mountain just across the mountain from which Canterlot resides, his rifle being an experimental prototype designed just for the occasion, “so, do I aim for the limbs or just a stray shot?”

“Do what you will, I’ll just guide you on what to do after the fact, you’ll have a randevú point with another agent, negotiation is about to begin after all.”


And with that, silence had befallen between the two, setting the stage for another turning point in the war. It was already late afternoon, the sun slowly starts to set, yet the mercenary was still cautious enough to make sure no light was reflected from his scope’s lens. 

And as the sun continues to set, and the lunar princess looked through the window to admire the scenery, a brief thought was unexpectedly shared by the two unknowing beings, ‘The weather is better than usual it seems.’

But before the trigger could be pulled, a new fray has entered “Yo, you seeing this? Is it just me or is the video feed catching what I see live. Should I continue with mission proper?” the mercenary asked as he eyed the new groups that had entered his sightline.

From chariots to carriages being pulled towards the palace, each carrying different creatures, most likely an envoy or diplomat, and on some occasions, the leader of said nation, from Griffons to Changelings, and unexpectedly an envoy most likely sent from The Zebra’s, Centaur’s and other less notable nations that are part of Equus, all coming to one location.

All before him, fresh for the picking, but he held steadfastly, he knew if some people were given the chance or even remotely knew of this occasion, they’d just send an intercontinental ballistic missile, or worse yet, a hydrogen bomb onto the palace, if not the city square.

Then his train of thought was interrupted when the operator responded after a long silence, “negative, stay on guard, we’ll send our double agents in the area to search the city and palace proper for information and anything else relative to this new revelation, this is most likely a talk on the shift of power and sides of some Equus nations, for now, hold position and hold fire until further notice…”

And so, another long wait was ahead, although despite what the palace proper may say to the naked eye, its interiors were about to get a hard beating with the meeting that was about to ensue. One that would heavily dictate the future actions that could be taken by these Equus nations, who and what those decisions would be is another story for another time.