//------------------------------//
// Chapter IV 
// Story: The Fallen Emperor 
// by SirCarrot 
//------------------------------//

The cacophony of shouts, screams, and sobs coming from the prison camp did little to brighten the mood. The smell alone was so revolting that Sunset just wanted to bolt back to her tent. But that would not do; she had a delegation to meet after all. The location of the meeting was undoubtedly an insult to Sunset, and thereby all of Equestria. But she was under strict orders to do her best to make the Communists see reason, however unlikely that might be.

Since the fall of the Griffonian Empire and the flight of its Emperor a week ago, a lot of things had changed. It was perhaps the most confusing civil war in history, with communists fighting communists, republicans fighting republicans, communists fighting republicans, and everyone fighting the loyalists. The princesses had not wanted to storm the city of Griffenheim, believing that doing so would lead to unnecessary death and destruction. This was firmly against Sunset’s wishes and was even more aggravating due to her being technically heading the invasion, or liberation, according to the censors and propagandists. The communists had no such qualms, enemies of the people were to be dealt with harshly after all, and now the red flag of the People’s Republic of Griffonia hung over the palace’s walls. 

Since the declaration of the Republic a week before, the Markists had cemented control over most of the Herzland region, the political and economic capital of the whole Empire. They had also made sure to hunt down any loyalists who had not had the foresight to flee, and indeed hundreds of loyalists had fled to Sunset’s camp over the week begging for a prison sentence, which they saw as preferable to what the communists had in store for them. Such was the purpose of this meeting, to ask for the lives of the prisoners in the communist camp to be spared. Indeed, every single one of those wails was to be silenced by a noose tonight.

A small table had been set up, containing the three communist delegates, and Sunset approached with her two advisors, smiling. Askalash the Red was a wiry, almost frail-looking griffon, though that may have been a side effect of being fresh out of prison. He had been awaiting trial for insurrection and treason but had gotten lucky when the communists emerged victorious, but Sunset had heard certain reports which gave hints to a darker past. His smile was piercing, and though his coloration was brown, his blood-red eyes were enough of an indicator of who he was. Next was Rina Calish, a young griffon revolutionary who had been instrumental in urging Loyalist soldiers to defect. Finally, there was the Equestrian defector, though only 17, Scootaloo’s defection to Stalliongrad after her parents’ division was sacrificed to hold off the Changeling horde had made headlines. For one, the botched operation had cost the lives of some 9,000 soldiers, adding to this was that Scootaloo was the protege of Rainbow Dash, renowned fighter pilot, and Element of Harmony. 

Sunset and her party took seats opposite the communists, and after introductions were made, they talked business. Deciding to take a direct approach, Sunset got straight to the point, “Executing prisoners without trial is a war crime, and a violation of the Weter Convention, of which the former Griffonian Empire was a signatory. If you go through with this–”

Rina cut her off with a chuckle, “The PRG is not a signatory, and these ‘prisoners’ are traitors to the revolution. Frankly, I don’t see why you care, they were your enemies as much as ours.”

“It is revolting to the princesses, they stopped caring if a soldier dies on a battlefield, but if one dies after the bullets stop flying, it’s a crisis,” Scootaloo responded, snorting. 

“If your government can not take care of the prisoners, we will gladly take them off your hands.” Jumping Rose, Sunset’s chief of staff added in a conciliatory manner.

“Like you took care of the Stalliongrad prisoners? We heard that the plague took out half that prison camp’s population. It is better this way, a quick clean death for the lot of them.” Sunset wondered how Asklash managed to convey his intention to murder thousands in such a sincere manner. 

Running out of patience, Sunset made her intentions clear, “If you attempt to precede in this crime, the Equestrian forces in that camp over there,” Sunset pointed with her hoof, “we will have no choice but to take military action.”

“Well,” Asklash said, sharing a look with his comrades, “We don’t think you will.” Indeed Sunset wouldn’t, for the princesses would not authorize such an attack, against her protests. Shaking her head, Sunset and her advisors left the camp. 





The next day, 15,000 loyalist prisoners were slaughtered, many of them just conscripts. Three days later, Cloudbury, capital of the newly formed Griffonian Republic, also fell at the hands of the communists. By the end of the week, the majority of the former Empire’s territories, except a few holdouts or those under Equestrian occupation, had fallen to the Communists. 





In the deepest part of the north, in a lonely hall, a Griffon collapsed to the ground, gasping. Torygg’s attacker allowed him no rest, however. Once again he was picked up with magic and tossed across the room, as one might a doll. Then his attacker spoke, “You had a thousand years to prepare, I was expecting better, headmaster.” How she managed to make his title a sneer was beyond him, but, ignoring the pain in his knees, he got to his feet. 

“You may have beat us, but you won't find that relic,” Torygg spoke, staring the necromare down.

Rosa simply chuckled and threw him once again, “I’ll wring it out of you eventually, thief. It’s not yours, to begin with. Even without it, my armies will sweep across Griffonia, Equus, and the rest of the world. Since your order has been defeated, I think will have an easy time of it.”

Torygg screamed as the unicorn tore his brain to pieces, looking for the relic’s location. Then collapsed, dead, to the ground. “I guess you didn’t know where it was, well, I’ll get it back eventually.” Rosa Maledicta screamed her displeasure into the darkness and everypony in the Tarpian Rock cowered in fear.





Distantly, a courier flapped his wings. It was difficult flying, the wind was strong and he was carrying a sealed box. His purpose was clear though; get the relic to its bearer.