//------------------------------//
// Chapter One 
// Story: North and South 
// by Tempest Wind 
//------------------------------//




Spring, 1861





We talked the matter over and could have settled the war in thirty minutes had it been left to us.



==+==


It was official. For the first time in over a thousand years; for the first time since the heavens themselves warred against each other and the sun fought the moon to a heavily paid stand-still, war was on the horizon in Equestria.

As she sat here, in Canterlot, sitting in some hole in the wall bar, Twilight Sparkle - Princess Twilight Sparkle, not that it mattered - held her head in her hooves, and wondered, just how exactly this had all come about. Her stiff liquor sat untouched upon the bar, as the few present patrons did their best to ignore the literal alicorn in the room, and the bartender himself simply did as any good bartender did - and kept the booze flowing. 

Rank tabs rested upon the bar in front of Twilight. At one point, the mare had held commission as a Captain within the Royal Guard. That, however, had been years and years ago. Back when she was still studying directly under Her Majesty Princess Celestia. Back before her and the girls’ reformation of one of her own near and dear friends, Princess Luna, and back before, well, everything, really. 

And now the stars and bar of a Major General sat before Twilight, upon the bar. In times of peace, the Royal Guard of Equestria rarely if ever used such a lofty rank - in fact, the only ranking officer whom Twilight could even think of that held it prior to the current events but after the War of the Heavens was probably Firefly herself - who was currently enjoying her post-badlands retirement with gusto, supposedly. 

Secession, apparently. Hatred for being ruled over by two princesses from time immemorial. The war on the horizon was fueled by secession. Really, it was rebellion with intent of usurping the throne, if one asked Twilight Sparkle - but the only one asking these days was Princess Luna herself. Celestia, upon hearing the news of so many secessionists in the South who intended to take up arms and fight their fellow pony, had walled herself up in Canterlot Castle. According to Luna, she wept, nightly, and slept little. 
So here Twilight sat, with the stars and bar. Her new command. The Army of Equestria - newly to be raised, beginning with the smattering of Royal Guard Regiments from across Equestria’s loyal states. Her new command, with Princess Luna to be in charge of the entirety of Equestria’s fielded armed forces as a ranking Major General herself. With a sigh, and a grimace, Twilight slammed back the lukewarm whisky she’d ordered, paid her bar tab, and left, taking the damnable rank insignias with her. She’d have to have them sewn onto her uniform, but unfortunately the guards’ seamstresses were out for the weekend, and her dear friend Rarity was still in Ponyville. 

And secretly, Twilight hoped she’d be able to stay in Ponyville.

As the newly minted Corps Commander made her way through the frosty streets of late February Canterlot, tucking her Griffish Blue winter jacket about her to ward off the wind chill, Twilight looked about the city she’d been born and grew up in. It was colder these days; not just due to the waning winter, but the general mood of the ponies around here.

There were whispers here and there, Twilight knew. Whispers of, “Why not just let them leave?” and, “Are they really so wrong after all?” But she knew better. Twilight knew that, if the secessionists left peacefully now, that would simply mean another war a few years down the line- and who knew what could or would happen, then. It was bad enough that fifteen states of Equestria had already chosen to secede from the Equestrian Diarchy, what was to say that more wouldn’t go with them?

Maybe it was selfish; a foals’ errand, at the end of the day. But Luna had nearly begged Twilight to take back her commission and help to lead Equestria against the coming storm of barely restrained insurrection. How could Twilight say no? Besides the personal request, Equestria was Twilight’s home. She had a duty, one she had sworn to, years and years ago, to uphold. And so, Twilight Sparkle would go to the surely coming war.


=#===#=


The Canterlot Royal Guard barracks - normally a pleasant, if loud, place to trot into or call home - was quiet today, as the newly minted Major General stepped into the room, her newly sewn rank tabs resting squarely on either shoulder of her stiff and not quite broken in yet officer’s uniform.

“Atten-shun! Good Morning, General!” Came the bark and snappy salute of the Canterlot Guard’s most recent Captain, her long, lanky hoof snapped squarely to the side of her face with the precision of a well-drilled regular.

“At-ease. Good Morning, Captain…?” Twilight began, unfamiliar with the current leadership of the Royal Guard; really she hadn’t paid her hometown’s defenders since her brother’s quit of the Guard to take over as Royal Consort of the Crystal Empire- something she should take strides to change, and quick. She was supposed to lead these ponies, after all.

“Belldandy, Your Highness. Annette Belldandy.” She replied, hoof lowering as she and the assembled troop within the Canterlot Barracks’ command room returned to their previous relaxed state - albeit with an attentive edge; high brass meant trouble, any staff officer worth their salt knew, and recent events were no different.

An Aquileian transplant then, based on the South Griffonian name and melodic, Prench tune to the mare’s voice Twilight surmised, with a nod to the mare in question’s direction. “Well met, Captain Belldandy. Effective immediately, you’re being breveted to Colonel, and being placed in the overall command of all Canterlot Guards in Canterlot. Reservists are being recalled, and the mustered force is being returned to wartime numbers of seven-fifty. Do you have enough rifles and uniforms to outfit your Regiment?”

Belldandy blinked for a moment processing that, then returned to the reality around her quickly enough to give a sensibly timed nod to Twilight. “Yes, your highness-er, General, ma’am. I’ve enough Maresissippi pattern rifles in my arsenal to outfit probably three thousand ponies, though I’ve only probably half that in good condition uniforms. Ammunition we purchase when needed from Canterlot Gunworks, so I will have to put in an official army purchase order if we’re returning to war footing, Your Maj-ma’am.”

The mare seemed to have a good head on her shoulders, as Twilight gave a sharp nod to the lanky, pale lavender unicorn. “Go ahead and submit it by the end of the day, I’ll sign off on it as soon as I see it. I take it you’ve not seen the news yet, Colonel?”

“Some of it, General.” Belldandy frowned. “I saw that Trotsas voted three to one for secession, and Manesourri is divided over the issue- bloodily so.”

“That’s definitely true.” Twilight grunted, frowning, as she began to leave the room to establish her own office- Belldandy had a regiment to wrangle after all, and keeping her from that would be improper. “Recent development last night, though. Fort Summer has been blockaded by force of arms and naval ships. No barrage has been made yet.”

“Small comfort, ma’am.” Annette added, as Twilight paused momentarily on the threshold of the door. “It’ll be war if they fire upon the fort.”

“Yes.” Twilight Sparkle agreed, weariness seeping into her voice. “Yes, it will.”