Year: 1001 (One Year after Nightmare Moon Return)
Location: Stalliongrad
Stalliongrad, one of the states of Equestria, shares its status with the State of Canterlot, State of Ponyville, State of Las Pegasus, State of Manehatten, State of Fillydelphia, State of Baltimare, State of Apploosa, and State of Cloudsdale. However, Stalliongrad stands apart from the rest due to the stark contrast in its socio-economic and political landscape. Unlike the other states, which are well-developed and prosperous, Stalliongrad finds itself subjected to severe mistreatment at the hands of both the local nobility and the Equestrian Guards who govern the region.
The nobles in Stalliongrad have exploited their privileges to amass wealth at the expense of the suffering citizens, and the Royal Guards, who are meant to protect and serve, have been co-opted by the nobility to suppress dissent and maintain their unjust rule.
This dire situation might not have arisen had Princess Celestia not been preoccupied with the threat of Nightmare Moon in the recent past. This brief window of opportunity allowed the corrupt nobles and Royal Guards to consolidate their control over the State of Stalliongrad.
Even after a year has passed, the ponies of Stalliongrad continue to hold onto the hope that Princess Celestia will intervene and free them from this oppressive tyranny. A small group of courageous ponies, led by Vladimare Lime, attempted a peaceful rally to persuade the corrupt nobles to cease their oppressive actions. Unfortunately, their efforts ended in tragedy.
Location: City of Stalliongrad
On this gloomy day in the heart of the city, the capital of the State of Stalliongrad, the urban landscape teems with a labyrinth of factory, commercial, and residential structures. It stands as a formidable industrial hub within Equestria, boasting a population predominantly composed of earth ponies (75%), with unicorns (10%) and Pegasus (15%) rounding out the demographic mosaic.
Amid this backdrop of oppression, most acutely felt by the earth ponies who constitute the majority, a throng of determined citizens marches toward the city hall. They bear banners and slogans beseeching the nobles and royal guards to treat them justly and to cease the madness that has gripped their city.
However, when faced with such a rally, what response might one expect from tyrants who thrive on subjugating their populace? The answer becomes chillingly clear as the peaceful march is forcibly halted by royal guards brandishing bolt-action rifles illicitly acquired from the Griffon Empire's black market.
The disquieting tableau unfolds as unarmed ponies stand on one side of a wide avenue, endeavoring to voice their grievances while, on the opposite end, a dozen guards, resolute and poised to execute orders, await with grim resolve.
"Halt! You are advised to stop where you are and return home! You are all in violation of the law by disturbing the peace of this esteemed city!" admonishes an officer, his revolver pointed at Vladimare Lime, identified as the rally's leader.
"We are not in violation of anything! We have the right to protest! We are being oppressed by this corrupt government, and we demand change!" Vladimare Lime defiantly shouts as he and his fellow protesters bravely advance.
"Stop! Halt! I said halt!" the officer screams, making a futile attempt to halt the march. When his attempts prove unsuccessful, he resorts to the gravest of errors.
BANG!
Vladimare Lime stands in shocked silence, his gaze slowly falling to his chest, where a bullet hole oozes with a steady flow of crimson. He has no time to contemplate the gravity of his wound, as he crumples lifelessly to the ground. The gunfire erupts once more.
BANG! SCREAM! BANG!
A massacre unfolds, the streets now littered with lifeless ponies, their blood pooling around them. Some still cling to life, though it is slipping away as they bleed out. The onslaught continues. This fateful day comes to be known across the State of Stalliongrad as the "Stalliongrad Massacre" and etches itself indelibly into Equestrian history as the inception of the Great Revolt of Stalliongrad.
A few weeks following the harrowing Stalliongrad Massacre, a glimmer of hope emerges for the beleaguered population of the State of Stalliongrad. Within the labyrinthine alleys of the city's streets, a sudden azure light materializes in an instant. From this luminous portal emerges a mysterious equine figure, their form enshrouded in inky darkness. After rising to their hooves, the figure surveys their surroundings, taking a moment to scrutinize their newfound appearance. With deliberate steps, they proceed to the thoroughfare, keen to ascertain their location. The lamplight casts its glow upon the figure, revealing not only their transformation into a Changeling Queen but also the stark reality of their presence in the City of Stalliongrad, as indicated by the sign.
"Stalliongrad? Shouldn't it be Stalingrad or something?" the Changeling Queen mused aloud, her voice tinged with confusion. As she glanced around, her eyes fell upon a group of ponies clad in tattered rags who were hurrying toward her. Their distressed expressions and rapid movements suggested that they were fleeing from some impending danger. It didn't take her long to discern that they were being pursued by another faction, this one adorned in resplendent golden armor and armed with bolt-action rifles. The incongruity of the situation weighed heavily on her mind, prompting her to wonder aloud about the inexplicable circumstances surrounding her arrival in this tumultuous city.
"HALT!!! Stop right there!!!" bellowed one of the guards, taking aim at one of the ponies in rags. Without a moment's hesitation, the Changeling Queen's curved horn emitted a blue aura, summoning a protective magic shield that deftly intercepted the bullets mid-flight. Observing this miraculous display, the fleeing ponies swiftly extended an invitation, urgently exclaiming, "Come with us now!!!" One of them seized her in a hurried grasp, and together, they dashed away from the oncoming royal guards, escaping the immediate threat.
Location: In a Abandon Factory
(Stalliongrad Revolutionary Head Quarter)
As they continued their frantic escape from the pursuing guards, the Changeling Queen found herself still grappling with the shock of her unanticipated magical abilities and her instinctual use of them. The rapid succession of events had left her in a state of bewilderment, trying to make sense of her newfound powers.
However, amidst the chaos and uncertainty, something even more perplexing occurred. A deluge of memories, foreign yet somehow intimately connected to her, began to flood her consciousness. These memories were not her own, yet they imparted a profound understanding of her biology, her innate magical capabilities, and even offered fragments of insight into the world she now found herself in.
As her racing heart and breathing slowly steadied, she grappled with the revelation that there was much more to her existence than she had ever known. The implications of these memories left her with a sense of both wonder and trepidation, as she contemplated the secrets of her true nature and her place in this enigmatic world.
Recovering her composure and facing the array of armed ponies, the Changeling Queen managed to muster an amused smile. The newfound memories had granted her a sense of assurance in her abilities, and she now understood that she could withstand whatever they might unleash. With a confident yet enigmatic grin she casually said "Why hello there...."