//------------------------------// // 2: Civil War and the Founding of a Dynasty // Story: Keepers of the Night: A Written History of Thestrals // by Sleep Sonata //------------------------------// In the early days of Equestria, the geography was very different from what we know today. The known world was roughly half the size of what we now know, the entire continent being divided by a mountain range known as the Hadrian Mountains. To the west lay Equestria, where day and night cycled much as they do now, and the ponies tend to their fields and the weather as they do today. East of these mountains was a mystery to Equestrians. Many expeditions had been led to discover what lay on the other side, but no pony ever returned to describe what they saw. This led to the creation of many myths as to what was on the other side. Some said that it was a land of dragons, and that they devoured anyone who dare trespass in their domain. Other speculated that the mountains simply went on forever, forcing the poor souls to climb endlessly. Still others claimed that there was nothing at all, simply a void where unfortunate ponies fell off the edge of the world. It isn’t known if Princess Celestia knew what was beyond the range when she banished the Thestrals; the Princess herself is known of being secretive about the land's history. What is known for certain, though, was that she knew whatever lay over the mountains would be sufficient punishment for attempting to dethrone her. As it turns out, she was correct. Although the truth about this land wasn’t quite as wild as some had led themselves to believe, it was no less disheartening. The land that would come to be known as Nocturna was a bleak and dismal world, more akin to the moon itself than a nation for ponies. The land was bordered by the Icy North, where it was too cold for any pony to survive. To the south lay the Forest of Monsters, where fierce creatures would attack lost ponies. The very east was flanked by the sea, which stretched on beyond our known world. In between was nothing but arid wastelands, where basic crops struggled to grow. The Thestral population’s reaction to exile was divisive. Some attempted to maintain the status quo of the Thestral Watch, and tried to keep existing structures of authority in place. Others lost faith in their commanders, and fled to edges of the world, hoping for easier settlements. There were those that saw opportunity in this new world. The seeds for a nation were sown by a previously unheard of Thestral alacorn by the name of Nebulus. She claimed that been coronated shortly before the uprising, and that she would be their rallying point for the founding of a new empire. There is no evidence to either prove or disprove Nebulus’s story. There are no official records of such a coronation actually taking place. However, it is possible these records were destroyed following their exile. Another possibility is that she was once a Thestral unicorn who cast an alacornication spell of herself. This cannot be verified for certain, as the instructions for this spell are under constant guard in Canterlot. Nebulus must’ve been very persuasive, since it appears that she was able to convince a large majority of the population to follow her in building her kingdom. However, there were those who doubted her story, and so began a war for control of what can only be described as a Netherworld. Nebulus had managed to organize a substantial portion of the former Watch into her Nighthawk guard. She used this army to build a base at the base of the Mountains, where she would launch the majority of her campaigns. Her remarkable organizational skills inspired confidence in her new subjects, who had initially given up hope of survival. The creation of a home was only a temporary reprieve from their hardships. The Thestrals had taken a supply of crops with them into exile, but their supply was running out rapidly. The ground was not ideal for growing, and the lands that were lay in the hooves of ponies hostile to Nebulus. However, the new Princess did not give herself nor her soldiers a rest from work. Before her capital was even completed, she sent out an army to the east to capture the wetlands that were more suited to farming. Once she had control of the habitable land, she planned to launch more campaigns to the north and south in order to capture the rest of the land. Campaign for the East The Eastern Shore was going to be Nebulus’s greatest challenge. Since it’s inhabitants had broken away from the rest of the thestral population, they stopped identifying themselves with rest. The feeling of otherness was felt by the other ponies. Rumors, and later confirmed reports, began to make their way west that the Eastern Shore had found a way to grow their own food. At this time, the west was still struggling to survive off of what they’d brought from Equestria, and every pony knew that life there was unsustainable. Even Nebulus, charismatic as she was, could not ignore this reality. She had initially planned to sweep south before heading north. Only then would she head for the sea. The knowledge that there were farms in the east now made those plans pointless. The east needed to be secured at all costs. However, the shore was over 150 miles away from her capital. There couldn’t have been a better pony to capture it than Nebulus. The Princess was known among her troops for her inexhaustible supply of energy and utter fearlessness. She would routinely march with her soldiers for 30 miles at a time, only stopping so that they could be fed. When one of her captains asked they take shelter from a sandstorm she was reported to have said “These stallions have survived a failed revolution and a land that is actively trying to kill them. I have faith they can take some dust in their eyes.” General Meteor, the first Nighthawk Captain, expressed his concern in a letter to Nebulus. Princess, It pains me to make such a request, but I must request that you cease these campaigns to take the eastern shore. It is not my lack of faith in our stallions that causes me to write, but rather it is my concern for their welfare and safety. I understand you give them hope and that they wish to follow you into prosperity above all else, but they are only ponies. They may not know it themselves, but your army has limits as to what they can achieve, especially with the current state of our food supply. I have my staff searching for alternatives, but until they come up with an one, the Nighthawks can not push much farther without a catastrophic failure. I pray that you will consider delaying any more operations. Faithfully, GEN Meteor It seems though, that the self made princess either had incredible luck or clairvoyance. 2 days after the General wrote the above letter, Unicorns in the capital discovered a crystal that could be sown into the soil in order to make it fertile. It was another week before a sizable deposit was discovered in the hills south of the city. Fortune seemed to be on the side of the Nighthawks. Nebulus was shrewd. When she finally received the news the day before their planned siege of the coastal fort of Fallen Star, she withheld the information from her army. When questioned by one of her colonels why the stallions couldn’t know of the new innovations, she reported retorted, “These stallions fight because they’re starving. If they’re not worried about where their next meal is coming from, why would they try and take that fort?” The siege went ahead as scheduled. Taking advantage of her army’s superior expertise, the Nighthawks were able to size the fort within 3 days. When Nebulus paraded into the city the next day, she discovered that the ponies living there had also discovered the crystal, dubbed by the locals as helio. As it turned out, helio was quite common in this land, with deposits scattered in areas where the soil had either eroded, as on the shores, or had been forced up, as in the mountains. With Fallen Star now under her control, along with more arable land, she prepared to launch her twin offensive to conquer the rest of what she had already claimed as her land. In a letter to her close friend and confidant, New Moon, we find the first instance of the land’s name. Dearest New Moon, I pray that you are recovering from your dreadful case of feather flu. It’s an unfortunate plague we carried from Equestria. In happier news, I’m glad to report that all of the ponies here in the east are reaping the benefits of helio. It seems such a pity that, had we discovered this magical mineral earlier, all of this suffering may have been averted. But that is in the past. Now we look to the future, and I see that it is a bright one. Once those fools in the north are pacified, the south will follow suit, and this war will be over for good. We will rebuild our civilization here, without any interference. I predict that future generations of thestrals will see Equestria as a mythical land, lost to those who sought only to use and abuse. But it will be just that; a myth. There is no need to return. Celestia wanted us to learn a lesson by banishing us here. I’ve learned that we don’t need her in order to be a great race. Nocturna will be eternal! Yours, Nebulus Operation Dusk With two footholds for her army, along with a steady supply of food, Nebulus’s dream of a unified Nocturna was close to reality. The last strongholds of resistance, to the north and south, were expected to fall within weeks of each other. With the Nighthawks increasing in number, resistance seemed a futile effort. However, the thestrals in the remaining regions had developed an even stronger sense of independence than the Eastern Shore had. The living conditions in both regions were much harsher than any pony had ever endured, ensuring that the survivors were the strongest of their kind. However, these conditions had also had a detrimental effect on their populations, thus making it seem as though pacifying them would be swift, albeit not painless. Nebulus had sent scouts to gather this information on her adversaries. They reported back that the Northern and Southern thestrals were indeed physically formidable. However, they reasoned that in the north, there is no stable food supply, so they would be the easiest to subdue. With this in mind, Nebulus planned to crush the northern thestrals before sweeping south, a campaign codenamed Operation Dusk. Even though she appeared to revel in the chaos, Nebulus did not want the war to drag on. She had kept her populace pacified with a string of victories, but she was well aware that her streak would someday end. If she was to lead Nocturna after the war, she needed to make sure it was the only nation to lead. She split her army in Fallen Star into two forces; Army Group North, roughly 500 thestrals, and Army Group South, 1000 thetrals strong. Army Group North would move first, subduing the northern thestrals in a swift attack on the largest city, Borealis. Army Group South, meanwhile, would begin marching back towards the capital, under the guise of leave. This was to ensure that southern forces did not grow suspicious of an imminent attack, although it would have been difficult not to expect one. Once the north was secure, Army Group North would march south to join Army Group South, and the combined force would sweep into the southern capital of Crater, unifying the whole continent under the banner of Nocturna. Initially, it seemed as though the plan was a perfect success. Army Group North reach Borealis two days ahead of schedule. With an army behind her, Nebulus offered to feed the ponies if they joined her to unify the continent. The Northern Council, the governing body of the north, agreed to her conditions, and so Borealis became part of Nocturna. It appeared to be yet another exemplary show of Nebulus’s leadership. Nebulus wasted no time moving the campaign forward. She dispatched messengers to Army Group South, telling them that they were to turn south immediately and move on Crater. She reasoned that with a smaller force, she would be able to arrive at the southern capital at the same time as the southern force. From that point on, the plan began to fall apart. The northern group became held up in a snowstorm as they navigated then frozen plains, and their march was slowed down significantly. They would now arrive at Crater later than the southern force, and they may not have the strength to take the city. However, Nebulus was not worried. She postulated that if the southern thestrals behaved like the north, they would surrender in much the same way, since Army Group South was substantially larger than North. She neglected to send messengers to the south, informing them of the set back. As a result, the southern force arrived at crater on the adjusted timetable, but with less strength than they had planned. General Meteor, the commander of the force, attempted to convince the city to surrender, but their representatives were not even allowed inside the city. With a small force, and no word from Nebulus, Meteor decided to wait, and attempt to blockade the city while Army Group North made their way there. However, the souther thestrals were a much more formidable opponent than anyone had predicted. They actively tried to break through the Nighthawk line, and nearly succeeded twice, only turned back by the swift reactions of the general and his stallions. Soon though, Meteor began to hear reports of a southern relief force on their way to Crater. He knew he would not be able to sustain a blockade, and hold off this force, since he didn’t even know it’s true strength. Since he had not heard from Nebulus, he had no choice but to end the siege and attempt to regroup with Army Group North. Nebulus’s reaction to the news of the withdrawal was reportedly quite violent. In numerous instances, she openly labeled Meteor a traitor, but stopped short of actually punishing him. However, she was eventually convinced by the general’s colonels, as well as her own, that the general had taken the only logical course of action. Although they had failed to take Crater, the operation had been a partial success. The north was now a part of Nocturna, and the offensive had inflicted significant losses on the southern forces, from which they would have difficulty recovering. Nocturna was in an excellent position to negotiate a favorable settlement with the southern thestrals. However, the Nocturna Princess lived by an all or nothing creed. Since the south had mounted such a fierce resistance, she no longer wanted them integrated; she wanted them crushed. She didn’t know for sure that the south had sustained a hard blow to their military strength, but she was apparently willing to take the risk, much to the distress of General Meteor. However, with her personally leading the army, the Nighthawks followed her into battle as they always had. Nebulus wanted to hit Crater again while they were still recovering from the siege. She reckoned that the population would not have the will to resist another siege, and would capitulate within a week. The military force within the city was already decimated, and her scouts reported that the relief force now inside numbered only 100 thestrals. against the combined Nighthawk force of 1200. Everything pointed to Nebulus’s prediction being correct. However, the outcome was much more grim. When the Nighthawk army moved on Crater, they were greeted with an erie silence. There were no answers from their calls for surrender, and from what was visible though a telescope, they didn’t even guard the wall. They moved into the city unopposed, and quickly discovered why. Crater was a ghost town. There were no ponies, alive or dead, in the entire city. Throughout the entire town, the ponies had carved the same cryptic message. onto everything; “Embrace the Nether.” Reports showed that the wagon tracks leading out of the city lead directly south, into the Forest of Monsters. Even Nebulus was disturbed by the discovery. Even though she had meant to destroy them in battle, it seems it shows remorse that they chose what was thought of as a mass suicide. Her diary entries reflect this. 15 Month of Scorpio, 5 NCE At the start of this campaign, I felt a genuine hatred for my enemy. Cooperation is essential to surviving in this world, but it seemed to me that they wished to remain divided, and thus doom the entire thestral race to extinction. This campaign could thus be justified as self preservation. However, I never imagined the south was, for lack of a better word, insane enough to initiate a mass migration into the Forest of Monsters. Stallions, mares, fillies, and colts alike all ventured into the abyss together. Such a venture is a death sentence, even for a race as hardy as the Southerners. I would not have wished it upon any of them. At one point, I expressed the opinion that the southern thestrals could not be integrated into Nocturna society as our equals, simply because of their resistance to our will. Maybe that view could’ve been justified, if their ideology carried over through successive generations. Still, I can’t help but feel responsible for whatever deaths befall the innocent souls that made the journey into the forest. Crater and the rest of the southern cities and towns were later converted into Nighthawk outposts, but no civilians ever moved in to colonize them. The stigma from the mysterious mass migration stayed with them until the end of Nocturna itself. Aftermath The swift and shocking conclusion to the Union War, as it came to be known, Began a new era for the thestral race. As a species, they had never known lives outside of military service, and now were suddenly tasked with maintaining a civilization. To some it was very distressing to have such an uncertain future. Several Nighthawk officers, in reports to their superior, expressed concern that the morale of the troops was wavering in the face of their uncertain fates. Following the exodus of the south, Princess Nebulus’s views of the world appeared to change dramatically. Her succeeding actions indicate she wanted to create a society not based around the Nighthawks, as their lives had been under the Thestral Watch. She had in mind a nation more like what had existed in Equestria for normal ponies. A regular militia would be established, called upon only in emergencies, and would be separate from the Nighthawks. Meanwhile, the Nighthawks themselves would serve primarily as personally guards to the princess, in addition to the security of the nation's new castles. Not surprisingly, the Princess’s plan seems to have faced stiff resistance from the Nighthawks. They worried that if scaled back to the degree that the princess planned, they would not be an effective enough force to defend Nocturna should an unforeseen enemy arise. There was also the concern of what would become of the Nighthawks who were to be discharged. They had spent their whole lives training to be soldiers, most of them since they were in Equestria. If they were discharged, they had no skills to immediately fall back on. Such concerns were real problems, although Nebulus stood by her plan. She assured the members of her guard that they would not be abandoned once they left her service. In the initial draft of her decree, she planned to establish schools whereby ex-Nighthawks could be trained for new careers, and integrated into a normal civilian life. The signing of Royal Decree 000 is generally considered to be the true beginning of Nocturna as a nation. It established Nocturna’s government, as well as the rules that would govern this new thestral society. The exact location of the decree has been lost to time. However, it is rumored that it is kept deep with the archives of Princess Luna’s castle, although this claim is unsubstantiated. What is known for certain is that Princess Nebulus had done what only Princess Celestia was thought to capable; created a nation.