//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: First Shot Fired 
// Story: Equestria Fallen 
// by ElectromagNick 
//------------------------------//


Chapter 2: First Shot Fired


A pair of gradient blue eyes with white pupils scanned across several maps of a coastal city and its surrounding areas, arrows scrawled across them to plan out the movements of ships and infantry.  The Changeling looked up from the table in a large room underneath the helm of a naval ship.  The window was wide, and she could see most of the deck.  It was an ambiguous design, used by privateers for years and impossible to trace to any specific navy.  It was part of a group of five identical ships, large for a privateer group but far from unheard of.
“Mimic, signal the crew to assume their disguises,” she announced in her native tongue.
“Of course, Ma'am Perjury.”  The Changeling skittered out of the room and onto the deck.
Grand Perjury looked back to the maps with a stony expression and a grim, almost remorseful look in her eyes.  “Seems a waste.  Diversion and invasion are such messy things.”
“Seems an odd thing for an assassin to say,” a Changeling announced from behind.
“Silence, Delusion.  I am not in the mood for your games.”
“You are never in the mood for games,” he remarked in his usual attempts to be cleverly snide.
Perjury looked up from her table and walked toward the Changeling until they were standing mere centimeters apart.  “There is a reason for it,” Perjury muttered with cold eyes and a grim tone.  “I have seen and done things that would haunt your nightmares.  There are things that I have done that keep me up at night.  There are horrors in these secret wars that a politician like you could only shudder at the thought of.  Do not test my patience.”
They stood still for a few moments, eye-to-eye, until Delusion finally stepped back.  “Just get your job done.”
Perjury stood and stared with condescending eyes for a moment longer.  Finally, she turned back to the table.  “Then go back to your hole and let me work.  I need to plan to minimize civilian deaths.”
“Who cares about these... ponies?  Let them die.”
Perjury gritted her teeth and placed a hoof on the grip of the pistol at her side.  “I could say the same about nosy politicians,” she replied in a venomous voice.  “Do not give me a reason.”
Delusion's eyes opened wide with anger, but he knew better than to tempt Perjury.  In the end, he begrudgingly left the room.
Perjury sighed as she let her forelimb fall away from the pistol's grip.  A circle of green fire surrounded her, replacing her black mass with that of a white and orange griffon.

The mass of a port city with stony, curving architecture appeared on the horizon.  Perjury stood on the deck of the ship surrounded by Changelings disguised as griffons or ponies.  A Pegasus appeared from over the skies and began descending toward Perjury's vessel.  She had a jade green coat with a flowing, windblown cerulean mane, a matching tail and turquoise eyes.
“Ma'am Perjury, the ground forces are hidden in the forest.  They await your signal.”
“Of course,” Perjury announced, emotionless.
She took flight and circled the group of ships twice before landing where she was before.  As the ships drew ever closer to Port Gallop, they broke away from each other, spreading out through the harbor.  Finally, the ships were in range, three kilometers from the docks.  Perjury, now on the slightly raised middle section of the upper deck, stood next to a “gun” pointed vertical.  She summoned a flame from her claws and lit the cannon fuse.  A moment later and the gun shot a red flare high into the sky.  For a moment, it floated at its peak before it burst with a deafening boom, a horizontal volley of much smaller flares shooting out like the spokes of a wheel.  After mere seconds, a cannon fired with a murderous roar and the side of a dock warehouse exploded into smoke and rubble.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


“And you believe the Princesses will agree to this?” Perfect Guise asked, sitting in front of Façade's desk.  He had decided to speak to Façade away from the other generals.
“It does not matter either way,” Grand Façade replied.  “If they do not concede, the bulk of our agents will remain underground and work anonymously.  If Celestia can determine our agents' identities, then she will locate Chrysalis's agents just as swiftly once they arrive.”
“What if Chrysalis takes a more direct approach?”
“Then our job will have already been done.”
Guise sighed, exhausted, and placed a tired hoof on his forehead.  “So what is our goal, exactly?”
“Prevent the conquest of Equestria.  Ideally, Chrysalis will make Equestria an enemy and we can turn this invasion into a drawn-out war.  If she must fend against the Princesses and their armies, we may have the chance to end our own war.”
Guise shook his head.  “I don't like this, Façade.”
Façade's eyes were half closed and distant.  “Do you believe I want to force Equestria into a war?” he asked, though his voice was still calm, if weary.  “The ponies of Equestria are optimistic and kind, good-hearted.  I do not wish war on them.  But times are desperate.  The casualties of this war for both factions are too high.  This has gone on long enough, and I will do whatever it takes to bring an end.”
The room was quiet for a time.  Both of the Changelings let the words hang in the air.
“Desperate times and desperate measures.  Sometimes I forget what I myself have already done,” Guise finally said, breaking the silence.  “My apologies for bringing up this topic again.”
Façade sighed.  “Sometimes I need to hear it for myself.  There is nothing to apologize for, Guise.  You remember that is why I have the open door policy, correct?”
As if on cue, a Changeling burst into the room.  She was smaller than Quick Wit and had a darker exoskeletal hide.  “Sir,” she panted, out of breath, “I bring a message from Elaborate Deception.”
“What is it, Inspection?”
Careful Inspection, still trying to catch her breath, steadied herself.  “Port Gallop is under siege.  Five naval vessels and a medium battalion of infantry.  Too well organized for sea raiders.”
“Slow down,” Guise said, trying to calm Inspection down.  “Catch your breath and tell us exactly what Deception said.”
Her panting slowed.  “I still have him.  I could connect-”
“Do it,” Façade interrupted.
Inspection closed her eyes and her horn began to glow, amplifying her telepathy.  “Deception,” she thought, “I have Grand Façade here.”
“Sir?” the Changeling in Equestria asked in an urgent “voice.”
“Deception, I need you to tell me exactly what is happening.”
“Just a few minutes ago, a flare shot from a navy ship.  There were five ships of a privateer design: a three-level weather deck with surface artillery and a cannon deck, three gaff-rigged masts and a lot of staysails.  It looks like a cross between an Equestrian schooner and a Griffon light frigate.”
“I know the design.”
“All five ships have long-range artillery – riffled cannons, if I had to guess – and they're using explosive shells.  Just after the flare and the first few shots, a battalion of soldiers poured out of the forest, pulling artillery along with them.  They're trying to lock the citizens in.  Or keep reinforcements out, I'm not sure which.  It's too well organized to be privateers and I feel immense surges of telepathic activity.”
“You think this is Chrysalis's doing?”
“If I had to guess, sir, yes.  I don't know what she's planning, but-”  It was quiet for a few moments.  “Dammit, these volleys are relentless.  I can't remain here for much longer.  I have to help get these ponies to safety.”
“Very well.  Be careful and help however you can.”
“Yes, sir,” Deception replied, uneasy but eager to help.  “I will contact Inspection once things are quiet.”
“Good luck.”
The glow from Inspection's horn faded and she relaxed her body, nearly collapsing.  Even for her, acting as a conduit for long-range telepathy was difficult and immensely draining.
“Take a breath, Inspection,” Guise said.  Façade paid no attention and instead turned to the balcony.
“Thank you, sir,” she weakly responded.
“Rest until you can make another telepathic link, Inspection, then return here,” Façade said.  “We need to contact Sub Rosa and have her warn the Princesses of Chrysalis's plot.”
“Of course.”  She walked out of the room at a slow pace as she recovered.
“Chrysalis is moving more quickly than we anticipated.”

Twenty minutes passed and Inspection once more entered Façade's office, Façade and Guise waiting for her.  “I will need a rough idea of where Sub Rosa is,” she said.
Grand Façade placed his hoof on a map of Equestria, pointing to a town in the foothills of the Foal Mountains.  “She coordinates a small network of agents in Central Equestria from Colton.”
Inspection closed her eyes and began to concentrate.  “Sub Rosa,” she thought.  “Sub Rosa, this is Careful Inspection, can you hear me?”
There was a moment of silence until another mind responded.  “Inspection?  This had better be important.”
“I am contacting you at Grand Façade's request.  I'm going to amplify this connection.”
Another quiet moment passed.  “Put him through.”
“Of course.”  With that, Inspection's horn flickered to life, amplifying her telepathy once more.
“Sub Rosa, can you hear me?” Grand Façade began.
“Yes, sir.  What do you need?”
“Port Gallop has come under attack by Chrysalis's forces.  I believe it is a diversion, a trap.  Cross Examination has reason to believe that Chrysalis has been planning an invasion of Equestria and I fear this might be her first move to put that plan into action.  I need you, or one of your agents, to warn the Princesses in Canterlot.”
“O-of course, sir.  Is there any specific message?”
“Port Gallop is under siege and Chrysalis has orchestrated it.  In her desperation in this civil war, she turns to pour resources into gaining power elsewhere.  I give this warning in both of our interests.”
“Okay, I got it.  I'll send my quickest courier.”
“Good luck, Rosa.”
“Thank you, sir.  Best of luck on your end.”
Inspection's horn faded once more and Guise put his foreleg up to steady her.  She rubbed her temples for a moment before shaking away the feeling and opening her eyes.  “Will there... be any thing else, sir?”
“No, that will be all.  Take a rest.”
“Thank you, sir.”  She stumbled slowly out of the room.
“Poor girl,” Guise mused.  “Tough as a Minotaur, if you'll excuse the Equestrian proverb, but she can't keep pushing herself.  She's barely an adult.”
“One of our youngest.  And one of our brightest.”  The room was quiet again until Façade put a hoof on Guise's shoulder.  “We'll end this war soon.”
Guise nodded, though he had trouble believing that any end was in sight.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


The throne room was quiet.  The open court was often filled to the brim with politicians or citizens, but it was late in the afternoon and the court was nearly closed.  Princess Celestia merely enjoyed the quiet.  The doors opened and a well-dressed Pegasus entered.  His suit suggested he was a steward, his coat was dark blue.  His black mane was well kempt and his light brown eyes were set behind gray, wire frame glasses.
“Princess Celestia,” he announced, kneeling, “a Changeling messenger has just arrived.  He claims to bring news of dire importance.”
Celestia's eyes reveal her concern.  It had been years since she had heard from Chrysalis and the only Changelings in the court of late were those seeking asylum from the civil war.  “Send him in.”
“Of course, Your Majesty.”  The Pegasus steward, Etiquette Scroll, rose and left, reappearing a few moments later with a Changeling following closely.
“Princess Celestia,” he said, bowing.  All he had were courier bags strapped to his sides.
“You said you had something important?”
The Changeling rose.  “This morning, Port Gallop was attacked.”
Celestia's eyes opened wide.  “I suppose you have proof of this.”
The Changeling reached into one of his bags and retrieved a letter sealed with the Abandoned emblem.  “A letter, signed by Sub Rosa of the Abandoned rebellion.”
A sunset-hued aura enveloped the letter as Celestia called it to her hooves.  The envelope was simple, but surely enough, a green seal of the Abandoned's emblem held it shut.  She took a moment to steady herself before popping open the seal and removing the letter.
To Her Majesty, Princess Celestia,
Port Gallop is under siege and Chrysalis has orchestrated it.  In her desperation in this civil war, she turns to pour resources into gaining power elsewhere.  I give this warning in both of our interests.
This is the message Grand Façade has instructed me to give you.  We have reason to believe that this is the first part of an invasion.  As Chrysalis grows desperate, she has turned to desperate means.  Her methods are becoming more brutal in rooting out insurrection.  The leaders of the Abandoned believe she will try to steal Equestrian emotions to break this stalemate.  I regret to say that we may have endangered Equestria.
~Sub Rosa, Captain of the Third Agent Company of the Abandoned Rebellion
Celestia refused to look up.  She knew what expression she had.  It took everything to hold in her fury and her concern.  Finally, she took a deep breath.  “Etiquette, the court is closed for today.  Courier, what's your name?”
“Mind Games, Your Majesty, of the Freedom's Elite.”
“Mind Games, please stay for a while.”  The Changeling bowed his head in agreement.  She looked to Etiquette again, but before she could speak, one of the palace nurses trotted in in a rush.  “What is it?”
“Some of the guards just brought a Pegasus to the infirmary,” she said with a small hint of concern hidden behind professionalism.  “They said he landed at the palace gates and collapsed, mumbling about an attack.  He was injured.  It looks like he was near an explosion.  I'm surprised he managed to fly anywhere.”
Celestia looked horrified.  “Did he say anything to you?”
The nurse tried to hide her growing concern, but the princess's worry made it difficult.  “He told me that he needed to speak with you.”
Celestia stood up.  “Mind Games, Etiquette, come with me.”
“Of course,” Mind Games and Etiquette responded in near unison.
The nurse simply nodded and began to lead the way.  It took a few minutes, and the group traveled in silence, but eventually they reached the palace infirmary.  The nurse opened the door.  “Right through here, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you, Nurse Summer.  Mind Games, Etiquette, wait out here.”  With that, she entered the room.
There were two other nurses, a mare and a stallion, tending the three occupants of the room.  The doctor, a caramel Earth pony mare with a brown mane and blue eyes, stood next to a black Pegasus with a white mane and slate gray eyes.
“Oh, Princess Celestia, thank you for coming,” she said.
“Of course, Doctor Pond.”
The Pegasus looked over.  “Your Majesty,” he muttered with what strength he had.  “Port Gallop is under attack.”
Worry returned to Celestia's face.  “Could you please give me any details?”
He tried to swallow a lump forming in his throat.  “I-I still see the fires... Cannonade ringing out, explosions following every shot...  The city's burning...”  He was having trouble speaking and his eyes were watery.  “Volleys of gunfire, ponies... screaming.  The horrors...  The wall I was... I was hiding behind crumbled in a blast and I remember pain...  Terrible pain...  My commander was dead...  I was still in a better shape to fly than...  They told me to run, to get help, to get the Royal Guard.  The E.U.P. Outpost is in ruins...  The city...”
Celestia gently placed a hoof on his shoulder, careful not to put any pressure on an injury.  “You can stop.  You've done well, you can rest now.”
Tears had already welled up in his eyes and every breath was burdened.  He could hardly respond.
“We'll take care of him, Princess,” Doctor Pond said.
With two claims, it was impossible to deny.  Equestria was under attack.  The news was hard to swallow from an Abandoned messenger and even harder from a citizen of the besieged city.  She couldn't speak.  She could only look to the doctor and nod before leaving.  She closed the door quietly.  “Etiquette, I want the guard captains and Generals Cloverhoof, Highflier, and Armet in the conference room as soon as possible.”
“And Princess Luna?” Etiquette asked.
“I'll get my sister.  Mind Games, I want to speak with Sub Rosa, if possible.  I have things to discuss with the Abandoned, if this is, in fact, Chrysalis's doing.”
“I could request it now.  I'm a long-range telepath.”
“Ask her.  Give me her answer either before the meeting, if possible, or immediately after.  In the second case, I'll send for you.  Stay in the palace.”
Mind Games nodded.  “As you wish, Princess.”
Celestia turned and trotted off swiftly.  With Port Gallop under attack, and Chrysalis possibly responsible, every second was precious.  Every moment brought a bit more anxiety to Celestia's mind.  “I can't think of that,” she muttered to herself, trying to refocus herself.  She trotted through the corridors of the palace until she came to Luna's private quarters.  A sunset-hued aura emanated from her horn, an identical glow on the doorknobs, though she hesitated.  She so hated to disturb Luna, especially while she slept.  Her nocturnal responsibilities were as comprehensive and as important as Celestia's diurnal duties.  But this was important.  This was an issue that required the attention of both princesses.  With any luck, Cadance would be left out.  Though wise far beyond her years, the young Alicorn was still a novice, still learning.  It would already disrupt her wedding, she didn't need to be involved further.  With a sigh, Celestia opened the doors quietly, though she knew it made no difference whether the doors themselves or her own voice woke Luna.
Surely enough, the bedchamber was void of all light, save what now entered though the ajar doors.  Several sheets covered a slumbering giant of a mare, rising and falling with each breath.  Luna's crown rested on a sablewood writing desk.  Celestia felt as though she should simply close the doors and wait to for Luna to wake at her normal time.  But she couldn't.  She knew that she couldn't.
“Luna,” she said.  The sleeping Alicorn gave no response.  Luna was a heavy sleeper.  Celestia walked a bit closer to the bed.  “Luna,” she announced again, more loudly than the first.  No response.  Celestia's horn sparked to life as the princess rose her front right hoof.  She stamped it down and announced with a voice that shook the room, magically amplified, “Luna!”
Luna, startled by the sudden, rude awakening, rolled and jumped out of her bed in an instant, conjuring a sword that, like her mane, was a sliver of night itself.  She looked to Celestia and lowered her sword, running a hoof through her bedraggled mane as it began to flow like water again.  “Dammit, Celestia,” she muttered, her heart racing and her breathing heavy.  A nightly aura ensnared the curtains as Luna pulled them aside.  There were a few hours of daylight left.  “You had better have a good reason, Sister.”
“Port Gallop has been attacked and ponies are dying.”