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// Prologue  
// Story: Farachan 
// by QTXAdsy 
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Prologue


Forty years ago in Equestria, life was very different then than what it was today. Princess Luna had still been banished to the Moon, many of the cities across Equestria were only starting to become cities and the six holders of harmony hadn't been born yet, and even those older sorts across the land would have only been foals or young colts and fillies. Nevertheless ponies of all sorts carried on life as they had from years gone by, though despite all the smiles and happiness, a big lingering doubt remained tucked in everypony's head. The problem was on a large island almost sixty miles away from the Equstrian mainland.

One interesting fact of Equestria history that many fail to know is that the country has in fact two other countries in a union with Equestria for over three hundred years. One being the small, rugged and cold northern country called Alba, a land where ponies speak with a Scottish dialect. And the other country being on a large island just sixty miles away from the mainland being the province state of Farachan on the large three hundred mile long island of Alacann. However, the story of Farachan is a rough one.

When Equestria and Alba went into a union in attempt to mend troubled relations between the two nations, the island of Alacann was suffering from financial troubles. The royal family of the island had abdicated and, without a leader for the islanders, everything was bleak and hopeless for the citizens on Alacann. However, when the news came about the union between Equestria and Alba, the islanders found this to be the way out of their troubles and save the country from financial collapse. Representatives from Alacann visited Canterlot to propose to Princess Celestia about Alacann joining part of Equestria. Understanding the problems they were facing there, Celestia kindly agreed for Alacann to become part of Equestria, with only one exception.

Though this was not suggested by Celestia herself, her military officials requested that a province state in the far north of the island was to be formed to make sure that they had complete control of the island and where those on the mainland would want to stay if they intended to move to the island. This new Provence state would later become Farachan or Northern Alacann (though the later name was rarely used by any), though the idea of this piece of land being taken away from the Alacann ponies proved to be the cause of some alarm and some started to doubt if going into a union with Equestria was a really a good idea.

Still, for the hundred years that followed after joining in the union, the island's trade blossomed and the two half's on the island remained at piece with one another, with the occasional banter between the ponies on both sides of the border. With all the strange very friendly atmosphere between them, it did though make things seem a little too peaceful and perfect, and that peacefulness would soon be gone as to what happened fifty years later.

Almost out of the blue, those in the southern half wanted independence from Equestria and were ready to become a stronger country due to their booming economy. The news itself stunned many fellow Equestrians on the mainland and some even doubted if Alacann would survive on their own. Nonetheless, Celestia felt that the country had grown up over time and was ready to stand on it's own in the world, and thus, granted the islanders their independence from Equestria.

All apart from a certain northern province state.

In the wake of this news, the public of Farachan strongly vowed instead to stay in the union with Equestria while the rest of the island would go independent. Once again, this news did not sit happily with those in the south who the majority wanted a reunified Alacann. In the years that followed, tensions increased on both sides of the border, rarely did anypony venture across it, all of this showed how strained relations were between the two sides.

Thankfully, with Equestria wanting to remain a peaceful country and Alacann wanting nothing to do with them, no wars or further break downs in the two countries relationship's happened for many years between them. Then one day, those on the mainland were shocked when they found out that a new leader in Alacann, a unicorn named Ares, had threatened to stage a forceful take back of Farachan from Equestria within ten years if they did not reply peacefully to their terms, or even worse, threatening an attempted assassination on Celestia herself. Those in the north were traumatized by this revelation and even some began preparing for war with the south by closing off the border. While the public of Equestria seemed to think that Farachan would fall to the south, many however didn't know it, Celestia was not going to give up that easily.

She had a plan…


XXX


Very early during the day just after Celestia had risen the sun, a stout looking grey Pegasus commander quickly flew towards the throne room, where Princess Celestia would be waiting for him. For him, there was no doubt that this would be about the troubles in Farachan again. Every guard he knew in the ranks wouldn't stop talking about it and that they would be ready for war. The Pegasus, named Sky Rider, could only guess at why Celestia had called for him. His only best bet would be that they'd be heading off across the sea to start the war within a few days.

As he thought of it, he couldn't remember a time when Equestria was at war with any other country, neither perhaps did everypony else, unless they counted the cold relations with Alba previously many years ago. Eventually after his flight to the castle, he finally landed at the throne doors and breathed in a shaky sigh before entering the room. In the throne room, Celestia sat on her throne with two Royal guards standing beside her. As he walked up to her, he noticed that she was looking over a long piece of paper examining it. Maybe it was a declaration for war? A few ideas did come to the commander's head.

"Princess," Sky Rider bowed just as he finished walking up to her.

"Rise commander," Celestia said calmly before looking at the two guards. "Leave us," she ordered to the two guards, who headed towards a door on the left side of the room, leaving the princess and the commander on their own.

The grey Pegasus waited as the two guards walked out of the room before replying to Celestia. "I received your message you sent me early today. More troubles from over there?"

Celestia sighed uncomfortably as she lowered her head worryingly. "Thankfully no news of war yet from there. But there is something that every solider in the land must know."

Despite breathing a small sigh of relive that this wasn't the call for battle, Sky Rider's eyes widened at what news the Princess had in mind. 

"L-like what?" Sky Rider stuttered slightly. "I knew those generals at the time when the union happened between Equestria and them shouldn't have taken over a piece of land from them in the first place, now look what's happened! We are probably their most hated enemy!"

The princess remained silent as she glanced over to one of the stained glass windows. She had to agree with the commander that she had to admit that she had made mistakes over the years like this for agreeing to this idea to the generals then. Though since then, ponies from Equestria lived in Farachan now and had settled down there as their home. She couldn't now demand that those there should leave immediately. She had hoped that the province state would become a peaceful place that would help with relations between Equestria and Alacann, now it looked like it wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

"If war must be declared," Celestia finally replied looking back at Sky Rider. "Then no troops in Equestria or Alba shall head out to Farachan."

The commander coughed in shock. "W-what? What's going on? Who will fight them off?"

"That is why I brought you here." Celestia explained. "When Alacann was under Equestrian rule, they picked up much of our culture with it even our armies tactics."

Sky Rider bit his bottom lip when it suddenly dawned on him. Of course the ponies there would pick up their tactics for battle, no wonder they seemed keen to stage a take back now if they thought they could match the might of Equestria. "But princess," he asked her again. "Can't we simply train our troops differently? I'm sure every solider in the land would be willing to go for it if that were the case!"

Celestia shook her head. "You are forgetting that even if we did that, Alacann has now a stronger military force than what we have since they went independent all these years ago, and sending in all of Equestria's might will be suicidal for all of us. Not to mention with all of them being out there fighting and no one at home defending, it just wouldn't be enough."

The grey Pegasus lowered his head sadly, feeling like there was no way out of this. So what had the princess considered doing? "Your highness, what is your plan?"

Celestia then picked up the scroll with her magic that had been lying beside her on a small table and giving Sky Rider the scroll over to him. "Read it, commander." She said to him calmly.

Without being asked twice, the commander quickly opened the scroll and began reading what it had to say. As he read it, his eyes grew larger at what he was reading at what Celestia had planned. A long minute of silence followed afterwards as Sky Rider stared into blank space as he tried to think over this plan.

"A secret service? Young blank flank colt Pegasai?" He finally answered in disbelieve shaking his head. "They're going to fight out there!"

"When the time comes," Celestia corrected. "The fact that their leader, Ares, wants to wait ten years for a war out there is rather peculiar, but does give us a golden opportunity for this to work out. I shall personally train them myself, and it won't be about strength out there, but intelligence as the ponies of Alacann can have anything planned out there, especially that they have become dangerous foe with their magic."

She paused when she looked back at the unfolded scroll in Sky Rider's fore hoof. "You, and three other commanders that I've asked to turn up, shall head to the chosen locations in Equestria I have pinned down on there on that list there. I already know of the first batch that will become part of this elite force many years from now."

Sky Rider just couldn't believe what he was hearing. How was he suppose to tell parents that their blank flank Pegasai sons were going away to become part of this secret service? He looked down at the list of towns and cities he was suppose to head to with other commanders and even saw a large list of what he suppose were the colts chosen by Celestia. The commander could only shake his head at the princess, still trying to come to grips with the idea. "Your highness…I just hope you know what your planning here. This could be a force that saves us all...or we'll be dead at dawn."

He turned to leave the room before Celestia stopped him. "When it comes to tell their parents…they must be the only ones who know and must be sworn to upmost secrecy over this operation."

Sky Rider looked back and nodded. "Yes, Princess." And with that, he flew out of the room, where Celestia could just see the stallion mouthing the words 'Secret Service?' Again and again as he turned round the corner into the corridor. No doubt that he was still unsure about the whole idea of it.

Once the commander had gone, the princess sat back on her throne in silence, then walked over towards a stained glass window were she could see the sun just over the horizon, giving the sky an orange glow. At this point, the sunrise did seem rather appropriate for this new force, like the dawn of a new era. For the time as far as she could remember, she could only wait for when the chosen colts would arrive.

In the years that followed, all of Equestria would know of this elite secret service. They would be Celestia's finest; the bravest warriors that would ever grace Equestria and would make an enemy quake at the very mention of their name.

Everypony would know their name.

The Red Hooves of Celestia.