Celestia's world has been upended. Day and night have been separated far more than merely the distance between the sun and moon. With Luna given over to the corruption of Nightmare Moon, Equestria has had its first major shakeup since its liberation from the chaotic tyranny of Discord, yet the wounds of Luna's pain run deeper than anything Discord could have done. Ponies have turned against ponies, and the majority of unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony hearts have been twisted against their bat pony brethren. What could a sole alicorn, one who relied on her sister's insight in difficult situations, possibly do to remain ready to lead? Mortal advisors can come and go, but none would be as wise as a being with a thousand years of experience.

Except there is one possibility. A presence which has made itself felt. One that promises that it knows her deeply. One that promises its own rewards, for all time.

Written for the Seventh Annual Equestria at War Writing Contest.

Thanks again to Everfree Pony for all of the editing assistance. Cover art by December Breeze.

Flurry Heart stands before a veteran of the Great War who now lays on their bed nearing their end.

She has planned for this day ever since she received her cutie mark. Not being before the pony before her, but being before any pony at all. This pony just happens to be the first.

She is there to see them to the end.

Grover V of the Griffonian Empire. Regarded by many as a frail and sickly monarch, he is the perfect showcase of the Empire as a whole. Weak, dying, and a shadow of what he once was. Only truly serving as a unifying force for griffons in the Herzland, even that may soon be gone as what remained of his health is rapidly declining, following his train trip across the land.

And so, on his deathbed, he is forced to come to terms with his short life as he meets those he trusted the most one final time.

For even an Emperor has his last day.

Set in the world of the popular Hearts of Iron IV mod Equestria at War.

The Griffonian Empire was on its deathbed.

For years, it has battled with itself and its own institutions for survival. Already, revolutions and acts of secession have tormented it, tearing it apart limb by limb until only its most integral parts remained, paying lip service to the emperor - the Herzland.

But all these discussions, all threats, are suddenly silenced when news from the Imperial Palace are made public. News which the Empire, with all its shortcomings, may never be able to recover from.

This short story takes place in the Equestria at War alternate universe. Knowledge is advised to immediately understand the scenery and characters, but not ultimately required.

The Changelings have lost. Their cities destroyed, their Queen dead. Yet the war is not over. A bomber crew is assigned one final mission to remind the Equestrians of this fact: By using a Nuclear bomb to wipe the city of Las Pegasus off the map.

Written for the Equestria at War writing contest.

It has been many years since the war started...

Chrysalis and her armies rolled over our defenses, overwhelming our forces with sheer numbers. We fought a fighting retreat, always on the run from the swarm. We thought it would be over, that this would be the end of Equestria, and the end of Harmony...

But it was not so. We gathered our strength and held our ground, at last. Desperately our soldiers fought on and held the swarm off. Ponies took up arms to bolster our ranks or grabbed a tool to aid the war industry.

And now, after all these years, we remain in a stalemate. The Changelings adopted their own variant of total warfare. They launch raids on defensive positions at night, send bomber squadrons to destroy civilian centers all across Equestria and sink civilian cruisers out on the sea.

The war drags on, and my ponies grow tired of grieving the loss of their homes and loved ones. It is time for Equestria to commit to this war and leave behind our outdated principles of pacifism and harmony.

This war has brought upon us a new age. And with it, a new Equestria must rise!

This story takes place in the 'Equestria at War' universe. Further knowledge of this universe is not required, but it's good to know. Link to the official EaW group can be found here.

This story is a sequel to Set Sun, Broken Heart

Celestia and Flurry Heart have arrived in New Mareland, safe for now from the Lunar Empire. However, the distance from Nightmare Moon does not mean there are no problems to face for the two of them.

With a resurgent Karthinian Pact under king Garibald Talonuel III to the east, an Aquileian Republic reborn in the Second Revolution to the north and only the Celestial Sea between New Mareland and the Lunar Empire, Celestia must play a dangerous game of politics like she hasn’t had to do in a long time, all the while taking care of Flurry Heart.

New Mareland itself is in a turbulent state that could easily escalate should things go from bad to worse. For now, the country is united against the Lunar Empire, but that can change rapidly. This too Celestia will need to keep an eye on, for her own safety and that of her ponies.

The coming years will be decisive for all the world, from Soryth to Hornavik and from the far northern shores of Pingland to the warm mountains of Hippogriffia, Through the actions of few the fates of many will be set in stone, or forever changed.

Important: this takes place in the Equestria At War universe. Equestria At War is a mod for the grand strategy game Hearts of Iron IV, be sure to check out their Discord and Reddit if you're not familiar with it. They also have a group on this site: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212917/equestria-at-war

Rated Teen for sadness and the consequences of war, including trauma.

Cover art cropped from this: https://derpibooru.org/images/2361950?q=artist%3Amrscroup - I also removed the text remaining in the cropped part.

Featured on 18-11-2021. Thanks a lot for that

The year is 1037 ALB. Harmony reigns around the world, with Equestria, the River Federation, and the United Kingdom of Aris rising above all other nations to secure peace and prosperity for all creaturekind.

But while nearly every nation has embraced harmony, not every pony has. Within the Chiropterran Republic, a festering vendetta has brewed among a small number of radicalized soldiers and veterans of the North Zebrican War. They were not content with their dream of eternal night being stolen from them, and have conspired for years for revenge on a scale that the world has never seen before.

And at the helm of this secret mission is the most bitter veteran of all: Perfect Shot.

This story takes place in the Equestria at War universe and was written for the Seventh Annual EaW Writing Contest. It is also an adaptation of the "Ten Million Relief Plan" mission from Ace Combat 7, though it is primarily an EaW story. No knowledge of any of the above is necessary to understand this story.

Mighty lords chart the course of their people, for better or worse, through good times and bad. Their decisions have ramifications that echo across continents and generations. It is in the light of those decisions that the stories of heroes are ultimately defined, whatever side of the lord's reign they may fall upon.
Books are written about those decisions and their consequences critiqued long after most of those lords are gone to dust. A few even consider the personal cost of those heavy choices.

Rose Meadow was the sort who would be all but forgotten by the relentless march of history, save perhaps as set decoration. She was a guard, a professional whose main job was to stand outside an office door and make sure documents weren't stolen and the occupant wasn't unduly interrupted. That said occupant happened to be a head of state didn't matter much, except perhaps so far as to give her a vague sense of pride in her work.
Yet for all their unimportance on the grand stage of history, a guard overhears much, especially when the office door isn't closed properly...

This is a short story set in the world of the acclaimed Hearts of Iron 4 mod, Equestria at War. It is the first entry in the Quenta Roccolië and has been reviewed by Clarke Otterton.
Rated teen for discussion of war and death.
Written for the Fourth Annual Equestria at War Writing Contest with the prompt "A normal being's point of view and life amidst global events."
Thanks to Clear Skies-Roan for betaing.

Cover image is a crop of 'Palace Hallway' by plainoasis

With the war raging, a Changeling, hidden in Equestria, is given an offer.

Part of the Equestria at War universe, and written for the Fourth Annual Equestria at War Writing Contest.