Dusty Eclipse is just an ordinary bat pony living in New Ayacachatli.

He isn't apart of some military family or has some family with top connections in the government, he is just him, a ordinary pony trying to live his life in the nation that worships the Nightmare.

It is the year 1013 ALB and the resurgent Griffonian Empire has finally dislodged the invasion force of the Second Aquilian Republic and fought them into their own lands. The Empire was able to push deep into their countryside.

And then Summer came.

The first day of summer brought with it the strongest heatwave in Aquilian history stopping both sides in their tracks.

Major High Note is serving under Field Marshall Bronzetail, in an office safe behind the lines, but this does not spare him from the heat.

Fortunately one of his trusted friends informed him that the quartermaster was hoarding a truckload of air conditioners.

So High Note and his friends decide to liberate them for their fellow soldiers, hopefully the heat doesn't get them first.

(I did this for a contest in around 48 hours and made most of it up as I went along, I know it's not great.)

The year is 1038 [ALB] and the thirtieth anniversary of the North Zebrican Workers' Revolution has come, with the desire to celebrate its founding principles and its founder’s goal of uniting all of creaturekind genuinely for the first time with distant stars, (that perhaps shouldn’t look as comforting as they are).

Submission for The Seventh Annual Equestria at War Writing Contest! "A Long Time Away"

Additional tags: should perhaps include Horror and Grimdark, and the [Redacted] tags are hidden until the above contest finishes for the sake of surprising the audience.
[Note: I don't hate MLP.]

the year is 1011 ALB and war has broken out between the two major superpowers of the continent of Equus . Equestria and the Changeling lands. we follow two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict and fighting for two different reasons. an Earth pony named Buck who is fighting in the Equestrian military because of the death of his parents and Mandell, a changeling who is part of the first panzer division that assaults the Ancornage line. the two characters will meet in these opening bouts of the greatest war to grace the planet and their actions will change the course of each other's lives...

This story is based on the Hoi4 mod Equestria at War and it helps to know the source material. however it is not necessary in order to enjoy the story

one last thing for people reading this. this is first and foremost a ship between two OC´s and a war story second. so if you're expecting an emphasis on combat and the grand battle plan sry :/

Follow Sunset Harvest on her first adventure, travelling from her childhood home in Sen Kinh, to Canterlot, Equestria. Will she make it there in one piece, and on time for her first quarter? There's a mystery brewing aboard the Austere Bolt that could lead to a little more than just a migration for the Kirin and her new friends, and Sunny volunteers to stop them, which leads to a reveal, one that shakes Sunny's perception of reality and myth for the rest of her life. Sometimes, Legends and Myths carry truth. And sometimes, that truth can be dangerous.

This is a parodied universe to Equestria at War with my own bs'd lore and culture, at this point. Don't come here for world accuracy, come here for a treasure hunting adventure, because that's what you're getting.

Last week a crude explosive detonated inside the Equestrian embassy in the Changelling lands. Two embassy royal guards were injured in the explosion. Two days later a informant in the outskirts of Stalliongrad provided us with several images. Analysts have identified the individual in it as S.M.I.L.E special agent Sweetie Droops. A friend of mine... Bon Bon has, spent the last 5 years investigating troubling rumors from the frontier. Our understanding is that Bon Bon was the intended target of the bombing. What could not be done from afar was done close and personal. She was captured, tortured, and killed then they dumped the body, we have yet to recover it. Our target for the embassy bombing and murder of special agent Sweetie Droops is our resident military police special forces agency commonly known as Unidad. And who leads it General Midnight Sparkle. Yesterday they were the "police" in the frontier, today they're rogue terrorists.

(Heavy inspiration from Bowman briefings in Wildlands. Many quotes from her kit-bashed into the story where they could fit, liked how it turned out.)

In the year 1040 ALB, the scars of the great war finally begin to heal for some, while for others, they remain fresh as ever. Wars have grown cold as totalitarian regimes begin to shape the status quo. Good and evil exist together, and are forced to tolerate each other. The children of the victors try their best to enjoy the spoils of war, zealously guarding them against their enemies as they each circle each other around the drain.

The losers, meanwhile, outnumber the victors by the millions. They may all be too dead to complain, but at least they know who is to blame.

Thus, we follow the story of three creatures across three nations, bearing three ideologies, over the course of three days. They will likely never meet each other. Some will be forgotten, others will be remembered for the rest of time. All will lament that they have not done enough to fix this broken, bloodied world.

My submission for the Seventh Annual Equestria at War Writing Contest, in the form of three short stories dealing with the aftermath of my favorite campaign. This also just so happens to be my first fanfic ever. Please be gentle.

[Based on the Equestria at War April Fools event for the mod The New Order: Last Days of Europe for the game Hearts of Iron 4]

Gregory was a soldier before Buckharin came and brought harmony to Sibera, and he stayed a soldier after. Even after going through ponification and seeing the world through new eyes, Gregory still hopes to hear the birds sing.

Dedicated to the One God, who helped me finish this story in five days.

In the 143rd year After the Lunar Banishment, the Olenian King Harlod Bernson signed a friendship treaty with the Princess Celestia of Equestria, officially ending the raids upon the eastern expanses of Equestria. Many of his subjects disavowed him for this. The petty lord Hoef Derikson took this even further, calling common and lordly deer alike to him, and marching to meet the king directly. The king, wanting to avoid a siege, marched to meet him with his loyal supporters. Between them, the Field of Fimlet.

- From The History of the World, published circa 1041 ALB, Red Racoon Press, Manehatten.

Now, I know that not everyone is well versed in old Nordic culture (same for me, I had to take a crash course on this), so I’ve included a list of important concepts that you might like to understand.

Thralls: the slave class of Olenia, the thralls are either servants or labourers either kidnapped in raids or taken as prisoner. They have almost no rights, and are bound to the house or master that owns them

Karls: the free deer of Olenia, the Karls are landowners, as in they can own land, whether a vast tract of fertile ground worked by a hundred thralls or a simple homestead. Karls can be craftsdeer, warriors, or even farmers. Often, Karls swear fealty for them and their house to a local jarl in exchange for protections.

Jarls: the noble class of Olenia, the jarls command the loyalty of anywhere from dozens to hundreds of karls. They represent the local authorities in feudal Olenia, but less in a manor lord way and more in a chieftain way. They engage in most of the politics of Olenia, and they have a symbiotic relationship with the King.

Huskarl: Huskarls (house-karls) are karls that are employed in armed service with a jarl, essentially personal guards. These warriors are a cut above the regular warriors, since jarls pick the best for their defence.

Hirðeer: These are the warriors of a Hird, which is the personal retinue of a powerful deer. The Hirðeer are typically the greatest warriors in the land, greater than the Huskarls.

Written for a Seventh Annual Equstria at War Writing contest "a long time away".

"If this wins I will literally drink milk"
(C) - Banana Brains

"I don't get paid to advertise this story"
(C) - Mega Volt

"Yea,I got the cannon at the end"
(C) - Quacker Jack

"Why the hell am I here?"
(C) - Zoro

"I'm NOT. A. CRYBABY!"
(C) - Starlight Glimmer

"It all started when I was but a filly...what do you mean this is not a therapy?"
(C) - Princess Luna