Prologue: Aurora
ACE COMBAT: WINGS OF UNITY
Any danger can be defeated with joined forces.
But beyond the borders of a peaceful land,
A glowering army hides in the darkness.
Its leader is led by a thirst of vengeance.
Prologue
Aurora
It is said that time heals all wounds...
Two years had passed since the end of the conflict between the ponies and the griffins, which both sides came to know as “The Equestrian War”. During said war, they faced numerous dangerous trial and tribulations. Despite the heroic actions of Mirage squadron, a group of seven brave pegasus ponies, the griffins always found a way to deliver a powerful blow against the Equestrian Allied Forces. Finally, during the decisive confrontation on the enemy territory, the ponies won after a long, grueling battle. The griffin leader’s atrocious acts were uncovered and his soldiers turned against him. He died inside his own massive fortress. However, Equestria’s triumph was earned with the loss of over two hundred ponies. To make sure memories of them would always remain in the minds of others, Celestia and Luna, two princesses and sisters alike, rulers of Equestria, created the Garden of the Fallen, where all ponies who died during the war were laid to rest. Everypony prayed that such horrible events would never happen again.
The griffins and ponies reconciled, establishing a new, unbreakable alliance. They vowed a partnership. Since the soldiers of the North were much more technologically advanced, they decided to share some of their knowledge and latest achievements in mechanics. In return, the ponies agreed to provide supplies and necessary resources. Both Equestria and The Griffin Kingdom quickly regained an image from days before the war, and later, greatly improved the lives of their citizens.
And even though memories of the painful, dark days of conflict still broods in some ponies’ hearts, they were but mere shadows of pain, suffering and sadness they endured during The Equestrian War. In order to defend the country from possible, future invasions, Princess Celestia decided to establish two Royal Military Academies; one in Stalliongrad and another in Cloudsdale. There, ponies that had proficiency in combat skills were trained. Cloudsdale became especially renowned for having The Wonderbolts as instructors. This new responsibility meant their job was to train a group of talented pegasus ponies, who would become true aerial fighters. Additionally, the other academy in Stalliongrad would also create new, promising recruits. In time, they would become the first, real soldiers of Equestria.
However, no pony, not even the Royal Sisters, could truly know who would turn out to be the next aggressor...
June 5th, 2021
2230 hrs
Unknown location
A black-coated male pegasus pony approached the steel doors. They opened before him. He entered a dark room and slowly started to move forward. The only sources of light were small lamps, blinking in red, blue or green diodes installed in several machines. While the pegasus tried to adjust his sight to the darkness, he didn’t show any sign of fear. In fact, he liked being surrounded by the dark very much.
Barely a few seconds later, the steel doors opened again and a sound of a few hoofsteps could be heard. The black pegasus turned around, grimacing slightly.
“You’ve finally made it,” he spoke with a grim voice.
“We... had some problems,” the smallest pegasus tried to explain with a squawk.
“Save it for now. We should not keep our lady waiting.”
None of the three other pegasi argued with that. They were all different, varying in height and physique, as well as colors of their coats and manes. All four of them started walking the narrow path before them to the other side of the room. They saw something that resembled a small throne. The chair was partially mechanized and could be turned around with ease. It was occupied by a female unicorn, or at least, that’s what she seemed to be at first glance. Her mane and coat colors were difficult to tell because of the darkness.
The black pegasus went ahead of the others, bowing his head before the pony sitting on the throne, which was turned in the opposite direction of the pegasi.
“You called us, lady?
The mare on the throne moved and turned it around to face her guests. Her sight rested on the four pegasi. Soon, her cyan eyes gave out tiny sparkles.
“Yes. I am glad to see you all here. Have you prepared... everything?”
Though her voice sounded quite mature, her physique was surprisingly small. In fact, she was barely bigger than a young adult pony.
“Yes, my lady,” the black pegasus answered. “Our soldiers await your command.”
“Excellent. Our time will come soon enough... I have waited so long for this day to come. All the ponies of Equestria think that the danger has gone away. They think they can sleep peacefully... But we will earn back what was taken from us.”
The mare spoke with a cold tone, filled with hatred.
“Deathwing, I trust you and your companions will lead us to victory,” she said to the four ponies after a brief silence.
“You four are the most elite squadron in my army. I have personally trained each and every one of you. You are the only ones I can really trust. You will become the tip of our spear during the most important battles.”
“The Reapers will fulfill your every command, Lady Aurora. All those who dare oppose you will die. Nopony is going to stop us, we assure you,” the black pegasus, known as Deathwing, ascertained the unicorn.
“Still, we should plan our steps accordingly.”
That last phrase was spoken by another pegasus. He bore a dark purple coat and a mane in a brighter nuance of that color. His yellow eyes were easily visible in the darkness.
“If we will plunge into battle without formulating a plan first, it will spell disaster for all our troops. I always say: clarity of thought before rashness of action.”
“Indeed... Shockwave?”
“Yes, my lady?”
“Have you managed to finally convince our allies? Are they going to help in the coming days?” Aurora directed that questioned to said purple pegasus.
“While they demand a large payment in various gems and crystals, they have agreed. We have their support,” Shockwave answered.
“Very good. Then in just a few hours... we’re going to begin our invasion.”
The third pegasus, the smallest of them, who had a very short scarlet mane and a pale yellow coat kept loitering in place.
“I can’t wait anymore... We’ve been hiding for so long. I wanna start already!”
“Be patient, Trickster,” Deathwing told him. “Our time is approaching, slowly yet surely. Equestria will once again be engulfed in the flames of war, unless they became smarter since... Still, remember that not every pony will be our enemy.”
Trickster seemed to ignore that last sentence. To him, the only thing that mattered was causing as much chaos and mayhem as possible. He always felt glee while doing it. The fourth pegasus did not participate in the discussion. Actually, he seemed very relaxed, maybe even laidback. Trickster looked at him with a glare. He was the tallest of the four fliers, having brown eyes and mane. His coat was dark blue.
“Why’re you sitting so quietly, Havoc? Don’t you have anything to add?”
“Nah. You already said everything for me,” the tall pegasus responded. “I just hope that we will manage to complete the work started by our mothers and fathers...”
Aurora stood up and approached the four pegasi. Her horn started pulsating with pink light. Her beautiful mane and coat were now visible in the duskiness; they were purple and light blue, respectively. She squinted her eyes.
“Your patience and assistance for me will not go unrewarded. You have made the right choice by deciding to follow in your parents’ hoofsteps. I am certain that if we work together, then we will achieve our goal.”
The mare turned around and returned to her throne. She started talking quietly to herself, as if she suddenly forgot about the Reapers still being in the room.
“Princess Celestia... You said we were dangerous... that we might become a threat to Equestria. But you are yet going to learn just how dangerous we can be. You’ve made a mistake by exiling us. And you will pay dearly for it... Should you decide to fight, you will sign a death warrant on your subjects... and your rule will end soon after... It will end in tears and despair...”
“Lady Aurora...” Shockwave started. “With all due respect, we should not forget about one important detail. Celestia is no longer alone. Her younger sister, Princess Luna...”
“Has returned,” Aurora finished. “Yes, I am well aware of that. But, contrary to Celestia, she is weak. She is not to be concerned with. Besides, she already gave into jealousy once before. Luna may seem happy on the outside, but some part of darkness might still lie at the bottom of her heart. If we’ll manipulate her feelings, she might be of some use...”
Deathwing came a little closer.
“It’s not just that. Another matter is their army... Equestria is most likely prepared for possible attacks. The war against the griffins gave the ponies necessary experience.”
“Even so, I don’t expect them to be a problem. Every soldier in my army is very experienced as well. Not only that, we have powerful allies on our side. We will succeed... However, one thing that worries is the fact that this unit exists...”
“Mirage...” Deathwing said slowly. “A legendary squadron of seven pegasus ponies. It is said they managed to turn the tide of The Equestrian War all by themselves and led ponies to victory...”
“Yet it is obvious they did it all with some help from their allies,” Shockwave interrupted. “Which does not lower their battle potential as a whole, but...”
“Oh, shut up!” Trickster squawked. “It makes me sick when you talk about them! Sick, I tell you! Makes me wanna puke my guts out! You’ve been talking about them for the last few days. Big hairy deal! They were just lucky, that’s all! We’ll take them out!”
“You better watch yourself,” Havoc grumbled. “They are strong on their own, but when they’re flying together... That’s when things would get tough. They can be a real threat to our operation.”
Aurora again left her throne, landing on her legs. She spoke in a clean, purposive voice.
“That is why your job will be to eliminate every single member of the Mirage squadron. As long as they live, they are likely to jeopardize our plans. Still, they are worthy foes. Be especially careful around their leader...”
“Rainbow Dash,” Shockwave pointed out. “The so-called ‘Princess of the Skies’...”
Trickster started acting like he was about to vomit, while also making such sounds. Deathwing glared at him intensively.
“Trickster! You are forgetting yourself! You are standing before our lady!”
“It’s alright,” Aurora spoke with a softer tone. “His frustration is understandable. I know very well what it feels like. After all, it’s been fifty years since I was forced to leave Equestria...”
“But you are still young and beautiful as always, Lady Aurora...” Havoc started.
What he said was true. For a unicorn, she still looked quite young. Aurora interrupted the pegasus’ speech and sat down. Not on a throne this time, but on the cold, metallic floor. It didn’t make a difference to her.
“I appreciate your words, Havoc, but if my experiment would end in failure, I’d most likely not have survived this long... or gained this much magical power. There were days when I was doubting myself... But now, I’ve left all my doubts behind. I am grateful for your help and expressions of desire to fulfill your job. You will be rewarded for it. My greatest project is in the final completion stage. I just need a few more days... With my creation, you will become invincible! When the Zeal shall be infused with you, none will stand in your way!”
Aurora spoke the last sentence quite loudly, so much that it echoed through the room. She additionally stood up and then... she spread out two wings that she had concealed on her left and right of the body.
“Many thought in naivety that it is impossible to combine the wonders of technology and the power of magic into one. But, I will show them!”
The winged unicorn sat back on her throne.
“I must speak with the leader of our allies now. He is most likely getting impatient as well. Return to your post and assemble every soldier in the base. Tell them that our revenge will begin soon enough.”
“Yes, lady.”
Deathwing and his companions bowed before Aurora and left the room a few seconds later. The alicorn mare then turned her mechanized throne around to face a single monitor right in front of her. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, an angry growl was heard from the speakers.
“Forgive me for disturbing you, o Mighty One,” Aurora started. “I just want to make sure that everything is in order.”
“My soldiers are losing patience. And so am I,” the owner of a dark voice answered.
As he was hidden in the shadows, his face could not be seen on the monitor.
“Just a little longer. We are finishing gathering our forces. Your attack may commence in just a dozen hours or so. We will give a taste of things to come to the citizens of Equestria, if they decide to not surrender.”
“Finally...”
The character on the screen moved a little, yet his face was still unseen.
“We want to get back what once belonged to us, just like you. I trust you will keep your end of the bargain.”
“Your power is only overshadowed by your greed, Aigaion,” said Aurora. “Naturally, we will fulfill our obligations. But I wonder if you will do the same...”
The character on the screen suddenly jerked.
“You are testing my patience, lady! Are you saying we are not honorable?”
“Of course not,” Aurora responded calmly. “Only a fool would dare insult your kind and expect to get away with it. However, it is a known fact that every member of your species is more or less, longing for valuable gems.”
The owner of the dark voice snorted contemptuously.
“How did I get myself in this situation... But joining forces with you is the best guarantee that we will earn gems. Do what you have to do. We will as well.”
Aurora smiled.
“Your words please me greatly, King Aigaion. When you will lead the first attack, make sure that the designated city in Equestria will be wiped clear off the face of the earth.”
“What if some ponies are caught in the attack?” Aigaion asked.
“No matter. The lives of a few wretches are nothing compared to hundreds, if not thousands of Equestria’s citizens that will die, should the Royal Sisters not surrender.”
Silence fell for a few seconds. Then Aigaion gave out another growl.
“Very well. I will inform my generals. This shall be a true baptism of fire for them.”
“And for us, as well. I shall go now and tell everything to my comrades. Aurora out.”
The winged mare ended the conversation, turned the monitor off, stood up from her throne and headed toward the steel doors, through which the Reapers left a while ago. They spread apart as soon as she approached them.
She was heading toward a great hall to meet the leaders of her army and with soldiers loyal to her. On her way, she constantly thought about time that passed since she had to leave Equestria. Her thoughts were swelling in her head like a big thundercloud.
“They say time heals all wounds... But some wounds are too deep to heal. Fifty long years away from my home... Had I really done something atrocious back then? No. I only wanted to prove myself before Princess Celestia... prove myself worthy of gaining wings... So, why did she banished me? She treated me very unfairly. And now, she will pay.”
The female alicorn entered a large room, where soldiers of all kinds of ranks were waiting already. From privates and corporals, to officers, captains as well as commanders and generals. The great hall was filled to brim with ponies of various kinds. Enormous flags were hanging from the walls on both sides of the hall. A big emblem showing a pair of raven wings and two scythes crossed together. Some were additionally adorned with three stars.
Deathwing and his companions already made it there, standing near a small podium. When Aurora approached the group, Deathwing bowed his head before her again. He was looking at her with deep respect.
“My lady...” he started, “we are ready. Say the word.”
Aurora nodded, got on the podium and begun her speech toward all assembled ponies. She didn’t need a microphone, initially she didn’t even had to increase her voice volume:
“My friends... I know you have waiting a long time for the day when we will return to Equestria. I want to aver you that within several hours the wait will come to an end. Today is the day when our revenge shall begin! I will never forget when your parents decided to follow me to the exile, even though they could stay in Equestria... and not risk this horrible fate... They’ve shown great devotion and loyalty to me on that day. I will never forget that...”
The initial dither in Aurora’s voice started to give way to a cold fury. Everypony assembled in the hall was now staring at her, listening to her words. She was speaking louder and louder:
“As I will not forget that it was Princess Celestia who banished me! She said we were dangerous... she was afraid of us. Rightfully! Now we will show her how much power we have! Our time has come! Arise! Arise, Exiles!”
The ceiling of the room shook when a choir of multiple voices erupted, along with sounds of hundreds of hoofs stomping against the ground. Each and every one of Aurora’s soldiers showed adhesion for the alicorn’s words.
“Long live Lady Aurora! Praise and glory! Lead us forth! Celestia be gone! To Equestria! The stars will lead us! To victory!”
“Let’s go, comrades!” Deathwing called out. “Today our exile comes to an end! Together we will make Lady Aurora’s return a glorious one! We will all return in glory!”
“We have a long road ahead. Let’s not waste any time. Gather together, Exiles! Prepare the fleet! We will return the fastest way; through the sea. Onward!” Aurora shouted.
Within a few minutes, most soldiers already left the room. Aurora looked through the window in the hall. Noticing a full moon in the sky, she smiled sinisterly and said, slowly and quietly, as if to herself:
“Celestia... we are coming home.”
June 6th, 2021
0045 hrs
Canterlot Castle
Princess Celestia suddenly woke up from her sleep with clear anxiety on her face. She felt cold as she looked around the chamber. Her sister, Princess Luna, was currently traversing the dreams of other ponies, making sure to keep nightmares away from them. Celestia decided to contact her using telepathy.
“Luna, please, come back to the castle. It is urgent.”
After a few seconds, she heard her sister’s ethereal voice:
“What is the matter, Sister?”
Celestia reiterated her request.
“Return to the castle. I have a really bad feeling...”
The beautiful ruler of Equestria went out to the balcony, looking at the moon. Luna soon materialized almost next to her. When she looked into Celestia’s eyes, she easily noticed that something was bothering her.
“You appear shaken, Sister. Did you had a nightmare?”
“No...” Celestia answered slowly. “It wasn’t a nightmare... more like a vision.”
“A vision?”
“I saw an army... an enormous army. It is heading toward Equestria. They are guided by hatred. It seems a consequence of my decision from years ago is now returning...”
Luna looked at Celestia with a mixture of uncertainty and anxiety.
“Sister... Your words elude me.”
“Luna... The time of peace is coming to an end,” Celestia’s voice sounded very serious now. “Another difficult trial awaits us. No pony will be safe.”
It took Luna a moment to grasp what her sister just said. Her eyes rested on the moon. It was now covered by a huge cloud.
“Then... war?”
It sounded more like an ascertainment than a question. Celestia responded with a silent nod.
“But who... Who is trying to invade us? Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings?”
Celestia did not forget how the wedding between her niece, Princess Cadance and Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle’s older brother, turned into a real battle for Canterlot. The malicious queen of the Changelings, Chrysalis, impersonated Cadance and was feeding on Shining Armor’s love for her to gain power. She even managed to overpower Princess Celestia in a direct confrontation. Things would end up quite dark if it weren’t for Twilight Sparkle, who caught on with the bride’s suspicious behaviour. She was eventually imprisoned by Chrysalis, but in turn, she found the real Princess Cadance and they exposed Chrysalis’ scheme.
The Changelings were ultimately defeated and literally thrown out of Equestria due to a wave of magical energy powered by Cadance and Shining Armor’s love. No pony heard of them since then. Celestia could therefore exclude that one possibility.
“No, Luna. The Changelings are not the invaders. If the reports from the southern border are to be believed, they are still scattered in the Badlands. They will not attempt to return to Equestria... not now, at least.
“Then who leads the army?” Luna asked again.
“It’s difficult to say... In my vision, I saw a face of a mare that seemed familiar to me... even though she is somepony different now.”
Luna squinted her eyes a little.
“You speak in riddles again, Sister. Tell me, what should we do?”
Celestia tried to gather her thoughts. She knew it was high time to act. The princess let out a loud sigh. She didn’t seemed so anxious anymore.
“I knew that time would come eventually... I only hope the recruits from Military Academies will be ready for upcoming battles.”
“You want me to inform the Royal Guards?” Luna asked.
“No, not yet. The army is still far away. We will prepare for their coming... at least, I believe we will. I shall warn everypony tomorrow. For now, continue your errand, Luna.”
The night princess remained silent for a few seconds before nodding.
“Alright, then. In the meantime, try to get some sleep, Sister. You will need all of your strength in the coming days.”
“I will try.”
When Luna left Celestia alone, she returned to her chamber. She couldn’t understand why her beloved land and her subjects would once again be threatened by an outside invasion. The peace that ponies fought for so hard was going to be destroyed again. As Celestia closed her eyes, she could only hope that when the time to fight for Equestria will come again, the ponies will unite together, as they did once before.
This trial was going to be hard for all of them...
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It has arrived!
Have your first Thumbs-up!
Post read edit:
The smile is gone now, replaced by a cold shiver running down my spine. It all started with "Agaion".
dontdrinkbeer.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/there-be-a-shit-storm-a-brewin.jpg
Whoohoo!
Definitely fav and like. Very nice introduction of the conflict and the enemy. They seem very threatening.
A couple minor grammar issues (not that I don't make some pretty bad mistakes myself), but overall very solid. Looking forward to reading more!
2810597
So, I am guessing you know what this character is based on. Just to clarify, I deliberatly chose this spelling of the name. Personally, I find it better than the original ;)
Nice! I was hoping for a sequel!
Sequel
denver.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw3345-1330646932156.gif
all of my yes.
A little suggestion about Agaion's name. Maybe you should use the original spelling for the names of the Heavy Command Cruiser.
Aigaion = Aegaeon/Briareus
Kottos = Cottus
Gyges remains the same though.
An excellent start to your sequel, Polish. Lady Aurora's side and Celestia and Luna's side were wonderfully crafted. :)
2816237
Oh, so that name actually does mean something...
Well, I guess I can use the original.
2821541
According to Greek Mythology, Aegaeon/Briareus, Cottus and Gyges are giants called Hekatonkheires. Each of them have a hundred hands and fifty heads.
Namco did well referencing those hundred hands in Aigaion's multiple Nimbus launch ports.
2821591
I see. Well, I knew about Briareus, but the other two seemed obscure to me. Thanks.
And we're back!
Wow, this was an amazing opening chapter! Your grammar is a lot better, the opening is gripping and well-paced. That really shows how much you have grown as a writer now.
I love the backstory for the antagonists! So much potential there! You actually gave the bad guys a good reason to be bad, making the reader question who the good guy really is from time to time is really good storytelling. It seems like a revolution is at hoof.
I also assume from what I read that ground-fighting will have a larger role in this installment, something that I found lacking in the last one (but to be fair, it is an Ace Combat crossover). If the enemy has powerful allies, then I suspect that the battles will be much larger-scale, possibly some of them requiring coordination between ground and air forces in order to be victorious. That would be interesting to see.
I wonder if the new alliance with the Griffin Kingdom will benefit Equestria in some way.
Aurora seems like the kind of leader who is insane and evil but is very good at getting her troops to love her. All of history's best generals had that kind of connection with their troops and that only made them more dangerous.
Napoleon Bonaparte and Alexander the Great were very good examples of this.
If she has troops that are devoted to her and love her, then things will be much harder for the good guys.
Mixing tech and magic huh? I've used that as well.
Zeal...I'm sure that will be explained at a later time.
I love the darkish tone you have set for the antagonists' debut!
The enemy is aware of Mirage Squadron, which although bad, is not a surprise. There is no element of surprise for Mirage this time around, which isn't good but they have a lot more experience as a trade-off. I wonder if the enemy has any tricks or contingencies for dealing with Mirage?
This looks like a promising sequel!
I wonder if you have any thing new in store for us?
Silver out!
Yes! The story is back!
So far, I am thoroughly enjoying this. The opening was well paced and really set the tone for the story, and I can't wait to read more!
And so it begins...
Love the intro; these guys seem like bad news. And I'm guessing their allies are...dragons. That's gonna be a nasty surprise for our heroes, if my guess is correct.
Everything's set up for one HELL of a fight!
(And, the Changelings are still alive and kicking, yet scattered? Possible villains for the next story, perhaps? ;) )
who are their allies? Diamond dogs? Dragons? This is sure to be an amazing story, just like the last one.
Oh how wrong you are Aurora...
It looks like the Diamond Dogs are their allies.
Interesting antagonists