Chapter Thirty-Eight: Black Sun, Red Moon -Part VIII- Dread Immolation
A/N
Hey guys, if one of the links to videos or music in this story goes bad, let me know and I'll fix them. In the meantime, here's some words. I do hope you like them.
The rolling grass-green hills of Ponyshire wafted softly in the gentle summer winds.
In the distance, the various denizens of the Kingdom of Eclipstria went about their daily business. The sky was clam, birds could be seen chirping merrily, and the sun shone bright amongst the clouds. Sitting bewildered atop one of these pleasant hills, a human, a griffin, and a pony began to gather themselves.
Greene was the first to speak up.
"So, Phalanx, you're the history expert here. Just where did he send us?"
Phalanx stood. "I can't be certain, but those ponies down there would suggest that we are in an ancient agricultural town."
"Looks like Ponyville," Lime Tree added.
"It very well could be," Phalanx continued. "The geography looks very similar."
Lime Tree sat back and raised a hoof to his forehead to block out the sun, then began to gaze into the surrounding terrain.
"They look so... peaceful. You think maybe Hircus made a mistake?"
Phalanx shook his head. "I highly doubt it. If I know my history like you think I do, it won't stay this way for long."
A sudden realization struck Greene as a little colt trotted by. "Wait. If we're back in time, shouldn't we get out of sight? I mean if they see me, or you for that matter, Phalanx, things could go sideways fast."
Phalanx placed his head in his talons as the small pony trotted on past without even acknowledging their presence.
"We are not back in time. Not even Hircus is capable of that. This is a recreation of past events brought to life by Hircus himself. Or, so I theorize."
Lenard sat back down. "So we're still in Sapphiron then..."
Lime Tree sighed. "And completely at Hircus's mercy."
Phalanx nodded. "So it seems."
"So what's our first move?" Greene began. "Take our seats and watch the play?"
Phalanx moved to pick up a rock on the ground, his talons passing through it as if they weren't there.
"If this is Hircus's creation, we certainly can't change anything. So yes, all we can do is 'watch the play' as it were."
Greene laid back and propped himself on a large rock, mysteriously not passing through it.
"Guess he's fine with us taking a load off," Greene quipped dryly.
"Well," Lime Tree started. "If that's all we can do, we might as well do it."
Lenard Greene, Lime Tree Hill, and Phalanx Kel sat on their backs in the grass of the rolling hills, waiting for whatever was to happen.
Greene stared up at the clouds.
"Well, Hircus... on with the show."
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Black Sun, Red Moon -Part VIII- Dread Immolation
To anyone living in the town of Ponyshire, today was just another ordinary day. A small storm could be seen brewing off to the west, but this was of no concern.
"Most likely pegasai over-watering a forest somewhere," an Earth pony farmer spoke to himself, sitting in a field with a sprig of hay in his mouth.
"Apple Core! There's sumthin' goin' on over here!" a farm hoof called out.
"It ain't important, whutever it is," the patriarch of the Apple family answered without so much as turning his head.
The old stallion was still caught up in his thoughts. It'd been three months since the tired farmer had seen his daughter, and very little else could occupy his attention.
"Boss, ah think it's important. Th' Royal Guard is here!"
Apple Core sighed. "Whut are they takin' this time?"
"Th' whole blasted farm, boss!"
This was enough to catch the old farmer's attention. He turned to face a young stallion standing at the doorway of the Apple family homestead. "Whut are you talkin' 'bout, boy?"
"They're ransackin' the place! Say we gotta vamoose or... well, we won't like what happens! Boss, you know whut's goin' on?"
Apple Core turned to notice that the storm was much closer now.
"No, ah don't." He began to trot towards the house. "Go home, Silt. Gather yur family and get someplace safe. Ah don't think this is a random o'currance. I'll round up th' rest of us. Go on, get!"
The farm hoof nodded and took off toward the town. Apple Core trotted into the house to find a small squad of Royal Guards clearing out the room and laying maps down on the large dining room table.
"Can ah help you, gentlestallions?"
"Yes, farmer," one of the soldiers answered with a just barely hidden disgust. "by leaving at once! By royal decree, all subjects are to get as far away from this place as possible!"
"Now why's that? And whut does this have to do with mah farm?"
"You are not privileged enough to know, peasant. Now leave this place immediately, before we become cross."
"Now you listen to me! You cain't jus' come up in here and take mah farm! Where's mah family supposed to go?!"
"That is not our concern," the guard answered. "Now leave this place, now."
Defeated, and keenly aware that he could not win in a bout with Eclipstria's finest, Apple Core began to retreat from the house. Outside, members of the Royal Guard as well as the Eclipstrian Army had already corralled the rest of the Apple Family off of the property. A young Apple colt trotted up to the old farmer.
"Grandpa? Whut 'er they doing to the house?"
Apple Core looked the little pony straight in the eye.
"Ah don't know, but ah don't want any part of it."
****************
For Greene, Phalanx, and Lime Tree, the scene had changed to a strange ongoing disturbance in a dense forest setting.
"I wonder what happens now?" Lime Tree wondered aloud.
Phalanx shushed him. "Quiet. I get the feeling we are about to find out."
_____________
Obscured by the trees of a forgotten jungle, the armies Lord Hircus advanced toward the Eclipstrian capital of Everfree. At the front, large landships tossed aside trees like dried grass, and Hircus's Caprastian infantry followed up the rear.
"Amazing," an infantryram spoke to another. "All these years we thought they were dead and gone, and the griffins still live."
"Yes. I would have thought them gone, but alas, true warriors cannot be held back from the fight."
The two rams looked up to see a large flock of the winged warriors above.
"I heard Grand Praetor Kellinx himself is leading them up there."
"Kellinx... I know the name. How could he still be alive? Did he not fight the Eclipstrians well over a century ago?"
"I believe so. Perhaps it is his heir, or one from his house."
"A possibility... or perhaps despite his age, Kellinx's thirst for vengeance has sustained him all this while."
A Caprastian officer looked back to the two conversing rams. "You lot! Stop yapping! Focus on the battle to come!"
"Yes sir."
"Yes mil'lord."
At the front of the convoy, in the largest of the landships, a very caprastian-looking Lord Hircus sat on the bridge, in quiet reflection. At the fore section of the rustic bridge, a ram bridge officer stole a quick look a their glorious leader, and leaned toward another bridge officer.
"Briax, has anyone heard of a Capraitian Lord accompanying his forces during an attack?" the officer whispered
"Not that I've heard of. I find it comforting, in a way. If he is journeying with us, he must have absolute faith in our victory."
"Let us hope," the first officer replied.
"Helm," Hircus called out. "How far are we from our destination?"
"But a few long spans, my lord. We will arrive in just under an hour."
"Good." Hircus returned to his thoughts.
"And so it has come to this. The peasant, turned solider, turned lord of all of the Caprastian Empire."
He looked out of a small window to notice several soldiers marching under the Imperial banner, his banner.
"This day has been too long in the making."
"I have waited a long time for this day too," a voice spoke in the Caprastian Lord's head.
"Chaotic one. What news do you bring?"
"No news, just thought you'd like a send off."
"Within my mind? Why are you not here in person?"
"I pushed my luck before, attacking this place. Got to the point that they'd know I was coming every blasted time. But they don't know you. They don't FEAR you. Not yet anyway..."
"Then I shall show them fear. The same fear they forced on Vertaigh. I shall wreak a new havoc that will be seen from many lands surrounding for all to see."
"I hope so, because the seats I got for this are terrible."
"What?"
"Nothing, don't worry about it. Just win one for old Dissy up here."
"I, hrm, plan on it, chaotic one."
"See that you do."
With that, the voice faded, and Lord Hircus stood from his battle lord's chair.
"Helmsram, increase speed and have the signalrams order the rest of the caravan to do the same. We have a battle to attend."
"It will be done, my lord."
********************
Celly and Lulu's unicorn caretaker stared out toward the capital city of Everfree from the balcony of their secret getaway home. Just days ago he and the two royal princesses were sent here with orders not to return until given the signal. As the room filled with the manic symphony of crashes and giggles that was the two royal fillies, the sight of a small trail of falling trees caught the unicorn servant's attention.
"Whatever is this strange occurrence?"
Just behind the falling trees, several plumes of smoke followed, though fires of ponies could be seen as a cause.
"Hey, Nanny!"
The unicorn turned around. "Yes Princess Celest-"
"I told you to call me Celly!"
"Well I'd like you to stop calling me nanny..."
"What was that?"
"I said y-yes, Princess... Celly."
"Did you get our chocolate snowballs?" the little white alicorn inquired.
"I, uh, I was sidetracked... "
Celly began to bounce on her hind legs.
"We would really, really, really, really like it if you got some for us."
Lulu rolled into the caretaker's view. "INDEED!" she bellowed with an unexpectedly loud royal voice.
Celly frowned. "Lulu, I told you stop yelling like that. It scares everypony."
"Oh, sorry..."
Celly turned back to the caretaker. "Anyway, when can you get us our snowballs?"
The caretaker took a quick glance back at the hint of forthcoming destruction on the horizon, then back at the fillies. "I will get on that immediately..."
Celly nodded, and the two royal alicorn fillies bounded off back into their secluded mansion.
"...for whatever time we have left."
*******************
For the human, the griffin, and the pony, the scene had changed to the stoic grounds of Castle Everfree.
Lime Tree soaked in the scenery. "I've been through the Everfree Forest countless times, but I've never seen anything like this. It looks so... normal."
"I agree," Phalanx chimed in. "It looks nothing like the Everfree Forest I know."
Greene shrugged. "Going in there twice was enough for a lifetime for me." Greene looked over to Lime Tree. "Feels like forever ago you, me, Sky Blade, and Star Sabre went in there after that shuttle capsule. Heh, I guess it's more like the future than the past though now."
Lime Tree didn't take his eyes off the castle in the treeline. "What happened here? What made the forest change so much?"
Silently, the three looked on as a traveling hole in the forest slowly made it's way toward the castle.
*******************
As his captives explored the history he had laid out for them, Lord Hircus watched from his seat of power within the Realm Sapphiron. In front of him, several Zebranni orbs of varying sizes revealed images and sounds from worlds beyond.
Hircus's multifaceted brow furrowed at the sight of one of the orbs.
"What's this then?"
Several hooded figures silently made their way through the streets of Atlanta.
"They escaped... How?
He turned away from the orbs. "Sapphirites! To me!"
Two barely distinguishable creatures came to their master's aid.
"You two. Take your original form. We have new prey to capture."
The two forms began to shift, one becoming a muscular pegasus in a Wonderbolts suit, the other becoming a tall human in a U.S. Army Rangers uniform.
"Excellent. The members of the Liberation Alliance Council have become more trouble than they are worth. They have somehow escaped from our occupied territory in New Vertaigh and have escaped into human occupied territory. You are tasked with their destruction."
Though thoroughly complicit under the dread lord's control, Hircus detected a slight hint of uncertainty in their glowing blue faces.
"I will grant you the power to accomplish this. Now go."
Any sign of Hircus's control disappeared from the two Hircan operatives, their eyes and faces appearing nearly normal. They leapt into the air, disappearing into a rift in Sapphiron.
Hircus's attention returned to the orbs.
"And so the legend continues."
********************
A much younger and more Caprastian-looking Lord Hircus stood atop his lead land ship, the castle walls of the Eclipstrian capital city of Everfree in plain view. The battle group lurched to a stop, and a horn sounded from the castle ahead.
King Soltare strode onto a balcony.
"You have invaded our land and trespassed on our most sacred grounds, but if you flee now, we will not pursue you."
Lord Hircus appeared out of the leading land ship.
"That is a suspiciously generous offer, your highness. Just a year ago you were willing to burn our cities to the ground. Tell me, what lead to this radical turn in judgement?"
Queen Noctau emerged from the castle. The Caprastian lord furrowed his brow in thought at the sight of the queen's much more pregnant form.
"Ah, I suppose that answers my question."
"Yes. Leave now and we may meet on the battlefield with honor," the king proposed.
Hircus erupted in hollow laughter, not a soul daring to join him. "You speak of honor? Where was that honor when you started killing your own to protect yourself! Where was it when you ordered the destruction of thousands of our wives and children!"
The king scowled. "What are you talking about?"
"You had your kind thrown in torture chambers just to keep them from threatening your illusion of total control, and you destroyed MY home! I would never give up this chance! I would never agree to anything you would propose here!"
The king bowed his head. "I am disappointed that you feel that way. If it is battle you desire, I shall fulfill that desire..." He raised his right hoof.
The king beamed with an air of regal confidence.
"...but it will not be on your terms."
A large defense force of Earth pony and unicorn legionaries rose from the dense foliage surrounding Everfree castle, completely encircling land ship armada. Above, pegasus defenders orbited the fortress.
"You think you can come to MY city and accuse ME of treachery?! You should have accepted my offer, because now I am going to send what's left of you and your pathetic army of inferiority back to the doorstep of your utterly leveled cities!"
The Queen spoke up. "Your desecration of our sovereign land ends now. But we are thankful that we did not have to seek you out first," she spoke coldly.
Hircus stepped back and starred down at the ground. "There was a moment when I feared coming here, doing this. I was not entirely sure I would have the strength to even walk to the gate." Hircus snapped back to a deadly gaze toward the King and Queen.
"That moment is gone!"
Receiving Hircus's signal words, a large force of large, winged, scaly monsters descended from the sky above, ridden by smaller red lizard creatures. Pulling up from the rear, an even larger force of light brown avian creatures swept through the forest and took up positions outside the encircling Eclipstrian forces. The two rival armies quickly reformed to create a battle line opposite of each other.
The king narrowed his eyes. "Fear... It is the most powerful of motivator one can feel."
The Queen continued, "It has reunited the spawn of our most hated enemies."
The king's horn began to glow. "But again they shall know their place. They will all know the dread that comes with opposing an alicorn, the most terrible dread imaginable."
Hircus reared up and took his blade from it's housing.
"Then today you will call me a dread lord!"
With a battle cry that could shake mountains, the two armies met.
Anomalous Energy Event Team Research And Development File #812 Anti-Heat Carbonization
With the sudden and unexpected defeat of Matchbox Battalion at the so called "Battle of West Ponyville," several new ideas have been presented as possible deterrents to Liberation Alliance "Magma" Orb technology. One of the more hopeful designs has been "Armored Carbonization," a technique that involves using the same reinforced carbon-carbon material previously used in the Space Shuttle Thermal Protection System.
The system would work by creating a thin exoskeleton of carbon-carbon over the preexisting armor plating to delay, if not defend against the searing heat of an magma attack. At worst, the system is required to at least allow tank crews to escape before the total compromisation of their vehicle. At best, it could protect an armored vehicle from destruction completely, allowing the vehicle to continue functioning.
Obvious drawbacks have been working with the brittle nature of the material, as well as the extreme costs, but with various redesigns and new techniques in material synthesis, there may yet be an answer to this new threat, and with such a massive vulnerability taking the center stage in the military's research and development circles, it may not be long before a solution is ready for implementation.
Liberation Alliance Central Command Fact File #1 The Council Of The Liberation Alliance
Always moving in shadows, and rarely ever actually seen, the band of individuals known as The Liberation Alliance Council (or often simply called the Council,) is the ruling body and governing head of the Liberation Alliance. Assumed to be made of up of representatives from the three major nations that formed the alliance, the council is ever cryptic as to the actual makeup of its council members. Some have even suggested that creatures other than griffins, rams, and pandragons sit on the grand council, so it leaves one to wonder just how much influence the council really has.
Since very little is actually known about the ruling body, many have been unsure of its loyalty, though every step the council has made points toward a genuine need to erase the Equestrian's hold over them and their constituents.
A/N
Another one in the books, eh? Well I'm glad to finally get it to you all. See you all with a new chapter soon! (Hopefully)
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Finally, a wonderbolt! What does this portend? Guess I'll just have to tune in next time...
I'm enjoying this little step back in time, though I guess I am a little anxious to get back to the present-day battle. Don't do so on my account though. One thing I have been wondering about for a while... whatever happened to Cadance and Shining Armor in this world? I know you started the story before they appeared in canon, but I'd be afraid for both of them in the alliance initial attack, especially alicorn cadance considering what they did to Celestia and Luna.
Nice step back in time.
Dunno but to me, this seems a bit rougher less polished than the previous chapters.
I remember this story. I remember reading it.
Why are all the chapters marked as unread, and its not in my favorites?
As great as backstory is, the main storyline is slowly starting to feel dragged on.
Also, because this isn't the only thing I read I am starting to loose track of the characters, what they've been doing and sometimes where they are.
Too Much is happening at once and sometimes I find that I've been reading history like it was the present and visa versa.
Soon I'm going to have to keep notes on where everyone is.
3513764 But you forget, Celestia had 1,000 years of autonomous rule to repair relations.
Think of how quickly the US, Germany, and Japan became bestest buddies after the most brutal, devastating war in the history of the world.
And that's with short-lived, narrow-minded, ill-tempered humans involved.
Let's say it took 50 years. Celestia has had 20 times longer to work things out and repair her image, between 30 and 40 generations to smooth out relations.
If she hasn't managed that to even a minute extent, it tends to paint her as almost unthinkably idiotic.
Sees new chapter "eh, sleep is overrated."
3514317
sleep is for the weak and the marines
3514585 Excuse me?
3514585
Sorry, but I must of misread that comment of yours... Care to repeat it?
I'll bet you that nukes are gonna be used again sometime soon
3514585
I think you mean 'sleep is for the weak and the Air Force.' right?
3514989
them too, though I hope the catch at least an energy drink before they go flying me somewhere
3514823
you heard me right
3514896
sure, you could always save me time and reread it
maybe the both of ya should realize that I'm joking, at the marines expense of course, and if you've been in the military for a second, you would realize we do that alot.
Such as us singing "In the navy!" when a bunch of navy dudes are out with us int he field trying to be bad asses.
Or making fun of the Marines 'obvious' lack of intelligence
It's all in good fun until someone takes it a little too far and gets butt hurt and ruins the fun for everyone else
3515196
I know right.
Please stop telling this story and just show us what's happening. I hate seeing authors with great stories marred by poor writing.
3515410
oddly enough though, every flight i've been on, have been flown be either the navy or army, and I've been up in quite a few birds
3515642
Ok I'm curious, which branch are you?
3516047
Army, 19k(Abrams crewmember) also if you were curious
3517485
Nice, going into the Marines in August next year.
3517813
Bah, Marines
well enjoy boot, and let me know if I can do anything to help
wait wait wait. ..what happened here? who escaped from where? I want to say the mane 6 and some others but not sure(I don't want to try to dig through the story just to find this. please inform
)
3517898
Nothing much, just support and some luck and that's it. Thanks.
3515541
To just stop telling the story at it is ruins the whole point, in all honesty. As for calling this, if just this chapter in particular, poor writing, well not only is that a jab at Lynolious, but at me, and some others, as editors. We go through every chapter to make sure it fits with the story, and it's not straying from the point of it. I honestly thought it was a good chapter, sort of a breather and a informational thing. Reading through, even before it was published, I enjoyed it. You're free to have your opinion, and criticism is welcome, but remember that the author can write as he pleases. It is his story, after all. No one knows his plans except him, so you have no way of knowing if this could play a pivotal role at a later time.
3519463
If you think I'm saying that this story is bad, there is nothing farther from the truth.
What I'm trying to say is that the style of writing used, specifically the way information in the story is presented, is not the way I would have written it.
This story, at least up to where I have read, is written in a telling style stead of a showing style, which makes this story less engaging for the reader. Do some research on showing vs telling in literature and you'll understand what I mean. I believe this site's writing guide mentions it.
3515223 I'm taking it too far, bend over.
3514025, all the time in the world will not help you if you don't know about the threat -- or you dismiss it.
The Banded existed long before Celestia's reign and there is no indication in the story that records from that time survive. Even then, someone as long-lived as her could -- rather reasonably too -- expect that everyone in the movement was long dead by the time she rose to power.
3526443 Uhm, if this 'movement' was so small and hidden, that makes its sudden resurgence and ability to MAKE EVERY SINGLE NONPONY join them without question even more ridiculous.
If the nations WERE getting along well for these past thousand years, and conditions WERE good for the griffons and so on, how in the heck would these conspirators manage to convince them all that they weren't in fact living in peace and comfort... when they were living in peace and comfort?
Come on, do try to think about these details!
You DO NOT get a rebellion when the populace is fat, dumb, and happy. There must be strife in a sizable percentage... in which case you are still left with the majority who will see the rebels as trouble-makers and traitors.
I see no plausible reason for such a uniform uprising, in which not a single member of any of the aggressor species has said, "Screw you insane losers. I'm joining the ponies."
The ONLY possible way this works is if they're all being mind-controlled. But that introduces a new issue as to why the ponies can't simply be mind-controlled as well. There are ways to compensate for that, of course, some BS 'ponies are protected by Princess Magic', which would be ridiculous considering how easily they can be corrupted by both Discord and Sombra's mental magic... but at least it'd be an attempt at something plausible.
3517955 It was the Liberation Alliance Council.
3542917, the "arrows" are more like huge Gyrojet rockets with an armor piercing tip. And they may carry an explosive charge.
In short, they're more akin to an armor piercing shell than an arrow.
3569834 Naw, not really. It's probably all the unneeded dialogue with limited descriptions. Or is it the guns? ...It's definitely not the fact that he's not portraying humans as warmongering bastards, though.
3549375
Or bolters
The Hawk has left its cage, and the soul is free.
I'm sorry, I've made an honest effort to read and like this story, but it just isn't jelling. I've gotten as far as chapter 7 and I've had to give up.
There doesn't really seem to be much characterisation, even foryour vioewpoint character. And it doesn't feel like real people talking either and reacting the way you'd expect. It's just people saying what needs to be said to move the plot along.
The pacing doesn't help, we skip around randomly between viewpoints just to see people do things, then go off and leave them at odd points. New elements, like the dimensional stabiliser array are introduced without fanfare while other things vanish or are glossed over when they should be vital, like how they went from unmanned probes to three fighter jets. I think you were trying a Gilligan cut, but it didn't quite work.
Hopefully,you'll take this in the spirit it's meant, as an honest critique.
Every time I read this, this song comes into my head.
It's not exactly related, but something about it seems to fit so well.
I wonder, does this have any idea from Stargate? because it seems to have a kind of similar scenario.
Is this story still alive? I feel like a hypocrite for expecting it to be, because of my own track record.
3752030
SPACE MARINE!
This fic is now dead guys. Move on.
Omg I love this story. Granted its not perfect but man is it a blast to read! I love the mythology you create for this world. I also like how humanity nor the ponies are overpowered. Like you said this story is about the friendships formed in the bonds of war. From it have come amazing stories, great characters, and a cool back story.