Facing Southern Thunder

by The Prancing Red Pony

Chapter 3

Celestia dried her mane after she stepped out of her shower. She finally had a chance to bathe, eat, and sleep after so many weeks in her planning room and she felt energized and ready to take on the CSE. She looked out from her balcony at the beautiful clear sky and how picturesque the weather was before putting on her crown but, she didn't realize the small dot racing towards her balcony. She headed over to her dresser and put her crown on her head and she hummed her way back to the balcony with her eyes shut. Just as she got to the balcony doors she opened her eyes and let out a slight shriek the lieutenant had landed right where she was standing before.

"Lieutenant, don't do that. Do you want me to have a heart attack?" Celestia said slightly flustered. The Pegasus looked exhausted and he lifted his hoof to hold off on questions until he could catch his breath.

"I have come *heavy breathing* with a report from *heavy breathing* Colonel Thunder. We found *breathing* an enemy encampment *breathing* in the Badlands" the Pegasus said lifting up the pieces of parchment that he had recorded the Colonel's report on. Celestia went slightly ecstatic she finally had some fresh information about the CSE. She lifted the lieutenant off his hooves and almost twirled him in the air.

"Thank You so much Lieutenant. It has just been the same stale news over and over again and finally I get something fresh Thank You so much" Celestia said as she grabbed the parchment after putting the lieutenant back on the ground who was very much so queasy and slightly frightened. Celestia looked over the parchment with an enthusiastic grin but as her eyes started to go down the parchment and turn the pages her smile turned into a frown and her eyes began to turn red with anger. The lieutenant all the while stood at attention waiting for orders from the Princess. The Princess once finished with the report threw down the parchment and looked at the lieutenant her mane having turned into a bright red, her eyes a fiery orange, and her horn bearing a ghastly black glow. The lieutenant shuttered and then gulped.

"Is all this true?" Celestia asked with pure hate and anger. The lieutenant shook his head up and down as fast as he could. The Princess then let out a heavy sigh her hair turning to its normal color, her horn turning to its original color, and her eyes which now bore tears instead of anger. "How could somepony have the guts to enslave a species!" Celestia said as she began to cry and cry at the visions of her ponies suffering. But then her eyes began to refill with hate and rage towards the CSE. The lieutenant simply stood stone faced not entirely sure on what to do. Celestia now with angry eyes stared at the lieutenant with an almost dead glare.

"Lieutenant take a mental note. I will destroy the CSE no matter what it may cost even if it means my life" Celestia said with a slight sigh. The lieutenant was shocked but, now felt immense respect for the Princess who was wiling to sacrifice her own life and being for the freedom and rights of her people. Celestia's eyes still enraged looked to the sky, "Now lieutenant if I am needed tell anypony who comes to Canterlot that I am on the battlefield" she said before shooting off into the sky with wings fully spread towards the battlefields in Southern Equestria. The lieutenant was left slightly dumbstruck it had been a very wacky couple of days for him as he watched Celestia depart into the sky. But, Celestia flew back around to her room in the castle. "Thank You Lieutenant. I desperately needed that new information" Celestia said before kissing the Lieutenant on the cheek, smiling, and then heading back into the sky towards the battlefields. It was a very rare thing to get a kiss from Celestia but apparently it felt like a gentle rose fully blooming on your cheek.

As Celestia raced through the air she thought many things of her people, enslaving them, humans, and the CSE. "They will not take another step on this land" Celestia thought loudly to herself as she flew to the war.
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General Robert E. Lee awoke from his tent feeling rested and ready to keep moving the Army of Northern Virginia further into Equestria. He had been successful at taking Appleloosa and Dodge Junction for the Confederacy and now he only waited for General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and his Army of the Valley to come up through the Badlands to join with the Army of Northern Virginia. But, his Army was extremely tired and needed rest badly after all the marching they did to get to Equestria. President Jefferson Davis gave Lee specific instructions in an extensive letter and telegraph.

"Gain as much territory as possible. Invade Equestria and take as much resources and land as possible. Bring Down Princess Celestia if need be. Make haste and little bloodshed" is what President Davis said. Lee was concerned though they had driven deep into Equestria and feared heavy retaliation from Celestia. Lee took a very small walk around camp. His aid de camp Major Taylor appeared from the mess tent and gave Lee a salute.

"Good Morning Sir" Taylor said.

"Good Morning to you too Major" Lee said passing on the salute.

"Would the General care for some breakfast?" the Major asked Lee.

"No thank you" Lee said. He was so very antsy and troubled about winning over Equestria for the CSE so he barely ate.

"Are you sure General? We have flapjacks in some small mountains, sir. Fresh butter, bacon, wagons of ham, apple butter, zap apple jam, fresh cider, baked bread, rabbit stew, ripe fruits. You really ought to pitch in, sir. Courtesy of our host, the great Commonwealth of this here Equestria." Taylor said. A Brass Band began to play "Bonnie Blue Flag" as General James Longstreet came towards Lee and saluted.

"Good Morning General" Longstreet said saluting.

"Good Morning to you to General" Lee said.

"I have come to discuss the plans to move the Army further into Equestria" Longstreet said.

"That is correct General but, we cannot begin moving just yet. We have to wait for General Jackson and the Army of the Valley to move through the badlands and come up here and join us so we can go further" Lee said.

"Well sir you said you wanted to get to the Ghastly Gorge in 2 weeks time. Well General Bragg and his Army of the Tennessee are 1/2 way there in a week's time from crossing the San Palomino Desert. What should we do General? Do you really want to get bested by General Braxton BRAGG?" Longstreet said to Lee. Lee contemplated for a short while before turning to Longstreet.

"Wait why is Bragg heading towards Ghastly Gorge? He was supposed to take the mountains west of the Gorge. That was an order" Lee said.

"Well sir Bragg is heading towards Ghastly Gorge. You need to send a message to him immediately General" Longstreet said. Lee immediately started writing a letter and gave it to his courier to send to the telegraph to tell Bragg to take the mountains west of the Gorge. Lee and Longstreet headed over to a tent with a battle map and planning table.

"Okay General Longstreet now that is taken care of, we must begin planning on how we will move further into Equestria. General Bragg will be moving his Army of Tennessee along with General Albert Sidney Johnston's Army of Mississippi to the west taking the mountains. General Joseph E. Johnston and his army of Kentucky and General Edmund Kirby Smith and his Army of the Trans-Mississippi will be to the east taking the Hayseed Swamps and Baltimare. General Thomas Jackson is to the south of us with the Army of the Valley while we are heading towards the Ghastly Gorge. As soon as we cross the Gorge let's go and capture Ponyville." Lee finished. Lee pointed to all these locations on the map.

"Yes sir but, there is a problem" Longstreet said.

"And that would be General?" Lee questioned.

"Well to head towards Ponyville and Canterlot would be suicide sir. Once we cross the Ghastly Gorge sir we will be right on Celestia's doormat and she will be furious. I suggest we wheel around through the White Tail Woods and pass the Smokey Mountains, along the Unicorn Range, and into the Galloping Gorge. If we are attacked and our Army shattered we could join up with the Army of Tennessee or The Army of Mississippi. And sir we cannot wait for Jackson much longer if we do Celestia could march on us. We have to get the Army moving and Jackson will have to catch up." Longstreet said pointing at the map at the various locations. Lee pondered for a short while. He then turned to Longstreet.

"You are correct General. We must move swiftly Celestia must have heard about what we did to Appleloosa and she will be boiling with anger. Get the Army prepared we must begin moving towards the Ghastly Gorge" Lee said.

"Yes sir" Longstreet said leaving the tent to begin preparing his Corps for the march. Lee looked over the battle map.

"Celestia's wrath will be terrible but I am ready for anything that she and her ponies can do" Lee thought to himself.

Author's Note:

Well guy's here is the latest chapter Celestia is ready to release hell on the CSE. "What will happen at the Ghastly Gorge?" "Will the CSE be able to pass undetected to the White Tail Woods right in front of Canterlot's doors?" We will see.

If you find any grammar mistakes please P.M. me or comment below since it really helps with my writing. Thanks a bunch!

The Map has changed so that no Northern half of the US exist's but it's just the Southern Half of the US (Civil War Era).

Comments

[Battle154]

Hmm. I don't know about this. Princess Celestia is angry and I'll admit it.

[Inquisitor-Awesome]

I am wondering if the Texas regiments would be making an appearance in this war. Would love to see that

[TheTRPony]

Where's them Alabama Regiments?!