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Prologue1,442 words
Happy Unification Day2,132 words
Returning Home1,740 words

Prologue

The ‘verse can drive a pony mad, what with its empty, fathomless expanse. And it has driven many a pony mad. But we don’t know any better, because it’s all we know.

Equestria. That is what it was called. The original home of ponies- and of zebras and griffons, I suppose. But, it ain’t our home any more. Hasn’t been for centuries. Now it is just known as the Equestria-That-Once-Was. They taught us all in school that we all had used up the resources on Equestria-That-Once-Was. And that, when all was bleak, chaos erupted.

To ensure everypony’s survival, the Princesses Celestia and Luna ordered that we take to the skies; that all were to leave the Equestria-That-Once-Was, because there was nothing but chaos remaining. And not just the pegasi, but earth ponies and unicorns also. With the aerial knowledge of the pegasi, the magic of the unicorns, and the technology of the earth ponies, ships were forged. Ships that not merely could soar the skies, but could go where nopony had ever been before- space.

And so, everypony piled on up into the spacecraft, and we took off, leaving behind the desolate world that we had ravaged. Traveling the stars, we discovered planets and moons that could be lived upon, provided the right circumstances. But, of course, ponies had the technology for that as well. And, besides, they had the Princesses Celestia and Luna to back them. No pony in the ‘verse could stop’em. So, ponies went about terra-forming planets and moons to be suitable for livin’, and folk settled on down. And life started again. Taking the center-most planet as the new base of operations, Princesses Celestia and Luna gave it the name of New Canterlot. From there, they sought to bring harmony to a tough way o’ living.

Most of the planets everypony settled, while remaining on good enough terms with each other, were functionally independent. Course, there was the symbolic leadership of the Princesses, but it was just that: symbolic. They were a connection to the Equestria-That-Once-Was, and a unifying emblem amongst ponyfolk across the stars, but not much more.

The center-most planets surrounding New Canterlot, on the other hoof, formed an inter-planetary organizational structure called the Alliance. Placing themselves under the direct rule of the Princesses, they sought to help usher in an age of stability. Sought to help everypony adjust to life out in the wide ‘verse. Which was all fine and dandy. Ain’t nopony had any problem with’em. Until the talks began.

Some ponies began talking about bringing all the settlements under the rule of the Princesses. Said that the time of independent self-rule had come to an end. Said that we ponies needed to return to our way of living under the benevolent rule of our Princesses. They said a lot of things. It didn’t rub the right way with any pony outside the Alliance.

Princess Luna was the one who spoke against it, ironically enough, her being royalty and all. She said that there was nothing wrong with holding alliances and good-will amongst ponies, and that to a certain extent that was necessary for order. However, she argued that each settlement should be entitled to autonomous self-rule, and that the age of monarchy had come to an end.

Princess Celestia didn’t agree.

At first the fightin’ was all words and ideology. Those who were on Celestia’s side became known as Imperialists, while those who lauded Luna’s model were dubbed the Republicans. If this division in politics separated even the sister Princesses, you can bet every star you can see it divided society as well. It weren’t no straight down the middle division either; you found ponies on every settled planet and moon voicing their opinion. If only it had stayed all strong words and thrown curses. Suppose that’d be too easy, and life ain’t meant to be easy.

Under orders from Princess Celestia, armed forces from the Alliance landed on New Dodge Junction, and declared to be under the rule of Her Majesty, Princess Celestia. They had come to “bring harmony and order”. What they brought was subjection.

The shot had fired, and ain’t no pony in the ‘verse could have stopped it.

Ponies everywhere were roused to anger. Declared the Imperialists really were staying true to their ideology of all ponies being subjected under one rule, and that they would stop at nothin’ to complete Celestia’s Solar Empire. Princess Luna herself spoke out against the movement by her sister. Said (on inter-planetary vidcom, mind you) that Celestia’s actions were “grievous, insulting, and an affront to galactic harmony”.

And that was the spark that everypony needed to light the fire, and ain’t no pony in the ‘verse could have stopped it from spreadin’.

In retaliation, ponies everywhere rioted. Every settlement had protesters, and every major city had violent outbreaks. In an attempt to restore calm, Celestia sent out more forces to put down the riots, despite Luna’s pleas to the contrary. In their zeal, one of the “peace ponies” shot a filly on Appleloosa Moon. And all hell broke loose.

Ain’t no pony in the ‘verse could’ve stopped it.

Rallying to the cries of “freedom!” and “for the New Lunar Republic!”, Republican ponies launched an attack on Manehattan X, one of the major city-planets in the Solar Empire. And it weren’t pretty. A bloody massacre- they say somewhere about a hundred-thousand ponies were killed. In response to the “Manehattan X Massacre”, the Imperialists nuked the Everfree Moons.

And so on the war went. Ain’t no pony in the ‘verse that could’ve stopped it.

Even the Princesses took sides against one another. And there were times when they even fought in battle against each other. Those were the terrifyin’ times, and the battles that don’t ever leave a pony’s memory. Celestia came to be known by ponyfolk as the “Sorrowful Sun”, on account of her raining fire and sulfur on her enemies. And Luna was given the title of “Nightmare Moon”. If I shudder to describe the actions of the Sorrowful Sun, I dare not give expression to what Luna did to be given that name.

And so went on the bloodshed, ponies killing ponies. Even the zebras and griffons were pulled into the fray. During the whole time Luna, even after leading and directing her forces, still called for peace talks with Celestia. And every damn time, they’d break down. I even hear this one time, three assassination attempts were made on Luna at one of’em negotiation meetings in a manner of five minutes. Wouldn’t be surprised if it was true, given the circumstances.

Five years. Five long, ruddy years that war lasted. But it, as all things do, came to an end. The fiercest battle fought in that whole hell of war was at Serenity Valley, over on Hera. The deadliest battle in all five years of fightin’. Just as it seemed the Republicans were going to push the Imperialists back, the order was given to stand down. Then it took’em a week to finally get to the soldiers left in the pits of dead ponies. Gave them the news: the war ended a week past, with the New Lunar Republic surrendering to the Solar Empire.

Ain’t no damn power in the damn ‘verse could’ve stopped that either, I suppose.

The Republicans were scattered ‘cross the settlements, heads hangin’ in shame. Good number of’em went off and killed themselves. And what of Princess Luna, defender of independence and the Republicans' beloved leader? Some say she was executed. However, the most popular story is that Princess Celestia banished her to some moon, “sealing her away”. Whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean.

Frankly, I don’t care very much what happened to her. Don’t care that much what happened to any Republican. The war is behind me now. After all was said and done, I got me a ship and got me a crew. We drift, avoidin’ the Empire as best we can, taking on jobs (legal or otherwise) wherever we can find’em.

The war is behind me now. I still may be a solider- damn, I might even still be a Republican- but the war is over now. I’m just Big Mac, nothin’ more or less. What ponies see is what they get. And I aim to survive, and I plan on doing just that.

Ain’t no pony in the ‘verse can stop me.

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