4. The Plan
In the span of a few days, Margull had changed from utter chaos into a city of somber quiet. Following our warnings, the Army of Nordanver had marched south in preparation for renewed hostilities. That dramatically limited our time to provide the appropriate support our allies would need.
Strangely enough, that wasn’t currently dominating my thoughts. We’d deal with that. I still felt bad for putting Runic on the ship home. He’d looked so sad. At the end of the day, he just wanted to be with Val and I, but we sent him home. Lucky pony.
I sighed and turned my attention to the Honor. She was resting daily on a berth just outside of the city. Technicians were inside, giving her a full overhaul. The brigadier had decided that was worth the wait.
“I never expected to see her on the ground,” a familiar voice said from over my shoulder.
“Russet, good to see you. What brings you this way?” I replied with a smile after looking back.
“I’m just getting my new assignment.”
Russet was, without a doubt, an excellent officer. He’d made captain pretty quickly and had volunteered for service here just like I had. We’d worked together in Canterlot and in the Crystal Empire. In fact, it was partially because of me that we’d worked together at all. Shining Armor and I had picked him specifically from the Academy.
His gold armor was highly polished and really contrasted against the reddish coat and caramel mane that it protected. I also noticed his Royal Guard heraldry had been replaced with that of the Equestrian Army.
His eyes followed mine to the badge and he shrugged. “I doubt you’re surprised.”
“Not in the least. We’re the same kind of pony. What’s the assignment?”
“Nothing too fancy. I’m the executive officer of an archery company.”
My ears flicked. “No surprise there, either. You always were great with a crossbow. I’m sure you’ve shown those enlisted ponies a thing or two.”
He chuckled. “You should see me with a bolt thrower. We never had the chance to play with those as guards.”
“No kidding. Have you seen anypony else from back home? I imagine at this point Shining Armor’s command is looking pretty bare. I hated to leave but… well, you know how it is.”
“I do, believe me. For the most part, no. Just a few guards here or there through the processing center. I’m a little surprised to see that headquarters badge on you, though. I assumed you’d be in infantry or reconnaissance.”
If only he knew. If it had been up to me, I’d have been in the Royal Guard, securing some gryphon village. A year ago, he’d have been correct. I shrugged. “It wasn’t my choice, but I think I can make a difference there. They put me in operations.”
“Oh, yeah, you were always good at that. Of course, I still think you were great at leading ponies, too. I guess we can’t have both. At any rate, I need to get back. I just saw her here and recognized your armor.” He offered a hoof.
I took it and shook firmly. “Good to see you, Russet. Take care of yourself, alright?”
“You do the same. We’ll meet back up in the Crystal Empire and have a drink when all of this is done.”
“Consider it booked.”
He turned and headed off to wherever he was going. I did the same. It was almost time to meet up at the palace. We had a conference scheduled with the Nordanver military leadership and I dared not be late.
Margull Palace was, in my opinion, not as nice as Canterlot Palace. It resembled an old castle more than anything and lacked the big beautiful stained glass windows or warmth of a home. That was one of the reasons, I suspect, why King Ranald spent so much time outside in his garden.
Our meeting took place in the war room. It had once served as the great hall Princess Luna had been hosted in during our visit. Now it was full of gryphon and pony soldiers coordinating the war effort.
Colonel Hammer caught sight of me once I’d come inside and he immediately came my way. “What’s the situation with the Honor?”
“Down for the count, sir. The technicians report that the retrofit will require more time than estimated. A week beyond the first, at least. Plus they want to do test runs once she is up and running. They say she’ll be better than she ever was after that, though.”
He nodded. “Alright. There is nothing that can be done. We’ve already arranged for the Happiness to pick us up as a contingency.”
“The Happiness, sir? Seriously?”
“Beggars can’t be choosers, Silent Knight. She’s the most recent ship… not that that says much. She’s at least in good working order and can get us where we need to go.”
The Happiness was at least a quarter smaller than the Honor. It was also a show ship used to demonstrate military technology. “How did the general take the news?”
“He was amused. Come on, let’s go sit in on the command session.”
That was an odd request. My advice had been required at a few of these briefings but there would be nothing from me this time. Usually, captains didn’t have a chair in this sort of thing. “Me, sir?”
“Yes, you. I want you to hear what the gryphons say so you can appropriately give your opinion after the fact. Just keep your mouth shut until we’re back in our office. Clear?”
“Yes, sir!” Keeping my mouth shut was a specialty of mine.
We walked to the back of the hall and entered through a set of double doors to the command suite. The sounds of soldiers preparing for a meeting flowed from the nearest conference room. Hammer and I went inside. He took a seat and I lingered near the wall.
It wasn’t long before General Ironhoof, Brigadier Gale, and several other senior staff came in and took their places. The gryphons had started filing in, too, including Field Marshal Skye, the leader of their military.
“Alright, everyone, let's get this over with. I think we all know where we’re at but I want to cover it once again,” Field Marshal Skye began.
He nodded to General Ironhoof. “Thanks to your report we feel we were able to move fast enough to make the Sudramoar forces at least pause. My guess is they were hoping they could just fly north and gobble up a lot of open ground.
“They have not yet begun to advance, though. They know they’re in for a fight!” He set several reports on the table and pushed them to the general. “You’ll see our latest intelligence there.”
“Thank you. How is the disposition of your forces? All prepared? You’ve got a sizable army. I honestly didn’t anticipate that many volunteers,” General Ironhoof replied.
“Yes, well, we’re a proud kingdom! Many gryphons answered the call immediately to serve their king and to turn back the aggression of our rivals… but, to round out the numbers, some were volunteered by the court. And, of course, we wanted highly experienced soldiers, too, so we brought in professionals.”
My ears shot up. Conscripts and sellswords? Surely he was kidding.
“Of course,” the general replied tactfully. “Though I imagine that isn’t the bulk of your force.”
“Not at all. Just enough to round out the numbers. If we could move on to the plan of attack?”
“Yes. You still intend to launch a preemptive strike?”
Field Marshal Skye flourished his wings and said with authority, “Of course! This dishonor will not stand! They think they can invade our lands? We shall brush them aside before they can take another step. We will dislodge them and send them back on their shields.”
Colonel Hammer and I exchanged glances. I kept my face completely blank but I was sweating on the inside. Rindaire was tough country. Especially that far south, and the Sudramoar had been making efforts to fortify it.
“I understand. So the plan to allow them to advance has been scrapped? Just so we’re clear.”
“Scrapped and burned.”
“Very well. How else can we assist in this endeavor?”
“We would very much like it if you could bring several of your airships to the engagement.”
General Ironhoof shifted in his chair. “My apologies, Field Marshal, but this is your war. We wouldn’t be able to engage in combat.”
The gryphon waved a claw. “Agreed, agreed. Nor do we need the assistance. We just feel as if the mere presence of a few of them lingering back behind our lines would instill fear in our enemies. Your ships would be at high altitude and further back.”
The general was silent for a minute before he stroked his hoof over his chin. “Alright, we’ll discuss that internally and have an answer for you by the end of the day.”
“Thank you. I should also mention this request comes from King Ranald himself. Much as your Princess Celestia believes, he believes your mere presence will deter the enemy. They may even abandon their positions.”
“I understand. As I said, we’ll answer you by the end of the day. Which, based on that, we should probably get to work. We’ll need to arrange that if we agree. Unless you have anything else for us?”
Field Marshal Skye shook his head. “No. As always, the Kingdom of Nordanver thanks you for your assistance. Good day.”
Everyone stood and the gryphons left.
General Ironhoof looked to the rest of us and motioned to the door. “Everypony back to the headquarters. Not a word before then.”
The march from the palace was one of silence. Uncomfortable silence. Every soldier there was thinking the same thing: an assault on those fortifications would require an incredible expense of life.
When we neared the headquarters building, Ambassador Freehoof came trotting towards us quickly. “General! I’m so glad to see you. We have g—”
"Ambassador, I'm afraid it will have to wait. We’ve got a situation and everything else is going to have to take a back seat.”
“But, General…” She started just as we reached her. She quickly turned and started trotting beside her, trying to keep up with the general’s larger stride. “Sir, this is important. The p—”
“Yes, the status report for the crowns. I’ll have to write them immediately but a decision will need to be made before they can be informed.”
“N-No, sir! The p—“
General Ironhoof came to a stop outside of the headquarters and set a hoof lightly on the ambassador’s shoulder. “I understand your concern. Don’t worry.” He pushed the door open and came to a sudden stop.
As did everypony else.
Ambassador Freehoof stammered, “I-I tried to tell you, sir. The princess is here.”
True to the mare’s word, Princess Luna was standing inside the headquarters. She had taken up position right in the middle of the main room and seemed to be studying our charts.
She was surrounded by her House Guard. Most of which I knew exceedingly well. Iridescence was there, of course, as well as Miley Hooves, Mountain Stone, and Dream Dancer.
Then there was their new… well, new to me, commander. A mare I vaguely recognized since I had vetted her. Of course, I had no say in her selection and was slightly surprised she’d been chosen.
Midnight Snow had seemed off to me but her record was impressive. She had an extreme talent with magic and knew Guard procedures perfectly. One of the things that stuck out in her file was that she resolved almost all conflicts peacefully. That is the kind of commander that Princess Luna needed at her side. Not one with blood on his hooves.
“Princess Luna, what a surprise to find you here,” General Ironhoof said as he walked into the building. He politely bowed and smiled. “A pleasant surprise on an unpleasant day.” He then motioned to us. “Alright, ponies, come in and show your respect.”
The others and I slowly came in and bowed.
Miley Hooves was twitching as she watched me. She was trying to fight a smile but her left forehoof kept lifting in a little wave. I returned it with a subtle nod before moving to my desk.
“An unpleasant day, General? Am I to understand that your meeting with the gryphon command was unproductive?”
“You understand perfectly. They have disregarded our advice and wish for us to deploy our airships as a deterrent to their enemies during their attack.”
“Deploy our airships? In support of their attack?” The voice was strong, smooth, and unfamiliar. A tall, sturdily built unicorn stallion strode from one of the side offices. He had a coat like hematite that glimmered in the light.
“General, do the Nordanver not understand what advisors are?” he asked before flicking his obsidian mane with the shake of his head. “Forgive me, Princess, I spoke out of turn.”
Princess Luna bobbed her head in a nod. “Not at all, Minister. You are here to provide your experience. General, please allow me to introduce you to Equestria’s new Minister of Defense: Sombra.”
King Sombra? The unicorn ruler that disappeared and reappeared a while after his kingdom returned? Minister of Defense?
General Ironhoof’s brow raised. “A pleasure… though my understanding was that you were the king of the crystal ponies.”
The hematite unicorn chuckled. “Ten centuries or so again, certainly. Times have changed, though, and I have decided to live in the future instead of the past. The crowns, however, have seen fit to bestow me with responsibility.”
Princess Luna added, “Princess Celestia and I felt a leader from a time where there was more strife might be a very valuable asset when it comes to dealing with this war. As such, we’ve named him our Minister of Defense.”
“Of course, Princess. I see the wisdom in that. Well, sir, we were just going to start our discussion about the proposal. The short of it is that Nordanver wants us to bring our airships to their attack and keep them high and behind the line. Just enough to put some fear into their enemies.”
Minister Sombra idly stroked his chin. “Well, to be perfectly frank, I don’t know anything about the capabilities of airships or the enemy’s ability to assault them. Would they be in much danger in this situation?”
Miley Hooves slowly inched her way towards my desk.
“Yes, I agree. What is the risk, General?” Princess Luna asked.
General Ironhoof looked over to Vice Colonel Penny. “What does G2 think when it comes to gryphon capabilities in this regard?”
“Intelligence has been spotty since they expelled all non-gryphons from Sudramoar," she replied, "but in the past their only real weapon against them was an attack by airborne soldiers. Their attempts to hit the Honor with their bolt throwers was pretty feeble and we were a lot closer than I would guess you’re thinking for this potential operation.”
“Who made the request?” Princess Luna asked.
“According to the Field Marshal, King Ranald himself. I believe he is still hoping to end this with minimal bloodshed.”
Minister Sombra stood tall. “That should be our goal as well. If the risk is minimal, why deny our ally this request? Can we mitigate the danger further?”
Somehow Miley Hooves had crossed over half the distance between where she was and where I stood without anypony noticing.
Brigadier Gale cleared his throat and looked to General Ironhoof. Once the general nodded, he went on, “We could load them up with archers. Gryphons in open skies flying at stable platforms loaded up with crossbows would be torn to shreds. That also doesn’t even account for the thrower crews.”
Princess Luna and Minister Sombra exchanged a brief look. The minister then turned back to the general. “What does your gut say?”
“We’re going to see one of the bloodiest battles I’ve ever had the displeasure of being associated with. There are a lot of unknowns. I’m leery but committed. If we follow Brigadier Gale’s suggestion, I think the risk is tolerable.”
Princess Luna nodded. “Then do so and exercise extreme caution. You are to retreat immediately if our ships are put at risk.”
“Yes, Princess. We’ll draft the plan immediately.”
Miley was now right next to me, vibrating with excitement. She kept trying to take my hoof in hers. I kept pushing hers back to where it should be. She kept trying.
“Now, Princess, if you and the minister would like, we could step into one of the conference rooms and I can provide you my detailed reports.”
“Of course, General.”
Once the three of them were in the conference room and everypony else started to get to their jobs, Miley Hooves grabbed my hoof in her little brown one and squealed, “Boss!”
Several of the ponies in our vicinity looked our way.
I kept my expression blank and replied, “Sergeant Hooves, wonderful to see you well and in such good spirits. How’re you?”
She glared at me before smiling again. “I’m well, sir! My stallionfriend disappeared for a little while but then he showed up on a boat grumbling about being left.”
“Sergeant, are you badgering the captain?” Midnight Snow asked as she approached the two of us.
Lieutenant Snow was a blue unicorn similar in color to my mane. Her mane, however, was a yellow-and-white swirl.
“No, ma’am, he loves me!” Miley Hooves said loud enough for everypony to hear. There were some light chuckles.
My face felt hot and I lightly swatted at her hoof. “Sergeant! That isn’t appropriate.”
“It most certainly is not," Lieutenant Snow said. "Though I understand you allowed your guards some latitude for morale purposes. I have not seen it fit to change that direction. First Sergeant Iridescence has been pleased by this. Still, Sergeant, you shouldn’t be professing love for a married officer in the middle of a headquarters. Save it for later.”
She looked at my desk and added, “Might I ask what you’re working on?”
“Topographic maps of the Rindaire province. A place I suspect we’ll be flying to soon.”
“Indeed. That looks like most difficult terrain. Lucky you that you’ll be in an airship. We arrived by boat. It seems we share a certain similarity in our inability to deal with the motion.”
“Oh? Well… I’m sorry to hear that,” I replied before there was another squeeze at my hoof. “Miley Hooves, cut it out! Maybe later we can catch up.”
She squeaked, “I’m just so happy to see you! Plus you sent Runic home. He was here right? I bet he was. He won’t say! When I get back I’m going to put him in the corner!”
There were more chuckles around me.
Colonel Hammer started over towards us. It was bound to happen, after all. “Captain, I don’t think you’re going to be needed anymore tonight and it looks like the entire House Guard is here. Perhaps you’d like to catch up with your former subordinates?”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir. I’ll just be outside with…” I looked at Lieutenant Snow.
“You can have most of them. I’m certain I can keep an eye on one princess.”
What a weird situation to find myself in. I headed toward the door. As I did so, the vast majority of the house guards followed suit, almost as if they were stalking me. Miley never left my side. She just kept grabbing at my hoof and bumping against me.
It was embarrassing. It was unprofessional. It was the best thing ever.
It is good to have some Miley again! She's a real sweetheart and a lot of fun.
If you are enjoying this story, please consider taking a look at Crystal and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, an Ask Us form to submit questions, responses to said questions, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon.
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The...Happiness? Who in Equestria named it THAT?!
Oh Miley you never fail to make me laugh!
Also...Sombra? The Minister of Defense? Interesting. An excellent chapter as always Anzel!
Miley?! Playing hoofsies with a married stallion!
It was high time for some Miley Hooves shenanigans!
Silent Knight has come a long way since the beginning of Memoirs!
Well, I don't see the coming battle ending well. I'm honestly surprised the King would ignore advice from Equestria so blatantly. It seems to me the Field Marshal is trying to prove something, and is going to cost a lot of lives in the process.
Miley Hooves is sitting in on war councils.
And that's how biological warfare got banned by international law.
I'm definitely waiting for the other shoe to fall in regards to this decision. I don't know what, but something is going to go wrong, go right, go sideways, etc.
Also, Russet's continued status as a literal red
shirtpony is making me nervous.The 'Happiness'? Really? Well, maybe Pinkie will be watching over them. (Hopefully just in spirit, but with her you never know.)
Interesting.
This developing plan just screams "fiasco".
Oh, hell.
Midnight Snow, eh? I remember her, the know it all younger student from Sunny's story, right?
Actually, make that
Miley, what are you doing.
Well, maybe the archer heavy airship plan won't end in tears. It's not like it probably won't involve a certain red pony's squad or anything.
No kidding!
Luna showing up with all of her guard really doesn't do much for not making me nervous. Hopefully the princess isn't planning on doing anything foolhardy.
Death to the enemies of Equestria, etc. etc. etc. I think we all know how the "advisement" is going to end. I'll go get the 'Nam music ready.
Sombra Minister of Defense. This is gonna be bad. This is going to be very bad.
I'm going to ignore common sense and say that I see no reason that Sombra should be automatically evil. That would be a little obvious, wouldn't it? Of course, maybe I'm supposed to think that.
Also, they are on a ship called the Happiness. The Equestrian military is far too dainty. They're gonna get wrecked.
Dis be gud. Miley is hilariously cute, and I love it
Ah, Sombra! How nice of him to show up as an adviser! And, of course, we are preparing for a grand showdown! Oh, and Luna is here, with the House Guard! A lot of ponies that Silent cares about!
I swear, the gods of old and the writer's quill are all aiding Sudramoar. This is about to turn into a carnage, one way or another, of the flesh or of the heart...
Don't you dare stop, Anzel. It's getting too engaging!
Surprise Luna and yay Miley is here, good times good times, best accident prone mare ever, oh dear and she's here without Runic, Miley cataclysm powers activate!
"The Plan"
...
...
...
I get the strangest feeling that they're going to regret this plan.
OK, so the northern Griffins are the pre-
WWI French, complete with elan vital doctrines of the attack, excessive pugnacity, and unearned contempt for field fortifications. This is the disastrous August 1914 spoiling attack into Lorraine, isn't it?
That bombshell and a half!
Wow.. Didnt see that about Sombra coming. But... I LOVE IT! and yay! reunion of the house guard! -hopes Luna and them have plans to kidnap silent back into their ranks- Anyway I liked the chapter, even though the Gryphons are about to charge into a meatgrinder.
7051267
It pretty much looks like it ...
7050721
omg ... ride off the valkyries while the airships fly in
I believe the thing to say is miley intensifies?
Really curious to see where you go with Sombra as a minister! It was a real surprise spotting his name in there, well done. \o/
When I saw that Sombra was Minister of Defense, my mind briefly broke. I put it back together again quickly, at least, though I'm not sure everyting is in the right place (Did I used to like pickles? I'm not sure at the moment). Seriously, though, that was a highly unexpected revelation.
Also, Miley remains adorable as ever, and hilariously silly at that. I like it.
Did.....did I miss something about Sombra NOT having being blown to bits....or.....?
> Not Sky Marshall.
There are already a lot of starship trooper vibes, you might as well go all the way.
7051527
i1286.photobucket.com/albums/a607/SubaMuse/miley%20intensifies_zps4x8k92hl.gif
I believe you are correct.
Great. Now there's absolutely no way Rook is making it to the end.
Sombra. Now THAT was unexpected. Really curious what Sombra's history with the Crystal Empire is in this universe.
And Miley. weren't you at Silent's wedding? MAYBE saying that he loves you in the middle of the command tent with...pretty much the rest of Luna's House Guard isn't the best of ideas
I'm confused: is this the Alternate Sombra from the MLP comics?
Mercenaries right?
Oh yeah, that scene with Miley was just too cute!
7050561 Well, these ARE ponies we're talking about here. And yes, Minister Sombra! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter =D
7050608 In her eyes, she had him first ;D
7050626 I agree. It was time for some Miley.
7050628 That is certainly the case. A lot of growth from introverted and socially awkward, to dealing with trauma, to finally coming around to the other side of things.
7050675 There does seem to be a certain degree of arrogance there for sure.
7050686
7050700
Yeah... again, ponies with their ship names!
The ponies seem to agree!
Yup! Sunny's rival! She also appears in Secrets actually =D Very, very briefly. She's the robot at the NMN party.
It is almost like Anzel put a train on a track and started driving it! Everyone can see where it is going for the most part! All we can do is hold on!
7050721 That or WW1 music :D
7050743 Well, not necessarily. We know that this Sombra and the show Sombra differ dramatically.
7050786 This is a valid point. He certainly seems to be fine. He wasn't the tyrant from the show! Of course he is Sombra and Sombra is a villain, right? RIGHT? Who knows! Anzel be crazy.
7050856 I'm glad. I really enjoyed her as tension relief in this particular scene. Although she might have stolen the show ;)
7050857 That makes me smile! I've been trying a few different things and I do like where I've been going. I'm glad it is engaging for you!
7050885 This is a valid point. Miley - Runic = Disaster?
7050994
7051267 This is a good analogy thus far. The feel is very much supposed to be "WW1."
7051353 Yessir! I just wanted to sliiiiiide that in.
7051404 It was supposed to be the show stopper for the chapter, yup! Surprise Sombra!
7051527 Agreed 100%!
7051599 Thank you, thank you! I have some plans for him. Just a few... yes. Although I have to do expectation-busting!
7051603 Why thank you! That was the goal. Everything was on a path that seemed pretty clear and then curve ball!
7051607 Sombra was never blown to bits in this AU. The Crystal Empire showed back up and returned to Equestria. Sombra didn't appear until the end of Secrets.
7051708 Hahaha well, with a gryphon, I could have! Would you like to know more?
7051978 25 internet points for you taking the time to make that! :D
7052033 Aww, everybody writing off poor Russet.
7052039 Sombra was the king of the Crystal Empire and as far as we've seen ponies were pretty happy with that. He didn't immediately reappear with the empire though. And yes Miley might have gotten a little out of hand :D
7052381 It is not. It is the Sombra from this AU.
7053224 Sellswords are mercenaries, yup! And I'm glad you enjoyed Miley :D
7053381 Yes but The Empire dissappears and the fact that the six alicorns were attacked and 4 killed in his Empire says he not completely different.
YOU TREW US ALL INTO DA MEAT GRINDAHHHHHHH!
Ok, I'm done.
I'm surprised that miley kept it in for so long. Good to see Silent getting an evening off.
It doesn't look like it's going to end well. If Luna doesn't get out of there she may be in trouble, I hope I'm wrong
It seems we're fast approaching the part where things go wrong. Everything points at a disaster in the making. One thing, though, mercenaries aren't always crappy soldiers looking for an excuse to betray the employer. That's a good way to ensure you will never be hired again. Sometimes they can be very, very good at their job.
The obvious thing would be to point at the mercs and convicts as the reason why things will go bad. The standard scenario usually has them switch sides just before, or right in the middle of battle. However, such a scenario has been used way too often. Hell, it has become the standard scenario whenever we hear of convicts and mercenaries composing any part of an army. However, since you seem to be the sort of guy who doesn't always follow the usual standard, I think there will be a slight change to the usual procedure.
What I think will happen is that the mercs and convicts will stay and fight. However, since they are not part of the regular army, thus lacking the quality and organization of proper soldiers, their battle lines will collapse soon after encountering the enemy. Perhaps the enemy will know where the crappiest soldiers are and will focus their forces on that location. Either way, the enemy will smash through their lines and will have a clear shot at the airships. Perhaps the Happiness (nice name) will be forced to engage the enemy in order to prevent a breakthrough. Regardless, that's how ponies will end up being involved in a proper manner. Whether or not the airship will be destroyed, I have no idea. Either one will work fine, because we will start getting glimpses of the ugly parts of the war.
On a side note, the convicts could end up retreating from the battle and proceed to scatter in the wilderness. They would probably form various gangs and prey on the less protected settlements. Since ponies are in charge of protecting said settlements, they would have a rather nasty problem to deal with.
Moving on. It is always nice to see Miley, her cheerful attitude never fails to amuse me. It will also be good to see Silent catch up with all his friends. No doubt there will be some interesting stories to tell.
I also noticed you have brought back Sombra. Okay, it's not exactly great news, since he was mentioned in the previous story, but this is the first time we see him actually involved in the story. A minister of defense, nonetheless. Interesting. I wonder how good he will be at his job. I also have to ask, why did you decide to bring him back?
Anyway, the storm is gathering and the crap is about to hit the fan. This will probably be one of the last cheerful and happy chapters in a while, since everyone will soon be busy dealing with the aftermath of the battle.
I'm getting the impression that Skye loves his job and takes pleasure in defeating enemies.
7051607 He was blown to bits, but remember he is an umbrum (I'm sure I spell that wrong), a shadow pony. In the comics he returns. I want to say more but I can't spoil it. Try to find siege of the crystal empire and fiendship on youtube.
7054607
Ooooooooh. I haven't read the comics. That makes sense if the author is pulling in stuff from that.
7054607 7054647 In this case, Anzel and I are not pulling from the comics or the show regarding the Crystal Empire and Sombra.
This is completely AU. From what we've seen, Sombra was a well-liked king (there's even a statue of him in the Crystal Palace), and when he was found wandering and lost, he wasn't taken captive as a hostile entity, but instead brought to the Canterlot Castle to recuperate. He is also not a shadow pony in this verse, but a crystal unicorn.
7055062
....oh. =P
It makes sense; It just took me by surprise. A single one-liner or two in past chapters (newspaper clipping...'dead king found, sent for rehabilitation' ) would have lessened the blow I think. Or, perhaps I just missed it!
7055100 It's okay! It has been a while. Chapter 53 of Secrets (spoiler tags juuust to be on the safe side with direct quotes from "other stories"):
7055121
.............oh. Thank you!
Welp. There's the answer to that. 'User error' on my part =P
7055062 That explains so much.
Suddenly Sombra :) Nice
My response to this line of thinking.
This will not end well. Tactics and weaponry change. You are going to be destroyed in the opening days of the campaign.
"
I'm very pleased with this story! It's super interesting to see from a soldiers point of view. I hold them in high respect. This story is definitely my second favorite or is tied with Rites of Ascension for first. It's always nice to see the LHG! I missed them all! *cries a little* I love this story! Lolz!
So, wait, they've installed a 1000-year out of date pony as Minister of Defense? He can't possibly have that much knowledge of current military tactics, trends, technology, or... anything. Add to that the possible problems of being set in his ways by simple virtue of the vast probably differences.
Though, I suppose being a minister may be more advisory than anything.
7053714 Oh my :D
7053949 Miley had to have her moment in the sun for sure! She's such a fun character ^_^
7054358 Excellent points. One thing thought, conscripts vs convicts ;D They're conscripts. Still, very good points! You've hit on a lot of the potential outcomes for sure. I think you'll get to see which one is happening today! Also glad you enjoyed Miley!
7056317 Absolutely! He had to show up somewhere ;D
7056942 Tactics do indeed change quickly!
7060153 She's always welcome here.
7060623 Thank you so much! I'm glad you're liking it!
7063061 LOL
7069615 A valid point. Although at the same time, he is a pony from a rougher time advising two princesses that haven't had a lot of experience with war. Luna's had none.
Yay! Both of the Best Tiny Pony(s) are here!
7060623
Eeee! A fellow follower of Rites of Ascension! There's no way this is tied with Rites, though. That's competing with the Of the Hive series for third. This series is like my fourth or fifth.
First being Past Sins and second being the An Affliction of the Heart series.
I understand that this is an AU but you keep throwing unexplained curve balls into the canon of this story! Like Cadence being a unicorn and now Sombra just popping out of the woodwork and becoming the Minster of Defense. Where's the backstory?