Equestria at War

by Krystal Dusk

Chapter 1 - Glory to the Victor

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Somewhere in Canterlot Castle

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The room was small and dimly lit in some corner of the castle. The mane six, Cadence and Shining Armour stood frozen by a bed and watched as Celestia murmured her final words to Twilight. Celestia groaned weakly as she focused all her strength into her horn, the light from it casting shadows on the walls. Twilight squeaked faintly as the magic transferred into her, surrounding her in a yellow light. Luna stood by the door and her body trembled as the little life that was left in Celestia drained away. Unable to witness her final moment, she exited the room, and moments later, she could hear the ponies wallow through the door.

Without letting the sorrow paralyse her, she took a controlled breath and walked slowly through the hall. On the way, she stopped by one of the windows and stared at the moon. The moon which she hadn’t bothered setting as the sun would remain under the horizon until Twilight learns how to control it.

As the thought of Celestia never raising the sun again entered her mind, tears began pouring down her cheeks, soaking her fur until it dripped onto the floor. Finding her vision blurry, she crumbled on the ground. With all her might, she tried to suppress her feelings, trying to stay regal, but it was no use as all the sorrow and longing escaped her in one heart-piercing shriek, shattering the windows around her.

Twilight and the others stormed out of the room and rushed towards her, but they halted as Luna’s gaze shone with hatred, freezing them on the spot. There was only contempt in her heart then and Luna dashed out one of the windows, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

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Chapter 1

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The wind blew strongly against her face as she soared through the sky, her vision obstructed by a thick cloud surrounding her. Frost formed on her mane, making the cold air chill through her coat, her movements feeling stiff and unresponsive. But as she reached above the clouds, she felt the sun’s warming light rejuvenate her, melting the frost and making her body flexible again. With closed eyes and facing the sun, she took a deep breath in an effort to stop her shivering.

Through the clouds, more ponies appeared, placing themselves in formation around her. Her chest swelled with pride as she looked at them. Hundreds upon hundreds of Pegasi hovering just above the clouds, waiting for orders. She recognised a few of them and they nodded confidently as their eyes met.

Though none of them were any great fliers, she knew that they had an important part to play. She glanced down her legs and the metal shoes gleamed in the sunlight, temporarily blinding her. She shuddered at the thought of the spiked metal crashing into the enemy, breaking both bones and armour on the impact.

She could feel how the armour weighed on her back legs, forcing her to put extra effort behind every flap of the wings. But she had trained for this and she managed to keep above the clouds. The most difficult part was over after all, and now, she would let gravity do the work for her.

As she tried to steady her breath, she recalled her early days of flying. It had taken until the embarrassing age of 14 until she could finally lift from the ground at any significant altitude. But even then she had been all but graceful. By then, she had long abandoned the dream of flying toe to toe with Rainbow Dash and had accepted her disability.

As they hovered and waited for orders, Scootaloo’s mind drifted towards the time before the war, when the Cutie Mark Crusaders toured Equestria, aiding whoever needed their help in discovering their special talents. But their travels had ended abruptly as the war began…

Lost in thought, Scootaloo almost missed when Rainbow Dash appeared through the clouds, exchanging words with one of the other officers. Scootaloo shook her head. This was no time to reminisce, and she tensed her body, ready to be given a command. It was difficult enough to hover at this altitude, but adding the weight of their gear, it took its toll faster than she expected. She could see others struggling as well.

Scootaloo glanced down and imagined the enemy underneath the clouds. Her heart was in her throat as the silence and the stillness dragged on. Finally, another pegasus peeked her head through the cloud and approached Rainbow Dash with a tense look on her face. Scootaloo looked in awe at the rainbow coloured pony, her face grown stern after years of war.

As Rainbow Dash spun around and turned towards them, she raised her forelegs over her ears. Scootaloo stiffened and made ready for the signal. Rainbow Dash glanced down her hooves and then looked intently back at them all. Only the flapping of their wings was heard.

Rainbow Dash made a sharp nod at them, and they nodded back, equally as sharp. Seconds later, she lowered her hooves and Scootaloo clenched her wings and forelegs to her body. In moments she was below the clouds, descending quickly with her back legs first.

The wind soared through her mane and with her heart racing, she glanced downwards. A mass of steel flew below them, and she adjusted her aim towards the centre of it. She continued to fall and she could see that they had already been detected. The enemy below tightened their formation and raised their shields against them. From her view, it looked like a silver plate hovering in the sky as the shields were raised in perfect symmetry. But it did not matter, for they had gravity on their side. She swallowed dryly as she saw enemy spears raised between the cracks of the shield wall. They were impossible to avoid, and only luck would determine if she would be impaled or not.

Above her, there was a short scream, followed by a thumping noise. She did not look up because she knew what it was. Relaxing even the slightest can cause the wings to extend by a little, and that was all it took for the wind to grab hold you and have you tumble into your comrades next to you. She had seen this in training before. It often only resulted in a concussion, but at this speed and altitude…

She dismissed the thought and held her breath as the shields drew closer. She bent her legs and back slightly, to reduce the stress the impact would have on her body.

With a deafening clang of metal against metal, the shield shattered under her hooves, and in a fraction of a second, she could see the fear in the griffon’s eyes. Bones cracked and the griffon shrieked in pain as they descended together below the formation.

She extended her wings and looked as the griffon fell helplessly towards the ocean below. She had triumphant. Her heart was beating out of her chest. But her triumph was short-lived as blood streak along the sky next to her and impaled ponies tumbled along with their enemy.

She looked away and tried to harden herself from the cries of help from the injured ponies that just barely stayed afloat. There was nothing she could do, she told herself, as she could feel her own breath fading.

The armour on her left back hoof was all but shattered and she removed the other to regain balance. Her task was complete, it was now up to the elite fighters.

She jerked her head upwards and saw the griffons’ formation scatter. Dogfights between individual soldiers rage all around, like enraged bees defending their home. It was chaos.

She could feel her breath deepening and she knew she had to return to base. But as she prepared herself, a loud bang echoed over hear head, and with a strained neck, she glanced upwards again. A rainbow coloured circle expanded above her, scattering the remaining griffon forces. She raised her hoof in triumph as she had no breath to cheer. Slowly she descended towards the coast, towards Baltimare.

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The castle echoed sadly as Twilight trotted over the marble floor. All the windows were barred, shattered from a battle long ago. They had not bother fixing them as such resources and manpower were needed elsewhere and it made the castle feel more gloomy, more empty, than ever before.

However, she was far from alone. Though most of the servants had been sent away to work for the cause, they had been replaced by guards’ who now occupied every corner of the castle. What’s more, the guards’ armour were no longer gold and their coats no longer white, but painted in grey and black. It was made for camouflage - made for war.

Twilight nodded at one of the guards’ in front of her who opened a large door next to him. A large room, illuminated by the moon, extended before her, with a round table at the centre. The door was shut carefully behind her as the moonlight streamed through the cracks on the barred windows. After a few moments, the tip of her horn flashed slightly, making the candles placed around the room light simultaneously; revealing a map stretched out on the table.

Twilight hunched over the map and scanned the eastern front, making sure she hadn’t neglected anything in her plans. As far as she knew, the battle still raged over the waters of Baltimare, and she could not rest until she received news of its outcome.

With her eyes fixated on the map, her expression hardened as her eyes drifted towards the Griffon Kingdom over the ocean. It had taken many years before they were able to push the griffon’s back to the coast, yet they had stubbornly refused to give up Baltimare, forcing her to sacrifice more lives than she cared to reflect on. It had been the griffons base of operation for many years; losing it would mean the end of their campaign.

A chill went down her spine as she remembered the attack that took them all by surprise, right after Celestia’s death and Luna’s disappearance - when they were the most vulnerable. Twilight and Cadence was thrown into responsibilities neither of them was prepared for, much less able to act on in the face of an invasion. But, somehow, they managed to keep everything from falling apart. Somehow she managed to learn how to control the sun, though Equestria had been shrouded in darkness for a few days while she’d trained.

How the griffons knew when to attack and why, she did not know. But the timing was impeccable, too perfect for it to be anything but a coincidence.

She swore that if she found out they had anything to do with Celestia’s death, she would personally burn their kingdom to the ground. She knew that she could, that she had the power to end this war. But no matter how she looked at it, no matter how many ponies that had to risk their lives, it would be irresponsible to risk the fate of every living creature in this world when she controlled the very sun in the sky, and therefore, all life on the planet. Who would replace her if she died?

The table trembled as her anger grew and she forced herself to calm. Her powers were still overwhelming at times and she did her best to keep levelheaded, but it was not easy without guidance, guidance she wished Luna had provided.

Every time she closed her eyes, she could see the glare that Luna gave before disappearing. She honestly feared that she would once again turn into Nightmare Moon. But her fears seem to be unfounded as the moon was still raised and lowered every day, like clockwork. She had to believe in her, she told herself. Believe that wherever she was, whatever she was doing, it was more important than anything else going on.

She looked past the map then, letting her mind drift freely. But her reverie was broken as a stallion burst into the room who bowed deeply before Twilight.

“What is it?” she said wearily without taking her eyes off the map.

“Princess, we have reports that the Yaks have left the mountains and are preparing to invade the Crystal Empire.”

Twilight smiled wryly, knowing that she had done the right thing to send Cadence to bolster their forces at the northern border. She knew first-hand how unpredictable the Yaks were, how easily they get into the mindset of war.

“Now, how do we deal with the Zebras?” she said aloud while dismounting the table.

The stallion remained by the door and stood stiffly as Twilight trotted back and forth murmuring to herself. After several minutes, the stallion, cleared his throat which made Twilight wake up from her strategising. “Oh, you are dismissed,” she said, and the stallion bolted out of the room.

Twilight shook her head in amusement as she saw the stallion disappear. It was a lonely existence, being a ruler. Despite this, she was one of the Elements of Friendship…

A bitter taste engulfed her tongue as she recalled her old castle in Ponyville and the map that had sent them on mysterious missions. The map had told Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash to restore friendship in the Griffon Kingdom. It hadn’t turned out as the table predicted… or maybe it did. Listening blindly to an unknown entity was ludicrous to begin with. Yet they followed its every command.

It was far too naive to think friendship could solve everything. Though her heart still longed for those blissful days with her friends, and she knew life could never be the same again. Despite this, she knew friendship had served her well in the past, an important cornerstone of pony culture, one that unites them and is far too precious to give up. It was a fine line - a line that must be tread carefully.

The sad thing was that both she and Celestia knew about the greed of the griffons, recorded in the “Journal of the Two Sisters”. But how the new king acquired such power to challenge them, she did not know. It was madness enough to challenge a species that literally control the weather! But, they were able to nullify their lightning, and most surprisingly, the strength of the griffon wings made the storms they cast almost useless. They had prepared well for this war… but not well enough it seemed.

With a loud sigh, she exited the map room, content with her preparations for the night and headed down the hallway, towards the throne. As she sat on it, happy memories began flooding in and her body began to tremble. A tear fell down her cheek as she crouched weakly on the chair; wanting to fall asleep so that she could finally wake up from this nightmare.

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***

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The westward wind blew over the Celestial Sea, allowing Scootaloo to glide safely towards the coast. Sweat trickled down her forehead but the cold wind blew mercifully on her face, cooling her exhausted body. Her wings trembled from the effort to stay afloat and she could feel her breath deepening even further. But she knew that once the ruins of the city came into view, she would be able to rest.

An hour went by and she finally saw the crumbled buildings of the once tall and majestic city. She scanned the rooftops, looking for the red cross that was marked on every building with a medical team present. Finding several, she veered to the left, choosing the one closest to her. She felt as if her wings would snap at any moment. As she approached the building, a light-green glow engulfed her body, stopping her mid-air. With a sigh of relief, she let her body loll and the adrenaline coursed through her veins, causing her body to ache as it began to recuperate.

Now being carried above the roofs, she looked around the crumbled buildings. The dusk light was setting in the east and the unicorns magic sparked in different colours all across the vast city as they caught the returning Pegasi, one by one. Only a few managed to land on their own, and even fewer remained unscratched.

Hovering over one of the many town squares, Scootaloo remembered the city in its heyday, when it was buzzing with life - before the war. She and the CMC had toured Equestrian then, helping whoever needed their talents in awaking cutie marks. Baltimare had been their last stop before the war, and they had found themselves at ground zero of the conflict, making the war personal to them.

The city was now void of civilians, as the ownership of the city had switched hooves twice during the course of the war. The griffons had forced the ponies away back then, and they had done the same with the griffon colonists. The city was now inhabited by civilian volunteers and military personnel, effectively transforming it into a military camp and the first line of defence against the griffon invaders.

Recalling the days of the invasion, Scootaloo found her mind darkening, wishing the most gruesome deaths possible on their adversaries. But she tried to suppressed those thoughts the best she could as the anger tensed her body, straining her unnecessarily. Reaching her destination, she glanced at the rooftop below her, watching as dozens of medical ponies stood waiting with stretchers at the ready or using their magic to catch other returning Pegasi. At the edge of the platform, she could see a light purple unicorn struggling with her magic and a weak smile formed on Scootaloo’s face when she saw it was Sweetie Belle that had caught her.

Sweetie Belle’s mane curled elegantly down her neck, and she radiated with a sophistication that was otherwise absent in this crude and unwelcoming reality. And as Scootaloo was lowered on the ground, two earth ponies sprung to her aid and placed a stretch underneath her body. With a gasp Sweetie Belle released her magic and Scootaloo fell gently onto the stretch. She moaned faintly as she did and Sweetie Belle rushed next to her while panting deeply. Scootaloo offered a smile, trying to reassure her that she was okay but was unable to before she was lifted off the ground and rushed inside the building.

“Thank goodness you are alive.” Sweetie Belle said between her breaths while trotting next to her.

“Of course!” Scootaloo exclaimed, “I promised I would be, didn’t I?”

Being rushed down the building and hastily placed on a mattress on the first floor, she grit her teeth in pain, a pain that seemed to reach out to every limb.

The inside of the building smelled like blood, faeces and urine, all mixed together. Ponies groaned and wailed all around her as they lay waiting for treatment or being treated.

Sweetie Belle began examining her body, touching along her back.

“Have you heard anything from Applebloom?” Scootaloo asked.

“No,” she answered bluntly, without taking her eyes off Scootaloo’s body.

As Sweetie Belle pressed a certain spot on Scootaloo’s lower back, she hissed in pain and clutched her hooves tightly to her chest. She could not see it then, but Sweetie Belle shook her head slowly as she continued the examination down her back legs. But she did not have to look for long before she found what was wrong, and Sweetie Belle let out a gasp as she found a crack on Scootaloo’s left hoof. Sweetie Belle levitated the hoof closer to her face, but Scootaloo forced her leg down, dispelling Sweetie Belle’s magic and she clutched her back leg to her body. “I can still fight, you know,” she said while avoiding Sweetie Belle’s gaze.

When no answer came, she glanced towards Sweetie Belle and her heart was in her throat as she was faced with two weary and glistering eyes. Scootaloo stammered on. “N-no, really. I can still fight, see—” Scootaloo shrieked in pain as she tried to get out of bed, tumbling back on the mattress.

With a grim expression, Sweetie Belle helped her to get comfortable and said. “It is not just your hoof, Scootaloo, your back…” her breath stuck in her throat as she could not trust her voice to keep steady.

“What? What is it?” Scootaloo demanded.

“You don’t have to fight anymore!” Sweetie Belle exclaimed. “You have done your part. The griffons no longer occupy any Equestrian land. There— there is nothing to fight for anymore… We’ve won.” Her last sentence came out a whisper.

Panicked, Scootaloo’s eyes flicked back and forth. “But… there must be something you can do! I got to help, I-I need to be there with Rainbow Dash.”

Without warning, Sweetie Belle suddenly embraced her, hugging her tightly while her body trembled. “It’s over Scootaloo, you’ve done your part. Don’t die on me, please?”

Scootaloo could feel the disappointment surging within her. Tears trickled down her cheeks, staining the fur on Sweetie Belle’s shoulder.

“Why does it always have to be like this?” Scootaloo cried. “I just want to make her proud.”

“I know dear, I know…”

While they embraced each other in silence they looked up as they heard commotion down the hall, and from the doorway, Rainbow Dash entered the room. Scootaloo’s body stiffened in reflex and Sweetie Belle stood up by the bed, ready to receive their commander. Rainbow Dash looked grimly around the room before she walked between the beds, wishing quick recovery to everypony she passed. But as her stern looking face landed on Scootaloo, she grinned widely, showing metal in her mouth. The metal had completely replaced her original teeth, so that she could more easily grab weapons out of the enemy claws. She looked menacing, Scootaloo thought, even though she knew she grinned cheerfully and even though she herself was happy to see her.

“I knew you would survive,” Rainbow Dash said with a commanding tone in her voice.

Standing by the bed, Rainbow Dash turned to Sweetie Belle and nodded. “Sweetie Belle.”

“Good evening Commander,” she replied.

Rainbow Dash smirked and put her foreleg around her neck. “You’re always so formal. You are becoming more and more like Rarity, you know…” She stopped herself, tightening her lips and looked to the floor. There was an awkward silence then. The death of Rarity had been unexpected, just like this war. That the griffons had been able to send units all the way to Ponyville at the time was something that nopony could have imagined, thus they had been defenceless during the attack.

As the silence lingered, Scootaloo broke it by asking. “What happened out there, Rainbow Dash? Did we win?”

Rainbow Dash’s mouth quirked, happy for changing the subject. “You bet we did! Good job soldier! If we could just go into their territory, then we could end this once and for all.”

Scootaloo’s eyes widen and she gawked at Rainbow Dash. “B-but…”

Rainbow Dash waved her hoof airily. “Yes, yes, I know what Twilight have said. Still, compassion in all its glory, it will not win us any wars. But did you see my Sonic Rainboom?! Oh man, that was my biggest yet. It shattered their lines completely. I tell you if I could just get a little more altitude…” she suddenly interrupted herself and looked embarrassingly to the floor. “Anyway… You get better soon, you hear? We need you up there,” she said, turning around and leaving the room.

Sweetie Belle raised her hoof to say something, but Scootaloo interrupted her. “You know it, Rainbow Dash!”

Sweetie Belle looked with terror at Scootaloo who laid back on the mattress, avoiding Sweetie Belle’s gaze. “You heard her. They need me. Now let me get some sleep, I need to regain my strength.”

Comments

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

Dang Rarity gone like that.