Chapter 5
Port Authority awoke to a grey Manehatten morning. The sea-blue pony let out a great yawn as he ventured out onto the Manehatten docks. Dock workers scurried about, looking as busy as ever. Looking of course being the operative word. There weren’t any major shipments to be sent out or any being brought in for hours yet and with the rebasing of the Prometheus to Fillydelphia, there only remained four ships in harbor. Port Authority walked down the docks, nodding at his employees and checking on the status of what few ships were actually docked. Everything seemed to be in order so he decided to just take a walk down the docks to kill some time.
Port Authority looked at the sea covered in thick tendrils of mist and fog. He had always loved the sea. He loved the scent of salt in the air, the noise of ships being loaded and unloaded, and the subtle creaking of the ropes holding the boats in place. This was his life and to be honest he couldn’t be happier. Though every once and a while, in times like these, he just wished that something would hap. . . what was that?
Turning slightly and squinting his eyes in an attempt to see through the fog, Port Authority could swear that he saw a ship. Running back towards the docks proper he began bellowing orders. The dock workers looked shocked that something was coming, but some of them looked excited that something was happening to ease the tedium. Leaping up from what they were doing, the dock ponies began freeing up space on the docks, readying lengths of rope to secure the boats, and inspection officials readied their clipboards and quills to examine and record the cargo.
As the first ship breached the thick fog barrier, the ponies gasped in awe. The ship was massive. The wood was a dark brown and was fitted with massive black sails emblazoned with what appeared to be a blue sword fitted within a blue circle. At the top of the middle of the ship’s three masts was a beautifully stitched flag whose colors consisted of three horizontal lines of red, white, and gold. Following on the heels of the lead ship, nine more ships appeared to the left and right of the first ship. After another minute, the line of ships grew bigger until it stretched across the entirety of the harbor. But it did not stop there. The first line of ships was followed by another, and another, and another. The fleet seemed, from the pony’s perspective, to have no end.
When they were almost to the dock, the first line of ships began to turn until they were all perfectly horizontal the city. The ships following behind this first line had already slowed down and were stopping so as not to run into the front most ships.
“What kind of ships are these?” one pony asked, mouth hanging open in awe at the numbers and sizes on display. Another pony shook his head.
“I’ve never seen anything like these before. Where do you think they come from?” Port Authority looked with both confusion and awe on his face.
“I’ve worked as dock manager for more than thirty years and in all that time I have never seen ships like these or a flag like that. All I know is that they haven’t docked yet and my only real question to that is this: What do they want?” He was to get his answer less than moment later, though he would later wish that he hadn’t.
Over the creaking of the ships, they could just hear the faint sound of voices shouting from the ships in the harbor. Port Authority looked at the lead ship through a spyglass he had picked up on the way here. While he couldn’t make out the exact species from here, he could see figures dashing from place to place with not a single figure idling about. Whatever they were doing it seemed to be a very involved process. Finally, he got his answer as to their intentions, just as the ponies on the dock were considering sending out a boat to speak with the captains of this mystery fleet.
From beneath the main decks of each ship came dozens of glints of light just before Port Authority’s world devolved into chaos. Dozens of explosions, louder than thunder, erupted from the sides of each ship in the line. And just as Port Authority regained enough of his senses to question what the hay he had just heard the Manehatten docks were obliterated. The administrative buildings were demolished and the ships at port had massive holes rent into them before they began to sink into the bay. Port Authority saw the life he had known for three decades erupt into a firestorm within seconds.
Scrambling to escape the conflagration that had once been the decks he galloped harder than he had every galloped. He escaped the docks just before another violent round of thunder ripped through the air. But this time, the explosions had begun to target the city proper. As he ran, Port Authority saw buildings falling around him, the holes punched into them too great to maintain their structural integrity. Stray explosions hit the ground, ripping massive craters into the cobblestone streets. Ponies were panicking and fleeing in terror wherever he looked. Debris from the ruined buildings rained down on many of these ponies, crushing them to death under their weight. The unlucky ones were trapped within still-standing buildings as the fires caused by the mysterious explosions consumed them. Port Authority could hear them screaming as they burned alive.
Tears poured from his eyes as he ran blindly through the city he had grown up in. Fiery explosions shook the earth and fire and smoke filled his vision. But despite all of this he did not stop running, he couldn’t stop. Port Authority wanted to live and he knew that if he stopped for even a second, than he could kiss his life goodbye.
----
The bombardment lasted for another two hours as spotters and gunnery crews constantly adjusted their angle of fire to deliver devastation to more and more of the city proper. However, it was under the covering fire of the bombardment that the March of the Crusaders began. Countless ships and skiffs deployed from the massive transport ships, each packed tight with soldiers and mortars, made for the ruins of the docks under cover of the bombardment of their fleet. As they reached the land, ropes were quickly thrown to secure their boats before wooden ramps were thrown up to allow easy disembarkation. Hundreds of soldiers turned into thousands until the Crusader forces numbered over 6,000 troops.
“Armored forces watch our flanks!” shouted out a commander near the front of the army. “Riflemen, form up. Forward March! Mortar crews find a raised position and begin to fortify. I want artillery support ready and waiting yesterday, got it?!” A flurry of assents was given as the Crusader army began to move out.
“Sir,” shouted out one of his aids over the explosive cannonade. “When can we expect reinforcements? This force is not nearly enough to hold a city of this size.”
The commander nodded.
“Don’t worry, lieutenant. Our reinforcements are on the way, but for now we are the vanguard. Until the reinforcements arrive we are to wipe out any and all armed resistance to our landing.”
With this, the army charged into the burning city. They searched buildings that had not collapsed or were not burning. They sent armored soldiers armed with swords, shields, and pikes into darkened alleyways to hunt down ponies in hiding. With a constant momentum, the army swarmed forward through what was once one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Equestria. After some time, they reached a large open space where hundreds of ponies had converged and local police forces were striving to keep some semblance of order.
“All forces halt!” roared out the commander. “Riflemen, to the front!” At his words dozens of rifle squads formed a vast line that stretched across the entirety of this space. Mortar squads formed up not far behind, their spotters already giving them a firing angle to decimate the crowd. The pony mob, because for all intents and purposes it was little more than that, finally took notice of the strange new creatures that they were sharing the space with. Many gawked, unable to understand what they were seeing. The police officers turned their attention from the now stunned ponies to the armed and armored figures behind them.
“Who are you?” One officer asked, his voice wavering as fear overcame him at the towering individuals standing before him. The commander did not deign to answer him.
“Take aim!” The rifle squads pointed their rifles at the disgusting creatures before them, knuckles white as they gripped their weapons in a death grip fueled by hate and disgust. The police pony began to sweat heavily. He could just make out what they were saying. It certainly sounded Equestrian, but these creatures’ speech was heavily accented and their voices were far harsher than the mellow tones of most speakers of Equestrian.
“I’ll only ask one more time, just who are . . .?”
“FIRE!” A wall of white smoke appeared as hundreds of rifles fired simultaneously. The police officer fool enough to talk to the humans stood transfixed, his body perforated with massive rents and holes where the bullets had struck him. Screams filled the square as those ponies that had only been injured or had avoided the hail of bullets tried to run away from the invaders. The humans however, would have none of it.
As soon as the first rank in the formation had fired, they had fallen to their knees and begun to reload their weapons. The second rank raised their guns and fired as soon as their comrades had stooped down. More smoke appeared as hundreds more rifles fired. The square had turned into a slaughterhouse as ponies trying to get away were caught in the back by the riflemen’s’ crack shots. The second rank repeated the process of the first and fell to their knees to reload while the third rank opened fire. While each rank fired, the mortar teams had not been idle.
Gunnery crews finished lining up their firing angles and dropped their bombs into the mortar’s main tube. A second passed before the bombs were shot from the tube and speeding over the heads of the human forces and straight into and ahead of the fleeing ponies. Explosions rocked the square as ponies were ripped apart. Limbs and blood were flung across the square as the explosions caught some ponies at the edge of the blast radius. Others were turned into a fine, red mist as they were struck squarely by the dozens of bombs being lobbed at them. Another moment or two was all it took before the square had been completely purged of ponies. Blood and gore coated the streets and clung to the still standing structures around them. A line of craters dotted the end of the square where the mortars had struck the panicked mass of ponies. The commander of the vanguard looked at all this with an air of satisfaction.
“Fine work lads! An excellent start to the Crusade. Now, mortars displace! All troops, forward march!” The infantry marched forward, their guns fully loaded and ready once more. The mortar crews took longer to begin marching. Their weapons were portable, but still far too heavy and cumbersome for only two men to move. As the crews readied the guns to move, heavily armored troops stood watch over them. While the behavior of these cowardly creatures just now seemed to prove an organized counterattack unlikely, the mortars were important artillery pieces and had to be protected.
The inexorable march of the Crusader forces sounded like thunder as they marched in perfect unison down the ruined streets. The bombardment had ended some time ago and more forces were most likely already landing at the ruined docks they had claimed as a beachhead. In fact they could hear the distinctive cracks of rifles and the booming explosions of mortar fire echoing from other areas of the city. The commander smiled at this. This was good. It meant that their reinforcements had not only landed, but were quickly and brutally securing the left and right most section of the city. With three armies thrusting forward into the city, it would be child’s play for the bulk of their forces to begin the occupation.
----
The Oranges were terrified. All had seemed fine when they had awoken that morning. The fog may have been hanging over the harbor, but the weather was cool and the sun was shining . . . and ponies weren’t dying all around you. All that changed when the black ships came. Moro Orange and his wife, Valencia had been enjoying the most delightful breakfast on their balcony when they had heard the thunderous explosions that had signaled the end of their old lives.
Until this point, the Oranges had enjoyed a life of sophistication, luxury, and privilege. Theirs was an existence of high-class parties, expensive clothes, and a sense of superiority over others that had less than they. But now they had been dashing through the streets alongside all the others. Their bodies caked in soot from the fires spreading across the city, and their fine clothes ripped and torn into shreds. After what felt like an eternity they had reached someplace they felt slightly safe. Years before, Moro had needed couriers whom he could trust to carry payments, messages, and contracts to his various business partners and contacts in Manehatten and beyond.
In an attempt to find them he had personally interviewed scores of pegasi before finding a select few that he considered absolutely trustworthy. One of these was a grey pegasi mare named Summer Storm, who had proven herself remarkably competent, remarkably quickly. It was at her house that the Oranges now found themselves in their disheveled and panic-stricken states.
When they had told Summer what was happening she was stunned. She had heard the booming sounds earlier, but had assumed only an unscheduled storm.
“Summer,” Moro said quickly. “I have one last job for you. And unlike all the other ones, this one could mean life and death.” Summer nodded as she stared at her shaken employer.
“Valencia and I have a cousin named Applejack living in Ponyville. You know how to get there right?”
“Yeah,” replied Summer. I’ve stopped over there a few times.” Moro smiled slightly.
“Good, here.” He gave her a rolled up scroll with a hastily written message. “I’ve shown you pictures before of her right? Well I need you to go to Ponyville, now, and deliver this to her. She and her friends know the princess so they’ll be able to get it to her.”
“But why not just go straight to Canterlot?” Moro shook his head.
“No, no that wouldn’t work. Not only is Ponyville closer, but Applejack knows me and you’ll be able to give her the letter quickly. Now go, I can hear those sounds getting closer which can’t be good.” Summer nodded and made to leave before an errant thought struck her.
“But Mr. Orange, what about you?” Moro looked over at Valencia and then smiled sadly at Summer Storm.
“What about me Summer? In our state we couldn’t hope to make it out of the city, much less the next block and the princess needs to know what’s going on before it’s too late. Just go Summer and don’t look back. We’ll manage . . . somehow.” And with that Moro turned away from Summer and went to stand with his wife, staring out the window as the fires and explosions drew ever closer. With one final look at her employer, Summer dashed out the door and took to the air. Wheeling to the left she soared higher and higher, putting the burning buildings and smoke of Manehatten far behind her as she flew at breakneck speed towards Ponyville.
Applejack was bucking apples in the southern fields of her farm when it happened. She heard a faint whining noise. Confused she looked around, but there were no bugs around. Applejack was about to return to her bucking, when she realized that the noise was getting louder, fast.
“Now what in tarnation is that?” She thought, just as a pegasus mare fell from the sky and crashed into her with the force of a freight train.
“Aggh,” moaned Summer as she pulled herself off the orange mare she had slammed into. “Never flying nonstop from Manehatten to Ponyville again. Ever.” Applejack scraped herself off the ground and turned to stare at who had run into her.
“Now just who are ya?” Applejack asked as she stared at Summer. Summer looked at her and quickly remembered her job.
“My name is Summer Storm. I’m a courier who works for the Oranges. Mr. Orange instructed me to give this to you and you alone Applejack, as quickly as I possibly could.” Applejack’s eyes widened in confusion at the seriousness in the mare’s tone, but took the letter anyway.
“Now if you’ll excuse me,” said Summer. “I’m going to find a nice, safe place to hide for a while.” And with that she took off into the sky, leaving behind bewildered Applejack. Shrugging, she opened the letter. When she was finished reading it there were tears in her eyes.
“Oh no,” she whispered to herself. Shaking herself from her sorrow, Applejack galloped off to find Twilight. The citizens of Ponyville looked at the farm pony strangely as she barreled through the streets at top speed, but she didn’t care. All that mattered was reaching Twilight and giving her this warning. Applejack blasted through the library door, almost slamming it off its hinges. Twilight was reading a book at the table and looked up in alarm at Applejack.
“Applejack, what . . .?”
“There’s no time Twi,” Applejack said, a look of desperation crossing her face. “Just read this.” Twilight took the letter from Applejack and quickly read through its contents. What she saw there made her heart constrict with fear and her face pale.
Is it the humans? Not that couldn’t be, they wouldn’t just kill all these ponies. Would they? Clearing the thoughts from her mind, she called Spike down from his bed upstairs even as she marked the letter in front of her as “Urgent.” Spike wearily trudged down the wooden steps, wiping the sleep from his eyes.
“What is it now Twilight?”
“Spike I need you to send this letter to Princess Celestia right now.” Nodding, Spike took the worn scroll in his claws and breathed emerald flames over it, seemingly destroying it as the magic took hold and delivered it to the princess. Twilight looked back at the quivering Applejack.
“Applejack, get the girls and bring them here. All we can do now is wait.”
----
The Emperor stepped off his flagship to cheers and adulations from the assembled armies. The city had completely fallen only hours before. He had been absent for a very specific reason. This was the first battle. Aurelian needed to know that his generals and soldiers would be able to make their own decisions and hold their own in battle without him giving the orders. And he was happy to say that they had passed his little test with flying colors. Entire blocks of the city nearest to the docks had been decimated by cannon fire from the fleet while yet more buildings had been destroyed by mortar fire or the actual fires that had spread through the primitive constructions.
As he walked along the ruined streets, Aurelian smiled. The destruction was only a taste of the terror and suffering he would inflict upon these monsters. All he needed was time and even the daemon queens would feel the razor edge of the blade of Magnus. His advisers approached him as he reviewed the assembled troops.
“How fares the occupation?” he asked.
“Quite well my lord,” answered Orin with a smile. “The daemons have grown soft since their war of aggression and could not stand against our holy might. We estimate that around 20-30 percent of the inhabitants escaped however. Of those remaining, more than 50 percent were killed during the initial invasion, most of those kills coming from our center vanguard army.”
“Interesting,” mused Aurelian. “Give them a commendation for their zealous service.” One of the scribes nearby bowed low.
“At once my lord.” With that done Orin continued his reports.
“The few thousand that survived have been placed into makeshift prison camps spread throughout the city. Milos and his engineers outdid themselves this time. The camps were established fairly quickly and their defenses are truly impressive. None of those monsters will be escaping anytime soon.” The Emperor nodded, pleased at the quick thinking of his troops.
“Excellent. Now, were any maps recovered from the city?” Orrin nodded again.
“Yes lord. From what we can tell this city is referred to as “Manehatten.” There are a few coastal towns that would be excellent ports of call for our ships and so I took the liberty of ordering strike teams sent to seize some of the easternmost towns. Now that we know the layout, not a single witness will escape. We have also identified a number of cities stretching both down the coast and inland. Their capital seems to be an elevated city identified as “Canterlot” from which the daemon queens rule.”
“Than that is our main objective,” the Emperor replied. “Without their daemon queens, these creatures will be broken and unable to muster any real resistance to our armies. However, the Blessed have yet to arrive and I fear for our chances without them. Bring all the maps and reports to my command tent and begin sending our scouts further out. Nothing can catch us by surprise here. One slip up, one mistake, and we are doomed.” Orrin nodded, bowing slightly as he struck his fist against his breast.
“By your word.” Looking over his proud troops, the Emperor nodded once more and strode off towards his command tent, his advisers following behind. The tent was large and guarded by two knights under Jonah’s command. It was gold in color, but the inside was Spartan containing only a single, large conference table upon which the advisers placed a massive assortment of maps, charts, and reports. Figurines of their armies were then placed over the maps to give the Emperor a view of the overall tactical situation.
About 30% of the city had been demolished during the cannonade and the mortar strikes that followed during the invasion. The remaining 70% had been divided into four main quarters. Two of these quarters had been given over to the army to house their forces. The third quarter functioned as a manufacturing center where the engineering core repaired weapons, stockpiled surplus ammunition, and directed their construction efforts. Debris from the ruined sections of the city was gathered and brought to the manufacturing quarter where the engineers would melt it down and re-use it in constructing bunkers, fortifications, and walls to encircle the human sections of the city.
The final quarter had, as Orrin said, been turned into a massive prison camp where the surviving ponies of Manehatten were gathered. Thousands of ponies stared out at the city, where many of them had grown up, being burned and transformed into a massive armed camp for strange, murderous creatures from across the sea. Armed soldiers stood atop towers of stone and metal, some staring in and others staring out, armed with their swords and rifles, ready to put down any and all rebellion or resistance should it arise.
Aurelian glanced at the map his cartographers had made, drawing on maps and geographic information retrieved from the ruined city. To the northwest was the center of this country, labeled “Canterlot,” which was atop a large mountain. To the east was a string of villages and minor coastal towns that even now Lord Admiral Arianna would be directing the amphibious landings of. With the east secured, their forces could advance wholesale across the rest of the nation. There were other coastal cities, the relative closest being one called “Fillydelphia,” that would be excellent assets later on but for now were not the focus of their attacks. Further west and north there were other cities that would have to be seized as well.
However what worried Aurelian was not the territories to be gained but what the maps indicated existed beyond this nation. There were reports of other kingdoms belonging to a race known as the Griffons, a race called the Buffalo, and there existed some reports on creatures called Changelings. While humanity loathed magic, they had no explicit quarrel with these other nations. Aurelian worried that the daemon queens might try to call these other nations in to defend her. Normally in this situation he would either send diplomats to assess their strengths or armies to eliminate them preemptively but with the daemon queens as opponents he could not afford to dally with other lands besides this one.
“My lord,” said Orrin. “With respect I would recommend moving out within a week at most. If we move swiftly we can strike their other cities before whatever forces they have can organize to face us.”
Milos nodded in agreement.
“Yes my lord. Our weapons and armor are in excellent condition with more troops and weapons being offloaded by the hour. If we move swiftly we can crush our enemies with ease.” Aurelian considered this. Yes, in most wars, momentum was key to victory of any kind. To lose momentum was to suffer a defeat that could easily turn into a rout. However, this was not most wars. It was not just a crusade, but a war of vengeance against creatures of myth and legend; creatures that had great and terrible magicks that could enslave even the stars themselves. The old tactics could not be relied upon to win this war. He would have to get . . . creative.
“No.” Both Orrin and Milos looked shocked, their mouths agape.
“But, but . . . why?” sputtered Orrin. “We have the element of surprise and the numbers and momentum to bring this war to the daemon queens now. Why pass an opportunity like that up?”
“Because,” replied the Emperor smoothly. “If something appears too good to be true, it usually is. Granted, we could take this war to the daemon queens’ doorstep now should we wish to. But we would most assuredly lose. Now I can see the looks on your faces, let me explain.”
Orrin and Milos bit back the retorts they had been readying and sat back, quietly staring at their Emperor; both secretly wondering if he had lost his senses. The Emperor stared at the two, a slight smile of amusement gracing his lips.
“Were this a standard war against opponents we understood than I would agree with you wholeheartedly. Unfortunately we stand on ground our kind have not tread in over 2,000 years and face not rebels or lowly creatures, but fully empowered daemons. At the very least we must await the full thousand troops promised us by Empiricus before any move can be made against the daemon queens. Without the Blessed at our side, their magic will fell us as surely as it did our ancestors. What I do know, from what these field reports state, is that the creatures have an amusingly simple herd mentality. According to Vanguard troops, as soon as their officers were slain the rest broke into a rout. They cannot stand without a leader, and that is how we shall defeat them. Much as the body cannot survive without a head, nor can it survive without a heart.”
Orrin and Milos were confused.
“How do you mean lord?” asked Orrin. “What is their heart if not the daemon queens?” The Emperor shook his head.
“You do not understand the bigger picture. While, yes, the queens are powerful figureheads and have great power, there is another symbol that can be toppled to produce the same effect with much less effort on the part of our troops.” It took them a moment before Orrin realized what he meant.
“Their capital,” he breathed, in awe at the ambition of their Emperor. “You seek to seize the capital from right under their noses.” The Emperor smiled.
“Indeed. We must lure the daemon queens away from their capital so our forces can converge on it unmolested. With their capital under our control, then the morale of our enemy will be crushed, the image of invincibility the daemon queens possess shattered beyond repair.”
“But lord,” interjected Milos. “Forgive me my ignorance, but how could we possibly lure the daemon queens from their city. While we have yet to see them, I highly doubt they are without an armed force of some kind. They will simply send those in their stead. We have nothing they would want enough to lure them out of hiding.”
“Oh?” the Emperor asked, a cold smile growing on his face. “Nothing, Milos? I beg to differ. I see a few thousand of their subjects still breathing not far from where we sit.”
----
Strong Wing was feeling anything but strong. He had been near the southern end of Manehatten and had been captured by the invader’s patrols which had swept up any ponies still in the city, and living he though with a shudder, and placed them into a guarded camp. There were thousands here. Here and there he thought he recognized friends, but whenever he tried to call out to them, they were swept up in the restless sea of distraught faces.
Where had it all gone so wrong he thought? Earlier today he had been hanging out with friends, enjoying a flight around town and the cool weather. Now? Now he was in a prison camp with thousands of others surrounded by creatures he had never seen nor heard of. All of whom had strange weapons and absolutely no compunctions about using them on anypony who showed even the slightest hint of resistance. But maybe, just maybe, with a little luck he could get out. He kept thinking that as he prayed to Celestia for help. This act alone would be a death sentence if they caught him.
Strong Wing had seen what the invaders had done to the statues and banners honoring the princesses. They had torn the banners done and burned them to ash. They had toppled statues and crushed them to powder while a red and gold robed figure chanted and sang praises to something they called “Magnus.” Whatever this Magnus was, he obviously hated the princesses, though how this was so Strong Wing could not comprehend. How could anypony dislike the princesses, much less hate them? Celestia was the kindest and most caring pony he knew, and while her sister Luna may seem scarier to some he knew that she was the same. So what could these things possibly have against them?
At any rate it didn’t matter. He knew that he wouldn’t survive here much longer. Food supplies were already scarce and the invaders seemed content to let many of the ponies suffer rather than work to provide enough food for them all. Strong Wing needed a plan. He needed to escape. And just like that an opportunity presented itself. On one of the guard towers, the invaders were leaving their post early. No warriors had come to replace them. This was his chance! With praises to Celestia and Luna on his lips, Storm Wing leapt into the air and flew with all his might over the guard tower.
Cracking sounds went off all around him as the invaders loosed their strange weapons at him. Yet, not a single shot hit. He heard the boom of one of their cannons and he saw a hole being carved out of the building on his right. Yet no matter what they shot at him, noting could touch him. After another tense moment he cleared the outskirts of the city, putting the horror and pain of that day behind him as he flew towards the one place he knew he had to go.
“The princesses have to know,” he said, steeling himself as he sped off towards the mountain city of Canterlot.
----
Orrin rushed over to the Emperor who was finishing up his part at the purification rituals that would help cleanse this city of the southern daemon’s taint. He stood alongside High Priest Sigmar, watching the last of the daemon queens’ propaganda and monuments being crushed underfoot and burned in cleansing fire.
“My lord Emperor; one of the creatures has escaped from the prison camp. We failed to shoot it down and it fled the city. Our scouts believe it is heading towards their capital. If we rally our troops now, then we may be able to reach their city before they can organize a counter-offensive.”
‘No.”
“If we simply shift the forces directly from their quadrants . . . what do you mean no?” The Emperor smiled.
“Exactly that: No. There is no need to march on Canterlot yet. There is different work that must be attended to first.” Orrin could not believe what he was hearing. Did the Emperor not understand what was at stake?
“But my Emperor, the creature will be heading to Canterlot now to warn its queens of our attack. It will tell of her of our forces, of the prison camp, of everything we currently have in the city!”
The Emperor turned, gazing in the distance where he knew Canterlot was situated as a cold, satisfied smile grew on his face.
“Just as planned, Lord General. Just as planned.”
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Hmm what about the wedding will it be cancelled due to the invasion and if so what about the changlings?
INVASION!
I can't wait to see the reaction this causes throughout Equestria. Death and Doom Metal goes really well with this.
Really nice chapter. good work at the invasion. Can't wait for more of the human achievements into Equestria.
All crusades ended badly I can only guess so will this one.
Seeing as it seems the invasion will coincide with the changelings own, will they end up as temporary allies, or rival factions?
1427265
I sincerely hope it doesn't, I actually want to see the princesses pay this time.
1427146
I actually listen to metal while writing, among other things. Here are a list of songs that I listened to while brainstorming and writing the chapters:
The Curse by Disturbed
Deceiver by Disturbed
Young by Hollywood Undead
The Chosen Ones by Dream Evil
Gods of War by Manowar
. . . and others I either don't remember or didn't listen to enough to qualify as inspiration for this story. Hope you enjoy the songs. Oh and just to add some flavor to the story. I always imagined Emperor Aurelian to have the glorious voice of Gabriel Angelos whose image is my avatar. For any who aren't with Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War than check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MieSHnViBI&feature=related
1427469
Let me put it this way: "This day is going to be perfect" is going to have a whole new meaning for both sides.
1427184
Hopefully I will be able to start on the next chapter tonight or tomorrow.
Thought for the day: "Victory needs no explanation; defeat allows none."
Twilight: I go to pray
Shining Armour: For what?
Twilight: For the strength to endure what is to come
Shining Armour: and what is to come?
Twilight: The reckoning is to come for what was done over a thousand years ago. The humans will never forget... nor should they.
1428404I have no idea of what you just meant and i don't care
just keep up with the good work.
1428416
That was an excellent piece. If it's alright with you I might include this little bit in a future chapter. Maybe with different characters saying it, but still.
1428464
Honestly...
I stole it from Kingdom of Heaven
Beautiful film
In this world, hate never dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate. This is the law,ancient and inexhaustible.You too shall pass away.Knowing this, how can you quarrel?
P.S This crusade will probably fail for the crusades always made the peace loving tribes and races into war loving savages that brutalized and massacred the holy roman empire... Or the rulers of the opposing nation tricked them. Yes that happened a lot as well
957973 Just remember in war the only easy day was yesterday.
1428549
Agreed. I never got to finish watching it, but it was stunning. I suppose I should go finish it now. At any rate: thank you for posting it as now I have yet more fodder for my imagination to work with.
Thought for the day: "That which is unknown and unseen always commands the greatest fear."
1428390
Aah, Power Metal. I wish you glory and triumph in your battles my leige.
1428615
Thank you for your kind words. In time the reckoning shall come for all transgressions and none will be safe from the wrath yet to be unleashed. What has come is but a taste of what is to come and soon all Equestria shall know fear.
Thought for the day: "The rewards of tolerance are treachery and betrayal."
1428614
No probs. Have some paraphrased poetry:
We are the chosen of Magnus.
We carry his name on our shoulders as our fathers did before us.
Through the mists of time he speaks to us,
Tells us of the evil of the usurpers,
of the reasons for exodus,
and the rights of the traveller.
This land, is our destiny and our right! Enlightenment is our gift.
Magnus foretold us of this Eden with a promise of deliverance.
We shall defend her till our deaths.
1428792
You never fail to amaze good sir. Well done. I'll include that in the story at some point as well.
1428018
The humans have already killed .. what? ten thousand? twenty thousand? a hundred thousand? innocent ponies. How many innocent ponies have to die to see "the princesses pay this time"? Remember ,the humans believe in genocide so their target is 100% of ponykind.
Thank you Twilight. You are now responsible for the death of an entire pony city (and possibly all of ponykind). I hope your Self Righteousness makes you happy.
Go Humans!
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1455051
Death or subjugation
Keep in mind, had humanity no land to flee to, the same would have happened to them.
They fled North, hoping there would be land there.
Celestia and Luna had the same planned for humanity, and it's only luck that allowed them to survive.
So why is it unjustified for humanity to do the same?
As the saying goes: "Payback's a bitch".
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CHAOS!!! RUINOUS POWERS EVERYWHERE!!!
It's so bad that it's cool!
Orrin. Eragon?
1455051
Twilight Sparkle was just the catalyst. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna along with the ancestors of the three pony tribes are the ones to ultimately bare the sins and the injustice of what they had done to the ancestors of the humans.