The Iron Chancellor

by Radical Centrist

A bird and her nest

The war room was in unrest, the unicorn nobles demanded a retreat whilst the generals advocated an attack. Hurricane knew the unicorns just wanted to save their skin, and his generals were morons who craved glory and recognition.

"Silence!" Hurricane boomed, slamming the table with both hooves, causing a crack to form across it. "We cannot run further! Or else the earth ponies will have free reign over our countryside!" Hurricane reprimanded the cowardly unicorns, which got cheers from his moronic generals. "We also can't attack! They will shred us with their weapons!" Hurricane snapped at the cheering generals, causing them to whimper and lower their heads in shame.

"No, we must combine both tactics and defend our strongest fortress in all of Equestria." Hurricane decided, knowing that it would be the best chance to defeat an opposing army on equal grounds. "If we run from this fortress we will be handing our best fortifications to the mud ponies." Hurricane continued, "The mud ponies must be fought here, else we will have no other opportunity." Hurricane concluded, but feared it wouldn't work, as it hinged entirely if the earth ponies wanted to fight or not.

"What if they avoid us and siege another fort?" A noble asked, pointing a hoof at the nearby forts on the map. "You just said you will be rallying all the nearby fort garrisons to converge on our position." The unicorn realised, "This will leave our borders and holdings dangerously weak." The unicorn grew concerned, as Hurricane seemed to be amassing a giant army around him, which was expressly forbidden by the founding laws of Equestria, in fear of the pegasus overpowering the unicorns and vice versa via an overwhelming force. "What are you scheming..." The noble thought, retreating from the table.

Hurricane simply shrugged at the implication, "They have better weapons, it would be foolish not to fully mobilise the pegasus army to counter this apocalyptic threat." Hurricane assured the nobles, but they held their distance.

"You expect us to believe you need 200,000 soldiers to defeat a measly force of 10,000 mud ponies?!" A noble accused but immediately recoiled when the generals began closing in on them.

"...a necessary pre-emptive strike I assure you," Hurricane turned on the nobles, gesturing his generals to advance further. "After all, the pegasus has always been in the back-hoof." Hurricane mused, facing the window to observe the crescent moon.

"Why..? The unicorns have always supported you!" A noble cried out, the generals beginning to straighten ropes to tie them.

"You call strangleholds, support?" Hurricane growled, "The unicorns have always had a monopoly over our rightful iron." He wheeled back towards the helpless nobles, "I'm just removing another traitor nearby..." The generals began carrying the tied nobles outside, their fate unknown.

---

"Starswirl! I bring dire news!" Ares crashed the door open, a letter in his hooves.

Inside, Starswirl was lecturing the two fillies about astronomy, the alabaster filly barely keeping awake from boredom whilst the indigo filly was gleaming with a fascination with the topic. Starswirl slowly turned to face the sudden intruder. "Yes..?"

"It's horrible! You must see this!" Ares passed the letter to Starswirl with his magic, prompting Starswirl to grab it in front of him. "It's the pegasus Starswirl..." Ares informed as Starswirls' eyes began to widen in disbelief. "They've gathered their entire army in their capital."

"...the last time this happened-" Starswirl began,

"-was when the unicorns enforced a treaty on the pegasus." Ares finished, remembering when the nobles rallied to overpower the regional pegasus army, forcing them into concessions and giving up their controls over mines. "I fear a similar event brewing..." Ares foreshadowed, fearing that the earth pony rebellion might've been fabricated as an excuse.

"What will we do?" The indigo filly asked, her expressions screaming worry.

"I suggest you hide my friend, the pegasus might move any second." Ares cautioned as the pegasus could quickly catch up if they decided to run. "...and I believe I have just the place to do so." Ares realised, remembering a certain forgotten location.

"Oh? Where might that be?" Starswirl queried, already packing up his possessions into rolls with his magic.

"A place, so close yet so hidden that they would never find us." Ares proposed, garnering everyponys' attention. "It's of course the abandoned shrine beneath Cloudia." Ares grinned at the three ponys' reaction to his proposal,

"Straight below?! We'll be found for sure!" The indigo filly contended as the plans seemed suicidal.

"Not straight below my child, but near. It's located in the mountains facing their fortress." Ares assured, but the ponies kept worrying.

"How will we reach there without being detected?" The alabaster filly asked, unsure of the prospects.

"There is a hidden passage into the shrine only accessible by magic," Ares explained, remembering an internal lock that could only be unlocked via magic.

Starswirls' expressions began to lighten as he remembered the shrine as well, noting that it was covered with dirt, trees and vines due to its abandonment. "We leave immediately, there is no time to lose."

---

"WHAT?!" Platinum gasped, the news of Hurricane' betrayal finally reaching her.

"...they have taken some of our nobles hostage as well..." Clover informed, distraught over the news as well.

"We- we must escape! No! We need to hide!" Platinum stuttered, the chances of running slim due to the pegasus's speed.

"But where princess?" Clover sputtered, unaware of any spots in the palace.

"Advisor! Pack our necessities! We will depart to the abandoned shrine, !" Platinum decided, realising the shrine beneath Cloudia would be the best place to hide.

"Very good princess," Clover complimented the dramatic Platinum, who was assured of her safety.

---

"Mistress? Shall we leave this place?" Smart asked the gorging Puddinghead, who seemed undeterred at the current situation.

"Bah! This is a problem between the pegasus and the unicorns! I will stay here where it's safe!" Puddinghead dismissed, stubbornly staying in the Cloudian fortress, assured of their victory. "Better yet! Once the pegasus whoops those unicorns we could get their stuff!" Puddinghead laughed, as the servants continued serving her. Smart simply sighed internally.

---

"Brave rebels! Pegasuses are converging into Cloudia from all across Equestria!" A group of villagers informed the four leaders, who nodded in understanding. "They are more than 200,000 of them! Turn back, warriors!"

"Perfect..." Green whispered, garnering a nod from the other three leaders,

"We thank you for your information, however, this must be done." Copper waved off the villagers, doing so many times before. They simply nodded and galloped away to their villages.

"I can see it... Cloudian Fortress..." Green muttered, pointing towards a speck in the distance.

"We've come so far... We will not fall back..." Jaco growled, stomping the ground.

"The entire pegasus army... Right here... Right now..." Forest dreamily mumbled, imagining their situation as an epic, a story of good versus evil.

"May our sacrifice not be in vain..." Copper repeated, their columns marching confidently towards a futile battle.

Everypony would witness the battle. From soldiers to peasants, nobles and generals, kings and queens, princes and princesses. They would witness greatness

Comments

[Bronycommander]

this will be interesting

[Loganic]

Good. The traitors are gonna get killed when the cloud castle hopefully goes down. Also

Hurricane simply shrugged at the implication, "They have better weapons, it would be foolish not to fully mobilise the pegasus army to counter this apocalyptic threat." Hurricane assured the nobles, but they held their distance.

For once, I hope the apocalypse happens then.

[kaiser0kolovos]

Another nail in the coffin of Equestria, the Pegasi holding unicorn nobles hostage will not be well received even if they beat the Jacobins. The Pegasi and Unicorns breaking off and going to war would only be good for the Jacobins.

The chaos going around them (and eventually seeing the relative stability of the Germans) at such a young age would have a lasting effect on Luna and Celestia.

[RealClassixX]

Haven't read it yet, but I alread, know it's gonna be based as fuck.

[Radical Centrist]

10827987
Based.

[HB_DS2013]

This seems like something out of Fire Emblem... I love it. Everyone going to the mountains under Cloudia... this won't end well.

[kaiser0kolovos]

"The three primary ways that clouds dissipate is by (1) the temperature increasing, (2) the cloud mixing with drier air, or (3) the air sinking within the cloud" - Taken from Weather.gov

Do you think that given enough heat, like if the entire mountain underneath Cloudia is set on fire, that it would dissipate Cloudia and destroy the Pegasi's homes?

Might not work on Earth, but given cartoon physics/rule of magic it could work.

[Radical Centrist]

Haha 69 likes, funni numbah

[Radical Centrist]

10828101
Clouds in (this) Equestria is much denser to support objects or build on top of them.
i.imgflip.com/40ye17.jpg
SO ANYWAY I STARTED BLASTING.

[kaiser0kolovos]

10828136

Fair enough, blast away.

[TheArbiter1]

Would be such a coincidence if the Griffin army comes in after this battle to restore order to the land bring the earth ponies under their protection until thy can defend themselves of course. Man, these events will have such an impact on Luna and Celestia on how to rule a kingdom especially with them potentially imitating Bismarck.

[Radical Centrist]

10828233
Yes. I'm legit crying

[Radical Centrist]

10828173
Casus Beli > Establish Protectorate > Literacy Rate Falls > Educate > Anarcho-Liberals & Jacobins Revolts > Kill Population > Babies illiterate > Educate > More Revolt > Repeat

[Radical Centrist]

Also, there might be a 2 months delay for the next chapters as my school work is killing me.

[TheArbiter1]

10828257
Wonder how our favorite chancellor feels about this mess since the guy only liked chaos he could control and benefit from.

[Davenfjeld]

Everypony would witness the battle. From soldiers to peasants, nobles and generals, kings and queens, princes and princesses. They would witness greatness

No mention of emperors I see. One does wonder how they are doing these days, being gods and all that.

"You expect us to believe you need 200,000 soldiers to defeat a measly force of 10,000 mud ponies?!" A noble accused but immediately recoiled when the generals began closing in on them.

Have you ever heard the tale of Qin-shi Daoguang the foolish? I thought not, it's a story only the British would tell you...

Corrections:

"Silence!" Hurricane boomed, slamming the table with both hooves, causing a crack to form across it. "We cannot run further! Or else the earth ponies will have free reign over our countryside!" Hurricane reprimanded the cowardice unicorns, which got cheers from his moronic generals. "We also can't attack! They will shred us with their weapons!" Hurricane snapped at the cheering generals, causing them to whimper and lower their heads in shame.

"cowardly unicorns". Unless they hail from a land called Cowardice, of course.

The unicorn grew concerned, as Hurricane seemed to be amassing a giant army around him, which was expressly forbidden by the founding laws of Equestria, in fear of the pegasus overpowering the unicorns and vice versa from an overwhelming force. "What are you scheming..." The noble thought, retreating from the table.

"via an overwhelming" or "through overwhelming". From implies a third party.

"-was when the unicorns enforced a treaty on the pegasus." Ares finished, remembering when the nobles rallied to overpower the pegasus regional army, forcing them into concessions and giving up their controls over mines. "I fear a similar event brewing..." Ares foreshadowed, fearing that the earth pony rebellion might've been fabricated as an excuse.

Ill forgive using "pegasus" as a plural, but at least remember it is here both part of a a name and possessive: "the Pegasus' Regional Army" or, better yet, "the Regional Pegasus Army"

Starswirls' expressions began to lighten as he remembered the shrine as well, memorising that it was covered with dirt, trees and vines due to its abandonment. "We leave immediately, there is no time to lose."

"memorising" is not necassarilly incorrect, but it reads weirdly. Try "noting" or "acknowledgeing"

"Bah! This is a problem between the pegasus and the unicorns! I will stay here where it's safe!" Puddinghead dismissed, stubbornly staying in the Cloudian fortress, assured of their victory. "Better yet! When the pegasus whoops those unicorns we could get their stuff!" Puddinghead laughed, as the servants continued serving her. Smart simply sighed internally.

"whoop" You've used when, not once.

10828377
2 months?! I may just re-write those first few chapters while I'm waiting then.

[Radical Centrist]

10828998
Thanks as always!

[Lord tabz]

F