Part Ninety-Four
Flurry Heart leaned back in the chair. Her horn flashed as she held the cap to her stubble, stretching her neck out with a pop. She closed her eyes for a moment, then smacked her lips. Her wings stretched out, fully extended and capable of wrapping around the two empty chairs to either side of the alicorn.
Leaning forward, the filly placed her white boots atop the table. Her sash jingled from the movement, bedazzled with bits of emerald and lapiz that drew out the color in her icy eyes. Her uniform had been fully repaired and even upgraded by the Element of Generosity.
Surprisingly, it was also comfortable with sleek navy sleeves under the purple dress coat, flank skirt, and the two pairs of boots. The high white collar of her undershirt had been given golden buttons to match the buttons on the dress uniform. The bill of her ridged cap had a divot to rest against her horn.
Not that I’ll be wearing it while spellcasting, Flurry rolled her eyes to Rarity. The slim unicorn sat in one of her limited fancy blue dresses, sipping from a cup of tea between Limestone and Rainbow Dash. Neither of her neighbors seemed pleased to be seated next to her, and she clearly reciprocated. Rarity avoided Flurry’s eyes, focusing on her teacup.
The alicorn cast her eyes around the round table, then stretched her neck again to see the tables surrounding it. According to the roll sheets, one hundred and thirty-seven people were in the room. Flurry unlaced her foreleg boots slowly and shuffled them under the table, setting them down next to more piles of folders and beside her canteen. She rolled up her sleeves afterwards, exposing the swirling white scar on her left foreleg.
Tlatoani Light Narrative sat with Amoxtli and another Thestral Moonspeaker, the mare that Nightshade had punched at the Conclave. The Moonspeaker’s eyes swept around the room, probably looking for her assailant for the rematch.
Then again, she seemed to have a fresh black eye. The mare wore a clearly stolen Jaeger’s uniform marked up with blue paint in tribal decorations. The Thestral fluffed her braided mane with a wing, then scowled across the table.
An unfamiliar bat pony scowled back in a Nova Griffonian uniform. Flurry did not know him, but Governor Josette had sent him to Canterlot as a representative. Duskcrest, Jacques, Dusty Mark, and Edvald sat on that side.
Directly facing Flurry Heart and across the circular table, the commanders of the ELF waited with coffee. Zecora, Sunset, and Fizzlepop flipped through paperwork. Only Sunset used her horn, scanning over several dozen floating pages before they vanished with a crackle of a teleportation spell. The flash under her chair indicated she was just teleporting them back into the folder below her.
Waste of spellwork. Flurry turned a hoof up and leaned her muzzle atop it. It was hardly the look of a Princess to slump against the table, but the bustle of the rest of the room commanded more attention. Guards checked latecomers and fanned out along the walls, taking familiar positions. Flurry glanced up at the chandeliers above her, this time properly lit up and fully illuminating the ceiling.
If anyone had issues meeting in the dining room where the last of Equestria’s nobility died, no one spoke up. Flurry scanned over the heads towards a far table, spotting a dozen horns poking above the crowd. It wasn’t truly possible for a horn to wilt, but they seemed to try. There was a gale of booming laughter from a side table nearby, distinctly Yona of the Yaks.
Flurry looked over the empty chair to her right towards Jadis. “Do you mind asking Yona to join?” she asked.
Jadis nodded, stood in her purple uniform, and disappeared behind Flurry with her rifle clacking against her side. Amethyst, a crystal mare from Governor Arctic Lily that had been sitting on Jadis’ other side, dipped her head nearly to the tabletop when Flurry caught her eyes. The alicorn waved a wing for the mare to sit up.
Many of the guards in the room were crystal ponies, even though very few traveled to Canterlot. Duty Price had a seat at the round table as well, though he left it empty to sit with the lower officers. Flurry respected the decision; she’d need empty room anyway.
She moved a paper aside to scan her checklist, written in pencil:
Coronation
Governor Update
New Governors
Military Stuff
War Stuff
Economy Stuff (Yay.)
Invite Jacques to Birthday Party
Tell Ponies About Thing
I wish I took after Twilight more, Flurry scolded herself. Checklists just made her annoyed. She pushed more papers over the checklist and reread them, an overview of available factories on the eastern coast.
The Changelings had kept Equestria’s factories intact; they had even built more of them once they began forcibly relocating ponies to major cities for the Love Tax. Infrastructure wasn’t a priority, but the east coast was the most modernized section of Equestria, followed by the heartlands around Canterlot.
Flurry now controlled both. With the Crystal City and Nova Griffonia’s coastal cities, she should have had a foundation. But she didn’t. She had more factories than she had ponies.
Census records were spotty pre-war, and the Love Tax was more of a banditry than an organized, systemic collection across Equestria. Punitive Love Harvests were common in response to the ELF, and the Changelings rarely counted the dead or dying. Flurry had no idea how many ponies she truly ruled over, and she doubted she would know until the war’s end.
There was a mild commotion at the doors to the dining room, but the noise of scattered conversations returned to normal after a moment. Yona joined the table at the same time as Thorax. “Is Yak special today?” Yona laughed as she wedged herself between the ELF and Nova Griffonians, taking Price’s empty seat.
Flurry wrapped her left wing around the empty chair beside her. “Have a seat, uncle.”
Thorax buzzed his wings against a purple uniform. The Imperial Snowflake was prominent on his armband, slightly concave due to sitting over a hole in his foreleg. He gave Flurry a side-eye, mostly by rolling his head considering the lack of pupil. “Is that coming from my niece or the Princess?”
“Sit down,” the Princess ordered.
“Of course,” Thorax acquiesced and took a seat once Flurry removed her wing.
“Is Spike coming?” Flurry whispered once the changeling pulled his own folders free from under his wing.
“I don’t know,” Thorax answered.
Flurry looked to the empty seat on her right. It was reinforced with metal. She frowned, then lit her horn and a roiling ball of golden fire pulsed upwards. It crackled with electricity.
Conversation dimmed, then stopped as the crowd took their places. Flurry’s ears twitched under the cap as the doors clunked shut behind her after a pause. The room was quiet except for the chime of her horn and the crackle of the ball of magic drifting under the chandeliers.
Flurry snuffed it out with the sound of a soap bubble popping. Little blue sparks dissipated before they reached the table. Rainbow Dash and two more pegasi unrolled a large wall map and hung it in front of some of the windows, showing the continent of Equus to the room. It was a professional map, but the demarcation lines were clear late additions.
“Shall we begin?” Flurry asked aloud.
A chorus of three stomps echoed through the room.
I’ll take that as a yes.
“Some of you have traveled very far,” Flurry stated. “I thank you for coming. This meeting is the first of my privy councils, like the Princesses before me. I do not know many in this room, but you know me. I am Flurry Heart, the daughter of Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor, the niece of Twilight Sparkle. And in seven days I will be Princess of Equestria.”
The room was silent.
Flurry moved a paper with a hoof. She stared down at a copy of the pamphlet of her mother and aunt, the four photographs that condemned the Changeling Hegemony more than any word could. Words are wind. It made it easier to say.
“Twilight Sparkle is incapable of assuming her duties as Princess of Equestria. Until she awakens, a regent will serve in her stead as Princess of the Principality of Equestria.” Flurry looked to the empty chair beside her. “Spike Sparkle will be regent, should he accept.”
“I do,” a voice rumbled out from the closed doors.
Flurry blinked and twisted around. Spike was visible over the crowd, his dragon frame standing head and shoulders above the entirely four-legged herd. He walked forward slowly.
The scales under his eyes were discolored, a darker purple than the rest of his face. A line of scales under one eye stood out, slowly growing back from a gashed bullet. The dragon wore a cap like Flurry’s own; it pressed his head fin flat and made the dragon look smaller. He had also put on pants and a full uniform, including a purple dress overcoat with green sequins.
The dragon lumbered up to the table and blinked slowly before placing a claw on the chair next to Flurry. He pulled it out with a screech of chair legs on tile, then sat down, threading a limp tail through the opening the back. He pulled himself forward with another screech.
Spike did not look at Flurry Heart. He opened his coat for a moment, then rebuttoned it after looking at an inner pocket. He was by far the tallest person in the room, yet seemed one of the smallest.
“That…” Rarity paused, “that looks great on you, Spike. Such a gentledrake.”
“Thank you for making it,” Spike said without any particular warmth in his voice. He sounded as haggard as he appeared to be. “I accept the position of Lord Regent for Princess Twilight Sparkle,” he said formally in a dry growl.
“This is new ground,” Thorax picked up from the other side of Flurry. “Celestia had sworn in all previous Princesses, from Cadance to Luna to Twilight Sparkle. Our remaining Princess is unable to coronate her niece.”
“We could write to Princess Celestia,” Sunset started.
Spike snorted a plume of smoke. “We did. Before the battle. No.”
Murmurs went through the crowd at the far tables, but the round table was silent. The ELF shared uncomfortable looks between each other. Sunset held her tongue from further comments, but waited with folded hooves.
“After some consideration,” Thorax continued in a dual-toned deadpan, “the coronation will proceed with those who knew Twilight best stepping in and taking her role. Rainbow?”
“Damn right,” Rainbow huffed.
“Rarity?” the changeling asked.
The unicorn finally looked at Flurry, then to Spike. She did not respond verbally, but sighed and nodded.
“Spike?”
“Yes.” The dragon did not look at the changeling.
“Equestria never required oaths of fealty or loyalty, but a representative of every tribe and species will step forward to confirm Flurry Heart as Princess of Equestria,” Thorax prompted.
Flurry took a deep breath. “Duty Price?”
One of the tables shuffled around until the booney hat wearing earth pony stood up. Price had a cigar in his mouth. He reared up onto the table to see the Princess. “You rang?”
“Do you wish to represent the earth ponies?”
He shifted the cigar around. “Not exactly a good representative, but sure.”
“No smoking at the coronation.”
“And I already regret it, you big-winged wanker.” He dropped back down.
The room tensed.
“Well,” Limestone drawled with a breathy rasp, “he certainly has the balls of an earth pony. We claim him.” She coughed into a hoof and drank a deep gulp of water afterwards. Her gray fur still grew in around the wound in her throat.
Flurry smirked to herself. “Dusty Mark?”
“Unicorns?” Dusty nickered at the table. “Of course, Princess.”
“Tlatoani?” Half the room looked around in confusion at the supposed name.
“Of course, Princess,” Light Narrative tipped his feathered cowboy hat. The Thestral wore a mix of his eyepatch and cowboy hat, but a vest of snakeskin and a sculpted prosthetic foreleg.
“Jadis?”
“Yes.” The crystal pony tapped her bad foreleg on the table. “You’re already our Princess.”
“Rainbow?”
The pegasus snorted. “Duh.”
“Yona?”
“Yaks stand ready!” Yona thumped a hoof into the table, specifically the hoof with the Imperial Snowflake armband.
“Duskcrest?”
The Nova Griffonian coughed into his flask of coffee. His wings twitched before he recovered and looked at Flurry. “Are you sure, Princess? I’m a bandit.”
“Price spent time in jail,” Flurry retorted. She glanced down at the papers. This gets way worse. “You’re fine.”
Duskcrest nodded shallowly. “Uh, okay. Do we step up to a microphone or something?”
“We’ll decide the day before the coronation,” Throax answered.
Flurry looked up and over the heads. “Katherine?”
The red-feathered griffon poked her head up from a distant table. “You already have a griffon, Princess!” she shouted in Herzlander.
“I would like a representative from Herzland and Aquileia,” Flurry replied. “Cerie?”
The Aquileian stuck her head up from the table next to Katherine. The two young griffons shared an uncertain look. “The Kaiser will take that as a slight,” Cerie commented in Aquileian.
“You are my subjects, not his,” Flurry answered, “just as the ponies of Aquileia are his. Grover can bring as many of them as he wishes to slight me if he wants to.”
“Is the Kaiser going to be there?” Tempest asked.
“Yes,” Thorax supplied. “His birthday is tomorrow so the Reichsarmee’s noble officers are present in Canterlot. It’s an insult if they don’t attend the coronation.”
“The Reichsarmee is already in the capital,” Tempest summarized, “if they’re at the coronation as well, it looks like you were crowned by griffons.”
“We’ll talk about that last,” Flurry deflected. “Moving on.”
Sunset leaned forward. “What about the other Princesses?”
Flurry closed her eyes. “I intend to restore the Diarchy. When Twilight Sparkle recovers, she will assume her duties beside me. I will rule as Princess of the Crystal Empire and the Principality of Equestria.”
“That’s not what I asked.” The alicorn could hear the scowl in Sunset’s voice. “What about Princess Celestia?”
“Only her?” Light Narrative nickered. “Don’t care about Luna?”
“Don’t start,” Sunset warned.
“You already started it.”
“There’s more than one Princess-”
“There is one,” Spike snarled. “She’s right here. Wake up.”
Sunset and Light shut their muzzles and wilted in their chairs. Tempest raised a conciliatory hoof. “Many in the ELF fought to restore Celestia and Luna to the throne.”
“Were you one of them?” Spike said with a puff of smoke. “How’d you feel after they left Starlight to die?”
Tempest did not take the challenge.
“There’s one left,” Spike sighed. He finally sat up to his full height and glared around the room. “If you don’t want her, leave the room.”
“If I fall, Twilight Sparkle is my heir,” Flurry said softly, opening her eyes.
“That means a regency council,” Jacques interrupted. “And let me be Discord’s Advocate: Princess Sparkle’s health is frail; there is no timetable towards a coma brought on by Magical Exhaustion. The brain scans-”
“Don’t.” Flurry’s voice caused the chandeliers above her to sway.
Jacques’ yellow eyes softened. “She is a tough mare and she will doubtless surprise me.”
“If for any reason Flurry Heart is incapable of fulfilling her duties as Princess, I will lead the regency,” Spike declared. “I’m a dragon; I can wait a long time.” He flexed his left claw and scanned the room.
No one tried to disagree with him. And no one left the room.
“Once I am coronated, I am Diarch beside Twilight Sparkle. Grover has agreed to recognize Twilight Sparkle as Princess beside me.” Flurry looked to the far wall, where the blue sun and moon with swords of the ELF hung beside a battered old Equestrian flag. “There’s always been two alicorns on the Equestrian flag, and two are still on this continent.”
“Celestia and Luna are not being disowned,” Thorax added. “They will be referred to as the Princesses of the Sun and Moon if you wish to say a title.”
“Yeah,” Limestone snorted, “Luna’s free to park her moons on the Moon again. Celestia can get the hot seat.” Sunset frowned heavily and tried to glare at her, but the earth pony smugly rolled her eyes.
“Next,” Flurry declared. “Amethyst, do you have an update for Governor Arctic Lily?”
“Princess,” Amethyst bowed her head, “the Crystal City is up to 73% of pre-war production; Governor Lily has organized a worker’s council to centralize production efforts. We have a mass influx of griffons and ponies from the Nova Griffonian frontier in addition to the Yaks. Colonel Heartsong has reformed the core of the Imperial Army, and several scout units are keeping an eye on the border of the shield wall.”
“Any attacks?”
“Since the battle of the Celestial Plain, no. The Changeling maintain a loose watch, but neither of us have the numbers to attempt a major raid.”
“Tunneling?”
“No, Princess.”
The alicorn lifted up a sketch depicting at truck with several large rocket tubes. “Do you mind telling me what Gold Muffin has convinced everypony to make?”
“Stalliongrad toyed with rocket artillery during the final days of the war,” Sunset answered with some surprise at the drawing. “It was cheap to produce, and effective enough artillery.”
“The mines of the Empire have enough resources,” Amethyst claimed. “We can tow the Cryusha for now. The oil refineries are only at 23% efficiency.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Flurry dismissed. “The shield bottlenecks everything. Anything else? How’s housing?”
“We still have several available blocks. The outer farmlands have been organized for rotating food production.”
Flurry accepted the report with a nod, then called out, “Governor Caballeron?”
Rainbow snorted and flexed her metal wing.
If the earth pony had cleaned himself up for the meeting, the travel to Canterlot undid any perceived effort. His tan fur was disheveled and the graying beard around his muzzle was even more prominent than it was in Tenochtitlan. He took an empty chair near the ELF.
“Governor-Doctor,” Caballeron smoothly offered with a smile, “should it please the Princess.”
Flurry gave him a stare that indicated it did not please the Princess.
“A joke,” he replied to the look. “Baltimare cooperated with our efforts to relocate the Thestral population, albeit with a clear grudge. Many that left were not allowed to take anything, claimed as communal property.”
Flurry sighed. “Where are they being resettled?”
“Various outposts and villages.” Caballeron shifted his look to Light Narrative. “There is friction between the Tzinacatl and those called bat ponies, always has been. It will take years to mend that bridge.”
Light Narrative nodded his head in agreement. “It will be slow work. If it is any consolation, the Moonspeaker Conclave is the most tolerant it has been in years.”
How much of that is due to poison? Flurry left that unsaid.
“Without Baltimare, the southeast lacks a strong industrial core,” Caballeron returned to the Princess. “Maredia and Stableside are port cities. We can provide raw materials: food, rubber, materials from the Badlands, but we need roads and railways.”
“Right,” Flurry scratched a note down. “I don’t suppose whatever the Reichsarmee cut through the jungle is sufficient?”
“It’s a good start.”
“Once we retake Appleoosa and the south, the Hegemony loses their submarine range.” Flurry glanced at the large map. “We’ll use the shipping lanes to Manehattan, not overland. Borrow some ships from Josette and use Maredia and Stableside.”
Caballeron nodded.
Rainbow snorted again. “Really?”
“He’s not a Daring Do villain,” Flurry said to the pegasus. “Didn’t they want to be partners?”
“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow waved her wing. “Didn’t see him in Canterlot.”
“With respect, Miss Dash, Daring died in Canterlot,” Caballeron answered.
“And you were a mercenary in Governor Larynx’s employ at the time,” Tempest interrupted. “The southeast was a slog in the best circumstances. If we were going to make a push, it wouldn’t have been south.”
“Or to the Crystal Empire,” Amethyst nickered. “You were awfully grateful to have Arctic Lily distract the bugs and die for you.”
“Enough.” Flurry slapped the table and jarred her papers out of order. She collected them in her magic. “Next topic.” Caballeron stood, bowed, then backed away from the round table.
Flurry looked to the Nova Griffonians. “Since Governor Josette cannot attend, how is the Imperial Coast?”
“Is that the name we’re going with?” Duskcrest frowned.
“Officially,” Thorax answered. “Everyone can still call it Nova Griffonia.”
“Good!” the bat pony huffed. He crossed his forelegs with a pout.
“Please,” Jacques snapped his talons, “give us your riveting report, Gabriel. The world waits.”
“Admiral Josette is a tyrant,” the bat pony began. “Any time an elected official fails to meet her unreasonable demands, she sacks them and appoints some sycophant.”
“I assume you’re referring to the Republican remnants trying to stay out of the war.” Jacques rested his beak on his claw. “The southern coast hopes they can ship enough material that they’ll be left alone; the north with what’s left of Kemerskai’s army is now trapped between the forces of three monarchies and lays low, attempting to pretend they don't exist.”
“What about the frontier?”
“We dance under the shield,” Duskcrest shrugged. “Frontier griffs have no love for the coast. Or democracy, really. You have the loyalty of enough to deter a major uprising. And the rest will never love a pony on a crystal throne.”
“I don’t expect love,” Flurry admitted, “just compliance.”
“We start to lose and they’re going to rebel,” Jacques warned. “Nova Griffonia would be a strong industrial base if they actually liked you.”
“How might I accomplish that?” Flurry deadpanned.
“Be a griffon,” Jacques chortled. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”
“This is a disgrace,” Gabriel shook his head.
“Shove off, Gabe,” Duskcrest squawked. “You grew up in poverty like the rest of us.”
Flurry frowned at the name. “Are you an Equestrian?”
“No!” Gabriel replied with bared fangs and affronted eyes. “I was born in Nova Griffonia as a citizen under Teafeather!”
“You’re a pony, idiot,” Dusty snorted. “It was called Nova Griffonia. You think Weter cared about you beyond a poster pony?”
“My pelt may be that of a pony,” Gabriel allowed, “but my heart is that of a proud Nova Griffonian chick!” The bat pony placed his hooves on the table and flared out his leathery wings. “And that heart bleeds for what has been done to my country!”
The room was silent except for his harsh exhales between two fangs.
Flurry blinked. “Is this the part where you shoot me, or…”
Gabriel bit his lip. “W-what?”
“I mean, I figured you were building up to something.” Flurry waved a hoof. “You know, shout ‘Sic Semper Tyrannis’ and pull the gun under your wing. Something.”
The guards around the meeting table tensed.
“Uh…” Gabriel swallowed. “No, Princess.” He rallied with twitching ears. “But proud Nova Griffonian patriots weep at what has been done to our home! Centuries of democratic tradition trampled under crystal hooves!”
“You forget Blackpeak?” Duskcrest asked sardonically. He drank from his coffee flask with lidded eyes.
Gabriel raised his muzzle and proudly declared, “I voted for Silverwing, and-”
Duskcrest sprayed coffee against Gabriel’s uniform. The griffon descended into a coughing fit that was half-squawks and half-laughter while the bat pony wiped his uniform off with a wing and scrunched muzzle. Dusty Mark and Jacques joined in with howling laughter from the other side of the bat pony.
“Oh, poor Josette must’ve tired of you,” Jacques chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes. “Come, wipe off that proud pelt and sit your ass down, mon ami.”
Gabriel sat with a sour muzzle and folded his forelegs. “It’s still a disgrace.”
“I’ll institute regional elections after the war,” Flurry said. She folded her own forelegs. “Good enough?”
“No,” Gabriel countered. His ears pressed flat. “Just because most griffons don’t care doesn’t mean that centuries of tradition get to be thrown away.”
“Why?” Duskcrest recovered with smiling eyes. “You’d just throw away your vote for a third party.”
“At least I had the option!” Gabriel answered with a flushed muzzle.
“Is this a problem?” Flurry asked and cut the argument short.
Gabriel opened his muzzle.
“Is this a problem that I need to go deal with?” Flurry preempted him. She angled her muzzle down to stare at him with the point of her horn aimed just above his head. The crystals on her sash made her glacial eyes appear intense.
“No,” Gabriel sighed after a moment. “No griffon cares.” He deflated with a flump.
“Well, good,” Flurry snorted and unfolded her forelegs. “That’s sorted. Next topic.” She returned to the wall map, then searched through her papers.
Thorax cleared his throat beside her and passed over the one she wanted.
“Thank you, Royal Advisor,” Flurry declared for the table. She removed her cap and set it before her. “For a millennia, Equestria was ruled by a privy council answering to the Princess and a bureaucracy to support her.”
The alicorn licked her lips. “We don’t have the time or the resources to rebuild Equestria as it was, and the Empire was so forlorn that it was entirely dependent on Equestrian aid to reclaim even a fraction of its territory. My mother simply copied Equestria’s laws.
“For the sake of the war, the Crystal Empire and Principality of Equestria will be governed by one ruling body and economy in a personal union. The official borders are marked by the shield.” Flurry risked looking up at the reaction.
Tempest, Limestone, Zecora, and Sunset twisted to look at the map hanging in front of the windows. “You’re claiming Severyana and northern Equestria for the Crystal Empire,” Tempest commented.
“It’s all under one government,” Flurry replied.
“That’s not what the ELF fought for,” Limestone argued.
“Please,” Duskcrest squawked, “no concern that Nova Griffonia is forfeit?”
“I doubt that the remnants of Stalliongrad believed in whatever you were fighting for,” Dusty added.
“It’s lines on a map,” Flurry said. “They don’t matter. We’re here today because we believed in each other.” The alicorn retrieved her mother’s royal seal from a small box under her chair, a stamp of her cutie mark. It was close enough to her own.
“It matters to us!” Sunset nickered.
“It did not matter to Princess Twilight,” Flurry replied. “She said so herself.”
Sunset’s ears pinned back. “That…” she waved a hoof before deflating. “Fuck.”
Zecora chuckled. “Twilight Sparkle was not the pony we wished her to be.” The zebra bumped into Sunset’s flank. “I warned you, but none of you ever listened to me.”
“Shove it, Zecora,” Limestone puffed her lips. “I’m proud to be an Equestrian.”
“Ponies can call themselves what they wish,” Flurry offered. “Imperial or Equestrian. The flag of the Equestrian Liberation Front will be the flag of Equestria.”
Sunset glanced at the battered flag hanging on the interior wall. The light blue Equestrian flag portrayed two alicorns circling the sun and moon. “I wonder why,” she rolled her eyes.
“Ponies don’t look at flags anyway,” Dusty huffed. “An idiot could’ve figured out the legend of the Royal Pony Sisters tied to Celestia.”
“Did you figure it out?” Duskcrest needled.
“Wasn’t very good for your academic career to ask questions like that,” Dusty answered. “You end up at a dig site in Yakyakistan, finding shards of crystal armor that the School of Gifted Unicorns tells you to ignore.”
“Yaks like history,” Yona protested. “Many tales of smashing or being smashed by shiny ponies.”
“Surprisingly,” Dusty deadpanned, “the oral history of the Yaks was not an accepted source by Chancellor Neighsay or the EEA.”
“On topic,” Thorax hissed to the table.
“If lines on a map are going to be an argument, I’m not going to get anything done,” Flurry picked up. “The Reich is ready to give over control of Manehattan and most of the surrounding area.”
“Most?” Tempest asked.
“Hayston will be held as a prisoner-of-war camp,” Flurry explained. “It remains under Reichsarmee control. I want the Changeling prisoners shipped out to it. We’ll use the old airship dockyards.” Flurry tapped the pencil in her magic. “General Duskcrest, get with Gallus after this; you’re in charge.”
“It would be better to have unicorns,” Duskcrest responded.
“I agree, but I can’t trust any,” Flurry returned. She glanced at the checklist again and sighed. Just do it now.
“The Great War was hampered by too many high commands. Equestria, the Crystal Empire, New Mareland, the expeditionary forces from Puerto Caballo, the Stalliongrad Soviet…” Flurry Heart trailed off. “My father spent more time attempting to organize the front lines than he did countering the blitz.” She looked around the table.
Nearly everypony nodded in agreement. “We can consolidate our command of the ELF here,” Tempest nickered. “We have Canterlot.”
“Colonel Heartsong is reforming the Imperial Army,” Amethyst said from the side.
“If we are to help the Reichsarmee in the field, we can’t do it with the skeleton of one army and disorganized cells of another.” Flurry shook her head. “We need one command structure. I need an army capable of supporting the front line and guard units to reintegrate liberated areas.”
Sunset rapped a hoof on the table while she thought. “The Equestrian Liberation Front-”
“Is disbanded,” Flurry stated. She levitated up her mother’s royal seal and stamped it down with enough force and magic that the crystal heart charred the paper before her. “It will fold into the Imperial Army of the Empire and Equestria. Field Marshal Tempest Shadow is my High Commander.”
Half the table went very still. The other half shuffled. Flurry turned her head to Limestone, Zecora, Tempest, and Sunset. The broken-horned unicorn did not breathe. “Do you accept the position?” Flurry asked her.
“No,” Sunset snarled.
“I wasn’t asking you, Colonel. You’ll remain in command of the Mages-”
Sunset slammed her hoof into the table while her horn sparked. “No.” Limestone mirrored her from the other side of Zecora. The zebra leaned back with a neutral muzzle.
“The ELF fought well, but I am not continuing a war with militias that steal explosives and barely follow orders,” the alicorn snorted. “I don’t deny their spirit or their willpower.”
“We are not marching lockstep behind the banner of the damn snowflake,” Limestone snarled.
“Get over it, Lime,” Rainbow snapped beside her. “You can still wear whatever armband you want.”
“Ah, the generosity of the ELF,” Amethyst huffed. The crystal pony sneered at the far side of the circle. “I do not know why we continue to have hope in the south.”
“We need a functional army,” Flurry pleaded, “not a scattering of militia about to fall apart any day. A small core of an Imperial Army can be complemented by Imperial Guards and-”
“Imperial!?” Sunset nickered.
Spike slammed his claw down hard enough to punch through the wooden table. His wings twitched as he exhaled a small blue flame.
The room grew very, very quiet.
Spike slowly pulled his arm free and shook away a few splinters. “I sat at a table and listened to too many arguments while Twilight suffered,” the dragon said with a low rumble. “I’m not listening to another round of debate. The decision is done.”
“I need an army that’s not going to kill every changeling they come across,” Flurry elaborated. “If I left the prisoners to the ELF, how many would make it to Hayston?”
“Half,” Tempest answered with a wince.
Flurry nodded. “I want changeling civilians evacuated as well. And the Condensed Love stockpiled at the warehouses.”
“That shit is the blood and tears of millions of ponies in Equestria,” Limestone coughed. “We should burn it.”
Thorax looked to the side.
“It won’t bring back the dead,” Flurry rolled her foreleg over and inspected the bottom of her hoof. “Any future prisoners will need it as well. It's a waste that proves nothing.”
“The Reichsarmee is not taking prisoners,” Tempest pointed out.
“Operating procedure is that every changeling may be a disguised VOPS agent,” Jacques added. “They have too few unicorns at the front to verify.”
“It’s a good strategy,” Thorax stated. “It's driving the civilians west and clogging the Heer’s reinforcements.”
“They can’t run far enough or fast enough,” Rainbow grinned.
“I want an army that’s capable of accepting surrenders,” Flurry said, “and one that won’t hang everypony thrown in front of them as a collaborator.” She tugged a folder free. “Revised stipulations on the treatment of collaborators. The Reichsarmee will turn territory over to us as they advance, but that requires an actual army and country, not whatever we can scrape together.”
Flurry blinked, then decided to say the hard truth. “We barely won this mountain. If we want to look less like a puppet, we have to get our shit together here and now.”
“Surrenders won’t be popular,” Tempest offered.
“Many accused collaborators are simply civilians unsympathetic to the ELF,” Thorax stated in reply.
“That is collaboration,” Rainbow snorted.
“No,” Flurry countered, “ponies that profited off the Hegemony’s rule with servants and slaves are collaborators. The Imperial Guard will assist with supply lines, medical aid, and administration of local areas behind the frontline.”
“They’ll be hard to keep in line,” Spike remarked.
“Yep.” Flurry opened the folder and scanned through it. “Stalliongrad used commissars, right?”
“Oh Gods,” Duskcrest laughed.
“The Royal Guard and Equestrian Army did not,” Sunset deadpanned.
“It also attempted integrated units to everypony’s detriment,” Flurry replied. “The Imperial Guard will remain decentralized, but the Imperial Army will be segregated by ability and tribe.”
“You gonna make earth ponies follow hornhead officers like the old days?” Limestone whickered.
“No. Pegasi units were already separated, as were the Mage Units to unicorns. They were our strongest forces in the war. It’s cruel to ask a unicorn to match the pace of an earth pony, or give too few pegasi to a unit to keep the rain down. Thestrals fly differently, and the crystal ponies need heavier uniforms for their coats.”
Flurry leaned back in the chair. “I’ll leave the composition of the army to my high command…if you accept the positions.”
Tempest looked between Sunset, Limestone, and Zecora. “Why me?” she asked.
“You’re the best commander left, and you have experience leading armies.”
The Storm King’s Right Hoof closed her eyes, then opened them and glared at the Princess. “You hate me.” Her voice was soft.
Flurry exhaled. “I don’t like you,” she confessed, “but if I wanted a room of pedigreed, proper ponies, I wouldn’t have destroyed the remaining nobility of Equestria. They were hardly better.”
Jacques snapped his talons. “Let us face facts: everyone in this room is an asshole. We are at least among company.”
“Some of us are worse than others,” Amethyst snorted. She glared across the table at Tempest. “Slaving bitch.” Jadis worried with her lower lip beside the other crystal pony.
“I’ve killed way more than you,” Flurry said dryly across the table with a glare at Amethyst. “I don’t have much room to judge you, Fizzlepop. You can refuse and I’ll appoint Sunset.”
Sunset laughed ironically. “Really? You think you can buy me with a promotion?”
“I’m sorry I’m not Celestia,” Flurry apologized as sincerely as she could.
Sunset’s laughter stopped. Her ears flicked above a scrunched muzzle. “You’re writing her out of the country she built.”
“Like she did with her own sister?” Jacques coughed into a talon. “Equestria existed before her, you know.”
“I do know,” Sunset answered brusquely. She levitated up a page. “This plan for governates is just like the protectorates the Changelings implemented.”
“We don’t have the resources or time to do anything better,” Flurry retorted.
“This is just feudalism with extra steps,” Sunset pointed out. “What’s the difference between these governates and demesnes?”
“That I can fire the governor at will,” Flurry answered. “They’re part of the bureaucracy now.”
“I mean,” Jacques waved a claw to the alicorn, “that didn’t exactly stop you before.”
“Just…” Sunset trailed off. “Just declare yourself Crystal Empress and be done with it.” The unicorn sagged down in her seat. “Stop with the farce.”
Dusty Mark leaned against the table, muzzle neutral. Jadis and Amethyst ceased glaring at Tempest. Rarity reengaged and looked interested for the first time in several minutes.
Flurry did not respond.
“That’s where this is going,” Sunset said forlornly. “One economy, one army, one government…one Princess.” The unicorn turned to the map. “The lines don’t mean anything. You were born an alicorn beside the Crystal Heart. Stop playing around. Disown Celestia and Luna, and just do it.”
“No,” Flurry refused.
“You think that’s going to convince anypony otherwise?” Sunset asked sardonically.
Flurry took a deep breath. “I begged Celestia and Luna to come back before the battle. They know I’m going to be coronated. If they wanted to come, there isn’t a force on this world that could stop them from showing up.”
“The Griffonian Reich has always been Equestria’s greatest rival.”
“You mean Celestia,” Jacques corrected. “She abhorred the violence on Griffonia. Always has.”
“Celestia is Equestria,” Sunset replied. “She’s been it for a thousand years. Old Equestria is myths and legends, even the Pillars of Harmony were mostly unknown until they stumbled out of Limbo.”
“Whose fault is that?” Dusty scoffed.
“I’m not doing it,” Flurry denied.
Rainbow shrugged her metal wing. “Zecora? You’ve been quiet.”
“It is of no concern to me,” the zebra shrugged. “When the war is done, I wish to return to the Everfree.”
“Sure,” Flurry said. “No offense, but are you even an Equestrian citizen?”
Zecora hummed. “I believe the paperwork was lost in the mail; I might have also failed to follow up.”
Rainbow sighed, “Ditzy…”
“You drove a tank in the war,” Tempest commented with a raised brow.
“A recommendation from an Element of Harmony goes far,” Zecora winked at Rainbow. “Sets quite a high bar.”
Flurry bit her lip. We can’t exactly vet anyone now anyways. “Well, you are now an Equestrian citizen.”
“Says the alicorn who isn’t even the Princess of Equestria yet,” Jacques laughed.
“My mother still had say in Equestria,” Flurry huffed. “Where was it written down that I can’t do that?”
Spike opened his mouth, frowned in thought, then shut it with a clack.
“I have no concern how these realms are bound,” Zecora finished, “but if you only intend to wear one crown…”
“We’ll talk about it later,” Flurry deflected. “Coronation proceeds as planned, and the army reform goes through. Governors.” She levitated a large stack of profiles up from under the table. “Equestria and the Empire will be divided like the Imperial Coast and placed under regional control of a governor. Yes,” she said preemptively, “like the protectorates established by the Hegemony. I am not attempting to reinstate civilian governments during wartime.”
“What about after?” Limestone rasped.
Flurry levitated up a large booklet and thumped it down next to the stack of profiles. Jadis’ cup of water rattled from the impact. The booklet was well-creased and there was a coffee stain on the blank front page. “I read Starlight’s manifesto.”
“It’s not a manifesto,” Sunset denied.
“I can tell the parts Starlight wrote by the gratuitous defense of a return to cutie mark employment after the war,” Flurry replied. “Which is also highly impractical by the way, but I’m willing to attempt it in small measures.”
“Flurry?” Thorax whispered, “on topic.”
“These governates are temporary mandates,” Flurry refocused. “They will be divided into subregions post-war with limited local elections. For now, they will be a Pegasus Military Meritocracy like the old Armada, answerable to me. Governors have full authority to appoint their cabinets and tend to their areas.”
“So a Daring Do villain can do whatever he wants in the southeast?” Rainbow nickered.
“Yes!” Caballeron called out from his table. “I am willing to sack Jungle Trek and replace him if you’d like to change careers, Air Marshal!”
Another stallion shouted in annoyance.
“And a communist,” Flurry pointed out. “Arctic Lily is doing fine. In the future, the Crystal Empire will be broken into several territories, but for now the north is largely unsettled.”
Yona spat onto the table. “When do we talk about killing bugs?”
“As soon as we hash out a functional government,” Thorax hissed. “We cannot debate every issue. The Imperial Coast, the Southeast, and the Imperial Center have governors.”
“The Reich is prepared to transfer Manehattan,” Flurry repeated. She plucked a folder out of her stack, marked by a sheet of yellow paper. “Based on Sunset Shimmer’s recommendation, Kingfisher has the credentials and prior experience. Kingfisher, former governor of the state of Celestia?”
A brown, hazel-eyed earth pony approached from one of the other tables. He sat down in a rumpled suit, then bowed his head. “Princess?” Kingfisher was lean, but lacked any scarring; he was a diplomat for the ELF.
“You have a history of going after corporations and wealth redistribution,” Flurry summarized, “so you get the east coast.”
“Where the majority of Equestria’s corporations were based,” Spike puffed.
Flurry slapped the dragon’s side with her wing. “Do you accept the position?” she asked the earth pony.
“I do, Princess.”
“Rise, Governor Kingfisher.”
“Many ponies on the coast remain in dire situations,” Kingfisher said as he stood up. “Famine is a major concern.”
“You set the mandate, Governor,” Flurry deferred, “as long as it does not conflict with mine. I need war time production, and I need ponies not to starve. Do whatever you need to do.”
“As you say, Princess.”
“Do not make me come over there,” Flurry said in her high-pitched, sweet voice.
Kingfisher returned to a far table, slightly smirking.
“You are aware he’s a socialist, right?” Spike whispered.
“Yeah,” Flurry whispered back. “Surprised he was Sunset’s top pick.”
Sunset Shimmer leaned back in her chair with a frown, eyes searching at the alicorn across from her.
“For the Equestrian Heartlands and Canterlot, the area will be directly controlled from Canterlot Castle and the regency staff for Twilight.” Flurry spared a look at Spike. The dragon nodded as if it was foolish to think he’d ever leave Twilight’s side. “Do you have a pick?”
“No. Whoever you pick will work with me.” The statement was made as a concrete fact, but carried itself like a threat to the entire room.
I probably shouldn’t have held this in the dining room Equestria’s nobility died in. Too late now. Flurry retrieved another folder and opened it up. She kept her muzzle from curling.
Much of Equestria’s nobility was dead, either from her ‘party’ or war casualties or the ELF. The ones that still survived and supported the Equestrian Liberation Front had done so through off-shore accounts, mercenaries, equipment, and war material purchased through dubious means.
As high-minded as Starlight tried to be, apparently Trixie had contacts.
“Slush Fund,” Flurry openly sighed.
Nopony stepped forward from the far tables. Ponies looked around with flicking ears. Flurry stretched her neck out and spied the table of low horns. One was lower than the others.
“Slush Fund,” Flurry repeated. “Your offshore accounts were of great value to the Equestrian Liberation Front.”
“We thank you for your efforts,” Tempest added with a clearly rehearsed line.
A small, shaking unicorn was eventually pushed out from under a tablecloth by the other unicorns and tottered over to the round table. She smoothed her dress and bowed to the floor rather than take a seat. “H-how m-may I s-serve the Princess?”
“I’m…” Flurry paused, “…leery of trusting a pony named Slush Fund, but it’s not like I have room to throw stones. You’re not getting your barony back, but you will assist Canterlot, Governor Slush.”
The unicorn practically melted back against the floor. “T-thank you, Princess.”
“No embezzlement,” Flurry added absently as she returned to her stack of papers.
“Of course n-not, Princess.” Slush stood up and began to totter back on shaky legs.
“I must ask,” Duskcrest interrupted and twisted around in his chair to face the back wall. “Did you choose that name or did your parents hate you?”
Slush Fund's tail curled as she retreated to the other former nobles.
“Be nice,” Flurry chided without looking up from the report.
“Griffons choose sensible names.” Duskcrest twisted back.
“Says the mountain bandit named Virgil,” Dusty snorted beside him. She jabbed his wing with her horn. “Big scary bandit too afraid to tell everyone he’s named after some old Griffon poem.”
Duskcrest’s feathers flushed. “Not my fault my parents had a lack of sense.”
Flurry looked up and raised a brow. “Virgil?”
Virgil Duskcrest crossed his arms. “Yes,” he admitted, “some old poem or something. Dad raided some traveling book merchant once. Burned most of them during the winter. Kept some old poem about a Wingbardian going to Maar’s Hell. Don’t remember it.”
“Virgil,” Dusty sang beside the griffon. He swatted her horn away with an irritated wing. It exposed the holstered pistol.
“I shot the last person that called me Virgil,” Duskcrest growled.
“It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Virgil,” Jacques immediately cut in.
“Yeah, Virgil,” Dusty added. “We all have unflattering names. You’re among friends.”
Duskcrest took a deep breath and deflated with a rumbling, sad purr. “Please stop.”
“Do not tease General Duskcrest. Next topic,” Flurry stated. She set the papers down and turned her muzzle up to Spike with a whisper. “I promised those hornheads positions, so pick who you can and work with them.”
“Right,” Spike agreed with a dry rasp. “I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to work with a dragon.”
“Better you than me.”
His lips curled into a small smile for the first time since he appeared. “True.”
“All right, the region of Stalliongrad, formerly known as Severyana…” Flurry shuffled through papers. “Based on Colonel Shimmer’s recommendation, Captain Alesia Snezhnaya will assume control of the region.”
Alesia had a long series of mercenary deployments in Zebrica before returning to fight for the ELF. Sunset’s summary noted she was a harsh leader, but organized. Perfect for the ruins. Flurry raised her head.
A blue earth pony with a perpetual frown stepped forward in a pressed uniform. Flurry didn’t recognize the make; it wasn’t an ELF uniform and vaguely resembled a Reichsarmee officer’s outfit. The mare stamped a tan-booted hoof into the floor three times, but remained silent and did not take a seat.
“Governor Snezhnaya,” Flurry acknowledged, “are you prepared to assume your command?”
“Yes, Princess,” Alesia said with a rumbling Stalliongrad accent.
Flurry smiled. “Congratulations, comrade. Do Stalliongrad proud.”
The mare’s severe frown became more severe. In fact, her sharp blue eyes somehow frowned with the rest of her muzzle. The mare visibly took a deep breath through her nose. “I will try, Princess.”
Sunset coughed into a hoof. “Uh, Princess?”
Flurry looked down at the report. “She’s not a communist, is she?”
“She is not,” Thorax whispered.
Flurry turned to Sunset. “You wrote she fought in Stalliongrad’s revolution.”
“Against it.”
“You could have fucking written that part down too.” Flurry turned a brittle smile back to the mare. Alesia had not moved. Or, seemingly, breathed. “Right, uh, Governor Alesia?”
The mare’s cap atop her head marginally bobbed.
“Sorry about that. I’m the Red Princess, you know?”
“I assumed it referred to the blood of your enemies,” Alesia responded with an utterly flat intonation.
“Probably does,” Flurry shrugged, “but, uh, let’s keep the communist crushing to a minimum. Stalliongrad’s already rubble. I need the supply lines from Nova Griffonia in order.”
“Of course,” Alesia drawled. “I’m sure our…comrades will be happy to work.”
“If they aren’t, you can, uh, motivate them,” Flurry offered. “As you deem necessary.”
Alesia’s frown softened. It was hard to tell, mostly a mild crease line from the edge of her muzzle. “Rations are tight.”
“Just get it done,” Flurry ordered. She turned back to the papers, then snapped her head up. “Last thing.”
Alesia’s cap moved slightly.
“If they rebel again, I’m either going up there and crushing it, or letting them tear you limb from limb. That depends entirely on you.” Flurry nudged her own cap with a flash of her horn. “I am not Celestia.”
Alesia made a hum of what could have been mild approval. “Clearly not. You will have your supply lines, Princess.”
Flurry let out a breath and moved the folders to the side. “Okay. As I said earlier, these governates are temporary and subject to redistricting post-war. If everyone preforms well, I will remember it. If you don’t, I’ll also remember that. Are we clear?”
Jacques raised his claw. “For the record, Arantigos' empire fell to infighting after his death because of a position such as this. The Diadochi carved apart his realm.”
“The same would have been true for the Pax Chrysalia,” Thorax commented. “I would hope that all here have enough belief in Equestria to avoid that fate.”
I doubt that, hence the centralized army. Flurry regarded the ELF’s guiding document. “I have made a decision. I promised I would consider a parliament and prime minister once Canterlot has been taken.”
Tempest and Sunset stared across the table.
“We need to do a census post-war, and we will hold a referendum on the structure of Equestria and the Empire. If ponies desire a parliament, they can vote for one.” Flurry pushed the large, stapled folder to Spike's side.
“And you’ll implement it?” Sunset asked.
“Yes. I promise.”
Rarity snorted, “Promise made by a mare that killed two-hundred ponies in this very-”
“Rarity.” Spike’s voice boomed. “Shut. Up.”
The unicorn puffed her cheeks to glare at Spike, then froze and wilted under his eyes. Flurry looked out of her peripherals. He had the same look as when he slammed her into the wall.
“I told her to run when we found out about Blackpeak,” Spike’s voice broke, but did not lose the heat and anger. He swung his stare around the room. “All of us in this room are only here because of one filly. She’s the one that brought us together and took us this far. Not us. We can sit around and scream at her for what she’s done to drag us forward, or we can do the fucking work we’ve been passing off to a foal.”
“Okay,” Flurry said after a moment of silence. “Next topic.” She rummaged about until she found the checklist.
By the Heart…or should I say Sweet Celestia? Flurry licked her lips. “Coin Purse,” she called out with a cracking voice. “Please, tell me how fucked our economy is.”
An off-white unicorn in a threadbare tweed jacket stepped up to the round table. His horn struggled to levitate two folders beside him. It wasn’t because they were very large. The divot at the base of his horn made his telekinetic field wobble.
“As you so eloquently put it, Princess,” Coin said in a monotone, “we are fucking broke. Queen Chrysalis converted the castle’s vault into an indoor swimming pool, one that she intended to fill with golden bits printed with her face. The project never materialized.”
“Probably would’ve helped if it did,” Jacques mumbled.
“After reviewing the Reich’s economic aid package, we have reached two conclusions.”
Flurry waited.
So did Coin.
“And they are?” Flurry prompted him.
“It will utterly chain Equestria and the Empire’s economy to the Griffonian Reich in ruinous debt for the next century,” Coin stated in a monotone.
“And the second conclusion?” Flurry groaned.
“It is necessary if we want our grandfoals to avoid starvation.”
Flurry blinked and sat up straight. It wasn’t the answer she expected, nor was it the answer most of the table thought was coming. Limestone glared at him.
Coin shuffled through a folder with bloodshot eyes behind thick glasses. “I have several suggested measures that may ease the burden of long-term debt.”
“By all means,” Flurry waved her wing.
“F&F Industries and Rockfeller Oil remain the largest conglomerates remaining in the south. In the west, Hayland and Wolf Shipyards consolidated around Vanhoover.” Coin adjusted his fogged-up glasses with his horn.
“Wait,” Rainbow interrupted, “Flim and Flam? Those assholes are still alive?”
“Based in Las Pegasus,” Tempest answered.
Coin shuffled papers. “Many of the remaining corporations that survived the Pax Chrysalia did so by partnering with the Hegemony. By doing so, they are traitors to the crown and their assets are forfeit.”
“I’m running out of rich ponies to kill and take their stuff.” Flurry slumped in the chair. “Any others?”
The round table shuffled around in their seats. “Technically, that’s called proscription, Princess,” Jacques provided.
“Very ‘griffon’ to have a specific word for that,” Flurry said dryly. “Thanks, Jacques.”
“Coin,” Sunset whickered in exasperation. “Your assessment.”
“Princess, I would recommend nationalizing the remaining corporations to ease the burden of debt,” Coin finally suggested. “Whatever remains can be sold to the Reich.”
Flurry shrugged a wing. “Okay.”
“You were supposed to come up with a plan that avoids us becoming a puppet state,” Limestone rasped. “Nice job, hornhead.”
“We can’t do anything until we retake the rest of Equestria,” Sunset added.
“I will be blunt,” Coin snorted. “We lack ponypower to staff all our factories. The Hegemony has bled us dry for near a decade. We gain nothing by keeping these assets, and selling them to the Griffonian Reich now will allow us to stand back up on our own four hooves earlier.”
“When we do stand up, we aren’t going to have anything!” Limestone rasped.
Coin looked to the map on the windows. “When the war is done, the Princess has two-thirds of Equus, and that isn’t counting Olenia and the Changeling Lands. We may very well have all of it.”
Flurry glanced at Thorax, who licked his left fang in a signal to say nothing.
“Post-war, an aggressive repopulation campaign using the Reich's infrastructure can offset the damage of the Pax Chrysalia in two centuries.” Coin returned to his notes.
“Centuries!?” Limestone coughed. “Hornhead, we don’t have centuries.”
“Forgive me,” Coin apologized in a monotone, “I used to give assessments to Prin…to Celestia.”
“You can call her Princess,” Flurry waved a hoof.
“I’d rather not,” Coin replied. “Apologies, Princess. Force of habit. My wife and son are dead while she’s in the Riverlands.”
Any mirth at the table was sucked out of the room. Coin rubbed a cloth from his jacket at the divot in his horn before continuing. “Princess, in terms of the food situation, the communes are a stopgap measure at best. My team has compiled a three-year plan to be implemented post-war.”
Flurry took a deep breath and nodded. She braced her forelegs on the table.
“This will take but a moment.”
It took six hours.
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At first, I avoided this story do to lack of knowledge of the source material. When I was bored one day, I decided to give it a shot. I have since read it through four times in two months. You wordplay and writing are incredibly captivating, and I personally believe thT this is the best fic on this site. It has even done what I thought was impossible, and convinced me to buy HOI4 just so I could experience the mod that inspired this fic. I'm so excited that it is updating again, and 8 can't wait for more! :D
11643736
I just assumed that that is where hippogriffs came from
What a coincidence that I'm playing as Alesia for the first time and she now appears here! also I like you that you included your other character Jungle Trek.
I really like how you included your OC from your other story, Jungle Trek. He's a very funny one, hope to see more of him in this fic!
Can’t believe how Jungle Trek is making a reappearance from your other fic! Is he your OC?
Okay, I have to ask, is there a discord? (Not the draconequss 😉). Also, loved the humor with Duty Price.
11652476
Well, thank you so much. When I started writing the fic, I wanted it to be accessible for someone without Equestria at War knowledge. (Hence the slightly clunky opening chapters that summarize what happened so far.)
11652553
Equestria at War does indeed have a Discord, and I am usually on the FanficZone whenever a chapter posts. Check out the reddit for the invite.
I had a feeling Flurry was going to announce the betrothal here, suprised I was wrong. She's going to have to mention it at some point, this seemed like the ideal oppertunity. Just get everything out there while they're planning the rebuilding.
Still, loved this chapter. Seeing this focus on the logistics of what comes after the war is really refreshing. The aknowledgement of what Flurry did to Nova Griffonia was appreciated, and Sunset's got more of a point than I think anyone's comfortable with, though Crytlstal Empress might be a tad dramatic(not inaccurate though).
11652589
Meeting ain't over yet.
11652594
Oh SHIT
It really took six hours to invite Jacques to a birthday party. Damn, that battle must have been fierce. Like forget the Celestial Plain, forget the Duskwood, Equestria will never again experience a war like the battle for the Princesses Plus One.
I love that this is back! Can you tell us anything about what you were doing with the EAW team?
Ah, it's great to be back and I have to say I am unreasonably happy about Aleksia being made governor.
She's a reactionary that was missing on Flurry's political rainbow from hell. Like she already has comunists, all kinds of pro democratic people and who I presume are facists(???) but a good old reactionary wasn't there. It's like getting last pokemon that was missing from my collection. Well back on topic let's see how things develop in Severyana(HA).
Happy to see it's back.
I really like the focus on rebuilding, infrastructure, and logistics. I honestly find it more interesting than a lot of the war stuff. Though the relationship between Flurry and Grover still takes the number one spot by far. Speaking of which, I imagine Flurry has one hell of a bombshell to drop at the end of the meeting.
Honestly a great chapter. Excellent writing, good balance between sober and funny. Actually smart ideas about restoration of a ruined nation.
All the things I enjoy
Crazy baseless conspiracy theory time: Alesia is secretly a chirropterran agent. After fighting for the bats as a collaborator in the North Zebrican War, she was sent to Equestria as an agent and joined the ELF. She agreed to go along with it, not because she is loyal to Chirropterra or anything like that, but because she sees it as her best shot at fulfilling her dream of a strong and independent Tsardom of Severyana.
And I do like the detail Alesia frowning harder when Flurry called it Stalliongrad instead of Severyana, hah!
11652607
Dread it, run from it, the economy talk still arrives...
11652640
"The Red Princess" is one of her weaker nicknames, admittedly, but several have double meanings. "The Princess of Hope/Rope" is an obvious one. "The Miracle of the North" is unambiguously positive, but then there's "Maar's Daughter" right beside it. As for Alesia, Flurry's embarrassed at the gaffe, but she's not opposed to appointing somepony rabidly anti-communist over what remains of Stalliongrad. I'm sure for the few remaining dedicated communists, it's a big disappointment that the Red Princess isn't as red as they would like. It's also a relief to the monarchist/reactionaries.
Flurry does not like corporations and is sympathetic to wealth redistribution, but calling her a communist is a big stretch. Her housing, commune, and factory policies are driven by pragmatism, not ideology. She similarly doesn't like idle nobility, but also is pretty dismissive of democracy. She has the ideology of a seventeen-year-old: a mess of things she personally does not like or encountered. Luckily, that gives a little bit of everything so everyone has something to grasp onto in support of her.
Very pleased to see this fic updated
I kind of hope RD takes Cabelleron on for a career change. It would be hilarious watching them argue. Plus that ending. His Family is dead, and Celestia ran. Not everyone wants Celestia back. Which makes me want to see her and Luna attempt to return.
11652569
I'm sure this happy herd will be excited about the wedding announcement.
11652797
I'm expecting a VERY cold reception. Followed by assassination attempts from EVERYWHERE.
Me: Huh, it’s been a while since the last chapter of The Princess and The Kaiser. It would be really cool if it updated.
checks feed to see what fics have posted chapters recently
Me: Well, I’ll be damned.
>It took six hours.
yeah....any time someone tells you "economics are easy"
run. NOW. economics, specially when it comes to supply lines for cities, are so complex and insane it hurts your head to imagine the full scope. hence most people summarizing it xD
>"We can sit around and scream at her for what she’s done to drag us forward, or we can do the fucking work we’ve been passing off to a foal.”
dayum that is an epic quote. and so true
Flurry isn't the pony she wanted to be, nor who she would have been if not for all of this. they can call her a monster, but she's the monster they made, because she, growing up as a foal, dealt with all the trouble that came as a result of their actions. Flurry isn't who she wanted to be, she's the monster THEY made.
And ironically, she's doing an insanely good job in the face of such hard choices, choices that killed the ELF and Equestria.
and the biggest irony is, most of those ponies have no idea just how much their problems have cost her. When the announcement of her wedding comes out, alot will freak out, and some will realize decades later that its their own wants/needs that caused her to go to that length.
She's given all for her people and country, Red Princess might stand for communists, it might stand for the blood of her enemies, or it might be her own blood she's shed for others future.
Hell yes, the best fic is back
💀💀💀 Sounds not good
Ooooohhhh.gif
I hope the ELF won't need a "Night of the Long Horns" in the future... not like they'll attempt anything while at war, but after...
It melts my brain imagining what it must be like having to write for this multitude of characters with disparate goals and beliefs, managing to let each one make sense to themselves based on their individual circumstances, all while separating that from the biases of your own beliefs.
And then you go and write them in rooms together. And you have them say things!
"The problem with arguing with kings is that if you ask "Who died & made you king?" they can tell you.
Witches Abroad (Pratchett)
I'm glad you are injecting a bit of humor on this story, some lighthearted moments are great in a tragic story, since well... They make the tragic moments more tragic and vice-versa
Good to see you back
Economy Stuff (Yay.)
Uuuufff I really felt that, poor flurry is going to age ten times faster from the pressure.
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Did you actually copyright the character? File for it and everything? Or are you just being a cunt?
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Gotcha, thank you!
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Maybe it could be both, but changes on the context, but the context for this one is iffy enough, that either could be the interpretation
The community memes are real.
>Alesia on reccomendation of Sunset (haha funni lesbian mercenaries)
>Jungle Trek being mentioned (I should probably choke Baron with his entrails right about now)
Another great chapter, I loved it! Although I don't think appointing Alesia to Stalliongrad is the best idea (for obvious reasons), I think Gold Muffin would've been a better candidate. Let's hope (not if) when Alesia screws up and gets lynched Flurry will appoint him instead.
Also Kingfisher is here!
Every pony a princess every pony a princess
For you can be a millionare
But there's something belonging to others
There's enough for all people to share
When it's sunny june or december too
Or in the winter time or spring
There'll be peace without end
Every neighbor a friend
With every pony a princess!
I got hit by a train when i read this. HE. IS. NOT. A. SOCIALIST.
You’re setting up for the horrors of a post-war Equestria and I really hope we get to see the good and bad of its recovery. There are Jenga games with more stability than the growing government in this room.
Six hours of Economic talks, is Flurry trying to kill all the ponies in this room again? You’ve said Flurry is smarter than she herself thinks but has she finally met her match?
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I really hope we get to see Celestia and Luna show up and be like "Yes we're here to reclaim our country" only for Equestria to throw them the fuck out
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exactly.
kingfisher is based off of Huey Long, and he is a populist.
populist and socialist are 2 different things.
i wont get into detail, but huey long is actually really interesting to research, as is populism.
You put alot of thought into details around policy and governing and the like that many war-fics lack. Kudos to you!
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E V E R Y M A N O N E A K I N G
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Depends if they show up as diplomats or not. If they do, then rules change.
God I love this man
Helpful man he is there!
I want a full picture of spike in uniform