The Millennium Archives

by Moonatik

The First North Zebrica War

“You wanna see something cool?” Moonatik takes a box binder out of the desk, the characters “1NZW” written on the label. He reaches in and retrieves a scroll. As he unfurls it, you notice an animated image is displayed on the scroll.

“I love magic,” he chuckles. “Right, what you see there is a map summary of the war between the Lunar Empire and the Storm King. The most important parts, anyway. For a more detailed look, here’s what the Lunars themselves had to say about it.”

After collecting a magazine out of the binder Moonatik places it on the desk and opens it.

History of the First North Zebrica War, published in an official Imperial Lunar Military periodical, March 1009.

Background

Before the turn of the millennium the Storm King's armies had rampaged across Zebrica with impunity; the forces of the Storm King had displaced, wounded, enslaved, and killed countless millions. As the Storm King's armies forced their way into Zarantia and neared Chiropterran borders, conflict between the two titanic powers was inevitable. Rather than allow the Storm King to attack whenever best suited him, the Lunar Empire decided to strike first.

Phase 1, the Chiropterran War

It began at 3am Chiropterran time on 14 September 1004 with a swift and bloodless operation to seize the city of Tobuck and the abandoned coastal regions of Zarantia before the Storm King had a chance to take them himself. What followed was a colossal land, air, and sea offensive against Storm forces in North Zebrica. The two armies clashed at Darnaigh on 20 September 1004, with the Lunar forces led by Lady Commander Lightning Charm and the Storm forces led by Commander Tempest Shadow. The Lunar commitment to the war was solidified with the words of the Empress herself: “We will not rest until their kingdom is in ruins!”

The Battle of Darnaigh concluded in a hard won Lunar victory, as the Chiropterrans were equipped with modern tanks, planes, and artillery built in Equestria which outmatched the Storm King's imposing yet inferior weaponry and airships.

Situation on 20 September 1004.

While the Storm Forces had failed to seize Tobuck they continued to charge north, first into Zumidia and then into Warzena and finally Colthage before the Lunar forces could keep pace. All three nations crumbled before the mad conqueror's vast armada, and had their fields and cities sacked, burned, and decimated by the invaders. In response, Lunar forces launched broad offensives against the occupied lands in a hope to stall the Storm King’s armies.

Over the next six months, the frontlines moved back and forth across Zarantia, Warzena, and Zumidia. Even Tobuck itself was taken by the Storm King after a brutal battle in January 1005 where the legendary Firstborn Legion and the Children of the Moon Legion narrowly avoided encirclement. Moonspeaker Hollow fell under a massive airship attack on 19 February 1005, which was swiftly repelled thanks to the colossal defensive infrastructure developed by General Stone Palisade, which earned him a promotion to Lord Commander of the Starborn Legion.

But soon after, the tide shifted in the Lunar favour. Commander Tempest Shadow, the Storm King's own lieutenant, defected to the Lunar Empire a few months after the beginning of the war, and she provided valuable knowledge of the Storm Kingdom’s doctrine, technology, and weaknesses. Later, Equestria sent 130,000 experienced veterans equipped with cutting edge technology to North Zebrica to act as the vanguard of a new offensive and put them under the command of General Tempest Shadow. While many Lunar commanders were sceptical of Tempest Shadow's earnest commitment to Lunar interests, Empress Nightmare Moon gave Tempest Shadow her personal endorsement and assured her subjects that Tempest was to be trusted. Additionally, the Changeling Lands sent 2 tank divisions to North Zebrica to aid Lunar forces in the first overseas deployment of Changeling military personnel since the Lunar-Changeling War.

General Tempest Shadow and Sergeant Sol Nightshade at the Battle of Aghzat.

Phase 2, the Lunar War

Under General Tempest Shadow's command, the Equestrian Expeditionary Force raced through North Zebrica destroying all that the Storm King had to throw at them. On 11 May, Tobuck had been reclaimed. On 14 July 1005, Agzhat had been taken by advancing Lunar forces. On 24 September, the Battle of Ain Trotgourait ended in the biggest defeat for the Storm King by material and troop losses than any preceding battle. Lunar forces then struck the Storm King’s forces in formerly Colthaginian territory, eliminating all Storm forces west of the city of Colthage itself.

In response to their rapidly receding lines, the Storm King instituted a scorched earth policy, decimating any lands that they risked losing to the advancing Lunar forces. This policy was, by some estimates, responsible for the deaths of up to three million creatures across North Zebrica, overwhelmingly civilians.

The vast dedication of forces to North Zebrica by the Storm King had drained his many occupied territories of needed equipment and soldiers to quell rebellion, which is exactly what followed in the months following the Battle of Ain Trotgourait. Country by country, the Storm King's Empire was crumbling.

A desperate retreat from North Zebrica was ordered to keep the Empire together, but unbeknownst to the Storm King, Lunar forces had his planned evacuation route through Maregypt (which was in open revolt) cut off. The Storm King's personal flagship was ambushed by a force personally led by Tempest Shadow at the Battle of Menzaka on April 2 1006. In a climatic final duel, Tempest Shadow herself struck the Storm King down in one-on-one combat, killing him for good.

After two years and millions of lives lost, the First North Zebrica War was over.

Aftermath

With the Storm King gone and his Empire crumbling, Zebrica erupted into celebration. Yet there was still much work to be done. Much of the territory in North Zebrica was admitted to the Chiropterran Commonwealth. Zumidia, Warzena, and most of Zarantia were peacefully integrated into the Chiropterran administration to ensure the quick reestablishment of peace and order. The Second of April was declared Victory in Zebrica Night, a new national holinight. Zarantia was reestablished as a Lunar Dominion and western Colthage was brought under direct Lunar Military occupation.

As normality returned, the Lunar instrument of war became a force for peace. Lunar soldiers aided and oversaw the physical reconstruction of infrastructure, the return and rehousing of refugees, and the restoration of civil governance. Equestrian and Chiropterran units alike set up food, water, and fuel distribution points and medical clinics. As the victorious Equestrian combat units headed home, the long struggle of reconstruction was just beginning.

Zebrica as a whole looked to the Lunar Empire for leadership. The defeat of the Storm King at Lunar hooves turned Empress Nightmare Moon into a beloved figure across much of the continent, with nicknames such as “The Savior of Zebrica”, “The Storm Slayer”, and “The Lunar Liberator” catching on amongst the populace. Thus, the Zebrican Phoenix Initiative was launched by the Lunar Empire, a project which offered generous loans and physical aid to rebuild and develop Zebrica in the aftermath of the Storm King's rampage. This included literacy programs, building of infrastructure, and building vast radio and telephone networks. Empress Nightmare Moon herself toured the cities of Zebrica on the invitation of local administrators to personally oversee the acceptance of aid, being met by adoring crowds everywhere she went.

Tonight, the Chiropterran Commonwealth and the whole Lunar Empire stand as bastions of order and protectors of peace in the tumultuous continent of Zebrica. (See: Operation WINTERSHIELD and Operation HOWLING)

---

“Now that’s what the mouthpieces of the top brass had to say.” Moonatik flips through the magazine to a later page. “What about the soldiers themselves?”

“The War in North Zebrica Remembered By Those Who Served” published in an official Imperial Lunar Military periodical, March 1009.

Pilot Officer Ballet Nimbus, 12th Attack Aircraft Wing (Stratusburg, Equestria).

As a Hurricane fighter-bomber pilot, the hardest part was usually accuracy, hard to hit something as small as a pillbox or a tank when you’re flying a hunk of metal at 200mph. But the thing about the Storm Empire is that they flew these huge honking airships you could spot from miles away. Literally. They eventually got tougher air defences on their ships, modern AA guns and the like, but there was never any question as to who was on top. My most memorable mission had to be Operation SCORCHER. This was during the campaign through Zumidia on the way to Ain Trotgourait, and our job was to stop or slow a huge aerial convoy of Storm troops and equipment headed straight for Ain Trotgourait. Once our bombers and our fighter escorts were through their defences, it was bombs away. I remember being bang on target, sending an airship down in flames and crashing into another airship on its way down! Needless to say, that convoy didn’t cause any trouble to our forces.

Corporal Hoppy, 2nd Armoured Division (Vanhoover, Equestria)

What consistently surprised us was how bad the climate messed up our gear. Most of it was built during the War Against Sombra so it was meant to fight in the frozen north, not the deserts and tropical forests and grasslands of North Zebrica. Sand and dust and bugs and everything you don't want got all up in the engines. Thankfully the vehicles were designed with ease of repair in mind and we had spare parts for just about everything, but it was still a massive pain in the rear. Every tank we used needed its engine replaced at some point. The heat turned tanks into ovens, so we had to install air conditioners on all our armoured vehicles. A spell to keep myself cool only got us so far, but that wasn’t really an option when a ton of our armour crews had no unicorns. Even though the sun wasn’t visible didn’t mean its heat wasn’t felt.

Corporal Stigma, 2nd Tank Division (Vraks, Changeling Lands).

None of us were enthusiastic about going to Zebrica, but Queen Argynnis ordered us to aid our pony allies in their war and we have a duty to our Queen. I was an infiltrator, more than anything I remember the scorching tropical and desert heat, and I was terrified that I’d blow my cover with all the sweating and panting. Fortunately, the Yetis were just as used to the heat as we were, so we fit right in. In fact, we had absolutely no trouble flying under their watch. There were no anti-changeling countermeasures. No stunsticks, no dissipation fields, no regular screening or questioning, no nothing. I don’t think a single changeling got caught once, at least noling in my company. But what really surprised me was the tenacity and rigour of the Equestrians and Chiropterrans. We all gained a new respect for our pony allies in this conflict, and I’m glad that we’re facing the future together.

Sergeant Stratocaster, 6th Infantry Division (Las Pegasus, Equestria).

During the campaign in Zumidia our unit was initially supposed to aid in the battle for the city of Ain Trotgourait. We were a few miles to the east of the city on the eve of the attack, but our command issued new orders: carry on north until we hit the coast to encircle Storm forces. As we carried on up north, we encountered no resistance. The sky was clear of airships, the ground was clear of troops, the roads were clear of traps. We passed through villages, most of their buildings reduced to burnt rubble and with no locals in sight. At one point when we stopped to rest in a quiet place in the woods. We were cooking something over the campfire when one of us pointed out that he couldn’t even hear the ambient chitter of bugs or wildlife. That’s when it hit us, the Storm King’s rampage had spared nothing.

Major Victoria Sponge, 8th Infantry Division (Manehattan, Equestria).

Anyone who’s passed basic training is familiar with the survivability onion. Don't be detected, if detected don't be acquired, if acquired don't be hit, if hit don't be killed. Probably missed a step or two there, but here's the thing: The Storm King's guys skipped every step. They had a different approach, be as big and as loud and as dumb as you possibly can be so everyone can see you. Probably worked when their opponents were tribal zebras with spears and breech loaders. Not so much when they came up against us. During the campaign in Zarantia I fought alongside Tempest Shadow herself in many battles, we all respected the way she led from the front. She helped us identify weaknesses in just about every force we encountered, allowing for swift surgical strikes that crippled whole Storm divisions. We’d spot a bunch of their troops, she’d point to where we needed to fire, and their force fell apart like a stale cookie. Really amazing leadership.

Private Dust Cover, 3rd Imperial Rifles Division (Batsby, Chiropterra).

What I remember most was when I was captured by the Storm King’s forces along with two hundred or so other ponies, right before Equestrian troops arrived. They huddled us onto an airship and stuffed us in cages, flying us off to occupied Tobuck. Greeting us when we disembarked was a Storm Commander. The Commander used us as forced labour, and to intimidate us they grabbed the highest ranking Lunar soldier present, a Senior Lieutenant, and broke their legs. If anyone was caught slowing down or stopping for too long, The Commander broke their hind legs. It went on like this for three weeks. We had a chance to escape when a Lunar attack hit our position, me and six others breaking free and running into a nearby basement for shelter. Ten hours later we were finally rescued by Lunar forces, led by General Tempest Shadow herself.

---

A post-it note is stuck onto the last account. It reads ‘redacted and censored’. “See that last one?” Moonatik taps the post-it note. “It was edited a little before publication.” He takes a piece of paper out of the binder. “Here’s the real deal, see if you can catch the differences.”

Private Dust Cover, 3rd Imperial Rifles Division (Batsby, Chiropterra).

What I remember most was when I was captured by the Storm King’s forces along with two hundred or so other ponies, right before Equestrian troops arrived. They huddled us onto an airship and stuffed us in cages, flying us off to occupied Tobuck. Greeting us when we disembarked was the Storm King’s own lieutenant, Tempest Shadow herself. She used us as forced labour, and to intimidate us she grabbed the highest ranking Lunar soldier present, a Senior Lieutenant, and broke their legs with her own hooves. If anyone was caught slowing down or stopping for too long, Tempest Shadow broke their hind legs. It went on like this for three weeks. At some point in those three weeks Tempest Shadow stopped directly overseeing us. We had a chance to escape when a Lunar attack hit our position, me and six others breaking free and running into a nearby basement for shelter. Ten hours later we were finally found by Lunar forces, led by Tempest Shadow herself. I thought she was about to break my legs, but she didn’t seem to recognise us at all. Turns out she’d switched sides and was leading an Equestrian army deployed to North Zebrica, and we were expected to follow her commands. I didn’t know what to think of that. I’ve always trusted the Nightmare, since her return I’ve trusted her judgement. But this was far too strange.

---

Moonatik blows a breath out. “Mad, innit?”

“Now for the opposite perspective, the solidly anti-Lunar perspective, on what was going on.” He takes another document out of the binder. “For that we got an Arisian newspaper about a specific event from the war, an event that Lunar media seldom ever mentions.”

Mount Aris Express report on the Arisian reaction to the Ain Trotgourait Uprising (14/12/1005).

Calls for intervention in North Zebrica grow louder as Lunar Empire cracks down on Ain Trotgourait uprising

Protests have been ongoing across Hippogriffia and parts of Seaquestria denouncing the Lunar Empire’s actions in North Zebrica and calling for Arisian intervention.

Debate on whether Aris should involve itself with the Storm-Lunar War intensified recently as the Lunar Empire launched a bloody crackdown in Ain Trotgourait, a city they have occupied for several months.

“We can’t let either Nightmare Moon or the Storm King rule Zebrica,” a hippogriff protester said at a rally in Canterford. “Whoever wins, they’ll come for Aris next.”

Zebra refugees from across North Zebrica participated in large numbers, standing at the front of many demonstrations carrying banners reading ‘stop the slaughter’ and ‘save Zebrica’.

“I lost my uncle to the Storm King and my sister to Nightmare Moon,” a Warzenan refugee said at a rally in Winggarden. “We are begging the hippogriffs, we are begging the world, do something!”

Conversely, demonstrations were held across Seaquestria against further involvement, with a small number in Hippogriffia. The goals of the protests range from barring any involvement in the conflict to closing Aris’s borders to North Zebrican refugees.

Leader of Aris First and former Prime Minister Raft Wood spoke at a rally in Squidville. “Aris has absolutely nothing to gain from getting ourselves entangled in a conflict on the mainland,” he said, standing under a banner that read ‘WE WON'T DIE FOR ZEBRAS’.

“We can’t waste our resources there, that would only prolong the killing and leave us weaker,” he continued. “Every pearl spent on Zebrica is a pearl not spent shoring up the defence of Aris.”

Over the last week in Parliament, both the House of Hippogriffs and the House of Seaponies have passed opposing motions that declare support and opposition for intervention respectively. Neither motion is expected to gain the support of the other house.

Public polling shows overwhelmingly negative attitudes to both the Lunar Empire and Storm Kingdom, but the public is divided on the correct course of action. Polls have demonstrated a consistent plurality across all of Aris supports non-involvement with continental affairs in favour of strengthening the defence of Aris, but there has been a sharp rise in support for direct intervention since the Storm-Lunar War began.

The government of Prime Minister Swift Shell issued a statement condemning the brutality of Lunar forces, but so far has not heeded calls for further involvement or for pulling back.

Estimates suggest that 3,000 civilians have already been killed by Lunar forces following the beginning of the uprising at the start of this month.

---

“For a look at the aftermath of the war, here’s an Arisian intelligence report that we got our hooves on by, uh…” He looks down to the side, then looks at you and smiles. “...Ah, screw it, I can tell you. Our guys stole it. Look, the point is that because this is an internal report from a functioning intelligence agency, it kinda has to be honest.”

Briefing from the Arisian National Intelligence Agency on the postwar situation

STATE OF THE LUNAR OCCUPATION OF NORTH ZEBRICA

NOVEMBER 1006

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

1. As a result of the Zebrican Phoenix Initiative (ZPI), Zebrican countries are becoming increasingly economically and militarily dependent on the Lunar Empire. State Owned Enterprises from Equestria, New Mareland, and Chiropterra as well as private owners with deep links to Imperial authorities are buying up crucial infrastructure. New infrastructure constructed through the ZPI is kept under Lunar-linked or direct Lunar ownership. Literacy programs and radio distribution programs have been successful, but it is likely that the aim of such programs is to spread propaganda. A majority of the news and information disseminated across ZPI member states comes from organisations with Lunar-linked or direct Lunar ownership, with the information provided holding a strong pro-Lunar sentiment.
2. Under Chiropterran administration, the North Zebrica region is being rebuilt in the Lunar image. A rigid system of control and separation has been put in place, the government euphemistically calls this the “Separate but Harmonious” policy. Natives who had their homes destroyed in the war are being relocated to urban centres with settlers from Equestria moving into the countryside. Conditions for the native urban workforce are appalling, and beneath what existed prior to the Storm invasion. Settlers, on the contrary, are receiving modern amenities.
3. The native population is extremely unwelcoming to the occupiers, with an intense insurgency already underway. Despite the failure of the Ain Trotgourait uprising in 1005, the Zebrican natives remain steadfast. Several anti-Lunar insurgent groups have arisen, varying from the North Zebrican Liberation Front in northern cities and the Anzarawdie in the southern deserts (further information on pages ██ and ██ respectively). The exception is within the boundaries of the newly established Dominion of Zarantia, where collaborators have an emphasised role in governance and the Empire rules with a considerably lighter hoof.
4. Native resistance groups have accepted aid from Aris, but they show signs of suspicion and mistrust. Our agents report feeling unsafe even whilst under the supposed protection of insurgents. Intelligence suggests many Zebrican natives believe Aris betrayed them in the Ain Trotgourait uprising in 1005.
5. The Lunar Occupation of Western Colthage is fragile. Outside of major urban centres occupation forces struggle to maintain order, with rebels and bandits taking over parts of the countryside. Aris has offered support to the rebels. The Colthaginian government has openly expressed the desire to work with the rebel groups, with it suspected that they have a hoof in some of them. The possibility of Arisian-Colthaginian cooperation to end the occupation is very likely.

RECOMMENDATION: Efforts to promote Aris’s image around the continent and create an alternative to the Phoenix Initiative should be increased to lessen Lunar influence in the region. Efforts should be made to avoid direct confrontation, but the state must be prepared for the possibility nonetheless.

---

“I kinda feel like I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t also mention a third perspective. Those of the North Zebricans themselves. For that…” He passes another newspaper clipping to you. “Immerse yourself.”

“Behind the Silver Curtain: North Zebrica’s Freedom Fighters”. By Jez Hazaralla, a Zumidian journalist residing in Hippogriffia.

Travelling to Lunar-occupied North Zebrica is a difficult and dangerous task under normal circumstances. Doing so in secret to meet with members of the anti-Lunar resistance without careful preparation means certain doom.

After months of communication we had finally secured a meeting with representatives of the North Zebrican Liberation Front. All knew the risks involved in a meeting, but they wanted the world to know that there is an active resistance to the Lunar occupation and that the zebras of North Zebrica won’t go quietly into the dark.

The North Zebrican Liberation Front is a pan-national revolutionary socialist organisation that has been fighting against the occupation since it began. They’re not the only resistance group in North Zebrica, but they’re the ones with the widest reach and are considered by the colonial authorities to be its greatest threat. Since much of North Zebrica was annexed into Chiropterra, the NZLF have claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks across the occupied areas. The NZLF are mostly active in urban centres of Warzena, Zumidia, and western Zarantia.

No journalist who doesn’t parrot the Lunar line would have a chance of entering the occupied nations, so we had to be smuggled in and out, the details of such a process I cannot share. Even once we were in occupied Warzena, we had to travel through numerous checkpoints staffed by ponies from the western Chiropterran cities, a consistently spine-chilling procedure. Checkpoints are everywhere in the occupied areas. Fortunately, documents are easy enough to fake if you know the right people.

Common sights through the dark slums between our point of entry and our destination were wrecked vehicles by the sides of roads, dilapidated buildings of all types, and zebras huddled around trash fires. Every so often we’d pass graffitti, some pieces only readable up close and others dominating the sides of buildings, but one slogan consistently showed up everywhere: ‘BATS, CRAWL BACK TO YOUR CAVES’.

This and many phrases like it were taken from the anti-thestralists of pre-Lunar Equestria. Such sentiment did not exist in North Zebrica prior to the Lunarist occupation and colonisation.

Before long I arrived at the arranged meeting spot. I had to wait, the revolutionaries were likely confirming that I hadn’t been followed and that I was who I said I was. I was then invited into a small room for the interview proper.

Three revolutionaries, head-to-hoof in black clothes concealing their identities, greeted me. Two were standing, one was seated. The one who was seated had a red bandana around their neck, and the way the room centred on them implied they were in a position of authority. A dim lightbulb hanging from its cable lit the room. Grime clinged to the walls and everything from ammunition to loose paper littered the hard cold ground. The only furnishings were utilitarian chairs and tables and a red flag pinned to the wall behind the zebras.

We all took a seat, I took out a tape recorder and a notepad, and our conversation began.

First I asked each of the insurgents about the specifics of their activities, what each of them was doing to resist the Lunar occupation.

The insurgent wearing the bandana answered promptly. They said they coordinated activities across the local NZLF cell and worked to organise passive citizen resistance. They were quick to stress that whilst the Lunar occupation and its loyal settlers were few, the great mass of North Zebricans were many more, and the occupation could only go on with the acceptance of the locals. Things as simple as civilians feeding false information to the authorities or refusing to cooperate did just as much as any armed attack.

A second insurgent answered after, saying that their main role was to dismantle and sabotage railways used both by the occupation forces and in the economic exploitation of the region. A damaged rail line meant days, perhaps weeks of headache for the occupation. It meant more time to move troops or resources, more labour and material spent on repairs, and more troops who had to guard rail lines.

When it was the third insurgent’s turn to speak, they chuckled under their breath. They had a relatively simple job, leaving mysterious packages on the sides of roads frequented by the occupation troops. Sometimes a trash-bag with loose wires spilling out, sometimes a flask filled with colourful bubbly liquid. From far away, they looked like bombs. Maybe one in ten would actually be a bomb. Maybe one in twenty, or thirty. As far as the occupiers were concerned, if it could be a bomb they’d have to treat it as a bomb, and a whole convoy is held up for however long they can confirm or deny what it is.

I asked the third insurgent a followup question, whether any of the real bombs they planted had actually damaged occupation convoys. They laughed and said yes. Every time a real bomb hit, that was thirty more minutes every other convoy spent cowering away from duds. Everything to reinforce the idea that if it could be a bomb, it must be treated like a bomb.

I then asked whether all these were part of a coordinated strategy. They obviously couldn’t share their whole plan, but they could share a simple fact. The Lunar colonisation of North Zebrica was an economic endeavour, and every action had costs and benefits. The general strategy of the NZLF was to make occupation as costly and unbeneficial as possible. Add to the cost of guarding everything important, add to the cost of repairing everything sabotaged, add to the cost of replacing every dead soldier. All the while reducing the overall economic output of the region. As mighty as it appeared, the Lunar Empire did not have unlimited resources, that’s why it wanted to extract from North Zebrica. If the NZLF continued its mission, eventually the overall cost would outweigh any of the benefits, leaving the Lunar Empire no choice but to withdraw.

A common talking point brought up in Lunar propaganda in Equestria is that the NZLF and similar organisations are stooges of the Arisian government. When I brought this up to the insurgents, their answer was a resounding and vulgar condemnation of the Arisian government.

Their reasoning was simple. North Zebrica had been torn apart by war and was currently clamped under foreign oppression, and the Arisians did nothing. Safe on their island. The few agents they sent were pulled out at the first sign of trouble, leaving us to die. They don’t want to take any risks. Look at the way they’re talking now. ‘Aris for the Arisians’, ‘Aris first’, ‘we won’t die for zebras’. The few advocating intervention only wanted to do so for their own benefit.

I felt I should ask as well about how they feel about North Zebricans like myself who’ve chosen to flee abroad. Their reply was sympathetic. They said that North Zebricans not living under Lunar occupation had an important role to play in sharing news of their struggle with the world and gathering support, but they added that escaping abroad is not something all North Zebricans can or should do. As long as their homeland was under foreign rule, those most courageous amongst North Zebrica would have to stay and fight.

With the matter of courage brought up, I asked about whether they were afraid of being caught. All of them laughed, of course they were afraid! Yet as scary as being killed or tortured by the occupiers was, like many of their comrades had been, they reiterated that the scariest thing of all was having to live under Lunar tyranny for the rest of their lives. The third insurgent said it best, “I’d rather die a North Zebrican than live a slave to the Nightmare”.

Soon after our time would be up. We had to move out of the town quickly to leave before curfew and to avoid being traced by occupation authorities, and I had time for one last question. I asked what a free North Zebrica meant to them, in a personal and practical sense.

The central insurgent answered confidently. A free North Zebrica, to the NZLF, meant a North Zebrica free not only of Lunar imperialism and despotism, but imperialism and despotism of all sorts. This meant freedom from the ambitions of certain Arisians and Colthaginians, as well as any other potential foreign ruler. They envisioned a democratic federation of all North Zebricans, from the shores above Seaquestria to the dunes of the Zebhara, and they vowed to fight against any tyrants who sought to oppress them.

If North Zebricans are going to be free, we will need to free ourselves by our own hooves.

---

“Now what about the Storm King’s perspective?” Moonatik raises an eyebrow, then shrugs. “Well, it’s a bit hard to say. According to General Tempest Shadow, the Storm King was solely concerned with his own enrichment. The same went for the rest of his army. I don’t really have any records on hoof to counter this, so it’s the best first-hoof account we have.”

“Either way, by this point the Storm Empire had played its role in North Zebrica’s story. Then, the main actors were the Lunars, the Arisians, and those fighting for North Zebrican independence. My oh my!”

Author's Note:

Artwork of Tempest Shadow and Sol Nightshade by LittlePolly

OC attributions:
Lightning Charm, Stone Palisade, and Raft Wood are from Equestria at War.

Comments

[Proper-Noun]

I’m seeing a lot of parallels to postwar Central and Eastern Europe, with the divided Germany, Marshall Plan, Iron Curtain, fallout of the Warsaw Uprising, and many more. I wonder if the River Coalition And Aris Will found a NATO-style group, while the Empire goes on to lead a Warsaw-pact style group in an upcoming Cold War between east and west? Perhaps both sides back proxies in civil wars all over the world, or if the parallels will end here, with a massive shakeup happening in Aris and/or the River Republic.

Maybe the Empire backs a communist uprising under Nova Whirl in the republic, like how the German Empire covertly supported the Bolsheviks, only to deeply end up regretting it later.