The Millennium Archives

by Moonatik

A New Equestria

“So, what next? Did Nightmare Moon just completely dominate and repress all of Equestria just like that?” Moonatik chuckles. “Ehh, not exactly. To fill you in on what happened next…”

Moonatik takes a box of documents out of his desk and places it on the table. It is labelled ‘after civil war stuff’. “I’ve got this, all sorts of juicy deets in here. To start you off…”

He opens the box and takes out a few pieces of paper, displaying photocopied magazine articles. “I’ve got this big thing here. It was written by a thestral journalist bloke named Light Narrative. He’s kind of a cool dude, in my opinion. He did this big write-up on what happened in Equestria after the civil war, and I’ll be pulling mostly from that. There’s a few more things in here too so strap yourself in. There’s a lot!”

Overview of the Equestrian political situation after the civil war, by Light Narrative (14/02/1002).

When the Nightmare Charter was written and ratified, it heralded a new era for all of Equestria. Never before had Equestria experienced such monumental positive change, and for the first time in over a thousand years thestrals were able to take their rightful place as a tribe of Equestria. Yet the road that led to this moment was long and rough, and slicked with blood and tears. The road that followed was no easier, being drenched with toil and sweat.

While Empress Nightmare Moon may have sat on the Equestrian throne on June 24th, Equestria was not under her control. In the latter months of the year of 1000, chaos and disorder was the rule of the night. Even whilst fighting was ongoing and while Baltimare was under hostile occupation, the Lunar Empire had to rebuild Equestria and reconcile with the population. The Equestrian economy had been brought to a dead stop, as workers in critical sectors of the economy went on strike. At the height of strike activity in October, at least two million workers were involved in strike action.

Worse, many across the nation still fighting for Celestia’s rule refused to accept the surrender. Cloudsdale proved an especially tough nut to crack, being the last Celestial-occupied city to fall. Terrorist actions became a nightly occurances in many liberated cities, the militias slowly losing the initiative and struggling to maintain order as they were stretched thin across the whole country. Lunar rule was resisted across the country through traditional forms of protest, both peaceful and violent.

The initial instinct of the Empress was a firm and relentless enforcement of the new order. The hardline policy, while advocated by many in the militias and by the Chiropterrans, was strongly contested by the leaders of Equestria's thestral rights organisations, several business leaders, and numerous military leaders. In search of leadership, the groups soon coalesced behind the President of the Southwestern Moonspeaker Conclave, Saffron Dusk.

Saffron Dusk's official portrait.

Prior to the Lunar Revolution, Saffron Dusk was perceived as a radical by the ponies of so-called polite society, as he abandoned the SMC’s commitment to nonviolence while adopting a more uncompromising position on thestral rights. Yet this boosted the SMC’s popularity amongst thestrals across Equestria, rebuilding their image after a series of scandals plagued earlier leaders. While his overtly Nightmarist views eventually came out in the late 990s, this did little to hurt his popularity amongst thestrals.

Dusk’s group proved the worth of their methods when they, with the tentative approval of the Empress, entered negotiations with representatives of striking workers. In early November, these negotiations bore fruit, and deals were struck with the unions that slowly got the economy going again. They didn’t stop with unions, either. Dusk travelled the whole country to meet with the opponents of Lunarism, addressing their concerns and quickly calming the waves of protest.

With the initiative on their side, Dusk’s group went directly to Empress Nightmare Moon and formally proposed a new system to govern Equestria, one that ensured sovereign power for her but granted various rights to her subjects. After much deliberation, Empress Nightmare Moon agreed to pursue a constitutional system. While the battle of Baltimare was still ongoing, the new charter was being drafted by delegates across Equestria in Canterlot. On the 14th of February 1001, The Nightmare Charter was approved, taking the form of an official constitution defining the relationship between the Empress, her government, and her subjects.

In the new system, subjects of the Empress over the age of 21 were entitled to vote for members of Parliament. Parliament was made up of 400 MPs, and were responsible for writing and approving new laws for Equestria. For an Act of Parliament to become law, it required approval from a majority of MPs and Empress Nightmare Moon. She appoints the government, but on the expectation that she would appoint a government based on which party/political faction held most seats in Parliament. This excluded the Warmaster, supreme commander of the military, intelligence apparatus, and other special state organisations, who was to be appointed solely on the Empress’s discretion and be non-partisan. On the passing of the charter, de facto supreme military commander Saturn Hawkrich was formally named Warmaster.

The Nightmare Charter also included a detailed set of rights given to Nightmare Moon’s subjects, as well as the process needed to become a subject. Amongst the rights included the rights to freedom of expression, right to a fair trial, right to any religion, right to protection from discrimination, even a right to an education and a right to bear arms, amongst others. Some in the Lunarist political leadership had even suggested expanding these rights to include economic rights, such as a right to medical care, housing, employment, but these were shelved for the time being. Lastly, the Charter stated that Equestria was a nation of four pony tribes, not three, affirming the thestrals' place in the new society and giving primacy to no particular tribe.

---

“Now I could, could, just continue with Light Narrative, as he generally does a pretty good job summarising everything that happened…” He sits quietly for a second. “But!” he says, pointing his hoof up.

Moonatik takes two other documents out of the box. “I think it’d be worth injecting some other perspectives. One on the most extreme end of anti-Lunarism, and one on the most extreme end of pro-Lunarism. Even though a lot of ponies, and definitely most Lunarists, thought ol’ Dusk was doing a good job, you always had detractors. Let’s have a look, eh?”

Opinion piece published in Red Star, an underground communist newspaper. Written pseudonymously by Sinister Serov (16/02/1001)

Do they take us for fools? Nightmare Moon, the champion of the downtrodden and the standard bearer of true democracy? When one puts it like that, it sounds ridiculous. But this is what the imperialists say with a straight face.

Recently, Empress Nightmare Moon ratified a new constitution for Equestria named “The Nightmare Charter”. A new beginning for Equestria, they boast. Now enshrined in law are free elections, freedom of expression, freedom of labour organisation, freedom from discrimination, with talk of passing a set of “economic rights” in the near future. Already, they are scrubbing the role that the working class played in winning these rights and touting them as if they were the realisation of an authentic revolution.

The imperialists and their lackeys boast about these rights as if they were graciously delivered down to the poor little workers. This convenient narrative ignores three crucial facts. One is that the only reason the Nightmarists considered drafting a set of rights in the first place is due to the tremendous pressure brought on them by the working class. Second is that they are far from the real emancipation that the working class yearns for. Third is that the “rights” are not even written in ink, and Nightmare Moon herself has granted herself the exclusive privilege to wield the pencil and eraser.

We should examine these facts in more detail one by one. During the civil war, working ponies across Equestria took the chance to rise up against all their oppressors. Wildcat strikes all over the country, some unions calling larger strikes, and the Working Ponies Party eventually set out a list of demands and called for a general strike. At the height of last year’s labour unrest, four million ponies were on strike. The brave workers of Baltimare even successfully established a workers’ republic, until this flame was snuffed out with Chiropterran poison gas. Leaders of the WPP and the unions, presenting themselves as representatives of the working class, negotiated an end to the strike action with the imperialists, with many of the rights now enshrined in the charter as conditions. That is the actual reason for the creation of this charter, a fact the imperialists love to ignore so they can pretend it was done solely on their own initiative.

But even with this in mind, we cannot kid ourselves into thinking that this charter is a guarantee of some great progress. Leading strikers have reported that they were fired and replaced with Nightmarist scabs in the months after the strike, with trumped up reasoning down the line. This is to be expected, as all the real economic power in the country remains solely in the hooves of the bourgeoisie and its state lackeys, through their control of all the important industry, all the land and resources, and of all the viable ways to disseminate information. Not to mention all the occasions where state thugs have flatly ignored all our so-called “rights”. The author of this very piece has faced harassment and beatings for exercising the promised “freedom of expression”. It is a complex system carefully crafted to deliver results that will always be favourable to the bourgeoisie.

Lastly, the charter includes a special clause that gives Empress Nightmare Moon the absolute authority to amend the charter, issue commands to government, and veto parliament. This renders every “right” irrelevant, should unravel the entire farce immediately. Don’t worry though, for the Empress’s mouthpieces all tell us that she has the best interests of her subjects at heart and will stand vigilant as a protector and leader. So is it sorted? Can the workers of Equestria rely on their Empress to rule with a fair, even hoof? Please, don’t pull a muscle laughing!

While the Nightmarists frequently claim to speak for the downtrodden, and I’m sure many of them sincerely believe they do, one only needs to look to their backers to see where their loyalty really lies. Arms manufacturers. Meat farmers. The forces of heavy industry. And of course, the slavers of that wicked state of Chirtopterra. These are some of the most putrid capitalists of all, but not due to any tragic moral failing. They struggle with declining rates of profit in their industries and require the totalitarian machine of state to engineer the conditions for their profitability. These are simply the laws of economics in action, and given the fact that the imperialists in government have already stated their intent to embark on military conquest, these capitalists can expect to see blood-soaked returns on their investment.

Naturally, those desperate souls still loyal to Celestia insist that their princess would never do any of the things Nightmare Moon is currently doing. Many within our own ranks even suggested that our organisations should’ve supported her decaying dictatorship, to align ourselves with the so-called “lesser-evil” for the immediate struggle against the common foe. What they don’t realise is that for a thousand years, exploitation, imperialism, and murder have been carried out in her name. If Celestia was such an effective, gracious, fair ruler for all ponies, then the labour movement would not need to exist and the thestrals of Equestria would have never turned to Nightmare Moon!

The supporters of either monarch hate this context, because it puts the spotlight on their desired system of oppression. The problem is not that capitalism sometimes has monstrous managers, it is that the machine of capitalism is itself monstrous. If a ruler fails to serve the interests of the bourgeoisie they will find themselves replaced, either by the bourgeosie in a putsch or by the workers in a revolution. This is a lesson Celestia is doubtlessly learning in her new banishment. The ruling class will do anything to preserve its dictatorship. It prefers the democratic lie, but it will never hesitate from unleashing the monster of absolutism in order to defend capitalism to the very end against the socialist revolution.

Workers! Never forget that the promises of the state are not given or guaranteed, they are won and defended through class struggle! These concessions only exist because of workers who fought for them. The bourgeoisie wants you to forget, to accept servility beneath it. We reject their lies! And when the decisive, final conflict comes, we would do well to remember what we have already accomplished!

In our hooves, as well as in the claws, paws, and flippers of our international comrades, is the power to dismantle capitalism and make this world anew. Without our labour, the machines of capitalism and imperialism cannot function. The proletariat has already proven itself capable of struggle, and all of these struggles will have to converge on an ultimate point. The struggle for the end of all empires, for the victory of socialism!

Down with Empires!
Down with the regime of capital!
Long live socialism!

Extract from a speech given by Starry Glory to supporters in Ayacachtli (14/02/1001)

Faithful brethren, you are all soldiers in your own right. Your ceaseless toil, your boundless enthusiasm, and your unbreakable faith has brought a prophecy over a thousand years in the making to reality! Her Highness sits upon the throne unquestioned, unopposed, and undefeated!

At least, that is how it should be!

My faithful brethren, fellow devotees to the Nightmare. It was my deepest hope that I could’ve stood before you tonight as a victor. That we could all stand together as victors. That we could finally rest as our Empress reigns over her restored imperium at last. Yet as many of you have already noticed, victory is not yet in our hooves and teeters on the edge of being stolen from us. Tonight we face a threat more dangerous than Blueblood, Spitfire, and Armor combined. Unlike those scum, this is a threat that cloaks itself in the purple robes of Lunarism whilst standing against its most authentic realisation at every possible turn. This, this most rancid scourge of opportunism.

Every level of government in this Empire has been afflicted with this scourge in some way. Everywhere from the highest ranks of the provisional council to the town hall and even in the ranks of militia command. Civil administration is largely in the hooves of the old bureaucrats and politicians. Police departments are still staffed with Celestials, in many cases the exact same ponies as before in charge. They insist that any Celestials involved in government are being closely observed by Imperial officials. Yet how are

Many of us should have seen the warning signs earlier on, when the Dusk Clique went behind everyone’s back to negotiate with the backwards, selfish strikers who refused to work for their rightful Empress. Not just refused to work, but many who declared themselves in open rebellion to her rule! How can we treat these traitors with negotiations? The Imperial authorities would have been wise to make examples out of the most troublesome, the Empire would be better off without them!. Not having to worry about this scum would’ve been well worth any short-term economic loss, not to mention all the industrious thestrals who would’ve been happy to take up those jobs if the strikers were purged.

And what reason do they give in defence of their actions? Why, they announced to the world that they want to disprove any notion that the Empress seeks to ‘rule through terror’. What kind of nonsense is that? Do they truly suggest that the treasonous masses should not fear their Empress? If they don’t fear their Empress, how are they supposed to be kept in line? Are we meant to expect that the masses of earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi, the result of a thousand years of conditioning and propaganda to render them pitiable followers of Celestia, will just come around on Her Highness?

But the Dusk Clique wasn’t done! Far from it! What did we see next? Amnesty for imprisoned traitors and Celestials! The reinstatement of Celestial officials! Criminals offered reduced sentences in exchange for information! Concessions to Celestial capitalists and communist labourites alike! Not only letting our enemies walk free, but giving them positions of authority in our Empire!

And tonight in Canterlot, that most putrid city, the Dusk Clique’s greatest insult of all has been passed into law: The Nightmare Charter. Freedom of speech. An elected parliament. Right to join treasonous organisations like unions. Equality between the thestrals and the three tribes. Worst of all, it promises the freedom to worship false gods like Celestia. All of this is not just insulting, but threatening to our very existence.

This charter validates the lie, the lie most foul, of the ‘consent of the governed’. Why must the Empress seek the consent of Her subjects? Why must the Empress seek the consent of anyone? They are Her subjects! She commands, they obey! They do not ask questions, they do not demand concessions, they follow Her orders as they should! Do these opportunists really believe the Empress must become a subject to a population of disgraceful worms? She knows She is subject to no law but Her own, of course She does!

And what now, are the Celestials being given a chance to fight against us at the ballot box? A fully state funded and legitimized opportunity for our very worst enemies to show their support? Have they gone mad? Her Highness should not concern herself with public support! Her subjects should learn their place beneath her and stay there!

Our enemies do not deserve to be treated as equals. They do not deserve to be negotiated with or debated with on ‘fair terms’, they deserve to be crushed with overwhelming force! Overwhelming force is what won the war to reclaim Equestria, and overwhelming force will keep it! If our work in the halls of power and on the streets were to waver or falter, if we were to hold back or pull our punches, every one of our enemies stands to gain. Solarism, communism, republicanism, psuedo-Lunarism and every other flavour of anti-Lunarism would all get a chance to grow in opposition to us. By giving them a space on the political battlefield, it gives them a staging ground to resist us and eventually overrun us!

Now to fight in these elections a new party is being formed, intended to unite all the elements of the Lunarist movement at a convention in Manehattan beginning on the 20th. This convention will be where the future of Lunarism is decided, it’ll determine the direction of the movement for a generation. Therefore, it is more important than anything in the world that we ensure it goes in our favour!

We’re going to go to the convention, we’re going to make our voice heard, we’re going to fight like hell, we’re going to rescue the Empire from those guiding it to ruin! We will demand that her Empress’s authority be respected! We will demand that the opportunists be expelled from our ranks! And we will take back our movement!

As for the traitors, they inevitably will lose, for they lead with weakness! We lead with strength! We all know we cannot afford to be weak! In our time of great adversity we have to show strength! We have truth on our side! We have our strength on our side! We have the power and might of our Empress on our side! Nightmare bless! Nightmare bless!

---

“You probably already have your own preconceptions about revolutionary communism and religious fundamentalism, there’s a good chance you feel a whole lot stronger about those two than you feel about Lunarism, right? Hell, you might even have had experience with a movement or government that calls itself one of those things.”

“Though!” Moonatik pats the desk. “I’d invite you to keep an open mind. Not in an ‘all perspectives are equally valid’ sort of way, like some bitches are just straight-up wrong, but it might be worth questioning how your already existing biases about one of these two perspectives might cloud what you think about it, y’know?”

“Alright.” He stretches his wings. “I know that was a lot. Let's get back to Light Narrative.”

Overview of the Equestrian political situation after the civil war, by Light Narrative (14/02/1002).

For the Lunarist movement to fight in the elections, it needed to consolidate into a common party united under a common platform. Up to this point, the Lunarist movement was made up of myriad organisations connected through mostly informal networks, and lacked a true central institution to rally behind. Hence, a convention to form a new Lunarist party was called, with invitations sent to groups and individuals from all over the Lunarist political spectrum. Manehattan was chosen as the site for the convention, an iconic Equestrian city with a large thestral minority.

It began on the 20th of February, and over the course of the 7-night convention much was done. The first night of the convention chose a name for the party, while there were some who wanted an initially Lunarist name, “Lunarist United National Association” being the most popular, the delegates decided that a name to better reflect itself as a party for all Equestrians. After some deliberation, the delegates settled on “New Equestria Party”.

Next a party constitution was written, a Central Executive Committe was elected, a party platform and manifesto was written and approved by both the CEC and the delegation. Many concessions had to be given to the various factions present. Southeastern hardliners ensured that an article about strict loyalty to Empress Nightmare Moon was added to the constitution. Northeastern unions got stronger protections for workers added. Saffron Dusk was chosen as the party’s First Secretary in a unanimous vote amongst the CEC, meaning he would lead the party into the election.

Though the convention was not without controversy, mostly based on who was invited and who was not. A number of delegates from Chiropterra, many of them just back from Baltimare, arrived at the convention expecting to be represented. They were turned away, as the convention was intended to form a party to represent Lunarists in Equestria. This angered the Chiropterrans, who insisted that as descendants of the Equestrian legions they were entitled to representation despite the fact many of them had never been in Equestria before that night. It took the intervention of the Empress herself to calm both sides, who allowed the Chiropterrans to observe the convention but made it clear that they would not take an active role in proceedings.

Regardless, the party was formed and equipped to fight the first Equestria’s first democratic election.

In opposition, there were all the parties of old Equestria. The parties of the bickering ruling elite in the Tribist Alliance and the Equestrian Values Coalition, the parties of the wide eyed idealists in the Free Democrats, and even the socialists of the Working Ponies Party. All were allowed to run candidates, on the condition that they pledged loyalty to the Empress, promised to respect the results of the election, and renounced any extremist positions. They all accepted, and were ready to fight an election campaign in opposition to the NEP. Yet their efforts were crippled by their greatest enemy: each other.

Without mediation from higher up they struggled to get anything done, and with such mediation gone they were incapable of forming a common platform. The TA insisted they were the authentic voice of old Equestria, the EVC denounced TA leaders as cowards and collaborators, the FDP insisted only they had a shred of backbone, the WPP didn’t want anything to do with ‘bourgeois liberals’, and so on and so on. In a fairly comical moment, the TA desperately tried to prove that it wasn’t rife with institutional anti-thestral racism, yet struggled to find a single thestral willing to stand as a candidate for their party! The campaign season for the various old parties was full of hilarious blunders, too numerous to list, owing to the fact that none of these parties had ever had to fight a national election under universal suffrage before.

By presenting a unified Lunarist electoral front, along with a carefully coordinated campaign boosted by Saffron Dusk’s public speaking skills, the votes of practically all Lunarists and thestrals in Equestria was secured from night one. From there, the party worked hard to do outreach with the rest of the country, aided by the many connections and negotiations that Dusk had done before the Charter’s passage. To put it mildly, it paid off.

The Moon tabloid newspaper report on the 1001 parliamentary election results (8/05/1001)

The New Equestria Party has achieved a landslide victory in Frinight’s election, the first national Equestrian election under true universal suffrage. The NEP won with 49.02% of the votes and 270 of the 400 parliamentary seats.

According to results published by the Central Election Commission, the NEP swooped to victory with a total of 11,905,465 votes, millions of votes more than all other parties in the contest. The Tribist Alliance, with 17.43% of votes, placed a distant second in terms of seats at 44. With 270 of the seats in Parliament, the NEP has a commanding majority of 140 and is expected to form the new government with Saffron Dusk as Prime Minister.

Over 24 million ponies voted. This was the first national parliamentary election in Equestria to be conducted with universal suffrage, meaning it more accurately represents the wishes of the Equestrian population at large compared to elections under the previous regime.

“This result is not the victory of a political party, but a loud, united chant from all who have yearned for a new Equestria,” said Saffron Dusk in his acceptance speech. “The downtrodden of Equestria has called on us to rally the forces of justice in the great battles of our time.”

The 6 May Parliamentary election in Equestria was transparent, competitive and transparent, according to Central Election Commission’s Head Blackberry Jam during a public meeting devoted to the election results.

“The election was free, competitive and transparent,” Jam said. “The outcome is trustworthy and votes were counted with observers from all parties present. Ponies challenging the results are doing so as sore losers or have been deceived by election denying conspiracy theories,” she continued.

The final figures were provided by the Central Election Commission, and are included below:

• New Equestria Party, 270 seats - 11,905,465 votes (49.02%)
• Tribist Alliance, 43 seats - 3,451,176 votes (14.21%)
• Working Ponies Party, 32 seats - 4,233,215 votes (17.43%)
• Equestrian Values Coaltion, 30 seats - 2,693,422 votes (11.09%)
• Free Democratic Party, 22 seats - 1,729,230 votes (7.12%)

Independent/Other, 3 seats - 274,442 votes (1.13%)

The Equestrian Parliament

---

“Sounds right, right?” Moonatik smirks and chuckles. “Well, not everypony thought so.”

Verbal account of Trixie Lulamoon, Member of Parliament for Paradise (10/05/1001)

Oh yeah it’s total bullshit. Everything about the process, complete bullshit. Look at all the caveats on these “rights” and “shows of good faith” from Nightmare Moon. Political prisoners were released, but this “Imperial Commission” that nopony voted for restricts their rights. The charter came with an elected parliament, but it also gives Nightmare Moon power to block and change everything whenever she wants! The mass terror has ended, but the spying and harassment of liberal organisers and sympathisers most certainly has not! Trixie can’t go anywhere without being followed, a goon from the secret police is probably watching us right now! It’s not a democracy, it’s a democratic mask for an awful dictatorship!

Sure, Trixie won a seat, but Trixie’s district has twice as many ponies as your average Lunarist district! Oh, and did you know that in Trixie’s entire district, home to more than 300,000 ponies, there were only 22 polling stations? The Lunarist district next door had polling stations on practically every street corner! How is that “free and fair”? And we had our support divided amongst, what, four, five parties? We couldn’t even meet with other parties to do any sort of team-up! They’re doing it all on purpose, I tell you. And don’t forget all the ponies who saw through all of this and didn’t show up to vote! Who can blame them? Truth is, the game was rigged from the start!

Official vote counts don’t care about the disenfranchised. Trixie does, though! Trixie’s been crunching numbers! And you don’t have to be a mathmetician (sic) to figure out that even the official figures prove its bullshit! Look, Equestria has about 45 million adult ponies, and in the election around 24 million of them voted. That puts turnout around 54%, right? Right. So how many votes did the NEP get out of that? Under 12 million! Under 12 million out of 45 million! When you use the exact numbers that’s, and Trixie swears she double and triple checked this, 26.42%! That’s barely more than a quarter! Even with all the other rubbish, they could barely get a quarter of Equestria on their side! A quarter!

You know what we did with that? Here, here, look at this!

Trixie designed this billboard herself. Thousands of ponies pass through this street every night. Is it legal? Probably not, but it’s true. If the government wants to criminalise the truth, that’s their problem. Ponies can always tell when someone’s lying.

---

“Worth noting, Trixie and her party, the Free Democratic Party, were dragged into court on charges of sedition and spreading anti-Lunarism for the billboard, but they successfully defended their case by arguing that they were accurately reproducing the official vote results and turnout, just with commentary that they were well within their rights to add. The highly publicised court case actually led to an increase in support for the FDP.”

“You might recognise that name, Trixie Lulamoon. She’s sort of a big deal. This is just me talking but even with the name she’s made for herself, I’m like 99% sure she’s just doing it because she loves the spotlight. I also get the vibe she believes everything she says, including the outright lies. Oh, shit, is that poisoning the well? What does that expression mean again? Eh, whatever. Back to Light.”

Overview of the Equestrian political situation after the civil war, by Light Narrative (14/02/1002).

With the internal political apparatus sorted, the NEP moved to implement a transformation of society like nothing else. Immediately they passed two monumental laws, first the Thestral Friendship Act and secondly the New Equestria Act.

The Thestral Friendship Act reaffirmed that thestrals were a tribe of Equestria and authorised some of the most ambitious desegregation initiatives the world has ever seen. These initiatives included housing and business loans with the aim of creating generational wealth for thestrals, recruitment drives to get skilled thestrals into high paid jobs, a reexamination of school funding and a total rewriting of national history curriculum to ensure long buried truths about the Unification Wars and the Lunar Rebellion are made public knowledge. It also included measures to purge the justice system, police forces, and military of any lingering remnants of anti-thestral racism, gave powers to the government to dismantle any racist organisations, and even went as far as implementing racial quotas in housing and schooling to ensure that there was an equitable distribution of the tribes throughout Equestria, which involved moving a lot of ponies out of rural areas and into towns and cities. Thestrals were invited to come down the mountains and into the wider world.

As one would expect, these measures were extremely controversial amongst the usual suspects. Canterlonian aristocrats, Manehattanite plutocrats, and Baltimare kleptocrats, all of them coming out raging about how the new laws trampled on the rights of their businesses. The rights of their businesses to what, might I ask?

But I’d be remiss to neglect that there was some good faith criticism. One MP from the Free Democrats argued that the act “fought discrimination with discrimination” and would’ve preferred to have done the act in a race-neutral way that would’ve achieved the same goals. The act’s supporters responded by saying that it was better to rip the band aid off than to spend decades peeling off the thousand year injustice. Of course, with such a big majority in Parliament and with momentum on the Lunar side, all this debate barely amounted to anything. The program was implemented with little impediment, to the benefit of thestrals up and down the nation.

The New Equestria Act focussed nominally on various economic initiatives. Whilst it authorised subsidies for small and large businesses, large welfare programmes, and purchased/authorised the construction of huge numbers of agricultural machinery to create a large enough food surplus to move agricultural workers into the cities, much of it was funded by the explicit expropriation of noble estates and mass nationalisations whilst also granting the state greater authority in suppressing the nobility. Part of the stated goals of the act were the liquidation of Equestria’s nobility which the act's own text characterised as “parasitic”.

As a result of these two acts, many tribal southeastern thestrals feared that the rehousing and desegregation initiatives might force them out of their ancestral homes. These ponies had fought for Lunarism, both in the civil war and in the Southeastern Guerilla War which was still in living memory. This almost exploded into a crisis, but through negotiation with the tribal thestrals they retained the rights to own their ancestral lands, and it was promised that there would only be exploitation of local resources with the express permission of the lands' sovereign owners. This deal was formalised with the passing of the Tribal Sovereignty Act in Parliament, which characterised the tribal lands as their own distinct nation within Lunar Equestria.

A similar series of events happened in the south west of Equestria, with the various pony villages and buffalo tribes seeking similar recognition from the Imperial government. Whilst the buffalo tribes were recognised as their own distinct entity in the Tribal Sovereignty Act, nothing similar was extended to the southern pony settlers, who were expected to be Equestrian subjects just like any other pony.

But the NEP was far from finished in realising its vision for a new Equestria. While the tribal negotiations were still ongoing, Parliament passed the War Preparedness Act. It organised the various militias and other armed Lunarist groups into a regular standing army, including a requirement for all able-bodied subjects to enlist for military service for at least two years before they reached the age of 28 (with an alternative civil service and community service opt-out for those determined to be unsuited to combat missions). This included a large conversion of existing civilian industry into military industry, as well as large expansions of already existing military factories in order to produce the quantities of equipment necessary to prepare the new military for combat.

The NEP supermajority in Parliament meant that they could pass things without consulting other parties who usually dissented, but in this case there was multi-partisan agreement in passing a military expansion act due to the fact that “monster” incidents had increased exponentially in the years preceding Empress Nightmare Moon’s return, and that Equestria would need a trained, capable armed force to quell such threats. According to old diary entries from Princess Celestia she acknowledged the growing monster problem, but her approach was not to build a stronger standing army to deal with such threats, but to train personal proteges who would seek her methods of reconciliation and friendship and to have a small secret elite force of monster hunters, named the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria (S.M.I.L.E.), to deal with threats that could not be reasoned with.

It should go without saying that Empress Nightmare Moon found this approach misguided and foolish. After all, if it had worked, the revolution never would’ve succeeded. On the Empress’s initiative a consensus formed amongst the Lunar political and military leadership, that the threat of monsters should be crushed with overwhelming force. The Imperial Lunar Military expanded to over a million active personnel, Empire-wide deployment was put into place, and its forces were equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry. The campaign is ongoing, but early reports indicate great success. Something that would’ve put an Equestrian town or village in mortal peril but a few years sooner would now be dealt with in no less than 5 minutes after the arrival of soldiers. “Ursa Major, minor problem” has become a popular saying amongst particularly proud soldiers, and the military has widely publicised their many successes.

---

“Light’s report doesn’t go to the proper conclusion of the anti-monster campaign, it was written before that, so I’ll skip ahead some months.”

Report on the anti-monster campaign published by The Canterlot Post (23/06/1002)

A new government report regarding monster incidents, incidents in which sapient life or property is disrupted, harmed, or destroyed as a result of a monster attack, was released to the press last night, which has recorded a fall from a 89 incidents nationwide in May 1001, approximately just less than three a night, to just 12 incidents recorded in the whole month of June 1002 nationwide.

This comes as a great relief to millions of ponies across Equestria, especially those living in rural areas where attacks are more common. The severity of what incidents have occurred has dramatically fallen too, with tragedies such as the evacuation of the village of Agistcester due to unceasing Cragadile attacks being put behind us.

From approximately 990 onwards, the number of monster incidents had dramatically increased up until 1001, with monthly averages per in the decade prior (980-89) never exceeding 9. 1000 saw the concentration monthly average of monster attacks during the Lunar Rebellion, peaking at 104 incidents in November.

The tremendous success in preventing monster attacks has been broadly attributed to the enormous expansion and nationwide deployment of military forces as mandated by the War Preparedness Act of 1001, which was approved by MPs from all parties last year. The sharp fall in incidents has also been attributed, albeit to a lesser extent, by the widespread proliferation of firearms in civilian hooves following the Lunar Rebellion.

One town in the South-West named Apple Fria, where the Canterlot Post's South-Western office is located, was recently the target of a bugbear swarm that was prevented thanks to the efforts of a single Lieutenant named Jard Lumber armed with nothing more than a Light Machine Gun.

"I killed those bugbears, and I am proud of it" Lieutenant Lumber said to a Canterlot Times correspondent, "I wasn't nervous. A fellow can't afford to have nerves in this business. I want to put in a good word for those mares and stallions who helped me, they all did swell. I'm trying to get them a promotion (sic), the way I look at this monster hunting job, somebody has to do it". Lieutenant Lumber is expected to receive the Order of the Moon in recognition of his courage and gallantry protecting the small town.

A similar event occurred not far from the town of Apple Fria in April of this year, where a Sergeant named Arizona Ranger solo fought off an attack by a beast locally known as "Texas Red" armed with nothing but a Single Action .44 revolver. The S.A. .44, nicknamed "Big Iron", has become a symbol of local pride and Southwestern grit.

---

“To wrap up.” Moonatik takes a magazine out of the box, speaking whilst gathering the other documents to put back into the box. “I’ll just have some interviews with regular ponies so you can get a more on-the-ground idea of life in Lunar Equestria.”

Verbal accounts from members of the Equestrian public, asked how the new government has changed their life. Published in The Equestrian magazine (30/06/1002)

Sourdough, age 37, Tall Tale.

Fucking hell, don’t get me started. Before all this Lunar crap things were just fine with me. Things were just fine with my friends. Things were just fine with Equestria. Then this psycho regime had to come along and change everything. Oh, looks like you got me started.

I’m an independent businesspony, I built what I had from the ground up with my own hooves. Ponies around my part of town knew me and respected me. We always had harmony where we lived. Folk helped folk, not because we had to but because we knew it was right.

There wasn’t any real fighting around here, so I was saved from being damaged physically. But financially? See, when they announced all these “Thestral Uplifting Initiatives” or whatever the hell, that meant three tribes ponies moving out and bat ponies moving in and starting businesses. And sure, I’m all for fair competition, but this isn’t fair competition when one side is being subsidised with my tax bits! It’s taking money out of my pocket and putting it into theirs, just because they’re bat ponies. And it’s a cycle too, I need to raise prices at my business to stay afloat which drives customers away from me and into the hooves of the ones getting the subsidies that lets them keep their prices low. Practically the only thing keeping me above water is my reputation.

And like, don’t get me wrong, nothing against bat ponies. I’m talking about the government, the “New Equestria” Party. You’re not allowed to ever criticise them or they’ll call you a racist. Being branded with that is just about the worst thing that can happen to a pony. They’ll find any reason to lock you up if you cross their path, already had a few friends go to jail for basically nothing. That’s probably the biggest difference, because ponies are afraid that the government is watching them all the time they act differently. Ponies are a whole lot less ‘real’ now, y’know? Feels like they’re only doing things because they have to. The magic of friendship isn’t dying, it’s being killed.

Sorry if this is a lot at once, but I don’t really get many chances to say this sort of thing.

Blackout, age 23, Manehattan.

Life changing. Life changing in the best possible way. Things that would have been impossible to me a few years ago are right in front of me. I feel like I have an actual shot at life now.

I never would’ve been able to get a good apprenticeship under the old regime. Nopony with any actual power or property was looking for thestrals unless they wanted dirt cheap labour. Now, though? It’s fantastic. Everyone’s looking to hire thestrals. I’m able to make decent money off of that and move to a nicer part of the city.

Only hiccup is that I’ll have to join the army at some point in the next five years. But honestly, I’d be proud to. Seeing all the amazing work that our soldiers are doing, cleaning up the monster problem, I’d love to be a part of that. Not just monsters, back in the part of the city where I grew up crime was always a problem. Not anymore. Everyone I know who still lives there tells me the same thing. They can sleep with the doors and windows unlocked and not have to worry. Crime is way down, criminals are getting locked up, and because ponies are doing better less are turning to crime. It’s a virtuous cycle!

Ponies are just nicer to me now, too. Before the revolution, it’d be hard for me to go anywhere where other tribes were. I’d be turned away at restaurants, nopony would want to sit near me on the bus, cops and royal guards would treat me with suspicion for just existing. But tonight? Nopony dares treat thestrals like that. It’s kind of flipped on its head, they used to go out of their way to be cruel but now they’re going out of their way to be nice. You can tell some of them are putting on an act, you can see it in their eyes, but I’d take that over being called a ‘bloodsucker’ any night.

I’ve never known this sort of security in my life before. Security in every sense of the word. I’ve got financial security. I’ve no longer got to worry about threats to my safety. I can start a family and know my kids are going to grow up prospering. Hell, I’ve only been talking about my life. For Equestria as a whole, for thestrals as a whole, I really think we haven’t seen anything yet. I’m full of hope for the future.

Highway, age 41, Trottingham.

Hm. See, that’s tough. If you asked me what I thought of the Lunarists a few years ago, heck, just two and a half years ago, I wouldn’t have given them a second thought. Yeah they worshipped Nightmare Moon, but I thought Nightmare Moon was a myth, and lots of creatures around the world believe in myths. To me she was a story I’d tell my kids about on Nightmare Night, and that’d be it. It’s kind of hard to have strong feelings for something when you don’t really know if it existed or not, all the real stories about her were from nearly a thousand years ago. What connection would I have to that?

Then, well, you know. Nightmare Moon came back. Turns out a lot of those myths were real. Turns out a lot of them were made up, too. Makes you wonder who you can trust.

It’s weird. Ponies always say that it changed everything, but to me? I don’t know. I’m still pretty much working the same job. I have a little extra money in my pocket, I guess. Even after taxes. Even after my electricity bill. Bloomin’ heck has my electricity bill gone up.

I can’t say I like the Lunarists, they’re basically dictators. And liars. I can probably count myself lucky that I’m too old to be conscripted, if everything that’s been said about ‘expanding the frontiers of our Empire’ are meant to mean anything. Though as long as I’m here, things are a lot better than some ponies had feared. As strange as it all gets I think we’re going to be okay.

I’m more worried about my kids. They’re all primary school age, yeah, but they’ve got to grow up in this world, everything they thought they knew being flip turned on its head. Not sure what it’ll be like when they grow up.

---

“Alright, you’re up to speed!” He throws the magazine back in the box and puts the lid back on. “That’s everything you should need to know about Equestria for a couple of years or thereabouts after the civil war! How Her Highness went from teetering on the edge to well and truly on top! So, you ask, is there more?” Moonatik excitedly rubs his hooves together and flaps his wings. “Ohh, much more. Mate, we’re just getting started! Just you wait!”

Author's Note:

OC attributions:
Light Narrative, Sinister Serov, and Starry Glory are from Equestria at War.
Sinister Serov is based on Sinnie, belonging to sinniethecat.