Interlude 3: Manehatten
It should probably come as no great surprise that the Ephorate managed a much quicker mobilization than the Loyalists. For all its many flaws, the old Pegasopolan system of military rule had produced a very efficient military machine. Between that and the obvious mobility advantages of a flying army compared to one that needs to worry about roads and terrain, it was inevitable that the Lunars would be able to strike the first blow in the war, and continue to hold the initiative for much of the war’s early stages.
There’s been a great deal of debate about their decision to advance on Manehatten. Many armchair generals have argued that the Lunars should have instead advanced on Canterlot, where they could have potentially won the war in a single battle. I personally disagree with this argument: even if the Loyalists had not yet fully mobilized, there were already substantial forces in the city, and the later Siege of Canterlot amply demonstrated how difficult it would be to break the city’s defenses.
While it is certainly possible that the rebels might have taken the city unawares and won the subsequent pitched battle, the risks involved in such an endeavour would have been massive, and the odds of success were low. I suspect most of those who say the Lunars should have immediately moved on the capital of Unicornia operate with the benefit of hindsight: any alternative that might have succeeded, however slim its chances, seems preferable when we know the historical course of events leads to defeat. The Ephorate, however, did not have the benefit of hindsight, or a historian's knowledge of the Loyalists’ state of readiness.
While taking Manehatten was a more conservative move, it was certainly an intelligent one from a strategic and political standpoint. Given that the entire conflict began over the disputed earth pony elections, whichever side held the earth pony capital would be much better positioned to claim their loyalty. For all the talk of how the earth ponies were split down the middle, the truth was far more complex than an even fifty-fifty split. For every pony who was passionate enough in his beliefs to fight to the death over the matter, there were five who had a preference, but were mostly interested in making it out of the war alive. Holding Manehatten ensured that a lot of the more lukewarm supporters of the rebellion would come out of the woodwork, while the more moderate of Celestia’s proponents would keep their heads down.
The other big advantage of attacking Manehatten was that the city was in no condition to resist. While the Vice-Chancellor and the Mayor had both officially declared for Celestia, many of Apple Tree’s supporters were rioting in the streets, and enough of the local law enforcers were sympathetic to make suppressing the riots difficult. Those same political divisions made calling up local militias problematic, lest they prove similarly divided and add to the chaos, or even outright defect to the rioters.
Needless to say, a city with no army and local law enforcement that couldn’t even keep order in the streets stood no chance against the battle-hardened army of Pegasopolis. While many decried the decision as cowardice at the time, surrendering the city without a fight was the only realistic option. I rather doubt the loyalist government could have cobbled together enough of a force to even mount a suicidal token defence to satisfy honor.
For this interlude, I’ve decided to draw upon two documents. Firstly, a transcript of the speech given by Acting Commander Rightly Doo upon taking the city, and secondly, an excerpt from the memoirs of Dusk Charger.
“I know many of the ponies of Manehatten are fearful at the prospect of a foreign army entering their city. Though the bonds between earth pony and pegasus are strong and ancient, recent events have given many cause to question whether the old treaties still stand. Allow me to take this opportunity to assure every single pony in the city of the following: not only do the old agreements stand, they have never been stronger. Long ago, the ponies of Pegasopolis swore to protect their brethren from all who would threaten them, and today we uphold that vow! We come to this city not as conquerors seeking plunder, but as liberators throwing off the yoke of an uncaring foreign queen who sought to destroy your democratic traditions.
“Pegasopolis has always shared a special bond with the earth ponies. Though our ways differ from yours, we still elect our leaders. We still believe that rulership should lie with the best ponies, not those who have the fortune of being born into one so-called noble family. We believe in a government where reason, debate, and consensus hold sway, not the whims of a distant and uncaring queen who believes herself above the law. We believe that governments should serve their citizens, not that the place of ponies is to grovel like dogs before their leaders.
“In days long before any of us were born, Manehatten suffered the cruelty of griffon occupation, until the armies of Pegasopolis marched forth under the leadership of Commander Luna and cast the griffon hordes back into the sea. Today, the armies of Pegasopolis once more free this city—but this time not from the tyranny of another species, but from our own kind gone astray. As Luna once freed this city, so do we free it, and we honor the sacrifices of our ancestors and the ancient promises we once again fulfill by marching beneath the very same flag. No matter the enemy, when ponies of Manehatten cry out for the freedoms they have been denied by the whim of tyrants, we will answer the call. So long as Pegasopolis stands, the earth will always be free!
“Because we are here to free you, I guarantee the safety and security of every single pony within Manehatten. Our soldiers will not harm you. Your property and possessions will all be vouchsafed by myself and the other members of the Ephorate. Law and order will be upheld, and all shall be allowed to live as they once did. The hetairoi, my own personal companions and protectors, shall work to ensure exactly that in the coming days.
“The corrupt and decadent servants of the tyrant Celestia, which could only hold power through lies and treachery, have already fled the city, and good riddance to them. To ensure a smooth and orderly transition of power, I have appointed Ephor Swift Blade to oversee the creation of a new earth pony government which will reflect the true needs and desires of the common pony. It is my hope that all the ponies of Manehatten, and indeed all the earth ponies across Equestria, will work alongside his efforts so that normalcy might be swiftly restored.
“Fare you well, Manehatten, and enjoy your freedom. May it endure until the end of time.”
We took Manehatten without a fight. Mother was no doubt beside herself with grief.
I confess a certain curiosity to explore the earth pony city, if only for the novelty of the experience. I’d never truly had occasion to interact with our groundbound cousins before. Acting Commander Rightly helpfully accommodated my desires by ordering that his elite hetairoi patrol the city as if they were common gendarmes. While Mother had been most eager to see her children have the honor of a place in the hetairoi, she’d neglected to inform us that in addition to the prestigious duty of seeing to his personal safety, we would also be serving as a convenient means of demonstrating just how much he cared about the earth ponies without actually requiring any personal efforts on his part.
Such are the hazards of taking a politically charged post.
Still, matters were not entirely without consolation. My older sister Lance commanded the hetairoi, so I was at least spared from patrolling seedy back alleys and the like. Though really, I doubt anypony was expecting us to bother with that kind of thing to begin with. The hetairoi were supposed to be out in the markets of Manehatten, so that everypony could see how Rightly’s personal bodyguards were busily maintaining order. Luna forbid we should go to where actual crimes were occurring, given that criminals have this annoying habit of trying to avoid witnesses. Far better that we apprehended a petty cutpurse in the middle of the agora, where all Manehatten could bear witness, than stop a murder where nopony could see it.
There was also the rather pleasant company of my wingmare, Sierra Doo. Granted, the pleasure of her company was less than it could have been, given that she was wed to another. Pity too, for she was a rather attractive mare with a fine olive green coat that nearly matched the tone of her clan’s armor, complemented by a most flattering brown mane. Some years older than me, but not so much that ‘twould have made a passing diversion impossible. ‘Twas likely for the best that nothing could come of it, though. Lance likely would have chastised me for acting lecherously with a wingmare.
The two of us were on guard in Manehatten’s central agora. Well, I called it an agora, though in truth ‘twas quite different from what I had seen in Cloudsdale. The buying and selling of goods and services made the entire place far more noisesome than Cloudsdale e’en on its busiest days. Merchants shouted of the superior quality of their goods, barking offers at any passers-by, some of whom shouted back their own counter-offers. Needless to say, we attracted quite a few glances of our own; some curious, some friendly, and many wary.
“So, these are the ponies we came to liberate?” I passed my gaze over the marketplace once more. “Curious that they do not seem to have been so terribly oppressed, nor overjoyed to see their liberators.”
“They are frightened.” My wingmare did not turn to face me, her eyes still scanning the crowd. “In truth, I cannot blame them. War is no doubt a frightening prospect to those who do not have the ability to defend themselves. They must worry for the safety of their families and loved ones.” Sierra’s voice turned softer, and forlorn. “‘Tis a trouble I know all too well.”
“Thy thoughts linger on thy husband, then?”
“Aye,” she confessed. “I pray we are done with this war ere we must face the Kickers on the battlefield. I fear the very idea of it, for I do not know what would pass if Stalwart and I found one another on the field.” She turned to me, curiosity showing in her golden eyes. “Didst thou have the pleasure of meeting him during thy time with the Kickers?”
It took me a minute to remember the stallion in question. One othe more respected sergeants among the clan’s ranks, with a talent for training new recruits. “I did, though only in passing. He seemed a fine enough stallion.” I considered for a moment, then offered a quick oath. “Should I meet him on the field, I shall do what I can to see that his life is spared.”
“I thank thee for the offer,” Sierra murmured. “I only pray that my daughter still has a father when this war is ended. Astra already misses him, and I would not have her parted from him for all of time.” Her eyes turned west, to Canterlot. “The unicorns cannot ignore the loss of Manehatten. They will meet us in the field, and we will defeat them. Mayhaps then reason will return and the Sun Tyrant will ask for terms.”
“I would prefer to see the matter settled with a minimum of bloodshed.” My own mind turned to the Kickers. Though by law they’d been stripped of that name, Ephor Cyclone’s declaration seemed a weak one when he presided over but a small fraction of the clan. “Shadow and her kin may have chosen poorly in backing Celestia, but they are not villains. Loyalty is a virtue, e’en if they are misguided in which loyalty they value most highly.” I offered my wingmare further words of reassurance. “The Kickers will be allowed back into the fold at the war’s ending. I have heard from Mother that amnesty will be offered to all members of the clan, e’en Shadow herself. Contingent on submitting to Cyclone as paterfamilias and ephor, of course.”
“Naturally.” Sierra turned to me. “Are there any within the clan thou wouldst see live out the war? I’ve heard rumors that your mother hoped to match thee to Shadow’s daughter, ere matters reached the point of war.”
“I would not be surprised by it.” If her own life was anything to judge by, Mother was most aware of the importance of binding the clans together by blood. “Gale was a most comely mare, though I fear she was less than fond of me. Her passion for me was like the burning sun, in that it was quite painful with prolonged exposure. I fear ‘twas more passionate hatred than lust, though I’ve heard it said that there are times when the distinction between the two is uncertain. If that be the case, I shudder to think of what form her true ire would take.”
I fell silent for a time, then offered a confession of my own. “In truth, I am concerned about my sister, Dawn. She is of Kicker blood, and of an age where ‘twould not be surprising if Mother expects to see her blooded ere the war’s ending.” E’en though Dawn aspires to be a medicae, ‘twould be unseemly for the daughter of an ephor to not have some battle accolades to her name. “I would not have my sister’s first experience in battle be the shedding of kinsblood.”
“The shedding of any pony’s blood is a poor first experience for a warrior.” Sierra frowned, shaking her head. “I had thought we lived in an age where such things were long past, aside from the odd criminals and blackguards.” She paused, tapping a hoof idly against her chin. “Does her sire yet live? I would spare him, if I can.”
“I do not recall the name,” I confessed. “I was quite young at the time, and Mother’s partners were passing. Nopony of especial prominence; only I was privileged enough to have an illustrious sire, and that was more by happenstance than design.” For all that she had borne her children to foster bonds with the other clans, Mother had always ensured that we saw ourselves as hers above all else. Had she known more than two decades ago that Steel Striker was not merely a promising young officer, but in fact a future member of the Ephorate, she likely would have chosen another. As it was, I’d exchanged only a few sentences with the stallion o’er the course of my entire life. Though given how sparse he was with his words, that was small surprise.
Sierra frowned in thought. “I see. Mayhaps when next thou hast the opportunity, thou shouldst inquire of thy mother whether...” Sierra slowly trailed off, an ear flicking in annoyance as several particularly loud yells from the agora-goers drowned her out. “What passes now? Are they having another argument over their monies?”
I sought out the source of the disturbance, only to find a cluster of shouting and highly agitated earth ponies. ‘Twas impossible to see the cause of their ire, and far too many were shouting for anypony to make out what they were saying. Whatever the case, ‘twas clearly a disturbance that merited our intervention. The two of us approached, and Sierra unleashed a bellow she’d no doubt perfected in the course of raising a child. “What passes here?!”
The crowd stilled somewhat at our approach, and a few of the ponies nearest us stood aside, revealing a small cluster of earth ponies in the center of the crowd. The stallion immediately caught my eye, due to his split lip and several rapidly forming bruises. The shredded remains of a heavy cloak were draped about him, and he protectively clutched a mare and two young children to his chest, attempting to shield them from the mob’s wrath.
“That’s the murderin’ bastard!” One of the many ponies in the mob shouted out. “Danver Carrot! He’s the one what killed Apple Tree!”
I turned my attention to the stallion once more, scrutinizing him carefully. The Commander had mentioned that Danver Carrot was believed responsible for the murder, and there were posters about the agora declaring his status as an outlaw. The stallion’s mane was not bright green as Danver’s was, but his coat matched, and there are means by which the mane’s color can be changed. His flank was indeed adorned with carrots, and judging by the tattered remnants of a cloak on his back, he’d likely been attempting to hide his identity. Or perhaps he simply liked wearing a cloak. (1)
1: There were over a dozen ponies lynched or executed on suspicion of being Danver Carrot over the course of the rebellion, mostly in more isolated small towns where news from the outside tended to be rather hit-or-miss. While most historians agree that the stallion in this incident was in fact the real Danver Carrot, some have theorized that one of the other stallions was the real Danver, or even that he somehow eluded capture, survived the war, and lived out the rest of his life in anonymity.
Regardless, I took charge of the situation. “Very well. We shall take him into custody and see that justice is done.”
“To hay with that!” One of the many mob members cried out. “We got plenty of justice right here! Somepony find a tree, and let’s string him up!”
While earth ponies were often said to be uneducated, I would have thought they at least knew the difference between justice and mob violence. Sadly, I was mistaken in that belief, and soon the rest of the crowd began loudly agreeing with the suggestion that this stallion who was probably Danver Carrot ought to be lynched.
As the crowd tightened menacingly around the small family, I turned to Sierra. “Find Lance—we need greater numbers.” For all the famed skill of the warriors of Pegasopolis and the Commander’s hetairoi, two pegasi would be hard pressed to subdue several dozen rioting earth ponies. Well, I imagine if we killed a few of them the rest would quickly back down, but I doubt Commander Rightly would appreciate that. Murdering earth ponies in the streets would not be the best way to persuade them that we had come in peace as friends and liberators. 'Twould be rather pointless to disperse a small riot by doing something that would cause the entire city to riot.
Sierra made haste in obeying, leaving me alone to face the budding lynch mob. I shouted in a vain effort to make myself heard, but my voice was just one of many, and as the mob grew larger and larger I was forced into the sky simply to avoid being crushed. There was little I could do to protect the stallion who was suspected, and the mob shortly descended upon him. To make matters worse, several ponies descended upon the mare and foals accompanying him. To what little credit a rioting mob deserves, the children were spared the mob’s fury.
The mare was less fortunate. Though none of them did her immediate violence, she was roughly restrained, and I misliked the ugly mood of the mob. ‘Twas entirely too likely that if matters continued to degenerate they would reach a point where I would have to intervene, no matter the consequences. Though I misliked the idea of using severe force ‘gainst the very ponies I had come to this city to free, there are some offenses which no warrior of Pegasopolis could allow.
As I readied myself for the possibility of battle, a single powerful voice cut through the din. “Stay this madness!”
All eyes turned to the sky, where my sister Lance hovered above the crowd. I cannot entirely account for how Lance was able to capture the mob’s attention with three words, where all my efforts to control them had failed. The best I can explain it is to say that Lance had a sense of presence which I lacked. ‘Twas not a simple matter of appearance, though her golden coat and white mane were certainly striking—to the extent which I could say such of my sister, she was quite comely. Nor was it her size, though much like our mother she was a mare of strength. However, e’en Mother did not carry same indefinable quality that ensured that all eyes were drawn to her whenever she wished it, and that when she issued a command ponies complied without thought. Mother was a formidable mare indeed, yet lacked the raw force of personality that Lance carried.
Ponies obeyed Mother because they knew her accomplishment and reputation, and likely feared that she would smite them if they failed to comply. They obeyed Lance because they could not conceive of defying her to begin with.
My older sister landed in the midst of the mob, those ponies who stood beneath her hastily moving aside so that she would have room to stand. She turned a withering glare upon those who were clustered about the stallion and his wife, and the mob hastily released their victims and moved aside. She then turned on one of the many ponies in the mob, her lance pointing at him accusingly. “Thou. Justify this.”
The stallion flinched away from her. “Well, um, ma’am, he’s Danver Carrot.”
“And the mare?” My sister demanded, her glower intensifying.
The stallion said nothing, stepping further back in a vain effort to disappear into the crowd’s ranks.
Lance finally released the stallion from her gaze, but only so she could direct it to the rest of the crowd. “I have never before had the pleasure of visiting Manehatten. Is this to be my introduction to thy city?” As one, the crowd flinched in guilt. “I have heard it said that this is a city of progress and innovation, yet now I see the most base instincts of all ponykind revealed. I am deeply and personally disappointed with every single pony here. There is no excuse for this.”
One of the ponies in the mob vainly tried to speak in his own defense. “But he’s—”
“There is no excuse.” Lance did not raise her voice in the slightest, yet it cracked out with iron, unquestionable authority. Her gaze once more turned to the ponies directly responsible for the attack. “Thou shalt surrender thyselves to the gendarmerie for thy crimes. As for the rest of thee, a twenty bit fine shall be levied upon all present who joined the mob, and those funds shall be used to compensate the good ponies of Manehatten for their trouble in aiding our cause.”
The crowd hesitated for a long moment, then the stallion Lance had singled out earlier reluctantly pulled out his bitpurse and deposited the required amount of coins before Lance. Once the first pony acted to break the dam, the rest followed his example, and soon dozens of ponies slowly filed past her, paying the fine and offering shamefaced apologies, only to be met with Lance’s disdainful glower. Reinforcements from the hetairoi and local gendarmerie arrived as the last of the rioters were dispersing, save for the ponies Lance had apprehended for more severe crimes.
After briefly speaking with his wife, the mob’s victim stepped to Lance’s side. “Thank ya kindly, ma’am. They was aimin’ to kill every one of us, ‘fore you showed up.”
Lance offered a single, slight nod. “I know not whether thou art the criminal the mob claimed. E’en if that be so, ‘tis a matter for courts and judges, not wild ponies in the throes of madness.” Lance paused, then removed her own cloak and offered it to the stallion’s wife. “And the price for thy crimes is thine, and thine alone.” She nodded to the gendarmes, and they took the family in hoof. The mare briefly protested when her husband was taken from her and put in chains, but he waved her down. Danver Carrot, if he was indeed Danver, seemed resigned to his fate and did not even make a token effort to resist his arrest. Mayhaps he was willing to face trial in return for the safety of his family, or mayhaps the guilt of his crimes had consumed him.
With the matter settled, I approached my sister, a genial smile on my face. “Impressive as ever, Lance. Though I must say, landing in the middle of a mob was bold. What wouldst thou have done if they turned against thee?”
“Given their numbers and temperament, I expect I would have died,” she answered simply.
I was rather taken aback by the casual ease with which she announced that. “Some would say that thou art far too valuable to Pegasopolis to be lost attempting to prevent the lynching of a murderer.”
Lance answered me with a single shake of her head. “This is a war of principles, Dusk. We must stand true to what is right, e’en if it costs us our lives. Better that the war be lost than to win it at the cost of decency, for then we will have become the very evil we fought to prevent. I would sooner die than live to see such a thing.”
I smiled and briefly touched my shoulder to hers. “I am glad it did not come to that. Especially since Mother likely would have burned the city to the ground and put everypony within to the sword to avenge thee.”
Danver Carrot was executed for the murder of Apple Tree three days later, by order of the Free Earth Pony Provisional Government.
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I may be a bit biased, considering that the Doos are my mainstay, but I do enjoy the Lunar perspective here. While Shadow's PoV is definitely solid, I do enjoy seeing the other side of this conflict.
Also: Lance Charger is a proper Bad-Ass Flank-Kicker. Just saying it now.
4282315
Flank Kicker, I want to see this character pop up. Perhaps a cousin of Gale's? Perhaps with parents who thought themselves brilliant in naming conventions.
Good chapter as always, I hope we get to read more of Dusk's memoir concerning the creation of Nightmare Moon Avatar.
A very nice and fascinating diversion from the main events in Canterlot. As Comma Kazie mentioned, very cool getting to see the Lunar perspective, and not just from the ephorates POV, but from a fairly normal pegasus, even if he does have some ties to the upper echelon of pegasi society given who his mother is. I'm sure that at this stage of the war Pegasopolis, and most of its soldiers and commanders, were indeed truly committed to fighting an honorable conflict with proper conduct; however, it will be interesting seeing how they devolve to more fanatical and desperate endeavors later in the war. I'm also suspicious of Swift Blade conducting affairs with the new earth pony provisional government in Manehattan; given that he's proven himself the most politically savvy and pragmatic even member of the ephorate in the past, I wouldn't be surprised if he eventually became a Benjamin Butler-like figure in his governing of the city, if not worse.
Also, I cannot wait to see more of Lance Charger, quite the bad ass indeed! Though as I mentioned, I have a bad feeling that the loss of many pegasi like her is going to be a driving factor in Pegasopolis's more desperate and fanatic attempts to win the war in its later stages, at least presuming that's the course they take. Such a shame, but that is the terrible tragedy of war: it always has a way of claiming the lives of the best of a country's citizens, or at least a lot of them.
Keep up the great work Chengar! 
Somewhat unusually for me, I'm going to make a moral argument (in addition to Cloud's (…though, actually, I think that it's still not been explicitly confirmed that she's the editor) political and strategic arguments, the cynical sort that I'm somewhat more accustomed to) for the rebels' decision to take Manehattan. The rebels don't want to overthrow Equestria; they just want to execute their explicit legal right to leave it. The war itself began because of the internal violence in Manehattan, and, as Cloud say, most of the earth pony population just wanted peace to return. Since Celestia, as usual, seemed to be doing nothing to quell the violence, why should Pegasopolis not send peacekeepers to restore order? Given that the earth ponies have a democracy and Celestia is immortal, she might even have been voted back in years down the line, when things calmed down. The pegasi are protecting the lives of innocent earth ponies and ensuring that the earth ponies retain their right to select their own leaders when the only alternative was a Loyalist force that a: would probably just, especially in the rebels' eyes, conquer Manehattan for Unicornia and b: didn't seem to be showing up any time soon anyway, letting the violence continue and putting more innocents at risk.
Though all this is just speculation; I've not started the main body of the interlude yet, just read the introduction.
Commander Rightly's speech would appear to mesh well with my above speculations.
As does the section that follows, though it also indicates that things are, not surprisingly, a bit less rosy than the speech made them sound.
Also, the rebels hoping for a negotiated peace without bloodshed and being willing to offer the entirety of the rogue Kickers, even Shadow, full amnesty? Why, it's almost as if they're the side with the better legal, practical, and moral arguments for their position.
Because Gandalf, that's why.
I'm not quite sure if this is an intentional reference, but it gave me a laugh regardless.
Really love these interludes, to give us a break from Shadow's POV and to see things from other angles. Can't say I feel much sympathy for Danver though.
Lance Charger = Awesome. That is all.
Yes, the queen you voted out of office and who had no reason to listen to you aside from the rule of law. The temerity!
In any case, always nice to see history from every viewpoint. After all, no one believes he or she is intentionally evil. People either think they're in the right or don't think it matters, and the Pegasopolans are clearly in the former camp. I just hope that lasts...
Looking forward to more. Also, I think we may have just seen the genetic basis for the Stare.
4283811 Having no desire (at this time) to too deeply mire myself into argumentation, I'd like to focus on one thing here: the idea that Pegasopolis took over Manehattan to "stop the Loyalists from conquering it" when, in fact, the Loyalists were apparently the ones in charge already, by the accounts of both the editor's notes and Rightly Doo's speech.
P.S. Both sides are "hoping" for a bloodless victory ... but you don't see either one willing to give up their cause for the sake of it. Or are you suggesting that Celestia wouldn't be willing to give full amnesty to every pony in Pegasopolis in return for full capitulation? Ah, but here I am on the verge of starting an argument. Oh well.
4284530
I also would prefer not to get into a hostile argument, and I see no reason why we can't agree to disagree on this if doing otherwise would merely be unpleasant.
I like the foreshadowing in the chapter intro, even if it is "history".
4284530
Well, the Loyalists probably would have sent some forces to Manehatten to restore order, given that the loyalist government there was in a shaky position. Not a proper conquest, but they would definitely want to shore up their position and crack down on rebel activity in the city.
Hmn, makes me wonder which (if any) of the Chargers in this chapter are going to both survive the war and remain in Equestria instead of fleeing to help found Freeport. I'm pretty sure we've been told that Dash is a Charger, so somepony is going to need to make it through to the end of the war in order to qualify as a potential ancestor for her.
4283811
Chapter 2
I think we have some strong evidence that it is Cloud.
OK this does not bode well for Shadows attempts to unseat Duke Polaris. Just how long does she intend to wait before she gives into the inevitable.
A fun chapter as always, but I do have one major complaint. The size of these chapters is just way to short and I finish them way to quickly. I here by request more massive chapters so that we may enjoy them for the maximum amount of time possible.
4284968 Who said anything about "hostile"? I just meant some of these Internet debates can be pretty time consuming, so I wanted to contain myself to the one objection (or two), instead of taking on everything I may disagree with.
But if you'd rather take that number to zero, then that's okay.
4286398
If your last comment was a joke, then never mind the following.
First, I doubt you have anything to worry about in terms of the chapter size: the Interludes do tend to be shorter, but I'm sure you can expect the main chapters to continue to be of a similar size to the ones in the past.
Secondly, I really disagree with your complaint, and feel it borders on silly to class it as a "major" one. I feel that whatever chapter length the author is most comfortable producing is fine (to a point; chapters less than 1000 words in length are odd to me unless done well)—and you get no less, and possibly more, story update length over time.
If update size is really that much of an issue with other stories, you could simply wait for more updates to accumulate. In theory, you'd get the "update" just as fast as if the author had uploaded it all at once.
4286574
It was a joke. I went over the top in my complaint to emphasize that and to show my desire for more in a slightly comedic fashion. Guess I did not go far enough.
4286398
Ah, I must have missed that in my search; thank you.
4286492
Oh, my apologies, then; I misunderstood your feelings on the matter.
In that case, I shall be brief and say that it's not Celestia I'm concerned about. If you find that you have a significant amount of time to invest in this after all, there's a somewhat lengthy discussion beginning here.
4286690 It's harder than you think to be over the top on the Internet, at least when the reader isn't familiar with the writer, as was the case here. Oh well, no harm done!
4285106
), at least for those who remained in Equestria, with the exception, of course, of Clan Kicker. Sure, someone like Derpy's family has retained the Doo name, but they're probably exceptions to the rule. Most other pegasi in the present it seems either eventually dropped or forgot their clan ancestry, identify with the Cumuli (which from what Chengar's said before is sort of a semi-clan but not fully a clan; Nimbus Gust, for example, was from "Clan" Cumulus), or, of course, are from Clan Kicker. Of course, if anyone sees something wrong with what I said there, feel free to correct it, by all means, but that's what I've gathered from my previous reading in the Winningverse. Hope this helps! 
Oh I doubt that any of the clans are going to be wiped out, or that all of their members are going to flee to Freeport. We already know from what's been mentioned in other Winningverse stories that the clans were disbanded at the end (I think that's been mentioned before in other stories
4286752 Having read the first few posts, it's certainly an interesting interpretation—but I don't know precisely how it is supposed to relate to my postscript, and I don't see any connection between it and the initial point of my post.
Please elaborate.
4287172
Regarding the postscript:
The rebels want a bloodless victory. Celestia wants a bloodless victory and on her own would give in. Many, though not all, of the unicorns probably also want a bloodless victory. Shadow Kicker, as I interpret her, very much does not want a bloodless victory. She wants Pegasopolis crushed.
Regarding the initial point:
No, there wasn't much of a connection there. I wasn't really sure how to address it. Firstly, as far as I'm aware, the city was still quite divided, and the majority weren't really on either side. Secondly, I don't see why it would matter to this bit of the discussion if the Loyalists had already managed to conquer the city; the rebels would still have tried to liberate it.
Dusk seems to be made entirely out of sass and awesome. He is already noticing the cracks in the rebel faction's philosophy. His sister is pretty principled herself as well. I wonder...
4287251 Your original post said:
This implies that the pegasi were pre-empting a future conquest of Manehattan by Loyalist forces, so the question of whether Loyalists were already in charge is quite relevant.
As for the other point, by "give in", do you mean accept the Pegasopolians' surrender? In any case, there is little Shadow Kicker could do to stop it if such a surrender was actually offered. Her influence with Celestia would not extend to inserting draconian demands into such negotiations.
4283811
Final Fan is correct. You've substituted a lot of solid reason and actual events and words for your own headcanon, inserted bias, and then unleashed it in the comments. Please reconfirm everything you've said, and pay closer attention to the character and personalities of the ponies involved, as well as the motivations behind them.
4284189
THANK YOU for pointing this out. At this point it feels more like the people who continuously argue for the Pegasi are doing so just because they've attached their cause to Luna's name out of some sort of NLR zealotry. Completely forgetting that the base motivation behind the situation coming to the brink of war was the corruption of the Ephorate and the willing twisting of their own morals, and the moral and emotional abuse of the ponies under them.
4287606
4287638
I'm not in the mood for an argument about this at the moment. Possibly swicked will be up for one, though.
4286992 My speculation was about the Chargers named in this chapter specifically, Lance, Dusk, and Dawn, not the clan as a whole.
4287894
Ah, gotcha.
You know, I never realized it until they said "Sun Tyrant", but couldn't Celestia just keep the sun either raised or lowered, thus forcing the rebels to capitulate?
4288217
That would require Celestia to actually be decisive, rather than the spineless pushover she's been acting like in this story.
Granted, she's been acting like that for potentially justifiable reasons, sure. But still, she's been a sh!%%y monarch so far.
4288217 While she technically could, such a move would land her squarely with the likes of Nightmare Moon as far as the moral high ground is concerned. A willingness to kill the planet to win a civil war is not what I would want in a ruler, and in my opinion would completely justify the pegasi rebellion.
4288556 She doesn't need to kill the entire planet, merely remind everypony why SHE is the ruler of the nation. Hell, she could just abdicate and leave the sun where it is; forcing the rebels to beg her to return. I wouldn't be too happy after 10 months of blazing hot summer.
On a different note, the reply i got in email is different then the one I am responding to now, did you edit it?
4289044 That's the thing, 10 months of constant sun probably would kill the planet and everything mortal on it, especially if that means that the other side is getting 10 months of constant darkness. I suppose you could could up with a planet/sun system where just leaving it in place wouldn't be the catastrophe I'm expecting, but that'd be pretty hard to do unless the movement of the sun just cosmetic and the planet stays warm and grows crops all on its own. And in that case, who cares if Celestia stops raising and lowering it?
And yeah, I edited (like ten different times to be honest), I wasn't happy with the original version. I didn't realize that comment replies get emailed out to people. Is that in the site settings somewhere?
4289207
It came on the email address I used to sign up for this site. The whole system is broken, for some reason I don't get an update notification whenever Chengar Qordath updates the story. I have to manually check. And I'm just glad the reply got through, it sent it to a number and not your name.
It occurs to me that much of the Lunars motivation and reasoning is the result of an inferiority complex. From a mortal's perspective, Celestia is the single most powerful entity on the planet, bar none. She can never be contained, never be controlled, never be stopped, or fought, or reasoned with. She will never, ever die. This is a terrifying thought, naturally. To the Ephorate, they literally only exist because Celestia allows them to. At any point in their history, or their future, she could/can just walk in and disband them. Anyone who tries to say no could (and to them, would) be vaporized instantly.
Now, to the reader, their fears are unjustified. The Winning incarnation of Celestia is incredibly submissive and an extreme pacifist. But the pegasi do not know this, likely from their long isolation from their ruler and general belief that their leader must be a warrior. So they genuinely believe (or have fooled themselves into believing) that they are basically slaves to the whim of an omnipotent, uncaring god. Which they ironically seek to fight by allying themselves with virtually the same entity (though my personal headcanon places Luna as weaker than Celestia).
Personally, this line of reasoning leads me to the belief that Celestia is simply apathetic. She genuinely does not care about the conflict or the ponies involved, likely viewing them as temporary and their goals irrelevant. I cannot for the life of me follow the reasoning (and yes, I've read Chengar's explanations, and I do not find them satisfactory) behind Celestia sitting back and allowing mortal, hotheaded ponies to slaughter each other in droves and be lead by incompetent, glory-seeking jackasses like Rightly, Bright, Polaris, and Shadow when she could easily step in and stop everything or take command herself. With Celestia's powers and experience, plus her insight into the hearts of ponies, she would be utterly unstoppable as a commander. She could end the war in days through commanding alone. Instead, she's going to allow it to drag on for weeks/months/years (we haven't been given a very detailed timeframe to my knowledge).
4288556
Have to agree that, as far as Celestia's concerned, pulling a Nightmare Sun isn't an option. It might be effective at cowing the rebellion (I wouldn't be surprised if Sunbeam would've suggested it) but it wouldn't do much help her reputation as a budding tyrant. Shadow and a lot of her other supporters would not approve of it; if the suggestion/threat had come out prior to Shadow's defection, it might well have stopped her from joining Celestia. And it could end up stiffening everyone's resolve to see her removed instead of cowing them into submission: canon does say that mortal unicorns controlled the sun and moon before the sisters showed up.
Celestia is a bit too nice for her own good. It's a character flaw, and one that's entirely intentional. Her morals hold her back from taking the most objectively efficient course of action. Morality vs. expediency is one of the running themes of the story, and Celestia is very much in favor of the former.
Great as always. I love the intersecting plot lines, the resolution of Danver Carrot (if however sad), and the differing view points. So few authors in any medium or any fiction would do something along the lines of a true annotated memoir. It's very refreshing as you add in other's speeches, memoirs, and "books". Can't wait for more.
Having the word "Free" in your government's name is like having the words "Democratic Republic," or "Vichy."
4283811
They already excecuted their right to leave. Remember the whole "depose Commander Celestia" thing? This is like if the South were allowed to leave, then six months later declared war to "liberate" Kansas.
Since the Ukraine, as usual, seemed to be doing nothing to quell the violence, why should Russia not send peacekeepers to restore order? "Restoring order" is one of the classic invasion lines. Russia's doing it now. Japan did it to Manchura. Hitler did it for those poor Germans in Czechoslovakia. If we didn't see the assassination, I'd say it was a false flag by the pegasi--that's how textbook this "restoring order" shtick is.
4288217
The Machiavellian side of me would wait until the pegasi openly start supporting Luna, then lower the sun claiming they've somehow "resurrected" her and she's pulling another eternal night. That would probably convince most of the Earth Pony moderates to back me and put substantial pressure on the pegasi when Cloudsdale freezes over after a few nights of radiating heat at 10,000 feet.
4289207
You wouldn't need ten months. Only a couple days or weeks before Cloudsdale evaporates from under them. Of course, PR dictates that's not a good option. You'd win the war, but piss everyone off--including the griffons who I'm sure were so happy last time there was a screwing with the day/night cycle they decided to see what Manehatten was like.
I'm going to laugh if the author subverts Polaris and actually makes him a decent military leader--or, for a little comedy--so incompetent that he utterly confuses the pegasi and is still able to win.
(I apologize for some of my recent comments, in hindsight they're very rude and are more the result of me stressing out about college finals than actual problems with the story. So that is entirely my fault, and I am sorry.)
With true war approaching, I've drawn up some preliminary battle plans for how I would fight Pegasopolis, were I Polaris:
1. The pegasi's main advantage is their speed and maneuverability. To counter this, the unicorns should direct their fighting to terrain which suits them whenever possible. Mountains, cities, and forests would largely cut down on visibility for the lofty pegasi and force them into tighter maneuvers, severely cutting down on their ability to flank the enemy.
2. To counter the pegasi's superior marching speed in the field, I propose the use of what I call "mounted infantry." Making use of the earth ponies' superior strength and stamina, teams of earth pony militia (I would think two to be sufficient) will carry wagons loaded with 3-5 Unicornian knights, magi, and militia. These wagons will be rushed to the line of battle, where the fresh unicorns will disembark and assume their formations. The wagons will be rushed back to the main camp, where the earth pony teamsters will trade out with a fresh pair. There they will rest, drink, etc. while the other team delivers more fresh troops. In order to protect the earth ponies, one knight or magus will ride the wagon at all times.
3. The majority of the pegasus forces will likely be concentrated high in the air at all times, out of conventional range of spells and crossbows. I propose the use of war chariot dragoons to meet them on their turf. A team of two Loyalist pegasi will pull a skychariot loaded with two magi into the air. The pegasi's job will be solely to keep the chariot moving, using their natural agility to keep it from being surrounded or blasted with lightning. The first magi's job is defense, casting shield and other defensive spells to ward off attackers. The second's job is offense.
Half the teams will be casting large area-of-effect spells, primarily to disrupt pegasus formations and keep them from forming a solid battle line. These will be going more for theatric effect and annoyance, rather than true casualties.
The other half's job is the important one. These will be going after pegasus commanders, heroes, and social figures (helpfully identified by Shadow's extensive knowledge of the Pegasopolis military). They will use much more precise offensive spells to kill or cripple anyone who looks important, robbing the conventional troops of the chain of command and/or anyone to rally around.
4. The Unicornian hedgehog formation is ideal for fighting pegasi as well as earth ponies. One magus in every group will maintain a flat shield over their heads, dissuading pegasi from an aerial attack and forcing them to come in at the sides, rear, and front (even better if the hedgehog can get terrain to either side). This is where the unicorns monster training takes over.
In the beginning stages of the war, the shield doesn't have to be terribly strong as its only purpose is to make the pegasi think it's strong. As experience wizens them up, though, the unicorns will need to devise ways to maintain a stronger shield for longer (as I imagine a shield strong enough to repel attackers for any length of time would be terrible strain for even a powerful unicorn: I use Shining Armor as my example). If possible, the magus might be able to maintain a weak shield as a front and strengthen it only when attack is imminent, thus increasing their ability to hold it for long periods.
4293689 I suspect (and given this isn't my canon, I may well be wrong) that the number of mages capable of casting large Area of Effect spells is sharply limited. Telekinesis, special talents, local protective shielding/mass dampers, bright lights, and moderate force blasts are probably the limit of the vast majority of Unicorn combatant's talents. Mages able to cast Psy Storms, mass shielding, fireballs, force blades, Mutilate, etc. are few and far between. Also, I'd use anti-air weapons 'gainst the Lunars rather than sending heavy, slow, and vulnerable teams into the air to fight on their turf.
Loyalist Pegasi protect the command network and can serve as emergency reinforcements. Mages with sufficient TK skill are equipped with Barrage Wires, razor wire suspended at one end by a magic field and whipped into the flight path of oncoming forces. Mages able to cast at range, and Earth Ponies skilled in archery or accurate bucking, provide cover while the other two-thirds of the force engages on the ground. Draw the Pegasi into a ground engagement, then don't permit them to lift off again. Anything flying on the front lines is assumed hostile. Presuming such things are possible, Loyalist Pegasi may set up lightning artillery. More-remote unicorns not directly on the front lines, if they aren't actively defending against Pegasi attacks, would engage enemy fliers and high-value targets using seeker shots or force beams from range.
4322318 You bring up some interesting points.
You are most likely correct in your assumption that ponies capable of casting AoE spells with any kind of significant force are sharply limited in number. But as I said, these spells are meant to disrupt formations and disorient pegasi, not to actually kill. A single magus doesn't need to kill ten pegasi with a single spell, he just needs to keep discourage them from grouping together.
I believe you are incorrect in your description of skychariots as "heavy, slow, and vulnerable." Historically, chariots have been incredibly fast and agile weapons of war. I see no basis as to why an aerial version would be any different, particularly when pulled by experienced pegasi.
I question what kind of artillery the unicorns could actually bring to bear. Cannons, assuming they exist at this point in time, cannot be fired directly into the air. Ballistae are too heavy to be aimed properly at actual people, and their projectiles likely too slow to catch a pegasus except by sheer luck. If they're relying entirely on magus to provide artillery, we run into the same problem of not having enough powerful unicorns.
"Barrage Wire" as you describe it is very interesting. Razor wire would be very difficult to see and would be wonderful for disrupting enemy formations and breaking a charge. Wire is fairly flimsy and would shatter against enough armored force, so it would best serve by targeting the wings and eyes of enemy pegasus.
"Accurate bucking" presents a huge amount of logistics problems, particularly the fact that their targets won't be stationary. You'd have to have it done in teams of two, with a spotter and bucker working together (much like modern sniper teams). Earth pony range fighters would be better served with crossbows and slings. Though I still favor the idea of "mounted infantry" and supply runners as the primary use of earth pony militia.
4323047 The other thing is that when your enemies are so far up in the air all you really need to do is disorient them. Take away their ability to fly effectively and the combination of gravity and Terra Firma will take care of the rest.
4287646 Bingo. the NLR has no place here because Luna is not behind any of this. She on the moon right now and helpless. Thus this is not Lunar Republic. the rebellion is only using her name in a vain attempt to justify their power grab.
4289663 you make a good point. General Stonewall Jackson wanted a brutal but short fight because in the end it would save more lives then a prolonged war. Celestia can and should take the field. She did against Sombra. It is a failing of this Celestia to be so weak. How many ponies could she save if she took the field. But Chegar is in a rough spot. Celestia would OWN the rebels badly.
Rites of Assecsion made a better job at this that her going battle mode would harm her allies because she is tied to the sun.
Foooooorreeeeshadoooooowinnnnnnnnnggggg
Astra, Sierra, Stalwart ... my remaining optimism hopes that all three survive the war and are able to be a family again. 🤞
Lace is a good mare ... she's going to come to a horrible end, isn't she?
4289044 Actually, Celestia being able to move the sun is a lousy reason for her to be in charge. The unicorns did it long before her and, unless the knowledge had been conveniently "lost", could do so again.
4289888
I'm confused, how is giving a sociopathic sadist, who she knows is a kidnapper, torturer and murderer of at least one child (and that is just the only crime we can definitively lay on Sunbeam), a high position in her government the moral choice?
Sorry if I sound like I'm picking a fight, but I think I'm missing a connection here ....
10829360
Given Polaris' incompetence, IMO it had a good chance to succeed.
However, they couldn't know that & military theory advises against leaving military forces intact behind you.