The citizens of Equestria are unhappy. Their once glorious mon/diarchy is beginning to become corrupt and weak. A new movement is rising in Equestira, and its leader Iron Curtain is determined to bring Celestia's faltering empire to its knees.
The land of Equestria... What once was a sprawling empire of peace and tranquility is now a corrupt diarchy with a dissatisfied populace. Several movements have arisen to take the challenge of turning the country around and one such movement is the Equestrian Communist Party lead by the great bolshevik pony Iron Curtain. Rallying around the farmers, and factory workers of Equestria, Iron and his close friends Steelhoof and Trotsky are determined to bring the Equestrian government to its knees. This is the story of a struggle for power. This is the story of the rise of Soviet Equestria...
"Citizens of Equestria! I am very proud to announce that we are close to achieving victory against the griffons! Your constant support is much appreciated and I'm afraid we must ask for more. Rations will be low, supplies will be low, but all in the name of achieving victory for our great nation! Donate your clothing, your pots and pans, your food, anything helps. We must not forget the brave ponies fighting for our nation as we speak. I thank you my citizens, you are the backbone of this nation, and you are our key to victory."
As applause erupted from the ignorant crowd below, Princess Celestia returned to her private quarters to discuss with her sister and generals. She was the co-ruler of Equestria, a nation once in everlasting peace, now bound to the chains of war. Her sister was faltering every day, becoming more and more weary of her rule. She needed a way to restore peace, but now that was not an option.
"Princess Celestia! We were about to begin." General Bronze Dagger announced as she entered the war room.
"Good. So what is our current situation?" Celestia asked with a icy glare.
"Not good princess. I'm afraid we are losing ground every day. These ponies were meant for peace not for war. We may be able to reach a stalemate but gaining any ground at this point is nearly impossible." General Shining Armor stated sadly.
"I want a stalemate reached at all costs. We can't have those idiots outside thinking we are losing the war. I will purge every last peace of bread, wheel of cheese, and bottle of water from my country before I admit defeat." Celestia stated with malice in her voice.
"Sister, maybe we should try to find a peaceful conclusion to this pointless war." Princess Luna stated warily
"No. I will not negotiate with those scum-of-the-earth griffons." Celestia snapped.
Luna sighed. Ever since this war broke out, her sister had become more and more distant and stubborn. It seemed the diarch of the night had almost no say in her own country anymore. All she wanted was to make peace with the griffons and her sister to return to the kind, benevolent ruler she once was.
There were also concerns of revolution. Several movements had started to overthrow the government and establish their own state. Among them were the Crystal Empire Separatist Movement, The Equestrian Liberation Front, and The Equestrian Communist Party. The third was the most troublesome. Rallying around the farmers and factory workers of Equestria making up more than 50% of the populace, they were encouraging defiance of the corrupt government that was currently established. These ponies were the key to sustaining a war of any kind, and if they turned against the government, it could mean disaster.
Luna had held several meetings with the party leader Iron Curtain to try and negotiate more peaceful solutions than all out revolution. Unfortunately, compromise had been hard to come by due to her stubborn sister having final say in all negotiations. Luna was concerned that the Communist Leader's patience was running quite short and it was only a matter of time before he ordered his militia known as the Reds against the government.
After their last meeting, Iron had stated a very clear warning that if no compromise was reached, he would act accordingly to ensure the liberty of his fellow citizens. Not to mention several assassination attempts were made on Celestia by communist extremists which Iron had claimed he held no affiliation to.
Celestia herself was another story. After more than 13 attempts on her life, she had grown paranoid and superstitious. She had arrested several innocent ponies for crimes they didn't commit. Luna had written over 52 pardons to these poor ponies who were just trying to go about their lives.
Several political parties were attempting the sway Luna due to her obvious resentment of her sister's regime. Bribes, letters, and political leaders would reach her constantly and it would take all her will not to turn against her sister. She hated everything Celestia's reign stood for but couldn't bring herself to defy her own sister. And while Luna was unwilling to take action, her sister was pushing all of her country's resources into a seemingly pointless war.
She had broken peace, turned the Elements of Harmony into weapons, and dragged on the war that had no goal or aim. Four of the Elements had already deserted the military and gone into hiding. Only Twilight Sparkle and Rainbow Dash had remained loyal to their country and were still fighting to this day. The military draft was beginning to accept younger and younger ponies and throwing them into battle with less and less training.
Luna was tired of the war of no meaning, and the clock on her sister's empire was slowly expiring...
Twilight Sparkle watched from the sidelines as ponies fought to death against the griffon warriors. Her army was losing more ground every day and her resources were nearly exhausted. Rations now consisted of a slice of bread, and a cup of water to last 12 hours of brutal warfare. Four of her friends had deserted the military and only her loyalty to her mentor and ruler of Equestria Princess Celestia had kept her from following in their hoofsteps.
"Twilight, were losing more ground! We gotta retreat!" Rainbow Dash shouted from above.
"I'd love to Rainbow, but orders just came in from Canterlot to hold our ground at all costs," Twilight stated warily.
"Agh! Dammit Celestia, are you trying to get us all killed!" Rainbow exclaimed before jumping back into the fray.
"I don't know..." Twilight stated sadly looking up at the sky.
Was her mentor really losing grip on what made her the kind ruler of Equestria? Should she continue to fight this seemingly pointless war? Was Celestia just using her as a weapon of war? Twilight could only hope that wasn't the case...
The Griffon Empire was sprawling place of mining industry. Emperor Razorbeak II was a ruthless but overall loved leader. His armies were currently marching against Equestria as well as the kingdom of Prance. After gaining a large amount of ground on the Prench armies, the two armies became locked in a stalemate. His forces in Equestria however, were gaining ground by the day and rumors of revolutions sparking in Equestria had reached the griffon capitol in recent months.
"Emperor, sir. A letter has arrived for you," a servant exclaimed before handing Razorbeak a small scroll. Opening the letter, he found himself quite interested in its contents.
Emperor Razorbeak,
I write to you from Equestria but disregard that fact for just now. I am the leader of the Equestrian Communist Party and I believe that the Equestrian government is corrupt and must be dealt with. I have plans to at some point in the near future overthrow Celestia and set up a new republic. I am writing you to propose a deal. In exchange for your support of the revolution, I will guarantee a quick and peaceful end to the war. I can also offer you some of Equestria's land in exchange for peace if you so desire it. I know your tolerance for the faltering diarchy has been low for so many years now and I wish to get rid of the warmongering tyrant that is Celestia. I await your reply...
Sincerely, Commander Iron Curtain, Equestrian Communist Party
The emperor eyed over the letter once more and smiled to himself. Finally after all these years, Celestia would fall. "Grab me a pen and paper!" he yelled before lying back on his throne with a smug look on his face.
In the capitol city of Saddle Arabia, four ponies sat around a fireplace in the royal palace of Sultan Solomane IV. They were the four element bearers gone missing, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie. The sultan had been nice enough to grant them political asylum after they deserted the Equestrian military and fled the country. Now they sat around the fire reminiscing about better times.
Celestia had once been such a kind and benevolent ruler. They still couldn't figure out what went wrong. Equestria had gone to war almost out of nothing. Celestia had refused to make peace and purged her country for all it was worth and left the ponies starving, unemployed, and desperate.
They were currently trying to determine what action to take next without much avail. With two out of the six elements still loyal to Celestia, they could only bide their time. The world was at war, and they could do nothing about it...
Iron Curtain was born on the 22nd of April, 965 A.N.M (After Nightmare Moon) in the northern city of Stalliongrad. His parents, Forge and Icy Wind, could be none the prouder of their new son. Although his mother was a pegasus and his father a unicorn, Iron was born a strong and hardy earth pony. He worked with his father in the blacksmith industry until he was 15 and was surprisingly excellent at the tedious process of iron working.
At age twelve he received his cutie mark which resembled a hammer crossed with a gear with the end of a sickle. His father believed it resembled his talent work working with iron and was ready and willing to include his son in the family business. After teaching Iron everything he knew, he could only watch as his son strayed off in another direction.
Upon turning 16, Iron found an interest in politics after hearing Princess Celestia speak in the Stalliongrad town center. He took up an internship under the town's mayor Frozen North. While he was mostly assigned top doing mundane tasks for the mayor, he managed to learn quite a lot about the political systems of Equestria.
After turning 18, Iron left Stalliongrad for Canterlot in hopes that he could jump start his political career. He was turned down at every opportunity he was given and was forced to resort to working minimum wage at various shops in the less pompous section of Canterlot. He spent his nights washing his woes away at a local bars that served cheap and watered-down beer. It was there that he met Trotsky.
Trotsky, a Stalliongrad native like himself, was also an aspiring politician but with different aims in mind. He disagreed with Equestrian politics and was involved in a movement known as The Equestrian Marxist Movement. He invited Iron to join the movement and promised that he would receive a political voice, something he had been denied for 10 years. Iron jumped on board and begin hosting party rallies in Canterlot, Manehatten, Baltimare, and all over Equestria.
His political mindset and ability to deliver intense speeches got him fame throughout the country. His figure quickly caught the eye of Princess Celestia herself. Celestia could easily tell that he was not in support of the Marxist movement but instead just trying to further his political career so she invited him to join the Equestrian senate after one of the members had retired. He jumped at the occasion and immediately accepted Celestia's proposal. He took office four days after his 25th birthday and could be none the happier.
Trotsky saw Iron's sudden appointment as an opportunity for his party and he constantly tried to sway his friend-turned-senator into trying to undermine the senate and establish a Marxist state. Iron was weary of his friend's radical ambitions and politely refused him at every turn. The two slowly drifted apart and the Equestrian Marxist Movement was dissolved 18 months after Iron was appointed senator.
Iron served ten years in the Equestrian senate before the return of Princess Luna rocked the council to the point where Celestia temporarily dissolved the senate in February of 1000 A.N.M. After four months it was reinstated but Celestia deemed it was to be reduced by 10 members. Iron got the short end of the stick and was asked to resign which he did after expressing his outrage in his final speech as a senator. He retired to his luxury estate in Las Pegasus where he sat brooding until a new opportunity arose.
Five years after his forced retirement, Iron was visited by a young and talented politician named Steelhoof. Steel claimed that Iron was his inspiration as a politician and that he believed that Celestia's reign needed to come to an end. Iron, believing his admirer was just another radical, turned him away but promised to contact him if he experienced a sudden change of heart. Steel went on to run for senate to which he failed but was soon after contacted by the pony he admired most.
Iron had finally snapped out of his drunken sorrows and was angry at Celestia for ruining his political career so a radical approach to things seemed his only option at that point. He met with Steelhoof to make plans for a new movement, one like nopony had every seen before. Together the two politicians founded the Equestrian Communist Party on the day of Iron's 42nd birthday. The party was an attempt to sway the lower class into supporting a movement against the diarchy of Celestia and Luna.
The young movement found little support in its first few months and was faltering from day one. Celestia had found a resurgence in support for her reign along with Luna and was riding high in the political ladder so a movement designed to undermine her gained little support. Iron and Steel were working as hard as they could, but their movement had little to no support and they lacked the funds to host large rallies like Iron had in his Marxist Days. Then, six months after the founding of the party, they received the huge break they had been waiting for.
On October 29th 1007 A.N.M. at 7:00 am, the Griffon Empire declared war on Equestria. Celestia had been supporting the Prench in the Griffon-Prench War for years now but had firmly stated her country's neutrality. Despite that, aging Emperor Razorbeak I declared war on the pretense that the Equestrian military had been trying to undermine his regime for years. His Griffon armies were quickly overwhelmed by Equestrian forces, and he grew more and more stubborn until the day of his death. Upon his son, Razorbeak II taking the thrown, a turn in the tide was soon seen.
As Equestrian forces were retreating out of Griffon territory, Luna believed that establishing peace with the new emperor should be first priority. Most of the senate agreed with her as well, but her sister to everypony's surprise, demanded that the war continue. It was an act that horrified her country's population and brought rise to anti-Celestia movements throughout Equestria. Among them was The Equestrian Communist Party...
Steelhoof and Iron Curtain were gaining support by the day from war-tired lower class workers who were toiling away to keep Equestria in the conflict. By the one year anniversary of the party's founding, it contained an estimated 10% of the population. The communists had a voice, a weak one, but a voice none the less. The first party rally was held in Stalliongrad in February of 1008. Iron still needed more support though so he called upon the one pony who could help him.
Trotsky was none the happier to receive a call from his old friend and learn that he was the leader of the new communist movement. Iron asked his old pal to help by getting all of the old members of the Marxist movement aboard to which Trotsky agreed. Trotsky managed to bring in a total of 5% of the country's population to Iron's party to which the communist leader was overjoyed. He appointed Trotsky to his second-in-command, a position that until that point was occupied by Steelhoof.
Steelhoof was not happy about being replaced, but held his tongue while trying to work out ways to undermine Trotsky. His attempts failed and Iron began to believe that his young admirer was a bit too radical even for such a left-wing movement like his. He quickly pushed Steelhoof down in the party hoping to suppress his extreme nature where he remains to this day.
Iron Curtain was a strong pony, with a great ambition, and his new party was slowly becoming the largest in the country. He knew it was only a matter of time before he could move on Celestia. He even appointed a new militia for his party known as the Reds. He claimed they were private security but in reality they were a military force. On March 5th, 1009, he composed a letter to the griffon emperor. He was almost certain, that his time to shine was coming and coming soon...
I am very pleased to say that your offer sounds quite enticing. I invite you to my castle to arrange the terms and reach an agreement on how Celestia's reign should end. My armies are growing tired of fighting against the pathetic ponies of that sun tyrant's army and I am excited that we may be able to end this war peacefully. My father may have been stubborn, but I am a wholehearted fellow who wishes to rule his empire in peace rather than war. I await your arrival.
Sincerely, Emperor Razorbeak II
Iron Curtain finished reading the letter which bore great news for him and his cause. The griffons would support a revolution and were willing to make peace after he and his party were in power. He quickly filed the letter for safekeeping and went to find Trotsky to arrange his trip to the griffon empire. He would have to avoid the war plagued zones as much as possible to avoid detection so he needed a viable route from his most trusted friend.
"Ah Trotsky there you are!" Iron exclaimed as he spotted his comrade talking with some lesser members of the party.
"Iron, so nice to see you! What can I do for you?" Trotsky asked with embracing his friend in a quick brotherly hug.
"I need to travel to the Griffon Empire. The emperor agreed to support our cause and I need to get to Ruhm as soon as possible." Iron replied.
"Hmm, not easy considering all the fighting... Ah! There is a heavily wooded area about 5 miles north of Stalliongrad that has the border running through it. There's a small dirt road that winds through it and crosses the border about 13 miles northwest of Stalliongrad. Due to the dense wooded are, little fighting has been occurring, especially after the Equestrian retreat. You'll have to watch out for pegasus scouting patrols but otherwise you should be able to cross the border without much issue." Trotsky said while pointing to the area on a large map of Equestria.
"Excellent. I will need an armed escort just in case things go south and train tickets to Stalliongrad as soon as possible." Iron said nodding.
"You will have to leave Stalliongrad carefully, they're currently not allowing any non-military personnel anywhere past the northern city limits."
"Good, do you mind getting the escort and train arranged as well as a hotel in Stalliongrad? I need to write the emperor and inform him of my arrival."
"Sure thing. I should be able to get you and your escort on the 10:00 am express to Stalliongrad. I'll inform you when all the arrangements have been made."
"Great! Thanks Trotsky!" Iron replied as he walked off back to his office.
Iron returned to his large desk and began to compose a letter to his new griffon ally.
Emperor Razorbeak,
I write to inform you that I will be setting out for Ruhm on the morrow with an armed escort. I estimate that I will reach your borders within three days so be sure to inform your soldiers of my arrival. I am very pleased to hear that you are interested in my proposal and I hope our two nations can make peace as soon as possible. I will reach Ruhm in a about a week and then we can discuss terms.
Sincerely, Commander Iron Curtain
After checking the letter over and sealing the envelope, Iron ran outside to find his receptionist. "Eve I need this shipping to Ruhm as soon as possible." he said before handing her the envelope.
"I'll see what I can do. The stupid military is constantly trying to intercept our messengers." she said before stamping 'HIGH PRIORITY' on the letter and shoving it down the mail slot.
"Thanks Eve, I know you try your best." he replied. "I'm going to call it an early night, got to catch a train in the morning. Forward all my calls to Trotsky while I'm gone."
"Will do, have a nice trip." Eve replied before going back to her desk work.
10:00 struck the clock at Canterlot Central Train Station. Iron Curtain was currently in his reserved cabin that he only shared with his friend and third in command Steelhoof. He had recruited Steel to come along as he was months earlier given leadership of the communist military known to the public as the Reds. In the cars adjacent to their's was a detachment Red First Army militia consisting of 150 ponies.
The Reds currently had 10 army divisions as well as 4 naval divisions. They were dwarfed in size to the Equestrian military consisting of 32 army divisions and 15 naval divisions but were better equipped and better trained. Celestia could do nothing to prevent the Reds from doing as they wished as all of her military forces were out fighting the griffons up north and in Prance. Although Iron claimed they were a peace-keeping private security firm, she knew better. She didn't dare object to the actions of the Reds as doing so would risk starting a revolution.
Iron and Steel causally discussed politics and their private lives as the train moved north. They would have stops in Manehatten as well as Trottingham before they would continue on to Stalliongrad making their trip a total of 9 hours or so. After pulling away from Manehatten Station, Iron and Steel reviewed their designated route to the Griffon borders. They estimated they could reach the border within two days if everything went off without a hitch. They could only hope that they were not stopped by any military personnel.
The train pulled into Stalliongrad at 7:00 pm and Iron exited the train with excitement that could only be caused by being back in his home town. The city was partly in shambles at the time due to a griffon advance last month that had brought the city within artillery shelling range. Several buildings to the north were completely in ruins but the city itself remained intact. Iron and his militia checked into their hotel before settling down for the night, They would have to wake up early in order to leave the city undetected...
The militia rose at 4:00 am to begin preparations to leave the city. Scouts reported that one road to the northwest remained unguarded most of the day and that is was their best option for leaving the city. Under the cover of dark, Iron and his men marched through the streets of Stalliongrad to the northwest exit. Just as expected, the city limit was only blockaded by some chain link fence which the troops were able to easily cut through. Within 45 minutes, of leaving the hotel, the communist escort had left the city.
Everypony remained silent until Sgt. Shield Bash, commander of the First Army, deemed they were a safe distance from the city. From there they navigated their way to the road that supposedly passed through the forest which they managed to find without much issue. Just as Trotsky said, the road led through the forest towards the Griffon border. Iron and his men hiked all day until they reached a small clearing by a stream. It was there that they decided to settle down for the night.
According to the map, they were only two short miles from the border so moral was high or the day to come. Everypony rose at the crack of dawn to pack up camp. After water canteens were filled and soldiers were lined up, they continued their march north. At 10:13 am according to Iron's watch they arrived at what appeared to be the border. Several griffon soldiers were guarding a gate that separated the two countries from each other.
As they approached the gate, Iron strode to the front of the line of troops to address the border patrol. As he approached the gate one of the griffons spoke up. "Halt! State your name and business!"
Iron smirked at the hostility in the griffon's voice and cleared his throat to reply. "I am Commander Iron Curtain of the Equestrian Communist Party. I am here on political business with the emperor." he said smugly.
"Ah, we we're expecting you. Come on through..." the griffon stated before motioning for his buddies to open the gate.
Iron and his militia passed through and were now safe inside allied territory. They recieved some military vehicles to make their trip faster and were sent on their way. In two days time they reached the great mountain capital of Ruhm. 'Today.' Iron thought, Today is the beginning of the Communist Revolution, today is the beginning of the fall of Celestia, today is the first day of many more to come...
The envoy trudged into the gates of Ruhm on the early morning of the fourth day since their departure. Flanked by two battalions of griffon soldiers, they walked through the ancient stone streets of the capital city turning heads as they went. Iron Curtain along with Steelhoof were in a small military vehicle near the back of the pack looking on with relative indifference.
Ruhm was what you could say the exact opposite of Canterlot. Rather than brilliant white marble and pristine golden roofs, the griffon capital was a city made out of dark-grayish cobblestone with the castle itself made almost entirely out of basalt. Of course for such a dreary place like Ruhm, its citizens were much happier than that of bright and shiny Canterlot.
As they approached the black basalt castle, hundreds of griffon civilians all came out of their homes and shops to see what all the commotion was about. Iron Curtain was a rather imposing figure so when his vehicle passed by, many griffon civilians looked away faltering under his fiery glare.
The gates to the castle were opened and the envoy proceeded inwards towards the court of Emperor Razorbeak himself. Iron and Steel left their vehicle outside and began to walk at the head of their troops towards the large basalt throne room doors which were promptly opened for them.
Upon entering a grand scene was displayed before them. A long hall with ornate basalt columns lay in front of them and a large throne rose from the ground at the end, a rather fierce looking griffon who adorned military uniform rather than a typical crown that was associated with royalty. Griffon guards lined the hall making a passage for Iron and Steel as well as their own guards to approach the throne.
The two communist leaders slowly approached the Emperor four guards flanking either side of them as they went. They stopped about four feet away and gave slight nods of the head to acknowledge Razorbeak while their guards saluted. Iron decided to be the first to speak up clearing his throat. "Emperor Razorbeak. I'm glad we can finally meet face to face," he said a wary smile growing on his face.
"Indeed Iron Curtain. I believe we have much to discuss. But before that I would like to welcome you to Ruhm. I will do everything in my power to make your stay as enjoyable as possible."
"Thank you emperor. Is their somewhere more private we can discuss matters?" Iron asked lifting his brow slightly.
"Of course I will take us there in due notice but first I have something for you," Razorbeak replied nodding to one of his servants who quickly rushed over to Iron and held out what appeared to be a letter.
Iron looked up at Razorbeak in confusion as the letter was marked as being from Celestia herself. "Came for you last night. I took the courtesy of not opening it until your arrival," Razorbeak said coolly.
Iron slowly ripped open the envelope and pulled a folded piece of paper. Upon unfolding it he discovered a short letter addressed to him,
Commander Iron Curtain of the Equestrian Communist Party,
The Equestrian Government has found you guilty of treason in the highest degree. At 16:45 three days prior, a pegasus scout spotted you and your envoy crossing the Equestrian border and we have come to the conclusion that you are defecting. Hereby, you are banished from ever returning to Equestria as long as you may live. If seen inside Eqestrian borders again, you will be incarcerated for life without bail.
Yours truly,
Princess Celestia
"Well that's just great isn't it?" Iron spat tossing the letter to the ground and stomping on it with a hoof.
"Yes, I'm afraid your attempt to bring Equestria down from the inside are going to be a touch harder now hmm?" Razorbeak chimed earning him a glare from both Iron and a few of his guards.
"Indeed. Though I still believe it may be possible," Iron replied with a resurgence of confidence.
"Well, I would love to hear all about how you shall accomplish such a feat so why don't take a stroll to my conference room shall we?" Razorbeak remarked standing up from his throne and walking towards the end of the throne room.
"Yes, Let's." Iron muttered before following the Emperor with Steel a few paces behind.
The castle was quite magnificent to say the least. The masonry depicted all sorts of images of battles, cities, and previous Emperors. The walk to the conference room was relatively short and an eerie silence reigned throughout the entire trip. Two of Razorbeak's guards hastily pulled two large iron doors aside to allow the envoy to enter the conference room.
Grand would be an understatement for the room. Lavish paintings and tapestries as well as golden statues and a giant crystal chandelier made the room look like it was made for the gods. A giant circular conference table sat in the center off the room with chairs lining its perimeter. Several of the Red Guards looked around in awe at the magnificence of the decor but after a few moments return to their stoic expressions.
Razorbeak moved to the far end of the room and sat in a large throne-like chair obviously built for solely the emperor to sit in. Iron took a chair on the opposite end of the table with Steel taking the seat to his right. The guards all took positions behind their respective leaders, standing at attention and awaiting orders.
Iron had a neutral look on his face, not wanting to display any emotional weakness to the emperor. Steel simply gave the emperor a stare that showed he only held contempt for the griffon emperor. Razorbeak however, had a bemused look on his face that showed his lack of care for the two leaders, at least for now. He decided to break the icy silence and address the ponies in front of him.
"So, I hear you have come to discuss a sort of, "business" transaction. Why don't we hear what you have to say hmm?" The emperor spoke in a sort of condescending way that seemed to infuriate Steelhoof. He opened his mouth to retort but was silenced by Iron's hoof. Iron didn't want to resort to arguing ten seconds into the meeting.
"Yes, we were hoping to arrange a "deal" of sorts," Iron began. "You have been fighting the Equestrians for what, three years now? And whilst you been extremely successful at defeating the Equestrian army time after time, Celestia refuses to back down and most likely wont until Canterlot has been razed to the ground. Now I'm sure we both want to see the war end as soon as possible and you need as many soldiers as you can on the Prench front. Instead of wasting time, supplies, and griffons on a 20 year war against Equestria, why don't you let my comrades and I do the work for you. We will take to arms, rally the suffering civilians of Equestria, and overthrow the government. All we would require from you, is some funding to wire the arms, supplies, and soldiers to allow us the opportunity. We wait for the moment Equestria is at her weakest, and then strike her down. After all is said and done, we sign an armistice with Griffonia, and you can focus your forces on the Prench. And it shouldn't take longer than a year to do."
After Iron finished his proposal, Razorbeak sat back in his chair deep in thought. After a few moments he raised his claw in indignation. "And what if, this "revolution" fails hmm? What will I do then? If I'm to put my money behind your movement then I want more of a guarantee."
Iron gave the emperor a smug grin, obviously prepared for the question. "Even if me and my comrades were to fail, I see two possible outcomes. A, Celestia will be forced to surrender after her country has been torn apart by civil war or B, her army will be in ruins allowing you to move in and finish off Equestria easily. I highly doubt that Celestia will be able to offer up much resistance after a revolution."
The emperor mulled on Iron's explanation before producing a small grin on his face. "You make a good point my friend, but I'm afraid you'll have to do better. I need a more enticing offer."
Iron furrowed his brow but continued, "How about I promise war reparations once the country has stabilized following the revolution?"
"Ah, ah, ah. You can promise reparations but you can't promise that you'll win the "revolution"," the emperor pointed out.
"That's why we need to make a compromise," Iron replied coldly. "We both know that you can't fight a war on two fronts forever. Sooner or later the Prench are going to push back and when they do you won't want half your troops dealing with Celestia's shit."
Razorbeak recoiled at Iron's tone and then put an indignant look on his face. "I think we'll need more time to discuss this. Please, spend the night. I'll have the maids prepare bedrooms for you and your friend and I'm sure the barracks will be willing to accommodate your guards. We'll discuss this more on the morrow."
And with that Razorbeak left the room, his guards in tow. Iron was disappointed that the emperor wasn't as willing to take a chance on him as he had hoped. "That smug son of a bitch!" Steel fumed. "He deserves to lose the war with that attitude!"
"We're not here to judge his character, we're for his treasury," Iron retorted. "And sooner or later he's bound to give in."
