The Road to Vesalipolis
"Soldiers, be weary no longer! The road to Vesalipolis shall soon be ours, and this war will be over before winter."
- Princess Luna adressing her troops on the eve of the Battle of Vraks
Canterlot had been a devastating loss for Chrysalis' Great Army of the Hegemony. Countless veterans of multiple campaigns that the queen could ill afford had been lost in the battle and the humiliating retreat that followed. Soon, Hegemony garrisons and strongholds fell one by one to coalition hands. Shire and Mariposa were particularly heavy losses for Hegemony forces and further diminished any hope of winning back the initiative.
On the side of the coalition, their fortunes had finally turned for the better. Chrysalis' army had been essentially routed, Equestrian lands were being reclaimed, and more allies were joining the war against Chrysalis. Among those allies was a small rebellion down south in Lyctida, Queen Velvet and the neutral Kingdom of Olenia that was considering siding with the coalition, a mutiny led by Governor Thorax up north, and a possible defection of Soryth to the coalition by Queen Yaria further north. Together with the Coalition of Harmony, they slowly but surely tightened the noose around the Hegemony's neck.
By summer of that year, however, a ceasefire was offered by the coalition to initiate talks of peace with the Hegemony - a ceasefire which, to everyone's surprise, was accepted by Chrysalis. Princess Celestia of Equestria was still holding out hope of striking an agreeable peace with Chrysalis in order to prevent the imminent bloodshed between the two sides that was about to unfold on foreign soil. Although the allies' position was undeniably at a massive advantage over Chrysalis' forces, Celestia would rather not continue the war if a more peaceful solution could be attained. Unfortunately, talks eventually broke down days later as Chrysalis was unwilling to act upon all of the coalition's demands, and Celestia's hope of a peaceful solution broke down along with them.
With negotiations thrown out of the window, the allied advance into Hegemony lands commenced. Skirmishes almost immediately broke out between the two opposing armies with notably heavy resistance from Hegemony forces as coalition soldiers marched through the swamps and marshes of the Mirelands. Eventually, however, the coalition's massive advantage in mobility and organization had forced Queen Argynnis' Army of the Mire to fall back further towards the Vrakkian capital of Vraks. After both sides had rested through the winter and the snow had thawed to make way for spring, it was at Vraks where Hegemony forces decided to make their stand.
"Raven, I look forward to our victory but not the battle. The battle will be filled with much death and spilling of blood. I pray for the soldiers."
- Princess Celestia replying to her aide hours before the Battle of Vraks
The tent Celestia resided in was not much adorned with the luxury and frivolity that royalty, especially like that of her and her sister, were expected of. Instead, it was designed to be more practical with a sturdy frame and canvas resistant to the elements. Its inside was fairly utilitarian too with a plush, velvet settee and a particularly flowery version of the Equestrian military banner as the only part that clued any average observer in as to the importance of the tent's occupant.
Suddenly, the flaps of the tent opened to let someone in. Celestia did not look up from the papers she was carefully observing, and instead, said, "I heard that your speech earlier this morning was received quite well by our soldiers. And by the sound of it, I agree with them. 'This war will be over before winter' was especially my favourite part."
The person who came in stopped at Celestia's words and smiled. "Thank you, sister. I do believe that this war will be over soon. As it should."
"As do I." Celestia finally looked up and graced her sister with a smile. "Luna."
Luna approached Celestia and embraced her. "Celestia."
The two hugged for a moment and then let go. Celestia then said, "Luna, what brings you here? Are there any developments about the enemy lines?"
Luna nodded. "Yes, dear sister. Twilight, Cadance, and the others had requested for us to meet them in the main tent. I had seen it fit to notify you myself as your tent is along the way there."
"Thank you, Luna. I assume that you know little of the news as well?" Celestia replied.
"Yes. We'll be briefed about it when we arrive, and it appears that it is urgent enough to warrant our nephew to attend as well." Luna replied.
Celestia briefly mulled over her sister's words. "Blueblood? That is unusual of him. Well then..." She stood up. "Let us."
"Just a few years ago, my army had reached as far as Shire and Canterlot. Now, we are left to die in our own capital."
- Queen Argynnis of Vraks
As the coalition approached the Vrakkian capital, Queen Argynnis of Vraks, who was personally leading the defense, was utterly fuming. She had hoped that Queen Chrysalis' Army of Vesalipolis would be able to join the battle and support Argynnis' own Army of the Mire. However, Chrysalis and her army were days away from Vraks while other Hegemony armies, like Queen Aurantia's Army of Lyctida, were not only too far away as well but were also tied up and preoccupied with quelling the rebellion in Lyctida. This was bad as Argynnis had only sixty-seven thousand to defend her own capital with.
From what her scouts had gathered, she outnumbered the coalition army facing her. However, this information was false, and, even if it was true, she knew that most of her soldiers were raw recruits - having lost all but a few of her veteran units in Equestria. They were young and inexperienced, and Argynnis knew how dangerous the royal sisters can be. Princess Celestia was not the weak and pacifistic politician that everyone had thought her to be while Princess Luna was not the brash and naive cavalry commander with outdated ways of waging war that she had been known for. Those rumours were promptly proven wrong in the fields of Canterlot. Celestia was a rather cunning and ruthless strategist while Luna - not unlike her sister - proved to be rather smarter than she had let on. Both knew the importance of quality armies and so, compared to Argynnis' own forces, the princesses' troops were leagues ahead in terms of skill and discipline.
To add insult to injury, Argynnis' scouts had also been unable to locate the rest of the coalition army which further encouraged Argynnis to think that the allied army she was facing were only the princesses'. In truth, the Crystal Army was not that far behind, and, unfortunately for Argynnis and her army, the coalition knew more about the Hegemony forces than they knew about the coalition thanks to superior Equestrian cavalry. This jumbling of information from falty scouts combined with a weakened and demoralized Army of the Mire would prove to be fatal for the Hegemony forces in Vraks. Nevertheless, both sides were determined to do battle.
It was a chilly spring morning in the fields outside the city. The allied force had formed a frontline south of the Hegemony forces with eighty thousand Equestrian and Crystallian infantry and cavalry and an additional four thousand from the Severnayan Winter Guard - called that way for their aptitude in fighting in cold and snowy conditions - that were on their way to the battlefielld. On the other side, there were sixty-seven thousand of the Hegemony's own troops supported by a four thousand-strong city garrison comprised of royal police, volunteer militia, and the national guard.
The allied lines were situated within flat, open plains with small towns and villages along the way to the city proper that were guarded by marshes on either side and protected the coalitions' flanks. Princess Luna's army formed the left, Celestia's army formed the center, and Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor's Crystallian army formed the right while Twilight's reserves sat at the back. The Hegemony, meanwhile, guarded the hills and ridges right outside the city with an outer line of infantry and cavalry placed below on the flat plains serving as the Hegemony's first line of defense.
So, outnumbered and outgunned but not yet ready to surrender her capital, Queen Argynnis readied her troops for the battle ahead.
"I have not slept so well that night, so the grip on my baton was slipping and my voice was not as loud. However, the battle cry that came from the marshes which heralded that the enemy had come sufficiently awoke me."
- Unknown Equestrian officer
The main tent of the coalition, in contrast to Celestia's, was far more opulent but no less useful. Two, tall men of the Equestrian Royal Guard flanked the entrance which the two princesses passed through without a word. Inside, the leaders of the coalition and their most senior officers were sat around a large, detailed map on a table with the leaders all on one side and their officers on the other. Upon seeing the royal sisters, everyone paused their current discussion to acknowledge the two.
Princess Cadance was the first to speak up. "Aunt Celestia. Aunt Luna."
Celestia smiled. "Cadance."
Ever since the war started, there was less and less time to see loved ones. The war demanded a mountain of attention that Celestia and Luna both had to satisfy. Briefings like these gave the two sisters some precious few moments with their friends and family despite the rather grim reasons for the meetings.
Before anyone else could speak up, Luna said, "We have come here after hearing about a significant development in the battlefield. What is it?"
Prince Shining Armor sat upright to adress Luna directly. "After probing our lines, the enemy started attacking our sector in earnest. We've managed to hold off their horses and weather through their artillery. However, Twilight's scouts have reported a build up of infantry and cavalry all the way to the other side at Princess Luna's sector."
As Celestia and Luna took their seats at the table, Prince Blueblood chimed in. "That is correct, my dear aunt. They are gathering to attack our leftmost flank while using a diversionary attack on the Crystal army and the marshes to our side to mask their intentions. It is a bold and risky move that can easily backfire if found out. Unfortunately for them, Princess Twilight had seen it fit to put an end to their charade."
At this, Celestia turned her head to look at Twilight sitting nearby. At just twenty-three years of age, she is by far the youngest in the room. She responded with a modest smile then spoke, "I haven't ordered my riders to engage them yet as that would, of course, alert the enemy that we have found out about their plan and we'd lose the element of surprise. I suggest that we stay in place and prepare for when they come, but I will need your permission for that."
"Twilight, it is quite alright. You do not need our permission for your every move and action. Flexibility within our army's command is just as important as strategy and disciplne," Celestia replied. She then turned to the others at the table. "She is right, though. The best course of action is to let them tire themselves manoeuvring through the marshes and wait for their attack to come."
"But why are they attacking anyway?" Cadance asked. "They have a smaller force compared to our own. Staying and defending the hills should obviously be their choice of strategy."
"That is true," Luna replied. "However, they seem to have wagered that attacking and harassing us first to disorganize our troops was a bet that they were willing to take. It is not unlikely to think that they know the lay of the land better than we do and that that knowledge allowed them to have the option of flanking us through the marshes in the first place."
Celestia smiled and nodded in agreement. "My sister is correct. But of course, Twilight's cavalry had found them out. Now, we won't be so disorganized when they come as we would have prepared ourselves accordingly and put their efforts in vain." Celestia frowned. "However, in response to this new development, we will have to deviate from our original plan. Their attack will still manage to pin down Luna's forces, buying them time to prepare even further. We also do not know if it is the only one. We will need more scouts and reinforcements on our flanks just in case. Shining Armor, I assume you have already ordered your light troops to scan our right flank?"
Shining Armor nodded and replied, "Of course. I've also instructed Marshal Gleaming Gem to put his divisions on high alert."
"Excellent." Celestia turned to her sister. "Luna, we'll have to postpone our advance until we can repel their attack from the marshes and make sure that our flanks are secure." Celestia then turned to her field officers. "Lord Fancy Pants and Marshal Morning Glory, I trust that you both know what to do. We may have to support Prince Blueblood and Marshal Evening Tide's troops earlier than expected, but that is something that we can afford."
"Of course, your majesty." Fancy Pants bowed. Marshal Morning Glory also bowed. "Understood, your majesty."
At this, Luna spoke up. "As for our forces, I am hoping that your troops are able to ready themselves this early in the morn, Marshal Evening Tide. We will need to be able to respond quickly if they are to emerge out of the marshes earlier than we predict. My personal division is able to plug any gaps that form in our lines if so, but I would rather keep them in reserve for our assault on the hills later."
Marshal Evening Tide replied, "It shall be done, your majesty."
The allies' marshals were more than capable of carrying out the tasks given to them. Lord Fancy Pants, the 1st Duke of West Canterlot, and Prince Blueblood, Celestia and Luna's distant nephew, while odd choices considering their backgrounds, proved to be surprisingly competent at commanding their units and were reliable marshals that the coalition leaders could rely on. The same goes for Morning Glory and Evening Tide. Marshal Morning Glory in particular was a seasoned general of several battles and an old friend of Celestia's while Marshal Evening Tide was a rising star among Luna's staff. Both were invaluable to the allied cause.
The briefing went on for a while until the leaders eventually bid farewell to each other and headed out to oversee their own parts of the battlefield.
"My soldiers stood as steady as they could, but I could feel their nerves like brittle glass in the face of boulders. I did not say it out loud for I would have been court martialed for doing so, but I fear the queen had already forsaken us."
- Marshal Gossamer of the Vrakkian 1st Corps on the opening hours of the Battle of Vraks
After both sides had sent light infantry across the fields to skirmish, the battle suddenly commenced at around eight o'clock in the morning when a barrage of cannon fire rocked the coalition's right flank. The artillery fire was too far away to do any real damage to the allied troops, but it was enough to cause a bit of chaos within their ranks. When the bombardment stopped, Hegemony cavalry emerged from the dust and smoke and engaged Marshal Gleaming Gem's 2nd Crystallian Corps. The Crystallians put up a solid defense and easily repelled the first wave.
Word then arrived from mounted scouts under Princess Twilight's command of a significant enemy presence in the marshes on their left flank. Queen Argynnis had ordered half of Marshal Ligiosa's 2nd Corps through the marshes to flank the coalition and pin down and disorganize Equestrian forces on the left. However, with their element of surprise lost, Marshal Evening Tide's 2nd Guard Corps and artillery from Prince Blueblood's 2nd Equestrian Corps were able to repel the attack.
Immediately after, Corps-group Luna and Corps-group Celestia advanced into the Hegemony lines. And not a moment to soon as Queen Argynnis had just sent two divisions from Marshal Mactans' 4th Corps to reinforce their outer perimeter after news of Marshal Ligiosa's failed manoeuvre through the marshes reached the queen. As they marched, Blueblood's 2nd Corps took Orlan and Gerd with little resistance while Evening Tide's Guard Corps supported by Fancy Pants' 1st Equestrian Corps repelled cavalry charges from Gossamer's 1st Vrakkian Corps and secured Blueblood's left flank. The Equestrians had soon reached the Hegemony's outer perimeter where Vrakkian line infantry reinforced by grenadiers and cavalry of Marshal Mactans' 4th Corps awaited them. Fancy Pants' 1st Corps met heavy resistance in the village of Clovers until Celestia's 1st Solar Guard Division broke the stalemate. Meanwhile, Evening Tide's 2nd Guard Corps was tied down nearby in Heartridge Manor, her troops having trouble getting through its defenses. Eventually, though, with the help of a division from Morning Glory's 1st Guard Corps, they were able to overwhelm the defenders and storm the manor.
By noon, the coalition was steadily advancing deep into the Vrakkian right flank. Argynnis' frontline troops were exhausted in that sector, and she contemplated pulling off several divisions from her left flank to support them. However, the Crystallian army - who, up until that point, had just been mostly skirmishing with the Hegemony's 3rd and 4th Corps - suddenly attacked, pinning down the queen's troops and dashing her hopes of reinforcements. Tired and demoralized, the Vrakkian left flank had started to give way in the face of Celestia and Luna's combined assault. At around one o'clock in the afternoon, the hills southwest of Vraks had largely fallen to coalition forces.
Capturing the hills on the Hegemony's right flank by the early afternoon had indicated that the allied offensive was going smoothly. To allow them some rest, Celestia had ordered Morning Glory's 1st Guard Corps to take the place of Fancy Pants' 1st Equestrian Corps and some divisions from Evening Tide's 2nd Guard Corps. With support from Celestia's personal guard, they continued the attack. By five o'clock P.M., the situation had started seriously deteriorating for the Hegemony. They had hoped that they would have been able to hold on to the hills for much longer. In reality, Celestia and Luna had pushed deep into their lines and forced them to retreat, only encountering real issues in Clovers and Heartridge.
Artillery that Marshal Morning Glory had ordered to amass on the hills then started firing devastating volleys of cannon fire down onto the Hegemony lines. Things went downhill quickly from there. In a coordinated pincer attack supported by artillery, Morning Glory's 1st Guard Corps suddenly swerved to the right to march towards Marshal Synovial's 3rd Corps and meet up with their Crystallian allies advancing up on the hill simultaneously. Meanwhile, exploiting a gap that had formed in the Hegemony lines between the hills and valleys, guard cavalry and elite grenadiers of Celestia's 1st Solar Guard Division and Luna's 1st Lunar Guard Division raced to cut off the Vrakkian 1st and 2nd Corps and cause chaos behind the Hegemony's left flank.
At this, Queen Argynnis had ordered a general retreat of her forces back into Vraks. Her gamble to go head to head with coalition forces in the battlefield had gone miserably. She had finally realized that she had severely underestimated the size and fighting strength of the coalition army she faced. Now, their only hope was to retreat back behind the city walls of Vraks in an orderly manner and hold out until reinforcements came. However, before her troops could be properly evacuated, things went from bad to worse when infantry from the Severnayan Winter Guard - who had taken a slightly long detour around the marshes - appeared seemingly out of nowhere from behind the Hegemony's left flank to cut off 4th Corps's retreat. The scene that followed was utter chaos as Equestrian, Crystallian, Vrakkian, and Vesalian troops engaged in a bloody melee - Coalition blues, greens, and light greys clashing with Hegemony blacks and whites.
By the end of the day, the coalition had achieved all of their objectives short of Vraks itself. Compared to the allies' casualties, losses on the Hegemony's side were immense. 1st Corps suffered heavily, 2nd and 3rd Corps were crippled while 4th Corps, who had been left behind as a rearguard to cover the Hegemony's retreat and thus was ripped apart in the ensuing chaos, effectively ceased to exist. The coalition had only sustained around twelve thousand killed and wounded while the Hegemony, on the other hand, had suffered twenty-six thousand killed and wounded and six thousand captured.
The Coalition of Harmony had won the Battle of Vraks.
"As the walls of Vraks were breached by the army, we saw not the tall and proud men and women that fought in Canterlot. They were beaten down and with a weight seemingly on their backs. We have got them, and they are begging for peace."
- Prince Blueblood during the storming of Vraks
The sound of grass and hooves filled Luna's ears as she rode up the summit of the hill where Celestia was. The older sister was sat upon her own horse, alone and quietly observing the scenery before her. When Luna arrived at the top and parked herself beside Celestia, neither said anything for a moment.
Vraks was burning. Its walls crumbled as thousands of allied soldiers flooded through the city gates. Pillars of smoke billowed up high above the rooftops while the distant sounds of battle could be heard. Days after their victory out in the fields around them, a brief, day-long siege commenced. Soon after, they have broken through the Vrakkians' defenses by the late afternoon and were now threatening to storm Queen Argynnis' palace. Muskets fired. Soldiers screamed. Vraks burned.
After a while, Luna finally spoke up. "We have won."
"Yes, we have," Celestia replied. "And, now, peace is within our grasp." Cannons could be heard firing from the distance. "Peace is within our grasp." Silence between the two sisters returned soon after. The fighting continued in the streets of the burning city as a breeze flew past the princesses - their bright and colorful uniforms against the orange sunset a sharp contrast to the black clouds of smoke hovering above the city before them.
They had won.
With the loss of Vraks - and over sixty thousand precious soldiers along with it - the war had been essentially lost for Chrysalis. However, the queen was determined to fight to the bitter end. Though, her fellow queens were not nearly as eager. Queen Argynnis of Vraks had surrendered herself, her army, and her kingdom after her defeat. Queen Yaria of Soryth immediately announced her kingdom's defection to the coalition after hearing news of Vraks. Even Queen Aurantia of Lyctida - the most loyal of the queens to Chrysalis' cause - was starting to have doubts as the rebellion in her kingdom raged on.
With the nearest coalition forces less than a hundred miles away from Vesalipolis, Chrysalis and the allied leaders were now in the endgame.