> Equestria: World War II > by The Unseen > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter 1 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was 11:00am in Canterlot. Most of the ponies of Equestria were already awake and at work, but Canterlot Castle had been up and running since 5:00am. Princess Luna was taking a nap, and Princess Celestia was standing in the balcony, relaxing after a diplomatic meeting with the Griffons, and was taking a breath of fresh air, before she once more was plunged into another 8 hours of meetings, and law approvals. Celestia looked at her Sun, and smiled down upon her kingdom, which she had ruled for over two thousand years, upon Canterlot, Ponyville, and the far reaches of the Crystal Empire. It had been just under two months since Twilight and her friends had saved the Crystal Empire after it had reappeared after one thousand years. It looked as happy as it always was, except for the storm clouds which were gathering on the horizon. Celestia had noticed them a few hours earlier, and thinking it was odd that storm clouds would be gathering, as summer was near, and there were no storm forecasts. She had written to Twilight, and asked her to tell Rainbow Dash and the weather team to check those clouds out, and hopefully, it would be resolved in a few hours. Celestia then went back outside for her next meeting, with the Diamond Dogs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------PONYVILLE------------------------------------------------------------------------ In Ponyville, at the Golden Oak Library, it was not as peaceful as it was in Canterlot. Twilight had received the message from Celestia around two hours earlier, and instantly told Rainbow Dash to tell the weather team and check it out, while she and her dragon assistant, Spike, looked up her books, to see if the ones on weather mentioned anything about strange storm clouds appearing near the beginning of summer. The last report from Rainbow Dash had come just around twenty minutes earlier. She had said that the clouds weren't just near Ponyville, but also near Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire. Twilight was still in her book, and trying to figure out which combination of certain weather phenomena would cause these storm clouds to appear, when Rainbow Dash came in at high speed, and an expression of alarm on her face. "TWILIGHT! TWILIGHT! THE STORM CLOUDS AREN'T MOVING AWAY FROM PONYVILLE, CANTERLOT OR THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE-". "Wait, WHAT?" Twilight replied in shock. "Those storm clouds aren't moving away from Ponyville, Canterlot, or the Crystal Empire?!" "Yeah, whenever we try to move them away, they just start moving in faster, and when we tried to budge them, some lightning just knocked one of the other pegasi on the weather team out cold! He's alright, but at the rate they're going, they'll reach Ponyville in just around twenty minutes, the Crystal Empire in twenty-five, and Canterlot in thirty! Those storm clouds also look like they could cause some serious damage! We gotta get everypony into shelter!" came the reply from Rainbow Dash. "Alright, I'm going to run to the Mayor's office and tell her to get everypony to safety! Meanwhile, round up everypony else in town and tell the weather team to back on the ground ASAP! Oh, but first, I had better write letters to Celestia and Cadance!" said Twilight. "Spike! Go get some scrolls and a quill, fast!" she told Spike. "Sure thing, Twilight!" said Spike, running to a cupboard, grabbing the requiring supplies, and giving them to Twilight, who instantly grabbed them, and began writing the letters. -----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------ Celestia was in the middle of a meeting with some delegates of the Crystal Empire when the letter from Twilight arrived, and although she was annoyed at this unwelcome interruption to her meeting, but when she opened the letter, one look at its contents was enough to convince her to postpone the meeting. It read, "Dear Princess Celestia, the storm clouds don't seem to be normal at all, and the weather team isn't able to repel them. The clouds seem large enough that the storm could cause serious damage, I would advise everypony in Canterlot to get to safety within thirty minutes. Some clouds are also heading towards the Crystal Empire, but I have already notified Princess Cadance about the threat. Please, stay safe. Twilight" "Alright, everypony! We cannot continue this meeting now, let us all get into shelter now! Guards, all of you, tell everypony in Canterlot to take shelter either underground or here at the castle. I'll go let Luna know, you all must leave now!" Celestia told her guards who instantly ran downstairs, while Celestia teleported and burst into Luna's room. "Luna, are you in there? We must get to the throne room right away!" panted Celestia. "Why, what thou is the matter, sister?" replied Luna, surprised at her sister's sudden appearance. "I will explain on the way, but we must hurry, Luna!" said Celestia, as the two alicorns ran towards the throne room. ----------------------------------------------------------------THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE----------------------------------------------------------------- Cadance and Shining Armor were worried. The letters from Twilight had come just about twenty minutes earlier, and now, the clouds were nearing the Crystal Empire. They had already gotten everypony to safety at Crystal Castle, but now they were standing on the balcony, watching the storm clouds get nearer to the Crystal Empire. Thankfully, the clouds were being repelled from the Empire itself by the shield, but they were still lingering above. Some weather experts at the Crystal Empire were studying the clouds, trying to figure what these were. Cadance looked at the clouds, and looked at Ponyville and Canterlot in the distance, hoping that Twilight, Celestia, and Luna had got everypony over there to safety, wondering what would happen to them in these storms, just as lightning started to strike, causing Cadance and Shining Armor to run back into the Castle. As Celestia, Luna, Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor watched from their respective lands, the storm clouds converged, covering Equestria and the Crystal Empire, flashing lightning. Then, in a horrifying yet beautiful display, columns of lightning started striking the borders nonstop, a bright light appeared causing everybody to black out, a huge roar was heard, and then, Equestria and the Crystal Empire were transported away from planet Equis forever. > Chapter 2 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27TH AUGUST 1939 -------------------------------------------------------10, DOWNING STREET, LONDON---------------------------------------------------------- Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was having a rough day, and it was not even 10:30am. The threat of war was looming imminent over Britain, with Nazi Germany's mass military mobilization concerning Britain and France that they may be planning to invade their ally, Poland, and if so, they would have to declare war against Germany. As if that was not enough, the war between China and Japan was heating up, and was starting to spill into their overseas territories of Burma and India, and the British had to send soldiers from these two countries to intervene. Chamberlain was just about to get up from his desk for a quick tea break, when one of his assistants came rushing in, and his telephone started ringing. "Mr. Chamberlain! Mr. Chamberlain! Ships and aircraft have reported that an unidentified large landmass, pretty much an entire continent, has appeared in the Atlantic Ocean, just about 300 kilometers from the coast of Ireland! It has just appeared out of nowhere!" reported the assistant, panting as if she had completed a 2,000 meter Olympic race. Chamberlain just couldn't believe it. "Wait, what? Are you telling me that an unidentified continent just appeared out of nowhere in the Atlantic Ocean?" he asked angrily, thinking that his assistant was wasting his time. "No, sir! I have proof. Some sailors on a cargo ship in the vicinity took pictures of this continent, and the pilot of a small squadron of our Hawker Hurricane fighters conducting long-range training flights in the vicinity also flew close to the continent and took these images!" said the assistant, taking out a large folder, and giving it to Chamberlain. Chamberlain was in for a shock when he opened the folder. The pictures showed a large continent the size of a quarter of America, all clearly taken, and definitely not faked. The pictures taken from the cargo ship didn't show much, but the pictures taken from the Hurricanes showed that the continent seemed to be inhabited, showing multiple cities and towns with tall buildings, showing a pretty advanced civilization, but there were horse carts, and only a steam train, showing that their technology level was very primitive. But the most shocking thing about it was the inhabitants. They were horses. Some were regular horses, but others were unicorns, and pegasi, creatures that were only present in old legends and stories, and these were clearly intelligent, to have built such cities. Just as he was closing the folder, another assistant came in, and the phone rang. "Sir, the American President is on the line, asking about this new continent. He would like to speak with you right away." All thoughts of a tea break gone now, Chamberlain replied briskly as he picked up the phone, "Fine. I will talk to him right away." "Hello, Roosevelt, how is it going over in America?" asked Chamberlain pleasantly into the receiver. "Chamberlain! Did you see that new continent this evening, or morning over there?" came the booming voice of Franklin D. Roosevelt. "Yes, sir, some of our aircraft flying near that continent took pictures, as well, would you like me to mail them to you?" asked Chamberlain. "No, I already got some from an American cargo ship that was sailing in the region, but they don't show much. Do the pictures from your aircraft show more?" asked Roosevelt. "Yes, they show some pretty strange things. I wouldn't be surprised if you had a heart attack after I tell you this." replied Chamberlain. "I don't care. Show me anyways. I would like to know what kind of a threat we are dealing with here." came the reply. "Fine. This seems to be an advanced civilization, but with primitive technology. The inhabitants aren't human. They are..... horses. Not just any horses. They are unicorns and pegasi. The creatures from our old myths and legends are real." explained Chamberlain. "I see." replied a surprisingly calm Roosevelt. "Assemble a meeting. We will continue this call in the meeting room, and get ready to send our respective militaries to make first contact. I will see you there." and the call was cut. Chamberlain instantly ordered his assistant, "Tell all the military heads and call the King as well. Tell them to assemble in the meeting room within fifteen minutes." "Right away, Mr. Chamberlain!" came the reply as they ran off instantly to inform them. Fifteen minutes later, everybody was assembled in the meeting room, and President Roosevelt was on the phone line, and at exactly 10:40am, Prime Minister Chamberlain began the meeting. "All right, everybody, no time for introductions now, we have a crisis on our hands. At around 8:00am this morning, a large unidentified landmass suddenly appeared in the Atlantic Sea, around 300 kilometers from the Irish coast, after a large storm. A small squadron of the Air Force's Hawker Hurricanes that was conducting training flights in the area took these pictures, showing that this land was, in fact, inhabited, but not by humans, but by horses. Unicorns and pegasi. Their cities seem to be large, but their technology seems to be primitive. I'll let you take a look at them now..." reported Chamberlain as he began showing the photos on a projector. The entire top brass of the British military was here, including King George VI himself, and they were shocked by the photos. "Oh my god.... this could be a civilization from another planet.... " speculated King George VI, which sent the entire meeting room into an uproar, until Chamberlain pulled out an air horn and blew it making the meeting quiet in an instant. "QUIET! ALL OF YOU! Yes, this could be a civilization from another planet, but first we must find out if they are friendly or aggressive! Here is the plan for the first contact protocol. The Americans have a similar plan as well. Take a look." said Chamberlain, distributing some files marked, 'EXTRATERRESTRIAL CONTACT PROTOCOL' to everyone, who instantly began reading. "Alright, a pair of B-17 bombers took off from America about half an hour ago, and will reach the rendezvous point in eleven hours, just about 32 kilometers, or 20 miles, away from the new continent. There, a pair of the RAF's Supermarine Spitfires will meet up there, and make an overflight of the continent, after which all four aircraft will return to the shores of Britain. The planes are not armed, as we don't want to make the inhabitants of the new land think they are under attack. Once the threat level is determined, we will send five ships to the continent to make actual contact. The U.S. Navy's three Colorado-class battleships are underway from Washington D.C., escorted by seven of the U.S. Navy's Bagley-class destroyers and will arrive at the second rendezvous point in two days, and the Royal Navy's two Nelson-class battleships, escorted by eight of our Admirally-modified V-class destroyers will join them there. We have made sure no commercial ship or aircraft go near the new continent until we can figure this out, so skies and waters are clear enough for you guys to go in." repeated Chamberlain, after around ten hours of the staff deliberating how to carry out the protocol, and figuring out what ships and aircraft to use for this. "In the meantime, let us get ready on how to break the news to the rest of the world. Mr. Roosevelt, can you call up the presidents of Canada and the South American countries, while I call up the presidents of countries in Europe and Asia to let them know about this. For now, over and out." said Chamberlain, grabbing another phone, getting ready to call up the French president. "Sure thing, Chamberlain. As of now, over and out." came the response from Roosevelt. Chamberlain sighed and dialed in the French president's number. It was going to be a long next couple of days. -------------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT---------------------------------------------------------------------- In the Royal Castle, Princesses Celestia and Luna were just waking up after the strange storm after it had hit Equestria and the Crystal Empire. "Ugh, what the hay just happened? That strange storm...." groaned Celestia, who was the first to wake up. "I don't know, sister, but that storm definitely did something to us, because I do not feel so great." groaned Luna, who woke up next. "We need to get in touch with the rest of Equestria, right now. The storm seems to have dissipated, so let us go down to the throne room and tell everypony that it is safe to go out now." observed Celestia, looking at the sky. The two alicorns then ran into the throne room. When they reached the throne room, they were met by a barrage of complaints asking how long it would be till they could go back outside. "All right, everypony, the storm has dissipated. You may now go back outside." said Celestia, after they had restored order and quietened everyone down. However, they were in for a shock. When they opened the doors, all the ambassadors that Equestria had assigned to their neighboring nations such as Gryphonia and Yakyakistan, who had all been outside Equestria when the storm struck, were outside the door, demanding to know why they were back in Equestria. "We were minding our own business when a bright light came out of nowhere, knocking us all out, and the next thing we know, we are back in Canterlot, where the Gryphonian embassy was supposed to be, with none of the Gryphons that were in the embassy in sight! We demand an explanation for this!" yelled the Equestrian ambassador to Gryphonia. Similar stories where being told by the other ambassadors, leading Celestia to realize that the storms somehow had magical properties, and decided to write a letter to Cadance, asking if the Crystal Empire had also suffered something similar, when the ambassadors said that all their attempts to write letters to their respective assigned countries had failed, as none of the letters were being sent. Celestia decided that she would also write to Twilight, asking her to figure out what the storm had done, and why this had happened. In the meantime, while they were sorting things out, Luna noticed something. "Is it just me, sister, or is the Sun moving by itself, without your magic?" she observed. "Really now, Luna? Your brain is probably still a little scrambled from the storm. Why don't you go and take a quick nap?" But Luna was adamant. "No, sister. I am sure that the Sun is moving by itself, without the help of your magic. Take a look." she insisted. "Fine, fine, Luna, although I am sure that your brain is still playing tricks on you." chuckled Celestia. But when she took a look, she nearly had a heart attack. The Sun was moving, and she wasn't even using her magic. "Oh my God, Luna, you are right! It looks like the Sun is moving by itself! Hang on, let me try and stop it!" said a shocked Celestia, as she began trying to restrain the Sun with her magic. However, no matter how hard she tried, the Sun would not respond to her magic, and she eventually gave up, drenched in sweat. "Oh, Luna! The Sun doesn't seem to be responding to my magic, no matter how hard I try! If the Sun is not responding after that strange storm, I am guessing the Moon isn't either! We must tell Twilight and Cadance! Tell them to come to the Royal Castle, right now!" panted Celestia. "Right away, sister! In the meantime, you sit down for some time, while I write the letter to Twilight!" said a concerned Luna, as she grabbed a scroll and a quill, and began to write. ------------------------------------------------------------------------PONYVILLE------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now around 7:00pm in Equestria. Twilight was worried. First, the storm had hit, and now, Celestia and Luna were reporting that the storm had caused all the Equestrians outside of Equestria to come back home, and all foreigners, like the Gryphons and the Yaks, had vanished from Equestria. And now, she had gotten the letter saying that the Sun, and probably the Moon as well, were not responding to the princesses' magic, and had to come to Canterlot right away. She was just finishing packing up her items, when her friends burst into the Golden Oak library. "Twi, where ya going? Weren't ya supposed to be investigating tha' strange storm?" asked Applejack. "Sorry guys, I need to leave for Canterlot right now! The Princesses have called me there, so I must be there soon! Cadance will also be coming, and we may have a crisis on our hands! I'm sorry I can't continue my efforts here, but can you guys help everypony out while I'm gone?" asked Twilight. "Sure thing, Twi, we can deal with it." replied Applejack. "All right then, see you later!" said Twilight, and instantly teleported out for Canterlot. ----------------------------------------------------------------THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE----------------------------------------------------------------- Cadance was really close to having a heart attack. Ever since the storm had passed, all of the Crystal Empire's ambassadors and embassy staff had been transported back home to the Crystal Empire, and all the embassies of other countries there, except for that of Equestria, had also disappeared there. To make matters worse, Celestia had informed her that the same thing had happened in Canterlot as well, and that it had most probably been caused by the strange storm. Scouts were also reporting that about 5 kilometers from the Crystal Empire, where it was supposed to be all frozen north, it was now a huge ocean-like waterbody. And just ten minutes ago, Celestia had informed her that the Sun was not responding to her magic, and the same thing was probably likely with the Moon as well, and they may soon have a crisis on their hands, and she had to come to Canterlot right away. She was just finishing packing when Shining Armor came in to her room. "Don't worry, Mi Amore. I'll keep an eye on the Empire, while you're in Canterlot. I'll get some experience in politics this way, and you won't be worried, OK?" said a nervous Shining Armor, as he had never handled the Crystal Empire by himself. "First, I hate being called that, and second, I have full faith in you, Shining, OK? You'll do great. I need to go now, so have fun ruling!" said Cadance, and she teleported to Canterlot. ----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 9:00pm in Equestria, just ten hours since the storm had first been sighted, and now, the three princesses, with some help from Twilight, were now deliberating how the storm could have caused such after-effects. Luna wasn't with them, as she had gone into the balcony for a few minutes to get some fresh air. Twilight was showing everyone the effects of a magical storm that had left Zebrica in chaos over 2,500 years ago, and was speculating how something similar could have occurred, in a one-off phenomenon, when Luna came rushing in, with a shocked expression on her face. "SISTER! SISTER! I THINK SOMETHING REALLY BAD HAPPENED TO US!" shouted Luna. "Calm, down, sister, and tell me what happened." said Celestia, concerned that her sister may have suffered a Nightmare Moon hallucination on the balcony, due to the stress of the current situation. "Sister, we are no longer on planet Equis, we have somehow been transported to another planet entirely!" panted Luna. "WAIT, WHAT? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?" shouted Celestia, Cadance, and Twilight at once. "Its true. I decided to do some stargazing on the balcony, and during that, I realized that while Equis' planetary system has only three planets, this system has eight, including this one!" said Luna. "No wonder, Luna...." said Twilight. "I haven't sensed one drop of magic, ever since that strange storm!" she exclaimed. "We are no longer on Equis, sister, we are on some other planet, one without magic at that, and we have to break it to our little ponies!" said Luna. "Yes, I know, Luna, but first, we may have another problem." said Celestia. "If this planet is inhabited, we first have to find out if the inhabitants are friendly, or if they are even ponies, for that matter. If they are hostile, we must defend ourselves." said Celestia. "I will tell the cities on the coastline to keep an eye out for suspicious ships, and I will get ready to break the news to everypony. Cadance, send a letter about this to Shining Armor, and get him ready to tell everypony as well." ordered Celestia. "I hope the inhabitants of this world aren't hostile......." worried Celestia. > Chapter 3 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28TH AUGUST 1939 ---------------------------------------------------------10, DOWNING STREET, LONDON-------------------------------------------------------- Prime Minister Chamberlain was nervous. He had slept for only four hours, and was about to give an address to the public that would change the world forever. It would be aired on radio and television, and multiple people would be seeing it. It was now 8:00am, just an hour before the aircraft would make an overflight of the new continent, which the public would hear about for the first time. "Sir, we are going to go live on air in thirty seconds." said the radio and television operator. Chamberlain sighed, straightened his tie, and brushed his hair one last time, as the broadcast began. "People of Britain, and the rest of the world, today, we have an announcement that will change our world as we know it forever. Yesterday, a large continent, quarter of the size of America, suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the Atlantic Ocean, 300 kilometers off the coast of Ireland. A flight of Hawker Hurricanes flew near this landmass, and revealed that its inhabitants are not human.... but ponies." said Chamberlain. All over the world, two billion people were watching, who all gasped at this statement. "Not just any ponies, but they seem to be unicorns and pegasi. They seem to have built large cities, even though they have primitive technology. As we speak, a flight of RAF aircraft is just an hour away from rendezvous with a pair of U.S. Army Air Corps aircraft and a reconnaissance overflight of this new land. Then, we will conduct first contact with ten Royal Navy ships and ten U.S. Navy ships. If all goes well and these creatures are friendly, then hopefully, it will open up a new era. I hope first contact goes well, and they are friendly. This is Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, signing off." ended Chamberlain. Hopefully, the world would accept these creatures, he hoped. Now, he was heading back to the operations room, and hopefully, the overflight would go well, and their planes were not destroyed. "Peuple de Grande-Bretagne et du reste du monde, nous avons aujourd'hui une annonce qui changera à jamais notre monde tel que nous le connaissons. Hier..." in France, "ब्रिटेन और बाकी दुनिया के लोग, आज हमारे पास एक घोषणा है जो हमारी दुनिया को हमेशा के लिए बदल देगी। कल..." in India, and "Menschen in Großbritannien und im Rest der Welt haben heute eine Ankündigung, die unsere Welt, wie wir sie kennen, für immer verändern wird. Gestern..." in Germany, all over the world, replays of this same speech were being played in different languages, what would come to be known as the greatest speech of the world, and the day the world changed forever. ------------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT---------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now around 9:00am in Equestria. The three princesses were about to make an address to their citizens. Everypony was outside to hear this address, and they were all concerned it was about the strange storm that had their lands a day earlier. As the address was about to begin, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance stepped onto the stage prepared for them. "Greetings everypony. As you all may know, around 11:00am yesterday, Equestria and the Crystal Empire were struck by a strange storm that has had some strange effects on us. All ponies outside Equestria and the Crystal Empire were transported back home, while all the Gryphons, Yaks, etc. in our lands vanished. Unfortunately, this storm... also seems to have transported both Equestria and the Crystal Empire to another planet entirely." spoke Celestia. Everypony gasped in horror at the last statement, wondering how this could have happened, and what would happen to them. "On this planet, there seems to be no magic, and the Sun and Moon are unfortunately not in our control, and we don't know if it is inhabited, but if it is so, we can only hope that the inhabitants are friendly. We are trying to find more information now, but it seems our neighbors did not make the journey with us and still on our home planet. May fate help us all now." signed off Celestia, as everypony started to talk nervously, their theories about what would happen to them. Celestia was wondering what the inhabitants of this planet looked like. She hoped fervently that they would be ponies as well, but she knew there was hardly a 1% chance that it would be so, and that they would probably be different creatures entirely. In the meantime, the princesses had assembled a small team to help assemble material for the inhabitants of this planet about their world, and its history, and knew that this planet's inhabitants would probably do something similar, so she would do the same. ----------------------------------------------------10,000 FEET OVER THE ATLANTIC OCEAN------------------------------------------------- Flight Lieutenant Donald MacArthur was worried. He had heard Prime Minister Chamberlain's announcement, and he was hoping that he didn't get shot down on this mission. He was one of the first pilots to be checked out on the RAF's newest toy, the Supermarine Spitfire. It was the fastest fighter ever made, and it was a dream to fly, and although this was supposed to be a reconnaissance mission, Air Command had armed his fighter's guns, just in case these ponies were hostile. Their mission was to escort the two American B-17 bombers across the new continent and back to London. They were now just five minutes away from the rendezvous point, and the bombers were just barely visible, as a speck in the distance, and should come into full view soon, as they began the final turn towards the new continent, which was just ten minutes away now. As the B-17s came into full view, MacArthur and his comrade in the Spitfire next to him were realizing why this aircraft was called the 'Flying Fortress'. It was the biggest aircraft they had ever seen, and its wing could easily fit around two Spitfires. Then, a message came on their radios from the pilot of the first B-17. "Tigershark 1, this is Raider 46 here. Our bomb bays are filled with cameras so we can take pictures of this new land, and we hardly have any defence. You loaded?" asked the B-17 pilot. "Tigershark 1 here. Yes, our guns are fully loaded, and we're ready to provide cover fire, just in case they're killer ponies. replied MacArthur. "Good, because we are now just two minutes away from the new continent, and the first city is just barely visible. Are you ready for this?" asked Raider 46. "Yes." replied MacArthur. "Alright, here we go..." replied Raider 46. (imagine basically two of each flying over Equestria) "Huh, that city on the coast over there.... doesn't it look a lot like New York?" asked Raider 46. MacArthur had spent some time in America on exchange tours, and he had visited New York a few times, so he recognized it instantly. "Yes, it looks pretty much just like New York, except for what should be the Statue of Liberty." Indeed, in the place where the Statue of Liberty would be, instead of a woman holding the flame, it was a unicorn. He also noticed a harbor, similar to the one in Manhattan, and it had ships alright, but instead of metal like most modern ships, they were wooden, and used sails. He knew that this world's technology seemed to be primitive, but he wondered how they could have built such amazing cities without advanced technology. He then realized that all the ponies in the city were looking at their aircraft, and he wasn't surprised that they had never seen an airplane before, after seeing how primitive their technology was. He just hoped they wouldn't attack their aircraft. --------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN----------------------------------------------------------------------- On the ground, the ponies were starting to freak out. First they had been transported to a new planet from Equis, and now they had seen four unidentified flying objects, nothing like anything they had seen before. They were producing a low rumbling noise that was frightening. Everypony was coming up with theories on what these flying objects could be. "They're a new breed of dragon!" shouted a green Earth pony with a brown mane. "But, if they're dragons, how can they fly without flapping their wings?" shouted a red pegasus with a gray mane. "Calm down, everypony! Let's all just send a message to the princesses, warning of them of these objects!" said a white unicorn with a black mane, who pulled out a scroll, and a quill from a shop, and began writing to the princesses. In the meantime, the four flying objects began flying over the city. Some pegasi tryed to follow them, but realized they were too fast and too high for them to keep up, and hoped that the princesses could find out what these objects were, while some wondered if this new planet was indeed inhabited after all, and these were the inhabitants. All they hoped was that they were friendly, and decided to keep an eye out for more of them. ----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now around 12:10pm in Equestria, just an hour and a half since Celestia and Luna had received the worrying letter from Manehattan. The letter didn't say much, except that four scary-looking UFOs had been seen over the city, and that they seemed to be heading towards Canterlot. Just five minutes earlier, the soldiers had sent in a report that the UFOs were approaching Canterlot, and would fly past the castle. Now, Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight were on the castle's balcony, watching the objects approach. At an altitude of about 10,000 hooves in the clear blue sky, they were monstrous looking, exactly as the Manehattan ponies had described. Using a telescope, they decided to take a closer look at the objects. The objects looked more dreadful than described up close. Two had narrow bodies that were made of metal, had straight rectangular wings, and on each wing, were two fan-like contraptions, similar to the blades of Pinkie Pie's gyrocopter prototypes, while the other two were similar, but were smaller, and had only one of the blade-like contraptions. All four were producing a strange rumbling noise that slowly got louder and louder as they came closer to the castle. Cadance was the first one to realize, "These are not dragons... they're flying machines!" she exclaimed. "What?! How were the inhabitants of this land able to make such large metal behemoths fly?" wondered Twilight, looking at the strange flying machines now approaching Canterlot Castle, when Luna decided to go and take a closer look at these behemoths. "No, Luna, don't! We don't want to antagonize whoever's in those machines and make them attack!" shouted Celestia. "Sister, I am just going to take a closer look at them. I'm just going to take a close look and see how those machines work, who is controlling them, and what they are doing in our skies." said Luna, as she flew off towards the big flying machines. As she got closer, she realized that on the underside of the two large ones were two big doors, that had swung open to reveal some camera-like objects, and realized that they were not here to attack, but just gather intelligence on their countries. She took a look at the exterior, and realized that both of them were silver, and number 46 was painted on one, while 47 was painted on the other. She also saw a marking on both of them. A blue circle, containing a white star with a red circle in the star's center. The small ones had different markings, however, with three concentric circles, one red, one white, and one blue. She realized these were protection for the big ones, and decided to take a closer look at these. As she neared the first of the smaller ones, she realized there was a glass bubble on top, with something inside. It was wearing a helmet, but she could tell it was definitely not a pony. She could only see its head, and even that was fully obscured as it was wearing a helmet, but it seemed to be alarmed on seeing her, because it instanly moved its craft away from her, and she realized she had better get back to the castle before they decided to attack her, and instantly began heading back. -----------------------------------------------------------10,000 FEET ABOVE CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------- MacArthur was looking down at the city they were approaching. It seemed to be a pretty affluent city, and had a huge castle at the end. The spire of the castle was extremely high, and MacArthur had told Raider 46 that it was probably around 2,000 feet tall. Raider 46 replied with a more accurate guess that it was most likely around 1,500 feet tall. They were busy making more guesses to its exact height, when MacArthur noticed something. "Raider 46, look out, theres a blue winged unicorn just off your left wing!" shouted MacArthur. A winged unicorn, with a picture of the Moon on her flank, was flying next to Raider 46. This was unlike the other ponies they had seen in the pictures. This one had both a unicorn horn and wings, and had a starry mane flowing like a river, and was curiously looking at the big B-17. "I'm not surprised," he thought, "considering they probably have never seen an airplane before...", when the pony suddenly flew towards his Spitfire without warning, and MacArthur instantly thought, "Holy fuck, what on Earth is it doing?!" pulled an evasive maneuver to avoid hitting it. He then saw the pony fly away from his aircraft with an alarmed look on its face, so MacArthur rejoined his comrades to continue the flight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT---------------------------------------------------------------------- Luna had just returned from taking a look at the strange flying machines. "Well Luna? What did you find out, huh?" asked the other two princesses and Twilight. "Well, everypony, I have figured out what those machines are here for. They seem to be gathering intelligence on our world, in preparation for first contact. Sadly, I couldn't find out what was controlling them, but they are not ponies, though." said Luna. "Well, that's good. It means they aren't going to attack us, and seem to be aiming for a peaceful first contact. But we must make preparations, if this is an alien race that has more advanced technology than us." said Celestia. "Twilight, you continue working with the first contact team, and make sure that the presentation is ready within another 12 hours. Cadance, those machines will probably pass by the Crystal Empire, so tell Shining Armor and the Crystal Pony Guards not to take them down." ordered Celestia. "Right away, Princess!" said both of them, as Twilight ran to where the first contact team was working, and Cadance began writing the letter. ----------------------------------------------------10,000 FEET OVER THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE-------------------------------------------------- The remainder of the reconnaissance overflight was going without a hitch, after the incident with the pony over the capital city. They had flown over a few more towns and cities, and were now over a snowy land. They were flying by a huge city in the snow, which seemed to be protected by a large blue shield made of energy. It had a large castle that seemed to be made of diamonds, that looked beautiful. While they were admiring it, they saw all the other ponies in the city were again looking at them. They weren't surprised, but saw that some of these ponies seemed to be glowing with the same energy of the shield, and again, all the unicorns seemed to have magic. He wondered if this land was probably an entirely different nation from the first one, and wondered if these two nations were friendly, and wondered what powered this shield and their magic, as it reminded him of some mythological stories he had read. As he was wondering, they passed the snowy land, and realized that their mission was completed, as they were about to fly over the ocean. Incredibly, the whole thing had lasted just under two hours. They had been maintaining radio silence since the beginning of the mission, and they reported in. "Control, this is Tigershark 1. We have finished up the overflight with Raider 46 and 47." reported MacArthur. "Roger that. Tigershark 1 and 2, Raider 46 and 47, turn left 90 degrees, and climb to Flight Level 180." ordered Control. "Turn left 90 degrees, climb to Flight Level 180, Tigershark 1." copied MacArthur. "Copy that." came another reply from Raider 46, as all four planes began to climb and turn. They would be back over British airspace in just over three hours, and should be landing with just over half an hour's worth of fuel remaining. The second they were on the ground, the photos from their cameras would be telegraphed to the first contact ships, which would leave once the intel was delivered. As all four planes began turning and climbing back towards Britain, they had no idea that an evil essence was starting to awake on this land, that would plunge their world into chaos within two weeks. > Chapter 4 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now around 3:00pm in Equestria, just around three hours after the mysterious flying machines were seen leaving Crystal Empirean skies, flying out over the oceans. In the garden of the castle, a certain entity trapped in a statue was beginning to wake. Even in statue form, Discord had somehow realized that Equestria, and the Crystal Empire had been transported to another world, one full of chaos and no magic, at that, and when he had noticed the strange flying machines, somehow, he had managed to get part of his consciousness outside the statue, and used to secretly read the minds of the creatures flying them, without them noticing. As much he hated to make sure they didn't notice, he didn't want the humans to know about him just yet. Using those brain scans, he found that multiple wars were raging on this planet, called Earth, whose only intelligent sapient species were humans. They seemed to be more technologically advanced than the Equestrians, and their way of life was much different compared to that of the Equestrians. Discord let off a evil chuckle that caused the statue to crack, as a plan began formulating in his mind. As the plan continued to formulate, Discord was happy with most of it, but two parts made him a little annoyed. First, he had to try not to break his statue open too soon, and second, he had to make sure a peaceful first contact was made before he could kick it off. Although patience was not one of Discord's virtues, he had to wait to cause chaos, otherwise he would be imprisoned again or sent to Tartarus. Discord let off another chuckle, and the statue cracked again, and Discord instantly shut up, hoping to not crack the statue even further. Meanwhile, in the castle, Celestia had come in to take a check on the first contact team, taking over from Twilight and Cadance. The team was led by Lightning Language, a blue unicorn with a gray mane. He was an expert in linguistics, as the inhabitants of this planet probably didn't speak Equish, so he had been hired to provide presentations for the inhabitants if this scenario unfolded. "We have prepared drawings, pictures, and other such visual mediums to prepare in case the inhabitants of this land do not speak Equish. There is a small chance they do, though, so if that happens, we have a lot of written material ready for them." explained Lightning Language, when Celestia asked him how much had been done. "We are about 70% done with the presentations, and should be fully done in another six or seven hours." "Thank you, Lightning, for working so hard on this." said Celestia. "You're welcome, your highness, it is an honor to do something this prestigious!" replied Lightning. Although Celestia hadn't slept in close to thirty-four hours, she was still able to pull a nice smile. Then, Luna came in to take over from Celestia, and then Celestia finally went to her room to catch a quick nap. -------------------------------------------------------10, DOWNING STREET, LONDON---------------------------------------------------------- It had been just over an hour since the reconnaissance flight had touched down at RAF Gatwick in London after their successful overflight of the new continent. The second the two big B-17s had pulled up at their parking spot and the engines were shut down, a truck full of military men had pulled up next to them, unloaded all the film out of the big bombers' cameras, and sped over to 10, Downing Street, where first contact planning was going on. The second the film was developed, the planners grabbed all of it, and instantly began redoing their first contact plan entirely. The photos now revealed that the inhabitants seemed to have some primitive technology, seemed to be really intelligent and two countries of their world seemed to have been transported to Earth, and seemed to be ruled via a monarchy. Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain was on his twelfth cup of coffee. He hadn't slept in close to thirty hours, and was busy dealing with every single world leader, who was sending delegates to Britain for first contact. President Roosevelt had already boarded a plane from the US, which would be arriving in around twelve hours. In the meantime, he decided to check up on the first contact team, and what they had found out. He went into their room, which was inside one of the recently constructed underground bunkers at 10, Downing Street, and asked the team leader, William Reynolds, what they had found out. "Very much, in fact, Prime Minister. We have figured out that two of the ponies' countries seemed to have been transported to our world. They have primitive technology, so we don't know how they managed to build such large cities, but seem to be intelligent. We are now around 5% through with the first contact presentation. We should be done and ready to load on the ships in another day or so." explained Reynolds. "Thank you, Reynolds. I'll let the crews of the ships know that the timeline for departure." replied Chamberlain. Reynolds nodded, then went back to work with the rest of his team. In the meantime, Chamberlain decided he'd better go update his American counterparts. "Okay, the American ships have left port already?" asked Chamberlain. "Yes" came the reply from Roosevelt, who had somehow successfully managed to start a phone call from his plane, which was pretty amazing to think about. "They left port about fourteen hours ago, and will meet up with your ships at the agreed spot tomorrow." "But what about your first contact presentations?" asked Chamberlain. "Our first contact team is aboard those ships. The presentations are being prepared as they continue towards the new land." explained Roosevelt. "Oh, I see now. Our vessels will depart about twelve-fifteen hours before yours reach that area, so they both reach the rendezvous at the same time." replied Chamberlain. "Good, I should be arriving in Britain in around seven-eight hours time. I'll meet you then. Over and out." said Roosevelt, ending the call. Chamberlain sighed. He decided he had better go and get some sleep, because he didn't want to greet the American President in front of the public looking like a bum. ---------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT-------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now around 7:00pm in Equestria. Twilight was busy trying to find out how they were still able to use magic, even if there were no traces of magic on this planet, and she was just scrapping a theory that the entirety of Equis' magic had been transported along with them, when Cadance came in with a concerned look on her face. "Twilight, are you OK?" asked Cadance. "Yes... I'm OK, Cadance." replied Twilight with a huge yawn, not surprising, considering she hadn't slept in almost thirty-seven hours. "No, you are not, Twilight, you need sleep, and you need it now, so you're going to shut those books and go to bed!" ordered Cadance, enveloping Twilight in the aura of her horn and moving Twilight to her bed. "But, Cadance, I need to do this. I need to figure out why you are still able to use your magic, even if we are on a planet without it! We need to figure it out, NOW!!" screamed Twilight, clearly unhappy to be taken away from her dear books. "Whoa, we?! Twilight, we are not doing any more research today, you're going to bed, and that's it." said Cadance, as she used another spell to lull Twilight to sleep. As Twilight began snoring, Cadance decided to take a look at some of Twilight's notes, to see what she had found out so far. As she opened Twilight's books, she noticed a number of theories that Twilight had scrapped, including one that this world had a different kind of magic that ponies could not detect, and some really weird ones that she could not comprehend. Cadance then looked out of the window, to see this world's Moon rising into the sky. If it wasn't for the fact that Luna was busy keeping an eye on the first contact team, and that the Moon didn't respond to either of their commands, it looked just like the night sky of Equis. In the Moonlight, Cadance noticed something. The Moonlight seemed to reflect off of something near the borders of Equestria. It reminded her of the shield that surrounded the Crystal Empire, except this one was transparent, and Cadance realized that however they were still using magic, it was related to this shield. She decided to wake up Twilight, so they could do research about this. "Twilight, wakey, wakey! We have more research to do!" said Cadance, softly, tickling Twilight to wake her up. On hearing the word "Research", Twilight instantly woke up. "More research to do? Where? WHERE?!" screamed Twilight, excited to do more research. "Wait a second.... Cadance, you found something, didn't you?" asked Twilight. "Yes, Twilight, there seems to be a transparent bubble, encasing our borders. Do you think this is why we are still able to use our magic? Also, the flying machines didn't seem to be affected by it, so I don't think it is a force field like the one over the Crystal Empire. Want to figure it out?" asked Cadance. "Cadance, you may be right!" said Twilight, looking at the night sky, and seeing the bubble lit up by the moonlight. "I can see the bubble too! I think I have a new theory on why we can still use magic! We must tell Celestia and Luna right away!" said Twilight, running towards the throne room to fetch Celestia and Luna. Fifteen minutes later, Celestia and Luna had arrived at the balcony. "Alright, Twilight, Cadance, explain why you dragged us out of a meeting with our first contact team, NOW." ordered a very unhappy Celestia. "Your highnesses, have you wondered why, although we are on a planet without magic, we are still able to use it?" asked Twilight. "You are right.... I was so busy that I wasn't thinking about it, but now I realize that for almost two days now, we have been on a planet with no magic, but we can still use it! How has this happened, Twilight?" asked Celestia, clearly wondering how this could have happened. "Well, there seems to be a bubble encasing our lands, for around up to 3,500 hooves off our coast, and it seems to be that we are constantly recharged with magic by this bubble. However, if we leave this bubble, I have calculated that if we use our magic sparingly, it could last up to three days outside the bubble. If we use it a lot, though, it will last a maximum of around 18 hours." explained Twilight. "I see. Luna, issue orders for no pony to go beyond that distance off our coast, in case they deplete their magic when we need it!" ordered Celestia. "Right away, sister!" replied Luna as she teleported off to the throne room. Celestia finally decided to go to sleep, because she was having a bad feeling that tomorrow would be a long day, and something dark was on the horizon. > Chapter 5 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29TH AUGUST 1939 ----------------------------------------ATLANTIC OCEAN, 50 KILOMETERS FROM EQUESTRIA------------------------------------------ Ambassador Dennis Rockmond was keeping an eye out for the British ships. Leading the US Navy flotilla of ships was the battleship USS Colorado. Although the Colorado had been in service for almost 20 years, she still had lots of teeth. Loaded with 8 45-cal Mark 1 guns, 14 51-cal guns, 4 23-cal guns, and 2 torpedo tubes, the ship could still put up a fight, and cruise along at 21 knots (around 40kph). However, the ship was so heavily loaded that they were only averaging around 12 knots (around 20kph). If even one more item was loaded onto the big battleship, it would exceed its Plimsoll line and sink. They were just around five hours from the new continent now, and were about to meet up with the British vessels. Although they were going pretty slow, they were making good time, and now were just five minutes out from the rendezvous point. From there, both US Navy and Royal Navy vessels would sail the last two hours to the new continent together. By his calculations, it was now around 9:00am in this time zone, and if all went to plan, they should begin first contact protocol at 11:00am. (three of these) (seven of these) As they neared the rendezvous point, from his point on the bridge, Ambassador Rockmond could see the bridges of the British vessels appearing on the horizon, as a voice crackled out on the ship's radio, "This is Ambassador Albert Wood on board the HMS Nelson, we see you on the horizon, do you read me?" crackled a sharp, authoritian, British voice. (two of these) (eight of these) "Ambassador Wood, this is Ambassador Dennis Rockmond aboard the USS Colorado, we read you loud and clear." replied Rockmond. "Good, we are beginning our final turn towards the new continent, rendezvous at Heracles in five minutes." came the reply from Wood, as the British flotilla began turning towards the new continent, Heracles being the rendezvous point. Five minutes later, all ships were in their formation, and were successfully heading towards their next milestone, Arion. "Arrived at Heracles, we are now awaiting your arrival." reported Rockmond over the radio, letting Wood know that the U.S. Navy flotilla had successfully arrived at their rendezvous, five minutes later, while the Royal Navy flotilla was on their final leg towards the point, hence the U.S. Navy ships had slowed down to wait for them. During this, Rockmond wondered how the appearance of this new land would change the global political scenario. Already, the Brits' overseas territories were either at war or seeking independence, then the Germans, with that cult leader as their dictator, could be starting a war anytime soon. Why, after the appearance of the new continent, the previous night, President Roosevelt himself had flown into Britain for first contact. His thoughts were then interrupted by a message from Ambassador Wood. "Arrived at Heracles, we have heaved to on your port side." "Alright, we are now in formation, getting underway." replied Rockmond, as all twenty military vessels started up their engines, and began sailing towards the new land at a speed of around 10 knots (18kph). Although most of the warships were at least fifteen years old, the flotilla still looked both beautiful and menacing at the same time, twenty gray shapes, moving through the water. Just under two hours later, at around 10:40am, the twenty ships were now around twenty kilometers from the new continent, and they could start to see the New York-like city the reconnaissance planes had taken pictures of. As they approached, they saw pegasi in the air, looking alarmed on seeing their ships, and instantly speeding back towards the city. Realizing that the ships had been spotted, the two admirals realized that they would probably get to meet the rulers of this land at first contact, which would probably be in another hour, if they continued their present pace. ---------------------------------------THE ATLANTIC OCEAN, 20 KILOMETERS FROM EQUESTRIA------------------------------------ Flashfire and his fellow Royal Guard, Pirouette, were panicking. They had been stationed around fifteen kilometers from the borders of Equestria the previous day to look out for strange ships, if this world's inhabitants tried to make first contact. And after being on duty for close to twelve hours, at the end of their shifts, they had noticed some strange gray shapes forming on the horizon, and out of curiosity, went to go take a look at them. They had gone about three kilometers when they had gotten a good look at the objects. It was a flotilla of twenty large ships, none like they had ever seen before. They were at least three times the size of regular Equestrian vessels, and were all big and gray. Instantly, they realized that this world's first contact force was approaching, and quickly turned back towards Manehattan, where the ships seemed to be heading. They estimated that they had only had just under an hour before the ships reached Manehattan's port, so they flew at supersonic speed to get there. They reached with just fifty minutes and no energy to spare, panting, "Commander.... the aliens are coming!" panted Flashfire. "Wait, what?!" replied the stunned commander, a green unicorn with a brown mane. "Yes, we saw twenty strange ships, around nineteen kilometers from our lands, most likely belonging to the inhabitants of this planet. Take a look in the telescope, they are just about seventeen kilometers away. We have less than an hour till they arrive." panted Flashfire, handing her the telescope. The commander looked in the telescope, and saw the alarming sight of the twenty large ships heading towards Manehattan. "Oh my God... I'm writing a letter to the princesses right now!" shouted the commander, who instantly summoned a scroll and quill, and began writing. --------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT--------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia and Luna were busy talking with the first contact team, who had finished their presentation the previous night, and were theorizing how they would make first contact, when a letter appeared. It was from the commander of the Royal Guard legion which had been stationed at Manehattan. The second she wrote it, Celestia shouted, "Alright, everypony! We're heading to Manehattan! The aliens' ships are approaching! Luna, call Cadance and Twilight! We're leaving in five minutes!". "Right away, sister!" replied Luna, as she went off to get them. Three minutes later, Luna had returned with Cadance and Twilight, who had kept supplies packed for just this occasion. "Good, you're all here! Alright, everypony! The aliens' ships arrive in just around fifty minutes from now. We're off to Manehattan!" said Celestia, as she and Luna began the teleportation spell, and within seconds, they were off to Manehattan. Meanwhile, in the garden, Discord, even though he was in statue form, could hear the hubbub going on in the castle, and guessed that the aliens had arrived. He could hear that they were going to Manehattan, and heard the mention of ships, so he guessed they were going to Manehattan Harbor. He was around 10% free by now, and although he could get not whole body free yet, he could probably get part of his essence out, and watch first contact happen. He wouldn't be fully free for another few days, however. It took a while, but soon, his spirit was slowly floating of the statue, invisible to everyone, and he instantly was off to Manehattan. ----------------------------------------------------10 KILOMETERS FROM MANEHATTAN------------------------------------------------------ Ambassador Rockmond could see the NYC-like city getting closer. It really did look like New York City, and he could see the pony Statue of Liberty already. It was now around 11:00am, and they were now just around thirty minutes from the city, and they could start to see pegasi flying around their ships. They all seem to be wearing military uniforms of some sort, reminiscent of old English knight armor. They could see the city's port, which seemed to be empty. They could see a building, with multiple unicorns standing on it, including three unicorns with wings, and crowns. They seemed to be royalty, by the looks of it, and Rockmond guessed they were the rulers of this land. Now, they were only 8 kilometers away from the city, and they were about to start slowing down, when Rockmond noticed something. He pulled out his binoculars, and noticed that one of the ponies on the buildings, a green unicorn with a black mane, also wearing armor of some sort, was doing something. It's horn was glowing, and encased in the same glow as the horn was a pair of binoculars. He instantly realized it. The ponies, or at least the unicorns, had magic. He could see some of the other sailors pulling out their binoculars and observing it with mixed looks of shock and awe on their faces. He wondered if their British counterparts were also doing so, and radioed. "Wood, are you seeing this?" asked Rockmond. "Yes....holy fuck..... I can't believe this.... they have magic." came the reply from a stunned Wood, and Rockmond could see extremely stunned sailors on the Nelson, looking even more freaked out than the American sailors. He was feeling something was off in the air though, but maybe that was just him being paranoid. These aliens seemed harmless, and he intended to make sure first contact was made peacefully. -------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN--------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia, Luna, Cadance, and Twilight could see the twenty large ships approaching. These ships were none like any they had ever seen. They were large, gray, and seemed to be made of metal. Their hulls were blocky and utilitarian, the decks having large tubes resembling cannons on them. These seemed to be no merchant ships, these were fully armed warships, they had realized. Cadance had even called Shining Armor from the Crystal Empire for first contact, and he and his guards were also watching the large warships with a no-nonsense expression on his face. Meanwhile in the skies above, the invisible spirit of Discord was also watching the humans make first contact, and he also knew that these were warships, and if they started firing, they could cause some immense damage and chaos, which was normally what he liked, but he couldn't start anything like that until he was fully free, so all he had to do was just stand back and watch. As the ships were about four kilometers out, they see them slowing down, and they could start to see what kind of creatures were crewing them. They were not ponies at all. They were bipedal creatures that looked like hairless minotaurs or deformed apes. Their bodies were devoid of fur or hair, with only a little on the top of their heads, and on their eyebrows. All of them seemed to be wearing military uniforms of some sort, and none of them seemed to be their commanders, who were probably in the ship's bridge. Ten of the ships were flying a striped red flag with a blue square full of white stars on their top-left, while the other ten crossed red and blue flags. This indicated that these ships belonged to two different kingdoms, who had probably formed an alliance to make first contact. As they came closer, Shining Armor pulled out a bullhorn, and said a message. "ATTENTION, UNKNOWN SHIPS. SLOW DOWN AND BEGIN DOCKING PROCEDURES." ordered Shining Armor, despite Cadance telling him that the aliens probably didn't understand Equish. Surprisingly, the ships instantly slowed down, making them think that the aliens somehow knew their language. ---------------------------------------------------4 KILOMETERS FROM MANEHATTAN-------------------------------------------------------- The flotilla of ships was just beginning to slow down, when a sharp, authoritarian male voice was heard. It seemed to be coming from the harbour. "ATTENTION, UNKNOWN SHIPS. SLOW DOWN AND BEGIN DOCKING PROCEDURES." ordered the voice. The two ambassadors were instantly surprised by this, realizing that the ponies somehow knew English. They instantly began slowing down their vessels, and began their docking procedures, as all the military ponies who were in the building, including the three large winged unicorns, began walking towards the docks. The five U.S. and British battleships started beginning docking procedures, with their escorting destroyers close behind. As the twenty ships arrived in port, the sailors realized that while most of the ponies were only about four feet tall, the three winged unicorns were even taller than them; about seven to eight feet tall, tall enough to look them in the eye. One was white with a rainbow mane that flowed, one was blue with a starry blue mane that also flowed, and the last was pink with a mane that didn't flow, for some reason. The ships' engines then shut off, and the gangplank extended to the dock, which was a little smaller than what they were used to, but was still enough to fit the battleships. Then, from the USS Colorado, Admiral Rockmond walked out, followed by Bryan Rogers, the leader of the American first contact team, and around ten soldiers, and from the HMS Nelson, Admiral Wood walked out, followed by William Reynolds, the leader of the British first contact team, also with around ten soldiers. Two of the sailors were carrying radios, transmitting first contact live, through relay ships between the new land and Ireland, every fifty kilometers. These radios were being transmitted to all over the world, to which two billion people were listening, about to hear history being made. These twenty-four men would be the first to step on Equestrian soil. As they walked onto Equestrian soil, at exactly 11:30am, Admiral Rockmond began first contact, "Greetings. I am Dennis Rockmond of the United States of America. We come in peace." "And I am Albert Wood of the United Kingdom of Great Britain." said Admiral Wood. With these words, began a new era in both Equestrian and human history. -----------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN-------------------------------------------------------------------------- The three princesses and Twilight, followed by Shining Armor and a lot of guards, began walking to the docks, as all the twenty ships began to dock. As the ships docked in port, they watched as stairs were lowered from the main deck, and twelve of the bipedal aliens descended from a ship that bore the red, white and blue star flag, and twelve more descended from a ship that bore the red and blue crossed flag. All of them seemed to be wearing military uniforms of some sort. Not surprising, considering they had arrived in warships. They were led by two who were wearing black and white suits. Celestia made him out to be the commander of their respective groups. The bipeds stopped in front of them. It was exactly 11:30am, as one of them, the leader of the group from the first ship, said, in perfect Equish, "Greetings. I am Dennis Rockmond of the United States of America. We come in peace." The one leading the group from the other ship followed, by saying, "And I am Albert Wood of the United Kingdom of Great Britain." in Equish, but with a different accent. Princess Celestia responded by saying, "Welcome to Equestria. I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, and this is my sister, Princess Luna. What are your intentions coming to our lands?" asked Celestia, relieved that they were here on a peace mission and not to invade. "On behalf of the 32nd President of the United States of America, and 61st Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, we want to establish open diplomatic relations with your nations, and conduct scientific research and cultural exchange with your lands." Celestia could see Twilight starting to freak out at the words 'scientific research and cultural exchange', so she gave Twilight a subtle look as to hold her excitement for a few hours. Luna and Cadance, although pleased to see that they were friendly, were still a little skeptical. Cadance then asked, "I am Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire, pardon me for asking, but if you come in peace, then why did you bring a flotilla of warships with you?" Celestia and Luna gave Cadance warning looks, but they knew she had a point. A fleet of big metal warships didn't really say 'we come in peace.' "We didn't know if you were hostile when your continent appeared on our planet, so we brought them for security purposes." came the explanation from Ambassador Rockmond. Cadance and Luna instantly understood. They would have sent their own military if they had not been able to do so. "Alright, then I will gladly welcome you and your crews to Manehattan. We can start making schedules for establishing diplomatic relations and explaining how we ended up on your planet. In the meantime, it would be best if your crews on the remaining ships did not leave the harbor, but they can disembark from their vessels. " said a relieved Celestia. "Thank you for your hospitality, we will gladly follow your instructions." said Ambassador Rockmond, as he signalled for the other sailors to disembark from their vessels. In the meantime, Discord, watching from above, smiled happily. First contact had happened. It was now a matter of days before he could put his plan into motion, and cause chaos on Earth. His spirit then went back to its prison, where it had come from. > Chapter 6 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------10, DOWNING STREET------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 1:10pm in Britain, which meant it was now around 11:40am in Equestria. Prime Minister Chamberlain and President Roosevelt were relieved, that these ponies, the Equestrians were friendly, and more so, they were willing to establish diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. After conducting diplomatic relations on their country, they wondered if they could get a plane there to bring them to Switzerland to meet up with the League of Nations. Japan and China had both agreed to temporary truces, and Adolf had agreed to halt the mobilisation of German troops to the Polish border until the summit had taken place. The world leaders would be flying within two days. As they were chatting about what to show to the ponies once they arrived, Chamberlain's servant walked in. "Sirs, our ambassadors are calling in. They want to give you a quick update." Chamberlain and Roosevelt sighed, as they walked off to the first contact room, in which the telephone, which was currently ringing, from the American and British ambassadors to the new land. "Rockmond, Wood, how is it going over there?" asked President Roosevelt. "All well, Mr. President. We just finished our brunch, and now, a total of 150 of us are going into their city, which seems to be called Manehattan, as in, similar to Manhattan, New York City. There is a huge auditorium-like structure there, where diplomatic negotiations will be held." came the voice of Ambassador Rockmond. "We will be leaving in under 5 minutes. We should be there till around 4:30pm Britain time, or around 3:00pm over here. Oh, hang on, Wood is calling me, we gotta go, see you in sometime!" said Rockmond, as he got called off for something, and hung up the phone. Well, it was lunch time over here in the UK, and Roosevelt was in the mood for some fish and chips, so they decided to go and eat. -------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN------------------------------------------------------------------------ Ambassador Wood straightened his tie, combed his long brown hair, and freshened up one last time, as he prepared to leave his ship, along with Ambassador Rockmond, the combined fifty members of their first contact teams, and around 98 soldiers from both their countries. Wood walked down the Nelson's gangplank, seeing everybody in attention and ready to go, while Rockmond was already waiting for him. "What took you so long?" asked an annoyed Rockmond, clearly unhappy about waiting. "Couldn't find my glasses. Sorry about that, I'm ready now." said an apologetic Wood, who had literally spent fifteen minutes looking for his glasses, which had been on his bed onboard the Nelson, the whole time. "Let's go, everybody!" said Wood, beginning to walk towards the main city. As all 150 men began to do so, they could see the Equestrian guards stationed at the docks, beginning to move as well, as they walked out of the Manehattan docks, as they began to walk towards the city. Walking into the city, the resemblances to New York City became even more vivid, as they could see what looked like the Empire State Building, just smaller by around fifty stories. For some of the Americans, especially Rockmond, who lived in New York City. Right where there would normally be an Italian restaurant named Luciano's, not too far from his condo in NYC, there was a restaurant called Luziano's. For some of the sailors who had literally grown up in NYC, such as Captain Buck Danny of the USS Colorado, there were even more similarities. Right were there would have been a White Castle restaurant in downtown Manhattan, there was a restaurant called Black Palace, and where Nathan's Famous would have been, there was a very similar place called Sam's Amazin', serving veggie sandwiches instead of hot dogs. Danny was just admiring how these ponies had managed to use magic to build this, since they didn't have technology. There was even a theme park named Pony Island! They could also see all the inhabitants of Manehattan. All the inhabitants were looking worried and fearfully at them. They were all either unicorns, pegasi, or ponies without wings or horns all together. They were all different coat and mane colors, and had strange markings on their hindquarters. Despite wearing no clothing, some of them were wearing hats, scarves, and glasses for some reason. That was when he noticed that a few of the sailors at the back of his contingent, were stopping to take pictures with their cameras which they had brought on shore with them. Danny pulled out his radio and called them. "Alright guys, I'll give you time for sightseeing later, but for now, lets get to the negotiations first." ordered Danny. The sailors instantly slung their cameras back around their necks and continued marching with the rest of the group. Just as Danny began marching, a purple unicorn with a lavender and pink mane, the one that was part of the princesses' retinue during first contact came up beside him, levitating a book and a quill, and started asking questions. "Hi, I'm Twilight Sparkle, could I ask you some questions, if it's fine with you?" she asked. "Sure, sure, ask away." replied Danny, willing to answer. "What is the name of your species? How do you build a large ship of steel and make it move without sails? Are there any other species on your planet? What are those box devices-" "Whoa, whoa, whoa, one at a time, please! I can't answer all of those at once." "Okay, what is the name of your world and your species?" asked Twilight. "There are many names, but the most common is human or homo sapiens in scientific terms. Our planet is known as Earth." "Okay, hoo-man, er, how can you build a ship so large out of metal and enable it to move without sails?" "Well I'm not much of an engineer, but we do have infrastructure and a dry dock which enable to build a ship like this, and as for how its moved without sails, it is powered by four turbo-electric drives, with steam produced by eight boilers, driving the ship forward." "Hmm, interesting. I'm guessing Earth has a large industrial capacity?" asked Twilight, amazed how these hoo-mans had the ability to create such things. "Yes, it does." replied Danny. "Are there any other species on this planet?" asked Twilight. "There are many, yes, but we are the only ones with sapience." "Wait, what?! You're the only species on your planet that are sapient?!" "Yes, all the other species on Earth are not sapient. We believe some are as intelligent as humans, but they aren't on the same level of intelligence as us and we cannot speak to them, you see." Twilight was speechless that there were no other sapient species on this planet, as she originally thought there would be at least two or more species on this planet, like there were in Equis. "Okay, so you are the sole dominant species here, can you explain what kind of box devices you are using?" "These are personal radios, also known as walkie-talkies. We use them to talk to each other at long distances, and to deliver orders." "Oh, that's so amazing! What kind of a magic crystal is it powered by?" "Magic crystal?" asked a confused Danny. "No, no, no. This is not powered by something like that. Its powered by electricity stored in batteries." "Oh, okay, uh, last question, what are those black staffs you and your guards are carrying, and why are they wearing such strangely colored clothes? Aren't you carrying proper armor and weapons such as spears to protect yourselves?" Now Danny was thoroughly shocked. Seriously, they had magic powers, but they didn't have things like guns, and had weapons from Earth's medieval period? Like, how? But then again, they were aliens, so they probably didn't have such weapons. Anyways, he pulled his handgun, and showed it to Twilight. "I'm sorry, this is not some simple staff. It is a weapon called a gun, which shoots out projectiles called bullets at high velocity and high temperature, to penetrate and kill someone. There is no way of fully stopping a bullet, so we wear these clothes to camouflage ourselves in the environments we are fighting in, and confuse our enemies." explained Danny. Danny noticed that his answer had made the unicorn's eyes go wide in surprise and fear, and her ears going up like a cat's, and so had those of a few other ponies next to them. He wondered why; there was no reason to not explain how a gun worked, it was open knowledge as to how they worked. "Thank you for the information, uhhh - " "Captain Buck Danny of the USS Colorado." "Thank you, Mr. Danny for the information. I really appreciate it." "No problemo." Danny returned to his marching position and the remainder of the journey was calm and without incident, until they reached the auditorium around 8 minutes later. There were multiple ponies with cameras reminiscent of Earthly ones from the 1850s, and Danny guessed they were probably reporters. "Hello, do you aliens kidnap fillies?" "What gods do you worship?" "Do aliens like art?" "What kind of strange clothes are you wearing?" Danny felt offended at that last one. Strange clothes?! The ponies weren't wearing clothes at all, for shit's sake! But since this was a diplomatic mission, he quickly suppressed his emotions, and ignored their questions. He and the other humans then rushed into the building before they were completely drowned in a sea of reporters. -----------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN CONVENTION CENTER----------------------------------------------------- After they finally arrived at the Manehattan Conference Center, Celestia had all the humans enter the main conference room, and had them wait there, until they got ready. Five minutes after they were all settled, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance arrived in the conference room, ready to start up the negotiations. Celestia had the first contact presentation ready to go, and she was nervous. If they didn't start up diplomatic ties with Earth's countries soon, the Equestrian economy would collapse in less than 10 months, due to the lack of customers for their goods and natural resources. The three princesses sat down, looking at the two human ambassadors, from the United States of America, and the one from Britain. The American ambassador wore a blue suit with a white tie, while the one from Britain wore a black suit with a red tie. Celestia thought internally, "Don't panic, 'Tia. Think of this as a regular diplomatic meeting with regular ambassadors. Just take it slow and smooth, and keep a straight face." Celestia sat down in the center chair, with Luna to her left, and Cadance to her right. The situation in the room was a little awkward, with good reason, as the last time such a large assembly had taken place was over 100 years earlier, between Equestria and Gryphonia after a rebel uprising of Griffons attacked Equestria, and one involving the Crystal Empire less than 10 years before it vanished for a thousand years. Discord was also there, having again read the minds of the ponies at Canterlot Castle, and once more having sent out his spirit to watch the negotiations. He was now around 17% free, but could still send out more of his essence every time the number of cracks in the statue increased, so he was able to see the negotiations. The awkward silence continued for another thirty seconds before the American ambassadors finally broke the silence. "So, shall we get started?" "Yes, let me first give you a brief history on Equestria. AHEM." Celestia let off a small sigh, calmed her nerves down and began. "The Kingdom of Equestria is a unitary state that is governed by an absolute monarchy with the current rulers as I, Princess Celestia, and my sister, Princess Luna. Our kingdom was founded over 2,500 years ago, and has a current population of around 200 million ponies. Our kingdom became the most prosperous on our planet, Equis, with an average income of around 50,000 bits per year, and an annual income of around 100 billion bits a year. Equestria exported a lot of raw materials and goods before we were transported to your planet. This document will give you a more detailed analysis of our nation." explained Celestia, giving a large purple folder to the American and British ambassadors with her hoof. Cadance then spoke up. "Like Equestria, the Crystal Empire is also a unitary state governed by an absolute monarchy with the current ruler as I, Princess Cadance. Our kingdom was founded just around 2,000 years ago by the late Princess Amore, and has a current population of around 50 million ponies. Our kingdom became the third most prosperous on Equis after Equestria, and Gryphonia, which was once inhabited by griffons, another dominant species on Equis. We have an average income of about 69,000 bits per year, and an annual income of around 75 billion bits per year. We exported a lot of precious metals and crystals. This document will give you a detailed analysis of our kingdom." explained Cadance, giving a similar folder, this one sky blue, to the ambassadors. The ambassadors and their attaches read the folders carefully for around fifteen minutes, when Rockmond finally spoke up. "Your highnesses, both your kingdoms seem to be wealthier than the average Earthly country, but I would like to ask, why did you come to Earth?" "Errr... we don't know why, we did not come willingly. There was a strange storm two days ago, and it knocked everypony out, and when we woke up, we had been transported to your planet." explained Celestia. "But, that's impossible! How can a whole continent suddenly be transported to another world?" "As I said, we are trying to find out how, but we still haven't found anything." "Well, that's good to know. We would to tell you that your nations' arrival on Earth sent countries all over the world into a state of panic, as we didn't know if you were hostile." "I understand. Could you tell the other countries that we are pacifists, and we mean no harm to your nations?" "There are 69 countries on our planet, some are our allies, and some are our enemies, so they would not believe you until you said it personally." This shocked all the ponies in the conference room, including Twilight and the Royal Guards. Even Luna, who had been silent all this while, finally said something. "That is a lot of countries. H-how do we tell them all we are friendly?" asked Luna. "We have an organization called the League of Nations, where the representatives of all countries come together to discuss global matters. We believe that if you can personally come there itself to explain your situation to the rest of the world, as there will be a meeting of the League of Nations in a few days to discuss your arrival on Earth." "I will gladly come and explain, when is this meeting taking place and where?" said Celestia. "The meeting will take place in two days. We can have one of our ships take you to the League of Nations headquarters in Geneva." "Alright then, I'll clear my schedule to get ready to go there in two days, for now you and your personnel can stay in Equestria for research and scientific purposes, and regarding the opening of diplomatic relations, we will provide buildings for consulates in the capital city of Canterlot, we can discuss something like trade and other agreements once diplomatic contact and communication are properly established." "Thank you for your hospitality, I will send messages to our leader." "No problem. I will have Princess Luna and my protege, Twilight Sparkle accompany you and your sailors on a tour of Manehattan. I would also like to invite you to dinner at the local plaza." "Thank you, your Majesty. We will gladly accept." "Alright, that concludes this meeting today, then." said Celestia, as she and Cadance left the conference room, while Luna and Twilight began to lead the humans out of the city to tour the city and take them back to their ships. On the way out, Cadance asked Celestia, "Are you sure we can trust the humans, 'Tia?" "They are very nice to us, Cadance, and they seem to be interested in starting up diplomatic ties. I'm sure we can trust them." With that, niece and aunt went outside the Manehattan Convention Center to face the reporters, explaining that the humans came in peace, and they would be staying there for some days, and that Celestia would visit the League of Nations in Geneva in two days. Twilight, meanwhile, couldn't wait to accompany the humans around Manehattan, and had brought notebooks to record their lives and daily habits. Luna was also interested, to know how the governments of human countries worked, and wondered what their culture was like. Meanwhile, Discord, pleased to see how things were going, painfully sent his essence back to his statue in Canterlot, which had cracked another 2%, and would be fully liberated some time after Celestia's visit to the League of Nations. With this, first contact and diplomatic negotiations were concluded, preparations for the League of Nations meeting were in full swing, and the whole world was excited to know what the Equestrians had to offer. > Chapter 7 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was around 3:10pm in Equestria, which meant it was around 4:40pm in Britain. Ambassador Wood was most definitely pleased. First contact and the diplomatic summit had gone well, and they had even gotten a tour of their city, Manehattan, by one of the princesses themselves! The fact they had allowed an unknown naval fleet to sail into their city and accepted the invitation for a meeting at the League of Nations was also pretty amazing as well. Everything went better than they had planned, as they originally thought they were to spend at least six months translating their language, and another three months initiating diplomatic relations, but now the Equestrians were allowing the opening of diplomatic relations in just one day! That was really something to behold. Wood still had multiple questions though. How could a whole continent suddenly be transported from a planet far away to Earth in a flash, that too, from a storm? It was just unheard of, except in the half ton of novels and films he had read and watched. He felt it was most likely either by some advanced technology beyond human dreams, or maybe divine intervention, which meant that God probably existed. He felt that scientists would probably spend 1,000 years solving this problem. Also, how did the Equestrians' city look so much like New York City, and why were still they having an absolute monarchy as a form of government? Wood put those questions aside for now, as their current task was to make a quick stop at their ships, report back to the American President and the British Prime Minister, and then begin their tour of Manehattan. It was around 3:20pm when they arrived back at their ships. Wood and Rockmond climbed aboard the Colorado, where the phone line was already running. "Wood, Rockmond, how did it go over there?" came the voice of Prime Minister Chamberlain from the phone. "Very well, Prime Minister. The Equestrians are willing to start up diplomatic relations with our nations, and even better, Princess Celestia accepted an invitation to the League of Nations meeting in two days, so we're gonna need you to send a plane to take them there." "I can provide that. My personal Boeing 307 Stratoliner is currently sitting on the tarmac at RAF Gatwick, and can land on primitive dirt runways. If you can convince the Equestrians to build a quick primitive runway, I can send the plane down there to get you to Geneva. I will fly to Geneva with Chamberlain here." came the voice of President Roosevelt. "Sure thing, Mr. Roosevelt. We can show them the marvel of air travel this way. Anyways, they are giving us a tour of their city now, so we need to freshen up quickly and leave. We will also be having dinner with the princesses tonight, so we won't be back in our ships till around 9:00pm here, which is around 10:30pm there, so this might be the last update from us today. You should hear from us tomorrow morning." "Alright, over and out, Wood and Rockmond. Have a good time out there." "You too, Mr. Roosevelt." said Wood as the call ended. "Alright, Dennis, let's go freshen up, we gotta leave again within another ten minutes." "Sure thing, I needed to grab some coffee anyways." said Rockmond, as he left the Nelson, and got on board the Colorado to prepare for the tour of Manehattan. Ten minutes later, at exactly 3:30pm, Wood and Rockmond, as well as a select retinue of about 50 scientists and cultural anthropologists, and around 8 soldiers, met up with Twilight, Luna, and their Royal Guards, ready for the tour. "Alright, Mr. Rockmond, Mr. Wood, are you and your men ready to see more of Manehattan?" "Yes, of course, we are more than excited to see your beautiful city, your Highness." answered Rockmond. "No need to call me such a formal title. Just call me Luna." "That's fine, Your-, I mean Luna." "Alright, let us start then." They all began walking through Manehattan, when Luna asked Rockmond a question. "Mr. Rockmond, could I ask you some questions?" "Yes, you may ask me questions. It's not illegal to do so." "Alright, can you tell me how your country's government works, and what kind of government did your country adopt? Also, can you tell me about the United States' origins?" Rockmond quickly thought of a way to explain the United States and its government in a simple and informative way, like a school teacher would. Thankfully, he was used to such questions from his kids. "Well, the United States of America, also known as the U.S.A. or U.S., is a country on the continent of North America. Our government is a federal presidential constitutional republic, and it consists of 48 states, which even I can't name, so please don't ask me what the states are." "That's alright, can you tell me more about your government?" "Okay, uhh, the Federal Government of the USA is composed of three main branches: the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary, whose powers are vested by the Constitution of the US in the Congress, the President, and the Federal Courts. There are elections held, where the people vote to choose the next President. The origins of the US are a little negative, actually. Britain originally had thirteen colonies in our country, which wanted independence. It led to a war called the American Revolution, which lasted from 1765 to 1791, or in simpler terms, it happened 148 years ago. Nowadays, our relationships with Britain are actually pretty good." "Oh, it's nice to see that your two countries, which were formerly enemies, are now allies! So your country is based on a form of democracy. But how could it last almost 150 years? Most of the democracies in Equis' history didn't last more than thirty years, you see." "Wait, what? You've had democracies on your planet as well?" "Yes, actually. You see, around 60 years ago, a group of around 50,000 Equestrians, known as the Autonomists wanted to split off from mainline Equestria, and create their own nation, with their own system of governance. This system was one where the citizens chose their rulers by elections. We let them split off, and they created their own nation. However, the unstability of their government lead to the Autonomists' nation collapsing less than twenty-five years later. There were some more attempts before that, but those nations didn't even last ten years." said Twilight. "Our country also follows a democracy, you see. We have a king, and a royal family, too, but they do not hold much actual power anymore; basically they are just figureheads. Most of the actual power is held by the democracy, you see." said Wood. "Huh." Twilight and Luna were both presently surprised. The humans had made democracies successfully work, while they hadn't succeeded in Equestria. How had it worked? "How did you make democracy work in your countries?" asked Luna. "Well, the thing is, most people on our planet don't want to live under a monarchy, as most monarchs on our world were cruel tyrants, you see, and didn't really care about their people. Therefore, the people got tired of it, overthrew their monarchs, and started democratic rule in their countries. A few countries don't follow democracy, some follow other forms of government. I don't want to bore you with an explanation of it right now, so I won't go into it right now." "I see. Well, we, despite being a monarchy, have lasted for over 2,500 years. Anyways, we have reached the Manehattan Library, please take a look inside, there are multiple books about us in here, please do not damage anything." There were a couple of Royal Guards outside the main entrance who were a little scared on seeing the humans, but Luna reassured them that they were friendly, and the Royal Guards allowed them to go inside the library. Everyone was shocked on seeing it. It could have swallowed the Library of Congress back in Washington D.C. and not even burped, with 30 kilometers worth of shelves, and around 400 million items inside. The scientists and cultural anthropologists in the group instantly starting acting like kids in toy shops, ran towards the shelves, started grabbing books, and began to read them. A few minutes in, Bryan Rogers, the head of the American cultural expert team, asked a question. "Luna, it says here that you and your sister have ruled Equestria since the last 2,000 years. But that's not possible, is it? No living being can live that long." "Actually, yes. Me and my sister are over 2,000 years old, having started ruling Equestria since we were 18 years old. In fact, we alicorns, unlike other ponies, are immune to aging and death. My niece, Cadance, is around 600 years old. Most ponies can live up to a maximum age of 180 years, maybe around 200 if they are lucky." "Oh my god. Most humans can only live to an average of around 63-65 years. If we are lucky, we can live up to 80 or 90 years. The oldest person on Earth died very recently in France, at the age of around 122 years." "Huh. That's strange, you can only live around a third of our lifespan. Hopefully, after diplomatic relations are fully established, we can begin joint scientific missions to help expand your lifespans." said Twilight, levitating a book and writing notes. "Another thing to ask... how do you do that?" "Oh, I just used my telekinesis to lift this." "We know you have some sort of magic powers, it's just that we don't have magic on our world, or even believe it exists, for that matter." "We know your world doesn't have magic on it, but you don't even believe that it exists somewhere out there?! So your world is based only on science?!" said a shocked Twilight. "Yes, it is based only on science. And as for magic, it's just that most mentions of magic and other such things are in old myths and legends, but there is no proof that they ever existed on our world. In fact, they also contain stories of pegasi and unicorns as well, but again, there is no evidence they ever existed on Earth." "Hmmm, interesting. There are actually mentions of bipeds like you in our stories, but, just like yours, there is no evidence they actually lived on Equis. Also, this is not the first time we have come into contact with a magicless species. On Equis, of the 6 dominant species on Equis, only 2 were able to use magic." "Huh. Does this mean, that maybe, at some point in time, maybe a few thousand years ago, our worlds may have been in contact with each other?" "Maybe. If we do some more research, we can figure out if Earth was in contact with our civilization before!" shrieked an excited Twilight. "Alright, Twilight, go cool down for some time, don't overexcite yourself. In the meantime, Mr. Rogers, can we ask, what are humans' dietary requirements? We need to arrange our dinner for tonight, you see, and we need to make sure our dishes fit your physiology." asked Luna. "Alright. Uh, we humans can't survive on vegetables alone. We need a decent amount of meat as well. Also, there are some things that you eat, which our bodies cannot digest, such as hay and grass." "I see. We don't usually keep meat around, as we don't believe in harming other living beings for food, but there is some for when the Gryphons used to come visit our land, as they were meat-eaters. As for the fact that you cannot eat hay or grass, that will be a welcome challenge for our chefs. I will inform them right away." said Luna, as she wrote a letter, addressed to a posh restaurant in Manehattan, and teleported it, amazing all the humans once again. -----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------ Discord was happy. Everything was going according to plan. In fact, for some reason, the statue had started cracking even faster now, probably due to all the chaos on Earth, he was already around 40% free, and he would be free just a few hours before Celestia's League of Nations visit. Now, he needed to think about the next part of his plan to put Earth into chaos for some time to come. Not just days, not weeks, not months, no, years to come. With all the political unrest now between Earthly nations, he decided he'd start a war. Not just any war, one that would cripple this world for years to come. It wouldn't be some dispute between just one or two countries. It would be a large war, one involving the entire world. It would be a.... World War, for lack of words to call it. > Chapter 8 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now around 7:00pm in Equestria. It had been around three hours since the humans had arrived at the library, and they were now preparing to leave, for the Manehattan Museum. "Are you all ready?" asked Luna. "All good to go over here." replied Ambassador Rockmond. "Same here." replied Ambassador Wood. "Alright then, follow me, please." said Luna, as she began guiding all the humans out of the library. As they left, the humans heard the library doors close behind them, and watched all the lights inside go out, guessing that the library had probably closed for the night. Forty minutes later, they were all inside the museum, and were looking at the artifacts and their histories. They had already been shocked at the library at how much the Crystal Empire's, Equestrian, and Earthly history had in parallel with each other, but here it was even more. Apparently, over 500 years ago, in Equestria, apparently, there used to be a country called Prance, which vanished after the Prench Revolution, where the ruler of Prance, King Ponise XVI, was deposed and executed by Celestia for being a tyrant. It had multiple parallels with the Earthly French Revolution, which took place from 1789 to 1799. However, unlike the French Revolution, after which France still existed, but as a democracy, Prance fell after their Revolution. There was also something similar to the more recent Russian Revolution, back in 1917, called the Ponysian Revolution, where 150 years earlier, the ponies living in the former Equestrian kingdom, Ponysia, rebelled, killed their ruler, Psar Ponylass, the last ruler of the Ponynov dynasty, and imposing their own rule. Unlike the Russian Revolution though, here, the Ponysians attempted to take over Equestria, until Celestia destroyed their kingdom by tearing off a chunk of Equis' Moon and flattening the Ponysian kingdom, killing them all. Somehow, some things from that had survived, despite the whole Ponysian empire being flattened by a empire sized chunk of Moon rock. One of them was reminiscent of the Amber Room back in St. Petersburg, but this one was silver instead of amber, and the panels were backed in platinum instead of gold. Then again, platinum was just white gold. They also found out that Celestia and Luna had enough power to control the Sun and Moon of their own planet. Apparently, they rose the Sun and Moon everyday. In fact, Luna could also see into and enter dreams, which was a little disconcerting, but was quickly resolved when they found out that she only did it during nightmares, and helped ponies face their fears. However, they also learned something awful about Luna. They found out that Luna had been corrupted and turned into an evil entity known as Nightmare Moon, and Celestia had imprisoned her on Equis' Moon for 1,000 years, until she had come back, around three years earlier. That was when Twilight and five of her friends somehow used very powerful magic to turn her back into the Luna that she used to be before her corruption. "Luna, could I ask you something? Uh... how did this evil force turn you into... Nightmare Moon?" asked Rockmond. "Mr. Rockmond, are you sure you want to hear this story? I don't want to you to think I am still evil." "No, Luna, I feel you should, because I want to know what happened. " "Alright." Luna sighed, and began to tell her story. "Over 1,000 years ago, me and my sister ruled Equestria peacefully. I ruled the day and she ruled the night. However, because ponies enjoyed the day and slept in the night, I became bitter and resentful of my sister, until I decided not to lower the Moon to make way for the Sun, causing an eclipse of dark energy that turned me into Nightmare Moon. After a lengthy fight, using the Elements of Harmony, the same magic that turned me back to Luna, my sister banished me to the Moon for 1,000 years. Believe me, it is the worst thing I have done, and I have wished so many times that I could turn back time and prevent this." said Luna, almost fighting back tears. "Oh my God. Luna.... I understand what you've been through. Around twenty years ago, due to a petty rivalry, I made a bad decision which resulted in the deaths of some innocent people. Believe me, if I could turn back time, and reverse that decision, I would instantly do so. But, time spent cannot be recovered, and believe me, I spend every night while sleeping thinking about it." admitted Rockmond. "Oh. I see, Mr. Rockmond. If you don't want to talk about it, then I understand. But.... do you still trust me?" "Luna, I am a little wary, of course, but I don't think you are the evil entity you once were. I think you are a very good and kind-hearted person, you see, and I don't believe you are the pony you were before your corruption, so yes, I do trust you." "Oh, okay then, uh, now that's out of the way, I wonder, why you were shocked when you read our history and culture?" "Oh, you see, your country's history has a lot in parallel with Earth's history and cultures. I don't want to bore you with it now, but I'll explain later." "Huh, our worlds must somehow be connected, then. We'll probably do more scientific expeditions after we establish diplomatic relations. Anyway, it's now past 7:00pm, we had better get ready to leave, so we don't miss our dinner reservation with my sister. I've already fed on your dietary details to the chefs, so they will try and make dishes appropriate to your physiology." "Alright, Luna, I'll continue my research into your history." As Rockmond continued his research into Equestria's history and cultures, he found more similarities to Earth. There was actually a Hundred Years' War in Equestria, over 1,300 years ago, which led to the founding of the Crystal Empire. In terms of cultures, there were even more similarities. "Huh, these Hearth's Warming Days and Hearts and Hooves Days are just like Christmas and Valentine's Day! I agree with Twilight's sayings that our worlds must have been connected some time in the past. This is clear evidence that it was probably so." said Rockmond to himself. "Wait, what? You agree with my theory?!" shrieked Twilight, who just happened to be walking by . "Yes, I do, Twilight. There are festivals on Earth similar to your Hearth's Warming Day, and Hearts and Hooves Days. This proves that our worlds were indeed interlinked in the past." "OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH OH MY GOSH! I BETTER DO SOME MORE RESEARCH ON YOU HUMANS TO FULLY PROVE IT! IT'LL TAKE SOME TIME, BUT I WILL PROVE THIS!" shouted Twilight happily, shaking the museum a little. "Whoa, whoa, Twilight, calm down, okay! We don't want to shake down the museum, now, do we?" "Sorry, about that, Mr. Rockmond. I just love researching and proving theories." smiled Twilight sheepishly. "I can see that. Anyways, we need to leave now, so we don't miss our dinner reservations." said Rockmond, as he began to go get his men ready to leave. "Alright, everyone, we don't want to miss our dinner reservations, so we better get ready to head for the restaurant." "Well, I need to leave anyways, to inform Celestia and Cadance that you will be arriving soon." said Twilight, and then she instantly teleported out of the museum, in front of the awed humans. "Well, that's something I probably never will get used to." said Rockmond to himself. At exactly 7:30pm, all 50 men were at the restaurant, the fancy Italian style one known as Luziano's. Luna, Rockmond, Wood, and Twilight were sitting at one table, waiting for Celestia and Cadance to show up. They were a little less formal than they were during the summit, probably because there was no one else in the restaurant apart from the humans, the princesses, the restaurant staff, and the Royal Guards. "Ah, Mr. Rockmond, Mr. Wood, how was the tour?" asked Celestia. "It was amazing, your Majesty. Your culture and history has a lot in common with that of Earth. In fact, this city, Manehattan, closely resembles in a city in my country, you see." "Ah, I know. Twilight told me all about that. Also, don't call me Majesty. Just call me Celestia." "And you can call me Cadance." said Cadance, who had been silent all this time. "Alright, so let's first give our orders, and we'll discuss later." said Celestia as a waiter walked to their table. As the humans scoured the custom menu prepared for them, they found a lot of foods similar to Italian cuisine on Earth, including a few dishes that Rockmond recognized, such as spaghetti bolognese, and lasagna. A few minutes later, their orders were placed, and Celestia and Cadance began discussing politics with the humans. "So, Twilight tell us that most of Earth's countries are governed by democracies?" asked Celestia. "Yes, your high.... I mean Celestia. Most of Earth's countries are governed by democracies, as our people desired self-rule, you see." said Wood. "But your country also still has a monarchy, Mr. Wood?" "Yes, the democracy governs our own country, but we also have a lot of colonies in other countries. Those are ruled by the monarchy, but we are thinking of letting those be sovereign independent countries that govern themselves, so soon the monarchy may lose a lot of its power." "Ah. It is amazing to see how you got democracies to work so well on your planet. My sister may already have told you this, but democracies didn't really last more than thirty years on Equis, so to most ponies, they feel that democracies will never work, and monarchy is the way." "Yes, Luna told us all about the Autonomists, and their failed attempt at democracy, as well as some of the other attempts at that on your home planet, Equis. She also told us about her history as Nightmare Moon, even after which, we still trust you, don't worry." Celestia was feeling a little worried about what the humans would think of the Equestrians once they found out about Luna's history as Nightmare Moon, but once she heard that they still trusted them, her heart lightened. "Yes, the Autonomists were the closest we ever got to a good democracy. The attempts at establishing democracy in Equis reduced after their country fell. Twilight also tells me there are other forms of government in some of your countries?" "Yes, there are multiple forms of governments in Earth's countries. There are dictatorships, communist countries, and in fact, there a few countries still ruled by monarchy as well." "Wait, dictatorships?! There are such countries on Earth?" asked a shocked Cadance. "Sadly, yes, dictators rule a couple of countries on Earth." "Oh. Also, what are communist countries?" "Communism is a social and political ideology that opposes liberal democracy and capitalism, basically, they use a classless system in which property is owned by the public, and private property basically doesn't exist in this." explained Rockmond. "Ah, I see. Does it work?" asked Celestia. "Well, there is only one country right now that uses communism: the Soviet Union. They are the biggest country on Earth in terms of land, and are a major world power." "Is this Soviet Union a part of the League of Nations?" "Yes, the Soviets are a part of the League of Nations. They will also be present at the meeting the day after tomorrow." The conversation was interrupted when a few waiters came in holding hot plates full of steaming food. The food was delivered, and they began eating. When they finally finished their main course, at around 8:00pm, the conversation continued. "To go the League of Nations meeting, we are not going to use ships. We are going to use a new novel method of transport: aircraft. They are flying machines capable of reaching speeds of 600 kilometers per hour, and can cruise comfortably at altitudes of 24,000 feet, or in your units, around 24,000 hooves. We use them to go everywhere all over the world, as ships and ground transport take much longer." said Rockmond, scooping a spoon full of tiramisu. The princesses were shocked by this. They had seen the strange flying machines the previous day, and assumed they were the humans', but thought they were for military use only. Now they found out they were used for civilians as well. "Wow! How did you create such machines? We saw them when they flew over our lands the previous day, but we didn't know you were experts at such technology, and that they were able for civilian use as well." said Celestia. "Yes, aircraft have many uses, for taking civilians to different places, for fighting in wars, transporting VIPs - Very Important Persons, you see. The problem is that air travel is very expensive as of now, and most people can't really afford it, so as of now, it is exclusive only to the rich. We hope to eventually open up air travel to the masses, but that will take a lot of time. The problem is to get an aircraft to land on your soil, it needs a large airstrip to land on. We need to construct a large dirt strip, smooth, free of rocks or any such debris, at least 4,000 feet long, around 150 feet wide, with no high obstructions higher than 1,000 hooves near it. This way the aircraft can land, and take you to and back from the League of Nations meetings. It can also be the foundations for a future commercial airstrip and the beginnings of air travel in Equestria." explained Wood, as Rockmond was busy finishing his dessert. "Ah, I see. I will have construction begin first thing tomorrow morning. If our workers construct it double-time, it can be finished tomorrow night itself." "Good. It will open up new trade routes and diplomatic relations with Equestria." "Oh, dear, it seems there is a meeting scheduled, so we need to leave now. But before we go, we would like to ask you one last thing. Twilight would like to take a tour of one your ships tomorrow. Could you manage that?" said Celestia, looking at the clock. "Sure, thing, we could also invite some Equestrian military forces as well for that." "I will ask them and get back to you tomorrow morning. In the meantime, we need to leave now, I suppose you know your way around Manehattan now?" "Yes, we do. We can easily find our way back to the docks." "Alright, then, we shall take your leave then. See you tomorrow morning!" "See you in the morning, then." said Rockmond as the princesses and Twilight teleported out again, and Rockmond and Wood began getting their men back into the line. Things were going really well. Too good, felt Wood, as he felt something bad was on the horizon. Something evil. Something... chaotic. > Chapter 9 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30TH AUGUST 1939 -----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now around 4:00am in Equestria. Celestia and Luna were asleep in their bedrooms, tired after the negotiations the previous day. She was sleeping very well, having a lovely dream, when suddenly, she felt like she was pulled up in the air, and the next second, she was standing in an ethereal soft blue sky. Celestia realized she was in a different dream. "Hello? Is anyone there?" came Luna's voice. "Luna? What are you doing in my dream?" asked Celestia. "That is what I was about to ask you, 'Tia. Why are you in MY dream?" "Your dream? But this is my dream, unless you merged with yours using your dream magic." "Huh. I've been off dream duty ever since we were transported to Earth, sister. What kind of magic is this?" "I don't know, Luna, but whatever this is, it must be someone more powerful than us... it couldn't be!" "Yes, it is me, my daughters." came a new voice. One that was melodious and soothing. One that belonged to the mythical pony goddess, Faust, the mother of Celestia and Luna. She had descended from the Heavens over 2,000 years earlier, given the baby alicorns, Celestia and Luna to the locals to be taken care of, and then disappeared to Heaven once more. She had only been seen once since then, around 1,300 years earlier. Faust appeared into the light. A beautiful pale white alicorn with a golden mane, you would instantly tell she was a goddess. Considering they hadn't seen her for 1,300 years, Celestia and Luna instantly hugged their mother, crying tears of joy as they did. "Oh, mother, we thought you were... " "Dead? No, as you can see, my darling children, I am very much alive, and I couldn't see you, because I was dealing with problems in the Heavens, you see." "Oh, mother, we need to ask you about something, you see. Two days ago, something strange happened to...." "Yes, 'Tia, I know. It was I who sent Equestria and the Crystal Empire to Earth." "Bu-bu-but, why?" "I only let you stay on Equis for that long because your duties there finished some days back. From now on, Earth is your permanent home. The humans will need your help, my two daughters." "What kind of help, mother?" asked Luna. "I cannot hold this dream much longer. You have to figure it out yourself. Goodbye, my daughters. We will meet again one day, and this time, you won't need to wait so long." said Faust, as the dream began to dissolve. "Wait, mother!" shouted Celestia as the dream dissolved, leaving only Celestia and Luna alone in the dreamscape. "Sister, what did mother mean when she said the humans will need help from us?" "I don't know, Luna, but whatever it means, it means something is on the horizon, something bad, and fast." said Celestia, waking up in real life, no longer asleep, wanting to figure out what Faust's message to them meant. "Sister, let's go back to sleep. We'll think about it later. Don't fret about it right now." advised Luna. But Celestia couldn't go back to sleep, not after that message. For the rest of that night, she tossed and turned restlessly in her bed, until she got up at around 5:30am. "Alright, time to raise the....." said Celestia, instantly realizing that on Earth, the Sun and Moon weren't controlled by the two sisters. "Oh, well, better get some extra sleep then." said Celestia, going back to bed. At around 7:30am, which was later than usual, the two sisters had finished their breakfast, and were about to head to Manehattan once more, when Celestia noticed something with the Discord statue in the garden. She noticed that it was breaking open. Wait, it was back to normal now. Now that was odd. Celestia thought it was most likely a trick of the eye, probably because she couldn't sleep. The next second, she and Luna left for Manehattan. They would meet up with Cadance and Shining Armor there. Meanwhile, in the garden, Discord breathed a sigh of relief. Celestia had almost seen that the statue was cracking, and he would be free. Thank god, he had got that disguise spell up and running in time, even though he was only 63% free. It would make the statue seem as if it was still intact, until it fully shattered. Then, the spell would probably falter, and start showing it cracked, until it would finally fade around fourteen hours later. Discord made another happy laugh, while planning the seventh phase of his plan to plunge Earth into a World War. The thought of chaos always made his brain release happy endorphins. --------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN----------------------------------------------------------------------- The two ambassadors had been on the go since 5:30am, updating the folks in the US and the UK about the situation, and how it was going. They were going to go and talk to the princesses about their itinerary for the League of Nations visit, and also explain a little more about their history. Wood, in particular, had some things he wanted to admit about his nation. They had just finished their breakfast onboard the USS Colorado, when one of their sailors came in. "Sir, the princesses are here." "Alright, Rockmond, let's go, shall we?" asked Wood. "Hang on, let me wash up quickly. Don't want to smell of fish in front of the princesses." replied Rockmond, going to the sink to wash off crumbs of fries. A few minutes later, at 7:35am, they were outside, meeting up with the princesses, along with Twilight Sparkle, along with a few Royal Guards, and a white unicorn with a blue mane, and a serious expression. "Name's Shining Armor, I'm the commander of the Royal Guards, you see. Me and some of the other Guards are touring your ship with Twilight." "Yes, Celestia mentioned you would be coming. I personally won't be taking on the tour, but Buck Danny, the Captain of the USS Colorado, will be doing so, as he knows more about the ship than me." "Okay, then. Where is Captain Danny right now?" "He will be joining you in a minute. We will be meeting up with the princesses in a few minutes to discuss the League of Nations visit. Oh, there's Danny right now! Enjoy the tour, okay?" "We will, thanks for organising this, Mr. Rockmond!" "Anytime!" said Rockmond, as he and Wood went off to join the princesses. "Alright, are you all ready to take a look at an Earthly warship?" asked Danny. "Yes, we are." replied Shining Armor. "Alrighty, let's go." said Danny as he began taking the ponies towards the Colorado. Meanwhile, the two ambassadors met up with the three princesses and began talking about their itinerary. "So, we should be in Geneva for up to five days, during which we will not only attend the League of Nations meeting, we will also get you up to date on Earth's political situations, sign trade agreements, and also see about the opening of embassies." "Five days? Okay, I can clear out my schedule for that time. As for the airstrip, construction began at around 4:00am this morning, and should be finished this evening, according to your specifications." said Celestia. This impressed Rockmond and Wood, about how the ponies could successfully build things like an airstrip, in just over twelve hours, using magic. "Wow, okay, then the plane should arrive tomorrow at around 7:00am. It will be a six hour flight, but refreshments will be served on board. Once we arrive in Geneva, ground vehicles will transport us to the League of Nations headquarters, where there are multiple rooms for you to stay. Don't worry, we have briefed the caterers about your dietary requirements, so special meals will be made for you." "Oh, alright then, so I assume everything is ready then?" asked Cadance. "Yes, it is." "Oh, good, then that's the timeline for the visit, I guess?" "Well, I actually wanted to admit something about our nation. We are not that much of a nice nation, at least in our overseas colonies." said Wood. "Wait, what? Mr. Wood, what do you mean?" asked Celestia. " Our rulers in the colonies are very cruel to the natives. They torture them, and treat them as slaves, with racist feelings. They commit crimes with impunity against the native people. Efforts at resistance at usually met with brutal resistance, which usually means killing them with no remorse. I am the leader of a faction of our government that is trying to let them be independent country, and end such horrifying things. I do not support such inhuman things." The princesses were shocked by this, especially Luna. When she dropped a piece of Moon rock on the Ponysian empire, she had given them notice before doing so. Only 2,000 Ponysians died that day. But the British government doing such inhuman things, such as slavery, and racism to the natives of their overseas colonies? That went against everything they stood for. But it was good to know that Wood was on the right side. "I am deeply saddened and appalled to learn about Britain's actions in their colonies. As the ruler of a diverse and harmonious nation, I cannot fathom how anyone could treat others with such cruelty and injustice. Racism and slavery are forms of hatred that go against most of everything I stand for. I do hope your government eventually ends this practice. Wood, you are truly a good man, for trying to get your government to end this." said Celestia. "Celestia, I believe in equality in everyone, and not violence just because of different skin colors, or anything of that sort. I believe in a peaceful world, where no one is discriminated." "So do we, Wood. Hopefully, one day, that goal is achieved, and a new era, one of peace, is started on Earth." "I too hope so, your Highnesses. Anyways, we need to get going now, to give the head of the League of Nations the itinerary confirmation, so everything is planned accordingly. Have a good day!" said Wood, heading back towards the Nelson with Rockmond. "You too, Mr. Wood." said Celestia, as the princesses went back to Canterlot. -------------------------------------------------------ABOARD THE USS COLORADO-------------------------------------------------------------- While the conversation outside was beginning, Captain Danny was beginning the tour of the USS Colorado. "Alright, here we go, we are going to first see the bridge of this ship. The bridge is the place where all I and all the main officers sit, command and control the ship, and control the weapons. Take a look around, but don't touch anything!" explained Danny as they walked into the bridge. The ponies were awed by the size of the bridge, and how much instrumentation was used to control the big ship. The biggest ship ever constructed by the Equestrians was probably one-tenth the size of this large warship, and needed a crew of only around one hundred, while this ship required a crew of 1,300 humans, Danny had told them. It spoke of the complex technology in the ship. "Wow! This is just the bridge, you say? This is probably the biggest area on this ship!" exclaimed Twilight. "Actually, this is the second-biggest area. The biggest area is the engine room, which is around seven times the size of the bridge." explained Danny. "Wait, what?! How big are the engines to need a room that big?!" "They are really big, actually. It's so big that I can't even describe the size of it. You'll see when we go down to the engine room later." "Oh, I can't wait!" Shining Armor, meanwhile was asking Danny more technical questions. "I'm just wondering, how do you detect enemy ships? There doesn't seem to be any such method of that here." "Ah, but we do have such a method. We use something called radar. It sends out signals, which bounce back to the sending antenna, on hitting an object. It defines the size and shape of the object, which helps identify if it is an enemy or friendly ship, or an aircraft. It can filter out things like birds and such." "Ah, I see. But what if the radar stops working? Then how would you find out if they are friends or foes?" "We have some analogue methods as well, but those are too complicated to explain, so I'll probably explain it when we have more time. We have to continue the tour now, so shall we go?" The ponies, who had by now finishing looking at the bridge, instantly answered, "Yes, let's go!" "Alrighty then." The ponies left the ship's bridge, heading to the next stop: the crew quarters, to show them how life was like on a warship such as this one. "Welcome to the crew compartments, everyone. This is where all the ship's crewmembers sleep onboard, and here's an empty one. Take a look." The ponies were amazed at just how cramped the compartment was, yet it had two bunk beds for two sailors. "Captain Danny, where is the bathroom? There doesn't seem to be one in this compartment." asked Twilight. "The regular sailors don't have their own bathrooms in their cabins. They have common toilets and showers, while only the higher ranked sailors, like the officers and me, the Captain, have a bathroom in their own personal cabins, which are much larger than this one." "Wait, so only higher-ranked sailors like you have bathrooms in your cabins? Isn't that kind of unfair?" "Sometimes it is, but it persuades sailors to work harder to get promoted for such things." "Yes, Twily, this is a military ship, after all. This is how they get their people to work extremely hard." explained Shining Armor. "Wait a second. 'Twily'? Are you two related or something?" asked Danny. "Yeah. She's my younger sibling, can't you tell?" "Well, there's really no family resemblance between you two, so I couldn't tell that you were siblings." "That is true. Anyways, back to the main topic. This is a warship, right? What kind of weapons does it have?" "Ah. That's the next stop of this tour. We will see the ship's weapons systems next. This ship is heavily armed, believe me. Let's go." A few minutes later, they were at the first four of the ship's huge 45-caliber Mark 1 cannons. "Alright, this weapon is a 45-caliber Mark 1 cannon. Essentially, it carries a huge projectile, called a shell, and a reaction with a chemical called gunpowder causes the shell to shoot out of the cannon at high speed, and if aimed correctly, it will tear right through an enemy ship, with a large explosion, totally destroying the enemy ship." "Wow, but what will happen if the shell misses its target?" asked Twilight. "If the shell misses its target, it is unguided, so it will probably just explode in the water." "But won't that cause civilian casualties?" "Well, most of the time, we try to put aim in such a way that civilian casualties are avoided." "Oh, okay. How big is one of these shells?" "The diameter of a shell is represented by its caliber. The Mark 1 gun uses 45 caliber shells, so they are around 60 feet, 60 hooves in your units, long." "Whoa! Could you show us some of these shells?" "There are some at the area where they are loaded into the cannons. Let me show you some." A few minutes later, they were all at the base of the cannons. The ponies were surprised at the size of the sleek shaped shells, that could be loaded manually into the cannons. There were multiple smaller cannons which used smaller shells, that were also on display. Those shells were also still pretty large, surprising the ponies. The last part they saw was the engineering section, which contained the engines. "Alright, welcome to the engine room. As you can see, this is the biggest area on this ship, even bigger than the bridge. There are eight oil-fired burners which provide steam that drives four turbo-electric drives that turn the propellers of the ship and move it forwards. There is a movable metal rectangle behind the propellers called a rudder, to change the ship's direction. For instance, if the rudder moves left, the ship moves right, and if the rudder moves right, the ship turns left." "What happens if the rudder doesn't work, or the engines fail?" asked Shining Armor. "If the rudder doesn't work, then the ship will keep going around circles, but this ship has enough weapons to hold out on its own until another ship comes to tow it out. If the engines fail, then we have a whole contingency plan that I won't go into detail right now, so I don't bore you. And that, everyone, is the end of the tour. I'll escort you back to the exit. So, how did you enjoy this tour?" "We all were amazed at how much technological prowess your species have. Hopefully, with your help, both Equestria and the Crystal Empire will progress." "Hopefully it will." agreed Danny. > Chapter 10 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31ST AUGUST 1939 --------------------------------------------------10 KILOMETERS FROM GENEVA AIRPORT--------------------------------------------------- President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Chamberlain were nervous. It was now 3:00am over in Geneva, which meant it was almost 1:30am in Equestria. They were on board a VIP-spec Royal Air Force DC-3 on final approach into the city's airport. Today was the big day. The Equestrians, along with the Crystal Empireans, would be arriving at the League of Nations headquarters in just eight hours. The first time that aliens would participate in Earth's politics. A new era for the world. Man, it was overwhelming. They had hardly got any sleep on the plane, and they couldn't sleep until they got some sleeping pills, since they were so nervous. Roosevelt and Chamberlain looked outside the window as the plane flew over the runway approach, less than 200 feet above the ground, and rapidly descending. Less than ten seconds later, the main wheels touched the runway with a bump, the plane started slowing down, and the tail wheel touched the ground around twenty seconds after main touchdown. As the DC-3 taxied off the runway, they could see other world leader's planes parked at the VIP terminal, specially built for world leaders. He could see numerous world leaders' planes parked there: multiple DC-3s belonging to European and Asian world leaders, and other smaller planes, but one plane stuck out above all the other planes. A large Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, in military camouflage, with the Nazi Swastika on the tail. This was that madman Adolf Hitler's personal plane. Everyone looked at that Condor with an expression of disgust. They did admit, though, that somehow, the Germans were ahead of the rest of the world in terms of aviation technology. As the DC-3 pulled up in its stand and the propellers were shut down, six black cars pulled up next to the plane. The doors were opened, and everyone aboard the plane got into the cars, which drove down to the League of Nations. Roosevelt and Chamberlain were both feeling that something bad was going to happen, very soon. -------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Twilight, and Shining Armor had already woken up. Today was the big day. They were going to the League of Nations. They would see a human city for the first time, let the world know they were peaceful, and meant no harm, and begin diplomatic relations with Earthly countries. Twilight could barely sleep until Spike gave her a sleeping pill, she was so excited. Twilight had awoken at 4:30am that morning to pack up and get ready for their trip. She was too excited to travel on an aircraft, and find out how they worked. This would begin the future of Equestrian air travel. Shining Armor was also excited, to see how a human military worked. Luna had almost tried to lower the Moon, until Celestia had reminded her that in this world, the Sun and Moon weren't controlled. Due to this, Luna had suffered a nervous breakdown, crying that her cutie marks were never going to be of use on Earth, and cursing Faust for sending them to a place where they were of no use, until Celestia reminded her that they were of use, by helping the humans, and ruling their nation. This made Luna a little happier. She was also excited to see a human city for the first time, and see how the League of Nations worked. Meanwhile, in the garden of Canterlot Castle, Discord made one final push. He was 99% there, come on.... YES! The statue shattered to pieces and despite their being a huge roar, only those inside the soundproof bubble he had created would hear the sound of it, and the disguise charm began to wear off. He was free, at last, an hour or two behind schedule, but still free. He knew that the princesses would be leaving for the League of Nations, in one and a half hours. He better go invisible mode, so that no one noticed him. He instantly teleported off to Geneva, where he would wait a little before he put the next part of his plan into action. As this was happening, Celestia felt something off, like something evil had escaped. She looked at the statue of Discord, in case he had freed himself... no, it was still intact, albeit it seemed like there were a couple of cracks on it. Celestia thought it had probably occurred when they had been transported to Earth, and left it alone for now. In the meantime, Luna had gotten herself back together after her breakdown, and was ready to leave. She was busy eating pancakes in the dining room, when Celestia came in. "Luna, are you okay now?" asked Celestia. "I am fine, 'Tia. I am feeling much more sure about myself now." responded Luna. "Fine, then. Are you ready for probably the biggest event of our lives?" "I am nervous, of course, but I feel ready." "Alright, let's finish our breakfast quickly, and then leave for Manehattan, along with our selected guards and scientists. Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor will meet us there, and we will walk with the humans to the airstrip. Remember, we have to be extremely careful about our magic use, Luna, once we leave Equestria, so we don't deplete it." "Alright, let's eat quickly, and leave, and yes, sister, I will be careful about my magic use." said Luna, midway through a mouthful of pancakes. "Yes, let's." agreed Celestia. At exactly 6:10am, Celestia, Luna, five select scientists, and three Royal Guards teleported off to the meeting place at Manehattan. There, they met up with Twilight, Cadance, Shining Armor, and their five select Royal Guards. They were all carrying a lot of things, to survive five days in the human city, and the six hour flight to Geneva. "Alright, is everypony ready?" asked Celestia. "Yes, Celestia, we are all ready to leave." "Excellent, let's go meet up with the humans." A few minutes later, they had met up with Rockmond, Wood, and eight select diplomatic staff and soldiers from their ranks, and were on their way to the airstrip, just a twenty-minute walk from the city. Rockmond and Wood had examined the airstrip the previous evening, and had declared it okay for flight operations to begin, so British and American aircraft could now come and go from Manehattan. At 6:40am, the whole team had reached the airstrip, which was surrounded by crowds, and a lot of Royal Guards. The second the group heading to the League of Nations arrived, they swarmed by a lot of Equestrian reporters were covering their departure. The reporters were asking questions, which the group were willing to answer. "Your Highnesses, are you worried that Earth's inhabitants will not accept our lands?" asked one of the reporters. "I don't really know, but from my interactions with the ambassadors of the United States of America, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain, it seems Earthly nations will accept us." "What will happen once you reach this 'Geveva' city where the League of Nations is located?" "When we reach Geneva, we will head to the League of Nations, and commence a meeting with the Earthly leaders, and let them know we are friendly. Once that is done, we can begin diplomatic relations and trade agreements?" "I see. We have heard much about the humans' methods of air travel. Will this be the starting of air travel in Equestria?" "We hope that after we return from the League of Nations meeting, we hope to set up more airstrips and airports, and buy more aircraft, so airlines can be set up, and Equestria and the Crystal Empire are fully connected by air." "Oh, okay then. Will human companies set up factories in Equestria, and will the common Equestrian have a chance to visit the rest of Earth's countries as well?" "That is also planned, yes." "Your Majesty, what about the rumors that we can only use magic for up to two days if we go more than 100 hooves, or as the humans say, 100 feet, off the coast?" Celestia was surprised at this, and so were the humans. They were not expecting that question, as they were not expecting anyone, apart from the Royal Guards, and themselves (except for the humans) to know about it. Thankfully, Cadance was expecting everything, so had an answer ready. "Yes, if we go more than 3,500 hooves off the coast, we can only use three days' worth of magic, if we do not overuse it, else it will only last around 18 hours. There is a magic bubble surrounding our countries, enabling us to use magic even in a magicless world." explained Cadance. "Oh, I see. That is all, your Highnesses. Thank you for answering our questions." said the reporter, as the princesses and humans reached the main entrance area, where reporters and the common public could not access. As the gates closed behind them, Wood finally came out. "You can't use more than three day's worth of magic outside of your countries on this planet? What if something happens that requires you to use your magic?" "Don't worry, Mr. Wood, I am sure nothing such will happen, and if it does, we will all use it together, so that we don't all deplete our magic reserve." "Alright. Anyways, I can see our aircraft over the horizon. Looks we'll be leaving on time today." said Wood, seeing the big Boeing 307 Stratoliner on approach in the distance. "Ah, yes, I can see it too." said Celestia, looking at the sky to the north, seeing the big aircraft on approach. None of the ponies had seen an aircraft up close before, except for the incident with the reconnaissance flight. They couldn't believe such a large object was capable of reaching a top speed of 400 kilometers per hour, as Wood had claimed, for this particular type of aircraft. Twilight kept asking them questions about the plane worked and how it flew. The humans explained that while they didn't know, they could ask the pilots questions about it. The ponies watched in awe as the bulky airliner smoothly touched down on the airstrip in a cloud of dust, and rolled to a stop, turned around, taxied to the parking area prepared, stopped, and the engines switched off. The second the plane's passenger door opened, the ponies and humans walked towards the big aircraft. Luna was a little skeptical of the plane at first, but Rockmond calmed her down. "Don't worry, your Highness, for every one million flights, only 0.06 planes crash! Flying is perfectly safe!" "If you say so, I guess." replied Luna. The second the ponies got on board the plane, they were greeting to the sight of the plane's amazing interior. It was pure luxury, full of leather seats, magazines in the seat pockets, and other things. There were thirty seats in all, and the ponies instantly walked into their seats. Some were able to fasten their seatbelts correctly, while others had to be helped by the plane's flight attendants. "You know, for soldiers, you seem to have a hard time working out something as simple as a seatbelt." said one flight attendant to one of the pony soldiers. "Hooves, ma'am, I have hooves." replied the pony soldier with a smirk, holding out his two front hooves. The second the ponies were securely fastened in their seats, the pre-flight announcements began. "Ladies and gentlemen, humans and ponies, welcome aboard Air Force One to Geneva. This flight will last six hours, and refreshments will be served, and the weather seems to be clear, so you need not worry. If emergencies do occur, then you must do the following in certain emergencies.... " said one of the flight attendants, explaining the safety features to be used in the event of certain emergencies, which the ponies listened to carefully. As the safety instructions were being announced, the ponies could hear the throb of the plane's four large piston engines starting up. Despite the cabin being heavily loaded with sound insulating material, the loud sound of the plane's propellers was still present, making some of the ponies stuff their ears with cotton. They felt the brakes release, and the plane started taxiing to the end of the runway. At exactly 6:55am, the plane had lined up on the runway, and everyone was pushed back in their seats, as the throttles were advanced, and Air Force One began it's takeoff roll. The ponies felt the speed, as the tail lifted into the air, and a minute later, the plane was climbing away from Equestria, with the landing gear retracting. As the plane began a right turn towards the sea, Luna asked the ambassadors something. "Mr. Rockmond, Mr. Wood, what will happen to your naval fleets?" "Oh, they will stay here until we come back from the League of Nations. After that, we'll decide where to go forward." "Oh, okay, but is that a good idea, leaving a military fleet that can reduce our city to rubble there like that?" "Don't worry, we know the captains of those ships personally, and we trust damn well that they will not do anything like that." "Alright, then. I must say, your aircraft fly very fast, and very high, as well! How high can this aircraft fly?" "It can fly up to an altitude of 24,000 feet." "But how are we able to breathe at that height?" asked Twilight. "This aircraft has a pressurization system, which keeps the cabin pressurized with air to enable us to breathe at such high altitudes. I don't know the exact specifics, but once we reach our cruising altitude, I'll take you on a tour of the cockpit, which is the area from where the pilots control the aircraft. You can ask them questions." As this was said, the plane flew through the required distance of Equestria, and the ponies felt a loss of some of their magic, but since they weren't planning on using it too much, they weren't that worried. Most of the flight was uneventful, except for a part around an hour after takeoff where Twilight tried to sneak into the cockpit, until Rockmond actually let her and Shining Armor in and let them take a look at the cockpit, amazing both of them. Shining Armor was already amazed by how he didn't feel airsick onboard the airplane, like he did on an airship, and had to appreciate how the pilots were smoothly flying the big machine. Twilight was also happy, as the pilots answered all of her questions about how the airplane worked, and she got to see how it was controlled. The in-flight service was also very well enjoyed, the vegetarian subs and sandwiches going down very well with the ponies, and they also enjoyed the wide variety of cookies and drinks that were served. After a flight of just under six hours, at around 2:45pm in Geneva time, they were on descent. The ponies were enjoying the views of the Swiss Alps, and they could now see the city of Geneva coming into sight, as the plane made another turn. They could see the large apartment blocks and villas. Twilight wondered how the people in the apartment blocks could live like that, stacked on top of each other. The villas though, looked nice, and Twilight wondered how rich were the people who lived in those, such was the whole city. As they descended lower and neared the airport, they could see people lining the streets, looking at the plane. They then heard hydraulics noises, as the landing gear was lowered. The ponies looked eagerly outside the windows, as they flew lower and lower, the buildings stopped, and they started flying over some fields, and they could see the airport's taxiways, and one of it's terminals, outside their windows, and they felt some bumps, as the plane's wheels touched the ground, and felt like something was lightly pulling them out of their seats, as it began slowing down, and the tailwheel touched the ground with a smaller bump than that of the main landing gear. As the plane turned off the runway, they could see other planes parked next to a large building with multiple windows, and they could see multiple human soldiers, and multiple humans holding what seemed to be much more futuristic cameras than the ones in Equestria. Reporters, Celestia guessed. They noticed that most of the other planes were much smaller than theirs, including one wearing the British flag on its tail, except for one large plane, similar to theirs, with four engines, but a different design, and it had a large white cross-like marking in a white circle in a red flag, painted on it's tail. As their plane pulled up to its spot, some of the ponies began to unfasten their seatbelts, and they could see that the throb of the engines was slowly reducing, and the propellers began to stop spinning. They saw ten black horseless carriages moving towards their plane, and realized these were ground vehicles of some sort. They were sleek, looked fast, and seemed to have one human each in the front, probably their drivers. Celestia asked Wood, "What are these vehicles pulling up next to our plane? Are those what will take us to the League of Nations?" (basically this but black in color) "Your Highness, those vehicles are called cars. They are powered by a heavily scaled-down version of the internal combustion engines used in the engines of our aircraft. Those particular cars can hit a top speed of 135 kilometers per hour, and they are used mainly for travel in the city, or between cities. VIPs also use them, to get between meeting places." Another innovation by the humans. Celestia decided that cars would definitely be a benefit to her nation, with a proper road network, and one of the things to be discussed was the export of cars to Equestria and the Crystal Empire. The doors of the plane opened and the ponies began stepping out, and began walking towards the cars, as the cameras began clicking. Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Rockmond, and Wood, got in one car, while Twilight, Shining Armor, the guards and scientists got in seven of the other vehicles, while the human soldiers got in the remaining three. As the cars began moving, Celestia heard the hum of it's engine, and could tell it was much quieter than the throb of the plane's engines. The cars drove through a gate, and through the streets of Geneva. The ponies admired the large buildings of Geneva, and were looking at the large hotels, restaurants, and other such places. A lot of crowds were out, eagerly watching aliens come to their planet for the first time. The crowds were waving to all the ponies, who were nicely waving back, despite their nervousness. Thankfully, there were no assassins out here today, thanks to all the precautions made by the League of Nations. Less than ten minutes later, they had reached the Palace of Nations, which was the headquarters of the League of Nations. It looked formidable, and reminded Celestia of some of the buildings in Manehattan. The cars stopped next to the gate of the main building, and the ponies all got out. There were less reporters, but more soldiers here, since it was a government building. She could see the League of Nation's flag displayed on the lawn, along with those of multiple other countries. The ponies all got in line, and following Rockmond and Wood, began a new era in history, walking into the main lobby of the building. Meanwhile, Discord was watching from one of the other buildings on the Palace of Nations compound, in the body of a now-possessed Nazi soldier. The Equestrians had arrived. This was going according to plan. There wasn't much time left, now. Discord was busy thinking, when the German commander called. "Herman! Stop watching the aliens and get back here! Your shift to protect the Fuhrer's room has come! " "Coming, coming, Commander!" said Discord, in perfect German, thanks to him mind-reading the young soldier's mind before possessing him. Discord went back in, towards Adolf Hitler's room. It was going to be a long day today. > Chapter 11 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------THE PALACE OF NATIONS, GENEVA-------------------------------------------------------- It was now around 3:20pm in Geneva. The ponies were amazed at just how large the main lobby of the Palace of Nations was. It was much bigger than the main lobby of Canterlot Castle and the Crystal Castle. There were multiple human soldiers standing guard, and they could see some reporters outside. But they decided to continue forward. "Celestia, we will first be meeting the American President and the British Prime Minister. But before that, an exhibition showing Earth's history has been prepared for you, just ahead. We'll take a look at that before we meet them. Is that fine?" asked Wood. "Yes, Mr. Wood. I wouldn't mind seeing Earth's history before meeting up with your leaders." said Celestia. The ponies then went off to the specially prepared exhibition, showing all of Earth's histories. The second the ponies entered the exhibition room, they could see a lot of parallels with Earthly history. The first section was that of medieval history. The countless wars in Europe, such as the Hundred Years' War between Britain and France, reminded Celestia of a war that had taken place, 650 years earlier, between Equestria, and Gryphonia after a trade dispute, which had lasted for over 250 years, before Equestria finally won. The similarities became even more apparent as they were nearing the end of the 18th century section. The American Revolution, where the US got their independence from Britain, was tragic. For the ponies, it was truly awful to see how many innocent lives had been lost in America fighting for independence and democracy. But what really hit Celestia and Luna hard was the French Revolution. Why, even France's flag was similar to that of Prance pre-revolution. Celestia couldn't really blame the French for revolting, considering how their King, Louis XVI, who reminded her a lot of Ponise XVI, was a tyrant. But what was surprising was that was where the similarities ended. The way the humans had described it, they thought their history would be pretty much a copy of that of Equestria's. But the difference here was that after the Revolution, Prance's new government had caused the end of the empire, whereas here, after one more tyrant ruler, Napoleon Bonaparte, the country of France was still around, and their leader was here, at the League of Nations. When they entered the 20th century section, there was another shocker for them. The Russian Revolution, reminded Celestia of her bad memories from the Ponysian Revolution, such as the execution of Psar Ponylass by the Ponysian locals. It reminded Celestia of how she was forced to flatten the Ponysian empire with a large chunk of Moon rock. However, here, it was nice to see the country of Russia had successfully united themselves as the Soviet Union, albeit under communism. But the most shocking one of all was the Great War. It had occurred as a result of political and social factors from years ago, such as the decline of the Ottoman Empire (which reminded her a lot of Saddle Arabia), Britain's old practice of avoiding permanent diplomatic relations, and the wars in the Balkan areas of Europe. These wars reminded Celestia of the wars of the Ponkans, over 1,200 years previously, where she and Luna had to bring Equestria in to end the Ponkan Wars. However, unlike in Equis, where it had been avoided, here, the wars had continued, sparking the assassination of the Archduke of Austria, leading to the Great War. The Great War shocked the three princesses. This had apparently been Earth's first industrialized war, making use of new technologies, such as tanks, aircraft, and other such weapons. The death toll shocked Celestia. Close to twenty million humans dead, both civilians and military, and twenty million more wounded. Thankfully, that had been twenty-five years earlier, in 1914, and the war had ended after only four years. Celestia hoped there would never be another war like that. Another shocker was the Great Depression. It pained the ponies to see just how some stocks crashing lead to such a large economic depression that had affected both the United States and the rest of the world. But with the statistics they had been given about the American economy, it was hard to believe that the Depression had occurred just ten years earlier, and how well the US had recovered. After getting a little up to date on Earthly politics, the ponies were finally off to meet the leaders of the US and Britain. They had walked into an area not accessible to anyone except diplomats, world leaders, military personnel, and reporters. However, there were none of the latter category here. The only people here were military personnel, wearing American and British military uniforms. They entered the room where they were supposed to be meeting the first two world leaders. Since the room wasn't too big, most of the scientists would stay outside, while only a few soldiers would join the three princesses, Twilight, and Shining Armor inside. They were waiting, when an old British man of about seventy, with black hair going white, and a large moustache, walked in, escorted by three British soldiers. "Good afternoon. I'm Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain of the United Kingdom of Britain." said Prime Minister Chamberlain, offered his hand to the three princesses. "Ah, you're the British Prime Minister. I am Princess Celestia of Equestria, and this is my sister, Princess Luna. This is my protégé, Twilight Sparkle." said Celestia, her and Luna shaking Chamberlain's hand. "I am Princess Cadance of the Crystal Empire." said Cadance, also shaking Chamberlain's hand. "And I am Shining Armor, the commander of the Royal Guards of Equestria." said Shining Armor. "Welcome to the League of Nations, your Highnesses, Twilight, and Shining Armor. We hope you will enjoy your stay here." replied Chamberlain. "We definitely will, Prime Minister Chamberlain. It is so nice to finally be visiting an Earthly city, and one hosting an organisation such as the League of Nations, at that. From what we saw, your planet is definitely highly advanced." said Twilight. "Ah, we aim to please, Ms. Sparkle. Now, let's settle down and discuss things." said Chamberlain, motioning for everyone to sit down. "Wait, a minute, aren't we waiting for the American President as well?" asked Luna, when an American man, in his late fifties, with white hair, came into the room, being wheeled in a wheelchair, escorted by two American soldiers. "Sorry I'm late, I had problems getting down the stairs, but I'm now here. I'm Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the President of the United States of America. I am very pleased to meet you, your Highnesses, Twilight, and Shining Armor." said Roosevelt. "Ah, President Roosevelt. It is so nice to meet you at long last. Your ambassador, Mr. Rockmond, speaks very highly of you. Also, I'm just wondering, are you injured, since you are in a wheelchair?" said Celestia. "Ah, I am also finally happy to meet you at long last, your Highnesses. As for me being in a wheelchair, I have suffered from a disease called polio, since almost twenty years now. It has left me unable to walk properly, therefore, I use the wheelchair. Shall we begin our discussion now?" asked Roosevelt. "Oh, I see. Yes, let's begin the discussion." agreed Celestia, as they all sat down to begin the discussion. The first thing they discussed about was the opening of diplomatic relations and the opening of American and British consulates in Equestria and the Crystal Empire. The princesses offered land in the Crystal Empire, Canterlot, and Manehattan for this purpose. In fact, they also discussed the openings of Equestrian and Crystal Empire consulates in London and Washington D.C. Next was the economic integration of these two countries with Earth. The problem was, the world's currencies were all linked to the value of gold. Since both Equestria and the Crystal Empire used gold as their main currency, if they used their current gold based currency on Earth, it would totally wreck the world economy. Roosevelt asked the princesses to shift their countries onto a currency note-based economy. At first, the princesses were a little apprehensive of using paper-based money, as they were worried about forgery and inflation. Roosevelt explained that new currency notes included special codes to prevent forgery, and as for inflation, it mainly occurred if a country printed too much, such as Germany did back in 1923. They also told the princesses to melt down all the gold coins and turn them into gold bricks in case of economic emergencies, such as inflation or economic depressions. Then Twilight asked about the export of new human technologies such as cars, radios, aircraft, powered ships, and television sets to Equestria and the Crystal Empire. They both replied that exports of such technology would begin, and they would also send human experts to help them set up infrastructure such as power grids, road networks, airports, etc. They also agreed to exchange Equestrian and Crystal Empire experts with the humans to generate new magical technologies, such as advanced electronics, aircraft, and medical treatments, including ones that could treat Roosevelt's polio, and Chamberlain's cancer, which he revealed he suffered from. That was when Shining Armor asked, "What about military technologies? I want to set up modern militaries for Equestria and the Crystal Empire, you see. Army, Navy, Air Force, all the works." "Ah, we do plan to export military technologies such as battleships, tanks, fighter aircraft, and such to your countries eventually, but we'd like to get to know you better first, you see." explained Chamberlain. "I understand, but I'm just a little worried, considering there still seems to be some amount of political unrest between a few countries." replied Shining Armor. "Can't blame you for that." The discussions continued, and they realized it was past 4:00pm. Thankfully, snacks were delivered to their room, including some British cuisine specially tailored to the ponies' dietary needs, such as Yorkshire pudding, Shepherd's pie without beef, fries (chips for the Brits), and other such dishes, which everyone enjoyed. After lunch, they decided to leave for the main assembly hall of the League of Nations, to declare their intentions to the other world leaders. Chamberlain and Roosevelt had already gone there, to let the other leaders know they were coming soon. At exactly 4:15pm, the ponies walked into the large League of Nations assembly hall. It was large, with seats for all sixty-nine world leaders attending the meeting, the leadership of the League of Nations, and room for the media as well. All the world leaders she had seen when they took a look at Earth's current affairs were here. There was the Soviet Union's president, Joseph Stalin, the king of Britain, George VI. Getulio Vargas, the Brazilian president, was also here as well. But it was the German dictator who looked the most fearful. Adolf Hitler, with the caterpillar-like moustache. The ponies had seen reports of how his cult that ruled the country of Germany worked, and they felt something evil about the man the second they saw him. A woman in her mid-forties, with blonde hair, was on the stage, speaking on the microphone. She was Anna Schmidt, head of the League of Nations. "Now that we are all here, I think we can get started. Princesses Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, we are honored to welcome you to the League of Nations. I am Anna Schmidt, head of the League of Nations." said Schmidt, as the other world leaders were watching with their escorts. One of them was a certain spirit of chaos, disguised as Corporal Herman. "Ah, it is an honor to be here as well, Ms. Schmidt. We would like to really admit something to the world, about our intentions." said Celestia. "Yes, I request your Highnesses to take the stage and do so." replied Schmidt. "Alright then." said Celestia, as she, Luna, and Cadance walked towards the stage. Celestia stood next to the microphone. She could see all the humans in the hall were a little tense. Celestia couldn't blame them. This was their first time seeing aliens, after all. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have something to say. We know that you have been on edge since our countries arrived on your planet. We know you feel that we are enemies. But the reality is exactly the opposite. We come in peace. We wish to open trade and diplomatic relations with your countries, and exchange technology and expertise." The ponies heard quite a few world leaders sigh in relief when Celestia said these words. Even Discord sighed in the audience, thanking his stars that it was all going exactly according to plan. That was when Schmidt said, "Well, your Highnesses, we are all willing to welcome Equestria and the Crystal Empire to Earth, and we are also willing to let your nations join the League of Nations. We will begin the signing of agreements in a few minutes." "Ms. Schmidt, Equestria accepts your offer for us to join the League of Nations." "The Crystal Empire also accepts the offer to join the League of Nations." said Cadance. "Alright then. Shall we sign the first agreement then, the one that enables Equestria and the Crystal Empire to do so?" asked Schmidt. "Yes, let us sign it then." said Celestia. The ponies and Schmidt walked to a table, where the agreements had been kept ready for signing, along with a fountain pen for signing. "Just read it, and if you find it okay, you may sign." Celestia, Luna, and Cadance lifted the papers up with their telekinesis, which awed everybody in the hall, including the media, who was busy taking pictures and video of this event. Finding the terms and conditions to be satisfactory, the three princesses signed their agreements, officially making Equestria and the Crystal Empire part of the League of Nations. The agreement signing continued all day and finally ended at around 6:30pm. An agreement was signed with the Americans to provide technology like cars, aircraft, and electronics, as well as technical support. Agreements were signed with the British for cars and electronics, as well as their technical support as well. They were also to provide raw materials such as cotton, jute, and crops to Equestria and the Crystal Empire. An agreement was signed with Brazil to import rubber and steel from them, so the Equestrians could build large buildings, and start up industries. Many other agreements were signed with Russia, France, Canada, China, and other countries. As the day turned to night outside, the ponies were sent up to their rooms, where they were taught to use the television and radio. Celestia and Cadance struggled with the TV, but Luna, Twilight, and Shining Armor were able to understand it and successfully put on the TV. The news reports were all plastered with the headlines of the diplomatic agreements of the Equestrians and the Crystal Empireans, and most of them seemed to be saying good things about them. There were two or three claiming that they were crazy murderous psychopaths faking their friendly nature, but most of the people seemed to like the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans, and Earth would be peaceful under them, owing to their nature. Little did they know that in less than twenty-four hours, a war would be started, by an evil entity originating from their lands. > Chapter 12 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1ST SEPTEMBER 1939 ------------------------------------------------------THE PALACE OF NATIONS, GENEVA-------------------------------------------------------- It was 5:30am in the morning over in Geneva. Most of the people in Geneva were still asleep, but the three princesses, Twilight, and Shining Armor were already up to discuss their plans for the day. The ponies in particular, couldn't sleep so well, after seeing some of the things in human history, such as the American Revolution. How could the British have been so cruel to the native Americans? How could they have done such inhumane things, such as enslaving them for no reason, and discriminating them? How could they have lived with doing such things? Celestia had also been having flashbacks to the Ponysian Revolution after seeing the Russian Revolution that had occurred on Earth. She remembered some of the most horrifying things: the decapitated body of Psar Ponylass on the guillotine, the screams of the Ponysians as they watched a huge piece of Moon rock falling onto their capital, and all the other gruesome and profane things she had seen during that time. But Celestia decided to put those aside for now and deal with it later. She had a media event today. The princesses and Shining Armor were going to be interviewed by the League of Nations' media spokesperson, and the interview would be put in radio broadcasts, newspapers, and television news reports. After that, they would have another meeting with all the world leaders, where they would discuss Equestria and the Crystal Empire's integration to the world economy. Then, that would be the end of their second day at the League of Nations. It was going to be a good day, Celestia hoped. Meanwhile, in the other building, just a three-minute walk away, Discord was outside Adolf Hitler's room, putting the final touches on this plan. If all went well, today would be the day the Second World War began. At around 6:30am, breakfast was served in the dining hall. The ponies had really enjoyed the American dinner last night. This morning, they enjoyed a sumptuous full French breakfast, with croissants and baguettes. At around 7:00am, the three princesses and Shining Armor headed off for their interview, which would be pre-recorded, and then published later that day. They entered the League of Nations media room, which had four armchairs, multiple lights and cameras everywhere. They were greeted by Helen Roberts, the League of Nations media spokesperson. "Ah, your Majesties, Shining Armor. It is an honour to get to be the first one to interview an Equestrian. I am Helen Roberts, media spokesperson of the League of Nations." said Roberts, introducing herself. "Pleased to meet you, Ms. Roberts. It is an honor too, to be interviewed by a human for the first time." said Luna. "Alright then. Shall we get ready for the interview?" "Yes, lets get ready for the interview." The ponies went to the armchairs, sat down, and were offered water by the attendants, which they accepted. They thought of all the questions that would be asked, and how they would answer. "Alright, here's how they will go. When I say 'Action', the cameras will start rolling, and I will introduce you. From then on, I will ask you the questions. Once that is over, I will thank the viewers for watching, and end the interview. When I say, 'Cut', the cameras will stop rolling. You got it?" "Yes, we understand." said Celestia. "Alright, lets begin the interview, then. Alright, everyone, we're about to start. Get the cameras and the microphones ready. Alright, here we go. Lights, camera, action!" said Roberts, at exactly 7:00am. The second she said 'Action', Celestia could see blinking lights on the cameras, indicating they were on. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this all exclusive interview of the Equestrian and Crystal Empirean rulers, as well as their military general. We are about to begin the interview, starting with the twin rulers of Equestria, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. They are known as the princesses of the Sun and Moon respectively in Equestria. Your Highnesses, could you tell me why is it so?" "Well, the reason we are given those titles is because, on our old planet, Equis, we controlled the Sun and Moon. Everyday, I would rise the Sun in the morning while Luna lowered the Moon, and vice versa in the night." "Oh? So you could move the Sun and Moon around on your planet? How so?" asked a surprised Roberts. "Well, our solar system was geocentric, which means that the Sun and Moon used to orbit around the planets. However, they would no longer do so, after Discord, a being of pure chaos, managed to steal their gravitational force. We stopped Discord, but the Sun and Moon would no longer orbit around Equis, so we used our magic to make that happen." explained Luna. "Ah, that sounds a little fantastical, but then again, since pegasi and unicorn used to be considered fantastical as well, I do believe that would have happened on your home world. But, I have a question. If you can control the Sun and Moon, why didn't ours respond to your commands, if you tried to control it?" "We did actually try to control your Sun and Moon before we realized we were on another planet, but they did not respond to our commands. Also, your system seems to be a little different from ours. Why is that so?" "Well, unlike Equis, our Solar System is a little different. The Sun is at the center of this system, and its gravitational force makes all the planets orbit around it." Celestia and Luna were a little surprised at this. They had seen other systems like this in telescopes, but didn't know if there would be habitable planets in them. In fact, all this time, they had thought that Earth's system was geocentric, but now they knew that it was not. "Oh, I see. In the galaxy where Equis is located, we have seen other systems like that through telescopes, but there are no habitable planets in those." "Oh. Anyways, next question, for you, Princess Cadance, how was the Crystal Empire founded, and how does the palace made of crystals not collapse in bad weather?" "Oh, the Crystal Empire was founded over 1,200 years ago by Princess Amore, who I am a distant descendant of. The Crystal Castle does not collapse in bad weather, because there is no bad weather inside the Empire. There is a magical artifact inside the castle, called the Crystal Heart, which creates a magical shield to protect the empire from any enemies, and bad weather. The shield is strengthened by the forces of love and unity. However, around 150 years later, King Sombra killed Princess Amore, and stole the Crystal Heart. Sombra was defeated, but he left a curse due to which the Empire vanished for a thousand years. It only reappeared around two months ago, with all the citizens the same age as they were a thousand years ago. However, Sombra also reappeared, but we defeated him, and the Crystal Heart was retrieved as well. After that, I became the Empress of the Crystal Empire." explained Cadance. "Only two months ago? How did the citizens react when they found out it had been a thousand years?" "Well, they were a little scared at first, but they adjusted to modern times within three weeks." "Three weeks, eh, to adjust to being missing for a thousand years? You must have done it really well, then. Alright, now, back to Celestia and Luna. How was the kingdom of Equestria founded?" "Well, before Equestria was founded, there were three pony tribes for each race: the pegasi, the unicorns and the Earth ponies, which had neither horns nor wings. They came together 2,000 years ago to form Equestria, and since we alicorns represent all the races, we were crowned the rulers of Equestria at the bare age of 18. I know you are probably asking, how have we survived 2,000 years and still look so young? Well, we alicorns do not age due to certain biological factors, but we can die from other things, such as drowning." explained Celestia. "Wow, immortality is a thing that we can only wish to have. Anyways, now to other things. We see that you all have different marks on your body. Why is that so?" "Oh, those are called Cutie Marks. They represent the talents of every pony. They are born without them, and once they find what they are best at, the marks appear magically. This does not mean they are stuck to only one thing. It only shows what they are best at." "Ah, I see. I don't know if I would want my best talents posted on my body like that." The interview continued till around 8:15am, by the time all the questions had been answered successfully. Roberts than bade the princesses farewell as they left to prepare for the next meeting between world leaders. They went back to their rooms, grabbed some water, and also drank coffee. They had tried it earlier that morning, and despite it being quite bitter, they liked it as it kept them awake for long meetings. At around 8:25am, they were in the large League of Nations assembly hall. While Ms. Schmidt, the world leaders and soldiers from yesterday were there, there were a lot less reporters there this time. She could see the German dictator, Adolf Hitler, again, this time with the leaders from Italy and Japan. The evil aura still seemed to be emitting from Hitler, but Celestia could also feel an evil aura coming from Joseph Stalin, the Soviet President. That aura made Celestia certain he was probably a Russian version of Hitler. Once the last three world leaders arrived, the discussion began. Today, it was about the integration of the Equestrian and Crystal Empirean economies with Earth's. First thing was a name change, as the humans felt 'bits' was a bit of a weird name for a currency, and the Equestrians also agreed. After an hour and a half of deliberation, it was announced that the Equestrian currency would change from the bit to the Equestrian dollar. At around 10:15am, over one and a half hours in, Discord, who was in the audience, began the first part of his plan. "Hey! Why are we doing such a moronic thing!" shouted Discord, in the form of German Corporal Herman Göring. That surprised everyone. "What do you mean, soldier?" asked Schmidt. "You know exactly what I mean! Letting aliens participate in Earthly politics! The only people who should participate in politics are white people, that too, pure-blooded Aryan white people, not the filthy Polish or Russians! You know what, you people don't deserve to live!" shouted Discord, as he pulled out a pistol, and got ready to fire at Ms. Schmidt. Thankfully, a League of Nations soldier behind him pushed Discord and threw him off aim, but Discord still fired. Fortunately, the bullet did not kill anyone, but it ricocheted, right into the path of the ponies. Seeing this, a League of Nations soldier immediately jumped in front of the ponies just in time. The bullet flew right through his leg, and landed at the foot of the ponies' desk. The ponies were shocked at how Corporal Herman had suddenly lost his mind, and how he had shot the young League of Nations soldier like that. They were especially when Herman suddenly aimed the gun at them, but just before he could press the trigger, a Polish soldier fired a bullet. Discord quickly escaped the Corporal's body, before the poor soldier was killed by a bullet that went straight through his brain. Hitler then instantly got up, "How dare you kill one of my best men! You should have left him alive, we would have punished him under our laws!" "Mr. Hitler, your soldier was threatening the Equestrians and the head of the League of Nations, and also shot a League of Nations soldier. We had to protect everyone else here." said the Polish soldier. "Zat's it! We have been miztreated by ze rest of ze world zince our defeat in ze Great War! Henceforth, we zhall leave ze League of Nations, effective thees instant! We are leaving!" said Hitler, as he and the remaining German soldiers covered the remains of Corporal Herman, loaded him into a stretcher, and left the Assembly Hall. Meanwhile, Cadance released that something was wrong with the soldier that the Corporal had shot. He seemed to be losing a lot of blood, more than what seemed to be normal. "Sir, are you okay?" asked Cadance. "No, something's wrong." "Well, you just did get shot in the leg, I'm not surprised." "No, I've been shot in the leg before, and I know how that feels. This feels worse... " said the soldier, as he blacked out. "Oh no! Someone call a doctor!" shouted Celestia. She was horrified, as she realized the soldier, despite being out cold, had a certain look on his face. The look that showed that he had accepted his fate. Celestia wasn't going to let anyone else die today. Celestia realized that the bullet had probably torn through a vital artery or vein, and the doctors wouldn't get there in time. She immediately started up her magic. "Don't worry, I got you." said Celestia, as she immediately started up her magic, and began to use it on the soldier's wound. It was a truly magical sight, as the soldier's wound closed up, and except for the blood on his uniform, soon, there was no trace that he had been shot, as his eyes opened. "Wait, what, I should be dead.... " said the soldier, looking at his previously wounded leg. "You saved me, but why?" asked the soldier, as he realized the Equestrians had saved him. "You selflessly protected another species, that too, one you did not know so well, and one hated by some people. You protected five ponies with your own body, and when you were nearing the end, I could not let someone who had done a selfless action like that die." said Celestia, as the soldier got up, saluted them, and went back to his position among his stunned comrades. That was when Celestia almost nearly had a coronary. She saw a flickering form of a certain draconequus, one that caused chaos. Thankfully, Celestia was able to contain it without alarming the humans. She hoped that she didn't have to use another big spell, because after saving the soldier, she only had around twenty hours worth of magic left. Meanwhile, in the accommodation block, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi soldiers were packing up, ready to head back for Berlin. Before they left, though, Hitler went to his room's telephone, and dialled in the number of the head of the German military. "Fuhrer? What is going on over in Geneva? Apparently, one of our men was killed by the Polish. Shall we do it?" asked the German general over the phone. "Yes. The time has come. Execute Order 66." said Hitler. "It shall be done, Fuhrer. We will talk more when you get back to Berlin." replied the general. "Sure." replied Hitler, and hung up the phone. Less than half an hour later, they were on board the huge Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor, which was starting up its engines for the three hour flight to Berlin. As the big plane began taxiing, mass German mobilisation had begun. Multiple Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf109 fighters and Junkers Ju 87 Stuka bombers were flying towards the Polish border, fully loaded. Multiple German Army tanks and armored units, and thousands of troops began advancing on Poland. Within an hour, the invasion of Poland would begin. > Chapter 13 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------JASTRDANSK--------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was almost 11:00am in Geneva, which shared the same time as Warsaw. Jastrdansk, a small town on the Germany-Poland border was having a very quiet day. Most people had been tuned to their radios or televisions watching the Equestrians' visit to the League of Nations. The town was small, with a population of only around 7,500. It mainly made its income from farming, and the export of iron ore. There was an iron ore mine three kilometers from the town, where around two thousand of its inhabitants worked in various capacities. Since they were so close to Germany, the Polish Army had a base a kilometer away, containing multiple soldier platoons, and an armored division as well. Arthur Kowalski was working in his potato field, his tractor parked outside. He had just been listening to the Equestrians' League of Nations visit on the radio, and had heard the awful shootout live. To get his mind off that, he had gone back to work harvesting his potato field. He was busy loading harvested potatoes into the trailer attached to his tractor, when he heard the distant rumbling sound of an engine. At first, he thought it was probably his neighbor's truck. However, as the noise got louder, he realized it was not from an engine, it was from multiple engines. And it was too quiet to be his neighbor's truck, which had a broken muffler. That was when he saw the vehicles making the noise in the distance. They were not trucks, cars, or even tractors. These were military tanks. That was odd, he thought. The Polish Army would never conduct any exercises this close to a residential area. That was when he saw the flags. These tanks did not fly the Polish flag, but the Nazi Swastika. The Germans had violated their ceasefire and had begun the invasion of Poland! Kowalski instantly dropped the potatoes hanging from his hand, ran into his tractor, started up the engine, and drove towards Jastrdansk at high speed, to warn the people about the invasion. By his count, they had less than half an hour before the tanks entered the town and began blowing everyone up, so they better get into hiding. Unfortunately, most people were at their homes, but Kowalski had managed to get into town and activate the air raid sirens, since he was a member of the town council. The Polish Army had also been called. As the tanks began rumbling into Jastrdansk, the townspeople could hear the roar of aircraft engines, as flights of German planes flew over, on the way to Warsaw. Meanwhile, on the surface, the shooting was about to begin. 22 year old Private First Class Walter Weber and his troop contingent were driving into town on troop carriers. No one could believe that the Germans had breached their ceasefire just like that. They were ready to drive the Germans out. They had ordered all the residents to get underground, or hide inside their homes. As they arrived at the town gate, they faced the German tanks, which continued faster on seeing them. One of them turned its turret, and fired at one of the Polish troop carriers, killing all twenty soldiers on it. This sprang the remaining soldiers into action. They all hopped off their troop carriers, and began firing at the German tanks, as they took up defensive positions. Multiple German soldiers escorting the tanks began firing back as well. The Polish soldiers fought back bravely, especially Weber. He was able to take out around twelve German soldiers, and even managed to destroy a tank by throwing a grenade into its open hatch. However, the Germans eventually gained the upper hand, and within twenty minutes, of the initial platoon of two hundred men that had been dispatched, only 34 remained alive, but not before taking down over sixty German soldiers, and twelve tanks. Sadly, it had not been without civilian casualties, as close to ninety civilians in nearby houses had already died. Although they had called for backup, it was still ten minutes out, and they were almost out of ammunition. That was when Weber had a brainwave. He noticed an intact German Panzer III tank parked empty. If he and another soldier could get to it, then they would have an advantage against the German tanks. However, there were still multiple bullets flying, and a stray bullet in the right place would easily kill him. (one of these but with a Swastika on the front and a German flag dangling off it as well) Thankfully, Weber noticed some body armor plates in a case carried by one of his dead comrades. He grabbed the plates, and put three on, to give himself some protection. He noticed his colleague, Private First Class Artur Pashkov, fighting nearby. He told Pashkov his plan in sign language, and slid him the case with the armor plates. Pashkov instantly put the last three of the plates on, and sign language, said, "Weber, you are nuts, but right now, we have no choice." "It is a crazy plan, but, are you ready?" asked Weber, still in sign language. "Yeah, I am ready." replied Pashkov. "Alright, LET'S GO!" shouted Weber, as he and Pashkov began a mad dash to the tank. They both ran like bats out of Hell, trying as hard as they could to dodge bullets. They successfully got in the Panzer, despite getting hit by four or five bullets, which were thankfully deflected by the body armor. Despite having no tank training, they were able to start it up, Weber as the driver, and Pashkov as the gunner. Despite some difficulties with the controls of the tank at first, they were able to use it to pull some of their comrades out of hairy situations. The radio was still functioning, so they were able to use it to determine where German reinforcements were coming from. However, morale dropped among them when they smoke coming from the directions of both the military base where they started, and the iron ore mines. The base probably had survivors, who had probably been taken prisoner by the Germans by now. But the smoke coming from the iron ore mines was thick. If anyone was there when it had been attacked, they would probably have died by now. They then heard on the radio that more German reinforcements were coming. That was when a loud explosion made the whole tank shake and their ears ring. A Luftwaffe Junkers Ju 87 Stuka bomber had tried to kill them by dropping a bomb, which had missed, but landed behind their tank, causing that explosion. Weber then realized that the big Panzer kept wanting to turn right. One of the tracks must have been damaged by shrapnel from that bomb. From his position, Pashkov could see the Luftwaffe bomber coming back for another attempt to bomb them. Pashkov instantly aimed the turret, and right before the bomber entered his sights, he fired the turret. It landed a direct shot in the Stuka's bomb bay, causing the bomber to explode mid-air, leaving no chance for the crew. Both of them celebrated, having destroyed the German bomber. That was when another explosion, this one larger than before, rocked the tank. A Nazi soldier in hiding had fired a Panzerbüchse 39 at the Panzer, landing a hit. One Weber looked up, he noticed that the tank had stopped moving, and the turret was gone, along with Pashkov. He realized that Pashkov had probably died when the turret had been blown off. Weber realized he had no ammunition left in his guns, and he was about to be killed. Knowing that the end was near, Weber poked his head outside the tank, looking at the Sun one last time, before a bullet entered his neck, severing his carotid artery. Weber fell back inside the tank, as blood gushed out of his neck. Knowing that he would bleed out in less than three minutes, Weber closed his eyes for the final time, remembering all the good times from his life, from the day he was born 22 years earlier, the day he joined the Polish Army, and what not. He hoped that one day, the Nazis would be beaten, and Poland would be freed from their grasp, as life began to leave his body. That day, in Jastrdansk, over seven hundred people were killed. The main fatalites were around 140 civilians killed during the battle, along with eighty Nazi soldiers, and around 180 Polish soldiers. 300 people had also been killed at the iron ore mines, when one of the mining tunnels had collapsed during the incessant bombing. However, more people would die today, as the Nazi war machine continued the annexation of Poland. -----------------------------------------------------------OKECIE AIRPORT, WARSAW-------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 12:30pm in Warsaw. Private Kasper Paul was in his PZL P.11 fighter, taxiing to the runway at Warsaw Okecie Airport. They had received multiple reports of German fighters and bombers flying towards Warsaw, which meant that the Germans had violated the ceasefire and began their invasion of Poland. They knew their P.11s would be outmatched against the Luftwaffe planes, but they were the best equipment the Polish Air Force had. The squadron of thirty P.11s got onto the runway, took off, and climbed to 10,000 feet, as more lined up behind them. The air raid sirens were going off in the city below, and majority of people had gone underground. The P.11s had been flying around Warsaw, and Paul was wondering how long it would be until the Germans showed up, when a message crackled on his radio. "Tigershark Squadron, be advised, a large flight of German bombers, escorted by multiple Messerschmitt Bf109 fighters, has been seen twenty kilometers east of Warsaw. There seem to be twenty Stuka bombers escorted by around forty fighters. They are heading for the industrial areas of the city, and will be there in ten minutes. Destroy as many of them as you can." The leader of the squadron then replied, "Control, this is Tigershark 1. Roger that, over." He then gave the remaining pilots orders. "Alright, everyone. We will be reaching the target area in four minutes. This means we have just six minutes to stop our industry from being decimated. Despite us being outgunned by the Bf109s and Stukas, we must make use of our P.11s as possible. You get hurt, you hurt them back. You get killed, walk it off. Got it?" "This is Tigershark 3. Copy that." came the voice of one of Paul's fellow pilots. "Tigershark 8 here, copy that." "Tigershark 11 here, copy that." said Paul. As the messages kept flowing, Paul could already see the German planes in the distance, and behind him, he could see thick smoke billowing from parts of Warsaw. The ground forces had already arrived, and this meant that tank battles and what not were raging through the streets of Warsaw. He hoped they could repel the Germans. Paul then focused himself on the task, as they neared the location of the enemy aircraft. He could already see some Bf109s heading towards their planes. Paul switched off the safeties of his P.11's two machine guns, and got ready to fire. (basically imagine forty of the first and twenty of the second with a few of the first coming in hot) He began firing as the first Bf109 started flying towards him, guns blazing. Unfortunately, he was unable to hit it, and the German fighter instantly changed course, with Paul in hot pursuit, despite his plane being much slower. He struggled extremely hard to take the Bf109 out, despite another one on his tail. That was when he got a lucky shot, and turned the tail of the first Bf109 into Swiss cheese. The stricken Bf109 instantly began spiralling to the ground. Now, he had to deal with the second Bf109, which was chasing him. Paul instantly pulled a barrel roll, despite it being a slow one, and now, he was the one chasing. This time, the Bf109 pilot wasn't as good as the previous one, and Paul easily took out part of the Bf109's wing, causing the fighter to burst into flames, and spiral to the ground in an inferno. Paul then realized that some of his squadron mates weren't doing so well. Of the original forty Bf109s, only twelve had been shot down, and of the Stukas, of the twenty that had been there, eight still remained. That was still enough to destroy part of Warsaw's industrial area. Plus, of the thirty P.11s, only seventeen were left. Paul instantly flew towards the Stukas, dodging multiple Bf109s along the way. Unfortunately, due to his plane being pretty slow, he couldn't reach in time, before the first two Stukas dropped their payloads, destroying a large food factory. However, since the Stukas had to pull up after dropping their bombs, they were slowed down, enabling Paul to take some potshots at the Stukas. One of the Stukas took a direct hit to the engine, and began descending in flames, while the other, despite taking some hits on its tail and fuselage, continued flying, albeit at a more slower pace, to prevent more damage. Paul then took some hits from a Bf109 chasing him, putting bullet holes in his fuselage. He was able to shake off the Bf109, which was when a message crackled in his radio. "All Polish aircraft, retreat from Warsaw immediately and head west! The city is about to fall to the Germans! More reinforcements are coming, and we do not have enough forces to repel them! I repeat, all Polish aircraft, retreat now and head west!" Paul was extremely shocked at this statement. They were ordering them to abandon Warsaw! How could they do such a thing? He instantly sent a reply, "Control, this is Tigershark 11 here. We can't just abandon our capital like this!" "Don't worry, it's only temporary. We'll head west towards our ally, Russia, regroup, and one day, come back stronger than ever, and take back Poland!" Despite Paul feeling like that day would never come, he felt it would be wise to obey orders. "Fine. Control, this is Tigershark 11, heading west now." replied Paul, to control, as he began his turn. The eleven remaining P.11s of Tigershark Squadron had also turned west, and so had every Polish Air Force aircraft in the area. That day, over 20,000 people had died in Warsaw, most of them civilians. Despite the Polish losing over 200 aircraft that day, they had still managed to shoot down close to 130 Luftwaffe aircraft. However, this was just the beginning of the war. It would be sometime before Paul and all the other Polish military members who were still alive would see Warsaw again. > Chapter 14 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------THE PALACE OF NATIONS, GENEVA------------------------------------------------------- It was now around 1:05pm in Geneva. The princesses were in their rooms, relaxing after lunch. They still hadn't recovered from that crazy shootout earlier. Celestia was thinking about how violent that had been, when a letter appeared right in front of her, addressed from Equestria. Celestia was surprised when she received. Somehow, her subjects had been able to send a letter to her, despite her being all the way in Geneva. She opened up the letter, and it was near-coronary time. It read, "Your Highnesses, I hope your visit to the League of Nations is going well. We have some unfortunate news, however. We found the statue of Discord in the garden of Canterlot Castle, shattered and in pieces. We did some searches for magical energy, and found traces that he had somehow broken out. We have no found no traces of him either in Equestria or the Crystal Empire, which has lead us to believe that he is probably in the human world, and at the League of Nations itself. He might probably somehow try to get back at you for imprisoning him. Take care. Signed, Thunder Bolt, Commander of the Special Threat Division." Celestia realized now that the apparition of Discord she had seen for a second right after the shootout was real. She had originally thought it was an optical illusion, but now she knew that he had escaped confinement somehow. She instantly burned the letter, and teleported the ashes away. She did not want the humans to know about this, not before they had good relations with them. In fact, she was sure that the shootout was Discord's attempt at having the royals killed to get his revenge. No, Discord was a sadist. He would first want the Equestrians to suffer heavily, and then he would kill them. Celestia then gathered Luna, Cadance, Shining Armor, and Twilight in their luxurious suite's common room, and told them about what she saw and the letter she received. All of them were shocked by the fact that Discord had escaped, and especially horrified when Celestia told them her theory about Discord being responsible for the shootout. “Discord is here?” Luna exclaimed. “How is that possible? We thought he was securely imprisoned in stone.” “I don’t know, sister,” Celestia said. “But we can’t take any chances. He could be anywhere, and he could do anything. He could cause chaos and destruction, or worse." "First, we need to tell Prime Minister Chamberlain and President Roosevelt about him." They all agreed that they would keep Discord a secret from the humans for now, and would begin operations to find him once they got back to Equestria. But, first, they had to go for another meeting, starting in ten minutes. At around 1:25pm, they were just over ten minutes into the meeting, discussing the import of crude oil from the Middle East and the US, when the Polish President, Władysław Raczkiewicz came running in with some soldiers and politicians. "Everyone, everyone, the Germans have invaded..." panted Raczkiewicz, out of breath. "Calm down, Raczkiewicz. The Germans have invaded where?" asked Anne Schmidt. "The Germans... they have invaded and taken over Poland." said Raczkiewicz. "What?! I thought the Germans had signed a truce with Poland?" asked Celestia. "They seem to have violated it, as less than two hours ago, they invaded. They took our country by surprise. Our capital, Warsaw, has been overtaken by the Germans, and our military is barely alive. They have retreated to a part of the country, which is under Polish occupation. Here, take a look..." said Raczkiewicz, turning on a projector, and showing everyone. The images shocked them. It showed a city, Warsaw, to be precise. There were pictures of injured, and dead people lining the streets of the city. It showed people trying to escape from the Nazis, who were busy trying to gun everybody down. Celestia saw the bodies of numerous dead Polish soldiers, killed, trying to bravely defend their capital city. There were also numerous military planes, all wearing the Nazi Swastika, flying over the city. She instantly knew that this was Discord's work. He had staged the shootout to purposely, to persuade Hitler to invade Poland. That was when Raczkiewicz spoke up. "The current death toll is estimated to be around 40,000. Mainly civilians and Polish military." This shocked Celestia. How could they kill so many innocents, and valiant military personnel like that? She made a mental vow, that she would find Discord, and avenge the lives of all the innocents lost. That was when Prime Minister Chamberlain spoke up. "This is an outrage. It goes against humanity. We will send a message to the Germans, to pull out of Poland, one of our greatest allies, within two days. If not, we will declare war against them." That was when Albert Lebrun, the President of France, spoke up. "So will we, if the Germans do not respond. Poland is one of our biggest allies as well." Celestia was shocked at these statements. They were willing to have their militaries fight the Germans to help another country! They were truly good people for helping out a fellow nation like that. "Alright. Let's have our aircraft fly to forward bases, near the border with Poland and Germany. They will also be dispatched to the remaining parts of un-annexed Poland. Ground units will also be sent in. If the Germans do not surrender immediately, the Royal Navy will send ships to blockade German and Polish ports, which will starve them of resources, and force them to surrender. Despite the two best battleships in our fleet currently stuck in Equestria, we can still send multiple destroyers, and some of our lesser battleships as well." said Chamberlain. "Yes, that will do. Thank you, Chamberlain, and Lebrun, for helping my nation." said Raczkiewicz. "You are most welcome, Raczkiewicz. Your nation has exported its crops and minerals to us for years. We are just repaying the debt." "When will mobilization of your troops begin?" "In about an hour, when I give the orders, mobilization of British troops should begin." "Mobilization of French troops should begin around the time." said Lebrun. "Oh, good. Hopefully, the Germans will surrender, and Poland can be returned to us. Once so, we will have the Germans pay a large amount of compensation for the heavy losses taken during the invasion." said Raczkiewicz. That was Celestia spoke up. "I don't mean to intrude, but, Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Roosevelt, could we speak to you in private after this meeting?" "Sure, thing, your Highness." replied a surprised Roosevelt. "Same here, your Highness." replied Chamberlain, who was also a little surprised. Celestia hoped that they would be able to put a plan she had been working on since the last few minutes into action after the talk with Roosevelt and Chamberlain. ----------------------------------------------------------15,000 FEET OVER GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------- As this was going on in Switzerland, meanwhile, over Germany, in his big Focke-Wulf Fw200 Condor, Adolf Hitler was taking a call from the General. "Can I assume that Order 66 was executed successfully?" asked Hitler. "Yes, Fuhrer. We executed Order 66 less than ten minutes after you gave the orders. By 12:40pm, we had overtaken Warsaw, and majority of Poland is under control. The remainder of the Polish military has retreated to the western parts of the country, near Russia. We have killed over 35,000 Polish military and civilians. Unfortunately, over 5,000 of our men were killed during the operation." replied the General. "Oh, good. A pity about the men we lost. We will compensate their losses, by sending thrice the number of Polish people into the disinfectant chambers. We are planning to take over some former Polish military bases and use them as concentration camps." "I see. We will have them prepared. In the meantime, how long till you arrive back in Berlin?" "Not too long, now. We will begin the descent soon, and we should land by around 1:10pm." "Okay, I'll great you at the airport." "Alright then, see you there." said Hitler, as he hung up the phone, and decided to take a leak before they arrived in Berlin. He got up from his seat, and went into the bathroom. He finished taking nature's call, and took a look at himself in the mirror. He was admiring his face, when he saw something in the mirror. He looked at the reflection closer, and he could see a flickering form. It was not human, but something else entirely. It was a creature. It resembled dragons from Chinese mythology, but it was not a dragon. It's body shape was that of a snake. It had a horse-like head, a deer antler on one side of its head, and a unicorn horn, resembling that of the Equestrians, on the other side. It had different-sized pupils, the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle, the right leg of a lizard, and the left leg of a goat. It also had a horse's mane, a bat's right wing, and another Equestrian feature: a Pegasus left wing. This creature emanated nothing but chaos. Something he liked, which was when someone knocked on the door, and the creature's flickering form disappeared. "Fuhrer! We are beginning our descent, could you please get back to your seat?" asked the voice of one of the flight attendants. "Coming, coming." replied Hitler, as he began unlocking the bathroom door. He looked back at the mirror, but could see no sign of the creature. That was odd. He would think more about it later, once he was back in Berlin. The big Condor began its descent, and by 1:05pm, it was taxiing off the runway at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport. The plane pulled up to its stand at the VIP terminal, the four big piston engines were shut off, and the propellers stopped turning. A few black Mercedes cars pulled up next to the plane. (basically like five or six of these) Hitler and all the German politicians on board got in the cars, which then drove down to the Reichstag, which was just under half an hour from the airport. When they reached the Reichstag, they quickly went down to the main meeting room, which was highly secure, with three-foot thick steel walls even a jackhammer couldn't penetrate, and a keypad with a highly secure code that changed every day. Nobody except the highest ranking German officials, such as Hitler, Joseph Goebbels, and all the other men in their inner circle could get in this room. The men all walked in. All the others, including the Nazi military general, and Joseph Goebbels, were already there, waiting for Hitler to show up. At around 1:30pm, the door closed behind them, with a solemn thud, as Hitler sat down at the foot of the table. "Alright, let's begin the meeting." said Hitler, turning on a projector. "As you know, earlier today, after that shootout at the League of Nations, in which one of our soldiers who was promoting the Nazi cause was killed, and caused our country to leave the League of Nations, Order 66, which was the codename for the order to invade Poland, was executed. We took the Polish by surprise, and we have captured most of the country, except for a small portion near the Poland-Russia border. Take a look." said Hitler, as he began showing images on the projector. The images showed the aftermath of the invasion of Poland. The gory images of dead Polish soldiers and civilians pleased them, especially one of the main buildings of Warsaw, where the old Polish flag was torn down and replaced with the Nazi Swastika, but what angered them most was the images of the dead German soldiers. They were then discussing how many old Polish Army bases would soon be turned into concentration camps, when suddenly, the power went out. "Don't panic, everyone, the backup generator will come on in just a second." said Goebbels. Thankfully, the backup generator did come on around twenty seconds later. But they realized that their walkie-talkies were not working. In fact, they were fuzzy, and Hitler probably guessed the soldiers would be trying to get back in contact with them, and figure out why they had lost contact like that. "Don't panic, everyone. I will try and open the door, and then we can figure out why we lost our communications." said Goebbels, trying to reassure everyone. He then went to try and open the door, but when he tried to turn the large vault-like handle, it would not open. "What is this? The door won't open!" shouted Goebbels, causing everyone to fear they would die of starvation in the meeting room. "Ah, that is because, I temporarily may or may not have melted the door's electronic components with that power surge, Joseph." said a new voice, in perfect German, with an accent. One that was sinister, yet had a certain tone about it that the Nazis liked. "Who are you?! How do you know my first name?! How did you melt the electronic components of the door?! SHOW YOURSELF!" shouted a panicked Goebbels, who was hyperventilating badly. "Ah, Joseph. I will show myself to you, Adolf, and the rest of the main Nazi leadership in a minute or so. You will be in here for the next ten to fifteen minutes, anyways, since the soldiers outside are busy getting cutters to try and open the door." said the voice. "What?! Now show yourself! We don't like talking to just voices unless its on a telephone, you see. And also, no one calls me by just my first name!" said Hitler. "Alright, then, I shall show myself. However, I do have a natural form, which might scare some of you, so, is it fine if I quickly shapeshift into one of you guys?" asked the voice. "As much as I would like to see your natural form, I don't think I would like to scare my inner circle, so yes." replied Hitler, who suspected he knew who this voice was. "Alright, don't be too frightened by my appearance." said the voice, as a man appeared into the room, out of nowhere. He was a handsome German guy with blond hair, probably in his early thirties, dressed all in black. Black shoes, black pants, black shirt, even a black jacket. He looked like a normal German human male, except for the fact that he was dressed all in black, and had a pretty sinister smile on his face. "Well, this is my human form. I am Discord, the spirit of chaos." introduced the man. "What do you mean spirit of chaos?" asked Hitler, who found himself liking Discord already. "Ah, well, as the title suggests, I cause chaos. Lots of chaos. I thrive in it. I revel in it. In some ways, Hitler, you and I are not so different." "Ah, you hate Jews too?" "Well, not really. My hate is for the Equestrians. It is probably as much as your hate for Jews." That statement by Discord, shocked everyone. They did not expect him to be against the Equestrians, especially when they came in peace. "Why so? Why do you hate the Equestrians, when they come in peace?" "They are not that peaceful. They imprisoned me, for some harmless mischief, that too! They stuck me in stone, for over 300 years! It was only when Equestria was transported to Earth, that I was able to free myself!" shouted Discord. "Wait, what? Just for harmless mischief? You say you are the spirit of chaos, so you must have done something bad to get yourself imprisoned in stone for 300 years." replied Hitler. "Nothing much, really. I just caused some chocolate to flood an Equestrian town, and I stopped the Sun and the Moon from rotating around Equis, the home planet from which we came. And for that, they imprisoned me!" "What? You stopped the Sun and Moon from rotating around Equis?" "Yes. I have quite a bit of power, you see. I could easily turn Earth's Moon to fragments, cause earthquakes, and other such things." That statement made the Nazis even more happy. If Discord was willing to side with them, his powers would be useful. For instance, if the British tried to do something, they could probably have Discord destroy a city to stop them. That was when they realized that the soldiers had almost finished cutting through the door. They were only about three minutes from opening it. ". Also, I almost forgot, I got you these." said Discord, handing the Nazis a large document. When they opened it, it stunned them all. The General spoke up first. "Oh, My God. These are the plans for..." "Yes. The Hawker Hurricane. The current British frontline fighter. These are the original plans. I replaced them with perfect copies, so the Hawker engineers wouldn't know that they were gone." "But..... how?" asked Hitler. "I have my ways. I'll try and get you plans for the Spitfire, and maybe more of the British military's equipment, later. But first, a deal. If you let me stay in your country, and conduct my own black experiments, I will do all this for you. Is that clear?" "I accept these conditions, Discord." replied Hitler, much to the happiness of the Nazis. That was when the soldiers finally cut the door open, and when they saw the strange man, they instantly raised their guns. Hitler instantly waved them down. "Soldiers, he is an ally, willing to help us conquer Europe. Lower your guns." The soldiers instantly complying, wondering how this man had managed to get in the room. It was almost 2:00pm by the time Hitler and his men had finally gotten out of the room, along with Discord. They couldn't believe the whole ordeal had lasted just under half an hour. They hoped that with Discord's help, they could finally take Europe all for themselves. > Chapter 15 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------PALACE OF NATIONS, GENEVA----------------------------------------------------------- It was now 2:40pm. The meeting with the world leaders had gone well. Equestria had signed deals with some Middle Eastern countries for the import of crude oil, and a deal with Russia for the import of wheat. They were now on their way for the meeting with Chamberlain and Roosevelt, where they would tell them about Discord. Hopefully, this would help Chamberlain know what the British military was up against, and hope that they would be able to fight back against the Nazis. Celestia also had a strategy of her own up her hoof to help Britain and France out. They reached the room, the same one they had first met the two world leaders, for this meeting. Chamberlain and Roosevelt were already there, when the ponies arrived. The two world leaders had a bit of a concerned look on their faces. Not surprising considering the way Celestia had asked for a private meeting. "Ah, Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Roosevelt, sorry about that. Something came up, which we just had to discuss with you." "What is it, your Highnesses?" asked Chamberlain. "Well, we have just found out a new threat has escaped our nation, and came to your world." said Celestia. "What?! What is this threat?" asked a shocked Chamberlain. "Well, I suppose you have read our history?" "Yes, but how does it pertain to this threat?" "Well, the threat is Discord, the spirit of chaos. He has escaped from his imprisonment, and come to the human world. I have no doubt he is responsible for that shootout earlier today. He probably possessed that German soldier to start the shootout, and start the German invasion of Poland. No doubt he wants the war to occur." That shocked Chamberlain and Roosevelt, as they had thought Discord was still imprisoned, back in Equestria. Now he was loose in their world. But first they needed proof. "How did you find about this?" asked Roosevelt. Celestia instantly realized she had made a mistake by burning the letter she had received earlier that day. But that was when Luna saved the day, by showing a letter she had received. "Mr. Roosevelt, I had received this letter earlier today. Take a look." said Luna, levitating the letter to Roosevelt, who took it, opened it, and began reading. Now it was him and Chamberlain's turn to nearly have a coronary. The letter was pretty much a carbon copy of the one Celestia had received. Celestia was a little unhappy with Luna for not telling her about the fact that she had also received a letter. But she would chew her out for that later. Celestia was the first to speak up. "You see, if Discord is free, I have no doubt that he has made a deal with the Nazis." said Celestia. "Oh, no, this means the Italians and Japanese are next too!" said Chamberlain. "Wait, why the Italians and Japanese too? I thought they were still here?" asked Celestia. "The Italian Fascist dictator, Mussolini, left for Germany an hour ago, and the Japanese Emperor, Hirohito, couldn't make it to the League of Nations, but we received intel from our intelligence services that he is also on his way to Germany as well, and will reach in under three hours! Italy and Japan are Germany's two closest allies. We call them the Axis powers. I guarantee that they will also make deals with Discord as well!" "Oh no. If they do so, the war will become worse. I guarantee you the Italians will fight against the British and French forces, and Japan will continue the war against China." "What do you suggest we do, your Highnesses?" "Well, first things first, let us keep the news of Discord away from the general public, and restrict it only to top military units and world leaders." "Yes, let us do that. It's better we don't cause mass worldwide panic." "Mr. Roosevelt, I would recommend that America doesn't enter the war for as long as possible. Knowing Discord, he will find some way to make sure your country is involved in the war." "We weren't planning on going to war anyway, unless we are attacked first." replied Roosevelt. "Oh, good. Mr. Chamberlain, I assume mobilization of your military has begun?" "Yes, the first set of Royal Air Force planes arrived in non-annexed Poland some time back, and the third set of Royal Army units is on their way. Also, the first set of Royal Navy ships is on its way." replied Chamberlain. "Oh, I see. Try not to engage until the deadline is over. Also, we have a request for you." "What is it, your Highnesses?" "We request that you admit Equestrians to your military. We can send them, and once they have finished training, and getting used to human technology, they can go to the front. We also request military equipment, for our own modernized military." "Your Majesty.... are you sure that is a good idea? Your lands appeared on our world just a few days back, and already you are throwing your citizens into a war? You are sending them straight on the highway to the danger zone. They might die, you realize." "I know, but millions more will die if we don't stop Discord. He is out to destroy this world." "I see. We will wait till the deadline for the Germans to pull out of Poland. If they do not pull out of Poland, and a war starts, then we shall put your plan into action." "Hopefully, it works, and we can stop Discord, without much loss of life from either side." "I too hope so, your Highnesses. If it doesn't work, may God help us all." --------------------------------------------------------------THE REICHSTAG, BERLIN--------------------------------------------------------------- Hitler was standing outside the main door of the Reichstag building, waiting for Hirohito to show up. It was now almost 6:00pm. Mussolini had arrived an hour earlier, and was waiting in the conference room, as the main meeting room still had not been fixed from Discord's arrival. Last he had heard, Hirohito's plane had landed at Tempelhof Airport successfully. He was thinking about how Discord would be useful to the Nazis' goals, when he saw seven black government Mercedes cars approaching the building. Hirohito's convoy. The black Mercedes stopped, and Hirohito came out. He looked happy to see Hitler, and the two embraced each other. "Hiroheeto, my friend. How are you doing?" asked Hitler. "Very good, Adolf. What about you? I heard you invaded Poland." said Hirohito. "Yes, we invaded Poland. Zey killed one of our soldiers at the ze League of Nations, but we were planning to invade zem anyways, so that just gave us an excuze to do so." replied Hitler. "I thought so, my friend. Anyways, I heard you have something to show me and Mussolini?" "Yes, it is something amazing." said Hitler, as the two walked into the Reichstag, surrounded by guards. They went to the main meeting room, where Mussolini was waiting. The trio of dictators happily greeted each other, where Hitler revealed that it was a person he wanted to show them, not a thing. They were waiting, when Discord appeared, still in human form. "Hello, Mussolini, and Hirohito." said Discord. "Who are you?! How did you appear out of nowhere like zat?!" shouted a scared Mussolini, while Hirohito just watched in horror. "Ah, Mussolini, I am Discord, the spirit of chaos." "What do you mean?" asked Mussolini, fearfully. "Well, I am an enemy of the Equestrians. I did some harmless mischief to them, such as drowning a whole town in chocolate, and robbing their planetary system of its gravitational movement, for which they imprisoned me in stone for a thousand years. I was freed only when something transported their world to Earth." "Wait, what?! A thousand years? You zaid your imprisonment was only 300 years!" said Hitler. "Sorry about that, Hitler. Time isn't the same in imprisonment. While I thought only 300 years had passed, it was actually a thousand years." "Also, how powerful are you?" asked Hirohito. "Well, I could probably destroy this planet's Moon, and make the fragments rain down on Earth. That is 10% of my power, right there." said Discord, calmly. "What?! What ees 100% of your power, zen?" asked Mussolini. "Well, I don't know, as I have never used all 100% of my power." said Discord. "I hope we never have to zee what zat looks like." said Mussolini. "Well, fear not, I will not use it. Anyways, I have something for you." said Discord, as he pulled out the documents for the Hawker Hurricane's plans, and showed it to Mussolini and Hirohito, who were instantly amazed, on reading the plans. "How did you get zis?" "I told Hitler earlier, I have my ways. But I do have to ask something of you." "What is it, Discord?" asked Hirohito. "I want to conduct some black experiments of my own, in return for helping you in the war. I want labs, the best, set up in both your countries, Mussolini and Hirohito." "Sure, we accept ze conditions, but what about the expenses?" said Mussolini. "As for the expenses related to the setting up of these labs, put them as war costs." "Alright, shall we make plans for the war, as we will not respond to Britain and France's demands?" asked Hitler. "Yes, lets." said the three world leaders, as they and Discord sat down to prepare their plans. It was now almost 6:30pm, as they did this. They would be up well till midnight doing this. -------------------------------------------------------THE PALACE OF NATIONS, GENEVA------------------------------------------------------- It was now 7:00pm. Their plan discussion with Chamberlain and Roosevelt had ended an hour ago. Luna, Cadance, Twilight, and Shining Armor, despite being a little horrified at Celestia's plan, agreed it was the only way to stop Discord. They were now about to settle down for dinner, and they were discussing Celestia's plan. "'Tia, are you sure of this? We are sending our little ponies to war, in unknown places. Are you sure we cannot have the British forces deal with Discord for us?" asked Luna. "Luna, the human forces will not know what they are dealing with, even with better weaponry. They will have no chance against Discord. Sending our ponies in is the only way to stop him and prevent casualties on both sides." said Celestia. "I know, 'Tia. It's just, I'm concerned about how they will take to being dropped in a battlefield like that. The humans are nice, but their wars are awful. I mean, look at what the Germans did to Poland, in the pictures they showed us. How do we send them into that?" replied Luna. “'Tia, I understand your point. But we must also consider the safety of our ponies. We cannot just send them into battle without proper protection,” said Cadance. “I agree with Cadance. We need to make sure that our ponies have the best possible equipment to protect themselves,” added Shining Armor. Celestia nodded. “I understand your concerns, but we have already taken care of that. The ponies will be equipped with the latest armor and weaponry. They will also be accompanied by experienced human soldiers who will guide them through the battlefield.” Luna looked relieved. “Thank you, 'Tia. I feel much better now.” Twilight smiled. “We’re all in this together. We’ll do whatever it takes to stop Discord and bring peace to Equestria.” The group then sat down for dinner, discussing their plan in detail and preparing to leave for Equestria early tomorrow. > Chapter 16 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2ND SEPTEMBER 1939 ------------------------------------------------------THE PALACE OF NATIONS, GENEVA-------------------------------------------------------- It was 4:30am in the morning. The princesses were packing up their final things, getting ready for the six-hour flight back to Manehattan, on the same plane they had arrived on, the 307 Stratoliner. Their visit had been cut short by war preparations. Celestia was also nervous about how the public would take the news once they returned to Equestria. Sure, the renaming of their currency from the bit to the Equestrian dollar would be nerve-racking, and the shift to paper currency would be hard on the Equestrian economy. But the fact that they would soon go to war was also pretty scary, considering it had been just a week since their arrival on Earth. She knew multiple Equestrians would die, and so would a lot of humans, but it was the only way to prevent Discord from destroying Earth. This was truly a case of cutting off an infected arm to save the rest of the body. Then, again, it was the only way. They finished packing up, and the Royal Guards were also ready. Some of the Equestrian diplomats would stay back at the League of Nations, to handle the negotiations with the rest of the world leaders. Their flight would be leaving in an hour and a half, and by 4:40am, they were all at the entrance to the Palace of Nations, bidding farewell to some of the world leaders, such as Roosevelt, Chamberlain, and Lebrun. Their flight would arrive in Manehattan at 12:30pm Geneva time, or 10:00am Equestria time. "I do hope that our plan works, Mr. Chamberlain." said Celestia. "Hopefully it does, your Highness. If it doesn't, may God help us all." replied Chamberlain. The ponies then bid farewell, as they hopped into the six black cars that had brought them there when they had arrived. Again, it was only a short ten-minute drive to the airport, and by 5:00am, they were outside the posh VIP terminal, where they underwent security checks, which annoyed some of the Royal Guards. They had an hour before their plane left, so they all went to the breakfast buffet, and enjoyed the large number of foods on offer. There were multiple cuisines: French, Swiss, Russian, Indian, British, Mexican, so many choices. The princesses, and Shining Armor chose some Indian cuisine, particularly masala dosas. These thin savory pancakes were stuffed with potato curry, making it a yummy and spicy breakfast food. Some of the Royal Guards felt that the Indian and Mexican food was too spicy for their liking, and ended up having a full French breakfast instead. At last, at 5:45am, around fifteen minutes before they were scheduled to depart, the ponies walked onto the tarmac, and boarded the big plane. Air travel had awed them so much that Twilight, who had written to her friends a lot about air travel since their arrival in Geneva, was already drawing up plans for future Equestrian and Crystal Empirean airlines, using data on aircraft she had found at the Palace of Nations. A few minutes later, the four piston engines were started, and the big propeller airliner began taxiing to the runway. Takeoff was smoother than it was from Manehattan, probably because they were using a tarmac runway this time, unlike the dirt runway in Manehattan. The flight was uneventful, with some minor turbulence along the way. The meal service was also delightful, although not as good as the one at the airport. Finally, at around 9:50am Equestria time, earlier than their scheduled arrival time, they were on final approach to Manehattan Airfield. The big plane pulled off a smooth touchdown and began slowing down. The plane stopped, and the propellers shut off. The doors opened, and the princesses got out to a loud crowd, all being held back from the airfield by a large number of Royal Guards. As they got out, Celestia looked at the plane. It would head back to Geneva in an hour. As they left the airfield and entered the city, she was planning her address to the nation that evening in Canterlot. One would also occur in the Crystal Empire as well. This would announce the decision of the Equestrians to go to war. She knew it would cause a lot of uproar, sending her little ponies to war, in a world they did not know so well. But, again, it was the only way to stop Discord. She was thinking of how to announce this, when Ambassador Rockmond, who had been with them during the whole trip, asked Celestia something. "Your Highnesses, I assume you are prepared for the announcement of our decision, right?" "Yes, Mr. Rockmond, I am. I plan to announce it later in the day." said Celestia. "How do you think your citizens will react, when they find out about your decision to do this?" "Not too positively, that is for sure." "Well, they'll later find out what war is like. Anyways, we are actually going to have to keep some of our warships here for a few months." "Why is that so, Mr. Rockmond?" asked Celestia. "They will act like American embassies, in a way, until the infrastructure in Equestria is upgraded. We will have monthly crew rotations, with other ships coming in. Once that is done, and a permanent embassy building is constructed, we can take them back to our home country." "As I much as I am concerned about having a large warship like that docked at a major city, it will do, I suppose." "Don't worry, your Majesty. Nothing should happen while it is here." "Hopefully.... " said Celestia, turning away from Rockmond, and turning to Wood. "Your Highness, for the same reason, we are also keeping some of our ships here." said Wood. "That's fine, I suppose." said Celestia. "Your Highnesses, uh, could we speak to you in private for a minute?" "Yes, sure thing, Mr. Wood, and Mr. Rockmond. What is it?" "Well, we are concerned that the Germans might try to attack your countries by air. We would like to build a few more airstrips around the border, and station Royal Air Force fighter aircraft there." "Fighter aircraft? Again, I'm not sure that is a good idea, but I am a little concerned about an aerial attack by the Germans, so sure, you may station some in our countries." "Don't worry, your Highnesses. Our militaries will try to protect your nations as best as possible." Over the next two hours, time went slowly, as the princesses went back to the conference center, where they were discussing things with the rest of the Equestrian bureaucracy. They were also preparing to begin the change from the bit to the Equestrian dollar. The new currency note's design had been agreed upon, and that announcement would also be made that evening. It would be made in Canterlot. Since there wasn't an airfield where an aircraft could land in Canterlot, the princesses would use teleportation to take the humans to the venues of the addresses (in this case, Canterlot, and Crystal Castle). At 11:30am, after lunch, Celestia, Luna, and Cadance told Wood and Rockmond what they were planning. They were pretty excited to see what something as fantastical as teleportation felt like in real life. The princesses had informed them, that despite being convenient, teleportation used a lot of energy, therefore, they mainly used it only for special cases, such as this. They were also excited to see Canterlot and the Crystal Empire for the first time. Twilight would also be coming to the Canterlot address, with her friends. At 1:30pm, after reassuring their men, Rockmond, Wood, and a few others, went off to join the princesses. Rockmond and a few American diplomats would join Cadance at the Crystal Empire, while Wood and a few British diplomats would join Celestia and Luna in Canterlot. They were excited to see the capitals of the Equestrians and the Crystal Empireans, and especially excited to see what it felt like being teleported. At 1:40pm, the humans met up with the princesses. "Alright, is everyone ready?" asked Luna. "All ready over here, your Highnesses." replied Wood. "Cadance, all good at your end?" asked Luna. "Yes, we're all good over here." "Alright, here we go..." said Luna, as she, Celestia, and Cadance began the teleportation spells. The humans felt like they were about to be sucked into large pipes. They felt as their feet were lifted up into the air, and everything became a superfast blur, as they were teleported. The next thing Wood knew, he was right outside the beautiful city of Canterlot, which looked more beautiful than in the pictures he had seen of it in the museum. It was a beautiful city, built into a hill. Despite it looking precarious, it had been there for over 2,000 years, so it was pretty safe. He wondered how they would build an airport there. Thankfully, the hill wasn't too high, and there looked like a decent area, around half an hour away by car, where they could build an airport, with around two or three runways, and a safe approach and departure path. The humans walked into the city, and they could see all the other ponies looking at them, some in fear, some in awe. They were all more richer than the ponies in Manehattan, from the way they were dressed and walking. One of them, a brown Earth pony, was even wearing a collar and tie, like an Earthly businessman or world leader. They were discussing business deals and what not with their comrades, probably thinking how they would make use of human technology. Probably discussing airlines, oil companies, and other such things. They couldn't believe how beautiful the city was, and they were now approaching the Royal Castle. The gates opened, and they went in. The castle was large, and they all went to the conference room, where they would be staying until they went back to Manehattan. The castle's conference room was more lavish than the one they were at in Manehattan, and it had waiters serving refreshments every few minutes. Some of the appetizers were pretty similar to Earthly dishes. They then met some Equestrian diplomats, and told them about their plans. They were willing to help the humans build an airport near Canterlot, but it would take a while, so until then, to get the ponies to the UK, they would have to go to Manehattan, and have RAF planes take them to military training camps in Britain. They would be randomly distributed into Army, Navy, and Air Force. The military planners were already modifying several aircraft, ships, and tanks so ponies could operate them, and from now on, all new vehicles to roll off assembly lines, no matter if they were cars, trains, planes, or ships, would be pony-compatible. It was now 3:00pm. Crowds were starting to arrive. The address that would send Equestria to war would take place in half an hour. > Chapter 17 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 3:20pm in Equestria. Celestia and Luna's address that would put the country in war would begin in ten minutes. The human ambassadors and their retinue were also there, and they would be in the front row, with the VIPs, who had come from all parts of Equestria. Pretty much all of Equestria's 200 million-strong population was present there. They all wanted to know what this was about. All the announcement for this had said was 'something that would shake our whole nation to its core.' They were all anxious and nervous to know. Wood was also nervous, hoping that the Equestrians wouldn't riot on hearing the fact that they were about to go to war. Just a few rows behind him, Twilight was sitting with her friends. She already know what they were about to head into, and they hadn't told anyone. They were extremely nervous, although Rainbow Dash was hoping she would be able to join the Royal Air Force and fly a plane, as she had gotten extremely crazy about them ever since Twilight had told her about them. At 3:25pm, the address was about to begin. The ponies were nervous, as an anchor came onto the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, our rulers will begin their address in just five minutes. I request everyone to stay in their seats, and please wait patiently." At exactly 3:30pm, Celestia and Luna came up on the stage, cleared their throats, and began the address. "Ladies and gentlemen, we thank you coming to Canterlot on such short notice. This will shake our nation to its very core. I assume you have all read the news reports from our League of Nations visit?" said Celestia. The entire audience nodded. They had read about the shootout and the fact that a war had started between Poland and Germany, and two of the countries of the League of Nations was supporting Poland, and would fight with Germany if need be. "Well, I'm guessing you know there is a war on, but this is what our announcement is about. Equestria, and the Crystal Empire, will be joining the war." At this statement, the whole crowd was shocked. They were not expecting to enter a war, so soon after arriving on Earth. What would happen? Where would they fight? Why were they joining the war? What about the magic limits? How would they deal with those? "I know you are probably asking why we are joining the war, but, due to security reasons, we cannot reveal that right now. But, you won't be fighting right away. You will be sent for training to Britain, an Earthly country which is one of the most powerful on Earth. After a month or two of training, you will be sent to the frontlines. You will be randomly distributed into their military's three arms: Army, Navy, and Air Force. Go to our recruiting offices. All citizens above the age of 18 years must try to enlist, and fight for our country." said Luna. All the citizens looked worried. What would a human military be like? How would their weaponry be? Which parts of Earth would they be fighting in? Poland? Germany? "I know it is a hard request on all of you, but we will fight, to protect our homeland, and Earth's nations." said Celestia. The audience broke into a mix of cheers and tears, more than willing to save their nation, and a whole planet. The first one to respond was Rainbow Dash. "I will join!" shouted Dash. "So will I!" shouted Applejack "So will I!" shouted Rarity and Pinkie Pie. More shouts of willingness to join came from the other citizens of Equestria. They were all willing to join the war, and protect their nation. Although the common Equestrians did not know, this war had been started by their ancient enemy. They would be walking into the toughest challenge their country had ever faced. Celestia and Luna were instantly surprised by how many Equestrians were willing to volunteer for the war. They weren't expecting so many, and neither was Wood. He better call in more planes, and hoped the Equestrian recruiting offices would be able to handle the large amount of citizens enlisting in the war. ---------------------------------------------------------------THE CRYSTAL EMPIRE------------------------------------------------------------------ Meanwhile, in the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadance's address was about to start. She and Shining Armor were already on the stage. Rockmond and his retinue were again in the front row of the seating, just outside the beautiful Crystal Castle. He could see how beautiful the city was, and he could also see the Crystal Heart, the object that powered the Crystal Empire's shield. He couldn't believe just being a loving person would fuel it. Again, pretty much all of the 50 million ponies living in the Crystal Empire were here. As his watch ticked 3:40pm, the address began. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming on such short notice. This announcement will shake our nation to its core. I assume you have been reading about the events on Earth, and our League of Nations visit?" asked Cadance. The audience nodded. They had also closely followed the visit to the League of Nations, and the crazy shootout. The events on Earth were also known, as such the invasion of Poland by Germany. "Well, I'm guessing you know there is a war on, but this is what our announcement is about. The Crystal Empire, along with our neighboring nation, Equestria, will be joining the war." At this statement, the whole crowd was shocked. They were not expecting to enter a war, so soon after arriving on Earth. What would happen? Where would they fight? Why were they joining the war? How would they deal with those? "I know you are probably asking why we are joining the war, but, due to security reasons, we cannot reveal that right now. But, you won't be fighting right away. You will be sent for training to Britain, an Earthly country which is one of the most powerful on Earth. After a month or two of training, you will be sent to the frontlines. You will be randomly distributed into their military's three arms: Army, Navy, and Air Force. Go to our recruiting offices. All citizens above the age of 18 years must try to enlist, and fight for our country." said Shining Armor. This sent the whole audience into craziness. One part was protesting this, and the part was silent in fear. Why was their ruler doing this? Was she trying to kill them all? The Crystal Empire had just returned from a 1,000 year disappearance two months earlier, and already they were being thrown into something that was super new to them. Why? Why them? "I know it is a lot to ask of you, and believe me, I don't want to throw you into a large conflict such as this, but it is the only way to defend our nation. I request you all to enlist." said Cadance. Although the audience's panic reduced with Cadance's words, a few were still skeptical. They were still wondering if Cadance was insane, to send them into a warzone like that. They hoped that they wouldn't have to fight too much in the war, since they were new to this world. -----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------ At Canterlot, the address, and most of the crowd had run off to nearby recruiting offices, to enlist. Wood was talking with the princesses, about how they would send the ponies to Britain. They would be using both ships and planes. RAF planes would arrive at Manehattan, until new airstrips were built, and British passenger ships had temporarily been requisitioned for this purpose, to transport the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans to the British military bases. Again, Manehattan would be used until new ports could be constructed. They were also thinking about arms deals. In fact, Wood was thinking about what equipment Britain would be able to sell the US. "How was the address?" asked Celestia. "It went pretty okay. There were some protests, but most ponies were willing to enlist." said Cadance. "Good. Also, Shining Armor, Wood here has some plans he would like to talk to you about." said Celestia. "Oh, sure. Wood, what is this about?" asked Shining Armor. "Well, I have some plans for selling military equipment to your country." "Alright. What kind of equipment?" asked Shining Armor, curious about what sort of equipment they would offer. "Well, first, for ground soldiers, body armor is being developed, specially tailored to an Equestrian body. We are willing to set up a factory to manufacture it here in Equestria. We can also manufacture all the different types of helmets in Equestria." explained Wood. "That would do very well, yes. It will be worth having protection from all those bullets." replied Shining Armor. "Alright, second thing we need is guns. For now, we can supply Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifles, Bren light machine guns, and Enfield No. 2 revolvers to Equestria. They are the standard guns in the Royal Army, so it helps out with training, and technical support." "Alright, will you be manufacturing those here as well?" "No, we will ship them in from Britain for now. We'll wait some more time before setting up a weapons factory in Equestria." "I can't blame you. I'd be cautious about setting up a weapons factory in a new land as well. Alright, what about explosives?" "The explosives we can manufacture in Equestria. We can manufacture smoke grenades, regular hand grenades, anti-tank grenades, anti-personnel landmines, and anti-tank landmines here. Things like anti-tank guns, howitzers, and coastal defence batteries, anti-aircraft artillery and what not, we can ship in." "Whoa, that's a lot of explosives, but sure, we need all the military capability we can get. What about vehicles?" "We can manufacture smaller vehicles, such as armored cars, jeeps, motorcycles, and smaller trucks here. Bigger trucks, and tanks will have to be, again, shipped in. Also, here's what we'll do for the Navy. I can have the Royal Navy lease our training ship, the HMS Nile, to your Navy, to train Equestrian sailors on modern ships. I can also have a few frigates or destroyers leased to start off your Navy until you can procure your own ships. I may also be able to get a lease of one of our older aircraft carriers as well." "Alright, that seems good. I'm just wondering, could you give us technical support to build a shipyard?" "Yes, sure. We can do so, and bring a lot of jobs to your country." "Sounds good to me. Alright, last thing before we discuss the prices. What about our Air Force? What kind of aircraft can you offer?" asked Shining Armor. "Well, we can't offer fighters just yet, since you don't have trained pilots. But we can offer training aircraft. We can offer you our Slingsby Kirby Cadet gliders. They are used for basic flight training. We can also sell you our Avro Tutor biplanes and Miles Magister monoplanes. They are also used in basic flight training, to learn to fly powered aircraft. Then, we have the more specialized training aircraft, such as the Miles Master. It is used in advanced flight training for fighter pilots. We are also offering Airspeed Oxfords. They are twin-engine aircraft used for training pilots to fly bombers and transport aircraft. Once the Equestrian Air Force has a decent number of trained pilots, we can send in fighters and bombers." "Ah, I see. Now coming to prices. All this equipment, what is the total cost we are paying for all that, plus infrastructure, and also, when should it all be delivered?" "Well, it should cost around 60 million pounds, or around 60 million Equestrian dollars. But, due to your current nations' current financial situation, you'll be paying only a fraction of the price." "Wait, what?! Why are you being so generous?" asked Shining Armor. "Well, your rulers saved that League of Nations soldier, who happened to be British. If they had not intervened, and he had died, it would have caused an even larger shootout, with more loss of life. As a token of gratitude for preventing further fatalities, Prime Minister Chamberlain has agreed to the price cuts. But, lets make a formal deal first, alright?" "Sure thing, Mr. Wood." replied Shining Armor, as he and Wood went off to sign the paperwork required to make the arms deal. This deal would later be called the kick-starter of Equestrian industrialization. Little did they know, that the Equestrians' bank accounts would take a ton of damage, over the next few years. > Chapter 18 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------ It was now close to 8:30pm in Germany, which meant it was around 6:00pm in Equestria. Discord was walking around the building. All the equipment was perfect, freshly shipped from a factory. He admired the equipment. It would soon create chaos, the one thing he loved most. He thrived on it, he fed on it, he sustained on it, thought Discord, as he admired the equipment. He was thinking how to go about his eleventh set of experiments, when one of the German scientists he had hired came in. "Mr. Discord, from where do you want to get the test subjects for the experiments?" asked the scientist. Discord had already been planning on how to do the first few sets. "Well, I say we should get them from all the concentration camps. It's not worth using one of our own citizens." replied Discord. "Yes, that is a good idea, and it will truly show them that we Nazis do not accept non-Aryans or traitors to our nation! I will call the camps, and have them truck the subjects in!" said the scientist. "Good, let's get the first ones in within another two days." said Discord, as the scientist went into the office to make the calls. Discord sighed to himself, and continued to admire the lab. As he walked by a large reflective piece of equipment, his form flickered a little, and his true form was visible for a second. Thankfully, no one saw it. He wasn't ready to reveal his true form just yet. In the meantime, he'd better go back to planning. ----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------- The three princesses were standing on the balcony of the castle. To make sure none of the Equestrians lost all their magic in the middle of a battlefield, Twilight was able to decipher the spell behind the magic bubble that covered Equestria and the Crystal Empire, and planned to extend it across the whole of Earth. It would extend to close to the end of Earth's atmosphere, so that way, ponies in planes could also have magic, Twilight had said. It was around 6:10pm, when Twilight showed up. "Sorry I'm late, I was preparing to cast the spell. It's going to be exhausting, even if all of us do it together." explained Twilight. "I see. Well, are we ready?" asked Celestia. "Yep, all good here, sister." said Luna. "Same here." said Cadance. "Alright, here we go..." said Celestia, as the three princesses, and Twilight, began casting the spell. Their horns all began glowing, and they began the casting of the spell. A large pillar of white light lit up the Equestrian sky, as the magic bubble was extended all over Earth. It was visible all the way in Manehattan. It lasted a full minute. The second the spell was finished, Twilight collapsed to the floor in exhaustion. "Twilight! Are you okay?" asked Cadance. "I'm fine. Just need to sleeeep.... " said Twilight, as she slept off, and began snoring. "Well, I'll take her back to her room. You also get some rest, alright, 'Tia, Luna?" "Yep, we'll also sleep off. I'm a little tired." said Celestia. However, later that night, while the rest of the ponies were asleep, Luna couldn't sleep. It was around 10:00pm, when she decided to go on dream duty, since she missed doing so. Without waking anyone else, she smoothly flew out the balcony, and began using her dream magic. Within a few seconds, Luna was in the dreamscape. She flew over the dream Equestria. She didn't go into the rich ponies' dreams. To them, a nightmare was getting a hangnail, or getting a stain on their suit. As she flew over the dream Ponyville, there were some mild nightmares there, but nothing too much to worry about. Majority of the nightmares were of the ponies, dreaming about how terrifying the war would be. She was able to quickly stop those nightmares, and continue on. There were more such nightmares in Equestria and the Crystal Empire as well, but again, Luna was able to stop those. However, she saw the color red, that of a nightmare of the worst kind, on her peripheral vision. She instantly flew in that direction, towards Manehattan. As she arrived, she saw that that nightmare was coming from the USS Colorado. She quicky entered that nightmare, and saw something horrifying. It was a huge battlefield, with multiple destroyed tanks and military vehicles. The bodies of dead human soldiers were lying everywhere, and Luna recognized this. It was the Great War, probably somewhere in Belgium. She had seen images of this conflict at the League of Nations, but never imagined it to be this horrible. Amidst the carnage, she saw a few intact tanks, and in one of them, she noticed who was having this nightmare. It was Dennis Rockmond, the American ambassador. He was around twenty years younger in this dream, and Luna remembered he had mentioned something about his own past a couple of days earlier, at the Manehattan Museum. This was probably it. She watched as Rockmond, whose uniform read 'Commander', began moving his tank. "Dennis, what do we do?" asked one of the soldiers . "We charge forward towards those enemy tanks, John. We're destroying them no matter what." said Rockmond. "Are you sure? We might die." replied the man. "Many more will die if we don't destroy those German tanks. Plus, Jimmy and his crew are gonna label me a coward for the rest of my life. Come on, let's get to it. The Three Tanketeers are back, baby!" said Rockmond, as the tanks continued charging at each other. Luna watched as the clash between the American and German tanks began. "Yeah, baby! The Tanketeers rock!" shouted John. She could tell that he and Rockmond were clearly good friends, the way they called themselves. "Chris, how's it going?" asked Rockmond to another young man in the tank. "Pretty good here, Dennis. We've destroyed close to six German tanks so far, and the remaining few tanks seem to be retreating." replied Chris. "Good, lets chase those cowards out of here!" shouted Rockmond, as they began going after the tanks. Suddenly, they were horrified as more enemy tanks were seen. They had called in reinforcements. "Shit, shit, shit! They called in backup!" shouted Chris. "We can't survive long enough without backup, and they can't get here in time. We're fucked! Let's get outta here!" shouted another man, over the tank's radio. "Nope, we can, Jimmy! You and your guys are just cowards! We're taking them on!" shouted Rockmond, clearly wanting to outshine Jimmy. "Dennis, are you crazy?! We can't take them on like that!" said Chris. "Yes, we can! I'm improving our kill record! I've had enough of being outshined by Jimmy and his crew everytime! We're doing this!" shouted Rockmond, clearly not willing to retreat, as he started moving the tank forwards, at high speed. "Dennis, are you mad?!" replied John. "That's Commander Rockmond to you, John, and no, I am not mad!" shouted Rockmond, as he accelerated the tank straight towards the German tanks. Luna watched horrifyingly as Rockmond and crew's tank charged towards the German tanks. At first, they did well, catching them by surprise, and destroying close to four tanks, but then, Rockmond's tank took a direct hit. "Chris! John! Are you okay?" asked a panicked Rockmond to the two young men, who seemed to be either dead or knocked out. That was when the tank caught fire, which began spreading rapidly. "Oh, no! I better get out of here!" shouted Rockmond, as he instantly climbed out of the burning tank. As he was about to run away from the burning tank, that was when he heard the screams. "Dennis! Where are you?! It's burning in here!" shouted the voices of Chris and John. Rockmond instantly realized that Chris and John had probably been knocked out when the tank was hit, but only now had woken up. Rockmond instantly ran back towards the tank, when it suddenly exploded, throwing him back to the ground. Rockmond watched in horror, and began to cry, realizing both his best friends had died. Luna wanted to see no more, and ended the horrifying nightmare. At last, her dream duty was over. It was around 4:00am now, as she entered the real world, and went back to the castle. Luna couldn't believe how Rockmond had lost his best friends, just like that. It was worse, as he had never got any closure. Meanwhile, Rockmond, for the first time in over twenty years, was peacefully sleeping, in his cabin aboard the Colorado. > Chapter 19 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3RD SEPTEMBER 1939 -----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT----------------------------------------------------------------------- It was 5:00am in the morning. Despite the early time, majority of the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans were already awake. Today was the big day. Today was the day, they would all go to Britain and begin their training, before heading to war. Every single pony was excited and worried about it at the same time. The first ship bound for Britain would be leaving later that day, at around 11:00am. The voyage to Britain wouldn't be too long, it would only be around a day to sail between Britain and Manehattan. Meanwhile, in Canterlot, the castle was already hustling and bustling. The enlisting offices had had a large influx of recruits, but not all of them would be going to Britain. Of the two million Equestrians and Crystal Empireans who had enlisted, only around 100,000 would be going in the first few months, and the remaining, they would be kept in reserves, and would be sent in later. Some would even start their training in the Equestrian military, once all the equipment arrived. Celestia was especially worried, wondering how Discord would counter their efforts to stop him. She knew he would be up to something, but she didn't know what. In the meantime, Celestia was preparing her speech for the first batch of ponies to be leaving for Britain. She would deliver it at the port of Manehattan, before the first ship left. As she was thinking how to motivate the ponies, Luna came in. "Sister, I resumed dream duty last night, and during that, I learned something about Ambassador Rockmond's past." "What do you mean? You are able to access the dreams of humans, now, Luna?" asked Celestia. "Yes, sister, it seems I can access their dreams as well. I went into Rockmond's, as he was having a nightmare of the worst sort, and found out this about him." said Luna, and told Celestia about what she had seen in Rockmond's past. "Oh my. That is tragic, knowing that Rockmond has carried the burden of being responsible for his friend's deaths for over twenty years." replied Celestia. "I know, sister. It is someone, that no one, human or pony, must carry. I'll talk to him later in Manehattan." "Alright. Now, could you help me out with my speech?" "Sure thing, sister." said Luna, as she grabbed a quill, and prepared to help Celestia out. -------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------ It was now around 7:00am in Germany. Discord was at the lab, happy. War was on the horizon. The second stage of his plan to put the world into chaos was almost complete. The ceasefire would expire at midnight, later that day, but he knew very well that Germany would not surrender to the ceasefire. They were going to fight against the might of the Allies. Discord was currently waiting for the first test subjects to arrive from the concentration camps. A primitive dirt road had been built to the lab, and the truck carrying the subjects would be arriving in around ten minutes. Discord had time, so he busily thought to himself. The previous night, he had stolen some more plans from the British, and replaced them with perfect fakes. This time, he had stolen the ones for the Royal Army's tanks. He was planning to develop a weapon at the lab, one that would easily destroy those tanks, along with their crews, using the plans. Discord smiled to himself. It was going to be a glorious war. He would finally have what he had always wanted. To rule a whole planet, with a system based on chaos. The truck arrived, and Discord put on his lab coat and headed to the entrance of the lab, eager to begin his experiments. ----------------------------------------------------------10, DOWNING STREET, LONDON------------------------------------------------------- It was 6:00am in London. While most British civilians were either still asleep or waking up at this time of the day, majority of the Royal Army, Navy, and Air Force, were all awake, waiting near the borders between Germany and unoccupied Poland. Multiple squadrons of RAF Spitfires, Hurricanes, Whitney and Anson bombers had been flown to bases all over unoccupied Poland, and a naval blockade was also to be formed near Germany. Multiple Royal Navy destroyers, and a few battleships had been stationed for this. Multiple Army units were also ready, and more were on their way. At 10, Downing Street, Prime Minister Chamberlain, and the British military brass were all inside the bunker, hidden on the lower floors of the building, getting ready to listen to the war live. They would also be checking out the latest intel, and repositioning their units to eliminate any threats. They would be in the bunker for hours at a time, maybe even days, so it even had a bathroom, and living quarters. They were getting ready. As much as they hoped there was a small chance, they knew very well the Germans would not respond to their ceasefire, which would expire in seventeen hours' time. They would go to war, and so would the British. Multiple radios, television sets, telephones, and printers had been set up in the room, to help them monitor the war. Final checks were going on. Within two hours, the war would begin. -------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 6:00am. Majority of Manehattan was already awake, to watch the sight of the first British ships coming into the harbor. In this case, it was two ocean liners that the British government had hurriedly grabbed and repurposed, to use as the Equestrians' transport to the mainland. These was the RMS Queen Mary, and her sister ship, the RMS Queen Elizabeth, each repurposed to carry at least ten thousand troops, human and Equestrian. For the next few days, it would be only transporting Equestrians. Also, two RAF DC-3s had also landed at the airstrip, which would take close to twenty-five Equestrians on each plane, for the three hour flight to inland bases. Luna had already teleported to Manehattan, as she wanted to speak with Rockmond, about his past, and also, she wanted to see the ship arrive. She could already see the Queen Mary in the distance, its three smokestacks billowing clouds of smoke, followed closely by the Queen Elizabeth. The crowd was also large, everyone wanting to see the huge ships. Since the ships were so big, a couple of Royal Navy tugboats, which had sailed in the night before, would steer the ships into the docks. As the tugboats began to head to the two ocean liners, which were slowing down, Luna flew to the USS Colorado, where majority of the sailors seemed to be awake, and, surprisingly enough, Rockmond was already awake, and he seemed more fresh than usual, probably because he had finally been able to sleep peacefully last night. "Ah, your Highness. I see you have also come to watch the arrival of the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth?" asked Rockmond. "Actually, Mr. Rockmond, I have to speak with you private. Could I do so?" replied Luna. "Uh, sure thing, Luna." said Rockmond, a seeming a little anxious and confused, as to why Luna had asked for such a conversation. "Alright, what's this about?" asked Rockmond, once he made sure nobody was listening to their conversation. "Well, Rockmond, as you know, I have the power to enter dreams, and last night, I found out that I can enter those of humans, as well." "I knew that dream ended a little abruptly." sighed Rockmond. "You saw my dream, and ended it for me, didn't you?" "Yes, Rockmond. I did end that nightmare you were having. It's my job, after all." Rockmond nodded. "So, what did you see in my past?" he asked, curious. Luna took a deep breath. "I saw the incident during the Great War, where you lost Chris and John. And I know that you have been carrying the burden of responsibility for their deaths for over twenty years." Rockmond's eyes widened in shock. "How did you...how could you know that?" "I saw it in your dream, Rockmond. And I wanted to tell you that it was not your fault. You did everything you could to protect your friends. You were a hero that day, and you are a hero now." Rockmond was speechless for a moment. He had never spoken about the incident to anyone, and the weight of it had been a burden on him for so long. Tears began to form in his eyes. "Thank you, Luna. That means...a lot to me." Luna smiled warmly. "You're welcome, Rockmond. And don't hesitate to talk to me if you need someone to talk to." Rockmond nodded, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders. Luna then thanked him for his service, and headed back to watch the two ocean liners arrive. The ships had stopped, and the tugboats had hooked up to them, and began to tow the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth into port. They watched as the big ocean liner docked, and the gantry was lowered. The crew got out, and met up with Shining Armor, who would also be going to Britain, but by plane. They went off with him to explore Manehattan. In the meantime, they decided to get ready for the speech. Later that day, at 8:30am, Celestia arrived from Canterlot, to give her speech to all the ponies. The stage had already been set, right outside the Queen Mary, which would take close to two hours to load, before it and the Queen Elizabeth departed at 11:00am. At exactly 9:00am, Celestia came up on the stage, with all the ponies waiting to board their ships standing before the stage. "My fellow Equestrians," began Celestia, her voice projecting clearly through the microphone system. "Today marks the start of a great journey, a journey towards freedom, towards justice, towards victory. You have all volunteered to serve your country, and you have all demonstrated your love for Equestria. Today, you begin a journey that will test your courage, your strength, and your loyalty to your country." The crowd listened to her every word, nodding in agreement. They were all filled with a sense of patriotism and pride. "I know that many of you are scared, and that is natural. Going to war is never an easy thing. But I assure you, you are not alone. You will get the best equipment, the best training, and the best leaders that the British military can offer. You will go with the blessings of Faust herself, who is watching over you, and who will guide you on your journey." Celestia paused for a moment, before continuing. "And so, my dear Equestrians, I leave you with this: remember who you are fighting for. Remember the values that Equestria stands for, and the sacrifices that have been made, by ponies and humans alike, to protect those values. Remember the great heroes of our past, who fought for the same cause, and who gave their lives so that we may have ours. And finally, remember that you are not just soldiers, but ambassadors of Equestria. You represent the best of us, and so I ask that you conduct yourselves with honor and integrity, and that you treat your fellow soldiers with respect." The crowd burst into cheers and applause, as Celestia finished her speech. They were inspired, and ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead. As Celestia descended from the stage, she was greeted by Luna, who had been watching the entire speech from behind the scenes. "Well, sister, I think you really motivated them." said Luna. "I guess so, Luna. But I am a little concerned about Discord and his plans." replied Celestia, a worried look on her face. "I know, sister. But we have to believe in our soldiers, and in ourselves. We will stop Discord, and we will win this war." said Luna, placing a comforting hoof on Celestia's shoulder. Celestia smiled gratefully at Luna, feeling a sense of reassurance and hope. She knew that Luna was right. They had to believe in their abilities, and in the strength of their soldiers. They would win this war, and they would restore peace and justice to Equestria and the world. They watched as the ponies began boarding the two ocean liners. A total of 20,000 ponies would be heading to Britain on the first voyage over. The planes would carry close to two hundred ponies on the first day of flying time. The two princesses then headed down to the airstrip, where long lines were waiting to watch the two RAF DC-3s take off. They also noticed a small squadron of RAF fighters, Hawker Hurricanes, probably, stationed there, along with some newly built barracks for the pilots. Twilight was also there, saying goodbye to Rainbow Dash and Applejack, who had enlisted. "I'll miss you guys, and I just hope you make it out of the war alive, okay?" said Twilight. "Don't worry, Twi, once I join the RAF, I'll fly my plane so fast, no enemy can take me down!" said a confident, yet anxious Rainbow Dash. "Ah', don' worry, Twi. We'll be back before you know it, and we'll have plenty of stories to tell," added Applejack, putting a reassuring hoof on Twilight's shoulder. Then, they boarded one of the DC-3s. The princesses, and Twilight watched as the DC-3 turned on its engines, taxied to the beginning of the runway, and took off. Twilight knew this would be the last time she would see her friends for a while, as the plane disappeared into the sky. They then went back to the harbour, as the final ponies began boarding the two ocean liners. They watched as the two ships started their engines, and tugboats began towing the ships away from the docks, where they could safely move under their own power. As this was happening, multiple ponies were waving goodbye, to all the enlisted ponies, who were standing on the decks of the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth. They knew that this would only be the beginning, of a very long ordeal against the Axis Powers, but they would not stop until the Axis, and Discord, were defeated. > Chapter 20 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------NEAR THE POLAND-GERMANY BORDER------------------------------------------------- It was now 11:55pm here, which meant it was around 10:25pm in Equestria. Flight Lieutenant Douglas MacArthur and his Spitfire squadron were flying just a few minutes away from the Poland-Germany border. The ceasefire was almost up, which meant, in five minutes, they would go up guns blazing against some Luftwaffe Bf109s. "Panther 3, how are you doing over there?" came the voice of MacArthur's squadron commander through the radio. "All good here, Panther 1." replied MacArthur. "Good, because, we're going to go weapons hot in five minutes, so get ready." replied Panther 1, as all forty Spitfires from both Panther and Aardvark Squadrons began doing final checks, before the dogfight. Thankfully, the Spitfires were just as and more capable than the Bf109s, so they stood a good chance against them. At exactly 12:00am, the ceasefire expired, and the forty pilots watched as gunfire lit up the border. The war had begun. Below them was the town of Leglin. Earlier, 50,000 people had lived here, but now it was a ghost town, as the whole town had been evacuated. A large battle was underway, as a large Royal Army regiment was battling a regiment of the German Army. It was guns blazing, and already, twelve German soldiers had died. On the ground, Commander William Weber's regiment was doing very well. Already, they had taken out multiple enemy soldiers, and three German armored cars, yet they had not lost one of their own. That was when a bomb landed in a house nearby, where a few of his soldiers were. He instantly pulled out his radio. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Mark! Albert! Everyone in the red house! Can you hear me?" shouted Weber. "Commander, this is Albert here. I'm alright... " coughed the soldier, over the radio. "Albert is alive, but he's injured. Took a piece of bomb shrapnel to the leg. Everyone else... " paused the soldier. Weber let that sink in. He had just lost four of his soldiers. That was when he heard a siren, which he recognized as the sound of a German Stuka. Then another explosion, and all he could now hear over the radio was static. He looked through his binoculars and realized that everyone in that house was gone, as it was now burning, and the roof had collapsed. He could see more explosions, and realized that the German aerial bombing was becoming more frequent. More of his soldiers were reporting losses, and within ten minutes, his unit had lost close to seventeen soldiers. That was when he called in air support. "Panther Squadron! We are getting bombed here! We've already lost multiple soldiers! Multiple Stuka bombers are dropping their payloads on us! We need air support down here!" shouted Weber over the radio. "This is Panther 1 here, we see the Stukas, on our way." came the reply from Panther 1, who was flying 5,000 feet above him with his squadron. "Alright, guys, ready to smash some Stukas?" asked Panther 1 to his squadron. "All ready here, Panther 3." replied MacArthur. "Same here, Panther 6." replied another pilot, and similar replies came from every other pilot in Panther Squadron. "Good, let's go. Descend, and kill those Stukas." replied Panther 1, as the whole squadron began descending. At around 2,000 feet, they began encountering Stukas and Bf109s. "Shit, everyone, put higher priority on the Stukas, as they are bombing our men on the ground, but try and destroy the Bf109s as well." said Panther 1. Guns began blazing in the air, as the dogfights began. Within a minute, two Stukas had been shot down, and so had a Bf109. "Another one bites the dust, another one bites the dust." hummed MacArthur, shooting down another Stuka. As Weber and his soldiers watched, more Bf109s and Stukas began falling out of the sky in flames. However, more Stukas and Bf109s kept coming in. "Oh, shit, I'm almost out of ammunition!" shouted MacArthur, looking at the amount of ammunition he had. "So am I!" said Panther 6, and half of the squadron, which somehow, had only lost one plane. "Roger that, Panther Squadron, return to base. We've done our job for today." ordered Panther 1. The squadron began ascending back into the sky, as more Stukas and Bf109s began arriving at the scene. Weber watched as the Spitfires flew away, shooting down enemy planes, before disappearing into the night. He looked through his binoculars and saw the devastation that had been wrought upon his regiment. Bodies littered the ground, and buildings were destroyed. He knew that this was only the beginning of a long and brutal war, but he also knew that he had the support of the Royal Army and the help of the brave pilots of Panther Squadron. As he took one last look at the destruction, he thought to himself, "We will fight, and we will win. For our country, for our freedom." And with that, he turned and began issuing orders to his remaining soldiers, preparing to face whatever else the war had in store for them. It was now around 12:50am. In the town of Leglin, 150 people, mainly Germans, had died that day. However, 60 of the casualties were also British. Yet, with their sacrifices, they were able to keep the Germans from taking part of unannexed Poland. ---------------------------------------------GRIGORIONARI, THE GERMANY-POLAND BORDER------------------------------------------- The normally peaceful town of Grigorionari had never experienced a conflict, not even during the Great War. Today, that was changing. It was now 1:20am. The town, of around 1,300 people, was now a warzone. Although most of the buildings were still standing, they were all pockmarked with bullet holes, or fire damaged. A ground battle was taking place. Two British regiments were fighting against a German regiment. Private First Class Charles Haynes was having a hard time. Half of his unit had already been killed by German soldiers, who had ambushed them, and they were taking heavy fire from enemy positions. Bullets were flying everywhere, and Charles had to duck behind a wall whenever he heard gunfire. He looked around and saw his Sergeant, Robert Davis, shouting orders to his unit, trying to coordinate their attack. Haynes had been deployed to Poland only a week ago, and already, he had seen more death and destruction than he had ever seen before in his entire life. He missed his family back in Manchester, and he wondered if he would ever make it back home. All of a sudden, he heard a loud explosion, and he saw a tank on the German side firing at them. The impact caused debris to fly around, and Haynes was thrown off his feet. He managed to get up, but he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He had been hit by a piece of shrapnel, which had torn into his leg. He quickly got back up, and despite the pain, was able to limp out of sight of the Germans. Haynes then realized that he had lost his gun in the explosion. He needed one, or else he would not be able to survive against the Germans. That was when he noticed the bodies of one his comrades, probably killed in the explosion. His gun, a Lee-Enfield rifle, was still clutched in his hands. Haynes carefully took the gun, and checked to make sure it was still loaded. He also took the ammunition his comrade had left as well. He also was able to bandage himself up with a nearby crate of medical supplies, but he would still be limping. Haynes then limped over to the church, and took up a position in the spire window, where he met up with one of his comrades, Robert Ball. "Hey, Bob, how's it going?" asked Haynes. "Pretty good, Charlie." replied Ball. "I've got a pretty good defense position. I've got my sniper rifle, my rifle, and pistol, all fully loaded, so I can last pretty decently, until one of those German Panzers sends a shell into here. Saw anyone else on your way over?" "Not too many. Half the unit is gone. Sergeant Davis is still out there, coordinating the attack, but I don't know how much longer we can hold out. I got hit by shrapnel, but I was able to bandage myself up and found this rifle on one of our fallen." "Well, we gotta keep fighting, Charlie. We can't let the Germans take this town." said Ball, as he looked through his sniper scope and took a shot at a German soldier. The soldier fell to the ground, dead. "One down, a hundred more to go." Haynes nodded, and looked out the window. He saw Sergeant Davis and the rest of their unit charging towards the German positions. Bullets were flying everywhere, and Haynes could see their comrades falling to the ground. He knew that they had to help, or else it would be a massacre. "We have to do something, Bob. We can't just sit here and watch while our comrades are dying out there." "I know. I have an idea. Follow me." said Ball, as he climbed down the spire and ran towards a nearby building. Haynes followed him, and they both climbed to the rooftop of the building. Ball pointed to a nearby water tower. "We're going to climb up there, and take out as many Germans as we can." Haynes nodded, and they both began climbing up the water tower. They reached the top, and Ball set up his sniper rifle. He took aim, and shot at a group of German soldiers, who were about to ambush their unit. The soldiers fell to the ground, and their ambush had been foiled. That was when Haynes noticed noticed movement in one house. "Bob, can you hand me your binoculars?" asked Haynes. "Sure thing, Charlie." replied Ball, handing Haynes his binoculars. Haynes took a good look at the house, and realized there were civilians inside. He then noticed more movement, and saw civilians inside quite a few of the other houses, and Germans were rapidly advancing on those buildings. "Shit, Bob, we have a big problem." "What is it, Charlie?" asked a concerned Ball. "We got civilians in some of those houses, and the Germans are rapidly advancing on them." "What? Civilians? I thought this town had been evacuated!" "Looks like some people either didn't want to leave, or just got left behind during the evacuation. Either way, we can't let the Germans kill civilians." "Agreed, we have to do something. We can't let them die." said Ball, as he took out his radio. "This is Private First Class Robert Ball, we have civilians in danger at the southeast end of town. We need backup and evacuation immediately." "Roger that, Private Ball. We are sending backup and an extraction team as soon as possible. A couple of RAF Hurricanes are also on their way." came the voice of their commanding officer. "Alright, we gotta hold out until backup arrives. You ready to kill some German pricks?" asked Ball. "Thought you'd never ask." said Haynes, getting his gun reloaded, and ready for action. As the Germans started nearing the houses, the two began firing. Multiple Germans instantly dropped to the ground, with bullet holes in their bodies. They fought valiantly, until they began running low on ammunition. "Shit, I'm almost out!" shouted Haynes. "Here's my last rifle mag!" replied Ball, throwing Haynes the magazine. They continued firing, but within seconds, both of them were on their last few bullets. They began losing hope, as a couple of German Panzer III tanks had also showed up. "We don't have the firepower to take on those tanks! Where is our backup?!" shouted Ball over the radio. "Sorry, guys, majority of our units are bogged down. You're on your own for a while." replied their commanding officer, over the radio. The two soldiers began losing hope. They were out of ammunition, and the tanks were almost on them. They felt, though, even if the end was near, they would go out in a blaze, fighting till the end. That was when they heard two explosions, throwing them to the ground. When they looked up, they saw that all the Panzers were on fire. They heard the drone of an engine, and saw two RAF Hurricane fighters flying above them, guns blazing. "This is Mage 1 here, don't worry, we have your backs." came a voice, one of the Hurricane pilots, through the radios. To the two soldiers on the ground, hearing this brought back their hopes. Now they had air support, and most of the German ground units had been destroyed. That day, in Grigorionari, close to 200 people, all British and German soldiers were killed. Yet, they were able to prevent the town from falling with their actions. However, although they had won the battle, they had not yet won the war. > Chapter 21 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4TH SEPTEMBER 1939 --------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN----------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 6:00am in Manehattan. The princesses had been making visits to the HMS Nelson every now and then, to check what was going on in the war. They were just six hours in, and already, the toll was shocking. Already, around 1,500 people had died, mostly German soldiers, but British soldiers and civilians were also part of the fatality toll. Celestia knew, that she would make good on the vow she had made at the League of Nations, to stop Discord, and avenge all the innocent people who had died because of him. In the meantime, she was listening on the radio to the news, which was broadcasted over the radio on Earth. She heard as the newscaster announced the news, on how the war was going, and encouraging everyone in Britain to join the military, as they required soldiers. Celestia sighed as she listened to the broadcast. She knew that war was never easy, and that it would take its toll on everyone involved, both physically and emotionally. She couldn't help but wonder if there was a better way to resolve conflicts, other than through violence. But for now, she had to focus on the task at hand. She turned to Luna, who was also listening to the radio, and said, "We need to do whatever we can to support our allies in this war. We must send aid and supplies, and offer any assistance we can." Luna nodded in agreement. "We also need to prepare our own kingdom for any potential attacks. We must increase our defenses and be ready to defend ourselves if need be." "Thankfully, British equipment is rolling off their assembly lines at fast pace, thanks to how well the humans have pioneered mass production assembly lines, and Shining Armor confirmed that the first of the training equipment for our militaries will be here soon, as British demand is also high." said Cadance. "Good. What about base construction? How is that going?" asked Luna. "Our training bases for our Army, Air Force, and Navy are under construction, thanks to the assistance of the human engineers who came in. Construction of those should be completed within the month, and they should be operational within another two or three months, once all the equipment arrives, and some ponies are trained as instructors." replied Celestia. "Same here for our bases, equipment, and instructors." said Cadance. "Alright. Also, how are we locating and defeating Discord, since two of Elements of Harmony have also joined the military?" asked Luna. "I don't think we can use the Elements of Harmony this time. We used them to defeat Discord last time. He'll be prepared for them this time. We need something more powerful." said Celestia. "You are right. We need something extremely powerful, something made of the purest magic of harmony, to defeat Discord this time. Also, we must imprison him in such a way that he can never return to Earth." "I'll look in the library and archives. I might also try to contact our mother again. She might know what we are looking for." "That's a good idea, although it may take a while. Hopefully it doesn't take a thousand years this time." "Hopefully not. I'm off to the archives. I'll ask Twilight for help as well. Hopefully, we can find something powerful enough to defeat Discord once and for all." said Celestia, quickly teleporting away from the docks. In the meantime, Luna and Cadance decided to go and see how well construction was going on the bases. They reached the first construction site, at the Manehattan Airstrip, soon to be Manehattan Air Force Base. It would be turned into a military airbase, which would handle mainly fighters and transports. Pilot training would be conducted further inland, near Ponyville. "How is it going?" asked Luna. "Very well, your Highness." replied Robert Frost, the British expert who had been sent in. "We have begun construction of the main barracks, the aircraft parking areas, and hangars. We will also build a second runway, which will be paved. Once that is constructed, the first runway will be upgraded from plain old dirt to paved asphalt as well. Once the other infrastructure is operational, and a supply chain is set up, the first Equestrian aircraft can be stationed here." "Thank you, Mr. Frost, for updating us." said Luna, as she and Cadance walked off. They would later watch the arrival of the RMS Queen Mary carrying the ponies to the British military, live on television. Already, thanks to the RAF's transport planes, 200 ponies had arrived in Britain, but their training would not begin until the 6th of September, so to get them adjusted to life in a human country. They decided to then go and have lunch at the nearby Black Palace restaurant. The Americans had shown them the pictures of their 'White Castle' restaurant chain, which was popular in their country, and the ponies had to admit, it looked highly similar to Black Palace, except that Black Palace was not a chain, like White Castle was. The menu items of White Castle were also highly similar to those of Black Palace, except they used meat as well, instead of just vegetables. --------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY----------------------------------------------------------- It was now 8:00am in Germany, which meant it was round 6:30am in Equestria. Discord was happy. He had been watching the war updates on the television and radio, and he was happy that all was going to plan, despite it being only Day 1 of the war. He was also happy as the first stage of his experiments would finally begin. He and his team of scientists had been hard at work figuring out the formula for their serum, which would essentially create super soldiers, which obey the orders of the Nazis, to fight Britain and France. He knew some things would go wrong in the initial stages, but you couldn't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. Discord was putting on his lab coat, which he had hung on the door of his cupboard, in his room. Originally, the plan was to first test the serums on animals, but Discord had told the scientists that they would use the serums to enhance humans, not animals, so why inject them into animals? Hence, they would start directly with human trials. They didn't really care if their subjects lived or died, since they were the one thing the Nazis hated. So what if they mutated into monsters, or dropped dead? They didn't give a shit. Discord left the living quarters and walked to the lab. The scientists had been hard at work, as they had found some flaws in the serum, and were trying to fix them. Discord was hoping they had fixed them, or else, he would not be happy. He walked into the main lab, where multiple scientists, all dressed in white lab coats, were hard at work. "Good morning, everyone." said Discord, with a sly grin. "I hope you have something good to report." "We have some promising results, Herr Discord." replied one of the scientists. "We have fixed the issues that we encountered the previous day, and we believe that we can begin testing on human subjects." "Excellent." said Discord. "We will begin with human trials immediately." The scientists quickly got to work, preparing the serum and selecting their first human test subject. Discord watched with a menacing gaze, eager to see the results of his experiments. The first subject, a young Polish woman, only in her late twenties, was dragged into the test cage. "Please! Leave me alone! Don't do this to me! PLEASE!" pleaded the woman, with tears in her eyes. The scientists still dragged her into the test enclosure, which was enclosed by extremely tough glass on all four sides, so the scientists could watch the experiments live. It even had cameras on all angles, which would film all the experiments, so the scientists could review footage later. The scientists dragged the helpless woman into the enclosure, and while the remaining scientists left, one last scientist stayed back. He grabbed a syringe full of greenish-yellow liquid. The first version of the serum, to be known as Erweiterung in German. Without hesitation, he jabbed the syringe into the woman's arm, and injected in the Erweiterung. Then, with the empty syringe in his hand, he quickly ran out of the test enclosure as the door began to close. The scientists watched as the woman's muscles began to convulse and bulk up, and bones cracked. Within seconds, she had become a super soldier. At first, the scientists were happy, but then watched as the experiment went wrong. The woman's body began over-inflating like a balloon with too much air, and she continued screaming. Seconds later, her body suddenly exploded, and the scientists watched as blood, organic fluids, brain matter, and other gory things went flying all around the test enclosure. Instead of being saddened, they were horrified by the gruesome sight. Even Discord was taken aback by the unexpected outcome. The room fell into a stunned silence as they all stared in shock at the remains of the experiment. Discord's face twitched with anger, his eyes narrow and filled with fury. "You imbeciles! How could you let this happen?" he boomed, his voice reverberating throughout the lab. The scientists stammered, trying to come up with an explanation. "W-we... We d-didn't anticipate such rapid cell division, and we weren't expecting, well, THAT to occur." one of them managed to say, pointing at the gory mess in the test cage. "You fucking dolts! When I said an experiment, I said get good results, not a bloody mess!" shouted Discord. He waved his hand, and the gory remains of the woman disappeared, and the whole enclosure looked like what it had been before the experiment. He stormed out of the lab, leaving the shaken and horrified scientists behind. Discord knew that setbacks were bound to happen in any experiment, but this was a particularly disastrous one. He would need to regroup and figure out what went wrong before continuing with his plans. As he walked down the empty hallways of the research facility, Discord's mind raced with thoughts. He knew he needed to find a way to stabilize the serum, to prevent any more catastrophic failures. He also needed to find new test subjects, ones that would not result in such explosive outcomes. Discord returned to his room, slamming the door behind him. He paced back and forth, thinking of his next move. He contemplated whether he should continue with these experiments at all, considering the risks and the gruesome results. But he couldn't simply give up now, not when he was so close to achieving his goals. After a while, Discord made up his mind. He would continue the experiments, but with more caution and thorough testing. He would make sure every aspect of the serum was carefully examined and refined. No more lives would be lost in vain. But first, he needed a new plan. He needed to find a way to gather more suitable test subjects, ones that could withstand the effects of the serum. Discord knew that the war provided plenty of opportunities in this regard. There were prisoners of war, captured soldiers, and even willing participants who would volunteer in exchange for promised rewards. Discord knew that he couldn't afford any more failures or setbacks. He needed to succeed, not just for the Nazis, but for his own ambitions as well. The war had just begun, and he knew that chaos and destruction would be his allies in achieving his ultimate goals. With a wicked smile on his face, Discord set his plan in motion. The war had only just begun, and he was prepared to plunge Equestria and the rest of the world into darkness. > Chapter 22 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5TH SEPTEMBER 1939 -----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT------------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 8:00am in Equestria. The three princesses, along with Twilight, had been in the archives of Canterlot Castle since around 1:00pm the previous day. The only time they had taken breaks was to coordinate the war effort, and to eat. They had been researching for a way to defeat Discord, but hadn't found any, despite looking in books that were even older than Celestia and Luna themselves, and even one that was over 6,000 years old. Despite that, they did not mention a single method of defeating Discord, except for the Elements of Harmony, which the princesses knew, were not powerful enough to defeat him this time. As if that was not enough, Celestia's plan to contact Faust had not worked. She had tried that the previous night, through Luna's dream magic, but they had been not able to contact their mother, so that was also a bust. They would try, until they were able to talk to her, even if it took months. They knew the war would last at least that long, since it was Discord's work, after all. "Twilight, I think we should take a break and have breakfast. We've been at this for almost fourteen hours now." said Celestia. "Yeah, maybe we should." replied an extremely tired Twilight, with bags under her eyes. She stood up, and heard a crack from her body. That alone showed just how long they had been sitting. The three princesses, along with Twilight, left the archives, groaning and yawning as they did, and went to the dining hall. Their breakfast consisted of pancakes and a refreshing glass of orange juice. It was a well-needed break from their constant research. "How will we ever defeat Discord if we can't even find a way to do that?" asked a grumpy, sleepy, and frustrated Twilight. "I don't know, Twilight. We can't do anymore research for some time, since we have to focus on the war efforts. Our ponies' training begins tomorrow in Britain. They will be highly focused on that, plus, we have to keep checks and make laws on the modernization of Equestria and Crystal Empire." said Celestia. "I understand, Princess Celestia. I'll make sure to try and visit Britain every so often, and keep track of their progress." replied Twilight. "Thank you, Twilight. That will be a great help. And Luna, can you make sure to visit the dreams of our soldiers tonight, to calm them and give them the courage to face Discord's army?" asked Celestia. "Of course, sister. That is my duty. And I shall also keep an eye out for any information on defeating Discord in my dreams." replied Luna. With their plans made, the four of them finished breakfast and went back to their individual duties. The war was coming, and they had to be prepared for it. It was going to take everything they had, but they knew they couldn't give up. The future of Equestria depended on it. -----------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 5:40am in Germany. Discord was in the bathroom of his private chamber of the lab's living quarters, in his true form. This was the first time he had accessed his true form since the League of Nations shootout a few days earlier. He admired it, as it was pretty much the thing he represented, chaos. That was when he heard a knock on the door. "Dr. Discord? Are you there?" asked the voice of one of his scientists. "Yes, yes, give me a second, I'm changing!" shouted Discord, quickly shifting back into human form, and putting on his lab wear. He left the bathroom, and opened the door of his room. "What is it, Jakob?" asked Discord. "Dr. Discord, we've figured out what caused the failure yesterday?" replied Jakob. "What?! What is it?" asked Discord, eager to find what caused that mess yesterday. "Dr. Denis figured it out last night. He's waiting in the main lab." "Okay, tell him I'll be there in fifteen minutes. I'll quickly grab some breakfast." replied Discord, dismissing Jakob, and quickly going to his room's kitchen to make some pancakes. Exactly fourteen minutes later, Discord was in the main lab, joining Dr. Benin. Benin was a scientist who had come from the USSR, under a delegation sent by Stalin, after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. He looked a lot like Discord's human form, a typical Caucasian man, with blond hair, and the same sinister smile on his face. "Ah, Dr. Discord. Ay assume yoo vould like to hear my findings?" asked Benin, in a thick Russian accent. "Ah, yes, Dr. Benin. I would like to know what you found." replied Discord. "Oh, sure ting, Doc-tor. Do you vonder vy de voman's body exploded during de experiment yesterday?" "No, I do not." "Vell, I have ze answers ve need. It vas a chemical in ze Erweiterung." "What?! How is that possible? We've tested the components of Erweiterung so many times before." exclaimed Discord. "I know zat, Doktor. But it seems zat ze specific combination of chemicals used in ze serum caused a chain reaction zat led to ze body's explosion." explained Benin. "Oh, dear. I'll have our scientists find a substitute chemical. Anything else, Dr. Benin?" asked Discord. "No, zat is all. Ve vill begin testing ze new formula immediately." replied Benin. "Good. Keep me updated on the progress. And let's hope we don't have any more...incidents like yesterday." said Discord, with a chuckle. The two of them ended their meeting, and Discord then went to the other lab, which produced more conventional, but highly destructive weapons. Using the Hawker Hurricane plans they had got them, the engineers working here were trying to get the Luftwaffe Bf109s to outfly the Hurricanes. He went down to the hangars, where the lead engineer, Dr. Franz, and his crew seemed to be getting ready to take one of the Bf109s up for a flight. "Oh, Dr. Discord! We were just able to conduct her first flight since she came in here! Would you like to know what we have done to her?" asked Franz. "Yes, Franz. I would like to know how you have improved this aircraft." replied Discord. "We've added a new supercharger system, a strengthened airframe, and a more effective cooling system. We've also redesigned the wings for better maneuverability. We think that with these modifications, the Bf109 will be a force to be reckoned with." explained Franz, excitedly. "Well, that gives the advantages of speed and maneuverability. But we can't do shit if we can't destroy the Allied aircraft! What improvements have you made to its weapons?" asked Discord. "Well, we have modified the guns to fire faster, and also have changed the ammunition to be more powerful. We've also added a new bomb carrying system so that it can carry more bombs than before." replied Franz. "Good. Keep up the good work. We need every advantage we can get." said Discord, as he checked the aircraft, somewhat pleased with the work being done. He then stood back and watched, as one of Franz's test pilots got in, started the fighter up, rolled it out of the hangar, onto the forest airstrip, and took off. As Discord left the hangars, he couldn't help but feel satisfied with the progress they had made in just a few months. Soon, Germany would be the most powerful nation in the world, and he would be the one to thank for it. The thought brought a smile to his face, and he went back to his private chamber. But little did he know, the ponies of Equestria were also preparing for war. And they were not going to go down without a fight. -----------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT----------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 10:23am in Equestria. The three princesses, along with Twilight, were in the conference room, after a quick nap and breakfast. They would be heading back to Manehattan in some time, from where Twilight and Shining Armor would be leaving for the United Kingdom, to boost the morale of their ponies, whose training would begin tomorrow. The two siblings were highly interested to see how a human military functioned, and what life was like in a human country, since they would be there until the first batch of ponies finished their military training. As Twilight was explaining her trip plan with the princesses, and how they would keep in touch until a telephone network was set up in Equestria, one of the assistants came in. "Your Highnesses, Shining Armor has let us know that he will be in Manehattan in fifteen minutes. You better hurry, if Miss Twilight would like to catch her flight to Britain." "Thank you. We will be leaving in around five minutes." said Celestia, who was a little nervous about her pupil going off to a land that she did not know much about. She was worried, about Twilight would take living in the human world for a few months, and seeing war would affect her. "Are you sure that leaving Equestria for such a long time will be good, Twilight?" asked Celestia. "Of course, Princess! It will be amazing to see human culture up close, and I can also get up close looks at their military, government, and technology!" replied an excited Twilight. "I know, Twilight, but you do realize that this is not a vacation, right? You will be there to support and encourage our ponies who are training for war." reminded Celestia. "Yes, Princess, I understand. My main focus will be on the ponies, and I will do everything in my power to help them." replied Twilight. "Good. And make sure you keep in touch with us regularly. We will worry about you otherwise." said Celestia, smiling. Around eight minutes later, they were in Manehattan. Shining Armor was already there, waiting for them. "Alright, Twily! Are you ready for this trip? We'll be in Britain for around four to five months, and we'll be back in Equestria after that. Got it?" "Yep, big brother. I'm so ready!" shouted an extremely excited Twilight, as they began walking to the airstrip, where the RAF DC-3 was waiting. They would be flying along with some other Equestrian and Crystal Empirean diplomats and military staff, who would also be joining them in Britain, not just to witness the ponies' military training, but also to break deals, and build a consulate in London. Twilight and Shining Armor bid a fond farewell to the princesses, as they went in hopped in the DC-3, which was about to start its engines. The second the two ponies got in, the plane's door closed, and the engines rumbled to life. They watched as the DC-3 taxied out, and took off. They watched as the plane climbed away from Equestria, and knew that this was just one of the many first steps in a long ordeal. > Chapter 23 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6TH SEPTEMBER 1939 -------------------ROYAL ARMY/AIR FORCE TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWHERE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS------------- It was now around 6:00am at this training camp, which meant it was around 7:30am in Equestria. Twilight and Shining Armor had woken up, and were in their room, preparing for their speech, which they would make in just over an hour. They were practicing how the speech would be made. They had arrived the previous morning, after a three-hour flight from Manehattan. They had met up with all the ponies who would begin their military training today, including Rainbow Dash and Applejack. Rainbow was going to the RAF, and Applejack was ending up in the Royal Army. The two siblings would give a speech, and then the first day of military training for Royal Army and Air Force ponies would begin. The initial day would mainly be classroom training, and some physical training as well. It would be a while before they started doing the real deal. They were extremely nervous about the speech, and how well the ponies would do, despite being taught by well-trained human instructors. The two siblings were busy practicing their formal speech, making sure their delivery was clear and confident. Shining Armor was going to address the Royal Army trainees, while Twilight would address the Air Force trainees. As they practiced, they couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed with the responsibility of sending young ponies off to war. The looming threat of war had been the reason why they were there in the first place. They were part of a mission to build stronger ties between Equestria and the human world, and to learn from their military expertise, and to stop Discord. It was clear that they were going to have to work harder than ever to ensure that the ponies were as prepared as they could be. Twilight was thinking of how to inspire the young RAF ponies, and Shining Armor was thinking of ways to pep them up, get the Royal Army trainees excited for military life. Twilight was having a hard time thinking of words. "Ugh! How do I motivate them to want to fight for Equestria, but also make them aware of the gravity of the situation?" Shining Armor put a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Twily. You'll think of something. Just speak from the heart and be honest. That's all we can do." Twilight looked up at her brother and smiled. "Thanks, Shining. You always know what to say." They continued to practice their speeches for another half an hour before heading out to the training field. The sun was just beginning to rise, and the crisp Scottish air made them feel more awake and alert. They arrived at the field where the trainees had already gathered, waiting for them. As they stepped up to the podium, Twilight and Shining Armor took a deep breath and began their speeches. "Dear trainees," Twilight began, her voice steady. "Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in your lives. You have all chosen to serve your country in the Royal Air Force, and I want to commend you for your bravery and dedication. I know that serving in the military can be daunting, but I also know that you are all strong and capable ponies. You will be taught by some of the best human instructors, and I have no doubt that you will make us all proud. Remember that you are not just fighting for Equestria, but also for peace and stability in the world. You are making a difference, and your sacrifices will be remembered. So, I wish you all good luck, and may Celestia guide you on your journey." Shining Armor then took over, addressing the army trainees. "Good morning, soldiers. Today you embark on a journey that will challenge you in ways you have never been challenged before. You will be pushed to your limits, physically and mentally. But I have faith in you all. You have all chosen to serve Equestria, to protect it from those who would do it harm. That takes immense courage and grit. You will be trained by some of the best human soldiers, and I have no doubt that you will excel in your training. Remember, you are not just fighting for Equestria, but also for your comrades, for your families, and for the future generations of ponies. So stand tall, be proud, and let's show the world we Equestrians are made of!" The trainees cheered and applauded, their spirits lifted by the speeches of the two siblings. Twilight and Shining Armor smiled at each other, relieved that it had gone well. The training had officially begun. They were ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead, for the good of Equestria. As the first day of military training commenced, the ponies were given their schedules. Today would be mostly spent in the classrooms, learning about human weaponry. They would be learning quite a bit of Physics, Chemistry, and Biology, about the principles behind things like guns, grenades, cars, and airplanes. They would also be spending a lot of time in the library, learning about Earth's history and current affairs, so they could comfortably talk to humans and not feel left out of their conversations. Meanwhile, the physical training would be taking place in the afternoons, when the sun was at its highest. The ponies would start with basic calisthenics, then progress to fitness drills and running, followed by more advanced training such as obstacle courses and combat simulations. The first class of the day for the RAF ponies, who Twilight was overseeing, was to be Physics. This class would basically teach the ponies the basics of Physics, and the principles of flight. Rainbow Dash was in this class, and Twilight was extremely happy about this. Rainbow had always been passionate about flying, and Twilight knew that she would excel in the Air Force. As they walked to the classroom together, Rainbow in an RAF cadet uniform, one of many designed specially for ponies, Twilight explained the basics of physics and how it was related to flying. "Physics is all about the laws and principles that govern the world around us. In the context of flying, it's all about lift, drag, and thrust. In other words, how to get an object off the ground and keep it flying. It's going to be tough, but I know you can do it, Rainbow." Rainbow grinned, her eyes shining with excitement. "Thanks, Twilight. I can't wait to get started!" As they entered the classroom, Rainbow took her seat, ready to learn. The instructor, a human named Sergeant Miller, began the lesson by explaining the basics of lift and drag. "Alright, everyone. I'm Sergeant Miller, and I'm your Physics teacher for your flight training. Today, we're going to learn about the basics of flight. It's going to be a little different, nope, a lot different, from what you probably know. Can everyone please tell me what you know about Physics?" "Ummm, its how the world works?" asked Lyra Heartstrings, who had also ended up in the RAF. "Yes, Ms... ?" replied Miller. "Lyra, Sergeant Miller." "Yes, Ms. Lyra. Physics is essentially the science of all the principles that govern our world. It's all about what keeps birds in the air, what keeps us from floating around all the time, and what not. Got it, everyone?" "Sir, yes, sir!" replied all the ponies. "Good. Today, we'll learn all about the main physics of flight, and what makes airplanes fly." And with that, the class began, and the ponies eagerly absorbed the knowledge that was being taught to them. Meanwhile, in the Army ponies' class, which Shining Armor was overseeing, the trainees were going to go to basic combat training. The Army trainees would be learning basic hand-to-hand, or in this case, hand-to-hoof combat. They would be today starting with training dummies, and later fight against sparring partners. Applejack was in this class. They met up with their trainer, Sergeant Quelch. "Alright, listen up, ponies!" shouted Sergeant Quelch. "Today, we begin your combat training. This is where you'll learn how to defend yourself, how to fight in close quarters combat, and how to take down an enemy. We'll begin with the basics of hand-to-hand combat today. This will include techniques like blocking, striking, and grappling. You'll learn how to use your strength, as well as your wit, to defeat your enemies. But first, we'll start with some basic strikes. First, let's go out to the ground, and get yourself ready. It's going to be long and sweaty!" Five minutes later, all the ponies were out on the ground, wearing their workout clothes, getting ready to get ready for some practice fighting. "Alright, ponies! Today, we're going to learn some basic blocking techniques. We'll do striking later, once you've got the hang of blocking an attack. Here's what you do. You square up to your opponent, get your hooves into a good stance. Keep your hooves shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. This will give you a stable base and make it harder for your opponent to knock you over. Now, when your opponent throws a punch or tries to hit you, you're going to block their attack. Got it so far?" said Quelch. "Sir, yes, Sir!" replied the ponies. "There are a few different ways to block, but we're going to start with the basic ones. Today, we'll do the high block. To do this, you bring your hoof up and across your body, aiming to intercept the attack with the side of your foreleg. Keep your other hoof up to protect your face and head. This will block any attacks coming from above. Try it on these practice dummies!" ordered Sergeant Quelch, pointing at a half ton of human-like training dummies kept for this purpose. "Sir, yes, Sir!" replied the ponies, as they all chose a dummy, and began practice blocks, against the dummies. There were quite a few mess-ups in the first few minutes. However, all the ponies, including Applejack, eventually got the hang of doing basic blocks. Quite a few ponies, including Lyra Heartstrings, tried to get away by using magic, but they were instantly punished by Sergeant Quelch. "What if you are unable to use your powers, in the middle of a battlefield?! Stop trying to cheat! You're cleaning the barracks today, WITHOUT MAGIC! Got it, Lyra?" "Yes, Sergeant Quelch." replied Lyra, who was pretty unhappy about it. Despite similar things, the first day of training went pretty well for the ponies, who were excited to learn more, before they would enter a real battlefield. > Chapter 24 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8TH SEPTEMBER 1939 ------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------- Discord was writing something in his room, despite it being 3:30am. Since the last two days, his scientists were working on trying to stabilise the newest version of the Erweiterung serum, now being called the E-serum, since they had officially named their whole black programme as Erweiterung. The modified Bf109s would known as the Bf109Es, E standing for Erweiterung. They were also soon going to begin work on Panzer III tanks, which would be called Panzer IIIEs. Two had been trucked in from some random German military base, and the modification parts were currently in the fabrications shop being made. Today, however, Discord was focusing on getting the second version of the E-serum stabilised and ready for testing. Ever since they had removed the chemical that had caused the failure of the human trial of the first version, it had been unstabilised, and therefore, they had to stabilise it or it could cause an even worse failure. He was busy drawing molecular structures, trying to figure out how to stabilise the E-serum. He was busy figuring how the state of bonds between the atoms currently was, when another scientist came in. "Dr. Discord, we may have stabilised the E-serum!" "Wait, what? You stabilised the E-serum?" replied a surprised Discord. "Yes, we believe we have found a solution to the instability issue. It involves altering the composition of certain molecular bonds and introducing a stabilizing agent. Our initial testing shows promising results." "Alright, how long will it take until we can conduct some human testing?" "We could do it in a few hours, if you would like, Dr. Discord." "Okay, let's do it at around 9:00am. That should give everyone time to prepare." "Alright. I'll let everyone know. See you then, Doctor." said the scientist, as he left the room. Discord then stretched back, and decided to take a nap, so he would be ready for the next human trial of the E-serum. He woke up at around 8:00am, or 5:30am Equestria time, quickly freshened up, and within twenty minutes, was in the lab. Most of the other scientists, looking a little groggy, were also there. "Alright, is everyone ready for the second trial of the E-serum?" asked Discord. "Yes, Dr. Discord. Almost all of us are, except for some of our Russian compatriots. They should be here in sometime." replied one of the scientists. "Vas somvone toking about us?" asked Dr. Benin and his crew, as they walked in. "Ah, there you are, Dr. Benin. We were just mentioning that you and your team are the only ones missing. Welcome. We are about to begin the second trial of the E-serum." Discord responded. Dr. Benin and his crew joined the rest of the scientists, and the room became filled with anticipation. The E-serum had the potential to greatly enhance human abilities, and Discord was eager to see the results of this trial. After the last one, he greatly needed some good results. They watched as their second test subject, another young Polish woman, was dragged into the test enclosure. "Please! Don't do this! Let me go!" shouted the woman, as the scientists coldly dragged her into the enclosure. One of the scientists grabbed a syringe, full of the new version of the E-serum. With the removal of the chemical that had caused the previous failure, the colour of the serum had changed from greenish yellow to pure green. The scientist quickly injected the serum into the woman. Then, he and his comrades quickly ran out of the room, and closed the blast doors behind them. The room fell silent as everyone waited anxiously for the effects of the E-serum to manifest in the test subject. Discord was leaning against a wall, watching the woman through a small observation window. Suddenly, the woman's body jerked and convulsed, and the scientists watched horrified as the experiment began to go wrong again. They watched horrified as the woman began mutating. They watched as the woman's fingers turned into claws, and her teeth turned razor sharp. Leathery wings sprouted out of her back. Her eyes turned yellow, and her skin turned all green and scaly. She had become a horrifying monster. She let off a loud roar, frightening everyone. Discord and his scientists had used the DNA of certain animals in the E-serum. The chemical that had been removed probably had stopped the animal DNA from completely taking over the subject's body, but now it was removed, the animal DNA had taken over. Discord and his scientists watched as the monster woman began banging on the test enclosure, cracking the glass. Discord quickly ran to a control panel and pressed a button, releasing chloroform into the enclosure. Within seconds, the monster woman was knocked out. "Dr. Discord? Should we kill her?" asked one of the scientists. An evil plan then began to formulate in Discord's mind. "No. Tell me, is our submarine base at Hamburg complete?" "Yes, it will be ready to construct and test some U-boats in a few months, but what does it have to do with... that?" replied the scientist, pointing to the monster woman. "Well, we can use her as a torture instrument for spies, and as a guard for the U-boat base. Sedate her, secure her, and transport her there when the base is complete. In the meantime, give her a more secure enclosure, within fourteen hours, because the chloroform should last that long." "Got it, Dr. Discord. I'll have a strong enclosure shipped in quickly. What about the E-serum?" "Well, this version doesn't do much other than turn humans into monsters, so let's begin work on the third version. We'll start tomorrow. In the meantime, I'll go and check on the Bf109E program." said Discord, leaving the room. As he walked towards the hangars, he felt extremely frustrated. The first two attempts of the E-serum had failed. It was like Faust herself was trying to stop him from finishing the E-serum. At least the Bf109E program was going well. They had completed their third Bf109E test flight yesterday, and so far, the new components seemed to be working well. Hopefully, it would help the Nazis plunge the world into chaos. Soon, the China-Japan war would also restart, adding to the chaos. It was all part of his plan to defeat the Equestrians. As he arrived in the hangars, he noticed all the people rushing out towards out of the hangar, towards the runway. He realized something had happened. "What's happening? Did something happen?" asked Discord. "Yes! Frederich, the lead test pilot, took up one of the Bf109Es for our fourth flight, and he had an engine failure! He's currently on his way back, and we are preparing for him to make an emergency landing!" said one of the hangar staff, hopping into one of the jeeps with Discord, and driving out. They parked on the side of the runway, whose lights had been lit up, exposing the forest around it. They had cleared some of the trees around the airfield for safe flight operations, but not all of them, making it a difficult approach path. Frederich would be having a hard time, trying to make a landing on it, in a heavily-modified single engine fighter which had suffered an engine failure. At around 5:30am, they saw the lights of Frederich's plane appear in the distance. Despite having considerable experience, Frederich seemed to be having trouble controlling the fast fighter, and Discord hoped dearly he didn't break the aircraft too badly. He watched as Frederich came in rather fast, and silently, since the engine was not running at all, the plane wobbling a little. The Bf109E touched down hard, and he watched as one of the main landing gears collapsed, and the plane skidded down the runway, the jeeps and fire equipment following fast. As they neared the aircraft, they saw a small fire under the left wing, and watched as Frederich opened up the canopy and hurriedly got out of the burning aircraft, as the fire equipment rolled up and began extinguishing the fire. Discord then went up to Frederich. "What happened up there? Tell me, now!" shouted Discord. "I don't know, Mr. Discord. I was just climbing through nine thousand feet when the engine quit on me. I tried to restart it but it wouldn't relight, so I made an emergency landing." replied Frederich. "Alright, you did good, but try to keep the aircraft more intact next time. Guys, is the aircraft fine?" asked Discord, to the project head and his staff, who had by then extinguished the fire. "I don't know, Sir. There is a lot of damage to the aircraft, but if we work a lot of all-nighters, the aircraft should be back in the air within three months. Till then, we'll have to suspend the Bf109E program." replied the project head. "Wait, what?! Why should we suspend the program? Don't we have the other Bf109E prototype?" asked a bewildered Discord. "Well, Sir, we had a bit of a.... mishap with the other one this morning." "What do you mean, a mishap?! Why didn't you inform me? What happened to the other Bf109E?" "Well.... we were testing the engine on the second aircraft, when it suffered a failure. All the staff is alright, but the aircraft is out of commission." "Ugh! I'll have some engine experts come in and fix the issue. In the meantime, try and get another Bf109 in for modifications, fast!" replied a frustrated Discord, as he went back into the hangars. He definitely felt something was off. It was like Faust herself was sabotaging the Erweiterung program. -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE---------------------------------------------------------------- It was now around 3:00am in Equestria. In the bedrooms of Canterlot Castle, Celestia was happily sleeping, while Luna was on dream duty. They were in their dreamscapes, when suddenly, they were forcibly merged. "Huh? Luna, did you do something?" asked Celestia. "No, I didn't do anything, sister. This seems to be our mother's work. The dreamscape is showing something." said Luna, as the dreamscape shifted before the eyes of the two sisters. It shifted to a planet, one that they knew. "Is that.... Equis?" asked Luna, who recognised it from her being on it's Moon for 1,000 years. The planet looked beautiful as ever, except for the fact that part of it was in permanent sunlight, and the other in permanent darkness. The place where Equestria once used to be was now a large crater, shrouded in permanent sunrise. Multiple gryphons were surrounding it, investigating how the huge country could have disappeared like that. They all seemed to be investigating the flora and fauna, trying to find traces of the storm, of which there were none, apart from the huge crater. Among them was Zecora, who had not been transported to Earth. There was also one where the Crystal Empire once was, also being investigated, albeit by the yaks. She then noticed another crater, albeit much smaller, a little further from the former site of Equestria. This was once where the Ponysian Empire used to stand, until Celestia had crushed it with a large chunk of rock. It brought back painful memories for Celestia. She remembered how the rebel regime that had executed Psar Ponylass had forcibly enslaved all outsiders in their land, including Equestrians, gryphons, and Yaks. They had even enslaved the outcasts among their own nation! The gryphons and Yaks wanted to slowly and steadily win the war, but Celestia was so angry with the Ponysians she had crushed their nation with a piece of Moon rock. As Celestia continued reminiscing, their mother suddenly appeared. "My daughters. I do not have much time. The Heavens beckon. I have some important information for you." said Faust. "What is it, mother, apart from the fact that Equis still exists?" asked Luna. "Well, I have been able to partially thwart Discord's plan. He is doing inhuman things, that I do not even wish to speak to you about. However, he will be back in action within a few months, so try to stop him as fast as you can. I know the location of something that might be able to defeat HIIIIIIM!!" screamed Faust, as she suddenly disappeared, and the whole dream ended. The two sisters woke up startled in their beds. It was now about 3:20am in the morning. They couldn't go back to sleep, so they decided to go and check on war updates. > Chapter 25 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9TH SEPTEMBER 1939 -----------------------------------------------------------THE BURMA-CHINA BORDER------------------------------------------------------------ It was around 2:30am in this area, which meant it was around 8:30am in Equestria. Private Lee Ling and his platoon were not doing too well. Just a few hours back, a battalion of Japanese soldiers had ambushed their position, coming from Burma, and the Chinese platoon of close to 150 soldiers had been taken by surprise. Caught unawares, of the original 150 soldiers, only around 36 still remained alive. As if that wasn't enough, the Japanese had also brought in some heavy equipment. They had brought twenty Type 97 Chi-Ha medium tanks with them. The large tanks had no identifying markings, apart from the flag of the Japanese empire dangling from them. The China-Japan war had restarted, and it was not looking good for China right now. Ling's commander had not even been able to call air support in before he, along with some of their soldiers, were shelled by a tank, such had been the speed of the ambush. Ling and his remaining fellow soldiers were all armed with their Lee-Enfield rifles, which they had got a couple of years back, when Britain had exported them to China via Hong Kong. Thankfully, the West was on China's side, and had exported a lot of things to them, including some British anti-tank mines. They had received a small shipment of the mines the previous day, and Ling realized, that if he could find the mines, he could use them to destroy the tanks. Ling looked around, and in the corner, he noticed that a part of the small temporary store-room had been opened up, and inside was the crate of mines, still intact. However, gunfire, and tank fire, was still flying. Thankfully, enough walls of the small outpost were still standing, enough to give him cover. He quickly signed to his colleagues, about his plan, and to cover him. He began running, his Lee-Enfield in his arms. He only had a few spare magazines, so he had to make every shot count. He dodged behind a wall, just as a bullet flew by him. He quickly fired a few potshots at a Japanese soldier, and then made another run. He dodged behind another wall, as a tank shell shredded the one he had been standing behind a few seconds earlier. He winced as he saw that, and then, made the final sprint to the storeroom, but just before he ran in, a bullet tore right into his knee. Ling screamed in pain, as he jumped into the storeroom. He looked down at his leg, and realized that a bullet had torn right through it. It seemed to have missed all the vital arteries, but he couldn't really run unless he patched the wound up. Thankfully, the first aid kit was there, but when he opened it, Ling realized that there was not much inside it. Ling gritted his teeth and began to bandage his wound as best he could. He knew that time was running out, and he couldn't afford to waste any more precious moments. With his leg throbbing in pain, he picked up the crate of anti-tank mines and started to make his way back to the battlefield. "Guys, I got the mines. I'll try and place them near the tanks, you distract their attention. Copy that?" asked Ling into his radio. "Copy that, Ling. We'll try and protect you, but we won't have much of a chance against those tanks." replied one of his comrades over the radio. "Try as hard as you can. We're not going down without a fight. We're not letting the Japanese invade China, got it?" replied Ling. "Got, it Lee. Over and out." replied his fellow soldier, and the radio went dark, just like the night sky. It was now 2:52am. Only around one and a half hours had passed since the first attack. Ling was ducking behind the ruined walls of the outpost, when he noticed one of the Chi-Ha tanks coming towards his position from behind, Ling's comrades firing at it. He quickly threw a mine out into the tank's path, and hobbled away at full speed. He watched as the tank ran over the mine. Seconds later, there was a huge explosion, throwing all the soldiers to the ground. When they looked up, they saw that the tank was on fire, burning brightly, lighting up the night sky. The other tanks had stopped, and some of the soldiers were getting out, trying to figure out what had happened to their comrade. Ling and his comrades used this opportunity to fire, killing close to ten Japanese soldiers within a minute. Ling quickly threw a mine at a second tank, which exploded the second it ran over the mine. The Japanese instantly fired back, taken by surprise. However, Ling and his comrades were able to kill all of them. However, that was when a large explosion suddenly knocked all of the men off their feet. When Ling opened his eyes, he noticed that more Japanese soldiers were swarming the area. Half of Ling's comrades were down, either dead or badly wounded. Whoever was still alive was being executed. Ling attempted to play dead, so that the Japanese would think he was dead, and he wouldn't be killed. However, he had no such luck, as the Japanese seemed to have anticipated his move, since they were firing multiple shots into everyone, no matter if they were dead or alive. Soon, it was Ling's turn. As a Japanese soldier prepared to press the trigger, Ling remembered all his memories, and hoped that one day, this war would end, and both countries could be at peace. These were his final thoughts, as multiple bullets ripped through him, killing him instantly. --------------------------------------------------------------------MANEHATTAN----------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 7:30pm in Equestria. The three princesses were walking to the ports, where Mr. Wood, had called them. They would be meeting up with him on the HMS Nelson. They had wondered what Wood had to tell them. As they arrived at the Nelson, they noticed that were very few sailors outside their ships. That was odd, as the previous few times, majority of the sailors had been outside their vessels, admiring Manehattan. As they walked towards the Nelson, they noticed that only two soldiers were out, guarding the gangplank leading to the ship. This was even more odd. The three alicorns walked up the gangplank, and went up to the bridge of the ship. There, they found Wood, Rockmond, and some other diplomatic staff surrounded around a TV set. They seemed to be watching a battlefield. That was when Wood noticed them. "Ah, your highnesses. We've got a huge problem." said Wood. "What is it, Mr. Wood?" asked Celestia. "Well, see for yourselves." said Wood, increasing the volume of the TV. It showed the ghastly scene of a battle, dead soldiers, destroyed buildings, and vehicles everywhere. The announcer's voice then came on. "At around 1:30am China time, or around 8:00pm in Britain, the China-Japan war restarted, with the Japanese ambushing the Chinese soldiers on the border with no provocation. As of now, the Chinese have suffered close to 300 fatalities, and around 75 fatalities have been suffered on the Japanese side. We pray for China in their time of need, and hope they are able to win this war." said the announcer on TV, as it was muted. "I suppose that Discord is the one motivating this? Hirohito, the Emperor of Japan, declared war earlier today." said Wood. Celestia instantly recognized it. The attacks on the Chinese soldiers had been without provocation, like the one on Poland, and had thrown the political scenario between the two countries into chaos. This was definitely Discord's works, as chaos was what he wanted. "Yes, this seems to be Discord's work. He is probably manipulating Hirohito, like how he manipulated Hitler." said Celestia. "Well, we better move the ponies into battle fast! The war's getting worse, and the China-Japan war is already spilling into our overseas colony of Burma, and also, we have had a couple of incursions in our other colony of India!" said Wood. "I know, Wood. But we have to make sure they are trained properly first, and are ready for life in the human world." said Luna. "Speaking of that, there's something else we have to show you." said Rockmond, as he pressed the TV's change channel button, switching to another news channel, where a crowd of protestors was shown. He unmuted the TV. "..... as the China-Japan war restarts, the anti-Equestrian protests are also getting bigger. Their cause is growing, and so are their demands. Here's what their leader, Bret Stiles, says." said the TV announcer. The camera shifted to an old man, still rather healthy for his age, which seemed to be around 60. The three princesses put him as Bret Stiles, as the man began speaking. "Those horse creatures have no place in our militaries! They do not even belong in our world! How are we admitting place in our military to fucking ALIENS, when we are not showing other races in our militaries?! Plus, their arrival on Earth also caused the war! Go home, Equestrians and Crystal Empireans! You little shits don't belong here!" shouted Stiles into the microphones held out by reporters, rallying the crowd around him, as Rockmond muted the TV. "That's the problem. Stiles' organisation, Equestrians Not Allowed, also known as ENA, has already been protesting the admitting of Equestrians into the military. His people have been protesting outside training bases since some days now. His organisation currently has over 4,200 members, and more are joining. They have to be dealt with. Already, close to 200 members of ENA have been arrested, but so far, we can't keep up with all of them." said Rockmond. "I see. We shall deal with ENA later. In the meantime, how's everything going in training, and our modernisation?" asked Luna. "Well, so far, so good. The training reports of the Equestrians I'm seeing are good, despite it being only three days since the start of training. Also, our prospectors, with the help of Equestrian prospectors, have discovered a huge coal deposit around 25 kilometers from Ponyville, and we plan to build a mine there. With that, we can start supplying electricity to Equestria, and the Crystal Empire. A similar, but smaller deposit has been found there as well." said Wood. "Good. Hopefully we can build the mines, and use the coal as fuel for power plants. Well, we have to leave now, Mr. Rockmond, and Mr. Wood. See you tomorrow." said Celestia, as the three princesses began leaving the ships. They had more pressure on them now than ever, now that they had to deal with the ENA as well as with Discord. Hopefully, they would be able to stop them, and keep Earth safe. > Chapter 26 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10TH SEPTEMBER 1939 -------------------ROYAL ARMY/AIR FORCE TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWHERE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS-------------- It was now 7:30am here, which meant it was around 6:00am in Equestria. Twilight and Shining Armor were talking with the trainees, who were having breakfast, before they headed out for more training. The ENA problem was something they had not expected to deal with. Around 150 members of the ENA had been protesting outside the base since the last two days. Due to this, the ponies, who were planning to venture into the town of Rosvar for some off-time, which was just a kilometer from the base, could not do so. The trainees had been complaining about the ENA the whole day, as they had heard some of their addresses on TV and radio, and Twilight had heard rumours that some of the trainees were planning to assassinate Bret Stiles if they got the choice. The base security were collaborating with the Rosvar Police to try and remove the protestors, but they weren't on base property yet, so they couldn't be arrested for trespassing. This had highly disappointed the ponies, as Rosvar had an old castle they had planned to visit, and there were also a lot of shops, full of things they could send back to their families in Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Lot of products were being made specially for ponies, and soon, all vehicles, old or new, would be both human and pony-compatible. Even the restaurants and pubs in Rosvar had started offering pony-compatible meals. The Royal Army trainees were still learning hand combat maneuvers, but were taking theory classes as well, such as Biology, History, and Geography, which was important, so they'd know wherever they might be fighting in. The RAF trainees were only during theory classes, but were also doing practical classes in survival skills, which the Army trainees would also start soon. They would also get to ride as back-seaters in RAF fighter planes, most likely Hurricanes, but maybe Spitfires, the next week, which Rainbow Dash was extremely excited about. In the meantime, Twilight and Shining Armor were talking on the telephone in Shining Armor's room to the British ambassador, Wood, who said he would call Celestia and Luna later. Until they got a telephone network running in their home nation, they would relay all calls through the American and British warships docked in Manehattan. "How do we deal with the ENA? Already trainees want that Stiles guy dead." said Shining Armor, over the phone. "Well, we can't arrest him yet, since he hasn't really done anything criminally wrong so far. We'll wait for him to make a mistake, and once he does, we'll take him and ENA down." replied Wood. "Hopefully, we should. Also, how's construction going over there?" replied Shining Armor. "Well, the airfields at Ponyville, Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire are being built, but pace is slow, due to the lack of an effective transportation network. The army bases are coming up pretty well, and should be finished this month. We have found some large coal and iron ore reserves, near some of the more rural towns. There, we plan to build mines, which we can use to help you set up industries. We will mainly start with coal, to get power plants up and running, and build up a road network. Once that's done, we'll make use of the iron reserves." "Oh, good. Hopefully the modernisation of our countries can start soon. Also, what news of our large order of military equipment?" "Well, close to 500 Lee-Enfield rifles, 300 Bren LMGs, and 700 Enfield No.2 revolvers can be delivered to you as soon as the base becomes operational. Once that is done, we can began construction of the explosives factory, where we'll manufacture smoke grenades and regular land grenades. Also, our training ship, the HMS Nile, will soon be in your possession temporarily, once we negotiate the lease agreement. Then, it can be delivered to your upcoming Navy base, at Fillydelphia. As for your vehicles, we can deliver quite a few jeeps and trucks, once your army bases are operational. As for your aircraft, I still don't have any details about them, sorry about that." "That's fine. Hopefully, the future Equestrian Army, Navy, and Air Force will be ready to take on any threats those damn Nazis, Italians, or Japs have for us." "Hopefully. Anyway, I need to go now, have to take a call with Prime Minister Chamberlain in some time, so I'll talk to you tomorrow. See you later, Shining Armor." replied Wood. "See you later, Wood, and thank you." replied Shining Armor, as he cut the call. He sighed, and turned back to Twilight. "Well, that was a long call. Well, Twily, we gotta get ready. I have to meet a British politician at that fancy restaurant in the town, so we better get ready." said Shining Armor as he went into his bathroom. "See you in half an hour, Twily." smiled Shining Armor, as he closed the bathroom door. Twilight then decided to go back into her room, and change up. Twenty-five minutes later, the two siblings were ready, and were heading outside, to where a car was waiting for them. It had been assigned to take them anywhere at a moment's notice. As they headed out to the main facade of the barracks, they saw the car, a brand new black coloured Austin 12 sedan, assigned specially to them. It was easily identifiable by the British and Equestrian flags on the bonnet. "Mr. Armor? Ms. Sparkle? I'm Edward Bowman, your driver." said a rather young man, in his late twenties, well built, with brown hair, and green eyes. He was wearing a suit, and waiting outside the car for the two siblings. "Ah, Mr. Bowman. Thanks for driving us. Also, Mr. Armor sounds very weird. Just call me Shining Armor, or Shining if you want." replied Shining Armor. "Alright then. If you're Shining, then I'm Edward, or Eddie for short. Now let's go, so we aren't late." said Bowman, as he opened the rear door of the car for the two siblings, who got in. A few seconds later, they were about to leave the base, and despite the car's windows being closed, they could hear the shouts of the protestors outside. The protestors probably could tell the gate was about to open, because they were shouting louder than usual. As the gate opened and the car began to drive out, the protestors all attempted to run into the base, but thankfully, a half ton of Royal Army soldiers had been deployed, so they instantly put up barricades, and a half ton of the protestors ran into the barricades. Although some attempted to climb over, they got arrested. However, some protestors noticed the car, and unfortunately, they realized there were ponies inside. They instantly ran towards the big Austin, scaring Twilight, who instantly held Shining Armor, who looked a little nervous as well. Thankfully, Bowman noticed the protestors running towards the car, and hit the gas pedal. Unfortunately, the car was underpowered, and despite them gaining some speed, they wouldn't outrun the protestors, even if they were in a car. The two ponies noticed that Bowman was sweating, since he was rather nervously. He then suddenly swerved, and the two siblings almost got thrown into the door, as Shining Armor quickly stopped them with his magic. The sudden swerve was enough to keep them on the road, but not without a scratch. As they avoided most of the protestors, a couple tried to jump at the car, and thankfully, Bowman was able to avoid most of them, but two of them were unfortunately sideswiped by the car as Bowman tried to avoid them. One was thrown away while the other was hit by a fender going close to 60 kilometers per hour, and collapsed on the spot. "Bowman! Stop! We have to help him!" shouted Twilight, looking shocked at the unconscious man. "No can do, Ms. Sparkle. If we stop, all the other protestors will no doubt attempt to beat you up, and maybe try to kill you. No doubt the people at base would have noticed, and they'll probably send ambulances. They'll anyway need some, to deal with the injured protestors." said Bowman, as he began speeding away from the base, the car back under control. Twilight watched as the injured protestor's comrades ran towards him, and there was already a pool of blood under his chest and head. Twilight hoped that he was still alive, as she looked forward, the town of Rosvar ahead of them. > Chapter 27 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------ROSARIO'S, ROSVAR-------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 8:17am in the small town of Rosvar, in the Scottish Highlands. Twilight and Shining Armor had just arrived at the restaurant, Rosario's, where they would be meeting with the British politician, who was actually the Minister for Coordination of Defence of Britain. He had come to town the previous day, and requested to meet with Shining Armor. The two ponies were getting out of the large Austin sedan which had brought them here. As they got out, they noticed a dent on the front fender, where the protestor had hit the car. Twilight hoped that the man was still alive, even if he was a member of Equestrians Not Allowed, aka ENA. They were listening to a radio placed in the restaurant, which was rather empty, since not too many wealthy people lived in Rosvar. Edward Bowman, their driver, was just walking into the restaurant after parking the car. They were waiting for the Minister for Coordination of Defence, Lord Chatfield, to show up. That was when five black Rolls-Royce Phantom IIIs, with Union Jacks on their bonnets, pulled up outside the restaurant. Out of the third car, the middle car, climbed an old man. He was rather old, in his mid-sixties, but seemed pretty healthy for his age. He was wearing a suit, and was definitely Lord Chatfield. (five of these but with Union Jack flags on the bonnets) Chatfield and his retinue climbed out of the car, and walked into the restaurant. They walked in, and sat at the large table, with Twilight and Shining Armor. "Ah, Miss Twilight, General Shining Armor. Pleased to meet you. I'm Lord Chatfield, Minister for Coordination of Defence of the United Kingdom." said Chatfield. "Pleased to meet you too, Lord Chatfield. The military you run seems to be extremely well-trained, and utilises their equipment the best." said Shining Armor. "Ah, we aim to please, General. Anyways, I heard about that awful thing with those ENA people at the base." said Lord Chatfield. "What? How? It just happened like, twenty minutes ago!" replied a shocked Shining Armor. "Well, the base commander, who was responding to the incident, called me on the way to the restaurant, as our cars have telephones installed in them. I don't blame you, or your driver, for the fact that your car smacked into one of the ENA people like that." replied Chatfield. "I just hope the person is okay. We don't like anyone dying, even if they hate us." "I also got calls from the town hospital, and they reported that most of the protestors escaped that stampede with minor injuries, mostly cuts and bruises, while some of the protestors who got a little more banged up, by trying to jump over the shields, got a maximum of a broken leg or arm. The protestor who got hit by your car survived, but unfortunately, he is in a coma, due to brain damage." reported Chatfield, rather solemnly. This shocked the two siblings, especially Twilight. They were hoping the man had survived, but not like that. He probably would never even get up again, and even if he did, he would not be able to even live without help. Chatfield could sense Twilight's discomfort, and quickly decided to divert the conversation. "Well, let's order our food first. I'm starving." said Chatfield, as he opened up a menu, and began to decide his order. The two siblings also grabbed their menus, and began to look at all of the restaurants' new Equestrian-friendly menu options, which had been added two days after it was announced the Equestrians would be fighting in the military, since the Rosvar base trained a lot of cadets. As they waited for their food to arrive, Lord Chatfield brought up the topic of the ENA's recent protests against the integration of Equestrians into the British military. "I must say, Miss Twilight and General Shining Armor, I am in full support of your kind joining our ranks. Your abilities and strengths will undoubtedly benefit our country's defense efforts," Chatfield stated firmly. Twilight and Shining Armor both nodded in agreement, grateful for the Minister's support. However, they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease at the thought of facing such strong opposition from the ENA. They still had to deal with Discord as well, for he was still loose, somewhere on Earth, and working with the Nazis, Italians, and Japanese. As they continued their conversation, Lord Chatfield brought up a potential solution to the ENA's protests. "I have an idea, Miss Twilight and General Shining Armor. What if we organized a series of public events showcasing the abilities and strengths of Equestrian soldiers? This would give the British people a chance to see firsthand what your kind can do, and hopefully, it would help to alleviate some of the fears and prejudices that the ENA has been spreading." Twilight and Shining Armor both agreed that this was a great idea, as it would not only help to educate the British people but also provide a platform for their kind to showcase their skills. Lord Chatfield promised to work on organizing these events as soon as possible. As they finished their breakfast, Lord Chatfield excused himself, promising to keep in touch with Twilight and Shining Armor. It was now 9:15am. The two siblings left the restaurant, feeling both hopeful and apprehensive about the future. They knew that there would still be challenges ahead, but they were determined to face them head-on, with the support of their allies like Lord Chatfield. -------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------ Discord was watching TV in his room, and he was pleased. ENA would be something else that the Equestrians would have to deal with as well, making it harder for them to deal with him. In the meantime, he had to get the Erweiterung programme back on track. The third Bf109 had arrived, and was being modified to a Bf109E, while the two other prototypes were out of commission. It was 10:15am here, and while the other two Bf109Es may have been out of commission, this third one hopefully would not. Meanwhile, as for the Panzer IIIEs, they were also being worked on, and the first test should come in within a few days. They also planned to make similar modifications to Panzer IVs, since they would eventually replace the IIIs. As for the Super Soldier program, as it was called now, well after they turned the woman into a monster, they were trying hard to make an actually effective and properly working version of the E-serum. The monster was now kept in a large enclosure, in the former underground cellars of the base, which had been converted to prisons for the test subjects. Discord smiled. He was still mad about how the whole Erweiterung program had been sabotaged by Faust, but thankfully, nothing else like that had happened since then. He was watching an interview of Bret Stiles by an American news channel, as ENA members were also now coming from America as well. ENA now had over 4,500 members, from different countries, mostly from Britain, but also from America, Russia, Japan, Germany, and other such countries. The shot also showed Stiles showing off the ENA's new headquarters building in Manchester, as well as their logo, a very graphic illustration of a Equestrian chopped in half by humans. "What do you think of our new headquarters?" asked Stiles on the TV, to the reporter interviewing him. "It's very, ah, vivid." replied the reporter. "Ah, it's actually very beautiful. It portrays our dedication to the cause. Just yesterday, we had only 4,200 members, and today, we have 4,500. In just 24 hours, close to five hundred new members have joined us! At this rate, we will have close to 8,000 members by the end of this year." replied a very happy Stiles. "Ah, but why do you hate the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans?" "Well, there is one big reason. EARTH IS FOR HUMANS, THAT'S WHY! We transformed this planet from something backwards, into a place of technology and advancement, all by ourselves! And now, those fucking horses want to join us? No, we are better than them! We have better technology, bett..... " shouted Stiles, as Discord switched off the TV. Discord chuckled at that outburst. Really. Earth was not for humans. It was only meant for Discord, once he had spread chaos across the planet. Discord decided to go and take a nap, since he had to go and check on the Panzer IIIEs, which would make their demonstration runs in a couple of days, so he better have a nap now, since he might not have it soon. Discord thought about how he would rule Earth, as he drifted off to sleep. > Chapter 28 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13TH SEPTEMBER 1939 -------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 7:30am here. Discord was in the tank stables, as they were called, since they resembled horse stables, but for tanks. These tank stables had been built at their secret facility as garages for the tanks, in this case, the first three prototype Panzer IIIEs. These tanks were hopefully going to be the first successful product of their Erweiterung programme, which so far, had been nothing but setbacks, with the E-serum failures, and the grounding of the two Bf109E prototypes. Discord was talking with the tank operators, a pair of Russians, Nikolai Belinski, and Albert Belinski. The two were twins, and highly identical, both in their early forties, both with brown hair, and rather muscular builds. The only way to tell the difference between the two was that Nikolai had green eyes, and Albert had blue eyes. The two, again, under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Hitler and Stalin, had been assigned to join the Erweiterung programme as the test operators for the tanks. "Alright, you two. You're going to have do the best you can out there. Otherwise, one of you will be an only child. GOT IT?" asked Discord, to the Belinskis. "Don't worry, Mr. Discord, we got this." said the two brothers, as they began climbing into the tank. The top ranking military brass, including Joseph Goebbels himself, had flown down from Berlin the previous night to watch the first armed demonstration of the Panzer IIIE. If this worked, after some other evaluation tests, the IIIEs would be dispatched to supplement the IVs on the battlefield, and maybe they would even get to make IVEs as well. But today, all they had to do was finish off the IIIE's first demonstration. Discord was already not pleased about having to do evaluations on the IIIEs, but Hitler had told him that even if Erweiterung was a black programme, they had to make everything appear legit, so all the equipment rolled out by the Erweiterung programme, or at least the prototypes, had to undergo evaluations. The IIIEs, however, would not enter service with every battalion yet. It would enter service only in a few off-the-books tank units at first, to see how it would work. Then, it would enter official service. As the demonstration was about to begin, the Belinski brothers quickly climbed into one of the IIIEs, the one that had been prepared for the demonstration. As the IIIE began moving, Discord quickly teleported, to the stage, and demonstration-cum-test ground, around two hundred meters from the tank stables. Here, where the audience of Joseph Goebbels and top ranking military officials, both Soviet (with German translators) and German, was waiting. "Ah, everyone, sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we begin?" asked Discord, into the microphone. "Yes, we've been waiting some time now." said Goebbels. "Good. Shall we then, unveil, the next evolution of tanks, the first Panzer IIIE?!" shouted Discord, as the large tank, painted black in colour, with no identification markings on it whatsoever, except for two Nazi flags dangling off it, roared into the arena at high speed, impressing the audience. "What are the differences between this and a normal Panzer III?" asked one of the Nazi officials. "Well, the Panzer IIIE has multiple differences. For one, it's way more powerful than a regular Panzer III. The engine has been tuned from around 300 horsepower to more than 360 horsepower, taking the top speed up from forty kilometers per hour to around 52." explained Discord. "What about reliability? All that extra power is of no use if the tank breaks down in the middle of a battlefield." "Well, this engine should last up to 600 hours, maybe even 700, without an overhaul. It's probably going to be more reliable than even the Panzer IV!" "Hmmm, how does it manage that?" "Well, we have used a new oil, which has higher heat resistance, and does not thin out so easily, which reduces the wear and tear on the engine. It greatly helps make it more reliable." "I see. But what about the weapons and armor?" "Well, the armor has been heavily improved. It can now withstand bullets from a Hurricane, and although those from a Spitfire may not be fully deflected, whoever is in the tank at the time should not be injured. As for weapons, lets not talk about them, let me show them to you!" shouted Discord, as the Belinski brothers pointed the tank's turrets at some cars on the field. That was when the Nazi officials noticed movement in some of the cars. "Is there someone in those target vehicles?" "Yes, we have used some of those filthy Poles, blacks, and other non-Aryans from the concentration camps as test subjects, to show just how damage some of the new weapons can do." said Discord non-chalantly. At this, all the Nazi officials applauded, while the Soviet officials looked a little disturbed, once their translators had told them what Discord had said. "First up, the new and improved, 50mm gun!" shouted Discord, as the tank's main weapon, its large 50mm gun, fired. The first car was instantly hit by the gun, destroying it and its occupants in a cloud of smoke. The Nazis cheered as pieces of car and body parts flew everywhere. "The 50mm gun now fires shells faster, and the shells are also more lethal, with some minor redesigning! Check out that carnage!" said Discord, as the smoke of the burning car dissipated, revealing the carnage. The car's chassis was heavily twisted, half of the body panels missing, and the vehicle itself was on fire. But the worst was also revealed a few seconds later. Severely mutilated and burned body parts, some from men, some from women, and even some from children, lay around the car. Still, the Nazis cheered. "Well, apart from that, there's really only one other new weapon we put in, and that is, the Automatic Projectile Launcher-1, also called ALP-1!" shouted Discord, as a large protrusion on top of the tank, full of turret like holes, began firing burning projectiles, that reminded the Russians of Sergei Korolev's GIRD-06. They watched as the projectiles completely destroyed the remaining four cars, destroying them and their occupants completely. "And that is the end of the demonstration, everyone! If you would like to know more about the ALP-1, you can talk to our engineers! We will be adopting this technology on present German military equipment as well! Thank you, and see you next time!" said Discord, as he walked off the stage, with all the military officials clapping. It was now 8:30am. The whole thing had taken just over fifty minutes. As Discord walked towards the facility, he was stopped by Joseph Goebbels. "Mr. Discord, I must say that was quite an amazing demonstration, of a truly revolutionary weapon!" "Well, its all in the destruction, you see." replied Discord, happy that finally something of the Erweiterung programme had worked. "Well, after that one, we'll try and speed up the ALP-1's entry into service, but I'd say it would take at least two or three months to get it approved." said Goebbels. "I see. What about the Panzer IIIE, the tank itself?" replied Discord. "Well, the IIIE will still need some time, as your engineers say there are some bugs that have to be ironed out. It should take around the same time period to get the IIIEs in service." "I see, but you can get it done?" "I'll try my best, Discord." said Goebbels as he walked off, to go and talk to his fellow politicians. As Discord walked back towards the main facility, he felt happier than he had been before. Things were starting to work, and his plan was being executed rather nicely. It wouldn't be too long before the battlefields got more intense. ---------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE-------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now around 10:00am in Equestria. The three princesses, and Twilight, had been up in the castle's archives since 5:00am, trying to figure out what Faust had told them, before she disappeared from their dream. Twilight had flown in the previous day, from Britain. They now knew there was something extremely powerful, something more powerful than the Elements of Harmony, something that could defeat Discord. They had been searching since the previous night, when Twilight came in, holding an extremely old book. "Everypony! I might have figured out how we can defeat Discord!" shouted Twilight. "What? How can we do so, Twilight?" asked Luna. "Well, this book states it all. The Destroyer of Discord. It was a powerful artifact that had the ability to nullify all magic and powers, including Discord's chaos magic. It was said to be once created and wielded by Faust herself." said Twilight, showing them the book, which had a rather old picture of a large sparkling gem, and another picture, of Faust wearing it. Twilight was the first thing to notice something about the picture of Faust wearing the Destroyer of Discord. "Huh... Celestia, doesn't Faust's necklace look like yours?" asked Twilight, pointing at Celestia's necklace, which had a large amethyst in it. "Huh, it does, Twilight. This means that the Destroyer of Discord can be wielded by me, Faust's daughter!" said Celestia. "Also, you see what was said, right? What happened to it?" asked Cadance. "Well, after Faust once defeated Discord, around 200 years before Celestia and Luna were born, it disappeared. No one has known about it's whereabouts for more than 2,200 years." said Twilight. "Well, our mother definitely was trying to tell us where the Destroyer of Discord was in that dream. Keep up the good work, Twilight. Try and find some other books that tell us where the Destroyer of Discord might be. In the meantime, we also have to start the first part of Equestria's modernisation, so let's get ready to start that up." replied Celestia. "Alright, Princess. I'll try my best to find anything related to the Destroyer of Discord." said Twilight, as the princesses began leaving the library. They knew that it would be a long journey to stop Discord and save Earth, but hopefully, their plan would succeed. > Chapter 29 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18TH SEPTEMBER 1939 ------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE----------------------------------------------------------------- It was now around 10:00am in Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Celestia and Luna were about to leave to meet up with Rockmond and Wood at Manehattan. They were making advancements on the modernisation of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Cadance would also join them at Manehattan. They would check on the progress of the modernisation plans, and the ponies' military training. They would also begin plans to find where Discord would probably be hiding. Celestia and Luna teleported, and three seconds later, they were at Manehattan, at the docks. At this point, the sailors had gotten used to the teleporting, so it wasn't as surprising as the first time they saw it happen. As they walked nearer to the ships, they could see Rockmond and Wood waiting for them, outside the USS Colorado. "Ah, your majesties. Great to see you again. There have been major updates since our last check." said Rockmond, holding a large folder. "Ah, I see. Shall we begin then?" asked Celestia. "Yes, let's." said Rockmond, as he and Wood, along with the two princesses and some escorting soldiers, from the US Navy, Royal Navy, and the Equestrian Royal Guards, began to leave the docks. Just then, Cadance arrived. "Sorry I'm late, everyone. Are we already leaving to check on the progress of construction?" asked Cadance. "Yes, we are." said Celestia. "Alright, no point wasting time then. Let's go!" said Cadance, as they began walking out of the city, towards the airbase, which would also be used as a civilian airport. The squadron of Hurricanes they had observed there the last time they had visited was still there. The airbase infrastructure had also been changed a little. Some temporary hangars had been constructed, in which the Hurricanes were parked. Some large tanks, that stored the Hurricanes' fuel, had also been set up. The tanks had been shipped in by another Royal Navy destroyer, and with the help of multiple human technicians, and some ponies, they had been built. They were to be supplied by a large ship, an oil tanker. It would start coming from next week. As they approached the airfield, they could hear the roar of engines in the distance. The sound grew louder as they drew nearer, and soon they saw two Hurricanes taking off into the sky. The princesses and their companions watched in awe as the planes soared into the clouds, their wings glinting in the sunlight. Cadance turned to Celestia and Luna. "Do you think we'll ever see a day when Equestria and the Crystal Empire have their own air forces?" she asked. Celestia smiled. "It's certainly a possibility. We've already begun modernizing our military, and who knows what advancements will be made in the future? But for now, we must focus on training our ponies and working alongside our human allies, so we are able to defeat Discord once and for all." As they walked by the airbase, they could see the construction was also progressing. The foundations for the permanent hangars were being built, and the ground for a paved runway and taxiways was being cleared by some large earthmovers, that had been shipped in on a British cargo ship the day before. They paused for a moment, and the ponies watched the huge machines easily digging up the ground, admiring how good the technology humans had made was. The three princesses hoped they could get their hooves on such technologies for their own nations. As the ponies walked by the main runway, they watched as two Hurricanes came in to land. At first, Celestia thought these were the ones that had departed just a few minutes prior, but then she realized that those Hurricanes had different numbers on the tail. The Hurricanes were apparently being used for aerial patrol over Equestria and the Crystal Empire, each pair operating two-hour flights, so as to not deplete the airbase's fuel supply. As they were doing this, Rockmond spoke up. "Your highnesses, uh, now, for one of the other major updates we have to show you. We received this letter from the Equestrian head of our combined expedition team, which has a location spell on it. They didn't write much in the letter, though. They want us there personally." said Rockmond, as he showed a wrapped-up scroll to the princesses. Cadance took the letter from Rockmond. "Huh, they really want us there. Let's find out what this is about." said Cadance, as she activated the location spell, and the whole group was teleported. Once the teleportation was over, the three princesses, their escorts, and the humans took a while to figure out where they were. That was when Celestia realized their location. "We're in the Ponkan mountains!" said Celestia, recognizing the place. "This is where two of the Ponkan kingdoms used to be, before the wars that wiped them out!" Rockmond and the humans, who had seen the history of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, at the Manehattan Museum, instantly knew what Celestia had been talking about. The place where the Ponkan Wars, similar to the wars in the Balkans that had led to the Great War. That was where they where. It was now 11:50am. As they looked around, looking for any sign of where to go, that was when a human, accompanied by a brown-yellow pegasus wearing a hat and a military green vest, came towards him. "Ah, your highnesses! It's me, Daring Do!" said the pegasus. "Ah, Daring. Good to see you again. You're the pony leader of the expedition team?" asked Celestia. "Nope, I'm not the leader, just the second-in-command. "The main leader of the expedition team is actually John here." said Daring Do, pointing to the man with her. He was around the same age as Wood and Rockmond, who were in their forties. He seemed rather fit for his age, and was wearing hiking gear. "Hi, I'm John Price. I'm the leader of our combined expedition team." said the man. "We've got a pretty amazing discovery to show you all. Come on." said Price, as he walked back towards the direction from where he and Daring had come, with the combined entourage following. As they continued walking, they reached the crater of a once-active volcano, that had gone extinct close to 300 years ago. As they reached the crater, they could see multiple humans and ponies around the volcano, studying it with scientific equipment the humans had brought with them. "Um.... why are you all camped out the crater of an extinct volcano?" asked Celestia. "Well, your highness, we have actually discovered rich mineral deposits, of a mineral we have not seen before. Take a look." said Price, as he urged the princesses and some of the humans to follow him. They followed him down to one of the tents, where they had kept samples of the mineral. However, it had been kept isolated, in a large lead box. "Why have you kept this mineral in a lead box like that?" asked Celestia. "Well, your highnesses, this mineral is radioactive. We had brought a Geiger counter, to measure the radioactivity, in case we found something like that, and we have. We do not have a name for this mineral yet, but it is highly radioactive. Lead is the only material that can stop the radioactivity, so we have encased it in a lead box. However, we do have some pictures of it taken before we stuck it in the box. Take a look." said Price, as he showed them some pictures, showing a glowing green rock, being placed into the lead box, by a human wearing what seemed to be a protective suit and gloves. "What kind of properties does it have?" asked Celestia, knowing that Twilight would love to study this mineral. "Right now, we don't much about it, apart from the fact that it is highly radioactive. We haven't even named it yet, so we are simply calling it Material Z. Radioactive materials are relatively new to us. They are mainly used in medical applications. We have a technology called X-ray, which uses radioactive materials, to see inside the human body, mainly the bones. It helps us to locate fractures, breaks, and study the human body. We are also experimenting with it to check industrial parts for cracks, and in to reveal hidden things." said Price. "I have heard of your X-ray technology, but I didn't know it used such materials. We have had radioactive materials on our world as well. However, occurrence of such materials as a mineral was extremely rare, and we rarely found any traces of radioactivity on our world." said Celestia. "We have also found something else. Material Z does not get affected by magic in any way, and I fear that it could be used for bad purposes, turned into a Material Z weapon. One that cannot be stopped by magic, one that could probably destroy a whole city, especially now that we have discovered nuclear fission." said Price. "For now, this discovery will be confined to our small group, and some of the higher-ups in our countries' governments, so that does not happen." "Don't worry, Price. You have our word. We will keep the news of Material Z confined. Any other updates?" said Celestia. "Well, we have also discovered high-grade coal deposits, around 50 kilometers south of Ponyville. A smaller deposit, containing more medium-grade coal, has been found 100 kilometers west of Fillydelphia. We have also found medium-grade iron ore deposits, south of the Crystal Empire. These deposits will help begin the modernisation and industrialisation of your country." said Price. "Thanks for the update, Price. We have to get going now. See you next time we meet." said Celestia, as the princesses, the two ambassadors, and their soldiers began leaving. They left the tent, and then teleported back to Manehattan. It was now 1:00pm. The discovery of Material Z had changed things. This could help them build a weapon that could end the war, and the threat of Discord. Hopefully, it would. > Chapter 30 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23RD SEPTEMBER 1939 -------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 5:15am. Discord was busy admiring his true form in the bathroom. He had gotten up just fifteen minutes earlier, and was just admiring his form. Sure, to most creatures, he looked like a chimera-like animal Frankenstein, but he wasn't really most creatures, was he? Also, he had gotten into Earthly literature. Mainly into Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, but also others, including William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. In fact, the conspiracy that Cassius had instigated against Julius Caesar resonated a lot with Discord's plan for Hitler, Mussolini, Hirohito, and their nations once most of the plan to take Earth and destroy the Equestrians was accomplished. As he thought about his plans, Discord transformed back into his human form, took a quick shower, drank a glass of milk, and changed into a fresh set of clothes, with a lab coat. Today was an important day. It would be the trial for the third version of the E-serum. The last two trials of the E-serum did not go well at all. Goebbels had told Discord that if this final trial of the E-serum did not work, this part of the Erweiterung programme would have to be shut down. Due to this, Discord was more tense than ever. As Discord walked out of his room and headed towards the lab, he felt more worried than ever. He hoped that this worked, otherwise, a whole third of his programme would be shut down. If this didn't work, he was definitely going to kill someone. Discord thought about how everything would work out as he entered the lab. All the scientists were there, looking rather tired from lack of sleep. "Alright, my men! Are you sure this one will go well?" asked Discord. "Yes, Doctor. We're sure it will! We've been on this for two weeks now. It should work!" replied the head scientist. "Should? SHOULD?!" replied Discord, using his magic to levitate the scientist into the air, with him screaming, since Discord was also using a rather mild torture spell, at least milder than some of the other ones he had used. "AAAH! SORRY, DOCTOOOR, IT WIIILLL WORK!" "Good. That's the outcome we want. If it doesn't, I'll fucking kill you! You understand that?!" shouted Discord, putting the scientist back on the ground, much to the man's relief. That was when the lights in the test enclosure came on, revealing the latest subject. A German man this time, probably a Jew. He was in his thirties, with black hair, and pretty skinny, since he had probably been in the concentration camps for sometime. He was rather silent, compared to the two women they had used earlier. That was a relief. As the man looked around, wondering why on Earth he was locked up in a large glass cage, one of the scientists went in with the syringe containing the third iteration of the E-serum, which was now purple. The man spoke up. "What are you doing? I'm a human being, just like you! You can't use me as your test subject" shouted the man. "! I have rights! Because I am a Jew doesn't mean yo-" "Shut up, killer of Christ." said the scientist, as he jammed the syringe into the man's arm, and watched as the purple serum drained from the syringe into the man's arm. Then, he ran out of the enclosure, as usual. The second he was out and the door was locked, the team watched as the changes began to take effect. They watched as the man began developing stronger muscles, and his frame began widening. Within three minutes, the weak man that had once stood there was now a rather muscular man, probably the strongest on Earth right now. He was pretty much a super soldier. All of the scientists started cheering, happy that the E-serum had finally worked. That was when the man started punching the glass, and the scientists stopped cheering, as the glass cracked. "You guys made a big mistake!" he laughed. "Now I'll easily be able to break out of your prison now that you've made me stronger!" said the man, as the glass began cracking even more. That was when Discord's arm started glowing with his magic aura, and seconds later, the scientists all heard a wet thump, and then, the man dropped to the floor, blood oozing out of his mouth. He was definitely dead. "Oh, come on, it failed again!" shouted one of the scientists. "No, it didn't. It worked as intended. I just made the test subject's heart burst using my magic." said Discord, with an evil smile on his face. "Oh, so the E-serum did work after all!" said the scientists, cheering again, even though the dead body was still lying in the enclosure, whose window pane was spiderwebbed with cracks. Discord was also happy. He killed someone, and the Erweiterung programme had suddenly become successful again. "I'll call the Fuhrer in a few minutes and tell him the good news!" said Discord, happy about this. The Panzer IIIEs were waiting for approval, the E-serum had worked, which meant they could start up some sort of black super spy program. That would be a huge advantage against the British and French militaries. Only thing was the Bf109Es. The third one would make its first flight soon, but the other two were still in repairs after their mishaps. Thankfully, the estimates by the workmen said that they would be back in the skies by October. It was now 5:50am. Discord smiled to himself, and went off to the telephone to call Hitler. It was going to be good, that was for sure. -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was around 8:00am in Equestria. Celestia and Luna were going to have another meetup with the two ambassadors. They were going to begin the plans for the large public showcase that would be conducted, to show humans the strength and abilities of Equestrian soldiers. This would hopefully prove the Equestrians' worth in the war, and hopefully reduce the influence of ENA on the public. Of course, they couldn't fully take ENA down yet, but this would hopefully be a major step in doing so. ENA was growing in strength as well. Bret Stiles' organisation had recruited more than 300 new members in the last two weeks, and their strength was now more than 4,800. Stiles had also opened up offices for ENA in Belgium and France, expanding their reach beyond just Britain and America. It was like some people just had a beef with the Equestrians for no reason at all. Hopefully the showcase would change that. They would again be joined by Cadance. They would have liked Shining Armor and Twilight to be seeing this as well, but the two siblings were currently in Britain, keeping a check on their ponies in training. At 8:20am, as usual, they teleported to Manehattan, met up with Cadance, walked to the docks, and onto the USS Colorado. As they climbed into the ship's VIP quarters, they were greeted by Rockmond and Wood, the two ambassadors. "Ah, your majesties! Our planners have some venues and ideas for the showcase, would you like to take a look at them?" asked Rockmond. "Yes, we would like to see these plans. Could you show them to us?" asked Cadance. "Sure thing, your Highnesses. They're on that table over there." said Rockmond, as he and Wood got up, and walked along with the princesses to the table, where a series of sketches, pictures, books, and diagrams was spread out. They began looking through the plans, and within seconds, Luna saw what seemed to be a good venue. "This city, here. London, the capital of Britain, right? The streets here seem perfect to hold a large parade-like showcase." Luna exclaimed, pointing to pictures of Piccadilly Circus, Hyde Park, and Trafalgar Square. "Yes, our planners suggested London as a possible venue. Originally, we planned to host the showcase in one of your cities, but we felt that it would be hard to arrange the logistics to come all the way, especially since your nation isn't fully modernised yet. No offence, your highnesses." said Wood. "None taken, Wood. It would be better to host the showcase in a human city, especially one such as London, as the logistics would be better, and it would be easier for people to come to such a place." said Celestia. "But won't that be fuel for the ENA, to say that we are cowards, to not host it in our own lands, for them to say that if something went wrong, we could blame our host nation?" asked Cadance. "Well, we do have legitimate reasons to not host it in our own countries, plus, we can attract a larger audience." said Celestia. "I suppose so, 'Tia. What about events? What do we show?" asked Cadance. "Well, first, we plan to host a series of parades, throughout the town, showcasing Equestrian and Crystal Empirean military might, both old and new. Then, over a whole week, at military grounds, we plan to showcase your actually show what your military can do, in a series of showcase events showing country's history and pride from old times, and then showing we can still do it, even in modern times." replied Wood. "That is a good idea. But this seems like it will take a long time to plan. How long will it take?" asked Luna. "Well, quite a long time. It will take at least eight months, and a maximum of one and a half years. If we really really fast, the earliest timeline for the showcase could be around May next year." said Wood. "Well, lets get to work on it. We'll assign a team of cultural and military experts to join the British team. We should also wait until we have quite a few trained military ponies to help us out." said Celestia. "If we all work together, we can face down this difficult challenge easily." "I know, your Majesties. Our team worked close to 43 hours non-stop to get these initial ideas delivered to you. But it will take a lot of hard work to do this. Anyways, we have to handle some other things now, so we can't talk much longer." "I understand, Mr. Wood. We also have to leave now. Goodbye, and see you next time." said Celestia. "See you later, your Highnesses." said Wood, as the three princesses began leaving. It was now 10:20am, as they left the ship. They knew they would have to work really hard, to stop Discord and the ENA. Hopefully, at the end of their struggle, harmony would triumph, and chaos would be vanquished. > Chapter 31 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27TH SEPTEMBER 1939 ---------------------------------------------------------ENA HEADQUARTERS, CHICAGO--------------------------------------------------------- It was 6:30am here in Chicago. Bret Stiles was in his private quarters, doing yoga. He had learned it many years ago while on a trip to India. Even though he was 62, he still did it, and it kept him rather fit. Stiles sighed as he began a stretch, and felt his bones start to ache a little. They weren't as strong as they once used to be. Thankfully, despite not being that successful as an explorer, he was able to siphon from his family's fortune, and buy a large farm, which was just inside Chicago's city limits. This was now the ENA's American headquarters. As Stiles continued doing his yoga, he began thinking about how the Earth was for humans. They had developed the planet from a backwards world, to a industrial powerhouse. Humans had done that, all by themselves! And now, they would have to work with the Equestrians, aliens, outsiders to their world! The same creatures had started a new war, and restarted an old one, for God's sake! He actually felt bad for the German soldier who had been killed at the League of Nations, trying to stop the Equestrians from participating in Earthly politics. Sure, the League of Nations had said it was in self-defence, as he had aimed the gun at Anna Schmidt, head of the League of Nations, but still, he did the correct thing, trying to shoot the Equestrians before he was killed. The Earth was for humans only, and that was it. Why were aliens being allowed by the British government to join their militaries, when they were barely allowing other races of humans in? Let the blacks, the women, and other races in first, the Equestrians later! Or even better, don't allow Equestrians at all! Make them go back to their own planet! Stiles sighed, as he finished his yoga. As he finished, his deputy, John Jones, walked into the room. He was as deputed to the cause of the ENA as Stiles, if not more. "Ah, Mr. Stiles. Good morning. We have some news on our comrade, Edward, in England, who was ruthlessly run over by that car carrying the Equestrian military general, Shining Armor." said Jones. "What? Is Edward out of his coma?" asked Stiles. "No, Mr. Stiles. Edward is no more. There was too much brain damage, and he passed away last night." said Jones. "Well, we have to hold a vigil for him, and let our members know." "Actually, I already let all of our members know. We will be holding the memorial service today, at 9:00am here. It will be at different times at our centres in other countries." "Good, Jones! What would this organisation be without you? We will get back at the Equestrians for murdering Edward, that is for sure!" "We will definitely take our revenge on the Equestrians, someway or the other. We will probably find some ideas at Edward's vigil today. See you later, Bret. I have to go get ready for the service." said Jones, as he left the room. Two and a half hours later, at exactly 9:00am, Stiles entered the huge ENA assembly hall that had been prepared, wearing a fresh powder blue suit. He was surprised at how quickly most people had gotten here. So far, most of the ENA's members in the US lived on the East Coast, majority in Chicago, so most of them just took a bus or drove down. Already, there were around 1,100 people in the hall. Stiles began to speak. "Good morning, everyone. I'm sure you're wondering why you were called here so early in the morning. Well, we have some bad news to tell you. I'm sure you have all heard about Edward, our member who was purposely run over by a car carrying the Equestrian military general, Shining Armor, right?" All of the ENA members nodded. "Yes!" shouted all of them. "Well, here's the bad news. Edward died last night, due to a large amount of brain damage. He was in coma since the incident, and the doctors unplugged him as he was probably never going to wake up." said Stiles. The whole audience went silent at that. They were all hoping that Edward would have survived, but the news that he was dead shocked them. They instantly erupted in uproars. "They murdered Edward!" said one. "We'll kill Shining Armor and his family!" shouted another. "We'll burn down Manehattan, that alien ripoff of New York City!" shouted another. "Alright, calm down, everybody! CALM DOWN!" shouted Stiles through the microphone. The hall instantly went quiet again. "We are going to get back at the Equestrians, but that will come in due course of time. Today, we're holding his memorial service. We will forever remember him as a martyr for the cause of Equestrians Not Allowed." said Stiles, as a picture of Edward was brought on stage. "Today, we are putting our first picture on our new Wall Of Heroes, located in the main lobby, where we shall keep pictures of all our martyrs who die for the cause of the ENA, and Edward is our first one." said Stiles. The audience began clapping, but some of them were still a little unhappy. "When do we get back at the Equestrians? When do we make it clear to them that Earth is for HUMANS ONLY?" asked one. "That will come in due time, my friends. We haven't got any opportunities yet, so we will have to wait, but if we do, we will be able to prove that Earth is for humans only, and the Equestrians don't belong here." said Stiles. "Until then, we wait, my friends. That is all for today. Thank you." said Stiles, as he left the stage, to the members' claps. It was now 9:25am. As he left the stage, Stiles already had a plan forming in his head. Something nasty, to show the Equestrians who was the boss on this planet. -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 7:25am in Equestria. Celestia was in her room. Staring at the Sun, rising on its own. Earlier, it used to be so warm to look at the Sun. Now, sometimes, Celestia felt a little useless looking at it. Hard to believe it had only been a month since Faust had transported Equestria and the Crystal Empire to Earth. As she looked at the Sun, she knew she couldn't control the Sun anymore, but she could be useful by ruling her nation and stopping Discord. As she came into the dining room for breakfast, she noticed Luna already there, making and eating an Equestrian-friendly English breakfast, something the Equestrian chefs had learnt from British chefs onboard the HMS Nelson. There was no meat in it, so it did not have bacon, unlike a regular English breakfast. "Ah, 'Tia. Finally joining me?" asked Luna. "Yes, sister, I am. I got hungry." said Celestia, grabbing a plate of food. As she sat down at the table, she asked Luna, "Any updates on where the Destroyer of Discord might be?" asked Celestia. After she had come down on the 12th to see Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie Pie, Twilight had flown back to Britain three days later. However, she had taken a large number of books with her, to figure out the location of the Destroyer of Discord. In their last call four days earlier, Twilight had told Celestia that she had had no luck so far. "Nothing as of yet, sister. Twilight might still be looking, and she also has to keep an eye on our trainees." said Luna. Speaking of the trainees, that was another thing. The rumours of a plot to assassinate Bret Stiles, the leader of the ENA, were growing, and Celestia worried that something like that could actually happen. "We also need to keep a track on the ENA. Apparently, just a few hours ago, the ENA member who was run over by that car carrying Twilight and Shining Armor died in hospital." said Luna. "What? He died?" asked Celestia. "Yes, 'Tia. Wood had one of the Royal Guards send me a letter. It seems he had suffered severe brain damage in the accident, and was in a coma." said Luna. "Thankfully, his family knows it was an accident, and they are not suing." "Oh, dear! As much as I don't like the ENA, I was hoping he'd survive." said Celestia. "Well, hopefully the showcase will show ENA our worth. The experts have been working with them, and they plan to visit London in the next month or so." "Hopefully they do. The showcase might be the only way to show that we are willing to fight, and are just as good as the humans." "I hope so, too, 'Tia." said Luna, as the two sisters continued to eat. That was when Celestia realized something. "What about Material Z?" asked Celestia. "Well, they found lots of it in the place where we visited them, so they have temporarily cordoned off the area, since it is highly radioactive. However, as they were all wearing those radioactivity-proof suits, no illnesses or anything due to the radioactivity has been reported. They collected a few more Material Z samples, which were sent to Britain on a plane a few nights ago. It has been sent to a lab, where it's properties will be determined." said Luna. "Oh, I see. I just hope it isn't used for wrong purposes, as Mr. Price mentioned, it could be turned into a weapon, unaffected by any magic." said Celestia. "So do I, sister, so do I." said Luna, as she continued eating. The two sisters hoped that the showcase would show the humans what they were really capable of, and hoped ENA would not interfere after that. Hopefully, the modernisation of Equestria would start soon, and the hunt for the Destroyer of Discord would go well. > Chapter 32 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2ND OCTOBER 1939 -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 7:00am in Canterlot. The two princesses were once more in the library, looking for any clues on the Destroyer of Discord. They had been looking since 5:30am, and hadn't found anything at all. It was as if the Destroyer of Discord had simply disappeared after Faust had last used it, 2,200 years ago. As if it wasn't hard enough as is, their mother had left no clues on where to find the Destroyer of Discord, and they hadn't heard from Faust in a while. In the meantime, the two sisters were poring over a book that was older than them by around 800 years. It showed Faust's final fight against Discord using the Destroyer of Discord, and then, nothing. It was if Faust had either destroyed it, or had hidden it somewhere. It was definitely somewhere on Equestria, or the Crystal Empire, or maybe even Earth, as Faust would not have transported their lands to Earth if it was still on Equis. As the two sisters were poring through another old book, around 3,500 years old, Celestia noticed something. Something about the fate of the Destroyer of Discord. These lines grabbed her attention, "After Faust used thou instrument to imprison Discord for thy final time, she conceal'd it, broke thy into pieces, and scattered it across worlds, where no one, except one worthy, can find thy Destroyer of Discord, reassemble, and use thy powers." Celestia then showed Luna. "Huh. So Faust broke the Destroyer of Discord, and scattered it across worlds. Anyone who is worthy of wielding it can reassemble it and use its powers, huh? Then, why has no one found the Destroyer of Discord yet? There are many people worthy of it, sister, such as the Pillars of Old Equestria, Princess Amore, and others I have forgotten about. Why has Faust made sure nobody might be able to find it until now?" asked Luna. "Well, maybe, Faust was preparing us for the duty of finding Discord, Luna. Maybe, she made sure that only we could find it, as she thought only we were worthy, and not some other pony." said Celestia. "I guess so. But it doesn't give the exact locations of where the pieces of the Destroyer of Discord might be located. The only clue it tells us that some are in Equestria, and some are on Earth. That is literally all we know about its location, sister." "I know, Luna. It's not much, but now we have something to go off of when we look for it." said Celestia. As the two sisters began to leave the library, they knew that finding the Destroyer of Discord would be hard, considering the measures that Faust had taken to hide it, but they would one day, definitely find it. -------------------ROYAL ARMY/AIR FORCE TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWHERE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS-------------- It was around 9:10am here, which meant it was around 7:40am in Equestria. Twilight and Shining Armor were preparing to go down into the town of Rosvar, as Twilight wanted to place some orders from the store in the town, which would be delivered through the post office. Hopefully, this time they wouldn't encounter, or run over, any ENA people. It had been sometime since the death of the ENA member that their car had hit the previous month, and Twilight just hoped ENA wasn't out for blood, otherwise, it would not go well. As they walked out to their car, which their driver, Edward Bowman, had brought out for them, they could hear some shouting from the gate. Some of the ENA people were back. But the shouting was much less, compared to the last time they were here, so they were definitely much lesser in number. The two siblings got into the large black Austin, and Bowman started up the car, and began driving. Within seconds, they were at the gate. As the gate opened, they could see quite a few protestors, around 80 percent lesser than less time, but still a decent number of them. However, unlike the last time, they didn't charge at their car. However, they were looking at the car rather menacingly. One of them even showed them the middle finger. As Bowman continued to drive away from the base, they watched as the protestors stopped looking at the car, and continued shouting at the base. The car drove into Rosvar. As they drove into the town, Bowman put on the radio, and Twilight and Shining Armor listened to a news report. On the 28th of September, the Soviet Union had invaded Poland, and while Germany had annexed only the western Poland and had occupied central Poland, the Soviet Union had annexed eastern Poland. Apparently, Joseph Stalin had begun the invasion on the pretext that there was no longer a Polish state. As if the British and French militaries didn't have enough as it was. Now, the remaining Polish military garrisons were fighting the Soviets as well as the Germans, and so far, things were not looking good for them. As the car continued to drive into the town, they watched daily life going on in the town. A woman was taking her children to school, another was going home after buying groceries, and other people, going to work. How would this peaceful scene look once Discord, with the help of the Nazis, conquered it? Shining Armor swore to himself that he would stop Discord, and preventing Earth from becoming a chaotic wasteland. It was now 9:40am. As the car began to slow down, Shining Armor realized they had arrived at the store, and Shining Armor readied himself for quite some shopping. -------------------------------------------------------------------KOCK, POLAND----------------------------------------------------------------------- The inhabitants of the town of Kock, in Poland, were living a nightmare of a war. 18,000 soldiers of the final remaining Polish military garrison, Independent Operational Group Polesie, a.k.a. SGO Polesie, were bravely fighting against a large German Army contingent, consisting of more than 30,000 soldiers. This battle had been raging since 5:30am, for more than five hours. The brave soldiers of SGO Polesie were fighting hard against the Germans, and were holding them back. However, it had not been without losses. The Polish side had already lost around thirty soldiers, and the German side had lost around fifty. Also, the small town of Kock, in which around 4,600 people lived, had also taken damage. Already, around six people had died. SGO Polesie hoped to not cause further civilian casualties, and deal with all of the Germans. The commander of SGO Polesie, Franciszek Kleeberg, was ordering his men. "Anti-aircraft batteries, there are multiple German Stukas approaching us! Take them out!" ordered Kleeberg, through the radio. "Roger that, General!" replied the commander of the anti-aircraft batteries. Kleeberg could hear the sound of the batteries firing, and watched, as one of the Stukas went down in flames. He didn't see anyone eject, so most likely the pilot did not make it. Good, another scumbag German dead. He watched as another two Stukas went down. The remaining three Stukas did drop their loads, but most of them missed, except for one, which took out three of Kleeberg's soldiers. Kleeberg's crew instantly retaliated, taking down two Stukas. That was good, but they couldn't do shit against the Panzer IVs that were approaching, as SGO Polesie lacked heavy equipment. It was a miracle Kleeberg had been able to get so many soldiers together, as most of the Polish military units had been decimated by the Germans and Russians. Whatever aerial units they had were stuck in France, and they couldn't come back due to the danger of German Bf109s. Kleeberg sighed, and continued fighting. This was going to be a long battle, that was for sure. Kleeberg called up another unit, "Grupa Drohiczyn Poleski, how's it going for you guys?" asked Kleeberg, through the radio. "Not so good, General." replied the voice of Lieutenant Colonel Kazimierz Gorzkowski, the commander of Grupa Drohiczyn Poleski. "We just sighted a group of Panzer IVs, around eight of them, coming our way, towards the main gate, and another six coming from the south, near Jasiołda's position. I'm not sure we can take them all, General." "Hang on, I'll let Grupa Jasiołda know." said Kleeberg, quickly switching his radio frequency to that of Grupa Jasiołda. "Grupa Jasiołda, be advised, there are six Panzer IVs approaching your position. Get ready to deal with them." "Copy that, General Kleeberg." replied the commander of Grupa Jasiołda. Kleeberg acknowledged the reply, and got back to fighting. This was about to be a long battle. > Chapter 33 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3RD OCTOBER 1939 -------------------------------------------------------------------KOCK, POLAND----------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 2:35am over here, and the battle against between SGO Polesie and the German Army was not going well. The first fourteen Panzer IVs, which had been seen at around 11:20am, more than 15 hours earlier, had been successfully destroyed, but then, they had been followed by another thirty tanks, consisting of Panzer IVs, which had taken them by surprise. Already, General Kleeberg was facing heavy losses. Of the 18,000 men of SGO Polesie, consisting of six units, each unit had lost at least ten men. Close to 140 men had died already from SGO Polesie, and 50 people in the town of Kock had also been killed. It had not been in vain, though. They had killed more than 170 German soldiers. They had also taken 50 German soldiers captive. General Kleeberg let off a command to the two tank battalions, which only had some outdated Renault FT-17 light tanks. These were extremely slow, but since they were small, they were being camouflaged among the trees, and had been able to destroy some of the Panzer IVs earlier. He just hoped they could do so now, as a large number of Panzer IVs were approaching their position. "Tank Battalion Alpha, get ready to fire on those Panzers." said Kleeberg, through the radio. (basically these but with Polish Army markings) (quite a few of these) As the Panzers closed on Tank Battalion Alpha's position, the FT-17s, and the soldiers hidden among the trees began firing at them. The FT-17's 37mm machine guns did a bit of damage, but the large number of anti-tank mines hidden in the area by the Polish soldiers did a lot of damage. Within seconds, five of the Panzers were destroyed, and the others were trying to figure out how this had happened. That was when aerial bombing began. A large number of Stukas had seen the explosions, and instantly recognized what had happened. Kleeberg was about to warn his Tank Company Alpha of the Stukas, when the ground began shaking, as multiple bombs began to hit the ground, and only static came on the radio. Kleeberg quickly called, "Plisowski! Can you raise Tank Battalion Alpha on your radios?" asked Kleeberg to General Konstanty Plisowski, the commander of Grupa Forteczna Brześć, which Tank Battalion Alpha belonged to. "Negative, General Kleeberg. Alpha is gone." replied the voice of General Plisowski. That hit Kleeberg hard. There were sixty men in that battalion, and all of them were gone. Kleeberg started to get angry. He quickly ordered another company, "Grupa Drohiczyn Poleski! Kill all the Germans!" "What, General Kleeberg?" replied Lieutenant Colonel Kazimierz Gorzkowski, the commander of Grupa Drohiczyn Poleski. "Yes, Gorzkowski, kill all those fucking Germans! I WANT THEM ALL DEAD!" shouted an angry Kleeberg. "Fine, General!" said Gorzkowski, and Kleeberg could hear a large amount of gunfire, from where Grupa Drohiczyn Poleski was fighting. He could hear multiple gunshots, as the battle raged near the west side of the town. Kleeberg continued fighting. He could hear more gunfire, and some explosions as well, as the battle continued to rage. That was when he got a call on the radio from Flotylla Rzeczna, the inland branch of the Polish Navy operating on the Wieprz river, just a few kilometers south of the town. "General Kleeberg, we can see some German patrol boats approaching our position. What do we do?" asked the commander of Flotylla Rzeczna. "Do we destroy them?" "We don't want to lose more men right now, but try and destroy them if you can. If they fire first, you fire back." said Kleeberg. "Got it, General Kleeberg." replied the commander of Flotylla Rzeczna, as he signed off. Kleeberg sighed, and continued fighting alongside his men. They had lost more than 200 people by now, killed more than 250 German soldiers, and had captured more than 100 German soldiers. That was when Kleeberg realised he could do some interrogation on the captured soldiers. He had been so engrossed in the fight, that he had forgotten that he had taken those people captive. Kleeberg asked his second-in-command, "Where did we keep those fucking scumbags of Germans that we took prisoner?" "They've been kept near our main FBO, sir. We have been trying to prevent our soldiers from torturing them, so that you have some intact prisoners to interrogate." replied the second-in-command. "Good. I'm heading there now." said Kleeberg, quickly running to his jeep, which was driven by one of his soldiers. It instantly drove towards the main FBO, which they reached at exactly 4:00am. Kleeberg went into the tent, where the prisoners had been kept. He asked the soldiers who had been kept on guard there, "You didn't do anything to them, did you?" "No, Sir. We did not. We wanted to, of course, but we resisted the urge to do some rather inhuman things to do the prisoners." replied one of the soldiers. "Good, because I'm going to be the only one who does such things to those scumbags." said Kleeberg. "Wait, what, General? You won't let us do anything to them, but you are letting yourself to do it?" asked the astonished soldiers. "Well, I didn't want to hurt them, but the circumstances force us to. We need information on their military units. Who is the most recent one we captured?" asked Kleeberg. "Well, we brought him in just around fifteen minutes ago. We've kept him near the right side corner of the tent." "Thanks. I'll deal with him." said Kleeberg, as he went into the tent. He went to the right side corner, where the German soldier was sitting, his hands tied up. Kleeberg grabbed him roughly by the collar, and hoisted him in the air. "AAAH! STOP! What do you think you are doing?!" shouted the soldier, in German, which Kleeberg understood rather well. "Well, my friend, just give me the information I need, which is the strength of your forces, and the units you have, and I'll let you go." said Kleeberg, very calmly, dropping the soldier, who fell with a grunt. "No! I won't give away the secrets of the mighty German Army, especially to you, a filthy Pole!" shouted the soldier. "I won't let you prevent Hitler from making a new land for the Nazis!" "So, you refuse to tell me. Maybe this will convince you that it is better for your health if you tell me." said Kleeberg, as he drew a knife from his uniform, and stabbed the soldier in his left thigh. The soldier instantly yelled in pain, as blood began gushing out of the wound. "Want the pain to stop? Tell me." said Kleeberg. "No, I am not telling you!" shouted the soldier, with a lot of anger and pain in his words. "Then you can suffer." said Kleeberg, stabbing the man again in the thigh. This time, he also twisted the knife around, causing a lot more damage than the previous stab. The soldier screamed and started crying, and all the other prisoners were watching, horrified at what Kleeberg was doing to their comrade. "Do you want more? I can make it more painful." said Kleeberg, stabbing him again. "NO! I WILL NOT TELL YOU OUR SECRETS!" shouted the soldier, in a mix of screams and cries. "Fine then." said Kleeberg, as he held the knife up high, and before the soldier knew it, in a flash, he was missing his right pinkie finger. He screamed again, as the pain reached him, and saw Kleeberg, holding his bloodied severed finger in his hands. "If you don't want me to cut off another of your fingers, just tell me anything about your force right now." said Kleeberg. "Fine! The rest of Poland has fallen to the Germans, and our friends, the Russians. We've got air support stationed around two hours from this town. We also have a decent number of Panzer IIIs and IVs on their way in as well. That's all I'll tell you!" said the man. "Thank you very much. Now, I'm done with you. I'll let you rest peacefully." said Kleeberg, as he brutally plunged his knife into the soldier's neck, severing the carotid artery, and spraying blood everywhere, including on Kleeberg himself. Kleeberg dropped the convulsing body of the soldier, who would probably bleed out in a minute or two. As Kleeberg turned to the other shocked soldiers, he told them all, "If you don't want to end up like your comrade here, tell me the strength and units of your forces, and you'll be let go. You understand that?" All of the soldiers nodded their heads. Kleeberg grinned sadistically, and called some of his soldiers in to interrogate the others. As he much as he hated to be a little sadistic, in this case, he was fine with it, as he hated the Germans, as they had invaded their nation without warning, and killed multiple innocents. They deserved to die. As Kleeberg got ready to interrogate the next soldier, he knew that it was a little inhuman to torture them, but they had imprisoned Polish people for no reason in concentration camps. He felt it was important to use their enemies' own tactic, to strike back against them. As he got ready, he hoped they would win this battle, and keep a remainder of Poland unoccupied. He just hoped this would work, as he felt this battle was entering its final stretch. > Chapter 34 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4TH OCTOBER 1939 -------------------------------------------------------------------KOCK, POLAND----------------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 5:00am in the town of Kock, Poland. General Kleeberg and SGO Polesie were fighting with a renewed vigour, now that they had intel on enemy positions from the prisoners. They were ambushing the German tanks guerilla-style, and had so far killed more than 250 German soldiers, and taken more than 50 more hostage. However, the Poles had suffered losses of their own as well, losing close to 300 of their men, to stop the advancing Germans. It had not been in vain though. Most of the town of Kock remained untouched, and only around a total of 150 people from the town had died so far. As the battle continued, more Panzers were destroyed, and more Germans died. That was when Kleeberg heard a huge explosion from where one of his anti-aircraft units was fighting. He quickly radioed them, but all he heard was static. They were gone. He instantly noticed multiple Bf109s in the sky. He ordered his remaining five anti-aircraft units to fire at them. He heard, and saw them firing, as multiple Bf109s began plummeting from the skies, in flames. He began cheering, "YES! Come on, my men! We can do this! Take them out!" Encouraged by Kleeberg's words, the men continued fighting, downing multiple Bf109s. As that was happening, he got a sudden report from a team posted on the very outskirts of the town. "Commander! Commander! More infantry is coming!" shouted the voice over the radio. "More infantry? How many units are there?" replied Kleeberg. "Not many, General. Just some foot units and six Panzer IIIs." replied the leader of the team. "We could probably deal with them now, to be honest." "Then do so! That's an easy force to deal with! We don't have that much ammunition left, but you should be able to deal with them." "Already on it, Commander. We are firing at them NOOOAAAAAHH!!!!!" shouted the team leader over the radio, as Kleeberg heard an explosion, and seconds later, only static was heard. Kleeberg instantly knew that his men were dead. But how? There weren't any planes in that area, and those six Panzer IIIs would have been easily dealt with, along with the foot units, as they were using guerilla tactics. That was when he heard more explosions, coming from the place where the border team had been lost. How on Earth were those units advancing? Surely there was more to them than the border team suspected, weren't there? The men continued fighting bravely, but word of more losses began coming in. Whatever unit this was, it was strong, and it was decimating SGO Polesie by the minute. They didn't have time to call in before they were lost, for fuck's sake! What was this? As the new unit came into view in the distance, it was exactly what had been described, some foot units, and six Panzer IIIs. These seemed like normal Panzer IIIs, albeit these ones had a new weapon, one with multiple holes in it. It seemed to be a projectile launcher of some sort. That was when the weapon turned, and fired at another unit. Multiple projectiles shot out of it at high speed, and within seconds, that whole unit was obliterated, with no survivors. Kleeberg instantly knew that they wouldn't be able to face it, so he radioed, across all frequencies, to his men. "SGO Polesie, we won't be able to stand up against that crazy weapon on those Panzer IIIs. Surrender immediately. It is the only way to prevent more bloodshed." said Kleeberg, to his shocked soldiers. "Are you crazy, General! We can't just surrender to the Germans! We can't give up our country like that!" shouted one of the unit commanders. "I know, but it is the only way to save our lives, and we are done for anyways." said Kleeberg, as he lay down his gun, and walked up to the German tanks, which had arrived at the FBO by now, with his hands in the air as a sign of surrender. A man, probably the German commander, stepped out of the tanks, and walked towards Kleeberg. "Ah, you must be General Kleeberg. You've killed quite a few of my people, you know." said the German commander. "Well, the way I see it, YOU invaded our nation, and killed many of MY people." replied Kleeberg. "Who cares about that? Anyways, are you ready to surrender now?" Kleeberg had a heavy heart. He didn't want to give up Poland to the Germans at all, but now, this was the only way to prevent further loss of life. "Yes, I surrender." said Kleeberg, very reluctantly. "Good. I may just spare your life for surrendering." said the commander, as his soldiers began to spread out everywhere, and began tying up the Polish soldiers. He then went back to his tank, and made the radio call. "Well, it's done. Kleeberg and SGO Polesie have surrendered. Poland is ours now." reported the commander over the radio, to his superiors at the Reichstag, in Berlin. This moment marked not just the end of the Battle of Kock, but also the end of the invasion of Poland. --------------------------------------------------------------THE REICHSTAG, BERLIN--------------------------------------------------------------- At the Reichstag building in Berlin, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, the top German and Soviet politicians, along with Discord, were listening in to the end of the Battle of Kock. They were extremely happy to find out that the battle had ended with German victory, and were currently celebrating. They were happy that they had finally been able to take Poland at last. Everyone except for Hitler, Stalin, and Discord, were drinking vodka that the Soviet politicians that brought with them. As the other politicians celebrated, Hitler and Stalin were both congratulating Discord. "That was a good idea, Discord, to send the first six Panzer IIIEs in, even though they weren't officially approved for service yet!" said Hitler. "It was a good idea alright, otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to take Poland, and we would still be fighting SGO Polesie in Kock!" said Discord. "I'm just wondering, could we also buy some of the Panzer IIIEs? That way, we can protect our country from all the embargos that the Western countries, and the League of Nations, will place on the Soviet Union." asked Stalin. "Actually, we are not welling to sell tanks to your country, but we can modify whatever tanks the Red Army has under the Erweiterung program." said Discord. "Oh, well, I guess that will do." replied an annoyed Stalin. He was definitely unhappy that he couldn't get the German tanks. "Meanwhile, Discord, speaking of the programme, how is it going?" asked Hitler. "Very well, actually. We have got the first two Bf109E prototypes back in the air, and the third one is being modified, and should be ready to fly in a couple of months. Also, we have done two more successful trials, and the E-serum is ready for use. We have a rather good idea to present you soon." "Oh, really? That's good! I'm looking forward to seeing what this idea is." said Hitler, as he left the room to grab a rest. Discord continued celebrating with the other politicians for a while, and then decided to leave as well, as he was flying back to the Erweiterung program's base the next day. He was happy with how things were going. Poland had already been taken, and Stalin was going to soon use hook or crook to force the Baltic countries to sign pacts with the Soviet Union. Soon, the whole world would be in chaos. > Chapter 35 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5TH OCTOBER 1939 -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 8:00am in Canterlot, and Celestia and Luna were rushing. They had been called by Wood, in Manehattan, again, and he said it was extremely urgent. Apparently, it was related to Discord. The two sisters quickly finished their breakfast, and teleported to Manehattan, where they met up with Cadance. They quickly ran to the docks, and onto the HMS Nelson. They went into the ship's conference room, where they noticed Rockmond and Wood, waiting for them, looking rather sombre. "Your majesties, looks like, Discord may have won this." said Wood. "What do you mean, Mr. Wood? The Soviets have only helped the Germans out in parts of Poland." said Celestia. "No, it's over. The last unannexed part of Poland has been taken by the Germans. They surrendered yesterday. The news came out only two hours ago. Most of Poland's military has gone and hidden in Romania and Latvia." replied Wood. "What?! The Polish surrendered? I thought they were going to keep fighting for their country, until the very end." "Unfortunately, it looks like the Germans forced them to surrender, after a final two-day battle in the town of Kock. It's a rather dirty name for a town, yes, but the Polish soldiers fought bravely. They killed more than 500 German soldiers, and took around 300 captive. However, the Germans killed close to 400 Polish soldiers, and after the surrender, took more than 18,000 of them captive. Take a look." said Wood, as he turned on the TV, and began showing them the horrifying images and video captured during the battle. It showed the Germans brutally beating and killing Polish soldiers, but there was also some footage of the Polish bravely fighting back, but most of it was showing the brutal torture inflicted on German soldiers by the Polish. As everyone in the room watched the footage in horror, they wondered if soon, Discord may succeed in his plan. That was when Celestia spoke. "Discord may have won this battle, yes, but he still hasn't won the war." "How? Poland has been taken, and the China-Japan war is still raging." said Wood. "And so far, China doesn't seem to be doing so well." "Yes, but Britain and France are still fighting the Germans, right?" replied Celestia. "We can fight them, if we all unite. As much as I don't want to rush our little ponies into a battle, we should try and get them on the front lines as soon as possible. Then, we can hopefully stop his plans, and imprison Discord entirely, once and for all." "I do admire your enthusiasm, your Majesty. But the Atlantic blockade of Germany is also facing a bit of trouble. Constant attacks by German U-boats have caused the loss of a British aircraft carrier, a British battleship, and a civilian ocean liner, with the loss of close to 1,500 lives. We have only been able to destroy one of the German U-boats, and a few German patrol boats, but that's about it. We also have to deal with ENA. Plus, the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans' won't be ready for the battlefield until February or March." "That is fine. Once they get some decent real-world experience on the battlefields, we can use the planned showcase to prove to Earth that we belong, and we are willing to fight. We can also use it to hold a huge diplomatic summit to get more trade and investment into our country." "I originally never thought about the showcase being used as a diplomatic summit, and now that we have the idea, we can use that as a good opportunity to have one." said Wood. As the three princesses continued discussing with the ambassadors, an idea began to take shape. One that would hopefully, make ENA's members, including Bret Stiles, have their mouths open in awe. ------------------------------------------------------------THE KREMLIN, MOSCOW----------------------------------------------------------------- Joseph Stalin and his retinue were waiting for three heads of state to arrive at the Kremlin. Konstantin Päts, the president of Estonia, Kārlis Ulmanis, the Prime Minister of Latvia, and Antanas Smetona, the president of Lithuania, would all soon be arriving from their respective countries, as Stalin had some business to conduct with them. Stalin was thinking about making a contingency plan against the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, as he felt that Hitler was plotting against him, when he noticed multiple black cars pulling up outside the Kremlin. The three Baltic leaders had arrived. As the three leaders arrived at the Grand Kremlin Palace, Stalin greeted them. "My comrades! Welcome to the capital of the Soviet Union!" said Stalin. "It is nice to see you, Joseph, my friend." said Ulmanis, via an interpreter, as he didn't speak much Russian. "You said you wanted to conduct some business. What kind of business do you want to conduct?" "Well, I would like to set up some Soviet military bases in your countries. That way, we are all protected in a war." replied Stalin. This shocked the three Baltic leaders. As the they exchanged worried glances, Stalin continued, "I know you may be hesitant about this proposal at first, but trust me, it's for your own good. The Germans are becoming increasingly aggressive, and we need to be prepared for any eventuality. With our military bases in your countries, we can defend you against any potential German invasion." "Are you sure about that, Stalin? I thought the Germans only wanted Poland, and you helped them out with it, carrying out fucking war crimes in the process!" replied Smetona, also via an interpreter. "I may have helped out the Germans carry out war crimes in Poland, yes, but you do realize I am trying to improve the relationships between our nations?" replied Stalin. "No, you are trying to colonise our nations, just like how Britain colonised India and Africa back in the old days! That is what you are doing, Stalin! You just want the whole of Eastern Europe to join the Soviet Union!" shouted Ulmanis. "That I do. But it is the only way to keep the Germans from invading, should they choose to break the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, and strengthen our countries." said Stalin, start to get angry. "Are you sure? Because we don't want to join the dictatorship you run, Stalin!" shouted the three Baltic leaders, as they began to leave the room, only to stop by a large number of armed Soviet soldiers, all pointing guns at them. "Well, you have to let me set up my bases there. Otherwise, I may invade your countries, and send some of the people, including you three, to my gulags, where you will have a very unpleasant experience." said Stalin, with a cold smirk on his face. "Stalin! Do you realise that you are threating to kill three heads of state in cold blood?" shouted Päts. "Oh, I am, and can easily kill you, and take over your nations, unless you concede to my demands." said Stalin. "Fine! If it means we will still be alive to rule our nations, we concede!" said Päts, to the shock of the other two leaders. As the guards put their guns down, Stalin grabbed a few documents for the three Baltic leaders to sign. It was going to be good for the glory of the Soviet Union. > Chapter 36 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15TH NOVEMBER 1939 -------------------------------------------------------THE SOVIET-FINLAND BORDER----------------------------------------------------------- It was around 9:25am here. Commander Thomas Niemi and his contingent, of around 80 men, were standing watch from their bunkers, drinking hot chocolate to get relief from the biting cold. They had been stationed there two weeks ago, ever since intel had come to the Finnish Army that the Soviets were planning to annexe Finland, like how they had done to Poland. As part of Joseph Stalin's plans for the Soviet Union, he had demanded that Aimo Cajander, the Finnish Prime Minister, give up substantial border territories around Finland in exchange of land elsewhere. Apparently, the Soviets wanted this for security reasons, mainly the protection of Leningrad, which was just twenty miles away from they were right now. But Cajander had apparently refused, and due to which, Stalin was extremely pissed, and he had left Helsinki a day earlier, after he had met Cajander about this. The rumour he was planning to give Finland the Polish treatment, and the Finnish did not want that. Hence, multiple Finnish Army units had been dispatched to prevent any Soviet invasion, and they had been feeling useless, when Stalin decided to ask for formal negotiations. But now that Stalin had called them off, they were feeling like something big was going to happen soon. Plus, the tensions between the Soviet Union and Finland gotten worse in the last two days, due to the shelling of a Soviet border post near the Finnish town of Mainila, resulting in the deaths of four Soviet soldiers, and Stalin was blaming the Finnish Army for this, but the Finnish Army was denying the allegations of such a thing, and they felt that there had been an accident resulting in a shell exploding at the post itself. As they continued looking out at the endless white sheets of snow, they suddenly heard the roar of engines. Aircraft engines, and a second later, they began to see the aircraft come into sight. Multiple Soviet Polikarpov I-153 biplane fighters, along with some Polikarpov I-16 monoplane fighters. (around twenty of the first and forty of the second) Niemi and his troops watched horrified as some of the planes began dropping bombs, and one of the bombs managed to land of the bunkers, and watched as pieces of bunker, human body parts, weapons, and other things were thrown everywhere in the huge explosion. Absolutely none of the men inside could have survived that. Niemi quickly spoke into the radio in Finnish, "Come on, my men! Take down those planes! Avenge our troops!" "Roger that, Commander!" replied one of his men, as they began firing the lone anti-aircraft gun they had with them, and within seconds, two I-153s and an I-16 had been shot down. That was when they heard a roar of a different kind of engine, one of ground vehicles. As they looked towards the lone gravel road that passed through this border crossing, they noticed them. A large convoy of Russian T-26 tanks, were approaching them, at a speed of around 15 kilometers per hour. There were quite a few of them, at least ten of them, and they were all coming, accompanied by infantry. (around twenty of these with the Soviet Red star on the front) The Soviets began firing at the Finnish, who fired back. The Finns retaliated brutally, killing three Soviet soldiers for the death of one Finnish soldier. However, the Soviets had the T-26s, which instantly fired at the Finnish soldiers, and within twenty minutes, a quarter of Niemi's contingent was dead. The Finns quickly destroyed a pair of the T-26s with the three anti-tank guns they had. It was now around 10:25am. The soldiers also had a radio to keep themselves updated on the progress of the invasion. As they were fighting, they heard an emergency news report come over the radio, and they all listened to it as they fought. "Attention, all citizens of Finland. At 9:35am this morning, the Soviet Union has declared war on Finland. Our capital, Helsinki has been bombed, with the deaths of at least forty people, and at least a hundred injured. Our forces so far have prevented the Soviets from advancing further into our country. Everyone, please evacuate, hide in the bomb shelters, and do not come out unless it is safe to do so. To our forces fighting to us, good luck. Please keep our country safe." said the radio announcer, signing off. Empowered by this announcement, Niemi ordered his crew, "My men! The people of Finland are counting on us! Do not stop fighting! Continue until all of the Soviets are dead!" shouted Niemi into the radio. "Do not let them give us the Poland treatment at all costs!" Bravely, the soldiers continued fighting, taking down multiple Soviet soldiers. In fact, some of the Finnish soldiers had decided that if they would die in this battle, they would take some of the Soviet bastards with them. They would charge forward, until the very end. As they continued fighting, more tanks were destroyed, and more Soviet soldiers began dropping. However, the Soviets were starting to call in serious backup, including some more aircraft, and began to give the Finnish soldiers a pounding. Niemi quickly called over his radio to headquarters, "This is Commander Thomas Niemi here! Me and my battalion are under heavy fire by Soviet troops! We need air support!" "I'm sorry, Niemi, but the closest air support is currently engaged. You're on your own for a while." came the reply. Niemi wasn't surprised at this, as the rather small Finnish Air Force had only 62 aircraft, of which only 46 were fighters, and the remaining were bombers. As Niemi continued fighting, and no sign of air support anywhere, he knew this might be his crew's final fight, so they would go out in a blaze. "Alright, my men! Listen up! They might not get air support out here for a while, and by then, we might be dead, so I want you all to give it your all, so that if we don't make it, we don't die in vain!" shouted Niemi over the radio. The men continued fighting more, empowered to make a final stand. 42 minutes later, as the ammunition begin to run low, and hope began to falter among Niemi and his men, that was when the Soviet side was bombed. Multiple of the T-26 tanks exploded, and the body parts of multiple Soviet soldiers went flying everywhere. All of the Finnish soldiers looked to the skies, and noticed them. The Finnish Air Force had arrived. Two of their Bristol Blenheim bombers had arrived, and were raining down Hell on the Soviets. A message came through Niemi's radio, "Commander Niemi, this is Razors 1 and 2. We've got your backs." came the message from the pilots of the Blenheims. Niemi and his crew continued to fight, while the Blenheims continued circling, occasionally dropping a bomb or two on the weakened Soviet forces. (two of these) It was now close to noon. As Niemi and his crew continued to fight, they knew that this would be a long war, but it would be worth it, to keep their beloved country safe, and to stop the charge of the Soviets. -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was around 8:30am in Canterlot. Celestia and Luna were eating their breakfast, and checking up on everything with their assistants. Equestria and the Crystal Empire were progressing fast, in terms of modernisation and the opening of diplomatic relations with the Earthly countries. They had sent a team of Equestrian scientists to Britain, where they would be creating new medical treatments, new scientific discoveries (including the propertied of Material Z) and other such things. Both countries were also beginning modernisation. The military bases for the new Equestrian and Crystal Empirean militaries was nearing completion, and would soon be operational. One was near Canterlot, one was near Manehattan, one was near Ponyville, and the other two were near the more rural towns of Equestria. The Crystal Empireans' two bases were also nearing completion. The naval bases on the coasts of both countries were also under construction, and one would soon be receiving the HMS Nile, the training ship which had been leased to the Equestrians by the British Royal Navy. The airbase in Manehattan was still undergoing expansion, but most of the infrastructure was near completion, the only things still being built were the new runways and taxiways. Construction of airbases that could jointly be used as civilian airports were also being planned for Ponyville, Canterlot, and the Crystal Empire. Power plants were also under construction in marked out industrial zones near all of the major parts of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, and plans for power grids, road networks, and other civil amenities, such as a postal network, telephone exchanges, etc. were being drawn up, and plans were being executed. As the two sisters pondered just how well the two countries were beginning to modernise, when a letter teleported into the room, right in front of Luna. A little annoyed at this interruption, Luna picked up the letter, and unrolled it, and when she did, she was surprised by the contents. "Huh, that is odd." said Luna. "What is it, Luna?" asked Celestia. "It seems that we have to clear our schedule. Apparently, the League of Nations has called an emergency meeting in two days, and since Equestria and the Crystal Empire are now members of the League of Nations, we have to go." said Luna. "Why? Why would the League of Nations call a meeting on such short notice? Also, how will we get there?" asked Celestia. "Apparently, the Soviet Union invaded the country of Finland this morning, in an act of unprovoked aggression, and the League wants this meeting to decide their fate at the League." said Luna. "The ambassadors again want us to meet with them at the ships. It will be like this until we get telephone exchanges, radio, and television set up here at Canterlot Castle." "I see. Luna, we're leaving in ten minutes, tell Cadance to meet us there in twenty!" said Celestia. "Actually, the ambassadors say that a copy of this letter has been sent to Cadance as well, so she will be meeting us there." said Luna, getting up from the table, as did Celestia. The two sisters quickly freshened up again, and by 8:50am, they had met Cadance in Manehattan, and were walking up the gangplank of the USS Colorado. They walked into the same cabin, that they had gotten used to at this point. "Ah, your majesties." said Rockmond. "I'm assuming you saw our letter?" "Yes, we did, Rockmond. You said that the Soviet Union invaded the country of Finland?" asked Cadance. "Yes, they sadly did. Thankfully, the Finnish people defended their country bravely, and so far, Finland has stayed unoccupied. Their capital city, Helsinki, was bombed by the Soviets, with the deaths of around 80 civilians, and so far, the Finnish side has lost a total of 425 men, whereas the Soviets have lost around 1,300 on their side. Take a look." said Wood, switching on the TV. Again, at this point, visuals of war were now pretty much familiar to the two sisters. But this time, it was different. The damage to the urban areas was lesser, compared to the pictures they had seen of the destroyed Polish cities at the League of Nations two months earlier. The Finnish soldiers had truly fought back bravely. However, she couldn't believe that the Soviet Union had indiscriminately bombed a city full of civilians like that. The damage to Helsinki was not that little either. Quite a few buildings had been destroyed, but most were relatively undamaged, albeit with some shrapnel or fire damage. They were also shown footage of the battles between the Soviet and Finnish militaries, which the Finnish had mostly won. However, the Soviets had also won a few of the battles, and taken small parts of Finland near the Soviet Union-Finland border. Celestia instantly knew that this was all Discord's plan. They really needed to find the Destroyer of Discord, and soon, before Discord plunged the whole of Earth into chaos. It was now around 9:40am. As they continued talking with the ambassadors, they continued to write up an itinerary for their next League of Nations visit, not knowing that someone, specifically a certain American and his organisation, was going to gatecrash it. ---------------------------------------------------------ENA HEADQUARTERS, CHICAGO--------------------------------------------------------- It was night time in Chicago, and while most of the city was asleep, some people remained awake. Some of those people were at Bret Stiles' compound just outside the city. ENA had gotten the news of the fact that there would be a League of Nations meeting on the 17th, and that the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans would both be attending this. This was the perfect chance to take their revenge for Edward, their man who had died after being run over by a car carrying two Equestrians. Stiles was plotting how to assassinate one of the Equestrians or Crystal Empireans. They were definitely not going to kill their rulers, as that would start another war, which would further lead the world to ruin, with the geopolitical scenario already having two wars going on, which had been started by the Equestrians. China-Japan had restarted only after their arrival, and now, the Soviets had invaded Finland! All this ever since the Equestrians had arrived on Earth. Earth was for humans only! As Stiles and his thinkers plotted how to get into the League of Nations with a smuggled weapon to carry out this assassination, when Stiles' deputy, John Jones, came in. "Ah, Mr. Stiles, one of our members wants to meet you. He says he can carry out the assassination at the League of Nations." said Jones. "Really? Send him in!" said Stiles, wondering what this member had to offer. Jones sent the person in. He was a young man, in his mid-30s, with black hair, wearing glasses, a pale blue shirt, and cream-coloured pants. "Ah, young man, what's your name?" asked Stiles. "My name's Thomas Hill." replied the man. "Well, Thomas, you said you can carry out the assassination at the League of Nations?" said Stiles. "Yes, Mr. Stiles. I can, and I can easily access the League of Nations as well, even though I am not a diplomat." said Hill. "Wait, what? How?" "Well, as my day job, I happen to be a news reporter. I appear to support the Equestrians on the outside, but in reality, I despise them. Earth belongs only to humans, and hence, I support your organisation, Mr. Stiles." "Ah! Well said, Thomas! But how will you conduct the actual assassination? Knives are too slow, and guns would be of no use, unless you can safely smuggle them in." replied Stiles, impressed by Hill's words. "I will use a gun. I am a skilled marksman, and I like to hit the shooting range on my off days. In fact, I have a Colt M1911 semi-automatic pistol, and a few big guns at my house. I plan to use the M1911 for this." "But how will you bring the gun in?" asked Stiles. "Well, I will smuggle it in pieces, hidden in different things. One or two parts will be hidden in my luggage, and the remaining will be scattered through the camera and microphone equipment that we will use. That way, they won't detect a gun hidden in there. Similar thing for the ammunition as well. When I go in before my attack, I will conceal the gun and ammunition with a long coat. I know the fast draw, so I will do that, and then begin my attack. I might die, but it will show everyone that ENA does not accept aliens in our society." explained Hill. "I'm impressed, my boy! Here's a thousand dollars, to buy all the ammunition you need, and that coat you need, if you don't have one. We will help you as much, but you will have to go it solo at the League of Nations, alright, kid?" said Stiles, handing Hill around 1,000 dollars. "I know, Mr. Stiles. I thank you for your support in this mission. I will prove ENA's cause to the world. I promise you that. Watch the news of the League of Nations visit on TV on the 19th. Goodbye, Mr. Stiles." said Hill, as he left the room. "Goodbye, Thomas. May you be successful in your mission." said Stiles, bidding goodbye. The whole room began clapping. This would still remain a secret, and hopefully, soon, the Equestrians would be terrified of the might of ENA. > Chapter 37 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17TH NOVEMBER 1939 -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 4:00am in Canterlot, which was meant it was around 6:30am in Geneva. Celestia and Luna were getting ready for their flight, which would depart at 5:30am for Geneva. They were again borrowing the American President's Boeing 307 Stratoliner, since an RAF DC-3 would not have enough range to fly non-stop from Manehattan to Geneva. The American President had arrived at the League of Nations the day before, and he had sent the plane out to get the princesses from Manehattan. Twilight and Shining Armor would be flying in from Britain. Again, it was a six-hour flight, which meant they would arrive at around 2:00pm Geneva time. They were just finishing packing up, when Luna thought about something. "Sister, what about the ENA? They hate us like anything, and I wouldn't be surprised if they try to do something at the League of Nations." "Well, Luna, precautions have been made to keep the ENA out of the League of Nations. We can't do much about them in the main city, but we will be fully surrounded by soldiers carrying guns, so we should be fine." said Celestia, hoping that the ENA wouldn't try anything. At 4:20am, fully packed up, they met up with their guards, and the select diplomats who were coming along with them to the League of Nations, and a minute later, they were in Manehattan. They met up with Cadance and her retinue, which also consisted of guards and diplomats, and they began walking down to the airbase. All of the ponies were carrying pills to help them out with the time differences, which had taken some of the guards and diplomats by surprise on their previous visit to the League of Nations a couple of months earlier. They reached the airfield at exactly 4:30am, and waited in the new VIP lounge, which had been built by the British engineers. While they waited, they watched some of the Spitfires stationed there heading out on early morning patrols. The dirt runway had been lit up temporarily by using magic lanterns, but until a new asphalted runway was built with permanent lights, night flights into the Manehattan Airbase were dangerous. At exactly 4:55am, they noticed the lights of the big Stratoliner approaching the runway, and they watched as the big airliner came into sight and touched down on the runway rather smoothly, considering the hardness of the approach. The airliner taxied off the runway, and down to one of the four temporary dirt stands. One of the new imported fuel trucks, part of the airbase's ground infrastructure, came to refuel the parked aircraft the second the engines were shut down. For now, until fuel reserves were found, a tanker ship was coming to replenish supplies, and until ponies were trained for such specialised operations, this was all being done by humans, mainly from Britain. At 5:10am, they boarded the plane, and within 15 minutes, they were lining up on the runway for takeoff. Soon, the ponies felt pushed back in their seats as the throttles were advanced, and the plane began speeding down the runway. Seconds later, they were in the air, climbing away from the Manehattan airbase. They heard the hydraulics noises as the landing gear was retracted. As the plane continued its climb, all of the ponies, including the three princesses, decided to take a nap to ease the effects of the time differences that would get them. It was now around 5:50am. All of the ponies were asleep, including Celestia, Luna, and Cadance, despite the heavy throb of the plane's four piston engines. As Celestia slept, she saw Luna in her dream. "Oh, Luna! What are you doing in my dream?" asked Celestia. "Oh, sister! What are YOU doing in MY dream?" replied Luna. "Oh, looks like our mother is finally talking to us again, after two months." said Celestia, recognizing this was Faust's work. Finally, they were going to get more intel from her again, after quite a while. As the two sisters watched, out of nowhere, in a bright flash of light, Faust appeared in the dream. "Ah, my daughters." said Faust. "I am sorry that I wasn't able to finish our talk in our last meeting." "Well, mother, we were able to figure out about the Destroyer of Discord, and that you hid it across Equis and Earth." said Celestia. "I see. You were always sharp, my daughters. Yes, I was talking about the Destroyer of Discord, and yes, I did hide it in Equestria. However, some pieces are on Earth. 2,200 years ago, I fought Discord for the final time, and defeated him. After this, I decided to break the Destroyer in two and hide its pieces, for in case he came back more powerful than he was. I had already visited Earth multiple times, and the humans worshipped me like a god, so I hid some of the pieces here, to be safeguarded by the humans." explained Faust. "I see. So, where on Earth is it hidden?" asked Celestia. "I'm sorry, my daughters, but that I cannot tell you. Discord might be listening into our dream, and I don't want to inadvertently ruin your chances of defeating him. But I can tell you where one part of it is, Celestia." replied Faust, rather sadly. "What?! Where is the first part, Mother?" asked Celestia. "It's here, Celestia." said Faust, pointing at Celestia's necklace, with a large amethyst in its center. "This is one half of the entire Destroyer of Discord, and currently, it lies with you, Celestia." "Wait, so I had half of the Destroyer this whole time?!" asked Celestia, who was surprised by this revelation. "Yes, my daughter. I kept half of it with you, so that if someone took it, it would be useless to them. The Destroyer of Discord can be used only when both of its pieces are mated together. The other half is the part that I broke into four pieces, all hidden across Equestria and some places on Earth." explained Faust. "I see. But where are the other pieces, then?" asked Luna. "Well, Luna, I am not telling you that yet. I must go now, or the Heavens will banish me for meddling with the affairs of mortals. My daughters, stop Discord, at all costs." said Faust, as the dream ended. The two princesses woke up with a start. It was now around 6:20am Equestria time, and the inflight service was beginning on the plane. The breakfast was beginning to be served. All of the other Equestrians were beginning to wake up, smelling the luscious breakfast. The breakfast service was very well done, and the ponies enjoyed it. Despite being six hours long, most of the flight went by pretty quickly, and at around 11:20am Equestria time, or 1:50pm Geneva time, soon after the lunch service had finished, the plane was beginning its approach into Geneva. The ponies saw the city come into sight, as the plane continued to descend. As they got closer to the airport, they could see multiple cars and other vehicles on the roads, and quite a few vehicles heading to the Palace of Nations. A few seconds later, the plane touched down with a bump, and began slowing down. Around five minutes later, the plane pulled up at its spot outside the VIP terminal, and the engines shut down and the propellers stopped turning. The door of the big aircraft opened as the airstairs were lowered. The ponies all got off the plane. As they got off, they noticed all of the same world leaders' planes as the previous time, albeit with a notable exception, the Focke-Wulf Fw200 Condor owned by Adolf Hitler was not here. They went into the doors of the VIP terminal, and went through the new security checks, now that passports were beginning to be issued to the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans. Soon, they were out of the VIP terminal, and getting into the six black Fords that had taken them to the League of Nations the previous time. As they exited via the VIP terminal, they could see multiple human news reporters trying to get pictures, with large cameras. They were trying really hard to get good pictures of the Equestrians, but they were being blocked by multiple human policemen and soldiers. Once everyone was inside the cars, their engines started, and they began moving away from the League of Nations, with multiple escort vehicles in tow, more than last time. The princesses wondered why that was. Twenty minutes later, at around 2:20pm, they had arrived at the League of Nations, and were heading inside. They had just entered the doors, and met up with Twilight and Shining Armor, who had flown on an RAF plane a few hours earlier, when they noticed Anna Schmidt, the head of the League of Nations. "Ah, Ms. Schmidt." said Celestia. "Ah, your Highnesses. This meeting was called on extremely short notice, but we had no choice. The Soviet invasion of Finland was so sudden." said Schmidt. "Yes, it was very sudden, and also very tragic. When will it start?" asked Celestia. "In ten minutes, your Highnesses. All of the other world leaders, except for the Germans, Italians, and Japanese, are here. The assembly hall is just down the corridor over there." said Schmidt, pointing towards the hall. "I will show up soon." "See you later, Ms. Schmidt." said Celestia, as the three princesses and their retinue walked towards the hall. Soon, they were in, and waiting at the tables assigned for Equestria and the Crystal Empire. As they waited, someone else was also waiting in the hall for the Equestrians. Among the large retinue of news reporters was Thomas Hill, the ENA member. He had already assembled his Colt M1911 pistol, which was waiting in a holster in his pocket, along with quite a few magazines of ammunition. He was waiting for the right time to strike. The cameras were live, broadcasting to TV viewers all over the world, including Discord, who was watching it from Germany. At exactly 2:30pm, Schmidt entered the hall, and got on her microphone. "Dear members of the League of Nations, welcome back. Today, we convene to see the fate of one of our own members, in this case, the Soviet Union." said Schmidt. Joseph Stalin, the dictator of the Soviet Union, stood up. "Vhy is zat so, Miss Schmidt? Are ve being expelled from ze League of Nations?" asked Stalin. "Well, not yet, Stalin. Due to the Soviet Union's unprovoked attempted invasion of Finland, and the bombing of Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, and multiple other places, causing civilian casualties, your seat in the League is now unsure." said Schmidt. "Vat? We zid nothing!" said Stalin. "Ve vere not bombing ze cities of Finland, ve vere just dropping aid supply to ze starving population of Finland." "Ah, yez, dropping aid baskets filled with Molotovz over our country, Stalin? Zis war breaks three different peace treaties zet between our countriez!" shouted one of the Finnish diplomats. "All right, calm down, everyone!" said Schmidt. "As of today, due to war crimes, unprovoked aggression, and crimes against humanity, the Soviet Union is expelled from the League of Nations." At this sentence, Stalin, and all of the Soviet diplomats and soldiers began protesting. "Zis iz unjust treatment! The Zoviet Union haz done nothing wrong!" shouted an angry Stalin. "It is not unjust treatment, Stalin, it is the deliverance of justice. Now, pack up your bags, and the Soviet delegation to the League of Nations is also to leave, within four hours." said Schmidt, as the angry Soviets began to leave the hall. As the ruckus began to quieten down, Schmidt continued talking. "Alright, that's the end of today's meeting. We'll re-convene after a few hours. Thank you." said Schmidt, as she got off the chair, and began to leave the hall. In the media segment, Hill got ready. It was time for the ENA to get revenge now. It was now 2:50pm. As all the world leaders began to disperse, Hill swiftly grabbed his gun, and before anyone knew what was happening, Hill began taking his shots, shouting, "FOR THE ENA! EQUESTRIANS NOT ALLOWED! THIS IS FOR OUR COMRADE, EDWARD!". The second the first shot was fired, everyone began panicking. Schmidt instantly ducked for cover as they Celestia instantly realized that someone was firing, and knew she had to protect everyone here. She quickly created a shield with her horn, and began expanding it to cover the huge hall, and deflect all of the bullets. "Quick, everyone! Get under the shield now! It should deflect all of the bullets!" shouted Celestia. All of the world leaders, and the diplomats, who were cowering under desks, quickly scurried under the shield, as the soldiers desperately tried to kill Hill, who had temporarily stopped firing to reload his gun. It was a miracle so far that only one person, a League of Nations soldier, had lightly been grazed in the arm, by one of his bullets. Meanwhile, while most of the reporters had run away, a few brave cameramen had stayed behind, to capture footage of the shooting, which was being broadcast live to everyone, including Discord, who was happy that someone was trying to kill the Equestrians, but was unhappy that it was not him who was doing this. That was when Celestia noticed that some of the Equestrian diplomats were still not in the shield. "Come on, everyone! Get under the shield!" shouted the princesses, as Luna and Cadance created shields to help Celestia. That was when Hill, who had finished reloading, since the gun was stuck temporarily, began firing again. Multiple League of Nations soldiers were scattered everywhere, to try and figure out where the shooter was firing from, and kill him. The first shot missed, as the first two of the three remaining Equestrian diplomats got into the shield. However, just before the third diplomat, a unicorn, could, Hill fired again, and this shot did not miss. It hit the young diplomat in the head, splattering his blood and brain matter all over the floor. Everyone watched in shock, as the Equestrian diplomat fall to the floor, dead before his body even touched the floor. The second they took in the horrifying sight of the body lying there, an angry Luna decided to try and kill Hill, just as another of Hill's shots found a target, this time, a League of Nations soldier. It hit the young man in the chest, shooting through a lung and his heart, killing him instantly. They were horrified, watching his body fall to the floor, as blood began pooling. That soldier could have been barely thirty. "Luna, don't! We want the shooter alive, to try and find out why he is doing this!" shouted Celestia, as Luna's horn began to glow. "Sister, he has killed one of us, and has also killed one of the soldiers who are trying to do their duty. We must stop him." said Luna, as ran out of the shield, and let off a blast of magic at the balcony where he had been standing, instantly causing it to collapse. Multiple pieces of the gallery began raining down, and soon, the shots had stopped. The princesses deactivated their shields. Multiple soldiers with guns charged towards the debris, to figure out what had happened to Hill. As the soldiers went closer, they noticed a hand poking out from the debris. They checked it for signs of life. There was none. It was the dead body of the shooter, Thomas Hill. He had already been injured from a shot, that a League of Nations had managed to land on his shoulder, right after he had killed one of the other soldiers. But it was most likely the collapse of the gallery that had killed him. As they removed some things and pulled out Hill's remains, some of the other soldiers covered the other two dead bodies with a white sheet and cordoned them off. Everyone, shocked by the sudden turn of events, began going into emergency mode. Schmidt instantly ordered, "Do not let anyone leave the Palace of Nations at this time. We must have Bret Stiles arrested. The ENA is now considered a criminal organisation. That shooter was part of the ENA, as evidenced by the slogans he shouted as he begun this senseless act. In the meantime, I personally will notify the families of the victims of the shooting." said Schmidt, as she grabbed a telephone and began calling in the police and emergency services. As the ponies stared shell-shocked, Twilight began crying, having witnessed the deaths of the Equestrian diplomat and the League of Nations soldier. As the princesses looked at each other, they knew that now they had two main enemies: Discord, and the ENA. > Chapter 38 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20TH NOVEMBER 1939 -----------------------------------------------------THE PALACE OF NATIONS, GENEVA-------------------------------------------------------- It was now 4:00am in Geneva, which meant it was now 1:30am in Canterlot. It had been three days since that horrific assassination attempt, and it was going to be a sad flight home today, as they would be taking the body of the dead diplomat home with them so that he could be buried by his family. After that tragedy, which had also resulted in the death of a League of Nations soldier, the security measures had been tightened, not just at the League of Nations, but around the entire world. People from the media, and their equipment, were checked heavily for hidden weapons and weapon parts, and they were checked to see if they were members of the ENA, or any other such organisations. Speaking of the ENA, they had not been declared a criminal organisation, as Schmidt had originally wanted. Bret Stiles himself had responded to accusations that the ENA had ordered this attack, saying that although the perpetrator was a member of the ENA, Stiles or any other member of the organisation had not influenced him into committing this crime in any way, as they were not an extremist organisation like the Ku Klux Klan. Still, orders had been delivered to keep a watch on the ENA and its members. In fact, now, ENA members were still facing a lot of discrimination all over the world, despite their allegations that they had not committed the attack. In fact, on the night of the previous day, Celestia had seen a news report on the TV, where an ENA member had apparently been stabbed multiple times by a group of people who supported the Equestrians, and was in critical condition in the hospital. Some people supported this act, but a lot did not condone it. All in all, the League of Nations attack had shocked the world, and people all over the world offered their condolences. As Celestia finished packing her final things for the flight back home, Luna came in. "Are you all set for the flight home, sister?" asked Luna, with a concerned look on her face. "Yes, Luna. I am fully ready for the flight home, and I am perfectly fine. What about you?" said Celestia. "Are you sure you are fine, 'Tia? The attack did take a toll on all of us." "What about you, Luna? You killed the attacker without thinking. Sure, you did prevent further fatalities, yes, but you also took his life in cold blood. You do realise the ENA, if they were behind this, will hold us responsible for the failure of their mission, and may try again. Also, we may have to pay for the repairs to the League of Nations, as the main hall is out of commission for around three or four months after you destroyed the media gallery to kill him." "Sister, I had to do it. That man had killed two already, and would have killed more had I not intervened and killed him first. It was the only way to prevent more loss of life, especially among the other world leaders, as that would have simply aided Discord's plan, and started more wars. Already, three wars are raging on this planet, the battle between the Allies and Germany, the China-Japan war, and the Soviet Union-Finland war. Also, about the damage, I asked Schmidt about it, and we only have to pay around 50,000 Equestrian dollars in compensation, so we can afford that." "Oh, I see. But still, Luna, are you sure you are fine?" "Yes, 'Tia. I am fine, don't worry. The memories do still haunt me a little, but I am fine." said Luna, helping Celestia pack up her things. Soon, at 4:20am, the three princesses got ready to leave. As they reached the main lobby, they noticed the coffins of the diplomat, and the League of Nations soldier. They would be transported today for burial. They would both be transported to the airport, where, after a final tribute, they would be loaded on the planes. While the body of the soldier would be sent to his family in France for burial, the body of the diplomat would be flying with the princesses on the plane home to Manehattan, where his family would be waiting. It was truly going to be a sombre trip home. The coffin of the diplomat, which made been carved by a very well-reputed Swiss funeral home, had been covered with an Equestrian flag, while the soldier's coffin had been covered by that of France, as well as the flag of the League of Nations. The other Equestrians and Crystal Empireans, as well as a lot of humans were present. Notably, the large crowd of reporters were absent, presumably since the League of Nations attack had been perpetrated by a reporter, and they had done this for safety reasons. It would still be broadcast, but from outside the League of Nations. As the princesses arrived, they were greeted by Anna Schmidt, who once again offered her condolences on the death of the diplomat, and the princesses in turn offered their condolences on the loss of the soldier. She thanked them, and got ready to go back to her office, as she couldn't stay long, having to deal with all the other problems, relating to the three war fronts going on. Already, the Soviet-Finland war, due to the snowy conditions and the weather in Finland right now, had been informally termed the Winter War, which would probably be the name everybody would call it from now on. The battle between the Britain-France alliance, now known as the Allies, and Germany, was also still raging, and so was the China-Japan war. So far, close to 200,000 people had died in all three wars combined, and Celestia hoped they would be able to stop Discord, and end the wars. As the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans got ready to leave, a group of human pallbearers, dressed in uniforms, came to hoist the coffin of the two fallen from the attack. They smoothly and expertly hoisted the coffins onto their shoulders, and the League of Nations began playing a funeral tune, solemn and sad. As the band continued playing, the pallbearers marched out with the coffins, to two black hearses parked outside, as part of the motorcade that would take them all to the airport. As the coffins were loaded smoothly into the hearses, the band stopped, a twenty-one gun salute was performed, and a three-minute period of silence was taken, in honour of the two deceased. Once this period of silence ended, all of the ponies walked towards the vehicles, whose drivers were already waiting inside. All of them got in the huge motorcade, which had more protection than ever since the attack, and at 4:40am, all forty vehicles began to leave the Palace of Nations. As they passed through the main streets of Geneva, despite the early hour, a large amount of people had come to see the Equestrians leave. However, some of these included ENA members, who were busying jeering at the ponies. "Fuck your politician! May he rest in piss! He's going to Hell!" shouted some of the members, who were all laughing at that statement. At this, an angry Luna wanted to murder the ENA members right then and there, but Celestia held her back. "Luna, we don't want another incident already." said Celestia. "But sister, they are dishonouring the memory of our diplomat! We should have Bret Stiles arrested and executed, and his organisation destroyed!" said Luna, still rather angry. "Luna, let's not do that for now. We will deal with ENA later, that is for sure, for I am sure that they were behind the attack, despite their denials." said Celestia, as the motorcade left the protestors behind, and continued towards the airport. At almost 5:00am, the motorcade reached the airport, and while the hearses got direct access to the airfield, the cars carrying the ponies went to the VIP terminal, where they were dropped off, and went through immigration, where their passports were stamped, and soon, they walked onto the tarmac, to get on their plane, which would be the leased American Boeing 307 Stratoliner, until Equestria and the Crystal Empire acquired its own VIP aircraft. As they walked towards the plane, they saw the coffin of the diplomat being removed from the hearse, and loaded gently into the aircraft's big cargo hold. The pallbearers gave a final salute as the coffin was secured, and then, they got back into the hearse, which drove off. At exactly 5:10am, the ponies boarded the plane, which was finishing up the final preparations before it would embark on its six-hour flight back to Manehattan. Equestria and the Crystal Empire would enter the war in just two or three months. Soon, they would prove their worth on the battlefield, to ENA's 11,000 members. ---------------------------------------------------------ENA HEADQUARTERS, CHICAGO--------------------------------------------------------- Despite it being a quarter past 10:00pm in Chicago, at Bret Stiles' farm, also used as the ENA headquarters, on the outskirts of the city, the activity was not dying down yet. Of 1,100 members of ENA who lived at the large compound, close to 600 were still awake at this late hour, going around and conducting some last business before they went off to sleep. In the Big House, which was what the house where Bret Stiles lived was called, all of the lights were still on, as Stiles and the inner circle of ENA were discussing the double failure and success of Hill's mission. "Well, gentlemen, Hill succeeded with his mission, as he was successfully able to kill one of those alien diplomats, but he also failed as he got himself killed." said Stiles. "However, as I told him before he left for Geneva, we would deny any knowledge of his actions if he was captured or killed, so we have done that. However, our organisation is still under major scrutiny by some governments, and now, hate crimes are being conducted against our members." "Ah, yes. Our member who was stabbed in Paris by a supporter of the aliens, is out of danger, but is still in intensive care. Another group of our members, in Beijing, were mugged by supporters of the aliens, and similar hate attacks have been reported in New York City, Denver, London, Manchester, Delhi, Bangkok, and other cities around the globe." said John Jones, Stiles' deputy. "Have we had the attackers arrested?" said another of the ENA inner circle. "So far, we have had most of the perpetrators arrested, and a few are still on the loose, whom the police are working to round up, if you can call them working. I had to make a few sneaky payments to get them to round up the criminals who attacked our members." replied Jones. "I see. Still, good job, Jones. I hope they receive a decent jail sentence, that keeps them in for a few years." said Stiles. "I am hoping so too. In the meantime, any updates on the aliens' monarchs right now?" asked Jones. "Oh, switch on the television. It will show what is going on right now." said Stiles, as he turned on the TV, and put on the live news. It showed the Equestrians' plane, the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, which was taxiing towards the runway for its flight back to Manehattan, the Equestrians' New York City ripoff. "They're heading back to their home country after Hill killed their diplomat. Looks like they're taking him home with them to his burial." "Well, we can't interfere with them now. We don't want more scrutiny on us now, not right after our attack at the League of Nations." said Jones. "Yes, not yet. Our first opportunity to attack failed, but more will come eventually. We just have to strike harder next time, and at a more opportune time." said Stiles. "Let's get back to planning." said Stiles, as he and his men began to brainstorm. Meanwhile, on the TV, at exactly 5:20am Geneva time, the Equestrians' plane lined up on the runway. The pilots pushed the throttles to takeoff power, and two minutes late, the big airliner was lumbering into the skies of Switzerland, heading towards Equestria. ------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------- It was now almost 7:00am in Germany. In the dark forest facility, Discord was happy. He had successfully started three wars, and the Erweiterung programme was going well. The first four parts of his plan had been completed, all within three months of Equestria and the Crystal Empire being transported to Earth! The Panzer IIIEs were rolling off the assembly lines, the Bf109Es were undergoing final certification flights, and soon, the Panzer IVEs would also being testing. Also, the E-serum had been darkly approved for human use. He was also happy that the Equestrians had taken some suffering on Earth, with the death of that diplomat in the League of Nations attack. The only thing that annoyed him about that was the fact that the ENA, whom he knew were behind the attack, could have killed the princesses, totally ruining his plan to keep them alive for now. Discord and Hitler had worked on a plan to use the E-serum on Nazi soldiers and spies, basically creating super soldiers or spies. It would be painful, but it would be worth it, once Discord would take over Earth. Ah, it would be so happy when that day finally came. Also, Discord planned some even more things. When the ponies went into war, if any unicorns or pegasi were captured as POWs, he would have them sent to the Erweiterung facility, deep in the forests of Germany. He would then extract the magic out of them, no matter if it killed them, and then would put magic in the super-soldiers, to make a new species of humans with magical powers, to make them his slaves once he took over Earth. Then, it would be his own chaotic utopia. Discord laughed happily, thinking of all the things he could do to Earth. As he thought about it, he realised that once the Equestrians went to war, he would need some more violence. When the next year came around, he would have to start a few more wars. It was all part of the plan. He was thinking where the next war theatres would be, when his telephone rang. Rather annoyed, Discord picked up the call. "Yes?" "Ah, Dr. Discord. We are going to conduct the stress tests on the Panzer IVE today. Also, we are working on some new weapon concepts we would like to show you. Are you coming to the main lab?" came the voice over the phone. "Oh, yes, I'll come right away." said Discord, putting down the phone, and teleporting to the main lab, which didn't startle the scientists at all, as half of them were engrossed in their work, and the remaining half were used to it by now. Discord went towards the stress testing area and got ready. It was going to be a good day, he felt. ----------------------------------------------------------20,000 FEET ABOVE THE ATLANTIC---------------------------------------------------- In the confines of the Stratoliner's pressurised fuselage, the ponies were getting ready for their arrival. It had now been over five and a half hours since they had left Geneva, and in just around an hour, they would be landing in Manehattan. The plane was cruising, and soon, it would begin its descent. As the stewardesses began going around the airplane, collecting the used plates and cups before landing. It would be a sad arrival, that was for sure, as they were bringing their dead comrade home with them. As the plane descended lower and lower, they could see Equestria and the Crystal Empire come into their sight, and fifteen minutes later, they were on final approach into Manehattan. At exactly 1:50pm Equestria time, the plane touched down on the runway at Manehattan Airbase, and began slowing down. The plane taxied off the runway, once it was slow enough, and soon, it was heading towards the VIP terminal, where a group of pallbearers had showed up to carry the coffin to his family's house, since motor vehicles such as hearses had not come to Equestria and the Crystal Empire yet. The plane pulled up outside one of the VIP terminal's five parking stands. The Manehattan Airbase would for now, be used jointly for civilian and military aircraft, but eventually, they planned to construct a dedicated civilian airport somewhere else. The plane's four engines shut down, and the doors opened. The guards, followed by the princesses, were the first ones to disembark. As they got off the plane, they also saw some human ground handlers opening up the cargo doors, and gently taking the coffin out of the cargo hold. As they did so, some unicorn pallbearers lifted up the coffin using their magic, and began to carry it towards the gates of the airbase. As the ponies exited the VIP terminal, Celestia and Luna were met up by the diplomat's grieving family. "Your Highnesses! They haven't even told us who killed our son!" shouted his mother, Dew Diamond, who was bawling her eyes out. "I know, Diamond. The killer was a member of ENA." said Celestia. "WHAT?! Are you saying that the pony-haters had my son murdered?!" said Diamond, horrified at this statement. "No, Diamond. ENA denied that this man had anything to do with the attack." said Celestia. "So you are saying my son was killed just because some human hated ponies? I hope his killer rots in Tartarus!" cried Diamonds, as she walked off crying, towards the coffin carrying her son's body. On seeing her family crying, Celestia thought about how many families of soldiers who had been killed in the battlefield would be mourning the loss of their sons, cousins, and sole breadwinners. This increased her resolve to put her nation into the war, find the Destroyer of Discord, and stop him. > Chapter 39 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14TH JANUARY 1940 -------------------ROYAL ARMY/AIR FORCE TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWHERE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS-------------- It was now 7:00am at the base, just a few kilometers from the town of Rosvar. It was a rather cold morning, but despite the low temperatures, Twilight and Shining Armor were boarding an RAF DC-3, bound for an airfield near the battlefield where the French had invaded Saarland, in Germany. They would go to the battlefield to see what the war was like, and what conditions the ponies would endure fighting in this war. They would also get to see the French military in action for the first time. So far, there had not been many major battles, so it was being called the Phoney War. However, in the major battles, close to 200 men had already died on both sides. The Battle of the Atlantic was also still raging, with more than 3,000 deaths from that. So far, majority of the war casualties so far had come from the invasion of Poland, where more than 90,000 people from all sides had died. So far, 30,000 people had also died in the Winter War, and around 90,000 people had also died in the China-Japan war, making for more than 213,000 deaths in the war so far. That was truly sad, and Twilight wondered how much more the death toll would rise before the war would be stopped. As the two siblings took their seats on the DC-3, they noticed the flight training for the ponies going on. It would be the final month of basic training for them, before they and the Army ponies would move to their assigned military units on the field, after a graduation ceremony next month. Then, Equestria and the Crystal Empire would truly be at war. Twilight had occasionally talked to Applejack and Rainbow Dash during their training, and Rainbow was extremely happy to be flying planes. Applejack was also happy to be fighting alongside humans in this war. Even if both of them might die, they would die fighting for a cause. Soon, the plane was taxiing towards the runway, and a few minutes later, at exactly 7:15am, it was in the air, climbing away from the base, with its gear in its belly. The flight wouldn't be too long, around four hours of flight time. Of course, as on all of the other flights they had taken, refreshments would be served on board. The four hours passed by rather quickly, and the flight was pretty much fine, except for some mild turbulence along the way. Soon, they were landing at the airfield, which had a rather primitive dirt runway. Quite a few RAF Hurricanes and Spitfires were parked at the base, part of the RAF's aerial support on this part of the battlefield. The ground troops here would be French. At the airfield, they were met by a convoy of military trucks, which would be taking them to the forward operating base (FOB). Twilight and Shining Armor got into one of the trucks, and sat on the bench seats in the rear. Here, they were met by Fred Martinez, part of the British contingent who were fighting. "Ah, Monsieur Shining Armor. Madame Twilight." greeted Martinez. "I'm Commander Fred Martinez of the French Army. I look forward to showing you a human battlefield." "I am looking forward to seeing one, Commander Martinez. I also wouldn't mind looking at some of the tactics your country's troops use." said Shining Armor. "Ah, I would show them in action, but we haven't seen any major combat in a while, Monsieur Shining. I'll have to show them on paper, unfortunately." replied Martinez, as the truck began moving. "I see. It's a shame, otherwise I would have loved to see the French Army in action today." "Well, it's good, since we haven't had too many losses on our side so far, otherwise, it would have been worse." "Can't argue with that." said Shining Armor, as the trucks continued heading towards the battlefield. The road went from paved to a dirt road, which was rather bouncy. Since the trucks had high suspension, it wasn't so bad, but they still bounced around a bit. Soon, just around half an hour after their plane had landed, at around 12:50pm local time, they arrived at the FOB. It was relativity quiet, with not much action going on. "Welcome to FOB Versailles. Are you two ready to see what a human battlefield looks like?" asked Martinez, as they all got out of the truck. "Yes, we are!" replied Shining Armor, who was starting to get a little excited. "Alright, then follow me." said Martinez, who led them towards the heart of the FOB. As they walked, Twilight noticed the various tents set up for different purposes - medical, supply, command, field kitchens, and sleeping quarters for the soldiers. The air was filled with a mix of excitement, anticipation, and a hint of anxiety. She couldn't help but think about the lives of these men, far away from their homes, fighting for a cause they believed in. Commander Martinez led them to a small hill overlooking the battlefield. From this vantage point, they could see the vast expanse of land stretching out before them, dotted with trenches, barbed wire, bunkers, and other military vehicles. Multiple artillery howitzers were also deployed to dispel the threat of German armour. "This is where the French and German forces have been engaged in occasional skirmishes for the last few months." Martinez explained, pointing to a specific area where smoke was rising. "As you can see, the conditions are far from ideal. The weather is harsh, the terrain is difficult to navigate, and the enemy is relentless." Shining Armor looked out at the battlefield, his expression somber. "It's a far cry from the training camps we've been in," he remarked. Twilight nodded in agreement. "I can't even imagine what it must be like for these men, living in such harsh conditions and constantly under the threat of attack." Martinez sighed. "It's not easy, but we must endure. We've been fortunate so far, with minimal casualties on our side. However, we cannot let our guard down. The enemy is cunning and ruthless during their attacks, and we must be prepared for anything." "It must be hard, being responsible for so many troops, and having to fight so far away from home, knowing that any day could be your last." said Twilight. "I know, it is nerve-wracking, but the atmosphere has been a little cool, especially considering the fact that we haven't been attacked much at all." said Martinez. "Anyways, let's go see what life is like in the trenches." continued Martinez, as they began to head towards the trenches. As they descended into the trenches, Twilight and Shining Armor couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and sadness. The conditions were indeed harsh, with muddy, slushy trenches filled with the smell of damp earth and sweat. Soldiers were huddled together, trying to find any semblance of warmth in the cold. All the while, some of the soldiers were braving the cold, attempting to get to their stations, keeping a watch out for German soldiers. As the two siblings watched, they heard a loud alarm begin to blare. "Wait, why's the alarm sounding? What's going on?" shouted Twilight, over the din of the alarm. "Merde!" shouted Martinez. "That alarm means we are under imminent attack! All men, to battle positions!" shouted Martinez, pulling out his portable radio and barking orders into it. As he heard the response from his radio, his face became anxious and shocked. "Alright! Get ready to attack!" shouted Martinez. "What's going on?" asked a concerned Shining Armor. "A large platoon of Nazi soldiers, accompanied by multiple tanks is heading our way! They've already fired at us, and now, we're going to counterattack! Follow me, you'll see our tactics in action after all!" shouted Martinez, as he began running. Soon, Martinez and the two siblings had reached one of the forward-most trenches, which was facing the oncoming Germans. They could see multiple Nazi soldiers charging towards them, and alongside the soldiers were multiple tanks. "Merde, those are Panzer IVs! We need the anti-tank units trained on those Panzers, NOW!" barked Martinez through the radio, as the French troops began firing at the enemy. As the situation escalated, Twilight and Shining Armor found themselves in the midst of a real battle, far different from anything they had experienced before. The atmosphere was tense, and the sounds of gunfire and explosions filled the air. Martinez was barking orders and coordinating the French troops, and the siblings were trying their best to stay out of the way while also understanding the gravity of the situation. Twilight couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and sadness at the same time. She had heard about war and its consequences, but seeing it firsthand was a completely different experience. The harsh conditions, the fear in the soldiers' eyes, and the sheer chaos of battle were all too real. Shining Armor, on the other hand, felt a mixture of emotions. He was worried for the lives of the soldiers who would be fighting alongside them, but at the same time, he felt a sense of pride in their determination to protect their homeland. He knew that his sister had likely never experienced anything like this before, and he hoped that they would both be able to learn from this experience and use it to help their people in the future. As the battle continued, Twilight noticed that despite the chaos, there was a certain level of organization among the French troops. They were following a plan, executing their tactics with precision. It was clear that Commander Martinez had been preparing them well, and now they were putting their training to the test. They continued fighting with great vigour, and began to drive back the enemy, destroying three of the tanks. Soon, the Germans were defeated and were retreating, with the loss of more than 10 men from their side, and not a single loss from the French side. It was now around 4:30pm. The soldiers began celebrating their victory, happy to be alive for another day. Twilight and Shining Armor realised that they had to head back to Rosvar, now that they had gotten the data they needed. They thanked Commander Martinez for being able to show them their tactics, and hopped onto one of the trucks, which took them back to the airfield, where they boarded the plane home. As the two siblings boarded the plane, they felt that soon, it would soon be Equestria and the Crystal Empire's time to shine. > Chapter 40 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22ND JANUARY 1940 ------------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE----------------------------------------------------------------- It was 4:30am in Canterlot. Despite this early hour, most of the castle was still awake, as it was an important day today. The princesses would be flying to London to inaugurate the first Equestrian and Crystal Empirean embassies, which would be located in Belgravia, a district in Central London. Equestria and the Crystal Empire were rapidly modernising. The electricity and water infrastructure was finished and was getting ready for operation, and the military bases had started receiving equipment, and would be operational within a week as well. All in all, the first phase of Equestria and the Crystal Empire's modernisation was almost done. Soon, the second phase would begin, with the building of road, rail, and aerial networks throughout both countries. Key industries were also beginning to be set up as part of this, such as food, iron and steel, fuel, etc. As the princesses got ready for the trip, which would include a visit to the British Prime Minister's residence at 10, Downing Street, and also to Buckingham Palace, the British Royal Family's residence, Luna voiced her concerns. "Sister, the ENA have a large presence in Britain, especially in London. How do we know they will not try a repeat of the League of Nations attack?" "Well, Luna, I spoke with Ambassador Wood about this, and he said that the British authorities will do everything to prevent another attack on us, and they have already arrested a few ENA members on suspicion of this." said Celestia, reassuring her sister. "If you say so, 'Tia. I'm still keeping my guard, after the League of Nations attack." said Luna, who was just finishing packing up. "I know it's been two months, but if ENA was behind the attack at the League of Nations, you and I both know they will stop at nothing to kill us." "I know, Luna. But so far, Bret Stiles has vehemently denied that the ENA is behind the attack, and we don't have definite proof that ENA is up to something. Plus, we still have to find the Destroyer, and stop Discord. We still don't know where he is." said Celestia. "Well, sister, that is why as part of diplomatic relations with Britain, we will send a contingent of agents from S.M.I.L.E. to work with S.I.S., the British intelligence agency, to keep a tab on the ENA, and also to begin an operation to figure out where Discord is." said Luna. "Well, while they try to find Discord, we will try to find the Destroyer of Discord. We know that our mother split it in half. I have one, and the other half was split into four pieces, and scattered across Equestria and Earth. That's all we know about the Destroyer's location so far." said Celestia. "Don't worry, sister. We will find it, no matter what it takes, and we will defeat Discord." said Luna, as the two sisters finished packing up. Soon, they were getting ready to leave the castle, along with the diplomats who would be assigned to the consulate in Britain, including their newly named Ambassador to the United Kingdom of Great Britain, Duke Moon, a gray unicorn with a bluish mane. At 5:00am, all of them teleported to Manehattan, and walked to the airbase. They would be using the leased 307 Stratoliner for some time, until they got their hands on new aircraft of their own. As they walked by the docks, they noticed the large warships docked there, now a familiar sight, alongside the Royal Navy's training ship, the HMS Nile. It was actually called the Conway, but Ambassador Wood had accidentally called it by its old name, Nile. The ship had temporarily been leased to the new Royal Equestrian Navy, which would begin operations soon. The Conway reminded Celestia of Equestria and the Crystal Empire's now-obsolete sailing ships, just a little larger. There was also another new visitor, a large British cargo ship. Some of its crew were doing some sightseeing, while most of them, with the help of some ponies, were unloading the vessel. It was carrying arms shipments, of weapons, and vehicles, for the Army and Air Force bases. The initial batches would be imported until all the factory infrastructure was set up, which wouldn't be for a while. As they reached the airbase, they could hear the drone of aircraft other than the Spitfires. As they reached the airbase, they saw the new aircraft. The first set of aircraft for the Royal Equestrian Air Force had arrived, which comprised of around thirty Miles Magister advanced trainers, twenty Miles Master fighter trainers, forty Slingsby Kirby Cadet gliders, and ten Airspeed Oxford bomber/transport trainers. Not all of these aircraft were at Manehattan's airbase. Half of them were parked at another new airbase in the Crystal Empire, which had finished construction recently and had been opened to military aircraft operations. The ones here had Equestria flags, while the ones there had Crystal Empire flags. As they reached the VIP terminal of the airbase, they were met by multiple news reporters, who were trying to get more information. However, they were instantly pushed back by the pony security guards, who had increased their guard after the attack at the League of Nations. The reporters continued asking questions. "Your Majesties! When will our modernised militaries begin operation?" asked one. "Your Majesties! When will our nations go to war?" asked another. "Your Majesties! Is this a good idea, sending our citizens into unfamiliar environments, to fight in a war of the kind they've never seen before?" asked another reporter. "Your Majesties! How will diplomatic relations between our nations and those of Earth proceed?" asked another reporter, as the princesses and their retinue all went into the VIP terminal, where the doors were closed, and the noise of the reporters was blocked out. The princesses felt a little guilty on the third reporter's question, as they were indeed sending their subjects into unfamiliar environments, to fight in a war. Some would die, that was for sure, but it was the only way to stop Discord, by having human and ponies fight together. As they passed through passport control and immigration, the ponies were rather enthusiastic, and waiting to reach London. So far, the only human city they had visited was Geneva, and they hadn't seen much of the city there, as they had mainly been only between the Palace of Nations and Geneva Airport, so seeing the city of London would be a new one for them, as they would also be visiting some of London's iconic monuments. Once passport control and immigration were dealt with, the ponies walked to the boarding area, where they would soon be boarding their plane. The leased Stratoliner was waiting outside their window, and the American flag on the tail had been replaced temporarily by two flags, one of Equestria, and one of the Crystal Empire. It didn't have an Equestrian or Crystal Empirean tail number, however. It still wore an American tail number, and would do so, until Equestria and the Crystal Empire acquired its own aircraft. Soon, it was boarding time, and at around 5:50am Equestria time, or around 6:20am Britain time, the ponies boarded the plane, and by 6:10am, it was in the air. As the plane climbed away from Manehattan, the ponies felt that this was going to be a good trip. ------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN HAMBURG------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 7:00am in Germany, which meant it was now around 8:00am in Britain. Discord was at the almost finished U-boat base in Hamburg. He knew about the Equestrians' visit to London today, for which the SS had sent spies to London to monitor. They would monitor the visit, but would not attempt an assassination or anything. The last thing the Nazis wanted was for them to cause a global crisis. This U-boat base would not only construct, work on, and modify U-boats, it would also build modified U-boats under the Erweiterung program. However, Discord knew the threat of Allied spies would be there. Which is why he had a little surprise for spies who tried to come into this facility. As he walked deeper into the underground part of the facility, the purpose seemed more dark, and more gruesome. As he reached the deepest part of the facility, it was very quiet down here. A large amount of soundproofing had been installed, to hide the noises from here to the rest of the place. This was a jail cell, or in actuality, a torture chamber. This was how they would deal with spies, and inside the torture chamber was another cell, separated by two sets of doors from the torture chamber. This was not a cell, more of an extremely strong enclosure. What the enclosure contained was a monster. In this case, the monster woman created during the failed test of the second variant of the E-serum. Discord looked through the second door's viewing window. The first door was manually controlled, while the second door was automatically controlled. Discord watched the monster, currently asleep. She had a rather human looking face, but her skin was a scaly emerald green. Her fingers were claws, and out of her back sprouted leathery bat wings. Whatever she had become, Discord had witnessed what she could do a couple of months ago, at the main Erweiterung facility. She seemed to have lost her humanity, and primal animal instincts had taken over. Whatever was left of her brain had turned her into a wild beast. Discord smiled at that, thinking how gory it would be once she had torn up some spies, and walked back towards the main facility. As he was about to close the door, his form suddenly flickered, and for a few seconds, his true form was visible, before he went back to his human form. Thankfully, no one was in the facility, which was good, otherwise, Discord would have been chased out as a monster. This only meant one thing. Not enough chaos was on Earth, since his magic, fuelled by it, was starting to dry up. Well, the time was soon coming to start another war. ----------------------------------------------------------20,000 FEET ABOVE THE ATLANTIC---------------------------------------------------- In the confines of the Stratoliner's pressurised fuselage, the ponies were getting ready for their arrival. It was now 9:00am in London, which meant they would be on the ground in just under an hour. The excitement was high for this visit, and it wouldn't be dying down for a while. As the ponies were finishing off the breakfast service, the flight attendants came around to collect the plates. At 9:35am, the announcement came on the plane's PA system that they were descending, and would be on the ground in under twenty minutes. The ponies could feel their ears start to pain as the aircraft began to descend, due to the changes in cabin pressure and altitude. At exactly 9:50am, the plane began its final approach over London, towards Gatwick Airport, which had been temporarily taken over by the Royal Air Force as an air force base, but still handled civilian flights. Soon, the plane touched down, and began slowing down. The plane taxied off the runway, and headed towards the military side of the airport, RAF Gatwick, where it parked up next to a few RAF planes. As the engines shut down, a large convoy of cars pulled up outside the aircraft. As the doors of the aircraft were opened, the ponies walked into the rather gloomy weather of Britain for the first time. The ponies wondered if they could use pegasi in Earthly cities to change the weather, so that way, it didn't always look gloomy. The only thing is, they would have to do their work away from airports and flight paths, so that they didn't get hit by planes, but if they could get approval, it might work. The ponies walked away from the plane towards the main cars of the convoy, in which they would be travelling. These were five large black Rolls-Royce Phantom IIIs, which would be the cars assigned to the princesses, diplomats, and some of the guards. The other vehicles were all black Rolls-Royce Phantom IIs, assigned for the remaining guards. (around five of these) (around ten or fifteen of these) Soon, at 10:20am, once all the ponies had gotten in, the cars began driving towards the Prime Minister's residence at 10, Downing Street. Since the airport was outside the city, it would be around an hour and a half of driving to get to Downing Street. As they left the airport, the cars drove onto a modern roadway, of which a few lanes had been closed to accommodate the large convoy of vehicles. Celestia decided to grab some shut-eye before they reached the city. Around thirty-five minutes later, Celestia woke up. At this time, they were on the A2 motorway, passing through the suburbs of London, and Celestia could see a large amount of modern villas and houses. All of their inhabitants seemed to have woken up to come see the Equestrians, despite the rather gloomy weather conditions. They were swarming the tops of flyovers to see the Equestrians, despite them being on the highway below, and police seemed to be having a hard time holding back the crowd. As they continued through the suburbs, they saw large commercial complexes, schools, shops, cafes, restaurants, pubs, and other establishments. It was a pretty amazing sight. They also passed by a police station, which was pretty modern, compared to those in Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Some time later, they were driving through the city of London, passing through its streets. They were driving through a large residential area, with apartment buildings this time, instead of villas. These buildings were still rather small, with only about three or four floors. They also passed under a large railway bridge. They asked the driver about it, who informed them that it was part of London's large local railway network, which impressed them. He mentioned that it led to the nearby London Bridge Station, which was a large station. Soon, they were approaching Tower Bridge, which passed over the River Thames. As they passed over the river, they noticed multiple cargo barges sailing on the river, along with ferries full of tourists and vehicles. They passed underneath the bridge's two towers, from where the hydraulic controls of the bridge were operated, to raise or lower it, every time a large vessel passed underneath. However, they would not see that in action today. As they approached the end of the bridge, they noticed the Tower of London, a large castle that had been built by the British Empire more than 500 years earlier. They continued passing through the city, towards Downing Street, passing by multiple underground train stations, and past St. Paul's Cathedral. They passed by the Middle Temple Gardens, Somerset House, Charing Cross Station, and Trafalgar Square, before the cars turned into Whitehall, for the last part of the long drive. As they drove into Whitehall, they noticed the buildings belonging to the Ministry of Defence, as the cars turned onto Downing Street. While the roads were empty, the sidewalks were full of pedestrians and reporters, wanting to catch a glimpse of the Equestrians. However, they were held back by police. The convoy arrived at 10, Downing Street, a large, terraced building. It was more than 250 years old, and had 100 rooms. The crowd here was lesser, due to the presence of more military and police. The gates of 10, Downing Street opened, and the convoy drove inside. As the last car drove in, the gates closed. They had arrived at the official residence of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. As the cars stopped, the ponies began getting out of the vehicles, and looking at Downing Street. London was a city that had truly enjoyed them, and it was pretty amazing to be visiting the home of the head of state of a foreign country for the first time. As they ponies walked towards the door of the building, the princesses knew, that this would be a pivotal first step, in the opening of diplomatic relations with the rest of the world. > Chapter 41 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------10, DOWNING STREET, LONDON---------------------------------------------------------- It was now almost 12:00pm in London. The ponies were just getting out of their cars after arriving at the British Prime Minister's official residence, at 10, Downing Street, in London. They would meet Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain today, and later go down to Buckingham Palace to meet the British Royal Family. Despite Equestria and the Crystal Empire having been on Earth for a few months now, the princesses were still surprised by how well democracies worked on Earth, as the numerous attempts back on their home planet, Equis, had not worked at all. They seemed so efficient and fast here on Earth. 10, Downing Street surprised them a lot, as it was rather simple for the home of a head of state. It was a two-storey building made of classy-looking black bricks. One of the Prime Minister's guards had opened the door for them. The ponies walked into the reception of the building, and were surprised by how simple it was, considering it was the home of a head of state. It just had some portraits, and a small shelf to store your shoes, if you wished to take them off. The ponies continued walking into the main corridor of the house. Along the way, they noticed the portraits of the previous British Prime Ministers, from the first till the most recent. The ponies walked up the main staircase, into the Cabinet room, which was a large conference room. Prime Minister Chamberlain was already there. "Ah, your Highnesses. Welcome to my humble abode. It's nice to see you again." said Chamberlain, warmly greeting them. "It is nice to see you again, also, Prime Minister Chamberlain." replied Celestia. "Alright, let's get down to business. So, soon, your countries will be entering the war. I assume the equipment for your modernised militaries has begun arriving?" asked Chamberlain. "Yes, the first batches have begun arriving." replied Celestia. "Good. Hopefully, the whole batch of equipment arrives soon, to train your citizens for the the battlefield, and gets you into the war. But now, it's time to go confidential. Okay, close the door and draw curtains on all the windows. All non-essential personnel must leave the room NOW." said Chamberlain, and all of that was soon done. The only people left in the room after that were Celestia, Luna, Cadance, Chamberlain, and a few of their guards. "Your highnesses, I assume you have made some headway in figuring out where Discord is, or how to defeat him?" asked Chamberlain. "We haven't made any headway in finding his location, but we have made some headway in finding a method to defeat him." said Celestia. "Wait, what? What is this method?" asked a stunned Chamberlain. "Well, we have found about an artifact called the 'Destroyer of Discord'. It is a gem, which gives its wielder enough power to defeat him, once and for all. It was created by mine and Luna's mother, the pony goddess, Faust, who used to defeat him millennia ago." explained Celestia. "Wow, that does seem fantastical, and as much I don't believe it, I didn't believe pegasi, unicorns, and talking ponies existed before your arrival on Earth, so I am convinced. Have you figured where this Destroyer of Discord is located?" "Well, we have figured out I hold one half of it here, on my necklace." said Celestia, showing it to Chamberlain. "Huh. What about the other half?" "Well, about that. As it turns out, more than 2,200 years earlier, our mother broke the Destroyer of Discord in two halves. The first half was kept in my necklace, which she gave to me after I was born more than 200 years later. The other half was split into four pieces, which were placed over Equestria, and some places on Earth." "Wait, so you're saying that the pieces of a highly powerful artifact could be located, somewhere on Earth?" asked a stunned Chamberlain. "Yes, definitely." said Luna. "Well, shall we begin a joint expedition to find this artifact?" asked Chamberlain. "To find the pieces of the Destroyer of Discord, yes. To use it to defeat Discord, however, I shall do that, along with Princess Luna." said Celestia. "Your Highnesses, are you sure that you should be the ones to defeat Discord? This might be his plan, so that he can kill you." "Yes, I am sure. Discord does not know the location of the Destroyer. Also, our mother made sure that I and my sister are the only ones worthy of wielding the Destroyer of Discord." said Luna. "Well, then, I hope you're sure about this. If we are to organise a search for it, then it will be the most confidential treasure hunt ever. The records of each person involved in this search will be checked multiple times, to make sure they are not spies working for the Axis, right from their birth certificates, their bank accounts, even their shopping bills, if that's necessary! This will be off-the-books, to make sure Discord doesn't find about it, and it will be so, no matter what it takes." said Chamberlain. "It will have to be so, Prime Minister." agreed Celestia, and the four heads of state made an agreement right there, to keep this treasure hunt off the books. "Come on, let's get ready to inaugurate your new embassies, we don't want to delay it any further. Guards, you can open the doors and curtains." said Chamberlain, as he got up. Luna noticed that he seemed rather weak for some reason. He seemed ill, for some reason. "First, some lunch. Let's head to the dining room." said Chamberlain, as he began walking towards the building's dining room. It was now around 1:20pm. The ponies, along with Chamberlain, walked into the rather modestly-finished dining room, and sat down in their chairs. Lunch was brought about, which had been expertly made by a hired chef for the occasion, and they made vegetarian versions of the cuisines of Britain's colonies, such as India, Yemen, and Hong Kong. The food was extremely well made, and was enjoyed by the ponies. Soon, the ponies, along with Chamberlain, were heading towards the Rolls-Royces that had brought them here, to go to their new embassies, at Crawford Place. This time, the drive would last just around 15 minutes. At 1:50pm, the ponies and Chamberlain got into the cars, which started up, and soon, the vehicles were all on the road, heading towards Belgravia. The cars left Downing Street, and took a right turn. They drove by Clock Tower, a large clock tower, known to the residents of London as Big Ben, which was 75 years old. They also passed by Westminster, the house of the British Parliament, and multiple other government buildings. At around 2:05pm, the cars reached the heavily crowded area where the embassies were located. The whole place was swarmed by crowds, except for a path that had been barricaded off for the cars. As they drove along, they noticed policemen arresting multiple people. They had been holding signs, which were now scattered everywhere. The signs all read the slogans of the Equestrians Not Allowed, or the ENA. Celestia sighed. She wasn't surprised at all. Bret Stiles would definitely have sent people to oppose the opening of the embassies. They passed by the ENA people, who were being hauled away by the police, and arrived at the two embassies, located adjacent to each other on B310. The two buildings that were the embassies were large and white, with three storeys. The only thing that marked them apart were the flags on them. The cars pulled up outside the embassies. A stage had been set up for the speeches. A large amount of soldiers were also around, to protect them. The princesses, followed by Chamberlain, walked up to the stage. As the ponies and Prime Minister Chamberlain prepared to inaugurate the new embassies, the atmosphere was filled with anticipation and a hint of tension. The ENA protests were a reminder of the challenges they faced in integrating with Earth's societies, but the princesses remained determined to forge ahead. Celestia, Luna, and Chamberlain stepped onto the stage, where they were greeted by the applause of the gathered crowd. Despite the gloomy weather, spirits were high, and the crowd's energy was high. They were eagerly waiting for the inauguration. Chamberlain came up to the microphone, and began speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, and dear friends, it is with great pleasure that I stand before you today to inaugurate the new embassies of the magnificent lands of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Our special guests, Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance, have graciously joined us to mark this historic occasion." Chamberlain paused to take a breath, and then continued speaking. "As you all know, Equestria and the Crystal Empire have forged an alliance with Earthly countries in the face of adversity, and this symbolic step further strengthens the bond between our worlds. I must express my gratitude to the citizens of Great Britain for their warm welcome and understanding during these trying times. We have witnessed some protests by the Equestrians Not Allowed group, but I urge everyone to remember that progress often comes with challenges. We must learn to embrace our differences and work together for a brighter future. Now, I present to you, the new embassies of Equestria and the Crystal Empire, a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our nations. May these walls stand tall and strong, as a symbol of unity and hope for generations to come. Please join me in welcoming Princess Celestia. Princess Luna, and Princess Cadance, who will now share a few words with us." With a smile, Celestia and Luna stepped up to the microphone. "Thank you, Prime Minister Chamberlain, and a warm hello to everyone present here today. We are truly honored to be a part of this special day. Our journey on Earth has been filled with many surprises, and we have learned so much about your world and your people." said Celestia. "Equestria and Earth may be different in many ways, but we have discovered that our shared values of courage, friendship, and determination are what truly unite us. The opening of these embassies signifies our commitment to fostering peace and understanding between our worlds. We understand that there have been some challenges along the way, and we appreciate the support and understanding of the people of Earth." continued Luna. Then, Celestia finished off her talk "Together, we will overcome these obstacles and continue to build a brighter future for all. Lastly, I would like to express my gratitude to the people of London for their warm welcome. We are truly humbled by your hospitality. Thank you." said Celestia, as she stepped off the stage, with a large amount of cheering by the crowd. Princess Cadance followed Celestia and Luna, her voice echoing through the crowd. "Greetings, dear friends. I stand before you today, filled with hope and anticipation for what the future holds for our two worlds. Our journey on Earth has been nothing short of extraordinary, and we are grateful for the opportunity to learn from and grow with you. The opening of these embassies is a significant step towards bridging the gap between our cultures and fostering a deeper understanding of one another. We must remember that it is through our differences that we can learn and evolve. To the citizens of Earth, we extend our hand in friendship and ask for your continued support as we face the challenges that lie ahead. Together, we can create a world where harmony and understanding prevail. Thank you, and may the bonds of friendship between our nations continue to strengthen and flourish." As the speeches concluded, the crowd erupted in applause, showing their appreciation for the princesses and their words. Then, the official inauguration began. Celestia, Luna, Cadance and Chamberlain cut the ribbon that closed off the doorways, officially opening the Equestrian and Crystal Empirean embassies. Then, the national anthems of Equestria and the Crystal Empire played, and the whole crowd, except the remaining ENA members, stood in attention. After the national anthems were over, Duke Moon, the newly appointed Equestrian ambassador to Britain, stepped to the microphone began his speech. On stage, he was also joined by Amber Night, the newly appointed Crystal Empirean ambassador to Britain. The duo expressed their gratitude to the people of Great Britain for their warm welcome and support. They highlighted the importance of the newly inaugurated embassies in strengthening the bond between Equestria, the Crystal Empire, and Earth. They also addressed the ENA protests, emphasizing that progress often comes with challenges, but they must work together to overcome them. They concluded their speech by reiterating the commitment of Equestria and the Crystal Empire to fostering peace, understanding, and cooperation between their worlds. Following Duke Moon's speech, Prime Minister Chamberlain and the princesses unveiled plaques that would be placed in the embassies, symbolizing the official opening and the deepening friendship between Equestria, the Crystal Empire, and Earth. As the ceremony came to an end, the crowd continued to cheer, and the atmosphere remained filled with excitement and hope for the future of their newly formed alliance. Soon after that, the time had come to head to Buckingham Palace. Originally, they had planned for King George VI to inaugurate the embassies, and not Prime Minister Chamberlain. However, the Royal Family had another commitment, due to which they couldn't show up. Chamberlain wouldn't be joining them at Buckingham Palace, as he had to deal with war-related things. The ponies got in the cars, except for the new diplomatic teams who would be living in the embassies, who had gone in to explore their new home. It was now 4:30pm, as the cars began heading towards Buckingham Palace, which was a drive of less than ten minutes from there. As the cars left Crawford Place, little did the ponies know that at Buckingham Palace was a piece of what they were looking for. > Chapter 42 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------BUCKINGHAM PALACE, LONDON---------------------------------------------------------- It was now almost 4:40pm in London. The cars carrying the princesses and their retinue stopped outside the Buckingham Palace. The palace was more than a hundred years old, and despite it being not as large as Canterlot Castle or the Crystal Castle, its relatively modern style of architecture impressed the ponies. The princesses wondered if they could replace their old castles with such relatively modern buildings. The ponies got out of the cars, and began walking towards the palace. Multiple reporters were swarming around the area, but had been blocked from accessing the palace grounds by the soldiers, who were were long black caps and red uniforms. Apparently, they were known as the King's Guard. They were extremely coordinated, as they opened the door of Buckingham Palace to the ponies. They went in the palace and were greeted by the King of Britain, George VI, and his wife, Queen Elizabeth. "Greetings, your Highnesses." said George VI. "I am honoured to meet fellow monarchs, especially ones as mighty and powerful as you." "I am also honoured to meet a fellow monarch, Your Highness, especially one who rules a powerful nation such as yours." said Celestia. "Ah, Princess, alas, the monarchy does not truly rule Britain anymore. It's the parliament, the democracy that holds all of the power. The monarchy is just a figurehead nowadays. The only place the monarchy still has real power is in our colonies, such as India and Burma." said George VI. "I know, but still, even if the monarchy is a figurehead, it is still impressive to see that it exists today, unlike in other Earthly nations, where the monarchy is a thing of the past." said Celestia. "I know, Princess. Anyways, let's talk inside. Follow us. We'll go to the state rooms." said George VI, as he and Queen Elizabeth walked inside Buckingham Palace. The ponies followed them inside, and began heading towards the state rooms. As they continued walking, that was when Celestia and Luna felt something. They felt a different kind of magic. Faust's magic. This was the first time they had felt it in a place on Earth. Since Faust couldn't come to Earth herself right now, that meant only one thing. A piece of the Destroyer of Discord was here, on the grounds of Buckingham Palace. That was something they did not expect. The two sisters knew the Destroyer of Discord was somewhere on Earth, just not in a large metropolis like London. That was when they realised that everyone had stopped walking, and was looking at them. "Alright, why are you looking at us? Why have you all stopped?" asked Celestia. "Well, your Highnesses, your horns are glowing." said King George VI. "Are you using your magic right now?" At this question, the two sisters realised their horns were glowing, but not in their usual auras. They were glowing a beautiful and strange purple aura. "Ah, it seems our horns have detected the presence of a powerful Equestrian artifact somewhere in the palace compounds." said Luna. "Wait, what?" asked George VI. "Yes, a piece of a powerful Equestrian artifact is somewhere here, in the compounds of this palace. It's a long story, but first, we must find it!" said Celestia. "Alright. Does that aura tell you where it is?" said George VI, as they all began jogging down the corridor. "No, I'm not sure it do...." said Celestia, just as they passed a bank vault, where the aura started glowing brighter. "Hang on, that aura has gotten stronger... near this vault. It must be in here!" said Celestia. "Your Majesty, that vault contains jewels, mainly diamonds. Do you think we would keep an alien artifact in there?" "I don't think you knew it was an artifact from our world. It must have been disguised as a large diamond. Open the vault." said Celestia. "If you insist." said George VI, as he opened the door, which had a combination lock. It was like a jewellery store as they opened the vault, with multiple jewels kept enclosed in bulletproof glass cases. However, there was one odd thing about them. One of the cases had the same glow as Celestia and Luna's horns emanating from it, and it was the most central one. It contained a crown. "That's my crown." said Queen Elizabeth, shocked and amazed at the same time by it. "One of the diamonds on the crown seems to be a piece of the Destroyer." said Luna, as they entered the vault. They walked closer to the case, and saw the first piece of the Destroyer of Discord. It was the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond, on the top of the crown. It had been surrendered to Britain by Indian rulers close to a century earlier, and had been with the British Royal Family since. The Indians believed that the Koh-i-Noor had been stolen from them by the British, and wanted it back the second their country got their independence, if ever. Apparently, men could not touch the Koh-i-Noor, as it cursed them. Must have been something Faust had done to prevent Discord from getting his hands on it. However, women were safe from its curse. Celestia wondered why her mother would have made the Destroyer like that. As they marvelled at the Koh-i-Noor, King George VI spoke. "I never knew this. So, we have had an Equestrian artifact in our possession for more than 90 years now. That's crazy." "You wouldn't have known it was an Equestrian artifact, until we located it. But we need it returned to our country soon." said Luna. "What? Why do you need it so soon?" asked Queen Elizabeth. Luna wasn't surprised at enough, because she didn't know about the situation with Discord. Only heads of state knew about it. However, George VI knew instantly, as Prime Minister Chamberlain had briefed him about it. "My love, that jewel is probably the only thing that can save the entire world from destruction. I'll tell you about it later, but we must let them take the Koh-i-Noor. Plus, it is from their country, so we have to return it to them." said George VI to Elizabeth. "Oh, I see." said Elizabeth, a little reluctantly. As the ponies began to leave the vault, George VI began talking with the princesses. "We will have to announce that it is an Equestrian artifact, we just won't reveal that it has magical powers." "How will we fool the public and Discord into thinking so?" said Celestia. "Well, we will just announce that jewellers who were fixing a defect in one of the jewels on the crown noticed something off about the Koh-i-Noor, and did some checking. We can say that they used tiny inclusions in the diamond to determine its age and where it actually originated from, which in this case is Equestria. That is a method we have used to date diamonds in the past." "Hmmm, that is a good cover story. Hopefully, Discord won't get suspicious at that." said Luna. "I hope not, or else, this could be the end of everything, and everyone we know." said King George VI, a little fearfully. As the ponies headed towards their staterooms to continue their stay at the Buckingham Palace, the morale among the princesses began to rise, now that the first piece of the Destroyer of Discord had been found. It was the first big success in their quest to defeat Discord. > Chapter 43 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25TH JANUARY 1940 -------------------ROYAL ARMY/AIR FORCE TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWHERE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS-------------- It was now 7:00am at the base, just outside of Rosvar. Since it was January, it had snowed heavily, and it was a pretty cold morning, with the weather again gloomy. Despite this, the mood was high, as today, the trainees were graduating from training, and would be heading to their units. They would begin heading to the battlefield from today. Soon, ponies would be in combat, fighting alongside humans. The princesses would make a speech at their graduation ceremony, which was in under four hours, and would encourage the ponies to fight for their nation. Morale had also risen now that a piece of the Destroyer of Discord had been found, and it would definitely help. Today felt like a good day, despite the gloomy weather. As the trainees began waking up, and doing some final exercise before the graduation, the three princesses were preparing their speeches for the trainees, to motivate them to fight for their nation on the battlefields of Earth. The princesses marvelled at how well the ponies had been trained for military life. However, some discrimination was still around, thanks to the ENA, and thanks to the fact that female ponies were also in. The male ponies were accepted among the human soldiers, but the females were not accepted as much, since human women really didn't join the military as much as the men, as the military was mainly seen as a man's job. Celestia wasn't surprised. In all of Earth's histories, men had fought the wars, and women had mainly stayed back to run the household. Only some women had emerged as revolutionaries, but still, only now were women getting things like the right to vote in Earth's nations, thanks to all the feminism and suffragette movements on Earth. Still, it was unhappy to see how women were treated lesser than men on Earth. In Equestria and the Crystal Empire, all women and men had the same rights as each other. One was no less than the other. As the princesses began preparing their speeches, they also thought about how hard military life was. Twilight and Shining Armor had told them about their visit to a real battlefield sometime back, and getting caught in the midst of one such battle. It had astounded them how the human soldiers were willing to put up such conditions to fight for their home. It was truly a saddening thing. The war toll was now 215,000. They knew that they had to stop Discord, and put an end to him for good this time. As they prepared for the speech, Celestia thought about it how it had been almost four months since their arrival on Earth. Despite the short timeframe, a lot had changed in Equestria and the Crystal Empire. Both countries were modernising and were going to war. Discord had broken out of his prison. The whole of Earth was in danger. It was overwhelming, but they would have to all work together to fight their way out of this situation, and save the world. The princesses began rehearsing their speeches, which were long, but also powerful, to hopefully motivate the ponies. As they began their rehearsals, it was now 7:10am. In just under four hours, the graduation would begin. ------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 8:10am in Germany. Discord was smiling. Equestria and the Crystal Empire were about to enter the war. Today was the graduation of the ponies from training. The ponies would enter the war. Soon, the time would come to cause some more chaos. Discord remembered his first conversation with all three Axis leaders, Hitler, Mussolini, and Hirohito. He remembered it well. Especially one part. "Also, how powerful are you?" asked Hirohito. "Well, I could probably destroy this planet's Moon, and make the fragments rain down on Earth. That is 10% of my power, right there." said Discord, calmly. Well, that was a lie. Destroying Earth's Moon and making its fragments rain down on the planet took more than 85% of his power. Discord had said that only to get the Axis trio to trust him. In reality, no creature was that powerful, except for Faust herself. It was the only way to get them to trust him. Anyways, the super soldier program, another part of the Erweiterung program, was going to start soon. Under this, German soldiers would be injected with the E-serum and would basically be superhumans. They would be a perfect black operations unit, in and out, without much mess. They could also be used as a propaganda tool, but without exposing the Erweiterung program. Discord smiled thinking about it. He was also ready for the next part of his plan once pony soldiers were deployed on the battlefields. If the Nazi Army captured some as POWs, under the Erweiterung program, Discord could extract their magic, and put it in humans, even if it killed them. He didn't care about the number of lives it took. He would complete his plan, no matter the human cost. -------------------ROYAL ARMY/AIR FORCE TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWHERE IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS-------------- It was now 10:50am here, just 10 minutes before the princesses would make their speeches to the military pony graduates. The stage had been set up, and most of the graduates were already in their seats, with some of the latecomers taking them only now. Originally, it was planned to be held outdoors, but now, it would be held indoors, as it had snowed heavily during the night. Hence, it was being held in the base's auditorium. Behind the stage, the princesses were nervous. Normally, this speech would have been easy, if they were still on Equis. But they were not on Equis anymore. They were on Earth, and the ponies would soon be sent into a war, none like they had fought in before. And it had been a while since Equestria and the Crystal Empire had participated in a war. The last major one Equestria had participated in was 150 years earlier, before the fall of the Ponysian Empire. The Crystal Empire's last major war had been 1,100 years ago, more than 100 years before they had disappeared. As the clock ticked down to 11:00am, the nervousness did rise, but the princesses kept their cool, knowing that if they were nervous, they would blow the entire thing. As 11:00am came, the princesses stepped onto the stage, and stepped in front of the microphones. Celestia was the first one to begin speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen, humans and ponies, today, we gather to celebrate the end of one phase, and the beginning of another, in your lives." said Celestia. "Today, my little ponies, we celebrate your graduation from training, and your induction into the military." At this, all of the ponies began applauding. Celestia's nervousness started to disappear on seeing her subjects so happy. "I would like to open my speech with a quote by a famous human poet, who once said, 'In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.' Today, as you stand on the precipice of a new journey, remember that the life you bring to these years will determine the impact you make in the world. You are about to embark on a path that will test your strength, your courage, and your resilience. But remember, it is not just about the battles you will fight; it is about the character you will build along the way." Celestia paused for a moment, allowing her words to sink in. Then, Luna began speaking. "As you step into the battlefield, you carry with you not only the strength of your hooves and wings, but also the spirit of Equestria and the Crystal Empire. You are a symbol of hope, a beacon of light in the darkness that threatens our world. The bond you share, both among yourselves and with the humans you serve alongside, is a testament to the unity and friendship that can overcome even the most daunting challenges." She then turned her gaze towards the humans present in the audience. "To our human allies, we stand united in our quest to bring peace to the world. Your strength and determination have been an inspiration to us, and we are honored to fight by your side. Together, we shall face the darkness and emerge victorious, for the sake of our homes and the innocent lives that depend on us." Then, Cadance continued, her voice filled with determination and hope. "As you go forth to defend our lands, remember that every step you take brings us closer to ending the war once and for all. You are the guardians of peace, the protectors of our world, and the embodiment of the unbreakable spirit that resides within each of us. May your hearts be filled with courage, your minds with wisdom, and your actions with honor. May Faust be with you." said Cadance, as the princesses stepped off the stage with a large round of applause. As the princesses went off to personally congratulate the graduates on entering a new phase of their lives, their hearts had some sadness. As they walked towards them, they knew that this would probably the last time the princesses would see some of them alive. But their sacrifice would inspire their comrades, to fight in their honour, make sure that their sacrifices would not go in vain. It was the only way, cutting off an arm to save the whole body, to defeat Discord. > Chapter 44 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4TH FEBRUARY 1940 --------------------------------------------------------THE FRANCE-GERMANY BORDER--------------------------------------------------------- It was now 8:00am here. It was a rather cold morning on the France-Germany border. It was still the Phoney War for now, due to the highly decreased amount of skirmishes and battles here, but still, the soldiers were alert, as they would probably never know when it could become a real war. Among these were the first batch of newly deployed Royal Army ponies. This batch included Applejack, and Lyra Heartstrings. They were among the first to enlist, and had been excited at first to be deployed after months of training. Now, they weren't as excited, after facing quite a bit of sexism from the human men in their regiment, who questioned if females could fight on the frontlines. Applejack and Lyra were eating their breakfast alongside some of their fellow pony soldiers in the regiment. Most of the male pony soldiers, who used to support them, had now abandoned them, to try and make better friendships with the human soldiers. Applejack was not happy about that. Abandoning their friends that they had grown up with just to get on the good side of the aliens? That was a new low. Applejack did like the humans in some ways, such as their technological advancements and their fighting tactics, but did not like their sexism and racism. Applejack and Lyra were eating sandwiches. Most human foods contained meat, which the Royal Army kitchens had successfully adopted to Equestrian-friendly cuisine, which did not use meat. However, it had no grass or hay, so that a human soldier could consume it if in a scenario where it was needed, which was fine with the ponies. The Equestrian sandwiches had a lot of vegetables in it, as well as cheese, so it had a bit of flavour, but it was mostly bland, like all the other military food she had eaten so far. As she continued eating breakfast, one of her fellow Equestrians came up to her. "Hey, Applejack, do you think we'll see any action today?" "Ah' don't think so. Them Germans have been pretty quiet lately." replied Applejack. "Well, apparently, the Commander got intel that the Germans may try to take this position today, so we may have to go on duty soon." "Ah' see. Hopefully them Germans don't try anything today, or they'll face tha' wrath of tha' Allies." said Applejack, as she continued eating. "I don' fancy getting into ah' battle on my fifth day of deployment." "I hope so too." said Applejack's fellow soldier, as she walked off to talk to her comrades. Applejack continued eating her sandwich, as she thought about how far their worlds had come in the time since they had come to Earth. So much technological advancement. In fact, she was actually shocked and surprised at the same time how humans didn't have magic, and used machines to grow crops. However, to the humans, farming was more like a chore or job, without passion. The Apples didn't like that part about Earth's agricultural practices. Applejack felt that farming should be the perfect balance of work and passion, else it would get too boring or too exciting to do. Applejack and Lyra finished their sandwiches, and headed to the Commander's tent to report for duty. "Commander, Private Applejack, and Private Lyra Heartstrings reporting for duty!" said Lyra. "Alright, Privates. You're on patrol duty today. You'll be meeting up with Corporal Cake on the east side, in the trenches. We have intel that the Nazis may be trying to attack today to capture some ponies, so we'll have to defend this camp. Dismissed!" said the Commander. "Roger that, Commander!" said the two ponies, as they went to get their gear, and get out on duty for the day. They grabbed their standard arms, which were Lee-Enfield rifles, and a Webley Mk. IV revolver, along with enough ammunition for a battle, just in case. They wanted to both come back home from the war alive, not in a coffin for their families to mourn over. At first, they thought Corporal Cake would mean the Cake family from Ponyville. That was when they remembered that the Cakes had not enlisted, and the corporal they would be reporting to was Jonathan Cake. That was one thing the ponies found funny about the British. They always had funny last names. They went into the trenches, and reached Corporal Cake's position in the trenches. A few other ponies were already in their positions, conducting patrols, keeping an eye out for German military. "Ah, Private Heartstrings, Private Applejack. You'll be relieving Privates Golden Harvest and Minuette today. They've been on patrol duty for the last 7 hours." said Corporal Cake. "Roger that, Corporal Cake!" said Applejack and Lyra, as they joined their fellow soldiers on patrol. The two ponies got out their rifles, and began their patrol. As they passed by one of the human soldiers, who was on overwatch duty, he decided to be a little sexist to them. "Say, aren't you ladies in the wrong place? Women, human or alien, can't fight! Maybe you can be a nurse, but not a soldier!" laughed the soldier, as they walked on, although Lyra wanted to knock him out cold with her magic. They continued the patrol, when the alarm began blaring, gunfire was heard, and the ponies' walkie-talkies began blaring. "Attention, all units! One of our patrol units has detected a large platoon of German soldiers heading straight for FOB Charlie! Neutralise them!" shouted the voice of Corporal Cake over the radios, as all of the soldiers took up attack positions, and began firing at the enemy. Lyra and Applejack took up positions as well, and also began firing at the Germans. They had done good in the shooting part of military training, so despite the fact their Lee-Enfield rifles weren't so great, they were doing pretty good, and within the first twenty minutes of the battle, they had killed twelve German soldiers. However, that was one another message came over the radio. "Shit, the Germans have entered the trenches! All soldiers, retreat back to FOB Charlie, kill as many as you can!" said the voice of Corporal Cake. "Roger that, Corporal!" said Lyra over the radio, as the ponies began their retreat. Applejack didn't want to, but Lyra convinced her that the Germans were targeting the ponies, so it was safer to head back to the FOB. As they ran back towards the FOB, they noticed the same soldier who had mocked them earlier being attacked by two German soldiers. He had already been stabbed by them twice, by the looks of it, to reveal where the pony soldiers were. "Applejack, we have to help him!" whispered Lyra, as the duo hid so as to not be noticed by the Germans. "No, Lyra! We'll get captured if we try to save tha' sexist fool!" said Applejack. "If we don't, then he's a goner. Plus, he may reveal our location to save his own life, and I don't want us to be captured!" said Lyra. "Fine." said Applejack. "Let's kill those bucking Germans!" shouted Applejack, grabbing her Webley revolver, as her rifle was out of bullets, while Lyra grabbed her rifle, which still had two bullets. The duo instantly charged at the Germans. Lyra shot the first man twice with the rifle. It penetrated the German's body armor, killing him instantly. However, as Applejack tried to shoot the second German, her Webley revolver jammed. Just as the German was about to fire, Lyra fired a large blast of magic at the German, blowing him up like he a bomb strapped to him. Soon, there was nothing but bits and pieces left of the German. The British soldier whom they had been attacking for information was shocked at this. "Why... why did you help me?" asked the soldier, as Applejack and Lyra quickly did some first-aid and began dragging him to safety. "Well, for one, I was feelin' in the mood to kill some Germans today. Next time, I won't be so nice until ya stop being sexist. Got tha'?" asked Applejack. "Yes, Ma'am." said the soldier, as they dragged him towards safety, with blood still bleeding from his wounds. Normally, they would have done more, but Lyra didn't really know any healing spells for such large wounds. As they reached the FOB, multiple medics took over saving the soldier from there, and as the duo left, the soldier gave them a quick salute, before he was wheeled off for treatment. It was now 11:00am. The whole battle, incredibly, had lasted just under two hours. Despite the fact that four Allied soldiers had lost their lives that day, they had killed close to 30 German soldiers. As the injured were treated, and those not injured at all or lightly injured took a quick break before continuing their daily patrols, they knew that this war was only just beginning. > Chapter 45 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20TH FEBRUARY 1940 -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 6:00am in Canterlot. Celestia was in the dining room, finishing her coffee before going around to the main matters of the day. The princesses liked this human drink, which despite tasting bitter, kept them awake, which was useful for Heads of State such as the princesses, who usually spent quite a few nights awake. In fact, the public had also started liking coffee, which was now being imported to Equestria from Brazil and some Asian countries. As Celestia finished her coffee, Luna came in after getting up following a busy night. Since Luna could now see into human dreams, she had to handle the dreams of humans as well now, which did tire her a little. Equestria and the Crystal Empire's modernisation was also going strong. Now, all the buildings in the towns and cities of the two countries were powered by electricity, which included Canterlot Castle and Crystal Castle. They also now had a proper water network, with pipes, sinks, toilets, and showers installed in every household in the two countries. The telegraph, telephone, and postal networks were also fully set up and operational. Despite the fact that these had been up and running for some time now, they still seemed like wizardry to some of the ponies. The road network was around 60% complete, and the Manehattan Airbase's asphalt runway had finally been completed. The airbase in the Crystal Empire was also fully operational, and the ones in Equestria were all either finished or in the final stages of construction. The landscape was starting to change at a rapid pace, thanks to all the modernisation of the two countries. It hadn't even been a year since their arrival on Earth. The princesses admired how fast their nations were modernising. The wars, however, were still raging. The Phoney War was relatively calm, but the toll of the Battle of the Atlantic had shot past 5,000. The China-Japan war, now called the Second Sino-Japanese War's toll was now well past 700,000, and that of the Winter War was now more than 150,000, even though Celestia had heard a rumour of peace talks between the Soviet Union and Finland. Close to 900,000 people had now died as a result of Discord's actions. The hunt for the Destroyer of Discord was on, thanks to the partnership between S.M.I.L.E. and S.I.S. The partnership between S.M.I.L.E. and S.I.S. had also received intel that Bret Stiles was probably lying about not being responsible for the League of Nations attack. The intel had said that the man behind the attack had approached Stiles, who had apparently funded the purchase of ammunition and a coat for this very attack, enabling him to kill two innocents. As if that wasn't enough, the intel had also indicated that the ENA was planning something very nasty for the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans, by the looks of it. They had also gotten some intel on what the Germans were planning. Apparently the German military was working on a secret programme of some sort, headed by a very mysterious figure. Celestia wondered what this secret programme was producing. The Soviets, Italians, and Japanese were also part of this programme, the intel had uncovered. That was concerning. So far, that was all the intel they had been able to get from the Axis powers. It was not much, but it was atleast something. Celestia decided to get ready for a meeting later that day, when one of the assistants rushed in. "Your Highnesses, there is a telephone call coming for you. It's from the head of the League of Nations, Anna Schmidt." said the assistant. "What? Why would she be calling us?" asked Luna. "She says its important, your Highnesses. You need to be in the new conference room ASAP." said the assistant. "Alright, we'll come there now." said Celestia, as she and Luna began heading to the conference room. The new electric lighting in Canterlot Castle made the castle much brighter at night, and the bulbs were much more brighter than the candles used previously, especially mixed with magic lanterns. The two princesses arrived in the recently-built conference room, and took their places around the table. Already, multiple other Equestrian diplomats were sitting around the table. "Your Highnesses, are you there?" asked the voice of Schmidt through the telephone. "Yes, Ms. Schmidt. We are here. What is this about?" asked Celestia. "Well, I'm supposing you have heard the rumours of peace talks between the Soviet Union and Finland about the Winter War?" said Schmidt. "Yes, I have." said Celestia. "Well, that rumour is true. Peace talks are in the works between the Soviet Union and Finland. However, they cannot be held at the Palace of Nations." said Schmidt. "Why? I thought the main hall was being fixed after the attack?" asked Celestia. "Actually, the main hall is fully fixed, but the Soviet Union is no longer a part of the League of Nations, hence it cannot be held at the Palace of Nations." said Schmidt. "We want to conduct the peace talks in Equestria." Celestia was genuinely surprised at that. "What? Why so? Our nation is also a part of the League of Nations!" said Celestia. "Equestria has a huge history of maintaining peace. The history of your nation indicates that majority of the peace summits on your home planet were held in your country. It is also a mostly harmonious nation. Also, this is a great way for your country to show up in the global stage by hosting such a high-profile event, including your showcase in a few months." explained Schmidt. "Will you be willing to host the peace talks?" Celestia and Luna thought about it. It would be a great boost in prestige for her country, and could also help in the opening of more diplomatic relations, as well as things such as tourism. It would also take a lot of preparation, considering it might be on pretty short notice. "We would gladly be willing to host the peace talks. When will it take place?" "It takes place in three weeks. Will you be able to get everything ready by then?" "We should be able to. We will hold it in our capital city, Canterlot. Are any other world leaders expected to come?" "A few of the bigger world leaders, such as Prime Minister Chamberlain from the UK, and President Roosevelt from the United States, are expected. We aren't expecting many others, though. Since it has been decided that you are hosting the talks, I'll make the announcement in some time. I hope you're ready." "Yes, we are, Ms. Schmidt. We'll begin making the preparations for this right away." said Celestia. "Thank you. The League of Nations team along with some envoys from both the Soviet Union and Finland will get in touch with you later. Over and out for now." said Schmidt. "Over and out, Ms. Schmidt." said Celestia, as Schmidt hung up the call. The princesses and the other diplomats looked at each other. It was now 7:00am. This was going to be a challenge to organise within three weeks, in Equestria's first major event being hosted since their arrival on Earth. ---------------------------------------------------------ENA HEADQUARTERS, CHICAGO--------------------------------------------------------- It was now 5:00pm here in Chicago. The evening time meant most people were coming back home from work, and children were playing or completing homework after coming back from school. At Bret Stiles' farm outside of Chicago, however, the Big House was still busy, as it had been since the last 13 hours. Bret Stiles, his deputy, John Jones, and the rest of the ENA's inner circle were planning. They had just heard about the announcement that the Winter War peace talks would be held in Equestria. They were highly angry at that, as they were hoping the talks would have been held in an Earthly nation, such as Britain, the USA, or France, not an alien country! Earth was developed into what it was by HUMANS ALONE, and yet, humans were willing to take help from aliens! That really was what pissed the ENA off. As the ENA inner circle continued making ideas, one of them suggested, "Why don't we have one of our members pull off a repeat of the League of Nations attack?" Stiles instantly slapped him on the back of his head at that. "Idiot! We can't pull off another terrorist attack. We're under enough scrutiny already after the martyrdom of Thomas Hill at the League of Nations, and another attack would just get the ENA shut down and all of us arrested. Plus, we say that we are not an extremist organisation like the Ku Klux Klan! We gotta follow those ideals!" "What, so the League of Nations attack was not us being extremist?" asked John Jones. "For one, that was not started by us, Thomas Hill was behind that one all by himself. Just because we regard him as a martyr doesn't mean that we have become extremist!" "Well, we can't just rely on mass protests alone to stop this! We have more than 15,000 members, some of them have to be rich politicians, right?" asked Jones. "I wish. The only rich members we have are a few lawyers and businessmen." said an annoyed Stiles. "Well, this opportunity, we'll have to pass up. But the next chance we get, we're doing something to terrify the Equestrians, show them who's the boss. Let's get to planning in advance for that." said Stiles, as he and the rest of the ENA circle got back to the plan, to make the Equestrians tremble. > Chapter 46 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12TH MARCH 1940 -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was 4:00am in Canterlot. Today was a big day for Equestria, as the country today would be hosting its first major event since it had arrived on Earth. Today, the leaders of Finland and the Soviet Union would be visiting Equestria, to participate in peace talks meant to end the Winter War. A large amount of preparations had been made for this event, as it had to go well, to attempt to end the Winter War. This was the just the first step to hopefully stopping Discord's plans. The modernisation of Equestria had sped up a little for this. The brand-new Canterlot Airport was now to open to operations, with a new VIP terminal. The dedicated passenger terminal was also in the final stages of construction, so soon, Equestrian airlines would also start operations. It was located far from the main city, since the main Canterlot City was built into the side of a hill. The plains surrounding the hill on which Canterlot was built were perfect for suburbs, and infrastructure like an airport. That was where the airport had been built. The passenger terminal at the Manehattan Airbase, now called Manehattan Airport, had also been finished. Passenger terminals had also been built at the airports in Ponyville, Fillydelphia, and the Crystal Empire. Soon, the two countries would have passenger air travel for the wealthy. A new rail network was also now operational, with British LNER Class A4 high-speed locomotives being imported to run the new and improved Friendship Express, which ran to towns that didn't have airports. A new road network was also finishing construction, with all the main cities connected, and only the connections to small towns still under construction. All in all, the future of the modernised Equestria and the Crystal Empire looked good, if they were able to stop the wars and make sure Discord was defeated for good. Celestia and Luna were already awake, preparing for the event. Already, Canterlot was awake, preparing for the arrival of the foreign diplomats. The reporters who would be covering this event had already arrived via the newly-modernised Friendship Express or by planes sent by their governments. They were being hosted in a large guest-house built for such events in Canterlot. Celestia and Luna were revising their speeches for the event. The discussions about the terms of surrender would probably take the most time to discuss in this event, as the Soviet Union wanted Finland's territory, but Finland wasn't willing to cede any territory to them. That would probably take hours, or even days of discussion. Cadance had also come in from the Crystal Empire to join them. She had been invited to this talk officially as a guest. The whole world, except for ENA and Discord, were extremely excited about this big event. Soon, the embassies of Britain and the USA would soon be completed, and the large warships that had served as temporary embassies since their arrival on Earth would no longer be needed to be docked all the time at Manehattan. The inauguration of the embassies was another event coming up soon. As Celestia was rehearsing her speech, she heard a distant horn in the distance. It was the horn of the modernised Friendship Express. The modern locomotives had loud horns, and Celestia planned to put a few sound-deadening spells over Canterlot to reduce the impact on her citizens' sleep. The train was delivering the final load of reporters before the event. After this delivery, all train services would be suspended for a few hours, until the diplomats were at Canterlot Castle. This was for safety reasons, as they had intel ENA members might be coming to Equestria to stop the meeting. Plans were also being made of taking human exchange students at prestigious Equestrian and Crystal Empirean schools and colleges so that they could study magic, to create magic-enhanced technology and such things. However, this plan was vehemently opposed by Chancellor Neighsay, the head of the Equestrian Educational Association, or EEA. The rest of the EEA were open to this idea, however, Neighsay had opposed it. He felt that Equestrian schools should give admission only to ponies, and not to humans at all. His ideology was that Equestria and the Crystal Empire should have no contact with humans at all, as he felt that the Equestrians and Crystal Empireans were a better, more peaceful, superior species than the humans, who he said were barbaric and brainless. Well, this had gotten him kicked out of the EEA, and the new head of the EEA was willing to take humans as exchange students in Equestrian schools. However, Neighsay had formed a new organisation, called Humans Not Allowed, or HNA: a blatant ripoff of the ENA. Apparently, they were trying to find a way to send Equestria and the Crystal Empire back to Equis, and remove it from Earth. Good luck with that, thought Celestia. Faust would never allow that, and she would have made sure nobody could copy whatever spell she used to transport Equestria and the Crystal Empire from Equis to Earth. Still, the HNA only had 50 members as of now, a mere spot compared to the ENA. They were not a threat as of now, so they were not keeping an eye on them at all. Celestia continued rehearsing her speeches, as the train pulled into the station. Soon, the peace talks to end the Winter War would begin. ------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 7:30am in Germany, which meant it was now around 5:00am in Equestria. Today, they would inject the first of Germany's new enhanced soldiers with the E-serum. This would be the beginning of the black side of the German Army. The black operations. These would all be off-the-books, and they would be the beginning of the Allies' defeat. Discord now had an official alias in the human world. His name as a human was Abelard Möller, an Obergruppenführer, a senior group leader in the the Schutzstaffel, Adolf Hitler's paramilitary organisation. Under this alias, he had a large villa in the city of Berlin, near the Reichstag, and controlled not just the U-boat facility in Hamburg, but also weapons factories in Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Bremen. Being a high-ranking officer, under the Erweiterung program, which was now an official part of the German military, he could run stuff like this. The program was now working on a new weapon, a concept suggested by one of his engineers. It was essentially a guided projectile, which flew like an airplane as it was guided towards its target. It was soon time for the peace talks to end the Winter War. He couldn't ruin this one, since the Soviets were there, and Germany couldn't afford to lose the support of the Soviets just yet. But soon, they would have to backstab the Soviets, before they got a little too greedy. Else, it would mark doom for the Third Reich, and Discord's plans. Discord smiled, as he got ready. This year would be the beginning of two more wars. > Chapter 47 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 7:00am in Equestria. Celestia had just received word that the plane carrying Joseph Stalin had just landed at the Canterlot Airport. She and Luna were waiting outside the castle to receive him, as his convoy was reported to already have left the airport. The Finnish leaders would arrive a little later. The previous Prime Minister of Finland, Aimo Cajander, had left office after the beginning of the Winter War, and his replacement, Kyösti Kallio, would be joining them today. The first motorised vehicles had been imported to Equestria, which were mainly service and government vehicles, such as fire engines, ambulances, airport vehicles, goods trucks, buses, and government limousines. Passenger cars would come in later. The airport was a near forty-minute drive from the main city of Canterlot, so for the public, airport buses would be provided until private cars were more widespread. Celestia could see the limousines in the distance, entering the main city of Canterlot via the newly-built highway, part of the Golden Quadrilateral, the new main highway that connected the four main cities of Equestria, Canterlot, Manehattan, Fillydelphia, and Ponyville. The convoy drove into the city, by all its houses, which were waving to the occupants of the cars. The cars drove through the castle gates, and towards the main facade of Canterlot Castle. The cars stopped in front of the castle, and the center car stopped in front of the princesses. The car's door opened, and Joseph Stalin emerged from it, followed by one of his ministers. "Mr. Stalin. Welcome to Equestria." said Celestia. "Ah, your Highnesses. I look forward to seeing your vonderful country. I also look forward to taking back our territory from ze Finnish. Their land is actually ours. Ze Finnish stole our land from us years ago, and they have ze balls to say that it is theirs? That is why we did what we did. We just vonted our land back." said Stalin. "I know, but war isn't the way. Anyways, we will talk more about this later today, and figure out how much land the Finnish will cede, Mr. Stalin. In the meantime, you can see the exhibition we have prepared inside Canterlot Castle, to showcase our history, while we wait for the Finnish Prime Minister." said Celestia, not pleased at how Stalin was talking about the Finnish as thieves, when they clearly were the victims in this case. "I vill do that, your Majesty. I vood like to see your country's history." said Stalin, as he and his diplomats walked into the castle, followed by his retinue of diplomats. The cars that had brought them here began to drive off, for some cleaning before they would pick up the Finnish Prime Minister. The princesses hated Stalin a lot, due to some of his views, and the fact that they had heard rumours that he tortured his people, if they did not obey him. Plus, he was also a very harsh father. Celestia had wondered how any woman would marry a man such as Stalin. Yet, he had a wife, and a few sons. She had heard that Stalin was so strict with his first son that his son had attempted to end his own life by shooting himself in the chest. However, the attempt had failed, as the bullet had missed his heart, and Stalin had apparently laughed when he heard the news, "The boy can't even shoot straight." Celestia and Luna decided to go back in for some rest, as the Finnish Prime Minister's plane still hadn't arrived in Equestrian airspace yet. It would be a while before his plane arrived, and the peace talks officially began. ------------------------------------------------------------SOMEWHERE IN GERMANY------------------------------------------------------------- It was now 10:00am in Germany, which was meant it was 7:30am in Equestria. The injections of the E-serum into the first of Germany's new super soldiers was about to occur. Discord already had the syringe in his hand, and was about to inject it into the first soldier, a rather young fellow, about 23. He seemed a little weak. Well, that was about to change for him. They had picked only the most patriotic soldiers in the German Army for this unit, as they had to dedicate their life to their nation for the missions they would be put on. Discord went up to the young man, and asked him, "What's your name, soldier?" "Herman, Sir." replied the soldier. "Well, Herman, you are lucky that you are the first person to be injected with the fully tested version of the E-serum. You will not be this weak man that you are right now, you will be stronger than ever before. Probably strong enough to lift a car, or tear a man in two with your bare hands. Do you see what being loyal to your nation gets you?" asked Discord. "Yes, Mr. Möller." said Herman. "This will be a painful injection, but the fruits of it are what counts." said Discord, as he jabbed the syringe into Herman's vein in one swift motion, and injected the E-serum in. Herman screamed in pain, since the syringe was in his vein. The second the last drop of the E-serum went in, Discord pulled the syringe out of Herman's arm, and quickly put an antiseptic bandage on it. He watched as Herman's muscles began to bulk up, and he grew larger. Soon, he looked like a bodybuilder who had worked out all his life. Herman looked incredulously at his new body, as if he had never envisioned himself that strong one day. He instantly thanked Discord, and went off to join the rest of his comrades, looking at him enviously, as if they couldn't wait to get their injections of the E-serum. Discord instructed the rest of the scientists to inject the soldiers, as he was going to check how the assembly lines of the Panzer IIIE and the Bf109E were doing. The first production Bf109Es had rolled off the line, and would soon enter service with the Luftwaffe. They would easily kill multiple Hurricanes, and match up with the Spitfires. The Panzer IIIE production line was still going well, and the enhanced tanks were still rolling off the assembly lines. The Panzer IVE project had been temporarily put on hold, as the IIIEs would suffice for now, and the IVE program's budget would overshoot what had been allotted to the Erweiterung program. As Discord headed back to his room after checking on them, he decided to turn on the TV and see what was going on with the peace talks of the Winter War that were being held in Equestria. Last he had heard, Stalin had already arrived in Canterlot, and was at Canterlot Castle at this time. As he turned on the TV, it showed a live broadcast of a convoy of cars stopping outside Canterlot Castle, and a new person getting out. The Finnish Prime Minister had arrived. Kyösti Kallio. Aimo Cajander's replacement. It was really because of Cajander that Finland had been taken so easily. Kallio had replaced him after Cajander had been forced out of office. The peace talks would soon begin. Soon, the Winter War would end. -----------------------------------------------------------------CANTERLOT CASTLE------------------------------------------------------------------ It was now 8:00am in Equestria. The ponies and the humans were all gathering in the castle's newly-built conference room, which could seat 120. Today, all of the seats were occupied, by the princesses, Joseph Stalin, Kallio, the Soviet and Finnish diplomats. Soldiers were also in the room, as a guard for the princesses. Reporters were not allowed in here. The peace talks were now starting. Celestia was the first one to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, humans and ponies, we gather here today on this day to end the Winter War. Today is a day of peace." said Celestia. "Ah, your Highnesses. Vot is zis treaty you vould like us to sign?" asked Stalin. "Well, the Canterlot Peace Treaty outlines the concession of Finnish territory to the Soviets. The treaty outlines that Finland concede half of Finnish Karelia, a part of the Salla area, the Finnish part of the Kalastajansaarento Peninsula in the Barents Sea, and in the Gulf of Finland, the islands of Suursaari, Tytäsaari, Lavansaari, Peninsaari, and Seiskaari." said Celestia. "That is all the Finnish are willing to cede to your country." "Also, we are willing, uh, to hand over whatever equipment and installations are in zose areas." said Kallio, the Finnish Prime Minister. "I see. Ve are not so happy with zose terms, as we vant one last thing. Ve vant to setup an overseas naval base in Finland. In thees case, in the Hanko Peninsula. Ve vant a lease on ze peninsula for 30 years, and annual rent of 8 million marks." said Stalin. "We can allow that. Anything to end this war." said Kallio. "Fine then. Those are the terms of this treaty. Once it is signed, all Soviet troops must exit Finland, by the time the clock strikes 12:00pm in Leningrad tomorrow, or 11:00am in Finland. All of the Soviet and Finnish diplomats must sign here, if you agree with these terms." said Celestia, pointing to a copy of the treaty. "Fine then. We shall sign." said Stalin, as his diplomats got up to sign the Canterlot Peace Treaty. The Finnish diplomats also got up to sign the treaty. The Soviet diplomats first looked at the treaty, and once they found its terms and conditions satisfactory, they signed with the pens that had been placed for this. The Finnish diplomats did the same next. The Canterlot Peace Treaty had been successfully signed, without any incident. The first major diplomatic event hosted by Equestria had been a success. "The soldiers of ze Red Army shall leave Finland by tomorrow. We will deliver the orders now." said Stalin, going to one of the newly installed telephones to make the call to the head of the Red Army to do so. Celestia and Luna smiled, and after excusing their hosts, left the conference room, and headed for the throne room to get to the rest of the day's matter, as it was now 10:00am. Just as they sat down in the throne room, a soldier came in. "Your Majesties, there has been a bit of an incident involving a human." said the soldier. "What? Did a drunk human journalist try to rob a house or something?" asked Luna. "No, your Majesties. Apparently, a unicorn brutally assaulted and beat up one of the British human journalists. He was badly injured, and is unconsciousness in hospital right now with a broken arm and head wounds, as the pony hit him very hard in the head." "What?! Was this attack provoked?" asked Luna. "No, he was taken by surprise. Since it occurred in a public place, the attacker fled the scene, and we have not been able to find him yet. As for the victim, he was instantly transported to hospital by the witnesses." "Do you know who the culprit was?" asked Celestia. "We believe it was a member of Chancellor Neighsay's organisation, Humans Not Allowed, or HNA. We believe so as the unicorn was shouting slogans such as 'Human Go Home' and other extremely profane things." "Oh, well, find this person at all costs and shut down the HNA at all costs. We don't want another ENA situation on our hands." said Celestia. "Right away, your Highnesses!" said the soldier, as he went off again. Celestia sighed. This was not good. Now, HNA was also committing crimes, like how the ENA was suspected to have. Hopefully, they would shut down the HNA, before they went out of control like the ENA had.