A country called Chiropterra is in total panic. Sirens blare at every major city as the skies are lit up by a frantic flurry of anti-air fire. It seems like the end is nigh for the remnants of the Chiropterran armed forces as they are hammered by a dizzying combo of a ground invasion from the east, a naval invasion in the west, and an airborne invasion in the middle.
The Equestrian government was unsure about militarily intervening in the affairs of their North Zebrican allies, especially after having just recovered from the Great War. However, the Equestrians seemed to have changed their minds completely once reports of a drastic escalation of the conflict between Hippogriffia and Chiropterra reached Canterlot.
Unwilling to leave their allies to die and take the full brunt of the horrors of war, the princesses of Equestria eventually agreed to send an official expeditionary force composed of several full-sized divisions, a number of tactical and strategic air wings, and a significant detachment of naval forces taken from the Celestial Sea fleet. With much needed heavy reinforcements from Equestria, Hippogriffia and their allies were able to quickly gain back lost territory in a renewed counteroffensive, and soon, the allied coalition was launching an invasion of the Chiropterran homeland.
The allied forces enjoy overwhelming naval and air superiority as North Zebrican allied troops rumble across the east and Equestrian and Hippogriffian royal marines storm the beaches west. Equestrian airborne forces attached with Solar and Lunar Guards special regiments drop from the skies and infiltrate enemy lines with the elite veteran units of the Great War proceeding to make short work of the Chiropterran garrisons that are caught off-guard by their daring maneuvers. As allied forces wage war, S.M.I.LE operatives cause further chaos deep inside enemy territory - the organization's experience with and legendary reputation in hunting down changeling infiltrators, deceiving the VOPS, and suppressing extremist Lunarist rebels in the Equestrian southeast proving to be very valuable as allied intelligence run circles around the Chiropterrans.
The invasion is going swimmingly as the outcome of the war seems to have already been decided. Princess Luna, in particular, was the one to have authorized the operation - with a notable political and military advisory role provided by former princess Celestia - after deliberating the decision with Princess Twilight.
Rest assured, Princess Luna can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that one last ugly stain of her past is finally being wiped clean from the face of the earth.
Cold winds gently hovered above as a bright light burned and defied the darkness of the forest around it.
It was a calm winter night, and it was the perfect time to finally rest and enjoy some time away from all the fighting. Soldiers - friends - huddled around their humble fire talking, making jokes, and sharing stories while having a small feast of canned rations and smuggled liquor. Although the vast majority of the Equestrian army was made up of ponies, there were a number of other races from around the world that have joined the ranks of the army's very own foreign legion, and this group of friends is among them.
A soft breeze flew past, and the night grew colder, but the sounds of good company did not stop.
A griffon cackled at the latest quip his new earth pony friend had uttered. A deer absentmindedly ate his food and stared at the fire's hypnotic dance. A unicorn stallion beautifully played a tune with his guitar as a pegasus mare sitting beside him sang some war song about love in Severnayan. Whether it was because of money, dumb luck, the promise of adventure, a sense of duty, or revenge for a loved one, these people were drawn together in the middle of the largest and most horrific conflict in the world to date.
Eventually, the fire was put out as some retired for the night while others stayed and kept watch.
More trials and tribulations awaited these friends as the war was finally about to be brought onto changeling soil. However, worries about the future were put aside. For the moment, all was calm, and none wanted to ruin what precious little peace they had left to enjoy before the storm came.
The office chair. It was a simple thing designed for productivity. From the average pen-pusher to the highest-ranking government ministers, there was an office chair for seemingly every office job.
One could have a set of wheels that swiveled for one's chair or none at all. One's office chair could be comfortable and stylish or plain and simple. With the rapidly changing world demanding an increasingly large variety of everything, things like the office chair molded itself for any task that primarily involved sitting down for a while.
Daybreaker had a surprisingly normal chair in her office considering the status of a mare like her. It had the perfect dimensions that fit the solar monarch's liking and had no trouble being continuously used for hours upon hours every day. Other than a few magical enchantments, it had no gimmick like casters or a reclining backseat, but it did have some luxuries like the rather comfortable velvet cushioning expertly sewn into it. It was sturdy but not rigid, and it was plush but not too soft. Whether Daybreaker was doing boring paperwork or taking a break by listening to some lovely music on her radio, her chair had no problem with accommodating the flaming specimen of a mare that sat upon it.
A familiar scratching sound could be heard in the dimly-lit office room. With a few strokes of a pen, Daybreaker signed a memorandum concerning an incident with the foreign ministry of Equestria's recent correspondence with a Griffonian diplomat. Griffon bastard.
A few moments later, more writing and signing could be heard one after the other. With a lamp as her only source of light that late into the night, each document was set aside as they were processed by Daybreaker one by one.
The local government in Cloudsdale asking for extra funding for their new experimental weather machines? Approved.
A report summarizing a recent meeting by the war cabinet about the finalization of nationwide military production upgrades? Signed and acknowledged.
An execution order for a high-ranking official charged with corruption and high treason for collaborating with changeling operatives? Signed with indifference.
Daybreaker hummed. I've never thought of her as a traitor before.
Signature after signature, Daybreaker's will was imposed. If she wasn't meeting with her generals and ministers, she was busy visiting the front, and if she wasn't busy visiting the front, she was there in her office drafting memos and signing papers. It wasn't sexy work, but it was important work nonetheless, and the one comfort that Daybreaker enjoyed there besides five minute tea breaks and the sweet sound of orchestral music from Canterlot's very own radio station was her office chair.
Gone were the days when sitting on a throne at the end of a long hall while personally attending to the needs and woes of one's subjects was all the rage. In the age of industrialization where running a nation had become far more than just meetings with nobles and royal decrees, the office had become a staple of administration.
And so there was a need for a new piece of furniture to sit on while one broke one's back with the oh-so very exciting intricacies of mind-numbing bureaucracy.
Enter the office chair.
'Twas the modern-day throne and a small symbol of the new age that was unfolding before the eyes of the world, and it was that very same age that Daybreaker was slowly ushering her nation in further and further with each stroke of a pen and each passing of a set of reforms that was paving the path for a future that Equestria was violently barreling towards.
The changeling general looked through the reports on his desk once more as he let his thoughts flow freely, the cold wind blowing through a broken window in his improvised office.
To say the situation was dire would be an understatement. The changeling defense of the hives had already pretty much collapsed days ago after the Equestrians launched another devastating push that effectively wiped out an entire army corps. Vesalipolis had fallen, Lyctida was under siege, Ditrysium was being threatened with encirclement, and entire divisions and battlegroups were just gone within the span of a week. It was clear that the changelings were on their last legs.
The general sighed as he put down the papers and took another drink from his flask. He sat back on his chair and mulled over his next course of action.
Yesterday, the general received orders from changeling high command. He was told to disengage from the fighting in Lyctida and Phantine, rally his troops, and attack Equestrian forces forming up around Ditrysium in order to break the blockade there and reach the queen before the Equestrians did. Afterwards, he was to link up with reinforcements coming from Soryth and then... somehow cobble together some kind of counterattack to relieve pressure from changeling forces fighting on other fronts.
However, the general had chosen to ignore those orders. Considering that it would've meant going up against a superior force twice the size of his already battered field army for an amount of time which they no longer had the ability to sustain, the plan was simply not feasible. He was in command of elite and battle-hardened units - some of the changeling army's last remaining regular forces - but a majority of his army was made up of conscripts, hastily formed militia, and emergency units pulled from the navy and the air force. Any real counteroffensive of the size that high command was demanding the changeling general to carry out would very quickly be stopped dead in its tracks and pushed back by the overwhelming tidal wave that was the Solar Army.
Even if the general possessed the troops to be able to pull off such an insane maneuver that far into the war, he had his reservations about throwing away his soldiers' lives in order to save the queen and her cronies' asses. They have already lost his and many others' respect long ago after the disasters that were Las Pegasus and Shire. So many changeling souls left to suffer and die in the hooves of Daybreaker and her soldiers...
No. If the general was to sacrifice the lives of his troops, it would be to save his fellow people from the rampaging Equestrian army and not some Vesalian queen who had stupidly led the hives into its imminent downfall.
The plan that the general had conceived seemed as insane as high command's pipe dreams of a grand counteroffensive, but it was their only hope of rescuing the soldiers and civilians still trapped in pockets of resistance all along the southern front. Instead of a full counterattack to break the blockade that cut the south from Ditrysium and the northern hives, the changeling general planned to divide his forces up into multiple battlegroups that would disperse all along the front. Some would be part of the push into Ditrysium and Lyctida while others would launch diversionary attacks to draw Equestrian forces away from the main force.
Meanwhile, the changeling troops that made up the main force were to open up a corridor into Ditrysium as well as another corridor into Lyctida, and hope against all hope that they would be able to hold them long enough for soldiers and civilians to escape through. The general also hoped to encounter the reinforcements from Soryth that high command had promised even though he seriously doubted that they actually existed other than on paper. After all that, they would regroup, reorganize, and make a mad dash southwest towards the Olenian border and the resistance forces that were stationed there. The Olenians no doubt still absolutely hated the changelings' guts, but they were much more preferable to a cruel fate under the Equestrians.
The general let out another sigh and got up from his seat in order to convene with his officers outside. The plan needed some work, and although he knew that what he was about to do was right, he couldn't help but feel like he was still abandoning his country despite the daring rescue operation that he had conceived. Perhaps it won't be the end for the Changeling Lands. He had heard about Harmonist sentiments starting to crop up in Equestria again now that Chrysalis' regime was about to fall.
Either way, as the end of the war drew near, the general had decided that it's now or never. They were going to be heroes or die trying.
An excerpt from a 1060's Equestrian high school textbook:
“The Harmonic Alliance is an international alliance of democratic and/or harmonist nations focused on economic and military cooperation and is the brainchild of Equestrian leadership during the 1020's and 1030's which represented Equestria’s radical shift in foreign policy at the time in the wake of the Great War and the Black Crusade. Some of its most notable members are Equestria, the Griffonian Empire, the River Federation, the Olenian-Changeling Commonwealth, and the Kingdom of Wingbardy with Equestria and the Griffonian Empire being the de facto leaders of the alliance.
“In terms of the economic side of the Harmonic Alliance, member states are involved in open trade, foreign investments, and general financial aid not just amongst themselves but with other countries as well.
“Meanwhile, the alliance is also a military one. There are two kinds of military cooperation that the Harmonic Alliance provides.
“The first is the Joint Military Forces of the Harmonic Alliance (or 'the Joint Military Forces' , 'the Joint Forces', or 'JMFHA' for short) which is an active coalition of alliance member states that act as the main military body of the alliance and is currently comprised of only twelve members: Equestria, the Griffonian Empire, the River Federation, the Olenian-Changeling Commonwealth, the Kingdom of Wingbardy, the Kingdom of Aquileia, the Crystal Empire, the Republic of New Mareland, the Kingdom of Hippogriffia, the Republic of Severnaya, Kiria, and the Republic of Nova Griffonia. The Joint Forces provide mutual defense for its members while obligating them to help each other in joint military and disaster-relief operations around the world.
“The second kind of military cooperation that the Harmonic Alliance provides is the Allied Military Defense Program (or 'AMDP' for short). This gives military protection for the rest of the Harmonic Alliance (that are usually second or third world countries unable to feasibly meet financial and military obligations attached with JMFHA membership) which is provided by JMFHA members. Both the JMFHA and members of the AMDP are obligated to participate in joint military exercises and the sharing of military knowledge and expertise.
“Overall, the Harmonic Alliance is a true giant of the modern era, and it can be said that it is directly responsible for the continued prosperity of the world as well as the meteoric rise of both Equestrian and Griffonian political, economic, military, and cultural influence across the entire world.”
She was drunk. For the first time in centuries, Celestia was drunk.
It took a couple bottles of some of the strongest vintage Celestia had in the palace, but she managed to get herself a little wasted as she lied miserably on the floor by a lit fireplace in her private study. Such a wonderful achievement that was.
Celestia sighed.
Not a single thing was going right. In fact, everything had gotten so much worse.
The changelings were a stone's throw away from Canterlot, and bombs fell over the city nearly every day. The army was doing everything they could, and Equestria was giving everything they could spare, but it still wasn't enough. The war demanded more from Equestria, and Celestia was at a crossroads.
The solution presented itself to the princess, but she did not like it at all. More conscription for the military, more labor for the factories, and a tighter rationing of goods were in order, but how much more could Celestia take away from her people and throw into the hungry, bottomless maws of war?
There wasn't much of a choice, unfortunately. Equestria had to fight back or lose everything, and survival at the moment depended on how many soldiers were in the front with a gun, and how many workers were in the factories making those guns.
Celestia sighed once more, absentmindedly moving her glass of wine about in her grasp and watching as the colors danced in the light.
The week had been one of the most stressful ones Celestia had experienced since the start of the war. Changeling spies and infiltrators were showing up all over the place and wreaking havoc with army logistics, production was severely disrupted when air forces failed to stop a large bombing raid that destroyed several factories and killed many in the process, and a general was temporarily taken out of action after nearly getting killed in the field by an artillery shell.
However, none of those compared to the one thing that had finally cracked the thousand year old Princess Celestia like it had.
It was a recent intelligence report about the administrative operations that the changelings conducted in occupied Equestrian lands. The investigation started when Equestrian refugees from the west were claiming all sorts of things as they fled east, and the amount of horrible stories that were told was simply too much to ignore. When escaping Equestrian prisoners of war were later heard claiming the same things, the Equestrian government had finally instructed S.M.I.L.E to look into it alongside their usual rounds of intel gathering and sabotage behind enemy lines. Celestia would never forget the information that agents eventually brought back to Canterlot weeks later.
They all already knew that the changelings had little regard for pony life. What invader would treat the people they've conquered well in the middle of a war after all? However, it was so much worse than Celestia and her government could have imagined.
The princess stopped mindlessly swishing her drink and slowly shifted her gaze onto the pile of papers laid down haphazardly on a table nearby.
The changelings ruled western Equestria with fear. Everyone under the occupation were at the mercy of changeling soldiers and whatever orders they were given. Every day was a day lived under the watchful eyes of the changelings.
Sometimes, a day went without a problem. Sometimes, there were arrests. Sometimes, there were beatings and executions.
Then, sometimes, changeling high command ordered people - usually those suspected of having connections with Equestrian resistance members - to be rounded up along with their families and moved somewhere else.
Mares and stallions.
The sick and the elderly.
Foals.
They were all dragged out of their homes, and there were no exceptions made.
It wasn't officially known what happened next whenever these cases of "relocation" occurred, but if the stories and rumors were to be believed, then forced labor and execution was almost certainly the fates of many. However, changeling biology as was currently understood dictated that horrifically fatal love extraction was also an option for the poor souls who were rounded up.
Celestia felt like vomiting when she read those papers. Nothing had been confirmed yet, and likely wouldn't be anytime soon, but the evidence was basically already there. Her people were being tormented and slaughtered, and it deeply hurt her in a way that she hadn't felt in a while.
It was a painful reminder of why they were fighting, and Celestia wished she could do so much more than she already was.
Finishing her drink in one sudden motion, Celestia closed her eyes. She let out a shaky breath.
The princess felt pain, but there was something else. Something was there, rising from the depths. It cried for justice. It cried for revenge. It cried for retribution against the changeling ilk.
Hatred. Celestia felt hatred for the changelings as well as hatred for her own failures. A voice at the back of her head whispered to her and told her to do the right thing - to take the fight to the changelings in order to make them pay for their crimes against Equestria in blood.
It was sweet and tempting. It was emboldening. It was lighting a raging fire inside of her that she didn't even know she had.
Papers. More papers. Even more papers. The solar monarch breathed in the cold early morning air and sighed, her horn steadily emitting magic in an almost invisible way. There were so many reports stacked on her desk, and there were more so than usual, that it's a miracle that not a single one has caught fire despite her magically non-flammable mane and tail and the thousands of enchantments placed within her study. She quickly noted how much better her last visit of the frontlines were a week ago - inspecting soldiers, assisting officers, personally leading troops, and blasting insects in enemy positions back whence they came - compared to her current chore.
The mare sighed once more. She should be grateful for all these papers, really. During the very first days of the war, the panic and chaos that spread all the way from the front to the palace constantly ground communications to a halt. What little reports did get through to Canterlot more often than not conflicted with each other, and Daybreaker suspected that at least half of those reports were fabricated or doctored by changeling agents that had penetrated deep into Equestria's military and administrative ranks.
Wars were complicated, Daybreaker mused, and modern wars were even more so. Conflicts were a jumbled mess of numbers, organization, leadership, military thinking, intelligence and information, technology, and politics. It was the ordered systems of society having sex with the absolute chaos of people trying to kill each other.
However, in the midst of all that chaos, there were people who worked in the shadows making sure that the Equestrian war effort was not disrupted. Beyond the soldiers fighting in the frontlines, the factory workers building weapons back home, and the ministers making decisions in the palace, there were those far away from public eyes conducting business in the dark. These people were spies, agents, informants, saboteurs, and codebreakers as well as all manner of people working in the most clandestine of environments, and Daybreaker had picked only the best of the best for the arduous task of tangoing with changeling intelligence.
When Daybreaker began enacting sweeping reforms in the military, one of the first organizations of the armed forces affected by the changes was military intelligence. High command was tired of the constant struggle for information on the field, and so improving Equestria's intelligence capabilities was a top priority.
Putting a fresh stack of papers on her desk, Daybreaker continued her forming train of thoughts.
Codebreaking and radars were a particular interest of military leadership and was thus improved upon almost immediately. With a massive surge in funding that came almost out of nowhere, the already busy codebreaking rooms and radar facilities of Canterlot and Manehattan erupted with a flurry of fresh recruits, cutting-edge equipment, and new innovations in signals intelligence and radiolocation. Soon, the changeling air force was dealt a heavy blow by Equestria's brand new radars, and there was such a renewed torrent of information coming in about enemy activity that command was forced to act only upon select pieces of information while discarding the rest so as to not arouse suspicion from the enemy and risk losing the Equestrian military's advantage in codebreaking.
Moving on from ciphers and radio detection, Daybreaker also invested in more "traditional" intelligence. Agents were trained in various kinds of subterfuge and magic to compete with changelings' shapeshifting abilities, specialized forces adept at using magic and all sorts of tricks to launch information and psychological operations against enemy forces were created, and new counterintelligence units were put together and tasked with flushing out changeling agents operating deep inside Equestria using cold, brutal, and effective means that played a major role in drastically increasing the mortality rate of changeling operatives. All in all, it was utter hell for VOPS agents.
Lastly, there were the Equestrian military's most secretive research programs. Researchers of these top secret projects worked on everything from experimental weapons to new industrial substances to all sorts of magic and their possible applications. There were talks of "jet engines", "atom bombs", and black magic - the last of which Daybreaker was not the most supportive of. In any case, none of these would have been possible without Equestrian military intelligence diligently directing prying eyes away from the right places.
Daybreaker mindlessly threw one final small stack of papers in front of herself to work on as her thoughts continued.
The changelings were certainly formidable opponents in the realm of information warfare, but as the war dragged on closer and closer to the end of its second year, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the intelligence apparatus that had carried the changeling armies from the outskirts of Acornage to the doorsteps of Canterlot was getting outpaced and outmatched in the face of the vast resources that Equestria was starting to bring to bear against the changelings. With all of that in mind, Equestrian intelligence paired with economic and industrial might had truly become the bane of the Changeling Lands.
Finishing her work that morning, Daybreaker looked outside her window to the sun slowly rising over the horizon as a faint glow continued to emanate from the alicorn monarch's horn. She took a moment to rest as a bottle of hard cider floated out of a cabinet and poured its contents out into a nearby drinking glass to eventually settle beside the flaming mare.
Daybreaker could feel it. The war was reaching its final act, and the reports were starting to confirm her suspicions. Soon enough, she and her generals shall be launching an offensive into the changeling homeland itself once preparations are done and conditions are deemed optimal.
The crackling sounds of fire filled Daybreaker's ears. Smoke covered large parts of the midday sky in nearly pitch-black clouds. Far off in the distance, gunshots could be heard. The cleanup was in order, it seemed.
With a stoic gaze, the solar monarch took note of her surroundings. She was stood on a small hill near the edge of a regimental headquarters that doubled as an area for refugees waiting to be transported away from the frontlines while the soldiers who fought yesterday were already miles ahead. In front of Daybreaker, the aftermath of a battle met her eyes as the broken terrain of the little valley contrasted the otherwise beautiful lush plains and dark green woods.
The refugees' horrific stories had mostly been the same as before. However, they seemed to have only gotten worse as the Equestrian army advanced and took back more and more of their home from the changeling invaders. There were tales of pillaging, murder, torture, "relocation", and certain fates worse than death, and they had only increased in frequency and severity.
A breeze flew past as Daybreaker looked over her surroundings once more. The headquarters they were staying in was set up in the ruins of a village that they had just taken from the changelings a couple days ago. After the Equestrian army started a grand offensive once Equestria achieved victory in a brutal battle over the fields and trenches of the western outskirts of Canterlot, they eventually reached the Mareposa river. Soon, the army had caught their still-unprepared enemy off-guard and had managed to cross the river on multiple points, encircling the city of Mareposa, and liberating it from the insects. The resulting gap that formed in the changeling lines was promptly exploited.
As town after town and village after village was liberated, the atrocities that the insectoid scum left in their wake became more and more apparent, and they only served to fuel the Equestrians' growing hatred.
At that thought, Daybreaker was reminded of something. Her horn flared and she looked down on a half-burnt photo of a little filly. Fetching it from the burned remains of a house was already bad enough, but then she met the mother.
She stared at the photo for a moment, put it away, and then continued her musings.
Ideas were dangerous and powerful things. The idea of a wretched invader that threatened homes and loved ones with unspeakable acts united people like almost no other. That hatred of the enemy had always been there amongst the Equestrian people - most especially the soldiers - ever since the invasion started, and Daybreaker's ascension had simply given them the greenlight to act upon their sentiments. Finally, the Equestrians' frustrations were starting to be given vent upon the little hive-spawns with a fire and fury that sought to make things right, and Daybreaker was all for it.
Daybreaker breathed in the air around her, closing her eyes. The smell was faint but unmistakable. The mare then opened her eyes and traced the smell back to exactly where she knew it was coming from. Over at the outskirts of another nearby village on the side of a hill, burning piles of dark flesh emitted black stacks of ghastly smoke that carried with it the familiar smell of death with a side of charred meat. It was a sight that Daybreaker couldn't help but break the stoic expression on her face for and smile at for a brief moment.
Luckily, most of those pathetic little changelings that were defending the area before the Equestrian army rolled in chose wisely and let themselves be taken away to a prison camp where their worthless little lives could at least serve the purpose of providing Equestria free labor for a war effort against the insects' very own hives. However, some were just too dense to know when the fight was over for them, and so consequences followed for the foolish. Meanwhile, particularly horrible changelings were not even given a choice and were immediately dealt with.
Bang!
An ear swiveled as Daybreaker once more heard the sound of gunshots echoing from far away.
Some of the insects chose a third option and ran away like the cowards they were. Stragglers, however, were not appreciated by the Equestrian army. Once the bastards were captured, they were given the same two options their less craven comrades were given.
It was simple, really. Those who chose to surrender got to live. Those who chose to continue to resist did not, and any changeling found to have committed unforgivable crimes had the same fate as well. Those last two groups were then usually given to locals who knew just the right ways to serve justice upon the infernal bugs. Afterwards, the broken bodies were disposed of with fire and sometimes with the business end of a gun if ever any of the changelings miraculously survived.
Daybreaker sighed. As much as she enjoyed relishing in her little ponies' victories, there was still much to be done. Her visit of the frontlines was nearing its end, and the alicorn of the sun was needed back in Canterlot to discuss future operations and to ensure the continued proper wartime administration of Equestria.
As the flaming mare turned and slowly made her back to her tent, a thought crossed her mind. She looked back at the destruction before her.
A million strong and counting, the sleeping alicorn had awakened and had been filled with a terrible resolve. Blood shall be paid, and Daybreaker planned to make sure of that, for a great inferno awaited the changeling hives.
From a lecture by Professor Bright Light of Royal Canterlot University:
"If one thinks about it, one can point out three events in history that effectively shaped the current world order into what it is now - the Reunification of the Griffonian Empire, the Great War, and the Black Crusade.
"The numerous events that resulted in the restoration of the Griffonian Empire under the rule of Emperor Grover VI once more led to a return of a large imperial power block in the continent of Griffonia that was rivalled only by the Riverlands. Meanwhile, the Great War was the bloody catalyst that helped Equestria fully become a modern superpower after inheriting the veteran military forces and reformed government institutions of Celestia's Solar Equestrian wartime regime as well as after rebuilding the nation's massive economy and industry which rode the waves of a post-war baby boom coupled with substantial immigration from other countries around the world.
"There was also the Harmonic Alliance which was intended to start healing the wounds between Equestria and the Changeling Lands after the Great War, replace the United Ponies Alliance as the world's premier alliance of harmonist nations, and set post-war Equestria and their allies up for much more involvement in the international stage. Now put a pin on that, actually. We'll touch on the Harmonic Alliance later.
"Anyway, in the aftermath of the chaos of the early 11th century, Equestria and the Griffonian Empire ended up possessing a potentially enormous amount of political and economic influence. All that was needed was something that would align those two worlds together.
"Enter the Black Crusade.
"After northern Griffonia (sans Vedina) fell to the Dread League, the situation looked bad for the Griffonian Empire and the River Federation as the undead hordes threatened to bring the war over to their homelands. Luckily, expeditionary forces from places like Equestria, Olenia-Chengelingia, the Crystal Empire, and New Mareland helped turn the tide. This was the first time anything big from Equus directly participated in continental Griffonian affairs, and soon, a friendship was blossoming particularly between Equestria and the Griffonian Empire.
"Make no mistake, however. The Griffonian Empire under Grover VI was already starting to lean heavily into harmonist ideas years before the Black Crusade. The Black Crusade was simply the final push needed to effectively bring the world of Equestria and the world of the Griffonian Empire into a sort of friendship, and this was made official when the Griffonian Empire and the River Federation joined the Harmonic Alliance with Wingbardy and Aquileia following soon after.
"And so one can probably see what happened next. Two of the most powerful nations in the world that just so happened to be ideologically aligned and a strong multicontinental alliance of like-minded countries with vast global influence led by those same two nations? It was a foregone conclusion, and notably, it was something that Princess Twilight Sparkle's post-war government was hoping for which is a topic we'll delve into at a later date.
"To end today's lecture, think of a car or a computer or some packaged food. There's a very good chance that whatever product you can think of, it was most likely made using resources extracted in Equestria or the Griffonian Empire and manufactured by an Equestrian or a Griffonian company. That fact holds true here in Equestria, and that fact holds true in the rest of the world as well.
"Now think of today's iconic shows and movies, popular cuisines, cutting-edge technology, influential laws, individual rights, numerous modern institutions... All of those most likely originated from Equestria or the Griffonian Empire.
"The point is that the events of the early 11th century paved the way for Equestrian and Griffonian political, economic, and cultural influence to spread all over and create the world we know today - an Equestrian-Griffonian world."
I am sorry for not sending a letter for so long. Unfortunately, we are very much tied up dealing with a few things here of which I cannot divulge any details, and I have only now been able to find some time to write about how I have been.
Speaking of how I have been, I am happy to say that, for the first time in a while, this young mare is doing fine. Splendid, even. I am fed enough every day, and my mates keep me company on and off duty. I also feel close to being granted furlough after months of serving on the front. I cannot wait to finally get off this dreadful place for at least some time. I sorely miss home.
Now, you have all most likely heard the news over there by now. Yes, Canterlot is saved, not a single changeling even got close to the golden city, and you've got us to thank for it! I do not know how much I actually contributed to the victory (though I ought to say I am relieved that I was not part of the brutal fighting in the southern sectors), but it does not matter. We have got the changelings this time, and it feels like things are actually starting to turn out for us. However, I must tell you about something strange that happened the other day.
We were attacking an enemy position and flushing out stray pockets of resistance after a couple days fighting. Luckily, my unit was only sent to reinforce some of our friends who have already secured an entire section of changeling defenses. It was chilly that day, but at least the ground was solid, and it was then while we were marching along that I saw her highness Princess Celestia!
No, mother. I know what you are going to say. This is not your little girl making up stories. As much as I would love to hear your voice teasing me again about my active imagination as a child, I am not lying. I truly did see Princess Celestia.
The princess looked a little different though. Her highness' mane was made of fire, and her figure emanated a majestic aura. We all could not help but stare and then bow low when she turned to look at us. Our commander rushed to greet her highness, and he was as bewildered as we all were, but the princess simply dismissed us with a few words and continued staring off into the distance. Suffice to say, we went on our way having been graced with her highness' presence, and we were all talking about it as we went along. Some even told stories they have heard from people who had fought during the battle west of Canterlot.
And oh were they some wild stories. Some said that Princess Celestia fought with them, blasting insects and whatnot, and some also said that the princess' new look was a sign that she had become some kind of tyrant! Can you believe these people? Well, I can't because frankly, meeting the princess and seeing her that other day felt invigorating.
If some of the stories are true, then it is a welcome surprise to see a princess of Equestria being so involved in our struggle. We are beating the bugs back, and our Princess Celestia is right here with us. Even Princess Luna was never really this acquainted with us in the front! So who cares about those insidious rumors about Princess Celestia being a "tyrant" now? We are finally winning, and after all the horrible things I have witnessed here, that is all that matters anymore.
Anyway, I must cut this letter short as the oil in my lamp is just about to run out. Again, I promise to send more letters in the future, and remember, do not be afraid to ask our neighbors for help. These are dark times we are living in, but it does not have to be so dark. Perhaps, soon, a new dawn will rise over Equestria to cast away the darkness, and we shall all be living normal lives together with the war firmly behind us. A mare can dream, I suppose.
The doors clicked behind Twilight as the guards that were escorting her promptly left the room. While the silence settled back in, the princess stood still and stared at the mare before her. The mare, sat behind her desk, looked up from whatever she was doing and stared back.
Twilight Sparkle couldn't believe it before, and she still couldn't believe it then. The rumors were true, and her eyes didn't lie to her when she saw that broadcast. Flaming mane, flaming tail, different eyes... Twilight gazed upon Celestia's form, but no. She couldn't possibly be the Princess of Friendship's beloved mentor, could she?
Suddenly, the mare spoke. "I can see you're a bit startled by my new look."
Twilight grimaced, never moving from her spot, and carefully replied. "That... is an understatement."
The mare who looked like Celestia broke eye contact and chuckled to herself. "I guess so, and it is also why you are here. An explanation is only right, and so I asked for you to come to Canterlot. To be honest, I'm a little surprised that you actually went, Twilight. I had a small feeling you would have ran and gone out of country with the others the moment you saw me when I went on air the other day. Well, ran to look for a solution in safety, that is. I know you wouldn't abandon anyone."
Twilight glanced to the side in thought. She had to admit she was surprised herself that she followed the request to come to Canterlot. She had serious thoughts of packing up her bags and taking her friends and family to the Crystal Empire or even New Mareland, but in the end, she decided against it. Perhaps she still held out hope that she could talk Princess Celestia out of whatever she was doing or at the very least, find out what in the world was going on so she could figure something out.
Bringing Twilight's attention back, Celestia stood up from her chair and began to speak.
"I'll start with the war then. You've read the reports, Twilight. Simply put, the situation is dire. The changelings are as close as a few tens of kilometers away from Canterlot, and enemy air forces continue to hammer at our capital. I have ordered for more conscription and have forced industries to further ramp up production, but the changes are coming in too slowly as there are still those in Equestria that are vehemently opposed to militarization."
The mare paused and her horn flared to life. A stack of files was pulled out of a nearby cabinet and was brought towards Twilight. The princess reluctantly took the papers in her grasp, and Celestia continued.
"As each day passed, I had to do something and I had to do more than ever before. Luna told me that I shouldn't push myself for my failures, but she doesn't understand. Equestria is suffering, and it's my fault for letting it get this bad. Now, it's my duty to make things right."
Pages turned as Twilight scanned the contents of the files, and as she continued, her heart sank deeper and deeper into her stomach. Celestia saw this and spoke with a grave tone.
"What you are reading is true, Twilight. Those reports were the final straw that finally drove me to an epiphany. It was as if an ancient fire was lit inside of me, and suddenly, I knew what had to be done. Equestria has the means to drive the changelings out of our home, but they need someone to push them to victory."
Twilight took a moment to process things. Seconds passed as a flurry of emotion rocked her chest. Eventually, she put the papers aside, took a deep breath, and shook her head. "People are scared, Ce-" She stopped then continued. "People are afraid. No one knows what's happening, and many are at a loss. There were the rumors and the broadcast, and then Luna fled... Some are even calling you a tyrant now. "Daybreaker" they call you. And I- I myself don't even know if you're still Celestia. I-" The princess looked away from Celes- no, Daybreaker.
At this, Daybreaker moved to comfort Twilight, but the princess took a sudden step back - ears flattened against her head and fear gripping her chest. Slowly, however, Daybreaker reached Twilight and the embrace was warm and familiar. "I'm still Celestia, my dear Twilight. Others can call me a tyrant or a monster for all I care, but what matters is that I do what is necessary for Equestria. However, I'd never set out to hurt the ones I love in order to achieve my goals. If I ever do, Twilight, then I'd have truly gone insane."
After a while, the two separated, and Daybreaker spoke once more. "People may be scared now, but eventually, they'll grow to accept these new changes because they have to. It's unfortunate though that Luna doesn't yet see that I'm not her enemy. For now, however, I have something to ask of you, Twilight..." Daybreaker put a hoof on Twilight and continued. "For as full of willpower and determination as I am now to send the changelings back whence they came, I cannot do this on my own. I need you here in Canterlot as a fellow princess of Equestria, and I need you by my side to snuff out my inhibitions, temper my worst impulses, and help me help Equestria in its hour of need."
When Daybreaker put her hoof back down, Twilight looked down and contemplated the offer. "I'm not sure. I don't even know what you plan to do, and I'm already risking everything by meeting you here."
Daybreaker sighed. "I understand why you feel that way, Twilight. Here I am, the mentor you have known and loved for all your life, seemingly turning away from the very values of Harmony she has cultivated for as long as anyone can remember. However, you must understand as well, Twilight, that I do all this for Equestria. In the past, Harmony alone has served everyone well, but now, times are changing and I have realized that I and our outdated ways must change along with it."
Moments passed in silence as Twilight's thoughts flowed. She admitted that change was necessary, but how much change was too much change? She gazed upon the mare in front of her and internally winced at the fiery new form of her dear mentor, and yet...
She hadn't noticed it before, but beneath the dark pair of eyes Daybreaker had was a twinkle of the Celestia she knew. It was there, alive and well, and it was a sign that gave Twilight both dread and hope.
Celestia truly believed in what she was saying. She wanted the changelings out of Equestria, and this was how she would do it - with fire and fury. However, she was not lost. She was still definitely there, and perhaps, there was a chance. In the meantime, however, Twilight was determined to not give up on her teacher.
A few more moments passed until Twilight uttered a word. "It... will be a hassle moving back here in Canterlot, but I think I'll manage."
Hearing this, Daybreaker beamed an eerily warm smile at Twilight. Meanwhile, Twilight steeled herself as she bid the flaming mare goodbye and left the room.
The war had clearly taken its toll on Celestia, and she needed a friend by her side. Luckily, she had the Princess of Friendship to keep her straight throughout it all, and maybe that friendship would prevail in the end...
She remembered boring and eerily quiet days with nothing to do than drink and wait. She remembered cold, long, and sleepless nights with the sounds of battle echoing over the horizon. She remembered marching out with her comrades and slowly moving through the scorching ruins of Vraks wondering what could have caused such terrible destruction.
Of course, Juniper already knew the answer.
Spirits rose amongst the Equestrians once more when a renewed offensive into the changeling heartlands tore through what little defenses the changelings could put up at the time. Soon, the Equestrian army was approaching the industrial city of Vraks but immediately encountered heavy resistance upon contact with the city's defenders.
In response, the air force intensified its air support as well as its strategic bombing campaign against changeling industrial centres. Equestrian planes dominated the skies and put fear into the hearts of any poor insect operating a tank or stubbornly holding a position. Near-constant air raids rocked practically every major changeling city with new and terrifying ordnance. Her majesty seemed to have focused a lot of the air support and the bombing raids on Vraks a couple weeks ago as the siege around the city devolved into a total slugfest, and the results were utterly devastating.
Juniper winced and opened her eyes. She breathed in the cold and crisp autumn air as she lay on her side, plush bedding touching her coat and a dull pain emanating from her withers. The faint odors of sweat, dried blood, and antiseptic assaulted her sense of smell, and the vibrant colors of sunny skies, red-orange treetops, and city ruins outside the open window filled her vision.
"Mornin'," someone in the room said.
"Good morning," Juniper softly replied.
It was her buddy Hay Bale. They both got wounded in an ambush a few days ago. Some changelings hiding in the rubble caught them off-guard while they were sweeping through one of the outer districts of Vraks. One of the bastards got a lucky shot and took Juniper down. Thankfully, however, the bullet only grazed her back, and Hay Bale got a similar injury.
Birds chirped outside as Juniper waited in silence for anymore talk coming from her friend. When the silence persisted, the mare continued her early morning musings.
Juniper's mind couldn't help but think about Hay Bale. He was a farm-pony before the war, but Juniper didn't know much more about him other than that he was their platoon's machine gunner.
She thought about that. She herself was just a fairly ordinary mare from Canterlot. Sure, some of her relatives were landed gentry, but her immediate family could hardly be considered aristocrats. Her parents worked actual jobs, and their home was simply a quaint, two-story townhouse near the city's plaza.
Stars above, she missed home. Her leave lasted for a while, and she got to spend last Hearth's Warming with her family, but if anything, that only made the ache in her heart more painful. Ever since the battles near Canterlot, the terrible things Juniper had been forced to experience had left her tired in a way few could ever understand apart from her fellow soldiers.
Juniper sighed. She was supposed to be off studying botany and forestry at a prestigious university in Canterlot by now. She wasn't planning to join the Royal Infantry Corps and trudge halfway across the continent blasting bugs and taking names, but few could have thought that all of Juniper's time running around her aunt's vast wooded estate during her childhood and all of her experience with trekking given to her by her father and uncle would make her a perfect fit for the Equestrian army's light infantry when she was conscripted.
Oh, she remembered how her parents cried when she broke the news, and she remembered the heartbroken look her father gave her that told Juniper how it should have been him instead of her. Unfortunately, her father had a physical condition that disqualified him from service, and her mother had a government job of overseeing local agricultural production that was apparently already important enough to disallow her from quitting and joining the military.
Eventually, she had to bid her parents farewell, and Juniper remembered crying herself to sleep in her bed during her first night of basic training. She also remembered being scared out of her wits when they finished training and were finally deployed thinking whether or not her unit was going to be sent to reinforce the absolute hell that was the southern sectors during the Battle West of Canterlot, and she remembered crying again when she witnessed the aftermath of the brutality that the changelings left in the wake of their retreat when the Equestrian army had liberated the towns west of Mareposa.
A cold gust of wind blew in from the open window, and Juniper sighed once more. She'd heard news from the front already. The army had finally declared victory over Vraks but at a tremendous cost, and while the changelings were reported to have lost a lot more, the Equestrian army had sustained horrific losses as well. The city of Vraks itself was then just a burning, lifeless husk that served as a glorified graveyard for the poor souls who fought in its treacherous spaces. Half the city was corpses and rubble and the other half was... just corpses. The dead were strewn about in every street, factory, and apartment building.
Juniper's thoughts turned to the few changelings that had managed to survive the siege. Most had already surrendered, but some were still stubbornly holding out.
Oh, what fools they were. Juniper thought about how blind those insects had to be to continue fighting in the bombed-out ruins of their home and not see that the war was already lost.
Another sigh escaped the young mare's lips, although she didn't feel so young anymore, as she stared out her window. By that point, there was little reason to continue the war. There was nothing left for the changelings other than cinders and ashes.
Snowy winds blew. Boots stomped in the distance. Faint voices shouted far away.
The corporal blew a cloud of icy air from his nostrils and took another swig from his canteen. The wait was getting to him.
It had been a couple hours since the fighting finally died down. Corporal Sun Ray of A Company of the 1st Solar Guard Battalion was scouting a part of the forest when he found a wounded foe lying by a tree. After minutes of tension-diffusing, wound-tending, and reporting, the corporal was ordered to sit around and guard the wounded pony until a stretcher arrived. It was taking a while.
In the meantime, Sun Ray had time to think to himself. What just happened back there? It was just supposed to be a peaceful meeting between the royal sisters with a few armed escorts. Princess Luna had apparently requested the meeting, and Her Majesty acquiesced.
The meeting was tense. There was a dispute between the royal sisters about Her Majesty's current military regime. While Corporal Sun Ray was still loyal towards his post in the Solar Guard and his duty towards his princess and his country, he had to admit that Her Majesty's continuation of wartime operations even when Chrysalis had already been defeated had everyone including the corporal himself scratching their heads.
Nevertheless, Sun Ray and his unit marched out with Her Majesty towards Chestnut Heights in the east of Canterlot where the wooded hills nearby was marked as the meeting spot.
When they arrived, both sides simply stared at each other. Sun Ray remembered eyeing his counterparts and getting a little surprised to find out that they were Lunar Guards. The Lunar Guard disbanded a few years ago in protest when Princess Luna fled after her sister announced her radical reforms for Equestria in the television while sporting a brand new look to boot. No one really much of the protest, and the empty posts the Lunar Guard left in their wake were swiftly refilled with eager recruits, but it seemed like the Lunar Guard had finally come back in support of their princess.
The minutes passed as the royal sisters engaged in small talk. Sun Ray didn't remember much from the conversation as Solar Guards who were stationed at least once in the palace were trained not to eavesdrop.
After a while, the silence came back, and then, suddenly, someone fired a shot, and everything quickly went to hell.
Whether it was a Lunar Guard or someone from their own, Corporal Sun Ray didn't know. What he did know was that his platoon started firing back, orders were being shouted, and the corporal's instincts immediately kicked in.
There were attempts by the royal sisters to stop the firefight with reluctance from both sides flaring here and there, but the situation soon got out of hoof. Eventually, they were forced to leap into action with Her Majesty leading a swift counterattack intending to end the battle with as little casualties as possible.
Although outnumbered three to one, it was apparent that the small but battle-hardened platoon of Solar Guards were much more experienced than their Lunar counterparts, and soon, they managed to overwhelm their adversaries in a lightning assault using accurate fire, quick maneuvers, and magical saturation of the battlefield. A massive inferno had even started which seemed to magically move on its own and proceeded to herd the fleeing Lunar Guard around. In half an hour, the fight was over, and Princess Luna and her troops were sent packing.
Shortly after, Sun Ray's unit was tending to the wounded and searching for stragglers. Miraculously, the corporal's team didn't find any corpses from either side lying in the snow as they waded through the trees. Either the Lunar Guard were quick to drag their comrades' bodies away, or there weren't any fatalities sustained throughout the entire fight.
Corporal Sun Ray stretched his hooves and slumped back down by his wounded Lunar acquaintance. Said wounded pony quickly glanced at him before going back to staring into space.
Sun Ray promptly joined his friend and stared at nothing in particular, letting his thoughts flow once more. If he was honest to himself, he was worried. What happened might very well be the start of another conflict, and a civil war between the royal sisters was the last thing anyone wanted when the war with the changelings had just ended.
A sigh escaped Sun Ray's lips, and he turned to look at the wounded pony beside him. The mare looked cold, and so the corporal quickly reached around for his pack and pulled out a blanket to wrap around the Lunar Guard. A small smile graced the cute mare's lips which signaled her thanks.
Whatever happens, Sun Ray would always be loyal towards his fellow Equestrians. "Child of the night" or not, they were all Equestrians, and Corporal Sun Ray hadn't fought a horrific war against the changelings just to fight the very same people he fought to protect in the end.
It was a beautiful day outside. Birds were singing, and flowers were blooming.
Celestia stared outside a large window in her new study and took another sip of her tea. Maybe it was the sunny weather after an entire month of dreary, rainy days, or maybe it was the parsnips and tomatoes finally showing signs of growth in her little garden outside, but either way, the retired princess felt at peace.
Peace.
Celestia put her tea down, and a forlorn look graced her face.
Four years. Four years of war. Four years of pain and suffering. Four years of bloodshed.
The day the changeling military crossed the border and declared war on Equestria, Celestia didn't sleep. She didn't sleep the next day either, and she wouldn't sleep for the next couple of weeks. Luna sometimes forced her to rest, but the very next day, Celestia would always already be up in the wee hours reviewing reports and drafting letters.
Celestia remembered throwing herself at her work like a mare possessed, and she remembered feeling an incredible sense of duty after failing her little ponies. It was all she could think about, her failures.
How many times had Celestia been caught off-guard in those past few decades? How many times had the effects of a thousand years of peace finally come back to bite her? How many times had she failed everything and everyone she had ever loved and cared for in her entire lifetime?
And so there in the dark halls and chambers of Canterlot Palace did a hate begin brewing inside of Celestia.
Celestia harbored hatred for the changelings for shattering a thousand years of peace and prosperity in a single stroke, and Celestia hated herself for even letting such a thing happen in the first place.
She, her sister, and the other princesses were supposed to be the guardians of Equestria. How could she be so blind as to think that Equestria could avoid war forever? How could she be so blind as to think that whatever preparations she had given her people for an industrializing world was ever enough?
Further and further did Celestia spiral down into her own despair until, one day, she finally snapped.
And there was another failure to add to her impressive list.
In the end, everything seemed to work itself out eventually, and after the dust had settled, Equestria stood victorious - bloodied but victorious.
Of course, not everything was truly alright, and the post-war reconstruction immediately came to mind. Alongside the millions of dead, entire towns had to be rebuilt, industries and businesses had to be revitalized, and the displaced all had to be provided for.
Then there was Celestia herself.
She was no longer a princess. After the questionable things she had done during the war, she no longer deserved the title. She actually agreed to it to everyone's surprise and willingly abdicated her throne. The process was not immediate though, and Equestria and her rulers still needed a bit of a helping hoof from Celestia to help start reconstruction efforts, but after a few weeks, Celestia was no longer a princess for all intents and purposes, and Twilight had taken her place alongside Luna.
Twilight...
Miraculously, they were still in good terms, but Celestia could not deny that her faithful student's view of her had most certainly changed. Her time as "Daybreaker" would forever taint Twilight's image of her beloved mentor.
There was also something to be said about Celestia's brief mental breakdown she had at the very end of the war, but Celestia felt like that was something to think about another time. Stars know she was already wrapped up in the various other implications of "Daybreaker". She didn't need to trouble herself more with the possible mental effects of being under a magical dark influence for a prolonged period of time.
Celestia sighed. She had a lot to think about, and luckily, her indefinite, effective house arrest while staying in her small manor in Trottingham gave her more than enough time. In fact, it was all she seemed to have at that moment. She could read books, paint, learn to play the piano... Celestia could probably even ask Applejack for some help setting up a farm with all the land Celestia still had since she seemed to be have rediscovered her love for growing things.
Thus on the eve of the end of the Great War, Lady Celestia had nothing but time.
From a lecture by Professor Bright Light of the Royal Canterlot University:
"Picture, if you will, being a Harmonist on the year 1014 ALB. The birthplace of your ideas and beliefs is engulfed in the most colossal war in history, and you're hearing reports that perhaps the most important and influential Harmonist figure in the world - Princess Celestia - has supposedly fallen into tyranny with a new look reminiscent of Nightmare Moon. They're calling her 'Daybreaker'.
"When the Great War suddenly escalated with Princess Celestia's radical militaristic turn on that one fateful spring day, the Harmonist world was shaken to its core. To think that they would see Equestria finally shattering the last vestiges of its peaceful thousand-year history by effectively succumbing to a military dictatorship under the stresses of war left many in a daze. The Harmonists had witnessed history in the making, and they were horrified.
"Soon, the shockwaves began making its rounds. From Equestria to Bakara and from Vedina to Kiria, Harmonist academics began writing their thoughts on the matter. They wrote essays and papers as well as letters to their friends and colleagues about the momentous event. Artists, writers, and journalists from places like the Crystal Empire, New Mareland, the River Republic, Greifenmarschen, Kasá, and Equestria itself looked to each other in worry as the crisis worsened when Princess Celestia's reforms and new leadership seemingly worked, and Equestria began to seriously turn the tide against the changelings.
"Many firmly stood fast in their beliefs, some began wavering, and others flatly dropped Harmony altogether in favor of popular alternatives such as Socialism. Harmonists in Grover VI's court - the same ones who would later eventually influence the young Grover to be a Harmonist himself - believed that the actions of a person did not necessarily discredit the ideas and beliefs that came from that person. It was instead the effectiveness of the ideology in action that truly determined the value of the ideas, and Chancellor River Swirl of the River Republic thought as much in her letters about the crisis while Harmonist scholars in Equestria, New Mareland, the Crystal Empire, and Hippogriffia were in agreement that the Harmonist ideology had grown large and diverse enough to survive a crushing blow such as the very Haven of Ponykind itself falling into tyranny in the madness of war.
"Nevertheless, the implications of a successful militarist Equestria threatened to tear the Harmonist world apart. The incredible successes of Celestia's intense militarization went against many Harmonist ideas, and it was at that point that the Harmonist ideology began to transform.
"There are noticeable differences between the prewar version of Harmony and its post-war version such as views on the centralization of power, the organization of government, industrialization, militarization, and approaches on foreign affairs, but I'm afraid we have run out of time for today. They will simply have to be discussed at a later date."
There was a splash as a wheel suddenly plunged into a pothole filled halfway with muddy water. A few passengers were briefly startled until the car's engines roared, and before long, they were back firmly on the dirt road.
Lieutenant Black Shine puffed a cigar as he lounged lazily on the back of a staff car with his fellow changelings cheerfully singing and whistling a lovely tune.
So far, the ride was going smoothly or at least as smoothly as snaking through worn out service roads in war-torn western Equestria was. Shine didn't mind, however. He was used to it by then, and besides, it was better to be out there than to sit around filing papers and being glorified police officers back in Vesalipolis.
Black Shine took a long drag then absentmindedly twirled his cigar around. He noted how much better the cigars from Equestria were compared to the local stuff though he'd be damned if they didn't cost half his pay.
Much had happened since the end of the Great War. Changelingia was occupied by the Equestrians and then forced to demilitarize. Thorax was officially crowned the new leader of the changelings. He then married Queen Velvet which bound Changelingia and Olenia together in a union. After a year or so, the Equestrians wanted to establish friendly relations with Changelingia and so started by rearming the Changeling military and doing exercises, maneuvers, and other stuff with them.
Thus Black Shine and hundreds of Changelingian and Equestrian soldiers were told to drive a large convoy of trucks and staff cars around western Equestria, so they could show off Equestria and Changelingia's brand new friendship to the whole world. They called it the "Goodwill Ride", and it really wasn't a bad idea.
Other than providing the public a sneak peek of the blooming post-war political and military friendship and cooperation happening between Equestria and Changelingia, it was also a useful way of stress testing joint Equestrian-Changelingian logistical capabilities especially since the start of the Changeling rearmament efforts done by Equestria. After all, The Olenian-Changelingian Commonwealth was a founding member of the newly made Harmonic Alliance and Equestria wanted to make sure that her key allies were able to meet the demands of being such an important member.
Black Shine adjusted his coat and puffed his cigar once more. While he didn't fully embrace Equestria's undeniable presence in Changelingia, he did welcome the changes it had brought so far. There was a reason he had been a Thoraxian even before the war, and he wasn't going to deny his Harmonist leanings.
Not everything was sunshine and rainbows, however. There were rumors about some "Arcturian Order" being overrun by an undead army, and many were speculating that perhaps Changelingia's remilitarization was at least in part caused by those rumors. In any case, Black Shine didn't really care much for it. The lieutenant had accepted whatever the future had in store, and after the Great War, he doubted much could manage to disturb him at that point.
Black Shine took yet another a good, long drag on his cigar, then gazed at the beautiful Equestrian countryside they were currently driving through. Rolling hills and little hamlets with a grey, cloudy sky though the fact that it wasn't raining in their vicinity yet meant that the pegasi were doing their job. The lieutenant sighed and closed his eyes to take a nap.
The old mare would never understand. She would never understand why it still hurt so, so much after so, so long.
Granny Smith sat alone on her apple wood rocking chair staring into space half awake as time passed and the midday sun gave way to a lazy afternoon. Big Macintosh was still days away running errands in Canterlot, Apple Bloom was in the kitchen cleaning up and preparing supper, and Applejack was out in the fields helping her cousins Red Delicious and Golden Delicious.
Oh stars bless those two. The war took everything from them. Their homes were destroyed, and their possessions were mostly gone. They were struggling to get by just to feed their families.
Of course, the moment Granny heard about their plight, she immediately welcomed them into Sweet Apple Acres. The over one hundred year old matriarch of the Apple family clan was determined to not leave a single Apple behind especially during those dark times. Not on her watch.
Unfortunately, the war just kept taking like a ravenous pack of timberwolves. Soon, other Apples needed help, and more and more Apple family farms and households were being packed beyond capacity. Even the Oranges in Manehattan had their hooves full with trying their best to accommodate their relatives who had nowhere else to go by that point.
Then there were the Apples who went away to fight at the front.
At the thought, Granny's heart ached. So many Apples and so many of her cousins, nephews, and nieces wanted to do their part, and Applejack and Big Mac were, to Granny's horror, no exception. Despite the mare's protests, an Apple was honest, hardworking, and above all, selfless. It was in their nature to take action and ask questions later, and none of those who volunteered wanted to just sit around doing what they thought was not enough - least of all Applejack.
Although she was proud of the strong and stubborn Apple family spirit unfailingly flowing through all of them, risking their lives fighting in a war was the last thing Granny wanted them to do, but they still went anyway. Thankfully, AJ and her brother survived with all their limbs attached, and others did too, but some weren't so lucky. Some returned with one less hoof or one less eye, some returned in caskets, and some simply never returned at all.
Darn fools, So brave, so selfless, and so stupid. Why did they have to leave her like that?
Granny hummed. What a coincidence. That was the exact same thing she asked to the air around, the floor below, and the stars above when her son and daughter-in-law left her as well, and of course she remembered what she asked on that day. The loss left her bitter for a long time, and even years after, she was still a little bitter. No parent deserved to bury their own child, but that was exactly what Granny had to do on that day and exactly what other Apples had to do as well during the war, and it wasn't just the children this time too, no. Mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters all had to be laid down six feet under by their own loved ones.
The mare shook her head and stopped herself before she broke into tears. She sighed and started reminiscing instead about a day when she was younger - a favourite of hers to look back into.
After a hard day of harvesting zap apples. Granny carelessly let a couple fall from her grasp and into the ground, turning them into mush. That young and foolish mare immediately turned around to inspect the damage and was a bit mad at herself for it. She may have been the family expert on zap apples having discovered the magical fruits and how to process them in the first place, but she was not immune to accidents. Eventually, despite the mess, Granny dismissed the two lost zap apples as nothing too much.
Seeing all that, her old father came, but he didn't scold his daughter. Instead, he simply picked up a ruined apple and after telling a story about his cousins Granny couldn't remember, said to his daughter, "A few less apples in the apple orchard are a few more apples lost, and every single apple is more precious than a sack of gold bits costs."
Granny supposed it made sense. There was a lot of demand for her family's zap apple products every year, and each apple's worth of jam could've easily cost a whole pouch of bits at the time, but of course, it went deeper than just the price of a magical, rainbow-colored apple in bits. The mare remembered her father being a bit wise like that.
A zap apple or two in an entire orchard of zap apples seemed like a drop in the bucket, but each one's true worth revealed that it wasn't so, and every Apple in the Apple family was much the same way.
The Apples were always known for valuing family practically more than anything in the world and for good reason. They were hardy travelers, pioneers, and settlers back in the olden days, and the Equestrian wilderness taught them to be as close together as a bundle of sticks or a bushel of apples. Whenever hard times hit, it was the oldest Apples' jobs to make sure no one was lost or left behind under their watch.
Granny Smith thought about that. With over a century under her belt, she was unquestioningly the head of the entire Apple family clan. She had watched many of those close to her die, and each time hurt as much as the other. Even after years passed, the pain and the loss didn't get any less painful, and the old mare always looked to herself to see what was wrong.
Was she not doing her job as matriarch well?
She looked back to her son Bright Mac the day he and his wife were ripped away from her. She couldn't save them.
She looked back to the Apples who were buried and returned to the cold, hard earth after sacrificing themselves for their country. She couldn't stop them.
She looked back to Applejack and Big Mac who both came back a little broken. She could see it in their eyes.
Her grandchildren were hurting, and she could see it in how Applejack distracts herself with work, how the stubborn mare drinks herself to shit every damn day, how terribly she lies about her pain, and how her brother Big Mac had been staying more silent than he had ever been before and keeps visiting his friends in the memorial in Canterlot "running errands", but Granny Smith couldn't help them any more than she was already trying each day ever since the war ended.
She couldn't help them, and so she just closed her eyes instead.
Granny Smith would never understand. She would never understand why it still hurt so, so much after so, so long, but she did understand one thing. There were a few less Apples in the apple orchard, and that young and foolish Granny Smith could only wipe away the dirt and tears and pick up the pieces.
From a lecture by Professor Bright Light of the Royal Canterlot University:
"The year is 1018. A meeting is taking place behind closed doors in Canterlot Palace. A Hippogriffian envoy of diplomats and military officers urges their Equestrian counterparts to reconsider sending military forces to aid Hippogriffia's current counterinsurgency efforts in Chiropterra.
"The Equestrians are initially a little wary. While the Equestrians' new outlook on foreign affairs urges them to acquiesce to the Hippogriffians' requests especially since theirs is a nation which Equestria has had historically close and friendly relations with, Equestria is still in the middle of its post-Great War reconstruction efforts, and the Equestrians fear that sending Equestrian military forces in foreign territories would be too great of a risk.
"However, after hours of discussion and debate, they eventually relent and the Hippogriffian envoy goes home with promises of Equestria looking into the possibility of sending military forces. Later that week, the Equestrians along with various government advisors, former princess Celestia notably being one of them, meet with Princess Luna and Princess Twilight Sparkle.
"While there is some opposition, it is made clear during and after the meeting that Chiropterra and the situation unfolding there is of Equestria's concern with Princess Luna specifically expressing great interest in the region. It is also emphasized that an ally, Hippogriffia, needs assistance, and so Equestria shall provide. Soon, Equestrian ministers met with those from the Crystal Empire and New Mareland, a plan was drafted, and after being signed by Princess Luna with the reluctant consent of Princess Twilight, forces were on their way south.
"This is officially the start of Equestria's military involvement in the Zumidian-Chiropterran Emergency, but first, we need a brief background on the events being described.
"By around 1015, the North Zebrican War ended and Hippogriffia emerged victorious. Colthage and Chiropterra were occupied with Zeshmunazash of the Coltvan revolutionaries sitting at the helm of Colthage's post=war occupation while Carrot Stick led the Chiropterran occupation and collaborated with the Hippogriffians in the creation of a Chiropterran Republic.
"While the occupation of Colthage went relatively smoothly with the swift removal of the Zarcids from power and the beginning of large democratic reforms, the same could not be said for Chiropterra. Almost immediately, Chiropterran resistance sprang up and hampered efforts to set up a democratic government as armed insurgents spurred on by radical Moonspeakers vehemently opposed to the occupation started harassing Hippogriffian and collaborating Chiropterran forces at seemingly every turn.
"By 1018, the situation was becoming untenable. While a republic had been created, the insurgency continued to cause mayhem and were convincing the public that the new government lacked any ability to reliably keep the peace. Royal Hippogriffian military forces and intelligence agencies were also getting increasingly mired in failures and dead ends with their resources being stretched to its limits. Hippogriffian and Chiropterran government intelligence constantly played cat and mouse with the insurgents all over North Zebrica with fighting sporadically breaking out in places as far as Zumidia and eastern Colthage. Chaos was becoming the norm in the region with nearby Warzena and the Zumidian mandate regularly getting caught in the crossfire, and soon, the local Chiropterran government declared a state of emergency. Thus, the so-called 'Zumidian-Chiropterran Emergency' began.
"It was at this time that Equestria began its military involvement in the region. They had already been sending aid such as money, military attachés, and the sharing of intelligence years before, but this marked a major turning point in Equestrian action towards the Chiropterran situation.
"As we know, it was in this period of history that Equestria's foreign policy began radically shifting towards a more active stance. Equestria wished to maintain and strengthen its ties with Hippogriffia as Equestria expanded its political and economic interests in North Zebrica.
"What we are touching on today concerns Equestria's interest in Chiropterra. Aside from a deep and storied history dating all the way back to Nightmare Moon's rebellion, Chiropterra had regarded Equestria as its enemy in the past with a desire to destroy the Equestrian state in line with their theocratic ideology centered around Nightmare Moon, and they were not bluffing in that department. Equestrian intelligence later on tracked, identified, and confirmed the relation of the perpetrators of the bombing of Manehattan during a rally by Princess Luna to agents working for the Chiropterran government.
"Chiropterra was an apparent threat to the safety and security of Equestria and her allies, and a successfully resurgent Chiropterra would have evidently been disastrous. Thus, the Equestrian government sanctioned the allocation of Equestrian resources accordingly to aid Hippogriffia and the Chiropterran Republic which later escalated to direct military aid.
"Princess Luna appointed herself as overall commander of the Equestrian military forces and intelligence units in Chiropterra with General Swift Wing - a veteran general of the Great War who served distinctly under Princess Celestia's wartime militarist regime - placed as the commander of Equestrian military operations on the ground. Alongside troops from the Crystal Empire and New Mareland, the military forces sent were also there to test new weapons and military theories. In summary, Equestria deployed a full division of light infantry, a mountaineer brigade, a mechanized brigade, a paratrooper regiment, military police, and most notably, army, naval, and royal guard special forces battalions, a couple strategic reconnaissance wings and fighter wings composed of early jet fighter-bombers, an S.M.I.L.E anti-infiltrator unit, and even an experimental airmobile battalion equipped with the first helicopters in history to be designed for military use.
"As help started arriving, the insurgents, who most certainly heard about the military aid, briefly intensified their operations. However, Chiropterran government forces, the Hippogriffian military, and their new allies quickly launched a counteroffensive and stopped the insurgents in their tracks.
"The Equestrians and their allies then immediately went on the attack. The S.M.I.L.E thrived despite their practically entirely new environment, and their experience and expertise gained from the Great War - especially during their clandestine operations to hinder Nightmare Moon cultists flirting and collaborating with the changelings - proved to be extremely valuable. The famed Equestrian anti-infiltrators made steady progress and had relatively little problem adjusting their tactics from focusing against changeling infiltrators to Chiropterran insurgents.
"The newly established Royal Army Special Information and Psychological Operations Corps or 'RASIPOC' and one of their 'RASIPOB' battalions dubbed 'Raspberries' also helped in disrupting insurgent activity as Equestrian, Hippogriffian, and Marelander light infantry and mountaineers combed the Chiropterran mountains and forests and flattened insurgent encampments and bases scattered throughout the wilderness with the help of special reconnaissance, ample fire and air support, and the revolutionary usage of air cavalry for drastically increased mobility through dense and rough terrain in numerous search and destroy missions. Also something of note was the sheer amount of former slaves in Chiropterra who contributed significantly in allied operations with a large number enlisting in local militaries due to a lack of money and accomodations by many after they were liberated as well as a perceived sense of justice and revenge against their former masters.
"For four years from 1018 to 1022, Princess Luna and her Equestrian expeditionary contingent savaged and eventually helped neutralize the insurgency and return peace to Chiropterra by the time the Dread War in Griffonia was coming to an end.
"With all that done, I have to mention by this point that there is a lot to be said about how 'poetic' the events surrounding Equestria in the Zumidian-Chiropterran Emergency are, and how Princess Luna's involvement in particular could have an entire lecture or two dedicated to it, but unfortunately, that is all outside the scope of our dive into the history of Equestrian foreign policy. Perhaps that is all for another time."
Using magic to send letters over long distances was inefficient, but it was necessary considering how secure it was. Luna recounted how many times Equestrian counterintelligence reportedly caught Chiropterran insurgents attempting to intercept her letters. Besides information on their operations as well as other kinds of intel that were not meant to be publicly shared, the princess also valued her privacy, and some of those letters were meant for her sister back home. Who knew what the insurgents would do to try and manipulate things through that avenue?
Luna frowned. She was being paranoid again, but who could blame her? Anyone would be pretty anxious too if they had to fight a fanatic insurgency ran by the same people who had already made several attempts on their life in the past. The worst part was that it wasn't just Luna's life at risk, but others' as well. Mistakes such as letting sensitive intel slip had and still costed lives, and the princess obviously wanted as little casualties as possible.
There was also the fact that the operation revolved around Chiropterra, a nation which had worshipped Luna's greatest mistake.
A short time passed before Luna turned away from her desk and started scanning her dimly lit royal suite for something. When she found it, her horn lit, and out came two bottles and a small glass from a cabinet. Luna poured herself a glass of whiskey and soda, and set it down on her desk. The princess found herself drinking ever since the Great War as it soothed her nerves whenever she needed it, but unlike her sister, she wasn't such a heavy drinker which was a good thing too since it meant she avoided falling into alcoholism like her sister did.
Celestia...
Celestia thankfully had had it under control for a while and had been sober for a year after returning to drinking tea and soda as a substitute like she had been doing before the war. The two sisters worked on the problem every time Luna visited Celestia, and it seemed to have born fruit. Perhaps there was something to those plants in her sister's garden after all.
Luna smiled at the thought, but, suddenly, a slight tinge of sadness filled her mind. Operation Midnight Sun - a name which came from Lunar and Solar Guard special forces both being involved in the operation - had been going on for months already, and although Luna was determined to lead the operation as its overall commander for far longer than even what had been planned, she did miss Equestria and especially her sister, and the princess was worried about Twilight's ability to take care of things alone back home. In the meantime, however, letters would have to do.
There was a stop to Luna's train of thought as silence reigned once more and Luna sipped on her whiskey basking in the stray rays of golden sunlight shining through the window by her desk. After a while, she poured herself another glass and turned to put the bottles away.
With the bottles safely inside their cabinet once more, Luna turned her attention to her room while she absentmindedly tidied her desk with her magic. She wasn't staying in Chiropterra but rather in Hippogriffia after she was told to ease off on her eagerness to lead from the front. There was a lull in insurgent activity in Chiropterra anyway, so the princess acquiesced.
The royal suite Luna was provided with was lavish to say the least. Mount Aris had made sure to make her stay as comfortable as it was safe, and it wouldn't do for a leader of an allied nation - a princess of Equestria - to have complaints such as "inadequate" accommodations or assassination attempts.
Chuckling at the thought of the Hippogriffian government being concerned with offering more than generous comforts to her as much as making sure she wasn't killed, Luna admitted that she was almost convinced that her advisors were right to permanently move her headquarters to Hippogriffia.
Almost.
Luna put a stack of papers away in a drawer and slammed it. While Operation Midnight Sun is an Equestrian endeavor, in the end, Chiropterra is Luna's problem. The princess wanted - no, needed to be the one to clean up her mess, and if it meant leading at the front, much to her advisors' horror, and taking responsibility for her own actions, then she was more than happy to oblige.
The princess looked at a globe sitting on her desk and stared at a particular spot. Stars know how much wrong Luna had inadvertently put into the world when she turned into the dreaded Nightmare all those centuries ago. The Chiropterrans, at least the ones waging a foolish insurgency at that very moment, were her fault, the ones who had invaded a foreign land and had enslaved all of its peoples in the name of Nightmare Moon were her fault, and the ones who had built a militaristic society hell-bent on ensuring the return of the mistress of eternal night were all her fault.
It was only fitting then in the princess' eyes that she did not put the burden on others any more than what was necessary. Hell, if she didn't need a proper armed force to help the Hippogriffians handle the situation in Chiropterra, Luna would have very well just flew into North Zebrica and crushed the insurgency herself. Unfortunately, she did need an army, and Luna was committed to getting as much of Equestria's sons and daughters back home as possible. War had become much larger in scale and deadlier in weapons and technique than she had ever imagined was possible a thousand years ago, and it was a fact that Luna had to learn the hard way during the Great War...
There was a sigh. No use dwelling in the past. The past was gone, but the present needed tending to, and for the princess, the present held the stains of her past - of thestral discrimination, of Chiropterran sins, and of other things which she must resolve to end once and for all.
Luna finished her drink, and prepared to head to bed. It was already seven in the morning, and there was much to do later in the afternoon when she was well-rested.
"Thank you, Luna. I've put a lot of effort in my garden these past few years."
"I can see that."
Celestia smiled at the compliment as she continued tending to her flowers.
Luna was right. Their fragrance was wonderful although the season seemed to have had a large part in that. Spring was in the air, and plants and animals were starting to wake up and bloom once more.
Celestia didn't really have a single favourite season, but spring was up there. While winter and autumn had breathtaking fantasy-like scenery and summer had the boundless energy of the sun, spring held the beauty of life flourishing after a long sleep like no other.
It was art - a miracle of the natural world. How the flora and fauna that inhabited the earth just disappeared under a blanket of snow and then came out a few months later like a phoenix full of life rising from the ashes was incredible and so much so that the ponies of Equestria dedicated an entire ceremony to be a part of such a wondrous process centuries ago. It held many names, but "Winter Wrap-up" was apparently the one everyone eventually agreed upon.
As a cool breeze flew by, thoughts began making rounds in Celestia's head, and somehow, like always, she was back. She was back there. She was back in the war.
Celestia wasn't a pitiful drunken sod anymore, but the war still scarred her in a way that would likely never be healed. It was the ultimate test of her will, and while Equestria survived and won in the end, was it worth it? She dropped her morals and nearly gave up her entire sense of self just to win against the changelings. She wanted to be strong for Equestria, but in truth, she felt like she was weak to give in like that.
Old Princess Celestia couldn't solve the problem with the Elements, and so in less than two years, she broke and shattered and then made herself anew. Like a terrible phoenix rising from the ashes, she emerged as Daybreaker and unleashed her wrath upon the changeling invaders, but at what cost? Celestia tarnished the flower of Harmony, sent people to fight and die, and changed Equestria forever from a peaceful land of friendship to a vigilant nation who had had a taste of war, loss, and bloodshed.
However, if there was anything Celestia learned in the past couple of years, it was that she should always look at the bright side. Despite all her faults and all her mistakes, Equestria thrived. The war was won, and they all came back home to continue their lives. It wasn't perfect and it wasn't easy, but in the end, they still had each other, and there was hope for the future.
Celestia remembered how every year, she would always go to visit the memorial in the Canterhorn Valley. The place always broke her without fail, and she would invariably end up lying on the flowers there for hours deep in the past. Her heart ached as every flower in the valley there represented a life forever lost to the war.
The fields stretched on for miles upon miles as far as the eye can see.
Nevertheless, the flowers symbolized more than just death as the valley was initially left as a war-torn wasteland, but throughout all the killing and all the destruction, they bloomed in tiny patches and came to cover the entire valley after the war when the time came to heal and to reconcile with past foes. Equestria emerged from the storm renewed and with hope like a beautiful phoenix rising from the ashes.
It was Equestria's spring.
It was surreal, really. Celestia closed her eyes, and basked in the sunlight around her, and determined that it was all actually happening. She was back home, and she had Luna and Twilight and Cadance and all their friends to be with. She wasn't alone. It was all real.
Every time she breathed, she could feel the air rush down her throat and into her lungs. When she took a shower, she could feel every drop of water trace a path along her body and down onto the tiled floor below. Every meal she had, she could feel her food dancing gracefully in her mouth. Whenever she saw Luna...
Celestia turned her head. She had to make sure.
Luna was there on the patio. She had sat down on a chair to drink some tea. She was there. Celestia's sister was there having tea.
Luna was having tea, and Celestia almost cried.
Tears forming in Celestia's eyes, Luna turned to check on her sister.
"Is something the matter, dear sister?"
"No. Everything's fine."
A thousand years of pain and regret and four years of war and misery...
After all that, Equestria was experiencing prosperity under her faithful student's rule. A new era had begun. Spring had finally come.
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him."
Princess Twilight mentally recalled the passage from a book that was very popular amongst people in the human world as she stared through the large, thick, blast-proof window in front of her and silently took in the unholy might of an atomic bomb. The atmosphere was palpable as the young princess along with Princess Luna, Lady Celestia, Secretary Raven, and a few other high-ranking officials as well as military and research personnel stood and watched quietly.
The explosion was bright. It was brighter than anything anyone in that room had ever seen before save for a few rare and powerful magical events in the past. They had taken some radioactive material, shoved it into a bomb, and loaded it with explosives and some volatile crystals to craft the deadliest piece of ordnance in existence by ripping apart quite possibly the smallest units of reality. To think that they had actually managed to capture the power of the sun and blast it into the middle of nowhere was unbelievable and shook Twilight to her core.
At that very moment, Equestria had claimed the crown of being the first ever nation to successfully create a working nuclear weapon, and no one was cheering.
And that bomb wasn't the only one. They had an a-bomb stored away somewhere ready for use while another one was waiting to be approved for production. Princess Twilight and Princess Luna simply had to sign a few papers, and Death, the Destroyer of Worlds production model no. 3 would be on it's merry way. The princess didn't want to think about that though. History was still in the process of being made via nuclear light show after all.
A few moments passed, and the bright light faded to give way to a pillar of dust and debris rocketing up into the heavens above and beginning to form what looked like a cloud shaped like a mushroom while Twilight and the others looked on and watched. As that went on, sound soon reached their location, and everyone covered their ears as a loud boom shook the entire room.
When the noise passed, the silence returned. Twilight, however, swore she could hear a mare sobbing while a stallion chuckled to himself somewhere in the room. It wasn't a very joyous chuckle though. Nevertheless, the peace gave Twilight time to finally process what in all the shimmering stars in Luna's night sky just happened.
Princess Twilight still couldn't believe it, and a lump suddenly formed in her throat as she took in the gravity of her nation's accomplishment. While it probably wouldn't result in decades of tension with another country that would threaten the whole world with nuclear annihilation like what all the human history books Sunset had given to her wrote about, the bomb still heralded the dawning of a new age where it was finally possible to wipe out an entire army or even an entire city with one or two bombs instead of a couple thousand.
It wasn't proven in an actual conflict in their world yet - and in Twilight's mind, she hoped it never would - but the young alicorn didn't have to imagine the destructiveness of such a weapon. Not even the strongest spells and magical artifacts could match its power, and somehow, Twilight knew that even Discord's chaos magic would be a little hard-pressed to cause that much destruction in such a short amount of time. She had read what the humans did to a couple of cities in one of their own wars, and it had given her more than a few sleepless nights.
Twilight was sure that seeing the bomb in action with her very own eyes would give her a whole lot more.
Time ticked by, and no one but a few scientists in the room writing down notes made a peep. Suddenly, a thought tickled the back of Princess Twilight's head. "With that kind of power, how could the Elements ever compare now?"
The princess was appalled at the thought, but her mind continued.
"What if Equestria had to use it? The Elements couldn't win the Great War, but guns and bombs did, so if another war like that starts, why not end it as quickly as possible? One and done, maybe two - all for the good of Equestria. A few tens of thousands for the lives of millions. It would be an acceptable tra- no!"
Twilight shut her eyes close and clenched her jaw. She felt utterly disgusted at herself. The princess was a mare of logic and reason, but what she had just thought was gambling with lives, and no mathematical solution for a chance of success would ever truly justify gambling with something so precious. Ever since the Great War, Twilight swore to never compromise her morals and avoid ever going down such a slippery slope like how...
Like how Celestia did.
Princess Twilight moved her gaze around the room. Everyone else was deep in thought with Luna's slightly open mouth and Celestia's catatonic thousand-yard stare. Twilight looked at Celestia in particular, and the princess remembered staring into those dark eyes filled with almost nothing but hate for the invaders of Equestria. Twilight had committed to never forgetting herself and her principles as the Princess of Friendship no matter what lest she repeat the mistakes of the past and let history rhyme once more.
Eventually, everyone left the room, and as Princess Twilight and Princess Luna were escorted to their car and the doors were closed before they drove away, Twilight felt that the magic of friendship was still as strong as ever, but splitting the atom had now presented itself as an option as much as using the Elements were. Both were forces of nature harnessed, but only one could win wars and at a heavy cost.
Princess Twilight made sure not to take too much time losing her lunch that afternoon.
Orchid Garden took a swig from the cheap, store-bought bottle of KIRIN-brand dry beer held in her magical grasp. While the taste was a little unique, the mare was used to it by now. Besides, it wasn't like the revolting bottle of what tasted like a mix of rubbing alcohol, petroleum, and paint thinner she remembered she had to drink during a diplomatic mission in Severnaya. Stars knew she will never be able to live that down, and her distaste for vodka shall forever be cemented.
However, as fun as sipping rice beer and reminiscing about memories of almost irresponsible drinking for the sake of buttering up foreign officials were, it wasn't what Orchid was sitting around and waiting for in a dimly lit tea house by the ports of Hyacinth. She was in Kiria for one last luncheon at a fancy restaurant with a group of colleagues and high-ranking Kirian military officers to discuss the final details of a series of extensive military modernization packages as well as procurement contracts for a bunch of new Equestrian and Crystallian small arms, fighter jets, tanks, and artillery systems for the Kirian armed forces. Some old tea house was where they were supposed to meet up before heading out into the inner city, and though it certainly wasn't the best tea house around town, it wasn't too shabby either. Perhaps one of the officers knew the owner?
Putting the cap back on her drink and setting it aside, Orchid had to say that she was a little intrigued at why the Kirians chose Hyacinth instead of someplace like Fragrance, Sycee, Verdant, or even Blossom. For one, if she recalled correctly, Hyacinth was historically important for being the place where Equestria first opened Kiria up to the outside world after a century of crippling isolation due to the infamous Silence and for proceeding to be a bright bastion of Harmony in the country for a long while after, so there was definitely some symbolism to it. It was just a few days before the fortieth anniversary of the declaration of the triumph of modernization in Kiria since the surprising success of the so-called "Three and a Half Year Plan" over four decades ago, and the parallels between the modernization Kiria undertook then and the modernization Kiria was undertaking at that moment was not lost on Orchid.
The Kirian military wasn't the only part of the country that was taking the rocky road towards the modern world once again. As Orchid reached out with her magic and pushed open the wooden window shutters to her right, sunlight filled the room, and outside, the mare could see the telltale signs of economic growth and activity all across the Hyacinth coast. High-rises, telecom towers, and a brand spanking new deepwater port further down the shores courtesy of a joint effort between Kirian, Equestrian, and Griffonian construction companies presented themselves as the forefront of progress and development in the continent of Zebrica.
If Orchid was being honest, it was an amazing sight. She had been constantly visiting Kiria for the past couple of years, and she couldn't deny that she had fallen in love with the place. While Orchid would always be a proud Equestrian at heart, Kiria had most definitely borrowed a piece of that heart of hers, and seeing the place radically change and become a shining beacon of prosperity in eastern Zebrica again in such a relatively short amount of time was truly something else.
With that thought, a cool breeze blew as Orchid's mind stopped for a while and the mare silently stared out the window into the beautiful ocean view in front of her before a sigh escaped her lips.
Unfortunately, for as much as it was exciting to see glistening skyscrapers towering above the Hyacinth skyline, the excitement in Orchid had dissipated and had been replaced with more sobering thoughts. Change did not always bring good to everyone. Like how it had been decades before, entrenched systems in the country would have to be uprooted, and the fallout of that happening would certainly cause some trouble.
Although the Equestrian labor laws that Kiria had adapted into its own legislation would ensure that the local government would be on the lookout for any possible exploitation of their citizens, the Kirian people would still be in for a wild ride. Things had come a very long way back in Equus and Griffonia, and Kiria had lagged behind for a while due to recent economic woes preoccupying the nation.
Foreign aid from Kiria's friends in the Harmonic Alliance had fortunately brought Kiria's economy back up fairly quickly, and now, waves of fresh investments from all over the world were flooding in, but with things like satellite communication networks, unimaginably faster digital computers, and something called "the Internet" starting to become a thing - not to mention all the human influence coming through the still rather experimental interdimensional hub in Canterlot that partly made all of that possible in the first place - the oncoming tide of new technologies and ideas could prove to be overwhelming.
Orchid kept her optimism, however. It wasn't like Kiria was still a closed up country entirely new to change. They've weathered the horrible side effects of breakneck industrialization before and had managed to make up for a hundred years of stagnation in just less than four years. This wasn't their first rodeo, and now that she thought about it, her confidence in the nation's ability to pull off something like that all over again returned.
Whatever the case, Orchid could hear a small group of people make their way through the main entrance of the tea house, and she was reminded of why she was there in the first place. The Kirian military was in need of some new toys, and she and her Equestrian friends were there to deliver.
The wind of change was in the air, and Orchid smiled and watched as Kiria eagerly embraced it once more.
A radio was turned off as Daybreaker scanned a piece of paper. The report sat on her desk, and it held within it good news from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Daybreaker couldn't help but feel relief and a little bit of pride. After two months of tedious work, it was finally done, and she could relax a bit knowing that mountains of money, goods, and materiel would start flowing into Equestria soon. It was good to see that all of those investments into other nations had paid off, and while it would damage Equestria's relations with them in the short term, it was well worth it in order to continue fueling her country's increasingly voracious military industry as well as keeping smaller businesses up and running to maintain at least a semblance of normal living in the cities and the countryside.
The endeavor took quite a bit of back and forth. Some - like the Hippogriffians - were easy enough to persuade to pay up and return interest on loans that were already overdue for a long time. Nevertheless, there was one incident where Daybreaker remembered hesitating a little to confront an international charitable organization based in Mount Aris. For years, they had been a clear ally of Equestrian Harmonist ideas in Hippogriffia, and while Daybreaker no longer believed in some of the naïve ideals of what she formerly preached as Harmony, she still felt bad about seemingly betraying a group of kindhearted people who had done nothing wrong against Equestria. Maybe the mare still had some sympathies for the old Harmony she once believed in, but Equestria's woes and needs took precedent, and soon, a compromise was reached where the charity would only have to pay back a fraction of the loan in return for urging local Hippogriffians to join Equestria's growing foreign volunteer corps or donate to the Equestrian government.
However, most other governments and businesses had to be persuaded with threats of severe legal repercussions, a complete cessation of any future Equestrian aid, or straight up force. Foreign companies operating on Equestrian soil that were putting up resistance folded almost immediately, and states such as Saddle Arabia even offered her a hefty cut of the nation's oil production in exchange for extensions and modifications on certain deals and agreements on top of all the money they finally relented to give back in the end. And even then, there were still those who spat in the face of Daybreaker's ambassadors and ministers. Stubborn fools like a certain group of young and upstart executives of a new shipping company in Vedina even dared the alicorn ruler herself to come over and force them to pay up on their loans taken from Equestrian banks as if they thought that a foreign territory separated by water would keep her away.
Daybreaker wished she had the foresight to bring along a photographer with her so she could have framed a picture of the stupid griffons choking back on their words and put it on her desk afterwards. Vedinian officials who were almost begrudgingly sent in to keep things civil and make sure relations between Equestria and their country remained intact were also fun to watch as they looked on in embarrassment while their fellow griffons inadvertently exposed themselves to a myriad of illegal financial activities in front of a foreign leader and her diplomatic entourage.
The incident caused quite a bit of laughter among people back in Equestria when the press began reporting on it, and even now, a chuckle came out of Daybreaker's lips as she looked back at the amusing memory, but the mirthfulness soon passed as her eyes gazed over at a bottle of cider left unopened in her glass drinks cabinet.
Daybreaker sighed. It was such a shame that Granny Smith declined on a contract to supply the Equestrian army with food from Sweet Apple Acres. Daybreaker even had the officials that were visiting to explicitly tell her that the Apple family farm was being offered a deal no other farm in Equestria was getting and that it was Daybreaker's way of supporting the Apples during such hard times, but it was no use. The old mare wouldn't budge, and she not-so-politely told the officials to scram.
Oh well. Perhaps one of those days, people like Applejack and her family could finally see that what Daybreaker was doing was for the good of Equestria. For now, however, Daybreaker just had to contend with the fact that some of her citizens were scared of a necessary change and felt like they were owed something other than all the things she was working so hard for to give to them. It wasn't such a difficult task anyway. She understood her little ponies' frustrations, and she had already told herself that it would take some time before everyone accepted the realities of an Equestria at war.
A butterfly landed on Celestia's snout, and the mare, lying on her side, stayed silent and still as she watched it stand frozen for a minute before fluttering away.
It was that time of the year again - the time for Celestia to lie in a random spot in the Canterhorn Valley for hours on end. However, it wasn't really a random spot. She had markers to tell her where she was. Over there was a trench covered in moss, and the large rock beside it surrounded by candles and covered in carvings of countless names let her know that it was the right one amongst the endless rows of similarly looking trenches nearby reclaimed by nature. And so it was, year after year, that the mare made sure to arrive at that very same hill and land on it hauling a basket of goods to rest for a while with before the dawn broke.
After a quick breakfast, her annual ritual properly commenced, and Celestia got to watch the sun rise over lush, rolling hills of flowers and brush against the purple backdrop of the mighty Foal Mountains whilst the cold morning mist washed over her and filled her body with a crisp and heavenly coolness. At that moment, Celestia lied flat on her side, her mane and coat damp from the grassy dew, smelling pollen and taking short naps here and there.
Sometimes, people passed by on a dirt road below, but none dared disturb the big, white alicorn lady with the magically-flowing pastel mane snugly lying atop a hill surrounded by beds of flowers. Most glanced her way and stared in confusion before quietly walking off somewhere else, but there were some who were old enough or simply saw her frequently enough to quietly realize the importance of leaving her alone. Celestia thanked them for that.
As noon approached and the warm sun slowly rolled by along the lazy blue skies, Celestia found herself thinking again like she had always done for as long as she could remember. There were many things on her mind, but at the forefront stood the very reason why she flew every year to a valley filled with deep scars made of mossy earthwork and discarded casings.
Celestia had already reflected upon her greatest failure in a thousand years countless times before. Tragedy filled that nightmare from end to end - not least among them the horrific carnage that transpired at the very hallowed grounds she lied upon - and every time she looked back on it, she always found another thing to add to her towering pile of regrets. One of them was on her mind at that moment, and it let itself play in her head over and over again like all the others had.
For many, the autumn of 1016 was the light at the end of the tunnel, and Celestia held similar regards, but people did not usually think about all the death that still happened in those twilight days of the conflict. There were those who were unlucky enough to never see the end and instead, saw their own.
All across the so-called Standoff Line which stretched from the borderlands of eastern Olenia to the frozen tundras around the Sorythian Key Lake, things were quiet. Thoraxian and Olenian soldiers nervously stood their ground against Equestrian forces who, just a month ago, were threatening to break the hastily formed coalition just as they had shattered Chrysalis' Vesalian regime in the summer of that very same year.
Fortunately, as chaos gripped Canterlot in the midst of a crisis after the fall of Vesalipolis, Equestrian generals earlier that year wisely chose to stop carrying out orders to continue advancing from a government that was, seemingly out of nowhere, very quickly falling apart, and Celestia was grateful for that. However, it didn't stop the needless loss of life that still occurred nonetheless.
An uneasy truce was made between the two armies, and the line was formed, but the quiet wasn't so quiet, and the cracks were showing as skirmishes around the outskirts of Ditrysium and Seaddle sparked from accidents and misunderstandings were putting it all in danger. The fighting kept happening despite people's best efforts, and it kept happening even after Harmony was properly restored in Equestria and Thorax shook hooves with the princesses.
How cruel was it to die in a war right before or even well after a peace had been signed all because people at the top and some at the bottom still held a grudge and wanted to keep going against an enemy that no longer wanted to fight?
It was Celestia's fault, really. She was the one who had planted and cultivated that seed of hatred and mistrust for the changelings in her own government when she had lost it which then trickled down into the already frustrated soldiers and civilians suffering at the front, and all that came back to bite her when the time came. So while ministers were squabbling unsupervised over what to do with the Thoraxians as Daybreaker locked herself in her room wrestling with her own conscience, soldiers from both sides young and old were forced to train their aim at each other, and some unfortunately pulled the trigger.
The ghosts of the war would forever haunt Celestia. From the guards slaughtered at the border at the very beginning to the soldiers who drowned in mud and blood and snow fighting in the fields and trenches of the Canterhorn Valley and the smoldering, cratered streets of Vraks to the ones whose lives were stolen from them at the very last minute, they all stood before their fallen princess asking her why she couldn't do anything to see past her anger and look at all those she was hurting trying to save. And as the warmth of the midday sun wrapped around her, Celestia closed her eyes to sleep once more knowing that some of those who never woke up again to be able to feel the sun shining bright upon her body would follow her there as well.
At least one thing was for certain though. Both the living and the dead had seen the end of the war one way or another, and Celestia knew that as the flowers bloomed and life went on that, eventually, even just for a moment, all would finally be truly at peace.
Of all the things she imagined herself becoming in thirty years, "Manehattan socialite and S.M.I.L.E secret agent" would not have crossed Orange Sherbet's mind when she was still a young farm filly with an Apple name.
Life was so simple back then. The farm and the family was all Sherbet knew, and she was happy with her sisters and her cousins and all the apple pie they could eat. But of course, the peace and simplicity of her childhood years wouldn't last. Her beloved Mosely finally stole her heart one day after helping the poor stallion make a profit as a manager of a Barnyard Bargains in sleepy little Ponyville, and soon, she was living in the big city trying her best to fit in with Manehattan's upper crust by shaking off the notion that she was just a country bumpkin that got lucky by marrying the heir to the Orange family businesses.
In truth, Orange Sherbet really did love her Mosely, with or without the money. Before long, they brought their precious little Tangerine into the world, and for several years, everything was dandy despite all the bumps and cracks up the social ladder and Sherbet's increasing estrangement with her family.
Then the war came, and the problems started coming as well.
Equestria's economy really struggled in those first couple of years with the fall of major cities such as Vanhoover and Tall Tale early on having no small part in it. As a result, Mosely and Sherbet struggled to keep afloat some of the businesses the Orange Conglomerate owned and keep as much of their workers employed as possible while the country geared up for military production.
A year into the war, and the problems kept piling up as Orange Sherbet's past came knocking on her door quite literally and her Apple family relatives who lived in the western side of Equestria ran from the invasion and started trickling east. Quite a bit ended up in Manehattan, and so Sherbet had to take care of her estranged family members on top of juggling financial troubles in wartime economic conditions.
It was a nightmare, and the mass paranoia regarding the changeling infiltration of Equestrian cities kept Orange Sherbet wide awake at night. She had already heard of neighbors, acquaintances, colleagues, and even close friends encountering infiltrators who had replaced people they knew, and some had even been outright replaced themselves.
It all came together to put the fear of changeling saboteurs coming to hurt Sherbet and her family. And so on one fateful day when she eventually found out that one of her Apple relatives in Manehattan had been replaced by a changeling, the war was getting too close for comfort. It didn't take much then to convince her to accept the offer when Equestrian military intelligence officers visited her a couple days after the incident and talked to her about becoming part of a new S.M.I.L.E spy ring that was tasked with catching changeling operatives in the city. With her numerous connections, abundant resources, charisma both natural and acquired, and access to the most exclusive of Manehattan's elite, it wasn't long before Orange Sherbet became an effective asset in the city when it came to snooping on wealthy socialites who were suspected of being connected to covert changeling operations in the region.
However, even as Equestrian intelligence surprised her in how quickly it had begun keeping up with the VOPS, Orange Sherbet's fears had not been placated all that much. If anything, it grew worse as she bore witness to more and more of the bugs penetrating the homefront while she worked, making the poor mare fear for her family if she were ever to be compromised. Nevertheless, it gave Sherbet a sense of control over the situation and a feeling that she was doing something about the problem instead of doing nothing and hoping for the best.
At that moment, Orange Sherbet thought about her absurd predicament in life as she sat at her table discreetly eyeing a mare wearing a fancy chapeau - an acquaintance of Sherbet's suspected to have knowledge about another changeling intelligence network in the region - sitting across the room from her in her own hotel's restaurant. Sherbet was an Apple who fell in love with an Orange which inadvertently caused her to strike it rich and move to Manehattan where she would change her name, become part of the wealthy elite, make a family with her beloved, and eventually get hired by the S.M.I.L.E and find herself entangled in a game of cat and mouse with changeling spies in the middle of a massive war the likes of which had never been seen by Equestria in its entire millennium of history.
Sherbet sighed and her mind wandered. She thought randomly about her niece Applejack and wondered what the Element of Honesty herself would think about her aunt from Manehattan stalking people, taking advantage of the trust of her peers, and generally committing less than scrupulous acts of espionage. Would the mare praise her as simply another Apple doing their duty for the nation? Would she fume and accuse Sherbet of disgracing the Apple family name by lowering herself to the changelings' level?
Would it give the Apples another reason to think of themselves and her as being as different as apples and oranges - the little apple having fallen too far from the tree and finally outing herself as a shallow mare who left the farm for a life of luxury without looking back?
Sherbet shook her a head a bit, and brought herself back to reality. As much as it troubled her, she had no time to worry about her insecurities with her family. Her target had just gotten up and left, and Sherbet was hoping she could catch up to her to ask her about a visit to her penthouse in downtown Bronclyn that week to see if she could find anything there...
Chrysalis gazed at her morning meal of bread rolls, cereals, and sweet milk and started digging in.
It had been quite the journey for the past decade.
Chrysalis still remembered the day she and a personal retinue of guards and palace staff boarded a destroyer on the ports of Ditrysium ten years ago and set sail for Greneclyf as they fled the brightly burning ruins of her collapsing changeling realm. She still remembered the roar of naval artillery as they ran headlong into an Olenian blockade while the destroyer crew steered them through a hail of enemy fire. She still remembered the ship lurching upwards into the sky as they hit a massive wave whilst braving through an icy storm. Everything went black after that.
When Chrysalis woke up, she found herself lying in bed inside a small, dark room. A changeling soon entered the room and spoke with her about what happened while she was still out.
The destroyer and everyone onboard made it to Blosmport intact. However, it appeared that the Equestrians got to Greneclyf first and struck a deal with the local government as the very moment the destroyer crew and Chrysalis' retinue stepped off the ship, they were immediately set upon by local forces, arrested, and took into custody.
Afterwards, Chrysalis had been put into detainment inside the very room she was in, her title as queen holding no power where she was despite all her protests, while the Greneclyfian government figured out what to do with her. Of course, she immediately began looking for a way out of her situation.
As the weeks passed, however, Chrysalis had gone to realize that she had to come to terms with the fact that she would likely be at the mercy of the Greneclyfians for as long as she was held in that island. She did almost succeed at escaping once, but at that point, she had little love left in her body, and it was hard to swindle a boat from its owner without a proper disguise. Even worse, the changelings who came with her to Greneclyf had all either accepted the Thoraxian regime and returned home or had integrated with the local populace and settled down - all effectively abandoning their queen in her eyes.
Chrysalis distinctly remembered thrashing her room one morning when she had learned of it, and it still left a bit of a bitter taste in her mouth to that day.
Out of options, Chrysalis waited and waited. She waited some more as the weeks turned into months and the magically reinforced walls and wooden door of her tiny room became covered in marks and stains.
At certain times of the week, Chrysalis was allowed to roam the world outside those walls under the watchful eyes of the guards. The first time this happened - a couple days after her arrival - was when she found out that she was in a castle. Ancient and mystical with a unique dash of Greneclyfian changeling architecture, Chrysalis soon learned about the occupant of such a household - Queen Gytha. Sometimes, they met each other, and they would have a few conversations, but they never went too long before Chrysalis inevitably had to go back to her room.
Eventually, Chrysalis was given more freedom. She was permitted free reign to explore the castle and the town nearby provided there was a soldier or two who followed her every time she went out. Some areas were off-limits, but all in all, it was way better than being holed up in a small, dark, and damp bedchamber for days at a time with nothing but herself and the three meals a day of stew and bread she was served to keep her company.
A short while after that, Chrysalis was even given her own house - a tiny cabin in the woods - to live in as well as a job of her own since being effectively the queen of nothing gave her, well, nothing. She was given the task of being a sort of ranger of the royal woods, and she quickly earned a reputation as the tall and mysterious changeling lady of the forest who sometimes spoke a different language, scared off teenagers, and was rumored by the locals to have once been a queen of a great kingdom.
And so there she was sitting in a log cabin eating bread and milk. Chrysalis supposed it could have been worse. She could have been captured and tortured to death by Daybreaker's soldiers, or she could have been rotting in an prison camp somewhere in the Crystal Mountains or the Tzinacatlian jungles.
But at the same time, that ambition inside of her remained stubborn. She told herself she didn't deserve her current lot in life. She told herself she deserved the world.
And so when Chrysalis got out of her glorified jail cell, her first objective was Gytha. She tried all she could to influence the curious little queen, and for a moment, it looked like it was working.
However, nothing happened, and after a while, it was obvious that the changeling had already picked a side long ago.
Unfortunately for Chrysalis, it was the Equestrians' side that Gytha picked. It was the Equestrians who seemed to mock Chrysalis every time she saw their agents and officials visit Blosmport as if to gloat at her about how they controlled her fate and how they could have had her executed years ago but didn't as if they knew that being resigned to obscurity in a remote island filled with changelings who believed in the very antithesis of her ideology of strength would be a fate as terrible as death to her.
Even more unfortunately for Chrysalis, they were almost right.
The Equestrians never explicitly indicated any of that, of course, but the former queen swore that she smelled it from them. Whether or not it was just her mind giving her delusions didn't matter, however, as her frustrations at her situation grew until, eventually, she gave up.
Well, Chrysalis didn't entirely give up, of course. Even then, she was way too proud for that. She knew though, at the back of her mind, that she practically had at that point. There was no way out, and the only way forward was to finally lay down her sword and take up the plough instead.
Like hell she would, but what else could she do?
Giving her thoughts a short break, the changeling put down her bread roll after taking a bite from it and looked at a nearby mirror.
Chrysalis saw herself. She saw her body full of holes and her head devoid of a crown.
Every day, Chrysalis asked herself if she regretted the war, and every day without fail, she said to herself that she didn't. She didn't because she didn't want to.
Chrysalis looked herself over in the mirror again.
Her body betrayed her real condition. While she could feed her physical body with enough food, the bare amount of love she got every day had left her magically weak and vulnerable, and the symptoms were visible. Because of this, on the uncommon occasion that she ventured out to go to the nearby town's market, Chrysalis always stared at the changelings whose bodies had no holes and whose chitin shined and shimmered.
They shared love with people they knew, regardless of race, like it was as natural as breathing, and so Chrysalis couldn't help but wonder about the members of her retinue all those years ago who settled down in Greneclyf.
They moved on and were living normal lives filled with friends and loved ones. Then there was Chrysalis.
Alone and still starving, there was Chrysalis, and she had no one to blame for it but herself.
"Changeling Army by the Border, Canterlot Getting Nervous," the headline of a newspaper read. Spring Grass picked up the newspaper that her husband had left on the kitchen table shortly before leaving for work earlier than usual. She didn't care much for its contents, or at least, she didn't want to. When the changelings invaded Olenia just a year ago, hundreds of thousands of Olenians began fleeing across the waters into Vanhoover or braving the overland journey to reach the sparsely populated towns on the Equestrian border.
The Olenian refugees who arrived at Spring Grass' hometown of New Hearth all looked terrible. They were dirty, hungry, and tired, and the only things they could give in exchange for food and refuge were the meager valuables they had from the mountains of luggage they carried with them - their money in a currency that few Equestrians accepted. "Please! Please just take it!" a doe pleaded in Olenian. "My children need something to eat tonight, and it's all we have!" The stallion she was talking to simply hung his mouth open and shook his head confusedly, the doe's language unintelligible to him.
Spring Grass was a simple earth pony mare with a passion for gardening who worked part-time at the local tavern. Her husband Piston Fire was a rookie mechanic and a reservist in the army who was currently employed as a repair-pony for trucks that delivered construction materials for the fortifications being built along the border. Years ago, they moved out of Vanhoover when Spring Grass gave birth to their daughter Bellflower, and New Hearth had been their home ever since. Today, Spring was staying at home for the weekends while Piston continued to go to work.
Bellflower's little hooves sounded against the wooden floor as she galloped excitedly across the kitchen. Spring stopped cleaning. "Belle, don't run around the house! You might get hurt!" she reprimanded. She and Piston called her "Belle".
Belle screeched to a halt. "Sorry, mom! I'm going out early today to see Tulip and Adalia," she said. "We planned to meet each other at the creek this morning."
"Alright then." Spring said. "Oh, by the way. How's Adalia? Has she been nice to you?" she asked.
Belle replied. "Yes, but..." She looked down and rubbed a front hoof against the other.
Oh no. "Did something happen again?" Spring asked.
"Mmm-hmm." Belle nodded, her ears pinned against her head. "The other children were being mean to Adalia again. The deer threw rocks at her, and the others stayed away. Some of my friends helped us, but still..."
Spring sighed. Her family lived a quiet life up until the war began in Olenia. Spring Grass was never very interested in politics, but it seemed like politics were about to start taking an interest in her. Every time she came to work at the tavern, she saw the Olenian families staying there. The owner of the tavern was kind enough to spare them a few rooms and had the basement spruced up to give space for more. Spring Grass delivered them food whenever she could, and she always talked with them when she did. Naturally, they hated changelings.
"I just don't know why they keep being so awful to her," Belle stomped her hooves, "just because she's a changeling."
"Sweetie, you know why they may not like Adalia all that much." Spring said. "The changelings attacked the deer's homes when they shouldn't have."
"But Adalia isn't like that!" Belle stomped her hooves again, harder this time. "She isn't like the bad changelings! She's nice, and she's cool, and she gives me flowers everyday!" She frowned, her mane deflated. "I just wish others knew that..."
Spring felt bad for her daughter. "I know, sweetie. I know," she said softly. Bellflower continued looking dejected. Both mother and daughter stayed quiet like that for a few moments.
Spring Flower wished she wasn't put in such a hard place. She genuinely liked Adalia, not just because she was friends with Bellflower but also because she was one of the few nice changelings still living in the border towns after Olenia was invaded. Orphaned since she was but a hatchling, Adalia was taken in by a local changeling. She and Belle met one day, and they quickly became friends.
Bellflower and Adalia reminded Spring of a time when ponies at the border lived with changelings without any hostility, like how it had been for centuries prior. However, it wasn't like that anymore. The attack on Canterlot and the invasion of Olenia destroyed much of Equestria's positive sentiments about changelings. Rumors had been abound about changelings kidnapping people all across western Equestria and replacing them - rumors which had only increased as news about changeling military activity near the border became more and more frequent. Many saw the changelings now as aggressive warmongers and conquerors, and the Olenians certainly thought so. They were forced to leave their home into a life of destitution at the mercy of the few Equestrian settlements that took them in. They'd lost a lot, and much of the young with them were orphans, not unlike Adalia.
Someday, she'll understand. Spring Flower approached her daughter. She lowered herself and put a motherly hoof against her little filly's face. "Belle, it's alright. Don't be so sad," she said. "The time will come when everyone will see Adalia for who she is in the inside and not on the outside. And besides," Spring playfully tousled Belle's soft blue mane, "don't you have to meet your friends by the creek soon?"
"Yeah," Belle said, feeling a little better. Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Oh wait! I forgot something!" The filly turned and galloped out of view, her tiny hooves tapping away as she did so. She returned a moment later with a small wicker basket held in her mouth covered on top by a small blanket.
"What's that?" Spring Grass asked.
Belle put the basket down. "It's a surprise!" she replied enthusiastically. "It's for Adalia. She always gives me flowers when we meet each other, so I thought I should give her flowers too! And I picked them from your garden because I know they'll be the best!" Belle jumped up and down and then sat on her haunches, gently swaying back and forth. "Also, Jasmine is bringing a gift for Adalia too. We both are."
Spring Grass' heart melted. "Well that's very sweet of you, Belle." She picked up the basket with her mouth, smelling its sweet contents, and gave it to Belle. "Now go on and meet your friends."
With that, Spring Grass watched her daughter say goodbye as she hurried down the dirt path from their home. Later that day while Spring was preparing supper, Piston Fire arrived home.
"Oh! You're home early. Anything happen at work?" Spring asked as she let her husband in through the door.
"Oh nothing, sugar. Slow day at work today, is all. Only a couple trucks needed some fixing, and they were both pretty superficial." Piston replied. "After that, the boss allowed us to leave early," he finished.
Despite getting an answer, Spring stayed silent. Piston noticed this. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing." Spring shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. It's just... You've never called me 'sugar' before."
Piston chuckled. "Oh, is that why? Well, I thought I'd just change things up a bit, you know?" He walked past Spring and into the kitchen. "Anyway, what's for supper?"
Spring's heart skipped a beat, then she shook her head once more. Don't be so silly, Spring. Besides, "sugar" does sound sweet and is a nice change from the usual "honey" and "love". Spring smiled. "We're having mushrooms." she finally replied. "The table's all set already."
That evening, Bellflower returned home eager to share her latest adventures with her parents at the dinner table, and the family shared a nice meal of mushrooms together.
Twilight Sparkle trotted down the stairs and walked along the dark halls, a festive tune echoing throughout the house. She stopped and craned her neck to take a peek around a wall. Bright, warm light spilled out onto the hallway, and the sound of cheer and merriment wafted in the air.
Red curtains were draped around every window in the living room, and glowing crystals of various colors added to the already lively atmosphere. Luna was chatting with Applejack by the fireplace at the center of the far wall, the Princess of the Night nodding as the other mare talked. A Hearth's Warming tree by the left corner at the back provided a nice backdrop for Starlight, Trixie, and Sunset as they traded stories with each other while Cadance and Shining Armor cuddled on the couch nearby with cups of hot cocoa tucked between their forelegs. A phonograph played music on the small table beside them.
To the right, Spike was sat on the floor by the coffee table with Apple Bloom, Scootaloo, and Sweetie Belle, cards placed along the table's surface. A smug smile was on the dragon's face as he raked in a large pile of bits and holiday sweets with his claws and added it to his already massive hoard to the sound of whines and groans.
Suddenly, there was a flash of golden magic. Pinkie Pie appeared in the middle of the room along with Flurry Heart, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity. Hooves scuffed along the carpet as Pinkie and Flurry balanced stacks of goblets and mugs atop their back and wings respectively.
Rainbow and Rarity followed close behind with the unicorn holding bottles of wine and liquor in her magic. She wore an elegant midnight gown while Rainbow donned a stylish flight jacket, hiding the scar across the side of her barrel. Judging by the half-empty glasses in their hooves and the rosy tints that graced their cheeks, it looked like they had already indulged in a little bit of drinking not too long ago.
"Hey, everypony! Look at what we found while raiding the kitchen!" Rainbow glanced down at the glass of leftover bourbon in her hooves and loudly hiccupped. "This stuff's pretty good..." she slurred and mumbled with an easy grin.
Rarity raised her glass with her magic and lightly tapped it at the back of the pegasus mare's head. "Yes, it is. And we would all be very grateful if you don't drain half of our haul right under our noses before the night ends. Honestly, Rainbow."
Rainbow winced and smiled, cheeks just a little bit redder. Pinkie and Flurry bore witness to Rainbow's chastisement and looked at each other with stifled giggles while others in the room either rolled their eyes in amusement or joined in laughing before quickly returning to whatever they were doing.
At the sight, a small smile graced Twilight's lips before she silently slipped away.
Soon, she was outside. Twilight had ended up at the front porch, a cold breeze gently lapping at her coat. It was a quiet evening outside, that night, and Twilight was looking for someone. Her gaze quickly landed upon a tall, white figure sitting completely still other than its long pink and blue pastel mane flowing lazily against the wind.
Twilight sat beside Celestia, staring out into the vast snowfields before her without a word. The moon peeked above thick clouds in the night sky, and small dots of light flickered in the distant horizon, framed by hills and dark woods.
A few moments passed where neither said anything until Celestia broke the ice. "What brings you here?" She glanced at Twilight, but her head remained still.
"I came out for some fresh air," Twilight replied, looking back at Celestia. "Also, I wanted to see how you were doing."
The taller alicorn smiled. "Well, thank you for the company," she said before her horn lit, and the soft chime of magic filled the air.
Twilight flicked her eyes down and raised an eyebrow at the previously unnoticed flute of sparkling wine now encased in golden magic.
Celestia took a sip. "Oh, don't worry. It barely has any alcohol."
"What about the bottles Rainbow and the others found?" Twilight asked.
It was Celestia's turn to raise an eyebrow. "Really? That quickly? It's still a little early." She chuckled. "I bought them recently, Twilight. They're not for me."
Twilight relented and nodded slowly. There was a momentary pause, and then she spoke.
"So," she started. "You're a farmer now?"
Celestia snorted and then broke into a laugh. "Yes. I guess I am."
"What will you grow?"
"Oh just some apples and peaches. We'll start planting saplings in a few months." Celestia took another sip of sparkling wine. Her voice lowered. "But really, Twilight, why are you here? You should go back inside with Luna and the others. I'll be right behind you in a bit."
"No, it's fine. I just-" Twilight took a deep breath. "I just wanted to be with you for a while." She eyed Celestia. "Why are you here?"
"Thinking, like I always do."
"About what?"
"Things." Celestia drained her glass. She set it down beside her.
Silence reigned once more. For a while, the only things Twilight and Celestia heard was the cold wind kneading snowdrifts on a sea of white.
"I forgive you, you know? For Daybreaker. For everything."
There was a quiet moment, then a soft whisper. "No, you don't."
"No." Twilight shook her head. "No, I don't. But I can try."
Celestia didn't say anything. Instead, she simply lifted a wing and draped it over her former student. Twilight winced, but she accepted. After a while, Twilight nuzzled her former mentor, and Celestia nuzzled back.
"Happy Hearth's Warming." Twilight closed her eyes. They were wet. "I love you, Celestia. I still do."
"I know. I love you too."
They stayed embracing each other for a while, and no more words were said.