Celestia is slowly taking away her sister's duties. It seems to be for a good reason, but sometimes even the best intentions end poorly.

After failing to protect his lover again, Stripe works to better himself so that he can deal with those that wronged him. After all, vengeance and war used to be a way of life for him. And with nothing left to lose, why not follow his instincts?

Will this be the end of Equestria?

Stripe is a character I've had for awhile. This is the first time I've ever really put his background into story format. That said, Stripe is a zebra living in his home of Zebrafrica. His mother is in Equestria and sends him notes on a fairly regular basis. Serving in the military, Stripe is frequently away from his home and his loving wife. When he finally returns after one of his missions, he finds that things are not as simple and joyous as they were and that he will be forced to change or be lost forever.
A side note, I did write this in 3 days.