My Little Pony: The Pony in the Crystal Cage

by Ilikadederp

Rating: teen
Tags: Tragedy, Main 6, Gore, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Alternate Universe, Princess Luna, Original Character, Princess Celestia
Length: 7528

My first Fanfic, Its got war on the horizon, adventure, political advocacy, and best of all technicolor ponies

This story is based 22 years after the events of season 3, ponies have moved on with their lives, Rainbow Dash is the Sky Marshal of the Wonderbolts, Applejack has handed the reigns to the family farm to Applebloom to move in with Rainbow Dash in Canterlot. The Cakes have retired and Pinkie owns Sugar Cube Corner with the Cake twins. Fluttershy is is still in her Cottage... hm... what is she up to. Twilight and an old teacher of hers travel to the Equestrian Badlands to find the only known first hand account of what happened between Princess Luna and her sister over one thousand years ago. What they find will change the lives of Twilight and all of Equestria. And rising tensions between Equestria and one of their neighboring countries come to a boiling point. All that stands between a non-violent resolution and total war is a bitter aging veteran and an aspiring young officer.

UPDATE!: I'm placing this on a temporary hiatus, I need to figure out a clear direction on where I want to go with this story as well as hone my own lore and head cannon regarding the lovely pastel ponies. I promise this won't be the last you hear of me. I want this story to be good and I am going to put my whole damn heart into it!

Special thanks to my friend moondevourer for the cover art: thanks ya big gay fwuffwulf you :D
http://www.furaffinity.net/user/moondevourer/

Published 2013-08-10 16:40:02 UTC
Last updated 2013-11-16 02:33:48 UTC

Chap. 1- History Lesson

The Pony in the Crystal Cage
Chap. 1- History Lesson

Ilikadederp presents…

Over 1,000 years ago Princess Luna, the mare of the night was corrupted by her own anger and envy for her sister. Turning her into a monster of legends and her new identity NightMare Moon tried to seize control of the throne of Equestria. In the end NightMare Moon was banished to her name’s sake for a millennium and harmony was restored to all the land.

This is the story parents tell their children, teachers tell their students, what history remembers. Don’t get me wrong it’s the true story, but it’s rather… incomplete. What many do not remember today is that NightMare Moon did not act alone in her attempt to seize power. Not many remember that the royal sisters weren’t the only ones who ruled Equestria back in the old times. But during the Founding of the first Equestrian Empire, When Celestia and Luna had defeated Discord and put an end to his chaotic rein, there were three ponies from each of the races who made it possible for the people of the new nation of Equestria to come to fruition.

There was Vesper of the North, a charismatic unicorn from The Dragon’s Expanse. Vesper built Equestria’s infrastructure. Modern law, economics and political policies are based on his around his work. During the Chaos Wars he founded the Equestrian Liberation Army, the last remnants of Equestria’s old military that during Discord’s rule fought for the return of an independent Equestrian nation. Vesper was also the last surviving member of the Fraener family, an old noble house that was able to command and ride dragons. His dragon was named Vigil.

Saul of the Badlands was the ruthless earthpony leader of the Badland raiders. A vicious group of “freedom fighters” who’s “justice” ranged from attacking the supply lines of the now discorded Equestria, to burning entire villages. After the war Saul became the head of the newly established Equestrian Reconstruction Company. Saul demanded impossible tasks from his men and paid them next to nothing for their labors. But despite his faults, he was the earth pony who built Equestria from the ground up. Saul established modern Equestrian architecture, made breakthroughs ranging from more efficient smelting technics to building designs that jumped our construction methods ahead nearly a century; most importantly he knew how to quickly and effectively fold magic into solid objects to enchant them.

Then there was Apollo of the heartland, “The Pegasus who united Equestria”; Ironic that the former first prime to Discord himself, ended up banding together the Equestrians against his former master. Apollo was taught from birth by his father to be a warrior and a leader, and he excelled at both, he rarely lost a battle weather he was fighting discorded equestrians or the ELA. Apollo eventually saw his family and Equestria for what it had become. And the atrocities that Discord had wreaked upon the world. When he found the strength and the confidence, he killed his father and started a new band of rebels. Apollo sought out Vesper and Saul and eventually united them under a single banner. Working together the three ponies found victory across Equestria. Unfortunately, though they were their individual battles were very successful, they were losing the test of time. Their men were hungry, cold, and tired of fighting. It was through Apollo’s determination and the power of his personality that kept his armies together, but they were just beginning to have enough. They needed to win this war fast before his army began to fragment.

That’s when the royal sisters revealed themselves to us. The alicorn princesses of night and day joined our fight; and in a single long and bloody battle, annihilated Discord’s forces, his worshipers and Discord himself.

The three ponies were made princes in the newly reformed Equestrian Empire, living symbols of the power of an Equestria united. Unfortunately Saul never saw his image of Equestria come to fruition, because he was killed in an explosion in one of his enchanting labs.

Vesper and Apollo had fought like cats and dogs since they first met, but it got worse when they were working together in the new Empire. But if it wasn’t for those two old warriors Equestria would have never gotten off the ground and soaring into a great Empire again. And in that I believe the two grew an unspoken kindred spirit for one another, I don’t know if they liked each other, but they did respect each other immensely.

Years turned into decades and the 2nd Equestrian Empire was in the middle of a renaissance! Innovation, philosophy, mathematics, instrumentology what have you- and the whole of the Empire was benefiting. But in those decades, the two Princes had grown ever closer to the Alicorn sisters… intimately close. It was in the middle of winter when Vesper had proposed to Princess Luna. Luna was already expecting her first foal when Apollo and Celestia followed in their hoof steps. Things could not have been going better for the two sisters and their Empire… I wish this is how this story ends, I really do. But as we all know, reality has a way of bucking us in the teeth when we least expect it.

Luna had given birth to a unicorn colt, they named this colt Erebus. When Erebus came of age they discovered he was very gifted in the arcane arts. Since childhood Luna and Vesper taught him every school of magic on record and even a few of their own. When Erebus was only 27, he was appointed Arch Mage of Equestria, and was one of the most powerful Unicorns in recorded history. In the following months Vesper traveled into dragon’s territory and bargained with a dragoness for one of her offspring; and that dragon was named Nyx. Erebus eventually became the new ruler of the crystal empire, and at first he was a very good ruler; his people were happy, the empire prospered. But since he could speak his first word, Erebus had a drive to pursue knowledge, and it knew no end. Erebus wanted to learn a school of magic his father created centuries ago. The magic he invented when he was at war with Discord. Back then they called this school Tenebris Magicae, but we know it now as Dark Magic. Now normally, a unicorn who showed promise in the magic arts would work all their lives for a chance at studying the treacherous art, and Vesper believed that Erebus wasn’t ready for this particular magic due to his age. But his pride in his son’s accomplishments overwhelmed his caution. And unfortunate for Erebus, the pursuit for knowledge is very easy devolved into the quest for power. The pivoting point where Erebus became the tyrant was after a skirmish was a changeling hive that attempted to take control of the Crystal Empire and leach from its vast reservoirs of emotion. Erebus used an immensely powerful spell using dark magic to defeat the changelings. But the damage was done. Erebus had finally made the turn from a ruler, to a tyrant. He enslaved his people and forced them under a dictatorship, and under this new regime Erebus adopted a new name. That name, was Sombra. With heavy hearts, the royal family invaded the crystal empire, and relieved Sombra of his throne. But no matter how evil Sombra had become, he was still Luna and Vesper’s son. So they destroyed his physical form, and sealed his essence within the ice of the frozen north. But in a last act of spite, Sombra cast one last spell. At the end of the battle, the entirety of the crystal empire and all of its people vanished without a trace.

The tragedy hit the prince and princess of the night like a dagger in the back. Luna had tried her best to keep up with her duties of maintaining the night, but her grief and her guilt made her heart weigh heavy with sorrow, and her work suffered. The diamond stars began to wither and fade away. The entire night sky that used to be filled with such vibrant color and energy became a shadow that draped over her people. And the Moon, the very heart of the evening waned into a monochrome shell of its former self. Vesper spent every moment of his own time at his wife’s side, trying to comfort her and reassure Luna that she would recover and move on from this tragedy.

Years pass since the tragedy and Luna and Vesper had begun to move on… at least they tried. But the mare of the night was hit with another dagger in her heart when she began to realize. In her melancholy, her subjects had forgotten her. They frolicked and reveled in the day while they passed by her night with not a second glance. They had lost their wonder that used to glow like the thousands of stars in Luna’s heavens. Luna worked tirelessly for years to gain back the love of her people; but no matter how hard she tried, it was all in vein. Luna repeatedly asked her sister permission to extend her night into the dawn, but this was something Celestia just could not do.

The tension grew between Luna and Celestia, until finally Luna simply did not ask for her sister’s permission to extend the night; that was also the first recorded total solar eclipse. So began the lunar rebellions, and you all know the story from there. At least I hope you know the story from there… any questions?

A KLJP production…

A brown coated earth pony asked to his class of 200 students.

A colt raised his hoof in the back row. “How much grass you be smokin' before class Mr. N?”

The class spurt into a fit of giggling and chuckling. While Professor Bill Neigh of Celestia’s School for the Gifted stood there at his podium lightly chuckling to himself. “Oh, Ms. Gazer I’m sure your menstrual cycle is wreaking havoc on your already arid wit, but do at least TRY to think of something cleaver. And your grammar is still atrocious; I can see you haven’t been attending your Language Arts classes for a few years; you might want to correct that. Otherwise I might just have to fail you for a SECOND time Ms. Gazer”. The students erupted into a fit of laughter as Star Gazer snorted and glared at his instructor.

“I can see a certain Collage professor hasn’t let his legendary rants go dry” Said a lavender unicorn mare standing in the doorway of the lecture room.

The brown earth pony‘s head shot over to the entrance, his eyes widened and he grinned from ear to ear “Twilight Sparkle!” The professor exclaimed, dashing to the door and snatching the mare in a tight embrace “Oh how long has it been sweat heart, fifteen, twenty years!?”

“Twenty five years and six months professor” Said the lavender mare returning the gesture.

“STUDENTS!” he addressed his class, pulling Twilight alongside him for the ride. “This is Twilight Sparkle, she started here just like yo- LATROTSKY! STICKS!” Neigh exclaimed, making the filly and colt that were just making out jump out of their seats. “Next time I catch you two fraternizing in my class I’ll pull the security tapes and send the footage to everyone on campus!”

“Sorry Professor Neigh.” Fiddlesticks meekly replied. While Jeff Latrotsky sunk back into his seat with a grunt.

“Some things never change huh Professor? “ Twilight cracked.

Professor Neigh grumbled incomprehensibly before continuing. “Anyway, I personally instructed Ms. Twilight when she attended this school just like the rest of you losers, and look where she is now? The personal protégé of princes Celestia AND the element of magic… dear gods! THAT! Kids, is what you call ‘bragging rights’” the professor grinned smugly as his former student rolled her eyes. “Maybe if you batch of whacked asses would pay attention a little more to your betters and keep your tongs out of each other’s mouths” He said glaring at the filly and colt. “Then maybe you’ll live to actually make something of yourselves other than the next generation of test subjects in the equestrian science community!”

The speakers above the door in the classroom screeched a high buzz, signifying the end of the day.

“Alright” Shouted professor Neigh “Tonight I want you all to hit the library and come back with a report on pre-rebellion Equestrian Lunar culture!” The students sighed and moaned as they left the lecture room. “HEY! Moaning is for the bedroom! Now get to work!”

Twilight looked at her former teacher with a halfcocked brow “Moaning is for the bedroom? Really professor?” she giggled.

“Oh I got a whole load of new material since you went off to your ‘apprenticeship’ your grace” he said taking his papers and tapping them on the podium a few time.

The lavender mare blushed a bright red as she shook her head. “Please don’t call me that Professor; I’m still the same Twilight I’ve always been.”

“My tanned ass you are.” Professor Neigh said, now somehow scowling and smirking at the same time. “Your defiantly not the same goody little four shoes filly that pranced into my school twenty five years ago and annoyed my flank off with your constant barrage of inquiries, your nitpickiness and textbook intellect.” The professor leaned over onto his podium and took a gulp from a bottle of water sitting on the pedestal. “Now you’re a frackin' hero! You saved Princess Luna from her own demons and allowed her to redeem herself. You defeated Discord, the spirit of bloody chaos, single hoofedly!” The brown coated stallion shoved all his books and notes into his saddlebags and slung them over his back. “And from what I hear, played a hand in saving Canterlot at the royal wedding, then going on to save the crystal empire from Sombra-”

“That was more Spike’s doing.” Twilight, still blushing, shuffled her hooves.

“Speaking of witch how is the little guy? He was just a baby last time I saw him before you left for Ponyville.”

“Spike’s gotten a lot bigger since we left Canterlot.”

“Has he gotten his wings yet?” He asked motioning with his hoof for her to follow him.

“Yes, but they aren’t strong enough for him to fly yet. It’ll be a while before that dragon is flying anywhere I’m afraid.” Twilight followed Professor Neigh out of his lecture room and down the extensively decorated hallway of the collage.

“How unfortunate, my eldest daughter is crazy about dragons; every day she give me a lecture about them –I never knew how utterly boring I sounded until then.” The professor opened one of his bags and pulled out a key with his teeth, shoved it into the lock and opened the door into his office. “When Spike does grow into his new appendages tell him to come and let her… I don’t know, nag him, ride him, fondle him what have you!”

Twilight scanned the office; it was a complete train wreck. Books scattered across the room with papers and bookmarks poking out. Crumpled and shredded papers littered the floor, crunching with every step they took. And the smell of old food hung in the air like a rotten apple off a tree. “Uh Professor how lo-” she was interrupted by the sound of the teacher pushing a pile of research materials off his desk.

“Please Twilight” Professor Neigh said quickly opening and closing his desk drawers, rummaging through the contents. “You’re not in school anymore, I’m not your professor anymore, and you can call me Bill.” He pulled out an old ‘pear’ that appeared to be in an advanced state of decomposition. “Huh… I was wondering where that went.” The earth pony then threw the offending fruit out the open window.

A loud “GAK!” emanated and a very irritated looking pegasus now poking his head threw the window.

“Sorry, prof-… Bill, what are you looking for?” Twilight asked picking up a few books with her magic and levitating them over to a table, neatly stacked.

“A book.” He said poking his head under his couch.

Twilight looked around at the hundreds of books both on their shelves and scattered around the room; then looked back at the professor frowning with a raised eyebrow.

“It’s a black, leather bound, journal with a distinctive bluish silver symbol burned onto the front. You’ll know it when you see it.” He half shouted as he tore open his closet door and searched his jacket pockets.

Twilight scanned the pigsty of a room; eventually something caught her eye on the table near the couch. She tried to grab hold of it with her magic but a spark of energy arched from the object and struck Twilight in the horn. “OW!”

“OH YOU FOUND IT!” Bill shot over to the table and cleared away all the debris until he found what he was looking for. “I probably should have warned you that it reacts violently with regular magic… sorry.”

Twilight scowled at the professor while rubbing her horn. “What sort of magic was that anyway, I haven’t felt a locking spell that powerful before?”

“Twilight I must be honest with you… I am a stallion of science, a rational earth pony with a very firm grasp on the laws of reality and magic alike. I have a master’s degree in History, Astronomy, Arcane sciences, Philosophy and Engineering. And upon that I can say without a measure of doubt! I haven’t a fracking clue what’s up with this bloody thing whatsoever.” The stallion said opening the journal and placing it on his desk. “But what I DO know is that it’s old… I mean older than the princesses old.”

Twilight’s interest was piqued, he had her attention now. “Wow… who did it belong to?”

Professor Neigh looked up with a cheeky smirk “Prince Vesper Fraener.”

Twilight cocked her head “Vesper Fraener? You mean that unicorn you were talking about in your lecture today? I remember you mentioning him back when I used to be in your class but I never found any books or anything on him. And certainly nothing so detailed like what you were just talking about. I never knew Princess Luna or Celestia ever had spouses. Or offspring for that matter!” Twilight rubbed her chin ‘I wonder why Princess Celestia or Princess Luna never mentioned this… Of course it would be a touchy subject now that I think of it.’

“Neither did I until I got my hooves on this black beauty! He is such a fascinating character Vesper. One of the ponies who literally built Equestria, ready to tear it all apart for the mare he loved! It’s quit the tragedy. ANYWAY!” He shouted. “This is Vesper’s personal Journal, in it he keeps a very detailed timeline between when he was a colt to just before the lunar rebellion began.”

“Can I see that?” Bill stepped out of the way allowing twilight to hop onto the professor’s desk and examine the book. The lavender Mare skimmed the pages. “Bill I can’t read any of this; what is this language?”

“That, my old friend… is the ancient language of the dragons.” Bill said, his grin still beaming.

Twilight looked over to the professor as if he just stuck apples up both his nostrils. “The language of the dragons… this entire book is written in Draconic? And you can read it?”

Professor Neigh nodded “And believe you me it wasn’t easy learning.” The professor trotted over to the bookshelf behind his desk and pulled out a large folder. He pulled on the snap that held it closed and pulled out a thickly folded piece of parchment. “This is a rubbing, from the dragon stone at the dig sight at Mt. Draco. It’s not much to go off of, but at least we have a base to work off of actually translating dragon into Equestrian.”

“Yeah I read about that on Equestria Geographic, it’s incredible!” Twilight giggled with excitement.

“Well it’s about to get a lot more incredible, because this isn’t the whole thing.” Professor Neigh refolded the paper and tied it back up in the folder.

“What do you mean?” Twilight asked, cocking her head.

The professor slipped the folder back into place. “I mean that this isn’t Vesper’s whole journal, he ran out of space to write in this one. And I know where the second one is, it’s in the tomb of the Eight.”

Twilight cocked her eyebrow. “Tomb of the Eight, I’ve never heard of that. What is it?” she queried.

“I’m glad you asked; it’s the final resting place for NightMare Moon’s top lieutenants, eight of the most brilliant strategists, most powerful mages, and most ruthless killers ever to have existed. I know where it is thanks to a few hints from old Vespy’s little black book. Now I’d bet my last bit that Vesper is buried with them, and with him his second journal and the only firsthoof recollection of the Lunar rebellions from NightMare Moon’s side of the story! It may revolutionize everything we know about the Rebellions! It could open up a whole new perspective on the princesses! And I want you to come with me to find this ancient fellow.” Professor Neigh said, his boyish grin glowing with enthusiasm.

Twilight rubbed the back of her neck “Wow uh, really... I just dropped in to say hello, and you just expect me to go out treasure hunting with you, on a whim?”

Bill nodded his head “Yeah.”

The Lavender Mare’s gave the professor that look like he was crazy again “I don’t know shouldn’t we tell the Princesses about this plan of yours first?”

The brown earth pony sat down in his chair with his mouth agape. “Twilight I’m surprised at you! I’ve never known you to pass up a chance to go find a mostly old book! And besides; the princesses don’t need to know right now, you know that if we tell anyone about this, it isn’t going to stay quiet. We’ll be wading in a sea of mediocrity, trying to get a slice of our own pie!”

Twilight bit her lip, trying to decide what to do. On one hoof she would be jumping blindly into the fray without a single mind of what’ll happen. On the other a potential find of the century and she’ll be the first to study it with another brilliant mind. She smiled deviously. “When do we leave?”

The exultant professor jumped out of his chair in delight and shouted “WOOHOO!” The brown coated earth pony started shoving books and written notes into his saddlebags. “I’ll meet you at the Ponyville train station Tuesday at six o’clock bright and early! I’ve got lots of preparations to make I’ll speak with you later!” The wild professor said in a very fast manner as he slung his saddlebags over his back and charged out the door like his mane was on fire.

Now Twilight stood there in Professor Neigh’s office alone, with her face buried in her hoof. “What have I gotten myself into this time?”

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
The Pony in the Crystal Cage

Author's Note

This is my first fanfic, constructive criticism is welcome :D

Chap. 2- Old Pony, Old tricks (updated)

Chap. 2- Old Pony, Old tricks

The night air was cool and arid; the full moon loomed overhead, complimented by its many tiny scintillating counterparts. Its soft ambient glow fell upon the puffy mounds of the vapor as they were pushed along by the ever shifting winds like a shepherd leading his herd to pasture. The only thing that could be heard over the howling airstreams high above was the hard beats of the dragon’s massive wings as she darted threw the sky.

The colossal creature raced across the skies above the clouds like a missile. The majority of the dragon’s scales shimmered like volcanic glass, while her bottom jaw, throat, belly and the arrowed tip of her tail were a brilliant vermilion. Her large swept horns were as large as a pony from mussel to tail.

“Venite Caldera...” A blue Pegasus stallion bellowed on top of the mighty beast. The pegasus was a ultramarine blue and nearly black mane with streaks and patches of gray, his eyes covered by a pair of tinted goggles witch held his HUD. His large bat like wings clung to the sides of the dragon’s neck. The pegasus wore a long blue jacket with purple trim running along the edge. A silver shield with the eye of nightmare and his rank insignia were embroidered onto either sleeve of his jacket. And his name, Hail Storm, stitched on. "OSTENDE MIHI QUID POTES!"

The dragon known as Caldera grinned widely, her fiery eyes narrowing. She snorted a bit of smoke from her nostrils as she banked to her right; she swept back her wings and began to spin. Hail clung to the dragon by her horns and neck, holding on tight as the dragon spiraled and banked in-between loose clouds. He let his eyelids fall on their own weight, he took deep even breaths and visualized himself and Caldera flowing through the open skies. Caldera arched her neck upward and beat her wings heavily, ascending rapidly. Time seemed to slow as she halted her wings and the two began to free fall downwards.

This was a regular routine for Hail and Caldera, the dragon was able to practice her aerial maneuvers, and Hail was able to perfect a meditation technique he developed. Hail would enter a deep state of concentration while Caldera would try to shake his concentration threw some trick flying that would have a normal pony begging for mercy within the first few seconds. The night air chilled his lungs like he had just dove into a tub of ice. Caldera would rock his body till his bones hurt, and his fur felt like it was being torn from his skin.

But threw all this, Hail was able to still focus on the steady beating of his heart and both of Caldera’s. Hail’s world condensed into an area of only a hundred or so feet. He could feel himself leaving the world behind, the pains from the flight left him and numbness took over his body. The smells of the Everfree forest bellow him faded. Her wings beat like drums in his head, their unified strokes rubbed his mind like a talented masseuse. He was alone with his friend in an ever stretching void of only the two of them.

Caldera rapidly killed her acceleration, signaling Hail to snap out of his mediation. The Night came crashing back into reality, as well did his cognitive abilities. His could smell the forest bellow again, his nose tingled from the icy winds, and his eyes felt like they were being sucked into the back of his head. and in the distance, was the Palace of Everfree, one of the three seats of power in Equestria and Central Command of the Equestrian Imperial Guard.

Before Princess Luna had returned to Equestria, not many know of the ruins hidden in the center of the Everfree forest; even less knew that it was once the home of the Obsidian Throne, Luna’s seat of power. But shortly after her return, Luna had begun the reconstruction of the ancient city, and now that the Palace of Everfree had been returned to its former glory, ponies had begun returning to the old city. As time went on, Everfree grew in size and scope. Luna’s new outlook on her duties as the princess of the night and the guardian of her subject’s dreams had inspired her to revive the old Night Guard. Within the following decades Everfree evolved into an impregnable citadel. The city is now the very heart and nerve center of Equestrian’s Armed Forces.

Caldera circled the fortress; the palace itself was nearly double the size of the Canterlot palace, the entire fortress having an area of about six miles. The walls of the castle were in the shape of a smooth slanting circle, with watch towers spread out every few hundred meters. Numerous smaller separate structures surrounded the main castle, which consisted of a massive main rectangular hall with an arched roof and numerous spires. At the base held the heart of the city, Luna’s court, EIG Central Command, and ancient room that once held the elements of harmony; it was refurbished into a type of shrine of the history of the Mane six, and the princesses of the triarchy. The city itself beamed in the light of the full moon, like one of the night sky’s many glistening jewels. Very little lights were ever needed in Everfree, seeing as how the moon supplied most of what they needed to see, and most of the ponies who called Everfree their home could see very well in the dark. Around the city going about their business were a few squadrons of Night Guard pegusi threw the air on their patrols.

“We have you on PsiDAR now Commander,” PsiDAR; Psychic Detection And Ranging, the Equestrian’s primary means of tracking “You’re clear to land on pad three. Welcome back.”

Hail guided Caldera to the right by gently pushing and pulling on her horns in the right direction. Caldera obediently banked to her right, when they came close to the landing pad protruding from one of the secondary spires of the castle she began flapping her wings furiously to kill her velocity. The Dragon landed on the platform with a thunderous stomp and the creaks and screeches of metal, shaking the landing pad and most of the palace when her claws met the reinforced landing station. Caldera rested her neck on the deck and allowed her passenger to dismount.

Hail folded his wings back up and dropped to the ground. He fixed a few imperfections in his jacket, and slid his goggles down around his neck, revealing a pair of marigold colored eyes. He gave the dragon an encouraging pat on her head with a hoof “That’ll do old girl, that’ll do.”

"Commander!" Shouted a stallion, galloping onto the landing pad. A honey colored unicorn with a bright cherry colored hair and an olive eye. He was missing both his back legs below the knees, his entire left foreleg and his left eye. Them being replaced with Bio-mechanical prosthetics. "Commander, I have something interesting you'd like to hear!"

Hail turned his head to the side catching site of the officer calling in his peripherals "Admiral Ratchet,” he said, patting Caldera on her snout. “If you’re going to tell me your rank on your collar is crooked I will personally ensure you will get a good scolding from the princess on the importance of proper uniform Etiquette." Hail fixed the collar, and began walking down the path off the landing pad. Caldera took to the skies once again and disappearing from sight behind the castle.

Ratchet took a look at his collar, mentally slapping himself and beginning to adjust the insignia. “I would have expected a little more creative chastisement from you actually.” Ratchet responded; the hydraulics of the lift door hissing open as the Commander stepped inside the polished silver interior of the elevator. “The Drill Instructors still don’t allow sugar in the barracks after last time you decided to ‘Educate’ the recruits.”

Hail let out a chuckle as he recollected the memory. “Coming from the one who calls me ‘excessive’ and ‘overzealous’” Hail added as his XO (Executive Officer) slid like a cat into the lift just before the doors hissed closed and began rapidly descending into Everfree.

Ratchet chuckled as the lift hummed to a halt and the doors hissed open again, the two stepping out into a corridor simultaneously and beard to their right. “I digress sir. I just got back the latest reports from our the new project and the recruitment stations-“

Hail speed up to a trot down a large corridor decorated in the signature blues and purples of the Night Guard, banners fluttered aloft in the slight breeze as the two ponies walked by. Ratchet’s metal hooves clanking on the stone floors. The air tasted crisp and had a smelled slightly eclectic. The few ponies in the corridor diverting their paths to allow their superior officer by them “Let me guess, we got another stream of convicts who’ll rather enlist than spend their time and I need to whip em’ into shape via a bit of demonstration?”

“The new recruits are non-nationals, sir.”

Hail physically and mentally stopped in his tracks, and stared into the air for a moment. Hail whipped around and snatched Ratchet’s data pad from his magical grasp and read the contents carefully. “We’ll I’ll be a son of diamond dog… how in Tartarus did this happen?”

Ratchet snatched back his data pad, the two continuing their slow trot down the hall “In some recent weeks we’ve had a steady increase in immigrations, and in the applications from said non-nationals. We always need bodies in armor, and they’ve got the bodies and we got the armor. The Night Guard has earned quite the reputation since you took over, sir.”

Hail rolled his eyes “Sometimes I think I’m too good at what I do.” He sighed “Isn’t there some kind of law that says only citizens can enlist?”

Ratchet raised a brow in confusion. “Her Majesty Luna just signed the order that’ll allow them in- Sir.” He trailed off “This is a historic moment in not only Night Guard but world history! The Night Guard is now THE first multinational military organization ever. The Night Guard was always a symbol for new beginnings. Taking in the less fortunate, giving them second chances at life. Now it’s a symbol of unity, it will be the different mentalities that these outlanders will bring to us that will make us stronger. The world is changing and it’s starting to see Equestria as its center.”

“Oh how the young like to dream.” He murmured under his breath. “Ratchet, we’ll always be fighting each other. There will always be those who will be rooting for their adversaries on all sides. Every now and then I still come across a Changeling sympathizer calling me a butcher. It’s only just a matter of time witch one of us comes out on top. And as to whom that’ll be? Well I guess it’ll be the one who has the most cunning and ruthless commanders.” He winked to his Executive Officer. “And this nation was founded and tamed by Equestrians. It was built by the blood sweat and tears of Equestrians. And Equestrians continue to fight and die for its defense. Any war that threatens Equestria should be fought by Equestrians.

Ratchet cocked his head and glared at his Commander “Will there ever be a day you stop fighting and take the peace when you can? The world is changing, and its people are changing with it. Maybe there is a better way don’t you think?”

Hail smirked again and chuckle rose from his gut “There’ll never be peace as long as they’re still players on the board, that’s why ponies like me are still in existence.”

Ratchet rolled his eyes “You mean cynical old bastards like you?” he said as they both arrived at a large steel door.

A series of numbers appeared in holograms on the right side of the door, and Hail began to punch in a number code on the holograms “Cynical old bastards like me.” Hail said, grinning for a moment before punching the enter key on the door’s holograph.

“C.O.L.T. online” A smooth, masculine mechanical voice came from the consul. The Controlled Operations and Logistics Terminal, or COLT, was the main computer that ran the entire national defense mainframe in Equestria. “Supreme Commander Hail Storm. Full access granted.” The steel door bellowed as it was pushed horizontally into the wall. Beyond the threshold was a long hall filled to the absolute brim with ponies in uniforms of many colors trotting to and fro, going about their days.

“So is that how you see the world? As a game of never-ending chess?” Ratchet asked.

Hail smirked again and shook his head, “No, not chess Admiral. Goh.”

Ratchet raised a brow “Goh, Sir?”

“It’s a Cerivdinian game, the object is to capture as much territory as possible with as few pieces as possible. Chess players is the favorite pray of Goh players. Where Chess players run battles, they see the field as a grid, where if you win a battle you think you’re winning the war. But with Goh you wage war, you see that a battle is a means to an end to do just that win the war. The great Prince Thunderhead of the 3rd empire won numerous wars, some he won without raising a single blade.” Near the center of the hall Hail made a sharp left and pressed the up button on another lift.

“But Commander, you’ve been in lots of battles, I doubt I can name half of them if I tried.” Ratchet asked as the doors to the lift sprung open again and the two stepped inside.

Hail punched the top level key and the elevator shot upwards “I’ve seen a lot of combat yes, but I have only waged a war once in my career… it was…” Hail quivered in his uniform like he had just taken a bit of a particularly good slice of cake “enlightening to say the least. Even in a hairball the clever Goh player can even best the master chess player on his own board. Using as few pieces as possible to outmaneuver and accomplish a goal set by the player.”

Ratchet looked to Hail with keen “I never thought of it that way Commander, how did you came to that conclusion?” he asked.

The doors to the lift hissed open once more and the two were met by the cool breeze of the moonlit night. The smell of the forest around the city once again filled the air. And the sounds of the many animals in the forest overlapping the ponies and machines in the city could just be made out. Before them was a large observation deck at the top of one of the tallest spires in the city, around them were lite décor of grassy patches with a few assorted trees and bushes with a cobblestone path leading to the edge of the deck. At the edge was placed were a couple of chairs, a small table and a tin bucket with ice and assorted bottles sat between the two. Caldera skulked up from around the skies and landed almost gingerly on a grassy part of the over watch and made herself comfortable near the two chairs. Hail turned to the cyberpony and grinned deviously “Poor me a drink and I’ll tell you a story.”

The two warriors made themselves at home on the deck overlooking the Everfree forest, this was the reason the two had made this place their spot in the castle, you could see the Everfree forest from end to end, the moonlight reflecting off a near endless see of lush green with the faint glow of Mt. Canterlot in the Distance. The two would spend most of their free time up on this spot, staring into the horizon and up at the vast skies with the billions of twinkling little heartbeats, and far in the distance the northern lights can be just made out. And they were so high up that the noises of the city were barely audible due to the winds. Ratchet cracked a bottle of Spiced Rum and pored it into two glasses one he levitated over to himself the other to his commander who was lighting up.

“What’s the brand tonight boss?” Ratchet asked, sifting his drink and taking in the sent.

“Saddle Arabian Hash... The good stuff.” Hail responded passing a box over to his XO

Ratchet floated a joint into his mouth and lit the end with a spark from his horn. “So, what was that old war story you wanted to share this time?”

Hail took a sip from his rum and set the glass back down on the table “It’s not really a war story, technically,” He paused to take a puff “it was back in officer’s training… I was taking the Buttercup scenario-“

Ratchet cringed at the memory of the so called “unbeatable” test given to every young officer in training at the Imperial guard academy. This scenario involved a civilian airship that was shot down over the badlands, with possible survivors and valuable cargo to be recovered. A team is dispatched to secure the crash site, rescue the survivors and recover the cargo. But when the team reaches the crash, they are ambushed and swarmed by an overwhelming force. The test is meant to see if the officer can maintain control of the situation and is able to keep his men together to the bitter end. Only two ponies have ever “Won” the no win situation. Both of them have been in Hailstorm’s Family.

“Oh gods, that test! I almost had the bastards pegged but the game cheated me!” Ratchet exclaimed in frustration at the memory of the said unbeatable test.

“Aye brother, it is unbeatable. To those who play the game the way it wants you too.” Hail said, smirking in delight.

Ratchet perked his ear up to this. “Oh this I have to hear.” Said the Admiral.

“My solution to the no win scenario… I turned to one of my troopers and ordered him to arm a Tac *Tactical* Nuke and vaporize the transport.”

Ratchet couldn’t restrain himself, he busted out laughing. “You! You blew up the transport!? HAHAHAHAHAAA! Where in Tartarus did you get that idea!?”

Hail took another sip and continued “first of all you see, I spent most of my life living in the badlands, I know that wasteland inside-out, backwards and forwards. And you tend to notice the flight patterns of Airships that fly over your head on a regular basis. They really like to give the interior of the badlands a wide birth. Second, it was an obvious trap from the beginning. Third, the Transport was possibly filled with raiders ready to swarm us if we managed to board her. Fourth, I’ve seen first hoof what those Badders do to their captives… if that ship WAS filled with survivers I was doing them a mercy by letting them die quickly than live at the hands of creatures like that… now does that answer your question?” Hail turned towards Ratchet, and saw Caldera glairing over at him and shaking her head.

Ratchet stared at the commander in shock “Dear gods Hail… I suppose that is the… logical and… merciful thing to do. I know it’s a test but… I can’t help but feel for the people that actually happens to. I just wish there was a better way.”

Hail chuckled, “It’s a cold world out there Ratchet… Cold and harsh… that’s why Equestria thrives as it does.”

“I know what you mean there sir; Ponies have been fighting since as far back as history goes… we’ve been tried threw pain and suffering. And in that pain and suffering we grew closer to one another, we began to rely on each other because we were the only friends we had.” Ratchet paused for a moment, he turned to his commander.

Hail sighed deeply, setting aside his drink “The Griffins tried to break our people, and for a while they succeeded. But it was threw the fires of war and the temper of friendship that our people rose as one race, one people with one voice screaming to the world ‘We are Ponies godsdammit! And we won’t stand for this anymore!’ We are brothers and sisters in arms, all of us. The best and worst in everyone comes out when they are challenged and no race knows a challenge like the Ponies of Equestria.” Caldera stretched out her neck and laid her head next to Hail’s chair, the commander rested a hoof on the dragoness’s head.

“Our hardships bring us together,” Ratchet added “as long as we have a challenge to overcome, the heart and soul of our people can never be broken. And we have our friends and family to remind us of that.”

Hail raised his glass to no one in particular “Cheers brothers and sisters.”

“And may we be granted better challenges.” They both gulped down the last of their drinks and sat back. Starring off into the endless distance.

Author's Note

WELL AND TRULY AWARE I RIPPED OFF THE KOBAYASHI MARU SCENARIO!
PLEASE DON'T HAMMER POTATO PEELERS INTO MY PENIS! D:

Still looking for feeback! anyone who isn't a trekkie that wants to rage at me feel free :D