Chapters Chapter 1: The Meeting
On a cheerful winter night, six ponies are participating as the mains for one of the most anticipated shows of the year: the Hearth’s Warming Eve Pageant. Although the show was well done, akin to most Canterlot affairs, it has two sides. The story told of three divided nations of ponies arguing it out fiercely but without any real casualties, but in truth the bickering that occurs in the play is really more like a conquest of a land by three nations, ruining a significant portion of the historic Equestria, and spilling blood from all three sides to set the seeds of a new life.
This is their story.
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The northern land that was the pony homeland was populated almost exclusively by ponies. They lived in a fragile peace, commonly broken in spouts of fierce combat. It is this very combat that drew the eyes of Boreas, the keeper of the North winds. He sent three wendigos to stir up trouble for his own amusement, for he hoped that in doing so they would rip each other to pieces, and Boreas found this very amusing. It did not take long for the wind spirits to begin their endless blizzards.
The land that was filled with edgy ponies and wildlife fleeting among the trees and clouds was about to experience its death and abandonment at the hands of these chaotic spirits that took the form of spectral horses soon to come and cast eternal winter on the inhabitants for the sole purpose of amusing their master.
The Pegasi tried in vain to quell the storms, for they could not overcome the windigos’ magical auras, and not knowing that there was a sentience behind the storms, they continued to batter uselessly against the impenetrable clouds. Efforts were soon stopped after the death toll on the weather teams grew into the double digits, the Pegasi leader Commander Hurricane making the executive decision to cease the pointless attempts.
The Unicorns however, merely stayed in their cosy homes in the mountains, warmed by their magic, they were content to wait for the pegasi to do their work. It did not take long for the spirits to notice the unicorns’ cozy condition, and used their considerable power to remove the protective spell cast by the unicorns, they also blocked out the sky completely with their raging storms, leaving the land in perpetual night.
The Earth Ponies suffered the most out of the three, their crops and homes were destroyed. The death toll was catastrophic, three in five earth ponies suffered from sickness or died in the first year alone. Food supplies dwindled, and more and more of the plains where the earth ponies called home became infertile and covered in ice.
Food supplies dwindled, the lack of sun killed off almost every plant in the land, and the never ending storms drove out every surviving animal left. Soon a council was called to address the issue. All three sides attended to address the issue. The meeting came on the longest day of the year as a sign of hope that the sun would make an appearance soon. It went about in a way not dissimilar to this:
The sight of the meeting was to be at a large mansion that was owned by a wealthy earth pony now deceased at the edge of the plains under the shadow of the tall mountain home of the unicorns. The fields once attached to it were now all untended and frozen over like most of the plainsland. Its arches once housed a lively family, servants, and in the small building to the side, slaves now all gone leaving the landlord to shiver and starve by himself in the highest room weeping over his loss, little did he know, his descendants would found the city of Ponyville to the far south long after he was dead and gone.
The first to arrive was the earth pony delegation since they were closest, then the pegasi who could at best glide there due to lack of nourishment, and last came the unicorns who had to make the long trek on foot for the same reason.
A fire was set up and and a table dragged to the center of the once grand entrance hall, the rulers and their respective delegates all sat on separate sides of the table leaving the last side once occupied by the owner of the house, for the moderator, a wizened unicorn well past his prime. As a courtesy and tradition, each side provided courtesies. The earth ponies gave food out to the ravenous delegates, the magicians enchanted the fire to make it warm the whole room evenly, and the pegasi set up guards all around the house to make sure nothing with ill intent decided to wander in. The unicorns started off the proceedings by having Clover the Clever read out the reason of their coming-
“Ponies!” she uttered in her youthful voice, “We have gathered here today to discuss what to do about our current predicament regarding the neverending blizzards, the lack of food and sun, among other things that I’m sure you’re aware of…” she glanced in the direction of the pegasi delegation, “so would anypony like to step forward with ideas on a course of action?”
The now slim Chancellor Puddinghead pounded a hoof against the table, her voluminous gut now missing after a year of food shortage, “It is the fault of the pegasi that this is taking place! They say they have no control over these storms, but I say that they are causing them as a way of aggravating us earth ponies. I move that we banish the pegasi from this land!”
Commander Hurricane stood in outrage. She had once been a commander of a proud nation of pegasi, but now her people were gradually dying of as the lack of food or warmth took its toll, “That is an outrageous claim with no grounds whatsoever! You have no right to blame us for something we don’t even understand ! The blizzards are impossible to quell, I have lost many a loyal pony trying to disperse the clouds that hang over our land. They are nigh on immobile and any progress we make is instantly recovered! Why don’t the unicorns handle it with their witchcraft !?”
Now, the final leader, Princess Platinum gave her opinion. She may have been getting on in years, but was still very fierce when defending her beliefs and her people, “I for one can’t believe you are asking us to squash something powerful enough to overcome our strongest spells of shielding and warmth? We can’t even cast those spells anymore due to the lack of food ” she glared at the Chancellor, “and as such it is becoming impossible to tend to our own people! Also it is called magic, not witchcraft !”
At this point the moderator stood up but was knocked over as Hurricane jumped onto the table and stalked over to the princess until they were nose to nose and yelled into her startled face, “I will not be questioned by some witch such as yourself! You snivelling cowards have suffered the least compared to the rest of us, you have been sitting inside your magically heated homes sitting out the storms like a bunch of rats!”
The princess was deeply offended at being denounced as a rodent, “Well I never! How dare you use such a derogatory term on me, you flightless bird! You are as bad as those lowly earth-”
The moderator now suffering the final throes of a heart attack tried to call for help but was stepped on by the rushing Chancellor as she lept and dive tackled the pouty princess, only to be magically lifted off by Clover, “It’s all your fault!” she cried as she was lifted away.
“You’re to blame!”
“Look who is talking!”
“Well I’ll-”
The meeting that was supposed to be a friendly discussion to find how to solve the crisis dissolved into a scream-fest as each of the matriarchs was dragged out by their respective aids.
The house was left with even more damage than before, the fire left dark, and was abandoned to the cold just like the earth pony that once inhabited its now vacant walls. Each group made the difficult trip back to their domains to discuss amongst themselves what to do now that the meeting was no longer an option.
This failed meeting led to the complete and total abandonment of their homeland, and after that the bloodiest war ever recorded in pony history.
Chapter 2: The Chancellor's Return
Chapter 2: The Chancellor’s Return
The pink pony enters through the chimney as her friend dressed after her ancestors walks in, they speak about what to do before it is decided to leave behind the old land and start anew elsewhere.
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A hungry chancellor and her aid Smart Cookie depart the soon to be vacant house. Chancellor Puddinghead was fuming.
“Those insolent unicorns and pegasi! They don’t respect us because we don’t have any pretty little horns or wings. Bah! Begone with them!”, she cried into the night.
“Yes chancellor, but we must be getting on…” she glanced nervously around, nopony actually knew all the creatures that lurked in the shadows, and she wasn’t going to find out, “the wagon is right there, let’s get inside before we freeze...or worse.”
“Nonsense! We will be fine!” the now jovial chancellor cried, “those pesky beasts would never harm us in this cold, they probably are all frozen by now!”
The chancellor was a very odd pony, no one really knows why she was elected other than the fact that she looked out for her people fiercely and gave her all in their defense. Even if she was slightly insane, her plans usually worked (to the bafflement of everypony) though they usually involved unorthodox methods like say...falling through the chimney.
The wagon they traveled in was one of the last of its kind, wood had been scarce since all but the tallest redwoods shriveled and died, because of this it was now a coveted item for fuel and building. The wagon was on its last hooves anyway, and probably was going to be retired for firewood after this journey. The wagon pullers were huddled in their harnesses, shivering in the bitter cold. When given the signal, they started off on the long and cold trek back to the capitol where the chancellor was going to discuss with the high council a course of action.
They huddled inside the covered wagon for a very long time not speaking or moving until the wagon filled with their body heat and the small candle there for lighting was almost to the bottom of the stick.
“What are we going to do now that the others don’t look like they can or will help?” Cookie asked gazing up at the chancellor.
“We can discuss it at the council, I believe what is left of the Senate will be eager to hear about the proceedings.”, she replied rather cryptically.
Soon they began passing cold farms, with their windows shut, everypony inside busy with the impossible task of keeping warm. The farmland surrounding them as they passed was frozen, any not yet claimed by the ice and snow was pale and infertile. The dark skinned slaves that worked the fields had long since left to their own retreats in the frozen woods. The storms had hit the earth ponies the hardest out off all of the three groups. A white haze had descended upon the farms of the hard working ponies. They had become listless and had long since lost hope that any of them would make it out of this alive.
The ride was almost coming to a close when the pullers said that they were nearing the capitol. Cookie was eager to get back. She was a simple pony and wanted nothing more than to work on her farm in peace, and working as an aid to the friendliest pony ever to hold office was a great way to pass the time between harvests, though seeing as there wasn’t going to be another harvest, she was now on full time. Looking up at the roof she was trying to figure out how much firewood they could spare for the high council when the screams of the pullers could be heard outside as tearing sounds and roaring broke the night’s stillness like a hammer. Then, with an almighty lurch the wagon tipped over leaving the two ponies inside to scramble to their feet.
“Get out!” cried the chancellor, “we must assist them!”
They scrambled out of the overturned wagon to find two ragged harnesses lying in the snow with two quickly disappearing blood trails fading into the night. All that could be heard was the soft falling of snow and the mournful wind taking the breath from the duo staring at the disturbing scene.
The chancellor acted quickly,“Cookie, follow the road to the council and tell them I’ll be a little late.”
“I can’t do that” the aid protested.
“That is an order Smart Cookie, now prove your name by skedaddling along to the council!”, the chancellor was not in a chatty mood.
The aid gave in after a few more reprimands and walked off all the while looking over her shoulder and wondering just what the chancellor was planning.
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The aid had her doubts as to what the chancellor was planning as the curtain fell, she looked at her friend as the script called for and gave her best worried face.
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Cookie staggered into the council building to met the gaze of the twelve ponies gathered around a table meant to seat twice that number and then some.
"The wagon was attacked" she breathed out heavily, "the pullers were killed, the chancellor is...still out there."
One of the more aged ponies spoke up first, "and where is the chancellor and why isn't she with you?"
Cookie was about to answer when with an almighty crash, what was clearly the remnants of the wagon, a dead beast frozen stiff with blood, and the chancellor fell down the chimney, in that order.
"Evening!" The chancellor said to the speechless ponies before her, "I hope Cookie has been entertaining you while I was otherwise occupied?"
The high council and her aid simpley gazed at her dumbfounded. After all, it wasn't every day that you saw somepony fall down the chimney.
"Oh! Yes, before I forget, I need two new pullers as the current two have...retired six feet under.", she said to the guard ponies standing at attention by the doors.
"At once chancellor!", one called before walking off.
It was at this point that the council found their tongues and decided to bombard the now seated chancellor with questions as to what happened, accompanied by the merry blazing of a wagon wheel combusting in the hearth.
The chancellor looked annoyed by the questions, and ignoring them simply described what happened in an order that suited her.
"The unicorns and Pegasus denounced us as they always have done, the meeting has achieved nothing! They are not willing to help. I would like to propose that we abandon this frozen wasteland for more fertile fields in the south!", she declared with much gusto.
This announcement went down well with the council and after a few minutes of discussion, it was decided that they would leave their land behind, after all it was all frozen over and infertile. This worried the aid, she wasn't sure this was a good idea, and felt that maybe more negotiations were necessary, but not one to question, she obediently watched as the plans were made as to how to relocate a nation of ponies.
Author's Note
So uh...ya that happened. In case you haven't realized it yet, I am making the earth pony ancestors southern plantation owners. I hope no one was offended, and I have nothing against dark skinned ponies.
Chapter 3: Gale Force Fury
Chapter 3: Gale Force Fury
The rainbow maned pegasus flies into stage followed closely by her shy friend. They are surrounded by elegant pillars of marble atop majestic visages of clouds tainted by the ever increasing piles of dirty snow piled up everywhere. She looked at her friend with a affection that was most definitely not from the script and began announcing her lines surrounded by whirling clouds as the audience watched on raptured.
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An angry Commander was not one to be trifled with, and Commander Hurricane was a few ticks past that into the territory of the stark raving mad. Her illustrious armor was beat up, and she had been ridiculed by the rulers of the other nations. They had no right to look down on her like that, she ruled an army that outclassed any of their weak subjects.
"Guards! Form on me!", she called to the six pegasi standing outside the door.
"Ma'am yes ma'am!", came the six responses as the starved pegasi took up ranks around their leader and readied themselves wearily for take off, dreading the freezing experience they were about to have.
At the lead of the commander, all seven of the armor clad pegasi flapped their wings, and took to the windy skies. Almost at once, a chilling gust hit the freezing pegasi, and they frantically scrambled into their places around the stolid commander.
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The wendigos spotted the phalanx of pegasi formed up together like a tightly packed wedge braced against the cold touch of the wind spirits. Eager to please their master, they began galloping the patterns that would bring down a small taste of their full power upon the unsuspecting fliers.
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Commander Hurricane and her command valiantly flew into the waiting trap, mice entering the house of the cat. The first cloud bank broke before the onrushing pegasi, fierce winds that would have punctured an air balloon with ten holes in as many seconds. The pegasi pulled a perfectly executed breaking turn staying in a formation befitting any strict military command, after all these kind of freak winds are expected in a blizzard of this scale and magnitude. Coming out of the tail of the wind with a huge grin plastered on her face was the commander whose worries were blown away by the sheer joy of flying.
With this fantastic display of skill the skies grew clear, and the bright rays of a sun long forgotten shone upon the dazzled pegasi. There wasn’t a cloud for a mile, the air was still, dew droplets glistened on armor as ice melted in the light of the sun, not a sound permeated the stillness, and looks of awe overtook each pony as the fatal mistake was made, and the cats closed in for the kill.
With a blast of wind that would have particalized any balloon foolish enough to even think of it, a blast of sleet colder than the hearts of the spirits that cast them, the sun abandoned the now helpless pegasi. The force was unheard of, such power never felt before, and almost immediately, the formation flew into ten pieces. Pegasi and the pieces of their comrades unfortunate enough to be caught on the leading side of the gust tumbled out of control, the cloud banks laughing, thunderous booms in the perpetual storm. The sky back to its roiling gray death bringing condition.
Commander Hurricane acted quickly, extending her frozen wings to their fullest extent and pointing against the wind, flapping with all her might and pulled out of the deadly suction. Her small accomplishment filled her mind for an instant with pride, but she shook her head and began looking for her guards. She spotted only five guards tumbling through the vicious storm, when evidence of one of the missing guards flew past her, missing by mere inches, the gaping head of her point pony. She reeled away from the ghastly sight and focused on the job at hand. As if to torment her further, booms rang out as lighting cracked the sky above her and three of the remaining five guards erupted into smoke and fire, bodies instantly combusting, their screams taken by the howling wind. She pushed even harder, reaching the first survivor, Loyal Blade who had a gash running down the left side of her flank and a severe bruise growing on her left wing joint, blood swelling the area to twice it's normal size. Acting quickly, she nudged him into a recovery position and activated years of training as he automatically readjusted his flight path to face into the now normal storm.
Next she had to find Second Wind, who she had last seen taking a crushing gust of wind into her back sending her tumbling up into the upper storm clouds.
"Get ready!", she called out.
"Acknowledged", came the dazed reply.
They charged through the clouds above them and caught sight of the out of control pegasus as she spun dangerously close to an updraft that would surely send her beyond the point a pony could safely breathe the atmosphere. She rode a draft into Second Wind's path and kicked her limp form awake and into a recovery position, allowing her to peel of in time avoiding the updraft by so little, that it tore at the manes of the three pegasi.
“Fall on my course, we’re going home.”, she said to the weary survivors of her depleted guard.
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The armor clad pegasus told her timid friend the story of the previous scene, using as much gusto as she could, before declaring the same verdict that the other pairs had or would come too in their parts.
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Commander Hurricane banked past a dark storm cloud to come upon the spectacle of her once grand city in the clouds. Elegant marble structures stood on clouds white as the snow that now covered everything. Firelight gleamed dully from the largest building in the center of the city. They headed for it, making for the promise of a warm rest. Pegasi milling about completing the duties assigned to them wearily snapped to attention as the trio past, not even questioning the loss of six in their number. Zooming past both derelict and repaired buildings, Hurricane pondered the situation of her people and came to a conclusion she was going to deliver to the waiting Senate.
Coming in for a landing, she touched down while her guards found creative ways of stopping themselves with the floor of the pavilion. Medics immediately rushed over and dragged the gasping pegasi away. Hurricane simply ignored Pvt. Pansi as she nudged the commander's beat up frame towards the direction the of other medics who were treating the guards as they went into shock. Instead she faced the group of pegasi dressed in elaborate robes seated side by side in rows leading up to form a circle in which the commander now walked into and declared to all there her grim news.
“Faithful pegasi! I bring tidings of indifference from the frivolous unicorns and those shameless earth ponies! They spat on our glory!” this pronouncement brought forth cries of rage and revenge from the crowd, “Now we must act on our own! Since these storms appear to have no end, and all attempts to stop them have failed miserably, I call that we move from this forsaken land to somewhere new!”
Cheers and whoops filled the Senate, and plans for flight patterns and paths were started, maps were brought out, and a feeling of malice began taking in the commander of the pegasi.
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The wendigos neighed in malicious pleasure at the success of their endeavor. The headstrong commander had blamed the deaths of her guards on the other nations. Everything was coming together better than anything the spirits could have hoped for. Their master was going to be very pleased.
Author's Note
Well, I hope that was action enough for you guys, next chapter will be VERY dark. Anyway, feel free to point out mistakes, and I update the description so read it every time ok?
Also thanks for reading it, I feel it's a great honor that people would read my stories.
Chapter 4: Derelict Peak
A large door is being wheeled into place, the white pony behind it ready to make her grand entrance, the curtain is ready to rise. Her purple friend waits at the other side of the stage, looking expectantly at the door. She takes a deep breath, and steps forward.
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Two frenzied leaders were dragged out of the front door buy their entourages, leaving the one princess seated at the table looking disdainfully up at the ceiling with her servant and confidant seated next to her.
Soon, the last of the others left with a slamming door and an armor clad pony waving her fist in anger getting shut outside in the cold. The princess smiled at this, and looked around the earth pony home. It was slowly growing dimmer as the fire crackled down to a its last few embers leaving the high arches of the dining hall in shadow. She walked slowly out making sure to tread on the apple embossed on the floor, trailed by Clover the Clever as she opened the door with her hoof to let in the cold blizzard air. Stepping out, she proceeded to stand next to the carraige door. Her driver closed the door behind Clover, leaving the apple to be forever more, in shadow.
“Let us be off! Driver open the door, I’m freezing” she called as the shivering pony magically opened the carriage door for the impatient princess, “Hurry on home, I never want to see this place again!”
The carriage groaned on its magically enhanced wheels, and inched forward gaining speed as the pullers fell into the pace set by the driver’s calls. Inside the carriage was the princess now sitting grumpily upon a mattress being tended by her servant.
“Milady, what do you plan to do?”, said Clover as she sat down next to Platinum and looked at her expectantly.
“Well, I’ve about had it with these inferiors! They act like it is our fault! Shouldn’t the pegasi be blamed for this mess? They have been tending to the skies since before my,” she took a breath, “great-great-great-great-great grandmother was ruling!”, she cried with much gusto.
“I can’t say why the other ponies haven’t been very nice, after all we do suffer as much as them.”, Clover said dutifully to the fuming princess.
“Yes! The cold is too strong for even our magic! I fail to see how the inferiors can think that we are living in toasty homes and eating our fill! It has been the worst possible experience for the unicorns!”, she cried with indignation.
A rap sounded on the front of the carriage, “Milady, we are entering the gate town, I advise you not talk for a bit, the beggars are sure to come.”, said the nervous driver.
Their conversation at an abrupt end, Clover decided to open the small sun shaped window letting the light in the carriage spill out onto the desolate buildings they were passing by. Windows were boarded up, doors shut, and snow piled up everywhere. Figures sat in shadow in between houses, bundled up in blankets and unmoving. All that could be heard was the howling wind and the creaking of the carriage moving along the deserted streets.
The buildings themselves were hunched over as if braced against the cold. One house in particular drew her eye, it was a small cottage with a simple design, a black sign nailed to the front door labeled it as forsaken. There was nothing she could see in the dark windows, if she was able to peer into the glazed covers, she would have seen dusty furniture and pictures, memories left to the will of time. The main distinguishing feature was the front yard. Covered in snow, the yard was not particularly interesting nor did it have anything unique about it except for a small tombstone, the only thing not covered in the enveloping white substance, a wreath of withered flowers lay in front of it. She looked closely, trying to discern the scribbled name on the fading headstone, but something else caught her eye. Hidden under the flowers was a small and almost invisible hoof sticking out of the ground, a product of the hasty burial given to the deceased foal. She looked at the hoof with sadness, a child probably no more than a year old.
Looking around, she began to notice more graves like the one she had seen, buried in front of abandoned homes, any gifts already frozen solid in the freezing air. The sheer number of them astounded her. It was then that the living showed their faces, their eyes empty of happiness, the gaunt figures of starved unicorns stared out at the passing carriage, cold frowns on their faces. Then one unicorn, whose horn had cracked, and whose crazed eyes hinted at the madness that resided within, locked his eyes with hers, a mad grin slowly creasing his face as his pupils contracted and drifted slowly apart.
She closed the window, and proceeded to wait out the ride with her head in her hoofs, the laughter of the mad pony echoing behind them.
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The purple unicorn greeted her friend as she came in, asking of her as to how the meeting went. The white fashionista, now with her hoofs in a warm bath of water told of a rowdy meeting and her decision to leave this land for the better.
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The carriage rattled to a stop, conversation could be heard outside.
“We will be going straight to through the city to the palace!”, called the driver.
With a groan, the large wrought iron gate creaked open in front of them, its hinges long rusted through. The carriage slowly increased in speed, and passed under the once grand gateway, now barely cared for and covered in rust and frozen over. The capitol was populated with tall five story buildings, most of which were abandoned, falling into a state of disrepair. Roofs sagged into top floors, holes gaped from walls revealing the broken furniture laying overturned in cold rooms.
Almost immediately, the palace came into view, its elegant arches covered in snow.
“The city is waiting for you inside.”, said the shivering driver.
“Excellent, I have prepared a speech for my subjects. I’m sure they will understand my logic.”, said the princess, stepping towards the open door.
They were greeted by the sight of the entire city staring expectantly at the two ponies. The entrance hall was well lit with magical fires that burned in bowls suspended from the ceiling maintained by the guard ponies flanking each and every door. The princess, unfazed walked regally through the crowd, followed by the nervous Clover. They proceeded through the grand entrance hall with elaborately illustrated depictions of the unicorns’ illustrious history, and up the stairs to the balcony where the princess cast a quick spell to amplify her voice and broke the silence by giving an announcement.
“I am the bearer of bad news, the inferior ponies have spit on us! They have refused any and all help! We must act on our own!” this was met by murmurs of agreement and approval, “I have made the decision that we are abandoning our cities! As glorious as they are, we can always rebuild! We shall begin anew far away and never speak of this blizzard again! Who is with me!?”
The crowd roared as they began discussing amongst themselves what to take and who they would travel with, gradually dispersing to pack and spread the word.
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Thunder crackled as the wendigos laughed at the three nation’s decisions, their master would be pleased at their progress, the plan was going according perfectly and was exceeding every expectation. Soon the war would begin, but for now, they still had more strings to pull.
Author's Note
So uh ya. Chapter 4 came out, hope you liked it. I didn't make it too dark, though it probably could have been worse. Like frozen corpses in the empty rooms. Anyway, I really appreciate you guys that read this, you are awesome, and I hope you still thought this was a good chapter.
Chapter 5: The Brink of Departure
Chapter 5: The Brink of Departure
The white unicorn gracefully walked forward followed by her friend trailing close behind. She played her part flawlessly, bemoaning the river before her as the purple unicorn rolled her large eyes. They had a discussion about the dangers of the world and how vicious it all was, but in the end the white princess ended up riding atop her staggering friend.
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The unicorn capital was abuzz with activity despite the chilling wind and snow blowing around the mountain on which it stood. Inside the city and past the palace walls in the bowels of the grand structure was the surprisingly simply dressed princess who was prepared for travel at the advice of the grand magician Starswirl the Bearded. Beside her was her young and untested but loyal servant Clover busy seeing to the transportation of the expensive possessions of the princess.
“That is the last of the jewels, is there anything else you wish to bring?”, asked Clover, whose nose was dug inside a checklist, a pen magically held at her side ready to take a note from the princess who was busy staring at her apparel in the mirror.
“Oh, well I don’t want to take anything else since it would be far too heavy for the pullers.”, she said sadly staring into the mirror, lamenting her less than regal cloak.
“Well, we best be leaving, the weather has gotten much better to the south, I think it is a sign of a good expedition.”, advised Clover as she picked up her own personal saddlebags and waited at the door for the princess as she made her way out.
They moved purposefully out to the gates of the palace. The spells that had once protected the elegant arches and paintings had long since been discontinued due to hunger and lack of unicorns that were able to heat and protect such a big structure. Thus, the walls were scarred by the snow, and the tapestries and paintings hung in tatters, hardly moving in the wind due the the ice that coated the once supple works of art.
“You know, I really am glad to be leaving this place behind”, said the princess looking at the mangled decorations.
“Yes your highness, I’m sure your decision was a good one, after all the populace seemed to be very happy with your pronouncement.”, said the aid dutifully.
“I for one think that you all best leave with more haste”, said an aged stallion walking in through the door to the entrance hall, “after all, no one is sure how long this break in the storm will last.”
“Starswirl! It is good to see you”, exclaimed Platinum, finally looking away from the remnants of a painting of several ponies gathered at a dining table, their faded faces held wonder and admiration for the pony who sat in the middle “we shall be going now, do not fret.”
Starswirl rolled his eyes, soliciting a suppressed giggle from Clover as they made their way through the entrance hall, which had guard ponies milling around gathering the final stores of food, gear, and any other things that needed loading into the large wagons outside.
Stepping out into the open air, they were given a spectacular sight. A entire city of unicorns milled around wagons filled with the personal possessions, magical torches filled the city as ponies were filing out of the gates to stay at the villages at the base of the mountains. The streets were filled with more activity than anything seen in the last year since the storms hit.
“Milady,” said a guard who had trotted up, and bowed before his princess “the scouts have just checked in, and they say they have found good land to make a temporary camp, we await your command to move the initial colonization group out to the site.”
“Well, I’m sure it will be better than the freezing mountains, so onward!”, cried the princess, stepping into her carraige followed by her aid.
“Clover, we will have a lesson when we stop to make camp understood?”, said the wizened Starswirl.
“Of course teacher.”, said Clover, hurrying past into the carriage which promised warmth and a mildly comfortable ride.
The guards began moving off, calling out to the busy unicorns, “Make haste! The first group is moving off! Remember to go to your assigned camps to await further instruction!” Their cries slowly fading off as they moved further down to the city gates.
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The pink earth pony gazed inquisitively through the holes cut out of the map held over her face. Her modestly dressed friend rolled her eyes beside her. They began walking in circles, not really going anywhere on the stage. They got into an argument, executing their lines with finesse, the verbal exchange getting heated to the point that the pink pony spat the map into the orange ponies face and proceeded to walk off a small cliff.
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The battered towns of the plains were alight with activity, the masses of earth ponies were busy with preparations. Valuables were brought out, coveted bags of preserved food were uncovered for the journey, provisions were counted, and all the ponies began assembling in their respective towns, all huddling together waiting for the final order to move south. In the capitol city was the chancellor who was making her sixth inspection around the city. It was filled with the chatter and banging of thousands of ponies all busy with preparing for the coming journey, the streets were littered with the belongings of the residents. Wagons were being hastily built, hammers banging away incesently at the frozen wood of freshly felled redwoods to carry the massive nation of ponies.
The chancellor looked around the busy main street, “Interesting…” she said to nopony in particular. The focus of her interest was the discolored bodies of the deceased, unfrozen by the hasty work of the city, and trampled to the point that they became unrecognizable. Her contemplations were interrupted as a militia pony ran up.
“Miss chancellor! The council wishes to know when you will give the order to leave.”, he said.
“Oh! Everything seems to be well underway in my opinion! I think that as soon as the last wagon is finished, we should head out!”, she said cheerily trotting off to stare intently at some frozen planks of wood.
The militia pony rolled his eyes and walked away down the littered street. Soon enough, he came up to the regional quartermaster's tent, a hasty construction of animal skin supported by two long poles of wood stuck as deep as they could go into the frozen ground. A torch lite the form if the quartermaster himself, a gruff piece of work with a blunt face weathered by the never ending snow and sleet.
The pony looked up from a long list of materials and schematics strewn across the battered table before him, "Why are you in such a rush?"
"When will the last wagon be completed?", he asked curtly ignoring the question not wanting to waste any time.
"Why would I know when the last wagon will be done, does it look like I build them?", he said indignantly, "I can tell you how many we still need to complete if that helps."
"Sure, that will work.", the militia pony conceded.
"We have twenty three to make and two hundred thirty seven complete, is that all?", the annoyed quartermaster said, glancing back to his work with an impatient expression.
"Yes, is there anything else that needs to be done? Anything that might delay our leaving?", the pony asked also wanting to end the conversation.
"No, not that I'm aware of, now if you don't mind I have work to do.", said the quartermaster turning away to face the table again, "and remember, I don't cover anything outside of the capitol!", he called after the militia pony as he quickly vanished down the active street, off to deliver the news to the council.
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Wind blows across the stage, the rainbow Pegasus glanced at her friend. Clouds are moved across the background, and powder fell. She pushed her friend forward as they battled the black clouds and roaring wind.
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The thud of hundreds of hooves hitting against marble and cloud echoed all across the skies. The snow covered buildings where alight with a mass organized dismantling of anything and everything that could be carried in flight. The freezing wind seemed almost insubstantial in comparison to the mass preparation taking place high up in the clouds.
"Heave! Put your backs to it! If we're to move out on schedule, we'll have to pick it up!", screamed a monitor as he egged on the groaning pegasi beneath him, as they lifted a large bag of essential supplies, "I haven't seen a sorrier bunch since the Tulane Rift!"
Commander Hurricane watched from the sideline, as the bag fell from the grasp of the inexperienced lifters and crashed into the floor below.
"Why you little sacks of manure! I'll have you court martialed the next time you drop one of those! Now get down and give me fifty!", yelled the monitor, who was horrified that his team had just messed something up in front of the commander.
"I'm terribly sorry commander! This won't happen again!", the monitor said, cowering slightly under the gaze of the infuriated Hurricane.
"I'll speak to these ingrates myself, now get out of my sight!", Hurricane yelled at the retreating monitor, turning her gaze to the offending ponies snapping to attention before her, "Do you call that lifting!? You went through training! You know that pegasi overcome no matter the odds! I don't care how small your rations are, you will overcome! Am I understood!"
She was met with a firm, "Ma'am yes ma'am!"
"Now salvage whatever still works down there and bring it to the mustering point! Remember we leave at twenty two hundred!", she ordered before turning to find a messenger standing before her with an anxious expression.
"What is it?", the commander asked wearily.
"Ma'am, the second scout patrol has come in with a suitable DZ!", the messenger said before turning and flying off.
"Excellent...", she muttered wearily to herself and flew off to the command center.
The Capitol was filled with pegasi, some walking or working on the ground, but most flying in formation to their assigned rally points. The pegasi chain of command was very effective, and was evidenced by their swift preparations. Sitting across a square with a platoon parading past was the command center, it was a sturdy construction built a wooden frame covered by animal skins from a dead predator. It was a standard build and was designed to collapse quickly for transportation.
Inside of the tent, Hurricane found her aid Pvt. Pansy talking with the scout patrol, "I'm sorry the commander is unavailable, you'll have to wait."
"But we were told to come here! She must be around!", blustered the sergeant in charge of the patrol.
"I just received word", said Hurricane stepping inside.
The lieutenant on who was directing in her absence instantly yelled, "Commander on deck!"
The pegasi snapped to attention at their stations allowing the sergeant to give a report, "We have found a suitable path to travel south, and we also mapped out the path for three miles, but we should be able to move all battalions through without difficulty."
"Excellent, send the map to logistics and they'll handle it" ordered Hurricane before turning to face her aid, and asked of her, "is there anything else that is needed?"
"Yes ma'am, Colonel Ice wishes to consult with you about necessary troop adjustments and possibly a transfer of some units to a different battalion.She was at the Alpha group mustering point last I checked.", the aid replied.
"Fine, I'll go deal with that, we had better be ready to depart on schedule. It's almost time for the final review before we take to the skies and leave this frozen waste dump.", Hurricane said as she departed the busy command tent.
Chapter 7: Sound of War
The six ponies onstage each proclaimed their amazement as to the new land until they each noticed each other's prescience and began bickering as to whose land this was. Clouds closed above them, and the lights dimmed as the second half of the story began.
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Three pegasi bore witness to a spectacular land, one covered in fertile soil, trees, tall elegant mountains, and clear blue skies interrupted only by white clouds spread across the atmosphere. The new world was ripe with possibilities, and the scouts wasted no time in surveying the best locations to have a new citadel in the clouds.
The journey had been rough, all three groups suffered through the ordeal. The chilling wind gave way to a parched desert that took the lives of many a dehydrated pony. The desert ended in a vast and high mountain range that proved to be the grave of many who fell to the elements. Now, greeted with such splendor the nations, oblivious to the other's presence each took to the land or the skies in the pegasus' case.
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Peach Blossom stood facing out to her land watching the ponies busy at work sowing the first seeds to grace this patch of land. Overseers shouted and called out instructions as workers struggled to lift the beginnings of a barn on the far hill. She had been granted this land by the head of agriculture himself, and she planed to farm it for all her workers were worth, after all she had a profit to make.
Little did she know that not five feet beyond the tree line, five pegasi were making hasty additions to a map while one flew off to report the sighting of earth ponies to high command. As soon as the fifth member of the surveying party left, the other four took up advantageous positions around the bustling farm and waited for further orders.
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Annoyed banter filled the clearing as several pegasi puzzled over the schematics to a farmhouse. Becoming self sufficient was proving to be difficult for the pegasi who were used to collecting from the disorganized earth ponies. They had only seen farms being used when they came to collect their dues from the other race of ponies. Their attempts to prepare the clearing for planting bordered on comical as they attempted to handle the recently made farm tools.
Two unicorns closed on the location of the pegasi, oblivious of the group they were approaching, they were in hot pursuit of a deer, a species they were unfamiliar with and intent on documenting. The pegasi were finally preparing the small farm with some efficiency when the deer burst through the trees followed by the two unicorns surprising both parties involved.
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Several unicorns were busy marking the trees below the mountain they resided on to monitor activity and see if any interesting animals could be seen going about their regular lives. The village they belonged to was halfway up the steep face, with farms and other infrastructure set up along the sides where rock was removed to allow for small strips of flat land to be populated.
A procession of earth ponies fifty strong pulled along supplies to set up a new town at the base of the mountain before them. Wagons laden with tools were pulled by work ponies while fillies ran In between them to the chagrin of their parents. The procession soon came into view of the unicorns who immediately backed up the trail leading up the cliff side only to be spotted by the guards around the convoy.
Two of the guards broke off to provide a block against the unicorns who proceeded to retaliate by casting a fire spell that landed on a wagon sticking to every exposed surface and setting it aflame. Screams tore out from the inferno and guards quickly rushed in to pull out survivors and any surviving materials. At this moment multiple guards rushed the unicorns from every side and tackled them before they could unleash anymore spells, and proceeded to bash their skulls in spilling brain matter over the grass.
The guards that were attending to the fire came out with several pieces of machinery, a lantern, and one filly whose body was burnt beyond recognition. His skin was charred, the cutie mark that once graced his flank now only a blackened mess of flesh, ash, and bone.
"My baby!", cried a pony who stood anxiously to the side. She took the filly from the guards and sobbed over her child's disfigured form.
One of the guards, by the name of Vanarly declared, "Someone has to pay for this."
"I say we raze the village these unicorns must have undoubtedly came from!", cried another.
This pronouncement was met with much uproar and cheering. So the guards and all of the able bodied ponies in the convoy suited up with armor older than they were and ignited torches using the still burning wagon. The earth ponies were in a rage that couldn't be stopped, and quickly departed up the trail in the trees leaving the young and old to console the mother as she continued to sob over her child.
The village was unprepared for the attack, unicorns were quickly beat down by superior numbers and their homes put to the torch. Screams filled the air that day, as the convoy pulled away to deliver the grim news leaving the mountainside a wall of flame.
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The pegasi reacted to the unicorns presence with military efficiency, the ones in the back taking to the skies as the rest charged for the unicorns. Their adversaries quickly backed away and unleashed destructive spells that repelled the pegasi charging at their throats and began summoning.
"Defend me!", cried one to a giant body of earth that rose from the ground to stand before the unicorn.
"Kill them!", cried the other to a whirlwind that had coalesced from the air itself, a whirling vortex of fear and rage.
The earth elemental was met by the pegasi on the ground who were felled by the elementals' fists that smashed the ground, leaving craters and broken pegasi before it. Meanwhile, the fight in the air was going in a similar manner, pegasi were being pulled into the vortex and coming out shredded and gored. As quickly as the battle had started, it ended even faster. The unicorns gathered what information they could and rushed back to report of the series of events.
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Night had fallen upon Peach Blosom's farm, and every pony had long since retreated back to the shelter of the house and sheds. The pegasi lay in wait around the buildings reinforced by several pegasi that had come back with orders to eliminate the threat.
With a wordless signal passed down the line, the pegasi descended upon the house creeping past the lit windows from which laughter and other sounds of good cheer could be heard. The leader, Swift Hoof started the attack by smashing the window beside him open and dashing inside followed by two privates as the others' swift breaches could be heard and quickly and violently dispatched the maids inside the small room. Wasting no time they began a room to room attack, killing every single thing that got in their way.
The very last room to be cleared was the study, occupied by Peach Blossom who looked at the pegasi with unbridled anger. "This is my land! You have no rig-"
Her pronouncement was cut short by two hind hoofs jamming into her chest which sent her flying out the window and into the hard ground below with a sickening thud followed by the smattering of glass from the window. The pegasi departed wordlessly through the broken window for their homes to deliver a mission accomplished.
What none of them could guess, was that at this very moment a snowflake was slowly falling to the ground as laughter could be heard high up in the stratosphere as the we digs celebrated their achievement.
Author's Note
Sorry for the long hiatus but I followed your advice and got to the action!
Hope you like the new look, if someone could explain what all the buttons did that would be awesome.
