The Republic of Equestria: The Rise of a New Nationby TheBestBrony3342ChaptersChapter 2: The Fall of New HooverChapter 3: In the WildChapter 4: First SnowChapter 1: The Fall of EquestriaChapter 2: The Fall of New HooverThe evergreen forest outside of the village of New Hoover was quiet. No sound was heard except for an owl, some crickets, and the sound of hooves hitting the dirt. A beige stallion was galloping through the dark forest, his eyes wide with worry and his breathing short. A village guard spotted him. "Halt!" he said. The beige stallion skidded to a stop, his breaths coming in short ragged gulps. "What is your business here so late at night?" the guard inquired. "I...I bring news for-for Dark Flame," said the stallion. "What news?" "Griffins," he said. "Griffins are heading towards the village. I must warn Dark Flame." "Of course. He's in his house. Do you know where it is?" "Yes...thank you." The stallion then continued running in the direction of New Hoover. He galloped all the way to Dark Flame's house and knocked frantically on the door. The door opened to reveal his son, a teenage colt named Dark Star. "Who are you?" he asked the stallion. "I'm simply here to give a message to your father. Is he awake?" "Yes, I'll get him." After a few seconds a loud, "FATHER! THERE'S SOMEONE AT THE DOOR!" sounded throughout the house. A few seconds later a taller figure stood in the doorway and looked at the beige stallion. "Who are you? What do you want?" Dark Flame said. "I'm a messenger who was sent to tell you that...that a large group of griffins are coming from the south." "How many?" "Around 100, maybe more." "Dammit. We don't have enough trained fighters to deal with that many griffins." He thought for a moment. The he turned to his son. "Dark Star, I want you to go get Shadow Bolt. Tell him I want to talk to him immediately." "Yes, Father," said Dark Star. Dark Flame muttered to himself for a few seconds before remembering the beige stallion was standing in the doorway. "I'm assuming you'll want compensation, correct?" he said. "No, sir. I was simply told to warn you." "By whom?" "I...I can't tell you his name. It is forbidden." "I see." "Dark Flame!" said a stallion that looked mildly angry. "What is the reasoning behind sending your son to wake me up and send me here?" "Thank you, messenger. You may stay at the inn if you wish. If not, then head back to wherever you came from," said Dark Flame. "Thank you, sir," said the stallion. He then left for the inn. "Ah, Shadow Bolt. A pleasure to see you again, my old friend." "If the only reason you called me here was to visit, then I'm heading home," Shadow Bolt said. "I called you here to tell you to start organizing our militia." Shadow Bolt's face melted into one of worry. "Why? We haven't had to call the militia since before my son was born." "I know," Dark Flame said. "However, I have just gotten word that a large group of griffins, around 100 or more, is headed towards the settlement." "WHAT!!!??" yelled Shadow Bolt. "That many?!" "Yes," muttered Dark. "That many." Dark Flame and Shadow Bolt stood in silence for a few seconds before Shadow went to gather the militia. "We're doomed," said Dark Flame as he entered his house, Dark Star close behind. After a few hours of preparing, the militia of New Hoover was ready to fight. They had a few mercenaries too. The entire village was silent, waiting for the attack. Finally, after almost nine hours after the warning, a shot rang out, and a pony fell. "Sniper! Take cover!" yelled a soldier. The militia spread out and took cover behind anything solid and started shooting at any griffin within range. The griffins were upon them in seconds, shooting one pony after another. Shadow Bolt retreated to his house. "Son!" he yelled. "Yeah, Dad? What is it?" "I need you to leave the village. Take your friends with you and leave. Don't look back." "Dad, what are you talking about?" "Just leave! Go! I'm your father so do what I say and leave! Take this with you as well!" He threw a small pistol at him. He looked up to argue only to see his dad was gone. So, taking his dad's advice, he left for each of his friends houses, only to find all three of them trapped between a building and a group of griffins. Without thinking he aimed his pistol and fired at the group, downing one and distracting the others. Beast, an earth pony, strangled on with his bare hooves. Nimble, Beast's brother, took another griffin's gun and shot him with it, killing him. Finally, Dark Star used his magic to make the last griffin's head explode. They all ran towards Shadow Flight and thanked him. "No problem," he said, "but we've gotta go. Now!" They all agreed and escaped the village and ran into the forest. After about an hour of running, Nimble collapsed. Shadow stopped and tried to get him to stand up. "Can't...run...any...more," he said between breaths. "I think we can rest for a bit. We're far enough away that nothing should find us until tomorrow at least," said Beast. They all agreed and made a small burrow for shelter. "What will we do tomorrow?" asked Dark Star. "I don't know," replied Shadow Flight. "All I know is that we need to to stay as far away as possible from New Hoover." So the group of four slept on the forest floor for the night, glad to be safe, but worried for their families. Morning would bring all sorts of challenges to the group of ponies who have never seen anything outside of their village. They would also always have the thought that maybe, just maybe, they can save New Hoover. For now, however, they sleep. Chapter 3: In the WildAs Shadow woke up, the first thing he noticed was the smell of smoke. It was a few moments before he realized the scent was, in fact, smoke. This realization caused him to bolt awake and scramble outside the burrow, only to find a large trail of smoke overhead, with wisps occasionally reaching Shadow, inciting a cough. The others, disturbed by his sudden movement, soon followed him outside the burrow. "What do you think it's coming from?" asked Nimble. "Based on the direction it's coming from, most likely New Hoover," replied Dark Star. "So...so you're saying that they b-burned the town?" "Yes, Nimble," said Beast. "That is exactly what Dark Star is saying." "Most likely burning its inhabitants with it," said Shadow. Nimble started to whimper as tears started to well up in his eyes. He started crying into Beast as Dark Star gave Shadow an angry look. "What?" asked Shadow. "What do you think?" asked Dark Star. "You blatantly say that Nimble's parents might be dead, and you have the audacity to ask, 'What?' as if you didn't just fucking devastate his life." "I was simply being honest!" exclaimed Shadow. "Sometimes its a bit better to soften up a bit and realize that not everyone takes loss as well you do," said Dark Star. "I'm sorry, but i didn't realize that being honest would hurt anyone's feelings." "You weren't being honest," said Beast. "You were being an insensitive bastard that doesn't take others' feelings into account." "Hey, just because i hurt Nimble's feelings doesn't mean I'm an insensitive bastard! Besides, Nimble wasn't the only pony to lose family." "Oh, so now you're going to hurt our feelings too, huh?" asked Dark Star. "What? No! I was simply-I was...oh forget it. Lets get going." As Shadow walked away, with Dark Star following, Beast got Nimble up onto his hooves. "Are you okay?" he asked. Nimble nodded, then quietly followed Beast towards the other two members of the group. No pony talked much for a while, and what was spoken was usually incoherent to the the rest of the group. After many hours of walking, the group decided to rest for the night. They made four separate sleeping areas and a very small campfire in the middle. "It wont be long before the snow sets in," said Dark Star. "Hopefully we'll have some form of shelter before that happens," Shadow said. "If not, then we're going to be a bit cold for a while." Dark Star looked pointedly at Shadow and said, "If we don't find a good shelter before the snow sets in, we'll be as good as dead. You and I both know how bad winter can get here." "Well what will we use? There's nothing around here, at least as far as I can tell, and we're running out of time," said Shadow. "Aren't there other settlements around here?" asked Nimble. "Not around here. There are other settlements, but they're all far away," said Beast. "Oh," said Nimble dejectedly. "Hey, it'll be alright. You'll see," said Beast. "Let's all get some shuteye. We'll worry about where we're going tomorrow," Dark Star said. The others agreed and laid down to sleep. It was a few minutes until Dark Star decided it was okay to put the fire out. "Good night, everybody," he whispered. It wasn't until Dark Star was almost asleep that he heard a slight sniffling coming from Shadow Bolt's direction. He slightly lit his horn and looked at Shadow. "Shadow," he whispered. He didn't respond. "Shadow!" he whispered a little louder. This time Shadow looked around as if searching for the voice before seeing Dark Star. "Was that you?" he asked. "Yes, what's wrong?" asked Dark Star worriedly. "N-Nothing's wrong," Shadow replied. "Shadow, I know you're lying. Now what's wrong?" It was a few seconds before he answered. "I...heh, I never thought I'd say this, but I...I miss my dad. And I know it sounds childish, but he's all I've had since I was born. He raised me, fed me, kept a roof over my head, endured all my bullshit. He loved me even when I didn't love him. He gave me everything, and yet when he needed me most, I-" Dark Star placed a hoof on his mouth. "Shadow, there was nothing you could've done. He gave you a weapon and told you to leave. You obeyed." "I could have stayed and helped!" "And what would've happened? You'd be dead just like everyone else!" "I had a weapon!" "You have a pistol. They had assault rifles. You wouldn't have lasted a minute against the griffins. Your father did the right thing by telling you to leave. It's a father's job to protect their children, and by telling you to leave, he was doing exactly that. He didn't need you to help him by fighting. He needed you to help him by running. It isn't your fault that he died. He risked his life so that you wouldn't lose yours. It's what a father does." "That doesn't change the fact that I miss him," said Shadow. "I know. I miss my family as well, but it doesn't do well to dwell on the past. You have to move on. It wont be easy, but it is necessary if you want to survive." Dark Star paused. "You know, I'm here if you ever need some help with anything. We've been friends long enough for you to know that." Shadow smiled and said, "Thanks. For, y'know, everything." Dark Star smiled back. "Anytime, my good friend. Now, go to sleep." Shadow scoffed. "Yes, sir, Mr. Bossy-pants," he said. "I'm not bossy. Now shut up and go to sleep." Shadow chuckled before settling down. A few minutes later, both Dark Star and Shadow were asleep. Chapter 4: First Snow"It's about bloody time you woke up!" said Dark Star as Shadow rose from his slumber. "What?" asked Shadow sleepily. A cold substance coming into contact with his hoof immediately woke him up... and made him jump. "What the fuck?! It's not even December yet!" exclaimed Shadow. "Which is exactly why we need to get moving. If the first snow is this early, you can bet your ass that the snow storms are gonna come early as well," said Beast. Shadow breathed deeply and said, "Where would we go? The closest settlement would be Ponyville, but that's still miles away. By the time we got there, we'd be either dead or on the brink." "Then we don't stop. No breaks, no sleep, nothing. We move constantly," said Dark Star. "Then the cold will take advantage of our exhaustion and kill us even faster!" exclaimed Shadow, his voice raising. "It's the only choice we have! If we stop at all, that's less time we have to get to safety," said Dark Star. As they were arguing, Beast and Nimble were looking at a map of Equestria that they had brought with them. "We're here," said Nimble, pointing to a forested region south of Vanhoover. "Ponyville is here," said Beast, pointing to where Ponyville was on the map. He sighed. "I don't think we'll get far enough away for the storm to miss us. Best case scenario, we get caught in the outskirts of the storm and get to Ponyville before any real storms set in." After looking over the map one more time, he walked over where Shadow Flight and Dark Star were still arguing. They had been arguing for the past half hour, and still didn't have a plan. "Hey, you two!" Beast yelled. The two stallions stopped arguing and turned to look at Beast. Before they could say anything, Beast said, "Come on, I have a plan." The two friends looked at each other, shrugged, and walked over to him. "What is it, Beast?" asked Dark Star. "We are here, in this small forested region, miles away from any civilization. The area is already under a fairly thick blanket of snow, and more is falling as we speak. This only going to get worse," said Beast. "Beast, we already know all this. What is this so-called "plan" of yours?" asked Shadow. "We head south," said Beast. The other stallions looked at each other nervously. "What? Is there something wrong with this plan?" "That area is swarming with griffins. We wouldn't get very far without getting arrested or shot," said Shadow. "And besides, the storms start in the west, particularly the northwest. If we head east then south, we will avoid any large amounts of griffin soldiers," suggested Dark Star. "Storms also come from The Frozen North, which blanket northern Equestria in a thick blanket of snow," said Beast. "Well which would you prefer: imprisonment or snow?" asked Shadow. Beast didn't answer. Nimble spoke up. "I would prefer the cold to imprisonment, personally." Beast looked over at his brother. He sighed. After another couple minutes of thinking, he nodded in agreement. "Let's go with your plan," he said. Shadow and Dark Star sighed in relief. They then began to plan their route through northern Equestria. "First, we travel to Galloping Gorge. From there, we go southeast to the Unicorn Range. We climb over the range, and head directly towards Ponyville," said Dark Star. "Sounds good," said Shadow. "Any objections?" Beast and Nimble shook their heads. "Good. Then we start moving immediately." "What!?" exclaimed Beast. "We need to at least rest!" "No. If we wait, we'll get caught in the storm. We have to move now if we want to stay ahead of it," explained Dark Star. "Beast, they're right. If we wait, we may not have the energy to escape the storm," said Nimble. "We have to leave now." Beast was still hesitant, but he finally agreed. Immediately afterward, they left for Galloping Gorge. As they left, they didn't notice the mysterious pony watching them from a distance. "So, they have decided to head east," said the pony. "I had hoped that they would have chosen that path." "Sir, wouldn't it just be easier to escort them personally?" said another pony. "Those are not our orders. Our orders are to follow them, watch them, and make sure they get to Ponyville safely. We cannot intervene directly, nor can we give away our presence. If we do, it could risk our whole operation." "Right. I simply thought that it would be easier to let ourselves be known." "Perhaps it would be. But the easiest way is not always the best or the wisest." He watched as the four friends walked into the distance. "Now, lets make sure the make it to their destination." Chapter 1: The Fall of EquestriaOver 200 years ago, Equestria fought against the warlike Griffin Kingdom. The war lasted 62 years and crippled the Griffin Kingdom economically. The effect the war had on Equestria was much worse, for they lost, and the griffins aren't exactly merciful. After they defeated Equestria, they burned every city, town, village, etc. to the ground, except for Canterlot. The only reason that Canterlot was spared was so that the griffins could have a stronghold in their new territory. Celestia and Luna, the last Alicorns, were publicly beheaded, causing mass panic throughout Equestria. After the death of the two monarchs, the griffins easily took the country. Most ponies fled to other nations, while others stayed behind to live their lives in what was left of a once great nation. Cities were left in ruins of simply great big piles of steel and glass. Almost nothing was left of Ponyville, Appleoosa, and Dodge Junction. To walk anywhere in what was left of Equestria was to walk through miles of plains, or walk through empty ruins. Skeletons are all over Equestria, just rotting in the ground and spooking any pony who finds them. Most ponies and even some griffins say that it is depressing to walk the streets of an Equestrian city. The only place where you would find even a hint of civilization would be either in Canterlot or in one of the settlements around Equestria. Canterlot was inhabited by griffins and pony slaves now, while settlements provided temporary shelter for a weary traveler. Most ponies lived in settlements after the war, usually to simply have somewhere to live. The settlements were usually built near cities. This was because most of the remaining population lived in the cities. Manehattan had three settlements, Fillydelphia also had three, Baltimare had one, Hoofington had one, Vanhoover had one, and Las Pagasus had five. There was one in the Everfree Forest and also one in Whitetail Woods. One was built between Appleoosa and Dodge Junction as well. The largest settlement had a population of about 120. Most settlers were armed, since the land lacked an army. These armed settlers did a fairly good job of defending their settlements, at least against small patrols. It was when the larger groups attacked that most settlements were destroyed. Forty three years after Equestria had fallen, only six settlements remained in the former country. One hundred twenty three years later, in the small settlement near Vanhoover, 4 ponies were born who would shape the future of the ponies of the Equestrian Ruins. Their names were Shadow Flight, Dark Star, Beast, and Nimble. These ponies would become the best warriors in the world since the Griffin War. They would free Equestria and bring peace back to the country. But first, they needed to learn how to shoot a gun.
Chapter 2: The Fall of New HooverThe evergreen forest outside of the village of New Hoover was quiet. No sound was heard except for an owl, some crickets, and the sound of hooves hitting the dirt. A beige stallion was galloping through the dark forest, his eyes wide with worry and his breathing short. A village guard spotted him. "Halt!" he said. The beige stallion skidded to a stop, his breaths coming in short ragged gulps. "What is your business here so late at night?" the guard inquired. "I...I bring news for-for Dark Flame," said the stallion. "What news?" "Griffins," he said. "Griffins are heading towards the village. I must warn Dark Flame." "Of course. He's in his house. Do you know where it is?" "Yes...thank you." The stallion then continued running in the direction of New Hoover. He galloped all the way to Dark Flame's house and knocked frantically on the door. The door opened to reveal his son, a teenage colt named Dark Star. "Who are you?" he asked the stallion. "I'm simply here to give a message to your father. Is he awake?" "Yes, I'll get him." After a few seconds a loud, "FATHER! THERE'S SOMEONE AT THE DOOR!" sounded throughout the house. A few seconds later a taller figure stood in the doorway and looked at the beige stallion. "Who are you? What do you want?" Dark Flame said. "I'm a messenger who was sent to tell you that...that a large group of griffins are coming from the south." "How many?" "Around 100, maybe more." "Dammit. We don't have enough trained fighters to deal with that many griffins." He thought for a moment. The he turned to his son. "Dark Star, I want you to go get Shadow Bolt. Tell him I want to talk to him immediately." "Yes, Father," said Dark Star. Dark Flame muttered to himself for a few seconds before remembering the beige stallion was standing in the doorway. "I'm assuming you'll want compensation, correct?" he said. "No, sir. I was simply told to warn you." "By whom?" "I...I can't tell you his name. It is forbidden." "I see." "Dark Flame!" said a stallion that looked mildly angry. "What is the reasoning behind sending your son to wake me up and send me here?" "Thank you, messenger. You may stay at the inn if you wish. If not, then head back to wherever you came from," said Dark Flame. "Thank you, sir," said the stallion. He then left for the inn. "Ah, Shadow Bolt. A pleasure to see you again, my old friend." "If the only reason you called me here was to visit, then I'm heading home," Shadow Bolt said. "I called you here to tell you to start organizing our militia." Shadow Bolt's face melted into one of worry. "Why? We haven't had to call the militia since before my son was born." "I know," Dark Flame said. "However, I have just gotten word that a large group of griffins, around 100 or more, is headed towards the settlement." "WHAT!!!??" yelled Shadow Bolt. "That many?!" "Yes," muttered Dark. "That many." Dark Flame and Shadow Bolt stood in silence for a few seconds before Shadow went to gather the militia. "We're doomed," said Dark Flame as he entered his house, Dark Star close behind. After a few hours of preparing, the militia of New Hoover was ready to fight. They had a few mercenaries too. The entire village was silent, waiting for the attack. Finally, after almost nine hours after the warning, a shot rang out, and a pony fell. "Sniper! Take cover!" yelled a soldier. The militia spread out and took cover behind anything solid and started shooting at any griffin within range. The griffins were upon them in seconds, shooting one pony after another. Shadow Bolt retreated to his house. "Son!" he yelled. "Yeah, Dad? What is it?" "I need you to leave the village. Take your friends with you and leave. Don't look back." "Dad, what are you talking about?" "Just leave! Go! I'm your father so do what I say and leave! Take this with you as well!" He threw a small pistol at him. He looked up to argue only to see his dad was gone. So, taking his dad's advice, he left for each of his friends houses, only to find all three of them trapped between a building and a group of griffins. Without thinking he aimed his pistol and fired at the group, downing one and distracting the others. Beast, an earth pony, strangled on with his bare hooves. Nimble, Beast's brother, took another griffin's gun and shot him with it, killing him. Finally, Dark Star used his magic to make the last griffin's head explode. They all ran towards Shadow Flight and thanked him. "No problem," he said, "but we've gotta go. Now!" They all agreed and escaped the village and ran into the forest. After about an hour of running, Nimble collapsed. Shadow stopped and tried to get him to stand up. "Can't...run...any...more," he said between breaths. "I think we can rest for a bit. We're far enough away that nothing should find us until tomorrow at least," said Beast. They all agreed and made a small burrow for shelter. "What will we do tomorrow?" asked Dark Star. "I don't know," replied Shadow Flight. "All I know is that we need to to stay as far away as possible from New Hoover." So the group of four slept on the forest floor for the night, glad to be safe, but worried for their families. Morning would bring all sorts of challenges to the group of ponies who have never seen anything outside of their village. They would also always have the thought that maybe, just maybe, they can save New Hoover. For now, however, they sleep.
Chapter 3: In the WildAs Shadow woke up, the first thing he noticed was the smell of smoke. It was a few moments before he realized the scent was, in fact, smoke. This realization caused him to bolt awake and scramble outside the burrow, only to find a large trail of smoke overhead, with wisps occasionally reaching Shadow, inciting a cough. The others, disturbed by his sudden movement, soon followed him outside the burrow. "What do you think it's coming from?" asked Nimble. "Based on the direction it's coming from, most likely New Hoover," replied Dark Star. "So...so you're saying that they b-burned the town?" "Yes, Nimble," said Beast. "That is exactly what Dark Star is saying." "Most likely burning its inhabitants with it," said Shadow. Nimble started to whimper as tears started to well up in his eyes. He started crying into Beast as Dark Star gave Shadow an angry look. "What?" asked Shadow. "What do you think?" asked Dark Star. "You blatantly say that Nimble's parents might be dead, and you have the audacity to ask, 'What?' as if you didn't just fucking devastate his life." "I was simply being honest!" exclaimed Shadow. "Sometimes its a bit better to soften up a bit and realize that not everyone takes loss as well you do," said Dark Star. "I'm sorry, but i didn't realize that being honest would hurt anyone's feelings." "You weren't being honest," said Beast. "You were being an insensitive bastard that doesn't take others' feelings into account." "Hey, just because i hurt Nimble's feelings doesn't mean I'm an insensitive bastard! Besides, Nimble wasn't the only pony to lose family." "Oh, so now you're going to hurt our feelings too, huh?" asked Dark Star. "What? No! I was simply-I was...oh forget it. Lets get going." As Shadow walked away, with Dark Star following, Beast got Nimble up onto his hooves. "Are you okay?" he asked. Nimble nodded, then quietly followed Beast towards the other two members of the group. No pony talked much for a while, and what was spoken was usually incoherent to the the rest of the group. After many hours of walking, the group decided to rest for the night. They made four separate sleeping areas and a very small campfire in the middle. "It wont be long before the snow sets in," said Dark Star. "Hopefully we'll have some form of shelter before that happens," Shadow said. "If not, then we're going to be a bit cold for a while." Dark Star looked pointedly at Shadow and said, "If we don't find a good shelter before the snow sets in, we'll be as good as dead. You and I both know how bad winter can get here." "Well what will we use? There's nothing around here, at least as far as I can tell, and we're running out of time," said Shadow. "Aren't there other settlements around here?" asked Nimble. "Not around here. There are other settlements, but they're all far away," said Beast. "Oh," said Nimble dejectedly. "Hey, it'll be alright. You'll see," said Beast. "Let's all get some shuteye. We'll worry about where we're going tomorrow," Dark Star said. The others agreed and laid down to sleep. It was a few minutes until Dark Star decided it was okay to put the fire out. "Good night, everybody," he whispered. It wasn't until Dark Star was almost asleep that he heard a slight sniffling coming from Shadow Bolt's direction. He slightly lit his horn and looked at Shadow. "Shadow," he whispered. He didn't respond. "Shadow!" he whispered a little louder. This time Shadow looked around as if searching for the voice before seeing Dark Star. "Was that you?" he asked. "Yes, what's wrong?" asked Dark Star worriedly. "N-Nothing's wrong," Shadow replied. "Shadow, I know you're lying. Now what's wrong?" It was a few seconds before he answered. "I...heh, I never thought I'd say this, but I...I miss my dad. And I know it sounds childish, but he's all I've had since I was born. He raised me, fed me, kept a roof over my head, endured all my bullshit. He loved me even when I didn't love him. He gave me everything, and yet when he needed me most, I-" Dark Star placed a hoof on his mouth. "Shadow, there was nothing you could've done. He gave you a weapon and told you to leave. You obeyed." "I could have stayed and helped!" "And what would've happened? You'd be dead just like everyone else!" "I had a weapon!" "You have a pistol. They had assault rifles. You wouldn't have lasted a minute against the griffins. Your father did the right thing by telling you to leave. It's a father's job to protect their children, and by telling you to leave, he was doing exactly that. He didn't need you to help him by fighting. He needed you to help him by running. It isn't your fault that he died. He risked his life so that you wouldn't lose yours. It's what a father does." "That doesn't change the fact that I miss him," said Shadow. "I know. I miss my family as well, but it doesn't do well to dwell on the past. You have to move on. It wont be easy, but it is necessary if you want to survive." Dark Star paused. "You know, I'm here if you ever need some help with anything. We've been friends long enough for you to know that." Shadow smiled and said, "Thanks. For, y'know, everything." Dark Star smiled back. "Anytime, my good friend. Now, go to sleep." Shadow scoffed. "Yes, sir, Mr. Bossy-pants," he said. "I'm not bossy. Now shut up and go to sleep." Shadow chuckled before settling down. A few minutes later, both Dark Star and Shadow were asleep.
Chapter 4: First Snow"It's about bloody time you woke up!" said Dark Star as Shadow rose from his slumber. "What?" asked Shadow sleepily. A cold substance coming into contact with his hoof immediately woke him up... and made him jump. "What the fuck?! It's not even December yet!" exclaimed Shadow. "Which is exactly why we need to get moving. If the first snow is this early, you can bet your ass that the snow storms are gonna come early as well," said Beast. Shadow breathed deeply and said, "Where would we go? The closest settlement would be Ponyville, but that's still miles away. By the time we got there, we'd be either dead or on the brink." "Then we don't stop. No breaks, no sleep, nothing. We move constantly," said Dark Star. "Then the cold will take advantage of our exhaustion and kill us even faster!" exclaimed Shadow, his voice raising. "It's the only choice we have! If we stop at all, that's less time we have to get to safety," said Dark Star. As they were arguing, Beast and Nimble were looking at a map of Equestria that they had brought with them. "We're here," said Nimble, pointing to a forested region south of Vanhoover. "Ponyville is here," said Beast, pointing to where Ponyville was on the map. He sighed. "I don't think we'll get far enough away for the storm to miss us. Best case scenario, we get caught in the outskirts of the storm and get to Ponyville before any real storms set in." After looking over the map one more time, he walked over where Shadow Flight and Dark Star were still arguing. They had been arguing for the past half hour, and still didn't have a plan. "Hey, you two!" Beast yelled. The two stallions stopped arguing and turned to look at Beast. Before they could say anything, Beast said, "Come on, I have a plan." The two friends looked at each other, shrugged, and walked over to him. "What is it, Beast?" asked Dark Star. "We are here, in this small forested region, miles away from any civilization. The area is already under a fairly thick blanket of snow, and more is falling as we speak. This only going to get worse," said Beast. "Beast, we already know all this. What is this so-called "plan" of yours?" asked Shadow. "We head south," said Beast. The other stallions looked at each other nervously. "What? Is there something wrong with this plan?" "That area is swarming with griffins. We wouldn't get very far without getting arrested or shot," said Shadow. "And besides, the storms start in the west, particularly the northwest. If we head east then south, we will avoid any large amounts of griffin soldiers," suggested Dark Star. "Storms also come from The Frozen North, which blanket northern Equestria in a thick blanket of snow," said Beast. "Well which would you prefer: imprisonment or snow?" asked Shadow. Beast didn't answer. Nimble spoke up. "I would prefer the cold to imprisonment, personally." Beast looked over at his brother. He sighed. After another couple minutes of thinking, he nodded in agreement. "Let's go with your plan," he said. Shadow and Dark Star sighed in relief. They then began to plan their route through northern Equestria. "First, we travel to Galloping Gorge. From there, we go southeast to the Unicorn Range. We climb over the range, and head directly towards Ponyville," said Dark Star. "Sounds good," said Shadow. "Any objections?" Beast and Nimble shook their heads. "Good. Then we start moving immediately." "What!?" exclaimed Beast. "We need to at least rest!" "No. If we wait, we'll get caught in the storm. We have to move now if we want to stay ahead of it," explained Dark Star. "Beast, they're right. If we wait, we may not have the energy to escape the storm," said Nimble. "We have to leave now." Beast was still hesitant, but he finally agreed. Immediately afterward, they left for Galloping Gorge. As they left, they didn't notice the mysterious pony watching them from a distance. "So, they have decided to head east," said the pony. "I had hoped that they would have chosen that path." "Sir, wouldn't it just be easier to escort them personally?" said another pony. "Those are not our orders. Our orders are to follow them, watch them, and make sure they get to Ponyville safely. We cannot intervene directly, nor can we give away our presence. If we do, it could risk our whole operation." "Right. I simply thought that it would be easier to let ourselves be known." "Perhaps it would be. But the easiest way is not always the best or the wisest." He watched as the four friends walked into the distance. "Now, lets make sure the make it to their destination."
Chapter 1: The Fall of EquestriaOver 200 years ago, Equestria fought against the warlike Griffin Kingdom. The war lasted 62 years and crippled the Griffin Kingdom economically. The effect the war had on Equestria was much worse, for they lost, and the griffins aren't exactly merciful. After they defeated Equestria, they burned every city, town, village, etc. to the ground, except for Canterlot. The only reason that Canterlot was spared was so that the griffins could have a stronghold in their new territory. Celestia and Luna, the last Alicorns, were publicly beheaded, causing mass panic throughout Equestria. After the death of the two monarchs, the griffins easily took the country. Most ponies fled to other nations, while others stayed behind to live their lives in what was left of a once great nation. Cities were left in ruins of simply great big piles of steel and glass. Almost nothing was left of Ponyville, Appleoosa, and Dodge Junction. To walk anywhere in what was left of Equestria was to walk through miles of plains, or walk through empty ruins. Skeletons are all over Equestria, just rotting in the ground and spooking any pony who finds them. Most ponies and even some griffins say that it is depressing to walk the streets of an Equestrian city. The only place where you would find even a hint of civilization would be either in Canterlot or in one of the settlements around Equestria. Canterlot was inhabited by griffins and pony slaves now, while settlements provided temporary shelter for a weary traveler. Most ponies lived in settlements after the war, usually to simply have somewhere to live. The settlements were usually built near cities. This was because most of the remaining population lived in the cities. Manehattan had three settlements, Fillydelphia also had three, Baltimare had one, Hoofington had one, Vanhoover had one, and Las Pagasus had five. There was one in the Everfree Forest and also one in Whitetail Woods. One was built between Appleoosa and Dodge Junction as well. The largest settlement had a population of about 120. Most settlers were armed, since the land lacked an army. These armed settlers did a fairly good job of defending their settlements, at least against small patrols. It was when the larger groups attacked that most settlements were destroyed. Forty three years after Equestria had fallen, only six settlements remained in the former country. One hundred twenty three years later, in the small settlement near Vanhoover, 4 ponies were born who would shape the future of the ponies of the Equestrian Ruins. Their names were Shadow Flight, Dark Star, Beast, and Nimble. These ponies would become the best warriors in the world since the Griffin War. They would free Equestria and bring peace back to the country. But first, they needed to learn how to shoot a gun.
