Tales of Old: the Sacking of Timbucktuby Prince_StaghornChaptersTwo Countries, Both Alike in Dignity... Well, at One Point, Anyway...Once Upon a Stormcloud Dreary...A Tale of Two CountriesChrysalis and AuroraThe King In Gold, the Queens In SilkInterlude: the Gathering StormThe Great Queen ChrysalisEpilogueTwo Countries, Both Alike in Dignity... Well, at One Point, Anyway...“Each day of war takes us farther from all we could hope to be or do. We gain nothing but heartbreak, and lose everything we cherish.” Timbucktu. A whimsical word, nowadays used to signify a far-off place. The remains of an ancient empire^, Timbucktu is a massive cloud city- part of Neighpon- that sits firmly over the Anaguma no gētou~ei^^, or if you want specifics, the corner connecting it to the Karasu no gēto.^^^ Another cloud kingdom, Vaporia, currently exists, travelling across the Grey Ocean. However, this airborne country, while larger, could never match the splendor of ancient Timbucktu. Like Vaporia, what remains of Timbucktu is composed of a special kind of ley-infused cloud material, permitting such a massive body of cloud to exist. The cities are constructed of a mixture of cloud and enchanted material, allowing for non-flight capable races to live and walk there, though today the only races that dwell there are kirin, tengu, and changelings, with a few pegasi and griffins. In its heyday, however, Timbucktu travelled across the Great Pelagic Ocean, from Ib'xian and Carrea to Concordia and North Griffonia. It was ruled by a bygone race of ponies, pegasi with glittering, jewel-like eyes. These were the ancestors of what are known today as the "Twinkle-Eyes". Though they are now varied, ranging in the typical unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony varieties, they retain the jewel-like eyes of their ancestors. However, all they can say is that their ancestors came from Timbucktu, and that no one knew how the city fell. *** Neighpon. The name evokes a sense of power, and a vision of many exotic locales. One of the three major world powers, Neighpon is famous for being the ancestral home of the changelings, though many other races can make that claim as well. Neighpon has four islands. North Island is mostly changelings, South Island is Kirin, and the West island is a mix, but is mostly ibex, since it is closest to Ib'xian. Foal Island has a single population of mostly changelings and Breezies. For nearly three hundred years, the Scaragowa Shogunate ruled over the Changeling homeland for the figurehead monarch. The Shogunate met its climatic end soon after the arrival of Princess Celestia's airships and the forcible opening of the Changeling Kingdom to Western trade following centuries of the Shogunate's isolationist policy of Sakoku which cut the kingdom off from its neighbors for centuries. After a subsequent bloody civil war between the Shogunate and the Royal Court, the defeated Shogunate was officially ended and the Roachanov Restoration followed, in which the monarch was restored absolute power, as well as the status of a living Kami. The current dynasty, the House of Roachanov^^^^, has ruled the Changeling Kingdom undisputedly and with an iron hoof for four hundred years and still going strong, gradually making the kingdom a great power in the Far East of the World and a leading competitor in world influence. Although it has historically developed a bitter rivalry against Equestria, it has formed good relations with other powers such as the Griffin Empire, and trust between Equestria and Neighpon has been restored thanks to the efforts of Chrysalis' son.^^^^^ The reigning monarch is Queen Chrysalis Roachanov, noted for carrying on her family's far-right nationalistic policies (her imperialist and expansionist foreign policies in particular) and well known for her very nearly successful conquest attempt of the city of Canterlot. However, her other military campaigns for territory have proved successful, now making the size and population of the kingdom the largest it has ever been.* It is an interesting note that Timbucktu became abandoned shortly after Chrysalis ascended to the throne. It is also worth mentioning that the Royal Archives contain the only written information on Timbucktu, but are written as such: BY ORDER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT HAS BEEN ALTERED TO OMIT CERTAIN FACTS Timbucktu was a cloud kingdom that existed 200 years ago. Ruled by King Orion, the population consisted of a unique race of pegasi with glittering eyes. █████████████████████████████████████ ██████████████ █████████████████████ █████████████████████████████ ██████████ ██████████████ ████████ ████████████████ ███████████████████ ████████████████████████████████████████████████ ████████████████████ ██████████████████████████ ███████████████████████████████████ ██████████████████████████████ █████████████████████████████████ ███████ ██████ ███████████████ █████████ █████████ ████████ ████████ ██████████ The kingdom fell when ███████████ ███████████████ ██████████ ████████████ ██ All in all, there's obviously a story here.... Author's Note ^ Not an empire anymore, obviously ^^ "The Gate of the Badger", a fanciful name for the channel separating the North and South Islands. (See Peace at Last Side Stories: Back in Neighpon) ^^^"The Gate of the Crow" ^^^^Not a traditional Neighponese name, as the first Roachanov in Neighpon's aristocracy, Metamorphosis, was a member of a family of Stalliongrad/Muskovite nobles, who married into a royal family 1042 years ago. The first Roachanov on the throne was Empress Sawfly. ^^^^^See Peace at Last? and Peace at Last Side Stories: Back in Neighpon for a full account. *This is mostly due to the fact that the majority of changeling kingdoms have signed fealty to Chrysalis, meaning the Roachanov Empire covers most of the continents of Equus, Khaan, and Stirrope, with a smaller presence in Mustikk. The military campaigns themselves include Ib'xian and Carrea, who, under the influence of radical dictators, attempted a brief military campaign of their own and banded together to overthrow the Roachanovs. This was unsuccessful, and the citizens of both countries are happier under Neighpon's rule. the majority of the history of Neighpon is directly based on the work of Magic Man, a user who has greatly influenced me. Once Upon a Stormcloud Dreary...Coronation day. A ceremony of great importance in changeling culture, though it had only become a prominent event to the country of Neighpon for the past 200 years. Empress Sawfly had passed the crown to her son Thromnambular, who passed it to his daughter Apis, who had given it to her daughter Thorax^. When the time came for Thorax to step down from the throne and choose a successor, it had taken much thought on the part of the albino changeling, for she had 5 daughters to consider, but she had decided on her second oldest for various reasons.^^ The room was silent as the doors opened. Chrysalis, a mere 21 years old, was dressed in traditional purple robes, flowing as she slowly walked up the aisle, watched by the eyes of Kirin, Ibex, Changeling, and many other races. She rose up the few short steps to the throne, stopping before her mother. Her own crown, adamantine with four small turquoise spheres, was simple in comparison to her mother's green tiara. The young mare bowed before her dam. Thorax took out her blade, a thin katana, and gently tapped it on Chrysalis' shoulders. Chrysalis rose, and the two passed each other, Thorax going down the steps as her daughter took the throne. There was a massive cheer as Chrysalis sat down... which startled the newest addition to the family, causing Chrysalis' first order as queen, addressed to Stag's nanny after the crowd had dispersed, to be an exasperated "Cicala, please change my son's diaper." *** Chrysalis had settled well into her new position, despite having only had it for a few hours. Of course, she knew this relative peace would only last a single day before the paperwork began filing in. It had been only single year since the end of the third war with North Griffonia, and thanks to her mother's decisive actions, the Griffon Houses of Irontalon, Ironbeak, and Highmountain were now under Neighpon's fealty, and the Honeycomb^^ was now an official Neighpon foreign territory. It had been 100 years since her Uncle Pincer had led many decisive battles in the Kirin-Changeling War, allowing her grandmother to finally conquer the South Island and annex it into the Empire. 150 years ago, the First Neighpon-North Griffonian War had been won by the actions of her great-grandfather Thromnambular, who had called upon powerful allies in the form of Blue Whales,^^^^ making short work of the Griffon's feeble navy. And 200 years ago, the royal court had overthrown the Shogunate, allowing the Roachanovs to take the throne. Chrysalis had her own major victory a few months ago, helping to re-capture the Necromancer Grogar and seal him in Tatarus. All in all, her family was known for victories linked to their rule. Nonetheless, being a Queen/Empress was full of its own difficulties. To start, the Kirin were being obnoxious again, and Chrysalis' first priority starting tomorrow would be meeting Empress Aurora to discuss the difficulties on the South Island. Following that, the flying island of Laputa was drawing close to the Neighponese territory of Lugnagg, and she needed to be there, both to greet the current Professors of Light and Darkness^^^^^ and to organize a militia should any of the island's native Shrykes decide to go on a slave raid*. And then there was Timbucktu. Word had spread around the Pelagic rim that the cloud country was becoming obstinate, demanding tribute from lesser island nations and enforcing hostile negotiations with major countries. Tensions were high, and any minute threatened to break it, causing war. If any country was to start a war with Timbucktu, practically everyone agreed that it would most likely be Concordia or North Griffonia. Stella, the hot-headed princess of Concordia was known for her recklessness and quick temper, while the griffins would probably be seeking a chance to heal the blow to their national pride caused by their loss of the recent war. Timbucktu had no quarrel with Neighpon, and it was just as well, since Neighpon in turn had no quarrel with Timbucktu. For years, the Roachanovs had maintained a good idea of which nations they should be friendly with, which ones to ignore, and in certain cases, which ones to be openly hostile to. North Griffonia was a good example of what happened to the latter But foreign policy aside, the fact remained that Timbucktu was overstepping its bounds, and that was unfortunate news for all those on he surface. Author's Note ^aka Sylph Thorax Roachanov. ^^Vespa wanted to have her own kingdom in Equestria, Danauria outright stated she didn't want it, Sarissa also wanted o start her own kingdom, and Amanita wasn't ready for the responsibility. ^^^The Honeycomb is a large area in the eastern part of North Griffonia, and is well known for its myriad honey farms and herbal spas ^^^^No one knows how he gained the Blues as allies, but the Blue Whales to this day have declared themselves s allies to Neighpon. ^^^^^Laputa does not have an "official" leader, the closest being the two highest-ranking professors within the Open Sky College. *These vicious bird-folk are also opportunistic raiders, and will often take advantage of Laputa's stopping points in order to pick up slaves. A Tale of Two CountriesNeighpon's military might was fairly unique in its diversity. For all its talk of harmony, Equestria's army was still comprised mostly of Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi, with a few Noctrals to provide nocturnal support. North Griffonia tended to only involve Eagle, Falcon, Hawk, and Owl Griffons in their campaigns. Even Camelu, which boasted the largest army within the world, was still fairly homogenous when it came to soldiers, sticking to Dromedaries and hired cutthroats. Neighpon, however, was diverse, and it made use of that fact. Changeling soldiers fought beside Kirin Samurai (when they weren't fighting each other), Tengu air squadrons drove enemy soldiers towards Kappa shock troops waiting in the water, Tsuchigumo webs held foes in place while oni stallions used their clubs, and the dragons devastated foreign troops while massive Omukade centipedes dispatched enemy dragons. Of course, this would not all happen at once all the time. Certain species would be chosen for certain situations. For example, while the Tengu could provide good air support, they could not maneuver well in forested areas, so instead changelings would be deployed. Likewise, the massive Omukade were specifically hired to take down enemy dragons. The fact was, no one had ever seen the full might of Neighpon's army, despite the various wars the country had taken part in. The Changeling-Kirin Wars took place with only the two species it was named after involved, and the various wars with North Griffonia tended to only have the Changelings and Tengu fighting on Neighpon's side, though Colonel Mejiro, a Tsuchigumo, had also taken part in the fighting. It was because of this diversity, an army prepared for anything, that few dared to openly declare war on Neighpon. *** The Shitake Clan were a peaceful tribe of Tengu who lived by farming mushrooms. They were average as far as Tengu went, a tribe of multicolored equines with feathered wings, bird-like tails, and two legs ending in hooves. Living high in the mountains, they were the first to spot the large cloud heading against the wind towards Neighpon. The chief chose the swiftest messenger, a young colt with green plumage, to carry the news to the Empress: "Timbucktu is approaching." *** Starry Daze, a Pegasus mare, turned from the telescope to look at her king, ruby-like eyes glinting in the light. "We should be at the coast of the north island within the next few hours." Orion, the king of Timbucktu, nodded, his own sapphire eyes fixed on the horizon. Neighpon would have to see reason. The cloud-grown crops of his own country were failing, and he would not allow his people to starve. But he also knew that they could not remain on the cloud anymore. If they were to survive, then they would need to claim a new home. And if Neighpon's Empress did not comply... then force was necessary. It was possibly suicide. Neighpon was not a country to be trifled with, and news of the Coronation had reached him. This new Empress could be every bit as ruthless as her mother had been. *** Chrysalis sat in her room, cooing and tickling the colt who was currently on the floor. Stag giggled as his mother gently poked his stomach, and laughed happily as Chrysalis blew raspberries on the foal's belly. Her daughters were close by. The 10-year-old, Hope, gently nuzzled her mother, while the 5-year-old albino, Moth, looked at the small colt. "Does he... do anything else?" Chrysalis chuckled. "He's only a baby, dear. He's not going to get up and start dancing. Here, why don't you hold him?" Chrysalis gently picked up her son, showing Moth how to hold him, and then carefully gave her the colt. Stag burrowed into the cuddle, babbling happily, and Moth smiled, gently nuzzling him back.^ That was when someone knocked on the door. "Your Majesty? There's a message for you." Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Can it wait?" "Your Majesty... Timbucktu's approaching the country." Chrysalis sighed before turning to her children. "Stay here. I'll be back as soon as I can." Author's Note ^ It's not exactly known about what led Moth to eventually attempt her hostile takeover, her banishment, and finally the tragic events leading to her death in Peace at Last? During her time as a ghost and her subsequent resurrection several years later, she has refused to talk about these events, as has the rest of her family, preferring that everyone just get over it and move on. Chrysalis and AuroraThe nation of Timbucktu coasted to a stop over the harbor of the capital city. Chrysalis stood on a pier, staring up at the massive cloud before flying upwards, accompanied by several elite changeling guards. If this meeting ended badly, she was sure she could rally the leaders of the other islands if needed^, but hopefully it would not come to that. Several forms detached themselves and carefully glided down from the cloud. The contingent of crystal-eyed pegasi did not land, but instead hovered before the changelings. A yellow mare spoke. "Greetings. You must be Chrysalis." "I am. I must admit that I am surprised Orion chose not to come down here himself." "The king is occupied at the minute, but sends his greetings." Chrysalis scrutinized the mare. "I see. May I ask why he has chosen to visit Neighpon this day?" The mare shifted, slightly uncomfortable, averting her sapphire eyes. "He desires that you declare some fealty to him. Offer up a share of your crops, and he will not raze the city." Chrysalis stared at the mare, pupils contracting slightly. "I do not take such threats lightly. Had the option of fealty been dropped along with the threat, I may have considered sharing some, but now I want questions answered. How much, may I ask, does he desire?" The emissary wilted slightly. "R... roughly half..." Chrysalis could not allow that, even without the King's threat. Neighpon relied on the rice, seaweed, and other crops to feed its own population, and it had been a rough year due to various droughts. No. Not half of the crops. "And if I refuse?" Here the mare began stuttering and stammering. A stallion glared at the changeling queen and flashed a small bolt of magic upward. The underside of Timbucktu crackled and rumbled before a thunderbolt struck, splintering several unlucky ships. Chrysalis and her guards stared in open-mouthed horror. the smell of burning wood and flesh reached her nostrils. The stallion responsible for the signal glared at her. "We will give you three days to decide." With that, the pegasi ascended up to the clouds, and Timbucktu drifted away. *** On the Southern Island, all was peaceful. A white-maned Kirin mare, her sapphire and gold scales shimmering in the sunlight, smiled as she watched her chubby daughter toddling around. This was Empress Aurora and her daughter Snow^^, the current royal line of the South Island. Aurora ruled with a kind and caring hoof, and was more tolerant of the changelings than her predecessors. Under her rule, all was peaceful... Unless, as her Baku advisor put it, "War were declared." Her ear swiveled back as she heard the soft pad of three-toed feet. Looking back, she found the source of the noise. Komon, the royal advisor, was a typical baku, with black-striped orange legs ending in three-toed feet, a long, tufted tail, and a short-trunked head with two small tusks. The black fur on his yellow-spotted body was streaked with grey, attesting to his age. Aurora smiled. "Yes, Komon? What's on your mind?" The baku did not return the smile. "News has just come concerning Timbucktu's visit to the North Island." The smile fell from the Empress' face. "And...?" "My lady... War were declared." Author's Note ^Despite ruling all of Neighpon, the Roachanovs have maintained a tradition of still allowing the other islands to keep their own rulers and cultures. This has extended to countries in service/fealty to Neighpon. Thus the South Island is still ruled by kirin royalty, Foal Island maintains its rule-by-descent traditions (though this has undergone a major shift ever since the current queen was born without a twin brother), and Ib'xian retains its Markhor emperor. the only exception has been Carrea, which until Neighpon's interference was a tyrannical dictatorship. ^^See Peace at Last Side Stories: Back in Neighpon The King In Gold, the Queens In SilkWar was unavoidable from the minute Timbucktu had blasted the ships, and the citizens of the cloud country realized that. Orion had some reservations about this, but saw no other choice. It was for the good of his country that he had done this, and he had at least given the new empress three days to reconsider. Nonetheless, he feared for the safety of his kingdom should she refuse to accept his offer. Neighpon was not a country to be underestimated. The island nation had successfully defeated the kingdoms of North Griffonia, and the Griffons were well-known as a race of fierce and resourceful warriors. The fact that the leading force of the enemy would mostly consist of changelings was another worrying factor. Changeling kingdoms could be found across the world, and many of them had ties to Neighpon. Even if Timbucktu lost the battle and fled from the entirety of the Great Pelagic, there was still the feeling that they wouldn't be safe unless they fled far to the north or to the south, where there was constant snow and no chance to grow the crops the country so desperately needed. No one could say how the crops had come to be affected by what was now known among the citizens as "Cloud Blight". Some conspiracy theorists blamed the Camels' scheming to be behind it, other individuals attested that it was some ancient curse. More religious voices cried that it was a punishment sent from Epona herself, while those of a more scientific mindset said it was the result of something in the water supply. Whatever the case, the cloud-grown crops were withering and dying, and what few actually lived to maturity brought forth blackened and inedible foodstuffs. Personally, Orion suspected the theory concerning the water supply was the most likely to be true, though he was not sure why it had suddenly occurred. Possibly it had been tainted somehow, but the only contact prior to the Blight had been a brief stop overland in Germaney on the return journey from a diplomatic visit to Vaporia, and the Blight had not occurred until nearly a month afterwards. As Vaporia and Germaney remained unaffected, the cause was still unknown. A solution was not as simple as simply finding an unclaimed island in order to farm, as most were tropical in nature and provided poor farmland. Some had suggested switching from cloud-based crops to land-based crops which could grow in specially built greenhouses. This had some validity, as the Blight did not seem to spread to any country which Timbucktu rained on, but the process would be lengthy and would still not provide enough for the populace, since land crops tended to produce poor results when transplanted to clouds. Orion was not pleased with how the negotiations had turned out, but he reflected that he should have expected as much. The new empress was young, but she came from a line of stubborn rulers, all with a decent military history. He only hoped that she was too inexperienced to formulate a good plan of attack. He went over the facts in his mind. What changelings lacked in long-distance flight they made up for in agility, meaning that they could fly circles around a defending pegasus guard. Besides this, they were more proficient in magic, and thus capable of more long-ranged attacks. The Kirin would also likely become involved, since they were the second most powerful of Neighpon's races. These had proficiency in air and water magic, making them one of the few non-winged creatures able to cloudwalk. The average Kirin warrior had two main weapons- the bow and the katana, along with a knife. Orion knew that they'd use their arrows if at all possible, since the sword's slashing design would be utterly useless against almost any kind of armor stronger than padded straw. If facing another warrior in armor, the sword would probably be dropped in order to wrestle their opponent to the ground, allowing the Kirin to slide a knife into the gaps. The tips of tanto-style daggers were very good at that, and Kirin were often larger and stronger than pegasi. From the look of things, the king decided that if it came to a battle, his warriors would need to stick to close combat with the changelings, and not allow the Kirin to land on the country. He sighed. If the battle came to his city, blood would be shed, but who it would belong to remained to be decided. *** Aurora and Chrysalis discussed the plan of attack. While the changelings would draw most of the enemy away from the palace, the Kirin would sail under the country, and then use their magic to burrow up through the cloud layers, taking out the palace guards and completely surprising any defending forces who were not fighting their airborne enemies. Neither were planning on losing any troops, and both agreed that the kingdom would learn its place, and the plan seemed complete. Then Chrysalis spoke. "While the armies attack, I'll confront Orion myself. Hopefully I can convince him to leave before too much blood is shed." "Chryssie, you can't!" protested Aurora. "The king will probably be heavily guarded, and they'll kill you before you get into the palace!" Chrysalis smiled. "Don't worry, Aurora. I have the perfect plan devised, and it's sure to work... at least, I hope it will..." "Well, can I hear it?" Chrysalis tapped her hooves together uncomfortably, not looking at the Kirin. "Um... well, no... partly because its success requires that it stays secret, and partly because you might not like it..." Aurora lifted her eyebrow skeptically. "I hope you know what you're doing." "Me too, Aurora," the changeling replied. "Me too." Author's Note Where did the Blight come from? Well, that's another story... keep an eye out. Interlude: the Gathering StormOff the coast of Neighpon, other activity stirred, partially oblivious to the turmoil brewing above. Several silvery forms darted after small flashes in the water, singing out in the dialect of Primal Cetacean peculiar to their kind. # good fish # goodfish, goodfish #good-good FISH! As the bottlenoses continued their antics, they failed to notice as a white shape suddenly appeared in a flash of green some distance away from them. Gathering his bearings, Thromnambular, retired emperor of Neighpon, grandfather of the current empress, hero of one of the Changeling-Griffon Wars, and now an enchanted skull, cast a sound of pure feeling out into the depths, a call to attract the attention of a certain individual. From the depths, a massive form slowly took shape as it rose. Upon leveling his eye with the skull, the blue whale seemed to have a wry grin. "Your accent is still terrible, my friend, though I'm impressed you managed to say as much as you did." Thromnambular seemed to return the grin, and replied in that tongue which the bottlenoses used to mimic the songs of the great whales. *Legends told by whales *Call one trait admirable- *Adaptability! The whale rumbled a pleased note. "Now, surely you didn't come here simply to show off. So, what's going on up there?" "It's not good at all, Aroooon," the skull replied. "My granddaughter is preparing for war." The blue whale closed his eyes and rumbled a low groan, reverberating the water around him. "War. Now there's a word I haven't heard you use in a while. Not since you sought the help of my people when the Griffons attempted to cross the ocean." Thromnambular nodded. "I am not asking for you to help in the fight, but..." "You wish to prevent the loss of more life than is necessary. I will assist any who fall into the water." If it was possible for a skull to seem uncomfortable, then Thromnambular did so. "It's not just that, Aroooon... I need a spell." The whale's eyes opened. The skull was asking for information on a certain, powerful spell. The changeling didn't need to tell him what spell he was asking for. The currents around the skull told Aroooon all he needed. The Blue Whales were the mightiest of the baleen tribes, and were founts of wisdom, but required two conditions to be met before the answer was given. "Why do you seek this spell, my friend?" Thromnambular spoke honestly. "Even if my granddaughter wins this battle, the pegasi may seek revenge, and they might target my great-grandchildren. I need to protect them, and this offers a peaceful solution." The whale nodded. "You know the second question I ask. Information of the kind you seek requires you to exchange information of equal value. What do you offer?" Thromnambular had a gleam in the rubies set in his sockets. "There is a beaked whale in a trench south of here. He has an unusually high intellect for his kind, and has told me that the Typhon which sleeps near the Spire of T'sht in No Whale's Land will awaken during your people's gathering in the spring." The bull whale's eyes briefly widened in alarm before he calmed himself. Typhons were massive sea-dwelling snakes which spent most of their time sleeping, but woke up occasionally for a brief feeding frenzy which could last up to 10 weeks. They were large enough to provide a serious threat to the Blues, who gathered in the No Whale's Land during during the initial two months of spring to mate and see old friends. If the Typhon that slept near the Spire of T'sht was waking up, those gathering there would need to exercise extreme caution. "Thank you. I shall tell you the spell and then warn the others. Now listen closely..." Author's Note Just a little filler to help add to the upcoming conclusion! The Great Queen ChrysalisIt was near noon, and the soldiers of Timbucktu were standing uneasily at the edge of their kingdom, eyes peeled for any oncoming attackers. The return missive had arrived from Neighpon yesterday, and the reply was that there would be war. The pegasi were on edge. Most countries had some stories of the fairy-folk known as changelings, but these tales often became mixed with stories of their cousin species, such as the elves and succubi/incubi. So it was that the soldiers were passing stories between each other, debating on how factual these stories might be, whether or not changelings drank blood, if they would bring giant spiders, or if they would destroy the cloud kingdom by simply beating their wings in unison.^ The answers would have to wait, as a loud, buzzing drone suddenly permeated the air. The changelings had appeared, and their ruler was at the head of the attacking force. *** "Quietly," Aurora cautioned her soldiers as they positioned their boats under the massive cloud. "We have to give Chrysalis time to set up her distraction." The Kirin began forming clouds out of the sea spray, carefully stepping on them and floating upwards. They formed small divots in the underside of their target, burrowing upwards until they were just under the surface, ready to burst out at the moment their empress gave the signal. They didn't have long to wait, and soon erupted behind the enemy's lines, dispatching soldiers when necessary, but for the most part only aiming to incapacitate, not kill. That was all part of the plan. *** Meanwhile, the changelings had begun their phase of the plan, and were valiantly fighting their airborne foes. Some, Chrysalis noticed, were succumbing to certain instincts, and were sucking the love these ponies felt towards their city directly out of them, leaving them weakened and unable to fight. I hope to Kami they don't overdo it, she thought to herself, thinking of the consequences of what could happen if a changeling fed on too much love over a short period of time.^^ She also noticed the battle was slowly shifting in favor of her enemy. In spite of their lack of magic, it seemed as though the pegasi were winning through brute force alone. Even King Orion was fighting. Weaponless, he drove his front hooves into the skulls of two changeling soldiers, knocking them senseless. It was time for her own plan, which she had kept secret from everyone. If this succeeded, the "war" would be over in a matter of minutes. *** General Topaz, a grey stallion named after his eye color, grumbled as he watched the battle. His recently injured leg had forced him to stay behind and keep a lookout from his station, rather than join the fight, which he would have preferred. Just my luck. Those rookies get to have all the fun, and I have to sit here. It's not like I'll even get to actually DO anythi- His thought was cut off as Chrysalis used both of her front hooves to ram the stallion into the ley-infused cloud wall behind him. Dragging him into the shadows, she held him, looking into his eyes as her own eyes and her horn glowed green, casting her spell. "Shhhh..." The pegasus' eyelids drooped, and he was soon unconscious. The changeling ruler gently laid him down, then surrounded herself in a flash of green fire. Soon, an exact copy of Topaz stood over the sleeping stallion. With a smirk, Chrysalis suddenly took off towards the battle. "I really hope this works..." she muttered to herself before filling her lungs and shouting for all the enemy warriors to hear. "Retreat! Fall back to the castle!" There was a general confusion, but the soldiers eventually retreated. Chrysalis repressed an urge to smile as her own troops cheered at the easy victory. *** Upon arriving at the castle, King Orion confronted his general. "What is the meaning of this!?! We were winning, and i gave no order for you to..." He fell silent as Topaz was suddenly wreathed in green flames, revealing the form of who he assumed to be the new Empress. Several ponies scrambled to protect their king, and Chrysalis drained them of their love. Her logic was sound. The king was strong, she needed the power boost, she wasn't killing them... However, she felt a small tingling. In her plan, she hadn't accounted for the fact SHE might contract a small case of love sickness. She laughed as she drained the last few pegasi. "YES! I can feel the love you have for your home... DELICIOUS..." Thankfully, the brief power trip was not long-lasting, and Chrysalis regained her senses in time to hear the sound of powerful wings flapping towards her. "And now you, your majesty." She turned... and her eyes widened as she saw the king coming at her full speed, a spear clenched in his hooves, a look of absolute fury and bloodlust upon his face. She dodged to the side, and he swept past her. He turned, ready for another pass, seeking to destroy the young queen... ...Who panicked and lashed out with her magic. The bolt of unrestrained energy tore through the king, leaving a fatal wound. He fell, his spear clattering to the ground. Chrysalis cracked open one of her eyelids, then opened them both in shock at the sight of the dead stallion. She hadn't meant for this to happen. she had expected a fight, yes, but he was supposed to have been unarmed. Her love-boosted magic was supposed to have restrained him, allowing them to talk things through... and now he was dead. She had to act fast, before the ponies she had drained woke up and saw the corpse. Flying through the window, she shot a bolt of magic into the sky, and then, returning inside, she shot one down through the cloud, opening a hole that took Orion's body with it. With that done, she teleported away. *** Aurora saw the flash before her warriors, and she gave the signal to retreat. Whatever Chrysalis' plan had been, it had clearly worked, otherwise Chrysalis would not have set off the agreed-upon signal. As she followed her samurai soldiers back down through the clouds to the waiting ships, she was glad this was over. After all, she had an island to look after and a daughter to take care of. ...Though maybe she COULD take a small break from her duties in celebration of this victory. Just her, some sake, and that nice stallion that was stepping off onto the boat below her. Yeah, that sounded good to her! Maybe she'd invite one of the maids too!^^^ *** In the sea below, Thromnambular was surprised to see the corpse of a large pegasus stallion splash into the water, but he had still seen his granddaughter's signal. He waited a few minutes, and upon seeing the last of the Kirin and changelings leave, he turned to the massive shapes around him. "Now!" At first, there was silence. Then there was a barely audible groaning, which was soon accompanied by various moans, squeaks, and squeals, rising in volume and becoming more complex. Gentle blue and pink lights filtered up to Timbucktu, surrounding its pegasi inhabitants. A song to sleep. A song to forget. Author's Note ^ All false. the blood-drinking is a habit of Incubi and Succubi, the spiders are a Dark Elf thing, and the Utter Flutter is a Flutterpony-specific ability. ^^You get Love Sickness. It makes you kind of crazy and megalomaniacal and the next thing you know you're using your best friend's wedding as an excuse to stage an invasion in Equestria's capital city. ^^^ Like Celestia, Aurora is a MASSIVE flirt. Also like Celestia, she has no real preference on the gender of her partners Epilogue200 years later Every tim she saw them, Chrysalis couldn't help but shy away from the guards tasked with guarding Cadance. whenever she was out on official business within Canterlot. It wasn't their armor, which was similar to the standard half-suit worn by all Equestrian guards, though altered by having a pearly, purplish color and a high collar. Nor was it their appearance, as the three were mares of the standard body type. Bright Eyes was an earth pony with a dark cerulean coat and a tangerine mane with dark orange and striking white stripes. Galaxy was a strawberry-colored unicorn, her mane and tail colored similar to Bright Eyes', but more equally divided between the three colors. Masquerade was a yellow pegasus with a tricolored green mane. It was their eyes which made the changeling uncomfortable- three pairs of eyes which looked as though the pupils and irises had been replaced by multifaceted gems. *** The spell which Thromnambular and the whales had cast was a spell to put the citizens of Timbucktu to sleep, and was interwoven with a spell to make them forget the attack on the cloud country. As the plague of Cloud Blight still persisted, the pegasi eventually chose to abandon Timbucktu altogether, and it was moved to its current-day position. Thus with this action ends the tale of the fall of Timbucktu, and yet it marks the beginning of many others. The former citizens of Timbucktu made their way into the continent of Equus and interbred with the ponies of Equestria, Concordia, and Henosis, and in time gave rise to the sub-race known as the Twinkle-Eyed Ponies. Their jewel-like eyes- a recessive trait- were the only ties which connected them to their former kingdom. The Blight eventually vanished as mysteriously as it had appeared, and modern Timbucktu is now home to various Tengu tribes, as well as a few Kirin and changelings who make a living by farming various cloud crops. Neighpon was the only country which knew what had happened, and the information concerning the fall of Timbucktu was heavily edited and censored. Of course, secrets this big eventually become known... but for now, everyone seemed happy, and the Twinkle-Eyes were content with their lot. Most couldn't live on the clouds anymore anyway, so why worry about it? So Timbucktu faded into an interesting tidbit of history, and the royals of Neighpon kept it as a secret amongst themselves, and life went on as if nothing had happened. Author's Note Bright Eyes, Galaxy, and Masquerade belong to Equestria-Prevails.
Two Countries, Both Alike in Dignity... Well, at One Point, Anyway...“Each day of war takes us farther from all we could hope to be or do. We gain nothing but heartbreak, and lose everything we cherish.” Timbucktu. A whimsical word, nowadays used to signify a far-off place. The remains of an ancient empire^, Timbucktu is a massive cloud city- part of Neighpon- that sits firmly over the Anaguma no gētou~ei^^, or if you want specifics, the corner connecting it to the Karasu no gēto.^^^ Another cloud kingdom, Vaporia, currently exists, travelling across the Grey Ocean. However, this airborne country, while larger, could never match the splendor of ancient Timbucktu. Like Vaporia, what remains of Timbucktu is composed of a special kind of ley-infused cloud material, permitting such a massive body of cloud to exist. The cities are constructed of a mixture of cloud and enchanted material, allowing for non-flight capable races to live and walk there, though today the only races that dwell there are kirin, tengu, and changelings, with a few pegasi and griffins. In its heyday, however, Timbucktu travelled across the Great Pelagic Ocean, from Ib'xian and Carrea to Concordia and North Griffonia. It was ruled by a bygone race of ponies, pegasi with glittering, jewel-like eyes. These were the ancestors of what are known today as the "Twinkle-Eyes". Though they are now varied, ranging in the typical unicorn, pegasus, and earth pony varieties, they retain the jewel-like eyes of their ancestors. However, all they can say is that their ancestors came from Timbucktu, and that no one knew how the city fell. *** Neighpon. The name evokes a sense of power, and a vision of many exotic locales. One of the three major world powers, Neighpon is famous for being the ancestral home of the changelings, though many other races can make that claim as well. Neighpon has four islands. North Island is mostly changelings, South Island is Kirin, and the West island is a mix, but is mostly ibex, since it is closest to Ib'xian. Foal Island has a single population of mostly changelings and Breezies. For nearly three hundred years, the Scaragowa Shogunate ruled over the Changeling homeland for the figurehead monarch. The Shogunate met its climatic end soon after the arrival of Princess Celestia's airships and the forcible opening of the Changeling Kingdom to Western trade following centuries of the Shogunate's isolationist policy of Sakoku which cut the kingdom off from its neighbors for centuries. After a subsequent bloody civil war between the Shogunate and the Royal Court, the defeated Shogunate was officially ended and the Roachanov Restoration followed, in which the monarch was restored absolute power, as well as the status of a living Kami. The current dynasty, the House of Roachanov^^^^, has ruled the Changeling Kingdom undisputedly and with an iron hoof for four hundred years and still going strong, gradually making the kingdom a great power in the Far East of the World and a leading competitor in world influence. Although it has historically developed a bitter rivalry against Equestria, it has formed good relations with other powers such as the Griffin Empire, and trust between Equestria and Neighpon has been restored thanks to the efforts of Chrysalis' son.^^^^^ The reigning monarch is Queen Chrysalis Roachanov, noted for carrying on her family's far-right nationalistic policies (her imperialist and expansionist foreign policies in particular) and well known for her very nearly successful conquest attempt of the city of Canterlot. However, her other military campaigns for territory have proved successful, now making the size and population of the kingdom the largest it has ever been.* It is an interesting note that Timbucktu became abandoned shortly after Chrysalis ascended to the throne. It is also worth mentioning that the Royal Archives contain the only written information on Timbucktu, but are written as such: BY ORDER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY, THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENT HAS BEEN ALTERED TO OMIT CERTAIN FACTS Timbucktu was a cloud kingdom that existed 200 years ago. Ruled by King Orion, the population consisted of a unique race of pegasi with glittering eyes. █████████████████████████████████████ ██████████████ █████████████████████ █████████████████████████████ ██████████ ██████████████ ████████ ████████████████ ███████████████████ ████████████████████████████████████████████████ ████████████████████ ██████████████████████████ ███████████████████████████████████ ██████████████████████████████ █████████████████████████████████ ███████ ██████ ███████████████ █████████ █████████ ████████ ████████ ██████████ The kingdom fell when ███████████ ███████████████ ██████████ ████████████ ██ All in all, there's obviously a story here.... Author's Note ^ Not an empire anymore, obviously ^^ "The Gate of the Badger", a fanciful name for the channel separating the North and South Islands. (See Peace at Last Side Stories: Back in Neighpon) ^^^"The Gate of the Crow" ^^^^Not a traditional Neighponese name, as the first Roachanov in Neighpon's aristocracy, Metamorphosis, was a member of a family of Stalliongrad/Muskovite nobles, who married into a royal family 1042 years ago. The first Roachanov on the throne was Empress Sawfly. ^^^^^See Peace at Last? and Peace at Last Side Stories: Back in Neighpon for a full account. *This is mostly due to the fact that the majority of changeling kingdoms have signed fealty to Chrysalis, meaning the Roachanov Empire covers most of the continents of Equus, Khaan, and Stirrope, with a smaller presence in Mustikk. The military campaigns themselves include Ib'xian and Carrea, who, under the influence of radical dictators, attempted a brief military campaign of their own and banded together to overthrow the Roachanovs. This was unsuccessful, and the citizens of both countries are happier under Neighpon's rule. the majority of the history of Neighpon is directly based on the work of Magic Man, a user who has greatly influenced me.
Once Upon a Stormcloud Dreary...Coronation day. A ceremony of great importance in changeling culture, though it had only become a prominent event to the country of Neighpon for the past 200 years. Empress Sawfly had passed the crown to her son Thromnambular, who passed it to his daughter Apis, who had given it to her daughter Thorax^. When the time came for Thorax to step down from the throne and choose a successor, it had taken much thought on the part of the albino changeling, for she had 5 daughters to consider, but she had decided on her second oldest for various reasons.^^ The room was silent as the doors opened. Chrysalis, a mere 21 years old, was dressed in traditional purple robes, flowing as she slowly walked up the aisle, watched by the eyes of Kirin, Ibex, Changeling, and many other races. She rose up the few short steps to the throne, stopping before her mother. Her own crown, adamantine with four small turquoise spheres, was simple in comparison to her mother's green tiara. The young mare bowed before her dam. Thorax took out her blade, a thin katana, and gently tapped it on Chrysalis' shoulders. Chrysalis rose, and the two passed each other, Thorax going down the steps as her daughter took the throne. There was a massive cheer as Chrysalis sat down... which startled the newest addition to the family, causing Chrysalis' first order as queen, addressed to Stag's nanny after the crowd had dispersed, to be an exasperated "Cicala, please change my son's diaper." *** Chrysalis had settled well into her new position, despite having only had it for a few hours. Of course, she knew this relative peace would only last a single day before the paperwork began filing in. It had been only single year since the end of the third war with North Griffonia, and thanks to her mother's decisive actions, the Griffon Houses of Irontalon, Ironbeak, and Highmountain were now under Neighpon's fealty, and the Honeycomb^^ was now an official Neighpon foreign territory. It had been 100 years since her Uncle Pincer had led many decisive battles in the Kirin-Changeling War, allowing her grandmother to finally conquer the South Island and annex it into the Empire. 150 years ago, the First Neighpon-North Griffonian War had been won by the actions of her great-grandfather Thromnambular, who had called upon powerful allies in the form of Blue Whales,^^^^ making short work of the Griffon's feeble navy. And 200 years ago, the royal court had overthrown the Shogunate, allowing the Roachanovs to take the throne. Chrysalis had her own major victory a few months ago, helping to re-capture the Necromancer Grogar and seal him in Tatarus. All in all, her family was known for victories linked to their rule. Nonetheless, being a Queen/Empress was full of its own difficulties. To start, the Kirin were being obnoxious again, and Chrysalis' first priority starting tomorrow would be meeting Empress Aurora to discuss the difficulties on the South Island. Following that, the flying island of Laputa was drawing close to the Neighponese territory of Lugnagg, and she needed to be there, both to greet the current Professors of Light and Darkness^^^^^ and to organize a militia should any of the island's native Shrykes decide to go on a slave raid*. And then there was Timbucktu. Word had spread around the Pelagic rim that the cloud country was becoming obstinate, demanding tribute from lesser island nations and enforcing hostile negotiations with major countries. Tensions were high, and any minute threatened to break it, causing war. If any country was to start a war with Timbucktu, practically everyone agreed that it would most likely be Concordia or North Griffonia. Stella, the hot-headed princess of Concordia was known for her recklessness and quick temper, while the griffins would probably be seeking a chance to heal the blow to their national pride caused by their loss of the recent war. Timbucktu had no quarrel with Neighpon, and it was just as well, since Neighpon in turn had no quarrel with Timbucktu. For years, the Roachanovs had maintained a good idea of which nations they should be friendly with, which ones to ignore, and in certain cases, which ones to be openly hostile to. North Griffonia was a good example of what happened to the latter But foreign policy aside, the fact remained that Timbucktu was overstepping its bounds, and that was unfortunate news for all those on he surface. Author's Note ^aka Sylph Thorax Roachanov. ^^Vespa wanted to have her own kingdom in Equestria, Danauria outright stated she didn't want it, Sarissa also wanted o start her own kingdom, and Amanita wasn't ready for the responsibility. ^^^The Honeycomb is a large area in the eastern part of North Griffonia, and is well known for its myriad honey farms and herbal spas ^^^^No one knows how he gained the Blues as allies, but the Blue Whales to this day have declared themselves s allies to Neighpon. ^^^^^Laputa does not have an "official" leader, the closest being the two highest-ranking professors within the Open Sky College. *These vicious bird-folk are also opportunistic raiders, and will often take advantage of Laputa's stopping points in order to pick up slaves.
A Tale of Two CountriesNeighpon's military might was fairly unique in its diversity. For all its talk of harmony, Equestria's army was still comprised mostly of Earth Ponies, Unicorns, and Pegasi, with a few Noctrals to provide nocturnal support. North Griffonia tended to only involve Eagle, Falcon, Hawk, and Owl Griffons in their campaigns. Even Camelu, which boasted the largest army within the world, was still fairly homogenous when it came to soldiers, sticking to Dromedaries and hired cutthroats. Neighpon, however, was diverse, and it made use of that fact. Changeling soldiers fought beside Kirin Samurai (when they weren't fighting each other), Tengu air squadrons drove enemy soldiers towards Kappa shock troops waiting in the water, Tsuchigumo webs held foes in place while oni stallions used their clubs, and the dragons devastated foreign troops while massive Omukade centipedes dispatched enemy dragons. Of course, this would not all happen at once all the time. Certain species would be chosen for certain situations. For example, while the Tengu could provide good air support, they could not maneuver well in forested areas, so instead changelings would be deployed. Likewise, the massive Omukade were specifically hired to take down enemy dragons. The fact was, no one had ever seen the full might of Neighpon's army, despite the various wars the country had taken part in. The Changeling-Kirin Wars took place with only the two species it was named after involved, and the various wars with North Griffonia tended to only have the Changelings and Tengu fighting on Neighpon's side, though Colonel Mejiro, a Tsuchigumo, had also taken part in the fighting. It was because of this diversity, an army prepared for anything, that few dared to openly declare war on Neighpon. *** The Shitake Clan were a peaceful tribe of Tengu who lived by farming mushrooms. They were average as far as Tengu went, a tribe of multicolored equines with feathered wings, bird-like tails, and two legs ending in hooves. Living high in the mountains, they were the first to spot the large cloud heading against the wind towards Neighpon. The chief chose the swiftest messenger, a young colt with green plumage, to carry the news to the Empress: "Timbucktu is approaching." *** Starry Daze, a Pegasus mare, turned from the telescope to look at her king, ruby-like eyes glinting in the light. "We should be at the coast of the north island within the next few hours." Orion, the king of Timbucktu, nodded, his own sapphire eyes fixed on the horizon. Neighpon would have to see reason. The cloud-grown crops of his own country were failing, and he would not allow his people to starve. But he also knew that they could not remain on the cloud anymore. If they were to survive, then they would need to claim a new home. And if Neighpon's Empress did not comply... then force was necessary. It was possibly suicide. Neighpon was not a country to be trifled with, and news of the Coronation had reached him. This new Empress could be every bit as ruthless as her mother had been. *** Chrysalis sat in her room, cooing and tickling the colt who was currently on the floor. Stag giggled as his mother gently poked his stomach, and laughed happily as Chrysalis blew raspberries on the foal's belly. Her daughters were close by. The 10-year-old, Hope, gently nuzzled her mother, while the 5-year-old albino, Moth, looked at the small colt. "Does he... do anything else?" Chrysalis chuckled. "He's only a baby, dear. He's not going to get up and start dancing. Here, why don't you hold him?" Chrysalis gently picked up her son, showing Moth how to hold him, and then carefully gave her the colt. Stag burrowed into the cuddle, babbling happily, and Moth smiled, gently nuzzling him back.^ That was when someone knocked on the door. "Your Majesty? There's a message for you." Chrysalis rolled her eyes. "Can it wait?" "Your Majesty... Timbucktu's approaching the country." Chrysalis sighed before turning to her children. "Stay here. I'll be back as soon as I can." Author's Note ^ It's not exactly known about what led Moth to eventually attempt her hostile takeover, her banishment, and finally the tragic events leading to her death in Peace at Last? During her time as a ghost and her subsequent resurrection several years later, she has refused to talk about these events, as has the rest of her family, preferring that everyone just get over it and move on.
Chrysalis and AuroraThe nation of Timbucktu coasted to a stop over the harbor of the capital city. Chrysalis stood on a pier, staring up at the massive cloud before flying upwards, accompanied by several elite changeling guards. If this meeting ended badly, she was sure she could rally the leaders of the other islands if needed^, but hopefully it would not come to that. Several forms detached themselves and carefully glided down from the cloud. The contingent of crystal-eyed pegasi did not land, but instead hovered before the changelings. A yellow mare spoke. "Greetings. You must be Chrysalis." "I am. I must admit that I am surprised Orion chose not to come down here himself." "The king is occupied at the minute, but sends his greetings." Chrysalis scrutinized the mare. "I see. May I ask why he has chosen to visit Neighpon this day?" The mare shifted, slightly uncomfortable, averting her sapphire eyes. "He desires that you declare some fealty to him. Offer up a share of your crops, and he will not raze the city." Chrysalis stared at the mare, pupils contracting slightly. "I do not take such threats lightly. Had the option of fealty been dropped along with the threat, I may have considered sharing some, but now I want questions answered. How much, may I ask, does he desire?" The emissary wilted slightly. "R... roughly half..." Chrysalis could not allow that, even without the King's threat. Neighpon relied on the rice, seaweed, and other crops to feed its own population, and it had been a rough year due to various droughts. No. Not half of the crops. "And if I refuse?" Here the mare began stuttering and stammering. A stallion glared at the changeling queen and flashed a small bolt of magic upward. The underside of Timbucktu crackled and rumbled before a thunderbolt struck, splintering several unlucky ships. Chrysalis and her guards stared in open-mouthed horror. the smell of burning wood and flesh reached her nostrils. The stallion responsible for the signal glared at her. "We will give you three days to decide." With that, the pegasi ascended up to the clouds, and Timbucktu drifted away. *** On the Southern Island, all was peaceful. A white-maned Kirin mare, her sapphire and gold scales shimmering in the sunlight, smiled as she watched her chubby daughter toddling around. This was Empress Aurora and her daughter Snow^^, the current royal line of the South Island. Aurora ruled with a kind and caring hoof, and was more tolerant of the changelings than her predecessors. Under her rule, all was peaceful... Unless, as her Baku advisor put it, "War were declared." Her ear swiveled back as she heard the soft pad of three-toed feet. Looking back, she found the source of the noise. Komon, the royal advisor, was a typical baku, with black-striped orange legs ending in three-toed feet, a long, tufted tail, and a short-trunked head with two small tusks. The black fur on his yellow-spotted body was streaked with grey, attesting to his age. Aurora smiled. "Yes, Komon? What's on your mind?" The baku did not return the smile. "News has just come concerning Timbucktu's visit to the North Island." The smile fell from the Empress' face. "And...?" "My lady... War were declared." Author's Note ^Despite ruling all of Neighpon, the Roachanovs have maintained a tradition of still allowing the other islands to keep their own rulers and cultures. This has extended to countries in service/fealty to Neighpon. Thus the South Island is still ruled by kirin royalty, Foal Island maintains its rule-by-descent traditions (though this has undergone a major shift ever since the current queen was born without a twin brother), and Ib'xian retains its Markhor emperor. the only exception has been Carrea, which until Neighpon's interference was a tyrannical dictatorship. ^^See Peace at Last Side Stories: Back in Neighpon
The King In Gold, the Queens In SilkWar was unavoidable from the minute Timbucktu had blasted the ships, and the citizens of the cloud country realized that. Orion had some reservations about this, but saw no other choice. It was for the good of his country that he had done this, and he had at least given the new empress three days to reconsider. Nonetheless, he feared for the safety of his kingdom should she refuse to accept his offer. Neighpon was not a country to be underestimated. The island nation had successfully defeated the kingdoms of North Griffonia, and the Griffons were well-known as a race of fierce and resourceful warriors. The fact that the leading force of the enemy would mostly consist of changelings was another worrying factor. Changeling kingdoms could be found across the world, and many of them had ties to Neighpon. Even if Timbucktu lost the battle and fled from the entirety of the Great Pelagic, there was still the feeling that they wouldn't be safe unless they fled far to the north or to the south, where there was constant snow and no chance to grow the crops the country so desperately needed. No one could say how the crops had come to be affected by what was now known among the citizens as "Cloud Blight". Some conspiracy theorists blamed the Camels' scheming to be behind it, other individuals attested that it was some ancient curse. More religious voices cried that it was a punishment sent from Epona herself, while those of a more scientific mindset said it was the result of something in the water supply. Whatever the case, the cloud-grown crops were withering and dying, and what few actually lived to maturity brought forth blackened and inedible foodstuffs. Personally, Orion suspected the theory concerning the water supply was the most likely to be true, though he was not sure why it had suddenly occurred. Possibly it had been tainted somehow, but the only contact prior to the Blight had been a brief stop overland in Germaney on the return journey from a diplomatic visit to Vaporia, and the Blight had not occurred until nearly a month afterwards. As Vaporia and Germaney remained unaffected, the cause was still unknown. A solution was not as simple as simply finding an unclaimed island in order to farm, as most were tropical in nature and provided poor farmland. Some had suggested switching from cloud-based crops to land-based crops which could grow in specially built greenhouses. This had some validity, as the Blight did not seem to spread to any country which Timbucktu rained on, but the process would be lengthy and would still not provide enough for the populace, since land crops tended to produce poor results when transplanted to clouds. Orion was not pleased with how the negotiations had turned out, but he reflected that he should have expected as much. The new empress was young, but she came from a line of stubborn rulers, all with a decent military history. He only hoped that she was too inexperienced to formulate a good plan of attack. He went over the facts in his mind. What changelings lacked in long-distance flight they made up for in agility, meaning that they could fly circles around a defending pegasus guard. Besides this, they were more proficient in magic, and thus capable of more long-ranged attacks. The Kirin would also likely become involved, since they were the second most powerful of Neighpon's races. These had proficiency in air and water magic, making them one of the few non-winged creatures able to cloudwalk. The average Kirin warrior had two main weapons- the bow and the katana, along with a knife. Orion knew that they'd use their arrows if at all possible, since the sword's slashing design would be utterly useless against almost any kind of armor stronger than padded straw. If facing another warrior in armor, the sword would probably be dropped in order to wrestle their opponent to the ground, allowing the Kirin to slide a knife into the gaps. The tips of tanto-style daggers were very good at that, and Kirin were often larger and stronger than pegasi. From the look of things, the king decided that if it came to a battle, his warriors would need to stick to close combat with the changelings, and not allow the Kirin to land on the country. He sighed. If the battle came to his city, blood would be shed, but who it would belong to remained to be decided. *** Aurora and Chrysalis discussed the plan of attack. While the changelings would draw most of the enemy away from the palace, the Kirin would sail under the country, and then use their magic to burrow up through the cloud layers, taking out the palace guards and completely surprising any defending forces who were not fighting their airborne enemies. Neither were planning on losing any troops, and both agreed that the kingdom would learn its place, and the plan seemed complete. Then Chrysalis spoke. "While the armies attack, I'll confront Orion myself. Hopefully I can convince him to leave before too much blood is shed." "Chryssie, you can't!" protested Aurora. "The king will probably be heavily guarded, and they'll kill you before you get into the palace!" Chrysalis smiled. "Don't worry, Aurora. I have the perfect plan devised, and it's sure to work... at least, I hope it will..." "Well, can I hear it?" Chrysalis tapped her hooves together uncomfortably, not looking at the Kirin. "Um... well, no... partly because its success requires that it stays secret, and partly because you might not like it..." Aurora lifted her eyebrow skeptically. "I hope you know what you're doing." "Me too, Aurora," the changeling replied. "Me too." Author's Note Where did the Blight come from? Well, that's another story... keep an eye out.
Interlude: the Gathering StormOff the coast of Neighpon, other activity stirred, partially oblivious to the turmoil brewing above. Several silvery forms darted after small flashes in the water, singing out in the dialect of Primal Cetacean peculiar to their kind. # good fish # goodfish, goodfish #good-good FISH! As the bottlenoses continued their antics, they failed to notice as a white shape suddenly appeared in a flash of green some distance away from them. Gathering his bearings, Thromnambular, retired emperor of Neighpon, grandfather of the current empress, hero of one of the Changeling-Griffon Wars, and now an enchanted skull, cast a sound of pure feeling out into the depths, a call to attract the attention of a certain individual. From the depths, a massive form slowly took shape as it rose. Upon leveling his eye with the skull, the blue whale seemed to have a wry grin. "Your accent is still terrible, my friend, though I'm impressed you managed to say as much as you did." Thromnambular seemed to return the grin, and replied in that tongue which the bottlenoses used to mimic the songs of the great whales. *Legends told by whales *Call one trait admirable- *Adaptability! The whale rumbled a pleased note. "Now, surely you didn't come here simply to show off. So, what's going on up there?" "It's not good at all, Aroooon," the skull replied. "My granddaughter is preparing for war." The blue whale closed his eyes and rumbled a low groan, reverberating the water around him. "War. Now there's a word I haven't heard you use in a while. Not since you sought the help of my people when the Griffons attempted to cross the ocean." Thromnambular nodded. "I am not asking for you to help in the fight, but..." "You wish to prevent the loss of more life than is necessary. I will assist any who fall into the water." If it was possible for a skull to seem uncomfortable, then Thromnambular did so. "It's not just that, Aroooon... I need a spell." The whale's eyes opened. The skull was asking for information on a certain, powerful spell. The changeling didn't need to tell him what spell he was asking for. The currents around the skull told Aroooon all he needed. The Blue Whales were the mightiest of the baleen tribes, and were founts of wisdom, but required two conditions to be met before the answer was given. "Why do you seek this spell, my friend?" Thromnambular spoke honestly. "Even if my granddaughter wins this battle, the pegasi may seek revenge, and they might target my great-grandchildren. I need to protect them, and this offers a peaceful solution." The whale nodded. "You know the second question I ask. Information of the kind you seek requires you to exchange information of equal value. What do you offer?" Thromnambular had a gleam in the rubies set in his sockets. "There is a beaked whale in a trench south of here. He has an unusually high intellect for his kind, and has told me that the Typhon which sleeps near the Spire of T'sht in No Whale's Land will awaken during your people's gathering in the spring." The bull whale's eyes briefly widened in alarm before he calmed himself. Typhons were massive sea-dwelling snakes which spent most of their time sleeping, but woke up occasionally for a brief feeding frenzy which could last up to 10 weeks. They were large enough to provide a serious threat to the Blues, who gathered in the No Whale's Land during during the initial two months of spring to mate and see old friends. If the Typhon that slept near the Spire of T'sht was waking up, those gathering there would need to exercise extreme caution. "Thank you. I shall tell you the spell and then warn the others. Now listen closely..." Author's Note Just a little filler to help add to the upcoming conclusion!
The Great Queen ChrysalisIt was near noon, and the soldiers of Timbucktu were standing uneasily at the edge of their kingdom, eyes peeled for any oncoming attackers. The return missive had arrived from Neighpon yesterday, and the reply was that there would be war. The pegasi were on edge. Most countries had some stories of the fairy-folk known as changelings, but these tales often became mixed with stories of their cousin species, such as the elves and succubi/incubi. So it was that the soldiers were passing stories between each other, debating on how factual these stories might be, whether or not changelings drank blood, if they would bring giant spiders, or if they would destroy the cloud kingdom by simply beating their wings in unison.^ The answers would have to wait, as a loud, buzzing drone suddenly permeated the air. The changelings had appeared, and their ruler was at the head of the attacking force. *** "Quietly," Aurora cautioned her soldiers as they positioned their boats under the massive cloud. "We have to give Chrysalis time to set up her distraction." The Kirin began forming clouds out of the sea spray, carefully stepping on them and floating upwards. They formed small divots in the underside of their target, burrowing upwards until they were just under the surface, ready to burst out at the moment their empress gave the signal. They didn't have long to wait, and soon erupted behind the enemy's lines, dispatching soldiers when necessary, but for the most part only aiming to incapacitate, not kill. That was all part of the plan. *** Meanwhile, the changelings had begun their phase of the plan, and were valiantly fighting their airborne foes. Some, Chrysalis noticed, were succumbing to certain instincts, and were sucking the love these ponies felt towards their city directly out of them, leaving them weakened and unable to fight. I hope to Kami they don't overdo it, she thought to herself, thinking of the consequences of what could happen if a changeling fed on too much love over a short period of time.^^ She also noticed the battle was slowly shifting in favor of her enemy. In spite of their lack of magic, it seemed as though the pegasi were winning through brute force alone. Even King Orion was fighting. Weaponless, he drove his front hooves into the skulls of two changeling soldiers, knocking them senseless. It was time for her own plan, which she had kept secret from everyone. If this succeeded, the "war" would be over in a matter of minutes. *** General Topaz, a grey stallion named after his eye color, grumbled as he watched the battle. His recently injured leg had forced him to stay behind and keep a lookout from his station, rather than join the fight, which he would have preferred. Just my luck. Those rookies get to have all the fun, and I have to sit here. It's not like I'll even get to actually DO anythi- His thought was cut off as Chrysalis used both of her front hooves to ram the stallion into the ley-infused cloud wall behind him. Dragging him into the shadows, she held him, looking into his eyes as her own eyes and her horn glowed green, casting her spell. "Shhhh..." The pegasus' eyelids drooped, and he was soon unconscious. The changeling ruler gently laid him down, then surrounded herself in a flash of green fire. Soon, an exact copy of Topaz stood over the sleeping stallion. With a smirk, Chrysalis suddenly took off towards the battle. "I really hope this works..." she muttered to herself before filling her lungs and shouting for all the enemy warriors to hear. "Retreat! Fall back to the castle!" There was a general confusion, but the soldiers eventually retreated. Chrysalis repressed an urge to smile as her own troops cheered at the easy victory. *** Upon arriving at the castle, King Orion confronted his general. "What is the meaning of this!?! We were winning, and i gave no order for you to..." He fell silent as Topaz was suddenly wreathed in green flames, revealing the form of who he assumed to be the new Empress. Several ponies scrambled to protect their king, and Chrysalis drained them of their love. Her logic was sound. The king was strong, she needed the power boost, she wasn't killing them... However, she felt a small tingling. In her plan, she hadn't accounted for the fact SHE might contract a small case of love sickness. She laughed as she drained the last few pegasi. "YES! I can feel the love you have for your home... DELICIOUS..." Thankfully, the brief power trip was not long-lasting, and Chrysalis regained her senses in time to hear the sound of powerful wings flapping towards her. "And now you, your majesty." She turned... and her eyes widened as she saw the king coming at her full speed, a spear clenched in his hooves, a look of absolute fury and bloodlust upon his face. She dodged to the side, and he swept past her. He turned, ready for another pass, seeking to destroy the young queen... ...Who panicked and lashed out with her magic. The bolt of unrestrained energy tore through the king, leaving a fatal wound. He fell, his spear clattering to the ground. Chrysalis cracked open one of her eyelids, then opened them both in shock at the sight of the dead stallion. She hadn't meant for this to happen. she had expected a fight, yes, but he was supposed to have been unarmed. Her love-boosted magic was supposed to have restrained him, allowing them to talk things through... and now he was dead. She had to act fast, before the ponies she had drained woke up and saw the corpse. Flying through the window, she shot a bolt of magic into the sky, and then, returning inside, she shot one down through the cloud, opening a hole that took Orion's body with it. With that done, she teleported away. *** Aurora saw the flash before her warriors, and she gave the signal to retreat. Whatever Chrysalis' plan had been, it had clearly worked, otherwise Chrysalis would not have set off the agreed-upon signal. As she followed her samurai soldiers back down through the clouds to the waiting ships, she was glad this was over. After all, she had an island to look after and a daughter to take care of. ...Though maybe she COULD take a small break from her duties in celebration of this victory. Just her, some sake, and that nice stallion that was stepping off onto the boat below her. Yeah, that sounded good to her! Maybe she'd invite one of the maids too!^^^ *** In the sea below, Thromnambular was surprised to see the corpse of a large pegasus stallion splash into the water, but he had still seen his granddaughter's signal. He waited a few minutes, and upon seeing the last of the Kirin and changelings leave, he turned to the massive shapes around him. "Now!" At first, there was silence. Then there was a barely audible groaning, which was soon accompanied by various moans, squeaks, and squeals, rising in volume and becoming more complex. Gentle blue and pink lights filtered up to Timbucktu, surrounding its pegasi inhabitants. A song to sleep. A song to forget. Author's Note ^ All false. the blood-drinking is a habit of Incubi and Succubi, the spiders are a Dark Elf thing, and the Utter Flutter is a Flutterpony-specific ability. ^^You get Love Sickness. It makes you kind of crazy and megalomaniacal and the next thing you know you're using your best friend's wedding as an excuse to stage an invasion in Equestria's capital city. ^^^ Like Celestia, Aurora is a MASSIVE flirt. Also like Celestia, she has no real preference on the gender of her partners
Epilogue200 years later Every tim she saw them, Chrysalis couldn't help but shy away from the guards tasked with guarding Cadance. whenever she was out on official business within Canterlot. It wasn't their armor, which was similar to the standard half-suit worn by all Equestrian guards, though altered by having a pearly, purplish color and a high collar. Nor was it their appearance, as the three were mares of the standard body type. Bright Eyes was an earth pony with a dark cerulean coat and a tangerine mane with dark orange and striking white stripes. Galaxy was a strawberry-colored unicorn, her mane and tail colored similar to Bright Eyes', but more equally divided between the three colors. Masquerade was a yellow pegasus with a tricolored green mane. It was their eyes which made the changeling uncomfortable- three pairs of eyes which looked as though the pupils and irises had been replaced by multifaceted gems. *** The spell which Thromnambular and the whales had cast was a spell to put the citizens of Timbucktu to sleep, and was interwoven with a spell to make them forget the attack on the cloud country. As the plague of Cloud Blight still persisted, the pegasi eventually chose to abandon Timbucktu altogether, and it was moved to its current-day position. Thus with this action ends the tale of the fall of Timbucktu, and yet it marks the beginning of many others. The former citizens of Timbucktu made their way into the continent of Equus and interbred with the ponies of Equestria, Concordia, and Henosis, and in time gave rise to the sub-race known as the Twinkle-Eyed Ponies. Their jewel-like eyes- a recessive trait- were the only ties which connected them to their former kingdom. The Blight eventually vanished as mysteriously as it had appeared, and modern Timbucktu is now home to various Tengu tribes, as well as a few Kirin and changelings who make a living by farming various cloud crops. Neighpon was the only country which knew what had happened, and the information concerning the fall of Timbucktu was heavily edited and censored. Of course, secrets this big eventually become known... but for now, everyone seemed happy, and the Twinkle-Eyes were content with their lot. Most couldn't live on the clouds anymore anyway, so why worry about it? So Timbucktu faded into an interesting tidbit of history, and the royals of Neighpon kept it as a secret amongst themselves, and life went on as if nothing had happened. Author's Note Bright Eyes, Galaxy, and Masquerade belong to Equestria-Prevails.
