Menace of Maretonia

That June, the Army of Northern Maretonia had landed an army of 75,000 troops to begin the invasion of Equestria. They are an army of professionally trained and near fanatical loyalists, and are well paid and equipped. It is an army with an eye with a single purpose, the retribution for a series of perceived abuses against Maretonia due to the negligence of Princess Celestia, leader of Equestria. They are all unicorns, having been raised in a new dictatorial and authoritarian society created by their leader, General Winter Gust, where a rigid caste system had been created to separate unicorns, Pegasi, and earth ponies. Since he was a unicorn himself, General Winter Gust declared that unicorns were the true inheritors of not only Maretonia, but of the world, and that all other ponies were bestial and swinish. They have a unique ability to fly without becoming Alicorns due to a new invention nicknamed the War Dragon. It is a harness which can be assembled and dissembled by a single spell which only its pilots learned and was strictly top secret. In the minds of their users however, it may as well have turned them into Alicorns, albeit their magic was equally less individually compared to Celestia or Princess Twilight. They share a common language, culture, history and have had a string of victories which has given them the idea that their army is invincible. These victories range from beating the Yaks of Yakyakistan in a campaign of retaliatory conquest to the recent victories against Equestria itself. They also have absolute faith in their commander, General Campion Bolt. By the end of the month, they have advanced nearly to Ponyville, having spread discord and panic across all of Equestria.

Later that month, the Army of Equestria, 90,000 strong, Shining Armor commanding, and ever slow to mobilize, moves westward in an advanced which will eventually end at Ponyville. It is a diveres army, made up of all kinds of ponies who lack the sophistication, training, and organization of the Army of Northern Maretonia, but are more motivated with a better cause. They are fighting for their homes, their freedoms, their wives, families, and friends. Not only this, but they have also seen the blessings which all the Princesses have given them over their individual lives. Their loyalty is equally strong to their cause and they are fighting for unity of all pony kind. They may not all speak the same language, but they all have rallied to the call to arms raised by Princess Celestia. Thought they have lost faith in their commanders, they still know that they individually can fight. They are all confident that this will be the final conflict, and they are confident that they will win. It is the second summer of the war.

The Commanders

Campion Bolt - He is in similar age to Shining Armor, but is slightly older. Growing up, he had attended the Canterlot Military Academy and graduated with degrees in both military history and political science. He is handsome, with a coat of hazel brown, brown eyes, and a beige colored mane. An honest pony, who, when he was a little older than a colt, left his younger siblings who had in turn lost their father to disease and their mother to depression, to enlist in the Canterlot Military Academy. Upon returning, he had used his contacts and newly gained position to give a new life for his family and continued to help raise his four younger siblings. He rose through the ranks to eventually become a full Colonel when the coup d'etat of General Winter Gust began. He successfully overthrew the former Duke and Duchess of Maretonia and made the then Colonel Campion to a full General like himself, though slightly lower ranking. He has no bad habits. He doesn't drink, smoke, gamble, fornicate, or steal. He's never picked up a comic book or a contemporary novel in his life. He doesn't own slaves, a common practice in Maretonia, nor does he believe in the practice. He holds all ponies as equal in his own eyes. He's never lost his temper or faith in himself or his cause and has never complained before in his life. While he was still a Major, he was diagnosed with pneumonia, and recovered without having to go to the hospital. Upon General Winter Gust's coup d'etat of Maretonia, Major Campion Bolt was promoted to full General. Over the coming years, first through their campaigns against the Yaks of Yakyakistan, he became Winter Gusts "War Horse". He bears no personal grudge against Equestria but fights for the duty and honor of his home and his family.

Winter Gust - He is almost as old as Filthy Rich. He came from a poor background, and grew up an orphan, surviving in the deserts of Saddle Arabia for most of his teenage years. He is bloodthirsty, cunning, ruthless, but above all, a warrior. His cutiemark are three tornadoes with the center one being above the other two, like a stand for first second and third place. He didn't graduate at any military academy, but gathered a band of barbarian followers who respected and admired his strength. He trained them from being a scattered group of mercenaries and cut throats to a well disciplined and highly organized fighting force. It was this same entourage that he used to overthrow the Duke and Duchess of Maretonia and take over the country. Upon his ascension to power, Winter Gust reorganized and structured everything into a rigid caste system. Ponies from Equestria would have viewed Winter Gust's regime as no different than Equestria was before Hearts Warming Eve. However, unlike those ponies, who were dissatisfied with their lot, Winter Gust, through sheer economic brilliance, had brought their country from out of the three decades of economic depression most had experienced in just five years. During that time, the he had the Army swear fealty to him, and they did so gladly. He has had a string of victories thus far against Equestria, no thanks to General Campion Bolt. However, Winter Gust has grown weary and cautious of Campion's growing popularity, and has lately sought to secure his position of power by any means necessary.

Shining Armor - Being Twilight Sparkle's older brother was nothing to shake at. He is tall, broad shouldered, and handsome. He is the father of a foal named Flurry Heart, and is married to Princess Cadence, monarch of the Crystal Empire. He is caring, sensitive, hard working, and head strong. Confident in his own abilities, he was ill at the time the Maretonian Invasion began and was unable to stop the first years defeats. Back at full strength and with an army behind him, Shining Armor seeks to crush the Maretonian forces and restore peace back to Equestria once more. He is fighting for his home, family, and friends.