War... war never changes.

Two centuries have passed since the Great War between Ponies and Zebras ended in a rain of fire and dark magic. Many ponies survived in the confines of great underground shelters called Stables. Others survived and banded together in tribes and settlements across the Equestrian Wasteland.

For 200 years, Equestria was nothing more than a wasteland, filled with ponies trying to survive, some at the cost of the lives of others. That all changed one day, 200 years after the bombs fell, when a mare named LittlePip left Stable 2.

She left an unforgettable impression on Equestria, defeating the slaver Red Eye and the Goddess, and she finally broke the cloud cover that had kept Equestria from the sun for so long.

One of the biggest contributions she had made though was inspiring the inhabitants of the Wasteland to band together and change for the better. From this the New Canterlot Republic was born, a faction dedicated to the continuation of values of freedom and friendship.

As the NCR grew and more settlements and tribes joined with them, they started to expand to the south and west. The first scouts that came back from the south returned with stories of a city with resources still widely untouched by the Wasteland, and fire that would rain down from the sky to burn all that it touched.

As the Republic began to move into the southern wasteland, they started to learn that they weren't the only faction after the resources and territory of Equestria.

To the southwest, another army marched under the flag of the black phoenix, the feared Crimson Empire.

And the two factions are about to clash for the first time.

00000

In the outskirts of the city of Neigh Orleans, the New Canterlot Republic had set up a makeshift base out of a few of the buildings that ran along one of the streets. In the building that made up the command center, a Unicorn mare with dark blue fur and a black mane dressed as an NCR Ranger was looking over a map of the city.

She looked up when she heard an Earth Pony dressed in a similar outfit approached her looking nervous.

"Colonel Midnight ma'am," the Earth Pony said with a salute. "I just got a report from our scouts in the city, they're reporting a large force heading our way."

"What kind of force, Ghouls or Raiders?" Midnight asked, that had been the the majority of their problems for the past few months, and if it was one of those it was nothing they couldn't handle.

"Ma'am, its the Imperial Army," the Ranger said, making Midnight pause.

"Who's their leader?" Midnight asked as she looked up again, the Empire had a few generals, but she was worried about one in particular, she just had to hope that it wasn't him.

"Ma'am... they're being lead by General Blood Stone," the Ranger said, which made Midnight's eyes go wide. "What are your orders?"

Blood Stone was one of the most infamous generals in the Empire. There were stories of him fighting the most vicious of Raiders and Tribals of the west and coming out unscathed, some said he was immortal, Midnight thought he was just very lucky.

Regardless, they were going to have a hard time with this.

"Gather the troops," she says as she gets up and levitates a sniper rifle onto her back. "If they're here to take the city, we won't let it go without a fight."

The Ranger nodded and galloped off to give the order.

00000

Midnight stared out at the gathered group of ponies under her command which included NCR Rangers and Regulars. She took a deep breath as she started to gather her thoughts, this was going to be one of the most important moments in the NCR's still young history.

"Colonel Midnight, Ah request a parley with yah," a booming accented voice called out over the abandoned city streets and she saw him. A dark brown Earth Pony Stallion with a reddish mane who was dressed in a white shirt and black vest.

"What's his game, the Empire doesn't usually request a parley," Midnight's second in command commented to the Unicorn. "What are we going to do?"

"Only one way to find out," Midnight said with a frown as she looked through her sniper scope at the stallion. "Send word to General Goldmane of our situation, I'll deal with Blood Stone."

He nodded and Midnight secured her rifle again before using her magic to amplify her own voice. "Very well, I agree to your parley."

The two commanders soon met up at roughly the mid point between the two armies. Midnight looked at the Stallion for a long moment before finally speaking.

"General Blood Stone, your reputation proceeds you, what brings you into NCR territory?" Midnight asked.

"Ah'm here on orders from tha Scarlet Throne," Blood Stone said as he sized up the Unicorn mare. "Tha Empire is annexin' this section of Neigh Orleans. If yah leave peacefully, then there will be no need fer war."

"And if we refuse?" Midnight asked with a glare at the Stallion, this area of Neigh Orleans had been NCR territory for awhile now and the Empire had respected that, at least on the surface. "Is your Empress really willing to go to war over this?"

"She is more than willin'," Blood Stone said as he looked hard at her with his red eyes. "What's yer choice then, Colonel?"

Midnight paused for a long moment, this wasn't a decision that could be taken lightly, one that would affect her whole nation. The NCR's official position was that if the Empire was to try and take the city, it would mean war.

She just had to hope they were ready as a nation.

"Then it'll be war," Midnight said simply.

"Then may tha spirits have mercy on us all," Blood Stone said and the two commanders parted.

"What do we do, Colonel?" The second in command asked as Midnight returned to the base with the ponies under her command looking at her expectantly.

"Form up lines, get your weapons at the ready," Midnight said as she levitated her rifle into her hooves. "If the Empire wants this city then they'll have to take it from our cold dead hooves."

The soldiers nodded and moved into position. Soon the sound of gunfire rang out as the two sides clashed openly for the first time.

The NCR-Imperial War had begun.

00000

The Battle of Lakeview would last for days as Midnight's forces fended off the Empire's forces until reinforcements pushed them back fully. But that was just the beginning of the war.

The Empire wanted more than just Neigh Orleans, they only started there but they started to push north into NCR territory and East into the unclaimed lands. All the while, rumors began to circulate about them getting aid from somewhere to the far north.

The NCR Council and President in Junction Town supported Midnight's decision, but the war would take its toll on the citizens of the Republic.

There are many stories to tell of the war in the Southern Wasteland, but as two years passed, the stalemate between both sides began. But even then, things were going to change in the war with something neither side could've expected.

But even then war... war never changes.

Author's Note

Welcome fillies and gentlecolts to my story set in the world of Fallout: Equestria, this is just the prologue of course, but things will pick up in chapter 1, which will be released soon.