Prologue: The Beginning of the End
A New World
Prologue: The Beginning of the End
Ideas. They drive us to do more than we ever thought we could. They can make us great and powerful. They can destroy and corrupt us. Every pony remembers when the idea of freedom became a reality, not just a fantasy. But with all this resurfacing of an old idea, what about the pony behind it all? What was he like? Who was he? History tells us not to remember the pony, but the idea. Because a pony can fail, can be shot, can be caught, can be tortured, or can be betrayed. But an idea—well an idea can change everything we know about the world.
I have seen how ideas can change this world. I’ve seen ponies kill for ideas and ponies who die defending them. But you cannot touch an idea, cannot hold an idea. You cannot talk to, trust, console an idea. Ideas do not bleed. They do not feel pain. They do not love. It is not an idea, but a stallion that we I miss. But there is one pony who misses him more than any
pony alive. This is her story.
“Come on! They’ll be here any minute! We’ve got to hurry damnit!”
“Of course we do, but we’ve been galloping for almost seven hours straight! We might be trained, but not for this!”
“Just shut up and keep moving.”
Their voices echoed through the rubble filled ruins of Manehattan, accompanied by a symphony of distant gunshots and explosions. This was the New Equestria. The small group was galloping fast, a sunset colored unicorn at the lead.
“Sir! The general!”
“What about he-oh damnit!”
The general, who had been trailing the group for a few ours had slowed to a stop, the small child on her back whimpering in her sleep.
“Mom! What the hell are you doing! We have to keep moving!”
“I know, dear, but I—well I don’t think I’ll be going…”
“Very funny. Now come on!”
“I’m not kidding.”
“What?! Why? I mean you-”
She used her hoof to unhook her leather armor plate, which hit the ground with a thud. She turned a little to shed light on a long nasty looking gash that ran down her side.
“Mom. Why didn’t you tell us? We could have helped. I mean—we still can help!”
“I think both you and I know that I won’t make it out of the city.”
“Well I can’t just-just leave you!”
“I’m afraid you’re going to have to. It’s all right, dear. It really is.”
Tears were welling up in his fiery eyes.
“Then at least give me Dawn. I can hold her until we’re safe.”
“I’m so sorry, Dusk. She won’t make it either.”
The injured unicorn lifted the small filly from her back and into her arms. She undid some of the blanket to reveal a dark black mark all along her leg.
“T-t-toxin fever? Why?!”
“I noticed it when we were entering the city. She won’t make it to the base in the Everfree. I’m so sorry, Dusky.”
“It’s fine. I-”
She put her hooves around her son, wincing as his hoof brushed her wound. Tears streamed down his face freely now. He had always been a reserved stallion, but nothing could hold back his tears now.
“Dusk we have to move!” another unicorn in the group called out to them, catching sight of the wounded unicorn, “General Sparkle! What’s wrong!?”
“She can’t make it, Storm. She’s ordered us to leave her.”
“But-”
“Let’s just get going.”
Dusk stopped halfway and looked back, his eyes filling with tears again. Then he galloped away with the rest of the group.
Twilight sat on a steel beam and looked to the dark skies. She heard a whimper from her lap as her daughter awoke.
“Good morning sleepy head.”
“Morning, mommy. Where is everyone?”
“Well we all decided I would go on a bit of a vacation.”
“Really? Can I come!?”
“Of course, silly! But only if you get your sleep!”
“Okay, mommy, but first can you tell me where we’re gonna go?”
“Far away, Dawn, very far away to a big castle in the sky. You’ll even get to meet the Royal Sisters!”
“Really?!”
“Yes. Now close your eyes.”
Dawn did as she was told and tried to sleep. Twilight started to hum a lullaby and rock back and forth. A whistling sound pierced the air and Twilight hummed louder. Dawn opened her eyes.
“Mommy?”
“Everything’s gonna be alright, Dawny.”
One last thought passed through her head before the bombs hit, ending the life of the last Element of Harmony.
“Why did this have to happen? Were things always like this?”
Two Years ago
A small circle of hooded figures approached the Royal Sisters, who had their swords brandished, ready for an attack. But the attack never came. The hooded figures simply stood aside as one figure in a red robe different from the others’ black robes came forth.
“I come with a proposal.”
“You attack our guards, break into our castle, and destroy our property and you think we’ll here anything you say?”
“Yes.”
“Then speak.”
“You will transfer the rule of Equestria to us.”
“Or what?”
“Or we kill every stallion, mare, filly, and colt in this nation.”
“I’d love to see you try, you cowards.”
“Very well. War it is.”
With a flash they were gone, nothing left except a large burn mark where they had been.
Six Months later
“How many were lost?”
“Well we aren’t very-”
“How many, Shining Armor?!”
“Three Thousand ponies, Princess.”
“How?! How are they doing this?! We sent our best fighters and a third are dead with no victory!”
“We won’t last much longer. Can’t we use The Elements?”
“No. Not with Loyalty gone. And Honesty is not in good condition either. No, we cannot do anything.”
“Then I fear we may not win this war.”
“Oh I think we’ll be lucky if we survive. Oh sister, what would you do? I wish you were with me. I’m not as strong as the Sun!”
The Princess of the Moon broke down into tears for the first time since her return from Nightmare. Shining Armor put a hoof around her, consoling her, feeling pain for the loss of his own wife as well. Tears fell from his eyes as he thought of his sister, hoping that wherever she was, she was safe.
Three Years later
The Equestrian forces surrendered after over three years of the most devastatingly bloody and painful battles ever to ravage the country, the majority of which was in war-torn ruin. The Rebellion of the Elements had been crushed, the Royal Sisters killed. The new regime was set up under the Draconis, a ruthless totalitarian system under Dracon Kaluin, a ruthless hooded figure with no conscience. A creature who seemed only to harm the ponies of Equestria, not help rebuild as he had promised to those who had betrayed their country. He made a statement to all of Equestria after he rose to power over the emergency signal channel.
“Hello. I am Dracon Kaluin, your new ruler. I’m probably not particularly popular right now, but I come with a message, one that you can trust to be true. I have been setting up a system to keep this country under its wits, so that we don’t have any more nonsense like that Rebellion. Every village, every city, every town will have a garrison of troops, who will kill if necessary to keep order. And if anyone harbors or helps any of the old Rebellion members or advocates any kind of new rebellion will be dealt with quickly and harshly. Now that we’re all done with the nasty part I have come to tell you something else. It is something that I have discovered. But first let me ask you something: is this not easier? Is it not easier to have rigid conformity? Instead of your constant bickering and politics, you now have unity. I hope you see it that way because I do. And anyone has any complaints about it please come by the complaint office in what you know as Canterlot. Good Night.”
The complaint office was an abandoned warehouse where wave after wave of unaware ponies who had come to voice their complaints were mowed down by the machine guns of the regime. Ponies lost hope. That is until there was a glimmer, a hint, a glimpse of hope. It was in the form of two unlikely ponies, who had come to be known as Agent A and Agent B. They started a silent rebellion, gaining followers secretly.
“Have you heard about the new rebellion?”
“Shhh! The Detectors might hear us!”
“No you have to hear about this. They’re starting a new rebellion. This Agent A and Agent B. No one know who they are, but ponies have been joining them by the dozens.”
“I don’t know about that. I would be too damn scared. I mean I heard the Dracons have eyes and ears everywhere. What if it’s another trap like they did with the Old Rebellion?”
“Then why is the security doubling its efforts for “random searches”? They didn’t do that before. If that Kaluin wanted those rebels dead he would have gotten them by now and flaunted the fact if he had.”
“Shhh! You’re gonna get us detained!”
The fear of the two ponies mirrored almost every pony in Equestria, even those secretly rebelling. Every pony but a mare and a stallion who now made their way through the old underground catacombs of the ruined industrial sector of Stalliongrad. At the end of the long metal grate walkway was a thick metal door, which the stallion wrapped on twice.
“Industrial Services are closed.”
“Really? What are your timings?”
“Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm.”
“Don’t you mean 4pm?”
“Oh yes, sorry ‘bout that”
“No problem. We’ll come back later. We’re just looking for some replacement parts.”
“Come on in. We’re about to start.”
The door opened with a hydraulic hiss of the lock and a clank.
“You’re late,” said the pony behind the door, a stormy grey pegasus with a darker gray mane.
“We ran into a bit of trouble on the northern ice path. They’re really starting to get tight on the searches.”
“Well whose fault is that?”
“Ours.”
“Damn straight! Our fault and we’re proud!”
He grabbed a wrench from his saddle bag and slammed it against the metal pipes to his right.
“Hey you lazy scumbags! Look who’s here!”
A small crowd of ponies came out of nowhere.
“Agent A! Agent B! We weren’t told you were going to be here. I would’ve cleaned the place up a bit.”
“Ha! Blast, if you’d tried to clean it would probably just make things look worse.”
“Hey you two are late! Get in here,” yelled an older sunset colored unicorn at a metal door on the other side of the boiler room.
They hurried through the crowd of adoring fans and stumbled into the room. For all their reputation, the two of them didn’t look very rebellious.
“Take your seats!”
“Yeah yeah, Dusk.”
“Hey Appleblo-I mean Agent B! Long time no see.”
“Hey Sweetie Belle! How’s the eastern gathering goin?”
“Pretty good so far. Our numbers have doubled in the last month!”
“Kickass! Now we need to get some a’ the rugged northerners an’ we’ll be in good shape.”
“I got an invitation from a prospective hub to base our operation in the north from Icy Wind the Second.”
“Well we can’t trust every lead we get. Can we, Pipsqueak?”
“Hey! It’s Agent A! I mean seriously at least call me Pip!”
“Ha! Glad to see I can still get to you! So how were things to the south?”
“Not good. We got some moneybags to join but we don’t have enough booms or butters.”
“Well weapons we can get from the north if we can get em in our pocket and food we can get from the east if Sweetie’s estimated of numbers are correct. The bigger problem is bandages.”
“Well I got a couple in my pocket to the west. After the ponies out there banned together with the buffalo they’ve grown to hate the new regime. I’m sure we can get some more of the doctors from the buffalo as well. I’ve heard their healers are among the best in Equestria.”
“Are you sure, Rumble?
“Yeah. And I know the buffalo people are not dishonest. They hold their honesty very highly.”
“Alright. Well then let’s talk strategy.”
They talked about the movements of enemy troops, trade patterns, and a myriad of other subjects before closing the meeting. Applebloom and Pip left together and found a nice quite spot in the back of the boiler room.
“Things are looking good for us huh?”
“Definitely! Things are really changing. And Ah think they’re gonna keep changing. Let’s hope it’s fer our benefit.”
Applebloom got closer and gave him a quick kiss before falling asleep against his torso. She was right, but no one knew how much things were about to change.
