A Dark Eclipse

Chapters

Prologue: History Class
The Beginning of the End
Let's split up, Gang!

Prologue: History Class

The wagon bounced on the dusty road and the children and mare inside of it looked quite unhappy. The children looked bedraggled, there manes all messy and fuzzed up, but they still tried their best to pay attention to the mare that was starting her lesson. For it was natural for the little fillies to attempt to pay attention when Cheerilee taught. The lesson today. Why they were all riding in a cruddy wagon.

“It all started with the Gryphon Wars. It started suddenly and quite violently. Our Princess Celestia was in negotiation with the Gryphons over food trade for in the mountains the Gryphons could barely grow enough to feed their current population. But...I guess they just weren’t willing to wait. For they struck at Equestria suddenly and without any warning! They attacked a small farm settlement and that was when we grasped how much danger we ponies were in. They had created things we had never seen before! Gryphons have no control over magic and thus turned towards machines. We know they were powered by something called Coal which they dug from the mountains. They were preparing for this…They had so many machines…”

The wagon shook violently and Cheerilee looked a little annoyed as her lesson was interrupted by the bumpy road. The small group of children were caught onto her words and looked equally annoyed that the school teacher had stopped.

“Ms. Cheerilee! Tell us what happened after! Did we fight them off with magic and win the day?” One Pegasus foal asked his tail swishing around as his imagination created the image of Luna tossing around the Gryphons and there evil machines like toys, however this was not to be.

“I’m sorry Façade, but…things were not so simple.” Cheerilee said with a sad smile, before returning to her tale. “You see…Equestria had enjoyed several centuries of peace. There were a few slight incidents such as the return of Nightmare Moon and the invasion of Canterlot. But they were contained incidents Equestria hadn’t been in war since…Well only Celestia knows. We were caught woefully unprepared as the Unicorns have never even bothered to learn any offensive spells, and there defensive spells were just not enough. Refugees were flooding into Canterlot, Fillydelphia, Manehattan…And most of them were Earth Ponies to. Many of the settlements that the Gryphons were destroying were Earth Pony towns like Ponyville. During this time Celestia was trying to get Equestria into war production, but it was hard work. Equestria doesn’t have any natural resources besides the gems, metals, and wood. Nothing to power the factories or machines…Except magic. So as the factories were created all over Equestria Earth Ponies found they were losing farm land to the Unicorns who were also getting employed by the very same factories! Only the strongest of the strong could lift the metals the factories needed and the factory managers didn’t want to go through all that, so they decided to only hire Unicorns. This put a lot of Earth Ponies out of work and Celestia was…well she was starting to snap, children. The war was getting to her and she had no idea what to do with all the homeless, so she made a life changing choice. She ordered an Exodus of all the refugees West to try and settle a new city. This brought discontentment amongst the Earth Ponies who felt they were being abandoned by the Princess. The pieces began to fall together…Because during this time Princess Luna was feeling absolutely useless. She had only been back a few years and still had not completely taken to the new government and society of modern Equestria. She felt like she could help no one. But when she heard of the Exodus she thought she could lead them safely and help start a new city. She could prove herself just as useful as her older sister. So she decided to lead the Exodus! As she led the large crowd of Earth Ponies and their families which included a few Pegasi and Unicorns they began to latch onto Luna. They felt completely abandoned by Celestia and clung to Luna who was helping them during this terrible time. They had traveled for weeks before Luna decided to settle down. No one really knows why, but some say she had heard the Earth Ponies talk about a strange, powerful feeling under the earth and decided to take the risk and settle near it.”

Cheerilee was about to continue before she noticed Façade had risen his hoof. With a smile she nodded at him.

“I don’t understand Ms. Cheerilee…What do you mean the Earth Ponies felt it? They don’t have magic!”

“You see Façade…Earth Ponies have a special connection with the Earth as you Pegasi have a connection with the Sky. While you can mold and shape clouds we can mold the earth. And like how you can control what is inside a cloud we can sense what is in the Earth. Does that answer your question?” Façade nodded his brow creased with thought. “Good! Now, where was I? Oh! Yes. Luna and her large population decided to settle down. In hope that they would be able to expand they named there city Nebula. Can any of you children guess why they did so?”

A light blue Unicorn mare raised her hoof slowly. Cheerilee nodded to her. “Go on Blizzard.”

“I read a book that Twilight gave me about the stars…It said Nebula’s make them right? And Luna controls the stars…So maybe it was being respectful towards Luna?”

“Very good Blizzard!” Cheerilee praised with a pat to her head. The other children looked slightly jealous as Blizzard giggled. “Everything you said is true. But also this! They wanted more than one city. They wanted to colonize this area and so Nebula would be the “birth” of it all. Pumping out new cities. This is why all of the Lunar Republic cities are named after famous constellations. Now Luna had been in her sister’s shadow for a long time and she wasn’t feeling very confident about herself. She remembered during her time the Zebra’s had come up with more ways to rule then just a single pony controlling everything. She called all of the ponies to her and told them of her feelings and felt for now she could not rule alone. So she set up something called a Democracy. Something the Zebra’s came up with a long time ago. It’s where everypony gets to have a say! Not just one or the ponies that live in Canterlot. The Ponies took this very well and soon had a growing city. They wanted to make Nebula more beautiful and amazing than Canterlot. To show the Ponies back home that Earth Ponies were not useless. But the problem remained that the Earth Ponies could not lift the heavy things, and there was a very limited amount of Unicorns. So, Luna decided to find out what the Earth Ponies had sensed. With a large team they began to dig, and dig, and dig until they struck Oil! Now children in essence Coal and Oil are the same thing. Except one is solid and the other, a liquid.”

“How did we figure that out Ms. Cheerilee?” Façade and Blizzard asked at the same time. Cheerilee giggled.

“Ponykind didn’t. The Gryphons did. You see some Gryphons did live in Equestria before the war and they weren’t very liked when the Gryphon Nation began its attack. Some were skilled Gryphons who just couldn’t get home due to the war. So they were ordered along with the Ponies into the Exodus. Luna could have left them in the wilds, but she chose not to. This probably earned their respect for her and so they helped by identifying what it was, how they could use it, and what machines they knew how to build. With this knowledge Nebula was set! After a rough start many construction machines and factories were created for the Earth Ponies to use and Nebula began its construction in earnest!”

“Earnest?” The class echoed with confused looks.

“Quickly.” Cheerilee said with a laugh. “Ponies actually began packing up and moving to Nebula avoiding the low wages many were suffering. Farms became empty handed as Earth Ponies upped and left looking for a better life. Soon new towns and cities were sprouting up everywhere and Luna began to have a problem. Her democratic system could not work if they were more than one city. Yet she still felt she was not able to rule by herself. So after some research she found her solution. Taking her ideas once again from the Zebra’s she set up a Republic. A Republic is where each town votes in a pony or Gryphon who would represent them in something called a Senate. A senate is a group of ponies and Gryphons discuss thing and somepony called a President would watch over them making sure everything is right. Well everypony was so happy with Luna that when the time came to choose a president no one even competed against her! She has been president ever since the tradition has begun though people have run against her before. Well with all these towns and cities production was very high and Luna made sure to have a strong military for she had not forgotten about the war that seemed so distant to the population she represented. For you see children, Equestria was in trouble. Celestia could not build up a military while being invaded, so inch by inch the Gryphons were taking all the land and were rapidly approaching Canterlot. Luna pleaded with the Senate to allow her to send troops to Canterlot and Celestia’s aid. The senate was happy enough to say yes, for even though Celestia had abandoned them they would not do the same. However a condition was brought up. Something as equally life changing as the Exodus. They would come not as Equestria citizens, but as the military of another nation. This shocked Luna, but time was running out for Canterlot and Luna could not get the Senate to agree without the condition. So she accepted and thus the Lunar Republic was born.”

“But…Why? Was something wrong with Equestria?” Blizzard asked confused. “Before the war they had a long, long, time of peace right?”

“That would be correct Blizzard! But the Ponies of the Lunar Republic liked the Republic system. They didn’t want to go back to being ruled by only one person. They also felt like Celestia betrayed them and didn’t want to be ruled by her.” Blizzard nodded in understanding and Cheerilee took this as a sign to continue. “They were very quick to getting to Canterlot and arrived just a few days ahead of the Gryphons who had grown lazy and were moving very slowly. Now the Elements of Harmony were in Canterlot trying to help the war and they were amazed by what Luna had done. Princess Luna had come with the army to see them and her sister again and the Elements were very glad to see her again. Celestia it was said to be more distant towards her, but no one thought anything of it at the time. So when the Gryphons came they were shocked to see a huge, fresh, modern force facing them. Pegasi, seeing Luna’s army, came down in droves to help and by the end of the day the Gryphons had retreated! In just a two years the Lunar Republic beat the Gryphons out of Equestria and even drove a bit into their own border. The Gryphons cried for peace and Luna took it ending the Gryphon Wars. However, Celestia was not pleased, She realized she had lost the majority of her farmers and now her citizens were starving. Luna quickly put up the offer of giving Equestria food until they could produce their own, but she would have none of it. Celestia ordered all ponies living in the Lunar Republic to return to Equestria. Luna was very hurt by this and the people were very outraged! They refused so Celestia turned to Luna commanding her to order them back. But Luna did not do so saying it was their choice. Outraged, hurt, and feeling betrayed it was then Eclipse was born. She ordered Luna and all of her people to return to her nation and never return. Tearfully, Luna obeyed, and the relation between the two nations fell through.”

“Eclipse? No help? I don’t understand…Why would Celestia do this?” Façade asked shaking his head both to show his confusion and to shake out the dust that kept getting into his mane as the wagon they rode in hit an especially dusty part sending some of it into the wagon.

“Well you see Façade there is a little Chaos in all of our hearts. Sometimes this chaos can take control of us. Since we ponies are connected to Order quite closely allowing the Chaos to control us morphs us and changes us. The transformation that turned Luna into Nightmare Moon turned Celestia into Eclipse. However the transformation was not sudden…Her Chaos was worse. Fueled by every terrible thing Celestia felt during and after the war she became a…” Cheerilee bit her lip as she remembered the terrible days. “A monster. She whipped everypony into a religious fervor and her as there goddess and anyone who disobeyed…died.” The children gasp and they scooted closer together.

“Indeed…It was a terrible time. Equestria began to rebuild but as a different place. The Lunar Republic said that Equestria was dead…What replaced it was something that had not existed since the Roaman times. They dubbed the new nation the Solar Imperium. It seemed to have stuck. Eclipse, as Celestia is now known as took, control of everything. The Army she created was more terrifying then the Gryphons or the Lunar Republic could have ever dreamed off. And many Ponies were very willing to join her army saying it was a pleasure to serve their Empress…Now tensions are building between the two nations and the Elements of Harmony are trying to diffuse it. But I'm certain everything will be fine…”

“If everything is going to be fine Ms. Cheerilee…Why did our parents leave us? And why did they send us to the Lunar Republic?” Façade asked. The children around him asked similar questions towards her. Cheerilee stared at his innocent little face and at the other children and sighed.

“Because your parents love you dear children…They just want to make sure you stay safe. Now enough of the history lesson. Time to go to bed.” Cheerilee said with a yawn. The children nodded and gathered around Cheerilee sleeping around her to give them and their teacher warmth. All except two little ponies.

“I know why they sent us…My older brother told me.” Blizzard said as she and Façade sat at the edge of the wagon staring into the night sky. With Luna busy ruling her nation the stars seemed a less bright, missing the touch of their mistress of the night.

“Why?” He asked softly.

“They were conscripted into Eclipse’s army…My brother said that she was planning something big. Something bad and mean. So they didn’t want us to be there when it happens…” She looked down and small tears flowed down her muzzle. “I miss my big brother. I miss my parents. I miss your parents…they were the coolest neighbors ever…” Façade wrapped a wing around her and she cuddled near him.

“I know Blizzard. Ms. Cheerilee said everything is going to be alright. And she is a teacher! She knows everything.”

“I guess you’re right…She did talk a lot…” Blizzard yawned and laid her head down on the floor of the wagon and fell asleep quickly. Façade took a moment to look back up at the dimmed stars and sighed.

“I hope I’m right to…” He said before falling asleep just as the wagon bounced along the path heading towards their destination. Nebula.

The Beginning of the End

Chapter One: The Beginning of the End

“This is the worst, possible, thing,” Rarity gasped out as the Elements of Harmony trudged up the mountain leading to Canterlot. A few months ago Celestia had ordered most public transportation to Canterlot shut down and all journeys to the majestic city had to be done by foot or wing.

“Oh come on Rarity, you really need to get out more,” Rainbow said as she walked beside the panting mare. Rarity lifted her head to glare at her walking companion.

“Unlike you, Rainbow, I have a store to keep and just do not have time to go running all across Equestria! Also, add in the fact that lately I’ve had to stay up late consoling Sweetie Bell! Ever since Cheerilee left, why she has been ever so worried that something is going to go wrong!” Rarity glared at the ground. “And of course my parents never come to check in on us…Or even send me a letter saying they’re alright…so I’ve them to worry about, too.”

Twilight sighed from the front and turned her head.

“We’re all worried Rarity. Equestria isn’t right and this time we will demand that Princess Celestia do something! We can’t let this continue anymore…” She looked down and frowned. “I just don’t understand why Celestia is doing something like this. Why would she betray Equestria?”

“The war was hard on all of us, sug,” Applejack said. “It must’ve been real hard on the Princess. Seeing as she ruled Equestria and held the responsibility of protecting us. Might’ve cracked her up a bit.”

“Applejack!” Twilight glared at the Orange pony who simply shrugged.

“Just my honest thoughts, Twi.”

“Well it’s not possible! Princess Celestia has ruled for centuries! I’m sure she’s faced much harder things than…war.” Twilight looked mildly disgusted saying said the word as it brought back bad feelings and memories. Quieter, she said, “I’m sure of it.”

“Oooh! Tail Twitch, Hoof Cramp, Itchy nose!” Pinkie cried out suddenly. Everypony stopped and stared at her as they were all very unfamiliar with that particular combination.

She thought for a moment and shrugged with a smile. “It’s a new one! Let’s find out what it is!” She giggled. They all turned their heads back to the path as they heard ponies galloping towards them. Twilight and the others gasped when they saw the bedraggled group approach them, with equally shocked faces.

“Shining Armor? Cadence!? What are you two doing here?” Twilight said after taking a moment to compose herself. The last people she expected galloping down a dirt path was the Captain of the Canterlot Defense Force and his wife--herself a Princess, no less. Another familiar Unicorn in a dapper suit and monocle staggered up next to them

“Fancypants?! Why are you galloping down a dirt road? You are going to destroy your beautiful suit!” Rarity cried out as she approached him.

“I’m afraid, my dear, that we have more pressing matters then the status of my suit,” Fancypants said sadly.

“Twily. You need to get back to Ponyville and warn anyone staying there they need to leave immediately,” ordered Shining Armor.

Twilight frowned and stamped her hoof. “Shining! I’m going to need more than just that! What on earth is going on in Canterlot? Why are you leaving the city?” Shining Armor shook his head as Cadence spoke up.

“Twilight, things have gone horribly wrong up there. Celestia has lost it!” Her wings spread out in agitation as her eyes teared up. “Celestia…She ordered the executions of every single noble in Canterlot. I personally saw her behead Blueblood!” she cried out. The Elements were left wide eyed and open mouthed, Rainbow swiftly moving to Fluttershy’s side as she sobbed quietly. “She is seizing their bits, their land; servants and companies…She’s taking over all of Canterlot! Nopony is safe...We had to leave! We couldn’t stand for that…That monster!”

Twilight stepped back, her mind reeling as she attempted to take it all in. Her mentor? Killing innocent ponies? She couldn’t grasp the concept.

“But…Fancypants! Where is Fleur? Why is she not with you?” Rarity asked him.

“My brave, beautiful Fleur demanded she stay behind to try and defend my estates. She assured me she could talk reason with the Princess…I begged her to come, but she was so stubborn and I had to leave…” Fancypants took off his monocle and patted his wet eyes with a handkerchief. “Oh my beautiful Fleur…Why have the fates been so cruel to us today?”

Rarity tried to her best to comfort the noblepony as Shining Armor and Cadence did the same for Twilight.

“Now just hold up. Why in tarnation did Celestia go around killin’ all these ponies?” Applejack asked.

“The Nobles held a lot of power in court and over the public. No matter how much anypony worshipped Celestia, they still held great respect for them. So to properly control the masses, she had to...get rid of the competition,” explained Fancypants between his tears.

Applejack shuddered and took off her hat as she murmured her respects to the ponies that were dying in the city right above them.

“This…This can’t be right. This is too much…Celestia…” Twilight said, her voice trembling and weak.

Placing a hoof on her shoulder, Cadence said, “Twilight. There is no more Celestia. She has been transformed from all the hate and anger that she’s felt since the start of the Gryphon Wars…She’s gone, just like Luna was when she transformed into Nightmare Moon.”

“She needs to be stopped, but we can’t do it now. Canterlot’s just in too much turmoil right now. There’s no way any of you could get to the Elements of Harmony. We’re heading towards the Lunar Republic and I suggest you do the same.” Shining Armor hugged the still form of his sister and kissed her on the head. “Stay safe Twily. We need to go before the guards spot us. I love you, little sis.”

With a hug, Cadence said much the same as the two groups traded farewells and well wishes. Rarity exclaimed her wish that they not separate but Fancypants spoke up.

“We must go. Rarity, I thank you for the comfort you have brought me today. I hope to see you in Nebula.” He bowed to her before the group galloped off down the path circling the mountain. The six friends were silent and shocked, still trying to take in the disturbing news.

“I never knew…Celestia…” Rainbow Dash sputtered out as she petted Fluttershy to try and calm the hyperventilating mare. Pinkie’s mane had straightened itself out due to her hearing the horrible news, but she was the only one who kept her head together after hearing it.

“Come on! We need to get down to Ponyville and warn everypony! Rarity! Sweetie Belle is still down there!” This snapped Rarity out of her daze and the others as well.

“Pinkie’s right. I need to get back to the farm and warn the family,” Applejack said.

With a nod they all took off down the road faster than ever. They didn’t know why they were so panicked, for all the chaos was happening in the city above them, but all of them felt something terrible was about to take over Equestria and they had to get their loved ones to safety before harm could come to them.

In an hour they had made it to Ponyville. The little town had changed dramatically ever since the rise of the Lunar Republic and the creation of the Solar Imperium. More and more ponies left the small town seeking a better life in the Republic. Lyra, Bon-Bon, Derpy, Dr. Colgate, Dr. Whooves, and many more ponies had left the town in search of a more prosperous life. The town was silent and desolate as the six mares raced across the town to pick up their precious belongings and friends.

After gathering everything up, they returned to the center of town--each of them bearing personal treasures and treasured loved ones. Twilight eyed Big Mac nervously as he shifted his battle saddle. Twin M60E4’s hung at his side looking primed and ready to kill.

She shivered and looked around making sure everypony was present: Applejack, with Applebloom, Big Mac and Winona; Rarity with Sweetie Bell and Opal; Rainbow Dash had gotten Tank and found Scootaloo; Fluttershy had collected Angel; and Pinkie Pie carried Gummy on her back. The few residents left such as the mayor were already packing and would leave a bit after the group. Fluttershy looked back towards her cottage nervously as her recently free animals hid in the Everfree Forest.

“Twilight, we should get going soon,” Spike said with a poke. She had to turn her head upwards to make eye contact with her number one assistant. His wings flapped in slight agitation as she grimaced from his poke. His claws had gotten sharper then she remembered.

“I know, Spike…Just give me a minute,” she said with a sigh. She couldn’t help but think of all the books she was leaving behind in her library. She had saved as many as her bulging saddlebags would allow. But more importantly, she worried about her parents in Canterlot; wondering if they were safe from Celestia. Rarity--sensing her unease--walked up to Twilight and gave her a hug.

“I know what you’re feeling sweetie. I don’t know if my parents are safe either…But we have to get out of Ponyville! Those dreadful guards could show up at any second.”

Twilight nodded and looked at everypony’s worried and uncertain faces.

“Alright everypony--huddle up! I’m going to try teleporting us there. I think I should be able to at least get us to the border. Everypony ready?”

They all nodded and clung to each other and their belongings, huddling as close as they could against Twilight.

“Alright, here we go...One. Two. Three!” With that, the entire group was enveloped into a large purple bubble and vanished only to reappear…right into the middle of a battle.

The grouped ducked down and flattened their ears as their senses were suddenly assaulted by a cacophony of noises. Gunshots rang through the air, and bullets whizzed through the air slamming into soldiers and objects. One round pierced a Lunar Soldier’s Battle Saddle causing an explosion that enveloped the screaming buck. Twilight shifted her eyes away from the burning pony as a mare ran up to them screaming.

“Hey! Civvies! You gotta go!” She cursed as a bullet whizzed over her. Turning, she fired her rifles towards where the shot came from. Twilight stared at her uncomprehendingly as she continued to scream at them. Finally she slammed her hoof into Twilight’s cheek jarring her back to reality.

“Wha…What? Where are we? What’s going on?” Twilight yelled over the din of battle.

“You’re in the middle of a bucking warzone! I don’t wanna waste time knowing how you got here, but we can’t evacuate you yet! The roads aren’t safe! Snipers are watching the damned roads! I’ll take you back to base, so get your friends together because we gotta leave soon!”

Everypony was just as shell shocked she had been so Twilight shook them back to the present with her magic. As she did so, she took in what was going on around her. They seemed to be at a military checkpoint that was currently under attack by the Imperium.

Lunar Soldiers fired from the two buildings that lined the road into the forest. The gray walls were peppered with bullet holes and the large windows that looked out towards the fields were blown out. The checkpoint looked out to where dozens of the Imperium’s Guards had set up positions and rained death on the defenders.

Twilight’s group had regained their senses and were looking over the battle with mixed reactions. All had been in combat before at one point or another during the Gryphon Wars.

The children closed their eyes and flattened their ears, clinging to their guardians tightly, trying desperately to blot out the sounds of the dying. Applejack and Rarity covered the little foals, looking at each other with pained expressions. This was exactly what they had never wanted the little ones to see. Gummy bit tightly on Pinkie’s hair as she looked around wildly, not knowing what to do. Opal slipped into Rarity’s bag and stayed there quietly.

“We’ll get out of this mess Gummy,” Pinkie whispered to the gator. The gator gurgled as his purple eyes swirled around wildly. Angel tugged on Fluttershy’s hair, demanding the timid pony get her out of this mess.

“Come on, you civvies! We gotta get you somewhere safe!” the mare yelled before swiftly moving deeper into the forest, towards the checkpoint. “The base is right behind it! You should be safe until we can drive the guards back!”

The group followed with Big Mac covering the back. He test fired his battle saddle and nodded--satisfied it would tear apart any Guard hoping to make an easy kill.

The smoke and dust resulting from the explosions and countless guns fired choked the group as they approached the base. Thankfully they had no issues getting to the base, though what they saw upon arrival didn’t match expectations.

The base turned out to be a small clearing in the forest, just a little ways away from all the fighting. The injured lay scattered all over the clearing, moaning loudly as a lone medic tried his best to fix the terrible injuries that ranged from bullet wounds to missing limbs. The group was lead to the center where a large stallion was yelling into a radio.

“Tell the left flank to hold out a little longer!” He turned his head and grinned when he saw the group wander in. “Tell them I’m sending in reinforcements to deal with the LMSV’s! Now move your sorry flank and get back to firing!” The stallion slammed his radio roughly on a table in front of him and turned his attention towards the group. “Well, well, what the buck do we have here, May?”

The group dropped their belongings onto the ground as the mare spoke up.

The mare saluted and stood at attention as she spoke, “I believe one Twilight Sparkle teleported them here on accident Sarge. We can’t evacuate them yet for the snipers still watching the roads, sir.”

The sergeant nodded and waved her off. She saluted again before walking off towards the battle front.

“Alright, I know you’re the bucking Elements of Harmony--I mean what idiot wouldn’t recognize Twilight Sparkle and friends--but right now I don’t give a rat’s flank. We got a battle here, so what the hay do you want?”

Rarity had a horrified look on her face and was about to teach him how many ways a mare could hurt a such an uncouth pony before Rainbow intervened, used to the talk of the military.

“Sir. Master Sergeant of the 501’st Equestrian Rapid Air Response. We have civilians and children here and we need a safe place for them to stay. I would also appreciate it if you could give me the chance to show those Guards to fear the Rainbow.” Rainbow had her signature cocky grin and her wings flapped out in excitement as the Sarge began to take his Battle Saddle off.

“Give em hell, kid.” Rainbow Dash grinned as the sergeant handed it to Rainbow Dash. With Scootaloo’s help the saddle was fit as well as it could. “Careful, they are custom Type 89s. Don’t go screwing them up you hear me? And you better damn well return that saddle to me in one piece as well!” Rainbow Dash saluted before taking off into the sky and heading towards the front line. “And you. Big Red. I bucking love those guns. Think you can use ‘em to blow up some jeeps that are lighting my men on fire?”

“Eeyup.”

“A stallion of few words. I can respect that. That pony will show you where you need to go.” He pointed his hoof towards a courier who nodded.

As the two galloped off the sergeant finally turned his attention to the mares and children. “Well, the most I can think for you to do is sit back and hope for the best.”

Fluttershy, Applejack, and Spike nodded gratefully as they took the children towards an empty area to rest. Pinkie Pie did what she did best as she tried to cheer up the soldiers who couldn’t get back onto the field. Twilight smiled at the silly pink pony, but a large explosion reminded her of her current situation and that she couldn’t risk letting her attention slip.

She turned her head towards the sergeant as he eyed Twilight and Rarity. “What? You mares think you can do something?”

“I know how to work a gun…I think. Do you happen to have any MP guns around?” Twilight asked.

“Indeed. Both Twilight and I have handled weaponry before. I’m sure we can handle whatever you have,” Rarity added. The sergeant nodded and directed their attention to a large gun hogging most of the space on the small table.

“An MPHK-MG4. An Imperium sniper took out the Unicorn who used it and I know a position that could damn well use this kind of firepower right now. Either of you two know how to use it?”

“I do,” Twilight said as her eyes moved across the gun, taking in the details of the weapon. She remembered how to use it…and also the recoil that nearly flung her back every time she used a weapon like it. “But…I can’t handle it very well.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’ll be rather like sewing! Can’t hold it too hard or it’ll break and can’t hold it too lightly or it’ll slip! That and aiming correct?” The sergeant nodded in reply to Rarity’s question. “Then I shall try it out!”

“Good to hear! Now come on. We’ve got ponies to kill.”

Twilight and Rarity grimaced at his words, but the sergeant didn’t notice as he turned away and led the three through the forest and approached the check point. The sound of death and weaponry were at their highest in that direction, and both mares had their ears flattened. As they crawled through the building Twilight stole a look out the window and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw a rainbow streak through the smoke twirling around before it dived towards the ground. Her attention snapped back as a soldier took a glance over his shoulder to the newcomers.

“Sergeant! Good to see you! And I see you brought some magic power!” he said happily as he fired off his weapons.

“You bet your sorry flank I did! Came just in time to save ya didn’t I?”

“You always do, Sarge.”

“Bet your sister’s sweet flank I do.”

“Sarge…We’ve been through this. I don’t have a-“

“Now you, fancyflank--” the Sarge turned to the white mare ignoring the buck, “--all you need to do is set it by any window and grip it tight. Keep your head low and, if you need to, just let out a good spray. Miss Sparkle, I’ll assume you know what to do. Good luck to you both.”

And with that the sergeant bolted back out the checkpoint to return to the clearing. Rarity crawled over to an unoccupied window. A blue aura encompassed the gun and unlatched the bipod before setting it on the window frame.

“Well Twilight, now would be a good time to…do whatever you need to do.”

Twilight’s horn flared and suddenly a belt of purple bullets popped into existence with a bright red core in the center of each bullet. The belt levitated and loaded itself into the gun with a satisfying click. Everypony suddenly ducked down as a burst of bullets shot into the building spraying plaster everywhere.

“Hey girls! Now would be a great time to fire the bloody thing!” the colt who had spoken to the sergeant yelled as he got back up.

Rarity gulped and turned her head away from the weapon as she magically pulled the trigger. A hail of purple destruction rained down on the exposed position of the Guard--their bodies torn to shreds as the magical bullets not only entered their flesh but exploded. Limbs and flesh were ripped from bodies as Rarity continued to spray the magical bullets across the field.

Lunar Soldiers ducked down in fear of being hit, but cheered as the front collapsed under the hail of the destructive magic. On the left flank, sudden explosions rocked the battlefield and a flaming LMSV flew into the air for a moment before crashing back down. The Guard’s line began to buckle and after one more run from Rainbow Dash they started to rout.

Twilight opened her eyes and raised her ears as she picked up the sound of cheers. She and Rarity raised their heads above the window to catch the sight of the Imperium Guards running back to where they had come from, a few falling to the ground as the Lunar Soldiers fired on their backs.

Twilight’s eyes took in the destruction and death that had occurred during the small skirmish. Dozens of ponies from both sides lay dead on the ground, most sporting missing limbs and terrible holes where large portions of their bodies had been blown away.

Some due to the very bullets she had created with her magic.

How could anyone possible cheer for this? This waste of life, this desecration of everything they had learned after clearing the destruction of the Gryphon War. Twilight couldn’t grasp the waste of pony life as her eyes stared at the collection of bodies her bullets had added to the list of the dead.

Rarity turned around, dropping the weapon onto the ground as she hugged Twilight tightly and sobbed into her neck. Twilight returned the hug as tears flowed down her own muzzle. Both mares knew this was only a small glimpse of what they and all of Ponydom would have to face to remove the monster who sat in the throne room of Canterlot.

Note: I do apologize for little and vague Rainbow Dash action but you will see it soon enough. And also most of the guns will be based off of modern day weapons. However Imperium Magical weapons will be unique. Vehicles I’ll be a bit more creative with as well. Also the idea of Battle Saddles belongs to Kkat. If you don’t know that go read Fallout Equestria. Or your life won’t be complete. I’ll include a Weapon, Vehicle, and Term Index at the end of every chapter to describe everything so my faithful readers don’t get confused.

Weapons, Vehicle, and Terms Index:

MP: Magically powered weapons tend to be stronger than normal weapons for talented Unicorns can incorporate a magical element to the bullets (which are called SMA or Special Magical Ammunition) like what Twilight did. Thankfully not many Unicorns are that skilled and extreme training is generally needed to do this. Twilight can do this because she is the damned Element of Magic. Also not all MP weapons can handle SMA’s. Most MP Weapons can be handled by one trained Unicorn. The Unicorn handling the weapon must know the Caliber of the bullet the MP weapon takes. This does require extensive studying and in generally restricts Unicorns to certain weapons as obviously not all weapons take the same caliber.

BS: All Battle Saddle Weapons are magazine fed due to the difficulties loading a belt into a gun without magic or fingers. The recoil is of course weaker than an MP weapon and so generally have Shotguns, Assault Rifles, or Sub-Machine guns attached to the sides. Light Machine Guns can be used by the stronger Earth Ponies. Pegasi can use the lighter saddles or can opt for Hoof Claws. (Hoof Claws will be explained when seen later in the story.) Every Battle Saddle contains pockets where the ammunition is kept.

LMSV AKA Light Magically Shielded Vehicle: An armored jeep that is doubly protected by a weak magical shield produced by the unicorn firing a MP-M60D. Three Ponies are generally inside of this vehicle.

MP-M60D: Magical Powered M60D. Attached to LMSV’s and Zeppelins. This weapon can fire Special Magical Ammunition and can fire belts that contain 500 7.62mm Equestrian Caliber rounds before overheating and require around a minute of cool down.

MPHK MG4: A magically powered HK-MG4. Fires 5.56x45mm Equestrian Caliber Bullets. Can fire about 1500 Bullets before requiring several seconds of cool down. Has the ability to fire Special Magical Ammunition.

BSM60E4: Battle Saddle M60E4. The Battle Saddle version of the weapon. Typical Magazine for this weapon holds 75 7.62x51 Equestrian caliber rounds. It has the ability to penetrate light armor and weak shields.

BSType-89: Battle Saddle Type-89- The Battle Saddle version of the weapon. The Type-89 is an Assault Rifle generally used by smaller bucks and Pegasi in the air to fire. It fires 5.56x45mm Equestrian caliber rounds with 30 rounds per magazine.

Let's split up, Gang!

War is like love. It always finds a way.

Chapter Three: Let’s split up, Gang!

A large pyre was set up in the middle of the small clearing as the surviving soldiers burned the bodies of their comrades and enemies alike. The group looked on sadly as they saw the fire calmly devour the bodies of the ponies that had died in this pointless battle. Once the adrenaline died down Rainbow Dash was quieter than usual, watching the flames and the bodies carefully. Applejack cantered over to her and sat down putting a hoof around her neck.

“What’s bothering ya’, RD? Ah know a troubled soul when Ah see one.” Rainbow Dash leaned into Applejack, trembling lightly even though the warmth from the fire kept everyone warm.

“During the fight…I just imagined they were all Gryphons…It was so easy killing them if I just put feathers and beaks on them…Am I really that callous? That all I have to do to kill somepony without a thought is just imagine they’re a Gryphon?” Applejack stroked the rainbow mane and sighed.

“The war took a toll on all of us…This one will be no different.” Rainbow Dash trembled harder from the orange mares truthful words. As the two had some alone time the sergeant approached the rest of the group.

“Hello Elements. It’s good to see everyone made it out alive. It was a pretty bad fight.” He looked fatigued as his eyes drooped slightly and bags were clearly outlined underneath his eye. He looked like he was just ready to give up on life, but held on by just a thread. Twilight saw that in all the veterans of the Gryphon War. The back of her mind wondered if that was what she looked like to people now.

“Yes…I’m happy we all made it back without any physical injuries…I’m just sorry the same couldn’t be said for everypony,” Rarity said looking back at the pyre.

“It’s a shame,” the sergeant muttered. “But that is to be discussed after all this nonsense is over. We’ve heard reports that the entire Eastern Border of the Lunar Republic has been attacked. Thankfully most of the attacks were repelled and the few that weren’t were brought down by the Pegasi that were called in from Nebula. The Lunar Republic is safe for now and we need to get you ponies to Nebula. I’m sure President Luna will be happy to see you. We have a truck coming to pick you up. It’ll arrive in about an hour.” He then smiled and saluted them. “It has been an honor to see you mares and bucks. And I’m glad you picked our side.” With that he cantered off taking care of other business. Spike and Big Mac went off to find their stuff they had dropped off during the battle and all the pets were sleeping soundly by the fire. Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Twilight sat in a circle staring solemnly at each other.

“Well girls…We need a plan. We could stay in Nebula the entire war. You know Luna would allow it. We could be spared from the trauma of another war…to be honest, a big part of me wants to do that. I hated being out there. Watching other ponies die. And this time…This time both sides will be ponies. No more shields, no more closing our eyes. We’ll be out there…” Twilight shuddered. “And blood will be on our hooves.” The group stayed silent as they thought over the terrible choices. Allow ponies to die for them? Or kill other ponies to save the lives of the innocent and de-throne a terrible tyrant. All of them occasionally glanced at Rainbow, an all too real example that showed the turmoil one would end up going through after killing another ponybeing. Pinkie was the first to speak up.

“I think that we should go out there and help Luna take Canterlot! Everypony has a right to be free and party! Under Celestia neither of those freedoms would be given!” Twilight had a look of momentary shock before it faded into a proud smile. Sometimes she could forget how intelligent Pinkie could be under that crazy exterior.

“Ummm…I think…I should go with the army…You know…To help with the injured,” Fluttershy said meekly. “But I don’t want to fight! Oh no…I don’t think I can hold a gun.”

“Well, I know Rainbow Dash wouldn’t leave the fight…conflicted as she is.”

“But whatever shall we do about Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo, Applebloom, and the pets? We can’t just leave them in Nebula! Who knows of the dreadful trouble those Crusaders could get themselves into!”

“You do have a point Rarity…Do you think Cheerilee is still there? I know I hate to leave the kids and pets on her on the first visit we’ve given to her in Nebula, but we’ve got little choice.”

“Perhaps Luna will give us an answer. Being…president and all I’m sure she will be happy to find someone willing to take them in.” Rarity made a face as she forcefully made herself replace the title Princess with President.

“Well…” Twilight sighed and pawed the ground nervously. “It’s decided then. We all go into this war. For the good of ponykind.”

“Ya’ll know me and RD are coming along,” Applejack said as she and Rainbow joined in the group. Rarity and Pinkie scooted aside to give the two space.

“Yea…Both of us are in. No way are we going to leave you girls hanging! We’re all in this together, right?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking around, finding comfort in her friends’ faces.

“Of course, Rainbow. All for one and one for all yes?” Twilight asked with a giggle.

“Yea! We can be Harmonic Musketeers!” Pinkie gleefully cried out.

“Pinkie…” The group groaned, but Pinkie just giggled, oblivious or ignoring the groups protest to the name. The sergeant walked up to the group and smiled at the peace, however temporary, they had found.

“Elements. Not that I would like to ruin this little circle of yours, but the truck is here. Have a safe ride and may the stars light your path.” The mares responded in kind and followed a courier who guided them towards the truck. Rainbow Dash stopped before the sergeant and gave him a salute and also took off the saddle.

“This belongs to you Sarge.” The sergeant grinned and took the saddle from Rainbow Dash letting it sit unlatched on his back.

“Go out and kick some ass out there. Make those Imperium Guards fear the rainbow!”

“If they don’t already,” Rainbow chuckled. The sergeant and Rainbow shared another salute and quick hoof-bump before Rainbow ran off to join her friends in the truck.

The sergeant watched her vanish into the dark and sighed as he stared up into the starry sky. “May Luna and the Stars watch over them.”

Rainbow hopped into the truck and the courier signaled everything was ready, sending it driving off into the night. The pets were on the laps of their owners sleeping peacefully despite the jostling of the truck. Applebloom, Sweetie Bell, and Scootaloo rested near the front of the truck. Twilight yawned loudly spreading it to the others as well.

“We should catch some sleep girls. Who knows when we’ll get another good night’s rest.” They all nodded and quickly each let sleep claim them. All except Rainbow Dash, as she laid against Applejack staring up into the green canvas covering the truck.

“I don’t know if I can kill more ponies…But they are depending on me to do it…Even Lil’ Miss Rarity could do it! Buck up Rainbow! You can do this. You know it.” But even as Rainbow Dash fell asleep a frown was still found on her face and all the others as the truck rumbled down the road.

Luna stared up into the sky as she strained to bring the moon down and bring the sun up at the same time. Celestia had abandoned her duties and Luna had to bring the sun and moon up, for the other nations did not know of the war about to take place and she would rather tell them on her own terms. To control the sun was not too different from controlling the moon, however something felt off as she gripped the burning star. A bright, hot flame seemed to burn her as if though the sun itself was rejecting her, seeking out its true wielder. But Luna refused to give in and soon she had the sun up, though everypony wouldn’t be able to miss its odd position in the sky, Luna had more pressing matters to attend.

“Just one of the hardships that I shall face...” Luna murmured, before someone tapped her leg.

“Miss Luna? I do believe that you have an appointment with…The Elements of Harmony!” A little colt said with large, circular glasses sitting slightly askew on his face. Luna smiled, forgetting some of her worries as she took in the good news and the little colt, excited to see the heroes who had saved ponykind from many horrors.

“Indeed Façade. Would you like to join me to meet them?”

“Of course!”

“Then let us go. I’m sure they are very anxious to understand what is happening out there.”

Twilight groaned as the light hit her face through the window. She slowly creaked open her eyes as the cogs in her mind slowly started to warm up for the day.

Alright…On a fancy bed in a very large room…soldiers must have moved us from the truck while we were sleeping…Which means we’ve made it to Nebula! This woke up Twilight as she opened her eyes wide to take in the room.

It seemed to be made out as a sleeping quarters just for them as each bed her friends slept on was personalized to each individual. Rainbow Dash was sleeping happily on a cloud bed, with Scootaloo on the bed as well, while her own bed had a small reading lamp coming out of the headboard. Twilight found that interesting and was about to explore more before someone knocked on the door. She walked over and opened the door expecting a maid checking up on them. What she got, however, was the President of the nation she was currently in and an exiled princess.

“Hello Twilight Sparkle, it’s been quite a while.” Luna said with a tired smile on her face.

“Pri-President Luna!” Twilight caught herself at the last moment. “We weren’t expecting a visit so early!” A snore from Applejack proved that point.

“No need to fret, Twilight Sparkle. I’ve cleared up my morning just so I can catch you mares up to speed; however I would appreciate it if your friends were to awaken quickly.”

Twilight nodded and went around the beds poking her friends awake. Most of them made noises of annoyance until they caught sight of the regal princess of the night looking out of the window at the very end of the room. In a few minutes all of the mares had awoken and the children had scampered off to explore the hotel, dragging along Luna’s assistant as well.

“Applebloom! Ya be careful now ya hear?”

“Shush Applejack. I’m sure they will be fine. They’ve grown up now. I think they can handle being in a hotel,” Rarity whispered. Applejack looked back at the door and sighed, turning back to Luna as Twilight spoke up.

“So do you wish to talk about the war, President Luna?” Twilight asked. Luna looked out through the window, staring as her city rose with the sun she had struggled to raise, before turning to the Elements of Harmony who were patiently awaiting her words.

“Elements of Harmony, you have come to the nation in which I lead for protection and I do understand this, however you also understand that this nation is under attack by the Solar Imperium...by my sister. She has transformed into a monster--a monster most similar to Nightmare Moon--and now wishes to rule all of Equestria yet again and keep the sun forever in the sky to symbolize her eternal rule.

“This I am trying to prevent with all the strength I, and the people I lead, can muster. And even with all this at stake I give in to the fact that neither I nor the Senate has sovereignty over you. So I give you the choice, my little ponies: you will always be allowed to stay in Nebula and no pony will think any lesser of you, for you have already gone through the horrors of the Gryphon Wars. Or you may fight with the Lunar Republic and try to right the world once more.” She stared into the eyes of each mare as she concluded her speech.

Twilight took a deep breath before speaking, “President Luna...none of us could sit back and watch the world destroy itself. We are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, and so we must attempt to make the world right again.”

The rest of them nodded their heads, affirming that Twilight spoke for all of them. Luna visibly relaxed and she let out a sigh of relief.

“That is the best news I’ve heard in a very long time! It is clear you have turned the favor of victory in this war towards us. Come with me to the Night House. We have so much to discuss.” Luna walked towards the door, ducking her head slightly as she exited the rooms. “And do not worry about your pets. I will make sure only the best of care is given to them. You have my word.”

Applejack and Big Mac went over and patted Winona lightly as she slept. Twilight smiled at Owlowicious who hooted his goodbyes to both Twilight and Spike. Opal was already awake and seemed to scowl at losing her owner, only to be replaced by a possible simpleton, but Rarity knew the cat would behave. Rainbow looked at Tank who nodded extremely slowly towards her. Rainbow beamed and rubbed the tortoise’s head before joining the group outside the room. Fluttershy was the last to leave as she was arguing with her stubborn bunny.

“Angel...You have to stay. I don’t think you’d like it...out there...” Fluttershy shuddered slightly thinking of the battle she would have to witness. But Angel was having none of it and stamped his foot, not letting up an inch. Fluttershy sighed and bowed, letting Angel hop onto Fluttershy’s back. “I’m sorry President Luna...Angel won’t give up when he’s like this,” Fluttershy said meekly.

“It is perfectly alright, Fluttershy, it is his choice,” Luna said a little awkwardly as she eyed the odd duo.

They all left the room, but Pinkie looked back as if staring at someone and winked when a small crocodile could barely be seen as it swam through her hair.

“Do not worry about your sisters,” Luna added in as they walked into the lobby. “I’m sure my assistant will do everything he can to keep them in check...”

“Where are we going?!” Facade yelled indignantly as he was dragged along by Applebloom.

“We’re exploring! CUITE MARK CRUSADERS EXPLORERS!” they all screamed at once, causing Facade to flinch and wail with despair as he was dragged ever deeper into the hotel.

“And if not, the guards will protect them as well.” Luna said as she heard an eerie wail echo throughout the hotel.

As the mares exited the hotel they finally caught a look of the city and realized how different the Lunar Republic really was. The buildings were huge. Those of Canterlot couldn’t compare to the power and magnitude of the buildings within the Lunar Republic. Massive spires could be seen piercing the clouds with wide smokestacks just underneath them chugging out black clouds that the group had never seen before. Pegasi darted through the air, destroying the black clouds as they formed keeping the sky blue with only natural clouds moving lazily through the sky. The smaller buildings next to them seemed gray and monotonous, but if any of them peeked inside the windows most of them contained mysterious wonders never seen. But as most of them looked inside the buildings, Rarity was curiously examining the pedestrians.

Their clothing was unlike anything she had ever seen before. Some of the more rugged looking stallions wore a saddle that covered most of the body with pockets, allowing them to easily grab anything they needed. They wore strange things on their hooves that she couldn’t fathom the use for and goggles on top of their head.

Those that seemed more sophisticated to her eyes wore a garment similar enough to the tuxedos used in Canterlot, exposing their cutie mark unlike the saddle, but came in variations of the color brown or tan and seemed much less loose fitting. They also wore the same odd garments on their feet and had a nice brown or copper color top hat with goggles on them as well.

Oddly enough no mares could be found on the streets. Rarity was about to speak up, but before she could question Luna on the culture of Nebula, the group stopped in front of a large building. It was painted black, as if they were trying to hide it, but its size made it hard to miss. It wasn’t like the tall spires that decorated the city, but the fact it was on a raised hill forced it to be easily detectable from the ground. The building was surrounded by equally black fences and even with the sun raised, one would have to squint to see the Night Guard flitting around the building.

Luna approached the main gate, which stood at her height and looked quite menacing with sharpened spikes and odd decorations scattered about. The largest of these were two fear inducing Gryphons, standing there with quiet menace, a gun sticking out of each mouth. A few moments passed before Twilight spoke up.

“Luna? What are we-Gah!” Twilight gasped as several Night Guard Unicorns suddenly materialized around the group. The others let out cries of shock as well and huddled together. Luna looked back and giggled at their reactions.

“Come now, Elements! You wouldn’t think I’d just go out alone when the Solar Imperium is knocking at my doorstep do you?” The Night Guard kept a stoic face as all of their horns glowed at once--giving the group passage as the gate opened. As the group of NIght Guards and the Elements, tagged along by Spike and Big Mac, walked in, the gate behind them slammed shut. As they walked forward a large rune could be seen on the ground. Luna led the way to stand on top of it while the five Night Guard got into position.

“Hey! I know this! It’s a rune created by Star Swirl the Bearded!”

“Indeed, Twilight Sparkle! This rune here was created so I could get to any room in time of crisis. We do not have time to walk through the length of the Night House. The generals already await us,” she said, closing with an irritated sigh. Twilight frowned at the change of tone, but decided to not ask the question as it would surely be answered shortly. The Night Guard’s horns flared and in a moment they were all teleported away to the war room with the Night Guard remaining behind.

The group was deposited into a rather large room. It had no windows, with only several light bulbs producing an eerie illumination in the room. In the center of the room sat an electronic map of the Solar Imperium and her neighbors. Currently, miniature electronic versions of ponies clashed at the borders between. The green electronics however, were not the first thing to draw the group’s attention. Five ponies surrounded the map: two pegasi, two earth ponies, and one unicorn. And all of them stared eagerly at the group.

“Ah! President Luna. So glad you could finally make it to your war meeting.” The unicorn bowed, but his sneer was evident and his condescending tone even more obvious. Princess Luna’s face stayed neutral as she led the group to the table.

“Silence CrossSwords. Collecting the Elements of Harmony took a little longer than expected,” Luna said as she situated herself at one end of the table, facing down CrossSwords. The Elements waited patiently--excluding certain rainbow colored pegasus--as Luna and the Generals got to work. A dark green earth pony looked at the map and was the first to speak. His voice was deep and powerful, easily catching the attention of the entire room.

“It is clear that an assault must be made. The Solar Imperium would easily win any war of attrition. Our resources are increasingly finite. Unicorn power is not.”

“It’s fine and all to suggest an attack, Stone Wall. But where? Our border defenses are holding, but for how long? We need a way to draw the Imperium Air Force away from the main battlefield. They are the main danger here. Keep them occupied and we could win this,” said a short pegasus. He had a sandy colored mane cut in a military style that went well with his light brown body

“Oh really, Sand Wing? And how do we keep them occupied? A pitched battle won’t do any good and we don’t have the resources to wage a guerrilla warfare long enough for the Army to reach Canterlot!” the other Pegasi exclaimed. He was a bright yellow, with a sharp, lightning bolt-styled white mane.

“President Luna? You look like you have a plan,” Stone Wall said, deflecting the honest concerns. All of the other generals looked up to see Luna concentrating carefully on the map.

“I do, General Stone Wall. Sand Wing. Do you think it is possible…to invade Cloudsdale?” An audible gasp came from Rainbow Dash and even the two pegasi looked uncomfortable at the mention of the city. “General?” Luna repeated a bit more sternly.

“Well uh…Due to the situation that Cloudsdale is in…”

“The brink of civil war?” Luna questioned.

“Yes,” Sand Wing confirmed. “Cloudsdale was always a more independent location. But it still technically belongs to the Solar Imperium and is one of their main production facilities…by attacking it we should be able to draw away their entire Air Force! And with the majority of the population aiding us, we will stand a fighting chance!”

“We still have a problem,” The electric-maned general declared.

“What would that be, Volteer?” Stone Wall asked.

“I’m not saying that the Army is weak, but we don’t have enough ponypower. Maybe for the initial push, but in time the invasion will slow to a crawl. We just don’t have enough ponies to support the entire invasion. Not with the Air Force and Marines gone and a good number of the Armored divisions left to guard the borders.”

The Generals and Luna slumped slightly at that. It was a good overall plan, but that truly was the last nail in the coffin for it.

“President Luna! If I might make a suggestion,” Rarity said as she came forward. The unicorn eyed her with disdain, but the others were stunned from surprise.

“Of course, Rarity,” Luna said after a moment of silence.

“Well! I would imagine with Celestia no longer upholding her duty of rising the sun, I assume it naturally falls to you?” Luna nodded. “Then I know the perfect way to get more soldiers! Ask the other nations! If Celestia is being so irresponsible as to no longer raise the sun, I’m positive the other nations will come to our side, as that affects them as well.”

There was more stunned silence, but this time it was due to the sheer amazement everypony felt at the brilliance in those words.

“She’s absolutely right!” CrossSwords exclaimed. “The others should be mobilizing their militaries to defend their own borders! If we send an ambassador to discuss the details, I’m sure they would be willing.”

“It seems we have our plan then. Hold the Air Force’s attention at Cloudsdale while invading and adding external forces to our military,” Volteer said with a grin.

“But wait! What do we do with them? What exactly can they-” Stone Wall was cut off as Rainbow Dash rushed to his face and snarled.

“We can fight. That’s what we can do. We can do our duty unlike you slimy armchair generals!” Rainbow Dash thrashed around as Twilight magically floated her back and forcibly closed her mouth. Luna had a look of amusement on her face, but erased it as she spoke.

“Rainbow Dash has something of a point, Stone Wall. They are capable warriors. But it would be a waste to keep them all on one front. We must use their talents wisely, lest we waste some of our most valuable ponies. Rainbow Dash. You will be sent with the Air Force to capture Cloudsdale. Rarity. You will be our main ambassador to the other races. Spike will accompany you on the trip. His ability to send messages instantly back to us will be invaluable during negotiations. And the rest of you will go with the invading force.”

Spike grinned at the news, but quickly concealed it when Rarity looked his way, acting as a professional should in her eyes.

“Miss Luna, if I may, I’d rather go with Rainbow Dash.”

“What for?!” Rainbow Dash blurted out then blushed lightly as Applejack turned to her.

“It seems to me that ya be mighty lonely if’n ya didn’t know anyone on them ships,” Applejack said with a smile. “Ya need a friend to be there with ya.” Rainbow Dash blushed lightly and Applejack a small hug. Applejack started to return the gesture, but both were rudely disrupted by Cross Swords.

“Yes, yes, Friendship and all that. But we have a war to win here! The Air Force will be leaving soon and I’m certain the Army is in the late stages of their own preparation by now. We have a lot to do ladies. Get to it!” he snapped before teleporting away.

“As rudely as he said it, you girls are in a bit of a hurry,” Luna said in an apologetic voice. “Now come! Let’s meet the commander of the Air Force.”

Note:

Hey! I’m not dead! Who knew?! This will not be my average update time. I just got sidetracked a bit and I aplogize for that. But I’m up and running again! Hope you enjoyed!