BE SURE TO READ DESCRIPTION BEFORE READING STORY

Equestria. Some ponies may say it's the, "greatest nation in the world." They were pioneers in diplomacy, culture, science, and of course magic. They had the highest standard of living amongst their allies, maybe even the whole planet. But this all came at a price. Years of peace and tranquility led to the demilitarization of their Armed Forces. They simply couldn't believe a major scale war would break out against them, it never even crossed their minds. They let themselves become weak, defenseless even, the ponies thought that the Princess Order could deal with any problems that came up. In a short few months, all of that changed for the worse. Equestria was thrown into a conflict they couldn't beat. They tried there hardest to talk down the hostilities between them and the newly formed Great Griffon Empire, but in the end, diplomacy failed them. In two months time Canterlot had fallen, and Equestia's back was broken.

But, the ponies were not so easily defeated. Once the Princess Order fell, splinter factions rose up from the fires, and began organizing resistance groups, some tame, and some not. They built bases, and hidden towns where ponies could live freely, outside the claws of the Griffon War Machine, outside their sanctuary cities and prison work camps. But this freedom came at a price. Years of isolation left these towns to fend for themselves, and not all of them lived for very long. The Griffons cut off Equestrias ecosystems, destroying Cloudsdale and the weather machines that let rain fall to crops and forests, leaving Equestria barren and desolate. They blocked rivers, and destroyed farms so that water and food would become a valuable resource outside the cities they occupied. So it was either starve a free pony, or be worked to death inside the cities and camps the Griffons made.

A grim reality for sure. Some ponies gave up hope, others just complied to their new rulers. But most, never gave up. Everypony believes that one day a legion of soldiers will up rise from the west and take back their land. Soldiers with advanced weaponry and terrifying war machines. The likes of which had never been seen before. But this army, and its mysterious nature is carried through the wind, only being roped in around camp fires.

Are they real? Or just their imagination?

A big thank you to Ranger22 and Scorch215, for helping me build this world, you guys are the best.