The jewel of the Black sea
BLE: 47 Black Sea
Metal rang out as hooves stamped against metal, orders rung out from pipes all over the structure, Ponies, Griffons, and Dragons all ran about seemingly chaotically. Suddenly four loud booms were heard accompanied by 6 more shortly after, a much larger explosion followed, the fortifications up on the opposite shore lay in ruins.
“Not bad,” rang out another voice silencing all activity, “But those shore batteries still had the time to put in a salvo, we need better reaction speeds everybody, those Rushkans aren’t going to wait for us, we need every advantage we can get. Dismissed, Set a course for Constanta!” The sun began to fade into the mountains as the Regele Ferdinand and her two accompanying destroyers, Marasesti, and Marasti sailed toward the second biggest port on the Black Sea.
For the past several months Alexander Dronetsc’u, Admiral of the Romaneyan navy had been drilling his crews on shoreline bombardment tactics and River fighting . The Regele Ferdinand was the only destroyer leader they had, and as such it became the flagship of the Black Sea fleet, consisting of two destroyers, 17 PT boats, 8 Torpedo boats, 4 mine layers, 1 minesweeper and the submarine “Delfinul”. The Danube floatilla, under Alexander’s friend Ian had the old cruiser “Elizabeth” renamed “Timisoara” as well as 3 river monitors, and two pt boats as it’s force.
The modest Romaneyan navy had been revamped since the Great War and was now a force to be reckoned with on the Black Sea, However, one major Rival remained, Rushka, with their battleship and several cruisers, they seemed to mock Romaneya’s attempts to become a regional power.
The Nation, Rushka perceived as weak and fragile, only having land to boast about. Romaneya had however formed a close relationship with its neighbors and was even in the process of forming the “Miedzymore” between seas in polish with Poland and the Baltic states as well as Bulgaria.
These thoughts put a calm sense of National security on Alexander’s mind as he watched his beloved home-City come into view. He had always loved the sea, growing up in a large port city does that to you. As Alexander sat upon the Bridge of “Regele Ferdinand” a messager from the radio room two floors down came trotting through the door, a paper firmly in his teeth.
When Alexander sat up to take the telegram from him he stood up, saluted and left, leaving the page in Alexander’s left wing. The paper read, URGENT MILITARY MEETING IN BUCHAREST, KING CAROL REQUESTS ALEXANDER DRONETSCU ATTEND ASAP. NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE.
The paper loosely fluttered to the ground, Alexander turned around and barked “Full power to the engines! Get this girl going 40 knots!” “I need someone to message Ian! Get him to mobilize the Danube floatilla as soon as possible! I want the “Timisoara” guarding the Delta by Morning!”
Aye Ayes were shouted all over the bridge, messages were sent through the voice pipes to the engine and radio rooms and in less than 10 seconds “Regele Ferdinand was speeding past her escorts.
Alexander smiled, his drills had worked just as intended, The ship would be able to disengage any fight on a dime.
“Order our escorts to keep pace, send the “Bulshala” to clear for mines in a 3 kilometer radius of Constanta, Then have “Pitesti” lay a defensive screen in the same area. I am taking no chances, tell Ian the “Pitesti” will also be available tomorrow for any mine laying work on the Danube.”
Less than ten minutes later, the Destoyers came to a halt at the dry docks just south of the Naval Academy. Alexander instantly disembarked, leaving repairs and Inspections to his subbordinates.
A carriage was waiting for him just up on the port road. Traffic was a little busier than usual here as the 16th anniversary of Marasesti was coming up. Although not technically a national holiday, everyone across Romaneya payed their respects on August 8th to the Brave Ponies who fought there to preserve Romaneya.
8 hours later, as the moon shone brightly on the hostel he would be staying in, Alexander disembarked from his ride and slept the night away.
The next morning he was in the palace war room before anyone else, just how he liked it. Aver Aonetscu, in charge of the army always hated it when Alexander was there before him, and who was Alexander to pass up an opportunity to annoy him?
Soon, the rest of the war Cabinet filed in, Aonetscu noticeably late and upset. The newly formed air industry had yet to send a representative and so the room was filled with pitched rivalry between the army and navy until Carol trotted into the room and positioned himself at the head of the table.
“Gentleman, while our position has always seemed precarious, today it becomes more so”, He continued “The facist party has seized full control of Germaney, the new Reich is making it clear it has ambitions towards Ostria and securing a living area for themselves.” Alexander pondered what they could possibly mean by that before King Carol continued. “Hungry has likewise made extreme tendencies in government and is looking to rearm, The question on the table? Do we allow them to in The hopes of a peaceful relationship? Or deny them and keep tramplevania safe and secured? The decision is up to you” He finished while leaning back in his chair.
It was as if the very room had spontaneously combusted with the overwhelming shout of “HELL NO!” Which forced Alex to withhold his opinion until the fire had raged. One of the army generals Ian Petelo had likewise stayed silent, the two exchanging a look of “here we go again” before shrugging and listening to the shouting match.
“Sir is Rearmament for Hungry even and option? You saw what they did 14 years ago! The Hungrians will stop at nothing to gain Tramplevania back and we are NOT giving them access to the sword in which to do it with!” Aonetscu’s voice carried over the others as they all nodded in agreement.
Carol, although noticeably annoyed leaned forward and said, calmly this time, “Alexander, care to share your thoughts as well?”.
“Of course, sir” Alex quickly responded as he stood. “Gentleman, think not of Hungry’s request to rearm themselves as a hostile approach but instead one of self preservation, and a desire to be respected. Think about it, if we were in Hungry’s position we would feel it as part of our rights to defend and project ourselves right? So, men of the cabinet, I urge you to perceive the concept of an armed, but not necessarily hostile Hungry. I recommend you talk it over with the Czechs and Servs sir Carol, after all, they are our allies in the Entente.”
“I move for a motion of general acceptance to the request of a 40,000 strong Hungrian army to be discussed with our allies.” Carol spoke up immediately after.
Only 7 or so hands went up, but it was enough to pass the motion and Carol left, already planning his visit to Belgrade next week.
As the council left the room however Alexander and Aonetscu gave each other death glares as Ian followed them through the door, a mysterious paper folded in his arms.
Author's Note
Please note that while this will be slightly historical, I am taking full liberties when it comes to details like names and battles.
Far across the silky waters of the Griffon sea past countless undiscovered islands and currents that even Equestria’s greatest theorists couldn’t understand, Lay the continent of Europia.
Long forgotten in urban Legend, Europia was the heart of the modern world, races of all kinds, Ponies, Griffons, yaks, Hippogriffs and more all loved in relative peace with each other, not unlike Equestria. However, unlike Equestria, Europia was war torn, countless nations had come and gone, Empires rose and fell in the turbulence of fragile peace maintained by military might and alliance, rather than Friendship.
Among the many distinct cultural regions that made up It’s landmass. The Bullkans was probably it’s most infamous. The Bullkans was situated in southeastern Europia and had the largest concentration of independent nations, which usually led to problems.
The Bullkans was once seen for the Ottomans and The Romanes as the gate way to Europia and Asia beyond it. Because of this, and the many different cultures that settles there, peace was a wishful dream.
Constant invasions and infighting, particularly nasty during the Bullkans wars leading up to the Great War had left many Balkan nations bitter and resentful towards Larger powers and their own brethren.
Hence when the Great War started in BLE: 66 it started with the most rambunctious, Servia. Servia had picked a fight with the Great Bullkans power of Ostria-Hungry and had paid the price in blood, too bad it just couldn’t have stayed localized.
Rushka immediately came to the aid of Servia forcing Ostria to call In their ally Germaneya, in turn forcing Germaneya to attack Prance through bulgum, which forced the United Kings to declare war on Germaneya as well.
As you might have guessed, this didn’t turn out well for Europia, Millions lay dead in trenches all across the continent, 3 empires had fallen and the Allies lay victorious, Among them, the young nation state of Romaneya.
Romaneya had joined the war on the allied side in BLE:64 and almost immediately got invaded and forced to retreat to their last remaining province, Moldavia.
King Carol had rallied the nation, and with help from Rushka, soundly defeated the Ostrian and Germane armies at Marsasetti. However, it was not to last, when Rushka surrendered and Romaneya was surrounded they were forced to sign the the treaty of Bucharest, mockingly named after their capitol and surrendered.
With the War won thanks to Equestrian aid at the last minute to Prance, Romaneya was able to join the post war treaty and win the historically Romaneyan region of Tramplevania. After fighting a brief war with Hungary for it and with winning some Rushka land in the midst of it it seemed that Greater Romaneya was finally a reality.
But storm clouds were brewing once again over Europia, Italia had found a new ideology of complete military and government control and was quickly suppressing the last few independent africanan nataions.
Meanwhile to the east, The Soapy Union has supressedits neighboring Asian neighbors and was looking hungrily at Eastern Europia,
Germaneya, although defeated in the Great War, had rebuilt its army stronger than before and had formed and alliance with Italia in hopes of crushing Prance.
And in the Middle of all of it lay Romaneya, desperately trying to stay neutral in an increasingly hostile environment. Enter Alexandra Dronetsc’u, a Mud brown pegasus stallion and old time friend of King Carol who had recently promoted him to Admiral of the fledgling Romaneyan navy.
He was ecstatic to say the least, Alexander had always loved the sea, even if all his friends said he ought to love the sky more. He loved to glide across the water, the salty smell of sea water in his nose, so when he was offered to captain the Regele Ferdinand, the flagship of the Navy, he readily accepted.
He was so enthralled with the work of making the Romaneyan navy the strongest in the whole Black Sea that he was failing to notice the storm approaching his proud nation, nor the pressures facing his friend in high places, until it was almost too late. If only someone could set him on the right path he might be able to save his country, his pride, and his fleet, from sinking.
Help would arrive, but from the most unexpected places.
Author's Note
I love history so much and after seeing another story set in Europe but with ponies got my mind racing, so here is my second story! Based on a historical event you may know called ww2, however viewed through a fictional and somewhat magical lense and from a country you may not have heard about, Romania, Hope you enjoy!
“So, anyone got a darn tootin idea where we’re goin again?” Applejack questioned from her seat around the map table only to get shrugs and Head swings from the other ponies gathered around the table save Twilight who had her nose buried in a book, as usual.
“Um... yea, Twilight?” Fluttershy asked her friend right next to her, Cutie mark glowing like the rest of them.
“Yes Fluttershy?” Twilight responded without so much asnlifting her head from the book she was thoroughly reading.
“Have you found anything yet in that history book yet?” Fluttershy pondered as quietly as she could muster.
“Not ye... AHA!” Twilight exclaimed startling everyone around her into awkward positions. “It says here, before even the two sisters or discord ruled, Equestria was visited by another group of more sophisticated ponies hailing from “Europia” She added with Quotation marks.
“That’s great and all but where is the map taking us?” Rainbow growled as she pulled herself upright in the air.
“Across the Griffon sea to Europia, whatever that is, duh dashie” Pinkie jovially added.
“Precisely, which is why I’ll all need you to prepare at least a months worth of supplies and meet me at the train station. We’ll head to Manehattan and from there take a boat across the Griffon sea, Europia is massive and we have no idea exactly where it is..........” Twilight droned out as the cutie map put a literal pin in the projection of Europia sticking it straight on the coast of what it labeled as “the Black Sea”.
“Remind me never to question pinkie or the map from now on” Twilight added twitching her eyebrow a little.
“Anyways, everyone get ready and meet me at the train station tomorrow morning 10:00 am sharp! Oh and spike, write a letter to Princess Celestia asking if we can have a boat arranged to pick us up in Manehattan, Oh and also ask her if she knows anything about eastern Europia” Twilight continued, eliciting groans from everyone including her baby dragon, Spike.
As they all wandered off to prepare for the long trip ahead of them, Twilight looked at the cutie map once more stating to no one in particular. “The Cutie Map is so weird”.
Author's Note
Side note: I forgot to mention In the prologue that BLE is before lunar era
