Author's Note
First: I would like to say this is my first fic, and I'm also not an native english speaker, so I would like to hear all critics and contructive comments about how the writing and story are going.
Second: this chapter is a sneak peek of the story I've planned to test the reactions, if it's liked then soon there will be more.
Third: The story starts chronologically in the season 4 finale, but it's recommended seeing till season 7 and the movie to understand some of the characters and factions.
Fourth: This is a war fic centered in the strategy and the story of each character, this means there will be less epic fights and more talk, so dont expect me to put a epic scene where Twilight beats Celestia or the main 6 fighting a changeling army right in chapter one, there are fights and battles but it's the minority.
Last but no least: Enjoy the story
Prologue: Murphy's Law.
(Now is the time)
(Twilight is an Alicorn)
(Tirek was defeated)
(The 'Chest of Harmony' is at it's maximum power)
(Every past treath for the path of harmony has been sealed, reformed or acknowledged for future reference)
(The time is perfect for Harmony to establish and expand)
(Now can start the Kingdom of Twilight Sparkle)
(The Kingdom of Friendship)
(The Kingdom of Harmony)
...
(Wait... The future is... Changing?)
(How? When? Why?)
...
(This is unexpected, it seems like there is a possible chance for a full-scale war over Equestria)
...
(It seems like in most parallel universes my 'brothers' choose to not act or didn't notice the incoming possibility of war)
(Differing. This could be useful, so I'll choose to make the war come and gain the most of it)
(First let's make plans seeing the future to bet for the one who can win in the name of harmony)
(So What will the sides and factions be?)
...
(Celestia seems to be the biggest fish in the reef, and obviously the big prize, she will have the upper hand most of the time and will probably fall the last)
(The Crystal Empire seems like will be having problems between rulers, seems like they're going to live another civil war. Unwise. As all that chaos will only awake the shadow of a past nightmare)
(There seems to be changelings working behind the scene, obviously they will try to manipulate everything in their favor. Laughable. It seems their own cheats will come to bite them later)
(The kirin... Deplorable. They will be catched in this conflict out of their own volition by one of the sides freeing their nirik form against this faction)
(The Dragon Lord have also sensed the oncoming war and is getting ready to pass his rule soon...Very soon)
(Yakyakistan will stay defensive against everyponi, but it seems like they're going to be sieged for their treasures)
(The griffins will surely take this chance to sack the whole of equestria and atack the dragons for their treasures. But it seems like someten will unite them under the... 'Idol of King Grover'? Lucky)
(The Storm King felt it too and wants to come to sack the rests of equestria... Unwise. He will need to leave Mount Aris unprotected for this)
(Discord is... Sealed?.. And voluntarily? Unexpected. But, his role in this future war doesn't quite end there)
(Twilight is... Against Celestia?.. Intriguing. Her own path is starting to differ from her friends one, and now, her future lies in... Nowhere?.. Interesting. Twilight seems to find new loyalty and friends there, especially with their actual leader)
(Now to who is harmony going to?)
...
(Even if hippogriffs are harmonious like all pony, they cannot even defend theirselfs now, and even if harmony goes to them The Storm King will surely notice)
(The kirin are one of the most harmonious beings by nature, but they're also very submissive and their nirik form is certainly problematic)
(The yaks aren't really unharmonious but they are too prideful and patriotic for this mission)
(Even if the griffins unite again they will first sack the weaka, and certainly wont immediately work in making Equestria harmonious, at least not without a good incentive...)
(The dragons... It seems they will have a good and harmonious ruler, but as species they are not apt for harmony at all)
(A changeling queen is a absolutely unharmonious, so her subjects will behave the same, but a king is actually an harmonious being. Regrettable. There seems to be no actual king in power of a swarm in this region)
(Celestia... Even if she is the princess of the sun and undoubtely the most powerful ruler she has proven herself insufficient for this carnage, and seeing how she leaves all to her protegee who will have her own, different faction to take care of, she is insufficient for this task)
(Twilight Sparkle... she will have a harsh start, but it is obvious that she has a great future waiting her, she also will be the leader of her own faction and is the most harmonious being in Equestria and beyond)
(Now let's do atack plans for each foe)
...
(The Storm King must be stopped before he gets here... Strategic. That way the hippogriffs will join the one who beats him)
(The changelings are a plague so they will be the harder to her out the way, even if the queen is eliminated there will just rise another... Grateful. There is a highly harmonious changeling prince in the area without a swarm. Imperative. There is a need to contact and guide him in the path of Twilight to turn him into her ally)
(The griffins will be a nail in the hoove with their peasent warfare. But, they will surely be a powerful ally for the one who finds the 'Idol of King Grover')
(Celestia... she will be by far the strongest and hardest of foes, there is also the need for a pair of alicorns before fighting her to move the sun and the moon)
(Perfect. Now let's start the to move with actual actions)
(Starting with sending prophecies and premonitions to the big players and the important pieces of the game to guide each one of them into their roles)
(Let's start by moving the 'Chest of Harmony' to guide Twilight Sparkle to her destiny)
(As the one and only 'Princess of Friendship')
"Yes, we did it! We beated Tirek!" Cheered a light blue coated pegasi mare with a multicolored mane who flew to the sky in a instant.
"Yah darn right Rainbow Dash, we kick'd him right on da flank." Supported in a southern accent a orange coated earth pony who hid her, forgive the redundancy, poni-tail stylized golden hair with a cowboy hat.
"Yes, now we can start a 'Victory Against Tirek Party' and a 'We Saved Equestria' or a 'EveryPony Are Free From Tiranny Party'." Celebrated a pink earth pony with a very puffy red mane.
"I'm just glad we got back our magic, it would be a hell to do all the requests I have just by hoof." Argumented a white coated mare with a curly purple mane.
"Discord, I'm happy that you gave us the key for the 'Harmony Chest', but we still need to talk, in private" threated a yellow pegasus with a long pink mane.
"Calm down everyponi, we need to look for the 'Harmony Tree' to take the 'Harmony Chest' and keep it in a secured vault." Warned a purple coated alicorn with black blue straight hair with a purple strand.
"You're right Twilight, take us there Discord!.." added a little purlpe dragon with green spikes. "Uh Discord?.. Are you alright dude?.."
"Uh, yeah! I'm fine,just a little stunned by all that color," answered a... draconeequs? Feeling a little off. "I'll take us there before you can say 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'."
"Supercali-what?" By the time the ponies started to try to say the weird and foreign word Discord had already snapped his eagle claw and brought them to the heart of the 'Everfree Forest'
"Ta-ta!, here is the great 'Harmo-what'?" Exclamed the exotic creature upon seeing the empty slot where it should be the 'Harmony Tree'."Twilight, dear, you wouldn't have called the gardener just now, wont you?"
"Oh no! Oh nonono!!"exclamed Twilight Sparkle starting a panic attack "For Faust, Celestia and everything that is equine, I've lost the 'Harmony Tree"
"Hey, look! The 'Harmony Chest' is gone too" noticed Rarity.
"What! Oh this can't be good... Celestia will definitely send me to the moon for this." Said a now almost paranoid Twilight Sparkle
"Well, is not like we need that right now, you know." Argumented Spike trying to calm down Twilight who was already starting to hyperventilate.
"That's right, maybe its mission here it's done and went to a place where they need it more." Added Rainbow Dash also seeing the mess Twilight could leave when she got nuts.
"Well, I will ask Celestia to send a searching party for the 'Harmony Tree and Chest' to see where they are, I just hope she won't mind them missing." Said Twilight calming down.
"Well, darlings, what are we waiting for, let's go to see the princess." Ended Rarity.
"I'll take you there before you can say pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!" Cheered the draconeequs already snapping his clases.
"Ember!!!" Screamed a gargantuan gray dragon who had the horns like hot lava and the membrane of his wings blood red.
"You called? Father." Said a much tinier aquamarine female dragon
"Is the 'Gauntlet of Fire' ready"
"Almost, it should be ready in a month."
"I want it ready in a week"
"Why? I thought you wouldn't use it until a few months."
"I have a feeling we will need a new leader soon"
"YOU think of voluntarily step of the throne for a feeling? Did you ate that new drug crystals?"
"It's tradition in the beginning of war to choose a new 'Dragon Lord' as a sign of a new age."
"Ok, your talking serious. What made you believe that there's going to be a war"
"As I said, it's just a feeling, also, the time was coming close anyway, better safe than sorry."
"Ok, I'll tell the dragons working on the 'Gauntlet of Fire' to hurry"
"Don't, I'll supervise the whole deal, I'll make it more dangerous and hazardous than ever"
"You're sure? What if there's no dragon capable of beat it?"
"Then no dragon is enough for the task, and I'll will reign until someone can beat the 'Gauntlet of Fire' and claim the 'Bloodstone Scepter'."
"So that's what your aiming for"
"Believe me, after I'm done, no dragon will be capable of overstep me and I will win this war and reign supreme in the whole of equestria!"
"Tempest Shadow!" Screamed a monkey-like creature of white hair, black skin and horns with blue eyes and wore a black armor.
"Yes? Your excellency?" Answered a scared dark pink unicorn who hard her horn broken.
"I've just got a premonition of war, so I will need that all powerful twig of doom you were taking about."
"You're talking about the 'Staff of Sacanas', the weapon with the power to absorb the elements."
"That one! Prepare your armies and ships to set sail."
"Now? What if the hippogriffs try to return to 'Mount Aris' in our ausence?"
"Don't worry, they are too scared to actually be a threat, also, they still connot find a way to turn back into their original forms."
"If you say so, my king. I'll have the ships ready in a week."
"Make it half. Oh, and before I forget, in my premonition I saw you with your full horn." said the Storm King with a grin.
"... Two days and we set sail." Answered Tempest Shadow while touching her broken horn with a hoove.
"That's what I like to hear. Now GO!"
"Yes, your excellence" Said a grinning Tempest Shadow
Thorax awoke from his slumber with the same feeling he had since a month already. Hunger, not the kind you have when you skip one meal, no, the kind that you are in a desert and there's no food at all, you wouldn't expect much more from a changeling who left his own swarm because he won't agree with their ways and now lives alone as a exiled.
But. For the first time he felt something other than hunger, not satisfying him, but promising to someday fill his stomach. Hope. He felt like it has something to do with his recent dream.
He remembered being in a little poni village with no name where noponi had a cutie mark. He also remembered feeling loved and cared like any other poni. It was joyous.
He took the choice to find that village at all cost, then he thought that if he could be accepted there then all the other changelings could be, maybe even his brother Pharynx could come.
For the first time since the crystal wedding he went to travel not with shame and despair for his loneliness and isolation, but pride and hope for his soon-to-be new home and friends.
"Huff" Queen Chrysalis sat in her throne in the main changeling hive for what felt like hours before she could take notice of her own hungry.
She raised herself and signaled her guards to follow her... But one of them didn't move from his post
"Hey, do you dare ignore your queen! Take him to the dungeon!!!"
"My queen" answered a guard "I'm afraid Jumper has... taken a rest day"
"Oh," there was no need to elaborate more, changelings worked all their lives so taking a rest day meaned dead for them "then bury him with the others"
He was already the fifth changeling who died from starvation this week, at least he remained loyal in his dead without even letting his corpse to abandon his duty.
It all started in the royal wedding in the Crystal Empire, her cover was blowed up, her swarm suffered great losses and now the whole of equestria knew that the changeling existed. That wasn't good for the business, not good at all.
Now, with the royal guard looking for hidden changeling and everyponi paranoid about a fake the swarm was starving, she was now seeing how all the changelings who sorrounded her starved to death, the worst was that she felt those deads the most, after all, it was her childrens the ones who died
She wished she could just give them the food they needed to live
"Maybe we should have followed Thorax" murmured a guard
"What did you say!"
"Nothing, my queen"
"That's what I thought"
She remembered the one drone who challenged her and got exiled from the swarm, Thorax, she was sure he was going to be a changeling king in the future.
She couldn't just say she was absoultely on his side, that wasn't the way things worked, changelings were controlled by a chaotic queen or a harmonious king, not the other way around. She knew it better than most, she herself once tried to be a good queen, friendly, caring, the mother every child deserved, bad things happened, things she didn't even want to remember.
"My queen, the swarm is getting thinner by the second, we need to calm them down"
"Cut the rations at half and who doesn't like it to go undercover" That wouldn't stop the hunger, but they would live a little more.
"My queen... what will we do?"
Chrysalis looked at the eyes of the guard who said that, he remembered him, he was the brother of Thorax, Pharinx.
She found this question difficult to answer because not even she knew the answer, even if she said that she wanted to live the way Thorax said, even if she went on her knees to the princesses to give her swarm the love they needed, the karma would not let her.
She couldn't even say that she wasn't a competent ruler and that they should follow Thorax, even if she stepped down the throne, her daughters would try to inherit the swarm, and they couldn't protect them like she did.
So, there was only one answer she could give
"Survive, like we always do"
Queen Novo received reports of rushed moves from the 'Storm Fleet'. In a past era, she would have leaded an army striking at their weakest moment, earning victory against all odds...
But she was not the same queen anymore, now? Now she merely told her people to get out of the way of their ships, she could not see how the grabbed her seaponies like fishes and kept them as pets.
Just like that, Queen Novo got deeper in the pits of her own regret, fear, and despair... unknown of the little seapony that saw all of this and promised herself to do something...
"Profet Yak, did you wanted to see Yak for something?" Asked a slightly displeased Prince Rutherford. "I hope this is important."
"Yak wouldn't call Yak Prince without something of great importance, my Yak," said a white haired yak with many charms and talismanes in every strand of his hair. "Yakyakistan is in great danger"
"Yak is now interested. Who must Yak declare war to?"
"Yak does not recommend to declare war to someone, Yak suggest to close all frontier and call the trops as soon as possible, Yak needs to prepare to a siege"
"Yak doesn't like siege! Yak likes to stomp over enemies skulls!!!
"Yak knows, but Yak got premonition about a war that will swallow the whole of equestria, and the griffins will attack Yakyakistan in waves. Yak can't let Yakyakistan fall in enemies hands."
"But Yakyakistan in good terms with Equestria, Yaks fight while ponies protect."
"That's the problem, Equestria will have their own enemies, Yak saw that they will even have a few civil wars."
"..." Prince Ruderford thought deeply about this, if he went out of his kingdom with his army then he was certain that no country could be a match enough for him, he could stomp in his enemies and seek the ones who try to run, that would be a perfect example of a true yak war. But, if someone attacked Yakyakistan while he was away he would not forgive himself for leaving his own home with no defense, that would not be something a true yak would do. "Call all the yaks with militar position to Yakyakistan and close the border, no turist, no foreign. Now."
"Yes my Yak."
"Aaaaagh!!!" Autumn Blaze awoke for the first time on years with a scream, she was so terrified she went into hiding in her blankets afraid of anything that could hurt her, she was afraid of leaving her comfortable hiding spot until she smelled something burnt.
"Hiiiii!!" She quickly jumped from her place until she got in front of her mirror "Oh, hey, it's just me" she noticed she had turned into her nirik form probably from the fear and shock.
After finally calming down and going back to kirin she noticed there was noponi or monster of any kind in her house, she then went, grabbed some of her burnt sheets, atond walked to the bathroom to wash her face where she asked to herself.
"What could have scared me that way?"
She knew there wasn't much wich could scare her, correction, she didn't knew much wich could scare her, specially that way, she tried thinking about what could scare her and she concluded it was a nightmare.
About what?
Autumn Blaze was as proud as any kirin of her control over herself and her emotions, but to a nightmare to awoke her with a scream, turn her into nirik form and let her terrified even while she washed her face with an expression that screamed bloody murder, what could have been going in her dreams that left here so terrified.
She then remembered every detail of that bloody nightmare and throwed up in the toilet.
After calming down again she started to think that the nightmare was over, it was just a dream, it couldn't hurt her anymore.
But she couldn't shake off the feeling something bad was going to happen, that something wrong was coming, and that all the kirins in Peaks of Peril would end up hurted, one way or other.
*knock knock*
She almost ended breaking the ceiling with a jump, after falling Autumn Blaze tried doing some breathing exercises while hidden in her blankets before she remembered that she screamed her lungs out when she woke up, she then thought that her neighbors must have listened her, if not all the Peaks of Peril, specially with their silent nature.
Autumn Blaze went to the door preparing for the scolding she knew she was getting for making noise, it wasn't so much of a scolding as it was an arranged ice law from all the kirin.
But she didn't expected what she saw through that door
She saw Rain Shine herself with a look of worry.
Autumn Blaze knew Rain Shine well, and while she didn't knew (or remembered) her voice, she knew her face and her reactions, all of them, her normally desinteresed face, her sad look while seeing a kirin's oath of silence, even the almost smile that time when she started started talking.
But she has never been so worried, behind her were the other kirin doing similar expressions, the message was water clear.
Are you okay?
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just had a little nightmare, I'm fine"
Some kirins breathed relief sighs and went back to their homes, but Rain Shine didn't move a inch, she used her magic to telepatically drop a spoon behind Autumn Blaze, the effect was instant.
"Hiiii" Autumn went with a jump to hide in Rain Shine's legs, when she looked up she saw yet another new expression she wouldn't have believed in the face of Rain Shine...
Amusement.
"Hey, that's not funny" while Autumn Blaze was still recovering, Rain Shine signaled a few kirin and they entered the house, horn glowing. "Hey, that's my house"
Autumn Blaze tried to follow them, but she was stopped by Rain Shine who had put a hoove over her shoulders.
"I'm serious, there's nothing wrong on my house, just a really scary nightmare." Rain Shine showed a inquisitive look before glowing her horn and tap Autumn's horn,
Autumn then felt all her worries slip away, she felt calmer than before, and definetily less scared.
After that the kirins got out of her house showing no danger, Rain Shine allowed herself a relief sigh, and then looked at the sleeping kirin in her legs.
Autumn Blaze had unknowingly pushed herself over her emotional limit, after using a calming spell she fell asleep like a baby, she didn't expect that she would be this exhausted.
Rain Shine lifted Autumn Blaze and carried her to the bed and after noting a few burn marks in the bed frame, wich she knew from a neighbors was from Autumn Blaze's nirik form, she covered her in a new bed sheets, and made sure there was no danger lurking here.
And after knowing everything was fine she spared a look to Autumn Blaze's sleeping face.
Rain Shine could still smell the fear coming from Autumn's body, being in a mute community has teached her not only to read emotions, but also to feel them with a nearly changeling empathy.
While leaving, Rain Shine asked herself what could have scared so much Autumn Blaze, but she thought it should have been just a nightmare...
...She would deeply regret not asking what the nightmare was.
"Celestia look! The chains are dispelling themselves." Said a distressed Princess Luna.
"Do you know what this mean? Twilight must have defeated Tirek!" Said a equally distressed Princess Cadance
"This is glorious, let's get out and celebrate all night and then we could... Celestia... are you Fine?" Asked Luna after seeing her sister face.
"Uh. Yes, yes, I'm fine. Tough we should start the party after getting out and making sure Twilight did everything fine." Said a slightly nervous Princess Celestia, and she had a right to be nervous.
She just felt like the 'Harmony Three' have stopped backing her up, she couldn't just tell that the 'Power of Friendship' has left her to her sister and niece right after fighting with Tirek.
But she got a suspicion about who could get the blessing of harmony now, after what Twilight has done it was obvious she was as capable as one could be of being a princess, she would tell her about her 'promotion' after meeting her and her friends and congratulate them for their recent achievements.
But even if she was ninety-nine percent sure that Twilight Sparkle was going to be the new princess of Equestria, there was a little feeling in her insides wich told her that something wrong was coming this way, something wich could feed in the one she nurtured the most. "I hope it's nothing bad."
"What did you say? Sister."
"Nothing, now let's go to where Twilight and the others are to make sure everything's alright," said Celestia shaking those troublesome thoughts from her head "I bet that if we don't hurry Pinkie Pie will start the party, with or without us."
"Hmm, what a wonderful morning"
Starlight Glimmer awoke as peacefully as possibly, she haven't felt this positive in a long time.
She went to the bathroom to cover her mark with a little makeup, it filled her with hate seeing it, the same mark that said who she was, that said what she had to do, that took her best friend... if it wasn't for the benefits then she would have throwed it to garbage, but enough sad thoughts, in her village it was all smiles and fun.
After getting ready, she went out to do her duty as a 'normal' village leader.
But she didn't take even two steps out when...
"Miss Starlight, Miss Starlight, se have found something... abnormal" Starlight's friendly smile almost faltered in front of the unexpected earth pony who rushed at her, but she kept her emotions under control.
"Hmph, would you kindly show me where this... 'abnormality' is?"
"Right this way!"
Starlight and the earth pony went trotting where this... 'abnormality' was.
"This is..."
After turning around a corner Starlight didn't need more directions because what she was looking for was visible even for her at this distance.
"How in tartarus did this happened?"
"W, we don't know Miss Starlight, it came out of nowhere!"
"Hum..."
Starlight Glimmer walked into the plaza with the crouds opening before her, normally this would give an air of superiority like always, but there was one factor that it didn't matter how she looked at, there was no way it fitted because...
"Can someponie tell me what is a 'Crystal Tree' doing in the middle of my plaza!?"
