Equestria at War: Sundered Sun
Introduction
Growing Tensions
For the first time in 1003 ALB, Equestria was invaded by a foreign power, and if not for the elements of harmony Equestria would have likely fallen to the invaders. This event have led to a hemorrhage of trust within the nobility, many of whom believed Celestia’s countless years may finally be catching up with her.Yet many hymned and hawed as they knew that this was dangerous territory.For all the nobility’s doubts over Celestia and her sister’s leadership moving forward, the people still loved her and any move seen as disposition may cause a civil war.
The invasion stirred up memories of the Severnayan revolution in 994ABL. That, led to the foundation of the Republic of Stalliongrad, not to mention that the invasion led to further increasing sentiment for independence in the Crystal Empire from Equestria, with two factions even calling for princess Cadance’s disposition, the communist Red Crystal Worker’s Party and the facist National Spirit Party.
However, despite the growing doubts, restlessness and tension of Equestria, they could at least feel at peace. With the former Queen Chrysalis humiliated for a second time and the warlord of the northwest bickering and infighting once more, another invasion appeared far beyond impossible. This, however, was nothing more than wishful thinking. Whilst Chrysalis was amassing her forces 2 factions arose in the changeling lands, the enigmatic Union of Kings, a Patriarchal collection of warrior hives ruled by a mysterious king, and the communist coalition led by a collection of disgruntled soldiers and drones fed up with being treated less than normal cannon fodder, the results of the changeling civil war would have dire consequences on the future of Equestria.
Part I
The Changeling Civil war
In the year 1005ALB the Changeling civil war was heating up a fourth faction had entered the fray, a group of hives have united under a disillusioned drone named Thorax, who believes that the changelings should trade peacefully with Equestria in exchange for love. However, many other hives viewed him as a puppet of Equestria, leading to an uneasy alliance between the three factions.
2 months passed, and out of desperation Thorax sent a secret delegation south in an attempt to secure aid from Olenia. However, the delegation was captured and interrogated by Coalition forces. In exchange for information the delegation was set free both as a sign of civility and goodwill. The information provided a broader context, Thorax was planning on getting Equestria and Olenia to intervene in the conflict. With this information Thorax was outted as a traitor to his race and was forced to seek asylum in Equestria. Following this, many of Thorax’s supporting hives joined the communist cause. Finally as an opportunity presented itself, coalition agents managed to catch wind of a meeting between the union of kings and Chrysalis’ hives an agent was sent on an obvious suicide mission but if it worked it would shift the balance in the war in the coalition’s favor.
When the Summit began the agent walked in and placed a suitcase beside him. When the opposing parties came and started the discussion the agent put the brief case on the table across from chrysalis and opened it detonating a magical explosive in a zealous form of martyrdom. There were no survivors. When news of the explosion reached the coalition it began an invasion of the capital Vesalipolis the battle raged for weeks. In the end the emboldened and bolstered army was victorious and their scarlet banner flew over the capital city. The news of a second successful communist revolution in Equus sent shockwaves through the continent. In Canterlot the situation was equally grim as the return of Discord, and the attack by Tirek began reinforcing the assumptions of the nobility that Celestia was losing control of her leadership. It had eventually boiled over to the point where even Celestia herself started to doubt not only her leadership, but her own character and value. This resulted in more and more responsibility being hoisted upon her pupil the newly anointed princess Twilight Sparkle.
Part II
The Lunar Reforms and The Red Dawn
In 1006ALB the situation with “the lost tribe” has come to a head, in 1001ALB Celestia made her attempt to reconsile the tribes. But after 5 years of debacles and tribulations to no avail, she finally decided to give the task to her sister Luna. Luna was approached by 2 groups, the first group were activists and supporters of Luna’s the second group were the elements of harmony, more specifically Rarity, element of Generosity and personal friend of Luna, Luna jumped at the chance to have her close friend help her in this campaign to end the Malus and reuinte all the tribes of ponies under a single banner. After months of campaigning and negotiating 3 groups of batponies came to negotiate, Progressive activists, the batpony clans, and a group of “dream recruited cultists” in the end a peaceful solution was reached, Luna was hailed as a hero and was elevated to the same status as a ruler to her sister, this event eased the minds of many ponies and stabilized Equestria which many feared was on a massive decline.
This new found optimism was short lived however. In Stalliongrad a compromise in leadership has resolved the internal dispute and a new election has been held. Emerging victorious was its new leader Vasiliy Pantsushenko, the great compromiser and reformer has started a non-violent propoganda campaign championing communism in northern Equus, Yakyakistan, Jaki-clan, and Nova-Griffonia join her cause, meanwhile the communist changeling republic has led a successful campaign against the polarbears and penguins in the north and Olenia in the south joining them under their banner of communism, one journalist in Canterlot described it as a “red dawn”.
In the Crystal Empire growing communist sentiment causes the cries for independence from Equestria to grow infinitely forcing princess Cadance to hold a democratic referendum. The Red Crystal Worker’s Party win overwhelmingly and the Crystal Empire becomes the Crystal Ponies Republic. In response the Royal family and the Crystal heart go into exile.
Part III
The Break of Day: The Equestrian Soviet War
In the year 1007ALB The Crystal Ponies’ Republic is annexed by Stalliongrad, a scientist makes a discovery: Using crystals and embedding them with magic the crystals become a emmiter for love energy much like the much larger crystal heart. When presented with this General secretary Vasiliy Pantsushrenko is struck with a brilliant idea and sends an envoy to the Communist Changeling Republic with an offer join forces in exchange for this new substance. With a chance to end the near constant food shortage in the republic Chancellor Gold Muffin agrees for the two countries to unite under a single banner, the “United Soviet Republics of Equus” is founded with General Secretary Vasiliy as it’s leader.
Meanwhile in Equestria, recent events have affected Celestia mentally. Having grown more distant and reclusive, there came a point where the ponies of Equestria rarely saw her. At times she would even spend entire days locked in her room, forcing Twilight to raise the sun with the help of Cadance and Shining Armor. However one day she stepped out her personality changed, her complexion pale, her mane, ablaze, and her eyes, dark as space with her pupils orange like the sun. she ordered a press conference, and made a speech admitting she was weak when she should have been strong but that she would be weak no more, not in the face of communist opression. That day was the break of a new dawn. No longer was she Celestia; The new, changed mare that stood before them would be known as Daybreaker. Shortly after, a buildup of the nation's military was ordered, thus sparking a seven year cold war between Equestria and the USRE.
One day in the USRE Capital of Crystal City the sun shone brighter than it had ever before. Melting and searing away the land, the city soon went into a great inferno. Crippled and caught off guard, the USRE was faced with a full scale invasion by Daybreaker. The Soviets responded with a counter attack on the city of Manehatten conquering it within days, as the months ticked on leading to a cruel stalemate, until one day, princess Luna and the harmony bearers realized the sickness that had befell Celestia, and a battle ensued unbeknownst to the combatants, the Soviets in a bold surpise offensive sent an aerial assualt agains Canterlot, with it’s leaders fighting amongst themselves, and the war in their front yard to the average pony it seemed like the apocalypse had come, in the end Celestia was harmonized and the group fled to ponyville under a flag of truce.
In the year 1015ALB the Treaty of Ponyville was signed, 2 million lives were lost in the war. The treaty restored the prewar boundaries and paid reparations to the USRE for the unprovoked attack on their capital city. The Equestrian Soviet war was over and Equus would never be the same again.
Part IV
The Sun Has Finally Set
In the years after the war, many blamed Celestia for the bloodshed, saying she went insane, that her temporary lapse in sanity, mixed with her failure to properly protect its citizens have rendered her a failed leader. Protests and opposition grew, some in the military wanted to crack down but Celestia would not hear of it, she refused to be the cause of yet another war.
In the year 1021ALB a referendum was held in Equestria, In the end, with Celestia’s leadership in tatters, and distrust in the nobility at an all time high, the people of Equestria decided to lead themselves, The “New Equestrian Republic” was formed under the leadership of a Royal Guard Veteran named Ember Spark, Celestia and the other royals were allowed to stay in Equestria living in Twilight’s castle.
Whilst the war is official over, lingering resentment remains between the NER and the USRE, while both continue a gradual military build up on their respective borders both conduct trade, and diplomacy with one another, many equate the cold if not hostile relations to bitterness left over from the war, to the peace really being just a cold war, in the meantime Equestria still conducts trade with the distant continent of Griffonia, which itself is tetering on the edge of conflict.
In 1025ALB the NER gave Equestria’s only foreign territory New Mareland it’s independence, but independence comes with it’s own challenges, the new independent democratic country faces internal conflict, political corruption and surrounded by outside powers that see the land as rightfully theirs. One year later in 1026ALB a group in the USRE set upon going about a nefarious deed one that would bring once bitter enemies together against a common threat.
Part V
The Umbrum Wars
in 1027ALB a group of radicals using an artifact known as the dark heart ressurected King Sombra, he then went about asking for the group’s aid in freeing the Umbrum. With Sombra’s dark magic the group managed to secretly free the Umbrum from their prisons overpowering the Crystal city which now once again lay in ruins.
With Sombra on the loose the still wounded USRE was quickly overpowered by the Shadow King's soldiers. General Secretary Leonhart a veteran of both the changeling war of unification and the Equestrian Soviet war sought aid from the NER at first the republic declined but when a Republic city as attacked by Sombra’s forces the Republic reconsidered. When the allies got organized Sombra’s empire has conquered the Crystal Pony’s Republic, Stalliongrad, northern Equestria, and eastern Olenia.
The allies made a desperate plan a two sided frontal charge on the heartland of the New Crystal Empire, dubbed Operation Light bringer, an unprecedented assault by 3 million infantry, 5,000 tanks, and 2 million paratroopers. However, Sombra’s dark magic was powerful, slowing the advance to a crawl, and then a stalemate that lasted for 5 years. Operation Light Bringer was a failure, prompting the need for a new method to be devised. And one surely was in 1032ALB, as Commissar Leonov Chorken of the Soviet Airforce believed that the creation of a new type of airship was needed one using magic shields and tradtional firepower the use of zeppelins as battleships was not a new idea but due to the slowness of the vehicles vs the airplane such a weapon’s platform was deemed obsolete, however, Sombra’s army lacked an air force and whilst airplanes were too small to place magical shielding on, a zeppelin, however was large enough, it was agreed the soldiers would hold off the enemy until the new aircraft were built.
In 1033ALB the first Leonov class Airship was launched off the assembly line, the standard bearership named after both it’s class and designer The SRABS Leonov was a sight to behold, 1900 meters long steel clad with four massive triple 108 inch cannons on the ventral surface, it’s gondola inside and on the top a runway for 30 jet fighters and 10 jet strike bombers. 5 more were made later that month these behemoths would fill dread in the umbrum as their mere size and firepower blew them apart allowing the allied armies to move forward and reclaim their homeland.
In 1035ALB the crystal city fell to the 5th Soviet Shock army a special division of Changelings, Griffons, and yaks. Sombra, his wife Radiant Hope, and his advisors were given summary executions by the soviets despite the republic’s insistance on a trial. After the taking of the crystal heartland much of the Umbrum resistance fell, many surrendered and were given the opportunity of living freely in exchange for loyalty to the allied forces.
After the war distrust between the Democratic NER and the Communist USRE eventually faded, forming a bilateral military alliance and a joint diplomatic corps. Equus was once again at peace and would be for the foreseeable future thanks to the sacrifice of brave mares and stallions willing to give all for their causes.
The End