The Equestrian General [ RAW ]

Chapters

The Plight of Equestria
The Calling Of A Hero
A Sudden Revelation
The Human Lieutenant

The Plight of Equestria

Celestia's Chambers, Canterlot
May 14th, 16:29
Princess Luna of Equestria

The alicorn sisters stood beside each other as they witnessed the descent of the fading sunset emitting a golden light as it dips beyond the horizon. They both stand content as they quietly perform their daily ritual.

The sun princess notices the slight frown that formed on her younger sister's face and smiles knowingly, nuzzling her sister's neck with affection. The younger sister tenses from the touch, but does not mind the rather intrusive action from her benevolent elder sister.

"What bothers you, Luna?" the elder sibling starts as she retracts from her nuzzling. "You can share your plight with me, my dear sister."

Luna sighs in slight contempt; she hesitantly swivels her head towards her elder sister as she struggles to choose the right words to address the pressing issues that both sisters are well aware of, but Celestia is more hesitant to tackle.

"Sister, our neighboring nations have reformed for the better when Twilight and her friends enlighten them upon the values and virtues of Friendship and Harmony," Luna says, earning an expected sigh from her elder sister in return. "But we know that things had also changed as fast as it had occurred."

"Lulu, we cannot say for certain what the future holds," Celestia speaks in a soft tone. "we must be patient and open to the changes."

=UNEDITED=

It was the same response, 'be patient', the same piece of wisdom she keeps hearing from the muzzle of her elder sister clenching her jaw from rebutting such pacifist notion to riposte their roused neighbors, granted they have ponies assign to keep an eye out for any further unwelcome alteration in their states.

"'Tia, we cannot allow such a relaxed pose to be seen by our potential foes as a sign of a welcomed invasion of Equestria." Luna forewarns her own sister as gentle as she could surprising her sister as she contemplates Luna's words.

"But we cannot say for certain what actions our 'potential enemies' will do. There have not been any messages from our birds yet and therefore we cannot be rash with our decisions," Celestia justifies her point firmly, aware of how displeased Luna was with her contentiousness. "remember Luna you have been gone for so long, times have changed."

Celestia spots Luna's ear flinching from her words, most especially the last statement as she breaks eye contact in mortification, the elder for her part regrets her words for resurfacing such harsh memories upon her still healing sister and as reconciliation, she once again nuzzles Luna.

"Forgive my harsh words, Lulu," Celestia expresses her apology finding solace when Luna nuzzles back. "but I still cannot allow such preemptive actions take precedence in our pursuit of peace in all of Equus."

Luna sighs in resignation as the corona on her horn grow the celestial body that is the moon will bring dimmed light to the darkened plains of Equus, bright enough for diurnal creatures to roam the darkness in a clear field but dim enough for the nocturnal creatures to avoid being blinded which was not possible with the sun.

Luna takes pride in her role in raising the moon, under-appreciated as it is, she still carries her duty meaningfully as her power to move the celestial body is a fundamental part of the life of every creature that resides in Equus, with her magical will she plays an important part in those very lives, as she cast her doubts in the back of her mind she begins her ritual.

Silence followed aside from the constant shimmering music that emanates from Luna's corona, as Luna finds peace in her work Celestia had contemplated her sister's words further, as she balances the concern of national security over the prospect of peace. Surely with how Twilight with her friends alongside the Elements of Harmony handled the events after Luna's reformation up until now, the tranquil peace established by their heroic actions had taken more of a strong root.

Celestia would not just discredit the worries of Luna as it is indeed a concern but a concern that could have been stemmed from the multitude state of wars Equestria had endured before her sister's - turn-over - to a dissonance state, where Luna played a more active role in defending Equestria from their once barbaric neighbors. As Celestia said, times have changed, surely Luna will see that in the near future, or was her sister's instinct on martial matters had produced an envisage? Celestia was caught in a dilemma both of which could have an unintended consequence for choosing one over the other.

As Luna raised the moon in its rightful place in the heavens as Celestia flutters her wings out of its idle state she hesitantly opens her mouth to start a new conversation of which answers her silent dilemma but could not find the right word to express her words not that she has words to provide the answer to her sister's perturbed mind, she subtly inhales an air to cool her own mind. Find a balance.

"How about a proposition, Lulu?" Celestia starts earning a side glance from her sister. "If you can convince me that such actions are to be needed in our current times then I implore you to enlighten me."

This promptly earned the attention of Luna, before she could praise her sister and thank her for the sudden impromptu of a proposal but as soon as she eagerly shoots up in order to embrace her benevolent sister she immediately halts in her hooves. As benevolent and altruistic Celestia is, Luna has suspected an unknown scheme of sorts already been laid down before her as evident at the subtle smirk pressed upon her sister's muzzle.

"I am sensing a but, Tia." Luna cautiously spoke drawing a faint hurt from Celestia as she chuckles lightly.

"Dear lulu," Celestia held her chuckle punctually. "must you always suspect me of schemes? My, I am truly pained by your notion."

Luna rolled her eyes at her Celestia's sarcasm but she cares to admit it that it slightly gave her a momentary repose from her sister's irksome proposition despite not hearing the full extent of it. Luna shakes her head lightly to dismiss the giggle that escaped her lips motioning for Celestia to continue with a sway of her hoof.

"I shall continue now." Celestia nodded wisely, alleviating the hesitation Luna had just mere moments ago. "Where was I? Ah, yes!"

Celestia had now fully faced Luna confident that her sister would take stride in what she had to ask Luna for her proposition, Luna ruffled her own wings to avoid stiffening it and the slight tilt of her ears concluded Celestia that her sister was indeed nervous more than anything.

"If you are to convince me of such actions, you must, in turn, allow one creature in Equestria, a pony more preferably, to not only present to me the point you wish to impart on my decision," Celestia looked beyond her balcony gazing upon the realm and its inhabitant. "but must also share this fixation you have to our predicament, as to how you interpret it to be."

Luna mulled over what Celestia had just requested of her, how it can be solved, and immediately was cut short of her thoughts when she realized a very key detail to Celestia's proposition, the ponies of Equestria.

"But, they are all pacifist!?" Luna yelps in a borderline surprise and doubt. "How can anypony side with my views when all of them are peace-loving ponies, the prospect of conflict must be alien to them at this point in time!"

Celestia pities Luna but she deems it necessary to put her in a trial that will not only change her rather alarming view of restrained violence but if her envision are indeed correct, doubtful as it is but not unfounded, Celestia can find comfort that there are other ponies that shares this alarming detail that must be addressed.

"You can at least bring a single pony to our court privately to share your plights to me," Celestia spoke in conclusion. "and if I find your argument reasonable and sounding then I shall enact my judgment fairly."

Celestia begins to walk past her own sister towards her the entrance to her chambers, leaving a baffled Luna in her own balcony but before entering the threshold she gives her sister one more glance to see her still in her state of bewilderment looking at her.

"I wish upon you great luck, lulu."

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Royal Palace, Canterlot
May 15th, 10:51
Princess Luna of Equestria

"General Whiplash!"

Luna strides quickly towards a gray-coated pegasus upon hearing his rank and name spoken by such volume that nearly shatters the window glasses around from the Royal Canterlot Voice. General Whiplash, true to his name, swiftly twists his frame towards the origin of the voice placing his glasses away in his uniform pouch in a show of respect to his princess, despite the shaking of his limbs and the nervous twitch of his mustache.

"Y-yes, Your Highness," Whiplash salutes his Commander-In-Chief. "how may I be of your assistance?"

The moon princess displays a rather alarming smile that did not help ease Whiplash's nerve and the rather speedy trot aimed at his direction was not helping the shaking sensation of his limbs, but running away from his superior would be seen as a disgrace to his rank, so he stood.

"Just the stallion I need!" Luna proclaimed a little too excitedly earning a cough from Whiplash.

"Y-yes, Princess!?"

"I need you, Lieutenant General, walk with me as we have much to discuss!" Luna said as final and earned a blush from Whiplash as he hesitantly matches the speedy trot of his Princess.

"As you say, Princess." Whiplash quickly replies.

Both of them walked in silence disturbed only by their hasty hoofsteps as they walked the stretch of the Royal Palace, while Luna has rediscovered her vigor for finally finding the right pony for aligning themself to her conundrum, Whiplash himself was anxious about being herded by the Princess herself.

Whiplash, as old as he was, was thinking of another problem entirely different from Luna's, he hopes he doesn't have to add another mare in his herd and a princess at that, his life seemingly went from satisfactory to its opposite. He might be jumping to conclusions here as unpredictable as mares are, Princess Luna is royalty, surely there is something else that is plaguing Her Highness mind, something he can personally aid which he couldn't recall exactly?

Luna notices her companion's demeanor shift from calm to anxious ever since their abrupt meeting, had she addressed his rank wrong? insulted him somehow? or was it what she had asked of him? One thing Luna wants is to not impose a sense of dread nor anxiety on any of her subjects.

"What is your concern, Lieutenant General," Luna asks Whiplash, catching the stallion off from his trance. "was my sudden calling too - forward?"

Whiplash nodded sagely, having called begrudgingly, while the princess was indeed forward he was not one to deny royalty especially in his occupation in the Royal Equestrian Army, he does mind having more mares to manage but having royalty as a herd will be intimidating, but he is not one to back down from challenges.

"Quite forward, Your Highness," Whiplash finally replies surprising Luna as her ear tilts slightly, "but please be at east, I am more than capable of what you may ask of me."

Luna's enthusiasm has swelled proudly after a disappointing attempt in persuading multiple military staff, from Lieutenant Generals Soarin and Fast Clip, Ace Wing Commanders Spitfire and Night Swift, The Naval Admirals Aqua Marine and Tempest Shadow. While Tempest Shadow does have a modicum of agreement with Luna's bold stance with its neighbor the recent defeat of the Storm King has her perturbed to the point of dismissing Luna's worries promptly.

Luna was running out of officers to persuade in her point of view that was not entirely pacifist, she does wonder how such officers were granted their roles and ranks in the Royal Equestrian Army in the first place. An army needs to be an intimidating force as a passive deterrent and when needed can be deployed at a state of war but such a pacifistic posture negates everything that an army could be.

A millennium of peace has turned the once battle hardened army of Equestria into an indulgent and lax defense force, now that Luna has thought about it, why didn't they rename it to "Equestrian Defence Force" if the modern army of Equestria was as such.

But she might be able to convince the old stallion into her view in reforming the Army to prepare the ponies of Equestria from their roused neighbors, at least, she hopes she can. Looking at the stallion lowered Luna's zeal in pursuing this radical plan, the stallion himself was old, devoid of any scars, and a rather relaxed posture, a stallion made in peace.

Luna suddenly halts her steps and glares at Whiplash who in turn quizzically faces the moon princess, they both stay in such awkward stares for moments before the stallion coughs to break the tension and makes Luna sign in resignation.

"What has bothered you, Your Highness?" Whiplash upon realizing that this was possibly more serious than a 'mare wants stallion' issue, even more, concerning that the moon princess herself was not asleep at this time of the hour and the slight restlessness of her demeanor supports this case.

"It concerns the security of Equestria, Lieutenant General," Luna tiredly replied as her head slightly fell down in resignation, "and I judge you might say the same to my proposition."

"I am a Lieutenant General, Your Highness," Whiplash salutes earnestly and inwardly cringing at the thought of Luna ever becoming part of his herd, "a-any concern that involves the national security of Equestria is my top concern."

"You hesitate clearly, Lieutenant General, do you really wish to hear my- Equestria's plight?" Luna stood in front of the stallion towering over him with wings fully extended, this did little to cower Whiplash in performing his duty to the Princesses and Equestria.

"Of course, Your Highness, more than anything for Equestria." Whiplash bowed in recognition of Luna's unspoken challenge.

"Very well," Luna backs down and her wings tucked themselves back at her sides, "Are you aware that our 'army' is rather - relaxed?"

"Yes, it has rather been this way since your - departure," Whiplash stroke his chin and nodded precariously from his recollection of Luna's betrayal, "a great number of ponies pursue peace and with Princess Celestia alone at the helm of leading Equestria the pursuit of peace was made a priority in order to end the long time struggle of conflict Equestria always face."

Luna's muzzle scrunches at Whiplash's blunt answer but choosing to ignore the harsher portion of his statement in order to dwell on the stallion's words, after her banishment to the very celestial body she posses, the ponies of Equestria's will to fight was squashed? Have they lost faith when she, their martial princess of the moon, betrayed them? Luna was conflicted for sure but one thing is for certain, the ponies of Equestria were fed up with war, exhausted and bleeding at a time where conflict looks to expand beyond the decades, and with Luna's betrayal that may seem to be the final straw to pursue peace instead of continual conflict.

"I see, that does... pains me to think so," Luna spoke in contempt at herself for what she had done in the past, "But I wish for you to hear my case, if you cannot agree with me then say so."

Whiplash nodded solemnly at his princess as they continued to walk this time at such a pace good enough to have thought on each hoof, Luna was no longer enthusiastic about her case but if she could not persuade anyone to her cause she might be able to plant the root of it in their minds.

"Our 'army' is no longer on par with our neighbors, as far as I am aware of the matter," Luna starts, "I am only concerned with Equestria's security, however, do not discredit my appeal for a scheme, Equestria comes first after all."

"And you are a benevolent princess for thinking so," Whiplash spoke to lighten his princess's worry. "a worthy princess of Equestria no doubt."

"Your words flatter me but there is no need for it," Luna reprimand earning a prompt apology from Whiplash, "I only wish for our army to be prepared and serve as a deterrent to negate any notion of an invasion from our neighbors."

Both ponies continue their walk in silence as Luna awaits Whiplash's rebuttal to her case side glancing at the stallion as he evaluates his thoughts in the matter.

"I have an idea of what you had proposed, Your Highness," Whiplash finally spoke however Luna can sense a 'but' coming right after, "but I cannot say for certain if it serves as a passive deterrent to our opportunistic foes."

"Do forgive my limited knowledge of our neighbors." Whiplash spoke again, "For the Griffons for example they are a rather confronting bunch if they witness a supposed escalation from Equestria they'll see it as a challenge, in turn, provoking a conflict instead of being intimidated with our might."

Luna nodded thoughtfully, as far as she had known the Griffons before her banishment, they are rather a rowdy species, what Whiplash had assessed does hold weight to her argument, if it were to come to it a fight with the Griffons against the pacifist Equestrian ponies they'd be overwhelmed easily. But.

"However, if we were to completely be unarmed and unprepared, what difference does it make if we had done the opposite?" Luna refutes, Whiplash widens his eyes before glancing around them earning a skeptic gaze from the princess.

"If such plans were put to action I am afraid of repercussions may follow soon after, Your Highness." Whiplash forewarns Luna in a hushed but audible privately to both of them.

This does catch the attention of Luna, repercussion? there are always repercussions in a display of force, surely the lieutenant general had jest? However, the serious and reserved demeanor of Whiplash dismisses Luna's thoughts of any hoax.

Luna's horn lit up and a piercing light envelops both ponies, once the blinding light had dissipated both are standing in Luna's chamber with a faint coat of aura spread across every surface in the room, Whiplash naturally eyes the room and settle when he realizes it was the princess's chamber, he inwardly cringes again at his former thoughts with Luna as part of his herd.

"If what you were about to say is a private matter, I transfer us in my chamber," Luna spoke while motioning her hoof to emphasize her room, "You may speak freely without the ears of a pony to dabble in our conversation."

"Very well, Your Highness," Whiplash sighs and closes his eyes in relief, "there are rumors of a faction within the many noble families conspiring for a supremacist take on the many species that have resided within the borders of Equestria."

"And by reforming the army they will have an outlet for their supremacist aspiration, how?" Luna firmly asks as if Whiplash had personally been the same noble ponies he had just described.

"It is a rather well-known rumor across the noble houses, but that's just it, a rumor." Whiplash ended in a rather underlying tone which his princess noticed instantly.

"Yet, you show the need to divulge such information, a rumor to be precise," Luna harden on Whiplash, "While I refer to you the case that might decide the future of Equestria, here you find the time to ail me with a rumor?!"

Whiplash relents, ears tucked in his poll, swiftly bowing in an expression of seeking forgiveness, while Luna was aware of her increasing temper was still mad to have her issues sidelined, rumors of all things! She was not having it, not after the continuous rejection from the army, aviation, and naval staff, none of it she can handle.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, it's just-- that-- the nobles are-"

"Silence!"

Luna had used her Royal Canterlot Voice with an immediate effect of clamping Whiplash's mouth shut and continuing to bow his head in repentance, his forehead stamping the floor firmly. Luna’s wings were extended, eyes slightly glowing, and nose flared in clear anger.

“You are dismissed, Lieutenant General,” As Luna retakes her composure she dismisses the multi-layer wards infused upon the walls of her chamber, “You may resume your duty to Equestria.”

Whiplash still hasn’t recovered from the princess’s outburst but promptly replies with a “Yes, Your Highness” before excusing himself out of her room. Luna now alone to gather her thoughts feels that her cause was futile after all.

“What am I to do now?”

Author's Note

This is my very first FIMFiction story and am willing to hear the many critics and even suggestions on how to continue with the story as the story tends to be harder to formulate as I go on. I have plans for the story I wish to write but I can include parts you may suggest if I find it necessary or essential to the plot I had conjured from the empty bowels of my mind.

I am an amateur on storytelling, I think it shows in the way I write and the overall feel of the story I will write, but I hope to improve as I write more. I also have a problem with the lack of vocabulary, which I hope to solve along the way.

Thank you for reading this very hastily made story I had conjured from playing too many strategy games, most especially Hearts of Iron 4: Equestria at War. I hope to update as much as I can possible with, most likely, minor problems with grammar and words delivered in the wrong context.

The Calling Of A Hero

Royal Canterlot Library, Canterlot
May 17th, 14:29
Princess Luna of Equestria

Luna had decided that here and now she will have to execute drastic actions as there were no other ponies that would align themselves to her cause, as the moon princess set her eyes on the Royal Canterlot Library she had thought of a venture that will allow her to achieve her cause, a very verboten course of action where Celestia must never take a hint of such action in what she was about to do.

The solar guards who stood at each respective sides on the library entrance gave their brief and practiced salute to their diarchy as she crosses the threshold acknowledging their presence with a firm nod, as soon as she enters the premise she casts a concealment spell that dull her presence to an inconspicuous state, whereupon ponies casting their gaze at Luna will more likely forget that she was there.

Once she had assessed the ponies their complete disregard for her presence, she continues to walk along with the many aisles of bookshelves that are neatly arranged throughout the Royal Canterlot Library, as the number of ponies began to shrink as Luna wanders deeper into the establishment, and once she had spotted the telltale of her goal, she halts.

Luna spies a book that has the twin symbol of the alicorn sisters embedded in its spine, a book that requires the magic of one of its respective owner to activate, as Luna’s corona shine dimly along with the book as muffled clicks and mechanical sound emanates behind the bookshelf wherein the book sat firmly.

With a very small fraction of Luna’s magic extracted from her, the bookshelf shifts slightly and a chink can be seen from the edge of the bookshelf and with one swift motion the bookshelf slides out of view, and in its place is an entrance to the restricted portion of the Royal Canterlot Library, exclusive only to the Diarchy and all they assume worthy enough to step hoof.

With a final glance at any unsuspected ponies accidentally witnessing such a confidential territory, after finding none she traverses the staircase leading down to the restricted library itself, restoring the bookshelf in its place before doing so.

The amble was not long as Luna had finally crossed the final set of doors that permits her to her destination, the cave that houses the restricted library was massive with its foundation entirely adapted to the cave itself that resembles a rough dome, the bookshelves themselves embedded tightly into the cave formation some bookshelves are even made entirely of carved stone.

While Luna reflects on her time spent here before her banishment, she can recall books being more pristine and well handled than what she was currently beholding, she can only pray that the ancient book she seeks had not suffered the same faith.

While she was discouraged with the condition of the millennia-old books fortune does favor her as she witnessed the enclosure that holds the book she had sought to obtain, the enclosure itself was aged and suffering slow rot but the insides were surely unharmed. She unlocks the ancient lock with her magic and instantly breaks from the pressure.

Luna discards the broken lock and lifts its contents and after levitating copious amounts of papers, notes, and journals her eyes catch the black coat cover of the book, smiling to herself, who would have thought, after millennia the book was practically unmoved and untouched.

Luna cracks a smile, the black book was still well conditioned and only accumulated dust as a result of its containment, she conjures pressure from the air and sweeps the black book with it, and with the thick dust clear the ornament that adorned the book becomes more prominent.

Now that she has the book she had sought, she was going to use it to bring back a soul of olden times, more specifically a soul who has already faced war and learn from it, she was to bring back the dead and with Equestria’s history surely she can call upon important figures of history that can lead and influenced ponies to defend it at its time of need.

This scheme sounds magnificent in the mind of Luna, an impractical plan overpowered by her zeal to save Equestria from an uncertain and debatable invasion from its neighbors, however, what’s done is done, and Luna was far too in to retract from her predicament, too prideful to back down.

Now that she has claimed what she had sought, Luna’s corona spark, and her entire form enveloped in a blinding light before popping out of existence and reappearing just in front of the bookshelves that she passed to enter the restricted library, tucking the black book and some notes she had gathered along with it in her saddlebag.

As she begins walking for her chambers to study the content of the books and notes, Luna could feel her vigor rise once more, she can finally have the pony to convince her sister to what Luna was attesting to her all this time, she just needs a night to examine and exercise the necessary steps to-

“Luna?”

“Pardon!?”

Luna jolts in surprise, her hoof scraping against the polished floor, stopping in front of the pony she had not expected to stumble upon especially now that she carries a forbidden book that was not supposed to be taken from its receptacle, Luna shifts her wings slightly to cover the contents of her saddlebags.

“Tia,” Luna starts in surprise followed by an uncanny smile, “what a coincidence? what brought you to our esteemed library?”

Celestia was stern right before discovering her sister in front of the entrance to the restricted section of the library, fearing the worst when the wards emplaced were subtly disturbed for Celestia to notice clearly, when she did she came fast and had reflected the same surprise Luna was wearing on her face.

“Have you entered-” Celestia walked up to her sister eyeing the bookshelf and the saddlebag her sister was making an effort to hide from her, “-the restricted library, my dear sister?”

“O-of course, I had recollected my n-notes and journal from the long past, dear sister!” Luna fumble on her words, growing more nervous as Celestia’s eyes shift from the bookshelf to her saddlebag. “What brought you here, Tia?”

“Lulu,” Celestia huffed in exasperation, “I came here to seek answers from a possible intruder to our exclusive chambers, afraid of the possible theft of ancient artifacts and stored knowledge from long ago.”

“However, I am relieved to find you.” Celestia exhaled in relief, tilting her head slightly as she gathered her thoughts. “Do mind to warn me next time, Lulu.”

“Of course, Tia, pardon my impudence”

Celestia nuzzles her sister and the gesture was graciously returned, a serene expression claiming Celestia’s face as she retracts visibly softening to discover that no dangerous ancient artifacts were going to tamper, stolen, or worst used for nefarious means.

“Don’t think of yourself lowly, Luna.” Celestia standing beside her sister's motions for her to follow. “Come, I may have missed you while scolding the nobles of their senseless troubles.”

Luna giggled at her sister’s rather childish humor, side by side they walked together, easing her wings to tuck the black book and notes more firmly and hidden subtly from view.

“Of course, you never tire from their languish inducing babbles.” Luna scoffs earning a chuckle from Celestia.

“My, might you want to take turns in teasing them?” Celestia offers humoredly, earning a disappointing smile from Luna.

“Forgive me sister, but I still have a case to present to you regarding your proposition.” Luna promptly replied as Celestia was remembering their argument a few days ago.

While this did disappoint both sisters, with Luna being so close to having her way and Celestia wanting more of her sister's time, it was a rather distancing experience for both sisters as well, but as luck would have it Celestia yielded to her sister's errands.

“Very well,” Celestia spoke rather sternly but the subtle smile she wore was evident of her love for her sister despite her shortcomings, “be on your way, dear sister, I shall await your case.”

"Of course, Tia, I shan't permit you to wait long."

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Luna's Chamber, Canterlot
May 19th, 14:53
Princess Luna of Equestria

The time was now, after examining and theorizing the contents of the book of harmonic necromancy, reevaluating its possible flaws and benefits worth discarding and keeping respectively, notes were stacked and piled neatly around her study table as a product of a whole day of ceaseless effort to bring about the coming of her hero.

She cannot afford a mistake, Luna is well aware of the dangers of conducting a necromancy spell to both ends, the risk of insanity, magical decay, shorten lifespan, and instant death upon casting, hence Luna’s intense study to avoid such outcomes rereading the notes she had brought along with the harmonic necromancy book for any hints of errors and miscalculations that she had used as a cross-reference.

With a final proofread with the spell she had taken longer to polish and refine than she cares to admit, Twilight Sparkle would have been proud of Luna if she witnessed the ample papers loitering about her chamber.

Luna breathes, preparing herself physically and mentally, even with the near-perfect refinement of the spell, the spell itself was entirely dependent on the skill, magical capacity and projection, and the willpower of the caster. These essential traits are within Luna’s capability but she worries for the soul she will be reviving more so than her own.

She has never done necromancy to bring back the dead but souls alone? A long time ago, she had to, in order to console grieving ponies in their dreams after constant wars that lead to many of them orphaned, widowed, and mentally broken. The more she dwells on these thoughts the more she realizes that wars were indeed costly, but she will not doubt her cause, she was not to instigate a new war but instead help prevent it. That’s why she was doing this.

Now, she must make haste, her time to replace her sister in the night court was upcoming in the near hour, she must no longer delay her efforts, her objective is now closer than she was before, and it shall now begin.

The corona of Luna's horn emerges as she levitates the book and the few final notes to her side, she can only carry out the harmonic revival of the dead once, to summon a pony from the dead to once more lead the ponies in the modern age, Luna had to contain her growing enthusiasm to avoid losing focus.

Using the book and notes as a reference, she recreates the summoning circle that was first needed to start the summoning, using a mixture of bone dust, grounded magical crystal, and pounded limestone to create special chalk that will be used to draw the magical circle, and the intricate pattern of the summoning circle is itself unique.

Following the pattern drawn on the book and the correction, Luna had modified on her notes it spans a good circle with a diameter of 5 meters, slight sparks trailing the chalk as it continues to scrape the polished floor.

As Luna finishes the line art of the summoning circle she dwells on the thought of encountering souls in the afterlife, to garner their attention long enough to hold their interest of abandoning the peaceful and paradise that is the afterlife, persuade them with words of affection, to give them a brief moment of their lives to aid her in her cause.

Not all plans go along well with reality however and Luna was bracing herself mentally for a multitude amount of rejection from long passed souls, this would never be easy but she only needs one pony, one soul, one life to bring back from the dead.

With the summoning circle done moving on to the next step, the summoning itself, before that however Luna embedded the wards all across the surfaces of her chamber, in order to help contain the magical backlash that could leak out through the spell casting.

With that precaution well and done, she begins to now begins to tune he magic to the writings on the summoning circle, her corona shines brighter and her eyes glow dimly as the magic of both Luna and the magical crystal-induced summoning circle synergized and producing rays of white light that emits from the line art of the summoning circle.

Luna’s focus trails on the notes and her magic automatically translate it to the summoning circle and the latter’s white light growing brighter while emanating a harmonic tune that help Luna in focusing on her spell casting, and a final push of harmonic runes that was formed through constructs of magic levitating to embed itself to the floor in its place in the summoning circle.

Spellcasting in general was mostly done with no modicum of speech, hence the laborious breathing Luna was expressing. The moon princess lowers her head and connects the tip of her horn to the edge of the summoning circle and the corona bursts into rainbow strips that washes the polished floor.

With a final mental application, Luna’s senses winked out, replaced with a darken and void that nulls most of her stimulus save only for her thoughts and a vague sense of a multitude of presence, the very souls that Luna had hoped to approach.

And so, she does.

“Heroes of Equestria, I call upon thee, aid us in the coming of Equestria’s plight!” Luna bellowed into the nothingness.

The many presences that reside within the void, within the misleading paradise, took notice of her own animate presence shouting upon the souls filled the void, calling for a hero.

The many presences that reside within the void, within the misleading paradise, took notice of her own animate presence shouting upon the souls filled the void, calling for a hero. Luna felt the many gazes from the souls around her all of who seem to be curious, skeptical, and indifferent respectively.

For a while, only stares from the souls were what she receives in response to her calling then they abruptly moved on and wander aimlessly in the void, their false paradise, it unnerved Luna every time she can hear the many joyous voices of the dead, the many sounds of laughter, the joyous chatter, cries of pain, sharp gasps, shrieks of horrors, and the cheers of victory at the same time in a sea of voices that did not overlap each other curiously instead they are their own voices and are discernable from each other.

Luna was discouraged from their deliberate neglect of her presence, but she needed to bring one pony back from the dead, she had to. She once again asks more desperately with the same outcome as before, stares at her and completely ignore her thereafter, with not a single soul to be slightly even interested she had even resorted to using the Royal Canterlot Voice in attempt to reach out further but nothing had changed, other than the many more souls that ignored her.

“Please, Equestria is in need of a hero! You may relive your days of glory! We need you again!” Luna spoke her voice slightly wavering.

Luna’s cry was once again ignored, this continued rejection had dejected the moon princess, she would not allow herself to return empty-handed, cringing with the thought of her sister being disappointed with her, and the failure of her regal role as not only a princess but as well as the protector of the ponies and creatures of Equestria. Her pride and duty would not allow her to withdraw now or ever for that matter.

Before resorting to a final drastic solution to her current hurdle she witnesses a soul from a distance, a very young but promising soul, moseying itself towards her presence. Luna’s presence brightens as a result of this newfound development and so she patiently stays in place, no longer focusing on the souls around her but only on this curious and rather newly lamented soul.

Luna felt a wave of praise from her as she appraises this lone soul, a very young soul full of promise from its once experienced life and had just perished from the world not long ago, the moon princess struggles to hold her enthusiasm for having caught the attention of such a proud and talented soul, in the art of war as well it seems.

“I call upon you, young soul. Equestria needs a new hero, a hero that will aid us in the battles to come.” Luna spoke in a soft and encouraging tone. “Come, lone one.”

The soul itself was hesitant but indeed curious to her presence, she would occasionally encourage it when she witnesses it slightly retreating only to be reassured that it was more than a simple encouraging tone that will keep its attention to her presence, brightening her presence even further to form a beacon for this lone soul, driving the rest of the souls near her away and slightly parting themselves for the moseying soul to reach her.

It had taken a long time for it to get to Luna for her to properly reach out but it was now in front of her, it visibly recoils from her presence possibly overwhelmed by her but shows no sign of familiarity with her, a creature who does not know her? A rarity in this time for sure but nonetheless she will take this soul.

Luna’s corona envelopes the whole of the summoning circle in a blanket of magic, gently grabbing the soul, and with its consent, transferred from the realm of the dead to the living, its takes the form of a wisp appearing in a snap underneath the blanket of magic enveloping the summoning circle.

As the wisp of the soul rising so did the blanket of magic, as it levitates it slowly took the form of a pony and judging from the developing bump on each side it was a pegasus, after many twists and turns what it had finalized its form as a transparent pegasus, its soul caged gently and comfortably in its chest.

Luna inhales laboriously before nodding to herself, a final beam of magic from her horn making contact with the transparent pony as a wave of magic gives it its fur, tail, mane, and wings, accompanied by its color palette. This newly reborn pegasus has a fur of full white snow, tail, and mane of golden blonde, and a relatively healthy and sturdy build as common among pegasus.

Luna was instantly reminded by Celestia’s distant nephew, young Prince Blueblood, but snaps back to reality when she witnesses the young pegasus’s sudden descent to the ground as her magic cuts off after finishing the summoning magic, she gasps sharply.

Luna hastily leaped underneath the falling pegasus in an attempt to negate the pegasus’s limped body from harshly making contact with her polished chamber floor, her magic had suffered a brief backlash as it cooldowns from the summoning hence her physical attempt. It was surprising how fast her magic did recover and as she was laying flat on the marble floor underneath the limped pegasus her corona sparks and the pegasus was lifted just a few hoofs above Luna’s withers.

Exhaling a prolonged relief, Luna recomposes herself and levitate the young limped pegasus to her side, witnessing the half-opened lid of her eyes and presenting bright azure eyes reflected by the setting sun on her open balcony, the young pegasus mumbled incoherently before proceeding to close her eyes peacefully and… snore loudly.

This rather abrupt sound caught Luna off guard before she chuckled lightly, now that she has what she seeks, she must not brief this young pegasus in the affairs of Equestria and its possible conflict with its neighboring kingdoms and states.

Luna began to spin scenarios that would come up by the next few hours, moons, weeks, maybe even months to how she was supposed to pitch her idea to this pegasus in convincing her sister, Luna is well aware that the pegasus in her grasp was of the military from the short memories that flooded into her and to the pony, although it was an amalgamated mess that the only coherent thoughts and memories she had gathered were merely spoken words, orders, commands, and complicated lingos that she had also heard the military staff emit from time to time towards their subordinate officers.

It was also surprising that the young pegasus was indeed young, if she was uttering commands frequently she must hold a high rank, possibly an officer or higher, to be able to conduct such orders and commands. Praises and commendations were also not lost to Luna as she had also praised some officers and commanders in their brief and inconsequential skirmish with the Ponies of Stalliongrad, so she was justified in assuming that the young pegasus was talented and accomplished in her duty.

But to whom this pony served was what Luna was mostly concerned with, surely not Equestria for there had been no large external conflict that its inhabitants had to participate, due to the young pegasus’s accomplishment and experience of which are fairly recent she had to have been outside the continent of Equus itself.

Her long train of thoughts was shortly cut off as Luna felt her sister’s presence beckoning her to her chambers, she sent back an answer immediately through her magic as she placed the young pegasus on her own bed, feeling a great but burdened sense of accomplishment for the recent events.

With one last sigh she gently releases the young pegasus from her magical hold, she was about to fly towards her sister's balcony but she once again looked over her towards the sleeping pony on her bed, the same thoughts resumed briefly before she has shaken her head clear, she was going to do this, there is no more going back.

“For Tia, my friends, and Equestria.” She spoke to no one before unraveling her wings and took off.

Author's Note

I already have an image of how Azure Destiny (Maynard Mineheart) look like:

This is a General Portrait made by MrScroup, God bless this man, from the Equestria at War mod for Hearts of Iron 4

I do want to create my own of Azure Destiny's portrait with a similar look as this art with my own touches that I want for the pony, probably minor changes as she fits most of the touches I planned for her look.

A Sudden Revelation

Luna's Chamber, Canterlot Castle
May 21st, 09:43
Maynard Mineheart

Maynard feels rather fresh and comfortable beyond compare, he eases into the accommodating bed he was laying on, it was rather large for a hotel bed but more than welcome as he has never had such a comfortable bed in most bases he visited and commanded, he was in the state of bliss despite not having any dreams he nonetheless slept well to have awakened to a great day, now what was he doing in a hotel again?

Ah yes, to be reassigned to another frontier after stabilizing the previous region, mostly in the country of Urzikstan, after a ceremonial pit-stop in his nation's capital he was to be immediately shipped to the other frontier and help to stabilize that region as well, then unto the next and another thereafter. All in the name of cementing his nation’s hold as a great power.

While he will thrive on the praises, awards, prestige, and promotions he needs to actually utilize his talents and skill to do what he does best.

While swelling himself with pride of his recent achievements he realized that the sun was not supposed to rise up this early, as far as he was aware it was supposed to still be around 4 am or had he slept in? Well, he may have indulged himself a little but he can always explain the situation to his superiors.

Surely they can understand the comfort of being away from the conflict without the worry of bullets and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) being thrown in their directions in every unsuspected moment.

Maynard inhales deeply, savoring the fresh and clean air of his native land, and exhaling blissfully. A feminine voice simultaneously moaned making him jolt in surprise, scenarios immediately began to form in his head, he didn’t remember bringing a woman to his room - nor anyone for that matter.

He slowly lifts his limbs to pat to his front and back to feel if whoever that woman was in fact real, he concluded that he was just getting very lonely it seems like, considering there is no one in his bed. Granted he has never opened his eyes as the woman was probably stretching off the side of the bed.

After hearing all the abhorrent stories of military men being treated worse than street dogs by their “spouses” on a disgustingly frequent business he may have dug himself a grave not only to his career but also his livelihood.

Opening his eyes and immediately clenching them shut when his eyes meet the sun’s ray head-on, cursing to himself he once again hears a woman’s voice cursing the same thing. He flung the bedsheets to free himself and shield himself from the sun slightly.

“Excuse me, Lady-” Maynard cut himself off, with the voice that came out of his mouth rather high and suspiciously the exact same with the woman he keeps hearing.

Now that he was awakened fully he takes in his surrounding, he was sure that not one fancy hotel establishment in his homeland had this rather illustrious interior and decor that he was residing in temporarily, he may have thought he was in Greece or Italy with this type of architecture if it weren’t for the very mystic and fantasy-related ornaments littered around him, mostly in pertaining the crescent moon symbol.

He hadn’t gotten himself taken by organ harvester or a cult did he?

“Hello?” Maynard spoke and once again heard the same feminine voice and was very much sure that it was coming from him. “What in the?”

Maynard noticed the bump of his nose which was disturbingly larger than normal, he subconsciously touched his nose for confirmation but was instead met with his own disfigured and fingerless hand making him pause. He had to do a double-take to make sure that he was neither dreaming nor worst hallucinating, swiveling his hand and raising the other and sure enough, both hands were both disfigured.

Closer inspection on the disfigured hands however they were not hands but in fact hooves due to the very familiar figure of the heel and toe, which would mean that Maynard was a horse? This dream was surely a dream, a very peculiar dream, as most dreams do.

But wouldn’t dream awareness be controllable? Then why couldn’t Maynard just shape the things he wanted it to? Very frighteningly peculiar, indeed.

Flipping the sheets aside, Maynard witnessed his strange equine body, he was now sure that he was dreaming, there was no harm in indulging in a dream but he was well aware of the upcoming events which he will be attending, he needs to stir himself up awake if he was to attend on time.

While he was not sure how to use the body of an equine but rolling over is a universal way of getting yourself out of bed, he grunted slightly with him no longer aware of his high pitch voice, every roll to his sides seemed to push him inwardly, after finally flopping down to the polish floor did he realize the literal thorns to his sides.

“Wings?” Maynard asks no one in particular. “So I’m not only a horse but a pegasus?”
Maynard rolled his eyes at the silly dream he was having, softly chuckling, he attempted to stand on his hooves and immediately felt all of his limbs shook from unfamiliar muscle memory of human anatomy to an equine one. Maynard was surely surprised, this dream was so challengingly immersive that he might forget he was dreaming at all.

It took a straightforward effort to keep his equine limbs to not give in but he stood grinning at his legs finally complying with his command with a short rewire of his own muscle memory to adapt to this body. While he was curious about his wings he keeps reminding himself that he needs to wake up early, so he ponders on how he was to go about that.

There were ways to wake up but the easiest and efficient solution he had practically used and utilized the most so far was overloading himself with the complex thought process, basically thinking so hard his dream would be completely be nulled by his own brain and in turn awake him, finding a topic to think about, which should complex enough, was on its own - complex.

Stuck in a trance was what happened, Maynard’s equine form stood staring forward and eyes dilated as he was not focusing on what he was seeing but instead thinking deeply, he was not aware of the sound of muffled repetition of clacks growing louder outside the chamber doors.

─────────────── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────────────

Lunar Wing, Canterlot Castle
May 21st, 09:43
Princess Luna Of Equestria

The moon princess let out a long due sigh of relief courtesy to the many snobbish nobles of the Equestrian Elites, whose “plights” was exasperating the already wearied princess, despite that however, there was another element she wished she could attend to the most and it concerns the mare that now lay on her own bed whom haven’t awaken for 2 days now, that may seem worrying but is rather normal to a reincarnation or summoning of a creature.

It concerns the reworking of a creatures mind, in this case pony, from a free roaming soul of spirit back into a physical manifestation that they would be once again utilize in the living realm, this process is said to take at most a week and Luna is all too aware of the fact but the possibility that the mare she had summon to never awaken from her slumber greatly frightens Luna so.

Luna had to personally take care of the mare and kept her presence, for the moment at least, a secret to everyone. Harmonic necromancy is still a form of necromancy, and any form of dark magic has the unintended consequences of frightening the common pony to shock, Luna cannot have that and call her efforts of reformation to a standstill and once again be questioned of her motives.

After all, all she wants is what is best for her ponies, just as much as her benevolent sister does. It is no wrong for her to do as dire as summoning a hero to save them does it?

Luna will never have her answer as the lunar guards used their magic to separate the door leading to her chambers and the very first thing she lay her eyes on was the standing frame of the mare that was troubling her, with the light casting behind her made her golden hair appear angelic and her azure eyes held a look of determination and passion that Luna sees from her most dedicated ponies and of noblest of creatures, and her pose demonstrates a professional but calm demeanor reminiscent of those of her ponies in the highest staff. It would be a lie if Luna was not at least surprised to see such a pony.

“Is there something wrong, princess?” The lunar guard asks suddenly taking Luna away from her trance and cautious of her surroundings when the other lunar guard was about to investigate her chamber that had surprised their princess.

Luna cleared her throat, catching the attention of both guards and standing in attention towards their princess. “Yes, princess Luna, how may we be of service?” Both guards synchronously saluted and spoke.

Luna felt the slightest pride within her for her guards' show of duty. “I thank you for your duty, but I need to be alone, you may take your break now.” Luna spoke with finality and her guards do so, smiling and chatting as they depart from their post.

Luna making sure that no pony will make their way to her she enters her chambers, nervous and excited are brewing themselves upon Luna’s abdomen and she approaches in a regal fashion as soon as she closes the doors behind her, masking her own room with wards.

When Luna approaches she notices the distant look in the mare's eyes as she quizzically answers the question of her enigmatic mind, of which Luna cannot wait to learn, her origins, upbringing, and duty, all of it.

When the mare’s gaze fell upon and focused on Luna, she nearly froze in surprise but was even more when the mare lifted a single brow in question of her presence? What would she be asking of her, why was she summoned? thanking her for reviving her for doing so or scorning her? Luna cannot contain her thoughts but her regal mask never betrayed her even now.

“Huh,” The mare starts, Luna anticipates the mare’s words, “what are you some kind of children’s imagination, what is this?”

Luna froze then internalized the message omitted by the mare, the only word that Luna could respond in kind was. “Pardon?” Luna slightly recoils from the question, a children’s imagination? On what ground does that relate to their current predicament?

“Since when did I have dreams of - well - a winged unicorn,” the mare looks Luna up and down before sighing in exasperation, “I really need to wake up.” The mare concluded with her figure of professionalism and confidence slowly withering away replaced by what seems to be a laid back attitude.

Luna was shocked, was this mare neglecting her presence as an Alicorn or was she not familiar with one, Luna needed to salvage this, this may be a side effect or early symptom of a summoning but there was no mention of such, was there an oversight she had not noticed? Impossible.

“Mare, heed my words!” Luna spoke in authority of which the mare only responded with a side glance that made Luna falter slightly from the mare’s disregard for her being. “I summoned you here for a greater purpose for you will be-”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard this before, Jesus Christ,” the mare offhandedly ignores Luna, “this dream keeps getting weirder.” There it was again ‘a dream’ had this mare believed she is dreaming? Absurd!

“Mare, you are not dreaming, I had summoned you to-”

“Please, winged-unicorn or whatever you are, I need to focus!” The mare growls at Luna only fueling Luna's temper to a higher degree. “I don’t need some nonsense about greater purpose or a hero’s journey, I need to wake up!”

Luna brows dips and her lips quivering in her attempt to calm herself from this raving mare. “Listen to me! You are not dreaming! You are-”

The mare whips her face towards Luna, looking like a disappointed figure that had angered and embarrassed her by Luna simply existing, and the notion of such insulted Luna deeply.

“Would you shut up already! You’re driving me nuts-”

A loud crunch and slight debris exploded from the polished floor, the mare’s face of mild anger was replaced with shock and fright as she halts her words and ears unconsciously flattening on her head. Luna’s horn emits an aura and on the floor are multiple pieces of ceramic shards surrounded by hoof-full of a crater.

“Mare.” Luna cautioned the pony in front of her. “Be careful with your words for you may be sent back to the realm of the dead without notice.” Luna let the word linger in the mare's mind as she eyes Luna’s horn and the crater cautiously again and again.

Once Luna felt the need for show of force to have subsided her wings fell back in their places at Luna’s side, her dilated eyes enlarges, and the aura of her horn fades away, the mare settles in her place as well with her once slacken demeanor replaced by a well formed cautious stance, her eyes once again filled with a determined vigor.

“I apprise you of your predicament, you are not dreaming.” Luna once again informed the mare, this time she was listening intently but still smirking murmuring that she was very much still dreaming.
“You once departed from life, mare,” The sudden proclamation raised a single ear from the mare, as she raised a single eyebrow in silent question, “and I have summoned you back from the dead to serve me.”

“Huh.” Was the mare’s only reply and the sound of silence takes hold of the entire chamber, save only from the chirping of birds outside Luna’s chamber balcony, the silence was short however as the mare first chuckles before laughing gently as to not offend Luna.

“Hahaha, sorry,” as the mare settles her laughter, Luna this time patiently awaits so, “It’s just… Jesus… never will I imagine myself to… dream something like this.” The mare spoke in between chuckling in disbelief.

Luna cannot help but shake her head in disbelief as well, now that she had given it some thought it was quite common for someone to have died to still deny their deaths, and this mare before her had died recently, Luna had to remind her that she had indeed died and have been summoned by her to take part in a grand duty of serving her.

The latter would prove hard to attain given their initial experience with each other but Luna still held hope for her and the mare, Equestria needs them and she’ll be damned if she won’t do everything she can to convince this mare.

“I’m not dead, dear winged-unicorn-” “Alicorn.” “-alicorn.” The mare corrected herself, the mare swivels her head towards the bed seemingly reminiscing. “After all, I just returned home from warzone and am currently resting in a hotel room reserved for me.” The mare finished earning a doubtful but curious nod from Luna.

She was right, this mare came from a military background and that curiously does not fit with modern day Equestria, there are no active warzones, only skirmish grounds with the ponies of Stalliongrad. She must be much more foreign than Luna has thought, which means ponies have ventured beyond the known world to have possibly been so detached with Equestria, the homeland of ponykind.

Most curious, but Luna still has to get this pegasus mare back on ground, this delusional act of denying one’s mortem was beginning to flare Luna once more, but her duty to the night court and dream realm had taken their toll on her, a little magic “revelation” will have to do.

“Mare, you have died, to deny one’s passing is common among those resurrected in body or soul.” Luna closed her eyes, her horn once again coated itself in faint cyan. “Hence, I shall remind you of your demise once more.”

This developing act had intrigued the mare as she smirked in amusement, she took the opportunity to straighten herself to the tall alicorn infront of her, boldly challenging this act of revelation of her supposed death. She politely bowed to Luna in silent acceptance of her magical show.

“By all means, go ahead princess.”

Luna does so, when the mare finally raised her head Luna shot a rod of light that penetrated the mare’s forehead, whilst painless still the mare had recoil out of instinct with a flare of her wings as most pegasus would in such a circumstance, the mare’s eyes turned white as the magic had grasp her mind and begins to flash her brief moments of her past life.

As much as Luna would love to witness such memories herself it would be detrimental to the host in terms of breaching one’s privacy, Luna had her fair share of circumstances where dreaming ponies had projected their frustration and anger for entering what Luna thought were painful and vivid dreams were instead an embarrassing case of closet masochism of which the ponies shunned her for projecting her presence in their fantasies.

Celestia would not let the rather bemusing matter settle for weeks to the point Luna might have considered whispering into her sister’s dreams to forget the matter, but Luna’s amused sister did made a great argument of breach in privacy with constant reminder of reigning the moon princess’s zeal in fighting nightmares.

Luna now stood looking down on the mare as said mare was slightly kneeling on her forehooves with sharp inhales in between incoherent babbles, now Luna awaits her magic to take its course slightly cringing when a bubbling sound came from the mare’s sharp breathing.

Author's Note

Editing chapters is in order for sure.

The Human Lieutenant

Chapter 1 [edited partly by Nitro Indigo, -]

A Cave System, Somewhere In Urzikstan
May 19th, 17:21
Lieutenant Maynard Mineheart

A sharp, loud impact can be heard as a fist makes contact with a man's stomach, followed by a grunt and a loud hiss. A dozen men surround a single stripped and beaten lieutenant, named Maynard Mineheart. He was tied to a pole which was used to support the cave system his captors resided in. The lieutenant, despite his injuries, finds it intriguing how such a cave system came to be.

Another punch causes the lieutenant to cough. "You killed my brothers, you bombed our villages, and you sacked our glorious nation!" The torturer yells in his native tongue, his spit littering the lieutenant's face.

The lieutenant had never been so ecstatic yet so afraid for his life. For one, he has a vague idea of the tunnel system’s location that harbored this ragtag rabble army of terrorists before him, but that idea is compromised with his possible execution from his captors, an outcome becoming more and more plausible as his captors went on his monologue about the crimes and terror of his people, which is ironic.

The punch that came next turned his world upside down as he felt a fist make contact with the side of his cheek. "Do you think we will not punish your people for desecrating the land God has given us!?" The torturer breathes sharply, his anger seemingly on the tip of vehement execution.

=UNEDITED=

Once the lieutenant has recovered he inhales sharply, with breathing now labored he found it in his interest to banter with his captors, despite the very real threat to his life.

"That is funny, You were the first to harm my people, the first to pull the trigger and the first to have proclaimed my people like the plague of the world." The lieutenant spoke in the native tongue of his captors, they visibly flinched at this fact.

The lieutenant raised his head slightly eyeing the bloodied fist of his torturer with what remains of his vision, his torturer for his part remained stoic despite being caught off guard for a heathen to have spoken the words of his people.

"I really do find your language pleasant to the ears, despite being spoken by a barbarian, It is soothing.” The lieutenant slightly grinned. "All good things always have a price, your people once have great as you said, then the overzealous that you currently possess just had to poison that-"

"Silence heathen! Do you think you know my people!?His torturer cut his speech short with a backhanded slap, earning a hurtful frown from the lieutenant.

I do. The lieutenant wished he could rebut, it is in fact how he has achieved small and great victories against this very rabble before him, learning the history and culture of his enemies has given him ideas of their thought process, predicting their actions to several successful degree, but alas, no plan survives the enemy. Humans are prone to mistake after all and he is no greater than man.

Although he does wonder, how they had managed to find his convoy on route to an airbase, could it have been luck? coincidence? Most likely, but he gives his enemies their respect for at least knowing who he was and spare him the fate of his men. He inhales sharply once more, as much as he expects such action of an ambush he doesn't seem to have at least thought to apply it to himself as soon as he departs from the occupied capital towards their destination.

Now he had been captured, beaten, and quite possibly beheaded or sprayed a hail of bullets all over his body, or spared him the trouble he already has and be disposed of with a single shot in the head, that he cannot surely predict but at least he has an idea.

"You may know the words I speak but I do not wish to hear it from your heretical tongue." His torturer stepped back asking a weapon from his fellow captors and they oblige attentively, handing him a very well adorned machete.

The lieutenant could not hold back his swallow as he witnessed the well-polished blade slip from the captor to his torturer, as much as he does not mind admiring such a fine weapon he does not want it to get near his tongue or neck or any part of his body at all with the intention of severing.

With the prospect of being rescued a far reality, all that he could do is nothing and await his faith that his captors will lay before him, he silently contemplates what to actually do with himself in order to get out but as his mind was hastily formulating a plan of action in order to save himself from his demise he was suddenly taken out of it as a solid black box was placed down before him.

Upon closer look, it was a camera and the beeping red color at its top corner was an indication of recording, as his torturer put on a fabric that covers most of his face save for a slip for his eye to view out, it was now that the lieutenant realizes that he was no longer going out alive.

He felt a rather strong grip on both his shoulders as he was then gagged, a form of precaution possibly, and now that he was forced to look forward presenting his beaten face to the camera for all who may witness its content, the very real feeling of his heart pumping faster than he was more than caring to admit, he was scared.

When his torturer, now executioner, stands tall beside him, he asks if the camera was rolling properly and a final affirmation sealed the lieutenant's, Maynard's, fate.

"Heathens! Witness as I end the life of your precious General, his devilishly cunning reign of terror on our glorious and holy land of Urzikstan will now cease." He placed the blade closely on Maynard's cheek, slightly gashing it, but he could not hold his snort from them, mistaking his rank.

"You think I'm a General? How flattering-"

"Silence, imbecile! Witness heathens as I end your campaign of unrighteous and foolish defiling of our motherland!" The executioner raised his blade overhead and the men holding Maynard held his head down, tenses in anticipation for the very end of his life.

"God is great! He finds you guilty of desecrating his land and people! Die heathen!!"

With a sharp swish of his blade, Maynard can feel the slight painful jiggle from his neck before his vision fell to the floor, a cold sensation in his neck then he feels nothing with the last thing he witnesses before blacking out forever was the muffled speech of his executioner as his vision swiftly shoot up weightlessly.

============================================================================================

As Maynard seemingly drifts to an endless void he finds a sense of peace, although he is aware of his rather savage and untimely death he does ease to this new way of life? living? existence? he is not sure how to describe this truly anomalous phenomenon as he contemplates whether this was the afterlife. He feels a rather strong presence emanating in a specific but indescribable direction, he cannot see but he can feel.

He feels this newly arrived presence to what this void was as it resonates with it and then he feels a slight tug at his being? presence? soul? it was gentle and alluring as it kept tugging at him from afar. Little by little he was captivated by this strange presence pulling him into its origin.

This action of tugging and caressing went on for an indefinite amount of time while the presence that was responsible for this action was getting stronger and more prominent each movement.

"Equestria... you... we... need..." A soothing voice of a female began to emanate alongside the presence ahead of Maynard feeling the wavy current of the voice.

"I call upon... Equestria needs a... to aid us..." the voice continued as the tugging became yanking. It was rather intrusive but the voice was easing Maynard to obey the flow towards presence.

Soon enough the presence was seemingly in front of him and when he wonders what happens next a beam of light blinded what sense of sight was left from Maynard, as he feels gravity reintroduced to him along with his own weight, he can hear someone's gasp, fresh air forced itself on his lungs, and finally he rediscovers the familiar and unfamiliar feeling of his own body.

Despite all this odd experience Maynard underwent, the familiar feeling of gravity pulling him down made him aware that he was now falling from his levitated state of being as he was still blinded. He could not confirm how high he was and how painful it would have been when he did make contact with the ground but he does not have the will or the strength to even brace for the impact.

However he was surprised to discover when he can feel a warm sensation all over his body of which he eases comfortably in its hold to a fast sleep, unaware of his levitating frame a few inches off the polished floor, a pony of great stature was in the midst of open hooves to catch the limped body in case of magical instability she breathe laboriously with the tell tale of a summoning slowly fading just under her.

Once the pony had found the ease to breathe more congenial it stood on its hooves witnessing the success of its power to bring upon its kingdom, a hero? a leader? or a lost soul who has no such trait at all? The pony can only speculate as it allows its new guest to settle for now, the pony has done its part and hopes that it was worth such effort.

"For Tia, my friends, and Equestria." The pony spoke to no one as she settled her guest in her abode.