Ace Combat: Return to Harmony
Operation 00: Prelude to War
Operation 00: Prelude to War
A long time ago there was a Princess of Friendship and her Court of Friendship. These six mares were called the Guardians of Harmony. The Guardians of Harmony saved Equestria from many threats from Nightmare Moon to the threat of Chrysalis, Cozy Glow and Lord Tirek. Together they maintained harmony for the creatures of Equestria and their allies to forever live in peace and harmony.
However when only the Princess remained things took a turn for the worst. As one day the Princess vanished without a trace. On the day of her disappearance, an evil mare of darkness attacked all over Equestria. No one had the magic to defeat her, and the Princess was never found. Some theorize that the Princess became this wicked mare when her friendship court all died. They couldn’t be closer to the truth.
This war had to be brought to an end. Equestria turned to their allies in the Crystal Empire to the north. Who were watching the situation with worry. It was Princess Flurry Heart who stopped the mare and sealed the mare away. The creatures of Equestria and its allies split up, with the exception of the Crystal Empire who hid themselves away once more.
Present day, the ponies of the former nation of Equestria live in three separate nations on the southern border of the once great kingdom. These nations were named Gaia, Hermia and Neptunia.
The nation of Gaia, is named after the spirit of Earth Ponies. Its capital city is Maretime Bay. Inhabited by only Earth Ponies. Gaia boasts about having the greatest security to keep the Pegasi and Unicorns at bay.
The nation of Hermia, is home to the Pegasi. Who currently has the better technology, and the better war machines between the three nations. Named after the spirit of messengers and the sky, Hermia keeps a constant look out for both Earth Ponies and Unicorns. Its capital city is Zephyr Heights. A once major airport in Equestria.
Last is the nation of Neptunia, home of the Unicorns, and named after the spirit of the sea. This is the least technologically advanced nation. Being situated in a large area of forests and all. Smack in the center of this incredibly large forest. Is the capital city of Bridlewood.
All three races are separate and at odds with each other. One other thing is that after the war with the mare of darkness, all three races lost their magic. Hence the only way to move forward was to repurpose their technology that once used magic. Jet planes and everything else that once used magic now rebuilt using only technological advances. This also meant that space travel took a few hundred steps back.
There is one thing to note. This separation of the three races wasn’t done as a result of the war. No, it was deliberately planned by a group of ponies. Calling themselves the Order of the Goddesses. This religious cult, who worshiped the three spirits like their deities took over and are ruling the three pony nations behind the scenes with an iron fist. Sure they may act all friendly, but really they’re just a group of ponies that live by their egos, greed and lust for power. In fact any resistance or talking bad about them or the Goddesses will lead to your untimely demise. As there is a zero tolerance policy on Freedom of Speech. To talk bad of the Goddesses and/or the Order is considered treason, and traitors must die a traitor's death. Upon execution, the body of the “traitor” is cremated and dumped into an unmarked grave. Their names are struck from any official record and they’re forgotten by society all together. However the families of the victims can never forget.
Like one such example is an Earth Pony named Argyle Starscout. He tried to form a resistance group against the Order. However he trusted another pony who was a die hard loyal spy for the Order. This pony showed her true colors and Argyle was no more. His filly daughter Sunny was forced to live on her own. As no one was allowed to show sympathy for the “traitor’s” daughter. Though some secretly helped her out. Her lifelong friend, Hitch Trailblazer grew up to become the town sheriff. Sunny became a juice and smoothie vendor, and a well known activist who keeps getting in trouble. However what kept her from going to the chopping block was Hitch and kind of stupid deputy Sprout Cloverleaf, the son of said mare that led Argyl to his execution.
Now we’ll get to Sunny more soon. She is kind of important in the story. However we have to start this story with a crashed spaceship, and its cargo. Along with a light heliotrope-ish gray coat, and a gradient mane of brilliant cerulean to cobalt blue mane Unicorn.
Said Unicorn walks through the woods outside of Bridlewood. An outcast of some sort, this mare wanders outside her hometown because the ponies consider to be too awkward for their society. She sees this spaceship crash land onto the forest outside of Bridlewood. She runs to the crash site and finds said ship inside a large crater that destroyed the surrounding forest.
It was an odd looking ship, as it was something not used by ANY of the three nations. So the arrival of this mysterious craft is odd to say the least. She gets closer, and her presence seems to cause a door on the craft to open. This mare enters to only find a smaller craft, most likely some kind of prototype aircraft. The cockpit canopy opens, silently begging the pony to enter. To which she does. Lights inside the cockpit. Showing that it’s an aircraft meant for two to pilot. A main menu on the screen in front of her shows her the options. She thinks about it and selects the auto-pilot. Which then lights up the entire cockpit. The main screen changes to show some information. Which reads:
Prototype XL Stingwing
Property of Task Force Pulsar
Igniting engines!
Images of the hanger appear on the Canopy’s HUD screen. Meaning the canopy is made of metal with cameras all over to transmit everything into the cockpit. Then the actual HUD turns on. Showing a targeting reticle, information such as weapons, which only the cannons are active. The ceiling of the larger aircraft opens for the Stingwing to leave the craft through the now open ceiling via a VTOL aircraft. Which it does, and then shoots forward at high speeds. The wings are radically different from any aircraft used by the three nations. As they are two pairs of wings forming an X formation.
“WHOO! IZZY MOONBOW! BEST AIR PILOT IN NEPTUNIA!” The mare declares.
Somewhere else in the forests of Neptunia. A blue unicorn stallion with red mane and a tiny beard on his chin, is meditating in front of a campfire. His makeshift cabin nearby, along with a small garden full of vegetables growing. Then the Stingwing flies overheard, and Izzy is still squealing with joy inside the cockpit. The stallion opens his eyes. Unlike other ponies' eyes. His eyes seem to be completely purple, and they also seem to be glowing as well. He merely looks up where the Stingwing was a second ago.
“Well that happened…” he then sighs, “Not my problem.”
Before he went back to his meditation. As the plane got dangerously closer to Gaia territory…