The Millennium Archives

Chapters

Ancient Equestria
The Centuries of Calm
Equestria's Great Reformation
The Southeastern Guerrilla War
Nightmare Moon Returns
A New Equestria
Seizing the North
The World Beyond
The First North Zebrica War
New Mareland, New Order
The Remnant
Royaume Déchu
Equestrians are Stupid
Campaign '09
Welcome to the Archives
The Most AWESOME Day in Equestrian History!

Ancient Equestria

“There’s probably a version of Equestrian history that you’re very familiar with. The most popular retelling of it comes from this old picture book, if you grew up before the Lunar Revolution you’ve probably read it yourself. But in case you’re coming at this with real baby knowledge, here.”

Legend of the Two Sisters, by New Page

Once upon a time, in the magical land of Equestria, there were two regal sisters who ruled together and created harmony for all the land. To do this, the eldest used her alicorn powers to raise the sun at dawn; the younger brought out the moon to begin the night. Thus, the two sisters maintained balance for their kingdom and their subjects, all the different types of ponies. But as time went on, the younger sister became resentful. The ponies relished and played in the day her elder sister brought forth, but shunned and slept through her beautiful night. One fateful day, the younger alicorn refused to lower the moon to make way for the dawn. The elder sister tried to reason with her, but the bitterness in the young one's heart had transformed her into a wicked mare of darkness: Nightmare Moon. She vowed that she would shroud the land in eternal night. Reluctantly, the elder sister harnessed the most powerful magic known to ponydom: the Elements of Harmony. Using the magic of the Elements of Harmony, she defeated her younger sister, and banished her permanently in the moon. The elder sister took on responsibility for both sun and moon and harmony has been maintained in Equestria for generations since.

“Now I don’t wanna say that it’s all bullshit. Buuut…” Moonatik pauses for dramatic effect, putting on an exaggerated shrug. “It’s kind of all bullshit!”

“Okay, well, parts of it are true,” he admitted. “There’s probably a world out there where all of it is true, but this isn’t that world. You probably already know that the ‘elder sister’ is Celestia even though it doesn’t say that, most ponies figure that out pretty easily. But yes, Celestia’s younger sister, once named Luna but now named Nightmare Moon, revolted against her rule to bring about eternal night. What this leaves out, as well as a bunch of other things, are the reasons why she did that.”

“The whole thing about ‘ponies shunned and slept through her night’ should be self evidently bullshit if you’ve ever met a thestral. They’re nocturnal, by and large. And they’re a quarter of the Equestrian pony population! Like, no, Luna had ponies who appreciated her night. That was never the problem. If you wanna know the real reasons…”

He reaches into the cabinet and retrieves a thick, leather-bound book. He drops it onto the desk with a mighty thud.

“Behold! The so-called ‘True History of the Foundation of Equestria’ by Jade Lustre! A favourite amongst thestrals and Lunarists everywhere! Jade Lustre was one of the commanders in the first Equestrian legions, she was there for all the big events of early Equestrian history. Everything from the onset of the Reign of Discord all the way to the defeat of the Lunar Rebellion. In her twilight years, she wrote extensively on what she remembered, both for her own benefit and to correct the record as myths and misinformation plagued public consciousness. She may have been an accomplished commander, but she wrote like an old soldier. She wrote about the great battles and quality of bread at base camp.”

“It's worth mentioning that this book has come under a lot of scrutiny in recent years. Historians in the Celestial era denied its contents entirely so it was rarely critically analysed. All the good faith, sincere criticism of the book has been very, very recent now that the Lunar Revolution allowed us to be more open about Ancient Equestrian history.” Moonatik opens the tome to a bookmarked page. “I’ve selected a few extracts to give you a good idea of the history angle. Should give you a perspective on all the important events, and I'll be skipping over a lot of it. Ready?”

Extracts from “The True History of the Foundation of Equestria” by Jade Lustre.

Before the story of Equestria can be told, it is imperative that a few words be said about what existed before Equestria.

In the thousands of years before Equestria was founded, the lands that would become it were dominated by alicorns. While these powerful beings resemble ponies, they are said to be from another world. In their era, the alicorns oversaw the development of countless civilisations, positioning themselves as guides and leaders for the native creatures. Yet every time without fail, they’d watch their civilisations decay and crumble. Sometimes due to their action, sometimes due to their inaction, and sometimes due to circumstances beyond their control. Many alicorns blamed themselves or other members of their species for these catastrophes regardless of where blame really fell, due to a pervasive sense of self-important superiority in alicorn culture.

This attitude was amplified as when alicorns fought, it typically resulted in massive devastation. A single brawl could ruin a society for decades to come by destroying critical infrastructure, agriculture, centres of government, and whatever else, leaving untold suffering in their wake.

Eventually, an alliance of one hundred alicorns who called themselves the Centuria of the Exodus formed, united by the belief that their species was a blight on Equestria due to the millennia of destruction they had witnessed or caused. They resolved to cleanse Equestria of alicorns by banishing every alicorn in Equestria to realms unknown. Alicorns that supported the Centuria of the Exodus were known as Centurions, while those that opposed them were known as the Anti-Centurions. The Anti-Centurions formed an alliance of their own with countless different factions with varying views on what role alicorns should have in Equestria. One of these factions was a small radical group known as the Suzerains, who wished to subjugate and dominate the local population. The Suzerains proved themselves a persistent menace.

What followed was the War of the Exodus, a destructive conflict that raged for over forty years between the Centurions and the Anti-Centurions. While the Anti-Centurions possessed a larger force, the centralised leadership and raw magical might of the Centurions ensured a hard-fought Centurion victory. Every alicorn that the Centurions could find was captured and banished, never to return to Equestria. Once they had caught every alicorn they could find, the last Centurions banished themselves and sealed the bridge between realms.

The Centurions knew they could never catch every alicorn in Equestria, so they settled to leave two young alicorns, sisters Celestia Stellaris and Princess Luna Stellaris, in Equestria as protectors of the local population and a vanguard against the Anti-Centurion alicorns who slipped through the cracks. Celestia and Princess Luna had been born in the Canterlot Valley and had been raised by local ponies, so it was believed that they may be free of whatever curse befell the alicorns of the realm beyond.

I must now digress to admit that much of this retelling is the direct word of Princess Luna herself. While she is no doubt trustworthy, she was not witness to many of the events described. This has been a broad overview due to the lack of sources. Few other records survived the conflict and those that did were in the Alicorn language, and have yet to be sufficiently translated.

...

The Princessdom of Equestria was founded 70 years before the Lunar Banishment with the signing of the Treaty of Hearth’s Warming in Canterlot Valley by representatives of the Kingdom of Magicis, the State of Pegasopolis, and the Agricolus Republic. The three most prominent signatures on the treaty are those of Chancellor Puddinghead, Princess Platinum, and Commander Hurricane, broadly known as the First Equestrian Triumvirate. Though it is often overstated how much they had to do with the actual founding.

Princess Platinum's advisor, Clover the Clever, wrote of the Princess that she was more concerned with her appearance than her subjects' needs, even after the treaty she refused to see herself as an equal to ponies of other tribes. The incompetence of Chancellor Puddinghead is well documented, and it is more than fair to say he only held his position owing to rampant cronyism in the Agricolus Parliament. Having served alongside Commander Hurricane myself, I can attest to his incompetence as a commander. How he was ever entrusted to the command of anything is a mystery.

The First Triumvirate governed Equestria for less than a decade, and the three leaders relied almost entirely on their close advisors for information and political input. While the advisors served their leaders loyally at first, they soon got tired of their superiors and organised for their removal.

Chancellor Puddinghead’s deputy, Smart Cookie, gradually built up alliances in the Agricolus Parliament to undermine Puddinghead’s influence, ousting ‘Puddingite’ cronies and replacing them with honest statesponies. Puddinghead was formally removed from office by a vote of no confidence, with Smart Cookie taking her place. After the ousting of Puddinghead, Commander Hurricane was forced to step down by a mutiny headed by Private Pansy (later known as Praetorian Panser). Owing to Princess Platinum’s royal status, she could not be removed easily. Instead, Clover the Clever subtly and deftly manoeuvred Platinum into delegating all authority onto her subordinates. Ten years after the treaty, the members of the First Triumvirate were all out of power. Chancellor Cookie, Praetorian Panser, and Clover the Clever formed the Second Equestrian Triumvirate, who governed the state with much more competency.

The Everfree Confederacy was initially not a party to the Hearth’s Warming Treaty. We thestrals were the only kind of pony capable of surviving in the Everfree forest long-term due to our nocturnal nature and heightened senses, which allowed us to avoid the dangers of the Everfree where other ponies would fall victim. The thestrals originated in the southeastern jungles, but by the time Equestria was founded, we had moved and mingled, spreading far and wide. Our nation of primarily thestrals was content to exist independently from Equestria, and we often traded the bounties of the Everfree for the riches of Canterlot Valley.

...

However, this state of affairs was upended when our lands fell under the tyranny of Discord, the mischievous spirit of chaos. He ruled the lands that would become Equestria in an unending state of chaos and misery where time was dead and meaning had no meaning. It is difficult to describe the extent of disorder in this period, as the only consistent element was inconsistency. Ponies were frequently robbed of their physical or intellectual capabilities at this time, further complicating accurate record keeping. It is also difficult to understand how long this period lasted due to how Discord distorted the natural flow of time. By some accounts, no more than a month, while some experienced centuries of madness. However, it is broadly agreed that the first sightings of Discord’s chaos were forty-five years before the Lunar Rebellion and that the Reign of Discord ended thirty years before the Lunar Rebellion.

...

After an unknowable amount of time, two alicorns, the sisters Celestia Stellaris and Luna Stellaris, resolved to put an end to Discord’s tyranny. The sisters came before the Everfree Council and told us that they knew of the Elements of Harmony, kept deep within the Everfree Forest at the mystical Tree of Harmony and that they sought to retrieve the Elements so they could use them to dethrone Discord once and for all. Many on the Council were sceptical of their plan and were unwilling to give up our most prized artefacts, as we found Celestia unimpressive and doubted whether she held the capability to wield the Elements effectively.

However, we saw in Luna all the qualities a leader should possess: Strength, intellect, and more than anything the determination to see things through to their fullest. It was not the first time our tribe had interacted with Luna, before my time on the council she brokered peace between us and a roaming dragon colony and hired two thestrals for her personal guard. These guards, named Echo and Nocturn, had pledged utmost loyalty to Luna and vouched for her upon our meeting. She told us of their efforts to grant ponies refuge and order in this time of madness, how they had used their magic to stay the tide of chaos in parts of the land, and she convinced us.

Following Luna’s testimony and the word of Echo and Nocturn, the Council unanimously agreed to allow the sisters safe passage through the Everfree, and we led them to the Elements of Harmony.

To our relief and amazement, the alicorn sisters wielded the Elements with great skill. The pair marched alone to face Discord, struggling through the chaos and finding him at his throne. When face to face with Discord, the monster himself was and turned him to stone. The unfathomable suffering that characterised his reign was over at last.

Impromptu celebrations erupted across the lands once the chaos had faded. Ponies of the three tribes flocked to Celestia while the Everfree thestrals stood strong by Luna. There, on that day, the Everfree Confederacy chose to join Equestria and to accept Luna as our Princess. A ceremony for the formal accession of the Everfree Confederacy to Equestria was quickly organised.

The signing ceremony took place at midnight on a day now referred to as the thirty-first of October. It began at the edge of the Everfree forest in a small, temporary settlement not far from where Discord was defeated.

Princess Luna came before us, not draped in purple cloth like any other contemporary monarch, but kitted out in battle gear and armour, a sword in her belt and a helmet on her head. Her armour was no ceremonial ornament, but the sort a warrior would wear to battle, showing scratches and other scars of battle. All of us, the members of the Everfree Council, brandished our weapons and laid them on the ground before we all fell to deep, reverent bows. Once we rose, we stepped forward to put our names to the treaty. In order, the signatures were those of Azure Stardust, Midnight Bloom, me, Blackberry Star, Moonshadow Dust, Lotus Starstreak, Eclipse “Beam” Berry, Julian Phalanx, Octabian Equinox, Marching Orders, Joy Star, and finally Chieftain Nectar Nebula. Once Nebula had put his name to the paper, he proclaimed “Our nations are one!” Applause once again rang out amongst all who had assembled.

Once it had subsided, Princess Luna spoke.

With your act, the ponies of these lands are one step closer to being unified.

Yet our work is far from finished. As we look to the world in the wake of Discord's reign, we find it to be in ruin. Tyrants, monsters and warlords have risen up, promising order in their petty domains but delivering brutality. It is clear to us now what our task is to be, to end the chaos that Discord wrought goes beyond just striking him down, but healing the scars left by his madness.

My sister and I have made a pact, a pact which I ask all of you to join. We shall build an army to march out into the world, cast down the tyrants and unite all ponies on this continent in the song of harmony. In our wake, Celestia will rule the realm and teach the ponies we encounter how to live in harmony.

We do this not to be showered with glory, or to be celebrated with grandiose monuments, but because it is right! We will pave the way to build a realm of peace, not an empire of war! So, my fellow warriors, I ask you to stand with me, shoulder to shoulder, wing to wing, hearts entwined in purpose. Let us march as one, for our cause is just and our determination is boundless. Together, we shall tear down the walls of chaos and tyranny, and in their place, build a monument to harmony that will stand for eternity!

A round of applause rang out for Princess Luna. There was no need for the Council to deliberate, for there was immediate and unanimous agreement. We would follow Luna to war.

...

In our time of weakness, two warlords by the names Tirek and Scorpan, centaur and a gargoyle respectively, had arrived in Equestria with the express intent of stealing its magic. However, Scorpan had come to grow fond of Equestria and believed it best to return the stolen magic and abandon their conquest. Tirek refused, which prompted Scorpan to alert our Princesses to Tirek’s intentions. At the time, Tirek ruled over what was once the land of the pegasi north of Canterlot valley.

Determined to reclaim his homeland, Commander Hurricane, then an old stallion, returned from retirement to help lead Equestria’s legions. This was disastrous.

We had a force of five thousand soldiers to attack Tirek, primarily light pegasi infantry who were personally loyal to Commande Hurricane given his prestige. We also had some thestral infantry, artillery in the form of ballistas, and a small force of mages. Our numbers should have been more than enough to defeat him, as long as we had good leadership. Tragically, Commander Hurricane sat atop the chain of command, and his orders were to launch a mass charge at Tirek when we met him on the battlefield.

When we found Tirek, he was waiting for us in an open field. Hurricane ordered the charge, and a wave of pegasi and thestrals raced across the field to strike Tirek. It failed miserably, and half our force was struck down by Tirek including Hurricane himself. Their magic was drained, resulting in Tirek growing considerably stronger. Hurricane’s actions dramatically weakened us and strengthened Tirek.

I, and many other commanders, ordered the soldiers under our command to retreat. Continuing the attack at this stage would’ve been suicide. Around two thousand soldiers retreated to safety with most of our mages and artillery intact, but we knew that Tirek was on our trail and had to act fast.

After putting enough distance between us and Tirek, we stopped to take stock of what we had. Our force was primarily light pegasi infantry. We could not rely on magical weaponry, as there was a great risk that Tirek would turn the magic against us. Praetorian Pansy proposed that we take high ground in a nearby forest, lead Tirek into the forest, and ambush him. Nopony else proposed a better plan, so hers was chosen.

When he caught up to us and was led into our trap, we assaulted him with incendiary ballistas. This sufficiently softened Tirek up for closer attacks. Whilst in close quarters we remained as mobile as possible to ensure he could not focus an attack on anypony in particular. By the time he’d register a blow and prepare to strike back, another blow from another soldier would strike. This was not conducted without error, and several good ponies were lost.

After a tiring struggle, Tirek had been worn down enough that magic could be used against him without a risk of him stealing it. Mages were brought into close proximity to Tirek and they launched a barrage of mental assaults on him. He was powerless to fight back, and the stolen magic was torn out of him. Those he had stolen magic from soon returned to their full arcane capacities, and Tirek himself was rendered impotent.

...

During the Reign of Discord, several alicorns who escaped Centurion capture rallied behind a surviving Suzerain named Opaline Arcana. Crowning herself Suzerain Supreme, Opaline had established an oppressive autocracy just east of Equestria where ponies and other local creatures lived only to serve their alicorn masters. Her regime was known simply as the Alicorn Supremacy.

There was never going to be peace between Equestria and the Alicorn Supremacy, their very existence was incompatible with the society we aimed to construct. Even before the war properly began, Equestrian territory was frequently raided by the forces of the Supremacy. In these raids, Equestrian defences were swiftly overwhelmed by formations of alicorns allowing the attackers to loot our lands of their treasure, their food, and their ponies. It was reported that many ponies took their own lives. Attacking Equestria in such a limited manner would prove to be a mistake on behalf of the Supremacy, as it gave our troops vital experience in fighting an alicorn foe. We were given ample opportunity to learn their patterns, probe their weaknesses, and even win a few battles. By the time the Supremacy realised we had the experience to outmatch them, we’d gone on the offensive.

With the Equestrian legions rallied, trained, and equipped, we marched on to face the Alicorn Supremacy. The Supremacists assumed Princess Luna was inferior to them owing to her birth in this realm, but she proved herself in battle time and time again, winning countless hard-fought victories as our soldiers were greeted as liberators. Initial assaults were bloody, but successful.

When we entered the lands of the Supremacy, we were shocked at what we saw. Landscapes were dominated by tall, pompous castles painted with garish colours that clashed horribly against the surrounding natural beauty. As if the earth itself had been stabbed with a colossal knife stained with gangrenous flesh. Once we drove the alicorns out and entered the castles, the sights were no less repulsive. They had been filled with an overwhelming collection of extravagant furniture, intricate tapestries, and ostentatious “art” pieces, their purpose to project an arrogant attitude of high standing with no care given to subtlety or aesthetic harmony. We found more bedrooms than there were alicorns in the area. From their broad balconies, we were given views of amber fields of wheat that stretched for miles. An impressive sight, until one went down to meet the ponies who worked them.

On the ground, the common ponies were so malnourished you could see their rib cages pressing against their skin. They were only allotted enough food to maintain their survival, with the lion's share of the food going to feed the elite. Fly-ridden corpses hung from poles where one may have put a scarecrow, placed to terrorise the peasants into submission by reminding them of the fate that befell dissenters. At first we were perplexed at the overrepresentation of earth ponies as that was most of what we found, but we were mistaken. For the unicorns and winged ponies respectively, their horns and wings had been torn off. We frequently heard stories of alicorns showing up to villages and extorting them for whatever valuables they may have possessed, and torturing them if no valuables were given up. In many cases, these ponies had nothing to give up. For a peasant, or even a group of peasants, drained of their magic trying to stand up to an alicorn with their boundless strength, the situation was hopeless. They might as well have been fighting Discord.

The peasants hailed us as liberators and allowed us to live off of their land. While this may have considerably shortened our supply lines, we decided it best to allow the peasants to feed themselves first and foremost. We even diverted some of our own food to the starving peasants, they certainly needed it more than we did. This presented a greater issue we faced over the course of the campaign, a large number of able-bodied ponies had to be diverted from the frontline

...

As our campaign progressed, the Suzerains continued to shock us with their villainy. In place of the abundant wheatfields, a grisly sight of devastation and desolation greeted us, for our enemies, driven by a malevolence unmatched, had resolved to leave naught but ruin and cinders in their wake. The verdant fields and fertile plains that once bloomed with the promise of a bountiful harvest were reduced to charred wastelands, where nature itself seemed to wail in agony.

...

Our five-year campaign soon reached its culmination at ‘Opalight’, a town in the shadow of Opaline’s dark castle. Our force was composed of nine thousand soldiers with ponies from all tribes represented. The alicorns numbered over a dozen, and had an army of slaves numbering a few thousand under their thrall. Our arrival at 'Opalight' prompted a local uprising from the common ponies, bolstering our ranks and further spreading the alicorns thin.

We attacked at nightfall, led by Princess Luna herself and catching the alicorn force off guard. Their slaves were in camps and out of formation, and while some made attempts to charge us the majority abandoned their posts or surrendered without struggle. We quickly overran the slave camps and set our focus on the alicorn leaders. Some alicorns had assembled and fully mobilised their slave forces, which would cause considerable delay for us and allow the enemy an avenue of escape. But by flanking the slave armies we were able to strike at the alicorn leaders directly. The death of an alicorn prompted the disintegration of the slave army, with mass surrenders and panicked retreats. Before midnight, the enemy were already losing their way. Coordination and organisation almost entirely broke down. Aside from the small number of alicorns guarding Opaline, every alicorn was fighting their own battle. We isolated them and picked them off one by one by use of our enchanted weapons.

The moment soon came for the final attack against Opaline, who had assembled her most loyal to defend her. Our principle tactic was to lure individual alicorns out of formation by feigning weakness and exhaustion, then overwhelming the lured alicorn. We repeated this tactic time and time again and they never learned or adapted. Soon only two remained, Opaline and her deputy Auctoritas. Opaline retreated into a nearby fort with Auctoritas covering her escape and holding us back. But, either due to her desperation, stupidity, or both, the fort which Opaline retreated to was to store barrels of gunpowder. This was made known to us as a small force of mages made their way into the fort through an unguarded entrance, and rigged the barrels to explode while providing additional enchantments. They escaped to safety, and the fort was torn apart by the explosion. Both Opaline and Auctoritas were crippled as a result.

At the moment of victory with the sun creeping over the horizon, Princess Luna struck a fatal blow against Auctoritas and held Opaline at the point of her blade. She wished to execute Opaline to ensure she could never pose a threat again, but due to the intervention of Celestia, Opaline was shown mercy. Her punishment, for all the terror she wrought, was to be sealed within her castle and stripped of her magic. At the date of writing, she remains there.

While Princess Luna stood by her sister’s decision and respected it, we could all tell that she privately dissented. In a conversation I had with her in the aftermath she openly lamented the fact that Opaline was allowed to live after everything she did. Word had erroneously spread amongst the common ponies that Opaline was dead. When they heard that Opaline lived, they were disappointed. In some cases, they were infuriated. On more than one occasion Royal Guards needed to prevent an enraged mob from storming Opaline’s castle, in a heart wrenching twist of circumstance.

It was also brought to my attention that Princess Luna wanted to rename ‘Opalight’ after me, as I led the forces that liberated the town, but she was overridden by Celestia who chose to restore the original name of Hayfield. Flattering indeed, but I would have rejected it. It was the common soldier that formed the backbone of our victory, and it was done in the name of the local ponies’ freedom.

...

The northern realm of the Crystal Empire, home of the prosperous Crystal Ponies, was initially friendly to Equestria. We were content with peaceful coexistence and mutual cooperation as the ruling Mi Amore dynasty was ostensibly committed to the values of harmony. The northern lands had always been troubled by the Umbrum beasts, but they were kept at bay by the power of the Princess of the Crystal Empire, Princess Amore, the first of the Amore dynasty combined with the power of the Crystal Heart. I do not know why they called themselves an Empire when they were ruled by a Princess. Tragically, Princess Amore was murdered by a Umbrum-infused stallion known as Sombra, who seized the throne for himself and tyrannised the Crystal Empire, enslaving its ponies and preparing to unleash the Umbrum onto the world. We had no choice but to intervene.

...

What marked our march across the lands of the Crystal Empire was not the hoarded plentitude of the Supremacy, but desolation. We would come across a town or a village, but find it gutted of anything of worth. A home or a community meeting place would contain nothing but dust. Or, on particularly grisly occasions, bodies.

...

We had all read about the Crystal City and seen depictions of it, painting a picture of a beautiful city of joy and magic home to millions of prosperous ponies. Equestrians who had been to the city before the war relayed much the same story. But when we finally laid eyes upon the city we found that whatever beautiful city may have existed had long been destroyed. A thick cloud of acrid smoke hung heavy in the air over the city, billowing from slave-driven factories and poisoning the once-pristine skies. At the centre of the city stood a jagged tower of dark crystals, defying both the laws of nature and the sensibilities of aesthetics. The sight also explained why the territory around it was so greatly depopulated and desolated, all the Empire’s resources had been centralised in the city to construct a hellish engine of murder.

Our assault on the city began at dusk. Our whole force, 12,000 soldiers led by Luna and Celestia, braved through the icy wastes and miasmic smoke. A vast force of slaves stood between us and the castle, but owing to our superior mobility we were able to outflank the slaves and advance quickly. Spell jammers repressed the mind control spell that Sombra had on his slaves, keeping his force distracted and disorganised as Celestia and Luna advanced on the castle itself.

Many feared that the great city had been destroyed by Sombra’s ambitions. Some held out hope that the city was not killed by Sombra, but that it was mortally wounded and could be brought back to health. But a final act of pettiness ensured the city was lost, perhaps forever.

When his defeat was all but certain, he cast a curse on the city that bound its fate with him. Consequently, when Princess Luna and Celestia sealed him inside the arctic ice of the north, the city along with its inhabitants vanished with him. There was a possibility that releasing Sombra from the ice would return the city, but this was a risk no one was willing to take. Perhaps doing this is what Sombra hopes we would’ve done. With nothing but snowy wastes left in their wake, the Crystal Empire is truly gone.

...

Yet as many feared and suspected, at what should’ve been a time of triumph with all the ponies of the continent unified in peace, we fell victim to betrayal from above.

We should have known from the very beginning. What we were told about not doing any of it to be remembered as heroes, it was an act of deception by Celestia. She fooled Luna, and she fooled us. While Equestria celebrated the city builders, the spellmasters and the weatherweavers, there was no celebration for the warriors without which none of it would have been possible. It went beyond just that, we were forbidden from building monuments in public places, war diaries were confiscated, and history was rewritten. Our contributions were erased from public knowledge before our very eyes. With the erasure of our contributions, the erasure of our whole tribe was sure to follow.

This is why I am writing this book. If I do not, firsthoof accounts of these wars may be lost forever. The heroism of our legions, the wickedness of our foes, the righteousness of our cause and the countless sacrifices made in its name, all forgotten. As long as I am alive, I refuse to let this happen.

...

Even before we had word from Princess Luna, we planned for rebellion.

In a joint meeting of the Equestrian War Council and the Everfree Council, we debated the question of rebellion. All members were sworn to secrecy. I led the debate in favour of rebellion, arguing that the decisive moment would come soon and that we had to take the initiative. I demonstrated to the council how Celestia was our enemy, that we had become obsolete in her eyes and that she was seeking to exterminate us first by erasing our accomplishments in the eyes of her subjects and then by stifling our participation in Equestrian society at every turn. Eventually, The vote total was seventeen in favour of rebellion and three against. The three dissenters accepted the majority decision regardless.

Next we invited Princess Luna to join our plans. At first she was enthusiastic, and fully endorsed our mission. However, she later proved herself indecisive. She kept trying to stop herself and tamp down her growing anger only to return to preparing for the inevitable confrontation. Some nights she’d tell us to prepare, other nights she’d tell us to stop. While she never broke secrecy, her erratic behaviour doubtlessly alerted Celestia to what was going on. Perhaps this may have been her fatal flaw, not choosing a path early and sticking with it.

...

The chosen day, the ninth of June, soon arrived. In short the plan was to seize control of the castle, incapacitate Celestia by whatever means possible, then go out to assert control over all Equestria.

At a time when Celestia was eating her lunch, we acted. The first step of the plan was completed without error. Our legions descended on the castle in great numbers, at least nine hundred of us to the castle guard of only a few dozen. They surrendered without a fight in most cases, and where there was a fight the enemy was subdued and disarmed without fatality.

We soon had Celestia surrounded in the throne hall, held at the tips of our spears and poleaxes. Luna stood at the thrones and made known the grievances we all held against her. I am ashamed to say that I was so wrapped up in the moment that I failed to make a record of her exact words, but the Princess made her intentions abundantly clear.

With her declaration finished, she cloaked herself in the power of the Moon itself. Resultantly, she was born anew. Her physical appearance changed entirely, she was much taller, her coat was pitch-black, her eyes turned sharp and were tinged cyan, and she was clad in elegant silver armour. She was no longer Princess Luna. She declared herself Empress Nightmare Moon, and we rejoiced.

In Nightmare Moon, every positive trait we saw in Luna had been amplified. Gone was the indecisiveness, as she became confident. Gone was a compromising subordinate, as she became a steadfast ruler. Gone was the deference to big sister, as she became bold and assertive. Luna was only a shell containing the Nightmare within, and with the declaration of rebellion, this shell was forever broken.

A swift battle between the two alicorns ensued. Owing to Nightmare Moon’s martial supremacy, Celestia was quickly pushed onto the defensive. Great damage was done to the castle as a result of the battle, and most of our forces were occupied with evacuating the ponies to safety.

The ponies of our legions who remained, however, proved invaluable to our Empress’s victory. The credit falls on the ponies of the Firstborn legion specifically. They had carefully been monitoring

Celestia begged, begged for forgiveness, but Empress Nightmare Moon was having none of it. She threw down her sentence with a quick burst of magic from her horn, casting a curse of petrification on the defeated princess. As the stone crept up her body she wailed wholly insincere apologies and shed crocodile tears, soon it reached up her neck to cut her whines short, and continued from there until there was nothing left but cold stone. Victory was ours, and Equestria awaited our rule.

We were not done at the castle, however. We had many of the highest Celestial officials in captivity, and . It would have been easy to be vengeful, there is no doubt about that. But even then our Empress proved herself capable of mercy where appropriate. Everyone was given a fair, speedy trial where all were treated as equals before the Empress regardless of titles or positions. Only the worst criminals and abusers were put to death, those convicted of severe crimes such as treason or murder. Those convicted of minor crimes were imprisoned at the castle, while the rest were set free without a smudge against their name.

...

Unfortunately, all our efforts were made naught due to one fatal blunder. We assumed that our control of the castle was uncontested, and that we retained control of the Elements of Harmony held within. We thought wrong, and by thinking wrong we acted foolishly. Forces were moved away from the castle to assert our authority across Equestria, considerably weakening the castle garrison.

I was not there to see it, but from what I have been told no more than six ponies breached the castle and released Celestia. Empress Nightmare Moon swiftly returned to the castle to contain the emergent threat, but by the time she arrived it was already too late. Celestia had gained control of the Elements of Harmony, and used them against our Empress to banish her to the moon.

When the sun crept over the eastern horizon, our hearts sank like lead.

“Now I've relied almost entirely on Jade Lustre here. As cool as her account was it's important to keep her biases in mind. She provides the most detailed account of all the events beforehoof, but given how much of a personal stake she had in the Lunar Rebellion her account needs to be taken with a bit of salt. So here, I'm also…”

He rummages through his desk for a few moments, soon retrieving a small book.

“I’m also going to give you the testimony of Pristine,” he asserts. “Who was Pristine? A nopony. A literal who. A humble unicorn maid who happened to be in the Castle of the Two Sisters when it all went down. She relayed her account of the Lunar Rebellion to the Royal Court scribe once the dust had settled. Arguably a less biased account considering she had less of a stake in it, but I’ll leave it up to you who you believe.”

The testimony of Pristine.

It was like any other day, until the castle was being stormed by majority-thestral legions and Celestia was being held prisoner in the throne hall. It looked like the legions were staging a takeover, but as I went to the throne hall and saw Luna addressing the legions and Celestia, it was clear that it was her who was taking over.

I didn’t hear her whole speech, only the end. Luna said “There can only be one Princess in Equestria, and that Princess shall be me”. She then destroyed part of the throne balcony, part of the ceiling, rose the moon to eclipse the sun, and was enveloped in dark power that twisted her beyond recognition. Her teeth became sharp and jagged, her eyes turned dragon-like, her coat blacked out, and that laugh. Celestia, that laugh. It expressed so much sadistic malice, I didn’t know she was capable of it. I believe that in that moment, Princess Luna died.

Yet Nightmare Moon was met with cheers from the legionaries, even after she started senselessly destroying parts of the castle and attacked Celestia.. I could only tell so much from where I was, but to me, it looked like Celestia wasn’t really fighting back. Her spells appeared defensive in nature, and I didn’t see her lay a strike on Nightmare Moon. While the battle was going on the legionaries either participated in the alicorn battle to defeat Celestia or they led us away from the outer walls to keep us away from Nightmare Moon’s onslaught.

I was dragged, literally dragged, into a cramped pen in the castle courtyard along with several dozen other ponies while the battle was going on over our heads. Soon the sounds of battle dimmed, then went out entirely. When the sun didn’t rise, many of us feared the worst, and when Nightmare Moon came before us and announced that Celestia had been turned to stone, our fears were confirmed. She declared a new regime and demanded our subservience, and that all her enemies would face swift “justice”. All of us were cowed into silence.

An hour or so later, what felt like nearly a thousand ponies had been herded into the courtyard. Statesponies, nobles, castle staff, guards, and anypony else who happened to be in the castle. They went over us one by one, assessing who would be dangerous and who would be useful to their rule. I was lucky enough to be spared by Nightmare Moon herself. “She is a good servant, let her go,” were her exact words.

After I was let go and I was told to get back to my usual duties. As if none of that had just happened! But I’m glad I wasn’t around for what came next. Anypony who displayed significant loyalty to Celestia was thrown into the castle dungeons, which were soon overstuffed with so-called “traitors”. As for those who were perceived as having committed past crimes or insults against Nightmare Moon or her legions, they were killed on the spot.

My “usual duties” then suddenly included clearing away the bodies. Bodies of ponies I’d known and worked around for years. Captain of Celestia’s personal guard Steel Blade. Chancellor Rose Basket. Lady Hemlock. Gold Standard. Even young Corn Flake. We had to carry them to an open pit outside the castle and unceremoniously throw them in. By the end it must have been at least seventy ponies.

I distinctly remember burying Lord Silvercoat. He’d always been good to me, and everyone else in the castle. Yet he had been executed for insulting the Empress, and I had to drag his body away. I could only recognise him by his namesake, the silver colour of his coat. His face had been battered to a red mush. I nearly lashed out at the legionaries in rage, but I knew I’d share his fate if I fought back. A similar attitude of hopelessness set in amongst the other survivors. What could we do?

It took us two whole days to finish cleaning up after the executions. For the next ten days the castle was eerily quiet. None of us were allowed to leave, so we were basically prisoners. There was nothing for us to do but wait for a resolution. I had duties to conduct, but my work was subpar owing to my melancholy. Some of us thought to revolt against the Nightmare’s guards and attempt to free Celestia, but these ambitious plans never gained traction. The throne room, and by extension Celestia, was the most closely guarded part of the castle.

Then, on the twelfth day, a miracle occurred. Six ponies, just six, breached the castle and freed Celestia of Nightmare Moon’s curse. She used her powers to disarm the guards harmlessly and allow us to escape. Many of us went to rejoice, but she insisted we get to safety as quickly as possible. She didn’t seem to be in the mood for rejoicing herself, and we could tell she was barely holding back tears.

Our elation was short lived, as mere moments after I left the castle Nightmare Moon returned. I mentally prepared myself for the possibility of Celestia being defeated again, but this did not come to pass. Celestia wielded the Elements of Harmony against Nightmare Moon and used them to banish her to the moon, ending the nightmare for good.

We celebrated. Of course we did, the sun was finally coming back up. You had legionaries making last stands, politicians trying to make a name for themselves, and rushes to aid the injured. None of us could fathom the torment Celestia herself was going through. Though at the moment, we celebrated.

“Isn’t history fascinating? All these different perspectives, all these different accounts, and it’s our job to figure out who’s right! Anyway, back to Jade. That'll finish this section off.”

Extracts from “The True History of the Foundation of Equestria” by Jade Lustre.

I attempted to hold firm, but the forces under my command were so dramatically demoralised by Nightmare Moon’s banishment that we were bleeding ponypower to desertion and subpar performance in battle. In one battle, defending the town of Hayfield where once we freed the ponies of Opaline’s tyranny, nearly a third of the total ponies under my command were lost. After this defeat, the Celestials sent a messenger to my camp who told us they were offering the possibility for us to surrender. Their terms were that all our forces stand down and cease fighting, all soldiers under my command would be given amnesty and I alone would be punished for my act of rebellion. Many other commanders had received similar offers, and most accepted. Seeing no other way, I surrendered.

Many couldn’t take the defeat. A total of six legions fled to the coasts of the southeast, gathered as many seaworthy vessels as they could, and made their way to the high seas in search of new lands to conquer. These were the Firstborn legion, the Nightmare Legion, The Ursa Legion, the Silver Moons legion, the Starborn legion, and the Children of the Moon legion. They said they hoped to found a new state, named either New Tzinacatlia or Chiropterra. I can only assume they died at sea, for there is no possible way that they made it across the ocean to whatever lands await. Perhaps this was the point, charading an expedition to lands beyond as a form of elaborate mass suicide.

I was put on trial, Celestia herself the judge. As I understood it, my crime was standing up for my tribe, for upholding the truth of the Unification Wars, and rebelling against Celestia and her lies. Knowing this, I made no attempt to claim innocence or apologise. I could see the bubbling anger beneath Celestia’s calm facade as I entered my plea. To my luck, however, at the conclusion of the trial I was given a largely lenient sentence of five years imprisonment. I will spare the details regarding my imprisonment, as it was uneventful.

Years have passed since my release, even more years since the events I described. I am now an old mare, and I have little choice but to live with our collective failure. Once I complete this manuscript, I will distribute it to as many sympathetic mage-scribes who are willing to preserve the knowledge within.

The Centuries of Calm

“This part isn’t nearly as cool in my opinion, so I’ll-” Moonatik takes a thick, modern book out of the desk, “-just read out of an encyclopedia.”

Extracts from Encyclopedia Equestris, Vol VII

The Centuries of Calm, also known as the “Pax Equestris” (Old Equestrian for “Equestrian Peace”) or “Pax Celestia”, was a roughly seven-hundred-year period of uninterrupted peace and stability in Equestria. It is often described by historians to be a “miracle made possible only by Celestia’s guiding hoof”.

In the aftermath of the Lunar Rebellion, Celestia lost control of large swathes of Equestria with mass unrest and the fear of famine gripping the ponies of Equestria. Celestia couldn’t be everywhere at once, especially considering the loss of her sister and the defiance of her legions. Even the seat of her own power, the Everfree Forest, was not safe from this unrest as a group of Luna sympathising thestrals succeeded in a plot to detonate barrels of gunpowder in the castle cellars, which destroyed much of the castle. Before long the entire forest had to be abandoned due to the threat posed by bandits, other terrorists, the monsters of the Everfree, and so on.

Celestia moved to Canterlot and made that the new seat of power in Equestria, as it was the only location capable of projecting any semblance of authority so she could ensure stability across the country and prevent famine. Whilst Celestia was capable of securing stability in the valleys immediately around Canterlot, anything beyond that proved troublesome, so Celestia had to delegate the authority to govern the regions of Equestria to various local powerbrokers, some she trusted and some she only worked with out of necessity, only ever outright rejecting a certain powerbroker if they were aligned against the interests of a harmonious Equestria. The power these entrusted individuals had over the territory they governed was rather limited compared to those in other feudal societies of the time, in that they never held the power of life and death over their subjects.

The local powerbrokers eventually cemented their positions and gave themselves titles like “Baron”, “Duke”, “Lord” and such, with some even as bold enough to declare themselves “Prince” or “Princess”, with these positions being made hereditary in the majority of cases. Once the initial period of crisis was solved and the majority of ponies were saved from chaos and starvation, Celestia began to reassert her authority by revoking the power of these nobleponies to raise personal armies, forming the E.U.P. Guard as the primary army for all Equestria, and by making herself the official “owner” of all land in Equestria. Those beneath her were merely “holding” or “leasing” control of land whilst being subordinate to her will.

Despite this seeming attempt at centralising authority, Celestia ruled with a light hoof and mostly allowed her subjects to govern themselves as they pleased, only ever flexing her power to prevent disharmony and mostly acting as a “teacher” to the ponies of Equestria rather than an autocrat. The responsibility for kingdom-wide governance fell on behalf of Celestia’s Royal Court, a group of statesponies hoofpicked by Celestia herself. The members of her Royal Court varied from established nobles, to accomplished administrators, and experts in law, science, art, and business. It was common for Celestia to choose younger ponies to take positions on the Royal Court as she believed they held the most relevant perspective on current affairs, and the average age for court appointees was as low as 25 in some periods. Nonetheless, ponies tended to hold onto their positions for decades, if not life.

Princess Celestia also sought to take her role as a teacher in a more literal sense, founding a School for Gifted Unicorns, a School for Talented Pegasi, a School for Exceptional Earth Ponies, and even a School for Outstanding Thestrals a few centuries after the Lunar Rebellion. By far, the most successful of these was the School for Gifted Unicorns, a school at which Celestia herself would personally teach for hundreds of years, with her commitment to the other schools being mostly advisory with personal appearances and lessons being infrequent. This said, the School for Exceptional Earth Ponies soon evolved beyond a mere school and into a prestigious academic institution with a strong focus on agricultural research, and the School for Talented Pegasi became one of the most esteemed flight schools in the world, even if it would be overshadowed by the more famous Cloudsdale Flight School.

The result of these efforts was seven hundred years of peace, comfort, order, and stability. No other society in history, before or since, has enjoyed the level of elongated peace that Equestria did in this period. Even the lowest peasant knew only full bellies and a comfortable standard of living.

“Seems all hunky dory, right?” says Moonatik.

He stares at you. Menacingly. “Hahaha,” he laughs. “Hahaha!” he cackles, pointing at you. “Hahaha! FOOL! IDIOT! It WASN’T fine! It was TERRIBLE and here’s the proof!”

Verbal account of a thestral peasant, circa 340 ALB. Transcribed by Moonspeaker Thistle Starcotton.

Several moons ago, a golden chariot pulled by two gilded pegasus guards entered our village, carrying none other than Celestia.

After disembarking she strode through our village. None of us met her eyes. After getting the attention of one of us she asked them why we all looked so skinny and whether we’d had anything to eat today. Perhaps this was a sick attempt at humour.

Soon she announced the reason for her visit. A filly in our village had made a name for herself as a prodigy, teaching herself to read and write despite her squalid living conditions and lack of access to educational materials. Celestia hoped to take the foal away from the village to her school in Canterlot, “Celestia’s School for Outstanding Thestrals”. Celestia met with the foals mother, and the mother spat in Celestia’s face. Afterwards, the mother said, “You’re not teaching my foal anything until you’re prepared to teach the rest of Equestria the truth”. This was in reference to the unification war, something Celestia has lied about for centuries.

At this, she seemed legitimately shocked and confused. She passively denied the wars by repeating the false myths about how she claimed Equestria was founded, but when it became clear that we weren’t convinced by her fabrications she pivoted to asking why we treated her and those of other tribes with such hostility.

The answer was simple. When we hoped to trade with other villages or apply for aid from above, we were denied. All of us were treated like we had personally betrayed Equestria in a rebellion that ended three hundred years before we were born. With the Princess of the Sun herself treading on our home and asking we surrender our foals, it served only to rub salt in the wound.

Celestia received this information with surprise. Was she genuinely unaware of our plight? Regardless, she promised that agricultural aid would be sent to our village and that the nearby settlements will be instructed to treat us with dignity. With that, she left.

We have heard nothing since.

“Yeah, turns out that for like a thousand years things were absolutely terrible for thestrals. That’s just one anecdote, but the whole millennium was full of them, trust me. Alright, back to the encyclopedia just to wrap things up.”

Extracts from Encyclopedia Equestris, Vol VII

Nonetheless, historians rarely refer to the Centuries of Calm as Equestria’s “Golden Age”. The defining characteristic of this period was stagnation and slow growth. What progress was made in the realms of culture, industry, or science, with great achievements separated by decades if not centuries. Over the whole period, Canterlot’s population grew from 30,000 to 300,000. Coastal cities like Manehattan and Los Pegasus eventually grew into prosperous hubs for commerce and industry, but this was a centuries-long process.

In 649, the development of deep-water navigation allowed Equestrian traders, led by Colthumbus, to found the colony of Sunset on the South-Western tip of Griffonia. This colony would expand over the centuries into the Commonwealth of New Mareland. This colony and the access to Griffonian markets it provided would allow a hitherto unknown impetus to trade and industry which spurred the growth of the new class of merchants, industrialists, and financiers, who were the driving force in the Great Reformation.

“What’s the Great Reformation, you’re probably thinking?” Moonatik nods his head, leaning closer to the glass. “Right? Right?” He shuffles away, sinking into his chair. “Mhyeah.”

Equestria's Great Reformation

“This is just some more book readin’ about the Celestial Millennium, don’t get too excited.”

Extract from “Overview of Equestrian History” by Sweet Potato.

In the latter half of the 700s, Equestria faced its greatest crisis since the Lunar Rebellion as the Centuries of Calm came to a dramatic end in the Glorious Reformation. In the preceding centuries, the ruling noble class of Equestria as well as Celestia herself had become complacent in their positions. For Celestia herself, it had been long enough since the Lunar Rebellion that she could put it behind her, but it wasn’t near enough to her sister’s expected return that she felt that she needed to be prepared. For the nobility, they and their ancestors had lorded over their fiefdoms uncontested for centuries, with their wise and benevolent Princess being able to step in and intervene on their behalf whenever things got out of hoof.

This complacency gave rise to mismanagement and a drastic increase in instances in which nobleponies abused their positions and have it overlooked. In response, a collection of small landholders and merchants formed an organisation called the “Friendship Amongst the Tribes Society”, commonly referred to as the Tribists. The Tribists then sought to gain the support of the small industrial working class and the vast peasantry, seizing on popular discontent with the semi-feudal system and eventually organising a mass movement against it, with its stated aims being “a national and democratic transformation of Equestria”.

Whilst the methods of the Tribists were initially peaceful, they were soon met with violence on behalf of mercenaries employed by the nobility, who were legally disallowed from raising private armies. The chaos escalated over the course of years, culminating on the 14th of July 789, where a Tribist rally in Canterlot resulted in a clash between the Royal Guard and the Tribists and later a full-on riot in the streets of Canterlot. This prompted direct intervention from Princess Celestia, who took to the skies and bellowed to the ponies below demanding peace and decrying the dishonourable Royal Guardsponies who dared attack the ponies they were supposed to protect. Eyewitnesses described a fiery passion that nopony had seen from Celestia in their lives, and the violence halted almost immediately.

Celestia demanded an audience with the Tribist leaders, who met with Celestia not long after. The Tribist leaders issued their grievances to Celestia, and to their surprise she was extremely amenable, previously being simply unaware of the many struggles that the Equestrian bourgeoisie, peasantry, and industrial workforce had dealt with on behalf of the nobility, but more than ready to right these wrongs. The result of the meeting was an agreement to establish an Equestrian Parliament, with members elected by all propertied ponies, and for an official document to be drafted defining the relationship between Princess Celestia and her subjects. Said document became known as “The Charter of the Three Tribes and their Princess”, also known as the Tribist Charter, and it formally defined Equestria as a nation of the Three Tribes first and a state ruled by Princess Celestia second, with the will of the former superseding the will of the later.

The first meeting of the newly elected Parliament followed just weeks after the agreement, with its first actions including the total abolition and reformation of all state institutions intended to purge them of their feudalist roots, land reform including the abolition of the semi-feudal land structures and ending Celestia’s personal ownership of all land, the abolition of all internal trade barriers, the endorsement of a single dialect of the Equestrian language along with the establishment of the EEA to form a unified national educational curriculum. Celestia also declared independently of the agreement that any noblepony who had hired mercenaries was in violation of the agreement to not raise private armies and thus had their noble titles stripped and property seized.

Prior to this monumental shift, the nobility considered the ageless alicorn Princess Celestia to be their greatest asset in securing their own power, but with Celestia seemingly switching sides on behalf of the new rising bourgeois class most nobles gave up the fight entirely. Some resisted, but they were either talked out of causing any more trouble by Celestia or put down violently when all other options failed. Regardless, the nobility was mostly fine, and many of them readjusted to the new system fairly quickly.

The event also proved that despite ruling alone for centuries, Celestia was still a capable and respected leader for her ponies, with many praising her for her preparedness to let the past go and allow Equestria to gallop into the future. What followed in the centuries after the Great Reformation was a revolutionary reordering of society allowing for hitherto untold levels of productive development, urbanisation, industrial growth, and statebuilding.

“All that is pretty much true. Like, it’s a fine enough way to talk about what happened then. But because I’m me, I’m gonna talk about the thestral perspective for a minute.”

Extract from a Moonspeaker’s sermon, 789.

I am sure many of you have heard the news from Canterlot, and I’m sure that many of you haven’t.

For the first time in many hundreds of years, Equestrian governance has undergone a fundamental change. After some hooing and hawing in all the big cities and in Canterlot itself, a group that calls themselves the “Friendship Amongst the Tribes Society” has taken the reins of government and received the endorsement of Celestia. I’ll be calling them Tribists for brevity’s sake. They have announced a whole raft of changes to Equestrian society, everything from land ownership to education. At the centre of it all is charter signed between the leaders of this reforming movement and Celestia herself. I could go through all the details of this charter but there’s only one that really matters, as you’ll all soon see.

The writers of this charter have played a very subtle trick, but a crucial one. The charter boasts new rights for all Equestrians, guarantees of democratic self-rule to all Equestrians, and a bright future for all Equestrians. Yet who is included amongst “all Equestrians”? They do not say all ponies, or even all sapient creatures, but they draw the line at Equestrians. Indeed this makes the question of who is really Equestrian quite important.

Are we thestrals considered Equestrians? We thestrals, who have lived on these lands for centuries before Equestria even existed? We thestrals, who would gladly accept a genuine show of “friendship amongst the tribes”? We thestrals, who have been part of Equestria since its very founding? We thestrals, who fought in the wars that unified these lands to begin with? Apparently not! This new charter is officially known as “The Charter of the Three Tribes and their Princess”, making it explicit in formal writing that Equestria is a state unequivocally hostile to the thestral tribe, that we are viewed as a foreign and malign entity in their otherwise “harmonious” society. Nowhere in the charter does it even mention thestrals!

My friends, I wish I could say this comes as a surprise, but this only serves as more confirmation of what we already knew. The Equestrian kingdom is dedicated to the persecution and dominance of our tribe and our faith. Even after nearly eight hundred years, they excuse their cruelty by making reference to the Lunar Rebellion, something none of us were alive to have had any say in. They treat this Rebellion as if it was the greatest crime in all of history, that somehow twelve nights of unrest in response to an oncoming wave of persecution deserves to be punished with perpetual discrimination. It doesn’t take a graduate of Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns to see the disparity. Though knowing what is taught at that school, perhaps being a graduate would make it harder to see that disparity.

So while these Tribists boast about the new society they are building, about all the new things they will bring to nightly or daily life, for us thestrals the most crucial thing of all remains the same. We are treated with cruelty and hostility, and Equestrian society under Celestia does not extend their harmony to us. Frankly my friends, I do not know if there is any sense or honour in waiting another two-hundred years for our Goddess to return and strike our oppressors down, a night none of us will live to see. We were given but one life, and we would be fools to live it passively.

We will only be saved when we realise that nopony is coming to save us. Our Goddess will not return in our lifetimes, and there is no “Chiropterra” out there ready to race over the seas and free our people. We only have our fellow thestral and our fellow Lunarist to turn to.

“To be fair, the charter did mention thestrals,” Moonatik admitted. “There was a provision stating that Parliament reversed the right to make special laws that applied exclusively to ‘dragons, griffons, changelings, thestrals, buffalo and other creatures that reside in Equestria’. The Moonspeaker may have missed this or meant that the charter didn’t mention thestrals as ponies on a similar footing to the three tribes, because no matter how you look at that it’s pretty damn racist.”

“Oh, and most people at the time thought Chiropterra was a myth, no empirical evidence of its existence had ever been presented to the public, and the circumstances around its alleged foundation were seen as too fantastical to be true. We know better now, of course.”

“Either way, point was, tensions between the three tribes and thestrals were bubbling. Eventually, they came to a head.”

The Southeastern Guerrilla War

“There’d always been conflict, sometimes armed conflict, in parts of Equestria between thestrals and the three tribes during the Celestial Millennium. Though it never got to the level it was in the southeast during the 960s and 970s. Rather than just, y’know, you taking my word for it I’ll start you off with an overview of the conflict written by a Celestial Loyalist newspaper.” Moonatik takes a newspaper clipping out of the desk. “Okay, well, they weren’t officially taking sides, but everypony’s got a bias.”

“History: The Southeastern Conflict” by Mint Condition. Written in 982 for the Manehattan Times Almanac.

The Southeastern Guerilla Conflict, sometimes referred to as the Southeastern Guerilla War, refers to a violent irregular conflict in Southeastern Equestria - mainly the provinces of Aztlan and Stableside - fought between the Equestrian government and Lunarist militants from ~965 to ~972. The conflict is said to have begun with an initially peaceful Lunarist demonstration at a lumberyard that turned violent and ended with the collapse of the Lunarist militias.

The goals of the Lunarists varied, with some seeking the separation of “Tzinacatlia” from Equestria and others aiming for the violent overthrow of Princess Celestia and the establishment of a Lunarist Empire, but they were all united in their opposition to the Equestrian government. All Loyalist groups held the singular goal of keeping Equestria together and asserting Royal authority.

The conflict was not a conventional war, but an irregular, low-intensity conflict. Battles were mostly small-scale engagements rather than extensive battles. The Lunarists held territory in the rural jungles and had control of some small towns, but territorial control was fluid and there were rarely any established front lines.

Before armed conflict broke out, local governments in the southeastern provinces had been dominated by conservative Tribists for generations despite the significant presence of the thestral minority in the region. Attempts by these governments to solve social and political ills unique to the region, such as wide discrimination against thestrals and prevalent exploitation by business elites, proved ineffective.

In the same period, many Lunarist and thestral rights groups like the Southeastern Moonspeaker Conclave (SMC) had grown in response to broad thestral discontent, with many radical insurgent Nightmarists also organising into groups such as the Thestral Liberation Army (TLA) and Legions of Nightfall (LoN). This came with the growth of many Loyalist groups to defend what were seen as Equestrian values, some taking the form of “big tent” political parties like the Southwestern Harmonist Party (SHP) and others forming paramilitary groups like the Warriors of Light (WoL). In July 965, the conflict began in earnest when a Lunarist demonstration organised by the SMC in the town of Molehill erupted into chaos between SMC demonstrators and WoL paramilitaries.

After Molehill, the TLA announced that it was uninterested in any solution short of a full government withdrawal from “Tzinacatlia” and began its campaign of violence. The LoN dramatically increased its violent activities in the period too. In 966, violence had escalated to a point where soldiers and Royal Guards from the rest of Equestria needed to be brought in. By 967, things had gotten so bad that direct rule from Canterlot was instituted over Aztlan.

On the 7th of November of 969, the main Lunarist militant groups (including the TLA and LoN) formed the Thestral United Front (TUF), ushering in the most intense period of the conflict. Pitched battles were fought between the TUF and the Royal Guard over towns and infrastructure, leaving many injured or dead. Government authority completely collapsed in some parts of the countryside, with the void being filled by paramilitaries.

Paramilitaries on both sides engaged in violence against civilians. Perhaps the single biggest atrocity of the conflict was the Guavaza Massacre, which happened on 15 January 971. In an armed attack on a logging town in the Teopixqui Jungle named Guavaza, TUF militants murdered 69 ponies who they dragged into the street to be shot or tortured. The massacre dramatically lowered public support for the TUF, eventually leading to its disintegration.

During the 7 year conflict, deaths exceeded 4,000. Killings were perpetrated by all sides, Lunarist and loyalist paramilitaries and the Royal Guard. As many as 30,000 ponies were physically maimed or injured, with countless others otherwise damaged by the conflict. This tragic legacy continues to scar the Southeast even ten years on.

“Now that's the Celestial loyalist interpretation. That's what most ponies thought about the conflict from the time it ended up until the Lunar Revolution. For the Lunarist perspective, here's an interview with a Lunarist militant who actually participated in the conflict held at around the same time as that newspaper overview was written.”

Interview with Anonymous TLA militant, for the “Baltimare’s Voice” magazine.

Interviewer: Before we begin, I think it would be best if you gave some background to our readers. Most ponies don’t know much about the southeastern conflict, even at the time news didn’t reach far out of the southeast. What happened?

Militant: Certainly. We call it the Tzinacatl Rebellion usually, but most of those who know about it call it the Southeastern Guerilla War. I got into the fight in 966 and was around until 971. If you’re asking why we fought, it’s because we could only take so much after nearly a thousand years of being treated like shit.

Interviewer: What specifically motivated you to fight?

Militant: For me it was personal. Many in my family were murdered by Solarist paramilitaries and I wanted justice. More broadly, the industrialists, who still dominate Parliament, were out to exploit the southeastern jungles to fuel their businesses in cities like Baltimare, Fillydelphia and Manehattan. These jungles are abundant with resources, timber, rubber, arable land and the like, but they’re also our ancestral homelands. Many of us are still organised into tribes and traditional agricultural communities. So some big city businessponies coming in to roll over all that so they could make big profits? No, we weren’t just gonna let that happen.

Interviewer: Did you try peaceful methods at first?

Militant: Of course we did, but the movement soon came to understand that violence is the only language they understand. For all Celestia’s pontificating about peace and harmony, all that means squat when some powerful business interests have ponies standing between them and their profits. As well as all the psychos who just wanted to “kill bats”. Anyway, there were many peaceful thestral demonstrations. Most famous one was at a logging site in Molehill, you know the one, July 965. We call it the Molehill Massacre. They came out in the scorching hot sun to protest, everybat had to wear sunglasses to not go blind. Reason for the protest was that logging rights had been granted to some company based all the way in Manehattan and the locals had no say in it, meaning their homeland was gonna be destroyed. Our guys were peaceful, until the Solarist thugs came out and started a fight. That’s a little trick they always like to play. Say a protest “turned violent” but conveniently forget to say who turned it violent. It was the Solarist paramilitaries, paid thugs of the logging companies. Don’t forget that, don’t leave that out.

Interviewer: Were you at the protest?

Militant: No, but everyone who was there tells me the same thing. Protest was going peacefully until the Solarists showed up. When you ask the Celestial media, you get any number of stories. Some say we started by being violent, some say we turned violent, some say we turned to violence with the arrival of the thugs, and they’re all wrong. It’s the Solarists who can’t get their story straight.

Interviewer: I see. Who were the “Solarist thugs”, here? Anyone specific?

Militant: Yes, the Warriors of Light. We called them Lightheads. Basically the absolute worst, insane Celestia worshipping cult. Their stated aim was to “pave the way for Celestia’s holy light in these barbaric lands”, which was a euphemistic way of saying “exterminate any resistance to the state or the industrialists in the jungles so they can continue to do what they need to do unabated”. Their methods were varied, from engaging in direct armed conflict with Lunar militias to “preemptive” arson, displacement, and mass murder in areas populated by thestrals in which the industrialists sought to exploit. It was well beyond what most Solarists or Celestials adhere to, and more than once you had politicians and media downplaying them or disavowing them. Of course they supported them materially so those words meant nothing.

Interviewer: Do you draw a distinction between the state security forces, like the police and the Royal Guard, and the paramilitaries like the WoL?

Militant: Yeah, sort of. The Royal Guard was, and let's be honest still is, home to some radical elements but they have at least a modicum of discipline. Certain rules of engagement that they generally enforce. You’d need to be breaking laws to get their attention. The laws were all written by and for the industrialists so the state forces and the paramilitaries served the same ponies at the end of the night.

Interviewer: Where do Loyalist political groups, like the Southwestern Harmonist Party, fall into this?

Militant: Oh, funny you mention the SHP specifically. They’re part of the same general movement as the WoL, a way to organise all the Celestials in the region to make bolstering the WoL’s ranks easier. Their leaders collaborated, they shared funds, and the WoL directly recruited from the SHP membership. Like, there’s some difference between the officials from Canterlot and the WoL, but there’s no difference between the SHP and WoL. They were one and the same.

Interviewer: And what do you think of Lunarist groups that advocate nonviolence, like the Southeastern Moonspeaker Conclave?

Militant: Their hearts are in the right place, I’ll say that. During the conflict I respected them as fellows in the same struggle. A few of us scorned them. Obviously we disagreed on the question of violence, we saw them as woefully naive when it came to that.

Interviewer: Let’s get back to your group. When was the TUF formed?

Militant: Oh, the Thestral Unity Front wasn't formed for a while. In the first few years, it was all done through independent groups. I was with the TLA, but I wasn’t there at the start. Not sure when it was formed, I heard it was around 964.

Interviewer: What's the difference between the TLA, LoN and such?

Militant: The TLA was our group, the Thestral Liberation Army. We focused our activities on targeted destruction of military, state, and industrial infrastructure, and took out those who persecuted Lunarists and thestrals. No random bombings or whatnot. We had specific targets in mind and we attacked only those. Any collateral damage was tragic but unintentional. Whenever we carried out an attack, we'd deliver pamphlets and letters around to nearby civilians, local media, and all that explaining what we did and why. The LoN on the other hoof, the Legions of Nightfall, didn't care about collateral damage. The LoN focused on raiding state weapon stockpiles and seeking to recruit those displaced by Solarist militias into their ranks, with the express purpose of building an army capable of going hoof-to-hoof with the Royal Guard and “cleansing” Equestria of the other three tribes.

Interviewer: Cleansing?

Militant: Yeah, "cleansing". Or in laymare’s terms, murdering. To call them "supremacist" or "radical" is an understatement, they wanted a strictly militarised society ruled over by Nightmare Moon with a bloody iron hoof, who would use the eternal night to purge the world of all inferior life, leaving only the Empress and her loyal thestrals alive. They had no qualms with attacking innocents who they believed “would die anyway once her majesty returns”. For the first few years of the conflict we wanted nothing to do with them, the way they talked about Nightmare Moon was downright blasphemous.

Interviewer: Did you ever target civilians?

Militant: If by “you”, you mean the TLA, then no. We went out of our way to make sure innocents weren’t hurt.

Interviewer: There’s a difference between innocents and civilians.

Militant: If they’re a “civilian” but they directly supported the Lightheads with money and guns, they’re a Moon damned combatant. Members of local government and the industrialists had thestral blood on their hooves and they paid for it. We targeted those, targeted a lot of those.

Interviewer: Alright, I won’t press you on it. If you had all these disagreements, why did you ally with the LoN?

Militant: In short, they had weapons and we were running out. It was an alliance of convenience, really. We also had popular support, something they lacked. Some of us hoped that the alliance would moderate them somewhat, given we had supporters who were three-tribes ponies.

Interviewer: How did the alliance go at first?

Militant: Things were on the up. With their arms and their numbers we could match the Royal Guard and easily beat back the paramilitaries. Every militant in the alliance had a good gun by their side with steady supplies of ammo and rations. That’s when we were most hopeful. We could conduct real long term operations and were on the verge of a general uprising. But after Guavaza everything went to shit.

Interviewer: Were you at Guavaza?

Militant: Yes.

Interviewer: What happened there, if you don’t mind me asking?

Militant: Guavaza was roughly split 50/50 between thestrals and other ponies, so we, that’s the TLA, assumed it’d be a great target for liberation. The goal was to take over the police and Royal Guard stations, dismantle the logging yard, and issue a proclamation to the town’s residents letting them know they had been freed. That was the plan we proposed to the TUF command, and it was approved. Obviously, not what happened, the LoN had a different plan in mind. Once we routed the police and Royal Guard and were occupied with our main goal of destroying enemy infrastructure, the LoN militants went house to house dragging non-thestrals into the street to be executed. Even some thestrals who weren’t sufficiently Lunarist for them. Even children. Fucking children. The had the gall to say “if we don’t kill them now they’ll grow up to be Lightheads”. I counted 69 innocent dead.

Interviewer: Not nice.

Militant: You don’t know the half of it. The madness only stopped when we heard what was going on and we intervened to stop them. A fight nearly broke out between us, and let me tell you I was more than ready to shoot those psychos in the head. The LoN militants eventually stood down and surrendered their weapons to us, then both groups retreated from the town.

Interviewer: What happened to the TUF after Guavaza?

Militant: Media says it tanked our support, but amongst our support base they knew what happened. Ask anypony who was there, they’ll tell you it was us who stopped the LoN. Most of the anger was directed at the LoN. Our leaders weren’t on speaking terms and for all intents and purposes that was the end of the TUF.

Interviewer: That was all it took?

Militant: Aside from it being a grotesque fucking atrocity, they never apologised and it proved we couldn’t trust them. If they were willing to go behind our backs to murder foals once, how could we know that they wouldn’t do that again? We were supposed to be fighting for these thestrals, for their liberation. One murdered child is too many, as far as I’m concerned.

Interviewer: What happened then?

Militant: We were then cut off from their ponypower, weapons, and ammo, so we had to continue our campaign with what we had. Our groups did meet one last time, it was supposed to sort out our differences to get back to fighting the war we needed to fight. I was present, mainly to give testimony about who I saw doing what in Guavaza, so they’d know who needed to face justice. But someone sabotaged the meeting, planted a bomb under the floorboards and took out half the TUF leadership, conveniently everyone who most favoured rapprochement. Everyone left instinctively blamed the other party for the bombing and a firefight broke out that nearly wiped out all our leaders. I barely made it out of there myself.

Interview: Your whole leadership gone?

Militant: Yeah, we were never going to recover after that.

Interview: Any thoughts on who the bomber was?

Militant: I have my theories, but not nearly enough evidence to point the hoof at any one individual.

Interview: Was the end of the TLA and LoN the end of the conflict?

Militant: For me it was, at least. I retain my Lunarist convictions but I could tell that the battle in the southwest is long over. Some kept fighting, but with the organisations in disarray and the Royal Guard rounding up the most resilient of us, the writing was on the wall.

Interviewer: To conclude, what is your message to readers of our magazine? Most of whom are ponies from the three Equestrian tribes?

Militant: My message? For those still willing to listen to words, I’ll tell you that for the last thousand years thestrals and Lunarists have been used by Celestia and her underlings for their own selfish purposes. First we were used to build Celestia a kingdom, then thrown to the dustbin. When we refused such a fate, our princess was banished and our tribe was all but excluded from Equestrian society. In the years since, we’ve been used as a source of cheap disposable labour as our sacred homelands are ravaged to make profits for greedy businesses. If you were in our place, you wouldn’t tolerate it for a second. But we won’t need to tolerate it for much longer, as the night of Her return draws near. This should only scare you if you have wronged us, for when that night comes, she will bear her sword and bring woe to those who tried to crush us into dirt. Thank you for letting me speak.

“Well, what do you think?” Moonatik asks.

“You know at the time, the journalist who conducted and published this interview was lambasted. Brutally. Got threats made against him. Accused of being everything from a crypto-Nightmarist to a fuckin' communist! How’d they even come to that? Have you met Baltimare leftists? Anyway they got fired after a few too many situations like that, but I heard they were doing well post-revolution.” Moonatik scratches his chin. “Forgot their name, though. Hm.”

“Right, so that's all interesting. But if you're after some of the real sauce, stuff that isn't available to the general public even today, take a look at this,” he says, sliding a document towards you.

Intelligence report for the Nightmare’s Hoof, by Autumn Breeze.

THE INSURGENT SITUATION IN SOUTHEASTERN EQUESTRIA

NOVEMBER 969

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

Main Lunarist militant groups involved in conflict have worrying and heretical conceptions of Lunarism. Thestral Liberation Army (TLA), the largest Lunarist militant group, is far too compromising with the unfaithful, even allowing ponies to join without ensuring they are committed to Lunarism. Group places heavy emphasis on thestral emancipation and lacks sufficient dedication to Lunarism. Interpretation of Lunarism is borderline Harmonic, and leaders have expressed willingness to compromise with the usurper state. The second largest group, the Legions of Nightfall (LoN), is thestral supremacist and violently genocidal. Their end-goal is the destruction of Equestrian civilization altogether. Both groups comprise the vast majority of Lunarist action in the conflict. Both groups have usefulness in the short term, but should not be trusted as political leaders.

[list=2]Outlooks on success for the militants appear unfavourable. Goals range from a total conquest of Equestria, to independence for the Southeast, to extracting concessions from the state. These goals vary in their feasibility, but it is unlikely that any of them will be achieved in the near term. Despite defeats, the usurper state is remarkably resilient and shows few signs of war-weariness. Most dangerous of these goals is compromise with the usurper, as it risks pacifying the thestral population of Equestria.[list=3]Arms manufactured in Chiropterra are successfully being shipped to the LoN through covert means, no indication so far that state authorities have drawn a link from the arms to us. Our shell companies in Stableside and Tobuck responsible for transporting the arms have come under investigation, and efforts are underway to misdirect and mislead the authorities away from uncovering our involvement. Agents are ready to eliminate troublesome investigators should the need arise.[list=4]Radical Solarist groups, such as the Warriors of Light (WoL), present a special opportunity. They are showing the true face of Celestial rule to the thestrals and Lunarists of Equestria, making it more likely that the faithful will be galvanised to action. Increased visibility of their actions along with an expanded scope would prove detrimental to usurper rule long-term, even if it resulted in short-term pain for the faithful and sympathisers[list=5]Efforts to sabotage the heretical pacifists of the so-called Southeastern Moonspeaker Conclave (SMC) have been successful. Great effort has been made by the Nightmare’s Hoof to expose the moral shortcomings of the group’s leaders to the faithful and to tie their image to militant violence in the eyes of the Celestial public, tarnishing their image in the eyes of all. It and similar groups pose the tremendous risk of terminating the conflict through formal politics and diplomacy, which will no doubt permanently sabotage the goal of securing Lunar rule across Equestria.RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNCIL: Chiropterra should not directly involve itself in support of any group participating in the conflict and should not significantly expand supportive efforts unless the situation radically changes, as we should not show our hoof on a rebellion led by heretics that is likely to fail. Current level of aid to Lunarist groups is adequate. Efforts should be primarily psychological, focus propaganda on exaggerating Celestial atrocities, further galvanising the faithful, humiliating and silencing heretics, and polarising political groups. Additional efforts should be made to sabotage negotiations or communications between the state, reducing the risk of pacifying concessions from being made or accepted. Further efforts to discredit both thestral supremacism and compromise with the unfaithful should be made.

“Ooh, the plot thickens! Ahaha!” Moonatik giggles. “Yes, as I’ve said, Chiropterra exists, for one, and they’ve been up to all sorts. Espionage, sabotage… uh, all the other words ending in “age”. Are there any other words like that? Eh, whatever. They were pretty damn dogmatic, as the document suggests, even screwing over their fellow Lunarists if they didn’t match their exact, specific form of Lunarism. Right, moving on.”

Author's Note

OC attributions:
Autumn Breeze is from Equestria at War.
All other named characters created by me, Moonatik.

Image attributions:
Map based on Equestria at War.
Drawings by me.

Nightmare Moon Returns

“Here it is!” Moonatik declares. “The big moment! The great return of Nightmare Mommy I mean Nightmare Moon!”

“Now for this part, I'm going to mostly draw from the memoirs of Warmaster Selenite herself… Okay, maybe exclusively the memoirs of Selenite. These are obviously going to be biased, I mean come on, but it's probably the best account there is. I know her, she thinks big, and her attitude broadly reflects those of Lunarists more generally.”

Extracts from the memoirs of Selenite Berzel.

On the 21st of June 1000, the night that the sun did not rise, Nightmare Moon was finally back.

I was in a strange state of vindication and shock, where I was absolutely certain that the night was going to come and had prepared for it, but when it finally happened I could barely believe it.

The whole town erupted into celebration, up and down every street in Fledermaus you had ponies cheering, waving purple flags, marching with torches, and chanting Lunarist slogans. I saw ponies run into the town hall to tear down Celestial flags, with a big fire right outside where portraits and busts of Celestia were piled up and burned along with other Celestial iconography. I was amazed we even had the portraits, apparently they were required in government buildings. The largest gathering was on main street, Mayor Moonbeam gave an impromptu speech where he declared that the town’s government formally supported Nightmare Moon and was in full rebellion against Celestia’s government.

So much more happened after that. Chief Greytail of the local PD announced he was forming a militia and that anypony who could aim a gun and listen to orders was welcome to join. Workers at the local small arms factory seized control of the facility and took hold of any outgoing shipments to be used by the militia. Stores and warehouses were broken into, with their goods distributed amongst the impoverished. Such spontaneous bursts of mass action are magical to witness and be a part of.

Chief Greytail contacted the slowly forming Lunar government, then based in Manehattan, and found himself directly in conversation with Saturn Hawkrich. Hawkrich told us that Nightmare Moon had appointed him as the commander in chief of all Lunar forces, and that Fledermaus wasn't the only town that had formed a militia in open rebellion against Celestia. Hawkrich ordered the militia to submit to his command and go to Canterlot as soon as possible. At the time, the town was grateful for Hawkrich’s various charitable investments into Fledermaus, and there had been questions about his loyalty to Celestia (or lack thereof) for years, so they had no reason not to believe him. The militia obliged, and we made our way to Canterlot.

…

The battle for Canterlot was honestly much easier than any of us expected. Obviously it wasn’t a cakewalk, but I mostly knew what to expect from the battle. While it’s impossible to know just how hot our trial by fire would be before we arrived, we came prepared.

We - the Fledermaus Militia - arrived around 5pm on the 23rd and were only engaged in battle for a few hours. With a steady stream of Lunarist militias coming into the city - well armed, well trained, and with the memory and traditions of our martial forebearers alive in our minds - they didn’t stand a chance. All the Celestials had was the support of the local population, but Canterlonian aristocrats didn’t join the barricades or anything. As if they’d ever put themselves in harm's way. The Royal Guard was clearly not suited to combat and had not adequately prepared for the overwhelming tide of Lunarists with superior numbers, superior tactics, superior training, superior equipment, and endless enthusiasm. The Empress herself hadn’t even arrived yet.

Our only disadvantage was our disorderly chain of command and the broad inexperience of our soldiers and officers. Several mistakes were made, and every Lunarist militia in the city was effectively fighting its own fight. Fortunately, we had so many advantages that we could press on regardless, but these mistakes got ponies killed, including Chief Greytail. While making our way up Wheat Street in the southern part of the inner city around 7pm, he left cover assuming it was safe only for a bullet from an unseen sniper to rip through his head. After that I took command of the militia, and we made better use of effective urban warfare tactics. Then we cut through the Celestial defences like a knife through butter. A knife that had been superheated through butter that had been left out in the sun.

Soon, Nightmare Moon herself arrived. Seeing her in the flesh, laying waste to the Celestial forces, was a gigantic boon to our morale and capabilities. Conversely, it was devastating to the Celestials in every manner. I saw her at this time, but did not speak to her. I’m certain that if I did get the chance to speak to her I would’ve been left stunned and speechless. Just being on the same block as her nearly had that effect.

The final assault on Canterlot Castle was not vigorously resisted. A single line of defence, barely a few hundred Royal Guards, stood between the thousands of us and Canterlot Castle at 8pm. Their commander was zealous and demanded a defence to the death, but a sniper’s bullet put him down for good. Desertion and surrender from the Royal Guard followed, and we rushed into the castle and made it our own. The new standard of the Lunar Empire was raised from the highest towers, and the Empress herself was ushered into Celestia’s throne room no later than 8:45pm.

Unfortunately, the leaders of Celestia’s government were nowhere to be found. A captured Royal Guard told us the highest-ranking members of government and military, including Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and Captain Shining Armor, fled the city via the castle’s secret passages and were on their way north to Bales. This later turned out to be true, if only incidentally as the fleeing Celestials did not intend to stay in Bales, but had little choice as nearly all railroads that went further north were sabotaged or occupied.

Either way, with the Equestrian capital in our hooves we elected to hold a great ceremony to officially declare the new Lunar Empire at midnight. It was indeed great at first, with many soldiers, moonspeakers, and other loyal Lunarists gathered for the most consequential proclamation the world had ever seen, but the tragic manner in which the ceremony ended is widely known. Once the Empress was stepping up to the throne, an explosion rocked the hall and tore the throne itself apart leaving a fiery wreckage in its wake. A bomber had sabotaged the ceremony, planning a bomb and detonating it right as the Empress was to take the throne. I was well out of the range of the blast itself, but it nearly made me deaf and almost threw me off my hooves. The Empress herself, despite being inches away from the explosion, was almost completely unharmed. Others were less lucky. Almost immediately 3 moonspeakers and 7 soldiers were killed, with many more wounded.

Instinct took over me. I had to act. Immediately I ordered ponies out to get medics to the scene and called out for medics myself. Then I sent every pegasus I could find to get rainclouds to douse the flames. Everyone else, I helped get out of the building as soon as I could. The Empress herself made a tremendous effort to get ponies away from the damage and into safety. The quick action of everypony involved ensured that there were few casualties aside from those hurt by the initial blast.

With everypony safely outside I took a moment to rest. A long night of facing war and terror had exhausted me. Five nights later the bomber was identified as Channel Coast, they were sentenced to indefinite petrification. In the moment though, we quietly and calmly ensured the wounded were treated as the Empress congratulated us for our swift response. Then, she singled me out of everypony present to highlight my efforts. I'd impressed her enough that she promoted me to command the force chasing the Celestials to Bales on the spot. Simple words cannot express my excitement without delving into obscenity. I guess you could say I “EEEE’d with happy”.

…

Before chasing the Celestials north, we carefully analysed our capabilities in Canterlot. In their hurry, it appeared to us that the Celestials only took what they could carry on their backs with large stocks of guns, ammunition, artillery, and vehicles left behind. The abandoned vehicles were everything from trucks to armoured patrol vehicles to several fully operational tanks, then only an experimental system. Only a small number of ponies, specifically some in the Night Guard who joined our cause, knew anything about how to operate a tank.

Our disparate and disorganised militia forces were brought together into more coherent units. A firm chain of command was established, backed by the word of the Empress. Standard equipment was given to the soldiers. Unit insignia was quickly improvised by repurposing gaudy purple cloths around Canterlot Castle and tying them into legbands, rank insignia drawn onto the legbands with marker pen. The few ponies with experience in tanks were assigned to operate them. After only a few hours of rapid organisation, a hodgepodge of a few local militias was brought into a proper army division, mobilised and ready for battle. Naturally, this division was named the 1st “Bringers of the Night” Division.

The weak link was their lack of training and their tiredness. We were mere militiaponies whose only combat experience was their experience in Canterlot the last night. Orders from above were to pursue the Celestials as quickly as we could, so there was no time to stop and train. Some of the militias had received covert training before the revolution broke out, but not nearly enough ponies to form an army. Many of these ponies hadn't slept since Empress Nightmare Moon's return, myself included, and we needed sleep or we would risk a disastrous battlefield performance by the time we caught up to the Celestials.

Fortunately, owing to Empress Nightmare Moon's magical experience, she was able to deliver a unique blow to Celestial cohesion and morale through the form of oneiromancy (known colloquially as dream magic). Empress Nightmare Moon herself infiltrated the dreams of the Celestial high command to sow discomfort and fear in their minds. It had a devastating effect on the abilities of the high command by filling their minds with panic and fear whilst denying them restful sleep. Also to our benefit, there was a ceaseless series of random, uncoordinated raids by small Lunarist partisans harassing the moving Celestials, further adding to the confusion and fear. Much of this was incidental, but these were the seeds that later sprouted into the Lunar doctrine of Shock and Awe.

After a short rest, we loaded the ponies, tanks, and guns of the 1st Division onto trains and sent them north. We left Canterlot at 7am. Train transport was significantly quicker than driving the tanks manually would’ve been, thanks to Equestria’s expansive rail network and the tanks' low speed and low operational range. The track had been scouted and surveilled while we rested, with no threat of interception and sabotage discovered. Our forces disembarked 7km away from Bales at around 9:40am and continued the rest of the journey by road. Other Lunar militias further north had cut off roads, effectively encircling Bales.

Given that there was no way they were going to leave the city, we opted to gather strength on the edge of the city rather than rush into battle. We issued a swift ultimatum to the enemy, broadcasting on radio and on loudspeakers that they had four nights (96 hours) to surrender unconditionally. We also gave the four-night window to allow civilians to evacuate the city before the battle begun. Ponies streamed out of the city over the course of the four nights. That ultimatum expired with no word from the enemy, so our artillery roared.

When we finally made contact with the enemy, they were even worse for wear than they were in Canterlot. Their defences were better prepared and thus progress through the city was considerably slower than it was in Canterlot, but on the whole we were facing an exhausted and demoralised foe. It was the combined result of Empress Nightmare Moon’s oneiromancy, our military supremacy, and their steadily mounting number of defeats. Steadily we made progress through the city. On the 30th of June the city was effectively under our control, the only remaining Celestial forces were holed up at the old textile mill. By the 3rd of July, they had completely surrendered.

The largest challenge we faced in the seizure of Bales was Mi Amore Cadenza herself. Owing to her alicorn power, conventional weapons were useless against her. Even taking direct hits from tank cannons and heavy artillery barely slowed her. We eventually brought her down by overwhelming her with stun spells, at least a dozen unicorns all firing on her at once in rapid succession. In retrospect, we probably should’ve done more to study the anti-alicorn tactics of the Empress’s ancient legions before our departure.

Following their capture, Celestial leadership saw sense. Rather than continue their hopeless struggle, both Mi Amore Cadenza and Shining Armor fully surrendered to the Lunar Empire on behalf of the dying Celestial government. Cadenza’s announcement of surrender was broadcast across the whole nation, and it wrecked Celestial morale.

…

This all said, the most stubborn foe we faced in the late civil war, was not any of the Celestial loyalists, but the various radical left-wing insurgents of Baltimare. On the 6th of July 1000 the city descended into chaos as radical leftists declared the Baltimare Commune. The new government in Baltimare was composed of many bickering factions each with their own interests and aims, but they were briefly united by staunch opposition to us and the Celestials.

A small Royal Guard garrison was stationed in the city prior to the civil war, and it was soundly defeated in the first night of the Communard insurrection. In the following months, the Commune moved to secure sources of food, mostly seeking to seize agricultural land in the area around Baltimare and by seeking aid from other socialist movements elsewhere in the world. However, in September their advance was halted by our forces in a series of battles I was not present for. After that, the Baltimare frontline was stagnant. At least, until the arrival of the Chiropterrans.

While it is common knowledge now, everypony was shocked when it was revealed that Chiropterra was a real place.

First came the cargo vessels stocked with enough munitions and rations to last a multi-year campaign, then the passenger ships brimming with battle-ready soldiers announcing undying loyalty to Empress Nightmare Moon. We were sceptical at first, but Her Highness reassured us that the strangers from across the sea could be trusted as loyal warriors. Then they went into combat and were by far the best soldiers any of us had ever seen, like they were all hardened veterans of a years-long conflict. Against the Legions of Chiropterra our enemies shattered like glass. Glass that had been shot with a cannonball. Chiropterra had announced itself to the world in a blaze of moonlit glory.

I quickly developed a working bond with two Chiropterrans whose names are now famous, Auburn Leaf and Lucent Eclipse. We shared similar interests and were around the same age, so we naturally got along at first. For ponies who had just come here for the first time I was surprised at how they were full-on fluent Equestrian speakers, even if their accents were alien to me. Over the centuries Chiropterra had agents all across Equestria studying the evolving Equestrian language and ensuring that the most up-to-date version of it was taught in their schools, as to ensure that their legions would always be ready to fight in and govern Equestria. I was stunned that even down to the language they were strictly disciplined!

But, then I spoke a bit more with Lucent and Auburn, and I realised my earlier enthusiasm about Chiropterra was misplaced.

In their isolation, Chiropterra was ruled by the so-called “Her Imperial Majesty’s Legionary Council”, which formed a vicious regime that combined theocracy and stratocracy. All citizens were born into Legions, and a brutal caste society often determined one's lot in life at birth. While “pure-blooded” descendants of the original legionaries usually rose high through the ranks and descendants of natives were typically stuck at the bottom, some exceptions existed to this rule. Natives were enslaved and put under the control of the Native Affairs Commission, which kept them in horrible conditions and used them in brutal menial labour that was, in the end, essential to the development of Chiropterra and to equip its armies. Labourers and their children would be kept in bondage until they either proved their devotion to the state or dropped dead.

To make matters worse, some labourers were used as test subjects by the Legionary Medical Research Department, a task force of scientists, researchers, and engineers responsible for investigating medical and biological breakthroughs for the greater good of Chiropterra. The LMRD had no limits in how far or how invasive its researchers might’ve been.

I thought it was abominable. There is no room for slavery in the new millennium.

For the record, and I want there to be no misunderstanding about this, Lucent agreed with me and thought Chiropterra needed reform. I relayed these thoughts to the Empress at the first opportunity I had. Thankfully, she largely agreed with me and resolved to make reforms to Chiropterra once the civil war was concluded.

The task of retaking Baltimare mostly fell on the Chiropterrans, as Equestrian forces were largely occupied with sweeping up Celestial resistance elsewhere in the country. First hoof accounts tell me that the Legionaries tore through the Communard forces in the rural areas surrounding Baltimare and braved stiff urban resistance. From then, they engaged in brutal building-to-building fighting that gripped Baltimare for weeks resulting in frighteningly high casualties, military and civilian. The Commune was finally defeated in late January 1001, thus ending the civil war and solidifying our Empire as the supreme power in Equestria.

“If you’re still reading then you’re probably a little interested in what happened with Selenite and the Chiropterrans. And there is a story there! Literally, it’s a story, it’s on my profile! First story by publishing date on there!” Moonatik laughed. But his laughter came to an abrupt stop as his face sank. “Shit, that’s a little too meta, isn’t it?”

“Right!” He bangs the desk. “If you've been reading all the way, you know pretty much all you need to know about everything from the foundation of Equestria all the way up until the moment Nightmare Moon became Empress. From here, I'm going to go a little non-chronological. Might reorder things to be more chronological after the fact and I'll give dates where I have to so it doesn't get too confusing, but aside from that I'll present events in the order I feel like. Though really, you can pick documents and start reading in any order you like. So what's it gonna be?”

Author's Note

OC attributions:
Auburn Leaf and Lucent Eclipse are from Equestria at War.
All other named original characters created by me, Moonatik.

A New Equestria

“So, what next? Did Nightmare Moon just completely dominate and repress all of Equestria just like that?” Moonatik chuckles. “Ehh, not exactly. To fill you in on what happened next…”

Moonatik takes a box of documents out of his desk and places it on the table. It is labelled ‘after civil war stuff’. “I’ve got this, all sorts of juicy deets in here. To start you off…”

He opens the box and takes out a few pieces of paper, displaying photocopied magazine articles. “I’ve got this big thing here. It was written by a thestral journalist bloke named Light Narrative. He’s kind of a cool dude, in my opinion. He did this big write-up on what happened in Equestria after the civil war, and I’ll be pulling mostly from that. There’s a few more things in here too so strap yourself in. There’s a lot!”

Overview of the Equestrian political situation after the civil war, by Light Narrative (14/02/1002).

When the Nightmare Charter was written and ratified, it heralded a new era for all of Equestria. Never before had Equestria experienced such monumental positive change, and for the first time in over a thousand years thestrals were able to take their rightful place as a tribe of Equestria. Yet the road that led to this moment was long and rough, and slicked with blood and tears. The road that followed was no easier, being drenched with toil and sweat.

While Empress Nightmare Moon may have sat on the Equestrian throne on June 24th, Equestria was not under her control. In the latter months of the year of 1000, chaos and disorder was the rule of the night. Even whilst fighting was ongoing and while Baltimare was under hostile occupation, the Lunar Empire had to rebuild Equestria and reconcile with the population. The Equestrian economy had been brought to a dead stop, as workers in critical sectors of the economy went on strike. At the height of strike activity in October, at least two million workers were involved in strike action.

Worse, many across the nation still fighting for Celestia’s rule refused to accept the surrender. Cloudsdale proved an especially tough nut to crack, being the last Celestial-occupied city to fall. Terrorist actions became a nightly occurances in many liberated cities, the militias slowly losing the initiative and struggling to maintain order as they were stretched thin across the whole country. Lunar rule was resisted across the country through traditional forms of protest, both peaceful and violent.

The initial instinct of the Empress was a firm and relentless enforcement of the new order. The hardline policy, while advocated by many in the militias and by the Chiropterrans, was strongly contested by the leaders of Equestria's thestral rights organisations, several business leaders, and numerous military leaders. In search of leadership, the groups soon coalesced behind the President of the Southeastern Moonspeaker Conclave, Saffron Dusk.

Saffron Dusk's official portrait.

Prior to the Lunar Revolution, Saffron Dusk was perceived as a radical by the ponies of so-called polite society, as he abandoned the SMC’s commitment to nonviolence while adopting a more uncompromising position on thestral rights. Yet this boosted the SMC’s popularity amongst thestrals across Equestria, rebuilding their image after a series of scandals plagued earlier leaders. While his overtly Nightmarist views eventually came out in the late 990s, this did little to hurt his popularity amongst thestrals.

Dusk’s group proved the worth of their methods when they, with the tentative approval of the Empress, entered negotiations with representatives of striking workers. In early November, these negotiations bore fruit, and deals were struck with the unions that slowly got the economy going again. They didn’t stop with unions, either. Dusk travelled the whole country to meet with the opponents of Lunarism, addressing their concerns and quickly calming the waves of protest.

With the initiative on their side, Dusk’s group went directly to Empress Nightmare Moon and formally proposed a new system to govern Equestria, one that ensured sovereign power for her but granted various rights to her subjects. After much deliberation, Empress Nightmare Moon agreed to pursue a constitutional system. While the battle of Baltimare was still ongoing, the new charter was being drafted by delegates across Equestria in Canterlot. On the 14th of February 1001, The Nightmare Charter was approved, taking the form of an official constitution defining the relationship between the Empress, her government, and her subjects.

In the new system, subjects of the Empress over the age of 21 were entitled to vote for members of Parliament. Parliament was made up of 400 MPs, and were responsible for writing and approving new laws for Equestria. For an Act of Parliament to become law, it required approval from a majority of MPs and Empress Nightmare Moon. She appoints the government, but on the expectation that she would appoint a government based on which party/political faction held most seats in Parliament. This excluded the Warmaster, supreme commander of the military, intelligence apparatus, and other special state organisations, who was to be appointed solely on the Empress’s discretion and be non-partisan. On the passing of the charter, de facto supreme military commander Saturn Hawkrich was formally named Warmaster.

The Nightmare Charter also included a detailed set of rights given to Nightmare Moon’s subjects, as well as the process needed to become a subject. Amongst the rights included the rights to freedom of expression, right to a fair trial, right to any religion, right to protection from discrimination, even a right to an education and a right to bear arms, amongst others. Some in the Lunarist political leadership had even suggested expanding these rights to include economic rights, such as a right to medical care, housing, employment, but these were shelved for the time being. Lastly, the Charter stated that Equestria was a nation of four pony tribes, not three, affirming the thestrals' place in the new society and giving primacy to no particular tribe.

“Now I could, could, just continue with Light Narrative, as he generally does a pretty good job summarising everything that happened…” He sits quietly for a second. “But!” he says, pointing his hoof up.

Moonatik takes two other documents out of the box. “I think it’d be worth injecting some other perspectives. One on the most extreme end of anti-Lunarism, and one on the most extreme end of pro-Lunarism. Even though a lot of ponies, and definitely most Lunarists, thought ol’ Dusk was doing a good job, you always had detractors. Let’s have a look, eh?”

Opinion piece published in Red Star, an underground communist newspaper. Written pseudonymously by Sinister Serov (16/02/1001)

Do they take us for fools? Nightmare Moon, the champion of the downtrodden and the standard bearer of true democracy? When one puts it like that, it sounds ridiculous. But this is what the imperialists say with a straight face.

Recently, Empress Nightmare Moon ratified a new constitution for Equestria named “The Nightmare Charter”. A new beginning for Equestria, they boast. Now enshrined in law are free elections, freedom of expression, freedom of labour organisation, freedom from discrimination, with talk of passing a set of “economic rights” in the near future. Already, they are scrubbing the role that the working class played in winning these rights and touting them as if they were the realisation of an authentic revolution.

The imperialists and their lackeys boast about these rights as if they were graciously delivered down to the poor little workers. This convenient narrative ignores three crucial facts. One is that the only reason the Nightmarists considered drafting a set of rights in the first place is due to the tremendous pressure brought on them by the working class. Second is that they are far from the real emancipation that the working class yearns for. Third is that the “rights” are not even written in ink, and Nightmare Moon herself has granted herself the exclusive privilege to wield the pencil and eraser.

We should examine these facts in more detail one by one. During the civil war, working ponies across Equestria took the chance to rise up against all their oppressors. Wildcat strikes all over the country, some unions calling larger strikes, and the Working Ponies Party eventually set out a list of demands and called for a general strike. At the height of last year’s labour unrest, four million ponies were on strike. The brave workers of Baltimare even successfully established a workers’ republic, until this flame was snuffed out with Chiropterran poison gas. Leaders of the WPP and the unions, presenting themselves as representatives of the working class, negotiated an end to the strike action with the imperialists, with many of the rights now enshrined in the charter as conditions. That is the actual reason for the creation of this charter, a fact the imperialists love to ignore so they can pretend it was done solely on their own initiative.

But even with this in mind, we cannot kid ourselves into thinking that this charter is a guarantee of some great progress. Leading strikers have reported that they were fired and replaced with Nightmarist scabs in the months after the strike, with trumped up reasoning down the line. This is to be expected, as all the real economic power in the country remains solely in the hooves of the bourgeoisie and its state lackeys, through their control of all the important industry, all the land and resources, and of all the viable ways to disseminate information. Not to mention all the occasions where state thugs have flatly ignored all our so-called “rights”. The author of this very piece has faced harassment and beatings for exercising the promised “freedom of expression”. It is a complex system carefully crafted to deliver results that will always be favourable to the bourgeoisie.

Lastly, the charter includes a special clause that gives Empress Nightmare Moon the absolute authority to amend the charter, issue commands to government, and veto parliament. This renders every “right” irrelevant, should unravel the entire farce immediately. Don’t worry though, for the Empress’s mouthpieces all tell us that she has the best interests of her subjects at heart and will stand vigilant as a protector and leader. So is it sorted? Can the workers of Equestria rely on their Empress to rule with a fair, even hoof? Please, don’t pull a muscle laughing!

While the Nightmarists frequently claim to speak for the downtrodden, and I’m sure many of them sincerely believe they do, one only needs to look to their backers to see where their loyalty really lies. Arms manufacturers. Meat farmers. The forces of heavy industry. And of course, the slavers of that wicked state of Chirtopterra. These are some of the most putrid capitalists of all, but not due to any tragic moral failing. They struggle with declining rates of profit in their industries and require the totalitarian machine of state to engineer the conditions for their profitability. These are simply the laws of economics in action, and given the fact that the imperialists in government have already stated their intent to embark on military conquest, these capitalists can expect to see blood-soaked returns on their investment.

Naturally, those desperate souls still loyal to Celestia insist that their princess would never do any of the things Nightmare Moon is currently doing. Many within our own ranks even suggested that our organisations should’ve supported her decaying dictatorship, to align ourselves with the so-called “lesser-evil” for the immediate struggle against the common foe. What they don’t realise is that for a thousand years, exploitation, imperialism, and murder have been carried out in her name. If Celestia was such an effective, gracious, fair ruler for all ponies, then the labour movement would not need to exist and the thestrals of Equestria would have never turned to Nightmare Moon!

The supporters of either monarch hate this context, because it puts the spotlight on their desired system of oppression. The problem is not that capitalism sometimes has monstrous managers, it is that the machine of capitalism is itself monstrous. If a ruler fails to serve the interests of the bourgeoisie they will find themselves replaced, either by the bourgeosie in a putsch or by the workers in a revolution. This is a lesson Celestia is doubtlessly learning in her new banishment. The ruling class will do anything to preserve its dictatorship. It prefers the democratic lie, but it will never hesitate from unleashing the monster of absolutism in order to defend capitalism to the very end against the socialist revolution.

Workers! Never forget that the promises of the state are not given or guaranteed, they are won and defended through class struggle! These concessions only exist because of workers who fought for them. The bourgeoisie wants you to forget, to accept servility beneath it. We reject their lies! And when the decisive, final conflict comes, we would do well to remember what we have already accomplished!

In our hooves, as well as in the claws, paws, and flippers of our international comrades, is the power to dismantle capitalism and make this world anew. Without our labour, the machines of capitalism and imperialism cannot function. The proletariat has already proven itself capable of struggle, and all of these struggles will have to converge on an ultimate point. The struggle for the end of all empires, for the victory of socialism!

Down with Empires!
Down with the regime of capital!
Long live socialism!

Extract from a speech given by Starry Glory to supporters in Ayacachtli (14/02/1001)

Faithful brethren, you are all soldiers in your own right. Your ceaseless toil, your boundless enthusiasm, and your unbreakable faith has brought a prophecy over a thousand years in the making to reality! Her Highness sits upon the throne unquestioned, unopposed, and undefeated!

At least, that is how it should be!

My faithful brethren, fellow devotees to the Nightmare. It was my deepest hope that I could’ve stood before you tonight as a victor. That we could all stand together as victors. That we could finally rest as our Empress reigns over her restored imperium at last. Yet as many of you have already noticed, victory is not yet in our hooves and teeters on the edge of being stolen from us. Tonight we face a threat more dangerous than Blueblood, Spitfire, and Armor combined. Unlike those scum, this is a threat that cloaks itself in the purple robes of Lunarism whilst standing against its most authentic realisation at every possible turn. This, this most rancid scourge of opportunism.

Every level of government in this Empire has been afflicted with this scourge in some way. Everywhere from the highest ranks of the provisional council to the town hall and even in the ranks of militia command. Civil administration is largely in the hooves of the old bureaucrats and politicians. Police departments are still staffed with Celestials, in many cases the exact same ponies as before in charge. They insist that any Celestials involved in government are being closely observed by Imperial officials. Yet how are we meant to believe them, given the behaviour of the Dusk Clique?

Many of us should have seen the warning signs earlier on, when the Dusk Clique went behind everyone’s back to negotiate with the backwards, selfish strikers who refused to work for their rightful Empress. Not just refused to work, but many who declared themselves in open rebellion to her rule! How can we treat these traitors with negotiations? The Imperial authorities would have been wise to make examples out of the most troublesome, the Empire would be better off without them!. Not having to worry about this scum would’ve been well worth any short-term economic loss, not to mention all the industrious thestrals who would’ve been happy to take up those jobs if the strikers were purged.

And what reason do they give in defence of their actions? Why, they announced to the world that they want to disprove any notion that the Empress seeks to ‘rule through terror’. What kind of nonsense is that? Do they truly suggest that the treasonous masses should not fear their Empress? If they don’t fear their Empress, how are they supposed to be kept in line? Are we meant to expect that the masses of earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi, the result of a thousand years of conditioning and propaganda to render them pitiable followers of Celestia, will just come around on Her Highness?

But the Dusk Clique wasn’t done! Far from it! What did we see next? Amnesty for imprisoned traitors and Celestials! The reinstatement of Celestial officials! Criminals offered reduced sentences in exchange for information! Concessions to Celestial capitalists and communist labourites alike! Not only letting our enemies walk free, but giving them positions of authority in our Empire!

And tonight in Canterlot, that most putrid city, the Dusk Clique’s greatest insult of all has been passed into law: The Nightmare Charter. Freedom of speech. An elected parliament. Right to join treasonous organisations like unions. Equality between the thestrals and the three tribes. Worst of all, it promises the freedom to worship false gods like Celestia. All of this is not just insulting, but threatening to our very existence.

This charter validates the lie, the lie most foul, of the ‘consent of the governed’. Why must the Empress seek the consent of Her subjects? Why must the Empress seek the consent of anyone? They are Her subjects! She commands, they obey! They do not ask questions, they do not demand concessions, they follow Her orders as they should! Do these opportunists really believe the Empress must become a subject to a population of disgraceful worms? She knows She is subject to no law but Her own, of course She does!

And what now, are the Celestials being given a chance to fight against us at the ballot box? A fully state funded and legitimized opportunity for our very worst enemies to show their support? Have they gone mad? Her Highness should not concern herself with public support! Her subjects should learn their place beneath her and stay there!

Our enemies do not deserve to be treated as equals. They do not deserve to be negotiated with or debated with on ‘fair terms’, they deserve to be crushed with overwhelming force! Overwhelming force is what won the war to reclaim Equestria, and overwhelming force will keep it! If our work in the halls of power and on the streets were to waver or falter, if we were to hold back or pull our punches, every one of our enemies stands to gain. Solarism, communism, republicanism, psuedo-Lunarism and every other flavour of anti-Lunarism would all get a chance to grow in opposition to us. By giving them a space on the political battlefield, it gives them a staging ground to resist us and eventually overrun us!

Now to fight in these elections a new party is being formed, intended to unite all the elements of the Lunarist movement at a convention in Manehattan beginning on the 20th. This convention will be where the future of Lunarism is decided, it’ll determine the direction of the movement for a generation. Therefore, it is more important than anything in the world that we ensure it goes in our favour!

We’re going to go to the convention, we’re going to make our voice heard, we’re going to fight like hell, we’re going to rescue the Empire from those guiding it to ruin! We will demand that her Empress’s authority be respected! We will demand that the opportunists be expelled from our ranks! And we will take back our movement!

As for the traitors, they inevitably will lose, for they lead with weakness! We lead with strength! We all know we cannot afford to be weak! In our time of great adversity we have to show strength! We have truth on our side! We have our strength on our side! We have the power and might of our Empress on our side! Nightmare bless! Nightmare bless!

“You probably already have your own preconceptions about revolutionary communism and religious fundamentalism, there’s a good chance you feel a whole lot stronger about those two than you feel about Lunarism, right? Hell, you might even have had experience with a movement or government that calls itself one of those things.”

“Though!” Moonatik pats the desk. “I’d invite you to keep an open mind. Not in an ‘all perspectives are equally valid’ sort of way, like some bitches are just straight-up wrong, but it might be worth questioning how your already existing biases about one of these two perspectives might cloud what you think about it, y’know?”

“Alright.” He stretches his wings. “I know that was a lot. Let's get back to Light Narrative.”

Overview of the Equestrian political situation after the civil war, by Light Narrative (14/02/1002).

For the Lunarist movement to fight in the elections, it needed to consolidate into a common party united under a common platform. Up to this point, the Lunarist movement was made up of myriad organisations connected through mostly informal networks, and lacked a true central institution to rally behind. Hence, a convention to form a new Lunarist party was called, with invitations sent to groups and individuals from all over the Lunarist political spectrum. Manehattan was chosen as the site for the convention, an iconic Equestrian city with a large thestral minority.

It began on the 20th of February, and over the course of the 7-night convention much was done. The first night of the convention chose a name for the party, while there were some who wanted an initially Lunarist name, “Lunarist United National Association” being the most popular, the delegates decided that a name to better reflect itself as a party for all Equestrians. After some deliberation, the delegates settled on “New Equestria Party”.

Next a party constitution was written, a Central Executive Committe was elected, a party platform and manifesto was written and approved by both the CEC and the delegation. Many concessions had to be given to the various factions present. Southeastern hardliners ensured that an article about strict loyalty to Empress Nightmare Moon was added to the constitution. Northeastern unions got stronger protections for workers added. Saffron Dusk was chosen as the party’s First Secretary in a unanimous vote amongst the CEC, meaning he would lead the party into the election.

Though the convention was not without controversy, mostly based on who was invited and who was not. A number of delegates from Chiropterra, many of them just back from Baltimare, arrived at the convention expecting to be represented. They were turned away, as the convention was intended to form a party to represent Lunarists in Equestria. This angered the Chiropterrans, who insisted that as descendants of the Equestrian legions they were entitled to representation despite the fact many of them had never been in Equestria before that night. It took the intervention of the Empress herself to calm both sides, who allowed the Chiropterrans to observe the convention but made it clear that they would not take an active role in proceedings.

Regardless, the party was formed and equipped to fight the first Equestria’s first democratic election.

In opposition, there were all the parties of old Equestria. The parties of the bickering ruling elite in the Tribist Alliance and the Equestrian Values Coalition, the parties of the wide eyed idealists in the Free Democrats, and even the socialists of the Working Ponies Party. All were allowed to run candidates, on the condition that they pledged loyalty to the Empress, promised to respect the results of the election, and renounced any extremist positions. They all accepted, and were ready to fight an election campaign in opposition to the NEP. Yet their efforts were crippled by their greatest enemy: each other.

Without mediation from higher up they struggled to get anything done, and with such mediation gone they were incapable of forming a common platform. The TA insisted they were the authentic voice of old Equestria, the EVC denounced TA leaders as cowards and collaborators, the FDP insisted only they had a shred of backbone, the WPP didn’t want anything to do with ‘bourgeois liberals’, and so on and so on. In a fairly comical moment, the TA desperately tried to prove that it wasn’t rife with institutional anti-thestral racism, yet struggled to find a single thestral willing to stand as a candidate for their party! The campaign season for the various old parties was full of hilarious blunders, too numerous to list, owing to the fact that none of these parties had ever had to fight a national election under universal suffrage before.

By presenting a unified Lunarist electoral front, along with a carefully coordinated campaign boosted by Saffron Dusk’s public speaking skills, the votes of practically all Lunarists and thestrals in Equestria was secured from night one. From there, the party worked hard to do outreach with the rest of the country, aided by the many connections and negotiations that Dusk had done before the Charter’s passage. To put it mildly, it paid off.

The Moon tabloid newspaper report on the 1001 parliamentary election results (8/05/1001)

The New Equestria Party has achieved a landslide victory in Frinight’s election, the first national Equestrian election under true universal suffrage. The NEP won with 49.02% of the votes and 270 of the 400 parliamentary seats.

According to results published by the Central Election Commission, the NEP swooped to victory with a total of 11,905,465 votes, millions of votes more than all other parties in the contest. The Tribist Alliance, with 17.43% of votes, placed a distant second in terms of seats at 44. With 270 of the seats in Parliament, the NEP has a commanding majority of 140 and is expected to form the new government with Saffron Dusk as Prime Minister.

Over 24 million ponies voted. This was the first national parliamentary election in Equestria to be conducted with universal suffrage, meaning it more accurately represents the wishes of the Equestrian population at large compared to elections under the previous regime.

“This result is not the victory of a political party, but a loud, united chant from all who have yearned for a new Equestria,” said Saffron Dusk in his acceptance speech. “The downtrodden of Equestria has called on us to rally the forces of justice in the great battles of our time.”

The 6 May Parliamentary election in Equestria was transparent, competitive and transparent, according to Central Election Commission’s Head Blackberry Jam during a public meeting devoted to the election results.

“The election was free, competitive and transparent,” Jam said. “The outcome is trustworthy and votes were counted with observers from all parties present. Ponies challenging the results are doing so as sore losers or have been deceived by election denying conspiracy theories,” she continued.

The final figures were provided by the Central Election Commission, and are included below:

New Equestria Party, 270 seats - 11,905,465 votes (49.02%)
Tribist Alliance, 43 seats - 3,451,176 votes (14.21%)
Working Ponies Party, 32 seats - 4,233,215 votes (17.43%)
Equestrian Values Coaltion, 30 seats - 2,693,422 votes (11.09%)
Free Democratic Party, 22 seats - 1,729,230 votes (7.12%)

Independent/Other, 3 seats - 274,442 votes (1.13%)

The Equestrian Parliament

“Sounds right, right?” Moonatik smirks and chuckles. “Well, not everypony thought so.”

Verbal account of Trixie Lulamoon, Member of Parliament for Paradise Valley (10/05/1001)

Oh yeah it’s total bullshit. Everything about the process, complete bullshit. Look at all the caveats on these “rights” and “shows of good faith” from Nightmare Moon. Political prisoners were released, but this “Imperial Commission” that nopony voted for restricts their rights. The charter came with an elected parliament, but it also gives Nightmare Moon power to block and change everything whenever she wants! The mass terror has ended, but the spying and harassment of liberal organisers and sympathisers most certainly has not! Trixie can’t go anywhere without being followed, a goon from the secret police is probably watching us right now! It’s not a democracy, it’s a democratic mask for an awful dictatorship!

Sure, Trixie won a seat, but Trixie’s district has twice as many ponies as your average Lunarist district! Oh, and did you know that in Trixie’s entire district, home to more than 300,000 ponies, there were only 22 polling stations? The Lunarist district next door had polling stations on practically every street corner! How is that “free and fair”? And we had our support divided amongst, what, four, five parties? We couldn’t even meet with other parties to do any sort of team-up! They’re doing it all on purpose, I tell you. And don’t forget all the ponies who saw through all of this and didn’t show up to vote! Who can blame them? Truth is, the game was rigged from the start!

Official vote counts don’t care about the disenfranchised. Trixie does, though! Trixie’s been crunching numbers! And you don’t have to be a mathmetician (sic) to figure out that even the official figures prove its bullshit! Look, Equestria has about 45 million adult ponies, and in the election around 24 million of them voted. That puts turnout around 54%, right? Right. So how many votes did the NEP get out of that? Under 12 million! Under 12 million out of 45 million! When you use the exact numbers that’s, and Trixie swears she double and triple checked this, 26.42%! That’s barely more than a quarter! Even with all the other rubbish, they could barely get a quarter of Equestria on their side! A quarter!

You know what we did with that? Here, here, look at this!

Trixie designed this billboard herself. Thousands of ponies pass through this street every night. Is it legal? Probably not, but it’s true. If the government wants to criminalise the truth, that’s their problem. Ponies can always tell when someone’s lying.

“Worth noting, Trixie and her party, the Free Democratic Party, were dragged into court on charges of sedition and spreading anti-Lunarism for the billboard, but they successfully defended their case by arguing that they were accurately reproducing the official vote results and turnout, just with commentary that they were well within their rights to add. The highly publicised court case actually led to an increase in support for the FDP.”

“You might recognise that name, Trixie Lulamoon. She’s sort of a big deal. This is just me talking but even with the name she’s made for herself, I’m like 99% sure she’s just doing it because she loves the spotlight. I also get the vibe she believes everything she says, including the outright lies. Oh, shit, is that poisoning the well? What does that expression mean again? Eh, whatever. Back to Light.”

Overview of the Equestrian political situation after the civil war, by Light Narrative (14/02/1002).

With the internal political apparatus sorted, the NEP moved to implement a transformation of society like nothing else. Immediately they passed two monumental laws, first the Thestral Friendship Act and secondly the New Equestria Act.

The Thestral Friendship Act reaffirmed that thestrals were a tribe of Equestria and authorised some of the most ambitious desegregation initiatives the world has ever seen. These initiatives included housing and business loans with the aim of creating generational wealth for thestrals, recruitment drives to get skilled thestrals into high paid jobs, a reexamination of school funding and a total rewriting of national history curriculum to ensure long buried truths about the Unification Wars and the Lunar Rebellion are made public knowledge. It also included measures to purge the justice system, police forces, and military of any lingering remnants of anti-thestral racism, gave powers to the government to dismantle any racist organisations, and even went as far as implementing racial quotas in housing and schooling to ensure that there was an equitable distribution of the tribes throughout Equestria, which involved moving a lot of ponies out of rural areas and into towns and cities. Thestrals were invited to come down the mountains and into the wider world.

As one would expect, these measures were extremely controversial amongst the usual suspects. Canterlonian aristocrats, Manehattanite plutocrats, and Baltimare kleptocrats, all of them coming out raging about how the new laws trampled on the rights of their businesses. The rights of their businesses to what, might I ask?

But I’d be remiss to neglect that there was some good faith criticism. One MP from the Free Democrats argued that the act “fought discrimination with discrimination” and would’ve preferred to have done the act in a race-neutral way that would’ve achieved the same goals. The act’s supporters responded by saying that it was better to rip the band aid off than to spend decades peeling off the thousand year injustice. Of course, with such a big majority in Parliament and with momentum on the Lunar side, all this debate barely amounted to anything. The program was implemented with little impediment, to the benefit of thestrals up and down the nation.

The New Equestria Act focussed nominally on various economic initiatives. Whilst it authorised subsidies for small and large businesses, large welfare programmes, and purchased/authorised the construction of huge numbers of agricultural machinery to create a large enough food surplus to move agricultural workers into the cities, much of it was funded by the explicit expropriation of noble estates and mass nationalisations whilst also granting the state greater authority in suppressing the nobility. Part of the stated goals of the act were the liquidation of Equestria’s nobility which the act's own text characterised as “parasitic”.

As a result of these two acts, many tribal southeastern thestrals feared that the rehousing and desegregation initiatives might force them out of their ancestral homes. These ponies had fought for Lunarism, both in the civil war and in the Southeastern Guerilla War which was still in living memory. This almost exploded into a crisis, but through negotiation with the tribal thestrals they retained the rights to own their ancestral lands, and it was promised that there would only be exploitation of local resources with the express permission of the lands' sovereign owners. This deal was formalised with the passing of the Tribal Sovereignty Act in Parliament, which characterised the tribal lands as their own distinct nation within Lunar Equestria.

A similar series of events happened in the south west of Equestria, with the various pony villages and buffalo tribes seeking similar recognition from the Imperial government. Whilst the buffalo tribes were recognised as their own distinct entity in the Tribal Sovereignty Act, nothing similar was extended to the southern pony settlers, who were expected to be Equestrian subjects just like any other pony.

But the NEP was far from finished in realising its vision for a new Equestria. While the tribal negotiations were still ongoing, Parliament passed the War Preparedness Act. It organised the various militias and other armed Lunarist groups into a regular standing army, including a requirement for all able-bodied subjects to enlist for military service for at least two years before they reached the age of 28 (with an alternative civil service and community service opt-out for those determined to be unsuited to combat missions). This included a large conversion of existing civilian industry into military industry, as well as large expansions of already existing military factories in order to produce the quantities of equipment necessary to prepare the new military for combat.

The NEP supermajority in Parliament meant that they could pass things without consulting other parties who usually dissented, but in this case there was multi-partisan agreement in passing a military expansion act due to the fact that “monster” incidents had increased exponentially in the years preceding Empress Nightmare Moon’s return, and that Equestria would need a trained, capable armed force to quell such threats. According to old diary entries from Princess Celestia she acknowledged the growing monster problem, but her approach was not to build a stronger standing army to deal with such threats, but to train personal proteges who would seek her methods of reconciliation and friendship and to have a small secret elite force of monster hunters, named the Secret Monster Intelligence League of Equestria (S.M.I.L.E.), to deal with threats that could not be reasoned with.

It should go without saying that Empress Nightmare Moon found this approach misguided and foolish. After all, if it had worked, the revolution never would’ve succeeded. On the Empress’s initiative a consensus formed amongst the Lunar political and military leadership, that the threat of monsters should be crushed with overwhelming force. The Imperial Lunar Military expanded to over a million active personnel, Empire-wide deployment was put into place, and its forces were equipped with state-of-the-art weaponry. The campaign is ongoing, but early reports indicate great success. Something that would’ve put an Equestrian town or village in mortal peril but a few years sooner would now be dealt with in no less than 5 minutes after the arrival of soldiers. “Ursa Major, minor problem” has become a popular saying amongst particularly proud soldiers, and the military has widely publicised their many successes.

“Light’s report doesn’t go to the proper conclusion of the anti-monster campaign, it was written before that, so I’ll skip ahead some months.”

Report on the anti-monster campaign published by The Canterlot Post (23/06/1002)

A new government report regarding monster incidents, incidents in which sapient life or property is disrupted, harmed, or destroyed as a result of a monster attack, was released to the press last night, which has recorded a fall from a 89 incidents nationwide in May 1001, approximately just less than three a night, to just 12 incidents recorded in the whole month of June 1002 nationwide.

This comes as a great relief to millions of ponies across Equestria, especially those living in rural areas where attacks are more common. The severity of what incidents have occurred has dramatically fallen too, with tragedies such as the evacuation of the village of Agistcester due to unceasing Cragadile attacks being put behind us.

From approximately 990 onwards, the number of monster incidents had dramatically increased up until 1001, with monthly averages per in the decade prior (980-89) never exceeding 9. 1000 saw the concentration monthly average of monster attacks during the Lunar Rebellion, peaking at 104 incidents in November.

The tremendous success in preventing monster attacks has been broadly attributed to the enormous expansion and nationwide deployment of military forces as mandated by the War Preparedness Act of 1001, which was approved by MPs from all parties last year. The sharp fall in incidents has also been attributed, albeit to a lesser extent, by the widespread proliferation of firearms in civilian hooves following the Lunar Rebellion.

One town in the South-West named Apple Fria, where the Canterlot Post's South-Western office is located, was recently the target of a bugbear swarm that was prevented thanks to the efforts of a single Lieutenant named Jard Lumber armed with nothing more than a Light Machine Gun.

"I killed those bugbears, and I am proud of it" Lieutenant Lumber said to a Canterlot Times correspondent, "I wasn't nervous. A fellow can't afford to have nerves in this business. I want to put in a good word for those mares and stallions who helped me, they all did swell. I'm trying to get them a promotion (sic), the way I look at this monster hunting job, somebody has to do it". Lieutenant Lumber is expected to receive the Order of the Moon in recognition of his courage and gallantry protecting the small town.

A similar event occurred not far from the town of Apple Fria in April of this year, where a Sergeant named Arizona Ranger solo fought off an attack by a beast locally known as "Texas Red" armed with nothing but a Single Action .44 revolver. The S.A. .44, nicknamed "Big Iron", has become a symbol of local pride and Southwestern grit.

“To wrap up.” Moonatik takes a magazine out of the box, speaking whilst gathering the other documents to put back into the box. “I’ll just have some interviews with regular ponies so you can get a more on-the-ground idea of life in Lunar Equestria.”

Verbal accounts from members of the Equestrian public, asked how the new government has changed their life. Published in The Equestrian magazine (30/06/1002)

Sourdough, age 37, Tall Tale.

Fucking hell, don’t get me started. Before all this Lunar crap things were just fine with me. Things were just fine with my friends. Things were just fine with Equestria. Then this psycho regime had to come along and change everything. Oh, looks like you got me started.

I’m an independent businesspony, I built what I had from the ground up with my own hooves. Ponies around my part of town knew me and respected me. We always had harmony where we lived. Folk helped folk, not because we had to but because we knew it was right.

There wasn’t any real fighting around here, so I was saved from being damaged physically. But financially? See, when they announced all these “Thestral Uplifting Initiatives” or whatever the hell, that meant three tribes ponies moving out and bat ponies moving in and starting businesses. And sure, I’m all for fair competition, but this isn’t fair competition when one side is being subsidised with my tax bits! It’s taking money out of my pocket and putting it into theirs, just because they’re bat ponies. And it’s a cycle too, I need to raise prices at my business to stay afloat which drives customers away from me and into the hooves of the ones getting the subsidies that lets them keep their prices low. Practically the only thing keeping me above water is my reputation.

And like, don’t get me wrong, nothing against bat ponies. I’m talking about the government, the “New Equestria” Party. You’re not allowed to ever criticise them or they’ll call you a racist. Being branded with that is just about the worst thing that can happen to a pony. They’ll find any reason to lock you up if you cross their path, already had a few friends go to jail for basically nothing. That’s probably the biggest difference, because ponies are afraid that the government is watching them all the time they act differently. Ponies are a whole lot less ‘real’ now, y’know? Feels like they’re only doing things because they have to. The magic of friendship isn’t dying, it’s being killed.

Sorry if this is a lot at once, but I don’t really get many chances to say this sort of thing.

Blackout, age 23, Manehattan.

Life changing. Life changing in the best possible way. Things that would have been impossible to me a few years ago are right in front of me. I feel like I have an actual shot at life now.

I never would’ve been able to get a good apprenticeship under the old regime. Nopony with any actual power or property was looking for thestrals unless they wanted dirt cheap labour. Now, though? It’s fantastic. Everyone’s looking to hire thestrals. I’m able to make decent money off of that and move to a nicer part of the city.

Only hiccup is that I’ll have to join the army at some point in the next five years. But honestly, I’d be proud to. Seeing all the amazing work that our soldiers are doing, cleaning up the monster problem, I’d love to be a part of that. Not just monsters, back in the part of the city where I grew up crime was always a problem. Not anymore. Everyone I know who still lives there tells me the same thing. They can sleep with the doors and windows unlocked and not have to worry. Crime is way down, criminals are getting locked up, and because ponies are doing better less are turning to crime. It’s a virtuous cycle!

Ponies are just nicer to me now, too. Before the revolution, it’d be hard for me to go anywhere where other tribes were. I’d be turned away at restaurants, nopony would want to sit near me on the bus, cops and royal guards would treat me with suspicion for just existing. But tonight? Nopony dares treat thestrals like that. It’s kind of flipped on its head, they used to go out of their way to be cruel but now they’re going out of their way to be nice. You can tell some of them are putting on an act, you can see it in their eyes, but I’d take that over being called a ‘bloodsucker’ any night.

I’ve never known this sort of security in my life before. Security in every sense of the word. I’ve got financial security. I’ve no longer got to worry about threats to my safety. I can start a family and know my kids are going to grow up prospering. Hell, I’ve only been talking about my life. For Equestria as a whole, for thestrals as a whole, I really think we haven’t seen anything yet. I’m full of hope for the future.

Highway, age 41, Trottingham.

Hm. See, that’s tough. If you asked me what I thought of the Lunarists a few years ago, heck, just two and a half years ago, I wouldn’t have given them a second thought. Yeah they worshipped Nightmare Moon, but I thought Nightmare Moon was a myth, and lots of creatures around the world believe in myths. To me she was a story I’d tell my kids about on Nightmare Night, and that’d be it. It’s kind of hard to have strong feelings for something when you don’t really know if it existed or not, all the real stories about her were from nearly a thousand years ago. What connection would I have to that?

Then, well, you know. Nightmare Moon came back. Turns out a lot of those myths were real. Turns out a lot of them were made up, too. Makes you wonder who you can trust.

It’s weird. Ponies always say that it changed everything, but to me? I don’t know. I’m still pretty much working the same job. I have a little extra money in my pocket, I guess. Even after taxes. Even after my electricity bill. Bloomin’ heck has my electricity bill gone up.

I can’t say I like the Lunarists, they’re basically dictators. And liars. I can probably count myself lucky that I’m too old to be conscripted, if everything that’s been said about ‘expanding the frontiers of our Empire’ are meant to mean anything. Though as long as I’m here, things are a lot better than some ponies had feared. As strange as it all gets I think we’re going to be okay.

I’m more worried about my kids. They’re all primary school age, yeah, but they’ve got to grow up in this world, everything they thought they knew being flip turned on its head. Not sure what it’ll be like when they grow up.

“Alright, you’re up to speed!” He throws the magazine back in the box and puts the lid back on. “That’s everything you should need to know about Equestria for a couple of years or thereabouts after the civil war! How Her Highness went from teetering on the edge to well and truly on top! So, you ask, is there more?” Moonatik excitedly rubs his hooves together and flaps his wings. “Ohh, much more. Mate, we’re just getting started! Just you wait!”

Author's Note

OC attributions:
Light Narrative, Sinister Serov, and Starry Glory are from Equestria at War.
Sinister Serov is based on Sinnie, belonging to sinniethecat.

Seizing the North

“Alright, alright, I know!” Moonatik had his hooves and wings up. “I’ve been putting it off, I’ve gotten carried away and went on to write- uh, I mean dig up other archives, and I haven’t told you much of anything about the wars with Queen Chrysalis and King Sombra.”

He picks out a sheet of paper. “For most Equestrians, this is how they first learned there was a hostile world beyond their borders.” He clears his throat and begins to read in something resembling an authoritative tone.

Transcript of an emergency broadcast played on all official radio and television stations in Equestria. (10/11/1002)

ATTENTION ALL LUNAR SUBJECTS.

Equestria has been attacked.

The forces of Chrysalis, Queen of the Changeling Lands, have attacked Equestria in an attempt to seize control of the country.

It is understood that Chrysalis used Equestrian terrorist groups as part of her plan to sow chaos, including Celestial and anarchist groups most prominently. Prior to the attack, an unknown number of ponies had been foalnapped and replaced with changeling infiltrators. Linked groups are being investigated and quickly dismantled. Chrysalis has since been apprehended and poses no threat herself.

But all across the Equestrian northeast, Changeling forces continue in their attempts to seize control of Equestria. Changelings are contesting control of several towns and cities, including Vanhoover, Acornage, and Salt Lick City. Brutal massacres and foalnappings against civilians have been committed in towns and villages under Changeling occupation. An evacuation zone encompassing much of Fairflanks province has been established.

The Imperial Lunar Military has responded quickly and decisively to the threat. Army units stationed on the Changeling border have prevented further incursions. The Navy has killed dozens of changelings who attempted to infiltrate Equestria by sea. The Air Force has maintained supremacy in the skies above Equestria and is prepared to strike Changeling territory.

By order of Her Imperial Highness Empress Nightmare Moon, a state of war now exists between the Lunar Empire and the Changeling Lands, and the war will not be considered over until our flag flies over their capital and their Queens grovel before us.

Lunar subjects of all backgrounds are ordered to remain strong, vigilant, and to follow the directives of the Imperial Lunar Military. There may still be undetected changeling infiltrators among us, and all must work to ensure the security of our communities.

All changelings residing in Lunar territory are required to immediately report themselves to the authorities and are prohibited from disguising themselves as something other than a changeling. All who fail to do so will be treated as spies of Chrysalis until proven otherwise.

NIGHTMARE BLESS EQUESTRIA. NIGHTMARE BLESS THE EMPIRE.

“Keep in mind, unless you were actually in one of the places with changelings, this was the first you heard of the changeling attack if you were anywhere near a TV or a radio or anything with broadcasting capabilities on the night.” He picks up some tabloids and places them in front of you. “Here’s what you would’ve heard the next few nights.”

The Moon tabloid reports on the Equestrian public’s reaction to the Changeling War.

EQUESTRIA AT WAR! (12/11/1002)
Following the brutal attack on Equestria by the changeling forces of Chrysalis, our Empire has declared war on the aggressive Changeling Lands.

In a speech before the Imperial Parliament, Her Imperial Highness Empress Nightmare Moon declared that “the actions of Queen Chrysalis and the changeling menace in Equestria constitute an act of war, and the Lunar Empire does not consider a war over until our flag flies over their capital and their Queens grovel before us!”

The speech was met with resounding applause from Parliament. Parliament swiftly passed a motion supporting the military campaign against the Changeling Lands, with 371 votes in favour, 21 abstentions, and just 8 votes against.

Her Imperial Highness continued, saying she had already ordered Warmaster Saturn Hawkrich to mobilise the Imperial Lunar Military and return fire on the Changeling Lands with “furious might beyond the changeling’s worst nightmares”.

Since the attacks began, northwestern army units have fought back valiantly against the threat. Much of the captured territory has been reclaimed, with only a small number of isolated and encircled changeling forces still occupying Equestrian towns and cities.

Tragically the army reports that thousands of civilians are yet to be accounted for, believed to have either been killed or foalnapped by Changeling forces. Soldiers have uncovered gruesome scenes of bloody massacres in reclaimed villages.

Army units across the country are already mobilising and moving to the border, preparing to defend our ponies and strike back into their lairs.

Given the industrial and military superiority of Equestria over all other nations on the continent, in addition to the assistance of other Lunar nations, most analysts project a triumphant victory.

BETRAYAL AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS? - BUG SYMPATHY IN THE EQUESTRIAN PARLIAMENT (12/11/1002)

Despite overwhelming support for the military in its announced campaign against the Changeling Lands, several Equestrian politicians have refused to back a strong response to the attack.

A total of eight politicians went in the face of public opinion and voted against the Parliamentary motion supporting the campaign into the Changeling Lands. Effectively, this means these politicians stand against our armed forces and against retaliation to the changeling threat.

One politician, Olive Branch from the Working Ponies’ Party, tried to defend their position on the floor of Parliament, saying, “Some of us have to step back for a moment and think about what a devastating war will actually do. We already have Chrysalis in captivity, we can enact justice without destroying the homes of countless innocent changeling civilians.”

Olive Branch repeatedly had to pause their speech, unable to be heard over jeers from other representatives. Little was said about the thousands of ponies killed and foalnapped by Changeling forces in their speech.

A member from the New Equestria Party, Habanero, hit back, saying “Frankly I find talk of ‘innocent changeling civilians’ at a time like this, treasonous!” His response was met with cheers and applause from the other members.

Another politician, Suriname from the New Equestria Party, also voiced criticism of the government and armed forces. They alleged that the firm measures imposed on potential changeling infiltrators “harkened back to the very same racism that this government has fought so strongly against until tonight, only now against changelings rather than thestrals”. Suriname still voted in favour of the motion.

Debate on the motion was ended by an order by the Speaker of the House, Iron Ingot. The vote in favour of the motion was overwhelming.

The eight politicians who voted against the resolution are as follows: Straight Foward, Olive Branch, Corn Flake, Karamelka Sladkaya, Key Board, Pick Axe, Black Soot, Rusty Cage. All are from the Working Ponies’ Party.

The editorial team of THE MOON newspaper believes that the only thing these politicians can do for the betterment of the country and the Empire at this point is to resign, and that to maintain their credibility the Working Ponies’ Party must disavow them at once.

EQUESTRIA STANDS UNITED - PONIES EVERYWHERE JOIN TOGETHER FOR THE WAR EFFORT (16/11/1002)

In the wake of the vile and unprovoked attack on Equestria by the Changeling Lands, inspiring scenes of unity are unfolding across the nation.

Volunteers in Vanhoover have flooded relief centres, donating supplies, and offering their time to support those affected by the attack. “It warms the heart to see everypony come together like this,” said the Mayor of Vanhoover. “We are proving that our friendship is stronger than anything that seeks to harm us.”

Elsewhere across the northwest, families have opened their homes to ponies who had their homes damaged or destroyed by Changelings or Changeling-linked terrorists. Local inns and businesses have also offered free accommodation and meals to those in need. Volunteer support groups have sprung up for the families of foalnapped ponies.

At a recruitment centre in the small town of Peachwood Junction, Mixie, the queues for ponies eagerly waiting to enlist stretch from street to street. “It feels like half the town is queued up,” said one queueing pony who already had a rifle slung over their back. “Are they even gonna have a posting for me?”

Similar scenes have unfolded in small towns and big cities all across the country. In Riverpool, the long queue leading up to a local recruitment centre is looked after by a young filly at her lemonade stand. “I sell a glass for just 5 tacks, but it's worth much more! I keep it cheap so everypony can afford it!”

Even as far away from the front as Tzinacatlia, displays of unity can be seen. Students at a school in Stableside have collaborated on public art projects to show support for the soldiers. The town centre features a stunning and beautiful mural of our valiant soldiers standing proud, painted by two young colts named Dream Boat and Carte Blanche.

“That’s, generally, how the public reacted to the war. Now for the war itself, from the mouth of the guy who masterminded the Lunar success.”

Overview of the Lunar invasion of the Changeling Lands, as recited by Saturn Hawkrich in a 1007 interview.

Chrysalis attacked Equestria under the foolish delusion that she would just waltz into Equestria and make us all her slaves. She must not read the news, because Equestria in 1002 was not the Equestria that existed when she united the Changeling Lands.

From what we could tell, her plan was to manipulate every anti-Lunarist, criminal, and terrorist in Equestria into a coordinated effort to bring down the Lunar Empire in one fell swoop. Already her plan was falling apart when she prematurely attacked our capital when her forces were unprepared, resulting in her own capture.

While we’d cut off the head of the snake, Chrysalis wasn’t the only snake, and she had a contingency plan. What armies she had left in Changeling territory were to prepare for a proper invasion of Equestria in the event of her capture or discovery, along with orders for all infiltrators to seize control of as much territory as possible. This invasion was launched shortly after her capture, but was a disaster for the Changelings as we’d been preparing for this exact scenario for two years. By the best estimates we have, Changeling casualties outweighed Lunar casualties 6 to 1. Only about twenty nights after the beginning of the war, the Changeling presence in Equestria had been completely eradicated with tens of thousands of changeling infiltrators and POWs captured and many more fleeing back home.

December 10th was the night we launched Operation Picaridin. The war was brief, with our “Shock and Awe” doctrine being fine-tuned to perfection. Throughout the war, Nightmare Moon and the Oneiromancy Brigade haunted the dreams of Changeling command staff. Additionally, mass propaganda campaigns were directed at the Changelings providing ample evidence to the enemy soldiers that they were facing a superior foe. Footage of previous Lunar battlefield victories and the masses of Changeling POWs were used to great effect.

Our offensives began with a combination of reconnaissance and ceaseless raiding by thestral commandos and air wings, the objective being to sow fear and deny the enemy rest. These were conducted on a much wider front than the operations were actually intended to occur, so as not to give away the direction of the attacks. When an attack came, it was preceded by massive artillery barrages and airstrikes, followed by commandos and paratroops attacking communication centres. Only then did the main thrust arrive, crashing like a wave against the already exhausted enemy. Fear and confusion was the order of the night. Most enlisted soldiers had simple orders to advance and take ground, while more advanced units were given missions to target centres of communication, logistics, and command, as well as intercepting enemy reinforcements. The result was a complete decimation of Changeling morale and personnel, with many disordered retreats in which vast quantities of material was abandoned, and several reels of footage taken for the next propaganda offensive. After the first few victories, it only snowballed from there.

Vraks was the first major hive city to fall, then Lyctida, then Vesalipolis, then Ditrysium, then Soryth. Vesalipolis, Chrysalis’s home hive, remained a tough nut to crack. She ordered her hive not to surrender before her departure, and even in custody she refused to reverse that order. Even once we’d seized the city, and had effective control, the remaining military units wouldn’t let up. Even tonight, as every other hive cooperates just fine, Vesalipolis still sees the most stubborn insurgency.

Regardless, all military objectives of the invasion had been completed after just five months, with the Lunar flag flying over all major Hive Cities and all local Queens captured by April 3rd.

The local Queens of the many hive cities surrendered to the Lunar Empire, pledging their loyalty to Empress Nightmare Moon on April 4th. I remember the ceremony, all of them bowing to our Empress in Chrysalis’s own throne room. But Chrysalis herself, Queen of Queens, remained defiant, even after months of imprisonment. We gave her every chance to surrender, but she continued to refuse. Instead of seeking to reason with her for a second longer, the Empress turned Chrysalis to stone.

Of course, we couldn’t rest. Sombra thrust himself back from the shadows before the last hives capitulated. That’s a separate headache of its own.

“A quirk of changeling biology is that once a changeling accepts a changeling queen as their queen, they are physically incapable of disobeying an order from that queen. The control can only be broken if the hive ‘rejects’ their queen. This rejection doesn’t work according to some rigid set of rules, like a vote or a formal process, it just happens organically.”

“So when a Hive Queen orders their drones to respect and obey the Lunar occupation, the drones are going to do that unless something goes terribly wrong,” he explains. “A few things, however, did go wrong. For one, the hive of Vesalipolis, Chrysalis’s hive, could never find a replacement for Chrysalis that was both accepted by the drones and amenable to the Lunar occupiers. Resultingly, that hive was an insurgent ridden mess for years to come. Whenever a pro-Lunar Queen was installed, they’d be ousted and even killed by their drones. Whenever a pro-independence Queen came to power, the Lunars would remove them before they could try anything. And while most insurgency was in Vesalipolis, it wasn’t limited to just Vesalipolis.”

Moonatik retrieves a tape recorder and loads a tape in. “Check this out.”

Transcript of a radio broadcast in the Hive City of Scoluth, mid-1004

(The broadcast opens with an upbeat pop jingle.)

Good evening to all the marvellous minions of Queen Probocia and creatures coming from elsewhere! You’re listening to the Lumi Scarab show, are we all having a good night? Yeah! That’s what I like to hear! We’ve got a great show for you all tonight, including the chance to win tickets to next month’s Sonar Blast festival, but first, the news!

Local hive police and Lunar military police successfully carried out a raid last night against an illegal moldstim manufacturing operation, understood to be a fundraising source for the Faithful terrorist group. Twenty kilos of moldstim and over four-hundred thousand Marks were seized! That’s a big bite out of terror!

In sports, it’s nothing but good news for Scoluth! Vraks got their butt delivered on a platter in last night’s Allhives Rugby game! 40 points to the Scoluth Warriors, just 10 to the Vraks Knights. Other scores include Ditrysium beating Mannarick 25 to 18, and Exoltia winning against Soryth 22 to 10.

The Imperial Lunar Air Force base located near Scoluth is seeing an expansion, with soldiers from the Imperial Lunar Army coming to share the base with their air force comrades. Both changeling and pony military personnel will be sharing the same barracks. The expansion is expected to bring a boon to the local economy, as soldiers stationed here spend their salaries at our businesses. I’m sure we’ll all be welcoming to our friends from abroad!

Lastly, the local department of industry-

(The audio devolves into static as the host’s voice becomes unclear. The static quiets but doesn’t go away, as a different voice takes over.)

Changelings of Scoluth!

Why do you tune in to listen to the lies of our enemy? Are you so easily satiated by the bread and circuses provided by our oppressors? Do the chains through your legs grow comfortable?

You feel it every night, you see what is being done to our hive, to hives all across our magnificent land!

If you only listen to what the propaganda of our enemies claim, then you would be deceived into thinking that the Faithful of Queen Chrysalis are mindless terrorists. Are we?

No! Take a look at what’s being done to our hives! Who storms our homes in the black of dark night? Who kidnaps and tortures our fellow changeling? Who rapes our vulnerable? Who presses the boot onto our necks?

We are changelings! All of us! We should not, do not serve ponies, they are our prey! We were united in this purpose before the great humiliation!

For the good of your hives, the time is now! Throw off your decadent, treasonous Queens! Raise hell for the enemy occupier! Restore the greatness of our hives!

Take whatever you have! Your guns! Your pitchforks! Your bare hooves and horns! Anything to-

(Again, the audio devolves into static. The voice of the officially planned broadcast’s host returns.)

And we’re back! Apologies, everyling, we’re not sure what happened there. Let’s kick the real show off with some music!

Moonatik hits a button on the tape recorder, stopping it before any music is played.

“Going back to when Chrysalis attacked, the country was kind of whipped up into a vengeful frenzy. That didn’t go away once the Hives were captured, because before the war was even over and when a ton of troops were needed to occupy the Changeling Lands…” Moonatik sighs wearily. “Somehow Sombra returned.”

He suddenly starts snickering. “Sorry, I had to.” He calms down. “Now, as bad as Chrysalis and her minions were, there were a good number of pacifists and such during that war. This wasn’t the case during the war with Sombra. Sombra was seen as this like, ultimate evil that had to be stopped no matter what. When Parliament voted on whether to support a war against that, it was bloody unanimous.”

“As for the campaign itself, it was a little more complicated than just rolling through the front door.”

“How the War Against Sombra was fought and won”, a summary displayed in the Imperial War Museum in Crystal City.

In the nights before the end of the War Against Chrysalis, reports from the Frozen North began to come in regarding the sighting of previously unknown settlements, settlements that had not been there prior. Empress Nightmare Moon quickly deduced that this had to be the return of the Crystal Empire, and as a result the return of King Sombra.

For a moment after the Empire’s return, barely a week, the Crystal Ponies had peace. Yet upon Sombra’s seizure of the throne, this came to an immediate end. All the city’s ponies were forced into the King’s service, forcible mind control for those given weapons and vicious slavery for the rest. A rapid mobilisation began as Sombra forced his subjects to war.

Much of the Imperial Lunar Military was still fighting in the Changeling Lands during the first confrontation between Lunar and Crystal forces on 2 April 1004. A small army personally commanded by Warmaster Saturn Hawkrich was sent to take care of the situation, with Nightmare Moon herself accompanying the army in case Sombra himself came out to fight. The army faced unexpected resistance at the hands of the Crystal forces and was forced to turn back.

The initial advance of the Crystal forces were swift and vicious. Tactics that displayed a callous disregard for the lives of the soldiers combined with the extensive use of dark magic overwhelmed the small Equestrian force. Unprepared Equestrians were pushed further and further back, as reinforcements were slow to arrive. Many Equestrians, too many some would say, were captured and enslaved.

At the extent of the Crystal Empire’s advance, they seized the cities of Riverpool and Whinnyapolis. The fall of these two cities prompted a greater mobilisation and movement of soldiers to the front, bringing Sombra’s expansion to a halt. When Riverpool and Whinnyapolis were reclaimed, much of the urban centres lay in ruins with the population all but gone. Sombra had taken everything to use for his own ends, even the people.

In regards to Sombra’s tactics, one frontline officer noted:

Last week 1,600 of our ponies were captured, this week they’re fighting us against their will. A month earlier a force of 800 were captured, but as Sombra’s forces lacked the equipment to brainwash them on the spot, they were massacred. Not even death is an escape from this terror, as many thousands of our fallen comrades have been resurrected and forced to fight again. The soldiers would commit unspeakable atrocities, only to have no memory of their actions upon being freed from the spell. They’re forced to torture, maim, and even kill their fellow pony, becoming mere appendages of the tyrant’s wicked mind. Truly, Sombra’s cruelty knows no bounds. We are confident that our crusade is a righteous one.

It took some time for the Lunar Empire to adapt in the face of Sombra’s tactics, with the war dragging on for months with little end in sight. Sombra was unlike any enemy that the Lunar Empire, or any state in modern history, had faced. Lunar military doctrine makes great use of psychological weapons as well as kinetic weapons, but the malign influence of Sombra’s magic nullified psychological warfare. Due to the slow progress, on 21 August 1003 Saturn Hawkrich was demoted from the post of Warmaster and replaced with Selenite Berzel. It was expected that the talented young officer Selenite would bring a fresh perspective to the head of the Imperial Lunar Military, an expectation which quickly paid off.

Under Selenite’s direction, a new strategy for the conduct of the war known as “Operation Guillotine” was devised. This involved a heavy reorganisation of Equestria’s frontline forces to improve efficiency, the large-scale training of specialised troops as opposed to reliance on infantry with limited training, and the use of a range of tactics aimed at draining Sombra’s officer corps.

Once Operation Guillotine was launched in early October 1003, Sombra’s lines crumbled to dust. The war came to a climactic end during a battle within the Crystal City itself on 23 March 1004, with Nightmare Moon herself engaging in one-on-one combat with King Sombra. Due to Sombra having to personally focus on fighting Nightmare Moon, his hold on his brainwashed armies was weakened, with many breaking free of the mind control spell and turning against their former master. A small Lunar force managed to break into Sombra’s castle and recover the Crystal Heart, which was promptly powered up with the energy of the city’s inhabitants. This energy was then used by Nightmare Moon herself to tear Sombra’s body apart, killing him for good. As a result, the ponies of the Crystal City hailed Nightmare Moon as their hero, kneeling before her with many declaring her the rightful sovereign of the Crystal Empire.

Following the victory, wherever Lunar forces went they were welcomed as liberators by the vast majority of the population. A very small number of so-called “Sombrites” made a few organised attempts at violent terrorism against the liberating army, but they proved to be no match for the Lunar soldiers.

All Crystal territory was formally welcomed into Equestria, and the Nightmare Charter was amended to include the Crystal Ponies as the fifth tribe of Equestria.

“After that, a snap election was held,” Moonatik says. “The stated reasoning was to provide representation to the fifth tribe, and all the constituency boundaries were redrawn so they were given a strong place in Parliament. No, I doubt it’s a coincidence how the election then turned out.”

The Moon tabloid newspaper report on the 1004 parliamentary election results (8/05/1001).

The New Equestria Party has achieved a landslide victory in Frinight’s early election, the largest election conducted in Equestrian history. The NEP won with 62.73% of the votes and 297 of the 400 parliamentary seats.

According to results published by the Central Election Commission, the NEP achieved another swift victory, winning millions of votes more than all other parties in the contest. The Free Democratic Party, with 25.05% of votes, placed a distant second. The NEP has maintained its commanding majority and Saffron Dusk will remain Prime Minister.

The early election was called in the wake of the accession of Crystal Province to Equestria, assuring that the new subjects achieved swift representation in Equestria’s highest institutions. The residents of Crystal City overwhelmingly supported the NEP.

Turnout saw a marked increase over the previous election, with over twenty-six million ponies turning out to vote. Extra effort was made to ensure that serving members of the military could vote.

“We now have undeniable proof that Equestria is more united than ever under Empress Nightmare Moon and that the ponies have confidence in our ability to govern,” said Prime Minister Saffron Dusk. “We fought poverty and injustice at home, and tyrants like Sombra and Chrysalis abroad. There’s nothing we can’t accomplish as a united country.”

The Tribist Alliance was the biggest loser of the election, falling from 43 seats to just 3. Party leader Blueblood, one of the few TA MPs to keep their seat, is in talks with the Equestrian Values Coalition regarding a merger of their two parties.

The final figures were provided by the Central Election Commission, and are included below:

New Equestria Party, 297 seats - 16,509,344 votes (62.73%)
Free Democratic Party, 74 seats - 6,592,684 votes (25.05%)
Working Ponies Party, 15 seats - 2,076,498 votes (7.89%)
Equestrian Values Coalition, 9 seats - 844,811 votes (3.21%)
Tribist Alliance, 3 seats - 247,390 votes (0.94%)
Independent/Other, 2 seats - 47,448 votes (0.18%)

“Now just in case it isn’t clear by that, the Crystal Ponies were pretty damn supportive of Nightmare Moon. Sombra is like, the worst pony ever as far as they’re concerned, and I’m not one to say that they’re wrong. I haven’t been through the things they’ve been through. Hm, actually, come to think of it…” he says, trailing off.

He shook his head, refocusing as he brought out a newspaper clipping. “Rather than yap about it myself, here’s what a Crystal Pony who lived through the war of ancient times and the war of modern times had to say about it.”

Opinion piece by Aqua Marine published in the Manehattan Times (03/05/1006)

We Crystal Ponies Know We’ve Never Had It So Good - Cheer Up!

Even though I moved to Manehattan after the liberation, I still visit my family in Crystal City every so often. I’m never quite dazzled by all the typical tourist draws, I’ve seen them a thousand times. But from the very moment I stepped off the train, I could tell something was different compared to the rest of the country.

Immediately, you can tell that ponies at home are grateful. Hundreds of ponies gathered outside public libraries, eager to learn about all the wonders of the modern world. Foals playing with new toys, thrilled at the novelty alone. I was eating at a newly opened cafe one morning and I overheard ponies at another table about how happy they were to have something as basic as a modern water distribution system. Smiling faces are the rule, not the exception.

And crucially, ponies are grateful to our liberators. Statues of Nightmare Moon, and even the anachronistic image of Princess Luna, appear all over the city in public spaces and even on private land. Only the few outside government buildings were put there by the government. The vast majority are an organic expression of gratitude from the local community, funded by local donations with the work done by local sculptors.

Then I return to Manehattan and it’s all doom and gloom and whining. No matter how small a problem is, all you hear are complaints. The bus was late, complain. The heating is too low, complain. That mural’s ugly, complain. My coffee is too hot, complain. And so on and so on. Even in the MT office, an office full of smart ponies with worldly perspectives, it’s complaining night in and night out. It’s not like the standard of living is any worse in Manehattan. It’s better, by many standards. It’s all down to attitude.

I’ve lived enough that I have some perspective that certain youngsters don’t. Perspective that some older folks don’t, too. If you went by my birth date, I’m well over a thousand years old. One thousand and sixty to be exact. Though I have only experienced forty-five of those years.

What you might consider mundane, we Crystal Ponies consider a wonder. With cars and trams I can travel from one end of the city to another. With trains and planes I can travel from Crystal City to the beach in less than a day without wings or teleportation. I can enjoy food from continents I didn’t even know existed in the older times. I can see those places without ever actually going there thanks to photography and video. Who gets credit for that?

But sure, maybe you don’t think Nightmare Moon deserves credit for that. It was all before her time, and so on. Nightmare Moon brought all of those to us, the Crystal Ponies, but Equestria had it before her return.

Then why don’t we take a moment to think about what the Lunar Millennium has brought Equestria? Equality amongst the tribes. An end to the constant monster attacks. Belligerent tyrants like Chrysalis were brought to justice. More ponies working in good paying jobs than ever before. More ponies living in developed communities than ever before. A position in the world far stronger than before.

Of course, a lot is said about the so-called “erosion of freedoms” under Lunar governance, whatever that means. In a far more real sense, a way that actually matters to ponies, we’re more free than ever. This goes beyond freedom in a general liberal sense. We enjoy freedom from hunger, freedom from fear, freedom from danger!

Sure, maybe you personally feel less free, but until you’ve been dragged into the grotesque mind-raping slavery of Sombra, like we were, you don’t know what it’s like to be deprived of freedom.

So as tempting as it can be to complain, complain, and complain about everything wrong with the world, have some damn perspective. We’ve never had it this good. You’ve never had it this good. For the love of the night, cheer up!

“Talk to any Crystal Pony today and they’ll tell you the same thing. Nightmare Moon brought them freedom and delivered them justice,” he insists. “They don’t budge on that point.”

“Say, about the ‘justice’ part.” Moonatik has a fat grin on his face as he takes a transcript out of the desk.

Transcript of a confidential interview held with Grim Fate, a necromancer and a former commander in Sombra’s army.

INTERVIEWER: State your name and occupation for the record.

GRIM FATE: Grim Fate. I’m a necromancer.

I: To ensure the utmost accuracy of Ms Fate’s answers, she was given a truthfulness potion briefly before this interview. How was the potion, Ms Fate?

(The interviewer notes that G started wincing and gasping.)

I: You were going to say it was terrible weren’t you?

G: (Grunts) The potion was fine. That feeling wasn’t. Felt like the worst hangover of my life.

I: The potion works by inducing overwhelming nausea and dyspnea whenever the drinker tries to tell a lie, a sensation only relieved by speaking the truth as they see it. You know what they say, the truth will set you free.

G: (Quietly) Cunt.

I: What was that?

G: I called you a cunt. Ngh?

I: As you can tell, the potion works wonders. Now let us get on. Ms Fate, you were a Legate in the forces of King Sombra. How did you come to serve King Sombra?

G: Found my way into the Crystal Empire when it just popped up again. Thought this Sombra feller sounded like my sorta guy, and offered my services to him by demonstrating my magical powers.

I: Magical powers in what?

G: Necromancy. Raising the dead. Bringing up armies of thralls from the ground. I pranced up to the city with a hundred thralls at my back to prove what I was worth, and every fucker was impressed. And I mean every fucker. Most of them could only do necromancy with all these long and costly rituals, and even they could only raise a small number of thralls at a time. Some could bring up thralls with just their own magic, but not whole armies. I was better than all of them. I know all the actual army guys hate this phrase, but I was a ‘game changer’.

I: What were your duties as a Legate?

G: I raised armies of undead thralls to fight the war, armies I commanded personally and had free reign to do with what I wanted. Just as long as I didn’t ignore the higher ups.

I: Did you ever have any personal loyalty to Sombra?

G: No. Never really liked the bastard.

I: Why did you serve him?

G: I wanted to be strong, powerful, respected. Make a name and a legacy for myself beyond the tiny little nowhere I came from. Make my ancestors proud. Make the whole world learn the name Grim Fate and tremble.

I: Now the world knows your name. Are you pleased with the outcome?

(The interviewer notes that G is quiet for several seconds.)

G: I’d prefer not to answer that.

I: What about the others? Other Legates, other higher-ranking officials?

G: Depends. Some just wanted glory for themselves. Others, they had big ideas about restoring some great Crystal Imperium. Usually it was the ones from abroad who wanted the first thing, and native Crystalians - the ones who’d been Sombra’s mates a thousand years ago and got banished with the Empire - who wanted the other.

I: Now you work for the Imperial Institute for Arcane Sciences, yes?

G: That’s who you are, isn’t it? Thought you’d know that.

I: And how did you come into the service of the Institute?

G: You lot captured me and brought me to one of your labs. Your boss gave me a choice between working for you, or, fucking dying I guess. I picked working for you.

I: What has it been like working for the Institute?

G: Well I think you’re a bunch of twats.

(The interview notes several seconds of silence.)

I: Is that all? I asked what working for the Institute has been like, not what your personal feelings on the Institute are.

G: The work itself has been fine. But you lot? Bunch of twats. You treat me like a smear of shit that got stuck on the end of your hoof, when not a single bloody one of you is the least bit better than me. High and mighty hypocritical tossers. What leg have you got to stand on? You want my help, and you still give me all the test subjects I ask for. The sort of thing you’ve got going on in your other labs aren’t any less nasty than what I get up to.

I: Does your work in the Institute differ from what you did under Sombra?

G: You know, the real difference is that before, I was out in battle so much that I didn’t have time to test and research magic as much as I’d like. It’s even easier to do that now, at least with the magic work. I don’t have armies of thralls, but I’m given armies of test subjects.

I: Have you ever considered breaking out of your custody?

(The interviewer notes that G again started wincing and gasping.)

I: Ms Fate?

G: Of fucking course I have! It’s a bloody prison!

I: Have you ever seriously made plans for an escape and sought to act on them?

(The interviewer notes further silence from G. It is also noted that she is not showing signs of discomfort.)

G: No.

I: Why?

G: I’d prefer not to answer that.

“I did say that pretty much everyone wanted Sombra gone, and this is true. But you did have a few ponies in Equestria who didn’t want to get behind Nightmare Moon to get Sombra out. There weren’t many, but they had influence in their specific groups.”

Moonatik takes a document out of his desk. “Here’s how one group debated their differences on the Sombra question.”

Police Report on a secret meeting between Equestrian communists. Dated sometime in spring 1003.

The meeting was being held at The People's Hearth, a public house at 14 Burns Way in northern Petershoof. As it stands, the communists seem unaware that we have identified this establishment as a frequent meeting place.

By the time I arrived, Karamelka Sladkaya was already there. The way she presented herself distinctly stood out from the others present. While the other communists wore inexpensive and often tatty work duds and overalls, or nothing at all, Sladkaya seemed prepared more for high-society ball in Canterlot than for a meeting of communists.

Her mane was well groomed, for one. Atop a silk dress shirt she had a pristine blue overcoat with brass buttons and golden(!) piping, along with a frilly cravat around her neck. The grand overcoat, it too having similar buttons and pipings, on the coat hanger was hers too. It is very difficult to believe that this mare is a communist.

Sinister Serov arrived late. Given that his mane and coat were damp, and the smell of a fruity soap lingered around him, it was like he just got out of the shower. Much like the other communists, he wore unadorned and practical work clothes. Before he even sat down, he made a snide remark regarding Sladkaya’s outfit, specifically “Did you miss the last train to Canterlot, dear dame?”. Sladkaya did not dignify his comment with a response.

The purpose of the meeting was to settle a matter of debate amongst the extremist left of the Working Ponies’ Party. They disagree on what their party policy should be towards the ongoing War Against Sombra. Unlike the War Against Chrysalis, where the extremist left regarded the offensive Lunar military campaign as an “imperialist adventure” in unison, there was much greater division with regards to Sombra.

Once Serov was seated, Sladkaya opened the conversation. Before she finished, Serov interrupted, saying “Yes Karamelka, you start. Let’s hear why you think the proletariat must sacrifice itself for Nightmare Moon’s sake.”

From there, both presented their point of view. Karamelka Sladkaya argued - that while the Lunar Empire was no friend to the working class - that the War Against Sombra was ultimately a progressive war against a much more reactionary force. Sladkaya described Sombra as a ‘universal, reactionary evil’, and that a victory for Sombra would mean an end to class struggle altogether and the death of their movement.

Serov, between insults, delivered their perspective. To his credit, he admitted that Sombra was a reactionary evil. But he claimed that they couldn’t trust the bourgeois state to carry out the war against him, as it will only use the war for its “callous profit purposes”. By continuing to agitate for revolution they could end the evil for good, as “only the red state can be trusted to defeat Sombra for good”. However convincing the other communists may have found Serov’s argument, they were buried under personal attacks at Sladkaya.

In response, Sladkaya said that the current war wasn’t anything like the Changeling War, where the opposing soldiers were “fellow workers”. In the current war, it was an army of serfs with mind control helmets on them led by an ancient warlord who had no intention of a negotiated peace. Given those circumstances, they had to support the war effort.

Serov laughed at Sladkaya’s arguments. He claimed that her policy was effectively the same as unconditional support for the Lunar Empire’s wars. She asked if this meant condemning the working class to every “hardship and injustice” that the Lunar Empire would throw onto them, or if this meant the abandonment of revolution altogether.

After that, Sladkaya asserted that in the current moment, where revolution was unlikely, the choice was ultimately binary. Either the Lunar Empire would win and history would continue, or the Crystal Empire would win and history would end. She argued that a policy of pursuing a distant goal of revolution in these circumstances would be impossible and only make their movement look ridiculous in the eyes of the workers.

Serov then claimed that by pausing their advocacy for revolution, they’d lose all credibility with the working class. By abandoning the communist position of revolution, they’d muddy the waters with what their goals were and make it impossible for the workers to know what they really stand for. Serov stood up and declared Sladkaya a “spineless opportunist, worse than all the imperialist warmongers combined!”

Eventually Sladkaya had enough of Serov’s insults. She stood up and left. Serov, a self satisfied grin never leaving his face, remained for a while.

Ultimately, the meeting seemed to get them nowhere and did nothing to resolve their differences.

A cursory examination of the mood of other socialists would suggest that the opinion of Sladkaya holds broader appeal, whilst Serov’s perspective is only embraced by so-called “ultras”. That said, the influence of these two mares (sic) and their movement over Equestrian workers is remarkably limited.

How best to utilise this rift to further fracture and minimise the threat posed by the extremist left remains unclear.

“That should give you the size of it,” says Moonatik. “But before we move on, I just wanna touch on one last thing. These two wars were quite possibly the best thing to happen to Nightmare Moon.”

“Starting in late 1000, the state commissioned independent polling agencies to secretly survey the general population in anonymous polls asking ponies how they felt about Nightmare Moon. The whole point was to provide an objective window into the attitudes of the general public for internal use, not propaganda.”

Moonatik provided a small sheet of paper, at the top it included a question with four options below.

Which of these statements most closely matches your opinion?

I have a positive opinion of Empress Nightmare Moon.

I have a neutral opinion of Empress Nightmare Moon.

I have a negative opinion of Empress Nightmare Moon.

I have no opinion of Empress Nightmare Moon.

A few other instructions to ensure anonymity were included on the sheet.

“I’ll just give you a quick summary of the results. In 1000-1002, it was roughly a fifth with a positive opinion, three-quarters with a negative opinion, and the rest neutral. Kind of what you’d expect.”

“Then came the wars. Equestria was facing existential threats for the first time in centuries and Nightmare Moon struck those threats down. Many soldiers literally saw her fighting alongside them. What happened to those polls? Well, they basically flipped.”

“In 1004, the year where the war with Sombra ended, a poll in the middle of the year had over three-quarters positive, under a fifth negative, with a small number of neutrals. They kind of tapered off after that, starting 1005 it’s been more like three-fifths positive with a little under a quarter negative every year. But personally, it’s hard to imagine this climatic shift occurring without the wars.”

The World Beyond

Moonatik leans to one side in his chair. “To quickly gloss over what the Lunar Empire was up to on Equus itself, that’s the continent, they cleared up the Equestrian monster problem, they took over the Changeling Lands after their Queen tried to take over Equestria, and then they fought and won a war against King Sombra. You’re probably familiar with what that’d look like, in some sense.”

“Though there’s a whole world beyond just Equestria and its neighbours. To put it mildly they were shaken by the sudden return of Nightmare Moon and the, well, disappearance of the sun. Many thought the end of the world was upon them! Though when it stayed warm and plants kept growing, people calmed down.” He shrugs. “Mostly. There was still a militarising Lunar Empire where a peaceful Equestria used to be.”

He takes a batch of papers out of the desk. “To help you understand all that, here’s a briefing prepared for Nightmare Moon herself! Surely nothing wrong with showing classified briefings to a random outsider such as yourself, ey?”

Top secret reference material prepared for Empress Nightmare Moon by the Imperial Ministry for International Affairs, dated 1 September 1004.

Equus continent summary

The Lunar Empire remains the dominant power on the Equus continent. The threat to Lunar interests on the continent from smaller states has been largely subdued, but vigilance should not waver.

Nova Griffonia maintains cordial relations with the Lunar Empire, as the first state to have engaged in diplomatic talks with us. The former colony of the Griffonian Empire is economically dependent on Equestrian imports. Armed forces are composed of local, often informal, militias overseen by a rudimentary command structure. Population ambivalent towards us. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Kingdom of Yakyakistan has no formal relations with the Lunar Empire. Analysis of their economic and military capabilities reveals that they pose an insignificant threat to Lunar interests and have few, if any, foreign ambitions. (More detailed information on page ██)
The United Dragon Lands have cordial relations with the Lunar Empire. Current ruling regime regards the Lunar Empire as a friend and potential partner, but owing to the kratocratic nature of Dragon politics the situation is perpetually in question. Strong anti-pony sentiment amongst the populace and diaspora. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Kingdom of Pingland has no formal diplomatic relations with the Lunar Empire and regards us with hostility. Recognises the Puerto Caballo rebel government. Strong anti-Lunar sentiment pervades the government and population. Economy and military are small and undeveloped by continental standards. Has attempted to form a military bloc with other hostile states such as Vedina and Olenia. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Kingdom of Olenia has no formal relations with the Lunar Empire. Recognises the Puerto Caballo rebel government. Developed modern economy characterised by pervasive corruption and oligarch domination. Military is lacking and plagued with corruption. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Polar Bear Communities maintain a productive and cordial relationship with the Lunar Empire. Broadly undeveloped economy and military. Economy is slowly developing due to the importation of Equestrian industrial equipment. Given their dependence, outlooks suggest they have an interest in maintaining their relationship with us. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Changeling Lands remain under occupation by the Imperial Lunar Military. Local hive queens are broadly cooperative with Lunar authorities. Conflict with anti-Lunar guerillas is frequent, but largely under control. Population retains anti-Equestrian sentiment from the Chrysalis era. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Dominion of Puerto Caballo remains under hostile occupation by the so-called Equestrian Provisional Government. Physical military threat to Equestria is virtually nonexistent, but the island is extremely well fortified. Strong Arisian presence identified on the territory. Heavily reliant on Arisian imports, delivered by underwater supply routes. Aquileian naval presence and diplomatic protection makes direct Lunar invasion inadvisable at the current moment. (More detailed information on page ██)

Western Griffonia region summary

The Lunar Empire presence in southwestern Griffonia, represented by the Commonwealth of New Mareland, remains a strong and loyal outpost for our interests. Local government has fully harmonised its foreign policy with the central Imperial government and continues to be satisfied with its place in the Lunar order. Surrounding states range from cordial and passive to belligerent and hostile.

The Griffonian Empire maintains a warm yet dispassionate relationship with us. Dysfunctional and backwards political system has prevented economic development and is preventing political unity. Retains a powerful army with some of the most advanced military theory on the continent, but overall power held back by backwards command structure. Could threaten Lunar interests in the future. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Griffonian Republic has no official relations with the Lunar Empire. Generally, the Republic’s current leadership is amicable towards us and seeks our recognition. Current assessments suggest the Republic lacks the military or economic capabilities to challenge the Empire. Could be played against the Griffonian Empire if relations deteriorate. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Skyfall Trade Federation continues to foster a productive relationship with the Lunar Empire. Strong army and navy, composed mostly of mercenaries. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Kingdom of Wingbardy maintains a warm yet dispassionate relationship with us. Developed trade links with New Mareland continue uninterrupted. Ambitions in Zebrica and southern Griffonia may overlap with ours. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Kingdom of Aquileia continues to threaten our influence, yet there is hope that this may change. Currently, the Kingdom is strongly contesting our overlapping spheres of influence in the islands south of Equestria and southwestern Griffonia. Aquileian support for the illegitimate rebel government of Puerto Caballo continues. They possess the strongest military in the region, and forecasts on what a direct war would look like are not promising. Economic problems continue to trouble the nation, increasing public dissatisfaction with the government and its hostile relationship with the Empire. Underground republican movement is growing increasingly dependent on our aid (More detailed information on page ██)

Eastern Griffonia region summary

The Lunar Empire currently has no significant presence or interest in Eastern Griffonia, but opportunities and challenges exist.

The River Coalition has previously been divided in its relations with us, but generally regards us coldly. Leader of the River Coalition, the River Republic, refused to recognise us as the legitimate government of Equestria and has encouraged other Coalition members to do the same. All Coalition members have towed the line, aside from Diamond Mountain, Nimbusia, and Jezeragrad. Current state of political division and varying levels of economic development hold back the Coalition’s potential, but may pose a major threat in the future. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Kingdom of Brodfeld continues to treat us with hostility. King Kloseu de Kissau believes you (Empress Nightmare Moon) are a “crypto-communist”. Economic deterioration and insurgency continues to trouble the nation. Zero threat to Lunar interests. (More detailed information on page ██)

Northern Zebrica region summary

The Lunar Empire presence in southwestern Griffonia, represented by the Dominion of Chiropterra, remains a strong and loyal outpost for our interests. Efforts to reform the Chiropterran system and restrain the zealous excesses of its leadership continue to bear fruit. Surrounding states are largely hostile.

The United Kingdom of Hippogriffia and Seaquestria, also known as Aris,continues to be hostile towards us and is broadly considered the largest threat to Lunar influence in the region. Military capabilities are primarily defensive and continue to expand, with developing offensive capabilities. Current government likely seeks to avoid direct conflict with the Lunar Empire, instead aiming to limit our influence through covert, underhanded means. Arisian support for the illegitimate rebel government of Puerto Caballo continues. The Arisian public is broadly supportive of the government's foreign policy, with propaganda campaigns aimed at increasing distrust in government and improving perception of the Empire failing to bear fruit. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Kingdom of Zumidia views us unfavourably. Diplomatically it is drawing closer to Aris, with its military being trained by Arisian instructors and equipped with Arisian weapons. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Kingdom of Warzena views us as a threat. Believed that the country’s history with Chiropterra strains relations. Much like its northern neighbour, its armed forces are being trained and equipped by Aris. Incredibly weak military, most recent performance in the 1000 Manerba War resulted in a swift Warzenan defeat. Current estimates suggest a Chiropterran operation could capitulate the whole state in two nights. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Colthaginian Republic regards us mostly unfavourably. Have met with our diplomats on a hoofful of occasions. Backwards slavery-based economic model restrains economic development. Military capabilities have increased in recent years. Diplomatically it is drawing closer to Aris. Signs of unrest in the eastern province of Coltva are showing, possibly giving us an opportunity. (More detailed information on page ██)
The Confederation of Zarantia regards us as a threat. Recent attempts at modernisation of society, economy, and military have been largely successful. Diplomatically isolated, invasion and annexation of then-Warzenan Manerba and Miharzehir in 1000 strained its relationship with northern neighbours. Recently the forces of the Storm King crossed into Zarantian territory, with current outlooks suggesting the Zarantians will be unable to resist the invasion for long. (More detailed information on page ██)

IMPORTANT RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

UNITED DRAGON LANDS: Dragon Lord Torch has retired. His daughter, Ember, won the contest to succeed him. Current assessments suggest Ember seeks friendly relations with Equestria. Unknown if this will last. Dragon society has accepted Ember’s rule, but she could be challenged for the title by an uncooperative or hostile challenger. (More detailed information on page ██)
REPUBLIC OF JEZERAGRAD: Opened formal diplomatic relations with the Lunar Empire after a successful diplomatic campaign. Faced no resistance from the wider Coalition, beyond softly worded statements from River Republic.
REALM OF KIRIA: An Equestrian national named Pea Shooter (age 42, born in Petershoof) was recently arrested in the Kirian city of Fragrance for allegedly smuggling weapons and contraband into the country. Kiria prohibits both imports and commerce, with harsh punishments for foreigners importing weapons especially. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is negotiating for his release, but considers the possibility of success both unlikely and of low priority.
KINGDOM OF BRODFELD: Government is losing control of swathes of countryside to bandits and insurgents. The socialist Prywhenian Liberation Army is the most powerful anti-government force in the country. Likely to escalate into a full civil war. (More detailed information on page ██)
ZEBRICA CONTINENT: The armies of the Storm King continue to rampage across the continent with impunity. Most recent victims to fall under total occupation were Maregypt and Abyssinia. Zarantia is currently struggling to fight against an invasion, the Confederation is expected to fall in less than a month. If Zarantia falls then the Storm King will have a direct land route to invade Chiropterra. Chiropterran forces have been placed on high alert and war measures are being implemented. (More detailed information on page ██)

Moonatik excitedly rubs his hooves together, his wings fluttering. “My my, how exciting! Is that last bullet point a segue to the next section? Oh, you bet! You bet!”

The First North Zebrica War

“You wanna see something cool?” Moonatik takes a box binder out of the desk, the characters “1NZW” written on the label. He reaches in and retrieves a scroll. As he unfurls it, you notice an animated image is displayed on the scroll.

“I love magic,” he chuckles. “Right, what you see there is a map summary of the war between the Lunar Empire and the Storm King. The most important parts, anyway. For a more detailed look, here’s what the Lunars themselves had to say about it.”

After collecting a magazine out of the binder Moonatik places it on the desk and opens it.

History of the First North Zebrica War, published in an official Imperial Lunar Military periodical, March 1009.

Background

Before the turn of the millennium the Storm King's armies had rampaged across Zebrica with impunity; the forces of the Storm King had displaced, wounded, enslaved, and killed countless millions. As the Storm King's armies forced their way into Zarantia and neared Chiropterran borders, conflict between the two titanic powers was inevitable. Rather than allow the Storm King to attack whenever best suited him, the Lunar Empire decided to strike first.

Phase 1, the Chiropterran War

It began at 3am Chiropterran time on 14 September 1004 with a swift and bloodless operation to seize the city of Tobuck and the abandoned coastal regions of Zarantia before the Storm King had a chance to take them himself. What followed was a colossal land, air, and sea offensive against Storm forces in North Zebrica. The two armies clashed at Darnaigh on 20 September 1004, with the Lunar forces led by Lady Commander Lightning Charm and the Storm forces led by Commander Tempest Shadow. The Lunar commitment to the war was solidified with the words of the Empress herself: “We will not rest until their kingdom is in ruins!”

The Battle of Darnaigh concluded in a hard won Lunar victory, as the Chiropterrans were equipped with modern tanks, planes, and artillery built in Equestria which outmatched the Storm King's imposing yet inferior weaponry and airships.

Situation on 20 September 1004.

While the Storm Forces had failed to seize Tobuck they continued to charge north, first into Zumidia and then into Warzena and finally Colthage before the Lunar forces could keep pace. All three nations crumbled before the mad conqueror's vast armada, and had their fields and cities sacked, burned, and decimated by the invaders. In response, Lunar forces launched broad offensives against the occupied lands in a hope to stall the Storm King’s armies.

Over the next six months, the frontlines moved back and forth across Zarantia, Warzena, and Zumidia. Even Tobuck itself was taken by the Storm King after a brutal battle in January 1005 where the legendary Firstborn Legion and the Children of the Moon Legion narrowly avoided encirclement. Moonspeaker Hollow fell under a massive airship attack on 19 February 1005, which was swiftly repelled thanks to the colossal defensive infrastructure developed by General Stone Palisade, which earned him a promotion to Lord Commander of the Starborn Legion.

But soon after, the tide shifted in the Lunar favour. Commander Tempest Shadow, the Storm King's own lieutenant, defected to the Lunar Empire a few months after the beginning of the war, and she provided valuable knowledge of the Storm Kingdom’s doctrine, technology, and weaknesses. Later, Equestria sent 130,000 experienced veterans equipped with cutting edge technology to North Zebrica to act as the vanguard of a new offensive and put them under the command of General Tempest Shadow. While many Lunar commanders were sceptical of Tempest Shadow's earnest commitment to Lunar interests, Empress Nightmare Moon gave Tempest Shadow her personal endorsement and assured her subjects that Tempest was to be trusted. Additionally, the Changeling Lands sent 2 tank divisions to North Zebrica to aid Lunar forces in the first overseas deployment of Changeling military personnel since the Lunar-Changeling War.

General Tempest Shadow and Sergeant Sol Nightshade at the Battle of Aghzat.

Phase 2, the Lunar War

Under General Tempest Shadow's command, the Equestrian Expeditionary Force raced through North Zebrica destroying all that the Storm King had to throw at them. On 11 May, Tobuck had been reclaimed. On 14 July 1005, Agzhat had been taken by advancing Lunar forces. On 24 September, the Battle of Ain Trotgourait ended in the biggest defeat for the Storm King by material and troop losses than any preceding battle. Lunar forces then struck the Storm King’s forces in formerly Colthaginian territory, eliminating all Storm forces west of the city of Colthage itself.

In response to their rapidly receding lines, the Storm King instituted a scorched earth policy, decimating any lands that they risked losing to the advancing Lunar forces. This policy was, by some estimates, responsible for the deaths of up to three million creatures across North Zebrica, overwhelmingly civilians.

The vast dedication of forces to North Zebrica by the Storm King had drained his many occupied territories of needed equipment and soldiers to quell rebellion, which is exactly what followed in the months following the Battle of Ain Trotgourait. Country by country, the Storm King's Empire was crumbling.

A desperate retreat from North Zebrica was ordered to keep the Empire together, but unbeknownst to the Storm King, Lunar forces had his planned evacuation route through Maregypt (which was in open revolt) cut off. The Storm King's personal flagship was ambushed by a force personally led by Tempest Shadow at the Battle of Menzaka on April 2 1006. In a climatic final duel, Tempest Shadow herself struck the Storm King down in one-on-one combat, killing him for good.

After two years and millions of lives lost, the First North Zebrica War was over.

Aftermath

With the Storm King gone and his Empire crumbling, Zebrica erupted into celebration. Yet there was still much work to be done. Much of the territory in North Zebrica was admitted to the Chiropterran Commonwealth. Zumidia, Warzena, and most of Zarantia were peacefully integrated into the Chiropterran administration to ensure the quick reestablishment of peace and order. The Second of April was declared Victory in Zebrica Night, a new national holinight. Zarantia was reestablished as a Lunar Dominion and western Colthage was brought under direct Lunar Military occupation.

As normality returned, the Lunar instrument of war became a force for peace. Lunar soldiers aided and oversaw the physical reconstruction of infrastructure, the return and rehousing of refugees, and the restoration of civil governance. Equestrian and Chiropterran units alike set up food, water, and fuel distribution points and medical clinics. As the victorious Equestrian combat units headed home, the long struggle of reconstruction was just beginning.

Zebrica as a whole looked to the Lunar Empire for leadership. The defeat of the Storm King at Lunar hooves turned Empress Nightmare Moon into a beloved figure across much of the continent, with nicknames such as “The Savior of Zebrica”, “The Storm Slayer”, and “The Lunar Liberator” catching on amongst the populace. Thus, the Zebrican Phoenix Initiative was launched by the Lunar Empire, a project which offered generous loans and physical aid to rebuild and develop Zebrica in the aftermath of the Storm King's rampage. This included literacy programs, building of infrastructure, and building vast radio and telephone networks. Empress Nightmare Moon herself toured the cities of Zebrica on the invitation of local administrators to personally oversee the acceptance of aid, being met by adoring crowds everywhere she went.

Tonight, the Chiropterran Commonwealth and the whole Lunar Empire stand as bastions of order and protectors of peace in the tumultuous continent of Zebrica. (See: Operation WINTERSHIELD and Operation HOWLING)

“Now that’s what the mouthpieces of the top brass had to say.” Moonatik flips through the magazine to a later page. “What about the soldiers themselves?”

“The War in North Zebrica Remembered By Those Who Served” published in an official Imperial Lunar Military periodical, March 1009.

Pilot Officer Ballet Nimbus, 12th Attack Aircraft Wing (Stratusburg, Equestria).

As a Hurricane fighter-bomber pilot, the hardest part was usually accuracy, hard to hit something as small as a pillbox or a tank when you’re flying a hunk of metal at 200mph. But the thing about the Storm Empire is that they flew these huge honking airships you could spot from miles away. Literally. They eventually got tougher air defences on their ships, modern AA guns and the like, but there was never any question as to who was on top. My most memorable mission had to be Operation SCORCHER. This was during the campaign through Zumidia on the way to Ain Trotgourait, and our job was to stop or slow a huge aerial convoy of Storm troops and equipment headed straight for Ain Trotgourait. Once our bombers and our fighter escorts were through their defences, it was bombs away. I remember being bang on target, sending an airship down in flames and crashing into another airship on its way down! Needless to say, that convoy didn’t cause any trouble to our forces.

Corporal Hoppy, 2nd Armoured Division (Vanhoover, Equestria)

What consistently surprised us was how bad the climate messed up our gear. Most of it was built during the War Against Sombra so it was meant to fight in the frozen north, not the deserts and tropical forests and grasslands of North Zebrica. Sand and dust and bugs and everything you don't want got all up in the engines. Thankfully the vehicles were designed with ease of repair in mind and we had spare parts for just about everything, but it was still a massive pain in the rear. Every tank we used needed its engine replaced at some point. The heat turned tanks into ovens, so we had to install air conditioners on all our armoured vehicles. A spell to keep myself cool only got us so far, but that wasn’t really an option when a ton of our armour crews had no unicorns. Even though the sun wasn’t visible didn’t mean its heat wasn’t felt.

Corporal Stigma, 2nd Tank Division (Vraks, Changeling Lands).

None of us were enthusiastic about going to Zebrica, but Queen Argynnis ordered us to aid our pony allies in their war and we have a duty to our Queen. I was an infiltrator, more than anything I remember the scorching tropical and desert heat, and I was terrified that I’d blow my cover with all the sweating and panting. Fortunately, the Yetis were just as used to the heat as we were, so we fit right in. In fact, we had absolutely no trouble flying under their watch. There were no anti-changeling countermeasures. No stunsticks, no dissipation fields, no regular screening or questioning, no nothing. I don’t think a single changeling got caught once, at least noling in my company. But what really surprised me was the tenacity and rigour of the Equestrians and Chiropterrans. We all gained a new respect for our pony allies in this conflict, and I’m glad that we’re facing the future together.

Sergeant Stratocaster, 6th Infantry Division (Las Pegasus, Equestria).

During the campaign in Zumidia our unit was initially supposed to aid in the battle for the city of Ain Trotgourait. We were a few miles to the east of the city on the eve of the attack, but our command issued new orders: carry on north until we hit the coast to encircle Storm forces. As we carried on up north, we encountered no resistance. The sky was clear of airships, the ground was clear of troops, the roads were clear of traps. We passed through villages, most of their buildings reduced to burnt rubble and with no locals in sight. At one point when we stopped to rest in a quiet place in the woods. We were cooking something over the campfire when one of us pointed out that he couldn’t even hear the ambient chitter of bugs or wildlife. That’s when it hit us, the Storm King’s rampage had spared nothing.

Major Victoria Sponge, 8th Infantry Division (Manehattan, Equestria).

Anyone who’s passed basic training is familiar with the survivability onion. Don't be detected, if detected don't be acquired, if acquired don't be hit, if hit don't be killed. Probably missed a step or two there, but here's the thing: The Storm King's guys skipped every step. They had a different approach, be as big and as loud and as dumb as you possibly can be so everyone can see you. Probably worked when their opponents were tribal zebras with spears and breech loaders. Not so much when they came up against us. During the campaign in Zarantia I fought alongside Tempest Shadow herself in many battles, we all respected the way she led from the front. She helped us identify weaknesses in just about every force we encountered, allowing for swift surgical strikes that crippled whole Storm divisions. We’d spot a bunch of their troops, she’d point to where we needed to fire, and their force fell apart like a stale cookie. Really amazing leadership.

Private Dust Cover, 3rd Imperial Rifles Division (Batsby, Chiropterra).

A post-it note is stuck onto the last account. It reads ‘redacted and censored’. “See that last one?” Moonatik taps the post-it note. “It was edited a little before publication.” He takes a piece of paper out of the binder. “Here’s the real deal, see if you can catch the differences.”

Private Dust Cover, 3rd Imperial Rifles Division (Batsby, Chiropterra).

What I remember most was when I was captured by the Storm King’s forces along with two hundred or so other ponies, right before Equestrian troops arrived. They huddled us onto an airship and stuffed us in cages, flying us off to occupied Tobuck. Greeting us when we disembarked was the Storm King’s own lieutenant, Tempest Shadow herself. She used us as forced labour, and to intimidate us she grabbed the highest ranking Lunar soldier present, a Senior Lieutenant, and broke their legs with her own hooves. If anyone was caught slowing down or stopping for too long, Tempest Shadow broke their hind legs. It went on like this for three weeks. At some point in those three weeks Tempest Shadow stopped directly overseeing us. We had a chance to escape when a Lunar attack hit our position, me and six others breaking free and running into a nearby basement for shelter. Ten hours later we were finally found by Lunar forces, led by Tempest Shadow herself. I thought she was about to break my legs, but she didn’t seem to recognise us at all. Turns out she’d switched sides and was leading an Equestrian army deployed to North Zebrica, and we were expected to follow her commands. I didn’t know what to think of that. I’ve always trusted the Nightmare, since her return I’ve trusted her judgement. But this was far too strange.

Moonatik blows a breath out. “Mad, innit?”

“Now for the opposite perspective, the solidly anti-Lunar perspective, on what was going on.” He takes another document out of the binder. “For that we got an Arisian newspaper about a specific event from the war, an event that Lunar media seldom ever mentions.”

Mount Aris Express report on the Arisian reaction to the Ain Trotgourait Uprising (14/12/1005).

Calls for intervention in North Zebrica grow louder as Lunar Empire cracks down on Ain Trotgourait uprising

Protests have been ongoing across Hippogriffia and parts of Seaquestria denouncing the Lunar Empire’s actions in North Zebrica and calling for Arisian intervention.

Debate on whether Aris should involve itself with the Storm-Lunar War intensified recently as the Lunar Empire launched a bloody crackdown in Ain Trotgourait, a city they have occupied for several months.

“We can’t let either Nightmare Moon or the Storm King rule Zebrica,” a hippogriff protester said at a rally in Canterford. “Whoever wins, they’ll come for Aris next.”

Zebra refugees from across North Zebrica participated in large numbers, standing at the front of many demonstrations carrying banners reading ‘stop the slaughter’ and ‘save Zebrica’.

“I lost my uncle to the Storm King and my sister to Nightmare Moon,” a Warzenan refugee said at a rally in Winggarden. “We are begging the hippogriffs, we are begging the world, do something!”

Conversely, demonstrations were held across Seaquestria against further involvement, with a small number in Hippogriffia. The goals of the protests range from barring any involvement in the conflict to closing Aris’s borders to North Zebrican refugees.

Leader of Aris First and former Prime Minister Raft Wood spoke at a rally in Squidville. “Aris has absolutely nothing to gain from getting ourselves entangled in a conflict on the mainland,” he said, standing under a banner that read ‘WE WON'T DIE FOR ZEBRAS’.

“We can’t waste our resources there, that would only prolong the killing and leave us weaker,” he continued. “Every pearl spent on Zebrica is a pearl not spent shoring up the defence of Aris.”

Over the last week in Parliament, both the House of Hippogriffs and the House of Seaponies have passed opposing motions that declare support and opposition for intervention respectively. Neither motion is expected to gain the support of the other house.

Public polling shows overwhelmingly negative attitudes to both the Lunar Empire and Storm Kingdom, but the public is divided on the correct course of action. Polls have demonstrated a consistent plurality across all of Aris supports non-involvement with continental affairs in favour of strengthening the defence of Aris, but there has been a sharp rise in support for direct intervention since the Storm-Lunar War began.

The government of Prime Minister Swift Shell issued a statement condemning the brutality of Lunar forces, but so far has not heeded calls for further involvement or for pulling back.

Estimates suggest that 3,000 civilians have already been killed by Lunar forces following the beginning of the uprising at the start of this month.

“For a look at the aftermath of the war, here’s an Arisian intelligence report that we got our hooves on by, uh…” He looks down to the side, then looks at you and smiles. “...Ah, screw it, I can tell you. Our guys stole it. Look, the point is that because this is an internal report from a functioning intelligence agency, it kinda has to be honest.”

Briefing from the Arisian National Intelligence Agency on the postwar situation

STATE OF THE LUNAR OCCUPATION OF NORTH ZEBRICA

NOVEMBER 1006

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS:

As a result of the Zebrican Phoenix Initiative (ZPI), Zebrican countries are becoming increasingly economically and militarily dependent on the Lunar Empire. State Owned Enterprises from Equestria, New Mareland, and Chiropterra as well as private owners with deep links to Imperial authorities are buying up crucial infrastructure. New infrastructure constructed through the ZPI is kept under Lunar-linked or direct Lunar ownership. Literacy programs and radio distribution programs have been successful, but it is likely that the aim of such programs is to spread propaganda. A majority of the news and information disseminated across ZPI member states comes from organisations with Lunar-linked or direct Lunar ownership, with the information provided holding a strong pro-Lunar sentiment.
Under Chiropterran administration, the North Zebrica region is being rebuilt in the Lunar image. A rigid system of control and separation has been put in place, the government euphemistically calls this the “Separate but Harmonious” policy. Natives who had their homes destroyed in the war are being relocated to urban centres with settlers from Equestria moving into the countryside. Conditions for the native urban workforce are appalling, and beneath what existed prior to the Storm invasion. Settlers, on the contrary, are receiving modern amenities.
The native population is extremely unwelcoming to the occupiers, with an intense insurgency already underway. Despite the failure of the Ain Trotgourait uprising in 1005, the Zebrican natives remain steadfast. Several anti-Lunar insurgent groups have arisen, varying from the North Zebrican Liberation Front in northern cities and the Anzarawdie in the southern deserts (further information on pages ██ and ██ respectively). The exception is within the boundaries of the newly established Dominion of Zarantia, where collaborators have an emphasised role in governance and the Empire rules with a considerably lighter hoof.
Native resistance groups have accepted aid from Aris, but they show signs of suspicion and mistrust. Our agents report feeling unsafe even whilst under the supposed protection of insurgents. Intelligence suggests many Zebrican natives believe Aris betrayed them in the Ain Trotgourait uprising in 1005.
The Lunar Occupation of Western Colthage is fragile. Outside of major urban centres occupation forces struggle to maintain order, with rebels and bandits taking over parts of the countryside. Aris has offered support to the rebels. The Colthaginian government has openly expressed the desire to work with the rebel groups, with it suspected that they have a hoof in some of them. The possibility of Arisian-Colthaginian cooperation to end the occupation is very likely.

RECOMMENDATION: Efforts to promote Aris’s image around the continent and create an alternative to the Phoenix Initiative should be increased to lessen Lunar influence in the region. Efforts should be made to avoid direct confrontation, but the state must be prepared for the possibility nonetheless.

“I kinda feel like I’d be doing a disservice if I didn’t also mention a third perspective. Those of the North Zebricans themselves. For that…” He passes another newspaper clipping to you. “Immerse yourself.”

“Behind the Silver Curtain: North Zebrica’s Freedom Fighters”. By Jez Hazaralla, a Zumidian journalist residing in Hippogriffia.

Travelling to Lunar-occupied North Zebrica is a difficult and dangerous task under normal circumstances. Doing so in secret to meet with members of the anti-Lunar resistance without careful preparation means certain doom.

After months of communication we had finally secured a meeting with representatives of the North Zebrican Liberation Front. All knew the risks involved in a meeting, but they wanted the world to know that there is an active resistance to the Lunar occupation and that the zebras of North Zebrica won’t go quietly into the dark.

The North Zebrican Liberation Front is a pan-national revolutionary socialist organisation that has been fighting against the occupation since it began. They’re not the only resistance group in North Zebrica, but they’re the ones with the widest reach and are considered by the colonial authorities to be its greatest threat. Since much of North Zebrica was annexed into Chiropterra, the NZLF have claimed responsibility for hundreds of attacks across the occupied areas. The NZLF are mostly active in urban centres of Warzena, Zumidia, and western Zarantia.

No journalist who doesn’t parrot the Lunar line would have a chance of entering the occupied nations, so we had to be smuggled in and out, the details of such a process I cannot share. Even once we were in occupied Warzena, we had to travel through numerous checkpoints staffed by ponies from the western Chiropterran cities, a consistently spine-chilling procedure. Checkpoints are everywhere in the occupied areas. Fortunately, documents are easy enough to fake if you know the right people.

Common sights through the dark slums between our point of entry and our destination were wrecked vehicles by the sides of roads, dilapidated buildings of all types, and zebras huddled around trash fires. Every so often we’d pass graffitti, some pieces only readable up close and others dominating the sides of buildings, but one slogan consistently showed up everywhere: ‘BATS, CRAWL BACK TO YOUR CAVES’.

This and many phrases like it were taken from the anti-thestralists of pre-Lunar Equestria. Such sentiment did not exist in North Zebrica prior to the Lunarist occupation and colonisation.

Before long I arrived at the arranged meeting spot. I had to wait, the revolutionaries were likely confirming that I hadn’t been followed and that I was who I said I was. I was then invited into a small room for the interview proper.

Three revolutionaries, head-to-hoof in black clothes concealing their identities, greeted me. Two were standing, one was seated. The one who was seated had a red bandana around their neck, and the way the room centred on them implied they were in a position of authority. A dim lightbulb hanging from its cable lit the room. Grime clinged to the walls and everything from ammunition to loose paper littered the hard cold ground. The only furnishings were utilitarian chairs and tables and a red flag pinned to the wall behind the zebras.

We all took a seat, I took out a tape recorder and a notepad, and our conversation began.

First I asked each of the insurgents about the specifics of their activities, what each of them was doing to resist the Lunar occupation.

The insurgent wearing the bandana answered promptly. They said they coordinated activities across the local NZLF cell and worked to organise passive citizen resistance. They were quick to stress that whilst the Lunar occupation and its loyal settlers were few, the great mass of North Zebricans were many more, and the occupation could only go on with the acceptance of the locals. Things as simple as civilians feeding false information to the authorities or refusing to cooperate did just as much as any armed attack.

A second insurgent answered after, saying that their main role was to dismantle and sabotage railways used both by the occupation forces and in the economic exploitation of the region. A damaged rail line meant days, perhaps weeks of headache for the occupation. It meant more time to move troops or resources, more labour and material spent on repairs, and more troops who had to guard rail lines.

When it was the third insurgent’s turn to speak, they chuckled under their breath. They had a relatively simple job, leaving mysterious packages on the sides of roads frequented by the occupation troops. Sometimes a trash-bag with loose wires spilling out, sometimes a flask filled with colourful bubbly liquid. From far away, they looked like bombs. Maybe one in ten would actually be a bomb. Maybe one in twenty, or thirty. As far as the occupiers were concerned, if it could be a bomb they’d have to treat it as a bomb, and a whole convoy is held up for however long they can confirm or deny what it is.

I asked the third insurgent a followup question, whether any of the real bombs they planted had actually damaged occupation convoys. They laughed and said yes. Every time a real bomb hit, that was thirty more minutes every other convoy spent cowering away from duds. Everything to reinforce the idea that if it could be a bomb, it must be treated like a bomb.

I then asked whether all these were part of a coordinated strategy. They obviously couldn’t share their whole plan, but they could share a simple fact. The Lunar colonisation of North Zebrica was an economic endeavour, and every action had costs and benefits. The general strategy of the NZLF was to make occupation as costly and unbeneficial as possible. Add to the cost of guarding everything important, add to the cost of repairing everything sabotaged, add to the cost of replacing every dead soldier. All the while reducing the overall economic output of the region. As mighty as it appeared, the Lunar Empire did not have unlimited resources, that’s why it wanted to extract from North Zebrica. If the NZLF continued its mission, eventually the overall cost would outweigh any of the benefits, leaving the Lunar Empire no choice but to withdraw.

A common talking point brought up in Lunar propaganda in Equestria is that the NZLF and similar organisations are stooges of the Arisian government. When I brought this up to the insurgents, their answer was a resounding and vulgar condemnation of the Arisian government.

Their reasoning was simple. North Zebrica had been torn apart by war and was currently clamped under foreign oppression, and the Arisians did nothing. Safe on their island. The few agents they sent were pulled out at the first sign of trouble, leaving us to die. They don’t want to take any risks. Look at the way they’re talking now. ‘Aris for the Arisians’, ‘Aris first’, ‘we won’t die for zebras’. The few advocating intervention only wanted to do so for their own benefit.

I felt I should ask as well about how they feel about North Zebricans like myself who’ve chosen to flee abroad. Their reply was sympathetic. They said that North Zebricans not living under Lunar occupation had an important role to play in sharing news of their struggle with the world and gathering support, but they added that escaping abroad is not something all North Zebricans can or should do. As long as their homeland was under foreign rule, those most courageous amongst North Zebrica would have to stay and fight.

With the matter of courage brought up, I asked about whether they were afraid of being caught. All of them laughed, of course they were afraid! Yet as scary as being killed or tortured by the occupiers was, like many of their comrades had been, they reiterated that the scariest thing of all was having to live under Lunar tyranny for the rest of their lives. The third insurgent said it best, “I’d rather die a North Zebrican than live a slave to the Nightmare”.

Soon after our time would be up. We had to move out of the town quickly to leave before curfew and to avoid being traced by occupation authorities, and I had time for one last question. I asked what a free North Zebrica meant to them, in a personal and practical sense.

The central insurgent answered confidently. A free North Zebrica, to the NZLF, meant a North Zebrica free not only of Lunar imperialism and despotism, but imperialism and despotism of all sorts. This meant freedom from the ambitions of certain Arisians and Colthaginians, as well as any other potential foreign ruler. They envisioned a democratic federation of all North Zebricans, from the shores above Seaquestria to the dunes of the Zebhara, and they vowed to fight against any tyrants who sought to oppress them.

If North Zebricans are going to be free, we will need to free ourselves by our own hooves.

“Now what about the Storm King’s perspective?” Moonatik raises an eyebrow, then shrugs. “Well, it’s a bit hard to say. According to General Tempest Shadow, the Storm King was solely concerned with his own enrichment. The same went for the rest of his army. I don’t really have any records on hoof to counter this, so it’s the best first-hoof account we have.”

“Either way, by this point the Storm Empire had played its role in North Zebrica’s story. Then, the main actors were the Lunars, the Arisians, and those fighting for North Zebrican independence. My oh my!”

Author's Note

Artwork of Tempest Shadow and Sol Nightshade by LittlePolly

OC attributions:
Lightning Charm, Stone Palisade, and Raft Wood are from Equestria at War.

New Mareland, New Order

“Phhh, shit, I forgot to talk about New Mareland didn’t I,” Moonatik breathed.

Moonatik dives into the desk and grabs a box full of newspaper clippings.

“Before we start all proper we’ve got to go back in time a little bit. In case you weren’t in the know, New Mareland’s an Equestrian colony on the southwestern tip of Griffonia. It’s always had its own thing going, really.” He takes rummages through the box and picks out a specific clipping. “This is before the real start of the Lunar Millennium, but it’s important context.”

Extract from a New Mareland Telegraph report on the change in New Mareland’s government (12/06/1000).

Long Neck out as Prime Minister, Sour Sweet to lead new government

After months of collapsing approval ratings in the face of the economic depression, Prime Minister Long Neck was removed as Prime Minister in a vote of no confidence by the Commonwealth Congress.

The vote was held late last night at 10pm. The procedure was initiated by Liberal Party congresspony and leader of the opposition Sour Sweet, and passed overwhelmingly with 96 “Yes” votes, 60 “No” votes, and 4 abstentions. Many members of Neck’s own party voted for his removal. The main reason cited for his removal was his failure to manage the economic crisis, which has seen unemployment skyrocket and real wages fall.

In the same session, a majority of members nominated Sour Sweet as Long Neck’s replacement. The Liberal Party leader, one of the wealthiest ponies in congress, has so far been able to unite disparate factions in congress behind a common agenda.

Sweet has promised that her government will consist of a broad multi-partisan coalition to represent all New Marelanders in the face of the economic crisis. Already members of the United Harmony Party, Liberal Party, the Freedom Party, the New Democratic Party and the Griffon Alliance Party have been announced to have cabinet positions in the new government. She listed the four priorities of her government as solving the economic crisis, uniting the country, restoring trust in government, and ensuring dignity for thestral and griffon minorities.

In a statement to the press, Neck said he was shocked and saddened by the congress’s decision, but that he accepts it nonetheless.

Neck came to power in December 997, later securing a popular mandate in the election of September 998. He enjoyed public support early on in his premiership, but became dogged with scandals as his time in office went on. His approval ratings plummeted in the midst of the economic crisis that began in October last year. He will now sit as a regular congresspony.

The suddenness and speed of the removal has shocked some observers, with little indication that such a move was going to successfully take place beyond the usual calls for resignation. It remains to be seen how the public will react to the change in government.

Congress has also sent a formal request to Princess Celestia asking her to sack Governor-General Jet Set, citing various inadequacies regarding his time in the role such as his perceived elitism. Congress has nominated Sugarcoat, a New Marelander businesspony, to take up the post. Princess Celestia is expected to agree.

“And then, just about a week after this, Nightmare Moon returned. New Mareland reacted like-” Moonatik flies away. He returns a few moments later, wheeling a CRT television with a built-in VCR up to his desk. After setting the TV itself up he gathers a videotape out of the box. “One sec.”

Moonatik loads in the tape and the TV flashes to life. The image of a sharply-dressed earth pony mare sitting in an ornate office appears. She has a buttermilk coat, freckles on her cheeks, and teal eyeshadow. Her mane is a bashful pink with a paleish teal stripe running through, straight bangs and a ponytail. At a glance, her demeanour seems sickenly sweet.

Televised statement by Prime Minister Sour Sweet on the situation in Equestria (22/06/1000).

New Marelanders,

As distant as the homeland may seem, New Mareland is and always has been a land of Equestrians. The Commonwealth was founded by Equestrians, settled by Equestrians, and to this date ponies on either side of the sea freely move between the two lands. We share a common cultural heritage, a common language, and common principles and values. The fate of New Mareland is inextricably tied to the fate of Equestria, as long as both lands exist. It is for this reason why I, and so many others across our Commonwealth, are gravely concerned about the ongoing situation in Equestria.

We are closely monitoring the situation in Equestria, and we urge everyone to not jump to any conclusions regarding anything that may or may not have been said to have occurred. The situation is fluid and complicated, and the full truth of the matter may not be revealed for some time. What is known with a reasonable degree of certainty is that Nightmare Moon has returned from a thousand year exile, and is leading an armed conflict against the government of Princess Celestia.

I can assure all New Marelanders immediately that as long as this government remains in office, we will assure that armed conflict will not come to New Mareland. No New Marelander soldiers shall be sent to fight, and not a single New Marelander bullet will be fired at our fellow ponies.

It’s more important than ever that New Marelanders stand together and retain our friendship with one another. In the face of this crisis, our government remains united and committed to the priorities laid out at the beginning of my time in office. The Equestrian situation will not change this.

Our commitment is to keep peace. Naturally, we hope that the crisis is brought to a swift conclusion with respect to commonly shared core principles. Should any Equestrians be seeking refuge from the conflict, New Mareland will be happy to house you until it is safe to return home.

But whatever the result of the crisis might be, New Mareland will remain committed to preserving its democracy and upholding its friendship with the ponies of Equestria.

Moonatik took the tape out of the TV.

“Seems like pretty standard things for a politician to say during a crisis, yeah?” says Moonatik. “That’s the image she tried to portray, standard and sensible. From here on…” Moonatik takes some newspaper clippings out of the box. “Here’s some newspaper articles about what came in the following years. Keep an eye out, there’s a twist coming.”

Article from the New Manehattan Courier on New Mareland’s formal recognition of Lunar authority (12/05/1001).

Prime Minister Sour Sweet meets Equestrian counterpart Saffron Dusk, affirms historic relationship

Prime Minister Sour Sweet and Equestrian Prime Minister Saffron Dusk met tonight in Manehattan, both declaring that the relationship between Equestria and New Mareland remains “strong and unbreakable”.

“I’m honoured to meet with and to congratulate Equestria’s Prime Minister,” said Sour Sweet, adding that their meeting took place at Manehattan Town Hall, which she called a monument to Equestria’s history of local democracy. Saffron Dusk was elected earlier this month in the first national Equestrian election held under universal suffrage.

“Recent times have been hard for our two lands, making our common commitment to our mutual friendship all the more important,” she later added. “Equestria and New Mareland share a common destiny, despite whatever may change in the global situation.”

Sweet also affirmed that New Mareland is “loyal to the Equestrian monarch”, later clarifying that she and her government understood that Nightmare Moon was the Equestrian monarch.

Later that evening both attended a grand public gala hosted by the Equestrian branch of the Shadowbolt Society. Sour Sweet and many members of her government recently confirmed that they are members of the New Marelander branch of the elite social club.

Reactions in Equestria and New Mareland have been largely positive, with the Commonwealth Congress passing a resolution featuring many of the same words used in the speech by Sour Sweet in Manehattan. A similar resolution was passed by the recently convened Equestrian Parliament.

Article from the New Manehattan Courier on Sour Sweet’s visit to Chiropterra (19/05/1001).

Leaders of New Mareland and Chiropterra to meet in New Ayacachtli for talks

Prime Minister Sour Sweet has arrived in New Ayacachtli at the invitation of Chiropterra's Premier Autumn Breeze.

Sour Sweet was welcomed with an official ceremony before one-on-one talks were held between the two leaders.

The main topic of discussion has been over bilateral trade. As both New Mareland and Chiropterra are within the Equestrian sphere, a free-trade arrangement already exists. The goal of these discussions is over a mutually beneficial investment deal.

The government as well as New Marelander businesses are aiming to purchase and open mines in Chiropterra, along with a substantial investment in Chiropterra’s civilian sector.

Projections suggest such an arrangement would provide a boost to the economies of both dominions.

Article from the New Manehattan Courier on New Mareland’s economic fortunes (19/04/1002).

New Mareland economy continues to grow at a remarkable pace.

The New Mareland economy remained incredibly robust in the fourth quarter to close out a remarkably strong 1002 as growth was seen in all sectors of the economy, displaying a dramatic reversal of the commonwealth's economy during the depression of years past.

Gross domestic product, the most general measure of economic output, rose at a seasonally and inflation-adjusted annualised rate of 5.5% from October through December, as reported by the Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce. This is an increase from the 5.1% annualised rate in the previous quarter, recovering and surpassing the state of the economy at the onset of the depression.

Analysts have attributed this success to a combination of factors collectively contributing to the Commonwealth's overall economic prosperity, primarily public investment, effective economic management by the Sweet government, and the deepening relationship with Equestria and Chiropterra. Consumer and business confidence in the economy has propelled growth even further.

Noteworthy is the impressive growth seen in key sectors such as defence, agriculture, mining, and construction. New Mareland's committing to improving defence capabilities, coupled with deregulation of agricultural practices and advancement in mining technologies, has played a pivotal role in the overall economic boom.

The improvements have been shared broadly amongst the population, with an overall rise in living standards and a fall in poverty to match the growth.

In reaction to the reports, Finance Minister Sunny Flare welcomed the news and said they served as proof that their economic policies were working.

Article from the New Manehattan Courier on New Mareland’s declaration of war against King Sombra’s Crystal Empire (04/04/1003).

WAR: New Mareland Officially Declares War on King Sombra’s Crystal Empire

Congress has passed a declaration of war against the recently reappeared Crystal Empire, in response to Sombra’s invasion of Equestria.

Secretary of the Department of Defence Indigo Zap anounced that 30,000 New Marelander soldiers will be sent to Equestria to assist in the fighting. Speaking to the press, she said “We’re fighting a force of pure evil. We’re gonna give ‘em hell.”

As a part of the Lunar Empire, New Mareland was automatically called to war when Equestria was attacked and the Lunar Empire declared war. The declaration from Congress serves as a signal that the ponies and griffons of New Mareland are fully behind the efforts.

Around 7000 New Marelander soldiers are on the Equus continent, having served an auxiliary role in the War Against Chrysalis. More eager volunteers are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.

Article from the New Mareland Telegraph on New Mareland’s “New Order Law” (04/09/1006).

New Order Law attains Royal Assent

As of Yesternight, Empress Nightmare Moon has officially given her Royal Assent to the New Order Law after it was passed by the Commonwealth Congress, bringing it into full effect.

The changes split Congress into two houses, the Professional House and the Representative House. The Representative House will function much like the Congress normally has with regular elections involving the whole population, but for speedy decision making the permanent legislative council has been officialised. The Professional House will represent technical experts, economic stakeholders, and leading figures in New Mareland society.

The law also fuses the posts of the Governor-General and the Prime Minister into a single post, named The Premier. The Premier will take on the responsibilities of both posts and be appointed directly by Empress Nightmare Moon. Sour Sweet has already been appointed to the post.

According to an aggregate of polling agencies, an average of 72% of New Marelanders approve of the changes with many lauding how the government will be able to act swiftly in the face of a national crisis.

“Well, If you’ve been paying attention, that’s the twist!” Moonatik laughs. “You might have noticed that everything I’ve shown you so far is from New Mareland itself, so everything’s got a bit of a positive spin. In case you haven’t picked up on it, here’s a more bird’s eye perspective. Haha, get it? Bird’s eye, a griffon wrote it.”

Article on the political transformation of New Mareland. From “La Corriere”, a Wingbardian newspaper (04/09/1006).

The Slow and Steady Coup: How the Shadowbolt Society Destroyed New Mareland’s Democracy

Yesterday, New Mareland’s New Order Law was formally passed into law.

The law grants total control over the executive branch of the government to a single person, now Premier Sour Sweet. Congressional candidates now require approval from the government. It creates a new upper house of Congress elected solely by so-called ‘Professional Interest Groups’ such as large corporate organisations. Already many have noticed that the specified groups either have direct links to the Shadowbolt Society. The now lower house of Congress, already full of pro-government legislators, has been sidelined in the new framework with many of its powers transferred to the upper house.

One would expect uproarious backlash at such a blatant display of democratic backsliding, yet hardly any public opposition manifested. No furious condemnations from any of the commonwealth’s major papers. No mass movement filling the streets. At most there were a hundred or so ponies gathered in a square about a quarter mile away from the Congress building.

It appeared that New Mareland’s democracy went out not with a bang, but a whimper.

How did we get here?

Many New Marelanders thought that they would be spared from the chaos in Equestria that came in the wake of Nightmare Moon's return, given their distance from the pony homeland. In a small way they were right, as the flames of civil war never burned New Mareland soil. In a much larger way, they were very, very wrong.

Over the course of more than eight years, a concentrated effort had been underway to undermine and subvert the political, economic, and cultural pillars of New Marelander society to rip them away from harmonic democracy and into the hooves of Lunar despotism. All these efforts have since been connected to a single organisation, The Shadowbolt Society.

If you asked a member of the Shadowbolt Society who they were, they’d simply say that they were a social club for rich ponies with too much time on their hooves. Since 1001, the society has been increasingly open with many public balls and galas being hosted by the organisation. This obscures the truth that they have long been a forum to organise economic domination by some of the wealthiest monopolists and most powerful politicians in New Mareland and Equestria, including Sour Sweet and every member of the current New Mareland cabinet.

Founded over a thousand years ago by followers of Nightmare Moon, it existed shrouded in secrecy for most of that time, and much of its true history remains obscured. What is known is that many current members, amongst Equestria and New Mareland’s wealthiest, have admitted to being members of the society for years. Additionally, all have gleefully lined up behind Nightmare Moon in both Equestria and New Mareland, with the Equestrian wing of the society even forming a military unit to fight the Empire’s wars.

Yet while Equestria’s Shadowbolts aided the Lunar takeover with bullets, the New Marelander wing did so with ballots.

The Initial Coup

On the 12th of June 1000, the inhabitants of New Mareland woke up to find themselves in a different country.

When the nation was asleep the night before, an emergency session of the Commonwealth Congress was called at 11pm. When Congress had gathered, leader of the Liberal Party Sour Sweet announced a Vote of No Confidence in Long Neck. She launched into a scathing tirade, in her usual style of switching between backclawed compliments and unmistakable insults, cheered on by members of the Congress opposed to Long Neck.

Long Neck, of the United Harmony Party, had been an ineffective and increasingly unpopular PM. The economic catastrophe that began with the stock market crash on 29th October 999, a day dubbed Black Wednesday, tremendously increased anger towards his government. By June 1000, he’d already lost his majority in the Commonwealth Congress. Needless to say, from the outside Sour Sweet’s words appeared genuine and likely to resonate with the public.

But this telling of the story ignores the extensive months of planning prior to the session. For up to a year prior, Sour Sweet had been increasing her public profile by meeting with leaders of other parties and making increasingly aggressive appearances in the media, with other politicians matching her tune. Parties and politicians opposing Long Neck’s government were also flooded with huge campaign donations that allowed them to fill the streets and newspapers with adverts aggressively demanding his removal. Some were suspicious of how much money was being donated, but none of these investigations were completed before June 12th. When the sources of the money were discovered, two particular sources stood out amongst the rest. Corporations and individuals associated with the Shadowbolt Society, and alleged Chiropterran shell companies.

Of course, the preceding economic crisis itself had its share of suspicious activity. New Mareland’s largest corporations were all slowing down their economic activities, buying and selling less to their own detriment. Then all of a sudden on Black Wednesday, large financial firms were desperately selling off their held stocks much lower than what they bought them for, causing the rest of the market to respond in kind. These corporations and financial firms, again, all had deep ties to the Shadowbolt Society.

The one sector that seemed exempt from the economic downturn was the news media. Both small and large media outlets were being bought up all around New Mareland, with control of the press consolidating into an increasingly shrinking set of hooves. These hooves too were strongly affiliated with the Shadowbolts.

It was a foregone conclusion when the vote finally came. Long Neck was out, and Sour Sweet was in. At a glance, it had all the ostensible hallmarks of a democratic process taking place. The new government was a broad coalition of multiple parties, including the largest griffon minority interest party. Local media reported on the change positively, polls showed public approval of the change, and in the following months the economy improved.

One might ask where Princess Celestia was in all this. While she was the monarch of New Mareland at the time, she mostly let the colony manage its own affairs. The last act she made in regards to New Mareland was acceding to a request by Sweet’s new government to replace the mostly advisory Governor-General Jet Set, an Equestrian, with Sugarcoat, a New Marelander. At no point was it disclosed that Sugarcoat was a member of the Shadowbolt Society.

Before long, New Mareland was absolutely the last thing on Celestia’s mind.

Shockwaves from Equestria

The nation was understandably distracted when civil war broke out in Equestria. In Sour Sweet’s address to the nation, broadcast over radio and TV, she affirmed that armed conflict will not come to New Mareland. She added a commitment to maintaining the nation’s friendship with the ponies of Equestria and told Equestrian refugees that they were welcome in New Mareland. She also set aside a part of her address to reaffirm her commitment to democracy.

Mostly, New Mareland stayed out of the conflict. No soldiers from New Mareland were sent to Equestria. Yet Sour Sweet’s government got involved in other ways, like when they turned over crucial intelligence regarding Equestrian military planning and doctrine to the Lunarists. Additionally, when Equestrian refugees who successfully made it to New Mareland, many who were escaping Lunarist persecution found themselves turned away and sent back into the Nightmare’s hooves. Even at this early stage, it seemed clear that New Mareland’s government was no friend to Harmony.

Whilst Equestria was still struggling to recover from civil war in February 1001, New Mareland held a general election that saw Sour Sweet’s so-called ‘Unity Coalition’ win a public mandate with an increased majority.

But democratic backsliding almost immediately after the election.

Barely a week later, new laws were passed through the Commonwealth Congress that targeted the independence of the judiciary. The process for appointing and removing judges was rapidly streamlined, effectively placing the whole apparatus under the control of the Ministry of Justice. Courts were stacked with new judges, many of them with past association with Sour Sweet and other Shadowbolts. This news only reached the pages of the shrinking number of independent news outlets, and even then the full story was obscured.

When new laws were passed to increase the power of the government, it all seemed innocuous as everything was hidden behind layers of technical jargon. One example included the Communications Act of 1003, which effectively gave the communications regulator the ability to define its own powers and limits in regards to what it could censor, who it could take off the air, and who it could fine and why. But with the commonwealth’s journalists all loyal to the government, few discovered this and even fewer reported on it.

The closest thing to a controversial piece of legislation introduced by Sweet’s government was the Agricultural Modernisation Act of 1002. It aimed to legalise industrial meat farming, something that the thestral and griffon minorities had long advocated for but was broadly opposed by the three-tribes pony majority. When the legislation was announced, ponies across the country took to the streets to oppose it, many clashing with police. A diminished version of the act that limited the scope of meat farming had to be passed to avoid further backlash.

Sour Sweet made her loyalty to Nightmare Moon clear to all in 1001 when she visited Equestria and met the Lunarist Prime Minister, Saffron Dusk. Whilst she was careful with her language, she made it clear that Nightmare Moon was the rightful Equestrian monarch and that New Mareland’s government was loyal to her. This caused a rupture in her coalition, as the populist Freedom Party pulled their support from her government a week later. Despite this, all the other parties of the Unity Coalition stuck with her. Many of them had recent changes of leadership, replacing their arguably independent leaders with members of the Shadowbolt Society.

It was around this time that the Shadowbolt Society opened itself up to the world, with more and more members of the political establishment and business community admitting their membership.

All backlash was restrained for a simple reason, though. New Marelanders, ponies and griffons alike, were doing better. The economy was growing fast, and other quality of life indicators were improving too. Just about everyone had a good paying job, and the days of the depression seemed like a distant memory.

This growth was far from equal, nor was it attained in the fairest way. Sweet’s government and private businesses invested in the rapidly expanding military industrial complex of Chiropterra in exchange for cheap raw resources. Goods produced cheaply in New Mareland with these resources were then exported back to Chiropterra, allowing the businesses to reap massive profits. Nobody seemed to mind that the cheap resources were extracted by native Zebricans living in slave-like conditions, and anybody who did mind wouldn’t have their voice heard. Chiropterra itself kept enough of the profits to fund its legions and keep its underclass under control.

As incomes in the lower and middle economic strata grew modestly, corporate profits reached staggering record highs. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody that the most profitable corporations were owned and managed by members of the Shadowbolt Society. But given that New Marelanders already had preconceived positive notions regarding the individual members, it trumped any stigma that they may have held towards the society beforeclaw. If anything, they wanted in.

By the 1004 election, the Unity Coalition had come together to form the Unity Party, a rigidly organised and centralised party with firm and open institutional links to the Shadowbolt Society itself. Intense background checks were conducted against all candidates to ensure they were either already loyal to the Shadowbolts, either by being members or by being affiliated with members, or to ensure that their loyalty could be sufficiently bought.

The media storm in the election touting the admittedly impressive economic record might have tricked some into thinking that only one party was running a campaign at all. All the money, airtime, and eventually ballots were going one way and one way only. It was as close as possible to being rigged without it explicitly being rigged. Simply, no other party stood a chance.

The Final Nails

After the 1004 election, the Unity Party was solidified as the party of power. It had an untouchable supermajority in the Commonwealth Congress. It had absolute control over just about every state government. The judiciary was stashed with cronies on a tight leash.

Over the next two years, the Unity Party used its mandate to embark on a radical ‘Lunarisation’ of New Mareland. New laws were passed gradually harmonising (irony intended) New Mareland’s laws with those of Equestria. The practice of industrial meat farming was fully permitted. Place names were changed to scrub the Celestial legacy and promote a manufactured Lunarist cultural identity. Referring to New Mareland as anything like an independent nation rather than a commonwealth within the Lunar Empire was banned in publications. Even the congress building was painted purple.

In 1005, the whole Congress only met twice. Once in February, once in July. For the 6 month periods between these meetings, Congress appointed a ‘Permanent Legislative Council’ made up only of the most loyal Congressponies to handle matters of legislation. Many noticed that every member of the permanent council were Shadowbolt Society members. The overwhelming majority of representatives, the few still independently minded who may have sought to challenge or scrutinise the government, lacked even this official forum.

The recent changes are, in effect, just a formality to solidify the Shadowbolts’ control over New Mareland and render any possibility of a peaceful democratic revival impossible. Even if at the next election, if there is another election, every New Marelander intended to vote against the government, they’d be stuck with a list of candidates loyal to the Shadowbolts from parties controlled by the Shadowbolts. Even if a democratic majority in the Representative House was elected, the executive branch and the Professional House hold all the power and are firmly under the Shadowbolts’ hoof.

What Made It All Possible

New Mareland had long been famous for its laissez faire spirit. Seen by western ponykind as the distant frontier, the wild attitude was reflected in its laws. Virtually no legal controls on how much money political parties could receive or from who existed, nor did any regulation regarding ownership of the media exist. Some efforts had been made to pass campaign finance reform or to enact anti-trust laws, but all of these were trounced by the establishment long before Nightmare Moon was on anyone’s mind.

If anything, what happened in New Mareland serves as a warning to the griffons of southern Griffonia’s largest democracy. Many of the same structural issues that doomed New Mareland plague Wingbardy, such as the power of the King over the government and our unregulated electoral finance system.

One doesn’t need to look far to see the signs of democratic decline. The radical right are rallying behind the Fasci, communists continue to agitate for revolution, mafiosi bribe and threaten politicians and bureaucrats caught in the middle, and our Parliament is increasingly deadlocked.

The flame of democracy can’t be taken for granted, it must be preserved and cherished, lest it be snuffed out entirely.

“There were a lot of things like this said throughout the Harmonist world in regards to New Mareland, this is just one example of that general sentiment,” says Moonatik. “Regardless of what you think of it, this is more or less the big picture on how New Mareland ended up Lunar. Now, that left just one slice of the old Equestrian sphere left.”

The Remnant

“You know how the civil war chapter sort of implied that by the time it was over, the Lunar Empire had total control of Equestria? Well...”

Moonatik takes a folder labelled “Puerto Caballo 1000-1010” out of his desk. The first thing he takes out is a map. He shows it to you. It is labelled “Lunar Equestria and Puerto Caballo diplomatic situation, Jan 1004”.

“I know this is a lot to take in but bear with me. I may as well just explain what happened over in Puerto Caballo. My source is 'dude trust me'.”

“Puerto Caballo had long been a self-governing territory of Equestria, but this was upended by the Lunar Revolution,” he explains. “After the surrender of Princess Cadance, a junta consisting of Loyalist exiles and local Loyalists led by the Captain of the Puerto Caballan Royal Guard Buckio Buckista seized control of Puerto Caballo and the Summer Islands. Buckista then proclaimed the formation of the Equestrian Provisional Government, which claimed to be the legitimate government of all of Equestria. After that, countries around the world had to pick between which government they recognised as the 'legitimate' government of Equestria, hence the map above. Several nations that Equestria held cordial diplomatic relations with such as the United Kingdom of Hippogriffia and Seaquestria - Aris for short -, the Kingdom of Vedina, the Kingdom of Saddle Arabia, and the River Republic refused to recognise the Lunarist government and recognised the Puerto Caballo Loyalists as the legitimate government of Equestria. However, most of the world recognised the authority of the Lunarist government or simply didn’t comment on the matter, either because they didn’t want to invoke the ire of the new regime or because Equestria was simply too far away from them to be of any concern.”

“Nightmare Moon immediately ordered an invasion of the islands. After hastily assembling a landing force, the first attack commenced on the 19th of October 1000, only for it to result in a dramatic Lunar defeat. The most well-known battle of the invasion was the Battle of Marfilita, occurring in a small undefended coastal village of no more than 1000 ponies. A force of 200 Lunar Marines was landed aiming to establish a beachhead, only to be literally pushed back into the sea by two Loyalist exiles wielding powerful magical artefacts, Fenris Ebonyglow and Kara Waypoint, who led a small citizens' militia in defence of the village. After the battle, Ebonyglow and Waypoint were photographed in the centre of Marfilita posing with the newly designed EPG flag, and the photo instantly became a famous piece of Loyalist iconography owing to the exceptional story.” Moonatik takes a photo out of the folder and passes it to you. “Here.”

“A second invasion was launched on January 6th of the next year. The second invasion saw more success with Lunar Marines successfully establishing a beachhead, but due to a poorly prepared supply network and the tenacity of Loyalist forces, Lunar forces were forced to withdraw. All Lunar forces had left Puerto Caballo by 26 March.”

“Following the failed invasions, the conflict entered a frozen state as the Kingdom of Aquileia guaranteed the sovereignty of the EPG. The Lunar Empire quietly backed off, not seeking to get involved in an intercontinental war it was ill-prepared for. Then, Aquileian and Arisian forces provided training and supplies to the EPG, and transported their operatives around the world to strike at Lunar power. However, given the instability of Aquileia and the isolationism of Aris, it was uncertain whether this guarantee would last. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know it didn’t.”

“Quietly, the Lunar Empire had a sophisticated plan to reclaim the islands. Through extensive reconnaissance and planning, an invasion force capable of seizing the islands within months was constructed and put into place. The threat of Aquileian intervention was thwarted as the Empire supported the growing revolutionary republican movement in Aquileia itself by providing funds and intelligence to its organisers and giving them shelter in New Mareland. This culminated in the 2nd of January overthrow of the Kingdom of Aquileia in 1008 during an uprising by the local republicans, and a new democratic pro-Lunar government was established. At last, the way was clear.”

“Operation Hurricane was launched on the 11th of January 1008, the initial landings involving 120,000 soldiers and the overall operation involving nearly 400,000 troops with support from dozens of ships, thousands of aircraft and tanks, and the Empire's most elite combat mages. The defenders, even with all their weapons and training, didn't stand a chance. Just three nights into the invasion, the symbolic village of Marfiltia was taken by Lunar marines.”

Moonatik takes another photo out of the folder, and passes it to you.

“To celebrate their victory, several of the marines involved in the attack had a picture taken of them posing with the Imperial flag over a Loyalist flag, mocking the photo of Ebonyglow and Waypoint. See the pegasus on the right? His name’s Flame, he’s my best mate. Proud of him.”

“Victory was declared on the 26th of March with the total collapse of the EPG. Thousands of Loyalists were killed, many more were captured, and those who avoided capture had been scattered to the wind.” Moonatik crossed his forelegs and leaned back into his seat. Then his expression dropped and he moved to a shrug. “Well, not entirely.”

“This wasn’t the end of the conflict, this was the start of a new phase. A brutal, years-long insurgency raged across the island, involving numerous factions, warlords, parties, and networks working to overthrow the Lunar government in Puerto Caballo. Allegedly they had a detailed plan to quell insurgencies, but the only copies were lost in the Fort Polaris fire. Boy, I hope somepony got fired for that blunder,” he chuckled. “Anyway they got bogged down, and to explain that conflict…”

Moonatik takes a sheet of paper out of the folder. The letters look hoofwritten, but it has clearly been photocopied.

“Here’s an extract from Lucent Eclipse’s journal about the insurgency in 1010. At the time, Lucent Eclipse was brought over to Equestria to advise on how to deal with the insurgency. He’s Chiropterran and had a great deal of experience in repressing insurgencies in the many military and political positions he held after Chiropterra’s eastward expansion. Did Lucent submit his journal to the archives of his own volition and with his full knowledge and consent? Ehhh, sure! Totally! Anyway.”

Extract from Lucent Eclipse's journal.

Selenite soon took me to a war room deep within the Lunar Castle. This was the whole reason I was brought to Equestria, of course, to give insight on how best to combat insurgencies. Once in the war room, I was dazzled at what I saw. Looming above the room, a huge light screen with a detailed and interactive map of Puerto Caballo loaded with details regarding troop movements, insurgent factions, combat, ongoing operations, foreign presence, and more. I'd never seen anything like it, and for a few seconds, I was speechless. The intern who presented the display was rightly proud (pretty sure she's not actually an intern given the high-security environment, don't know what else to call her). The big flat screens could only display information from pre-set files, plus they were mostly limited to using shades of purple, but it was a level of sophistication well beyond anything I knew was currently in use. Definitely need to ask about getting one of those for the Legionary Council chamber.

“Just so you know what he’s referring to, here's a printout of that map.”

“The ponies who made this were very proud of it, so I’m told.”

Extract from Lucent Eclipse's journal.

After getting over that initial bout of amazement, the intern(?) ran us through what all the symbols on the map meant and Selenite explained the war situation. They'd been bogged down fighting persistent rebels in Puerto Caballo for nearly two years. After easily defeating the crooked Celestial remnant in a conventional war, they found themselves fighting a new sort of war against a much more troublesome foe. Given my reputation as Viceroy of Zarantia, Selenite must've known I knew a thing or two about combating insurgencies. Especially as the Bush War and the Puerto Caballo insurgency had a few similar elements: Insurgents supported by the Arisians, population with strong inclinations against Lunar rule, rebels divided into myriad factions.

Selenite ran me through several recent examples of how her forces had utilised Fireforce, a tactic I'd developed to great effect during the Bush War, and wanted to know if it was being applied correctly. By all tactical metrics, they were doing great. They were wiping out rebel positions and achieving extremely favourable casualty ratios, an average of thirty or more dead insurgents to each dead Lunar soldier. There were frequent issues, such as rebels equipped with surplus Arisian equipment or powerful magic artifacts, but most rebels had little more than a submachine gun. Arisian AA guns and ancient magical neckwear was far from standard issue. She went over Lunar naval and air operations too, all successfully identified and hit their targets to great effect. She wanted to know: What was wrong?

What caught my eye wasn't anything on the list of ongoing operations, but what wasn't on there. It was all combat operations, nothing about winning over the population. Insurgencies are inherently political struggles, and from the way Selenite talked about it she was treating it like a purely military struggle. Weird to me as she seemed to get that defeating Solarism in Equestria meant more than just defeating the Royal Guard but also showing the ponies of Equestria that they were a competent and effective government with the ponies' best interests at heart. When I brought that up she mentioned that they had to defeat them militarily before they could assert themselves as an effective government. Arguably true, but most settlements were under Lunar authority.

I mentioned that in Zarantia, my approach wasn't to just militarily crush the insurgents but to cut off support to the insurgents by winning over the population, or if that wasn't possible inducing apathy among the population. In territories we controlled we assured improvements in nightly life, economic development, and generally good governance. Other measures such as assuring land and passage rights for natives and providing legal channels to voice disagreement helped considerably, too. Something as basic as reliable water services convinced the locals that our rule was the better rule. We brought local ponies and zebras over to Lunarist teachings through tax incentives, framed in such a way where it was perceived as a reward for converting rather than a punishment for staying by false gods. Broader efforts were made in propaganda to paint the insurgent groups in an unfavourable light.

I described this all to Selenite, and told her that they should adopt a population-centric strategy rather than an enemy-centric strategy. Puerto Caballo isn't Zarantia of course, but the fundamentals of anti-insurgent warfare remain true. Image was everything, and the ponies of Puerto Caballo weren't going to become loyal Lunar subjects if their primary experience with the Lunar Empire was their home being bombed and burned down. On top of all that, the insurgents were divided into at least five distinct organisations. Incredible potential to turn them against one another, from what I heard it wouldn't take much to get the PSP and the SSV to turn their guns on one another. Selenite "agreed" (sic) with me and conceded that I had a point, but I'm not sure if she's really taking on my advice. She kept talking about combat operations.

Two familiar names came up in all the discussion, Kara Waypoint and Fenris Ebonyglow, who I remember from the revolt in Ain Trotgourait. Lost a lot of good ponies those nights, ponies who could've been throwing the Storm King out of North Zebrica. Turns out the pair had become leaders of one of the more prominent insurgent factions, led mostly by ponies from the former Celestial government and armed forces. Still heavily backed by the Arisians, too. Well in prepartion is an operation, codenamed Wolfhunt, to assassinate the two to be carried out by a Night Eye Agent, codenamed Cygnus. As great as it would be to get payback for Ain Trotgourait, I mentioned to Selenite that simply killing the two wont be enough to dismantle their network, or even significantly damage its combat capabilities, unless something is done afterwards to assure no other leader takes their place. The possibility of capturing them alive came up.

I've arranged to meet with Cygnus tomorrow, Wolfhunt is his assignment after all and he will likely be pulling the trigger. Looked over his file, seems like quite the character. Definitely sharing my thoughts on the operation with him.

“The night after, Lord Commander Eclipse and Night Eye Cygnus met. Can't speak to how they got along, but Lucent shared his thoughts on Operation Wolfhunt with him. What did Cygnus do with these suggestions?” Moonatik giggled. “Well now mate, that's a story for another time. Oh yeah and the chapter title's a reference, if you know you know.”

Author's Note

OC attributions:
Buckio Buckista and Lucent Eclipse are from Equestria at War.
Fenris Ebonyglow belongs to Ebonyglow.
Kara Waypoint belongs to Welost.
Panne belongs to Codras.
Flame Fireblast belongs to PapaFlame.
Glaive belongs to ZakeSteel.
Be Sharp belongs to BeSharp.
Cinnamon Quartz belongs to CaveDwellingPone.
The horse with no name belongs to OppressedKeen.
All other named original characters created by me, Moonatik.

Image attributions:
World map and Puerto Caballo map based on Equestria at War.
World map base made by Mustaphatr2.
All drawings by me, Moonatik.

Royaume Déchu

“If you read the last chapter, you're already familiar with the relationship between Equestria and Aquileia, and where that ended up. If not, long story short, a kingdom in Griffonia had an overlapping sphere of influence with the Empire and wasn't happy that they were around,” Moonatik explained. A worried look flashed on his face. “Wait, is saying ‘chapter’ too meta? Fuck, now I’m lampshading it.”

“Okay okay! Aquileia! Griffon country! Here!”

Moonatik takes a small map out of the desk. It has been drawn on with a marker pen.

“Just in case you weren’t familiar with the geography. Was a kingdom, but at the start of 1008 there was some big-time upheaval that resulted in the fall of the kingdom and the rise of a republic. What happened specifically…” Moonatik shrugs. “It’s a topic of debate.”

“To give you either side of the debate.” Moonatik takes two newspaper clippings out of the desk. “I have a pro-Lunar Equestrian newspaper reporting on what happened, an anti-Lunar report by a hippogriff journalist. Why these two? Iunno, just thought it'd be fun to compare.”

The Moon tabloid report on the 1008 Aquileian political crisis, by Hot Press. (02/01/1008)

REVOLUTION IN AQUILEIA

TYRANNICAL KING OVERTHROWN IN POPULAR UPRISING - NEW REPUBLIC PROCLAIMED - The Kingdom of Aquileia, for the second time in recent history, is embroiled in revolutionary fervour. In response to the increasingly oppressive and brutal rule of King Moriset, a wave of strikes and protests estimated to involve as many as 200,000 griffons and ponies has erupted nationwide. The government reportedly ordered paramilitaries of the Mouvement Patriote d'Aquilée (MPA) to end the protests, only for the MPA to join up with the protestors.

In a series of swift actions, key government buildings and leaders were seized by MPA paramilitaries in a largely bloodless affair. King Moriset himself is currently in custody. The scenes in Aquila were matched across the country, in cities like Rila, Pridea, and Westkeep. Leader of the MPA, Marshal Léonard Rodier, is now the leader of a provisional cabinet known as the National Unity Government. The 20-member body consists of members from all parties involved in the uprising.

The National Unity Government has wasted no time outlining their vision for the nation’s future. Marshal Rodier spoke before a crowd of 70,000 ponies and griffons in Aquila where he proclaimed the establishment of the Second Aquileian Republic. He also announced free elections would be held as soon as possible as well as a normalisation of relations with the Lunar Empire.

The crowds were heard chanting slogans such as “Long live Aquileia!”, “Long live the Aquileian revolution!”, and “Friendship with Equestria!” expressing widely held opinions in the country. The government of the tyrannical King Moriset was infamous for antagonising the Lunar Empire by openly supporting terrorist and secessionist organisations in Equestria. This new government has shown no interest in continuing such policies, and the Imperial Foreign Ministry has welcomed the uprising.

The planned elections will elect a new constituent assembly, which will create a new democratic constitution and set a date for elections for a new legislature and government. The National Unity Government will govern the country in the meantime.

Mount Aris Express report on the 1008 Aquileian political crisis, by Arisian journalist Rayne Cloud. (02/01/1008)

Coup d'état in Aquileia - Aquileian paramilitaries depose royal government

Ultranationalist paramilitaries in Aquileia launched a coup on Tuesday, detaining the country’s sovereign, King Moriset, and other top officials in a series of raids.

The seizure of power was coordinated across the whole country, with paramilitaries belonging to the Mouvement Patriote d'Aquilée (MPA) taking control of key institutions in several cities. This was set on a backdrop of intensifying unrest and violence, which the MPA took advantage of to seize control.

Due to Lunar Imperial support for Aquileia’s insurgent republican movement, many have suspected Lunar involvement in the takeover. Photographs show MPA members and aligned paramilitaries wielding Equestrian weaponry. Aquileia has been a key player in the global fight to resist the growing power of Nightmare Moon, using its Navy to protect Puerto Caballo from Lunar invasion.

The coup leader, Léonard Rodier, has announced an end to the monarchy and a normalisation of relations with the Lunar Empire. He now leads a council of claw-picked members tasked with governing the troubled nation. He has promised elections once the situation stabilises, but it remains to be seen if the promise of a swift transition to an elected government will be upheld, or if the elections will be free and fair.

This coup is yet further bad news for international efforts to contain the growing power of the Lunar Empire. This coup, even if it turns out to be short-lived, has shown that even Aquileia cannot necessarily be relied on to be a permanent shield against Lunar imperialism.

The Lunar Empire's primary interests in Griffonia, as well as the wider world, have appeared to be more about extending their own influence and enrichment at the expense of others, rather than following the Harmonic goals of ensuring freedom and prosperity for all. Imperial leaders are doubtlessly pleased with the downfall of a longtime foe, excited at the prospect of influencing and exploiting Aquileia itself, and more dangerously are licking their lips at the prospect of invading a now unprotected Puerto Caballo.

Lunar imperialism thrives on a divided Harmonic world, it has shown itself to seize any opportunity it can grasp to bring more of the globe under the hoof of its Empress. So the coup in Aquileia is likely to further hamper efforts to contain them.

“So, coup? Or revolution?” Moonatik asks. “Guess it depends on how you define it and who you trust, hm? Maybe you don’t really trust either of them and you’re stuck in a place where you’re never sure what’s real and what’s fake. Hey, wasn’t fanfiction supposed to be an escape from reality?”

Author's Note

OC attributions:
Theodore Verany and Leonard Rodier are from Equestria at War.

Equestrians are Stupid

“Equestrians are always dumber than you think, even if you take this into account,” Moonatik claims. “Think of how weird or crazy or dumb the average Equestrian is, and remember that 50%-1 of Equestrians are weirder, crazier, and dumber than that.”

“Want proof?” Moonatik laughs. “Oh I got proof! I got all the proof you could ask for! Just as long as you count ignorance as dumb.”

“In 1007 a survey was conducted amongst a representative sample of the equestrian public asking a range of questions regarding international affairs. The results…” Moonatik cringes. “...weren’t great.”

“Oo, sorry about the writing. That was me, I did it,” Moonatik snickers. “Anyway. Most Equestrians could only answer three of the questions correctly, and it was a relatively small majority at that.”

“Most answered right with the Saturn Hawkrich question. Makes sense, he’s an Equestrian and a celebrity. Well known that he took on the job of Viceroy after he was fired as Warmaster.” Moonatik sighs. “Then you get down the list, and it’s all wrong, wrong, wrong.” A groan. “Senturya surprised me the most, like, it’s in the name! He was a centaur! Also a lot of ponies thought the flag of Nimbusia was the flag of ancient Pegasopolis. Mad, innit?”

“Here’s a couple other interesting things. High income and highly educated Equestrians generally know more about the world, but the range isn’t that broad. Like, when you only count wealthy, university educated Equestrians they get on average six or seven questions correct. A very small minority got all the questions right, mostly in that upper class.”

“Knowledge also differs a lot by location. The highest levels of knowledge are in the city centres of big urban areas across the east coast. Manehattan, Fillydelphia, Petershoof, Baltimare, you know the like. But the further you go into the country, and the more rural you get, the less knowledge there is. In some rural areas, zero ponies could correctly answer the bottom few questions.”

“There’s some variation between the different tribes, but when you account for socioeconomic status this variation mostly goes away. A rural working class unicorn doesn’t know a whole lot more than a rural working class thestral, nor does a wealthy university educated thestral know much less than a wealthy university educated unicorn. There does tend to be more knowledge amongst non-pony species, however. Almost all griffons asked knew what the Reichsmark was, for example.”

“But if you wanna know just how dumb Equestrians are-” Moonatik points to the door. “-just go out there and ask. This one time I was talking to this real nerdy unicorn, educated by Celestia herself and kept studying even after her banishment. We started talking about Kirea, and I thought she might have something to say. Interesting topic, yeah?” He pauses, for effect. “She didn’t know what the Silence was. Or that it ended. Or that it ended after a diplomatic mission from the River Republic.”

“So, yeah, Equestrians aren’t the brightest. But, some progress is being made in the right direction. You can thank Warmaster Selenite for a lot of the work in educating the public in…” Moonatik stopped, looking like he was thinking of the right words to say. “A strange sort of way. Yeah.”

“Like, whenever the Empire was getting involved in a war in some part of the world, Warmaster Selenite would get on TV and tell the Equestrian - and I guess by extension Lunar - public about where they were going and what they were doing.”

Moonatik slaps another tape into the VCR. “Observe.”

Televised statement by Warmaster Selenite on the commencement of Operation Wintershield (24/10/1008).

Lunar subjects,

Last night, Karkadannistan invaded Maretonia and Aestlonia in a sudden and unprovoked attack. Hordes of Karkadannistani forces charged across the border, overwhelming defences, ransacking towns, and burning the countryside. It should go without saying that there is no justification whatsoever for such outrageous and brutal acts of aggression.

The three nations in question are located here, in the Hestraya region of Southwestern Zebrica. All three nations suffered immensely from the plundering of the Storm King, being some of his first targets. Following the fall of the Storm King, Aestlonia and Maretonia retained their freedom and accepted Lunar aid in their reconstruction. Karkaddanistan, however, refused our assistance and sought only war.

The pony nations of western Hestraya, Aestlonia and Maretonia, are peaceful societies who have a productive friendship with the Lunar Empire. Both are signatories of the Somnambula Treaty and members of the Zebrican Phoenix Initiative. Many companies from Equestria, New Mareland, and Chiropterra conduct mutually beneficial business in these two countries. Their fair leaders, Princess Zaida of Aestlonia and Duke Kyrippos of Maretonia, are joined together in a royal marriage, and both are committed to the common good of their subjects. Historically, their borders were much further to the east, yet due to the chaos brought upon by the Storm King, their lands have fallen under Karkadannistani rule

On the other hoof, Karkadannistan is a vicious, martial dictatorship under the brutal rule of Shahanshah Tahmasp, a bloody warlord and butcher. They care not for peaceful development, nor do they care that the Zebrican continent has suffered enough during the rampage of the Storm King. All they seek is war and conquest. Their ambitions go beyond Hestraya, as their rulers see it as the first step to restoring some sense of lost imperial greatness. Karkadannistani aggression had been long known about, and as such, the Lunar Empire has planned for this very scenario.

Pursuant to the stipulations of the Somnambula Treaty, the Lunar Empire has an obligation to come to the aid of signatory nations such as Maretonia and Aestlonia. In this, we will not falter.

Given the urgency of the situation, it’s imperative that we act quickly. Already, the Lunar Empire has activated Operation Wintershield, a joint operation by the Imperial Lunar Navy and Imperial Lunar Air Force to destroy the offensive capabilities of Karkadannistan and support the defensive capabilities of Aestlonia and Maretonia. Lunar naval and air forces are on their way to Maretonia and Aestlonia as I speak.

Our sailors and airponies undertake this task with utmost bravery. While no decision to deploy military personnel overseas is taken lightly, the ponies and other creatures who volunteered for foreign operations knew what they signed up for. I am confident that they will conduct their mission with strength, care, and courage.

However, Operation Wintershield will not involve sending Equestrian soldiers to the frontlines. Given the relative strength, we are confident that the mission can be completed with our air and naval power supporting the local forces of Aestlonia and Maretonia.

I must also emphasise that Lunar ships and planes have no plans for strikes against Karkadannistani towns or cities, and that Karkadannistani military infrastructure will be targeted with the most precise weaponry in the Lunar arsenal, and that no civilians will be threatened.

I speak on behalf of the whole Imperial Lunar Military, as I pledge that we will do our part to ensure that Karkadannistan withdraws from Aestlonia and Maretonia as soon as possible.

I, as well as Foreign Minister Borealis, have already assured the leaders of Maretonia and Aestlonia in private of our commitment, but to erase all doubt we will put our message on the public record. The Lunar Empire stands resolutely with the nations that have placed their trust in us. We will come to your defence, and your trust is not misplaced.

Yet to the tyrants and warlords of Karkadannistan, our message is simple. You will face the might of the Lunar Empire, and you will lose.

“Basically, the point was to give information regarding their operations straight from her own mouth. Educate and inform the public, and all.” Moonatik shrugs. “Well, if you believe her. Most Equestrians did, at least. It was the first they’d ever heard of some of these countries, you see.”

Campaign '09

“In 1009, two seperate campaigns were fought to decide who would be Equestria's Prime Minister. One was fought in the moonlight, the other was fought in the shadows,” says Moonatik, as he lifts a filing box labelled ‘ELECTIONWATCH 1009’ onto the desk and opens it up.

“For the story of the campaign itself, I'm going to give you what an Equestrian voter likely saw throughout the six week campaign,” he says. “That's going to mostly be what was on the front page of the most widely circulated newspapers.”

“But first!” He raises a hoof. “To get a general idea of what was going on, it might work best to have something more of an outside perspective to introduce you.” He takes a newspaper out of the folder. “So here’s an introduction written by an Aquileian newspaper for Aquileian readers, painstakingly translated word for word from Aquileian into Equestrian. Because who the hell wants to read Aquileian amirite.”

Profile of Equestria’s major political parties, produced by Aquileian newspaper ‘Le Petit Griffon’. (22/03/1009)

Equestrian elections: Who’s who and what’s what?

In six weeks, Equestrians will go to the polls to elect a new parliament and a new government. Most expect the ruling New Equestrian Party to retain power, who have been ruling since the first Equestrian elections under Lunar rule in 1001. However, there is reason to anticipate change as a once disparate opposition consolidates around the Free Democratic Party.

How does it work?

Even before 1001, Equestria has been described as a “Guided Democracy” or a “Managed Democracy”. While a longstanding tradition of local and provincial level democracy exists in Equestria, the national Parliamentary franchise had long been restricted to those who owned property. It wasn’t until the Nightmare Charter of 1001 that universal suffrage was implemented, but greater power was given to unelected officials who hold considerable sway over the political system and day-to-day management of government.

Parliamentary elections use a simple ‘First Past the Post’ system. The country is divided into 400 constituencies which each elect a single MP to the national Parliament. The candidate in each constituency with the most votes wins.

Elections to the Equestrian Parliament are typically held every five years. However, Parliament can vote to dissolve itself and trigger an early election at any time, such was the case in 1004.

The constituency boundaries in Equestria have come under criticism from the opposition, who claim that they are unfairly drawn to favour the NEP. In the 1001 election, the NEP failed to win a majority of votes but secured a huge parliamentary majority.

Traditionally, the party or faction with a majority in Parliament will be invited to form a government. However, the monarch retains the right to appoint any government she wishes.

What’s at stake?

Legally, all parties and all candidates are required to swear an oath of loyalty to Empress Nightmare Moon and the Imperial Government. The elected Equestrian government is solely responsible for the domestic affairs of Equestria. The Imperial government, made up of officials directly appointed by Empress Nightmare Moon or the Imperial Commission, is responsible for foreign policy, military action, and matters of significant importance to the whole Empire.

In other words, the rule of Nightmare Moon is not on the ballot.

What is on the ballot is all the crucial domestic matters of Equestrian governance. Education, taxation, housing, public services, law and order, and pensions.

But amongst the voting public, a vote for the NEP is seen as an endorsement of Nightmare Moon’s rule, while voting for an opposition candidate is viewed as an expression of dissatisfaction, even if no candidate is permitted to run on such a platform.

Who’s running?

Having held a majority in Parliament for as long as the body has existed under Lunar rule, the New Equestria Party is expected to hold onto power. The party was formed for the sake of representing and uniting the Lunarist movement for the 1001 election. In government, the party has demonstrated a paternalistic and statist attitude, with an emphasis on social justice, economic opportunity, and patriotism.

The New Equestria Party is led by Prime Minister Saffron Dusk, a 72-year-old thestral stallion. He had been an icon of Equestrian Lunarism and the thestral rights movement for decades before the Equestrian Civil War, and his supporters present him as a trustworthy and capable leader with a proven record of making Equestria stronger and safer. Others, even some in the Lunarist movement, say he is growing too old for the job.

The Free Democratic Party is largely considered the new face of the Equestrian opposition. Before the Equestrian Civil War the party saw little national success, focusing on democratic reforms to the Equestrian government. It is now the second largest party in Parliament, claiming to speak for the ‘silent majority’ dissatisfied with NEP governance. The party embraces libertarian populism, favouring stronger civil liberties and less state involvement in the economy.

Elected to the position in 1004, FDP leader Trixie Lulamoon is a political firebrand without equal. The 29-year-old unicorn mare was a travelling stage magician before she entered politics, and has carried that showmareship into her new career path. Her public rallies and speeches often feature large displays, live music, and even fireworks. Many have noticed how she is shadowed often in public by her wife, Starlight Glimmer.

The third largest party in parliament is the Working Ponies’ Party. This party has been beset by a series of splits over the last few years, with many members both in leadership and the rank-and-file leaving to form groups such as the Economic Democracy Party and the (criminalised upon formation) Communist Party of Equestria. Regardless, the Working Ponies’ Party remains the largest socialist party in Equestria, with deep links to the trade union movement. However, Equestrian law prohibits the party from officially referring to itself as socialist.

A series of smaller parties have limited representation in Parliament, including the Tribist Alliance, once the party of government for much of post-reformation Equestrian history.

What’s likely to happen?

Since 1001, the NEP has been able to dominate politics on a national level and maintain control of most provincial and city-level governments. In part, this is a result of a positive public attitude towards political Lunarism in recent years. But in a much greater way, it is a direct consequence of the constitutional power structure of Equestria and the Lunar Empire, with the overarching Imperial government being by far the senior partner.

The ultimate choice in appointing a government is Nightmare Moon’s alone to make, and she can immediately dissolve the newly elected Parliament if she so chooses. Additionally, denouncements of the Imperial Government can result in a candidate’s disqualification, or even an elected MP’s suspension.

Current polling and prediction models all suggest that the NEP is on track to another victory. But there are rumblings of change, as Lulamoon has higher net public favorability ratings than Dusk (at least according to reputable pollsters). A lot can change before May 3rd, and the preferences of Equestrian voters as well as the attitude of the media will determine the outcome.

“From the starting gun of the campaign the NEP were the favourite to win because they dominated basically everything,” Moonatik says. “When they actually went out to present themselves to the public and the like, they more or less carried on as normal. The image was just, ‘we’re in charge, we’re doing a good job, let us carry on with what we’re doing’.”

“Take this, technically on the first night of the campaign, but not officially a campaign event at all.”

Front page story of the Nightly Mail tabloid. (24/03/1009)

Saffron Dusk Honours the Heroes of the War Against Sombra

Last night, the 5th anniversary of the end of the War Against Sombra, Equestria’s leaders gathered in Crystal City to honour those who fell.

Prime Minister Saffron Dusk led Equestria in remembering those who gave their lives in the conflict. He was joined by Empress Nightmare Moon, Warmaster Selenite, and several former Prime Ministers and political figures from the Celestial Era.

Prime Minister Saffron Dusk was the first of Equestria's senior politicians to lay a wreath on behalf of the nation. The Prime Minister looked sombre and respectful as he placed the wreath at the base of the war memorial in Crystal City.

He was followed by Empress Nightmare Moon, Warmaster Selenite, and other senior politicians and military leaders. Governor Alesia Sneznaya laid a wreath on behalf of veterans who survived the war. A local MP, Bold Garnet (NEP), laid a wreath on behalf of the Crystal Ponies.

The Prime Minister gave a respectful speech at the service. He said, “The courage and commitment of Equestrian soldiers is unmatched, the world over.”

"I am determined to honour their ultimate sacrifice. The Equestria they fought to protect will carry on, strong and safe. The Crystal Ponies they fought to liberate will live on too, freer and happier than ever before.”

The event was concluded by a march of nearly 10,000 veterans of the war. They were led by representatives of the Equestrian Legion.

“A normie Equestrian would see this and think that the NEP lot were the natural party of government,” Moonatik explains. “No opposition politicians present, either. Almost like they were pretending they didn’t exist!”

“There were, of course, papers a little more sceptical of the NEP and willing to publish stories that didn't paint them in the best light.” He takes a newspaper out of the box. “Here's one that made a big splash at the time.”

Front page story of the Manehattan Times. (02/04/1009)

The dark, disturbing, segregated gatherings of radical New Equestria Party politicians revealed - By News Flash

Involuntary castration, forced birth, political persecution, and other disturbing topics discussed at NEP gathering.

So far, tribe relations have not been an issue of this election.

Insofar as it has, it has been the NEP touting its record of promoting equality and friendship between the five tribes of Equestria. No word of opposition has come from the opposition parties, a cross-party consensus having been formed on tribal equality. Even the Tribist Alliance, in its increasing irrelevance, supports equality amongst the five tribes.

This is the case, at least, in most of Equestria. In the southeast, it’s an entirely different story.

Campaigns for the NEP have taken a noticeably tribal tone in every election, this one included. Leaflets distributed in rural Tzinacatlian communities have often included phrases such as ‘If you are proud to be a thestral, vote NEP’ and ‘NEP: The party of thestral dignity’.

This extends to other campaign material published in the region. Advertisements for the party often exclusively feature thestral NEP politicians. Campaign material features things the party pledges to oppose, such as the frequent image of greedy out-of-town businessponies depicted as unicorns, pegasi, or earth ponies. But public messaging is absent of anything explicitly supremacist, it is all in the eye of the beholder.

However, southeastern NEP politicians reveal their true feelings in private.

During a private gathering of NEP politicians, staffers, and volunteers, speakers including Starry Glory MP and Marching Midnight MP openly promoted thestral supremacy, religious persecution, and abolishing democracy.

An audio recording of speeches given by featured speakers has been made available to us. According to the pony who provided this recording, who will remain anonymous, the event itself was exclusively attended by thestrals. Non-thestrals were explicitly excluded from the gathering.

When Starry Glory stood up to speak, his main concern was the thestral population in proportion to other tribes.

“A topic of grave importance we find ourselves facing time and time again is our diminished proportion of the population. Thestrals are only a quarter of the ponies in Equestria, at most. And while it has seen growth, it is far too slow. Our proportion of the population increases by a miniscule 0.15% every year. At this rate it won’t be for another century and a half until we eclipse the other tribes and become a majority!”

One focus of attention in his speech was childless thestrals, and his open resentment for them.

“As long as we remain a minority, every thestral mare on this continent has a sacred, biological duty to her kind to bear foals. Every thestral stallion and mare has a duty to raise those foals into honest Lunarists. Yet so many refuse this duty! There are thestral mares who live their whole lives foalless! There are stallions who don’t spend a second of their lives assisting in foal rearing! There are even many in our own government who refuse this duty! How can we expect to be led by thestrals who refuse such a vital duty to their kind?”

When prompted about solutions to this supposed problem, it got dark.

“Perhaps, in the short term, financial incentives for thestrals to start families will be useful. In the medium to long term, we will have to be more ambitious. I propose that it be made mandatory that all thestral mares have at least four foals, and that every thestral mare and stallion partake in the duty of child rearing. As for the other tribes, all featherheads, mudtrackers, and hornheads should be castrated as soon as feasible.”

This proposal was met with applause. He continued by disparaging the loyalty of other tribes.

“The other tribes may follow the Nightmare now, but they lack the history of proven loyalty to the Nightmare that we do. Their so-called loyalty is conditional, transactional. They are not our brethren, and they never will be our brethren. Only in the most optimal circumstances can we use them to our ends, and never can they be trusted. Their line is tainted. The longer they constitute a majority the stronger the threat they pose.”

Another topic in Starry Glory’s speech was integration, and his opposition to it.

“The government of the Dusk Clique has made integration with the other tribes. The absurd notion that thestrals are better off in the company of other races. My brethren, did you fight and bleed for integration?”

A loud “No,” came from those gathered.

“Of course not! Why in Nightmare’s name would we want to share trains, neighbourhoods, schools, even temples with the unfaithful and unproven? Why would we want to fight our wars alongside them? Thestral foals across Equestria are being taught by teachers of other races, and they tout it as a success! It’s not what any of us asked for, it’s not what any of us fought for!”

When Marching Midnight came up to speak, he spoke mostly about his opposition to democracy.

“The very fact that governance in Equestria is beholden in any way to the amorphous and chaotic will of the general population rather than firmly under the Nightmare’s direction is a travesty unto itself. That the unproven are allowed to participate and even become members of government is an insult.”

He described his political movement in militaristic terms, calling it a war for the soul of Equestria.

“We are not playing a game. We are fighting a war for the soul of Equestria. And in war, you do not stop to ask your enemy what they think. You do not give them an equal chance. You do not reveal your positions. You do not allow them the chance to gather strength. Wars are won through the overwhelming application of force.”

Marching Midnight also spoke negatively of the Prime Minister.

“Much of the blame for this appeasement and opportunism lies at the hooves of Saffron Dusk. If his career can be defined by anything, it’s sucking the intransigent soul out of our movement. First he played the radical once he took over the Southeastern Moonspeaker Conclave, dragging good militants into the ranks of that rotten organisation. Then, after Her Highness returned, he artfully maneuvered his way into political prominence and shut out honest Lunarists. The last eight years speak for themselves.”

However, he said he expects Dusk’s resignation to be soon and followed up with what he aims to do afterwards.

“While we can never rest easy, we can take comfort knowing that Dusk is an aging stallion. I don’t know how many years of life are left in him, but there certainly can’t be another year in office left in him. There, we will have a chance not only to bring Lunarism back to its truth, but to rebuild the NEP itself. There are enough good thestrals in the party to bring it under a more honest influence.”

A full transcript of the audio recordings are featured on later pages.

While Starry Glory and Marching Midnight may not command majority support within the NEP, or the Lunarist movement as a whole, it remains worrying that such a tendency exists within the ruling party of Equestria.

These politicians hold the vast majority of Equestrians in utter contempt. And these sentiments were never intended to be shared with the average Equestrian, only in private gatherings of “pure subjects”.

UPDATE (06/04/1009): Following further revelations, Starry Glory, Marching Midnight, and several others have been suspended from the NEP. They will stand in the election as independents.

“Oh my goodness gracious how vicious,” says Moonatik, his tone deadpan.

“This didn't totally trash the NEP's chances. It didn’t really hurt it that much. It gave the centre the excuses they needed to boot out the more unsavoury Lunarists. Plus, most of the media coverage was still pretty-” Moonatik makes a pulling up-and-down gesture with his hoof. “-towards the NEP. Like, the very next night, the front page story in the exact same paper was much more favourable.”

Front page story of the Manehattan Times. (03/04/1009)

Union President to Members: Support Saffron Dusk

Deep Plum, the President of the All-Equestria Federation of Trade Unions, urged union members to give their vote in May 3rd’s election to the New Equestria Party.

In an event last night where Deep Plum stood alongside Prime Minister Saffron Dusk, the union leader said that the NEP had done more for Equestrian labour in eight years than any other party or political organisation had in centuries.

“I’m proud to endorse the New Equestria Party,” she said. “It’s a party that listens to workers, that puts labour at the core of its identity. It’s dedicated to building a better Equestria for all.”

The endorsement was widely expected, as the AEFTU controls 3 of the seats on the New Equestria Party’s Central Executive Committee.

Prior to 1001, a majority of the members in AEFTU affiliated unions were thestrals, and it was largely seen as an alternative for thestral excluded from larger unions. At the time, a majority of unionised Equestrian workers were in unions affiliated with the National Trade Union Congress. Since then, the AEFTU has overtaken the NTUC as the largest labour organisation in Equestria.

“Regardless of tribe, species, creed, or place of birth, if you’re an Equestrian worker the AEFTU and the NEP stand with you,” Deep Plum continued.

As Saffron Dusk accepted the endorsement, Minister for Labour Ruby Solstice and Minister for Transportation Moondancer were in attendance.

“Our movement has always been a movement of the ordinary working Equestrian,” said Saffron Dusk. “We stand against abusive bosses, be they big or small, and for an economy that works for those who work.”

“But chances are, this isn't all you heard. There were other parties competing, of course. And if you heard about any of those parties, you'd have probably heard of the Free Democratic Party. Why?” Moonatik chuckles. “Because they were everywhere.”

“Think like, the sort of campaign Equestria had never seen before. Posters and signs everywhere.” He gestures side to side with his hooves and wings. “Politicians doing two or three rallies a night. Canvassers on every street. Even radio and TV ads!”

“And at the centre of everything was the FDP’s charismatic leader, Trixie Lulamoon!”

Moonatik takes a tape out of the box and loads it into a tape player. “Imagine yourself as an ordinary pony going through the streets of Manehattan, and you hear this from a nearby park or plaza.”

Transcript of a speech given by Trixie Lulamoon in an FDP campaign event in Broncyln, Manehattan (06/04/1009)

(The crowd cheers as Trixie walks onto stage)

What a beautiful audience! It’s grrreat to be here in Manehattan again. And great to be on stage with your smart and prrincipled MP, Coco Pommel!

(The crowd bursts into further cheers)

Right now, Equestria faces the most important election in its history. Now more than ever, we stand at a crossroads. We have the chance to really change the makeup of parliament, and we have a chance to bring real change to Equestria!

Our party has a tradition. No matter the circumstances, no matter the Princess, we stand by the ponies and fight for freedom. But you know the NEP. They have no tradition, except shining the new pair of boots that stamps on your freedom!

When parliament has an NEP majority, it's worse than useless, it's nothing more than a rubber stamp for the party bosses! It’s like a parrot in a cage! Repeating every word its master tells it without a moment of thought!

And so you might have… Certain ponies. Certain ponies, with influence in the NEP, who may have never won an election in their life. Maybe, these ponies decide they don’t like something about Equestria. About honest Equestrian harmony, about our popular traditions. And they may decide that ponies everywhere shouldn’t be allowed to do that anymore!

And so what do you get? When certain ponies have the ear of the NEP? They try to ban public singing! Singing!

(The crowd bursts out into jeers.)

Is there anything more Equestrian than breaking out into song in public? Anything, that could be a more organic expression of friendship and harmony? Not to these paternalistic twerps! They called it a disturbance to public order! If singing is a disturbance, what else? Is dancing disturbing? Are birthday parties going to be banned? Is friendship itself a disturbance to them?

Who doesn’t like singing to yourself in the park? Who can’t appreciate the value of a whole community coming together to sing? Who doesn’t know the joy of breaking out into song when you arrive in a place you’ve never been before? The NEP. They hate fun, they hate friendship, and they hate you!

If the NEP keeps having their way, everything that makes Equestria fun, Equestria interesting, and Equestria Equestrian would be stripped away! We’d become a nation of nothing!

(The jeers intensify.)

But that law was stopped, wasn’t it? It never passed! But while Trixie, Coco here, and all the other MPs in our party did what we could to slow it down, you know who really stopped it?

(The crowd cheers.)

You did! You did!

It was you who went out in the streets to sing your hearts out! Here in Manehattan, in my home of Las Pegasus, and bless the souls of Ponyville! They sang so much in Ponyville, they could hear it in the Imperial Castle! They had to listen! They had no choice but to listen! They scrapped that law, the ponies won, and that is what is so great, and powerful, about friendship!

(More cheers follow.)

But they haven’t been stopped from passing all the other dreadful laws telling you how you get to live your lives! There are now fines, and even sometimes jail sentences, for mistakes as simple as forgetting to flush or wash your hooves in a public toilet. You can be hit with a one-thousand-bit fine for eating on public transport! Ponies have been jailed for wearing smelly clothes in public! I mean, come on!

We know, most ponies know, those sorts of things aren’t nice, or hygienic. But unlike the NEP, the FDP trusts you to make the right choice without some Night Guard peering over your shoulder every moment of every night! The FDP knows that ponies don’t deserve to be fined, or jailed, for being a little gross!

You don’t want to live with these laws, do you?

(A loud “NO” comes from the crowd.)

The NEP can’t pass any laws like that if they don’t control Parliament. So you know what to do, don’t you? Vote them out! Vote them out!

(The crowd chants ‘vote them out’ repeatedly. Eventually, the chants die down.)

You know, we’re in South Bronclyn right now. Represented by, of course, the lovely Coco Pommel!

(The crowd cheers.)

But all over the city, you’ve got a whole bunch of much smaller constituencies, and they’re all ‘represented’ by freedom-hating bureaucracy-lovers from the NEP!

I know, I know how it can seem. They've rigged the system so hard that change seems impossible. I've seen them do it. My own constituency has twice as many ponies as all the NEP constituencies around it!

So I know how many ponies feel. They don’t see the point in voting, because the NEP are going to win anyway. Right?

No. No! (Lulamoon bangs her lectern) That's where they want you! They want you to check out! Staying home on voting night, that's surrender!

We have the hard won right to vote, a right that the NEP wishes they could steal away from us if they got the chance. And you know what? We aren't going to let them! We're going to use it! We're going to use that right to show the NEP what we think of them! To show them how much Equestrians hate them! We’re going to use it to show them how much ponies want them out! We’re going to use it to win real change!

(The crowd cheers.)

Yeah, Trixie hears you! Trixie hears all of you loud and clear! Can the NEP hear you?

(The cheers get louder.)

Make them hear you!

(The cheers continue.)

And I know that Saffron Duck can hear us. We’ve tried, oh tried so many times, to reach out to the NEP so the two of us could have a debate. But I suppose he doesn’t want to come out of the castle. Whether that's the Imperial Castle or the retirement castle, I don't know yet.

(The crowd laughs.)

Put your record to the test. Put your ap-ti-tude to the test! Name a time, name a stage, Trixie will be there!

(The crowd erupts into another bout of cheers.)

“A very, very, very, VERY common recurring theme in Trixie’s campaign was ‘debate me’. She thought that if she could share an even stage with Saffron Dusk she’d be seen as the most legitimate competitor to his party. It’d boost her chances even if she did poorly.”

“And eventually, as the FDP’s numbers improved, the NEP agreed to hold a debate.”

Story in ‘The Moon’ tabloid. (13/04/1009)

Saffron Dusk and Trixie Lulamoon agree to televised debate

Spokesponies for the NEP and FDP have confirmed that the leaders of their two parties, Prime Minister Saffron Dusk and Trixie Lulamoon respectively, will face off in a televised debate in a few nights.

This debate will be the first of its kind in Equestrian history. Televised debates are the norm in many countries such as Macawia and Jezeragrad.

In recent weeks Trixie Lulamoon has repeatedly challenged Saffron Dusk to a public debate, televised or otherwise. She has repeatedly referred to the Prime Minister as "Saffron Duck" for "ducking" from her criticisms.

The debate will be televised at 8:00pm on the 17th of April on IBC One. IBC Radio Four will also broadcast the audio of the debate live at the same time.

Front page story in ‘The Moon’ tabloid. (18/04/1009)

Did you miss it?: Last night’s debate, summarised

Last night, Saffron Dusk of the NEP and Trixie Lulamoon of the FDP went head to head in a televised debate, broadcast across Equestria.

The contrast was clear to all viewers. Prime Minister Saffron Dusk presented the image of a competent statespony with a clear plan for the future, while Trixie Lulamoon had only senseless slogans and populist platitudes.

Highlights

The first topic of the debate was the state of the Equestrian economy. Saffron Dusk was asked to defend his record on the economy.

Saffron Dusk gave a clear and coherent answer, explaining how he has presided over an economy where living standards have only risen.

“(The) economy (is) great. (Over the) last few years, much has been done. We beat (...) poverty. (The) point of (an) economy is, is raising living standards. We did (that).”

Trixie Lulamoon was then grilled on her lack of experience managing an economy, or any large-scale financial endeavour. Her answer betrayed her experience, summarised as she “knows ponies” who “know what to do”.

A later topic was public order. Saffron Dusk went into detail regarding the achievements his government had made assuring public safety, public hygiene, and public order.

“We’ve done (a) good (job). (No) more monsters. (...) Monsters are gone.”

He specifically brought up the many efforts made by the government to end the spread of disease in the rural southeast, which had been prevalent prior to 1001. He went into further detail, describing how Equestrian cities are cleaner than ever before while even rural towns and villages and seeing the benefits of this approach.

Meanwhile, Lulamoon ran back to the “nation of nothing” campaign slogan that fell flat on the debate audience.

The question of aptitude was brought up regarding Trixie Lulamoon, who has never held a position in government.

Immediately Lulamoon stooped to personal attacks against Saffron Dusk. “Come on, he looks like a corpse,” she said. “He doesn’t even know what night it is.” Literally nobody laughed or found it remotely amusing. She then blustered her way through a non-response boasting about her own competence.

Clearly unphased by Lulamoon’s insult, Saffron Dusk reiterated that he had the confidence of his party, the confidence of the Empress, and the confidence of the people.

“Ponies (...) are gonna know (that I am fit and healthy).”

Aftermath

A snap poll was conducted for radio listeners who tuned into the debate, finding that a majority believed that Prime Minister Saffron Dusk performed better. Many didn’t even notice he had a cold.

Sources within the NEP report that the performance has boosted confidence within their campaign. Now that their positive case has been made to the Equestrian public, contrasted with the negative rhetoric of the alternative, party campaigners are sure that they retain the trust of the voters.

“I don’t know how good you are at reading subtext but you can probably tell that it wasn’t the best night for the NEP,” Moonatik says. “Spin doctors did what they could, but, eh, ponies couldn’t ignore the evidence of their eyes and ears. The NEP and its supporters knew that from then on they couldn’t carry on as normal. They’d need to go on the offensive.”

“So what's all that-” Moonatik reaches into the filing box “-look like?

A moment later he drops a stack of newspapers onto the desk, making a solid thud.

“Well.”

Front page story in ‘The Moon’ tabloid. (19/04/1009)

YOU CAN’T TRUST TRIXIE LULAMOON

THE MOON SAYS: Equestria can't risk a Prime Minister whose only experience is lying and showboating.

Since coming to lead the FDP in 1004, Trixie Lulamoon has turned the party into her own personal vehicle to stardom. She had no background in community organising, activism, or politics at all. She was a stage magician, and a particularly unsuccessful one by all accounts.

Trixie Lulamoon couldn’t even run a one-pony travelling roadshow. She can’t run a government.

She joined the FDP in 1001 because she saw a chance at fame, using highly inflammatory rhetoric including sowing doubt regarding Equestria’s electoral process to dishonestly smear Equestria’s first thestral Prime Minister as a cheater.

She now attracts crowds her magician act never could’ve achieved by inciting hate and division in our country.

Under her leadership the FDP has been transformed from a party of starry-eyed liberals into a hive of corruption, Lulamoon’s personal vehicle to fame and fortune.

Over the last nine years, more positive progress has been made in tackling issues of racism, poverty, economic disparity, and public disorder than ever before in Equestria’s history. These gains have been tangible, and ponies have felt them.

Trixie Lulamoon denies these accomplishments, making up lies at every opportunity to smear the record of Equestria’s first thestral-led government.

Trixie Lulamoon has no experience in government. Her career in parliament has been limited to shallow grandstanding and sloganeering. She has never written a bill that has become law, or written a motion that has passed parliament. She has never even sponsored a successful amendment.

She has spent more time meeting with the corrupting influence of large capitalists than she ever has with her constituents in Paradise Valley. She cares not for her constituents beyond their use to her.

Trixie Lulamoon lacks the public support to ever win a majority. But if the NEP are denied a majority, Lulamoon will cobble together a coalition of chaos where the racist parties of old Equestria and the radical socialists of the WPP call the shots.

For the sake of our country, make sure you give your vote to the New Equestria Party on May 3rd.

Equestria faces a simple and unescapable choice: Stability and strong government with the New Equestria Party, or chaos with Trixie Lulamoon.

(The article continues for 5 more pages in much the same regard.)

“Now imagine that, but you see it every night, in every paper shop, on most of the papers, for two entire weeks.” Moonatik blows out a breath. “That’s going to have an effect on any campaign.”

“Not to say it was all negative to the FDP,” he admits. “But you can understand how it could get somewhat lost in the noise, right?”

“Though, while most of the negative coverage was just character assassination bullshit, there were, indeed, legitimate criticisms to be made of Trixe Lulamoon.” Moonatik’s eyebrows shoot up. “I know, I struggle to believe it too.”

Front page story in ‘The Moon’ tabloid. (23/04/1009)

REVEALED: CORRUPTION IN THE FDP

An investigation into the link between FDP policy and its funding sources was published earlier this week, revealing that the party has almost been entirely bankrolled by huge influxes of cash from wealthy donors with corrupting interests.

The investigation was carried out by independent journalist News Flash, who shared her findings with THE MOON newspaper amongst others.

Before 1001, the FDP had trouble paying its bills as it refused to take large donations from corrupting influences. This was until the party changed strategy under the leadership of Trixie Lulamoon, who initiated an ‘Open Door’ policy to wealthy private donors. Since then, the party’s revenues have increased massively as private corporations and multimillionaires give generously to the party.

The influx of money precedes a change in the FDP’s policies, changes that would benefit the donors directly if implemented.

For instance: The FDP was once a party that supported a Land Value Tax, the sort of which the NEP implemented to great success.

Former leader of the FDP’s youth wing Bray Monkey advocated for the tax in 998, calling it “the best idea that will never happen”.

It did happen, thanks to the NEP.

But in 1005, the FDP accepted a ฿300,000‎ donation from Stained Glass, a Celestial-era noble who still owns huge swathes of land across Equestria. His properties include a 39,000 hectare countryside estate in Coltfoalnia and 20,000 hectares of forest in Fairflanks. Under the Land Value Tax, Stained Glass has to pay heavy taxes on this land he refuses to use efficiently.

According to official FDP press releases, Stained Glass met with party leaders (including Lulamoon) the night after the donation where matters of policy were discussed. The specifics were not disclosed.

The very next week following the donation, FDP MP Blue Wave called the land value tax “a punishment for individual success and a tax on homeowners” in Parliament and called for its abolition.

His words were echoed by party leader Trixie Lulamoon, who refers to the tax as the “homeowners’ tax” in public addresses. The party’s official platform advocates abolishing the tax and replacing it with a single non-progressive flat income tax rate for all. This will likely raise taxes on the lowest earners and lower taxes on the wealthy, especially landlords.

In another case, the party’s 1004 election manifesto promised that an FDP government would maintain the vast majority of the NEP’s workers’ rights reforms, saying that strong workers’ rights matched with the party’s principles of a fair society for all.

However, in 1005 the party received a ฿500,000 donation to party finances from the Confederation of Equestrian Enterprise. The CEE is one of Equestria’s largest capitalist lobby groups, representing 150,000 businesses across the nation.

Since the donation, the Chair of the CEE, Black Cyclops, has been advising the FDP on its policy platform. Party politicians have called to undo “overbearing anti-business” workers’ rights laws and industry regulations, including the intention to make the national minimum wage a voluntary opt-in for businesses. This would effectively abolish the minimum wage.

In a more egregious example, the party’s deputy leader Gladmane has been the frequent recipient of a series of gifts and freebies from private industry, including free luxury seats to National Buckball League games. Many of the freebies are from Gladmane’s hometown team of the Las Pegasus Raiders, and are valued in the tens of thousands of bits. He has held several policy events with the owners of the Las Pegasus Raiders, the very ponies giving him free tickets.

Following the gifts, Gladmane has made it his mission to bulldoze regulations around sports clubs that exist to keep sports free from the overbearing influence of big business. Everything from public advertisement campaigns to attempted motions in parliament. Many have called Gladmane’s efforts a push to “corporatize” sports.

This, and many other cases like it, demonstrate that Trixie Lulamoon’s leadership has transformed a party of once principled liberals into the primary representative of the most opportunistic capitalists in the nation, on top of being a vehicle for personal self-aggrandisement.

Already, Minister of the Interior Umbra Shade has stated that the FDP (amongst other parties) are being examined as “potentially criminal organisations” by the Equestrian Bureau for Investigation, both for their corruption and their speech.

(The article continues for 12 more pages in much the same regard.)

“This kept going, and it did have an adverse effect on the FDP’s numbers, but not the effect that they hoped it’d have.” Moonatik adjusts his glasses, looking straight through you. “That meant they had to bring out the nuclear option.”

“And you wanna know what the nuclear option was!?” Moonatik excitedly laughs. He then adopts a deadpan expression.

“I’m asking. I was seriously debating whether I wanted to include this or not. No I don’t care if it’s ‘going too far in a few places’ it’s my fucking AU.”

Front page story in ‘The Moon’ tabloid. (27/04/1009)

TRIXIE LULAMOON: SECRET PORN STAR?

THE MOON newspaper has come to possess a series of lewd photographs of FDP leader Trixie Lulamoon.

In general, the images appear to be professionally shot. Rather than being private photos, they appear to be in studios and in many cases on purpose built sets.

Uncensored copies of these photographs are featured on the following pages.

In one photo, Lulamoon is on a set designed to look like a stage at an FDP rally and wearing her recognisable blue suit. She is standing at a campaign podium, flashing her genitals to where an audience would be.

Another one of these photos features Lulamoon’s erect penis in front of a graph alleging rising favorability numbers for Lulamoon and the FDP. The intent behind the image appears to suggest her penis is rising with her poll numbers.

A particularly egregious image shows what appears to be a rear-view of Lulamoon, erect genitals on display, speaking before an audience at an FDP rally. A shroud of magic envelops her penis, suggesting she is being stimulated. The podium conceals the lewd elements to the audience. It is not known whether the audience was edited in.

The purpose of these photographs is unclear. Does she sell them? Are they for her private use? Is she a narcissist, aroused by her own image? The professional appearance of the images would suggest a significant financial investment to their creation.

We reached out to Trixie Lulamoon’s team for comment. She gave a single word response: “Jealous?”

We now dedicate the rest of tonight’s issue to an 60-page essay written by our editor-in-chief about how Lulamoon is singlehoofedly dismantling all moral standards and corrupting the youth in all facets of society and is at the root of all our problems. Yes we’re even going to diss her in the sports section AND on Page 3. ESPECIALLY PAGE 3.

“As you can imagine,” Moonatik chuckles, “this did more harm to the tabloid than it did to Trixie.”

“Ignoring the fact that this was illegal even under the laws made by the party that this tabloid supported.” He taps on the newspaper cover to punctuate. “It was mostly just viewed as poor taste.”

“Weirdly enough, nobody knew where the photos actually came from. The Moon tabloid just said they got them in the mail. A police investigation was launched into uncovering who leaked the photo, but it turned out that the Moon’s story added up. They just got their hooves on them, somehow.”

“One theory that did the rounds at the time is that Trixie sent the photos herself.” Moonatik chuckles. “Yeah, I’m serious. Ponies called it ‘four-dimensional smearing’, smear your opponent by tricking them into smearing you in a distasteful way.” He shrugs. “That or Trixie just wanted everyone to see her balls, I dunno.”

“Regardless, the campaign had to continue.” Moonatik loads a fresh tape into the tape player.

Abridged transcript of Radio Nox Canterlot’s interview with Trixie Lulamoon. (29/04/1009)

Light Narrative: Good evening, good evening, and welcome everypony to Radio Nox Canterlot! In your houses, in your stables, in your caves, in your workplaces, and in your towers! Tonight we’re having an exclusive interview with the leader of the Free Democratic Party, Trixie Lulamoon.

Trixie Lulamoon: Delighted to be here, Light.

LN: I see you’ve brought your wife into the studio, too.

T: …

Starlight Glimmer: … Oh! Don’t mind me! Eheh…

T: … She’s just here for my personal benefit. Don’t mind her.

LN: Ooookay then. Let’s jump straight into it. A major theme of your campaign has been freedom. It’s right there in your party’s name.

T: That it is.

LN: In your manifesto you’ve pledged a full abolition of all restrictions on a pony’s ability to speak freely, aside from direct threats of violence and speech that incites chaos. Could you elaborate on that?

T: The exemptions are direct and actionable threats, like saying you’re going to hurt somepony. Inciting chaos is like shouting “bomb” in a crowded theatre.

LN: What about hate speech?

T: What about hate speech?

LN: Currently public speech that incites hatred against ponies for personal characteristics is illegal. Are you saying you’d legalise it?

T: Yes, I would.

LN: Really? Do you really want bigots to have a licence to run around spreading hatred against thestrals like me?

T: Of course not! But that’s not the government’s job to enforce, it’s the job of communities to decide what they find unacceptable. Personally, I would never associate with a bigot, and that’s alone to keep them from spreading hatred in my company. I predict that if all laws restricting free speech were abolished, we’d see no discernable rise in bigoted speech. It’s become socially unacceptable.

LN: You wouldn’t suggest that the government’s campaign against hate speech has led to the social unacceptability of hate speech?

T: Psh. Even if I granted that, you and I both know that the laws restricting speech go well beyond hate speech.

LN: Elaborate on that.

T: Light. Say something bad about Empress Nightmare Moon.

LN: Hmph. You know I have my criticisms of the government-

T: Not the government, The Empress. The big mare. Who sits on a throne.

LN: I don’t really have anything bad to say.

T: Make something up. Anything.

LN: Well, you know that’s against broadcasting guidelines.

T: And that’s my point. If you’re speaking in public, you have to silence yourself if you believe something outside what the government says is acceptable. AND FOR THE RECORD TRIXIE IS NOTHING BUT LOYAL TO THE GREAT AND RIGHTFUL EMPRESS OF EQUESTRIA AND I HAVE NOTHING BUT KIND WORDS FOR HER.

LN: Please don’t yell into the microphone, Trixie.

T: OH. Aha, my apologies … Either way, it’s about the prrrinciple that the government should not control or limit speech.

LN: And that includes hate speech?

T: Yes! Trixie does not shake from her principles!

LN: Okay, let’s move on.

…

LN: Let’s go back to the question around freedom.

T: Oh, gladly.

LN: Your goals to exent freedom, as laid out in your manifesto, go beyond the political space. They include the economic space, too. What do you mean?

T: Generally, it means being free to earn what you can and to keep what you earn.

LN: And you mean to do this by limiting regulation and restricting workers’ rights, including abolishing the minimum wage?

T: We’re not abolishing the minimum wage, you know better than that.

LN: Yes, but you are making it voluntary as to whether a business can opt in. You might say that would give the business owner more options, but many would argue, including myself, that expanding freedom for the business owner means limiting freedom for the individual employee.

T: The point of these policies is to ensure that more ponies can start businesses of their own by tearing down all the institutional barriers!

LN: Okay, but even if you doubled the number of ponies who own business, the vast majority of working ponies would still be regular employees. That still means that most Equestrians would be less free at work.

T: They will be free to seek whatever opportunities they wish, unconstrained by burdensome government regulation.

LN: And what would this look like for unions?

T: Unions are freely participating economic actors too, aren’t they? We’d do nothing to limit their activities. In fact, there are more limits on the freedom for unions to act now than there would be under Trixie’s government.

LN: But also in your manifesto you pledge to change employment relations so all workers work “at the will” of the employer. So without an express contract, agreement or policy that says otherwise, an employee may be hired or fired for almost any reason, or heck, no reason at all. Such as attempting to unionize a workplace.

T: Light. We want employers, job creators, to be free to pick who they associate with. Nobody wants to be stuck with employees that aren’t doing the work they’re paid to do.

LN: And nobody wants to work for a company that might abuse them.

T: Well, you see, under our plans workers will be free to seek new opportunities, shift career paths, and find roles that suit them better without government obligations.

LN: So they’re free to lose their job quicker?

T: No, not like that! It’s… The key issue, you see, is the government is stepping on the personal freedoms of businessponies and working ponies-

LN: I don’t think that’s how most workers see it. But let's move on, I have other questions about the economy.

…

LN: Now, Trixie, I’m sure you’ve seen what was recently published in The Moon.

T: (laugh) That I have.

LN: I and many others have called on The Moon to apologise, admit wrongdoing, and retract. But you don’t seem bothered.

T: Why would I be? I learned nothing new from this.

LN: You’re not bothered that private photos have been leaked?

T: I knew they’d stoop to this at some point! Ever since I got into this fight, they’ve been smearing me, harassing me, intimidating me, all to try and get me to stop. They’re even willing to break their own laws to smear me. They’ve done this before and they’ll do it again.

LN: Is that so?

T: Every time I pick up the phone I hear a click on the other end. They’ve been spying on me and my wife for years.

LN: And that doesn’t scare you?

T: Light. Before the year 1000, you worked day in and day out to spread word about the plight of thestrals across Equestria. You were harassed, you were degraded, you were called a radical. Did this ever give you pause?

LN: Pft. Hell no.

T: Exactly! Because you knew you were doing something right! This? This doesn’t give Trixie pause. If they’re this afraid of Trixie, if they’re this desperate to keep her out of office, then Trixie knows she’s doing something right!

LN: …Final question. Why do you refer to yourself in the third person?

T: (laugh) Because Trixie likes to do it! Ponies like it when Trixie does it!

LN: I certainly find it amusing. Well, I’m afraid that’s all we’ve got time for, Trixie. Thanks for coming on.

T: Anytime, Light!

LN: Tomorrow night, I’ll be speaking to the Prime Minister, Saffron Dusk. We're starting off the musical section of tonight's show with a song chosen by Trixie herself. Vylet Lulamoon's newest single, "Couldn’t Care Less"… Hold on, are you two related?

“Thing is, Saffron Dusk…” Moonatik shrugs with his hooves and wings. “...didn’t show up!”

“So instead of Saffron Dusk, they sent out a much younger, and hopefully much more presentable politician to represent the NEP.” A pause for emphasis. “A largely unknown technocrat named Moondancer.”

Abridged transcript of Radio Nox Canterlot’s interview with Trixie Lulamoon. (29/04/1009)

Light Narrative: Good evening everypony to Radio Nox Canterlot. Tonight, I am here with the Minister for Transportation, Moondancer.

Moondancer: Thank you for having me, Mister Narrative.

LN: Just Light is fine. Now, Miss Dancer?

M: Moondancer.

LN: Miss Moondancer. The question on the tip of my tongue, and I’m certain every listener’s tongue, is: Where in the heck is my scheduled and advertised guest, Saffron Dusk?

M: The Prime Minister wishes he could be here to express his apologies personally both to you and your listeners, but a matter of significant national importance requires his full and immediate attention to ensure the welfare of Equestria. The details are confidential for the sake of our collective safety and I know that both you and his listeners will understand.

LN: Okay, erm, that was a whole lot. Should this worry us?

MN: No. The matter is being taken care of.

LN: Alright then. To continue from that point, there’s been a whole lot said about Saffron Dusk’s age in this campaign, a lot of voters dont think he’s the same stallion he once was. Can you give us some assurance that he’s capable of running the country for another five years?

M: Knowing him professionally I can attest to his health. He is covering well from his cold and is more than capable of serving five more years. The Prime Minister takes regular health checkups at the Imperial Castle’s hospital complex. Just last week he went for a checkup with his doctor, Dr. Solemn Vow, who reported with confidence that Prime Minister Saffron Dusk remains a healthy, vigourous, 72-year-old stallion, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Prime Minister of Equestria.

LN: What were the doctor’s exact words?

M: Those were the doctor’s exact words.

LN: And you committed them to memory?

M: Yes.

LN: Okay, moving on.

…

LN: One criticism levied at the NEP by the FDP has been the overbearing nature of your public health restrictions.

M: Our public health efforts have been tremendously effective at improving the general health of Equestrians. The basis of our measures has been in taking effective practices that have been utilised in predominantly thestral communities for decades and implementing them nationwide. For an example of their effectiveness, take the seasonal flu. Since 1004 flu positivity rates have decreased by 43%, with high-risk areas experiencing reductions of up to 58%. Hospital admissions related to preventable conditions have declined by 37%, directly correlating with an 18% decrease in overall healthcare expenditures per capita. Work nights lost to illness have fallen by 34% in the same period. 92% of the population are fully vaccinated against the most common diseases, resulting in a 65% decrease in disease prevalence and a 74% reduction in associated mortality rates. Compliance with hygiene guidelines has also contributed to a 51% reduction in seasonal flu cases and a 62% reduction in respiratory-related hospital visits.

LN: Uh, alright. That’s a lot of numbers.

M: In 999 exactly 161,471,244 work days were lost due to sickness. In 1008 that number was 98,122,343. These are all publicly available numbers published by the Ministry of Health.

LN: Wow.

M: Since the beginning of the Public Transit Cleanliness initiative to keep public spaces clean in 1004 we’ve seen tremendous progress. When the programme launched only 42% of buses and trains met our standards for hygiene and cleanliness. As of the last assessment conducted in February of this year, that number was 92%. Keep in mind that the standard has been raised since 1004.

LN: Okay okay, but the point of asking about all this wasn’t whether the policies were working or not. It’s about whether they sacrifice too much individual freedom for the sake of an ever increasing standard.

M: Equestrians understand the importance of these measures and they support them. A poll conducted by the University of Cloudsdale for the Canterlot Post found that a majority of respondents support measures intended to keep public spaces clean and limit the spread of disease. Similar results have been reported by a number of different researchers.

LN: So your response is just… People agree with you?

M: Yes. The data demonstrates the effectiveness of the policies and that the public supports them.

LN: …Okay then. What about specific policies, such as jail time for eating on public transport?

M: That is not the official policy of the government, it is just that several judges have seen fit to sentence repeat offenders to jail time when fines and corporal punishment repeatedly fails to deter them. Available data suggests that ponies broadly find the act repulsive. Cases of eating on public transport have fallen dramatically over the course of the Public Transit Cleanliness initiative. The fall in cases comes as a result of our efforts. Simply all ponies will need to do to avoid the ire of the law is to behave in public, and the public knows this.

LN: Any polls on that?

M: A poll conducted by researchers at Gallop found that a majority of the representative sample surveyed said they would be repulsed or made uncomfortable if seated next to someone who was eating.

LN: No no, not on what people think of the act, what people think of the ban.

M: A poll on the support for this policy has yet to be conducted.

LN: So you don’t actually know?

M: The public response and overall polling allows us to make inferences regarding specific actions.

…

LN: I think that’s just about all we have time for. Anything else you’d like to say?

M: Elaborate.

LN: About yourself?

M: Why do you ask?

LN: I feel like all you’ve done is just repeat numbers rather than tell me anything about who Moondancer is.

M: I am a public servant and I am speaking on behalf of Prime Minister Saffron Dusk. That’s what matters.

LN: Okay, well. I do want to get to know you. Do you have any favourite books?

M: I’ve been reading Leyline Dynamics and Mana Geometrics by Quasar Spark and An Introduction to Oneriomancy by Runeward over the last few weeks. Most of my time has been focused on ministerial work and election campaigning.

LN: I meant more like, fiction. Novels.

M: No, no favourite novels.

LN: Okay, any phobias you have? Or had as a foal?

M: Not that I can recall.

LN: Hm. You mentioned oneriomancy. What did you dream about last night?

M: I don’t really dream. I just go to bed at 11 and wake up at 6.

LN: Oookay then! I think that’s all the time we have. Back to music. Saffron Dusk asked to play Queen’s “March of the Black Queen”, so that’s what we’re putting on.

“Hold on-” Moonatik takes the tape out. “Don’t know where copyright sharks could be lurking, gotta put that away.”

You raise an eyebrow.

“Don’t ‘that’s not how copyright ID works’ me,” Moonatik crosses his legs. “My paranoid ramblings are very well justified, you’ll find.”

“Anyway, we’re getting to the end of the campaign.” He loads another tape into the player. “Here’s a little snippet of election day itself, for your listening pleasure. Okay yeah I know it’s reading just try to immerse yourself.”

Transcript of an IBC Radio broadcast interviewing voters on election night. (03/05/1009)

Presenter: Election night has come. I’m in front of a polling station in the Crystal City where enthusiasm seems to be higher than ever. In all my years of covering elections both before and after 1001, I’ve never seen anything like it. Ponies are queued up and down the street at this polling place, and for good reason. This is one of the most competitive constituencies in the country, considered a must-win for the FDP if it wishes to deny the NEP a majority. We’re going to the ponies in the queue now. You there! How are you voting?

Voter 1: FDP! We’re all FDP here, aren’t we!

(Voters in line begin to cheer)

Voter 2: My whole family’s voting FDP!

Presenter: For those listening, that was a good few voters cheering for the FDP there.

Voter 1: What?

Voter 2: More than a good few!

Presenter: Okay, why are you voting FDP?

Voter 3: We want the NEP out!

Presenter: Are you particularly enthusiastic about any of the FDP’s policies?

Voter 1: I like Trixie!

Presenter: Alright, but what about her policy agenda?

Unknown voter: Her agenda says “fuck Nightmare Moon”!

(Voters in line cheer)

Presenter: Woah, woah! Probably not best to have uh- profanity on the air! Here, there’s a pony over there. Excuse me! Hi, we’re with IBC Radio, have you voted tonight?

Bystander 1: This is live?

Presenter: Yes.

Bystander 1: Perfect.

Presenter: Hey, that’s our mic!

Bystander 1: This goes out to the lunatics, the traitors, the defilers, and all the feckless cowards who sat by and did nothing. You’ve fucked this place. Equestria has been killed and a grotesque facade of what it once was is being built on its corpse. The day, that’s right, the DAY of reckoning will come. The sun will rise again and holy fire will cleanse the earth of your degenerate-

Presenter: Gimme the micro- Okay, enough of that!

Bystander 1: Hey, I wasn’t-

Presenter: Let’s uh, let’s make our way to the front of the line. Maybe we’ll meet somepony normal. Just as many ponies are leaving the polling station as there are entering. Here, here, let’s go to that mare coming out. Excuse me!

Voter 4: Hm?

Presenter: Hello ma’am, did you just vote?

Voter 4: Yeah, I did.

Presenter: Who for?

Voter 4: New Equestria Party.

Presenter: Why’s that?

Voter 4: They’ve done a good job, I think.

Presenter: In what way?

Voter 4: This is for radio, right? Okay, you can’t see me but I’m a crystal pony, so, they’ve done a lot for me. I owe my very life and autonomy to Nightmare Moon, and the NEP.

Presenter: There’s someone else here too. You, how’d you vote?

Voter 5: Same as her, NEP. Honestly, I was probably going to sit this one out. I voted in the last one, NEP.

Presenter: What do you like about the NEP?

Voter 5: Again, I’m a crystal pony, everyone I knew was voting NEP, so I did too.

Presenter: You said you were gonna sit this one out, why’d you change your mind?

Voter 5: It’s Trixie. She’s a bald faced liar and an idiot. She’s got an ego the size of Mount Everhoof. Can’t have her trashing everything.

Voter 4: Plus, just look around. Ponies from other parts of Equestria are coming to live here and they’re all voting FDP. Half the people who live in this neighbourhood are from other parts of the country.

Presenter: So Trixie motivated you to vote against her?

Voter 5: Yeah, more or less.

Presenter: Okay, nice to talk. Someone else is coming out. Excuse me, who did you just vote for?

Voter 6: Trixie’s party, mate.

Presenter: You mean the FDP? Why’d you support them?

Voter 6: It’s Trixie. Something about her appeals to me.

Presenter: So Trixie motivated you to vote for her? What about her appeals to you?

Voter 6: So, you know what was published in The Moon a couple weeks ago?

Presenter: Woah! That’s enough of that! Let’s talk to someone else … Here’s someone. Hello sir, how are you? What’s your name?

Bystander 2: I am Chudpone.

Presenter: Okay Chudpone, who did you vote for?

Bystander 2: Nobody.

Presenter: You didn’t vote?

Bystander 2: No.

Presenter: Why not? This election could fundamentally shake up Equestrian politics-

Bystander 2: It won’t.

Presenter: But, polls show-

Bystander 2: Nothing EVER happens.

“Oh, Chudpone. If only we listened to you.”

“But election night! The tension! The waiting!” Moonatik leans close. “And what happened??”

“The NEP wins!!” Moonatik flails his legs in the air. “Oh my god, who could’ve seen this coming!”

The Moon tabloid newspaper report on the 1009 parliamentary election results (04/05/1009)

The New Equestria Party has achieved its third victory in a row in Frinight’s election, the largest election conducted in Equestrian history. The NEP won with 62.73% of the votes and 239 of the 400 parliamentary seats.

While reduced, the NEP has maintained its majority and Saffron Dusk will remain Prime Minister.

“This result shows that the Equestrian public still trusts the NEP to carry out the task of governance,” said Saffron Dusk. “But it's clear that there are those who have their issues with us, and it’s our duty as the party of all Equestrian’s to listen and deliver.”

Saffron Dusk also congratulated his rivals in the FDP on the gains they made, saying he looks forward to facing them in Parliament. “You put up a worthy fight,” he added.

So far, FDP leader Trixie Lulamoon has signaled no intent to resign despite losing the election. At a party event following the election she conceded the overall result, nestled within a broader speech celebrating her party’s gains.

Turnout saw another increase over the previous election, with over thirty-one million ponies turning out to vote.

A series of notable independents have won seats, including independent incumbents and newcomers.

Standing as independents, Starry Glory and Marching Midnight narrowly retained their seats. Both were ejected from the NEP following a scandal in April.

Overall, no party has launched a formal challenge against the results, and all have accepted the outcome as fair and legitimate.

The final figures were provided by the Central Election Commission, and are included below:

New Equestria Party, 239 seats - 13,883,072 (44.31%)
Free Democratic Party, 125 seats - 12,911,789 (41.21%)
Working Ponies Party, 19 seats - 2,804,186 (8.95%)
Equestrian Values Coalition, 10 seats - 1,256,400 (4.01%)
Independent/Other, 7 seats - 476,241 (1.52%)

All in all, Equestria looks forward to another five years of stable governance, under the leadership of Prime Minister Saffron Dusk.

“But that can’t be it, you think,” says Moonatik. “All that, and we’re just back to who we were with before?”

“Yeah you’re right lol.”

The Moon tabloid report on the resignation of Saffron Dusk. (17/09/1009)

Saffron Dusk to Resign as Prime Minister

Just 4 months after a historic third election win, Prime Minister Saffron Dusk has announced his resignation. After 8 years as Prime Minister and the MP for West Ayacacthli, and nearly 9 as leader of the NEP, he is retiring.

He returned to his political roots in the southeast to announce the resignation, speaking at a gathering of Southeastern Moonspeaker Conclave members in Ayacachtli.

“It has been the greatest honour of my life to lead this country, this party, and this movement,” he said. “Under the graceful rule of our Empress, we have the highest living standards in the world. We command the mightiest military known to history. We have uplifted millions from poverty. We mended multiple thousand-year-long injustices, not least of which the plight of the thestrals. We protected our nation from threats both within and without. Equestria has never been greater than it is tonight.”

“While it has been my intention to serve another term in office, I gotta tell you the truth. I’m getting a little old for this,” he said. “It’s time for a new generation of proud, young patriots to take up the mantle of leadership.”

The Prime Minister is an expecting great-grandfather too, which he mentioned in his speech. He added that he’d like to spend time with the youngest members of his large family.

He finished his speech by thanking the Equestrian public for their support and trust.

An audience member, a member of Dusk’s congregation from his time as a Moonspeaker, asked Saffron Dusk as to what his plans are post-premiership. The Prime Minister responded, “Lay on a beach somewhere with my grandfoals, probably!” to the amusement of those gathered.

Warmaster Selenite paid tribute to the outgoing Prime Minister. “Equestria’s first thestral Prime Minister was exactly the steady, capable, principled hoof that Equestria’s civilian government needed,” she said. “He oversaw the emancipation and integration of not one, but two pony tribes into the Equestrian nation. While the military won the wars, he won the following peace.”

Empress Nightmare Moon said of the Prime Minister, “It was a pleasure to have someone so devoted and so loyal at the helm of my government. I wish him well in his retirement.”

Saffron Dusk has so far not endorsed a potential successor, saying he will spend his final weeks helping to form a consensus amongst party members regarding who should take over leadership.

Several names have been floated as possible replacements. The party centre is speaking fondly of Minister of Transportation Moondancer. Leftist figures in the party have laid praise at the prospect of either Minister of Health and Social Care Nectarine or Minister of Labour Ruby Solstice. Party Hardliners have voiced support for Minister of the Interior Umbra Shade.

Ultimately, the mandate for governance is the hooves of the NEP, and it will be up to the Central Executive Committee to decide on a new leader. The final decision of the appointment for Prime Minister rests with Empress Nightmare Moon, who is expected to pick whoever leads the NEP.

Prospective candidates are expected to not publicly campaign, as the NEP intends to maintain its status as a unified party.

The Central Executive Committee is composed of twenty-four members, ten of whom are elected by party members with the remaining fourteen representing interests from all across society, including labour, faith, veterans, and others.

Equestria awaits their decision with bated breath.

“This begun the second campaign of 1009, the one fought in the shadows.” Moonatik rubs his hooves together. “Naturally, not a lot was seen by the regular pony just reading the news, so you sort of just had to read between the lines of what little information was put out there. Good luck!”

Manehattan Times report on Moondancer’s successes in government. (19/09/1009)

The Trans-Tzinacatlian Rail Network Officially Completed!

After several years of work, the Trans-Tzinacatlian Rail Network has achieved full completion, with regular services expected to begin within the week. The remotest regions of the south-eastern jungle province are now fully connected to the rest of Equestria.

While Equestria’s extensive rail network has received international renown for connecting everything from the largest urban centres to the smallest rural settlements, Tzinacatlia has long been deprived of the connectivity that other regions of Equestria had received.

The new network will carry both passengers and freight to, from, and across the region, greatly increasing the economic opportunity for the ponies of the region.

The project began in 1003 and has proceeded well within budget and ahead of schedule. Much effort was made to seek the consent and agreement of native tribes, who broadly understood the benefits that a rail network would bring. Many have thanked Minister of Transportation Moondancer for guiding the project to a successful completion.

The centrepiece of the project is the Ayacacthli Central Terminal, which opened tonight in a ceremony attended by Empress Nightmare Moon, outgoing Prime Minister Saffron Dusk, and Minister of Transporation Moondancer. The Terminal will have regular services connecting all regions of Tzinacatlia while having lines connecting to all of Equestria’s major cities.

In a speech, Prime Minister Saffron Dusk laid much praise at Moondancer for the speedy completion of the project. Following from Dusk, Moondancer made clear her gratitude for the hard-working ponies who constructed the network and for the patient cooperation of locals in the years-long process.

While Empress Nightmare Moon did not speak at the event, she cut the ribbon opening Ayacacthli Central Terminal with a sharp blast of magic from her horn.

Many in attendance noted the Empress’s attire. Rather than her armour, she wore a business suit. Those present interpreted the dress as a sign of respect towards the organisers of the project itself: Sensible, competent, and professional ponies dedicated to a progressive and orderly society.

The Moon tabloid report on Nightmare Moon’s attitude to Umbra Shade. (20/09/1009)

Empress Nightmare Moon Makes Surprise Appearance at NEP Rally!

During a scheduled speech by Minister of the Interior Umbra Shade, Nightmare Moon literally came out of the sky and onto the stage, to the elation of the audience.

Immediately, Umbra Shade ended his scheduled speech and ceded centre stage to the Empress.

Fully kitted out in her iconic silver armour, the Empress launched into a passionate speech regarding the strength of her soldiers, the achievements of her Empire, and laid heavy praise upon Umbra Shade.

“Before you stands a stallion of indomitable commitment to a strong and secure Empire!” declared the Empress. “Terrorists everywhere tremble at the mere mention of his name!”

The cheers of the audience were so loud, that the Empress’s voice may have been the only sound in Equestria capable of rising above them.

“To all those amongst you who are grateful to live without fear of terror or violence, you have Umbra Shade to thank!” she continued.

Prior to the Empress’s arrival, Umbra Shade was speaking about how Equestrian security could be strengthened in the face of evolving terrorist threats. He said that Equestria could learn from Chiropterra and spoke fondly of the “Nova Severyanian model”, referring to the security policies of the Chiropterran region.

During the election campaign earlier this year he said that other political parties in Equestria including the Free Democratic Party, the Working Ponies’ Party, and the Economic Democracy Party were being examined as “potentially criminal organisations”. He outright stated that Equestria would be better off without most if not all opposition parties.

The event occurred in the context of the succession question around outgoing Prime Minister Saffron Dusk. Umbra Shade has been floated as a potential successor. It is yet to be known whether Empress Nightmare Moon’s appearance should be interpreted as an endorsement of Umbra Shade. Ultimately, the appointment of a Prime Minister is her decision.

Manehattan Times report on NEP leftists backing Moondancer. (22/09/1009)

Nectarine and Ruby Solstice Favour Moondancer for Prime Minister

Nights of speculation regarding the position of left-wing New Equestria Party politicians has come to an end tonight, as Minister of Health and Social Care Nectarine and Minister of Labour Ruby Solstice have released a statement saying Minister for Transportation Moondancer would make an excellent Prime Minister.

In a statement to the media signed by both ministers, they praised Moondancer’s successes in government and of her commitment to their priorities.

“She’s pursued a cooperative relationship with railworkers, be they train drivers, station staff, maintenance workers, or construction personnel,” said part of the statement. “She’s repeatedly proven to be an ally of the Equestrian worker.”

A later point of the statement praised her commitment to strengthening public health and hygiene measures, policies which were spearheaded by Health Minister Nectarine.

While the pair stopped short of explicitly endorsing her for the post of Prime Minister, it was heavily implied that the Minister for Transportation is their favoured candidate. Nothing was said about any of the other candidates in the race.

Many expected either Nectarine or Ruby Solstice to make a bid for the role themselves, but that speculation was put to rest tonight.

The announcement follows the party’s Central Executive Committee unanimously adopting a resolution titled “No Place For Marksism”, affirming the party’s staunch opposition to radical socialist and communist politics. The party’s disciplinary body has been granted expanded guidelines to root out Marksist and Marksist-adjacent tendencies within the party.

The two politicians also recently introduced a bill to parliament expanding protections and rights for workers. The expansion includes a requirement for employers to pay employees 1.5x their standard rate for any hours worked over 40 hours per week. The party has affirmed that it backs the bill, and it is expected to pass parliament.

Manehattan Times report on rallying support around Umbra Shade. (23/09/1009)

Moonspeaker Maximus “Admires” Umbra Shade

Lunar Hail, the Moonspeaker Maximus of the Lunar Empire, last night made favourable statements towards Minister of the Interior Umbra Shade during a public sermon.

“His dedication to his faith is exceptional. Above and beyond perhaps all members of the Equestrian government,” she said in her sermon during a portion dedicated to exceptional followers of the faith. “He embodies all the values a good Lunarist should.”

She did not explicitly endorse Umbra Shade over other potential successors, but did say she expected a government under him to be successful. “A government of Umbra Shade would be a government of faith.”

The Moonspeaker Maximus has had a history with Umbra Shade. Before Umbra Shade was appointed to government, he spent several months per year in Chiropterra studying Lunarist theology under the auspices of the Moonspeaker Maximus. Many times in public speeches and in parliament he has favoured a distinctly Chiropterran interpretation of Lunarist theology. He has frequently supported teaching this interpretation in schools and mandating public officials and employees to follow it.

The statements come in the context of the succession question around Saffron Dusk. Many expected the NEP’s Central Executive Committee to have come to a decision by now, but the process has gone on. Currently, the only two names seriously in the running are Moondancer and Umbra Shade.

Umbra Shade has been appearing in public alongside Empress Nightmare Moon herself quite frequently as of late. Other important officials within faith and veterans organisations have appeared with him as well, possibly signalling support for his Prime Ministerial bid.

According to sources close to the Minister, Umbra Shade was recently offered a position within the Imperial Ministry for International Affairs but turned it down. Allegedly, he is squarely focused on internal Equestrian politics.

Earlier this week, a bill was presented to Parliament by an NEP MP which would limit foreign interference in Equestrian politics if passed. However, as the bill targets “influences beyond the legal borders of Equestria”, many have warned it risks limiting political cooperation between nations of the Empire such as Chiropterra and New Mareland. So far, it has not passed.

“By this point, everyone expected that a new PM would’ve been chosen, but with all the politicking going on it was taking longer than expected,” Moonatik says. “Many were worrying that if it went on for too much longer, the NEP’s divisions would explode and rip the ruling party to shreds.”

“Just so it’s abundantly clear, Nightmare Moon herself took a very strong liking to Umbra Shade and it is ultimately her choice as to who gets the top job. So, it’s got to be Umbra Shade, right?”

“WELL.”

The Moon tabloid report on the murder of Umbra Shade (29/09/1009)

MINISTER MURDERED - MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR UMBRA SHADE KILLED BY SOLARIST TERRORIST

Shock and grief has gripped Equestria as Umbra Shade, Minister of the Interior, has been found dead by State Security Directorate investigators. A preliminary autopsy suggests that Shade had been dead for at least 72 hours upon discovery of the body.

Umbra Shade was 37 years old, and was praised across the country for his work as a minister. He is the first Equestrian sitting government minister to be killed in office in over a hundred years.

Three nights ago Umbra Shade went missing, having last been seen in his personal residence in western Severyana, prompting a nationwide ponyhunt. Many assumed he was simply taking an unannounced vacation, as he has been known to do.

However, late last night, his body was discovered by SSD investigators accompanied by Night Guard personnel. He was found buried in a shallow grave next to a campsite on the edge of a forest in eastern Crystalia. Stab wounds consistent with those left by hoof blades were found all over his body.

The campsite was occupied by a thestral mare named Wintergleam. Upon discovery of the body, she confessed to the crimes of breaking into Umbra Shade’s home, then kidnapping, murdering, and burying him. She was arrested and is currently being held in SSD custody.

All available evidence demonstrates that the murderer was motivated by radical Solarist beliefs.

As Umbra Shade’s death occurred over 72 hours ago, it is all but impossible that he can be revived using all magical means known to creaturekind. All experts on the topic of healing and resurrection magic believe that the window for such has tragically expired.

Already, a funeral for Umbra Shade is being planned. Moonspeaker Maximus Lunar Hail is expected to lead the proceedings.

Many anticipated that the minister had ambitions of becoming Equestria’s next Prime Minister in the wake of Saffron Dusk’s resignation.

It is likely that a new permanent Minister of the Interior will be selected within the night.

THE MOON editorial team personally sends its condolences to Umbra Shade’s husband and four foals, and we all hope that swift justice will be enacted on the murderer.

Profile of a Killer

SSD officials have released various personal details regarding the killer, Wintergleam.

The 26-year-old thestral mare resided in the Crystal City and has worked as an archeologist in the southeast. Officials report that she refuses to be referred to as a “thestral”, insisting she be referred to by the less-used term “sarosian”.

Available information suggests these beliefs developed upon coming into contact with radical Solarist propaganda in the southeast.

Currently, no evidence suggesting she had any accomplices to the crime has been uncovered. The working theory is that she acted alone.

On election night earlier this year, she hijacked a street interview radio broadcast to threaten listeners about an incoming “day of reckoning”.

According to what details have been released, she believes herself to be a lone soldier fighting for a “Solar Empire”. The “Solar Empire” is a fantastical concept imagined by many Celestial terrorist groups, viewing Celestia as a divine force of fiery vengeance.

Upon arrest, she was dressed in a custom designed military-style uniform for this “Solar Empire”. Officials noted that the camp by which the body was buried had a pseudo-military layout, flying a hoof sewn flag representing the same imagined state.

A diary was found in her home revealing the extent of her radicalisation, where she wrote at length about her desire for revenge against Lunarists everywhere. More on her fantasy about being a “Solarist sarosian soldier” is mentioned throughout the diary.

Friends and associates of the killer are likely to be questioned by SSD officials regarding their knowledge of her crime. So far, only shock and horror has been reported from those close to her.

It is expected that the punishment for the killer’s crime will be indefinite petrification, in line with the sentences passed down upon other murderous terrorists.

Investigators hard at work

Responsibility for the investigation has been taken out of the hooves of local police, Equestrian Bureau for Investigation, and Night Guard officials and placed solely under the jurisdiction of the State Security Directorate. This is due to the politically sensitive nature of the crime.

A spokespony from the State Security Directorate issued a statement to the press about the crime. “We will be the first to admit that this represents an unacceptable failure of Equestria’s national security services. Already an investigation is being done into how this could’ve happened in the first place.”

“If there is a lesson to be learned from this tragedy, it is to be wary of extremism from all directions,” they added.

The statement also cautioned against conspiracy theorizing or rumour mongering regarding the crime and asking the public to heed the word of the investigators.

“Our very best investigators have worked tirelessly to solve this horrific crime,” the spokespony said. “We have a suspect, a motive, and a confession. Justice will be served. The last thing Equestria needs in this sensitive time is the spread of misinformation or conspiracy theories.”

“OH WELL.” Moonatik stares directly at you as he exclaims the two words.

“I mean, seriously, what a disaster for the national security state, right?” Moonatik wiggles his eyebrows. “Makes you wonder how it could’ve happened in the first place, hm?”

“Needless to say, the list of candidates was narrowed down to one.”

Manehattan Times report on the appointment of Moondancer as Prime Minister (02/10/1009)

Equestria’s New Prime Minister, Moondancer

Moondancer has been appointed leader of the New Equestria Party and will become Prime Minister tonight.

Elected with the unanimous support of the party’s Central Executive Committee, Moondancer now leads the New Equestria Party and will receive the Empress’s blessing to form a government. She is widely expected to secure the confidence of Parliament.

She comes into the role following the resignation of Prime Minister Saffron Dusk, who stepped aside for personal reasons regarding his age.

Her rapid ascent to the premiership is the culmination of her years in public service. The 27-year-old Canterlonian was recognised for her talent from a young age, educated at Canterlot’s School For Gifted Unicorns and quickly being recruited into administrative roles within the Ministry of Transportation in 1001.

Such was her talent in the eyes of her peers, she was rapidly promoted through the Ministry until being appointed Minister of Transportation in 1005 without holding a seat in Parliament. She became an MP in a 1006 by-election, replacing the retiring NEP MP for Unicorn Peaks.

As Minister of Transportation she oversaw a wide reaching expansion of Equestria’s rail network, most notably in the southeast, and placed a special emphasis on improving the cleanliness and hygiene of public transport

The attitude amongst NEP politicians has been warm. “She has my confidence and the confidence of the country,” said outgoing Prime Minister Saffron Dusk. “I couldn’t think of anypony better.”

Impromptu street interviews regarding her appointment were conducted by IBC Radio. One interviewee, a self-described ‘Lulamoonatic’, said, “A boring bureaucrat for a boring agenda. A nation of nothing gets a face of nothing. What else did you expect from the Nothing Equestria Party?”

Amongst NEP supporters and members, the feeling was more positive. “I’m happy with her,” said an NEP supporter. “It’s a young new face for the party. And yeah, she’s a lot like Dusk on policy, but I voted for Dusk’s policies. On that front, no change is welcome change.”

However, the mood in the country more broadly was summarised by a resident of Crystal City referring to himself as Chudpone. “See? What did I say? Nothing. Ever. Happens.”

In a brief statement to the media Moondancer thanked the CEC and committed to getting to work as Prime Minister. “I thank the Central Executive Committee for placing their trust in me. There's a lot of work to be done, and I need to get started.”

Aside from Moondancer herself, a wide-reaching cabinet reshuffle is not anticipated. In most political matters, Moondancer has been aligned with Saffron Dusk and his government’s policies.

While many anticipated a wide-reaching shakeup of government both during the election and as a result of Dusk’s resignation, this has not materialised. The message more broadly is stability and consistency.

Later tonight, Prime Minister Saffron Dusk will formally deliver his resignation to Empress Nightmare Moon and Moondancer will be appointed in his place.

“And that’s that! How, over the course of a few months in 1009, the NEP held onto power and experienced its own internal shakeup,” Moonatik dusts his hooves off. “The biggest change, no change. If anything, it just showed the lengths that the Lunarist centre and the like were willing to go to just to keep onto power.”

“However, that Moondancer hasn’t been tested herself at the ballot box, and Equestria’s gonna have another election at some point. There’s also the anti-NEP vote consolidating behind Trixie and her party, so, something a little more substantive may be just around the corner.”

Welcome to the Archives

The Lunar Castle. Recognised around the world as many things, many admire it and many revile it. It is a monument to the indomitable Lunar will and its mastery of the Everfree, it is the heart and the mind of the greatest Empire that history has ever known, and it is the residence of many of the most powerful creatures in the world. Yet you are not here to admire the grand opulent halls, wander through the astonishing museums, or conduct the business of government. You came for something that is never advertised but is always assumed to be here.

Stepping through a small door, pushed away into a corner of an unassuming corridor in a restricted part of the palace, you start to descend a spiral staircase. The way is cramped, lit only by blazing blue torchlight, and you have to watch every step you take to avoid tumbling down and likely cracking your head open on the hard stone stairs. After descending the stairs for what feels longer than it should, and you wonder how many floors you’ve gone down in this time. Right as you start to think that this might go on forever, you reach the bottom, and on the far side of a thin corridor you see a door, nailed to it a small sign that reads “Central Imperial Archives”.

You walk up to the door and push it open. You’re presented with a modest waiting room with empty chairs, tables and bookshelves. It’s quiet, calming, and even serene. On the far side of the room, a thick layer of glass shimmering with enchantments cuts between a wide desk spanning the width of the room and separates you from the pony sitting on the other side. A bespectacled red pegasus with a long yellow-orange mane tied into a ponytail sits reclined in a chair, wearing a palace staff uniform consisting of a night-blue tailcoat over a cornflower-blue shirt. He appears half awake, holding a book in his hooves as his eyes lazily scan the pages.

Behind him, on his side of the glass, are rows upon rows of filing cabinets and bookshelves containing an incalculable quantity of pages. Each of them are at least several stories tall. Your eyes are fixated on the monoliths as you approach the desk.

“Mrm?” The pegasus cocks an eyebrow as he notices you have entered. “Oh, uh- hey,” he mumbles, shooting forward and setting his book down. “Hi, welcome, how can I help you?”

He speaks with a Griffish Isles accent and looks uneasy. He’s perhaps a little nervous. He’s constantly fidgeting with his hooves and rustling his wings, and you have a hard time establishing eye contact with him. You ask him who he is.

“Guh?” He flinches back. “Hey, guy, I’m not giving out information to any old dickhead who comes in here! Show some ID!”

You reveal your ID card and press it up to the glass.

“Oh? Lemme see that.” He inspects your ID card. His eyes light up for a moment. “Shit X-level clearance? One sec,” he says, his hoof reaching under the desk.

A sudden explosion of lightning erupts from concealed prongs in the desk. It hits you like a battering ram and sends you sprawling off your hooves. A scream is torn from your throat as the electricity sears through you. And then, almost as abruptly as it began, the current dissipates. The pain recedes, leaving behind a lingering aftershock that leaves you trembling and breathless.

“Sorry! Just had to make sure you weren't a disguised changeling or anything!” he giggles.

You grumble and retrieve your ID card. He looks anything but sorry.

“But yeah, looks legit. Just I can’t be too cautious when someone comes in saying they’ve got tippity-top clearance,” he says, shrugging.

“Alright, you wanted to know who I am. My name’s Moonatik, humble servant of her Imperial Highness Nightmare Moon! I first got a job at the castle as a maid, yes that’s the job title for stallions too, doing rather menial chores around the castle. After years of loyal service, I was offered a promotion. Not a specific promotion, a general ‘pick whichever job you’d like and it’s yours’ promotion. Not to brag but the Empress likes me,” he says, a smug grin plastered over his mug. “Anyway, all of a sudden it hit me: archivist. It came into me at that moment, I'd like to be an archivist. Organising the archives, and the like.”

You ask him how the job has been.

“It's great!” he laughs. “I've got nothing to do most of the time so I just sit on the exercise bike with a book. Keeps me fit, keeps me entertained. I don’t gotta do shit! As for the actual work, I organised the archives according to my personal system, which is so incomprehensible that a thief doesn't stand a chance of finding what they're looking for!” he boasts. “Genius, right? Well, aside from the times I get lost trying to search through them…”

“Yet, here…” He reveals a key he had on a string around his neck. He dives to his desk and unlocks a cabinet, pulling it open. “I've got all my favourite documents. The most fun ones, the most interesting ones, the most important ones, the ones curated for maximum intrigue and entertainment!”

“There’s a bit of a system to these. I start with general history in the first few and they’re all in chronological order. It’s a good way to introduce newcomers to the topic, anyone who isn’t well-versed in Equestrian history, all that context. I’ve selected a range of sources and accounts to directly draw from, which should give you a broad enough picture. After that I get a bit more general, just showing off what I find interesting in no particular order.”

“Now the choice is yours. You could read them in the order I’ve selected, or you could pick any old document from the pile and read through that. What’ll it be?”

The Most AWESOME Day in Equestrian History!

Moonatik takes a small tape recorder out of the desk. A tape is already loaded into the device. “Listen to this,” he says. He presses the 'play' button, and a raspy voice comes from the speaker.

“The 15th of April 991! The day that I, Rainbow Dash, did the impossible and performed the one-of-a-kind sonic rainboom! It all started when my good friend Fluttershy was being picked on by some pea-brained bullies, and I stood alone against all odds to defend her honour by challenging them to a race. Needless to say, I won, but more than that, I flew so fast that I broke the sound barrier! That’s, what, nearly eight hundred miles an hour? I was a kid at the time! The rainboom? Ponies as far away as Manehattan saw it! Rainbooms are like second nature to me now, I can fly up to speed to do one no problem.”

“What else happened on that day? Uhh… Look, I’m not an egghead, alright? I don’t waste time with that kinda thing. Wait, lemme just… Okay, this old newspaper my Mom and Dad kept from the day says that Princess Celestia had to call off entrance exams at her fancy school for unicorns to stop famine in Seveynana. No, Severyana. Jeez, why’d they even call it that? Is that name even Equestrian? Probably a big deal to the ponies there, but everyone else in Equestria remembers it because of the rainboom!”

The recording stops.

“Depending on whether you're a knower or not, this is either the biggest most important piece of information about understanding this world or totally nothing. So, are you a knower?” Moonatik turns away from you and looks off to the side. “Does he know!?” He turns back to you. “Sorry I had to lol. Anyway.”