The Millennium Archives

“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.”