Equestria: World War II (1939-1941)

2ND AUGUST 1940

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It was now 9:00am in Canterlot. Summer had finally hit Equestria and the Crystal Empire, and the Sun was shining brightly in the sky. Despite this, at Canterlot Castle, the mood was quite sombre, as every time it felt that they came a step forward, they got knocked back three steps. Almost a month earlier, they had been shocked when the British had mercilessly betrayed their ally, and attacked the ports in the French colony of Algeria, to destroy the remainder of the French naval fleet.

They had brutally attacked the ports there with a large amount of manpower and firepower, and gone all out in attacking the French fleet at the port of Mers-El-Kèbir. They had also seized French vessels that had been stationed in Algeria, including some of their submarines. 1,200 French people had died during these strikes, of which 980 alone were from the French battleship Bretagne, which had been destroyed entirely during the battle with the British ships when a torpedo had struck it in its ammunition hold.

The only British casualties in the entire operation were a pair of airmen who had been killed when their plane, a Skua, had been hit by debris from a French shell, which had caused the plane to crash into the sea before the pilots had a chance to eject.

Following this, the League of Nations had demanded an explanation for this, especially Marshal Philippe Pétaine, the head of the current Vichy France regime, as to why they had attacked their own ally. At first, the Princesses were wondering if Discord had somehow made his way into Britain and taken control of Winston Churchill, making him commit this act, but Churchill himself had come forward to explain this act. She remembered the conference call like it was yesterday, and the argument between Pétaine and Churchill.

"Explain yourself, Churchill, as to why you attack a French colony, destroyed French military assets, and murdered so many French sailors in cold blood!" Pétaine had shouted.

"Well, Marshal, there was a reason we had to. One, you aren't even allied with our country, anymore for one. You're working with the Germans. Two, just because you still keep your fleet now, doesn't mean you will keep it in a year or two. The Germans could take it from you at any moment, and with your advanced submarines, we would be taken completely taken unawares. We had to." Churchill had explained it calmly. Pretty much everyone had understood Churchill's explanation. However, Pétaine was so angry at the destruction of the fleet, that he had violently exploded at everyone.

"Oh, sure! The Germans have already left a decent part of my country for me, and they have promised no further inference! Did you really think we'd accept your silly and false explanation? We henceforth sever all diplomatic connections with Britain and its allies, starting this instant!" Pétaine had said, instantly dropping the call. None of the Allied nations had a single word from the French since then, and Pétaine had pulled all French diplomats out of them instantly.

The day after that, Germany had incessantly begun bombing Britain from the air. The German air force, the Luftwaffe, had ruthlessly begun attacking ships in the British channel, no matter if they were British ships or ones from neutral countries. Recently, they had also begun attacking the harbours on the coast of Britain. This had led to large loss of life and airmen among the Royal Air Force, who had lost multiple aircraft and pilots trying to defend Britain against the Germans. However. recently, the tables were starting to turn, with the Luftwaffe beginning to lose multiple aircraft and crews, so it was looking like they would retreat soon.

However, there was another dark cloud on the horizon. There was still not even a single sign of Slick Shady and the HNA. They had truly gone dark after the robbery at the Western Bank of Manehattan, and Slick Shady betraying Neighsay. The CBI had arrested a few more of the lower-ranking members of the HNA, but so far, none of them knew where Slick Shady and the HNA had vanished to, but just that only a few more months were left before 'The Day of Liberation', as Shady called the activation of the Rift Gate and their return to Earth. They were running out of time, and the Princesses knew they had to find them, no matter what, before that date, which was approximated to be around December.

As the Princesses got ready for another busy day, little did they know, that soon, they were finally going to get a clue to the HNA's location.

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In the dilapidated house located somewhere in the forests of Equestria, the unicorn, Riftweaver Spark, was suffering. Ever since he and his fellow scientists had been kidnapped by Neighsay and the HNA, they had not been treated well. Spark himself estimated that he had probably already lost almost ten kilograms of weight, thanks to how little the HNA had been feeding them. He was starting so thin that his ribs were starting to show.

The HNA hadn't just underfed him and his comrades. They had also tortured them, to make them build the Rift Gate that would take them back to Equis, and when they refused on the first day after their kidnapping, they were tortured with red-hot iron rods, until they were forced to accept this mammoth task. In fact, they had thought it would be impossible, since they only had their notes, and nothing else to build the Gate with.

However, the HNA had given them a decent toolbox, and there was plenty of timber from the forests around them. The only thing they had needed was the Aetherium, which was super hard to get. At first, they were relieved, since the HNA wouldn't have access to it, and would have probably been unable to get their hands on it. However, almost two months earlier, the HNA had mysteriously somehow got some for them. Mysteriously, Neighsay had left along with Slick Shady, the bucking traitor, but only Shady had returned.

When the HNA and the scientists asked him about it, Shady had stated that Neighsay had turned traitor, and attempted to give them away to the police, and had been forced to kill Neighsay. Everyone accepted this statement, except for Spark and his fellow scientists, who already suspected that Shady had murdered Neighsay so that he could take over the HNA, and lead them instead of Neighsay.

Today was the day the scientists would begin another plan as they continued to build the Rift Gate. They would begin their plan that would hopefully help the Princesses to find them. It would probably take them a bit of time, but the scientists had calculated that they would be able to be rescued and have the Princesses rescue them around a month or so before the HNA put their plan into action. But how were they going to get a message to the Princesses, when they didn't even know where they were, and were being constantly monitored by HNA members?

The theory of their idea was really simple. They would use the emissions of the Aetherium to their advantage. The Aetherium emitted a rare kind of radiation emission. It wouldn't harm people, even if it was activated, but the only problem was that no matter how much Aetherium was used, it was barely traceable. It was probably not even going to be picked up on a radiation detector.

That would be changed. Earlier, the scientists had made up a lie that the Aetherium they had taken was not powerful enough, and they would have to steal some more. As they had expected, Shady had refused, and had asked the scientists if there was a way to make it more powerful. The scientists had stated that a machine they had stolen would help them make it more powerful, but it would take time. Shady had told them to 'make it quicker', so that was what the scientists would do. They would increase the strength of the Aetherium over time, and at the same time, they would use the emitted radiation to their advantage.

Suddenly, just as they were next to the almost-complete frame of the Rift Gate, getting ready to start their work on enhancing the Aetherium, suddenly, a group of HNA ponies, led by Slick Shady, came in. "WAIT! What do you think you're doing?!" shouted Shady.

The scientists froze for a minute, thinking Shady had discovered their plan, but then what he said next disproved that. "Working on radioactive materials like that in close proximity to our members! We're installing lead shielding to block any of that radiation!" said Shady, as the other HNA ponies began using carts to bring some of the lead shielding.

"But, Shady, the Aetherium barely emits any radiation, and if it did emit harmful amounts, we would have died by now!" said Spark.

"That may be so, but I am not taking any chances. You will work in this lead shielding, so no radiation is released into the air. That is an order." said Shady, as they began installing the shielding. Spark let off a light groan. The plan they had involved the radiation, and it was the only method they had. But now, even that had been stopped by Shady. They would have to do it somehow, someway.