The Great War

The Crystal Empire was a beautiful nation protected from the deadly north winds by the power of love and light from the Crystal Heart and the Crystal Ponies. Over the years, it grew and flourished, with many smaller cities spreading out from the capitol city in all directions, all linking back to the heart like arms on a snowflake.
Usually the nation was optimistic, and peaceful, but today in the capitol there was tension, outrage, and despair.
Behind the palace walls a meeting of the Greater Coalition and her leaders took place, where they all discussed the recent happenings. Princess Cadence and Prince Shining Armor acted as the mediators and hosts of the meeting, dressed in their most formal attire for the event. Although Cadence tried to smile, her eyes showed just how nervous she was about this affair. Shining Armor kept a stoic look on his white features and sat beside his darling wife. Neither of them wanted to discuss what was being discussed: war.

Sadly… there they all were, saying the ugly word, over and over.

Trotomia’s president, Manjar Blanco, slammed one of his hooves on the round table.
“The zebras must pay! They massacred my people and my wife! We cannot stand by and ignore this atrocity!”

The heavy-set, Konlyan pony representative was equally furious.
“For weeks they’ve been sinking our ships as well. We’ve been straining to keep our end of the peace, and if one more ship sinks, we WILL join against them. That’s my orders from the Tsar.”

“If both of them join, Saddle-Arabia will surely join to help their allies, and we will join to fight off Saddle-Arabia,” Emperor Agamemnon of Ippeia declared with a firm nod.

The Minotaur representative looked left and right with a guilty expression and fidgeted with his thumbs.

“Yes, Stonebreaker?” Celestia asked the Minotaur, “What’s on your mind?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny it, but it is highly possible that our merchants have been secretly selling weapons to Rikuma. According to our intelligence, Zebrica started firing on any vessel similar to our, markings or not, to prevent the smuggling.”

The other representatives gawked at him in disbelief.

From Griffonstone, the Gryphon nation under Equestrian protection, there was Gilda herself standing as the representative, and she flapped her wings to make herself relax just enough to speak. “So it’s YOUR fault that this many nations are on the verge of an all-world war!?”

Emperor Agamemnon and President Blanco glared at Stonebreaker and leaned forward in their seats accusingly. Shining Armor looked around the table, tensed in case fighting broke out. Finally, Queen Novo herself, who was there representing the Kingdom of Hippogriffia, who were the lesser, “Skybound” Hippogriffs, stood up and said, “Perhaps the Minotaur Coalition should be punished for this. Let them take the fall. We cannot risk such a huge war demolishing all nations.”
Of course, her creatures were given such a species name due to their thin, more bird-based body types, and in her true, Hippogriff form, Novo certainly did look elegant and commanding.

“WAIT! Yes, they made a mistake, but we cannot turn on each other. We need to stay allies and work through this,” Princess Cadence begged as she raised her wings to catch their attention.

“She’s right. Stonebreaker, have your people stopped their secret deeds?” Celestia asked in a strained, yet calm, voice.

“Yes, but it seems the damage has already been done, too,” Stonebreaker gulped as he put his hands down on the table.

They were interrupted however, as an Earth Pony was hurriedly allowed in by the guards and gave a message to the Trotomian President. The messenger departed as quickly as he’d arrived, and Manjar Blanco’s face turned pale.

“President, what is it?” Celestia asked, a dark feeling creeping over her heart.

“There was a clash with the Zebrican Fleet… ” He placed the letter on the table, his hooves shaking slightly, “Two armored cruisers and a merchant ship were sunk on their way to Manehattan… And the Zebrican Fleet is bombarding Murona along with Dragon Mercenaries.”

Celestia’s face hardened into a cold, dark fury, and everyone else felt a deep sense of dread.

“It seems we are at war,” Celestia murmured, “They have hurt enough of my Ponies.”

“Saddle-Arabia must be behind this! Al-Asif has always made war with us, and I won’t doubt he is backing Zebrica to spite us all!” Emperor Agamemnon snorted as he stood up and began pacing around the table, “I hoped to avoid war in my lifetime, but it seems it is here once more.”

“We can’t jump to such conclusions! Saddle-Arabia has not officially declared war on anybeast! The Malik has barely said which side he supports,” Cadence pointed out, trying to keep some peace somewhere alive.

“I know that, but Saddle-Arabia and Ippeia have been in and out of many wars while Equestria has not touched such declarations in a thousand years,” Agamemnon pointed out with a humble bow to Celestia, “Of course, I mean no disrespect to the mare who raises the sun each morning. I know this must be hard to you, Princess Celestia, but as you can see… it is time for war.”

“Must we do such a thing, though? With all our alliances, this could mean… the entire world at war. Ippeia fights Saddle-Arabia, Zebrica comes over, we must step in--is there any way to stop this?” Queen Novo murmured as she stared up at the ornate ceiling of the Crystal palace.

For five minutes, no one spoke. Everybeast hung his head, desperate to find a way out.

“It seems we have no choice,” Celestia murmured as she closed her eyes, “It is time for war… a world war.”

When she opened her eyes, there was a pain deep in them, masked by a motherly fury. She found it hard to fathom that after so long of peaceful relations, ambassadors and trading that they would come to this. Could there ever be peace now? Luna, who had been silent this whole time, looked to her sister in disbelief. Even she had no words.

"Celie... they're all waiting." Luna placed a wing on her sister's shoulder as she whispered.

They were in Canterlot once more, behind heavy doors. Outside, they heard a massive crowd calling for them, waiting in fright. Both Luna and Celestia were dressed in their finest winter attire, with their jewelry and crowns perfectly polished.

"I know, but... after a thousand years of peace... what have I done?" Celestia whispered, with her eyes trembling.

"You were always the far more gentle one. I was the more blunt one," Luna remarked, hanging her dark-colored head and folding down her ears, "It's not right to see you declare war."

"...I must do this, though. I must," Celestia sighed, taking a long breath. Her heart broke and she struggled to comprehend this moment. She felt like an utter failure. To her, this nation was her family. These creatures were her children, and she had a duty to watch over them. For centuries she kept them free from terror, and now, she was bringing them right into a war that might be an extreme bloodbath. On the one hoof, she HAD to do this. Her own Ponies, the Principality of Trotomia, right to her southern border, were attacked. Already their city, Murona, was in danger. Celestia could NOT stand idly by. On the other hoof, declaring all-out war meant death for far more than Trotomia. She felt stuck. As a princess, she had a duty to uphold. She could not shake her duty. Still... she failed them all, didn't she?

Seeing her sister's pain in those big, amethyst eyes, Luna decided to be the bad mare again.

"Let me do the talking. I'm not afraid to give bad news," Luna remarked, folding up her wings again.

"Luna, no--"

"Yes. I'm going. Stand by my side, and look motherly," Luna said, trotting to the doors.

With a heavy sigh, Celestia nodded and followed. On the balcony the two sisters of the sun and moon stood, and the crowd instantly silence. Not a single breath or complaint could be heard; not even a bird sang. No, not even a fly buzzed. In her teal eyes was a cold, yet compassionate look. Making her voice grand and loud for all to hear, Luna gave the announcement that would shake the peaceful nation for many, many generations.

"Ponies of Equestria. We know your brothers and sisters in Trotomia are suffering and crying out to us. We are not deaf to your tears or your pain or your fury. For a thousand years, my sister has guarded you, and now I, too, have returned, and watched your dreams and helped you sleep. I have seen your nightmares, and I know your longings. We both care for the peace and harmony of this nation, and all her sister nations under our outstretched wings. That's why, today, we must officially declare war on Zebrica, and all her states. We shall immediately send out troops to help Trotomia, and summon the navy to guard our waters."

December 18th, 1012 SE would forever be known as the day when there was absolute silence for three hours across the nation.