Prologue: Equestria's Finest
"You must be joking."
Ahhhh, Canterlot, the city of Equestria's best and brightest. From Princess Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, to the great spanning marble barracks of the Royal Guard, to the streets cloaked in glitz and glammor. Everypony considers this city to be the finest in the country, perhaps even the world; it WAS constructed originally to be Unicornia after all, according to the Hearth's Warming Eve legend, anyway.
This great city plays host to a certain stallion making his way in life, a very intrusive stallion named Shutter Bug. Shutter was like every reporter with a big news firm; always looking for the next big scoop, ALWAYS searching for that next amazing headline! And always far too glued to celebrity relationships.
But hey, who COULDN'T pull themselves away from that Manehatten Daily article? What was it? "Fleur De Scandalis"?
Well, Shutter certainly couldn't! This grey pegasus was particularily giddy with excitement over the prospect of finding a story just as good as that! Ohhh, the claims, the fame, the MARES! Too bad this particular Guard was so resilient, standing so blatantly against Shutter's dreams!
"But I'm not joking! I do have an interview with His Honor, Captain Shining Armor!"
"And I'm telling you you are, since the Captain doesn't randomly request interviews, let alone accept them. Now please sir, move along," The unicorn dressed in golden armor sighs. Thirty minutes of fighting, but Shutter wasn't out of steam yet! He would get this interview! With or without this guard's permission!
And hopefully, no, definitely without a jail sentence!
"Is it really that hard to believe?" Shutter pleads, brushing the long bangs of his blonde mane away from his face. He was ready to get on his knees and kiss boot in order to make this happen!
"Yes, it is that hard to believe, considering the Royal Guard wouldn't want to talk about itself, especially the Captain! Now please, move along!"
"I'm not leaving this spot until I get my interview! All I'm asking is for fifteen minutes!"
"What makes you think Sir Armor will agree to one, let alone fifteen!?"
"Because I have that effect on stallions!"
Why was the guard moving back and blushing!? This was serious!
"Errrr..."
"What? I really need to see the Captain!"
"N-Nothing, nothing...ahem. Anyway, my statement still stands; the Captain doesn't do interviews. He's much too busy organizing the Guard," The armored stallion stomps, furrowing his brow. Alright Shutter, you have to play your next words very carefully...just...hint, eeeeeease into it...
"I'll pay you."
...Real dang smooth, genius.
"Are you saying you're going to bribe me!?" The furrow of the brow turned into quite the menacing scowl faster than you could learn to fear Nightmare Moon. Ok, seriously Shutter, play it safe! This is your one chance! Think!
Use that interviewer instinct of yours!
"I...will pay you...w-with your own interview."
"...Excuse me?"
"I said I'll interview you if I can see the Captain!"
War. War never seems to cease changing in this world...magic has opened the path for many advancements in offensive and defensive maneuvers in tactics. Attrition no longer had a meaning when a single unicorn could burn entire droves in a sea of fire, or tear the land asunder with but a thought.
Unicorns were considered Equestria's ultimate weapons, and for good reason; if gathered together in a corps, their combined magical prowess surpassed Nature itself in sheer destructive power. From summoning great explosive fireballs to tearing space itself to shreds, the Mage Corps, otherwise known as 'Krieg's Reapers', were rightly feared as the be all, end all in any war.
To join this corps took great skill and intelligence, and even the great Twilight Sparkle would have difficulty impressing its leader, aptly named 'Commander'. Though the Corps was vast in number and strength, each was hand-selected and tested to rigorous lengths, some tests even being banned by the higher-ups, or even the Princesses themselves, because the fatality rate against producing productive troops was simply too high.
The history of Krieg's Reapers is cloaked in controversy, most of its operations and actions having been disclosed by both Guard and citizen alike, but all wearing the same shade of red...
Despite action having fallen off over the years, the Reapers remain efficient in their work, and constantly train everyday for the call to duty, backing up the Strife air batallions and the Breaker ground forces, or leading whole strikes themselves.
A strange thing about the Reapers is indeed their leader. Nopony seems to know much about this figure besides the fact that they have exhibited great tactical prowess, planning circles around their enemies. Every single leader of the force has simply worn the title 'Commander' as a name, never disclosing their own...speculation even goes so far as to say they erase their name and identity entirely, becoming the shadow that is Commander.
The soldiers are no less mysterious. They are considered soldiers to be praised, minds to be hallowed and magical skills to challenge the Elements themselves, though such claims are exaggerated. The soldiers themselves vary as greatly as the Guard itself; from prideful and arrogant to humble and kind, the only thing these soldiers share is their equally grand aptitude in magic, both its theory and its use.
