Long Live the Queen

The world, much less Equestria, is still reeling from the tremendous impact of the Great War. Countless books, dissertations, and articles have been written on the subject, and this is but one of them, and I am but one humble writer.

"But, Nickel Specter," you might argue, "Why should I give a flying feather about your book?"

An excellent question, my dear hypothetical reader.

Obviously, the Great War will influence Equestria as long as this great nation exists. It is due to this profound influence that, even a century later, essays and dissertations are still being churned out by academia. Few genuine nuggets of insight have been unearthed for a long time, and my own "The Wonderbolts and Their War for Equestria" is no exception from that affliction

I assumed this condition would last indefinitely, but then I made an astounding discovery. For the past hundred years, scholars studying the War have been frustrated by the dearth of information on certain events and ponies that only an eye witness would be able to shed any light on. As you can see, this poses a problem because the last living veteran of that terrible conflict died ten years ago.

Or, so it was thought until I discovered the last living veteran living on a mountain overlooking a remote village.

To be allowed to interview this source, I had to agree not to disclose his name or location, lest he attract the wrong kind of attention. He has lived a hermit's life for quite a long time, ever since his wife passed away four or five decades ago, and he seems to like it that way.

Finding him was challenging; only one wagon goes into that town every week and, though it seems he often travels down into the town, few of the residents seem to know of his historical importance. From the ground, his cave just looks like an indent in the cliff face. As I climbed up a path as steep as it was narrow, it was easy to see how he managed to stay hidden all this time, despite being hunted by most of the academic world.

We conduct our interview in a large, vaguely drafty room. This room is sparsely furnished, with the notable exception of hundreds of frames crowding the stone walls from floor to ceiling. Some frames hold paintings, others hold photographs, but the vast majority hold hoofwritten notes and letters to and from various ponies. I recognize some of the more famous names, but most names are too obscure. The roaring fire in his hearth keeps the room at a comfortable temperature, while preventing moisture from damaging the framed artifacts.

When I speak to him, he rarely makes eye-contact, preferring instead to pace the length of the large rug on the floor. His tale is slow to come at first, but once the memories start flowing, he becomes more confident--he stands straighter, his voice becomes fuller, and he imitates what certain ponies might have sounded like.

He makes the story come alive, pulling long-dead ponies from beyond the grave to explain their roles, and their stories.
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Heh, you walked all the way up here to just talk about a war over a hundred years gone? You’re tougher than you look, I’ll give you that. In return, I’ll tell you what I know. But, and be warned, after all this time my memory might be a little fuzzy, though your book on the Wonderbolts did give me a jump start.

You read my book?

Yup. It was well written, too, though a bit dry.
Don’t give me that look; I grew up around scholars and worked with books and scrolls my whole life. I’ve read everything from Starswirl the Bearded to A Complete History of Equestria. I know my stuff.
Your War for Equestria was caused by nothing more than a terrible chain of events triggered by an accident no pony could have foreseen. Though you very likely know everything about that…incident…I doubt you have a first person account about those chaotic months. Applejack was notorious for her reluctance about answering questions about that. Excellent businesspony, but stubborn as a mule.

That accident triggered a civil war.

Not really. While it was tragic, it didn’t really directly influence the war. It’s what came after that accident that matters, and that’s when he comes into play.
[He points to a photograph of a bright red dragon in an old military uniform.]
Firebrand was never involved in that accident. He was, however, very involved in the events leading up to the eventual uprising and secession of Southern Equestria. He did all he could in his position to stop the war from happening. All those myths you hear about how he personally assassinated half of the Equestrian Guard, plus the most of the Royal Guard, are crap. In fact, both branches of the military were stronger than ever at the start of the war, due in large part to him.
So, listen to me when I say that Brand was no traitor. He loved his country, and would have died for it, and for Celestia. He did what he did to protect the realm and as an attempt to keep it held together. That’s why he joined Fluttershy’s Peace Corps, rest her soul.
Brand was a habitual worrier, though he didn't often show it. He saw Equestria would not survive a civil war after a thousand years of peace. He fought, and sometimes killed, to keep this country together. He would never allow anything to get between him and his duty.
[He gestures to a framed painting on the wall. It depicts six mares and two dragons.]
You see them? They were my closest friends. The story I'm about to tell you is not about me, though I'm in it. No, it's about them, their sacrifices, and their heroism. That war hinged on their actions.
But you’re not here to hear about a story you already know. I would bet my (admittedly large) life savings you recognize the ponies in this picture and you could tell me how they each uniquely influenced the war. I bet you could also give me a detailed paper on how the Equestrian Guard was responsible for finally stomping out the rebellion. Credit they don't deserve, but that's beyond the point.
Y'see, this story is about Firebrand. So far as I know, there are no records of any interviews with the dragon, and no pony’s got anything he wrote. You were out of luck when it came to Brand. Well, until you found me, of course.

Hold on a moment. The Guard did not ultimately stop the war?

[He chuckles] Not even a little bit. Of course, they were very important in winning the war, just not the most important. The history books often credit the final victory to the Guards because the real cause was never documented or talked about, and for good reason. Very few ponies would enjoy finding out what happened.

What was the real cause?

In due time, you impatient pony. You can't rush a story like this one.
Because of my unique role in the war, I had access to information few others did. After the war, I was a clerk for the Council of Three, and I managed to hear even more tales about the war, along with a bunch of stuff that very few ponies knew.

I am not recording any information that could get me in trouble with the law.

Oh, quit your worrying. I doubt anything I’ll tell you is still confidential. Even if it is, I don't see what could be so important about a bunch of dead ponies anyways. Not like they can pitch a fit or something.
Well, I suppose we should get started. Let's see, if I had to find the beginning of this story, chances are it was at Sweet Apple Acres, for reasons you can probably guess.