The Rise of Harmony

Act I

What is it, in a pony, that drives them to fight? What thoughtless impulse could conquer the rationale of a mind to go into battle, without so much as a motion of tact? What evil could corrupt the mind, draining it to the brink of endless chaos, where it can do nothing more than to devastate itself even further? What is war, my friend? Who is war?

Salem has questioned that too me one too many times for it to become an etching on my blade, but the question, however simple, has had no answer since it was raised, but Aquilus’ reason was never because there was not time to answer it, nor was the answer not obvious enough. The reason, was because nopony is practical or sagacious enough to give an honest answer.

The fights in the deserts have been treacherous at best, but Aquilus has come to inquire about the true purpose of this battle. What is the reward, and is the reward worth all this bloodshed?

Most of the Arabians are weary; as day after day, the Fursians refuse to let them rest by constantly attacking their landing platforms which house their warships and supplies, and from how it appears reports from the front tell that the enemy also has warships, greater in size and armament. This would surely set the Arabians back, for they would lose the most strategic area in the desert; the only oasis there.

The past few weeks have been a muddled scenario of airships setting ablaze mid-air, ponies scuffling each other with swords and bows, pillaged mud brick homes, and horrifying supply scarcity. It was an uncanny torment; you can avert from the horror but you cannot abandon your brothers in arms. At this point, no one can be certain who has the upper hand, nor who wishes to surrender, of if either side is expecting a negotiation of peace from the other.

Aquilus glanced at the chalice that had once been filled with some lavender-colored spirit that he had simply found stocked in the remaining clay jars sent last month, and pondered whether he should have more. It wasn’t completely fermented, but it will have to do. After all, it is better that the rest of the near-shrinking supplies.

The tents were also dwindling as well, as some of the cloths have been repurposed as bandages. It was a small mercy that a captain’s tent is excluded. The tents were practically all the same in their camp just outside the desert, and Canterlot is obscured completely by the dense forests and the mountainous region from which its foundations lay, emphasizing that supply caravans would have a troubled time reaching the troops. Each tent once held only three or four ponies at a time, but because of the rationing, more than ten ponies share one tent, including the captains and higher ranking officials. It was evident there would be no luxury in war.

“...we cannot be certain when they will attack, but what is for sure is that they will,”

A voice was slowly approaching the tent, and Aquilus promptly levitated the wine jar with his magic, covering it with his blanket and stashed it in the corner, just as the source opened the blinds.

“Then prepare the warships, all of them. Restock them with as much as it can carry, and send out the best of crew you can find first. If we are facing defeat, we shouldn’t care how much we lose,” Stanos continued muttering instructions and orders, possible unaware of Aquilus’ existence in their space.

“Any more orders?” his second on command always asks that question, as if a response is always expected. Surely enough there was.

“Make sure everything is ready by early morning. We depart at sunrise,”

“Of course, general,” and his officer immediately galloped out the tent.

“Ah, Aquilus! Forgive my callousness, I did not see you there,” Stanos briefly acknowledged.

“A good day to see you too, general,”

Stanos began pulling his sheets up in to make the bedding more plush. Aquilus relegated mulling over its purpose, as it is clearly dark and everyone has not had sleep for two moons worth of it.

“I assume you overheard what I had said,” Stanos’ speech is muffled as his mouth is partially covered by the sheets he is organizing.

“Do you really believe we are on the verge of defeat?” Aquilus asked, his voice hinted doubt.

“I believe we have no other choice,” Stanos replied. “The Fursians have conquered the oasis, built a fort around it, and are now preparing to disembark their monster ships too our ports. We will do what we can to stop them from reaching Equestria.”

“I suppose surrender is out of the topic,” Aquilus simpered.

“Never, captain.” The general was now simply trotting over his makeshift, making sure there are no ruts or bumps on the ground that would surely disrupt anypony’s sleep. Once he was finished, he immediately plopped down on it. “To surrender or to fight, the same end result will be as real as a full moon. They will destroy us to the last pony standing.”

Stanos’ drowsiness is now becoming more superficial. “ I’m surprised the thought has made its way to your mind.”

“I worry that this could only lead to the destruction of our nation. There is too much at stake now, and with our re- “Aquilus halted once he realized Stanos would not reply in his sleep. Aquilus gave the slumbering general a disapproving look, and proceeded outside the tent in order to breathe.

Aquilus quickly mused over the general’s plan to attack with all that is left of the fleet of Saddle Arabia. It may seem like a bold and tactless move, but his logic might prove otherwise. The Fursians are known to win battles only through direct confrontation. They are ferocious and deadly in every way, and neither surrender nor submission will prevent them from destroying an entire civilization. If that is the case, then the least any enemy of their army could do is battle to the last pony. One thing is for certain, when they fall out the sky, they fall with honor.

Aquilus also remembered the general stating that the best of crews are being sent first to the front, and doubtless Aquilus knew he would be one of the prime select. .Not that Aquilus would be moved by his self-flattery, but the reality all enforce the fact that he is one of the best warship fliers in all of Equestria. Aquilus I-ah Sath’am was not only the most educated of them all, he was the most experienced. He had once served as a personal aviator of the king of Equestria, though the king’s manic antics prompted him to leave his service. As luck would have it, bloodshed would not leave his side. Only months ago Saddle Arabia has locked combat with the Fursian Empire in control of a desert that screens the largest watershed known to ponykind. All were called to fight, and Aquilus was immediately given the rank of Captain of the Arabian fleet.

Aquilus also debated the price of the war. It was a ridiculous watershed. Why would anypony fight over something that could possibly be found anywhere else on Equestria, or even the entire world? Then again, everything is under Discord, the king of Equestria. The mindless wretch had ruled the land long enough to spiral it into a series of social plague, civil conflicts, and storms of milk chocolate. All destruction and disharmony are his doing, simply because he is the king of disharmony. He simply reeled it into his mind that this war really has no real and rational purpose, and had simply served as entertainment for the king, which could easily be the case.

Aquilus settled these questions and reserved them for his passing. The next battle could only be his last. Aquilus silently trotted over to the corner of the tent where he had ensconced the wine jar from sight. He levitated the vessel and slowly lifted the cover out from the top, trying hard not to wake the general, who was known to sleep lightly, some servants of his had even confided he could sense hoofsteps outside his home while asleep.

Simultaneously snatching the chalice, he immediately poured a large amount of the wine onto it and quaffed it wholeheartedly, savoring the flavor to the last drop. The captain spurred the jar to the corner once again and this time, concealed under the table with a small unused cloth. No second thoughts came this time, as the effects of the wine begin to overwhelm the senses.

He then began collecting his sheets and organized them in small layers with just enough thickness that any ruts or bumps in the ground would be rendered intangible. Aquilus blew out the last lantern in the tent and slumped to the ground, only to be awakened by the general’s inquiry.

“Do I smell wine?”

Act II

Even if their current location was outside the desert, the cold sands drifting towards them indicated that a small storm was in motion. It seemed Discord wanted a spectacular finale for his show. It was almost daytime and, as promised, all were airships were restocked and prepped for battle. Each airship held at least twelve cannons, six or more on each side, that shot a volley of small metal bits at the enemy or any enemy unit. All this was courtesy of the power of firepowder, a combustible substance that releases a great deal of energy when ignited. The technology was made only recently, but somehow the Fursians have acquired similar weapons. Perhaps there were Arabian defectors and traitors who lend information and weapons in exchange for bits. Or, more likely, perhaps there were spies.

Fursian spies are uncommon in the country, but when there is one, they always have ways of making known their existence. Why, just days ago, a Fursian spy, who was inserted into the army as a cook, was caught making plans of assassinating the princesses, thereby languishing the army’s magical spirit. The princesses were the only true leaders who saw reason for the war. The plan may have been thwarted, but now the threat is real.

Aquilus had awoken just then and found the general already out of his nestling area. Once again, Aquilus towed the wine jar from under the table for another drink, only to find the vessel empty. With a somber face, he tossed it to the corner, and proceeded to walk out from the tent. Surely enough, not considering the distance between them, the general was there barking orders to and fro, at anypony who can take them. The entire camp appeared to be disarray, but in an orderly fashion. Over at his east, twenty airships lay afloat, while pegasi hurdle to get supplies on board. Aquilus’ ship is at the foremost. Measuring at up to 30 pony lengths, it is the largest in the fleet, with others ranging from 23 to 25 lengths. The sound of swords and armor clanking and chiming came from just about anywhere, as soldiers continue to clad what they could carry in battle.

Aquilus quickly trotted to the plaza where the ships were all securely tied onto to prevent them from drifting away. He was greeted with salutations, a sign of respect for a high-ranking officer, all of which he replied with the same deferential gesture. The sight at the plaza indicated that everypony was in a hurry to get to the front. There, several ponies were all dining into a light breakfast of bread and hibiscus, while the dockworkers continue shuffling about, dragging boxes of supplies for the pegasi to carry aboard the ships. A large layered platform was constructed there, and it was intended for ponies who could not fly to the ships above. The platform leveled with the hull of the ships, and was high enough that all a pony needs to do is surmount the platform and leap a small gap down onto the ship’s hull platform.

There the general had begun collating the soldiers to prepare for the upcoming battle, and soon everypony had scrambled, some leaving their half-consumed breakfast.

“Aquilus, a pleasant morning to you,” Stanos glanced at Aquilus briefly before going back to shouting commands eagerly. He continued. “I suppose the wine did you any good?”

“I expected you would say that, but yes, nothing beats the morning like a swig of month-old wine,” Aquilus managed a light chuckle.

“The entire camp is preparing to depart. I’ll have somepony take that tent of yours down, but before that, it is best that you equip as well. Your ship will be the frontholder of the fleet, and I know you know why.” Stanos called loud enough to be heard over the sound of crates being dragged around the sandy wooden floors. Before another word, Stanos drifted away into the crowd of ponies.

With his order, Aquilus quickly went to his tent to prep up. The salutations proceeded to come, but, as an officer, so should he. Soldiers were already there to pack the tent up, but Aquilus ordered to postpone until he was finished.

All his personal belonging were in a burlap sack which he sometimes uses as a pillow. he unrolled his robes from the bag and inspected it for any scratches or torn slits. Once he has seen all, it was time to get dressed. There was a limited time to do it, so quickly Aquilus set each side of the robe apart, settled the entire thing onto his back, and clipped the separate sides again. The robe came with a demountable hood, so Aquilus fastened it to the robe as well.

Armor was not a requisite for any pony planning to maneuver a warship, not especially a captain of his ranks, but Aquilus has always been secure of his plans. When the ship crashes and burns, the fight is taken to the land.

A pony’s armor is simple; the robes only provide extra padding for comfort. The chestplate runs from the abdomen all the way to the back of the wearer, shielding the entire torso with iron plates as thick as light plywood. Next, the spaulders are fastened onto each of the pony’s shoulder. This not only provided additional protection, but it also preserves the heat within them, making the shoulders more agile and flexible, which to him greatly improves steering and melee combat. Next are the leg and flank guards, which protects the the legs from blunt clashes and the flank from rear attacks or otherwise. Lastly, a red cape is left to overlay the back portions of the the wearer, and belts are used to fasten knife sheaths and all other linings.

Aquilus, began shifting and shuffling about, testing his finesse within the heavy iron plating. Perfect, and now it was time to go. Clad in full armor, he was greeted by the sunrise and the blare of a horn, which indicated that it really was time to go.

“Aquilus!” Stanos exclaimed as he galloped to the plaza without stopping. “We must go, now. The rest of the ships depart when yours will.”

“I need not to be told twice, friend!” he replied.

“I would have otherwise, now go!”

Aquilus clenched his body in a charging stance, and immediately bursted galloping to the plaza, overtaking the general.  One must admire his impressive athleticism. Few ponies could run that fast while carrying a load of deadly weapons and heavy armoring on their backs.

Quickly, he ascended the platform protruding from the plaza that lead to the deck of his ship’s hull, reaching it faster than anypony.

“Let’s fly and raise the fins!” he ordered.

“Raise the fins!” one of the dockworkers repeated. Just as it was said, two fin-like sails were disembarked from each side of the hull. They provided extra thrust, employing the desert winds as their main source of power.

“A fine day to sail, is it not, captain?” a voice appeared suddenly beside him.

“A fine day poorly spent, I suppose,” Aquilus turned to his second-in-command, Gladius. The corporal never knew a fine day from a terrible one, Aquilus had always surmised, yet somehow, for him, any day could pass out as a fine one, so long as he gets to be on the air.

“Shall we be off?” Gladius asked.

“Are all weapons operational?” Aquilus asked back.

“We had been training earlier. They work just as they were enchanted.” the corporal replied with a reassuring grin. Gladius always seems too eager to take to the skies, but Aquilus has been one to respect that. the officer had learned from the captain himself, and both had shared the enthusiasm for flying.

“Very well then.” Aquilus stared briefly into the sunrise. Somehow, despite the chaos that burns the surroundings, still there bleeds beauty in the most subtle of places. “Let us be off.”

Act III

The price of war was at stake here. If the Fursians break their defenses, they would destroy Equestria. If they surrendered, they’d still destroy Equestria, but at least they a greater chance of staying alive. But no, nothing is more disgraceful and deplorable as submission to the enemy. They would die with honor. They would die for the princesses, and they would die for the preservation of Equestria.

While they tore through the desert sky, Aquilus was left to his own thoughts. The questions he had reserved for his calling now hanged ponderously over him, and now he could not resist seeking answers; what is the true price of this war? Is there any hope of victory? What will be the fate of the princesses, should they fail in their mission? The confidence of success, despite Stanos’ plans of dying in the desert, was slowly ebbing. Aquilus could not find his courage no longer and soon found himself mired in the fruitless abyss of his own foolish curiosity.

But then, there were the princesses. Yes. Despite their non-legitimate blueblood line, Princess Celestia and Princess Luna were the two most powerful and sagacious ponies in all of Equestria. And despite not having any position to rule the land under just monarchy, still ponies from all around choose to call them princesses. This just goes to show that the princesses will have only one thing to conquer in order to free the land of Discord’s inequitable reign; power. They had the respect and virtues to be true leaders, now they require a tight fist on the land.

Before his thoughts could go any further, Stanos’ began speaking to him.

“Do you think this was a mistake?” Stanos said, and continued once he saw the confused look on Aquilus’ face. “Barreling towards an unyielding enemy with insufficient firepower, risking the lives of everypony remaining?”

“If we do not, there certainly won’t be anypony remaining,” Aquilus replied in the most authoritarian voice.

“But what about the princesses?”

“What about them?”

“Well, as simply as this might sound, they could simply come up here and vanquish our enemy with one smite of magic. They have power greater than anypony could imagine, and they have the wisdom to rule the land into everlasting amity. Bloodshed will end, and peace will no longer be but a dream.”

“Yes, but the princesses intend to end the chaos without slaughtering everypony. We have to strike where the disharmony that had solely caused all this,” Aquilus paused as he gestured his hoof at the fleet of warships trailing close behind. “Discord has caused all this. He must be stopped.”

Discord has been a name for this era, it seemed. No one knows exactly when and how he rose to power, but once he did, he turned Equestria into a bloody nightmare, of death and plague, of burning rainbows and protracted civil conflict. No one has been daring enough to stand against his rule, nor match his power of manipulating love, peace and harmony, turning it to the exact opposite; chaos and disharmony.

“We are not less than fifty lengths away from the fort,” Gladius informed. Close to the horizon, there it was, an impervious fortress, manned by an entire army, and dotted with so many cannons, it was suicide.

Aquilus squinted and focused on the warships partially docked on the side. There was something, or someone familiar there. The strong winds brought upon by the speed at which they were traveling began blurring his vision, which made him opt to wear his aviator goggles.

“They do not even have their cannons loaded! What  ignorance,” Stanos said. “Clearly they have underestimated their enemy!”

“Aim your cannons at the left side of their fort,” Aquilus instructed. From his vantage point, the left side is the most heavily weaponized, so doing as much real damage to it should give the succeeding ships enough open area to return fire an even greater volley of cannon fire.

“We should take to the right, it should draw the fire from us and while they are distracted, we hit them with all we have,” Stanos proposed.

“I for one think assaulting the left side should greatly weaken their defenses. We can hope more to that,” Aquilus stated, contradicting the former’s plan.

“We have the largest ship in the fleet up here, and now you simply want to lay waste to it by directly breaching through there?” Stanos asked in mock incredulousness. “We must keep our guns up long enough for the other ships to penetrate their defenses.”

“They can penetrate the defenses by destroying the very thing that frustrates it; their weapons!” Aquilus raised his voice, his expression inscrutable under his goggle.

“This will do us no progress!”

“Honestly, what left do we have to lose?”

“This will kill us!”

“Was it not you who said that we have no other choice?”

“Captain!” Gladius’ voice boomed loud enough to break the argument. “You must come see this!”

Aquilus snagged the spyglass that Gladius had handed to him, and directed it to where the officer had been pointing his hoof at. There, towards the east. two dozen warships, each possibly larger than their own, burst from sweet sunshine. The silhouettes that they form were so enormous that, in fact, their shadows blots out half the visible desert. The warships had weapons, cannons and soldiers, greater in numbers.

“Everypony, to your stations!” Stanos ordered. “Aquilus, we cannot attack them and the fort at the same time, which one will it be?”

As the question drifted into the wind, Aquilus’ spyglass caught twelve puffs of air and smoke from the port side of the leading ship, and it took him only seconds to react to the ensuing scenario.

“Everypony, get down!”

Instantly, twelve cannon balls tore through the ship with enough force to annihilate it completely, knocking down one of the cannons and cannoniers out of action, yet mercifully, the enemy ship missed the balloon and the firepowder crates within the hull. Aquilus make no time to hesitate. “Get up and return fire!”

Several ponies attempt to retain balance as the ship still reeled from the aftershock the damage the enemy has done, but the ponies commanding the cannons have managed to load them and aim at the approaching monstrosity.

“Load faster!” Gladius ordered. “Get me more power from that boiler!”

Aquilus had a decision, attack the fort and become an easy target for the warships, or return fire on the oncoming warships and become an easy target for the fort. The decision seemed redundant now it seemed. Either choice will get them killed at any rate. The enemy was closing in at a faster velocity, and could reach them by the same amount of time it would take Aquilus’ fleet to reach to fort.

“We will bank to the left of the fort!” Aquilus said. “All cannons on the warships!”

“Are you insane?” Stanos’ frightfully asked.

“Do as I say!” Aquilus commanded. “What choice do we have!”

Stanos could not come to comprehend the plan, but with one nod, Stanos ordered the cannoneers to aim at the warships, while Aquilus took controls of the helm’s wheels and steered towards the left flank.

“The fort has a clear bird’s view of us!” Gladius announced.

“Of course they do, now brace yourselves and keep your eyes on the warships.”

The fort was even larger than Aquilus had imagined. From his elevated vantage point, there was a large port where they berth their ships, a warehouse for firepowder storage, and entire field full of enemy ponies and artillery, ready to replace any damaged ones that now have clean shots on the fleet.

“Everypony, down!” a spotter cried out. Most of the cannonballs barely missed the balloon, but it managed to repel a few with its structured buoyancy. Whoever design and created them was no less of a fiendish genius. But there was still damage to assess. One cannonball has damaged the boiler, the sole engine of the ship that produces lift with its heat and thrust with its steam, and the remainder of the volley has knocked three airships out of the sky.

“Aquilus,” a shaken Stanos called. “Whatever it is you intend to do next, it best be worth it.”

“Everything we’re doing right now is practically worth it. We’d be dead by noon anyway,” Aquilus replied. Despite all the sacrifices of his battles, despite his experiences, this realization did little to shock him. ‘If we are going down, it would not be done without a fight.’

Act IV

The enemy warships were very close now, and it seemed they had, again, underestimated their enemy by intentionally delaying their target practice on the Arabian fleet. Aquilus’ fleet had yet to prove their worth in battle, but he decided that he should let the enemy show themselves their true might.

“Wait until they are very close to us!” Aquilus ordered once more. This time the cannoneers are fidgeting their hooves, eager to pepper the enemy with their own surprise. However, Aquilus’ order was clear, and ‘shoot only on my signal.’

The fort has now prepared to aim at them once more, and Aquilus’ fleet had been ordered to hover slowly in front of them, while ten of the warships had just banked close to their port and starboard. Smoke from the idle boilers have gathered around the air around them, thinly concealing the fleet, the enemy, and the surrounding air. Aquilus’ plan is now in motion.

“Quick, set the speed to maximum on my mark,” Aquilus told.

“They are here!” Gladius informed. By now, the warships, five on each side, have now aimed at the entire fleet, the lives onboard at clear risk. The only good thing is that the fort now has aim of the enemy ships instead of them.

“Incoming!” The fort had opened fire.

“Mark!” Aquilus yelled, and the ships instantaneously broke free from the closing gap of enemy warships, as they are now the fort’s unintentional target. Immediately, the fort’s volley connected with their own fleet, and the ensuing destruction was theirs to face. A spectacle of exploding firepowder storages lit most of the enemy warships, while pegasi scrambled to the air, obviously caught surprised by the fort’s miscalculations. The friendly ships that could not go through the wall of enemy warships decided to deviate to the far side of the fort.

“Fire at the fort!” Aquilus said. The cannoneers had a perfect aim as soon as some of the smoke cleared, and surely enough, an innumerable number of cannonballs tore through their left flank, destroying most of their artillery.

“Hah! It appears they had underestimated our power so greatly that they had not bothered to reinforce their fort,” Stanos said contentedly, and turned to Aquilus with an appreciative look. “To think I would have doubted your supreme skills, captain.”

A flock of enemy Fursian pegasi now had eyes on the ships, carrying swords and armor.

“Now what?” Gladius asked.

“Now,” Aquilus paused as he turned to ship towards the fort’s inner spaces. “We fight.”

Just then, Arabian pagasi lifted to the air, and locked combat with their Fursian counterparts. The rest of the fleet had discharged their cannonballs at the now ablaze warships, blowing them up further. The victory was not settled however, as there was still the rest of the fleet, more than a dozen, now incoming. They were no longer playing games and acting smug. They had aimed at their ships.

Fortunately, what the Arabian ships lack in weapons and size, they make up for up in speed. As the enemy cannonballs came, the ships had managed to scramble quickly away from their line of fire, but now with pegasi messengers that had been relaying Aquilus’ orders to each ship in intense swordfights, each ship was now left to its own means.

“The ships are flying high and hard, captain, but I don’t think we will all match what is coming,” Stanos said. The Fursian warships had immediately fired on part of the fleet that had accidentally broken away during the commotion, destroying nearly half of it.

‘The price of war, Aquilus. The true price of war...’

“Captain!” Gladius snapped, taking the captain’s focus out from his sudden trance. “Orders?”

Aquilus, stepped away from the helm slowly, cautious of the holes that had popped up on the deck since the first enemy bombardment. Gradually, he took off his aviator goggles momentarily, then he gazed on the fort through his spyglass, keeping in mind key points of where they might do the most damage with what dwindling ammunition they now have.

“Your orders?” Stanos repeated.

Aquilus took one step back, again, taking note of the many holes on the floor. Ponies were dying around them. Cannon fire whooshed from every direction. Their fleet and their enemy’s are now half of what they started with. The good news however, is that the fort has now minimal protection, so taking it back should be easy enough, but now with gargantuan Fursian warships at the battleground, they would lose the oasis as quickly as they had gained it.

“Destroy the fort. All of it. Focus fire on the warehouse on the right corner.”

“Sir,” Gladius approached his captain with mild concern. “That will destroy the oasis. The very place we sought to capture.”

“I am aware, corporal. All cannons, fire at the fort. Now.”

“What?” Stanos interjected. “Ponies have died with the sole objective of recapturing the oasis. Nopony will approve of this!”

‘The true price of war is not what is lost for its rewards...’

Salem’s words were flocking his mind with every life-or-death decision he was forced to make.  Everything was in his hands. Even he himself does not know why they should destroy the fort, subsequently draining the oasis. He realized this was not a time to exercise the sway of wisdom. Aquilus quickly maneuvered the ship to the right, avoiding the crashing enemy warship that was headed towards them.  A few renegade Fursian pegasi has landed on the deck, engaging in bloody combat with the ponies on board.

An enemy warship, the largest of the Fursian fleet, now had eyes on the ship. Perhaps they recognized it as the lead ship. It should have been obvious, given its greater length than the rest of the Arabian ships. What was striking about this warship however, was that it appears to be attacking the Arabian ships with magic.

“Fire at the fort, Now!” Aquilus repeated.

“Sir...”

“Now!”

The entire crew, including the enemy ponies on boards, were all knocked asunder by the sudden burst of light and magic above the hull of the ship. Seconds later, a long, elongated creature emerged.

Act V

“Ta-da!” None other than Discord, King of Disharmony, drew forth from the light. “Did I surprise you, Aquilus?”

“I’ve had greater surprises, your Highness,” Aquilus said as he collected himself back up. “Still, you always were a surprise to me.”

“Oh, are we flattering each other again? Hmm?” Discord chimed in a playful tone. “Why, I barely recognized you with all your fancy-shmancy armor weighing you down like a mule.”

Discord immediately graced his way to the stern of the ship, settling to Aquilus side. For all, Discord is an unmistakable and unimaginable sight, and a fancy one at that. Discord has a right arm of a lion, a left arm on an eagle, a right leg of a lizard, a left leg of a goat,  a tail of a dragon and a head of a disfigured horse. He was a conglomeration of a mad enchanter’s spell gone bad.

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re here. We have so much to talk about,” Discord said. By now the fighting has partially died down as everyone has realized that the self-proclaimed king of Equestria is aboard an Arabian ship. Taking this as a sign of victory, a few Fursian pegasi cheered as they hung on the clouds.

“All we have to talk about is stopping this madness,” Aquilus replied hotly.  “If you refuse, we have no other business here.”

“Laying a little too thick, I see,” Discord tuned as he mockingly retracted himself from Aquilus. “Well, I for one have a better proposition.”

“Oh, do tell.”

“We end this fight by your unconditional surrender. How does that sound?”

“Only a madpony like would submit to a pezzo de merde like .you!” Stanos angrily called out.

“Oh, go sack yourself,” And with that, Discord magically enveloped Stanos in a burlap sack, tying him up tightly to reduce the imprisoned pony’s movement. “You have no other choice, Aquilus. Surrender, or perish.”

“If that would be the last thing I do, then I have no conflict with your decision.”

Discord sighed and drew out a small stiletto from a hidden sheath under his wing. “We had so many good memories together, Aquilus. I don’t think this will be one of them.”

with his own magic, Aquilus levitated his sword in front of Discord, waving it slowly, a sign of provocation. The rest of the ponies backed away from the two, some looking exited, some looking nervous. All expected a fight.

“This is exciting! We should have done this way back!” Discord said.

“Yes,”Aquilus said. “I should have.” Aquilus shot forward, his sword towards Discord, only for another set of bright, blinding light to interrupt the battle. The sudden burst of magical aura overwhelmed the desert, as everypony was seemingly forced to drop their swords and unload their cannons. From the light appeared the princesses, Princess Celestia, and Princess Luna, both clad in their traditional royal bearings.

“Stop, all who are before, stop thou madness this instant!” Princess Luna’s voice boomed louder than anypony could tolerate to hear. The invisible, magical force that briefly subdued everypony was now slowly subsiding, at least.

“P-Pr-Princess Celestia... Luna...” Aquilus could not bring himself to mutter any further. Mercifully, Princess Celestia held up a hoof of acknowledgement, as Aquilus remained silent for another moment further. Celestia turned to face Discord.

“Discord, halt this madness, or we shall make you by force,” She began.

The serpent-dragon laughed. “By all means, princess, I’d would love to see you and your flighty sister try. You know very well your magic can’t match mine. Not even the collective will of all ponies in your hoof.”

“I am aware of that, and have been. If I had greater power, why do you think you are seated on your throne and not I and Luna?” Celestia rhetorically asked in disdain.

“Then why all this, hmm? Why bother coming to the middle of the desert on your decorative chariot, simply to tell me that you princesses are frail and I the omnipotent. For Equestria’s sake, I am Discord, the king of chaos! I bow to no one, or nopony.”

“We come with a reason, Discord; we will stop you. Not just with our magic, but with every element that opposes your very character, one which had defined your rule, embodied by every pony pure of heart and thought. You may not notice, in your world surrounded by suffering, but they exist.  We will stop you with the Elements of Harmony.”

“The Elements of Harmony?” Aquilus now managed to speak, but now his face matched that of Discord’s. Confusion.

“Oh please tell me this isn’t one of your dehumanizing literatures or, whatever. This is what you are, Celestia, trapped in your dreams, waddling in ancient gibberish that for all anypony knows were merely the product of your own ridiculous, idle visions.” Discord began.

“Yes.” Celestia continued. “And from all that waddling I have learned many things. Things unimaginable, and things quite unspoken of. Through my isolated studies, I have learned of the element’s origins and its purpose. To my surprise, it held more knowledge far greater than could bare to learn in their lifetime.”

“The First One, as we call them, found that pony does not live by comprehension alone. They know all too well how they came to be in this world, but not the reason why. They know how great the power a capable hood, an enduring wing or a manipulative horn can perform, but  not why they were entrusted upon such. It distresses me when I wonder why was one given this power, this immense ability, when one knows naught how to wield it properly, so that they, and among others, can benefit. You are a perfect example, Discord.”

“I am the king of Chaos, it’s practically what I was made to do!” He protested.

“So am I. I could be an embodiment of disharmony, like you. Anypony could take your place; me, Luna, or even Aquilus. but they are not, because they chose not to. You are who you chose to be. Your magic serves merely as a proxy to your own madness. Again, what happens when you give a pony too much power it cannot contain and inherit its true purpose.”

Celestia went on.“The First One knew the answer to this, and had envisioned that the probability of unwanted repercussions were to be substantial. Pony does not does not live by comprehension alone but also by conviction. One must be equal to all, just as he is equal to the treatment of every part of his body, for his well being. One must endure as much as he has relished.  One must give what he has been blessed to take.”

“All ponies know conviction, but few ever realize this. And thus, as a sort of a contingency plan, we were given the Elements of Harmony, to help us, to be our guiding stone, to be our wisdom keeper. All benevolent virtues found noble and admirable in anypony who possessed them, were collectively represented by six elements.”

‘the true price of war Aquilus...’ Salem’s words whispered.

“Honesty,”

‘is the truth of our existence,’

“Kindness.”

‘the gifts we give and receive as blessings,’

“Laughter.”

‘the intangible wonders we marvel and enjoy each day,”

“Generosity.”

‘the good things we give to others, and what we can get back,’

“Loyalty.”

‘how we stay close and true to our friends,’

“And magic.”

‘...and our true meaning in this world.”

Celestia then turned to face the battle-weary crowd of ponies. “My fellow ponies, if what you truly desire is peace and equality, seek these elements, and you find them not just in our world, but also in your hearts. Negate from disharmony at once!”

As if the true power of the elements have taken full circle, one by one, most ponies dismantled their armor and weapons. This was Salem’s dream, Aquilus thought. His mentor, from his first day of training, had long wished for the return of peace and freedom. All Aquilus can do now was to bathe in the sight of his dreams granted. Aquilus witnessed the power of the elements as it glowed bright, each element represented by a color.

“No!” Discord wailed.

“As for the tyrant,” Princess Luna spoke up. “What shall we do to thee, dear sister?”

With a wink, Celestia and luna began to ascend to the sky, slowly collecting the virtuous will of everypony present. They were powering their magic through the elements of harmony, which was powering itself from the harmonious environment of enemy-turned-friend ponies around it. Their horns glowed brighter and brighter as they rose every inch higher. Then with a spark, and a touch of each other’s horn, a magnificent stream of white light erupted from where the princesses were. So strong was the magical intensity of the elements, that it encased the very embodiment of everything that conflicted harmony in an impervious sheet of stone.

Discord has been defeated, now encased in said sheet of stone.

As the light dissipated and the princesses settled back down to the hull of the ship, a loud applause came forth. The princesses were now not just princesses. They were the Princesses of Equestria.

“Hail Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!” Stanos declared, and spontaneously, everypony bowed down to the now acclaimed royals as a sign of respect and gratitude. The now rulers of Equestria accepted wholeheartedly.

“Aquilus, a word.” Celestia said, prompting him and everypony else from their knelt positions. “I have seen what you have done. I have witnessed such inspiring bravery, and without a doubt far more honorable than any other’s display yet. You have faced an enemy you have realized to be more powerful than your own, and still you take on them. Truly, a remarkable example of courage, sacrifice and nobility. And for that, I commend you for you enduring service for the good of all ponykind.”

“I am honored to have those words spoken to me by you, your highness.” Aquilus replied.

“As you may know, my own Guard is practically on the steady edge now, made obvious by the fact that very few of my forces came to aid the southern campaign. I feel a pony like you can help rut it out of its pooly state. I intend to recruit you as my military commander for the Royal Army. I understand if that position is not what you such right now, but I ask you consider.”

“As if you’ll be needing that now!” Stanos called out.

Celestia ignored it. “Do you accept the offer?”

“I am grateful for the privilege, princess, but I believe I have had enough battles fought. Save the spot for someone who needs it.”

Celestia, with a quick smile and a respective nod, turned away to her sister.

With the sun at high noon what should have been a bloody battle has become a feast of liberation. What had been lost for a long time has been regained, it seemed, but the unmistakable lust for bloodshed still tinkered in his heart, and doubtless Aquilus knows everypony felt the same way. It only appears too facile, one minute everypony wanted to kill each other, Arabians and Fursians in senseless warfare. Now it mattered not whose side you were on. It was a celebration of freedom. Now,, Aquilus and his comrades could delight in the fruits of their own victories, and very few ponies in their equivalent line of work get to have that kind of reward.

It could be a foolish decision, he thought. turning down an offer to be the most respected military officer in all of Equestria. Why, he could command an entire army to trek the whole Crystal Mountains. He could give orders without question, he could have respect without having to reciprocate it. He could have authority, something he wanted but never truly needed.

But, no. We are what we choose to be, and Aquilus decided to be a humble pony of his own stature. His taste for blood may never subside entirely, but at least, for now, harmony has been restored.