>>162578"What is it?" Pear asks
The music dies down and moves to footage, possibly live footage, of a mare at a big wooden desk, with flags behind her. The mare is a pegasus with a bright coat and curls in her mane. She looks young. Very young. Too young for a position of such obvious importance. Not any older than Pear was... well, since he knew her before.
"Good Morning, ponies. And what a morning it is. Today I come to you with the most important message of my time as your First Consul."
She sits up and moves closer to the camera.
"For a decade now, millions of our brothers and sisters have been the slaves of and hosts to a race of monstrous parasites - a race whose very essence is deceit, and whose sustenance comes directly and only at the expense of the joy and will to live of our fellow ponies. For a decade, these parasites have occupied the lands settled and tilled by our ancestors for fifty generations, lands that even now our brothers and sisters till and harvest in the hopes that someday they may experience the joy they felt before these vampires came to squat on our lands.
The lands and ponies of Western Equestria and the Crystal Empire were lost to the incompetence and treachery of the alicorns after the loss of a million ponies. One million of our older brothers, fathers, uncles, sons, husbands, fiancés, and friends." She breathes in. "They did not die in vain, as by their sacrifice, they bought us time. Time that my predecessors used to, by force and by diplomacy, keep us in the West and the Diaspora free from the love-sucking changelings and griffin claw by overthrowing the corrupt, rotting carcass of the old regime and empowering the common pony in our new Republic. And for a decade, my predecessors have tolerated the oppression, the brutalities and the cruelties inflicted on our fellow ponies every day by these monsters." She breathes in and out
"Well, my little ponies, we tolerate no longer. For in that decade, we have not sat idly by. No. We have secured the unity of our nation, and have diligently but secretly prepared the instruments, spells, and machines that will liberate our fellow ponies and reclaim the lands that are our birthright."
Her eyes become serious, and a malign smile forms across her face
"My little ponies, I am pleased to announce to all of you that as of this minute, 6:13 AM Canterlot Time, 11:13 Sunset time, this morning, Monday, April 7th 1022 in the Common Era, our emissaries have delivered a formal declaration of war to the Changeling Hegemony. This day will forever after be remembered as the start of a glorious crusade. A glorious crusade that not only liberated our brethren and forever ended the threat of one of ponykind's oldest enemies but marked the transition of Ponykind to a firm embrace the power of friendship. Today, everypony shall come together in common cause, and each embrace the pillars and elements of harmony for ourselves. We shall not simply follow the example of a half dozen heroes, no, but as a nation, become the paragons who will serve as examples to generations not yet born, generations whose prosperity will be secured by our actions in the coming minutes, days, and months. Our forces have organized near the border with West Equestria and will advance after bombardment. All ponies now in national service will be extended for a term of service required by the State, and all ponies in reserve within ten years will be called back into service.”
She pauses
“And I am pleased to announce to all of you, friends, Project ‘Heavens Fall’. For the past several years, our magicians have been working on a top-secret wonder weapons program. And with this wonder weapon as the foremost weapon in our arsenal of Harmony, I have ordered a first strike against military, economic, and administrative targets all across the Hegemony in West Equestria, the Hives, Olenia, and the Polar lands. West Equestria was consecrated a decade ago by the blood of our martyrs. And now it will run with the blood of its oppressors and be liberated by the fires reigned down by our magicians.
I’m proud, by golly, to be your First Consul in this hour. To lead ponykind into its glorious future. By the power of friendship we will gain the inevitable triumph. Equestria will be unified, or it will die. justice be done, may the heavens fall.
Thank you all, and Long Live the Republic.”
The screen cuts away to a black screen with the voice over, and the words in white letters
“
Stay Tuned for Further Information”
The music starts playing again, and much more intensely than before.