Chapter 4: Violet Peace

Through out Equestria isolated individuals campaigned for the peace and prosperity that had blessed Equestria when there was peace between the former princesses. One such patron was one of the last alicorns left in Equestria, Violet Lullaby. The conflicting issue of loyalty plagued Violet's mind like an itch. As the only other alicorn, Violet had became a mediator between Celestia and Luna, using her status and history with the princesses to gain where others failed. The division of Equestria had devastated her and the ancient and wise Violet refused to choose a side in this horrid conflict. Her husband, Laurel Mysticane, in defiance to Celestia's tyrannical rule and Luna's rebellion for democracy, chose to seek isolation within the Everfree Forest. His natural sanctuary had separated him from the rest of Equestria, including Violet which she understood the meaning of but still brought tears to her eyes when she thought of how they had been forced apart. Laurel's peaceful display of defiance to The Solar Empire and NLR inspired Violet to spread a message of harmony throughout Equestria.
 
Violet's quest took her across the cities bordering The Solar Empire and New Lunar Republic. Across the border, many cities lay divided between the factions. It was soon evident ponies were not going to listen to her speeches about right and reason when more practical matters were more pressing. The hostile arguments amid the divided citizens were too strong for Violet's preach for peace to attract many followers, how is one supposed to condone peace when memories of the past conflicts and atrocities are still fresh in one’s mind?. She optimistically marched from city to city to discover rational ponies who wanted to convert back to their traditional standards. Very few ponies were found who shared her vision of a united Equestria.
 
Violet's quest now took her to the city of Appleloosa. Appleloosa had become a city of split personalities, with both the Solar Empire and New Lunar Republic holding sway over part the city. Its citizens were hostile to those whose loyalty was different and propaganda littered the streets in an attempt to draw followers to each cause. Soldiers from both sides were present to ensure Appleloosa would become a part of their state and to limit the influence of the other faction. Preservation of Appleloosa deterred each side from open conflict. The citizens openly fought amongst each other however.
 
Violet had a difficult time trying to find followers in Appleloosa. Soldiers oppressed her message, but out of respect for the alicorn they never jailed her. The pearly alicorn strolled through a thick crowd of republic loyalists. Her lavender mane with a green strip was tangled with a leather satchel drawn around her. The satchel contained fliers promoting peace under a united Equestria. The lunar loyalists did not take kindly to the idea of Celestia holding the entailed influence over their city. Even mentioning Celestia drew horrid memories of violent raids and injudicious imprisonment. Violet was pushed from the crowd and she continued to the northern area of the city to try her luck with the Imperialists.
 
Violet faced brief opposition in the imperial controlled area of Appleloosa. The citizens under The Solar Empire attempted to emulate the aristocratic style of Canterlot so favoured by their patron goddess to seem superior to the more pragmatic Luna. Violence was appalling to them since it was seen as the past-time of drunkards and ruffians of the lower classes who were mistrusted by the land owners of the city. Violet and her fliers of peace were ignored rather than violently removed, partly out of respect for her status but also to preserve their image of aloof superiority. In a failed act to draw followers with the fliers, Violet decided to publicly speak her message to attract more attention.
 
Violet searched the alley ways for a box to serve as her stage. After venturing through many alleyways, Violet finally discovered an abandoned soap box for her stage. She eagerly trotted to the square of the imperial occupied district of Appleloosa. However when she arrived at the square a group of soldiers noticed the alicorn immediately and they closely watched her actions to make sure she didn’t cross the line. She placed the soap box down and stood on it. Standing silently, Violet contemplated her choice of words for the speech. Citizens awkwardly began to stand around the alicorn, anticipating what she was going to say.  

 “Citizens of Equestria,” Violet roared surprisingly, “We have been divided by misguided suspicion and hatred. Tyrannical rule and rebellion are the tools of those who seek to destroy the former Equestria. The death of harmony in Equestria has driven a spike into our hearts. We must unite under one banner. Under one cause. Under one,” her voice trailed off as the sound of distant explosions boomed.

The crowd Violet had drawn began the chatter ferociously. They had speculated The New Lunar Republic had finally began to advance on their portion of the city. Violet did not wish to see who truly was causing the destruction. In the midst this thought, a bomb fell near the square. Rubble from some of the buildings toppled around her, crushing many who had gathered around her. Blood and organs showered the horrified alicorn. In an attempt to flee, Violet Lullaby made a mad dash to where she thought it was safe. Violet ran through the rubble along many other fleeing ponies. Soldiers from each side took arms against each other. The city had now become the front line for war. Violet witnessed groups soldiers brutally attack each other. Without mercy, many ripped into the rib cages of others, spewing blood, guts and intestines everywhere. Organs were ripped out of other ponies from shrapnel and masonry. One Solar Imperialist literally pulled the intestines out of a poor Lunar soldier just 3 months from basic training. Violet was traumatized by the scene of brutality. She ran to the ruins of a building that served as her shelter through the attack and screams of the dying.
 
Bombs continued to fall over the entwined city. It soon was evident nopony was singled out as a specific target with violence being meted out indiscriminately. The Solar Empire and New Republic were both being attacked by the same force. Violet focused on the idea as she hid from the rain of death. Pegasus who wore blood red armour swooped upon the city intent on fighting and violence. From what Violet could see, their armour seemed very technologically advanced. They bore masks that symbolized anger and inspired fear with twisted grimaces. They carried guns that were alien to Equestrian technology. Some preferred claws that tore straight into anypony, shredding armour like paper. Everypony was a target to them. Soldiers were easily picked off by the ministers of pain. Two of the invaders picked up a Lunar soldier and ripped him in half, showering the ponies fighting beneath in his organs. A blood red pegasus who seemed to be in charge, took the intestines of one pony and choked to death an imperial of what Violet judged to be of high rank from the large crest on his helmet.
 
“I want nopony to survive this,” the enraged stallion screamed. “We must hunt every last Equestrian down and feed them their own hearts!” The stallion pulled the heart out of the imperialist's chest and feed it to the bloody corpse. Violet could not comprehend the horror of what she had just witnessed. She vomited from the unrealistic savagery of the stallion. She loudly coughed from the intense vomiting. The stallions showered in blood were alerted of her presence. They attentively surrounded her position. From the gut quenching fear, she stepped from the ruins and gave herself to the jackals before her. To her, she expected to be shredded to pieces by the brutes that lay before her. However, they stayed their hooves and the suspected leader approached her.
 
“What... what are you going to do to me?” Violet nervously queried, trembling in terror.

“I shall not do anything. I will be blunt, my orders were to preserve all oddities we happen to discover. It seems as though the only alicorn who is not royalty is one oddity we mustn't ignore. Your life was sustained by royal decree miss. You will not find any harm from me or my ponies.” Violet shook nervously and toppled over from the impending fear this stallion brought over her. She gulped and spoke once more.

“So I will not be harmed?” The stallion nodded in agreement. Violet exhaled a sigh of relief. “I am Violet Lullaby.”

“I am Ultima. Chapter Master of The Blood Stallions and loyal soldier to The Cotton Candy Kingdom.” The ponies around him saluted as his stated his status. “Again, you will not be harmed. You will be taken with me and my soldiers back to our base. Sergeant, here at once.” Ultima whispered to the Sergeant and he proceeded to administer a sedative to Violet. She passed out almost immediately. “Now take her back to my quarters. She and I need a chat before I report her presence to King Chemi. It is time we continued to destruction of this pitiful trough they call a city.”
 
Under Ultima's discretion, the city of Appleloosa was going to be stomped into the dirt. He literally commanded the city to be flattened by his troops. Soldiers were not to be captured, but instead all were to be killed on sight. Citizens were also to be killed on sight, but their deaths were to be more gruesome beyond imagination to further the terror spread to the Equestrian fools. Ultima was passionate about sending a message to all who opposed him. It was his intent to strike fear to all those who witness the barbarity of his will. “It is now our time to reclaim what is ours my brothers. We are the beginning of the end to Equestria. This is ground zero stallions. We will need Earth pony support to set a forward base into the rest of Equestria. I must go now my Blood Stallions. This Violet will be awaiting me. I will rejoin the fun. Do not kill them all. I haven't felt this alive in five years. It is good to get my claws wet again.” Ultima began to walk away, but then a cowardly Lunar soldier charged him. Ultima drew his hoof back and speared him then he dug his claws right into his eyes. He pulled the eye balls straight from the sockets and threw them aside. Ultima roughly put down the soldier, stomped on his chest, dug his claws through the pony's eye sockets, and pulled what he could of his own skull from his head. The blood soaked pony beastly chuckled and flew off to meet this Violet Lullaby.
 
Several hours later Violet awoke from her initial capture. She found herself lying on a fine silk couch in a room adorned with trophies and weapons. She had noticed the heads of various mystical creatures were scattered across the walls on plaques. The head of what seemed to be a minotaur gazed hatefully at her. She coward in fear from the sight of the beastly head. Violet picked herself up from the couch and began to search the room. As she stood up, her wings felt compressed. Violet's wings had been clamped down by a metallic bind. The bind gave her a depressing thought of imprisonment, torture and pain. To take her mind of her inability to spread her wings, Violet wanted to read a book. She glanced at a desk under a stained glass window and a book was sitting on it. She attempted to use her magic to lift to book towards her, but something was blocking the flow of magic towards her horn. She placed her hoof at the base of her horn and made another soul crushing discovery. A metallic ring was bound at the base of her horn. She tried to slide the ring off her horn with her hooves, but an electric shock pulsated through her body when she applied pressure to the ring. It was obvious Ultima did not want her to fly or use her magical abilities. She went back to searching to strange room. A glorious bed was behind the couch. A red scaly sheet lay over the comforter. Violet ran her hoof over the luxurious scale sheet. To her surprise, it seemed as though this once belonged to a dragon. Violet made the correlation to the dragon skin and the other heads of mystical creatures. This was the quarters of someone who hunted magical creatures as a game, killing for sport. Anxiety fell over Violet as the idea of her head may adorn this wall as well. She blocked the horrific image from her mind and made her way to the desk. Violet grabbed the book, then went back to couch, and began to read.
 
The book was entitled The Art of War by Sun Jin, a name alien to her. As she began to open the cover, the door swung open. Ultima stood at the entry way as Violet stared at the tattered stallion. His armour was somewhat cleaner from the last time they met. The stench of blood still reeked from the war pony however. He casually walked to a chair adjacent to the couch Violet lay upon. Ultima noticed the novel she was about to begin reading and smirked.
 
“Ah, I see you are reading The Art of War. That book has become a code I have dedicated my life to. You know, that book gave me a wonderful strategy to crush the Equestrian armies. I must exploit their fears more than anything. To do that I must send a message to each and everypony that I will not just show no mercy. I will display brutality beyond no bounds. The soldiers will not just fear their deaths, but the death of everything they hold dear. Those who surrender may be offered a quick death for not resisting the true order, but I am a sucker for appearances.” Violet could not comprehend his horrifying methods. The sight of this stallion sent tremors down her neck. She shivered in fear as she stared into the soulless eyes of Ultima. Where am I going to be next? Who is going to be there? Is he going to follow me everywhere I go now? Violet wordlessly went over her situation.
 
“Um, what is going to happen to me?” Violet nervously voiced.
 
“First I must contact my King directly. At his discretion, your fate shall be decided. You must starving young one. I will call for a meal at haste.” Ultima stood and headed for the door.
 
“I am not young. I am 634 years old,” she stated with confidence. Ultima halted from the staggering statement. How can she be so old, but look younger than I? Ultima could not fathom how she was so old.
 
“How is it that you so old, but nopony in our Kingdom as ever heard of you?”
 
“I was not one for public appearances before Equestria cut itself apart. I quietly live in Canterlot and the Everfree forest. My duty was to awake the world with soft songs, not to be royalty.” Ultima was astounded by the discovery. He trotted away to send word to the King. A salad was brought to Ultima's quarters for Violet. She gazed into the bowl and the hunger that carried with her took over. She ravenously scoffed down the entire palate in minutes. The life as a patron for harmony in these divided times left her with few meals and warm place to sleep. Before her capture, Violet had been living off the streets since nopony dared take her in. Violet was given very few chances to sleep soundly, or fill her stomach with decent food. Now the enemy of Equestria was giving her everything she lacked in her quest to bring peace. The hospitality of her hosts was very strange. They gave her the best quality of everything she needed, but bound her abilities. She could understand their intentions, but feared for what her hosts may have in store. After Ultima left the room Violet Lullaby drifted away, the excursions of the day overtook her and she fell asleep with the hum of her favourite lullaby ringing through her ears.

Hush Now, Quiet Now, it’s time to lay your sleepy head...
 
Hush Now, Quiet Now, it’s time to go to bed.

Drifting off to sleep, the exciting day behind you...

Drifting off to sleep, let the joy of dreamland find... find..