Author's Notes:

I’ve had many nicknames in my life, a few of them sticking to me to this day. Currently, I go by two names: Nappy, and Garnot. I like to think of myself as good writer, but as the days turn to weeks, and then turn to months, I find myself being stuck repeating word after word in the attempt to put out something that someone will like out there. As my viewer cont can attest to, I have failed in this task. Really, all I can do is look to my past and see the errors I’ve birthed, and see just why I am where I am today.

Well, my story so far hasn’t been that happy. I had a rather rough childhood that involved violence. Though there were many good times after the bad ones, I can never, nor should I ever, get over the fact that I bear scars for a reason. These scars shaped me in ways that many would find troubling. Indeed, on arrival to this country, I was seen as a threat to many. I managed to pass under the radar of society for two years before my violent tendencies got me into trouble. Thankfully, what would have been me end, turned into a blessing in disguise, for my act of violently threatening an annoying girl (who I wanted to strangle at the time. She was THAT annoying), resulted in a couple of years of anger management and psychiatric therapy. It was here that I was diagnosed with ADD. The anger was eventually quenched, and I learned how to use it to my advantage, turning it into the fuel that allows me to do things that many others say they cannot, for they either lack the willpower or the mental fortitude. I am lucky in that my rage fuels me, and in doing so, allows me to be a peaceful and serene man that had only gotten truly angry twice in almost a six year timeframe.

Why do I mention this aptitude to keep going? Because it’s what led to the story I am about to post today. Yes, I know I am opening with a bit of my life, but that’s because what this story was at the time of the writing was a part of my life. Now, it’s a relic of days long gone, a story I lost when my old computer died. Through luck, I managed to dig up what you are about to see. I know I am breaking the rules of posting by opening the story like this, but I feel it’s important to do so. Fimfic moderators, do take this fact into account before you reject it.

What you read today is the prototype of the currently ongoing story “The Fifth” and its continuations. Naturally, the story presented today will never be completed, for what was done has been lost. I only want to show this to the world, more than anything to let it shine and to feel like a part of me has been given new life again.

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This introduction is, in many ways, horrible. I could just call it "Telling: the intro." I've no idea what I was doing back then, but it seems like my idea of making an engaging intro at the time was to dump all the information out at once. I'm actually ashamed of this, in more ways than one. The telling is bland, the information provided is simple not that interesting, and most importantly of all, nothing I say here couldn't have been introduced as the narration went on in-story. In this regard, I am far prouder of how I started Fifth with the letter opener. Part of the story itself, while also delivering on the exposition needed to get the reader going.

I will not blame any of you if you choose to skip this introduction due to sheer boredom. What you see here is how it was exactly written. No alterations outside of spacing fixes has been done. I would say 'enjoy the intro,' but I know deep down none of you are going to enjoy it.

Equestria: a land shared by many races; birthplace of the Pegasi, the Unicorn, and the Earthen Pony; a beautiful, peaceful land, sweet as syrup, colorful as rainbows.

This is what the Equestria of old was: a garden of Eden in an otherwise troubled world; a land where crime was nonexistent and corruption was unheard of; a country where love and tolerance were commonplace and endorsed above all else; a country where the equines, under the caring leadership of two powerful being, Princesses Celestia and Princess Luna, thrived. Loving and accepting love, giving without ever expecting anything in return, and enjoying an unbreakable bond with nature and life as a whole; these were the virtues every citizen lived by.

This age is often referred to as the golden age; a time when Equestria was at its peak. This age is also known by another moniker: “The age of deceit,” for the grand majority of citizens lived oblivious to the horrors of the world beyond Equestria’s borders. The Princesses’ powers ensured that nothing too unsavory made it into the heart of Equestrian soil; an attempt at preserving the beautiful garden untouched by those who would taint it.

It was only a matter of time before the mirage came crashing down…

It was ten years ago that Princess Celestia and Princess Luna vanished without a trace. Their palace was half destroyed by some great upheaval, and many of the guards present at the time were either killed or injured. The survivors spoke of a great battle, the release of great and powerful forces that seemed to tear at the very fabric of reality, bending the world to its will; a bright flash, followed by the onset of something heavy, murky, and damned.

Dozens of search parties made up of guards and citizens alike searched high and low for the missing princesses and their two protégées: Trixie Solaris, adoptive daughter to Luna, and Twilight Sparkle, prodigy of the Academy for Gifted Unicorns. Both had been present when the surge of power buffeted the palace and those in it.

Guards and citizens alike searched for weeks on end, but the search had to be eventually called off as no physical or magical trace of either Princess could be found. The royal sisters and the two young unicorns with them had utterly vanished, taking with them all peace and tranquility, but worst, taking with them the very leadership of the nation. The vacuum of power severely weakened Equestria and its assets. It didn’t take long for the masses to realize something was gravely wrong with their nation.

Word began to spread around the land. Dissent grew among the citizens. Many began to preach that disappearance of the royal sisters foretold the end of Equestria. Despite the Royal Guard’s best efforts to keep the truth a secret, it didn’t take long for news of the princesses’ absence to become clear.

The citizenry wept over the loss of their beloved royal figures. A great day of mourning was held. The future, once bright, suddenly became unclear, but the citizen’s of Equestria held their heads high. The nation had been founded without the princesses, it would endure their absence.

Many nobles - ponies who had once bowed to Celestia and Luna’s will - quickly seized the opportunity to gain more power. They pointed out the flaws of the Princesses’ rule, stating how the royal sisters had kept the populace withdrawn from reality. They used the very innocence once cherished by all equines and used it as an example of how the royal sisters had used it as a way of keeping the citizenry under their totalitarian control. They called Celestia “the great Despot” and promised a new future, one where every citizen would have the right to forge his own path, not have it chosen for him or her. Thunderous roars and applause rang across the streets of countless cities. The time for change had come.

The Regime soon came to power. With blinding speed and finesse they took total control over all aspects of Equestrian life, imposing order through fear and manipulation. Under their rule, Equestria’s military is tripled, Civil Protection and the Guards are unified into one fighting force and many laws are enacted, including restrictions that could only be bypassed by serving time in the Regime and earning a “citizenship;” a model of rule fashioned after the Human Federation.

The change took place in little over a year, yet in that year alone, massive dissent began to grow in the populace, as many of the laws were so oppressive as to be ridiculous. The Regime started to be seen for what it really was: a fascist rule to benefit the few while the rest suffered.

Within two years, an underground resistance group came to be formed. It quickly grew both in numbers and influence. The Regime’s answer to the dissent is simple: kill all who showed signs of opposition.

Within another year, open rebellion began. Another half a year, and war - an utterly alien state of affairs for most citizens - finally erupts.

Order broke down in the metropolitan areas first, swiftly followed by the countryside. The Regime’s military arm, Civil Protection, met with the Rebel’s military force, the Children of Eclipse. The first battle took place in a once lush field of grass southwest of Fillydelphia.

On that first day of battle, over ten thousand ponies perished, bodies mangled, burned, and incinerated. The battle would claim another thirty thousand lives – a grand total of eighty thousand dead – before the battle was declared as a Regime victory.

The brutality of the war, coupled with the Regime’s willingness to kill without remorse, made the Guards leave the Regime and become their own faction. They refused to fight in an unjust war and against their fellow equines. The Guards became a neutral faction solely dedicated to ensuring the survival of ponykind.

The Regime would not allow anyone to stand against them however, so they launched attack after attack against the Guards. The Children of Eclipse also deemed the Guards as enemies, for they would not fight against the oppressive Regime.

Within three months of their defection, the Guards found themselves nearly wiped out. Overwhelmed and desperate for aid, the head of the guards, a powerful Kirin by the name of Haggar Finn, sent out a call for aid to anyone who would listen.

The first to answer to call is the Griffin Nation.

Now, the Griffins weren't a trusted society; their war-like culture and their unsettling taste for equine flesh made sure of that. They, however, were widely known for keeping their vows of honor. A griffin that made a promise would gladly claw its way out of the depths of hell to keep it, and it just so happened that the griffin emperor – Crissaegrim – had vowed to “protect and come to the aid of Equestria should it ever need such aid” Since the last vestiges of the old Equestria lay with the Guards, Crissaegrim, True to his vow, sent several battalions of griffin armed forces to answer the Guard’s call for aid. The griffin reinforcements, upon seeing the carnage the Regime had sown, vowed to see the war end.

Another unexpected ally to suddenly pledge its aid is the Federation.

Just like the Griffins, Humans were seen as a war–like race not to be fully trusted. Humans lived under a Stratocracy. Humans also lacked magical energies, something all the other species had in some way, shape, or form. Coupled with their biology - which was unlike any on the face of the planet - humans were often considered strangers by all races. Despite lacking the ability to harness magic naturally, none doubted the technological marvels humanity had developed over the centuries. Out of all sentient species, human were by far the most technologically advanced, but they were the least powerful when it came to magic.

The Federation’s council had pledged its allegiance to Equestria thanks to Luna, who had served as Equestria’s representative for hundreds of years. Unlike her sister, Luna had been the most stalwart supporter of human industries. Luna herself drafted many favorable trade regulations, including the introduction of technology into Equestria. Luna also provided magic the humans lacked, allowing their civilization to further thrive. The mutual partnership soon led to the creation of Magiteck; the flawless crux of magic and technology. Because of this history, the Federation did not hesitate to answer the Guard’s call for aid.

The Griffin and Human forces secured the Guards as an independent force strong enough to take on the Regime. As such, they called themselves “the last vestiges of old Equestrian rule.” The Regime replied by launching more attacks against the Guards, but the attacks failed due to the Guard’s new allies.

This marked a turning point in the Civil war. The guards divided their attention to providing safe heavens for refugees and to tending for the injured, regardless of side. Many a Civil protection soldier and Rebel joined the Guards out of gratitude. The Guard’s number’s swelled, further agitating the Regime. In a bid to choke both the Guards and the Children of Eclipse, the Regime captured and destroyed Cloudsdale, thus ending the production of rain-bearing clouds.

This attack against all ponykind marked a turning point for the Guards. After three years of neutrality, they took up arms and began launching attacks against Regime occupied towns and cities. Slowly, the Guards began to take back Equestria.

The Regime fought back hard, using every weapon at their disposal. The battle devolved into a stalemate, both sides digging themselves in and engaging in trench warfare. Both sides continued to push, but no new ground is gained. The Regime became solely focused on defense.

It’s during this dark time that history took a new turn.

A unicorn, once believed dead, returned to his scorched lands. He had lived alongside the princesses, carrying with him their wisdom and will. He boasted an army of heavily armed equine troops and the will to use them. The Unicorn’s name is Fifth, the once trusted general and mentor of the princesses. He disappeared a year prior to the fall of the crown, the reasons for his departure never clear. He’s larger than the average equine, with a mane of vivid white and a body of platinum. His mark, the moon and the sun mixed into one silvery orb - which he also bore on his jacket - tied him to the monarchy of old.

Fifth quickly took the role of commander-in-chief of the Guards and mobilized his own army of ponies, unicorns, pegasi, kirins – magically induced half-breeds of unicorns and dragons who hailed from the far east and sported silver or blue-white coats, white crackling manes and a large, sharp horn which allowed them to control lighting at will – dragons and zebras.

Fifth’s arrival marked the beginning of the end for the Regime. Within a year, Fifth’s forces had all but pushed the Regime back to the Capital. Fifth’s war, now known as “The Great Crusade”, finally broke what little strength the Regime had. Yet, there was to be one final battle before the war came to its end. The battle known as “the siege of Canterlot” lasted five months, as the Regime once again dug itself in and erected a magical field to keep all opposition out. For five month’s artillery pounded both sides, yet it isn’t brute force that eventually wins the battle, but a well planned attack by a small group of agents. These agents bypassed the city defenses and penetrated right into the palace, where they set about their mission: assassinate the Regime leaders.

The Regime woke up to find its leaders dead, but the soldiers continued to fight nonetheless. Without leaders however, the Regime forces could not coordinate. The chains of command soon broke apart as generals surrendered or perished. Within a month, most Regime forces had been routed. The few holdouts of resistance were soon cleared, and with that, the Guards claimed victory.

Five years after it started, the Equestrian Civil War had finally come to an end, yet it’s not a sweet victory; the cost of life was unfathomable: thousands dead, hundreds of thousands more injured or missing. The country lay in ruins, worst yet, it had been left leaderless. Many of the denizens quickly came to lose hope in a brighter tomorrow as countless ponies had seen their hopes and dreams shattered and burned by the war; many more had been woken from their innocence by death and suffering. War changed the populace, hardened them, and made them cynical and jaded. Even if Equestria recovered fully, the populace would remain forever changed.

Squaring their shoulders, the Guards set about rebuilding the nation. Fifth, who not only saved the nation in its darkest hour, but was the closest living individual to the royal princesses, took it upon himself to lead the nation. He took the role of leader knowing well that such power could corrupt. To that end, he decided to create an enclave of specialized individuals to uphold peace and justice. The Royal Guards, once under the servitude of Celestia and Luna, were chosen as the best candidates for this mission. They had more than proven themselves during the civil war years, and their numbers had swelled considerably since then. The current head of the Guards, General Haggar Finn, an old and weathered Kirin nearly twice the size of a normal equine - bearing a gray-blue coat and a lion-like mane that glowed white hot due to his kirin ancestry - stepped forth into the vanguard of Equestria's future.

Fifth’s proposed enclave was to operate as judge, jury, and executioners, acting entirely autonomous of any established organization; a dangerous proposal, but one he viewed as necessary to ensure a government devoid of corruption. The oath was to “hunt down corruption and villainy is our goal; one that we shall pursue till death take us all.” The first members were handpicked by Fifth himself, each representing a virtue the enclave was to uphold. In total, twenty original members were chosen.

Thus the Regulators, under Haggar's command, were born. Sporting white exoskeletal armor and advanced human weaponry, the Regulator corps went about stomping out crime and villainy. In the early days after the war, they were all that stood in the way of chaos, even if the methods they employed were often overzealous.

Within two month, the first batch of newly trained recruits hit the streets of all major regions. For a time, hope seemed to be on the rise as everyone dared to believe that maybe, just maybe, things could go back to the way they had been when Celestia and Luna ruled.

But the dream was just that – a dream. Crime continued its steady incline. Paramilitary groups – all of whom vied for control over Equestria's many natural and militarist resources – began to appear in every major city and town. Corruption became more and more noticeable with each passing day.

Walking down the street, one saw many things that would undoubtedly serve as reminders of good times long gone. The parks that once brought about images of fillies playing now brought up images of bums and junkies shooting up illegal drugs. Drug stores once brought about images of a caring shopkeepers handing out free soda and candy on weekends; now they brought about images of violent robberies, of shopkeepers gunned down by lunatic.

Equestria still had many hurdles to overcome, but despite the challenges and the suffering in between, the nation slowly continued to flourish, bringing back peace and tranquility little by little. But this small ray of hope did nothing to clear the darkness that had blanketed this nation after the war. No longer is love and tolerance preached by the populace, only caution and paranoia. Ponies, Griffins, Kirins; they all went about their lives, caring little about others, choosing to ignore the world as a whole. Emotions became almost taboo and hope became little more than a fairytale from days long gone. Criminals still ruled the streets, and despite the Regulator's efforts to stomp warlords and petty thugs, crime always found a way to flourish.

These problems however were only the tip of the iceberg.

A new evil, ancient and cryptic, slowly crept from its dark hole to overtake the cities and towns; it ushered in fear and brought forth death. The organization called itself Crux Nado; it declared an unspoken war on the Regulators and all forces of order, painting the streets red with the blood of the innocent.

Not much is known of the Crux Nado’s inner workings, but their influence appears to go back centuries. They are mentioned in several aged records and archives, many of which date back thousands of years. The Crux Nado however, had never made their operations so public until now.

Those still loyal to the original cause of the Regulators and the Guards continued to endure with whatever willpower they still carried within them. But willpower can only get one so far.

Ten long years have now passed, and the nation of Equestria, though struggling, remains resolute in its goal to improve. It is the backdrop of this new dark world that this story takes place. What few know however, is that Equestria is about to be forever changed.