Our story begins with the playing of the big band song "Luna's Moon" inside the casino of the Clopy 38 as we observe a crooked portrait of the hotel. Let us move back a bit and observe our surroundings. Slot machines, one-armed bandits, tables for roulette, blackjack, poker, and craps. We shall now proceed to exit the casino, picking up pace as we tours the New Pegas-us Strip while "Luna's Moon" slowly becomes fainter amidst the background of the carousal about the street. As we continue further to the perimeter of the auroral city, we observe several more slightly less regal casinos, dozens of patrons, soldiers, and several Cycloptron security golems en route to break up a drunken fight. As we pass over the city's great wall - what's this? A unicorn in all-black armor and a black duster coat fires a well-aimed bolt of precision magic fired with the help of the magical red hologram projected in front of their eyes. A lethal shot at an armed fiend just beyond the confines of New Manehatten; splattering his brain and fragments of skull to the surrounding cobblestone street.

In the distant hillside, a scout observes the hotbed of activity beside a flag bearing the mark of a reared-up golden griffon. Legionaries passing behind him as a veteran commander gives them calculated orders. Once more, the let us proceed even further from the city; now distinguishable only by its glow amidst the dark, night air. We are now atop the Ponyville cemetery, presently active with a small group of consisting of members of the drug-running gang, the Great Clops, digging a shallow grave intended for an unconscious courier, and an unimpressed-looking former prince standing only feet away. What is there to be said about this gristly scene?

War. War never changes.

When the fires of hate consumed Equestria, those who survived did so in great, underground caverns- named safeholds. When they opened, their inhabitants set out across ruins of the old world to build new societies, establish new villages, form new tribes.

As decades passed, what had been the Equestrian capital city united beneath the flag of the New Canterlot Republic, dedicated to old-world values of democracy and the rule of law. As the Republic grew, so did its needs. Scouts spread east, seeking territory and wealth, in the dry and merciless expanse of the Appleoosan Desert. They returned with tales of a city untouched by the wars that had scorched the rest of the world, and a great oasis containing a power long thought to be lost.

The NCR mobilized it's army and sent it east to occupy the oasis, and harness it's resources. But across the mountains, another society had arisen under a different flag. A vast army of pony slaves and their griffon conquerors, forged from the conquest of 86 tribes: Gilda's Legion.

Four years have passed since the Republic held the oasis - just barely - against the Legion's onslaught. The Legion did not retreat. Across the desert, they gathered strength. Campfires burned, training drums beat.

Through it all, the New Pegas-us Strip has stayed open for business under the control of its mysterious overseer, Mrs. Ranul, and her army of town residents and police golems.

She was a courier, hired by the Appleoosa Express, to deliver a package to the New Pegasus Strip. What seemed like a simple delivery job has taken a turn…for the worse.

"You got whatchu were after, so pay up.” said a voice.

“You may as well cry in the rain, commoner.” said another.

Ditzy Doo stirred, her vision was blurry. It took her a moment before she realized her hoofs and wings were bound.

“Guess who's waking up over here?” a third voice said, this one scratchy and somewhat high-pitched.

The grey-coated courier looks up to see a regal-looking unicorn with a long blond mane and a checked suit. He took a puff from the cigarette he smoked, dropped it, then patted it out with his hoof. “Time to cash out.” he said, Ditzy recognized his snooty snake-like voice as the second one she heard after she came to.

“Would you get it over with.” an earth pony asked impatiently. Ditzy swiveled her eyes towards him, recognizing him as the deep first voice she heard.

“Perhaps you filthy Great Clops kill ponies without looking them in the eyes, but some ponies around here actually have standards, hmm?” Shot back the unicorn. His eyes locked with pegasus's as he proceeded to levitate a small jewel from his coat pocket, and flash it in front of the courier. “You've made your final delivery miss.” He continued as he concealed the gem back inside his coat, removing another item in its place. “Sorry you became twisted up in this scene.” Ditzy sat in stunned horror as she watched th stallion charge up magic from the tip of his horn. “From where you're kneeling it must seem like quite the run of bad luck. But the truth is ... the game was rigged from the start.”

*BANG*

A loud crack, a flash of magical aura ... then nothing.