October 30, 1028 AF

After four months of basic training and an additional two months of guard training, I received my orders to the Palace of the Royal Pony Sisters, and today I completed my first day of guard duty. The captain handed me over to a veteran guard to show me the ropes and explain what I am supposed to do exactly. Apparently, I will be guarding a door.

I am not entirely excited to be guarding a door. I was told to not allow anypony to enter, but allow them to come out. What does that mean? How can a pony leave a place that they have not entered?

Oh well, I suppose it is not my place to question my duty. I will guard the door to the best of my ability, and hopefully I will have a chance to catch a glimpse of Her Royal Highness during my time here.

—PFC Swiftwing, Royal Guardspony

October 30, 1028 AF

I have decided to begin writing this journal as a personal account of my involvement in the attempt of dethroning the false-god, Celestia, by a large group of ponies under command of the rightful ruler of Equestria, Princess Luna.

We have been building our armies for four long years. There has been unfounded rumors of the existence of our forces, but thankfully, those rumors never became more than that. Our recruits were carefully drafted over the course of three and a half years. The past six months has been spent gathering the soldiers to one of three rally points, culminating in this: The second-largest military force to ever be amassed on this planet.

The three divisions of the Lunar Imperial Army are 80,000 strong, and the only army larger than ours is the standing defensive forces still loyal to the current ruler of Equestria. They are spread across the land and will take time to mobilize, however, and we have ponies within the Royal Equestrian Army that can take action once the attack begins.

The invasion force under my command is the 1st Infantry Division of the Lunar Imperial Army. There are 27,000 troops comprising the various battle groups and 3,000 filling support roles. We will be responsible for taking the capital city, Equinis. They have the tactical advantage of being inside of an easily defensible fortress-city, but as long as we are able to keep the element of surprise, this will be a very short-lived war.

The remaining divisions have been charged with the capture of two of the larger provincial capitals, Trottingham and Manehatten. As soon as our occupation is established, in these three cities, four brigades from each division will split off and continue on to Canterlot, posssibly the most daunting task of this stratagem.

The ponies and griffons of D’Lorame have been in the midst of a trade war with Equestria for the past decade, and have been on the losing side; their economy has been decimated and most of their manufacturing capacity has been shut down. Tensions run high, but D’Lorame does not possess the resources for a direct military conflict against the might of Equestria. The citizens are living in squalor and the ruling classes are not much better. They need this change as badly as we do, and this has made them quite receptive to Princess Luna’s request for the use of their land as a rallying point. She has promised, that as soon as the coup is successful she will dissolve current import tariffs and product restrictions placed on trade between the two nations.

Without outside help from our neighbor to the north, we would never have been able to muster this army unnoticed. We are currently camped 45 kilometers to the northwest of Equinis, on the far side of the mountains that demarcate the border with D’Lorame. 600 kilometers to the west of us is the 2nd Infantry Division, and deep within the Whitetail Woods to the south, the 3rd awaits the attack.

It is mid-autumn. The decision on the timing of our attack was made to coincide with harvest season. If the invasion goes well, it will make no difference; if this drags on, however, we will require the food resources from the farmlands that surround Equinis.

Tonight, we march. Tomorrow, we take Equestria. Tomorrow, we change the course of our future.

For the Glory of the Lunar Empire,
—Major General Nighthoof, Commander, Lunar Imperial Army 1st Infantry Division