Gorgon city of Athens
Gorgon mainland of the Illusive islands of Eternal Fog
Atlantean Straights, Hoofcific Ocean, Verdon
Tuesday, 8th Lunar rotation, 599 AD.
1000 Years ago

A long time ago before Tirek’s reign, early Equestrian explorers come across a large island chain at the heart of the Atlantean Straights. This chain comprised of four main islands surrounded by several hundred other small islands.

Athens, the main Island spans four hundred and eighty nine kilometers in length and one hundred and fifty seven kilometers at the widest point. Ronaldo, the second largest spans two hundred and seventy eight kilometers in length and eighty six kilometers in width at the widest points. The third island, Eclipse, spans two hundred and thirty two kilometers in length and sixty six kilometers in width. The fourth and final main island is the infamous ‘Gates of Tartarus’, a cone-shaped super-volcano ten thousand feet in height and one hundred kilometers in diameter. Many legends tell that the worst entities and beings in Verdon's history is brought to the volcano to be casted into its fiery maw where they’ll be banished to Tartarus. One particular legends says this is where Tirek is imprisoned.

Inhabiting the chain is a powerful race of all-female humanoid/serpent hybrids known as Gorgons. The Gorgon race was believed to have evolved from a species of small sea serpents almost a millennia ago and forged a small empire that expanded from the volcanic islands they inhabited along with many other islands in the Central Hoofcific Region. It was believed that the ‘Elements of Harmony’ and many other powerful magical artifacts were forged within the Gates of Tartarus on the island chain with the practice of the most powerful magic ever created before Star Swirl’s time.

The Equestrian explorers were able to make contact with the isolated nation which almost ended in hostility, but thankfully the first meeting between the Gorgon Empress and the first king and queen of Equestria extinguished any hostility and laid the foundation for a long tenuous relationship. Five hundred years later, the dark lord of Tartarus itself would be released upon Verdon, his eyes set on the young Equestrian nation. The king and queen would perish trying to stop Tirek from enslaving their citizens and inciting a cruel reign over Equestria, imprisoning the young solar and lunar princesses within the sun and moon.

Had it not been for the sacrifice of Empress Athena who used the ‘Orb of Destiny’to free the future Equestrian Princesses with the aid of her daughter, Medusa, the trio was able to defeat Tirek with the 'Orb of Destiny'and the newly forged ‘Elements of Harmony’. Following Tirek’s defeat the chaotic god Discord appeared and takes over the old Equestrian capital and establishes a reign of chaos on the surrounding Everfree area for several decades.

With the help of the Gorgons, Celestia and Luna underwent extensive training to help learn to unlock and control their magic along with intense combat training if all else fails. Luckily it didn’t resort to combat thanks to Discord’s ignorance that got him turned into stone. Following a centuries worth of rebuilding the old Equestrian Empire into what is known today as Equestria, a dark, tyrannical force stirred in the frozen north. King Sombera of the Crystal Empire has fallen under the influence of a dark, powerful art of dark magic simply called, the Corruption, and now rules his empire with an iron hoof. With some help of the Gorgons Celestia and Luna infiltrates the Crystal Empire via a space-bridge and defeats Sombera in a duel.

Following the rise and banishment of Nightmare Moon an unfortunate turn of events has occurred within the Gorgon Empire. Empress Medusa was conducting a spell test to remove the Corruption from some rare crystals that are only found within the lost Crystal Empire. The spell backfired and Medusa was infected with the Corruption which violently spreads throughout the Gorgon’s native archipelago, nearly infecting the entire population. With the Gorgons now under the corruption’s influence they began to spread the corruption across Verdon with an all-out invasion of Equestria, marking the beginning of the Equestrian/Gorgon War.

The invasion began along the west coast, though no major population centers or large towns have been founded, the corrupted Gorgon invaders rapidly spread throughout the continent. The invasion caught the Equestrian armed forces off-guard and unprepared leading to large casualties in their blitzkrieg. The invaders pushed as far as the Sisters Castle which led to a massive siege that would last up to a week, Princess Celestia’s intervention eventually lifted the siege and with renowned strength, slowly pushed the corrupted Gorgons back to the west coast. Through many months of fierce fighting, the gorgons retreated back to their homeland though the Space-Bridges they made. The Equestrian Army manages to seize one of the portals before it could be closed and would serve as a staging point for Celestia’s assault on the Gorgon mainland.

Celestia’s assault could’ve fared well, out of three thousand Equestrian soldiers that accompanied Celestia on this mission has been reduced to a small company’s worth of one hundred and twenty including the princess and some non-corrupted Gorgons. Cut off from home with no reinforcements and almost every infected Gorgon within a several hundred kilometer radius out for their blood, Celestia needs to find the Empress and rid her of the Corruption that plagues her mind or eliminate her, leading to the near extinction of her kind.

The young Celestia, adorned in her battle armour and her company are gathered outside the main entrance to the Mausoleum of the Ancients, where Medusa awaits for the Solar Princess.

“Colonel Geoffrey!” Celestia called out for the company’s commander.

“Yes, Ma’am!” The Colonel responded, rushing to the princess’s side.

“Medusa is waiting for me within the mausoleum, I want your company to dig in this position and hold it till I get back.” Celestia briefed Geoffrey.

“Don’t worry, Ma’am. We’ll give any slithering bastard that tries to interfere a jolly good seal-clubbing!” Geoffrey replied with a thick posh accent.

Celestia smiled to the Colonel’s motivation. “Does that apply to every Gorgon residing throughout the island chain?”

Geoffrey’s motivation briefly dropped from Celestia’s remark but responded with renewed determination. “Well, your majesty, like I said, any slithering bastard that comes near this dome of anarchy is gonna get an Equestrian flogging if they try to get past us. I may be Alicorn and not as genuine as royal blood, but me and my archangels are more than ready to throw our lives away for sake of saving the future of our kingdom, our kind and all of Verdon.”

Celestia couldn’t be anymore indebted to the Colonel’s decision to throw away the lives of himself and his company in a gallantry but futile effort that would indefinitely lead to their deaths.

“Colonel, I-I don’t know what to say…” Celestia spoke with a loss of words.

“Don’t thank us yet, princess, you still have an empress that needs her own taste of seal-clubbing. Now go, we’ll hold them off for as long as we can.”

“Right, don’t hesitate to fall back if they overrun your position.” Celestia reared up to blast the main doors with a solid blast of her magic.

“Don’t worry about us, we’re not that desperate to throw our lives away.” Geoffrey replied.

With Celestia’s back covered, she blasts the main entrance of the mausoleum with her magic, blowing them completely off their hinges. Proceeding inside she checks one of her pouches where the Elements of Harmony are secured, the artifacts could’ve seen better days but were in good condition. Celestia could only hope they could free the Empress from the Corruption. Celestia then pulls out her long sword which long ago was forged deep in the fires of the Canterlot Mountains when the once active volcano reigned dominance over the Equestrian heartlands. With her weapons secured she proceeds into the mausoleum.

After wandering the vast corridors and chambers where the corpses of the Gorgons past leaders are preserved in a mummified state within their crypts which have been enchanted to be linked to the Realm of eternal life Celestia finally reaches a pair of large doors that lead to the large central chamber of the mausoleum. Celestia knew she was expected, assuming Medusa has rallied her best fighters to protect her. Celestia anticipated a trap, so instead of politely knocking Celestia blew the doors off their hinges with a powerful kinetic spell. Upon entering the chamber and the dust had settled, standing between her and the Empress herself are thirty Gorgon ‘Imperial Lancers’.

Medusa welcomed the solar princess to the impending slaughter. “Princess Celestia, my old friend… Have you come to meet your maker?”

Celestia was shocked by how much the corruption had changed her. Once she was a beautiful Gorgon with the signature empress skin pattern coloured in teal pink, red, and yellow. Now, thanks to the Corruption, her body is all but pure dark magic, the colours of her scaly body have changed to a dark, glossy silver. Her upper, humanoid torso appears to be more voluptuous than before. Her snake like hair is extended down to about her lower back, their skin colour have also changed to a dark violet with a pink belly stripe, some golden Death Adders are mixed in to resemble hair streaks.
To top off her fear factor, her beautiful, but lethal eyes have changed from her normal rose-red pupils, to a more spine chilling slim reptilian look with glossy volcanic red pupils that gave off a glowing aura that is visible in the darkened room.

“Medusa… W-What has the Corruption done to you?” Celestia spoke with a loss of words.

“The Corruption?” Medusa laughed. “The Corruption has nothing to do with this. This is evolution, Celestia. The level of power that we now possess, thanks to these crystals, is tenfold compared to what everyone else was capable of.”

“Evolution? Listen to yourself, that’s what the Corruption wants you to think, Medusa, it’s plaguing your mind. You have to fight it, resist its lust for power.” Celestia reeled, drawing her longsword.
“There’s no fighting it ‘Celly’, sooner or later you too will succumb to its influence.” Medusa insisted, her right arm dissolving into pure energy before reforming into the shape of a Shashka sword.

It was just as Celestia had feared, the Corruption from the infected crystals have completely overwhelmed her. The only option now is to use the Elements to cure her, but first she needs to weaken her in order for the spell to work and dispose of her guards.

“You want to conquer the world, then you’ll have to pass me first!” Celestia challenged the Gorgon Empress with her royal Canterlot voice.

“Only one of us is leaving these sacred grounds, and it sure as Tartarus is not you.” Medusa accepted, her guards shrieked their battle cries and charged the solar princess.

Celestia took a defensive stance and waited for the lancers to swarm her before unleashing a powerful beam of focused energy, evaporating ten lancers in the first blow and grazing a few more. As the lancers were on top of her, Celestia casted her hardlight shield to help block the lancers attacks. The first attacker made her move against Celestia by trying to cripple one of her legs, but Celestia saw this coming and manages to dodge right of her attacker and drove her longsword straight through the Gorgon’s chest killing her instantly.

Several other lancers charged Celestia from the front, the princess block most their attacks with her shield but one of the lancers flanked her and got under her in an attempt to dissect her, but luckily her enchanted armour absorbed the blow. Celestia launched herself into the air and obliterated the attackers with an explosive energy bomb. With only twelve left to deal with, Celestia dive bombs another group with a shockwave spell, sending most into pillars and sprawling across the mausoleum.

Celestia narrowly avoids being decapitated by a lancer which only leaves a long cut on the right side of her neck, the attacking Gorgon ended up being blasted through a pillar and was fatally wounded as a result. Only seven are left but Medusa was nowhere to be seen during the initial fight, and that worried her. Just then, Medusa bursts forth from the shadows to strike down Celestia but saw this at the last moment and parried the Gorgon’s attack.

“I’ve trained you well, Celestia.” Medusa admired as she took another swing with her morphed shashka.

But Celestia leapt back with a powerful flap of her wings which also kicked up a lot of dust, disorientating the Empress briefly. A lancer attempts to strike down Celestia but failed to penetrate her shields, the solar princess retaliates with a powerful buck to the lancer’s skull which caused a bone shattering clap to echo across the mausoleum as the lancer collapses from the lethal blow.

Irritated by the loss of her lancer, Medusa casts a powerful rift spell to trap Celestia but her shields absorbed the spell and where depleted in the process.

“Your hardlight shields absorbed my rift spell? I’m impressed with your defensive magic practice. But now you’re exposed to my wrath, and I can promise you I will make your death as agonisingly painful as I can." Medusa hissed at Celestia, her voice full of blind hatred and her fang glands ooze with venom.

“It’s what you taught me and my sister a long time ago, Medusa. Now it’s my turn teach you something.” Celestia replied, hitting the empress with a magic suppression spell.

Medusa was caught off guard and all her magic abilities were lost while also being immobilised. Celestia opened one of her saddle bags and levitated the Elements of Harmony out as she prepares to use them against the Gorgon empress.

Medusa notices the artifacts and began to worry. “Wait, what are you doing!?”

“Over the past several centuries since tirek’s defeat, I’ve learnt something. No matter how chaotic things can be in our darkest days, harmony will always prevail!” Celestia boomed with her royal Canterlot voice.

The Elements of Harmony activate upon Celestia’s command, the artifacts shining as bright as her sun before unleashing its power against the Gorgon Empress. Medusa took a direct hit from the elements and any remaining lancers caught in close proximity were evaporated due to being made of pure dark magic. The chamber erupted into a blur of multitude of colours and brightness for several seconds before dissipating. Celestia lowers her wings below her face from blocking out the brightness of the elements power to find Medusa laying on the ground, due to how much darker the chamber has gotten with most sources of the artificial light blown out, Celestia cautiously approaches the Empress. Upon closer inspection, her initial views show she was still breathing, heavily though, Celestia places a hoof on her shoulder to see if she responds. The Gorgon was startled by the Princess’ grasp, and that’s when Celestia was stunned with fear. Instead of seeing the elegant rose-red eyes, the same glossy volcanic red eyes stared down into her soul. Celestia was completely paralysed in fear of Medusa’s immunity to the elements that she didn’t see Medusa’s right arm morph into a plasma cannon and at point blank range, shot a near fatal blow to the solar princess’ head.

The blast launched Celestia back several feet and nearly the whole left side of her face was badly deformed and doused in plasma fire. Never in Celestia’s life had she endured such agonising pain as she is now. Celestia quickly spawns a ball of water to douse her face in to extinguish the plasma fire. The princess then turns to her adversary only to see she had closed the gap and delivered another powerful shot to her chest, this time Celestia blocks it with a shield spell and with a flap of her wings put some distance between her and Medusa.

“You’re wondering why the elements failed to cure me.” Medusa asked. “It’s simply because the same forces that went into making the elements was also used to develop the Corruption. As the elements bring harmony and balance to our world, the Corruption serves as a counter-balance to harmony amongst our world. Otherwise, how else are we supposed to thrive and evolve on a world where we’ll just simply hold hands sing joy to the world without any opposition? The moment Sombera touched those crystals is what completed the counter-balance to harmony. Chaos, power, obsession, deception and betrayal is what fuels corruption.”

Celestia regained her defensive posture, blood flowed freely from her left eye socket which is now deprived of said eye and many exposed veins across Celestia’s mutilated face. With her sword recovered she knows what must happen now, she must bring balance back to harmony and disharmony. By killing Medusa, the Corruption’s power will be diminished and the elements will restore all that has been infected.

“And by abusing the Corruption’s power, Medusa, you have destabilised that balance. I now bear the ultimate responsibility to restore that balance.” Celestia replied, her horn charged and sword drawn, she was ready for the final battle that will determine the fate of Verdon.

The two royals stared each other down, waiting for one to make her first move. Medusa draws her cannon and ends the brief stalemate with a shot but Celestia predicted this and quickly sidesteps the blast and retaliates with a powerful offensive spell. Medusa blocks the spell casted against her and sees Celestia charging towards her, her cannon morphs back into her signature sword and charges as well.

As the two neared each other, Celestia had some last minute thoughts. What would happen if Medusa defeated her, would the world suffer from her wrath, will Equestria cease to exist? Whatever the consequences, Celestia must not die by Medusa’s hands. She needs to end this, with a killing blow. Memories began to flood her mind of all that was achieved between her, Luna and Medusa. The bond of friendship that was forged will now be broken in this very room. Medusa towers herself above Celestia to strike the solar princess down while the solar princess came in fast and low. The two would clash their swords for the last time as Celestia knocks Medusa’s sword-arm away and delivers the killing blow by impaling the Gorgon empress with her horn straight into her chest and with one more spell, blows out Medusa’s back and destroying all her upper organs.

Medusa drew her last, horrified gasp as her body registers the pain from her fatal blow. Looking down upon the solar princess who had sealed her fate, their eyes locked for the last time as the Corruption, and her life drained out of her body before falling limp to the ground.

Celestia stood over the fallen empress, Gorgon blood trickling down her horn and along her battle-scared face as she watches the Corruption separate itself from Medusa’s body. Audible whispers could be heard from the mist of dark magic before it vanished into thin air. Celestia drew a long breath of relief now it was all over.

Until a painful whisper drew her attention back to the corpse. No longer was there the corrupted Gorgon Empress that tried to kill her less than a minute ago, but the same Empress that Celestia had spent her life cherishing as her own sibling. The next thing Celestia knew she on the ground and was holding Medusa in her wings as she franticly tries to keep her alive.

“Medusa, MEDUSA! Look at me, you’re gonna be okay! I can fix this!” Celestia cried in regret and desperation as she uses a restoration spell to undo the damage she had done.

Medusa mustered what strength she had left and placed her right hand on Celestia’s damaged face which froze the solar princess in place, the two stared at each other, and this time Celestia saw the innocent rose-red eyes that many have cherished.

“C-Celly…” Medusa croaked.

“I’m here Medusa, I’m not going anywhere.” Celestia cooed as she held the dying Empress close.

“I-I’m sorry… I couldn’t f-fight it. I-I…” Medusa tried to explain only to be gently hushed by Celestia.

“It’s okay, you did what you had to do to ensure nopony else would end up like Sombera, or Luna…” Tears began to fall freely from Celestia’s only eye.

“And… because of m-me, you will… be t-t-he Corruption’s next victim.” Medusa sobs painfully.

“Don’t worry about me Medusa. No matter how strong its influence is, I will always be stronger.” Celestia ensures the Gorgon.

Medusa weakly nods. “The Orb of Destiny… m-mom still lives within the orb, the Gatekeeper and a few others haven’t been… infected. Get t-them as far… far away from here. Only will my people still live on… as l-long as they live.”

“I will, and I promise to restore these lands so the Gorgon race can thrive again.” Celestia promised.

Medusa let out a small, saddened smile. “T-thank you…”

And with her final breath, Medusa slowly slips away from reality as her body became deprived of life and her hand slid down Celestia’s face and onto her stomach. The entirety of the mausoleum was filled with Celestia’s agonising cries as Colonel Geoffrey and what remains of the Archangel Platoon came galloping down after holding the main entrance from the corrupted onslaught.

Present

What felt like reality was all but a constant nightmare that still haunts Celestia to this day as she jolts up from her slumber in panic. Franticly searching the room for Medusa it doesn’t take long for the solar princess to realise she was in her darkened bedroom and lets out a calming sigh. The room suddenly flashed as the princess of the night teleports into her sister’s room upon feeling her distress.

“Tia! Are thou okay? We felt a disturbance within the dream-realm.” Luna rushed to Celestia’s side.

“Luna?” Celestia jumped a little from Luna’s sudden appearance but quickly calmed herself. “Yes, I’m fine. I just had a bad dream.”

“Are you sure? Cause over the last fifteen lunar rotations since my return you have been having the same nightmare almost consistently as if it is a bad recollection of memories that I don’t recall?” Luna asked with concern.

Celestia sighed, she had caught Luna up on everything that had occurred since her banishment, except for one thing. She hasn’t told Luna about the war. Very few members of the public and the guards know about the war and all records about it in the Canterlot Archives, and the Gorgon refugees who are living within the castle under Celestia’s protection along with the Orb of Destiny.

Celestia illuminates her room with a cast of magic, the many candles spread around light up under her command. As Celestia went to step off her bed she hears Luna gasp in horror.

Celestia faces her sister with worry. “What’s wrong?”

Luna struggled to pull the words out of her mouth for a couple of seconds until she regained her composure. “Y-your face…”

Now it was Celestia’s turn to gasp, she briefly rushes over to the mirror on her dressing table that was gifted to her from Rarity. Upon a brief gaze she instantly turns away from the mirror with dread. The left side of her face which has been constantly hidden under an illusion spell to hide the damage done on that day was revealed a lot sooner than she wanted.

Just as Medusa feared she had passed the Corruption onto Celestia. Her left side of her face was scared from third degree burns and had severely decayed from the infection. The damaged veins clotted with blackened cysts were easily visible, and a large corrupted crystal had grown out of her left eye socket which Celestia violently yanks out ripping her eye socket open. Celestia immediately vaporises the crystal to vent her frustration and pain inflicted on herself, she then turns to Luna who was still recovering from the sudden shock she had.

“I’m sorry you had to see me in this state.” Celestia apologised as she seals the newly opened wound with her healing abilities. “I wasn’t too sure if you and the girls were ready for what had occurred after your banishment.”

“Tia, I’m your sister. You should’ve told me about this sooner…” Luna replied heartbroken. “Who did this to you?”

“Medusa.” Celestia admitted.

“What… No that’s not true, it can’t be! She was our greatest ally. Why would she do this to you?” Luna recoiled with denial.

“The Corruption got to her Lulu, I tried to revert her with the elements but I couldn’t. I-I had to kill her.” Celestia explains with regret.

Luna tried to deny what her sister was saying but she couldn’t stop reality from caving in on her emotions. Eventually she let her emotions in as she crumbled to the floor in tears as Celestia tries to comfort her.

“Why… Why did this have to happen Tia.” Luna sobbed. “Why her and not the Changelings, or Tirek?”

“Medusa did what she had to do, for the sake of maintaining the balance between harmony and chaos. She knew the risks, but it could’ve been the Changelings, or me that got infected… Your return would have dropped you into a more twisted reality that it almost did. There’s never been a day that goes by over the past millennia that I don’t mourn for her loss by my actions.” Celestia admitted.

Slowly, Luna comes to terms with what her elder sister had done to ensure the future of the world. “I now understand by what you had do, for our ponies, our allies, and our world. If you’re comfortable, I’d to further discuss about this, hopefully with some ‘sister to sister’ therapy?”

Celestia smiled. “Of course, Lulu. In the morning I’ll tell you the main events that transpired after your banishment during breakfast. Then we’ll go check up on Spike to see if he is cleared to come back with us.”

“Deal.” Luna agreed.

The two princesses wrapped each other in a quick embrace before bidding each other goodnight. Luna teleports back to resume her duties in the night court while Celestia cleans the infected blood off her fur and performs a quick spell check to ensure her empty eye socket has healed and that the Corruption within her is contained. Satisfied with her conscience, the solar princess slips back into her bed and the candles illuminating her room are blown out before drifting back to the dream realm under the watchful eye of Luna.

Author's Notes:

Hey there fellow sailors, Iowa here!

So I finally got the second prologue chapter done! Only took me nine months but I got it done that's all that matters.

"That's good and all, Iowa, but when are we gonna see our American protagonists? Nimitz, MacArthur, Patton and Spaatz, and the ships?"

Alright, alright! The third and final prologue will introduce our American heroes, both man and machine alike. And over the past time since I first started Landfall, a lot of you guys wanted to see things that would require me to bend time and space to meet those needs. "Will we see the Montana's? Are the ships captured by the Allies be used in the upcoming war? Where's the Royal Navy!? *Inserts World of Warships joke* Well... I'm doing just that, I'm making some major alterations to our timeline from 1920-1945. Such as by reading the description of the story there are some hints of theses changes such as the USSR controlling 75% of Europe.

"What the hell happened during D-day?"

All will be explained in the next chapter which brings up another point. I don't know how much I'm gonna put into the next chapter, but all I can say is; it's gonna be big! Like around the 20-30K range.

So that's all for now, I'm gonna be doing another blog soon regarding a certain 'War-Train' and the current plot settings for Rails of Destruction.

Until next time, I'll see you on the naval battlefield!
-Iowa.