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// A Grim Message 
// Story: Words From an Unknown Soldier 
// by carefreedude 
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 The air was cold.  The clouds were as dark as coal with no sunlight piercing through them.  It’s as if the heavens themselves were aware of the event that would happen that day.  Everypony knew that this day was going to happen for a while now.  But still none of us were ready to face it.  For that was the day that would decide the fate of all of us.  That was day that would go down in history, for better or worse.  That was the day that Equestria went to war.
-Words pulled from the journal of an unknown soldier.

Not a week after Twilight’s coronation, a messenger stumbled his way into the throne room, badly injured from his journey.  Celestia and Luna looked upon the stallion in shock and horror.  Without a word, the stallion reached into his satchel and pulled out something wrapped in a cloth and placed upon the ground in front of Celestia.  He stood their for a few moments for her to relieve him.  Celestia nodded to allow him to leave; then levitated the object in front of her and her sister.
as she uncovered the cloth from the object slowly, her and Luna’s eyes widen in disbelief of what they saw.  They knew exactly what this gift meant, but they didn't want to believe it.  Luna quietly mouths to herself “This cannot be...”  
Celestia inhaled calmly and called upon a nearby guard.  “Bring Princess Sparkle here immediately.  Something must be discussed with her.”  The guard saluted and then galloped away, leaving the two princesses alone.  Luna looked upon her sister. 
“If this happens, it may mean the deaths of many.”  Luna said with a grimace, remembering the wars a thousand years before.
“But if it doesn’t happen, it may mean the deaths of everypony.”  
Luna showed a slight smirk across her face.  “Then I guess it’s time to see if all these preparations you have done were not in vain.”  
Twilight entered the throne room to see why she was summoned.  The two sisters looked upon her as she walks in.  Without saying a word, they levitate the object towards twilight.  Shock fills her the moment she lays her eyes upon it, for she knew as well exactly what this object was, and what it would mean for Equestria.
The object they received was a crystal, no bigger than a foreleg, as black as a moonless night.  To any other pony, it would be nothing more than an ugly paperweight. But to the princesses, they knew what it actually meant.  It was a message sent from an enemy they thought gone.  They knew that he would return, but they never expected it to happen so quickly.  All three princesses were unsure of how he came back, but one thing they did know was this.  Equestria was going to war.