The crowd began to panic, shouting and stomping their hooves. They called him a liar, they believed Canterlot would never fall, not while Celestia protected them. Piper pointed a hoof at the throne
"AND JUST WHERE IS YOUR BELOVED PRINCESS?!" He yelled at them. The crowd fell silent as all realized Celestia was absent. Luna and Twilight were also nowhere to be seen.
"Those of you who wish to stand and fight, do so. Everyone else, gather what you can, take your families and friends, and take shelter in the Everfree Forest."
"We can't go in there!" a pony yelled
"We'll be eaten by Timberwolves!" another screamed in terror
"WOULD YOU RATHER BE SLAUGHTERED BY GRYPHONS!?" Piper screamed, silencing the hall once more.
"The Gryphons attack will begin sometime between now and three years." Piper began to explain
"Why don't we just attack first?!" a pony yelled from the crowd.
"Celestia believes this can be solved peacefully. She thinks I'm wrong. She refuses to see reason from me, her perfect little soldier who has fought war after war for her. But that doesn't matter...What matters is as many of you survive as possible. You can heed my words of warning and take shelter, or you can trust your princess who can't even address you on this matter and stay here to die." Piper walked away from the throne, the crowd parting for him as he walked through them.
He stopped as Shining Armor blocked his path, a battalion of guards behind him. While the years had touched the Stallions mane and tail, adding in streaks of lustrous gray and silver, he still seemed to be the young Captain-Commander of the guard everypony knew.
"The Royal Guard will always protect Canterlot against any threat no matter the cost. If there is even a chance what you say is true, we will stand and fight."
"No, you need to protect these ponies. They are too stubborn and stupid to run for safety." Shining Armor smiled a little, placing a hoof on Pipers shoulder.
"We'll do both."
"We'll need to find the Princess' first." Piper said softly, Shining Armor nodded, turning to one of the guards. The stallion wore Celestia's Enchanted Armor, his wings spreading wide as his commander eyed him. He, like all the other Stallions who wore the Armor, appeared young and powerful, his coat white, his mane and tail blue and a determined look in his eye. The pony vanished in a bright light, returning only moments later with a hoof against Celesta's side. The Princess glared at the guard who merely gave her a smile, taking his place next to Shining Armor.
"Why did you vanish Tia? They need to know."
"They are not ready, I could not face them yet..." Piper stomped his hoof and glared at her.
"You couldn't face them. You, Princess Celestia who has 'guarded' them for so many years couldn't tell them they would have to run for safety?" He asked in a hushed whisper. Celestia hung her head, Twilight and Luna appearing on either side of her in a panic. They both let out a sigh of relief seeing where they were.
"Thank goodness. We've been trying to get her to come back. One moment she was with us and the next she was gone." Twilight explained.
"Heh, she could never say no to him." Shining mumbled, pointing a hoof at the Guard who had retrieved her. The pony remained silent, standing at attention.
"Why?" Twilight asked, looking at the guard.
"It is not important Twilight. What is important is...Piper is right." Celestia said, stepping forward.
"Ponies of Canterlot, it is with great regret that I order you to retreat to the Abandoned Castle."
Shining Armor chose his most trusted soldiers to begin the evacuation, taking all civilian ponies safely through the Everfree forest and to shelter. Meanwhile, the remaining ponies gathered around Piper and their Princess'.
"Piper, how can you be sure Canterlot will fall?" Emerald asked.
"I'm curious as well, there seems to be much we do not understand about you." Kairi spoke up, Sora resting against her. Though Emeralds magic had pulled him from the edge there still seemed to be something bothering him. Riku remained completely silent, lost in thought with Nyx by his side. Piper looked around at all of his friends and family, his eyes stopping on Melody.
"You should have left with them. You and our parents. Its too late now." He sighed and closed his eyes, barely feeling Strawberry's hooves around him.
Piper opened his eyes, finding himself in a tent. His body felt cold. He placed a hoof over his chest, feeling another scar and a faint heartbeat.
"You've awoken, thank goodness..." Piper looked over, seeing Celestia. He winced as he sat up.
"What..happened?" he asked, putting a hoof against his head, everything coming back to him in a flash.
"Cherry!...I...I couldn't..." he stared at his hooves and screamed, slamming them into the cot he sat on, the blow smashing it clean in two. Celestia coughed, waving away the dust and walked over to Piper who just sat there, staring at his hooves which now sat embedded in the ground.
"All of this strength...this strange power...this 'blessing' and I couldn't even save one little filly." he muttered.
"Loyalty..please."
"Piper..." he said softly.
"What?"
"My name...its Piper. I don't deserve to be called Loyalty." he said, leaving the tent.
Dinky glared at Piper.
"You told her?!" she yelled. Amethyst placed a claw on her shoulder.
"Dinks, we're all still here aren't we? Does it matter that he said anything?" he asked, surprising Dinky with how calm he was.
"I...suppose so, but what if something was changed?"
"Its a bit late for all of that now, don't you think?" Nova asked. The Alicorn kept stealing glances at the Guard who had remained with Shining Armor. Eventually the Captain took action.
"Keep looking at him like that and he might think you have a thing for him." He said teasingly before clearing his throat.
"Princess." he added quickly.
"Shiny, you don't have to be formal with us, you know that." Twilight said with a sigh.
"Heh...sorry Twily. Old habits die hard." the stallion chuckled.
"We're gettin' off topic again." Sunburst spoke up.
"There's too much to explain and not enough time." Piper said with a sigh.
"Most of what happened next is a blur. The Gryphon King was dead, but the war wasn't over. It had only just begun."
"Wait!" Celestia called after him. He stood upon a hill, looking out into the distance where the Gryphon camp lay.
"Tell me what happened." he said quietly.
"We...went after you. We couldn't match your speed and we arrived too late. When we finally did reach you we found you and...and Monoclos in a ditch..."
"I killed him." He said in a monotone. She stared at him in shock.
"And he killed Cherry Blossom." his voice wavered for a moment.
"Right in front of me. I was useless. I am useless."
"That's not true!" Celestia stomped her hoof.
"Everytime I have needed you, you have been there for me Loy...Piper." his ears stood up for a moment as he heard her speak his name. It was comforting. He didn't want to be comforted. He wanted to simply let himself wallow in his sadness. Though the heart that beat in his chest continued to fill him with warmth. Annoying, comforting, tear jerking warmth. Celestia placed a hoof on his shoulder.
"I am not sure what is going on to be honest...I am afraid." She admitted to him. Piper closed his eyes and hung his head for a moment. Listening to the heart beat. As long as that heart was beating, Cherry Blossom was alive. As long as he could breath, he would protect it. And right now that meant he had a war to fight. He stood, gently brushing away Celestia's hoof.
"Prepare the Soldiers." he said softly, leaving to fetch himself a hoofblade and armor. Although none had been shed, he could already smell blood in the air.
"The war continued...a New King arose, more ruthless than the last. Each time I killed one, another took his place. Thirteen. Thirteen horrible rulers. The fourteenth saw reason when I entered his camp. It was then the Treaty between Ponies and Gryphons came to be. If you take a look at it you'll see my name on the bottom corner." He said with a small smile. Twilight, having read the treaty a thousand times over, pulled it out from a nearby shelf and scanned the page, her eyes wide as she spotted it. Right there at the bottom in tiny, messy hoofwriting. Piper the Loyal.
"They will not like this." King Artois muttered.
"We will have peace or we will have more death. This is the best course of action to take." Celestia said softly. Piper stood nearby at attention. He wouldn't hesitate to take the kings head. He had done it so many times before. It would be easy to do it again, especially if it meant protecting Celestia.
"Piper." Celestia called to him. He saluted, bringing a smile to her face.
"Would you sign this please?" she asked with a gentle smile, surprising the pegasus as well as the Gryphon King.
"Princess! He is but a soldier!" The king argued.
"Monoclos made that same mistake" Piper spoke softly, though his words held the weight of the world to the current Gryphon King. Piper walked forward, taking the quill in his hoof and thought for a moment of what he should write. Warmth filled him from the heart that beat in his chest and without thinking he wrote three simple words. Piper the Loyal. He gasped, holding his head in pain and dropped the quill. Celestia moved to help him, but her hoof only touched air, the pegasus having vanished.
"That was a terrifying moment...I didn't know what to think. For awhile I had thought you abandoned me." Celestia confessed. Piper chuckled. The princess looked at him in shock, wondering what was funny
"I'm sorry, its just ironic. Harmony pulled me away from you then and she's abandoned me now."
"My mother is responsible?"
"She's responsible for all of this! For everything!" Piper yelled, stomping his hoof and cracking the tiled floor. A yellow ring slowly took form around the edges of his eyes. He saw their worried faces and took a slow breath, the yellow fading away.
"From beginning to end, all of it has been her doing." he said softly as he took his seat once more.
Again he found himself in the empty white nothingness that was Harmony's realm, the Alicorn standing before him with a small smile.
"You've done well Piper. The treaty has been signed and peace will last in Equestria." The pegasus stood slowly, his head still throbbing.
"So...what? That's it? I can go home now?" he asked with hope in his voice. Harmony shook her head sadly. A brown cloak appeared around Piper, covering his armor and hoofblade. He sighed knowing what was coming next.
"I am afraid not Piper...there is still much to do and not much time." Another hole opened in the air. Piper glared at it and turned to Harmony.
"How long do you plan to use me before I go home?" he asked. Harmony had no answer and he didn't wait around for one, leaping through the hole and taking a look at his new surroundings. Everything was dark.
He figured it must be the middle of the night and began walking, listening for anything that might attack and searching for whatever he had been sent here for. His ears flicked as he heard a familiar noise. His mind struggled to remember what it was as he looked around and in the distance he spotted it as its door swung open and a voice filled the air.
"Welcome to Equestria, Ten thousand years ago"