//------------------------------// // A Warrior Awakens. // Story: Twin Blades // by Craigulus Twinblade //------------------------------// The flames were rising from the buildings outside of the courtyard. The stench of death was so terrible that the soldiers of Equestria were on the verge of insanity. The only thing keeping them sane was being in the presence of Celestia and Luna. Shining Armor was just hoping that his beloved wife and his sister, Twilight Sparkle, would be spared in the massacre that was about to begin. Not even the elements of harmony could save what was left of the kingdom now, because just outside of the walls of the Canterlot Courtyard, which lies in the shadow of the palace, march ten thousand Griffon warriors bent on the annexation of Equestria to the Griffon Kingdoms. The griffons began to thrust the battering ram into the gates of the courtyard and the ponies raised their shields and spears in front of the gate, praying to Celestia that the Griffons would swarm in without caution thus ramming their bodies onto the spears and shields. The gate would soon break and the ponies braced for the worst. Luna asked her sister "Are you sure he is going to make it here on time?" The sun-loving Alicorn stared at her sister with calm, reassuring eyes. "Yes sister, I know that he will get here soon. He has to." The princess of the night was still not satisfied with the response, "Need I remind you that our magic is spent from fighting so many of them earlier in a useless attempt to turn them back!?!?" Celestia replied "I know sister. Just wait because he WILL get here and when he does, the high king of the Griffon Kingdoms and his army will be in for a brutal fight!" Princess Luna, who was now reassured about the situation still didn't trust that the warrior would get here on time. Her head was filled with an adrenaline rush, courage, worry, but most of all fear. That's when everyone in the Canterlot Courtyard heard the shout that all of the soldiers, bearers of the element of harmony, and the princesses have been dreading the for the last 15 minutes. "UNTO THE BREACH! FOR THE GRIFFONS ARE COMING!" The final stand had begun. The rage of the ponies and griffons seemed unmatched to any battle that ever happened in Equestrian history. The worst of the blood mists happened in the breach. Big mac had been swinging his giant hammer furiously at the hordes of griffons knocking three of them away with every swing. Rainbow Dash's Pegasus Brigade was providing support in the air battle, dropping the last of the bombs into the griffon forces below and cutting off any griffon air attacks. Fluttershy was providing healing to the soldiers with Celestia and Luna. Applejack was supporting the shield wall with her brother who always stood in front of the wall with his hammer and fleeing for medical assistance every time he was hurt, thus leaving the shield wall to do its work. Rarity was leading the archers in peppering the griffons with arrows but they would just keep coming and coming. Twilight was in charge of the battle unicorns who were, like Rarity's archers, firing their missiles over the wall. The unicorns were charging up their magical energy to make exploding fireballs that would kill ten to 12 griffons each hit. You would think that the griffon army would be weak against this pony force but this battle was a game of numbers and once the shield wall breaks, which will be soon, all is lost because the strength of the griffons would cut down the softer interior of the pony force. The Pony Army could feel Their strength failing. Each time The Griffons struck their shields, it would push them just a little bit farther back. Fear Began to sink in. Celestia could feel the thoughts of her ponies. "We can't hold on!" "They're to strong!" The sight of both Pony and Griffon Dead all around was enough to Damper all of the ponies Spirits. Little by little the wall was weakening. Seeing this as their chance, the Griffons Pushed all the more harder. Harder and harder they struck, until their chance came. One of the ponies Fell, his shield falling down and this gave the Griffons the opening they needed. The Equestrian army scrambled to fix the hole in their wall, but the Griffons pushed in to hard, to fast. Just when even Celestia herself thought Equestria was about to be swept off the face of the earth and into griffon history books forever, a horn was heard coming from inside the palace. A silhouette of a man holding two blades was rushing into the light where his face could be clear for all to see. Once the ponies saw him a wave of energy was brought to them and they rejoiced. The shield wall started to forcefully push the griffons back into the breach. The griffons had fear come to their minds as they now understood why the ponies were fighting so exuberantly. A griffon would have to be completely insane in order to face this monster without having the slightest bit of fear cross his mind. The mere mention of his name even causes a griffon soldier of any kind to tremble. "Craigulus Twinblade! You made it through the Canterlot tunnels!" Luna's fear had been replaced with joy and relief as she embraced the warrior. Craigulus gently pushed her away knowing that the time for hugs and everything else would have to wait, now is the time for battle. Craigulus slowly walked down the stairs leading into the sea of soldiers in the courtyard and gave his command. "SHIELD PATH!" The ponies had made a single line of shields for Craigulus to run across so he didn't have to run the risk of getting injured walking straight out of the shield wall and into the griffons and Big Macintosh's hammer. The hero started running atop the shields that stood afloat on the sea of ponies and jumped onto Big Macs shoulders. Big Mac started to get confused and before he had mistaken Craigulus for a griffon battlefield assassin the warrior screamed "Don't get off your hind legs! Just keep swinging!" Without thinking twice, Big Macintosh nodded and he swung is hammer. Everything went into slow motion for Craigulus as the hammer swung down. Not only were 3 griffons hit by the hammer itself, but Craigulus jumped onto the hammer and killed 3 more of them with his blades as he rode the hammer like a surfboard. He sprang off of the hammer, onto the side wall, and down onto the unsuspecting griffon below to assassinate him. Craigulus rose to his feet to view all of the stunned griffons wielding a variety of swords, axes, maces, and hammers. There was five long seconds of silence as Craigulus looked back at the proud faces of the ponies. They all had a hopeful look on their faces, looks that screamed: "I'm ready to fight and die as a true Equestrian!" Craigulus lifted his arm pointing his blade at the enemy Griffons. "Your time will come!" He said with a Grin. Was it just his Reputation as a warrior or the sheer determination in his Eyes? Whatever it was, it was enough to have all the Griffons Hesitate for a moment. Craigulus looked back and began a speech. "Brothers and sisters of Equestria! Look at how the tides have turned! We are now the ones that are thinking that we are going to win this battle and I know that we can! The griffons over there have nothing but fear in their hearts! Everything we have been fighting for shall be decided in this beautiful city today. We can surrender now, or we can fight and die over this entire country! I don't know about you but I would rather die than be enslaved by the griffon king! There is still a chance we can win this battle though and I know we're outnumbered ten to one here, but still I love the odds! Equestrians, we fight now!" Craigulus lifted his right arm wielding one of his swords. "For Celestia, Luna, and Equestria! CHAAAAARRRRRRGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Massive surges of courage, pride, and rage filled the minds of the now charging Equestrian force. The princesses magic had been rejuvenated and they could use their powerful magic once again, firing beams of light and darkness at the ranks of griffons. The griffons were trying to stand their ground but despite their commanders whipping them they were trying to run away for the most part. The brave griffons held their ground though as the Equestrian forces began to cut them down one by one, thus sending them off to their gods. Craigulus was turning battle into some sort of art form as he cut down each griffon that got near him ever so smoothly and gracefully. This only served to raise the spirits of the Equestrian soldiers ever higher as everypony was screeching as loud as they could. The battle was now going to go long into the night and through to the day. Rainbow Dash's Pegasus brigade was destroying everything in the air that fought for the Griffon Kingdoms, Rarity's archers were hitting their targets with greater accuracy, Twilight's battle unicorns were destroying most of the tougher griffons with their spells, and Applejack and her brother were making quite a mess out of the battle field with their hammers and axes. The weaker soldiers of the griffons were now being pushed off of the Canterlot cliffs because they were caught fighting against the earth pony shield wall. "SEND THEM OFF THE CLIFFS!" Applejack screamed. "DON'T ALLOW THEM TO PUSH YOU! IF THEY PUSH YOU, PUSH THEM BACK HARDER! SEND THEM OFF TO THEIR GODS!!!!!" Big Mac responded "EEYUP!" The heat of battle was enough to take all of our hero's concentration, but he could still see something happening above him. In the air, Rainbow dash had begun to see red as one of her old Cloudsdale friends had just been stabbed in the stomach. Dash went on to kill every griffin in her line of sight, thus turning her into a monster of a mare. When her blood lust ended, she had realized what she had just done and she looked at herself in disbelief. She realized that she had scared herself for the first time in her life. That wasn't going to stop her though as she went on to take down the rest of the griffons air support. Meanwhile the battle at the front gate was a bloody mess. Griffon guts were flying everywhere and those lucky enough to retreat before the gates were closed had to hear the sounds of the other griffons as they were butchered against the gates. In the griffon camp, a beast of a griffon emerged from his tent. His name is Griffiam Wallace the Seventh and he is the king of the United Griffon Kingdoms. He decided that it was time to work out a peace treaty with this 'Craigulus Twinblade'. as he marched into the battle field with his guards he could see the Carnage created.. Hundreds if not thousands of Griffons Dead, laying Side by side with Ponies alike. Seeing their General coming up The griffons ceased their attack. Starting from the back of the line until it came to the front, the Griffons just stopped. As he Emerged into the front lines Griffiam could see who he was up against. Craigulus stood, blood covering his face, Dripping down his arm, to rest on the tip of his blades. Hundreds of dead Griffons laying around him. "Heh" Griffiam Chuckled "I can see that you truly are the man I heard you to be." "Have you come to join your brothers on the floor?" Craigulus Asked. "Come meet my blades Griffon!" "Let me Ask you a question hero, " Griffiam Began. "There is a distinctive difference between Griffons and ponies, but what is the difference between them now?" He motioned to the floor where the dead lay. " As their bodies lay cold of the ground, all that was different is gone. The scent of Death, the cold grey eyes, The dirt where their blood dyes. I tell you hero there is no difference." Craigulus stood up straighter lowering his blades, but keeping his eyes fixed on this general. "What are you saying?" He asked. "I have had enough of this Death." Griffiam replied. Then motioning to his guards to remain there, he took a few steps forward. "Come hero, Let us talk an end to this war..." The two Came together and spoke of a peace Treaty to end this bloody battle. Finally agreeing to terms, peace was brought just as dawn was broken. What seemed like a never ending night had finally ended. The sun had risen and the griffon king had surrendered. The ponies rejoiced! Craigulus sent the griffons back home. Never to return. When Craigulus turned around he could not believe what he saw. It was the entirety of what was left of the Equestrian army and they were all bowing to him. Even the princesses were bowing their heads in respect of the mighty hero. He stood proudly in front of his pony brethren and was inclined to give a speech. "My friends! You have done Equestria a great deed today! You fought like fearsome timberwolves against a force that should have won against you. Instead we fought not for just the princesses, but Equestria as a whole! When colts and mares fight like this there is absolutely NO reason that we can't take this army and send them off to conquer our neighbors! Even the Dragon Republic would fall before us as long as we fight and die as TRUE EQUESTRIANS!" At that the whole army cheered in delight and stomped their hooves on the ground in pride. Some say you could feel the rumble of the hooves from Ponyville and even Stalliongrad. Something felt off though, because somewhere in the distance Craigulus heard a familiar buzzing sound. "OH NO! NOT THAT, ANYTHING BUT THAT!" He woke up. The Summer heat was radiating throughout his room while he lay in bed. He looked over at his alarm clock that had woken him from his slumber and turned it off with a frustrated sigh. "Well, time to go play basketball and workout." He had some breakfast. stretched his legs and jogged to the basketball court. While he was jogging he day dreamed about his alternate self. He really did enjoy the idea of being a warrior like Craigulus Twinblade and killing countless monsters but he knew that it would never be a real experience because it would be simply stupid and delusional to think that places like Azeroth, Middle-Earth, Tamriel, and Equestria actually exist. Oh well, at least he had his imagination and that was something nobody could ever take away from him.