//------------------------------// // Chapter 47; With pen and sword // Story: The War of 1002 // by Fireheart 1945 //------------------------------// James accompanied the others on the way to the field hospital. He was glad not to have anyone to add there; in spite of the effort of the enemy to bomb the encampment, no one had been injured, much less killed, though there had been a number of close calls. He hadn't heard back from the lieutenant yet, but it was only a matter of time before news, of one sort of the other, got back to him. "I suppose it's going to be hard to say that the army has everything it's own way," Twilight remarked on their way there. "After going through that, I have considerably more sympathy for the soldiers doing the fighting." "Heck, I wasn't scared," Rainbow said, but James was certain he heard someone in the vicinity gulp. "It must be awful to be a soldier," Fluttershy mumbled. I wouldn't want to... Oh, I mean this in the nicest of ways, but..." "Ah think we understand, sugarcube," Applejack said kindly. "Fer the record, that wasn't fun." "Well, duh!" Pinkie burst in. "It was like an earthquake, only there were big explodey thingies coming down too, so it was also like being in a rockslide! Or maybe a volcano and an earthquake? I maybe all three at the same time..." "It's been a very, very long time since I witnessed a lethal conflict," Celestia put in, as Pinkie continued to ramble on. "Seeing how far military technology has advanced from that round of fighting is unsettling. Spears have been the traditional weapons of the Royal Guard since long before my reign, and most other nation's militaries relied on such weapons for their own protectors for just as long if not longer. This kind of warfare feels... different." "And it's one that's liable to prove fatal to you, Princess, and to Equestria as well should you decide at any point to take the field," James replied. "Equestria cannot afford to lose you or your sister." "I know. But until recently, the main enemies I had to deal with were bickering nobles and singular, though very powerful, foes. The fact that I can't go out and fight the battles that will decide the fate of Equestria myself is one that will take some getting used to." "I think we're here," James said as they came to a tent where occasional moans and groans of discomfort could be heard. "Oh my," Fluttershy whimpered. Oh, right. I don't want her psyche shattered. James turned to Pinkie. "Pinkie, would you mind taking Fluttershy to the mess?" "Mess? What mess?" the pink pony replied. "I don't see a mess." "He means somewhere to eat, darling," Rarity told her. "Oh, okay, but you should really say what you mean." James was about to respond in a half-outraged way when Pinkie's eye fluttered a little, as though giving him the ghost of a wink. He relaxed. "Alright, and afterwards, please try to have a little fun. I think that should be no trouble for you." "Don't worry; it won't. Come on, Fluttershy!" With that, the two ponies in question walked away. "I have to warn the rest of you, it's not a pretty sight in there whatsoever. If anyone has a weak constitution or can't stand the sight of blood, now's the time to say it." "Hey, we came here for a reason," Rainbow Dash answered. "Don't say I didn't warn you." With that issue taken care of, James held aside the cloth that served for a door and ushered them in, following behind them once they had passed. Inside was a scene not all that different from that of a hospital, although much of the equipment was more makeshift. Many ponies lay stretched out on beds, some fast asleep, others groaning in agony from their wounds. Doctors and nurses were busily at work, trying to apply bandages and take care of wounds. "I think you were right to send Fluttershy and Pinkie away," Twilight remarked, stunned by the sight as they continued to walk through the field hospital. "We need a new splint for this one," he overheard one of the doctors say. "This one isn't serving it's purpose." "I'm on it," a nurse answered. James looked to see a pegasus soldier lying on a bed nearby. He appeared peaceful, but if a splint was involved, that meant some form of broken bone or fracture. "What's wrong with him?" the Princess asked the doctor who was taking care of the soldier. "His wing was hit by a bullet in the last battle, Your Highness," the doctor said, looking up only for a moment from his work. "He'll have to have a splint, and then a cast, and that's not guaranteed to save the wing. It's entirely possible that he'll never fly again." Rainbow gasped; the idea of never being able to fly again was one that provoked great horror for a pegasus, especially one that loved to fly most of the time. "You... you don't think that will actually happen... do you?" she asked. "I don't know; that's one of the most infuriating things about some cases for a doctor, that sometimes we cannot predict one way or the other which way our patients will go. I have my hopes he'll recover, but other than that and some medicine, I honestly have no idea how he'll turn out. I wish I could be of more assistance to him and to the other patients." "Is there anything we can do?" "All I can say," the injured soldier said, "is to try and enjoy having all your limbs intact. You never know if or when you lose 'em." --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Glad we're finally out of there," Rainbow admitted, about thirty minutes later. "I hope I never have to see the inside of such a place again," Rarity agreed. "Equestria has had a great deal of luck keeping the peace," James said as they walked toward his tent. "Naturally, when that sense of... a long-lasting peace, I suppose, has been penetrated, it's hard on those who were relying on it." "I hope this conflict will end soon," the Princess remarked. "I can see why you want the peace to be in our favor, though," she added, looking at James. "Our soldiers have shed their blood, lost limbs, and many have even lost their lives. Naturally, the army won't want those lives to have been lost in vain." "Em hmm. And none of us wants the Griffon King to think, 'Oh, well, I failed this time. Five years down the line, I'll try again.' That would be a waste." "It would. I'm coming to appreciate your side of the argument more than I did." "Wait, you two have argued?" "Yes, Twilight. It wasn't an argument that threatened our relationship, but we disagreed on how far to take the war against the Griffons. I want, or wanted, rather, to end the conflict once we had taken back what is ours, while the General wanted to take the war to the enemy and, I presume, de-throne the king?" "I would if I could," James said. "I want to take their capital, in any event; as that hasn't been done by any invading army since it's foundation, they'll feel pretty cocky as long as they hold it. By taking it, we make them realize that they aren't as strong as they thought they were, and that we aren't as weak as they thought we were." "That might create long-lasting hostility and resentment between our two peoples, though," Celestia said. "I would like to keep that from happening." "You can't make everyone happy; I hate saying that, but it's true." "No, but perhaps I can reduce the anger between us." "I guess it would be difficult to avoid the relations problem, considering that as of yet the Griffons are united under their king," James commented. "If that unity were to die off, it might be feasible, but I can't see a way to make it happen. Ponies don't have the power to shape-shift, not like the Changelings, and even if it were, they'd have cultural differences to deal with, along with body changes. One slip up, and we have dead agents." "I agree. That kind of operation would be beyond the chance that I'd be willing to trust. I'm hoping that the arrival of our allies will help the situation." "Yes. Unfortunately, I know for a fact that the Zebras aren't armed with the most up-to-date weaponry, and the S.A.s, while better, aren't as good as we are in that department. Our own battle doctrine is also undergoing some measure of re-adjustment considering the recent battle and it's results. I also have my doubts that Zebra and Saddle Arabian commanders would be willing to put themselves under a foreign General, especially considering how... outlandish I am." "I can see the problem," Celestia replied. "I can't say for certain whether or not they'll be willing to take your commands, but at least they will be on our side, and I'm sure we'll come up with something." "I'm also going to try keeping up the pressure on their army," James said. "Assuming they aren't willing to take the peace you want them to." "I am having greater doubts about the willingness of the enemy to make peace," the Princess admitted. "I'm still going to try, and hope they'll listen." "I can't blame you for trying, or for hoping. But I think we're in a much better position than the enemy. The army will be ready should that initiative of your fail." "Thank you, General. Now, I'm going to talk to some of the officers. Twilight, you and your friends should go and find yourselves something to eat." "We will, just as soon as I pick up Spike." "Okay then." Celestia turned her head to face James. "You have my thanks for leading the army this far. I ask that you look out for my student and her friends." "I can do that, but I was under the impression that they knew how to look out for themselves." She laughed. "They do, but I think a little time spent together would do you all some good." "In that case, I have no trouble with it." "I knew you wouldn't." With that, she walked away. "Alright, where is Spike, anyway?" James asked, turning to Twilight. "I left him by a wagon the soldiers were unpacking. I thought it might be a good idea to keep him as far out of danger as possible, and given what we've seen today, I think I made the right decision." "I agree. By the way how has the war been affecting Ponyville lately?" "Not all that much," the lavender unicorn answered. "Some goods are harder to lay our hooves on, but as there's been no battle near the town, trade and prosperity haven't really changed. Naturally, the news has turned it's focus to the war, but life is still largely what I was before the war. The main difference is that a lot of the stallions of the town are missing, having been called into the war." And some are paying, or have paid, the price for their service. "You've been through Trottingham?" "Of course we have, darling," Rarity said. "It's one of the cultural centers of our country. It grieves me that much of the town is either ruined or damaged so badly, as it's art and way of life have been a great inspiration for me." "Which brings me to a couple questions, if you won't mind." "Go on." "Why are saddles considered pretty things wear for ponies, considering that they were originally designed for someone to sit on while riding?" "Well, I can understand your confusion with this, but, as with most clothing, there can be multiple uses for them; for a safe platform on which to ride, as you mentioned - sometimes, when on a long journey, a parent pony might wear one of these to allow their young to ride on when the youths in question get tired. There are also saddles made for simple looks and comfort for the pony wearing them, such as on the dresses I made for the Grand Galloping Gala, and some that serve both functions. Some, like the ones worn by ponies during Winter Wrap-up, are traditional to wear during an event." "Alright. Well, what about nail-on horseshoes? I haven't seen you guys wear them much." "In that case, darling, a lot of ponies just don't like having their hooves left with holes in them, even though it doesn't hurt us as our hooves are hard, unfeeling, and unbending, and helps us maintain a decent grip on the ground. However, as Applejack doubtlessly told you, they are traditionally worn during rodeos and other, similar get-togethers, and just because they may be mounted on a wall doesn't mean they won't be used if they have to be; you won't find me using them," the white mare finished flatly. "Why would you need them to grip the ground? I thought the front hooves of ponies - or, rather, a sort of effect initiated in the fetlock - were able to grasp things." "True, but there are limits to what they can hold onto; if the object or item in question is too large - which generally means bigger than the diameter of field generated by the effect in the fetlock - the mechanism won't be able to grasp it. The ground is one thing our hooves are unable to hold onto, as such. The field isn't very big, anyway; it's only an inch or two in diameter, so it can't even reach to the point where the horseshoes would be put on the hoof." "Okay." Turning to Twilight, James said, "Speaking of Spike, I've noticed you let him ride on your back every so often." "Oh yes. Ponies don't mind others riding on our backs, as long as the rider realizes that it's our choice, not theirs, and that we're the ones who will make the decisions during that time. When the Diamond Dogs tried to force us to do their will... well, I think you saw what happened, and got the point." "I did. And I noticed that Spike didn't particularly like being bucked off and subsequently roped." "Oh, right," Twilight said, blushing a little with embarrassment. "It turned out for the best, even for him, considering the large number of gems I gave him to eat afterward to apologize to him. He's like a little brother to me. Sometimes he's sarcastic and occasionally lazy, but I couldn't ask for anyone better as an assistant." "Good." The others were silent for a moment. Then Twilight asked, "Are you and Blue Fur sure? About what the Griffons did to make those... things?" "We are. After questioning the ponies in the city, we confirmed that they had, in fact, forced unicorns to feed the orbs that gave those weapons their power. And that's not all they did. They forbade any other use of magic, and banned pegasi from flying beyond the city limits and all flights above five hundred feet." "What!?" "About the reaction of the pegasi in the army, Rainbow. These edicts were mainly to prevent spying, and supposedly those restrictions were to be abolished after the war. However, a number of Griffons, mostly officers, abused their power in enforcing them, and, naturally, no punishment befell them for it; when a number of lawyers tried to bring the case before the governor, they were jailed for 'disturbing the peace'." "They can't do that!" Twilight protested. "You mean that they had no right to do it, which is different from having the power to do it. They were quite liberal with orders to restrain the population and forbid dissent, but had a tendency to ignore or slowly respond to instructions to ease up on them. They didn't, as far as I'm aware, kill anyone, and actual violence against civilians was rare, but they were pretty nasty. And I'm sure you heard of their threat to starve the city population if we refused to stop advancing against them." "Why? They're just hurting themselves; when we win the war, we'll punish them a lot more than we would have because of all this!" "Their objective isn't to lose; they want to turn the war around. They were trying to buy time. Hence the new weaponry. They started, in many cases, with superior weaponry at the start of the war. They may well have their own version of the tank by the time we reach their capital." "Is there any good news?" Rainbow asked, deadpan. "Yes. The city is receiving a big stipend from the crown to compensate for losses, and numerous convoys full of food are on their way. The railroad company in charge of the line that runs to and from the city is going to repair the stretch of track that the enemy destroyed during their retreat, so goods will come in faster and in greater quantities. And, first and foremost, we are in a better position to continue the war and keep pressing them than they are to flip the outcome. Reinforcements are coming in to replace our losses, while they have to scramble to draft anyone capable of holding any sort of weapon. In the meantime, their ports are being blockaded, so their economy is taking a beating and their people can't get the goods hey want and need very easily." "How long do you think it'll drag on?" Twilight asked, concerned. "I'm no fortune teller or someone like that who can see the future, but I'd say sometime within the next year. Just when and where it will end will depend on what happens, which I cannot be expected to predict." "You don't have much hope for the peace talks, do you?" "No, Twilight, I do not. I wish we were fighting an enemy who would realize that the deck's stacked against them and quit, but their actions and words during the course of the conflict have given the lie to that idea. Even if the average soldier and civilian on the street wants peace, their king won't have it until he has no choice but to accept it." "Can't the clan leaders force him to give up? They're less a kingdom than a collection of fiefdoms." "I wish I could believe that. Something tells, me that won't happen though. I don't know why, but either they support the war, fear losing some of their land to Equestria if they lose, or else really believe they can turn the war around. I don't know." There was another short period of silence. "Hi guys!' came the voice of a certain pink pony, who, along with Fluttershy, had appeared almost out of nowhere. "Whatcha doin'?" James shared a glance with Twilight. "Just talking." "I love talking! I love to talk about all the parties I've been to, how happy they made everypony, about all the big cakes I've helped make, and how my bestest bestest friends in the whole world loved the big party I set up for them! Did I say how happy my parties made everypony?" When everyone nodded, she went on, "Well, it's worth saying again!" "Hey you guys," Spike shouted from an army wagon up ahead. He jumped out and ran over to them. "What's up?" "The sky," James answered at once. "...Really, dude?" Spike said, face falling. "Do you know how much that joke's been overdone?" "Sorry." "It's alright. I guess." Before anyone else could respond, James heard a voice calling out. "General! General!" He turned; it was the pegasus he'd sent out earlier. "Yes?" "Sir, we found the enemy battery. There were no troops defending it, only the gun crews trying to haul them away. After a brief fight, they gave up. They're under guard, and we're gathering up their cannons." "Very nice work, soldier. Have the guns taken into our arsenal. I'll interrogate the prisoners myself, when I have the time. After that's done, get something to eat, drink, and then get a little rest. You've earned it." "Yes, sir." The officer saluted, then flew off. "I hope the army can end the war soon," Twilight remarked. "It's not easy, knowing what they're up against." "Just be glad you're not fighting it." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "What was the reason for your attack on our camp?" James demanded. "We had our orders; we were to bombard your camp in order to remind you that we're a going concern, and far from beaten!" the Griffon opposite him replied. "Are those the only reasons you had for the attack?" "Aye. If the general commanding had any other reason, he kept it to himself. I think he would have told us if there was a particular reason." "... I can say with certainty that you didn't kill anyone, or even wound anyone. Your attack, if it was meant to cause damage, has utterly failed." "Of course you'd say that. You lie!" "Considering that we're from opposing armies, you have reason to distrust me. I think we're done here." James turned to a couple of soldiers standing by the door. "Take him to the holding area, and take him past the site of the recent bombardment while doing so, even if it's out of your way." "Will do, sir. You, get moving." The soldiers led the prisoner away. "You didn't tell them about the Princess. A good move, if I might say so," Crystal said. "True. I haven't heard of prison breaks yet, but I doubt they're impossible, and I don't want the enemy to know how close they came to killing one of the two leaders of Equestria, in any way." "It would raise their morale, and they would redouble their efforts if they knew. I am shocked myself. I hope the papers keep a strict blackout on this subject." "I think they will. As much as I, and the Princess, are for free press, this would be a bad time for it." "I have no complaints about that." Crystal tried to change the subject; "She'll be off to meet with the enemy's leaders soon enough. Do you think they'll honor the ceasefire?" "She'll have protection from a couple of Guards... Guards with upgraded weapons. The enemy leader, general, king, or whoever is coming will be allowed only two guards of their own as well. That is, if they accept the ceasefire and agree to the meeting. If they try to kidnap her... well, they won't come off well. I can promise you that." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Clan Leader?" "Aye?" Graywing asked. "Spit it out, boy, what's the matter?" "There's a pony out there, wavin' a white flag o' sorts. I reckon they want a parley." "Oh, do they, now?" the erstwhile colonel remarked. "Let 'im come, let 'im have his say." "Aye sir." As the soldier left, Graywing sighed. The war wasn't going well anymore, and right now the king and his generals seemed o be trying to make it harder. Several high ranking officers - colonels, brigadiers, the like - had been dismissed for incompetency, although he knew that wasn't the case and that most of these individuals had very decent, in numerous ways. Of course the king wanted scapegoats. That was all too obvious. Someone had to take the fall for losing so much ground. He clenched his claws in anger. None of those who had been dismissed had deserved it. How were they supposed to react to superior artillery, or to metal monsters unleashed upon them? Even more disconcerting was the fact that many of these officers either hadn't been in a major combat role or else had honest reasons to excuse their failure to halt the enemy... as well as the coincidence (if it could be called that) that each had been a major proponent of their clans' sovereignty. He didn't quite know how to react to that. The king had nominal control over the clans, but his power over them was limited. When Griffon kings tried to step over the line, an uproar of some sort had always come to the fore to oppose their measures, which had kept the balance of power in check. Naturally, the war demanded sacrifices, from the common soldier in the army to the manufactory worker. However, the king had taken steps not... accepted before. It had already made many clan leaders suspicious. Their dissent had been quelled, to an extent, by the fact that most of them had supported the war, at least initially, but the recent reverses were changing minds, in the army, government, and the common Griffon. It wouldn't be long before something snapped, and then who could predict what would happen? Perhaps the pony was coming to bring an offer of peace. perhaps all those problems could be resolved if the king swallowed his pride and accepted that the war was no longer to his advantage. Perhaps. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Celestia made herself comfortable as she waited for General Grayfeather to join her. She was currently sitting at a rather simple table, with a cushion to sit on. If it was supposed to be an insult - to pull her down from the décor and splendor she expected - It wasn't working, and she actually laughed on the inside at the idea. She sipped at some tea and took a moment to savor the flavor. Some ponies, and many members of other species, didn't care for the flavor, but personally she loved it. She was a little too well known for liking it. It was a drink that helped her relax and focus on the situation. She remembered how she'd tired her hoof at many things in the preceding millennium; painting, pottery, acting, basically anything connected to the arts. She hadn't been good at everything, which was funny, as one would think that over a thousand years of life would produce some result in those fields. She'd come to realize that each pony had their gifts, and that each pony had faults. The same held true for all species. It was with regret that she also recounted the battles - most non lethal, but a few, thankful a very few, that were - that she had witnessed or had participated in. The battle with her own sister loomed first and foremost among them, but it was hardly the first, or the last. While she cherished peace, both between nations and between individuals, sometimes force was the only option. It was never one she used without reluctance. The tent flap was pulled aside by one of her two Guards, both of whom were armed with a modified matchlock that allowed them to fit a bayonet on the end. "Your Highness, the General is here," he announced; he said it without the slightest hint of disapproval or displeasure, as he was trained to do. "Excellent. You may let him in." Perhaps the knowledge that this is taking place between the lines, with a company of troops on either side keeping watch, with cannons, no less, will keep the Griffons from doing anything... unpleasant. Hopefully my ponies will take no action themselves, and this conflict will be resolved shortly. General Grayfeather walked in, along with two guards of his own. His face was a mix of tiredness and arrogance as he sat down opposite her. "Ah, Princess," he said, setting his claws on the table. "I assume you've seen the futility of this conflict and have chosen to surrender at last?" After centuries on the throne, it was easy for Celestia to keep her face straight, although in her mind, she was tempted both to laugh and to express outrage. "You assume falsely, General," she said firmly. "I have come to make peace between our two nations. And I most certainly will not be considering my own surrender, if that is what you were thinking." "Then I fail to see why you have called for this meeting," the general answered. "There is no acceptable peace between Equestria and the griffon Kingdom except for the unilateral surrender of the former." "You fail, or perhaps refuse, to see that this war has turned against you," she countered. "Our army has chased you from Trottingham, and could, if I allowed them, drive you back to your borders." "That would be costly, wouldn't it?" Grayfeather asked, grinning. "For such a peaceful race, the cost of resisting us has been enormous. Surely you can't expect your people to accept the idea of losing even more husbands and sons? Especially you've already suffered heavy, if not unaffordable, casualties." "You are over-exaggerating our losses; I admit, I wish we did not have to lose so many ponies." She took a deep breath. "But what you've done, and would have done, makes me ever so much more determined to make sure that their loss wasn't in vain. You mistook, and continue to mistake, our peaceful ways as weakness. You ignore the fact that your ports are blockaded, that your land campaigns have been a failure, and that you are in fact losing, to the point of drafting the under-aged and the elderly and otherwise unqualified. You ignore that, despite hiring a dragon to attack us, we were victorious anyway. You also ignore our industrial capacity for sustaining the war. And, first and foremost, I think you ignore the effect your treatment of ponies who have had the misfortune of falling under your rule has had on our soldiers and their will to continue the fight." "We were punishing your futile resistance to our conquest, and enforcing on you the fact that rebellion would be a fatal error." "And yet, as we are supposedly peaceful, you couldn't have had an expectation of resistance from a civilian population, could you?" "A precaution," the General said quickly, trying to deflect her argument. "As the ponies under us have been resistant and worthlessly reluctant to obey us, we've had to be harder on the people than we would have otherwise." I will not tell him he sounds like a frog, she thought as hard as possible. Her sense of outrage overcame the former desire to laugh. "You have committed atrocities against our people," Celestia said forcefully, dropping all pretenses, "including the manufacture of weapons that involved the near-deaths of many unicorns by forcing them to give up as much energy as their bodies would allow for and still live. When the public become aware of this, and they will, they will be all the more inspired-" "I deny-" "-to continue the war," Celestia continued, raising her voice to drown his. "Soldier," she said, turning to one of her Guards. The Guard turned, opened a long box on the floor, picked up something inside it, and threw the object onto the table; it was one of the beam rifles the Griffons had been using. Grayfeather simply stared at her. "These would not have been necessary if you had conceded defeat," he answered. "These were not necessary at ALL. There is no excuse for abusing my ponies. However, in spite of your abuses, in spite of your willing blindness, in spite of all we have suffered at your claws, I am willing to be generous; leave our land, pay for all the ponies your invasion has hurt in any way, and sign a treaty of non-aggression, with the agreement to uphold that treaty for a hundred years, at which time we will consider renewing it. The amount to be paid is currently being calculated, although it shall not be devastating to your economy. In addition, your king is to make a public apology for all the misery his invasion has caused us, and to revoke all further claim to any land outside his realm." "Ignoring that we still have superior warriors, Princess, this is not generous. That last in particular interferes with other international relations." "It is generous, compared to what many of my subjects have been urging me to enforce. Do you think we would let you off with a warning, letting you invade some other poor country? You have lost the war; in another month, perhaps two or three, you will have been pushed back to our border, and then you will experience the misery of our invasion of your lands." "That will not happen. We will suppress your counterattack well before your armies reach the border." "Excuse me for pointing it out, General, but you are outnumbered as it is, and you are replacing your losses with teenage children and the elderly who are barely able to fly or walk without some sort of help. You have also hired mercenaries against us to bolster your numbers, an attempt to overwhelm us that has not succeeded. Your ports are blockaded, and garrisons of seaside clans await invasion by Saddle Arabian forces that could come upon them at any moment, and the troops you have there are not present in this army, needless to say. At this point, it is our mercy, and not yours, that matters." "Even were I to take all this back to the king, he would refuse it. I, as his representative on the battlefield, and as his loyal vassal, cannot undertake any policy His Majesty would not." "And your ruler has gone against the idea of clan sovereignty. You don't have the support for the war that your did. Mercenaries who might have otherwise willingly joined you are hesitant or else flatly refuse to join your cause. As the recent victories of our army have shown, fighting for money in a doomed cause isn't worth it." "And you haven't taken in a mercenary?" the General countered, grinning again. "The beast that leads your armies. Don't act like our use of those willing to be paid is so one-sided." "James Lavigne is not a mercenary," Celestia countered. The human wasn't one of her subjects, true enough, but he was someone entirely on her side and loved Equestria, and for those reasons and more, she gave him her whole-hearted support. "Someone forced, then, or otherwise-" "He is doing all this quite willingly; I gave him the chance to go home, without penalty, and he chose to stay." "And yet you don't pay him." "Oh, I will." When we win this war, I shall grant him a big reward, make no mistake about that. "Our soldiers continue to fight. You should not believe the war is won in your favor, Princess." "If you continue to struggle," she said, standing up, "they'll be fighting and dying for no purpose; the wounded and crippled from the war will have suffered their terrible injuries for nothing. The tide has turned in Equestria's favor, and there is nothing you can conceivably do to reverse the facts. I am not even calling for unconditional surrender or Griffon land; we merely want what is ours to be returned to us, as well as reasonably payment for damages done to us, and an end to your expansion efforts." "All of which are unreasonable; you will be our subjects, whether or not you resist or like it." For a full minute, both leaders looked one another in the eye, neither saying anything. "Is that your final word?" Celestia asked finally. "It is. And you may consider it the final word of His Majesty. If any more ponies come with any message other than that of the surrender of Equestria, we will take them prisoner." It hurt, hearing the absolute finality and knowing that her negotiation had failed, done in by Griffon pride and refusal to admit the war was lost. She sighed. It would mean more ponies, Griffons, and other participants in the war would continue to die and suffer crippling wounds. Both of the major nations would take some time to recover from those losses. I know he knows that the war is lost. I could see it in his posture. But he and his king are so stubborn that they willfully blind themselves to anything but what constitutes good news in their eyes. It reminded her of a child throwing a tantrum when things didn't go his way, willfully destroying even his own toys in his rage and ultimately getting nothing but a time out and perhaps a spanking if he'd gotten really out of control. Of course, there were major differences; Griffons were not, and never would be, ponies, and the idea that Equestria gave birth to the Griffon Kingdom was absurd. But it couldn't disperse the image of an infant Griffon king throwing his toy soldiers everywhere after being told he couldn't take cookies from the cookie jar. "Then I must return to Canterlot, and continue to handle the affairs of Equestria and the war," she said, feeling suddenly weary - not physically, just spiritually. "I must confess my regret that you could not see the benefits of peace. I hope you and your kingdom do not come to long regret this decision." She didn't wait for a reply. She walked out, her Guards following her (one of them toting the beam weapon; no use leaving that behind). Celestia looked to the east; a company of Griffons, watching her and their General as he also walked out. To the west, her own faithful, valiant soldiers were also watching, hope in their eyes, hope that was quickly dashed by the sad look on her face. She continued walking towards them, until she was relatively close to them. "I am truly sorry, my little ponies, but there is no peace between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom today." She watched their faces fall even further. Some just showed the exhaustion that those who have witnessed terrible things commonly bear. Others cursed - silently, so that she wouldn't hear the foul language they were using - while one of them actually broke out in tears. "I know it's a burden upon you all," she continued. "But know that all our people, all your sweethearts, wives, and children are behind you." She could tell that this had caught their attention. "This fight is for them, and their future as well as your own. I vow to you that we shall not relent until our country is free once more from invaders! We shall be victorious!" That got cheers. Soldiers shouted their approval and threw their hats in the air. Some began chanting slogans. Good luck, my brave warriors; you'll need it if you're to end the war as soon as possible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As Grayfeather walked away from the parley, one of his guards - an aide, disguised - whispered, "That did not go as well as one might hope, sir." "Just between you and I, soldier," Grayfeather whispered back, "I agree with her that our position is closing on untenable." "Then why-" "Because I had orders to be as... adamant as I could should such an event crop up, to be as obstinate as I could, in order to make all peace save that which His Majesty desires impossible. Because the king has spoken, and as his vassals we must obey, even if those orders lead us to ruin, because that is the ultimate duty of any soldier. I have been drilled in this doctrine since my earliest days as a warrior, as an apprentice at the military academy. And... it would be a bad decision, a very bad decision, to disobey him. His ultimate plan may just be enough to turn the tide." "It had better be some sort of unbeatable superweapon, because I fail to see how we shall otherwise win on the battlefield." "We are going to copy the enemy's machines; of that, I can assure you, or else create a design of our own." The aide grunted in response. Grayfeather had been telling the truth about his military education; he had been schooled, from his first days in the king's military academy in Gryphos, that obedience to the king and his orders was to override everything else. This discipline was the key element in his life as an officer. Politics were not for a soldier to think about, or dwell on, unless instructed to. "Saying all that made you sound a bit stupid, sir." "A sacrifice. All soldiers should know that they must make sacrifices." "Indeed sir, but our sacrifice makes us despised by the world." "The world can rot. His Majesty has given us a job. We will complete it, or die trying. That's the way a soldier's life works." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "That didn't go well," Crystal muttered. "I don't know what they said, as the guys who went with the Princess aren't telling, but for all things lovable, why?" "Why struggle against the inevitable?" James took a long draft of water from his canteen. "Because sometimes, it's not so inevitable. And because kings, particularly those wanting land, power, and gold, can have a rather curious inability to be reasonable." He took another drink; he'd been anxious about the results of the conference between the leaders. In all honesty, he'd been worried the Griffons would somehow try to kidnap the Princess and hold her hostage. It hadn't happened, thank God, but maybe the anxiety had made him more thirsty than he would have been otherwise. "Maybe the king has something up his non-existent sleeve, maybe he thinks he has an ace to play. And maybe, he's plain greedy and stupid. I don't know. What I do know is that we'll have to continue fighting, and that we appear to e in a winning position." "That would be bad, if they had something in reserve. I'm still waiting for their own tanks to come out." "It'll probably be a little while," James said. "I think they'll try and study ours first; imitation is the most sincere form of flattery," he remarked. "And when they can't figure out how we did it, they'll try and make their own." "They'll probably succeed at some point. We'll have to come up with a way to move artillery to the front lines quickly when they do." James finished off his canteen. "Now, on to our next move." He walked over to his map. "We need to get over Sugar Cane River before we can really drive them out, and that's going to be a challenge." "Hard to fight when you're neck-deep in water," his aide agreed. "Especially with weapons requiring wet powder to work," James said, nodding. "Which is why I'm having Blue Fur work on three light but durable bridges to cross." "I hope you won't have us charge across them in broad daylight; a narrow causeway would give them a shooting gallery." "Exactly. Which is why I'll have the Lunar Guard fly over first, at night, to silence their pickets. Our engineers will then place the bridges in their optimal places, after which the army will cross." "Are you sure they can get the job done?" "I am confident. And we have to try something." "Odd to think that this will take place within eyesight of our previous battle bearing the name of the river." "Within earshot is probably more like it; I intend to cross about a mile south of the battle site." "Why not have regular pegasi do it?" "Because no other troops in this army are as adept at night combat, and at making surprise attacks, than the thestrals. Once the bridges are in place, the rest of the army will cross." He frowned for a moment. "I doubt we'll be able to get enough sacks and cloth for the entire army, though; I'll have to rely on a brigade to cross over each bridge and hold until daybreak." "Why sacks and... ah, to muffle our hooves." "Yes. I want this to be done in silence, for batteries to set up in choice places before the sun rises on our crossing. I want to give the enemy a shock." "What if they form a trench line on the other side of the river? So that they could shoot at us from anywhere we chose to land?" "I'll have scouts confirm their locations, then shift the crossing sites as necessary. They can't cover the entire river. We can cover more of it than they can. I want to try outright flanking them this time, preferably if they remain ignorant of our crossing the river." "That would be nice, but we've tried wiping out their army before." "I know, and you've yet to see a fulfillment on that promise, or wish, however you would prefer." "When will this be done?" "Three nights from now. Our engineers need time to plan out and build the bridges, and we need to prepare our units for the operation." "I hope this works sir, or that we can destroy their army before they can get there." "I have my doubts of that last, I'm afraid. A river makes a decent place for a stand, and it'll take some time to cross. They're not fools, they'll be trying to come up with ways of countering our tanks, and a river would be the most difficult place for them to tread. If the river doesn't flood out the crew or get into some important component, it will slow them down and make them easy targets for their guns. And, unfortunately, the shields on them won't hold against that kind of combined fire." Crystal shrugged, conceding the point. "Wish I could say that those things moved faster. Only thing they're good at is fighting and not much else. You could race one and be waiting a day, if not two or three, for it to get to the finish line. They're slowing down our movement overall, and the Griffons can pull back faster than we can move forward, especially considering how they've been systematically destroying the rail lines." "Alright, so using tanks will be difficult, if not impossible. And the enemy will be using all that time to reinforce and build up defenses. So we attack without them. We'll cross the river, and, assuming all goes well, we'll force them out of their defenses and into retreat." "I hope it works." James nodded. "Me too," he said quietly. He took off his hat and scratched his head. "Me too." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------