Orgins
My Little Soldiers
Origins
Colonel Gregor McMullen stared into the sky as rain poured down. He would have to clean his armor again to ensure it didn’t rust. Another annoyance to deal with today, assuming he lived to see the night. The battle had been long and hard. His men had fought well, but without the power of Luna to support them it was only a matter of time. It was at dusk the previous evening that a white banner was raised high over the encampment, and now, at dawn, terms were to be established. So many things that went wrong, could have been different, had he only seen it coming. The hasty advance, Riley’s betrayal, William’s demands, and all the other things that contributed to the defeat they now faced.
Gregor shook his head. What-ifs and and could-have-beens would not help his people now. On his right Friar Alexander Shepplin prayed vigorously in Latin for mercy and safety for the people. To his left Captain Basill Farnir grunted unpleasantly.
“Damn pegasii. Even in victory they look to disgrace us further with foul weather.” He shifted uncomfortably in his own armor, finally resting when his plate mail didn’t pinch at his side.
“Put yourself at ease, Captain, they won the day fair and square, and don’t see this dismal rain as a disgrace. The heavens themselves weep at our defeat.” Gregor corrected, attempting to lighten the mood between them, despite the conditions that brought them there.
Farnir grunted again, “Then let the heavens clean and oil my armor to this near perfect shine!” The pair shared a chuckle at their own expense as the somber moment returned to them.
Sighing, Gregor spoke, “My dear friend, I’ll be satisfied if we even have our armor at the end of this day.” Silence permeated between the two, with only Shepplin’s prayers and the plunks of raindrops to keep them company. The pair had waited there since sunrise, standing in front of the tent that terms would be set in. The Colonel could feel the impatience start to eat at his second in command. He had heard that the ruler of the Solar Empire was responsible for rising the sun in the morning, and set in the evening. The truth of those rumors was to be debated, but Luna had said that it was fact. The power of such a being would rival God himself, and Gregor would admit, the proposition of meeting such a being after waring with it for several years unnerved him. He would be perfectly content to stand in the rain all day than go forward with this meeting, but he knew that these talks would be the the deciding factor for the fate of his people. The life of every human being in this strange land now laid firmly in his hands. Unfortunately, Captain Farnir didn’t quite appreciate the severity of the situation.
“How long is this damn horse-god bitch supposed t...” his slander was cut short by a bright light piercing through the rainclouds, basking the wet men in a bright warming sun. While a welcome change from the rain, the implications of the shadowed figure slowly advancing through the beam made Gregor a little panicked. For an entity to pierce the heavens in such a way proved just how bad these talks could turn for him. With such power, he could become soldering ash, or stripped of his own flesh, or any other countless horrible deaths. Shepplin apparently saw this as his prayers ceased.
The shadowed figure landed, and for a split second, it looked almost like Luna, but when the being stood at full height he saw the truth. Luna had told him that she had ruled alongside her sister before the rebellion, and the family resemblance was almost clear. If not for a polar opposite color scheme she could be an older version of the Night Princess. Despite her white fur and brightly colored mane, her eyes held a regal wisdom that came with her apparent millennium of existence. Gregor had never actually seen the monarch of the Solar Empire, not even the night Luna was banished to the moon, as he was on the front lines when the strike had occurred. Despite the fact she was a horse, Princess Celestia carried a regal bearing with her this day that would rival any king of France or England.
As the brightness of the light around her subsided, Gregor and Farnir stood tall, not hinting at their underling fear of standing in front of possibly the most powerful being on this plane of existence. Celestia approached Gregor, and he moved in kind, both leaving their guards behind. Once they were about five paces from each other Gregor stopped, and Celestia did in kind, a look of suspicion on her face. Gregor knelt down on a knee, unsheathing his sword in the process. This caused the royal guard to quickly move to shield their monarch from the apparent attack, but Celestia called them back with a wave of her wings. Gregor presented the hilt of his blade to Celestia and began the almost ritualistic speech.
“I, Colonel Gregor McMullen of the Lunar Republican Guard, hear by surrender myself and all those I command to Princess Celestia of the Solar Empire. I humbly ask for terms of surrender regarding the rights of the men under my charge. My life is hers to do with what she will.” Thankfully, the Princess seemed to pickup on what was happening, and in the same Regal and deafening tone Luna had spoken to them when she had first summoned humanity to this land responded.
“I, Princess Celestia of the Solar Empire of Equestria, Accept the surrender of the Lunar Republican Guard and their request for terms. You may keep your blade Colonel, I have no need of it.” Gregor blinked in confusion for the first few seconds, until It dawned on him that the Princess was not familiar with the traditions of “Home”. Standing, hiding his embarrassment at his display, Gregor sheathed his sword. Stepping aside, he gestured towards the tent, allowing the Horse God to walk toward it. As she approached Farnir, he and Shepplin turned and walked in front of her. Gregor cold see from the corner of his eye that one of the guards that had accompanied Celestia followed him, making a continuous look of hostility toward the Colonel. The tense group entered the tent one by one.
Colonel Gregor McMullen was not pleased with the sight he saw. Sitting at the center of the table was Duke William of Montferrat, smiling to himself over a cup of warm tea. Gregor had specifically asked the Duke to not be at the conditions meeting, and instead lead the care and policing among the people. At the time William said he would consider it, and Gregor should have known the bastard would just wave him off. Since before they came to this strange new world William had been trying for power in the army. He was a spoiled brat that believed his station and bloodline granted him authority over Gregor's men. Gregor had hoped to set the boy straight through their service together, but the royal training had set in to deep.
“William” Gregor began, already knowing the answer to his query, “What are you doing here? You were supposed to be organizing the guards for patrols.”
“Yes, well” William retorted in his high brow manner, “I have the guards well in order and since I am the only one here with any formal diplomatic training, I decided I would best serve here. After all such an important task of negotiating the fate of an entire people should not fall on the shoulders of a simple mercenary. It is not better for royalty to speak with royalty?” The second son of the Prince of France didn’t have a diplomatic bone in his sniveling little body, and everyone but him knew it. Diplomats would bow and treat him graciously for his father’s sake, but William was sent with the army in the first place in the hopes a stray arrow would pierce his neck. Still his influence granted him a small portion of the total surrendering force, and by technical right he could sit at the table for negotiations. Gregor cringed at where the direction of this might go if William opened his mouth too much.
“I’ll remind you again, William, that as Commander of the Lunar Republican Guard and all its forces it is my responsibility to head this meeting, but since your personal forces are surrendering too, you do have the right to sit among us.” Gregor sighed despite himself and those present, showing his displeasure at the unwanted addition. He turned to the princess-monarch “Please sit with us, your majesty” Celestia bowed her head in acknowledgment and sat at the far end of the prepared table. A pillow had been placed instead of a chair for her body structure. Gregor and his group sat on their end, while Celestia's guards took position standing next to her.
For a moment neither moved or spoke, until Gregor began "Princess Celestia, thank you for agreeing to this meeting. We have much to discuss. First I would like to introduce my comrades. To my left is Duke William of Montferrat, Commander of the Knights du Caviller. To my right is Captain Basill Farnir, my second in command in the Lunar Republican Guard and before that the Night Watch Mercenaries. I have served honorably with him for many years. Next is Friar Alexander Shepplin, our priest and religious consultant. We are all grateful for your generosity to your enemy." Gregor's fellows nodded in agreement, except William.
Princess Celestia responded in a similar regal voice as she did outside, but toned down the volume, "We thank you for the gracious greetings, Colonel. Allow me to introduce my council. To my left is my military adviser, General Hazel." The aged Unicorn nodded in acknowledgement, "To my right is the Captain of my royal guard, Captain Braveheart," the Pegasus guardsman seemed to stand a little taller when his leader named him off. "And behind me is my head military commander, General Hurricane, descended of the famed Commander Hurricane who helped found our country." The, another Pegasus stepped forward, revealing his scarred face.
"Yes" Gregor said " I have meet the good General before. At Phillydelphia." The disrespect in his tone was blatant, but that was the point. The princess had done nothing but defend her kingdom. General Hurricane had done so much worse. Recalling the siege sent a set of chills down Gregor's spine.When the city finally fell, Hurricane had made sure it was useless to the war effort. If the general had not escaped the battle, Gregor would have put him to the sword himself.
"I only did what had to be done." Hurricane defended. "You could not be allowed to use the city to your own machinations." The General seemed pleased with himself at his ability to get a rise out of their defeated adversary.
"I have seen the reports from the Battle of Phillydelphia," Celestia reminded “and we are not here to discuss the ethics of warfare, lest I remind everyone of the Manehattan incident?" Gregor flinched a little at the mention of that cursed incident. He then sat taller, steeling his gaze.
"That slaughter was conducted by a force not under my control, against my direct orders. The offending parties have been punished accordingly." He stated in a controlled voice. He neglected to mention that the leader of that force was sitting in that very room. He needed the monarch's mercy right now, and digging out old war wounds would not help his case. "Princess Celestia, I do not wish to discuss this dreadful matter that casts a pall on our negotiations, and I apologize for instigating it." Gregor heard William snort, but ignored it for the moment.
The princess nodded, "Yes, lets move on. Colonel, in order for me to determine what the terms are to be, I must ask as to who you are and where you are from. This meeting is the first I have heard of the Night Watch Mercenaries, or these Knights du Caviller. I thought you were all one force."
Gregor conceded to the horse-god. This was an explanation he had prepared for. "Your majesty, I come from a far away land where warfare is an almost constant companion. I was born between a Scottish noble and an Irish stable girl in Nottingham, England. There I learned to fight and act with nobility and civility." William gave another snort. "At the age of fourteen a change of power caused me to leave my homeland, and I found myself stolen upon a vessel bound for the Holy Land, a miserable patch of blood sodden sand that held great religious importance.The ride on the waves was long and treacherous, as England is quite a distance from the Holy Land.
Before my ship arrived, however, there was another shift of power, a mutiny. Rather than surrender our lives to a harsh and uncaring land that had long ago been given up, we formed a band mercenaries, fighting for the highest payer. It was possibly the most unique group of strangers I ever had the pleasure of meeting, from nations all across the lands. I fought hard for the next few years. We did everything from protecting travelers to assaulting bandit holdouts. Soon it wasn't about religion or money, it was about justice and peace. It was in the year of our Lord, 1453 AD that the great city of Constantinople came under siege by the Turkish army. We mobilized to help break the siege, but were stalled by one of our Captains. He called to a relative of his in France, who told the Lord of Montferrat , who then sent Duke William and a force of French Knights. They reinforced our numbers as we moved on to assault the Turkish ranks.
“It was at this point Princess Luna, as Nightmare Moon, summoned us from where we camped to these lands. After giving us the knowledge of your language with her magic, she offered us a deal. A partnership, if you excuse the term, that in exchange for our military services she would, as ruler of Equestria, grant us money, honor, families, and a land all our own. The other captains, full of fear at this new, strange world with magical equines that spoke with human tongue, did not approach her. I, however, seeing few alternatives that would keep my me alive, accepted on behalf of our group. She took a liking to me and proclaimed me head of the Army and Guard. I could scarcely believe my own eyes when I saw the forces we were pitted against, but after our first battle, and seeing the strength and courage of your army of ponies, I forced myself to become the best commander I could.”
“Clearly however, It was not enough” William interjected in an almost mocking tone, earning him a glare from all present. He didn’t seem to mind as he continued, “Just as I predicted. A scruffy mercenary with no real training in commanding troops could never be victorious on a field of battle with a true general. That is why I kept my knights separate from your uncivilized horde. The only reason I have surrendered with you is because you would surrender all our potential surfs with you.” Weather or not he realized his contradiction to his earlier statement did not pass through his expression.
“I see” Celestia stated, thankfully cutting off the Duke’s next line of insults, “So you were two separate entities all along. That simplifies things. We may begin the talks proper now. ”
“Thank you, your majesty” Gregor said with a slight nod. “First term is regarding the civilians who have recently been transported here with Princess Luna’s magic. As they had no say in whether they wanted to come here or not, essentially being kidnapped to serve our forces, I request amnesty from and war crimes or charges. They served no part in this war, and had no choice in how they came here.”
Celestia looked contemplative for a few moments, then decided, “I understand the plight of your people, and I can agree to this.”
“Thank you, your majesty. Next I wish to address my army as a whole. Many of the soldiers are still your people, ponies who fought bravely for what they believed was right. Their commanders, my men, issued the orders that caused the mayhem and destruction across your beautiful country. They had no say in the events that happened, nor did they fully understand what was at stake. My men and I will subject ourselves to your trials and judgment, but release those who are innocent in these matters.”
Celestia seemed to speak with General Hazel briefly before answering. “I can agree to this. Enough of my people’s blood has been spilled in the name of this pointless war. Are there any other requests?”
“No, your majesty. These two things address my entire people, but before we end these talks, may I ask what is to become of my men and I?” Gregor looked upon the monarch with trepidation. All his men had done something unethical during the war, such was the nature of warfare. His old commander used to tell him that the only rules of war are set by the one who wins it. That since war itself was wrong by its very nature, and such used in the defense of others, that any measures should be enacted to make the conflict as short as possible. But this was still dependent on victory, and they had lost. The victor now sat before him, and the law of war was hers.
“I shall decide that tomorrow, but for now they will be stripped of their weapons and be held in a secure camp. They will be tried for crimes against the people of Equestria and their individual fates decided.” Gregor involuntarily sighed in relief. He had feared she would simply execute them all for the war's horrors. He had no doubt that General Hurricane would, by the way he glared continuously across the table. “But that is for tomorrow, I do wish to know something Colonel, if you will.”
“Of course, your majesty. You’ve been so gracious to us, what can I tell you?”
“My sister... How was she? She was so angry with me before this war, and after I had to banish her... Please, just tell me, was she always so hateful? Angry?, Mad? Was she ever happy?” Gregor sat still for a moment, stunned at what she had said. If they had been in the “old world” such a thing would never happen. Royalty would have been to busy trying to attain power, or hold it, to really care about such things. That Celestia would ask such a thing said she was a pure, truly noble person. Gregor thought about his answer for a minute.
“Luna was... conflicted. Whenever we sat at the war table she seemed hesitant to decide on any course of action that would put her forces, her people, at risk. I would ask her what drove her to this rebellion, but she refused to answer. Away from the war, though, she was kind, gentle even.” Though he didn’t know it, Gregor began to get a far off look in his eyes. “When the war council was over and the rest of the men returned to their bunks to rest, she would show me the constellations, and we would sit and talk for hours about the sky, and stars, and the moon, anything that didn’t involve the war. We would walk by the lake as I told stories from my home world, she would laugh at my little jokes and comments and she would share her own experiences with me. Sometimes we wouldn’t talk at all. At those times she seemed happiest.”
Gregor’s soft smile that had crept on his face as he spoke faded to a sad frown. “Whenever she was brought back, though, a shadow seemed to pass over her. She slowly became colder, more violent, and less like the desperate princess that was fighting a losing war, and more like the monster of Nightmare Moon. As the war dragged on, she was like that more and more often. Our walks got shorter, and she spent more time plotting. Every loss seemed to drive her deeper into this state. My losses. By the end, she could hardly be recognizable.”
Gregor snapped back to reality when the plank he had been staring at suddenly became blotched from a water drop. He looked up to find the hole in the roof of the tent it had fallen from, and suddenly tasted a salty solution on the edge of his mouth. He looked to Captain Farnir and Friar Shepplin who stared back with sympathetic eyes. Gazing back across the table, the equine emissaries looked with a mix of surprise and shock. Only Celestia herself kept her regal bearing. Slowly Gregor’s hand raised to his face and felt the moistness just below his eye. He was crying. Crying for the Luna he lost.
The moment was shattered with a cackle from Gregor’s left. All heads turned to face the source, Duke William, who seemed to lose himself in the mirthful laughter. He soon regained enough control to speak between the laughs, “Oh this is to much. *Heh heh hegh* Our fearless leader *ha ha howa ah* fell in love with the horse!” He burst into another fit of laughter before finally settling down. “It’s understandable I suppose, after all she would be the only real nobility you could ever get in bed!”
Gregor stared down the Duke with hate and disdain before Farnir spoke for the first time. “Do ya not have any respect or decency, even in defeat!”
“My dear Captain,” William countered, “Whatever makes you think I’ve accepted defeat?” The guards in the corner of the room moved, and only now did Gregor notice that they bore shields belonging to William’s personal command. In fact, except for Farnir, none of the men in or around the tent belonged to Gregor’s Night Watch Mercenaries. The knights circled the table, each looking ready for a fight. This stunk of betrayal, and William had played them right into his trap. “I have set into motion a series of events that will assure us victory here and beyond!”
“What have you done, William!” Gregor demanded “Just what have you done!”
William’s face contorted into a sick smile, “I have done what you were to weak to do, you worthless peasant! I have assured victory for New France and her people! With me as king, I will lead the people to prosperity, and put these pitiful horses in their place!”
“Your mad!” Friar Shepplin cried as the guards seized him when he backed into one.
“The army will never follow you, William” Gregor sneered at him as he and Farnir were also held. The guards of Celestia seemed to be holding the guards on their side at a distance, but were soon becoming surrounded.
“Oh I think they will, after all, who else would lead them after Celestia so heinously betrayed our good faith when she attacked us at the terms of surrender meeting.” The God-like figure at the end of the table gasped at the insinuation of her betrayal of peace talks. “You and Farnir fought bravely against the assault, but ultimately you were overpowered, and I, alone, slew the evil pagan god and her followers” William drew his sword dramatically “and led a holy charge to burn the heathen encampment, as ordered by our own Friar Shepplin in his dying moments, not spared from the wrath of the treacherous horses.” William looked back upon his unwilling audience. “Makes for a nice inspirational speech, Eh?
“You vile filth!” Farnir spat, struggling against the french knight, “I should have left ye ta burn in Manehattan!”
“Ahh, Basill, how I’ll miss that vulgar mouth of yours.” He looked to the knights “Kill them all, and prepare to-”
“Colonel McMullen! Colonel! William’s men are assaulting the...” Lieutenant Raymond, a message boy that aided officers in battle, had just run into and brought the coup to a stand still. For a moment, nothing moved, as if waiting for this new addition to choose a side before continuing. Seizing this opportunity, Gregor struck first. He wrenched his arm free and landed a solid blow on the holding knight’s exposed throat. As the soldier fell back, Gregor drew his sword that he had been allowed to keep as Farnir followed suit.
Captain Braveheart also seemed to see his window and pushed against the knights encircling the princess. He was followed by his comrades as they fought back against the armored Frenchmen. The brawl continued as the knights began falling. They drew their blades and the clangs of metal against metal sounded within the tent. Finally it ended, Gregor and his men standing victorious with Celestia's guards.
Gregor searched the tent intently. "Where is he! Where is that treacherous bastard!" He cried.
General Hurricane jumped upon the table, ignoring the wound in his flank, "Perhaps we should ask you at your trial for such a cowardly assassination attempt!"
Farnir replied with a bellow, "We were attacked as well ya damn twit! I should gut you for-"
"This one still breaths!" Friar Shepplin cried over Farnir. He had seen to the wounded and now knelt over a bleeding Frenchman. The group gathered round him as Gregor started the interrogation.
"Why?" It was a simple question, one easily answered by the knight.
"William promised us a new kingdom, a new France, where we would live as kings. Honor, glory, women, lands, gold, food and drink a plenty. It was an offer to tempting to pass." The rebel knight struggled to speak as blood began to build in his mouth. He coughed it up before continuing, "William has discovered a way to assure his new world order. Our defeat last evening was premature, and he was forced to accelerate aspects of his plan."
"William knew we would be defeated? What is this plan!" Farnir demanded, nearly shaking the dieing warrior in frustration.
Despite Shepplin's urgings, the knight sat up and continued "He discovered the key to immortality."
"Impossible!"
"Blasphemous!"
"I'll gut the wretch before he gets the chance!"
"Its true, or he thinks so. He discovered an ancient legend about an artifact of terrible power called-"
"The Cosmos Tear." Surprisingly Celestia finished. All eyes moved to the Sun Princess. "It is a powerful arcane stone created by the magic that runs deep within the planet. I had believed it buried forever during the Discordian era."
The knight nodded and picked himself up again, "William had discovered its location after raiding the temple in Manehattan. He planed to use it to become the Eternal King of New France after the coup. With Nightmare Moon eliminated and Celestia killed at the peace talks, no power could oppose him."
Farnir furrowed his brow in anger, "So the snake planned it from the beginning!" The knight could only nod in shame.
"He knew the process of transporting a sustainable population here from the old world would put a great strain on Nightmare Moon's powers, so he bribed Lieutenant Riley to tell the Solar Empire what she had done, betting on their reaction being a major offensive." The ponies lowered their heads slightly, shamed to fall into the trap of such a man. "He convinced the war council that while Luna was weakened, we must seem strong, and declared a swift and devastating offensive. He had hoped that Celestia and Gregor would be killed or wounded in the ensuing battle, one predestined to fail from the beginning.
"Why would you tell us this? Why betray your master?" Shepplin asked the bleeding form in his arms.
The Frenchman spat. "He is no more my master than a leech is master of its host. I participated here out of my own cowardliness and greed. I feared deaths embrace at the hands of a man so monstrous. But to die by honorable men such as yourselves, I am satisfied. William no longer deserves his title or command. He has led us down a path of darkness, and I must atone for my sins. I shall not survive the night with these wounds. I must atone for Manehattan before I sit before God." The knight seemed to cough blood and tears at the same time.
Shepplin nodded " Very well, my son. Confess your sins to the Father, so you may rest in peace." The knight swallowed as all present listened to his tale. They sat in wrapped attention as this would be the most accurate account any had heard of the slaughter called the "Manehattan Incident".
"They were just animals... That’s what we were told. Just pitiful animals, ugly in the sight of God. But what happened next... What I heard. Their cries... They were not those of animals. They were of mothers crying for their children, fathers offering themselves in place of their families, and children who lamented, asking why their parents wouldn't move... Wouldn't hold them. Those were not the screams of animals! They were people!" the knight had worked up from teary eyes to wailing in Friar Shepplin's arms, holding close to the holy man, staining his cloak with blood.
"They were people just the same as I. That bastard killed them, murdered in cold blood. I... I killed them. I couldn't stop it. I knew it was wrong, but I was ordered! What was I to do? I don't know. He... He said we should eat them. To prolong our provisions. I didn't eat them Father. They were good people. I didn't..." The knight finished with a whimper as blood loss began to set in.
Friar Shepplin held the man close, stroking a hand through blood streaked hair "Its alright boy. You have repented. May God take you to the heavenly kingdom where you shall live in peace forever, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, amen." The knight struggled, but formed the sign of the cross, then his arm went limp. "But before you leave us lad, tell us where William has gone. We must stop him before his madness overtakes the land."
The knight weakly nodded, and whispered, "To the forest, the big one filled with danger. Within is a castle, untouched by time. There the Cosmos Stone resides. He has fled... To .... Ever...free...forest." The knight breathed his last. Silence permeated the room, between human and equine. The Frenchman had used every last bit of strength to perform one final act of good.
Gregor stood as Shepplin prayed over the man's body. He turned to Lieutenant Raymond, now slick with blood himself, and issued orders in a hushed, respectful tone. "Spread the word, William's knights are traitors and turn coats. They are to be arrested on sight. Gather my staff. We ride for Everfree." The boy acknowledged and ran out of the tent. Gregor then turned to Celestia and her group, who had patiently waited for an explanation. Hurricane appeared near boiling. "It would appear I must remove a pustule stain on my race's reputation. If you will excuse me."
General Hurricane jumped in Gregor's way as he left though, "Oh no you don't! We will handle this, your people have floundered quite enough today! I should have you all hanged!"
"General!" Celestia stepped between the two men, stopping the argument and threats.
Gregor bowed his head shame fully as he said, "William is my responsibility. I had hoped combat and war would allow him some humility and respect for experience, but I was wrong. He is still the same arrogant puissant that strode into my camp so long ago like he owned it already. I allowed him such leniency for his youth and foolishness, but now I must end this damn game... I must kill him before his foolish plans come to fruition."
Celestia nodded in agreement and turned to her officers. "General Hurricane, please see to the ponies in camp. Friar Shepplin, I believe you have some medical experience, yes?" Shepplin, who had finished his prayers nodded. "With the permission of Colonel McMullen, I would like you to aid the wounded. My people can only do so much with magic." Shepplin looked to Gregor, who in turn nodded. Shepplin's skills would not be needed in the fight to come. He and the General left. Celestia continued, "Colonel, I would like to join you in the fight to come." She saw his speculative stare, and quickly amended with "Please, he has done just as much damage to my people as yours, and you need a guide through the Everfree forest.”
Gregor considered this for a moment, then reminded himself that every moment he stood there, William got further away. He had to make chase soon, or the bastard’s plan would come to fruition. Finalizing it with a nod and a grunt, Gregor spun on Farnir, “Get me my steed.”
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Gregor rode hard on his horse, Julius. They had entered the infamous forest a little while ago, and were making decent time. Usually Gregor rode alongside an infantry column, which was in turn slowed by artillery, but now it was just him, his staff of five, and Celestia. He was supposed to have twelve men in his staff, but William's treachery ran deep. He had bribed three of the companies into defecting, and the rest had to remain behind to handle the skirmish.
The Sun Princess seemed surprisingly calm at the sight of humans using what to a common observer would have believed was part of her own kin as a riding and pack beast. She explained that in the beginning of the war, captured horses proved to be incapable of higher thought. At first they had thought it a curse by human priests, but as time went on, it became apparent that they were a completely separate species, like apes to humans.
This in turn surprised Gregor, as the ponies of Equestria once again proved that their understanding of the world was much more open than humans, who probably would have killed the poor beast in an exorcism had the roles been reversed. Celestia signaled them with a wave of her wing, and they slowed to a stop.
They had arrived at a darkened castle perched on a plateau opposite a large canyon, with a rickety wood rope bridge connecting the two sides. Standing at the end of the bridge was a French knight in gleaming armor. Gregor recognized the emblem of Sir Hadris, William’s finest knight. He had fought gallantly in the war and, despite being one of William’s men, earning many awards and honors. He had clearly been left to guard William’s entrance. Dismounting from his steed, Farinr stepped across the bridge, stopping within speaking distance of the man.
“Stand aside Hadris. I do not wish to kill you, but I shall if I must! We must stop your twisted master’s scheme.” Farnir shouted. Sir Hadris did not move.
“Captain Farnir, long have I admired your prowess in combat. Perhaps we could have been friends if we had not been brought to this world, but now we must fight for our allegiances.” Hadris called back, his voice distorted by the helmet he wore.
Farnir pleaded “Please Hadris, if not for me, then do it for all that is right, do it for your immortal soul! Do not let your master’s sin drag you to hell as well!”
Sir Hadris chuckled “My soul is in no danger, nay it is yours I fear for. The Lord God has put us here for a purpose, and that is to expand the reach of his people to this far off world. We must control this domain, for it is God’s will. William’s power will assure us victory in this endeavor. Join us, Basill, and make history, fulfill our destiny and take these lands and its people!”
Farnir recoiled in shock, “How can you say that after all those ponies you fought beside, all the ones who saved you? How can you really believe that hogs wash?”
Hadris shook his head, “Farnir, Farnir. It is my experience with them on the battlefield that leads me to this conclusion. Such weak, pathetic creatures, these ponies are. They are worthless as fighters, unfit to wield sword and bow against another. Once under our thumb, they will be returned to their rightful place, on the farms and the sky. It is the natural order, my friend. The weak must serve the strong, as it was in the old world, and is now.”
“So you have truly given in to this madness.” Farnir looked to his former friend, “Then so be it. We will stop you and your treacherous ways, Hadris. By my word, William will fall.” The two men drew their blades and faced each other, and their dual began.
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Captain Raymond shivered. The rain had returned after the traitors were pushed from the pony camp. Now he stood next to General Hurricane and what little of the original officers remained. William’s betrayal ran deeper than he could have imagined. Half the officer corps had defected to William’s forces, and a quarter more, the most loyal of the commanders, were killed as they slept that morning. That left a meager force of two hundred swordsmen, one hundred fifty spear men, fifty archers, and the five hundred pony auxiliaries against the rebel army of near twice that number. Worse still was the fact that he was the highest ranking officer left after the Colonel’s staff chased after William. Now Raymond, field promoted to Captain, commanded the entire army of the New Lunar Republic. The weight threatened to crush him.
He inhaled deeply, attempting to calm his frazzled nerves. The army stood now in a field, lined opposite to the rebel forces. Both sides awaited the final organization of their forces so they could move. Raymond spared a glance at General Hurricane, who was speaking to a Pegasus aid. The aid quickly departed, off to relay the final orders of the plan they had come up with. It was a long shot, and sacrificed too many men for Raymond's taste, but Hurricane was willing destroy his entire army for victory. What he might do if they lost was unthinkable. Raymond could not let Phillydelphia happen again.
Raymond stilled his mind and prepared his speech for the troops, as was customary. When the sounds of the cannons rolling into position reached him, he stepped in front of his men, earning a questioning eye from Hurricane, but nothing more. Raymond was surprised at the total silence that surrounded him as he stood before the army. No rattling of armor, or nervous murmurs came from the crowd. He did see, though, as he looked into the faces of every man, stallion, and mare, a deep fear. The same fear that threatened to overtake him. He silently gulped, hoping for a strong voice to come from his throat.
The Battle Speech had been a custom passed down since the inception of the Night Watch. It was meant to inspire the troops for the bloodshed, and remind them why they fight. Now he had a force, out numbered and scared, and he had to instill them with courage, real or false, so that they would stand and fight the threat poised against them.
Raymond removed his helmet, and let the men before him look upon his own youthful face before bellowing so all could hear him in a surprisingly heroic tone, “As any honest Englishman would be able to tell you, one can never trust a Frenchman to fight with honor!” This managed to get a few chuckles from some of the humans in the ranks, but most still looked on.
“Duke William of Montferrat has shown his true colors, and now, through trickery and deception, attempts to steal from us the very glory and honor we have fought and died for these long years to attain!” Raymond could see the troops respond to that, among human and equine alike. He could feel some courage flowing into him as well.
“Those rebellious knaves over there are not fit to breathe the same air as we, brave and honest warriors. They shall all die by the moon’s rise, and a sword is a merciful end for them, as they should face the gallows!” A climbing roar sounded from the mass before him, and their will brought up his own spirit to a battle rush.
“Those pig faced bastards would see all of us, and our peoples, man and pony alike, serving them in their keeps and towers as they rule over lands stolen and pillaged from our families! So remember this as the wolves pass down on you today, we no longer fight for the Lunar Republic or the Solar Empire, but we, gathered here under a banner of fellowship, FIGHT FOR FREEDOM! FOR EQUESTRIA!”
Raymond cried out his last words with a fervor foreign to him. The men were responding in kind. With an approving nod from Hurricane, he spun on his foot and waved his arm forward, signaling his slowly calming troops to march. The pike men advanced first, as usual, as a defensive wall against charges, with some pony light infantry to help take down french men that try to break through. behind them stood the archers of both races, preparing to pummel the enemy light infantry with arrows before retreating from the inevitable melee. then the heavier infantry with Raymond backed them up to smash the enemy once the archer’s work was done. Behind the entire formation though, were the gigantic bombard cannons, who’s commanders had remained loyal to their equine brothers.
The cannons themselves were of Turkish make, having been captured in a raid before the migration. Though used for breaking down walls in the old world, this new world had very few walls to use them against. They proved to be of great use instilling fear in the enemy, though, and when they did manage to hit, a single round could take down a whole rank of foes. Raymond held a good deal of respect for the cannon men, their weapons required them to be ahead of the formation, firing large rocks at a continuously advancing wall of enemies, rarely ever striking them. He stood with them briefly in one battle while carrying orders. The sight that of an enemy horde marching upon him sent chills down his spine.
The cannons moved to the front to the formation as the rest of the army stopped. The French lines had already began moving forward. The cannon men began loading the smooth stones into the cannons. For the next hour cannon fire pounded the french side of the field. Very few hit anything, but Raymond did manage to catch the sight of a rock striking down a line of armored knights, blood spewing from the cracks in their armor. That would defiantly help in the battle ahead. The French were not slowed by this assault, though, and their march continued.When the first volley of arrows struck, they were chaotic and spread out. One cannon worker was struck down in the rain of pointed tips, but that was the cannon's sign to pull back, and the archers to move forward.
And they did just that. The cannon men pulled back for the far more numerous and spread out archers, who immediately began firing off death at the light infantry in the enemy formations. Their arrows would be of little use against the armor of the knights, but with the light infantry destroyed, the French's heavies would be all by themselves against the allied swordsmen. The torrent of arrows began as both sides traded attacks on the flat plane. French archers aiming for the allied archers, and the allied archers decimating the light melee troops of the French.
When the rebel troops finally reached fifty yards from the archers, the allied bowmen pulled back and the pikemen and spearmen advanced in a phalanx formation, their weapons making a wall of points for the enemy to skewer themselves on. The remains of the rebel light infantry charged first, hoping to use their unarmored, more nimble bodies to evade the points that made up the wall, or break the spears as they collapsed upon them so the heavy knights and swordsmen cold smash the line, unhindered. This might have worked, if not for the incredibly strong, magically endowed shafts that supported the wall.
Body after body filled the small space between the spear heads. The men actually began to back up, trying to remove the disemboweled corpses that covered the pikes. When it became obvious that they could not break or weaken the lines, the light fighters retreated back to the rebel lines. The archers of both sides had run out of arrows, allowing them to fall back to the rear. The apprehension Raymond had felt about the battle disappeared as his pikemen advanced across the field. Now they would attack the enemy, driving them to death or surrender.
Something seemed wrong, however. There should have been more men in the enemy ranks to sacrifice to a charge. Where had the defected troops gone? Lieutenants Justin and Hanson both had an excess of three hundred men when they turned, so where could they have gone? Captain Calipar had a force of armored knights five hundred strong. There were not enough archers either. Two hundred bowmen had supposedly joined the french, but their were not even half that number among their ranks. The situation smelled of a trap. Turning to General Hurricane, he seemed to believe it as well, if his face was any indicator.
"Have your scouts spotted any sign of our lost enemy?" Raymond inquired nervously to the armored Pegasus.
"No" Hurricane replied, "They haven't been seen on this battlefield, but I have my Pegasus looking everywhere. We want no surprises." Just as he finished his statement, a rainbow maned pony flew in front of them. It was a blue mare wearing similar colored armor as Hurricane. She saluted and quickly spoke.
"Sirs! We've found the missing enemy force!"
"Well wear is it?" Hurricane spoke to his subordinate in a harsh tone of impatience. The mare seemed to not care as she continued.
"They are guarding the camp that was built by the refugees sir! We got close enough for contact, but then they threw a rock at me!"
"They're probably a garrison force" Raymond stated, "To hold the people and keep the new surfs from going anywhere. We'll have to deal with them later."
"Umm, I don't know sir... I mean they weren't doing anything to the people, they were just standing around outside the camp, and they started yelling that they weren't rebels or something when I got close. They didn't even shoot their arrows at me." This stunned Raymond for a moment as his mind went whirring at what was said could mean, and Hurricane took the opportunity to berate the Pegasus.
"How dare you question a superior officer?! I should demote you right now, on the field of battle and-"
"-Soldier! You.. What was it?" Raymond interrupted the General with a new vigor.
"Color Blur Sir!" the mare replied, grateful to be spared from her commander's wrath.
"Blur, then, you say they claimed to not be rebels?" Raymond asked.
"Yes sir, but I couldn't make out the rest, I was to far away, and didn't want to get any closer when they threw that rock."
"Insubordinate and a coward! I'll see you discharged from my army yet!" Hurricane bellowed, only for his next tirade to be cut off by yet another Pegasus who landed with great haste.
"Sirs! Enemy cavalry is forming up on our flank! They were hidden within the forest!"
Hurricane recoiled in shock as Raymond cried out "What? But that could only mean they will-" he was interrupted by the sound of heavy hoof beats, too heavy for any pony. From their elevated position, they could see a horde of massive war horses charging toward the flank of the pikemen. The phalanx was already heavily engaged against the enemy in front of them. A classic Alexandrian tactic.
He had to act fast, he was already losing men at an alarming rate. Hurricane stood stoically, watching the humans kill each other with an expression that bordered on bemusement. Raymond turned to the newest Pegasus and issued his orders, "Go tell the swordsmen to charge into those knights, we must save those men! Quickly now!" The gold armored pony flew off at a high speed, and Raymond took a parchment from the nearby table that the battle plans had been drawn on. He scribbled down some notes, rolled up the parchment, and presented it to Blur. "Take this back to the refugee camp. Look for a man named Calipar. Then return here with whatever message he gives you as fast as you can."
"As fast as I can?" Color Blur seemed to look up in hope and anticipation.
"As fast as those wings can carry you." Blur mock saluted and flew off in a dash that proved her namesake. Now that they were alone, Hurricane spoke up.
"So, exactly when did you get the authority to give orders to my troops?" he asked in his angry tone.
"When my men started getting killed and you thought it was funny." Raymond didn't bother to look at him.
Hurricane seemed to accept this before turning. "I'll go check on the forces for the plan." and with that he flew off. Raymond stood still for a few moments before, sure that he was alone at the table, drew his dagger and slammed the point into the old wood.
Damn that Hurricane! Damn him! He obviously still held a grudge for the war, despite their now united front. A cursory glance over the battle map before him divined the truth of Hurricane's intentions. With a sense of horror, Raymond realized Hurricane's Imperial forces could arrive at any time he pleased and still win, so he would let the humans all kill each other so he could stand victor over both the rebellion and the French. He would just sit and wait. That bastard.
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The sound of swords clanging together echoed in the wide hall. Ten men fought with vigor against one another. Gregor and his most trusted men faced William's elite guard. They had lost Farnir on the bridge, when Hadris cut the ropes, plunging himself and Farnir into the chasm. With no time to mourn, Celestia was forced to teleport the entire group to the castle, leaving her drained. They had continued downward into the bowels of the structure until they came into a large, dank chamber with a pedestal holding a stone in the center. It was here they finally faced William. With a mighty clash the forces met and dueled. While William's knights were powerful, Gregor's men had experience and speed. Each of them had their own elements with which they fought.
Bjorr wielded his claymore with strength and skill, as if it were a long sword, landing heavy blows upon the enemy, slowly crushing them under his weight. An honorable man of the north, Bjorr and Gregor joined together when their two mercenary bands were hired to defend a little village in the desert. The horde coming for the village was easily twice their number, but Bjorr stood firm, saying that a man's word is his bond and honor. The man hated the use of dirty tricks and back-handed techniques to win fights, but did understand their use in warfare. He smashed the french knight down until the blade finally split the enemy's helmet, blood spurting out of the crevice.
Dominik dashed to and fro landing blow after blow upon his heavily armored adversary with his daggers. The Venetian man was once an assassin who had been assigned to kill Gregor by infiltrating his ranks. Though skilled, the assassin had not trained himself to avoid befriending his target. When the time came to land the final blow, he found he could not bring himself to kill Gregor, instead he cancelled his contract and joined the mercenaries officially. Dominik, while not as strong as his adversary, was much quicker, landing light blows to eventually force the Frenchman to reveal a gap in the impressive armor. Once that gap was there, he struck out, sinking his blade deep into the soft flesh of the French knight. Shock struck the man, and he fell without a groan.
Milo, a Slav from Poland, moved about his knight, examining the armor. He was a blacksmith by trade, and was trained to wield a blade once within the ranks of the Night Watch Mercenaries. He was in charge of armor and weapons maintenance, and knew many armor styles by heart. Milo was peckish about the finer details of steel, but always helped when a soldier was in need. He could often be seen going into battle with parts of his armor missing, having gave them to soldiers in who's armor was too damaged to fight in. He was lean and fit, if not mildly sickly at times, from the amount of food he would pass up, favoring to give his extra rations to the men. Milo waited for his opportunity, then struck out, cutting at the leather straps holding the armor in place. As the plate of steel fell, Milo stabed deep into the heart of the knight, killing him instantly.
Arthur hid behind his tower shield, waiting patiently. The man was a Celt from Ireland, and the closest thing to a doctor the army had next to Friar Shepplin. The boy had trained in a monastery before he left the lay life in favor of more scientific endeavors. He studied medicine under a doctor for a number of years, but had difficulty catching on. Eventually he retained enough knowledge to practice on his own, and found his way into the Night Watch. His caring demeanor soothed his patients and he became a favored officer of the men. Due to his lack of training with swords, Arthur favored the shield. He would hide until his opponent became tired or clumsy, then would lash out with his short sword. That is exactly what happened, as the exhausted Frenchman lowered his guard too soon, allowing Arthur to sink his blade into his chest.
Pascual excitedly jumped about his adversary. The Spaniard wore the least amount of armor of them all, and acted more like a jester than a soldier. He understood the importance of troop morale, and took it to another level. His history before the Night Watch was a mystery to all, including Gregor. The man had simply shown up to battle one day, announced his loyalty to the Night Watch, and carved into the battle himself. He had proven his worth, and kept the men amused, so he was brought along. He was not always a fool, though, often passing on lessons he learned among the men in good humor, and devoutly loyal to Gregor as a trusted friend. Now the man danced around his opponent, allowing the knight to step wide, where the jester sunk his blades into the man's back.
Gregor himself fought William. The French Lord had used his men as shields as he sprinted for the Cosmos Tear. Gregor threw away his shield for the sake of speed and chased him down. The sparks from their weapons illuminated the dark room. Celestia, drained from her magic spells, looked on with fear at how easily the humans took each others lives. She had seen the reports from the field and the wounded in the hospitals, but to see the horrors of battle up close sent cold trickles down her spine. After watching the French knights fall, Celestia held a secret hope that William would surrender, that he wouldn't have to die. She hoped they could just stop this bloodshed here and end this madness. This did not come to be.
With every strike, Gregor's blood rose. memories of the war and William's part in all his miseries came to the surface of his mind. Each strike grew harder and harder until Gregor swung his blade with might, knocking William's aside. With no other viable means of attack, Gregor used his momentum to crash into William, knocking them both to the ground. Gregor sat on the Frenchman's chest, bludgeoning his face with gauntlet clad fists. As the blows landed cries could be heard, but they were not William's.
"You bastard!" Gregor yelled, venting his rage upon the lord, "You horrid, immoral, self centered BASTARD! You took my friends! You took my army! You took my LOVE! You took them all, just so you could have your precious kingdom! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Gregor's staff watched from a distance with somber expressions. Even Pascual remained silent and respectful as their friend and leader bled his heart out. "Your prideful talk, your self serving plots, your disregard for human decency! I hate them all! I hate you! I HATE YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" Gregor pulled his gauntlets back for a final blow, only to be stopped when the dagger entered his abdomen. Blood spilled over the armor below the wound as Gregor looked down. William had stabbed him with the ceremonial dagger on his leg.
The French Lord lifted himself up to Gregor's face, still holding firm on the blade. "You call me a bastard" He whispered to the Colonel, who sat in shock, "But your the one born of an Irish whore!" William twisted the blade, snapping off the handle. He snarled at the now useless weapon and threw off Gregor, crawling toward the pedestal. Gregor made a weak attempt to follow, but lacked the speed to catch William with the blade now stuck in his abdomen. William made it to the Cosmos Tear and slowly heaved himself off the ground. Gregor had done more damage than he thought.
Celestia was in tears watching this display. She had no more options now. She heard Arthur cry out what to do. They were to far to stop William or help Gregor. She stepped forward, resolved. "I must use the Elements of Harmony to stop this chaos." She summoned the Elements, the small orbs of various colors that banished her own sister to the moon. She powered the spell, channeling her magic through the Elements, but nothing happened. She collapsed, exhausted. "I can not. To much magic, to quickly. I am drained." She was surprised to find herself surrounded by Gregor's friends, looking at her with hope in their eyes.
"We can not give up!" said Bjorr, picking up an Element.
"Gregor is counting on us" Dominik hissed, picking up another.
"William can not win, not after all of this!" Milo said with vigor, already holding his own Element.
"We must save our peoples!" Arthur strongly stated, hefting his Element in one hand.
"Yes, the world would be far too dull and lifeless with that snooty winkle stinker in charge!" Pascual wailed, spinning his element on one finger.
To Celestia's surprise, she saw the Elements of Harmony resonate in the hands of the humans. Their power, while not real magic, seemed to fuel the Elements just a well. The sight gave her courage and hope. The spark of determination that filled the eyes of the humans infected the Sun Princess. She stood, and smiled to the friends gathered, levitated her own Element and began the spell again.
"Please," She urged, "friends gathered here, lend me your power, put your will into the Elements of Harmony, and cast it to me! This ends here!"
William, now fully standing, could see this from where he was and laughed. "Your to late! The Cosmos Tear is mine! I will have the power I deserve!" He reached over to the stone on the pedestal, only to feel extra weight on his feet. He looked down. Colonel Gregor McMullen had managed to crawl to William, despite his wound and blood loss, and now held him in place with a firm grip. Shaking his legs, William cried out, "You worthless little PEASANT! WHY! WONT! YOU! JUST! DIE!" William managed to get one leg free, and began stomping on Gregor, trying to get free.
Celestia's spell, now charged, cast out a rainbow lighted burst of power. William managed to get free, only to see the light wash over him. He could feel a cool stillness overcome him, starting at his foot and working up his leg. He had to move fast. He spun around as the feeling reached his chest. With a final burst of effort, William stretched his arm out. It was within his grasp! The Cosmos Tear! With it he could undo this all, and finally have the Kingdom that was denied to him by his half-wit brother! It was his! These were the last thoughts that passed through William's mind as his head became encased in stone.
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Hurricane was gone. Where to? Who in hell cared. The enemy was almost overwhelming the defenders. The battle was lost. Retreat was the only option, but to where? Raymond swung his sword with rage as the situation sunk in. Blur had not returned, and the promised reinforcements were nowhere in sight. Wave after wave of enemies washed over the line, and for their credit, the defenders held. They had assumed a pseudo-phalanx formation, the rebel forces would crash against the human's shields while ponies of all races stabbed and slashed at their legs and abdomen. Archers and light infantry picked up what they could to join the fight. Soon the line would have to fall back just to escape the mounds of bodies, human and pony alike. In his short life, Raymond could never have imagined a battle like this. His only consolation was that he would die in glorious combat fighting for justice and peace, bringing honor to his family, weather they knew it or not.
Suddenly there was a burst of sound and a gush of wind strong enough to stagger the entire line. Raymond looked up and saw a sight that would be embedded in his mind until his death. A wide spread arc of rainbow light leaped across the sky. From behind it, Raymond could see a stream of colors following a Pegasus. It was Blur! The pony swerved and started to come towards him. From the right flank he heard a roar. Chanting! In Celtic! Calipar had come through! Raymond had to turn to his left to observe the source of a new uproar. Hurricane's reinforcements! They had arrived as well! The two new groups began a charge at the still stunned rebel troops. Realizing an opportunity, Raymond summoned his now-hoarse voice again.
"Come on you brigands! Your going to let them take all the Glory! Once more, into the Breach! CHARGE!" The response was a tired but motivated roar as the line once more pushed into the ranks of the rebels. Now over their stun from the boom, the enemy line fell back upon itself, trying vainly to defend its flanks from the new forces. The smash was demoralizing, and many French units routed from the field, to try to regroup farther behind the battle. They were quickly killed or captured by overhead Pegasus. Blur finally landed, stretching her wings from the long flight.
"Sir!" She said, saluting in a human fashion, "I managed to get to Captain Calipar with the message after having to prove I wasn't there to spy or anything."
"None to soon, Blur." Raymond replied "I was beginning to think we had been abandoned. Amazing trick with that... whatever it was."
The pony blushed at the complement. "I was just doing what you said sir. I flew as fast as I could. What happened to General Hurricane, sir?" Blur asked. Silence only answered her until a new voice came to the group.
"General Hurricane has been relived of command." The pair turned to see a gold armored Pegasus with a Captain's emblem proudly polished on his chest plate. It was Captain Braveheart, of the Royal Guard. "He refused to aid an ally in need, going against his own plan and the Princess' orders. He brought shame upon himself, the army, and Equestria. I took control of the Army from there, and came to reinforce the front." He took a look at the grounds that surrounded them, covered in dead. "Although much damage seems to have been done."
Raymond sighed in agreement, "Yes, but had you delayed any longer, I fear that there may have been no forces to reinforce left." A man on horseback rode up to the group and raised his visor, revealing the grievous face of Captain Calipar. "A timely charge, Captain" Raymond saluted, complementing a man who was by rank, his superior. The man had been a part of the Night Watch longer than him, and thus had seniority in the Lunar Guard.
"Yes, yes, my friend,"The man replied, "however, I hope you did not lie in the message you sent. We are not a part of these rebels and their plots, we only wished to protect our new people."
Raymond faked astonishment in jest, "Of course, sir, I would never condemn a man for wanting to protect his family. As acting Commanding Officer, I welcome you back to the Lunar Republican Guard. Would you like to take over from here, sir?" Raymond secretly wished he would say yes. The day had been long and stressful, and he would severely like to find a nice, quiet spot to crawl up and sleep. Sadly, he would not get his wish.
"No, sir, I believe you have done an exemplary job commanding the Army considering the conditions. And if I'm right, as Commanding Officer, you outrank me, am I right?" Calipar had a respectful smile on his face while staring down at Raymond, covered in blood and mud. He looked the part of a real soldier, unlike the unit commanders from the "Old World", who would avoid the dirty business as much as possible.
Raymond himself seemed astonished at the apparent promotion. "B-but I'm just acting commander! You have years more experience than me and-"
"And I could never have done as well as you have today. You held your ground in the face of impossible odds. Where most commanders would have fled, you stood fast. You held the ground for justice, honor, and to protect the innocent. General Raymond Danzel, I would follow you into hell itself. Congratulations."
Raymond swooned. General! Now he knew he needed a nap. Could a Captain even do that? Regardless, this was big. The sounds of battle were far away now. He looked around him. The blood soaked fields seemed to take on a new meaning. Captain Braveheart looked on with respect, and Color Blur almost shied away from the newly promoted officer. All these dead, all the still dying, and the wounded. They were his responsibility. His soldiers. Not just the Republic's, or Colonel Gregor's. His. And they needed him.
"Well Gentlemen, and Lady," The new General nodded to Blur in recognition, "We still have a battle to fight, and the sooner we end it, the sooner we can clean up this mess, and get our boys some rest." Hefting his sword up, Raymond ran off towards the dwindling clash, followed quickly by his comrades. The past day and one half had seemed to be nothing but fighting, and now he intended to end it.
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Celestia and Gregor's staff walked out of the Everfree Forest and stood aghast at the field of battle. Bodies laid everywhere, some in respectful lines, others in large piles. Man and Pony alike were laid out. In the distance, they could see aid tents set up with soldiers running to and fro. They could see more soldiers in the distance digging graves, and others still pulling bodies in, some crying and flailing, but most still and silent. The sight made Celestia disquieted. She had visited the battlefield before, but it had always seemed more... controlled, less morbid. Undoubtedly commanders had ordered the bodies buried or hidden for her arrivals. Why show your ruler the cost of war when it could cause her to rethink it's worth?
They made their way to the tent village that had sprung up. They were surprised to see women and children running about, delivering supplies and helping where they could. The refugees had been called upon to help with the effort. After inquiring about the person in charge, they were directed to a large tent with a shouting man in it. They were able to hear him as they worked their way through the medics.
"For the Lords sake, would you stop fussing over me! I am fine! Nothing more than a few scratches! Go help the new fellows coming in! The ones missing arms and legs, dammit!" As the doctors and medics parted, both by order and awe at the new additions in the tent, the shape of Raymond Danzel, covered in bandages and wraps, looked upon them. He seemed to consider what to say to the near speechless group, then settled.
"It's about time."
"What happened here?" Celestia asked, shaken from her stupor.
"What happened?" Raymond looked incredulously, "A God Damn War! Thats what happened! Swords swinging! Arrows flying! Death around every inch of the field! Were not so brutal it would be glorious!" He exclaimed, waving his arms as he spoke.
Bjorr looked to a passing medic, "What is wrong with him?" Instead of the medic, another voice answered the question in an adjacent bed.
"They gave the good General some alcohol to numb the pain, and it appears he got a bit to much." The unarmored body of Captain Braveheart was wrapped up and stitched in various places. Celestia looked over to her guardsman. His movements seemed sluggish and his eyes had a fog of intoxication about him.
"Seems he is not the only one." She said, making Braveheart look away in embarrassment.
"And since when are you a General?" Dominik asked Raymond with crossed arms. As the Lieutenant-turned-General began his story, Celestia and Braveheart began their own conversation.
"Where is General Hurricane? Shouldn't he be leading this effort?" She inquired. Braveheart looked down in almost disgust at the General's name.
"The General is either digging some graves or at his trial."
"Trial?" Celestia cocked her head in confusion. "Why is he on trial?"
Braveheart looked as if he wanted to avoid the answer entirely as he spoke, "Insubordination, Dereliction of Duty, and Conduct Disgraceful to an Officer..." He noticed his princess' confused expression. "He abandoned them ma'am. He said that we could let them all destroy each other and save 'True Equestrian's' lives. We had a plan. A good one. And he just let them go. I couldn't let it happen. I had to do something. My honor as an officer and a soldier demanded it. I gathered my men, and placed him under arrest. Our forces arrived just in time to avoid a complete massacre. We should have moved sooner though. The enemy was only at two-thirds strength than we thought, but Hurricane had withdrawn the air patrols. Said he didn't want one of his Pegasus to get hit with a stray arrow. We could have saved so many. Saves so many." Braveheart grew silent as his gaze drifted out of the tent. Celestia knew he was looking at the piles of bodies.
At this point Raymond had finished his exciting story, with the Staff looking at him with approval. He asked the inevitable question, "So where is Colonel McMullen? Did he give that French charlatan a good thrashing?" His only answer was a somber silence. He looked to each one of them before realization set in. "No... He didn't. He couldn't... but... he's the Colonel. He can't die." Dominik placed a wrapped shield in the General's lap.
"Frozen in living stone" Milo said sorrowfully.
"He was caught in the blast when we petrified William. Held the bastard still for us." Bjorr mumbled.
"But you can fix him, right? Just hit him with those Elements or something?" Raymond asked hopefully, clutching to the sides of the shield.
Celestia shook her head. "The Elements reacted badly with the human spirit. They encased themselves in stone and even I couldn't trigger them."
"He would have died from his injuries anyway. William stuck him good with a knife, broke it off in there. If the bleeding didn't kill him, infection would." Arthur quietly added while Raymond kept looking on in space.
Slowly the General laid back down on the bed and just stared at the ceiling, holding the shield to his chest. The five left to see what they could help with around camp, while Celestia remained with the now physically and emotionally scarred man. He was quiet for a while as she and Braveheart remained respectfully silent. He surprised them both when he finally spoke softer than he had all day, "He believed in me you know. Always supported me. I felt like a favorite. The Colonel was like a father to me. Trained me. Raised me. He wanted big things for me. Well, he got it." Tears began to well in his eyes. "He was an inspiration. My rock. Always there. Now he's... he's... gone. He would have been so proud." His next words were garbled by an open sob. He finally started to regain composure as Celestia and Braveheart comforted him.
"In the brief time I knew him, your Colonel was one of the bravest, most honorable men I've known in my life, and I've lived for millenniums. He gave his life in the act of stopping the greatest evil that had ever crossed Equestria." Celestia whispered to Raymond.
"Anypony that created a soldier such as you could never be bad in my books." Braveheart offered. It was strange, really. Two days ago he would have killed this man in a heartbeat and never looked back, now he was consoling him for his lost father figure. How quickly war changes things.
Raymond stifled another sob and spoke, "That's how he would have wanted to die. Saving people. It was his mission after all. You'd think he was told by God or something, the way he would go on about it, but he would always say, 'There is no greater gift a person can give to his fellow man than his own life in place of their's'. He would say that we fought so others wouldn't have to. That's just how he was. He held us together. Gave us a chance for peace. I just hope his sacrifice will not be squandered."
The day passed slowly in the tent, many wounded came in and out of the flap that served as a door. Most of them didn't make it. Celestia announced she had to leave to raise the moon, and Raymond respectfully asked to watch her, being curious on how the act was supposedly done. Celestia agreed and, with Braveheart's assistance, he made his way outside, freeing up the much needed bed. As he stepped out of the tent, however, he immediately regretted it. Despite all the digging that day, the bodies were still piled up. In the distance they could hear Shepplin's prayers for the dead. Whatever alcohol was left in his system drained out at the sight. His mind wracked with strategies and tactics that could have averted this massacre, all the people. All the ponies. All of them, soldiers under his command. And now they were being put into unmarked graves. On the crest of an adjacent hill, he could make out the silhouettes of prisoners and soldiers still digging holes. Doctors no longer moved rapidly from place to place. All the wounded had been dealt with. Only the dead remained.
Braveheart shook him from his stupor, and guided him to a good spot to watch the Sun Princess' magic. Celestia sat peacefully on a barren hill, looking up into the sky. If one looked close enough, they would have seen a tear slide down her cheek as she recalled the spell her once loving sister had performed for so long before this madness consumed her. Celestia's horn glowed softly as the sun, which had already sat on the edge of the sky, slowly drifted downward. On the opposite side of the open sky, a solid moon rose with the dark equine imprint staining an otherwise pristine white surface. The moon began it's cycle in the sky and Celestia powered down her magic. The ground now had a new eerie look about it. It was dark, and hard to make out the features of the dead. At a distance, one may have mistaken the mounds as displaced earth. Lanterns were lit, however, and the work continued.
Celestia returned to Raymond and Braveheart, who both noticed her wet face, and understood her lament. Raymond swept his gaze once more across the field of dead and spoke, "How much has this war cost us all?"
The Sun Princess answered, "Far to much." They sat in relative silence for a while, watching the men carry on their grisly business. The moon was a quarter into the sky before Celestia spoke again. "I believe it to be for the best if your people left, General." The man nodded without speaking. "I have seen great feats of compassion from your people, but I have also seen your worst. And this.. it is..."
"To much" Raymond finished for her. He understood. These ponies, they were not meant for war. Not meant for this. They were peaceful by nature, they didn't belong in the chaos of battle. Humanity and its constant conflict would bring nothing but war. Perhaps in the future, when they could know peace, they could return, but not now. Not after this. "Give us one month to bury our dead and get ready. We will leave."
Celestia did not turn to him, but nodded. "I know of a unsettled land across the Everfree Forest and over the Far Mountains. It is far enough that our people may never meet again."
That night word was spread among the people. Some agreed, some were outraged, most were just tired. The month passed and the proper preparations were made. The dead were all buried, the requirements to build a sustainable settlement were brought, and the people, happy or not with the arrangement, gathered to make the journey. Good byes were said to all the friends that had been made, and some equipment was given in thanks. Raymond was made the leader for the mass of people, the position earned through his actions at the battle. He stepped forward as Celestia came to the camp they had set up.
"So... this is goodbye." He said
"Yes. I suppose so." Celestia replied. They both spoke quietly, recognizing this was the last time a human being would ever speak to an Equestrian.
"I'll admit." Raymond continued, as if trying to prolong the moment, "I will miss this land and it's people. They are good, kind folk."
"Thank you. With a few exceptions, Your people seem good and just as well. Captain Blur will be sad to see you go."
"She is a Captain now? That is good. Tell her congratulations for me. I wish I could stay, but with the war, and all that death, no. It would be to much. Perhaps, down the line, our peoples may meet again, but next time in peace and harmony."
"I think I would like that."
With those words, the conversation ended. Raymond returned to his people, and prepared. Celestia charged her spell. Her magic was strong after a month of recuperation, and she cast a mighty ball of energy. The ball expanded to cover the humans and their gear. The ball died down. Nothing was left. The humans were gone.
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Celestia would spent the next few decades wiping the memories of humanity and the war from the face of Equestria. She wanted her people to forget about all the suffering that had come from it. She wanted to forget. She couldn't forget, though. The sights, the bodies. She could never forget them. She could never forget the sacrifices made. Never. A tear would escape her eye as she spoke to herself in private, "Luna. Why?"
Peace returned to Equestria as the ponies rebuilt. The cities were fixed and new structures built. The massive graveyard bore much fruit. It eventually hosted a large apple tree grove, and still expanded. The refugee camp became a full fledged town. They called it Ponyville. Centuries passed as the scars of war healed. Soon the terrors of the war and the humans that fought it became myth and legend, known by few, cared about by less. One thousand years passed without incident.
When Nightmare Moon returned, Celestia feared she would incite Civil war again. Instead, the arrogance that had possessed her had expanded to the point she believed she could force all of Equestria into submission. Celestia could see the irony when Nightmare was finally defeated in the same castle that her love had died in. Celestia was surprised though, when the Elements of Harmony reactivated the way they had. She knew her star pupil would figure something out, but the power of friendship was defiantly something new, transforming the elements into the a new form. Overall, with Nightmare's reign over and Luna returned to the loving sister she had grown up as, Celestia predicted a new era of peace would settle over all of Equestria.
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Rainbow Dash lazily looked over the Everfree Forest. The princess had told Twilight Sparkle about some strange sightings reported by explorers and adventurers. It was about metal birds or something. She didn't really pay attention. Metal couldn't fly, everypony knew that. Even if it could, they could never be faster than her, so why care? She was still the fastest flier in all of Equestria. She closed her eyes and began drifting off to sleep, only for an irritating low buzzing to fill her ears. She looked about for the bee causing it, but saw nothing.
Over the horizon, however, she could make out the distinct shapes of some flying... things. They were shaped kinda like birds, but their wings didn't flap, they were just gliding through the air. There were five at least, two ahead of three more, and they were approaching fast. Faster than any gliding object should. She remained on her cloud, observing the strange fliers as they got closer. She could see a shine off the wings of the creatures, and it took her some moments to realize it was metal! Twilight had been right! Flying metal birds! Where did they come from? Were they friendly? Could they even talk?
Rainbow Dash got her answers sooner than she thought when the creatures cleared the forest, and the two in front pull into some aerial maneuvers to get above the other three. A loud clacking pierced the low drum the creatures made, and one of the three's wings burst into flames. They were not friendly at all.
End Chapter