The Dragon Lands
1/21/4
12:48 P.M.
Colonel Gaston could feel that there was something wrong as he led his regiment of griffons through the Dragon Lands. He had never been there before, but he could tell there was something missing. Just before he crested a hill, he realized what it was. Noise. Aside from the constantly rumbling volcanoes, the Dragon Lands were silent. There was no roaring of dragons or their fire. And when he reached the top of the hill and looked down on the plain where the dragons gathered, he could see why. There wasn’t a single living thing to be found. Even the sparse brush was completely gone. Instead of dragons, the plain was covered in a black substance.
Gaston led his regiment down the hill, the chatter of soldiers fading away as they saw the barren landscape. Hesitantly, Gaston dipped his right claw into the substance, and it flowed around his talons. It was water, but thick and tainted with a substance he couldn’t identify. He decided not to press his luck by tasting it. Holding his claw up, he noticed that the water wasn’t a pure black, but had a faint green tint to it. He shook it off with a grimace. “Spread out,” he ordered. “Try to find out what happened here.”
After only a few seconds, he heard a crow of shock as one of his scouts flew over the largest crater. A crowd had already gathered by the time he reached it, and he immediately saw what all the commotion was about. The skeleton of a huge dragon filled the crater. It was bleached white, clearly having been there a long time. He flew nearer to examine it, scratching idly at an itch on his right claw. This close, he could tell that something unnatural had happened to the skeleton. The bones were much too thin for a dragon that size, and a soft poke revealed that they were also far too spongy.
“Well,” he thought aloud, ignoring the worsening pins and needles in his claw, “even if we can’t find the dragons, we can bring back one of these bones. Maybe the scientists can make something of it.” He flew down to where one of the claws lay half buried in the filthy water. “Gustav, Gilbert, help me pick this thing up.” Once they were in position, he said, “Okay, on the count of three, lift. Ready? One, two, thre-AAARRRGGGHHH!!!”
He stumbled backwards, collapsing on his back in the muck. He raised his right claw and stared at it in horror. His talons had been completely sheared off. But what was somehow even worse was that it wasn’t just blood pouring from his stumps, but a dark slurry. One very similar, some corner of his mind realized, to the one he was currently laying in.
Canterlot Castle Infirmary
1/22/4
3:04 P.M.
Twilight wished she could feel horrified as she read Gilda’s letter, but unfortunately, it seemed all too ordinary now. Another massacre. More innocents dying horrible, meaningless deaths. A new, sicker way of killing. It just seemed to be in the humans’ nature. Every time it seemed like they couldn’t get any worse, they committed another atrocity. She had long ago given up on trying to plumb the depths of their hatred, and now she did the same for their cruelty and inventiveness when it came to developing new methods of slaughter. Not that there was any conclusive evidence that this was the humans’ doing, but things like this just didn’t happen naturally, not in Equestria.
She floated the letter over to Celestia, who was standing at the foot of the bed. The letter may have just been addressed to Twilight, but everypony knew that an urgent message from the newly-crowned Queen of the Griffons to one of Equestria’s Princesses, especially during a time of war, would be important for all of them to see. Now, though, that meant just Twilight and Celestia. Cadance was still in the Crystal Empire, protecting it while her husband was managing Equestria’s entire army from Canterlot (to the great unhappiness of both Princess and Prince), and Luna was… Twilight didn’t like to think about that.
A look of sorrow spread over Celestia’s face as she read the letter. It slipped from her telekinetic grasp and floated to the ground, and Celestia squeezed her eyes shut, tears welling from the corners. For a few minutes, the only sounds coming from the two alicorns were Celestia’s muffled sobs. Fortunately, the moans of the other ponies in the infirmary kept anypony from hearing their ruler breaking down. When she finally recovered, she turned to Twilight. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
Twilight didn’t meet her gaze. “I’m fine,” she said, her voice cold and distant. “Everypony’s lost friends. Ember and I weren’t that close. At least I didn’t have to watch this time.”
Celestia sighed. “That… that wasn’t what I meant. Twilight… I have to go back to the human castle. This has to end.”
“Good,” Twilight snapped. “Finish them off, this time. They deserve it. I just wish I could be there to help you.”
“No, Twilight, you don’t…” Celestia sighed again and took a moment to gather herself. “Twilight?” She waited until her student finally looked at her. “I’m surrendering.”