//------------------------------//
// Griffonstone 
// Story: Strange Bedfellows 
// by BRBrony9 
//------------------------------//

The Griffon lands were notably cooler than the more temperate climes of Cloudsdale and Ponyville. The deck crews of the airships were rotated hourly, as the bitter 75 mile-per-hour wind whipping in from prow to stern quickly chilled ponies working in exposed positions. The civilians were kept below decks, in the darkened, creaking confines of the main holds. Lookouts clad in cold-weather gear maintained a constant watch as the trio closed in on the Hyperborean Mountains. On the Starswirl, the human's vox-set crackled into life.

'Lieutenant Atter, this is Major Harding, how copy?' The Lieutenant sent Mons to alert the princess and picked up the handset.

'This is Lieutenant Atter, go ahead sir.'

'We're picking up three large Auspex contacts approaching the mountains approximately thirty miles south of us, slow moving, in formation, altitude eight thousand. I'm assuming that's you?'

'Affirmative, sir,' Atter replied. 'We're approaching the mountains now.' He peered ahead through the biting wind, glad of his protective goggles. The mountains looked forbidding- though not as tall as some of the peaks of the Foal Mountains to the south, they were far more rugged in appearance, a foreboding lack of vegetation on their slopes, the treeline seemingly stopping dead just a few thousand feet up and being replaced by patchy snow. Where the snow had not accumulated, dull brown rock showed through, littered with scree and heavy boulders carried down by glacial melt, avalanches and rockfalls. Here and there, notably atop some of the peaks, ragged flags fluttered, torn and ravaged by the weather, bearing what may have been signals, warnings, or merely denoting the border between Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom, Atter could not tell.

'Copy that. Some kind of interference is limiting the range of our scanners. Possibly metal deposits in the mountains or some such, should have picked you up much farther out. We'll standby for your approach. Our liaison advises you to take the main route through the Pass of Glentora and to keep above ten thousand feet. He says the pony navigators will know it. He says they'll have a pilot standing by to bring you in. Our triple-a batteries are standing by to cover your approach. Fine work with those traitor jets, by the way.' Harding had been informed by vox about the air battle and its outcome. 'You say this princess of theirs put up some kind of...personal void shield?' he questioned.

'Yes sir, that's right,' Atter replied. 'She's a psyker, of that there's no doubt. Back at Cloudsdale, we saw her wipe out an entire...I don't know how many, at least a company's worth of traitor infantry in a heartbeat, then she took down one of their bulk landers with some kind of psychic beam...'

'And they made a psyker their leader? I tell you what, son, everywhere I've ever been in this galaxy, one thing remains the same. Xenos are damn crazy.' He allowed himself a small chuckle. 'Keep tabs on her, Lieutenant. I don't have to remind you how dangerous psykers can be.'

'Yes sir.' The Lieutenant paused a moment. 'Sir, if I may...every time I've been close to one of our sanctioned psykers in the past, I've always gotten the same...symptoms, I guess you'd say. My hair stood on end, I felt like someone was watching me, i felt nauseous...but their princess has been aboard this airship with us for eight hours, and I've not felt any of those symptoms, sir. I don't know what that means, I just...thought I ought to say it.'

Harding grunted before replying. 'It might not mean a damn thing, Lieutenant. Just be careful. You know that even if a psyker is supposed to be on our side, that doesn't mean he'll end the day without killing some of our own. Too unpredictable, too uncontrollable. No reason to think this Xenos is gonna be any different. I'll expect you in Griffonstone within the hour. Harding out.'

'Yes, sir. We'll be there,' Atter assured him as Mons and Celestia approached. He turned to the white mare. 'Your Highness. I have just been in contact with the Major. He says the Griffons instruct us to take the Pass of Glentora and to stay above ten thousand feet. Pilots will be waiting to meet us and guide us in.'

Celestia nodded and gave her order to Captain Lance. The message was quickly relayed to the other ships, along with instructions to move to line astern formation for the tight mountain pass ahead. The airships cut their speed and climbed to eleven thousand feet to remain above any potential obstacles as they navigated towards the Pass of Glentora, a narrow cut between two crooked peaks. Large banners fluttered from both mountaintops, though they had been almost shredded by the wind.

'Griffon territorial boundaries,' Celestia explained, seeking Atter's gaze drawn to the flags. 'We will be leaving Equestria momentarily.'

'Will the Griffons be pleased to see pony aircraft within their borders, Your Highness?' Atter asked. 

'Under normal circumstances it would be considered an act of war to penetrate their territory with military airships,' Celestia replied. 'But of course, these are not normal circumstances. Given the nature of events over the last few days I would imagine they will be far more glad to see us than they ever imagined they could be.'

Atter nodded. He knew that the Imperium itself was no stranger to internecine conflict- there were instances of Guard fighting PDF, Astartes fighting Guard, divisions between the High Lords, the constant standoff between the Ecclesiarchy and the Adeptus Mechanicus, as well as countless thousands of civil wars and disputes between houses, tribes or even entire star systems. But, as humanity learned time and again, nothing unified squabbling groups like an existential threat, and he felt it likely that these Ponies and Griffons would feel the same.

'When we arrive I shall meet with this Major of yours, and the Griffon King. We shall discuss our next steps,' Celestia continued in a commanding tone, as if she were used to issuing orders to humans as well as ponies. 'I am sure the Major will be able to find a role for you.'

'Yes, Your Highness...' Atter nodded. As far as he knew his Regiment had been wiped out, but the Parvians could surely use all the help they could get.



In line astern, the ponderous airships slipped into the pass, greeted by a trio of flying Griffons, pilots to guide their passage, one for each craft. Rock walls loomed on both sides, but the pass had been selected deliberately for them to make their approach. The Griffons used it for their own, considerably smaller, military airships to approach the capital, but it was sufficient even for the vast, bloated cargo airships that plied the trade routes between the two nations. The Starswirl's gasbag was slightly longer than even those behemoths, but it was enough for them to snake through. In places where the pass narrowed, it had been widened with explosives over the years for extra clearance. At several points along the high cliffs, lookout towers and observation posts had been erected, and beady eyes could be seen peering down, watching the stately progress of the huge craft, the Starswirl in the lead with the Canterlot behind, and the Vanhoover bringing up the rear. After minutes in the Stygian twilight of the pass, the canyon widened and light blazed forth, the sun's rays rounding the prominence above and shining down upon them. Ahead of them lay a plateau, and atop it lay a city.

Griffonstone was the capital of the Griffon Kingdom, and while it lacked the splendor of Canterlot, what it offered instead was a reflection of the nature of its inhabitants. Perched atop a mountain plateau, sitting in a mountainous bowl in the shadow of any number of forbidding high peaks, surrounded by barren slopes and often whipped by vicious winds, the city nevertheless endured. It was simple, it was squat, it was hardy. It had no time for ornamental architecture, for needless complication, for style over substance. It was there, it had always been there, it would always be there, and like its namesake resident species, it would take no shit from anyone.

The city was constructed simplistically, with mostly stone structures of one or two stories, as wood was scarce in the mountains. More banners and flags fluttered from almost every building. A short distance from the city on the plateau, three Imperial bulk landers and a number of smaller dropships and shuttles were parked up, along with a stubby Griffon airship. The practiced eye would have detected the string of Manticore SAM systems and Hydra AAA vehicles dotted around the plateau and surrounding hillsides mixed with the Griffons' own ground-to-air cannon, the trenches and firepits dug into the snow and rock outside the city, and even a few tanks augmenting the defence. Atop the second-tallest of the nearby peaks stood a domed structure, fast-moving wispy clouds scudding around it, swirls of crystalline snow being picked up and carried like confetti.

The civilian population of Griffonstone, those not enrolled in the militia, were bewildered by the turn of events. First they were attacked by an unknown enemy, then that enemy stopped fighting and joined forces with them, and now ponies were in town. While the arrival of Equestrian military forces within the borders of the Kingdom would normally be a cause for concern, given the circumstances many Griffons found themselves reassured by the sight of the familiar Equestrian standards fluttering in the breeze. At least ponies were a known quantity- not always friendly, but at the very least, they were of this planet.

The Griffon pilots guided their charges out of the canyon and towards the plateau beside the city, used as a mooring field. Griffons, grey and brown winged creatures with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion, were a hardy race, and their ground crews strutted through the snow with no protective gear, fluorescent guide batons directing the descent. Each airship was assigned a parking spot, and the ropes and ground anchors went over the side, grabbed and secured by the Griffons below. Engines buzzed as they fluctuated between forward and reverse pitch as each airship steadied itself. Once mooring was completed, their engines were cut entirely, and peace returned to the plateau.



The royal party was met by both human and Griffon personnel. Major Harding, a gruff, grizzled 20-year veteran of the Guard and its frontier battles, was clad in his combat gear, the usual Parvian grey matching most of his short hair, and augmented by a white snow jacket and coverings for his boots and helmet given the mountainous nature of their theatre of operations. Even without the winter gear, his uniform would have contained no badges of rank like many regiments wore; as a veteran he was well aware that even something as simple as a small Aquila, stripe or diamond on the collar or lapel could draw a sniper's attention like a red rag to a bull. A lasgun was slung over his shoulder and a plasma pistol and combat knife adorned his belt; no armchair officer was he. 

Accompanying him, alongside his vox-officer and escort, were several Griffons, an Honour Guard both for Celestia and their own King, Garston, who trotted out resplendent in his unnecessary finery, a gold crown atop his head similar to Celestia's but far less understated. A purple cloak fastened with a golden clasp in the shape of the Idol of Boreas, the sacred Griffon relic said to unify their nation. A jewel-encrusted scabbard with Griffon-forged sword within hung from his right flank and completed his ensemble. He pointedly spoke first, before the human had a chance.

'Greetings, Your Highness!' He extended one claw for her to shake. 'Many moons have passed since you and your sister came beyond our borders. Let us hope your next visit will be under less trying circumstances.' His voice was suitably deep for a half-eagle, half-lion hybrid. 

'Good day to you, Your Majesty,' Celestia replied, accustomed to dealing with such formalities but hoping to brush over most political niceties today. 'It is always a pleasure to speak with you and to visit your lands,' she replied, with a considerable veneer of practised diplomatic lies. 'As you say, circumstances are not ideal...I suggest we skip the formalities and proceed straight to a military briefing.'

'Now here's someone who talks sense,' Major Harding interrupted. 'You must be Princess Celestia?'

She nodded. 'Major Harding, I presume?'

'Correct,' the human replied. 'Now, let's get down to brass tacks here. It looks like we're in the shit.'



The military briefing, held in the King's palace within Griffonstone, showed the gravity of the situation. Most of Equestria, so far as could be determined, was in Chaos hands, including Canterlot, Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Baltimare and Fillydelphia. Griffonstone was secure for now, as were the two other major Griffon settlements of Griffongrad and Griffonia, their mountainous location providing added natural security. Harding explained how the Imperial fleet was in orbit around the planet but were cut off by a warp storm- a concept that the ponies had never encountered but quickly understood, at least at a fundamental level.

'We can't land reinforcements until we can break through that warp storm,' Harding explained, driving home the point as the royals stood around a large map of the Griffon lands, deep within the palace, the walls lined with decorative rugs and furs. 'We're on our own down here until it dissipates, assuming it ever does.'

'How long do these storms typically last?' Celestia asked. 

'Years, decades, centuries.' He shrugged. 'Who can say? The whims of the warp. That is, unless they're being specifically maintained by someone or something.'

'How do you end such a storm?' Luna questioned. 'Is there some scientific way to cause it to break up or move away?'

'If there is, Imperial science has yet to discover it,' Harding responded. 'We've tried expanding Gellar fields, we've tried concentrated engine exhaust to burn through it, we've tried cyclonic torpedoes. Nothing's ever worked.'

'You say these storms, they block communications from both directions, yes?' Celestia pondered.

'That's right.' Harding nodded. 'No signals, in or out. Might as well be a black hole. Matter of fact, I thought they weren't supposed to even let sunlight through...' 

'Perhaps our sun is different. Do you think, Major,' Celestia posited, 'that if your fleet were to somehow get a message of any description, however...vague it may seem, that they would react to it? That is to say...if something were to suggest that leaving orbit might be the best course of action?'

The Major raised an eyebrow. 'What? Why would they leave orbit? They came here to take this planet...' he stopped himself. 'That is, until we established that there was, ah...a greater threat. Now that threat is trapped here below their own storm, and I'm sure the Lord-Admiral will want to be waiting for it when it re-emerges.'

'I am sure he would,' Celestia nodded. 'And does he not also care for his trapped soldiers?'

Harding snorted. 'Not only is he a Lord, he's also an Admiral, what do you think? Although I will say this for him. For a Navy man, he seems a lot more genuine that most I've met. Most spacers just look at us infantry as cargo, as if they were lugging iron ore around...or fresh meat is more like it. I never quite got that impression from him.'

'I see.' WIth Harding's negative comments, Celestia was reminded of Grand Admiral Bluewater and his pet vanity project, of whom no word had been received since the Equestrian navy sortied several days earlier. 'He would abandon you to die here?'

'Maybe. But Lord-General Galen, that's a different story. I tell you what, princess, I'm proud to serve under a man like that. A father to his men. Unfortunately, the Admiral is in command of this crusade.'

'Crusade?' It was Celestia's turn to raise an eyebrow. 'I thought this was an exploratory mission, Major.'

'You can call it what you like,' Harding replied with a shrug. 'Doesn't change the facts now. We're stuck down here together unless those storms lift. Call me a pragmatist, but I don't much care who I fight with as long as it it fraks over those traitor scum. Guess it's not so different from fighting with the Eldar.'

'Indeed...' Celestia didn't sound particularly enthused and had no idea what an Eldar was, but continued on. 'You mentioned an observatory before, correct? Please take us there as soon as possible. My sister and I wish to observe this storm and the enemy for ourselves.'



The Griffon National Observatory, or GNO, was located atop the windswept peak of Mount Glory. It had been recently completed, as the Griffon interest in astronomy was a recent discovery, coinciding rather coincidentally with the completion a few years ago of the Equestrian National Observatory in the Foal Mountains to the south. The large concrete structure was topped with a metal retractable dome from whence the large telescope could emerge to observe the skies. The few Griffon scientists, trained, ironically, by their pony counterparts, took their recordings and made their reports on the space phenomena they observed, often distant galaxies. Today, however, the telescope was looking closer to home.

Celestia, Luna and Twilight gathered around, while Harding and his escort of stormtroopers kept a short distance back. The huge telescope loomed above the ponies as one of the Griffon scientists manipulated it. 'And a little...more...there we are, Your Highness!' The Griffon stepped back, and Celestia took his place to peer through the eyepiece.

Much of the warp storm and its effects were not visible to the naked eye, but nevertheless a coruscating, pulsating band of dark purple and black energy rippled in the viewfinder, hanging many miles above the planet. In appearance it was not entirely dissimilar to a magical storm back at ground level, but from the magnification marked on the side of the viewfinder it was clear it was vastly greater in scale. Luna and Twilight took their turns observing the unusual phenomenon.

'I must say, Your Highness,' the scientist observed, 'I have been studying astrophysics for...oh, a whole year, and I've never seen anything like this before. I'm at a loss to explain it! It's not a nebula, it's certainly not dark matter or else we couldn't see it. The humans say it is a 'warp storm,' but I've attended numerous classes at the Manehattan Institute of Technology and they certainly never mentioned anything about that!'

'There have been a lot of new discoveries recently,' Luna commented dryly. 'Aliens, for one.'

'Can you show us the enemy ships?' Twilight requested. The scientist nodded eagerly and bustled to obey, recalibrating the telescope and moving it around. 'There. There's one.' The ponies again took turns observing. This time the viewfinder was focused on a large, dark grey object, several miles in apparent length. The telescope offered good magnification and clarity, and countless protuberances could be observed jutting from the main body- sensor vanes, gun turrets, torpedo tubes, life pods, thruster nozzles and any number of entirely ornamental and architectural beams, angles and even sculptures and gargoyle-esque designs.

'It looks like a castle,' Twilight muttered. 'And it's in space? That's...that's crazy! It's enormous!'

'I've counted at least two dozen of those things up there,' the Griffon scientist replied. 'Differing sizes and mass, but all of a broadly similar shape. If they're real, the science behind them must be...incredible!' Twilight could only nod in agreement.

'Do you have any weapons that can harm them?' Luna turned to Harding as he stood nearby. He shook his head.

'Not from the surface. Such weapons exist but we have none planetside. Even if we did the rest of the fleet would finish us off in a heartbeat.'

'But if your fleet could get through the storm, they could defeat the enemy ships?' Celestia questioned. 

'Depends what kind of state our fleet is in. We've had no contact with them. They might be completely frakked.' Harding shrugged, evidently a habit of his. 'But if they're in half decent fighting shape, then yes, they certainly can. If there's one thing those spacers can do, it's fight. They've been doing it for millennia.' 

'Millennia? Your space crews live that long?' Luna questioned.

'What? Oh, no.' Harding chuckled. 'Thank the Emperor, insufferable bunch of bastards they are, wouldn't want anyone to have to put up with them all that time. Besides, can you imagine living for that long?'

'But of course,' Celestia replied. 'I myself am two thousand, six hundred and fourteen years old.'

Harding blinked a few times. 'Uh...I guess your years have fewer days than ours, in that case.'

'Perhaps. Come, we should return to the palace. I have seen what I wished to see,' Celestia added. 'The King no doubt grows restless.' Luna nodded.

'No doubt. He seems confident in the abilities of his militia. It is a confidence I do not share.' Harding and his escort led the way out of the observatory, starting down the narrow path towards the plateau and the town below.

That was when the heavens fell.



With a flash out of nowhere that lit the sky, something blazed down and an immense fireball erupted across the plateau. Several seconds later, the loud crack of the strike followed immediately by the roar of the explosion reached them. One of the Imperial bulk landers had disappeared, wreathed in flame. All eyes turned skyward as another flash brought another crashing detonation.

'Son of a bitch...!' Harding cursed through gritted teeth. 'Orbital bombardment! Get down!' he urged, diving to the ground along with his escorts, a token gesture against the power being unleashed. The ponies remained standing.

'We must protect the town!' Celestia shouted. Hurry, gather around me!' Another lance strike ripped through the sky and vaporised a small cluster of dropships. Snows on the plateau melted several hundred feet from the impacts, while clouds overhead evaporated as the immense heat passed by them. Another blast came in as the ponies gathered round. Celestia's horn immediately glowed and a protective shield sprung up around Griffonstone. Luna joined in, her magic reinforcing the barrier. Twilight, taken aback by the sudden violence, took a few moments before adding her own strength to the attempt.

Another lance blast smashed into the plateau, destroying the remaining bulk lander and tossing smaller dropships about like toys. Another struck, and then another, and then there was silence.

Several minutes passed while they held the shield up, but no more strikes came. The Imperial craft lay shattered and broken, burning wreckage strewn across the landscape, but the town remained intact.

'Why aren't they attacking the town...?' Twilight breathed. 'They had time, they caught us by surprise...why didn't they hit it before we raised the shield?'

'I fear what I said before is true,' Celestia said, lowering the shield. 'I fear they come for us.'

Major Harding and the other soldiers slowly regained their feet as the vox crackled. 'Major!' the vox-officer shouted. 'We have incoming!'








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