Chapter 1
Pretty Pond slung her rifle around her body and joined the crowds of Violet Guards who were celebrating the anniversary of the Visaginas Uprising here in Swordsson. There was a large parade of the armed forces of Longsword making their way through the streets, using what few trucks and assorted automobiles they could find to ferry loads of creatures riding on the back and on the sides. The atmosphere was euphoric; not as euphoric as the initial victory over the hated Reformisten and the misguided Rosewood Order, but euphoric nonetheless.
Pond always was pleasantly surprised at just how many young ponies and griffs had joined Naujoji Grifonija in the months since the coup against the partisans. Many people had deep sympathies for Starry Night, especially in the immediate aftermath of the war. It was shocking and almost disturbing how quickly Golden Morning had not only swept into power, but also captured the hearts of the youth. If anyone had any private doubts and questions, you just didn’t hear them. Pretty Pond herself remembered only that she was in Swordsson at the time it happened, a naïve and ignorant mare who didn’t know anything of ideas, only that she was ready to fight for the people of Longsword. Many of the Communist partisans rushed South to Visaginas when the coup went down and Starry Night was murdered. No one ever saw those partisans again, only that Golden Morning’s handsome portrait was now on every street corner, and there were suddenly far more supporters of Naujoji Grifonija than there were before.
Pretty Pond followed the parade, but did not cheer. She merely kept a small smile on her face and tried to maintain a healthy sense of optimism for the future. She heard a masculine voice call out to her from aside the main parade, “Pond! Pond! Over here!” She turned to glance at the sidewalk nearby where among the crowd of onlookers and Violet Guards, she saw a childhood friend, Radiant Flash. Flash was now wearing a violet uniform with a submachine gun around his form. Pretty Pond made her way over and greeted the Pegasus.
“Radiant Flash? I didn’t know you were out of prison! You look nice in that uniform!”
“Can you even believe I’m still alive? I was liberated by the partisans after Swordsson was taken. I’m so happy to see you alive again! Come then, let’s go for a walk!”
He then embraced her in a hug and gently led her away from the parade. They hardly had time to socialize with each other when they were ushered over to a military checkpoint by an officer in Morning’s military. There were several pegasi gathered around a small table set outside what appeared to be a police station. The officer in question was none other than the deer general Felix, perhaps the only one of his kind in all of longsword.
“Soldiers, the Vaideva is putting together a new special forces unit, and you’ve both been assigned to it… to the ISO.”
Pond was taken by surprise. “Me? Special forces? I’m just an idealistic unicorn!”
Flash simply smirked and gave a salute. “Sir! Private Flash sir! Where are we headed?”
Pond suddenly forgot the formalities that Felix was owed. She clumsily saluted the deer and introduced herself as Private Pond when he slowly walked over to them, speaking;
“The ISO is The Vaideva’s new joint commando unit. Some of the Griffon Knights from the old Rosewood Order have pledged their allegiance to our cause. We are pairing them with pegasci airborne infantry and deploying them together along the Griffking to guard the border with the Reformisten.”
Pretty Pond spoke up, “So… where does a unicorn like me come in?”
Felix nodded and said nothing about Pond’s mistake. She felt that if she were across the river with a face full of feathers and wearing a black cloak, she’d probably get beaten for failing to salute an officer properly.
Felix proceeded to answer her question,
“Originally, we were only throwing in artillery and engineers to support the unit, but the Vaideva has replaced the artillery support with mages in order to make it more mobile as well as bringing unicorns into the ISO. He likes the idea of Earth pony engineers and unicorn mages supporting griffon knights and pegasi infantry. I can’t help but agree with him. This is a great opportunity to put the Violet Revolution’s ideas into action. Here, take this truck to the frontline just North of here, I’ll mark it on a map for you.”
He gestured to the truck behind him where the pegasi were loading up additional supplies. Flash nudged Pond and the two ponies looked at each other. “Well how about that? We’re together again after all!”
“Let’s make the best of it… for our friendship, for Longsword, and for our Vaideva!”
They went over to the truck where the assembled pegasi were just about finishing their loading process. A few of them took off and departed, flying North. One of them, the sergeant by the looks of him, approached with a wide smile.
“Greetings comrades! I am Swift Bolt! I’ll be leading up the Pegasus soldiers in our squad! It’s an enormous honor to be chosen for the ISO, so I hope you both can hold your heads a little higher for being selected for this. You, unicorn, are you good with magic?”
Pretty Pond nodded and smiled. “Yes indeed! I don’t know if you have seen my record, but I am equally comfortable with offensive and defensive spells. I saved a few lives during the last war with healing magic too!”
“Excellent! You will be put to good use in the ISO, I assure you! Take this truck and drive on up to the Griffking river, my pegasi will meet you there and do all the heavy lifting with the Earth ponies once you get there. Radiant Flash, you’re flying with me to the front.”
“Respectfully sir, may I ride shotgun with my friend here? It’s dangerous to let mares go alone, and we have a lot of supplies in the back there!”
Pond rolled her eyes at the stallion’s sense of masculinity, but she didn’t mind the company, especially his.
Swift Bolt took a moment to look at Flash, then to Pond, then back to Flash. He smiled and nodded his head towards the truck.
“See you both at the front. Don’t take too long!”
Radiant Flash and Pretty Pond walked past their sergeant and climbed into the cabin of the truck. They drove through the streets of Swordsson in friendly silence, sometimes crossing paths with mobs of young violet guards. After they got clear of the city, Flash broke the silence.
“So… Pond… I’ve been out of the loop for the past few years ever since Dusktalon’s minions locked me up… would you mind getting me all caught up on what’s going on with Naujoji Grifonija and the Violet Revolution? I just got busted out of prison a few months ago; they handed me a gun, a stylish uniform, and asked me if I wanted to hunt down Black Cloaks!”
“And you accepted without any further questions asked? Hmmm!” Pretty Pond chuckled. “You were always such an eager butthead, Flash… alright I’ll tell you everything on the way to the Griffking…”