The morning was one of the quietest Fleethoof had ever experienced. Not a single pony spoke, not since they boarded the ships at Baltimare Harbor. Only the sound of marching hooves filled the early morning air. A dense fog had settled over the ocean, making sailing a slow going process. Even the sound of the waves against the ship seemed mute and distant.
He had woken up hours ago. The sun hadn’t even been up then. Now, as they neared the shore of the Griffon Kingdom, morning light began to seep over the horizon, barely illuminating the fog above a dull, thick blanket of gray. Some ponies cleaned and checked their firearms. Others read books, or stared at photographs, letters, or other mementos. Nopony spoke.
Fleethoof clutched his rifle tight to his chest, focusing on keeping his breathing even and steady. The firmness of the metal felt like an anchor to grab onto and keep himself grounded. His eyes always stayed fixated ahead, trying to see the first glimpse of the shore through the mist.
He looked around at his fellow soldiers all dressed in matching camouflage uniforms. Without the enchanted plate armor, each pony had their respective coats, manes, and eyes. There was no need for superfluous uniformity outside of Equestria other than an intimidation factor. Griffons, as he gathered, were not easily intimidated. It was also the first time Fleethoof had seen the Equestrian Army like this. Everypony was somepony unique now, no longer just a uniform face in a sea of copies. It really hit home that every single soul lost today was somepony special.
Constant hoofsteps on the wooden deck were the only consistent sound beside the waves as Captain Phalanx paced up and down the rows of soldiers. He looked focused, calm, and ready, always turning to look forward on the minute. He was anxious to find the shore too.
Seconds seemed like minutes. Minutes dragged on like hours. Hours felt like endless centuries. Fleethoof’s stomach was in knots, threatening to implode on itself. How long was it going to take them to get there?
Then, just as the thought left his mind, tall silhouettes of mountains loomed through the fog, a darker gray against a monotone canvas. He and several other ponies perked up simultaneously when they realized what they were seeing. In a matter of moments, the entire ship had become aware, and the tension thickened tenfold.
“You see it, everypony. There, before you, is the home of the griffons, the very creatures that would see you all dead to take what they want,” Captain Phalanx shouted out, pointing towards the shore with a hoof. “They do not care if you are a colt, filly, or foal. All they see is their own greed. Your lives have no value to them. They would see ponykind pushed off the world if they had their way.”
Behind Fleethoof, a couple ponies voiced their support. The corporal could see the eyes of some burning with anger, all ready to get off the ship and defend their homes. He just felt sick. A nervous sweat had broken out across his brow. The cool ocean mist helped only a little.
“I can see fear in some of your eyes. But let me tell you, they are more afraid over there behind their high walls. Do you know why? Because they know the Equestrian Army, the greatest fighting force in the world, is coming for their asses!”
Ponies called out in pride again, some even pounding their hooves in rhythmic synchronization against the wood. Fleethoof could feel his spirits lifting from worry with each call and response of unity and support around him.
“Today we show the griffons that ponies are not pushovers. Today we let them feel the strength of Equestria. Today we strike back for harmony, security, and justice!”
Fleethoof’s eyes narrowed as he lifted his head a little higher. With these ponies at his side, he felt secure in their strength and skill. They could do this. They would protect Equestria. The shore got closer and closer, only about a few minutes away now.
“Lock and load, everypony. On this day, we prove ourselves as stallions and mares of Equestria. This day, we take Skyfall!”
All around the ship, ponies began loading their weapons, prepping them for battle. Fleethoof had chambered a round in his rifle and took a moment to look around him. Everypony else looked as ready as he did. Some kissed photos before slipping them into their helmets while others muttered quiet prayers. Beside him, a unicorn was taking a long look at a photograph. Fleethoof glanced over the picture of three ponies: two mares, one pale gray and one a light lavender, and a blue stallion.
“Your family?” Fleethoof asked, breaking the silence, mostly to make himself feel better. Talking seemed to ease his nerves. The white unicorn looked up at him and smiled as he nodded.
“Yeah. My parents and sister. They’re waiting for me back in Equestria,” he said, slipping the photo into his helmet. “Do you have anypony back home for you?”
“My parents back in Cloudsdale.” Fleethoof glanced down at the patch on the pony's uniform. It bore the emblem of the Canterlot Guard. “Are you from Canterlot then?”
“Yeah, that’s where they are—well, my parents at least. My sister is moving away to start her own life. I don’t even know if they know I’m out here…”
“Yeah, I wonder…” said Fleethoof, putting on his best poker face. “2nd Company?”
“1st.” The unicorn pushed his messy blue mane out of his eyes. “Yeah, I got pretty lucky out of boot camp.”
“I’ll say. I shot for that position, but got 3rd.”
“It’s not that bad. Canterlot gets kinda boring sometimes,” the pony lied.
“Spare me,” Fleethoof returned with a smirk and a roll of his eyes, then extended his hoof to the pony. “I’m Fleethoof, by the way. Corporal, 3rd Company.”
The unicorn pressed his hoof back against the pegasus’s. “Shining Armor, Corporal, 1st Canterlot Company. Nice to meet you, Fleethoof.”
“Likewise, Shining Armor,” Fleethoof said, glancing forward to see the shore just within reach. “Are you gonna watch my back out there?”
Shining Armor smirked and gave a sideways glance to Fleethoof. “As long as you’ve got mine.”
“Promise.” Fleethoof couldn’t help but smile as well. The ship lurched, and everypony looked as shocked at he did.
“Get ready, fillies and gentlecolts! On my signal, we take the beach!” Captain Phalanx called out. The ship rocked again, and then the front of the ship hit the sand and the gangplanks were lowered. “Go! Go! Go! For Equestria!”
Everypony on board gave a war cry as they surged off the boat, unicorns and Earth ponies rushing down the gangplanks or rappelling down the side of the ship with ropes. Pegasi took to the air, already making their way down the beach. More battle calls could be heard further down the shore as the other ships moored.
That was when the gunfire started.
Fleethoof heard a symphony of shots through the mist, tearing through the dense fog in every direction. He took to the sky and landed on the beach, the coarse sand giving way beneath his hooves as he followed the crowd and charged in the direction of the shots. Up ahead, he could hear the sound of their new rifles firing. They had found the enemy.
That was where the glamor and glory of battle ended. More yells and screams were heard amongst the fighting. Ponies were dying. Ponies were dying and he was running straight towards it. The realization gripped the scared Fleethoof like a cold vise, but still he advanced with the others. He couldn’t let his fellow soldiers down. He couldn’t let Equestria down. This is what he wanted to do. Biting his lip, he swallowed hard as he got closer and closer.
A few dark masses were visible through the dissipating fog, strewn out across the beach like bags of produce. He recognized them as ponies as he passed by each one, lying dead on the ground, the gray sand stained darker with blood. Fleethoof stopped and stared at them for a moment, trying to comprehend that the ponies were dead and gone. The gunfire stopped up ahead. He paused for a moment, wondering what had happened. A burst of magic appeared up ahead, and in the blink of an eye Captain Cuirass was there.
“We pushed them back to the city! Advance on, don’t let them get away!” he urged everypony on.
Fleethoof took a deep breath and took to the air, flying ahead of the bottlenecked crowd. He could see how Skyfall was built now: the two mountain ranges converged at this point with a gap between them about twenty ponies wide. Up ahead must have been the city.
Coming to land nearer the front, he marched on, watching as a group of pegasus ponies yelling and whooping flew on ahead. Finally, the fog thinned out enough to see through. A massive stone wall ran from mountain to mountain, gating the pass. Behind it, the towering city of Skyfall could be seen running up the rise of the mountains. Towers lined the wall and gatehouse, but no griffons were seen manning them. Only the remaining ones fleeing from the beach were flying over the wall.
Something felt wrong, but Fleethoof couldn’t put his hoof on it. Then, as the pegasi group got closer, a mass of griffons popped up from behind the wall. They had been hiding behind the battlements, waiting for the unsuspecting ponies. All at once, the entire wall was garrisoned, and before the flying ponies could do anything the wall lit up with hundreds of muzzle flashes. Gunshots echoed all around the valley like a symphony of death.
Every pegasus dropped from the sky, bodies limp and clearly dead. Other ponies at the front of the army jerked and collapsed as well. They were caught in a bottleneck pass with the griffons opening fire on them. Fleethoof’s heart dropped into his stomach. It had been a trap from the beginning.
Gunfire exploded around him as some ponies returned fire, but were unable to strike the griffons behind their wall. Fleethoof raised his rifle, taking aim at the battlements and fired a few shots as well, but was unable to find a mark either. The griffons fired again, taking down another line of ponies where they stood. Facing an enemy they couldn't even touch, everypony seemed terrified.
“Don’t give up! Aim for the tower windows!” came a familiar voice from behind them. “Charge the wall! Let the demolitionists through!”
Fleethoof looked back to see Captain Phalanx leading a group of Earth ponies through the crowd, rushing the wall. They swerved and zigzagged in serpentine ways while the griffons shot at them, trying to hit them. The rest of the army watched with pride and awe as almost every pony made it to the wall safe from fire. The ponies dropped a saddlebag each along the gate, then stood by Phalanx as he teleported them out in a burst of magic.
For a moment, nothing happened. Then the gate exploded in a massive fireball. The gatehouse was torn asunder, debris and griffons flying everywhere and the shockwave almost knocking Fleethoof off his hooves as the wall was breached. Morale back up, the Equestrian army cheered and chanted as they rushed forward, still returning and taking fire, but making much faster progress.
Fleethoof saw more pegasi flying toward the wall and took flight with them, rushing the battlements. The now distracted griffons had too many targets to hit, and the pegasi were able to make it to the wall this time. The griffons screeched in surprise as the flying ponies attacked, Fleethoof bucking one of the griffons off the wall in mid flight before landing where he had stood.
An enemy beside Fleethoof roared with fury and drew a knife, swinging at the stallion like an animal. Fleethoof winced and backpedaled out of the way, firing his rifle from the hip a couple of times and seeing the shots find their mark in the griffon’s chest. He collapsed, dead, and Fleethoof took aim at the next griffon, and the next, and the next, dropping each with a quick burst of shots. The rest of the pegasi soldiers had adopted the same tactic, dropping the griffons in quick bursts.
Thoroughly broken and routed, the griffons tried to flee from the wall. They were easily cut down at the body of the army made their way through the breached wall and into the streets of Skyfall. From the wall, Fleethoof could see the city much better now. The city had four leveled tiers like steps on top of one another. The lower half looked like residences, the third level appeared to be filled with businesses and other larger buildings, and at the top stood what looked like government buildings and offices.
Fleethoof was snapped out of his observation when a pegasus beside him took a bullet to the head. Fleethoof cringed and dove down off the wall to join the ponies below. The griffons had set up barricades throughout the city streets and were trying to repel the invading ponies from behind them. Fleethoof and the rest of the soldiers from the walls flew over the streets, taking shots at the griffons from above with each pass.
Down the main street of Skyfall were the most barricades, preventing the mass of the army from advancing very fast. The pegasi aerial force swerved and flew down the road, repeating their same tactics. However, the griffons were prepared this time, and concentrated their fire of the flying ponies, taking out several more of them.
Fleethoof grit his teeth as he narrowly dodged two bullets. Then he felt something rip through his left wing. He cried out as he felt a white hot flash of pain and tried hard to stay in flight, but with every beat of his wings the pain grew more and more intense. His vision burred and the next thing he knew he felt cold stone smack up into his body. Then he was lying still.
Panting hard for breath, the only things the downed pony could hear was indiscernible yelling back and forth and hundreds of bullets being fired. He grunted and righted himself, the slow movement just enough to make his sore muscles ache. He blinked past the tears of pain and looking around. He was past the barricade—on the enemy’s side. No sooner had he realized where he was, a griffon saw him and began advancing on the fallen soldier. Fleethoof scrambled backward, looking for his rifle. It had landed a short distance away just out of his reach.
Taking a deep breath, Fleethoof dove for his gun—but was forced back to the ground by a sudden pressure on his back. He looked back and saw the griffon with one talon on his back, keeping him pinned him down. His foe's claws dug into the tender skin on his back, drawing a yelp from the pony. Fleethoof glared up at his foe, his hoof shooting down and gripping his pistol, but the griffon was faster. Before Fleethoof could draw his firearm, he felt the barrel of a rifle pressed to the back of his head.
He was done. With a resigned whimper, Fleethoof closed his eyes.
He heard a dull thwack and felt the force disappear from his back with a screech. He opened his eyes again and saw the griffon collapsed beside him, blood running down his head from a fresh wound. Fleethoof was still breathing fast and hard when somepony grabbed him by the shoulder and picked him up.
“Hey, get up! You okay?”
It was the unicorn from the boat, Shining Armor. Fleethoof nodded and stood up. Shining Armor’s horn lit up as he levitated Fleethoof’s rifle back into his hooves, grunting beneath the effort it took to cast the spell in the magically void land, then motioned down the road. The army had broken past the barricade and was forcing the griffons up to the next level.
“Come on, we’ve gotta keep pushing them back!” he said, and ran back to join the soldiers with Fleethoof close behind.
Forcing the griffons back by sheer numbers, the ponies made their way to the second level. There were no barricades set up on these streets and the fighting pressed its violent path of destruction all the way to the third level. Many of the stores and businesses had multiple floors and glass fronts—plenty of hiding spots for enemies, forcing the advancing ponies to check their corners at all times. Pegasi had taken to the air to engage the griffons in aerial combat, but the lack of cover in the open sky proved to be more of a curse than a gift. Bodies dropped down by the dozen on both sides as snipers picked off the airborne soldiers in both armies, restricting the fighting to the narrow and deadly streets. Just as the army was making its way into the square of the tier, the griffons fired through the storefronts and from rooftops at the unsuspecting ponies, killing many in one fell swoop.
“Stores! Windows! Eyes high!” Captain Cuirass called out from the front, firing several shots at a couple aerial griffons. The army hurried to recover and return fire, squads breaking off to clear out the stores.
Shining Armor and Fleethoof had joined up with a group working their way around the outside of the square, listening to all the gunfire just down the road. A few shots and breaking glass caught them off guard and made everypony drop to the ground. When the gunfire stopped, Fleethoof looked up. The window to the store they were beside had been shattered and half of the ponies in their group lay slain, the gray cobblestone beneath their bodies stained crimson with blood.
“They’re inside!”
“Let’s get them!” shouted Shining Armor, loading a fresh magazine into his gun and leaping through the smashed window. Fleethoof followed in behind him, flanked by the remaining ponies they were with.
The store looked like an office of sorts with desks lining the walls and scrolls and parchment all over the place. A quick search of the ground level revealed nothing but empty space. The griffons had vanished. Fleethoof's brow furrowed. Then they all heard the dull thud of a footstep from above. Fleethoof and Shining’s eyes both turned skyward before meeting.
The small squad made their way to the only staircase in the building, moving up to the second floor as quietly as they could, rifles leveled and ready. Shining Armor took point with Fleethoof right behind him, both checking corners when they rounded the stairwell into a cramped hallway. Several identical doors lined the wall along one side. They inched down the hall, listening close for any signs of the enemy. Fleethoof glanced down at the space between the floor and each door to check for shadows.
He stopped when he heard a soft sound like something scraping across wood in one of the doors they passed. They all turned and stared at it, the pony nearest it gripping his rifle tight as he stepped toward it and turned to buck the door open, his leg making contact with the wood with a loud crack.
A burst of gunfire exploded through the wood, tearing into the pony's flesh and killing him, blood splattered against the back wall and floor.
“Move! Move!” Shining Armor shouted just before the door he was standing by flew open and a griffon lunged out at him. He gasped as he was grabbed by the throat and forced up against the wall. His hooves flailed as he was lifted off the ground and held in place, the griffon's talons digging into his skin.
Fleethoof went to raise his rifle, but another griffon rushed out of the room and tackled him, knocking them both to the ground. The other ponies had taken cover in an adjacent office, trying to return fire through the wall at their attackers. Fleethoof grunted while trying to push the griffon off of him. He delivered a swift right hook to his foe’s face. The griffon growled and punched the pegasus across the jaw. Fleethoof saw spots, then the sheen of a blade as it was brought down on him.
Fleethoof moved in a blur. His hooves grabbed the griffon’s talon in a swift motion just before the knife made contact with his chest, both fighters glaring and grunting as they fought against one another’s strength in a struggle for survival. He could hear Shining Armor choking and gasping for air past him. He had to do something. He’d made a promise to him on the boat.
Rounding up a burst of strength, Fleethoof forced the griffon’s talon back enough for him to get a hind leg in between them and gave a hard kick to the griffon's stomach. The griffon was winded. That was all he needed. Fleethoof twisted his opponent’s wrist around and pushed the knife into his chest, watching as the griffon’s eyes went wide and he gave a choking gasp. Fleethoof's hooves moved fast to draw his sidearm and put a single round into the dying creature’s chest for good measure before pushing him off and taking quick aim at Shining Armor’s assailant. One good shot and the griffon’s head burst with a red mist before he fell dead as well.
Shining Armor gasped and coughed as he fought to catch his breath. Fleethoof got back to his hooves and made his way to the bullet-riddled door, breaking it open with his shoulder. Three griffons were crammed in a small office with their rifles aimed at the wall the ponies had been shooting through. Caught off guard, the pegasus finished them with a few precise shots.
As he lowered his weapon, Fleethoof heard a yell to his side. A fourth griffon had been in the room, hiding behind a desk and out of Fleethoof’s sight. He turned quickly—but not quick enough. The griffon grabbed his hoof and jerked, causing the pony to cry out in pain and drop his gun as the griffon caught it and pressed it to his head.
A single gunshot rang out outside the office. The griffon released a shrill sound of agony as blood ran down his shoulder from the fresh wound. Shining Armor took aim with his pistol and fired again, striking the griffon in the chest twice before letting him fall dead. The two ponies locked gazed and nodded to each other again.
“I’ve got your back, remember?” Shining said, breathing hard still.
“Yeah, and I’ve got yours,” he replied, gathering up his weapons again. “Come on, we have to keep moving.”
“Wait,” Shining said, stopping the pony with a hoof on his shoulder. He motioned to his back. “We've got a moment. Let me take a look at that wing.”
Fleethoof glanced back at his left wing, seeing the feathers matted and dripping with blood. He hadn’t noticed the pain in his adrenaline-fueled daze. He didn't feel anything anymore. When Shining Armor gave him another insistent nudge, he sat down while Shining produced a roll of gauze from his saddlebag.
“It doesn’t look that bad,” he said, wrapping the wound up.
“How reassuring.” Fleethoof chuckled. His voice felt weak and raspy, like he'd gone too long without drinking.
His gaze turned outward, looking back into the office at the dead griffons. He could still feel his heart pounding from the adrenaline and rush of combat, but he realized he was beginning to feel less and less bad about taking their lives. It had all come as a reflex rather than a conscious decision. Was it because they were at war now? Had he become so desensitized already?
“There, good to go!” Shining Armor patted him on the back as he stuffed his supplies back into his crammed saddlebags. “Okay, let’s go rejoin the others. They might need our help.”
He stepped past the seated pony and ushered the other soldiers down the stairs with a flick of his head. Fleethoof didn’t move. He continued to sit there, staring at the mess of corpses. His gaze turned to the dead pony in the hall, plagued by how indifferent he was behaving.
“Hey, are you okay, Fleet?” Fleethoof looked up at Shining Armor. He had come back over beside him.
“Why don’t I feel anything?” he asked, voice low and words soft. “Why am I not sad, or shocked, or traumatized or anything? Am I just a killer? A pony meant to kill and feel nothing? Is that my fate?”
“That’s the adrenaline keeping you going right now. Your body isn’t reacting because it isn’t allowed to,” Shining Armor explained. “Trust me, you’re not a bad pony. When you get a moment to relax, you’ll realize it. But we have to go, Fleet—now.”
With a firm tug upward, Shining had Fleethoof back up on his hooves and heading down the stairs. The fighting in the square was still going on strong. The griffons were putting up a tougher defense now. The ponies rushed down the back streets, breaking into store after store from behind. Every so often, they would sneak up on a few griffons shooting out at the ponies. They were all dealt with in the same violent manner.
In the span of a couple short hours, the entire market district had been taken and secured and the buildings were almost all cleared. Fleethoof and Shining Armor made their last rounds with another group, gunning down a couple griffons as they tried to flee to the next tier. With each battle, both ponies had begun to get more proficient with their new weapons, keeping each other safe through their fights. When all the fighting was done, everypony stood before the final gatehouse. Captain Cuirass stood at the head of the army before the final gate, staring up at it while the ponies blew it open with explosive charges.
“This is it, everypony! One more level and we drive the griffons out! Now take Skyfall!”
With shouts and cheers, the Equestrian army charged up the last ramp into the government district. A line of griffon soldiers stood at the steps of the large, columned building in the center of the level, opening fire as soon as the ponies were visible. But these griffons were different. They were clad in bright gold armor that wrapped around and emphasized their muscled forms. They stood tall and strong, and each shot they took was lethally accurate. The way they carried themselves was with cool professionalism.
“Griffon elite!” somepony called out before the gunfire started up from both sides.
Then a sound like a thousand angry hornets tearing through the air burst above the raucous. Bullets flew like a swarm of parasprites into the lines of the Equestrians, taking them down dozens at a time. Fleethoof's jaw dropped as he witnessed the unbridled carnage. He had never heard nor seen anything as terrifying, and quickly looked for another way in. A drainage pipe was set into the wall a few hundred yards down the wall. He spotted the solution and nudged Shining Armor to get his attention.
Shining nodded and motioned to a bunch of other ponies. The team broke formation and ran alongside the wall, climbing up into the narrow pipe once they arrived. It was small, much too tight to stand in, but just wide enough to crawl through. Shining Armor took the lead, his horn glowing with a deep rose aura as he illuminated the way. The dampened sound of gunfire and explosions could constantly be heard through the stone surrounding them, keeping them reminded of the ponies dying above their heads. It was a grim realization, but it was a hard fact. War wasn't pretty.
A short distance down the pipe, the team came across an opening leading upward. Shining Armor pushed the grate out of the way and poked his head cautiously out, looking about.
“It looks like another office,” he whispered down to the others. “It’s clear. Let’s move.”
Everypony climbed out one by one, slinking their way through the office and out the back. They could still hear the rapid gunfire going on from one of the nearby buildings. It was a dreadful sound. Fleethoof tried to not count how long it had been going on. Each second meant that many more dead.
“The hell is that?” asked a startled Shining Armor.
“Only one way to find out.” Fleethoof gestured to a nearby building with his rifle. “It’s coming from that building over there.”
The small team moved through the shadows to the structure in question. The doors were all locked tight. Fleethoof looked about, his mind coming up with the only crafty solution he could think of. He broke a window out with his gun and slipped inside. He unlocked the door for the others before advancing forward, surveying his new surroundings. It was another office building. Griffon flags and propaganda posters hung everywhere. It looked like a public relations office for something indiscernible.
The ceaseless gunfire was overhead now. Motioning with his head, Fleethoof took point up the stairs to the third floor, now hearing the shots level with him. The building was empty, except for whatever was making that noise. The ponies snuck down the hall till they came to the door the loud noise was behind.
Taking position on either side of the door, both Shining and Fleethoof bucked the door down, knocking it clean off its hinges as everypony rushed in. A half dozen griffons occupied the room, and were cut down in a bloody swathe by the soldiers surging in. In one of the open windows sat what looked like ten machine guns attached into one and a belt of ammo being fed into it.
“What in the name of Celestia is that?” Fleethoof asked, trotting up to it and looking it over.
“I have no idea, but it looks like a new type of machine gun.” Shining pointed out the window in horror. “Take a look at what it did!”
Fleethoof looked outside and felt like he was going to throw up. What had to be dozens of ponies’ bodies lay slaughtered at the broken gatehouse, blood and gore soaking the ground as far as he could see. It was a massacre. Fortunately, the army could now advance up without getting killed. They were all swift to open fire on the remaining griffon elite soldiers in vicious retribution.
“At least nopony else is gonna get killed by this… thing,” Shining Armor spat, glowering at the device.
“You might wanna hold off saying that for now.” Fleethoof pointed to a mass of more armored elite troops rushing out of the massive building to stop the ponies. “Let’s give 'em a taste of their own medicine.”
“Uh, do you have any idea how to use this?” the unicorn asked, lifting the belt of ammo with his hooves to inspect it.
“No, but it’s just like a gun. How hard could it be?”
Fleethoof turned the machine gun to point at the fresh griffon troops and began to turn the crank. The cylinder began to spin faster and faster with each rotation until it lit up and gunfire started up again. Fleethoof felt like he was getting bucked in the chest and the heat radiating off it could've burned his hooves. Everypony stared in awe as the belt of ammo ran through it, emptying with each flurry of shots while dozens upon dozens of griffons dropped dead in their tracks.
The griffons down below scrambled over one another in an attempt to break rank and get away. The troops the machine gun didn’t cut down were picked off by the rest of the army, hundreds of pegasi swarming around in the air like angry wasps to kill any stragglers. Outside, the Equestrian army roared with cheers at the group of ponies on the machine gun as they charged into the government buildings.
“Whoa…” Fleethoof said, stepping back from the weapon.
“That thing is evil,” one of the soldiers said.
Shining Armor just stared, then turned to the others. “But I think it just won us Skyfall.”
Marching into the griffons' city hall felt strange and unnerving to Fleethoof as he and the others rejoined the bulk of the army. The interior was large and spacious, and like the rest of Skyfall, it was built out of the dark stone pulled from the mountains. Dead griffons littered the floor in the foyer and up the grand staircase while the ponies cleared out room after room. Most of the fighting had ended, with the occasional shots or firefight being heard. But for the most part, the griffon garrison had either been captured by force or killed. None of them had opted to surrender.
Fleethoof walked down the upstairs hallways at his own gait, taking in the sights of the sacked buildings as ponies broke into each and every room, searching for any remaining troops. There were no civilians left in Skyfall at all. The entire city had been evacuated. The griffons had known they were coming.
He heard a burst of gunfire and screams behind him. Fleethoof turned to see a couple ponies walking out of a room, covered in blood. He looked down at himself next, noticing he had splatters of blood across his coat and uniform too. He hadn’t noticed that before. He also hadn’t noticed the little cuts and bruises across his hooves either. When had those gotten there?
The sound of hooves marching with power and purpose caught the corporal’s attention. Captain Cuirass walked down the hallway, his face stern, as were those of the soldiers flanking him. As they went, they passed by every single room, not even pausing to peek inside any. They seemed to be going somewhere in particular. Fleethoof grabbed his rifle and followed behind them, curious to know what was going on. The captain walked through the halls till he came to a set of doors, the plaque on them identifying it as the mayor’s office. With a hard buck, the doors flew inward.
No sooner had the doors opened, shooting started up again, bullets snapping past the ponies. Fleethoof grit his teeth and hit the floor while several ponies slumped to the ground, a couple others firing back. He couldn't even see who they were shooting at. Fleethoof paused a moment to get his bearings back. The mayor’s office had a few griffons inside taking positions behind cover. He sat up on his belly, supporting his rifle on the ground and took a couple of shots, striking a griffon in the neck and watching as he gripped his throat and gurgled a guttural cry before toppling over.
He turned his aim to the next griffon. Another pair of shots found their way through his head and ended his life too. The last pony in his group fell dead, leaving him with two remaining griffons. Fleethoof stopped moving. He was the only one left alive. Any signs of a struggle and they would turn on him in a heartbeat. He lay still for a moment, forcing himself to remember to breathe. After a moment, he heard movement and saw the two griffons stand up, inspecting the bodies strewn on the ground. One took his helmet off and laughed as the other went over to high-five him.
Fleethoof jerked his rifle up again and shot one round through the vulnerable foe’s head, watching his skull jerk back with a spray of blood, then turning his aim to the last shocked griffon and putting three rounds in his exposed stomach. The griffon doubled over onto the floor as Fleethoof stood up, watching the dying griffon squirm in pain.
A soft groan from one of the bodies caught Fleethoof’s attention. Cuirass was moving, his foreleg and shoulder covered in blood and part of his ear missing, but still alive. He winced as he rolled to his hooves and tried to stand up.
“Captain, maybe you should sit down. Um, you’re… kind of in bad shape,” Fleethoof said. Cuirass pushed passed the corporal and stood over the injured griffon, drawing a revolver from his belt.
“No! Wait!” the griffon cried out, but was cut short by a single gunshot to the face.
Fleethoof stood in the doorway, staring in silent stupor at his commanding officer. He had just killed a griffon in cold blood right before his eyes. Or did he put him out of his misery? Where was the fine line between that in war? He didn’t know. He was acutely aware of the captain's lips were moving and he was saying something to him.
“Uh, w-what?”
Cuirass rolled his eyes. “I said that was some good shooting. That was you on the big gun outside, yeah?”
“Um, y-yeah, that was me,” Fleethoof said with a few nods. Cuirass nodded and stepped past the soldier.
“That was some good work out there too. I think everypony in that room is in line for a promotion after this.”
The captain walked past him and back down the hallway. Fleethoof looked between the bodies of the ponies and griffons, his gaze lingering on the one Cuirass had just shot. It was only then that he realized the griffon’s armor was different. The design was more ornate, and there were stars etched into the metal. Fleethoof’s eyes went wide. He was an officer. Cuirass had murdered the commanding officer of the griffon force.
The evening found Fleethoof sitting outside city hall around one of the several campfire the soldiers had set up from the destroyed barricades. Many of them were talking, discussing the days events or about family and friends. Some were in quiet contemplation. More than a few ponies had been lost that day. Brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers… Friends. Fleethoof removed his helmet from his sweat-slicked head and stared into the flickering fire, still hearing the gunshots ringing in his ear. He could still see the faces of the dead running through his mind.
“Hey, there you are.” Shining Armor sat down beside Fleethoof, placing a hoof on his shoulder, making the pony jump. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to scare you!”
“No, it’s… it’s fine… I was just thinking, is all,” Fleethoof said. Shining nodded, pulling his helmet off and setting it beside him.
“Yeah, now here comes the shock,” he mused to himself. He pulled a canteen out of his saddlebags and took a long swallow from the cool water within. “They say the first battles are always the hardest.”
Fleethoof got a confused look and turned to Shining Armor. “How did you know this was my first battle?”
“Because you didn’t know if you were gonna feel anything or if you were a bad pony,” he said with a gentle smile. “It was mine too. Once you’ve been past your first fight, it's supposed to get easier and you question it less. At least that's what they say. You run more on survival instinct, I guess.”
Fleethoof simply turned and looked back into the crackling fire. Both ponies were silent for a moment, Fleethoof thinking to himself while Shining turned the picture of his family around in his hooves.
“You’re gonna do fine, Fleet. You’re a good soldier.” Shining Armor gave him a little smile. “You kinda remind me of me.”
Fleethoof couldn’t help but chuckle and give a half smile. “Thanks. At least I know that means I’ll survive. So how can you use magic out here?”
“Dunno. I mean, it's hard. Like, a lot harder than back home, but I can still do it.” Shining Armor shrugged his shoulders and ran a hoof through his messy mane. “My captain was telling us about not being able to use magic here and stuff, but I dunno. Maybe I have some sort of weird super power or immunity or something.”
“Yeah, that'd be my luck. You get a free pass and I get shot in the wing.”
“You'll be fine, buddy. Promise.” Shining patted Fleethoof's shoulder before standing up again. It felt reassuring to have a close friend out in the chaos. “I’m glad you had my back today. You were one hell of a fighter. I’d go into battle with you anytime.”
Shining Armor grabbed his helmet in his mouth and began trotting off. Fleethoof turned his head back toward his new friend.
“Shining,” he called out, getting the pony’s attention. “…Thanks for having my back too.”
Shining gave the best smile he could around his helmet before walking off. Now left to his thoughts again, Fleethoof pulled his journal out of his saddlebags. He stared at the cover, now slightly mangled from combat. He looked over the little book for a moment before letting a few tears run down his face, feeling the stress of the day come crashing over him.
Corporal Fleethoof
3rd Company, Equestrian Army
Skyfall, Griffon Kingdom
Dear Journal,
The battle went really well today. At least that’s what all the officers are saying anyway. We lost a lot of ponies today, but nowhere near as many as they thought we might lose. Skyfall was already evacuated and not very heavily garrisoned. It’s almost like they wanted us to take it—like they were testing us, or something. I don’t know. But I don't feel good about it.
I’m sort of glad Steel Shield wasn’t here today. He’s my best friend, and I would have loved to have him by my side, but he’s still too much of a goof. I’m afraid he would’ve been killed in real combat. I saw so many ponies die today… I don’t know how to feel or how to take it. So much blood all over the place, and all the griffons… Some of them died right in front of me, by my own hooves… I have to stop writing this now.
I made a new friend today. His name is Shining Armor. He's a good guy... got a good spirit. He says it gets easier after my first battle. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Forgive my shaky hoofwriting tonight. I’m still kind of rattled from today. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight. I probably won’t.
They’re deploying most of us out again tomorrow. Captain Phalanx says we’re leaving a small garrison here to hold the city. Captain Cuirass is staying here too, since he got shot. Phalanx wants a quick, clean strike through all of the griffon cities to subdue them fast with as few casualties as possible. I like the idea. I hope I get placed with him. He’s a good officer.
But here I am, Journal. I’m still alive. By some miracle, I’m still alive. I’m going to try to keep it that way. Wish me luck.