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// Prologue: A Soldier's Call 
// Story: Friendship is Survival 
// by rlogic1994 
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Friendship is Survival
By Mmadhu94
(Visit the tumblr for Frigid: ask-frigiddrift.tumblr.com!)

Prologue: A Soldier's call 
Cloudsdale had always been quite well known; it was one of the main weather centers and biggest cloud cities in all of Equestria, but it was also well known because of the events that occurred in the town and the people who visited and lived there. The large Pegasus statue in raindrop plaza was an appropriate tribute to Cloudy Skies, the brave captain of the Pegasus guard who lost his life trying to subdue a windigo that had broken out of the Canterlot Magic Research facility. Many more statues and plaques riddled the walls and squares as reminders of the people who had put their lives on the line to save equestria or those who had risen to fame but were originally from the small cloud city, such as the Wonderbolt known as Soarin. There was also a large statue of the 6 bearers of the Elements of Harmony, put up in the months after the Discord incident. 

These reminders also told of events such as the famed battle between Stormy Skies and the famed Pegasus vigilante Night Wing. Because the city was so famous it attracted a lot of people, many of which were now putting finishing touches on the late fall weather changes. Although they were proud and happy of their work, for both the Princesses came to Cloudsdale to thank them for such a good job, they were also fearful. For the past few weeks, a chilling wind had been blowing from the north, a wind that had not been created by any pony. 

It was the result of the recently started 2nd Griffin war and the removal of several weather spells in the snow capped mountains far north. Tensions between ponies and Griffins had been high since the last war 12 years ago, and although they were both hateful of each other, neither really wanted another war. The speed at which this new conflict cropped up surprised both pony and griffin alike, but with these fresh wounds reopened, the hatred and murderous intent did as well. The ponies had always been a mostly peaceful race, but when the tensions between ponies and griffins, which came from land and trade conflicts, escalated to a boiling point, chaos ensued. It started with a griffin caravan arguing with a pony town to the north over trade rights, which quickly turned into a brawl. And with their superior talons, they killed almost everyone in the small town, their rage over the apparent unfairness of the trade rights manifesting itself in violence. 

Then the governments stepped in, both the Equestrian and Gryphonian army marching towards the northern boundary between the two countries. The following 2 years became known as the 1st Griffin war. But even though that is what they would say in the history books, it meant so much more to those who had lived through it and saw what it left in its wake. The 1st Griffin war was the event that set a deep hatred between ponies and the griffins, their originally shaky diplomatic relationship shattered by the bloody events of the war. The first war was one that shook all of equestrian, compared to the Discord incident in the years prior. But unlike with Discord, the war brutally ravaged the innocence and peace of Equestria. With the 1st war, ponies became bitterer than before, with even the Royal Sisters not retaining their usual unconditionally gentle and generous attitude. But even after the war had ended, many were still shouting for blood, which is the main reason the 2nd war was received so well by the majority of Equestria's population. At this point both countries were massing and mobilizing their forces. 

Yet none of this truly effected Cloudsdale much except for the dampening of the usually lively attitude of the cloud city with a sense of fear. Most of the Pegasi were home with their families and friends cherishing what might be their last days with them since Canterlot had passed the armed forces draft bill. But even with all the Pegasi home, one young mare roamed the empty streets. Her brilliant white coat and cold blue mane shining in the moonlit corridors of the outer parts of the city, she slowly progressed over the grey nebulous pavement. It was cold out, but Frigid Drift had always had a tolerance for the elements that not everypony possessed. She strolled to the edge of the city, looking over the edge of the white puffs that lined it. She stretched her wings a little, her ocean blue eyes slowly surveying the lands below.  She'd seen it all before, but something about the town below and the sea of apple trees in the distance calmed her. 

She could see a few lights still on even though it was near midnight. A small shimmer coming from a room in the Carousel Boutique, run by a perfectionist fashion pony named Rarity who had just returned from the Manehattan Army Base a month ago and was being pulled back into the base tomorrow. There was also an obnoxious glare from the library, no doubt the book smart Twilight Sparkle trying to learn a new spell or her face buried in a good book. She was most likely taking her last chance in relaxing since she was also being shipped off, but to the northern foothill base in the uncharted no-man’s land between the Griffin and Pony lands. Of course the only reason she knew that was because of the frighteningly large amount of time she had spent stalking a certain rainbow-maned cyan Pegasus. But this certain mare had also been shipped off some time ago, her rank in the army being that of a Brigadier General. But even thoughts of Rainbow Dash didn't distract her from what was going to happen tomorrow. As she looked upon the dark landscape with a sense of serenity, she shut her eyes and finally came to terms with what she had been crying about for almost a week; "Tomorrow, I'm going to be drafted into the Equestrian Air Corp..."