//------------------------------// // Chapter 6 // Story: The Griffin War // by QuarterNote //------------------------------// Seconds After Escape From Canterlot The relatively quiet air in Ponyville was split asunder as Luna and the remaining Royal Guards (and Blueblood) teleported into the town in a flash of light and a thunderous boom. They left a blackened circle around themselves as Full Moon immediately began ordering the guards to cover the river that bordered Ponyville on its Canterlot-facing side. As the guards scrambled to form a defensive line, Luna looked around the town. Even their thunderous arrival hadn’t drawn anypony out of their homes. Nopony was even around at this hour, most likely too deeply asleep to have heard anything, even the cannon fire from the attack on Canterlot. The mountains had probably helped with the latter. “We can’t stop here for long, Princess,” Full Moon said, trotting up to her as the guards finished establishing their line. “The griffins could attack at any time.” “I know that, Full,” Luna replied. “But we’re not going to leave Ponyville to suffer the same fate as Canterlot. We’re going to evacuate them.” “What?” Full Moon exclaimed. “But Princess, Ponyville has hundreds of inhabitants! It’ll take us hours to get them all ready to leave, and even so it won’t do anything! No matter where we go, the griffins will be able to reach us. And with the Royal Guard destroyed, there’s nopony to stop them!” “I am aware of that!” Luna snapped at him. The Lunar Guard didn’t back away, instead maintaining his defiant expression. Luna turned to him fully, her eyebrows knitting together. “You were with me when I came here on Nightmare Night, Full Moon. You saw the kindness that the Ponyvillers showed me after I earned their trust. I refuse to repay that kindness with abandonment to the griffins.” With that, Luna turned back towards the village. Her horn began to glow, a soft blue orb forming at the very tip. The orb grew until a pulse of blasted from it with a sound like an enormous bell. Another pulse followed quickly, followed by another and another. Five pulses blasted from Luna’s horn, then the air faded into quiet again. Slowly, doors began to open as ponies emerged from their homes, rubbing the sleep from their eyes and looking around to see where the sudden noise had come from. “CITIZENS OF PONYVILLE!” Luna bellowed, using the Royal Canterlot Voice. “PLEASE GATHER IN THE TOWN SQUARE IMMEDIATELY! ALL SHALL BE EXPLAINED THERE!” With that, Luna beckoned Full Moon with one wing, trotting towards Ponyville’s town hall. Ponies whispered amongst themselves as the Princess and her guard walked through them. Neither one looked around until they had stepped up onto the town hall’s porch.  It took a few minutes, but eventually everypony was gathered in the square. A number of them carried sleepy foals. Luna looked around at the assembled crowd of a hundred or so ponies. “Is everypony here?” she asked in a normal voice. There was a quick bout of muttering before Caramel the earth pony spoke up. “The Apple family isn’t here!” “Neither are Twilight Sparkle and her friends!” Mayor Mare called out. That caught Luna off guard. She blinked confusedly. “Why wouldn’t they be here?” she mused to herself. “Twilight’s not here because she can’t be!” a younger, male voice called out from among the crowd. Luna looked down as Spike shoved his way through the ponies into plain sight. There was a large bruise on the baby dragon’s cheek, and another on his green belly. “What do you mean?” Luna asked. “The library got broken into last night! Two griffins ponynapped Twilight!” There was a widespread group gasp from the crowd. “Are you sure, Spike?” Mayor Mare asked. “Yeah! They broke into the library and took Twilight! They’re the ones that did this!” Spike replied, pointing at his bruises. “Pinkie Pie wasn’t in her room when we got woken up, either!” Carrot Cake called from nearby. “And the door to the shop was unlocked! We normally keep it locked!” Luna bit her lip and narrowed her eyes. “They beat us here,” she muttered to Full Moon. The bat-winged pegasus nodded. “It would seem so.” Princess Luna looked back up as Mayor Mare approached the porch. “Princess Luna,” she began. “What’s going on?” Luna took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked up at the population of Ponyville. “Equestria is at war.” Another groupwide gasp followed, along with an outbreak of panicked babbling. Full Moon stomped his hooves on the porch. “SILENCE!” he bellowed. Quiet fell immediately. Full Moon looked at them all, glaring. “Give the Princess a chance to explain!” Luna nodded to him. “Thank you, Captain.” She turned to the crowd. “A few hours ago, Canterlot was attacked by an army of the Griffin Kingdoms. They have taken the city and it is only a matter of time before they move out to conquer the rest of Equestria. We have come here to evacuate you. Captain Full Moon, proceed!” Full Moon stepped forward, in full-on commander mode. “Everypony is to return to their homes and gather food, water, and anything else that they might need to survive. Essentials only! Do not burden yourselves with treasures! Take only what provisions you need!” The gathering dissolved into a mass of confusion, ponies running to and fro back to their homes to gather provisions. As they did, Mayor Mare came up to the Princess and the Captain, concern written on her face. “Princess Luna,” she whispered, “Where will we go? What will we do?” Princess Luna sighed. “I do not know yet, Madam Mayor. I will inform you when we have a destination in mind.” The Mayor didn’t look happy at this answer, but sighed and went back towards her own house.  Luna turned to Full Moon as she did. “Gather your guards, Captain. Have them oversee the evacuations. Commandeer any wagons that you think you might need.” “Where will we take them all, Princess?” Full Moon asked, not moving. “There’s nowhere for us to run. The griffins will take over all of Equestria eventually.” “I know,” Luna replied. “There’s only one place that we can run to. Somewhere that the griffins will be too scared to pursue us to.” Full Moon thought for a moment. Then his eyes began to widen, slowly reaching the size of saucer plates. “Your Highness…you can’t possibly mean-“ “I do, Full,” Luna replied. “Now see to your duties.” “Yes, Princess,” Full Moon said after a short pause. He flapped off of the porch, heading back towards the river to gather his guards and help them oversee the evacuation. With the number of ponies in the town and no telling when the griffins would arrive, they had to move fast. *** “Captain Rosten. Captain Rosten, wake up!” Rosten jerked awake with a snuffle, the young griffin stretching and yawning hugely as he sat up. Scratching his cheek with a claw he turned to the flap of his tent, where a griffin soldier stood. “What is it?” he asked, rubbing his eye. “And what’s the time?” “It’s about an hour before dawn, Captain,” the soldier replied. “Marshal Blackwing has ordered you to command the assault on Ponyville.” Rosten yawned again, nodding as he did so. “Eaaaaaaurh…right, right.” He smacked his beak a few times. “I’ll be ready shortly. Get me some food and get the force ready.” “Yessir,” the griffin bowed and left the tent. Rosten slung his legs over his cot, stretching and yawning as he scratched his back. He rubbed his face with his other hand, shaking his head. Too damn early for this, especially after last night. He stood up and walked over to the stand that held his armor and began putting it on. As he strapped on his gauntlets he yawned again. He’d only gotten three hours of sleep after the attack on Canterlot had concluded. The feathers on his cheeks were streaked with tear tracts from where cannon smoke had irritated them. Rosten yawned again as he finished putting on his armor and walked out of the tent. He was handed a hunk of roasted mountain goat as he did. After the attack on the city had been completed, most of the officers had set up camp in the palace gardens. Despite the massive ruin of the tower that had been destroyed by cannon fire, there was plenty of space for the several dozen griffins that made up the army’s Officer Corps. Taking off towards the plaza that the griffins had designated as their assembly area, Rosten saw the two airships that would be moving to Ponyville to take it over. Their massive shapes hung over the city like a pair of clouds, small specks moving around them as the griffins that crewed them worked and prepared them for battle. Rosten landed in the plaza, looking around the area. The plaza still bore the marks of the cannonballs that had impacted on its cobblestones. Craters and the odd body dotted the area, though most of the space was taken up by a large amount of supplies and ammunition, not just for the airships but the army as well. A ring of torches surrounded the area, supplementing the light given by the setting moon. Rosten looked around for the nearest marine officer. They had to move out in half an hour, where were the marines? He slapped a hand to his forehead. Don’t tell me they got drunk after the battle… As if cued by the thought, he heard a loud belch from nearby. Turning in the direction of the gaseous noise Rosten saw one of the marines’ officers. The griffin’s filigreed armor was wet, numerous bottles of wine scattered around him. The officer was draped limply over a pile of boxes, many of them empty or smashed. Rosten walked over to him, grabbing the griffin by the nape of his neck and shaking him awake. Snuffling, the officer shook his head a bit and looked up at him. “Oh…hic, hey Cap’n…Washup?” “You and your command are supposed to be assembled here and ready to move out!” Rosten exclaimed, shaking him again. “Where are the rest of your soldiers?!” “Oh…well…we washn’t told o’ dat,” the officer slurred. “But…look at all dish boosh!” Rosten shook his head. “I don’t care about the boosh-er, booze! Gather your troops and find some way for them to sober up. Be back here as soon as possible, understand?” “Under…hic…shtood, shir…hic…” Rosten shoved the officer away, shaking his head in exasperation even as he ripped a chunk out of the leg, chewing it cheerlessly. Soldiers and their alcohol, he thought scornfully. Ripping another chunk out of his breakfast he marched over to the captain of one of the airships. “Your marines aren’t ready yet, Captain.” “I saw, Captain,” the other griffin replied. “That’s specifically why I had my troops remain aboard their ships. At least we’ll be ready to go and the attack won’t be delayed any further.” “Don’t remind me,” Rosten groaned. “My second command and already I’m late!” “Cheer up, Captain,” the airship captain said jovially, slapping Rosten on the back. “At least this is likely to go off without a hitch.” “Yeah, sure.” Rosten replied, sourly taking another bite of his meal. *** An hour after dawn the Ponyvillers were almost ready to leave. Everypony had done what they were told, bringing food, blankets, and other essentials to the wagons that had been commandeered by the Royal Guard. There was an air of barely controlled chaos to their actions, the ponies speaking in hurried, hushed voices. Many dropped things in their haste, and they were shorter with one another than normal, yelling at other ponies for getting in their way or bumping into them. At the moment the guards stood around the wagons, checking the items that everypony was bringing. Even as she watched, Luna saw a unicorn guard turn away a brown pony with an hourglass cutie mark that had lugged a grandfather clock in a cart over to the wagon train. “No,” she heard the guard saying. “We can’t let you take a clock that was made by your great-times-eight grandfather. I’m sorry Mr. Whooves, but there’s not enough room for everypony to take their family heirlooms. All you can do is take it back to your house and hope it’s still there when the war is won.” “If the war is won, you mean!” Whooves retorted sourly before turning around and pulling the cart back home. Luna sighed and turned to Full Moon as the captain set down next to her. “Any change, Captain?” “No, Princess. The griffins haven’t started moving yet, but I’ve got pegasi keeping an eye on Canterlot from the tallest hills they can find. The moment they start moving, we’ll know.” Luna nodded. “Good. How is the loading going?” “Well as can be hoped for,” Full Moon replied. “The Apple family still hasn’t arrived, but I did send a soldier down to their farm to inform them of the situation. Hopefully he can convince them to come.” *** “C’mon, Granny Smith! We gotta go!” Applebloom said anxiously as she pulled at her lime-green grandmother’s hoof. Big Macintosh had been in a whirl of activity since the soldier had arrived saying that they needed to evacuate. He was gathering food, along with blankets and other necessities. Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo had all packed their own bags, mostly with what they had brought for the sleepover at Sweet Apple Acres but also with any food they could fit inside. Granny Smith shook her head, her wrinkled face smiling down at her granddaughter. “Now now, tater tot. Them mean ol’ griffins ain’t got nothin’ ta fear from an old mare like mahself. Ya’ll gwan an’ git t’ town. Ah kin take care o’ mahself.” “Nope,” Big Macintosh said as he walked out of the kitchen, his saddlebags bulging at the seams. “We ain’t leavin’ ya, Granny.” Granny Smith wrapped her hoof around her cane. “Now Big Mac, I’mma gonner lay this here cane ‘long yer backside if’n ya don’t get goin’! Let ol’ Granny Smith take care o’ herself. If ah could take a journey ‘cross Equestria t’ Canterlot then ah kin take a buncha griffins comin’ in this here house! You jis keep AB ‘n her friends outta trouble, unnerstand?” Big Macintosh worked his mouth for a moment before finally sighing and lowering his head. “Eyup.” He turned to the Cutie Mark Crusaders. “C’mon, girls. We gotta get goin’.” Applebloom quickly ran over to Granny Smith and hugged her tightly. “G’bye, Granny! Be safe!” “Ah, don’t’cha worry ‘bout me, sweetie,” Granny Smith replied, hugging Applebloom back. “Ah’ll wager them griffins never tasted zap apple jam a’fore. They’ll want somepony who kin cook for ‘em, Ah reckon.” Applebloom nodded, hugging Granny Smith again. “Applebloom, let’s go!” Scootaloo called from the front door. “Now, AB!” Big Macintosh barked. Hesitantly, Applebloom let go of Granny Smith and ran out of the front door. Big Macintosh lowered himself enough that the Crusaders could get on top of him. “Get on, girls. Ah wanna get there quick.” The three fillies leapt onto the big red pony’s back and he reared back, galloping out of Sweet Apple Acre’s gate and heading towards Ponyville. *** “COME ON YOU LAYABOUTS, GET MOVING!” Rosten bellowed, the griffin red in the face as the now-sobered marine companies scrambled to get aboard their airships. “IT’S TWO HOURS PAST DAWN! I’LL HAVE YOUR HEADS FOR THIS, I SWEAR!” “Is there a problem, Captain?” Blackwing asked as he landed next to the young officer. Rosten shook his head. “Not anymore, Lord Marshal,” he replied, attempting to get his temper under control even as he slashed the hindquarters of a marine with his claws. “I have everything under control.” “You’re late in leaving, I notice.” “A situation that I wasn’t aware of,” Rosten snarled as the last few soldiers ran past him to the airships. “It’s all taken care of.” “We’re ready to leave, Captain!” the commander of one of the airships called. Rosten nodded to Blackwing. “That’s my cue. If you’ll excuse me, Lord Marshal.” With that he took off and flew up in front of the airships, pointing west towards Ponyville. The airships began to move, Rosten flying up to land on one of the airships’ dorsal side. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again, Captain,” Blackwing called as he flew away. Rosten raised a wing in acknowledgement, then turned back to the front. Blackwing smiled as the force moved off. He then turned and began flying back to the castle. There was work to be done. The rest of Equestria awaited them. *** “That’s everything that can fit in the wagons, Princess!” Full Moon said as he landed next to Luna. “We need to leave now!” “Has the Apple family arrived?” “Yes, Your Highness,” Full Moon replied. “They just made it. They’re missing two of their number, Applejack and Granny Smith. Smith chose to stay behind, but there’s no sign of Applejack.” “And what of the rest of the Element Bearers?” “We couldn’t find them in their homes either, Princess,” Full Moon responded. “All we found was a small cat in the Carousel Boutique that had been tied up in a sack and thrown in a closet.” Luna nodded, keeping her frustration in check. “I see. Lead the wagons in that direction,” she ordered, pointing towards the Everfree Forest. Full Moon followed her hoof, his eyes widening. “B…but Princess, that’s the Everfree Forest!” “And the only place where we won’t be followed,” Luna replied. “Do as I command, Captain!” “Yes, Princess!” Full Moon replied, turning and running over to where the wagons were gathered. Luna took a deep breath and let it out, looking over the wagons as she did. While all of the adult ponies looked worried, most of the foals treated it as some sort of grand adventure, chattering excitedly and bouncing around the wagons as they formed up and moved towards the forest. Luna flew on ahead, landing at the beginning of the way into Everfree. It took a few minutes, but the column eventually got there. There was a brief pause as Full Moon organized the guards into a formation to protect the caravan, then they stood there, waiting for Luna to speak. “Citizens of Ponyville! Royal Guardsponies!” she began. “I am aware of what this looks like, and I ask you to please not be afraid of what I am about to ask you to do! I merely ask for you to trust me. Within the Everfree Forest is a safe haven for us. A place that the griffins will be unable to enter, but that I know the way to. If you follow me, I promise that you will be safe. If you do not wish to enter, nopony will think lesser of you for turning back. But be warned; I doubt that the griffins will see it that way. And even if you choose to leave Ponyville and go somewhere else, it is likely that the griffins will find you there as well. No other place in Equestria is safe from them, and they can reach anywhere you can get to, and at a faster speed as well. You can follow me or run, but wherever you go, you will find yourself under the heel of the Griffin Kingdoms. The choice is yours and yours alone. Now choose.” There were a few nervous glances, but nopony moved. They all looked at Luna, their eyes wide with both fear and hope, as well as a sense of safety. Luna nodded approvingly. “Very well.” She turned around. “Let us begin, then!” With that she began walking into the forest, Full Moon leading the column after her. As they walked, one of the guards began singing, his clear tenor voice seemingly swallowed up by the close-knit trees of the forest. Goodbye Dolly I must leave you, though it breaks my heart to go Something tells me I am needed at the front to fight the foe See, the boys in blue are marching and I can no longer stay… He continued singing as the column disappeared into the forest, a few of the other guards picking up the song as they went.