//------------------------------// // Arc: Trial By Fire // Story: A Circle Has No End: Volume I // by Gladi Writes //------------------------------// Baltimare, August 23rd. The greatest city in Equestria, as far as its natives thought. A city of peace, tranquility, and easy living by the ocean. Supported a bustling fishing business, a busy dockyard, and a thriving entertainment industry. It was said that in the bay, when the moon was just right, you could see mermares dancing in the calm waters. Thanks to pegasi and alicorn weather/tide management, the city never even saw major storms. Two months of continual warfare, however had changed the city from its former; beautiful, self. Baltimare was now little more then a ruin; a dozen kilometer wide mess of burned out and collapsed buildings. The pristine parks that dotted the city were full of wrecked airships and the detritus of war. The trees had long since burnt, and the grasses had shared their fate. It was a grey, desolate, nightmare of warfare. In this setting twenty thousand of the finest ponies Equestria had ever seen had slowly driven back the griffons, block by block, week by week. The fighting was a vicious brawl made all the more so by the fact the city was devoid of civilian life, and so it was a no-holds-barred fight building to building. Griffon missiles rained down for the first couple of weeks, doing little more then shift piles of rubble around, until being silenced by the Wonderbolt Phoenix bombers. That had given way to a hammering from the Magnificent's cannons, before being ordered to halt so that 'some semblance of the city's former self may be salvaged from this ruin'. Hundreds had lost their lives on both sides, which only steeled the remainder to their duties even harder. While the leadership had deliberated, and held meetings behind closed doors that sought to plan the future, it was here that the war itself was being fought. Today, overlooking the dockyards that remained the last holdout of griffon solders, these twenty thousand formed up and prepared to go in. They knew not what they would encounter, they only knew that whatever it was- it was going to die. Each and every single one of them had a rifle- along with the traditional pike on their back. The unicorn squads wore Gatling guns on their backs to compliment their already powerful magic, and the Wonderbolt fleet hung overheard ready to call down the hammer on any fortified positions, although they had orders not to do so unless there was no other option. Today, Celestia willing, would be the first and greatest victory of the newly founded Marine Corps. Flash Sentry arrived at this ruin, early in the morning, with his new friend 'Fang'. Celestia had decided that was a better formal name when she had him sworn in as a citizen yesterday. So it was then, that the second changeling citizen of Equestria went to war for that country, while the first did his own duty in the background. Unbeknownst to him a hundred of his fellows would be fighting today, eager to settle a score with the griffons. Standing at the 'rail station', which was actually just a legion checkpoint on the outskirts the city. Flash beheld the scene. A sea of tents in a field, with the city itself covered by a thick fog of dust beyond. In the distance a storm was brewing- bad weather was another result of the war, with weather pegasi only focusing on stopping extreme weather. Anything less then a tornado was declared 'safe', and ignored. "Sweet Celestia, what have we gotten ourselves into?" He mumbled, staring at the 'city', and hefting a bag of belongings over his shoulder. All he had to his name was a few hundred bits and a change of clothes, along with some identification. His partner, Fang, had his citizenship papers with him stuffed in the pocket of the smallest uniform they could find. It fit him well enough, hoof stitched too, lucky. Flash's was machine stitched, and a little itchy. He really missed the armour, it felt a lot safer to have a skeleton of steel around yourself. The logic of abandoning it was obvious- good luck trying to move around quickly in heavy armour, but still. They had shifted from being burnt in their armour, to being cut up by gunfire or griffon claws. Flash shuddered, leading his friend down the empty lines of tents while he glanced around. They had come with the resupply train, and Flash had done some reading. It was not a pretty situation out here, griffons put up an incredibly tough fight on the ground, attacking in groups with nothing but their claws. They had long since run out of fuel for their flamethrowers, but that didn't make them any less deadly. When the brass realized this, they ordered a return to the armour. The problem? Griffon claws can cut through it. Other then the sound of the workers unloading supplies, which slowly faded into the distance, there was a eery silence over everything. A gentle breeze brew through from the coast, and the low rumbling of a distant late-summers storm echoed through, but no sign of life. Flash knew he was safe here, but an intense feeling of unease came over him nonetheless. Fang apparently felt the same, shuddering and meeting his friends side. "It's creepy out here, like a graveyard," He said. Flash shuddered, his friend was more correct then he knew. Every day a few dozen had lost their lives, their names relayed through the papers as a stark reminder of the situation they found themselves in. Gone were the days when Celestia or some magical power could solve their problems bloodlessly, gone were the days of the easy victory and gluttonous peace. Equestria fought for its survival now, and it was a gruesome fight. "Wing's Reach by Hearths Warming" was the official line, but given the forces aligned against them, even with Zebra help, that seemed like a naive hope. He sighed and shook his head. Whatever happened to the worst problem being local, quick, and wrapped up neatly by the end of the week? Onward they walked, coming out of the tents and into the houses outlying the city itself. They remained silent, with eyes glancing around for any threat in the empty houses. The only sound was the gentle breeze, and the squeak of Flash's wheeled prosthetic leg. The windows seemed to leer at them, and Flash was relieved to find a heavily armed checkpoint before the entrance to the city centre, armed with a large anti-air cannon behind sandbags. The apparent leader sat with his hooves up in a small guardpost, while his comrade sat idly at the gun. Flash waved and shouted hello, which was apparently a mistake as the guards came to attention and swung the twin barreled cannon at him. It did not look very friendly from this angle. "Halt! This is a restricted area, who are you and what is your purpose?!" The lead guard demanded, a terrifying scraping sound coming from the gun as it leveled with Flash's head. "Sergeant Sentry sir, I'm a transfer!" Flash said. unable to hide his nerves. Fang clutching his leg and shaking didn't help. The lead guard looked at his comrade at the gun, who shrugged in return. "Transfer? We don't get any transfers soldier, under who's orders is this?" He asked. "General Masse, sir! I was given the option of going south or going east- I went east!" Flash returned. The gunner peeked to the side of his gun and cocked his head at them. "You actually chose to come out here?" The lead asked incredulously. "Son you're either stupid or brave, and we need both," He said, and nodded to his partner. The gun pointed back at the air, and Flash let out a breath of relief. He pulled Fang out from behind him and regained his composure, trotting towards the checkpoint down the road. The gunner silently watched him from his post, looking at them the same way one might look at a pony walking into hell. "I suggest you find General Pike and talk to him, he's running the show now," The lead guard said, offering a salute. "Good luck out there son, you're gonna need it," He added. Flash met his salute. "Thank you sir, I've come a long way to be here, I'll see the griffons back home myself," Flash said. The guard laughed, and then looked over Flash more closely, noticing his lost leg. "What happened to your leg son?" He asked. "Lost it in Manehattan sir, black friday," Flash replied. The guard nodded. "I see, must be itching to get back at those mules then. Give em hell," the guard said. "Yes sir!" Flash replied, and left the checkpoint with Fang at his side into the city. The guards didn't seem to notice or care about him, probably thinking he was some sort of courier. Flash didn't have the heart to tell him his uniform was that of a colt scout courier, blue and white instead of the dull green and brown of the regular legion. He didn't seem to notice, and had commented he thought it looked 'good', so that was that. Once again silence descended on the pair like a fog of unease. The morning sun came through the thick smoke of war, bathing everything in a soft orange light. The tall buildings of the city had mostly been toppled, leaving them to trot through a maze of debris and war detritus. The ruin was so total that one could barely tell whether they were standing in a street or what had once been a building, or if one could- which had come first. Flash was fairly certain they stood inside a ruined toystore when he decided to take a break and snack on an apple or two. It was a surreal setting, but about the only relative shelter they had seen. Outside the wreck of a small airship was embedded in the ground, a rusted gun turret marking its grave. How could anything recover from such total annihilation? Baltimare was dead, its corpse would remind them forever of this dark time- there was no way Equestria, or its people, could ever return to the naive peace they had before. The innocence was lost. Fang sat looking out as well, both of them eating their share (Fang had brought a bag of Hive Mushrooms he managed to find in Canterlot), in silence. It was an interesting thing, members of two races that had been in a perpetual un-declared war for as long as either could remember, sharing a meal in silence as they faced a greater evil together. Flash looked at the little changeling, and patted his head. They savored their peaceful meal, both knowing in their hearts it would be the last they would have in a very, very, long time. Once they had finished, with one last savouring of the silent peace provided, they set out on the last leg of their journey. The closer they got to the docks, the more they noticed discarded weapons and round casings. Overturned makeshift barricades and sandbags were strewn about, the walls etched with bullet holes. Flash wasn't stupid, and it painted an ugly picture of the griffons fighting harder and harder as they fell back. Today was the final offensive, and not even Celestia could know what awaited them in the docks. Why the docks anyway? Flash pondered, Fang under his wing as they walked through the cratered streets, wind howling through buildings looming over as skeletons of a once a great city. The docks weren't of any major strategic interest, there had been no griffon reinforcements or any sightings of surface fleets, and Equestria didn't do too much trade on this side of the continent. Fillydelphia filled that role now, and quite a few of the refugees had started moving there. Equestria didn't care about the docks themselves, but rather the fact that the griffons happened to be holding out there. Why hold out, why not retreat? There was no hope to survive the massed force against them, but they stayed all the same. They were either suicidally bent on fighting to the last, or it was a trap. Neither was a nice thought, and the marines had to go in regardless. Perhaps high command knew something he didn't, or else the griffons knew something neither did. They had a way of surprising them all, nobody had expected this in the first place after all. He held Fang close, and finally they could hear the sounds of ponies in the distance. Soon they came upon another checkpoint- It was unmanned, which was rather disconcerting. Apparently the brass really had massed everything. As he trotted past Flash took a glance at the mean looking anti air gun. Two months ago nothing like this even existed, yet here it was. Here it was, and it wasn't even the biggest gun Flash had seen. Past the checkpoint they finally were relieved to see the some sign of life, marines here and there chatting idly to themselves in the shadows of ominous buildings. The sea was visible through them, the storm in the distance drawing closer. Flash had been to the academy, and he knew it was far too late to stop that storm even if the pegasi wanted to. Weather control was as much an art as a science, with the trick always being to act early. A flash of lightning said that it was anything but early. It was far enough out that it would probably fade before making landfall, but it was still an ominous sign. It wouldn't effect the Wonderbolts at all, thankfully- they could simply head above the clouds. Losing the support of the fleet... Actually thinking on it, it wouldn't matter. They had been ordered not to use their artillery on the ground for whatever reason, and were only here to scare off any griffon reinforcements as well as pick up the marines as soon as the all clear was given. From then on the city was in the hands of the legion, and the marines would head east with the Wonderbolts. "You hear that?" Fang asked, startling Flash from his introspection. "Hear what?" Flash asked, pausing to look around. All he heard was the idle chatter of a few ponies, and the sound of the sea. "Sounds like music, coming from that way," Fang said, pointing down the debris littered road. A ways down Flash could see a wooden palisade. "Well let's check it out then, maybe we can figure out where the General is there," Flash said, and led his friend towards it. On the way Flash did notice the music, there was the faint but growing sound of what seemed to be classical music coming out from behind the wooden fence. Arriving at it Flash found a gate, and with an uneasy glance to Fang whom was still glued to his side, pushed it open. Inside he was shocked to find a spotless building- from the first floor down- behind a clean street and sidewalk. It was like in this ten meter square nothing had ever happened. Around the pavement of the street a few tables were set up, decorated officers relaxing and talking amongst themselves. One of them- a rather ancient looking unicorn mare- noticed Flash, and glared at him over her shoulder. "Officers only kid, unless you got business- beat it," She growled. "I'm here to see the General, along with my partner, sir," Flash said, pulling Fang reluctantly forward. "Name and rank," She ordered. "Sergeant Flash Sentry, my partner has no rank- we're both transferring in, sir," Flash said. She snorted, and whispered something in a nearby colleagues ear. He looked back at them, with a familiar look of both slight respect and wondering if they were insane. "General's inside, " She said, gesturing towards the entrance to the building. Flash noticed a banner- UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT- over the glass doors. "Thank you sir," Flash said, and gave a sharp salute before pulling leading Fang to the doors. What they found inside was what looked to be a hotel lobby, with rows of chairs assembled in front of the lobby desk, which had a large board installed behind it. An enormous Equestrian flag hung from the rafters and reflected off the marble floor, filling Flash with a sense of patriotic pride. He was here, finally, to do his part for his nation. "It's.. really clean," Fang noted, glancing around. "Officers must be using this place for themselves," Flash said, and noticed a board over a door to his right marked 'management'. He gestured over. "Seems a good place to start," he said, and led Fang over. A rather heated conversation appeared to be taking place inside, and they did their best to be quiet so they could hear. The loudest voice was a young mare, Flash knew it but couldn't quite place it. She appeared to be arguing with the general. "... I can't let you do that! The risk of-" "... General it's not up to you. Luna might be the Queen, but I'm still a princess. I'm going down there to help, and I'll have you court martialed if you get in the way," She threatened. They paused outside the door and shared an uneasy glance, entry seemed a poor idea at the time. Flash gestured to the door, Fang refused. They didn't have to fight about it for long, as it swung open into Flash, knocking him against the wall. The Twilight Princess strode out, her head held high as she departed with two armored centurions on either flank. Peeling himself out from behind the door Flash watched as she slammed the lobby door behind her and took wing outside, Fang struggling to contain his laughter. Flash sighed, the universe seemed hell bent on having him always look a fool when he met her. It's not like he expected to ever get anywhere with a member of royalty, savior of Equestria multiple times, and a semi-divine alicorn. It's just that he would really appreciate not looking like a total idiot. With a glare that silenced Fang, he shuffled around the door and peeked inside. The general was at a desk covered in papers, with a map behind him and a teletype plus radio on a desk beside. His uniform hung on a rack beside the doorway. Flash knocked on the doorway to get his attention. The general himself was an older stallion, with an orange coat that might have at one point been the same colour of Flash's at one point, and a short grey mane that had a few of its original green hairs here and there. "Better be important, we're moving out in less then an hour," The general said, not looking up from his work. "Sir, Sergeant Flash Sentry reporting for assignment, Sir!" Flash addressed, saluting smartly. Fang repeated this at his side. Now he looked up, tenting his hooves as he looked over the two. "Legion? I'll take what I can get- I don't need any couriers though," He said, peering down at Fang. Before Flash could explain, Fang pushed forward and put his forehooved on the desk, staring at the general. "I'm not a courier! I'm a changeling warrior, and I'm here to fight!" He shouted, the general looking at him with a bemused expression. "Changeling warrior huh? I think I got a memo about that earlier- shouldn't you be in special operations or something, with the shapeshifting and all?" He suggested. Fang fell back and stared at the floor, seemingly ashamed of himself. "He can't shapeshift, Sir," Flash explained. General Pike sat back in his chair, leaning his head back as he put the pieces together. "I get it now," He said, leaning back forward. "The hive kicked him out because he can't shapeshift, and you want to make a name for yourself on the front. Thus I get the only two volunteers I've ever seen- granted I've only been here a day," He said, and glanced at his watch. "Alright, here's the deal: you're going to keep your rank, he's a private. I have no time to assign you to a squad, so just find yourselves equipment and make yourselves useful out there today," He said, slipping out of his chair. "Yes Sir, thank you sir!" Flash said, raising a sharp salute. Fang repeated all this, but markedly quieter then the trained soldier beside him. General Pike met the salute. "Good luck out there, Sergeant," He said. With Fang at his side, Flash strode out of the office. "We're in," Flash said, glancing down at the grinning changeling. "Now let's show them what a three legged pegasus and a changeling can do. Fang buzzed his wings in excitement, as a roaring sound from above rose over the rumbling of the distant storm. The Magnificent had arrived. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Wildcard anxiously sat through the journey. Battle itself was a terrible cacophony of horror and destruction, but it was the periods in between battle that filled the majority of a war's time, and the anxiety ran deep. He went over the possibilities of what was coming, having paid attention to the comms officer beside him. Her name was Leftenant Morse, and she was incredibly good at her job. She was like a machine, capable of relaying huge amounts of information though military jargon verbally while also deftly managing the teletype. From what Wildcard could gather the griffons had a force of around 500 remaining in the docks. If this tenacity could be expected from all the griffon forces, the Equestrians were in for a rough ride indeed. 500 of them, with no hope of reinforcement or supplies, were holding out against a massively larger, better armed, force backed by exceptional firepower and nearly unlimited supplies. Suicidal loyalty was something Wildcard knew well- it's how all warriors were trained. This seemed to accomplish nothing though, they would be swept aside like nothing. They were willing to die despite knowing it was ultimately frivolous, Wildcard didn't know whether to admire the loyalty or feel bad for them. "Thirty minutes out, You can see the city on the horizon," Captain Northstar said. Wildcard and Spitfire both left their chairs to stand in front of the large window. Thick glass subsected by steel, it was as nearly as strong as the steel armour- nearly. Wildcard whistled as he looked at the city. It looked almost like a toy model that somebody had stepped on, and a thin smoke hung over it. Griffons really had done a number to the place, if it was up to Wildcard he would have the whole place abandoned to nature. He also noticed a storm on the horizon, and turned his head to Spitfire as he pointed at it. "I wouldn't worry," She said, staring forwards herself. "Weather patrol says it'll die down before reaching the coast, worst storm I've seen in years though." Wildcard nodded and turned back to staring out the window. It was amazing how high they were. It was so high that your mind almost abstracted it, and the silent smooth movement of the ship added to the surreal feel. It was less like flying, and more like looking down at a map of the world. It made you feel like a god. While Wildcard pondered this, staring out the window intently, Spitfire turned and cleared her throat. "Alright everypony, geography lesson. Griffons live on islands, islands to the far east of where we are now. Can anyone name the closest island to Baltimare?" "Waylay ma'am, 500 kilometers east," Captain Northstar said. "Correct, Waylay. Waylay is where we're going to be tonight, and no force great or small will stand in our way. Make sure all of our weapons are ready, and keep the Phoenixes on alert status. Load for anti-ship, Queen Luna has ordered no ground bombardment," Spitfire ordered. "Aye Aye," The weapons officer replied, rising from his seat beside a machine where he could keep track of which guns were loaded, and with what. "But why no bombardment?" He asked. "General Pike wants a surface fleet, and Baltimare has the only remaining major docks after Black Friday. We're going to be babysitting until they're done down there, just gotta keep the griffons off them," she explained. "You got it air martial, I'll inspect the guns personally," He said, and left the bridge with the door clanking behind him. "Wildcard, could you come see me in my quarters?" Spitfire asked. Wildcard cocked an eyebrow as he turned from staring out the window, his ears perked up at the suggestion- along with his tail. She glared back at him. "Didn't you just get married wise guy? Besides, I can do better," Spitfire sneered coyly. Wildcard frowned, his tail drooping likewise, quite aware of the muted chuckling of the bridge crew as he followed Spitfire past them to her quarters attached to the bridge. Closing the door behind them, Wildcard took a quick look around, the room was mostly bare except for Spitifires neatly organized desk, with a hat rack beside it. Behind her chair was a portrait of a historical figure- Commander Hurricane. Wildcard had thought the last one had been destroyed long ago, it must be priceless. Elsewhere a display case of the many medals Spitfire had collected over her career was the only other adornment. "Last one in existence, been in my family for a long time. I like to think we're doing him proud," Spitfire said, settling into her seat and gesturing to the chair across. "I'm sure you've got some wisdom to share before we go in, so share it," Spitfire ordered as Wildcard sat himself. "Well, I haven't been on assignment on the griffon islands myself, but I do my homework. Their society is organized into several different houses, ranging from size and power from tiny village holdings to houses that control whole islands and thousands of soldiers. The largest and most powerful of the houses can declare its head to be the High King, and at any time any of the others can challenge this. They believe that whoever is able to head the strongest house has the support of their god, and that god rules them through him. This 'high martial' then has the near total loyalty of everyone, even if he is breaking with tradition by uniting the military of all the houses. I suspect his own house, or those allied with him, gave the others little choice," Wildcard said. Spitfire nodded along. "We knew some of that, but not all of it. I'm especially interested by the idea some of the houses might not be as... fervent," She said. "I'm sure if given the chance some of them would pack it in and go home- but with their military forces out here they would just be killed by, what I highly suspect, is some sort of secret police keeping watch at home," Wildcard said. "Imagine having everyone that could possibly hurt you hostage, with anybody that could possibly help them an ocean away stuck in a war," he added. Spitfire considered this. "This isn't painting a pretty picture, if all this is right then we're facing an almost suicidally determined enemy," She said. "You are, those 500 left down there prove it. It's going to get bad Spitfire, it's going to get to a point where everybody under you is going to scream for mercy and demand to go home. Don't give in," Wildcard warned. "I won't, you have my word on that. This is do or die for all of us, I realize that as much as anyone else. We fall back, they return in greater numbers with a better fleet- and they won't stop with just razing a single city. They're leading us out over the ocean so they'll be fighting on fair terms, whoever wins out here takes the pot," She said. Wildcard nodded, happy they were on the same page. "Good, If you can remember this, I'm confident you can beat them," Wildcard said, and had an idea. "Hold on, remember what I said about great houses?" He asked. Spitfire nodded. "If we can find a way to figure out which griffon units are parts of which house, we could target them specifically and sap their will to fight- if they risk losing their houses army it means that even if they win the war as a nation, their position at home would be weaker," Wildcard suggested. Spitfire shot upright in her chair. "That's brilliant, if we pick on the right houses we might even get them to pull right out and lick their wounds, afraid that the others might take advantage of their weakness- we just need to figure out how," She said, filled with the frantic excitement of somebody that found their salvation. Wildcard grinned. "Signals Intelligence- you've got an entire company up here. Find a way to crack into their communications, and harass certain houses specifically. I imagine they'll eventually get wise to this, but it could do a lot of good for us," he said. Spitifire grinned as well, flipping on her shades. "They are going to rue the day they decided to fight us. They pushed us down, but we're back up- and we're going to do a hell of a lot more then just push them down," she said, slamming the desk with a wide grin and- to Wildcard's shock and awe- visible flames in her eyes. Wildcard sat there, stunned, and for the first time he felt bad for the Griffons. They had stirred a sleeping dragon from its slumber, and it was coming for them. She was also unbelievably attractive when in a fury like this, but he had enough will power to shove that to the back of his mind. Still, a part of him wished he hadn't been so hasty in getting married... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Down below, Flash Sentry and Fang waited, having found their supplies. It wasn't very hard, a nearby warehouse had been converted to storage and Flash simply walked in and got himself a rifle and some ammo, and his partner a smaller sidearm. He also had some assorted supplies, rope and medical stuff, in his pack, and a pair of binoculars hung around his neck. Flash figured that since they were out of the main loop, they would do some lone wolf scouting and report anything they found. Getting stuck in the mainline fighting as a pair without a squad was suicide. He also made sure they both had boots, if it was going to rain then it seemed wise. He had left his bag in the logistics warehouse, shoving in a crate marked 'ship to Magnificent'. So they waited, sitting on a somewhat burnt bench at the edge of a square where, apparently, the forces aligned were to form up. At the far end was a hastily assembled wooden podium. with a flagpole hoisting an Equestrian flag above it that fluttered in the wind. It was rather torn, and had probably been moved around since day one. It had its back to the ocean, the approaching storm visible behind. It was dying down, but every once and a while a flash of lightning echoed its thunder across the bay. Which was odd, considering it didn't appear to be raining- and thunderstorms generally lasted not nearly as long. Squinting at it, Flash wasn't actually sure if it was approaching or somehow getting bigger while holding in place. This was neither here nor there though, and he put it to the back of his mind. Twenty thousand ponies were assembling themselves in the square, all of them were like Flash- the original guard. They weren't drafted, they weren't reservists, they had volunteered long ago to serve their country in peace, and now at war. They were the most seasoned and expert professional soldiers the nation had, and every single one of them was going to be thrown at the griffons. The Magnificent was quite a sight, but the real force of Equestria was here, in all of them. Flash felt the feeling of being a part of something, something bigger then himself with a single solitary goal. Make them pay. They wouldn't settle just for defeating the griffons on the ocean, oh no. The griffons had destroyed two cities, attacked Canterlot, and stolen a precious relic. They wouldn't settle until Wing's Reach was occupied, and a total surrender given. They were in this for either total victory, or total defeat. Flash poked his partner and gestured towards the flag flapping in the wind. "See that?" Flash asked. "It's a pretty nice flag, what's the golden border for?" Fang asked. "That means it's the flag of war, and we're going to put stick it on the griffon High Martial's grave," He said, grinning madly. "You've gotten more serious over the last few weeks, Flash," Fang noted. "I've come a long way to be here Fang, and they've done things to this country nobody else has. They took my leg, I'm gonna take their head," He said, and paused. "You're right, I am getting too dark," He said, patting his colleague on the head. "It's just how we were trained I guess, do you know what my instructor said on the first day of training?" Flash asked. Fang shook his head. "If you want to do well in battle, accept that you're already dead, and fight knowing that. No fear," Flash explained. Fang shuddered. "That is dark, I had no idea ponies thought like that,' He said. Flash pulled him close. "Normally we don't, but the last year hasn't exactly been normal," he said. Near the podium a figure was barely visible, and as he came into view the collective army started to settle. A surge of high voltage anxiety went through the crowd, and all conversations gave way to the silence of the wind. As he came to to the podium, with that officer Flash had seen earlier at his side. "Attention!" She shouted over them, and as one their training overrode their minds and they stood to attention. She saluted the General, and fell behind him. A low rumble came from the storm, Flash noticed that it seemed to both be holding position and weirdly perpetually powerful, it should have moved to the city by now. This thought was cut off by the General starting his speech. "Goood morning fillies and colts! A few of you know me from the old guard, and it's now fallen to me to lead you out there," He shouted over them, gesturing back at the ocean. "We've got a new Queen everyone, and new orders coming from on high. Those orders are, to paraphrase for the less educated of you: send 'em home, and then burn their home down. We're not going to accept anything less then an unconditional and total surrender after what they've done to us, and does anyone know what that means?" He paused, and then continued with a slightly harsher tone. "That means Equestria is counting on us to go all the way, and I expect the best from all of you. The new plan is to fight fire with fire, and we are the fire!" "Now, I want all of you to look down and find those lines in the square, form up," He ordered. Flash hadn't noticed it, but there indeed two lines that separated the square into thirds. The troops shuffled off the lines, forming three sections. "The idea is simple folks. Left line, march up the 75th street bridge. Kill everything with two legs. Middle line, 60th street. Right line, secure this side, you're forming up the rear," He ordered. There was a sigh throughout the right line as the others perked up. "Attention!" The general yelled towards the right, angrily. "You will follow my orders to the letter, understood?" He asked, clearly threatening. "Yes Sir!" The group shouted back. The General turned to the other two groups, pointing at them. "Get moving, get it done, understood?!" "Yes Sir!" Both groups shouted back, and started to move off. The general backed off and spoke with his second. Flash turned to Fang. "So, where do you want to go?" He asked. Fang seemed to be staring ahead vacantly, not noticing. Flash prodded him and shot up startled. Flash pulled him down, "Didn't mean to startle you, scared?" He asked, concerned. Fang shook his head, "No, I'm just... anxious," He said. Flash wasn't convinced. "You sure? We could stay back here with the rear line, they've got it well in hand down there," Flash suggested. He spared a longing glance at the departing forces, but swallowed his pride. The chances of actually seeing one of the griffons was pretty low anyway. "Could we?" Fang pleaded, doing his best to seem unafraid. "Yeah, don't worry about it. We'll find something to do over here," Flash said, and came to all four, glancing around for something to do. "I got it, they must have a communications station here, and I've got experience. We can help them, and get in the loop too," Flash said, and felt the faint flutter of wind as his comrades wings buzzed. "You can teach me!" Fang exclaimed, excited at the prospect Flash smiled, and led him off to begin their search. Glory on the field could wait another day, for now he had a friend to take care of. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "And they're off," Spitfire said from her chair, a commanding view of the city below. Thousands of ponies streamed out of a square a few hundred meters below, barely visible as a mass through the thin smoke. Wildcard stood before the glass, and felt a pang of guilt. Here he was, seasoned fieldman, standing above these brave soldiers and doing no more then watch them. A hundred of his own were down there, having entered the docks a few hours ago to do 'aggressive reconnaissance'- search and destroy anybody not on guard. He glanced back at the bridge crew- they all had a mission, and they each had a job. Was this what it meant to be a noble, stand around and look good, getting fat while they died? If it was, he was having none of it. "I'm going down there," He said, turning from the window. Spitfire looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You sure about that? I'm sure they've got it under control- but the griffons have thrown us curveballs before, it's bound to get dicey down there, and you aren't exactly in fighting shape," She warned. "Then it's time for me to get back in fighting shape, I'm not going to become a fat, lazy, noble, not yet," Wildcard said, and steeled himself to his decision. Spitfire smirked. "Fine, I won't stop you. Head to the armory first though and get suited up, I won't have you running around down there in a trenchcoat unarmed," She ordered. Wildcard snapped a salute. "Aye Aye, Air Martial!" He left the bridge, the crew watching him with moderate respect, and with a fire in his heart. Maybe today he would bag another griffon. He paused and thought for a moment. What had happened to that one he stunned in the castle? In fact, what had Mezza Luna meant when she said they 'wouldn't see Wing's Reach again'? He had thought nothing of it at the time, figuring they would just... meet their end... but what if there was something deeper going on here? He shook his head and added it to the pile of conspiracies, threats, war plans, and plots in the back of his mind. It was starting to get rather crowded back there, at this rate the entire world was going to end before the year was over. He wouldn't be surprised to find the gates of Tartarus had been opened, beings from another world were visiting, or maybe a crazed alicorn out of the independent states with god like powers would come and take over. Somepony with a name like "Inferno" or "Shadowmane". He laughed and pushed open the lower bridge door, leaving into the breezy air on the deck. It was pretty chilly this high up, and so close to the ocean, but he had a coat. Apparently this wouldn't do, and he strode along looking for whichever building was the armory. It didn't take long for him to find it, the armory was a bunker looking structure built into the deck, the door marked AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. The image of two clashing swords embedded in the door was the universal symbol for such a place. Outside a lone, bored looking, guard sat on a stool contemplating the finer things in life. "Hold on, what's your authorization?" He asked, looking over Wildcard. Wildcard paused, thinking. "Top," He bluffed. "Top?" The guard said, staring into Wildcards deep blue eyes. "Top," he repeated, leaning in with an edge in his voice. "Well... you are a duke I guess, so go right in. Sir," The guard said, stepping aside. Wildcard nodded at him and pushed open the door, making a mental note that he was going to have to impress upon the Wonderbolts the need for better security. The griffons weren't given to infiltration, but they weren't the only enemies Equestria had. Their trusting nature would be their downfall. At the bottom of a short flight of stairs was a vast dark room. Once Wildcard's eyes adjusted his jaw dropped with awe at the sight of it. Racks of weapons lined the walls, mostly old style pikes or other basic pole arms and swords. The majority of the rooms volume was taken by vast shelves, lined with assorted weapons less then months old. Back mounted cannons, rifles, ammunition for days. They even had a good stockpile of grenades and other explosives. Wildcard strode down the aisles and looked along it all like a filly in a candy store. Taken by one of the cylindrical guns he had heard the unicorns using, he tried to pick it up. That ended in failure, it seemed to weigh a good couple hundred pounds. With a sigh, and a prodding of his moderately enlarged gut, he looked further down the aisles and selected an officers sidearm with a holster that would fit to his leg. It was small, and much like the basic revolvers used down south (probably taking its design from them), but it would do. In any case he didn't expect to see any actual combat. He also quickly selected a uniform and helmet before departing. The changeling that walked out was indistinguishable from any other officer on the ground, his horn poking out of the brown helmet that matched the dark green/brown fatigues. A pair of grenades hung from a pocket, he figured he might drop them on a griffon head if he saw anything on the way down. In the pocket was a few dozen rounds for the gun, and he left his trenchcoat behind. Quickly striding to the edge of the ship, he looked towards the city dockyard below. As expected the ant-like mass of ponies was working their way in, sporadic gunfire and flashes of explosive grenades here and there. Their march forward was relentless, and every building was being thoroughly- and quickly- covered. The dockyards itself was mostly intact too, with luck they would have it ready to build surface ships almost immediately. To think, Chrysalis tried to invade this people once with a force a hundredth the size of what the griffons had. Had Shining Armour and his wife not used their magic the way they did, the changelings would be all but extinct. She was as foolish as she was arrogant, Wildcard would have to do something about that one day; they were still his people even if they were ruled by an idiot. Wildcard was gaining friends, prestige, and influence. Perhaps he could do the ultimate good for his people, and kill the fool before she led them all to their own deaths. One war at a time, one war at a time, he reminded himself. As he looked down he saw something that horrified him- an arc of fire streaming out of one of the buildings below that send dozens of charging ponies running back (and a few not as lucky). When they formed back up the building itself exploded outwards in a huge fiery explosion that took everything with it. "This was supposed to be a cakewalk, what the hell is going on down there?" Wildcard shouted to the air, vaulting the railing and swooping downwards. He flew directly towards the calamity unfolding below, but a volley of fire from below forced him to break off and reconsider. Glancing downwards he noticed a gleaming silver dish outside a tent near where the troops had formed up, and shot off towards it. Something terrible was happening down there, and he was going to find out what. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Corporal Ren Excavo was down there, stuck in between a rock and a griffon flamethrower. He was cut off from his comrades by a pile of debris that had rained down on them, while ahead of him a griffon with a terrifying grin on his face was advancing with a flamethrower. He dove to the side into a doorway, and felt the heat of the flames shoot past. Checking his rifle, he only had two in the magazine. "You can't win!" Ren shouted out, hoping for logic to win the day. Another arc of flame shot past, Ren tried the door. Locked, just his luck. "You misunderstand us little pony, we already have won. I can smell your fear!" The griffon soldier shouted down at him. Ren had little choice, and aimed his rifle at the doorhandle. Closing his eyes and bracing, he pulled the trigger and with a deafening noise the wood shattered, allowing him to kick the door open and dive inside. Quickly putting his back against the wall, he chambered the last round and listened to the approaching footfalls. "Hey guys? I'm kinda stuck in here!" Ren shouted out, to no response. Then he turned his attention to the room, and his heart sank. It was stacked floor to ceiling with explosives. That explained what had brought the other building down, how many of these were there? Ren glanced around the edge of the wall, and seeing the approaching shadow of the griffon soldier he swallowed his fear, gripping his rifle tight. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he listened closely, and just as the griffon stepped into the doorway he spun around the edge, and fired. Clank Ren's face turned a mixture of surprise and horror as the barrel of his rifle exploded outwards with a great noise, and he stumbled backwards with the force of it. The thick steel of the griffons armour was apparently too much for the small round. This, apparently, was why he had been told never to engage point blank. His face turned white, and he looked upwards into the devilishly grinning griffons eyes. He shoved Ren backwards with his flamethrower, and leveled it at his head as Ren desperately crawled backwards. "Time to die, little pony," The griffon said, and steadied himself to unleash a stream of fire. "Buck you," Ren spat, steeling himself to his end. He closed his eyes, and to his surprise the next thing he experienced was a heavy weight falling on him following the crackle of a half dozen shots. Opening his eyes, the first thing Ren saw was the dead eyes of the griffon, whom he quickly pushed off himself. Behind him, was the greatest thing he ever saw- was Lieutenant Flintlock, his commander. Ren sighed with relief, happy to notice that he still had his back mounted gun, nothing could stop one of those. "Thank you sir, I thought I was dead," Ren said, and noticed a wet feeling in his midsection. Looking down, he figured out where the round he had shot the griffon with went. "Oh," he muttered. "I won't let anything happen to anybody under my com-" Lieutenant Flintlock began to saw, and then noticed his comrades injury. His concern turned to horror when he looked past him. "Ren, don't look now but I think we've got a bigger problem," He said, and stared past. Ren rolled over on his back, and saw what his superior did. Each of the explosives had some sort of timer attached, and they had all activated at once. Ren quickly threw a timelock spell around them, and then noticed the time on each. Two seconds. "Ren, hold on, I'll get you out of here and we're all going to be fine," Lieutenant Flintlock said, reaching down to pick up his comrade. Ren sighed, and pushed him away. "I can't keep this spell up unless I can see them, leave me," He said, his vision beginning to fade. "I can't just leave you here!" Lieutenant Flintlock shouted at him, but began to realize the hopelessness. "Sir, run. Run and don't look back. I spent my whole life trampling on others trying to make my life better for myself, and now I'm going to give back what I owe. I'm going to make my father proud sir, " Ren said weakly, a tear falling from his eye to mix with the pool of his blood on the floor. "Ren, you're the bravest person I've ever met, I'll make them pay for this!" Lieutenant Flintlock shouted, and darted out the door. Ren closed his eyes, and felt the darkness closing in. It was a familiar feeling, and it was nearly painless this time. Returning to the infinite darkness Ren knew there was no going back, Once again he saw the emerging light, and felt himself approach. A half minute later his strength gave out, and then a flash of pain and fire heralded the end. What he saw was beautiful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Flash Sentry had found himself the command tent, and inside was welcomed by utter chaos. Explosions in the distance echoed around, and screams of terror followed most of them. General Pike stood beside his communications officer frantically trying to figure out what was going on. His second stood outside, watching across to the dockyard island with a pair of binoculars, buffeted by the great wind. "What do you mean they've got explosives, I was told they hadn't been reinforced! What the hell is going on out there?" He shouted. The comms officer looked up at him, and it dawned on him that this purple unicorn wasn't a comms officer at all. "I don't know general, it's total chaos over there," She said, and rose from the communications machine, shaking off the headset. A burst of wind slammed into the tent, nearly knocking it flat. She turned, and Flash was startled to be pointed out. "You, come with me," She ordered, and turned her gaze back to the general. "General, order a retreat," She ordered, and quickly strode out before he could argue. Flash saluted as she walked out before him, and tailed her to the edge of the waterfront. "We're going across. This is a trap, and we're going to make sure nobody else get's hurt, understood?" She ordered, looking across the bay. The mare with the binoculars dropped them for a second and looked over. "That's suicide ma'am, intelligence really dropped the ball on this one, it's hell on earth out there," She warned, and returned to her watch. "I am not going to stand around and do nothing, you two, on me, let's go," She ordered, and with her head held high marched towards the water. The ocean was stirred into a frenzy by the wind, slamming into the coast. "Yes ma'am!" Flash said, and spared a glance at Fang. He seemed a little nervous, but otherwise okay. Then Flash glanced up, and did a double take. They had been paying so much attention to the chaos across the bay they had neglected to notice the storm had moved right over top of them, but there was no rain- something was off. "Your highness!" He shouted over the wind. "What is it soldier?" She shouted back. Flash simply gestured upwards. She looked up, and halted so abruptly the others bumped into her. A flash of lightning heightened their distress as it slammed into the bridge, cracking it in half. "This storm isn't natural!" Twilight shouted. "Your highness!" Somebody shouted behind them. They all turned to see Wildcard struggling through the wind to approach them. "You have to get to safety! The griffons are creating this storm!" He shouted, and his warning was made all the more clear as another bolt slamming into a building a ways behind. "How do you know that, they can't do that!" Twilight shouted, staring up at the sky. "Out there, in the bay!" Wildcard yelled over the cacophony of explosions and wind. When they looked out, sure enough there was a large vessel, around a kilometer or two out, somewhat concealed by fog. With the Wonderbolts forced above the storm, there was nothing they could do against it. "We have to retreat!" Flash shouted, grasping Fang close. "I agree, if we stay we're as good as dead!" Wildcard added, coming behind them. Twilight shook her head, and glanced back at them. "Protect yourselves, I have no idea what's going to happen!" She ordered, and her horn began to glow brilliantly. "Get down!" Wildcard ordered, and conjured a green shield around the trio. Ahead of them Twilight braced herself and leveled her horn out at the bay. Flash and Fang both hit the deck, covering their heads with their hooves. Wildcard chose to stand and watch, amazed at the power he was seeing concentrated. Her horn glowed bright and brighter, the energy so incredible that his fur began to stand on end. Apparently whoever was in charge of that vessel noticed this, and a lightning bolt flew directly at her. Wildcards horror faded instantly, as it seemed to only add to the power. After a good half minute had passed Wildcard saw the fog fade and the vessel try desperately to flee, but it was too late. Her Royal Highness Princess Twilight Sparkle unleashed a surge of energy that tore through the air with such power that the air itself burnt around it, and after only a second slammed into the griffon ship in the bay. The explosion that followed blinded Wildcard, and was swiftly followed by a magnificent shockwave that blew past, kicking up a wave of dust and debris that for several seconds pummeled his shield. Once it had passed, there was nothing remaining in the bay. Nothing except a column of steam and smoke rising into the sky, through a hole torn in the low clouds. Their attention turned to Twilight, whom didn't even seem tired by all this. She stood there staring out at the bay as the skies cleared, while they all stared at her with a mix of respect and horror. Behind her, across the bay, the marines had gotten the signal to retreat and ran across the bridges in a chaotic jumble as the rest of the buildings exploded, one after the other. "I never meant for that to happen," she said. Wildcard had nothing to say: there were no words to express his awe. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spitfire sat on the edge of her chair, trying to get a hold on the situation. The storm had moved impossibly fast, and had forced them to head above it for safety. A few dozen kilometers away the gleaming hulls of a griffon fleet stared at them. "What's going on down there? Comms, give me a report!" She ordered, staring out the window intently. "Griffons are armed ma'am, they're taking the docks down with them, and the General has ordered a retreat," Leftenant Morse replied. "They can't retreat! We can't let them have a foothold here, send a m-" Spitfire was interrupted in her order as a blinding light streaming into the ship, and was followed instantly by a calamitous shock and noise that shattered the windows of the bridge, throwing her off her seat. She grabbed onto it to avoid being flung around as the Magnificent swayed to its side. "Keep her steady!" Spitfire shouted, craning her head to watch Captain Northstar struggling with the controls. What she did was less of piloting, and more a graceful dance of knobs, throttles, and the great wheel. "I've got it ma'am, just give me a second..." She said, and the ship softly returned to stability. Spitfire pulled herself back into her chair, and with a quick glance was happy to see the bridge crew was fine, less a few bruises. "Damage report!" She ordered, keenly aware of the freezing air streaming in through the open window. Leftenant Stiff Wing quickly looked over the ranks of lights at his station. "Only minor damage, a few broken windows," He replied. "Good," Spitfire said, and looked forward out the window. The clouds below were dissipating, while a colossal tower of steam rose through a hole in them. "What happened down there?" She asked, spinning to direct her attention to the communications officer. He looked rather confused as he listened to the feed. "Uh... sounds like Princess Twilight Sparkle happened, ma'am," he replied. Spitifire grinned and spun back to look forward. Finally, somepony started showing the griffons the real power ponies had. She peered ahead at the griffon fleet, and saw it turning to retreat. "Oh no you don't!" She shouted, standing from her seat. "Doppler, are the Phoenix's ready?" She asked the flight control officer. "Yes ma'am, a little battered but they report ready," She replied after a moments pause. Spitfire sat back in her chair, and clacked her hoofs together. "Flank speed, Launch everything we have and order the fleet to engage at will. "Aye aye!" Northstar and Doppler replied at once. Nearly immediately a wave of roaring missiles took off from beside them towards the retreating enemy. Five minutes later the griffons found themselves at the bottom of the ocean. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Princess Luna grinned on the throne, reading the report she had just received from Baltimare. It detailed their victory, but at a heavy cost. They had lost thousands in the trap set in the docks, and would be without those dockyards for quite some time. However, the griffons lost an entire squadron of a dozen airships, as well as some sort of weather control device. The fleet was setting out, with its marine compliment, for Waylay island now, and would be there within a few days. The only thing that worried her was Twilight Sparkles reckless use of magic. She had potentially averted a military disaster, but it was a path that could lead to an even greater disaster if she wasn't careful. Spitfire also mentioned a need for more of those missiles, which was highly odd. The Night Guard had produced dozens before they ran out of the materials needed, having been stockpiling rare minerals 'just in case' for some time. The report mentioned it had only taken fifteen to take down the griffon fleet, so where were the others? She sighed, and whisked away the letter in a green flame. Down to her quarters it went, deep within the mountain. Vizitane was waiting below, eager to hear the results of Equestria's first promised victory. "Ambassador, you're correct- they did have a surprise for us. We won the day nonetheless," Luna said. "Ah, very good. I'll be happy to report that to the Emperor, and we will begin military operations in the south immediately. With the griffons attention split in twine, we should win this quickly," He said. "I have something to add however, and I'm afraid it will add a damper to your positive spirits. Our intelligence is rather certain the Saddle Arabians are going to be making an attempt to use the chaos currently to take a prized bit of land from us, and we cannot allow that. Thus I must decrease the promised force by half, for now," He added. Luna frowned at him. "Very well, you do what you need to do. Bear in mind that the less help we receive, the less we may be willing to negotiate certain boundaries in the future," she warned. Vizitane laughed. "Don't try and hide your threats behind meaningless words, your highness. If you want to tell me that any less force on our part will result in less land in the south, just say so. I've been at this a long time you know," he said. Luna's frown turned to a glare. "I have too, ambassador. I remember when your 'empire' was a single city on the coast with delusions of grandeur. I will outlive you, and everything you build or hold dear. I will see your empire crumble into dust, so don't toy with me, ambassador," She warned again. Vizitane looked at her, respectfully. "Well spoken, and understood. You're much better at this then your sister, you should really consider staying in power," He suggested. Before Luna could hurl more fire at him for daring suggest that, the door opened, and in strode her sister. Just behind her, not matching the smile of Celestia, was Mezza Luna. Vizitane bade a hasty exit and a hastier bow, leaving the trio in the room. "Good afternoon sister, I assume you got my message?" Luna addressed, smiling warmly down at her sister. "I did indeed, you said you 'wanted my presence as you announce our great victory to the people'," Celestia said, weaving through the cables on the floor. "Good! And Mezza Luna, such good timing! You should be here as well, watch and learn," Luna said, gesturing her sister sit beside her. Celestia did so, while Luna's second took her place off to the side a bit, silently watching. Luna noticed this, and was rather amused. "You don't need to act so serious all the time, you're even starting to make me worry," Luna said. Mezza Luna remained silent, Luna rolled her eyes and turned to her sister. "Was she always this dark?" Luna asked. Celestia nodded. "She takes after you, or at least she thinks she does," Celestia replied. Luna sighed, and turned her attention again to her second. "Learn to come out from the dark once and a while, or it will consume you," she warned. Mezza Luna made a greatly exaggerated bow. "As you wish, your highness," She said. Luna scowled down at her. "Remember your place! I will tolerate this sort of thing no longer!" She shouted. Mezza Luna backed into the corner. "Yes, your highness," She said, markedly more respectfully. Celestia turned to her sister, looking remarkably serious. "Did you read the note about Spitfires... logistical problem? There's something not on the level here sister, don't let your love of the Night Guard make you blind to the truth," She whispered. Luna sighed. "Fine, I'll look into it. For now, let's focus on the positive shall we?" She suggested, and gestured to the crew below. Celestia smiled. "As you wish, your highness," she said. A few minutes of preparation later, Luna started her speech. "Good evening subjects, it is with great pride that I come before you to announce our first major victory. As of today, Equestria itself is free of the griffon threat, and our brave defenders are taking the fight to our enemy. This victory was not without cost however, as a great many heroes made the ultimate sacrifice for Equestria. Rest assured that we will see the griffons face justice for the crimes they have committed against us. I will not rest until their war machine lay in ruin and this 'high martial' faces justice for his actions. Today marks the first day of true war, and I expect the best from all of you. We will charge into the darkness that has kept us in fear for so long, and we will destroy it utterly. Together, as Equestrians, we will prevail." Spitfire sat up her desk, flicked off the radio, and looked out the window. There in the distance, with the setting sun behind it, was Waylay island. Tomorrow they would begin assault operations. It was going to be a long, long, day. Down in the hull of the ship Flash Sentry and his mother re-united over a bit of cider, and shared stories of their adventures that day. Tomorrow he would be part of that assault, there was no escaping it. Meanwhile Wildcard arrived back at Canterlot, and found Lyra had managed to get a rather nice building in the centre of town, which appeared to have been a library at some point in its life. This worked well enough for him, and he settled in the back room with his desk. Lyra even hired a few staff of her own, and managed to rescue most of their work from the wreckage of Wildcard's old office. There was barely a hiccup in their operation, and they were shortly back to settling petty complaints while Wildcard tried to find some solid proof of Night Guard wrongdoing. Celestia did her own digging, helped closely by Wildcard's new wife First Class. Twilight Sparkle found herself in contact with one of the Night Guards, soon being given an 'offer' to come help them with a 'problem', intrigued, although a little suspicious, she decided she would follow up when she got a chance. She also had an idea that came to her that day, and spent most of her time at her home in Ponyville experimenting with a radio. If she was right, she finally found a way to make her mark. The time of peace and tranquility was now truly over, and Equestria was in open war. What the future held was uncertain to all involved.