//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 - Pony: Rerouping and Responding. // Story: World of Ponies: The Pony-Human War // by ShadowWalking18 //------------------------------// Stonewall Stonewall looked over the ragged remains of the war camp. Soldiers, the ones that remained, dug through the wreckages to put out flame, gather resources and the dead for burial. In just one massive spell the like he felt sure only one of the princesses could accomplish only, not only his regiment, but the other five across the territory had lost nearly fifty to seventy percent of their total soldiers and their camps left in ruin. In short he would call the whole operation a military failure of massive proportions. Armies scattered, provisions burned in the heart of a ill tempered and uncooperative winter, and a prince dead. 'Maybe a dragon will show up next. Or an earthquake will happen.' Stonewall found himself thinking bitterly. It was frankly all he could do to keep himself from muttering those all too jinxing words. So to avoid doing so he kept himself busy. He had sent out fliers to aid in the rallying of the troops that had still not managed to meet up at the gathering point he had established as a way for the armies to reorganize. He had also sent fliers to the scattered remnants of the other five regiments to arrive as well. He also set out gatherers to try and finding something to eat amongst the snow, mostly root tubers that tasted bitter, but also to salvage what supplies could be had from the ruins of the camps. He kept himself to every task he could find, no matter how menial. Anything to keep his mind busy, and his hooves away from the report he would have to write to the princesses eventually. He was not looking forward to it. 'I'm getting to old for this.' He thought, heading back to his tent after aiding in digging the new latrines. As he went a soldier came up to him and saluted, "Sir. Our scouts have received messages from the other regiments. They have made a detail of supplies and numbers." The soldier said, handing several scrolls over to him. Stonewall took the scrolls and saluted to the soldier, "Thank you officer Stout Heart. You may go." Stout Heart saluted and made his way off. Stonewall followed the officer a bit, seeing him meet up with a mare wearing the armor of the Knights Terra, the shock troops of the Equestrian military. The two walked off together, holding hooves. 'Ah to be young again.' He thought. While he considered such displays of affection improper in a military regiment, even if the two were part of a herd, he could understand it. A lot of soldiers had died the previous day, and it could have been one of them as well. At least they were still together, a lot of other soldiers had lost loved ones, sons and fathers. Daughters and mothers. Brothers and sisters. Lovers and wives. As he continued back to his tent, he looked over the scrolls. He would need an account of the total ponypower he would have, and importantly how much in supplies that the army would have. It wouldn't be much, but he was sure that there were a few small farming villages and even a small town this far near the border of Equestria, if needed they could buy what food they were willing to sell. Finally reaching his tent, Stonewall stopped as he stared into the eyes of a mare, who was in the process of undoing her armor. "Oh, General...I didn't..I mean...I was hoping..." The mare said. Stonewall blinked, then gave the mare a grim look, "This is very unprofessional soldier. Entering a commanders tent without leave is a grave offense." He rolled the scrolls closed as he crossed his hooves and stared at the mare, "Care to explain yourself." The mare gulped, and looked at the ground as she put her hooves behind her back. She stuttered as she tried to give her excuse. "I....when the lightning....I thought we were all going to die...but you...you kept us together....you have taken a lot of duties with the prince gone...I just thought....I could help..." the mare said, blushing. Stonewall caught a scent in the air that reminded him of roses. He wasn't much for flowers, but the smell was attention grabbing. For a moment he couldn't help but let his eyes wander over the mare, taking note of every curve. He had to admit, he felt a little flattered that a mare had snuck into his tent to...'help'..him. 'This hasn't happened in years.' He thought, memories of his more younger days as an officer. He could understand the mare's intentions. Still it was very unprofessional. "I see...." Stonewall said, stepping forward. He still didn't drop his look of disapproval, "Never the less this is very unprofessional for a soldier. We have taken a serious blow and we all need to maintain our focus and keep our minds clear on the objective." The mare winced slightly, and wrung her hooves nervously, "I...I know...I just...I'm sorry." The mare saluted, "I will leave." Stonewall nodded, though he found himself eyeing the mare's...assets then he did her salute. Though mare moved to leave, her hips swaying slowly as she headed for the tent flap. Stonewall shivered following her tail as it swished side to side, and he felt his hooves catch it before he could stop himself. "G-general?" The mare said, stopping and turning to look at him. Stonewall though could see a glint of mischief in her eyes. She was enjoying herself. Stonewall took a deep breath, his nose assaulted by the scent of roses. "However....I have read that...certain activities can help in clearing ones head." He said. The mare looked at him, then smirked as she tackled him to the ground, grinding herself to him as she worked to yank off his armor. Stonewall was overwhelmed by the ferocity of her moves, but found himself happily obliging and working on his stripping of her defenses. Maybe he wasn't too old after all. Celestia Celestia rubbed her head as Kibtz read off the list of audiences she had today. She hated Mondays. 'Maybe I can convince Luna to take the day shift again.' Celestia thought, it would be nice to get to the spa again for some pampering. Without warning, a guard walked in, rushing to the throne before bowing, "A millions pardon your highness, but we have just received a most....distressing message." "What is this?" Kibtz said, looking at his schedule, "this isn't in the scheduled reading of bad news." Celestia rolled her eyes. Leave it to Kibtz to plan for everything, but she ignored him now as she turned to the guard. "What message is this? From who?" She asked, stepping down to take the message. "I...I don't know how to say its but....it is from the human leader. Castus." The guard said. Celestia felt her a chill run down her spine, and she looked at the offered message like it was a viper. 'What would he want?' She thought with a bitter sense of anger. Castus and his human followers had become a sour note amongst the talk of Canterlot, and Equestria at large. Celestia had wanted for the presence and pressure of the Equestrian forces to force Castus to act for the best of his people and surrender. She had nothing against them personally, but Castus was simply too dangerous to be left allowed to walk free as he was. His magic was too dangerous, both his use of it and the knowledge of its existence. She had hoped he would give up, as her information told her he wasn't any sort of military commander. Even Discord had told her he was just a common man from his world. He should have surrendered. But he hadn't. In fact, not only had he resisted he had done so with a skill of military strategy and magic that he shouldn't have had. Like his sudden skill in using Valhruan magic the day he escaped confinement in Canterlot three years earlier. Where had this knowledge come from? The attacks on the armies supply lines was a common, but well done guerrilla tactic. And despite her best efforts after hearing word of armor rusting and weapons turning brittle, something she was sure was a valhruan spell, she could not find anything yet to counter it in the hidden archives of alicorn spell books. Yet anyway. For a moment, she had considered calling back the forces, if only till winter had passed. But when the reports of slaughter began, Celestia had to harden herself and keep up the campaign. She couldn't let up now after he had spilled blood. As well, there were a number of nobles now who were calling for the full Equestrian army to march on the humans an annihilate them for these atrocities. Celestia resisted such demands however, though with some bitter resentment. She wanted nothing more then to end Castus' actions, but Equestria had not fully marshaled her entire military force since the war with Bahamut years ago. She felt sure that the six regiments she had sent would be enough, even with his magic after all he was but one man. And now he had sent her a message. How and why she could scarcely figure out, and while she wanted nothing more then to tear it up, she slowly took the message, and unrolled the scroll. On it were runes, that glowed faintly. She directed her magical senses toward the runes, and recoiled feeling the magical energies of the Wind in the runes. Fading slowly, but there. She couldn't read the runes, but there was two words written in common equestrian she could read. 'Burn me.' The message said. Celestia cast a simple lighter spell, and watched as the note began to burn away, and smoke rising from the runes as the flamed ate at them. She and everypony else stepped back in surprise as the smoke grew darker, and began swirling to the ground and taking the shadowy whispy shape of a man. It was Castus....or a smoke shade of him. "Princess Celestia of Equestria." The smoke Castus said, "I give you greetings on this day. Before you make a fool of yourself I'm going to say that this message is one way. You can't talk to me and I can't respond if you talk to the apparition. So sit your plump flank down and listen to what I have to say." Celestia felt her face go hot as she blushed. The impudence! The audacity! She was glad her wings covered her backside though, as she placed a hoof to her flank. Her flank wasn't plump....was it? She squeezed it slightly though in worry before directing her attention to the shade of Castus. "Your warriors have committed a terrible crime, attacking my people outside of the honorable stage of the field of battle. Husbands, wives and children all lay dead by your warriors and their blood is on your hooves just as theirs! A slaughter that was completely unprecedented!" The shade of Castus said, the anger and venom apparent in his tone. Celestia had to take a step back at the words, shocked. He had the nerve to call her out on atrocities when his own people had committed such to hers? It sounded just like the Valhruan of old, ignoring their own crimes as justified! He was just like they were. But what also had her confused was that the forces she had sent had managed to make contact with the humans at all. The last report she had received had told her that the Battle Casters were working on a way to track Castus' magic, but they had not yet succeeded. Did this mean they had? And if so why had they not sent word first? 'Something tells me....Blueblood was involved.' She thought. The boy had a tendency to be rash and act without thinking. "But despite this, my people and I still live. As well, I have taken the great pleasure in introducing your soldiers in the ways of true Valhruan combat." The shade of Castus clenched his fist with a shadowy smirk, "And as well....I have little trophy from the attack that you might like to see." The smoke whirled more, and another shade stood haunched on its knees beside the one of Castus. It was Blueblood. "Your nephew. Do not worry, he is still very much alive...if a bit...uncomfortable." The shadow Castus said, giving the shadow Blueblood a harsh kick to the head that had the prince floored, causing him to groan in pain. "While I would love nothing more then to send you back the charred husks of your soldiers...I find this battle tiresome. So here is my demands. All Equestrian forces will pull back to the borders of your nation. The lands beyond that my people have claimed will be considered our territory and you will leave us alone, and you will leave a full supply of food, blankets and tents for my people at the edge of the border as compensation. Do so and I will release Blueblood to you in good health." Celestia could only stare, shock and anger boiling in her. He dared demand something of her!?! "You have one week to meet these demands...otherwise...I can't guarantee that Blueblood will be returning to you in one piece....more likely it will be pieces. And just so you know I'm not bluffing..." The shadow Castus grabbed at Blueblood's tail, and a shadowy knife appeared in his hands. Celestia could only look away, and hear her nephews screams. When she looked back, she saw Bluebood curled up, hooves to where his tail was and saw that it was cut in half to a stub. "I await your response." The shadow Castus said, tossing the shadow piece of tail to the ground. With that the shadows and smoke vanished, and Celestia stared murder where the figures had been before. Celestia clenched her hooves tightly, before stomping the ground, causing a large circle of cracks to appear along the floor. "That impudent bastard." She hissed, turning to the guard who had brought the message. "You! Take a message to General Ironhide. Call up all our forces, Equestria is marching to war." She ordered, then turned to Kibtz, "Kibtz, bring me coffee." Kibtz nodded, not spouting anything about keeping to the schedule for once and ran to do as ordered. Celestia was glad to be left alone, and she rubbed at her head as she sat upon her throne. "This is most grave...but he shows his true colors to us. He is so like his ancestors." Celestia heard a voice say. She turned, and saw Luna appear from behind the curtains. "How long were you there?" Celestia asked. "Long enough...I was hoping to sneak up on you." Luna said with a slight smirk as she pulled a plastic spider from out of the bosom of her dress. Celestia rolled her eyes, smiling. But it faded as she looked at her sister seriously. "We need to finish this. If we go in force Castus will be broken easily." Celestia said. "That he may, and he may feel threatened as well. He may try something drastic if so, and we both know that Valhruan magic can be dangerous if put to drastic use." Luna said. Celestia frowned, "What are you getting at?" Luna frowned as well, "You must stay here, Equestria will need a princess to oversee things during and after this war. I will go alone and lead our forces to victory." "No! Luna it is too dangerous. We should face him together." Celestia said, standing up. Luna shook her head, "If it is dangerous it is better one of us go, so that at least one of us still remains to lead. The nation loves you, it needs you. If I should fall, it will not be as severe a blow." "It will be to me." Celestia said, her voice a near whisper. The pain was evident in her voice at the thought of losing her sister again. Permanently. Luna smiled and hugged her, Celestia hugged back. "I will order you to stay." Celestia said. "And I will ignore it. We are equals sister, and even if we were not....you know me." Luna said, giving her sister a smile. Celestia bit her lip, but knew that any attempt to keep Luna here or to go with her would be resisted by Luna. "Very well...but you will allow me to designate a guard for you. I will pick them myself." Celestia said. Luna sighed, "Very well." The two embraced again, and enjoyed the moment of peace. Knowing it was not to last. Guard The guard ran as he was ordered. He should be able to find the general on the practice grounds, as he was always coming up with new and even more strenuous training regimes for the troops. Equestria was going to war, and it would send its full might upon the humans. His queen would find this information most delightful.