//------------------------------// // Chapter 73; End in sight // Story: The War of 1002 // by Fireheart 1945 //------------------------------// The Equestrian army was still advancing at a decent pace, but the enemy's new techno-magical advances had encouraged James to slow down and keep an eye out. The current griffon administration was getting desperate, and while they hadn't succeeded in stopping the allied advance, they had succeeded in inflicting casualties. James wanted as many soldiers as possible to get home. It was a conflicting dual goal; to reduce the dying, yet take down the Empire. I have no idea how to accomplish both at once... He watched as the army he led marched across the plains. The city he'd just taken, the one with the spheres that had hammered his army with beams of energy, was behind him, but the battle still played out in his mind. He wondered what other surprises were in store; at this point, he had few options. Scouting and raiding could only reveal so much. For once he felt that Equestria was at a disadvantage at this stage of the war; unlike human societies, the inhabitants' bodies all (well, except disguised changelings, but they were on his side now) had differences that could be very easily discerned, o spying was much more difficult. Shining Armor had revealed that unicorn magic had its limits in transformation; in general, except in specific circumstances, transformations of one species into another was not allowed, and even those that were possible were generally limited by the characteristics of the subjects' bodies. While a pony could, in theory, be magically transformed into a zebra, given the similarities in the bodies involved, the chances of changing a pony into a griffon was beyond the realm of known magic; the organs, appetites and limbs were different, and the idea of transforming a hoof into a claw - for example - without obvious flaws - in particular, the placement of nerves where they hadn't existed before, and the removal of them during the hypothetical retransformation - was simply not something that a unicorn or even an alicorn could seriously be expected to accomplish. Even changelings were limited in their ability to copy something by the shape and size of their own bodies. Any griffon, on the other hand, could be a spy, reporting for the Emperor. James eyed a farmhouse and the land around it, where a small family was taking care of the crops. The elderly father, cutting wheat at the moment, might have some way of getting information across the lines; spies like Rose O'Neal Greenhow had been able, by ingenious means, to sneak useful intelligence to their own side even while jailed, so it wasn't beyond the realm of possibility that they had some way of communicating the details to the government that claimed their allegiance. Innocent until proven guilty, he reminded himself. He had no proof of his suspicions. The griffons here might be neutral, or even anti-imperial. He couldn't be sure, not without something like a lie detector test, and that would likely drive this family into enemy arms if they weren't already. He didn't want more guerilla attacks to the rear; even though allied detachments were having some success in that fight, the truth was that if the rebels maintained the population's support, the allies were unlikely to kill off the resistance in occupied areas. Supplies were getting through, but enough of them were being stolen or destroyed to make a noticeable dent. James sighed quietly as the army marched on, and he marched with it. That problem was going to be difficult to solve. Even so, if the army was able to win the war by taking the capital, then the problem would go away in the peace. Celestia and Luna had been quite firm on this point - there would be no territory claimed; the griffons would be allowed to govern themselves. She had made it clear, though, that a white peace was now behind them. It was too late for the current griffon government to make amends in order to stay in power; it was to be forcibly removed. As for reparations or any other demands, there had been a silence. "Anything amiss, sir?" Crystal Clear asked, landing to James' left. "Not really. What's up?" "Scouts indicate a railroad station in the next town ahead of us. It's not very big, but in all likelihood, we'll have to fight for it." James sighed again. "Another fight. Well, alright. We'll give it to them. Then we'll burn down the station and rip up the rails and ties, and we'll do that inside and outside the town as well, make the whole thing useless. I hate doing that - I love trains and railroads and all - but if they can't ship weapons and materials from one side of the country to another, they can't exactly hurt us as badly as they would if it remained intact." "I doubt they'd try to move trains through an occupied-" Crystal cut off, then winced. "Actually, they would. Events in the past weeks should have convinced me otherwise by now." "Fear of the dictator is, unfortunately, a powerful incentive." James said it without any particular venom. "We'll do what needs doing here. Gryphos should be the next settlement after that, if the maps are right." "If they are. They aren't always." "I know. I think that they're accurate this time around, though. We should get through here, and then their capital will be next - and, hopefully, last." "I - and the rest of the army - hope so as well. We'd better make sure their emperor doesn't escape." "He'd better not. I'll make sure to surround the place as quick as we can." Crystal didn't reply to that. James wasn't surprised. He knew that all sorts of escape routes could be devised over the centuries by a monarchy. He couldn't be sure the emperor would be trapped. But he knew that he, and everyone else, would try. Abruptly, flags - and the griffons holding them - arose from the grass in front of the advancing army. They had blue paint on their faces and wore kilts, though they carried guns. Units in more archaic times had gone into battle to the fanfare of trumpets and bagpipes. What really caught James' eyes - and ears - was the fact that there was a violinist, guitar-shaped instrument in one claw and musical bow in the other, out in front. "An army going into battle behind a violin? Now I've seen everything!" James muttered. "I see it, but I don't believe it!" Crystal echoed. James watched as the forward regiments spread out and began to form into a loose formation. Rifles on both sides began firing. An artillery unit began setting up not far away as additional regiments began to run toward the battle. "I'd say it time for us to get going," he said, taking his pistol out of its holster. Crystal didn't answer. Instead, he took out the sword that was belted to his waist and held it in his teeth. --------------------------------------------------------- James got to the front lines more quickly than he'd expected. Pretty soon, he was shooting at the enemy... and being shot at. While the hostile force wasn't an elite unit, it was still obviously opposed to a further Equestrian advance. They would have to be moved. The enemy weren't in the area in a big force, but there were still a few hundred of them, and they'd caught the Equestrians by surprise. The inflicted a number of losses on the allied force that met them due to that. But it was clear that they were undisciplined and disorganized compared to normal imperial troops. The Equestrians kept the enemy busy in front while more comrades pushed on the flanks of the enemy force. The decision to either continue fighting or flee was reached by a general consensus of the enemy warriors, who began to first fall back, then flee. The allied forces gave chase to them at once. James reloaded quickly, then went out in pursuit of the enemy as well. Too easy. he thought to himself. He frowned. "Far too easy," he said out loud. Sure, the army had fought this kind of engagement several times before (and won them), but something just didn't feel right about this one... even without the violinist on the other side. The allied units in the vicinity continued to pursue the enemy as they withdrew. The enemy unit didn't seem to be panicking; they retained their personal weapons, even though they'd turned their backs on their pursuers. That confirmed, in James' mind, that something was going on. "Careful," he shouted. "Something's up." "What do you think is going on?" a soldier asked. "Something. Maybe an ambush by more troops, or worse, one of their new weapons," James answered. "I want everyone to stop chasing and get back into formation, with the lead regiments to remain in skirmish formation and advance cautiously." "We'll lose our advantage, sir." "And more soldiers may lose their lives if we continue like this. Order a recall." A few minutes later, a bugle called, and the soldiers sullenly withdrew from their pursuit and began to reform into their ranks. James knew what they were thinking, and he couldn't help but sympathize. Chasing down the escaping griffons would gain ground, and the enemy could not afford to lose any more. They also couldn't afford to lose any more fighters for their cause. However, ten months of war had given the Equestrian army a good respect for discipline, and the soldiers, however much they disagreed with the decision, at least obeyed the order he'd given. The regiments that had been in the rear returned; the ones that had been in front did as he'd instructed, and continued in loose formation. "Sir, if I may," Crystal said, "why the recall?" "An ambush, especially one with one of those new weapons or one we have yet to discover, would cost the lives of many soldiers, soldiers who could otherwise go home to celebrate their victory and survival and live out their days peacefully. I am not inclined to spend any more lives at this point than I absolutely have to. The conflict's almost over, and only the Emperor and his diehards seem not to know it." "We had to tackle a few villages that made the decision to fight on their own," Crystal responded. "They don't seem to realize it either." "They've been told that Equestria is selfish, and that the Princesses want to use this chance to annex them. I'd have a hard time making the decision not to fight, given that 'reality'." Crystal spat. "They didn't help their cause one bit. If we wanted to keep them underhoof, we easily could. They ought to know that." "And we're losing lives in the rear due to guerilla warfare. If we try that, they'll resort to that measure of fighting to free themselves. Can you see an end to the conflict if we tried a permanent occupation?" Crystal muttered something, then said, "I guess not." James continued to march with the army as it advanced once more. There was some grumbling, but not very much. The field guns were limbered again and pull with the rest of the force. As the miles went by, there was no further effort to ambush the column. As the offensive continued without further resistance, James began to doubt his original assessment. The lack of resistance was something he hadn't expected, at least not for this long. Maybe I'm losing my nerve, he thought. Wouldn't be surprising, not after what happened... A distant Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat shook him out of his thoughts. An enemy Gatling was firing at the forward regiments, but it was firing at long range, rather than waiting for the Equestrians to close in. Either the gunner was inexperienced, overeager, or else the griffons had judged that firing at long range was better than letting the Equestrian army come in closer where it could hit back. It wasn't a good idea in James' book, but if the enemy were trying to keep the allies at arms length, then maybe their plan wasn't the worst. Or maybe they'd intended to ambush the Equestrians, and, having failed, had fallen back on plan b. Whatever the reason, more Gatlings opened fire as well, about five in total. Regular soldiers also opened up with rifles and older weapons, many of them the same kilted soldiers from earlier, others in the red that was increasingly becoming the most noted Imperial color. The bad news for them was that the Equestrian forces were prepared. And skilled. Some of them exchanged long range fire with the enemy while more began to enfilade the opposing force. Pegasi rained bullets from the air while unicorns cast shields and fired off combat spells. Artillery pieces were unlimbered and their crews fired upon the enemy force, adding explosives to the enemy's list of woes. The griffon force was clearly outmatched. The kilted soldiers clearly knew it. About fifteen minutes into the fight, some of them began to pull away, and not in a disciplined sort of way. They didn't just break and run en masse; they broke off from the fight in ones, twos and threes. The Imperial troops, however, chose to stick it out to the end. James wasn't sure if they were brave or just blindly fanatical fools. Regardless of which one it was, they were willing to make the Equestrian army pay the price of killing them. That was exactly what happened. Although the Imperial troops fought hard, they had too much to deal with. Pegasi continued shooting, some of them diving on the enemy in daring attacks, getting as close as possible to the enemy positions before firing and pulling away. Unicorns continued to shield friendly forces, and some of them unleashed beam attacks - weaker than those of the spheres defending the city a few days ago, but more numerous - against the enemy positions. Other soldiers, some of them earth ponies but also many of the other pony types, continued to fire while their comrades finished the flanking maneuver. Once the defiant enemy troops were surrounded, the Gatlings weren't such an issue any more as hostile troops went down, some of them shot from multiple directions at once. James didn't even arrive to the battle fast enough to participate, at least not in the fighting itself. There weren't many griffon survivors; most of the enemy hadn't been in a mood to give up. However, here and there a red-coated soldier had been captured, mostly due to being knocked out or injured to the point where, no matter how much they may have wanted to, they were able to resist no longer. He walked past the captured Royals; they wouldn't give him anything but curses and claims of glory. The ones he was interested in were the captured soldiers in kilts. He walked up to one who was still able to stand. "Why are you fighting us?" he demanded. "Wasn't too 'ard," came the answer. "They us guns an' tol' us 'ow ta use 'em, and we went where they tol' us to." "That's not what I meant, and you know it. Why are you fighting us? Why are you fighting for an insane king who has destroyed the system of clans as the Griffon Kingdom knows it?" "Ah, weren't so 'ard ta decide. Our chief knew we couldn' withstand their armies. Once we gave in to 'e Empror, things weren't so bad fer us. They gave us gold ta fight, and so we went along wit 'em." "And you gave up clan life for that?" "'Ey, world's changin', et is. Ya don' change, ya die. 'Appened ta a few clans 'round us, and we weren't stupid 'nough ta follow in their footsteps." "So you're willing traitors to the way things were before." "Yeah, ya got it, kid." "And we're winning the war anyway. You realize that if things go our way, your clan isn't going to be held in high regard by the new order." "Betta than bein' ruled by 'nother species, 'specially weak, peace-lovin' ponies." The soldiers guarding him growled. The warrior paid them no mind. "A common misconception. Equestria has no wish to rule here." "Says the foreigner," the other sneered. James bristled. He knew personally that Celestia didn't want any Griffon land, and that her main intent was to replace the Emperor with a different government, and not one that was a puppet. That wasn't to say that the griffon didn't have a point. He was no pony (and had no desire to become one), and therefore wasn't privy to their way of thinking in regards to politics... or a lot of other things. "Even so, this war will be over, very soon, no matter what gadgets the Imperials throw at us. Your neighbors are going to like your collaboration with the tyrant in Gryphos." "So what? They try 'n come fer us, we'll give 'em what for." "Take him away," James said, sighing. He watched as they led the prisoners away. None of them were handled roughly, but the guards were firm, and with little wonder. "Sir." James turned around. "Yes?" he said to a pegasus scout. "Sir, there's a big army of Griffons coming from the east." "What?" "Sir, there's a pretty big force coming from the east." James cursed, then turned to the scout again. "Any details? Do they have any tanks or artillery?" "No sir. It looks more like an army we faced early in the war; you know, all mish-mash. No tanks, none that I saw, at any rate." "Sounds like they're scraping the bottom of the barrel," James noted. "How many Royals were among them?" "That's the odd bit, sir; didn't see any." "A counter attacking force without the fanatical troops that could be counted on to fight no matter what? Sounds strange," James put a hand to his chin, somewhat perplexed. "I need to convene the other generals. They have to know so that we can counter this move." "Yes sir. I'll go and find them right away. Where do you want them to meet you?" "How about that village a few miles back, the one after that town with the lasers? Seems as good a place as any." "Yes, sir, right away." The pegasus took flight. We'll need to do this quickly, he thought. No telling what the brains on the other side have planned. ------------------------------------------------------------------- James sat down on a barrel that served as a seat in what served as a tent. Shining simply sat down, as did Barrel, Abd al-Malik, and Jelani. "You're certain of what you saw?" Shining questioned the scout. "Yes, sir. Whole army, flags, arms, armor, and all." "I find it strange that they still wear armor at all," al-Malik noted (through a translator). "I thought they'd abandoned blade and mail entirely and resorted to the firearms that they've been using as of late, along with red uniforms." "Except for the ones in penal battalions, I agree," Shining agreed. "It seems weird. Unless the Griffons have all decided that we're the common threat and the Emperor made a deal with the clans." "I doubt it," James said. "History shows that dictators are unwilling to give up power, except maybe to fool their enemies long enough to diddle them, and usually not even then." "I concur," Jelani said in his native Swahili. "A deal wasn't made here. This is something else entirely." "They might just have pulled a bunch of luckless conscripts and threw them in anything resembling a uniform for all I know," Barrel cut in. "What's important is how we deal with this threat. Currently, the right wing of the army is the only one in any sort of position to counter this new army, and it would take considerable amount of time and effort to bring our entire force into play. If this is part of a concerted effort between armies, we might be caught out of position and outflanked when it really matters. That's about the only thing I could envision that would halt our offensive." "I'm not going to repeat what happened in front of Ragna Fortress with the pegasi," James said. "I think it's better that we delay this force in like manner as the enemy has been trying to do recently while we bring up units in the other wings of the army." Shining opened his mouth again, but before he could say anything, there was a clip-clop of hooves outside the tent, and an earth pony with blue fur and a silver and black mane peeked his head in. "Sorry for interrupting, sirs," he said. "What's going on?" Barrel demanded. "A company of griffons with a white flag have come to our camp, and are requesting an audience with the army's commanders," the soldier said. "If they're demanding our surrender, tell them that their stay is over before it began<" James answered. "Politely, of course." "They've specifically said that they're not demanding our surrender, sir. That's what's so intriguing." Everyone looked at one another. There was a moment of silence. Barrel was the first to recover. "Well, bring them in. But if they mention surrender, we'll kick them out." "Yes, sir." The soldier withdrew. "What they playing at?" Shining asked. "I don't know." Older uniforms, old weapons and equipment, not to mention armor... James sat up straight. "They might not be Royals." "Pardon?" Barrel asked. "They might be rebels, or an independent party of sorts." "Even if they are," al-Malik replied, "We should not treat with them. We should demand their surrender and submission to our cause." "That may not be wise," Jelani answered. "This is not the time for unneeded quarrels, and they would not have brought weapons unless they anticipated a response... one way or the other. If they join us, then that is good. If they strike out on their own, then it is less good, but even so, it is better than an unnecessary battle. Too many have died as it is." 'The enemy needs to know he is beaten! If they are to fight alongside us, they must fight as a subjugated foe, that treason against us does not enter their minds." "Too late for that," James said, and everyone turned to him. "If these are rebels and seeking our help, then they are already traitors to the Empire." He stood up, putting a hand on the crate he'd been sitting on. "I know my enemy, at least to some extent. Telling this party to surrender and exchange one means of slavery for another will not end well, regardless of our intent. We're telling griffons that we're not here for their land for their allegiance. If we reject their good intentions, assuming they have them, then the griffons will fight us regardless of whether or not they're on the side of the Emperor, creating a common cause where none existed." James turned to Shining Armor. "You're the only one with the authority to treat with them, and either demand their surrender or negotiate." "I'm well aware of that," Shining said. "I'm already thinking about it." "There's not much time to think," Barrel put in. "What if these are Imperials in disguise? We have to meet them with some presence of armed force available to make them realize that treachery isn't going to work." "I don't have any disagreement with that," James said. Al-Malik stomped his hoof. "I still say that we must press some measure of dominance over them! We cannot allow them to think that they can just end the war without consequences for the damages they have caused!" "There will be consequences," Shining promised. "But they're not up for discussion now." Everyone remained in a somewhat tense state, but there was some relaxation. James sat back down. "We'll meet with them," Shining continued. "We'll see what they want, weigh their interests with ours, and if they match... then we'll see what happens from there." ---------------------------------------------------------- James kept his eyes peeled as the griffon delegation, accompanied by their bodyguard of about a hundred soldiers, marched into the camp. They wore traditional clan uniforms, which mean that the average griffon warriors were a rainbow of colors and clothing. Their weapons were just as varied. One thing that they all had, though, was a common look of determination. Their leaders, who were as varied, were fewer but more impressive. Some wore medals, others were brightly dressed, a couple wore virtually nothing at all save for a few pieces of armor. One of the less prestigious warriors carried a white flag before them, but none of the griffon party had a face bearing surrender on it. The three in the lead continued past the often hostile faces of the allied army without heeding them, instead making their way toward the place where James, Shining Armor, al-Malik, and Jelani stood. Al-Malik muttered something under his breath, and stomp his hoof again. James didn't speak Arabic much, but he knew anger when he saw it. The Saddle Arabian commander was ticked that the enemy were not showing humility, respect, or deference of any kind toward the allies so far. You might be holding your breath for the rest of your life. I have yet to see a griffon who was given to showing humility in the presence of enemies, or possible enemies. James thought it, but didn't say it. The griffon leader just behind the flag bearer, who seemed to be leading the whole party, wore a kilt with a patchwork of red and green, as well as a green tunic;; he bore a sword on his belt and a rifle on his back, as well as a small circlet of gold on his head. Clearly, this one was held in respect by the rest of the group. He also looked older than most of them; if griffon head feathers were anything like human hairs, the gray he bore was a mark of his age. The group stopped about ten feet in front of the allied commanders. The flag bearer stuck the flag into the dirt, then announced, in a loud voice, "The Noble Council of Clans has arrived to meet with your leaders for diplomatic discussion." All the allied commanders looked at one another. Shining finally spoke; "We accept your request for a parley. If your officers would follow us-" "No," the old griffon in charge rasped. "I beg your pardon?" "I said, no. The false Emperor's officers lured all too many of our finest leaders into parleys and killed them when they were separated from their troops. We shall not allow you the same chance." "If we wanted to kill you, your bodyguards wouldn't make much of a difference," Shining countered. "We'll hold the parley here, or nowhere," the old griffon said. "You have no right, as a defeated and hostile people, to make demands of us," al-Malik countered, eyes blazing. "The fact that we are meeting with you are all is a major concession." "Enough," Shining said, raising a hoof to silence the Saddle Arabian. "I'm willing to meet with you here, provided that you give me your word of honor that you shall attempt no means of treachery at this meeting." "We are willing to do that," the other said, "provided you make the same promise." "I swear it," Shining replied. "As do I," the old griffon said. "I would advise your friend" - here he glared at al-Malik - "not to request our submission, as that would not end well for either party, and we shall not give up the last hope for a free griffon state, or states, at the end of the war." State, or states? James thought. Sounds like they don't all agree on the idea of being part of a united country. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't need our help," Shining said. The griffon grunted. "Why do we not get down to the reason we decided to come in the first place?" "A good suggestion. Just what is it are you proposing?" "An alliance," the old griffon said. "I am Graywing, leader of the Highwind Clan. I have been elected by my peers to represent our faction, and our army, at this parley." "Excuse me," a very quiet voice at James' ear said. James almost started, but the voice, that of Crystal Clear in a whisper, continued speaking. "I've heard of him. Graywing used to be one of the other side's better commanders. We even heard enemy soldiers crying his name in the first of our battles with them." "That's right, but now's not the time," James whispered back. "Our army will stand, claw in hoof, with yours until victory over the vile, vicious usurper has been achieved," Graywing continued, acting as if the whispering hadn't taken place. Al-Malik whispered something to his advisor. Given that the sentence wasn't translated, James figured he'd ordered the interpreter not to do so. "Equestia is open to such a negotiation," Shining replied to Graywing. "An alliance is welcome, but I doubt its all you have in mind. What are you expecting in return?" If Graywing was surprised, he didn't show it. "We expect that our people will not be made to give up any land once the war is over." "That is easily arranged. Princesses Celestia and Luna have vowed that no land will be annexed." "Right then. Next, we will form our own government after the war, not a puppet one to be run by Equestria." "Equestria is not necessarily opposed to that, provided that the government does not attempt another war against us. We will be paying attention to your country for a long time to come, given what has transpired in the past year." "I make no promises, Prince," Graywing answered. "I cannot even pledge that we will remain as one state after the war. But I will say this; we have suffered great bloodshed and loss in this war, and few will be eager to repeat it." "But those few might be willing to cause trouble," Shining noted. "You engaged in an aggressive war against Equestria, a majority of your population being for such action, mistaking our peaceful ways for weakness, with the intent to conquer us and make us subjugated under you. You sought to remove our rightful rulers, while replacing them with your own. You abused the rights of Equestrian citizens and have disregarded the laws of war. Any who complain against the actions we undertake now have a poor case, especially considering that the Princesses do not wish to take the same courses of action that your armies did on our soil and against prisoners of war that were captured on the battlefield." There was silence for a few moments while these words were digested. "Now, what are your other concerns?" "We wish that the clans currently in the alliance pay no tribute of any sort once the war is over." Shining shook his head. "No. The Princesses don't want land, but they do want reparations for the damages done. Its only right that the guilty party pay for it." "We will not allow our children to become beggars!" "I did not suggest that. We do want the damages to be repaired, and while our government could pay for it out of its own pocket, it is only just that the harm done by an invading nation be paid by the same, otherwise this defeat will merely be a slap on the wrist and invite you to try again in five or ten years. We can come back to that in more private discussions, or I can summon the Princesses themselves to negotiate, but there will be a price." "...I suppose we can agree to that, especially to negotiations with your leaders," Graywing said reluctantly. "However, we refuse under all circumstances for griffons to come and labor under you to pay back the damages." "And what could you do to stop us if we decided on such a course of action?" As Graywing and his party spluttered, Shining continued, "Again, I did not say that we will do that. However, we intend to make sure that the native arrogance of the griffon people does not provoke another war. We won't use griffon laborers. But once more, Equestria demands enough of a price that future griffons - and any other potentially aggressive nation or party - will think twice about invading our kingdom. Again, a topic we can discuss at a later time." "Fine. Last, we will not have pony commanders over our units and will retain our own command, to be equal with yours, and to not be a party to attacks designed to use us as cannon fodder." "Out of the question!" "al-Malik screamed. "We will not allow you a chance to stab us in the back when it is most convenient for you!" James frowned. It was true that the griffons in this party were asking for a lot, but it seemed like a bad idea to antagonize them further. "Calm down," Shining said to the Saddle Arabian general. To the griffons, he said, "Equestria is willing to meet with you as equals in command. However, you can hardly claim to be members of an alliance if you refuse to take part in the war." "That was not-" "'Cannon fodder' can be used far too widely as a term. While I understand that you don't want us to free your land on your perforated backs, I question the integrity of your honor if you're going to use just any excuse to get out of any attacks we propose." "We do not intend to hang back, Prince!" Graywing said, feathers ruffled. "We have been fighting the traitorous emperor, why do you think we've offered this alliance? Why do you doubt us?" "Because part of your reasoning might be to escape the punishment afterward," James said, arms folded. "How many of you followed your then-king into the war with joy and thoughts of conquest? How many of you fought all too willingly until the war turned against you? And now you're asking us for a convenient alliance in part because, in your minds, that will make up for what you did and not have to pay for taking families prisoner, attempting to force ponies to fight for you, and threatening a city with starvation if we refused to cease our offensive against it, among other crimes committed." "You cannot claim total innocence yourself, threatening to enslave prisoners and thinly veiling a threat to execute prisoners." "No, I can't," James admitted. "I went overboard. But that was a counter - though an illegitimate one - to the atrocities committed by your side, which was all one and the same at that point. Now that you have established a resistance to your emperor, part of you - only part, but still a part that exists - hopes that you can take over governance without paying for what you were all too eager to do just months before." "You do not believe in forgiveness?" "I do. However, I believe that justice cannot be ignored, either. This is not a matter of vengeance, but of law, and making sure that law is upheld by future generations, and that they do not have to deal with evils such as the Griffon Kingdom committed against Equestria." "James, let me handle this," Shining said, a firmness that he rarely used in his voice. James kept his arms folded, but said nothing more. "As my associate said, the Griffon Kingdom will be made to pay a price, but not one that absolutely rubs your defeat in your faces. We want repayment for the damages done, nothing more, and that less out of vengeance than out of law and to ensure that you don't think that this was all a fluke and that you can just try again. We want a permanent and fair peace, not one that will lead to further conflict in the future." "A future where you blame us for everything." "No. A future where the crimes - of both sides, as I'm sure that some soldiers on our side have done terrible things as well - are brought out into the open, and are held as evil actions that are not to be repeated by others." Graywing and his party were silent for a moment, then the griffon leader asked, "You ask much." "What if we demanded - not asked, but demanded - a price that your grandchildren would have to pay off?" Shining asked in a sort of offhand - or, in his case, offhoof - sort of way, one that made the opposing party cringe. "What if we enforced annexation? What if we made a peace that did force griffons to come to Equestria to labor for us to pay off the debt your nation owes us? We could even force deportation of griffon populations near our border in order to create a buffer zone between us if we wanted to." Shining shook his head. "None of that is required of you. What is required is an acknowledgement of wrongs, public apologies, and payment enough to make griffons in the future disregard war against Equestria as a policy. That's it. We do not require any of the much harsher measures that even now ponies in Trottingham, and other towns overrun by your advance, are screaming their heads off for." Graywing turned to the other leaders, speaking in a language that James didn't immediately recognize, though it sounded like Italian or something related to Italian. After recognizing one of the words, he realized it was Romanian, though it was Romanian oddly pronounced, at least to his ears. Not that he could really understand what was being said, but clearly, from the reactions of the others, they weren't happy. Finally, Graywing sighed and said, "Can we at least agree that an alliance is preferable, and that fighting each other would be destructive to both our causes?" "Yes. We can agree to that," Shining said. "We can accept your offer of an alliance, and we are willing to forgive your nation, but we do not want a future war. The current government will take much of the penalties, in any case, since we intend to overthrow and replace it." Shining paused. "And what are your plans when that is accomplished? To take power in their place?" Graywing stiffened. "In some measure. We do need to have some semblance of government in place, or else anarchy will ensue, one that may bring a leader to the fore like that of the vile emperor, or worse." Well, history has proven that to be true, James thought. "And your... government, this council, is prepared for the task ahead?" Again, the clan leader's feathers ruffled in clear anxiety. "I can promise no unity. There are many clans that are endorsing independence from any centralized government. Having experienced absolute rule in the past couple of months, and the treachery that came with it, their concerns have some validity. They do have that right to choose." James said nothing, but he wondered, in the silence that followed, how exactly that should be taken. On the one hand, a divided griffon nation would mean less difficulty for Equestria in the future, as much of the striving the griffons would be doing would be aimed inward. On the other, though, the fact remained that the situation would always be an unstable one; the griffon clans would remember their former unity, and perhaps come again of their own accord to create trouble, while remembering - with exaggerations - what had happened during the war, as well as coming up with a will to avenge that defeat. Even if they didn't, all it would take was one regional leader to stir up strife, and the whole country would collapse in chaos, perhaps taking Equestria, or part of it, with it. Shining chewed on what had been said, no doubt thinking about the situation. At last, he said, "I think this can also be brought up at a later date. I think the immediate matter before us is the alliance and the terms you've brought. I am willing to agree on no annexations, an independent Griffon government or governments, as well as griffon leaders having commands over their own troops, as well as their having a place in meetings when we discuss military plans, as well as assuring that there is no servitude to follow the end of the war. In return, Equestria wants the damages done to be repaid and those responsible for crimes on both sides of the war to be punished. Is this an acceptable arrangement, or do we go our separate ways?" Graywing held a claw to his chin, then said, "I'll need some time to discuss with the others on the appropriate course of action." "Take what time you need," Shining said. "but the war goes on as we speak." As the griffon leaders came together, whispering some distance away, the allied leaders huddled together as well. "I think these terms are the best we can get for their cooperation," James said quietly. "And having a griffon government to take power afterward that we can relate to is better than leaving it up in the air for grabs." "But is it worth it?" al-Malik asked through his translator. "Can we trust them? The arrogance of their people is a binding trait amongst griffons. How do we know that they won't forget in a few years and begin again the dance of destruction?" "Because they have been battling the Imperial forces," Shining said. "They don't want him left in power any more than we do. In fact, they want him gone more than we do." "What I worry about," Jelani said, "is whether or not any reparations, just or not ,will leave behind a foul legacy. It sounded like vengeance back there, or something like it, however much it may be cloaked in justice." "We can hardly let them off the hook, either," James said. "We need to show some backbone here, or they'll take it as another - false - sign of pony weakness. We're not suggesting replacing the emperor with ponies, or with a puppet, but with a responsible government that will take responsibility for what was done and will ensure that peace will reign." "But will it?" al-Malik wondered. "Both Equestria and the Griffon Kingdom have been weakened by the war, as have the changeling realms. Are you saying that some leader somewhere won't think about that, and then take advantage of the situation? This war, by its very existence, has opened up the option of aggression to any tyrant or fool with a hint of power. The yaks were known, in ages past, to be warlike, the minotaurs remember their history as warriors fondly, and pegasi have a history for military exploits. How can we be sure that this peace you speak of lasts?" It was a rational question, James reflected, one he hadn't expected from the Saddle Arabian. The age of peace in this world had been cracked, if not shattered, by the war. Any world leader here would take war into consideration when considering policy. Peacekeeping would be all the more difficult. "If we have the chance to make any sort of peace and keep it, we can deal with future crises," Shining answered. "In the meantime, we need to bring this war to a close, and this alliance can help with that. With more troops and a potential governing body, the griffon clans that don't like the emperor will rally to our side, just as the changelings did against Chrysalis." "Can we trust them, though?" "Can we afford not to? And since I've been given the authority by the Princesses of Equestria to make bargains that do not conflict with national policy, I say go on this one." "Fine, but don't try to stop me from saying 'I told you so' if this doesn't work out." "If it does work out, you won't have to." The allied party broke up and returned to their positions. The griffons didn't take much longer before doing so as well. "The Council accepts your proposal," Graywing said. "We are now equal and allied parties in the war." He turned toward his own troops. "Let us storm the royal keep," he shouted with passion, "topple the wretched tyrant from his throne, and ensure the peace and liberty of our families and friends!" The griffon bodyguard shouted in response, raising weapons in the air and waving hats. James watched them, quietly thinking about the decision that had been reached and the implications of it. Let's hope we're not making a big mistake, he thought.