Equestria and the Griffon Republic have been at war since before it even was a Republic. The griffons have always been on the losing side of that war. Commander Astrid has been sent to Canterlot under the guise of having peace talks, but her mission isn't what it appears to be. Honor demands blood and sacrifice, and honor is the only thing her people have left.
Written for a certain Equestria Daily contest, with the challenge of writing about ponies from the perspective of a non-pony.
Warning: Contains significantly less EXPLOSIONS than my usual stories. I wanted to try doing something a bit more calm and slice of life than usual.
Chapters (2)
Commander Astrid stood and looked down at the table, lost in though. <-- Thought.
I enjoyed this, on to the next chapter!
Well that was different.
And I enjoyed it.
Need more stories from the griffons perspective.
Ha! Excellent. And nice DS9 reference
GRIFFONS!
Reading this, I now view you as the sibling I never had. This here is some damn fine griffon writing, and there's nothing I love more than damn fine griffon writing. A worthy contest opponent for my own hippogriff story. May the best griffon win!
No, wait, scratch that. May all the griffons win and the rest of the races can go chew on a boot. Griffon pride!
-Hack
Federation ponies; the new ice cream float
Very nice fic. Gonna keep it in my face so I can re-read...
Interesting beginning. Might have had Celestia throw the matter of honor back at Astrid when it came to the self immolation of her nation -- whether it was more honorable to die and let all that they were fall and be destroyed, or to be willing to ask for help for the sake of their people.
Technical issue. You start off describing the room as hot and stuffy, lit only by stained glass, then go on to have Astrid complain it's too cold and bright. Given how quickly the coffee cools (within a few sentences) it must be quite frigid there.
A nice epilogue. Simple, sweet.
Like ponies.
4853949 I should wait to hear your comments on mine then? LOL
Anyway. Nice story. First part was great, second was maybe pushed a little too hard, but that could just be me wincing at some of the parenting on display. Solid writing either way.
5/10 Prompt: Weak
-M
I feel like the first part was really fantastic -- good world-building, believable diplomacy, excellent Celestia -- and this part is kind of so-so. I mean, I don't like the idea of pony/anything else hybrids, but even barring that, the backstory of what happened over the last ten years was really awkwardly shoehorned into the conversation, and the rest was pretty much standard character building and cute kid stuff. It really unbalances the two parts, though overall I have a positive impression. :B
The velvet covering on Celestia's steel gauntlet (steel horseshoe? Heh) is very, very thick.
I'm mildly confused about the timeline, but maybe the second part will clear that up.
Edit: The second part didn't so I figured I should come back and clarify.
At the very beginning of the story the Crystal Empire is called out as being a detail that proves the map to be fairly recent made, which I took to mean this is set after the season three opener. But that makes the ending with Celestia, the stained glass window, and her comment “I have to,” ... “It's the only thing that keeps me from giving up.” kind of hard to understand. I can't quite see Celestia dwelling on having banished her sister like that if her sister has already returned, but if this is during Luna's absence than the Crystal Empire should be missing as well. Kind of nitpicky, but I figured I shouldn't hint at being confused without explaining why.
A hippogriff, fun.
Discretion is the better part of valor, after all.
Cute story, though personally I feel more could be made out of it (and should!
Ahem. Sorry, slipped for a second. Kidding! 
Seriously though more should be made of this situation. Looking forward to it.)
I think the first part works better as a oneshot, without the second part. The story is pretty awesome either way, though.
I liked it. The first chapter was great, and the second...
The second was ice cream. Just the right amount of ice cream.
4868176 As Lord Freiza said, "Suicide is the coward's way out."
Frieza owns you! And your planet!
"...telekinetically lifted you into the air and then slowly applied mounting tension to your wings one by one until they slowly tore from their sockets. Then I would have done the same to your forelegs, then your hindlegs, and finally watched with mild amusement as you bled out," 'Tyrantlestia' concluded, raising her reitsu until the very air in the room shivered with her outrageously OP spiritual power.
Astrid just managed a terrified little whimpering mewl which sounded like a strangled kitten before she slumped to the floor unconscious.
"Trololo!" proclaimed the now 'Trollestia', dancing around the room, celebrating the glorious success of yet another perfect prank.
(But really, too many details were tossed in with no explanation: the Zebricans invading the griffons? Another throw-away reference to a nation of deer... who also for some reason are aggressive? Come on now, you can't just throw in random details without context. Why are the zebras so aggressive? Why are the deer? We need some sort of background to the conflict. A short story like this would have been better left with only the central conflict, as that needed better fleshing out too as to why the entire griffon race felt suicide was 'The Only Way Out'. Even WWII Japan didn't have anything close to unanimous fanaticism.
Actually, the ponies are quite strong for their size. I could list quite a large number of examples, but most people I'm sure can think of plenty on their own.
Certainly griffon-pony lovers would need to be cautious of the claws and beak for scratches and bites. But pony bones and flesh seem quite sturdy and resistant to blunt force trauma and strain.
I'm in the camp that says the second part feels unnecessary and kind of undercuts the first, most especially with just how much of a mood whiplash it is, but overall, I really did like this.
I liked the little D9 reference at the end, and frankly it fits Equestria. Soft, sweet, often unnervingly pleasant but you can't help but come to like it! I'm sure for the other races of the world the ponies are a strange mixture of "soft" and "hard" that often feels contradictory.
5007158
Well her husband is a Pegasus not an Earth Pony....
5357641 Rainbow Dash performed a Sonic Rain Nuke on AJ's old barn and wasn't reduced to a splatter across the countryside...
Ponies are indestructible!
5361525
I think when flying a Pegasus natural magic produces a energy field around the body that absorbs impact, unless they are mating like eagles then it wouldn't activate during mating.
5361535 So it's kinda like Shining Finger...
G Gundam so awesomely stupid. It takes real genius to make something so awful and yet irresistible.
I keep rereading this story and it's just as good each time.
I would like more details on the broken hip.
6436882
I'll tell you when you're older.
Nice writing.