When The Snow Melts

by Bluespectre

Chapter Four - Hunted

CHAPTER FOUR

HUNTED

Rain hammered down from a sky as dark and grey as the things that pursued her. The ground, already thick with the blood of her fallen soldiers, quickly turned into a quagmire that sucked at her hooves and slowed her attempts at escape from that terrible place.

Celestia’s heart pounded in her chest as she ran. The forest was near. If she could only reach it, she could hide, catch her breath. She had to know what had happened to her people, had to get back to help them in any way she could. They must be terrified, alone, and hurt. There was so much fear, so much pain. Celestia squeezed her eyes shut against the still-fresh images of ponies fighting, shouting, screaming, the sheer din of battle.

They had fallen. One by one, her brave soldiers who had pledged themselves and their lives to serve Equestria, and their princess, had paid a most terrible price.

As the leader of the Celestians, she knew in her heart that she’d been rash, foolish even. She’d underestimated the fighting skills and tactics of the forces of Nightmare Moon, and, it appeared, overestimated her own. She would never forget how the clouds had gathered in the sky above them, blocking the sunlight, plunging her forces into a darkness that even she had not expected. If only she’d had more time to prepare…

But it was too late now. The creatures of nightmares fell upon her army with the strength of a tidal wave, sweeping the inexperienced soldiers before them as if they were as substantial as mist. Many of her soldiers were not much more than colts: farm labourers, blacksmiths, woodworkers, regular everyday ponies. They’d been thrown into a uniform, given weapons, and then sent to their deaths. She’d sent them to their deaths.

Celestia had fought, cutting down dragons, minotaurs, griffins, ponies. Gods help her, even some of her own people had sided with those monsters! Those in-equine beasts had come at them in a surge of black armour and shining steel, howling and screaming like demons from the pits of Tartarus, slaying all before them, an unstoppable horde of muscle and death.

Nothing could have stood before them. Nothing had.

Tears stung her eyes as she ran for all she was worth into the safety of the forest. Damn that Nightmare Moon! How could she do this? Why? Celestia shook her head. There would be no forgiveness for this act of unwarranted aggression and cruelty. She ran on, her lungs burning as she breathed the words of her oath.

“No forgiveness.”

The princess smashed through the forest’s edge and into the dark interior, dodging between trees until she was sure that she had placed enough distance between herself and those… things. Her lungs burned like they never had before. She kept herself fit, despite her fondness for the sweeter treats the royal baker used to surreptitiously sneak in for in the evenings. Now, though, her exertions were beginning to show. Her muscles ached, and one of her wings had been badly wrenched during her clash with that massive emerald-green dragon. She’d fought it off, but at a cost. No longer able to fly, she was grounded and nearly overrun by the hulking axe-wielding minotaur warriors that had thrown themselves at her.

Her soldiers had become living shields of flesh and bone, desperate to protect their beloved princess; protecting her with their lives. She would never forget the sight, the sound, how they’d dropped to the ground. Gods… their cries would haunt her for the rest of her days.

The princess adjusted her armour and hefted her halberd. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her heart rate and took a swig of water from her canteen. She had to get back to the city. Her ponies needed help; they needed their princess… they needed her.

“Your Majesty!”

A white-coated stallion, his armour dented and rent from battle, suddenly appeared, making her jump back in surprise. He was exhausted, gasping out his words in ragged pants.

“Your Majesty… the army is routed. I… I fear the day is lost. We have to get you to safety. Equestria cannot lose you!”

He was young, far too young to be on the battlefield. Celestia’s heart ached just to look at him. Her brave soldier was bleeding from several cuts but, mercifully, he was alive. At least some had survived this dreadful ordeal. If only she could get back and regroup. Next time, next time she would be prepared, she—

The soldier’s eyes went blank, the spark of life leaving them in an instant. In almost slow motion, he toppled over onto his side, twitched, and went still. The princess’s eyes focused unbidden on the dark shaft protruding from his neck, before turning to look at the dark, grey-coated, equine-like creatures standing behind her and reloading their crossbows.

“Surrender, Celestia. You are a prisoner of the one true princess, the Goddess of the Moon.”

The leader of the armoured warriors stood on his hind legs, his forehooves leaning on an insanely large battle axe. His cruel eyes glowed red, like small fires in the darkness of the forest’s gloom. She glowered at the creature and spat her contempt at it.

“Thestrals…”

It watched her silently for a moment, itself clearly winded from both the battle and the chase. “I will not ask you again.”

These creatures were strange to Equestria, beings from another land which she knew nothing about. Brought here by that monster, Nightmare Moon, her very own sister, they were a source of evil that thrived on war and suffering. Celestia stared deeply into its eyes, lifting her halberd.

“You dare defile my home with your presence, thestral? You come here, kill my people, destroy their lands, their families, and you expect me to surrender? To YOU?” Her horn glowed with the golden aura of her magic. “I will send you into the pit with the rest of the demons where you belong!”

With a scream of rage, the princess charged.

Author's Note:

Edited by JBL

Comments

[Thunder--Clash]

WOW

[That One Brony Dude]

Celestia seems to be looking at this from a surprisingly black-and-white point of view. Her subjects should have been on her side, because... they were her subjects. The idea that they could have taken Nightmare Moon's side seems like a completely alien idea to her. Also, she seems to assume that anything that isn't a pony is evil. The dragons are evil because they're dragons. Likewise for the thestrals and the griffons. I guess Celestia has a lot to learn.

Given Celestia's behavior in the show, I guess she eventually does learn to respect all creatures. After all, she could have ordered her royal guard to kill the dragon from the episode Dragonshy. Or the dragons from Dragon Quest. Or any nmber of creatures from other episodes. At the very least, she hasn't had shown hostility towards Spike.

Of course, she did just experience the horrors of watching her solders die in front of her. It could just be the pain of the moment speaking, not her general attitude towards these creatures. I can't say I would be all that graceful if I had to watch people die.

[Fallen Knight]

7089390

I realize this is a year old, and replying is probably pointless and what not but its bugging me so here it goes.

In this case it is black and white in a sense, we are talking about aggressors here, creatures who attacked her nation and her ponies, of course she will see them as monsters, and anyone who sides with them she will be confused and angered about it. Every one of them presumably joined NMM on their own will knowing that they will commit evil in her name.

Then again i might be biased as my nation went though a "similar" (in the most vague of senses) situation 20ish years ago in a civil war/war for independence.