Shroud of darkness

by LeTriggs

Chapter 16

The guns of Trotterdamn

Year of Equestria, 593, 6th Year of the Alpha wars.

Stargazer stood in line with the other soldiers on the military airship. The Equestrian army had been driven out of The Ponies Republic a few months ago after they tried to aid the Republican military but had failed in their attempts to break the Griffon lines. With a daring show of heroism from pony fishers using their own small vessels to transport troops across the ocean to the safety of Equestria saving countless lives. Due to the crushing defeat the military had for the first time in history begun enlisting ponies to fight in the war without having to endure training and medical checks which is when Stargazer saw his opportunity to earn some money utilising his special talent. Thankfully the ponies within the ship hadn't taken any special attention to him some would occasionally stare for a few seconds but none made any remarks about him having both wings and a horn. The drone of conversation around him quietened as a pony walked onto the podium in front of them. She was a beautiful earth mare, her silky silver mane seemed to hover in the wind, her light blue coat shimmered in the early sunlight. She walked to the podium and placed her hooves on it taking a breathe before she opened her gold eyes.

"Ponies! Today is a day unlike any other in history! You have enlisted to fight under the flag of Equestria which has honoured me so. All of you have signed to assist with this war that has already taken thousands of lives, and threatens to take countless more. When you are out there fighting, you fight for your lives, you fight for your brothers and sisters, you fight for honour, you fight for peace. But above all else you fight for Equestria!" The ponies all began cheering wildly at the mare who stood proudly for a moment before she turned away allowing an Orange pegasus to take to the podium holding a sheet of paper.

"Please listen out for your names and head to your assigned squad." The pony began reciting names off the list with a set of numbers one by one each pony moving over to a different Eagle transport, the latest piece of technology created for the war effort with a different number painted on the side of them. Eventually the pony called out Stargazer's name along with the numbers two, six to which he picked up his rifle and moved over to the aircraft with the corresponding numbers written on it where three other ponies were loading gear into the vehicle.

"That Victory Dawn...I swear she would marry her voice if she could." The average looking brown earth pony with a short blonde mane chuckled as he handed equipment over to the orange coated, grey mane'd pegasus who kept silent focusing on her work. The brown pony stopped staring at the Alicorn walking calmly over to them before he jumped off the vehicle and next to a tough looking earth pony with black hair and a plum purple coat.

"So this is the replacement for Viktor? Why are we getting stuck with.....whatever he is?" The leader of the group held up his hoof to the other pony silencing him as Stargazer came within ear-shot of them.

"Stow it corporal! Be thankful we're back at full strength again and this guy looks like he's seen some action unlike most of this rabble. Soldier I'm Sergeant Blizzard, this here is Corporal Apple and Private Do." The purple earth pony stallion pointed first to the brown earth pony stallion who had been angered by Stargazer joining their squad and then to the quiet yellow pegasus mare who looked at him indifferently.and continued loading equipment into the aircraft. Stargazer joined them in loading the last of the equipment before he climbed into the vehicle having to stoop lower than the others not to hit his head on the frame of the aircraft. Two pilots climbed into the cockpit of the ship and ignited the engine sparking the rotors on either side of the VTOL into life, all around the deck of the ship the same thing was happening with all the other squads. Blizzard slid the door shut just as the aircraft lurched off the floor and away from the airship.

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The VTOL's engined rumbled as they flew over the ocean towards the Republic none of the ponies on-board talked but sat in silence Stargazer kept his eyes closed leaning his head against his rifle psyching himself up for the battle they would be entering soon.

"So what's the plan sergeant?" Do had finally spoken up having to shout over the rumble of the engine, Stargazer looked first at her on the other side of the ship and then to Blizzard who was standing holding onto a piece of pipe running through the cramped area.

"Okay listen up cause I'm not explaining this again! We are gonna be dropped behind enemy lines by this Eagle class VTOL transport within the town of Trotterdamn, the job of the airborne is to take out the artillery they have allowing the navy to punch through and unload the rest of the troops and armour and then retake the town. Specifically ours is to meet up with a group of Republican resistance and secure a block within the town as many other squads will be doing. Simple. Oh and out there things are gonna get real hairy real fast so you keep your heads down follow your orders and you will make it out alive." One of the ponies in the cockpit peered his head round the corner their face obscured by the helmet they were wearing.

"sixty seconds! Doors open!" Blizzard nodded to the pony then slid the doors to the VTOL open letting the sunlight in. There were dozens of Aircraft like their own flying in formation, they could hear the cracks of gun-fire from the Griffon artillery and the Equestrian navy. The aircraft flying a few feet away from theirs exploded suddenly as shots began flying upwards into the formation of aircraft.

"Griffon air troopers twelve o'clock!" The pilot's panicked voice came through as a hail of gunfire hit the VTOL.

"Apple get on the 50 cal!" The two ponies dived to the machine guns attached to the aircraft at each door cocking the weapons and unleashing the full force of them on the passing Griffons. A shot from an anti-air cannon hit the right side engine of the VTOL throwing it into a spin as it began falling from the sky. Apple held onto the door with all his might while Blizzard held out his hoof to the corporal, Apple lost his grip on the door and was thrown away from the falling aircraft whilst Blizzard still held his hoof out at the spot where the pony had been just a second ago.

"BRACE FOR IMPACT!" The ponies barely had enough time to react before the VTOL slammed onto a rooftop the sound of metal screeching against rock the rush of noise and G force disorientating Stargazer before they began falling again and hit the ground demolishing a building as they did before they screeched to a halt.

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Stargazer's vision slowly began returning to him, the inside of the VTOL was a mixture of sharp metal and rock torn apart from the crash. Each time he blinked the vision blurred more each time focusing quicker, the ringing in his ears stung into his head adding to his delirium. He slowly began pulling himself out of the wreckage landing on the ground in a heap. A familiar purple shape rushed over to him speaking but Stargazer couldn't hear the muffled speech prompting Blizzard to smack him round the face bringing the Alicorn to his senses before handing a rifle to him.

"Come on we gotta get out of here Griffon's are gonna be closing in any minute now!" The pony slammed through the door of a nearby building with Do right behind him then followed by Stargazer.

"What the buck was that! We didn't get told they had AA!" Do ran next to Blizzard darting her gaze around each corner as they ran through the large structure as did Blizzard and Stargazer checking for any Griffon forces.

"Intel dropped the ball! Same shit different day!" Do slowed down before she let a tear out looking at the ground.

"Strudel..." Blizzard turned seeing Do crying to herself and ran over to her throwing her up against a wall.

"He's gone Daring! Don't you go too! We're getting out of here alive!" He looked from Daring to Stargazer who looked back at him with a cold glare.

"All of us." The trio moved further through the building without incident and eventually outside into a street lined with houses all connected to each other towering around them at different heights where they began hearing gun-fire coming from a short distance to them. They each looked at each other and nodded before they began heading to the sound hoping to find a group to which they could band together with and formulate a plan.

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The three ponies moved slowly as the gun-fire came louder around them, they knew they had to be close to the source of the fire-fight making them each tense up with adrenaline. They stacked up against a door which they concluded was the last barrier between them and the battle being waged, Blizzard opened the door slowly holding his rifle ahead of him in one hoof just in-case there were any Griffons on the other side. Luckily there were no Griffons on the other side of the door but they could see the flashes of gunfire from around the corner in the dusty building along with bullets slamming into the wall near them whilst a voice kept shouting out.

"Come on ass holes! I get enough for all you! Bring it! Come on bucking bring it!"

"Daring get a trip on that door Star you get behind me and get ready to shoot." The two ponies nodded to the Sergeant before moving, Daring pulled a grenade from her belt attaching a piece of string to the pin hooking it onto the door handle and a table leg that sat next to the door making it so that if anyone opened the door the grenade would go off. Stargazer crouched down next to Blizzard and put his hoof on the plum pony's shoulder letting him know he was ready to move. Blizzard slowly peeked round the corner seeing a single pony crouched below a blown out window amongst the bodies of other ponies popping up every few seconds to fire at the Griffons shooting at him. His mane stuck out in a stunning contrast to his dull grey coat, his mane was short and spiked a vivid combination of purple and pink falling over his face.

"Watch your six! Friendlies coming in!" The Pony turned back to where Blizzard shouted looking down his rifle at the gruff pony with his warm magenta eyes before he nodded and placed the rifle on the window sill above him firing towards the Griffons. Daring put a hoof on Stargazer's shoulder to which he tapped Blizzard's signalling they were ready to move, the trio burst round the corner charging to the wall which they each slammed into the wall where Stargazer and Daring began firing whilst Blizzard talked to the grey earth pony.

"What's your name soldier?"

"Name's Satrenko voulemarche just call me Renko though." The pony smiled at Blizzard in a strange nonchalance considering his predicament unnerving the Sergeant.

"Okay then Renko. We'll save the introductions for later." A flurry of shots punctured the wall between the pair each jumping backwards at the shock of the bullets coming so close to them.

"Stargazer! You go up those stairs and swing round to those Griffon buckers and flank em while we cover you got it?!" The Alicorn nodded and crawled on his belly to the stairs near where they entered the building and began climbing them whilst his comrades fired at the Griffons. Stargazer got to the top of the stairs checking the corners making sure there weren't any Griffon soldiers trying the same plan as him before he began sprinting towards the other side of the building to where the Griffons where shooting from within the courtyard of the large manor. Suddenly as he was running Stargazer was thrown to the wood floor as a missile flew through the window he was just passing exploding against the adjacent wall, he looked up just in time to see a sizeable pony in a black cloak sprinting into a black and purple vortex disappearing from sight as the vortex swallowed itself. He lay on the ground looking at where the pony had gone with his mouth hanging open before he was brought back to the battle as part of the roof behind him collapsed into the courtyard. Stargazer pulled himself up and began sprinting through the hallway turning a corner just before the end and jumping through a window at the end of the adjacent corridor out into the large courtyard where the Griffons were taking cover from his allies shots. He landed on the ground in front of the enemy soldiers causing them to look at him in fright before he rose to his full height and popped a bullet into each of the squad letting them fall to the ground without a change in his steely expression. He turned from the new corpses heading towards the window where the ponies stood looking at him.

Blizzard unfurled a map onto the grand piano in the room sending a cloud of dust into the air looking over it as Stargazer hopped over the wall joining the others.

"So what are your names then?" Satrenko gestured with his hands still smiling at each of the ponies who did not return the same warm expression.

"I'm Sergeant Blizzard, that's Private Daring Do and Private Stargazer." The plum pony pointed at the pegasus who looked out of the window keeping watch with a solemn look and then to the armoured Stargazer who looked the grey pony up and down before cracking the bones in his neck and joining Daring in keeping watch.

"That guy sure don't look like a private. Like, why don't you have that fancy armour?"

"That aint standard issue must be custom made to look similar to royal armour......although it's a piss poor job at a copy. Now I'm gonna guess by your name and accent you're Republican resistance?" Blizzard glanced over at Satrenko before looking back at the map trying to find their location.

"Aye that I am, we were trying to take out the anti-air but got pinned by Griffon forces on the way oh and by the way we're nowhere near there more like over here." He tapped the map almost on the other side of the city to where Blizzard was looking causing the Sergeant's expression to drop.

"Shit we're completely off we should be on the other side of the city making a blockade against this lot......Okay listen up we got a new plan! Me and Daring are gonna go and take out the southern artillery while Stargazer and Satrenko who is now a part of our squad head over to this anti-air emplacement before the next wave of Eagles get launched." A couple of thuds combined with the cracks of cannon fire shook the room causing yet more dust to fall from the ceiling.

"Now lets hurry up before shit completely hits the fan." the four ponies climbed over the wall and into the courtyard of the manor heading over to the large gates to which they parted ways without a word.

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Stargazer and Renko moved through the small winding streets of Trotterdamn keeping their rifles at the ready with the buildings towering over them. The sound of distant gun fire, cracks of cannons and pulses of anti-air fire could be heard which they were heading slowly closer towards. The pair slowed down to a walk allowing themselves to catch their breathe where Satrenko pulled a pack of cigarettes out of a pocket on his clothing and then held them out to Stargazer who looked at him with a blank stare.

"You don't smoke? They're good for the tension." Satrenko chuckled as he shook the half empty pack in front of the Alicorn who then sighed and took one lighting it with a match that he took from the grey pony before he sat down on a piece of rubble that lay in the street.

"So Stargazer"

"Just call me Star."

"Ooookay then. Star, care to tell me how you got yourself a set of wings to go along with that horn?" Satrenko took a quick puff of his cigarette enjoying its taste before letting the smoke out of his nose still grinning. Stargazer let a long drawn out breathe of smoke exit his mouth before he looked up from the ground at the smiling pony before him.

"Born this way, long before your time."

"So you're like that, what's her name?"Satrenko began tapping his head trying to probe out for the name he couldn't remember.

"You mean Celestia?"

"Yeah! That's her name!"

"I am like her. Although I'm also very different."

"Well duh it doesn't take a scientist to figure that out." The grey pony crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out making the Alicorn laugh at the sight before he began laughing himself.

"You know Renko. You're all right, even in this mess you still got your head together."

"This aint my first rodeo. I know what to expect."

"Good I can't be arsed with babysitting out here. You lose your cool, you let it get to you and you're on your own."

"Noted. Now I guess we got some AA to get rid of." Both of the ponies threw their cigarettes to the ground and began making their way towards the sound of the cannons faster than before.

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The pair rounded the corner as another ground shaking crack erupted from the rooftop in front of them. They looked up as the shot from the cannon collided with one of the Eagle transports turning it into a ball of fire hurtling to the ground a couple of blocks away from them. Another flash came from the cannon as it fired into the sky missing its next target that flew overhead and toward another part of the town to drop its troops.

"Shit they're trying to stick to the first plan, What is that Victory Dawn doing?! She's gotta see that it's all falling apart from her fancy airship. Right let's get to that door Renko looks like we're gonna have to sweep and clear that building. Ten stories, why do they have to make these new buildings so tall?" Stargazer felt a pat on the shoulder from Satrenko who looked at him with his usual grin.

"It's called progress old colt now come on let's get this over and done with before we're spotted." He ran ahead of Stargazer and slid against the door signalling him over to join him. Stargazer joined Satrenko who had dropped his cheerful grin looking the Alicorn in the eye with a stern look.

"I'll go in first you follow me, got it?" Stargazer nodded to him to which Satrenko kicked the door open with every ounce of strength he had pointing his rifle around the room as Stargazer followed him in doing the same. They both nodded to each other sure the ground floor was clear and moved to the staircase in front of them, the pair began climbing the staircase through the block of flats passing each floor opting for the plan of getting to the top fast and avoiding conflict. With each shot of the cannon above them the building shook sending dust falling from the ceiling and more often than once sending one of the pair into a stumble. They reached the top floor of the building where the stairs stopped and began looking around for any sign of another staircase. The cannon fired again causing the pair to drop to the floor as they were deafened by the weapon above them.

"That thing is really starting to piss me off! We gotta get up there now before any more get taken out." Satrenko led Stargazer down a long corridor where at the end stood a door without a number on it with a bar going across it. Satrenko inspected the door then pushed on the bar letting the door swing open.

"How did we let our country fall to those that are so dumb they don't even put a charge on the door?" Satrenko moved up the stairs taking care with each step as he gripped his weapon ready to fight. As he moved ahead he saw the light coming in from the open door around the corner. He dropped onto his stomach and began crawling until he reached the top of the stairs peering out at the rooftop where the cannon was placed. He climbed back down the stairs to Stargazer who was waiting patiently keeping his eyes on the corridor they had just come from.

"Looks like twenty maybe more I couldn't really see much."

"It'll be tough to get that many with just us two." Stargazer spoke with just a hint of worry in his voice whilst Satrenko pulled a cylinder from one of his pockets and looked at Stargazer with a smile.

"Yeah it would be if we didn't have one of these. Those scientists.....They do more magic than unicorns." He pulled the pin from the device and threw it out onto the roof. There was a few seconds before a series of sharp explosions rung out flashing light against the wall. The pair charged out of the door and onto the roof where all the Griffons there were stumbling around blinded by the explosions unable to see the pair in front of them. The pair began firing at the Griffons killing them as they regained their vision. Before they had finished off even half of the soldiers the living ones regained their sight and began firing at the ponies. A bullet collided with Satrenko's shoulder, he dropped his rifle and fell to the floor resting on the sandbags clutching his shoulder as blood poured from it.

"Shit! Shit! Shit! Ahhh buck that hurts!" Stargazer dropped down below the sandbags as a wave of gun fire launched at them. He pulled Satrenko's hoof away from the wound looking it over quickly then placing his comrades hoof back in place.

"Stay here and keep pressure on it you'll be fine." Stargazer grabbed Satrenko's rifle along with his own and took a deep breathe. He rose up from the sandbags and stood on them walking forwards holding the weapons in front of him. He fired the weapons at the Griffons who stared at him in fear as they shot at him. Each bullet they fired at the Alicorn changed their trajectory bending around him as he returned each bullet that was fired at him. Before he killed all but one of the Griffons both of the rifles clicked signalling that they had run out of ammo, the last Griffon looked at the Alicorn who threw both the weapons to the ground still walking towards him. The Griffon made his decision throwing his own weapon down and jumping off the building flying as fast as he could away from Stargazer.

Satrenko stood up and slowly made his way over the sandbags checking around the rooftop. On a small table he spotted a pair of binoculars which he picked up and began scanning the coastline. Along the beach he could see ponies fighting furiously to move up getting hit by either mortars or machine gun fire. Satrenko gritted his teeth in anger as he looked at the massacre happening on the beach. He turned his gaze from the beach to the cannon to the left of his vision, on top of it he saw Blizzard and Daring Do on top locked in combat with Griffons stationed at the gun, he then looked at the heavy AA cannon beside him when an idea came into his head and let a smile crawl over his face.

"Hey Star! Feel like doing our friend's job for them?" Stargazer turned around moving over to Satrenko with a cocked eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"Well we just happen to have a high explosive cannon here and there is a piece of artillery that I'm sure we can hit. Plus it looks like the others wont be done with the first for awhile especially without our help."

"Okay then I'll load a shell you aim this bad boy." Satrenko began turning the wheels on the side of the cannon turning and lowering the barrel towards the piece of artillery lining it up with the sights of the cannon. Stargazer heaved the shell onto the cannon swinging the door to the barrel shut turning the wheel on it locking the door in place.

"So Renko. You wanna do the honours or shall I?" Satrenko who was still clutching his shoulder bowed to him in a mocking manner.

"All yours. Unless you're gonna break a hip on me."

"Hey you should respect your elders." The pair laughed as Stargazer climbed into the seat of the gun making sure that the aim was right. He took a deep breathe and threw the handle down. The shell exploded out of the cannon and hurtled to the artillery engulfing it in an explosion. The pair cheered at the sight of the explosion hoof bumping in celebration before another explosion rung out from the other artillery position stating that Daring and Blizzard had done their job.

"Well then I guess there's just one thing left to do here."

"Right, let's blow this thing up and then get out of here." They each moved around the rooftop as fast as they could grabbing grenades off of the dead soldiers and placed them in a pile at the base of the cannon. Stargazer put his hooves under Satrenko's shoulders who held onto the last grenade they had ready to pull the pin on it.

"You better not be scared of heights! Cause there's no way we're gonna get off this roof without flying!" Stargazer unfurled his wings and pulled the pair into the air hovering just a few feet from the building. Satrenko pulled the pin from the grenade and threw it amongst the others. As the pair moved away from the building the explosion engulfed the rooftop destroying the cannon and letting it fall into the building as the floor gave way beneath it.

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Satrenko and Stargazer entered the camp to a roar of cheers from the soldiers within. Many of them moved up to the pair shaking their hooves or patting them on the back shouting words of encouragement.

"Nice job out there!"

"Your guys rock!"

"You gave it d'em Griffons hard!"

"Yeah Equestria number one!"

"Wooooooo!" The two ponies kept their cool under the wave of encouraging words as they made towards the tent on the far end of the camp just outside of Trotterdamn. Outside the tent the guards smiled at them before allowing them to enter into the tent.Inside the tartan shelter stood both Daring Do and Blizzard who's faces picked up at the sight of them.

"Well looks like we got our own guardian angels." Blizzard shook the pair's hooves as he congratulated them then allowed Daring to say her own words to them.

"You guys were awesome, we're lucky to have met you." She smiled at the pair before the sound of hoofsteps came into the tent alerting the squad to the newcomer in the room. Blizzard and Daring both saluted Victory Dawn, her long silvery mane seemed to shimmer in the light as she flicked her head at them all smiling away.

"At ease. I should be saluting you for what you did today." She snapped a salute at them then took a more relaxed stance.

"So squad two, six of the airborne. After being taken out by Anti-air losing one of your members and radio gear in said crash you managed to group together with this resistance fighter." She nodded to Satrenko. "Then you split up into two different groups moving through the town without orders from above going by your own instinct. Blizzard you sent these two ponies one who had only joined your squad today and then one who you had met in the field to go and destroy an AA gun opening a corridor for the air force to make a break through and stop the rest. You sent yourself and miss Do here to take control and sabotage an artillery position so the ground troops could make it up the beach and into the town to allow the pincer move to begin. But whilst you were clearing the first of your targets you got pinned down. That is where these two stepped in, instead of merely destroying the cannon they used it against the Griffons. They used the cannon to destroy the second artillery emplacement allowing you the window of opportunity to destroy your target, you kept your cool in a situation you weren't prepared for, you made quick decisions that changed the course of the battle. Each of you rose above and beyond the call of duty saving not just the lives of the soldiers on the field today but also the fate of the entire war. For this reason Sgt. Blizzard I am hereby promoting you to Leftenant. Private Do, I am promoting you to Corporal, and Stargazer, I am promoting you to Sergeant."

"What about me ma'am?" Victory Dawn looked over to Satrenko eyeing him up and down.

"Ah yes Satrenko Voulemarche right? If you and Leftenant Blizzard here wish it you can be a permanent member of squad two, six becoming an official member of the Equestrian military as the rank of Private first class. What do you say Leftenant?"

"I would be honoured to have him as a member of my team, he's a good soldier and works well with the rest of us."

"Then it is settled I will write the papers myself tonight then they will be sent to the generals right away and I am sure the Princess will want to take a look at them herself. Dismissed!" The ponies each saluted and left the tent apart from Stargazer who remained planted to the ground.

"You are dismissed Sergeant unless there is something you would like to discuss."

"Well Commander, it's about that letter you're gonna send."

"Yes I am sure Celestia would be very intrigued by it especially you I mean it isn't every day that a pony like her is found."

"Well that's what I wanted to talk about. I would greatly appreciate it if you were to leave my.....Status so to speak out of the letter. Just a personal favour for me."

"Well I think I could leave a few minor details out of the letter to my mentor such as race of pony. Something like that could just happen to.....slip my mind." Victory smiled at the Alicorn then winked at him letting him understand her.

"Than you miss Dawn. Mentor you say?"

"Yes I am well more to say was the student of Princess Celestia herself. She taught me everything I ever needed to know about the world, about well....everything. And now here I am leading these ponies to victory liberating The Republic from the Griffons. I am having to go against everything she taught me, all in the name of peace. War for peace. How can war make peace? can you tell me that Sergeant?" Stargazer shuffled on the spot as Victory Dawn let a tear roll down her face.

"I don't know miss Dawn I'm just a soldier, a weapon of war to be used against the enemy. You point me at them and I shoot, it's you that has to deal with the guilt I'm afraid, if you can still sleep at night knowing what you have done then you are fit for leadership which you must've proven to reach your rank. So pull yourself together and get on with your duty."

"Very well. You are dismissed Sergeant, rest up you'll receive orders in due course." Stargazer left the tent without another word into the camp where he was greeted with another round of cheers heading to the tent his squad were sent to already asleep in their bunks.

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The Griffon was thrown to the cold hard ground to which he coughed up a pile of blood. The other Griffon paced around him just outside the light obscured by darkness lifting the soldier's head up before he punched the one on the ground snapping part of his beak off causing him to scream in pain.

"Because of you the ponies took the town. Because of you they now have a foothold in The Republic now what do you have to say Traitor!" The Griffon on the ground lifted his head up trying to look the other in the face to no avail. The Griffon hidden in the darkness lashed out again punching the one in the light smacking his head against the rocky ground.

"Talk! Why did you run when attacked by simple ponies?!"

"It wasn't an ordinary pony!"

"You ran from one singular pony? are you that much of a coward!" The Griffon went to hit the one that was keeled over in the light but was stopped by his words.

"It was a demon! It wasn't like the rest!"

"Go on.....Tell me of this demon"

"It had both wing and a horn. Like their queen. It appeared out of nowhere in an unholy light killing most of our squad. It....It walked through fire the bullets turned away from him I believed it best to warn of its coming. The pony queen has unleashed something from the depths of the dark realm upon us and we need to know. That is why I ran sir."

"Very well then. I shall inform the higher ups of this Demon." The Griffon pulled a pistol out of the holster on his belt aiming at the younger of the two.

"May the ancestors smile upon you." A gunshot rung out in the darkness followed by the sound of a body crumpling on the ground.

"Only a pony would make a deal with the dark spirits. Perhaps this will be the downfall of us all." The Griffon moved away from the dead body as the light faded around him leaving the place in darkness.