The War Begins: 1 - Prelude to Battle
Greetings to you, the readers of this tale.
I am Princess Celestia, and know that this foreword was not originally present in this tome. But recent events have compelled me to revisit this work and my memories of the Great Pony/Gryphon War.
Though many centuries have passed since the war and the life of Firefly, her influence and legacy are as present now as they ever were. Her story of a simple orphan who rose to warrior glory continues to inspire many even in the peaceful era of the present, though I know she would wish to be known less as a hero than a mother, sister and soldier. It was my greatest honor to call her friend and witness her many heroic deeds over her long life, and I have no doubt that her spirit watches over Equestria even now. The many medals and titles I bestowed on her pale in comparison to what she—and indeed, all her Bolt Knight comrades—gave back to all of us; a legend and legacy that would echo down through the ages...
A legacy that lives on today both in the Wonderbolts she founded, and the harmonious era we now live in. And yet, for all her valor, for all her warrior prowess and for all the untold engagements she won in the course of the war, I feel her greatest contribution was as a symbol of Equestrian resistance and fighting spirit, a larger-than-life figure who gave hope to a reeling nation in desperate need of it.
In this she succeeded brilliantly, but had things gone only slightly worse, it might all have been for naught. As I look back on those dark days, I can only marvel that we survived the initial onslaught that Firefly and her comrades will shortly describe. That we did was due to the bravery and sacrifice of countless soldiers and far too many fallen, and I am ashamed to say that my role in the conflict was limited by very clever Gryphon design. I would have spared all my little ponies the agonies to come if I could, and it is forever to my great regret I was unable to.
But it is also to my fiercest pride that even without my help, my beloved ponies rose to the challenge. That in the end, they were able to save themselves. For it is no exaggeration to say that even without the Elements of Harmony, it was friendship that sustained us…
And in the end, it saved us.
Signed,
—Celestia Daybringer
Princess of the Sun
Diarch of Equestria
Outpost Epsilon
Pony/Gryphon Border
September 1st, 1139 AE
0720 hours
Of all the ways I thought war with the Gryphons might begin, ‘twas not with an ambush or surprise attack.
As they were always given to overwrought displays at parleys, enjoying grand gestures and ritual, ‘twould have been a shock if they had not indulged in both as they approached my battalion and border base of Outpost Epsilon. Gryphon honor required that intentions be made clear and declaration of war or challenge be given before engaging, and thus, I did not fear a sudden strike even as a full Talon Cohort, five hundred strong, descended upon us and then fanned out to partially encircle us. Not even as they drew crossbows at a shouted Aeric command and aimed them at us.
Despite that, ‘twas certainly an intimidating sight, and I admit to a moment of fear to see it. We had never engaged gryphon soldiers before, and ‘twas clear from their well-spaced formation and synchronized movements they were far better trained and disciplined than the irregular raider groups we usually faced.
Still, rituals had to be followed and protocols observed on our side as well, and thus, I flew forth to address them, my Guardspony armor and Master Sergeant shoulder stripes making my identity as the Outpost Commander obvious, the short hairs of my shorn mane standing straight up as I felt a hundred crossbows aimed right at me.
Nevertheless, I did not falter, trying to set the example for both my own forces and our foes. “Gryphons! You are in violation of the border! Leave immediately, or your presence will be taken as an act of war!” I shouted into my blue command gem, its magic amplifying my voice so it echoed across the large border canyon that separated Equestria from Imperial lands.
To no surprise, none of them moved, remaining fifty yards away with crossbows leveled; ‘twas clearly their intention to rain as much death on us from afar before closing in to finish the job with cold steel. ‘Twas then that a single Talon Eagless, a Tribune by her chestplate and the command chain around her neck, flew forth to face us and then unfurled a scroll, reciting from it in surprisingly good Equish.
“Attention, soldiers of Outpost Epsilon! Attention Master Sergeant Firefly! I am sub-Tribune Yallis of the 16th Talon Legion! Listen and take heed!” she proclaimed a loud, clear voice for all to hear, speaking into an odd metal contraption that likewise amplified her words, letting them boom across the wide and dusty desert gorge.
“Know that as of dawn this day, the Gryphon Empire declares war on the Dominion of Equestria! It should be clear you are surrounded and outnumbered and have no chance at victory! But by the grace and mercy of our exalted Empress... I am instructed to offer you honor!” she told us in some disgust. “Surrender, and you will be treated well, held prisoner for the duration of the conflict! But if you resist…” she paused to look around at her assembled cohort, five centuries of Talon soldiers backing her, forming slightly more than a semicircle around us. “Know that no quarter will be given and that your force will be slain to the last pony!”
My lip curled. Even if I believed the offer was genuine—we knew full well the gryphons looked upon soldiers who surrendered without a fight as disgraceful and unworthy of any form of honor—’twas completely unworthy of consideration. None of us had joined the military to give up before a more numerous foe; none of us had trained for months or years to abandon Equestria without a fight. For the bonds we had formed, for the comrades we had lost, for our families, for our friends, and for our very nation, we were not about to surrender, even in the face of a much larger force that threatened us with annihilation.
With a glance around me, I considered my response carefully, and the proper tactics to use facing five hundred crossbows. ‘Twas odd, but I was actually relieved to only be facing an unsupported Talon cohort given ‘twas likely they had at least a full legion of five thousand soldiers in the area.
To be sure, Talons were well-trained warriors and my battalion of two hundred Equestrian Aerial Corps pegasus soldiers was outnumbered well over two to one, but they had no mages or other Knights supporting them. Which ‘twas not to say we did not face a fight; even Talon regulars were said to be on rough par with average Aerial Corps veterans. But after months of Guardspony-inspired training with weighted armor, even my rank-and-file were far from average soldiers by then.
Thus, my next words were anything but an empty threat. “I make you a counteroffer, Tribune!” I called back into my blue gem. “Withdraw your cohort at once, and we will not send your soldiers to their deaths! Methinks you know not what you face here, or you wouldst not have come here with so feeble a force!” As I spoke, I indicated our immediate strategy with two taps on the red command gem I still wore on my belt.
They would be felt as buzzes on the counterpart gems belonging to those of my platoon leaders, including our weather and unicorn healer teams still hidden down below, indicating which of the four enagement options we’d discussed in war councils earlier that day I was selecting.
In truth, the choice was easy as their own choice of tactics was foalish. In partially surrounding us both horizontally and vertically, they had spread themselves far too thinly, and at fifty yards distance, they had the worst of both worlds—too far away to hit elusive targets like pegasi with reasonable accuracy, but too close that they couldn’t reload fast enough before we could reach them.
Of course, five hundred bolts fired at once meant they didn’t need much accuracy, but if we could dodge or deflect their first volley, they might not even be able to draw their swords before our wingblades were upon them. And that would be their undoing; methinks I knew then we would win this fight.
Unaware of the flaws in her formation, the Tribune’s eyes narrowed at the implication, as did the few of her forces who understood me. To their credit, she and her soldiers kept their discipline despite the insult to honor; such a claim that their larger force was inferior would likely have induced the ill-trained gryphon raiders we normally faced to attack.
“So you wouldst choose a pointless death over life and the chance to see your families again?” she asked me contemptuously. “What you see before you is but the very tip of our spear! You know not our numbers or the ease with which we can defeat you! So are you truly willing to sacrifice your entire command here and now, Master Sergeant, to no honorable end?”
I didn’t reply right away. Less intimidated than angry, I felt a cold rage building inside me that they would treat my forces and my very nation so contemptuously. I looked to my left, then my right, my gaze touching upon my second-in-command and my four platoon leaders.
“We’re with you, ma’am!” Master Sergeant Fell Flight promised me, my hot-blooded half-thestral first officer with pegasus wings and slitted green cat-eyes looking ready and eager to fight. My four platoon leaders each gave me a pair of nods as well; Master Sergeant Stormrunner, Sergeant Blindside, Flight Sergeant Osprey and Second Lieutenant Snow Squall all indicating they’d received and understood my orders. The latter was scheduled to replace me as outpost commander when I left to join the Equestrian Officer Academy in a week, but had ceded command for now as my soldiers were more comfortable with me, though I did fulfill his request to lead a platoon as he had done in his enlisted days.
That I had been selected to join the academy was an appointment I had been honored to receive but ‘twas certain I would no longer be keeping. Regardless, he was ready for battle and so was the rest of my battalion; I saw nothing but anger and determination on the faces of my soldiers, a willingness to fight and die. War was upon us, and ‘twas now time to fulfill our duty to princess and province... and face the first of many trials to come.
“Equestrians! This is your last chance! Lay down your arms!” the Talon commander ordered, raising her taloned paw whilst pointing her scimitar at me, clearly preparing to tell her troops to loose their bolts and strike us down.
”Gryphons!” I shouted back, attitude for attitude as I raised my own hoof in response, adrenaline surging through me as I mentally prepared myself for combat. ”Come and claim them!”
As one, the sub-Tribune and I made sharp slashing motions downward and the War for Equestria began.
“The Art of War is of vital importance to a state. It is a matter of life and death; a road either to safety… or to ruin.” —Sun Tzu
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Awesome choice of song!
And so the war begins.... There is no going back now...
Put on your seat belt boys, its going to be bumpy ride.
8401713
Thanks! Expect Sabaton songs to be making additional appearances over time...
So it begins, and may Equestria rise to the challenge.
8402106
Certainly a wild one! Strap in and enjoy the journey.
haha I love the 300 reference. that was brilliant
8416159
Thank you and welcome aboard!
“ This is your last chance! Lay down your arms!” the Talon commander ordered, raising her taloned hoof whilst pointing her scimitar at me, clearly preparing to tell her troops to loose their bolts and strike us down.
I don't quite think gryphons have hooves, Firesight?
8427853
The idea was they she calls them hooves because that's how ponies refer to such appendages, but as you're the second person to flag that I've changed it to paw.
I am lisaning to a sabaton song right now
I am so excited to begin this tale!
I would say this is the best military epic ive ever read (though it is also the only)!
And it was only the Rise!
Lets get this war started! FOR HONOR! FOR GLORY! FOR BUCKING PONIES!!!
8823247
Welcome and enjoy!
Eight chapters of pony/gryphon battles already await! Hope you like this as much or more than the original!
Yet she made Twilight a Alicorn and not this truly heroic mare.
To War
To Waar
To Waaarrr!!!
11242375
I know you’re down on Celly, but you really shouldn’t be here.
Whether Firefly was actually eligible for ascension is debatable—I would say no since she was a warrior and not an embodiment of virtue—but I can promise you that she would have declined it if was offered. Not only because she had no wish to outlive her friends and hoped to reunite with her lost comrades in the Summerlands (the pony heaven) someday, but because she already saw what absolute power nearly did to her when the Alicorn Amulet possessed her.
Whenever I have to think about how many friends Celestia has grown to love only to watch them die time and again always makes me emotional. I can't imagine living such a long life, watching nearly everyone she knows die time and again, only to have to banish the one person who she wouldn't outlive. It's so sad. I have no idea how she hasn't lost her mind