The Ponies and the Ninth

by Comrade_Derpy

5: Regret, Revenge and a big Castle wall

Ponyville
One day later

It was around midday by time the fires of the previous night had been doused. Shining along with a small contingency of guard helped many of the inhabitants to fight them throughout much of the day and now he sat along with several other guards in the park drinking some water and finally resting there hooves. Some of the other guards were out either in the many drink holes, salting there mouths. Or interviewing the pony's that lived here. Shield was one of them, hurriedly trotting into the park he noticed shining sitting with several other talking quietly.

"Sir? a moment?" Shield asked saluting with a hoof, looking over Shining nodded before finishing the conversation he was having with another guard pleasantly waving him off before turning with a serious look to Shield as he sat down on a bench resting his hooves on a wooden table.

"What's the news?" he asked quietly and with some strain, the smoke from the fires had put some stress unto his throat making it irritated and somewhat sore. "I've got some information on last night's events...They say some strange creatures came in and threatened them, then burned the place." Shield replied going over the information in his head

"For no reason?" Came the captains voice

"They cant say for sure. quite chaotic last night they said"

Shining looked around him at the destruction and sighed he hated having to ask this during these situations. Not that there was many like this to ask "How many did we lose?" he asked. he looked at shield with a sorrowful expression while shield nodded, letting out a slight smile "Acctualy no-pony was hurt nor killed. just shocked mainly, they say one of the creatures told them to leave shorty before the burning"

Shining didn't see it as happily as the young guard "Either way do you think that justify's this?"

"Wha? i. i never sai-" Shield stammered, only to be cut of by the now rage fuelled captain

"What happened here is a clear act of war. and i will not have it. We fought the changeling and we will fight again. These creatures have burned this village and think they can get away with it" Gritting hit teeth shining stood up. slamming a hoof on the table with a loud bang "With Celestia as my witness we will protect Equestria as it is our job under Luna and Celestia to do so...

Shield gulped slightly, Shining certainly knew what to say and how to deliver it most of the guard stood on all four legs agreeing with im in angry cry's and shouts.

"Now....did they say where they were heading?" He asked sliding his purple helmet down his white coated face nothing but his muzzle and cold, blue eyes "And we shall hunt them like timber-wolfs for there actions here."

"East sir. Some of our Pegasi scouts report a large group using the roads sir. We've ordered all roads to be cleared and to not be used under any circumstances." Shield said updating him on the situation "There well equipped sir. have tried to engage our scouts."

"Oh my Celestia..." Shining's eyes went large in his helm "There going for Canterlot." with a swift movement he make his way to his feet "Form up, Form up now!" he roared turning every head of gold and blue Grabbing one younger Pegasus guard he hauled him over "You. Head to the wonder-bolt academy, talk to who you need to. I want every available Pegasi in the air!" with a brief nod the pony sprung up wings unfurling in a roar of air rushed southwards towards his objective.

by this point many of the guards flew east towards canterlot. or followed under shining to it. there armour gleaming in sun as they marched on to relive the city.

Canterlot
1 hour later

Varius was silent for the most part. he had ordered the men forward but that was all. Sextus again stood by his side. eyes forward saying nothing to he Centurion he had once put trust in. by this point the chanting of glory, or songs of victory had ceased and the simple grating of metal on metal echoed though the valley. Varius glanced as Sextus sighing.

"Sextus...I..I don't know what came over me"

"Hold your tongue" Sextus hissed back, his eyes still firmly planted on the dirt road "I don't care for your petty apology's. you know what you did and you knew the effects it would cause"

"I..I know. Im just trying to put us in the clear"

"And even a general who's spent more time in his Villa on some pretty island then on a battlefield would know not to make us seem like a bigger target" He looked over now his young face looked far older now the soot of the previous night still rested on him.

Varius sighed. he had indeed royally screwed them over looking down he nodded "And i know that. but please give me a break, im under some amount of pressure."

"Just you? oh lovely lets all feel sorry for the Centurio" Came a sarcastic reply.

"Sextus!...dam it all your not the one leading them, there lives are in my hands. how would you react knowing that any small mistake here could leave family's fatherless and entire settlements without manpower. children without a father to look up to. you of all men should know that. after what happened at sea"

Everything went silent. Sextus looked up letting out a long uneasy breath "Listen Centurio, I understand where your coming from....And I understand the risks were in. but this could have been so much simpler if we talked it out, but you Romans have never been one for talking.."

"Your just as much a Roman a-"

"No!, no im not. I was born in Britannia raised in Britannia. Just because my father gained citizenship and so did I means im not Roman..I've never even been to Roma..." Looking over Sextus eyes landed on Varius, cutting though him as he finished his sentence.

"Im. Nothing like you. And I will. Never. Be like you."

And with that he looked back "Now do your job and lead us Varius."

"Can you at least forgive me...?"

"...I can try Centurio"

Varius decided to stop pushing for talk now, he was on his way to making things right at least. But Sextus was right, they had raised the attention of the military force here. throughout the day the Syrian archers had small skirmishes with flying pony's. the pegasus's they were called. In light blue armour they normally looked at what they only called "Creatures" or "Monsters" A few had swooped down in an attempt to attack. but the archers normally warded them of. So far there was no losses to both sides.

the dirt track began to wind up a large hill. struggling the men slowed to a crawl. Making little progress, but not losing heart they managed to push up further. the right side dropped suddenly into a cliff face almost costing several soldiers there lives. But they had done it. Varius leading them they had reached the top.

And there stood something neither Varius, Sextus nor any of the legionary expected

"I...It has a wall?" Called somebody behind them

"Are you kidding me..." Groaned another from the right

In front of them stood a white wall, around thirty feet high and ridged with battlements, Varius guessed it would be around fifteen meters thick. In front of that, a well dressed moat, with several birds and lily-pads floating across it like it were but a cloud. in the centre was a large golden gate, with a drawbridge in front. on the top were several guards who were at this point pointing at them and shouting by his guess.

The walls curved around the front before dropping of on one side to the cliff-face and on the other by a near vertical mountain. inside to the left stood a magnificent palace with many hues of colour covering the domes and glass windows carved with decals of many legends or heroes. The entire structure hung over the side of the cliff supported by a massive garden that ran under and to one side and a waterfall flowing off it.

"Wow...its..its amazing" Sextus remarked letting a low whistle escape his lips.

"Indeed." Varius commented to, watching the drawbridge slowly raise and more guards rise on the battlements

"But i don't think there going to let us in"

"Varius, cant we send a messenger to at least ask?" Sextus asked not wanting to repeat another Ponyville indecent. The centurion was about to say no. but he remember what Sextus had said and sighed caving in "Yes. lets see if they cannot let us in."

10 minuets later

The small armour clad soldier made his way closer to the wall behind him stood Varius and the rest of the shambled group. he looked up at the grand walls nervously as the guard stood over shouting at him with threats of death and he sighed "I come here with a proposition pony"

"What?!" Varius said slamming a hand onto his command table "They refuse to answer you or let us in"

"Y-yes Centurio" the legionary said bowing "they said no foreign army will enter the castle without either the princesses orders or the captains and that they will both refuse due to the state of the matters"

Sighing Sextus looked down "Anything else. no exceptions?"

"Nothing Sextus." He saluted before walking out

"I told you diplomacy never works Sextus"

"I wonder why, lets go as that town down the road" came another one of Sextus sarcastic comments "Oh wait that's right. its cinder and charcoal"

Varius raised a hand to him nodding "Okay, okay i get your point....but what do we do now?"

"Reason perhaps?" He questioned

"With the likes of them...no" Varius snapped back looking at the map on the table one man had drawn after seeing canterlot "...how much time do you reckon we would have before reinforcements arrive"

"if we had a rearguard of say....fifty we could hold an attacking force off for a few hours. but if its an entire army I would say half an hour. we could use the moat and channel the water on the road creating a mud field...might help sir."

Varius paused looking down and removing his helmet placing it gently on the table and moving his right hand onto his head thinking "...Do what you need to do then"

"Why" Sextus asked his eyes narrowing "You cant be seriously planni-"

Varius nodded cutting Sextus off this time "If we cant go though. We'll go over and under"

Standing up Varius gave a small glance to Sextus who shacked his head sitting down

"your insane Varius. it'll never work" He said groaning

"Hey, sometimes insanity brings out the best in people" Varius sated proudly stepping out his tent leaving Sextus with the most confused expression he'd ever received

Outside stood the men he had finely counted each head and had under his command around five hundred. Five hundred and twenty four to be exact. Drawing his Gladius he stabbed the air brining a small flashback of the glen when they were in Caledonia "Men some of you have served with me as brothers in arms for several years. now we stand looking on, that city will not let us in. But i have a better plan, let us show ourselves in with brute force and Roman ingenuity, what say you men!" He cried. His reward was a roar from each man.

"Tonight we rest, tommorow we begin. eat hearty and sleep well"

He looked at the white walls. at this point dozens of guard-pony's littered it. with many weapons and all gleaming gold.

The siege of Canterlot had begun, and Varius was not going to take it lying down....

Comments

[Mr101]

Why do I get the feeling Varius is going to die soon...

[Diokno44]

So, with very new numbers, some food, no siege weapons, the fact they had very few weapons, and their against living goddesses, and two legions of Royal and Night Guards, with the addition of magic, Pegasi that can control the weather, and the Mane 6, the 9th Cohort is royally screwed with a pike.

[dashdlkashd]

1811673
I agree... maybe if it was humans with at least primitive firearms, but like this? No, these guys are fucked beyond words.

[Diokno44]

1812185 Also, that they're tired, maybe hungry, and they are wounded also adds to their screwed factor

[Feather Book]

1812713
All what’s really needed is a controlled hurricane and its goodbye Romans. Or imagine the last thing the Romans see is the flutter of bat wings of Luna’s guard in the dark shadow of a night.

[Diokno44]

1813724 Or Pinkie Pie on Skooma (The Morrowind and Oblivion version) now THAT would be terrifying

[Comrade_Derpy]

1813758 Gosh well i knew i had some errors but thanks for correcting the biggy ones

But on a quick note Romans acctualy used a mixture of iron and mild steel. David Sim (at Reading University) has shown that the plates of lorica segmentata armour were soft iron inside and (some at least) were mild steel on the outside. This seems to have been a deliberate act, rather than an accidental consequence of the forging procedure. (See "Iron for the Eagles", by David Sim& Isabel Ridge, p.96).

But again thanks for the corrections. i'll get to work soon as possible!

[Delvius]

1815107 Alright, thanks fr the info.

[Comrade_Derpy]

1816393 No problem don't want a fellow Roman buddy without any information tiny of big.