The War of 1002

by Fireheart 1945

Chapter 46; Liberation

James watched as thousands of ponies lined the streets. The cheering was deafening. Many even walked up to the tanks; although many were clearly afraid of them, they knew that the machines and their crews were on their side. Confetti, streamers, and flowers fell from the windows, and ponies of all ages leaned out of the windows to watch and cheer. Joyful music played, although it was disorganized and scattered.

Regular soldiers had other pleasant surprises in store as they marched down the streets. Many could hardly move for being kissed, and for having flowers and free food jammed in their faces. Many, he knew, were enjoying such affections, while a few were a little put off by it.

"You'd think this was planned out," he remarked to Crystal Clear.

"I have my doubts about that, sir."

"In any event, we need to evaluate the damage to the army, as usual."

"I also doubt we got hurt as bad as they other guys did."

"I agree. But, still, we need to know. And we need to replenish our supplies, especially shells and fuel for the tanks; they used up three-quarters of their available ammunition."

"Hard to concentrate on all that with this going on," Crystal noted.

"I must admit, it's a bit - okay, very - uplifting." James caught a flower that almost struck his head. "I suppose it would defy tradition if I didn't put it in my hat or above my ear." James took his hat off, pulled most of the stem off the flower, and placed it on the front of the hat before placing it back on his head. "I still say we should mourn our dead before going directly to celebration. I don't know how many of the militia died, but I know the number wasn't zero."

"I agree, but these ponies have been under Griffon rule for some time. And, considering what they were planning to do... I think they have a right to celebrate."

"That reminds me. What's the status on getting food into the town?"

"We have food pulled in on carts. It'll be a while until it's done; the enemy wrecked the railroad as they left."

"How?"

"Through some sort of machine they had. It ripped up the railroad ties as it moved back, so we'll have to replace those before we can bring food into the town by rail."

"That's... devious, especially considering how much I love trains. I assume engineers are fixing it?"

"Yes, but it's going to take a few days."

"Damn..." James was unable to continue, as a flower went into his open mouth just as he opened his mouth to talk. He coughed and spat it out.

"A waste of a good flower," Crystal said as what was left of the flower hit the ground. "The townsponies must have been saving up flowers in anticipation of starvation."

"They didn't have to eat too many of them, given how many of them-"

"Believe me, ponies can grow and find flowers pretty easily, but this wouldn't have been enough to feed two hundred thousand."

"What the enemy planned to do was pathetic, not to mention nothing short of evil."

"From answers I got from prisoners, that was policy from the king and his officers. A lot of rank and file soldiers disapproved, but, when your superior in the army gives an order..."

'You don't want to be the one who displeases him," James finished. "Court martials that succeed and the destruction of a military record can be damaging."

"Yes."

"I suppose we need to also consider the future campaigns," James said, trying to think. "Once we push them back to the border-"

"I thought Her Majesty wanted to call for an end to the fighting once the city was liberated?"

"...She does," James said reluctantly. "But I disagree. Finishing the war now will just let them regroup and come at us again. I want to beat them, to make sure they know they're beaten, and that we can do it again if we have to."

"Sounds like a rough deal for them, sir. Might make them angry enough to try again, even if they don't win."

"I don't want..." James stopped himself; that was out of his control entirely. "well, that's not my place to decide, but I doubt Celestia will rip chunks off the Griffon Kingdom. That I approve of."

"Princess Celestia, and isn't that the same thing, letting the enemy off when they're beaten?"

"The difference being that if we do it the way we need to, they'll have had an entire army march across their lands, beaten their armies on their own land, and forced the surrender of their leadership. That's different from just stopping now."

"I hope it is, for our sakes, sir."

"I think it will be. You won't have to carry me into battle once the war is over."

For the first time in the conversation, he got his aide to laugh. "I don't mind it, sir, not when it's necessary, and not when it's me making the offer." Crystal sobered up surprisingly quickly, becoming serious once again. "I suppose that's what we're fighting for, isn't it, General? To do things our own way, and in our own time?"

"One of the things we're fighting for, anyway," James agreed.

Crystal turned to regard him with both eyes. "And what are you fighting for?"

James almost stopped. It was a question he hadn't pondered for a while.

"I guess, when I was offered the job," he began after several long seconds, "I just couldn't say no. Everyone there was looking at me, expecting, hoping I would accept, or at least do something. It would have torn my heart to refuse. I would have been leaving an innocent - or at least, a peaceful - people to their own devices in a field they weren't used to, a field they'd more or less forgotten."

"Didn't know you had such a soft heart," Crystal teased.

"I know, but I think you would have been one to condemn me if I had refused," James answered, and Crystal nodded. "And besides, I had the knowledge to help. I've read up on so many wars and battles... it would have been wasteful not to accept."

Crystal nodded again. "I understand. Well, here I was think you'd accepted for money or some sort of promotion for some sort, and all it took to get you make that decision was a soft heart." The aide chuckled. "Don't worry, I won't tell anypony."

As James thought about a way to respond, a flower fell into his hands. He looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever had thrown it, but he couldn't tell; every window seemed to have a pony cheering the army.

He continued to regard the flower as he thought.

"Well..." James said at last as he placed the lily in one of the pockets on his shirt. "I think we need to get everyone fed, and properly bury the dead, before leaving to fight again. Make sure the orders for that go out."

"On it."

"Good."

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The king looked at Grayfeather with displeasure. "We are not pleased, General," he said. His accent was partly Italian, but the menace behind the words made up for how funny his words might have otherwise sounded. "We are, in fact, furious. We should ask why you should not be removed from your post with the utmost haste, and replaced with someone who will serve the position better."

Grayfeather tried, hard, not to falter under the glare the king was giving him. "Your Majesty, I have done what I could, with what forces I had. The enemy have more backbone than we gave them credit for, and we had to struggle against the resistance, both passive and active, of the population we conquered. With their new machines-"

"Which we should have had long before the enemy," the king interrupted. "Why did you not set your own engineers to build our own mechanical menaces?"

"Given the clannish ways of the people, we do not share resources as well as we should," the general said regretfully, with anger in his voice over the fact. "I have indeed given orders for our own units to be built."

"That does not answer the fact that we did not have our own tanks, as the enemy call them, before they did."

"Simple, sire; we thought there was no need, that the conquest would take mere weeks. We suffered more than we thought we would, and we have had to call all sorts of riff-raff into our ranks that no army would normally consider."

"The old and the young," the king said dismissively. "I need for the army to accomplish it's purpose in order that I might accomplish my own," he added, dropping the royal we.

"The army has done what it could-"

"Not fast enough," the king interrupted. "Never fast enough. After our victory in taking Feathersburg, you should have pursued the enemy with the utmost haste and destroyed them." The king had renamed Trottingham after its capture.

"Without sufficient supplies, and with heavy losses, that would have been hard to accomplish, Your Majesty. Though weak, in their peace-loving ways and their daily lifestyle, they've proven surprisingly good soldiers."

"Which meant Hawkfrost underestimated them, and was destroyed, along with his vanguard." The king walked around the inside of the tent, a claw on his sword. "I am conqueror of Equestria, General. I ask you how I may retain that title if you fail to earn us victory? And how will I have my plans fulfilled without some vestige of conquest?"

"I understand, my lord."

Perhaps the king had seen that he was curious. At any rate, he went on, "The plan shall come to fruition two weeks from now. It was supposed to begin after the conquest of Canterlot, but you and the other generals bungled that up." The king's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Was this conquest merely for the-"

"Plan itself? No; it would have been nice to have the resources of two kingdoms as opposed to one. However, the war would have made the plan much easier. I trust you are still a loyal royalist?" the king asked suddenly, turning to regard him with two penetrating eyes.

"Y-yes, my lord. Tragically I am uncertain of the loyalty of other clans to the crown, and I have doubts how willing the clan leaders will be to go along with the plan."

"They will go along with it," the king said imperiously. "They will, or they will lose what power as remains to them... along with their lives, if their, ahem, protests should become too loud, if you understand me."

"I shall endeavor to place royalist officers in command of the army, sire. I believe your soldiers are ready."

"Good."

"One thing, sire, if I may."

"Speak."

"I need more supplies if I am to hold onto our remaining conquests, and to have any chance of proceeding further, as well as more engineers to build our own war machines and, above all, more solders and modern artillery."

"You will have them... that is, should I decide to keep you in command. I shall be monitoring your progress from now on most closely, General, and should I find you are unfit for the job, I shall dispose of you and bring forth another who will get the job done. Need I say more?"

I'll fire you if you lose another battle, and you'll be lucky if that's all that will happen to you. Grayfeather made the translation in his head; he couldn't help swallowing nervously. "No, Your Majesty. I understand perfectly well."

"Again, good. Now, I take my leave of you. I give you the order to hold onto the towns and villages we still have in this land. Do so no matter the cost. And quietly replace any officers who prove a hindrance to the plan."

"Yes, my lord. I shall."

The king didn't bother with a farewell, but left without another backward look.

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James went back into his tent as the camp was deconstructed. Although his army had tried, they'd failed to catch up with the enemy. With brutal irony, the celebrations had delayed them long enough for the main body of the enemy to make good their escape, although Barrel had managed to isolate a couple of their rearmost regiments, and from all reports was tearing them apart; they'd refused to surrender.

He packed what belongings he had. Shield and Bright were helping to pack up the mobile table. "Thank you both," he said in gratitude.

"Think nothing of it, pal," Bright replied. "I'm just glad we've gotten this far."

Shield hissed at the word "pal"; clearly, he considered it a breach of protocol to be so casual with a superior officer. However, he offered no further protest. He and James packed the disassembled table into a box to be transported.

"Just sorry we didn't catch all of them," the older Guard pony said. "Now the war will continue."

James felt tempted to say that according to Princess Celestia it wouldn't, but he held his tongue. For one thing, neither pony was likely to take that well. For another, disrespecting a friend, even one who's views he disliked, was wrong in and of itself. He didn't like the idea of trying to end the conflict before it was truly finished, but he had to respect the fact that she was a royal leader and that he was a general. She could set policy; he couldn't. He sighed. There was little he could really do.

"I wish I was smarter," James sighed.

"What do you mean?" Shield asked, raising an eyebrow. "We've won most engagements we've fought under you."

"But we haven't won an all out, smashing victory that totally destroyed our enemies. Even the Changeling Queen escaped, although her army was wrecked, and she could build up another in spite of such a blow." James wished he hadn't been so fast to dismantle the table; he had nothing to bang his fist on. He contented himself by lightly slapping a nearby tent pole. "So far, we've bashed up the enemy and forced them back, but each time, they've come back, ready to fight again."

"Well, you brought us this far," Bright put in. "I'm not dead, at least not yet. You've done alright."

Before James could respond, he heard someone outside saying something. "I need to see what this is about," he said.

"We'll come with you," Bright said, with Shield nodding behind him and setting down a small pole.

With a nod of his own, James stepped outside and just barely kept himself from yanking his pistol from his belt; a group of Griffons walked past, and it took him a moment to realize that they were unarmed prisoners.

He sighed with relief. The voice he'd heard was a sergeant keeping order; "Keep going, you lot! Stay in line, all of you, and no sudden movements!"

He leaned against the tree to his right. None of the prisoners showed any inclination to disobey their captors; some had on their faces a look of relief, glad to be out of danger, at least for the moment. Others - a relative few, but an annoying few - acted as if they owned the world, standing up stiff and straight and beaks in the air, as if totally ignorant of their current condition as prisoners. Most were dressed in a variety of uniforms, some blue, some green, more than a few dressed in brown to match the feathers of their lower bodies. Several wore kilts, with body paint still on their bodies. A few prisoners whispered to one another, but most stayed silent, looking from one of their guards to another.

There, that one looked like... He tried to whistle to one of the guards, but failed; whistling had never been his strong point. Instead, he shouted, catching the attention of one of the guards.

"Yes sir?"

"Bring that one over here," he said, pointing.

"Alright, General."

The guard brought him the young Griffon soldier who had tried to... well... I'll try not to hold it against him, James thought.

The Griffon looked up and saw him; a brief spell of fear crossed his features, but a moment later, the prisoner's face rearranged itself to a neutral configuration. James couldn't help being impressed.

"Do you know who I am?" he asked forcefully, hoping he wasn't overdoing it.

"The mercenary General hired by our enemies," the other replied, in the same British accent he had the day before.

"Show more respect to the commanding General!" his handler shouted.

James waved his hand in a calming gesture. "That's enough of that," he said. "I just wanted to ask a few questions."

"I suppose I can't stop you."

"Well then, question 1; why are you fighting?"

"What are you asking me, sir?" the Griffon asked, confused. "I'm not sure whether you're asking something practical or abstract."

"Why are you in the army, at your age? And what are your motivations for fighting?"

'Well, now, there's a good question."

"Are you going to answer it?"

"Something inside instructs me to resist, but my mother raised me to polite, even in the most trying circumstances." After a short pause, the soldier continued, "My clan needed to dedicate soldiers to the war effort, and I was conscripted. My father was so proud to see me for the first time in a royal uniform; my mother and sister were in tears. I knew not then what for, but since..." He gulped. "I'm afraid I've seen enough horrors to last me a lifetime."

"You and several armies."

"I don't doubt it, sir."

"Were your leaders pressuring you into service by some other means than mere conscription?"

"If you mean they actively supported the war, then yes. Most urged as many males in the population as could be to enlist, saying that eternal glory and great riches would belong to those who fought in it." The Griffon looked around, swallowing again. "I... I thought that war was nothing more than a massive brawl, a rather boisterous game or sport. I have since been... disabused of the notion."

James nodded in grim understanding. "What is your name, soldier?"

"Martin, sir."

"Martin? I thought most Griffon names were more natural, like Whiteclaw or Rosebeak or something like that."

The Griffon nodded. "Most rural clans have that tradition. I come from the Brasshawks Clan; we are mostly city dwellers, and have developed different traditions namewise."

"I see. I want to know how long your term of service has lasted until now."

"How long I've been fighting, you mean?" Martin asked, and James nodded. "About two months."

"You've been here since Sugar Cane River, then."

"Yes sir."

"Alright. And were there any dissenting voices back home?"

"Oh yes, sir. The mayor of our town was one of those voices publicly calling for peace, or at least for another means of gaining our demands. He was a veteran who fought in a minor rebellion in our province, against the effort of a local lord to seize power in our clan; as such, he's considered something of a hero. There were many times he addressed our local legislature debating against those who called for war. However, the call to arms and the zeal for war overruled him in many hearts. I have yet to hear any more, but a letter from mother said that a number of nobles who are loyal to the king have been visiting him."

"And where do your loyalties lie?"

"Sir?" the Griffon cocked his head. James was gripped by a powerful desire to laugh; the movement was just like that of a bird back home, odd looking and sudden, and the position of his head was funny.

Fighting down the urge, James continued, "Where do your loyalties lie insofar as king and clan?"

"Ah. My loyalty is to my family and clan first, over all. The king may have influence over our clan, but I would side with my clan and my clan leader first and foremost, in the case of a struggle between them and the king. Such is the state of every clan that I can think of."

"Thank you for answering my questions. Hopefully, they will lead to peace."

"To your conquest of us, you mean," Martin said, face falling.

"No, no, no. I mean peace. The Equestrian government has no desire to seize territory in this war, it simply wants to remain free of foreign rule and dominance."

He turned to the guard. "Take him back with his fellows."

Martin looked surprised. "You aren't going to..." He gulped once more. "Punish me?"

"No. We both had our duty in that fight. Either one of us could have died; it was not personal."

"But... but the General - our General - says you are a blasphemer and a ruthless criminal, a soldier fighting for nothing but money in the service of a cause not your own... you're a Traveller!"

"A... A Traveller?"

Martin nodded. "That's what our legends say you are. Mysterious, two legged-"

"Please do not say ape or monkey," James asked, "I take that as an insult."

"Well then, as a whatever-you-are. A biped, who goes around, does something in some legend or tale, and then fades away like a ghost from history."

"Interesting."

"Is it true, sir?" Martin asked. "Did you really slander the gods?"

"Mmm hmm. I told the truth, and sadly, in my own zeal, I'm afraid I may have carried it too far, and too fast. However, in my own defense, not that it matters, I was feeling very angry at the time, with your own General making demands and threats. As for a criminal..." James stretched out his arms out sideways. "Here I am."

"I suppose you haven't killed me or hung my entrails, that's something."

"I suppose." James turned to the guard. "take him, with the others, to the prison camp." When Martin's face betrayed a sense of fear in response, he added, "It's not that bad, you know. The rooms aren't a luxury hotel, but at least you won't be in danger, unless you're foolish enough to start it, and I don't think you are. The food is of decent quality, although not stellar, and activities such as volleyball and kickball are organized every week or so."

Martin sighed with relief, then asked, "What about interrogations?"

"What do you think you've just had to go through? You get interrogated here, then you get sent to the camps."

"If I had not answered you, how much worse would I have found it?"

James shrugged. "I don't know, but unless stuff filtered in from the army, which as far as I can tell it does not, and the guards there were all fanatics to the cause, I think you'd have the same level of experience there."

"I wish I hadn't been caught," Martin added. "I feel disgraced."

James had to prevent himself from frowning, for that was exactly how he would have felt in the same situation - not that I'd have the sense to surrender, he thought to himself. "I'm sorry, but there's no cure I know for that other than time. I hope this war ends soon, private. If all our enemies were like you, I could face this war knowing both sides at least tried to play by the rules."

He nodded to the guard, who took Martin away.

"He reminded me of myself," Bright said when Martin was out of earshot. "I thought of war as nothing more than a big hoof fight, until that first Changeling ambush."

"What, when they ambushed the train?" James scratched the back of his head. "Considering all that's happened, a little skirmish like that... well, after what we've all seen by now... well..."

"It's not so much of a much anymore," Shield finished for him.

"Yeah. I admit, I underestimated what they could do; I considered them to have primitive technology, if they had access to it at all, and that superior firepower would be enough to even the odds. I was wrong about that, even though we destroyed the fortress they built."

"I hear our scientists got some valuable intelligence just from studying the ruins," Shield added. "Of course, nopony tells me what they found, so I have no idea what they found."

James turned his head slowly, surveying the landscape, his thoughts lingering on battles he'd fought, on lives he'd seen lost, and on those days before the war, training an army of recruits and eager volunteers.

"Let's continue packing up," he said finally.

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It took the rest of the day to move the camp. Oddly enough, the crowds cheered the wagon drivers and the ponies that pulled them almost as enthusiastically as they had the soldiers. James wasn't sure why, but he eventually settled on the idea that the townsponies hadn't seen friendly forces in a while and that anyone on their side and actively doing anything, however slight, to fight their former oppressors was welcome. And, from a practical perspective, soldiers and logistics personnel generally didn't receive the attention and glory that they deserved. At least the crowds weren't blocking the road, so, aside from the normal escorts for the wagons, he needed to take no action whatsoever.

Once he army was through the town, James questioned a number of scouts. The news about the enemy wasn't depressing, but not entirely encouraging either. The enemy army was retreating, and the tanks were too slow to catch up to them. They had suffered heavy casualties in the fighting, but their condition wasn't so bad as to prevent them from fighting again. Their biggest loss, other than troop numbers, was artillery; a number of regiments were completely without them, and others had lost a significant amount. Many in their ranks were as surprisingly young as Martin, and defeat appeared to have had it's effect on their morale; there was a distinct lack of singing from Griffon soldiers, and they marched with their heads down; as often as not, a soldier who had marched into the war with weapon borne proudly on his shoulder now dragged it after him, as though about to abandon it at any moment. Mercenary groups who had joined them were clearly thinking of splitting, and only a strong presence of Griffon officers - and the threat of severe punishment - was preventing them from outright deserting.

He gave it all some thought before replying. His own army wasn't in it's best state, either. Although the enemy had again suffered heavier losses than he had, his own losses weren't exactly nonexistent. A few tanks had been lost, and, although they had terrified the enemies who had had the misfortune of fighting them, they hadn't been quick enough to properly pursue the foe once they were beaten. His own supplies of ammunition were decent, but not great. Still, he comforted himself that, although not at peak efficiency, the Equestrian Army was in far better condition than the enemy. They had plenty of food, and Equestria's industry was beginning to fully gear up for the war, with more weapons, ammo, and equipment being produced at an ever-increasing rate. New ironclad designs for the navy were coming out, although scarcely needed, as the Saddle Arabians and their galleys and galleons were taking up the slack in the naval theater. Rumors abounded in the army about a recent sea battle, mostly good ones.

"Alright," he said at last. "Very good. Continue to monitor the enemy, and above all else, do not get captured. You've done well bringing me and the other officers this information. I would prefer it if you could keep up the good work."

"Sir, if we were going to be caught, it would have probably happened when we were new to the job," a green earth pony replied.

"All the same, if you're smart, the enemy can be smart too. Be careful."

"As you wish, sir." The soldier saluted. James returned it.

After the scouts had departed, James turned to Crystal, who had been standing by, listening to the report. "I guess we should be grateful that we've gotten so far."

"I can't disagree, sir. I thought we'd had it a few times a couple months ago."

"Yeah. And now everything's turned upside down."

"Well, I do have some good news, sir, or good news of a sort. Actually..."

James listened carefully to what his aide had to say. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes sir, our investigators have asked several citizens already, and more will be asked about it."

"I hope you're wrong about that. It sounds... bad, to put it mildly."

"That's a pretty big understatement."

"I've got to tell the Princesses about this, and now."

"I agree. I'll draft the letter now, if you want."

"Yes, please do so. Let's get over to the new location for the camp. I think this matter is of immediate importance."

"Let's hope they don't get to making more; they would have had us if it hadn't been for our own new weapons."

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James leaned a little back in a chair. His own tent was done, as were those of his friends, aide, and many of the soldiers'. The camp had been set up three miles past the town, and it was a little past two o' clock.

He finished writing and set his pen down on the desk. It wouldn't be all that long before he would have to start using quills, as he had gone through three of his own pens and he would likely run of out in for the remaining few in the next couple of months.

He got up, stretched, and walked outside. A large number of tents filled the plain; his own tent had been set upon a small hill, and he was able to watch his army go about it's business.

"A rather awe-inspiring sight, wouldn't you say?"

He turned. "Princess?" Princess Celestia, a couple Guards, and the Mane 6 were standing several feet to his immediate left.

"I think so. Last time I looked in the mirror, I was still wearing a crown." Celestia and everyone else chuckled a little.

"This is a surprise," James stated. "I wasn't notified that you were visiting."

"I wanted to keep it quiet," the Solar Princess answered. "I didn't want anyone other than Twilight and her friends to know I was coming, in case of Changeling or Griffon spies."

"But why are you here?"

"I have come to make peace with our enemy, as well as to inspire our soldiers should I be unable to forge a peaceful solution. I have confidence that, with the war shifting in our favor, that more bloodshed can be averted, at least with the Griffons."

James' growing grin faded. He wondered if it was wise to try at least some sort of last minute protest. The change in his facial expression did not go unnoticed by Celestia, who sighed and said, "I am aware of your misgivings. Rest assured, I have taken them into account and I will be taking the utmost care in these negotiations."

James didn't like being cut off like that, but clearly, there was nothing else to be said. He turned his face away, mouthed a foul word, and turned to regard her again. "In that case, might I ask why Twilight and her friends are here?"

"The Princess thought it would be a good idea if we came along," Twilight answered. "If our troops saw their Princess as well as, well.... she called us heroes, but I'm not sure if that's accurate-"

"I am!" Rainbow Dash interrupted.

"Anyway, if they saw those who bear the Elements, the soldiers might be encouraged. At least, that was the reasoning."

"Good to see you again, Ja... oh, I'm sorry, General," Rarity corrected herself.

"I am among friends. As such, rank means nothing, at least for now."

"At least you look okay," Fluttershy said quietly.

"...I've been lucky."

"Pretty hale, too; you been eatin' yer apples?"

"Yes, many of them from your farm, which is doing quite well in feeding the army." He saw Applejack blush a little.

"Aw, shucks, just doin' our part an' all. How's mah brother?"

"He's doing well; quiet, but well."

"Quiet's normal fer him," the orange pony replied.

"I must admit, I was eager to see the army and how it's been doing," Twilight put in. "I wanted to know the state it's been in."

"That so?" He watched the lavender unicorn nod. "Well, we've found something I think you need to see, Princess," he went on, addressing Celestia.

"What is it?"

"I'll tell you, if you can just follow me."

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"I'm still not sure just what you're up to," Celestia said as they entered the tent of Blue Fur.

"You'll see," James replied ruefully. "Blue Fur?"

"Oh, General? What can I do for... ah," the blue-gray pony said, catching sight of the Princess. "Well, if you wanted to introduce me to royalty, you could have given me a couple hours' notice; I'm sure I could have set this place up to look halfway like a palace by then."

James snickered. Rainbow laughed loudly, and the other Bearers slowly followed, Twilight looking a little surprised that some one would make a joke like that in front of the Princess, but eventually caving in. Celestia's laugh was the loudest. "You might as well blame me for that," she replied after a few seconds. "I didn't tell anypony where i was going, with the exception of Twilight and her friends."

"I can guess why that is," the engineer answered. "So, General, I have my doubts that this is a social call."

Recognizing that as a question, even if it wasn't phrased as such, James nodded slowly. "It's about those weapons captured from the Griffons. You know, those weapons."

"Oh, yes, those." Blue Fur made a face of disgust. "Yes, I think the story of those need to be told to somepony, particularly one in charge of the country."

"I hate to interrupt, but what are you two going on about?" Rarity asked.

"I'll show you." He reached into a crate, pulling out one of the weapons taken from the recent battle.

The Guards lifted their spears.

"It's not dangerous!" James insisted. "At least, not now; the orb holding the charges has been removed." He turned, facing away from the Princess, pointed the weapon at the ground, and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. "See?"

The Guards relaxed, but maintained cautious faces.

"And what is so special about them?" Celestia asked.

"Well," Blue Fur said, "they're better than our current weapons in a stand up fight; you could fire something like a hundred, maybe two hundred shots; all you'd have to do is keep pulling the trigger, and it would keep firing as long as it had energy. It has a much farther range than our own matchlocks, which I am happy to say will soon be replaced with rifles of our own; perhaps not as quick to fire as these, but they'll have the range to compensate."

"That sounds bad," Twilight said.

"It gets worse." Blue Fur readjusted his glasses. "These weapons, part wood, part metal, have been carved and shaped into working conditions by magic."

"Wait up," Rainbow interrupted. "Griffons can't do magic; the closest they come is being able to rest on clouds, like pegasi."

"You are correct. Griffons have no direct access to magic, although clearly, some of their smarter brains have figured out how it works well enough to design a weapon based on it."

"Then how did they make them?"

"Perhaps Fluttershy should leave," James suggested. "I don't think it's wise to show her what comes next."

"I...I... I'd know about it sooner or later," the yellow pegasus murmured. "Better to get it over with now."

"Okay then," James said. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Anyway," Blue Fur continued, "with the fact that Griffons cannot perform magic, the only conclusion - supported by ponies in the city, who have been willing to come forward with the news - is that ponies in the town made these weapons."

There was a very audible silence.

Rainbow recovered enough to ask, "Are you saying ponies made these?"

"Not by their free will; they were forced to, although that's still not the worst part. The worst part is that the Griffons, who had forbidden all magic in the town during it's occupation, coerced unicorns into feeding the orbs which hold the energy for the things with as much magic as they could bear, without killing themselves in the process; they and their families would be denied any rations for the next three days if they refused."

Every other pony in the room gasped; even the Guards, one of whom was a unicorn, had trouble maintaining their stone-like expressions upon hearing this news.

"Bu-bu-bu-bu-b..." Twilight stammered, trying and failing to form a cohesive sentence, her face shocked and eyes and mouth as open as they could reasonably be.

"That's terrible!" Rainbow shouted.

"Are... are you sure?" Celestia asked, shocked.

"Yes. A few Griffon prisoners told us, mostly those who knew of it but weren't otherwise involved, most of those who had anything to do with this are dead, retreating, or else captured and pretending they didn't know anything about it."

Again, a silence. Rarity and Twilight looked at their horns, as though they would fall off at any second, with Rarity giving hers a tap to make sure it was still on her head; Applejack and Rainbow both bore outraged expressions. Pinkie was uncharacteristically quiet; Fluttershy was on the verge of crying.

Celestia's visage of shock slowly changed to one of anger - not of out-of-control rage, but of anger, all the more scary for being controlled. "I cannot believe this," she said, slowly and menacingly. "How could the king stoop so low as to hurt my ponies in such a way?"

"Power," James said simply. "Power, and a desire to punish anyone who gets in the way. The Griffon officer we met before reaching the city said that the starvation they threatened the city with was punishment for our resistance to their king's rule."

Once again, there was quiet.

Celestia made a visible effort to control her anger. At that moment, a loud cry from the medical tent pierced the air. Fluttershy gasped and looked horrified; all the others shared similar looks.

The Princess, appearing to struggle between anger and pity, sighed after a few moments. "I want peace. I don't want any of my ponies to suffer any more than is necessary. So many - too many - have paid the ultimate price, and too many have been permanently injured, in mind and in body. However," she said, her voice hardening, "I will not let this indignity go unpunished. I will be taking a very hard line towards the king for this, and I will demand repayment for this atrocity. As much as I want peace, I cannot let the Griffons think that they can do this and escape without penalty."

The world cannot be allowed to think that they can bully ponies and get away with it. James translated that easily.

"I would like for you and your team to destroy these weapons," Celestia continued, speaking to Blue Fur. "They have been made at the cost of our people's health; I will be sending the ashes to the meeting as a message."

"My Lady, these beam weapons are partly metal as well."

"Then I will also send the molten slag that was once part of them."

'What about the orbs?" Blue Fur asked, looking and sounding worried for the first time in the discussion. "They are full of magical energy, and as such they would likely explode if we tried to break them."

"That would be a problem," Celestia agreed sadly. "I think we'll hold on to those; perhaps we can return the energy inside to it's original owners. If not.... well, we'll think of something to do should we be unable to do that."

"I will get to it as soon as I can, Princess."

"Good." Celestia turned to James. "If you'd be so kind, please lead me to the front lines. Maybe our soldiers will be inspired by my presence, and I might be able to part some good cheer on them."

"...Alright," James said, although he felt sure something was going to go wrong. "I'd advise you to be careful, though. I can't guarantee your safety."

"The enemy are miles away and we are well out of range. I don't think we'll be in any danger."

"Alright," James said again. His misgivings were still there, but if your boss said to do something, or said that she was going to do something, it could be difficult to tell them no.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The quick entrenchments in front of the camp might have been hastily made, but they were sturdy enough; James had enough experience with them to know that.

However, things were going the way the Princess had hoped; the soldiers stopped whatever they were doing and looked up to see her. Excited and hopeful mutterings broke out; murmurs of "The Princess!" and "She's here!" as well as "It's her, it's her!" came to James' ears; clearly, in spite of what they had suffered and the work they had to do, Celestia's presence amongst them was revitalizing their spirits, just as she had hoped.

"Hello," she said to a group working on the trench itself. "I hope you won't mind..."

"Hmm?" the closest solder said, looking up from his work. "Oh!" he gasped, surprised. "P-Princess!"

"I'm sorry for bothering you when you were so busy, I just to know how well you and your comrades are doing in general."

"Oh, well, I, er," the soldier said, still surprised that the Princess had chosen to speak to him. "Well, it's like this, yer ladyship," he went on in a Cockney accent that was obviously natural to him. "Me an' me boys 'ave seen quite the sights, an' I'm not sayin' they been good sights either. Got more n' a few good nicks meself," he went on, raising a foreleg so they could see a long scar down it; clearly, it had been caused by a projectile sweeping by, just missing on a direct hit. "An' this ain't the worst the boys've suffered. There's many a one that won't be goin' home to mum, there is."

"I'm sorry to hear it," Celestia said, becoming quiet for a moment as she digested this. "And how well are you faring when you aren't in battle?"

"Quite well, quite well, me lady. Quite well. More n' enough food fer us all, and decent blankets and hammocks fer all when we're a sleepin', an' good shelter at night."

"I'm glad to hear that. Is there anything I can do to further help?"

"Any more comfort and ya'd think we was campin'," came the response, to a round of laughter. "Nothin' much material, yer 'ighness, but I wish everyone back home knew the hell we're goin' through for 'em. Wish they'd have some respect in the paper, 'stead o' just more news, ya know what I mean."

"I do know what you mean, And I'll do what I can on that score; I completely agree that our protectors need more recognition."

"Thank ya kindly, yer ladyship," the soldier said, doffing his hat a little. Celestia blushed in embarrassment at the gratitude the soldier was giving her.

"You, and the rest of the army, are most welcome."

James heard something in the distance - a muffled roar.

"Oh, 'ell," the soldier said; no sooner did those words leave his lips than he ducked down into the trench he had helped create.

What is he... Oh, no...

With a scream as it fell, a shell fell out of the sky and blew up not far in front of the trenches.

How could they have brought artillery this far forward? Without our notice? And how did they know they were coming!?

That was what went through his head. The words that came out of his mouth were drastically different; "Artillery! Get down!"

He heard someone gasp, but he could have cared less; he threw himself on the ground, as did every other soldier in eyesight.

As another shell passed by overhead and exploded behind them, James looked around; Princess Celestia and the Bearers hadn't taken cover. Instead, they were looking at him as though he'd gone crazy.

"What you doing!? Get down! On the ground!"

"But the dirt..." Rarity spluttered.

A shell exploded not far away, showering her in the very substance she abhorred so much. She screamed in surprise and dismay.

"It's dirt or your life!" James insisted.

He saw the Princess still standing, and would have tried to go and persuade her to get down, but a whitish blur came out of his peripheral vision and tackled the Princess from her left side. At the same time, another shell blew up, sending shrapnel flying through the air; one passed through the air above Twilight's head, which encouraged her to obey common sense and drop to the ground. The others followed shortly; even Rarity, though she did so with utter distaste. Someone yelled, "Let go of the Princess!"

"Make it stop!" Pinkie yelled, not sounding at all like her usual happy self.

Don't you think I would if I- Another detonation interrupted his thoughts.

The bombardment wasn't long in terms of actual time; a couple minutes, if that. However, it felt like much longer to those who had the misfortune to suffer through it. When at last the explosions stopped and there were no more telltale screams for falling shells in the air, James picked himself up and dusted himself off. There were no screams of pain, and after a moment, he realized that no one had been hurt. He turned around.

The others had taken cover; Twilight had cast a shield spell, encasing them in a pink-purple glow. Celestia was on the ground; Silver Shield was lying on top of her, shielding her from the attack. Two other Guards were pointing spears at him, and ordering him away from her.

"You're under arrest for attacking the Princess," one of them said.

"No!" Celestia said firmly. "Excuse me," she said to Shield, who stood up and backed away. "I assume you did this in an effort to protect me?"

"Yes, your Majesty. It is the duty of any Guard to protect his Princess, even at the cost of his own life; all I was trying to do was fulfill part of that service; when you hear the noise of artillery, for everything and everyone worth believing in, get down and stay there till it's over."

As Twilight dropped the shield spell, Celestia just looked at her protector; there was an almost motherly look in her eyes, and James wondered if, for a moment, she'd forgotten that his job was to protect her. He couldn't help but feel that that would be very much like her.

"Well, in that case, I must thank you for potential saving my life," she said, nodding in respect and approval.

"That is unnecessary, My Lady; it was my job."

"And you did it well. You have my gratitude."

James looked around again, saw a pegasus officer, called to him. "I want you to gather whatever other pegasi you can and go after that artillery unit. If you can capture them, don't mention the Princess or the others; just bring them back and we'll question them at that point."

"What if they're in too many numbers for us, sir?"

"In that case, refrain from attacking them. However, I doubt they would have been able to sneak an artillery battery this close to the camp without being noticed by our scouts if they were that well protected; a group of a few hundred people tends to draw a crowd," James finished dryly.

"Yes sir, I'll get on it."

"Good." As the officer turned and flew away, James turned back to Celestia; she was still busy talking to Shield. The discussion had turned to the Guard stallion's family and how they were getting along.

"Yes, James?" Celestia said as he approached.

James took a deep breath. "Princess, although I have no power to force you, I must ask that you leave this place at once; you may still be in danger."

Celestia raised her eyebrow. "My soldiers still have need of me."

"Princess," James insisted, "whether or not the Griffons were intending to blow you off the face of the earth, if you remain here, you offer them a second chance to do so. And if, in any event, you were injured, or, may God forbid it, killed, what would happen to morale, and Equestria as a whole, then?"

Celestia thought about it for a few seconds, then sighed with reluctance. "I suppose you're right. Still, I would like to visit whatever counts as a hospital before we go."

James nodded. "I can understand, and I wouldn't have it any other way. The field hospital is outside of artillery range, and as Griffons can't effectively disguise themselves as ponies, that should be safe enough."

"Very well, then. Please lead us there," she answered.

"In that case, right this way."

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Comments

[SoralTheSol]

So the griffonking sounds like a cross between Gilgamesh and Stalin

[Fireheart 1945]

4847667 Odd, I wasn't thinking of Stalin, or not Stalin directly, anyway, just a substitute for him in one of Harry Turtledove's series (King Swemmel is the guy's name).

[Lightoller]

What's this? Another great update?

Huzzah!

[Guardian]

Funny, I was just thinking about this story...

[Night Star the Scholar]

Wow... Celestia is considered a wise & benevolent creature, A good nature at that. It may be her strength in other times, but in time of war, it has become a liability. She's starting to look naive what war is.

So Princess Celestia is going to visit the hospital... hope she's ready to see a pile of amputated limbs. Screams! Shattered faces... blood everywhere.... The stench of gangrene...

I worry about Fluttershy. As well as Pinky, seems the war is affecting her too.

[Amethyst Blade]

War is war. It is not a game. It is not a brawl. It is not a conflict that can be solved with naivety. It is war. Those who think they know war, know nothing. Those who know war, understand war. They say: "War, war never changes." They're half right. War is like the flow of river. They don't change their destination. But, there are many directions, ways, speed and origin.
Celestia here think she knows war. That or she completely ignore the nature of war to keep her view, to cling desperately to the view of a perfect world in which all problems can be solve peacefully.
She will soon have to accept the fact or Equestria won't last.

[Sonic Luna]

I smell an ambush. This reminds me of the battle for the river crossing with the changelings just reverse.

[Magthere]

Reminds me of the story how during World War II the U.S> government made sure to give its troops in Europe Turkey dinners for Thanksgiving. Commanders on the ground tried to call off the Turkeys because seeing troops gather like that would scream of opportunity for the German artillery. High command refused, and sadly the commanders on the ground proved correct as to what would happen.

[Fireheart 1945]

4848521 I know that it isn't a game, but try telling that to people who haven't experienced it.

I also find it true that war doesn't change. Oh, the weapons do, but the tactics and strategies are generally the same, or else not all that different.

[Power Overwhelming]

So the griffons have automatic weapons? Well, the few they had were captured, and it's not likely they will make anymore as they lack the magic to do so. The scenario is kind of like the nazis and their ME262; they were so desperate for their Wunderweapons they had used POWs and captive Jews to create the factory, completely abandoning all morals to try to win their unwinnable war. The jet planes had been pushed out on the backs of slavery and all they had produced were immediately used to defend Berlin, and although effective, they were never able to be mass produced before the war ended.

A tragedy that many times a nation must abandon all moral values to gain technological superiority.

-Powers

[frostfiresnow]

"Well then, as a whatever-you-are. A biped, who goes around, does something in some legend or tale, and then fades away like a ghost from history."

Sorry but the doctor is in another story

[redspark]

Oh my... As amazing as always!

[Fireheart 1945]

4851803 Wasn't referring to the Doctor. I've never even watched that show, to be honest.

[Fireheart 1945]

4851601 Yes, that is what I was thinking of. Then again, they forfeited all moral integrity when they came to power, or even before then. The Nazis were not nice people to those they oppressed and abused.

4851806 Thanks!

[redspark]

4851829 no problem XD

[Amethyst Blade]

Why do I keep seeing things in WWI setting? It also feel like WWI. Not in the sense that they fight for colonies, territories but the atmostphere. I mean, the weapons is almost reaching that level, the first tank, a lot of trenches, ambushes, heavy use of atillery and many more...

[Fireheart 1945]

4853019 It can be said that certain battles/sieges of the Civil War resembled WWI; I'm admittedly mixing the two a little, but hopefully I can pull it off effectively.

[Amethyst Blade]

4853057 Ok...Good luck with that then

[Fireheart 1945]

4853256 Thanks.

[DrWhooves007]

Hey, how about adding poisonous gas to the story? AND TO HELL WITH THE CIVIL WAR SCHEME! THIS IS WORLD FU**ING WAR ONE! Seriously! With the involvement of the Africans and Arabians, THIS IS WORLD WAR ONE! By the way, I still remember my first use of the landship in Civilization V Brave New World and trust me, you better focus on having the Infantry rather than that! Anyway, I'm still expecting a battle like Austerlitz or Antietam or Narva. And
I reccommend you to use the Carolean(you know, those Swedish lads) tactics and marching musics like the drum cadence and THE FLINTLOCK MUSKETS FOR F*CK SAKE!

[DrWhooves007]

Hey, how about adding poisonous gas to the story? AND TO HELL WITH THE CIVIL WAR SCHEME! THIS IS WORLD FU**ING WAR ONE! Seriously! With the involvement of the Africans and Arabians, THIS IS WORLD WAR ONE! By the way, I still remember my first use of the landship in Civilization V Brave New World and trust me, you better focus on having the Infantry rather than that! Anyway, I'm still expecting a battle like Austerlitz or Antietam or Narva. And
I reccommend you to use the Carolean(you know, those Swedish lads) tactics and marching musics like the drum cadence and THE FLINTLOCK MUSKETS FOR F*CK SAKE!

[DrWhooves007]

P.S: Here's a piece to celebrate thy victory

[ArchAngelGundam]

That was fun. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the good work. Deus tecum.

[Fireheart 1945]

4870728 Thanks. Sorry I didn't reply to your comment before now, but I don't think I was notified.

4864269

There'll be epic battles to come, trust me.

[ArchAngelGundam]

4964667 No problem. Just more evidence as to why I hate computers.

[Fireheart 1945]

4993438 James; ... the blue of their eyes, then. Fire!

[Fireheart 1945]

4997124 I think the only possible way to lose in two turns in Chess is via Fool's Mate.

[DrWhooves007]

4997393 Oh chess, I remember in my olden days I use to be beaten time and time again by my sister and my friend

[DrWhooves007]

4993438 Well, the phrase "you could see the whites in the enemies eyes" refers to a distance roughly around 50 metres

[mint20]

The griffon king and general here is committing a fatal mistake: he's allowing politics enter the battlefield. Never in the history of ever has that turned out well...

[Godiswithus3]

Whew that was close.

[Honeytongue]

Man it's been ages since I read this. Wonderful chapter, and very interesting moment there.

[SWEETOLEBOB18]

Chapter 46
For religion I'd quote (ICR who said) "You can live in a world where some questions can't be answered or you can live in a world where some answers can't be questioned"