Stalliongrad: Morning
“War, though few would believe it, is the history of our fair land. We should know, we have fought and killed many to defend Our Throne”
-Princess Luna
The morning air was crisp over the city of Stalliongrad. The ancient city was the farthest north one could travel and still be in Equestria. To her west not too far away was the Crystal Empire, and far to her north the Griffins. The ponies who walked her streets gave little thought to either of those, they were far away and the city had its own worries. The grand theatre in the center of the city was being prepped for a show by the (in)famous DJ PON3. Posters of her grinning face were being plastered on sides of buildings the whole city wide. The red armored Guard ponies that paced the cities walls and streets found the posters a mild source of amusement and also a frequent target of theft. None of them paid much mind to the thick clouds obscuring the nearby peaks, after all the Griffins hadn’t been anything but allies of the Equestrians for many years now.
Along the North wall, near one of the new anti air batteries, Captain Ironshod shook his head at the new iron and steel contraption. He didn’t see the need for such ironmongery, Equestria was at peace, the only troubles it had seemed to crop up in its heartland, far from his city. He sighed and stepped up to look out over the snow covered fields around the city. Small farms dotted the open plains, hardy ponies making their living from the ground. The foot of snow on the ground didn’t stop them from trudging out to tend to the crops before winter set herself in fully. He shifted the antiquated rifle on his back as he looked out, waiting for the night’s patrols to return to the Gates.
He let out a soft sigh as he walked along the wall, the soothing sound of his hooffalls on the old stonework eased his worries. He had the old stone under hoof, and his Guard in control.
He stopped and flicked an ear listening to the sounds of the city and those drifting from the plains around it. Something was wrong though, he could hear a new sound. It reminded him of a train but the station was at the East wall. He placed his forehooves on the crenellations lifting himself up for a better look. Straining as he looked out over the farms he noticed ponies running to the city, as he turned to sound the alarm however the battery he’d just left exploded sending him flying to land hard on the cold stone.
His head spinning and ears ringing the Captain dragged himself to his hooves looking around to see more explosions in the city proper. A sharp whistling and then and explosion. He turned stumbling towards the nearest Guard station. The alarm bells were sounding throughout Stalliongrad. Her ponies were scrambling to get to shelter. A sharp sound caused him to duck the shot deflecting off his helmet as he spun bringing his rifle up to see a Griffin warrior in snow colored armor leveling a rifle at him, along the wall others were landing taking the Guard out. He struggled to bring his own firearm to bear knowing he’d never make it in time. Time seemed to slow as the Griffin gave him a vicious smirk squeezing the trigger. The last thought through Captain Ironshod’s mind was that he needed to get word to Canterlot, the bullet helped wipe that worry from his mind.
Far across the city a lone Private was hunkered down behind a fruit stand. The owner lay nearby in a pool of her own blood, a Griffin licking its claws clean. It didn’t seem to know he was here, maybe it’d go on its way and leave him be. He gripped his rifle tighter and leaned into the cart trying to pretend he was invisible.
THUMP, the stand shook and with fear filled eyes the private looked up into the grinning face of his own death.
“Good morning little pony” The Griffin said in a thick accent before it swatted the Private’s rifle away from his grip lunging down and lifting him up by his neck. “Why are you hiding? Thought ponies were supposed to be brave?” It taunted drawing a claw down to clip the straps holding his armor in place. The Private shook and whined kicking at the Griffin’s armored chest futility. “Sho…”
BAM, the Griffins face was gone, its corpse slumping forward dropping the Private to the ground before landing on top of him. He screamed kicking and thrashing to free himself. He panic slamming head first into the fruit stand. Dazed he managed to sit looking over to see his rescuer. The white unicorns were staring at him from behind crimson glasses. They shook their heads and tossed his rifle at him
“Geez, some bucking Guard you are.” They, No! She, there was only one mare, said shaking her head. She levitated the Griffin’s own rifle checked the chamber and looked at him “Did you earn that armor? Then go do your bucking job!” She screamed at him once she’d stripped the Griffin of his ammo. Seeing that the Private hadn’t moved she shook her head and galloped off into the city. “Bucking useless” He heard her mutter before she rounded a corner and was gone.
“Greg?” Another accented voice calls out. The private tensed and darted behind a set of barrels as a new Griffin flew into view. “Ack, you idiot.” The griffin muttered landing and turning her companion over. He saw the new Griffin’s eyes trail over the dead one, Greg’s, talons “You had to act like some serial villain didn’t you?” She asks him before narrowing her eyes. “Where is your gun though..” She stands bringing her rifle up. The Private tensed again realizing in his haste to hide he’d left his rifle and armor laying near the body.
“Little Pony? Are you still around?” The griffin asked swinging her rifle around as she scanned the area.
BAM, another shot rang out as she found another Guard who’d stumbled onto the scene. The Private watched the crimson armored mare slump dropping her weapon, she’d never been aware of the enemy. Something inside of him growled, he’d let two ponies die today from his own cowardice, he was only alive because some civilian had shot the Griffin that was toying with him. Narrowing his eyes he lowered his head and charged. The barrels exploded outward startling the enemy. Her rifle rang out in the morning air the shot wide.He slammed into the Griffin toppling her over before she could fire another shot. The pair rolled as he kept kicking and stomping on her form, her claws raked his sides He wasn’t sure how long they fought, but soon he was laying on his side bleeding from multiple deep cuts. The Griffin lay across from him bloody and beaten, her wings bent at odd angles, her own armor dented and digging into her. She coughs splattering blood onto the cobblestone street.
“N..not bad pony…” She said bloody foam at the corners of her beak. She reaches a talon pulling her broken rifle towards her in a last ditch effort to kill him. The Private struggles to his hooves and glares down at her, limping forward he raises a hoof and brings it down as hard as he can on her head. Her talon clinches and twitches on her rifle for a few moments before her body lay still. The Private swallowed hard as he looked down at the mess left behind. Slowly he limped to his gear, and collapsed near his rifle. He felt his hooves growing cold as he takes his rifle up, and aimed down it as he waited for more of the enemy. Around him the city burned, the shelling having moved South just as quickly as it had started. He accounted for four more Griffin troopers deaths before her finally bled to death on the streets of his home city. His last thought was his final realization of who had saved him that morning.
It was almost an hour after the initial shelling that the first tank rolled through the broken northern gate. The demon of iron and fire trundled along the flagstone road. Its guard walked along in front of it, their eyes scanning for movement in the ruined buildings. The tanks turret traversed and fired destroying the telegraph office. A few of the Stalliongrad Guard ducked back down into cover watching the beast pass by. The group’s leader nodded motions two of the group off into the ruins. She then crawled slowly forward along the ground staying concealed as she approached the tank. She reached down pulling a small egg shaped object from her armor. She closed her eyes muttering a brief prayer before pulling the pin with her mouth and tossing the egg into the tank’s treads. She barely made it back into cover before the grenade exploded fouling the tread. The tank’s guard were already firing at her position.
One of the Griffin’s took to the air to get a clear shot only to be brought down by rifle shots from her squad. She turned crawling back towards the safety of her squad. The remaining members laying down covering fire on the stalled tank. Their victory was short lived as the turret traversed again firing into their position. With it distracted two more ponies darted out of cover on the opposite side of the tank. Comparing to the top the managed to wedge grenades into its armor before galloping for their lives. The turret was knocked askew from the explosions the remaining Griffins took wing fleeing towards the safety of their own lines and other armour.
The squad regrouped in the crumbling ruins of a dress shop. The medic was tending two of them for the blast damage from the tank shell. The leader smiles wearily at her squad.
“Now we just need to do that a couple hundred more times and the war is over before it began” She said causing a few of her squad to chuckle mirthlessly. She turned and glanced out of the ruins at the streets, more tanks were trundling into the city bypassing the ruined remains of the first. She looks to her squad and nods. “We need to find the others”
“You sure there will be others?” The medic’s voice
“We made it…” The captain answered.
“Oh ya, I’m totally pumped for my trip to Stalliongrad. My family is from up there, Dad would never shut up about it. He even had this old Stalliongradi musket. Thing must’ve been over a hundred years old. Still shot though, I used to love going out to the Guard range with him. I’m hoping the city is as beautiful as his stories made it.”
-DJ PON-3