My Little Pony: Jaeger

Chapter 1: 1862

The Griffon Kingdom was once a proud kingdom which griffons lived in prosperity and made a living mining the mountains for treasures. Yet the ponies were a gaining power to the south. It was only a matter of time until Princess Celestia set her eyes on the northern kingdom. It was only a matter of time before Celestia gave her order to attack.

The Equestrian Army was a confident one, and the largest in all the kingdoms. They had all the modern weapons, and the most disciplined soldiers. The best of the best came from the Gritish Isles. They were first to be sent to the north. Many of them thought the griffons would be a pushover, and they would surrender without firing a single shot.

The Equestrian Army's Gritish Forces were armed with the 1853 Enfield while the Equestrian Regulars or 'Blues' had the Springfield. They thought the griffons were too lazy and stupid to even fire a shot at the ponies. They called the griffons 'savages', 'dirty catbirds' and 'filthy flying rats'. They were not ready to mix species or embrace diversity.

Commanding the ponies was Flash Sentry. His orders from Celestia were simple, "Kill them all, and do not stop until Griffonstone falls,"

The army rolled through the griffon lands. They torched and plundered villages. They killed tercels, hens, and hatchlings without mercy. To them, the only good griffon is a dead one. The laughter of the ponies mixed the black smoke and flames from a captured town. Yet from the ashes and charred ruins of the countryside, the griffons mobilized.

The griffon commanders and nobles heard of the atrocities committed by Equestria's Armies by those that fled the villages that were destroyed by Equestrian torches. One of the commanders was Countess Galiana Von Adler. She was elected to lead the forces against Equestria. She would soon be a rock in the hoof of every Equestrian Commander.

An eagle and black panther griffon all black from beak to tail, Galiana is an imposing yet attractive figure in the army. With a pretty face, a perfectly-sized beak, and big, healthy youthful flanks, she is the heart and soul of her army. Griffon regulars are often called 'green-blacks' because of their dark green and black coats with brass buttons.

She was stationed at Fort Falke, and got news of the ponies on the march, "Present...Arms!" she commanded to her force of 1500 regulars.

She inspected her troops to make sure they were in tiptop order from their weapons to their uniforms. It was nearly dinner time at the fort, and the griffons looked forward to Kielbasa stew with Potatoes and Beans commonly called 'Soldier Stew'. Galiana knew these were young tercels and griffon hens that wanted to fight back against Equestria.

The ponies were three weeks march and flight away from Griffonstone. Fort Falke was one of the key defensive positions in the kingdom. These forts are Fort Falke, Fort Guto, and Fort Adler. These fortresses were carved into the mountains and defended by cannon and rifle-griffons. If these fortresses all fell, then Griffon Kingdom will fall with them.

They even carved out trenches into the mountains between the fortresses to both fight back against an enemy, and help with communication between garrisons. Galiana dismissed her troops to go get supper. She looked out at the valley while eating her meal. She knew the enemy will come, and the only way to Griffonstone is through them.

Gabriella, or 'Gabby' as she prefers to be called, is Countess Von Adler's second-in-command, "I have word from a scout from Fort Guto,"

Galiana is a she-griffon of very few words, but showed compassion for her troops. Even with the overwhelming numbers of troops coming to crush the griffon resistance, the countess was calm under the pressure. She turned to young soldier with bright eyes and puffy cheeks, and nodded to her, "Speak," she asked of the soldier from Griffonstone.

"A scout from Fort Guto said there was an Equestrian Army was spotted near Turtledove Run about three days march from here," Gabby said, Galiana went to her quarters to write a message back to the other forts to ready their troops to march, "I would say they number around three thousand strong, what are your orders, Countess?" she asked,

"Make sure the troops have full rations and ammunition, if there are 1500 troops to each fort, we need 500 troops from each fortress ready to march," Galiana said as she finished writing the letter with news from Gabby, "now then, my dear Gabby, I need for you to send this message to the other forts, have them ready to march by first light,"

"Yes, my countess," said Gabby, and flew off to Fort Adler and Fort Guto to send the message for the other troops to be ready for battle,

Meanwhile, the countess was preparing for battle with her Colard Double Action Pinfire Revolver, and an infantry sword called a 'Degen' at her side. She adjusted her peaked cap which had a black-green feather plume on the side of the cap which distinguished her as a commander, "Attention!" she ordered, and her soldiers followed, "as you were,"

"Now then, our time has come, we face an enemy that says we are inferior to them, if these ponies say they're better than us, I say prove it, prove it on the field as we shall do, my brothers...sisters, we face an enemy whose destiny is to wipe us off the face of our own land, they will give us no quarter, but still I stand by you all," Galiana praised.

Griffons wear black and dark green peaked caps with leather chin straps and a silver iron cross front and center, "Our enemy will fear us, the ponies maybe greater in number, but not in the strength of our hearts, their deeds will not go unpunished so rise up, now is the time to fight!" Galiana praised, all her soldiers cheered and raised up their rifles.

"Forward...MARCH!" ordered Gabby as she unsheathed her sword at her side, and soon five hundred griffon regulars were on the march.

Five hundred were needed from each fortress for the battle while five hundred manned the cannons and defended the fortresses under the command of officers. Equestria came into this war confident. For a soldier, the rifle is their best friend in battle, but one rifle would show the ponies that invading the Kingdom was a bad idea, the Wänzl rifle.