Authors Note:

While this is based on Lauren Fausts MLP, this is an alternate universe adaptation, where the characters are human. This said, I do not own any of the characters created by Hasbro and Lauren Faust.

Precursor:

Equestria, a peaceful land, governed by the regal princesses Celestia and Luna, has become the target of the surrounding nations, and has been plunged into war. The Gryphon nations -the barbarians to the north- instigated the war, slaughtering the citizens of the skirting cities and villages. The princesses were unable to do anything without provoking a full on war that they would have no hope of winning. The enemies of Equestria mocked them, naming them the gutless nation, unwilling to even defend themselves, trying to spurn the people to leave their leaders, a move which would leave them with even less defenses than to being with.

In a desperate attempt to call peace between the two nations, Celestia summoned a gathering of the leaders, hoping to convince the other country leaders that this war was uncalled for, and that the Gryphon nations would gain nothing from this advancement. However, it seemed as though all was for naught, as they other nations had grown jealous of the inhabitants of Equestria, the fertile lands and the many resources were too attractive to simply prevent the war. The world had turned their backs on the peaceful country, and they were left alone. With this knowledge, the royal princess returned to her home to inform her people of the coming war, and of the conscription, that any able ponies were to fight, and were to protect their homes.

The castle gave a shudder, but the guards held fast, after all, they were the last line of defense. Canterlot had fallen, the only remaining citizens crowded inside the castle while the guards did what they could. The barbarian hordes were only toying with them now, victory was assured, even if the princesses escaped this, their royalty would be smashed and the morale of the Equestrians would be shattered beneath them like the glass of the castle. The sneering jeers that the guards could hear from behind the large golden doors worked only to amplify their attempts at holding the door though, their princess was here and they would protect her. With every crash against the door however, their resolved weakened, their strength fading from their bodies. Their numbers had dwindled so much that against the barbaric horde outside, they would do little to no damage, even with magic, they stood little chance.

The cracks in the ancient oak began to widen, the gold paint falling in small flecks, golden tears shed for the Equestrians. Finally, with one massive crash, the doors could no longer take the punishment, and the wood split, the mass of bodies too great, spilling inside, slaughtering those who had attempted to keep them out. In mere moments, the last line of defense had been cast aside, and now the Gryphon barbarians stood in the foyer of the castle, the blood pooling around their feet. A large male stepped forward, his dirty brown wings beating slowly, a cruel smirk on his tattooed face. His pale blue eyes scanned the scenery, it was too clean for him, everything was organized and neat, adding the bodies was a nice touch. Kneeling, he dipped his hand into the blood, wiping it on his muscular chest, a ritual of war.

"Find the princesses, slaughter everyone else"

The resounding yells sounded as his soldiers charged ahead, breaking everything in their path, their hunger for chaos not yet sated.

Within the great hall, the survivors of the massacre were huddled around the thrones of the princesses, who tried to calm their subjects. It was no easy task for both Celestia and Luna, as they knew what was happening, they knew of the falling of the gate, it was only a matter of time now, they would have to remove their subjects now, there was no time. The older of the sisters, robed in her pure white dress, with her flowing polychromatic hair, stood up, silencing the chatter of the crowd. The two guards at the door looked back to see, before going back to being on watch. The younger princess watched her sister with worry, unsure of what was going to happen.

"My subjects, it is with sorrow that I inform you of the falling of the castle..."

Worried chatter broke out, but Celestia silenced it with a raise of her elegant, gloved hand.

"With this knowledge, I will be sending everyone to the only untouched land in Equestria"

A soft purple hue enveloped everyone, including the younger princess and the two guards, all three of which began their protests, especially since they could not see the same glow on their loved princess.

"Sister, no! You cannot leave yourse-"

Whatever it was that Luna was going to say, she was cut off as the spell went into effect, and Celestia collapsed back into her throne in exhaustion, her magic drained from sending so many people at once, death awaited her now, her sister would have to grow quickly and rule. Her eyes began to close, peace was overcoming her as footsteps raced at her, and a rough hand grasped her arm. Was this the end? What would the barbarians do to her? Whatever they wanted, death was preferable, she would fight back. With her free arm, she used all of her strength to slap her captor. Her hand met flesh to her surprise, and she opened an eye to witness Achilles, one of her guards, one that she was sure that she had sent, holding onto her, with Juliette in the background.

"Sorry princess, but you're not getting out of this that easy"

"But... But how?"

For the second time in such a short time, Achilles ignored her request again, while the princess had attempted to send every one of her subjects away, he had needed to activate his own skilled magic to overcome the princesses far more powerful magic. If it were not for the fact that she was trying to transport so many people at once, he never would have been able to create the magical barrier, which contained himself and his companion, to keep them in the castle. Celestia needed to protect her people, that was fine, but it was his job to protect her. Although it was a simple spell he had performed, he required a lot of his energy in order to cancel the princesses spell, especially on two people, he would not be able to transfer them to the location yet, he needed time to recharge.

"I can hear a group of them coming"

Although Juliette delivered the grave news, her voice seemed to tremble with excitement. Before the war, being a guard simply meant that she had to keep crackpots out of the castle, but now she was truly in her element of war, something that always made Achilles think the redhead would have been more suited as a Gryphon warrior. While the raven haired male carried the now unconscious princess bridal style, his companion unsheathed her blades, two ebony katana that could cut even the finest of steel. Her crimson wings spread, and she readied herself into a battle stance, her legs spread, left foot forward facing directly ahead, and her right foot behind, facing the right. The baggy black calf length pants allowed for easy movement, and the flames emblazoned on them merely finished the look.

"Two minutes until I can get us out of here"

While an able fighter himself, Achilles would not have been able to hold off the horde, save the princess, and recharge his magic on his own, especially when magic was such a large part of his fighting. Three of the Gryphon barbarians came into sight, a large musclebound man, wearing only a loincloth and wings that were far too small, a petite woman with a sword that looked almost too heavy for her to hold, and another man holding two axes with blood dripping all over the floor. Upon sighting the two guards and the princess, the large man raised one hand to his mouth, cupping it to try and make his voice louder as he took in a deep breath. The breath would never leave his lips though, as Juliette moved forward so swiftly that his head was separated from his shoulders before the eyes of the other two, who could not react to her almost immediate movements.

The woman found herself skewered upon one katana, right through the chest, and the second male, finally reacting, tried to raise an axe in his defense, but found that the hand holding that axe was missing, as the crimson haired guard had released her sword in the blonde attacker, ducked under the man, and used her other sword to remove his hands, and finally, turned her back to him, reversing the hold of her sword, and stabbing him through the heart. Her right hand seized the sword handle and tugged it from the chest of the woman as she fell to her knees. A quick and brutal dispatch of the brutes, just how she was taught. Although the obvious display of supremacy was a tribute to why she was a guard directly for the princesses.

Achilles looked at the symbols on the back wall, trying to decipher how to get in there, he had seen the princess unlock this wall multiple times, but for the life of him, he could not figure out quite how to do it. Unfortunately, it was the only way out, apart from heading straight into the horde, but even numbers overwhelmed skill after a while, and with the princess, the risk was too great. Aside from the two routes, the only other way out was, well, the windows, but he could not fly, and Juliette would be unable to hold the weight of both him and the princess. If only his magic was enough to cast space magic, he could lighten himself and the princess, then she would be able to, but sticking to those thoughts would get him nowhere.

"How much longer? They've probably realised somethings up"

"About thirty seconds"

The redhead had retreated back into the room, her weapons cleaned on the clothes of her dead enemies, after all, she did not want her blades to rust. She nodded at his answer, and watched the door, hearing more footsteps and yelling, there were more this time, a lot more. This time however, Juliette did not even unsheathe her swords, and Achilles did not even pay any attention to them, not even when they found the bodies of their comrades. Their yelling and idiocy eventually led them to look into the throne room, where the two royal guards were, both looking rather uninterested in the whole situation. The horde broke in, aiming to slaughter the two as the rest of the guards had been slaughtered. It did not even matter that the princess was with them, their leaders words were forgotten, they were going to kill all three of them. An arrow was knocked and aimed by one of the Gryphon archers, it fired fast, but as the purple glow surrounded the two guards and their princess, they were gone as the arrow struck the wall behind them.

Celestia was safe, but Canterlot had fallen.