A/N: Hello readers, sorry for the big lull in activity, but college has been kicking my derriere. But here's a new story for your enjoyment!
Disclaimer: I do not own My Little Pony, which belongs to Hasbro and was adapted for TV by Lauren Faust.
Without further ado, please read, review, and enjoy!
A Change
By: Immortal Drake
It has been ten years since the Gryphon Empire declared war on the country of Equestria. The reason being that the Empire's newest leading party had riled the entire Empire into believing the Equestrians had had their place in the sun as Equus' most prominent nation for too long. The Griffons had made up for their lack of magic with more advanced technology of war, muskets, steam-powered walkers, and airships mounted with cannons. Settlements such as Fillydelphia, Baltimare, and even far away towns such as Appleloosa weren't spared the onslaught. Princesses Celestia and Luna tried their best, but such ferocity was unheard of in any conflict in over four-hundred years. Many smaller settlements were destroyed in minutes, before the soldiers of Equestria could arrive to help; a thousand years of peace had made the Equestrian military slightly lackadaisical in maintaining garrisons and military technology.
The Equestrians weren't without any allies of their own; the Zebra Tribes were the first to come to their aid, declaring war within the first month. Three of the twelve Changeling Hives, spearheaded by Queen Chrysalis, also sided with the Equestrians, whereas the remaining Hives remained neutral. Under orders from Celestia, Cadance and Shining Armor in the Crystal Empire also declared neutrality, and provided a haven for refugees from both sides.
The Gryphons, however, brought in mercenary soldiers of many kinds, ranging from Minotaur fleets, to entire clans of Diamond Dogs. Regrettably, many pony mercenary companies were also hired by the Empire.
Then the Empire started to play dirty, using newly-developed chemical bombs in a massive aerial raid that turned a majority of Equestria's land into toxic wastes, the larger cities spared the onslaught through the use of magical shielding. That was three years into the war, when ground fighting had ground to a stalemate, the Gryphons only managing to get a few miles of conquered territory. Now it was unsafe to leave the cities still standing without proper protection, many smaller towns and cities had simply been leveled and deserted. Ponyville, despite its small size, had withstood the bombs due to the assistance of Celestia's protégé Twilight Sparkle. When measures to attempt to get rid of the toxin failed, the contaminant was entirely unknown to Equestrian scientists and magic had no effect, many nobles and citizens of Equestria rose in riots at the Princesses' seeming inability to deal with the crisis. In response, the Princesses declared martial law and the Royal Guard of both Princesses put down the riots, but with inefficiency that often left plenty of collateral damage.
After a few months of continued riots, Celestia formed the Royal Enforcers, her hoof finally forced. These ponies and other individuals would be given the authority to put down treasonous behavior on the spot, usually in a manner they saw fit. These officers would also act as Celestia and Luna's elite soldiers on the battlefield, both in martial prowess and the commanding air that came with their position. Hoofulls of individuals were made Enforcers, and all were effective in marshaling the citizens, but few could attain good results on the battlefield.
It was five years into the war; the Gryphons were nearing Canterlot, but had been stopped on the plains to the north by the valiant defense led by Celestia's Captains and Princess Luna. The Enforcers stayed to protect Celestia and any nobles in Canterlot Castle. However, a force of elite Gryphon soldiers snuck through the Equestrian lines and into Canterlot Castle proper, through means unknown to the public. They immediately started slaughtering their way through the castle, not discriminating between noble, commoner, young, or old as they continued their pride-driven assault. The Enforcers stationed were cut down, leaving only two stationed in the throne room, one Midas Goldhoof, a Minotaur, and a zebra known as Mahara. The Gryphons stormed into the throne room, where Midas and Mahara were soundly beaten and captured before the solar diarch's eyes, and the same was to be done to her.
As the Gryphons approached, and Celestia prepared to fend them off, a mysterious stallion broke through one of the windows to land between the diarch and the Gryphons. He was the stallion known as Bloodstained Steel, a large stallion, possibly the biggest to have ever lived as he stood eye to eye with Princess Luna, if not an inch taller. He wore a greatcoat that covered his near entirety, even draping over his short tail to a degree, and covered most of his body from sight, that was a dark grey with some black trim on the shoulders and hem. The only part of his coat that could be seen were his fetlocks, which was a grey that was a few shades lighter than the greatcoat, and his hooves were as black as obsidian and glinted like it. He also wore something similar to the armor that covered the necks of the Guards, although it only seemed to be leather, covering any sort of mane he had. What was most unnerving was he wore a gas mask, the lenses covered his eyes from sight and the mask exaggerated his breathing.
What happened next baffled many who heard about it, and a few of those that actually saw it, but the stallion was able to fight off the elite Gryphon soldiers, slaughtering them with a seeming cold, confident air that made it seem that he was toying with them using steel blades on his wrists. With that done, and the Gryphons killed or wounded, he offered his services to Princess Celestia and Luna, and was accepted as an Enforcer on the spot.
Under Steel's direction, the Equestrians and their allies were able to send the Gryphons back to their own borders. Upon his return, Steel was assigned to keeping the peace of Canterlot. This decision did not come without its own ramifications; Steel's cold, ruthless methods often would result in criminals being executed where they stood, rather than being tried before a court. Many nobles raised their objections over this behavior, but the Princesses would quell this with evidence that the masked stallion's efforts were keeping order, stating that under the current circumstances, it was a necessary sacrifice.
In the seventh year of the war, a correspondence from Chrysalis of an impending strike on Ponyville by Gryphon airships carrying a new, magic-penetrating bomb, reached Canterlot. Upon receiving it, Celestia ordered the immediate evacuation of the small town. Enforcer Bloodstained Steel was assigned to oversee the operation.
Knowing that the town did not hold enough supplies to protect every single citizen of Ponyville from the toxic haze, and that Canterlot or other nearby towns could not spare to send them, Steel asked Twilight Sparkle to make a portal to Canterlot, where the Princesses would be making the exit portal on the other side. In spite of the objections of the other Elements of Harmony, Twilight agreed.
Under the intimidating gaze of the Enforcer, the evacuation to Canterlot was going smoothly, but the Gryphon strike commenced once almost every citizen had made it through. The orderly evacuation soon turned into a panicked stampede as the first bomb dropped. True to the warning, the bomb passed right through Twilight's shield. As the onslaught came closer, Twilight's concentration started wavering. The only remaining ponies were the Elements, Big Macintosh Apple, Granny Smith Apple, Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Enforcer Steel, and the zebra Zecora. Macintosh and Granny were quickly through the portal, the big stallion carrying the older mare on his back. Zecora also ushered the three fillies through the portal, entering herself shortly after. The only ones remaining were the Enforcer and the Elements as the bombs cascaded into the town.
The Element of Magic assured her friends that she would be right behind them, as the Enforcer waited patiently, if seeming tensed by the approaching destruction. The Element of Kindness, Fluttershy, reacted true to her timid nature, freezing in fear as the other mares tried to push her into the portal. Seeing this was getting nowhere, Steel forcibly lifted Fluttershy onto his back and herded the Element of Honesty, Applejack, and the Element of Generosity, Rarity Belle, through the portal, with Element of Laughter Pinkie Pie and Element of Loyalty Rainbow Dash following.
As soon as they were through, Applejack and Rarity were immediately greeted by their families, while Scootaloo enthusiastically greeted Rainbow. A problem rose, Twilight Sparkle had not come through, and there were only a few seconds before the bombs reached her. Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie went through the portal to get her. Before they could come back however, the bombs reached the site, Bloodstained Steel reacted, and tackled the other three Elements away from the portal as part of the blast of the bomb came through before the Princesses could close it. Return searches for the mares turned up only a town turned into a field of craters.
The only casualties of the attack on Ponyville; Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie.
Upon hearing the news, Prince Shining Armor petitioned Celestia to allow the Crystal Empire to enter the war, but the Solar Princess denied him, stating that he should not allow vengeance to cloud his judgment. Shining would go on to blame Bloodstained Steel for Twilight's death, joining the Canterlot nobles who criticized the stallion's methods along with Night Light and Twilight Velvet, his and Twilight's parents. The family members of Pinkie and Rainbow would also join them, adding their voices as they were able. Again, the Princesses would defend the Enforcer's actions.
This unrest would come to a boiling point in the tenth year of the war.
A/N: ...I'm sorry, sorry for killing off characters, but it's necessary for the premise of the story. I hope you can forgive me. I'll see you all next time!