My Little Pony: Sleeping Giant
Chapter 13: Away From The Front
When a soldier goes off to fight and they have a family waiting for them to return, you give them something greater than themselves to fight for. For a heart of a warrior that fights for the Empress as much as they fight for their family will make them invincible. You know me as Sakura Breeze. Like many here in the Griffon Kingdom, I have my family.
Waiting for my return, I have a son named Yari and a daughter named Yumi. My husband is a police-pony named Sankaku. We even have a family dog, a strong Tosa Inu named Hagane-chan. It warms me so receiving mail from Gabby the Mail Delivery Griffon, and I smile to read how the family is doing in Kiku. I hear tales from our griffon warrior allies.
Keen Eye, and her husband Grayling remind me so much of me and my husband when we first met. Our love was just as flirty, and just as passionate. It is still there, and I read it in the letters my dear Sankaku sends me. I know Ghislaine is daughter to the Griffon Queen Galiana. I get a laugh hearing this. They own a huge Leonberger named Fuzz-Buzz
"Is that your pet?" I asked curiously
"Yah," said the Griffon Princess warmly
"That's not a dog, it's a bear," I teased
"Yes, he's our Fuzz-Buzz," she smiled
I laughed "Stop laughing" she groaned
Keen Eye's friend Blackjack has a black cat being taken care of by her niece and nephew in Appleloosa named Shadow. I looked at the family picture of Sankaku, Yumi, and Yari in their kimonos and yukatas. Hagane-chan is not a fighting dog as the breed was meant to be, but still wears the white 'Yokozuna' belt, and traditional garb with golden dragons
Each soldier has a tale to tell. The Warlander Sisters each own a cat which is being taken care of by their mother in the village of Mouette. I still cannot one from the other with those quadruplet sisters. They all own orange and white tabby cats named Gingersnap, Remy, Cidre, and Zesty. Although I am a dog owner, I do have my soft side for those cats
Wilhelmina is a cousin to Princess Henriette of Chefal. Her husband divorced her after she said she was pregnant. She has two kids, Noemi and Nicolas. I hear from her that they are being watched over by the princess while she fights. According to a photo she showed me of her and her hatchlings at the beach, she has a Great Pyrenees named 'Snowball'
"Everypony here has a family," I stated
"It is a self-evident truth," said Ghislaine
A just reason to fight," said Wilhelmina
"Everyone fights for a different reason"
"As it is said for our enemy," I replied, in a sense I do pity the enemy. They are a hardened, and very determined foe. Just like it is for us, there is no surrender and there is no retreat. Scholars and historians will look back on this war, and all the suffering it has brought to millions of all species. It will certainly be quite a dark page on Equestria's history.
"For glory...family...land" said Ghislaine
"You honor your family here," she said
"As you do yours," I replied with a grin
"There is a saying I recall," she stated
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him," said Wilhelmina, I respect her for that. I nodded with my grin on my muzzle and understanding the wisdom in those words. With the late afternoon coming in, it was meal time for the soldiers. It is said Chefalien Hippogriffs have the best food.
The fire in the wreck of the TS-5 tank destroyer has burned itself out. I know that Equestria has a great, and powerful industrial might. It was not a surprise to me that they can build a monster like this. I have seen what that main gun can do to a tank. It is no wonder to me that this armored vehicle is nicknamed 'Celestia's Hammer' by our allied forces.
Our position is easy to defend. There is a 15 degree incline leading up to the trenches, machine gun nests, and hidden anti-tank guns. It leads into a natural bottleneck where a few can stand against many. Grayling is not wrong about our enemy. They are stubborn, and will not stop until this little village is burned to the ground by any means necessary.
"How are the hatchlings?" I asked her
"Good..." Wilhelmina said with a nod
"Anything new?" I asked her curiously
She chuckled "My son in a sailor suit"
"He doesn't seem embarrassed" I stated
"Nicolas has always been different from all the other boys, I think he will become a great prince some day" she said as I looked over her shoulder seeing the old black and white picture of her son in a white sailor suit, smiling and saluting to the camera with his big faithful dog beside him. He is a handsome young one, and definitely adorable in my books
Princess Ghislaine looked out at the fields that were once green, and full of life "The ponies will bring their air forces to soften up our lines, and have the infantry advance under their cover, if we keep working together with all our forces, we can hold them off" she said as I heard the shells falling in the distance, and a very distant hum of aircraft engines.
The next morning felt oddly peaceful. The sentries posted had nothing to report, but a scout did, "I saw Ponies, coming up the side trails" he reported with a salute to us as we were starting a morning meeting between us officers. The enemy can be clever. I do suspect a pincer movement. One forward attacking force, and two forces to attack the flanks
"Well done, soldier," I congratulated him
"To arms! To arms!" cried White Lotus
I soon heard engines rumble "Of course"
"Tanks?" questioned White Lotus, I nodded
The griffons soon answered back, "Feuer!"