A princess would face the depth of war, surrounded by her guards at the ephemeral time where all could still change she stood tall and firm, deployed her wings and raised, and with her the called sun was rising, two burning stars alike as the white alicorn would reach the zenith, a blinding light welcomed the dawn of a new day. The camp was silent, still asleep, the first glimmers travelling through alleys of grass searched for ponies to awaken, found only the patrols relentless, with the last of stars disappearing it gave the tents their stripes of colours back. Clouds went adrift left for themselves like an ethereal mane in its awakening, set ablaze by the morning, they would float and unravel.
The young ponies were deep in their dreams all four curled feeling the warmth of their covers or sleeping bags. The tent tissue was bright yet shadows kept leaping on their faces, carpeted the floor. Dash, first to awaken, muttered a lazy war cry before sleep would catch on, the place quiet again ignored the day call.
Yet at the entrance the guard had just received new instructions, left his post to enter, a long look at those mares and their genuine expressions, eyes closed, so calm. The stallion rigid in his uniform cleared his throat, tapped the ground a couple times then waited. They wouldn't move so he insisted, slapped earth in one heavy strike. It gave a spasm to Fluttershy's foreleg, the young pegasus rubbed her cheek on the bag, a tiny smile when she would calm. From behind a head emerged, coat grainy still ruffled, Applejack distinguished through her hazy sight that her brother was now wearing armour. Somehow she didn't react, then recollections of where she was, so far from her farm, and there was a war, and every new idea reduced her mild smile, but she got up nonetheless.
"Anything happening?" She asked, her hat between her teeth.
The guard confirmed: "Wake up your friends. The army moves for battle."
"What?" Nearby the sky blue pegasus had jumped in the air: "Like, today?"
A nod from the stallion, under his helmet his expression impossible to read, yet they felt a tension bolting in their bodies. It wasn't just today, it was right now, everywhere ponies opened their eyes on this news, the first few getting out hooves fresh in a grass full of dew. More and more showed ambling downhill in direction of the field, the rumours of their trot merged with the rumours they conveyed, of wonder. A few passed in front of the tent, silhouettes that the day would reveal, slowly the agitation was growing to assemble. "It's going to happen!" Rainbow Dash yelled shacking Twilight with two hooves on her shoulder, as she would jolt her dark purple crest in surprise Fluttershy opened her eyes on the panicked eyes of her pegasus friend. "Like, right now!" She detailed and the shy mare under her gasped an okay.
"Everypony please stay calm" The unicorn still shaken asked, then noticed: "Applejack, where are you going?"
"Don't worry Twilight! Me and Big Mac will wait for ya outside!"
She wouldn't wait pressed by stress the mare rolled her cover tight, put on her saddlebags, almost took her backpack then fully harnessed she went out to discover the scarce crowd around and repeat to herself exactly Twilight's question. "What the hay am I doing?" She smacked the ground then sighed, at least the rest of the Apple family was still in their tents. Her brother inside was rinsing his head, calm, watched his fringe refuse to flatten. It was the same coat like clay that pulled the plough under her window, the same unflappable look when he would try to control his mature mane with his hoof. She came by, a greeting from each and suddenly she was in his legs too happy to let him continue his toilet.
The others were coming out too still escorted, the guard ensured that the flow of ponies wouldn't disturb them. They felt overwhelmed even as the camp hadn't fully awakened pegasi were roaming over their heads, file after file ponies and mares trotted in direction of high grass. They heard a strong voice, a bellowing all spirited to enjoin the army in its advance. Iron Will slid before them hand high and greeted the group with victory on his assertive smile. If they were ready to do it, he yelled and everypony around, Big Mac in his way too, answered they were. The minotaur brushed his arms with comfort. It inspired Fluttershy a "yay" while Twilight asked for details, her curiosity getting the better of her, if she wanted to find out the general said, they were free to follow him.
Of the very first questions the unicorn had was why he had no uniform, checking her book she confirmed, as an officer he should at least have a ribbon, or medals. "You think fashion, I want action!" Saying that he corrected his tie, proud, a grin all the way to the field. High grass had already covered their legs, the shy pegasus absorbed in it as she was ambling low, only her smooth mane would make her visible. Behind Applejack kept talking with her brother, two passionate discussions on two different subjects, the battle that was about to happen. They snapped out of it, so many ponies around them they hardly believed it, the sky crawling of them and everywhere flattening grass a crowd larger than they could witness. Another bellow from the general and guards began to align the troops.
"Would you look at that!" Applejack said, impressed. "No way we ain't losing now!"
"I..." but the passionate unicorn added nothing, a thought kept in her wavering eyebrows she followed the others past the crowd to face all of them, at a short distance. There was a rock tall enough for Fluttershy to use as a hiding, on which Iron Will mounted, making it the focus of everypony. "Ponies!" A gasp interrupted him, then he continued his speech to strengthen the will of Celestia's army, so spirited that when he reached a high pitch all those listening clapped, including the mares, then he continued and continued.
"Okay, it's official" Rainbow Dash noted. "We lost him."
The fierce mare pressed her friends to leave, their place was aside the princess, yet as Twilight agreed she kept watching the field extending in front of them all, a vast distance of grass finishing on a crest, and she tried worried to look past that crest where she knew the enemy was. She felt it, a tension grabbing her, tense, the grass was covering her field of sight still nothing moving when a rainbow tail waved in front of her broke her attention. Dash was patiently overhanging her, light ablaze around the pegasus as she waited for her friend to follow. They joined Fluttershy, helped her convince the stubborn mare to leave her brother alone, a last sign at him and covered by the general speech all trotted back to the camp, by the hill, towards Celestia.
She was dominating the battlefield superb at the highest ground, her coat of purity alone enough to awe her surrounding, her horn at calm dictated her will to the army. Her collar, crown and shoes weren't stellar, goldsmith in a court they were pale and tarnishing by the plain light, a hold to her magnificence. She would sip her tea, bring her silk handkerchief to her lips then quietly greet the mares as they arrived, a quick hide of the basket by the guards. From there the camp seemed desert, only them few isolated at the eminence before the plain, rising from the tents a wonder lavender for the faithful student that made her almost halt, head turned, she stood below quickly passed by her friends and what she saw.
During the night when all was hidden, it was just one black mass of earth down the flaming horizon. Now she could discover every detail, from this height and position the crest would let her see past it another distance before colours of tents afar, and she didn't care anymore. They were there, by groups sprinkled on its length she could see the enemy already occupying the crest, tiny griffons hard to distinguish, waiting. She saw them spread scarce, numerous yet she could guess, less than ponies, and there were other groups split on two mounds at each side like continuations of the relief. Most of all the mirroring light of a lake in the morning had let her perplexed, vast surface now clearly visible that she couldn't see when in the field. So many things she couldn't see down there.
Their own army was taking form, from the large assembly guards were pressing ranks to take place one for the unicorns, almost immediately under them, one for earth ponies and, at the farthest point, one for pegasi. She took a last glance at griffons away, their own ranks broken or inexistent, a tepid smile and Twilight trotted to the circle that formed before the princess. She was asking them, her voice millenary making their little hearts vibrate, if they didn't want to send a letter to their friends back at Ponyville.
"Writing a letter?" The disbelief of Dash was blatant, "when the battle is about to start? We don't have time for that!"
Shadows had reduced, the scent of humid plants was tingling her nose, the fierce pegasus had lain down wings deployed to mark her silhouette in the grass. Down at the field the general untiring of discourse was still motivating his ranks as the last ponies arrived in stretched lines.
"Anything you want to add to the letter?" Twilight asked her joyfully.
"Urgh!" She covered her face with her forelegs: "When will they finally decide to go and fight!"
"… go and fight. There!"
With a last glowing move she signed, rolled the letter before another glow replaced hers, brighter, the princess promised it would be delivered this instant. "Relax" Applejack told an impatient Rainbow Dash. The ground was fresh yet comfortable, the day delightful and she admitted, it was quite a worthy sight. She would then catch a few shoots near her, for herself, chew them. It let the pegasus even more frustrated, yet somehow resigned she watched the sky, those clouds unravelling to no end, a few words to accept the peaceful pace of war.
A guard arrived landing near he approached to announce the army was almost ready, on the field all ranks formed for the three elements, he added only one pony was missing. The captain of the unicorns hadn't shown yet, behind his words the stallion hid that as long as he was missing, Iron Will would keep "encouraging the troop". All waited a bit more, looking around, asking a few questions when suddenly Fluttershy leaped in the air, repeating: "I knew it was true!" There was her knight, the one she saw that nopony heard of. He was ambling at the edge of the camp, shining in his shiny white armour full of golden ornaments. The other mares had come to her forming a compact group to better see it, they agreed, it was really a knight covered by metal from ear to tail more than even in Twilight's book. Behind them Celestia repressed a laugh.
"He will be pleased" she told them "to hear that title. This is prince Blueblood."
The guard confirmed, that the captain of unicorns had arrived, a moment and Applejack first burst into laugh, shortly followed by all but the serious stallions. While her friends were rolling in grass, herself tears of laughter in her eyes the young pegasus felt a bit of remorse, suggested that maybe he was a good fighter. The prince was moving through a lane open in the middle of unicorn ranks, passed before them he stopped so close that a mare had to break and guide him further by wide gestures, the guard explained, because with the helmet on his head the prince couldn't hear anything. It left the group unsure to continue, their attention to Fluttershy as she was thinking of her first encounter with him, then Twilight reminded them they had told Rarity about it. It would take Iron Will's striking bellow to stop their laughing and joking, war cries running all along for the army to advance.
For a moment it seemed the lines would break but guards everywhere took off and lead, spaced far they gave the rhythm. The same way the minotaur would yell and sweat and, slowly, ponies reformed, stepped together on the field. It was a rough amble, broad and loud at first, then as it became more and more precise with every roll of steps a renewed alignment the groups would hit earth at the same time, they felt it, the mares on their hill saw the vast crowd moving solid, of so many colours it let the plain dreary in comparison, they felt the strikes of hooves even from their position, like a thousand of them battling strong, provoking their own earthquake, the same in the air a sound of storm growing strong.
On that they realized, and Twilight explained from her book, the battle had begun. The army showed a single tight front, lines of ponies resolute even as they slowly crossed the field, their pace had made griffons react. They appeared on the crest a fringe of wings by the grass, some flying, in this movement brushed hastily they formed their own line. Yet it seemed so frail, but a feather snake still asleep, trying to move like trapped in the green landscape. Facing them the pony army wouldn't stop, on the contrary, strengthening the pace the centre moved further ahead, Iron Will all too happy the ranks followed, Applejack first caught it, that the sides were slowly bending behind, forming more and more of a bow directed at their enemy. It was a surprise, Dash asking why they wouldn't keep it straight, the shy pegasus feared something was wrong but behind them the princess was confident.
"I think…" She wanted it to be true, Twilight wanted it to be true: "I think they're forming a horseshoe formation."
Right and left the distance wouldn't let them see it, Applejack's brother balanced his head, "right and left" the mare aside him scolded, hit the ground harder to show him just to be scolded the same, the whole army occupied at treading on each other's hooves proud to keep the line straight, Big Mac kept his glare for the enemy. The sun had had time to jump up in the air, at their tidy pace their battling manes together strained they approached the numberless forest of flowing wings before them, more and more in the air only kept away by guards, ponies would oppose their tight ranks, the drum of their legs to cover their picky complaints. They had reached the slope, as the distance shortened all shabby fights would stop to face the threatening enemy, and for minutes they couldn't count all would concentrate on stomping the ground right and left until the line before them wavered. As more and more took off suddenly griffons broke and fled, by groups all along the crest the whole opposition was giving ground, a few minutes before the army reached that position, the general first taking a heroic stature in face of danger, their opponents were long gone.
Yet they kept their ranks tight, at their turn covering the relief back legs particularly tense they had to wait, more rumours coming conveyed by whispers, that the unicorns had taken position too, all that remained was on their right for pegasi to dislodge the adversary the same way. His only reaction, Bic Mac blinked still unflappable, his tongue a bit dry, a bit of sweat. "That's it? We win?" The word would come and go uncertain, before an ambling army of winged ponies this time griffons held ground, and the two had met. All were anxious of what would happen, then a guard came and told the minotaur that this side of the battlefield had sit together in the high grass, the presence of gold uniforms couldn't prevent both side from fraternising.
On this last stand the remaining enemy position had fallen, from the hill afar they couldn't see any threat left. Rainbow Dash first seemed to wake up, realizing, she felt excitement:
"We won…" She asked. "We've won!" Then: "How lame!"
"T'was all just a bunch of scared chickens!"
Under the same excitement the two other mares hugged, a happiness they had held for so many days finally expressed in their every leap. Down and away the field was quiet, quiet the mounds, the fringe of high ground running to the lake wide, all occupied, their strong ranks victorious. More than any of her subjects princess Celestia would radiate of pleasure, up on her graceful legs she thanked for this outcome, she was amused by Dash's spite the pegasus in a craze screaming at clouds to come back if they dared. "Wait" a few steps toward the battlefield Twilight pointed a guard flying back to them, skimming earth at high speed the stallion flew over tents then landed among the group of mares just to be assailed by questions, he ignored their excitement to address the message of his captain.
Rigors of war were enough, it began, with all due respect the tired army didn't need another speech from their general. Then came the pegasi behaviour, "chickens" Applejack teased her fierce friend. The report followed, that griffons were rallying, from the crest the army could see them forming their own ranks to oppose those of ponies. "I understand" the princess simply said, softly, she reassured the mares. Her guard confirmed, as they were talking turning to the field they discovered the line of uniforms flying again, the ranks tightened were ready to meet any charge. They made it once, they would do it again, with that the guard asked again the princess's authority to silence their general then left.
Eagle silhouettes appeared ferocious in the sky, a stream of them leaving the right mound where pegasi dispersed let them go, after their flight had ceased nothing would move anymore, the entire field they could see the four mares grouped around Twilight's dark mane Fluttershy in her legs expecting clamours, or flames, or something bad she gasped, all was so tiny for them, so distant and so calm, "there!" The sky blue pegasus provoked a short panic because a second guard was flying towards them.
As he approached, behind the stallion the crest shuddered again an agitation sudden among the first ranks of ponies tightened so close they were flank on flank, they would almost see it a shock pulsing through the troops, legs biting the soil their ankles came to play, bent and stretched pushed back a waving effort the army held. It turned quiet again, ranks loosened an instant strong again withstood a pressure the young mares couldn't see, only guess, that they could feel. It lasted, this time they saw griffons emerging from parts of the melee, trying to fly their way through to be met by the guards aligned, those tiny silhouettes in the distance touching each other violently, to be repealed. That seemed to never finish, the messenger flying at them hadn't reached the camp when the group of friends shivered. He too, feeling it, looked back and slowed.
Denied at the centre the pressure was now flowing to the sides of the pony formation, the guard landed on top of the hill his message completely forgotten, unable to leave this sight, the same way bristles darkened when pressed under a patting the ranks closed at the enemy, until there was no rank left but grass on the slope. "No, no, no no" Dash turned to Twilight's fright, she hadn't time to explain, a mass of wings had risen from one side over the lake, roaming free past the army lines. Part came back on the main formation's flank, just to be met with the same unbreakable stand, they turned to the mound unicorns occupied.
Twilight was shrivelled: "This should not happen. I'm almost certain this should not happen."
Encouraged by the free sky more and more griffons were flying in circle over the mound, just as they did on the other side of the battlefield another breach was made between earth ponies and pegasi and they saw the gold uniforms rushing to bock that advance, most of them sent in the way of the advancing enemy in a gigantic air fight. But the faithful student could only watch as unicorns had improvised a new formation, dominated they would circle closer and closer, pressed from every side they were totally surrounded. The few guards with them as last defence, she saw glimmers from the horns of stallions and mares, sparkles flying everywhere without effect. In the middle of that position was Blueblood, in his shiny armour, completely passive. His subjects were poking him to get a reaction, the moment after he had turned running away from the mound.
Rests of courage evaporated with that move, the unicorns panicked began to scream and run blindly, soon parts of the formation was fleeing with their captain, bullied all the way by plunging enemies.
"This didn't happen."
Applejack had taken her hat off, glaring at it: "Just great. Now we're the chickens, and we don't have them wings!"
"Um…" A shy voice responded. "Pegasi have wings… if that helps…"
"No 'cause they ain't using them right now!"
Left on the second mound the winged ponies were watching the battle unfold, the same way earth ponies kept still at the crest still in ranks, parts wavering, everywhere enveloping them griffons battled the air in complete supremacy. There were but few guards left with them, almost all trying to stop the breach, in battle their collars and helmets fulminated, push after push they repelled the enemy force, forced them back behind the crest. It was a short victory as on the left near the lake griffons were overwhelming pony positions, those on the ground running away from clashes over their head. There, too, once guards regrouped and arrived, the attack would fail, again griffons fled leaving a flank in disarray.
Worse was the unicorn formation scattered on the field despite efforts to rally, some halted hidden in grass the others kept running, the only cohesion left was little groups erring in panic. From their hill like those scared ponies the group of friends could see the uniforms of Celestia's guard rushing all along the line to repel assault after assault, tiny gold trails in the sky against the mass of dark wings pressing them from all sides, more and more without their presence the centre would break, trembling at the screams, the sight of so many griffons over them stallions and mares were abandoning their post. And as the formation itself kept strong, those desertions eroding the effort would send more and more ponies fleeing on the plain. It took time, a long, painful time, before the exhaustion of guards would make the situation apparent to most, before all Twilight.
"Princess, quick! We can still win!" She trotted to Celestia who, of all, remained silent. "If the pegasi help protect the line…"
"But that would leave the side undefended!" Dash protested.
Following her, after an hesitation: "And… and it would put them in danger…"
She was stunned, unable to answer. In distress the young student turned to Applejack, hat between her teeth the brave mare wouldn't react anymore all of her attention fixed on an abstract point among the line, fear and hope merged on her face. "Applejack…" but they were right, she answered holding back her distress, if guards were overwhelmed then pegasi would amount to nothing. It made the purple unicorn stumble, looking around she begged the princess to prove them wrong, yet the powerful alicorn just closed her eyes. She was ordering retreat, they would abandon the crest to the griffon army.
They watched the winged stallion return to the field, carrying the order, to fall back and regroup near the camp. Sadness had replaced their joy, but somehow they still felt better, Fluttershy would smile a bit and to an overwhelmed Twilight she put her leg on her friend shoulder, muttered it was the only thing to do. "Maybe you're right…" They were cut in their exchange, the messenger had just left the edge of the encampment that the entire line had turned into rout. The same battling sound, the same strong pace they felt in their hearts, a thousand hooves breaking the calm to storm the field, ponies were flowing down the slope in vast troops, like long blades that the terrain made wave. Only groups were left behind isolated, among them an infuriated minotaur smashing his adversaries with his horns, with his bare hands and with catchphrases. At the same time the second mound was assailed and the battle, shortly begun, before so many enemies, quickly turned to panic.
Before them the entire battlefield had deteriorated, with the last position fallen dispersed groups of ponies converged on the slope, there their numbers strengthened they turned and charged griffons scarce themselves, in a merge of pursuits from every side, feathers and coats confounded near the crest in the clamours of fight.
"Your highness!" The brave mare finally burst: "Please do something!"
But she looked herself worried, asking ponies to stay calm, her raised hoof for sole appeasement.
"Twilight!"
Rainbow Dash had turned to her lavender friend, to find her lost in her brook her glowing horn making pages scroll fast in search of an answer, the sky blue pegasus just let her frustration out in a scream and dash away. "No wait!" Twilight tried to stop her, according to her book- books didn't win battle, she would, with this promise Dash flew straight into the battle. Behind her still trying to reason even when she had left, the passionate unicorn could only add:
"It says a single pony can't change the course of war."
The fierce mare was already rushed past the edge of the camp, at the first groups of scared unicorns she yelled at them, to show some courage and fight, she kept flying to fleeing ponies and told them to return where the battle was, then griffons were blocking her way. She blazed through them at high speed to find herself in the middle of the air fight, opponents threatening each other in tight curves, so many isolated battles that she could only witness a fraction of them, trying to scream for attention she felt a presence behind her, turned to find a guard protecting her from two griffons. "Watch it!" She felt fear, leaped away then tried to find that uniform, in vain, the melee too hectic for her to follow.
Again, desperately, she tried to rally pegasi after her, and a few followed before the fight would get them apart again, those already grouped didn't even notice her as she got past them, a last time she took hold of a fleeing stallion, shook him and told him to fight. "Let me go!" He pushed her, the moment after she had to avoid another tight flight like hissing projectiles. All around and on the ground the improvised formations of ponies were turning tides, harassed, with the guards they were the only remain of Celestia's army.
"Where is she?" Now Applejack was trembling. "I can't see her!"
"Please please please!" The unicorn was crouched on the ground. "Let her be somewhere safe!"
She opened her eyes, noticing the lone pegasus rising sky high fast enough to dispel clouds at her passage. "Oh, there she is…" she sighed in relief, then: "Attempting… oh no." Their friend lost in the sky, not even a silhouette, had stopped overhanging the entire battlefield. The Sonic Rainboom, Fluttershy finished, but if it was possible, reckless the brave mare cut fast throwing her hat to the ground she stomped on it and yelled at her friend to stop. How long it did last, after all that happened they couldn't tell, the sun was fierce at that hour, the friends were paying no more attention to the fight, only to the mare, the moment she would dash straight down, fearing the instant that came.
That hesitation, she had seen ponies pushing back near the top of the crest, desperate efforts from the guard to restore a line immediately broken, as most of the fight concentrated between the slope and the first mound she sighed, put on her goggles and, for a second, glanced at the hill where her friends where, and the princess. "We tried your way, now let's do mine!" In a loop she was plunging, the rousing wind at her ears, legs tense her hooves pierced the air unveiling a straight path, down the ground already close she would ignore it only one thing in her mind, "I'm doing it" she hissed, her wings pushed further tended at the extreme as speed accumulated she could feel it, before her, at a moment from this moment that made her very existence, she was burning, she was doing it, clouds dispersed disappeared the instant she crossed them then she caught it, the ground too close with the crest, the lake, the numberless griffons and ponies.
One second, she passed through the fighting crowd not even seen so fast, crashed into the lake, another second and a tremendous deflagration stopped every fight, water had burst from the lake in a titanic column reaching such heights that every last one on and out of the battlefield could see it break, as if it was solid, parts on its side sliding and falling before the whole column crashed down. Shaken by sound, by the trembling ground both armies would flee, when they saw where the column was and had fallen, with the air still intensely humid, rainbows form, a fountain of them hazy leaping from the lake to bend in all directions. Like a signature, ponies exhausted rejoiced at this sight while the griffons, terror in their every act, the very second routed far past the crest.
A sudden breath as she got her head out of still falling water, Dash found herself down the lake again in the agitated currents, she had not even enough strength to move a leg. A wave sent her back on the surface, near the grass where she got a hoof, rolled on her back to notice the crowd forming around her.
"Okay, make fun of me, at least I tried…"
Near them a blinding flash let place to the group of mares, Fluttershy first hoped on her friend and hugged her, in tears, she was yelling so low how happy she was that all they could hear was a high-pitch squeak. The brave mare had stepped in, without her hat to cover her blond fringe she looked helpless, at her turn she hugged her fierce friend with a knock of the hoof as only punishment. Already pressed by them Dash asked where Twilight was, to feel the dark purple mane against her cheek, the unicorn lain down near her lectured her in a happy passionate voice.
The battle had ended, as the crowd got larger and larger to cheer their heroin the rest of the army was ambling back to the camp, under the warm sun of Celestia the friends felt tired too, proposed to go back. "To Ponyville?" The pegasus asked head down while she was lifted, carried on by a triumphal crowd. It was a good time, Twilight thought, to write a letter, so she called Spike then recalled, it would have to wait.
"My dear friends Rarity, Pinkie Pie, my assistant Spike and all of Ponyville,
Once, I thought a single pony couldn't change the course of war. Rainbow Dash proved me wrong by winning the fight in more or less ten seconds. She made all griffons flee and, I'm confident, ended the war.
Right now we are tired but happy, peace should be signed tomorrow and just after that we will be on our way home. I'm still not sure it was really a war, but then again this is definitely how one should end.
Expect more details when we come back…"