From The Shadows

ROAD TO WAR

From The Shadows

by DeepThought

Once upon a time there was a gryphon King, whose name was Rex. United by his predecessors - hundreds of years before - with shiny steel, his kind, the ancient tribes of Griphonia, were ruled by violence and fear. But soon their own land wasn't enough anymore for the proud kings of gryphonkind and so they turned their greedy eyes beyond their borders, bringing war and suppression to the innocent and wealth and power to their own.

They invaded the zebras’ land, brought discord to the diamond dogs, they fought down the minotaurs' mightiest armies and left their plundered cities burning to the ground. Claiming that the conquered masses were responsible for their nation’s suffering, the gryphon’s hate made life a hell for all the foreign creatures living in the empire. Not allowed to leave, they were kept in special camps as slaves, often starving and falling ill.

Still there was one place, even the bravest of the gryphons long didn't dear to attack. The country ruled by sun and moon was strong and powerful enough to scare any of their soldiers away. Long was peace between Equestria and the griphons, and the gryphon kings made sure to keep the information about the occupied territories and their former inhabitants away from the princesses’ ears.

But seeing how this kingdom struggled to defend itself from the changelings, from Discord and from Nightmare moon, Rex began to doubt the godly powers of its rulers, their armed stallions and the Elements of Harmony.

And as he saw Equestria’s wealth grow enviously with the help of the alien named Fire, he started to make plans for a possible invasion, coming to an agreement with his changeling allies, who sought for revenge for the humiliating defeat months ago.

After Chrysalis reads an official message from the gryphon ambassador in the land of changelings, her manic laughter echoes in the large throne room and a wave of cruel joy rushes through the hive mind.

The hall is made of ornamented onyx. Roman-like columns line the way to the huge throne formed of hardened, emerald-colored changeling liquid. On the ceiling are paintings of famous and glorified events of changeling history, most of them showing achievements of their queen.

She can’t believe it! Finally her plan succeeds. These stupid feather brains would be the instruments for her victory about the land of sun and moon. All worries about her hive’s future would be needless with the gigantic amount of love stored in the naive hearts of the Equestrian citizens.

All would be hers!

Quickly she ordered her armored forces to carry out the order number 36.

Doom awaits ponykind!

When Rex offered to establish an alliance between the changelings and the gryphons, shortly after Chrysalis was defeated by the love of Cadence and Shining Armor, the hive’s situation was terrible. Most changelings were injured and starving, since nearly all ‘harvesters’ in Equestria were  uncovered by the abnormal magic radiating from Canterlot.

His offer made him the savior of lingkind. Allowing the changelings to feed from their prisoners of war in exchange for a intelligence services he helped them to recover quickly. Soon it became obvious they had a common enemy - Equestria.

Once again they prepared for war.

Three changelings, disguised as pegasus guards, head towards Canterlot Castle, disturbing the peace of the cool, quiet air of the night with the constant wing flaps. The city under their hoves sleeps, not suspecting anything. The busyness of the day is washed away.

Empty, lifeless eyes, filled with green fire, observe the planned point of destination - the castle’s garden, which they smoothly land in. Making sure there is nopony watching them they change their appearances, now a butler and two maids stand on the castle grounds. They trot to the garden’s exit.

Determinedly they wander through the large corridors at the first floor, not paying attention to the fantastic pieces of art, sculptures and paintings. Nopony minds them when they pass, just caring for their own business.

As they reach their target’s location, a huge, luxurious bedroom, one changeling, the butler, stays at the door, while the  other two enter. Darkness surrounds them, but with their night vision they see the small figure lying on the canopy bed. Muting their steps with magic the ‘maids’ close the distance.

Back in a house at Canterlot’s borders a certain changeling queen, watching the event through the eyes of her minions, starts to laugh manically seeing that her children successfully attached the magic disruptor to the purple alicorn’s horn. It has been so easy...

Twilight wakes up in shock. Something feels totally wrong. Hectically she moves her gaze around the dark room. When she hears the silent breaths of two other beings she tries to light her surroundings with a spell - and fails.

‘What the buck?!’ she panics.

But instead of her own purple-colored magic the room is suddenly illuminated by a bilious green and a weird sensation spreads in her body.

Paralysis.

Seconds later unconsciousness.

Everything according to the plan!

In the new heart land of Equestria’s economy a black stallion, the city’s mayor, negotiates with his council about a new security law as his bodyguard in an elegant suit storms in. An excusing look on his face Fire turns from the audience to Sole.

“What’s going on?” whispers the alicorn.

“We have a serious problem. Please come with me. Otherwise I can not guarantee your safety.”

The sincerity in his voice immediately alerts Fire and he quickly tells the members of the council that he has to leave. Most of them nod sympathetically. They exit the room and Fire follows the galloping stallion downstairs into the house’s basement. They enter a room filled with hundreds of political records. Activating a hidden mechanism with the cliche book in a shelf, a door swings open. In the corridor to the safe room Sole finally begins to speak hastily.

“Ok, I hoped this would never happen, but I have to tell you a secret. Please don’t judge me, I’m really sorry about it,’ he stops a moment, taking a breath.

‘Gay, gay, gay. I knew it,’ Fire thinks, smirking sarcastically.

“I’ve been Chrysalis spy since I came to Ponyville. And I was ordered to help a commando unit to foalnap you, as they did with Twilight just minutes ago” he says with pleading eyes, “But I don't want to betray you. You are my best friend after all. And so I decided to take your form to distract them, while you make sure to lock the city and alert the army. War is coming.”

To Sole’s surprise Fire answers determinedly, “I trust you. And this is still right,” and he embraces his friend in an awkward hug.

‘I didn’t expect that I’d regret it that he exactly does what I wanted him to do when I spared his life.’

Thousands of gryphons cross the border to Equestria, marching in unison. The sound of clinking, shiny armor penetrates the peaceful night. They follow banners of red and white and black, their amber gazes fixed fanatically on the near lights of sleeping Vanhoofer.

As they enter the city guard’s line of sight, one of the griphons splits from the standing mass, closing the distance to the walls. His set of armor is golden instead of the dominating steel-colored pieces of his soldiers, which glimmer like waves in a full moon night.

“I demand to speak to the city’s leader,” he shouts, intimidating the clueless guard ponies on the fortifications.

Never in their lifetime they actually had to face an enemy force.

They in return whisper to each other as they notice the huge army behind the griphon general, paralyzed by fear.

"Didn't I make my point clear,"growls the gryphon leader, rage is burning in his eyes.

“We will call the governor,” a grey-furred pegasus guard finally speaks up.

“Our Majesty, Vanhoofer has surrendered, Princess Sparkle was captured in Canterlot Castle itself - we simply don’t know how, maybe there are even traitors in the Royal Guards - and Mayor Fire Void disappeared without any information about his current location. The army of the gryphon marches towards Los Pegasus, it is at least 15000 strong. Our ambassador in the gryphon kingdom doesn’t respond!” exclaims the terrified military adviser pony.

A few hours before:

He had practiced this special skill secretly, since he discovered he possessed it fighting Mr. Royal Jerk. Shapeshifting still took a large amount of magic to be performed, but he had managed it. Still the only colors his alter egos could have were shades of black and red, but obviously it was enough with the help of his friend to fool the changeling assassins.

His form becomes a dark cloud, before it solidifies in a single black orb, seeming to implode. Then, too quick to be seen, he morphs into a teenage dragon, twice the size of a normal pony. Sole, who watches his transformation in awe, shudders slightly intimidated by the much larger predator.

'Not exactly low-key, but definitely not me,' he grins revealing his sharp fangs.

“You’re quite a sight when you change,” laughs his friend awkwardly, “It’s time to leave.”

After he observes his friend, who ‘wore’ his alicorn form taking off in the quiet, dark sky, he steps out of the shadows. He knows where to go, but his current disguise drains much magic. Too much to simply teleport, like he normally does when he wants to go to Canterlot, in two or three trips with 15 minute breaks between.

'My own form would be too dangerous. Everyone could be a changeling if not proven otherwise,' he reasons annoyed, 'Better safe than sorry.'

So he heads for the night train, through the streets and alleys illuminated by recently installed electric lanterns. He even sees some of the lately introduced prototype cars as he passes the city's richer districts.

Luna nuzzles her sister reassuringly, “We’ve been through tougher times, Tia. I’m sure everything will turn out well.”

The usual calmness in the sun monarch’s face is replaced by anger and worry.

Then she booms in the Royal Canterlot Voice, much to everypony’s surprise, “HOW DO THEY DARE?! WE’VE TOLERATED THEIR BARBARIC WAYS! WE’VE EVEN ALLOWED THEM TO ENTER OUR LANDS AND THEY ONLY CAUSED TROUBLE! TARTARUS, WE’VE EVEN...”

But her tirade is disrupted by a loud bang, as the door to the throne hall swings open and a dangerous-looking creature storms in, causing all magic-sensing beings to flinch. It is followed by alarmed guards.

Fire grins manically, chuckling lightly, as the realization shows itself on Celestia’s face. Normally he is someone, or rather somepony, who doesn't make his appearances a huge show, but he enjoys every bit of this grotesque situation. If he told the guards who he was, he couldn’t be sure that no spies hid under their masquerade, after all he knew that changelings sucessfully infiltrated the castle, and probably this traitor would try to hinder the progress of his ‘work’.

“Your wonderful voice is heard all over Canterlot, my Highness,” he jokes, spears pointing to his throat, “What a shame I disrupted. Would you mind to tell your guards to stop threatening me?”

‘Yeah, acting like a jerk will win you their sympathy instantly. After all they could assume you’re somehow involved in all of this’

“Please do so!” answers a blushing Celestia.

“But...” a guard speaks up, but her suddenly recomposed self, bundled with a glare, intimidates him into silence.

‘Wow, I still underestimate centuries of training.‘

"Please, leave us alone," she tells her advisers, pointing in the door's direction.

Surprised by the shown familiarity with the intruder they obey reluctantly. When finally only the sun goddess and the dark lizard are left in the room, Celestia sighs and her expression changes to a small smile.

"This act is over, I guess," he transforms back into his alicorn form, returning the smile.

"At least you are safe..."

“How did your Highness know it was me?”

“Did you seriously expected me, a thousands-of-years-old immortal, not to notice such an unique magical aura?” she laughs lightly, “And just drop the formalities. We have more important issues to worry about, as you might know. How did you manage not getting caught? I thought you was captured as well as Twilight were.”

'Her sudden friendliness is irritating. I guess this is her stress personality.’'

"Long story short... I befriended a self-aware changeling who became my guard. He just warned me before worse happened, it seems he was some kind of double agent, until he decided to worship our friendship more than the loyality to his queen. He also informed me about Twilight’s situation. It seems this was planned for a long time."

Her expression was priceless.

"Indeed. The gryphons are marching towards Las Pegasus. It is unlikely that both factions decided to attack us separately,” she mutters.

"I already heard the rumors as I took the train to Canterlot. Do you have any plans how to defeat them?”

“The armies are still gathering.”

‘It’s good that at least Liberty is prepared. Our ‘inventions’ aren’t limited to civil technology, even if she doesn’t know it.’

“I’m concerned about Twilight,” she adds with a motherly tone.

“At the moment Sole, the mentioned changeling, tries to distract  the changelings from catching me, but he is supposed to meet me here in Canterlot Castle after he is done and maybe collects some pieces of information from his kind. On the base of his advise we should plan further steps.“

Not so far away, said changeling cries in pain, shouting and hissing at his insectoid torturers.