The Final Push

Chapters

Advance
Clash
Crimson
Triage
Report
Assess
Muster
Dependable
Trauma
Nightfall
Earthworks
Counter
Breakthrough
Desperate
Hurt
Together

Advance

“We should move.”

Glorious Dawn looked up from his crouched position atop the rocky outcropping, glancing back at his soldiers, frowning. “We’ve been tasked with holding this position for the time being. Until new orders come, we’ll stay here.”

Roam stepped forward out of the ranks of the militia members, his blue tabard emblazoned with the Solar Crest clashing with his dusty orange coat and blond mane. “I’m aware of our orders, sir, but if you’d direct your attention away from the griffon squadron in front of us, you’ll notice that the western lines are already moving forward.”

Sighing, Dawn slid down from his perch and landed on all fours, his chainmail hauberk rattling as he stood tall before Roam. “I hadn’t noticed.”

Roam smirked wryly. “You were focused. See anything worth mentioning?”

Dawn gave Roam a nod, and turned to address his soldiers. “It’s starting. We’re advancing with the western front, pushing north. This is what we’ve been fighting for, what we’ve been dying for,” Roam paused, glancing at the haggard faces of his ponies, their damaged tabards, taking in their demeanor before continuing. “We’re facing a formation of forty griffons, defending the hill opposite. We’ll advance down into the valley and then push upward. They look to be well dug in, and I saw crossbows, so we’ll need to keep a close formation, unicorns at the fore with shields.”

His men straightened up, gathering close and muttering amongst themselves as they checked their gear and tightened the straps on their armor in final preparation. Dawn continued to speak. “I don’t need to tell you how important this is. This stretch of hills leads to the bluffs, and then the beach. This is the most heavily fortified positions that the griffons occupy, and their last beachhead. If we succeed, we’ll have effectively won the war. Without this beachhead, their remaining forces are cut off, unable to be supplied, and they will have no choice but to abandon their campaign against Equestria.”

Dawn paused as his men arranged themselves, preparations done, forming up as he’d ordered. Dawn looked to Roam, nodding to the earth pony. “Anything to add, lieutenant?”

Roam smiled at his unicorn commander. “I’m just ready to have this done.”

Dawn nodded, grabbing his helmet from a nearby rock and tossing his white mane out of his eyes as he secured it in place. “Excellent. For Equestria and Celestia!”

The soldiers, some seventy ponies, cheered, lifting their weapons in salute. “For Equestria and Celestia!”

Dawn turned away from his soldiers as the militia formed ranks, looking to the south expectantly. A few moments later, a pegasus wearing a red tabard flew overhead and dove down, landing in front of him. The cyan-coated pegasus mare with a two-toned red and yellow mane saluted to Dawn. “Captain Glorious Dawn, sir. Orders are to advance north and engage the enemy. Celestia is about to enact the spell to ground the fliers, so the Fourth and Sixth Cloudsdale Companies will be advancing on-foot to your east, bolstering the attack.”

“What of the First and Second Cloudsdale Companies?” asked Dawn, returning the salute.

“Held in reserve, sir.”

Dawn frowned. “Damn. I suppose there’s a good reason.”

“I’ll be liaising with you throughout the battle, sir, relaying orders. Lance Corporal Radiance, at your command,” the mare saluted.

“You’re fast on the ground, then? Usually when Celestia grounds the fliers with her spell, she uses earth pony runners.”

Radiance smirked, “I’m always fast, sir. I’ll manage. Anyway, the earth pony reserves are being called up to work as battlefield triage,” her voice lowered to a whisper, “because High Command is expecting a high number of casualties.”

Dawn’s ears flattened and he scowled, his jaw clenching as he cast a glance back at his soldiers. “Very well, then. Carry on, Lance Corporal. We’ll begin our advance at once.”

As Radiance flew back south, towards the secondary lines and High Command, Dawn reached down to his neck, withdrawing a small pendant, and tapped the blue gem set inside it. It began to sparkle, glowing faintly. Roam glanced at Dawn. “I hope Amber is all right. If the earth pony reserves are being called up, she might end up near the front lines.”

Dawn placed a hoof on his lieutenant’s shoulder reassuringly. “She’ll be acting as battlefield triage. They’re supposed to stay clear of the fighting, assisting the injured and pulling them clear. Amber will be fine.”

Roam nodded. “Thank you, sir.”

The two parted ways, and Dawn placed himself in the center of the leading formation, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with his fellow Unicorns. Their horns shimmered as one as they lifted heavy tower shields into place, both in front of and above their leading ranks, giving themselves and the ponies behind them come cover. Behind the lines of unicorns, Roam organized the earth ponies, all of whom gripped long spears.

“Ponies of the Seventh Canterlot Reserve…Advance!”

The formation of ponies maneuvered out from the cover of the hillside, pushing forward over the crest of the ridge and into the valley at a careful pace. Dawn watched from the slits between their raised shields as the griffons moved into a careful formation, skirmishing griffon warriors with crossbows advancing forward of their lines and snapping off shots at their advancing formation. Dawn shifted his shield, catching a crossbow bolt and deflecting it harmlessly away. A few resounding thuds rattled through the formation as the front ranks defended their fellows from the crossbow bolts.

“Here we go,” Dawn murmured as the gap between the two groups shrunk away.

Princess Celestia was inside her pavillion, sitting at the head of a massive floor map. She was dressed in silvery armor, worked with fine gold filigree in sunburst patterns. Her ethereal mane draped down her back, secured with two golden ringlets that kept the usually free-floating strands of her hair behind her. She staring down at the floor map as a unicorn mage animated it with a magic spell. The map was a glowing representation of the true terrain: rolling hills giving way to long, seaside bluffs and cliffs, and then a stretch of beach.

Blue lights, representing her captains, shimmered into being on the map as the captains in the field activated their magical location pendants, giving a stronger battlefield picture of the positioning of her troops. The unicorn mage focused, sweating, as a second mage joined him, adding another spell to his own. The blue lights began to shift to different colors, representing different units, as the High Captains began to discuss the unfolding strategy and point out which units were which. Finally, red points of light shimmered into being, representing the last-known locations of all the Griffon formations.

“The Fifth Manehattan Company is pushing forward too fast. Send a runner to tell them to halt and wait for the eastern advance to join them.”

“Sixth Canterlot Company is advancing steady.”

“Seventh Canterlot is moving as well. That’s the last of the western thrust. It’s officially begun.”

A pegasus commander moved into the tent. “Princess Celestia, Captains, all of my messengers are reporting ready status from the field. The Pegasus foot units are moving into position to join the front lines, and the reserves are standing ready.”

Princess Celestia gave the commander a curt nod. “Very well. I suppose it is time.”

Standing, Celestia spread her wings wide, her golden aura shimmering as she enacted a powerful spell. The air throughout the tent suddenly grew hot, almost feeling heavy. A few of the pegasus High Captains who had been hovering suddenly found themselves struggling to stay in the air, finally being forced to land as Celestia’s focus on the spell increased. The Princess grimaced slightly as she completed the spell, blanketing the area for miles around in a shroud of magic. She sat down again, maintaining the spell with little apparent exertion, and cracked her eyes open. “It is done. The gryphons are grounded, as are any flying creature. I hope it will be enough to give our brave ponies the edge in this battle.”

The High Commanders looked to Celestia expectantly. She nodded to them. “For Equestria.”

The call was echoed throughout the tent. “For Equestria and Celestia!”

The final push had begun.

Author's Note

A bit late, I suppose, but it's finally here: my second 30-day writing challenge. Get ready for a ride.

Clash

“We’re on top of them! Charge!”

As the space between the two formations closed down to mere feet, the unicorns in the fore halted, opening spaces in their formation, and the earth ponies behind them charged out to meet their foe. Fierce gryphon warriors screamed battle-cries and surged forward, discarding their crossbows in favor of claw-gauntlets and close combat weapons. The gryphon skirmishers pushed out to the sides, loosing crossbow bolts into the exposed sides of the formation, but the unicorns were maneuvering already to cover the flanks with their shields. Glorious Dawn deflected away another crossbow bolt before dropping his shield into one edge, slamming it into the dirt so it stuck, providing him with some cover from the flanking skirmishers.

Ahead, Roam led the charge into the gryphon formation, screaming wildly as he lowered his spear and dodged to the side, avoiding a slashing claw blade as he thrust forward into the front ranks of the gryphons. His spear tip skittered off the top edge of a gryphon’s breastplate, sliding up to bury itself in the warrior’s face. The rest of the earth ponies slammed into the formation with him, their charge giving them the force needed to punch through gryphon breastplates and armor. The front rank of gryphons found themselves skewered and stabbed, shattered by the ferocity of the initial charge.

The second rank of Gryphon warriors rushed forward, taking advantage of the momentary shift as the ponies found their spears stuck in screaming gryphons, and counter-attacked, leaping ferociously into the pony formation’s first and second rank, slashing with their wicked claws and weapons, biting and stabbing with beaks, and raking with their powerful back legs. The melee began in earnest as pony soldiers faced down ferocious gryphon soldiers. The structured front ranks of the formations broke down into swirling pockets of combat, though the rear lines of both groups held stoically, only pushing forward when opportunity presented itself.

Red Roam released his spear, leaving it embedded in his gurgling opponent, and grabbed his sabre, drawing it from his sheath just in time to face a pouncing gryphon warrior. Curved claw-blades clashed against his chainmail hauberk, the force of the blow staggering him to the left. He side-stepped away from a second slash and faced his opponent, turning slowly, his sabre held in his teeth. He felt movement to his rear and lashed out with his rear legs, his steel horseshoes shattering the beak of a gryphon behind him as it moved too close. The gryphon warrior ahead lunged just as Roam’s back legs touched down. Roam reared up, deflecting the first jabs and slashes with his sword and armored forelegs, lashing out and scoring a glancing hit with one bladed front horseshoe. The gryphon hissed, “Bastard!” as blood ran down the side of his face, a long cut across his brow.

Around Red Roam, ponies and gryphons fought ferociously. The gryphons were whirling dervishes, all speed and finesse, their attacks leaving brutal cuts and gashes. The ponies were slow and methodical, powerful and sturdy, fighting defensively unless opportunities presented themselves. Most ponies fought shoulder-to-shoulder with their fellows, covering one-another’s flanks as they battled, while the gryphons tended to engage singly. The earth ponies, however, were biding their time, for their battle hinged on the unicorns to their flanks engaging once the gryphon skirmishers were eliminated.

On the flanks, Glorious Dawn and his cohort of unicorns ducked behind their shields as the gryphon skirmishers took pot-shots at them with their deadly crossbows. Bolts thudded into the shields, and occasionally into pony flesh. Glorious Dawn leapt out from between two shields, spotting a reloading gryphon. His horn flashed and a pulse of arcane energy lanced out, hitting the gryphon in his armored side. The gryphon’s armor suddenly glowed red-hot, and he screamed as his feathers beneath his breastplate caught fire, combusting from contact with the superheated metal. The gryphon dropped to the ground as he burned alive inside his own armor, and Glorious Dawn leapt back. “How many are left?” he screamed over the din of battle, trying to ignore the piteous cries of his roasting enemy.

“Eight, sir!” called another unicorn.

“Good enough, we can mop them up after we’ve dealt with the main group! A few of you, stay on the flanks, keep the—” Glorious Dawn’s voice faltered as a crossbow bolt buried itself in the throat of a unicorn to his left, blood spraying across his front, but he swallowed hard and spoke louder, “—keep the pressure on those skirmishers! Unicorns, advance!”

The unicorns pushed into the fighting, leaving a few of their fellows behind to defend their flanks. Spells flashed, reaching across the battlefield as each unicorn utilized their own brand of combat-casting to their advantage. Gryphons found their legs entangled by rapidly-growing weeds, blinded by dazzling lights, or simply burnt, electrocuted, and frozen by those with battle-mage training.

Red Roam was hard pressed, fighting on the defensive as his opponent pushed him back a few steps with a ferocious assault, claw gauntlets raking and slicing, bruising him beneath his armor and leaving cuts where the chainmail was pierced. He grunted, clenching his teeth hard as he deflected a series of strikes, before he spun about, his rear legs lashing out in a powerful kick that shattered the clawed fingers of his opponent. The gryphon howled, stepping back and looking in horror at his mangled hand. Roam faced his opponent and pressed the attack.

The gryphon grew panicked, giving ground as Roam slashed, half of his hits now finding purchase as the gryphon’s mangled digits became a liability, slowing him down. Roam’s curved sabre suddenly found purchase in a joint between the gryphon’s breastplate and shoulder, and Roam drove the point of his weapon in hard, feeling the tip pierce padding and grind into flesh and bone. Roam pushed inward as the gryphon warrior gripped one taloned hand into his muzzle, trying to push him away, the claws digging into his nose and slashing hard. Roam was forced to pull his weapon back, but the damage had been done. The gryphon staggered as blood gushed from his armpit, soaking his side, his beak hanging open and panting. Roam spun about and delivered a solid buck to the gryphon’s chest, sending him sprawling into the dirt, mortally wounded.

Roam fell back, another pony from one of the ranks behind him moving up to engage a gryphon, and sneezed out blood, wiping one hoof across his nose and hissing in pain as the gashes across his muzzle burned in response to his prodding. He finally raised his gaze, looking to the melee as the unicorns and earth ponies pressed the attack, the advantage now on the side of the Equestrian forces.

The gryphons lost ground, their rear ranks falling back as their unit began to lose cohesion. Golden Dawn found himself standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a fellow battle-mage, their combined magics decimating any gryphon to come near. Golden Dawn’s superheating magic was used to deadly effect as he loosed it on Gryphon weapons and armor at critical moments. Gryphon warriors found themselves forced to discard clawed gauntlets and blades before they melted and fused to their boiling flesh, giving the ponies they were fighting the edge they needed to strike mortal blows. As the mages redoubled their efforts, the gryphons finally broke, the whole formation falling apart as they made a run for the north and the safety of their secondary lines. The ponies pursued, stabbing retreating gryphons in the back and running them down, causing more casualties to their enemies in their desperation to flee.

Golden Dawn drew himself up, focusing a spell that caused his voice to boom loudly over the din of the fight. “Hold the advance! Fall back!”

The ponies giving chase halted, retreating back to their own formation, allowing the remaining gryphons to escape.

Glorious Dawn surveyed the battlefield as his ponies returned and began the grim work of mopping up their dying or wounded opponents and caring for their own casualties. Many wounded or crippled gryphons refused to give up, fighting to the bitter end, though a few still heeded the calls to surrender; many were too badly injured to fight. The din of battle was replaced by a more awful sound: the dying and injured, crying and sobbing.

Glorious Dawn exhaled slowly as the adrenaline began to ebb, and he signaled to a nearby unicorn. “Signal for the healers. This fight is won.”

The unicorn raced to the rear of the formation, disappearing in the crowd. Golden Dawn sat down slowly, gritting his teeth as he made a weak effort to wipe the blood off his tabard, then gave a resigned grunt. He lifted his head as a dancing flurry of lights appeared over his soldier’s heads, regarding the display without emotion.

Crimson

Glorious Dawn stood up slowly, wincing as he got to his hooves. The fight was over, the formation breaking apart as they grouped up, licking their wounds and tending to their injured comrades as best they could while waiting for the healers to arrive. Dawn drew his sword, using the tip of the weapon to prod a nearby griffon that was slumped in a pool of blood. He gave a gentle poke, then a harder one. The griffon lurched upright suddenly, screaming through a shattered beak and lunging forward, pain-crazed and half-dead. Dawn leapt back with a shout. “Surrender!”

The griffon either didn’t hear Dawn’s command or didn’t heed his words, claws flashing as he swiped at the nimble unicorn. Dawn reared up on his back legs, battering aside the clumsy attacks with his front horseshoes. His telekinesis spun his sword in a careful arc, sliding around the thrashing griffon’s gorget and plunging hard into his neck. The griffon’s head jerked, eyes widening briefly before rolling up into the top of his head, and he sprawled forward into the dirt. Dawn withdrew his blade from the griffon’s neck and winced at the crimson streaks staining his blade. He grasped one edge of the griffon’s tattered tabard and cleaned the weapon off on it, shaking his head.

Around him, the ponies accounted for their casualties, voices raising in anger and pain as they discovered fallen comrades.

“Archer! Archer! Celestia damn you, get up!”

“He’s gone, Sole, leave him be. The healers will come to collect him.”

Glorious Dawn searched for his lieutenant, finding Red Roam crouched in the dirt, bandages pressed hard against the gut of a wounded soldier. His voice was calm and full of surety as he spoke to the whimpering pony. “Don’t worry, Grass Seed, you’ll be all right. Th’ healers will be coming, and they’ll set you right.”

“I-It hurts… oh, Celestia, it hurts so bad, Red!” the light green earth pony gasped, tears streaming down his muzzle as he clutched his hooves over Red’s own, helping staunch his own bleeding.

“I know. I’m sorry, but there’s nothing else I can do.”

Grass Seed trembled, panting for breath. Glorious Dawn glanced to Roam, who gave him a curt nod. “We won, captain.”

Glorious Dawn swallowed hard. “That we did… I’ll see to the rest of the men. The healers should be here soon.”

Roam turned back to the shaking Grass Seed. The green pony moaned softly. “Am I… gonna die?”

Roam chuckled. “Nope. You’ll be right as rain, soon enough.”

Glorious Dawn strode away from his lieutenant, looking over the battlefield. A group of earth ponies and unicorns approached, leading three griffons ahead of their prodding sword points. “Prisoners, sir.”

Dawn nodded wearily, his horn giving off a light yellow glow as he withdrew a small notebook, quill, and ink from a pouch on his side. “Names?”

The griffons stared at him stoically, none speaking. An earth pony slammed a forehoof hard into one black-feathered griffon’s side, staggering the prisoner. “The Captain asked you a question!”

“Sage, stand down,” said Dawn, his eyes narrowing in consternation. “You know we don’t treat prisioners harshly.”

“He killed Shimmerspark, sir!” Sage retorted, bristling and shaking in place.

“I’m female, you jackass!” spat the griffon.

“Enough!” Dawn shouted, one hoof stomping the dirt emphatically. “Give me your names, prisoners!”

“Eat dung, horselips,” growled another griffon.

Dawn rolled his eyes. “Fine, you don’t give me your names, I don’t care. You’ll be unnamed, rotting bits of chicken flesh in some dungeon, and no griffon will even know what happened to you. Your families will believe you dead, and you’ll be serving life sentences without possibility of any negotiation for your release.”

The gryphons glanced at each other, growing silent. Dawn continued. “I need your names because Princess Celestia sends a list of captured gryphon warriors and officers to your leaders every month, updating it as necessary. She hoped to utilize prisoner exchanges to achieve some common ground and open up negotiations for peace. So, if you’d rather waste away in some hole in the ground for the rest of your natural lives, be my guests. Take them to the rear and guard them, I’ll—”

“Silvia.”

Dawn paused, glancing to the prisoners. “I didn’t catch that.”

The black-feathered female griffon spoke up. “Silvia Suntalon, of Clan Suntalon.”

The other two gawked at the griffoness, and she glared at them. After a moment, they spoke as well.

“Gerard Berhertz, of Clan Suntalon.”

“Mortos Thule, of Clan Suntalon.”

Dawn glanced to Silvia. “You must be a noble, to share a surname with a clan name.”

“I am third daughter of Clan Suntalon,” Sylvia responded.

“Very good,” Dawn muttered, writing down the names swiftly and tearing out the page before handing it to Sage. “Take this to give to the guards escorting the healers. They should be here soon, make sure the transfer goes smoothly.”

Sage took the page, grumbling, and the group of prisoners and soldiers moved towards the south to await the healers. Dawn turned to look south as well, noting an approaching group of ponies. The healers had arrived, bearing stretchers and carrying bags of potions and strong medicines to tend to the wounded. He broke into a trot, meeting the guard column at the head of the group. “You’re late.”

“There are many more battles being fought than your own, Captain,” responded the soldier at the head of the column, a unicorn mare with pink fur and a cyan mane.

“I have many casualties and injured soldiers, and three prisoners to transfer. Sage Brush will assist you with the prisoners. Who’s the leader of the healers?”

A golden-coated earth pony mare with a crimson mane stepped forward, smiling. “Hello, Captain Glorious Dawn.”

Dawn’s eyes widened, and his ears laid flat. “Amber!”

Amber nodded, “Surprised? You’d better not be upset to see me because something happened to Roam.”

“No, he’s fine… I was just startled. You were promoted?” asked Dawn, stepping forward.

Amber smirked. “Yep. No more triage for me, I’m a bona-fide healer. Small talk later, sugar, lead me t’ your wounded.”

Triage

“You’ll be alright, Grass Seed. The healers are here.”

Red Roam slid another wad of fresh bandages over the wound, keeping the pressure on Grass Seed’s bleeding gut. Around the area, the calm voices of the healers began to make their presence known as they assisted the wounded.

“Severe lacerations, here. Get me some potions, we need to get these cleaned and closed.”

“Bring more bandages, we need to get this joint immobilized before we try to move him.”

“This one is pretty bad, she’ll need to be moved carefully to not cause further injury.”

There was no shouting, just efficiency and economy of movement. The healers didn’t fumble, never shied away from the brutal injuries they faced. Red Roam shot a tight-lipped smile to a white-maned pegasus stallion wearing the white tabard of the healers as he approached. “Grass Seed here’s been stabbed in the gut. I can’t seem t’ get the bleedin’ to stop.”

The pegasus knelt down next to Red Roam, moving his hooves away from the wound. He lifted the bandages and frowned at the hole in Grass Seed’s belly, leaning in close and sniffing it carefully. “He might have more severe internal damage that we can’t see. We’ll need to get him back to the hospital tents, the unicorns there will be able to properly assess him. Help me get this bandage secured around his middle and get him to a stretcher.”

“Yup,” murmured Roam, sitting back and helping to lift the moaning Grass Seed as the doctor wrapped a bandage around his midsection tightly, securing a folded bundle of clean cloth against the wound and finally tightening the whole setup to maintain pressure on the wound. Grass Seed groaned, panting slightly as Roam gently moved him into position on a stretcher offered by another pony.

“Help me lift.”

Roam nodded, getting Grass Seed’s lower legs and hips. “One, two, three.”

They carefully lifted Grass Seed onto the stretcher. Roam smirked at the shaking Grass Seed. “You’ll be all right, Seedy.”

“T-Thanks, Roam,” whispered Grass Seed.

Roam’s eyes lifted to the pony that’d helped him move Grass Seed, only to pause, his mouth dropping open.

Amber smiled at Roam. “Hey there.”

“A-Amber!” Red Roam lunged forward, wrapping his hooves around the golden-coated mare in a fierce hug.

Amber laughed, returning the hug. “Yeah, y’ big lug, I missed you too.”

Roam laughed, his shoulders shaking, before holding her out at arm’s length, smiling at her. “You look prettier than… somethin’.”

Amber snorted. “That’s the best y’ got for your wife?”

“Nope.”

Lunging forward, he caught her muzzle in his front hooves, lifting her chin up gently to meet his lips as he kissed her passionately. They stood like that for several seconds, before Amber pulled away, giggling. “All right, that’s better.”

“What’re you doin’ out here, Amber? And why’re you wearing a healer’s tabard?” asked Roam, noticing the white garment.

“I was promoted. Showed ‘above average proficiency in basic battlefield triage. I’m the point pony for this group,” Amber said, gesturing to the rest of the medical ponies as they worked.

“Ah,” Roam intoned, his ears flicking back slightly.

“Don’t you ‘ah’ me, mister. I’ll be fine. Matter of fact, I’ve got a job to do,” Amber said, trotting towards another healer that was gesturing to her.

“Amber, this one is still alive…” murmured the earth pony healer, a young mare.

Amber stepped around the pony, looking down at his charge: a gryphon. The large gryphon was bleeding from multiple wounds, and his chestplate was caved inward, two horseshoe marks showing on the metal in an obscenely cartoonish manner. Amber winced, moving in close to listen at the Gryphon’s bloody beak. The soft whistle of shallow breath greeted her sensitive ears, and she leaned away. “Still alive. Get that armor off, let’s assess.”

The mare shook her head. “I can’t, the metal’s too badly damaged.”

“He’s bleeding under there. We need to stop that, or he’ll die.”

Roam stepped closer, looking over the Gryphon. The mangled claw, the dented chestplate… Roam frowned, reaching forward to grip near the Gryphon’s neck.

“Roam, what are you—!”
With a grunt, Roam snapped the leather straps securing the chestplate’s front, and with a swift tug pulled the damaged armor aside. The oozing wound on the gryphon’s shoulder was curving and deep, and Roam stared at it for a moment before stepping away.

Amber lifted the Gryphon’s limp shoulder, wincing at the savage stab wound, and grabbed bandages and a potion from her saddlebags. The potion was poured over the damaged area, bubbling and hissing, and then the bandage was pressed hard in place, staunching the flow of blood. The earth pony mare assisting Amber saw to the other injuries with calm efficiency, ignoring smaller cuts in favor of more serious injuries. Bandages were applied liberally, covering more serious wounds, and the mangled right talons were carefully splinted.

“He tried t’ kill me,” murmured Roam softly.

Amber froze for a moment, slowly turning to look at Roam. Roam’s face was impassive, simply staring at the gryphon. She frowned slightly, before turning back to the gryphon, studying the sharply curved beak, the blood-spattered white feathers of his crest, and then went back to work, securing bandages in place. Finally, she pulled a long leather strap out from her bags. With care, she tucked the gryphon’s wings into a folded position, and wrapped the strap around his chest and wings, tightening the strap into place to hold in the wings. “They tend to open their wings up if they wake up and feel threatened. This keeps them secure and prevents them from hurting themselves,” Amber said, not looking at Roam.

Roam nodded. “Smart. Who thought that up?”

“I did. Like any critter, they tend to get…” Amber trailed off, searching for a word.

“Ornery?” ventured Roam.

Amber nodded. “Yeah. Gotta be careful. They’d lash out, so I figured securing their wings before they woke up made sense.”

“Attagirl,” Roam said, leaning down to kiss his mare between her ears, before turning away to search for Glorious Dawn.

Report

Glorious Dawn began organizing his ponies as the healers did their work, pulling his soldiers away from their hurt comrades with reassuring words. After a few minutes, they were gathered in a large circle around him. Red Roam joined Dawn in the middle of the group.

Glorious Dawn closed his eyes, exhaling slowly. “Sound off as I call for you. Always Alert?”

“Sir.”

“Able Body?”

“Sir!”

“Breeze Bender?”

“Captain!”

Red Roam silently observed the ritual. Glorious Dawn’s voice rang out, calling the names of his soldiers from memory. Many answered. Some, however, never responded. Glorious Dawn’s role call finished after several minutes, and he opened his eyes, looking over his stallions and mares. They stared expectantly back. After a moment, Glorious Dawn moved away, going to Amber. “Amber, I’ve got thirteen missing ponies. I need to check the stretchers, see who you’re taking.”

Amber gestured to the stretchers. Eight of them were covered with white sheets, denoting ponies the healers had been unable to save, or were too late to help. Five living but badly hurt ponies looked up from their places, pained eyes looking to their Captain. Glorious Dawn moved among them for a moment, touching a shoulder there, smiling encouragingly there, as he spoke every soldier’s name.

“Grass Seed, be well.”

“I’ll t-try, sir.”

“Rusty Nail, be well.”

“Sir.”

“Low Tide, be well.”

“I’m sorry, Captain.”

“Nothing to apologise for.”

The Captain moved away from the wounded ponies after speaking to each one in turn, walking slowly to the fatalities. He lifted each sheet, staring down at the unmoving form beneath, before leaning down and murmuring something over each deceased pony’s head. A few minutes later, he returned to Amber. “Thank you. Take care of my ponies.”

“You take care of Red, Captain,” said Amber solemnly. “I saw those cuts on his muzzle. They’ll look dashing after they’ve scarred over, I’m sure, but I’d rather not see any more missing bits of his hide, sir.”

“I’ll do my best. You know how he is,” Dawn replied, before returning to the group of soldiers.

Glorious Dawn faced his remaining men. “Eight dead, five out of the fight. We’re down to sixty, but—Celestia willing—that will be enough. I’ll speak to you all once I know more about how the wider battle goes. Until then, be at ease. Let’s push to the top of the hill and then stop there. Roam, post a few sentries, and everypony rest while you can. Orders will be coming soon. Seventh Canterlot Reserve, move out.”

Glorious Dawn watched his men as they moved slowly for the crest of the hill they had so fiercely fought for, Red Roam briefly trotting over to Amber to exchange a few words before the healers left for the rear. He followed his soldiers, Roam ambling up alongside him a few moments later. “Get those sentries posted, and try not to get shot by some sneaky griffon with a crossbow. Your wife wouldn't ever forgive me.”

Roam smirked. “Yep.”

Glorious Dawn watched his lieutenant organize a few of his men into sentries as they reached the top of the hill. Dawn finally sat down at the edge of the impromptu encampment, surveying the battlefield from this slightly higher vantage point. The surrounding rolling hills blocked much of his line of sight, but he began to see banners—Equestrian Military Banners— raising up atop the surrounding hillsides. The fight seemed to be going well. He looked North, to the bluffs before the ocean. The hilltops had been nothing but skirmishing fights, the first line of defense. The bluffs were a different story: wooden palisades and ramparts covered the area, and lines of griffon warriors maneuvered into position, preparing to defend their heavily fortified position. Straggling groups of defeated warriors streamed into the fortified area from many directions, filtering in from the East and West.

He heard the sound of galloping hooves, and turned South. A familiar pegasus mare wearing a red tabard approached, cyan wings pulled in tight to her sides as she ran at an impressive speed towards him. Dawn stay seated, waiting as the mare slid to a halt before him. She snapped off a salute. “Captain Glorious Dawn!”

“Lance Corporal Radiance. At ease, rest a moment. You look like you’ve been running hard.”

The pegasus mare flopped over, panting, and rolled onto her back, her wings flopping open and her legs splaying out. “Augh! T-Thank you, sir. You've got no idea, sir.”

“I’ll bet,” Glorious Dawn chuckled, watching the mare as she caught her breath.

Radiance glanced up at Dawn from her upside-down position, and Dawn regarded her evenly. She blushed, rolling onto her stomach and tucking her hooves under her, stammering a soft, “Sorry, sir!”

“Not to worry. Report, Lance Corporal.”

Radiance nodded, focusing, and began to speak. “The Eastern front has stalled out in a few places where the enemy forces had had more time to dig in and prepare defensible positions, but they’re mopping up the remaining pockets of resistance and clearing the enemy. The Western front was a rout, sir, our forces pushing out the griffons handily and suffering fewer than anticipated casualties…”

Radiance’s voice trailed off, and she glanced around. “H-how’d things go for you?”

“We lost eight, and five more were too seriously hurt to carry on. There are about a dozen injured but able soldiers, and the rest are relatively unscathed,” stated Glorious Dawn, his voice growing slightly strained.

“Sorry, I just… this is my first assignment,” Radiance said quietly, her eyes locked on Glorious Dawn’s tabard.

Dawn glanced down, following her gaze, and noted the streaks of blood spattering his tabard. He frowned at the stains, and looked back up to Radiance. “What are our orders?”

“Ah! Right, sorry. Orders are to link up with the Fourth Canterlot Company to your East, combining your forces, and await further orders. The High Command advises that the griffons may attempt a counter-attack within a few hours, just to keep us on our hooves, sir.”

“Anything else, Lance Corporal?” asked Dawn, looking East to the banners of the Fourth Company.

“No, sir. Do you have any messages you’d like to relay?” Radiance said, getting to her hooves in anticipation of moving once more.

“Yes. Inform the High Command that our effective Company strength is down to sixty. Forty earth ponies and twenty unicorns. I’m recommending that the Seventh Reserve should be linked with the Fourth Company for the remainder of the battle, or until reinforcements are available for us to return to a more effective strength,” Glorious Dawn said, standing up as well and saluting the runner.

Radiance returned the salute. “By your leave, sir!”

“Be careful, Radiance. Gryphons are known to try to capture runners. Stay fast and safe.”

Radiance smirked slightly. “Like they could ever catch me.”

Glorious Dawn chuckled grimly, dropping the salute. “I have faith that they won’t.”

Radiance dropped her own salute and sprinted away to the South, leaving Glorious Dawn alone.

Author's Note

Here's a bonus chapter for today. The previous chapter was supposed to be posted on the 6th, but I derped up and forgot to submit the chapter, so you get an extra chapter to enjoy a little ahead of schedule.

Assess

Princess Celestia sat stiffly in her seat at the head of the floor map, watching as runners reported in and the battlefield picture updated to reflect the status of her army. Finally, the map began to update, Celestia sitting forward in her seat to watch.

“Casualty reports are coming through from the healers and the tents. The Western front suffered relatively few casualties, though considering the next phase of the push it’s still a sound plan to combine a few of the companies in preparation for assaulting the more fortified bluffs. Overall, the numbers we’re seeing in terms of casualties are favorable.”

Celestia nodded to the voice, her eyes never leaving the map. Numbers began to shift and update to reflect current force strengths, and Celestia quietly watched until the numbers stopped changing. She sat still for a moment before leaning back into her seat heavily.

“Four hundred and thirty seven,” she said, voice small and soft.

The room grew silent for a moment, and a general turned to Celestia. “Princess?”

“Four hundred and thirty seven ponies killed or too seriously wounded to fight,” Celestia stated again.

“That’s… that’s correct, Your Highness,” murmured one of the mages controlling the map’s magics.

“Four hundred and thirty seven ponies is not favorable,” Celestia said, her voice growing more intense, “nor is it acceptable. Do you know what numbers are favorable, commanders?”

“N-no, Your Highness.”

“No, Majesty.”

“Princess, we—”

Princess Celestia’s hoof stomped hard against the throne, her golden horseshoe sending sparks flying from the intensity of the contact. “What numbers are favorable, commanders, are none.”

There was silence in the pavillion. Celestia spoke again, a quiet rage filling her normally soft words. “This war has gone on for six months. Six months of hearing about ‘acceptable losses’ and ‘anticipated casualties’ and every platitude that has been echoed throughout time, but nopony seems to understand that there is no such thing as an acceptable loss. There are no favorable numbers but zero.”

“I have seen war. I know the realities of the situation we face. But never think to marginalize what those ponies there are doing,” Celestia gestured away from the map, to the open flap of the tent where daylight streamed in. “Out there, they are not numbers. They are your friends and family and neighbors.”

“Princess… would you like us to call off the assault?” stammered a sub-commander.

“No. Though I hate myself for saying it, this battle will save lives in the long run. If we succeed today, the war is over,” Celestia said solemnly. "My resolve is steeled, and my forces committed."

She looked down to the map, considering the position of her army and the enemy forces. After a moment, she stood up, stepping into the shimmering expanse of the map, and began indicating points on the terrain. “Deploy reserves here, here, and here. Pull in the Royal Guard unit defending this encampment and deploy them here, and send my honor guard with them to bolster their numbers. Inform all of our soldiers that when the sun falls, we begin the assault on the bluffs.”

The generals reflexively glanced at the sky, noting the position of the sun, but Celestia spoke again. “Night will come in two hours. I will lower the sun and raise the moon, and we will attack with the cover of darkness to aid the assault.”

The tent grew briefly silent, before one of the mages spoke up, “Majesty, you can’t possibly maintain the spell preventing flight and move the celestial bodies simultaneously! You will overtax yourself and—”

Celestia laughed softly, reaching a hoof out and touching the mage’s shoulder. “Your concern is touching, but I assure you that this is not the first time I’ve done something difficult.”

Stepping into the map, Celestia began to outline her strategy, adjusting as her Generals chimed in with pertinent advice and suggestions. After twenty minutes of careful work, she nodded. “It is done. Send the runners. Let us finish what the griffons began.”

Celestia stepped back to her throne, sitting down slowly and closing her eyes, blocking out the noise and the hustle around her until all was quiet, save for the hum between her ears of the Grounding Spell she was holding together. She felt the gentle strain, the tax on her magics, and carefully considered her plan.

The cover of night would help. Fewer ponies would die, and the surprise of the sudden darkness would leave the griffons disorganized and susceptible.

“This will help,” Celestia whispered to herself. “Your time will come, but for now, trust your brave little ponies.”

Muster

The Seventh Canterlot Reserve Company moved East, following the contours of the hills and staying out of sight of the enemy battlements as much as possible, trying their best to hide their shifting position. Glorious Dawn trotted at a quick pace, leading his soldiers towards Fourth Company’s position. It took them twenty minutes at a fast pace to reach the other, larger company.

Glorious Dawn called a halt, the column of soldiers following him stopping, and moved forward to meet a large grey earth pony stallion with a black mane approaching him. “Captain Glorious Dawn, good to see you’ve made it through in one piece,” the deep voice of the stallion rang out.

“Major Stonewall, sir!” Glorious Dawn snapped off a salute to the superior officer.

Major Stonewall returned the salute. “What’s your unit’s status?”

“Sixty ponies, sir. Twenty unicorns and forty earth ponies. We lost thirteen in our last engagement and a further eleven are injured but able.”

“I assume that you requested to be attached to the Fourth until such a time as reinforcements become available and you can replenish your force’s numbers?” asked Stonewall, glancing back to regard the small company behind Glorious Dawn.

“Yes, sir. I felt it was appropriate.”

“Very good. You’ll be a welcome addition. Things are going to get ugly when we hit those fortified positions, and we’ll need every able-bodied pony to make it through,” Stonewall said sharply.

Dawn nodded. “Thank you, sir. What are my orders?”

“Bolster our assault. We’ll need your casters assisting our shield wall as we approach, to keep those damned crossbows off our ponies. I want your unit on the left flank of my formation, right alongside. We’ll advance as one, but once we’re inside, I want your ponies to hold the rear and cover our backsides while we push in to take any targets of opportunity and push out their dug in forces at the palisade beyond their forward position,” said Stonewall, his voice growing slightly quieter as he outlined the plan.

“That sounds—” began Dawn, only to be interrupted by calls from the rear of the formation.

“Runner incoming!”

Stonewall and Glorious Dawn turned South, watching the approaching pony wearing the red tabard of the runners. Dawn recognized the runner as Radiance, and spoke up. “That’s the runner for my unit, sir.”

“She can report to both of us, then,” said Stonewall, a small smirk crossing his features as he added, “She’s fast for a grounded pegasus.”

“That she is, sir,” Dawn agreed, stepping forward and waving to get Radiance’s attention.

The pegasus veered their way and skidded to a halt, her wings flaring open slightly before she snapped off a salute. “Captain Glorious Dawn, sir!”

“Lance Corporal Radiance. May I introduce Major Stonewall, commanding officer of the Fourth Canterlot Company,” Dawn gestured to Major Stonewall.

Radiance shifted her salute, straightening up slightly as her eyes widened. “Apologies, Major, sir!”

Major Stonewall returned the salute. “Not to worry. Report, Lance Corporal.”

“Orders from Her Highness, Princess Celestia, herself. She will be lowering the sun in approximately an hour and a half, giving our forces the cover of darkness to begin the assault. You are to hold your position until the sun goes down, and the immediately begin the attack on the bluffs to the North. There is a full contingent of Royal Guard being deployed to your West, and they will be pushing North alongside your forces. You are to assist them if requested, but unless requested you’ll be following whatever plan of attack you see fit.”

Stonewall and Dawn glanced at each other, startled. “She’s going to lower the sun? Isn’t she holding the anti-flight field around the area?” murmured Glorious Dawn

“Our Princess is powerful, indeed,” said Stonewall, seemingly unphased by the change of plans, as he spoke quickly to Dawn. “Very well, we attack in an hour and a half. Captain, muster your troops and inform them of the plan, and prepare for a nighttime assault. We should take advantage of the darkness as much as possible, so we’ll forgo the use of magic and advance as quietly as possible. Hold your unicorns in reserve until the last possible moment, to keep the glow of their spells from giving away our movements.”

Glorious Dawn saluted. “Yes, sir!”

Radiance stood at attention. “Major, is there anything you need to relay?”

Stonewall shook his head. “No, simply inform High Command that our orders are acknowledged.”

Radiance saluted smartly. “Best of luck, sirs.”

“Thank you, Lance Corporal,” said Dawn as Major Stonewall turned and gathered his soldiers.

Radiance subtly relaxed as Major Stonewall moved away, glancing at Glorious Dawn. “Captain, anything else?”

Dawn smiled and replied, “No, thank you, Radiance. Inform High Command that we’ve linked with Fourth Company and are now under the command of Major Stonewall.”

“Stay safe, Captain,” Radiance said quietly, “those fortified positions look nasty, even with darkness on your side. I don’t envy you.”

Glorious Dawn looked to the North, eyeing the bluffs and the daunting palisades. “I don’t envy me, either. We’ll make it work, Lance Corporal. Celestia willing, we’ll make it work.”

Dependable

“I’m off, sir. Best of luck,” Radiance snapped off a salute and turned to leave.

Glorious Dawn held up a hoof, his mouth opening briefly before closing again. He lowered his hoof slowly and spoke in measured tones, “Be safe, Radiance.”

“You too, Captain… Dawn,” Radiance replied, casting him a small smile over her shoulder as she galloped South.

Glorious Dawn watched her until she disappeared around the edge of a hill, before he turned to look at his ponies. They were gathered together, most lying down and resting, a few checking the bandages of their slightly more worse for wear companions. The group was mostly silent, a few hushed conversations being carried out in places, but for the most part they were taking advantage of the momentary lull. Red Roam stood up and approached Glorious Dawn at a slow pace. “What are our orders?”

“Princess Celestia is going to lower the sun in an hour and a half, and we’ll make our attack with the cover of night. Major Stonewall wants us to reinforce his left flank, and then once we push past the front lines we’re to form a rearguard and cover his unit while they push into the palisades and capture them,” said Glorious Dawn, his eyes drifting away from his lieutenant to look North as he spoke.

Red Roam’s eyes widened and his ears flattened as he glanced towards the imposing earthworks and palisades. “That’s… mighty dangerous. We’re under strength, so if the griffons send reinforcements our way…”

“We’d be in for a fight, yes. There’s a unit of Royal Guard deploying to our immediate West, so they’re likely to draw a lot of attention away from us, but they can’t be relied upon to assist us. They’ve likely got their own orders that they’re following,” stated Glorious Dawn quietly.

“What do we tell the company, Captain?” asked Roam.

“I… I don’t know. We’ve got our part to play in this fight, but to leave an under strength unit behind to act as a rear guard, when they’re the most likely to be hit by reinforcing enemy units?” Dawn shook his head and sat down heavily.

Roam placed a hoof on Dawn’s shoulder. “We’ll be alright.”

Dawn chuckled, his voice tired. “What makes you say that?”

“Because you’ll figure it out. You always have,” Roam replied gently.

Dawn looked up, meeting the red-gold eyes of his lieutenant. “I don’t know why you trust me with such certainty, Roam.”

“Because you’re always honest with the company. Y’ never mince words, always say what you mean. That’s something that I can appreciate,” Roam said with certainty, though a hint of mirth entered his voice as he added, “Though you could stand to be a little less morose, it makes your ponies nervous.”

Dawn chuckled. “You’re the honest one, Roam…” his voice grew quieter, as he continued to speak. “It’s a joy having you here, though I wish we were anywhere else, not fighting for our lives and country.”

“So do I,” Roam murmured, straightening up and looking towards the company of resting ponies. “Want me to lay it out for them?”

“No, no. It’s my duty. Thank you, Red Roam. You are as dependable as always,” said Glorious Dawn as he stood up, straightening his tabard and stretching his legs briefly before trotting towards the company.

Red Roam turned towards the South, listening to Glorious Dawn’s strong voice as he explained the company’s orders to his ponies. His eyes traveled over the curving hills, covered in dusty patches of earth and scrub grass, with the occasional stand of trees adding some green to the land. He glanced up at the sun, noting it’s position in the cloudy sky, and then looked North, above the battlements of his enemy to the ocean. Dark clouds were forming out to sea, but Roam didn’t worry. Rain was always welcome, despite how it slowed down the Equestrian war machine and made everypony miserable. For him, it was a symbol, a covenant between the ponies and the land. It revived and refreshed everything, leaving the land clean. He worked in the rain often, back home. He and Amber.

His eyes moved back to the South, towards the camps and his beloved wife, and he felt a sense of peace. She was out of harm’s way, helping ponies, working hard. In a way, he rationalized, so was he.

“For Equestria,” he murmured beneath a quiet breath, and moved to rejoin the Seventh Canterlot Reserve Company.

Trauma

“We need more bandages over here!”

“Keep the pressure on it, push!”

“Get this one closed up, we’ve done all we can.”

“She’s out, get the saw!”

Behind the lines, the hospital tents were a place of frantic action as badly wounded ponies were brought in from the front. Doctors, nurses, apothecaries, and healers worked in tandem, tending to the hurt, injured, and dying soldiers that came through their tents. Amber herself assisted, moving patients with calm efficiency from place to place, using her strong back and surehooved steps to ferry her charges with little to no bumping or jostling. The gasping cries of the injured filled the air, adding to the noise of the stressed medical workers shouting for assistance or supplies.

Amber had finished moving an unconscious pony into a vacant cot when a nurse grabbed her by the tail, tugging urgently. “Hey! We need an extra pair of hooves, and you’re it!”

Amber yelped, spinning around, before nodding sharply and trotting to the nearest basin of soap and clean water. She cleaned off her hooves and muzzle carefully before dashing back into the hospital tent’s trauma center. The floors were covered with reed mats that were soaking up the spilled fluids of the doctor’s work, leaving them swollen and slick. Earth pony and unicorn orderlies moved rapidly, replacing mats as swiftly as they could with clean coverings, but they were shorthooved, leaving them in a constant losing race to maintain some sense of sterility.

Amber searched the area, before she saw the nurse that had called her in and trotted over, ducking around working ponies and slipping past more soldiers being brought in. The nurse glanced at her white tabard briefly. “Battlefield trauma training?”

“Certified three days ago,” Amber replied quickly.

“Good enough, get over here,” the nurse gestured to a nearby table where a unicorn doctor was working over a soldier.

Amber stepped up to the table and reared up on her back legs to free up her front hooves and get a better look at what she was doing. “Doctor, what can I—”

The unicorn interrupted her, “Bandages over there, I need somepony to keep pressure down by her left side and stabilize the crossbow bolt there while I work on cleaning up this spear wound.”

Amber looked down to the soldier on the table, grimacing slightly as she noted the crossbow bolt stuck deep in the wounded mare’s side, secured by a few carefully wrapped bandages. Blood was seeping through the cloth, pooling around her flank. Amber ignored the second wound, an ugly hole in the mare’s upper torso, and quickly began mopping up the blood and packing several fresh bandages around the wound. She worked on wrapping the bandages in circular patterns around the bolt, building them up higher and stabilizing the shaft. She glanced up as the doctor worked swiftly, cleaning around the spear wound and then carefully cutting it a little wider, probing in with magic and a few tools to examine the injury. He gestured with a flick of his eyes. “Blue potion on the table. Quickly.”

Amber reached out and grabbed the blue potion off of the small table to her right, bringing it closer as the doctor examined deeper into the wound. His magic captured the bottle as she brought it close enough, the cork popping away and a few drops of the blue liquid dripping into the open wound. The doctor worked mechanically, shifting through the injury, dripping the blue potion into it strategically. Amber noticed the blood seeping from the wound begin to lessen. The doctor glanced up to Amber. “What’s our mare’s status?”

Amber reached a hoof up to the mare’s neck, finding her pulse. “Weak pulse, breathing shallow.”

“Small red vial. Pour the whole thing into her mouth and make her swallow it.”

Amber did as she was told, pouring the red potion into the pony’s mouth and massaging her throat gently to force the unconscious mare to reflexively swallow the small bit of liquid. Amber waited a few moments, one hoof on the mare’s neck, before she felt the mare’s pulse quicken slightly. “More stable, her pulse is getting stronger.”

“Good. Hold that bolt.”

“It’s secured, I’ve got pressure on it.”

The unicorn didn’t acknowledge her statement, his eyes narrow as his horn’s glow intensified. He began removing instruments from the wound as a needle and thread flowed into the air and began to stitch the injury closed. He poured a small amount more of the blue potion onto the wound once it was shut, using the tip of his hoof to gently rub it into the tightly stitched injury. The bleeding had all but stopped, and he gestured to Amber. “Get this covered. I’ll work on the crossbow bolt.”

Amber and the doctor switched places, and the doctor unwrapped the bolt carefully as Amber put fresh bandages over the stitches. She exhaled slowly, some of the stress leaving her, and the doctor glanced up at her. "New?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, don't relax yet. You're doing good, but we've got at least another dozen soldiers to see to before we're done. Go grab some fresh bandages for me."

Amber nodded, smiling slightly at the praise, and went to go get some more supplies.

Nightfall

Glorious Dawn watched the sun, chewing on his lower lip, waiting for it to move. Nearly an hour and a half had passed since they had received their orders, and the Seventh Reserve had formed up on the left flank of the Fourth Company. The unicorns had strapped their large shields to their backs, tightening them down and securing them carefully. They were going to be advancing in the dark, going for a silent approach to the enemy lines, and they couldn’t risk losing any essential gear or using magic. Auras would be far too visible to enemy snipers in the dark, making the unicorns easy targets to be picked off.

Red Roam stepped up beside Glorious Dawn, glancing up at the sky before turning his gaze upon his commanding officer. “Any minute now.”

Dawn nodded. “We stick to Major Stonewall’s plan. With any luck, that Royal Guard unit to the West will draw the enemy’s attention away from us while we act as rear guard.”

Red Roam looked West, to the gleaming gold armored phalanx of the Royal Guard unit that stood several hundred yards away. They had formed up in tight ranks, eyes fixed to the North, and their commander paced before them at the head of their formation. Roam looked to the combined forces of the Seventh and Fourth Companies, chuckling at their loose formation and less tidy ranks. They wouldn’t need much in the way of formation movement, because once the darkness fell it would be a rush across the open ground to the fortifications to the North.

Major Stonewall stepped forward just as the sun began to move.

Celestia stood outside her pavillion, her wings spread wide as her magical aura exploded outward, ethereal winds whipping at her mane and feathers. Her horn, already maintaining one spell, glowed brightly as Celestia drew on her strength. The sun resisted her grasp, the celestial body unused to such rapid movement, but Celestia persevered. Finally, after straining and sweating for several minutes, the sun shifted and began a stately glide down from the sky. The clouds overhead tinted rapidly, a whirlwind of shifting colors as the light shifted rapidly and filtered through the atmosphere.

Major Stonewall’s voice carried over the soldiers as the sun shifted through the sky, adding an air of gravitas to his words. “This is it, my ponies. This is the end of the gryphon invasion. This is when we push them off equestrian soil, into the sea. First the bluffs, then the beaches. Their unprovoked hostility ends today.”

Celestia growled as her horn began to heat up, the level of power she was utilizing well beyond her normal usage. This felt like the old days, back when she’d fought gods and demons to defend her homeland and her little ponies. No gods or demons threatened her people this day, but misguided mortals bent on conquest. Even now, griffon tribes marauded through Equestria, all supplied and reinforced from this beach head. Celestia felt anger burn in her chest, as she thought of the burned villages and besieged cities. The war had raged for six months, and this night would mark the end of it. All that would be left of the once-mighty griffon army would be a handful of units, stranded in hostile territory.

She drew on that anger, her eyes blazing with inner light, and she drew the sun down from the heavens, casting the world in shadow.

The sun blazed brightly, tinting the sky orange and red, as it touched the horizon, doing in mere minutes what normally took hours. Major Stonewall faced the North, watching as the sun disappeared with a final wink of orange light, leaving the sky streaked through with purples and blacks as it fell beyond sight. “This is for East Fillydelphia, Orangevale, Whitetail Grove, and Redrocks Village. This is for all the ponies that fought and died.”

He looked over his shoulder, at the assembled soldiers, a fierce smile playing across his features. “This is for Celestia.”

Celestia’s wings shivered as the sky turned black, the stars above winking into view between the clouds. Her gaze shifted away from the West, to the East, and the moon rose into the sky, set at the peak of the far horizon. Celestia released her magics with a gasp, only barely standing as she fought to hold the anti-flight spell together. After a moment, it stabilized, and Celestia slumped to the ground, panting.

The moon’s soft glow peeked through the clouds for a brief moment before it slipped higher into the sky and was hidden by the overcast sky, the brief sliver of light extinguished as the baleful gaze of the Mare In The Moon disappeared from sight. Major Stonewall’s voice rose, louder.

“This is for Equestria!”

Celestia looked up at the sky, to the moon, as it fell behind the cover of the clouds, her voice whisper-quiet. “Sister, watch over them.”

The darkness was complete, the moon hidden and the earth shrouded in darkness. Major Stonewall turned away from his ponies, breaking into a fast gallop.

“Advance!”

Across the Eastern and Western front, the army moved, pushing North.

Earthworks

The Seventh Canterlot Reserve Company kept pace with the Fourth Company’s left flank as they crossed the open ground, the advance stumbling in the dark and slowing slightly, before picking back up as the earthworks of the front loomed ahead.

Glorious Dawn gestured to Red Roam, pointing farther to the West. “Spread out, we need to hit the top of that earthwork in as wide a spread as we can, try to silence as many defenders as possible simultaneously.”

Red Roam nodded, shifting his pace up and pushing the left flank out wider. The ponies followed Red Roam, the left flank opening and spreading to cover a wide swatch of ground. Major Stonewall apparently had different plans, as his own formation shifted, moving from a wide square formation into a spearhead. Glorious Dawn understood the maneuver, looking to the North. There was a gate ahead, beyond the earthworks, leading back to the enemy camp, and Major Stonewall’s spearhead formation was pointed right at it.

“They’re going to push through to the palisade. We’ll have to take the earthworks and trenches ourselves, and then fortify to their rear and hold,” murmured Glorious Dawn. It was a bold strategy, and if it paid off the Major’s first strike would send the griffons behind the palisade reeling and off-balanced, unable to retaliate effectively thanks to the speed of the attack.

That meant, though, that the Seventh would be left to clear the earthworks alone.

Grimacing, Glorious Dawn mentally prepared himself, widening the right flank out farther and spurring the troops into a full charge, pushing ahead of the spearhead formation. Glorious Dawn called to Major Stonewall, who moved at the tip of the spear. “Sir, let us hit them first, we’ll clear a path and you can push through!”

Major Stonewall nodded and slowed his pace slightly, the spearhead formation falling behind in the darkness. Glorious Dawn faced ahead, fully focused. Hooves hit the base of the earthworks, ponies charging up the incline, and Glorious Dawn led the Seventh Reserve over the top, into the trenches.

Dawn leapt down into the trench, landing nearly on top of a stunned griffon soldier. He stomped down with his hooves, delivering a stunning blow to the griffon’s head, sending him reeling. Shifting, his horn ignited, drawing a curved sabre and delivering a slash across the griffon’s throat. Blood gushed from the wound, the griffon’s eyes widening into a terrified gape, and then Dawn pushed him into the dirt and charged right.

Across the trenches to the West, Red Roam hit the trenches, his sabre gripped in his teeth, and dropped down onto a pair of griffons. One screeched, but his rear legs lashed out, hitting the griffon in the side and knocking the air from his lungs. The second griffon attacked, claw blades whirling and striking in an uncoordinated counter attack, and Red Roam blocked and dodged, fighting defensively for a moment. The griffon pressing him suddenly stiffened as a spearhead blossomed from his side, gore pouring from the fatal wound. An earth pony stepped to the side, leaving the spear embedded in the dying griffon, and leapt upon the other griffon, hooves and sword slashing. Red Roam spun, pausing to observe the attack. Griffons fell to his left and right, the element of surprise as effective a force multiplier as ever. He began to work out small pockets of resistance farther to the left and pushed that direction, several ponies joining him.

Back to the East, Dawn shoved a griffon hard, breaking from the slashing talons of his opponent’s grapple, and his horn spewed flame, splashing across the griffoness’ breastplate. The griffoness reeled back, rearing up on her hind legs, and Dawn pushed in. His saber slashed across the griffoness’s lower abdomen and he pressed in, shouldering into the griffoness as her guts spilled into the dirt. She screamed, falling to her side, and Dawn raced past her. He leapt for the opposite side of the earthwork, climbing onto the inner side of the trench and up to the top. He lifted his head, eyes closing, and a sparkling flare of magic shot into the sky.

Dawn’s eyes opened and he looked south, just in time to see the charging spearhead of the Fourth Company turn and bear down on his position. Major Stonewall’s soldiers cheered, and the hundred and fifty ponies of the Fourth Company galloped past, pushing through the clear space in the trenches and toward the palisade gate. Dawn smiled grimly and leapt back down into the trench as the rear of the formation passed. A choking cry came from his hooves, and he froze, looking down. The griffoness he had been fighting lay in the dust at the bottom of the trench, holding her hemorrhaging gut with both talons, gasping for breath. He stared at her, and her eyes locked onto his, full of terror.

To the West, Red Roam saw the magical flare and turned East, his gathered soldiers following him towards the dazzling magical display. To the North, the sounds of battle rose into the air as the Fourth Company met resistance at the palisade gates, but Red Roam ignored the fighting. He found Glorious Dawn sitting beneath the magical beacon, cradling a dead griffoness in his forehooves. Her neck twisted at an odd angle as he slowly set her down in the bottom of the trench and stood, his gaze slowly raising from the dead warrior. Dawn’s eyes met Red Roam’s, and an unspeakable moment of exhaustion and pain passed between them. Roam spoke up. “Sir, we’ve got resistance to the West. How are things here?”

Glorious Dawn’s back imperceptibly straightened and he spoke carefully, voice betraying nothing. “The way is clear. There’s resistance East as well, but they seem to be falling back.”

“Their forces seem to be concentrated towards the West. Should we push that way, Captain?” asked Red Roam.

“Yes. I’ll rally the right flank and push West with you, Lieutenant,” said Glorious Dawn.

Glorious Dawn turned away, moving East to gather his soldiers, and Red Roam moved West to assist with the push there.

Counter

Red Roam led the push into the West side of the system of earthworks and trenches, rallying his soldiers to him as he moved. The soldiers under his command spread out at his orders, working diligently to clear the remaining defenders out of the trenches. Red Roam led the attack into a small bunker, two earth ponies and a unicorn at his back. Inside lay two dead earth ponies, shredded apart, and a dead griffon, slumped over a table covered in papers and blood. Red Roam gestured to the two exits. “Watch the doors, I need to examine this.”

Red Roam approached the table and gently prodded the griffon with one hoof. The griffon didn’t move. Roam grunted and moved around the table, lifting the dead griffon off of the surface and tossing him onto the floor. Roam frowned at the blood-spattered documents, and looked up to the unicorn watching one of the doors. “Spiral, can you read Griffonese?”

“Yes, sir.”

Roam motioned Spiral over, and the unicorn took a careful look at the documents, his eyes widening. “These are orders. They’ve apparently been massing troops here in this area, slightly to our West, and were preparing to push out and attempt to punch a hole in our lines, in order to break out and get troops behind our front lines to disrupt our runners and supplies.”

Red Roam’s eyes widened, glancing towards the West. The sounds of fierce fighting at the palisades still carried. The only unit to their immediate West was The Royal Guard… but if they’d encountered heavier resistance, they’d need help. He gathered his soldiers quickly. “Spiral, take these documents to the Captain. Let him know I’m going to gather any able-bodied pony I can find and try to link up with The Royal Guard to warn them. Green Peace, Late Bloom, I need you both to try to get to the Major at the palisades and inform him of what we’ve discovered. We need to shift our plans, and fast! Go!”

Spiral took off East, papers held in his telekinesis. Green Peace and Late Bloom scrambled up the side of the trench, heading for the palisades and the fighting. Red Roam moved West, galloping through the trenches.

He came upon a group of three earth ponies, all from his Company, fighting fiercely against two griffons. One earth pony was limping, injured and bleeding, trying desperately to assist his two hard-pressed friends. The griffons pressed their attack, landing the occasional blow on the beleaguered earth pony fighters.

Red Roam drew his saber and leapt into the fray, taking one of the griffons head-on in a shoulder rush that knocked him off balance. The two earth ponies leapt on the staggering griffon, bladed horseshoes slashing. The remaining griffon saw an opening and took it, roaring savagely as he charged at the nearest earth pony soldier. His slashing claw-blades found purchase in the haunch of the unlucky soldier, and he rent massive gashes into his opponent, crippling the earth pony and leaving him lying in the dirt, screaming.

Red Roam and the injured earth pony counter-attacked, sabre and spear working in tandem. Red Roam struck a glancing blow on the griffon, his claw-blades blocking the strike up high, and the spear-wielding earth pony took his opportunity, thrusting in low and burying his spear in the griffon’s groin. The griffon howled, twisting and bleeding on the stabbing spear, and Red Roam plunged his sabre into the wounded griffon’s eye, silencing him. Roam grunted as he pulled the blade from the dead griffon’s skull and turned to the three ponies.

The injured pony appeared to have taken a hit to the side, and blood was trickling from a hit that had pierced his barding. The one who had been savaged was curled into a ball, gasping for breath as blood gushed from the wounds down his backside and leg. Red and the remaining uninjured earth pony leapt into action, bandages pressing onto the rent flesh, and they did their best to staunch the bleeding.

“L-lieutenant?” murmured the seriously wounded stallion.

“Don’t speak. Save your strength,” said Red Roam, desparately trying to stop the flowing blood. They had so few bandages, and the wounds were massive, arterial crimson spurting.

“I-I…,” he began, but passed out suddenly.

Red Roam cursed, pressing hard on the bandages that had already been soaked through. The other earth pony, a young mare, let out a sob a few moments later. “Celestia, Lieutenant, he’s not breathing.”

“Damn it!” Red Roam grabbed the unconscious soldier, shaking him. “Wake up, y’hear me? Don’t die here!”

The pony was limp, not moving. Red Roam stared at his brown mane and sandy-gold coat, his grip tightening, and he gently lay the pony down on his side after a moment. The surviving two soldiers sat in silence with their Lieutenant, before he stood up, turning to them. “You… Shield Bearer, right?”

The injured earth pony nodded. “Y-yes, Lieutenant.”

“Are you able?”

Shield Bearer set down his spear and grabbed his armor, slipping open a few straps and lifting it to examine the wound on his side. His grey coat was bruised, turning an ugly purple, and the cut was bleeding. The earth pony mare leaned in close to look at the wound. “Do we have any more bandages?”

“No,” murmured Red Roam.

“W-what about…what about Sandy Shore? Did he have any in his saddlebags?” asked Shield Bearer.

Red Roam checked the dead pony’s bag, and discovered a half-roll of bandage cloth in the bottom of the pack, beneath some rations. He grabbed the bandages and passed them to the mare, and she worked to staunch the flow of blood from the wound. In a minute, she’d done all she could, securing the bandage and tightening it over the injury. Shield Bearer smiled at her wanly. “Thanks, Slight.”

“Yeah…” Slight said softly, standing up.

Shield Bearer tightened back down his armor and gear, and stood up carefully as well. He nodded. “Ready, sir. What are our orders?”

“We’re pressing West, trying to link up with the Royal Guard unit. They’re probably about to be overrun with griffons.”

Shield Bearer swallowed hard, and saluted. “Lead on, sir.”

Red Roam pushed West once more, galloping at the lead, Slight and Shield Bearer at his back. They followed the twists and turns of the trenches, coming upon another group of ponies. They were halted in a wide junction between a few trenches. They saw Red Roam approaching and trotted to meet him. “Lieutenant, we can’t press on. There’s a few griffons ahead that have crossbows, and they’re holding down the approach to the West.”

Red Roam took in the unicorn and earth pony, and grimaced. “Where’s your tower shield?”

“Lost it in the fighting, sir. Sorry, we got jumped and in the confusion we ended up pressing out to hit the surviving griffons.”

“How many were with you?”

“There were five of us. We lost Misty and Sum Total during the initial encounter with the defenders… and then Keeper got sniped when he walked around the corner to check out the trench where those griffons are holed up.”

Red Roam’s eyes traveled to the juncture of the corridor, noting the slumped body of a pony lying in the middle of it. He frowned, glancing around. “We need something to use as a shield. Look around.”

The ponies checked around the trenches, examining the walls and floors and the dead soldiers, both griffon and pony. Finally, Slight spoke up. “Lieutenant? I… uh… have an idea.”

“Yes?” asked Red Roam.

Slight gestured to one of the dead griffons, lifting a wing and spreading it open to it’s full spread. “What if… we use him?”

“That’s… morbidly brilliant, Slight,” said Shield Bearer.

Red Roam nodded. “We need to move quickly. How many griffons are down that trench?”

“At least three, sir,” said the unicorn.

“All right. Grab this unlucky griffon, and let’s do this. Fast charge around the corner, hit them hard while they’re surprised.”

Red Roam and the other ponies stacked up against the wall of the trench, waiting as the unicorn maneuvered the unwieldy body into position. He nodded, and then rushed around the corner, Red Roam and his ponies right on his heels. The griffon body shuddered as something thudded into it, blood oozing more profusely. Another crossbow bolt hit, and a third pierced through the feathery wing, deflecting off Red Roam’s shoulder and into the side of the trench. Red Roam grunted, his shoulder throbbing, as they hit wider section and found three griffons frantically reloading their crossbows.

The unicorn threw his impromptu shield at one, bowling over the griffon with his dead compatriot, and the five ponies fell upon the remaining two combatants as the third struggled to free himself from beneath the dead weight.

Red Roam found himself fighting alongside Shield Bearer and Slight, pressing the griffon back. The griffon gave ground rapidly as he struggled to deflect and avoid attacks, but he ran out of room and backed into the side of the trench, stumbling slightly. Red Roam struck high, Shield Bearer struck for his torso, and Slight spun and sent a low puck towards his legs. The griffon, to his credit, deflected Red’s attack and dodged Shield Bearer’s stabbing spear, but Slight’s buck connected with his ankle, shattering it. He lost his balance, going down onto his side as the injured limb gave underneath him, and Red stabbed him through the throat. As Red finished off the griffon, Slight and Shield Bearer leapt into the fight against the last griffon standing.

Red Roam trusted that the four ponies would be more than a match for the griffon, and leapt over to the pinned griffon. The griffon yelled and lashed out, trying to strike him with a free limb. Red skittered aside, avoiding the blow, and then jumped up, all four hooves leaving the ground, and brought his full weight down in a bone-shattering stomp on the griffon’s exposed body. Ribs cracked, jaw shattered, the griffon screamed, and Red Roam stabbed, pressing into a joint in the griffon’s armor and through his upper chest. The griffon gurgled and thrashed for a moment before, with a shuddering thrash, grew still.

Red Roam stepped away from the dead griffon, looking to the rest of the group. The four ponies stepped away from another dead griffon warrior, staring at him. Red glanced down, noting the spray of blood that had coated his hooves, and gestured West. “We need to go, quickly. Glorious Dawn can’t be far behind, and if we clear a path, he and the rest of the Seventh Company will move all the faster.”

Red Roam led them out of the carnage of the trench, pressing west towards a melee of combat at the gates of another northern palisade. Red could make out the glint of golden armor, and snorted with determination as he pushed his ponies hard, sprinting towards the rear ranks of the embattled Royal Guard.

As the group of soldiers approached, the guards at the rear of the formation turned to face them, spears and swords raised. Red Roam skidded to a halt before of them, and the Royal Guards untensed slightly, turning away to focus on the battle ahead. The griffons were clashing with the Royal Guard, but the formation was pressing in. Already the flanks near the front were engaging griffons that pressed around the gate, pushing them back and widening the avenues of attack. Shouts came from within the formation, and another rank rushed forward suddenly, leaping between quickly opening gaps in the front of the formation to assault the griffons and replace the weary soldiers holding the front. The worn down troops moved back through the ranks, panting and gasping, many limping or injured. Those in the rear pressed forward, only once the gaps were filled did they see to their comrades.

Red Roam stepped into the ranks, looking for anypony who was in charge. He settled for questioning a random soldier. “I’m Lieutenant Red Roam, of the Seventh Canterlot Reserve. We’ve got urgent news for your commander.”

“I’ll inform Legate Five Star.”

Red Roam waited patiently, observing the attack, and gestured to his ponies. “See if you can help their injured at all, and keep an eye on the flanks. If the griffons counter-attack with their additional forces, we need to be ready.”

The four ponies with him nodded, spreading out to the rear and offering assistance to the breathless Royal Guardponies. A few moment later, A white-coated stallion bearing a blue star at the front of his golden armor approached, his purple barding spattered with dirt and blood. “Lieutenant, I am Legate Five Star. Deliver your report, swiftly,” he said in clipped tones, his voice gruff and strong.

Red Roam saluted sharply. “Sir! We’ve captured intelligence suggesting that the enemy has a far greater force near this location, poised to strike at our front lines with the intent of punching a hole and spreading into our rear lines to cut off communications and reinforcements!”

Legate Five Star scowled, glancing towards the front. “We noticed the stronger resistance. We’ve been grinding away at their numbers, but my ponies are starting to wear down. That could certainly explain it.”

“Sir, if I may, given this new information, the Seventh Reseve has pulled away from our previous orders to act as a rear guard for the Fourth Company, and are moving to reinforce you here.”

Legate Five Star looked East, towards the position of the Fourth Company. “Major Stonewall will be none too pleased. Have you informed him of the situation?”

“I sent two ponies to tell him, sir,” Red Roam said.

“Good enough, I suppose. We need all the help we can get. If there’s a counterattack force poised to strike here, I doubt we’d be able to hold,” Legate Five Star said with shocking frankness.

“Sir, we’ll do everything we can.”

“Reserve Company, yes? What’s your force strength?”

“Seventy at the start, sir, but we’ve taken losses in the last half hour.”

“Indeed. Anything would be helpful. Perhaps if the Fourth Company is successful, they’ll be able to push around from behind the palisade and flank them. That’d settle the issue of any counterattack.”

Red Roam didn’t have anything to say to that, so he waited. Legate Five Star nodded after a brief moment of contemplation. “Tell your ponies to hold the rear of the formation, and only press an attack on my command. Watch our flanks, we can hold the front if we don’t have to worry about our rear,” and with that, he rushed away, moving back towards the front.

Red Roam watched to the East, spotting movement below as equine forms began streaming towards their position.

The Seventh Reserve had arrived.

Author's Note

I collapsed the shorter chapters I'd written over the weekend into one big chapter. I intend to do an extra chapter, still, along with Monday's "official" chapter, so keep an eye out for more updates incoming as the day goes on.

Breakthrough

Glorious Dawn, with the remaining forces of the Seventh Reserve at his back, charged up the side of the trenches to the rear of the Royal Guard formation. Red Roam rushed out to meet him. “Captain!”

“Lieutenant! What’s the situation?”

“We’re to hold the rear and watch their flanks. Be prepared for a counter-push at any time. The Royal Guard is going to focus their attack while we cover their rear and push in behind them.”

Glorious Dawn spun, pausing a moment as his ponies began to arrive, and addressed the Seventh. “Spread yourselves out! We need to protect the flanks and rear while the Guard pushes in! Be ready for the enemies to sally forth to engage us!”

The ponies of the seventh reserve moved swiftly, forming up around the Royal guard’s formation. The unicorns hefted their tower shields and watched the palisade walls for griffons with crossbows. They’d only just arrived in their position when a cry went up from the front.

Legate Five Star reared up, calling for a charge, horn glowing in a blue aura as his sword raised high, and the Royal Guards pushed in hard, slamming into the defender’s lines and attacking for all they were worth. Glorious Dawn shouted over the din of battle and the charging battlecry of the Royal Guard. “Push in with them and keep them covered! Move!”

The Royal Guard broke through the front ranks of the griffons, scattering into their lines and causing havoc as they attacked savagely. The griffons’ front line faltered, threatening to break, when reinforcements rushed in from the rear, pushing back against the Royal Guard. More griffons began to stream onto the palisade walls, running along and taking up positions on the walltop, sniping down towards the Royal Guard. The Seventh Reserve’s unicorns retaliated with magical counter-attacks, multicolored blasts of arcane energy forcing the shooters back and suppressing them.

Legate Five Star joined the fight at the front, his horn smoking as explosive pyrotechnics staggered foes. The forward momentum of the Royal Guard gained momentum, and they pushed past the gate.

All at once, the griffons hunkered down on the wall tops leapt down at the command of an unseen leader, streaming over the side in groups and rushing the flanks and rear of the Royal Guard.

“Here they come!” shouted Glorious Dawn, horn flaring as he cooked a charging griffon in his armor. Swords and spears raised, the Seventh Reserve met their charge. Griffon warriors leapt over the thin front lines, attacking into their midst. The melee joined in earnest as griffons continued to leap from the palisade wall and into the fray.

Red Roam held the right flank, fighting alongside Shield Bearer and Slight and a number of other ponies. The unicorns were forced to discard their tower shields as the fighting grew close, abandoning the cumbersome defense for greater use of their magical abilities. Mana crackled and surged as a unicorn’s telekinesis exploded outward in a fierce blast, sending several griffons flying backwards. Red Roam took the opportunity to counter the charge, leaping in among the griffons, bucking and slashing wildly. His hooves shattered wings and skulls, and his sword left his opponents bleeding from wide gashes. Shield Bearer and Slight rushed in alongside him, covering his flank as he attacked, taking targets of opportunity as they presented themselves. A stunned griffon with a snapped wing fell prey to Slight’s blades, and Shield Bearer buried his spear in a mortally wounded griffon, finishing it off as it rose to make a desparate final attack against Red Roam’s flank. A unicorn joined them, calling as his horn smoked and overheated from the discharge of energy, “Fall back into the formation! They’re closing on you!”

Red Roam heard the call and pulled himself back from his latest opponent, panting around his gripped weapon. He was bleeding from several cuts and slashes, and his legs felt weary and sore from the bucking. He retreated back into the formation, Shield Bearer and Slight holding off another wave of griffons. The unicorn’s aura sputtered as he blasted a griffon in the face with a magical burst, and he nearly collapsed, his telekinesis weakening as he overexerted himself. Shield Bearer dashed to his aid, fending off a griffon warrior as Slight grabbed the unicorn and hauled him backwards.

Shield Bearer gave ground strategically, letting the flow of the fight push him back towards their ranks as he fought defensively. The griffon warrior lashed out, striking him across his side, and he grunted as he felt the bandage loosen and the wound beneath reopen. He staggered back, Slight dashing forward to cover him, but the Griffon pressed his advantage, claw-blade thrusting in hard as he reared up and attacked at a downward angle. The blade sheared across the brow of Shield Bearer’s helmet and down into his face, tearing through his muzzle and shattering his jaw with the force of the hit. Shield Bearer fell backwards, yelling, as Slight attacked the griffon warrior, pushing him back. Shield Bearer managed to get to his feet, but a second griffon warrior fell upon him, blades slashing and blood flying.

Slight stumbled backwards into the formation as unicorns and earth ponies pushed forward slightly, pushing away her pursuers to give her room to recover as she stood, panting. “Shield Bearer?!”

She spotted him, then, on the ground, lying in a spreading pool of blood. Slight choked back a whimper, turning away from the sight, and rejoined the fight.

On the left flank, Glorious Dawn’s horn smoked with ethereal energy as he heated opponent’s weapons and shot blasts of arcane power into the midst of his enemies. Two other unicorns stood shoulder-to-shoulder with him, bursts of magic shattering any griffon to come too close to their lethal Captain. Earth ponies on either side shifted their attention to the disarmed griffons that Glorious Dawn left in his wake, attacking them as they scrambled to defend. Their talons were still deadly, as were their beaks, but without blades they found the Equestrian armor tough to puncture effectively.

An earth pony soldier galloped over to Glorious Dawn. “Captain! The right flank is hard pressed! They need assistance, or they might break!”

Glorious Dawn stepped out of his place, looking to the right flank. They were hemmed in, griffons pressing them as they gave ground and the lines wavered, ponies falling under the combined onslaught. He grit his teeth and charged to the right, calling for able ponies to follow. A few earth ponies and a unicorn joined his shifting maneuver, charging into the weak point of the formation on the right flank. Three griffons burst through the formation as a unicorn dropped to the dirt, bleeding profusely from multiple stab wounds, attacking the flanks of the defending ponies around the hole in the ranks. Glorious Dawn met them, horn glowing as the three griffons found their armor glowing red hot, feathers igniting. They screamed in horror as they immolated, their shrieking bodies giving the attacking griffons pause. The hesitation was all Glorious Dawn needed. He leapt into the open hole in the formation, the earth ponies and unicorn joining him, and his magic burst forth, pushing nearby griffons back.

Glorious Dawn raised his sword high. “Push them back!”

Red Roam charged forward, the right flank moving as a unit, and slammed into the off-balanced griffon force, bringing the fight’s momentum into their favor. Now it was the griffons that gave ground, fighting desperately. Red Roam engaged an enemy fighter, the griffon stepping back as Roam slashed at him, sword bouncing off his armor. The griffon attacked, screeching, only to find Slight stepping into his side and driving her blade into his haunch. The griffon stumbled and Slight pressed her attack, pulling her weapon free and driving it into his belly. The griffon fell and Red Roam stepped over his body.

Glorious Dawn paused, watching the enemy formation break and run, and he cheered. “Hold the advance! Fall back to cover the rear of the Royal Guard!”

The Royal Guard themselves were pushed fully into the palisade’s gate, taking to the walls and pushing the defenders off the palisade. The front ranks of the griffons were staging an orderly retreat, and the Royal Guard held their attack, letting them disengage. The griffons fell back quickly, re-forming ranks as the unicorns at the fore of the Royal Guard unit unleashed blasts of magic on their front lines. The griffons wavered and fell back again, and Legate Five Star called for a charge. “Let’s drive them out!”

The Royal Guard moved in, charging towards the faltering formation. The griffon formation turned with sudden speed, meeting their assault and clashing yet again.

The Seventh Reserve pushed in to the rear of the Royal Guard’s formation. Glorious Dawn was panting heavily, exhausted from his magic use, and Red Roam was similarly winded, bleeding from a few injuries and sore from glancing blows. The two friends rallied the remaining Seventh Reserve to them, taking a short minute to assess their strength. A little over fifty ponies remained standing. Many were injured and weakened. Red Roam looked to Glorious Dawn, scowling. “Well, we held.”

“That we did. It seems the Royal Guard is pushing them out, so we should summon the healers, quickly.”

Red Roam gestured to a nearby unicorn, who raised his weary head high and released a dazzling flare of magic skyward.

“I’m startled at the organization of their retreat,” Glorious Dawn said, gesturing forward to the griffon formation that had fallen back yet again, drawing the Royal Guard onward.

“Something’s off,” muttered Red Roam, peering into the darkness.

He grabbed the unicorn and gestured to the West. “Fire another, brighter, flare over that way. Let’s see what’s over there.”

The unicorn grumbled, horn flashing again, as he sent a bright flare of magic into the sky to the West. The black edges of the terrain behind the palisade lit up, exposing the bluffs…

The bluffs, and a company of griffon soldiers approaching in the darkness, moving for the gate.

Red Roam and Glorious Dawn gawked at the approaching wave of troops, and stood up. “Rally! To me! To me, Seventh Reserve!”

The soldiers leapt to their commanding officers, forming around them, desperation in their eyes as the company of griffons formed a spearhead formation and broke into a charge, rushing right for them.

The Royal Guard force spotted the approaching enemy company and Legate Five Star looked back to the rear, to the ragged Seventh Company as the formed a tight square formation, bracing themselves for the onslaught. He looked to the front and then pulled back, shifting out to his right. “Royal Guards, shift formation West and charge!”

The royal guards engaged against the retreating company of griffons broke away as the whole of the formation moved as one, and Legate Five Star lead the charge into the flank of the new company of griffons. The Royal Guards slammed into the spearhead formation, pressing their attack. Their own flank was hit as the previously engaged company of griffons charged in against them. The square formation broke apart into a swirling melee of combat, the Royal Guards engaging along both fronts.

Glorious Dawn stared at the Royal Guard’s counter attack. “They… saved us.”

“Yes, sir! Now let’s get in there and take advantage of their distraction before they get overrun!” shouted Red Roam.

Glorious Dawn shook his head, clearing the disbelief from his features, and nodded. “Seventh Company, charge!”

The Seventh Company roared, charging for the flank of the nearest company of griffons.

Desperate

The Seventh Canterlot Reserve slammed into the rear of the enemy force, catching them off guard as they found themselves fighting on two sides. Glorious Dawn and Red Roam led the charge, side by side as they speared into the enemy formation. Glorious Dawn’s sword and shield worked in tandem, levitating about and working to defend both him and Red Roam as they fought. The rest of the Seventh Reserve formed up behind them, driving deeper into the enemy's ranks, doing their best to sow confusion and chaos, giving every advantage they could to the embattled Royal Guard.

Glorious Dawn slid his sword out of the neck of his opponent, sending the gurgling griffon crashing to the ground, and shield-bashed an oncoming warrior. A small space cleared around him as Red Roam led a ferocious attack, two unicorns covering him with blasts of mana as he dueled a griffon. Glorious Dawn reared up on his hind legs, trying to make a plan. He was exhausted, his magic reserves all but depleted. The enemy’s initial surprise had already been exhausted, and they were beginning to react. Watching the enemy movements within the ranks, he followed the ripple of commands out to a griffon near the center of the formation. He was clad in silver armor and wore a full helm with crimson plumage. He lowered down to the ground, pointing in the direction of the enemy commander. “Push! This way, Seventh!”

The Seventh Reserve pressed inward, Glorious Dawn leading the attack as he bull rushed and shoulder-checked oncoming opponents, driving a hole in the formation and pressing in towards the griffon leader. The Seventh Reserve stretched thin, following Glorious Dawn deep into the enemy formation, but held, fighting fiercely against the overwhelming force they now faced.

Glorious Dawn slammed aside a griffon warrior, his blade flashing and deflecting an attack, and leapt forward, landing before the griffon commander. “Single Combat!” he shouted.

“You are not worthy of such a request, pony!” replied the helmed griffon, bristling and fierce.

“I demand single combat!” Glorious Dawn yelled again.

“We are engaged with you, single combat is no longer possible!”

Glorious Dawn cursed and attacked, striking at the griffon commander. The commander deflected away the attack with a swipe of his claw blades and strode forward, claw-blades working a ferocious attack pattern, striking at Dawn’s head. Dawn parried and deflected away the attacks and spun, launching a low kick that the griffon commander deftly stepped away from. Glorious Dawn’s shield slammed in, bashing against the griffon’s chestplate, and the griffon pushed it away, giving ground as he regained his balance.

Dawn pressed his attack, gritting his teeth as he worked his shield and blade in tandem. The griffon commander fought defensively for a moment, blocking Dawn’s strikes, and then slashed in with a series of high-to-low attacks. Dawn alternated sword and shield, blocking each strike, and then unleashed a blast of magic from his horn. The griffon spun left, wings flaring open and giving him a burst of sudden momentum that allowed him to avoid the burst of magic. He moved with the spin, using the force generated to strike his claw blades deep into Glorious Dawn’s shield, gripping into the wood and ripping it away from his telekinetic grip. Glorious Dawn cursed, his horn powering up, and he delivered a series of ever-weakening kinetic bursts, blasting the griffon commander back and off balance with the last of his magical reserves. With a yell, he charged in, leaping up onto his hooves and fighting with telekinesis and bladed horseshoes. The griffon commander matched his attack, blocking Dawn’s blows, and then pounced, knocking into Glorious Dawn and bowling him over.

Dawn found himself on the ground, the griffon commander on top of him, his weight pressing down. The griffon’s rear legs gripped onto his haunch and dug in with claws, raking him savagely. Dawn screamed, horn overcharging as his adrenaline spiked and pain burst into his head, and released a burst of heat-energy into the griffon commander’s helmet. The griffon commander screamed, rearing back, grabbing his smoking helm and frantically trying to dislodge it. Glorious Dawn’s sword lashed out, stabbing into the griffon’s gut and twisting. The griffon commander tore his helm off, falling backwards into the dirt and pulling himself off of Glorious Dawn’s sword. Blood gushed from the stab wound, leaving the griffon commander weaving and staggered. Dawn tried to stand, but his left rear leg locked up as blood poured from the savage claw wounds. He managed to rise to a sitting position, brandishing his sword at the enemy commander. The griffon commander took an unsteady step towards Glorious Dawn, shuddered, and collapsed.

The ponies behind Dawn, fending off the griffon warriors, cheered, and the nearby griffons screeched in rage, redoubling their attacks as several grabbed their unconscious commander, dragging him away. Glorious Dawn slid down to his side in the dust, feeling faint as his leg throbbed in pain and blood pooled beneath him. Four strong legs planted themselves around his body, and he looked up to see Red Roam standing over him, defending him from oncoming enemies. “Red…” he panted, smiling slightly.

Dawn felt safe, even as the battle raged around him. His senses dulled, everything growing distant. He recognized that as a bad thing, and struggled, trying to stay awake. Pain lanced up his side and brought him some clarity. He found Red Roam kneeling next to him, shouting something as the battle raged around him.

“W-what?”

“Fourth Company’s here!” said Red Roam, placing one hoof against Glorious Dawn’s cheek and slapping it slightly. “Stay awake, Dawn!”

Dawn chuckled weakly, “I th-think I’ve earned some leave.”

“Not here, sir!”

Dawn winced as Red Roam shifted him slightly and felt a sharp burst of pain as something was pressed into his wounds. Red Roam grit his teeth and applied pressure to the gashes, trying to find the source of the bleeding. Dawn sighed softly, his head falling into the dirt. “Tell Major Stonewall… I’m sorry for… leaving the rear exposed.”

“I’m sure he’ll understand. Stay awake!”

“I’m trying,” murmured Dawn, but he only saw blackness. “I c-can’t see.”

His hearing fled him, leaving only the ringing shout of Red Roam’s voice, echoing into nothingness.

Hurt

With a coughing gasp, Glorious Dawn’s eyes snapped open as a sulfuric scent invaded his nostrils, choking him slightly. He scrunched them closed again almost immediately as a dull throbbing pain shuddered along his haunch, groaning slightly.

“Welcome back to the land of the livin’, Captain,” a soft voice said.

Glorious Dawn peeked one eye open cautiously, still coughing slightly. Amber sat in front of him, one hoof clenched around a vial of smelling salts. Glorious Dawn closed his eye, grunting slightly as he shifted his position slightly, but a pair of strong hooves held him in place. “Don’t you move now, Captain. Amber just finished closing up your haunch.”

Glorious Dawn relaxed as Red Roam’s familiar voice rang in his ears, and after a moment Dawn managed to croak, “All right.”

“You’re very lucky, Captain. We pushed in here as quick as we could after somepony sent up the signaling flare, just in time to see that you were in the middle of a pitched battle. The Fourth Company arrived about the same time that we did and routed the griffons with their charge. Scattered them back to the beach,” Amber said, tucking away the vial of smelling salts and moving around to inspect the bandages on Glorious Dawn’s haunch and leg.

Glorious Dawn nodded, wincing as his head throbbed slightly in response to the movement. “What’s our status?” he breathed.

“Not good. We’re down to thirty ponies. The Royal Guard unit took a lot of casualties, they’re reporting at being down to about half strength after they pulled that stunt that saved our hides. Seventy or so of ‘em still up and kickin’.”

Glorious Dawn exhaled slowly, feeling a shiver run down his spine. “Thirty?”

“Yep.”

Glorious Dawn lay still for a moment, before shifting and sitting up, grunting as his haunch throbbed in protest. Amber and Red Roam reached for him, but he pushed them away, opening his eyes to survey the area.

Torches had been brought in and lit the area, revealing the carnage of the nearby battlefield. Pony and griffon corpses lay where they had fallen, surrounded by the detritus of the battlefield. The ground had been churned to mud and raw earth where the fighting had been the thickest. The Royal Guards were working to carefully pull their dead away from the piles of bodies, lining them up in peaceful repose. The ponies of the Fourth Company worked around them as well, working to clear out the fallen of their own unit as well as those of the Seventh Reserve Company.

Glorious Dawn closed his eyes, shutting out the imagery, for a moment, then focused on Amber. “How many could you save?”

“Over two dozen ponies are being shipped back to the rear,” Amber said, gesturing to a line of stretchers and attending medical ponies.

Glorious Dawn nodded solemnly. Red Roam cleared his throat and spoke up. “Sir, there’s more.”

Glorious Dawn chuckled grimly, and gestured for Red Roam to continue. Red Roam glanced back towards the Fourth Company and Royal Guards for a moment, before he spoke. “Major Stonewall was killed leading the charge to our aid, and the Fourth lost the majority of their command staff. Legate Five Star has appointed you as acting commander of the Fourth Company, and ordered the Seventh and Fourth to be integrated immediately, and to act alongside his company of Royal Guards.”

Glorious Dawn’s ears folded back, shock writ large across his muzzle. “The Major is… He... I don’t know how I deserve such an honor.”

“Captain, beggin’ your pardon, but you aren’t fit enough to fight. You’ve suffered a pretty bad wound,” Amber stated gently.

Red Roam glanced at Amber, then turned his gaze to Glorious Dawn. “You could go with her, sir. You’ve got every right to get pulled out of this mess now, and nobody would ever question your dedication. You saved a lot of ponies today, Captain.”

Glorious Dawn’s gaze shifted between the two concerned faces of Red Roam and Amber, and sighed. “I must speak with Legate Five Star, and I’ll let him know that I’m unable to continue.”

“Pardon me, Captain, but you aren’t going anywhere,” stated a rough voice from behind him.

The three ponies stiffened slightly as Legate Five Star trotted over to them, glancing at the group. “We need you here, Captain Dawn.”

Amber grit her teeth and murmured, “Legate, with all due respect, he’s suffered a grevious injury in the line of duty, and he needs more careful attention. I may have sealed up his hide and stopped the bleeding, but if he doesn’t get his leg looked at, it could leave him—”

“No,” stated Legate Five Star evenly, “that’s not going to happen. You might not understand this, but we’re balanced on a razor’s edge here. I have three decimated groups of ponies who are pulling their dead friends and comrades-in-arms out of this killing field, and they’re one solid enemy charge from breaking. Their spirits are shaken.”

“All the more reason to pull back and—” Red Roam began, but Legate Five Star cut him off.

“We can’t pull back. I’ll put it bluntly: if we don’t have the ponies we need for the final leg of this fight… if we can’t complete our mission, then we’re going to lose. The attack on these palisades was far more costly than we anticipated, even with the cover of night on our side. Most of our forces are down to about half-strength, and the reserves are scrambling behind our lines dealing with the remnants of a few dozen griffon companies that managed to break through our lines. We’re cut off from the rear.”

Amber gasped, her gaze snapping to the ponies lying on stretchers. “What about all these wounded? Many are in critical condition, they need to be seen by the doctors and nurses back at the medical tents!”

“The only way they’re going to get out of this Tartarus-forsaken place is if we win,” murmured Five Star, and he pointed to Glorious Dawn.

“That’s why we need you.”

“Sir, I’m unfit, I don’t think I can stand,” said Glorious Dawn.

“You’ll have to manage. We can’t afford to lose your presence. Even if you’ve got to limp, I need you here. The word’s spread how you took on a Griffon Warmaster in a one-on-one fight and ran him through with your blade. These ponies think you’re a hero, and that’s exactly what they need right now. A hero. Hope,” Legate Five Star said gently, placing a hoof on Glorious Dawn’s shoulder.

Glorious Dawn’s gaze shifted down, his ears drooping briefly, before he straightened up. “I understand.”

“Good. I’ll muster my company and we’ll rest for a few hours. Hopefully a runner can make it through the mess behind us and we can get some word from command. If not, though, we have to assume the same plan is still in effect. Celestia guides us, and it is her orders we’re carrying out. Gather your ponies and get them organized, then we all can try to regain some energy and get ready for the last sortie. We’re going to hit those beaches like Nightmare-forsaken Moon and remind the griffons why nopony messes with Equestria.”

“Yes, Legate.”

Legate Five Star stalked away, returning to his troops. Glorious Dawn sighed, and then looked to Amber. “Amber, I’ll need some more painkiller. Not a lot, just enough to get me on my hooves. Do you have anything I can use to make a brace for my leg?”

Amber bit her lip, looking like she was about to object, but Red Roam touched her gently on the side. She glanced at him and they shared a quiet look before she nodded, exhaling slowly before speaking. “Yes. I’ve got a little extra medicine that should keep your pain low, but it’ll still hurt to move, and I’ve got some material for a splint. It won’t look pretty, and you won’t be able to move very fast, but it should be enough to let you walk on that leg.”

Amber began rummaging through her bags, retrieving what she needed, and Glorious Dawn looked to Red Roam. “Gather the Fourth and Seventh Companies. I’ll address them in a few minutes. See what remains of Major Stonewall’s command and get them to help you organize the two groups properly. I need them integrated and ready to fight alongside each other as soon as possible.”

Red Roam smirked and saluted. “Captain.”

As Red Roam trotted away and began gathering the ponies together, Amber worked on securing the splint around Glorious Dawn’s injured leg after offering him a small vial of clear liquid. “Drink half, save the rest for when you need it.”

Glorious Dawn uncorked the vial and carefully poured half the mixture into his mouth, swallowing the bitter brew quickly before any taste could register and tucking away the vial in his saddlebag. He grunted, wincing as Amber tightened the splint carefully around his leg, and stumbled onto his hooves. His left leg felt weak, but held his weight barely. He felt the pain dull a bit as the mild painkiller did it’s work, and he took a cautious step forward. Amber kept one hoof on his side, steadying him as he walked a few ginger steps, keeping most of his weight off of his injured leg. He smiled, looking back at Amber. “Good work.”

Amber smiled weakly. “I wish I could do more.”

“You did the best you could. That’s all we can hope to do,” Glorious Dawn murmured, before gesturing towards the wounded ponies, “and they need you more than I do, now.”

Amber nodded, turning away and heading for the injured ponies.

“Runner!” the cry went up from the South.

Glorious Dawn turned to the south, watching the palisade gate as a few sentries atop the wall waved an oncoming runner in. A few minutes later, a red-tabarded pegasus pony staggered in. Her light blue coat and two-toned mane was instantly recognizable, but her usual rapid pace had been replaced by an unsteady gait.

Glorious Dawn took a few steps forward, calling out. “Radiance?”

The pegasus mare’s head raised up from a droop and she stopped, panting, her legs shaking. Glorious Dawn approached at a slow walk, grimacing as his leg throbbed dully. Radiance moved towards him, managing a few more steps before collapsing to her knees. Glorious Dawn heard a whimper as she fell, and he raised his voice, urgency breaking through his usual calm, “Healers!”

He reached Radiance first, dropping down to his knees awkwardly as the pegasus mare shivered, gasping breaths escaping her. He searched for any sign of injury, and his eyes locked on her red tabard. The whole of it was stained a darker crimson, and two feathered bolts protruded from her side, almost fully buried in her body.

Radiance whimpered slightly and raised her head, her shivering pupils meeting Glorious Dawn’s wide eyes. “O-Orders from command… s-sir.”

“Don’t speak, Radiance. Healers!” he shouted again.

Amber seemed to appear beside him, another medical pony accompanying her. She surveyed Radiance and blanched at the crossbow bolts in her hide. “Oh Celestia. Lay her down, I need to stabilize her.”

“No!” barked Radiance suddenly, strength flowing out with the command, and her head drooped with the exertion. “N-No. I need… need to…”

“Lance Corporal, please, let Amber see to you!”

“Y-You idiot, it’s t-too damn… too damn late for me,” Radiance gasped, sinking to her haunches with a whine, tears staining her blue cheeks, “They… got something vital. I feel broken up inside. M-maybe if… if I hadn’t kept running, maybe… but not anymore.”

Amber grabbed bandages as Radiance spoke, pressing them to her wound and applying pressure, trying to stop the bleeding. Amber saw the discoloration beneath Radiance’s coat, the spreading stain of internal bleeding, and bit her lip. She looked to Glorious Dawn. “If we’re cut off… I can’t fix something like this… we’d need surgeons, apothecaries…” she said softly.

Radiance smirked bitterly, her lower lip trembling. “See? Dead p-pony walking.”

“Radiance…” murmured Glorious Dawn, placing a hoof on her shoulder.

“Don’t… don’t go sappy on m-me, sir. I did m-my job. I think... I’m the only r-runner fast enough to break through the... mess back there.”

“I can give you something for the pain,” said Amber gently.

Radiance mustered a smile. “That sounds awesome.”

Amber retrieved a vial of milky white liquid and uncapped it. Radiance opened her mouth and tilted it up slightly, unable to raise her hooves anymore, and Amber poured the brew down her throat. Radiance swallowed, coughing slightly, and nodded. “T-thanks.”

Glorious Dawn waited as Radiance’s wings flagged and drooped, hanging limply by her sides, and her trembling body relaxed. She started to slide onto her side, but shifted her weight to lean against Glorious Dawn, her head resting against his chest. “Yeah, that’s the stuff…” she murmured.

“You… you have orders for us, Radiance?” asked Glorious Dawn.

“Oh. Yeah… yeah, I do,” she said haltingly, her voice growing slightly softer. “C-command says that… you need to d-do everything you can to complete the Legate’s mission. The whole w-western front… is cut off, and there isn’t any relief coming until we… we win.”

Glorious Dawn found himself supporting the pegasus as she shivered, her breath coming in small gasps for a moment, and her head raised up to look at Glorious Dawn. “Whoa… when’d y’... get so close?” she giggled drunkenly, “Well, back… back off, mister… ‘m a married mare…”

Glorious Dawn shivered, holding Radiance close. “Tell me about your husband, then.”

“Mm… he’s a pretty pony… heh… got a cute filly, too…” Radiance’s eyes screwed up and her trembling smirk suddenly crumbled apart. “Celestia, oh Celestia, Captain! M-my baby girl… my beautiful Rainbow… what’ll…?”

“Shh… it’s okay. She’ll be okay, Radiance,” said Glorious Dawn, stroking her red and yellow mane gently.

Radiance didn’t reply, her legs reaching up to cling desperately to Glorious Dawn, her strength redoubling for a moment, before she shuddered and went limp, a small whistling gasp escaping her lips.

Glorious Dawn lifted his head up, clenching his jaw tightly, and stared up into the dark sky.

Together

Glorious Dawn gently lay Radiance’s limp body down on her side, and stood up slowly. He stood over her for a moment, staring down at her inert form. He looked to Amber, who sat trembling nearby. Dawn gave Amber a gentle hug. “You couldn’t have saved her. At least you took away her pain.”

“S-she… she had a filly,” murmured Amber, one hoof reaching out to straighten Radiance’s mane in an almost motherly gesture.

“You can’t worry about that, now,” Dawn said, stepping away and limping towards the assembling ranks of soldiers that Red Roam had been organizing. He called back as he moved off, “Focus on those you can save.”

Amber nodded, biting her lip, and stood up, pausing to remove Radiance’s tabard and lay it over her body, covering her. She moved away, returning to the injured ponies on stretchers.

Glorious Dawn approached the soldiers, noting their exhaustion and grim demeanor. He also noticed their backs straighten, their postures improving and their demeanor growin resolved, as he approached. He stopped in front of them, surveying the ranks, as Red Roam stepped to his side. “I’ve organized the two groups as best I could. They’re pretty shook up, losing so many ponies… but they’re talkin’ about you, too.”

Glorious Dawn nodded, and stepped forward. Red Roam snapped to attention and called out “Attention!”

The ranks tightened up, ponies standing ramrod-straight and eyes forward. Glorious Dawn collected his thoughts, turning to pace in front of them, hiding his limp as best he could. “Stallions. Mares. We’ve fought hard today. We’ve done our duty, time and again. You’ve followed my orders and the orders of your superiors with diligence and honor. You’ve given the greatest accounting of yourselves, holding in the face of overwhelming attacks and driving back the enemy time and time again.”

He stopped, turning to face them. His voice grew somber as he spoke. “We’ve lost many. Friends, comrades, brothers and sisters in arms. So many have given everything of themselves to see a better tomorrow for Equestria… for their families, loved ones, and neighbors. So many have breathed their last to protect and serve.”

He stepped forward, closer, looking his soldiers in the eye, letting his gaze travel across the ranks. “We are so close to victory. We’ve driven the griffons back to their final defences, this last stretch of beaches below the bluffs. We have one, final objective: push them into the ocean. Kick them off Equestrian soil. We are going to make them remember, for generations, the price for threatening our home, our family, our Princess.”

“And, Celestia willing, they’ll know never to come back with a clenched fist, but the open hand of friendship.”

He stepped back, walking to the center of the front line, and turned once more to face them. “We are cut off. There are no reinforcements coming for us. The griffon units that we have been routing have circled around behind our front line. Even now, they act to delay us. They hope that we won’t strike while cut off. They think that we will stay put and wait for reinforcements while they organize a counter-attack against us.”

“They are wrong! We have our orders. We have our mission. Legate Five Star’s mission is from Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia, Herself. She guides our strikes, watches our success. The griffons may have cut us off from our reinforcements, but even now they are giving ground. They cannot keep us cut off forever. Back there,” Glorious Dawn gestured South, “our brothers and sisters are fighting to come to our aid.”

Glorious Dawn shifted, gesturing North, to the beaches. “There, our enemy waits, organizing, plotting. We’ve had them off guard, and they think that we’ll give them a chance to get back their momentum, to strike back.”

“We are going to strike them first, soon, before they can prepare a defense or a counter. We’re going to follow the Royal Guard into the heart of the enemy, and strike them hard. We’re the tip of the spear, now.”

Glorious Dawn paused, letting his words sink in, before he continued. “I know that many of you have lost a great commander. Major Stonewall was a great pony and leader. He will be sorely missed. But, I swear to you, all you soldiers of the Fourth Company, I will do him proud.”

He stepped forward again, walking in between the ranks and into the center of the formation, the assembled ponies turning inward to follow his movement. He stopped, turning in a slow circle as he spoke. “From this moment, there is no Seventh Canterlot Reserve Company. There is no Fourth Canterlot Company.”

The assembled soldiers murmured quietly, but Glorious Dawn spoke louder. “Today, on this moment, we are the first. The first company of this bluff, of this beach. We are bonded together by the blood we’ve spilled and the friends we’ve lost, bound by a common enemy, a common love of our country and families. We are no longer separate. We are one company.”

He smiled. “The First Company of Equestria.”

“First Company, are you with me?” he asked, rearing up onto his back legs, ignoring the screaming pain of his injured leg as he thrust a hoof into the air.

The First Company of Equestria cheered, hooves stomping. “For Celestia and Equestria!” Glorious Dawn roared.

“For Celestia and Equestria!” they replied, with one voice.

Glorious Dawn smiled fiercely as he lowered himself back onto all fours. “Make yourselves ready, First Company of Equestria.”

The ponies cheered again, hooves stomping and spears slamming against shields. Glorious Dawn carefully walked back through his ponies as they laughed and patted him on the shoulders, wincing with every step on his bad leg. Red Roam met him halfway through the group, smiling. “First Equestrian Company, huh?”

“It seemed fitting.”

“I like it. You did good,” Red said, chuckling.

“No, you did well. You organized them, brought them together,” said Dawn, smiling at his friend.

“Yeah, but you just bonded them into a unit. I couldn’t ever do that,” Red replied.

“I’m sure you could. They trust you, look up to you, just as much as they do to me. You’re the relatable one, never as separate as I have to be,” Dawn stated calmly, sitting down at the edge of the group of soldiers.

Red Roam shrugged. “If you say so, Captain. I’m going to see to Amber.”

“She’s shaken up. Radiance died in my arms, and Amber couldn’t save her. Make sure she’s okay,” murmured Dawn.

“Yes, sir,” Red Roam said, trotting away towards his wife and her medical ponies and patients.