The Unicorn Wars: War of the Gods

Chapters

Chapter 3: Typhoon
Chapter 4: Rocky Shores
Chapter 5: Grass Plains
Chapter 6: The Gleaming Fort Now Burns
Chapter 7: Burnt Out Ruin
Chapter 8: Gathering Storm
Chapter 9: Back Through the Pass
Chapter 10: Dreamscape
Chapter 11: The Temple on the Hill
Chapter 12: Betrayal
Chapter 1: Mad Dash
Chapter 2: On a Wave

Chapter 3: Typhoon

What started out as a not-so pleasant cruise, soon turned into a death cruise.

The ship groaned and moaned as wave after wave hit it the hall. The ship lunged up and down over and over again, all the while being knocked side to side, sending ponies crashing to the ground sometimes. A few of the crew had already been hurt, but not badly.

I felt my stomach doing flips as I watched Fire Ball through up for the gods known'th time, only this time he mist the bucket, and, instead it hit Swift Steel.

"Oh come on!"he yelled.

"Sorry."Fire Ball said, then made for the bucket again.

Suddenly the ship lunged sharply to the right, sending every pony in the room, into the wall.

"How do the sailors stand on the deck?"Maximus asked as he stood up.

"Only sailors know the answer."Ice Heart answered.

As we where all attempting to get up, a Seacolt came running in, panting hard and sputtering out orders from the Captain."Get, abandon ship, Now!"he screamed then ran for the deck.

We were on our hooves in a second. However, as we all ran for the stairs after him, the whole front of the ship splintered away, smashed to peaces by a massive rock that soared out of the sea.

In a blur of water and wood, I founded myself in the ocean being sucked down as the end of the ship sunk below the waves. I kicked hard with my legs, but found that I was still going down. Lungs burning, I saw my salvation, just twelve hooves away, a barrel that defied the sea, and made a break for the surface. It was raising fast, and it took all my strength, but I managed to get close enough just in time to grab hold of it. Air welcomed me as I broke the surface waves, and I sucked in as much as I could. Frantically I looked around for any pony else, but the waves where to high, and I couldn't see for more then a few hooves as the heavy rain further obscured my vision. I cursed as a strong waved knocked the barrel I held away from me, sending me in the opposing direction.

I swam for three to four minutes after it, before my legs began to burn and I gave it up as lost. Wave after wave kept coming, trying to drag me under the raging sea, but, just as I was sure I was going to drowned, a long peace of the mast of the ship came flouting in my direction. Struggling, I managed to grab it, and held on for my life as I was being slung about in the storm. However, I also managed to get tangled in the thick rope that held the sail.

A flip later, and I found myself once more under the water, but this time I was tangled, and couldn't get back to the surface. I began kicking and flailing in the quiet depths for what felt like an hour, but the mast didn't flip back over. I frantically lit my horn and drew my dagger with my magic, then began slicing at the rope, but it wasn't cutting fast enough, I would drowned before getting through it. Fate spared me, I the mast flipped again. This, however, sent my dagger flinging from my grasp, and out into the sea. I didn't care at that moment, as I simply focused on breathing.

The great peace of wood I was attached too, though, seemed to want me dead, as it was suddenly launched up into the air by a high wave, and was sent plummeting down, piercing through the water and sinking. I was holding my breath as tight as I could, but the wood felt like it would never rise, I began loosing hope when it finally went back up a lot faster than it had gone down, and it came bursting through the waves and landed back on top of them at last.

I began feeling safe again, there was a slight slowing in the rain, and it seemed that the storm might stop. However, the sea had no such intentions. The wind suddenly picked up, and the waves got higher, and another peace of the ship slammed into mine out of nowhere, ripping the rope off it, and sending me flying for a second, before I was plunged back into the water.

I was throne under again by another wave. This time I couldn't hold my breath, and I felt water enter my lung. suddenly something grabbed my hoof, I looked down to see the face of a terrified sailor who's rear leg was caught on what I thought was more rigging from the mast.

I immediately turned around and swam toward him, I grabbed the thick rope and drew my sword. With all the power I had, I began chopping on the thick peace of rope. The rope finally giving in to the sharp steel, and I began pushing for the surface with all my strength, with the sailor to my right.

Breaking through the water and after taking a deep breath, and coughing to get the salt water out of my lungs, I began looking for the pony I had freed. A second later he came breaking through the surface as well.

After he came through the surface every thing went black for a second, then I could see again. The water around me was red with blood, and a sharp pain was coming from my head. I turned around in the water to see a large peace of the hall, which had hit me in the head, was floating away, smeared a bit with my blood. I quickly turned around, deciding to ignore it, as there where far more important things to do. Back where the young sailor once was, I saw no pony.

I began swimming in the direction I last saw him in, hoping to find him, for he knew farm more about survival at sea than I did, but after not finding him for a few minutes, I once again grabbed hold of a barrel.

With my head feeling on fire, and bleeding, though it was stopping, I began looking for land, or another pony, but I saw nothing that gave me hope, except that the waves and the wind where dying down.

"Nova, Nova!"I heard the voice of Fire Ball shouting.

"Fire Ball!"I yelled back, and began looking around. I couldn't see him.

Suddenly, Fire Ball was holding onto the other side of the barrel, looking a lot better then I felt.

"You OK?"he yelled over the wind.

"Yea,"I answered."got hit by a bored."

"Have you seen any pony else?"he asked.

"Yeah, a sailor, but we got separated."I replied.

"That's one more pony then I've seen."he said.

My eyes, however, where no longer focused on him, as I could see over his shoulder, and what I saw was a massive wave coming straight for us.

"Hold on tight."I said, just before the wave hit us, sending us under the water for a couple of minutes.

The world around us changed as we came up. The sun, as if warding the storm, broke through the clouds, and in short order, the storm began to slow, until it had stop compliantly, only the occasional wave rolled by. The rain too, was slowing. Now on quieter waters, I felt I could finally calm down. If I didn't, I felt soon my heart might simply jump from my body to go its own way.

"Look,"Fire Ball said, pointing toward the horizon, where just a little land could be seen."Land."

"How far away do you think we are?"I asked.

"I don't know,"he started."How fast can you swim?"

For the rest of the painful, hot day, and well into the frigged and even more painful night, we swam. If we hadn't of had that barrel, we both would have drowned, but, about two in the morning, the rock covered shore of Equestria became clear, even in the dark, for it was covered in the white tattered sail of the ship.

After dragging our soaked and tiered bodies out of the water, and onto the, mostly dry, land, I dropped onto part of the sail from exhaustion and past out.

Chapter 4: Rocky Shores

"Ugh."I moaned as I awoke and slowly opened my eyes.

As soon as my eyes opened a crack they were assaulted by the bright light of the new sun, shining down directly into my eyes, and I immediately shut them tight once more, then rolled onto my other side. However, as soon as my head meant the ground, there was a sharp pain that coursed through my whole body.

"Ouch!"I yelled as I sat up, rubbing my head gently.

"What!"Fire Ball shouted as he to shot up into a sitting position, and began to look around, quickly finding me.

"I'm alright,"I started."where are we?"

As soon as I asked the question, I began to look around. We were on a beach, but, instead of warm sand, there was hard gravel and stone everywhere. Along the water was jagged rocks, like teeth from a monster, that would rip a ship to splinters, and to my left was a massive cliff that shot straight up, trapping us on the shore.

"I don't know."Fire Ball finally answered.

"Well, we have to get moving,"I started."we need to get off this beach."

"Yeah,"Fire Ball agreed."which way should we go?"

"North,"I said."if I remember right, the only beach on this side of Equestria with a cliff is south of the city, we must be south of Manehatten."

"Right, well, no time like the present,"Fire Ball started." and besides, now we have a chances to have a nice long talk, you know, about family, or something."

"Urg."I groaned as we started off toward the north, and Fire Ball stated off at the mouth.

"So, did I ever tell you about the time me and............"

*********************************

"And then, I hit him square in the lip, knocked him right into the wall, I tell ya, that was a good fight!"Fire Ball finished his sixth story just as we came around another large turn in the rock face."So, what did you do in your youth?"

"I worked."I said.

"Right, you were a farmer, so, what did you grow?"

"Crops."

"Like what? Corn?"

"Yes, like corn."

"Come on, didn't you have any friends?"Fire Ball asked.

"Sure I did."I answered.

"Well, who were they?"he pressed.

"My friends."I answered.

"Oh, come on, you can do better then that,"he sighed."tell me about them."

"Fine, you want a story, I'll tell you a story."I grumbled, hopping that he would leave me alone if I gave him one story.

"Yay!"he cheered in victory.

"All right, when I was sixteen, I learned about a old barn way out in the woods, and it was rumored that there was gold and silver inside. So, I decided that I would go looking for this treasure. So, one night, I snuck out of the house, and took off for......."I started, but was cut off by Fire Ball.

"Shhhh."he suddenly hissed, sticking his ears strait up.

I to stopped and listened, but, after a couple of minutes I still had not heard anything.

"What did ya hear?"I whispered.

"I don't know,"he whispered back."maybe it was nothing"

As soon as he finish, I heard the distinctive sound of rocks sliding, and a grunt from some pony that hit the ground. And as soon as I heard it, both me and Fire Ball were on the ground also, ears and eyes scanning the cliff above, and the beach beyond.

"Where did it come from."Fire Ball asked.

"Right up ahead of us,"I answered."just around that bend."

"Uff"the same voice grunted as it clearly got back up.

"Get ready."I hissed through my teeth as I began to lode my musket."Damn! Powders soaked!"

Dropping the powder packs, I quickly climbed to my hooves and began screwing on the bayonet, Fire Ball doing the same. Hoof falls could now be heard, and I could tell they were heading strait for us.

Now in a rushed panic, I finally got the bayonet secured to the end of my musket, just as Fire Ball finish his, then, in unison, we pointed the deadly weapons at the approaching noise and waited. It was like holding a powder keg with a lit fuse that you couldn't put out, just waiting for the inevitable. We only had to wait a minute, and then a shadow came around the bend.

As soon as its hoof appeared, me and Fire Ball lunged forward.

"Halt!"I shouted the first thing that came to my mind, and then aimed the bayonet at the unknown pony.

"By the gods!"I heard the voice of Swift Steel swear."Put those things down!"

As soon as we heard this, both of us quickly lowered our weapons, and took a better look at our friend.

"Swift,"Fire Ball started with the sound of relief in his voice."we thought you were one of those earth ponies."

"I gathered that much."Swift Steel responded, scratching at his neck where the bayonets pointed just seconds ago.

"Where is everypony else?"I asked.

"I don't know,"Swift began."you two are the first I've seen scene I landed."

"Damn."Fire Ball kicked at the ground.

"What about your gun powder, is it dry?"I questioned.

"No, soaked strait through."he answered.

"Well, we have to keep moving, we're heading north."I told him, to which he simply shrugged.

"Alright, I was never good with directions."he said.

"Your kidding, you who loves the sea and sailing, can't tell directions?"Fire Ball proclaimed in utter shock.

"Alright, lets go."Swift Steel said.

With that we set off, again heading north. And Fire Ball started up another story.

*********************************

Swift Steel, who was walking in front of me and Fire Ball, stopped and held up a hoof, finally silencing Fire Ball, three hours into our long walk."I think I hear somepony talking."

"That's all I've heard for the past gods know how long!"I thought to myself, but was already listening for what Swift had heard.

Quickly and quietly, we moved forward, and soon we came around a small bend. Hugging the wall as close as we could, we advanced slowly, shortly coming in rang of the voices, and they where not in Unicornish, but rather Equish, the main base of the native earth pony languages of the whole northern part of the continent.

"Swift,"I whispered as quietly as I could."what are they saying?"

"I don't know that dialect of Equish, sound like Polibash."He answered.

I thought about what he had said. Polibash was a native kingdom on the west side of Equestria, one of the few that had not been conquered by the Empire.

"Why would the Polibash be here, this is way out of there territory."Fire Ball questioned.

"Well, the gods did say that all the earth pony tribes worshiped the same two goddesses, maybe there here to help them."Swift Steel reasoned, a logical reasoning at that.

"If that's the case, then we have a problem,"I started."the Polibash have never helped anypony but themselves, so if they have come out now, who knows how many other tribes have come to help."

"Oh, that's bad,"Fire Ball said."there's more earth pony tribes then Unicorn clans, the only reason we've been winning against them is because they're divided, we would not stand a chances if they all united."

As he finished, we had just got close enough to look around a large bolder, and spy upon the enemy. Only thirty hooves ahead of us, were fifteen earth ponies. The worrying part was that they were wearing different armor. At least six distinctive tribes, and they were working together.

"Oh no,"Swift Steel said as his eyes widened."that one, in the front, he's Chibanwana, there supposed to be our allies!"

"Well."I said, raising my musket slightly above my head."you know how the Empire treats traitors!"all knew the punishment, death. At once, all our horns lit up with magic, and we spread out for a better field of fire, and then."Fire!"I yelled as I jumped from cover.

As soon as I shouted, all our horns in unison flared, and unleashed three powerful balls of flame, which hit the enemy while they where completely unaware, killing three, including the one from the Chibanwana, instantly.

The enemy was slow to act, and another round of magic was launched, killed three more. However, after that, they charged our position, all yelling a battle cry. Without enough time for another magic attack, we all raised our muskets, and dug our hooves into the sharp gravel, just as the enemy slammed right into out bayonets. Two died, but the others raised their own weapons, and the fight was on.

With a fears battle cry, I swung my musket, and struck one of them in the shoulder. He staggered back, and fell behind two of his friends, who were happy to take his place and try to kill me. I swung up at one, but he easily stepped back and blocked it. Then the other one, with an incredible amount of force, hit my musket with his club, and sent it flying.

As soon as my musket hit the ground, my Gryphon sword was in my magical grasp cutting through the pony that knocked my musket away. However, the next one was more prepared then the first, and he had backup.

The two earth ponies, including the one I wounded, circled me, cutting me off from my friends, who each had two of there own to worry about.

I tried to keep them from flanking me, but, it did not work, and soon found myself facing one, while another was behind me.

Yelling, they both suddenly jumped forwarded. I rolled under my attacker that I faced, and, getting to my hooves, I quickly turned to face them. Taking advantage of the momentary lose of maneuverability they now had dew to hitting each other, I leaped forwarded, slashing the the first one all the way down his left side. With a shriek of pain, and a look of horror, he fell over dead.

Once his friend hit the ground, I swung at a upward angle, slicing the second one across his exposed chest, but, he jumped back just in time to avoid any reel damage, and he quickly recovered. He swung at me with his club, which I ducked, and then chopped in half, then, as he staggered from the sudden wait loss, I stabbed him through the chest, right through the heart. With a week moan, and a gurgle, he fell from my blade and onto the gravel of the beach, dead.

"Ah!"I heard Fire Ball shout, and I spun around to see what happened.

Standing over Fire Ball, who now had a bad looking head wound, was a large red earth pony with a massive club, that now sported my friends blood. He stood there for a second, then raised his club high, aiming strait for Fire Ball's head.

To far away to reach him in time, I pooled all my magic, and then threw my sword, which quickly covered the distance between us, and planted itself in his mighty chest.

"Ahhhrg!"He shouted as he stumbled back, then, to every ponies amazement, and horror, he pulled the whole thing out, which had gone deep enough that only the hilt stuck out, and then he through it away.

"Die."He shouted, as he lift the club one more.

"BANG"

With a mighty sound, his chest exploded, and standing behind him was Swift Steel, horn still glowing bright green.

"Well,"He began."can we leave now?"

With the enemy dead, and the path clear, and safe, we hastily gathered our gear. I retrieved my sword and musket. After that we all took off as fast as we could, not wanting to find out if anypony had heard the fight.

Chapter 5: Grass Plains

"Oh, finally!"Fire Ball exclaimed as we finished walking up a sharp hill that lead from the beach to the flat, grassy lowlands of central Equestria.

As we took our first step into the lush grass that dominated the whole landscape, I looked up at the sky. The sun had begun to set, and it would be only thirty to forty minuets until Equestria was plunged into the darkness of night.

"Do y'all think we should make camp for the night?"I asked as I gave the horizon another look.

"I guess so."Swift Steel answered.

"Yeah, I'm done," Fire Ball exclaimed." I couldn't take anther step if my life depended on it!"

"Alright, we'll set up camp next to that group of trees."I stated, pointing out the trees in question.

"Wait, shouldn't we take cover in the trees,"Swift Steel started." what if an enemy patrol comes along?"

"Yeah, your right,"I started."OK, we'll set up camp in the woods."

With that our destination, we set off for the patch of trees just a mile away. It was a small group of trees some miles from the actual forest, but would hide us well enough. And by the time we got there, thick clouds hid the sun and it became even darker, making the threat of detection even less.

"Stop!"Fire Ball said suddenly, and quietly.

"What do you got?"I whispered.

"Somepony's in there."he replied."See that."he pointed.

Sure enough, when I looked into the trees, I saw something glint in the late evening sun."This is getting ridicules, how meany ponies are on these plains?"I asked myself, it defiantly wasn't normal."Draw your swords,"I started."no muskets."

When I finished, we all pulled our weapons at the same time, and as quietly as possible, then split up. I went to the right, Swift Steel went straight, and Fire Ball, went left. We quickly circled around the grove, and entered from three separate angles. In a few short seconds we were all in position, neatly surrounding the trees.

It was now dark out, so I cast a spell to allow me to see through the inky black shadows, the moon not piercing the thick canopy. Slowly I stalked into the trees, and I could just see that the others were doing the same, closing in on a small clearing in the center. Finally, I made it to the very edge, and could study what was inside.

From were I was I could see three tents around a dead campfire, the ash still smoking ever so slightly. The tents were large, to large, they looked very similar to gryphon style tents. However, there where hoof prints in the ground and no other sigh of a gryphon presence. Also, I spotted, laying next to one of the tents was a very strange weapon. It appeared to be Iron, its blade was curved, and the blade got thicker in width as it reached the end. The handle was made from bronze, and wrapped in leather, which was strange for a pony sword. Never before had I seen a sword like it.

On a small flag poll flew a flag that also bore no resembles to any I had see. It was red, the whole thing, and on it was a white crescent moon, and a star just to the side of the moon.

"Who could that be?"I asked myself.

As I was about to sneak forward to get a closer look, though, I stopped just before leaving the shrubbery. I heard somepony inside the nearest tent move.

" عامر، سمعت شيئا."Came a unknown language from inside the tent, carried on a gruff voice.

A short second after the voice spook, the tent flaps opened and from inside stepped out a tall, muscular stallion. He looked like a earth pony, but his body was to large, even making the one back on the beach look small, and his muscle was much larger then that of a pony. His eyes were smaller then normal as well.

"What, in the name of the gods is that?"I whispered.

As I watched, he began to scan the area, looking deep into the underbrush for any sigh of life. After a few dead seconds, his eyes fell on me, I stopped breathing as he stood there, staring straight at me. I new he had spotted me, my magic gripped on my gryphon sword, then tightened as he slowly made his way over to his sword and picked it up. Once he had it, he began making his way toward me, caution in his every step. I stepped back on pure instinct.

"SNAP"

My heart stopped as I heard a twig snap under my left fore hoof and his expression turned from caution, to aggressive. He took a step back and opened his mouth to yell, but, I was to fast. Before he could shout, I lunged from the brush and lashed out with my sword.

Horror filled his eyes as he began to drown in his own blood, he reached for his throat with his right fore hoof, trying to stop the bleeding. He took me by surprise when he took a sudden step forward, and in a last ditched attempt, swung at me. I easily dodged the blow, and with a swift strike at the back of his neck, I killed him instantly.

"مهلا، أين أنت؟"Came another voice from a near by tent.

"Attack!"Fire Ball suddenly shouted.

As I looked up, I saw that he had moved into the opened circle and had been spotted by the second voice. It was another of the strange beings, and it looked angry.

The second one immediately grabbed his sword and charged Fire Ball. However, Fire Ball was ready, and he was cut down with one swing from my friends sword.

As his body hit the ground, four more of the creatures came from their tents, all there eyes locked on Fire Ball. In a flash they had there sword, and began to advance on him, murder in their eyes.

Instantly I flung myself from behind them, and slashed one across the back, killing him. On the other side, Swift Steel did the same. The two that remand turned back to back, in a attempt to defend from our attack.

"Magic."I called, telling my friends what to do in that one word.

As soon as I called out, both my friends, and myself, charged a spell and fired. The powerful fire burned through them so fast that they didn't even feel it. A second later, two brunt corpses fell to the ground.

"What are they?"Fire Ball asked, after a short pause.

"A new race of pony?"Swift Steel stated.

"Maybe they are just really large earth ponies."I said.

"They don't look like any earth pony I've ever seen."Fire Ball replied.

All three of us stopped, however, when a loud ruckus was heard coming from the woods. Looking at each other momentarily, we made for the edge of the trees as quietly as we could, and listened.

"Sie sagten, sich hier zu treffen."Came a heavy voice in a earth pony language I had heard before, but did know how to speak.

"Lets go."I whispered to my friends, and as quietly as possible, we made our way deeper into the bushes just as another voice spoke.

"Wir sind Freunde, wir kamen wie bestellt. Wollen Sie uns nicht schaden."A second scratchy voice announced from the far side of the dead camp.

As the voice stopped speaking, six well armed earth ponies from a tribe I didn't recognize came out into the now pitch black camp, were their leader immediately tripped over the body of one of the fallen enemy we killed. The very one I had killed first.

As he pulled himself back up, another member of the band pulled out a torch from his pack and struck his flint and steel together twice, before it caught and the clearing was filled with light. Just before that I had dispelled my night vision, so as not to go blind when I saw him with the torch.

Now in the full light of the torch, they could see the carnage before them.

"Was ist hier passiert?"A younger member of there party spoke.

"Unicorns! diese Wunden sind frisch, die wir brauchen, um die anderen zu warnen."Said there leader as he began to turn around and lead there group back to were they had come from.

"Did you hear that?"I whispered."He said Unicorns, he knows we're here, we can't let them get away. They will go get help and hunt us down."

"Yeah, we gotta stop em."Swift Steel agreed.

"Fire a magical bast on three."I said.

"ONE"

We split up to take them on all three sides.

"TWO"I said to myself, knowing that my friends were keeping the exact same count as me.

I dashed the last three feet I needed to put me at the perfect firing distance.

"THREE"

Three voices said in unison, then three balls of magic were sent flying into the three earth ponies at the back of the group. The other three spun around looking ready to fight, but then the leader gave an order.

"laufen!"Their leader shouted, and all three of them shot into the woods.

"After them!"I shouted, and all three of us shot forward as well.

In just a second we where through the woods and back into the massive plains, the earth ponies just ahead of us, half way up a hill, they were at optimal firing range though.

"Fire again!"I called, and all three of us fired another shot. However, hitting a running target is harder then hitting a sitting target, and only Swift Steel hit his mark.

By the time I could fire another spell, the two remaining earth ponies were over the hill. We chased on, it only took us a second and we we're on the hill top, staring into the small valley below.

"Uh oh."Fire Ball said.

Down in the valley was a small army of earth ponies, lead by a group of pegesi. I could already see that one of the pegesi was a knight. They were supposed to be the equals to His Majesties Royal Guard.

"There must be three hounded of them."Swift Steel said.

"Hilfe, Hilfe!"The two remaining earth ponies called."Unicorn!"

"Uh, let's get out of here."Fire Ball said, and there wasn't any arguments. With that we turned and set out at full speed, making a bee ling for Foal Mountain, just on the horizon.

"You know what?"Swift Steel said as around three hounded earth ponies, and a few pegesi, stormed over the small hill behind us."I think I'm starting to really hate Equestria!"

Chapter 6: The Gleaming Fort Now Burns

"Hey, do you see anything?"asked Fire Ball from behind me.

Fire Ball, Swift Steel and myself were currently hiding under a thorn bush, as a small group of pagasi flew in a search pattern above us. We had been here for half a hour, and Fire Ball was starting to get restless, and angry, and he kept asking that same question.

"Shhh,"I hist for what felt like the millionth time."no, there is nothing to see."I spoke through my teeth, trying to be as quiet as possible. There was silence for a minute.

"Ouch."Fire Ball said, alarmingly loud. I looked to the sky, but the pegesi didn't seem to have heard him."I just got another of those thorns."he grumbled.

"Then sit still."Swift Steel told him.

Time drug on. The Pegesi were thorough, searching every inch of the forest from the air. I had to admit that their attention to detail was impressive, but flawed. They never landed and that meant they couldn't properly probe the under brush. Thankfully, they flew over us, and searched on, missing our position entirely, and not giving it a second look. I watched as they slowly passed, and then began to move further away. In a mater of minutes, they flue out of sight.

"Their gone."I said, relieved that we could finally get out of the thorn bushes.

As quickly and quietly as possible, we all slid out from under the bush, and stood at our full height. As soon as we where up, we began to move toward a patch of trees, thicker then the rest of the forest, not far from where we were. As it was far thicker then the ones we were currently under, the pegesi had checked it quiet well. It was a good thing we didn't have enough time to hide there, which had been our plan. It most certainly wasn't our first chose to hide in thorns.

"OK,"I stated as we finally got under the trees."we need to get to the pass, then to Fort Sun Guard."

"Yeah, last I heard though is that the Earth Ponies took Foal Mountain Pass."Swift Steel said.

"Yeah, I heard about that to."I said as I gave some thought to it.

"Wait, I've seen maps, why can't we just go around through the low lands, east of Foal Mountain?"Fire Ball asked.

"Because, that whole peace of real estate is owned by the Earth Ponies. The Empire lost three divisions in there."Swift Steel answered.

"Oh,"was all that Fire Ball said.

For a few seconds no pony spoke, we just sat in silence, all trying to come up with a plan.

"I know,"Fire Ball started."We hit them head on, go straight for the center."

"You want us to attack a pass, held by a unknown number of Earth Ponies, and Pegasi?"Swift Steel asked, amazed that anypony could even consider proposing such a thing.

"We should move, we can make a plan when we're there."I said.

"Hey, what about sleep."Fire Ball asked. We were all dead tiered.

"The enemy is scouring the whole mountain side for us, and you want to sleep?"Swift Steel asked in the same voice as before.

""Lets go."I said.

With that, we set off toward the Pass we all know to be just thirteen or fourteen miles away. The night continued to get colder with each step, but, with nopony to hinder us, aside from a few patrols that were mostly earth ponies, and were easily avoided, we made it there in just over four hours.

I sat at the edge of the forest now, the thick trees and dense under brush hiding me well from the Earth ponies that stood on a low wall that blocked the opening to the Pass we wished to use. The barrier was made of wood, and only stood about nine feet off the ground. And at the time, seemed to be patrolled by six ponies.

I looked from the small wooden wall, to the steep mountain that split only here. For as far as I could see in both directions, nothing but a two thousand foot high wall of rock stood in our way.

The only way through was right before use, and it didn't seem very heavily garrisoned.

Slowly I licked my lips, the only option I could see was attacking the pass.

"Hey, look, there doesn't seem to be that many of them, maybe we could take 'em."I said, looking to my two friends. If the whole squad had been here, we would have attacked by now, it was the only option.

Our powder had long since dried, so we had the advantage of muskets, as I hadn't seen a singly guard with one yet. However, we were all tiered, and using magic would be a huge drain on us.

"Great, I love this plan, how should we go--Hey, what's that."Swift Steel asked as he pointed at a shadow that was stalking along the bottom of the enemy barricade.

It made its way slowly along the outside of the wall, watching the guards patrols, and getting into a position by a large bolder on the eastern side of the small fort like structure, apparently making ready to attack.

As we watched, I was surprised to see it suddenly jump up, and fire a flaming ball right into the eastern most guard. Not a second later, four more joined it, taking out all but one of the guards. I was almost too stunned to move.

"kita lagi kena serangan!"The last guard shouted, just before he was struck down by the first shadow figure.

At what I just saw, I stood up and looked from my friends to the short wall, which soon erupted into a blazing inferno, as who ever attacked it blew the door down and then rushed in.

I turned my head back to my friends."Well,"I started."lets go!"

As soon as I said that, all three of us jumped from the tree line, and rushed forward. We crossed the short distance in mere seconds, and immediately entered through the now chard and shattered door, and saw the chaos that was going on inside.

Five Unicorns fought off about twenty Earth Ponies. Two stood back, keeping most of the enemy away with deadly fire spells, while the other three engaged with any that got by. It was good plan, but it wasn't working. The two magic casters where nearly drained, and the three sword wielding Unicorns were fighting three to one.

Once all was registered, I charged forward, Swift Steel and Fire Ball right behind me. We stopped just short of the fight, and unloaded our muskets into the earth ponies. I saw at least two fall. I charged on, and as soon as I was within rang, I let out a stream of fame that killed two more Earth Ponies, and made another back away. Fire Ball did the same killing another and driving back three more. While Swift Steel simply drew his sword and ran past the other two casting spells, and right into the fray.

As fast as I could, I was right next to him, my own Gryphonic sword slashing down an enemy before he even saw me. With a quick roll I dodged to the right as another Earth pony swung down at my head, leaping to my hooves I took a wiled swing at his neck, but he blocked, then pulled back as fire flew at his face. Just before he could take a swing at my neck I couldn't have dodged. I looked back briefly, and saw that Fire Ball was with the other casters, and had been the one who saved me.

I blocked another slashing arch he tried to deliver while I was distracted. I proceeded to ducked when a second earth pony decided to join us, and swung to remove my head. I quickly backed up, and jumped to the right to avoid a downward slash he attempted at me, then I lunged forward, and with a swift smooth cut, he instead found himself collapsing to the ground, his head coming off and rolling away.

My second opponent was fast, he came in and took a swing at my fore hooves. I blocked it just in time, then struck out with my right hoof, knocking him in the middle of his nose. With a sharp yelp he staggered back, then jumped at me, swinging for my horn. I ducked quickly, then rolled under him. I turned as fast as I could on my back, and plunged my sword up through his chest. He collapsed down on top of me, but with a quick shove he rolled off, and I was back on my hooves.

I looked to my right as I heard a loud battle cry, and saw four Earth Ponies charging me. I took a step back, then dropped my sword and fired off a small stream of flame, which killed one, and forced the others back. I could feel a pressure building in my fore head, and pain began to travel down my spine. I was reaching my magical limit fast.

As the three survivors began to circle around me, I ended the spell, and picked my sword back up, bringing it up just in time to block a war axe blow from the right.

As quickly as I could, I jumped back as the other two pressed in, trying to surround me. Then, suddenly appearing at my side was a Unicorn. He held in his magical grasp a standard issue steel sword, and I could just see his Sargent stripes in the dark.

"Sarge!"I shouted.

However, before anything else could be said, I was forced to block an upper cut from a short iron blade, then roll to the side as a second attack came at me in the form of a lung. Sargent Steel Hoof however took advantage of the two now off balance attackers, and after blocking a swiftly aimed counter attack from one of the Earth Ponies, he cut down both of them, dodged the last ones strike, then stabbed him through the chest.

"Well, get a move on!"Sarge yelled at me as he charged five Earth Ponies that had been charging us, screaming at the top of his longs.

The earth ponies in question stopped, and raised their swords in a defensive manure. Not that is would help them.

The first two fell before him as soon as he was in range, blasted apart by his magic. It was amazing to watch a fully trained solder of the Empire fight against so meany enemies at once. after only a few seconds, the last of the Earth Ponies fell, he quickly moved on, taking out another Earth Pony that had got to close.

I ran forward after the Sargent, my sights set on a earth pony that was standing by himself. I came at him with a downward power attack, hoping to knock the sword he held out of his mouth, but he dodged to my right, and in one flowing motion cut up into my side, right into my stomach.

I staggered away from him, coughing, and held my side. I looked down, expecting it to rent open, and spilling blood and intestines. Instead, my uniform shone a bright golden color and my side was only bused. I looked back up and saw a bewildered expression on my opponents face. He quickly recovered, and began advancing on me, slowly.

I shook my head, and gritted my teeth, it didn't matter right now what happened, I was to busy. I brought my sword up as he brought his down, aiming once again for my mid section. I knocked his sword aside, and lunged for his throat, but he reeled up on his back hooves, just out of my reach, then tried to kick me in the head as he came back down. I easily side stepped the blow.

He roared as he charged me again, taking a wiled swing at my head. I ducked, and jumped to his exposed left side, then swung out with my sword, cutting him vertically across his shoulder. He cried out in pain, his sword falling from his mouth as he stumbles back. He stopped only ten hooves away, and pulled a small axe from his side.

After pulling his axe, he lunged toward me, but staggered as he put wait on his left fore hoof, and grunted in pain. I wasted no time, and quickly ran forward, he raised his axe, but I knocked it from his grasp and sent it flying. He took one final, desperate step back, before I stabbed him in the chest, piercing his heart.

I stared into his eyes as the life drained from them, shock and pain in equal amounts displayed on his face as he died. I watched as his body fell from my blade, and hit the ground.

I was breathing heavily, and my side suddenly reminded me of the pain I was in, sending shock waves of pain through my body every time my skin touched my uniform. My head was spinning, and my horn was burning. My magic had been taxed to its limit.

I looked up from the body, now bleeding out at my hooves, and pulled my sword from him. I looked the makeshift fort over. The last of the earth pony defenders having been killed just after I killed the one before me. I wiped my sword off, and sheathed it, I would have to clean it later.

I looked at all the assembled ponies. Among them I saw the Sargent, Corporal Iron Hide, Ice Heart, Maximus and General Burning Sky.

"Sir."I saluted the General, Fire Ball and Swift Steel quickly doing the same thing.

"At ease."the general waved us off, then turned to Sargent Steel Hoof."Sargent, how long until we reach this Fort..."he trailed off, looking into the distance.

I followed his gaze, and found myself looking at a massive pillar of smoke, poring up from right where Fort Sun Guard would be.

"That's the fort!"Maximus yelled.

"Damn it!"the general shouted."Alright, lets get a move on!"he called as he took off at a fast march heading North.

Chapter 7: Burnt Out Ruin

The destruction and devastation before us was like nothing I had ever seen. I had seen a few battle fields, but this was the first I had seen were the Empire lost. The wall of the fort was all but gone, burnt to ash. The gate house was barely standing, leaning forward, threatening to crash down on as if we entered. Bodies lay everywhere in the field around the destroyed fort, easily seven hundred earth ponies, clearly cut down by endless volleys of musket fire, and as they got closer to the fort, magic.

We marched slowly up the path, the smell of blood, mud, and brunt corpses filled the air. The path we walked was overflowing with bodies, ripped apart and left for the elements to reclaim them.

The dead ponies near and on the path had clearly been searched, anything important, or useful being removed. Every now and then I would see one that had also been killed after the battle, having their throats cut. We weren't the first to come after the battle.

"Sarge,"Fire Ball said suddenly."Look there."he raised his hoof and pointed at the far North side of the field that surrounded the fort.

The Sarge, and everypony else, looked in the direction he was pointing into a cluster of trees. I squinted, but I couldn't see anything. I was about to give up when I saw a deep red. I focused on that spot and soon made out a dark brown earth pony, with a red main. He quickly disappeared when he saw he was spotted.

"Seen him."the Sargent stated simply.

"Shouldn't we go after him?"Maximus asked.

"No."General Burning Sky said."He'd just get away, and we're busy."

After that the General moved ahead of the group and walked right up to the wide open, and ruined gate. He stepped right through without even looking for any sign of the enemy that could quite possibly be stalking just past the threshold.

"General."Sargent Steel Hoof almost shouted in panic as the rest of us ran to form a circle around him."Please, Sir, let us secure the area first."

"Nonsense. I'm not a colt!"he pushed on, taking the lead.

"Sir, I mus.."the Sargent started, but was stopped when the General turned and looked him in the eye."Yes, Sir."Sarge said in defeat.

The General seemed satisfied, as he turned back and headed deeper into the destroyed fort. All the buildings looked like they had sustained heavy damage, but none had fallen. Though most looked like they were about to.

My gaze fell on barracks three, just across the court yard from the mess hall. It looked relatively intact, though there were clear signs of it being burnt, just like everything else.

We soon came upon the citadel. Calling it a citadel was hard to do, especially now. The citadel had always been small, and had been made out of wood, just like the fort, some cheep stuff that grew in the area and looked horrible. Now that it was burnt, it looked even worse. The entire left side of the building had collapsed, and the right side looked like it was about to do the same.

"Alright."The General spoke up, loud enough for us to hear, but not loud enough to be over heard."Break up into teams of two and search for survivors, Sargent, your with me."

"Yes, Sir."We all said, giving a salute and breaking up.

I saw Ice Heart and Corporal Iron Hide head south, toward the armory and blacksmith. Fire Ball and Swift Steel went toward the left side of the court yard, the Sarge and the General made for the command center, and me and Maximus made for barracks one, two, three, and the showers.

"Hey, Maximus, I thought I saw something move in barracks two."I whispered as I saw what I swear was movement.

"Alright."he said, priming his musket as I did the same."I'll kick it in."

We quickly flanked the door, Maximus on the left, myself on the right. I lifted my musket and leveled it at the door, right at the head level of a pony. Maximus turned around and put all his weight on his fore hooves, then quickly struck out with his rear hooves, which shattered the door, sending it flying in and breaking into tiny slivers.

I was in the door way before Maximus was even done, I lifted my musket and scanned the room. I stayed there, watching for just a second as Maximus recovered and turned around, before entering himself. With Maximus now inside, I turned right and made my way to the wall in that direction, Maximus doing the same with the left wall. I signaled him forward, and I took a step myself. However, just as I stepped into the light, something just hooves in front of me moved right at me.

I reacted in a flash. I slashed out with my bayonet and cut open the blur of movement, then quickly jumped back before raising my musket, ready to fire the shot in a instant.

Instead I found myself staring at a ripped curtain blowing in a light breeze. I lowered my musket and looked to my left, to Maximus, who had a huge grin on his face, chuckling slightly.

"Hey, it's not funny."I growled.

"Yes it was."my friend started laughing out loud now.

"Whatever."I said as I started moving toward the back of the building."Come on, we gotta' clear this place and get to the next one."

However, I stopped after the third step, and Maximus sobered up as we both heard a loud floor bored creek from the small room off to the back of the room.

The barracks where a long building with only two rooms. The room we were in now, were all the soldiers would sleep, and a small back room were the officer would sleep, whomever was the highest rank.

I looked to Maximus and motioned to the door, he under stood and soon we were leaning up against the wall on ether side, same set up as before. With a quickly delivered kick, the door was knocked away, and I jumped in, weapon ready.

I looked around and my eyes soon landed on a sword pointed strait at my noise. I held my gaze there for a second before following the blade to the hilt, held by a blue aurora. Then I saw the stallion holding the blade in his magic. He was brown, with black main and tail, and he looked like he had just seen a ghost.

"Thank the gods!"he yelled as he dropped his sword and sat down."I thought I was a dead pony."

Maximus came through the door just as I lowered my musket."Are you a survivor from the attack?"I questioned.

"No,"he said standing up and dusting himself off."I'm with the rescue team."

"Where's the rest of your team?"I asked, hoping to get back to the mission as soon as possible.

"I don't know, the Sarge went to the blacksmith, and I know somepony got sent to the mess, that's abou..."he trailed off as he saw the royal seal on my coat, and quickly stood at attention, then brought his hoof up to salute."Sorry Sir, I didn't know you where with the royal guard."

I waved my hoof and said."It's alright, I haven't even gotten use to it myself."

"Right, well, if you have secured this building, then we need to move on."Maximus stated, and I knotted my head in agreement.

"I've also secured barracks one."he stated as we all began making our way to the door at the front of the building.

We emerged from barracks two, and, sure enough, I could see Fire Ball and Swift Steel come out of the mess hall with another pony in tow. We turned left and dashed across the open area between barracks two and three, and came to a quick stop in front of barracks three's wooden door. This time I got in front of the door, and my two companions stood to ether side of it. I quickly delivered a hard kick to the wood, and the door broke to peaces, and my companions charged in. I turned around and followed them, and saw them both advancing down ether side of the room, hugging the walls.

I started forward, heading straight down the center of the rows of beds, right toward the door to the privet room at the end. We were all soon there, and I kicked that door down too. In a second we found that room just like the barracks themselves, it was empty.

"Did your team fined any survivors?"I questioned as we started back toward the front door.

"Yeah, we found a few, mostly wounded pretty bad. And I'm sure you saw all the survivors we found of the earth ponies of our way in."he replied.

"Yeah, what happened to the survivors?"I asked."Our survivors."I added for clarification.

"They were taken to the infirmary, just behind the blacksmith, it was the only building that didn't look torched."he answered.

We approached the showers, that last place we needed to secure. The door was already fully open, so I went straight in, followed by Maximus, and the privet after him. We did a quick sweep of the small structure, but there wasn't anything there, so, we quickly left, heading back toward the citadel.

"Hey, what's your name?"I asked the privet as we neared the large, and destroyed building.

"Privet Tidal Wave."he answered.

"With a name like that I would have expected you would join the Navy."Maximus said."I'm Maximus by the way."

"I was going to, but, it turns out I hate the water."he replied.

"I'm Nova."I said just as the blacksmith came into view as we past the citadel.

We were soon directly in front of the building in question when I saw the Sargent, talking to another Sargent, while the General seemed to be looking over everything in the armory.

"We'll need more gun powder."Sarge said as we approached."And as meany reinforcements as we can get."

"Sir."I snapped to attention, and saluting."The East quarter is secure."

"The West quarter as well."said Swift Steel, who came up behind me with Fire Ball just behind him.

"Good, that make the fort secure."Sarge said."Get some rest, the General says we leave in the morning."

"Yes, sir."I said, saluting again.

"Sir, are we going now?"Swift Steel asked."Aren't we going to plan this?"

General Burning Sky turned around and spoke."No time for that, we leave at first light."

Chapter 8: Gathering Storm

I stood in front of what remained of Fort Sun Guard, our one day rest was up. A runner had been sent from the rescue group to retrieve reinforcements from Manehatten. And by now they should be about half way here.

General Burning Sky was annoyed though. Due to the distance of Manehatten from the fort, we were forced to stay until around noon. We would be leaving soon though, as we would have to travail east by south-east, but the solders from Manehatten would only have to go south by south-west, so we would meet about in the middle.

Assuming the runner even made it, that is.

However, it didn't matter right now. We had a time limit. We didn't know how much of a limit, as the gods did not inform us when the two false goddesses would arise, but the faster we moved, the better.

I looked to my left, and saw everypony standing in a strait line, except for the General, who stood in the middle and about four hooves in front.

He didn't look good. He looked tiered, and his uniform was a mess. To be fare, all our uniforms were looking worse for ware. Even the enchantments the gods put on them didn't stop mud and dirt from clinging, but the General looked tiered beyond physically tiered. His shoulders slumped, and his head wasn't held as high as I had seen it before. He no longer looked like the legendary hero I had seen him as, like all the recruitment posters had made him to look like. In fact, if wasn't dressed like a General, I would have never thought him one.

I looked back at the ruined fort behind me and sighed. I had lived in that fort. Before, it was never beautiful, but it had a charm to it, a feeling of comfort. Now it was a burnt husk, not even a reminder of the power it once boasted.

My eyes turned from the fort and scanned over the field of bodies one last time. We had buried all the unicorns, but the endless sea of earth pony corpses still filled the rest of the field. They had been killed in droves, dozens killed before even reaching the wall, and after reaching the wall, piles of dead spoke of what happened next. Burning oil, fire spells, and long spears killed dozens more. And after they finally breached the wall, then the true battle began. Only three hundred Unicorns held Fort Sun Guard, every last one was killed, save the few now lying in the infirmary. However, there was over two thousand earth ponies out lying in the field, and pilled up beyond that walls.

"Why is the Empire even here?"I thought to myself."What is the point in this madness?"

My gaze found it way to the mountain that dominated the center of Equestria. It shot up straight into the sky, as if challenging somepony to clime it. I remember seeing the map given to us by the Counsel. That was the mountain of our destination, Mount Canterlot.

"That's why we're here."I told myself."To stop this earth pony heresy."

"Alright,"I snapped my attention to the General as he started to speak."lets get going."

He took off marching and we all soon joined him. We marched straight East, following the road to where we would meet the reinforcements. Soon the fort, the smell of death, and the sobering theme where gone, replaced by the forest. Birds chirped happily in there trees, animals ran through bushes, and the sound of running water filled the air.

It was peaceful, and that felt wrong in this land. I had known this land for what it truly was. Violent. Wiled animals that were more a kin to demons walked in the forest. Monstrous abominations that actively hunted ponies. And the ponies of this land themselves acted like animals. They worshiped other Ponies.

"There is no greater heresy!"I thought with anger.

It would soon be over though. We would stop this madness, and maybe even show the earth ponies the error of their ways, and teach them about the Council of the Draconequi, so they can redeem themselves.

I sighed sadly."Yeah, because that worked so well with the Gryphons."

Seconds turned to minutes, which interne turned to a hour and a half, before we made it to our destination, right at a cross roads. One road going west in the direction we came from, another south, which was the road we would be taking. One going east toward the sea, and the last going north where our reinforcements were supposed to be coming from.

"Great."the General grunted."They should have been here by now."

"Fire Ball, Nova, go scout up the road. Tell us if you find them."Sarge ordered, and Fire ball and I quickly gave a salute.

"Yes, Sir."we both replied.

Fire Ball and I turned and took off up the hill heading north. Soon clearing the top, we started down the other side, following the path into a fairly thick forest.

"Great."I whispered."This is the perfect place to get attacked."

"Yeah."Fire Ball mumble as he scanned the forest carefully."I think we're good for now though."

I did a quick scan of the forest myself and didn't see anything ether."Yeah, your probably right."I said.

We stalked on silently, not making a sound as we advanced deeper in the forest. With every step it seemed to get darker, but never did it get dark to the point were I couldn't see.

The peaceful calm of the forest was almost hypnotizing, calling to me to just relax and not worry about anything. However, my mind would not fall pray to such lies, and traps the forest set. Forest were dangerous, I knew that. It was the perfect spot to get attacked, as it provided the cover to get in and out undetected. I didn't want to be surprised by anything.

We rounded a corner carved into the path to avoid a lager rock and a thick patch in the trees, when I felt Fire Ball barrel into me, knocking me off the path and into a bush.

"Fire Ball! What in tarte..."I started to yell, but he silenced me with a harsh shush and pointed down the path.

I stood up and looked to ware he was pointing, and saw a pony standing on the side of the path. I could only just see the side of his head, and couldn't tell if it was a Earth pony, Pegasus or Unicorn. So much for not being surprised

"Thanks."I whispered, Fire Ball just nodded his head.

I slowly stalked forward, Fire Ball at my side as we advanced on the unknown pony. We moved around and under bushes and small trees, sticking to the thickest parts of the woods, making sure not to make a sound. Now the same traits he used to hide, hid us.

"Hold up."I whispered to Fire Ball."Is that a horn on his head?"

Fire Ball stared for a second before answering."I think so."

"OK, lets do this carefully."I said as I raised my musket, Fire Ball doing the same."Freeze!"I called to the unicorn as me and Fire Ball leaped from the bushes.

The unicorn jumped a hoof into the air before drawing a dagger and stepping toward us."Ahah!"I shouted and pointed my bayonet into his face."Calm down."

The magic around his horn died and his knife fell to the ground."OK, OK, I'm calm."

As he stood down, I lowered my musket and picked up his knife, which I now realized was a kitchen knife. I gave him a curious look."Why are you out here? Its not safe."I asked.

"I'm with the Manehatten militia."he answered."The commander called all the militia up, and sent us with the sixth rear guard to meant up with General Burning Sky at four spokes turn. Why are you out here?"

"We're with the General."I answered."what are you, camping? What's the hold up, the general is a vary impatient stallion."

"We're not, we got attacked by the earth ponies, it was a ambush."he hung his head."Everypony else is a mile back, I'm on forward scout duty well they bury the dead."

"Damn. How meany died."I asked as I stomped the earth below my hooves.

"I don't. Hey! There they are now."he said, pointing up the path that lead deeper into the already thick forest.

I looked to were he was pointing and saw a small column of ponies marching side by side in ranks of four, and at the front of the column was a dark gray mare with a colonel's eagle on her uniform. We quickly made our way over to them, and the column stopped.

"Colonel."both me and Fire Ball said as we saluted in unison.

"At ease."she said, wryness in her voice."You two with the General."

"Yes, Ma'am."I answered.

"Good, I hope this excursion is worth the life's of my solders."she said.

"Nothing is worth the life of a pony."I said.

She stared at me for a bit before speaking."Your right. Anyway, lets get this over with. Where is the General?"

"Just up the road, Ma'am."Fire Ball spoke.

As soon as he had, the Colonel turned around and spoke to here regiment, easily one thousand five hundred ponies."Move out!"She yelled at the top of here lungs. The order was soon repeated, and the regiment lurched forward. Me and Fire Ball lead the way, the Colonel right at our backs.

Chapter 9: Back Through the Pass

We came marching down the hill toward the cross roads, right about two hours after we left. We lost a lot of daylight on our two hour delay, but we still had time to reach the pass before night fall, and, if necessary, take it back, again.

The whole column came to a stop as the Colonel stopped and saluted the General. Fire Ball and I came up on her left and saluted as well. The General gave a quick nod of his head, and then spoke to the Colonel.

"Well, Colonel, what took you so long?"he asked.

"My apologizes, Sir. We were ambushed about six miles out."she replied.

"Casualties?"he asked.

"One hundred and thirteen dead, and forty six sent back to Manehatten, Sir."she answered, and the General began rubbing his forehead with his left hoof.

"Damn."he mumbled as he looked back at the long line of solders behind us."Reports say the Temple has over three thousand defenders. That force is twice our size."

"When did he have time to get a report?"I asked myself.

"My solders can take em',"the Colonel said confidently."there's nothing they can't do."

"Did you bring the artillery I asked for?"the General asked.

"We have two cannons."she responded.

While the general looked contemplative, I took a second to study the Colonel's face. She didn't look like she wanted to tell him. I looked back toward the rear of the column. I had seen the 'cannons' they brought, I knew what the general expected, and felt the General should be aware of what I had seen. I turned back to look at the General and prepared to speak.

"General."I said, which instantly got his attention."I believe you should be aware that the cannons the colonel is speaking about are old fifteen pounders, and they do not look to be in functional order."

"They fire fine."the Colonel defended, glaring at me."I've had them tested, and they are fully functional."

The General looked between me and the Colonel before starting to walk down the column toward the rear, followed by the Colonel. I soon followed myself, Fire Ball coming right after me. The Sarge came up behind us as well."I believe I shell have a look at these cannons myself."the General declared.

"You better not be blowing hot air."Sarge hist in my ear.

I grew worried as we approached the out of shape cannons. Had I missed something. Maybe the rust I saw didn't mean anything? My fears where soon put out when I saw the Generals reaction to the small cannons at the rear of the column.

"Colonel,"the General started, he was clearly not amused."I order the cities twenty five powders I know you have. Where are the weapons I ordered!"

The Colonel hung her head in shame."We lost them, Sir. Earth ponies attacked the city and got away with them."

"You lost four twenty five pound cannons, to Earth Ponies!"the General roared."Are you incompetent!"

"Sir, I..."she started, but was cut off by the General.

"Get the column moving!"he shouted as he marched his way back up to the front of the line, were he stopped and turned around as he noted the column was still siting still."I said MOVE!"he bellowed in anger, and the long lines of solders began marching forward immediately. The Colonel took her place leading them, following right behind the General.

Me, Fire Ball, and the rest of my squad took up the rear, right behind the pitiful excuse of cannons that would normally be at the back.

I shuttered when I momentarily thought about how mad the General would have been had he fount out about the cannons in the middle of a battle instead. He had a history about rather harsh punishment for those under his command. And those not under his command, which wasn't technically legal.

"Oh well."I thought to myself."At least I'm not in trouble."

Several hours past, and the light of the sun began to fade, as the celestial body attempted to hide behind the mountains. With the setting sun came the cool of night though, and that was a very welcome relief. This brought up something I hadn't thought about in a long time. I had heard that, once the sun sets, in mountains very near where we were, strange pegesi of the night, with horrible bat wings, and fangs came out, and preyed upon ponies. I, however, knew these were just stories, so I didn't let mind linger.

As my thoughts wondered to other things, I suddenly felt a stiff breeze blow up agents my right side. I thought nothing of it as we marched on, simply staring ahead, like everypony else, and none of them seemed to care ether.

However, the second time it happened I turned my gaze right, and saw were it was coming from. A few miles out hung thick, black, ominous clouds, which were moving toward use at a rather fast pace.

"The pagusi mean to use the weather against us."I thought."That's not good."

I marched on though, not mentioning the weather, as I could tell everypony else had already seen it. And the General ether didn't care, or, more likely, was already thinking up a strategy to fight it off.

Unicorns could control weather to a certain extent, but could never match a Pegasi, much less a whole trained army of them.

I looked forward once again, and stopped just in time to miss bumping into the Sargent. I stood to my full height and stretched my neck as far as I could. Foal Mountain loomed over us, and only a mile or two out was the massive pass cutting through its heart.

The Northern side of the mountain was far less steep then the southern side. It's back slowly ascended at first, gradually getting steeper until it became almost vertical about half way to the top.

I stared at the mountain before us, still wondering why the mountains, and everything else in this land, was so vastly different from Unicornia, or even the Pegasi lands. The mountains in Unicornia would go up gracefully, and would break at some point into a ravine and such. Sure, some had sharp peaks, but seemingly every single one in Equestria had a spear point at the top. And the one in the center was the worst, I didn't even want to know how it stood so perfectly straight.

I was shaken from my musings when I heard a long blow from a horn. It vibrated through the valley, and echoed from the far wall for about four or five seconds. I recognized the sound, it was a frequency and length produced by magic to be a single. the message was to form firing lines around the source, which was the commanding officers.

Quickly my squad and the other squads around us rushed forward and made a wall in front of the General. My squad was directly in front of him and the Colonel, and they were attended by six musketeers who looked well trained.

I looked forward as the wall finished forming and saw why we where in this position. Out of the woods, less then a quarter mile away, I saw a large army of earth ponies, with a dozen or more pegasi leading them, come pouring out.

Thinking of the pegasi I looked up, and sure enough, there was another large group setting the finishing touches to their storm.

"Get those damn cannons up here and start firing on those earth ponies. Everypony in the front lines, be ready to aim for flying targets."the General yelled as he pulled his sword from it sheath and held it up high."For the Empire!" he bellowed just as the two cannons fired, and the first earth ponies hit the ground.

"In coming."somepony yell and I raised my musket into the air.

Just as it started to rain I saw at least a hundred pegasi descending from the clouds, but before we could fire, they fired. Bullets pelted down on us from the sky, like rain drops of death. After the lead stopped falling, everypony in the firing line raised their muskets and returned the favor, only the pegasi where far out numbered. They tried to move back, to get out of range, or reposition, but lead is a lot faster, and almost every one of them fell from the air. The few that did survive flew off back to their allies, just as they got hit by the second round of cannon shot.

"Reload!"I heard the order repeated a couple hundred times as I grabbed my powder horn, and quickly pored a small amount down the end of my musket. I capped it, then reached into my shot pouch and grabbed one of the small, round balls that I frantically stuffed into the end of my weapon.

"BANG"

A chorus of gun blast sounded from in front of me, and I heard the distinct sound of a bullet fly past me. I ignored it, and primed the firing hammer, than lifted it back into a firing position.

I paused for a second, the enemy had advanced to just thirty hooves away, and they were still coming. Having abandoned their muskets and had drawn swords, they now charged our line, hoping to get to us before we had reloaded, but they failed.

"FIRE!"

At point blank range the firing line unleashed a deadly volley of lead into the charging enemy, sending almost all of them to the ground. Maybe a hundred or so slammed into a wall of bayonets a second later, killing what was left of them, and ending the battle.

I was breathing heavily and shaking a little bit, that was one of the shortest engagements I had ever been in. It had not been a well thought out plan, or whom ever planned it was incompetent. The tactic was clear though, and if they had been faster, it could have worked, but timing was every thing, and they got it wrong. I breathed out a deep breath, and looked up from the carnage to see a few pegasi retreating for Foal Pass.

"Cowards, at least the earth ponies attacked us."I thought with venom.

"Alright, get to work, as soon as the dead are buried we're getting out of here."I heard the General say, and I immediately moved to follow his order.

We camped that night just on the far side of the pass. We set up dozens of tents, and set out small spiked barricades to surround the encampment.

I stood first watched on the west side of the camp, keeping vigil over the sleeping ponies for sixty hooves in two directions. I took my post just before the sun dipped completely below the horizon, casting long shadows, and lighting the sky up with orange and red. I turned my eyes toward the distant mountain, and looked long and hard, trying to see where the temple of the false gods was located.

I stared for a few minutes before I saw something. A light, small and dim at first, but it soon grew to a large golden glow. It got bright enough that I had to squint, and then it flared and the sun fell the rest of the way from the sky, then the light died, and was replaced by another. I stared in awe as the same thing happened, only the second light was light blue, and did not get as bright. Then, after it flared, the moon shot into the sky, casting deep shadows and light gray rays shined forth.

I stared in wonder at what just happened, my heart began to pound in my chest, and sweat formed on my brow.

"Heresy."I said, just under my breath.

I looked to my right and saw the other two look outs staring in the same direction I had been. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and turned my focus back to watching for enemies.

"We have to stop this heresy soon."I thought to myself."Or more will flock to it."

I stood there the rest of my watch, anticipating the battle to come, praying multiple times to the console and to different gods individually, that they would keep us safe, all of us.

I was relieved around twenty two thirty hours, and I went back to my tent. I lay there all night, thinking, waiting, and dreading about what was to come. I don't know when I fell asleep.

Chapter 10: Dreamscape

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was still in my tent, a small pathetic thing made for one pony to sleep in, and just barely, but something felt off.

I got up and backed out of the tent, as there was no room to turn around, and began to scan the camp with my eyes. Then it clicked. No pony else stood any were in sight. There were no guards on the perimeter, and none patrolling the tents.

I turned to the tent beside mine and looked inside, but were Swift Steel should have been, there was just an empty sleeping bag. I pulled my head out of the tent and ran back to my own, I grabbed my uniform and stuffed myself into it as fast as I could. I attached my sword to my side, before taking my musket and loading it.

After I was finished, I made my way toward the command tent, checking every other tent on the way, but finding no pony. I was soon standing in front of the tent of my destination. However, I could see right into it before I even got to it, as the two large flaps were open. I stopped and looked around again.

"Where the hay is everypony?"I asked myself out loud.

I turned west and found my gaze on the tall mountain in the distance. It was easily within a days journey from the camp, and there wasn't anywhere else to go.

"Maybe they went on without me?"I asked as I started to walk in that direction.

However, just as I stepped out of the camp the scene changed. Long fields of grass turned into cobble streets, and small hills into houses. I raised my weapon as I fount myself standing in a city square. And, as I looked around, I realized that I had been here before. Clefrun, an earth pony city I had helped attacked on my first deployment.

As I looked around the city, I didn't see any sign of the battle. Houses and other building stood, the wall behind me wasn't damaged, and not a single body lay in the streets, but, there was a problem. Not a single pony was in the streets beside me. I made my way over to one of the houses and looked in. I immediately backed up, but could still see inside. Bodies lined the floor, earth pony stallions with swords and muskets were at the front, but mares and foals were at the back, shot to death by a volley of musket fire.

I turned away and began to move along the city wall, trying to find the gate so I could get out. I soon found the main street in the city, cutting right through the middle and leading to a large square in the center of the city. I paused and found myself staring down the street, something inside of me telling me to go to the main square. My hooves moved on there own, and in a few minutes I was standing in the square, staring at the carnage of a whole town that had been butchered. I found myself throwing up, before I could back up though I found my hooves wouldn't move.

I struggled to force myself to move so I could get away, but I couldn't. I was stuck here. I could move my whole body, but not my hooves. Panic began to grip my heart as I frantically looked for a way out, but I stopped when I heard a voice behind me.

"Now do you see the evil of your empire?"the voice asked, it was clearly feminine, and held a lot of authority."Tell me, why do you come to our lands?"

I turned my head as far as I could so I could see who was speaking behind me, I was expecting a earth pony. However, instead, a unicorn mare stood there. Her coat was dark blue, her mane light blue, and she was unnaturally tall. She had no armor, nor weapons, but her face was a mask of anger.

"What?"I asked."Your lands?"

"Yes, Equestria."she said as she took a step toward me.

"These are earth pony lands."I stated, I was utterly confused.

"Fool, you come here in service to lairs and thieves."she stated.

Anger began to rise in my chest."That's treason!"I shouted.

"Its the truth!"she shouted as well, and then flared a huge pare of wings."Your emperor wants this land for himself. And your 'gods' back him."

My eyes went wide when she finished, my anger turned to fear, and my heart sped up. Wings and a horn."Oh crap."I though to myself."She's one of them."

We staid like that for a time before I could finally speak."You speak heresy."I stated, my fear once again giving way to anger."You've poisoned enough ponies with your lies."I finished as I went to draw my sword, but it wouldn't budge.

"This is a dream, blind one."she stated simply."I control what happens here."her horn flared and the sword vanished.

My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water."Impossible, every pony in the army has mind defense wards. She's lying."I thought.

"No, I'm not."she said.

My eyes widened yet again."How..."I started, but was cut off by a loud shout.

"Enough!"a voice called out, and the sky was torn open."You can not simple take what is mine!"

I looked up and beheld a draconequus descending from the sky. Hypnos, god of sleep and dream realms soon landed between me and the pretender.

"This has always been my realm, beast."the tall Unicorn Pegasus declared.

"Not any more!"Hypnos shouted, and his body became a bright light.

"Ah."I shot up in my tent and stood to my full height. I quickly backed out of my tent and looked around.

It was pitch back out and the moon still hung high in the nights sky. I turned my gaze away from the sky and scanned my eyes over the camp. Sentries stood watch, a pony scurried around here and there, and the tent next to mine was emitting a very loud snoring noise.

"It was just a dream."I mumbled to myself."Thank the gods."I turned and stumbled back into my bed, were I fell asleep instantly.

Chapter 11: The Temple on the Hill

The camp was disbanded after breakfast, and we were back to marching west, make a bee line it for the mountain that loomed ever closer, and now dominated the horizon with its massive walls of stone.

Canterlot mountain was a truly terrifying beast. It looked like a spear plunging up from the depths of Tartarus. A thick, dark and foreboding forest encompassed the entire base of the mountain, only breaking for a small road that went straight to the heavily defended temple that was about half way up the side of the cliffs.

Even from outside the forest, miles away, I, and everypony else, could see clearly its imposing size. I had seen some earth pony buildings, and not one of them looked anything like the fortress temple hanging from the dark gray mountain. not even the pegasi had such grand fortresses, only the empire had the money and power to build such things. However, here stood testament that lowly earth ponies did the same.

I looked long and warily at the pathetic fifteen pound cannons we had, then back to the massive walls of the temple.

"Great."I thought."I bet a twenty five pounder couldn't get through that!"

I knew, however, that the lack of real artillery wound not stop General Burning Sky. I had read once a report about a attack on a Zebra city, where he simply charged with ladders and climbed the walls. It was risky, but it worked, and he had captured the city in half the time and with almost half the casualties projected.

We had come to a long standing stop as the General conversed with the Colonel on how to proceed. Even from the rear of the column, I could tell they didn't see eye-to-eye. Both of their voices were raised, though neither was yelling, just disagreeing with vigor.

"Hey,"I heard one of the stallions in front of me say."Did you get a chance to read the news paper before we left Manehatten?"he asked a mare standing next to him.

"No, why?"she asked.

"Well, Carthnayge was attacked, damn pagasi sacked the whole city. Got out with thousands of gold coins."he said.

My thoughts halted. Carthnayge was one of the most powerful and wealthy cities in the empire. If the pagasi could get to Carthnayge and win, they could easily take out smaller cities in the region, and that was only on province away from Roam, my home city. I pushed those thoughts from my head as he continued.

"They attacked with a whole Gryphon army to, and now they say that the whole province might be lost."he added."And with the Zebra in the south acting up, they say the empire is facing a total rebellion."

I turned my attention away from the two who where now talking about a different topic."No way."I thought."The Empire is at its peak, its never been stronger."With resent conquests in Equestria and Gryphonia, the Empire had reached a new height in economic wealth and military strength. How could hundreds of years of building suddenly be at risk?"No!"I thought."The Emperor will figure it out, and with the gods on our side, what have we to fear?"

As I looked forward once more, I noted that the Colonel was shaking her head in understanding. She didn't look happy, but she would never dare question the orders of a General, much less this General.

"Column, advance!"she yelled, and everypony began marching into the increasingly thick forest. It wasn't long after that that we began to slowly, yet notably, start heading up a gradual incline. Soon the path sharply shot upward, and stairs appeared in the side of the cliff.

It was the most vertical clime I had ever been on, and dew to the short withe of the steps, we could only move two at a time, so it took twice as long to get to were the mountain side finally plateaued, and became level. However, there was no time to rest, and we were back to marching the second the cannons were up. I'm just glad I didn't have to heft those heave worthless peaces of meddle around.

However, by thirteen hundred hours, we finally reached our destination. The walls had looked massive from the ground, but they weren't. Instead, they where colossal. They must have stood sixty hooves tall, there was a trench dug around its base with a draw bridge that was in the up position when we arrived. And there were about two or more hundred earth ponies on the wall, muskets primed and aimed, so we made sure to stand out of range.

"Alright, get to work building ladders!"the General shouted, and with the tools available, ponies began to cut down trees.

I took in slow and steady breaths as I stood in the long line of solders ready to surge forward at the Generals order. We had just finished preparing ladders not a hour ago, and the sun was getting low on the horizon, but we were clearly getting ready for a attack regardless of the difficulty of night time battles

I stood in the center of my squad, Maximus to my left Swift Steel to my right, right in the front row of the army. This meant I would be the second pony over the wall from our ladder, following right behind Maximus, as he was randomly selected to be a ladder pony, which gave him the most dangerous job in siege warfare. I didn't know why my squad was at the front. The gods had selected us to stop the two false sister goddesses from raising, if we died out here, then who would carry through with that part of the mission. However, I didn't say anything to the General, he was perfectly aware of the situation.

The forest around us was quiet, as if the birds knew what was about to happen, and had fled. The wind too had died down to a whisper, and as I continued to think about it, I realized that the sun hadn't moved in half an hour. I stayed staring at the none moving heavenly body for a few minutes, its base just touched a far off mountain. However, it didn't go anywhere after that, it simply stopped, leaving the glare just in our eyes.

The ponies on the wall didn't seem vary active, as they rarely moved. Their faces were stony, and expressionless, and I was beginning to think something was wrong with them. None looked afraid, none looked worried, none ever left the wall since we showed up, they didn't seem supersized, and that was just wrong somehow. Perhaps they were extremely well trained, and battle hardened, which would be very bad for us. Or, perhaps it was just my nerves getting the better of me.

I glanced back at the sun."What's going on?"I thought.

"Alright, we've waited long enough."I heard the General, who was just three ponies to my left standing next to the Sarge, say."Advance!"he called, and the army started forward.

We pushed forward slowly at first, the earth ponies on the wall raised their muskets and lined up a shot. They held their fire, as we were still out of range, but that would soon change. We began running as soon as we knew we were in their range, however, they held their fire, clearly waiting for us to get closer so they could hit us with accuracy.

Sure enough, once we were just thirty hooves from the wall, their muskets all went off. I looked down the line in both direction, hoping that none of my friend got hit. None did, in fact, no pony was even heart. I couldn't under stand as the ladders were all slowly lifted, and aimed for the wall, that's when I got it.

As the ladders came down on the wall, they began to pass right through it, and with a light shimmer, the whole wall disappeared and the ladders slammed into the dirt, bridging the pit that was at the bottom of the false wall. However, the main problem now was the incredible amount of earth ponies on the far side of the pit at point blank range with their muskets level with our chests.

"BANG"

Their muskets barked as one, and most of the front row of solders fell. As soon as this happened, dozens of ponies behind began to panic, and about half the survivors began to run back down the mountain.

"Back in formation!"the General screamed at the top of his lungs."Firing line now!"he order.

At the Generals orders, most of the ponies who where retreating turned around and started back, and those like me still in line instantly fire our own volley, and then began to reload, but the enemy was already half way there.

"Forget reloading!"the General cried as he pulled a long, elegant officers sword from his belt."Charge!"he finished, screaming the order as he surged forward, even before anypony else had time to process what he said. However, he was soon followed, and a wall of bayonets plowed into the unprepared enemy before they knew what happened.

I was across the pit and on the far bank before I knew it, I had run across the ladder which had thankfully thick rungs. I killed a earth pony before he had time to react, spearing him through with my bayonet, then kicking his lifeless body into the pit I just crossed.

However, the earth ponies recovered fast, and I was soon fighting three of them. I blocked the first one's mace as he swung for my head, but that let the second one hit me in the back with a axe. I shouted in pain at the crushing wait of the heave axe head, but my uniform, blessed by the gods, saved me form death.

I swung my musket around and slammed it into his face, only for the third one and the first to hit me with their maces. I backed away, giving myself more room, and watched as they tried to get around me. However, another unicorn came out of nowhere and ran one through with his stander issue sword. As the other two were then distracted, I stepped forward an got another one, stabbing him in the barrel, then slashing down, spilling his intestines on the ground, he soon followed them.

The unknown unicorn was pulled into a different part of the battle, and I was left fighting the last one by myself, but by himself, he was easy to defeat. I lunged forward, aiming for his chest with my bayonet, only for him to slam the mace into my musket and knock the bayonet off its end, he then swung high and aimed for my head, I blocked with my musket and pushed him back just long enough for me to draw my sword.

He recovered and swung his mace for my head once more, but with a flick of my magic my sword cut his mace in half. He stumbled forward, suddenly off balance, and I quickly cut his neck, severing his jugular, and spilling blood all over the ground.

I turned back to the fighting and saw the superior numbers of earth ponies being defeated by superior unicorn training, and the battle was quickly turning in our favor.

After a short while we began pushing the earth ponies back into the surprisingly small compound, were the open field fight turned into a urban battle. The temple was clearly lived in, houses were divided by thin streets that mazed there way through the small town.

It was quick and bloody work getting through the town, but soon we stood before the goal. A large temple looking build stood in the very center of the village, and once the last of the defenders was dead, the army regrouped around the door to the large black stone building. What was left was not impressive, only about two hundred solders made it this far, but the General walked up the the thick doors with confidence.

He stopped before the door, raised his left fore hoof, and pounded on the door before yelling."Come out, we have you surrounded!"he stood still, waiting to see what they would say in response. It vaguely occurred to me that they mite not even be able to understand him, but their response answered that question.

"Fool unicorn, your gods don't have the strength to defeat the sun and the moon!"came a reply. However, it was not a earth pony accent, it was a pegasi accent. The general seemed to note this to, as his features darkened, and he frowned deeply.

"Alright, listen up. If you come out now, you will not be hurt!"he promised. Silence rained for a short time.

"Never! We know what you want, and you can't have it!"with those their final words, the general motioned with his hoof, and the gunners rolled the two cannons forward.

"Alright,"the General grinned wildly."if that's the way you want it."

It was a short a quiet wait, as the gunners load the two cannons, apparently they stopped to listen to what the General had to say. However, their task was soon completed, and they signaled the General they were ready. At that, the General signaled for all the troops to form up around the door, but we stayed at a distance.

"Last chance!"he called, but put no real attempt to sway them in it.

"Come on in, Unicorn!"the same Pegasi shouted.

Without even waiting for the Pegasi to finish, the General shouted."Fire!"

As soon as he yelled, the two gunners touched the slowly burning fuses to the small holes in the top of the cannon, and a second later, the cannons roared loudly, spewing fire and iron out the end, which soon slammed into the great doors of the temple, shattering them to splinters. I suddenly regretted making fun of them.

"Aim!"the general yelled to the line of Unicorns holding muskets.

I raised my musket in sink with the other two hundred Unicorns and held tightly on the trigger, waiting for the Generals order to fire. It came very shortly, just as the smoke began to clear, earth ponies surged through the downed door, and charged our firing line.

"Fire!"the General shouted at the top of his lungs.

As soon as he shouted, the wall of muskets sang their chorus of death, and the wall of bayonets was replaced momentarily by a wall of gun smoke. The smoke soon cleared, reveling the broken bodies of the earth pony defenders. However, they were not all dead, and a second wave soon followed the first.

No time was given for the order to be called, so the soldiers of the firing line responded as their training dictated. Without even realizing what I had done, I found myself bracing just as the enemy slammed into the wall of bayonets.

Blood suddenly covered me as a stallion impaled himself on my bayonet. I quickly recovered, and pushed him from the end of the weapon before stabbing at another stallion that was behind him. I missed his neck, but hit him in the shoulder. His cry of pain was short lived as another pony stabbed him through the chest.

Not bothering to see who killed him, I pulled my bayonet free and looked around. The battle was already over, the last of the earth ponies being put down just as I finished retrieving my weapon from the corps.

Looking up, however, I could see, deeper inside the building was a wall of defenders, and they looked very angry. They, however, did not mover down the long hall. Instead, they held the far end, protecting a door of wood. Even without doing any calculation, I could tell they were out of musket rang. The General, however, had a idea.

"Get those cannons loaded!"he ordered the gunners, and they started to load the guns immediately."Everypony reload."he shouted toward those with muskets. I had already started to reload, as had many others. It took the gunners only a minute to finish, and by then, anypony with a musket was also done. The gunners then moved into position. The wall of earth ponies suddenly looked very worried."Fire!"the General commanded.

"Bang"

The two small guns sang as the end of the hall was suddenly reduced to splinters and body parts.

"Advance!"the General called out, and we slowly started down the hall in a column.

We marched slowly, looking out for traps, or more enemies, but seen none. The General lead us without so much as a small hesitation, right through the now demolished wooden doors. That's when we found the rest of the enemy.

As soon as we stepped through the destroyed gate, hundreds of earth ponies flooded from the adjacent room. They carried no muskets, only maces and some swords. However, there was no time to fire on them, as the charged into our front lines, and blood began flowing.

As soon as I engaged one, I immediately noticed the difference. The stallion I attacked skillfully blocked my bayonet with his sword, swiftly disarming me, and driving me back. I used everything I could to put distance between us long enough to draw my own sword, but he made that very hard. Finally though, I managed to draw the Griffonic blade, now bringing the fight to him.

With a series of quick slashes, I attacked him, but he dodge or blocked all of them. I could see all around me the same thing. Highly trained soldiers of the Empire barely staying in the fight against barbaric earth ponies. Suddenly I felt sweat rolling down my forehead.

Focusing my attention on the earth pony before me, I started with a swift slash at his neck, but he blocked swiftly, giving himself room to chop at my left foreleg. I stumbled back to save myself, just evading the crippling blow, then brought my sword up at his face. He jumped back, but still got his cheek split open.

I grinned as he landed, and wobbled slightly, losing his balance. Quickly taking advantage of his momentary imbalance, I struck out at his side. He didn't have time to correct himself, and my sword easily pierced him, cutting him open. He fell to the floor dead a second later.

Looking up from his body, I was shocked to see most of the remaining soldiers dead. The last of the earth ponies were dead, but only about twenty soldiers were left. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

The General, from the other side of the room, threw a body to the floor, then started down the hall."Fifteen of you stay there, make sure we are not followed, the rest of you are with me."he ordered.

I knew me and my squad were going with him, and so I started down the hall at a slow trot, soon catching up with him. The others soon joined us, along with two guards and the Colonel.

It was quiet for a minute, but we soon found our destination, and stopped right in front of two massive doors."This is it,"the General stated."This is where their Heresy lays."

Chapter 12: Betrayal

Slowly the massive door swung open from a, surprisingly, light touch from the General. The great hinges to either side of the door gliding quietly, not even making a sound. Finally, they slowed to a halt, and a soft click sounded that it was being held in place. We all ventured inside slowly, following the General.

The room was very grand, with walls that arched up, forming a large dome for the ceiling with thick pillars holding it up. Two massive statues stood in the center of the room, depicting two ponies. Both had wings and horns, rearing up on their back hooves and touching their horns together. Below the statues was a large magic conductor. I had seen them before, but this one was clearly not of Unicorn make. It was made entirely out of crystal, and was square instead of oval shaped, which was the best way to make them. However, the real attention grabber was the two orbs of light floating just above the conductor, one a deep blue, the other a burning gold. I squinted as I looked at them, and could just make out the pony shapes hidden by their light.

"That's them."I heard the Sarge say.

"Right, mov...."the General started, but was cut off when a stallion behind us cried out in pain.

Spinning around as fast as I could, I drew my sword and raised it high, only to be stunned by the sight I saw. The Colonel's sword was covered in blood, and one of the soldiers that came with us was dead. The other backpedaled quickly to get away, but she was soon cut down by the Colonel's blade. The Colonel swiftly turned back and took a defensive stance as we approached.

"What is the meaning of this?"the General demanded.

"That's pretty obvious 'General', I've betrayed you."she stated calmly.

The General scowled at her."Fool, your out numbered."he stated the obvious.

Just as the Colonel was about to say something, a voice from the far side of the room spoke."Not any more."my ears perked up as I spun around again. I was right, it was a griffon accent I had heard.

Into the room on the far side strode three Griffons and a Pegasi. My eyes narrowed when they landed on the Griffon in the lead. However, it was the Sargent who spoke first.

"Governor Shade Claws!"he shouted."You betray the Empire as well?"

"It does not matter."the General interrupted."Kill them, all of them!"he shouted, then charged the Colonel."You'll pay for your crimes!"he declared as their blades clashed, right before I looked away.

I barely had time to block the attack that came at me as the Griffons and the Pegasi were upon us. The Griffon who had struck at me was massive, and my blade wavered under the power of his blow. Quickly I rolled to the side, just as his sword came crashing down where my head once was. As fast as I could, I swung at him, but his wings carried him high above my reach. Thinking fast, I dropped my sword and fired a ball of magic flames at him. Surprised by the action, he failed to dodge and was hit square in the chest. His shrikes of pain were only stopped when I cut off his head.

Standing back up from my bent over position, I looked about the room, only to suddenly be taken off my hooves as a body slammed into me, also knocking the air from my lungs. Soon I was rolling across the floor, before sliding to a halt. Fire Ball rolled a little further, before climbing to his hooves. I dragged myself to my hooves as well, then turned in the direction he had came from.

"Sorry."Fire Ball wheezed as he came to my side, and I saw 'what' had thrown him.

Standing a dozen hooves away was a huge black Griffon, the Governor himself. He soon stalked forward, stepping carelessly over the body of his fallen comrade. However, he was interrupted when Ice Heart and Maximus barreled into his side, almost knocking him over, and both burying their blades beneath his thick hide.

He roared in pain and anger as he slapped the two away from him, leaving their swords in his side. At that, me and Fire Ball charged forward, Fire Ball stopped, blocking the powerful sword strike that came at him. The Griffons empty claw came at me, aimed for my throat. However, with a flick of my sword, his whole claw fell from his arm. The pain caused him to jump back sharply, and drop his sword. He took a angry swipe at me, but I dodged, then Ice Heart, newly recovered, delivered a swift kick to his right hind leg, breaking it with ease.

As the Griffon fell to his side, I stepped forward and attempted to sever his head. I was horrified to see my blade only go in a few inches, then stop. I jumped back as he swung at me with his claws again, leaving my own sword stuck in his neck. Fire Ball charged past me and swiftly cut off his remaining arm, then began hacking at his neck. I stood, stunned, watching as Fire Ball chopped repeatedly, trying to kill the Griffon which was barely even alive. Soon, however, the power of the Griffon died, and his body went limp.

Quickly I retrieved my sword, and then scanned the room with my eyes. All the enemies were dead, save one. Standing in the doorway we came through, the General stood above the now unarmed Colonel, holding his sword to her throat.

"Tell me traitor, what did they offer you? Gold, power, their gods?"he sneered.

"You'll see, one day, you'll all see."she grinned.

At that, the General swiftly cut her head off, then turned around and started for the magic conductor. He sheathed his weapon, then charged a spell."Destroy it."he order simply, right before firing at the crystal structure.

Following his orders swiftly, I, along with the others, sheathed my own weapon, then fired on the magic conductor. It shook violently as volley after volley hit it, but soon the crystal began to creak, and it shattered. As it exploded, light filled the whole room, and a shriek was heard from one of the orbs of power. However, it, along with the light, soon died out.

"Its done."the General said as he looked up.

The magic conductor was beyond repair, and the orbs that once held the two false goddesses were both gone.

"Now what?"Swift Steel suddenly asked.

The room was quiet for a minute, then the General started."I guess we just leave."he stated.

At that, we all turned around, and the room was gone, replaced by another. I, along with the others, were confused for only a second, until we recognized the room as the consul room of the gods. However, every seat was empty, save one.

As soon as we all looked upon him, Discord began clapping his claw and paw together, and we all bowed."Well done, well done!"he cheered."Oh, stop being boring and stand up."he commanded.

As soon as we stood, the General spoke."Lord Discord, what is it that you wish of us?"he asked humbly.

"Wish of you?"Discord asked, before seeming to remember something."Oh, right! No, I do not wish anything of you. I simply wish to thank you!"he said, suddenly appearing at the Generals side and rapping his talon around his shoulders.

"We only did your bidding."he said, looking down respectfully.

"Nonsense."Discord said from his throne, or rather, his head said from his throne, as he body staid behind, but slowly walked back, and reattached itself."You did the counsels bidding, but you still helped me!"he praised.

"Is yours and the counsels desires different?'the General asked, confused.

"Yes, and no."Discord stated, this time from his wooden chair on the wall."You see, I had another plan the whole time."he said, waving his paw mysteriously.

"We only live to serve."he said.

"Indeed."Discord mumbled."I might have to change that, it gets rather boring after a time."he stated.

"Whatever the consul wishes?"the General said, though he seemed as confused by the statement as me.

Why would the gods not want us to serve?"Then again, this is Discord we are speaking with."I though to myself.

At the Generals words, Discord broke out laughing, and for a slow minute did nothing else. Finally though, he continued."The Consul has no more say in what I do."he smiled evilly.

"What?"the General asked, tensing up a bit.

"Oh, I think you heard me."he said slyly, as his chair vanished and he appeared in Baal-hamon's throne, the other thrones in the room disappearing as well, and the head throne warping into a twisted seat."You see, the others are no long with us."he stated, suddenly wearing a black suit you would see at a funeral.

"What have you done?"the General breathed.

"Those fools gave so much of their power to you, that I simply finished the job."he grinned."And now with the sisters out of the way, I rule unconditionally."he shouted as he jumped into the air, and changing his outfit to something more suited for a party.

"You can't do this!"the Sarge shouted.

"Can't do what?"Discord asked."I've already done it. Their gone, all of them, I'm the only one left."he cheered."And it's all thanks to you!"he said.

At his words, the Generals horn lit up and he drew his sword. All humor drained from Discord's face, and he stepped down from his throne. I followed the Generals action, and drew my own sword, the others doing the same."And what do you plan to do with those?"Discord mocked, then with a snap of his talon they all disappeared."I will not tolerate disobedience."he growled."Or will I?"he suddenly asked himself, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

The General didn't stop, and instead, his horn flared, firing a ball of fire at the Draconquus. However, the ball of fire passed right through him, and he simply looked at us, unamused."Well, if that's the way you want it."he said, raising his paw dangerously."I'll let you live, just to see my wonderful new world."and with that, he snapped his paw and we were standing back on Canterlot mountain.

The world seemed normal, for a minute, but soon things changed. The terrain soon began to shift. large peaces of land lifted themselves into the air, and I noticed many animals change as well, their legs stretching, or their heads inflating. The sun and moon, too, began to loose control, and started flying around in the sky, and making shapes as they went.

I could feel a fundamental change in my connection to magic as well. At first, I thought I had been severed from it, but then I realized that it wasn't just gone, it was different. I could now sense chaos magic, where, just a few hours ago, there was nothing but nature magic. I pulled all the power I could as quickly as I could, and was disturbed to find that what nature magic was left, was twisted beyond recognition.

"What has Discord done?"I asked, but no one replied.

So now you know, how Discord came to rule the world. I have watched as things got worse. My friends and I tried, time and time again, to find a way to stop him, but we never found anything. They are all gone now, and I am an old stallion, but I have finally found something that will give me peace. On a resent trip into the wiled jungles of the Zebra, I meant with a prophet. She told of a time, when the two Sister goddesses would return, and final put a end to His terrible reign. However, to the utmost sorrow of my heart, I will not live to see that day, for she says it will be hundreds of years before it will come to pass. I can only hope that it is truth, and pray that whoever is reading this, lives in a better world then the one I made for that monster.

What honor there was here, was lost to us all. These wars were little more then a game between the gods. A war that mortals should never be involved in. I hope, whoever you are, that you are never in one such war, as the only out come is misery.

The book she held in her magic was closed, and gently put on the floor. she stared at the cover for a minute, before sighing deeply. She was somewhat confused. What she just read was nothing like the history she had learned while growing up, and she had one of the best educations in the world, having been taught by none other then Princess Celestia herself.

"Twilight, can we go now, its getting dark out."Spike asked from the door.

Twilight and Spike had, once again, been scouring the ancient library that was held in the old castle of the two sisters, when Twilight found the book she now held in her magic.

She looked up and smiled at Spike. He was right, it was getting late, and the Everfree was not a good place at night, or the day, for that matter."Yes Spike, lets go."she said as she got up, but paused to look at the book.

Coming to a quick decision, she moved the book into her saddle bags, then followed Spike as he hurried out the door.

"I'll ask the Princess about it."she said to herself as they left the castle and started into the forest.

Author's Note

Well, that's it. Sorry it took so long, for all those people who have been waiting for this(Not meany). Thanks for reading, and I hope you have enjoyed!

Chapter 1: Mad Dash

"Ow!"I yelled as I found myself on a dirt road, I slowly opened my eyes and saw three Unicorn solders walk over to me.

"Sorry sir,"the one in the front said as he saluted, this confused me, I was only a privet and he was a Privet First Class."the wagon hit a bump."he finished and then pointed toward the wagon.

I stood up, helped by one of the others and saluted him back."What happened?"I asked, at this the Privet First Class looked worried."Before the cart thing."I said, that seemed to ease his worry.

"I don't know,"the Privet First Class answered."we were in the barracks when the lieutenant came bursting in, going on about having to march out here and save some solders who survived a attack, how he knew that you had been attacked, was, and is, beyond me, but he said that the order came strait from the General."he finished, then remembered something."Sir."

"Why do you...."I started but looked down at my shoulder as I noticed something new there. My uniform was the same, torn and bloody, but, on my shoulder there was a new set of gleaming Privet stripes, with a royal seal stamped in the middle, this made me a member of His Majesties Royal Guard. I looked up at the Privet First Class then back at the stripes, then back to the Privet First Class."Where did this come from?"

"Damned if I know, Sir."he said."As we finished putting y'all in the cart, they suddenly appeared."

"We had better keep moving, Sir."a privet said."We're supposed to be there by dawn tomorrow."

"He's right, Sir, if you'll please get back in and we'll get a move on."the Privet First Class spoke up.

I quickly looked myself over from head to hoof."Not a scratch."I thought to myself, then looked back at the Privet First Class."No thanks, I'll walk."

As we began walking I looked into the cart. There where my friends, not a scratch on one of them, then I looked there uniforms over. The sarge had the same torn and worn uniform just like me and the rest of the squad, but, now on his shoulder, his Sargent stripes had the same seal mine did, and so did the rest of my squad mates.

"The gods are with us.."I thought to myself.

After my short observations I looked up to the sky, it was mid day by the sun, and, ultimately, hotter then hell fire. I looked back down toward the mountains about ten miles away, witch where our current goal.

As I wiped sweat from my eyes, I looked back quickly, then returned my focus on the path forward.

"Did nopony else make it?"I asked the Privet First Class.

"No, and your lucky that you all made it,"the Privet First Class responded."those flash storms on these plans generally sink everypony caught in them."

"Then why would anypony send a army out through here?"I asked.

"I don't know, Sir,"the Privet First Class began."the storms are very rare, and the planes go strait through the heart of this hellish land."

"Were are you supposed to take us?"I moved on.

"Well, the lieutenant said to take you right to Scethbala, provincial capital."the Privet First Class responded.

"How long until we get there?"I continued my inquiry.

"That depends."he responded.

"On what?"I asked.

"On whether your friends can walk by the time we get to those mountains,"he answered and then pointed at the mountains we where moving toward."there's a path way up there, but no way we can get that cart through it."

"What if they won't be able to walk?"I inquired.

"We will have to go all the way around,"he said slowly."and that will take five or six days."

"And how long if they can walk?"I asked.

"Oh, two, maybe three days."he answered.

After getting this information from him, I went to the cart and looked in. None of my friends had stirred from there sleep. I jumped into the cart carefully and shook my friend Maximus' shoulder.

"Hey, hey Maximus,"I started."wake up."

As this did nothing to wake him, I decided to try what always woke me up. I stepped back a inch, raised my hoof, and ever so gently smacked him in the face.

*Smack*

"Ow!"he said as he sat up."What was that for?"

"I was trying to wake you up."I stated.

"Well, it worked."he complained, rubbing a red spot on his cheek.

"What's all that noise?"the Sarge said angrily as he sat up to.

As soon as he spoke, both me and Maximus where standing strait up and saluting him.

"Sorry, Sir, I was just trying to wake Maximus."I stated.

"Ow,"Sarge grunted as he rubbed his back."at ease,"he said as he half saluted back."now, what happened?"

"Well, we where saved, and now we are being taken to Scethbala, under the orders from the general of the province."I replied.

As I finished the Sargent began looking around at our sleeping comrades. An annoyed look came to his face as he saw them all asleep still.

"All right you laze vermin, get up!"He yelled.

At his order every pony in the cart was on their hooves in a second, most looking around in confusion, as the Sarge just looked pleased. However, they all quickly came to attention as they realized what was going on.

"All right, get out of the cart, lets go."he ordered following as I got out.

Outside the cart the wagon crew had come to attention, and where now standing in a line along the side of the cart. After a second the Sarge walked over in front of the line and then turned to face it, he saluted us, then he began looking around.

"Which way to the city?"he asked.

"That way, Sir."the same Privet First Class spoke up, pointing at the mountains.

"Good,"the Sarge started."Lead the way, we have to be there tomorrow!"

At the Sargent's orders we all set out in a fast march, heading strait toward the pass.

As the sun finally went down, we made it to the pass. However, there were to be no breaks, and the Sarge said we had to keep moving, so, we continued.

I looked around silently from the back of the small column as it crept through the still darkness of the winding pass. I was set at the very back to keep watch for danger, with Maximus being just in front of me. The only light to be seen in the narrow crack between the rocks we were in was two torches, one floated in the Sargent's magic, the other in Maximus' magic.

Maximus and I where often chosen to watch for danger, and commonly placed at the back of the group. I was fine with this, I liked being in the back, it made me feel important keeping a watch out for the others. The Sarge once said it was the single most important job he could give us. Maximus though it was boring, but never complained to the Sargent. Our roles were shared, and just as important, Maximus was watching the right side of the road, and I was watching the left.

As we rounded a bend in the path, which was a very winding path, I looked up. Roughly from where the moon was I figured it to be about two in the morning. We had just entered a naturally wide spot in the path, making now possible for four ponies to stand shoulder to shoulder, this was the widest part of the path I had seen yet. However, as I brought my gaze back down I caught something out of the corner of my eye. I looked back quickly to where it was, but saw nothing.

I kept a vigilant eye on the spot where I thought I saw movement, but, still nothing.

Shaking my head, I looked back up toward the front of the column, then I looked slightly to the right to make sure Maximus was still there, he was. When I was about to turn away, however, I saw where he was looking; at the same rock I thought I saw something hide behind.

"Maximus,"I whispered."did you see something?"

"Yeah."he whispered back.

At the moment he replied, I heard a sharp, ear splitting *Crack* come from behind the bolder, the sound of a dead twig being crushed under hoof, or claw. It was so quiet, that if anypony had even been breathing to hard I would have missed it. However, in the dead silence of the night, it sounded like a thunderclap.

"Ambush!"I yelled at the top of my lunges.

Instantly our whole squad was in a circle with muskets raised.

*BANG*

I saw the bright flash of musket fire come from the dark.

I staggered back a little as I felt a musket ball hit me square in the chest, I looked down, there wasn't even any blood.

"BARSH!"

I heard from the dark. I had been in Griffonia long enough that I knew that word, charge.

Then, with great speed, and reckless abandon, eight Gryphons came from the dark, I took a step back then fired my musket, along with the rest of my squad. Three fell, but the others kept coming, charging us wildly.

I lifted my musket and blocked the first strike, but the gryphon, almost twice my size, easily knocked my musket from my magic, and sent it sailing through the air, I just saw it land in a bush, before he came back at me.

As he swung back around I just had enough time to pull out my Gryphon stile sword and block, but he came back down faster then I thought possible and knocked my blade down to the ground, but not out of my reach, and as he came back around I pulled it back up and deflected his hit to my right. .I then brought my sword back around and made for his neck. However, he jumped back just in time and all I got was a large cut down his shoulder, but, that was his right arm, his fighting arm, now he could not swing his sword properly. I stepped forward just as he went for his sword with his left claw, and I stabbed him in the chest.

As he fell from my blade dead, I looked back around just in time to see another Gryphon knock Maximus down, and I was quickly covering ground. Not fast enough though, as it saw me and Corporal Iron Hide, who had just killed another Gryphon, charging him, and was forced to fly away before he got the chance to further hurt Maximus.

"Thanks."Maximus said as I helped him up.

"Lets keep moving,"the Sarge said."that gryphon is going to go get his friends, and I don't want to be here for that party."

At that we formed up again, this time though, we where all but running down the path.

I looked back at the scene behind us. Two of the wagon crew had died, there bodies lying next to the bodies of seven gryphons, there blood already mixed. I looked forward just as we came over a hill, and from there I could see a large city, right on the edge of the sea.

"Finally,"I thought."Civilization."

Chapter 2: On a Wave

We stopped running only as we came to the massive gate that served as a portal for the city. It was stone, through and through, and was, supposedly, though I had only heard second hoof accounts, only out done by the capital of the Unicorn Empire, Sturundum. Though the massive gate was open, so it didn't have to be opened and closed repeatedly, there was a think wooden gate just behind it, that was closed. The gate house flew the flag of the Unicorn Empire, it's red and blue catching in the sun like a rainbow of Imperial power and majesty. In front of the gate, six guards were standing watch.

"Halt,"one said lazily."I need to see your papers, please."

As soon as he finished, he took another look at the Sarge and quickly snapped to attention upon seeing the royal seal.

"Sorry Sir,"he said quickly."I didn't realize."

"Stand at ease."the Sarge said.

"Thank you, Sir."he said relived, the punishment for not saluting, or otherwise disrespecting a royal guard is an instant three months in a cell.

After showing the guard our orders he immediately had the wooden gates opened, and into the city we went. The cobble streets stretched off into five different directions, and we where lead by the Privet First Class up the Northern most street, toward a large palace that sat at the top of a hill, in the middle of the city.

It was a short walk to the palace, but to me it felt like forever. I had never been in a city this big before, I had never seen towers that soared higher than three stories, but the towers in this city where easily six stories high. The market too was the largest I had ever seen, there where probably two thousand ponies and gryphons in one square, rummaging through the various wares, examining fine jewels, tasting exotic spices, and trying on hats and shirts made of a material that seemed to shine in the sun.

The city was largely in the Gryphon style of architect, but the palace and wall where clearly Unicorn built. By the time we got to the palace my mouth was agape with awe at the meany different buildings, and styles.

The gate of the palace was a lot less impressive then the main gate of the city, but, it was still bigger then the one protecting my home town of Roam.

As we past through the gate, we left civilization, and entered a military way of life. The whole court yard was converted into a training area, the beautiful palace had barricades surrounding it, and there where snipers all over the roof watching us very closely, their muskets primed and ready to fire.

The Privet First Class, who had saved us, then lead us hear was dismissed by a Corporal at the door to the palace. He then, with out speaking, but just a simple wave of his hoof, lead us through the main room, and into a room that looked like a throne room. However, instead of a throne, there was a table in the middle, housing ten chairs. On the table sat a map of all Griffonia with red fags marking about half the cities, and blue flags the rest. The general and all his nine lieutenants sat at the table, having a argument.

"Sir,"one of the lieutenant spoke up."we can't let them have Sky Hold!"

"I know!"the General shouted."But we cant hold it."

"We can if we send reinforcement from Death Peak."another lieutenant spoke.

"We can't spare the Garrison at....."a third one started to say, but was stopped by the General holding up his hoof.

"You are all dismissed."the General said.

"Sir, we still need to go over th...."again, the same lieutenant was cut off.

"Dismissed."the General repeated.

At his second order, all the lieutenants got up and moved for the door. After they where gone, he had the guards leave and close the door. He then sat back in his chair, rubbing his head for a second before finally speaking.

"Well, have a seat."he said, and we all sat down.

"Sir, we need to head out immediately for Equestria."the Sarge bluntly got strait to the point.

"I know."General Burning Sky said.

After a few silent seconds, the General stood up and spoke.

"Well, then what are we waiting for,"he said as he began walking to a door at the back of the room."lets go."

"Sir, do you intend to come with us?"the Sargent asked as we all got up and followed him.

"Absolutely not,"the General said."I will be bringing you along with me, I can't right disobey the gods now can I?"

"You where ordered by the gods to come wi.. I mean, go to Equestria?"the Sargent asked.

"Yes."General Burning Sky said as he went through the door and into a long hall.

"Swift Letter,"the General addressed a young solder walking down the hall ahead of us."tell lieutenant Steel Cutlass that he will be in charge for awhile."the General finished as he walked by him.

"Yes Sir."the Privet answered, just as the General rounded the next corner.

We came around the corner just as the General opened another door and went through it. As we past through, trying to keep up with the Generals quick passe, I saw we where on the far side of the palace, and the General was marching down a path that lead to a dock. We followed and soon we where standing on the deck of a ship that boasted the name, Tide Blitz.

"Captain,"the General said as he climbed the steps to the bridge."is she ready to leave?"

"Yes Sir."the Captain reported.

"Good, I want this ship in Manehatten yesterday!"the General said.

"Aye Sir,"The Captain saluted the General then turned to his crew and shouted at them."alright,all hooves prepare for immediate departure."

As crew ponies ran around getting the ship under way, a Seacolt lead us below deck to our room, where the sickening smell of old wet wood and the rocking of the ship on the waves had already started to make me sick. I turned to the Seacolt that lead us down here and asked him.

"How long will it take to get to Manehatten?"I asked.

"three months, maybe three and a half, Sir."he answered then left.

"Great."me and Maximus said together.

"Yeah!"Swift Steel cheered.

Fire Ball already had a bucket, and had throne up into it."Yeah, great."he mumbled miserably.

The General just took a bunk and climbed in, he didn't even seemed bothered by the smell or constant movement, he looked almost as content as Swift Steel, though less enthusiastic.

The Sarge looked like me, sick, but not that sick.

Ice heart on the other hoof, looked almost as bad as Fire Ball, she was holding a bucket, just waiting for the enviable.

Corporal Iron Hide seemed fine for the moment, but that could change.

And Maximus didn't seem sick at all, but his hatred of sailing lied more in the fact that he hated the confined space of a ship, not the smell, or movement so much.

I was already waiting for us to hit land.

"Day ninety four."I grumbled.

"Uh."Maximus grumbled with me.

We stood on the fore deck, watching the horizon as we bobbed along, not a scrap of land to be seen for seven days, not since we past Long Watch Island, which is the last Island in the South-East Islands chain. From there it is only three hundred and some thirty miles to Roam, but, we never even sailed close to it.

"Well, should only be a few more days."I said.

Maximus did not reply.

"So, I heard you won last nights poker game."I continued, but still Maximus said nothing.

"Hey, Maximus,"I said looking at him."you OK?"

At this he raised his hoof, and pointed to a large storm front sweeping across the sea toward us and said."That's coming strait for us."

As I looked closer at it, I saw that it was.

"Great."me and Maximus said together.