What to do with prisoners was always a concern after a battle. The Equestrian Code of Military Conduct had set procedures for this, although a commander in the field did have leeway in deciding what to do, depending on the situation. The Equestrian Code of Military Justice also had its say in what was supposed to happen to prisoners, and at times, it seemed that one would be in conflict with the other.

This was the situation that Major Spearhead faced. What were they to do with the ten surviving Griffins they had captured? The real question was about which rulebook held precedence over the other here.

That matter was set aside in his mind for now because he needed to make certain that the princess was taken care of first and foremost.

When they found her inside the tent, she was laying there on her side in a state of mild catatonic shock. Bruises were plainly visible all over her body, as well as a wing that was swollen and bent in an obviously broken manner. They had even cut her mane and tail off in a rough, uneven pattern, effectively de-equinizing her. All in all, she was in a very bad state. Not only had she been heavily abused, but she was very much dehydrated as well.

They had quickly removed the collar, but were unable to remove the inhibitor ring that had been placed on her horn. They quickly were able to determine that she was in no shape to move on her own, so a stretcher was improvised and they moved her out from her former prison. The medics had decided on using the former chow tent the Griffins had set up as their new medical tent.

Inside the tent was Twilight, Spike, Silver and Dusty, as well a couple other guards to assist. Sunny Hearts was there to treat any injuries she could, as well as to assess all that had happened to Twilight. After a couple moments of examining the princess and cataloguing the injuries inflicted upon her, Sunny reached Twilight’s tail. When she lifted it, Sunny blanched, sickened by what she saw.

Sunny stepped back to talk to the Major and First Sergeant. “They beat her badly, and from what I saw, they also used what they refer to as a cattle prod on her numerous times. Lastly, I’ve seen clear signs that she has been repeatedly raped, both vaginally and anally. It’s quite graphic when a male Griffin commits rape due to the penile barbs they have.” Sunny paused a moment before she summarized, “Sir, we have a clear case of war crimes here. What do we do now?” she asked.

“That answers one question I had. The surviving Griffins shall face a war crime tribunal,” answered Dusty. As the senior officer in the field, he held the responsibility to do so. And for the crimes that the Griffins committed, the punishment was stated clearly: execution by whatever means the commander in the field felt was most prudent. Silver looked back toward Twilight, then noticed that there was one less pony inside the tent.

“Where’s Flash?” They looked at one another, knowing what was going on. It was no secret how Corporal Flash Sentry felt about Princess Twilight. Hell, probably a quarter of all who served felt the same one towards one of the princesses at one point or another. It was those feelings that had lead to the fight with Corporal Dancing Dead that earned them their demotion from Sergeant. Having to hear what Sunny had to say must’ve sent him overboard.

The two of them hurried out the tent. They knew immediately where to look, too.

Flash had his dagger held in his mouth. Standing behind the first bound Griffin in line, Flash wrapped a foreleg under the Griffins chin, lifting up her head. With a quick slash, the blade had cut deep, severing her throat.

“Corporal Flash! Stand down!” exclaimed Dusty. The pair galloped over to stop him. Flash was about to open another Griffin’s neck when he was tackled from the side by his First Sergeant.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Corporal?” yelled Silver once the two of them had gotten back to their hooves.

Flash Sentry got right in Silverwing’s face, bellowing out his answer through his rage filled tears. “I’m doing what needs to be done, Sarge!” There was no threatening going on. Silver was not the target of Flash’s anger, but Flash was in a very dangerous place at the moment, and needed to be stopped before they were forced to take action.

“That is NOT how we do things here! We will follow the Equestrian Code of Military Justice—“

“Justice?” Flash asked incredulously. “These are the same bastards that KILLED OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS, DAMNIT! And you saw what they did to our princess! They deserve to be sent straight to fuckin’ Tartarus!”

“Back the friggin’ hell down, Guard, or—“

“Hey!” shouted Spike from the side. “Let him finish the job! If not him, then let me do it!”

Dancing Dead stepped in, not wishing to see the young drake end up even more hurt by all of this. “Spike, maybe you should let—“

“NO! You did not have to sit in a fucking bush for three hours, and listen to the tortured screams of your own sister being raped off in the distance. I DID!” Spike screamed at the Corporal. This caused a strong murmur to pass through the gathered platoon, as well as numerous death glares.

“SILENCE!”

The bellowed order brought the argument to a sudden stop. Every head turned to face the one who had issued the command: Major Spearhead. The only sound heard were the soft falls of his hooves as he walked past Flash and Silver, and past Dancing Dead and Spike. He walked slowly, his pace measured just so to cause everypony to feel every bit of his displeasure. He walked past the dead Griffin first, then slowly made his way down the line, occasionally glancing into the face of a platoon member, or into the face of one of the captives. Reaching the end of the line, he turned back around, then made his way back towards the beginning of the line at the same slow pace.

“Corporal Flash Sentry, front and center!” Once Flash was standing at attention in front of him, Dusty got in nose-to-nose with him. “Corporal, I can empathize with what you did and how you feel, but if you force my hoof, I promise that you'll be placed before the same tribunal that these prisoners will face. Do you want that to be your fate?” he said to him, his voice low enough so the rest did not hear. “Now, get back in line. And you had best keep yourself disciplined, or the consequences will be certain and final. Am I understood?”

The realization of how close he had come to crossing a line that he had no means of returning from hit Flash directly in the gut. All he could do was swallow his sudden fear and nod his head. He quickly returned to stand with the rest of the platoon.

Turning to face his troops, Dusty began straightening out the mess around them. “We will not reduce ourselves to the level of those who brutally committed rape and murdered our own. That may be the way Griffins do things, but it is NOT our way! We do not murder our prisoners. We do not torture innocents. We are the best of the best that Equestria has to offer, and we will DAMN WELL act like it!

“You all want revenge for our brothers and sisters who were brutally murdered in cold blood, I know that. You want to make the Griffins pay for the atrocities that they have committed. I fully understand that. I wish the same. But the path you were so willing to choose will make you just like them,” he preached to them, pointing a hoof behind him towards the bound Griffins.

“If we’re going to do this, we will do this the right way,” Dusty continued, his voice clear and strong, carrying the weight of his command over his troops. “The way prescribed in the Equestrian Code of Military Justice. And yes, we will do this. The prisoners will face a military tribunal, here in the field. If found guilty, they will receive the required punishment, as per the Code.”

Major Spearhead turned to his First Sergeant, instructing him to get things set.

It only took around fifteen minutes for the tribunal to be set up. The witnesses needed were set aside, and the five who would serve as the tribunal members sat behind a table which had been brought out for the purpose. The rest of the platoon was instructed to sit off to the side, and to remain silent during the proceedings.

First Lieutenant Soarin sat at the left end of the table. Next to him sat Warrant Officer High Winds. At the far right of the table sat Chief Warrant Officer Misty Fly, and next to her sat Warrant Officer Wave Chill. In the center sat Major Dusty Spearhead, commanding officer of the platoon, and the officer leading the tribunal.

“Mares and Gentlecolts of this tribunal, let us begin,” he said formally. “First Sergeant, Please list the crimes of which the prisoners have been accused.”

Silverwing pulled out a sheet of paper, and began to read off the list of crimes. “The prisoners are accused of the murder of seven prisoners of war. The victims are as follows: Corporal Quill, Private Quarry Stone, Lance Corporal Keen Edge, Lance Corporal Bright Sky, Private First Class Button Hole, Lance Corporal Long Stride, and Private Moonlight. The prisoners are also accused of the murder of three civilians. The victims are: Fleetfoot, Sweet Tart, and Tight Fit. Lastly, the prisoners are accused of the torture and rape of a political prisoner: Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

“Thank you, First Sergeant. The tribunal calls forth the first witness, Captain Spitfire.” Dusty stated. She would have been a tribunal member, except for the fact that she was considered a witness, and therefore, could not serve as a judge. “Captain, when you were called into the Throne Room, you were informed of whom it was that attacked the train, as well as who had captured Princess Twilight. Would you state, for the record, whom it was that was stated to have committed that act?”

“Yes Sir. The Griffin in charge was Major Bloodclaw,” she responded.

“Thank you, Captain. When you reached the site of the attack, what was it that you had found there?”

Spitfire answered, “The train had apparently been blown off the tracks with explosives. A dozen ponies were dead among the wreckage. Outside, in a clearing, were ten ponies. Seven of them were Royal Guards, and three of them were civilians, all who had apparently survived the initial attack.”

Dusty then asked another question. “How do you know that they had survived the initial attack, Captain?”

“All ten of them had their hooves shackled, so that they could not run. The three Pegasi among them had their wings bound so that they could not fly away, and the four Unicorns had high level inhibitor rings mounted on their horns, except for one. That was Corporal Quill, whose head had apparently been blown apart by a small explosive charge.”

“Captain, please explain further about Corporal Quill’s death, for the record.”

Captain Spitfire explained to the tribunal about the inhibitor rings they found. “The Griffins used the same maximum security inhibitor rings that were designed for the Equestrian military. These rings are designed to hold in the magic of the strongest Unicorns, or even a full strength Alicorn such as Princess Celestia. They do that by blocking the magic path through the horn, and by sending a strong feedback through the horn into the Unicorn’s brain if they try to use magic. Another feature of the maximum security rings is that if somepony were to attempt to remove one without unlocking it first, then it would send a massive feedback pulse down through the horn directly into the brain. This pulse would be strong enough to potentially cause damage to a Unicorn’s brain, though an Alicorn would be significantly less likely to receive permanent damage.

“The inhibitor rings that the Griffins use are all modified, though. Instead of a massive feedback pulse, the ring would fire a shaped explosive charge that has been attached to the ring if an attempt to remove the ring is done without first unlocking it. The charge is sufficient to be instantly fatal to any pony wearing it, as it had been with Corporal Quill. It blew his head near-completely off.”

“Thank you, Captain,” said Dusty. “Could you now explain the condition of the remaining murdered victims, please?”

“As I had stated, they were shackled, with inhibitor rings on the Unicorns, and the wings of the Pegasi bound to prevent flight. They had no means to offer any resistance. They had been lined up, and their throats had been cut open deeply. The wounds extended almost all the way to each pony’s spine, cutting through the carotid arteries, as well as the trachea and esophagus. With the standard issue Griffin dagger, it would have taken several cuts to go that deep, or more likely, they would have had to saw through the tissue to do so. Contrary to popular belief, having your throat opened in that manner is not a quick way to die. Often, it can take minutes for death to finally occur, Major,” finished Spitfire.

“Thank you, Captain, you may take your seat,” Dusty instructed her. “The tribunal calls forth the next witness, Sergeant Sunny Hearts.” When she sat before them, Dusty asked her to describe the injuries to Princess Twilight, and what she discovered that the Griffins had done to her.

“When we found Princess Twilight, she was in a semi-catatonic state. She was suffering from moderate, almost severe dehydration as well. At some point, presumably during the crash, she had suffered a broken right wing, and her left shoulder had been dislocated. Also at some point, her mane and tail were roughly cut off. There was bruising all over her body, consistent with being punched and kicked repeatedly throughout the approximate thirty-six hours that she was held captive. The dislocated shoulder and broken wing were often targets of the abuse. Other marks all over her body show that the Griffins used what they refer to as a ‘cattle prod’ on her. It is a long stick with a pair of electrodes at the end, designed to shock the victim with a strong electric charge. It is very painful, and the ensuing muscle spasms further aggravated her injured shoulder and wing. Lastly, I discovered during my examination of the princess that she had been raped numerous times by the Griffins, both vaginally and anally. There are indications that more than one Griffin was involved, probably several Griffins, Sir.”

“Thank you Sergeant. You may take a seat with the rest of the platoon.”

Looking to his left, then right, the Major asked if any of the other tribunal members would like to call forth a witness. When he received replies in the negative, he stated, “The evidence has been presented and heard. Tribunal members, are you ready to deliver your verdicts?” When the affirmative answers came back to him, he asked, “Lieutenant Soarin, on the multiple counts of murder, torture and rape, how do you find the prisoners?”

“Guilty.”

“Warrant Officer High Winds, on the multiple counts of murder, torture and rape, how do you find the prisoners?”

“Guilty.”

“Chief Warrant Officer Misty Fly, on the multiple counts of murder, torture, and rape, how do you find the prisoners?”

“Guilty as charged.”

“Warrant Officer Wave Chill, on the multiple counts of murder, torture and rape, how do you find the prisoners?”

“Guilty.”

Lastly, it was Dusty’s turn. “On the multiple counts of murder, torture and rape, I, Major Dusty Spearhead, find the prisoners to be guilty as charged.”

A victorious cheer rose from the platoon as they heard their Major announce his verdict, but was quieted by the First Sergeant ordering them to settle down. “If you cannot conduct yourselves in the prescribed manner, then you will be instructed to leave,” he told them sternly.

Dusty stood to address the prisoners. “As of twelve hundred hours on this day, October the third, in the fourth year of Luna’s Return, you have been found guilty of all charges. The crimes carry a sentence of death. The executions will take place today at fourteen hundred hours. This tribunal is now closed.”

With the tribunal concluded, Silverwing walked over to Dusty to inform him that, barring any complications, everypony should be ready for departure after the executions.

“Thank you, Silver. It will be good for us to get home after this,” he told the First Sergeant, not knowing that events would soon take a drastic turn for the worse.

Dusty walked into the medical tent, formerly a chow hall, to check on how progress was going to treating the unit’s injuries, as well as Spike and Princess Twilight’s more severe injuries. He was pleased to learn that all the guards who had received minor injuries had already been treated earlier on. In one corner, Healing Touch was wrapping Spike’s arm. Considering that the splint was already on the arm, Dusty guessed that the medic was almost complete patching up the young drake.

“How’s the arm, Son?” Dusty asked.

“Doin’ good right now, Major. Corporal Healing Touch had to re-break it because the bone had started to set already, but he also knows this spell that killed virtually all the pain in my arm,” Spike told him. “He’s about to apply the cast, so I should be good to go in just a bit.”

“Sir,” the medic spoke up as he worked on Spike’s arm, now wrapping it in a wet binding which would be magically hardened to form the cast. “Sergeant Hearts and I will need assistance with the princess when we set her wing and put her shoulder back in place. Even in her semi-catatonic state, she is still likely to struggle, due to the pain. We’ll have Spike here to help keep her calm, but if any others are here that might assist in calming her, we would be grateful.”

“Major, I think Trixie would be able to help with that. Her and Twi have been keeping in touch with one another ever since she freed Trixie from the Alicorn Amulet. Twilight considers her a friend now. Heck, Twi even helped her get into the Royal Guard.” Spike said to Dusty.

“I’ll do that. Thank you, Spike. Sergeant Hearts, how many will you need to help hold the princess down in the event that she does struggle?” Dusty asked. “Would two do it, you think?”

“The princess is still young, but being an Alicorn, her strength would be higher than you would think for her size. If she were to still be in fear, it would only add strength to her struggles,” explained Sunny. “It would probably be best to have three,” she continued. “Also, you’ll have to hold her firmly, and I do mean firmly. That might go against every instinct to treat her gently because of her being a princess, but if you do not hold her down, she could end up making her injuries even worse, Sir.”

“Doesn’t the corporal have that pain killing spell?” asked Dusty. “Spike said the pain was just about all gone.”

“It may be gone now, Sir, but even with the spell, it hurt quite a bit when Sunny rebroke my arm to set it,” Spike told him.

“Well, then. I guess I better go get a couple ponies to assist.” With that, Major Spearhead headed back out the tent. Looking around, he was unable to find the First Sergeant nearby, but he did spot Corporals Dancing Dead and Flash Sentry. Both were damn good Guards, strong with caring hearts. They would be well suited to this task.

After explaining to them what he needed them to do, he sent them into the tent to wait for his return with Lance Corporal Lunamoon. Dusty found her talking with the supply ponies, and called her over to him.

“I’m told that you’re friends with the princess, Lance Corporal. If that’s true, then I have need of your assistance,” he told her. He explained the situation with Twilight’s injuries, and that how it would be very helpful if those she was close to was there to help keep her calm as they treated her injuries.

“I’d be happy to help, Sir. She is one of my few friends, and I would do anything for her. Thank you for asking me to help Sir,” she said to him. “I do have a question, Sir. Is it safe to use magic near her, considering the inhibitor ring? I’ll be honest, Sir, that thing scares me.”

Dusty thought for a moment as they walked back towards the med tent, trying to remember any details he knew about those rings. “I believe that as long as magic is not directly applied to the ring, then it should be ok.”

They walked in silence a moment longer before Dusty asked, “Why did you join the Guard, Lunamoon? I’ve seen your show years ago once, when I was on leave. You seemed very different, then. What prompted you to join?”

Trixie looked to the Major, expecting to see scorn or contempt on his face, but instead, she saw honest curiosity, with maybe a touch of concern for her thrown in. She sighed as she answered, “Redemption, Sir. I’ve done a lot in my past that I need to redeem myself for. I’ve hurt many in my arrogance and pride, and worse, I let my jealousy get to me, and through that, I caused many more, including Princess Twilight herself, along with many of her friends, to suffer.

“Have heard about the incident a couple years ago in Ponyville, with the Alicorn Amulet?” she asked. When he nodded, she explained, “That was me, Sir. In my greed and envy for power, I obtained the amulet at great cost, and I wanted to exact revenge for a perceived plight. And yet, when Princess Twilight freed me from the entrapment of the Alicorn Amulet, instead of having me punished, she offered me her friendship. And when I decided I needed to do more to redeem myself, she recommended I join the military, thinking I could do good here. Being the egotistical mare I am, of course I would join the Royal Guard. It was her letters of recommendation that convinced them to look beyond my past, and to give me a chance.”

Trixie stopped before the entrance to the medical tent to wipe a tear from her eye. “I owe her my life, Sir. That is why I joined the Guard. She gave me that second chance at life.” With that, the two of them stepped into the tent.

Trixie knew about what happened to Twilight after watching the tribunal, as well as hearing certain things beforehand, but knowing that had done little to prepare her for what she saw. The Twilight she saw before her was nothing like the vibrant young mare who had taught her friendship, and had given her the chance to be the pony she wished to be. The mare lying on the table in front of her seemed… broken. Hearing the details was one thing, but seeing it with her own eyes drove home just how horrifying it had to have been for her friend. “Oh, Twilight, what have they done to you?” she whispered to herself, decorum leaving her as her need to be there for a dear friend took over completely.

Dusty heard the slip from the mare, but let it go, reasoning that Trixie was now in full comfort mode, doing all she could to help keep the princess calm for what the medics needed to do. Trixie quickly proved his assessment correct as he motioned for Dead and Flash to join him at the table, to help hold her down as needed.

Trixie rushed over to sit in front of the catatonic princess. Spike had been trying to get through to Twilight past the barriers set up, which blocked out the world from her. Trixie looked into the vacant eyes, and weeped for the stricken mare. “Twilight, it’s Trixie. I’m here for you. Me and Spike, both Twilight,” she said. The only response she received was continued whispered mumbles.

Dusty bent down to listen, he could just make out her saying over again. “I’m sorry… I’ll be a good pony… please don’t hurt me… I’m sorry… I’ll be a good pony…” Dusty looked to the medics to see if they knew anything.

“It’s a defense mechanism, Sir. The bastards hurt her so bad that she has retreated deep into her own mind, barely conscious of anything around her,” Sunny sadly explained to him.

“We may be able to heal her body, eventually, but I fear we may have been too late to save her mind, Sir,” Healing Touch added.

Trixie and Spike refused to believe that they were too late, though. They were bound and determined to break through that barrier and get her back.

“Twilight, look at us. It’s me and Trixie. We’re here for you. You’re safe now, Twi,” Spike told her, holding her hoof in his claws.

“Twilight, come back to us, please. We’re here for you, Twilight, and we won’t let anything happen to you,” Trixie spoke to her, desperation in her voice as she pleaded.

“S-Spike… T-T-Trixie…” Twilight whispered, a slight glimmer of recognition in her eyes.

Sunny Hearts nodded to Healing Touch for him to cast his spell. When he did so, the princess seemed to relax a little, as the pain which had been a constant part of her very existence for what seemed to her like forever melted away.

“Trixie… Spike… hurt…”

“It’s OK, Twilight. Spike and I are here for you,” Trixie gently reassured her.

“You’re safe now, Twi. We’ll be home soon,” Spike added.

Sergeant Hearts nodded to Dusty, Dead and Flash for them to start holding her down, so that she could get ready to re-break the broken bone in Twilight’s wing, but when they went to do so, this triggered a sense of panic within Twilight, and she started to struggle.

“Don’t hurt me… don’t hurt me… I’ll be a good pony… don’t hurt me… I’m sorry… don’t hurt me...“ she said in a panic, trying to get away.

Flash gently started to stroke the stubbly remains of Twilight’s main, cooing gently to her, “It’s OK, Princess. You’re safe. We won’t let anything bad happen anymore. We’ll take you home, and you can see Princess Celestia again…” This, combined with Spike and Trixie’s reassurances seemed to have an effect on Twilight, and she stopped struggling, though she still trembled slightly.

“Celestia…”

“Yes, Twilight. She loves you and misses you. We’ll take you to her real soon. I promise. And you mom, dad, and big brother, Shining as well, Princess,” he continued.

“Shiny…”

“Yes, Twi, we’ll go see Shining Armor, and Cadance too,” Spike reassured her as the glimmer of recognition grew in her eyes. “I bet you can’t wait to see little Skyla again,” he added.

Trixie rejoiced at seeing the beginnings of her friend’s return to them, but she knew that this was just the beginning of a long, hard road for the young Alicorn. They faced one of the most difficult hurdles right now. “Twilight, I need you to listen to me. We are not here to hurt you. We’re here to help you. But right now, you have injuries that we have to take care of or your body will never heal right,” Trixie told her as Twilight’s eyes focused on her.

“I’m a good pony…”

“Yes, Twilight, you’re a very good pony. The best pony ever,” Trixie reassured her. “We have to set your wing, Twilight. It’s been broken, and if we don’t fix it, it will never heal right. Do you understand me, Twilight?” When Twilight gave her the lightest of nods, Trixie continued. “I need you to focus on me and Spike, Twilight. Can you do that for me?” When Twilight nodded fearfully once more, Trixie nodded to the others, then held Twilight’s hoof a little tighter.

Sergeant Hearts focused her magic on the bone in Twilight’s wing. It had started to mend already, but had not been properly set, so it was healing at an angle which could cripple the wing. She had no option but to rebreak the bone before she could set it properly. With a quick bend of her magic and a loud crack, Sunny broke the bone.

Twilight’s reaction was immediate. Her cry of pain and fear was accompanied by her struggling to get away from those holding her still. In her struggles, one hind hoof got loose, landing a kick square in Dancing Dead’s chest.

“Sweet Celestia, I don’t know if we’ll be able to hold her down,” he said as he struggled to get her leg back in his grasp.

“You have to hold her steady so I can set the wing,” Sunny called out. It was taking all her focus to hold the wing still in her magic “Almost got it…” she said under her breath as she carefully maneuvered the two halfs of the bone into position as Twilight struggled still. “Done!”

“Don’t hurt me... Don’t hurt me... I’ll be a good pony... Don’t hurt me…”

“Twilight! Stay with us!” Spike told her as her struggles slowed, then finally reduced to just trembles. “Stay focused on us, Twi. We still have one more to go. Your shoulder is dislocated, and the doc needs to set it back in place so you can walk.”

Sunny looked to the others as she prepared herself for the next phase. Resetting the shoulder would probably hurt even more than setting the bone in her wing had. Even with the spell that Touch had applied, there was enough of a spike of pain to momentarily punch through and cause distress. Dance looked fine in spite of having been bucked square in the chest. Had he not been wearing his gear, he probably would have received a nasty injury. The Major looked to be doing better, as did Flash, as he still did his best to help keep the princess calm. Spike and Trixie were working a minor miracle here, in their efforts. Through them, there was now hope that Twilight might recover mentally as well as physically.

“Touch, would it help if you applied the spell a second time?” Sunny asked her fellow medic. Any little bit of help here was needed, to help avoid injuring the princess further. She hated to cause anypony pain, but at times, a moment of pain needed to be endured to allow the body to properly heal. Still, if that pain could be reduced, her job here would become a little easier.

“Sorry, Sunny, but the spell does not increase in effectiveness by casting it more than once,” he told her. “The sooner we can get this done, though, the sooner she will be able to rest and start healing.”

“I concur.” Looking to the others, she instructs them to get ready.

“Twilight, can you focus on Spike and I? We need you to stay focused on us so the docs can fix your shoulder. Please, Twilight. We need you here with us,” Trixie asked Twilight gently.

Twilight looked to Trixie, and with fear in her eyes, she whispered, “Do it.”

“Hey Twi, remember that little ditty that you and Cadance would say to one another whenever you two saw each other? Could you say it for me? We can do it together, Twi, if you like.”

Thinking of the times her and Cadance brought more memories to Twilight. Good memories, and she focused on them to get through what she knew was coming. The words came to her, and she and Spike started saying them together. “Sunshine, Sunshine, Ladybugs awake. Clap your— YEEAAA!” Twilight cried out through her sudden tears as agony pulsed through her shoulder. She did not struggle or fight this time, instead, she sobbed into Trixie and Spike’s shoulders as they gently hugged her while Sunny maneuvered her shoulder back into it’s proper position. “S-Spike… Trixie… it hurts so much,” she cried tearfully.

“It’s ok, Twilight. You’ll be okay now,” Spike reassured her, thankful that this ordeal was over, and that she will now be able to recover.

“Thank you everyone for helping us do this,” Sergeant Hearts said. Turning to the Major, she said. “Corporal Touch and I can have everything ready for transport soon, Sir. We should make up harnesses to help carry the princess’s stretcher. If you could send in one of the supply ponies to me, we could have a proper stretcher made to carry her back to the waiting chariots.” Sunny looked back to Twilight, feeling concern still. While she will be able to walk again soon, it will be a while before she could walk for any extended length of time, or at any reasonable speed through the woods.

“I’ll see that you get what you need, Sergeant,” Dusty told her. Turning to the other two, he told them, “Excellent work, Corporals, especially you, Flash. That was smart thinking, taking the initiative to help keep the princess calm. Dead, how’s your chest feeling? That kick you took looked pretty nasty.”

“The princess can buck like a draft pony, Sir, but I’ll be fine. I’m just thankful that we were able to help,” Dead replied.

“Excellent. We should be ready to move soon. I’m going to have you two protecting the princess on the way back. We’re going to do everything we can to avoid contact with the enemy, but there is always the chance that fate could have other plans. Above all else, her safety comes first. Is that clear?” Dusty asked?

“Clear as a bell, Sir,” Flash replied for the two of them.

Dusty had orders for Trixie as well. He turned to her, stating, “Lunamoon, I’ll need you to help guard the princess as well. Having friendly faces with her will help her get through this. Like I told Corporals Dead and Sentry, her protection is our highest priority. Protect her well, and keep her in high spirits, Corporal.”

Looking to the pleasantly surprised mare, Dead and Flash grinned at her fortune. “Congrats on your promotion, Trixie. I think you owe all of us a round when we get back home.”

The afternoon sun shone upon the ponies of the rescue platoon as they gathered before the nine Griffin prisoners. The planned time for the executions was swiftly approaching. Nine ponies had been selected at random from all those who had volunteered to be executioners. When the First Sergeant had put forth the call for volunteers, almost everypony in the unit stepped forward. In the end, they had to draw straws of foxtail grass. If they pulled one with a head on it that had been cut short, they would be an executioner. It seemed the best way to go about the job of deciding.

Some were not to be a part of this, though. The two medics, as well as Flash and Dead, stayed with Twilight instead, reasoning that she was in more need of them than some chickenheads that were soon to lack the ability to consume oxygen. Major Spearhead and First Sergeant Silverwing also abstained from volunteering for the execution, whereas they had been part of the tribunal, and therefore, were required by the Equestrian Military Code from participating in the killings. The same went for the four others who had been part of the tribunal.

In the end, the nine had been chosen, and were now lined up behind the bound Griffins, who had been blindfolded in preparation for their deaths. The Griffins themselves sat there silently for the most part. Some trembled in fear, terrified of the oblivion that would come following the burning feel of cold steel slicing through their necks. Others sat there defiantly, choosing to face their deaths as a Griffin should: without fear.

It was time. Major Spearhead strode up to stand before the Griffins with his First Sergeant at his side. As the commanding officer, it was his responsibility to make certain that the executions were carried out in the manner required by military law. He looked over the line, noting that one pony at the end was not a pony. “Silver, what is Spike doing in the execution lineup? He’s not a combatant, and technically should not be doing this.”

“Sir, I did everything I could to dissuade him from this, but he was extremely persistent, and even cited an old law, that happens to have never been repealed, that allows surviving victims or family members of deceased victims to be part of an execution squad. I decided to play the odds, knowing that he did have legal standing to demand the right. Turns out, he pulled out a long straw, Sir,” Silver stated. “To be honest, I can see his point, but I don’t like it one bit. If you don’t mind, Sir, I would like to try to convince him once more, before we begin.”

Dusty didn’t like the situation either. While Spike may legally be an adult, in his opinion, the drake was still too young to have to do something like this. Then again, with all he had gone through, Spike has proven himself to be more than just some kid. Still, it didn’t sit well to him to see a non-combatant in a military execution squad. “Yes, do that, Sarge. But if he is adamant about it, we legally cannot stop him.”

Silverwing walked over to sit next to Spike. “Son,” he said softly, “you don’t have to do this. If you go through with this, it will be on your soul forever. I can’t force you to step away from the line, but I am encouraging you to choose your path carefully,” he told the young Dragon.

Spike just looked up to the First Sergeant, his face a mask of fear at what he felt he needed to do, and rage at what the Griffins had done to his sister. A part of him felt that he should take Silverwing’s advice, and let another pony take his place, but another part of him wanted this. He needed this. “Sarge, I have to do this. If I don’t… I don’t know. I just feel it is what I need to do. These damn bastards tortured and raped my sister. How am I supposed to just walk away from that?”

“That is something that you’ll have to answer for yourself, son,” Silver said, then standing back up to stand next to his Commanding Officer.

“First Sergeant, read the death warrant,” commanded the Major.

“Silverwing pulled out a scroll and unfurled it before the line. “As of twelve hundred hours on this day, October the third, in the fourth year of Luna’s Return, the prisoners have been found guilty of multiple counts of murder, torture, and rape, by a military tribunal. As per the judgement of the tribunal, as set forth in the Equestrian Code of Military Justice, the prisoners have been sentenced to death, to be carried out at fourteen hundred hours on this day.” Rolling the scroll back up, he then asked, “Do any of the prisoners have any final words?”

One Griffin, a Private, still young and full of piss and vinegar, simply yelled out, “Fuck you, cattle!”

The Guard behind him, Trixie, simply bent down next to his ear to tell him, “You know, chickenhead, once your open throat ceases pumping out your lifeblood, I’m gonna enjoy taking a piss on your dead body.”

“Belay that, Corporal Lunamoon!” yelled Dusty. “We will not be pissing on any corpses, no matter how much we all may wish to do so. Nor shall we use racial slurs during this execution. Understood?” Dusty had to suppress his smile. While he preferred to do this with as much proper decorum as possible, he had to admit that he respected the spunk the mare had shown herself to have.

When Dusty raised his hoof, all nine executioners pulled back on the Griffins’ heads, some with hooves, some with magic, and in the case of Spike, a cast covered arm.

Spike was hit with a strong wave of uncertainty as he placed his dagger to the Griffin’s throat as he waited for the Major to lower his hoof, signalling them to kill the prisoners. Was this really the right thing for him to do? Would he be able to look himself in the mirror after he brutally sawed the life out of this bound prisoner? Yes, the Griffins had done some extremely brutal and horrific crimes that deserved death, but could he do this? Could he take another life, especially when this was clearly not a case of him defending his life, or the lives of those he loved and swore to protect. The taste of bile caressed his tongue sickeningly as his thoughts continued. What would Twilight think, or Celestia? What of his big brother and Cadance? Or his mom and dad, for that matter? And yet, here he was, expected to just kill them. But he was no cold blooded killer. If he did this, then he would be no better than the Griffins that had committed those horrible crimes.

Spike was so distracted by his own thoughts, that he failed to notice the Major lower his hoof. Nor did he notice the terrified cries from the griffins as eight razor sharp blades began to saw through eight feathered throats. Instead, all he could notice was the terrified trembling of the Griffin. All he could hear was the prisoners panicked breaths. All he could feel was the panic he himself started to feel, even as he felt the dagger still in his own claw.

The dagger fell to the ground as Spike stepped back, sat down on the grass under him, and wept silently. He only looked up when his dagger was placed before him. He had not heard the First Sergeant’s approach.

Silverwing looked down upon him, not with a look of anger, or disrespect, or even pity. He had a look of silent relief upon his face. “Sheath your dagger, son, and go join your friends. You made the right choice.” Once Spike had done so, Silver pulled his own dagger out from its sheath. Stepping up behind the last live prisoner, he placed a hoof around his neck, pulling the head upwards, then commenced to saw through the Griffin’s through with the dagger clenched in his teeth. Once the task was finished, and the prisoner’s body finally stopped struggling to remain living, Silver wiped off the blade before he set it back in its sheath.

He strode back to Dusty, and asked, “Orders, Sir?”

“Get the platoon formed up and ready.” Dusty instructed. “I want us to be on the trail in five minutes.”

Author's Note

I really need to give a shoutout to DustyPwny and Dancing Dead, who did an outstanding job editing the chapter for me.

These guys are gonna be instrumental in my future plans for this story.