Victory or Annihilationby Gates of HellChaptersPrologue I. The AdvancesII. First BloodIII. Fields of Tears and BloodIV. Counteroffensive Prologue Author's Note THIS IS MY FIRST FANFIC, AND AS SUCH, IT WILL MOST LIKELY BE SUBPAR. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME AND APPRECIATED. I WILL NOT TOLERATE DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM OR DISRESPECT TOWARDS OTHERS OR MYSELF IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. ENJOY THE STORY. Prologue GRAND PALACE OF THE GRIFFIN EMPEROR: DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATION ROOM Emperor Turaxiss Von Feratick breathed heavily as he listened to the ambassador from Sleipnord ramble on. It had started at 8:00AM sharp, a quick look to the clock told him that it was now 12:30 in the afternoon. He was becoming irritated very quickly. In full military dress, he looked very intimidating. A suit of steel and iron armor surrounded his exterior, tungsten tipped daggers adorned his talons and paws, and a sash and sword with the Griffin Empire’s coat of arms hung by his side. “These terms are unacceptable, we will not allow our small nation to be annexed into the Griffin Empire. It simply will not happen. We will continue to hold our independence through force if necessary. I also request that you withdraw all troops from our common border region. If you do not comply we will view this as an act of war and will res---” Turaxiss withdrew his sword from its sheathe and was behind the Sleipnord ambassador in a split second. He roared in his most commanding voice. “THESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE OVER!” As he plunged his blade into the ambassadors side and slit his throat with his talon blades. Blood spewed across the negotiations table and treaty on it. Turaxiss looked to one of the guards and spoke. “NURAXI DUBANIK FARESTI!” The guard moved quickly to clean the room and move the body of the dead ambassador. Flexing his wings and feet, he took off towards his platinum throne and landed upon it. His throne room was a wash of metal and marble. Pillars of pure gold held up a marble dome and steel roof. The walls were composed of marble that was painted to a golden hue and shined to resemble the sun. Banners of the Empire’s coat of arms hung around the room. He turned to a servant and spoke quickly. “Please bring me a plate of boiled phoenix and a bottle of our strongest whiskey. Send in the top general as well, as soon as you can.” Rubbing his temple with a claw he smiled to himself and thought. So it begins, The Griffin Empire shall rise to glory once more. High General Karexi Narsovka of the Grand Army of The Griffin Empire walked into the throne room. When he reached the throne room, he bowed deeply to his Emperor. Waiting to be told to rise. Turaxiss spoke in a voice meant for that of a friend, of which he and Karexi were. “Karexi old friend, you may rise. I have an order for you, you are to take the 51st and 52nd Garrison Divisions on the Sleipnord border: and you are to move towards the capital and occupy it. We are now at war. Respond with force to any armies that get in your way. Is that understood?” Karexi simply nodded and saluted his emperor before walking briskly out of the throne room and going to carry out his orders. Turaxiss simply flew to his bedchamber to sleep for the rest of the night after Karexi left. CANTERLOT ROYAL PALACE THRONE ROOM Celestia and Luna sat upon their respective thrones, Luna's having been resized to be the same height as Celestia's two weeks prior, as they finished up court for the day. The usual concerns and whining were experienced that day, nothing new. Luna wanted to cry out and simply fly off to her room, but thought better of it. This was part of her royal duties after all and she had to uphold them. Much as it pained her to do so. Celestia simply went through the motions, being used to the whining and bickering of Canterlot's elite. Finally the court ended for the day and everyone went their separate ways. Luna headed to the Royal Gardens while Celestia went to the library. Luna had just raised the moon as she began to look upon the lush plants in the garden dotting the paths and ponds, when her ears picked up the slightest sound to her left in the bushes. She pretended to simply not notice and continued on her way. She was ready for an attack however. Just as she finished admiring a pair of Moon Lilies her ambusher attacked. With a quick flash she teleported away and turned around to see her sister land face first into a small pond. Celestia looked around shocked and irked, while Luna simply broke into a fit of laughing and giggling at her sister's failure to ambush her successfully. Celestia looked at her sister and grinned, before teleporting and tackling her sister to the ground. They both broke into laughing fits and a playful war of attrition over the other, trying to gain an advantage. They were interrupted, when a guard ran into the Gardens. One look at his face said a simple feeling of terror and dread. He bowed deeply before speaking to the princesses. "I bring grave news your Majesties, The Griffin Empire has annexed the nation of Sleipnord, it is now under occupation from Griffin Regiments and Brigades." Luna broke the silence. "The Griffins have annexed an independent nation? Why would they do such a thing? What of the Free Griffin Republic?" The soldier recovered quickly and spoke. "They have rejoined the Griffin Empire." Celestia then spoke in a soft and comforting tone. "You are dismissed, thank you. Go get some rest." The young soldier departed and was off in a second. Luna turned to her sister and spoke in a sad tone, with barely constrained tears in her eyes. "There hasn't been a war since before mother and father died. Why would such a thing happen now Tia? Why?!" Celestia turned to her sister and wrapped her in a comforting embrace of her wings and spoke in a soft tone. "I don't know Lulu, I don't know. We'll keep Equestria out of this for as long as we can, I promise." I. The AdvancesSomething has gone wrong. We don't seem to have an archived copy of that chapter.II. First BloodAuthor's Note I finished this chapter late at night, so I'm really sorry for grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. If you find any, please let me know where in the comments and I'll fix them. Enjoy, and be prepared for the next chapter in this story! II. First Blood The 1st action squad of the Griffin Empire stealthily crossed the border into Equestria. They had a simple mission, provoke a war. They had come up with a plan to accomplish this. Under the cover of night, they were to head to the Equestrian village of Garnin, a village with a large Griffin minority, and kill all Griffins in the village. The Griffin Empire would then blame the incident on Racial discrimination and hatred on the two countries border regions. After this was done, The Imperial Army of the Griffin Empire was to occupy all villages along the border that had Griffin minorities within them. Sergeant Major Korien, commanding officer of the 1st action squad, gave a hand signal to stop. As they were to use stealth tactics, they would be completely silent in their mission, Griffin night vision was better than pony night vision; so detection was no worry. The squad had arrived at the village, during their briefing they had been told the location of the Griffins in the village on a map, they knew the area intimately. Each of the four members was to take a house and neutralize It before moving on to the next. Two hours later, their work was done, covered in blood and scattered feathers, they sneaked back across the border and waited for the nation's response to the "Equestrian" atrocities committed in the village. ***** Senator Phalant roared over the commotion of that was the Griffin Parliament. "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! THE EQUESTRIANS HAVE SLAUGHTERED OVER ONE HUNDRED INNOCENT GRIFFIN VILLAGERS IN GARNIN! WE MUST DECLARE WAR!" Other members of the parliament building loudly agreed with him. Still, there was a small minority of senators that didn't wish for war with Equestria. Their pleas fell on deaf ears however, as nearly all of the five hundred senators were out for blood. They were in a murderous rage and wanted revenge. In an hour of deliberations, it was decided that an invasion of Equestria would commence immediately. All villages along the border that housed Griffins, were to be occupied and annexed. All military units stationed along the Equestrian border were then ordered to advance along the whole of the border while reserves occupied areas and offered anti partisan duty. Towed and pack artillery were brought along with the main army advance. The invasion had begun. ***** Luna casually walked through the Royal Garden, admiring the lush vegetation in it. She marveled at how it had grown since her banishment. Moon lilies and roses grew everywhere, honeysuckle and pine grew along every other open space except the large ponds. Looking to the sky she noticed with sudden alarm, that sun was supposed to set over two hours ago. She went back into the castle and headed to Celestia's room. The hallway leading to her room was awash in gold and marble. Marble pillars held up a gold roof shined to rival the sun, extremely beautiful roses, tulips, and lilies dotted the walls. The entire hallway had a warmth to it that was inviting. Reaching the door to Celestia's room, Luna braced herself and knocked. The door simply slid open slowly, puzzled, Luna entered the room. "Tia, are you in here?" "What... what is it Lu... Luna?" Celestia's voice betrayed her feelings, Luna instantly knew that she had been crying, and walked quickly to her side. Celestia looked up at Luna, and in the light, Luna knew that Celestia had been not crying; but sobbing. She was at a loss as to what had caused it, but she was determined to find out. "Tia, what's wrong? Why did you throw yourself at me yesterday? "About yesterday Lulu, I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened. I couldn't control my actions, this feeling of emptiness took over, I thought... I thought I might lose you again. The night after you were banished, I just laid down in my bed and I wept like a child, I cried and I cried until I passed out from exhaustion." Luna was in a shock and awe over the confession from her sister, she simply couldn't believe her ears. "Tia, you'll never lose me again, that thing is gone for good, and I say let it rot. When I realized what had happened, that i'd been banished to the Moon, I cried. Granted it was internally in my own psyche, but I still wept. I will always be here for you Tia, you have my word and sanctum. I love you, i'll never stop loving you. Yesterday was a first though." Luna said the last part of her mini speech with a little giggle, causing Celestia to look up at her. "What are you laughing about?" "Yesterday, tis odd what transpired, lest we be wrong in our memory." Before Celestia could respond, a sergeant of the Royal Guard nearly broke the door down. "YOUR MAJESTIES! COME QUICKLY TO THE WAR ROOM, IT IS URGENT!" Within five minutes the trio had arrived at the palace war room, it was bare save a table with a map of Equestria and chairs around it. Celestia dismissed all of the ponies in the room save for herself, Luna, and Grand General Tern of the Equestrian military. "Your Majesties, the situation is grave. After the mysterious death of Griffins in the village of Garnin, the Griffin Empire invaded the north half of our common border. They have occupied all villages that contain Griffins within them, they also exiled all ponies from them; those who didn't comply were massacred en mass. Their justification for their actions is racial hatred and discrimination in the border territories." Celestia sat there in shock, while Luna barely kept her rage and hatred contained, though she was shaking from it. An unbridled fury rose from deep within her. She had to do something to alleviate it, and she would. She began walking towards the exit to the outside. "Luna, where are you going?" "To send the Griffins a message Tia." Luna quickly went outside and flew into the air. Her eyes flashed and the air around her glowed in a violent purple aura as she bellowed out in the Royal Canterlot Voice. "HERE ME SCUM OF THE GRIFFIN EMPIRE! THOU SHALT RUE THE DAY YOU PLUNGED EQUESTRIA INTO WAR! WE SHALL BEAT YOU WITHOIT MERCY, YOU HAVE DESTROYED ENTIRE VILLAGES AND FAMILIES, COMMITED A GENOCIDE IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES; WE SHALL SHOW YOU NO MERCY! YOU SHALL WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN TO START THIS WAR IN THE FIRST PLACE! FEAR FOR THINE LIVES!" With her message concluded, she teleported back into the war room and broke down into a fit of sobbing. Celestia draped a wing around her and pulled her close to comfort her. She looked to General Tern and began speaking. "General Tern, you are to take the 1st and 2nd Armies Du Equstra and launch a counterattack against the Griffins in the Northern Territories. Do not rush blindly into it, plan for it and execute it with ruthless efficiency, show the Griffins no mercy!" General Tern was shocked to see Celestia have such rage, but he would carry out her orders to the last. All of Equstria would soon want revenge against the Griffins, and he would have to deliver. Celestia then looked to Luna. "Lulu, let's go get some dinner and then do something relaxing okay?" Luna looked at her sister with tears still in her eyes. "O... okay Tia. That wou... would be niha... nice." ***** The 1st and 2nd Armies Du Equstra met with the 1st and 3rd Amries of Griffina in an open plain west of Garnin. The air though crisp and clean, had a stuffiness to it due to the anxiety felt by both army groups. High General Taq of The Griffin Empire, and General Der of Equstria met in the middle of the field, each had a squad carrying their respective countries coat of arms. "Hello General Taq, I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but our nations have decided to fight. I'm saddened by this, but we must obey our orders to the last. Whoever may come out as victor today, know this" I have the deepest honor and respect for yourself and your soldiers. It is an honor to fight a tactician such as yourself. Decci Liverk." Der had given his opponent a wish of long live in ancient Equestrian, signifying his respect towards the opposing side, and his honor at getting to fight him. "I wish the same things General Der. We must fight and it is most unfortunate. I reciprocate your feelings of respect and honor. Let us not boast of our victory, whom ever may have it, but let is honor those who live and die on this day. You have my deepest respect and honor. Screxi Kern." Having given General Der the same wish if long life in the Griffin language, the two went back solemnly to their command posts. Within thirty minutes, two massive armies were assembled in the fields. They simply waited for one order to start their attacks. It came as a uniform shout from the officers of both sides, a simple CHARGE! As the word was uttered, the artillery of both sides roared to life with the fury of a lion. Snipers quickly took up positions and started picking off their opponents one by one. The main divisions had engaged each other, and were exchanging volley after volley against one another. The fields were turning a shade of red. ***** Celestia and Luna had a light meal of salad, hay fries, and a chocolate lava cake. They had soon retired to Celestia's chamber to relax and regain their composure after the new from the morning. The sun had been set, and the moon was well on its course for the night. Luna and her sister were seated on the large plush silk bed in the center of the room. "Tia, what shall we do, I have no ideas in all honesty of what to do. We art bored dear sister." Her last line was exaggerated to a point of near faintness. Celestia simply giggled. "I don't know Luna, I don't have any ideas either. How about we talk?" "That works for me dear sister, we shall start. Our question is this, why did thou kiss us yesterday?" Celestia mulled over her thoughts and tried to speak with care while giving her answer. "I'm not sure Lulu, something just came over me and I couldn't control myself. My mind screamed no, while my body screamed yes. I'm so very sorry for what happened, I just don't want to ever ever lose my sister again." "Tia, you'll never lose me again, I promise you. I will always be here for you, no matter what. You are my sister and I love you, nothing you can ever do will change that." Celestia's heart stopped for a split second, before she took her sister in a rib crushing hug. "Tia...can't breath...let go!" "Hmm? Oh I'm so sorry Luna! I didn't realize I was crushing and collapsing your lungs!" "It's ok Tia...couh...you're fine, and my lungs aren't dead just yet." A strained giggle followed Luna's words. She sat next to her sister and draped a wing over her back in comfort and love, all the while Celestia having a brutal battle between her mind and body. One wishes to jump Luna right then and there, the other fought that line of thought back tooth and nail. III. Fields of Tears and BloodAuthor's Note I am very sorry that it took so long to release this chapter. What happened more or less, is life decided to sucker punch me in the stomach and then bitch slap me. As always, if you spot grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes; quote them in the comments and I'll fix them. Enjoy this chapter. III. Fields of Tears and Blood Artillery shells created craters in the fields of Garnin. Pony and Griffin alike lay dead or dying inside them. Still they fought, neither had gained a large advantage, but neither had lost its will either. A young Sergeant sprinted to General Der with breakneck speed. "Genral Der, our right flank has collapsed! It is in complete disarray and the Griffins are chewing into it. The reserves have been decimated by artillery and sniper fire, we can't hold out for much longer! What are your orders sir?" "Take the reserves from the center flank, they're doing the best at the moment. Form a tight defense wall and lure the Griffin regiments into a trap. Crush them utterly." "Yes sir!" With that, the sergeant ran off to carry through his orders. General Der looked upon the battlefield and took in the sights and sounds. The whistle of artillery and the violent impacts resonated like a deafening siren across all. Screams of the dying wounded, and physiology broken spread throughout as well. Massive craters bore the image of battle across the fields, splashes of red like that of a mad painter permeated the areas next to the craters. ***** Celestia's mind began to wander while she sat with Luna. It started innocently enough, herself and Luna cuddled together like when they were younger, snuggled together while they told stories about their days and what they'd seen through it. Then things took a strange and unexpected turn. She imagined herself wrapping Luna in her wings and holding her lovingly. Then things spiraled out of control form there. Her minds eye saw her pushing Luna back into the mattress, locking eyes with her, and then lunging for her throat. There she latched onto it and suckled with a ferocity like that of a lion hunting it's prey. She imagined Luna crying out in pain and pleasure, and she kept going, nipping and kissing a trail down her neck and throat. She saw her front hooves rubbing down Luna's shoulders and towards her thighs. Her mouth continued its brutal assault on Luna's chest and went lower. She latched onto one of Luna's nipples and heard a high pitched Moan as a reward. Her mouth and tounge eventually found its mark, Luna's pussy. She could her excitement coming off in waves at her simply breathing on her sister's cunt. Testing the waters, she took a long slow lick up the slit presented so fully in front of her. A sweet and somewhat bitter taste hit her tounge instantly, and she moaned with delight at the new sensation. When Celestia stopped licking, Luna mewled in earnest. "Ti...Tia, don't stop. So good... I'm so close, please don't stop, I need i---" Her response was cut off abruptly as Celestia latched onto her clit and sucked harshly. Luna's head fell back in a silent strangled cry of ecstasy as her orgasm tore through her body. There was no massive dam break or explosion, a small trickle of cum dripped down her puffed up lips, and Celstia quickly buried her muzzle deep into her sisters cunt and lapped up all she could; bringing Luna's orgasm to new heights. She was so close herself and heard Luna's voice. "Tia...Tia...TIA!" Celestia jerked her head around in utter confusion as she remembered where she was. Luna looked at her with a mixture of concern and somewhat strange curiosity. "Are you okay Tia? It looked like you dozed off into space and I wasn't sure what to do. Then I heard you start to moan a little bit so I decided to snap you out of it." Blinking several times to clear her mind, Celestia looked towards Luna. "I, I dozed off. I didn't even realize it Lulu. I guess I started daydreaming." "What did you daydream about Tia?" "Just...some cake I'd like to try." Luna knew there was more to it than that, and she decided to broach the subject to finally figure out what was making Celestia so distant. "Tia, what's wrong? You've been so distant lately, you get uncomfortable at times around me for no good reason, you doze off for minutes at a time for no reason, and now you're having episodes of completely spacing out. What is going on Tia?" "Luna...I've never told anyone this, but I may as well get it off my chest. About 400 years into your...banishment, I started to feel strange when I thought of you. At first it was little more than a strange thing every once and a while throughout my day. Then it grew more intense, when I thought of you my heart would flutter and I'd get goosebumps and chills. I simply dismissed it as me missing you, but I realized that it was more than that, I was disgusted at myself for even the tiniest hint of it, but I soon came to terms with it. Luna, I love you more than I should." Luna's mouth hung slack from the simple shock from what Celestia had told her. Her mind had simply stopped, any thought she was having at that moment simply evaporated and were deleted. She mentally forced her mind and body to work again and regained her composure. "Ti...Tia, that's...I don't know how to respond to that. When I was on the moon I missed you terribly, mentally battling that whore Nightmare Moon, I did sometimes have your same thoughts, but I aggressively put them down and destroyed them. Now that I know that you feel the same way, I know that I love you more than I should." With that, Luna slowly leaned towards Celestia, who was startled but quickly understood what she was doing. She leaned towards Luna, and their lips soon touched. The kiss was light and tentative at first, testing the waters around the reef, but it quickly grew more intense and passionate. Luna slipped her tounge into Celestia's mouth who in turn moaned in delight. Before long however Luna broke off the kiss, Celestia started to protest but was silenced by a hoof. "Shhhh Tia, we are tired and we know you are too, let us sleep together love." Celestia's heart skipped a beat at being called love, but she didn't argue, quickly cuddling up to Luna to fall asleep. ***** "Sir! Our counterattack plan was a complete success, the entire Griffin right flank has collapsed. We've knocked out their artillery and sniper positions. We are beginning an encirclement of the remaining Griffin forces in the area. Victory is at hoof." General Der looked up from his map of the area and looked towards the same Sergeant he had sent off earlier. "Excellent work Sergeant, tell the rear guard commanders to complete the northern half of the encirclement, also, tell the artillery and sniper companies to focus fire on the encircled Griffin troop elements." "Yes sir!" The sergeant quickly saluted and then ran off. General Der looked out onto the now blackened fields of Gernin and observed the last phases of battle. The once mighty Griffin divisions were now mere husks of themselves, the roar of their artillery pieces had been silenced as had their sniper squads. The encircled Griffin army was now being bombarded by artillery, sniper, and small arms fire from Equestrian forces. Bodies fell from the Griffin ranks, and piled up on the ground. Out of an original force of 10,000 Griffins, only 2,500 remained. General Der watched the casualties mount from his command post. He heard a sound from behind him and drew his sword, expecting to find a Griffin soldier ready to strike, instead, he found a Griffin messenger who handed him a scroll and then flew off. He opened it and read it's scribbled contents. General Der, this is General Taq. I see that my men are surrounded and we have lost, that is why I have ordered them to surrender. We surrender unconditionally after having been bested by your forces. All of my remaining troops, my staff, and my self, surrender to you and your forces. I only ask that my men be treated fairly and humanely. Seeing that he had won, he felt exhausted but happy. He scribbled a response. Surender accepted, it was an honor to fight such a worthy opponent. You and your men will be treated in the upmost respect and kindness. General Der looked to the sky, the moon was slowly rising across it, silver moonlight shone over the battlefield. It was a beautiful moonrise. ***** Luna awoke to find herself being held onto, and she couldn't move. At first she panicked, thinking she had been kidnapped or had woke to an extreme sleep paralysis episode, her mind simply went into fight mode. Then the events of the previous event came back to her and she relaxed again. Her heart did a small loop when she realized who was holding her. Then she heard a yawn to her left and she knew her bedmate was awake. Celestia awoke and, upon realizing where she was and who she was with, had an idea. She leaned over and whispered sultrily into Luna's ear. "How are you sister? I just had a most wonderful dream of us together. We had quite a lot of fun, maybe we could try it. The doors are locked and no one would hear your moans love." While she was finishing her sentence, her left fore hoof had moved over Luna's flank, and began rubbing it softly. At the same time, Celestia bit down on Luna's ear, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to be noticed. Luna let out a loud eep of surprise at her ear being bit. She quickly spoke up but she couldn't steady her voice to hide her excitement at Celestia's suggestion. "Tia...that sounds lovely but...we can't right now. Don't we have a meeting today?" "Aren't you an excited mare, I could always reschedule it to another time Lulu. We could have so much fun together." Just as Celestia finished her response there was a knock at the door. The sisters quickly went into to royalty mode and prepared for whatever news or information they were about to receive. Luna opened the door and went to speak to whom ever had knocked on the door. It was a young army captain. He spoke to her quickly and then turned to left. "Tia, we're expected in the war room in 15 minutes to discuss the recent victory over the Griffins at Garnin. Let's go see what happened in the battle." ***** 10 minutes later, and Luna and Celestia were assembled along with the commander of Equestrian forces General Tern, in front of a map of Equstria and The Griffin Empire. "Your Majesties, our armies have routed and captured the Griffin that occupied Garnin. Out of 10,000 soldiers, 2,500 were taken prisoner. We have recaptured the village, but have evacuated the surviving residents to eastern towns in case of a recapture attack. We lost 1,000 soldiers out of 7,500. We have 15 divisions along the border, should we initiate a counteroffensive?" Celestia spoke up to answer the question. "Yes, attack the weakest border site with five divisions. Breakthrough and establish a bridgehead to allow for other divisions to advance deeper into Griffin territory. Treat all captured Griffin soldiers and civilians with respect and kindness. Any soldiers in our armed forces who are found to have committed a war crime, are to be court marshaled and barred from any form of military service for the remainder of their lives. Do I make myself clear General?" "Crystal man. There's just one problem, these divisions need a commander." Luna spoke up from the back of the room. "I shall lead them." IV. Counteroffensive Author's Note This is a shorter chapter, that is meant both to tide you guys over till the next big chapter, and to provide some context for the next one. Enjoy, and as always, leave your thoughts in a comment and like the story if you did. IV. Counteroffensive Celestia and Luna had gone to the Royal Garden to speak to each other privately about what Luna had said in the war room. It was a beautiful afternoon, the birds sang and the sun hung low in the 1:00 o'clock sky. "Luna! Why?!" Celestia was stunned by Luna's wish to lead the new spearhead divisions. She simply couldn't understand why she would wish to lead them into combat, let alone into the heart of The Griffin Empire. "We wish to lead them because our nation demands it Tia. We've been attacked, and I wish to see the Griffins brought to their knees, begging for mercy!" Her last spoken thought was said with a growl of resentment. Celestia knew she couldn't persuade Luna from doing this, but she could at least try. As she began to speak, her lower lip began to quiver, her mind filled with horrible scenarios that could befall Luna. "Lu-lulu, what if something hu-happens to you?! I can't lose you again! I won't let you go!" "This is not a matter of discussion sister! We are going to lead this assault and you can't stop us!" Luna began to walk out of the room, but was stopped when something tugged her back by her tail. "What art though doing Tia?! Release us now!" Celestia's voice had an edge to it like daggers. "You dare walk away from me?! I will not allow you to do this! I forbid it!" "You forbid us from doing what we wish?! When did you gain that authority princess?!" "I did when I confessed my love to you! I've given you my heart and the sanctity of my life, if I were to lose you I would lose those as well!" By now, tears were freely flowing from Celetsia's muzzle. Her mind had filled with dark and horrific scenarios of what could befall Luna should she lead the new army. "Tia we must do this. You will not lose me, I promise you this. When I confessed my love to you I gave you my heart and life as well. I love you Tia, you will not lose me no matter what may happen." Luna pulled Celestia towards her and kissed deeply, as a sign of both her love and her guarantee to return to her. When they broke, Luna said her goodbyes and headed off. ***** After two days of travel Luna had arrived at the army encampment along the Griffin border. Mountain peaks topped with snow rose high into the air, and birds sang their chorus. Luna looked down upon the shanty town of tents on the valley below, and headed down. "Hello General Der, are the divisions ready?" "Oh! My apologies Princess Luna, I didn't see you. Yes, they're prepared and eager to go." "Excellent. Tell me general, when will we begin the offensive?" "In two hours your highness." ***** After two hours of restless waiting, the Equestrian troops began their march into Griffin lands. Full of energy and zeal, as well as confidence after the victory at Garnin, they all though that this would be a very easy and effective raid. After marching for an hour and a half, Luna and her divisions came upon a Griffin border post. Half of the divisions took up the right flank, the other the left. Insuring that both were in their positions, Luna signaled for a longer attack to begin. In a flash a fourth of the Griffin guards were dead from sniper fire. Panicked and unsure of which direction the fire came from, they formed a hasty defensive line. Another volley took down half of the guards, and Luna teleported to the middle of the defense line. Drawing her sword from its sheath, she dispatched a Griffin. Stabbing another through the chest, she strangled another with her magic. With the beauty of a dancer, she dispatched combatant after combatant. Within the five minutes, the remaining fifteen griffins lay dead. "The area is secure. Left and right flanks converge and search it." "Your highness, while searching the bodies I found a map of the area with griffin detachments marked." "Excellent work sergeant, thank you." Scanning the map, Luna saw that her divisions were due west of another border post. She planned an ambush based on the terrain detailed on the map. "Troops, we are going to march west until we encounter a wooded area. Once we reach said area, you are to split into three groups, center right and left. I will lead the center. We will initiate an attack on the border outpost in that area. Let's go." Trekking through hills and marsh to reach the woods to the west, the divisions began to realize how vast the Griffin Empire truly was. In half a day, they had barely traveled 10 miles. After an hour of hiking they had reached the second outpost. Luna herself, true to her word, led the charge. With the poise and grace of a deadly dancer she dispatched half the outpost, while the other troops mopped it up. Little did they know, their scheme had been discovered, and the breach in the Griffin's lines was being closed behind them. ***** 5 border posts and 3 and a half hours later, and Equestrian forces carved another 10 miles into Griffin Territory. The troops were exhausted but still in high spirit from success. In a small clearing they set up camp. A small tent city was set up, with lights and fire dotted around it in the still night. Conversations floated throughout the camp and tents; gossip, jokes, and discussions about the previous day's victories. No one noticed the Griffin special forces creeping through the underbrush. Luna sat on her bed in her tent, and meditated. She was sifting through the days events in her mind to try and figure out the best course of action for the next day. She too didn't notice the sounds of the Griffins. In a second the camp was in a frenzy. From the pitch black woods came a volley of bullets. Blood sprayed against tents and fire began burning through the camp. Griffin troops marched through the eastern section of the camp and executed any who were still alive. Luna was out of tent in a flash. Unsure of what she was to do, she lingered for just long for a sniper to lay on her. The bullet missed her chest and instead imbedded itself in her left hind thigh. She screamed in agony and fell, convincing the Griffin sharpshooter that he had competed his mission, he moved on. Slowly, from shock, pain, and slight blood loss, Luna faded into the world of unconsciousness, with the screams of the dying and dead following her.
Prologue Author's Note THIS IS MY FIRST FANFIC, AND AS SUCH, IT WILL MOST LIKELY BE SUBPAR. CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WELCOME AND APPRECIATED. I WILL NOT TOLERATE DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM OR DISRESPECT TOWARDS OTHERS OR MYSELF IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. ENJOY THE STORY. Prologue GRAND PALACE OF THE GRIFFIN EMPEROR: DIPLOMATIC NEGOTIATION ROOM Emperor Turaxiss Von Feratick breathed heavily as he listened to the ambassador from Sleipnord ramble on. It had started at 8:00AM sharp, a quick look to the clock told him that it was now 12:30 in the afternoon. He was becoming irritated very quickly. In full military dress, he looked very intimidating. A suit of steel and iron armor surrounded his exterior, tungsten tipped daggers adorned his talons and paws, and a sash and sword with the Griffin Empire’s coat of arms hung by his side. “These terms are unacceptable, we will not allow our small nation to be annexed into the Griffin Empire. It simply will not happen. We will continue to hold our independence through force if necessary. I also request that you withdraw all troops from our common border region. If you do not comply we will view this as an act of war and will res---” Turaxiss withdrew his sword from its sheathe and was behind the Sleipnord ambassador in a split second. He roared in his most commanding voice. “THESE NEGOTIATIONS ARE OVER!” As he plunged his blade into the ambassadors side and slit his throat with his talon blades. Blood spewed across the negotiations table and treaty on it. Turaxiss looked to one of the guards and spoke. “NURAXI DUBANIK FARESTI!” The guard moved quickly to clean the room and move the body of the dead ambassador. Flexing his wings and feet, he took off towards his platinum throne and landed upon it. His throne room was a wash of metal and marble. Pillars of pure gold held up a marble dome and steel roof. The walls were composed of marble that was painted to a golden hue and shined to resemble the sun. Banners of the Empire’s coat of arms hung around the room. He turned to a servant and spoke quickly. “Please bring me a plate of boiled phoenix and a bottle of our strongest whiskey. Send in the top general as well, as soon as you can.” Rubbing his temple with a claw he smiled to himself and thought. So it begins, The Griffin Empire shall rise to glory once more. High General Karexi Narsovka of the Grand Army of The Griffin Empire walked into the throne room. When he reached the throne room, he bowed deeply to his Emperor. Waiting to be told to rise. Turaxiss spoke in a voice meant for that of a friend, of which he and Karexi were. “Karexi old friend, you may rise. I have an order for you, you are to take the 51st and 52nd Garrison Divisions on the Sleipnord border: and you are to move towards the capital and occupy it. We are now at war. Respond with force to any armies that get in your way. Is that understood?” Karexi simply nodded and saluted his emperor before walking briskly out of the throne room and going to carry out his orders. Turaxiss simply flew to his bedchamber to sleep for the rest of the night after Karexi left. CANTERLOT ROYAL PALACE THRONE ROOM Celestia and Luna sat upon their respective thrones, Luna's having been resized to be the same height as Celestia's two weeks prior, as they finished up court for the day. The usual concerns and whining were experienced that day, nothing new. Luna wanted to cry out and simply fly off to her room, but thought better of it. This was part of her royal duties after all and she had to uphold them. Much as it pained her to do so. Celestia simply went through the motions, being used to the whining and bickering of Canterlot's elite. Finally the court ended for the day and everyone went their separate ways. Luna headed to the Royal Gardens while Celestia went to the library. Luna had just raised the moon as she began to look upon the lush plants in the garden dotting the paths and ponds, when her ears picked up the slightest sound to her left in the bushes. She pretended to simply not notice and continued on her way. She was ready for an attack however. Just as she finished admiring a pair of Moon Lilies her ambusher attacked. With a quick flash she teleported away and turned around to see her sister land face first into a small pond. Celestia looked around shocked and irked, while Luna simply broke into a fit of laughing and giggling at her sister's failure to ambush her successfully. Celestia looked at her sister and grinned, before teleporting and tackling her sister to the ground. They both broke into laughing fits and a playful war of attrition over the other, trying to gain an advantage. They were interrupted, when a guard ran into the Gardens. One look at his face said a simple feeling of terror and dread. He bowed deeply before speaking to the princesses. "I bring grave news your Majesties, The Griffin Empire has annexed the nation of Sleipnord, it is now under occupation from Griffin Regiments and Brigades." Luna broke the silence. "The Griffins have annexed an independent nation? Why would they do such a thing? What of the Free Griffin Republic?" The soldier recovered quickly and spoke. "They have rejoined the Griffin Empire." Celestia then spoke in a soft and comforting tone. "You are dismissed, thank you. Go get some rest." The young soldier departed and was off in a second. Luna turned to her sister and spoke in a sad tone, with barely constrained tears in her eyes. "There hasn't been a war since before mother and father died. Why would such a thing happen now Tia? Why?!" Celestia turned to her sister and wrapped her in a comforting embrace of her wings and spoke in a soft tone. "I don't know Lulu, I don't know. We'll keep Equestria out of this for as long as we can, I promise."
II. First BloodAuthor's Note I finished this chapter late at night, so I'm really sorry for grammar, punctuation, and spelling mistakes. If you find any, please let me know where in the comments and I'll fix them. Enjoy, and be prepared for the next chapter in this story! II. First Blood The 1st action squad of the Griffin Empire stealthily crossed the border into Equestria. They had a simple mission, provoke a war. They had come up with a plan to accomplish this. Under the cover of night, they were to head to the Equestrian village of Garnin, a village with a large Griffin minority, and kill all Griffins in the village. The Griffin Empire would then blame the incident on Racial discrimination and hatred on the two countries border regions. After this was done, The Imperial Army of the Griffin Empire was to occupy all villages along the border that had Griffin minorities within them. Sergeant Major Korien, commanding officer of the 1st action squad, gave a hand signal to stop. As they were to use stealth tactics, they would be completely silent in their mission, Griffin night vision was better than pony night vision; so detection was no worry. The squad had arrived at the village, during their briefing they had been told the location of the Griffins in the village on a map, they knew the area intimately. Each of the four members was to take a house and neutralize It before moving on to the next. Two hours later, their work was done, covered in blood and scattered feathers, they sneaked back across the border and waited for the nation's response to the "Equestrian" atrocities committed in the village. ***** Senator Phalant roared over the commotion of that was the Griffin Parliament. "THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! THE EQUESTRIANS HAVE SLAUGHTERED OVER ONE HUNDRED INNOCENT GRIFFIN VILLAGERS IN GARNIN! WE MUST DECLARE WAR!" Other members of the parliament building loudly agreed with him. Still, there was a small minority of senators that didn't wish for war with Equestria. Their pleas fell on deaf ears however, as nearly all of the five hundred senators were out for blood. They were in a murderous rage and wanted revenge. In an hour of deliberations, it was decided that an invasion of Equestria would commence immediately. All villages along the border that housed Griffins, were to be occupied and annexed. All military units stationed along the Equestrian border were then ordered to advance along the whole of the border while reserves occupied areas and offered anti partisan duty. Towed and pack artillery were brought along with the main army advance. The invasion had begun. ***** Luna casually walked through the Royal Garden, admiring the lush vegetation in it. She marveled at how it had grown since her banishment. Moon lilies and roses grew everywhere, honeysuckle and pine grew along every other open space except the large ponds. Looking to the sky she noticed with sudden alarm, that sun was supposed to set over two hours ago. She went back into the castle and headed to Celestia's room. The hallway leading to her room was awash in gold and marble. Marble pillars held up a gold roof shined to rival the sun, extremely beautiful roses, tulips, and lilies dotted the walls. The entire hallway had a warmth to it that was inviting. Reaching the door to Celestia's room, Luna braced herself and knocked. The door simply slid open slowly, puzzled, Luna entered the room. "Tia, are you in here?" "What... what is it Lu... Luna?" Celestia's voice betrayed her feelings, Luna instantly knew that she had been crying, and walked quickly to her side. Celestia looked up at Luna, and in the light, Luna knew that Celestia had been not crying; but sobbing. She was at a loss as to what had caused it, but she was determined to find out. "Tia, what's wrong? Why did you throw yourself at me yesterday? "About yesterday Lulu, I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened. I couldn't control my actions, this feeling of emptiness took over, I thought... I thought I might lose you again. The night after you were banished, I just laid down in my bed and I wept like a child, I cried and I cried until I passed out from exhaustion." Luna was in a shock and awe over the confession from her sister, she simply couldn't believe her ears. "Tia, you'll never lose me again, that thing is gone for good, and I say let it rot. When I realized what had happened, that i'd been banished to the Moon, I cried. Granted it was internally in my own psyche, but I still wept. I will always be here for you Tia, you have my word and sanctum. I love you, i'll never stop loving you. Yesterday was a first though." Luna said the last part of her mini speech with a little giggle, causing Celestia to look up at her. "What are you laughing about?" "Yesterday, tis odd what transpired, lest we be wrong in our memory." Before Celestia could respond, a sergeant of the Royal Guard nearly broke the door down. "YOUR MAJESTIES! COME QUICKLY TO THE WAR ROOM, IT IS URGENT!" Within five minutes the trio had arrived at the palace war room, it was bare save a table with a map of Equestria and chairs around it. Celestia dismissed all of the ponies in the room save for herself, Luna, and Grand General Tern of the Equestrian military. "Your Majesties, the situation is grave. After the mysterious death of Griffins in the village of Garnin, the Griffin Empire invaded the north half of our common border. They have occupied all villages that contain Griffins within them, they also exiled all ponies from them; those who didn't comply were massacred en mass. Their justification for their actions is racial hatred and discrimination in the border territories." Celestia sat there in shock, while Luna barely kept her rage and hatred contained, though she was shaking from it. An unbridled fury rose from deep within her. She had to do something to alleviate it, and she would. She began walking towards the exit to the outside. "Luna, where are you going?" "To send the Griffins a message Tia." Luna quickly went outside and flew into the air. Her eyes flashed and the air around her glowed in a violent purple aura as she bellowed out in the Royal Canterlot Voice. "HERE ME SCUM OF THE GRIFFIN EMPIRE! THOU SHALT RUE THE DAY YOU PLUNGED EQUESTRIA INTO WAR! WE SHALL BEAT YOU WITHOIT MERCY, YOU HAVE DESTROYED ENTIRE VILLAGES AND FAMILIES, COMMITED A GENOCIDE IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORIES; WE SHALL SHOW YOU NO MERCY! YOU SHALL WISH YOU WERE NEVER BORN TO START THIS WAR IN THE FIRST PLACE! FEAR FOR THINE LIVES!" With her message concluded, she teleported back into the war room and broke down into a fit of sobbing. Celestia draped a wing around her and pulled her close to comfort her. She looked to General Tern and began speaking. "General Tern, you are to take the 1st and 2nd Armies Du Equstra and launch a counterattack against the Griffins in the Northern Territories. Do not rush blindly into it, plan for it and execute it with ruthless efficiency, show the Griffins no mercy!" General Tern was shocked to see Celestia have such rage, but he would carry out her orders to the last. All of Equstria would soon want revenge against the Griffins, and he would have to deliver. Celestia then looked to Luna. "Lulu, let's go get some dinner and then do something relaxing okay?" Luna looked at her sister with tears still in her eyes. "O... okay Tia. That wou... would be niha... nice." ***** The 1st and 2nd Armies Du Equstra met with the 1st and 3rd Amries of Griffina in an open plain west of Garnin. The air though crisp and clean, had a stuffiness to it due to the anxiety felt by both army groups. High General Taq of The Griffin Empire, and General Der of Equstria met in the middle of the field, each had a squad carrying their respective countries coat of arms. "Hello General Taq, I wish we could have met under better circumstances, but our nations have decided to fight. I'm saddened by this, but we must obey our orders to the last. Whoever may come out as victor today, know this" I have the deepest honor and respect for yourself and your soldiers. It is an honor to fight a tactician such as yourself. Decci Liverk." Der had given his opponent a wish of long live in ancient Equestrian, signifying his respect towards the opposing side, and his honor at getting to fight him. "I wish the same things General Der. We must fight and it is most unfortunate. I reciprocate your feelings of respect and honor. Let us not boast of our victory, whom ever may have it, but let is honor those who live and die on this day. You have my deepest respect and honor. Screxi Kern." Having given General Der the same wish if long life in the Griffin language, the two went back solemnly to their command posts. Within thirty minutes, two massive armies were assembled in the fields. They simply waited for one order to start their attacks. It came as a uniform shout from the officers of both sides, a simple CHARGE! As the word was uttered, the artillery of both sides roared to life with the fury of a lion. Snipers quickly took up positions and started picking off their opponents one by one. The main divisions had engaged each other, and were exchanging volley after volley against one another. The fields were turning a shade of red. ***** Celestia and Luna had a light meal of salad, hay fries, and a chocolate lava cake. They had soon retired to Celestia's chamber to relax and regain their composure after the new from the morning. The sun had been set, and the moon was well on its course for the night. Luna and her sister were seated on the large plush silk bed in the center of the room. "Tia, what shall we do, I have no ideas in all honesty of what to do. We art bored dear sister." Her last line was exaggerated to a point of near faintness. Celestia simply giggled. "I don't know Luna, I don't have any ideas either. How about we talk?" "That works for me dear sister, we shall start. Our question is this, why did thou kiss us yesterday?" Celestia mulled over her thoughts and tried to speak with care while giving her answer. "I'm not sure Lulu, something just came over me and I couldn't control myself. My mind screamed no, while my body screamed yes. I'm so very sorry for what happened, I just don't want to ever ever lose my sister again." "Tia, you'll never lose me again, I promise you. I will always be here for you, no matter what. You are my sister and I love you, nothing you can ever do will change that." Celestia's heart stopped for a split second, before she took her sister in a rib crushing hug. "Tia...can't breath...let go!" "Hmm? Oh I'm so sorry Luna! I didn't realize I was crushing and collapsing your lungs!" "It's ok Tia...couh...you're fine, and my lungs aren't dead just yet." A strained giggle followed Luna's words. She sat next to her sister and draped a wing over her back in comfort and love, all the while Celestia having a brutal battle between her mind and body. One wishes to jump Luna right then and there, the other fought that line of thought back tooth and nail.
III. Fields of Tears and BloodAuthor's Note I am very sorry that it took so long to release this chapter. What happened more or less, is life decided to sucker punch me in the stomach and then bitch slap me. As always, if you spot grammar, spelling, or punctuation mistakes; quote them in the comments and I'll fix them. Enjoy this chapter. III. Fields of Tears and Blood Artillery shells created craters in the fields of Garnin. Pony and Griffin alike lay dead or dying inside them. Still they fought, neither had gained a large advantage, but neither had lost its will either. A young Sergeant sprinted to General Der with breakneck speed. "Genral Der, our right flank has collapsed! It is in complete disarray and the Griffins are chewing into it. The reserves have been decimated by artillery and sniper fire, we can't hold out for much longer! What are your orders sir?" "Take the reserves from the center flank, they're doing the best at the moment. Form a tight defense wall and lure the Griffin regiments into a trap. Crush them utterly." "Yes sir!" With that, the sergeant ran off to carry through his orders. General Der looked upon the battlefield and took in the sights and sounds. The whistle of artillery and the violent impacts resonated like a deafening siren across all. Screams of the dying wounded, and physiology broken spread throughout as well. Massive craters bore the image of battle across the fields, splashes of red like that of a mad painter permeated the areas next to the craters. ***** Celestia's mind began to wander while she sat with Luna. It started innocently enough, herself and Luna cuddled together like when they were younger, snuggled together while they told stories about their days and what they'd seen through it. Then things took a strange and unexpected turn. She imagined herself wrapping Luna in her wings and holding her lovingly. Then things spiraled out of control form there. Her minds eye saw her pushing Luna back into the mattress, locking eyes with her, and then lunging for her throat. There she latched onto it and suckled with a ferocity like that of a lion hunting it's prey. She imagined Luna crying out in pain and pleasure, and she kept going, nipping and kissing a trail down her neck and throat. She saw her front hooves rubbing down Luna's shoulders and towards her thighs. Her mouth continued its brutal assault on Luna's chest and went lower. She latched onto one of Luna's nipples and heard a high pitched Moan as a reward. Her mouth and tounge eventually found its mark, Luna's pussy. She could her excitement coming off in waves at her simply breathing on her sister's cunt. Testing the waters, she took a long slow lick up the slit presented so fully in front of her. A sweet and somewhat bitter taste hit her tounge instantly, and she moaned with delight at the new sensation. When Celestia stopped licking, Luna mewled in earnest. "Ti...Tia, don't stop. So good... I'm so close, please don't stop, I need i---" Her response was cut off abruptly as Celestia latched onto her clit and sucked harshly. Luna's head fell back in a silent strangled cry of ecstasy as her orgasm tore through her body. There was no massive dam break or explosion, a small trickle of cum dripped down her puffed up lips, and Celstia quickly buried her muzzle deep into her sisters cunt and lapped up all she could; bringing Luna's orgasm to new heights. She was so close herself and heard Luna's voice. "Tia...Tia...TIA!" Celestia jerked her head around in utter confusion as she remembered where she was. Luna looked at her with a mixture of concern and somewhat strange curiosity. "Are you okay Tia? It looked like you dozed off into space and I wasn't sure what to do. Then I heard you start to moan a little bit so I decided to snap you out of it." Blinking several times to clear her mind, Celestia looked towards Luna. "I, I dozed off. I didn't even realize it Lulu. I guess I started daydreaming." "What did you daydream about Tia?" "Just...some cake I'd like to try." Luna knew there was more to it than that, and she decided to broach the subject to finally figure out what was making Celestia so distant. "Tia, what's wrong? You've been so distant lately, you get uncomfortable at times around me for no good reason, you doze off for minutes at a time for no reason, and now you're having episodes of completely spacing out. What is going on Tia?" "Luna...I've never told anyone this, but I may as well get it off my chest. About 400 years into your...banishment, I started to feel strange when I thought of you. At first it was little more than a strange thing every once and a while throughout my day. Then it grew more intense, when I thought of you my heart would flutter and I'd get goosebumps and chills. I simply dismissed it as me missing you, but I realized that it was more than that, I was disgusted at myself for even the tiniest hint of it, but I soon came to terms with it. Luna, I love you more than I should." Luna's mouth hung slack from the simple shock from what Celestia had told her. Her mind had simply stopped, any thought she was having at that moment simply evaporated and were deleted. She mentally forced her mind and body to work again and regained her composure. "Ti...Tia, that's...I don't know how to respond to that. When I was on the moon I missed you terribly, mentally battling that whore Nightmare Moon, I did sometimes have your same thoughts, but I aggressively put them down and destroyed them. Now that I know that you feel the same way, I know that I love you more than I should." With that, Luna slowly leaned towards Celestia, who was startled but quickly understood what she was doing. She leaned towards Luna, and their lips soon touched. The kiss was light and tentative at first, testing the waters around the reef, but it quickly grew more intense and passionate. Luna slipped her tounge into Celestia's mouth who in turn moaned in delight. Before long however Luna broke off the kiss, Celestia started to protest but was silenced by a hoof. "Shhhh Tia, we are tired and we know you are too, let us sleep together love." Celestia's heart skipped a beat at being called love, but she didn't argue, quickly cuddling up to Luna to fall asleep. ***** "Sir! Our counterattack plan was a complete success, the entire Griffin right flank has collapsed. We've knocked out their artillery and sniper positions. We are beginning an encirclement of the remaining Griffin forces in the area. Victory is at hoof." General Der looked up from his map of the area and looked towards the same Sergeant he had sent off earlier. "Excellent work Sergeant, tell the rear guard commanders to complete the northern half of the encirclement, also, tell the artillery and sniper companies to focus fire on the encircled Griffin troop elements." "Yes sir!" The sergeant quickly saluted and then ran off. General Der looked out onto the now blackened fields of Gernin and observed the last phases of battle. The once mighty Griffin divisions were now mere husks of themselves, the roar of their artillery pieces had been silenced as had their sniper squads. The encircled Griffin army was now being bombarded by artillery, sniper, and small arms fire from Equestrian forces. Bodies fell from the Griffin ranks, and piled up on the ground. Out of an original force of 10,000 Griffins, only 2,500 remained. General Der watched the casualties mount from his command post. He heard a sound from behind him and drew his sword, expecting to find a Griffin soldier ready to strike, instead, he found a Griffin messenger who handed him a scroll and then flew off. He opened it and read it's scribbled contents. General Der, this is General Taq. I see that my men are surrounded and we have lost, that is why I have ordered them to surrender. We surrender unconditionally after having been bested by your forces. All of my remaining troops, my staff, and my self, surrender to you and your forces. I only ask that my men be treated fairly and humanely. Seeing that he had won, he felt exhausted but happy. He scribbled a response. Surender accepted, it was an honor to fight such a worthy opponent. You and your men will be treated in the upmost respect and kindness. General Der looked to the sky, the moon was slowly rising across it, silver moonlight shone over the battlefield. It was a beautiful moonrise. ***** Luna awoke to find herself being held onto, and she couldn't move. At first she panicked, thinking she had been kidnapped or had woke to an extreme sleep paralysis episode, her mind simply went into fight mode. Then the events of the previous event came back to her and she relaxed again. Her heart did a small loop when she realized who was holding her. Then she heard a yawn to her left and she knew her bedmate was awake. Celestia awoke and, upon realizing where she was and who she was with, had an idea. She leaned over and whispered sultrily into Luna's ear. "How are you sister? I just had a most wonderful dream of us together. We had quite a lot of fun, maybe we could try it. The doors are locked and no one would hear your moans love." While she was finishing her sentence, her left fore hoof had moved over Luna's flank, and began rubbing it softly. At the same time, Celestia bit down on Luna's ear, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to be noticed. Luna let out a loud eep of surprise at her ear being bit. She quickly spoke up but she couldn't steady her voice to hide her excitement at Celestia's suggestion. "Tia...that sounds lovely but...we can't right now. Don't we have a meeting today?" "Aren't you an excited mare, I could always reschedule it to another time Lulu. We could have so much fun together." Just as Celestia finished her response there was a knock at the door. The sisters quickly went into to royalty mode and prepared for whatever news or information they were about to receive. Luna opened the door and went to speak to whom ever had knocked on the door. It was a young army captain. He spoke to her quickly and then turned to left. "Tia, we're expected in the war room in 15 minutes to discuss the recent victory over the Griffins at Garnin. Let's go see what happened in the battle." ***** 10 minutes later, and Luna and Celestia were assembled along with the commander of Equestrian forces General Tern, in front of a map of Equstria and The Griffin Empire. "Your Majesties, our armies have routed and captured the Griffin that occupied Garnin. Out of 10,000 soldiers, 2,500 were taken prisoner. We have recaptured the village, but have evacuated the surviving residents to eastern towns in case of a recapture attack. We lost 1,000 soldiers out of 7,500. We have 15 divisions along the border, should we initiate a counteroffensive?" Celestia spoke up to answer the question. "Yes, attack the weakest border site with five divisions. Breakthrough and establish a bridgehead to allow for other divisions to advance deeper into Griffin territory. Treat all captured Griffin soldiers and civilians with respect and kindness. Any soldiers in our armed forces who are found to have committed a war crime, are to be court marshaled and barred from any form of military service for the remainder of their lives. Do I make myself clear General?" "Crystal man. There's just one problem, these divisions need a commander." Luna spoke up from the back of the room. "I shall lead them."
IV. Counteroffensive Author's Note This is a shorter chapter, that is meant both to tide you guys over till the next big chapter, and to provide some context for the next one. Enjoy, and as always, leave your thoughts in a comment and like the story if you did. IV. Counteroffensive Celestia and Luna had gone to the Royal Garden to speak to each other privately about what Luna had said in the war room. It was a beautiful afternoon, the birds sang and the sun hung low in the 1:00 o'clock sky. "Luna! Why?!" Celestia was stunned by Luna's wish to lead the new spearhead divisions. She simply couldn't understand why she would wish to lead them into combat, let alone into the heart of The Griffin Empire. "We wish to lead them because our nation demands it Tia. We've been attacked, and I wish to see the Griffins brought to their knees, begging for mercy!" Her last spoken thought was said with a growl of resentment. Celestia knew she couldn't persuade Luna from doing this, but she could at least try. As she began to speak, her lower lip began to quiver, her mind filled with horrible scenarios that could befall Luna. "Lu-lulu, what if something hu-happens to you?! I can't lose you again! I won't let you go!" "This is not a matter of discussion sister! We are going to lead this assault and you can't stop us!" Luna began to walk out of the room, but was stopped when something tugged her back by her tail. "What art though doing Tia?! Release us now!" Celestia's voice had an edge to it like daggers. "You dare walk away from me?! I will not allow you to do this! I forbid it!" "You forbid us from doing what we wish?! When did you gain that authority princess?!" "I did when I confessed my love to you! I've given you my heart and the sanctity of my life, if I were to lose you I would lose those as well!" By now, tears were freely flowing from Celetsia's muzzle. Her mind had filled with dark and horrific scenarios of what could befall Luna should she lead the new army. "Tia we must do this. You will not lose me, I promise you this. When I confessed my love to you I gave you my heart and life as well. I love you Tia, you will not lose me no matter what may happen." Luna pulled Celestia towards her and kissed deeply, as a sign of both her love and her guarantee to return to her. When they broke, Luna said her goodbyes and headed off. ***** After two days of travel Luna had arrived at the army encampment along the Griffin border. Mountain peaks topped with snow rose high into the air, and birds sang their chorus. Luna looked down upon the shanty town of tents on the valley below, and headed down. "Hello General Der, are the divisions ready?" "Oh! My apologies Princess Luna, I didn't see you. Yes, they're prepared and eager to go." "Excellent. Tell me general, when will we begin the offensive?" "In two hours your highness." ***** After two hours of restless waiting, the Equestrian troops began their march into Griffin lands. Full of energy and zeal, as well as confidence after the victory at Garnin, they all though that this would be a very easy and effective raid. After marching for an hour and a half, Luna and her divisions came upon a Griffin border post. Half of the divisions took up the right flank, the other the left. Insuring that both were in their positions, Luna signaled for a longer attack to begin. In a flash a fourth of the Griffin guards were dead from sniper fire. Panicked and unsure of which direction the fire came from, they formed a hasty defensive line. Another volley took down half of the guards, and Luna teleported to the middle of the defense line. Drawing her sword from its sheath, she dispatched a Griffin. Stabbing another through the chest, she strangled another with her magic. With the beauty of a dancer, she dispatched combatant after combatant. Within the five minutes, the remaining fifteen griffins lay dead. "The area is secure. Left and right flanks converge and search it." "Your highness, while searching the bodies I found a map of the area with griffin detachments marked." "Excellent work sergeant, thank you." Scanning the map, Luna saw that her divisions were due west of another border post. She planned an ambush based on the terrain detailed on the map. "Troops, we are going to march west until we encounter a wooded area. Once we reach said area, you are to split into three groups, center right and left. I will lead the center. We will initiate an attack on the border outpost in that area. Let's go." Trekking through hills and marsh to reach the woods to the west, the divisions began to realize how vast the Griffin Empire truly was. In half a day, they had barely traveled 10 miles. After an hour of hiking they had reached the second outpost. Luna herself, true to her word, led the charge. With the poise and grace of a deadly dancer she dispatched half the outpost, while the other troops mopped it up. Little did they know, their scheme had been discovered, and the breach in the Griffin's lines was being closed behind them. ***** 5 border posts and 3 and a half hours later, and Equestrian forces carved another 10 miles into Griffin Territory. The troops were exhausted but still in high spirit from success. In a small clearing they set up camp. A small tent city was set up, with lights and fire dotted around it in the still night. Conversations floated throughout the camp and tents; gossip, jokes, and discussions about the previous day's victories. No one noticed the Griffin special forces creeping through the underbrush. Luna sat on her bed in her tent, and meditated. She was sifting through the days events in her mind to try and figure out the best course of action for the next day. She too didn't notice the sounds of the Griffins. In a second the camp was in a frenzy. From the pitch black woods came a volley of bullets. Blood sprayed against tents and fire began burning through the camp. Griffin troops marched through the eastern section of the camp and executed any who were still alive. Luna was out of tent in a flash. Unsure of what she was to do, she lingered for just long for a sniper to lay on her. The bullet missed her chest and instead imbedded itself in her left hind thigh. She screamed in agony and fell, convincing the Griffin sharpshooter that he had competed his mission, he moved on. Slowly, from shock, pain, and slight blood loss, Luna faded into the world of unconsciousness, with the screams of the dying and dead following her.
