One Thousand Tears

Lieutenant Von Lowe's surprise attack on Gilda's forces should keep them on the tips of their talons, Gunther was making his rounds serving his famous sausage soup with knackwurst before taking the helm of his Bergmann machine gun. The guns were quiet for now, and there is peace amid Princess Luna's night. My soldiers can finally rest.

One final push. Just one more to finally break the Gilda Faction. It will take every soldier we have, and every gun at the ready. So many have fought, and so many have died. I have lost many comrades, family, and friends to this war. The only living family I have is Gabby. My little Cookie Face. I fear she will not escape from this war unscarred.

No one asked for this war. The call to arms came with the fall of the crown. Like the phoenix, the kingdom will rise again from the ashes. I promised the griffons that I will form a kingdom built on friendship and harmony. Ironically, it will be the rifle and bayonet plus artillery and might of the navy that will bring about such a momentous change.

Many griffons will give praise if I triumph, and many will curse me. The same will go to Gilda should she take the crown. It is just the way things are. Gabby followed behind me. She is now my Second-in-Command. My cousin is a Sergeant now. She often leads stormtroopers on trench raids. She is growing into quite the soldier on the battlefield.

Gretchen is now a Corporal. These young soldiers have shown bravery in battle. There is an old saying I heard once: 'Go into battle knowing you will die, and you will surely live, but go into battle knowing you will live and you will surely die'. After supper, I washed out my mess kit and looked up at the moon and closed my eyes as a tear escaped.

I looked out at the enemy trench and saw the soldiers leaving that night. At first I thought they were surrendering. It seems Gilda called them back to reinforce the defenses at Griffonstone. By morning, I decided to send a few scouts to go over and have a look, "The trench is completely empty, Colonel" said one of the scouts catching his breath.

"I see," I said with a light nod, and looked to Lieutenant Von Lowe, "let us gather our things, we are moving out," it was a relief for our soldiers. They know the war is finally at an end. The years of service spent in the trenches are now over. It has fallen to us to take back Griffonstone. I could hear the mighty roar of guns coming from the coast.

Our soldiers were packed, shouldering rifles and machine guns. They smiled, and laughed or shared cigarettes amongst each other. For many years, I have kept my voice for commands and caring words to the soldiers. I came up to one soldier, and touched her cheek. She had bloody bandaging around her head and where her right eye used to be.

Lieutenant Von Lowe told me that she lost her eye and had a head wound from wood splinters that came from a Maxim 'Pom-Pom' gun that was used against them during the surprise attack at Der Wald. She closed her eyes when I touched her cheek. She gently held my taloned front paw with both of hers, purring and rubbing her cheek against it.

She had such bright eyes like Gabby. It is a shame battle took one away from her. She is similar to Gilda in coloration and facial features, but her feathers are grey around her eye. She looked like a soldier that enlisted before she was eighteen. She probably lied on her application. She wants to do her part in our fight. To me, that is very honorable.

[Galiana:]
Beten nächtelang
Im Glauben, dass man uns erhört.
Tief im Herzen Hoffnung
und ein Lied kaum zu verstehn.
Nun ist uns nicht mehr bang,
weil auch die Furcht uns nicht mehr stört.
Wie versetzten Berge längst
doch konnten wir´s nicht sehn.
Es werden Wunder wahr,
glaubst du daran.
Die Hoffnung weist den Weg uns klar.
Was wohl ein Wunder noch
vollbringen kann,
glaubst du daran.
Wie wunderbar!
Es werden Wunder wahr.

[Gabby:]
Ängste hatten wir.
Das Beten schien so nutzlos oft.
Hoffnung,
dieses Wort flog wie ein Vogelschwarm davon.
Doch heute steh ich hier.

[The soldiers:]
Nachita v´chas d´cha
am zu gaalta
Nachita v´chas d´cha
am zu gaalta
Ashira
Ashira
Ashira
Ashira ladonai
ki ga oh ga ah
Ashira ladonai
ki ga oh ga ah
micha mocha ba elim adonai
micha mocha ne dar bakodesh
Nachita v´chas´dcha
am zu gaalta
Nachita v´chas´d´cha
am zu gaalta
Ashira
Ashira ashira
Es werden Wunder wahr,
glaubst du daran.
Die Hoffnung weist den Weg uns klar.
Was wohl ein Wunder noch
vollbringen kann,
glaubst du daran.
Wie wunderbar!
Wunderbar!
Es werden Wunder wahr

[Galiana and Gabby:]
Es werden Wunder wahr!

We had made it out of the trenches and into the forest and hills surrounding Griffonstone. The officers and I signaled our soldiers to keep their heads down and keep quiet. Their were ridges of raised earth giving us some cover from any snipers or machine guns. The Gilda Faction will throw every weapon they have at us. It will be a great battle.

It will be a terrible battle. I know their will be great losses on our side. Many of the faces I see among the ranks may never see home again. I will give them hope that their will be a queen sitting on the throne of the Griffon Kingdom. If I die, then I die for them, my soldiers. They are my brothers and sisters. I die for them. They are the kingdom.

A queen is still a griffon as a princess is still a pony. I am still one of them as my flesh and my heart are mortal. You want to know what real immortality is? Look at those griffons or ponies you maybe destined to rule. You put your life on the line for their safety. You give your life so that another may live. You may die, but your name lives on.

That is immortality. You cannot live forever, but your name will. Gabby came to me with a light smile. It was not a smile of joy, but one of readiness, "I know...that many of us will not survive...if you fall, I will fight on, I will not stand for Gilda becoming the Queen, you taught me well, I will not give up, I will not give in and I will never surrender,"

From her salute, she gave me a hug and I hugged her back. It is the warmest one I ever received. She rubbed her cheek against mine, and did the same. Gabby is my family, my only family left now, "You tell your soldiers to be ready, and make sure their rifles are loaded," I said to her with my gentle talons on her shoulders, "the guns are coming,"