Celestia's Own
Ambush
The squad trudged along a swampy river, it consisted of three medics, three unicorns, and five Pegasi. Their captain was an earth pony called "Iron Hoof". He had hoofs of iron and he was persistent.
They had been at war with the Griffin's over boundaries, so a small expedition was sent to patrol a ten-mile stretch near the Griffinstone border. As dusk drew close all was quiet........too quiet.
There was a sudden screech and one of the pegasi came crashing down with a griffin tearing its throat out and several more appeared. The fight was off-balance, eleven ponies, and at least thirty griffins. It was complete chaos. Iron hoof went down pierced by several arrows and as he drew his last breath his head was severed by a griffin halberd. The medics were easily cut down only armed with short swords. One unicorn sent up a magic flare as his horn was smashed and a spear went into his mouth. There were only two unicorns left now.......a lieutenant and a young private named Jade.
The lieutenant felt pain as he realized that his young private.......one he swore he'd protect was gonna die in this damned swamp! His momentary distraction left a chance for a griffin to pierce him with a long heavy saber. As he fell he and Jade locked eyes, " I'm sorry I couldn't protect you" then he died.
"Lieutenant Thundercloud! Please don't be dead" she repeated this several times when a shadow caught her eye she ducked and rolled drawing a dagger and parried a pike.
She fired a blast of magic and went into the fight of her life! She sent magic flare skyward three in rapid succession. She used every technique she remembered.
She almost lost her head but got lucky in a way........she lost an eye she finally gave out with a substantial amount of blood loss. As she blacked out she saw Princess Celestia herself leading a battalion of pegasi.
Hospital
Jade woke up with a the steady beep of heart monitors. How long had she been out? She smelled the odor of sterilizers and a white mare with a a pink mane stood over her checking vitals.
"She's stable Highness, she got lucky today.........she that arrow I removed if it had been a few millimeters over she'd be dead."
"From what we saw before she bit the dust she was scared and desperate. I would love to know commander Quill decided to have a private join such a dangerous expedition. I didn't give him the go in that decision."
"Your highness, she's been out for several weeks now and she's showing signs of PTSD, we had to use a magic dampening ring so she'd would kill some pony."
"Corporal Redheart, I must tend to some duties notify me when she wakes."
"Yes ma'am."
She was going in and out of consciousness, so that's why she figured Celestia said when she wakes. She was now fully awake and asked a passing nurse pony for water.
Corp. Redheart arrived and sent word to Celestia. "Easy there you've been through a lot........what do you remember?"
"The ambush, everypony died didn't they? I tried to let my commanding officers know that something was wrong.......it was too Celestia damned quiet........"
"What am I damming now?"
"Y-Y-Your highness........I uh........"
"Continue dear as your were saying?"
"Something was wrong it was too quiet, like the calm before a big storm from Everfree Forrest. I felt like the hunted not the hunter. It clicked for them when we got to the point where we were ambushed. We looked back and realized we had been on a prepared track for us to walk........then they struck; I can't unsee that look on the pegasus face as his throat was ripped out......the terror.......the carnage that ensued shook me I was the youngest and shouldn't have been there everypony said it. How did I survive?"
"When we arrived on the scene and the arrow struck you, you were fighting with everything you had my little pony. You had done most of the work we just cleaned up. The amount of blood loss should've killed you........it was a miracle that we saw your magic flares. Now rest young one."
"Your Highness I'm not out of the fight, 'Celestia's own don't quit'."
Recovery
Jade's recovery was tough at the start, waking up at night in terror. She was in the first brigade closest to Celestia herself, and yet she was part of a death squad.
Redheart and Princess Celestia knew with Jade's inability to sleep were gonna kill her eventually. Princess Luna kept an eye on her dreams and gave her rest.
It was some months when Jade has cleared for service again after therapy and a spell to remove the terrors of the ambush.
Occasionally nightmares arose but squelched by Luna. Jade, was promoted to sergeant and several medals for courage and wounded in combat. Her first assignment was a patrol, a patrol that required a full battalion. The troops prepared for the mission.
Supply Intercept
Sgt. Jade along with Corp. Redheart leads their battalions along with the interior of a deep ravine. Jade and Redheart stopped their battalions and from their vantage point, they found their mark, a griffin supply train. Best they could tell there no other troops in the caravan.
They started the assault with stealth, once within a few yards charged. Redheart and Jade opened a cart........empty.
"Damn it!!!" Redheart cursed.
Jade opened another, "Mother........" She didn't finish as she looked skyward an aerial griffin battalion closed in firing arrows.
"Take cover!" Orders Redheart while Jade fired a barrage of magical balls of explosive mortar fire. The memories of her first ambush flooded in and this time she wasn't going be a lone survivor.
Summoning the unicorns, of the two battalions laid out a plan.
"Teleport griffin to griffin and cut their throats. Redheart can you keep the ground forces busy?"
Redheart nodded. They kicked the plan into action. The plan worked pretty well many of the griffins died but so did the unicorns. The griffins hope for this and had spiked armor on their backs. The moment that a unicorn landed they were seconds from death and had only time to cut the griffin throats.
Jade was forced to pull back the assault to the ground.
"Fuck you!" Screamed a griffin as Jade stabbed him repeatedly.
The battle got so bad Jade teleported the remnants of the battalions back to Canterlot. She was captured.
Prisoner
Jade Kept up a fight until she became exhausted. She was then bound and dragged to the griffin base of operations. The griffin army was vast it would take four large armies to wipe them out. The leader they called 'Gruff' he was a fine griffin gruff and grouchy with a red fez.
"I thought I said kill them all!"
"My Lord this is the young survivor from a few months ago......."
"Is she now?" He got in her face and spat. She recoiled and glared.
"How defiant, do whatever it takes to break her!"
They did everything to break except rape her.........he lay battered and bruised from being kicked slashed and bit.
Gruff appeared, "ready to talk now arse? I'm about ready to up my torture methods if you don't tell me where the army is based at the moment! My patience is wearing thin."
"Damn you!" Gruff slapped and began to mount her....... They forgot to put a magic dampening ring on her horn.
Escape and the Griffin Kingdom Conquered
Jade blasted a bright light which Gruff had time to cover his right eye whilst his left eye became blind from such intensity of light he swore and yelled, "kill that pony!"
Jade reacquired her sword and dagger and fought her way to the edge of the camp and launched a large flare and teleported to Canterlot. She though battered managed to five directions to the whole griffin army.
Luna and Celestia gathered the whole army and sent for Shining Armor and Redheart led what groups she had and converged on Gruff. The battle was bloody, the Griffin fell back to griffin stone though orders were given to spare civilians many were killed because they got caught in the crossfire. Griffinstone lay in ruins the political leaders had power reduced to a bare minimum and Celestia made it clear that if a single squad or battalion was raised she'd have Griffinstone leveled and razed to the foundation. Gruff agreed and Jade glared as she walked by. The war ended after several years of fighting and she was able to serve in the last few months of it. She'd gave Celestia her resignation and went home to have some peace. Though she still has an episode of PTSD it became frequent when griffins began to show you near Ponyville
