Then, in early July me and Aoife had just gotten up when we got called by Michaela.

‘Rosa, Aoife! Come quick!’

We went to the living room still half asleep. Michaela was standing in front of the radio, as if captivated by it.

‘What is it? I was having a very good dream so I hope this is worth it.’

I smacked Aoife on the head with my hoof.

‘Okay, okay, I am a stupid changeling alright.’

I laughed a bit and then we both went closer to Michaela and the radio near the sofa. To our absolute astonishment the voice we heard from the radio was Prince Tomado! He was in Kivessin and giving a speech.

‘According to these documents that I am holding in my claws right now, is the clear and unavoidable truth of this whole war! That it was absolutely pointless! If you are out there and hearing this message then I plead you with all the strength I have! Put down your arms and go home! Both communists and monarchists alike! The king’s wife was never assassinated by a communist and the famine was never started because of the king! I am saying this as the son of the king and I do fully expect to be struck down from this position of mine right after this speech. But I know the truth and I know that this nation has had enough of this cruel civil war. Brothers killing brothers! Fathers burying their children! How much longer are we going to bear a war that is fought for no actual purpose at all? How long are all of you out there willing to bear this? If you are in the field, I repeat put down your arms and return home, work your fields! The nation needs it now more than ever! If you are at home then help out to rebuild, and do not heed the commands of either side! Help out your communities, let them stand back on their feet again! As for the leaders of both sides, those who understand my words, come and meet me in Kivessin! There is no siege here! The besiegers and the besieged have both put down their arms! Come meet me and let’s make this bloodshed cease! This is not something done for any ideology. Fuck ideologies! They have only led us to kill one another! Your blood, my blood, the blood of every griffon on this land! It is not worth to be spilt for some badly written words on some 'wise' girffon’s book who has done nothing for you! Nobody from us is faultless in all of this but we must end it now before we have wiped ourselves and our great nation off the face of Griffonia!’

After the speech of the prince some other officials spoke in support of this, almost the same in number from both sides. Then the Prince announced, that for whoever interested, the documents themselves would be available to the public in Kivessin. Then the broadcast was suddenly cut, most likely by the monarchist authorities. I remained in awe for a minute and then exclaimed loudly:

‘The mad griffon! He actually did it!’

We all hugged one another, danced, sung joyously. We went outside and all the griffons that had returned to Twelt were also in the same festive mood. All glad that this whole war did not bury them. By the next afternoon, we learned that most leaders and officers from both sides had gathered in Kivessin and reached a compromise. The day after that, the new constitution was announced. The country would become a constitutional monarchy, with the king retaining only his position as head of the army and even then, greatly restricted by the newly created parliament. The country would be split administratively in three regions, Sydia, Kivessin and Whiteflower with each region being administered locally by a council of workers. That was a kind of system untried before but it definitely had the support of the people for now. Elements of both sides who refused to stop the conflict were quickly swept away by troops that were now together in a common cause. The king, as expected, refused to accept the decision, disinherited his son and fled to Wingbardy. Similarly, Redglad fled to Aqueilia. Tomado became the first king of this new state. His first prime minister was to be Theressa, who had been a general in the royal guard before joining up with the communists. She had connections with both sides of the civil war and was generally very well accepted by the citizens, many of whom had served under her before the civil war in the guard and during the civil war in the communist army.

Some days later another joyous occasion happened, this time specifically for Michaela. Her son, though a bit bruised, returned full well to Twelt. She was overjoyed and could not believe her eyes. Her son on the other claw could not believe how his mother had aged so much since he had left the house two and a half years ago. When we were alone in the kitchen that day, she pulled me close to her and whispered in my ear.

‘I don’t know exactly what it is you did, but I know it was you and Aoife that are responsible for the end to war. However, I also have to thank you for this as well.’

She pointed at her son who was talking in the living room with some of the neighbors who had come to visit.

‘You brought my boy back that I had given up for dead and you made sure I would be alive today to see him. I will never be able to thank you enough. None of these things would have happened without you. And it was because from start to finish you were determined to see this through.’

I didn’t say anything. I only smiled. Words were not necessary anymore. All that had to be said Tomado said for me now. That evening we were going to carry out a solemn service, a testament, so to speak, to this war that shook the entirety of the Kingdom of Prywhen asunder. We were going to the mayor’s tower to honor the fallen from both sides. As a special guest to this, King Tomado, together with several of his officials and members of parliament. But to all the bystanders he had made it clear he wasn’t going to say a thing. The locals many of whom I knew, many of whom I had saved those nights around the Blood Creek, had chosen me, the nopony from nowhere, to do the sermon. I followed the scripture normally and as it finished, I decided to say something of my own at the very end.

‘Their passing we will all mourn. Passing of friends, loved ones, family. All of them fond in our memories may they remain. Everlasting the sweet moments and perishing the evil thoughts. And to be so till in good time, the Truth of the world shall be seen, the light, blinding, will shine on this pained land and all lands that have so suffered, that have so bled and cried and mourned, for lost ones. Let the light shine and from their grave may they rise again in both body and soul and may we all live to see the day of that glorious resurrection, when the soul will finally find its freedom, when our tears will no more be shed for nothing but joy, for no evil being but for the happiness of those who chose, despite the most grievous hardships, to believe and to believe with faith and confidence in that new light, that one shining from the Truth alone. And let the trials of this world end then. And let there be peace. And love. And friendship. And unity. And for all of us to finally be together in eternity. Amen.’

The entire room before listening in silence, responded.

‘Amen!’

I saw Tomado leaning at the door of the tower and he smiled at me. He then put his hat on his head and said something with Enrico Chivaldori, his official advisor, who had returned to the Kingdom of Prywhen, since now the banishment for all the exiles from Prywhen had been lifted. After that, they both exited the tower followed by the other officials. Tomado will be the first king, maybe in the world, who openly goes out in public with no protection whatsoever and the same is true for his parliament, advisors and officials, even though the country is most literally a mix of all major ideologies in the current time: The communists locally, the democrats and republicans nationally, the monarchists and hardline right wingers on the level of the kingdom and the military. The Prywhenians should be proud of their nation. It is one of a kind, that I do not think will be seen anywhere else in the world at any given time. As I walked through the crowd towards the gate, where Aoife was waiting for me, the griffons made way and began cheering my name and clapping. I was blushing brightly and I think any more of this and I would have steam coming out of my ears. When I reached Aoife, she was giggling at me.

‘You braved the horrors of a battlefield, survived a war-torn nation of griffons as a pony, undertook a secret mission to save the entire nation and you are blushing for this?’

I smacked her head.

‘Ouch, okay, I am sorry.’

‘I still am but a silly pony. Let’s go home.’

‘This way then.’

We walked back to Michaela’s home and Michaela and her son where there already. Her son had taken up the duty of repairing the house from us. We ate together, discussed vividly and received the neighbors who came to visit. Around that time, we went out in the garden where Michaela’s husband was buried. We had closed the circle of the nation and now we end the circle in this very house as well. I thought inside me that this was the last loose end, the last thing we had to bury deep before Michaela and her son and me and Aoife could move on. We unearthed the corpse and everyone, along with the neighbors who had come to pay their last respects to the deceased griffon, were surprised to find out that the body was still well maintained in spite of not having been buried properly and having been exposed to the elements for so long. I was responsible for that. After I had learned about Michaela’s dead husband, I had immediately changed the air and water flow around his dead body so that any bacteria would die and not be able to decompose him. At the same time, the zero-air earth-like cell he was in, in combination with a liquid I smeared over his body, made sure not to let his body decompose on its own as well. Truth is, that the body had already begun to decompose when I found it. I had used copious amounts of energy to restore it, inside out, and then I had followed with the whole conservation process. However, I absolutely did not mention that now, as it was not important. Regardless, the body of the griffon would now remain intact no matter the environment. But the symbolic value of the burial was the important part. The whole process must not have taken more than thirty minutes.

First, the son of Michaela, with the help of some of the neighbors dug the grave deep, then brought forth a wooden box as a coffin and placed the dead griffon, who had been previously wrapped in white cloth, inside the box. Then they closed it and then I let it slowly descended downwards with my magic, till it reached the bottom. The earth was then put back inside and then a prayer was said, to Boreas and some local gods of Prywhen. Michaela silently cried the entire time. However, this time it was different. She was sad but it was over, for the better. She could finally look forward, towards a long life, in this town of Twelt, in her good old house, living with her son till her days were done. Me and Aoife smiled. We had done our duty. Soon thereafter, the neighbors and friends went to their homes and we went back inside feeling cleansed, in a way. Night came and we all went to bed. Once more and for the last time sleeping together.

The next day would be mine and Aoife’s last in Prywhen. We had decided we had done enough here and were planning on going to the River Republic. When tomorrow came, Aoife and I gathered our luggage and headed for the door. Michaela was waiting for us. Her son was standing proudly next to her. We kissed and I shook her son’s claw. Before we left, I gave her son a white sheet. Told him that should his mother pass away while I was abroad, he was to bury her after covering her in this sheet. I had carefully used herbs and magic on the sheet to allow a body wrapped inside it to remain virtually untouched forever. For now, I could only resurrect physical bodies but someday, who knows, I may be able to harvest souls as well. We said farewell and we walked away with Aoife, who was in her changeling form. We were planning on crossing from Kivessin, west into the Cossack lands. A democratic regime had been developing there as well and Tomado managed to convince them to ensure us safe passage through their lands. Once we would have gotten to the border with Wittenland, I had my old passport from Equestria as well as some certification papers for the River Republic and all of those would let us easily pass through.

When Aoife and I had walked some distance from Twelt, she turned to me, pulling a piece of paper from her old briefcase.

‘This is from King Tomado, King of Prywhen.’

I was relatively confused by how she presented the paper. I held it in the air and read it.

‘This is a commendation letter from the King himself!’

I kept reading.

‘For your tireless efforts in the name of a nation you had absolutely no duty to, for the well-being of creatures belonging to a race that is not yours, while also facing perils from both sides as you chose the path of righteousness that very few dare to walk, I, King Tomado de Kissau, King of Prywhen, sovereign ruler of the lands of Prywhen in Kivessin, Whiteflower and Sydia, bestow upon you the Cross of the Grand Order of Brodfeld, an honor that has only ever been granted once before, to King Kihai de Kissau.’

Aoife paused me at that point.

‘Who ironically bestowed it upon himself. So, yet another thing to feel good about.’

I dismissed that statement and kept reading. At the end of the letter, a shiny silver cross embroidered in gold leaves was pinned.

‘P.S. Had you chosen to remain in Prywhen, I would have proposed you to run for a position in the parliament but I knew that you would refuse, so that’s the best compensation I can give you. That, my gratitude, the gratitude of the entire nation and my word that should you ever wish to return to the Kingdom of Prywhen, you are more than welcome.’

I finished reading and paused for a bit. I don’t think I had ever done so much in my life in so little time. I, then thought back on the letter again.

‘And you would have been right to think, I would refuse to stay.’

‘The nopony from nowhere has big plans now?’

Aoife was messing with me again. I sighed and smacked her in the head, again.

‘Ouch! I hope this does not become a habit of yours.’

We laughed and kept on our way. On the outskirts of Twelt, where before the sign about the minefield stood, now there was a new sign.

‘HELLO TRAVELLER

THIS IS TWELT, A TOWN IN PRYWHEN

DO NOT MISTRUST

DO NOT HATE

DO NOT HARM

DO NOT KILL

FOR THE SAKE OF A SHADOW’

‘Wise words.’, Aoife said.

‘You ruined the moment.’, I responded and we both laughed quite stupidly. Inside me though, I also felt quite accomplished seeing this. After all, the sign spoke on its own of the failure of the plans of the Wendigos in Prywhen.

Soon, we distanced ourselves further and further from the town. We both knew, that we would not be back in Twelt anytime soon. However, we would always remember Michaela, her son and all the other familiar faces in that town very fondly, as well as all the things we experienced with them; both the heartbreaking and heartwarming ones. However, we would also remember, or rather live with, the fact that, this truly insane story brought us, myself and Aoife, a pony necromancer and a changeling from Greneclyf, together as friends and maybe a bit closer than that. I was thinking of all that and then Aoife started singing a song, a tune that was very familiar to me as well.

‘Up to mighty Kivessin

Came a pony that one day

As the streets are paved with gold

Everyone, was gay!

Singing songs of Sydia

Twelt and Whiteflower square

Till that pony got excited

And she shouted to them there:’

I laughed loudly.

‘I am pretty sure that’s not exactly how the song went but I will try to sing the chorus of this one:

It’s a long way to the Republic

It’s a long way to go

It’s a long way from old Prywhen

With the sweetest girl I know!

Goodbye, to you Sydia

Farewell, Whiteflower square!

It’s a long long way to the Republic

But my heart’s right here!’

‘Wait, ‘with’ and ‘here’?’, Aoife was redder than fire.

‘You, big tease!’, she exclaimed then and hit me on the head, ‘Now, we are even! Anyhow my turn:

That pony wrote a letter

To his Blomsport changeling-o

Saying, “Should you not receive it,

Well, write and let me know!”

“If I make mistakes in spelling”

Changeling dear, said she’

‘To remember, that it’s the pen that’s bad

And lay not the blame on you?’

‘Exactly!

It’s a long way to the Republic

It’s a long way to go

It’s a long way from old Prywhen

With the sweetest girl I know!

Goodbye, to you Sydia

Farewell, Whiteflower square!

It’s a long long way to the Republic

But my heart’s right here!’

‘Well then, in that case:

The changeling wrote a neat reply

To traveling pony-o,

Saying ‘A ways from Blomsport

I had to go, and so

Let’s leave Twelt and Kivessin

Or truly, you’ll be to blame

‘Halt, next two are my lines!

For I want my love to drive me silly:

Hoping you’ll stay the same!’

‘We got one more. Want to sing it together?’

‘After you.’

“It’s a long way to the Republic

It’s a long way to go

I went a long way in old Prywhen

With the sweetest girl I know!

Goodbye, to you Sydia

Farewell, Whiteflower square!

It’s a long long way to the Republic

But my heart’s right here!!!”

=====================================FIN=============================================

Author's Note

The lyrics used at the end are written by myself and are a heavily edited version of the lyrics of the song 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' written by Irish tenor John McCormack in 1914.

Special Thanks to:
The Great Scribbly One
For providing corrections for syntax and grammar, which I would have, personally, never seen. He spent copious amounts of time doing so, for a story that was not even his own. I wish him the best of luck in his own work in this write-off, which is also a great read and which you can read here: https://www.fimfiction.net/story/492452/prologue

Next up I will be working on the sequels. Look out for chapter 4, I will be finishing it by next month.
See you next time and thanks for reading!