The sun was setting, ending yet another day in the land of Equestria. Lowering below the horizon, its last rays making the sun orange in the west as the moon rose in the east, casting its pale light onto the ground below. The noise of the day faded away, replaced by the peaceful silence of the night. However, many things hide in the dark, waiting for their time to strike the unaware, to reign supreme when no one can stop them, and remain on the top until the sunrise.

Slowly and silently, a few ships were making their way from the Griffon Empire to the shores of Equestria. Their lights out, their crews and soldiers silent, they sailed across the ocean, hoping not to get noticed. Moon disappeared behind the clouds, hiding the ships from sight.

The captain of one of the ships was looking towards Trottingham. The city was silent, its own lights were completely out. It seemed abandoned, even dead in a certain way. The captain frowned, concerned about the situation. Ponies would not simply abandon such a city. The importance of Grittish Isles and its main city of Trottingham was immense in the plans of the griffons, and so capturing them was the prime objective. Under the dark of the night, it would be much easier to do, and hopefully, it would be swift, and griffons would suffer minimal losses if any at all. They only needed to reach the shores, and then it would be simple. The griffons were trained and hardened by many battles in their own country, and they knew warfare much more closely than ponies. Their experience far outweighed anything the ponies had, and so they had few doubts.

The victory seemed assured and guaranteed, there was nothing that could go wrong. And yet, the air was heavy, soaked with uncertainty and fear. There were some rumors from the survivors of the first attack. Equestrian soldiers were portrayed as immortals who acted as one and had no fear. But who would really believe that? Those who were spreading the rumors were labeled weaklings and cowards, subsequently thrown into the dungeons. The Army of the Griffon Empire needed no demoralization, the superiors knew it well, purging any doubts and fears from the minds of their soldiers.

On the other side of the coming battle, Princess Luna was standing guard on top of the highest building, her eyes open wide as she scanned the darkened surroundings. Night being her domain, she could see perfectly even without the sunlight, a fact which not many ponies knew and not many more suspected, and it was certainly not something that the public would know, much less something that the griffons would even suspect.

Everything seemed normal, calm, even serene. However, in the corner of her eye, she soon noticed suspicious movement. She swiftly turned her head and raised her binoculars, deciding to take a closer look and apply scrutiny to the sudden occurrence. And there they were, the ships full of griffon soldiers. A frown appeared on the face of the alicorn as she lowered the binoculars, thinking about her next actions. Knowing well what would ensue, a silent magic link helped her issue necessary orders. And so, the soldiers began moving, taking their positions and readying for the incoming assault. Crossbows loaded, cannons placed and loaded as well, spells prepared, lines of defense taken, and all in an almost complete silence. No words were exchanged, no jokes made, no fires lit.

The ships were closer and closer, soon within the engagement distance of the cannons. And yet, they were silent, waiting for the appropriate moment, the best moment to be the most efficient. Luna nervously shifted in place, watching the situation unfold from the above. She was confident in her general's abilities, she put her trust in the strength of her undead soldiers, and yet she knew that even the ideal situation might be reversed at any moment, for she lacked the needed information. Even her spies didn't manage to get the intelligence concerning the incoming assault. If not for her excellent night vision, Luna would be completely unaware of the attack before it was too late. Thankfully, she had time to prepare now.

No mercy to the invaders, no hesitation, and no doubts. Luna knew why they came and what they could and would do if they reached her beloved ponies. She was afraid to think of what horrors might ensue, for the griffons had plenty of battle experience, their emotions hardened by them. Would they show mercy? Would they hesitate? She didn't believe they would. She aimed to capture as many as she could, but even then, she feared that it was not the wisest decision.

However, it wasn't the time to think about it. The griffons were close, and it was the time to surprise them.

The thunder of cannon fire rolled over the silent ocean, projectiles hitting the ships with force, making one of them starting to sink at an alarming rate. The griffons exclaimed in surprise, startled by the unexpected fire from those they were supposed to take on off guard. There was no going back, and so they flew up, encouraged by the orders of their commanders. They were met with a barrage of arrows and bolts of magic, killing and knocking most of them, making the bodies fall into the water below, painting it red with blood from the griffons.

Returning cannon fire finally sounded, disarrayed and inconsistent, and absolutely frantic. The cannonballs hit the buildings without harming the cannons of Luna's army, for they were hidden well on the first two floors of different buildings around the shoreline and other well-hidden spots spread nearby.

One of the ships turned around, trying to flee from the failing assault. Cannonballs hit it repeatedly, causing massive holes to appear in the hull, sinking this ship as well. Small boats spread across the surface of the ocean, hurrying back to the Griffon Empire. The nearest escape boats were swiftly captured and turned towards Equestria, its passengers now prisoners of war. Their resistance was futile, for muscle could not stop the bones this night.

Luna was watching the scenery with caution, refraining from thinking of it as a triumph just yet. She was trying to see if her plan worked or if there was something else to the griffons that she hadn't initially noticed. However, it seemed their whole plan relied on attacking her army when they least expected it. Unfortunately for them, they didn't know one very important thing — the undead needed neither sleep nor rest. They were always awake, always alert, always ready to fight. They didn't need encouragement, they didn't need the fear of punishment, for they were eternal servants, obeying the one who raised them from the dead without any questions or doubts. Griffon's lack of proper intelligence was their downfall this time.

Soon, the battle was over and the silence took its reign. Many griffons were killed or captured with just a handful of them managing to flee. In truth, Luna counted on it — they would spread fear and raise uncertainty in the ranks of the army of the Griffon Empire. However, it would also make the griffons more careful in their approach, forcing them to come up with more elaborate plans. Equestria should be prepared for anything, even if it was something they would never expect. After all, Trottingham was just one city, one point. Bottlenecking the enemies was easy, but there was a whole shoreline. Well-defended, of course, but the forces were more spread out, making it easier to take them by force.

Luna turned away from the sight of sinking ships and clouds of gunpowder. It was time to notify her sister of the situation.

Erich was startled awake as he heard what seemed like thunder. He unzipped his sleeping bag and rubbed his eyes as he heard the thunder again and again. However, at this point, he realized that it wasn't thunder. The sky was clear for the most part, and there were no flashes of lightning. He could only assume what it was judging by the direction the 'thunder' came from. However, he was certain it was cannon fire. A few minutes later, it ceased, leaving the night in a ringing silence.

The griffon sat down and let out a sigh as different thoughts went through his head. How many casualties were there? Which side won? What would happen next? Were there any of his old friends in that battle?

Despite what he thought, the guards at the campfire remained calm as if the cannon fire didn't worry them at all. After all, their objective was to guard the griffons. What happened at the front lines was not their concern anymore, they had to follow orders given to them by the Princess of the Night herself. Even then, Erich noticed that the guards would often glance in the direction of the cannon fire, their postures stiff, deep frowns of concern on their faces. Perhaps, they were as worried about it as he was but they had to follow orders and not look back.

Erich yawned, realizing that he needed more sleep. He returned to his tent and got into the sleeping bag, soon drifting off to sleep.

Meanwhile, Ornella was looking at her necklace. The gem was glowing brighter, the image of a spider evident in its center. Standing up from the campfire, she left in the dark of the forest, knowing where to look and what to search for. The remaining guards didn't object, for she was their superior. They rearranged themselves, taking different positions to make sure that both griffons could be seen if they attempted an escape or anything similar.

The clouds parted, revealing the moon, letting its pale light illuminate the land once again. Under one of the trees, Ornella could see an equine shape. Her eyes were accustomed to the darkness, and soon she could see who it was. a tall, slender equine with wings of a bat, pale fur, gray eyes, and an unmistakable spider on the forehead. Even in his pony form, Arantir remained recognizable just like Ornella was.

For a moment, the two stood in their places, just looking at each other, many emotions racing through their heads. Despite being undead and entirely devoted to the cause of Asha, they could still feel, and right now, both of them expressed relief and a certain type of joy about their reunion.

"I am very glad to see you again, Lord Arantir," Ornella bowed in respect, a smile on her face.

"So am I, Ornella," the necromancer nodded, his own emotions mostly hidden under a calm mask. "Asha indeed uses all, and even your death serves Her well," he looked at the moon. "This reunion is our fate. Standing together and fighting the Chaos is our sacred duty, my child," he returned to Ornella. "What is your mission now?"

"I am escorting two griffons called Erich and Mark," the vampire replied. "They're searching for answers about the war."

"That is very interesting..." Arantir tapped his chin in deep thought. "Seekers of knowledge from the other side of the conflict... Truly curious," he looked at Ornella."Very well, then. If that is your task, then you must make sure those two find what they're searching for. However..." he paused for a moment. "I am fairly certain they won't find anything here in Equestria. The conflict stems from the Griffon Empire... just like previously," the memories of his last crusade flashed before his eyes. The demon cult in the Silver Cities, demons in the heart of the Griffin Empire orchestrating its downfall, and the quest Asha gave him, which ultimately resulted in the unveiling of the demons and their ultimate defeat. "Perhaps, the two of us should travel into their lands. However, we must solve the current issue."

"Princess Luna might be able to do something," Ornella made a suggestion.

"I believe I can convince her, for she is my student now."

"Spreading the word of Asha even here?" the vampire asked with interest.

"Luna is not a believer but she is a capable ally whom I managed to make a connection with," Arantir explained. "She is a good learner, a wise and powerful person. She reminds me of you, Ornella," he looked at her with pride, making her straighten her posture. "I cannot express it in words how glad I am to see you again, my child. And now, it is time for us to act."

"Indeed it is, master," Ornella bowed. "I will be waiting for Luna's decision. Regardless, I am always by your side. Asha uses all."

"Asha uses all," Arantir repeated, bowing to her as well.

They both went their separate ways, content with knowing that they were both alive and fighting chaos once again. Soon, the necromancer disappeared into the darkness, and the vampire returned to the camp, a certain bounce in her step.

"Everything alright, sir?" one of the guards asked, noticing her unusual behavior, rising slightly from his place near the fire.

"More than alright," she replied, joy in her voice which quickly turned to seriousness, cutting off any other possible questions. "Anything to report?"

"No, sir," the guard shook his head. "They haven't left their tents or attempted anything suspicious, sir."

"Good," Ornella nodded. "You, go to sleep now, I will stand guard."