Author's Notes:

Finally, another chapter. Enjoy!

An unusual quietness reigned in the city of Canterlot, filling its streets with a sense of uneasiness. The great memorial built in remembrance of the first fallen warriors stood silently in the center of the city. The dark-gray marble with its white inscriptions made nearby ponies hang their heads and speak quietly as not to disrespect those who died to protect Equestria. The relatives of the fallen were standing before the monument, weeping quietly as they repeated the names of their loved ones, children, and parents in their head. The guards stationed nearby had their helmets off in respect for those who laid down their lives so that others wouldn't have to. Even the stoical expressions of the guards seemed to fail as lone tears rolled down their cheeks as they tried their hardest not to look at the grief-inducing, painful monument to the first war in many centuries.

Princess Celestia and the former queen Hashaleet were standing on the balcony of the castle, watching as the sun slowly lowered below the horizon.

"War... It has become a foreign word to us," Hashaleet spoke quietly, "In our struggle, we have forgotten what it's like to fight. With no strength left, with barely anything to eat, and with cold creeping up on us, we had to forget and forgive what we quarreled about. Countless times, we would all get close to each other in hope of the warmth we needed..." she let out a long sigh, "Sometimes, I wonder if it's the loss that unites."

"It may be so, but I don't think it's the only thing. It can't be," Celestia shook her head slightly, "We have had peace for many centuries. To see it broken pains me to my very core, Hashaleet."

"How was this peace achieved?" the pale pony looked at the alicorn, "Was it truthfulness or was it deceit?"

The princess opened her maw but no words came out. For more than a thousand years, Celestia maintained her position of power and made sure that ponies would not tread from the path she laid out for them. She had manipulated peace into existence, squashing any even remotely violent conflict wherever she could. No deadly force was used, but what she did was enough to ensure that ponies would live peaceful lives. She thought such lives were perfect, and so it continued for a long time.

Celestia also honed her skills of diplomacy, but it did not come without a dark side – corruption and bribery, while not widespread, was not something she refused to do when needed. For years, she assured herself that what she did was for the best, but now she wondered if it all was just an illusion. Was it just covering a boiling pot with a lid to not see the steam, to muffle the sound of the water bubbling?

"I see..." Hashaleet said to the silence of the princess, "We still haven't learned, I'm afraid."

"We will," Celestia said, but notes of uncertainty were apparent in her voice.

"Will we?" the mare voiced the question the alicorn already had in her head, "I suspect that this war will not be the last. Such things keep happening when we refuse to learn, and they have been happening since the dawn of sapience," she looked the princess in the eyes, "They haven't stopped yet."

Once again, Celestia didn't know what to say. Before this war, she was certain that no other would as much as look at Equestria the wrong way, but she was proven wrong. She desperately wanted to be right, and yet it became clear that her blindness was her greatest mistake. Not only her country could achieve so much more if she didn't hold it back, but lives would also be saved if she were more observant. She still didn't know how she could've missed the coming of the war, and yet she couldn't prevent it. These same thoughts plagued her mind every day since it begun.

Her ear twitched as she heard a hum coming from the direction of the portal to the lands of the Union. She turned her head and looked at it, trying to see what was going on. Her eyes widened when she saw Andromalius coming out of the portal, dressed in full plate armor. The vizor of his new helmet was up, exposing his eyes, which were filled with determination as he marched onwards. From behind him, rows of armored and armed demons followed, and their stream seemed endless as they made their way through the city of Canterlot.

https://youtu.be/EXWoC1FDFRQ

Purple banners with the red unicursal hexagrams rose high above the many spears of the demon army as it marched. Not a word was spoken as the armor clanked and many hooves struck against the ground in unison. Ponies parted in respect, allowing the warriors to pass without slowing down. The army flowed through the city like a river, they were one continuous stream from the portal to the entrance gates of Equestrian capital and beyond.

Celestia watched them march, involuntary tears rolling down her eyes. She wanted to yell for them to stop, but she knew that Andromalius' mind couldn't be changed. He had long decided that he would do everything in his power to bring the war to an end, even if it meant leading an army by himself and put himself in mortal danger.

The stream of soldiers grew larger. Ponies took weapons and armor and followed the army to war. Some of them had nothing to lose, others have already lost what they had. And now, the only thought on their mind was making sure that the war wouldn't take more of their lives. A desire for revenge boiled in their pained hearts, and nothing could stop them from marching on and taking it.

Despite what Andromalius told himself, the same anger boiled inside him. A large part of him wanted to make the griffons pay for what they had done, to avenge the fallen and to stop this madness once and for all. And yet, he had to remind himself that the other side of the conflict was not inherently evil. He needed to get to the bottom of this before passing judgment, he needed to understand it in its entirety.

He carried the banner high as he marched without stopping for a moment. His hooves struck the ground in unison with others, and he led all of them to the war. He didn't know if all of them would return or if even he would. Fear crept into his mind, dictating him to turn away and hide, but he didn't allow it to control him. Instead, he marched on, knowing that he could be of great help, and thus he must go forward. To him, there was no other, better way.

As he exited the city through the main gate, he noticed a few figures standing by the roadside. His eyes widened when he saw two griffons accompanied by a few guards. And yet, no restraints were visible on the griffons. Andromalius shifted his gaze to look at the guards and found something familiar in a mare. Dark armor, the look she had on her face, and most importantly, a spider on her chest armor. Arantir sprung into his mind, and then he almost gasped at the realization – it was Ornella. He had no idea how it was possible – she met her final death at the end of Arantir's campaign against the demons of Ashan. And yet, a certain line appeared in his mind – perhaps, Asha found a use for her. A necromancer warrior, Queen of Vampires, she would certainly be a useful asset. Andromalius suspected that she would reunite with Arantir very soon, and so he continued on his way past her and further along the road. She gave a look back, interest and curiosity evident on her face. She had seen demons, she fought them many times over the course of her campaign, and yet she had not seen a Nightmare with golden, angel-like wings before. However, she didn't speak a word, simply waiting for the entrance to clear of the army to proceed into the city. She had her orders, and she had to fulfill them before proceeding with her own thoughts.

The two griffons, Erich and Mark, stared at the passing army, their eyes wide. The rumors and speculations were true – Equestria allied themselves with true demons. The former knight of the Griffon Empire had read many things about them, and none were good. And yet, he was uncertain if the demons were truly as evil as the old books described them. They looked intimidating, especially with weapons at their side and armor on their bodies, but otherwise, they didn't seem evil. At the very least, they didn't seem to be made of hellfire or have anything fiery in them at all. In fact, many of them shared colors with many ponies of Equestria. The big and bulky devils looked very close to minotaurs and, in fact, weren't too much different aside from a few small details and their sheer size. Were the books wrong?

And yet, it was an army of demons marching towards the Griffon Empire, no doubt with the intent to battle. Blood will be spilled, flesh will be torn, bones will be broken, and no one will walk out of it unscathed. Despite abandoning his duty as the knight of the Griffon Empire, he felt a certain ache in his heart. Would it be right for him to stay away from the battle and search for answers or should he return and fight with his brothers in arms? And if he were to fight, then what would he fight for? He didn't believe Equestria had a spy in the Empire, much less did he believe about Equestria looking to destabilize the Empire and turn it into a weak union of ruinous states.

Once the army passed by, the griffons and the guards entered the city. Erich already felt uncomfortable as he saw looks of distrust and even anger aimed at him and Mark. He tried his best not to look threatening, calmly looking forward at nothing in particular, avoiding as much as glancing at the ponies. However, he could feel their glares on his body, he could sense their sorrow and grief, and the desire for revenge.

Suddenly, his vision went red as a boulder collided with the back of his head. He stumbled but was caught by his friend Mark, who helped him stand. Immediately, Mark started searching for a medkit in one of the bags.

"He did not kill any pony," Erich heard Ornella say, "Stand back, please."

"I don't care!" the pony, a mare, cried out, and the griffon heard some struggle from behind. He was forced to close his eyes as the pain thumped inside his head.

"Please, stop," Ornella remained calm, using her magic to hold the mare back, "You don't need to do this. He is innocent. Those who hurt you and your family will be punished, but not him. He didn't do it."

In a few long minutes, the mare finally calmed down, collapsing on the ground and crying loudly while a stallion rushed to her to comfort her.

"I'm sorry," he said to the guards, his voice slightly raspy, "We... lost our son. Please, go."

Ornella nodded and turned back to the two griffons. After Erich's wound was taken care of, they continued on their way to the Canterlot Castle. Despite the pain, the griffon couldn't help but think about what had just happened. He could feel the hate radiating from the crying mare, and this hate was aimed at him, Mark, and the rest of the griffons. The Griffon Empire had taken the lives of Equestrians, and the ponies were ready to retaliate with all that they had.

The guards motioned for the griffons to step aside as a sound of wheels rolling on the ground from around the corner appeared. In a few moments, two pairs of guards appeared, each pair hauling a cannon on a wheeled carriage. Erich raised a brow, noting that it was a completely new, unknown design. Sleek, thinner, but longer barrels; conical projectiles seated in brass; a latch near the back of each cannon. The carriages passed by quickly, hurrying to catch up with the demon army.

With the way clear, the group moved to the Canterlot Castle and soon came to its majestic gates. After gaining access, they entered the castle and went to the right, the guest wing.

"I will inform the princess of your arrival," Ornella said, trotting off in the direction of the throne room.

Erich and Mark exchanged glances, both thinking about the same thing. How would Princess Celestia welcome them? Would she be angry or would she be calm? The griffons expected the former in some way or another, but they were certain that they wouldn't receive a warm welcome. The best they could count on was coldness.

After they were shown to their guest rooms, the griffons unpacked. Erich brought parchment, ink, and quills to the table present in his room. After some hesitation, he pulled out his journal and placed it next to the writing equipment. He was sure to remember to write down what would happen next as long as he was allowed to. He found it easier to keep track of events if they were laid out on paper in front of him and not just stored in his head.

He grunted as an ache passed through his skull, reminding him of the recent incident. He looked out the window and saw the sun disappearing below the horizon, announcing the end of the day, and the night took reins. Stars appeared on the sky, brightening with every moment. The moon was rising, its pale light replacing the bright rays of the sun.

A few knocks came from the door. Erich shuddered from the sudden noise and turned away from the window. He walked to the entrance, grunting in pain as an ache resonated through his head. After opening the door, he saw Ornella.

"Princess Celestia will hear you tomorrow morning," she told him, "For now, you are welcome to rest."

"Thank you," Erich nodded politely and then closed the door. With a long sigh, he went to the bathroom to clean himself after a long trip. Sleep was certainly what he needed at the moment, and he couldn't wait to feel the comfort of the bed against his body.

Little did he know that someone was watching him from behind the window. The figure's shape was concealed in the coming darkness, and it soon disappeared without a trace or sound. Whoever it was, the tired and hurt griffon didn't notice them, soon disappearing inside the bathroom. As the sound of the running water filled the guest room, the figure reappeared near the window. After fiddling with something from the outside, a quiet click sounded, and the window opened. A dark figure slipped inside, landing on the floor quietly. Stepping softly, it made its way to the slightly opened bathroom door. After a moment of waiting, the figure opened it and rushed inside. A noise of physical struggle sounded, and a yell was muffled.

After a few moments, a painful crack sounded through the room, followed by a thump as a body fell on the floor. A long minute of silence passed, a stream of blood ran to the door of the bathroom, spreading around the tiled floor. The only sound that could be heard was the running water. The curtains near the window waved ever so slightly, pulled by the winds from outside the castle walls.

A pained moan sounded as Erich crawled out of the bathroom, a bloody gash visible on his side. He blinked slowly, clutching his senses. He inhaled sharply, collected what remained of his strength, and opened his beak.

"Guards! H-help!"