Legends of Equestria: HeroSoul

North of Equestria, 15 days after the war.

We cleared the mountains in record time, up and over in a couple hours, yeah we were a bit far behind with sleep and rest, but we had done it. Now onto the Griffin outpost, I had never met a Griffin in all my time here and was interested in how they fought, hopefully though. Not against us, they may just attack Crystal on site and then shoot at us for helping an enemy of the world. Not that the griffins had to deal with the Terrans, nor any other threat Equestria had been facing these past few years. The Demons maybe, as well as possibly the Dwellers, but I had personally heard nothing about either force moving so far north, and from the map and the land we had already passed, there wasn't much in the north to take. We were sitting down eating the few reserves of food we had left, I was sincerely hoping that the griffins had some sort of food, we had the money, just depends whether they will trade. And as much as I felt it would happen, I didn't really want an open fight with griffins of all races, I had never seen them in a fight no, but they are bloody lions and eagles together. I began to think on the fact that griffins would eat meat, I hadn't thought about it before, sticking to a diet of whatever I had that wasn't out of date back on Earth, I never really cared for meat, too much money. But as I sat and thought about it, the more I missed it, sure a vegetarian diet is all well and good, but I still wanted to try some. See if my pony body could take it at the very least.

Not the smartest decision I have ever done no, but fuck it. We're all going to die soon anyway.

"Hey Heart." I said, the Alicorn turned from his apple and looked at me with a death glare, no one gets between Heart Breaker and his food, or Heart Breaker and Celestia, or well, that's about it really. Food and Celestia, he had his loyalties set. After I didn't reply, he got up and trotted over, I waved a hoof to Aeb who was sitting near me before realizing he wouldn't really be offended if we talked about meat, putting my hoof down Aeb just shrugged and curled up into a ball.

"What is it Haze?" He asked, he was obviously pissed at being woken up so early, we all were. All but the dead, they only pretend to sleep. Why Aeb gets scarily close to me I will never know. I don't want to know.

"When was the last time you had any meat?" I asked. Aeb turned to us, a bad poker face on. "Oh come on, what's wrong with eating meat, you ate fucking emotions you psychopath." I shot at the mare-man. He grunted but still stayed to listen in. Heart just looked confused.

"I, I don't know. Holy shit. Now you mention it, I fucking miss the stuff. Why?" He asked.

"Same here, just, if we are going to a griffin outpost, they most likely eat meat there, I wanted to see if my body to handle it." I muttered back, Heart just nodded.

"Do you think you could?" Aeb asked. I shrugged.

"No idea, the worst that could happen is that I become a bit ill, it's not the first time I've eaten, otherwise I wouldn't miss it obviously. But it's been a long while, like, pre-Equestria times. My body would react badly to it, it's been so long since I tried any, plus I have a pony digestive system now, so I guess my body will just reject it and I'll catch a bit of food poisoning or something along those lines." I replied after a pause.

"So what, you're going to poison your body for the sake of eating meat?" Aeb asked, I thought about it and nodded. "Fine." He replied. Then eventually added. "Good thing this body doesn't need food, I would be so confused with eating it, I had some of those cupcakes and shit you have in Ponyville one time and they just tasted like dirt. I'm sure they didn't truly, but we Changelings don't have taste buds as ponies. Or humans do."

"I see something up ahead!" Steven called out, I looked ahead where the Serpent was looking and I saw a blob of brown heading our way, it looked like a party of griffins which would make sense but I didn't want us to be unprepared, releasing my sword and ordered everyone into a circle, it was obvious as the group neared that my thoughts were correct and about a dozen griffins had made their way to us.

They all seem armoured and armed, most holding swords or axes awkwardly in their talons. None had any sort of ranged weapon but from what I had heard, the griffins respect honour more than power so they would fight in ranks with honour, rather than afar. Personally I didn't really care, yes I was pretty good with a gun or crossbow, but I also knew how to use a sword. But these wouldn't be in armoured changelings or Terrans if we had a fight on our hands. I stepped forward, flanked by Heart Breaker and Aeb as three griffins landed and walked toward us. None looked to happy.

"Ponies of Equestria, so far from home, are you lost?" The left griffin grunted, making his beak move weirdly, possibly a smile?

"No we have a job to do, we just happened to be nearing your encampment, I don't suppose you have room for some ponies, undead, a serpent, a knife and a Terran do you?" I asked back, the right answered me.

"Those Terran beasts attacked us much like they attacked you ponies, only, you left survivors. We didn't." He muttered back, his voice sounding much like the other ones. They looked the same as well. Come on Lauren, I know the pony guards looked and sounded the same, but there is no excuse to make the griffins clones too.

"Well he can stay outside your camp if he must, although we will need to get supplies to him." I replied. Crystal looked rather upset toward that. I will say, it was bloody freezing already. Especially after the mountain range.

"That would be, acceptable, we would rather it be dead but I suppose you have your uses for it. Tell me pony, how long would you stay in our town, your serpent looks tired being held down by so many, supplies. I don't think you are here to stay no?" The left griffin asked.

"No we will not stay, we have a mission to do so at most we shall be here a day, maybe two, long enough to rest and resupply. I take it you take pony bits?" I asked, the right griffin laughed.

"No, but we do have a checkpoint at the gates where you will need to hand in your weapons and such, you can hand some bits in there and they shall give you the appropriate denars that we use." He replied quickly.

"Understood, what is with the guard by the way, surely a group of ponies, despite the odd members we also have, are no threat to ones such as yourselves." I asked, looking dead at the middle one. He made that same beak movement for a smile.

"Wherever the king goes, they go. And I would prefer to know all those who come to my lands." The griffin said after a pause, finally. He had a different voice, with a strange northern accent that sounded much like the characters in Skyrim.

"Sir Bright Haze, for as long as we are here, I am at your service." I replied, obviously that guy was the king. That whole scene was about as cliché as it can get. The king made a strange noise that may have been a grunt.

"A knight of Equestria, I take it you are on a mission from your god princesses?" The griffin king asked.

"More or less, we are looking for a pony by the name of Serpin, he is months away still, but if you happened to know anything about him, we would welcome the news." I replied. The griffin twitched his sword a little bit.

"I shall look into it myself, but if we find he is a criminal in these lands or a citizen in my kingdom, you must understand we cannot hand him over and will give whatever punishment we deem over him. This isn't Equestria anymore Sir Bright. If he is here, he is our problem."

"Oh no, you mistake me my king, he is no criminal that we know of, but finding him is our main goal, I fear for the world if he is not found, yet another invasion is looming and this Serpin is someone thought to be able to help." I said back quickly, then realized what I said and froze. The king stepped forward, the eleven guards moving with him, all having landed.

"You say someone? Not that rabble ponies usually say, why is that? I have heard about some Terrans being pawns of Celestia, killing whoever she wishes with no remorse. Terrans in pony form." Well shit.

"The only Terran we have is this Crystal fellow, we have an Alicorn in our number but he is no threat. I say everyone since we have, obviously, more than just ponies in our number, I seems more fitting to say -one, rather than -pony." I explained, the king moved forward again and I twitched at my sword gently, not enough to release it, but enough to show a threat. A few griffins readied weapons, but I stood still. After a moment, the king stepped back.

"Then welcome to Gryphus Sir Bright. I shall see to it the guards know you are coming and open the gates when they see you. I hope you find what you are looking for and enjoy your stay in our camp." The griffin said and took off, followed by the others. I turned to Heart and Aeb who hadn't moved a muscle. Aeb had a gun charged though.

"That could have gone a lot fucking worse." I muttered, Aeb just nodded, Heart said nothing, watching the king fly away. I watched the king and heard Heart mutter:

"He doesn't trust us and will most likely have us followed as soon as we get into the city; I suggest hiding a weapon or two. Expect trouble." I just nodded and began to move again. Not turning but called for Steven.

"I don't really expect you to be allowed in, but do you think you could hide some weapons for us?" I asked, we didn't have many though so it would be obvious if we hide all of them. I took Aurora off and gave it to Steven who nodded. He didn't put them in his mouth thank Luna, but held it in his claw where no one would see them. Nick also climbed onto Steven and I nodded to Heart and Aeb to hand in their weapons. Everyone else wouldn’t need them, I hope. We had two guns, a sword and a spear now. Our firepower had been drastically dropped but we should be able to retreat if need be.

The town, or rather city, caught up to us quicker than expected and I could see countless griffins flying around the cloud layer. Finally, after weeks of barren land with no clouds, we had reached a river, with clouds and trees and life! That had always bugged me, why is it outside of civilisation, there was fuck all? The griffin outpost looked a lot like a pony town, but with walls and considerably more metal, smoke was rising from some parts of the city and it looked very steampunk-y. That could be fun. First thing would obviously be to find a blacksmith and see what weapons or modifications I could get.

It wasn’t that long after where we reached the gates, and as thought. It was very steampunk. Giant bronze cogs opened the gates releasing a hiss and raising the metal gates, as we had predicted, we were searched and all weapons except the ones Steven had were taken. I swapped about half my bits for Griffin denars and we entered the city. They even let Steven in; how he is meant to get around I will never know.

"Will you be alright to leave the city at nightfall? I doubt we could get a room for you in an inn." I asked the serpent, he was getting plenty of looks from griffins but nothing had actually stopped him yet. Steven nodded and I looked to Aeb.

"Where first?" He asked. This was baring in mind we were being followed, Heart Breaker was right about them following us, it was obvious the two griffins behind us had been following us since the gates and had made no effort in hiding from our sight.

"I suggest we split up, Heart, Aeb, Skittles and I can go explore, since we are the only ones with weapons right now. Oh, Steven if you could-" I began, Steven nodded and dropped our weapons, we equipped them there and then in the street, no one said anything. I actually felt safer with Aurora on and Aeb and Heart looked like they did with their weapons on. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. "-Yeah, we will go explore, this place looks pretty cool and I’d like to see if we can find a blacksmith before anything else, the rest of you go find food and supplies, then try to find an inn as close to a wall as possibly. Steven if you could possibly find a guard to climb over the wall near the inn they find, do that. If not, leave the city and come round. We will only be here a day, we need to move on.” I added, a few nods and everyone went off in the same direction we were in. It just left us four together now.

We quickly made our way to the nearest griffin to ask directions, after a rather long pause and a glare toward Heart Breaker, he pointed his way down some random alley and disappeared before we could ask any more. The two griffins were following us now but I didn't want to make a scene unless they did. The directions weren't actually that bad, the alley literally ended with a very bronze looking shop with a sigh with a cog and anvil on it. The door even automatically opened when we stepped near.

Inside the shop were countless weapon pieces and armour all on display, they were all in our price range and a few looked incredibly dangerous, and awesome. I wish I had been tasked to go this far north before. Griffins were awesome. However, it wasn't in fact, a griffin on the counter. But a very red looking pony. Red coat, darker red hair, and a hammer cutie mark.

"Welcome to my blacksmith, how may I help you?" The stallion asked, a very Canadian sounding accent to him. I waved the others off and they looked around, I noticed a steam punk looking rifle on the counter behind the blacksmith. It also looked pony ready. a button as the trigger like the Decay guns and a really cool looking scope to it. There were a few magazines next to it two, what looked to hold five or six shots. There was also a saddle attachment ready. Holy shit I'm getting this gun.

"Well, first off. Hi, great to see another pony this far north. Secondly, do you have anything like this?" I asked, and throw my arm sword hoof up to show him, the blacksmith's face actually lit up.

"Yes I do, but not out here, this is mainly griffin weapons, if you could follow me please." The pony replied, putting up the counter table so I could get past, he lead me down some stairs which Aeb quickly followed too. He just nodded when I saw him next to me and brought me into a workshop area. A lot of pony weapons were here, spears, crossbows, swords. There was a spear with springs all down the shaft that would presumably make it grow longer if a release button was pressed. There was also an automatic crossbow with four shots at once prepared. Then i found something I knew I was going to buy.

There was a small glass display case, inside was an arm sword, blade out. It was made of a light blue looking metal with a crescent moon on the blade. Some bronze cogs were seen for release and a muscle tenser was inside for easy access much like Aurora. I could just make out the words: 'Lunae pestem' written on the hoof protector, followed by: 'Luna Nos Custodit' underneath.

"Meet Lunar Bane Made from one of the strongest metals in Equestria, complete virgin blade, perfect for fights against near on anything, can cut through most metal and stone if you so wish, but I wouldn't suggest it." The blacksmith said, switching between the sword and me.

"How much?" I asked, I caught Aeb holding some strange looking gun, didn't look pony made, nor man made for that matter.

"What is that?" I asked, before the blacksmith gave me a price. He looked and Aeb had strapped it to his saddle and was testing the sight. The blacksmith looked worried but said nothing for a moment.

"That, I don't know, whilst on a trip east for some metal trading. I found it, in the sand, like that. I picked it up, tested it, developed it and now it is useful for ponies. As far as I know, the only one in existence. It also doesn't need anymore shots like the rifles do. Its like one of those Terran guns, only, safer." He said.

"How can a gun be safer?" I asked, looking at the object.

"Well for one, is doesn't shot that disgusting acid those other ones do, yeah it'll kill. But more merciful." Aeb looked like s/he would have blushed if blood was still being pumped, why I don't know. "And another, it does no damage to solid objects, only living matter. Useless against any kind of armour, but it'll tear through most magical shielding and skin."

"I'll take it." Aeb muttered, the blacksmith flinched a little at the voice but nodded. If he was worried about a voice change, just wait until he noticed Aeb's scar. The blacksmith looked at me.

"If you two could follow me, if you see anything you would like, feel free to take it, that gun alone will cost a lot though. For you though," He said, looking to me. "not so much. That sword may be master crafted but I can always make more."

"I also want that rifle you have above you're counter. Trust me when I say we have the money, the crown is funding us." I replied. The blacksmith nodded again.

"So you use your funding to buy weapons and gear?" The pony asked, I just smiled.

"Dude, I'm a fucking man, if I see something that looks fucking awesome, I'm gonna buy it. We shall pay for these and you will most likely have to show the other two down here. Case they want anything." I said, the guy just nodded and we entered back upstairs.

Well, doing that was a big fucking surprise, Skittles was being held by some tank of a griffin and Heart Breaker was knocked out on the floor, another griffin over him. The two looked to me, Aeb and the blacksmith. I opened my mouth to shout some curse and fight, but fucking Aeb of all people shot his carbine and downed the tank instantly, three shots of an orange light shot and hit deep into his feathers. It died screaming. The other one was about to throw his weapon down into Heart and I lunged at him. Smashing through the window and causing panic around the town.

"Who sent you!" I shouted at the griffin, completely pinning him, I had Aurora out and at his throat, my wings outstretched and I could feel the ghost horn of mine begin to appear. Hell, my vision in my left eye began to come alight again so anyone could have seen I was pissed. The griffin opened his beak after a pause, he looked fucking scared and I could smell something, strange, in the air.

"The king! He doen't like Equestria and has been killing travelers as they come, all since the Terran war! He wanted us to bring you all in, nothing more I swear." The griffin screamed, nearly crying.

"What of the others, those who went for supplies? Where are they!" I screamed, the griffin opened his beak and I punched him, cracking it. I could hear shouts for guards now and a few barking orders.

"They are fine, we followed you. You seemed like an easier target, only four of you." He cried back.

"Do I look like an easy target to you?" I shouted, the griffin whimpered. "Well?" I added.

"N-no." He muttered, I got off him slowly.

"Good." I said, and cut the assholes throat. The crowd started screaming and stattered. I turned to see the inside of the shop, the pony had the gun and Lunar Bane in his hooves. He looked completely shocked.

"You know what, take them." He said, and threw them to me, I nodded and began to walk. Aeb and Skittles followed, Aeb with his new gun and carrying Heart.

"Where to Haze?" Aeb asked, Rainbow just kept looking back at the dead griffin. I stopped and put Lunar on my other hoof, then got Aeb to help me with the gun. It was more of a sniper than a medium ranged rifle with the scope on it, but I'd need practice in shooting such long range targets. My left eye being blind didn't really help matters either, but at least I wouldn't have to close one eye to shoot through a scope anymore.

"Well isn't that obvious, we're going to kill a king." I replied, Rainbow looked shocked but Aeb just smiled.

"This is gun be good." He said, checking his damn gun again. Thank fuck we didn't have to pay for that, he would end up buying every attachment built for the damn thing. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Heart Breaker woke up along the road and Aeb helped him catch up. No griffins stopped us as we went.

Manehatten, Unknown days after the war.

Dawn Star woke up to screaming. She had gone to sleep in her lab sometime during the night, reading on some spell or another and had now been disrupted by what sounded like screams and explosions. The mare looked up from her work, hair drifting down her face and into her eyes.

"What in the heavenly voice of Celestia is that?" Dawn asked no pony but herself, she got up slowly, the noise continuing and stretched a little. She began to pace forward, feeling the artificial sunlight of the lab on her coat as she went to find the nearest window. Along her path she saw two other unicorns running the other way. They were screaming, one knocked into Dawn but said nothing, she turned to watch them run but the wall facing the outside city exploded in a ball of fire before Dawn could say anything. Two huge bulking figures, who looked a lot like the Terrans had, from what Dawn had seen in newspapers and such, but a lot. Darker, the few bits of skin Dawn could see were red and corrupt. There were three that ran in, all holding strange weapons. Upon seeing the two fleeing ponies, they aimed their weapons up.

"Surrender you're magic and come peacefully." The creature shouted, when the two ponies just stopped and stared up at the huge figures, the three aliens shared a look and fired. A huge fire ball shot out of the guns and the two ponies that were once standing there in fear. Were just two piles of blood. They didn't even get a scream out.

Dawn stood frozen as one of the tall aliens lent down and clicked something on its death weapon. The small flame on the end went from red to blue and he began to suck, something, from the gore piles. A non unicorn would never know what they were doing, but Dawn saw it, they were harbouring the magic from the two dead ponies.

This lasted a minute with Dawn completely frozen, watching, hearing the screams around her. Yesterday had gone so well. It took the aliens another minute for them to notice Dawn Star standing there with utter fear in her eyes. One pointed a red hand at her, holding the weapon in the other.

"Surrender your magic or die like your friends!" They shouted. Dawn didn't even think, she just turned and ran, hearing shots firing behind her, explosions ran out and she ran. She galloped and didn't look back. All she heard as she left the city was a cry from one of the enemy shout one phrase that would keep with her forever.

"The Garonins have taken this city, kill any prisoners." One had said as she ran past, there were countless ponies who had seemingly surrended, but these 'Garonins' were taking magic from everything, she could feel it become thin in the air around the city.

Equestria would fall to this threat. There were no heroes now.

Dawn just ran, she didn't make any sound, didn't stop, she just. Ran.

The three of us were standing outside what I sorely fucking hoped was the kings castle, there were a lot of guards standing outside and it looked like a castle, more like the Sky Dweller one than of Canterlot castle, again, mainly steam punk in looks. The city seemed so, futuristic for what I had previously seen but none of the guards had any 'new' weapons. Just spears and crossbows, they didn't even have any rifles that I had seen in the shop. I was most certainly bleeding as I had received plenty of looks on our way here, hell the griffin guards looked concerned at my arrival. With Aeb on one side and Heart on the other, but in armour and very armed. They must have expected trouble, an idiot would have, but they said nothing. Rainbow just stood behind me, I turned to her.

"Rainbow, go find Steven, get the others ready to leave. They better have fucking supplies." She just nodded and took off to fly, only to fall on her ass. Grunting, she walked off to find Steven, I could see the fucking giant from here above the city, it would be where most of the siege weapons were facing and where there was a lot of activity in the sky. I looked to one of the griffin guards who just shrugged, followed by:

"The king is an idiot anyway, be my guest." I nodded, gave the guard some griffin money and entered the castle the guard had casually opened for me. Before us I could see the king, sitting on a throne made of, fucking bones? Well, at least painted metal. I hoped. He was leaning over but sat upright when the three of us entered. Aeb checked his gun, Heart moved his head to crack his neck. I smiled.

"Ah, glad of you to join us Sir Bright, I hope you found my-" He began.

"Did you send troops after me and my friends?" I asked, the king stopped. Moving his beak.

"Y-yes, but listen to reaso-" His plea was halted by a round from my new sniper rifle going through his skull. Blood leaked onto the throne and I turned.

"We're done here." I said, the ringing of the gun shot still in my ear. Fuck the Decay Gun was quiet compared to this explosion of a gun. It wouldn't exactly help in stealth like I had thought, unless it was a fucking thunder storm of the apocalypse after just one shot it would alert every enemy in a ten mile radius of my position. Guess I didn't need that much practice then. We left the city the same way we entered, with eyes watching and twitching of weapons, nothing more.