A Night Guard's Fight

"There shall be order!" Luna banged her gavel on the table. Those present settled down. "Now, Rear Admiral, is it true that you attacked Port Crescent unprovoked?"

"Griffin recon was out playing chicken with our flyers."

The stuffy room began to fill again with loud yells, and the Princess had to bang her gavel again. "And where is the evidence to that?"

The doors slammed open and a green unicorn trotted in with a stack of paper in her magical grasp. "This, Princess." Dawn seethed. Clearly, she had a bone to pick with the alicorn.

"And what, may I ask, is that, Major?"

"The AUtomated RecOnnaissance and j-staRs Advisory, or A.U.R.O.R.A. systems report from 8:30 A.M to 7:45 P.M. Canterlot Standard Time, Sagittarius the Fifteenth, 2189 A.C."

"We-"

"A.U.R.O.R.A. systems report: 8:37:34 A.M Canterlot Standard Time, Sagittarius the Fifteenth, 2189 A.C. Two griffin flyers inbound for interception of the Subjugator class Ignus II at coordinates 3421'4321'5234' and carrying P.R. equipment. 9:13:45 A.M Canterlot Standard Time, Sagittarius the Fifteenth, 2189 A.C. Two griffin flyers intercept the Subjugator class Ignus II at coordinates 3421'4321'5234' and carrying P.R. equipment. Begins to taunt us with their middle and pinkie talons." Dawn cleared her throat. "9:28:21 A.M Canterlot Standard Time, Sagittarius the Fifteenth, 2189 A.C. Two griffin flyers intercepted the Subjugator class Ignus II at coordinates 3421'4321'5234' and carrying P.R. equipment. Continues to taunt us with their middle and pinkie talons. Flyers launched to told them to, I quote, 'buck off.' 9:42:41 A.M Canterlot Standard Time, Sagittarius the Fifteenth, 2189 A.C. Two griffin flyers intercepted the Subjugator class Ignus II at coordinates 3421'4321'5234' and carrying P.R. equipment. Took pictures while still taunting us with middle and pinkie talons. Finally leave after showing us their rear ends and saying that Elita's mother was a hamster and her father smelt of elderberries."

"And what if that is a-"

"Perhaps, then, Princess, you would like to hear the J-STARS report?" Another massive stack of paper found itself before Luna. "Perhaps the DRADIS contact or the CBDR?" The unicorn gave Luna a predatory smile as she slammed yet another stack of paper onto the ground.

Fie... The blue alicorn thought. "Very well then. I shall present this as legitimate information that, Sir Knight Brimestone is a free pony..." I don't like that Dawn...I shall investigate into her later...

Elita rolled upside down, diving at Pier 86 in Manehattan. The original Ignus had been converted to a museum ship, and so had the Wraith, both still held up by their original helium. After giving Wraith a nod, she landed on the deck of the Ignus.

"Hey, Seafire."

"You're late, Ellie."

They held the tense standoff for a moment, then broke into laughter.

"I haven't seen you for so long!"

"You've grown so much!"

"You sound like my mother!"

They finally broke apart, and Elita led Seafire below decks.

The bat pony sighed as she registered the row of paintings, each with their own spotlight.

"Sir Hanscock, entertainer extraordinaire and pegasus ace..." She traced a hoof over a red stallion, his forehooves folded and two machine guns strapped to him, one over his head, the other over his right shoulder.

"Major Apollo, Constellation flight suit tester..." Apollo was wearing a white prototype flight suit, the same used Elita and her friends on the Ignus in the Second Griffin War.

"Squadron Leader Duxford...triple ace and griffin weapons flight tester..." She stopped at a painting at the other end. "And...me." Elita sighed.

"You told me about the story of VooDoo, Elita." Seafire reminded. The pegasus unfolded a wing. It was a beautiful thing, each feather overlapping to create a unique elliptical shape. It allowed her to fly at incredibly low speeds, because the wingtips stalled first, which gave her time to correct her flight. "El. You're one of my best friends, okay? I don't want to remember you as the pony that wallowed in her self pity to the end of her life."

"I could strike a bargain."

"With who?"

"Hades."

Seafire groaned loudly. It took a moment for the echos to stop, before she plucked a feather and gave it to the bat pony. "Chin up. Tomorrow's a new day, and maybe you can even get a god to actually help you."

The two smiled a farewell at each other, and Seafire turned and trotted away, leaving Elita to her thoughts.

"Ellie, checking in."

"Thundercheif, checking in."

"Boxer, checking in."

"FiFi, checking in."

"Very well, patrol set for the north..."

"..."

"Ellie, griffin ambush!"

"Evasive maneuvers! Remember what I taught you!"

"I'm hit!"

"Boxer, try to make a soft landing and-"

"Aaaaaah!"

"Fifi, escort Boxer to the ground!"

"On it, Ellie!"

"Thundercheif, on-"

"My wing's cut off! I'm losing altitude quick!"

"THUNDERCHEIF!"

The bat pony recovered from the memory. I asked for all four of you to be on this wall. She thought. Nope, they said no. I had to force you to share space with selfish kill-hungry me. She traced each of her wingmares, one bat pony and two pegasi. The had just split formation, eight griffins firing away. Green swashes of paint represented the griffin bullets, and the blue dots the Equestrian military mana fire.

"I promise, if war comes to our land again, I shall avenge you tenfold." She sneaked Seafire's feather behind the painting. "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye."