Griffon A Good Talking To

During the events from the Umbrum Event that went off in the Crystal Empire, a pony named Radiant Hope had once gathered some who would help her in plans to bring back King Sombra & free the Umbrum. But as fate would have it after Radiant Hope gather those in an attempt to return King Sombra & deal with the Mane Six & their party, a truth was exploited that none knew about. Queen Chrysalis revealed to the members about what the Umbrum are really like, that the promises made would change if such things were freed. And declaring that the Changeling Queen doesn’t care what happens to her allies when looking for guidance to stop such a madness, many of them have fled the scene when the Umbrum threat was dealt with. Right now, those that played their part in aiding in stopping the heroes to help revive King Sombra & unleash the Umbrum, those members aside from Queen Chrysalis & her Changelings are as follow: Lightning Dust, Iron Will, & the Flim-Flam Brothers.

And right now, we focus on one Pegasus pony that was zipping through the skies in leaving a blue & yellow thunderbolt streak behind. It was Lightning Dust, a former Wonderbolt Academy Team Leader, due to her recklessness & utter disregard for the safety of others eventually lead to her team leader status being taken away & given to…Rainbow Dash who was her Wingman. Ever since the Crystal Empire Invasion plan failed, she harbored second thoughts about her actions to which leads her being a fugitive from the law.

“Hugh!” Lightning Dust yelps to duck down as Shining Armor & his Royal Guard units entered the spot of some border extension of the Crystal Empire.

“So, seen anything new today?” Shining Armor asked this question off in liking to know something.

“Nope! Same stuff as last time.” One Royal Guard shook his head in stating this.

“What are we looking for again?” Another Royal Guard in Shiny’s company asked a bit puzzled.

“Well, anyone that’s a fugitive of Equestria.” Shining Armor stated off to say this as being clear on the topic as possible.

“Like these Beware Wanted Aids?” Another Royal Guard in Shiny’s company held out some flyers that were to be treated as ‘Beware’ sign ads.

“Right, Equestria’s got enough problems with the Three Lords, but if anyone sees who’s on the list, they gotta report them. Especially those that were a part of an invasion of the Crystal Empire.” Shining Armor issued off to instruct this to those here about wanting any information if they can get their hooves on it.

“Right-o, chief!” The Royal Guards saluted in having been told this.

Now as the Royal Guards were done, Shining Armor lead them somewhere, but one flyer slipped out from the guy carrying the load. But as Lightning Dust catches the loose sheet, she sees those on a fugitive list, & her eyes go wide in seeing whose name was on it; HER Name!

“No way, I’m….a Fugitive now!” Lightning Dust exclaimed off in seeing this, knowing this was not good. “Bad enough I lost my spot as lead team pony of the academy, now THIS!?” She was in disarray, now her life has really plunged.

The Pegasus mare knew that with such things, anyone that sees her face & it’ll be all over for her. Lightning Dust has to figure out how to get out of the spotlight, but how?

“I need a place to lay low, a place where I can figure out what to do about all of this!” Lightning Dust exclaimed in needing to get herself to someplace where she can be out of sight for a while, but where? “Wait, Griffonstone is outside pony law, so it’s the perfect place to hang low till the heat cools down.” She exclaimed off in realizing this, a place of griffons is outside pony law, so that maybe the perfect shot.

That’s when Lightning Dust zapped off in a fast pace to push herself over the limit to get where she needs to be. After a good few minutes of non-stop flight travel, the Pegasus was soon seeing the country location of Griffonstone.

“Perfect…..now no one will catch me by surprise while I’m….” Lightning Dust smiled off in seeing that her shot of being safe was assured, & then when things are cooled off, she could return.

Then without warning as Lightning Dust was flying, she was not paying attention before she collided against another flier in the air. As both were fixing themselves from that dizzy state of a reckless flier that didn’t watch where they were going, they made eye contact. And Lightning Dust saw that it was a female griffon, the only other thing that was not mentioned was that this was actually…Gilda, someone that has connections to ponies like Rainbow Dash, etc.

“Hey, why don’t you watch where you’re going, griffon?” Lightning Dust snapped off against the unknown griffon she bumped into.

“Yeah, well I was flying here while you flew off without paying attention.” Gilda protest to state a claim here about what the Pegasus pony was doing from spacing out.

“Whatever, listen, is there someplace…secluded around here?” Lightning Dust rolled her eyes to issue off that she wants a place secluded.

“Why’s that?” Gilda raised an eyebrow in why some pony visiting Griffonstone wants a place that’s secluded from others.

“Cause….well just cause I’m wanting a place to be by myself.” Lightning Dust looked back in trying to come up with an excuse while dodging the question.

“Hmm…what’s this?” Gilda looked at a falling flyer as she grabs it much to another’s worrying notice.

“Hugh….hey, give that here!” Lightning Dust yelps in realizing that was what she had & tried to take it back, but Gilda saw that to move away quickly to study the image.

“Wait a second, Lightning Dust!” Gilda exclaimed off in seeing who was on the list & the picture was…of the pony she’s talking to. “Are you supposed to be the same Lightning Dust I heard tried to take over the Crystal Empire?” She looked to the strange flier in wanting straight answers here.

“Wait, how’s a griffon supposed to know what happened outside their country?” Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow in how one griffon even got word of something that happened in pony territory.

“Because, my friends sent my word about it.” Gilda pointed this off as a simple statement of how she got the info.

“Your friends?” Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow in who the griffon was talking about.

“Rainbow Dash & Pinkie Pie.” Gilda stated off to give the straight answer of names for which one of them rang a familiar bell to another.

“Ugh, Rainbow Dash….why is it that in any place I go, it’s about her achievements that I can’t seem to get away from?” Lightning Dust groans from having heard that name once more. “So you’re supposed to know Rainbow Dash, how?” She raised an eyebrow in show Gilda even knows her former wingman from the academy.

“Old rival buddies from way back when in which case we got into a strife before it was fixed.” Gilda explained off in what she & Rainbow Dash had, but in the end, things were settled between them.

“Well whoop-de-do. Now if you’ll excuse me…” Lightning Dust rolled her eyes to say, as she was flying to leave, only to be blocked off. “Hey, your cutting in my space here!” She snapped since Gilda flew in front of her, why was the griffon getting in her way.

“No, you listen…because of what you did, you almost cost Equestria its princesses.” Gilda lectures off to scold the pony in what she did, King Sombra nearly took away all of the Alicorn Princesses that would have kept the event of the Umbrum under wraps.

“Why would a griffon care? Now out of my way!” Lightning Dust rolled her eyes to say this while demanding to be let through.

“I care…because what you did could have endanger my home here too!” Gilda sternly issues to complain how this pony almost did something that could have been bad for her country.

Then without warning, Gilda places on her Rogue Gauntlets & then starts firing off her Bullseye move of crossbow motion. Lightning Dust yelps to use her speed to out maneuver the shots while seeing the damage they did on nearby rumble, the pony was slightly surprise a griffon had such fancy equipment.

“So, you wanna tussle this out, hugh? Fine by me! When it comes to pushing myself, I push myself to the limit!” Lightning Dust exclaimed off to say this in getting herself ready for a brawl against someone that wants to push her through the roof.

That’s when the wind kicked in, before both fast fliers flew off into the skies in where a sky fight was taking place. Gilda was showing off that she had the more experience of being a fighter with the strength of a griffon beast from her lion half features of physical strength & roar abilities. But Lightning Dust was no slouch, as she was as fast & able to go through the most dangerous maneuvers hard for normal fliers to pull off, even cutting between two ridges or almost getting too close to the ground to dive through a tunnel, Gilda was having some difficult. Then Lightning Dust performed a move she calls ‘Jolt Striker’ in where she struck with her front hooves with the increase speed to enact like a jolt of lightning, & if Gilda didn’t use her Rogue Gauntlets to shield & block the attack, it would have been fatal before she recovered & both fliers were inches away…

“Heh, for a griffon, I’m surprise you know how to fight.” Lightning Dust remarked off to taunt a bit in having the upper hand when it comes to are speed.

“Believe me, if you’ve seen how Rainbow Dash can move in the skies, then you haven’t seen nothing yet! Griffon Roar!” Gild exclaimed forth to say this in having dealt with Rainbow’s speed; then without warning, she unleashed a mighty griffon’s roar that blasted Lightning Dust across before she smacked against a nearby rock before flying off to rebalance herself from what a hit she took.

“Okay, that’s it! I’ve been working on this move, hoping to get it right. So guess who’s the target?” Lightning Dust stated off in deciding that she is done playing nice mare, time to bring out something else. “Dust Twister!” She announced a new move that was gonna be her little surprise to topple this enemy.

That’s when it happened, Lightning Dust was spinning around to create a fast rotation of wind, enough to create what would mostly be a mini-twister version compared to a real large size of it. This move seem to be base off what Lightning Dust & Rainbow Dash made back at the academy, only this time, it was more under control & meant for more than cloud clearing, it was good to take out a small patch unit or one opponent. Gilda tried to resist the force, but it pulled her in & was spinning her around & around tone moving across Griffonstone.

“Had enough yet?” Lightning Dust smiled off in having shown that griffon who’s boss.

But then within the twister, a giant charged arrow was shot off that broke apart the mini-twister & impacted Lightning Dust. Gilda had fired off her strong Double Bullseye that broke the technique & made Lightning Dust get knocked across the field before crashing on the ground.

“Guuagh!” Lightning Dust impacted right on the ground from that sudden attack that caught her off guard. “Hugh!” She gasped from another surprise, when a sharp blade was pointed from two sides near her wings while Gilda pin her lion paws of her rear legs on the pony’s back legs.

“Consider your flank handed to you!” Gilda issued off in having recovered to make a new comeback here.

“Grrr….get off me!” Lightning Dust groans to push herself free from being pin by the griffon.

“Either you listen up or you might make my sharp Rogue Gauntlets’ little points cut through you…” Gilda issued off to warn the reckless pony of what happens if she’s not careful.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Lightning Dust snapped off that the griffon wouldn’t dare go that far.

“Why not push yourself to see if you can get out of this pin down state….before I claw off a wing?” Gilda issued off to challenge the pony if she can push herself against this difficulty.

Lightning Dust & Gilda were having a stare off, the pony was getting ready to push herself through this, but the griffon looked like she strike first & the results would be…a bad lost for one of them. When a few minutes have passed over, it look like something was gonna happen until Lightning Dust sighs in backing down.

“Now listen up cause I’m gonna say this once, you’re a reckless renegade who likes to push herself, but goes too far in bringing down others.” Gilda issues off in lecturing the pony in what she’s doing to herself & to others.

“Being the best means pushing yourself.” Lightning Dust issued off in stating this as a fact of what one does to push themselves hard.

“Yeah, well guess what, it can only get you so far. And look where you are if you don’t have no one to back you up.” Gilda rolled her eyes to remark how the act of pushing one’s self drove them to a corner where they got nobody to show their effort if being pushed away themselves.

“Anyone that can’t keep up would slow me down!” Lightning Dust issued off as her fact of what it means to not get dragged behind.

“Then maybe it’s time you slow down to realize that you coming here to hide from pony law means you have nowhere else to go.” Gilda pointed this off that Lightning Dust is now setting herself up for where she can’t be anywhere near nobody thanks to her action.

“Why do you care?” Lightning Dust glared at Gilda in why a griffon of all things would care about a pony that got in a heap of trouble.

“Because when I was with Rainbow Dash, I thought all of the other ponies would be squat lame. But I was in the wrong & lost both a friend & rival because of my ego!” Gilda issued off to lecture this to Lightning Dust to understand the concept of what one’s own fault would do in losing something before them.

“Funny, the way you spoke earlier, doesn’t sound like you aren’t friends.” Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow in having heard what Gilda said, first she said Rainbow Dash is a friend, but she lost her, that’s random.

“Because we made up & the one that did it was the annoying pink pony I gave a hard time with. And it’s thanks to them, that Griffonstone is slowly becoming a better place.” Gilda issued off that from the efforts & forgiveness she got from two ponies that gave her life a hard time, her home country is becoming a bit better now.

“Then what are you going to do, turn me in & get me sent to Grimdark! All I wanted was to be a Wonderbolt, but now I fell from champ to chump, all because of what Rainbow Dash did in suggesting we lookout for others.” Lightning Dust protest off to say this in what she was doing, pushing herself to be the best & she fell from the rest because she was too focus on outdoing everyone while Rainbow Dash said they had to think about others.

“Maybe that’s how you see things, but when I look at you, I see myself.” Gilda stated off to say this about Lightning Dust reminding of the griffon herself some time ago. “Hugh & boy was I a mess back then.” She rolled her eyes in stating this factor of what she use to be.

That’s when the next thing happened that took anyone completely by surprise as Gilda retracted her razor blades in her gauntlets & got off of Lightning Dust. From that, Lightning Dust seemed puzzled & confused, but took the movement to zip a few feet away before getting herself off the ground & then on the ground to stare at the griffon that…who had her let her go.

“Wait, your letting me go?” Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow in seeing what was going on & was very much puzzled indeed.

“Yeah, so, you gonna go hide or what?” Gilda rolled her eyes to remark the fact if the pony was gonna get out of here or not.

“I will! But…why? You had issues with me, didn’t you?” Lightning Dust replied off in being slightly confused, why would Gilda let her go when the griffon has issues with her.

“I did & I beat them into you, so there. You wanna live in fear, that’s your call to make, not mine.” Gilda issued off to simply state this with a dry remark fact about Lightning Dust’s choice to live.

“Well, why don’t you tell me who you are? You never gave me a name.” Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow in liking a name from this griffon if she won’t see her again.

“It’s Gilda, resident of Griffonstone & I’m with the Brotherhood.” Gilda gave a brief intro about who she is.

“Wait, Brotherhood? Are you talking about the Brotherhood of Injustice?” Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow in questioning about what she heard right.

“That’s the long way to address us, but sometimes we just go for the shorter version.” Gilda rolled her eyes in annoyance about how folks use the long address term when cutting it down for a shorter use is a bit less time consuming.

“I’ve heard about your group, you’re a separate unit from both good & bad, & you work under service of who wants your talent. Namely at times, one of the Three Lords!” Lightning Dust exclaimed in having heard about Gilda’s group, as they may not be much talk of the town, they are still known.

“That be about it, right now, we’re hidden from everyone’s eyes, so we do what we want from some ends meet.” Gilda rolled her eyes to shrug off to state the claim.

“I see….well then, I guess, despite the rough meeting, you were…pretty good in that fight.” Lightning Dust slowly looked away in trying to say that their fight, wasn’t too bad when thinking about it.

“You too, not a lot that can go toe-to-toe with me, or hoof-to-talon.” Gilda smiled off to comment the state about many that can handle the tough flier of the Brotherhood of Injustice.

“Well then, I guess I’ll be going.” Lightning Dust stated off to say in seeing that with this done, she’ll be going now.

Now the scene felt a bit awkward as Lightning Dust was flapping her wings to take off & slowly move away from Gilda; feeling weird about how things ended up that in defeat, she was being let go.

“Hey!” Gilda called out to the pony to wait a moment.

“Yeah?” Lightning Dust turn around to see what Gilda wanted now.

“Listen, if you’re in a jam, then take this.” Gilda stated to say this before tossing a magic stone object in a disc artifact towards the pony.

“What is it?” Lightning Dust asked off puzzled in receiving a weird gift.

“A special magic stone called a Portal Magic Gate, use it to activate a Magic Gate & it’ll bring you to our location.” Gilda issued off to explain this to the mare in how to use the object to take Lightning Dust to their secret location, Safe Haven.

“Why are you giving me this?” Lightning Dust raised an eyebrow in why someone would hand her something like this.

“Cause, even though you’re a reckless pony, even a reckless fool needs some helpful allies.” Gilda smirks off to state this in knowing that even fools need some friends.

“Hey!” Lightning Dust snapped off in being called both a fool & reckless in the same category before calming down. “Why though, it’s not like I’ll be better off with weirdos.” She scuff off to say in why Gilda would let her join some weirdos of a mix up group.

“Trust me, our group is not normal, but I will say this, unless you can accept your faults & try to be better at teamwork, then you’ll not have anyone to count on.” Gilda issued off to say this about nobody in the Brotherhood of Injustice is normal as far as she sees, but Lightning Dust has to work out the matters of being a better team player. “But, having heard you swallowed your ego to work with others, weird ones too against the Mane Six bunch, maybe there’s hope, even if it’s small.” Gilda lightly stated this off with a sly smile in thinking the pony might have a better chance of being better off with them since their group works together over such complicated stuff, etc.

Lightning Dust felt a bit silent in what she heard, it’s true that she did poorly with the other Wonderbolt Cadets, but then after she was force off the Wonderbolts to be a part of Radiant Hope’s plot of a handful made group to revival King Sombra, she didn’t show much…problems. Maybe in the back of her mind, having something like a team to depend on was the real act of what it means to be a Wonderbolt & maybe…what Gilda was offering might be her small shot of at least having safety from the law for the time being.

“I’ll think about it, thanks for that talk.” Lightning Dust smiled off to say this towards Gilda to think about this for a while. “Hey, think even a rogue renegade like me can find a spot for your group?” She asked this off in being curious if maybe Gilda’s group might accept a pony like her that pushes herself to the limit.

“We’re called Injustice for a reason, Boris labels us as a unit that have been unjustified by everyone.” Gilda rolled her eyes to say this about how many of them in the Brotherhood of Injustice have had some unjustly moments, so many of them stick together.

“Humph, well thanks, let me know if you need someone with the guts to push herself.” Lightning Dust crack the first smile in feeling like there was something out there that maybe she could feel alright with.

With that, Lightning Dust flaps her wings in the air & took off in making a lightning streak blur as she flew. Gilda watched the pony in being intrigue, it was almost like seeing Rainbow Dash, but different in how Lightning Dust seem to share qualities of Rainbow’s daring speed & Gilda’s stubborn attitude. Just then, a sparkling blue dust appeared near Gilda before revealing it to be Trixie Lulamoon using a magic mirror portal for communication.

“Gilda, are you there?” Trixie spoke off through a magic portal mirror to speak to her companion.

“Yeah, I’m here Trixie, what’s the matter?” Gilda rolled her eyes to casually say this about being here.

“Flim & Flam have just returned & apparently there was an involvement in them participating in the Crystal Empire Invasion.” Trixie stated off to say this about two of their members returned with a case sounding quite familiar.

“Another one?” Gilda raised an eyebrow in having to hear about the same topic again.

“What do you mean, another one?” Trixie raised an eyebrow in thinking Gilda already heard about such a thing.

“Never mind, I’ll explain later. Right now, open the Magic Gate, I’ll be there soon.” Gilda waved off to say that such things can be discussed later & that she needs a way back to Safe Haven.

“What about the stone you have?” Trixie asked off in knowing Gilda has a way to get back herself.

“Look, just do it, I’ll tell you why when I get back.” Gilda pointed off in just wanting her request done & she’ll explain things when she’s back.

Trixie sighs from the ego manner before her magic mirror portal vanished. Then it was replaced by a Magic Gate Portal that appeared, as Gilda prepares to take it to return to Safe Haven. But she stops to look out in the distance in where a blur of a lightning streak was seen in the skies from Lightning Dust.

“Hugh, wait till everyone hears about this, they’ll love it.” Gilda rhetorically stated to make a joke about how when the others hear what she went through, they will be surprised.

Soon Gilda goes through the Magic Gate before it closes as the scene fades out. What sort of things will happen in the future, will Lightning Dust be fine & will she possibly become an out-on-the-field member of the Brotherhood of Injustice? What’s to say that Lightning Dust is another one of the misfortunate types to possibly fit in with such a group? Those are questions that are most likely better left off way ahead…in the future.

The End

Author's Note

Cast list
Britt Irvin: Lightning Dust
Marÿke Hendrikse: Gilda the Griffon

Cameo appearances by
Andrew Francis: Shining Armor
Peter New: Various Royal Guards
Brian Drummond: Various Royal Guards
Kathleen Barr: Trixie Lulamoon

And there we go, this one's now done, so enjoy it & look forward to other things to come. Just like the next fic...

"What Will Will Do? (Set at the exact same time as "Griffon A Good Talking To"): Frustrated about how easily he was suckered into helping a bunch of villains, Iron Will feels worse than ever. When Iron Will comes across a trio of non-descript toughs strong-hoofing a store-owner, what will he decide to do? Can he overcome his guilt, help the store owner and regain his lost mojo at the same time?
Villains: Three non-descript street tough pony stallions (one earth pony, one Pegasus and one unicorn)"

Another post-Siege of the Crystal Empire story. Until next time, read, review and suggest.